Wednesday, February 19, 2020

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play Essay

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play - Essay Example However, the name Elephant Man was mistakenly given as his sobriquet because many thought that he was afflicted with elephantiasis. Born in England in 1862, it became apparent that there was something wrong with him while he was still a toddler. It was during this early stage in his life that disfiguring tumors began to emerge on his face. It was Merrick's belief that his deformity was caused by his mother's having been frightened by an elephant. Even this notion was quite ludicrous for Victorian England, but Merrick stuck to this belief since he was unable to receive ample quality education. His mother died when Merrick was 10 and his stepmother, unable to cope with the child's growing deformity, convinced her husband to throw the boy into the streets. And so at a young age, Merrick had his first taste of human cruelty and became a street urchin. Merrick was peddling shoe polish by the time he was 12 years old. Still living on the streets, he was not only exposed to the elements but was also subject to regular taunting, bullying and even persecution. He afterwards became a ward of the state and was forced to work in a welfare sweatshop. Merrick's face and also his body were covered with lumpy growths and tumors. The tumors were also made up of hard bone. An attempt was made to cut away the excess growths but this ended in failure. Merrick's deformity grew through time. People stared and gaped at Merrick wherever he went. Thus, Merrick decided that if they have to look, they might as well pay for it and so he began his career as a sideshow freak (Kayser 1966). Merrick remained in the London Hospital until he died mysteriously of suffocation. In a way, he became a sport of pet monster for the upper-class Victorians. His presence took away their fear of the strange and unusual. The Nature of Joseph Merrick Merrick wrote a short autobiography wherein he stated that his experiences as a sideshow freak was not hurtful. He said that he was treated with the "greatest kindness." In contrast, he wrote, it was real life that proved to be hurtful (Daily Chronicle 1890). Although brutally exploited as a sideshow freak, Merrick showed his gentleness even among those who persecuted him. He was eventually able to read widely, learned the arts, visited beautiful places and entertained royalty. As Lady Geraldine Somerset described his gentle nature and circumstance, "such a gentle, kindly man, poor thing!" (Howell & Ford, 1980). Although his physical appearance elicited shudders from the public, his genuinely sterling character made him the perfect fairy tale monstrosity. Merrick was a very ill man and his condition worsened through time. The pain became more pronounced and crippling as the disease advanced. He would spend hours sitting and staring into emptiness, seemingly despondent as he tapped the fingers of his disfigured right hand on the arm of his chair or a pillow. Despite his despondent state, Merrick gave hope to his well-wishers reiterating that the world they live in is a good one. He also expressed his gratitude to those who called on him: "Tis true my form is something odd, But blaming me is blaming God; Could I create myself anew I would not fail in pleasing you. "If I could reach from pole to pole Or grasp the ocean with a span, I would be measured by the soul; The mind's the standard of the man." (Howard & Ford, 189) In the first verse, Merrick accepts his oddity. But he also does not cast any blame on

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

How Businesses Use Learning & Memory to Affect Consumers Essay - 1

How Businesses Use Learning & Memory to Affect Consumers - Essay Example What makes the study of memory so complicated is that humans have disparate methods by which information is encoded and retrieved, which is largely dependent on the level to which the human finds information relevant and important. Marketers, today, seem to understand these differences in learning and memory processing and generate marketing content (i.e. advertisements, banner ads or even digital marketing via technology) that alter the encoding process of consumers so that they will be better able to recall a brand or find personal preference toward the product or service. Consumers all have different learning processes, however there is research evidence that consumers are biased in learning as it relates to their personal stereotypes as well as the degree to which marketing information is considered relevant to the consumer. This essay focuses on the phenomenon of constraint theory in learning, consumer biases and offers an evaluation of how marketers persuade consumers to favour their brand based on consumer memory processing and learning characteristics of important target consumers. Consumer biases in learning and constraint theory It is the goal of marketers, from a competitive standpoint, to establish brand recognition in the minds of important and profitable consumers. Brand recognition is the ability of consumers to recall a particular brand under disparate conditions and be able to effectively recall logo, brand name and even brand-related slogans and jingles and link this recognition to the product or service (Schiffman and Kanuk 2010). Establishing brand recognition is critical to marketers as if they cannot recall the brand, the brand will not be considered as a potential purchase or sought as an alternative in the consumer behaviour model (Tan 2010). However, in order to establish this important aspect of brand management, marketers must first understand how consumers encode and retrieve information. The memory encoding process is complex in con sumers and is often associated with the degree to which a consumer finds a particular stimulus to be enjoyable or relevant to their lifestyles or needs. Encoding processes are strongly related to the pre-existing personal experiences and phenomenon to which consumers are exposed (Yun Yoo 2008; Cameron 1999). For instance, a consumer that is given a glass of branded alcohol in an environment where there is a crying child will likely not result in the production of strong memories that favour the brand. However, when given the same branded beverage in an environment where there is fun social activity in the individual’s peer network, the situation will be encoded as a powerful memory with positive associations between brand and experience (Cameron 1999). Therefore, there is significant evidence in the memory encoding process that a person’s level of interest and involvement determines whether positive or negative cognitive associations are created in the memory encoding and retrieval processes. This is how marketers, today, are able to utilise memory processes in consumer target groups to gain positive brand recognition and general positive sentiment toward a brand. Marketing literature tells business leaders that when a brand is able to provide consumers with a perception that the brand can enhance their lifestyles and provide self-expansion (i.e. social status improvement or lifestyle enrichment), they are likely to develop very strong emotional attachments to the brand