Influences on Online Consumer Buying Behaviour

Influences on Online Consumer Buying Behaviour Among the online shoppers there are many potential online consumers with an intention to purchase, but only few finishes the buying process (Shim et al. 2001). Buyers are online consumers who really make a purchase but browsers are the online shoppers who perform to access the online stores to retrieve the details of products and services but are not in intention to purchase (Law Bai, 2008). But there are studied that clearly explain the ways to convert an online shopper of browser to an buyer (Ranaweera et al. 2008). The web pages portrayal of its ambience and reliance helps the online browser to buy or not to, only the initial purchase satisfaction and experience of convenience online can make the online consumer come back again. Oliver (1999) found that the intentions of online shoppers with repeat of purchases will help to build relationship oriented online stores leading to online consumer loyalty. Constantinides (2004) clearly stated that there few influential factors which ar e external and internal that affect the online consumption behaviour. 1.0 INFLUENTIAL ASPECTS OF ONLINE CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR Kotler (2003) stated the online consumers behaviour is the learning process of the online consumers online store experience, search of information, and decision making of the buying process. The figure 1 clearly depicts the influential aspects of online consumer buying behaviour which are considered to posses uncontrollable and controllable aspects. The Kotler (2003) work is further is further enhanced by the addition of controllable aspects for online store experience by Constantinides (2004). The online consumer behaviour is basically based on the whole impression of online stores portal. (Constantinides, 2004) The strike of emotions occurred and other psychological factors while shopping in the web portal results to the overall online behaviour of the consumer. The web portal expelling the weak emotions or bad experience of online store is mostly likely to lose the potential online consumer compared to that of a web portal which portrays good online shopping experience. Due to the bad experiences in online stores, the online consumers choose to shop offline and prefer offline more rather online stores for future purchases. Yang et al. (2003) found that the online consumers prefer the websites that directs them step by step procedure for purchase decision rather than online stores that just direct online buyer to products. Czinkota and Kotabe (2001) states the uncontrollable aspects of online consumers like demographics and culture is not under the control of online store marketers. Constantinides (2002) work stated the fact that the experience that takes place during online shopping between buyer and seller through virtual interaction medium has major influence compared to other aspects to influence the online consumer behaviour. Finally the major impact on online consumers purchasing behaviour is mainly influenced by content, functionality and psychological behavioural factors (Constantinides, 2004). Jayawardhena et al (2007) study proves that the factor that generally motivates the online consumer to buying process is the maximum of control over their online shopping. But study of Sun (2010) proves that the online consumers are driven to buying process on the backgrounds of relationship excellence. 1.2 CONTENT ASPECT The features and appearance of the website is referred as the content factors of ecommerce. Kotler (1984) defined the aesthetics aspect of atmospheric factor that influences the shoppers buying behaviour. The outlook and interior brightnes and feel of the brick and mortar stores adds to the buying behaviour of the consumer (Areni and Kim, 1994), whereas the online consumers prefer the online stores with great visibility and good quality. Conroy (2006) claims that the visual and aural effects of web store can create attention and attraction among the online consumers, where this claims supports the study of Areni and Kim (1994). For instance flipkart.com creates attention and attraction of online consumers in India with good appearance of webpage appearance and product reviews. Functionality aspects of web store and online consumers webpage attraction is possibly created by highlighting sensory stimuli for the web stores (Parson and Conroy, 2006). The process of converting browsers to actual buyers can take place by clearly communicating the aesthetics of web store intensions to online consumers (Wang et al. 2010). Constantinides (2004) stated the positive aspects that motivate online consumer are better tracking facilities and preferable delivery options. The need for segmenting the online consumers based on buying behaviour helps to break them in groups and target with intensions. 1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT Consumers decision making process is vastly affected by the online store experience and behaviour are the main impacts of psychological aspects (Mcguire, 1976), Most online customers tend to terminate the online purchase for the reason of trust concern (Grabner-Krà ¤uter and Kaluscha, 2003). Major online retailers created a trustful atmosphere for online consumers by providing guarantees and return policies which help to eliminate the customers anxiety over online transactions. Web store option of frequently answered questions creates a positive element to the psychological aspect of the browser or buyer while shopping online. Online purchase returns without many hindrances and dissatisfaction handling of online consumer are all the additions to motivation for purchase decision process (Constantinides, 2004). 1.3 FUNCTIONALITY ASPECT The online stores usability and interactivity are the main factors associated for aspects of functionality. These factors are involved to influence in the process of buying decision of online consumer (Constantinides, 2004). Online consumption growth for years growing but the usability is getting complicated but by providing consumers with required information it is becoming minimal effort to use online shopping compared to offline. Online consumer are also provided ordered way to search for information and process the buying decision making properly navigated with proper net functionalities (Constantinides, 2004). Convenience and saving of time is the primary goal for any online shopper but with improper web store navigation and poor quality of the web store impacts the online consumer behaviour negatively to become a browser than a buyer (Nah and Davis, 2002) 2.0 SEGMENTATION OF E-CONSUMERS Online new buyers, experienced buyers and potential buyers are the three different segmented e-consumer groups in the e-commerce industry which is derived from the study of Hernà ¡ndez-Ortega et al. (2008). Online new buyers are the segmented e-consumers who are already familiar online purchase patterns but are shopping online for better deal driven or options. Online buyers who shop frequently and are easily adapted to online shopping structure are the experienced online buyers, these consumers are the most essential for the online stores value building and experienced buyers should under track on to maintain their loyalty. The online buyers with an intension to purchase online and are even chances of repeating online shopping can be turned to potential buyers by online stores efforts (Gronroos, 2004). The segmentation of online consumers is clearly done based on their shopping patterns is to define their online consumption behaviour to target certain strategies to turn them to ret urn online stores and create a sense of loyalty. It is done only by understanding and analysing the online shopping behaviour like price sensitivity, shopping activeness, balance of orientation, convenience and brand loyalty (Jayawardhena et al. 2007). 2.1 SENSIVITY TOWARDS PRICE Online consumers behaviour based on sensitivity of price are the economic online consumers according to study of Brown et al. (2003). Consumers from this segregated group are more concerned at the value for money attitude. Price sensitivity consumers will not give any attention towards online stores convenience or time aspects. These consumers choose the best possible product/service for their investment (Vijayasarathy, 2003). Online consumers who are price sensitive are large in number compared to other segmented online consumers, basically it is believed that major number of online consumers choose online stores over offline for finding value for money products/services (Brown et al. 2003). 2.2 BALANCED IN THE ORIENTATION Darden and Ashton (1975) termed this set of online consumers as discerning buyers or balanced buyers, these consumers are require all the preferential aspects of online shopping in a balanced manner. These consumers are loyal, take time to shop but will go for the best product/service that provides the balance of all their requirements. But according to study of Jayawardhena et al. (2007) convenience is proved to play key role in defining their online shopping preference compared to other aspects, further this set of online consumers are cannot be targeted very easily as the other online consumers. 2.3 LOYALTY TOWARDS BRAND The firm online sales can be steadily maintained with this set of consumers, who are loyal to the firm resulting in purchase of only their product/service. Browser can be converted to a buyer, if the brand has the potential to create loyalty among the browsers (Dawar and parker, 1994). Well recognition of brand and brands loyalty can help to lower the online consumers trust issues and risk aspects (Huang et al. 2004). All these aspects add to the well recognised brand to posses higher amount of market share compared to that of unrecognised brand. This segment of online consumers is recognised to be moderately high in number (Jayawardhena et al. 2007). 2.4 SHOPPING ACTIVENESS Online consumers who shop online for recreation belong to the aspect of shopping activeness. Online consumers from this aspect take pleasure in online shopping even if they purchase or not. Allred et al. (2006) considers that this segment of online consumers cannot be targeted by any motivational factors, as they shop for enjoyment of shopping than just purchasing. But Brown et al. (2003) considers few strategies to impact to attract these group by promotional offers, offering sample is possible, catalogues, design of a attractive web store can all add up to push to consumer to purchase product/service rather than just shopping. This further adds that if the consumer can also enjoy the whole buying process, chances of buying is more. These segment of online consumers are least compared to other segments (Jayawardhena et al. 2007) 2.5 CONVENIENCE The segment of online consumers wants to overcome inconvenience of travelling to offline stores, escape weather conditions, and eliminate the limitation of product/service varieties (Vijayasarathy, 2003). Some other preferences adding to this group are shopping pleasure and necessity. This segment of consumers depend convenience but this group are not in large compared to price sensitive consumers (Jayawardhena et al. 2007). The study on online consumer purchase patterns and behaviours are all most similar to that of offline consumers behaviours, the major identification in this study is that online shopping is just another channel of consumption of goods or services (Jayawardhena et al. 2007). But the conclusion that online shopping and offline shopping is similar is not the right consideration, below further study is done to define differences of offline and online consumers. 3.0 OFFLINE CONSUMERS AND ONLINE CONSUMERS The fast growth of internet penetration globally created a hugs shift of consumption channels from offline to online through the platform of e-commerce (Iqbal et al. 2002). Online consumers mostly are educated, mostly young and well-off tends to opt for online shopping over the offline channel (Allred et al. 2006). The difference in offering of value among the offline and online consumers is well studied by Iqbal et al. (2002). The online consumer enjoys the value of efficiency, features, speed in traction and price. The offline consumer enjoys the value of immediate customer service, quality, tangibility and promotional offers. Online and offline shopping has its own disadvantages and advantages for its consumers. The aspects that influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers in offline and online are same, only the tools used to target the offline and online consumers differ (Constantinides, 2004). But the tools that are available for influencing online consumption are numerous b ut there are various issues associated to it, the further discussion highlights the identified issue. 4.0 LIMITATIONS OF ONLINE STORES Lepkowska-White et al. (2004) study proved that various issues of online stores creates a sense worry for online consumers, mainly the issues which arise are complication of product/service information, product delivery, security and privacy issues, limited relationship and low customer service. Despite the various issues associated with online shopping, there aspects like e-retailers core competencies (Hofacker, 2008) that drive the online success even over the external factors like culture and demographic (Quelch and Klien, 1996). Web store is a virtual store executed and created on software programmes, several flaws would arise if the software program is not well designed. Bauer et al. (2006) research stated that online stores cannot balance its consumers with good functions of online shopping and better online store experience. Online store servers response time is also main issue under online consumer trust. Online store server with fast response can build trust and server with delay over the clicks can cause worry among the consumers (Cao and Zhao, 2004). The expenses that are saved from offline store structure by the online store is equally leveraged by the effort to bring and build e-sales. The main aspects of online store limitations are further discussed. 4.1 LEGAL AND REGULATORY CONCERNS Various issues regarding legal and regulatory grounds are being faced by various online stores for its negligence of its consumers legal and regulatory concerns. Wijnholds and Little, 2001 stated that the regulatory issue are related to geographical position. Online stores have to obey and abide to the governing rules which challenge sensitive privacy issues of online consumers. There are various online stores that secretly stored the consumer shopping details to target them with appropriate strategies for instance Amazon.com, where its strategy was opposed by few governing councils like European Union, where a rule was passed out to inform consumers prior to collection of their shopping details (Simnett,1999). This rule raised concerns for e-retailers to build trust among consumers and create strategies to market. Taxation is another concern for e-retailers trading globally, where different geographical location charge different amount of tax. The online store prices have variation according to consumers geographical origin. Online stores change their web portal according to various governing rules to operate in various countries (Eaglesham and Tucker, 1999). 4.2 SECURITY AND RISK Online consumers behaviour is mainly affected by the trust issue, the whole trading process is carried out in the e-commerce industry under value of trust and privacy (Constantinides, 2004). Lot of online sales are terminated or discontinued on the transaction process due to the trust issues between buyer and seller (Grabner-Krà ¤uter and Kaluscha, 2003). There are two kinds of trust that is described by Sun (2010), affective trust and cognitive trust. Affective trust is the emotional relationship between the seller and buyer, cognitive trust deals with integrity and benevolence. Online stores with built trust among its consumers can make them feel high satisfaction, less risk, high intensity to browse the online store for new or better products/services lead to increase in online sales. There are various third-party assurances given by various government agencies (Constantinides, 2004). They are specifically termed as third party assurance (TPA), many online stores failed to effect ively communicate its third party assurance to it consumers to build trust. TPA is classified as mark of trust that certain online store is trust worthy to make a purchase decision (Kimery  and  McCord,  2006). The two aspects related to purchase making decision are relationship with the seller and online stores information of product/service. Among all the online consumers many prefer a know online store compared to unknown online store for shopping. The unknown store to attract new online consumers and retain them need to focus on web store design and core competencies and finally by building trust the online store can also attract online consumers traffic (Constantinides, 2004). Li et al. (2008) from the study it is identified that the online store from its designing stage itself has to consider the trust and privacy concerns for their consumers. 5.0 E-RETAILERS IMPLICATIONS An E-retailer effort to push the consumer to overcome the barriers to make a purchase decision is the tough task to convert a browser into a buyer for its store. Nonetheless there are various external and internal aspects that influence the online consumer during the buying process. There are various web-store plannings and online marketing strategies available to influence the consumption behaviour of online buyers (Kolesar and Galbraith, 2000; Constantinides, 2002; Allred et al. 2006). Constantinides (2002) recommended 4 fundamentals model of S (system, synergy, site and scope or strategy) of online marketing strategy. This fundamental model can improve all areas of online selling. The system aspect of the model deals with online firm administration and requirements of technology. The synergy aspect of the model deals with the integration of its functions in relation to partnerships and legal requirements. The site aspect of the model deals with design of web store to create and ma intain the satisfaction level of shopping experience among browsers and buyers. Finally the scope aspect of the model deals with researching the market information of consumer patterns to form strategies that match the online consumer behaviour that suits the core of the web store. Vijayasarathy (2003) recommends that to sales of product/services to be carried only if suitable to be carried out in ecommerce channel. Boyd (2005) further added that regular online consumer would be satisfied with basic level service provided, trust and further few aspects are discussed below. 5.1 RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND PHYSICAL PROOF The web store atmospheric evaluation of the online consumer creates the portal impression. The web store physical proof is noted simplicity of usage and fast reply of portal to consumers requests influence the consumers level of shopping experience (Wijnholds and Little, 2001). The core competencies of web store should help them create niche among the other web stores. The web store design should appeal the consumers according to its line of products/services and satisfy their shopping experience. For instance Chanel fashion house website targets the customers with their fashion shows and display of famous models. Relationship building is an important activity to be considered by e-retailers to retain the online consumers. Building relationship is done by basic steps of obtaining feedback and providing reply with quick information (Huang and Shyu, 2009). For instance, travel websites provide online consumers with FAQs, chat sessions, quick information regarding the travel options and availabilities (Allred et al. 2006). Sun (2010) believe that the effort of the e-retailer to retain online consumer with various aspects has positive effect on online consumers behaviour. 6.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research questions are the most important aspects of this management project, In which it defines the current online consumer patterns in India and benchmarking of Indian online consumption with USA. The methodology includes the detail analysis and study in the Indian e-commerce Market with online consumers behaviour in relation to the discussion from literature review. The answer for the research problem is provided based on the related aspects that are discussed in the literature review, the case study methodology is applied for the gathering of analysis, data and the ways to form recommendations on what to do improvise the current trends. The nature of the research problem will define the choice of research method. The nature of phenomena to be researched states the research method sustainability (Morgan and Smircich, 1980). To form the basis for the research theoretical perspective is chooses as choice for methodology. Levy (2006) stated that Methodology, methods, theoretical perspective and Epistemology are the four elements of research design. 6.1 RESEARCH DESIGN: EPISTEMOLOGY The process of Epistemology is the research design that relates the knowledge and it usage and adequacy using the philosophical grounding (Levy, 2006). Constructionism and Objectivist are the two main underlined epistemology. Objectivism Constructionism Positivism Interpretivism Grounded Theory Survey One- to- one Interviews Case Study Focus Group Sampling Measurement and Scaling Figure : Research Design elements Source: (Crotty, 1998) It is discovered that if the research of objectivists is carried out in proper manner there are possibilities to find the truth. But objectivists are rejected by constructionists that there is no process discovering or finding truth. The communication with various realities of the global can only derive truth. Thus the constructionists mean that nothing is discovered but is only constructed (Levy, 2006). Above figure states the research design elements associated to quantitative and qualitative methodology. 6.2 PHILOSOPHY OF RESEARCH: THEORETICAL There are two approaches of the philosophy of research: Interpretivism and Positivist. Interpretivism posses that researchers have no access to the actual world and their awareness of the perception of the current world is significant, in which they could be understood by the usage of intrepretivist processes. Positivism is the associated to the objectivism epistemology and based on the assumption that there is ways to acquire concrete knowledge about the truth (Carson et al. 2001). Positivist is the one who considers the object and the subject or the researcher as independent and two different aspects. The knowledge that could be acquired beyond the human awareness is ascertained by positivists. These set of researchers believe human awareness about the world and the view of the objective ascertains the total view of base for the human awareness (Webber, 2004). The large number of positivists tends to analyse the history, culture, experience and so on all those that creates the research. Survey, field experiments and laboratory experiments are research methodologies available for the usage by positivists. The philosophy of research applied in this project is the internpretivism. It is believed that researchers who watch and reality they believe cannot be separated. Throughout their life their perceptions or the concept about world is brought from the flow of experiences (Weber, 2004). The awareness the interpretivists structure imitates their culture, experience, own goals, etc. Few characteristics of Interpretivist are discussed below: Researchers are motivated by episodes of concepts and approaches of qualitative measures. The focal point of research is the process of analysing the happenings under the given circumstances. Including the various concerns like individual perspectives, researcher involvement, and multiple realities. Tendency of usage towards the phenomenographic, enthographic and case studies. They are concerned to defend the acquired awareness through research process. Conclusions made by the researcher are reasonable and the research is carried in the context of researcher examination of evidences. The researcher believes that clubbing of both research process and its subjectivity an portray the steps taken to assess limitations of the subjectivity (Weber, 2004) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Methodological approach is not only affected by the research philosophy like epistemology but it also affects the interpretivist approach. The researcher study is focused on understanding and interpretation (Carson et al, 2001) and motivated to relate personal experience and knowledge in the interpretivist framework. The conclusion is that it is based on the approach of qualitative. The study that is not made by the means of quantifications and means of statistical procedures to define the findings of the research as qualitative approach (Levy, 2006). When the main scope of the study is to construct theory with effective methodology then it is the qualitative methodology. This research involves researcher reactions and views, documents, questionnaires, interviews and observations. The qualitative methodology basis form is done by the grounded theory method. The fundamental aspect of the grounded theory model is that to discover and read the data from various series through observations through where the core points are extracted and marked (Strauss and Corbin, 1998). Research theory is grounded in association to the repeated reference of the knowledge. Interpretivist research with complex social process among people is required to carried out in solving the research problem using the grounded theory (Carson et al. 2001). RESEARCH METHODS CASE STUDY METHOD The analysis of complexity and particularity of a case or issue reaching to point of acquiring knowledge of the core circumstances (Stake, 1995). It is focus light over a certain instance (Denscombe). The investigation and study at one instance can help to define and discover details that were never discovered in any other researches. The four stages of case study work: Analysing the current situation. Which is carried out through semi structured and structured interviews. Information collection on the current and background of the circumstances. This is carried out through interviews, documentation references and observations. Gathering more precise information, through the observations, interviews and exploration of information. Analysis presentation of recommendations and observations. The progression of intensive knowledge and development of details regarding certain circumstances of a case result in formation of a case study (Saunder et al, 1997). The various questions that arise from the management project are answered by the case study. The study to analyse the effects of past issues, current issues and its influences on the organisational units is the basic approach of case study (Jankowicz, 2005). According to Yin (1984) case study analysis has four core issues that are external validity, construct validity, internal validity and reliability. A concern that creates issue in the operations of the analysis, where the data collected is repeated with similar results is the reliability issue. Establishment of relationships that are important for the comparison of research methods like survey is considered by the internal validity. To control the chances of researcher misinterprets the information and end up with wrong recommendation and conclusions are controlled by construction validity which employs correct methods. The study conclusions that are comprehensive are concerns that are established by external validity. There are various concerns that arise case study approach, those are rigour, reliability, validity, time and information overload, subjective bias and generalisation (Burns, 2000). The various issues are considered and case study approach is applied based on highlighting the concerns. 7.0 INDIAN ONLINE CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR 7.1 BACKGROUND 7.2 CURRENT ONLINE CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN INDIA Traditional Indian retail consumption of touch and buy is changing to click and buy. But the online consumers in India are not really buying the concept of online shopping in the present scenario of nascent ecommerce. (http://www.juxtconsult.com/Reports/Juxt_India_Online_2009_Main_Report.pdf) From the report of Juxconsult online shoppers in India for 2009 are 9 million with 3.5 million are buyers and remaining are the internet consumers who search but do not prefer online stores are browsers. TRAVEL SECTOR The major Indian online consumption comes from the worlds second largest rail network one that caters to 13 million passengers every day, the network that has been the back bone of Indian economy for more than a hundred and fifty years. When the Indian railways launched its online bookings in 2005 everyone expected it to be a success but no one guessed how big the portal would grow to be. Currently Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) portal leads Indias e-commerce market (http://www.irctc.com/annual_report.html). In April 2010 IRCTC reported that it registered 9 million transactions (http://www.pluggd.in/irctc-transactions-tickets-sold-worth-6-billion-april-2009-297/) and it is the top e-governance project executed in India. IRCTC web portal also started its service of air ticketing thats because the Indian middle class have been actively logging in to buy air tickets online in the past few years. The travel vertical accounts for 80% e-commerce in India. These are the various reasons travel sector is one of the most successful e-commerce verticals in the country. The travel sector e-commerce is quick transaction process for online consumer. The relationship of travel sector and e-commerce in India is becoming stronger in days time. Travel sector e-commerce is a fixed business model with low certain margins, experience air travel and global economic downturn meant that the travel e-commerce need to face the loses, thats when the travel portals choose to diversify their interests like value added services like hotel bookings, car rentals, bus and rail tickets. From travel to classified the next most successful vertical CLASSIFIEDS SECTOR The classifieds sector is divided into many markets but matrimony, jobs and real estates forms the major share of the sector. Among them in terms of revenue matrimony is the largest because matrimony is largest as it is fixed subscription business model. Blending tradition with the new age technology this portals essentially charge a subscription fee to allow a user to post and search profiles on their account, Apart from this these portals make revenue through match-making schemes and online ads. Indian online consumers prefer these organised matrimonial services because of the pressure to get married and few their opportunities to meet potential partners. For the job segment portals are making huge revenue with recruitment and personnel services, traffic grow frequently by 30% every few months. The 60% of job recruitments in India are don

Virgil and Petroneous

Essay 1 How much can a civilization change in under a year? The Roman Civilization changed drastically in roughly one hundred years in the way they view many aspects of their life, including the role of women and the role of the gods in their life. In Virgil’s The Aeneid, he has presented Rome as superior to Greece, being written at the time of Augustus; The Aeneid was used as propaganda for the Romans to make them feel superior after the Trojan War.Petronius wrote about Rome during the reign of Nero, in his novel, it is apparent that by the time Epicureanism had gotten to Rome, they had taken it and formed a twisted version of just how extreme they took Hedonism; as exemplified in Dinner With Trimalchio from the novel The Satyricon. The two authors Virgil and Petronius have described Roman civilization under their perspective through their novels and have not only made contrasts, but comparisons as well in commonly seen themes such as the role of the gods in their everyday li fe and the role of women. T) Although they are roughly a hundred years apart, Virgil's novel, The Aeneid, has presented a very different approach to Rome and its civilization compared to Petronius’ novel, The Satyricon. I think this civilization experienced the drastic shift that it did because of the ruler they had at the moment. The Aeneid was written under the reign of Augustus, who was interested in bettering Rome and its people as seen with his Pax Romana and the construction of roads.The people during the reign of Augustus were very rational and were not fearful of the gods but rather believed that they were in charge of their own fate, thus making them â€Å"better† than the Greeks. The Satyricon was written under the reign of Nero, who had very twisted morals due to the lack of philosophy when he was younger. Nero was very cruel and hedonistic, he did not just live for simple pleasure, he lived for extreme pleasure as seen when he literally built himself a plea sure palace while the entire city was dying of hunger and were homeless.The story Dinner With Trimalchio exemplifies how hedonism and Nero’s â€Å"morals† have affected the rich as well. In Dinner With Trimalchio, not only are they living very hedonistic, but the gods are practically nonexistent, while in the story of The Aeneid, they’re there, they’re just portrayed as cruel and not very helpful or necessary, thus leaving them to their own fate. Virgil portrayed Rome as very rational and nondependent of the gods, while Petronius portrayed Rome as hedonistic with a lack of morals and a loss of the gods.A commonly seen theme in both The Aeneid and The Satyricon is the role of the gods. In the Aeneid, as previously mentioned, the gods are perceived as cruel and violent. One instant of this can be seen in Book 2 of the Aeneid when Minerva sent serpents to kill Laoco? n because he not only disobeyed her but he also disrespected her. Minerva sent two serpents to kill him and his sons. She had the serpents kill his sons before his eyes then kill him slowly and painfully. This portrays the gods as cruel and violent.The gods are portrayed as much more violent when compared to The Iliad by Homer in book 22 when Athena is sent down to fasten things up between Achilles and Hector and talk to both of them to ultimately have Hector killed by Achilles. Virgil is making a point that the gods are cruel. Minerva made Laoco? n a cautionary tale to not mess with her or she will not only kill you, but your bloodline as well. Another instance can be seen when Hector appears to Aeneas in a dream and his body is completely disheveled and destroyed. His body is shown the way it would have been should he not have been taken care of Apollo; â€Å"†¦How he looked, how different from that Hector Who returned to Troy wearing Achilles’ armor†¦ † The Aeneid Book 2 line 325-326. This makes the Greeks look bad because not only did Apollo not keep his promise that he would watch over his body, but the Greeks do not have any battle chivalry and dragged his body from his ankles. Virgil has depicted the gods in the Aeneid as cruel and violent. The role of the gods can also be seen in Dinner With Trimalchio, however, they’re not shown as cruel, but instead they are basically nonexistent.One instance can be seen in the poem that Trimalchio recites, â€Å"Nothing but bones, that’s what we are, Death hustles us humans away, Today we’re here and tomorrow we’re not, so live and drink while you may! † page 45. This portrayed the cultural mindset of the people. They believed they were atomic and when they died, they merely fell apart and did not have an afterlife, therefor, they lived life with no regrets and lived for pleasure, the gods were nonextixtant therefore they would not get punished for whatever â€Å"sin† they committed.Another instance can be seen on page 52, â€Å"Oh no, weâ €™re big lions are home, but scared foxes in public†. This meaning that the people and the government and how corrupt it is because of their lack of the gods. If the people had gods, they would not be so corrupt and would obey them and have a better government not ruled solely by Nero, the reckless emperor. The people were still somewhat fearful of the gods and the government, but more because they knew they were lacking their fate. Another theme that is commonly seen in both The Satyricon and The Aeneid is the role of women.A specific instance of the role of women can be seen in Dinner With Trimalchio when Trimalchio, being half drunk, tells his guests that they should ask his wife, Fortunata to dance on the table for everyone to entertain them, but when he does so, she leans over to him and whispers something in his ear and he immediately shuts up, â€Å"He was just about to get up on the table when Fortunata went and whispered something in his ear, probably a warning t hat theses drunken capers were undignified.Never was a man so changeable; sometimes he would bow down to Fortunata in anything she asked at other times, as now, he went his war. † Page 59-60. This shows that Fortunata has power over Trimalchio and he will do whatever she orders him to do. Another instance can be seen when Enculpias is asking about Fortunata and someone describes her. â€Å"If she told him at noon it was night, he’d crawl into bed. † Fortunata obviously has a lot of power over Trimalchio and can convince him about anything. She has power over him, even though she is only wealthy though him, she holds power over him.The role of women can also be seen in Virgil’s The Aeneid when Aeneus tries to kill Helen because he believes that Helen was the reason why the Trojan War begun, â€Å"My soul flared with a burning desire To avenge Try and make her pay for her sins. † Line 673-674 pages 46. Although Aeneus wants to kill her, his mother, Ve nus has come down to stop him from killing her because it is not the right thing to do. She mentions his father and everything he did and told him that it is not the fault of Helen, but of the gods.This shows how much of an impact his mother can make on Aeneus because should she not have intervened he would have killed Helen. Another example of the role of women in The Aeneid can be seen in Book 2 when Minerva has Laoco? n killed because he was being disrespectful. â€Å"For if you lay violent hands Upon this offering to Minerva, Destruction will fall†¦ † lines 226-228. Minerva was a goddess to be feared of rather than only the male gods. She was obviously very powerful and very influential to the people. The women portrayed in The Aeneid and The Satyricon are both very influential and very powerful.The parallels between Contemporary American Society and Imperial Rome can be seen in the constant flux of the mindsets of the people in America. Similar to that of Rome, in a couple hundred of years, religion has changed a lot from being present, to being vaguely there. For example, Christianity was the biggest and most widespread religion 19th century while now, although it is still very widespread and very popular, there are many more religions such as Buddhism and Judaism. However, there was never a time where God was simply not there in American society such as in the time of Nero.Similar to the Romans, women have great influences and power now such as Fortunata had on Trimalchio and Minerva over not only Laoco? n, but the people of Rome as well. Women such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton have grand power in American society. Michelle has help many fundraisers and is in charge of many charities and organizations and Hillary Clinton, being the Secretary of State can one day even become the first female president. This tells us that we have adopted and adapted the Roman’s views on many things that have ultimately become very influential i n our society.

‘Of Mice and Men’ †Are all the characters in this novel lonely? Essay

‘Of Mice and Men’ is set in California during the mid 1930s. Before 1930 people in California used to live together happily as families and used to lead a relatively normal life, however in 1929 the collapse of the New York stock market meant that one and a half million people became unemployed rising to three million by 1930 – this was called the ‘Wall Street Crash’. This depression made caused families to break up as many people (mainly men) to go elsewhere to find work and earn a living. Consequently there was a breakdown in American society. Steinbeck worked briefly as a ranch worker himself and most of his early books, including ‘Of Mice and Men’, were concerned with social issues of the day. Steinbeck was a realist and in his novels he presents the poor and disadvantaged sympathetically. His work made him unpopular with exploitative employers and landowners whom he held responsible for perpetuating the cycle of poverty and deprivation created by the ‘Depression’. The novel was very successful in explaining the needs of people who are lonely and maybe have no friends or family. It also looks at the need to have a friend or dream to support you through life. The different relationships and characters in the novel represent loneliness and realism with nearly every person holding a dream. The first couple we come across in this novel is George and Lennie; these two friends travel together and are very close, they have each other. Lennie is mentally handicapped and relies very much on George to make decisions for him. George however is stronger mentally and has a lot of power over Lennie although he relies on Lennie to keep him company and safe. â€Å"They had walked in single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other†, this quotation represents the power within their relationship; George is the leader and has psychological control over Lennie. Their friendship is like a father and son relationship, George dominates Lennie and sometimes teaches him a lesson â€Å"You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie†, but is still always nice to him â€Å"Good boy†. George grows close to Lennie despite the trouble Lennie’s innocence and strength brings on them both. George is Lennies defender-protecting him from others and himself. Ironically in the first chapter George explains that he could â€Å"get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl†, he describes the stress and annoyance of having to look after Lennie. Ironically George explains he wants this but when he is forced to shoot Lennie in the final chapter he becomes lonely. George shoots Lennie when they are at their closest time yet, he describes to Lennie their dream that he loves to hear; the dream comforts Lennie like a bedtime story. This dream eventually dies with Lennie and is the biggest sacrifice George has to make – killing his own company and the person he loves most. This shows John Steinbeck’s realistic approach to this novel; people’s lives don’t always live happily ever after and many dreams don’t always become a reality, especially not in the 1930s. Candy is an old disabled â€Å"swamper† on the ranch. He lost his right hand in a farm accident and now is reduced to worst job on the ranch; a cleaner. He has lost control of his life and is devoted to his dog. His dog is his only friend and when this dog dies we see he is human with emotions, and these people are worthy of respect. When Candy’s ancient, ill dog was shot, Candy has nothing left. He delayed killing the dog, even though he knew deep down that it was the best thing, as he dreaded losing his long-time companion. Candy after having nothing in life to live for, decides to join George and Lennie in their dream, his funds would make the dream possible. Candy and his dog’s relationship is parallel to the one with George and Lennie’s; George relies on Lennie, Lennie relies on George and Candy and his dog rely on each other too. Their relationship also foreshadows George and Lennie’s – Candy regrets not shooting his dog himself, â€Å"I ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog†, this is foreshadowing the end of the novel where George knows he had to shoot Lennie. They both lost their loved ones. Curley (the boss’s son) and his wife do not get on very well; Curley only has a wife for power and for him to look successful in life. Curley’s wife is married to a man she doesn’t love and who doesn’t love her. She has very little respect of Curley â€Å"I’d like to bust him up myself†, and only marries him to get back at her mother for not letting her fulfil her dream to become a movie star which someone had promised her in the past â€Å"An’ a guy tol’ me he could put me in pitchers†¦..Says I was a natural†. As soon as the reader meets Curley’s wife they get a very bad impression of her, â€Å"†¦the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off†, this is both literal and metaphorical foreshadowing; she is cutting off the light in the door so all of the men look up to her, it is metaphorical foreshadowing giving the impression that she is trouble. This means that throughout the novel she is disliked by the reader causing her to be even lonelier. By marrying Curley she has become very isolated becoming the only woman on the ranch; she turns to outsiders for attention and tries to befriend the men by hanging round the bunkhouse. Curley’s wife is just like Lennie, Crooks and Candy as they have been left behind on a Saturday night- the rejects on the ranch. Curley’s wife has no friends and even admits to being lonely seeing that she is not really looking for Curley; she just wants to talk with someone â€Å"Think I don’t know where they all went? Even Curley. I know where they all went.† But although being forlorn she still has a lot of power over the other ranch workers being the boss’ son’s wife, we see this power when she reminds Crooks of how much authority she has over him â€Å"I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny†; she exercises her power threatening Crooks with death. Like Candy, being a social outcast, Crooks is the loneliest person on the ranch. Crooks lives in enforced solitude, away from the other men. He is bitter about being a back-busted â€Å"nigger†. He is racially discriminated against being referred to as a â€Å"nigger†; people also have no respect for him because of him being black and consequently lives in the barn by himself. He cannot get away from this prejudice as not other ranch would take him for the reason that he is black, crippled and old. Steinbeck describes his barn (the place where he lives and spends most of his time): â€Å"for being alone, Crooks could leave his things about†. Crooks is extremely lonely, all he has is books and his rights; he believes that every human being should have his rights whichever race they may be. When Lennie joins Crooks in this barn, Crooks starts to tease him, this is the only time he has power over someone and is in control. He can make Lennie afraid as he does not understand, Crooks makes Lennie feel like he does now even though Lennie has done nothing wrong â€Å"S’pose you didn’t have nobody†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦S’pose George don’t come back no more† Lennie is terrified of being alone and is helpless without George. Crooks is very twisted due to his loneliness; â€Å"Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody – to be near him†¦A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody†, but is very pleased when Lennie and Candy join him in his barn â€Å"It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger†. All through the novel Crooks has a dream of being seen as equal to everyone else. He knows his civil rights and remembers fondly his childhood, when he played with white children who came to his family’s chicken ranch. Crooks longs for a similar relationship with white people again. He dismisses the fact that George, Lennie’s and Candy’s dream will come true â€Å"I see hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches with bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hundreds of them†¦nobody never gets no land. It’s just in their head.’ But when Candy explains that they’ve got the money ready and that they are very enthusiastic about achieving this dream then Crooks gets interested â€Å"If you†¦.guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand.† A new friendship is just about to develop but Curley’s wife then enters and diverts all attention to her, putting an end to Crooks’ new friendship and dream. John Steinbeck is a realist and illustrates his views in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. The different character’s lifestyles and personalities in this novel represent what existence was like in the 1930s after the Wall Street Crash. Steinbeck supported social justice and equality for the working classes and so uses realism in his writing. He shows ordinary, everyday details, and makes characters speak and behave as they might do in real life. We see this particularly in how his characters are revealed through dialogue â€Å"She had full, rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her finger-nails were red. Her hair hung up in little rolled clusters, like sausages†. In his use of realism he portrays a sense of fate; whatever the characters do they are at the mercy of outside influences beyond their control, so attempts to improve their lives will fail. We see this use of realism in George and Lennie’s dream; the couple have done nothing wrong but the injustice of outside causes prevents them from holding on to this dream. Not all the characters are throughout this novel but all of them come about to be lonely at the end; George and Lennie have each other with the dream of starting a new life in a little cottage of their own, we only know till the very end that this dream can no longer take place with the loss of Lennie and therefore causing George to be lonely. Curley and his wife have each other even though not really speaking to each other much, Curely’s wife could be considered lonely as the reader never sees her with Curley but always hanging around looking to talk to someone. Candy did have his dog to rely on and to trust but when he died then he soon found himself becoming lonely and looking to others for attention and Crooks was also lonely throughout the novel being racially discriminated against by all other ranch workers; he was an outsider. Characters on the ranch in this novel are lonely and hold a dream to keep themselves calm and for something to hold onto, seeing that they have no friends they need to look to something to keep them happy and sane. Steinbeck worked on a ranch within the 1930s and must have seen how ranch workers behaved and how lonely they can feel. He has been in a position of a ranch worker and has expressed his feeling of loneliness and dream worthy within this novel, his realism has caused nearly all characters to be lonely at the end of the novel.

The Immigration Of The United States - 1711 Words

The vast majority of people living in the United States are descendants of immigrants, and yet majority of them are against them. It is quickly forgotten that America was built on immigrants that wanted a new life. A life free from harsh government, and the freedom from forced religion. The original settlers were immigrants that stole this land; immigrants continued to come for years. It is not a newly constructed concept that immigrants have always been a problem, ask any Native American. One used to be able to freely travel the world without visas and migration has always happened; without the need of passports. When one hears the word immigrants, the first thing they think of is Mexican and that is where they are wrong. People migrate to the U.S. from all different parts of the world like Europe, Africa, Asia, etc.. Mexico is targeted constantly because of borders leading into the U.S, the access can be a little more realistic to obtain. Unlike Europe and Asia and all other countr ies, the access to the U.S is more challenging. There are those that are granted visas, with the no intention of returning back to their country. It happens more often than one thinks, and its happening but that is never talked about. No one seems to want to see the bigger picture here. There is an ugly label stamped on immigrants. Now a days, many against immigrants are quick to judge and want to shut out immigrants; try to label them under unnecessary categories. The amount of hypocrisyShow MoreRelatedImmigration And The United States986 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration in the United States continues to increase rapidly year by year. According to an analysis of monthly Census Bureau data by the Center for Immigration Studies, the immigration population in the United States, both legal and illegal, hit a record of 42.1 million in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 1.7 million since the same quarter of 2014 (CIS.org). 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