Cultural Diversity in Hotel Industry

Cultural Diversity in Hotel Industry Introduction Increasing globalisation of service industry has made it difficult to manage the growing culturally diverse workforce. Managing a multicultural workforce, either within a global corporation or small business unit is usually very demanding for managers. The concept of managing diversity acknowledges that in a workplace, there is normally diverse population of workers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Diversity in Hotel Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The diversity is brought about by the differences in gender, age, race/ethnicity, language, personality, cultural background and even working style. It is based on the principle that harmonizing these differences creates an optimum working environment where every employee feels valued and is therefore ready to utilise his or her talents to the maximum in achieving the goals of the organisation. Current Situation Today there is increasing foc us on how best to manage cultural diversity in hotel industry or service organizations as diversity among the workforce increases due to globalization. According to Bakalis, Joiner and Leveson (2009, 378) managing cultural diversity refers to the holistic recognition by the leaders of the organisation that cultural diversity continues to increase in the workforce and therefore they have to be more proficient while acting in response to the changes that come with it. According to D’Netto and Sohal (1999, 530), managing cultural diversity at an organizational level means striving to encourage as well as to uphold a culturally heterogeneous workforce to achieve its full potential by providing an equitable and supportive working environment. Managing cultural diversity is very important and beneficial to service and hospitality industry. Effective management of cultural diversity enables these organizations to benefit from the knowledge, business experience; cultural as well as l inguistic skills that workers come with to the organisation. Managing cultural diversity within the workforce enables development of organizational values and ethics and also enhances people’s management practices. It improves customer care thereby increasing the market share of the hospitality companies. Esentually the clients on this business are usually travellers from different parts on the world, therefore making the need for cultural appreciation specifically and important subject. Besides, the greatest resource that is industry has is the workers. They interact with clients directly and as part of servicescape since their dressing, presentation, talking is all a reflection of the company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore well mannered workers who appreciate cultural diversity are likely to offer the best services. An organisation that effecti vely manages its workforce is able to keep up with best practices that attract and retain talent. In addition, it helps enhance healthy competition within the workforce. Theories of Culture and Cultural Diversity in a Workplace The Business Case for Diversity Theory The theory relates to how hotels utilize the cultural diversity in their workforce. The proponents believe that if a workforce comprises of multicultural employees, but the management does not fully take advantage of the wealth of experience, then it cannot maximize the benefits that come with cultural diversity. It states that in a global market place, an organisation that employs a multicultural workforce in terms of gender, different generations, and ethnically/racially diverse persons among others; is in a better position of understanding the demographics of its marketplace. This gives it an upper hand in the marketplace over other companies with limited cultural diversity among the workforce. The theory also suggest s that a company that truly supports its workforce diversity has the capacity to improve its performance, achieve employee satisfaction as well as retention (Ãâ€"zbilgin Tatli 2008, 42). Social Identity Theory Proponents of Social identity theory are of the view that cooperation within as well as between work groups are determined by the demographic distinctiveness of the members of each team in relation to their immediate cultural environment. It suggests that an increase in workforce diversity is a major cause of negative consequences since it may lead to decreased job satisfaction and low performance. The proponents of the theory believe that social groups in the workplace tend to compete with each other for favour, material as well as social resources. This theory is not applicable in services industry. When the workers fight because of diversity, they are likely to treat clients from different culture with prejudice. This is bad for business. This creates a situation of confl ict instead of cooperation among the cultural groups. According to Haslam and Turner (2001, 26) studies on inter-group relationships have shown that conflicts usually occur whenever members of different cultural groups meet or assigned a joint task.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Diversity in Hotel Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the theory, you can always predict that people will show a favourable bias towards members of their cultural group and they will believe that they are in conflict with members of another cultural group. Based on this fact, the workers therefore need to be trained on working with people from different culture and treat them as equals without any implied discrimination. Barrier to interaction and integration must be addressed. Social Network Theory Social network theory discusses the relationship among individuals in a specific environment such as in the hotel industry. Most members of a network provide useful information to other members while others provide emotional, social, financial and even moral support and these resources can greatly market a service industry. In the hotel and hospitality sector, a good reputation plays a big role as well as interdependence. The structure and the shape of the networks put in place in an organisation have important implications for policy-making as well as implementation. Managers are able to know where to finds resources they need and how to get it. This is because they have contacts of the people who can provide such services through networks. Relationships as well as networks can therefore be used to promote change initiatives in a company. Social networks in a company can help the management discover the unique skills as well as talents among workers which can bring organizational change (Haslam Turner 2001, 28). Issues Associated With Diversity in the Workplace Cultural diversity in the work place is normally associated with creative and optimum job performance which translates into positive job outcomes; however, this only occurs when it is effectively managed. There are several issues that occur in hotel and other hospitality workplaces today as they are increasingly becoming multicultural. These include harassment, discrimination against persons who are employed and even those seeking for employment based on gender, background, race/ethnicity and religion. Prejudice usually occurs in task distribution, promotions, rewards, decision making and accessibility to communication networks. Differences in language within a workplace can also create communication problems. Differences in cultural backgrounds affect the perception of employees towards new ideas, concepts and technology. The way employees perceive the company’s stance on diversity management is also very important.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Management Strategy Kundu (2001) proposes three strategies for managing cultural differences that exist in workplaces. He says that both managers and employees can decide to ignore the cultural differences or the organisation can minimize the cultural differences and lastly, the organisation can manage the cultural difference. Managers of hospitality businesses therefore adopt creative ways of managing the cultural diversity that exist in the workplace. They establish policies and practices that explore the benefits of diversity in workplace. Implementing Written Cultural Diversity Policy Addressing cultural diversity matters should be a priority concern for managers of organisations. The management of a company must have a documented diversity management policy since diversity has sometimes proved to be a problem and not an opportunity. In most cases, managers majorly focus on managing gender diversity as a result the hospitality and hotel industry employs a considerable number of women. Support, Commitment and Employee Perception Perceptions and reactions of employees towards the company determine the effectiveness of the workforce. The management needs to understand the nature as well as the outcomes of perceptions of workers about their organisation’s diversity management. Employees usually view the organisation’s climate and commitment to diversity management as directly related to the performance of the organisation and their job satisfaction (Hicks-Clarke Iles 2000, 329). According to Hicks-Clarke and Iles (2000, 329) studies have shown that employees who perceive that the cultural diversity in their workplace is supported and encouraged are likely to develop positive attitude towards the company. They begin to feel that their job is secure and they also see the possibility of developing their career in the organisation. On the contrary, employees who feel that they are not valued in the company due to their race/ethnicity tend to perceiv e that this would negatively affect their performance, job as well as their career. They would therefore opt to move elsewhere. Organizational support as well as commitment is highly related to employee retention meaning that these can enable employers retain talented employees from diverse cultural backgrounds (Sippola 2007, 256). Employees always want to be sure whether the organisation values their contributions or not. They also want to be certain about the employer’s concern on their well-being. It is therefore important to provide rewards for increased and excellent job performance. There should be favourable opportunities for incentives, supportive supervision as well as procedural justice (Bakalis, Joiner Leveson 2009, 381). Actions taken by the company in support of or against an issue should be sincere. These initiatives and actions increase employees’ commitment to the company. Retaining culturally diverse employees has been a major concern of most employer s. This implies that the management has to constantly carry out organizational audit to establish the employees’ perception towards the company to determine the direction of the firm in relation to its workforce. Survey results would help make the necessary changes which are intended to motivate the workers and enhance job satisfaction among the workforce in order to achieve retention of culturally diverse and talented workers. According to Bakalis, Joiner and Leveson (2009, 379) the nature of diversity in a workplace has an influence on performance. When the management appreciate diversity among its workers, a culture of appreciating diversity is built. The will in turn appreciate each more and therefore work together as a team despite cultural differences. The outcome is that the customers from different background will as be received and treated with utmost grandeur. This is what service industry is all about, treating client better so that they feel value for money servic e and that their culture is also recognised elsewhere. Inclusion and support of minority culture-groups In managing a multicultural workforce, it is important that the minority culture-group members within the organisation be integrated in all the informal networks. Access to these informal networks is important especially considering the significance of language on the flow of communication processes as well as in the development of individual networks in the workplace (Lindholm 1997, 14). They should also be allowed access to formal communication networks. Language problems could be a major source of frustration and dissatisfaction as one feels like an outsider. Open communications can reduce the negative impacts of cultural diversity on group activities and processes. However, multilingual workers are better suited to be the employees of a hotel and hospitality company. This way, the employees can integrate much better in that they are likely to understand the values, attitudes a nd general welfare at least two culture. This can form web of interconnectivity and integration that the outcome would be as if the organization is one big community with understand. Such appreciation of different traditions and culture is extended to clients and this gives greater satisfaction. The company should also ensure that migrants are represented on recruitment as well as promotion panels. These initiatives increase accessibility to formal networks in an organisation and also help initiate formal networking in the company. Besides, they should also enjoy the organizational support for their diversity. This is only possible if the organisation put in place structures that totally discourage discrimination, prejudice as well as intercultural conflicts in the workplace. All the various cultural groups in the workplace should be represented and encouraged to uphold respect and to always value learning from each other. Kundu (2001) stresses on cross-cultural training and sensiti zing of employees on the outcomes of discrimination and biases in diverse working population. Cross-cultural training helps employees of an organisation live and work harmoniously in another culture. Communication of performance standards The service industry players should establish and also communicate clearly the performance standards to employees. The performance standards should be based on important competencies which are relevant to each job. The workers should also be trained on how to provide feedback on identified undesirable conduct that the firm wishes to change or desirable behaviour that it wants to encourage. Conclusion Managing a multicultural workforce has become one of the most demanding tasks for most managers in service industry. Cultural diversity is projected to increase with the increasing globalization. Most organizations are putting in place structures and practices that could help attract and retain culturally diverse workforce. Hotel industry is developing cultural diversity policies and implementing new practices. Effective management of diversity in the workplace is seen to be profitable to a hotel services in ways like better services, job satisfaction and reduced worker turnover. Different theories seem to have varied views about cultural diversity in the hotel industry although most theories seem to support cultural diversity. Cultural diversity comes with different issues and problems that have to be effectively handled by organizations. Cultural diversity can cause discrimination, conflicts and communication problems. It is therefore important for hotel industry to develop cultural diversity policy and to govern it and help understand employees’ perception diversity and how the specific hotel service company deals with it. In addition, it is important to include the minority culture-groups into every activity of the company. Reference List Bakalis, S., Joiner, T., A., Leveson, L., 2008, Managing Cultural Diversity And Perceived Organizational: Evidence From Australia. International Journal of Manpower, 30 (4): 377-392. New Delhi: Emarald Group Publishing Limited. D’netto, B., Sohal, A., S., 1999, Human Resource Practices and Workforce Diversity: An Empirical Assessment. International Journal of Manpower, 20 (8): 530-47. New Delhi: Emerald Publishers. Haslam, S., A., Turner, J., C., 2001, Social Identity, Organizations and Leadership. In M. Turner (Ed.), Groups At Work: Theory And Research (Pp. 25-65). London: Lawrence Erlbaum. Hicks-Clarke, D., Iles, P., 2000, Climate for Diversity and Its Effects on Career and Organizational Attitudes and Perceptions. Personnel Review, 29 (3): 324-45. London: Emerald Publishing Limited. Kundu, S., C., 2001, Managing Cross-Cultural Diversity: A Challenge For Present And Future Organizations. Delhi Business Review, 2 (2). New Delhi: University Of Hartford. Lindholm, E., 1997, Culturally Related Problems In Steering Of Foreign Subsidiaries: Subsidiary Ope rations Of Finnish Companies In Spain. Master’s Thesis, Helsinki School of Business Administration, Helsinki. Ãâ€"zbilgin, M., F., Tatli, A., 2008, Global Diversity Management: An Evidence Based Approach. London: Palgrave Macmillian. P. 42. Sippola, A., 2007, Developing Culturally Diverse Organizations: A Participative and Empowerment-Based Method. Women in Management Review, 22 (4): 253-73. New Delhi: Emerald Publishing Limited.

20 Topics on Consumer Behavior for a Critical Thinking Essay

20 Topics on Consumer Behavior for a Critical Thinking Essay Thinking critically about consumer behavior and producing a strong essay on the subject is a tough challenge. It involves studying marketing principles, human psychology and the complex attitudes which influence buyer decisions. However, the challenging factor multiplies if you had left things up to the last minute. As a result, the simple task of coming up with a title for your essay will be problematic. Do not worry though; the following lines are here to help. Here is a list of 20 topics which will help you write a great critical thinking essay on consumer behavior. You can use these as is or merge two inter-related ones if you think you can do them justice. You can also use these 20 titles for inspiration and come up with your own unique topic. Using Unorthodox Marketing Channels in Brand Building Relying on Celebrity Endorsement as a Marketing Strategy A Comparative Analysis of the Buying Habits of Men and Women Building Brand Loyalty: Challenges, Theories and Success Stories Psychological Factors Which Influence Consumer Choice How Studying Consumer Behavior Can Help Companies Predict Future Trends The Challenges and Opportunities Presented by Today’s Constantly Evolving Markets Understanding the Digitally Hyper-Connected Generation Z Consumers How the Internet Changed Consumer Behavior Cultural Diversity and Consumer Behavior: Highlighting the Impact and Major Concerns The Differences and Similarities of B2B and B2C Marketing The Emergence and Importance of Brand Personalities Important Factors to Consider When Creating Advertising Campaigns The Role of Personality Variables in a Consumer’s Buying Decisions Analysis of Strategies Used to Alter Consumer Attitudes The Growing Impact of Internet Marketing on Consumer Behavior The Impact of a Store’s Environment on Consumer Behavior The Era of Adaptive Customer Experience: How Relevancy and Personalization of Buying Experience Helps Build Brand Loyalty Regaining Consumer Trust after Business Disasters: The Lessons Learned from Businesses The Role of Consumer Insights in Making Marketing More Effective A word of advice: these topics have a broad scope. Though it would have been much easier for us to come up with narrow topics, we focused on broader perspectives to easily customize each topic. To effectively narrow down the scope: Focus on a specific impact factor. Narrow down according to a company. Restrict your topic to a particular country or region. Focus on one population generation. Sample Critical Thinking Essay: The Impact of a Store’s Environment on Consumer Behavior Not long ago, consumers used to focus simply on products functions or attributes before selecting a place to shop at. This has changed recently as now consumers demand added beneficial elements. This is especially true considering the fact that today’s buyers understand how much brands need their businesses. One aspect which they desire the most is a pleasant atmosphere as they shop. Realizing this growing demand, today’s retailers are working harder than ever to integrate convenience into their stores’ surroundings and to ensure huge spaces that spare consumers from feeling stuck or confined as they shop. By definition, atmosphere is a term used to explain consumers’ feelings towards the shopping experience. It can also be described as a design which produces emotional effects on the buyer, enhancing their purchasing probability. Based on these definitions, it is safe to say that an attractive and impressive atmosphere has the power to create an enjoyable experience among consumers, positively affecting their buying decisions and incurring retailers more revenue. There are a set of factors which contribute to the effectiveness of a retail store’s atmosphere. A majority, if not all, should be present to ensure consumers a good shopping experience and keep them captivated enough to come back for more in the future. First off, cleanliness is vital for the atmosphere of the store. Customers are bound to create negative word of mouth if they notice even the slightest speck on product displays or floors. This is because cleanliness of outlets portrays a brand’s dedication to comfort and luxury. Music is another factor that can make or break a retail store’s atmosphere. The sounds can impact consumers’ conscious and unconscious decisions. Styles and tempos of music can influence consumers to buy more at retail outlets. Moreover, pleasant music can lengthen consumption time whereas loud music will drive them away. As music selections and their sound levels differ based on gender as well, stores need to put much thought into what they play in order to ensure buyers of a great environment. Appearances are also taken into consideration while shopping in traditional stores. Contributing to this factor are lighting, colors used, and displays/layout. Lighting goes beyond highlighting products to generating excitement and positively impacting consumer purchasing behavior. Consumers tend to touch products when good lighting shines on them to assess quality. Color is also important for building feelings and affecting consumer attitudes as it has the power to stimulate memories, thoughts, and experiences. For instance, red tends to portray negativity and tension, which is why it is hardly used in comparison with greens and blues. Finally, products are displayed in a way that attracts customers to make impulse purchases. In fact, design and display of products contribute one fourth sales of the outlets. Unfortunately, not many store owners understand the value of the atmosphere and its impact on consumer behavior. As a result, they remain stagnant and refuse to change. On the other hand, some stores make wrong decisions that cost them their clientele. Therefore, this is one aspect that needs to be tackled with care so that stores can truly reap benefits. Of course, you can come up with a better essay since you understand the subject well and have your instructor’s guidelines in mind. So, go on and write a  critical thinking essay before your deadline. References: Peterson, H. (2016). Millennials Are Old News - Here’s Everything You Should Know About Generation Z. Business Insider. Retrieved 26 March 2016, from businessinsider.com/generation-z-spending-habits-2014-6 Priest, J., Carter, S., Statt, D. (2016). Consumer Behaviour (1st ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh Business School. Retrieved from https://www.ebsglobal.net/EBS/media/EBS/PDFs/Consumer-Behaviour-Course-Taster.pdf Solomon, M. (1999). Consumer behaviour. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Yarrow, K. Decoding the new consumer mind. Schiffman, L.G. (1993), Consumer Behaviour, Prentice Hall International, London. Schwartz, Barry (2004), The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Ecco, New York. Elizabeth A. Minton, Lynn R. Khale (2014). Belief Systems, Religion, and Behavioural Economics. New York: Business Expert Press LLC.ISBN 978-1-60649-704-3. 5 Things Every Marketer Should Know About Mobile Commerce. (2016). comScore, Inc. Retrieved 28 March 2016, from https://www.comscore.com/esl/Insights/Blog/5-Things-Every-Marketer-Should-Know-About-Mobile-Commerce Nielsen,. (2016). The Mobile Consumer-A Global Snapshot. Nielsen. Retrieved from nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2013%20Reports/Mobile-Consumer-Report-2013.pdf Sorofman, J., Polk, J., Newbold-Knipp, K. (2016). Digital Commerce Primer for 2016. Gartner.com. Retrieved 28 March 2016, from https://www.gartner.com/doc/3189320/digital-commerce-primer-

How useful is the Letter of Jude for the Church Today Essay

How useful is the Letter of Jude for the Church Today - Essay Example The book comes in handy today as there are many false teachers who look down upon the word of God with disdain. Jude was driven by purpose to protect the status of the faith and church of God. In his letter, he intended to bring out the aims of false teachers whose infiltration in the church of god threatened to derail the faith of Christians. Through this exposure, he intended to pass a message to Christians that they should find courage and stand firm in relation to their faith. According to him, the Christians ought to get motivated and seek their way to the truth. He dwells on this during the first part of the epistle. In verse 4, Jude states that â€Å"for certain persons have crept unnoticed†. He meant that there were false teachers of the word of god and they were peddling their wares in the church and elsewhere among Christians without being noticed or questioned. He described ion the book how these false teachers perpetrated terrible acts under concealment. For the Christians to be aware, Jude recommended that they had to remember the teaching of the apostles of Christ, help each other to build their faith in the word of God, employ the use of Holy Spirit to guide them in prayer, wait upon the mercy of Jesus by living their lives in such a way that they are prepared for this second coming and stay within the unending love of God. Staying in the love of God demands that believers trust in God and do whatever he wants us to do as highlighted in the teachings of the epistles. Commitment and following the guidelines he put forward, Christians can be able to stand up against those false tea chers who were working against the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. In modern times, there are many false teachers. Jude say that these teachers are a threat because they teach that being saved by the grace of god gives freedom to do what one wants which includes living immorally. This is an act of denying Christ according to Jude. This is

Comparison between two books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison between two books - Essay Example This study aims at examining and analyzing the approaches used by two books in explaining criminological issues and the criminal justice system in America. The two books are Criminological Theories and Rebuilding Justice. In the third chapter of Criminological theories, the book discusses biosocial and biological theories of crime. The basis of these theories is the view that it is possible to observe and measure individual differences and that defects in individuals’ genetic and biological make up can predetermine one’s criminal behavior (Ronald and Christine, 2013). Contemporary biological theories have tended to put more focus on differences in genetic and biological factors and how they interact with the external environment. The traditional theories stipulate that crime occurs as a result of biological abnormalities in individuals and the individuals therefore have no choice of their own to avoid criminal acts. Notable proponents of these theories include sociologists such as Cesare Lombroso, Ferrero William, Charles Goring, and Sarnoff Mednick among others. Some of the biosocial and biological theories include the evolutionary theory that states that genetic criminal behavior is p assed down to the next generations through the evolutionary process of natural selection; the biosocial arousal theory states that the level of arousal of an individual works according to the social environment around them (Ronald and Christine, 2013). Individuals with a lower arousal level are less capable of learning fast and moving at pace with the wider society and will thereof resort to criminal activities. Biological theories approach the criminal justice system in a different view. Punishment is viewed as a way of deterring individuals from committing crimes, but it cannot effectively change the individuals’ biological characteristics that predispose them to criminal

History of the European Theatre Art Research Paper

History of the European Theatre Art - Research Paper Example The history of the development of theatre performances in Europe can be traced back alongside the Greek history, which began around 700 B.C. The Greece had numerous festivals in honour of their gods such as Dionysus in whose honour; the festival of the city Dionysia was performed. People involved themselves in revelry during these times while the festivities of the whole occasion were always led by drunkards who would hide their identities by wearing goatskins as they performed. These ceremonies were usually flowered with fierce competitions from the different Greek communities in attendance and the winning communities would always enjoy the honour of being crowned the winners of the festivals. Most plays that were presented during this time in Greek were majorly tragic- comedies that were based on love and romance as viewed in the context of the people of that time, the term ‘tragedy’ originated from the Greek name for ‘goat skin’ that were worn during thes e performances. Collin notes that most of theses plays owed their main thematic origins from the Greek mythologies and the histories about the human personal life and expressed man’s quest to relate the meaning of life and the nature of their gods. Their performances followed a specific format whereby they were usually accompanied by songs introducing a period of paradox, the time during which the characters were introduced, the mood for the plays set in the minds of the viewers and the expositions made concerning the nature of the plays. Some of the very common plays that were performed during this time in the Greek theatres include Sophocles and Euripedes that were common in the fifth century performances. A Writer such as Aeschylus, a performer at shows in Dionysia at around 499 B.C., was among the first writers of this kind and whose writings are among the oldest in the Greek history of theatre arts. Others include Sophocles with his famous works such as Antigone Electra and the Oedipus Rex. Aeschylus (525- 456 B.C) and Sophocles (496- 406 B.C) added major contributions into the Greek theatre by introducing the second and the third actors to the stage respectively. Moreover, they led to the improvement of the quality of the songs and increasing the number of singers on stage thus giving theatre performances a more realistic dimension and giving the viewers what they liked most (Brockett 2003). The new dimension had more impact on the viewers as

Twilight Saga-Summary Essay Example for Free

Twilight Saga-Summary Essay Twilight is a series of novels which starts out in the perspective of a seventeen year-old girl, Isabella Swan. But she goes by Bella. This story is actually set in the fictional vampire stories. Bella, the main character of the novel, unwillingly decides to live with her dad, Charlie, in Forks, Washington since her mother, Renà ©e, and her husband, Phil, who happens to be Bella’s step-father, move in to another city on business. Phil is a minor league baseball player, and he gets transferred to another team in another city. The main reason that makes Bella move in with her dad, is that she thinks she is keeping her mom from going places with Phil. Before moving to Forks, she almost lived the whole 17 years of her life, in sunny Phoenix, Arizona beside her mom. Bella is a simple, clumsy, skinny, ivory-skinned girl. Although she didn’t relate well to people, she had a friend in Forks, named Jacob Black. They have known each other since they were little . Before arriving at Forks, her dad bought her an old Chevy truck from Billy Black, and had already registered her to a high school there in Forks. She doesnt expect anything to change because what could happen in a small town where it never stops raining? But in fact, she was totally wrong. On her first day of school she meets a few people. Later on she meets Mike Newton, Erik Yorkey, Jessica, Angela Weber, and Tyler. She was actually befriended by several students. She asked Jessica a heck of questions about everything in order to find out more about the school and people living in Forks, soon after they got friends. After a few days, when she was sitting in the cafeteria with her classmates, she noticed a bunch of unusually gorgeous people sitting at the corner of the cafeteria. They were Alice, Emmet, Jasper, Rosalie, and Edward Cullen ( the most beautiful of all ). The children of Dr. Cullen. They were all vampires. she couldnt help staring at them. As soon as she laid her eyes on Edward Cullen, her life changed completely. She fell in love with Edward. At first she tries to avoid Edward, and acts as if he is annoying, but really she is burning inside to get to know him. In biology she was told to sit alongside Edward, since there were no free seats left. Because the Cullens are vampires, and so is Edward, he tries to avoid her every single time they face each other, mostly in a rude manner. After a week of being absent from the school, Edward comes to biology class, and apologize Bella for his rude  and cruel behavior. Then they become friends with each other. One day when Bella was standing beside her truck, trying to get in it, she noticed Edward standing near his Volvo, staring at her. All of a sudden, she discerns that having lost its control, a car is heading towards her, and is about to hit her. Despite Edward’s distance from the accident, he instantaneously puts his body in front of Bella, trying to save her. To her intense surprise, Edward stopped the car by his hand, without even having a little scratch or scar on his body. Tyler, the kid who almost crashed into Bella, apologized her. This specific event was more than enough to make Bella much more curious about the Cullens. Specially about Edward. Thanks to Edward, they both survived. Bella went to hospital with minor injuries. When Edward came to see her in the hospital, he tried to convince her that she was just imagining his supernatural speed and strength. But she wasn’t convinced and began to wonder who or what he is. Bella becomes determined to find out how Edward saved her life, and constantly pesters him with questions. That was the very first night that Bella dreamed of Edward. Later on, every time she asked him about that day, he refused to talk more about it. Bella’s science class is doing blood typing, which requires all the kids to draw blood. Edward skips class. Bella feels faint and has to go to see the school nurse. Mike is helping her but then Edward turns up and takes over. Bella starts quizzing Edward about his background and tries to guess what he is but she’s still a long way off. Jacob tells her the local tribal legends, when they were in a beach in La Push with a few of her friends. According to the legend, werewolves are the one true enemy of vampires and the Cullens are a family of vampires who, unlike most of their kind, abstain from drinking human blood. Thats the only reason why the werewolves of La Push have allowed them to live in Forks. She looks up vampires on the Internet. Bella concludes that Edward and his family are vampires who drink animal blood rather than human. Even though Edward tells her to stay away, she still tries to talk to him in school, and finds any excuse she can to be near him. Edward confesses that he initially avoided Bella because the scent of her blood was too desirable to him. Edward and Bella fight the attraction they feel for each other before finally giving into their feelings and falling deeply in love in the exact meaning of the word. As far as the school prom was just a few weeks  later, Mike and Tyler both asked Bella to the school dance, much to her embarrassment. She decided to go to Seattle the weekend of the dance s o this way, she had an excuse to turn them both down. Edward was actually bemused by all the attention Bella was getting. When he heard her plans, he asked if he could go to Seattle with her, despite his earlier recommendation that they should keep a distance from each other. Bella accepted his offer with great excitement. She makes plans to go to Port Angeles with two of her friends to help them look for dresses to wear at the school dance. In Port Angeles, Bella goes shopping with her friends and then decides to go for a walk. A group of men chase her and are about to attack her when Edward pulls around the corner in his Volvo and drives her away. The two of them go for dinner together. Edward confirms to Bella that he is a vampire and reveals that he can hear people’s thoughts. Bella and Edward continue their conversation, with Bella asking more questions about Edward’s vampire state. She tells him it doesn’t matter to her if he’s a vampire and finally admits to herself that she is in love with him Their love and relationship strengthens, but not everyone is happy about th e relationship between Edward and Bella. Edward’s family is against this relationship. The Blacks don’t seem happy either. On the other hand, Bella’s classmates seem awestruck by their relationship as the two of them become inseparable. Edward tries to convince Bella how much he cares about her. He finds it frustrating not to be able to hear her thoughts, while he can hear everybody else’s, and thinks she’s taking the whole vampire thing way too calmly. He suggests a mystery trip in place of the planned visit to Seattle so he can show her, what happens when he goes in the sun, just to threaten her and make her keep away from him, since he may be a threat for Bella’s life. This time it’s Edward’s turn to ask Bella question after question, though she can’t understand how he can find her human life interesting. He is still not sure if he can be alone with her without hurting her. Hes afraid of being overwhelmed by his desire for her blood. But Bella’s determined to take the risk, as long as, she is besotted with him. He admits to Bella that when he first saw – or rather smelt – her, he had to fight the urge to drink her blood because it’s so alluring to him. Then He carries her from the meadow to her truck on his back, running so fast that it makes her feel queasy, and they kiss for the first time. When Edward realizes Bella’s feelings about  him, his feeling of love toward her expands. Edward tells Bella again, that his family is having trouble accepting their relationship because shes not one of them (vampires). As long as Bella is curious about him, she asks more about his past and childhood so as to get to know him more. Edward tells her that he was turned into vampire by his father, when he was about 17, back in 1918 and continues to tell more about his past The Cullens have different supernatural powers, each more ex traordinary than the other. His sister Alice, foe example, has the gift of premonition. Jasper, can manipulate the emotions of those around him. One day, Edward sneaks into Bella’s bedroom without Bella and her father knowing about it. They spend the whole night together talking to each other. He tells her that he finds her very attractive, but he can’t be so close to her, he might crush her by accident. He confirms that, it is not because he doesn’t love her anymore. He tells her that it’s his instinctive vampire habits, that makes him that much worried about being close to her. Despite the fact that, his family is a little upset about his decision, Edward decides to introduce Bella to his family, since he is really serious about her. They spend the whole day at the Cullen house so she can get to know the family, one day she may be living with. Carlisle and Esme, and Edward’s sister Alice are very nice to her. But Edward says his sister Rosalie, is jealous of her because she’s human. Later that day, Edward plays the piano for Bella, and shows her around the house. To her surprise, he tells her the story of Carlisle, who was a minister’s son until he discovered a coven of vampires. One of the vampires bit him, which made him transform into a vampire. Carlisle tried several ways to kill himself but failed, as it’s very difficult to kill a vampire, he suffered a lot. He has never wanted to harm any human being . Once Carlisle discovered that he could survive on animal blood alone, he went to Italy to study medicine so he could do some good in the world. It was while working as a doctor that Carlisle discovered Edward and transformed him into a vampire. Edward stayed with Carlisle for a while but went his own way for about ten years. In that period, he hunted human but only those intent on committing a violent crime, which Edward used his mind-reading skills to decipher. As far as the Blacks are wolves, according to the legend, they are number one enemies of vampires and vice versa, Billy tells Bella to stay away from the Cullens. But Bella replies  that she knows exactly what he is, and that he hasn’t harmed anyone. Days after, Bella introduces Edward to her father as her boyfriend. One day Edward suggests her to come over and see their baseball match, which is played among their family. During the game Bella joins them and finds it really hard to keep up with their pace, since vampires are all very fast in an extraordinary way. The game is actually much faster than a human version of it. All of a sudden, Alice foresees the imminent arrival of a pack of vampires that are passing through the area. The sad part is, that they are not the good kind. They drink human blood. The clock is ticking and they hardly have enough time to take Bella away from them, so they all decide to act like she’s one of them, with the hope of surviving. The visiting vampires are Laurent, James and Victoria. Laurent seems to be the leader of the pack. At first they seem like, they are interested in visiting the home of the Cullens and promise not to hunt in their territory. The direction of the wind changes, they smell Bella’s scent and find out that she is a human. On the spur of the moment, James seems eager to attack her, but Edward jumps in front of her in a protective stance. Laurent, though surprised by the presence of a human, assures the Cullens that none of them will harm her. However, that night Edward reveals to Bella that he knows, from listening to Jamess thoughts, that James is an expert tracker and is intent on hunting Bella. He agrees to take Bella home so she can tell her dad she’s going to Phoenix, where her mother lives. Bella pretends to break up with Edward in front of Charlie and storms out of the house, telling him she hates Forks and is moving back to Phoenix. Edward takes Bella to their house while Laurent is still in their house. He confesses that James is the real leader of the pack and one of the most dangerous vampires he’s ever known in his life. They know that he’ll kill Bella at all costs and in anyway possible. The first thing the Cullens have to do is to kill James first. Edward, Carlisle and Emmet plan to hunt him while Bella hides out in a hotel room in Phoenix with Alice and Jasper. This, somehow shows their good tenor. Bella wakes up in a hotel room in Phoenix with Alice and Jasper watching her every move. They assure her that the other members of the Cullen family are safe but she can’t stop worrying about them, especially about Edward. In the hotel room, Alice explains  that vampires can turn humans into vampires by injecting them with their venom. She points out that the transformation is excruciating and usually takes a few days. Edward has lost track of James. Alice has a vision of James sitting alone in a mirrored room, which Bella realizes is similar to the dance studio she used to go to when she was younger. This, is around the corner from her mother’s house. Alice has another premonition and this time sees James at the house of Bella’s mum. Bella is distraught. She is getting ready to go to the airport to meet Edward when she gets a phone call from James. He tells her that he has her mother and will kill her if she doesn’t get away from the Cullens and come to her mother’s house alone. Bella writes a letter to Edward telling him that she loves him and asking him not to go after James for killing her. Bella gets a cab to her mother’s house. James tells her on the phone to go to the dance studio. When she arrives there, she finds out that he’s taken a video from her house and used it to trick her into believing he had her mother. Knowing that her mother is safe, she is relieved. He promises her a slow and agonizing death. He attacks her, slashing her face and breaking her leg, until she finally passes out. Bella puts her mother’s safety before her own and almost dies at the hands of a vicious vampire. After returning to consciousness, she tells Edward that she feels strange. They realize that James has bitten her and she is about to transform into a vampire. Edward sucks the dirty venom out in order to prevent her from having to spend the rest of her life, being a vampire. Bella opens her eyes in a hospital, and sees Edward. Even though he understands her decision of going to James alone, he gets mad at her first. He punishes her by saying to her that they have to go their own ways, and should end their relationship. Edward tries to accept her, the fact that she would be much safer without him. He tells her that the more they are together, the more her life will be at stake. He actually blames himself for all that had happened to Bella, since he loves her more than anything, and wants what’s best for her. Hearing all these from Edward, Bella tries to make him promise that he will never leave her. As long as Bella wants to clear any obstacles that are put in the way of their relationship, asks Edward why he didn’t allow her to transform into a vampire when he discovered that James had bitten her. Edward blew his top, when he heard it from her. He has always believed that being a human is a  great blessing in itself. He confirms that says he will never allow her to become a vampire. On the contrary, Alice has already foreseen her transformation. Bella strongly believes that she will one day become a vampire in the future. Days pass, and it’s time for Edward to take Bella to prom. Jacob tells Bella that she has to stay away from Edward. Bella insists that he is perfectly safe. Edward tells Bella he took her to the prom because he didn’t want her to miss out on any aspect of being human. She says she wants to be with him forever and would see her transformation into a vampire as a beginning rather than an end. At the end, he promises to never leave her, and puts his lips on her throat, in an attempt to change her into a vampire.

Hidden Meaning in Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate Essay

Hidden Meaning in Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laura Esquivel’s novel, Like Water for Chocolate, is a contemporary novel based on romance, recipes and home remedies. Very little criticism has been done on the novel. Of the few essays that are written on this work, the majority of them consist of feminist critique. This novel would be most easily approached from a feminist view because of the intricate relationships between women. However, relationships between women are only one of the many elements touched upon in the novel. Like Water for Chocolate is a novel that uses recipes as a crypt for many important themes in the novel. Jaques Derrida defines crypt as something that, "disguise[s] the act of hiding and to hide the disguise: the crypt hides as it holds" (Derrida 14). The recipes are more than just formulas, they hold, concealed within them, memories. These crypts are revealed through food and the process of food production. Esquivel has personal ties with food and feels that the prod uction of food creates a center of the household. Tita, being the person most closely associated with food preparation in the novel, becomes the primary focus in the structure of her family. The crypts that Esquivel uses are opened throughout the novel in a variety of ways. Tita is constantly struggling against her mother, tradition and inevitably her own destiny. Along the way many aspects of her trials are revealed in her cooking. Eventually, Tita is able to free herself from the emotional chains that her mother has bound her. In the end her destiny is revealed, which in return sets her free from her struggles. Esquivel begins each chapter of the novel with a different recipe. The various recipe... ...rodic Consumption of Popular Romance Myths in Como Agua Para Chocolate." Latin American Literary Review. 24.48 (1996): 56-66. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. Trans. Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Ibsen, Kristine. "On Recipes, Reading and Revolution: Postboon Parody in Como Agua Para Chocolate." Hispanic Review. 25 (1996): 133-146. Januzzi, Marisa. Laura Esquivel. "Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments, with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies." Review of Contemporary Fiction. 13 (1993): 246-246. Loewenstein, Claudia. "Revolucion interior al exterior: An Interview with Laura Esquivel." Southwest Review. 79.4 (1994): 592-607. Valdez, Maria Elena. "Verbal and Visual Representation of Women: Como Agua Para Chocolate/Like Water for Chocolate." World Literature Today. 69.1 (1995):78-82.