Comparison of Business Model and Development

Comparison of Business Model and Development The growth and development in the field of information communication technology has more or less changed the buying preferences of consumers. Currently Tesco not only sells products through its physical stores but also through online store. Tesco was the first explorer of the new market which began online sales in 1994 (Ocado, 2011). Tesco is the UKs largest retailer and one of the worlds re-known leading international retailers operating in fourteen countries (Tesco, 2013). During the next 10 years a number of internet retailers emerged in the United Kingdom not only to saturate the online market but also to fight the traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Among them were the Amazon established business in the UK in 1998 (Brown, 2008) and the British start-up Ocado an online grocery shop launched in 2001(Ocado, 2011). Like wises Sainsbury also a third largest retailers in the UK initiated online selling in the year 1995. Although these four businesses are not in direct competition at a first glance, they definitely explore and shape the future of e-retailing and retail industry in general for the coming decades. The aim of this work is to compare the four companies, their business models, logistics set ups and challenges they face. It is important to highlight that unfortunately almost no information is available in open sources about Tesco Direct and Amazons performance and development indicators as they are incorporated in the annual reports of the American mother company. In order to achieve the aim required I assumed that more or less of these four companies have similar business model but dealing with the daily logistics in the supply chain network is different from each other and in terms of KPIs. There was also some limitation in finding out resourceful data. Amazons business model and development over the last 5 years Amazon appeared on the internet in October 1998 as a rebranded website bookpages.co.uk purchased by amazon.com (Brown, 2008). From the very beginning it was a bookstore offering a range of books wider than any traditional book retailer. Nowadays in addition to books Amazon sells a wide range of product lines: books, music, films, games, electronics, computers, home garden, toys, childrens accessories, apparel, sports goods, DIY and (so far) limited grocery range. Tesco Direct- business model and development over the last 5 years Tesco started selling non grocery products online since 2006 by expanding its products range and integrate home / office electronic, furniture, DIY products and other entertainment related products such as DVD, CDs, Blue ray, Games etc. Tesco non-food business in the UK is also growing rapidly and in-fact it is over 13% a year (Tesco, 2013a). Tesco manages its own supply chain through its distribution centre located in Hertfordshire, which is responsible to supply goods to south eastern part of England. Moreover, Tesco is generating sales by promoting everyday low price concept not only through stores but also through online. The Tesco non-food online business was also expanded by the acquisition of blinkbox in 2011 (online movie service), We7 (free music) and Mobcast in the year 2012. The transitional period of success in selling general merchandise is sighted over past four years and also expected to grow more in this particular area because the demand is increasing. Ocados business model and development over the last 5 years Ocado was born out of strategy. Three ex-bankers spotted a market opportunity in the rapidly developing e-commerce and set up in 2001 the first fully dedicated online grocery retailer in the UK (Ocado, 2011). The market spotted was online sales and home deliveries of upmarket food and grocery initially were sourced from Waitrose (Ocado, 2011). As of 2012 Ocado sells 100% of goods via its web store, companys only sales channel (Ocado, 2011). The company is responsible for order processing, picking and shipping to the customer. It also bears full responsibility for the customer service, technology and inventory availability. Ocado uses a fleet of own dedicated vehicles to ensure deliveries to the customers. Ocado sells own-brand goods from Waitrose and Carrefour, wide range of branded goods from a number of producers, and small but expanding range 1of private label goods (Ocado, 2011). The total number of SKUs is over 22,000; approximately 4,300 SKUs out of that are Waitrose-branded pr oducts (Ocado, 2011). Sainsbury- business model and development over the last 5 years Sainsbury one of the UKs top five top grocery retailers founded in 1986. Offering thirty thousand diversified daily use food products and currently operating over 1000 supermarkets and convenience store employs around 150000 colleagues. Sainsbury starts selling products such as electronic entertainment as well as sports equipment through online in the year 2010. According to the financial performance till 2012 the underlying profit before tax is  £712m with the market share of 16.6% (Kantar). It can be seen that since the year 2008 the sales (including VAT fuel) grew from  £19,287m to  £24,511m (Sainsbury, 2013 a). Working mainly through four (CFC) strategic fulfilment centres and four Primary consolidation centres (PCC). Many of the stores are also offering non food products. The non- food products sales started back in 2010. In the year 2008, total sales for fourth quarter up 6.7% excluding (5.1% fuel), like for like (LFL) was 6.0% excluding (4.0% fuel). Comparing it with t he financial performance of up to the 3rd quarter of the year 2013 the total sales remains 3.9% excluding (3.3% fuel). It shows that in the third quarter of the year 2013 the sales remain lower than it used to be in same quarter in 2011. Role of logistics and supply chain of Amazon UK Amazon can be called a pioneer of innovative SCM solutions of the online retail industry. Although a significant progress has been made so far there are a lot of challenges still facing the business including supply chain infrastructure development, inventory optimisation, sourcing optimisation, order fulfilment, last mile solutions etc. Amazon runs a number of fulfilment centres in the UK four in England (forth opened in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire 2012), two in Scotland and one in Wales (Amazon, 2011). These centres are responsible for keeping the minimal stock of goods and fulfilling customer orders. Amazon operates system of hubs (also called injection points) to reduce transport cost. The idea is to transport goods ready for delivery in full truck loads to the area of their delivery and after that hand them over to Royal Mail, DHL and others for the last mile delivery. Inventory optimisation has been a key issue for Amazon from its creation. As a response to it Amazon created a multi tear inventory network to optimise own costs and improve performance. The web store manages and owns relationship with the customer with the immediate access to the Tier I level of the supply chain Amazons fulfilment centre. If for some reason the product is out of stock within own facilities the IT system checks availability with the Tier II level partner DCs and wholesale DCs. If the product is missing there as well, the IT system turns to the Tier III suppliers, publishers and third party providers. As a result of this architecture Amazon keeps information flows under control and manages inventory through all three levels to its own benefit (Amazon, 2011). Distribution process is the customer facing supply chain part. Although Amazon outsourced the last mile solution its IT keeps the process under control to ensure transparency for the customer and feedback collection. Role of logistics and supply chain of Tesco Direct Tesco Direct established in 2006 providing a large range of home, furniture, appliances, computers and much more. The overall financial performance of Tesco Direct sales were impressive, up by more than 16%, with Click Collect once again proving a particularly attractive option for customers ahead of Christmas. Many customers chose to collect their orders from one of over 600 Express stores now offering Click Collect, providing an even greater level of convenience. Due to the growth in the online business Tesco is reopening its Fenny Lock distribution centre (DC) to handle its online growing business. It is also planned to open two (DCs) in Reading and Deganham which will improve its customer services and less impact on environment (Tesco, 2013). Some of the major business also transferred to rail transport in Daventry (DC) which will remove 40000 lorries from the road and save 10000 CO2 emissions (IGD, 2013). Tesco using automated ordering system that keeps updating operations at CFC and warehouses. The operating profit margin relatively remain same 5.9% in 2008 -09, where as little growth was seen around 6.4% in 2011 which came back to 6.1% in 2012 (Tesco, 2013). Related to the Amazon UK the business is different comparing to Tesco Direct. Amazon has expertise in this area more than Tesco Direct which has start selling non-food products just few years ago. But since 2010 non-food products business show positive financial returns which has led Tesco to grow in this particular area of business within the UK and international. Tesco is focusing more to operate internationally because they believe UK market is mature now. Role of logistics and supply chain of Ocado Supply chain model implemented by Ocado is far more straightforward comparing to Sainsbury due to only one sales channel and the nature of products delivered to the customer (grocery, substantial part of which can be perishable). Ocado runs a system of hub and spoke network with so far the only warehouse (the customer fulfilment centre or CFC) in Hatfield and seven hubs across England. As a result Ocado covers up to 70% of British households (Ocado, 2013a). The 2nd CFC expected to be openned in the 1st quarter of 2013 at Dordon in central England, which would also increase the order fulfilment capacity from 120,000 units per week to 180,000 units per week (Ocado, 2013b). Sales growth also is seen after improving the operation at Hatfield fulfilment centre which is also expected to be rise more than 13 % in the following months of 2013. The gross sales increases jumped over from  £ 551m to  £ 716m since 2008 to 2012 (Ocado, 2013c). All online orders, which consumers place, are fulfilled in Hatfield CFC. Now all picking process of product goes through highly automated machineries: plastic totes containing up to three bags move around the warehouse through the conveyer belt. Along the journey the totes are stopped opposite the aisles where members of staff pick ordered good from the shelves and put it into the relevant bags. Then packed orders are allocated depending on the delivery area and loaded onto delivery truck to bring goods to a hub or a delivery van for home deliveries. Ocado owns a fleet of branded lorries for hub deliveries and a fleet of refrigerated Mercedes-Benz brightly coloured vans for the last mile solution. Ocado benefits from a number of advantages as a result of running such a centralised set up including ease of inbound deliveries, demand forecasting, operations and control over the supply chain in general. Accurate demand forecasting allows Ocado not only to optimise inventory but also to minimise waste of unsold goods which is crucial for a grocery retailer. Ocados supply chain is using its own IT customise software in its business. Current service delivery is improved 151 DPV and CFC efficiency improved by 120 UPH. Role of logistics and supply chain of Sainsbury online grocery deliveries Currently Sainsbury is working mainly through four (CFC) strategic fulfilment centres and four Primary consolidation centres (PCC) offering. Many of the stores are also offering non food products. The non-food products sales started back in 2010. Over the past five years development has been seen the growth in the overall sales. The Sainsbury is using Manhattans Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solutions in the newly built with fulfilment centres. Sainsbury is an experience retailer of supermarkets serving customers with both food and non food products. Reducing delays in logistics operations supply management by covering an area on 600000 sq. ft, runs over 2.5 km of conveyer belt with 10 automatic ambient storage and retrieval cranes. Sainsbury operations are spread all over the UK with a larger capacity to store and higher in efficiency output than Ocado so that is why not the right to compare logistics / supply management to each other. Changes effecting logistic performance of the companies I selected three major changes that could influence performance of the four companies Tesco Direct, Amazon-UK, Ocado Sainsbury. Increasing fuel costs would have mixed effect on all four companies. On one side it would increase their costs and undercut profits. On the other side consumers would be more reluctant to drive for shopping and would be more eager to shop online. In the profit margins would be squeezed but the sales volumes would most probably increase making the market space far more competitive. Environmental regulations: Environmental problems to be consider seriously by using alternate bio fuels in the road transport network to lower carbon emission. Increase the use 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse Recycle) in logistics and supply chain management both at national and international levels would generally have positive effect on all companies. At the moment all four companies are working closely to reduce waste and more recycling. Source locally: Almost all of the four retailers are not fully sourcing their products locally but also dependent on international sourcing. But Amazon UK could be effected in future if the Government announces any new taxes on business, whereas Tesco, Ocado and Sainsbury are as a local retailer would suffer less. Suggested actions to improve financial performance Ocado as it is still in its developing phase of business with a lot of opportunities to explore within the UK. Ocados still needs to focus more toward to south- east part of the England specially by covering London area, once the market demand of Ocado products increases then to move towards geographic expansion in the UK. The newly built 2nd CFC in north of England would definitely increase the coverage area allowing the company to serve the north of England and Wales. Location play important role in business success hence, Ocado needs to concentrate on those strategic areas which are nearer to the suppliers and market. Once the market is covered a next step the company should consider starting operations in Scotland. The current financial performance is not very good to suggest Ocado to operate outside the UK. Another option would be to increase product range well beyond recent 21,000 SKUs and enter the non-grocery market if they want to compete Sainsbury. Sainsbury has an upper ha nd by offering products around 30,000. Having appropriate coverage and customer service in place this would be a very sound option for development. In-house structured trainings should be given to all working in the area of logistics supply chain management. Weekly trainings should be given to the drivers who face the customers mostly and plays key part in the future development. Company reputation should be kept on priority by meeting the KPIs. Customer services level needs to be maintained all the time. The last mile problem should be dealt seriously. Lower the customers services are, higher the possibilities in financial growth. Providing high quality products range in competitive prices would certainly attract the customers through proper marketing. Making sure the product availability all the time in store based or online based, growing the product range would benefit the business. Given the size and expertise of the company it should not be a big issue. Price always was a key matter for the Amazons success. I believe tracking and adopting prices in line with the market fluctuations may be not enough in the future. It would be interesting for Amazon to explore promotion campaigns widely used by traditional retailers. Summary This studies is based on four top retailers of the UK companies studied are advanced players in the market of online retail. There business operations are facing more or less similar challenges are similar in-spite of the fact that they are technically serving different markets. Amazon is a well know global market leader still hungry for growth and success in the UK industry and expanding more. Sainsbury is also expanding but inside the UK, Ocado just passed a set up stage and actively growing in the UK and building plans for global expansion. Tesco is performing well in it food grocery and non-food grocery which is performing well and giving hard time rivals also planning to expand in India. I do believe that they work in the exiting online market during the exiting times when everything is still possible and the most innovative and brave will win the marketplace. References: Amazon.com Inc, 2011 annual report. [online] Available from: [Accessed 09/03/2013] IGD (2013), Tesco in major network shake up, [online] Available from: [Accessed 09/03/2013]. Ocado (2011, b), Groundbreaking ceremony for new Ocado CFC, [online] Available from: [Assessed: 08/03/2013]. Ocado (2011, c), [online] Available from: [Assessed: 12/03/2013]. Tesco (2013), , [Assessed: 11/03/2013]. Tesco (2013), Five year financial summary, [online] Available from: [Assessed: 11/03/2013]. Tesco (2013 a), [online] Available from: [Assessed: 11/03/2013]. Sainsbury (2013), [online] Available from: [Assessed: 07/03/2013]. Sainsbury (2013 a), Five year summary, [online] Available from:  http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/financial-performance/5-year-summary/#tabbed_section  [Assessed: 07/03/2013]. Sainsbury (2013 b), Sainsbury trading statement, [online] Available from: [Assessed: 08/03/2013].

Gas War :: essays papers

Gas War Gasoline is produced by a distillation process where crude oil is heated and fumes are captured and converted into many products such as kerosene, jet fuel, and gasoline to name a few. Therefore the price of crude oil, which is extracted from oil wells beneath the earths surface, is a major factor in gas prices. The five leading oil-producing countries and their approximate shares of the world supply of oil are: Soviet Union 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, The United States 15%, Venezuela 4%, and Mexico 4%. These five countries made up 61 % of the worlds oil production back in 1980. Even though The United States is a major producer of oil, it does not make them self-sufficient. The United States uses more oil than they can produce and must look towards foreign countries. An organization called O.P.E.C. controls approximately four fifths of the worlds oil reserves in the non-communist world. The United States is forced to deal with O.P.E.C., not only in its own interests, but also in the interest of its allies and in the interest of maintaining peace. The former Soviet Union may now have an interest in selling some of their oil that they have a tremendous amount of. O.P.E.C. which stands for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is made up of 13 countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, and Gabon. O.P.E.C. was founded in Baghdad, Iraq in September of 1960. It was organized in response to oil producing countries that did not consult with the Middle Eastern oil states before lowering their crude oil prices. The producers feared that other countries would establish monopolies. The aim of O.P.E.C. was to create a universal price between the countries, in order to ensure peace between oil producers throughout the world. O.P.E.C. also wanted to provide its members with technical and economic support in times of need, since not all the countries were completely stable. The head quarters were initially set in Geneva, but were later moved to Vienna in 1965. O.P.E.C.’s goal was to establish firmly unified prices amongst their members, but the organization was not always successful. In their quest for control over the world market of oil production, they have ran into several obstacles and setbacks. O.P.E.C. has barely survived being eliminated due to internal conflicts amongst its members.

Traditional Sports in Assam

Traditional sports in N-E Games soon| A STAFF REPORTER| | A traditional sport in progress during the recent Bihu festivities. A Telegraph picture | Guwahati, May 22: The newly-formed Assam Traditional Sports and Dragon Boat Association claimed that efforts were being made to include some traditional sports of Assam in the North-East Games in near future.Addressing the media, regarding the proposed traditional sports carnival — Amar Khel, Amar Utsav — on Saturday, one of the founder office- bearers of the association, Subhash Basumatary, said he was making efforts to get a few disciplines included in the North-East Games, organised annually by SAI. Basumatary is also the director-in-charge of the SAI regional sub-centre, Guwahati. Boat racing, one of the most popular traditional sports, is all set to be the first from among a dozen traditional deciplines which could make it to the North-East Games.The Dragon Boat carnival, to be held here on Saturday, will include 10 oth er disciplines apart from boat racing at Dighalipukhuri. The field events at the carnival at Latasil ground include dhop khel, koni juj, ghila khel, malla juddha, rashi tana, tel khuta, tangon tona, kelah loi dour, tekeli bhonga and dighal thengia dour. â€Å"The idea is to conserve the traditional sports and bring them out of the remote villages to the urban areas. We hope to get co-operation from the government too in organising the event.So far, the tourism department, the State Sports Council of Assam, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration and few others have already come forward to help us in the noble venture,† the association’s president Taher Ahmed said. | Dhopkhel The most popular indigenous game in the state of Assam is Dhopkhel. An ancient game, it is closely related with the development of the state as such. The game requires absolute physical fitness – speed, stamina and acrobatic skills. Dhop is a seasonal game, played during the state's Sprin g Festival, known as Rangoli Bihu.The game really flowered under the royal patronage of the Ahoms. There are two types of Dhop, one played by men and the other by women. The game, which uses a rubber ball, is played by two teams comprising 11 players each, in an open field, 125 m in length and 80 m in breadth, with a central point in the right middle of the arena. Two lines called kai are drawn at a distance of 12 ft on each side of the point at the centre. At the four points where the kai meets the 125 m lines, four flags are planted. Similarly, four flags are planted in the four corners, known as chukor nishan.Parallel to the central point in each half of the field, is one point each, at a distance of 13'6†³ from the centre, and circles surrounding them known as gher. The game begins with the dhop i. e the ball being thrown in the air, by a player. If the ball does not fall in the opponent's court, it is to be thrown again. The dhop has to be caught by the opposing team, and if they fail, then the other team takes the throw. If caught, the player who takes the catch proceeds to the gher of the court, and throws it to the katoni, who stands on the other gher.If the thrower fails on either count, his team forfeits the chance of a throw at the katoni, and the guilty player is requested to deliver a high lob to the opposing team, like the lob which started the game. The opposing team thus gets a chance once more for a catch and throw, at the opponents' katoni. If the katoni is hit below the waist, it is considered a kota, and the katoni becomes a hoia or a bondha, and automatically loses his status of a ghai – a name initially used for all the players. The bondha goes over to the opposing side and tries to prevent the players of the team from catching the dhop. This move is known as aulia.If a bondha succeeds in catching the dhop in the opponents' court and can recross over to his original side without being touched by any of the opponents, he become s a ghai, and this move is known as hora. However, he has to cross both kais and he cannot leave the court in the process of crossing over, or catching the dhop in the zone between two kais. If a team loses ten ghais as hoia or bondha, then the last ghai will be named ghai katoni, and if a kota can be done to him, then it is known as piriutha, which signifies victory for the side. If at the end of the game, there are equal number of ghais, the game is pronounced a draw. Rang GharLocation: Joysagar, 4 km to the west of Sibsagar town Built By: Ahom King Pramutta Singha Built In: 1746 AD Highlights: Oldest amphitheatre in Asia Rang Ghar is one of the major attractions of the state of Assam. It is said to be the oldest amphitheatre in the whole of Asia and has often been referred to as the ‘Colosseum of the East'. Situated to the northeast of the Tolatol Ghar, in the Joysagar area of the Sibsagar district; is the two storied Rang Ghar, which was the royal venue for witnessing a nu mber of games, like buffalo fight, bull fight etc. This ancient amphitheatre was constructed by the Ahom ruler Swargadeo Pramutta Singha.Rang Ghar dates back to 1746 AD, when it was basically built for the purpose of amusement and fun. The theatre is a double storied building and on the roof, there is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. It is overall oval in shape, unlike the multi-storied Tolatol Ghar situated just adjacent to it. Every year, during the occasion of Rongali Bihu, Rang Ghar used to be the royal sports pavilion, from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games in the Rupahi Pathar below. The Rupahi Pathar is a vast field, where various activities like bull fighting and other such traditional games used to be organized for the entertainment of the royalty.The Rang Ghar was even the symbol of the recently concluded 33rd National Games, which was held in February (9th to 18th) 2007, in Guwahati, Assam. In case you are planning to visit Sibsagar district of Assam in the near future, do make sure to pay a visit to the Rang Ghar as well. Rang Ghar (Assamese: , rong ghor) (meaning â€Å"Amusement House†) is a two-storied building, which was the royal sports-pavilion from which the Ahom kings and nobles witnessed games like buffalo fights and other sports at the Rupahi Pathar (pathar meaning field in Assamese) specially during Rangali Bihu festival in the Ahom capital, Rangpur.On the roof of the Rang Ghar is a design of an Ahom royal long boat. The building was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Pramatta Singha in 1746. It is located north east to the Talatal Ghar a multi-storied royal complex in Joysagar west of Sivasagar town, on the other side of the Assam Trunk (AT) Road in Sibsagar district in Assam, India . The Rang Ghar is said to be the oldest amphitheater in Asia[citation needed]. The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances and atop the roof is a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles.In many of these, only the brick framework exists with vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special thin baked bricks, did not have the use of cement and, therefore, used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction. They also made use of powdered mixed lime and bricks to cover the surface of the inner walls. It is said that this layer of powder used to keep the inside of Ranghar cool. The entrance to Sankardev Kalakshetra at Guwahati is made in the style of the Rang Ghar.The Rang Ghar was the logo of the recently concluded 33rd National Games that was held from 9 to 18 February, 2007 in Guwahati, Assam. About a kilometer towards the north east of Rangh Ghar is the Jaysagar Pukhuri. It is a manmade tank, encompassing an area of about 120 Bighas of land. It was dug in memory of Rani Joymati, the mother of Rudra Singha, the most illustrious of the Ahom kings. Guwahati, Apr 6 (PTI) Seisimic survey work by the ONGC is posing a threat to Assam's 18th century amphi theatre, ‘Rang Ghar† at Gargaon in Sibsagar district, perhaps the largest stadium in Asia, which has proudly stood the ravages of time.Lesser known than the internationally famous `Colosseum' in Italy, the ‘Rang Ghar' bears mute testimony to the state's chequered history. The most potent symbol of the glorious 600 year rule of the Tai-Ahom kings hailing from Thailand, the monument constructed in 1746 AD, has been in the news after a report carried by PTI on cracks appearing on its facade. The report prompted the Assam government to constitute a seven-member expert committee to examine the damages on the walls of the heritage site.The damages to the protected monument have prompted the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) which maintains it, to threaten legal action against the public sector Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) The ASI move comes after eight 10 metre cracks have appeared on the Rang Ghar walls following blastings in the seismic survey work at nearby Rupohipathar, an open oil field. The ONGC officials when contacted refused to comment on the matter and only maintained â€Å"that precaution had been taken not to harm the heritage sites and historic monuments during survey works†.The damages have created a public outcry with a local students body, All Assam Tai Ahom Students Union (AATASU), calling an ‘indefinited ONGC bandh' from March 5 and the proscribed ULFA issuing a warning to the ONGC to stop all seismic work or face dire consequences. The Rang Ghar, stated to be the oldest outdoor stadium in Asia, bears mute testimony to Assam's history. The medieval Tai-Ahom kingdom (1228-1826) was founded by Sukapha in the 13th century establishing its suzerainity over the Brahmaputra valley and putting paid to Mughal expansionism in the North-East seventeen times sucessfully.The monument also saw the annexation of Assam by the British Empire through the historic Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 paving the way for the advent of t he Britishers into the state and the end of the 600 year old Ahom rule. The monument at Gargaon was the crucible of the proscribed ULFA movement with its leaders congregating under Rang Ghar's portals on April 7 nearly 30 years ago to script one of the most violent chapters in the annals of the state in its fight for an independent homeland.The original ampitheatre was constructed with wood and bamboo by King Rudrasingha, also known as Siukapha who ruled between 1696-1714, but was rebuilt into a permanent structure by King Pramatasinha (1744-1751). With no knowledge of modern day cement, the Ahoms used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar and special thin bricks for construction of the Rang Ghar, that has withstood decades of neglect till Independence. As its name suggests, ‘Rang Ghar' was a `merriment house or a place of joy'. It was in this sports pavilion that elephant, buffalo, bullock and hawk fights, wrestling, besides Bihu (Assamese cultural festival), etc. were held. The Mongolian style oval-shaped two-storyed pavilion is 10 metres high, 11 metres across and 27 metres long with a steep flight of steps leading to the higher elevation from where the royal patrons and nobles are presumed to have watched the contests on the Rupohi Pathar (field) below surrounded by a huge meadow meant for the royal subjects. The monument's base has a series of archways with vestiges of sculptural adornments, and its roof is designed like a royal long boat with a pair of carved stone crocodiles on either ends.The ampitheatre is located north east to the royal palace `Kareng Ghar' in modern day Sibsagar town in Upper Assam. The Ahom kingdom with a successful multi-ethnic polity made major advances under king Susengpha Pratap Singha who revamped the administration and established the first military and diplomatic contact with the Mughals. Under King Gadadhar Singha, Mughal influence was, however, completely removed from the Brahmaputra valley and the Ahom Kingdom achieved its golden period under his son Rudra Singha.The Ahom rule declined with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion and subsequently fell to a succession of Burmese invasions. The defeat of the Burmese after the Anglo-Burmese War and the treaty of Yandaboo on Fewbruary 24, 1826, control of the once glorious Ahom kingdom passed into the British hands. Though during the colonial and subsequent times the Tai- Ahom rule was called the `Ahom Kingdom', the Ahoms called their kingdom `Mong Dun Shun Kham (casket of gold), while others called it Assam. The Rang Ghar was the logo of the 33rd National Games held in Guwahati from February 9 to 18 last year.

The Things They Carried Literary Analysis - 1756 Words

In â€Å"The Things They Carried† Tim O’Brien relies heavily on lists as a literary device. O’Brien focuses on three distinct types of lists. These lists include military equipment, personal items and emotional or psychological strain. The lists serve a higher purpose, O’Brien uses these lists to introduce each character in the story and give the reader insight into what mattered most to each of the men. O’Brien’s use of lists as a means of character development then as a way to counteract the chaos and uncertainty of war sets â€Å"The Things They Carried† apart from other war literature. @ The first of these lists contained the â€Å"necessities or near-necessities† including: â€Å"can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, watches, dog tags, mosquito†¦show more content†¦Lieutenant Cross uses Martha as an escape from the reality of the war. Lieutenant Cross fantasizes about romantic trips with Martha to beautiful place s as he trudged through swamps and forests. In, the evening Cross reads letters from Martha and contemplates her feelings for him. The thought of Martha is so prevalent in Lieutenant Cross’s head, the war is hardly mentioned in the first few pages of the story. Even when Ted Lavender dies, it only takes up one sentence, before transitioning back to Martha. Even though she fills him with doubt, worry, love and longing; Lieutenant Cross would rather focus on Martha than the possibility of death. Martha is representative of the emotional baggage soldiers carry, â€Å"To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Marth up the hills and through the swamps† (O’Brien 5). O’Brien, is showing readers that Lieutenant Cross is not only carrying the weight of his gear, but also the weight of his love for Martha. His love for Martha weighs heavy on his heart, and his thoughts about her seems to become an obsession. @ After Lavender’s death, Lieutenant Cross struggles with guilt and his sense of reality. Lieutenant Cross’s mental breakdown related to the death of one of his men is a symptom of PTSD. PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder, and can develop after a very stressful or frightening incident, or after a traumatic event. The death of one of his men is a veryShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Things They Carried Literary Analysis764 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary Analysis of The Things They Carried: Metafiction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tim O’Brien brings the characters and stories to life in The Things They Carried. He uses a writing style that brings stories to life by posing questions between the relationship of reality and fiction (Calloway 249). This is called metafiction and it exposes the truth through the literary experience. Tim O’Brien uses metafiction to make the characters and stories in The Things They Carried realistically evocative of the VietnamRead MoreEssay On The Things They Carried1624 Words   |  7 PagesFor the seventeen Soldiers portrayed in â€Å"The Things We Carried† by Tim O’Brien, the physical pain was very minimal weight to carry compared to the emotional scars that they will carry throughout their entire life. This story does an amazing job portraying full human emotion that anyone put into a situation would feel, such as heavy guilt, sadness, anger, lack of motivation, perseverance, horror, and false security. A ll of these are notorious feelings that every soldier back in history, and now stillRead MoreEssay about Reader-Response vs. New Criticism962 Words   |  4 Pagesevaluated in plenty of ways. Critique methods such as Reader-Response, Deconstructive Criticism, New Criticism, and many others act as examples of literary evaluations. All of the critique methods share similarities, but differ in other ways. Reader-Response and New Criticism, for example, share characteristics but they are also two very opposing things. Reader-Response focuses on attention towards the text influenced by the reader’s thoughts. New Criticism aims towards the text with no influenceRead MoreFiction Analysis Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesFiction Analysis There are many ways to supplement a story in order to add lucidity. It is done through literary devices and Tim OBriens The Things They Carried is no different. The Things They Carried is a narrative about a soldier at war in Vietnam. However, this story provides multiple layers of meaning through OBriens tone and style that help the reader further understand it. Both of these literary devices are embedded in the story and gradually help define it. To begin with, OBrienRead MoreThe Speech Act Of Apology999 Words   |  4 Pages1.1 Statement of the problem Speech acts can be defined as things people do when they speak. This means that they use the language to tell information, make request and express feelings and attitudes, etc. The speech act of apology is an act used by people to express their feelings and attitudes about certain situations and settings. Apologies are very important in resolving conflicts. They aim at maintaining and reforming social fracture caused by the offence done by the speaker. Speech act of apologyRead MoreAnalysis of The Welcome Table by Alice Walker Essay914 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker Pamela Crawford Eng 125: Introduction to Literature Instructor: Andrea Pfaff September 24, 2012 Alice Walker who wrote â€Å"The Welcome Table† had issues of race and gender that was the center of her literary work and her social activism. She participated in civil rights demonstrations. (Clugston 2010). This short story has a theme of life and death. It shows the plot of the story, the point of view and has symbolism used to show the deathRead MoreAmbiguity, Stories and Emotion1433 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"All of us, I suspect, can imagine beholding things we ought not to have beheld. All of us can understand such pain† (O’Brien 4). Pain is universal but it is difficult to describe pain to someone who hasn’t experienced it in the way you have. Events affect people differently and without stories it would not be possible to even try and comprehend the pain of others. How a story is told changes the emotional response of the audience and with that their understanding of the events. Tim O’Brien exploresRead MoreThe Great War And Modern Memory By Paul Fussell927 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom 1914 to 1918.† In this paper I will argue, that despite the numerous literary awards this book has won, it contains historical inaccuracies and shortcomings in relation to the accurate information provided that takes away from the prestige of the book. Despite the numerous negative aspects of the book, this paper will also briefly highlight the few positive areas of the book, therefore providing an in-depth analysis of the book. When analyzing any sort of book, it is best for the reader toRead More The Harlem Renaissance Essay1513 Words   |  7 PagesRenaissance marked the first time mainstream publishers, critics took African American literature seriously, and that African American literature and arts attracted significant attention from the nation as a whole (1).† Although it was primarily a literary movement, it was closely related to advancement in African American music, theater, art, and politics. Chapter 2 How did the Harlem Renaissance begin?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harlem Renaissance emerged in the midst of social and intellectual turmoilRead MoreThe Gift: Lies in Nature’s Lessons1406 Words   |  6 Pagesto survive† (StumbleUpon.com: Discover the Best of the Web). Nature holds the ability to tattoo our minds, we can learn about ourselves, and our interactions, by observation. The organic qualities of these poems are depicted, with the use of literary devices such as imagery and Tone. Nature is the underlying theme to both poems; however, they differ in that Thurston’s, River otters at play, is centered on unprincipled laws relating to love and communication. In contrast, to river otters at play