The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols Assignment - 1

The Need for Wireless Standards and Protocols - Assignment Example American National Standards Organization is based in the USA and is involved in creation of various standards for products, services, processes, systems and personnel in the United States. ANSI-41 that is sometimes knows as the IS-41 was developed by ANSI to support interoperability and inter-networking between GSM and ANSI-41 MAP based networks to support subscriber roaming between different networks (Russell 2006). Even though this standard supports cross-technology roaming between a GPRS networks and ANSI-41 based networks. GPRS may be coupled with a GSM network and this requires enhancement to interoperability and internetworking Function that supports multi-mode mobile station and subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that has GPRS functionalities. Despite this, there is still need for advancements in the encryption of data to increase security of data transmission. This will increase its reliability and the quality of service of this protocol (Ceruzzi 2003). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE is an international standardization organization that is involved with development of protocols and standards in various fields of electrical, electronics, communications, and computer engineering and computer science. In wireless communications, IEEE has been involved in creation of the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard (Ceruzzi 2003). Breadth of Standards IEEE developed the first IEEE 802.11 standard in 1997, which was to provide the basis of using Wi-Fi.

Process Improvement (Logistics) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process Improvement (Logistics) - Research Paper Example All organizations irrespective of their industry segment work towards becoming the world’s supply chain management (SCM) leaders. This status is attained through the development of top line income growth via ameliorated client satisfaction, increased supply chain speed, and minimized overheads and cycle times. The role played by logistics excellence and transportation in an attempt to develop a state-of-the-art supply chain has become noticeable nowadays.Transportation expenses take up a significant amount of the supply chain and can be eliminated via Transportation Management Solutions (TMS).TMS can attain these savings by process improvement. Many organizations are capable of redeploying or reducing existing transportation overheads and employees significantly by automating main logistics and transportation processes through advanced TMS. Partially, this is achieved by automating manual jobs such as carrier selection, tendering and acceptance, and shipment planning resulting in improved productivity benefits for transportation faculty.A large number of firms can minimize operating costs by consolidating transportation routines at a network stage as opposed to having transportation staff at every ship level. Organizations using these "load control centers" network save a significant amount of overall freight bills and overhead.Inventory management includes the process of effectively ensuring a continuous movement of stocks out of and into the current inventory.

Breaking the hourglass (Evaluating time management’s importance) Essay Example for Free

Breaking the hourglass (Evaluating time management’s importance) Essay Time management, according to Marc Mancini (2003), is organizing one’s time in such a way that he or she will be more fulfilled, more confident, less stressed and less frustrated about his or her life dealings. Mancini (2003) pointed out the importance of managing time especially in this fast-paced environment where twenty fours hours is no longer enough for a day. How an individual manages his or her time is analogous to how he or she handles his or her life. Now that globalization has set in, time management is no longer an individualistic concern. Through the years, various business organizations have readily launched programs and trainings that would address time management problems. This situation can be attributed to the fact that efficient time utilization increases one’s productivity and has been instrumental in improving â€Å"service delivery (Politt, 2008).† Brooks and Schofield (1996) also implied that time management contributes to successful â€Å"product developments.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another importance of time management can be observed in balancing critical life endeavors to achieve one’s goals (Harvard Business School, 2005). It is a discipline of controlling one’s life through efficient allocation of time (Harvard Business School, 2005). When personal goals are achieved, this translates to satisfaction and high performance. This is most especially true as for the case of many employees who are constantly exposed to stressful and pressure-driven working environments. Time management can therefore aid executives in helping their subordinates realize and attain their personal goals via creating more flexible yet highly productive working arrangements and setting good examples (Line, 2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darryl Davis (2003) also asserted that time management is more of an attitude-related issue than plain technical task. Time management is an issue of one’s willingness to utilize time more efficiently. It is a matter of creating concrete decisions in terms of prioritizing tasks and establishing attainable work schedules. With this regard, effective time management and positive outlook enable employees to experience a balanced life (Davis, 2003). Business companies, in return, can maximize their potentials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ruth Klein (2005) also supported Davis’ contentions, stating that balancing priorities requires full determination to execute all the planned changes. These changes should be then incorporated in a serious time management effort (Klein, 2005). Time is so precious that if one is able to spend his or her time wisely through effective and efficient time management, it is as same as keeping gold bars in a vault. They say time is gold, but the truth is time is life itself. People live their lives by the ticking of the clock. Time also determines the success and failures of many companies. Under this context, time presents a double-edged sword. It can be an asset and at the same time, a liability. Therefore, it is highly important for individuals and business organizations alike to establish efficient time management. Time management ensures that tasks are properly executed. Likewise, this also contributes to achieving balance in one’s professional and personal endeavors. Reference List Brooks, B. and Schofield, N. (1996). Time-to-market: time equals money—but where does it   Ã‚   all go?. World Class Design to Manufacture. 2 (6), 4 Harvard Business School (2005). Time management: increase your personal productivity and    effectiveness. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing. Davis, D. (2003). How to become a power agent in real estate. New York: Mc-Graw Hill Companies, Inc. Klein, R. (2005). Time management secrets for working women: getting organized to get the most out of each day. Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc. Line, M (2002). How Should Managers Spend Their Time? Part 2. Library Management. 23   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1./2), 101-102 Politt, D. (2008). ISS rises to the challenge of effective HR Management. Human Resource   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management International Digest. 16 (2), 34-35 Mancini, M. (2003). Time Management. New York: Mc-Graw Hill Companies, Inc.

Argos Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP)

Argos Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP) Introduction The objective of this assignment is to understand Argos segmentation, targeting and positioning in strategic marketing and how Argos uses STP to gain competitive advantage. In strategic marketing STP plays a vital role in the organization or company because it is a marketing strategy for dividing market in segments, targeting customers and making a position for products. (Whaley, A.2010, P12) Competitive Advantage is important for a company because it gives a company advantage over its competitors and gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and services. Argos is a unique retail company in the UK. Its slogan is choice, value and convenience (Argos i, 2010). Argos was founded in 1973 and it owned by GUS PLC. Argos sells general merchandise and other products for the home from 750 stores throughout the UK, republic of Ireland, North Ireland, Wales and Scotland. (HRG PLC Annual i 2010A). Moreover, there are 33,000 employees are working in Argoss stores. Argos serves over 130m customers through stores and takes 26% of sales through the internet. (Argos i, 2010). In 2010, there are 19,300 products registered in Argos latest spring and summer catalogued. (HRG PLC Annual i 2010).Argos majors products are toys, jewellery, sports, electrical goods and leisure equipment and these goods making up50% of its sales mix(scribd i:2010). As the leader in UK for general merchandise retailing, Argos latest revenue is  £1,812.8M in 2010 which is less from 2009 and it sales down 3%. Multi-channel sales grew to 44% of Argos sales in the first half of the year. The internet represented 32% of Argos sales (HRG PLCi: 2010B). Argos is unique amongst its major competitors. Its main competitors are Tesco, Asda, PC World, Homebase and Currys, and online retailer Amazon.co.uk. All competitors have internet presence. However, Tesco recently has been trying to imitate Argos retailing style with its Tesco direct catalogue and in-store shops. (Scribd i, 2010) What is STP? STP stands for Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. In strategic marketing STP is the second level. In STP; segmentation(S) the market segment deciding which customer to target (T) deciding what messages you want the targets to associate with you; what is called positioning(P).The whole process of dividing the market in different segments, targeting customers and product positioning is known as STP. (Whalley, A. 2010,P12).STP is one of the most important processes in strategic marketing which management should take on both at the start of a new offer creation as well as part of a periodic revision of the collection of offers and strategies by the organization. Taken from Whalley, A. 2010, and P72. 2.1 Segmentation Segmentation is the first step in STP process. In strategic marketing Segmentation can be defined as a process of dividing the total market in different segments for product or service into distinct sub-groups. (Whalley, A. 2010, P72). In segmentation each segment represents a separate target market to be reached with a distinctive marketing mix. Market segment means dividing the market into different subsets of customers with different needs. Segmentation can also be summarized as dividing the market by set of Pre- determined criteria. (Taken from Whalley, A. 2010, P72) Different variables can play a role in purchasing decision of the customers. In segmentation it is important to focus on the customer needs rather than other variables such as geography, demographics, occasion, behaviours etc. Effective segmentation is not easy to achieve, because in the society different groups of people have different choices and needs about products. It can only be achieved when customers share similar of demands. 2.2 Targeting In the STP process, the second step is targeting the market. After the completion of segmentation companies decide which segment they need to target and it depends on the size, area, profit and growth of each segments. Thus, Targeting of market is defined as the identification of market segments that are identified as being the most likely purchasers of a companys product. (Whalley, A 2010:P76) In targeting, a company should target segments in which it has a differential advantage over its competitors. In targeting companies decide to target one or more segments. For that purpose choice about targeted segments should generally depend on the several factors. The first factor in targeting is checking the existing level of the competition and how good it is serving the customers need. The organisation should know about segment, how large it is and how we can expect it to grow and have company strengths as company that will helps customers demand particularly to one group of customers. Companys actual ability of communication with the segment is also an important factor for companies in targeting. (Whalley, A.2010:P76) 2.3 Positioning After segmentation and targeting the next step is positioning in STP process. It refers to the way in which an organization sets itself apart in the market and how its products are perceived by the target market as a whole. (Whalley, A 2010:P77) Product positioning is the process of designing product features. These features are product, place, promotion and distribution. Positioning is about the communication of the overall value of proposition such as that it creates and maintains it clearly to customers. A product position is the place where product occupies in consumers minds. Market position gives a product a clear, unique and desirable place in the minds of target consumers. It is very important for the firm to define market segments, determine the target segments and understand customer needs, expectation and priorities .The study of competitors positioning about services and products are very important for a company, because its essential for a company to make good position f or its customers and communication about products for customer needs. Customers need should be a main priority of an organization. (Whalley, A.2010:P77) Discuss Argoss segmentation, targeting and positioning 3.1 Argoss segmentation As discussed previously, market segmentation means dividing a market into different subsets of customers with different needs. Different variables can play a role in purchasing decision of customers. In Argos demographic approach is used because demography is the study of population and it refers to personal statistics like income, age, gender, nationality, religion, and occupations etc. Argos adopts demographic approach because this approach represent the every member of the society i.e. there are many high and low income people in society, they have different needs about products. Furthermore, people of different ages and choice for men and women also important for a company before dividing the market in different segments. Argoss strategy about market segmentation is to fulfil the need of every customer. It does not matter customer is rich or poor, male or female, educational or uneducated etc. Argos creates well balanced market segment for its target and product. (The Times i, 20 10) 3.2 Argoss Targeting Customers buying habits change with the passage of time. Advancement of the technology changes customer shopping habits because technology makes its access simple for people. Many people nowadays like to use modern technology for shopping and purchasing different products, for that purpose they like to use internet, telephone. Many people like to come into stores to buy goods but the proportions of online buyers are increasing. This behaviour of customers changes companies approach of targeting. Argos thus uses a variety of modern channels to communicate with customers and to provide them with facilities for inquiring about availability of stock, and for making purchases. Argos recognizes that its many customers have different needs and prefer to shop in different ways. Argos targeting approach is getting to success because Argoss customers have already decided what they want to buy before visiting stores. Argos targeting approach make its value reliable for its customers because its targeting strategy aims to target more and more customers and make easy access for its products. Hence, Argos is using modern technology to target its customers because in this busy world ,where people are using advanced technology for communication make essential for Argos to use it for targeting customers. (The Times i, 2010) 3.3 Argos Positioning As discussed previously, product positioning is the process of designing product features. These features are product, place, promotion and distribution. Positioning is the final step in STP process. A strong positioning strategy is very important for company. Argos product positioning is using a differentiated market strategy. Argos low prices create value for its customers and its branded products lines are able to meet the demands of customers. Argos uses low price strategy because it is able to achieve cutting cost through retailing channels and it does not require a large shop space and big staff. Argos positioning strategy about place divides in three formats. These formats are store format, online format and catalogues. In distribution feature, Argos distributes products through Royal mail and its own delivery services. Argos uses advertising tools like internet, TV and indirect advertising through shopping catalogues for the promotion of its products. (Scribd i, 2010) Argos as a truly multi-channel, value orientated general merchandise Retail Company. Its strategy about product positioning is differentiated and formatted. Argos offers highly competitive customers through its positioning features like product, place, distribution and promotion. Infrastructure advantages strategy is to gain infrastructure advantage to increase revenue for this purpose Argos spends capital to improve its stores because strong infrastructure also helpful to create product position in market for customers. Argos positioning about reductions or increased flexibility cost has been achieved while Argos is still maintaining or improving its operational standards. (HRG PLCi: 2010B). Conclusion In conclusion, the STP process always plays a vital role in strategic marketing, because of the division of market into segments, targeting segments and positioning of products. Argos is a unique retailer company in the UK. It has a unique STP strategy policy as a company for dividing market into segments; demographic strategy is used for market dividing because its more suitable than other variables such as geography, occasion, behaviours etc. Argos strategy for targeting customers is flexible because Argos uses a variety of modern channels to communicate with customers and to provide them with facilities for inquiring about availability of stock, and for making purchases. Argos strong product positioning is totally for the benefit of its customers. As a UK retailer company Argos is unique, popular and successful because it is focused around meeting customer needs. Argos has gained competitive advantage on the basis of providing the best value of money for its customers through the best products branding, low prices, place, distribution and promotion. In this assignment, my main objective was to discuss Argos as retailing company and its STP strategy in strategic marketing. Furthermore, its aim was to show how Argos uses STP to gain competitive advantage from rivals by differentiating itself on the basis of providing the best value for money for customers through the most convenient shopping experience.

Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country :: Essays Papers

Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country The 1994/1995 financial crisis in Mexico affected me in a very personal way. My family is from Mexico City, and my dad owns a small private firm that specializes in manufacturing tools. After the devaluation, I not only watched my father struggle with the failing economy and lack of business growth opportunities, I also witnessed a country begin to sink deeper into poverty and despair. There are many reasons for the devaluation, but one of the main ones is probably the â€Å"poor savings rates and the low rate of investment (only saved 19 percent of GDP from 1980-1994)† (Bloomburg). Low levels of social development and high levels of poverty consistently served as a drag to economic growth and reform measures. Next fall I am going to spend a quarter in Washington D.C. completing an internship at the World Bank. I am going to work in the Latin American department, so I will have the opportunity to deal very closely with the Bank’s strategies and projects in Mexico. Therefore I have decided to research the relationship between the World Bank and Mexico. The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance. It is not really a bank, but rather a specialized agency comprised of 184 member countries. Along with several other institutions, the Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries. The Bank has provided assistance to Mexico for over 5 decades, and projects loans totaling $5 billion to Mexico up to the year 2005. Mexico holds the second largest share of the Bank’s portfolio, which totals to a whopping 11.1 billion dollars (9.4 % of total portfolio). The Bank works alongside Mexican authorities and officials and both regional and municipal levels to lay out plans and devise strategies that will hopefully help to build up the Mexican economy and social welfare. The Bank currently runs 31 active projects with a net commitment of $5.4 billion. Today Mexico is defined as a middle-income country, although many of its residents continue to survive off less than 1 or 2 dollars per day. Those who live on less than $1 per day do not have access to sufficient food or clean water. Income per capita is $5070 (the highest in Latin America). Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country :: Essays Papers Mexico and The World Bank: Rebuilding a Country The 1994/1995 financial crisis in Mexico affected me in a very personal way. My family is from Mexico City, and my dad owns a small private firm that specializes in manufacturing tools. After the devaluation, I not only watched my father struggle with the failing economy and lack of business growth opportunities, I also witnessed a country begin to sink deeper into poverty and despair. There are many reasons for the devaluation, but one of the main ones is probably the â€Å"poor savings rates and the low rate of investment (only saved 19 percent of GDP from 1980-1994)† (Bloomburg). Low levels of social development and high levels of poverty consistently served as a drag to economic growth and reform measures. Next fall I am going to spend a quarter in Washington D.C. completing an internship at the World Bank. I am going to work in the Latin American department, so I will have the opportunity to deal very closely with the Bank’s strategies and projects in Mexico. Therefore I have decided to research the relationship between the World Bank and Mexico. The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance. It is not really a bank, but rather a specialized agency comprised of 184 member countries. Along with several other institutions, the Bank provides low-interest loans, interest-free credit and grants to developing countries. The Bank has provided assistance to Mexico for over 5 decades, and projects loans totaling $5 billion to Mexico up to the year 2005. Mexico holds the second largest share of the Bank’s portfolio, which totals to a whopping 11.1 billion dollars (9.4 % of total portfolio). The Bank works alongside Mexican authorities and officials and both regional and municipal levels to lay out plans and devise strategies that will hopefully help to build up the Mexican economy and social welfare. The Bank currently runs 31 active projects with a net commitment of $5.4 billion. Today Mexico is defined as a middle-income country, although many of its residents continue to survive off less than 1 or 2 dollars per day. Those who live on less than $1 per day do not have access to sufficient food or clean water. Income per capita is $5070 (the highest in Latin America).

Free Julius Caesar Essays: Marcus Brutus :: Julius Caesar Essays

Marcus Brutus in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar    Caesar was the powerful ruler of Rome.   One of his dearest friends was a man named Marcus Brutus.   Brutus was a loyal friend, and was always true to his country. But when Brutus is facing a dilemma in which case he is torn between the life of his friend and what is better for the city of Rome.   With Brutus being a true Roman he chooses the death of his friend.   With Brutus joining the conspirators, who are plotting against Caesar, they are now even more powerful and can influence the people easier.   While all the conspirators stab Caesar in the back, Brutus is the only one to stab Caesar face to face.   Marc Antony, Ocatavius, and Lepidus take over the triumvirate.   Brutus and Cuis Cassuis took their troops in against Antony and his troops.   This will be where Brutus’ death and tragic flaw take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While at camp Brutus and Cassius get into an argument leading to Cassuis saying he shall kill himself.   After that in solved Brutus heads to bed. In the middle of the night he wakes up to the ghost of Julius.   Caesar tells his old friend â€Å"Though shalt see me at Philippi.†Ã‚   Brutus is startled by this and isn’t sure what was meant by this. Will Caesar live again or is this some kind of omen.   Brutus and his troops March to Philippi. After Cassuis dies, Brutus and his troops are winning, although Brutus don’t realize it. Brutus decides to take the cowards way out of this and kill himself, rather than be drug through the streets of Rome.   Strato holds out his sword as Brutus runs about and kills himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brutus’ tragic flaw in all of this was he was too loyal to Rome and to his friend Caesar at the same time.   After killing Caesar he wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. And then when after Antony spoke at the funeral and turned all of the people from Rome against Brutus, things started to go downhill for our hero.   Then during the battle when he thought he was defeated, and committed suicide, his flaw was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brutus was a man loyal to his country.   He was very modest and did what he though was right.   Although he can be swayed by other people, like the planted letters, he still thinks and acts on his own.

Racism in the Adventure of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Introduction Huckleberry Finn is a wonderful book that captures the heart of the reader in its brilliance and innocence. Despite many critics have attacked its racist perspective;the piece merely represents a reality that occurred during antebellum America,the setting of the novel. Twain’s literary devices in capturing the focal of excitement,adventure,and human sympathy is a wonderful novel that should be recognized,not for bigotry, but that it is the candid viewpoint of a boy that grew up in that era. And even then,the protagonist does overcome some social prejudices of slavery because he is concerned with the well-being of his runaway slave friend Jim. That the mockery of the slave race in the end allowed by Huck is more about fulfilling the awes of Huck towards Tom. The novel is a success because it does not fail to capture the one singular point of growing up for Huck:boyhood. Mark Twain definitely characterizes the protagonist,the intelligent and sympathetic Huckleberry Finn,by the direct candid manner of writing as though through the actual voice of Huck. Every word,thought, and speech by Huck is so precise it reflects even the racism and black stereotypes typical of the era. And this has lead to many conflicting battles by various readers since the first print of the novel,though inspiring some. Says John H. Wallace,outraged by Twain’s constant use of the degrading and white supremacist word‘nigger’,†[The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is]the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written†(Mark Twain Journal by Thadious Davis,Fall 1984 and Spring 1985). Yet,again to counter that is a quote by the great American writer Ernest Hemingway,†All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn†¦it’s the best book we’ve had†¦There has been nothing as good since†(The Green Hills of Africa [Scribner’s. 1953]22). The controversy behind the novel has been and will always remain the crux of any readers is still truly racism. Twain surely does use the word‘nigger’often,both as a referral to the slave Jim and any African-American that Huck comes across and as the epitome of insult and inferiority. However,the reader must also not fail to recognize that this style of racism,this malicious treatment of African- Americans,this degrading attitude towards them is all stylized of the pre- Civil War tradition. Racism is only mentioned in the novel as an object of natural course and a precision to the actual views of the setting then. Huckleberry Finn still stands as a powerful portrayal of experience through the newfound eyes of an innocent boy. Huck only says and treats the African-American culture accordingly with the society that he was raised in. To say anything different would truly be out of place and setting of the era. Twain’s literary style in capturing the novel,Huck’s casual attitude and candid position,and Jim’s undoubted acceptance of the oppression by the names all signifies this. The thesis has three chapters. Chapter one is introduction of the whole work. Chapter two give some information about the criticism literature. Chapter three give a deep look at the research about the racial problems in the book Huck Finn. Chapter four is the conclusion part. 1 Literature Review Literary criticism is an attempt to evaluate and understand the creative writing,the literature of an author. Literature includes plays, essays,novels,poetry,and short stories. Literary criticism is a description,analysis,evaluation,or interpretation of a particular literary work or an author’s writings as a whole. Literary criticism is usually expressed in the form of a critical essay. In-depth book reviews are also sometimes viewed as literary criticism. Controversial in death as he was in life,Mark Twain has been seriously accused by some of being a†racist writer,†whose writing is offensive to black readers,perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes,and deserves no place on today’s bookshelves. To those of us who have drunk gratefully of Twain’s wisdom and humanity,such accusations are ludicrous. But for some people they clearly touch a raw nerve,and for that reason they deserve a serious answer. Let’s look at the book that is most commonly singled out for this criticism,the novel that Ernest Hemingway identified as the source of all American literature:The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For Twain’s critics,the novel is racist on the face of it,and for the most obvious reason:many characters use the word†nigger†throughout. But since the action of the book takes place in the south twenty years before the Civil War,it would be amazing if they didn’t use that word. A closer reading also reveals Twain’s serious satiric intent. In one scene,for instance,Aunt Sally hears of a steamboat explosion. â€Å"Good gracious! anybody hurt? â€Å"she asks. â€Å"No’m,†comes the answer. â€Å"Killed a nigger. † But anyone who imagines that Mark Twain meant this literally is 580 SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION2010 5? missing the point. Rather,Twain is using this casual dialogue ironically, as a way to underscore the chilling truth about the old south,that it was a society where perfectly†nice†people didn’t consider the death of a black person worth their notice. To drive the point home,Twain has the lady continue: â€Å"Well,it’s lucky,because sometimes people do get hurt. † That’s a small case in point. But what is the book really about? It’s about nothing less than freedom and the quest for freedom. It’s about a slave who breaks the law and risks his life to win his freedom and be reunited with his family,and a white boy who becomes his friend and helps him escape. Because of his upbringing,the boy starts out believing that slavery is part of the natural order;but as the story unfolds he wrestles with his conscience,and when the crucial moment comes he decides he will be damned to the flames of hell rather than betray his black friend. And Jim,as Twain presents him,is hardly a caricature. Rather,he is the moral center of the book,a man of courage and nobility,who risks his freedom–risks his life–for the sake of his friend Huck. Note,too,that it is not just white critics who make this point. Booker T. Washington noted how Twain†succeeded in making his  readers feel a genuine respect for’Jim,'†and pointed out that Twain,in creating Jim’s character,had†exhibited his sympathy and interest in the masses of the negro people. † The great black novelist Ralph Ellison,too,noted how Twain allows Jim’s†dignity and human capacity†to emerge in the novel. â€Å"Huckleberry Finn knew,as did Mark Twain[Ellison wrote],that Jim was not only a slave but a human being[and]a symbol of humanity†¦ and in freeing Jim,Huck makes a bid to free himself of the conventionalized evil taken for civilization by the town†Ã¢â‚¬â€œin other words,of the abomination of slavery itself. In fact,you can search through all of Twain’s writings,not just the thirty-plus volumes of novels,stories,essays,and letters,but also his private correspondence,his posthumous autobiography and his intimate journals,and you’ll be hard put to find a derogatory remark about the black race–and this at a time when crude racial stereotypes were the basic coin of popular fiction,stage comedy,and popular songs. What you find in Twain is the opposite:a lively affection and admiration for black Americans that began when he was still a boy and grew steadily through the years. In a widely praised post-Civil War sketch titled†A True Story,†for example,he wrenchingly evoked the pain of an ex-slave as she recalls being separated from her young son on the auction block, and her joy at discovering him in a black regiment at war’s end. And on those occasions when Twain does venture to compare blacks and whites,the comparison is not conspicuously flattering to the whites. Things like: ?†One of my theories is that the hearts of men are about alike,all over the world,whatever their skin-complexions may be. † ?†Nearly all black and brown skins are beautiful,but a beautiful white skin is rare. † ?†There are many humorous things in the world;among them is the white man’s notion that he is less savage than all the other savages. † 2 Methods/Research Design The null hypothesis for this research is that half of the university students study literature will think that there are racial discrimination in the book Huck Finn and others won’t. 1000 students in their third and forth years of university will be the subject. They must never see the book or the movie of Huck Finn. They come from both big cities and rural area. They are divided into four groups. The first two groups(each has 250 students)include the students from big cities,part of them students from rural areas. First,all of them will hear the story of Huck Finn. Then they wi answer relevant questions about the images of Huck Finn in th questionnaires and during the interviews. The questions are about th using method of language,the plot design and the thinking of Huck,et Finally,the movie of Huck Finn will be shown. Students will describe th image of Huck and their views about racial problems in this book According to their answers,different answers will be divided into differen groups. After these works,comes the analyses of the statistics and dat After comparing the answers of the four groups,gives the conclusio whether literary students from big cities and from rural areas have th same opinion of the racial discrimination in this book. As expected,half o them will have the same opinion and half of them won’t. 3 Anticipated Results 3. 1 Time-Table My studies will last more than two years. I decide to spend about 5 hours per month on my studies. I plan to spend the first six month developing my proposal and methodology and completing the literatur review. During this period,I will also attend some relevant courses abou reader’s response theory. Then I will spend about six months i questionnaires and interviews. After that,I plan to spend eight months i analyzing the statistics and data. Finally,four month will be used mainl on the thesis. February 2008–Aug. 2008 *Develop proposal and methodology and complete the literatur review *Attend some relevant courses about reader’s response theory Aug. 2008–Feb. 2009 *Design the questionnaires Collection of official and unofficia statistic Feb. 2009-October 2009. *INTERVIEWS October 2009–Feb. 2008 *Analysis the statistics and data *Mainly work on the thesis 3. 2 Anticipated result University students from different countries will have differen opinion on the same thing. As expected,half of them will have the sam opinion and half of them won’t. However,if the result doesn’t suppo my anticipated result,I will try to find the weakness of my researc design,and improve it. Then do the research again and again. If I als can not get the anticipated result,I will accept the result with a scientifi attitude. [1]David E. E. Sloane. Mark Twain’s Humor:Critical Essays. New York an London:Garland Publishing,Inc. ,1993. [2]Harold Bloom. Mark Twain(Bloom’s Modern Critical Views)(Hardcover Chelsea House Publications;Library Binding edition. July 1986. [3]... ,2001. [4]http://42explore. com/litcrit. htm. [5]http://www. dreamkidland. cn/cpgs/hkbl/001. htm. [6]www. classicreader. com/author. php/aut. [7]www. ucpress. edu/books/MTW. ser. html. ? ? Group number Students from big cities Students from rural areas questionnaire No. 1 No. 3 interview No. 2 No. 4 0 0