Sad Story Essay free essay sample

Sarah We moved to a small town where my husband was assigned as aminister to a local congregation. I was unpacking one day when thephone rang. A voice on the other end said, Your name was given tome as a possibility for a mentor in our school. Knowing very few peoplein town, I tried to imagine who might have volunteered me for this. Realizing the lady was waiting for an answer, I replied, Let me thinkabout it and call you back. I returned to my unpacking, but my mind was busy going over all thereasons I couldnt be a mentor. I wasnt even a parent, so how couldI work with kids. I wouldnt know what to do. I dont really have thetime. What if the child didnt like me? My list of excuses (uh, I meanreasons) was growing by the minute and I did a pretty good job oftalking myself out of it. We will write a custom essay sample on Sad Story Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Suddenly a thought entered my mind. Connie, do you remember all thepeople that have taken time for you over the years? I knew this hadcome from God, certainly not from me, as I was too busy being selfishat the time. Faces of family, friends, teachers, and coworkers crossed my mindand all that theyd sacrificed to help me. I was a shy child and Godplaced many loving, patient people along my lifes journey. He knewwho I would need at various points to help me through that particularperiod of my life. Could I do any less for someone else? I was still hesitant, but placed a call to the school and agreed to bea mentor. The lady in the office said, I have a fourth grade girl whoreally needs some help. Just sign in at the school office and we askthat you come one hour each week. The only other things I knew wereher name, Sarah, and that she came from a poor home situation. I was nervous as I arrived for our first mentoring session. I was shownto Sarahs classroom and introduced to her. A room down the hall wasavailable for us to meet in and off we went. I sensed this was going tobe a long hour. Nothing prepared me for what happened that day. Wanting to put Sarah at ease, I said, Let me tell you a little aboutmyself and then you can tell me about yourself. So, I rattled offsome facts and then waited for her to talk. Total silence greeted me. Her long hair hung across her face and she didnt even look at me whenI was talking. We sat in silence for a few minutes and it soon becameobvious she wasnt going to share any information about herself. I hadto think of something quick. Questionswasnt that how you got information from others? Tell meabout your family. When that didnt get any response, I tried, Whatare your favorite subjects in school? Then I ventured, Do you haveany favorite foods? Nothing. Not even a faint shrug of her shoulders. All my fears that I would fail at this came rushing in at once. Howcould I help a child when she wouldnt even speak to me? Not knowing what else to do I said, Why dont we go back to youclassroom? She almost bolted from the room and was down thehall and back in her class before I could even say good-by to her. I prayed about this over the next week and decided to give it alittle more time. I went back over the next several weeks and the scene wasrepeated over and over. I asked questions; she sat in silence. Her teacher assured me Sarah was benefiting from these sessions,but I failed to see what good I was doing. Then one week,something different happened. I had just asked Sarah another question when she looked at meand said, You ask too many questions. After I recovered fromthe shock of hearing her speak, I told her that one way to get meto stop asking questions was for her talk. From that time on, webegan to make progress in our relationship. Bit by bit, she began to share about herself. I want to be a beauticianwhen I graduate from high school, she would often tell me. Sincemost of her family never went beyond ninth or tenth grade, this wassurprising to hear from her. We celebrated such things as improvedgrades and the fact that she was becoming more assertive in expressingherself. On the rare occasion when Id see her parents, they would tellme that Sarah talked about me all the time. I was thrilled to watch herblossom and I hoped that one day we might even be able to talk aboutChristianity. Sarah knew that I was a pastors wife, but I did bring up matters offaith with her as I didnt feel that was my role with her in that setting. As we grew more comfortable with each other, she would occasionallymention church, but nothing deeper. Sarah surprised me one day by greeting me with, Can I call you onthe phone sometime? I was pleased she felt that safe with me andagreed she could call once a week. When she did call, there wouldbe a period of silence and then Id hear, Hi, followed by more silence. After some discussion about how to have a telephone conversation,she began to be more at ease on the phone and would sometimeschat with me as if we were girlfriends. The staff at school couldntbelieve she was calling me and sharing herself so freely. Sarah and I began our relationship when she was in the fourth gradeand continued till she was in high school. We moved at that time,but I still got the occasional phone call from her to fill me in on whatwas happening. One day I received a very special call from Sarah. In numerous phone calls Sarah had mentioned that she was goingto a church near where she lived. I had encouraged her to keepdoing so, but really hadnt pushed her to make any kind of commitment. In one of her last phone calls to me she stated, I went forward atchurch and accepted Christ last Sunday and was baptized. Whata joyous announcement that was to hear! I havent heard from Sarah in quite some time, but she is always inmy heart and my prayers. Sometimes I reflect on the fact thatI almost didnt take the time to be a mentor to Sarah, it grievesme to think that I thought there was no time in my life to help her. I pray that Sarahs life will continue to move in positive directionsbecause of our relationship. She certainly blessed my life. I hope you will consider giving of your time and talents to a childin need. Please let a child know that someone believes in them. I think of it as an investment in our future. Be a mentor! I wonder where would I be today without the support of somany wonderful people. And, where would this child be if I hadnt taken. . . Connie L. Coppings The old fisherman Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. Why, hes hardly taller than my eight-year-old, I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, Good evening. Ive come to see if youve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and theres no bus til morning. He told me hed been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. No one seemed to have a room. I guess its my face I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me. I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning. I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. No thank you. I have plenty. And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him for a few minutes. It didnt take long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didnt tell it by way of complaint. In fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the childrens room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast. But just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I wont put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair. He paused a moment and then added, Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children dont seem to mind. I told him he was welcome to come again. On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that theyd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a. m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. During the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery fish and oysters packed in a box with fresh young spinach or kale every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people! Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illness would have been easier to bear. I know our family will always be grateful to have known him. From him, we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God. Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, If this were my plant, Id put it in the loveliest container I had! My friend changed my mind. I ran short of pots, she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldnt mind starting out in this old pail. Its just for a little while, until I can put it out in the garden. She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining such a scene in heaven. Heres an especially beautiful one, God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. He wont mind starting in this small body. All this happened long ago and now, in Gods garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand. Mary Bartels Bray Mother and Son My mom only had one eye. I hated her, she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. Sh e collected little weeds and such to sell, anything for the money we needed she was such an embarrassment. There was this one day during elementary school. I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school Your mom only has one eye?! and they taunted me. I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, Mom, why dont you have the other eye?! Youre only going to make me a laughingstock. Why dont you just die? My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what Id wanted to say all this time. Maybe it was because my mom hadnt punished me, but I didnt think that I had hurt her feelings very badly. That night I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty. Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. Now Im living happily as a successful man. I like it here because its a place that doesnt remind me of my mom. This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone unexpected came to see me What?! Whos this?! It was my mother Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my moms eye. And I asked her, Who are you? I dont know you!!! as if I tried to make that real. I screamed at her How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! Get out here now! And to this, my mother quietly answered, oh, Im so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address, and she disappeared. Thank good ness she doesnt recognize me. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasnt going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life. Then a wave of relief came upon me one day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I w as going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand. it was a letter to me. My Son, I think my life has been long enough now. And I wont visit Seoul anymore but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school. For you Im sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you. You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldnt stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye o I gave you mine I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. The couple times that you were angry with me. I thought to myself, its because he loves me. I miss the times when you were still young around me. I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me. My world shattered! Then I cried for the person who lived for me. My Mother. Passing Along A Little Spark Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys! begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mothers dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson hed always say, My moms going to hear me play someday. But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pic k him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but assumed, because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching! Several weeks later I mailed to the students homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mom had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. Miss Hondorf Ive just got to play! he insisted. I dont know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my curtain closer. Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like hed run an eggbeater through it. Why didnt he dress up like the other students? I thought. Why didnt his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night? Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozarts Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on pianissimo to fortissimo from allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by a person his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause. Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. Ive never heard you play like that Robby! Howd you do it? Through the microphone Robby explained: Well Miss Hondorf remember I told you my mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well. she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special. There wasnt a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be p laced into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, Ive never had a protigi but that night I became a protigi of Robbys. He was the teacher and I was the pupil. For it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you dont know why. (A footnote to this story) After serving in Desert Storm, Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995, where he was reportedly. playing the piano. And now, a footnote to the story. This story has been passed around by e-mail. It has not yet been proven to be a true story as no mention has been made of the exact name of the music teacher nor of the boy. The story proves that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities a day to help realize Gods plan. So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a spark of the Divine? Special Delivery Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the Surgeon come out of the operating room, saying: How is my little boy? Is he going to be O. K.? When can I see him? The surgeon responded, Im sorry, we did all we could. Sally said, Why do little children get cancer, doesnt GOD care any more? GOD, where were you when my son needed you? The surgeon softly told her, One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes to let you spend time with your sons remains before its transported to the university. Sally asked that the nurse stay with her while she said good-bye to her son. As she ran her fingers through his thick red curly hair, the nurse said, Would you like a lock of his hair? Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of his hair and p ut it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally. She gazed at her son’s body as she spoke to the nurse. It was Jimmys idea to give his body to the university for study. He said it might help somebody else, and that is what he wanted. I said, no at first, but Jimmy said, ‘Mom I wont be using it after I die, maybe it will help some other little boy to be able to spend one more day with his mother’. My Jimmy had a heart of gold, always thinking of someone else and always wanting to help others if he could. Sally walked out of the Childrens Hospital for the last time now after spending most of the last 6 months there. She sat the bag with Jimmys things in it on the seat beside of her in the car. The drive home was hard and it was even harder to go into an empty house. She took the bag to Jimmys room and started placing the model cars and things back in his room exactly where he always kept them. She lay down across his bed and cried herself to sleep holding his pillow. Sally woke up about midnight and lying beside her on the bed, was a letter folded up. She opened the letter, it said: Dear Mom, I know youre going to miss me, but dont think that I will ever forget you or stop loving you because Im not around to say I LOVE YOU. Ill think of you every day mom and Ill love you even more each day. Some day we will see each other again. If you want to adopt a little boy so you wont be so lonely, he can have my room and my old stuff to play with. If you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldnt like the same things as us boys do, so you will have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like. Dont be sad when you think about me, this is really a great place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything here. The Angels are so friendly, and I love to watch them fly. Jesus doesnt look like any of the pictures I saw of Him, but I knew it was Him as soon as I saw Him. Jesus took me to see GOD! And guess what mom? I got to sit on GODS knee and talk to Him like I was somebody important. I told GOD that I wanted to write you a letter and tell you good-bye and everything, but I knew that wasnt allowed. God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter with. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel that is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him about â€Å"Where was He when I needed him? † God said, The same place He was when Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way Mom, nobody else can see what is written on this paper but you. To everyone else, it looks like a blank piece of paper. I have to give God His pen back now, He has some more names to write in the Book Of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. Im sure the food will be great. I almost forgot to let you know now I dont hurt anymore, the cancer is all gone. Im glad because I couldnt stand that pain anymore and God couldnt stand to see me suffer the pain either, so He sent The Angel of Mercy to get me. The Angel said I was Special Delivery!

Civil War as a Battle at Sea essays

Civil War as a Battle at Sea essays It was a war to surpass all wars. It began as a disagreement; who had the right to succeed, and whose power was more effective. The Civil War began as a test of states rights versus federal rights, and augmented into the bloodiest battle to ever be fought on American soil. When it began, both sides were certain that the war would be quick, ninety days at most, and God would see to it that the one in the right was victorious. As the days progressed, and the ninety days passed, the fate of the war was again placed into Gods hands, and the countrys worst fear was about to take effect. The war emanated over the Souths right to secede from the Union, but quickly turned into a war about the proper way of life. When the war concluded, the North had won, and the slaves were freed, and in the eyes of the government, they would no longer be enslaved. In 1860, there were about nine million people in the South, and out of that, four million were slaves. They made up about one-sixth of the American population before the Civil War began. The nation was expanding westward, and as the people drove west, they settled down and began to raise families. With a rapidly growing population and nation, a quarrel could separate the region as a whole and separate tradition from change. The South was traditional by its practice of slavery, and its agricultural economy. The North, on the other hand, represented change as it was ever growing with new technologies. This quarrel was so minute that it could have been settled over tea and crumpets, rather than a four-year war. A preliminary Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862 declaring that any slave who crossed over enemy lines was considered a free man. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of the bloody battle. The proclamation declared that all persons held as sla...

English 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English 101 - Essay Example I discover they are so much like me and thus it provides me a chance to understand the diversity present within USA. I have made so many friends in a short span of time that I almost feel I do not need any more yet I know friends are less even when they are in numbers. I recognize my time was a sense of commitment and the hard work that I have to put in. This, I say because I know I have to prove my worth within the coming times of professional domains and for that I need to be punctual and on time, always. My life away from my family gets depressing at times but then again my friends and colleagues make it special for me. They make sure that they have some surprise in store to make me feel happy and satisfied at all times. I like the way people can easily meet and interact with each other, in USA. I dislike the way the immigration policies are the strictest in this country than anywhere else. The difficult things that I have felt here include my time at the immigration counter, the thorough checking and question-answer session and the way I need to properly document myself every month or so. However I love my life within USA barring these

Branding - Lexus Car Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Branding - Lexus Car Company - Essay Example Therefore, the re-branding process constitutes the development of a new ‘‘name, term, symbol, design or a combination of them’’ with an aim of reaching a new position in the stakeholders’ and competitors’ minds. Therefore, re-branding is measured by the level of changes in marketing aesthetics and brand position. Re-branding is either evolutionary where it involves minor, gradual and hardly perceptible changes in the aesthetics and positioning, or revolutionary where it involves major and identifiable changes in aesthetics and positioning that lead to fundamental re-definition of a company. This is a proposal on how to re-brand Lexus. Therefore, I shall examine the brand’s background and determine its position in the automobile industry. I shall then establish the reasons why the company would require to undergo a re-branding process. I shall then proceed with the formulation of the re-branding plan by taking advantage of underlying oppo rtunities and establish measures to counteract the challenges that might arise. The process shall culminate in the selection of an appropriate branding agency that will carry out the re-branding process. ... Although Lexus is fully owned by Toyota, it has developed its distinctive luxury image in the consumers’ minds. This image is entirely different from Toyota’s image that provide feisty and reliable cars and not flashy cars. In this case, Lexus was provided with its own brand values. The launch of a Japanese luxury car to compete with the likes of Cadillac, BMW and Mercedes Benz would have seemed preposterous some decades ago. However, the introduction of the Lexus LS 400 after the investment of colossal amounts and production of numerous prototypes broke this notion. Over the years, Lexus has evolved from an improbable outsider to a formidable force in the luxury automobiles industry. The competition among the leading luxury vehicle manufacturers has been heating up over the last few years. This race involves pushing sales, leading in profitability, admiration for its models and incorporating innovative technologies. Furthermore, to lead in this industry a company has t o offer better service and quality besides selling more units than the competitors. Although Europe has been experiencing an economic slump, the luxury automobile producers have been increasing their investments and production capacity. These efforts aim at increasing sales in growing markets such as the United States and China. This is because the luxury industry demands players to continuously raise the bar. Therefore, making counter-cyclical decisions, although not easy, can determine the level of progress that a company will achieve (Ciferri, 2013). Rationale for Re-branding The automobile industry is facing new challenges in controlling carbon dioxide emissions and in reducing fuel consumption. Manufacturers are focusing on developing ‘green’ concept vehicles that can be mass-produced.

Nuclear Energy Is Not Safe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nuclear Energy Is Not Safe - Research Paper Example In the nuclear power stations, the energy is made through the use of uranium rod. In the process of fission, the neutrons of uranium enter into the nucleus of atom. Once the uranium smashed in, the nuclei will the split into two hence releasing energy that comes out in form of heat. Nuclear energy is famous today because of several reasons, one is the carbon emitted during nuclear energy production. In comparison to other energy producers such as coal and oil, almost zero greenhouse gases are produced during nuclear production, gases such as sulfur dioxide which is one of the main components of pollution. The second reason why nuclear energy has remained famous is because of energy dependence. Nuclear energy has enabled many countries such as US and France to cut down the amount of oil products they buy from different countries and it has provided a reliable base-load power (Smith 2006). The cost of building the plant is expensive but once it is build, the cost of producing energy is cheap is the material used in nuclear plants are renewable. Another significant reason why nuclear energy is famous is its energy production rate. A uranium-235 is capable of producing up to 3.6 million times more energy as compared to the same amount of coal. Lastly, nuclear produ ce low quantities of waste materials. The uranium producing the energy stays in the reactor for a period of up to 4 years which means the radioactive waste products remains in the reactors for up to five years. At the same time, radioactive materials coming from the reactors are used in medicine treatment and food irradiation. Having studied the nuclear energy advantages and disadvantages, I believe Nuclear energy is not a safe form of alternative energy. Since the introduction of nuclear energy, it has become both a curse and a blessing; it is a blessing in the energy production and a curse due to the misuse. Many countries have started misusing the nuclear energy by creating war materials out of it.

Lufthansa Marketing Analysis: SWOT and PESTEL

Lufthansa Marketing Analysis: SWOT and PESTEL This report will take a closer look at the turnaround of Lufthansa airlines which went from near bankruptcy in 1991 to a now profitable airline. The evolutionary patterns of strategy and structure are identified in this report as well as how strategic leadership and German culture contributed to the turnaround. Furthermore, this paper will analyse the airline industry in terms of Porters five forces and will also take an extensive look at Lufthansas current situation by means of a SWOT and TOWS analysis. Additionally, Lufthansas business-level and corporate-level strategy will be identified and the Star Alliance, the worlds most important airline alliance, will be discussed in detail. 2.0 Company Background The Lufthansa Aviation Group is considered to be one of the worlds leading air transport corporations. It includes a number of independent group and affiliated companies with business segments in passenger airlines, logistics, aircraft maintenance, catering, tourism and IT services. Lufthansas headquarter is located in Cologne, Germany and its operational centre for passenger and cargo services is situated in Frankfurt (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). Lufthansa is 78 years old and has currently about 93,000 employees worldwide and in 2003-reported revenue of about 16 billion Euros (Lufthansa Key Figures 2003- see also Appendix I). In terms of traffic performance, Lufthansa is in third position in worldwide passenger transport. For many years the company has also been the market leader in international cargo traffic. In 2002, Lufthansas 368 aircrafts operated on routes to 327 destinations, carrying 50.9 million passengers and 1.63 million tons of airfreight. Lufthansa was also one of the founding members of the Star Alliance in 1997, when 16 partners joined into the worlds largest airline alliance (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). 3.0 The Industry Background The organization also has to deal with cyclical risks. General economic fluctuations as well as geopolitical developments can have a large impact on the performance of the Lufthansa Group. As good examples serve the events of September 11, the Iraq conflict and the outbreak of SARS in Asia along with a stagnating global economy which seriously influenced the business activity of the entire airline industry in a negative way (Heerkens 2003). Lufthansa is also confronted with some capital market risks as its international business activities expose it to exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations in the international money, capital and also the foreign exchange markets (Zea 2003). A substantial threat is the price of fuel since fuel consumption remains one of the main cost items for the whole airline industry. In 2003, it contributed 7.6% to Lufthansas total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices can have a significant affect on the organizations operating result (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Furthermore there is the threat of higher costs of insuring Lufthansas fleet. Insurance costs increased dramatically after the events of September 11 and since then stayed at a very high level. The reason for that are the massive additional premiums that are being charged for insuring against war and similar events. In case of more wars and terrorist attacks the premiums are likely to increase even further (Zea 2003). There are also a number of infrastructure risks that Lufthansa will have to deal with. There are plans for an extension of the runway system at Frankfurt Airport, which is a major hub for Lufthansas operations, and is extremely important for the long-term competitiveness of the German airline. The extension project is also crucial for securing Frankfurt Airports future as an international air traffic hub, which also applies to the building of the maintenance hangar for the new Airbus A380 super jumbo that will be used from 2007 onwards. Nonetheless, a range of operational restrictions on extending the airport has recently been debated which would hinder its efficient use. In case a solution cant be found, Lufthansa would have relocate part of their business to alternative hubs. Additionally, bottlenecks in many European air traffic control systems cause many flight delays. The infrastructural limitations are a huge burden on the profitability of all European air carriers. On top of t hat, they are inhibiting the industry to keep up with the growing demand for air transport services (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). There are also a few risks relating to the development of alliances. One of the foundations for Lufthansas commercial success was its integration into the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline partnership system. Currently, many of the airlines worldwide are in a loss-making situation which, in the case of a few of Lufthansas partners like United Airlines and Air Canada, reached proportions that threatened their existence and also affects Lufthansa negatively. In regards to the Star Alliance, there are also challenges of coordinating and incorporating strategic activities like the establishment of a common global brand, a shared technology platform as well as joint training and personnel development (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Being part of the Star Alliance also poses the threat that Lufthansa might lose its identity. It is vital for them to preserve the Lufthansa brand (Bruch Ghoshal 2002). Labour unions are an additional threat; especially in Germany they have a lot of power. Labour unions can initiate strikes, which in the past have already led to delays of departures and substantial costs to Lufthansa (Steinborn 2003). 4.0 The Company Objectives Structural analysis of an industry is a useful way of determining a companys long-term profitability. Comprehending the dynamics of the competitive forces in an industry can give an insight whether an industry is attractive and whether there are any chances for returns on capital. Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, created a framework for understanding the structure of an industry. According to Porter, the five competitive forces that can have an impact on an industry are threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining powers of buyers, competitive rivalry, as well as the threat of substitutes (Analysis of industries 2003). 4.1 Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants offers the possibility that new firms are going to enter the industry, which will consequently lead to a reduction of industry returns by generally passing more value to consumers in terms of lower prices and also increasing the cost of competition. Factors like economies of scale, capital requirements, product differentiation, access to distribution channels, switching costs as well as brand value determine the threat of entry (Analysis of industries 2003). From my point of view it currently seems very difficult to enter the airline industry as this area of business as well as the world economy is facing a period of recession. Due to large product differentiation the entry barriers are fairly high. There is a range of flag carriers, charter airlines as well as a number of low-fare airlines in the industry. All these different types of airlines offer an extensive range of products that seem to satisfy most customers needs. Additionally, entering the aviation industry requires very high capital investments because aircrafts, technical support and IT services need to be purchased or leased. This industry is also very labour and fuel intensive which requires a lot of funds. Companies with an interest in entering the market also require access to distribution channels. This means that it is necessary to gain trust within the industry so as to get access to take-off and landing spots. This can be quite challenging as national policies still p lay a major role in the aviation industry. Furthermore it is a requirement to obtain permission from governments to enter airspace. Moreover once the market is entered, it is very difficult to exit which raises switching costs to a high level. Throughout the last decade the market opened due to the deregulation policy, which provided low budget airlines with an opportunity to enter the industry. The first entrants like Ryanair and Easyjet utilized this opportunity and developed strong brand names due to their first-mover advantage. Airlines that recently entered the market that have a similar price and cost structure generally find it more difficult to generate the traffic that is required to fill the seats in their aircrafts (Jacob Jakesova 2003). All in all it can be said that the threat of new entrants is not that high in the airline industry in the current business environment. 4.2 Bargaining power of suppliers Factors that are connected with the bargaining power of suppliers include the threat of forward integration as well as the concentration of suppliers in the industry. Supplier power decreases the ability for competitors in the industry to earn higher profits (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 64). The main suppliers within the airline industry are the manufacturers of aircrafts like Airbus and Boeing, fuel suppliers such as Shell, British Petroleum and Chevron Texaco. Furthermore there are technical support and IT services as well as the catering services. Suppliers are very concentrated in the airline industry as Boeing and Airbus supply most commercial fixed-wing aircrafts. The concentration of suppliers makes it difficult for the airlines to exercise leverage over the two manufacturers and negotiate lower prices or play one supplier against the other. Moreover, at the current stage, aircrafts for long distance travel cannot be substituted by any other product, which strengthens the bargaining power of the suppliers even more. Fuel providers have an excellent bargaining position as they can increase fuel prices without regarding the airlines as an important customer group. Forward integration, which is the expansion of a business products or services to related areas in orde r to directly satisfy the customer needs, is fairly low. The reason for this is that it can be assumed that neither aircraft manufactures, fuel providers nor technical support companies will purchase an airline and staff it with flight attendants, commercial pilots, a maintenance crew and operate flights across the world (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Nevertheless, the strong position fuel suppliers as well as the relatively strong position of manufacturers of aircrafts need to be taken into account when operating an airline. 4.3 Bargaining power of buyers Buyers can have significant power, as they are able to push down prices, and negotiate for better quality and service. Buyer power is determined by relative volume of purchase, switching cost, standardization of the product, brand identity, elasticity of demand as well as quality of service (Del Vecchio 2000). Since customers are not very concentrated and generally dont purchase plane tickets in large volumes they do not have a strong bargaining position. A single purchase of an airline ticket does not represent a significant fraction of the amount offered. Switching costs are quite low as consumers have a range of choices when selecting an airline. Due to the Internet, information about prices is also less fragmented and much easier to compare. Quite frequently, a customer can find price differences for the same flight and one seat is generally not any better, since everyone arrives at the destination at the same time. Considering the worldwide recession as well as the psychological effects of September 11, airline companies are under substantial pressure as customers switch to alternative transportation like trains. Vacation travelers also tend to shop around for the best price. Traveling by plane is quite expensive and can make up the largest part of the expense of a family vacation. For that reason, demand is quite elastic for some buyers. As soon as the price drops, the demand increases. However, airlines can move their prices in tandem with other airlines, which forces customers to purchase tickets for the market price until a price war starts (Analysis of Industries 2003). Nevertheless, all in all it can be said that the bargaining power of buyers is relatively low. 4.4 Threat of substitute products The airline industry is threatened by a number of substitutes. This threat is quite substantial within Europe, where Lufthansas main customer base is located. Many European countries have an excellent railway system with high-speed trains like the ICE in Germany and the TGV in France. These trains can travel up to 300km/h fast and can cover large distances within the countries in just a few hours. Trains can be considered the largest threat as they offer a variety of advantages over flying. From my point of view it seems that flying is much faster, but on a domestic flight in a European country there is not much of a difference in comparison to trains. The reason for that is that it always takes a while to get to the airport, as they are mostly located further away from cities; check-in and security checks usually require being there at least an hour before take-off. After the plane has landed, it usually takes at least another 30 minutes to get out of the plane, claim the baggage an d organise transportation to leave the airport. Railway stations on the other hand can be much more easily accessed than airports, there is no check-in and security check required and the destination railway station is generally in a very central location close to hotels or offices that need to be visited on a business trip. Furthermore, trains offer generally great scenery while travelling and also offer more legroom. Most importantly the prices are generally lower than those of prestigious airlines like Lufthansa. Alternatively, travellers could use their own car, which would be more time consuming, but would have the advantage of increased flexibility and having transportation at the destination location and not having to use public transportation or taxis. Depending on the distance, this substitute can be either more costly or less expensive (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Moreover, short international trips to major European capitals are often done by bus and also by ferry if it is a tr ip to the United Kingdom. From my experience this is the most inexpensive way of travelling throughout Europe. However, there is no real substitute to flying if the desired destination is overseas. The only alternative to planes would be ships and unless the customer is looking for a relaxing trip on the oceans, it will just take too long to reach the destination. Recently there is also a tendency of larger companies towards purchasing corporate jets rather than flying first class. According to Costa et al. (2002) corporate jets might reduce first class traveller by 10% by 2005. 4.5 Competitive rivalry Highly competitive industries are generally less profitable as the cost of competition is high or customers are receiving the benefits of lower prices. Competitive rivalry is affected by industry growth, brand identity, fixed costs, as well as barriers to exit (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 63). It can be said that the airline industry is highly competitive and that industry growth is fairly moderate with airlines struggling in taking away market share from each other. The barriers to exit are considered to be very high. Planes that are grounded dont earn any returns and it is quite complicated to dispose of these assets. Due to bankruptcy laws, airlines that are in financial stress can often remain competitors for a long time (Del Vecchio 2000). In Lufthansas home market, the European airline industry has seen some recent changes with the development of low budget airlines that compete with the more mature airlines. Additionally, recent airline crises like September 11 put even more pressure on all competing airlines. This leads to a process of consolidation and the creation of strategic alliances. Airlines within one alliance dont tend to compete directly with each other anymore, which lead to a slight decrease of the pressure (Jacob Jakesova 2003). By utilizing a range of strategies a company can have an effect on the five forces of competition and thus reform the attractiveness of an industry. Historically, various strategies shifted the principles of competition and future events like war or new inventions are likely to reshape the airline industry again. Lufthansas ability to be very cost effective is also of advantage. As part of its strategic change, Lufthansa implemented Program 15, a strategic cost management program. The goals of this program included an improvement of the competitive position through a reduction in cost, internationalisation of cost-structure and making staff conscious of reducing costs in their daily work. This cost management contributed substantially to Lufthansa making profits again in 1999 (Bruch Goshal 2000). Generally it can be said that Lufthansas change management during its crisis was outstanding. Its management was able to identify the signals for the potential problems, showed great strategic leadership through CEO JÃ ¼rgen Weber and transformed the organization into a profitable company. This experience in strategic change management is very valuable and will surely help the organization with any challenges in the future (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). Furthermore, Lufthansas management is very conscious of the need for innovation and customer service. They developed the brand ambassador concept where employees with use of personality and dedication create brand loyalty through day-to-day interactions with the customer (Rubens 2004). They recently also introduced a range of innovations and quality improvements at their passenger airlines and some innovations will be implemented in the near future. A special focus is on the business class on long-haul routes as this segment is the most profitable one. The key feature of Lufthansas new business class is a technically sophisticated seat that converts into a flat bed, which is 2 meters long, the longest bed in this class (Manuelli 2003). Lufthansa is also the first airline in the world that offers broadband Internet access on board its planes (Anonymous 2003). On the ground, they are also improving procedures for their status customers with Lufthansas Priority Service by relying on the Internet, mobile phones and check-in terminals simplify reservations and ticket sales as well as to reduce check-in times. A good example of Lufthansas innovative strength is their new terminal at Munich Airport, which was build to optimise operational procedures. In accordance with the best international standards they reduced the minimum connecting time to 30 minutes (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). An additional strength of Lufthansa is that it has a policy of operating a young and modern fleet. They recently started a fleet renewal program in 2003 and by 2005 they will replace older aircrafts with ten new Airbus A340-600 jets, as well as ten new Airbus A330-300s. By 2007 the new Airbus A380 super jumbo will go into service that can carry 40% more passengers than the currently largest aircraft. The average age of Lufthansas fleet is just under 9 years, which puts them into a good position in comparison to airline world average of almost 15 years (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Another strength, which gives Lufthansa a comparative advantage, is the use of a premium executive jet service on North Atlantic routes like DÃ ¼sseldorf-Newark and Munich-Newark. This involves flights in Boeing and Airbus aircrafts that were remodelled so they fit 48 business class seats only and no economy class. Lufthansa introduced this service, because they identified that these routes were in high demand for business class travellers (Ghazvinian Fragala 2002). Lufthansa also offers a very good website that has a lot of features the customers can utilize. Online bookings have more than doubled in 2003. Lufthansa are also constantly expanding their destinations, which can be reached with etix, the companys electronic tickets that offer convenient paperless travel. The number of passengers that use etix is gradually increasing as it can be used to fly to 70 per cent of Lufthansa destinations (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Lufthansas Miles More customer loyalty program is also a great tool to encourage customers to fly Lufthansa again. The program has grown in popularity since it was introduced ten years ago and developed into the leading frequent flyer program in Europe (Miles More). Furthermore, Lufthansa is one of the founding members of the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline alliance. The alliance was voted Alliance of the Year in 2003 on three different occasions (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). The Lufthansa group consists of seven independent subsidiaries. Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. A principal element of the Lufthansa group is clear customer-supplier-relationships between the seven companies. However, the relationships between the individual companies are a weakness, as they dont function as planned. Lufthansa has not reached the required relationships for a market-based internal coordination. So far, the internal customers dont act as normal customers yet since the demand conditions, which they would never demand with other external business partners (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness is that the openness for change has almost vanished since Lufthansas amazing turnaround was achieved. During the turnaround, changes were implemented very quickly, but today it takes a very long time for small innovations to take place. Lufthansa also admits not to be perfect in the areas of punctuality, luggage safety, waiting periods, technical reliability and telephone availability, but is in the process of improving this situation (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness could be that Lufthansa does not do anything about their low-budget competitors in the European market. Lufthansas management claims that they would not start a low-fare airline under its name, as it would cannibalize its own traffic and damage its brands (Anonymous 2002). 5.0 Economic strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt (2003, p. 122), a Economic strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product markets. The literature suggests that there are a number of different business-level strategies. However, I believe that in the case of Lufthansa an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy is used. The reason for this is that Lufthansa operates globally and therefore it is vital for them to implement cost leadership strategies as well as differentiation strategies in order to develop competitive advantages. Lufthansas Program 15 serves as a good example of a cost leadership strategy. After Lufthansa had undergone privatization they implemented this extensive strategic costs management program with the goal of reducing overall unit cost by 20% within five years (Bruch Sattelberger 2001a). In terms of a differentiation strategy, Lufthansa constantly tries to come up with a range of innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition. A list of these ideas could be seen in the strengths section of my SWOT analysis of Lufthansa. It can be concluded that Lufthansa has made the right decision to implement an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy, since the literature also suggests that there is a relationship between the successful use of this strategy and above-average returns (Hitt 2003, p. 135). 5.1 Corporate-level strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt, a corporate level strategy involves specific actions by a company to gain a competitive advantage by having a group of different businesses competing in several industries (2003, p. 183). In the case of Lufthansa, the organisation consists of seven economically independent subsidiaries that include LH Passenger Service, LH Cargo AG, LH Skychef, LH Ground Services, LH Technical Services, Thomas Cook Travel Agency and LH IT services. The individual Lufthansa companies are quite successful. LH Technical services, LH Skychef and LH Ground Services are number one in their market (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Product diversification, a primary corporate-level strategy deals with the scope of the industries and markets in which the company competes in addition to how managers buy, establish and sell different businesses to equal skills and strengths. In regards to Lufthansa, the organisation uses a related diversification corporate-level strategy which means that Lufthansa generates more than 30% of its sales revenue outside a dominated business and its businesses are related to each other since Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. Lufthansas motives for such a corporate level strategy are likely to be issues such as taking advantage of economies of scope, sharing activities, transfer of core competencies, and an increase in market power as well as blocking competitors through multipoint competition (Hitt 2003, p. 187). 5.2 Strategic Alliances While concentrating on internal costs and structural redevelopment, Lufthansa also worked on its external relationships by implementing the strategy: growth through partnerships (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). While in other industries globalization triggered a wave of mergers of companies that operate internationally; airlines had to look for alternatives because national ownership regulations do not allow cross-border mergers. No airline worldwide has the capacity infrastructure to offer a suitable network by itself. Only through cooperating and alliances can the industry cater for the mobility requirements of the world economy. Therefore, founding the Star Alliance was a logical consequence and Lufthansa was one of the key-founding members of the first airline network in the world (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). The purpose of the Star Alliance is to realize higher revenues and decrease costs by exploiting synergy effects. The synergies range from shared use of ground facilities like check-in-counters, a city office in Paris and also airport terminals. At the airports in Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Beijing the Star Alliance has its own check-in area with staff member of partner airlines. In addition the first Star Alliance Lounge went into service 2001 at ZÃ ¼rich airport. Other advantages include common frequent flyer programs, joint travel agency contracts collective market research and joint purchasing of materials and equipment (Economic effects for the airlines). Alliance members can also use code sharing a system by which two or more airlines agree to use the same flight number for a flight in order to attract more business by means of extending their networks through partner airlines (Collis 1998). Besides cost-saving synergies, the combined networks of Star Alliance members also offer many customer benefits. In comparison with other industry alliances, the Star Alliance is the recognized market leader (see Appendix 2). For 82 % of all offered flight connections, the Star Alliance is the fastest network. Every four seconds an aircraft of the Star Alliance starts or lands somewhere in the world and it possible to fly once round the world in 36 hours with Star Alliance airlines. Other fundamentals of its brand value include the presence of its members in important home markets and large international hubs, a high degree of customer recognition, excellent service and good cooperation between the frequent-flyer programs of the individual airlines. Furthermore each airline has its individual strengths with a strong market position in its home bases and regional hubs like Lufthansa in Germany. Due to the good cooperation, a whole network of these hubs was established and regional str engths complement each other (see Appendix 3). Additionally, most members also have regional alliances with smaller airlines, which improve the Star Alliance network even further (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). Research has also shown that alliances result in lower ticket prices and more flight connections. It is suggested that there is a price advantage of an average 6% in comparison with conventional tariffs. In terms of the Star Alliance this leads to estimated passenger savings of between 50 and 82 million dollars per year. Additionally due to the sharing of terminals service counters of the airlines are more easily seen and found and walking distances are decreased. Having counters in the same area at airports also creates a single contact point and improves changes and baggage loading. Staff members of partner airlines can also help and advise customers with enquiries on behalf of the entire alliance. For the alliance to work properly certain level of quality needs to be ensured. This is achieved through frequent mutual quality checks. Jointly agreed quality standards in the areas of security, services and environmental protection are checked on a regular basis (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). 5.3 Strategic Leadership and German Culture Strategic leadership, which is the ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility and empower others to create strategic change as necessary (Hitt 2003, p. 386) was extremely important in Lufthansas turnaround. The main responsibility for effective strategic leadership generally rests at the top, especially with the CEO, but also with other recognized strategic leaders like members of the board of directors and the top management team. In the case of Lufthansa, the formulation and implementation of strategies was also in the hands of the top-level management, in particular Dr. JÃ ¼rgen Weber, who was Lufthansas CEO at the time. In 1992 JÃ ¼rgen Weber realized the full extent of Lufthansas problems and called for a crisis management meeting with 20 carefully selected senior managers. The outcome of this meeting was Program 93, 131 key actions aimed at drastically cutting about 8,000 jobs, lowering non-personnel costs, reducing the aircraft fleet as well as increasing revenues by DM 700 million to reduce the losses of DM 1.3 billion. The Executive Board then appointed a number of different teams that had the task to achieve the implementation of these 131 projects. Line management was responsible for the implementation of the staff cuts. It was seen as important for the success of Program 93 that line managers took that responsibility to realize the unavoidable cuts, on the one hand, but also to motivate the remaining employees, on the other hand. JÃ ¼rgen Weber also created the OPS team (Operations Team) as a forceful engine in the process of implementing the 131 actions. They constantly monitored, created activities, advised and supported the line managers who were ultimately responsible for the implementation process. Weber showed his total support for the OPS team and personally supported them in many ways. He also implemented visible actions like a 10% reduction of the salaries of all Executive board members (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Furthermore, to convey and spread these actions, Lufthansa implemented Town Meetings, which were initially an idea by General Electric. A typical agenda of a Town Meeting would mainly involve a talk with the particular Lufthansa units management about problems and plans. An extensive dialogue then follows with the employees where the top-management explains latest plans and also listens to the concerns and suggestions of staff members. JÃ ¼rgen Weber decided to hold as many

Paradise Found And Lost - Critique :: essays research papers

â€Å"Paradise Found and Lost† from Daniel J. Boorstin’s The Discoverers, embodies Columbus’ emotions, ideas, and hopes. Boorstin, a former Librarian of Congress, leads the reader through one man’s struggles as he tries to find a Western Passage to the wealth of the East. After reading â€Å"Paradise Found and Lost,† I was enlightened about Columbus’ tenacious spirit as he repeatedly fails to find the passage to Asia. Boorstin title of this essay is quite apropos because Columbus discovers a paradise but is unable to see what is before him for his vision is too jaded by his ambition. Although this essay is historically accurate it lacks important details, which might paint a different view of Columbus. Boorstin writes favorable of Columbus and depicts him as a heroic and determined figure who helped shape history, but he neglects to include Columbus’ unethical acts committed in the world that was not supposed to exist, the Americas. When Columbus first discovered the New World, he took care that the royal standard had been brought ashore and he claimed the land for Spain in front of all, including the indigenous population who had been sighted even before Columbus made landfall. According to the medieval concepts of natural law, only those territories that are uninhabited can become the property of the first person to discover them. Clearly this was an unethical act. Thus, the first contact between European and non-European worlds was carried out through a decidedly European prism, which ensured Spanish claim to the islands of the Americas. Faced with a co lony in an inhospitable area, the Spanish soon inaugurated the practice of sending regular military parties inland to subdue the increasingly hostile natives. Members of the indigenous population were captured and enslaved to support the fledgling colony. The object of Columbus’ desire changed from exploration and trade to conquest and subjugation. Boorstin eloquently writes of the depreciating mentality of Columbus and his hopes. As each voyage is unsuccessful in producing Oriental splendors or in establishing relations with the Great Kahn, it becomes harder for Columbus to persuade others to support his missions. His explanations become increasingly farfetched and they are lese and less received. The Spanish monarchs revoked his monopoly on the newly discovered region. He never waiver in his belief that he had found an alternate route to Asia. Columbus had found a paradise just not the one of his hopes and aspirations.