Tesla Motors, Inc. Essay - 1673 Words

Tesla Motors, Inc. was founded In 2003 by Elon Musk, Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, JB Straubel and Ian Wright. The name Tesla came from the engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla. Tesla designs, develops, manufactures, sells advanced electric vehicles and electric car components In the United States and internationally. It also develops electric components and electrical systems for other automotive companies.Tesla started to get the attention of the world when they produced the first electric sports vehicle, The Roadster, based at a price of $109,000 dollars In 2008. Between the years of 2008 and 2012, Tesla sold 2,250 Roadsters. Tesla has stopped all production on the Roadster since then to focus on advancing the company to more the average consumer. Next, came the Model S, an electric luxury sedan which debuted In the United States In 2012 and Is American made In California. The Model S, base priced at $57,000 dollars, was the first of It’s kind bringing the luxury of a Me rcedes-Benz and combining It with a electric battery to give you 208 to 315 battery miles without refueling or charging. The Model S Is the second-best-selling plug-in electric vehicle behind the Nissan Leaf. Tesla decided to go ahead and develop the first electric SUV, called the Model X In 2015. In march of 2016 Tesla revealed It’s next car, called the Model 3. The Model 3 Is only going to cost consumers $35,000 and Is on track to be released In 2018. Only one week after Tesla announced the Model 3,Show MoreRelatedTesla Motors, Inc. Essay1578 Words   |  7 PagesTesla Motors, Inc. was founded in 2003 and joined the automobile industry out of Silicon Valley. The company is located in 30 different countries with 18 stores worldwide (Mangram, 2012, p. 296). Tesla Motors entered the automobile industry from a different approach in manufacturing automobiles. The company began designing, manufacturing, and marketing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) making Tesla the only manu facturer to sell a zero-emission sports car, the Tesla Roadster (Mangram, 2012, p. 296)Read MoreTesla Motors, Inc.1487 Words   |  6 PagesTesla Motors, Inc. was established in 2003 by the engineers with important mission: to change status quo and prove that electric car could change the automotive industry and the way how people travel every day, while providing luxury, eco-friendly and sustainable solution to decrease the impact of transportation on the environment. Tesla Roadster, the very first product of the company, released in 2008 was designed as electric, zero emission but luxury sports car that with great performance of 0-100Read MoreTesla Motors, Inc.1520 Words   |  7 PagesTesla Motors, Inc. is the world leading electric automotive and energy storage company with several models of cars: The roadster, Model S, and the newly introduced Model X. The company was founded by Elon Musk. The company strives to provide clean energy driving and has set sights on providing the affordable electric car driving experience. It has undergone several rounds of funding with the Elon Musk funding the first round himself, The company was listed on the NASDAQ and is now a publicly tradedRead MoreTesla Motors, Inc.3473 Words   |  14 PagesTesla Motors is an innovative corporation that is empowered to create new technologies by focusing on its impressive mission â€Å"to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy (About Tesla, 2017).† The company has been pushing the industry’s boundaries to keep the world moving forward in an environmentally safe and energy sustainable fashion which is extremely important for our planet’s future. â€Å"Tesla Motors, Inc. engages in the designing, development, manufacturing and selling of electricRead MoreTesla Motors, Inc.1488 Words   |  6 PagesTesla is an American automotive and energy Storage Company that not only manufactures and design EV’S but also manufactures electri c powertrain components and battery products. The company believes that after a century of invention of internal combustion engine, automobile manufacturers face a wide challenge in the industry. The gasoline fuelled car has created environmental issues and forces the nation to import more oil from foreign nation’s thus selling fuel at volatile prices to the consumersRead MoreTesla Motors, Inc.1172 Words   |  5 PagesTesla Motors, Inc. is an American automotive and energy storage giant firm that designs and manufactures electronically powered cars, their components and battery products. Tesla Motors is a public company that trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol TSLA. Tesla reported profit in first quarter of 2013, which was first time ever in their history. Since its foundation in 2003, Tesla Motors has recorded most noticeable breakthroughs in the market of electric vehicles by their own developedRead MoreTesla Motors Inc. ( Tesla )2126 Words   |  9 Pages Introduction Tesla Motors Inc. (Tesla) was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Silicon Valley. Tesla has been in the business of designing and manufacturing fully electric vehicles (EVs). The company’s name came from Nikola Tesla, who influenced the design of the powertrain for their first vehicle. Tesla’s CEO is Elon Musk, he had a few goals for his company. First, was to build a sportscar. The next goal was to use that money to design and sell a more affordable car. And then use that moneyRead MoreTesla Motors, Inc.3024 Words   |  13 Pages1. INTRODUCTION TO TESLA Tesla Motors, Inc. is a US based company that designs, develops, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, electric vehicle powertrain components, and energy storage systems. The company was incorporated in July 2003 by Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard. The company launched its IPO during 2010. Currently the company is listed at NASDAQ. Tesla Motors has wholly owned subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia. These subsidiaries market, manufacture, sell and/or serviceRead MoreTesla Motor, Inc. Essay3633 Words   |  15 PagesI. Company Overview Tesla Motor, Inc. is an American automaker focused on selling electrically powered vehicles without compromising quality of transportation. The company began selling cars in 2008 with the Roadster and became publicly traded in 2010. Today, there are many players within the automobile industry. The company was, â€Å"founded in 2003 by a group of engineers in Silicon Valley who wanted to prove that electric cars could be better than gasoline-powered cars. With instant torque, incredibleRead MoreThe Making Of Tesla Motor Inc. Essay1205 Words   |  5 Pagestime-consuming investment to extent that it is not present in the systems architecting process. It is important that all the necessary factors are appropriately accounted for and avoid the pitfalls in the system. 2.1 Application in the making of Tesla Motor Inc. Tesla Motors development program was initiated with a prototype development of an electric car by Martin Eberhart in 2002 known as the T-Zero. While making a prototype of this model, the objective was to beat the traditional internal combustion engines

Genetic Determinism - 2854 Words

Genetic Determinism On Christmas Day in the year 2001, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. When I looked into the brand-new face of my son I saw a beautiful mystery. I wondered what kind of man my boy would grow to be and what his life would be like. There are those in the scientific community who would argue that my sons path was already determined at the moment of his birth, that his fate could be deciphered from his genetic make-up. As a nurturing mother I know better. At two years old my son has developed a more diverse vocabulary than many children twice or even three times his age. He recognizes many written words and reads them aloud. He is able to spell his name. He can distinguish a square from a rectangle and an octagon†¦show more content†¦Many scholars believe that the new science of behavioral genetics has intellectual roots in the old ideas of Eugenics (Steen 33). Eugenics disguised a political agenda as a scientific one in an attempt to endow discrimination with credibility. Supp orters of genetic determinism theories do the same. Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray defend the theory of genetic determinism in The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life, which was published ten years ago. Their book is one of the most widely referenced works regarding the theory that intelligence is inherited. The authors claim that the social order mirrors natural selection, wherein the genetically superior or more intelligent human rises to the top. Of course this means that the lower class, predominantly blacks, are represented as genetically inferior (xxi-xxiii). The authors claim that ethnic differences in cognitive ability are neither surprising nor in doubt (269) and attribute the inequality of life among Americans to inherent differences between races in intelligence (127). Their argument rests on the assertion that intelligence is both inheritable and immutable and is supported by intelligence test scores. The text is full of contradictions an d a close analysis proves it to be lacking in evidence and smacking of social myth. Their theories are developed using speculation and are tainted by bias. There is no science involved. The theory of inherentShow MoreRelatedGenetic Determinism of Human Character Essay640 Words   |  3 Pagesare the products of genetic determinism as well as external environmental factors. â€Å"Single genes can have surprisingly strong influences on particular aspects of behaviour.† (Frank., 2009) Genes build the phenotype of humans as well as the underlying genotype. Competition between cultural genes leads to varied success of genetic determinism. It can therefore be said that learnt traits such as those espoused within a specific culture, can produce what may seem to be the genetic genotype of an individualRead More Behavioral Genetic Determinism: Do Genes Equal Behavior? Essay2523 Words   |  11 PagesBehavioral Genetic Determinism: Do Genes Equal Behavior? Human behavior is a loosely defined foundation for individuality, generally considered to be influenced and developed by the environment. However, recent molecular studies have exposed genetic factors that suggest a more biological origin for behavior. Gene segments in the genome of humans and other animals have been identified and associated with particular behavioral traits. Is it possible that the presence or absence of even a singleRead MoreThe Fearless Vampire Conservator : Philip Kitcher, Genetic Determinism, And Informational Gene1525 Words   |  7 PagesVampire Conservator: Philip Kitcher, Genetic Determinism, and the Informational Gene, Paul Griffiths defines genetic determinism as â€Å"the idea that significant human characteristics are strongly linked to the presence of certain genes.†(pg number). Griffiths argues that the common characterization of genes as informational, in both science and general society, is problematic because it causes our concept of g enetics to be inextricably linked to genetic determinism. He explains that â€Å"the predominantRead MoreEssay on Freedom-Determinism debate1689 Words   |  7 PagesFreedom-Determinism Debate The controversy between freewill and determinism has been argued about for years. Freewill is defined as the belief that our behaviour is under our own control and do not act in response to any internal or external factors. Freewill has been found to have four different conditions and to have freewill at least two conditions must be obtained, these are; people have a choice on their actions, have not been coerced by anything or anyone, have full voluntary and deliberateRead MoreEssay on Choice and Free Will1511 Words   |  7 Pagesgiven to college level students to evaluate the â€Å"common† or â€Å"plain† perspective of free will. They also bring up the questions like â€Å"Is free will compatible with determinism?,† â€Å"What is meant by free will and determinism by the average person?,† and â€Å"Does it make a difference what attitudes people have regarding free will and determinism?† Free will and deterministic perspectives are exceedin gly argumentative points of view with hard deterministic views describing free will as non existent, and libertarianRead MoreDeterminism, Hard And Soft887 Words   |  4 Pages Determinism: According to Sappington (1990) there are two types of determinism, hard and soft. He states that those who hold hard determinism say that human behavior is completely determined by outside factors and that ideas such a free will or moral responsibility are meaningless. Many famous psychologists take this approach such as Freud who believed that people’s behavior is controlled by unconscious factors and any conscious reasons given are simply the brain rationalizing actions to the superegoRead MoreI Shall Use Blackburn s `` Think ``1578 Words   |  7 Pagesquestion and initial answer. In Think, Blackburn has a chapter dedicated to discussing the presence of free will and both arguments for and against its presence. Objection 1: In the beginning of chapter 4 of Think, Blackburn brings up the idea of determinism, or the idea that â€Å"every event is the upshot of previous antecedent causes.† His argument goes â€Å"The past controls the present and the future. You can’t control the past. Also, you can’t control the way that the past controls the future. So, youRead MoreFree Will vs. Determinism Essay1716 Words   |  7 PagesSo was your decision based off of free will or was this decision predetermined? To fully understand whether your actions resulted from free will or determinism, we must first define each. Determinism is the idea that everything happens due to a cause or a determinant, which is something that can be observed or measured. To put it simply, determinism does not mean that the future can be predicted. Rather, it is a prediction of the possible outcomes that may occur. To help predict outcomes we use factsRead MoreThe Controversy Over Free Will And Determini sm1354 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversy between free will and determinism has been argued about for years. If we look into a dictionary, free will is define as the power given to human beings to be able to make free choices that is unconstrained by external circumstances or a force such as fate or divine intervention. Determinism is defined as a philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inescapable consequence of antecedents that are independent of the human will. Determinism states that humans have no freeRead MoreHard Determinism Vs. Negatives943 Words   |  4 Pagesof these ideas, hard determinism, has presented alleged positives and alleged negatives. One alleged negative that stands out to me is that no single person is responsible for their actions, no matter how heinous that action may be. I argue, that throwing morality completely out of the equation, is a genuine negative of hard determinism. In order to explain my thoughts, we must first understand the full meaning of hard determinism. In Holbach’s essay on hard determinism, he says, â€Å"Nevertheless

Lady Macbeth free essay sample

Macbeth is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare and tells the story of the seemingly brave warrior, Macbeth. However, due a prophecy created by the witches, Macbeth becomes over-ambitious and commits regicide. The rest of the story demonstrates how the crimes he committed led to his inevitable downfall. Rupert Goold directed a film adaptation of Macbeth starring Patrick Steward and Kate Fleetwood. The film adaptation used uniforms comparable to Soviet Union. However, the name of all characters and the place names are kept the same as in the play. The film adaptation of Macbeth is very dramatic, with lots of tension, suspense and gore to keep the audience attentive. One of the main characters in the play is Lady Macbeth, wife to Macbeth. She is an extremely ambitious woman who is infatuated with power and glory. In the play she is shown as a powerful and dominating character. This is also the case in the film adaptation, where is also presented as a sexual temptress. Unfortunately Macbeth is unable to resist his ambition and before he commits regicide he says, Stars, hide your fire, let not light see my black and deep desires. This soliloquy shows Macbeths internal conflict between his ambition and his morality as he is ashamed of what he is about to do, he does not wish heaven to see the stirring evil within him. The soliloquies demonstrate that Macbeths uncontrolled ambition eventually overwhelms him and that he loses the battle between good and evil. Shakespeare also uses the technique of contrasting characters to highlight the struggle between good and evil. During the first half of the play Shakespeare reveals the fact that Macbeth is evil by contrasting him with his close friend, Banquo. They are both strong leaders and victorious generals and both witness the witches prophesies; however their reactions to these prophecies contrast dramatically: Banquo is able to resist his ambition for his decedents to be kings; Macbeth is not able to resist his desire to become king. This reveals that the world is full of temptations and that man constantly struggles to resist evil. We are always only one decision away from succumbing to sin. Macduff is another character that contrasts vividly with Macbeth. This is especially notable in the way they treat each others ife. When Macduff discovers the death of King Duncan he tries to spare the harshness of his discovery from Lady Macbeth, saying O gentle Lady, Tis not for you to hear what I can speak and shows his concern for Lady Macbeth when she faints Look to the lady. However Macbeths treatment of Lady Macduff reveals the depths of degradation to which his character has fallen. This is shown when Macbeth slaughters Lady Macduff and her children during the absence of Macduff. Macbeth commands the murderers to Give the edge o the sword/ His wife, his babes, and all nfortunate souls/ That trace him in his line. His action demonstrates how far his character deteriorates into evil as he loses the sense of conscience and humanity, near the end of the play. Lastly the imagery in the dialogue reinforces the idea of evil overwhelming good as a result of Macbeths ambition to be king. One of the most effective images Shakespeare uses is blood imagery, which can be seen throughout the whole play and begins at the opening battle between the scouts and the Norwegian invaders. The wounded captains harrowing description of Macbeths

Leadership Essay Thesis Example For Students

Leadership Essay Thesis There is a lot of important things to preform in taking the position of being a leader. You are looking after others and also setting the role for younger kids. Some of the main important things to remember and follow to be a good leader is to have a lot of good quality. There is a lot of components to establish good quality. The following key points are critical and most important to follow. When you are teaching and dealing with younger children you must be prepared to communicate on their level. Act with enthusiasm when you are playing games, show that you are interested in the things you are doing with the kids. When planning games and activities make sure that they are appropriate for the age of the kids you are dealing with. And most important always show enthusiasm. To be a good leader you must be a good decision maker, eg. When you are faced with a problem child that will not listen or cooperate with you and the students in your class, then you must take some time and deal with the problem by, making a list of pros and cons of possible solutions in dealing with the problem. Be patient and give the kids a chance, because it might just be a temporary thing. You want to remember though not to exclude or manipulate any one in the class. You must always remember about everyones feelings and be considerate to all. And in return you will receive respect, which is most im portant in getting things done. Right from the first day you have to show initiative, you must be strict and let them know whos in charge, other wise you will not get the respect and cooperation that is wished for to make the task easier. They will also cause problems and forget whos in charge. Show confidence, it is really important that you go out there being prepared and being comfortable with what you are going to do, this way the kids will pay more attention to you. As for if you were shy and scared the kids would sense how you werent sure on how to approach the leadership skills that is required. You also want to remember to be fun, and understanding so the kids can enjoy the class and want to continue on and follow instructions. One of the most important things is to be encouraging, their self confidence is extremely important. You want to show that you are concerned about them by listening to what they have to say, be friendly towards them and helpful when they are in need. Try to always stay involved in the class, be in the water with the kids, and do demonstrations whenever possible. Try not to get distracted with the things that are going on all around you, the kids are your number one priority. The next step in being a good leader is to have good safety skills. Be aware of all the danger areas around you, the pool, and the kids you are responsible for. Teach the kids whats dangerous so they are aware of the hazard areas. Safety is an important aspect of teaching. It is something you must be conscious of at all times. Remember to always have an aid with you incase of an emergency and to show the kids that you are alert and looking out for them, especially if your teaching really young kids that are just learning how to swim and dont have a lot of self confidence. Last but not least, it is equally important, to be organized. Being organized is extremely critical in being successful. You must plan before your class in what you are going to do each day, what you are going to accomplish and have the kids preform. Plan what equipment and props you will need in completing your lesson. This helps everything flow nicely and it also shows the kids that you are organized and you have put some time in to planning what will be done each day. These are some of the main keys in being a good leader. If you keep all this in mind while teaching a lesson every

Why You Should Have Access To A Sample Of Analytical Essay

Why You Should Have Access To A Sample Of Analytical EssayFor a student to be able to produce a quality paper it is essential that they have access to a sample of analytical essay PDF. This is a PDF which has been designed to help the students with their writing ability, as well as the ability to learn as they go along. There are hundreds of such PDFs available on the internet.There are various reasons for creating a sample of analytical essay. One reason is to ensure that the student has been using what he has learned from the lesson. Another reason for creating a sample of analytical essay is to help the student become familiar with the writing style used by his teacher or lecturer. This will ensure that he will be able to produce an essay in the style used by the lecturer.A student should not be worried about producing a quality academic paper for the first time if he is working on his own. He should do whatever is necessary to get the writing right, and he should try and take as much advice from others as possible. This is a valuable lesson that should be learnt by every student.Every student should have access to a sample of analytical essay which can be used as a guide while writing an academic paper. This is because the paper needs to be written in such a way that it is clear and concise. It should also be readable and interesting.The student should be able to build a case for the paper that supports the argument that he is making for the paper. The writer should be able to demonstrate that he has done this in the best possible way. It is a very important skill to be able to use the analytical essay as a tool for gaining research points and getting an idea of the structure of the paper.A student will have to create a sample of analytical essay for each assignment that heis going to be given, especially if he is starting out at university and is likely to be asked to write an essay for this purpose. There is a huge amount of research involved in writing a n essay for any subject. This means that the student will need to be able to do this properly and have a real good grasp of the topic that he is writing about.Having access to a sample of analytical essay PDF is essential if the student is to be able to write an academic paper that has everything right about it. This is important because students will need to know what they should be writing and how they should structure it. It is also important for the student to have this as a reference when writing an essay of his own.The material covered in a sample of analytical essay will vary, depending on the instructor who is giving the paper. There will be some material that he is not going to want covered in the paper, as it will not fit in well with the syllabus of the course. However, the student should not worry too much if he does not cover any material that the professor would not want covered. This is because the student should not expect to write a perfect academic paper as soon as he starts working.

Empowered Employees A New Team Concept Essays - Management

Empowered Employees a New Team Concept By Mary Hellinghausen and Jim Myers One of today's biggest buzzwords is Teams. Most companies are leaning toward a team concept. One way to enforce teams is by empowering employees. Many companies striving to edge their competition are turning to the empowered employee teams initiative. Most businesses want to achieve total customer satisfaction by anticipating and solving a problem before it occurs. Thus a new kind of team has emerged with the goal of insuring customer satisfaction from the start. Empowered teams are built with empowered people whom have the authority and autonomy to make significant changes within the organization. Instead of one individual making decisions, the group or team makes decisions collectively with the middle manager position eliminated or acting as the coach. The use of these empowered teams is to solve problems, lower costs, increase quality, and ultimately improve customer satisfaction. Throwing people together does not always mean they should be called a team. They must first be made up of the right people who understand and can define a task. The strength of the team depends on proper training, timing, and communication. The idea to change the cooperate culture must have full support from senior management. Before a team is created, the project to be completed must be defined, identify how much of empowerment is needed, and recruit the best people to work on the problem. The article mentions companies like McGraw-Hill, Motorola, and General Electric are examples of companies who empowered teams. McGraw-Hill, for example; defines a team composed of a staff member, designer, grammarian, production line personnel, and editor who serves as the team facilitator. Recruiting the right people insuring they represent the cross-section of disciplines required is very important. One person missing out of this formula can ruin a team. Motorola, a 1998 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Winner, has developed a culture of high standards. They conquered initiatives such as Six Sigma, Designing for Manufacturability, and Cycle Time Reduction. They are living proof that empowered people from the lowest position to highest position changes an organization dramatically. Six Sigma is a measure of quality performance on defects. It equates to 3.4 defects per 1 million opportunities. Empowered teams were a crucial element of the initiative success. General Electric Aircraft Engine Division (GEAE) brought in a team of Motorola facilitator's to help them setup empowered teams for their supplier improvement program. The 300 million-dollar investment is starting to deliver 600 million to 700 million dollars in savings. The teams covered all aspects from manufacturing, engineering, to outsourcing. GEAE's end result was improved products, service, and most importantly customer satisfaction. Within every team, a cross-functioning method must be used for the team to be successful. If one of the team members is hard to get along with, they still can be beneficial to the team. Everyone's input is important, the output of the team is greater than any individual's output. A strong facilitator is also needed on the team. The facilitator guides rather than leads. Usually middle management, this person is set equal to the other members of the team. The facilitator must recognize and understand each member's participation, as well as, coordinate the reporting progress. In order for team to be successful, senior management must be committed to recognize the team should be put in charge. This is done only when senior management defines a specific goal for the team to strive for. Too much management can kill a team. The team might spend more time on reporting the progress than the task that needs to be completed. Middle management is the biggest obstacle for teams. To be successful, middle management must surrender its power and let the team empower themselves. Setting time limits are also important to the team success. Never let a team go beyond six months, everyday should be treated as an important day. Training is also important for team to succeed. According to Eric Sakurai, a trained team member of GEAE mentions: GEAE is requiring higher-quality products from its suppliers and is willing to help them reach Six Sigma quality by providing the necessary training. Everyone in the organization including all suppliers must work together to improve customer satisfaction. Team rewards can be based on either

Crimson Craving †My Fascination with Vampires

Crimson Craving – My Fascination with Vampires Free Online Research Papers Crimson Craving Blood sucker. Leach. Succubus. Cold one. They have been called many names. They have remained a mystery for many years. Songs have been written about them. Many movies have been made about them. Vampires are one of the many mysterious entities that have been of great interest for as long as I can remember. Every time a new movie comes out about them, a new curiosity is sparked and a fad is reborn. However, one of the movies recently made from a popular novel about vampires has become one of the most popular of all time, and has three more parts in its saga. A plethora of memorabilia was created about Twilight. It quickly became a hit. It is definitely a popular culture of the current times. If you were alive in November 2008 when the movie came out, you witnessed the craze. If you did not witness it and you were alive, then you must have been hiding under a rock somewhere. My fascination with Twilight grew from a fascination with vampires I have had for many years. I have seen Interview With a Vampire, the myriad of remakes of Dracula, and even watch television series’ about vampires, such as True Blood. I can remember listening to a song by Sarah McLachlan over and over that she wrote about vampires called â€Å"Building a Mystery†. The lyrics that most interested me were, â€Å"You come out at night. That’s when the energy comes. And the dark side’s light, and the vampires roam†¦..You’re so careful when I’m in your arms† (McLachlan, 1997, track 1). Twilight put a whole new twist on everything I had already been intrigued by for so many years. Twilight, written by Stephenie Meyer in 2005, came to the theater in November 2008. I had already read the book, actually all four of them. This was a must see for me. I have been deeply intrigued by vampires for quite some time. So many aspects about them beckon to me to research and learn all I can about them. I have seen countless movies about vampires. Twilight swept them all away. The way vampires were presented as being so graceful, depicts them to be more than vicious, blood thirsty beasts as they have been portrayed. They are graceful and careful creatures, almost â€Å"feline-like† in their demeanor, as Meyer referred to them numerous times throughout the series’ (Meyer, 2005). Twilight was an addiction of mine, as well as the other three novels in the saga, to the point of reading at a stop light just to be able to get in a few more pages. It was so exciting and I wanted to be Bella Swan, the main female character. The characters being made to seem so real captivated me also. By the time you see the movie, you feel as if you know them. Meyer describes them in such detail that you get a mental picture which is justified upon viewing the movie. They are all described as so astonishingly beautiful, â€Å"I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine.† (Meyer, 2005, p. 19.) Twilight starring so many beautiful male characters did not hinder my addiction either. As many other females, and probably males alike, I fell for Edward Cullen, the main male character, and his romanticism. I wanted to meet someone like him. I wanted to be swept off my feet by him like he did Bella. I wanted to feel like he made her feel. Bella’s character is one that every young female can relate to. Meyer does an excellent job epitomizing how it feels to be falling in love. Everything about this book and movie enthralled me. Twilight displays many theories that we have discussed in class. The most outstanding are controlling images, life chances, and the Theory of Socialization, or Looking Glass Self. Bella and Edward were from two different worlds; Bella is human and Edward is not. This alone implicated many sociological theories. Vampires are rarely portrayed as kind or gentle. They are stereotyped as blood thirsty monsters that kill at will. This is an example of a controlling image. Since vampires are looked upon as bad creatures, the good creatures of the world, humans, have maimed their image. We are taught to fear vampires. Meyer works with that theory and tries to make Edward out to be a good, caring, warm, and loving partner for Bella. As Meyer does describe his hunts in the book, he is very tender when Bella is around. When he has to attack, he gets very embarrassed and ashamed and does not want Bella to fear him. The Looking Glass Self theory is definitely one that is used in Twilight. Cooley theorized that the impression of our self roots from two reasons: â€Å"by ones actual experiences and by what one imagines others ideas of oneself to be† (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2009). Because of the image society has on vampires, Edward is insecure and embarrassed and feels like he is a monster. Because the idea behind vampires is so negative, no matter how much good Edward does in the world, he will always be damaged due to this theory. The image that has been given to vampires is directly reflected back on how Edward sees himself; he does not see himself as a beautiful, gentle, loving man. Edward asks Bella â€Å"You don’t care if I’m a monster? If I’m not human?† (Meyer, 2005, p. 184). The way Meyer has presented him to us is just the opposite of how he views himself. Max Weber introduces the theory of life chances in which an individual is given opportunities to improve their life (Marshall, 1998). Bella sees becoming a vampire as an opportunity to not only permanently be with the man she loves, but also not to ever grow old. Bella’s biggest fear is that she will age and Edward will not love her anymore. Meyer presents Bella with an opportunity to obtain that forever young status. However, Edward sees that chance as a negative one as Bella will have to give up so much of her life. He sees staying mortal as a life chance and tries to dissuade Bella from desiring to become a monster, like him. Edward tells Bella, â€Å"So ready for this to be the end. For this to be the twilight of your life, though your life has barely started. You’re ready to give up everything† (Meyer, 2005, p. 497). Edward wishes he could have that chance at life again. He tells Bella â€Å"I don’t want to be a monster.† (Meyer, p 187). This t heory applies to both main characters, but in opposite ways. The values of a culture often mirror its suggestion about what is right, good, fair, and just. American values mimic this. These values vary among groups within a culture. Bella was caught in the realm of her own values and trying to fit into life with Edward. It was a constant battle for her to accomplish this. Some of the values that were exposed in Twilight were responsibility, accountability, competition, moralism, individualism, external conformity, and youth orientation. The main characters were in constant battle within themselves to adhere to these values. Both Edward and Bella show that they value responsibility throughout Twilight. Bella’s responsibility is shown when she becomes concerned for the safety of her mortal family after getting caught in the middle of an ongoing vampire feud. She fears that the â€Å"bad† vampires will go after her family to get to her. Edward in turn feels a responsibility to keep her safe, since he feels like he got her caught up in the first place. Edward also shows responsibility in their relationship. He knows how physically strong he is and that his powers are superhuman; he knows he could really hurt Bella if he is not extremely careful. He tries to warn her that their relationship could be catastrophic. At one point in the book, he tells her, â€Å"It’s better if we’re not friends. Trust me.† (Meyer, 2005, p. 74). He practices caution at all times when he is handling her. Then again later on he warns her that, â€Å"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bel la† (Meyer, 2005, p. 164) and also tells her that her â€Å"number was up the first time I met you† (Meyer, 2005, p. 175). Showing responsibility for someone you love is a value that we learn early on in life. The two main characters also take accountability for their actions, which is another American value represented in Twilight. Bella and Edward know what they are possibly getting themselves into when they begin a relationship between a mortal and an immortal. They also come to understand the consequences of Bella knowing that Edward is a vampire and the repercussions that could arise, and do later on in the series, from knowing this. Not once in the movie or book did either of them try to place the blame on someone else for their relationship. This shows that accountability was a value to the writer. It teaches us that we are responsible for our own decisions and it shows us that we have to be accountable for what may come of those decisions at any cost. The one value that Bella and Edward always were faced with was competition. Bella felt like she may have to compete for Edward’s attention with any female vampire who should come along. She also felt like she had competition in her face with Edward’s sister Rosalie, who is absolutely beautiful and was originally supposed to be Edward’s mate. Even though Edward truly only had eyes for Bella, she still felt like she had to compete to win his affection. Edward also felt like he had to compete with boys who were more like Bella. Edward could not participate in everything that â€Å"normal† teenagers do since his strength was overpowering, his skin was ice cold, he does not eat or drink or need sleep, and can not go in the sun; he could not risk being found out so he opted out of many activities. He also felt like he could never reveal his true self to Bella, so she might find herself feeling closer to someone else that opened up to her. This made him feel inse cure and like he had to compete. Most of us have felt like we had to compete for the attention of someone or to get something we want in life, so this value being depicted in the movie made it extremely easy to relate to. Moralism is another American value Meyer displays in Twilight. Many Americans tend to be moralists who view the world through the lens of right or wrong and are therefore quick to judge. Obviously being with a vampire who kills as a way of life and to exist is going to disagree with the value of moralism in many ways. Bella fought with this once she figured out that Edward was a vampire. None of her friends or family could ever know of this because she feared that she would be judged. She loved him from the very beginning and wanted to do the right thing. Edward did too. He would have never wanted anything bad to happen to Bella, so moralism played a part in every decision they made in regard to being together. We take on the issue of moralism in every day life every time we are trying to make a decision, big or small, since our actions ultimately affect more than just ourselves. We ponder on if the choice we are about to make is morally right or wrong and what society will think ab out us. The next American value I think was symbolized in Twilight was individualism, which is defined as â€Å"belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence† (Merriam-Webster online). Bella needed to hold onto her individualism and still be able to be a part of Edward’s world. She wanted to still be able to fit in with her friends which meant she needed to keep a part of her individualism alive. However, Edward valued this more so than did Bella for herself. Edward was very afraid that Bella would lose herself and be disappointed later in life if she became one of him. Edward had been mortal at one time in his life, though very long ago, and did not want Bella to regret losing her individuality. As humans, as much as we try to convert and mesh with someone else’s lifestyle, it is very important for us to remain an individual. Along the same lines as moralism, external conformity was one of the most prominent values portrayed in Twilight. As we struggle to fit in throughout our lives, Americans believe in conformity to group patterns. Bella wanted to fit in with her friends who were dating amongst each other and doing all the teenage activities. She wanted to conform and fit in so she could feel normal. She also wanted to conform to the way of life that her beloved Edward lived. However, these two worlds clashed and she could never safely do both. Therefore, Bella struggled with the value of external conformity and never really mastered it. The one value that was shown time and time again in Twilight was youth orientation. Bella was not like Edward and his family. They were hundreds of years old and still described as â€Å"the most beautiful people she had ever seen† (Meyer, 2005, pp. 18-19). It was made apparent to Bella early on that she was aging and she would never be able to keep up with Edward’s youthful beauty. She tells him, â€Å"I may not die now†¦ but I am going to die sometime. Every minute of the day I get closer. And I am going to get old.† (Meyer, 2005, p. 476). Americans are constantly reminded by popular culture messages that it is more appealing to stay young at all costs, and that old is ugly. Bella’s biggest fear was that Edward would no longer find her attractive when she started to age, although he constantly reminded her that this would never happen. Bella had nightmares about growing old and Edward no longer being interested in her. She is consumed with not aging and keeping her youth alive. Youth orientation is a major value for Bella, as she is the only mortal among the accepting Cullen family. This pop culture phenomenon has caused controversy. Many people refused to read the books or see the movie because vampires are considered demonic and evil. Another issue I have heard or read is that society worries if being in love with a vampire is healthy, that it is giving young tweens false hope and a distorted sense of reality. I do believe that the book sold many more copies than many other books by long time famous authors and continues to, so this could cause some envy of other authors. I have not heard anything in the news or tabloid other than that people were disappointed that the movie did not give as much to us as the book did; I agree. This is probably not a controversy, but may cause people to be reluctant on seeing the next movies in the saga. It did, however get major media attention due to its overwhelming popularity. The truth about Twilight is that is very popular. When one reads it, one gets captivated and wants to read more and continue on reading the next book and the next book and the next book. It is known world wide. When the movie came out, it was all about â€Å"team Edward† or â€Å"team Jacob†. There were countless posters and t-shirts and bags and blankets that boasted the characters, usually Bella and Edward†¦..you name it, they made it. It was more than a movie and a book. It was something that most young people, especially females, could easily relate to. As a young female, most of us fall for the wrong person, a bad boy, the one from the wrong side of the tracks. It is addicting. Although it was geared towards young readers, it did not stop there; people of all ages read it. It swept across our country as well as others and soon became the talk of the town. Everywhere I went, I heard blurbs about the book and how excited people were to see the movie. Twilight an d its books to follow, entranced many generations and is definitely a popular culture phenomenon that will be remembered as one of the most popular series of novels. References American values. Retrieved from aboutsociology.com/sociology/Value on June 25, 2009. Cooley, Charles Horton. (2009). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9026130 Gordon, M. life-chances. A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Retrieved June 26, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-lifechances.html McLachlan, S. (1997). Building a Mystery. On Surfacing CD. Arista Records. Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/individualism retrieved on June 26 2009. Research Papers on Crimson Craving - My Fascination with VampiresWhere Wild and West MeetTwilight of the UAWHip-Hop is ArtThe Fifth HorsemanAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export Quotas