Emerging Technologies in Business Project Report Essays

Emerging Technologies in Business Project Report Essays Emerging Technologies in Business Project Report Essay Emerging Technologies in Business Project Report Essay After technological innovations and development in recent years, all the company realize the restructuring of business and re-planned the services and facilities to keep phase in global competition. They rely on computer based software solution System. All the companies have the tendency to automate full business process for faster service. Moreover, to achieve the full automation facility, companies are involved to develop specific functionality module to overcome several business issue. Now a day most entrepreneurs are using their own enterprise system in Local Area Network LANA). These are mainly customized system to serve their business functionality. This report focus on the most emerging technologies those are practiced in an industry to handle a large number of transactions and ensured customer satisfaction of an organization. The target of selecting such solution is provided faster business venture in all aspects. The improvement approaches are defined on the analysis of present available features of a business, current user demand and incorporating specific technological development procedures. It is enhanced by analyzing the various financial ratios, gross refits among others and company performance in a given period of time. 1. 1 Background Study Silhouetting Australia (ASK) is the one of the largest distributors of Pharmaceutical products in Australia. ASK expertise on Selling Distribution and Supply Chain Management focus on business development and demand creation, approaching to a new era with the CIT. Email is the primary method for ordering supply. About 90% of the employees work daily routing via Email and application HARM, Ale services and some in-house developed applications. ASK has six regional offices five mega stores Island wide to cater for extensive geographic reach. It has newly employed 30 staff in headquarters situated in Melbourne which has several departments in addition to the regional offices such as Import/Logistic, IT, Management, HER and Finance. Silhouetting has a wide variety of medicinal product for marketing. Every day this organization received diverse of orders on vaccine, prescription medicines, consumer healthcare products which difference in quantity and price from each other through email or conventional communication medium. The orders are committed within Australia along with different corner of the world. Each time ASK faces order processing problem since the company does not offer any instant payment processing features through its website ( Ask. Com. AU). Moreover, product ordering format is not same for all orders and some order request email is not appropriate, does not mention clearly the required quantity. As a result, ASK authors ¶y finds a risk in existing order processing method through email request and suspicious activity in payment processing. In order to deliver the goods efficiently, the ordering process takes account availability of goods at the supply department and the location of the supply apartment. Import department should have clear visibility of daily sales rate stock, to maintain the continuous supply without delay and the customer satisfaction. The company wants an intelligence component tools and platform to represent business growth with visual abilities to display real- time data through reviews. These reviews can be considered as the key factor for management decision of business expansion in future. Most of the branches are connected to Head office with IT infrastructure. Most of the PC still runs in Windows XP except the Laptops. There is no internalized authentication mechanism available for PC with the majority of the applications running individual authentication which results in users having to remember several passwords. The branch users do not have the internet access but they use G dongle as they wish. The salesperson connects to head office internal application via internet since no other method is available. The mobile sales team uses laptop and they largely depend on verbal communication with head office from remote place. But no efficient communication medium is followed. 1. 2. Objectives Of Utilizing Technology Obviously the prospect of new business strategy for ASK is to develop working affiliation for different parties involved in the system. The proposed alteration using technology is focused on system integrity and sustainable growth of business for possible minimum cost and minimum waste of time. Following technology can be used to overcome the present issues exist in the company: a. Incorporating e-commerce features at website for faster order tracking and to reach to companys domestic and global customers. Introducing online payment system through e-commerce site is done for faster business orientation. B. Incorporating Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to provide and support several company features in the organization. It will be multi-module software programs designed to perform automation across production, procurement, sales, service, finance, and HER. [2] c. Implementing Poi services to communicate between Head office and branch office as well as remote sales team in cost effective manner and enhance performance. 2. Business Justification for Technological Implication Distributor company of Pharmaceutical products is selected with their decentralized business process. Here, inter department communication, order processing, online payment processing through IT infrastructure; secured transaction and user connectivity are the concerned issue. Converse between head office and branch office (located remote place) is also require through computer network in cost optimization method. The justification of new technology utilization is discussed below from business perspective: A. E-commerce for Order Tracking and Payment Processing: Online commerce system is a web application with remote access facility. This is a showcase for products for a retailer. This application can be access XX days by users. A central web server with central database of available products is required to host in company office. This Web application will e-commerce features such product view, product cart, orders processing, online payment processing, inventory checking, user validation and response handling. 3] Here is a block diagram of this technological up gradation: Figure 1 : Logical Architecture of new System A well defined and organized product category will be incorporated in this web application due to save time for sorting product from a large list. Category and Subcategory will be defined through drop down list in the site The payment for any e-commerce site is the Online Payment Processing. It motivates the e-business by introducing online payment gateway in the site resolve the instant payment problem. Again buyers can pay for their require product did erectly throughout the site by using their online payment card. Various electronic form / slip (order form, receive form, payment slip etc) need to be developed and attach in the offered commerce services. Forlorn or design will be same as original paper receipts. Advantages: Overcome Geographical Limitations: If you have a physical store, you are limited by the geographical area that you can service. With an commerce website, the whole world is your playground. Additionally, the advent of e- commerce, i. E. commerce on mobile devices, has dissolved every remain limitation of geography. Gain New Customers With Search Engine Visibility: Physical retail is driven b branding and relationships. In addition to these two drivers, online retail IS also driven by traffic from search engines. It is not unusual for customers etc follow a link in search engine results, and land up on an commerce website hat they have never heard of. This additi onal source of traffic can be the tipping point for some commerce businesses. Lower Costs: One of the most tangible positives of commerce is the lowered cost. A part of these lowered costs could be passed on to customers in the form of discounted prices. Here are some of the ways that costs can be reduced with commerce: Advertising and Marketing Organic search engine traffic, pay-per-click, and social media traffic are some of the advertising channels that can be cost-effective. Personnel the automation of checkout, billing, payments, inventory management, and other operational processes, lowers the number of employees required to run an commerce setup. This one is a no-brainier. An commerce merchant does not need a prominent physical location. Locate the Product Quicker: It is no longer about pushing a shopping cart to the correct aisle, or scouting for the desired product. On an commerce website, customers can click through intuitive navigation or use a search box to immediately narrow down their product search. Some websites remember customer preferences and shopping lists to facilitate repeat purchase. Eliminate Travel Time and Cost: It is not unusual for customers to travel long distances to reach their preferred physical store. Commerce allows them to visit the same store virtually, with a few mouse clicks. Provide Comparison Shopping: Commerce facilitates comparison shopping. There are several online services that allow customers to browse multiple commerce merchants and find the best prices. Enable Deals, Bargains, Coupons, and Group Buying: Though there are physical equivalents to deals, bargains, coupons, and group buying, online shopping makes it much more convenient. For instance if a customer has a deep discount coupon for turkey at one physical store and toilet paper at another, she may find it infeasible to avail of both discounts. But the customer could do that online with a few mouse-clicks. Provide Abundant Information: There are limitations to the amount of information that can be displayed in a physical store. It is difficult to equip employees to respond to customers who require information across product lines. Commerce websites can make additional information easily available to customers. Most of this information is provided by vendors, and does not cost anything to create or maintain. Create Targeted Communication: using the information that a customer provides in the registration form, and by placing cookies on the customers computer, an commerce merchant can access a lot Of information about its customers. This, in turn, can be used to communicate relevant messages. An example: If you are searching for a certain product on Amazon. Com, you will automatically be shown listings of other similar products. In addition, Amazon. Com may also email you about related products. Remain Open All the Time: Store timings are now 24/7/365. Commerce websites can run all the time. From the merchants point of view, this increases the number of orders they receive. From the customers point of view, an always open store is more convenient. Create Markets for Niche Products: Buyers and sellers of niche products can find it difficult to locate each other in the physical world. Online, it is only a matter of the customer searching for the product in a search engine. One example could be purchase of obsolete parts. Instead of trashing older equipment for lack of spares, today we can locate parts online with great ease. Challenges: Restriction on data access with proper authentication. Encryption on all confidential data such as price and transaction record. Enforcing strong password policy for potential client and customers with mixing uppercase and lowercase letters with special characters such as or % and numbers. B. ERP for Business Automation: The computer based ERP solution is required to endure existing issues in business operations. The technology can be implied to handle a large number of transaction and ensured customer satisfaction. The target of selecting soul solution will be provided faster business venture in all aspect. Different stakeholders have different functionality and it diverse the information. To introduce a soft solution for all and designate a part of business process, a common predefined database format is required for all parties. Here is the list of clarity for extending back office system (ERP) to do time and waste minimization and incorporating environmental friendly procedures in business: [4] a. Create electronic profile for all kinds of stakeholder like retailer, supplier and vendor in the system so that they can access the relevant functionality 01 the core system. B. Introduce electronic invoices for stock, product rate, order slip, payment receipt. . Initialize computerized alert and notification from vendors. D. Out setting e-Tender for merchant for bulk order processing and sale. The following set of modules will apply to the operational procedures and practices for the aforementioned companies. These modular designs will take off any suspect for its live operation. Modules used for functionality are as follows: Sales Module: The main job of this module is s ales and marketing management along with sales and distribution information. Besides, this module is used for supply chain management, retail POS management. Procurement Module: This module is used for purchasing task for a company It is major served purchasing and supplier relationship management. Procurement module is highly inter connected with Inventory management module and Production module. Accounting Module: This module holds all transaction records for every working date with their relevant transaction number. It is mainly used for financial management for the company. Customer Service Module: This module inserts the records Of current customers with significant relation and dealing information in the database. Corporate Performance Module: This module is responsible for comparing company growth, generating performance report based on bonus points for corresponding planning initiative and their activity. HER Module: It is implied to manage human resources. The HER module regularly maintains a complete employee data source, such as contact information, salary specification, presence, contribution assessment and advancement. Inventory Management Module: The inventory management helps the procedures of keeping the appropriate stage of stock in a company. Invention management recognizes stock specifications, watches item uses, reconciles the inventory levels out, and reviews stock position. Advantages: ERP collects, manages and distributes information across functional boundaries and helps break down information silos-?those barriers that stand in the way of full cooperation between production, materials, planning, engineering, finance and sales/marketing. The resulting higher quality, reduced time-to-market, shortened lead times, higher productivity and lowered costs can help improve customer service and increase sales and market share as well as margins. Measurements, analysis and simulation capabilities can help companies plan better and react sooner and more effectively to changes in demand, competitive actions, and supply chain disruptions. Modern ERP systems are built for the internet-enabled world with e-commerce capabilities and provision for integration and collaboration with supply chain partners, customer portals, and enhanced tracking of incoming material and outgoing product to extend the visibility and control. Companies are challenged by the continually changing requirements of Internet-based business processes and find that their current ERP system is to able to take them where they need to go. Its hard to put a value on the ability to take advantage of new and evolving e-business imperatives-?or the cost of not being able to keep up with (or perhaps even lead) the competition. Challenges: The core challenges of new technology throughout the business process are noted below: l. Validate actual external user and suspend fake user. II. Multi level authentication to access the service solution. Ill. Close monitoring for each transaction by back end user. IV. Fault tolerant to improve this information system for waste minimization. V. Maintain it as aster information tracking system. C. Poi for Cost Effective Communication: A private network is required to establish for connecting head office with branch and offer email and internet access to the end user (employee). Some manual communication medium is practiced in the system by the mobile sales team since there are no alternative available at this time. Most of the business venture is done through existing IT framework. But the system is lack of efficient communication procedures for the remote sales team as well as branch office. Suitable network architecture is depicted below: Figure 2 : Typical Network Architecture Poi is a technology to carry voice communication over an IP network. It may be on the Internet or own private network. The basic concept is to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection or wireless connection contrary to an analog phone line. [5] A cost efficient technology of Poi is that telephone calls travel over the data network. IP telephony systems involve the full package vivo allowed services including the network of phones for emails, payments and dialing plans. The communication between head office and branch office along with remote sales team will be done through Poi service. In this context, ASK needs to implement network infrastructure and does configuration to facilitate such service to its significant employee located remotely. Advantages: Voice over Internet Protocol (Poi) is a type of technology that allows its users to make calls using the broadband Internet rather than the conventional or analog phone system. Poi works by converting sound into digital voice communication and then transferring it through Internet broadband. So if you are using a Poi telephone system, you are basically using the Internet to make phone calls. Using a Poi system has several benefits for many genuineness. Saving Money: The cost of using a Poi telephone is much cheaper than using a conventional phone. Making long distance phone calls are also cheaper when using a Poi provider. Portability: The convenience and comfort provided by a Poi telephone system is available all over the world. Sing any broadband connection, you can log in to your Poi telephone, and you will get a dial tone. Regardless of where you are, if you have Internet access, there should not be any problems in terms of costs and connections. Poi systems are also accessible via email or while you are traveling. Simply take your headset or IP phone, and you can contact staff or clients with a low cost call. Flexibility :With a Poi system, you can sti ll use your conventional phone and a Poi converter or Poi telephone adapter. A Poi converter looks like a USB memory stick, which you can easily plug onto any computer. A Poi converter will sense signals that are emanating from traditional or analog phones, and such signals will be converted to digital data that can be routed over the Internet. A computer must be turned on for the seen,ice to work. A Poi system will also allow you to acquire your own Poi number, so no matter here you are traveling to, just as long as you have a high speed Internet connection, you are capable of receiving phone calls to your same number. Multi-Functional: Aside from making phone calls, you can also conduct videoconferencing calling through your Poi phone. This allows you to stay in touch with your co-workers and clients to discuss important deals, affairs, meetings, files, documents, agendas, no matter where you are. Even while you are abroad attending to meetings, you still have the capacity to attend other important meetings in the home office without having to worry about eyeing physically present. 3. Future Prospects for the Technology Future scope of using emerging technology is described below from business perspective: E;Commerce will introduce as efficient order submission and tracking for faster business operation. Integration of online payment will solve the hazard of payment processing from remote place. Thus it will save business hour. Implementing ERP will facilitate business automation. It will provide several statistical data to take decision on sustainable business growth. Poi technology will employ as the popular communication medium because t expenses less than conventional EST. phone service and in the case of long distance and international calls. Moreover, Poi will offer the comfort of advanced calling features, and combined communications method so that users can access voice mail, electronic mail and other incoming communications using a single interface. Figure 3 : Business Automation Figure 4 : Gallo Smithies (ASK) Revenues Growth 4. Conclusion The objective of utilizing technology is to reduce cost and waste for business environment. It has a great positive impact on system automation. It also saves timer space and a lot of manual work.

Individualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individualism - Essay Example This means that external forces do not have the right over the desires or goals of an individual. This includes the government, institutions or the wider society. Logically, the focus of individualism is the individual. This is because the individual is the focus as people try to obtain liberation. Moreover, people have the right to realize themselves and obtain their freedom. It is also logical that individualism is closely associated with one’s lifestyle and behavior that are led by ethics and positions that are philosophical. The world idea seems to appreciate that western civilization has promoted individualism. This is because capitalism promoted individualism as every individual works towards his or her goals in life. However, some people did not seem to agree with this because capitalism did not provide employment to all people. However, people still fought until capitalism was re-introduced. Arguably, this means that even people in Russia believed that capitalism was t he best was towards achieving one’s goal. In summary, individualism focuses on an individual and allows him or her to independence, which in the idea has been enhanced through capitalism. Body Section One People have over the time argued on the connection between individualism and capitalism. Ironically, this is an ideology since individualism believes that one is above all else. However, capitalism can be argued to show individualism only from an economic point of view. This is because what one obtains economically belongs to him or her. This is unlike what communism believed in, that what one has belongs to the whole society. Moreover, individualism rose when capitalism was introduced. This is because people were allowed to do what they desire to as long as it did not negatively affect another individual. For example, one can make a decision of what to or not to sell in the market or even what to buy. This means that people were free to make their decisions without external input while in the market setting. Some of the essays also agree with the fact that capitalism contributed to individualism. However, individualism is just an illusion (Fromm 329). This means that individualism will never be fully achieved. Moreover, it presented to people a lifestyle that was categorized into classes. However, some argue that the world will be chaotic as each person seeks self or individual satisfaction. In my own experience, capitalism has given me a sense of independence. This is because while earning my money, I am in control of my life. Therefore, I can buy go, buy or do what I want since I have my financial freedom. On the other hand, I also have my goals that I work hard to attain regardless of the goals that my family and friends have set for their own lives. According to the essays, capitalism has contributed to individualism. However, each one notes that individualism is just an illusion because it does not exist wholly. This is because one cannot be a co mplete individual due to many factors that ties individual. For instance, the market may seem free, but the financial ability of an individual allows him to buy or not buy certain goods. Moreover, employees have to work in accordance to the terms set by the employees. Consequently, individualism is an illusion. Body Section Two Individualism is about a person, the self. Moreover, the individual has desires, needs and goals that are separate from other persons. Arguably, an individual looks into his or her interest , does also consider that of

Setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Setting - Essay Example The first scene is in his twenties where he is lonely, cold, bitter but also hopeful when he enters the circus. Although this early life is characterized by rough times, he still manages to get an escape to the circus when his parents died. The other scene is set in the nursing home with Jacob is in his nineties. In the nursing home, he is lonely too but life here is more permanent that in the circus setting. The fact that the story is set during the depression is very relevant. This is because the main theme of the story is based on the poor conditions and tough lives of the Americans during the great depression. As such, it emphasizes the high poverty levels. The people were too poor to afford even the food supplies due to loss of economic benefits. If it had been set in the Roaring 20s when jobs were plentiful and spirits high, it could not have expressed the theme of this story because people would have had plenty of resources to live comfortably. Apart from taking people from place to place, the train represents lack of permanence to the circus people. They have no permanent residence due to poor economic conditions and therefore, they have to move from place to place for commerce purposes. As such, the train is a representation of hope that the circus’s poor conditions will get

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay The themes that are introduced and emphasised in Chapter 8 of Charles Dickens Great Expectations are a near complete summary of the themes of the novel as a whole and of the conditions in which the English people had to live with in the 1800s. This chapter epitomises the circumstances in which English people lived and the situations that they faced, and it looks at many different perspectives and takes into account many different factors. The Industrial Revolution was a period in time when everything in England changed rapidly, and Dickens made sure that he captured Englands huge transition in every light he could. Dickens himself lived in poverty for a number of years, and his main motive for writing books (such as Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby) was his desire to see change. These books are based around injustice and the divide between wealth and poverty. Chapter 8 of Great Expectations clearly defines the issues that Dickens sought to deal with through writing. The very first thing that happens in Chapter 8 Pips uncomfortable breakfast with Mr Pumblechook. Pip states in his narrative that on politely bidding him Good morning, Pumblechook immediately asked him a mathematics question. The breakfast then proceeds to continues in this manner (before I had swallowed a morsel, he began a running sum that lasted throughout breakfast. ) This is a prime example of control. This is one of the themes that come to the fore as the novel progresses. Pip finds that he very rarely has a choice in matters, he is either forced to do something or it would be very foolish or insulting to decline making certain choices. His life his almost completely influenced by others, and he often has no control over it at all. In Chapter 8, he is controlled by Pumblechook (as afore mentioned), Estella (You are to wait here, boy. ) and Miss Havisham (Play! ). In particular, Miss Havisham manipulates the lives of Estella and Pip to suit her own twisted, selfish needs to the point where she is remorseful of her actions. Dickens stresses the point that, in this era, the wealthy people dictate the actions of the poorer people. The fact that Pip is sitting back and enjoying the ride, so to speak, is a result of the people around him ordering and demanding things of him. Pip rarely has a choice to make, and is manipulated and used by many people, some with good intentions (Magwitch), some with evil intentions (Miss Havisham and Compeyson). Control and the gulf between inferiority and superiority are perpetual forces in the novel.

Contrasting Friendship Essay -- essays papers

Contrasting Friendship â€Å"The two ladies, who had been intimate since childhood, reflected how little they knew each other†. This is how, author, Edith Wharton shows the relationship of two characters, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, in the short story â€Å"Roman Fever.† These two women who are supposed to be friends, led envious lives of each other, and because of the way they lived they were very contrasting and conflicting characters. In the end, I believe Mrs. Slade was guiltier for her actions and in fact the whole incident would have never happened if it weren’t for her. Before there widowhood these two ladies led very envious and superficial lives. In describing her friend Mrs. Slade says, â€Å"Mrs. Horace Ansley, twenty-five years ago, had been exquisitely lovely†¦though, of course, still charming, distinguished†¦far more beautiful than her daughter. Horace Ansley was just the duplicate of his wife. Museum specimens of old New York. Good-looking, irreproachable, exemplary†. In return, when Mrs. Ansley was asked about or spoke about Mrs. Slade she would reply, â€Å"Alida Slade’s awfully brilliant; but not as brilliant as she thinks. Mrs. Slade had been an extremely dashing girl; much more so than her daughter who was pretty, of course, and clever in a way, but had none of her mother’s—well vividness†. These two ladies had a friendship based upon nothing but there own jealous and arrogant behavior; as if the only reason they spoke was in spite of one another. As Wharton describes them, â€Å" these tw o ladies visualized each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope† (258). Wharton realized that these fragments composed the only true communication about their friendship and therefore told the real story of Mrs. Slade and ... ...hat Mrs. Ansley finally decided to shut Mrs. Slade up of her arrogant, superficial talk and she nonchalantly turned to Mrs. Slade and said, â€Å"I had Barbara†. In the end, I believe, it was Mrs. Ansley who had the ultimate revenge. While Mrs. Slade had planned to get rid of Mrs. Ansley that night, Mrs. Ansley not only answered the letter, and had a night of passion with Mrs. Slade’s husband, but she also had his child. Each time Mrs. Slade tried to make Mrs. Ansley feel like she meant nothing, Mrs. Ansley came back with a harsher reality for Mrs. Slade. Throughout the whole story, I believe Mrs. Slade is ultimately at greater fault because she was the one who brought up the letter and she wouldn’t let it go. She felt she had to top Mrs. Ansley each time. Though both women were at fault, in a way, Mrs. Slade had no one to blame for the consequences but herself.

Racism in Disney Movies

Anastasia Trus WRTG 3020 Professor Pat Sullivan 30 March 2010 Racism in Disney During the last several decades, the media has become a strong agent in directing and controlling social beliefs and behaviors. Children, by nature, can be particularly susceptible to the influencing powers of the media, opening an avenue where media created especially for children can indoctrinate entire generations. Disney movies, like all other media â€Å"are powerful vehicles for certain notions about our culture,† such as racism. Giroux 32). Racist scenes in Disney movies are often identified as simply being â€Å"symbols of the time† when the films were produced. Furthermore, Disney racism is often passed over as simple humor, or as a simple guide to children's understanding of cultures. These explanations of racism in the films are incomplete because they fail to take into account the fact that the primary audience members of Disney films are not old enough to see the movies as relics of a different time and place. This is not to say that Disney films indoctrinate children with racist tendencies; nevertheless, racist scenes in still-popular films cast a blanket of insensitivity over the subject of racism. Disney’s reputation of being racially insensitive has never been more evident than in the time leading up to the release of its latest movie Princess and the Frog. Nearly everything about this film has caused a storm of criticism both from the public and from people within the film industry itself. It is curious that people are so enraged and concerned with this movie, when they ignore potentially more offensive racist elements in other films. If one analyzes society’s response to Princess and the Frog as a single phenomenon, then it does seem a bit odd that a children’s film could start such a heated social debate; however, after taking into account Disney’s history with racism and racial insensitivity, it is not surprising at all that the first black Disney princess would be such a controversial figure. Bombarded with accusations of anti-Semitism and racism, in the 1940’s Walt Disney was an avid supporter of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a â€Å"red-scare† anti-Semitic industry group that wanted to blacklist artists (Alan 12). Perhaps this is one of the reasons Disney’s past is filled with questionable cinematic material. Fantasia was released in 1940, the third theatrical full-length animation, as shown in Disney's canon of animated films. The original version of Disney's classic â€Å"Fantasia† (1940) features a character called Sunflower, a little black centaur handmaiden. Sunflower is an extremely insulting caricature, and a bluntly racist stereotype of the â€Å"servile grinning nigger† variety (Walker 22). In a featured scene during â€Å"The Pastoral Symphony† elegant white centaurs frolick through the woods and are waited on by Sunflower. She is noticeably smaller than the other centaurs—ostensibly because she is half-donkey instead of half-horse, but more likely to exaggerate her inferiority—and has a darker complexion. Her sole function in the film is to eagerly polish and shine the hooves of the tall, sexy Aryan centaur women who glare down their petite noses at this pathetic servant. Such scenes were later censored in the film due to the characters being considered â€Å"ethnically offensive during the civil rights movement† (Walker 26).? In addition to reinforcing the stereotype of blacks as inferior beings, the scene from the â€Å"Pastoral Symphony† also furthers racism by supporting segregation. Throughout the film the female Aryan centaurs pair up with the males of their â€Å"race,† leaving Sunflower alone and separated from the group. Rather than correcting the racism within the scene, Disney later chose to eliminate it from the film – as if it never happened. When the racial climate of America changed in the 60s, the portrayal of such insulting stereotypes in movies and television became politically incorrect, and Disney (fearing accusations of racism) deleted Sunflower from Fantasia for the theatrical re-release of the film. Her troubling presence was simply cropped out of the movie even though you can still see the Aryans she used to pamper. Eliminating Sunflower from the movie may have been intended as harmless and as an attempt to be politically correct; however, it is cinematic decisions such as this that contributed to Disney’s reputation of being insensitive to issues of race. It was insulting enough for Disney to include the smiling servant stereotype to begin with, but to make matters worse, they started denying Sunflower's existence with the Fantasia re-release in 1960. How does that possibly make things better? A few angered African American communities said, â€Å"No, you misunderstand. In our perfect, Fantasia world, Africans aren't servants. They don't fucking exist† (Weinman 64). A contemporary film critic said, â€Å"What's fun though is that Disney says they never had such a character! We're all delusional† (Brunette 123). Maybe it was â€Å"acceptable† in the past to portray characters that had such blatant racist features; nevertheless, it is strange to deny its existence to audiences who had already seen the original version. This is how we deal with our ugly past: we deny it, trivialize it, gloss over it with pretty distractions and wishful thinking. Doing so, we deny ourselves a glimpse of the compelling reality of naked history. The well-meaning rush to unmake evil deeds by hiding them from the critical eye of modern sensibilities does nothing to honor the people who lived and struggled in those different times (Walker 28). Sunflower’s existence may be news to younger generations of Disney fans, but she has been here all along, and her presence as well as her absence carry great significance, especially in the context of how viewers and critics respond to other potentially racist films. Dumbo, the fourth film in the Disney industry, was made in 1941 and produced by Walt Disney himself. It was originally designed as an economical feature to help generate income after the financial failure of Fantasia. The concerns people had against Disney being anti-Semitic and racist were sill strong, especially after Disney projected his own sense of alienation onto â€Å"others† in Hollywood, namely, Jews, blacks, and union workers. In retaliation against the studio entrepreneurs, who were predominantly Jewish, Disney refused to employ Jews in high-level positions at his studio or as actors in his live-action features. Not until 1969, two years after Disney's death, did a Jewish actor, Buddy Hackett, feature prominently in a Disney film, The Love Bug. Disney Studios also denied black workers even minimal opportunities, as technicians and support personnel. Because Walt Disney was an infamous racist, even for his time, it is not surprising that a film he produced himself would be racist as well. Dumbo is full of racist images and themes. Dumbo’s birth itself speaks to the foundations of racism when the other female elephants single Dumbo out because he looks different with his unusual ears. Considering the fact that â€Å"big-eared elephants are African,† it is especially racist that Dumbo, who is seen as different and even freakish would be associated with Africa (Lugo-Lugo 167). Because Dumbo is different from everyone else, he is ridiculed for it. Just because his ears are bigger than those of a normal elephant, he is ostracized from the rest of the group. He only has one friend (Timothy Mouse), who ironically is also socially shunned because elephants are generally supposed to be scared of mice. This could be seen as another form of racism where someone is ostracized because they are different. Furthermore, in the movie, when it is time to set up the circus in town, it is significant to take note of who performs the hard labor necessary to make the circus function. Not only are the circus animals themselves condemned to build their own chamber of humiliation, but there are also faceless black men working hard at this labor. The faces on these men are featureless, with no eyes, no mouths, and no noses – showing that they possess no individual identities, like a group of invisible men. This is characteristic of the time period because the 1940s were right before the Civil Rights Movement, and although slavery had been abolished, blacks were still segregated and considered as lesser people. The song they sing while working is very appalling: We work all day, we work all night We never learned to read or writeWe're happy-hearted roustabouts When other folks have gone to bed We slave until we're almost dead We're happy-hearted roustabouts We don't know when we get our payAnd when we do, we throw our pay away We get our pay when children say With happy hearts, It's circus day today. The lyrics of this song portray slaves working day and night doing backbreaking labor. However, it says nothing about the system doing something wrong because the slaves seem happy to do the work. The song even mentions that slaves are also satisfied with working for no pay. The lyrics suggest that money was not something they worry about. The lyrics are insulting to the workers, stating that they do not know when they will get paid, but it does not matter because once they do get paid they will just throw their money away. Furthermore, the lyrics construct and laud the image of the passive and content slave whose true payment and fulfillment is watching the joy of (white) children on circus day. Lyrics such as â€Å"we slave until we're almost dead† but, â€Å"we're happy-hearted† are utterly absurd and disgraceful. Slavery was a morally wrong institution and the fact that Disney condoned its practices in Dumbo is horrifying. Another overtly racist element in Dumbo is the characterization and function of the crows. Richard Schickel says, â€Å"There was one distasteful moment in the film. The crows who teach Dumbo to fly are too obviously Negro caricatures† (Shickel 113). Leonardo Maltint, after quoting Schickel, says that critics may be overreacting to the crows: â€Å"There has been considerable controversy over the Black Crow sequence in recent years, most of it unjustified. The crows are undeniably black, but they are black characters, not black stereotypes† (Maltin 56). Even though Maltint makes a valid point, he does not address the fact that the crows in the film are very specifically depicted as poor and uneducated. They also use slang words such as calling each other â€Å"brotha† and speak in southern accents with incorrect grammar. Any one of these characteristics could be ignored as having racial implications; however, by combining them into one character, it is very reasonable, indeed, almost necessary to interpret the crow as a black stereotype. The other big argument for the Black Crow sequence being interpreted as racist is that the leader of the group of crows, towards the end of the movie, is named Jim. Therefore, Jim the Crow can very well be construed as being a reference to the Jim Crow Laws, which were prevalent in the southern United States from 1876-1965 and promoted racism and racial segregation. The crows' racial identities as black are further implied when they perform their song in a jazz style complete with scat stylization. The song â€Å"When I  See an Elephant Fly† is part of the music style generally popular at the time in black communities. As the crows begin humiliating poor Dumbo, Timothy Mouse steps up to defend him with the following comments: â€Å"Suppose you was torn away from your mother when you was just a baby. Nobody to tuck you in at nights. No warm, soft, caressing trunk to snuzzle into. How would you like to be left out alone†¦ in a cold, cruel, heartless world? † What an ironic comment to make to a set of characters who represent African-Americans, who, at the time, would only have been a few generations removed from the time when black slaves were routinely torn away from their families. The mouse continues: â€Å"And why? I ask ya, why? Just because he's got those big ears, they call him a freak. † Finally, Timothy says, â€Å"And on top of that, they made him a clown! Interestingly, Timothy’s reference to the clown points to the time when the white power structure practiced minstrelsy by making clowns of the socially despised blacks. It is important to recognize that Dumbo is racist not because of any single scene or image, but because of the message produced when all the racist scenes and images are combined. Dumbo is a freak with big â€Å"African† ears who must be segregated from the others. Furthermore, the only role he can have in the circus is that of the clown. The crows also point to black stereotypes through color, dialogue, and even name. Finally, the blatant reference to slavery through the figures of the circus workers contributes to an overall feeling of racism in the film. In many ways, analyzing whether one scene is racist is not nearly as important as understanding that racist undertones are present and noticeable in Dumbo whether we as a society want them be or not. It is important to note that not all racism in Disney films is directed at African Americans. One of the most well recognized racist symbols perpetuated by Disney is the portrayal of the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp (1955). Like stereotypical Asians, they are buck-toothed and have slanted eyes, and speak in ridiculously exaggerated accents that bear little, if any, resemblance to actual Thai speech patterns. Their features, along with the banging of a gong at the beginning of their song, could not make the Asian-specific racism any more obvious, â€Å"We are Siamese, if you please. We are Siamese if you don't please! We are former residents of Siam. There are no finer cats than we am. † Goldmark comments: One can hear the confidence and superiority in their voices. Those two cats don't care about anyone but themselves, lacking any kind of empathy. They are sociopaths, prepared to ruin Lady's life because it is fun and it serves them. They are portrayed as cunning and manipulative, giving the widespread idea that all Asians act superior, are cunning and manipulative. (Goldmark 115) In the film, the Siamese cats function not only as a racial stereotype but also as a stereotype of the upper classes in Oriental countries: â€Å"The cats prance around arrogantly in a Hollywood-invented style that is supposed to represent what the audience should assume are mannerisms of aristocratic Siamese or Chinese† (Romalov 46). The ambiguity in the exact ethnicity of the cats is significant because it demonstrates how Disney films tend to combine different ethnicities under the umbrella of one: â€Å"(Disney’s films, like many Hollywood films, often tended to lump ethnic groups together into a kind of undifferentiated mass-Asians, Chinese, Japanese, Siamese, for example Arab and East Indians as another example. ) The cats even roundly sing of their supposed heritage† (Romalov 46). This practice of ethnic â€Å"lumping† is even more obscene in Aladdin where Arabic and Indian cultures are intertwined and assumed to be one and the same. Like Lady and the Tramp, Aladdin attempted to include other races in the film that had not been included in other Disney movies of the past; unfortunately, we see many of the same racist undertones in Aladdin that are present in the film’s predecessors. Perhaps the most controversial and racist part in Aladdin (1992) is a set of lines in the opening song, â€Å"Arabian Nights. † It is one of the most contentious messages found in the film and begins the movie’s â€Å"depiction of Arab culture with a decidedly racist tone† (Giroux 104). An Arab merchant sings the lyrics: â€Å"Oh I come from a land/From a faraway place/Where the caravan camels roam. Where they cut off your ears/If they don’t like your face. /It’s barbaric, but hey, its home. † The message that is given right at the beginning of the film is that the Middle East is a desolate wasteland where the justice system runs on a simple limb-removal policy. The opening song alone s ets a tone that alienates the Arabic community from Western culture: â€Å"One would have to be very naive to believe that Hollywood would dare to use such a song if it did not see Arabs as belonging to an `other' or `alien' culture. Successive themes drive home the view that these creatures are suspicious, lazy, unethical, and violent outsiders. They' most definitely are not like ‘us’†(Shaheen 50). The lyrics to the opening song in Aladdin caused an uproar in Arab countries and the words were later changed to: â€Å"Where it’s flat and immense/ And the heat is intense. † Not only are the lyrics violent, but they are truly an example of the worst kind of racism. Disney distribution president Dick Cook was quoted as saying the change was made after meetings with members of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination League but that â€Å"it was something we did because we wanted to do it [†¦] In no way would we ever do anything [†¦] insensitive to anyone,† he said (Shaheem 52). Yousef Salem, a former spokesperson for the South Bay Islamic Association, characterizes the film in the following way: â€Å"All of the bad guys have beards and large, bulbous noses, sinister eyes and heavy accents, and they're wielding swords constantly. Aladdin doesn't have a big nose, he has a small nose. He doesn't have a beard or turban. He doesn't have an accent† (Shaheen 56). This portrayal of Arab characters gives people a negative perception of Arabs. Furthermore, the Arab characters are mean whereas those who speak clear English and appear to be Americanized are â€Å"socially accepted†, or the â€Å"heroes† of society. In the first few scenes of the movie we see an Arab merchant, with a thick accent, wearing a turban and who is trying to sell stereotypical middle-eastern products (a vase which contains â€Å"a combination of hookah and coffee maker,† which can also produce â€Å"a million fries†). In addition, the movie shows Jasmine almost loosing her hand for giving a poor little boy an apple from the market stand. That is not accurate for most Middle Easterners who strive to help the poor and the homeless – they would not attempt to cut someone’s hand off for giving an apple to a poor child. These instances show the racist way in which people from the East are portrayed as barbaric. The film could also be considered racist in that it portrays Arab culture as deeply oppressive of women and brutally violent. Princess Jasmine is trapped mercilessly inside her palace home, and the palace guards threaten to cut off her hand at one point in the film. She is also constantly controlled by the men who surround her. Finally, she is the only other woman we see in the film besides the belly dancers in the opening scenes. What does that say in regard to the significance of women in Disney? Of course, Disney does not intend to offend anyone – that would be bad business. Most people who watch the movies are probably caught up in the Disney magic and do not notice these things. Problematically, one way in which Disney creates the magic is by using stereotypes that people respond to without thinking. Aladdin looks â€Å"right† for a hero; Jafar looks â€Å"right† for a villain; Jasmine looks â€Å"right† for a trapped princess. We as consumers do not think about it, but the practices and images we internalize as being â€Å"right† are very dangerous for society. For example, it is especially concerning that the upper class in the film, the royal family, appears white. The Sultan, Jasmine, and Aladdin are all fair-skinned and do not speak with accents, suggesting that they are more â€Å"white† than the other characters in the film. This image perpetuates the white power structure in America, and most viewers are only aware of this on a subconscious level (Shaheem 54). This subconscious awareness of practices such as racism in the media is especially hazardous for our society because if an individual is not perceptive of when she internalizes social evils, than she cannot be perceptive of when she perpetuates them. Even still, the fact remains that regardless of whether we think about it, recognize or denounce it, racism and stereotyping takes place in many Disney films, including the classic 1994 film The Lion King. The first and perhaps most noticeable example of racism in The Lion King mirrors a stereotyping practice seen in Aladdin. Like Jaffar in Aladdin, Scar is arguably one of the darkest colored characters in The Lion King. While the other heroic lions are lighter skinned, Scar is the only one with dark fur and a jet-black mane, reinforcing the stereotype where the darker and more ethnic character is the villain (Twomey 1). Another obvious example of racism in Aladdin, is seen with the hyenas, who are portrayed as stupid and violent, and are comprised of a lower-class animal group that feeds upon the scraps and leftovers of the more dominant, strong, intelligent creatures. This dichotomy is then reinforced by the use of stereotypes, classifying these stupid, low-class hyenas through the use of African-American (Whoopi Goldberg as â€Å"Shenzi†) and Latino (Cheech Marin as â€Å"Banzai†) stereotypes. It has even been said that â€Å"despicable hyena storm troopers speak†¦ in racially coded accents that take on the nuances of the discourse of a decidedly urban, black, and Latino youth† (Byrne 62). The speech patterns and accents of the hyenas present quite a stark contrast compared to the American and British accents of the rest of the cast. The hyenas also serve as an interesting opposition to the thoughtful, strong, and intelligent characters of the rest of the film, who represent the upper class, indeed, mostly â€Å"white† culture. That is not to say all African-Americans are poorly depicted. James Earl Jones voices the role of the powerful and wise â€Å"Mufasa†, and Robert Guillaume voices â€Å"Rafiki,† the wise shaman. Yet even with two of the strongest main characters being voiced by African-Americans, it is hard not to notice the stereotyping Disney seems to be making about Black, Latino, and lower-class culture. It is significant to recognize that The Lion King does not stop with racial stereotypes, but also cruelly targets other underrepresented groups including women and homosexuals. According to the Associated Press, Carolyn Newberger of Harvard University complained in the Boston Globe that â€Å"the good-for-nothing hyenas are urban blacks; the arch-villain's gestures are effeminate, and he speaks in supposed gay cliches† (Twomey 33). The film also furthers gender stereotypes by displaying women as subservient and dependent upon the strength of males. The strong-spirited Nala can be viewed as a counter to this, but just as with the racial stereotyping, one strong female character does not undo the overall statement being made about the weakness of women. It is the combination of Disney’s insensitive treatment of stereotypes targeting not only non-whites, but also women, and other minorities in films such as Aladdin and The Lion King that can help explain the 21st century’s response to The Princess and the Frog. Both before and after The Princess and the Frog was released, many of the film’s critics were very vocal about racism in the movie. Nearly everyone who has an opinion about the film has something different to say – in sum, nearly everything about the film is racist and offensive to someone and needs to be changed. As a starting point in analyzing the public’s critical response to Princess and the Frog, it is important to address all the criticism surrounding the black princess’s name. Many argue that the princess’s original name, Maddy, is to close to he slave term â€Å"mammy†: â€Å"A voice actor’s tongue wouldn’t have to slip very much to say â€Å"mammy† while ordering Maddy to do a chore, and in such a context, the name â€Å"Maddy† seemed both deliberately inappropriately evocative and easy for the audience to mishear† (Kareem 1). Furthermore, others argue that Maddy’s position as chambermaid fo r a spoiled, white girl is demeaning. Just as Disney changed the name of its protagonist to â€Å"Tiana,† they have also changed her from being a maid to being a prospective owner of a restaurant. True it is traditional for fairy tale protagonists to begin their stories with having a low social status, but a black heroine who is a domestic could be legitimately read not as a fairy tale trope but as a reinforcement of real world racial denigration (Kareem 1). Some may claim that it would be historically accurate for a 1920’s black woman to be a maid, but Disney does not even necessarily care about historical accuracy when animating actual history. Another point of heated debate in the film centers on the fact that the black princess ends up with an arguably whiter prince, Naveen (or at least a prince who looks white and is voiced by a Brazilian actor who also looks white). Whatever Naveen's ethnicity is, in her article â€Å"The Word on the â€Å"Princess and the Frog,† Disney’s First Film With a Black Heroine,† Nandra Careem quotes Shannon Prince who raises some interesting points about the problems behind Disney’s choice not to make him African American: Some might argue that portraying interracial marriage in film is good – but why then weren't any of the white princesses given non-white princes to save them from white villains? And since Disney doesn't give white princesses non-white princes, isn't this interracial relationship at the expense of black boys who deserve a hero just as much as black girls deserve a heroine? (Kareem, 1) Prince is not the only critic to take issue with the difference in skin color between the prince and princess. Cultural critic Hensley Jameson comments, â€Å"The prince is lighter than she is. What’s that say about black men? Sure, Boris Kodjoe is fine, and we come in all shades, but to be truly black, a character can’t be any lighter than Denzel Washington (Kareem 1). Originally the prince was explicitly reported as being the jazz-loving monarch of a European country. By giving the prince an olive, but still white, complexion and a Brazilian accent, Disney gets to go forward with their original white hero yet make him ambiguous enough to not be unequivocally criticized as white at the same time. Tiana isn't the problem,† says Angela Bonner Helm at Black Voices: â€Å"Was there any particular reason why her love interest, Prince Naveen of Maldonia, couldn't be black, too? Though America has a â€Å"real-life black man in the highest office of the land with a black wife, Disney obviously doesn't think a black man is worth the title of prince† (Kareem 1). The plot of The Princess and the Frog also follows Disney’s pattern of making their ev il characters more â€Å"ethnic† and darker than their good characters. The central villain in the film is the voodoo master, who is also African American. Elaborating on the presence of voodoo in the film, Careem comments that Disney grossly misrepresented the purpose and reality of voodoo: â€Å"The foundation of voodoo is not charms but monotheistic faith, belief in saints and spirits, and a focus on moral values such as charity and respect for the elderly. People do perform rites for protection and defense, but suffice it to say that voodoo is not about being a magician or a fairy godmother† (Mathews 1). The fact that Disney uses uninformed voodoo stereotypes rather than accurate facts in the film furthers the racist undertones in the film. The final major point of criticism in the film is concerned with the fact that the first black Disney princess spends most of the time in the movie as a frog: â€Å"Why does the black princess have to be a frog the whole time? Are they saying black people should be green instead of black? † wonders Shirley Wilson, a waitress at Rob’s diner who plans to boycott the movie: â€Å"when I watched the film I felt disappointed to learn that the heroine spends a significant chunk of the movie not as a black princess at all but as a frog. After decades of waiting, would it be too much to actually see an hour and a half of a black princess on the screen? † (Matthews 1). Wilson’s response to The Princess and the Frog is especially significant because it demonstrates how many people, even on a non-academic level have serious concerns about issues of race in the film. When addressing the critical response to The Princess and the Frog, it is difficult to ignore the fact that even though it has been over half of a century since the first Disney films were released, racism is still a point of criticism, both in the older films and in the ones being produced today. Furthermore, despite the fact that The Princess and the Frog features the first black Disney Princess, critics are even more upset about racism in the film than they ever were before – even in the case of more overtly racist films. Many of the points raised about racism and racial stereotypes in the film are valid and interesting; nevertheless, one cannot help but notice that they overshadow many of the advances Disney has made in eliminating other equally offensive stereotypes in their films. For example, whereas other Disney films typically lack the mother figure completely and perhaps only reference the mother when explaining the past, The Princess and the Frog includes a mother who is present for the entire film. It may not be obvious to most viewers of The Princess and the Frog, but Disney takes a huge and important step in introducing a mother figure to their film – their past practice of eliminating the mother figure is arguably sexist and offensive to the female identity. Another important change Disney makes in Princess and the Frog centers on the fact that unlike other Disney princesses who dream about meeting a prince, Tiana has realistic dreams and expectations – she wants to be a restaurant owner and works very diligently to achieve her goal. Despite this significant statement about female power, however, most film critics will probably instead choose to focus on the fact that Tiana, as an African American, is limited to owning a restaurant rather than a Fortune 500 company. Works Cited: Alan, Spector J. Cultural Diversity and the US Media. Albany: State Univ. of New York, 1998. Print. Brunette, Libby. Stereotypes and Racism in Children's movies. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2002 Byrne, Eleanor, and Martin McQuillan. Deconstructing Disney. London: Pluto, 1999. Print. Giroux, Henry A. â€Å"Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids? † Rethinking Childhood 10. 2 (2000): 32-115. Print. Goldmark, Daniel. â€Å"Locating America: Revisiting Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. † Social Identities 14 (2008): 101-120. Print. Kareem, Nadra. â€Å"Nadra's Race Relations Blog. Rev. of Race Relations. Web Log post. About. com. 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. . Look Out New World, Here We Come? Race, Racialization, and Sexuality in Four Children's Animated Films by Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. † Print. Lugo-Lugo, Carmen, and Mary Bloodsworth-Lugo. â€Å"Look Out New World, Here We Come? Race, Racialization, and Sexuality in Four Children's Animated Films by Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. † Cultural Studies Critical Methodologies 9. 2 (2009): 166-78. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. Maltin, Leonard. The Disney Films. New York: Disney Editions, 2000. Print. Matthews, Bill. â€Å"Disney's Black Princess Is the Most Racist Thing Ever. † The Peoples News. ThePeoplesNews, 2 June 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. . Robin, Allan. â€Å"European Influences on Early Disney Feature Films. † A Reader in Animation Studies 25. 3 (1997): 42-46. Print. Romalov, Nancy. â€Å"Lady and the Tramps: The Cultural Work of Gypsies in Nancy Drew and Her Foremothers. † The Lion and the Unicorn 18. 1 (1994). Http://muse. jhu. edu/journals. 1 June 1994. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. Schickel, Richard. The Disney Version; the Life, Times, Art, and Commerce of Walt Disney. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968. Print. Shaheen, Jack. â€Å"Aladdin Animated Racism. † Cineaste 20. 1 (1994): 49-52. Print. Twomey, Steve. â€Å"†The Lion King† a Roaring Success Despite Lambasting. † Washington Post 28 July 1994, 46th ed. , sec. B: 4-7. Print. Walker, Janet. â€Å"Disney's Policy? No Black People, Please. † Academic Search Premier. 23 July 1994. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. Weinman, Jamie. â€Å"Zip-a-dee-dee-doo-don't Mention It. † Maclean's 120. 18 (2007): 63-64. Print.

Surrendering to the Menacing Darkness of Silence,...

â€Å"A woman’s garb covers me from tip to toe. Inside, made of stone, a hardened heart alone Can stone ever be molten by tear’s ebb and flow?† -Binodini Dasi. Violence against women is a worldwide phenomenon which spans all social classes and age groups. Violence in both its subtle and blatant from is so deeply embedded in cultures around the world that it is almost rendered invisible. To quote Charlotte Bunch – â€Å"Opening the door on the subject of violence against the world’s females is like standing†¦show more content†¦Leela and Bhaskar, an urban middle-class couple have been hearing the terrifying screams of sexual assault on a woman for several weeks in their neighborhood. Leela discloses her fears and persists on Bhaskar to call the police, to which he acts unresponsively calling Leela â€Å"oversensitive† about the issue a nd he also points at the difficulty of persuading the police about the credibility of the crime. At one instance it is revealed that though Bhaskar has apparently no desire to do anything for the crime being committed freely before their eyes day after day, nevertheless he does watch it, as Leela’s dialogue makes it evident, â€Å"We don’t even really watch, do we? I don’t. But†¦you do. You watch it!† (Padmanabhan, 6) And Bhaskar admits to this. Bhaskar’s friend Mohan comes to their house to see the â€Å"crime being committed†. The perpetrators of such inhuman violence have commanded the inhabitants of the locality to put their lights out at night, thus succeeding in throwing darkness