Complexities of Love Exposed in Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club :: Joy Luck Club Essays

The Complexities of Love Exposed in The Joy Luck Club In the novel "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, the ignorance, the disregard of, and the necessity of love are all reveled as the characters tell their life stories and memories. The characters in the novel take love for granted. By ignoring love, concentrating more on material possessions, and hiding their true identities, the characters don't realize love's importance. One character that takes love for granted is Harold, Lena St. Clair's husband. This occurs when Lena leans over to him in their car and states "I love you." He responds by asking Lena a question about his car, which seems to be more important to him than his relationship with her. Harold does not realize the importance of love. He only thinks about material possessions. Since Harold does not revealing his true nature, he reveals that he has a lack of love for himself as an individual. The love you have for yourself is a necessity in life because it provides self-respect; if one respects oneself, one will respect and love others. The story of Lindo Jong provides insight into the concept of revealing your true nature. To "keep everything inside" as does Lindo Jong, provides for not being able to experience love to its fullest. Lindo Jong hides "under a red marriage scarf" in attempt to shield herself from the outside world. Her "hiding under the scarf" demonstrates that to be able to love, you must be able to first reveal your true nature. Ying-Ying St. Clair stands as an example of the desire to remain hidden as she says, "All these years I kept my true nature hidden, running along like a small shadow so nobody could catch me." The image of the shadow relates directly to the red marriage scarf. They both attempt to provide the concealment of their true natures, because the result of revealing your true self may be that of "pain". The importance of love goes unnoticed as the characters take love for granted and expect it to naturally come to them. The ceasing of taking love for granted does occur later and has its results and consequences. The characters realize that they are taking love for granted when they feel meaningless and uncomfortable, and stop doing so by either ending the relationship or confronting the problem.

Cemex

Read the management Focus on Cemex and then answer the following question: a. Which theoretical explanation, or explanations, of FDI best explains Cemex’s FDI? b. What value does Cemex bring to a host economy? Can you see any potential drawbacks of Cemex’s inward investment in an economy? c. Cemex has a strong preference for acquisition over greenfield ventures as an entry mode. Why? d. Why do you think Cemex decided to exit Indonesia after failing to gain majority control of Semen Gresik? Why is majority control so important to Cemex? e.Why do you think politicians in Indonesia tried to block Cemex’s attempt to gain majority control over Semen Gresik? Do you think Indonesia’s best interests were served by limiting Cemex’s FDI in the country? Answer: a. The theory that best explains Cemex’s foreign direct investment (FDI) activity is that of internalization due to limitations of licensing or also known as the market imperfection approach. Cem ex wanted to expand horizontally because it wanted to reduce its reliance on its home market and provide some stability in the demand for their product.Also, they saw opportunities abroad and it could provide their service, which required building very personal relationships with the distributors and the builders themselves. Lastly they had spent a lot of time working on their information technology system that allowed them to control their supply and it was part of their competitive advantage. Due to their unique business model, they would not be able to get the same value by licensing their business thus they had to internalize the business abroad and directly set up business abroad. b.

Cannonball Jellyfish Facts

The cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris) gets its common name from its appearance, which is about the same size and general shape as a cannonball. While the cannonball jellyfish can secrete a toxin, it does not have the long, stinging tentacles normally associated with jellyfish. Instead, it has short oral arms that give rise to its scientific name, which means many mouthed hunter. Fast Facts: Cannonball Jellyfish Scientific Name: Stomolophus meleagrisCommon Names: Cannonball jellyfish, cabbagehead jellyfish, jellyballBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateSize: 7-10 inches wide, 5 inches tallWeight: 22.8 ouncesLifespan: 3-6 monthsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf shoresPopulation: DecreasingConservation Status: Not evaluated Description Cannonballs have robust, dome-shaped bells that range from 7 to 10 inches in width and about 5 inches in height. The bell of jellyfish in the Atlantic and Gulf is milky or jelly, often featuring a rim shaded with brown pigment. Cannonball jellyfish from the Pacific are blue. An average cannonball weighs around 22.8 ounces. The cannonball jellyfish has 16 short, forked oral arms and mucus-coated secondary mouth folds or scapulets. The sexes are separate animals, but they look alike. Cannonball jellyfish in the Pacific Ocean are blue. Rodrigo Friscione / Getty Images Habitat and Range The species lives in estuaries and along coastal shorelines of the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. In the western Atlantic, it is found from New England to Brazil. It lives in the eastern Pacific from California to Ecuador, and in the western Pacific from the Sea of Japan to the South China Sea. The cannonball thrives in tropical to semi-tropical saltwater with a temperature around 74 degrees Fahrenheit. Diet The cannonball jellyfish is a carnivore that feeds on fish eggs, red drum fish larvae, and planktonic larvae of mollusks and snails (veligers). The jellyfish feeds by sucking water into its mouth fold when its bell contracts. Behavior Most jellyfish are at the mercy of the wind and waves for movement, but the cannonball uses its oral arms to swim. When the jellyfish is disturbed, it dives deeper into the water and releases toxin-containing mucus. The toxin drives away most predators and may help the cannonball trap and disable small prey. The jellyfish can sense light, gravity, and touch. While social communication between cannonballs is not well-understood, sometimes the jellyfish form large groups. Reproduction and Offspring The cannonball jellyfish life cycle includes sexual and asexual phases. Cannonballs become sexually mature in their medusa state, which is the jellyfish form most people recognize. Male jellyfish eject sperm from their mouths, which are captured by oral arms of females. Special pouches in the oral arms serve as nurseries for the embryos. Three to five hours after fertilization, larvae detach from the pouches and float until they attach themselves to a firm structure. The larvae grow into polyps, which trap small prey with tentacles and reproduce asexually by budding. The offspring detach and become ephyra, which eventually morph into the adult medusa form. The average lifespan of a cannonball jellyfish is 3 to 6 months, but they are preyed upon at all life stages, so few make it to maturity. The jellyfish life cycle includes sexual and asexual phases. Dorling Kindersley / Getty Images Conservation Status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has not assigned the cannonball jellyfish a conservation status. The species is ecologically important because it is the primary prey of the endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The population size varies from year to year. In summer and early autumn, the cannonball jellyfish is the most abundant type of jellyfish off the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Florida. A study conducted by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) from 1989 to 2000 found a steady decline in population numbers. Threats Cannonball jellyfish numbers are highly dependent on water temperature. The species is also affected by water pollution, algae blooms, and prey density. Cannonball jellyfish are at risk from overfishing, but some states oversee management plans for commercial fishing of the species. Cannonball Jellyfish and Humans Dried cannonball jellyfish are in demand as high-protein food and traditional medicine in Asia. Cannonballs commonly wash ashore off the coast of the southeastern United States. In the rare instances of stings, minor skin and eye irritation may result. However, the toxin the jellyfish release when disturbed can cause cardiac problems in humans and animals, including irregular heartbeat and myocardial conduction problems. While dried jellyfish are safe to eat, its best to keep children and pets away from live or beached animals. Sources Corrington, J.D. Commensal association of a spider crab and a medusa. Biology Bulletin. 53:346-350, 1927.  Fautin, Daphne Gail. Reproduction of Cnidaria. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 80 (10): 1735–1754, 2002. doi:10.1139/z02-133Hsieh, Y-H.P.; F.M. Leong; Rudloe, J. Jellyfish as food. Hydrobiologia 451:11-17, 2001.  Shanks, A.L. and W.M. Graham. Chemical defense in a scyphomedusa. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 45: 81–86, 1988. doi:10.3354/meps045081Toom, P.M.; Larsen, J.B.; Chan, D.S.; Pepper, D.A.; Price, W. Cardiac effects of Stomolophus meleagris (cabbage head jellyfish) toxin. Toxicon. 13 (3): 159–164, 1975. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(75)90139-7