The Odyssey Quotes Explained

The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer, tells the tale of war hero Odysseus and his long journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus is known for his wit, craft, and cunning, traits he uses to escape danger and eventually return to Ithaca. The quotes that follow contain some of the most important examples of Odysseus cunning, as well as the importance of other key characters and the significance of poetry and storytelling throughout the text. â€Å"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turnsdriven time and again off course, once he had plunderedthe hallowed heights of Troy.Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove  Ã¢â‚¬â€the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sunand the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return.Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,start from where you will  Ã¢â‚¬â€sing for our time too.†(1.1-12) These opening lines provide a brief synopsis of the plot of the poem. The passage begins with an invocation of the muse and a request for the story of the man of twists and turns. As readers, we learn that we are about to hear the tale of Odysseus—â€Å"the man of twists and turns—who went on a long, difficult journey and attempted (but failed) to bring his comrades home.   The unidentified narrator then requests, â€Å"Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, / start from where you will.† Indeed, The Odyssey starts not at the beginning of Odysseus journey but in the middle of the action: 20 years after his initial departure from Ithaca. By jumping forward and backward in time, Homer provides important details at crucial moments without interrupting the narrative flow. â€Å"Odysseus, master of many exploits, praised the singer:I respect you, Demodocus, more than any man alive —surely the Muse has taught you, Zeus’s daughter,or god Apollo himself. How true to life,all too true . . . you sing the Achaeans’ fate,all they did and suffered, all they soldiered through,as if you were there yourself or heard from one who was.But come now, shift your ground. Sing of the wooden horse.Epeus built with Athena’s help, the cunning trap thatgood Odysseus brought one day to the heights of Troy,filled with fighting men who laid the city waste.Sing that for me —true to life as it deserves —and I will tell the world at once how freelythe Muse gave you the gods’ own gift of song.†(8.544-558) In these lines, Odysseus asks the blind bard Demodocus to regale him with his own story—the story of the Trojan War. Odysseus praises Demodocus for his skill as a storyteller, which surely the Muse has taught [him], and his ability to express powerful, true to life emotions and experiences. Later on in this scene, Odysseus himself weeps as he listens to the tale Demodocus tells. This scene offers insight into the performance of epic poems during Homers era. Poetry was considered a divine gift, bestowed upon storytellers by the muses and capable of inspiring powerful emotions. At the same time, poetic activity was also considered a type of rote work, as storytellers had vast repertories of tales that listeners could request. These lines convey the power and importance of storytelling in the world of The Odyssey, which is itself one of the most famous epic poems in world literature. â€Å"So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops?I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-giftas you’ve promised. Nobody  Ã¢â‚¬â€that’s my name. Nobody  Ã¢â‚¬â€so my mother and father call me, all my friends.But he boomed back at me from his ruthless heart,‘Nobody? I’ll eat Nobody last of all his friends  Ã¢â‚¬â€I’ll eat the others first! That’s my gift to you!†(9.408-14) In this scene, Odysseus uses his wit to escape death by telling the cyclops Polyphemus that his name is â€Å"nobody. After Polyphemus falls asleep, Odysseus and his comrades stab and blind him. Polyphemus cries for help, shouting that Nobodys killing me now by fraud and not by force, but the other Cyclopes misunderstand the statement, believing that Polyphemus is not being killed at all. This scene is representative of Odysseus characteristic trickery. Unlike other classical heroes who overpower their antagonists through brute force, Odysseus uses wordplay and clever schemes to escape danger. The scene is also significant because it provokes the wrath of Polyphemus father Poseidon, who serves as Odysseus primary antagonist for the remainder of his journey. â€Å"Any man —any god who met you —would have to besome champion lying cheat to get past youfor all-round craft and guile! You terrible man,foxy, ingenious, never tired of twists and tricks —so, not even here, on native soil, would you give upthose wily tales that warm the cockles of your heart!Come, enough of this now. We’re both old handsat the arts of intrigue. Here among mortal menyou’re far the best at tactics, spinning yarns,and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,cunning wiles, too.Ah, but you never recognized me, did you?Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus —who alwaysstands beside you, shields you in every exploit:thanks to me the Phaeacians all embraced you warmly.And now I am here once more, to weave a scheme with youand to hide the treasure-trove Phaeacia’s nobleslavished on you then —I willed it, planned it sowhen you set out for home —and to tell you allthe trials you must suffer in your palace...†(13.3 29-48) Athena speaks these lines, revealing her identity, after Odysseus has finally returned to the shores of Ithaca. Athena defines herself as Odysseus helper, ally, and protector; as the goddess presiding over intelligent warfare and the crafts, she is eager to â€Å"weave a scheme† in order to get rid of the suitors threatening Odysseus domain over Ithaca. During the reunion, Athena is full of admiration, categorizing both herself and the cunning Odysseus as â€Å"old hands at the arts of intrigue. â€Å"Give the boy the name I tell you now. Just as Ihave come from afar, creating pain for many —men and women across the good green earth —so let his name be Odysseus...the Son of Pain, a name he’ll earn in full.†(19.460-464) These lines, spoken by Odysseus grandfather Autolycus, offer insight into the origins of Odysseus name. We learn that Autolycus named Odysseus when the hero was an infant. The passage includes another example of word play: the name â€Å"Odysseus† is associated with the Greek verb odussomai—to feel anger toward, to rage or hate. True to his own name, Odysseus both causes and experiences pain throughout his travels. Strange man,wary Penelope said. â€Å"I’m not so proud, so scornful,nor am I overwhelmed by your quick change...You look —how well I know —the way he looked,setting sail from Ithaca years agoaboard the long-oared ship.Come, Eurycleia,move the sturdy bedstead out of our bridal chamber —that room the master built with his own hands,Take it out now, sturdy bed that it is,and spread it deep with fleece,blankets and lustrous throws to keep him warm.(23.192-202) At this point in the poem, Penelope has already tricked the suitors by weaving and unweaving Laertes’ funeral shroud, as well as by making them compete in a rigged game of bow and arrows that only Odysseus could win. Now, in these lines, Penelope tests her very own husband. Odysseus has returned to Ithaca, but Penelope does not yet believe that its really him. As a test, she slyly asks the housekeeper Eurycleia to move their marital bed from her chambers. This is an impossible task, as the bed is built out of an olive tree and cannot be moved, and Odysseus immediate reaction confirms to Penelope that he is indeed her husband. This final trial proves not only that Odysseus has returned at last, but also that Penelopes cunning equals that of her husband.

The Character Quoyle in Annie Proulxs The Shipping News...

The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure - Sven Goran Eriksson. Success is an achievement in life which most people would be appreciative towards, but failure is looked upon in a disgraceful manner. People in society tend to face many challenges that occur in their daily lives. Some of these challenges can affect their lives dramatically in a positive or negative way. If one decides not to surmount their challenges they will suffer within themselves for a long period of time. Having confidence within is considered the greatest way to overcome suffering in life. In the novel, The Shipping News, by Annie Proulx, Quoyle deals with many difficult challenges along his life journey by suffering from bad childhood experiences†¦show more content†¦Quoyle, the main character in the novel, had a rough childhood which was one of the main reasons towards his low confidence level. Quoyle would always get pushed around and walked on which is just like the meaning of his name , Quoyle is a rope that is always tangled together and usually on the floor where people step all over it, which is very similar to Quoyle as a character because his life is also tangled and confusing and he too gets walked all over and pushed around by others. A quote that illustrates how Quoyle felt about his childhood would be, ?This gave me an uneasy feeling, the feeling of standing on a playground watching others play games whose rules I didn?t know.? (Proulx, 63) This demonstrates that even as an adult Quoyle had bad memories as a child that is locked into his mind. Quoyle?s physical appearance has been a great embarrassment for him because he feels as if he is ?ugly? because of his ?monstrous chin? as he calls it and it is shown in the novel that Quoyle hates his chin as well, ?Quoyle put his hand over his chin.? (Proulx, 20) This is one of the constant actions Quoyle does which shows that he is unhappy with his outer appearance. As a child Quoyle has always been isolated, he would always get teased, picked on and pushed around by other and most of the time it would be his brother and father. One of the main reasons he disliked his family was becauseShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence â€Å"Mark. In Annie Proulx’s The800 Words   |  4 Pagesneed two things: ignorance and confidence â€Å"Mark. In Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News the main character Quoyle suffers from a lack of confidence which had started when he was very young being picked on at school and getting harassed at home by his father and brother they were the ones responsible for Quoyles terrible self-image. Quoyles experiences made him think that he cannot do anything right and thinks he will never amount to anything. Quoyle changes from a quiet introvert to a confident individualRead MoreThe Shipping News by Annie Proulx-Navigating the Global Hsc English Extension 11874 Words   |  8 PagesExtension English 1- Assessm ent Task 2-The Shipping News-Task 2(a) Formal Response-By Henri Rutherford Annie Proulx’s prose fiction novel ‘The Shipping News’ explores the complexities of individual’s navigation in our modern and increasingly globalised society. Proulx would agree with the statement ‘The global cannot be all bad nor the local all good. In our lives today, the two must coexist and we must learn to navigate both’, and her text provides evidence to this effect. The novel does notRead MoreThe Impact of Globalization on the World Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pagescommunities can gain from the influence of globalisation, an intrusion of global values upon small local communities can result in confusion and loss of sense of identity amongst individuals. Sophia Coppola’s film ‘lost in translation’, Annie Proulx novel ‘The Shipping News’ and novel ‘the God of Small Things’ by Arandhati Roy all explore the challenges that individuals and communities face in accepting a balance between the local a nd the global and using this balance to find direction. Lost in TranslationRead MoreRobertson Davies Fifth Business, Anne Proulxs The Shipping News, Michael Ondaatjes In the Skin of a Lion, and Jack Hodgins The Invention of the Wo4018 Words   |  17 Pagesfactor in ones identity because place shapes character and events. Robertson Davies Fifth Business, E. Anne Proulxs The Shipping News, Michael Ondaatjes In the Skin of a Lion, and Jack Hodgins The Invention of the World use myth and lore to describe the obstacles which the protagonists and others must get over or confront in order to recover their perspective identities. Place anchors the novels in Canada: Fifth Business in Ontario, The Shipping News in Newfoundland, In the Skin of a Lion in Toronto

Change Management The Komatsu Case Free Essays

string(82) " developing the V 10 plan, aiming to reduce costs by 10% while improving quality\." Organizations are in constant interactions with their environments.   A change in the environment will subsequently cause a change in the organization that interacts with it.   This change can be positive or negative, and in both cases, it alters the organization’s status on many different levels. We will write a custom essay sample on Change Management: The Komatsu Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now    Dealing with this change on all the levels is a key factor in minimizing disruptions to the organization’s functioning and growth.   In other words, change management is â€Å"a managerial and organizational process that realigns an organizations strategy, structure and process in pro-action or reaction to chaos in the environment† (Worthy et. al., 1996, p. 16).   The process of change management, and how it influences an organization’s strategy and management, is analyzed herewith in context of the Komatsu company. Brief History Komatsu Iron Works was a subsidiary of Takeuchi Mining Industry, manufacturing industrial tools for the parent company.   In 1921, the founder of the company, Mr. Takeuchi, incorporated Komatsu Ltd. as an independent company.   Komatsu originally manufactured mining equipment, but started making agricultural equipment such as tractors by 1931.   During the second world war, it was an important manufacturer of tanks, bulldozers, and other heavy machinery.   Post-war, Komatsu began focusing on the earth moving equipment (EME market).   In the 1950s, the company’s machinery was in demand because of the ongoing postwar construction in Japan.   Although its customer base was strong at that time, Komatsu did not command a significant market share, and the quality of its machines was inadequate.   This was a major factor in customer dissatisfaction, however, the Japanese manufacturers operated in a protected environment at that time, with no significant foreign competit ors. In 1963, the Japanese Ministry of Trade allowed the entry of foreign EME manufacturers in Japan.   This signaled a complete change in Komatsu’s market environment.   Now the competition extended to foreign counterparts, most of whom had long been established as market leaders in the EME category.   The following sections discuss Komatsu’s strategies for managing these challenges, and how they dealt with change in the process. Competition Major heavy machinery manufacturers like Caterpillar, J.I. Case, Fiat-Ellis and John Deere were all technologically more advanced than Komatsu, and had widespread dealer networks and manufacturing bases.   The most formidable competitor in the EME segment was Caterpillar, the world’s largest manufacturer of heavy machinery.   Caterpillar’s equipment was much more sophisticated and of a higher quality, and its distributor and dealer network was very solid.   Komatsu realized then that it was imperative for the company to upgrade its products and operations, in order to survive the competition. The company was headed at the time by Yashinari Kawai, who recognized the urgent need to revamp the company’s product quality, both technically and functionally.   In order to bring Komatsu products up to date, the company signed licensing arrangements with two major EME manufacturers, International Harvester and Bucyrus Erie.   This gave Komatsu the opportunity to improve the equipment quality for the agricultural and the industrial sector. In addition, Kawai implemented the Japanese concept of TQC (Total quality Control), which led to a huge improvement in the performance, reliability, and durability of the equipment.   This was one of the major change management challenges that Kawai handled successfully.   Kawai realized that in order to change the customers’ perception of Komatsu products, it was first necessary to change the employees’ own view of the kind of products that the company made. Changing the mindset of every employee and incorporating the philosophy of uncompromised quality at every level in the company required a strong, skillful leader.   Kawai manouvered this change implementation by open communication, reward, and most importantly, setting an example for all employees by involving everyone from the top management to the shopfloor workers, in this endeavor.  Ã‚   When Komatsu was awarded the Deming Prize for quality control just 3 years later, it served as a huge morale booster for the company. Another major change measure implemented at this time was Project A.   In the first phase of this project, the employees were instructed to ignore costs and concentrate solely on achieving the best possible quality for their equipment.   Once this goal was achieved, the second phase of Project A was implemented, focusing on cost reduction.   Each and every aspect of design and manufacturing was closely scrutinized, checking for bottlenecks and wastage of resources. This resulted in a lean, finely-tuned manufacturing process, that complemented the high quality of Komatsu’s equipment.   From 1965 to 1970, the company’s domestic market share grew from 50% to 65%, despite the presence of Mitsubishi-Caterpillar.   According to Kawai, this feat was achieved largely due to the employee morale and drive at Komatsu.   In his words, â€Å"the prevailing atmosphere was that of a crisis, resulting in a spirit of unity between the management and the staff†.   This company-wide presence of a common goal took precedence over management and labor issues, and resulted in highly successful change management. Komatsu had implemented a two-pronged strategy to achieve success – vertical integration and TQC.   Vertical integration meant that the entire line of business had to be perfectly aligned and free of defects, right from the bottom.   To ensure this, they started with quality raw materials.   The second aspect was TQC – incorporating the philosophy of quality control everywhere and within everyone in the company.   Komatsu also extended the TQC strategy to its dealerships, encouraging them to implement the system.   This strategy of tackling the problem at the root and improvising upon it was the key to strong growth, and enabled Komatsu to offer formidable competition to Caterpillar – accomplishing what other companies such as J.I. Case and John Deere could not. Business Environment From the time Komatsu started implementing change, the business environment was constantly shifting, in terms of demand, cost advantage, and regulations.   By mid-1970s, the domestic market for EME was stagnating, with Komatsu having 60% of the market, and the Mitsubishi-Caterpillar partnership having 30%.   Growth was slowing down in the less developed countries too.   Komatsu’s management responded by developing the V 10 plan, aiming to reduce costs by 10% while improving quality. You read "Change Management: The Komatsu Case" in category "Essay examples"   In 1976, an unexpected event in the financial markets caused further concern.   The Japanese Yen was appreciating rapidly against the dollar, rising from 293 in 1976 to 240 in 1977.   To cushion the company’s exports, Komatsu’s management followed an internal exchange rate of 180 yen to the dollar.   This ensured that Komatsu’s costs and pricing were well-adjusted to the market conditio ns, and their exports did not suffer.   Komatsu’s policy of anticipating change and fortifying the company against any adverse effects again worked to its advantage. Problems faced by Komatsu Exporting their equipment to other countries had always been a part of Komatsu’s vision.   This goal constituted the company’s Project B.   With their improved and technically capable equipment, by 1970 Kawai was eager to launch major international operations for the company.   However, there were considerable barriers to this end – Komatsu’s limited international recognition and dealer base, fierce competition, and legal regulations. The technology license that it had obtained from International Harvester and Bucyrus Erie had imposed export restrictions on them.   Komatsu recognized this as an impediment, and established its RD laboratory in 1966.   But there were still significant requirements for establishing an international market presence.   Caterpillar, for example, had its dealership centers across the globe, some of which were exclusive dealerships.   This made it difficult for Komatsu, with its relatively limited product line and manufacturing base, to create the required dealer network.   In order to overcome this obstacle, Komatsu priced its products 30 to 40 percent below Caterpillar’s.   This allowed them to get the intial foothold in the international markets.   Komatsu also benefited from the increased demand for construction machinery in less developed countres in Asia and Mexico, and in Saudi Arabia. In the 1970s, Komatsu had also started expanding its product line.   Ryoichi Kawai, now the president of Komatsu, made special efforts to build and develop international client and dealer relationships.   He also instructed managers to regularly visit customers, and get first hand information on their requirements and issues.   Keeping abreast of technological changes and being one of the first to adopt and incorporate new technology in its equipment was a key factor to success. Komatsu incorporated electronic technology into all its machinery, creating differentiated, high quality products.   In 1979, the worldwide construction industry was at a low.   To combat the depressed economy, Komatsu’s management launched the â€Å"F and F† or Future and Frontiers program, formulated to develop new products and new businesses.   Once again, a companywide buzz was created, and suggestions were welcomed from every level within the company.   These suggestions resulted in the production of diverse new products such as arc-welding robots and an excavating system for deep-sea sand. In the early 1980s, Komatsu objected to the export restrictions which still continued to be imposed on it by Bucyrus Erie.   Komatsu won this appeal and gained export rights from Bucyrus Erie.   It also managed to free itself from the agreement with International Harvester, and gained full freedom to export its equipment worldwide.   This was a major milestone for Komatsu, and the company took full advantage of its established quality and dealerships.   It also capitalized on the embargo that prevented Caterpillar from exporting to Russia in the early 1980s.   In 1981, the Siberian Natural Resource Project was handed over entirely to Komatsu.   In a short while, Komatsu was expected to outperform Caterpillar in the Russian market. As their international customer base increased, so did the need for customized equipment for different countries, based on the type of work, environment, and legal regulations.   Designing customized equipment for each customer separately was not cost effective.   To counter this, the management adopted the policy of EPOCHS – Efficient Production-Oriented Choice Specifications.   The idea was to save costs by standardizing production modules for core projects along with the required number of parts, and adding different specifications as necessary. Around this time, the increasing freight and shipping costs, and Japan’s strained trade relations with the US and Europe were increasingly becoming a cause for concern.   It was during this time that the US automakers opposed the import of Japanese cars in the market, and Komatsu was fearful that a similar plea might be raised by Caterpillar and other heavy-machinery manufacturers. In order to curb these potential problems, Komatsu manufactured the core parts of its equipment in all its plants.   This reduced the shipping frequency as well as the freight costs.   It also developed assembly bases in Brazil and Mexico, and was working on a joint venture proposal with its dealer in Indonesia. Current Situation and Options The case refers to the scenario in 1984, a period of recession around the world.   The building and construction industry was also affected, with most players assuming some losses.   The biggest source of concern for Komatsu, however, was Caterpillar.   Caterpillar had experienced its third consecutive year of losses, and was in the midst of a major labor strike.   Kawai knew that this was an opportunity to take over where Caterpillar faltered – but it was also an indication of the increasingly difficult   business environment.   Witnessing a large, successful company like Caterpillar struggling to retain its position in the market, Kawai became concerned about Komatsu, and what it could do to avoid being in a similar situation. Komatsu’s options were centered around keeping a close watch on the market and on Caterpillar.   Komatsu employees were in the habit of reading Caterpillar’s monthly news bulletins and press releases, in order to stay informed regarding their competitor’s activities and plans.   Komatsu also realized the need to keep its labor force functioning, and continue keeping the costs down.   Their international operations also had to be strengthened at this time, capitalizing on Caterpillar’s compromised position.  Ã‚   These options are evaluated in the following section. Recommendations In keeping with its established policy, Komatsu should place particular emphasis on anticipating change and devising measures to optimize the benefits while curbing the negative effects.   To an extent, it was complacency that had cost Caterpillar – the managers’ priority was on increasing the customer base without addressing customer value or employee needs.   Therefore, managing labor relations is one of the most important issues for Komatsu.   The workers at Komatsu earn significantly lesser than their counterparts at Caterpillar.   However, this is offset by high employee morale and  Ã‚   strong labor-management relations.   Maintaining this status is extremely important for Komatsu, both in terms of employee productivity and controlling costs by minimizing overhead. The second recommendation for Komatsu would be to strengthen its international presence.   With the capital that it has accumulated, Komatsu is in a position to either buy out a number of smaller competitors, or acquire a successful ally.   This would further consolidate Komatsu’s manufacturing operations and distributor channels.   It should also continue its RD efforts and product diversification plans, and stay ahead of the competition.   If necessary, Komatsu can form a joint venture with a company to ease the manufacturing and operations of diversified products. References Worley, C.G., Hitchen, D.E., Ross, W.L. (1996). Integrated strategic change: How OD builds a competitive advantage. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. How to cite Change Management: The Komatsu Case, Essay examples