The Application Of Competitive Strategy Dynamics Essay

THE APPLICATION OF COMPETITIVE STRATEGY DYNAMICS: A CASE STUDY OF STARBUCKS CORPORATION Abstract Firms that earn persistently higher levels of profit than competitors have a competitive advantage (Grant, 2008; Porter 1985). Michael Porters famous five forces of competitive position model provide a simple perspective for assessing and analyzing the competitive strength of a corporation or business organization. The competitive advantage (CA) model of Porter learns that competitive strategy is all about taking offensive or defensive action to create a defensive action to create a defendable position in an industry in order to cope successfully with competitive forces and generate a superior return on investment. Starbucks is a notable company that can be useful to researchers and industry observers who want to understand the underlying factors for a company to achieve a sustainable competitive strategic position in an ever-saturating industry. Starbucks is an exemplary company that has continued to succeed with a new take on an established product, coffee. On July 21, 2016, Starb ucks corporation reported 3rd quarter 2016 earnings of 0.49 per share. This result is in line with the consensus of the 27 analysts following the company and this exceeded 2015’s 3rd quarter result by 16.67%. Given this background, a case study of Starbucks is presented and analyzed in this writing to determine and evaluate their competitive strategic dynamics. Company Profile The firstShow MoreRelatedAssessment: Googles Business Strategies and Competitive Advantages1703 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Assessment of Googles Business Strategies and Competitive Advantages Introduction The generic strategies that service businesses rely on have significant implications on how effective they are in setting accurate expectations while also consistently delivering an excellent customer experience. 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Marketing Orientation - 6794 Words

Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit tChapter 1: An Overview of Marketing Learning Objectives 1 Define the term marketing Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders. 2 Describe four marketing management philosophies Four competing philosophies strongly influence the role of marketing and marketing activities within an organization. These philosophies are commonly referred to as production,†¦show more content†¦C. The Concept of Exchange The concept of exchange means that people give up something in order to receive something that they would rather have. 1. The usual medium of exchange is money. Exchange can also be through barter or trade of items or services. 2. Five conditions must be satisfied for an exchange to take place: There must be at least two parties. Each party has something that might be of value to the other party. Each party is capable of communication and delivery. Each party is free to accept or reject the exchange offer. Each party believes it is appropriate or desirable to deal with the other party. Exchange may not take place even if all of these conditions exist, but these conditions are necessary for exchange to be possible. 2 Describe four marketing management philosophies II. Marketing Management Philosophies Four competing philosophies strongly influence an organization’s marketing activities. These philosophies are commonly referred to as production, sales, marketing, and societal orientations. A. Production Orientation The production orientation focuses on internal capabilities of the firm rather than on the desires and needs of the marketplace. 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Aboriginal People and Alcoholism

Question: Write an essay on "Aboriginal People and Alcoholism". Answer: Introduction: Alcohol is considered as a psychoactive drug, which is widely used in Australia. According to the survey of NDSHS in 2007, 82.9% of Australian people aged over 14 years old consumed alcohol within last 12 months. According to the 2001 Australian Alcohol Guidelines, NDSHS showed that 20.4% of the Australians consumed alcohol at high risk. According to Saitz (2010), 80% of the total number of the alcohol consumption is contributed by the Aboriginal people in Australia. The indigenous Australians contribute only 2.6% of total Australian population. However, it is found that the health and social problems due to alcohol consumption faced by them are not negligible. According to Salmon (2011), the burden of alcohol-related disease, as well as antisocial incidences experienced by the Aboriginal people, is almost double than that of the common Australian people. Despite all of these facts it is also important to mention that reporting of health issues experienced by the Aboriginal people especially alcohol related is overwhelming. Today, it is fair to admit that with the evolution of technologies the role of media has also evolved and now become a part of entertainment (Ward et al., 2013). Therefore, in most of the cases, it is found that the facts or evidence are often masked by the media, who presents news in a new "package." However, the role played by media to reach the ears of common people and dig the truth is convenient as well as beneficial for the society. In this paper, it is aimed to analyse minimum five articles, which covers health related issues of the Aboriginal people due to alcohol consumption and evaluate how these articles can contribute to cultural competence in health care. Article1: Six-month grog ban won't work: Carpenter, June 25, 2007 Key Issues This article was published in The Sydney Morning Herald, June 25, 2007. According to West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter, banning of alcohol consumption in the Northern Territory Aboriginal Communities is no helpful to reduce child sexual abuse. Last week, Prime Minister John Howard declared a list of several steps in order to stop the abuse of children in the Aboriginal communities, which includes mandatory health checks for the children and alcohol ban. Although most of the initiatives were appreciated by other, Mr. Carpenter argued and stated that a six-month alcohol ban is not enough to control child abuse. It is evident that a large number of Aboriginal communities in Western Australia are dry, but the rate of child abuse is not negligible. However, Mr. Carpenter agreed that the presence of police in the community was helpful to address the matter. Links to models and approaches According to Hopkins et al., (2012), people who belong to the minority group (Aboriginal community) are less educated and follow their distinct cultures. Therefore, controlling the lifestyle of the minority group is not an easy task for the government of Australia. Although it is noticed that the successful implementation of several laws helped to control the lifestyle of the Aboriginal people, it is not possible to modify them according to the civilizing rule of Australia. Reducing child abuse among the Aboriginal people is, therefore, a critical task but not an impossible one. How the material affects current debate Although this article was published in 2007, the matter of this news article is still valuable and related to the current situation. With the evaluation of the current situation of the Aboriginal communities, it can be said that the incidences of child abuse are not rare. The current situation also emphasizes that the steps or initiatives taken by John Howard were not successful to meet their aim. On the other hand, according to a recent survey, the rate of sexual abuse among the children has increased from the last couple of years. Therefore, it can be said that the government needs to take firm steps to control the situation and save the life of Aboriginal children. Article2: Alcohol bans without support 'inhumane', Penelope Debelle, 2008 Key Issues This article was published in The Age. Banning alcohol in Aboriginal communities is one of the most critical tasks. Although the government took several initiatives to ban alcohol consumption in the Aboriginal community, it is found that the mission was never fully successful. Banning alcohol in a community without providing supportive services such as suicide prevention or counselling is inhuman. Professor Stanley indicated that this was the main reason behind the failure of the program "close the gap." The project was fully successfully only in the West Australian Kimberley town only after the death of 22 people due to drug or alcohol consumption. Professor Stanley stated that Australia is still a racist country, and the Aboriginal people are the victim of the situation. Links to models and approaches According to Perreault (2011), consumption of alcohol is the root of disaster and all of the antisocial activities among the people in Aboriginal people. The rehabilitation program arranged by the government, in most of the cases tastes failure due to the lack of proper infrastructure (Calabria et al, 2010). When the government is thinking to ban alcohol consumption, they need to follow a proper procedure and offer proper rehabilitation program. However, it is recognized that the initiative taken by the government is not only illogical but also inhuman. How the material affects current debate With the current political focus, it is recognized that the number of Aboriginal people who seeks rehabilitation and cure from alcohol addiction is very few. In this situation, when media reflects more about the wrong procedures are taken by the Australian government, it generates miscommunication and unrest among the Aboriginal people. The miscommunication conducted by the media by the overwhelming focus on this topic influence the Aboriginal people to believe that they are not much of importance their government. Article3: Indigenous health: No alcohol debit card backed by Noel Pearson divides Kununurra, Daisy Dumas, 2015 Key Issues In Kununurra and northern West Australian region alcoholism and drug abuse is a very common incident. The attendance of school is lowest in this part of the country. The Kimberleys Empowered Communities Group took initiatives and met with Tony Abbott (former Prime Minister) and came up with a radical and blunt economic instrument in order to control the crisis among the Aboriginal communities. According to the plan, eligible personals in this area will receive debit cards, where 80% money will be secured and cannot be used to buy any illegal drug or alcohol. Although this is a trial program, most of the Aboriginal people are against this initiative. Links to models and approaches According to the research study of Niccols et al. (2010), the reason behind the lack of development and crisis among the indigenous people is their addiction towards alcohol and drugs. In order to control their expenditure on alcohol and drugs, the government needs to take several steps. According to Razack (2011), controlling the expenditure and saving money is the only way to help the Aboriginal people to lead a better life. Therefore, restrain the personal expenditure by the government could be proved as fruitful to help the new generations in Aboriginal community to lead a better life. How the material affects current debate Although the steps taken by the former Prime Minister Tony Abbott was still in trial, it can be said the initiatives taken by him and the community is highly controversial. The media played an interesting role to elaborate the good and bad side of this project. However, media also emphasized the feelings of the Aboriginal people and focused extravagantly on the poor condition of the Aboriginal people and their almost cashless condition. This step encouraged the debate of highlighting their cashless condition and restricting the use of their health. Article 4: A burden too heavy to carry?, Russell Skelton, 2012 Key Issues This article was published in The Age in 2012. From this article, it is found that the Northern Territory government is relaxing the drinking laws of the states. According to Mrs. Campbell in the article, it is found that she is a mother of four children and strictly against the relaxation in laws. The moves taken by the government in those regions were not only acceptable but inhuman. The government in those regions also demolished the rules of banning drinkers and necessity of showing ID documents while purchasing the alcohol from shops. The relaxation in liquor laws in the Aboriginal communities is a political move, which is rejected by most of the common people. Links to models and approaches According to Conigrave et al. (2012), the government only have the power to take initiatives in order to inhibit alcohol consumption among the Aboriginal people. When the government takes initiatives to relax the laws, which were meant to protect the humanity and reduce the health-related problems due to alcohol consumption, it will evidently lead towards chaos. Relaxation to laws about alcohol consumption is not desirable as it can lead to the deterioration of the lifestyle of the common people of the Aboriginal community. How the material affects current debate Considering the current political condition, it can be said that the Australian government is trying their best to abolish alcoholism. However, publications of media, which emphasizes the relaxation in laws that prohibits alcohol and drug consumption, can lead towards chaos (Calabria et al, 2013). May be this news has some evidence, but it is not true that the law relaxation is taking place in all of the Aboriginal religions. Therefore, releasing the news of the relaxation in laws related to alcoholism is not beneficial to maintain peace in all over the country and help the Aboriginal people to lead a better life. Article 5: ACT budget to provide millions for drug rehab and treatment, Christopher Knaus, 2016 Key Issues This article was published in The Age, 2016. The ongoing drug rehabilitation program in Australia is going to have additional $6 million in the budgets of ACT in next month (June). However, the oppositions are concerned about the funding, as they consider that this funding announcement is just the re-announcement. According to the oppositions, it is may be disingenuous to allot $6 million as fresh money. In recent years, the drug support programs are increasingly stretched and becoming more demanding. Last year the government announced $800,000 in order to boost the program. The program includes combat against drug addiction, alcoholism as well as ice addiction among the Aboriginal people. Links to models and approaches According to the study of Carter (2011), it is the government, who can take best steps to control alcohol consumptions and drug addictions among the aboriginal people. However, it is also important to consider the budget of the program. In most of the cases, it is recognized that the allowance of the government for the rehabilitation program cost the government most (Wilson et al., 2010). Declaration of the huge amount of money to encourage the Aboriginal people to lead a better life is very generous but may not be fruitful. The government needs to distribute money among the Aboriginal communities and different programs equally so that it covers all aspects and help the indigenous people to lead a better people. How the material affects current debate This piece of news material is very recently published in The Age and currently considered as a hot topic. The allowance of $6 million on the project is grabbing the attention of oppositions as well as the common people. It is found that the unrest is growing among the common people since this program is costing the government more than $17.2 million in a year (Zubrick et al., 2010). However, the result of the program is not satisfactory as the alcohol-related issues in the Aboriginal region are overwhelming. Personal Reflection: The author of this article reflected how the government is fighting alcoholism and trying to help the indigenous people. The initiatives taken by the Australian government to help the Aboriginal people is no doubt admiring, but there are several shreds of evidence found in the media that emphasizes that not all of the steps taken by the government are right. Although most of the cases it is found that the media articles masks the truth and presents the facts in an entertaining package, in this case, it is recognized that the selected articles in this topic are helpful to cover all aspects of this issue. The declaration of $6 million for the welfare of the Aboriginal people is not only helpful but also admiring. However, the relaxations in the laws related to alcoholism are not desirable. Relaxation of laws is not helpful to improve the present condition of the Aboriginal people. Conclusion: After reviewing the media publications on the topic, it can be concluded that all of the steps taken by the government are not admirable. The Aboriginal people in Australia are dealing with more than one problem. Alcoholism is one of the most concerning issue faced by the Aboriginal people. The negative impact of alcoholism is reflected in their society, culture and behaviour. The increasing rate of child abuse and crisis for food is the result of alcoholism and extensive drug abuse. The presence of police patrol car in the community is helpful to control the situation and save the life of the children. However, health security still needs to be considered with highest priority. On the other hand, the relaxation of laws related to alcohol consumption and dealing is not only unwanted in the society but also against the humanity. The Australian government needs to think about the alcohol-related issued that experienced by the indigenous people with highest priority. The role played by the media to enlighten the truth is very helpful to identify the issues of the society that needs to be taken care of. Reference 'inhumane', A. (2008).Alcohol bans without support 'inhumane'.The Age. Calabria, B., Clifford, A., Shakeshaft, A., Allan, J., Bliss, D., Doran, C. (2013). The acceptability to Aboriginal Australians of a familyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ based intervention to reduce alcoholà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ related harms.Drug and alcohol review,32(3), 328-332. Calabria, B., Doran, C. M., Vos, T., Shakeshaft, A. P., Hall, W. (2010). Epidemiology of alcoholà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ related burden of disease among Indigenous Australians.Australian and New Zealand journal of public health,34(s1), S47-S51. Carpenter, S. (2007).Six-month grog ban won't work: Carpenter. Carter, T. (2011). Literature review on issues and needs of Aboriginal people. Conigrave, K., Freeman, B., Caroll, T., Simpson, L., Lee, K. K., Wade, V., ... Freeburn, B. (2012). The Alcohol Awareness project: community education and brief intervention in an urban Aboriginal setting.Health Promotion Journal of Australia,23(3), 219-225. Dumas, D. (2015).Indigenous health: No alcohol debit card backed by Noel Pearson divides Kununurra.The Age. Hopkins, K. D., Taylor, C. L., DAntoine, H., Zubrick, S. R. (2012). Predictors of resilient psychosocial functioning in Western Australian Aboriginal young people exposed to high family-level risk. InThe Social Ecology of Resilience(pp. 425-440). Knaus, C. (2016).ACT budget to provide millions for drug rehab and treatment.The Age. Niccols, A., Dell, C. A., Clarke, S. (2010). Treatment issues for Aboriginal mothers with substance use problems and their children.International journal of mental health and addiction,8(2), 320-335.

The Train from Rhodesia †Final Draft Essay Example

The Train from Rhodesia – Final Draft Paper Analyze the use of characterization in The Train from Rhodesia Poverty, prejudice, racism, and white-supremacy, are all controversial topics that Nadine Gordimer, an eminent South African writer, touches on through her writing. Being part of the anti-apartheid movement herself, her writing establishes a lot of the hardships that the native Afrikaans people underwent. The short-story, â€Å"The Train from Rhodesia†, is a perfect example of the manner in which Gordimer discusses controversial topics in her writing. Throughout the story, she elaborates on the great contrast between the white and the native Afrikaans people living in South Africa during the time of the apartheid. By reading this short-story, readers are able to gain an insight on the lives of the natives in contrast to the lives of the wealthy white South Africans. By contrasting the white, the natives, as well as the husband and wife, Gordimer communicates her intention of emphasizing the harsh realities of the natives’ lives and their roles in society through the use of the literary technique of characterization. We will write a custom essay sample on The Train from Rhodesia – Final Draft specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Train from Rhodesia – Final Draft specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Train from Rhodesia – Final Draft specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer By utilizing the characters in the story, Gordimer is able to express how powerless in society the natives are in addition to the severity of their living conditions. In the beginning of the story when â€Å"the stationmaster’s barefoot children [wander] over†(41) down to the track, they are referred to as â€Å"picannins†(41). Not only is referring to the children as picannins pejorative, but the detail included by Gordimer that they are barefoot suggests their poverty and inability to obtain the bare necessities to live sufficiently. As the paragraph progresses, Gordimer writes how the sand â€Å"close[s] over the children’s black feet softly and without imprint†(41). The choice of the diction used to illustrate the children’s feet as â€Å"black† emphasizes that Gordimer is forcefully trying to stress how dirty, thus poor, the natives really are. What Gordimer also deliberately implements is the imagery of the children leaving no im print in the sand. Suggestively, the image created represents how powerless and non-existent they are in this society as they leave without an imprint in the sand. Similarly, new characters are introduced from the train and station to signify the helplessness of the natives and show their astringent lives. Desperately trying to sell their products, â€Å"all up and down the length of the train in the dust the artists [jump about], walking bent, like performing animals†(42). To begin with, the way in which the artists have to perform like animals insinuates that the natives are in great need of money in order to survive. Again, a derogative indication is made when they are referred to as â€Å"animals† which puts stress on their position in society. Seeing as the people that they are performing to are white, they have to act as though they are cheerful although in reality they are starving and unhappy. An example of the mock happiness is represented in the phrase, â€Å"[t]he old man held it up to her smiling, not from the heart, but at the customer.†(42) The old man is just another native trying to sell his products; howeve r, he holds great pride in his work unlike the other desperate natives who hold money as their greatest concern. Thus, this sentence accentuates how hard the natives’ lives are as they have to try so hard to receive such a small amount of income. Since they do not have the means to survive in the environment they live in, they are so helpless and rely on the white people for hope of money. Moreover, many of the natives that are on the platform are young children who say â€Å"give me penny†(42) when they have nothing to sell. Their incorrect English indicates that they are not educated which is the result of their impoverishment. Also, readers feel more sympathy and truly see the privation of the locals as it has come to the point where even young children are begging for some source of money to survive in their infertile environment. Furthermore, Gordimer describes the station master’s children as â€Å"career[ing] over the sand, clutching the bread†¦through the garden in which nothing [grows]†(43). Since food is so scarce for the locals, Gordimer emphasizes the â€Å"clutching† of the bread to prove just how protective they are of the food they have. As the children cannot afford to lose the loaves of bread as they live in â€Å"the garden in which nothing [grows]†, it displays how they live in an uncultivable environment which specifies how much struggle the natives go through. Additionally, the powerlessness of the natives is further emphasized through the old man’s character. When he bargains with the lady and her husband, he refers to the husband as â€Å"baas† meaning master in the Afrikaans language. As the natives were inferior to white people during this time period, the old man calls him â€Å"baas,† indicating the praise and politeness shown to express the due respect for him. To successfully sell his products, the old man is required to belittle himself to make known that he is of a lower status. Once the train begins to leave, â€Å"the yells of the natives, running alongside, [jets] up into the air, [falling] back at different levels†(44). In this particular line, a strong image is depicted of the natives running with the train as a last hope for an exchange of their products. Gordimer purposefully portrays the image of the natives running to force the readers to understand their desperation. Realizing that he has no chance of selling his product for the price he has set, the old man succumbs and says â€Å"Here, one-and-six baas!†(44). He then proceeds to â€Å"[fling] his lion†(44) to the man in the moving train even though, initially, the lion is so precious to him. His pride in his work along with his dignity has been diminished as a result, displaying the lack of social power the locals possess. In addition, after the exchange has been made between the husband and the old man, he â€Å"[stands], breath blowing out the skin between his ribs, feet tense, balanced in the sand, smiling and shaking his head†(44). The image revealed shows how thin the old man is to the point where his ribs are protruding from his body. As readers, there is a sense of understanding of how the lives of the natives are corrupt as they are malnourished and persevering for survival. The old man smiles and shakes his head because he was able to sell his product; yet, he has not gained much to survive which reverts to the former idea that white people are more affluent compared to the inhabitants. However, despite the seriousness of his reality, the man opens his palm and appreciates the little money he receives. To conclude, the natives, including the old man, play a great role in communicating Gordimer’s intention, which is to display the true difficulties of the natives’ lives in addition to their lack of power in the apartheid society. In contrast to the natives’ poverty and suppressed position, Gordimer applies characterization through the white characters to accentuate their authority and greater wealth in society. In the story, when the old man comes to sell his products, the woman urges, â€Å"[n]o, no†(42) and leans down towards him while she commands her hand to the lion. The way she is leaning down to him and commanding her hand shows that she is asserting her power over him as she is from a higher status. Even the position of the woman being above him explicitly indicates her status which is above his. Pursuing this further, the young woman says no to the old man and explains that it is â€Å"too expensive, too much† as she â€Å"[shakes] her head and raise[s] her voice to [him]†(43). The readers know that the young woman has enough money to pay the price the old man is asking for; therefore, it shows a great contrast in her wealth and his poverty. In the same way, the manner in which she raises her voice to him affirms the authority and control that she has over the helpless old native man. Also, the young woman’s husband loudly insists, â€Å"Three-and-six?†(43) as though he is extremely shocked with the high price of the lion. Although he is capable of buying it for its original value, he knows he has a chance to reduce the price and pay for a lesser value. Blatantly, he tries to bargain with the man which again confirms the poverty and lack of power. With regard to the white people, it is apparent that they are not concerned with the wellbeing of the locals which puts emphasis on their irrefutable reality. For instance, in the story, â€Å"a girl [collects] a handful of the hard kind, that no one like[s], out of the chocolate box, and throw[s] them to the dogs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (43). Although the white girl is relatively young, she is oblivious to the fact that she is wasting precious food that the natives would greatly appreciate. Instead of giving the chocolate to the native children or to the natives in general, she throws them to the dogs. Through this excerpt, Gordimer is trying to imply that the inhabitants are treated commensurate to lower life; thus, have a low status in society. Another example is when a man passing by the train notices the â€Å"faces, behind glass, drinking beer, two by two†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (42). Whilst all the hustling, bargaining, and begging of the natives is occurring outside the train, inside the train the white people are enjoying their time by indulging in activities like drinking beer together. The contrast between the lifestyle of the white people and the lifestyle of the natives is made clearer through the actions of the white people in the train. In addition, during the train stop, â€Å"a few men who had [gotten] down to stretch their legs [spring] onto the train†¦safe from the one dusty platform†(44). This line stipulates that the stop is merely just a break for the white people to get off, â€Å"stretch their legs†, and have some fresh air. For them, the stop is not meaningful; however, the natives treasure the time they have while the train is still on the platform as it is their one and only hope to make money. Detectably, Gordimer shows the white people being uncomfortable of the natives through the image of them wanting to get off of the d usty platform to further emphasize their different statuses. Evidently, the lack of care the white people have towards the native’s stresses their nonexistent importance in society. As a final point, the difference in the value of money for the white people and the value of money for the natives are shown when the young woman’s husband â€Å"fumble[s] wildly down his pocket, [bringing] up the shilling and sixpence and [throws] them out†(44). Since the young man insouciantly holds the coins in his pocket, it indicates that the money is not extremely valuable to him which is in contrast to the old man’s view of that money. Also, the way the young man ‘throws’ the money out of the train shows how little that money is worth to him. If that money is so irrelevant to him, then it is not necessary for him to bargain for the product. This again shows the difference in position of power. The young man knows he can bargain, thus he takes advantage of his authority in order to bring down the price. Indeed, the use of characterization through the white people in the â€Å"The Train from Rhodesia† shows Gordimer’s intent, which is to stress the fortune of the white people to show the penury of the natives. Admittedly, Gordimer’s use of characterization to show the contrast between the two main characters of the story, the husband and wife, further accentuates her intention to show the devastating lives of the natives and their misfortune. Throughout the story, readers are apprised that the young woman is the more understanding character as opposed to her husband who is inconsiderate and thoughtless. Even though at first the woman refuses to buy the lion the man was selling, she did not insist or try to bargain with him. In fact, when she says â€Å"No, never mind†¦leave it†(43), she is realizing that the old man takes pride in his lion; therefore, deserves a customer who would appreciate it for its set value. She understands the importance of his dignity as she can infer that they are not wealthy. In contrast, her husband’s actions show disrespect towards the natives. After his bargain with the old man, he â€Å"[swings] in from the corridor, breathless†¦shaking his head with laughter and triumph†(45). The young husband’s breathlessness lays emphasis on his excitement for being able to get the lion for a cheaper price. His feeling of triumph for getting the lion cheaper shows how insignificant the lion is to him than the actual bargaining for it. His ignorance to the reality of the struggle the natives face every day to survive shows his insensitivity. Not only does he feel triumphant in his bargain, but he particularizes by saying, â€Å"I was arguing with him for fun, bargaining – when the train pulled out already, he came tearing after†¦One-and-six baas! So there’s your lion†(45). The fact that he argued for â€Å"fun† implies that he cannot empathize with the natives and does not realize the sadness of the reality. He thinks it is simply a form of entertainment and acts as though he wants his wife’s approval and felicitation; however, he cannot comprehend the gravity of the situation for the man as it is a matter of survival for him. Therefore, the young husband’s insolence represents the way society treats the local inhabitants and how inconsequen tial their existence is. Furthermore, the true hardships that the black people face are accentuated by the wife’s disgust towards her husband’s actions and behaviour. For example, when she realizes that the man she has just married is â€Å"for good now†(44), she feels odd as though she does not truly know him. Her difference of opinion separates her from him and all the other white members on the train. Thus, she is the only person who can truly empathize with the natives. In the line, â€Å"her face was drawn up, wryly, like the face of a discomforted child. Her mouth lifted nervously at the corner.†(45), her appearance of disfavor reflects on her feeling of guilt. This guiltiness is caused by the fact that she, being the only one, can see how her husband’s actions can be detrimental towards the old native man. Following this further, she says, â€Å"If you wanted the thing†¦why didn’t you pay for it? Why didn’t you take it decently, when he offered it? Why did you have to wait for him to run after the train with it, and give him one-and-six? One-and-six!†(45). Evidently, she is extremely angry at her husband for putting the suffering old man through another distressing situation when he already has nothing to begin with. The young woman’s respectability and morals indicate that she understands the hardship of the black natives in this society. What makes her particularly infuriated and remorseful is that she knows they are much wealthier compared to the natives and still her husband chooses to bargain for the lion. Consequently, her husband is â€Å"shocked by the dismay of her face†(45) as if he believes that he has done nothing wrong. Although she sees his callousness for being entertained by a bargain, he is confused by her shock which implies that the natives are that insignificant to him. Just like most of the white people in South Africa during th e apartheid, he believes that there is nothing wrong with the corrupt black natives. Thus, his enjoyment is his prime concern instead of the awful lives the natives live. In conclusion, the contrast between the husband’s coldness and the wife’s compassion towards the natives, expresses how unimportant the natives are which emphasizes their struggle in this society. In final analysis, Gordimer uses the literary technique of characterization as a tool to develop her intention that the natives’ role in society and their exigent reality are partial. She shows this through through the white characters and the native characters. Gordimer’s influence from the anti-apartheid has permitted her to strengthen her messages of prejudice, racism, and poverty in her writing. Through her stories including â€Å"The Train from Rhodesia†, she has been able to transfer the struggle the natives faced during the apartheid movement and illustrate how much of a contrast there was between the two races. Every day, people are spreading anti-racist messages to improve the society humans live in. Now, owing to Nadine Gordimer, readers can take this information in to fully understand the struggles of those who are victims of prejudice.