The Restoration Period Of Jonathan Swift English Literature Essay

The Restoration Period Of Jonathan Swift English Literature Essay Jonathan Swift was born in the Restoration Period and reflects it in his verbal violence, hyperbole, and explicit sexual and excretory terms (Rogers, 1987, p. 231). Rogers explanation to Swifts writing is revealing. A number of people seem to not know who Jonathan Swift was; what he wrote; what he did; anything. They had been missing out on one of the best satirists of his day, possibly all time. From his satires of England ruling Ireland to his satires of Mans weakness, he created some of the greatest stories anyone has ever read or heard. Jonathan Swift lived from 1667-1745. Swift was born in Dublin and lived in Ireland for most of his life, but his parents, Abigail Erick and Jonathan Swift, were English. His father was an attorney at Kings Inn. His father died seven months before he was born, which led many to speculate that it had an influence on his writing (Group, 1998, p. 190). He was very sick as a child and developed Menieres disease, which affects the inner ear. He lived with his nurse in England for a few years when he was young due to his mothers meager earnings (Merriman, 2008). After his stay in England, Swift went back to Ireland and lived with his uncle who sent him to Kilkenny Grammar School from 1674 to 1682 where he met William Congreve. He then received a M.A. degree from Oxford University in 1692. He attended Trinity College in Dublin the following years. Trinity College almost denied him his degree due to misconduct (Kilvert, 1997, p. 1196). He was ordained as a priest in 1694. He was employed as a secretary to Sir William Temple (Rogers, 1987, p. 231). In 1695, he became Prebend of Kilroot. He first published under the pseudonym Lemuel. By 1700, he became Chaplain to Lord Berkley. He was awarded his Doctor of Divinity degree in 1701 (Kilvert, 1997, p. 1196-1197). At age thirty-seven, Swift published  A Tale of a Tub  and  Battle of the Books. As he grew older, he became more involved with political issues and his satires became more savage (Merriman, 2008). Part of this was the many scandals and behind-closed doors activities of the aristocracy (Rogers, 1987, p. 231). He published  Gullivers Travels  at age sixty, which has been adapted to both stage and film, and spawned multiple sequels. In 1728, a woman he had been a mentor to, and some believe a lover, died, resulting in a decline in Swifts health.  Swift donated a third of his income to charity and when he died, left all his money to build a hospital. He was quite philanthropic for the time he lived in (Wikisource, 2010). Section 3 In  1667, the Dutch fleet defeated the English in Medway River. The treaties of Breda among Netherlands, England, France, and Denmark were made. The following year, a  triple alliance of England, Netherlands, and Sweden formed against France and Newton built his first reflecting telescope (Group, 1998, p. 191). During the new decade, the  Secret Treaty of Dover between Charles II of England and Louis XIV of France to restore Roman Catholicism to England was made. From 1672-1674, the  third Anglo-Dutch war continued. William III became ruler of Netherlands the same year. By  1673, Test Act aimed to deprive English Roman Catholics and nonconformists of public office. 1675 saw the construction on St. Pauls Cathedral begin (Rogers, 1987, p. 231). In  1677, William III, ruler of the Netherlands, married Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York, and heir to the English throne. Two years later, Act of Habeas Corpus passed, forbidding imprisonment without trial and Parliaments Bill of Exclusion against the Roman Catholic Duke of York was blocked by Charles II (Merriman, 2008). The Whigs reintroduced the Exclusion Bill and James II was King of England and VII of Scotland. Johann Bach was born the same year. James II disregarded the Test Act and appointed Roman Catholics to public office. Then he issued the Declaration of Liberty of Conscience, which extended toleration to all religions (Group, 1998, p. 191). England had its Glorious Revolution and Parliament issued Bill of Rights and established a constitutional monarchy in Britain. William III and Mary II became joint monarchs of England and Scotland until 1694. The Toleration Act granted freedom of worship to dissenters in England (Rogers, 1987, p. 231). Over in America, the Salem Witch Trials began in Massachusetts. 1707 brought about the union of Scotland and England to form Great Britain (Merriman, 2008). Section 4 Gullivers Travels,  A Tale of a Tub,  A Modest Proposal,  Battle of the Books,  Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers,  The Drapier Letters, The Journal to Stella, Writings on Religion and Church Vol. 1, Three Sermons and Prayers,  and  English Tongue  are all written by Swift. Perhaps Swift wrote the satires he did because of growing up in such an arduous time and place in Ireland. Being a poor child, with no father, and being under English rule would certainly influence most writers. A Modest Proposal  is a satire of the English rule of Ireland in which Swift forms a calculated decision to have certain people be designated breeders whose children would be eaten for the good of the people. Clearness, cogency, masculine simplicity of diction, are conspicuous in the pamphlet, but true creative power told the  Tale of a Tub. Good God! What a genius I had when I wrote that book! was his own exclamation in his latter years. It is, indeed, if not the most amusing of Swifts satirical works, the most strikingly original, and the one in which the compass of his powers is most fully displayed (Britannica, 1911). Gullivers Travels  is a story about a man who becomes a doctor, travels around the world on ships, and learns new information about different kinds of culture. However, the main focus of the story is when the ship, on which he resides, crashes into a rock and he swims to shore, passing out a mile onto the island. When he awakens, he discovers he has been bonded to the ground with rope and that the inhabitants of the island are only six inches tall! Their king then sends for him to be brought to the kingdom and this is where his satirical abilities begin to show. Section 5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jonathan Swift, despite his childish sense of humor, manages to poke fun at the aristocracy and show the commoners through allusions and hidden references what their superiors are really like.  Gullivers Travels  is one of the best books and finest satires by any author. The use of fake events in the story, which just so happen to relate to a real life event that happened between the Whigs and Tories in England, was genius.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swift had a troubled childhood to say the least, not as strange as Edgar Allan Poes, but certainly not normal. He had an interesting life crammed with religion, but not love. His, as some believe, love died a few years before he did. He wrote more works than a lot of authors and published quite a few under pseudonyms. Jonathan Swift, in many minds, holds the title of Greatest Satirist of All Time.

Free Julius Caesar Essays: Marcus Brutus :: Julius Caesar Essays

Marcus Brutus in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar    Caesar was the powerful ruler of Rome.   One of his dearest friends was a man named Marcus Brutus.   Brutus was a loyal friend, and was always true to his country. But when Brutus is facing a dilemma in which case he is torn between the life of his friend and what is better for the city of Rome.   With Brutus being a true Roman he chooses the death of his friend.   With Brutus joining the conspirators, who are plotting against Caesar, they are now even more powerful and can influence the people easier.   While all the conspirators stab Caesar in the back, Brutus is the only one to stab Caesar face to face.   Marc Antony, Ocatavius, and Lepidus take over the triumvirate.   Brutus and Cuis Cassuis took their troops in against Antony and his troops.   This will be where Brutus’ death and tragic flaw take place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While at camp Brutus and Cassius get into an argument leading to Cassuis saying he shall kill himself.   After that in solved Brutus heads to bed. In the middle of the night he wakes up to the ghost of Julius.   Caesar tells his old friend â€Å"Though shalt see me at Philippi.†Ã‚   Brutus is startled by this and isn’t sure what was meant by this. Will Caesar live again or is this some kind of omen.   Brutus and his troops March to Philippi. After Cassuis dies, Brutus and his troops are winning, although Brutus don’t realize it. Brutus decides to take the cowards way out of this and kill himself, rather than be drug through the streets of Rome.   Strato holds out his sword as Brutus runs about and kills himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brutus’ tragic flaw in all of this was he was too loyal to Rome and to his friend Caesar at the same time.   After killing Caesar he wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. And then when after Antony spoke at the funeral and turned all of the people from Rome against Brutus, things started to go downhill for our hero.   Then during the battle when he thought he was defeated, and committed suicide, his flaw was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brutus was a man loyal to his country.   He was very modest and did what he though was right.   Although he can be swayed by other people, like the planted letters, he still thinks and acts on his own.

Illuminati and New World Order Essay

Conspiracy theories have been around forever, but today there seems thousands of them. These theories are developed over time, by looking at past and current events throughout time. When we look at these events, we reanalyze them and question whether or not there is more to the story. This is done because we like to create ideas and seek the truth. One of the most well known conspiracy theories is the secret group known as the Illuminati. The Illuminati in modern times is thought of as a secret group, whose members are made of the world’s most influential and famous. These members include world leaders such as presidents, prime ministers and dictators. Even many celebrities are mentioned, mostly being well known song artist. The goal of the Illuminati is to control the economy and use mind control to establish a new world order. All the members involved are rumored to be self-seeking opportunist who perform satanic rituals to bring harm to the masses for their own spiteful desires. Even though This might be just another bogus theory, it is important to be aware of it, otherwise we are doomed because We can’t allow ourselves to be blind to the truth and the rich will take advantage of us. Since the Illuminati has control over world finance, politics and media they control a lot of the way we live, but not how we live. I’ve looked into the Illuminati for almost five years now and it’s crazy how much of a stir this idea has caused and how many people talk about it. To me this just gives the theory strength and once an idea has enough believers to back it up, that’s when the threnody is no longer just a thought, it’s a reality. With an idea like this becoming so powerful, it’s common sense we need to keep our eye open especially with crazy people who will try to attack influential people whom page they believe to be members of the Illuminati. Either way it’s always nice to be open minded and aware in your approach to life. Now as for the legitimacy of the Illuminati, it’s real and refers to a very old group called the Bavarian Illuminati, founded by Adam Weishaupt. The term Illuminati comes from the Latin word illuminatus, meaning â€Å"enlightened†. The members of the group were known as the enlightened ones. The Illuminati in the 1700s had a goal to eradicate superstition and the Roman churches domination over science and philosophy. Even though the group only gathered 2,000 members within the span of ten years, keep in mind it was the 1700s and all the members where very influential people. Those influential people were literary men who were attracted to the group because of they faced the same opposition. Eventually Karl Theodore became ruler of Bavaria and he decided to put a ban on all secret groups like the Illuminate, due to his ties with religion. This is where the original Illuminati was supposed to have been disbanded, but throughout time former members who spread their influence and rose back to power. This is where the conspiracy theory starts and the modern day Illuminati begins to rise to power. How they kept communication is widely argued about, the only thing that is consistent is that the old members that were cast out from the original group scattered out and recruited new influential members across the globe from Napoleon Bonaparte to George Washington. Eventually the American Revolution happens and America gains it’s independence. With George Washington leading this new born nation, this country was being guided by a man who pledged his allegiance to Lucifer in order to gain wealth and fame, at the cost of the suffering of others. With so much power the Illuminati began to rise and never stopped, due to how great a nation America became. Today America is arguably the lone super power nation, filled with the most diverse population and greatest minds from everywhere, we have found a home. The only problem is the Illuminati is a guest in our home and will make it their own if we’re not aware. Most people would say if secret page organizations like this were so powerful, it would be obvious to spot out and destroy it. This is half true, they are powerful, but with media distracting us everywhere we go, it’s easy to blend in. The Illuminati will remain hidden until they want to make their big move for world domination. In order to survive we must keep track of it’s active members and try to limit their growth as much as we can. This theory has been going around ever since the first group broke up in the 1700s and the theory has only continued to grown due to it’s infamy and signs of credibility. The theory has been presented from everyone all over the world. With a theory as big as this one has become, there are going to be a lot of issues and there needs to be some proof to back it’s claim. Now it’s time to show all the symbolism the Illuminati uses to communicate with each other right under the public’s nose. They control the currency and the bills we use in America. On the one dollar bill there are so many coincidences. The main one being the eye in the pyramid on the back of the dollar bill. The Illuminatis main symbol the all seeing eye staying true to their original symbol back in the 1700s. Now this may seem like an extremely far fetched coincidence, but there’s more. The latin words above and below the pyramid. Above the pyramid it says Annuit Caecares, in latin this means annoucing the birth. then below the pyramid it says nuevos ordo seclorum meaning New world order. Announcing the birth of a new world order seems fitting because America gained it’s independence, but the next part is where you start to question what’s really going on. Below the pyramid is a date May 1st, 1776. The birth of the original Illuminati, not America. It doesn’t stop there even the Eagle holding 13 olive branches and 13 arrows. This goes along with 13 stripes on the American flag and the 13 stars above the eagles head. Finally another latin phrase above the eagles head E plubus unum meaning one out of many because that’s exactly who controls the world’s money, the 1%. The eagle itself isn’t based on the bald eagle, it’s based on a phoenix. The 1782 seal depicts a Phoenix holding arrows and an olive branch. The same seal the original Illuminati used. There’s just too many obvious signs that some thing is going on with American power in relation to the Illuminati. page Another Illuminati symbol is the owl because of it’s the symbol of Mivera, the goddess of wisdom. The owl is shown as well in the upper right corner of the face on the one dollar bill. Supposedly many US presidents have bowed down to a giant Owl statue locatin at the bohemian grove. The Bohemian Grove located in Monte Rio, California is a major planning and meeting place of the secret group. The manhattan project was rumored to have been planned there. Also Nixon and Reagan decided who would run for president in that spot as well-(herbs 21). Symbolism is a very important thing when it comes to the illuminati to stay alert of it’s presence. Especially when it comes to the media and people we look up to.

Value Chains in Organisations - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2377 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Introduction In this assignment Im going to show that an organisation can add value with its success and how the concept of a Value Chain can be used to asses where organisations add value and develop future strategy. According to Wright (2004), Value Chain is a traditional manner of departmentalising stages of the business process. The value chain highlights the importance of the operational manager being involved in all aspects of the process, from suppliers right trough the customer. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Value Chains in Organisations" essay for you Create order With the value chain approach functional boundaries are ignored and in many organisations its now accepted that the operations manager has to control the whole process from buying in goods and services to the final stage of satisfying the customer. Marketing, accounting, human resources are not showing up in the value chain, but the operational manager has to be interesting and to be involved in these internal functions of the organisation as well. (Wright and Race 2004) Information technology is changing the way companies operates. According to Porter (1985), cost leadership and product differentiation can be pursued simultaneously only under rare conditions. If organisations are to achieve competitive advantage by delivering value to customers, managers need to understand which activities the undertake are especially important in creating that value and which are not (Johnson et all 2008) . The value chain concept is important to understand this describing the categories o f activities within and around an organisation, which together create a product or service. The concept was developed by Michael Porter with his book competitive advantage 1985 where the idea of value chain is based on the processe view of organisations, the idea of seeing a manufacturing or service organisation as system, made up of subsystems each with inputs, transformation process and outputs which involve the acquisition and consumption of resources (money, equipment, labour, land, buildings, management and administration). The primary value chain activities are: Logistics/ Inbound:the distribution of manufacturing after the raw materials are received and warehoused. Operations: the transformation process of inputs into services and finish products. Logistics/ Outbound: The warehousing and distribution of the finished goods. Marketing and sales: Placing the product on the market generating sales reaching the right people interested to buy it Service: The tool used to offer the product on the market and the service offered after the product is sold (customer service) This Primary Activities are supported by: The infrastructure of the firm: organisational structure, control system, company culture etc. Human resource management: employee recruiting, hiring, training, development and compensation. Technology development: technologies to support the value chain activity Procurement: purchasing input such as materials, supplies, and equipments. (https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) The firms margin or profit then depends on its effectiveness in performing these activities efficiently, so that the amount that the customer is willing to pay for the products exceeds the cost of the activities in the value chain. It is in these activities that a firm has the opportunity to generate superior value. A competitive advantage may be achieved by reconfiguring the value chain to provide lower cost or better differentiation. (https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) External efficiency is measured by customer satisfaction and by market share. To achieve customer satisfaction the company requires, and is depends on, the timely received goods and its services to specification by external suppliers. Is very important to have a good communication, and teamwork between suppliers at one end, and the customer at the other end of the value chain. (Wright and Race 2004) Cost advantage and Value Chain A firm maybe create a cost advantage either by reducing the cost of individual value chain activities, or by reconfiguring the value chain. Once the value chain is defined, a cost analysis can be performed by assessing the costs of the value chain activities. The cost obtained from the accounting report may need to be modified in order to allocate them properly to the value creating activity. Porter identified 10 cost drivers realting to the value chain activities: Economies of scale Learning Capacity utilisation Linkages among activities Interrelationships among business units Degree of vertical integration Timing of market entry Firms policy of cost or differentiation Geographic location Institutional factors (regulation, union activity, taxes etc.) A firm develops a cost advantage by controlling these drivers better than do the competition. A cost advantage also can be pursued by reconfiguring the value chain. Reconfiguration means structural changes such a new production process, new distribution channels, or a different sales approach. For example FedEx structurally redefined express freight service by acquiring its own planes and implementing a hub and spoke system. (https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) Differentiation and Value Chain A differentiation advantage can arise from any part of the value chain. For example procurements of inputs that are unique and widely available for competitors can create differentiation, as can distributor channels that offers high service levels. A differentiation advantage may be achieved by changing individual value chan activities to increase uniqueness in the final product, or by reconfiguring the value chain. Porter identified several drivers of uniqueness: Policies and decision Linkages among activities Timing Location Interrelationships Learning Integration Scale (eg better service as a result of large scale) Institutional factors Most of these also serve a cost drivers. There are several ways which a firm can reconfigure its value chain in order to create uniqueness. (https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) Technologies and the Value Chain The changes in technologies can impact the competitive advantage changing and making possible new configuration of value chain. Many technologies are used in both primary value activities and support activities: Inbound Logistic Technologies Transportation Material handling Material storage Communication Testing Information systems Operations Technologies Process Materials Machine tools Material handling Packaging Maintenance Testing Building design operation Information systems Outbound Logistics Technologies Transportation Material handling Packaging Communications Information systems Service Technologies Testing Communications Information systems In order to compare value chain activities and how can be added value to a company, I chosen few international hotel chain: Hilton Worldwide Is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For over 90 years Hilton has been offering business and leisure travellers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Company dedicated for the tradition of providing exceptional guest experience across its global brands distributed over a total of more than 3400 hotels in 79 countries. The company manages the world-class guest reward program called Hilton HonoursÂÂ ®, innovative technologies to enhance the guest experience. https://www.hiltonworldwide.com/aboutus/index.htm Marriott international Marriotts brands are leading in customer satisfaction and owner and franchisee preferences. Exceptional amenities. Attentive guest guest care. In-depth local knowledge set industy standards around the world. Marriott International has become the worlds leading lodging company, not only through its deiverse portfolio of global brands, but also by training and engaging the best employees (300.000) to delivery the best service. https://www.marriottdevelopment.com/ As we can see, two very big hospitality company operating worldwide are constantly trying to add value. In the service industry and especially in the hotel industry, the value is added and created from the people inputs of time, knowledge, equipments and systems to serve the hotel guests and customers. Customers in these companies can be also employees from the same organisation. The more value is created, the more people will be ready to pay the price for the service or product and the more they will keep on buying f rom the same company. Value chain analysis To understand and find out where we can create value we need to use a Value Chain Analysis. The first step for the analysis is the Activity Analysis: Where all the activities to serve the customer and to deliver the service are analysed. In this step of activities analysis we are going to collect as much information as we can from all the people involved within the organisation such us guest, employees, suppliers, business partners, travel agents and tour operators. This stage will also involve the way to recruit people with the right skills that will deliver the best service. How to keep the team motivated and informed about the performance. In the case of these featured company the KPI system (Key Performance Indicator) has been introduced to control the standard of performance that will help to get feedback from the guest to enhance the guest engagement. To conduct the Value Chain Analysis are needed up to three years of annual repors to understand and analyse how th e costing of the activities are changing and whether they are in unison with the competitive strategi of the firm. To gain knowledge about the core competence of the company, we can have a look at the company and competitor websites and SWOT analysis of both companies can be done to understand the key strengths and weaknesses of the company and how different are the firms from the direct competitor. (https://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/value-chain-analysis.php) Value analysis After few activities are identified we list the Value Factors which is the kind of service that the customer value in the way the activity is conducted. If we analyse a telephone order, the customer will value a quick answer to his/her call, a good an polite manner, efficient taking of order details with fast and knowledgeable answering of questions and a quick resolution to any problems that arise during the order. Delivering a professional service, the customer will like the correct solution based on the good options and up to date alternatives. This analysis will give us what needs to be done or changed to provide a great value for each Value factor. Evaluate changes and Plan for Action With the Value Analysis, we will generate so many ideas for increasing the value that we are going to deliver to customers Value Chain in the Hotel Industry The primary activities in the Hotel industry: Starting from the Inbound Logistics where we have all the contracts with supplier that are delivering the food and beverage, providing laundry service and other services; Back of the house storage and distribution within the hotels departments and inventory control and stock requisitions. The Operations are represented from all the procedures and processes that, with the support from all the advanced equipments and tools, will produce goods and service to offer on the market. Outbound Logistics in the hotel can be the way the services and final products are offered and distributed to the different outlets and different guests. Marketing and Sales: all the activities that are trying to get customers and people interested in the hotel for rooms, conferences, restaurants but also the promotion of the hotel with advertise and pricing considering the competitors Service in the hotel industry is crucial for its succes. The qual ity of service is created with a certain number of employees in proportion with the hotel capability and with the respective training. A good service will enhance the products value and will be crucial for the guest that will have to chose in which of the many hotels to stay. An example can be made between the company Hilton and Marriott where both can offer the same guest room, the same equipment in the room, same facilities with different price; probably the price for Hilton is more competitive but the service offered will be not at the same level as a Marriott hotel. The same room at the Marriott hotel with a nice presentation of the hotel services from the reception staff will probably an added value and the travellers will be more likely to go back where a better service is offered if the price is not much higher (value for money). Support activities in the Hotel industry The Procurement in the hotel can be the facilities offered to guest, the building, and the equipment that will support all the operations to make easy and smoothly the service. Technology Development is very important within the hospitality as it is a modern industry in constantly growth where new technologies are needed to save time and work smarter. The Propriety Management System is the most important to take into consideration which is the software to manage all the operations and share all the information with all the hotel departments in real time. The innovation and the technology are developing the hotel industry. The Firm Infrastructure is represented from the management team with the long term planning, the quality management , public affairs, finance and accounting. A good example for these two organisations can be the reservation system. If we got feedback from the customers not happy with the website for the difficulties to make the reservations or we know tha t both the company are occurring the same problem, therefore we know that if we want to add value for one of the company, we are going to find the solution to make easier the reservation system for the guests. Porter, M. E. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, 1985, New York: Free Press Wright N. Race P. The Management of service Operations, second edition 2004, Thomson Johnson G. et all Exploring corporate strategy, eight edition, 2008, FT Prentice Hall Porter, M. E. The competitive advantage of nations,1990, New York: Free Press. https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/ https://www.marriottdevelopment.com/ https://www.hiltonworldwide.com/aboutus/index.htm https://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/value-chain-analysis.php The Value Chain and its components: The value chain is a systematic approach to examining the development of competitive advantage. It was created by M. E. Porter is his book, Competitive Advantage(1980). The chain consist of a series of activities that create and build value. The organisation is split into primary activities and support activities. Primary Activities: Here goods are received from a companys suppliers. Stored until they are needed on the production/ assembly line. These goods are moved around the organisation. Operations: This is where goods are manufactured or assembled. Individual operations could include room service in a hotel, packing of books/videos/games by an online retailer, or the final tune for a new cars engine. Outbound Logistic: The goods are now finished, and they need to be sent along the supply chain to wholesalers, retailers or the final customer.