Business Memo (AVID) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Memo (AVID) - Essay Example This report analyzes the strategic position of the company, the external environment and the financial performance of company based on its financial statements during the years 1999 and 2000. The first big strategic decision the company made was in 1993 when the firm launched its initial public offering (IPO) to become a publicly traded company and raised $53 million. His capital was utilized to spur the firm’s future growth. The three markets Avid serves are: Media composer was the initial product helped the company become such a popular firm in the industry. As the company matured it realized it needed help from other firms in order to developed new products. They entered into a series of strategic alliance with different companies. Avid System became a mid-size company. In this industry they were at a competitive disadvantage with larger firms such as Sony which had unlimited resources. Avid as a pioneer in the industry pushed for open standards for the participants in the digital industry. The company with the help of 150 other firms in the industry created the Open Media Framework standard. The creation of an open standard indirectly hurt the company because lost its edge of having a unique product in the industry. Avid in the early 1990’s utilized a Mac platform for its software. The company noticed that Apple was not doing to well in the computer industry and it felt continuing operating under a Mac platform was risky. In 1997 the company entered into a strategic alliance with Intel in order to convert its software into Windows based platform. The company gave up 6.75% of its common stock in exchange for Intel’s expertise. In 1993 the company entered into an alliance with Lucas film in order to develop special effects products. The firm entered into a partnership in 1994 with Tsushnki Company to develop the world first full motion digital camera. A huge transaction for the company was the

Human factors for engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human factors for engineering - Essay Example The aid of multimedia approaches in controlling and eliminating the unethical cultures in societies makes this project relevant hence the focus of my research. Methodology involving the use of a remote controller to control the multimedia gadgets likes TV, gaming in the home entertainment system. First, break the variety of the tasks in the various multimedia devices into subtasks and then assign each of the subtasks to a controller. When operations run, the checks INS are easily and quickly semi-automatically linked with the subtask buttons. The operation speed then estimated and used to calculate the efficiency of the system. The touch sensitive input interface on the mobile computing device recognizes gestures and movements that touch it. Synchronization index then performs time coding. It looks up and in response selects a word or range of words; thereby, associating a particular time within the media to the choose words (Talukder, Asoke, Roopa, and Hasan Ahmed 34). The method helps in assessing the current state of home entertainment system through close remote monitoring by employing the use of the sensors. Stenograph machines and computer software programs incorporating AutoCAD are usable in the subsequent methodology. The software program translates the phonetic characters while the stenograph machine types in preparation for a graphical and designed output. The output stream is a network of automated translations of ASCII characters stored in a data card attached directly to the stenograph machine by a serial communications link. A thorough analysis and examination of the readings contribute the final engineering design of a unified multimedia entertainment system and a universal control unit. Miller, Michael. Creating a Digital Home Entertainment System with Windows Media Center: [determine Which Media Center Pc to Buy, Connect and

Brazilian Racial Politics Essay Example for Free

Brazilian Racial Politics Essay The reading provided, extracted from Orpheus and Power by Michael George Hanchard, critiques the Race vs. Class Paradigm that is widespread in the Brazilian society. By weaving together some works of the more renowned analysts and sociologists of the topic, he highlights two main things: firstly, the salient points of their claims and secondly, the faults in their arguments. By comparing and contrasting two schools of thought on the issue, Class-based and Structuralist, he points out certain weaknesses and the glaring irreconcilability of such thought when applied to the trends in Brazilian economic society. The subject of Race and Class and their contributions into creating a society wherein oppression has been structured into policy has fueled many debates, much of them still ongoing. While there has not been any theoretical consensus reached, a characteristic that is always attendant in the field of academia, there is however, a fortunate by-product in that it has broadened the body of current knowledge to embrace other topics into the discussion such as modes of production and social inequality. It is also interesting to note that the post-World War II era, as represented by the works of Oliver Cox and Stanley Greenberg, show the minimum agreement between scholars that race, at the very least, plays cuts an integral figure in structuring the oppressive social inequality. This makes for a broader, richer and more interesting scholarly debate. Hanchard begins the comparison with a discussion on Economic Determinism and the study of the Negro population in Brazilian society through the written work of one Florestan Fernandes, Democracia Racial. Fernandes describes the relationship between the â€Å"White elites† and the â€Å"Negroes† in Brazilian society as a situation where the former â€Å"limit themselves to treating the Negro with tolerance, maintaining the old ceremonial politeness in inter-racial relationships and excluding from this tolerance any true egalitarian feeling or content. † (Hanchard 32) By articulating the â€Å"hegemonic position† of the White population over the Black one, he more than hinted at the absence of racial democracy in Brazilian society. Fernandes’ analyzed the racial interaction of the society a pivotal time in economic Brazilian history. The importance of his written work may largely be attributed the perfect timing of it. His deconstructions and analysis of Brazilian society then, through interviews and the gathering of empirical data, did much to further the study of Brazilian racial relations. Moreover, his role and significant importance to the field is further underscored by the fact that he was the first to analyze the linkage between race and class in the context of Brazilian socio-economic development. He claimed that the Brazilian Blacks were â€Å"exploited both during and after slavery by uncaring whites†. However, in a turn-about, he concludes that the Afro-Brazilian is â€Å"dysfunctional, suffering from anomie, hopelessness and immorality† and lacked a sense of discipline and responsibility that made them pale in comparison to Italian immigrants for competition in the labour markets. Hanchard, however, took issue with this particular conclusion and rebutted by emphasing the failure of Fernandes’ missed or misappreciated the important fact that the intervention of big landowners and government officials played a crucial role in creating a marketplace that preferred Southern European immigrants. In essence, Fernandes’ approach fails is that his discussion of the Negro social movement was confined to issues of racial inequality where race itself was autonomous and not an economic variable nor indicator. George Reid Andrews, by using an approach offered by Greenberg, refutes Fernandes’ claims and forwards his own. Andrews’ approach fares better than the previously discussed one of Fernandes’ to the extent that he explored the â€Å"collusion between the state government and landowners to foster economic development† by subsidizing European immigration creating a rocky playing field where the Blacks were the destined losers. He then claims that although slavery played the role of a detrimental catalyst in Brazilian socio-economic development, it is but one of many factors to the displacement of Afro-Brazilian workers. He considered state intervention more critical in that policy itself structured the economic oppression by the doling out of development funds in a very preferential treatment to European immigrant workers. Thus, he introduced a very important aspect into the debates; that of the material dimension of race and how it structures state policies. At this junction, the theoretical wars began to include a different perspective: Structuralist. As the third generation of race relations, this school of thought rebuts and debunks the racial democracy myth proposed by their predecessors. Carlos Hasenblag and Nelson Do Valle Silva are two of the most prominent figures in this approach that does not treat race and class as being on opposing ends of the same spectrum but rather they situated racial inequality at the very heart of socio-economic relations and the development and trends of the labour market. Harchand, however, critically points out that although there was a discussion of racial inequality, there was virtually no explanation offered how such inequality id politically constructed or even contested. â€Å"Despite the conceptual differences between the Reductionists and Structuralists, the tendencies seemed to concur about one crucial dimension of Brazilian race relations; a dimension that seemed to distinguish Afro-Brazilians from their US counterparts: a lack of collective awareness of themselves as a subordinated racial group. † (Hanchard 41) By analyzing the theories at hand, one thing is clear: the need for a better-tailored conceptual framework to be used as a guide for racially equal policy making. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In an effort to stop the mentality of finger-pointing to the dominant white, what has the different Afro-Brazilian social movements done, or at least attempted to bring about, in order to correct the racial inequality with regard to economic policy and labour markets? 2. What are some concrete state policies, like the Black Economic Empowerment Movement of South Africa, that can correct this historical injustice?

Drivers of Risk in Healthcare

Drivers of Risk in Healthcare CHERRY AMOR B. DAWAL These summary may pertains to the sum of all informations regarding the drivers risk on the following strategic risk, financial risk, operational risk, health and safety risk, hazard risk and information risk. Strategic Risk Drivers- it is a mean of having loss that might arise from the pursuit of not successful business plan.The organization always takes struggle well with strategic risk.In conversation of the strategic risk organizational development should always be consider in the discussion. This in connection to success that it can only be driven to capability and secondly capability development work. The risk is being assessed in purpose otherwise that the objectives,use of the risk maps is more important rather than using the risk register so it may allow level of interaction and challenge. First to do is a systematic risk analysis it may start with the data presented within the organization, which may help in the more sequential pattern in identifying and prioritizing risk. In health care organization driver risk under strategic risk may then identify on the system of planning to resolve the risk. If the plan is not so well presented there could be problem on the system wherein the solving of the identified risk lies on to have a more powerful organizational development work. When health care organizationn mada poor business decisions,from the executed decision,from inadequate resource allocation and failure to respond well to improvement in the business ambiance. Financial Risk Drivers- it is the ability that the shareholders will loose money in an investment in an organization with debt. Cash flow is inadequate to support for the financial obligations.Financial obligations in health care setting takes accountability on finances when there is high portion of debt which indicates a risky investment.It is also about the expenditure to check whether the money of the company have left to keep the business operation running. One example for the healthcare setting the number of staff is just numerous that there will be problem on the cashflow for the salary and the allowances of the employee. Therefore there will befalling to repay salary and wages in timely manner ,therefore task performance will have in effect on the health setting organization. Operational Risk- Drivers-By definition it is a risk associated with the companies business operation. It does involve different kinds of risks includes fraud which is a dishonet methods to take something valuable from another person it is a deceit or trickery. Legal, and environmental issues on the operation is also included. Hospital set-up fraud is being practice by manipulating personnel inside the organization to practice mis management on finances,and operations. It is the managers who decides to make standard operating procedures or internal controls on employees to follow to work in the business. Health and safety Risk Drivers-goals for workplace in health and safety is to reduce danger and increase task implementation on health individual in safe and productive workplace. In every country and organization the aim is to reduce work toll by focusing area where the most harm occur. Occupational health plan formation will help to solve the occupational health problems.Combination of skills, knowledge and leadership with action is the first priority.Effective imposition of health and safety in workplace makes the employee happy and productive and also regulate human and business cost -injuries. Any work related injuries or disease can bring unexpected cost and even loss of valued staff member. It plays impact on body,mind, finances and interrelationship of workers in turn and the health of their families. The group of people where in fact health of workers may also be affected. By work related factors. It is an act widely accepted that the ideal workplace is an important area for health campaign, what more accepted is the concept of the health promoting workplace . As well as the family recognize it. The ablity and the connection of a safe workplace may be interconnected through application of health and safety practices the organization may start to think safe. In HCO the following should be considered information is collected about the problem of the organization, the near misses and errors is being encourage to be reported, response is needed in the reported information, the organization should make changes in response to reporting and last is the organization should be flexible in response to safety situations.Determine whetherthe existing precaution are adequate or whether should be done.Information drive should be provided to the staff . Blood borne virus is one that is usually considered as a hazard to health workers as well as prickly needles instances. This is could be very serious problem. Substances may cause hazard in the workplace and may take in any kind such as liquids, solids,gases,mist and fumes.It may affect different areas of the body. They are classified as toxic substances. Healthcare staff are at risk and employer must take the following precaution. Creation of control of substance hazardous to health regulation that may prevent the process and activation of the harm as well as the reduction of the release of the substances to public and staff, take account relevant to the exposure,control exposure and measure appropriate to health risk,adequate control of exposure,check and review regularly elements being used,ensure the ceation and prevention will decrease the overall risk to health and safety. Hazard Risk Drivers- it could be biological, chemical,mechanical, environmental or physical agent that may in any way will cause harm. These types of hazards could also experience in HCO. Biological hazard came from organism that is foreign,chemical with virtue of its intrinsic property can cause the hazard,mechanical may involve mechanical processes,like motoe vehicles ,and others. Physical hazard is all about naturally occurring processes that has the capacity to create loss or damage. On the other hand hazard and risk oftenly used interchangeably. In relation to the statement stated above risk is the probabiltiy that the exposure to hazard may lead to negative consequence.Risk=Hazard x Dose(Exposure). Therefore a hazard will definitely will have no risk if there is no exposure to the hazard. For environmental hazard it could be both natural and man made hazard or disaster. On a day to day basis, extreme of natural phenomena have threatened humans,such as floods,volcanoes, and tsun ami.Man made could be such as threats of terrorism and failures of technology.Mitigation or reduction may include construction of prone facilities away from areas with high risk,redundancy,an emergency reserve fund,to purchase an insurance and the development and creation of operational recovery plans. In HCO set-up these particular hazard is expected and anticipated just before of the creation of the ceratin organization for such that early planning may entail protection for the site,staff,amd most importantly the HCO clients which are the patients and protection of the business as well. Information risk Drivers-every business now adays relies on information technology, the following would be the IT threats hardware and software failure,malware,viruses, spam, scams and phishing and human error. Criminal IT threats hackers,fraud,passwords theft,denialof service, security breaches and staff dishonesty. Information technology risk involve not just the negative impact of operation and service delivery which may affect the value of the organization through destruction and reduction of the worth of the organization. That is why the IT risk management is considered as a component of a wider ERM. The organization should use a systematic approach to handle the said problem for identification,assessment and management of information technology risk . If there is risk identified high probability for enabling risk associated to missing opprtunities,may happen. II. Healthcare Business Areas which are high risk company is the primary concern which account 2 based setting. A high risk industry and risk of financial drop exists. First concentrate on safety and health concern next is for companies viability and profitability. Both may affect companies status in financing,insurance and merchants accounts.The risk should be address immediately and properly so the situation will not escalate. Procedure to undergo for evaluation for inspection and auditing. For staffing shortage, staff with difficult working condition with low wages, so much workload such as overloaded number of patients, numbers of paperworks for documentation and charting of reports and billing purposes Staffing shortage may result to the overall wellness process might be hindered or prolonged,which may lead to dissatisfaction to clients and patients. Next is overcrowding ,too much number of patients in the hospital who needs immediate care, but unable to give proper patient care . Problem in bed spaces, overcrowded area and unsanitation may give more hazard and risk to patients welfare and safety. III. Potential Impact of different types of risk on the healthcare business organizations objectives. Financial objectives economic loss will occur if it will not properly handled and presented and understared. Medical objectives it is about the patients safety,quality of care and to provide patients satisfaction they do fall under the category. It emphasized on improving coordination,services, upgrading the value of patient care,and boosting the medical outcome. Management should take place,consideration of potential threat to the organization prepare to the business.Continuity plan to address threats identified,share and ensure employees the expectation in unusual functioning. Plan organization with information and procedures toprotect employee indisaster event. Information drive on emergency procedure. The employees must take all practice step to ensure the safety, both action,or inaction at work may cause harm to other. INDIVIDUAL SUMMARY PART B Risk Management on the following areas Employment practice risk management has a veri important effect on employment practices.Best risk management is the proper keeping of the personal records which may give documentation which is important in defending employment claims and have right to review of their own personal file. It is important to maintain performance records for its importance in ability to get lawsuit dismissed or win at trial.Information must be watch out to identify emplyees protection. Documentation must be ensure that it complies with the said requirement.To keep records on separate file for investigation records. Employers must have commitment to risk management ,which may utilize best employment practice,and to reduce wasteful and unnecessary employment litigation and keep premiun on lowest level. Fraud prevention measures is progressed subtantialy over the past years. The market increase in fraud risk assessment activity.Program focused on refining fraud identification and treatment, continue operation in relation to organized fraud, technical and resource capability ust be develop, work in collaboration with other agency to combat fraud and centralise the fraud analysis capability.Capacity to provide predictive warning of impending threats, includes development of appropriate risk mitigation strategies with key internal and external stakeholders. Health and Safety policy is a written policy statement which usually comprises of three elements, a statement section, which peratins about how safety should be manage ad the demonstration of organizations committment to health and safety,organization section where responsibilities are given and fit employees to overall safety management. Arrangement section contains details of specific activities and functions that has to be manage. The policy should cover all aspects the organization and must be relevant to employees. Decision has to made how to set up a policy, in small organization simple statement is more suitable for big organization lengthy policy is needed. The aim of the policy must be related to the level of risk,using the risk assessment it will help determine the explicity that is needed in the arrangement section. Reach of the policy is often the case if there is an overarching or corporate policy that may entail general issues. By informing the policy iit may depend on how big the organization is, if it is small each employee should be given a copy of the policy,if it is big notice board is necessary. What important is that the said policy is being brought to the attention of the employees. Monitoring and review is necessary and must be effective and vital, carrying out of checklist and safety inspectionshould be done so the policy must be effective enough, and also it can be achieve through audits and proper review for management reports and accident investigation. Protection of Physical assests in any business organization there is need for a balance for physical security and do business effectively at the same time. Since all organization faces risk at all times to determine how much is the risk is very important to help determine the apppropriate balance for the competing demands. Is t is necessary to provide a comprehensive approach to identify,apply, and manage physical security measures to safeguard the asset of the organization. Organization is in command to establish, implement, operate,monitor,review, maintain, and improve physical protection system.A policy which covers for commitment and willingness to lead,develop a physical assets protection policy.to establish a complete program that identify,analyze,and evaluate risk to tangible and intangeble assets.People, procedures,technologies and equiptment must be integrted to meet objective of the system, which must be constantly monitor,measure and review. Disaster management by definition it is the effective organization,which directs and utilize the present counter disaster resources which involves activities such as prevention,preparedness, recovery,mitigation and risk reduction and rehabilitation. To take preventive measures is very important to stop a hazard that it may not cause effect to the organization.Preparedness is also taken to anticipate and ensure proper actuons after the occurrence of the said event. Response is the action taken after tha said event. Recovery is the process whish is taken by the affected area, for restoration , Mitigation and risk reduction are measures which is being taken after the aftermath of the eventtaken prior to disaster impact, and lastly is rehabilitation is actions taken in after event to repair their dwellings,re -establishment of essential services and revive economic ans social activities. INDIVIDUAL SUMMARY PART C Vulnerability factors,and impacts program approaches to crisis management and healthcare business continuity planninng for the organization on the following Business Continuity Planning is also called as the business continuity and resiliency planning it may identify exposure of threats with hard and soft assets to give effective prevention and recovery,while still maintains the integrity and value of the organization. In times of adverse physical condition through BCP there is a continuation of the organizations operation. It follows cycle for maintenance, analysis,solution design,implementation and testing and acceptance.It is included in the plan the event that could give negative impact on the organization. If the place is affecte the BCP would be to move to another area which is more safer for the business operation. The impact and crisis scenario would be its basis from the business recovery plan,to plan for most wide-impact is more preferable. Building loss is best example for impact scenario which encompasses most critical business functions. Localized impact scenario would be like loss of a specific floor of the building which need to be documented. Threat assessment scenario is defined as each potential threat that may require unique recovery, such as epidemic,earthquake,fire,flood,cyber attack,sabotage,hurricane, utility outage,terrorismand piracy,war,theft,and random failure of mission critical system. Recovery solution design these may occur after the analysis phase where the technical recovery will follow for the solution phase. Business environments,such as production,distribution and warehouse are the commonly affected.Solution design the most cost effective disaster recovery that qualify on the impact analysis stage.It is a minimum requirement for data. It may determine the solution phase,secondary work areas, telecommunication,data methodology,and physical data requirement.For testing it is a work procedure where the recovery process not usable already,all must be to test as are all work processess for critical functions documented? Is it changed happened on the system for critical functions?is it the documented checklist is accurate and valuable?and last are the documented work process recovered task and may defend the disaster recovery plan pertaining to staff and recovery time objective. Maintenance and update there are three periodic activities for exercising the BCP cycle maintenance manual. Confirmation of the information must be done,roll out the staff for give them awareness for the specific training for individuals, testing and verify solutions which are technical that is needed for recovery operations,testing and verify the organizations recovery procedures. REFERENCES: Manex Strategic Risk management. Retrieved from http://www.manex.au/strategic risk-management. Investopedia-Finanacial Risk.retrieved from: http://www.investopedia/financial risk.aspx When Business Strike. The business case for disruption risk management. (2007) Risk Mitigation 2012.Risk Mitigation retrieved from: http://www.ready.govt. ACC health and safety in workplace.Prevention of injuries.http://www.ac.nz. Ministry of business innovation and employment. Work for health and safety strategy  Retrived from http://www.ministry of health. Specialty insurance blog.(2009) employment practice and risk management retrieved from: http://www specialty insurance-risk-management.html Australian Government.Department of Immigration and Citizenship.Annual report 2009 Risk management and control measures. ANSI approves physical assets protection.2013.http://www.global-asset-protection-standard. Disaster Risk Management.http://www.disaster-management

Problems Caused By Air Pollution Essay -- essays research papers

Problems Caused By Air Pollution Some people think that air pollution is not harming the earth or the people, but it is doing worse, by killing the earth and getting people sick. "Air pollutants," according to Gay, "are known to cause respiratory diseases, cancer, and other serious illnesses" (12). Air pollution not only threatens the health and life of humans but also causes damage to the environment (Gay 13). First, air pollution causes a great deal of health problems. Wanting clean air is a good reason because air that is polluted can damage human health (Edelson 25). In the United States many health problems have occurred because of air pollution. According to Sproull, "For more than a decade, local residents in the tri-state valley bounded by Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia have claimed to suffer from health problems, including rashes, respiratory problems and even cancers" (D4). In 1948, in the industrial town of Donora, Pennsylvania, which sits in a valley, had twenty deaths, and nearly 6,000 residents, or 40% of the population, suffered respiratory problems (Edelson 25, 26). New York experienced several killer smogs, which in a later analysis attributed, from the usually severe pollution, 58 deaths (Edelson 26). Not only in the United States are health problems caused by air pollution showing up, but they are also showing up in other parts of the world, like Europe. In 1930, in Belgium's Meuse River valley, a major industrial region, where the primary fuel was coal reported sixty deaths, and about 6,000 residents of the valley became ill with breathing problems and respiratory infections (Edelson 25). In December 1952, the toll was huge in London from the infamous smog, which caused up to 4,000 deaths, when levels of sulfur oxides and particulates rose above normal (Edelson 26). Air pollution also increased deaths from chronic lung disease in the United States. "Although statistics on the physical effects of air pollution are not easily calculated," according to Edelson, "an alarming related statistic is that between 1970 and 1986, deaths in the United States from chronic lung disease rose 36%" (35). Air pollution has cost a great deal of money on health care in the United States. In terms of health care and lost productivity, the costs ... ... that do not harm the air, water, or land (Gay 121). Even though a large majority of Americans refuse to buy products or pay for services that contribute to environmental problems, people should still get involved (Gay 121). In order to save energy to save the earth, people should do the following: - When the lights are not in use, turn them off. - Instead of normal light bulbs, use compact fluorescent light bulbs. - On a short trip, walk or ride a bike. - Whenever possible, use public transportation. - To conserve heat or air conditioning, close off unused rooms. - To save fuel, adjust thermostat a few degrees lower for heating and higher for cooling. - For better efficiency, clean furnace and air condition filters. - Only when full, run the dishwasher, washer, and dryer. (Gay 115) There is no excuse, for not becoming involved to stop air pollution. Many scientists predict that the temperature of the earth will rise because of global warming (Edelson 87). Some scientists already believe that the earth is already warming (Edelson 87). If people do not become involved the earth will not be suitable enough to live on in the future, and there might not be anybody left for the future.

I Want to Teach :: Teaching Philosophy Education Essays

I Want to Teach If you would have asked me two years ago what my feelings were about school, I would have told you that "I hated school". At that time I was 18 with no direction for my future and nothing seemed like it had any importance to me. The reason I decided to become a teacher is very complex because I never wanted to be a teacher until the end of 2003. What made me change my mind was a series of events and people in my life that impacted me both positively and negatively. This turning point in my life began in my senior year of high school. As I prepared for my senior football season I never took the time out to prepare for life after high school. The only thing that mattered was that I played good football and graduated so after that I could accept my full scholarship to the University of Illinois. I didn’t know at that time that life wasn’t that easy, but I was soon to find out. As the year went on I had more and more offers to play at different universities, but I was not paying attention to any of my mentors when they would tell me that none of these offers meant anything if I didn’t have the grades. I respect my mentors as if they were father figures because they have been where I want to go and have everything that I want, but I was too busy listening to family members who would tell me that I was going pro after my first year of college. As an 18 year old, you believe what your family tells you because you think it is right because they said it. Unfortunately, I found out that this was not always the case. The school year went on, and as others where preparing for the ACT and SAT, I was busy getting in trouble with the law and not going to class. No one cared about anything I was doing because I was a good football player and that was all they saw. They believed that any trouble I got in to, I could get out of, but that wasn’t true. I spent almost a month in the Wayne County Jail for armed robbery. It was there that I decided to turn my life around and do what was right.

Huckleberry Finn’s Impact on Modern American Literature Essay

Ernest Hemingway once said â€Å"all modern American literature began with Huckleberry Finn. † Huckleberry Finn, a remarkably well written novel by Mark Twain, has received almost excessive praise since it was written and first published in 1884. On the other hand, it has been condemned for vulgarity and accused of stealing Uncle Tom’s Cabin’s thunder. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a similar novel about slavery written about thirty-two years earlier. Huckleberry Finn’s impact on modern American literature was so great that it could be compared to Shakespeare’s impact on European theater. To be the true basis of modern American literature, a novel would have to be centered on American concepts. One of the most prominent American concepts is â€Å"the American Dream†. Huckleberry Finn is the first novel to encompass â€Å"the American Dream†, chronically many different Americans’ approach to their own American dream, and how they chase it. One instance of this in Huckleberry Finn is when Huck and Jim coincidentally become raft-mates with two swindlers, going about their dream of finding fortune in an illegal and morally wrong way, taking advantage of ladies, children, the elderly and even men. Twain does a superb job of demonstrating â€Å"the American dream† and the consequences of chasing it ruthlessly. Intertwined with the stories of dream chasers is another American concept, a black slave’s mistreatment and his search for his dream, freedom. Although Twain wrote the novel after slavery was abolished, he set it several decades earlier, when slavery was still a fact of life. But even by Twain’s time, things had not necessarily gotten much better for blacks in the South. In this light, one might read Twain’s depiction of slavery as an allegorical representation of the condition of blacks in the United States, even after the abolition of slavery. This is shown prominently throughout the novel through the co- protagonist, a black slave named Jim, and his adventures and misadventures. A particular instance is when Jim and Huck have been nothing but accommodating to the two swindlers mentioned previously but the swindlers report Jim as a runaway slave and have him captured for monetary gain. The white swindlers show the unjust, repulsive way that blacks are being treated. Modern American literature is used expertly as a propaganda tool and Huckleberry Finn is one of the first instances of using literature to enlighten the masses about the evils of slavery. Another important contribution that Huckleberry Finn has made to American literature is vernacular speech. This is a key characteristic of American literature and helps to show American regionalism from that time period. Dialogue in the book is directly affected by the race of the speaker and his or her region of origin. Through Twain’s sometimes inappropriate character speech, a reader feels as if they are truly listening to people talk because of the uncensored feel to the dialogue. Huckleberry Finn has also been under fire for its â€Å"straight- talk†, particularly for using racial slurs involving Jim and other slaves. However, Twain’s use of racial slurs ironically helps portray the anti- racist attitude of the book. Opponents to the statement that Huckleberry Finn is the basis for all modern American literature would venture to say that Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a more influential novel. An argument for this is that Uncle Tom’s Cabin came before Huckleberry Finn and showed a more detailed account of the horrors of slavery because the novel was based simply on slavery. While it is correct that Uncle Tom’s Cabin came before Mark Twain’s novel, Huckleberry Finn is the clear winner because of the way Mark Twain subliminally weaves in his view on slavery and is able to lead any reader to understand why slavery is morally wrong, without the reader even realizing it. While Shakespeare is inarguably the best playwright of all time, Huckleberry Finn takes on a similar title for American literature, though somewhat less grand. Huckleberry Finn is such a prime American work because of its encompassment of American concepts, ability to persuade, subliminal anti-slavery morality, and vernacular language, of which no other American novel before it can also brag, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Huckleberry Finn is a novel entirely worthy of the honorable title â€Å"basis for all modern American literature†.