Forrest Gump: Marxist and Feminist Analysis

Forrest Gump: Marxist and Feminist Analysis In the 1990s, Paramount Studio produced some box-office hits and one of which, Forrest Gump, is a huge triumph that won the Oscar for Best Picture for 1994 and gained over $677 million dollars of box office throughout the world. The film is based upon the novel by Winston groom and directed by Robert Zemeckis; it portrays the leading role Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks), who is a normal American guy, with an IQ of 75 so called as idiot, but successfully getting through his bittersweet childhood, brilliant football career at collage, and brave performance in the army as well as a fortune in his shrimping business. Forrests story truly inspires the entire American with his significant achievements and positive attitudes towards life; in addition, the film reveals a history of America over the past decades in which take numerous historic events, representing the eventual American dream in a land of opportunity. Forrest Gump is wholly masculine film and Forrest Gump is no doubt the protagonist, two important females, his mother Mrs. Gump and his best girl friend ever Jenny, however do present their thoughtful images in the film, making a great impact on Forrests interior world and life. Accordingly, this article would like to concentrate on the above-mentioned women and explore how they influence Forrest with their unique characters and values. Furthermore, a deeper level of examination linked to patriarchal myths and values in social context will be also proposed to demonstrate the status of the 1990s American society. With the intention of arguing these points, some film theories should be certainly applied to the narrative in Forrest Gump. It has been predominant since the 1970s that film critics and scholars have turned from semiotics to psychoanalytical notions that been broadly utilized into the film analysis. Consequently, it is crucial indeed to employ these methods into this article, theoretically addressing feminist debates in terms of the texts in Forrest Gump. Furthermore, it can see through how the hegemony is constructed in a patriarchal society in relation to feminism by the analysis within Marxism discourse. Representations of Women in Forrest Gump The two females are depicted in the film: one is Forrests mother Mrs. Gump (by Sally Field), who makes great contribution to Forrests life; the other one is Jenny Curran (by Robin Wright), as Forrest says about her: she was my most special friend, my only friend. In general, these two females can be identified as stereotypical representations of women with their social, cultural and sexual definition, extremely influencing Forrest into another representation of men in a patriarchal society as Hollows, Hutchings and Jancovich (2000, P230.) states that It is a historical fact that women have formed an important part of the audience for commercial entertainment films. Mrs. Gump appears to be a single mother of Forrest. According to how Forrest values his mum, she is a very smart lady, responsible, brave, and independent. She is good at managing her property inherited from her family, renting all the empty rooms to make a living. Regardless Forrests low IQ, Mrs. Gump still insists on her sons attending public school rather than a special school as she says that my boy Forrest is going to get the same opportunities as everyone else; She tells Forrest that stupid is as stupid does, encouraging Forrest growing up to a normal and confident person. On the other hand, she really understands that life is full of ups and downs, giving Forrest lessons such as life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what youre gonna get. To Forrest, Momma is always an excellent model he learns from. Even though she is dying, Mrs. Gump calmly says to her son its just my time Dont be afraid, death is just a part of life. Its something were all destined to do. I didn t know it, but I was destined to be your momma. I did best I could. Generally, the character of Mrs. Gump is a strong and independent female presence. However, her existence is more than for herself; viewing all the way through Forrests story, Mrs. Gump becomes a signifier of independence which can be seen as answering to male desires and anxieties. Claire Johnston (2000), one of the first film critics to recognize the film text as a semiotic sign system, develops Barthesian semiotic point of view into her feminist inventions that the woman exists as a structure in the text of classical Hollywood films:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iconography as a specific kind of sign or cluster of signs based on certain conventions within the Hollywood genres has been partly responsible for the stereotyping of women within the commercial cinema in general, but the fact that there is a far greater differentiation of mens roles than of womens roles in the history of the cinema relates to sexist ideology itself, and the basic opposition which places man inside history, and woman as ahistoric and eternal. (2000: 23) In this respect, Mrs. Gump is a sign being considered as a structure or a convention. Whatever Forrest recalls his mother, for example, he always starts with words like Momma always said this or Momma always said that, which emphasis his mothers huge influence on him. The mothers amazing characteristics of perseverance, independence and kindness are taken by Forrest who can overcome any difficulties through his life. It proves a system of exchange in classical films that the representation of women as the ideological meaning is for men rather than women. Hence, as Cook and Johnston (1990) argues: The male protagonists castration fears, his search for self-knowledge all converge on woman: it is in her that he is finally faced with the recognition of lack. Woman is therefore the locus of emptiness: she is a sign which is defined negatively: something that is missing which must be located so that the narcissistic aim of the male protagonist can be achieved. Besides, Jenny presents her distinct aspect of the representation of women in Forrest Gump, who is depicted as an extremely confused character. She spends most of her life finding herself, always expecting that Dear God, make me a bird so I can fly far, far away from here. Young Jenny is abused by her drunken daddy and stays with Forrest just because she is scared of loneliness. After high school, they go to different colleges. In Forrests eyes, Jenny and he are just like peas and carrots since she friendly offers a seat on his first bus to school. However, the film mostly presents the dark, lonely and weak side of Jenny whom is totally unlike strong and independent Mrs. Gump; Jenny makes wrong decisions of being naked model for magazine, singing at a strip club and taking drugs when Forrest sets off his successful life; particularly, a couple of times she wants to suicide. No matter when and where, Forrest always attempts to rescue Jenny out of trouble through her journeys but ends up Jennys running away every time. Jenny is Forrests only love and he really does care about her, trying his best to protect her. Finally, they go together as what Forrest hopes when Jenny decides to settle down and marry Forrest. Mrs. Gump and Jenny play important roles with respect to Forrest but in completely different ways. The semiotic investigation into the myth of women in the film text clarifies the women as a structure and how they works as a signifier of ideology. Psychoanalysis Concepts and Spectatorship Issues Apart from theoretically examining the representation of women in Forrest Gump with the help of semiotics discourses, psychoanalytic theory is necessarily to be taken as a critical tool in order to clearly exemplify womens differences from men in terms of lack and castration as well as discuss spectatorship according to Hollywood classical cinema. According to Janet McCabe (2004), Psychoanalytic theory shifted from a semiotic concern with the text, to consider instead the unconscious processes involved in how the spectator is positioned in and through the film text (p.24). In this instance, Freuds and Lacans psychoanalytic approaches significantly contribute to feminist film analysis in terms of studying sexuality concerns within spectating practices. Drawing on Freudian theory regarding scopophilia, voyeurism and fetishism as well as Lacanian mirror phase, in her article Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Mulvey (1975) establishes her point of male gaze and demonstrates that film is structured according to male fantasies of voyeurism and fetishism. In Forrest Gump, the act of gaze employs a complex relationship between the characters, the audience and spectator. For example, during his childhood just before mum tries to enroll him to the public school, Forrest sits on a swing outside the house at night, hearing the principals grunts from inside the house. Forrest then grunts, imitating when the principal steps out, making him feel embarrassed. It is obvious that Mrs. Gump becomes an object for both the principal and her son to view, however, what reflect from them are varied: for the principal, she is an erotic impact and pleasurable looking; for her son, it seems his first time to recognize his mother does not own her penis but he previously assumes that she should have, so he thinks mothers one must have been castrated. The scene demonstrates Mulveys (1989) debate from a feminist perspective: it clearly conveys how male castration anxiety comes to be projected onto the female form, which is then appropriated as a fetish how w oman is represented adorned with phallic shapes (p 8). In addition, Forrests looking at Jenny throughout her journey displays Mulveys (2000) view of male gaze: woman plays a traditional exhibitionistic role her body is held up as a passive erotic object for the gaze of male spectators, so that they can project their fantasies on to her. For instance, Forrests sitting in the rain at night and staring at her kissing with a boy in the car make him in the position of passive voyeur; his another looking over Jennys breasts while she removes her bra in the dorm room presents Jenny herself as erotic spectacle for Forrest, then his active gaze renders her image into an object of sexual fantasy; before being sent to the War, Forrest comes to the night club, sitting in his seat in the same way as the spectator, watching Jenny and sharing with audience in the cinema his anxious gaze when she is topless, sitting on a stool and playing a guitar on the stage. All these Forrests looking over Jenny at his different occasions seemingly oscillates betwee n voyeurism and fetishistic fascination. Marxist Criticism and Cultural Studies Along with psychoanalytical, feminist and cultural criticism, Marxist criticism is an especial approach to expose a collection of hidden meanings in films rather than discussing representations of women or sexuality from a sociological perspective. According to Marxist theory, the film represents the Repressive State Apparatus as Forrest is going through his life: the assassination attempt on George Wallace, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy; the struggles over civil rights and the war in Vietnam. At this point, Lieutenant Dan (Gary Sinise) initially appears as a strong portrayal in the army with a long, great military tradition, but ends up losing his both legs in the war then being encouraged consistently by Forrests plain ideology, viewers thus see he eventually finds the real meaning of the life with his new mental legs, which convey a positive message towards the ideological issue that all the Americans wonder like Forrest Gump: whats my destiny? Regardless its nature of unspoken yet invisible, ideology generally defines the shared beliefs and values held by a culture, it therefore hugely influences upon the culture with its invisible power. To some extent, ideology forms the manners of people think and things look, which is so called hegemony. In the film, either Mrs. Gump positively disciplines Forrest that life is a box of chocolates or Jenny leaves him a negative advice that if youre ever in trouble, dont try to be brave Just run away, Forrest simply takes them at the unconscious level; nevertheless, running becomes his starting point to success and even leads a large group following behind him. Consequently, whatever the representation of women meaning to this male protagonist in the classical narrative cinema, or how he gains the fantasies of voyeurism and fetishism in light of psychoanalysis, it finally appears to viewers that Forrests story asserts possibility and hope even though difficulties, loneliness, and death, as he says that to put the past behind you and move on. Accordingly, behind the images on screen, Forrest Gump reflects positive values that Americans should hold; the main characters more or less, present these ideological state apparatuses in terms of Marxism criticism. The film not only entertains audience with erotic spectacle and pleasure, also offers its suggestion to audience with regard to the society and culture they are positioned. Marxism and feminism examine film studies individually; these discourses in fact have same desire to challenge the power structures in a patriarchal society. Meanwhile, both of them link to each other on the basis of psychoanalytic notions. Studying the main females of the film with feminism theory is certainly useful to explore the ways in which ideology has though been structured in the cultural context. Conclusion To sum up, Mrs. Gump and Jenny, the two females who relate to the protagonist Forrest Gump, have been mostly examined with the mechanism of feminist discourse in the article. By going through the feminism analysis with their representation and sexuality in the film text and ideological implication in terms of Marxism theory, we can conclude the film, as Comolli and Narboni (2000) state: on the one hand it is a particular product, on the other hand, as a result of being a material product of the system, it is also an ideological product of the system. References Comolli, J. and Narboni, P. (2000) Cinema/ideology/criticism[1971], in in Hollows, J., Hutchings, P. and Jancovich, M. (ed.) The Film Studies Reader. London: Arnold Presser. Cook, P and Johnston, C. (1990) The Place of Woman in the Cinema of Raoul Walsh[1974], in Patricia Erens (ed.) Issues in Feminist Film Criticism, Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Hollows, J., Hutchings P. and Jancovich, M. (2000), The Film Studies Reader.  London: Arnold Publisher. P 230. Johnston, C. (2000). Womens Cinema as counter-Cinema [1973], in E.A. Kaplan (ed.) Feminism and Film. Oxford: Oxford University Press, P22-23. McCabe, J. (2004). Feminist Film Studies: Writing the Woman into Cinema. London: Wallflower Press. P24. Mulvey, L. (1989). Fears, Fantasies and the Male Unconscious or You Dont Know What is Happening, Do You, Mr. Jones?' [1973], in Visual and Other Pleasures. Basingstoke: Macmillan. P8. Mulvey, L. (2000). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema [1975], in Hollows, J., Hutchings, P. and Jancovich, M. (ed.) The Film Studies Reader. London: Arnold Presser. Dongjie Duan

Mexican Experience from a Danish Firm: “Changing” Mexican Culture Essay

i.Introduction Nowadays is common to hear that the trend of business world is located in Emerging Markets, therefore most of the biggest and important companies in the world are startin to enter to those undeveloped economies that have a great potential. Develop assertive HRM practices in those new markets are key issues in order to achieve the expected success. The international human resource management models developed in the last decade pursues a contextual analysis of the standardization (global integration) of multinational parent companies’ human resource management policies and practices and localization (local differentiation) of host countries practices.(Stevens, 2012) In order to have effective results within the Human Resources in the new market, the design and development of the HRM strategies (of local units) must incorporate some aspects of local practices. The main challenge for the companies (and the ideal context) is to find a balance between the practices of the business culture in the host country and with the one of the home country. Novo Nordisk a Danish practices which started operations in Mexico in 2004, it is an interesting case that provides a clear example about how to get that ideal equilibrium between standardization and localization. ii.Questions and anwers 1.Given the Mexican and Danish business cultures, what are the most important HRM challenges faced by Novo Nordisk Mexico? What does the company need to do to succeed? Novo Nordisk faces a pretty different cultural context between the Mexico and the Company ´s philosophy (influenced by the Danish culture), the big dilemma is how to balance those several differences and find out the way to design HRM practice and policies that are efficient and effective. Regarding the HRM practices in Mexico, â€Å"despite the implementation of â€Å"modern† HRM policies, Mexico present particularities in the HRM practices deeply rooted in the Mexican law, which reflects consequences of an historical unfair system to the workers. After the time of the â€Å"hacendados† Mexican law were focused to protect both rights from employees and employers but it was most aimed to pursue and ensure the dignity and well sake of the workers, in order to avoid abuses from the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"bosses†. Despite this historical background, nowadays there are still some contradictions in the law, that enhamce some discrimination. In order to describe briefly the main differences between the two cultures, its necessary to take into account two of the five cultural dimensions of Hofstede: Power Distance and Individualism vs collectivism provide a clear framework to understand the discrepancies. Mexican culture has a Strong hierarchy and high power distance which is reflected in a paternalistic/Autocratic management style. Employees are used to demonstrate â€Å"loyalty, submission and respect† and they practice boss workship â€Å"culto al jefe†. In contrast the Danish company has a flat structure in the organization and they expect an open communications creativity and high participation in the decision making process. Source image: (Hofstede, 2012) In the other hand, Mexican culture is collectivist and it is reflected in the fact that they see the company as an extension of their family, â€Å"Employer / employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link)†, they respect the boss as it would be the paternal figure and therefore, they expect to receive protection, and that the company cover their basic needs, (they pay back with obedience loyalty and submission) Novo Nordisk is a company that looks for employees with a high level of commitment in order to apply their own slogan â€Å"â€Å"Changing the world of diabetes: Employees make a difference for people with diabetes worldwide†, then is hard to reach this objective in Mexico, where there are some many differences in the culture that doesn’t enhance high communication, participation and creativity. They need happy employees that have enough self confidence to contribute and that are motivated to give their best. In other words, the main challenge of Novo Nordisk in order to succeed is combine the â€Å"modern-value-based management with traditional control† (Ramirez & Zapata Cantà º, 2009). They need to find a way to operate company respecting and following the Novo Nordisk’s core corporate values, but at the same time they must recognize they key cultural differences between Mexico and Denmark. Meaning that, they need to change the way of thinking of Mexicans workers, they have to enhance the participation, create self-confidence in their decisions (with training) and make them to get used to openness and freedom, while at the same time they keep rules to achieve goals and provide the economic security and  rewards that keep the employees motivated and loya to the company as they are used to. 2.What is the ‘right’ HR strategy for Novo Nordisk Mexico – hybrid or centralized? Why? Evaluate the different options (pros and cons). As we have mentioned before, due to the important differences between both cultures and all the factors around them, it would be more assertive if the company design a unique strategy that balances the main features of both cultures, taking into account the circumstances of the environment. â€Å"Best HRM practices† may not always transfer across countries due to cultural and institutional differences Regarding MNC subsidiaries, argued that organizations try to balance the need to standardize best HRM practice across national boundaries with the need to adapt to local practices and customs†. (Zhang, 2003). In other words and clearly speaking, that means that an hybrid strategy would work better, because it would combine and balance the best aspects of both cultures. Also the hybrid system would allow to both cultures learn from each other and increase the expertise for Novo Nordisk. The cons ad pros for each option are explained below. Hybrid strategy ProsCons Better reaction to the local environment Could be more expensive. The company can attract the best talent available.Hard to accomplish internal consistency. Novo Nordisk can gain a good reputation between Mexicans.Is not that easy, find the ideal balance. Combining the best aspects (according with the circumtances), Novo Nordik could get the best performance of their employees, because they would get what is coerced by law and also they will be treated as they are not used to (having better conditions, enhacing communication, trustability and wellness)The process to get used to, and make work the company, would be slow and complex A unique system, specially designed for this conditions, could provide competitive advantages over the competence (even when they are famous already) Centralized strategy ProsCons Easy and fast to applyMexicans could abuse from the â€Å"nice conditions† (could  be hard to control them because they are not used to , to freedom), and in the other hand if they apply the traditional system totally they would break with their own philosophy and they also could get negative outcomes. It won ´t need high investment Would be hard to attract best talent It would match perfect with the company philosophyIt wouldn’t provide competitive advantages. 3.What are the key strengths of Novo Nordisk in implementing its NNWoM in Mexico? How did the firm leverage these advantages given the history and current state of HRM in Mexico? As it is explained in the case, historically , everything about HRM in Mexico, is about being fired or hired, in the last years it has changed a bit, but this is still the common condition in the Mexican business environment. Thus, due to the hard labor conditions (law, lack of insurance and other basic benefits), employees are used to just receive a decent wage that allow them to live and to keep their work. Meaning that, Novo Nordisk has several strengths in its NNWoM, since it offers much more than Mexicans are used to receive from a company in terms of training, compensation, appraisal and rewards, communication systems etc. In that way, the company is higly attractive to the Mexican workforce and it gets a strong positive reputation that becomes in a core competence of it. 4.You are an external consultant to Novo Nordisk Mexico. What area(s) within the HR department must be developed to enhance its visibility in Mexico? Novo Nordisk is doing great designing an effective HRM strategy for the Mexican environment, the only area that they could work on more would be, promoting their philosophy of a healthy life style and routine within their employees, extending the messages and practices to the families of their employees, participating as sponsorships of sports events or challenges to reach the ideal weight or design the best diet etc. Novo Nordisk could also use this kind of events and practices as an important marketing tool, since the best spokesmen and messengers of their slogans are their emloyees with a high commitment with the company and with its objectives. iii.Conclusion Novo Nordisk is a clear example of how a company, in order to succeed with efficient and effective HRM practices, when managing subsidiaries, should  analyze deeply and carefully the internal and external factors and based on that design the HRM system that can fit the need of the new market. It is evident that cultures are extremely different in all around, so it cannot be expected that what works in one place work in everywhere, then it is better to adapt and being flexible in order to get positive results. Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is doing a good job in implementing good HRM practices through their hybrid strategy: â€Å"Novo Way of Management is a system that combines modern-value-based management with traditional control† iv.Bibliography (s.f.). Hofstede. (2012). Hofstede centre. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html Ramirez, J., & Zapata Cantà º, L. (2009). Mexican Experiences from a Danish Firm:†Changing† Mexican Cuture. 368-381. Stevens. (2012). Standardization and localization of HRM practices. Obtenido de http://www.transtutors.com/homework-help/human-resource-management/international-hrm/hrm-practices-standardization-localization/ Zhang, M. (2003). Transferring human resource management across national boundaries: The case of Chinese multinational companies in the UK. . 613–627.

Quarterly Performance Review Essay

Being a retail store we all know how important customer service is, but many don’t see the importance of good vendor support as well. Vendors are important and should be looked after. Since they provide us with our foundations to running our business with providing us with the products and merchandise we sell. Elaine Bridgewater, our retail relationship manager, has been a great addition to our team. With her experience she is able to bring technical knowledge about the industry giving us a competitive advantage over many other golf equipment stores. Everyday Elaine brings her boundless energy and she is always driven and motivated. Elaine’s engaging personal style has built numerous new retail relationships for our company. However I do have some concerns regarding Elaine’s performance. Since she is the first person our retailers contact it is important to be attentive to the retailers needs. Unfortunately we have received complaints from various retailers that their calls are not returned the same day, but usually days later. If retailers email Elaine they seem to get lost in the email conversation since email message from Elaine could have been written clearer, making a simple email go back and forth numerous times due to confusion. Furthermore weekly reports are not created with care, but seem as if they were thrown together quickly. Although these may not seem like critical issues, and they are all simple fixes, but are very crucial to the survival of our business. With some standardized guidelines and practice these are areas Elaine could easily improve on. The retail channel is a very important aspect to the survival of our company and so it is important that that channel is maintained at all times. To help make the changes easier we will establish appropriate standards and guidelines for the retail division. All call and emails should be responded to within 24 hours of receiving it. We will also provide an array of email response templates since most of the correspondences are routine.

Florence Nightingale Life and Her Contribution in Nursing - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 965 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/09/11 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? This paper discusses how Florence Nightingale was a complex woman, largely responsible for the state of nursing as we know it today. For all of her efforts, she was a product of her upbringing. She had amazing success with changing the hospital conditions in Crimea and establishing the nursing profession as a respectable one before becoming a recluse upon her return to England. This paper highlights some of the events of Florence Nightingales life as well as how her nursing theory has played a most important role in registered nursing today. Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820 at some stage of a family holiday made by her English parents in Florence, Italy, which is she was named after (Funnell, Koutoukidis Laurence, 2005: 5). (Tomey Alligood 2002) suggest Florence Nightingale was born to a well-educated and wealthy family known as aristocratic Victorian family in England. The socio-economic situation infers that she had access to a good education and that she was not exposed to the hardships in life. This makes it clear also, that she would have had some respect in the society in which she participated in. Tomey Alligood 2006: 72) explain that the secretary of war was a â€Å"close family friend†. This helps understand the position held by the Nightingale in a time family where power in society held value. So people with high social regard were in a position to offer their opinion, it was a reasonable that their opinion would hold some weight. (Tomey Alligood, 1998; 69) explain that Florence Nightin gale developed the sense that her life should become more useful. Much more attention to this has been paid to the calling that Nightingale recorded in her diary God spoke to me and called me to his service. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Florence Nightingale Life and Her Contribution in Nursing" essay for you Create order Nightingale entered nursing training at Kaiserwerth, Germany, a protestant religious community with a hospital facility. Nightingale stayed there for 3 months at the end her teacher declared her to be trained as a nurse. Nightingale returned to England and began to examine hospital facilities reformatories and charitable institution and became the superintendent of the hospital for invalid Gentlewomen in London. Moreover, Nightingale received a request from the secretary of the war who was a family friend to go to Turkey where she providing trained nurses to care for wounded soldiers. To achieve her mission of provided nursing care. She needs to address the invironmental problems that existed, including the lack of sanitation and the presence of filth. Nightingales work in improving these deplorable conditions made her a popular person to these soldiers. However, the support of the physicians and the military officers demonstrated less enthusiasm. Nightingale was called The lady of the lamp because of her ward rounds perform during the night. During her life, Nightingale devotes her energies to societal issues and causes in an attemp to create social changes. Nightingale continued to concentrate on army sanitation in India and health care of the poor in England. Nightingle had the opinion that environment played an important rule in achieving health. (Crisp Taylor  2001: 95) elaborate that Nightingale did not sight nursing as controlled merely to the management of medications and treatments but rather as familiarized toward providing fresh air, good sunlight, good hygiene, quiet and adequate nutrition would alter the environment to prevent disease. Through observation and data collection, the clients health status with environmental factors and initiated improved hygiene and sanitary conditions during the Crimean war. In addition, Florence Nightingales work as a potential theoritical and conceptual model for nursing. (Crisp Taylor; 2001: 95)  suggests that Nightingales concept of the environment as the focus of nursing care and her warning that nurses need to know all about the disease process, are early attemps to differentiate between nursing and medicine. Florence Nightingale provided  basic concepts and propositions that could be supported and used for practice in nursing. Nightingales descriptive theory provides nurses with a way to think about  nursing with a frame of reference that focuses on clients and the environment (Torres, 1986). Nightingales letters and writings direct the nurse to act on behalf of the client. Her principles were visionary and encompass the areas of practice, research, and education. Most important, her concepts and principles shaped and delineated nursing practice  (Marriner-Tomey and Alligood, 1998). Nightingale taught and used the nursing process, noting that vital observation is not for the sake of piling up miscellaneous information of curious  facts, but for the sake of saving life and increasing health and comfort. (Tomey Alligood, 1998; 70) expresses that Nightingale confined herself to her residence,  citing continued ill health. Her written word was strong and clear, thus, her beliefs, observations and desire for changes in health care, through this medium her work was successfully achieved. In addition, she received the most powerful as visitors in her home to maintain her dialogues and to win approval and support for her causes. Nightingales work was recognized in her lifetime through many awards she received from both her own country and many others. She was able to work into her  eighties and died sleep at the age of 90 on August 13, 1910. What happened if Florence Nightingale was born into parents who are poor? Will Florence Nightingale be popular in the  health care history? In conclusion,   Nightingles theory has been used to provide general guidelines for all nurses in all times. The universality and timelessness of her concepts remain pertinent. The relation concepts, nurse, patient, and  environment are applicable in all nursing settings today. To address her audience of women who may provide care to another, the theory she proposed remains relevant. Thus, it meets the criterion of generalizability. Reference List: Tomey, A. M. , Alligood M. R. (2006) Nursing Theorists and Their Work (6th ed) Tomey, A. M. , Alligood, M. R (1998) Nursing Theorists and Their Work (4th ed) Funnell, Koutoukidis, Laurence, (2005) Tabbner’s Nursing Care Theory and Practice (4th ed. ) Crisp, J. , Taylor, C (2001) Fundamentals of Nursing