Discuss, with relevant examples, the different levels of income and Essay

Discuss, with relevant examples, the different levels of income and expenditure that a typical UK individual is likely to ex - Essay Example Its quality of education is high and the literacy levels are among the highest in the world. Its learning institutions, especially the universities, rank highly in global ratings. The income levels in the United Kingdom are above the global average (Cordner, Das, and Cordner, 2010, p. 76). A typical UK citizen is thus destined to experience many levels of income and expenditures due to the nation’s diverse nature. Income The average household net-adjusted disposable income on the global scale is $22,387 per year. United Kingdom’s average citizen outdoes this and has an average annual income of $26,552. This is according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and development (OECD) survey carried out in 2010. The UK also has an average household wealth of $59,923 according to the OECD survey. This also is above the average household wealth of $36,238 for OECD members. The debt level though was $73,039 in 2010 according to a national financial education charity cal led Credit Action. This includes all debts mortgage and credit card debt. Also, the OECD estimates that the income for the top 20 per cent of earners is $55,138 per year. This greatly contrasts with the bottom 20 per percent of earners who earn $9,556 annually. The income bracket age with the highest earnings is from thirty five to forty nine years. The lowest earning age bracket is from fifteen to nineteen years (Clark, 2007, p. 88). The professional and managerial jobs earn the highest incomes. In contrast, elementary jobs earn the least incomes across the board. Of the total working population, 7 per cent have contracts lasting six months or less. 75 per cent of the men and 65 per cent of the women have jobs in this diverse economy. With more than 70 per cent of the working age bracket employed, this is a fairly good condition compared to other nations. It means that few people are below the poverty line and the living conditions are quite luxurious. Although there exists a big g ap between the high and low income earners, access to basic needs is almost assured for all levels of income. This has ensured a relatively stable economy. Expenditure Taxation Since all governments the world over depend on taxation in funding public projects to avail social amenities to their citizens, great interest is generated by this subject (Black, 2010, p. 89). The United Kingdom, being no exception, has an elaborate taxation scheme to see to the availability of public goods among them roads, hospitals and educational facilities. The typical UK citizen has a number of taxes they pay during their lifetime. A few of the taxes are personal taxes, business taxes and sales taxes. All these taxes serve the sole purpose of contributing to the national basket. Personal taxes, among them income tax, council and inheritance taxes, are directly levied to each citizen. Income taxes to a typical United Kingdom citizen include taxes levied on salaries, bonuses, commissions and overseas all owances. The basic income rate, covering incomes from 0.00 British pounds to 35,000 British pounds, charged 20 per cent income tax (Becker, 2009, p. 45). The next higher tax bracket, covering incomes from 35,001 British pounds to 150,000 British pound

Nutrition Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nutrition Paper - Essay Example They believe that they are inadequate. People who view themselves critically are more prone to develop anorexia. Research on the biological causes of anorexia suggests that people with high levels of cortisol and low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine have a tendency towards anorexia since these hormones control stress and general well-being of a person. Also some people are genetically prone towards the disease if it runs in the family (Shepphird, 58). The first stage of Anorexia as identified by research is when a person loses a good amount of weight in a relatively short time period. This is then followed by praises from friends, families and acquaintances. The patient gives too much worth to these praises and starts fearing an increase in weight. This then develops an obsession among the patient to limit or reduce weight. From herein begins, the disease process. In the early stages, the patient develops a compulsion towards physical exercise. Exercise starts taking up most of the patient’s time and he ignores his social life. At the same time, the patient starts obsessing about food. They start researching about food, calories and diets. They even try to implement these in their own diet and often try to hide these details from their friends and family. In the second stage, the patient becomes preoccupied with his body image. He starts focusing on individual parts of his body where he assumes that he needs to lose weight. The person feels basically fine in his stage but starvation is becoming quite common in the second stage. The third stage occurs when the patient starts to starve himself. He starts wearing warmer clothes as starvation leads to cold. The patient also displays many other emotions as a direct result of starvation. These include depression, anxiety, paranoia, irritability, insomnia and exhaustion. It is difficult for immediate friends and families to ignore Anorexia Nervosa. The symptoms appear on the

Impact of E-Commerce on Global Business

Impact of E-Commerce on Global Business Introduction E-commerce is different from any other type of business. In other words we can say that e-commerce have far more similarities than differences. E-commerce has its road map for the operation and development of the business; just to make sure we will not be lost. It has its own process for the business planning, to set the goals, think ahead, anticipate problems and some measures for the success. The Internet is same like any other sales channel. The Internet allows companies to advertise information fast with almost zero cost, to reach customers with their range, to introduce new and innovative product rapidly, to reduce costs and generate savings, to provide complete information in short period of time, to answer customer questions quickly, and many more differences. However, Internet also creates more bargaining and selection power for the customers, creates more perfect information market to the market place. The Internet is global and being on the Web means that our business will be visible internationally which will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days in a year. E-business plan must account for this difference in Web hosting and fulfil the requirement of customers. The Web is giving greater opportunities for personalization of content, self service for the customer and one to one marketing. E-business has always focused on getting close to the customer We just discussed about the differences of business and e-business. In the following pages we will discuss the impacts of the e-commerce with perspective to Abbey Hotel, Reading which we have taken into consideration as a practical business example. Discussing about the e-commerce, we will see about the hotel, its strategy-setting activities such as writing the mission statement, core value proposition which are offered to supplier and consumers, defining the business model, supply chain management, identifying target markets, identification of critical success factors and critical risks. Executive Summary The long term goal of The Abbey House Hotel for temporary lodging and boarding with our shining restaurant and attractive with safe car park creating a differentiated experience, the historical nature of the Reading buildings and as well as the modern Oracles and shopping centre with its unique location in one of the most attractive part of Berkshire. We plan to be more than a great lodging, restaurant, bar and safe park. We planed to create friendly environment and pampered guest with our unique selling services. Expanding our exposure via the Internet and introducing our Abbey House Hotel on the websites to maintain our standard and to control over the market. The Abbey House Hotel aims to build a strong market position in the Reading area of Berkshire as a result of few BB in the area as well as the mild competitive climate in the area. The Abbey House Hotel aims to offer its services at the competitive price to meet the demand of the middle to higher income local market residents and tourists. Location The Abbey House Hotel is a beautiful facility. The Hotel offers 18 individually furnished rooms, each with its own antique theme. We are a complete bed and breakfast Inn with a full complementary breakfast served each morning to our guests. Oracles target market strategy is based on becoming a destination of choice for professional couples in the greater Reading area who are looking for a place to relax. We will also advertise to the newly married couple who are looking for that special get away. It will be important for us to be visible to those potential guests who are travelling on motorway M4 through Heathrow. Abbey house hotel is an established BB, and has been in operation for the last three years. After possession and a brief period of becoming established, Abbey House will diverse into other venires to ensure a steady flow of patrons (tourists and locals) through its doors. The Abbey House is a partnership, equally owned by Muhammad Riaz Hussain and Irfan Mahmood. Mr. Riaz resides on the property, managing and maintaining the business and satisfying guests requirements and Mr. Irfan is taking care of financial matters The Service The Abbey House was originally built in 1980 and is believed to have been one of three train stations on Reading. The slogan for The Abbey House Hotel is Home Away From Home The slogan Home away from Home was chosen to ensure that customers have a different experience different from their day-to-day life. In order to be customer conscious, The Abbey House Hotel is offering four different type of accommodation to its customers depending on their needs. There will be Single, Double, Twin and Interconnected rooms. In next spring we are planning to add one full service coin-operated laundry machine which will provide the facility of washing, drying and optional folding. The Abbey House Hotel will be opened 24 hours a day, 7 days in a week. Each of our rooms is equipped with one King size bed, Two single beds and one single bed. We have full-service restaurant and a bar. Next spring we are planning to add dance floor which will provide live entertainment to the in house guest. We are also plan to renovate the guest rooms next year and placed new LCD TV in each guest room instead of normal TV. The Market The Abbey House Hotels target market strategy is based on becoming a destination choice for the people who are visiting Reading (Berkshire) and who are looking for a place to relax. The target markets that we are going to pursue are people or families looking for a vacation destination, honeymooners, family reunion, visiting patient to Reading Hospital (which is nearby) Reading University students. Our target budget is 30% over than the last budget with  £25 average room rate. More variety was added into the restaurant to increase the weekly sales and also adding vegetarian and fish chips items in our menu. Subscriptions to various Web services will provide international exposure to potential customers for nominal fees, plus it has a website http//www.theabbeyhousehotel.co.uk. The Abbey House Hotel would like to see a 20% increase in customer. Financial Considerations Mr. Riaz Hussain and Mr. Irfan will invest  £50,000 in the business for an initial capital for the start-up and a significant part of the investment will be finance by HSBC. It hopes to secure a loan of  £150,000 from the bank with a payback period of 10 years. Because its family own business,  £50,000 will be contributed by two brothers raising its start up capital of  £200,000. Start-up Summary Table Start-up Expenses Legal  £1,500 Stationary etc  £75 Brochures  £500 Property Goodwill  £50,000 Lodge setup  £200 Direct TV  £200 Insurance  £500 Other expenses  £500 Total Expenses  £53,475 Start-up Assets Cash required  £15,000 Start-up Stock 0 Other Current Assets  £10,000 Total Assets  £25,000 Start-up Funding Start-up Expenses to Fund  £53,475 Start-up Assets to Fund  £25,000 Total Funding Required  £78,475 Business Objectives The broad objective of The Abbey House Hotel is to offer service at competitive price by meeting demand of tourists and residents area of Berkshire and London. The Abbey House Hotel also aims to acquire not less than 25 percent of the BB market before the end of 2009. Key to Success In order to succeed, the management of The Abbey House Hotel will strive to achieve the following goals: To position The Abbey House Hotel as the best BB in the area of Berkshire of London among the numerous tourists. Build strong market position among the local residents. Maintain healthy and sound financial management of the venture. Business Description Vision We are committed to dynamic growth and service excellence built upon our heritage of traditional hospitality. An ethic, respected and evolving organization a leader in excellence, we strive to consistently meet and surpass guests, employees and other stakeholders, expectations. Mission To provide excellent quality and service to all our customers by valuing and rewarding our team, whilst promoting mutual respect and diversity Core Values Communication Listen actively to others Embrace diversity and value differences Regularly update information and keep others updated Open to feedback and communicate positively Collaborate to exceed the organizational goals as well as our own Work Ethics Meet commitments, set personal standards Timely in our duties and punctual Understand our duties and responsibilities and keep our knowledge updated Adapt to change, handle pressure and are open to new ideas We do what it takes to get the work done Customer Services We strive to build customer confidence and are committed to exceeding customer expectation Actively seek feedback for continuous improvement Our aim to act quickly on resolving issues Handling service issues politely, positively and efficiently whilst following procedure Recognition and growth Achievement orientation Performance-based evaluation Appreciation Incentives Setting ever-rising standards of performance Innovation Listening and two-way interaction Participation Encouragement Motivation Initiative Trust Cooperation Support Teamwork Sense of ownership Integrity Dignity Respect E-Business Facilities Online Booking You have the opportunity to check room availability and also make an on line reservation. When you click on the online Booking box located below the left navigation you will be taken to a secure page a credit card will be required for you to make an online reservation. Your credit card is only used to secure the booking and your account need not be settled by this card. Guest will make the booking online and guaranteed by their Credit Card. B2C Booking confirmation No Online Hotel Information Online booking options Guest All bedrooms have en-suite facilities Double bed, Twin bed Single bed, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Direct dial from rooms, TV, Hair dryer, Trouser press Check in time: 1400 hrs Check out time: 1100 hrs All reservation must be guaranteed by Credit Card prior to the arrival. Non guaranteed booking will be cancelled 24 hours prior to arrival. Extra sharing person will be charged  £10. Room Rate Click here to book the room Sunday to Thursday Single  £75 ENQUIRE Double / Twin (single occupancy)  £85 ENQUIRE Double / Twin (double occupancy)  £95 ENQUIRE Extra Person  £10 Weekend Room Rates Click here to book the room Friday and Saturday Single  £49 ENQUIRE Double / Twin  £59 ENQUIRE Extra Person  £10 All rates are inclusive of Full English Breakfast and VAT at 17.5% All rates are subject to change without notice Online Special Offers Extended Stay Programme, Room from Just  £40 ENQUIRE Weekends in Reading  £45 ENQUIRE Valid Date: April 7, 2008 April 7, 2009 Double bed, Twin bed Single bed, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Direct dial from rooms, TV, Hair dryer, Trouser press Reading Rock Festival ENQUIRE Valid Date: August 22, 2008 August 25, 2008 Double bed, Twin bed Single bed, Tea/Coffee making facilities, Direct dial from rooms, TV, Hair dryer, Trouser press Home Away Home click here for our specialities Advance Purchase Reservation click here for our specialities (No amendment, no refund will be given in this offer) Web Plan Summary The Abbey House Hotel website will focus on the features the Abbey House Hotel has to offer. Each room with its different options will be on the site as well as pictures of The Abbey House Hotel and the facilities that it has to offer. The lunch / dinner menu will be displayed. Room rates will be given, with maps on how to get to there. Attractions with in 30 miles will be on the site and other local colour will be shown. Room reservation can be made online if the consumer wishes to do so. Website Marketing Strategy Our website marketing strategy will focus on Corporate, Visitors and groups who are looking for a boarding and lodging. The Berkshire, Oxfordshire and London area will be our main focal point. The Abbey House Hotel will promote through our website by using: Detailed photos of the Abbey House and surrounding area Price list of our rooms and our restaurant menu. Special Package We will contact with travel agent around the world e.g. Active Hotel. Gullivers Travels, Travco, Expedia, Expotel, Late room. Last minute. BSP, Super breaks etc Guests are making the room booking through the following travel agents and pay to them. These Agents forward those booking to the hotel via email and fax. e.g. Gullivers Travels www.gullivertravels.co.uk Expedia www.expedia.com Travco www.travco.com Super breaks www.superbreaks.co.uk On the other hand, these following Travel Agents, they advertise our hotel on their websites, guests make their booking and these Travel Agents forward those booking to hotel and hotel charge to guest directly and pay the commission on top of that to Travel Agents after receiving their commission invoice. Active Hotels www.activehotels.com Late room www.lateroom.com Last minutes www.lastminute.com Our Hotels website is linked with all above mentioned websites. It is another source of e-business to increase the revenue and achieve our target. Booking through Travel Agent B2B Activehotel.com Lateroom.com Lastminute.com Gta.com Travco.co.uk Superbreaks.com Expedia.com Expotel.com Booking Confirmation to Guest Online Guest Confirmation send to the Hotel Inventory Control System on websites by Hotel Joint websites or travel agents websites providing us a business and we will allocate the rooms and control the inventory. If we dont have rooms to sell we can close their allocation and if we want to give some rooms to them, we can allocate them number of room as per our hotel requirement. If travel agent has a client who is looking for a room in our hotel or in our area and there is no room is avail able or room inventory is zero then we can sell directly to the travel agent. On both ways we are not losing the business. Marketing Strategy The mission of Abbey House Hotel is to become the best choice in Berkshire area for the boarding and lodging by expending our exposure via the Internet (with multiple networks and links). We are planning to be more than a great hotel. We are planning to bring the guest satisfaction up to the mark and the name of excellence in the hotel industry and guests feel that they are not away from their homes. And we are also planning on adding a full service coin-operated laundry facility (washing and drying) The Abbey House Hotel makes the guest valued by ensuring their comfort. For special occasions, catered meals, Extra mattress, room service, etc. can be provided for an additional fee. During the weekends, guests will return to the Abbey House Hotel in the evening and find a fine restaurant to dine and efficient staffs is waiting to serve them to make them valued. The Abbey House Hotels target market strategy is based on becoming a destination choice for families, local familys visitors, and corporate clients, small groups who are looking for a place to relax for short or long period of time. The Abbey House Hotel would like to see a 30% to 40% increase in customers on a yearly basis with 100% customers satisfaction. Our target market strategy is based on becoming a destination for people who are looking to get away for a vocation or visit London. Our marketing strategy is based on superior performance in the following area Quality facilities Beautiful location Customer Services The target markets are divided in to three major segments Vacationers, Corporate and Family visitors. The primary marketing strategy is selling to this accessible target market by focusing on their vacation and recreational needs. Sales Strategy The Sales Strategy the Abbey House Hotel aimed to adopt is to ensure customers can book via Telephone Travel Agents Internet (i.e. www.theabbeyhousehotel.co.uk) The Abbey House Hotel also aimed to offer guarantee reservation for regular customers during high season. Critical Success Factors and Critical Risks Although Abbey Hotel is a medium sized organization, there are several survival factors imbedded to its organizational culture. Well experienced staff, visionary leadership, eco-friendly geographical location, continues training and development for the staff, chances to grow based on high performance for the staff, continues supervision on house keeping, food and beverages operation, delicious and different kind of menu, clear downward communication pattern, are survival factors in the organization to overcome the challenges for its business. Among said survival factors in the organization, experienced and visionary leadership, well-trained staff and beautiful location are carrying its business to the top in the industry. Therefore, Abbey hotel could survive as well as it will reach to the business excellence, if the firm can overcome following risk factors. Due to the increased terrorism activities in the world, global certainty is being jeopardized. September 11th incident in New York, recent Bomb blast at Marriott Hotel in Pakistan are some examples. This global uncertainty directly impact for the decline occupancy rate in the hotel industry in main capitals in the world. The most difficult task is implementing proactive steps to overcome these challenges. Present financial crisis in the global financial industry is another risk for the industry as the share value of many leading hotels is declining. In such a situation, industry is in a danger situation as market is depending on economic sovereignty of any market segment. Secondly, should expectations not materialize, and then sub-par returns could damage the overall financial credibility of the lodging industry. Shortage of skilled work force is another risk factor. Changing government rules and regulation on migration policy will be direct impact for finding skilled staff for the hospitality industry. Due to intense competition among the hotels in the hospitality industry, brands issues are appearing in present more than in the past. Customers are assessing this culture that it would be affecting the quality of the service in negative aspect. Because, all organizations are prefer to maximize their profit to remain in the market long-term basis. Popularising of eco tourism also may impact for the industry, as right now customer preferences are more for eco-friendly atmosphere within the hotel premises. For example herbal spa, inorganic foods, natural cottage are highly demanded options from customers. In addition to above, increasing loss of control over the customer due to the use of the Internet, homogenisation of the hotel product and increased corporate oversight has reduced the amount of control that operators have over the customer. Hence emerging impact of new technology, operating cost creep, supply change management issues, safety and security issues, reputation risks, hig h-energy cost, are some other key issues in the industry. The management should emphasis the said survival factors and challenges as provocative measures.

The Family in Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays

The Family in Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, is about a young man, Gregor Samsa, who is transformed overnight into a bug. He soon becomes a disgrace to his family. After his metamorphosis, his family goes through an even bigger metamorphosis than Gregor, himself. Therefore, the real metamorphosis occurs to the family rather than Gregor. One of the family members who goes through significant metamorphosis is Gregor's sister, Grete. She maybe the person that he cared the most about. After he turned into a bug, her love and care gave him a reason to live, but when she stopped caring it killed him. Grete turned from this loving, caring, and warm person into this dark, uncaring, and selfish person. After Gregor turns into a bug, Grete seems like the only one who cares about her brother, even in the body of a giant bug She keeps his room clean and brings him things to eat twice a day. She worries about what he might like to eat "But, he would of never been able to guess what his sister, in the goodness of her heart, actually did. To find out his likes and dislikes, she brought him an assortment of foods"(24). . Her kindness, even when she is afraid of his appearance, touches Gregor deeply. She gives him a reason to live. She is the only human that he has contact with. So, he doesn't feel as much alienated as he already is. This shows that after Gregor turned into a bug, she still cared about him. Her warmth gave him a reason to live. But, this would not last for long much longer. As the time passed, Grete practically stops caring about her brother. She starts to treat him differently. "No longer considering what she can do to give Gregor a special treat, his sister, before running to business every morning and afternoon, hurriedly shoved any old food into Gregor's room with her foot" (43). Grete is not thinking about Gregor like; this makes her uncaring. Shoving things with her foot is an example of her showing him that he is a bug because bugs are usually stomped on with feet. Grete gets a job to help pay for expenses, she no longer wants takes care Gregor makes her selfish.

Itt Tech Comp. Ii Final Paper

Course Project Submission The Legalization of Marijuana J. Doe ITT Technical Institute March 7, 2013 Composition II Dr. Sue Introduction Marijuana should be legalized. That is the decision everyone in our group has come to. We believe the pros of marijuana use greatly outnumber the cons, and that the government needs to realize that. Defending either side of this argument is actually quite difficult. Any studies that you may find can be disproven by studies performed from the opposition and vice versa. Still, we have not found anything that has even came close to changing our opinions.Medical Use Many studies have been performed that prove marijuana can help with the treatment of many types of cancers. Metastasis is when cancer cells spread from one part of the body to another (Mandal, n. d. , What is Metastasis). Scientists at California Pacific Medical Center have found a compound in marijuana that can actually stop metastasis. This compound is called Cannabidiol. They learned this first by testing the compound on animals that had cancer and have proven that it works. They are now waiting on approval to begin human testing (Wilkey, 2012, Marijuana and Cancer).It can also be used to replace many pain pills that damage our kidneys and cause major addictions. Studies show that smoking marijuana can help lessen nerve pain or pain caused by surgery. â€Å"About 10% to 15% of patients attending a chronic pain clinic use cannabis as part of their pain control strategy†(Doheny, 2010, Marijuana Relieves Chronic Pain). Lower Crime Rates In 2011, after legalizing marijuana in California, the juvenile crime rate dropped 20 percent. The number of arrests for violent crimes dropped by 16 percent, homicide went down by 26 percent and drug arrests decreased by nearly 50 percent.In 2010, marijuana possession accounted for 64 percent of all drug arrests, and in 2011, that number decreased to only 46 percent (Sankin, 2012, California Marijuana Decriminalization). Many pe ople believe that drug dispensaries would attract crime. A study has shown that crime actually seems to be much less near the dispensaries then in the areas where dispensaries have been closed. â€Å"On the blocks with closed dispensaries, crime was 60% greater within a three-block radius, and 25% greater within a six-block radius than on the blocks with open dispensaries, according to the study† (Shaw, 2011, Study Show Lower Crime Rate).A Better Economy There are many ways legalizing marijuana can help the economy. Marijuana-related charges would fall significantly, saving US prisons nearly $1 billion annually. Ending prohibition laws against marijuana would save taxpayers $41. 8 billion annually. Marijuana growers in California account for $14 billion a year now that is legalized there. The selling of marijuana illegally is a $38 billion industry which is money our government is missing out on (Bradford, 2012, Boost the Economy). Physical Dangers to UsersThere are many stud ies that show marijuana use can greatly impair a user’s motor skills. They have shown that these impairments lead to a much higher rate of vehicle accidents even though people think being high has nothing to do with it. Studies have also shown that the constant inhalation of smoke, whether it is tobacco or marijuana, can lead to cancer. There has also been a link of marijuana use to psychosis, anxiety, and panic attacks (Lipkis, 2012, Impaired Driving Skills). A Worse Economy Polls show that many people do not believe legalizing marijuana would boost the economy. About a quarter of those polled said legalized pot would lead to more jobs in their communities; 57 percent said there would be no effect. About a third thinks the economy would improve, while 46 percent foresee no impact† (Grisling, 2010, Will NOT Boost Economy). In fact, many people think it will make things worse. This is because while marijuana dispensaries are favored, there are not many people that would invest in them. â€Å"If marijuana was decriminalized, more Americans favor private businesses selling it (54 percent) than the government (36 percent).But just 24 percent said they would be interested in investing in a company that sells pot† (Grisling, 2010, Will NOT Boost Economy). Conclusion The legalization of marijuana is, in our opinion, a good thing. Many people have benefitted from using marijuana even if there are some undesirable side effects. Moderation is something that needs to be applied. Whether it be marijuana or even exercising, too much can hurt you. Recreational use is not what was discussed here. Improving upon the lives we are currently living, through the different applications of marijuana, is what we aimed to point out.

Sexuality, Corruption, and Power Dynamics in the Bloody Chamber

Sexuality, corruption and power dynamics in The Bloody Chamber Sexuality is a prevalent theme in Angela Carter’s story The Bloody Chamber. Sexual violence within a relationship often reveals aspects of each party’s identity and character as well as affects its power dynamics. Carter depicts sex both explicitly and implicitly in the story through the heroine’s own thoughts of her newfound sexuality and her sexual experiences with the Marquis.Carter’s implicit and explicit portrayals of sex and sexuality in The Bloody Chamber reflect changes in the power dynamic between the heroine and the Marquis throughout the text, develop the identity of the heroine and reveal aspects of the Marquis’ character, and challenge notions of gender. The first incident of an implicit portrayal of sexuality occurs during the narrator’s train ride away from her childhood home towards her new life with her future husband, the Marquis.No physical act of sex is describ ed, but it is the first time that the reader sees the heroine’s sensual side and departure from innocence through Carter’s use of sexual language. It is as if the train ride away from home symbolizes her departure from innocence and into womanhood. Carter uses words such as â€Å"ecstasy†, â€Å"burning†, â€Å"pistons thrusting†, shuddered†, and â€Å"throb† to convey the heroine’s newfound sexual arousal and her thoughts about sex.Carter’s description of the heroine’s â€Å"young girl’s pointed breasts and shoulders† depicts her innocence and virginity (Carter, 8), yet she is consumed with thoughts of sex. This contrast symbolizes the development of the heroine’s identity from childhood to womanhood. Implicit sexuality is also seen on the train ride when the heroine expresses her anticipation of sex. She says: â€Å"for the first time in my innocent and confined life, I sensed in myself a po tentiality for corruption that took my breath away. (Carter, 11). The heroine feels this way because of the way the Marquis watches her with an â€Å"assessing eye of a connoisseur inspecting horseflesh†, and sees for the first time the â€Å"carnal avarice† of the way he looks at her. The Marquis views her as a piece of meat; similar to the way a predator would eye his prey. From this scene, it is evident to the reader that the Marquis treats his women as possessions, and has a primal instinct regarding sexuality.The heroine has lived a sheltered, pure life and is completely new to such concepts as lust and sexual passion, but it is at this moment that she realizes the potential of becoming a woman susceptible to sexual domination and corruption. This scene reflects the power dynamic in the relationship stemming from the Marquis’ obvious desire for sexual possession, corruption, and control, and the heroine’s recognition of her impending sexual exploitat ion. The scene further develops the heroine’s identity towards becoming a woman.Despite the Marquis’ obvious misogyny, his actions excite the heroine because they make her feel as if she is a sexual and desirable being. She recounts his marriage proposal, and says: â€Å"When I said that I would marry him, not one muscle in his face stirred, but he let out a long, extinguished sigh. I thought: Oh! how he must want me! And it was as though the imponderable weight of his desire was a force I might not withstand, not by virtue of its violence but because of its very gravity. (Carter, 9) This quote shows how the heroine perceives the Marquis’ sigh as a sign that he is in love with her, when the more likely reality is that it is a sigh of victory, as if he has just conquered his latest possession. Regardless of these opposing interpretations, it is evident in the last line of this quote that the heroine senses the combination of sexual desire and violence inherent i n the Marquis’ character, and the harm it poses to her. Little does the heroine know how real the Marquis’ penchant for sex and violence is, and how he channels that desire towards the murder of women.The heroine seems accepting of the submissive role in her relationship with the Marquis, and the thought excites her. This assumption further reflects the power dynamic between the Marquis and his wife, as well as the gender roles that both characters embody. The Marquis fits the description of a power-hungry, domineering male, and the heroine that of a naive, innocent girl who obeys her husband. The heroine’s naivety is reflected when she says she is â€Å"bemused that, after those others, he should now have chosen me. She obviously does not understand that the reason he is not still in mourning for his last wife is because he murdered her. Carter’s explicit portrayal of sex occurs when the Marquis first shows the heroine the mirrored room and disrobes her . The heroine narrates the scene as if she is describing a rape, similar to the ones in the Marquis’ collection of pornographic paintings: â€Å"And when nothing but my scarlet, palpitating core remained, I saw, in the mirror, the living image of an etching by Rops from the collection he had shown me when our engagement permitted us to be alone together. (Carter, 15). When the Marquis later takes the heroine’s virginity, it is a form of punishment for the heroine’s disobedience in perusing his collection of books. This reveals the power dynamic that will present itself again in the story, of the Marquis setting the heroine up to disobey him, then punishing her. He makes her wear the choker of rubies as if it is a collar, kisses it before he kisses her, and â€Å"twines her hair into a rope† as if it is a weapon he could use to hurt her. These actions further exemplify the Marquis’ desire for violence and corruption enveloped in sex.Once the heroin e is no longer a virgin and the Marquis leaves the castle, the heroine takes on the role of woman of the house. The reader sees the development of the heroine’s identity, as her independence is revealed through solitary actions such as playing the piano, her true passion, and directing the staff. The heroine is portrayed as a woman who is in control of her domain, rather than a girl under the control of her husband, even though she is still very much trapped in the castle. Power dynamics shift once the heroine loses her virginity, because that was what defined her corruptibility, innocence and youth.The heroine and the reader also witness for the first time a Marquis who has had all the force and power knocked out of him. The narrator says â€Å"He lay beside me, felled like an oak, breathing stertorously, as if he had been fighting with me. In the course of that one-sided struggle, I had seen his deathly composure shatter like a porcelain vase flung against a wall; I had he ard him shriek and blaspheme at the orgasm. † (Carter, 18). Prior to this sexual experience, the heroine had never seen the Marquis be emptied of his composure or expose his vulnerability.She believes that she may have discovered the man underneath the powerful facade when she says â€Å"And perhaps I had seen his face without its mask; and perhaps I had not. † The Marquis is always so in control and holds power over the heroine, but she realizes that if his exterior is removed for a moment, he is not as powerful as he seems. This scene influences the power dynamic within the relationship, since the heroine is no longer convinced that the Marquis holds so much unquestionable authority over her.This transition in the power dynamic aids the heroine’s decision to disobey the Marquis’ instructions when he leaves. The heroine’s identity is further developed after the she discovers the bloody chamber and the Marquis returns to the castle. Now that she has discovered the truth about her husband and the fate of his previous wives, the narrator admits to herself that she is in true danger. â€Å"How could I know, indeed? Except that, in my heart, I’d always known its lord would be the death of me. † (Carter, 33).She is no longer an unknowing, innocent, uncorrupted girl, as she now knows who the Marquis truly is and what he plans to do to her, and she realizes there is nothing desirable about him or their relationship. The narrator realizes that she has played directly into the Marquis’ hands, and has â€Å"lost at that charade of innocence and vice in which he had engaged me. Lost, as the victim loses to the executioner. † (Carter, 34). The heroine has fallen for every trap that the Marquis has set for her, right up until her impending death.The power dynamics of the relationship shift at this moment in the story. The heroine has discovered the Marquis true intentions, so he no longer holds any secrets that she is unaware of. She sees him as the monster he is, and not as the powerful man he pretends to be. The narrator observes as the Marquis â€Å"raised his head and stared at me with his blind, shuttered eyes as though he did not recognize me, I felt a terrified pity for him, for this man who lived in such strange, secret places that, if I loved him enough to follow him, I should have to die† (Carter, 35).The heroine begins to pity the Marquis rather than fear him, and sees his loneliness underneath his powerful disguise. One could argue that the power dynamics truly shift in the heroine’s favor once her mother kills the Marquis, as he is destroyed, but the true shift takes place once the heroine discovers who the Marquis really is, because she no longer has any reason to obey him as a husband. Once the narrator realizes that she is not in a legitimate husband-wife relationship and her husband intends to murder her, there is no reason for her to act like a loving, faith ful wife or submit to this man.The end of the text shows how Carter challenges gender roles throughout the story. At the beginning, the heroine is portrayed as a naive girl who marries a man not because she’s sure she loves him, but because she’s sure she wants to marry him (Carter 8). The reader sees how she fits the notion of the inexperienced, submissive gender willing to obey a man and accept all the riches he offers her. The Marquis fits the notion of a masochistic, domineering male who sees women as objects and seeks to control them and entice them with wealth.However, by the end of the novel, the heroine outlives the Marquis and is no longer the object of a man’s desire for violence and sexual corruption. She marries a man who is blind and poor, so that he can neither objectify her for her beauty nor buy her love with money and gifts, and she no longer has any desire for these things. This change is seen when the narrator says: â€Å"We lead a quiet life , the three of us. I inherited, of course, enormous wealth but we have given most of it away to various charities. (Carter, 40). The Marquis has fallen from his position as a powerful, wealthy, controlling man, and in true feminist fashion, the heroine emerges the victor. Carter’s descriptions of implicit and explicit scenes of sex and sexuality involving the heroine and the Marquis illustrate the development of the two characters’ relationship with each other and the power dynamics involved, as well as their own identity transitions throughout the story.The reader witnesses the narrator’s journey from girlhood and her desire for sexual corruption, through her torture, submissiveness and sexual self-discovery, all the way until her assumption of power over the Marquis. The heroine defeats the preconceived notions of gender roles as her values and character are completely altered by the end of the story. The Bloody Chamber depicts the lethal combination of sexual ity and violence and the desire to be sexually corrupted without comprehending the implications and true nature of the relationship.