The House And The Ushers Essays - Meaning, Literature, Fiction

The House and the Ushers One of the central themes underlying the short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, is that of the nature of the house. The way it is described and the way it is so mysterious. Another central theme about this story is the nature of the people that live in the house. They are portrayed very much in the same manner throughout the story. Thus, they have several similarities with each other. All of which are of a bad feeling, showing how bad things are for the people and the house. These similarities are very well laid out in the story and are, I believe, meant to be something to be considered when reading it. At the beginning of the story there is a very negative feeling being attached to the appearance of the house. He uses a couple of things to try and make you feel negatively about this place. He used words and phrases such as: "insufferable gloom," "vacant," "black and lurid," and the "rank sedges" were mentioned too. These are obviously there to give a sort of a bad connotation, or bad karma, to the house. He speaks of how the house has a "wild inconsistency" and how each individual stone is starting to decay and fall apart. Suggesting that the house has many problems, all problems that could possibly lead to the destruction of a house. Some accounts even take it as having a kind of gothic feeling to it. Which, after reading the descriptions about it, is very understandable. Another word thrown around when speaking about the house is ghostly. Other phrases such as, "through many dark and intricate passages" and ebon blackness" also help to set the mood correctly. They all set up the fact that some sort of fearful event is going to take place soon. All these things put together and a few others help to connect the house to Roderick and Lady Madeline. When the narrator first sees Roderick after a long period of time, he thinks that he resembles that of a corpse. Then Roderick tells him the reason for his appearance, why he looks so bad. He said he had an illness that was a "morbid acuteness of the senses." The word morbid, when used anywhere, has very strong meaning and it is of the negative type. He uses the word tortured when he is describing his eyesight and says that even the slightest sound is almost unbearable. Thinking about having all of these symptoms put together is a very bad picture to paint in your mind. His condition, in this case, is very comparable to that of the condition of the house. Then Madeline is introduced, and the first thing stated about her is that she has an unknown illness. Her illness is so bad that she cannot respond to any outside stimuli. She is never even seen again by the narrator after this brief introduction. The way both of the characters were introduced, with their appearance and the descriptions of all of the illnesses that they have, gave them a very negative connotation. Poe is trying to set the mood of the story by throwing out all of these negative things about the structure of the house and how it is decaying and falling apart. He is doing the same by telling about Roderick and Madeline and how they are sick and virtually doing the same as the house is, rotting away and slowly coming apart. Bibliography N/A

Economics of Walnuts in California

Economics of Walnuts in California Introduction Walnuts accounts for a greater percentage of fruits and nut crops in California (Ramos 2). Nearly all walnuts produced on a commercial basis in the United States come from California, thus makes a great contribution not only to the economy of the state but also to the nation at large.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economics of Walnuts in California specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first variety of walnuts grown was the hards of varieties grown in California include: franquette, Payne, Eureka and Hartley. Walnut orchards mostly do well where the soils are very deep and the climate is favorable (Ramos 3). Over the last decade, the production of walnuts has tremendously increased. This is occasioned by awareness of various means of production and health benefits derived from consumption and increased demand in foreign markets (California Walnuts.org 5). The Walnut Marketing Board has been controlling much of the California walnut production, while Independent processors and buyers have been playing a crucial role in marketing and to some extent production. This makes them key to the industry’s development (Hasey 3). According to a report released by California Agricultural Statistics (CASS) in the late May 2007, acreage under walnuts in the early 1920s was about 34,138 and this has grown in leaps and bounds to about 243,000 acres. The high demand especially from Europe, Asia and Middle East has provided impetus for quality improvement of the crop. This has been enhanced by technological development by way of research and improvements in marketing efforts in the industry. In addition, the walnut industry has been profitable in present years. As a result, farmers have increased planting acreage (Diamond foods 1). This essay will explore the economics of walnut establishment and production in California. In particular, the paper will be narrowed down to issues, trends and ch allenges facing the walnut industry in California. Walnut Industry in California Walnuts are among the top agricultural produce in California. Nearly all the walnuts produced in the U.S. come from this state. Therefore, walnuts contribute significantly to the economy of California and to the country’s trade balance of trade (Hasey 4). The competitiveness of the California’s walnut industry is attributed to its ability to steadily produce and market high quality products. The industry’s capacity has been enhanced through technological advancement by means of research and harmonization of marketing activities. Nonetheless, the industry like other agribusiness sectors is being challenged by the rapid and unpredictable demands of the current society, for example, increased urbanization, environmental degradation and global market volatility (Karen5).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Walnuts have been grown in California for over three centuries since the Spanish invasion in mid 1860s. The first commercial nurseries were established in Santa Barbra and Nevada by Sexton and Gillet respectively. Sexton produced soft shell walnuts which were well acclimatized to the southern conditions. On the other hand, Gillet produced frosty hardy variety imported from France and were well adapted to Northern conditions. Even at the moment, the walnut varieties grown in California are from the above two early varieties (Hasey 7). Initially, farmers grew walnut orchards with plantlets. As a result, yields and quality were compromised by non-uniformity of trees. Rigorous scientific research and development saw the introduction of vegetative propagation which resulted in more consistent and uniform orchards. This was embraced by the whole industry (Hasey 8). In the state of California, walnuts did very well in areas where there were suitable clima te and deep soils. In the early 1920s, the overall walnut acreage was estimated to about 34000 acres, mostly in the southern region. The industry continued to grow and by the late 20s the total acreage had expanded to over 100000 acres, still mostly in the southern region. Over three quarters of this acreage consisted of young trees, signifying increased output in the future. In overall, California accounted for more than half of the U.S. production (Klonsky 3). However, the walnut acreage in the Southern region started to decline in the 1940s and almost disappeared in the 1960s. This was attributed to numerous reasons, especially 2nd world war and growth in urbanization. In addition, citrus was more marketable and lucrative during this period than walnut. Thus, many farmers replaced walnut with citrus. Nonetheless, the acreage began to increase immediately after the 60s, largely in the rivers of the central valley. The industries’ marketing trend In the earlier days, the gro wth of new and disorganized walnut industry was hindered by fluctuations in price and marketing challenges. Farmers reacted by forming local cooperatives. The first cooperative was formed in the late 1880s. Several years later, other cooperatives were created, and a central union was established to regulate prices. Nevertheless, rivalry among the local cooperatives persisted. For this reason, the California Walnut Association was set up in the early 1990s to assume the marketing role for its members (Hasey 8). Up till then, the industry faced stiff rivalry from French importers in the local market. However, by early 1920s the industry had captured more than 50 percent of the U.S. market. California’s walnut industry continued to grow to capture a larger share of the U.S. market. The U.S. Walnut Marketing Board was formed in 1962 to regulate product quality and market. The board moved its base from Los Angeles to Stockton and changed its name to Sun-Diamond Growers after a ser ies of merger with other cooperatives (Hasey 9).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Economics of Walnuts in California specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The growth of the industry is also attributed to independent buyers and handlers who provide an alternative economic option to numerous farmers. Initially, cooperatives controlled over 90 percent of the market. However, things have significantly changed. Nearly half of the market is currently controlled by the independent sectors. The cooperation between the two groups has also contributed to the success of the industry (Klonsky 3). California’s walnuts are traded in a vibrant market. Even though U.S. remains its main market, large quantities are exported. Currently, nearly 40 percent of the products are sold in the global market. As a result, the industry is increasingly becoming exposed to global competition. The industry mainly attributes their success in the global market to promotion funds provided by the federal government (Farm express 4). However, Karen Klonsky attributes this success to a number of factors(4). The first factor is strict adherence to quality measures put in place and followed to the letter by farmers. This is observed throughout the production and processing stages. Second, farmers have incorporated various forms of technologies in the production and processing of walnuts in order to ensure high quality (Karen 5). Third, farmers have put in so much investment in storage facilities in order to maintain the requisite quality of nuts after processing. The accepted moisture content of the nuts is a maximum of 8%, which is highly recommended by experts (Karen 6). The presence of Californian walnuts in various foreign markets across Asia and Europe has increased the demand for the product. The industry is recording more exports than it did ten years ago (Farm express 6). Paradoxically, much of the exports go to Asia, whic h is the leading world producer of walnuts. The California Walnut Commission is culpable for the outstanding performance in the global market. The group was launched in the year 1987 through a California state law. This commission has developed a number of strategies and programs such as the Market Access Program, which focuses on introducing various products into the international market. The strategies also focus on the need to expand existing markets for various products by increasing awareness and quality of products (Farm express 7). The European market has been a huge export zone for both in-shell and shelled nuts. However, market forces such as diverse consumer preferences led to higher demand for shelled walnuts compared to demand for in-shell walnuts. This resulted to increased export of shelled walnuts to the European market, which boosted the growth of the local industry in California. The German market is expanding and has developed into a leading destination for Califor nian walnuts (Farm express 7).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The strategies applied by the commission were also very successful in opening up the Asian market. The Market Access Program has facilitated the penetration of the walnuts into the South Korean market. South Korea is one of the largest importers of the California walnuts in Asia. The future of California walnuts in the South Korean market received a huge boost in the year 2007, when the United States of America and South Korean governments signed an agreement that would lower the cost of trading between the two countries (Farm express 8). Additionally, Californian walnuts are a huge international brand that has helped to promote the culture of people in the state, as well as attracting foreign investors (Farm express 9). Conclusion Growing walnuts contribute significantly to the California’s economy and to the country’s balance of payment account. The walnut industry in California has grown in leaps and bounds over the last one decade. The main contributing factors to the speedy growth include better awareness on various methods of production and increased demand for walnuts. Commercial growing of walnuts is a widespread activity in California because of the low cost of production. Farmers in the state have made great contributions to the history of walnuts. Walnut growing is characterized by the cultivation of gardens that consist of walnut trees and absence of vegetation. The California Walnut Commission is culpable for the outstanding performance in the global market. This commission has developed a number of strategies and programs such as The Market Access Program, which focuses on introducing various products into the international market. The efforts by the commission have been very successful, as California walnuts managed to penetrate foreign markets in Germany. The strategies applied by the commission were also very successful in opening up the Asian market, which had partly blocked the trading of Californian walnuts. The United States and South Korean Free Trade Agreement has played a crucial role in the growth and development of the walnut industry in California over the last couple of years. California Walnuts.org. California Walnuts: Sizes and Colours. Web. Diamond foods. California walnut acreage trending upwards.PDF file. Web. Farm express. California Walnut Industry Surges With Record Exports. Web. Hasey, Janine. The Walnut Industry in California: Trends, Issues and Challenges. California: Agricultural Issue Centre, 1994. Print. Klonsky, Karen. Economics of walnut establishment and production, California: California university Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2006. Print. Ramos, David. Walnut Production Manual, California: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.