Serious dramatic deficiency Essay Example for Free

Serious dramatic deficiency Essay It is not only in period pieces, however, that the rejection of our countrys history and tradition robs actors performances of authenticity. In postwar Japans cultural climate, it is exceedingly difficult for actors in any type of role to convincingly express complex, deep or intense emotion — in fact, any dramatic emotion at all. To appear real, this sort of emotional expression demands exactly the right modulation and combination of subtle elements, including not only choice of words and facial expression, but also posture, gesture, tone of voice, direction of gaze, and distance from other actors. And the right modulation and combination differs from culture to culture. Every culture has its own framework of expressive conventions from which actors must draw in order to express emotion that will strike their audience as authentic. As long as Japanese actors refuse to work within the framework of emotional expression stipulated by Japanese culture, they cannot express dramatic emotion in a convincing manner. The famed Meiji-era novelist Natsume Soseki once taught his students that the true Japanese translation for I love you is Tsuki ga tottemo aoi na (The moon is so blue tonight); what he meant was that to express within the Japanese cultural framework the same emotion expressed in English by I love you, one must choose words like The moon is so blue tonight. Since every culture evolves naturally over time, the cultural framework for emotional expression is by no means immutable. But in post-war Japan the process of change has been unnatural and rushed. Regarding their traditional modes of expression as archaic and feudalistic, and eager to Westernize, the Japanese have attempted to adopt the Western (more specifically, the American) expressive framework wholesale. Yet given that they continue to use the Japanese language as their vehicle for verbal expression, any attempt to affect a de-Japanized manner at this level is half-baked. Today, one might say, a Japanese person is unable to convincingly express passion for another either by the English I love you or by the Japanese The moon is so blue tonight. This may be why, since the 1980s, young people in Japan have increasingly disdained the expression of serious or dramatic emotion as kusai, or corny, and prized the appearance of emotional detachment as kakko-ii, or cool. In terms of dramatic expression, then, the Japanese film labors under a heavy burden. If it portrays emotion within the traditional Japanese framework, it may achieve authenticity, but the effect is antiquated. If it portrays emotion within the Western framework, it comes across as meretricious and unconvincing. Films that try to blend the two modes often end up antiquated and unconvincing. Yet in animation, which lacks visual realism and features de-Japanized characters to begin with, the expression of emotion paradoxically takes on a more convincing sense of reality. This may explain why most of the serious and ambitious film efforts have used the vehicle of anime. Given the serious dramatic deficiency, Japanese live-action films can no longer tackle any serious or profound subject matter. In the context of contemporary Japanese film, then, anime often conveys a greater sense of reality than live-action films. The thin, insubstantial reality of animated film, that is to say, is more alive — literally, more animated — than the flesh-and-blood reality. And if anime is perceived as more real (i. e. , closer to physical reality) than live-action, this means that, increasingly, anime embodies the Japanese consciousness of reality. The Japanese conception of reality is undergoing a process of animation. The rise of anime as well as manga is a cultural by-product of modern Japans tendency to promote modernization and Westernization while rejecting its history and traditions. A medium that fuses elements of East and West, and lacks a clear national identity, could be considered international in a certain sense, and this is doubtless a major reason why anime has so many fans overseas. But the current state of affairs, in which anime represents the mainstream of Japanese cinema, is by no means desirable, inasmuch as it signifies an ever-widening gap between physical reality and peoples conception of it.

Individual Liberty Versus Majoritarian Democracy in Edward Larson’s Sum

Individual Liberty Versus Majoritarian Democracy in Edward Larson’s Summer For the Gods The Scopes trial, writes Edward Larson, to most Americans embodies â€Å"the timeless debate over science and religion.† (265) Written by historians, judges, and playwrights, the history of the Scopes trial has caused Americans to perceive â€Å"the relationship between science and religion in . . . simple terms: either Darwin or the Bible was true.† (265) The road to the trial began when Tennessee passed the Butler Act in 1925 banning the teaching of evolution in secondary schools. It was only a matter of time before a young biology teacher, John T. Scopes, prompted by the ACLU tested the law. Spectators and newspapermen came from allover to witness whether science or religion would win the day. Yet below all the hype, the trial had a deeper meaning. In Summer for the Gods, Edward Larson argues that a more significant battle was waged between individual liberty and majoritarian democracy. Even though the rural fundamentalist majority legally banned teaching evolution i n 1925, the rise of modernism, started long before the trial, raised a critical question for rural Americans: should they publicly impose their religious beliefs upon individuals who believed more and more in science. Larson divides his account into three sections: before, during, and after. The first section carefully exposes the political struggle over individual rights hidden in the debate between science and religion. What emerge are the political views of the two opposing parties: William Jennings Bryan and the ACLU. William Jennings Bryan’s adherence to fundamental Christianity and creationism was only one part of his politics. He also believed that the state had a duty to ... ...e and technology with their religious beliefs. Summer for the Gods profoundly contributes to the scholarship of progressivism. The role of experts, legal reform, majoritarian democracy, modernism, and individual rights were all part of the progressive movement. The Scopes trial is the perfect test case to show how these progressive tenets were not coherently driving toward a single societal goal. William Jennings Bryan could claim to be a progressive as much as the leaders of the ACLU. Religion and science became the sticking points between progressives like Bryan who believed in majority rule and the ACLU whose very adherence to science and experts pushed them to favor individual freedom. While science lost the trial to religion, Larson shows how a fundamental shift to modernism produced the rise of individual rights and the decline of majoritarian democracy. Individual Liberty Versus Majoritarian Democracy in Edward Larson’s Sum Individual Liberty Versus Majoritarian Democracy in Edward Larson’s Summer For the Gods The Scopes trial, writes Edward Larson, to most Americans embodies â€Å"the timeless debate over science and religion.† (265) Written by historians, judges, and playwrights, the history of the Scopes trial has caused Americans to perceive â€Å"the relationship between science and religion in . . . simple terms: either Darwin or the Bible was true.† (265) The road to the trial began when Tennessee passed the Butler Act in 1925 banning the teaching of evolution in secondary schools. It was only a matter of time before a young biology teacher, John T. Scopes, prompted by the ACLU tested the law. Spectators and newspapermen came from allover to witness whether science or religion would win the day. Yet below all the hype, the trial had a deeper meaning. In Summer for the Gods, Edward Larson argues that a more significant battle was waged between individual liberty and majoritarian democracy. Even though the rural fundamentalist majority legally banned teaching evolution i n 1925, the rise of modernism, started long before the trial, raised a critical question for rural Americans: should they publicly impose their religious beliefs upon individuals who believed more and more in science. Larson divides his account into three sections: before, during, and after. The first section carefully exposes the political struggle over individual rights hidden in the debate between science and religion. What emerge are the political views of the two opposing parties: William Jennings Bryan and the ACLU. William Jennings Bryan’s adherence to fundamental Christianity and creationism was only one part of his politics. He also believed that the state had a duty to ... ...e and technology with their religious beliefs. Summer for the Gods profoundly contributes to the scholarship of progressivism. The role of experts, legal reform, majoritarian democracy, modernism, and individual rights were all part of the progressive movement. The Scopes trial is the perfect test case to show how these progressive tenets were not coherently driving toward a single societal goal. William Jennings Bryan could claim to be a progressive as much as the leaders of the ACLU. Religion and science became the sticking points between progressives like Bryan who believed in majority rule and the ACLU whose very adherence to science and experts pushed them to favor individual freedom. While science lost the trial to religion, Larson shows how a fundamental shift to modernism produced the rise of individual rights and the decline of majoritarian democracy.

Current foreign Relations with Africa Compared to Past Administrations Essay

The recent visit of President Obama to Africa particularly in Ghana and how he was received in that country is a reflection of the United States’ current foreign relations to Africa. Apparently, the U. S. foreign relation with Africa under the Obama administration is reflected in the following words spoken by the president before the Parliament in Accra, Ghana’s capital. Quoting the President’s word, Peter Baker puts it, â€Å"†¦But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way, as a partner, as friend† (Baker). The US foreign policy as outlined in the president’s message was that the American support to African development efforts is dependent on how Africa takes it responsibility for its own problems. This is clearly depicted in the President’s words as cited by Baker, â€Å"We must start from the simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans† (Baker). Obama emphasized that the US support on Africa is primarily because of a functioning democracy and honest governance as he warned that â€Å"No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. † Furthermore, he said â€Å"No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery† (Baker). Citing the statement of Representative Donald Payne, head of the House sub-committee on Africa, Baker points out that the Obama foreign policy, as Payne predicted, will likely to â€Å"concentrate on things that would prevent terror like higher education† rather than on the U. S. war on terror (Gettleman) Africa has always been important in the United States’ foreign policy in view of the former USSR’s interests in the Red Sea through which oil flawed to the Red Sea from the Middle East. This importance is reflected in Alan Dobson and Steve Marsh assertion that during the Reagan administration, â€Å"His reinvigoration of the cold war caused him †¦more than any other Cold War US President to Africa in colors of red versus the star-spangled banner rather than the black versus white† (Dobson & Marsh 93). The issue behind the Cold War between the United States and USSR relating to the interest of these two world powers has generated the importance of Africa in the US foreign policy not in an effort to counter the threat of communism in the region, through spreading promoting the blessings democracy in this former slave colony. Apparently, the Carter period sees domestic turmoil as caused by the communist adventurism and implemented a policy of â€Å"bringing about democracy† in Africa† (Adar). Compared to these previous foreign policies, although the Obama government embarked on preventive similar measures, the circumstances demanding for such concerns were a bit different. The situation confronting Africa during the Cold War period was critical because of the threat of communism to reign over the continent, while the situation in Africa confronting the Obama administration is the existence of evils in our world. Baker noted that one evil in Africa that Obama came to fight â€Å"is pernicious mix of greed, famine, and war that has kept Africa down† (Baker). The U. S. foreign relation to Africa during the Cold War era viewed democracy as essential component of the US foreign involvement in Africa. According to Korwa Adar, both the Reagan and Bush Sr. ’s administration viewed â€Å"the issue of democracy and human rights† (Adar, par. 14) as the main agenda in their foreign relation’s policy with Africa. Although the Obama administration also emphasized on the role of ‘functioning democracy’ in his foreign relation policy with Africa, the Obama administration stressed on the issues of corruption and tyranny in the government as the main issues held by the government as primary responsibility of the government to resolve, whereas, both the Reagan and Bush Sr. administration pointed out the human rights violation and the containment of communism as their main agenda in their foreign policy. Regarding the Clinton administration, Adar pointed out that the Bush administration’s efforts on the issue of human rights and democracy â€Å"were carried on by President Clinton† (Adar par. 17). Adar argued that even though the US had no foreign policy towards Africa prior to Clinton presidency, the existing policy during that time was to provide support to leaders â€Å"on the basis of anti-communist or anti-apartheid rhetoric more than their actions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Adar, par. 16). The Clinton administration strengthened its commitment as part of his foreign policy, its commitment to human rights. Adar cited that in response to violence and killings of innocent people by the Abacha regime in Nigeria, Clinton cutoff $450, 000 in the US aid in military training and $11 million in grants. In comparison, although the Obama government is also dealing with insurgencies, as Representative Payne earlier cited, the Obama government policy to be implemented in Africa will not likely be about the ‘US fight on the war on terror’, but it will be on preventing the breeding of terrorist and terrorism through providing opportunity of having higher education. Thus, the Obama government foreign policy will likely to yield better results than the previous governments. Obviously, the big difference was that his ethnic origin with Africa placed his foreign policy towards Africa make all the difference because it is based not only shared political ends, but on his shared heritage with Africa. Work Cited Adar, Korwa G. â€Å"The Wilsonian Conception of Democracy and Human Rights: A Retrospective and Prospective. † African Studies Quarterly: The Online Journal for African Studies. Date Retrieved: July 14, 2009. http://web. africa. ufl. edu/asq/v2/v2i2a3. htm Baker, Peter. â€Å"Obama Delivers Call for Change to a Rapt Africa. † July 11, 2009. The New York Times. July 14, 2009. http://www. nytimes. com/2009/07/12/world/africa/12prexy. html? em Dobson, Alan P. $ Marsh, S. US Foreign Policy Since 1945. New York: Routledge 2001 Gettleman, Jeffrey. â€Å"Obama in Africa: Welcome Back, Son. Now Don’t Forget Us. † July 11, 2009. The New York Times. July 14, 2009. http://www. nytimes. com/2009/07/12/weekinreview/12gettleman. html? ref=africa

Nine States of Matter The Lesser Known States of Matter...

Traditionally in school we are taught that there are only four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Fortunately this is not true as that would be boring. There are also at least 4 other-less common states and Icontest a fifth. These are Bose-Einstein condensate, photonic molecules, quark-gluon plasma, superconductors, and superfluids. They all have unique properties that clearly distinguish differences between them and the traditional four states. These breakthroughs could help us in the future and have some practical uses right now. My personal favorite state of matter is actually Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). This state was first achieved in 1995 (predicted in 1924 by Albert Einstein) by firing photons directly at the†¦show more content†¦Mikhael Lukin (the Physicist that led the study) wanted to know what would happen when you fired two protons through the same space so that the first would slow down and the second would just pass through the other. That however did not happen and the two photons emerged together bonded through their poles. Quark-gluon plasma (QGP) is a substance that existed â€Å"For a few millionths of a second after the Big Bang† (Trafton). it was the â€Å"soup† that was made up of the things that protons and neutrons are made of. These infinitesimally small particles are quarks and gluons. They exist at temperatures around four trillion degrees. As you can imagine, it is very difficult to study these wonders through a telescope (since they dont even exist at all in nature). so we have to make and study them up close, using particle accelerators. The scientists that make QGP accelerate particles until they are traveling almost the speed of light then crash them head on into one another. the heat that occurs from this collision is enough to melt the protons into quarks and gluons. the resultant substance has almost no friction and is almost a liquid. It used to be that when the public found out about particle accelerators that a lot of them though that they could create a black hole wi th them Superconductors are not new, they were discovered in 1911 by Heike Onnes when he had just succeeded at liquefying helium (a few degreesShow MoreRelatedThe Appellate Process Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesThe Appellate Process The two basic types of courts in the United States are trial courts and appellate courts. These two types of courts have two entirely different functions. The job of a trial courts is to determine questions of fact. Appeals courts, on the other hand, must determine questions of law. Appellate courts have the right to overrule jury verdicts and judges decisions due to the fact that an appellate court typically concerns itself solely with issues of law. An appeal isRead MoreThe Australia Legal System1406 Words   |  6 Pagesforms the basis of Australian jurisprudence. It is distinct from the civil law systems that operate in Europe, South America and Japan, which are derived from Roman law. Other countries that employ variations of the common law system are the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia and India. The chief feature of the common law system is that judges’ decisions in pending cases are informed by the decisions of previously settled cases. Australian law has evolved via many routes: customs ofRead MoreEvery Human Begins Their Learning Process The Day They1115 Words   |  5 Pagesborn. Humans learn things every single day, no matter how old a person is, they will still continue to learn. There are many different techniques of learning. Everyone has their own way of comprehending certain skills. Humans begin to adapt certain ways of learning when they are little and they continue to use it for the rest of their lives. These techniques we use to learn come from a guy by the name of Howard Gardener. 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As a child, his future was foretold by sages. They believed that he would someday be a fellow sage or leader of a great empire. He led a very pampered and sheltered life until the age of twenty-nine. It was at that time that he realized

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1163 Words

Do people think Jay Gatsby truly loves Daisy Buchanan or her wealth? In The Great Gatsby, a book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it explores the love fantasies and realities through the character Jay Gatsby. Most of the characters in The Great Gatsby employ others for their own benefits, including the hero Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby was a very poor man when he met Daisy five years before. It is clearly shown in the book that Gatsby adores Daisy’s wealth and the way that she uses it. This is proven when Gatsby asserts to Nick Carraway, the narrator of this novel, that â€Å"Her voice is full of money† (Fitzgerald, 120). He always considered Daisy to be represented as the epitome of wealth and respect. This is the reason for Gatsby’s desire for†¦show more content†¦James Gatz changed his name to Jay Gatsby, since he wish for a new identity to reflect his new lifestyle. He runs away from his home to seek his fortune. He go to Saint Olaf’s college and dis like having to work as a janitor to pay for his studies, therefore he leaves after two months. Soon afterward she meets with a millionaire named Dan Cody, who is on his yacht at Lake Superior and he turns into Cody’s best friend and his right-hand man for five years. Unfortunately, Cody was a heavy drinker and he dies. Cody left Gatsby with money, yet he never obtains the money, hence leaving him broke. Later, Gatsby meet with Daisy and believes that he will attain his dream through Daisy. As a young officer during World War I, Gatsby admire Daisy greatly because she represents wealth and the life that he has always wanted. He falls deeply in love with her and since, he is aware that being rich is salient for Daisy, as a result, Gatsby determines to become a wealthy man. While, Gatsby leave to go fight in the war, soon Daisy becomes tired of waiting for Gatsby and as a result, she decides to marry Tom Buchanan, who is a very wealthy man. Meanwhile Gatsby lives in a strange il lusion that he and Daisy will reunite soon. Later he finds out about her marriage, leaving him heartbroken. However, he becomes really wealthy and gains money through illegal means. He gains millions and buys a mansion across the bay from Daisy’s house. Gatsby hosts lavish

The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock - 1051 Words

â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is not a love song at all—but an insight into the mind of an extremely self-conscious, middle-aged man. Prufrock struggles in coping with the world he is living in—a world where his differences make him feel lonely and alienated. Eliot uses allusions and imagery, characterization, and the society Prufrock lives in to present how Prufrock partly contributes to his own alienation. Our ability of self-awareness separates us from other species, making humans more intelligent and giving people the upper hand in social settings, but, like Prufrock, it can sometimes cause us to feel alienated. Eliot uses allusions and imagery to make several references to characters—both real and fictional—to vicariously show how Prufrock feels. The first allusion is an epigraph from Dante’s Inferno: If I believed that my response was heard by anyone returning to the world, this flame would stand and never stir again. But since no man has ever come alive out of this gulf of Hell, if I hear true, I’ll answer, with no fear of infamy. (Eliot) This allusion shows how Prufrock, like Guido da Montefeltro, is in his own hell. Feeling alienated and fearing social rejection, Prufrock compares himself to John the Baptist: â€Å"But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed / Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter, / I am no prophet† (Eliot 81-83). Prufrock imagining his head on a platter is representative of his fearShow MoreRelatedThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1647 Words   |  7 Pagesseen in T.S. Eliot’s work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The main character, Prufrock, plans to ask the woman he loves the overwhelming question of marriage, but due to his pessimistic outlook, he became hesitant and self conscious. Surges of insecurity arise, and instead of proposing his love, Prufrock delays the question and spends the night talking nonsense to avoid the situation. In the end, Prufrock’s insecurities and fear of rejection alter his feelings of love into a sense of emotional protectionRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock970 Words   |  4 PagesNever in Love When reading the title of T.S Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† it is believed we are in store for a poem of romance and hope. A song that will inspire embrace and warmth of the heart, regretfully this is could not be further from the truth. This poem takes us into the depths of J. Alfred Prufrock, someone who holds faltering doubt and as a result may never come to understand real love. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† takes us through Prufrock’s mindset and his self-doubtingRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1072 Words   |  5 Pages We may never be given a second chance to do something daring ever again so we seize the day! However, people like in J. Alfred Prufrock make the attempt to do but it doesn’t work. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† written by T.S. Elliot, essentially is about a simple man that wishes to ask a question, although the question is never revealed, the reader is taken on journey the with the speaker, only to find that they have spent a lengthy amount of time of their lives without ever asking theRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay1928 Words   |  8 PagesHuman Voices Wake Us and We Drown’: Community in ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’,† James Haba contends that the repeated use of â€Å"you†, â€Å"we†, and â€Å"us† in T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† creates a personal ambience around the reader and Prufrock. Because of this, Haba argues that Eliot’s use of personal pronouns and references produces a sense of community and intimacy between the reader and Prufrock (53), even though Prufrock seemingly struggles with emotions of intimacy andRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock915 Words   |  4 PagesThe Love Song of Alfred Prufrock: Taking the Love out of Song A tragedy in a poem is usually characterized as an event that has a tragic or unhappy ending. They generally are used to teach morals or lessons. T.S. Eliot’s, â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, is considered a tragedy because of the way Eliot uses four different writing styles: word choice, figurative language, images, and biblical allusions. Using these styles, Eliot acknowledges the tragic endeavor of single, reclusiveRead MoreThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock1729 Words   |  7 PagesThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock The dramatic monologue â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written by Thomas Stearns Eliot and published in June of 1915. Eliot was born in St Louis, Missouri on September 26, 1888, where he grew up and lived until the age of eighteen. After high school, Eliot studied at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA and the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Eventually, Eliot ended up in England where he married his wife Vivien and spent the remainder of his lifeRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1125 Words   |  5 Pagesmodernism. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, despite being one of T.S Eliot s earliest publications, still manages to remain one of the most famous. He uses this poem to not only draw out the psychological aspect of members of modern society, but also to draw out the aspect of the time that he lived in. The speaker of this poem is a modern man who feels alone, isolated, and incapable of making decisive actions for himself. Prufrock desires to sp eak to a woman about his love for her, but heRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock986 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot and Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold the poets utilizes poetic devices to convey their respective themes. Through use of symbols and metaphors, the speaker in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock displays his fears of the changes brought with the younger generation, and isolation from the changing society. The speaker in Dover Beach, utilizes symbols, metaphors, and similes to state that the younger generation has less faith than the older, and societyRead MoreThe Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock1966 Words   |  8 Pagessymbolism to capture the readers attention in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The poem has a dramatic discourse. The percipience of lifes emptiness is the main theme of the poem. Eliot exhorts the spiritual decomposition by exploring a type of life in death. T. S. Eliot, who in the Clark Lectures notes, Real Irony is an expression of suffering(Lobb, 53), uses irony and symbolism throughout the poem to exemplify the suffering of J. Alfred Prufrock who believes he is filled with spiritual morbidityRead MoreThe Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock1005 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† published in 1915, was written by a man named T.S. Eliot. The speaker of the poem begins to describe an evening that appears to be somewhat romantic and a little mysterious. As the reader progresses into the poem, the mood soon fades and the reader starts to figure out that this evening is not what they pictured. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† is a poem written by Robert Frost. The poem was first published in 1927. The speaker of the poem has a similar mood as

Financial Ratio Analysis

Question: Discuss the ratios and other calculations in the context of the companys profitability, efficiency, liquidity, gearing (leverage) and investment performance. Answer: Profitability Ratios Two of the most important measures of Billabongs profitability are return on assets and return on equity. Return on Assets Return on Assets (ROA) of Billabong will measure how effectively the company's assets are being used for generating its net profits. This useful measure provides Billabongs comparison with respect to its competitive performance. Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing net income by average total assets. Return on Equity Return on Equity (ROE) of Billabong will measure the net return per dollar which the common shareholders invested in the firm, (Baker Riddick, 2013). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing net income by shareholder's equity. It should be noted that the profitability ratios are derived from the Billabongs income statement. Hence, these measures demonstrate the companys periodic performance, covering the period as reported in its income statement, (Taylor, 2013). Asset Utilization Ratios These ratios will provide the managements measure of control as the ratios provide guidance for critical factors concerned with the use of the Billabong's assets, inventory and collection of accounts receivable in the companys day-to-day operations, (Greuning, Scott Terblanche, 2011). Total Asset Turnover (TAT) The TAT demonstrates that Billabong has been using its assets productively over the year. Even though there is no substantial change in the value between 2014 and 2015 in the value of this ratio, such a situation also signifies that the management had an effective control over asset turnover, (Greuning, Scott Terblanche, 2011). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing net sales by average total assets. Fixed Asset Turnover (FAT) Billabong has been making good use of its fixed assets, including its plant and equipment and has demonstrated that these are more aptly utilised for direct production along with the current assets, which include cash and accounts receivable, hence many analysts would be encouraged for recommending the company because of the companys this measure of effectiveness, (Keown et al, 2012). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing net sales by average total fixed assets. Inventory Turnover Cost of goods sold (COGS) is derived from the companys income statement and it indicates those expenses which are attributed to production of the goods and which are sold during the specified period and inventory is a shown as a current asset on the balance sheet. The purpose of this measure is to see how often Billabong is utilising its inventory to further its sales during the specified period, (Keown et al, 2012). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold for a specific period by the average inventory for the same period. Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) This is one critical ratio, also termed as Accounts Receivable Turnover ratio, which the management of Billabong must monitor on a regular basis. This ratio also reflects the average collection period of the company for its debts. A smaller DSO means that the management of Billabong has a tight control over its markets and is efficient in managing the funds of the shareholders, (Yona, 2011). Formula Accounts receivable turnover is calculated by dividing the net credit sales for a specific period by the average accounts receivable for that period. Leverage Ratios Leverage ratios provide measure of Billabong's use of debt financing. This is the reason why analysts use these extensively to arrive at decisions for recommending new credit or extension of an existing credit arrangement. Since the use of debt financing can increase the risk factor of the company, managements and creditors should monitor the additional risk constantly in connection with borrowing of money by the company and also take note of the increased opportunities which the fresh capital shall provide, (Yona, 2011). Total Debt Ratio The above discussion is important as any company has only two ways of financing the acquisition of an asset either through borrowed funds or by utilising funds generated from internal operations or by selling stock in the market. Billabongs debt ratio of 65% means that, for every dollar of assets which Billabong has, 65 cents are financed with debt finance, (Mudra, 2014). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing total liabilities by total assets. Long-term Debt Ratio On the same basis as above, some creditors may also focus on Billabong's use of long-term debts. This can be determined as it incorporates a small variation in the total debt ratio, by incorporating long-term liabilities in the numerator. Debt-to-Equity Ratio The debt-to-equity ratio of 185% for Billabong means that for each dollar of itsequity, the company has 1.85 dollars of debt financing. The debt to equity ratio is a balance sheet ratio as all the elements are shown in the balance sheet, (Mudra, 2014). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing total liabilities by total equity. Two other leverage ratios of Billabong are significant for the company's creditors and these are the times-interest-earned and the fixed-charge coverage ratios. These two ratios help the analysts in measuring the company's ability to meet its on-going commitments in servicing the debts which it had borrowed previously, (Taylor, 2013). Times Interest Earned The times-interest-earned (TIE) ratio in the case of Billabong has shown a decline from 5.62 in 2014 to 4.10 in 2015. But it is still a healthy indicator that the companys operating profits during the recent period also exceeded the total interest expenses by 410 percent. From the analysts point of view, the higher this ratio goes, the more will be Billabong considered to be strong financially, (Taylor, 2013). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing income before interest and income taxes by the interest expense. Fixed Charge Coverage On the same basis as the time interest earned ratio, this fixed charge coverage ratio, which is also termed as the debt service coverage ratio, takes into account all the regular periodic obligations of the company for a given period. Formula This ratio starts with the times earned interest ratio and adds in applicable fixed costs. Liquidity Ratios The liquidity ratios are those measures which indicate the company's ability in repaying its short-term debt obligations. Current liabilities represent only those obligations which are required to be settled in one year or less, (Greuning, Scott Terblanche, 2011). Current Ratio This ratio compares the current assets held by Billabong in comparison to its current liabilities. Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing current assets by current liabilities. Quick ratio Analysts believe that the economic definition of liquidity for a company is its ability to turn an asset into cash at or near the fair market value of the asset. Since inventory cannot be easily sold, it is not considered to be able to meet any short-term obligations. By excluding inventories, this ratio gives a more stringent liquidity measure of the company as compared to the current ratio, (Greuning, Scott Terblanche, 2011). Formula This ratio is calculated by adding cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and current receivables together then dividing them by current liabilities. Market Value Ratios Investors and managements are interested in the market ratios, which can be used in valuing Billabong's common stock. Price/Earnings Ratio This ratio, which is universally known as the PE Ratio, has been the most widely-quoted statistical ratio which concerns a company's common stock, (Yona, 2011). Formula This ratio is calculated by dividing the market value price per share by theearnings per share. Market-to-book Ratio This ratio is another related measure, often used along with the PE Ratio, for stock valuation purposes by analysts. Most of the investors would like to compare Billabongs current price of the common stock with the companys book value of stock. Such a measure is termed as the price/book ratio. In case the ratio is greater than one and this is what happens to be the case for majority of stocks, then the analysts assume that the companys stock is trading at a premium as compared to its book value, (Baker Riddick, 2013). List Of References Baker, H.K. and Riddick, L.A. (2013) International Finance: A Survey. Oxford: OUP USA. Greuning, H., Scott, D. and Terblanche, S. (2011) International Financial Reporting Standards: A Practical Guide. Washington DC: World Bank Publications. Keown, A.J., Martin, J.D., Petty, J.W. and Scott, D.F. (2012) Financial Management: Principles and Applications (10th ed). New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Mudra, J. (2014) International Financial Management (12th ed). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Taylor, M.P. (2013) Purchasing Power Parity and Real Exchange Rates. Oxon: Routledge Yona, L. (2011) International Finance for Developing Countries. Keynes: AuthorHouse.