ServerVault Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ServerVault - Case Study Example The contribution margin shall be the total revenue minus the overhead costs per unit. The overhead costs are $50,000. The break even point is thus the total overhead costs divided by the contribution margin. This equals $(50,000/1.300=38). The break even point is thus 38 servers. This number is important given that it determines the number of units that should be sold to earn a profit. In this case, it is 39 units or more. The key drivers behind cash generation on consumption for ServerVault are the security features it offers and it reliability. While the security feature is seven-layered and has thus met the U.S. Department of Defense security standards, the reliability feature results from its use of multiple internet access points. The revenue from the facility is $1,300 as a result of the two drivers. The cash consumption from the premises and the facilities installed is due to the fact that ServerVault has not reached its breakeven point. Beyond this point, the business would be profitable. With the total number of the servers (Dec-02) at 14,137,000 from a mere 3 in January of 2000, the business is promising. The cash position keeps improving too. From a difference of less than $20,000 in January 2000, the cash position improved to a difference of more than $1.5m in May of the same year. To this end, ServerVault should concentrate on reducing debt while increasing its returns to hit the breakeven point soon enough. This will win the confidence of investors and thus allow for injection of more capital for its

White Privilege in Politics Essay Example for Free

White Privilege in Politics Essay What is White Privilege one may ask? White Privilege is the ideological assumption and belief based in political practices placing white people and communities in position of privilege financially, politically, socially and educationally. In the book Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, written by Paula S. Rothenberg, it focuses on the time that white privilege came about politically. Donald G. Baker, in his book Politics of Race, talks about the restrictions against the Blacks. Manning Marable, in his book Beyond Black White, he focuses on elected Black officials over the years. With the help from these three books the reader will be able to see the huge amount of white privilege in political issues over the years to the present, where there are still an insufficient amount of African-Americans in politics. Rothenberg introduces white privilege when it is first of a political fashion. It was first used in a political way when White servants were given their freedom at the end of their indenture, but the Black servants were not. Whites but not Africans had to be given their freedom dues at the end of their indenture (p. 33). Whites were given more rights then Blacks. They had the right to bear arms and the right of self-defense. White servants could own livestock, while the Black servants could not. The White servants were also given the easier things to do. Blacks were not allowed to have their own family, while Whites had the right to control their wives. White men were given the right to control their women without elite interference; Blacks as slaves were denied the right to family at all since family would mean that slave husbands, not owners, controlled wives (p. 33). All of the African women were considered laborers, while the White women were just considered the keeper of mens homes. It was illegal to whip naked White men, but a person may inflict as much pain as they want onto a Black man. So, a person can see how white privilege in politics was first used, and that Blacks had basically no rights. Baker focuses on when the black slaves were given their freedom. They were free, but there were laws and restrictions basically stating that they werent a citizen. As the number of free blacks grew, there were more restrictions set for them. Many cities didnt want to have anything to do with the free blacks and some banned blacks from entering their cities: Many colonies during the eighteenth century took steps to prevent the manumission of slaves, to force out any free blacks who might be in residence, and to bar any other free blacks from entering (p. 54). Baker states that some blacks were active in politics, but none could vote: Blacks were politically active, but restrictions were usually placed on their voting privileges (p. 54). Also blacks werent able to testify against whites: Blacks, including free blacks, were generally barred from testifying against whites (p.54). So, blacks werent given any rights back then and werent seen as equals. Marable first points out that thirty years ago there were barely one hundred black officials and only five African-Americans served in Congress. Also he states that the number of black mayors of U. S. towns and cities was zero. the number of elected black officials nationwide was barely one hundred; the number of African-Americans in Congress was five; and the number of blacks serving as mayors of US cities and towns of all sizes was zero (p.205). Marable then says that today there is over forty African-Americans serving in the U. S. Congress and over another eight thousand have government positions. Today, forty African-Americans sit in the US Congress; more than forty African-Americans are mayors; and over eight thousand blacks have been elected to government positions (p. 205). Although there has been a major increase of black representation, African-American officials, elected and appointed, only make up 2 per cent throughout the nation. Even in areas with a high population of African-Americans, there are few or no elected black officials. In dozens of counties with substantial black constituencies, there are few or no African-American elected officials (p. 205). Blacks are underrepresented within the electoral structure of power and decision making in the U. S. Marable then states that many of the African-American elected officials have what he calls responsibility without authority. His example is that many of the black mayors have little control or authority over local governmental bureaucracies. This can lead to a decline in voter registration and political participation rates. So, over the years the numbers of black officials has risen, but still isnt too high. In conclusion, white privilege in politics has come a long way, through years of slavery and the African-Americans trying to gain their freedom to become equals with the Whites. There is still white privilege in politics to this day and the Blacks are slowly making there way to becoming more involved in the U. S. Congress and the government. People need to understand that this is a very diverse country of many ethnic backgrounds and cultures, and that one day white privilege in politics will be abolished and an African-American is going to be President. Works Cited Baker, Donald G. Politics of Race. Lexington, Mass. : Lexington Books. 1975. Marable, Manning. Beyond Black and White. New York, NY: Verso. 1995. Rothenberg, Paula S. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. 6th edition. New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2001.

The Yellow Wallpaper Feminist Analysis

The Yellow Wallpaper Feminist Analysis One of the major goals of feminist literature is to determine what kind of voice women have or do not have in a world, dominated by men. Women are seen as not as important as men in humanity, and language is one of the tools used to emphasize mens power over women. Often the world in literature is represented from a male point of view, yet female writers have continued to write. In Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper the author uses slight symbolism to tell the reader how the main character is really feeling while the literal text goes  either talk like men or not talk at all. Even with these expectations, men have different experiences than women and women needed to find a way to express them, by finding their own style that includes specific themes, like mental illness, and women work on self expression. Mental illness and disease are common themes in North American feminist writing (Feminist Criticism, 173). This piece was written during what Showalter refers to as th e Feminist phase, which was between 1880-1920 when omen protested against societys standards and values. (Feminist Criticism and Jane Eyre, 462) Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of many women who used mental illness as a theme in her writing, as well as suffering from it in real life. As the story unfolds, the characters oppression from men and resulting mental illness takes shape. At the beginning, the author quickly makes it obvious who is dominant in her marriage, saying John and myself while writing in her personal diary. Even in her private thoughts she feels respectful to the men in her life. As quickly as she lets the reader know the way her relationship is set up, it becomes obvious that she has a very active imagination. She describes the house as a haunted house, which also is a foreshadowing to the conclusion of the story. Her resentment towards John is shown in small ways and is hard to detect, John laughs at me, of course. She is used to John thinking her ideas are a joke. Throughout the beginning of the story we learn all about Johns personality traits, a practical forceful physician. In describing John and emph asizing how different the two are, she implies that she is the opposite of his traits. Where he is practical, she is a dreamer. The juxtaposition of John and the narrator reflects the universal juxtaposition of men and women. The dominance of men is undeniable, He does not believe Im sick. The narrator has lost control to decide if shes sick or not, one of the most basic things a person can determine. Her brother is another male figure who makes decisions for her. Although she disagrees, it is not something that she is vocal about. While describing herself, John and her brother the narrator does not use a lot of symbolism. However with the sentence So I will let it alone and talk about  the house, the symbolism begins. Because she cannot argue in the realm of men, she chooses a different outlet for her feelings in issues surrounding the house. She describes the house and its surroundings as beautiful, she then says There were greenhouses too, but they are all broken now. It is common knowledge that greenhouses are areas of new life and growth, the fact that they are broken symbolizing the end of growing new life. The narrator was pregnant, and the  idea of a broken greenhouse could symbolize depressio n relating to the pregnancy and not having the baby growing inside her anymore. The narrators imagination is something that John expects her to control and change, his constant disapproval of her true personality is unavoidable. She does not disagree with John  actively or in an upfront manner, even within the text. The houses features, especially the wallpaper, can be seen as a symbol for the narrators marriage and general feelings. John chooses for the two of them to live in the upstairs nursery, while the narrator preferred the prettier downstairs. I dont like our room one bit. The narrators distaste for the nursery could also symbolize the fact that she did not want to have a child in the first place, which is also evident in the fact that she does not refer to the baby by name or show any desire to interact with it. Their room and shared space could be interpreted to mean their marriage, where it seems that she spends a lot of time alone. Even when attempting to describe John in a positive loving way such as, He is so careful and loving, and hardly lets m e stir without special direction the narrator manages to imply that this is irritating and stifling. This isnt genuine pleasure in this attention. She is not openly rebellious, yet her feelings of unhappiness towards male dominance cause her to feel ungrateful because she is aware of the role women are supposed to happily play. She feels trapped, her unwanted nursery room is ugly and the windows are barred. This was once a precaution for children inhabiting the nursery, but now makes a cage like environment for the narrator and serves as a constant reminder of children. It also is a blatant symbol of the fact that the narrator is caged within a life she has no control over. Her hatred of tire room is intensified by her disgust with the wallpaper. She describes it as committing every aesthetic sin. At first glance, the wallpaper may be seen as insignificant. But upon closer inspection it can be obviously interpreted as a symbol for her marriage. She calls the wall paper dull but irritating, John is either leaving her which is boring or trying to control her life which is annoying. The narrator spends a countless amount of time studying the wall paper, I start, well say at the bottom, down in the corner over there where it has not been touched, and I determine for the thousandth time that I will follow that p ointless pattern to some sort of conclusion. This passage despite how frustrated she is, she continually complains of feeling a lack of strength. She is unable to truly change her situation and feels defeated by this. John makes assumptions and assertions such as You know the place is doing you good,  while the narrator is slowly slipping into madness. It shows his ignorance towards his wifes situation, and mens general ignorance of the well being of women. Also it makes it obvious that one person shouldnt be making decisions for someone else, which was a major cause of unhappiness for women when men were accepted by society as the dominant gender. The narrator feels separated from her husband, there is a disconnected displayed by their inability to communicate, his lack of awareness of their needs and their marriage as a whole. The fact that the narrator has been put in this room, symbolically her marriage, angers her and she makes this known I would not be as silly as to make him uncomfortable just for a whim. He makes her stay upstairs just because that is his preference, when he is often away. The narrator describes the wallpaper and her feelings towards it by saying, I get positively  angry with the impertinence of it and everlastingness. Her marriage is something she cannot escape from, and she has no choice in the matter. The word choices made in this part of the story intensify the feeling of unhappiness, words such as inharmonious and sentences like ravages  the children have made here they must have had perseverance as well as hatred convey a negative image. Yet as much as there is the narrator fights against the oppression of men there are moments within the text where she doesnt do a very good job of making her case. And dear John gathered me up in his arms, and just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, and sat by me and read to me till it tired my head At times like this she enforces the idea that she is a child and needs to be babied. If this is the way she behaves than it is no wonder that he treats her the way he does. As much as the oppression is created by men it is accepted and at times encouraged by women. Her tears and weakness are leading towards a mental breakdown. She begins to see a woman in the pattern, stooping down and creeping about. If her marriage is the wallpaper, than the woman behind it can be seen as the narrators subconscious. Her growing unhappiness makes the woman more and more noticeable. She lacks purpose, as she is not allowed to write, and this causes her over active imagination to engage. Her woman behind the pattern feels as she does, the faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out. The narrator desires to shake off her marriage as the woman tries to shake the pattern. The use of the word pattern is no accident either, as these types of relationships are the typical pattern followed by society at his time. As time progresses the narrator sinks deeper into her obsession with the woman in the wallpaper, perhaps her only means of escape from a situation she cannot change. Finally the narrator gives way to madness, ripping at the wallpaper and creeping around the room causing her husband to faint. She hasnt managed to escape the confines of her relationship, yet she is attempting to free the woman from behind the pattern of the wallpaper. Her obsession with the wall paper is directly correlated to her desire for control within her life  and relationships, she can assert her dominance over the wall paper yet she is incapable of changing her relationship.

Wheres Reality Going? :: Thermodynamics Humanity Essays

Where's Reality Going? In Layman's terms the first and second laws of Thermodynamics state that there is a finite amount of energy in the universe and as this energy is always reorganizing itself a certain amount always becomes less organized. Therefore, the rate of disorganization is always greater than the rate of organization. The universe is constantly becoming less and less organized. At this rate the dissipation, the disorganization of all energy is inevitable. Though these laws ensure our bodily death the eternity of our energy is also guaranteed. But this guarantee does not comfort humans who crave the organization of matter. This obsession with organization originates in an obsession with a search for meaning. Humans tell stories of the end existence, as we know it, in an attempt to find a pattern of organization to the universe. Behind every story of existence is a desire to separate the human, to find the meaning of humanity. It seems an innate quality of all forms of life to desire to maintain bodily life. For the conscious human mind this desire is translated into the desire for immortality. The only form of life that humans know is through contained energy: the physical body. So we cling to this body as if its death ensures the death of our whole being, energy included. But, as the first and second laws of thermodynamics teach, there is a certain amount of energy in the world that is always changing form, but never changing in quantity. This seems to ensure an existence after the body perishes. But still, humans dread death. This fear seems too great to be a result of a fear of the unknown. More deeply, this fear of death is a fear of disorganization: the dispersion of our selves, a lack of meaning to the self. In death, our conscious selves are not organized in a condensed, formed matter. It is near impossible to assign meaning to that which is dispersed, everywhere. Humans think of meaning as a quality that one form has over another. To humans, something is meaningful if it is not ordinary. The problem with finding meaning in death is that if an essence is completely dispersed in death then it is in everything, and cannot be set aside, cannot be out of the ordinary, cannot embody something that is more qualitative than another something. The Random House Dictionary defines meaning as, " (1) what is intended to be expressed or indicated.

Campbell Management Consulting Case Analysis

Campbell Management Consulting Case Analysis Situation Analysis In the Campbell Management Consulting case, Lauzon Automotive hopes to become more efficient. Central Engineering Manager, Peter Cole, has hired Colin Campbell to conduct a series of studies, beginning with the role of â€Å"tug operator†. The workload carried by the tug operator position has decreased in recent years due to decreases in the amount of waste generated at the plant; however, staff level of the role has remained constant over the same period. Campbell is observing and analyzing the utilization of workers in the position to determine if cutbacks would be beneficial. Campbell is met with hostility, however, on the part of the union workers who fear losing their jobs. In addition to being openly hostile towards Campbell, the workers have opted to participate in a â€Å"work-to-rule† campaign to show their dissatisfaction with the study. The campaign is a strike technique in which workers do the minimum amount of work necessary, or follow the policies and procedures so closely, that productivity is hampered or halted altogether. Since huge losses result from the shutdown of the plant, which could be a result of their work-to-rule campaign, it is wise to avoid its enactment. The root causes of the issues include job design problems, specifically with inflexibility. This narrow description has caused workers to be able to enact the work-to-rule campaign. In addition, general management of the workforce is another concern. Cole, a young manager, needs to get a better grip on the tenured union employees and enforce company policies. Issues with the union also abound; under no circumstances should a consultant be harassed, as Campbell was, by one the Lauzon employees. PROJECT TITLE: | Campbell Management Consulting| Date:| 9/13/2011| | Owner:| Michelle Crawford| Background| | Recommendations| *In 1998, Japanese automakers have 30% share of industry vs. the decreasing 60% share held by North American manufacturers. *Production rates for American automakers had dropped 2-3% in few years leading up to 1998. | | A job analysis and reformation of the job description is required to impede any future attempts at enforcing a work-to-rule or other strike tactic. The measurable will be compliance from the workforce as well as increased efficiency in the tug operator role. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Current Situation| | | *In order to remain competitive, Lauzon Automotive is looking to become more efficient. *Colin Campbell has been hired to diagnose problems and inefficiencies, beginning with the role of â€Å"tug operator†. *The workload carried by the tug loader position had decreased steadily in the past few years due to decreases in waste production, yet staff level of this role remained constant over the same period. The tug operator position is occupied by senior union employees, who are reacting negatively to the study and staging work-to-rule protests. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Plan| | | 1 – Perform job analysis on the tug operator position. Redefine the role so that it includes measurables like timeliness of deliveries as well as safety regulations. Include any duties that may have been previo usly undefined in the description. 2 – Have Peter, and perhaps a more senior employee, meet with union leaders on the hostility issues. A â€Å"no-tolerance† rule on harassment should be implemented – and offenders immediately fired. 3 – During this meeting, Peter should assure the tug operators that their jobs are not at risk. Given that most of them are within one year of retirement, Peter should allow their retirement to naturally reduce the number of workers in the role, and only hire on/promote more tug operators as necessary based on utilization calculations, which will need to include travel time between gondolas. – Peter should explain the reformation in the job description. This will be instrumental not only in preventing work-to-rule protests from employees, but will also aide when training newly hired tug operators, when the time comes. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Goal(s)| | | Effectively manage the number of workers in the tug operator position for maximum efficiencies, without causing unrest amongst the union employees and possibly causing a strike. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Analysis| | | | | | | | Utilization rate of workers per shift (assuming one refuel per shift): 180 (# of gondolas) X 5. 35 m (average service time per sample gondola) = 984. 25 m (total time to service gondolas per shift) 510 m (per shift) – 30 m (lunch) – 60 m (breaks) – 15 m (refuel) = 405 m (per worker per shift) 405 m (per worker per shift) X 5 (workers per shift) = 2025 m (total time workers available) 984. 5 / 2025 = workers operating at 48. 6% capacity. However, it should be noted that Campbell's data is incomplete because it does not include travel time between the gondolas. This would clearly effect the recommendations, so I do not think it would be acceptable for Campbell to consider cutting jobs at this time. Root causes *Job design – too narrow a definition, allowing workers to enact work-to-rule. Management of the workforce: Peter, the young manager, seems to be getting pushed around by the tenured union employees, hampering productivity *Issues with the union: ho stility and unrest that should not be tolerated | | Follow up| | | Meet with union leaders and tug operators again to discuss any issues with the new job description. Enlist their support in providing feedback to enhance the description. They should view the consulting team as their allies. Finally approve new description, and then monitor retirement dates for when to expect an increase in role productivity. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Assumptions and Missing Information The key piece of information that is missing is the travel time between one gondola and the next. Without this data, it is impossible to accurately determine the utilization of tug operators. Problem Definition The key issue in this case is the narrow job design and definition of the tug operator position, allowing for strike tactics. The secondary issue is management of the workforce and issues with the union. Development of Alternatives One alternative would be to continue the study to acquire the data necessary. Campbell could return to the floor and observe the time it takes to travel from one gondola to another, and then complete his utilization rate analysis. Evaluation of Alternatives and Recommendations If Campbell decides to complete his evaluation of the role, it might further damage the relationship between management and the union, causing more unrest and workplace disruption. I would advise against this, especially since the majority of tug operators are planning to retire within one year. In light of this, I recommend that Campbell abandon his study of utilization rate in favor of job analysis on the tug operator position. The job description should then be modified as necessary so that work-to-rule campaigns will no longer be an issue. Campbell should also advise Cole on how to handle his relationship with the union in the future. Implementation Plan The implementation timeline should look as follows: * Perform job analysis on tug operator position. * Redefine the role so that it includes measurables like timeliness of deliveries as well as safety regulations. Include any duties that may have been previously undefined in the description. * Cole should meet with union leaders on hostility issues and address strike concerns. * Assure them that their jobs are safe and that not cooperating with or expressing hostility towards Campbell will not be tolerated. Cole should also explain the changes to the job description and enlist the help of the tug operators for any future developments with it. Conclusion Narrow job descriptions can become host to numerous workplace issues, including strike protests like the one exhibited in this case. Evaluating them, and maintaining a good relationship with the workforce, is crucial to success, efficiency, and sustainability. References Cruji, Colin. Richard Ivey School of Business. (1999) Campbell M anagement Consulting.

Lockie Leonard Proflie Essay

Lockie Leonard is 13 year old boy but he turns 14 in the book. He lives in a small town called Angelus with his family of 5, his dad’s name is Sarge and his mum’s name is Joy, he has a little brother and sister named Phillip and Blob. Blob is just a todler who can not walk or talk yet, Phillip thinks heis a mad scientist and likes to check girls out â€Å"A note from the teacher saying that he was obsessed with sex†p. 184, and he also still wets the bed and he is 11 years old. His best friend is Egg but he moved away, but they still talk by letters. Lockie is in love with Viki Streeton, according to him she is the hottest girl in school. His mum was depressed and crying all the timeand no one had any idea what was going on especially Lockie, Lockie was very troubled by this he was confused. Joy used to do all the things around thehouse like clean, wash and cook dinner but after she left Lockie had do all these jobs. In doing all these jobs and doing them well and his mum being sick Lockie and Sarge grew closer in there relationship in trusting each and talking to each other. After a while in hospital his mum was gradually getting better, Lockie went to talk to her every day because he missed her and wanted to make sure she was alright. Eventually she got out and she was felling great and had never felt better so Lockie’s life was back to normal, his mum was alright and his relationship with his dad was great and him and Viki had sort of started things again so it was going perfect.

“The Secret Life of Bees” Literary Analysis Essay

Inevitable conflicts with parents happen frequently in the lives of many adolescents. In the novel â€Å"The Secret Life of Bees,† a young girl named Lily Owens runs away from home, leaving her abusive father behind, on a hunt for more connections to her dead mother, Deborah. Kidd places obstacles of parental conflict for Lily throughout her whole novel. Lily battles with the internal conflict of the knowledge that she killed her own mother and the struggle in finding out the truth.The sources of her conflict with her dead mother include the information she receives from August and T. Ray, her sense of feeling unwanted, and her longing to experience love of a family. Sue Monk Kidd uses this conflict to show that during Lily’s strife to overcome her conflicts she finds herself and realizes that she already has a complete family. Kidd does this to relay a message to the readers so that they may understand that the mother Lily searched for lay inside of her after all and s he is able to create her own power, proving the strength in women.In â€Å"The Secret Life of Bees,† Kidd uses the information Lily receives from her father T. Ray and August to create and further fuel the conflict between Lily and Deborah so that the reader understands the strength in the unity and also individuality of women. The conflict begins when Lily discovers from T. Ray that she was the one to kill her mother by accidently shooting her (Kidd 18-19). She later learns from T. Ray that Deborah had ran away, leaving Lily, and had only come back for her things and not her daughter when she had shot her (Kidd 39). During the novel, Lily keeps a strong distaste for her father and does not believe him when he tells her this.However, Lily does begin to feel worthless and as if she were a horrible child as the idea of her killing her own mother grows on her. She then learns the truth after she runs away from home and finds a family of women who knew Deborah, including a woman named August. Throughout the novel, Lily builds a strong bond with August and trusts her when she tells her that her mother ran away from Lily and T. Ray and left her, but had returned to get her when she was killed. Kidd uses Lily’s knowledge of her mother to provide Lily with a reason to loathe her mother after having such a perfect image of her. However, Lily overcomes this conflict by finding her place with her new  family of strong women that teach her to persevere and listen to the mother inside her.Kidd also uses Lily’s weakness of feeling unwanted to prove that her parental conflict with her mother before she died had affected Lily long-term, yet left her with women that taught her to stand strong. When Lily learns that her mother became pregnant with her and was forced to marry T. Ray unhappily, she realized that her mother had not wanted her. Kidd writes as the consciousness of Lily: â€Å"How dare she? How dare she leave me? I was her child?† (Kidd 259). This pass into Lily’s thoughts gives the reader the idea that even years after her mother’s mistake of leaving, she had been scarred.Lily’s fire of aversion toward her deceased mother is fueled by the thought that she was an unwanted child by her mother, as well as her abusive father, T. Ray. Kidd provides this adversity for Lily throughout her novel to offer a comfort for Lily by the end of the book from the Daughters of Mary so that the reader understands the strong bond between powerful women. Lily finally finds clarity and realizes that she is not unwanted by her â€Å"stand-in mothers.†Sue Monk Kidd also uses Lily’s longing for a family connection and love from the people surrounding her to show that when women come together to heal each other’s wounds, such as Lily’s drawn out conflict with her mother, they can create a true sanctuary of a loving family. In the novel, Lily believes the only way to feel a mother’s lo ve comes from her biological mother, which again created the conflict between Lily and Deborah. Lily longs for this love because she has never experienced it, and she has kept false hope in her mother’s love until the resolution of the novel. However, she overlooks the women she is with daily that have devoted themselves to helping her cope with her conflicts.By the end of the novel, Kidd gives Lily the realization that she has had a family that loves her unconditionally the whole time she was searching for one. This is proven through the last sentence of the novel, quoted â€Å"I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining over me†(By saying this, Lily shows her appreciation for her multiple mothers and her new family for guiding her and helping her overcome all of the differences in her life, as well as the horrible, yet teachable, conflict with her dead mother.In conclusion, Kidd wants her readers to find the message of determin ation and pressing on to focus on the voice inside of oneself through Lily’s story. Parental conflicts occur daily in many teen lives but rarely do they scar them as Lily Owens did. Although the hurtful information she was fed, her sensitivity to feeling unwanted, and her lack of experiencing a loving family led to a conflict with her idea of her dead mother that was built over time, Lily’s ability to overcome her past was aided by women that taught her to find the power inside of her.Her conflicts guide her to new places where she can become her own and mature into a strong woman. She found her home, her family, and herself by conquering her battles and moving on, which relates to Kidd’s intention of her novel: Only the factors determination and perseverance on one’s own shape one’s path, not the conflicts of his/her past.