Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Thirdly, impressionist descriptions, symbols, and motifs in the novel contribute to addressing Modernism's issues. Influenced by Joseph Conrad's language in Heart of Darkness, Fitzgerald opts for impressionistic, picturesque language, often using figures of speech. Examples include "Yellow Cocktail Music," "Velvet Dusk," "Blue Gardens," "Vividness," and Daisy's voice, described as "exhilarating" and engaging, with musical ups and downs.

Fitzgerald uses recurring symbols: The green light (hope), seen when Gatsby and Daisy reunite after five years; The clock (remaining time for Gatsby and Daisy) in the same scene; Daisy's destroyed letter from Gatsby (their resigned love's end); The blue light (sadness and melancholy); Gatsby's mansion (wealth... Continue reading "Modernist Techniques in The Great Gatsby" »

Lesson 1: Introduction to Luxury and Its Characteristics

A) Defining Luxury

The word luxury originates from the Latin word Lux, meaning light. The luxury market is no longer solely defined by income levels, personal wealth, or spending budgets.

B) The Dual Nature of Luxury

Luxury has a double meaning:

• Lux: Light (the angel)
• Luxus: Abundance
• Luxation: Gap, excess
• Luxuria: Bad habit (the devil)

C) The Intangibility of Luxury

The luxury goods industry is characterized by intangibility more than any other sector.

D) Luxury and Retail

People often misunderstand luxury by focusing solely on brands. However, luxury companies are primarily retailers.

E) The Paradox of Luxury

A luxury brand's strategy balances exclusivity, which drives image, and accessibility, which... Continue reading "Luxury Brands: Definition, Features, and Market Insights" »

Gallery Visit: The Botticelli Exhibition

V: Excuse me. I am looking for the Botticelli exhibition.

D: You're in the right place. Come on in!

V: Can you tell me about Botticelli's style?

D: Botticelli is known for his Renaissance style.

V: What are his most important paintings?

D: Botticelli's most important paintings are The Birth of Venus and Primavera.

V: Are these works in the exhibition today?

D: Yes, the works are in Room 3, on the left.

Discussion on Artistic Movements

A1: What do you think of the exhibit so far?

A2: It's okay. The Modernism section was really interesting.

A1: I like the way Modernism brings together nature and the use of curved lines.

A2: Yeah. But I'm not sure about the Surrealism section.

A1: You didn't like it?

A2: Not entirely.... Continue reading "Art Appreciation and Photography Workflow Dialogues" »

What is a Brand?

A brand encompasses everything that represents your company in the minds of consumers. It's the culmination of people's perceptions of your customer service, reputation, advertising, and even your logo. When these elements work harmoniously, your brand thrives. Conversely, even a company with exceptional products can suffer from a damaged brand due to poor customer service.

How Strong Branding Impacts Your Business

1. Branding Improves Recognition

Your logo is a key element of your brand identity. Just think about the instant recognition associated with McDonald's golden arches or the USPS eagle. As the "face" of your company, your logo needs to be memorable and impactful. A professional logo design should be simple enough to remember... Continue reading "The Impact of Strong Branding on Business Success" »

Cooperative Culture: The values, beliefs, and traditions in a company that influence the behavior of its staff. It's important for job seekers to know about an organization's culture before accepting a job.

Cultura cooperativa: Los valores, creencias y tradiciones en una empresa que influyen en el comportamiento de su personal. Es importante que los solicitantes de empleo sepan sobre la cultura de una organización antes de aceptar un puesto de trabajo.

Informal Communication & Actions

Company Attributes

The Urgency of Intersectionality

In the TED Talk "The Urgency of Intersectionality," law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw explains the origin and importance of intersectionality. She starts with an exercise that demonstrates the low level of awareness surrounding the names of African-American women killed by the police. Moreover, she explains why their stories are unknown and what we can do to raise public awareness.

The Origin of Intersectionality

Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” when she read the case of Emma DeGraffenreid, an African-American woman who sued a car manufacturing plant for not hiring her. DeGraffenreid argued that she faced discrimination based on both her race and gender, as the industrial work was available... Continue reading "The Urgency of Intersectionality: Understanding Overlapping Oppressions" »

Plot: Arranging Story Events

Plot refers to an author’s arrangement of the events that make up a story. Plot does not follow a chronological order; for example, authors may start in the middle and use flashbacks or dialogue to refer to previous events. The author must choose when the story begins, which aspects can be summarized, and when it should end. Time is subjective. The author's aim in writing a story will direct the choices he makes, and therefore analyzing these aspects of plot gives us invaluable insight into the meaning of his work.

Conflict: The Driving Force

Conflict is the driving force behind many plots. It may come from:

• External Conflict

  The main character may be in conflict with external forces like family, society, physical

Semiotics: Signs, Symbols, Icons & Branding

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. It encompasses designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. Essentially, semiotics explores how words and other signs create meaning. In this field, a sign is anything that stands in for something other than itself.

• Signs produce meaning.
• A sign signifies something.
• Meaning is socially produced through signs, symbols, and icons.

Non-Vocal Communications

Signals, signs, and symbols represent a separate form of language.

• Signifier: The physical existence of an object (e.g., the word "tree").
• Signified: The mental concept or idea associated with the object (e.g., the image of a tree in your

Understanding Core Advertising & Marketing Concepts

Right Brain vs. Left Brain Thinking

Right Brain: Intuitive, holistic, artistic, emotional, and expressive.

Left Brain: Logical, linear, inductive/deductive, and orderly.

Advertising Message Forms & Formats

• Announcement Display Ads

  The most basic form of advertising, often used for announcements.

• Association Transfer

  Utilizes symbolic association to link a product with a desired image or idea (e.g., Absolut vodka campaigns).

• Dominant Message Forms in Advertising

  These are common structures for conveying an advertising message:

  • Presenter: A spokesperson directly addresses the audience.
  • Testimonial: A user or expert endorses the product.
  • Demonstration: Shows the product in action.
  • Comparative Advertising:

The following examples demonstrate complex SQL techniques using conditional logic (IF, CASE), subqueries, variable assignment, and string manipulation to analyze geographical and economic data stored in tables like Pais (Country), Ciudad (City), and LenguaPais (Country Language).

1. Independence Year Formatting for African Countries

This query retrieves the name of countries in Africa and formats their independence year (AnyIndep) to display whether it was B.C. (a.C.) or A.D. (d.C.).

SELECT Nombre,
    IF(AnyIndep > 0,
        CONCAT(AnyIndep,' d.C'),
        IF(AnyIndep < 0,
            CONCAT(ABS(AnyIndep),' a.C'),
            'N/A')) AS 'Año de Independencia'
FROM Pais
WHERE Continente = 'Africa'

2. City Population Comparison Against