Virginia Woolf and Wartime Distortions of Natural and Pastoral Imagery in Mrs. Dalloway and Between the Acts - Literature Essay Samples

Alexandra Harris claims in Romantic Moderns that to plant flowers in the middle of a war was to assert one’s firm belief in the future. Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, published in 1925 seven years after the first world war, and her final novel Between the Acts, published in 1941 in the midst of the second, are full of flowers. The pastoral and natural imagery in these novels echo with nostalgia, commemorating happier times past and hoping for their recreation. However, even in their abundance of flowers and birdsong, the images of the pastoral in Woolf’s work do not always look towards a brighter future. The images are distorted and corrupted, resonating with the remaining fears from the previous war and the encroaching fear of the war to come. In Between the Acts, Woolf uses natural imagery as a means to connect the present to the past, reflecting nostalgia as well as the hope that nature provides for continuity. Miss La Trobe flounders at the silence of the stage, but thankfully ‘the cows took up the burden†¦in the very nick of time she lifted her great moon-eyed head and bellowed.’ The pastoral animals fill the silent void, all in unison with the ‘same yearning bellow’ (p. 87). The cows are gentle and ‘great’, with eyes like a ‘moon’, timeless in orbit and with a worldly continuity. The visceral ‘bellow’ joins past and present together: ‘it was the primeval voice sounding loud in the ear of the present moment’ (p. 87). Their ability to cross boundaries of time stretches beyond the context of salvaging the pageant as they ‘annihilated the gap; bridged the distance; filled the emptiness and continued the emotion’ (p. 87). The ‘gap’ and ‘distance’ of time is ‘bridged’ by the cry of nature, one that filled the ‘emptiness’ left by human action, presenting the pastoral as an instrument to con nect with the past and continue to a salvaged future. While the actors are still adorned in their pageant costumes portraying figures from England’s history, ‘each still acted the unacted part conferred on them by their clothes’ (p. 121). Their ‘beauty ’ (p. 121) from the past is ‘revealed’ (p. 121) by the light: ‘the tender, the fading, the uninquisitive but searching light of evening that reveals depths in water and makes even the red brick bungalow radiant’ (p. 121). The natural glow is ‘tender’, enveloping both nature and the industrial ‘red brick bungalow’, joining them under a single place and time to uncover the beauty in each. The idyllic, pastoral setting of the evening creates nostalgia for the beauty that is found in the ‘unacted part conferred on them by their clothes’, a ‘part’ that is rooted in pre-war England.Birds and flowers in particular are remembered in Mrs. Dalloway in conjunction with nostalgic thoughts. The depth of Clarissa Dalloway’s emotion for Peter Walsh as she looks at him ‘passing though all that time’ (p. 37) is likened to a bird that ‘touches a branch and rises and flutters away’ (p. 37). The emotion is fleeting and gentle, remembered in natural terms that remain ‘through all that time’. Clarissa’s happiest memory has flowers scattered in it, reflecting the positive connotations that they can have. This pinnacle, ‘the most exquisite moment of her whole life,’ followed ‘passing a stone urn with flowers in it. Sally stopped; picked a flower; kissed her on the lips’ (p. 30). The flowers are the catalysts and witness, poised in Sally Seton’s hand during Clarissa’s ‘most exquisite moment’. For all the magnitude of this instant, it is the presence of the flowers that take precedence, highlighting their lasting power. Cl arissa in particular loves the flower that is arguably England’s symbol of continuity, establishing its roots slowly and firmly in the ground: the rose. She thinks them ‘absolutely lovely’ (p. 101) and cares about them more than international politics, such as the Armenians in the aftermath of their genocide during the First World War: ‘she cared much more for her roses than for the Armenians’ (p. 102). Nevertheless, they are also strangely ‘the only flowers she could bear to see cut’ (p. 102). This contradicts both her affection for them and their status as symbols of continuity, but hints, rather, at an emerging corruption of traditional natural imagery in face of the horrors of the war. Through likening humans to birds, often in a sinister manner, Woolf begins to corrupt pastoral imagery, tainting it with the actions of humans. In Between the Acts, Isa and Rupert Haines are trapped swans, ‘his snow-white breast circled with a tangle of dirty duckweed; and she too, in her webbed feet was entangled by her husband’ (p. 2). The ‘snow-white’ is polluted, and it is difficult to separate the ‘dirty duckweed’ that imprisons them both with connotations of barbwire, tangling, cutting and trapping those on the war front. People are constantly described negatively as animals, Mrs. Haines with her ‘gooselike eyes, gobbling’ (p. 3), Clarissa with ‘a ridiculous little face, beaked like a bird’s’ (p. 9). The beggar woman in Mrs. Dalloway is a sinister bird, ‘a looming shape, a shadow shape’ (p. 70), steeped in an uncertain darkness, she possessed the ‘bird-like freshness of the very aged, she still twittered’ (p. 70). ‘Bird-like freshness’ is juxtaposed with ‘the very aged’, uniting the two and implying that birds now have ominous echoes of decay and death. The aggressive diction that Lucrezia uses to d escribe her husband Septimus Smith further distorts the bird symbol, drawing them closer to the monstrosities of the war. Her first impression of him was that of a ‘young hawk’ (p. 124), a bird of prey but still not yet aggressive, until Septimus becomes ‘a hawk or crow, being malicious and a great destroyer of crops’ (p. 126). The circling hawk, ‘malicious’ and ‘a great destroyer of crops,’ is not unlike circling military aircrafts, threatening to destroy what feeds and fuels a country. These comparisons of Woolf’s between birds and people corrupt natural imagery on several different levels. Firstly, the actions of humans – that of the war, maybe even of urbanization – have such large repercussions that they affect perceptions of the natural world, that which was meant to remain and continue. Secondly, there could even be suggestions of the transposition of human and animal roles, where humans are now prey on each other and like birds for game, fear being hunted. Moreover, humans are like birds in Woolf’s novels because birds create a birdsong, but through mirroring and merging with humans, it becomes a song of war. The pastoral requires birdsong and there is plenty in Woolf’s novels, but what once was a choir of idyllic chirping is distorted into the sinister, and eventually into a choir of war. Septimus, suffering from shell-shock, hears a sparrow chirping his name ‘four or five times over and went on, drawing its notes out to sing freshly and piercingly in Greek words†¦joined by another sparrow they sang in voices prolonged’ (p. 21). Birds singing with Greek voices were not an unfamiliar notion to Woolf, who in February 1904 suffered her first complete mental breakdown after hearing birds speaking in Greek. The birds’ voices are now an indication of madness, a corruption of nature. The birdsong is tormenting and ‘prolonged’, t he voices are invasive and piercing like the sounds of bombs, drones, gunfire and screams painful memories for a shell-shocked Septimus. However, in Between the Acts, a novel published in 1941, these links to wartime are made even more explicit. The birds are portrayed just as ‘piercingly’, constantly preventing the characters from sleep: ‘she had been waked by the birds. How they sang! Attacking the dawn†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘the random ribbons of birds’ voices woke her’ (p. 127). The diction used begins to resemble that of wartime, ‘attacking’ in the morning and randomly appearing in ‘ribbons’ of sound. Like air raids, the birds are an aerial onslaught, resounding and preventing humans from sleep and peace. The swallows that dance to the music of the pageant are similar, ‘retreating and advancing†¦yes, they barred the music, and massed and hoarded’ (p. 113). The birds ‘retreat and advance’ like soldiers on the field in their multitudes, barring the music of England’s happier past in the play with the song of the present and near future, a song at this point that Woolf knows, is one of war.The distortion of nature, then, signals a loss of the hope and nostalgia found in the pastoral, and indicates the resignation to another world war, the second that Woolf has seen. In Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf and the characters are still recovering from the First World War, but there is the slightest glimmer of hope: ‘the aeroplane soared straight up, curved in a loop, raced, sank, rose, and whatever it did, wherever it went, out fluttered behind it a thick ruffled bar of white smoke’ (p. 17). The plane here is safely for commercial use, ‘writing letters in the sky’ (p. 17), and in its description resembles a swan. The plane ‘raced, sank, rose’ in the same way a swan would in water, and this image is compounded by the ‘thick ruffled bar of white smoke’, like the ruffled white feathers of the bird. In its comparison to a swan, the plane adopts a naturality that reflects the optimism for the positive undercurrents of the pastoral to return. This, however, is contributed to the historical placing and publication of Mrs. Dalloway, nestled seven years after the First World War without the second in sight. In Between the Acts, however, this begins to change. Airplanes are still compared to birds: ‘twelve aeroplanes in perfect formation like a flight of wild duck came overhead’ (p. 119) and the ducks are still thought of in their unison and harmony, ‘perfect formation’. In spite of this, when applied to the planes, the devised aerial arrangement assumes an ominous tinge, indicating that the war is near. Eventually, the inverse comparison of birds as planes is achieved, as starlings become aerial forces attacking a tree, ‘the whole tree hummed with the whizz they made, as if each bir d plucked a wire. A whizz, a buzz rose from the bird-buzzing, bird-vibrant, bird-blackened tree’ (p. 130). The starlings are now mechanical with whizzing sounds and wires, no longer birds but ruthless machines. Conveyed in a tricolon of the birds’ actions, the tree is overwhelmed and helpless as they would not ‘stop devouring the tree’ (p. 130). There is no ‘perfect formation’ but merely a chaos that resonates with mechanical, weapon-like sounds that appear to have seeped into the creatures of nature, Woolf disclosing that war is here. Woolf has shown the state of pastoral and natural imagery to be indicators of historical significance in her novels. These images are connections to a happier past, and as Fussell aptly expresses, recourse to the pastoral is a means of both fully gauging the calamities of The Great War and imaginatively protecting oneself against them. However, their distortion throughout Mrs. Dalloway and more significantly B etween the Acts betrays a disintegration of this hopeful nostalgia. The transformation of the natural world into a world of warfare presents Woolf, who in Mrs. Dalloway was attempting to recover from the First World War, eventually being disillusioned in Between the Acts by the emergence of the second. Between the Acts is appropriately named, after all, set in between two great acts – the two wars. So, flowers and birds for Woolf are no longer, as Harris argues, optimistic symbols of hope. An episode between Woolf and her husband Leonard encapsulates this sentiment, when one afternoon she called him in from the garden to listen to Hitler on the radio, but he preferred to carry on planting irises that would be ‘flowering long after Hitler is dead’. The flowers are Leonard’s optimistic hopes, but Virginia was sitting inside listening to Hitler, dismissing the natural world, hearing and listening instead to the voice of war – a sound that corrupts the pastoral in her novels.

Essay The Greek Economy - 2993 Words

The Greek economy was a result of the combination of slaves, citizens and Metics. The Metic, however, was the driving and most important force behind the Greek economy. The slave was used only when seen fit. The citizen saw work as below the dignity of a free man. He left to others the labors that he was unwilling to perform himself. Firstly, it must be noted that any prejudice against manual labor among the Greeks was of comparatively late origin. Certainly, in the Homeric age, to labor with one’s hands was no disgrace. The prowess of Odysseus comes to mind, who was a mighty worker and built his own house and even his own bedstead. (Hom. Od.13, 31-34) There was no prejudice against manual labor in the time of Solon either, who decreed†¦show more content†¦This new found standing gave the citizen the view that he was above manual labor. The plunder gained from wars, and after the founding of the Delian League, the riches gained set up new standards of values and condu ct. With the increased wealth, fortunes were made overnight. The citizen enjoyed himself more and saw those who had to work for a living with contempt. Also, with the increased affluence, citizens were able to pay the Metic to carry out trade. Herodotus remarked upon this as something quite new, that the citizens â€Å"practice no trade and only war, which is their hereditary calling. Now, whether this separation, like other customs has come to Greece from Egypt I cannot exactly judge. I know that in Thrace and Scythia and Persia and Lydia and nearly all foreign countries those who learn trades and their descendants are held in less esteem than the rest of the people, and those who have nothing to do with artisan’s work, especially men who are free to practice war, are highly honored.† (Herod. 2, 166-167) This is a testament that the Greek citizen had shifted away from work and had elevated himself upon a pedestal. Thus creating a demand for highly skilled laborers, which was filled by the Metics. Aristotle and Plato simply would not allow or accept that a man, whose whole energies were devoted to making a living, could possibly at the same time fulfill his duties as a citizenShow MoreRelatedGreek Economy and the Eurozone821 Words   |  3 Pagespercent unemployment rate in 2014. Greece joined the Eurozone in 2001 and was the poorest European Union member at the time with a two point six percent inflation rate3 (James, 2000). Greece had a long economic history before joining the Eurozone. The economy flourished from 1960 to 1970 with low inflation and modernization and industrialization occurring. The market crash in the late 1970’s led Greece into a state of recession that the nation is still struggling with. Military failures, the PASOK partyRead MoreThe Future Of The Greek Economy1478 Words   |  6 PagesArticle 8 – Yanis Varoufakis questions the Future of the Greek economy He was one of the most pivotal figures within the Greek political cabinet and now he has seemingly turned his back on the Greek economy. The new country reforms have been discussed by former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, in which he has said that the new reforms are going to fail, with the programme set to go down in history as the greatest disaster of macroeconomic management ever. These are strong words from a manRead More Criminal Activity in the Turkish/Greek/Italian Economy and Government Efforts to Combat It2380 Words   |  10 PagesCriminal Activity in the Turkish/Greek/Italian Economy and Government Efforts to Combat It Terrorism once was a threat associated primarily with the Middle East, and was not an issue for Americans and citizens of other well developed, seemingly safe nations. This faà »ze was shattered on September 11, 2001 when New York City, USA was viciously attacked. Terrorism skyrocketed to the forefront of every newspaper and magazine throughout the world; suddenly, terrorism was a reality for thoseRead MoreThe Greek Sovereign Debt Crisis1418 Words   |  6 PagesThe Greek sovereign debt crisis has required multiple controversial bailouts; due to deflation and tense political that have caused Greek citizens to unsatisfied current economic condition. This is a large problem of economic stability and political unity facing the European Union. This study seeks to answer two main questions. Firstly, why should European Union help Greece bailouts its economy woes? Secondly, should Greece change its domestic economic policies in response to demands from the EURead MoreGreece Economy : The Economy Over A Period Of Three Years1402 Words   |  6 PagesIMF and EU agreed to infuse 110 billion Euros in the Greece economy over a period of three years, to avoid a default. In exchange, Prime Minister Papandreou committed to severe austerity measures, including 30 billion Euros in government spending cuts and tax increases on the Greek population. On 10th May 2010, the European Central Bank (ECB) launched its Securities Market Program, which allowed it to buy government bonds of ailing economies like Greece on the secondary market in order to boost investorRead MoreAncient Greece : A True Civilization1507 Words   |  7 Pagesmany ways, through their academic pursuits, philosophical ideologies, or advanced trade systems, Ancient Greek culture has proven to be the foundation for Western culture. Ancient Greece was not only civilized, but exemplifies the standards of civilization to this day. Its pursuits of technology, mathematics, philosophy and politics all serve as the basis for Western thought, while its economy models a trade based culture. Arguments against Ancient Greece’s stature as a civilization, despite understandableRead MoreCauses of the Greek liquidity crisis; how conditions were before the crisis Events that happened1600 Words   |  7 Pages Causes of the Greek liquidity crisis; how conditions were before the crisis Events that happened preceding the crisis The structural economic support weakened –when Greece entered the euro zone in 2001 the convergence criteria which supposed to provide sound financial systems within the economy and the GSP were established to prevent financial and economicRead MoreGreek Vs. Greek Government1437 Words   |  6 PagesGrexit I personally think that the most common Greek food is Gyro which is made with meat cooked on a vertical rotating rotisserie then served with cold and refreshing tzatziki sauce. To break down Grexit into a simpler explanation, let’s imagine the kebab cooked on a vertical rotating rotisserie as Greek economy. It must never stop turning or the kebab will be burnt. People constantly shave off the part that they need from it. So, how can Greek switch to a new currency without losing economicalRead MoreEssay about The History and Culture behind Greek Cuisine1315 Words   |  6 PagesGreek Cuisine† There are many things that when combined, make up what we call the Greek cuisine. The mysterious Minoans were among the first residents in Greece and they arrived in 2700 B.C bringing along with them, domesticated grains, sheep, and goats. The Minoans adopted almonds, the nuts of the mastic bush, and the yellow pulses that were being refined by more ancient peoples already in Greece, while finding wild grapes. The wild grapes were used to make wine. The people of Greece also foundRead MoreThe Euro in Crisis: Decision Time at the European Central Bank841 Words   |  4 Pagesextraordinary decision-making power, this will in effect have an impact on the financial economy of Greece. From this case analysis, the ECB must decide whether to purchase or to not purchase Greek sovereign debt (Trumbull, Roscini amp; Choi, 2011). The Problem After the sub-prime mortgage burst in the United States, this sent reverberating shock waves throughout world economies. As the US economy tightened, economies around the world were also affected; adversely affected highly leveraged banks in

Childhood Parents And Special Education - 961 Words

Introduction/ Problem Statement As children grow, they are expected to meet milestones along the way to ensure proper development is taking place. When a child fails to meet the developmental milestones for their age, interventions are often put into place in efforts to help the child perform as close to the expectations for his or her age as possible. These early interventions can help rectify the child’s deficiency; but at times, the child may need to receive long- term assistance or accommodation; particularly when entering school. These children can be recommended for special education. Being placed in special education affords children the opportunity to learn at their own pace with all the specific support they need. The children’s needs are met with guidance, patience, and scaffolding. Early childhood parents often have negative perceptions towards special education; resulting in the delay or impediment of their child receiving services. In this author’s experience as a classroom teacher, approximately half of all the parents whose child was identified as special needs resisted or delayed their child’s participation in services or special education because of their perceptions towards special education. It is necessary to understand what contributes to the perceptions in order to provide parents support they need to not only accept, but embrace their child’s needs to ensure the child performs at his or her full potential. Statement of the Problems Impact onShow MoreRelatedChildhood Education : Early Childhood Special Education Essay1266 Words   |  6 Pages Early Childhood Special education Name: Institution: Early Childhood Special education 1-The role of play in learning in early childhood Special Education Play is usually a natural activity in early childhood and has significant importance in early childhood special education. Play assists in enhancing the children social competence, creativity, language development, and their thinking skills. Play is usually the key vehicle for the developing of language, social skulls in youngRead MoreFamily Participation And Child Needs Special Education1509 Words   |  7 PagesParents are their child s best exponents. Parents know their children better than anyone else. That s why parent involvement play a crucial role when the child needs special education. This essay will discuss the importance of family participation and impacts of family participation in special education. Firstly, the essay will briefly describe what challenges special need children face, secondly, the essay will discuss key terms in the literature about the importance of family participation inRead MoreEarly Childhood Issues Of The 21st Century1152 Words   |  5 PagesP art 1: â€Å"Early Childhood Issues of the 21st Century† Revision The issue that I have selected focuses on the importance of children and youth receiving early intervention, special education, and other related services under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B. IDEA includes 14 specific categories under which children may be found eligible for early intervention, special education, and related services. Those 14 specific categories include the following: (1) autism, (2) deaf-blindnessRead MoreThe Field Of Education And The Area Of Serving Students With Special Needs1260 Words   |  6 Pages1. How do you perceive the field of education changing, especially in the area of serving students with special needs? The field of education is dramatically changing at an unprecedented rate. For example, a greater percentage of students are identified with autism than in the past ten years. The general education teacher is becoming more and more aware of special needs students due to inclusionary practices and must adapt his/her curriculum to help all students achieve. This can be a roadblockRead MoreEarly Intervention : Learning From And Through Play- Assignment1705 Words   |  7 PagesIntervention: Learning from and through play- Assignment 2- Essay Christina Kraly (2149733) Essay Question #1: Discuss and analyse how play is similar and different for young children with and without special education needs (SEN). Describe why this knowledge is of value to professionals working in the early childhood sector, and make recommendations on the knowledge professionals should have in order to support children with SEN learning from and through play. Introduction During the early years, the rolesRead MoreThe Benefits of Early Childhood Education1201 Words   |  5 PagesBenefits of Early Childhood Education The writer of Proverbs 22:6 wrote: â€Å"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it†. Early Education has benefits that can follow well into adult hood. Early childhood education is the organized practice of educating those who are in early childhood. According to the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), early childhood spans the human life from birth to age eight (Early Childhood Education,  para. 1)Read MoreRights, Laws, and Policies for Children with Special Needs691 Words   |  3 Pagesenrolled in public schools in the U.S. were identified as children with disabilities or special needs (Ben-Porath, 2012, p. 25). Current legislation, such as the Individuals with disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), is designed to ensure these students get appropriate education in an environment that is inclusive and the least-restrictive possible. This best environment for students with special needs is not a physical place, but represents a philosophy to guide practitioners inRead MoreCancer Is A Disease That Affects A Child s Educational Performance Essay1606 Words   |  7 Pageseveryday, including students in the education system. This disease is covered under IDEA, and falls under the category of Other Health Impairments, which is defined as a medical condition that results in limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems that affect a child’s educational performance or ability. There are many examples of Other Health Impairments, such as Diabetes, Tourette syndrome, asthma and heart conditions, but childhood Cancer is a common disease thatRead MoreDevelopment Of Exceptional And Special Needs Children Essay1672 Words   |  7 PagesThe early childhood sector is increasing rapidly across the Caribbean. Some of these centres just came about in an ad hoc manner due to the demand for day care services; recognising how important early childhood development is, governments and other officials are being faced with the task of ensuring that quality early childhood education is provided. This essay seeks to discuss teachers’ expectations, sensitivities, priorities and values that contribute to the quality of all pupils learning andRead MoreStrategies for Transitioning Preschool with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Kindergarten796 Words   |  4 PagesThis is an article review of Anthony M. Denkyirah and Wilson K. Agbeke 2010, which investigated the Strategies for Transitioning Preschool with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Kindergarten. The article was published in Early Childhood Education Journal. Research (Rice and O’Brien (1990), Rule et al. (1990), and Wittmer et al. (1996) found that an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children who sustained suitable services in their preschool years, they are able to face academic challenges and try to continue

Financial Information for Decision Making of JB Hi-Fi Limited

Question: Discuss about the Financial Information for Decision Making of JB Hi-Fi Limited. Answer: Introduction The analysis of financial performance and position is essential from the perspectives of the investors. The investors put their money on stake by investing in the companys shares therefore they should have understanding of the companys financial performance and position (Needles, Powers, and Crosson, 2013). In order analyze the companys financial performance, it is essential to assess the business of the company on four core parameters such as profitability, liquidity, efficiency, and gearing. In this context, a report has been presented here that covers the financial analysis of JB Hi-Fi Limited over the period of three financial years commencing from 2014 and ending on 2016. Company Background The JB Hi-Fi Limited, headquartered in Chadstone (Australia), listed on Australian stock exchange, is a retailing company. The company engages in the business of retail sales of home consumer products through two geographical segments such as Australia and New Zealand (JB Hi-Fi, 2016). The company offers a range of products which includes electronic products, telecommunication, and cooking products. The company was incorporated in the year 1974 and since then it has grown manifold to hold presently 194 JB Hi-Fi stores. Presently the company employs 7,814 people, which depicts its growing size. In the year 2016, the company operated with total revenues of $3.95 billion. Further, the EBIT and Operating profit after tax of the company were observed to be $221.2 million and $152.2 million respectively (JB Hi-Fi, 2016). The changes in technology have caused structural changes in the retail industry all over the world in the recent past years. The retail sale through stores is not in fashion now after introduction of sales through online platforms. Further, the competition has got stiff not in Australia but all over the world after introduction of online sales platform. However, JB Hi-Fi is getting into business acquisition strategies to reduce the adverse impact of competition. Recently in 2016, it has acquired one of its competitor in home appliances namely Good Guys (Berry, 2016). Analysis of Financial Performance The financial performance of the company has been observed to be good in the recent years as depicted from the gradual growth in the revenues, profits, and number of stores operated. Further probe into the profitability, liquidity, efficiency, and gearing is carried out as below: Profitability In order to assess the profitability of the company, the prominent ratios namely net profit and return on equity have been analyzed. The net profit ratio shows profits propionate to sales (Tracy, 2012). In regards to JB Hi-Fi, the net profit ratio for the year 2014, 2015, and 2016 have been found to be 3.67%, 3.75%, and 3.84% respectively (Appendix). Thus, it could be observed that the net profit ratio of the company has improved over the years. The increase in net profits ratio is the result of cost cutting. Due to increased competition in the industry, the company is bound to find the cost cutting mechanisms. Further, return on equity shows profits attributable to the equity owners proportionate to the total shareholders equity (Tracy, 2012). The return on equity of JB Hi-Fi has been found to be 43.54%, 39.83%, and 37.62% for the years 2014, 2015, and 2016 (Appendix). The return on equity is showing downward trend. The primary reason for downfall in the return on equity is increase in the shareholders equity over the period. The shareholders equity has increased from $294 million in 2014 to $404 million in 2016. Harvey Norman is the biggest competitor of JB Hi-Fi. Comparing the profitability of JB Hi-Fi with Harvey Norman, it has been observed that net profits ratio of the company is lower than that of competitor. However, the return on equity of the company is better. Harvey Norman has net profit ratio of 12.34% while the return on equity is 13.40% (Morningstar, 2017). Liquidity In order assess liquidity, the primary ratios such as current ratio and quick ratio have been computed and analyzed. The current and quick ratios show companys ability to meet the short term debt obligations. Higher the ratio better will be the liquidity position on the company (Tracy, 2012). In the case of JB Hi-Fi, the current ratio has been found to be 1.64, 1.62, and 1.57 times for the financial years 2014, 2015, and 2016 respectively (Appendix). The current ratio could be observed to be showing the downward trend over the period of time. Further, the quick ratio has been found to be 0.34, 0.36, 0.35 times (Appendix). The decreasing trend in current ratio implies degradation in the liquidity position of the company. However, the current ratio of the company is still better than that of its competitor. Harvey Norman has current ratio of 1.26 times which is lower than the companys current ratio of 1.64 times. Efficiency The measurement of efficiency relates to the assessment of managements efficiency in regards to utilization of assets. The ratios such as receivables days, payable days, and assets turnover have been computed for this purpose (Tracy, 2012). The receivable days have been found to be 7, 8, and 9 days for 2014, 2015, and 2016. The receivable days are showing a little bit increase which is adverse for the company because the funds are being tied for longer time now. The payable days have been found to be 33, 32, and 36. The increase in payable days is favorable for the company because now company is getting more credit period from the suppliers. The asset turnover ratio is also showing downward trend. The ratio fell from 4.05 times in 2014 to 3.99 times in 2016 (Appendix). The decrease in the asset turnover ratio shows degradation in the managements efficiency in regards to utilization of the assets optimally. Gearing/Solvency The gearing or solvency implies the companys ability to meet the long term debt obligations on time. For this purpose, the debt equity ratio and debt to asset ratios are considered to be suitable to evaluate. The debt to equity ratio assesses the debt propionate to equity and debt to asset ratio assesses total assets financed by debt funds (Tracy, 2012). In the case of JB Hi-Fi, the debt to equity ratio has been found to be 1.92, 1.60, and 1.46 times for the financial years 2014, 2015, and 2016 respectively. It could be observed that debt to equity ratio is decreasing over the period which indicates reduction in the risk of solvency. Further, the debt to asset ratio is also observed to be decreasing. In the year 2014, it was 0.66 times and went down to 0.59 times in the year 2016 (appendix). The debt equity ratio of Harvey Norman is 0.08 times which is way lower than that of the company (Morningstar, 2017). Thus, it could be inferred that the company is bearing more solvency risk than the competitor. Conclusion From the discussion in the report, it could be articulated that the financial performance of JB Hi-Fi is moderate. The company is growing at a slow pace. The revenue and net profits are increasing but at slow pace. Further, on certain parameters the company is lagging behind its competitor. The net margin of company is lower than the competitor. Further, the debt to equity ratio of the company is higher than the competitor which depicts high solvency risk for the company. However, the fact that company has acquired one of its competitors namely Good Guys could give a reason to investors to make investment in the companys shares. The acquisition of Good Guys is predicted to have positive impact on the financial performance of the company. Thus, it is recommended to the investors to make investment in the companys shares from the short term perspective. References Berry, P. 2016. JB Hi-Fi takes market lead with Good Guys. [Online]. Available at: https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/breaking-news/jb-hifi-acquires-the-good-guys/news-story/a181998df6d2f1f797fa2f8d28ab3f6d [Accessed on: 17 May 2017]. JB Hi-Fi. 2016. Annual report of JB Hi-Fi Limited for 2016. [Online]. Available at: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/Documents/2016%20JB%20Hi-Fi%20Annual%20Report_ASX.pdf [Accessed on: 17 May 2017]. Morningstar. 2017. Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. [Online]. Available at: https://financials.morningstar.com/ratios/r.html?t=HVN [Accessed on: 17 May 2017]. Needles, B.E., Powers, M., and Crosson, S.V. 2013. Financial and Managerial Accounting. Cengage Learning. PWC. 2017. 2017 Retail trends. [Online]. Available at: https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/trend/2017-retail-trends [Accessed on: 17 May 2017]. Tracy, A. 2012. Ratio Analysis Fundamentals: How 17 Financial Ratios Can Allow You to Analyse Any Business on the Planet. RatioAnalysis.net.