Toyota motor corporation strategy

Toyota motor corporation strategy I. Introduction of Toyota: Overview of Toyota Company Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world. It is founded in August 28, 1937 in Japan. Akio Toyoda is the current president of Toyota motor company. As of March 31, 2009, the capital of Toyota is estimated as 397.05 billion yen. The major business undertaken by Toyota is Motor Vehicle Production and Sales. It has been estimated that around 320,808 employees working at present in Toyota and its affiliated companies all over the world as of March 31, 2009 (Toyota, 2009). Even though Toyota was able to maintain a steady growth rate both in sales and production of vehicles till 2008, because of global economic crisis both the sales and production of vehicles of Toyota has been come down in 2009. The company has produced 5,100,000 vehicles in Japan itself in 2007 and 5,160,000 in 2008. But the production has come down to 4,255,000 in 2009. On the other hand the company has recorded 23,948.0 million yen sales in 2007 and 26,289.2 million yen in 2008. But the sales have dipped to 20,529.5 million yen in 2009. 8,524,000 Toyota vehicles have been sold in the world in 2007 and 8,913,000 in 2008. But the number of vehicles sold has slipped to 7,567,000 in 2009 (Toyota, 2009). International, regional, industrial environment of Toyota Toyota Company is currently operating in five continents and in 27 countries with 53 manufacturing units apart from its main manufacturing units in Japan. It has operations in more than 170 countries all over the world at present. It always acquires a place in the top 10 Fortune Global 500 enterprises list. It has a good reputation as the most socially and environmentally responsible automaker in the world (Global Toyota, 2007) Toyota Financial Services (TFS) provides vehicle financing in 33 countries worldwide. Some of the most diverse and fastest-growing among our global network of offices are those in the Asia Oceania Region. Over the last 5 years, their average annual asset growth has been a staggering 30 percent (Toyota Financial Services Global Presence, 2009). Toyota is operating in one of the highly contested automotive sector. Apart from international automobile manufacturers like, BMW, GM, etc, Toyota is facing challenges from domestic automobile manufacturers such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, etc. Toyota believes in localising the vehicles in order to cater the specific needs of the regions in which it operates. For example, Indian business conditions and American business conditions are entirely different for Toyota and they have specific custom made vehicles for different regions. Toyota has implemented a Just in Time (JIT) production system which is highly debated in the global corporate sector. (Just in Time, or JIT Toyotas Manufacturing Technique, 2005) International and global strategy A company with multinational branches and head quarters can be referred as a global firm. (What is a global firm? n. d) It is not necessary that a company producing goods locally and sells it internationally, necessarily a global firm. A global firm always produces goods locally and internationally and sells it in different market across the world. Moreover, a global firm always look for making custom made goods for international market. For example, it is not possible for vehicle manufacturers to make a standard vehicle suitable for the international market. Even the same product needs customization for different market because of the difference in international markets with respect to culture, politics, legal aspects, environment conditions, economic conditions etc. Toyota is operating in more than 170 countries at present with 53 manufacturing units all over the world as mentioned earlier, which is clearly an indication that Toyota is a global firm. Moreover, Toyota is addressing the needs of the diverse customers around the world and they were able to make vehicles suitable for regional preferences. For example, for Indian conditions, Toyota has introduced two vehicles; Qualis and Innova which can accommodate more people in the same car whereas such vehicles may not suit for the American conditions. Americans like luxury cars more than the Indians and Toyota concentrated in making luxury cars for American market. Thus, Toyota was able to realize the tastes of local people and they succeeded in producing vehicles suitable for each country which made them a true global company in all senses. II. The external environment: 1. Toyota-Competitors/Rivals: Toyota is one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world. Competitors are struggling to compete with Toyota because of the superior quality, excellent supply chain, and very good after sales support, Toyota offers to the consumers. In fact competitors are forming regional blocs to compete with Toyota. General Motors, Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, Fiat, Renault, Nissan, BMW, Hyundai etc are some of the major competitors for Toyota in automobile industry all over the world. DaimlerChrysler and BMW accepted GMs invitation to cooperate in joint development of hybrid technology, in part to gang up on Toyota (Target, Toyota: Competitors Try To Trip Up the Carmaker on Its Way to No. 1, n. d.). In other words, the competitors are making all efforts to prevent Toyota from sustaining its superior performances. They have realized that nobody can compete with Toyota independently at present because of the superior technological advances and features incorporated to Toyota vehicles and that also at cheaper rates compared to the competitors. In America, General Motors is the main rivals for Toyota whereas in Europe it is BMW. In Asia the major challenges are coming from Hyundai whereas in the home country, Japan the major competitor for Toyota is Honda. Toyota is facing challenges not only from the American and European car manufacturers. In fact they are facing challenges from their Asian counterparts, Korean car manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia. These Korean companies are offering vehicles with nearly similar qualities as that of the Toyota vehicles at cheaper rate than the Toyota vehicles. They have advertised their vehicles in comparison with the Toyota vehicles; a direct attack on Toyota. In other words, Toyota is targeted from all the corners; Asia, America, Europe etc. While the domestics and Germans battle to hold their ground, Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are attacking Toyota from a second front (Target, Toyota: Competitors Try To Trip Up the Carmaker on Its Way to No. 1, n. d.) Toyota company makes a hybrid-powered (gas and electric) sedan the Prius that is being snapped up in US and European markets (Toyota Motor Corporation: Toyota, Aichi Japan, 2009). This vehicle from Toyota is more environment friendly and fuel efficient and it is also in accordance with the Obamas proposal to rejuvenate the auto industries in America. GM and other European car manufacturers are already afraid of the new entry from Toyota. They are already on the verge of destruction because of the current global financial crisis. The new user friendly and environment friendly hi tech car from Toyota is a great challenge for the competitors. Toyota is not running blindly against the electric car technologies. They have lot of concerns about the success of electric cars. Mitsubishi Motors started leasing its all-electric vehicle, the i-MiEV, in June. Next year, Nissan Motor is set to release its electric car, the Leaf. But Toyota does not plan to introduce an all-electric car until 2012 (The New York times, 2009). If the experiments of Mitsubishi and Nissan found success, they can lead the car market in future at least for some time. But Toyota is anticipating certain problems in electric cars and unlike others they are not going all out for the electric cars. In short, Toyota was able to read the automotive market well so far, which helped them to keep the number one spot amidst stiff competitions from all over the regions in the world. 2. The market structure: III. The internal environment of the company: 1. Corporate strategy: Cooperative arrangement: Relationship with suppliers: Relationship with suppliers: Toyota believes that one of the most important factors which makes a long-term and stable procurement of the best products with the lowest price in the most speedy and timely manner is a close relationship with suppliers wherever Toyota operates. This relationship, which is called keiretsu in Japanese concept, bases on mutual respect and trust, communal growth and development between the company and suppliers. In order to build a deep relationship with supplier, Toyota ran a program, namely guest engineer program, in which Toyota allows suppliers engineer working in plant for two or three years. This plan helps suppliers increase their technological advantage, thus will fully meet the corporations technological standard demand in manufacturers processes. Toyota also often sends engineers, and occasionally senior executives, to the suppliers company to study their operation and culture. Through the information which was shared intensively, but selectively, and the understanding, supervising the operations of suppliers in this program, Toyota developed the capabilities of suppliers, which coupled with increasing value for the corporation. Although keiretsu is a time and money consuming process, and sometimes is a risk investment if supplier cannot meet the requirement after finishing the program, it allows suppliers control more in terms of cost, quality and delivering to the market than ever before. Because of that, Toyota believes that it is worth for spending resources in building a deep relationship with supplier. Relationship with sales networks: Toyota has made contract directly with about 300 dealers within Japan and approximately 7,500 overseas dealers. This sales network is considered as the first point for Toyota apply their Customers first policy. The corporation and dealers work together with mutual trust to enhance the customers satisfaction and convey Toyota values, which are emphasized in the superiority of Toyota product and service. In order to pursue customers satisfaction, Toyota and dealers engage in activities based on constant and close communication, including various forms of support from Toyota, customers feedback and comment of dealers. The Kaizen Development Support Division was established in January 2006 to cooperate with dealers in improving the operation and enhancing customers satisfaction by supporting activities at dealers at Japan and overseas. The divisions main activities are: Expanding Toyota Product System improvement activities to sales and distribution. Differentiating Toyota dealers from competitors through improvements. Enhancing customer satisfaction from the customers perspective by implementing on-site improvements. Fostering human resources with the ability to make improvements and reforms using their own skill. After being established, the division immediately held many activities in Japan and overseas countries to foster the development of industry-leading dealers. Diversifications: Besides concentrating on developing mainly motor, TMC also invested in a number of other industries. Most of the diversified businesss capital is the corporations own fund or joint venture with other companies who know clearly the market. The 2 following are the most intensively invested industries in Toyotas diversification: Housing: Toyota Motor Corporation entered the house-construction business in 1975. After that, this field of business was not intensively invested because the automobile market still was the biggest target of Toyota. The corporation just supplied some lineup of production, including condominiums, built using its unit building system, steel framework construction method or residential steel framing technique. However, when many earthquakes occurred in Japan in 2003 and others house-construction brand faced to difficulty to meet the requirements of customer, Toyota decided to take part in the market by establishing Toyota Housing Corporation. The corporation was completely invested by own fund of Toyota Corporation with 100 million yen at the establishment, and aimed the goal that Toyota Housing Corporation will become the number 1 seller detached house in Japan. Financial service: Since being established in 1983, Toyota Financial Services has developed from a small company with eight associates to one that currently employs approximately 3,000 associates nationwide with managed assets in excess of 65 billion dollars. The Toyota Financial Service brand identity was launched in 1999. It plays a role to market the productions of Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and Toyota Motor Insurance Service (TMIS). TMCC was incorporated in California in 1982, started operating in 1983. The productions which the company provides are retail and wholesale financing, retail leasing, vehicle protection plans and certain other financial services to authorized Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers, Toyota forklift and Hino dealers as well as Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A. dealers, affiliates, and their customers in the United States (excluding Hawaii). Opening the Toyota Financial Service was the right move of the corporation in that time in order to increase total profitability from a new potential market. Toyota Financial Service made profit immediately after establishing, and now it contributed a considerable factor in total Toyotas income, which is 623 million dollars while Toyota loose approximately 5 billion dollar in fiscal year 2009 due to financial crisis. 2. Human resource management: The relationship with employees: The labor-management relationship in Toyota was strongly emphasized in 1950, when Kiichiro Toyoda and his executive staff were voluntary to resign with 2,000 other employees after the corporation suffers the sharp reduction of automobile demand. This incident had the strong impact on employees and built an absolute trust on the corporation because it represents the due care and sharing difficulty from the corporation with them. Since then, Toyota has been working to develop mutual understanding between employees and management. The relationship between Toyotas employees and manager is considered as one of the most factors contributing on its success. One concept has being intensively applied for building this relationship among Toyota members is Toyota Way, which is supported by two main pillars: Respect for people and Continuous improvement. All employees at any level in Toyota have been required to use these two values in their daily work. Human resource development: Toyota concentrates mainly on developing and conveying the Toyota Way between employees based on OJT (on-the-job training) in the human resource management policy. In 2002, the Toyota Institute was established in order to improve implementation of Toyota Way by overseas affiliates. The Institute develops and deploys training programs on the core aspects of the Toyota Group and also provides management training. Besides, a series of lectures, namely The things I learn from Mr. Ohno and Mr. Suzumura, are held, which base on the desire conveying the Toyota Way properly and accurately of Chairman Fujio Cho. These actions created a strong corporate culture, which has fundamental impact on the performance of the corporation. In 1988, the organizational restructuring was implemented to make the decision-making less vertical. This process was improved in 2006 when smaller groups were created to enhance teamwork and work-related skills, and reinforce the work ethic in light of the importance of raising the skills of organizations and groups. In 2006, TMC established RD Learning Centre and run the Pro-WIN education program, which is mechanism allowing individuals accomplish their goals in production and production engineering. The RD Learning Centre aim to reinforce the foundation for development of the production and to maintain and enhance Toyotas high-quality. 3. The value chain: Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the largest companies in the vehicle industry, and has branches in most of the worlds countries. In order to stay competitive, Toyota strives to provide clean and safe products, to provide fuel-efficient vehicles and to make use of advanced technology. http://www.toyota.com.au/toyota/events/environment/home The inbound logistics of Toyota: Toyota forms its culture and principles through continued growth. Therefore the most important step is to produce vehicles in accordance with sound environmental standards. The company continually improves the accuracy and the efficiency of the use of its resources. Toyota produces less than 2 kg of waste per vehicle, and is working to reduce it to less than 30 kg in the coming years. http://www.toyota.com/about/enviroreport2008/03_recycling.html The operation of Toyota: Toyota focuses on supervision in its industrial processes, and this improves the quality of every stage of manufacture and ensures the continual improvement of the companys standards. Visual observation is used to assess the process, and each team member is responsible for his or her work. Moreover, any team member is able to stop the process if any part of it is incorrect. http://www.toyotauk.com/main/how-we-manufacture/ Toyotas marketing and sales: Toyota is one of the largest automobile producers in the world. The company ensures reliable customer service, and consistent sales, by managing over 529 branches around the world. And they are looking forward to improving those sales as well. Toyota services: Toyotas services continue after the sale by ensuring that all of its vehicles are under warrantee for 3 years or 60,000 km, whichever comes. Any defects in the vehicles during this time are repaired without cost to the owner. Toyota also provides many financial services for the customer, such as vehicle loans that are repaid in monthly installments. Toyota provides additional services, such as being able to repair your car in any of its branches throughout the world. As well as Toyota always contact their costumer on phone or email to ask them about the services and how they find it. http://www.toyota.com.au/parts-and-service Vehicles manufactured in Toyotas factories are sent to authorize distributors. And also they have the genuine spare parts so that, they can fix the care in every branch. Outsourcing activities: In 1977, Toyota made a deal with Fujitsu, a Hong Kong-based company, where Toyota transferred about 77 employees to Fujitsu for training. Since then, Fujitsu has worked with Toyota to develop new technology and to improve the companys global business performance. Fujitsu is a giant in the field of technology. The partnership allows Toyota to develop new hardware and software as well as provides the ability to sustain a competitive advantage. As a result, the cooperation of Toyota and Fujitsu will enable Toyota to use the latest techniques in automobile production.

Montessori Method

What does this term â€Å"Normalization† mean? Normalization is a term that causes a great deal of confusion and some concern among many new Montessori Parents. Normalization is indeed not the best choice of words! It suggests that we are going to help children who are not normal to become â€Å"normal. † This is definitely not what Maria Montessori meant. Normalization is Montessori’s name for the process that takes place in Montessori classrooms around the world, through which young children learn to focus their intelligence, concentrate their energies for long periods, and take tremendous satisfaction from their work. In his book, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, E. M. Standing described the following characteristics of normalization in the child between the age of three and six: †¢ A love of order †¢ A love of work †¢ Profound spontaneous concentration †¢ Attachment to reality †¢ Love of silence and of working alone †¢ Sublimation of the possessive instinct †¢ Obedience †¢ Independence and initiative †¢ Spontaneous self-discipline †¢ Joy †¢ The power to act from real choice and not just from idle curiosity Kay Futrell in her classic little book, The Normalized Child, describes Dr. Montessori’s amazement when the 60 frightened and ill-disciplined inner-city children of her first Children’s House began to respond to the new environment. â€Å"What followed seemed incredible even to Dr. Montessori, for the deprived children blossomed under this freedom, and the possibility of doing work suited to their needs. They revealed to her not only their enormous capacity for intellectual accomplishment, but a strange character of sweetness and serenity. They displayed a truly uncorrupted spirit, scorning rewards and punishment, and finding their joy in the prodigious work which involved them. They came from these labours refreshed, as from a creative experience, and as they worked, they grew in inner discipline and peace. The sight of these children, who displayed the truly â€Å"normal† characteristics of childhood, was the force which motivated Maria Montessori for the remainder of her life. This secret of childhood she pursued with great vitality, and from her tireless observations and efforts, evolved her perception of the child’s psychic personality. As she travelled from country to country, lecturing, training teachers, helping to establish school after school, this same phenomenon was observed wherever conditions promoting its growth were perfectly realized. This normalized child is the image which Montessori teachers keep uppermost in their minds. This is what we are striving for, what we hope to achieve. However, this child will only appear if we conscientiously prepare ourselves and our classrooms and if we can build on the proper preparation in the child’s home. Normalization is another word for what we call Montessori’s JOYFUL Scholars! What Outcomes Can We Look for If We Give Our Child a Montessori Education? Here are eight primary aspects we normally find in children who have grown up with a Montessori education: †¢ Academic Preparation: Montessori prepares students both for higher education and for life. On an academic level, Montessori helps students attain skills that allow them to become independently functioning adults and life-long learners. †¢ Intrinsic Motivation: Innate desire drives Montessori children to engage in activities for enjoyment and satisfaction. †¢ Internalized Ground Rules and the Ability to Work with External Authority: Montessori students are normally comfortable with ground rules that set the boundaries for their interactions within the school community. Because these ground rules become internalized, Montessori students normally learn to behave appropriately whether or not teachers are present. †¢ Social Responsibility: Montessori children tend to be quite sensitive to the rights and needs of others. They tend to make a positive contribution to their community. †¢ Autonomy: Montessori students tend to become self-directed, composed and morally independent. †¢ Confidence and Competence: Montessori students tend to become confident, competent, self-reflective, and, thereby, successful. They are generally not afraid of failure and learn from mistakes. †¢ Creativity and Originality of Thought: Montessori students normally become confident in expressing their own ideas and creativity. They recognize the value of their own work, respect the creative process of others and are willing to share their ideas regardless of the risk of rejection. Montessori students tend to take great satisfaction in self-expression. †¢ Spiritual Awareness: Montessori students are often exceptionally compassionate, empathetic, and sensitive to the natural world and the human condition. Montessori Method Discipline Traditionally it is felt that if we want to have disciplined children then we must exert some kind of control over them so that in the end they bow to our superior strength and adopt our way of acting. We do not expect self – discipline to arise spontaneously in children – we tend to think it is something that we need to impose on a child. Of course if we set limits for desired behaviour and we make sure the child stays rigidly within these limits then what we will see superficially is a child that ‘does as he is told. But this is not self – discipline – this is the kind of discipline that disappears as soon as the adult exerting their will disappears. Maria Montessori hoped for so much more than this. . Montessori said that if we want to help children develop into self disciplined adults then we need to provide the kind of environment that will help the child to create a strong will – when self control is born within the child and is not imposed externally it is a lasting discipline that will stay with him through his life. ook at the traditional view of discipline and contrast it with the way in which self – discipline is developed according to the principles of Maria Montessori. It will be of interest to all who would like to understand more about the apparent Montessori contradiction that self – discipline can be nurtured by granting the child freedom. As Maria Montessori says: One of the greatest difficulties in securing discipline lies in the fact that it cannot be obtained simply with words†¦ Discipline is therefore attained indirectly, that is, by developing activity in spontaneous work. Everyone must learn how to control himself and how to engage in calm and silent activity, for no other purpose than that of keeping alive that inner flame on which life depends. † Montessori Method Discipline Traditionally it is felt that if we want to have disciplined children then we must exert some kind of control over them so that in the end they bow to our superior strength and adopt our way of acting. We do not expect self – discipline to arise spontaneously in children – we tend to think it is something that we need to impose on a child. Of course if we set limits for desired behaviour and we make sure the child stays rigidly within these limits then what we will see superficially is a child that ‘does as he is told. But this is not self – discipline – this is the kind of discipline that disappears as soon as the adult exerting their will disappears. Maria Montessori hoped for so much more than this. . Montessori said that if we want to help children develop into self disciplined adults then we need to provide the kind of environment that will help the child to create a strong will – when self control is born within the child and is not imposed externally it is a lasting discipline that will stay with him through his life. ook at the traditional view of discipline and contrast it with the way in which self – discipline is developed according to the principles of Maria Montessori. It will be of interest to all who would like to understand more about the apparent Montessori contradiction that self – discipline can be nurtured by granting the child freedom. As Maria Montessori says: One of the greatest difficulties in securing discipline lies in the fact that it cannot be obtained simply with words†¦ Discipline is therefore attained indirectly, that is, by developing activity in spontaneous work. Everyone must learn how to control himself and how to engage in calm and silent activity, for no other purpose than that of keeping alive that inner flame on which life depends. †

Top Ielts Essay Samples Liz Tips!

Top Ielts Essay Samples Liz Tips! What Does Ielts Essay Samples Liz Mean? But, like I mentioned earlier, there are a few who consider that friendship is more important than family and the explanations for this might differ. To conclude, friends are essential along with loneliness and a man or woman should select friends wisely in the life. Furthermore, a friend is a person you may call whenever you're sad, happy, angry, excited and so forth. Since we're friends for quite a long time, we realize each other very well. Additionally, you can observe some of the usual errors that students make and understand the way the band score is influenced with these mistakes. Individuals often take the overall training module if they're meaning to work or live abroad. Usually you must take the IELTS test if you're applying for employment or to study in a college or university in an English-speaking country or if you're migrating to such nation. If you're a professional hoping to have the correct IELTS score to land that dream job, you're in the most suitable spot. Characteristics of Ielts Essay Samples Liz In summary, developments in IT have brought many positive aspects, yet I believe developments regarding new technology will probably generate many negative effects later on that has to be addressed if we want to steer clear of damaging impacts on individuals and society. Last, it's clearly evident our generation has considerably low immunity levels on account of the minimal grade of the food that we eat. Second, we cannot foresee the distant future, thus we ought to develop the ability to escape from the earth. The writing test is marked utilizing a 9-band scale, like the rest of the sections of the test. The Nuiances of Ielts Essay Samples Liz Your paragraphs do not connect one another's meaning and the whole thought of your essay might be incomprehensible. The simplest way to specify the form of an essay is to realize the writer's point of view. For i nstance, you could be requested to present your opinion on an issue, then go over the advantages or disadvantages of it. After the structure is correct, the usage of the language is a bit more advanced, and the thought procedure is thorough, obtaining a Band 8 or higher for an essay should not be an issue. To answer this question you will need to concentrate on the former question and its context. It's very tough choice to tell which method is the very best method to continue being alive. A friend may be an on-line friend whom you haven't ever met. You ought to use words that aren't typical in an everyday conversation. What Does Ielts Essay Samples Liz Mean? Possessing good essay examples provides the reader an in-depth and on-the-court idea about what a well structured and coherent essay appears like. Our site is easily the most advantageous spot for a totally free essay download. There's no ideal solution about how to compose an effective essay. These IELTS sample essays are categorised in a manner that makes it simple for you to observe how certain essay question types require that you give certain responses to be sure the question is completely answered. Looking at IELTS essay topics with answers is an excellent method that will help you to get ready for the test. If you don't have an idea what an IELTS essay appears like or will need to boost your writing skills you're in the proper spot. Within this introductory lesson you will discover some guidance regarding how you should write an IELTS essay. If you believe it's just about IELTS, you're wrong. The Pain of Ielts Essay Samples Liz Our dependable assignment writing website can resolve nearly all issues related to your academic tasks. So, by creating a plan ensure you answer all the questions! Second, we can opt to study at any time we like even in the center of the evening. You have one minute to consider about what it is that you are likely to say. By utilizing different techniques of page turn you may also boost your eBook encounter. Your writing also needs to be very simple to read and all elements of it are managed properly so as to guarantee Coherence and Cohesion. There aren't any grammatical errors. By using all these effective methods, you can undoubtedly enhance your eBook reading experience to a wonderful extent.

Frederick Henry in A Farewell to Arms - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 843 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: A Farewell to Arms Essay Did you like this example? The most compelling character in A Farewell to Arms was Frederick Henry. The main conflict he faces is his inability to choose between Catharine or serving the military. Henry is almost constantly at a crossroads. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Frederick Henry in A Farewell to Arms" essay for you Create order He could be a peaceful, god loving man, like the priest, or have a pleasant disposition with an inclination to violence like Rinaldi. In the end, the only thing he worships is Catharine, and the only physically violent act he commits is killing the sergeant. He is a fully realized creation who is three dimensional and he feels real. Hes a deserter who drinks and lies, but he also wanted to do right by helping soldiers as an ambulance driver, and he almost never fights with Catharine. When he does finally fall in love with her for real, he feels guilty for treating her poorly, suddenly I felt lonely and empty. I had treated seeing Catherine very lightly, (Hemingway, 44). Her death only amplifies every slight he committed towards her. A Farewell to Arms is written from a first person perspective. Frederick is an alcoholic, and heavily traumatized from both the war and the death of Catharine. This has the building blocks for an unreliable narrator, but as the book progresses Frederick admits to lying, and it allows the reader to trust him more. I had not killed any but I was anxious to pleaseand I said I had killed plenty, (Hemingway, 101). He even admits to things he thinks are shameful, like resenting the baby Catharine was pregnant with. The mood and tone swing wildly from Fredericks despair, to domesticity with Catharine, and back to despair again. The use of weather to dictate the mood in a scene has the reader on edge whenever rain is mentioned, and lulled into a false sense of security whenever it snows. The emotional roller coaster has a strong effect on the reader. Hemingway writes with heavy dialogue, and it gives the book a more modern feel, but it comes at the expense of roundabout conversations that co uld have been much shorter. The dialogue between Catherine and Frederick feels more like a mantra in the beginning, as if by saying they only have eyes for one another, it would breathe some life into the game that they play. Their romance as a whole is unappealing, but it helps Frederick become more appealing. He views the war in a journalistic, objective way. In one passage his morning breakfast is held at the same thematic level as living through a bombing. Thats not to say it had no effect on him, but rather that he views it as something of a background hum in most of his life, rather than a catastrophic event. The setting of A Farewell to Arms is spread out across Italy and Switzerland in the early 1900s during world war one. All of the characters are in some way affected by this. A stable marriage isnt something many of the soldiers can rely on, so they turn to the prostitutes. Having casual sex with no emotional connection leads Frederick to become immature when it comes to forming a romantic relationship with a woman. Rinaldis punishment is syphilis, and it is heavily implied that Catharines sex with Frederick outside of wedlock is the cause of her stillborn baby, and eventually her death. Weather is an important motif in A Farewell to Arms. Typically, rain would be a harbinger of new growth, or it is equated to a baptismal thunderstorm. Snow is usually something to be feared, and is associated with hypothermia and death. Hemingway turns this on its head. The snow is what causes the fighting to cease, There will be no more offensive now that the snow has come, (Hemingway, 8). The rain is what must be feared. Catharine confesses that she sometimes has visions of Frederick dead in the rain, which makes the symbolism clear to the reader. Weather also plays a crucial role during Catharines labour. The fog in the mountains during their retreat turns to rain, a sense of foreboding arises. It rains through most of her operation, and the ray of sunshine that appears fades just as quickly as it came. When Frederick is told that Catherine has died from her hemorrhage, he walks back to his hotel in the rain. All of the men in A Farewell to Arms fulfill the traditional role of war hardened men. They drink, they have sex, they fight, but they arent all caricatures of masculinity. Their depictions always come at the expense of their foil. Rinaldis prowess with women contrasts with the priests chastity, and the surgeon seems so capable because he has the three meek doctors behind him. Rinaldi is physically affectionate and cares deeply for Frederick. Eventually Frederick learns to love Catherine. The women on the other hand, often fill the role of either a prostitute or a nurse. They mostly abide by strict morals. Catherine offhandedly mentions that she feels dirty for having sex outside of wedlock, and Helen is scandalized when she learns that Catherine is pregnant.