First national bank case study Essay Example for Free

First national bank case study Essay A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image. Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product. Advertising professionals work on branding not only to build brand recognition, but also to build good reputations and a set of standards to which the company should strive to maintain or surpass. Branding is an important part of Internet commerce, as branding allows companies to build their reputations as well as expand beyond the original product and service, and add to the revenue generated by the original brand. When working on branding, or building a brand, companies that are using web pages and search engine optimization have a few details to work out before being able to build a successful brand. Coordinating domain names and brand names are an important part of finding and keeping visitors and clients, as well as branding a new company. Coordination of a domain name and brand names lends identification to the idea or image of a specific product or service, which in turn lets visitors easily discovery the new brand. Branding is also a way to build an important company asset, which is a good reputation. Whether a company has no reputation, or a less than stellar reputation, branding can help change that. Branding can build an expectation about the company services or products, and can encourage the company to maintain that expectation, or exceed them, bringing better products and services to the market place. 1.2 Audi: commodity, products, company, brand? differentiates between a brand and a commodity by stating that â€Å"Branding is associated with added costs in the form of marketing, labelling, packaging and promotion. Commodities are ‘unbranded’ or undifferentiated products. distinguish the difference between a product and a brand, by saying, that a product â€Å"is anything that meets the functional [tangible] needs of customers†. In this context, one can say that a commodity represents basic, unbranded products such as Steel or other raw materials. However, products represent the next level, in this case it is automobiles. As a result, the brand level, which has intangible benefits, is represented by a particular brand in the automobile industry. However, Audi is a company brand which means, that the â€Å"name of the company identifies the brand†. This view is supported by Kapferer (2004, p.5) and Olins (2008, p.52) who both state that the corporate name is used at the same time as the name of the brand. 1.3.AUDI – major characteristics Audi is the jewel of the crown within Volkswagen group as well as the driving force of growth. Until the mid-1990s, Audi cars were still seen as poor mans Mercedes or BMWs. However, since the 1996 A4 and then the head-turning TT, Audi has established itself as a leader in style and quality. Its technology also shines in powerful turbocharged engines, quattro 4WD, aluminum spaceframe chassis and advanced transmissions. Now Audi has become a strong premium brand like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The lifestyle of many people has changed in the sense that, there is a development towards an environmentally friendly way of life and Audi should take advantage of this. Even though Audi already takes necessary steps toward the protection of the environment, it should emphasise that it’s a hydrogen combustion Strategy is competitive to BMW’s engine for example. Audi should aim to become the economic and environmental leader in the worldwide automobile market. Audi should expand their brands on the worldwide market and emphasise their different price ranges and target markets in order to create customer loyalty and affection for the brand. Furthermore, Audi should be aware that there are still new customers entering the market, for example young people. By targeting this group, Audi has the chance to mature with this audience, which supports the establishment of customer loyalty. In this context, After Sales Service plays an important role in maintaining the customers and encouraging repeat purchase. Audi should aim to improve customer satisfaction and brand image through enhanced dealer networks and an upgraded service. Furthermore, Audi did considerably well in surviving the economic crisis, not just because of their high brand equity and their excellent sales in the last year. However, in expanding this equity in the future, financial backing could be established, which could help Audi to become number one worldwide, and help Audi perform better against the competition. This emotional relationship should be expanded by continuing to offer high quality cars to every segment of society, ranging from young drivers to old, loyal drivers.

ENFOREX and don Quijote Spanish schools :: ENFOREX and don Quijote Spanish schools

Hello, I am writing to introduce myself to those of you have not met me. My name is Antonio Anadon and I’m the president of ENFOREX and don Quijote Spanish schools. We have 32 schools throughout Spain and Mexico and 30 partner schools in the rest of the world. It took us a long time to build the leading Spanish language school organization in the world. By now, you should have received the sad news that AmeriSpan can no longer continue as an agency. ENFOREX has been trying for years to help John, Dorioara and AmeriSpan return to financial strength but the situation is a disaster and impossible. Like you, ENFOREX has not been receiving sufficient payments for the last five years and this is a major financial loss of $300,000 for our organization. After much thought, I have decided that it is in the best interests of the study abroad industry that AmeriSpan’s problem does not cause any more problems in the industry. I have decided to open don Quijote USA, which will be able to bring AmeriSpan’s business to you with our professional way of working and financial support by fulfilling our obligations on time. In the past days, we decided to take all the assets of AmeriSpan including the website, trademark and intellectual know-how from AmeriSpan Unlimited Inc and John Slocum’s control before the situation got any worse. I don’t want that all of us lose anymore from this mismanagement of the organization. I plan to continue working with the majority of the schools of AmeriSpan and grow the business for all of us. I will be hiring some of the AmeriSpan employees and fresh, new people at don Quijote USA. All financial management will be handled by myself from our head office in Madrid. If you are interested in working with don Quijote USA: 1. We will pay for all AmeriSpan students starting after January 1st, 2007 2. We will need a good commission to increase the business & promotion of your school 3. We really want to create a strong partnership with you 4. We will integrate the promotion of your school in our offices in UK, Netherlands, Spain, Mexico,and soon in China. I expect to be contacted by you and many other organizations in the coming days and weeks, please be patient but I will respond to everyone.

Effect of Information Technology on the Operations

EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 The Effect of Information Technology on the Growth of the Banking Industry in Nigeria P. A. Idowu Dept of Computer Science and Engineering Obafemi Awolowo University Ife-Ife Nigeria A. O. Alu Dept of Management and Accounting Obafemi Awolowo University Ife-Ife Nigeria E. R. Adagunodo Dept of Computer Science and Engineering Obafemi Awolowo University Ife-Ife Nigeria ABSTRACT The advent of Information Technology (IT) is rapidly changing the banking industry. In this study, the impact of IT on the banking industry in Nigeria is described.A questionnaire was employed to collect data from customers at five major banks in Nigeria on the extent to which customers believe that IT exerts an impact on banking services. The results of the study clearly indicate that IT has contributed immensely to the growth of the banking industry in Nigeria. Keywords: Information Technology, Banking, Nigeria. 1. INTRODUCTION A powerful force drives the world towards a converging comm onality, and that force is technology (Levitt, 1992). From the beginning of the human era, technology has been one of the most essential and most important factors for the development of mankind (Coombs et al. , 1987).During the last two hundred years, technological changes have often been related to economic growth in the form of new types of goods and services. Smith (1776) first wrote about technical changes in the form of new machines as one of the three important causes of increasing incomes more than 200 years ago. Information Technology (IT) can be defined as the modern handling of information by electronic means, which involves its access, storage, processing, transportation or transfer and delivery (Ige 1995). Research shows that IT affects financial institutions by easing enquiry, saving time, and improving service delivery (Alu, 2002).IT also provides solutions to the needs of modern societies in health care delivery, library services, education, and communication network s within organizations, etc. Some available telecommunication and information technologies which are presently being used in the banking industry in Nigeria are telephone, facsimile, wireless radiophone, very small aperture terminal satellite (VSAT), telegraphy, and computer systems (Ugwu, 1999). According to Alu (2002), some banks in Nigeria have LANs (Local Area Network) in most of their branches but none of the banks have deployed home banking applications. . BANKING IN NIGERIA As a result of the increased demand for customer deposits, Nigerian banks, especially the new generation banks, have realized the imperative of good and prompt customer service. Also, due to the fact that some customers lost their deposits in the erstwhile technically-insolvent or distressed banks, customers have now become wiser, more discerning, alert and sophisticated with regards to The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. ejisdc. org EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 2 hoosing where it is safe to put their money, and where they would be served promptly, preferably in a pleasant, courteous and friendly environment. Thus, they have started looking at the level of service and professionalism of the banks before depositing their funds. Proximity to the bank is no longer the issue: safety and the level of service, with regard to quality, speed and efficiency has become the major imperative. On the part of the banks, they have realized that one way in which they can provide quality service is through the use of technology.Hence, there is a growing rate of adopting new technologies in Nigerian banking operations. Moreover, there is growing evidence that customers have started associating quality of service in a bank with the bank’s possession of an online, real-time system. In fact, possession of such a system is now judged to be the sine qua non of a high quality banking service in Nigeria. So, for a bank to be perceived as providing high qualit y service, that bank has to have an IT system, which it uses to deliver services to customers in a more timely, friendly and considerate manner, at no extra cost to the customers.Despite the fact that many of the new generation banks base their marketing strategy on the possession of supposedly on line, real-time systems, they find that their systems’ links are down for about 50 percent of the time. Many customers feel cheated by this reality and complain about the incessant ‘downtimes’. They were promised an online, real-time system, only to find out that the banks’ systems are down at least half the time, and that the national carrier, NITEL (Nigeria Telecommunication), is to blame.Whilst the responsibility of NITEL cannot be denied, many customers still feel that it is the responsibility of the affected banks to take care of these problems, and that they should be given the nationwide, online, real-time banking service they were promised. Faced with thi s dilemma, many banks in the country are resorting to alternative personal solutions by using the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite systems, for long distance electronic communication. For short distances, the MDS (Metropolitan Digital Services) system is often used.The problem here is that all the banks are trying to procure appropriate VSATs independent of one another. In other words, there is no collaboration between the banks in sourcing this very expensive technology and thereby providing a cost-effective solution to the problem. It would also be fair to say that Nigerian banks are generally imbued with an overly competitive mind -set, which tends to foreclose the benefits of synergy or collaboration in solving most of their common problems. 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIn order to assess the perceptions of banking customers in Nigeria with respect to the quality of banking services, a questionnaire survey was conducted. A ‘grab sampling’ technique was used t o select the customers from the banks. Five commercial banks in Nigeria – Wema Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Omega Bank Plc, Cooperative Bank Plc, and Access Bank Plc. – were selected for this sampling on the basis that they have branches in almost all the states in Nigeria and they make use of computers in almost all their branches.The researchers visited the banks during working hours and the questionnaires were given to the customers as they visited the banks. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed in this way. 260 questionnaires were returned to the researchers, a response rate of 52%. The survey instrument can be found in the Appendix. In addition, the researchers conducted personal interviews with five bank managers and fifteen IT staff in order to gain an appreciation of what types of IT systems and electronic application services The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. jisdc. org EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 3 were available in the selected banks. The responses were measured with a fivepoint Likert-type rating scale, where Strongly Agree (SA) = 4; Agree (A) = 3; Strongly Disagree (SD) = 2; Disagree (D) = 1; and Neutral (N) = 0, while the scores f r o negative items were reversed. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 shows the IT systems that are being used in the selected banks. Telephone, Facsimile, Local Area Network, computer system, MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition), were used in all the banks.Also Wema, Omega and Access banks used Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), and wireless radiophone. The researchers were able to identify IT devices available in the selected banks from personal interview conducted with the 5 branch managers and 15 IT staff in the banks. Table 1: IT systems and electronic application service in the selected banks Types of IT systems Wema Omega Union Co-op Access Telephone X X X X X Wireless radiophone X X X Facsimile X X X X X Computer X X X X X Electronic Mail VSAT X X XLocal Area Network X X X X X MICR X X X X X EFT X X X 4. 1 Effect of IT on Banking Services The effect of IT on an enquiry on a customer’s state of account, and services enjoyed by the customers from the banks as perceived by the banks’ customers, are shown in Table 2. Out of the 260 respondents, 86. 2% agreed that IT was really helping the bank they patronized, while 90. 8% agreed that IT made the enquiry about the state of their accounts faster. Also, 83. 1% agreed that IT had a great positive impact on the services rendered by the banks.The means of 3. 12, 3. 29 and 3. 07 respectively for the selected banks' respondents confirmed that IT has a positive effect on the enquiry of customers’ state of account and services enjoyed by the customers from the selected banks. Generally, the effects of IT on the enquiry of the customer’s state of account and services enjoyed by the customers from the banks have an appreciable influence on any bank. The use of a LAN and computer systems have ensured quick and improved services delivery to customers by the banks.But it may be important to state that the use and application of these electronic devices are hampered by the inadequacy of infrastructural facilities like power supply. 4. 2 Effects of IT on Customer Services Table 3 shows the response of customers from the banks with respect to the effect of IT on customer services provision. About 66. 5% disagreed that IT had no effect on services rendered by the banks. Also 82. 7% agreed that there is a need to improve on the services rendered by these banks. The means of 2. 77 and 2. 4 respectively confirmed that IT has effects on services rendered by these banks to their customers and about 83% of the respondents agreed that the banks need to improve on the The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. ejisdc. org EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 4 services rendered to the customers. This shows that the services the banks are offering now are not the best they can offer to their customers and that the banks should improve on these services to their customers. Table 2: Effects of IT on Banking Services Question SD IT/computer is really helping this 2. bank IT makes enquiry about the state 2. 3 of my account faster IT/computer has a great positive 2. 3 impact on the services rendered by this bank D 4. 6 N 6. 9 A 43. 9 SA 42. 3 Mean 3. 12 0 6. 9 36. 6 54. 2 3. 29 4. 6 10 37. 3 45. 8 3. 07 N 9. 7 A 18. 8 SA 5. 0 Mean 2. 77 10. 4 50. 4 32. 3 2. 94 Table 3: Effects of IT on Customer Services Question SD D I don’t think IT has any effect on 34. 6 31. 9 services rendered There is a need to improve the 0 6. 9 services rendered by this bank Table 4: Promptness and efficiency of services as perceived by the customers Question SD DN A SA Mean I enjoy prompt and efficient service 0 16. 2 9. 2 37. 7 36. 9 2. 93 delivery I was once delayed in the bank 16. 5 31. 5 6. 9 32. 7 12. 4 2. 38 because the computer was down IT does not increase prompt and 43. 1 42. 7 4. 6 7. 3 2. 3 3. 17 efficient service delivery 4. 3 Promptness and efficiency of services as perceived by the customers From Table 4, about 75% of the respondents agreed that they enjoyed prompt and efficient service delivery from the banks. The mean of 2. 93 shows that IT enables the banks to provide prompt and efficient services to their customers.Questions 3 and 7 (see Appendix) are similar, but the reaction of the respondents confirmed the conclusion above because about 85% of the respondents agreed that IT has increased prompt and efficient service delivery by the banks. Also, on the issue of delay due to computer down times, only 44. 9% of the respondents agreed that they were once delayed in the bank because the computer was down, though this might be due to the epileptic power supply and inefficient telecommunication infrastructure in Nigeria. The mean of 2. 93 conf irmed that most of the time, customers go to the bank when computers are not down. 4. Influence of IT on patronage as perceived by the customers Table 5 gives responses on the influence of IT on patronage as perceived by the customers. 70% of respondents agreed that based on the efficiency and effectiveness of services rendered, they could encourage their colleagues to patronize the banks they used. Also, 65. 8% of the customers agreed that the banks' use of IT encouraged them to patronize the banks they use. The means of 2. 47 and 2. 52 respectively show that IT encourages customers to patronize the banks. The The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. jisdc. org EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 5 use of computers, telephone, VSAT, and EFT has contributed immensely to the growth of banking industry. In Nigeria presently, some banks are not making use of IT and those banks are being patronized by few customers, the majority of whom are illiterate and poor. This makes the turnover of these banks low. Table 5: Influence of IT on patronage as perceived by the customers Question SD D N A SA I can encourage my colleagues to 4. 6 5. 0 20. 4 47. 3 22. 7 patronize this bank IT/Computer encourages 2. 3 9. 6 22. 3 32. 7 33. 1 customers to patronize this bankMean 2. 47 2. 52 Table 6: Perception of customers on the ease of conducting banking transactions Question SD D N A SA Mean Saving or withdrawing money is 21. 9 36. 9 7. 3 31. 2 2. 7 2. 63 time consuming IT eases banking transactions 2. 3 2. 3 9. 6 50. 0 35. 8 3. 10 4. 5 Perception of customers on the ease of banking transactions Table 6 above shows that 58. 8% of customers disagreed that saving and withdrawal of money is time consuming. Also, 85. 5% agreed that IT eases banking transactions. The means for questions 6 and 13 (see Appendix) are 2. 63 and 3. 00 respectively. The mean of 2. 3 for question 6 (see Appendix) shows that some respondents agreed that saving and withdrawal of mon ey is time consuming despite the use of IT in those banks. Table 7: Effects of IT on the interaction between cashiers and customers Question SD D N A SA IT has reduced the interaction 15. 0 30. 4 17. 7 27. 3 9. 6 between cashiers and customers Mean 2. 15 4. 6 Effects of IT on the interaction between cashiers and customers Table 7 shows that 36. 9% agreed with the view that IT has reduced the interaction between customers and cashiers, 17. 7% are indifferent to the question and 45. 4% disagreed with the view with a mean of 2. 15. 4. 7Effects of IT on cashiers’ work The rates at which cashiers in the banks attend to their customers depend on the equipment available for the cashiers to work with. From Table 8, 83. 1% agreed that computer speeds up cashiers' work, while 10% disagree and 6. 9% are indifferent. The mean of 3. 12 confirmed that IT/Computer really affect the rates at which cashiers’ attend to their customers. Generally, the use of electronic devices like compu ter telephone, facsimile, etc. will go a long way to increase the speed of the cashiers’ work. Table 8: Effects of IT on cashiers’ work Question SD Computers really speed up 2. 7 cashiers’ work D 7. N 6. 9 A 37. 3 SA 45. 8 The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. ejisdc. org Mean 3. 12 EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 6 4. 8 IT and bank’s productivity From Table 9, 81. 5% agreed that the use of IT increases bank productivity in that with the use of IT, the bank can attend to a lot of customers since IT speeds up cashiers' work. The mean of 2. 98 shows that IT has a positive effect on the growth and productivity of the banks. There is no bank that can make use of one or combination of two or more of the IT systems listed in Table 1, which will not have effects on the productivity of the bank.Table 9: IT and the productivity of the bank Question SD D IT increases the bank’s productivity 0 4. 6 5. N 13. 8 A 37. 3 SA 4 4. 2 Mean 2. 98 CONCLUSION The study has dealt with the effects of IT as perceived by customers on selected commercial banks in Nigeria, which make use of IT in their operation. The study revealed that IT has appreciable positive effects on the bank productivity, cashiers’ work, banking transaction, bank patronage, bank services delivery, customers services, and bank services.These affect the growth of the banking industry in Nigeria positively because customers can now collect money from any branches of their bank. Also customers do not need to move about with large sums of money, and customers are being attended to within a short period of time. The study also revealed that telephones, computer systems, LANs, and Facsimile services are available in nearly all the banks making using of IT in Nigeria while WANs (Wide Area Network), Electronic File Transfer, and wireless phones are available in some of the banks. This finding confirms Alu’s (2002) claims on the IT devic es available in Nigerian banks.Research has shown also that IT is really helping these banks, so other banks in Nigeria that are not making use of the IT are encouraged to do so. From the study, the major hindrance to the use of IT in the banking industry in Nigeria is inadequate electric power supply. Electricity supply is not regular because of the limitation of the machine that is supplying electricity to Nigeria. Furthermore, the Nigerian government is finding it difficult to equip the NEPA (National Electric Power Authority) while the demand for electricity is increasing daily.Therefore, the situation will continue to worsen until the Nigerian government funds NEPA appropriately. So, for this nation to be effective in the use of IT in the banking industry and to make the banking industry grow in an appropriate way, there is a need for the Nigerian government to find a solution to the epileptic supply of electricity throughout the country, since NEPA is owned by Nigerian governm ent and there is no private company in Nigeria that provides electricity. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. ejisdc. org EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 6. 7 REFERENCES Alu, A.O. (2000) Effects of Information Technology on Customer Services in the Banking Industry in Nigeria, M. B. A. Thesis in Management and Accounting, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Coombs, R. , Saviotti, P. and Walsh, V. (1987) Economics and Technological Change, Macmillan: London. Ige, O. (1995) Information Technology in a De-regulated Telecommunications Environment, Keynote address, INFOTECH 95. First International Conference on Information Technology Management, Lagos, November 16-17. Levitt, T. (1992) The Globalization of Markets, in: Transnational Management: Text, Cases and Readings in Cross-Border Management.Richard D. Irwin. Smith, Adam (1776): The Wealth of Nations Ugwu, L. O. (1999): Assessment of Impacts of Information Technology on Selected Service Indust ries in South Western Nigeria, MSc. Thesis in technology Management, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. APPENDIX Dear Respondent, This questionnaire is designed for a research work from the department of Management & Accounting, OAU, Ife. Please, FILL IN correct information, all the information will be treated confidentially and the information will be used for this research work only. Thanks. Please tick [ ] or fill where appropriate.SECTION A 1. Sex : A. MALE [ ] B. FEMALE [ ] 2. Age: A. 18-25 ( ) B. 26-35 ( ) C. 36- 45 ( ) D. 46 & above ( ) 3. Educational qualification: A. WASCE( ) B. OND/NCE( ) C. Bsc/BA( ) D. Msc/PhD( ) E. Others Specify †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4. For how long have you been using this bank? A. 0- 2yrs ( ) B. 3-5yrs ( ) C. 6- 8 ( ) D. 9 & above( ) 5. What type of account do you operate? A. Current( ) B. Savings( ) C. Others specify †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6. My Account here is mainly for A. Business( ) B. Salary( ) C . Others specify †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7. For how many hours do you spend on queue ? A.Less than1 ( ) B. 1-2 ( ) C. 3-4 ( ) D. 5 & above( ). The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. ejisdc. org EJISDC (2002) 10, 2, 1-8 8 SECTION B Strongly Disagree 1. 13. Agree IT increases bank productivity 15. Neutral IT/Computer is really helping this bank I don’t think IT has effect on the bank’s operation I enjoy prompt and efficient service delivery I will encourage my colleagues to patronize this bank IT does not increase prompt and efficient service delivery To save or withdraw money is time consuming I was once delayed in the bank ecause the computer was down IT makes enquiry about the state of my account faster IT/computer has a great positive impact on the growth of this bank IT/Computer has reduced the interaction of the Cashiers with customers IT/Computer encourages customers to patronize this bank Computer really speed up cashiers’ work IT improves transactions 14. Disagree There is a need to improve the services rendered by this bank 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, http://www. ejisdc. org Strongly Agree

Analysis of Forrest Gump - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 736 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Cinematographic Art Essay Level High school Tags: Forrest Gump Essay Did you like this example? Forrest Gump is a movie directed by Robert Zemecki, based on a book written by Winston Groom. I chose to analyze this movie using Fosters methods because it is already such a heart wrenching movie, but when you dig even deeper, you start to notice things you didnt see before. At first glance, the movie is taking us through the life of Forrest Gump. Quite an adventurous life ranging from losing a friend in war, to finding out he has a son, and just about every other plot twist you could think of in between. After reading How to Read Literature like a Professor, I was able to pick things out and make opinions of my own about the movie that were deeper than the average, I dont like it or What great acting! The first thing I picked out was how significant the feather in the beginning really is. I watched the movie twice before recognizing it as anymore than a feather. In Fosters book, How to Read Literature like a Professor, he discusses symbols (chapter 12). He teaches us that symbols arent always obvious, that symbols cant be reduced to standing for only one thing. (pg 98, Foster) and that they are universal. The white feather is a symbolic object that counts as a sign. In western culture, the shade white commonly symbolizes innocence. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysis of Forrest Gump" essay for you Create order The color of the feather is significant because it seems to show the innocence and purity of Forrest Gump. The audience connects the feather to Forrest Gump when it finally lands on his shoe. The feather can also be connected to one of the most famous quotes from the movie, Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what youre gonna get. Although it may seem like a stretch, the feather is filmed for two minutes. In those two minutes, the feather is blown to random places, on top of cars, different peoples shoulders, the ground, etc. It shows how random life can be and that you never know what lies in your path. I think the director did this to introduce us to the character of Forrest Gump and to give us a look into what the movie is going to be about. In my opinion, Jennys departure from Forrests house, AND her No answer to his proposal for marriage are inextricably linked. Its obvious that Jenny and Forrest loved each other as best friends from the time they first met. There was absolutely nothing that one of them could do that would break that bond with the other. But did Jenny love Forrest like a woman would love a husband? Yes is my vote, and here is why. From Day 1, Jenny saw into Forrests heart and soul beyond leg braces and beyond low IQ and saw a good, good man. So why say No to his proposal? Its because she did not see herself as worthy of being Forrests wife. She is the only one in the world who knows just how much her lifes conduct has driven her away (and below) from being a worthy wife. Please look at the dialog between them at his proposal, or view this YouTube clip. Aside from Forrests understandable surprise, these are exactly the actions that a husband and wife would do. Jenny knows all too well how to practice bi rth control. And she knows all too well that she is not doing so. She owned up to the only part of being a wife that she would allow herself to attain. So why did she leave? As loving friends, she probably would have stayed quite a while. As a prospective wife, she could not bear to be in his presence. She did not see herself as being in his league. In her mind, she had to leave. That was her loving gesture to him so that he could find someone who was worthy of him. She knew he would not understand, so she left in a manner that would cause the least pain to him. Unfortunately, its only until she is dying that she realizes that Forrest sees her heart and soul as much as she sees his. Its only after he offers to take care of her that she realizes that thats all he sees: a great person that has always been worthy to be his wife. And that is why she proposes to him. Of course, he accepts.