Feminism in the Novel Fahrenheit 451 - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1255 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/10 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Fahrenheit 451 Essay Ray Bradbury Essay Did you like this example? William Shakespeare has once stated that â€Å"Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven†. Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction novel that shows the life of a very controlled society. The society is not allowed to read books and is punished for doing so. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Feminism in the Novel Fahrenheit 451" essay for you Create order Bradbury makes a wider point about the dangers that a divided society can present. It is clear from the novel that books are seen to be the source of all unhappiness and should therefore be embargo. The novel’s protagonist, Guy Montag, is a fireman. Montag’s job is to not to put out fires, as is the case in today’s society but instead to create fires in order to dispose of all undesirable books. This creates an idea of dystopia by the government trying to please everyone by using censorship to limit people’s independence and free thinking. First of all, this story begins with the beliefs of people that all books were lies. Books had no one meaning to them, so it was better to be burn then to keep. Guy Montag, was a fireman who had a job to burn down books and houses that had books in them went from loving his job to hating his job. â€Å" Kerosene, he said, because the silence had lengthened, â€Å"is nothing but perfume to me†(Bradbury 4). Montag loved his job because of the scent he got out of burning books was a smell to others, but it was a perfume for him. He was the best man on job. He always enjoyed his job, until Clarisse McClellan comes in his life. Clarisse is a wide-eyed 17 year old girl to whom Montag is drawn. Clarisse is interested in parts of the world Montag does not understand, such as watching people, looking at the moon, and smelling the leaves. Clarisse has no taste for the advanced technology her society has come to depend on. She comes into Montag’s life and immediately begins to question his relationship with his wife, his career, and above all his happiness. She also shows him to appreciate the simple things in life, she teaches him to care about other people and their feelings. By the end of the novel, we can see that Montag is alternated. Montag esteems Clarisse for her curiosity and awareness of the world around her, and is disturbed by her accurate understanding of his empty, loveless life. Thus, Clarisse is the first to encourage Montag on his path to self-awareness. Later she is killed by a speeding car. Her death represents the intolerance of an overbearing, dehumanized society for those who do not conform. Second of all, Montag had lots of things going on his mind how his wife was an addict to television and radio. Her habit of taking sleeping pills was becoming a problem. â€Å"Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God†(Bradbury 55). She just sat at home watching television, like she was all surrounded by technology and wanted more. Then she attempted to suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Mostly of all, how his wife was just running always from his heart. Montag was unhappy it was more like he wanted to find a reason to his unhappiness. One day Montag and the other firemen burn a woman alive in her own home, because she refuses to abandon her books. At this fire, Montag secretly takes a book home. So, Montag sta rted to read the books he stole even though he was forbidden to read the books. This was the point when Montag realized that reading was really touching. He started thinking that his wife was just wasting her time watching television because sh0e was limited to think about what was on television. Then he thought books were better because you can sit and image your own thoughts while reading. Montag stole a book from the house. When he came back home he saw it was the Bible. Montag really wanted to save it because it was the only copy in the world. He went to Professor Faber, a man of books who Montag met once long ago, for guidance in his quest for knowledge, who was also his teacher. They both decided to reprint the Bible. Montag was discovered that he had books in his house. The fireman came to burn his house down. After that there was a moment between Captain Betty (the antagonist-that runs the fire house where Montag works) and Montag when he tells Captain how important are books and they actually make you happy. Montag is dismayed to discover that now it is his own house that is to be burned. He burns everything and killed Captain Beatty. As he himself also realized the importance of the books. The whole city was almost burnt. But Faber and Montag survived. This was the end to the society who was senseless, emotionless, has no feelings at all. Third of all, this novel invokes much thought about the way we live in society today. It talks about ignorance of knowledge and also gives a review of feminism. It means that a man is controlling over women. He wants the women to do what is in his interest. â€Å" Stuff your eyes with wonder,’ he said, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic that any dream made or paid for in factories†¦ To hell with that, he said, ‘shake the tree and knock the great sloth down†(Bradbury 150). As of today, feminism is a movement for equality of women to men. feminism is a moment to make equal political, social and economical opportunities for women. Even though women have all the rights as the men, there are certain things women do not have. Women get paid less even though they have the same qualifications as men. Women started this movement because they feel that it is harsh to see how men are always superior to women even though they probably do not even have the same qualifications as them. Because man is putting his views on the women so she doesn’t have any importance. The thing about not giving the rights to the women could put women down to the heart that no matter what they will always be under men. In the novel the women are also mistreated in a way that they did not get importance from the males. There are only five women mentioned in the novel and they have a little role. They did not have to protest or struggle for the books being burned or not. And that is what makes me think that feminism is also a part of this novel. In conclusion, both of these topics are just being talked about for society, everything has a different importance in the society. If there were not any books for us to read or match our thoughts, we would have no clear view to anything. Just as if women were not in society there would not be much things men would be able to do. Books are there to give us information and ideas. If we just want to read them they could actually take us away from reality that we can forget a lot of thing. Books could symbolize life because they are that important. Whereas women are also important because if there were no women there would not be a world so I think we need to give everyone more importance.

Essay on Human Impact on the Environment - 1544 Words

Human Impact on the Environment About three hundred years ago there was a definite spurt in the population of the human race. This was brought about with advancements in sanitation and technology, as well as a dramatic fall in the death rate. By around 1850 the worlds population had grown to about 1 billion and by 1930 it had risen to 2 billion. The current figure is around 6 billion and at this rate the United Nations estimates the population will be at about 9 billion by 2054. This would be a 900% increase in just 200 years. This increase in population has meant that the worlds resources have been put under a great strain in order to sustain the human race. But it has only been in recent†¦show more content†¦The culture of many forest-peoples has been destroyed and deforestation also affects the livelihoods of between 200 and 500 million people, who depend on the rainforest for their shelter and food. Deforestation may also lead to global climate imbalances. There is also a major problem when it comes to carbon storage. With the removal of the trees excessive carbon dioxide levels in the environment may lead to global warming, with many problematic side effects. While deforestation is now viewed as problem, historically it was considered to assist natural development and so now some countries rely on the rainforest for income and the problem will continue whilst they have no alternative. Another problem caused by humans is as a result of the increase in demand for extensive farming throughout the world. In order for crops to be grown trees have to be cut down and I have explained the effects of this already. As well as deforestation, agriculture has also called for the use of fertilisers and pesticides. Fertilisers (and raw sewage) cause eutrophication. Eutrophication occurs when farmers are forced to increase the productivity of their crops and so use fertilisers. These fertilisers run off the land into the waterways and increase the levels of nitrates and phosphates in the water. In turn this increasesShow MoreRelatedHuman Environment And Its Impact On The Environment1583 Words   |  7 PagesOver the past 10,000 years, humans have modified and altered the natural environment. From agriculture to industrialization, humans have changed the environment affecting the atmosphere and its surroundings. The growth in world population is masking a more important human- environmental interaction. While the world’s population is doubling, the world’s urban population is tripling. Within the next few years, more than half of the world will be living in urban areas (Torrey). It is now 2015 and a predictionRead MoreHuman Impacts on the Environment677 Words   |  3 PagesHuman Impacts on the Environment: Ocean Acidification Ecological human effects on the planet are now about 40% greater than the planet can support in a sustainable fashion (Grossman, 2010). One of the many areas with significant damage is the marine biosphere. Ocean acidification is a great threat to marine and subsequently human life. The pH level in the ocean has been a relatively constant 8.15 to 8.25 and organisms have evolved under these circumstances for over 50 million years. HoweverRead More Human Impact On The Environment857 Words   |  4 PagesThe Human Impact On The Environment Contents Page Title 2 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Contents 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Loss Of Habitat 5†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Human Activities 7†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Solutions Loss of Habitat The amount of land available for animals and plants is reduced by Man’s land use, mainly activities such as quarrying, building, farming and dumping waste. 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In your answer, pay particular attention to the spatial and temporal nature of the impact and how this has affected ecosystem structure and function. There are many factors that can cause harm to the environment. Some of these impacts on the environment may be caused by natural factors for example, fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados, etc. Unfortunately, there are many

Globalization and Its Impact on Health for EVD-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theGlobalization and Its Impact on Health for EVD. Answer: Introduction Ebola (or Ebola Haemorrhagic fever) is a life threatening viral fever caused by the Ebola virus. It is responsible for blood clotting problems which often lead to internal bleeding from small blood vessels(Goeijenbier, Kampen, Reusken, Koopmans, Gorp, 2014). It also leads to tissue damage and inflammation. It is highly contagious and often fatal in humans and nonhuman primates. It results in fever and severe internal bleeding. The virus belongs to the Filoviridae family (genus Ebolavirus) and affects humans as well as nonhuman primates (monkeys, chimpanzees). Ebola can be spread via infection from one of the following viruses: Ebola Virus Ta Forest Virus Sudan Virus Bundibugyo Virus Reston Virus(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017) The first four infect the humans while the last virus targets pigs and nonhuman primates only. It can be easily transmitted via direct contact with the blood, body fluids and the tissues of the infected person or animal(Wambani, Ogola, Arika, Rachuonyo, Burugu, 2016). Common symptoms may include fever, muscle pain, intense weakness, sore throat and headache. Ebola is considered to be a zoonotic virus since it originated in animals first and was later spread to humans. Ebola a suffit vaccine was tried on 4,000 people in Guinea and was found to be effective 100%. Ebola is likely to spread quickly through friends and families as they are exposed to the secretions that are infectious while caring for the sick individual. The time interval of Ebola infection to the onset of its symptoms has a range of 2-21 days(Roca, Afolabi, Saidu, Kampmann, 2015). Globalisation can contribute immensely towards the spread of an epidemic. Source of Origin Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was first reported in 1976 outbreak of Ebola in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). It is titled after the river, near which it was found, Ebola(Moghadam, Omidi, Bayrami, Moghadam, Alinaghi, 2015). Since then, many people have been infected in many African countries from time to time. Ever since the discovery, many organisms had been tested as expected Ebola reservoir. Bats were found to efficiently replicate and survive the virus simultaneously(Kaner Schaack, 2016). The origin of the virus is unknown but the scientists speculate it to be animal-borne especially fruit bats. Bats can transmit it to humans, monkeys, apes and others. The recent Ebola epidemic is speculated to have originated in a boy in a small village in Guinea (West Africa) in December 2013. It killed many people in the village and spread to the neighbouring villages as well(Quammen, 2015). It then spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia(Kimur, et al., 2015). Decline in the apes can also be linked to the Ebola virus outbreaks in human. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28,639 cases of EVD and 11,316 cases of deaths have been reported worldwide as of March 13, 2016. Major Ebola outbreak initiated in March 2014. A new outburst occurred in Guinea (in the early 2016) with 800 cases of confirmed Ebola as of Mach 22, 22016(Bradford, 2016). Mode of Transmission It spreads through contact with an infected persons bodily fluids like saliva, sweat, faeces, mucous, tears, urine, breast milk and semen. It could be from infected patient or the one who died due to Ebola. The virus can infect from cuts and mucous membranes of mouth, eyes and nose. It spreads from sexual contact. Also, direct contact with bodily fluids, blood and tissues of infected primates and infected bats(Muyembe-Tamfum, et al., 2012). Medical equipment and needles also help spread the virus. Being in contact with infected animals or eating their meat is also plausible causes. Post recovery, the virus may be carried in the infected person for weeks or months and may be transmitted through semen or breast milk(Mustafa, et al., 2016). The after recovery side effects include fatigue, vision issues, muscle pain and stomach ache. Stigma is often experienced by the survivors. Infected people and the survivors remain contagious from about 21 to 42 after the symptoms abate. Due to the globalisation and inter country trade, the spread of Ebola magnified as the travellers may infect people from other countries. Tourism is increasing day by day and increases the risk of infection. Traders and businessmen travel on a frequent basis and are have a high probability of being infected. Globalisation has increased the consumption by imports goods from other countries. The products may be infected with blood, fluids and mucous of the infected person. The virus can survive without host for a very long time. These products when used by the consumers of other countries may infect the people. Globalisation can thus contribute in the spread of an epidemic. Imported monkeys from the Philippines and Africa need to go through animal research to prevent Ebola from entering other countries. Dead bodies also have to be examined and prepared before burial rituals to avoid the contamination. The suspected cases must be given proper medical care. Reasons for Delay in Vaccine Development It is important to develop a vaccine without compromising its effectiveness and safety. They are expensive, time consuming and difficult to develop especially amidst a global health crisis. Despite the urge from global health officials to accelerate the development of the vaccine, the countries and companies could not develop one because of many reasons. The medicines that were previously tested on patients did not offer easy solutions to all. Ebola has multiple mutating strains which makes the vaccine development even more difficult. A drug that suited all was difficult to develop(CNBC News, 2014). It is very important to develop a suitable one because its side effects could be more devastating. There was technology available but the incentive for the big companies was missing. Ebola largely surfaced sporadically in the lower economic countries of Africa which were far away from the researchers. There existed the problem to economics of development of drug. Instead of large pay-offs there existed the possibility of losses. The other vaccines had economics of development. There had been incentives for the big pharmaceutical companies and the countries to develop them. Ebola virus is a comparatively complex one and the development was all the more difficult. A range blood products, drugs and immune therapies are being evaluated. WHO licenced two vaccines after testing which were cAd3-ZEBOV and rVSV-ZEBOV(Nichols, 2017). Vaccine VSV-ZEBOV was initially tested on 11,847 people in 2015. There was no sign of illness for 10 days or even more in 5,837 people out of 11,847 who received the vaccine. There were 23 cases of Ebola in 10 days or more in people who did not get vaccinated. World Health Organisation (WHO) took the trial along with Guineas Ministry of Health and a few other international associates. For trial, ring vaccination protocol was adopted where some rings were vaccinated soon after detection. On the other hand, rest were vaccinated after 3 weeks(World Health Organisation, 2018). Health Management and Prevention The misery and deaths from Ebola have accelerated in poor nations because of poor and inadequate levels of public health systems and health care. There is negligence on the part of governments and their approach towards the epidemic. There exists a moral challenge in both rich and poor nations affected by Ebola for both the individuals and the authorities. Expenditure on healthcare must be spent judiciously in case of epidemics and steps must be taken to prevent future outbreaks. Poor countries neither had the capacity nor the infrastructure to manage the Ebola outburst. They lacked trained professionals as well as institutions to cater to the large scale of infected people. This not only accelerated the spread of Ebola but also contributed to large scale of people suffering and their deaths. People were not provided proper knowledge and education to deal with the wide spread disease. This leads to spread of infection because of its contagious nature. Rich and poor economies are affected by the epidemics alike but the countries economic status influences the survival rate. Rich countries spend a major portion of their GDP on public healthcare. This leads to healthier citizens and reduced risk of vulnerability to diseases. While on the other hand, poor countries are o a higher risk in case of an epidemic outburst. The poor are the most affected ones with unfair treatments. Principle of social justice must be followed and resources must be allocated in fair quantities to the sufferers, irrespective of the income level and social worth. The public services in this case require special attention to the weaker sections of the society especially pregnant women, young children and mentally or physically disabled. In the poor country of Liberia, there was an area-wide quarantine imposed on the poorest section of West Point in the capital city of Monrovia. 60,000- 120,000 people were asked to live in unsanitary, deplorable and slum-like conditions which can further worsen the situation of Ebola and increased scope for further infection. There were no or very little healthcare facilities available for them. The streets were piled with dead bodies in the quarantine. Liberia was highly affected by Ebola. It was left devastated by a civil war right before the outburst. It had a population of 4.4 million and one doctor per 100,000 people before Ebola. Due to the deficiency of personal protective equipment, even after frequent deaths of many healthcare workers, the others refused to work(Senga, et al., 2016). Eventually, only 18% of the patients are able to have access to hospital facilities. Major portion of patients had to be taken care of at homes by relatives and friends. It further increased the cases due to lack of knowledge and training. On the contrary, Nigeria (a rich neighbour of Liberia) was able to control the epidemic by responding effectively and efficiently to the initial cases. It was important to take steps since the country has the largest population in Africa. It appointed health educators to acknowledge the general public. Contact training was done by the health workers who were trained in epidemiology. Patients were provided isolated rooms in the hospitals and air conditioning. Workers were provided with protective equipment and were asked to work in longer shifts. Testing labs were efficient and could deliver the Ebola results in hours(Rothstein, 2015). Unlike Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone were not able to control the epidemic and hence contributed to the international scourge of Ebola. Investment in the public health infrastructure by the government is an indispensible part of economic development. Conclusion Ebola is highly contagious and there is a need for prevention. It is a deadly disease which needed extra care because of lack of vaccines then. The big pharmaceutical firms lacked motivation to develop the vaccine because of low economies of scale. The vaccines needed to be provided at a low rate so that everyone could afford it. This could lead to losses for the firms and hence the vaccines took so long to develop. The economies affected were very poor with low level of healthcare infrastructure. It heightened the issue and took larger population under it ambit. There is a moral challenge on individual as well as collective level. It is important to abate the political rancour and personal interests at the time of emergencies. There is a need for greater investment in the healthcare facilities as well as education to deal on the individual levels. People should be encouraged to help each other at the time of emergencies and set aside personal benefits. Also, the pharmaceutical firms should be given an incentive so that the process of vaccine development can be accelerated. Basic hygiene and sanitation must be encouraged. It is impossible to isolate a nation in an interconnected and globalised world. This increases the risk of spread of epidemics. The only step could be to strengthen the healthcare system and promote innovation in the field of medicine. Healthier lifestyles must be encouraged. Ebola can be eradicated only when the poor countries of Africa, that is the place of EVD origin, are controlled and targeted. References Bradford, A. (2016, March 28). Ebola: Causes, Symptoms Treatment. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/48311-ebola-causes-symptoms-treatment.html Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). About Ebola Virus Disease. Retrieved March 26, 2018, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/about.html CNBC News. (2014, October 02). Ebola Vaccine: Why It's Taking So Long To Make One. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from CNBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/ebola-vaccine-why-its-taking-so-long-make-one-n216586 Goeijenbier, M., Kampen, J. v., Reusken, C., Koopmans, M., Gorp, E. v. (2014, November). Ebola virus disease: a review on epidemiology, symptoms, treatment and pathogenesis. The Journal of Medicine, 72(09), 442-448. Kaner, J., Schaack, S. (2016, September 13). Understanding Ebola: the 2014 epidemic. Globalization and Health 2016, 12(53). Kimur, H., Tsukagoshi, H., Ryo, A., Oda, Y., Kawabata, T., Majima, T., . . . Shimojima, M. (2015, February). Ebola virus disease: a literature review. Journal of Coastal Life Medicine, 03(02), 85-90. Moghadam, S. R., Omidi, N., Bayrami, S., Moghadam, S. J., Alinaghi, S. A. (2015, March 16). Ebola viral disease: a review literature. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 05(04), 260-267. Mustafa, M., Yusof, I., Kassim, M., Jeffree, M., Illzam, E., Sharifa, A. (2016, April). Ebola Virus Disease, Management, and Prevention. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS), 15(04), 142-148. Muyembe-Tamfum, J., Mulangu, S., Masumu, J., Kayembe, J., Kemp, A., Paweska, J. T. (2012). Ebola virus outbreaks in Africa: Past and present. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 79(02), 451-458. Nichols, H. (2017, May 23). Ebola: What you need to know. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280598.php Quammen, D. (2015, July). Seeking the Source of Ebola. Retrieved March 26, 2018, from National Geographic: https://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/ebola/quammen-text Roca, A., Afolabi, M. O., Saidu, Y., Kampmann, B. (2015, April). Ebola: A holistic approach is required to achieve effective management and control. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 135(04), 856-867. Rothstein, M. A. (2015, January). The Moral Challenge of Ebola. American Journal of Public Health, 105(01), 6-8. Senga, M., Pringle, K., Ramsay, A., Brett-Major, D. M., Fowler, R. A., French, I., . . . Sellu, J. (2016, May 18). Factors Underlying Ebola Virus Infection Among Health Workers, Kenema, Sierra Leone, 20142015. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 63(04), 454-459. Wambani, R., Ogola, P., Arika, W., Rachuonyo, H., Burugu, M. (2016). Ebola Virus Disease: A Biological and Epidemiological Perspective of a Virulent Virus. Journal of Infectious Diseases and Diagnosis, 01(01). World Health Organisation. (2018, January). Ebola virus disease. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/

Financial Analysis Of AGL And Genesis Energy Limited Sample

Question: Discuss about the Financial Analysis of AGL and Genesis Energy Limited. Answer: Introduction Financial analysis using the ratios as the main tool help in understanding the trends in the items contained in the income statements, balance sheet and cash flow statement. There are many performance indicators like increase/decrease in net income in current year as compared to previous year. Such indicators will help to review the financial performance of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited. Brief Introduction to Companies AGL Energy Limited AGL Energy Limited is the Australian leading company and it is publically listed on the Australian Exchange. AGL Energy Limited deals in the energy industry and aims to provide the energy products and services to the people in Australia. AGL Energy Limited is the leading producer of the electricity in Australia and also distributes the electricity to the households (Annual Report 2015: AGL Energy Limited). The main sources used by the company for production of electricity are natural gas, thermal power, wind power, hydroelectricity and coal. Company is also actively involved in reducing the green house gas emission through providing clean source of energy to the people. AGL Energy Limited has an experience of more than 17 decades in generation and distribution of electricity. The main functional area of the company is the Eastern Australia. Genesis Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited is the New Zealand based company and also publically listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Genesis Energy Limited is one of the competitors of AGL Energy Limited and deals in same industry as AGL Energy Limited. Company provides its services in all the major states of the New Zealand. It has noted that Genesis Energy Limited is biggest electricity and natural retailing company with share of 26 % and 42% respectively. This company has more than 636,676 customers in New Zealand that makes it the biggest retail electricity company in New Zealand (Annual Report 2015: Genesis Energy Limited). Genesis Energy Limited aims to provide clean, smart and conventional sources of energy that helps to reduce the carbon emissions in the environment. Financial Statement Analysis Trends in the items of income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement AGL Energy Limited is known for their financial performance and there is continuous growth in the gross profit in last five years (2011 to 2015). There was decrease in net profit in year 2015 as compare to year 2014. EPS decreased to 33.3 cents in year 2015 in comparison to 98.2 cents in year 2014. Current assets represent working capital and decrease in current assets leads to poor performance. There was almost 50 % decrease in cash and cash equivalents in year 2015 as compare to year 2014. Trade receivables remain same in both the years that mean company has not framed better strategies to recover the receivables more frequently (Walton, 2000). There was an increase in the non current assets and it was marked by increase in plant and machinery and oil and gas assets. There was increase in current liabilities in year 2015 when compared to year 2014 and such increase has not been compensated by the current assets. This shows the poor performance of the company in year 2015. AGL Energ y Limited has earned cash and cash equivalents of 1,044 million dollars from operating activities in year 2015 and this cash has been used to finance the new plant and machinery (Annual Report 2015: AGL Energy Limited). There has increase in net provided by the operating activities in year 2015. It has been noted that net cash used in investing activity has been increased to 2,175 million dollars in year 2015 as compare to 769 million dollars in year 2014. Company has taken borrowing of 2,647 million dollars in year 2015 and it is 572 million dollars more than borrowing taken in year 2014. It shows that company is using more debt capital to finance the business. Genesis Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited has performed well in year 2015 and it is reflected through its financial statements. Net profit of the year has been increased to 104.8 million dollars in year 2015 from 49.2 million dollars in year 2014. Earning per share increased to 10.49 cents in year 2015 from 4.92 cents in year 2014 that indicates increasing trend in the earnings of the company (Sagner, 2010). There was slight decrease in value of current assets but there is increase in value of current liabilities. It shows that company has fewer assets to pay its current liabilities. Genesis Energy Limited has generated 318.5 million dollars from the operating activities and such amount has been used to pay the debt (Annual Report 2015: Genesis Energy Limited). There was increasing trend in the cash generated from the operating activities. Investment made by the Genesis Energy Limited in year 2015 has been decreased to 48.6 million dollars as compare to 82.9 million dollars in year 2014. There was incr ease in cash outflows in financing activities due to repayments of borrowing and increase in dividend amount (Houston and Brigham, 2009). Financial Ratios Financials ratios of both the companies have been calculated using the absolute figures from the annual reports and results obtained has been shown below in the form of table. Profitability Analysis Ratio Calculations Particulars Formula 2014 2015 Return on assets Net Profit / Average Total Assets AGL Energy Limited 4.03% 1.38% Genesis Energy Limited 1.36% 2.97% Net Profit Margin Net Profit / Net Revenue AGL Energy Limited 5.46% 2.04% Genesis Energy Limited 2.45% 5.00% There is decrease in return on asset ratio of AGL Energy Limited in year 2015 by 2.65 % as compare to year 2014. On the other hand, there was increase in return of assets ratio in year 2015 by 2.97 % (Bull, 2007). Net profit margin ratio has decreased to 2.04 % in year 2015 in case of AGL Energy Limited showing a decrease of 3.42 % as compare to year 2014. While net profit ratio of Genesis Energy Limited has increased in year 2015. Liquidity Analysis Ratio Calculations Current Ratio Current Assets /Current Liabilities 2014 2015 AGL Energy Limited 1.57 1.46 Genesis Energy Limited 1.45 1.12 Quick Ratio Quick Assets / Current Liabilities AGL Energy Limited 1.49 1.29 Genesis Energy Limited 1.07 0.86 There was slight decrease in the current ratio in case of AGL Energy Limited in year 2015 and also there was decrease in current ratio of Genesis Energy Limited in the same year (Mumba, 2013). Quick Asset ratio decreased to 1.29 times in year 2015 as compare to 1.49 in 2014 in case of AGL Energy Limited. Quick ratio of Genesis Energy Limited also got reduced to 0.86 times in year 2015 as compare to 1.07 in 2014 (Fridson and Alvarez, 2011). Capital Structure Analysis Ratio Calculations Debt to Equity Ratio Total Debt / Shareholders Equity 2014 2015 AGL Energy Limited 0.86 0.80 Genesis Energy Limited 0.93 0.93 Equity Ratio Total Equity / Total Assets AGL Energy Limited 0.54 0.56 Genesis Energy Limited 0.52 0.52 Debt to equity ratio of AGL Energy Limited decrease to 0.80 in year 2015 as compare to 0.86 in 2014 that indicates decrease in debt in year 2015 (Gtze, Northcott and Schuster, 2007). While there was no change in debt equity ratio of Genesis Energy Limited. Equity ratio of AGL Energy Limited has increased to 0.56 in 2015 as compare to 0.54 in year 2014. Whereas, there was no change in equity ratio of Genesis Energy Limited. Market Performance Ratio Calculations Earning per Share Profit attributable for shareholders / Number of common Stock (Shares) 2014 2015 AGL Energy Limited $ 0.979 $ 0.375 Genesis Energy Limited $ 0.049 $ 0.105 Dividend per Share Total Dividend Distributed / Number of Common Stock (Shares) AGL Energy Limited $ 0.603 $ 0.665 Genesis Energy Limited $ 0.146 $ 0.121 Earning per share of AGL Energy Limited has decreased to 0.375 dollars in year 2015 as compare to 0.979 in 2014 (Trading Economics, 2016). This decrease is due to increase expenses in year 2015. On this other hand EPS of Genesis Energy Limited has increased to 0.105 dollars as compare to 0.049 in 2014. This indicates poor performance of AGL Energy Limited as compare to performance of Genesis Energy Limited. AGL Energy Limited has paid good dividend in year 2015 due to higher profits in year 2014 (Brigham and Ehrhardt, 2011). Conclusion The financial analysis helps the investors to review the financial performance of the companies before making any investment decisions. In this report, financial analysis of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited has been conducted and all results are properly discussed. Despite of numerous benefits of ratio analysis there are certain limitations. Financial are not the true representatives of financial performance of the company as it shows the companys performance for particular time period. Ratio analysis at various points in the year can be more worthy and meaningful. Recommendation It is highly suggested to the investors on the basis of trend analysis and ratio analysis to not invest in AGL Energy Limited due to lower profit and decreasing trend in year 2015. Also, there is no expectation for good performance in next year. On the other hand Genesis Energy has performed well and results indicate the company will earn higher benefits in future year. In year 2015, Genesis Energy has provided very good dividends to the shareholders as compare to AGL Energy Limited. References Annual Report (2015). Genesis Energy Limited. Retrieved August 31, 2016 from https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/en_GB/reports-and-presentations Annual Report (2015). AGL Energy Limited. Retrieved August 31, 2016 from https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/media-centre/article-list/2015/august/agl-annual-report-2015 Brigham, E. F. and Ehrhardt, M. C. (2011). Financial Management: Theory and Practice. Mason: Cengage Learning. Bull, R. (2007). Financial Ratios: How to use financial ratios to maximize value and success for your businesses. Elsevier. Drake, P. P. and Fabozzi, F. J. (2012). Analysis of Financial Statements. John Wiley Sons. Fridson, M. S. and Alvarez, F. (2011). Financial Statement Analysis: A Practitioner's Guide. John Wiley Sons. Gtze, U., Northcott, D. and Schuster, P. (2007). Investment Appraisal: Methods and Models. Springer. Houston, J.F. and Brigham, E.F. (2009). Fundamentals of Financial Management. Cengage Learning. Mumba, C. (2013). Understanding Accounting and Finance: Theory and Practice. USA: Trafford Publishing. Sagner, J. (2010). Essentials of Working Capital Management. USA: John Wiley Sons. Trading Economics. (2016). AGL Energy EPS Earnings Per Share. Retrieved August 31, 2016 from https://www.tradingeconomics.com/agl:au:eps . Walton, P. (2000). Financial Statement Analysis: An International Perspective. Cengage Learning EMEA.