Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter And The...

Pamela Hernandez Honors American literature West 15 October 2015 Nathaniel Hawthorne Utilization of Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of both stories The Scarlet Letter and â€Å"The Ministers Black Veil† utilizes symbols to show the lasting impact it leaves on the individual and in the community around them. In The Scarlet Letter and â€Å"The Ministers Black Veil† both main characters Hester Prynne and Reverend Mr. Hopper both have symbols in which both are of great significance. Hester’s symbol is an embroidered A on her chest meaning Adultery but later changes meaning by the community’s perspective as the time goes on. While in â€Å"The Ministers Black veil† Reverend Mr. Hooper’s symbol is a black veil that covers his face in which he never takes off not even on his death bed. Both symbols start off as something terrible, scary, and dreadful by the community’s view, but later reaching further into both stories the symbols leave a lasting impression not only on the individual itself but also the community. The Scarlet Letter is composed of many different symbols but the two that stand out are Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale hand over his heart and Hester’s Prynne A on her bosom. Hester’s Prynne symbol starts off as something atrocious that has a shameful meaning to it. The community around her see the symbol and identify her as a criminal. Even through the symbol is embroidered so beautifully on to her chest, some of her community see â€Å"in their imagination, and seemed to derive itsShow MoreRelatedSymbolism Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Scarlet Letter And The Minister s Black Veil 1083 Words   |  5 Pagesof his writing counterparts, Nathaniel Hawthorne extensively uses symbolism in several of his major works to explore sin and human nature. The Scarlett Letter, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"The Minister s Black Veil† are all vivid examples of this exploration and are the focus of this analysis. Before discussing his works, it is important to explore Hawthorne’s background to better understand how they connect to his writing and to his use of dark romanticism. Hawthorne came from Puritan ancestry. HisRead MoreSecret Sins Within The Works Of Hawthorne1424 Words   |  6 PagesDalton Harrison English 102 April 4, 2014 Essay#4 (1417) Secret Sins within the Works of Hawthorne Throughout all the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne, one thing always reoccurs. What is this one thing? Well, it is secret sin. This Great American Writer of the Romantic era in literature had a firm grasp and understanding of human nature and what it means to be human. The darkness of Hawthorne’s writings come from his own observations of human nature and the treachery that we can commit either inRead MoreWho is Nathaniel Hawthorne?953 Words   |  4 Pagesthe utmost passion of her heart† is one of my favorite quotes that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote from the Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American writer, that wrote fictional stories. He was a gifted writer that was influenced to use his gift by a well known man, with the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I believe Nathaniel had an talent to make stories rhyme with detail, that sets the scene in your very, own mind. Hawthorne had a interesting life, he enjoyed writing short stories, like Twice-ToldRead More Nathaniel Hawthornes Puritan influences2212 Words   |  9 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne was born into a family that possessed prominent Puritan ancestors, and the shame he experienced as a result of their actions, as well as his odd fascination with them, had a significant impact on his life and his writings. Though it would be an overstatement to say that Hawthornes knowledge of the Puritan way of life was his only source of inspiration, this knowledge was certainly influential as it is often reflected in the majority of his work. Born in Salem, MassachusettsRead MoreThe Theme Of Guilt In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1668 Words   |  7 PagesNa thaniel Hawthorne is the author of The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne is a anti-transcendentalist which means he writes a lot about Puritans in the 1600’s. John Hathorne ( Nathaniel H. great uncle ) is also an anti-transcendentalist . The book that John wrote that goes with The Scarlet Letter is The Ministers Black Veil. It as well as this novel talks about Secret sin and how the world is good and people are dark and mysterious. Nathaniels book The Scarlet Letter talks about Secret Sin , RevengeRead MoreSymbolism Is The Use Of Symbols To Signify Important Meaning1305 Words   |  6 Pagescontext. Hawthorne has several uses of symbolisms in his stories. Symbolism was very popular literary device during the Romantic period, where the object embodied some sort of idea. â€Å"The symbolism of his works focused on isolation and guilt of the individual, the uncertainties of good and evil, and the continual hold of the past on the present. Hawthorne focused on his Calvinist lineag e and America s Calvinist ideological past, as well, in hopes of coming to terms and making sense of it. Hawthorne sRead MoreDark Romanticism By Edgar Allen Poe1625 Words   |  7 Pages like visually heart shapes, cute Costumes, and cupids, with distinct elements of the gothic, such as the color black,animals familiar like cats and bats or other dark figures such as vampires and witchcraft†. This essay will bring to you information about dark romanticism and many literature artist who use this style of writing. Authors such as Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville quickly became the leaders or the Gothic style Literature. Prezi also goes onto say â€Å"a commonRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Minister s Black Veil1557 Words   |  7 PagesMinister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne he uses symbols, characteristics, he uses mystery. Nathaniel was born in 1804 in Salem Massachusetts and died in 1864 in Plymouth New Hampshire. Nathaniel was a very hardworking man he put a â€Å"w† in his name because he wanted to distance himself from his ancestors. Nathaniel would move a lot from Concord to Salem from Salem to some other city then to England, after England†¦.Italy. He is known for his mysterious and expressive novels like The Scarlet Letter, TwiceRead MoreThe Ministers Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter1000 Words   |  4 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most contemporary American writers of all time, was the great nephew of Judge Hathorne. Who was one of the prime judges of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Although Nathaniel hated his uncle for his efforts during the horrific trials, he became obsessed with his ideals of puritanism. Through these ideals he became a anti-transcendentalist; someone who believes that naturally we are born evil and society is the only thing that keeps us from provoking chaos.Read MoreThe Minister s Black Veil1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe Minister s Black veil is a Romanticism. A romanticism is a movement in the art which sprung during the eighteenth and nineteenth century.Romantic is used to describe literature. It is defined as a depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form. As well as the imagination and emotion and the freedom embraced are all focus points of romanticism. Characteristics Of this literature piece would include subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism. Solitary life rather than life in society. The

Why Was Stalin Able to Win the Power Struggle - 871 Words

The factors that contributed to Stalin becoming the next leader are plentiful and can mostly be divided into Stalin’s own strengths and the weaknesses of his most important rival, Trotsky. All the factors can also be linked in one way or another, as shall be seen in this answer. One of the most important reasons why Stalin won the power struggle is that he used his high positions in the Communist party and the power that came with it to his advantage. Several factors fall under this category. Firstly is how Stalin used his position as General Secretary, as well as jealousies between the leaders and Trotsky’s illness to stage-manage Lenin’s funeral. To the general public, it appeared that Stalin was very close to Lenin, and as a result†¦show more content†¦His â€Å"Socialism in One Country† policy said that although revolutions in other countries had failed, Russia could still build socialism by using Lenin’s NEP. Stalin and the Centre allied with the Right and Bukharin over the NEP policy, wanting to continue with it. This gave Stalin someone to help him and keep him popular and powerful. However, in 1928 Stalin tuned on Bukharin when it became clear it would be far more useful to him to now want to end the NEP. Stalin used Trotsky’s policies to oppose Bukharin. Even after Lenin’s death, Stalin continued to support the idea of World Revolution and Permanent Revolution, in which state industrialisation and state collective farms would be in place. This was popular with the Communists and increased Stalin’s support. Trotsky had one great weakness which led to his downfall; he was unpopular. The other Communist leaders were united by their dislike of Trotsky. They resented his earlier non-Bolshevik past and his sudden rise with the party after 1917. Many other Bolsheviks also hated Trotsky, because of the fact that he had been a Menshevik. Therefore Trotsky had no real allies to help him secure power, and always had people plotting against him. An example of this is when Zinoviev and Kamenev decided that they should take over as the new leaders. They decided to use Stalin and his control of party organisation to help them, and these three formed the Triumvirate. This ultimately prevented Trotsky from becomingShow MoreRelatedStalins Emergence as Leader Essay1091 Words   |  5 Pagesa major struggle for power in the Soviet Union began. A triumvirate led by Joseph Stalin succeeded Lenin. By 1928, Stalin had assumed absolute power, ruling as an often brutal dictator until his death in 1953. But how is it that Stalin emerged as the new leader of the Soviet Union. In this essay I am going to explore the reasons to how and why this happened. Stalin held a very powerful and very important position, as the general secretary of the party. He was powerfulRead MoreRichard Overy and The World War II974 Words   |  4 Pages World War II was one of the greatest wars in our history. Richard Overy wrote Why the Allies Won to explain his taking of how this happened. Why the Allies Won is about how Germany was in almost full control of Europe and Germany felt like they should start moving into the Middle East. Germany and Japan had felt since they took over large lands in 1942, they should try to take over the rest of the world. This caused the Second World War. The other countries were not going to let Germany and JapanRead MoreStalin s The Dominant Leader Of The Soviet Union3200 Words   |  13 PagesHow did Stalin come to be the dominant leader of the Soviet Union? It is undeniable that Stalin had a profound impact on the Soviet Union following Lenin’s death. His rise to power within the Soviet Union has provided historians with a hotbed of political intrigue for many years. He was an opportunist, coming to dominance by manipulating party politics and influential figures in the politburo to eliminate his opposition by recognising and exploiting their weaknesses thus becoming the dominant leaderRead MoreThe Battle Of The Cold War2612 Words   |  11 PagesNo event in history has caused more debate among academics than that of the origins of the Cold War. The Cold War was a result of the United States and the Soviets unable to accept the others ideological vision for their country and how it would benefit the world. This war was security based and ideology fixated on proving why each side was right. What came from this was a clash of competing historiographical views of an orthodox and revisionist approach. Orthodox views, including that of John GaddisRead MoreStalin And Stalin s Theory Of The Soviet Union2062 Words   |  9 Pages2015-2016 History introduction This essay is about hitler and stalin we make clear what they think of differents terms of ideas they had and make sure if they have the same answers or difference and then we compare what they think about they differents mains. Stalin and Hitler essay: Political ideology(2): Stalin s ideology is interesting and not as clear cut as many people think. In theory, Stalin was a communist, but he was not a communist along the same lines as Marx or Lenin. During theRead MoreThe Key Themes In Animal Farm By George Orwell952 Words   |  4 Pagesthemes to become clear. A couple of themes that stood out the most to me was the use of education and intelligence, as well as corruption of power and leadership to fuel oppression. Orwell uses the imagery of a farm and the farmyard animals to represent Russia and the dominant figures of the time. Other techniques such as satire were also used to portray his opinions and key messages. One of the key themes in ‘Animal Farm’ was the use of intelligence and education to fuel oppression. After Old MajorRead MoreIs A Perfect Government Possible?1863 Words   |  8 PagesPossible? We by Yevgeni Zamyatin brings up one of the more typical themes of a dystopian novel; a perfect government that essentially will not be defeated. While this is typical theme for science fiction literature, could it be done in real life? Stalin, Hitler, Hirihito†¦even the current Russian President Vladimir Putin could come to mind when you think of an all-powerful leader who led or leads an all-powerful nation and dominated other nations. However, unlike the novels 1984 by George Orwell andRead MoreStalin: The Man of Steel Essay2019 Words   |  9 PagesJoseph Djugasvilli, better known as Joseph Stalin, is a man who will never be forgotten. Leader of the communist super power, The U.S.S.R. from 1929 till his death in 1953, Stalin made himself known around the world for many things, both good and bad. While Stalin administered great changes during his reign and industrialized Russia at a pace unheard of before in history, these were at the cost of millions of lives. Born on Dece mber 21st, 1879 in the small village of Gori, Georgia to a cobbler fatherRead MoreThe Soviet Union Of The 19th Century1757 Words   |  8 Pagestime of the 19th century was one of the biggest reasons why the Soviet Union took such a big downfall when it collapsed. The RSFSR was a opposing group that was branched off from the Soviet Union, resulting from a argument over political standings and power for both groups.1 The RSFSR wanted a representative to stand during the meetings of the Soviet Union, however the Soviet Union did not grant that because the representative did not win in the voting, but candidate that was favored by the USSR wonRead MoreThe World War II And The Soviet Union4208 Words   |  17 Pages Section 1: Question 6: During World War II, one of the most powerful alliances was formed by three nations: the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union. The leaders became known as the Big Three. These three included Churchill of Britain, Stalin of Russia, and Roosevelt from America. It is important to note that the leaders of both the US and Britain were not eager to work together with Joseph Stalin. Not only had Russia betrayed the West in World War I, but they were also a communist nation

Petrol Price Hike Effect on Business Free Essays

string(71) " been rejected by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers \(SIAM\)\." http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=AEjXDCNww9cfeature=related Operating margins:  Ramping up diesel capacity will also require large capital expenditure. We will write a custom essay sample on Petrol Price Hike Effect on Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now This will mean a large capital expenditure outlay, putting pressure on operating margins in the short-term. Given the tight liquidity and high interest rates in the domestic market, and a falling rupee, borrowing costs will also likely be higher whether it is in domestic or foreign currency. Unit sales:  Most Indian automakers rely heavily on petrol driven vehicles. This is particularly true of two-wheeler makers, whose entire portfolio is based on petrol engines. The new price hike could deter buyers from opting for petrol cars and two-wheelers. This will directly impact revenues and profits for automakers that have a petrol-heavy portfolio. Segment growth:  The petrol segment has already retreated by 14 per cent in fiscal 2012, while diesel car sales have grown 37 per cent. With the petrol price hike, the growth in the diesel segment is only expected to grow. Even a hike in diesel prices, which some experts are saying is likely as early as Friday, will still keep diesel cheaper than petrol. Too steep a hike in diesel will push up inflation, which the government is keen to avoid. Small car demand:  This is the only bright spot for automakers. In a situation where petrol prices are in the vicinity of Rs 80, demand for small cars will likely increase, since fuel typically accounts for about 50 per cent of running costs. Apart from space and environmental concerns, especially in urban centres, small cars are highly fuel efficient, which appeals to the highly value-   and budge-conscious Indian buyer. Small cars with diesel engines will be in even higher demand. They continue to be a worried bunch and their fears are not unfounded, for petrol getting out of reach for many people means there will be more diesel vehicles on the road in the years to come. This will have an adverse impact on the environment as diesel engine emissions are over three times more toxic than petrol. This has been collated by Centre for Science and Environment’s analysis of the 2010-11 car sales data, which revealed that the demand for diesel-run SUVs has gone up. Also, 85% of petrol cars sold during the period had engine sizes smaller than 1200 cc. â€Å"We are extremely concerned about the huge petrol price hike. While fuel price reforms can help, in this case there is partial reform which is dangerous. There is already a dieselization of the car segment. â€Å"WHO and many other public health organizations have already that diesel emissions are carcinogenic. There is a really high public health risk,† said executive director, research and policy, CSE, Anumita Roychowdhury. People are buying big diesel cars, of engine size above 1500cc. They are not feeling the pinch because diesel is cheap. The subsidy on diesel is absolutely unacceptable,† she added. As of now 13 cities in the country comply with Bharat stage IV norms and  the rest  follow Bharat stage III norms. â€Å"The pollutants that are of major concern are particulate matter and nitrous oxide (NO2). Diesel cars are legally allowed to emit these pollutants more tha n petrol. In fact the legal limit NO2 for diesel cars is three times higher than for petrol cars,† explained Anumita. But the fact that diesel is more fuel efficient and gives better mileage masks the down side of increase in diesel cars. Professor L M Das of the Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi says â€Å"Diesel contains more energy than petrol and the vehicle’s engine combustion process is more efficient, adding up to higher fuel efficiency and lower  CO2 emissions  when using diesel. But the pollutants emitted from diesel and petrol are characteristically different. While petrol emits more carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons, diesel emits more smoke and particulate matter that have worse health impacts. Diesel is also more fuel efficient giving out a mileage that is nearly 50% more than petrol. Dealers also agree that the demand for diesel cars has soared. â€Å"The demand for diesel cars in every segment has gone up. While demand for diesel cars has gone up by 15%, petrol car demand has dropped by 20%. Even people who are buying cars worth Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakh are opting for di esel cars. â€Å"Todsay we got many calls enquiring about diesel cars. Only people who want to buy small cars are opting for petrol cars,† said Ravinder, owner of Motosyics in Karol Bagh. Another car dealer, Sanjeev Nath Bhel owner of Rajnath automobiles in Vasant Kunj said that he has started getting calls almost every second enquiring about models of diesel cars. â€Å"There is a huge surge in the demand for diesel cars. It’s also because diesel gives better mileage. People are mostly opting for middle segment diesel cars ,† he said. The negative sentiment is echoed by auto industry officials who feel the rollback notwithstanding the current high petrol prices will have a serious impact on the auto industry and petrol car sales. Around 75 per cent of  Maruti Suzuki  sales come from petrol cars,† said Mayank Pareek, Head-Marketing, Maruti Suzuki. â€Å"Last year, due to petrol price increase, there was a drop of 15 per cent in the sale of our petrol cars. At the same time, diesel sales for the industry are growing. While diesel capacity is being over utilised, petrol car capacity remains under utilised,† he added. While companies like  Hyundai and Tata are offering discounts and special schemes  on its petrol models to stimulate demand, Maruti plans to make up for the decline in petrol car sales by increasing its diesel volumes. Last year, we sold around 2. 43 lakh units of diesel cars. This year will sell 4 lakh diesel cars, said Pareek. However, even that plan stands in jeopardy with the Finance ministry mulling an increase in the excise duty on diesel vehicles. According to figures compiled by the government, passenger cars and SUVs account for 15 per cent of diesel consumption – a claim that has been rejected by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). You read "Petrol Price Hike Effect on Business" in category "Essay examples" The industry body says that personal cars make up for only 1 per cent of the total diesel consumption in the country while SUVs and taxis account for 5 per cent. Currently, diesel cars attract excise duty ranging from 12 per cent to 27 per cent based on their size and engine capacity. With diesel cars already commanding a higher price than petrol models (which in turn amounts to higher revenues for the state), a hike in duty will only end up reducing demand for passengers cars overall. Read more:  Duty on diesel cars may go up The negative sentiment is echoed by auto industry officials who feel the rollback notwithstanding the current high petrol prices will have a serious impact on the auto industry and petrol car sales. Around 75 per cent of  Maruti Suzuki  sales come from petrol cars,† said Mayank Pareek, Head-Marketing, Maruti Suzuki. â€Å"Last year, due to petrol price increase, there was a drop of 15 per cent in the sale of our petrol cars. At the same time, diesel sales for the industry are growing. While diesel capacity is being over utilised, petrol car capacity remains under utilised,† he added. While companies l ike  Hyundai and Tata are offering discounts and special schemes  on its petrol models to stimulate demand, Maruti plans to make up for the decline in petrol car sales by increasing its diesel volumes. Last year, we sold around 2. 43 lakh units of diesel cars. This year will sell 4 lakh diesel cars, said Pareek. However, even that plan stands in jeopardy with the Finance ministry mulling an increase in the excise duty on diesel vehicles. According to figures compiled by the government, passenger cars and SUVs account for 15 per cent of diesel consumption – a claim that has been rejected by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The industry body says that personal cars make up for only 1 per cent of the total diesel consumption in the country hile SUVs and taxis account for 5 per cent. Currently, diesel cars attract excise duty ranging from 12 per cent to 27 per cent based on their size and engine capacity. With diesel cars already commanding a higher price th an petrol models (which in turn amounts to higher revenues for the state), a hike in duty will only end up reducing demand for passengers cars overall. Read more:  Duty on diesel cars may go up In the short-term, sales will be further impacted while in the long term a negative consumer sentiment will be created which can hurt the growth of the industry, he added. Expressing similar sentiments, General Motors India Vice President P Balendran said: â€Å"Earlier, the industry was expecting a growth of 8-10 per cent this fiscal but I will not be surprised if we are in the negative territory due to fuel price hike and high interest rates as the market continues to be sluggish. † This will result in inventory pile up of  petrol  vehicles as more and more consumers will opt for diesel vehicles, he added. Describing the latest price hike as a â€Å"disaster†,  Maruti Suzuki  India Managing Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales Mayank Pareek said: â€Å"This will further increase the skew between petrol and diesel vehicle demand, which is already very wide. This will severely affect the sales of entry level cars, which are mainly petrol driven. † Last year, the petrol segment declined by 16. 2 per cent as the demand shifted to diesel vehicles. Now there will be more demand for diesel cars after the price hike but most of the manufacturers are running on full capacity for diesel vehicles, he added. Pareek said the overall impact of the price hike would further dent growth of the automobile industry. Hyundai Motor  India Ltd Director Marketing and Sales Arvind Saxena said: â€Å"Demand is already under pressure on account of inflation and high interest rates. A hike of such magnitude is neither good for the customer nor for industry. † Passenger car sales in India witnessed the slowest growth during April in 10 years at 3. 4 per cent as customer sentiment remained low due to post-Budget price hikes and high interest rates, affecting the entry-level segment most. As per  SIAM  figures, domestic passenger car sales stood at 1, 68,351 units in April 2012 compared to 1,62,813 units in the same month last year. In the fiscal 2011-12, car sales in India grew by just 2. 19 per cent which was the slowest since 2008-09. â€Å"The company has already asked the R D department to speed up the work, and if required, it may also go for a third party arrangement,† the source said. In the last one year, the price of petrol has gone up considerably fuelling the demand for diesel cars, which account for more than 60 per cent sales at present. Honda has no diesel variant in its stable, which is becoming a big disadvantage for the company. Honda Brio will become the first car to have the diesel engine followed by City and Jazz. â€Å"With the  huge surge in the price of petrol, there is a massive demand for the diesel model. We are already giving discount on our cars but it is not possible beyond a point,† a marketing official from Honda said. Honda is not the only company to advance launch of diesel cars . Renault has also advanced the unveiling of its diesel model. Even Volkswagen is looking for models that run on other fuels like CNG. Others are trying to sweeten the deal with various discounts and offers. Sale of diesel vehicles in the country jumped by 35 per cent last fiscal while that of petrol variants dropped by 15 per cent. The sale of petrol cars will see further decline with the latest hike of ` 7. 50 per litre. A day after the increase, Hyundai announced a â€Å"petrol price lock assurance programme† that will insulate its customers from the new fuel price rise for the next seven months. The programme covers people who will buy petrol models of Eon, Santro, i10, i20, Accent and Verna till May 31. The hike of this magnitude is neither good for the industry nor customers,† Arvind Saxena, director, marketing and sales, Hyundai Motor India, said. Other automobile manufacturers have already started giving discounts and freebies on petrol models and could introduce more such offers following the hike of petrol . According to automobile body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), there is a need for the government to reconsider its proposal for such a steep increase in the price of petrol. There is a need to seriously consider the option of a moderate increase in the price of diesel before it impacts the growth of the industry,† SIAM said. In a statement, Siam said that there is a requirement to look at the petroleum product pricing policy in a comprehensive manner and remove distortions so that downstream products market do not get disturbed. â€Å"The need of the hour is to bite the bullet by reducing the price hike on petrol and revising the price of diesel, which will bring in more revenue for the government as well as some level of parity between the two competing fuels for the industry,† SIAM said. However, manufacturers lament that they are not in a position to absorb the currency changes and mounting import bill, and have no other option but to pass on the impact to the customers. While  Toyota Kirloskar Motors  and  General Motors India  are expected to announce price hikes soon, others such as Maruti  SuzukiIndia and  Hyundai Motor  are likely to follow suit. â€Å"We have been facing cost pressures over the last few months and have decided to hike the prices. The quantum is yet to be finalised, but the hike should come into effect from June,† said Toyota Kirloskar Motors deputy MD (marketing) Sandeep Singh. General Motors has decided to increase prices from June 1, but is temporarily revisiting decision in the light of massive increase in petrol prices. â€Å"We are re-considering plans to increase prices from June as customers are hit by the massive increase in the prices of petrol. We do not want to create a double whammy for customers and are planning to postpone the hike till the conditions improve in the domestic market,† says General Motors vice-president (corporate affairs) P Balendran. Car companies had increased prices by up to 1. 5% to 3 in January this year, but the real impact came after 2%-5% increase in excise in the Union Budget. While most cars, including small hatchbacks, became expensive by Rs 6,000, the hike was up to Rs 5 lakh for top-end luxury segment. This resulted in overall sales falling to 168,351 units in April. Carmakers remain skeptical on market prospects with customers postponing new purchases. Country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, is to o weighing its options. â€Å"There are intense cost pressures with regard to import of important commodities like steel due to currency and other reasons,† said a senior Maruti executive. An analyst tracking the sector says another hike will badly hit the auto market, which is already crawling. â€Å"The market is already reeling under the price of petrol price hike, which has further dampened the sentiment after the Budget hike. Now another hike will hit the industry hard,† said a Mumbai-based analyst with a Brokerage firm. High petrol prices and weak consumer sentiment in the face of slowing economic growth dragged auto sales down in May. Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India Ltd led the decline with a 4. 3% drop in domestic sales to 89,478 units from a year earlier. Sales of Maruti’s petrol models such as WagonR, Alto and the 800, which make up a third of overall sales at the Indian subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corp. , shrank by 29%. India’s economy grew 5. 3% in January-March, the slowest pace in nine years, data released on Thursday showed. Slowing growth has dampened consumer sentiment; high petrol prices and interest rates have deterred car buyers, who are increasingly preferring diesel models. Analysts say car sales will take a further hit in the months ahead after oil marketing companies increased the price of petrol by as much as  Rs. 7. 50 per litre on 23 May. The steep increase in fuel cost, combined with a recent increase in vehicle prices (due to rising input costs and an excise duty increase), has resulted in a 6% increase in the total cost of ownership of petrol cars over the past four-to-five months, wrote Joseph George, an analyst at IIFL Institutional Equities. â€Å"We cut our volume growth estimate for the car industry (excluding utility vehicles) from 16% to 12%. We also expect demand to further shift from petrol to diesel vehicles. † Sales at Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the second largest car maker by unit sales, rose 3% to 32,010 units in May compared with a year ago. Arvind Saxena, director of marketing and sales at Hyundai Motor India, said: â€Å"The recent hike in petrol prices has depressed market sentiment, with the macroeconomic indicators providing no cause for cheer. The demand outlook doesn’t look very bright. † Meanwhile, driven by sales of the Nano small car, passenger vehicle sales at Tata Motors Ltd rose 6% to 20,503 units compared to May 2011. The fuel efficient car billed as the world’s cheapest, contributed 41% of Tata Motors’ total sales in May. Nano sales rose 31% to 8,507 units. Utility vehicle market leader Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd kept up its strong sales momentum, posting an increase of 27% to 21,154 units in the month from a year ago. The company’s portfolio of models is predominantly diesel-fuelled, shielding it from the effect of the hike in petrol prices. Sales at General Motors India Pvt. Ltd and Ford India Pvt. Ltd dropped 27% and 14%, respectively, to 6,079 and 6,036 units. At Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd, sales doubled to 15,051 units, buoyed by the company’s Innova and Fortuner models and partly because of a relatively low base last year. To stave off the impact of the weakening rupee, Toyota has undertaken a 1% increase in the prices of Etios diesel and Innova and a 0. 5% increase in Fortuner and Etios Liva, diesel, with effect from 1 June. † said Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director-marketing. Albeit on a low base, sales at Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd, too, increased 98% to 3,138 units in May. Meanwhile, notwithstandi ng the sluggish sales in the overall two-wheeler market, Hero MotoCorp Ltd continued its strong sales trajectory, despatching 556,644 motorcycles and scooters—an expansion of 11. 3% over the corresponding month last year. TVS Motor Co. eported a decline of 4. 3% to 176,012 units while Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd, on a small base of 36,746 units, saw an increase of 21% compared to a year ago. Bajaj Auto Ltd will report its sales figures next week. The 10-company auto index on  BSE Ltd  has dropped 18. 46% in the last one month, compared to a 7. 82% drop in the benchmark Sensex. Car firms are looking at raising the  prices of their diesel variantsas rupee depreciation has led to a hike in imported input costs and they have to make up for the discounts being offered on their petrol variants, which are not selling due to high fuels costs. While Toyota has announced that it will  hike the prices of its diesel models  from one to two per cent from June 1, other companies are expected to follow suit. This will be the third price hike since January this year. Diesel cars to drive industry growth: Ford â€Å"There is tremendous pressure on auto companies and a price hike is certain. The one-two per cent hike will be effective from June. However, we have not decided the exact amount by which prices will be raised across models,† Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director (marketing), Toyota Kirloskar Motors, said. There are rising input costs and then the depreciating rupee also adds to import bills for parts being sourced from abroad. Auto firms can’t absorb cost beyond a point,† Singh explained. However, Singh has hinted that the hike will be more on the diesel variants than the petrol models. Prices of petrol models which are still selling well may also be increased. Others such as General Motors, Ma ruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors had also hinted at hike in car prices from June onwards. Most car companies are loading their petrol variants with freebies and offering discounts ranging from Rs 3,000-Rs 50,000 depending on the demand for the model. Earlier in January, car manufacturers increased prices to the tune of 1. 5 to three per cent. It was followed by a second hike of two to five per cent to compensate for the excise duty hike proposed in the Budget. However car dealers are worried. â€Å"Another round of price hike is not going to help the sector in any way. Petrol car sales are at an all-time low and only diesel models are bringing in revenue. Any further price hike will dent the prospect of sale of diesel vehicles as well,† a General Motors showroom owner in south Delhi said. Even experts say that a price hike will further dampen the sentiment and sales prospects of the auto companies. â€Å"The significant hike in petrol price has already dampened the sentiment and increasing prices of vehicles will hit demand,† said Yaresh Kothari, auto analyst, Angel Broking. The hike in petrol rate and the proposed increase in diesel vehicles will make it difficult for the industry to achieve their sales growth target of 10-12 How to cite Petrol Price Hike Effect on Business, Essay examples