The Presence of Clocks - Essay Example

The Presence of Clocks “Shopping malls and grocery stores rarely have clocks” (Rosenwasser 65). As most would read this sentence as an observation, a deeper understanding of it can be surfaced through thorough considerations. By framing the statement, it guides the reader through a series of thought processes that concludes in a better understanding of the entire phrase. After careful examination, the reader is capable of grasping a meaningful conclusion instead of skimming the surface. Shopping malls and grocery stores rarely have clocks because owners realize how the general public tend to lose track of time while they are busy, thus losing track of time in a place with priced goods allows shoppers to buy an excess amount of products. Understanding the importance of the actual meaning before making any sort of judgment tends to be imperative when dissecting an observation. It makes it easier by thinking about the meaning because human brain automatically attempts to understand the meaning when the sentence is processed, much like a scrolling marquee. For instance, from reading the statement about the absence of clocks, it comes off as an observation, but after further investigation, it is clear that owners of malls and grocery stores understand that customers often lose track of time when they are distracted. It is proven that casinos strategically do not place clocks because the casinos “aren’t about to assist people in keeping them punctual” (Kjsem), and without the concern of time, people lose their sense of responsibility and continue with their current activity. Even dealers in the casino are advised not to wear a watch, so asking for the time is irrelevant for customers. This is also relevant for any retail sale location. From the owner's point of view, this is a business strategy; however, the customers will dislike the strategy if they realize the actual meaning of their intentions of having no clocks. Separating the sentence into divided parts also bolsters further understanding, thus evaluating how the two parts are related to each other provides an overall meaning. Breaking down the example sentence into “shopping malls” and “grocery stores” categorizes them into two different departments because people usually think of two different things if they are separated. These two phrases are often unrelated and not grouped together since malls sell things like clothes, but grocery stores sell things like food. Grouping them in the same sentence triggers the reader to think of a common factor between the two. These are two different elements of retail, however they fit together as one meaning. If these two phrases are separated and isolated, considerable questions would differ from a statement where they are placed together instead. By breaking down the two subjects you can distinguish that customers at shopping malls will carry their watches or digital clocks because shopping for retail products at malls is not considered at the top of the list of basic necessities; therefore clocks are strategically not placed so owners can make more money off of customers who have lost track of time. The same goes for isolating “grocery stores” in the sentence. The opposite effect is put in play as grocery shopping is necessary for basic living, thus people do not consider it to be a waste of time. Although placing clocks in the mall is more relevant than grocery stores, juxtaposing these two phrases together completely changes the meaning of the entire phrase. Not only does dissecting the phrase into two parts prove to be effective, recognizing repetition is important as well. Repetition focuses more on recognizing the more worthy parts of the sentence. This method offers a tool for discovering significant patterns of repetition. By looking for patterns of repetition, emphasizing points are secluded, and the primary characteristic of the statement becomes more relevant. For the above example, you can see a pattern when the sentence says “Shopping malls and grocery stores.” Using these two nouns closely together categorizes them into divisions of marketing. They are grouped together for this reason, thus the repetition of these nouns gives a generalizing category to be considered. After recognizing these patterns, rephrasing the observation may also give further insight. For instance, we can restate the above sentence by saying “The presence of clocks at a shopping mall or a grocery stores is limited.” This new sentence paraphrases the original sentence, serves as a window to different conclusions and allows the reader to look at the sentence in a different light. In this version of the sentence, it is brought to focus that the essence of the phrase lies in the fact that franchisees do not want their customers to be cognizant of the time they spend spending their money. Through many processes of analyzing this phrase, more questions can be made when concluding and developing explanations. Asking questions such as “Why are clocks unavailable in these types of places?” or “What do grocery stores and malls have in common that eliminates the need for a clock?” These types of questions further aid in the understanding of the true meaning. Possible solutions to these questions surface, such as “They do not have clocks because technological growth tell us that modern people wear watches” or “The owners are using this strategy to make customers spend more time in their store /mall by blinding them with no time.” These conclusions help locate explanations for the meaning of various patterns of details. Although different conclusions can be made by reading this phrase about clocks in malls and grocery stores, owners of grocery stores and malls strategically do not place clocks to keep the customers focused on buying their goods. Though many may skim over the fact of clocks not being present in these places, further examination concludes that there is a specific reason for this act. Society's basis of living revolves around the clock, and as people keep track of time to maintain a specified schedule, eliminating the factor of time provides an incentive for store or mall owners keep their customers busy. Work Cited Kjsem. "10 Tricks Casinos Use On You." Top 10 Lists - Listverse. Web. 21 Sept. 2011. . Rosenwasser, David, and Jill Stephen. Writing Analytically. 6th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2006. Print. Read More