Saturday, August 31, 2019

Motivation to Join Emba Essay

Describe your current duties and responsibilities and how you expect the AUBG EMBA Program to help you improve your performance. In my recent role as Business manager for Media and peripheral for Central and Southeast Europe with Sony Europe Limited I had the responsibility to drive and maximize the media and energy business on the market territory of 20 countries in the Central and Southeast Europe. The main duties were Net Sales and Gross Profit Budgeting, product strategy, distribution, channel and account strategy planning and implementation. As main interface with the business groups in Paris and Tokyo I had to coordinate the sales plans and profit delivery with 14 collaborators (trade marketing managers and key account managers) across 20 countries in cooperation with the local branch heads. In parallel I had to conduct product management for over 800 active SKUs and perform product trainings for internal and external customers. My decision to enroll in the EMBA program of AUBG is based on several objectives that I have set for my personal development. Broaden my view by studying a number of industry wide cases and explore different business realities. Enhance my background with comprehensive, cutting edge business and management theory knowledge and renown and well recognized certification. Expand my professional and social network among wider business environment and group of successful individuals. The strong academic reputation of AUBG and the demanding American curriculum convinced me that the EMBA program of AUBG is the right choice to make in my personal development.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Modern public life Essay

â€Å"Modern Public life could not exist or function properly without the Media† In this essay I will be discussing the above statement and arguing that without Media, modern public life could not exist. I will first explain some key terms to help in the argument including explaining the meaning of the term Public Life. According to the Collins Dictionary â€Å"The Public is people in general or the people of a particular place. Public is used to talk about the feelings and behaviours of people in general. If someone is a public figure or is in public life, they are well known. Public is used to talk about things being said or done so that everyone can hear them or see them†. What is meant by the term Public Life is a space where a body of people can come together to discuss issues relating to their group. These groups can be very small like a book club or large like the United Nations and they can discuss anything from the latest Bryce Courtney novel to world peace. Geoffrey Craig in his book The Media Politics and Public Life explains the concept of public life as: â€Å".. A body of people within a society and a domain within which debate about that society occurs†¦ The public is also a subject, and people come together as a public in modern times when they engage in readings of the events, the stories and the debates that circulate in the society. â€Å"(2002. P49) Public life occurs where private issues are brought to the attention of the general public through the use of the media. Without out the media it would be private life, not public life. Media, as defined by the Collins dictionary is the plural of medium which â€Å"is a means of communicating or teaching something. † When we talk about the media we do not just use traditional forms of media like newspapers, television and radio but we also use other forms of media like movies, the internet, transnationals companies and communication technologies. All of these forms of media are sites where the meanings of public life are played out, debated and evaluated. Our everyday lives could not function properly without the media. Media is a drug that we cannot live in a democratic society without. We listen to the radio on the way to work to hear the traffic reports and to know where the multi-novas are hidden. When election time comes, we can’t invite John Howard round for dinner to discuss his policies so we rely on the media to show us them through television radio and newspapers. When a cyclone is coming our way, how do we know to lock up the house or leave town? The media inform us. Even the very early smoke signals were a form of media, a form of communication. It is important to stress here that there is no way that public life could function without the use of the media as the understandings of our society, the norms and values of the world in which we live are the products of living in a mediated world. We as a public only ever see the representations of a breaking story through the television or in the paper. We rely on the media to tell us breaking stories that are happening around the world because of our geographical locations. John Hartley (1992 P1) has noted: â€Å"while [the public domain and the public] don’t exist as spaces and assemblies, the public realm and the public are still to be found, large as life in the media. Television, popular newspapers, magazines and photography, the popular media of the modern period, are the public domain, the place where and the means by which the public is crated and has its being. † In talking about public life we must clarify the notion of having a public sphere. By public sphere we mean any activities that occur in the public eye or that is brought to the attention of the public through the media. Habermas argues that the original public spheres originated with the early Bourgeois movement in the tea houses, libraries and reading societies in England. It was here where people gathered to discuss issues concerning their lives and the society in which they lived. What made this a public sphere was that the people were all gathered in one place discussing issues that were relevant to them. Although this was regarded as one of the original democracies that were a voice for the people, Habermas also understood that the early tea house publics were not totally representative of the communities for which they were fighting for. In the early days women were not included in the tea house discussions, also, only a certain class of people were allowed to enter the tea houses and those that could not read would not need to go to reading houses or libraries. Of course those that could not travel to these public events had no said either. This limited the voice of the people to only those that were upper-class, well educated men that could travel. This was not representative of the wider communities. The next stage in the evolution of public life was when the printing presses made literature available to the mass public. This literature was free from state control and was the newest site for public life to be played out on. Of course if you were illiterate the medium was useless but for those that could read and had access to the literature a new public was formed. The reading public was not tied by geographical restrictions. The development of film was again a new medium that with it brought a new public. By now we have to understand that there are a huge amount of publics that all have their own issues to debate. A person can be part of a number of publics at one time. She may be a single mother, working at the supermarket, she is part of the conservative party, is a part of a sci-fi reading club, she buys Thai cooking books, buys red wine and goers to wineries, is part of a mothers group at day care, has a network of other single friends on the internet and is part of a union at work. All of these publics want very specific things and all lobby for different things, the private issues become public when they are played out through the different types of media. Without the media the issues would not be brought into the public spotlight and would likely not be resolved. It is essential to point out that modern public life is played out through our media consumption and not through our everyday experiences. We collectively watched the September 11 attacks through our televisions, listened to the disaster unfold on our radios and read about and saw the pictures of the devastation in newspapers. Without these sites we would not have experienced it at all. This highlights the fact that we rely on the media to get information that would not readily be available to us. Peter Dahlgren argues that the public sphere is not just a â€Å"marketplace for ideas or an information exchange depot but also a major societal mechanism for the production and circulation of culture†. This idea of the media framing culture is very important because it gives the media great power to give meaning to our identities. Culture, which consist of ideas, customs, norms, values and attitudes are shared by the people of a particular country. Campaigns that promote a type of culture are often produced by government and portrayed through various media outlets. Popular campaigns that frame our culture are the domestic violence ad â€Å"Australia says NO to domestic violence† and the drink driving campaign, that enforce that fact that those things are going against our culture and that that type of behaviours is not accepted. These campaigns are dependant on the media getting the message out there. The main media technologies that are responsible for the communication of public news are television, radio and print and these all function as journalism. These are seen as the most trustworthy sources of information as they are governed by laws that protect privacy, defamation and the use of misleading information. Journalisms main role is to seek the truth and tell the masses. Although these forms of media are self regulated (to be free of outside influence) their guidelines that journalists have to abide by are strict to keep the freedom to self regulate. Television is the most powerful mass medium and is an absolute must in every household. In my house alone there are four televisions and there are only 2 people living there. â€Å"A productivity commission report found that Australia’s spend over 20 hours per week or 36% of their leisure time watching television†(Productivity Commission 200, P62). The ability to actually see an event or person and hear them speak makes television the most trustworthy of the media outlets. Politicians often measure the success of a campaign on the presentation of their image/policy/media events. Although television has taken over from the print media as the most popular type of news media, many argue that the print media are the most influential mass medium for political debate. Agenda setting for the day is mostly done by the ‘quality’ morning newspapers. Newspapers are often more detailed in their dissemination of public life because they are not restricted by the time factor that is TV. Radio is the secret weapon in the fight for a public life. The radio doesn’t have the ability to show the audience an event or doesn’t even give them a chance to read about an issue but it is the most pervasive forms of media as it can be listened to whilst driving or doing the housework. Politicians often use talkback radio as a direct link to the public. It is often the closet the general public will get to speaking with high profile players. Because the media is the chief agency to communicate public life and the world that we know is based on the representations of the media, there is much scrutiny placed on the authenticity of the stories that are shown to us. In Australia there are laws that ensure that one source does not have monopoly over the content of our media, Australia’s former prime minister Paul Keating put it best when he said that the cross ownership laws meant you could be a ‘prince of print or a queen of screen’ but not both. This means that one person will not be in control of all of the media of our country and so a true representation of society’s issues would be presented by the media. Again without the media, Australia would not be able to be a democratic society and have a public life. Through many different sites issues and events are played out and become open to the scrutiny of the general public. These different issues and events create discussion between the people that read or hear about them and this is what is meant by a public life. People that are hundreds of miles away from each other can be discussing the same issues without even having to talk to one another. These systems of communication enable us to live in a democratic society, a society where we can chose who leads us in government and we can discuss issues relating to our society. This would not happen if wasn’t for the role of the media. Without the media to portray issues and events we would never hear about a sale on in the city or about governmental policy that is set to affect us all. Public life as we know it would not be able to function properly without the media. References Craig, Geoffrey. Chapter 1, 2 and 3. The Media, Politics and Public Life. Victoria: Allen and Unwin, 2004. Cunningham, Stuart and Graeme Turner. The Media and Communications in Australia. St Leonard’s, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2002. Dahlgren, Peter. Television and the Public Sphere: Citizenship, Democracy and the Media. London: Sage, 1995 Grossberg, Lawrence, Ellen Wartella and D. Charles Whitney. â€Å"The Media and the Public. † Media Making: Mass Media in a Popular Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage, 1998. 357-374 Habermas, Jurgen. The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into the Category of Bourgeois Society. Trans, T. Burger. Cambridge: Polity, 1992. Scannell, Paddy. â€Å"Public service broadcasting and modern public life† Media, Culture and Society. 11(1989):135-166. Thompson, John. â€Å"The Media and the Development of the Modern Societies† The Media and Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1995. 44-69 Wark, McKenzie. Celebrities, culture and cyberspace: the light on the hill in a post-modern world. Sydney: Pluto Press, 1999. 128-136 http://malagigi. cddc. vt. edu/pipermail/icernet/2004-January/002743. html http://www. zip. com. au/~athornto/thesis2. htm http://www. gseis. ucla. edu/faculty/kellner/kellner. html.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Caesar Augustus Essay

It was the mid-1st century B. C. E. , Rome was ever-growing and the republic that once ran very smoothly was encountering many problems within itself. Wealthy land owners or patricians were gaining too much power and land and since Roman law read that only land owners could serve in the military much of the military power was reduced. Some people tried to change this, for example Tiberius, but his ideas were seen as controversial and he was assassinated in 133 B. C. E. One man named General Marius instituted a law stating that men didn’t have to own land to serve in the military. Soldiers still wanted land in return for their service though, and the general gave them land but this made soldiers more loyal to army officials rather than to the senate. After Marius retired Rome experienced a brief time of peace only to be broken by the Social War. The Social War was caused by the revolting of lower class Italians that were not entitled to full-citizenship and voting rights. This caused General Marius to come back. He ended the war and seized power of Rome. Marius died of old age and Rome started to become restless. In all of the turmoil there arose a powerful politician, Julius Caesar. Caesar created the First Triumvirate (three men) consisting of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey (also known as Magnus). The Triumvirate really only made these men more powerful though and really didn’t help Rome overall. The Triumvirate disappeared when Crassus died and Caesar and Pompey started to fight. Caesar invaded Rome in 49 B. C. E. and became a dictator there. Then later Pompey was murdered in Egypt in 48 B. C. E. Julius increased the senate from 600 to 900 members to give himself more supporters. In five years Caesar held many powerful offices and almost succeeded in transforming Rome into an empire but was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B. C. E. Many wars took place after the assassination of Julius Caesar. His adopted son, Octavian, and his friend both formed the Second Triumvirate and defeated Caesars assassins in the Battle of Philippi. Many senators were killed during this time and it was not a good time for the republic. Eventually the Second Triumvirate dissipated and Octavian and Mark Antony turned on one another. Mark Antony married Cleopatra of Egypt and they committed suicide when Octavian invaded Egypt. Octavian became Augustus (exalted one) and now unofficially ruled Rome. Augustus knew that in order to successfully transform Rome into an empire he had to succeed where his father hadn’t. He supported the arts and technology. He rebuilt temples and created road systems. He pleased his people with holidays and special events. Augustus would even give free bread and wine to all of Rome’s citizens. The senate just had to sit and watch as Caesar Augustus became the total dictator of Rome. Literature grew exceedingly during this time. Under Augustus’ rule Rome entered the Pax Romana, the peaceful and golden age of Rome. So in the end Augustus obviously succeeded in the areas where Julius didn’t. Julius didn’t utilize his resources as well and didn’t realize that he needed to take away the senate’s power not enhance it. Augustus extended Rome to a great power and eventually fully ended the once-renowned republic. In a completely unnecessary comparison this story totally reminded me of the movie Star Wars, the fall of the republic and the birth of an empire. Anyways in conclusion, Augustus transformed Rome into an empire by gaining the loyalty of the citizens and soldiers while the senate lost its power. This man was so dominant that he even named the month of August after himself! Not many could have accomplished what Caesar Augustus did and many still marvel at his feats to this day. Caesar Augustus Essay It was the mid-1st century B. C. E. , Rome was ever-growing and the republic that once ran very smoothly was encountering many problems within itself. Wealthy land owners or patricians were gaining too much power and land and since Roman law read that only land owners could serve in the military much of the military power was reduced. Some people tried to change this, for example Tiberius, but his ideas were seen as controversial and he was assassinated in 133 B. C. E. One man named General Marius instituted a law stating that men didn’t have to own land to serve in the military. Soldiers still wanted land in return for their service though, and the general gave them land but this made soldiers more loyal to army officials rather than to the senate. After Marius retired Rome experienced a brief time of peace only to be broken by the Social War. The Social War was caused by the revolting of lower class Italians that were not entitled to full-citizenship and voting rights. This caused General Marius to come back. He ended the war and seized power of Rome. Marius died of old age and Rome started to become restless. In all of the turmoil there arose a powerful politician, Julius Caesar. Caesar created the First Triumvirate (three men) consisting of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey (also known as Magnus). The Triumvirate really only made these men more powerful though and really didn’t help Rome overall. The Triumvirate disappeared when Crassus died and Caesar and Pompey started to fight. Caesar invaded Rome in 49 B. C. E. and became a dictator there. Then later Pompey was murdered in Egypt in 48 B. C. E. Julius increased the senate from 600 to 900 members to give himself more supporters. In five years Caesar held many powerful offices and almost succeeded in transforming Rome into an empire but was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 B. C. E. Many wars took place after the assassination of Julius Caesar. His adopted son, Octavian, and his friend both formed the Second Triumvirate and defeated Caesars assassins in the Battle of Philippi. Many senators were killed during this time and it was not a good time for the republic. Eventually the Second Triumvirate dissipated and Octavian and Mark Antony turned on one another. Mark Antony married Cleopatra of Egypt and they committed suicide when Octavian invaded Egypt. Octavian became Augustus (exalted one) and now unofficially ruled Rome. Augustus knew that in order to successfully transform Rome into an empire he had to succeed where his father hadn’t. He supported the arts and technology. He rebuilt temples and created road systems. He pleased his people with holidays and special events. Augustus would even give free bread and wine to all of Rome’s citizens. The senate just had to sit and watch as Caesar Augustus became the total dictator of Rome. Literature grew exceedingly during this time. Under Augustus’ rule Rome entered the Pax Romana, the peaceful and golden age of Rome. So in the end Augustus obviously succeeded in the areas where Julius didn’t. Julius didn’t utilize his resources as well and didn’t realize that he needed to take away the senate’s power not enhance it. Augustus extended Rome to a great power and eventually fully ended the once-renowned republic. In a completely unnecessary comparison this story totally reminded me of the movie Star Wars, the fall of the republic and the birth of an empire. Anyways in conclusion, Augustus transformed Rome into an empire by gaining the loyalty of the citizens and soldiers while the senate lost its power. This man was so dominant that he even named the month of August after himself! Not many could have accomplished what Caesar Augustus did and many still marvel at his feats to this day.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Foods in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foods in America - Essay Example Although these dried foods are used to give flavor to dishes, I still eat them raw and at times I fry them as snacks. One of my favorite dishes made from dried foods is Pemmican. This dish is made up of dried berries, nuts, and meat. What I like about this food is the fact that it is very handy and convenient because you could eat it without cooking it first. You can eat it anytime you want. Yet, there are some American Indian foods that I do not like that much. One of those I like the least is their smoked foods. Although I like dried foods, I still find the taste of smoked foods quite unpleasant, especially the smoked salmon. I find it too salty and fatty. I think smoking foods is best for preparing and preserving food, but not as an actual dish. Even so, I really like most of American Indian foods. They are natural, healthy, and savory. Madison, Deborah & Gary Paul Nabhan. Renewing America’s Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent’s Most Endangered Foods. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Thinking about Death Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Thinking about Death - Research Paper Example However, as we shall see, this is modulated very differently in all three examples. Section 1: Henry James, loss and self-actualisation. The critical apogee of Henry James’ story, The Beast in the Jungle, comes only moments from the end in which the protagonist comes to understand himself. The self-awareness that John Marcher develops is critically, and inextricably, linked to the death of Mary Bartram. By connecting Mary’s death with Marcher’s epiphanies about his own life, the realisation of loss, ironically, becomes about the discovery of self-knowledge and the truth about life itself. The story of Marcher’s and Bartram’s relationship is defined by Marcher’s belief that he has an unusual fate: to die by some catastrophic event, what he terms ‘the beast in the Jungle’. It is for this reason that he decides that he will attempt to protect others and himself by not falling in love with others, or developing a deep connection with someone. This fate is developed throughout the novella and then finally achieved in the final moments of the work, when Marcher comes to understand his failure to connect to another person. ... ... He saw the Jungle of his life and saw the lurking Beast; then, while he looked, perceived it, as by a stir of the air, rise, huge and hideous, for the leap that was to settle him. His eyes darkened--it was close; and, instinctively turning, in his hallucination, to avoid it, he flung himself, face down, on the tomb.’ (James, The Beast in the Jungle) Instinctively, the reference to throwing himself down on his tomb points out the connection between Mary’s death and his achievement of his fate. Mary’s death is intimately connected to the acquisition of self-knowledge. He comes to understand, and in that moment achieves, his fate. The loss of Mary at this point becomes then the catastrophic event in his life; he realises what he has lost at the last, and is pained by it. Just as he comes to understand his fate, he comes to understand the way in which he and Mary had lived, and his ultimate failure in life. He comes to understand that his life was a solipsistic o ne. Marcher’s life is detached—detached from human connections, from the emotions and the intensity of profound connection that defines Mary’s life. This is expressed in a number of ways. Recall for instance his inability, in the opening scene of section 1, to remember his earlier meetings with Mary. (It is also expressed in the third person perspective of the narrator, for example.) The consequences of this solipsistic, detached life are brought home to him in the final scenes when faced with Mary’s death. She had offered him an escape from his fate: ‘The escape would have been to love her; then, THEN he would have lived. SHE had lived--who could say now with what passion?—since she had loved him for himself; whereas he had never thought of her (ah how

Monday, August 26, 2019

Data Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Data Management - Essay Example Data collected from the survey will be numerically coded and processed and analyzed using he computer software, Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Version 17.0.0 (2008) and Minitab 15 (2009). Findings regarding the effectiveness of the education-based programs will be reported using appropriate graphs and tabulations. It is believed that education has buttressed it hold on its significance in development. In fact, Comim (2009) argues that â€Å"a proper understanding of current trends in development is not without a proper account of the role of education in the promotion of human flourishing† (p. 88). This study, therefore, aims to undertake assessment of how an educational programme among the Karen minorities in Thailand affected their quality of life and has prepared them towards brighter prospects in the future. With already more than â‚ ¤1.5 million laid out for its University Scholarships and Teacher Training projects, it is high time that a quantitative analysis of the joint effectiveness of the two education-based programmes be carried out to examine how the Karen tribes have benefited from their participation. The evaluation will consider the profile of the respondent Karen tribe beneficiaries in terms of the following variables designated as numbers 1 to 5 in the questionnaire: age, gender, programme, course, and category of participation. 1. Level of satisfaction of the programme participants with respect to the variables indicated in item numbers 6-19 in the questionnaire, namely: fair and equitable selection process; commitment and attitude of the KHT staff towards the participants; availability of provisions and resources for the conduct of the programme; monitoring of students/trainees while under the programme; support given to the students/trainees while under the programme; support given to students/trainees after completing the programme; funding, quality of education/training provided;

Complex Interdependence According To Nye and Keohane Assignment

Complex Interdependence According To Nye and Keohane - Assignment Example The two authors argued that bilateral relationships between French vs. German and U.S vs. Canadian determined the three hypothetical characteristics of complex interdependence. Nye and Keohane argued that the concept of complex interdependence in the 1970s emanated from international monetary relations. In this context, the significance of international organizations would therefore change. According to them, the concept of complex interdependence would change global politics. This would derive from the assertion that state policies and processes would have different objectives and instruments. Indeed, under complex interdependence, global politics would be universal where economic, environmental, and social globalism levels would increase as military globalism reduces. Keohane and Nye think that the concept of complex interdependence will lead to a reduction of military globalism since powerful nations with reliable expectations will not use force to solve global differences. More so, the politics of complex interdependence would be universal and hence limited chances of military globalism. Regional powers with reliable needs will desist from using force to solve global conflicts. In addition, world powers like the U.S facilitated and funded the establishment of postwar international institutions like IMF, UN, World Bank, and NATO that safeguarded and promoted the concept of complex interdependence. Moreover, the rise in economic, environmental, and social globalism levels would motivate world leaders in pluralist democracies to solve territorial disputes out of fear of economic and social development distractions that would deny such democracies significant investment capital.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

BUSINESS - It's Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment Essay

BUSINESS - It's Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment - Essay Example Since men were able to express their ideas, religion had been the cause of fighting for example, the Crusades. Unfortunately people had used religion as a justification for fighting. Therefore the men who interpret the religion states, that killing innocent lives and looting is all justified and legal, as long as they are doing it for their religion, but in all other cases its a crime against humanity. Religious beliefs and principles do not justify war, just because one-person states that God had told them to fight and fight they shall is conspicuously unintelligent. Warfare destroys lives, using religion, as an excuse to murder countless victims is a mind-boggling question because violence should not be administered because of a religious conflict. War does not solve anything, only the cause of destruction. The Crusades is a shining example of a conflict that flourished from a difference in religions. The Europeans had called their Christian army more civilized then to the so-called infidels they are fighting. An army of being more civilized then the enemy can also be state as propaganda. No religion has a right to declare war on each other just because of "holy" land. The Pope had asked the people to fight in an unknown territory to regain the holy lands, in which if one does so, his sins will be forgiven. People left their wives, children, parents, family, and friends to fight in this "Holy War" just because the Pope had declared that fighting is forgivable and will enter heaven after death. People die in wars, there is no way that can be undone, or in another term, just. Sure the Crusades had brought Europe out of the Dark Ages but at what cost, the lives perished by the sword can never be healed. Due to lies, soldiers march proudly onto the battlefield awaiting a glorious victory i n the name of their holy God, having no doubts on where they goes in the afterlife.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Business Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Business Decision Making - Assignment Example Secondary and primary data will be used to gather the data which will help in making the decision of opening a new branch of the restaurant. The restaurant is very successful and in a short span of time it has earned the company big profits. The taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the top priority because of which it gathers the attention of more and more customers. In addition to it, the price of the food is not very high and it is easily affordable by many. The success of the first restaurant and the increasing number of restaurants in London has encouraged the owners to open a second branch of this restaurant. It is expected that the second branch of the restaurant will also be successful and will also contribute in the profits of the company. Taste of the food and ambience of the restaurant are the two most important factors that influence the decision of a person to go to a restaurant and these factors will be determined by a market survey of restaurant goers. Financial effectiveness of the plan that will be made will be determined through Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). From the articles of Chen et al. (2015) and Stroozas (2014) it is extracted that the ambience of the restaurant has a big impact on the minds of the customers. The ambiance of the restaurant influences a person to opt for a better restaurant. The customers are more attracted towards a restaurant which have a good quality environment, this factor increases the profitability of the restaurant. It is also observed that the emotions and loyalty are also connected with the ambiance of the restaurants which allows a person to come again and again to the same particular place (Chen et al., 2015; Stroozas, 2014). According to Ivanova et al. (2012), a healthy nutrition environment of the restaurant plays an important role in gaining the attention of people. The tourists are also attracted towards the restaurant where there is a healthy

Friday, August 23, 2019

Gear Ratios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gear Ratios - Essay Example Gears are used to provide gear reduction in motorized machine parts and also make work easier. The principle of gear reduction is applied whereby a small pinion, the driving gear, spins very fast to provide enough power to spin the wheel, the driven gear. The small pinion rotating fast will not provide enough torque. Torque is the force that tends to create motion. Torque is the product of force and distance covered. Motors designed produce large torques are meant to operate at low speeds so as to increase their lifespan while producing the same amount of power as a motor operating at higher speeds and producing smaller torque. Power refers to the rate of doing work and its SI unit is the horsepower. This experiment studies how gear ratios can be used to determine torque. The apparatus used were RE 140 motor, six gears, small sprocket, big sprocket, weights, battery and the 917D kit for the gear reduction. The battery provided power to the RE 140 motor at the range of 1.5V and 3V. The experiment was conducted using a RE 140 motor and kit which included several combinations of gear reductions and masses of different weights. The gear reduction combinations included small sprocket and big sprocket which were combined as shown in the figure below. The circuit diagram featured a simple control circuit with the 3-volt motor connected to the power source and a toggle control switch for determining the direction of current. Current flow was to the left, right and no current flow. The connections to the right and left set of terminals were insulated to ensure that the wires do not short circuit. The voltage was supplied from a 3volt battery to the RE 140 motor which powered the 917 D gearbox. The gearbox provided six different gear ratios with the corresponding speed, revolutions per minute. The gears were tested with

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Visual Arts And Literature Essay Example for Free

Visual Arts And Literature Essay In visual arts and literature, the sacred and the secular, separate entities in themselves meld into one another, frequently producing a hybrid which gives rise to a new seculo-religious genre. Despite of the doctrine of separation of the church and state, most times it was the priests who were in charge of many other areas outside the religious realm such as education and politics. The far-reaching influence of the church had caused artists, musicians, architects, and authors to incorporate elements of the sacred in their work. Also these practitioners had fervent, deeply-rooted convictions which consciously and unconsciously pervaded their work. In the text Culture and Values: Survey of the Humanities, the dual presence of both sacred and secular represents the union of two major spheres. Cunningham observes that â€Å"the intermingling of secular with religious elements is thoroughly in accordance with Renaissance ideals† (Cunningham 291). Tiziano Vecelli (1473-1576) was a Renaissance artist who mingled the sacred and secular in his art pieces. His major masterpieces include The Assumption of the Virgin (1516), The Pesaro Madonna (1519-1526), Venus of Urbino (1538), Danae with Nursemaid (1553-1556), Presentation of the Blessed Virgin (1539), and St. Peter the Martyr (1530). His artistic life is characterized by the mixture, in one way or another, of Christian religious aspects with secular (and pagan) aspects. On one hand, one attests to Vecelli’s Marian devotion in his portraits such as The Assumption of the Virgin (1516-1518), which stands proudly in the Venetian Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and The Pesaro Madonna (1519-1526), placed at the Frari Basilica Chapel. The paintings laud Mary as a holy human intercessor and deity with the Child Jesus. Enmeshed in the words are the worship of the saints, heavenly glory, and apostles, all in a posture of solemn and sacred reverence At the same time his voluptuous painting of Venus is Venus of Urbino (1538) exhibits the nude body of a woman poised in a supine position on her bed, with seductive airs. Venus is the pagan goddess of love, fertility, and sex often depicted as a prostitute. Danae with Nursemaid also derives from Greco-Roman mythology. The art work demonstrates the naked Danae lying on a bed with her eyes heavenward and her maid Abbot Suger (1081-1151) is the one responsible for the rise of Gothic architecture and its popularity within the Christian church in the early ninth and tenth centuries. In the interpretation and construction of gothic buildings â€Å"(secular) builders and theologians worked closely together† (Cunningham 218). The collaboration of both secular and sacred perspectives gives birth to gothic architecture which began in Paris and which celebrated â€Å"the philosophical and theological traditions known as scholasticism† (Cunningham 209). Suger functioned as the Abbey of Saint Denis and therefore the architecture served both for religious uplift and secular admiration. The fusion of the secular and the sacred is evidenced in the proliferation of literature in the medieval and renascent times. The Summa Theologica, a literary and theological masterpiece, â€Å"represents †¦ the hierarchical and synthetic religious humanism of the middle ages† (Cunningham 232). Written by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the Summa Theologica sets forth the primary beliefs and dogma of the church explaining and confirming arguments for theocentrism and also containing humanism’s doctrines. The scriptorium was the designated writing room within monasteries. Cunningham documents that â€Å"from the seventh century on monastic scriptoria were busily engaged copying a wealth of material, both sacred and profane† (Cunningham 193). Priests and friars wrote several essays, poems, and theses. Moreover in the Islamic tradition, one sees the merger of the secular and the sacred. Islamic literature became a classic art form where calligraphic depictions of sacred writings are etched on Muslim mosques. The art work symbolizes the Muslim concept of their God, Allah, who encompasses everything. These writings were often extracted from passages in the Qu’ran. Observers in classic renaissance mosque bear witness to â€Å"elaborate mosaics and geometric decoration† (Cunningham 311). One major example of the Islamic artistic accomplishment is the Arabic script. The beautiful Arabic script was originally sacred as it read the holy words of the Muslim faith, however it soon became both sacred and secular, as fine art. â€Å"The Kufic script is one of the most beautiful earliest and most beautiful of Arabic calligraphy styles† (Cunningham 176). The geometric lines of the Kufic script are distinctive since they boast vertical lines and shapes. The Catholic Church endorsed â€Å"the double usage for humanist learning for secularist and spiritual reform† (Cunningham 289). Humanistic and theological principles were unified in order to reconcile two divergent views where philosophy became spiritualized. Another artist who believed in the seculo-religious merger was Wassily Kandinsky who composed Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1911) and â€Å"claimed that the source of all true art was the human soul† (Cunningham 307). This view is in accordance with humanism where man is at the center of the universe (often represented as a man, centralized within a circle). A characteristic of Kandinsky’s work is his obsession with geometry, triangles, and circles. Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Kandinsky likens man’s life as a triangular pyramid where the ultimate goal is to achieve ascendancy at the top. Man’s soul can either be base (at the bottom of the triangle or exalted at the zenith. This art system hearkens back to Leonardo da Vinci’s classical Vitruvian Man (1490) where the man is his own universe. This double dimensioned painting shows a naked man simultaneously with his legs apart and his legs together, and his arms apart in two positions. The homocentrtic man stands as his own measure enclosed in a circle and square. Kalinsky also saw the spirituality of color for in his work he expressed the joyful, spiritually ecstasy in vivid and bright color versus the dark, melancholic color. However, there were opponents to the union of secular and sacred who held that both should be kept separate. The unity between sacred and secular was not a smooth transition nor was it a unanimous movement, â€Å"the culture of the fifteenth century often was in fact a dialectical struggle at times classical ideals clashed with biblical ideals; at other times the two managed to live in harmony or in a temporary marriage of convenience. The strains of Classicism and Christianity interacted in complex and subtle ways† (291). Catholic Emperor Justinian I was a fan of secular and sacred architecture. He personally directed the erection of several, elaborate cathedrals with Byzantine designs. He helped construct many churches, convents, and palaces, namely, The Great Palace of Constantinople, Basilica Cistern, Church of St. Sophia, and Saint Apollinaire Nuovo. During the reign of Justinian, after the conquest of the old tribe, the Goths (from which one gets the word gothic), the art works of the conquered tribe became ornaments which were positioned within the churches. Cunningham testifies that gothic â€Å"mosaics were added to the church when the building passed from the Goths into Byzantine hands† (Cunningham 161). In Justinian’s time saw a marked proliferation of icon paintings which featured images of Christ and which commenced an iconic style. However, opponents to the incorporation of these icons rebelled to the new wave of art and thus became iconoclastic (thus the origin of the word). Justinian also had mosaics crafted of him and his wife, Theodora, called the Ravenna Mosaics. They portray the royal couple with divine auras around their heads which explain their religio-political views of divine right to rule. Movements within the church and religion rose up to keep the secular and the sacred separate. One such ardent critic of the seculo-religious combination is Girolamo Savonarola (1542-1498) who in an attempt to reform the church who embraced the secular, implemented book burning to expunge the decadent material from the holy writings. As a passionate Dominican friar, his radical views were vehemently anti-Renaissance and anti-humanist. He disagreed with the secular literary that was gaining ground within the church. However, he was condemned a heretic, excommunicated, and martyred. Savonarola wrote spiritual meditations based on Psalms 50 and Psalms 51. The Church also proscribed certain writings and did not tolerate heretical teachings such as Galileo’s Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632). Galileo Galilei wrote Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632) and following Copernicus, concluded that the sun was at the center of the universe. Galileo’s â€Å"discoveries brought ecclesiastical censure and he was forced to recant before the inquisition. Facing a possible excommunication and martyrdom, Galileo chose to renounce his beliefs to preserve his life while the Catholic Church bans his book as a forbidden text. Two branches of Buddhism emerge in the thesis and antithesis of the secular and the sacred. The Hinayana is a more rigid form of Chinese Buddhism whereas Mahayana is more worldly and was attractive to Confucians. On the ascetic side, Hinayana appreciated â€Å"Buddhist art (which) aimed to inspire spiritual meditation and a rejection of worldly values† (Cunningham 129). The art work that emblemized the adherent’s austerity is the Fasting Buddha. The image of the Fasting Buddha embodied â€Å"the command to renounce all worldly pleasures† (Cunningham 120). This sculpture forms an essential part of Gandhara Art which represents a thin, gaunt man in a cross-legged seated position with a halo about his head, symbolizing the resultant enlightenment. This antique shows Siddhartha who fasted for three months, denying himself and meditating. The monasteries which supported Mahayana grew faster and were patronized by the wealthy elite classes. Hinduism also contains a hybrid literature which included Hindu sacred text as well as secular tastes. The Gitanjali is an anthology of poems translated into English from the original Vedic manuscripts where its author, Rabindranath Tagore wrote the anthology which signifies â€Å"an offering of songs. † The poetry still retains its strong religious connotations nevertheless, it speaks of and brings together both worlds of the secular and the sacred. â€Å"in 1913, Tagore won the Nobel Prize for literature for Gitanjali, a collection of poems based upon traditional Hindu themes† (Cunningham 314). The work typifies a drawing together of two bodies the male and the female and at the same time uses this sexual imagery to relay information about the ultimate mystery of man’s spiritual union with the divine. In sum the joining of the secular and the sacred tells that although disparate in nature these dichotomies manage to combine and form a powerful force in art and literature. One cannot deny that in order to not lose its peculiar characteristics and identity, strategies of separation between the secular and the sacred have been executed. Holiness ought to be preserved as holy and the secular as its worldly self. Difference can be necessary in order to prevent dilution and weakening of core principles which can be misplaced with frequent mixture. Works Cited: Cunningham, Lawrence S. John J Reich. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, Wadsworth, Boston, 2006.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

English Is Declining Essay Example for Free

English Is Declining Essay From Indo-European to Germanic, from Anglo-Saxon to the English of Chaucer, from Shakespeare to Henry James, English language is rich and extremely malleable that has survived barbarian invasions. â€Å"Language is the most important and the most powerful weapon in the hands of a state that has decided to transform human beings† (qtd. in p. 79 John Rodden). I have noticed that the languages being used in old time movies sound more articulate and powerful than the languages we use today. George Orwell described many of the â€Å"bad habits† in English writings in â€Å"Politics and the English Language†. Some other people argue that the information age, for various technological and cultural reasons, has launched English into a new creative state. In his essay â€Å"Politics and the English Language†, George Orwell pointed out two qualities of the five specimens of the English language have in common (473). The first is staleness of imagery; the other is lack of precision. He also said that â€Å"if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. It is important to write in honest and clear language and vague writing can be used as a powerful tool of political manipulation. † â€Å"Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan, can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political parties. † (478) On the contrary, younger generations living in the new technology world think that a language lives, and will be subject to change. Jack G. Ganssle, a lecturer and consultant on embedded development issues, wrote that â€Å"Technology is leading to the total breakdown in the use of English. † He complains that â€Å"writing itself is degenerating as it mirrors the every-changing argot of the common person, as if there is some gold standard that statically defines a language for all time. Most of us accept the evolution of language over time. † He also used his favorite movie â€Å"The Mikado† as an example to justify his thoughts. In the movie, Gilbert’s cantankerous father scoffs at his son’s use of the newly-invented telephone, sniffing that â€Å"it will only lead to the further erosion of the English language. † And clearly the grumpy old man was wrong. I agree that the invention of the telephone is the most remarkable innovation in the history of mankind. Jack G. Ganssle used it as an example to imply that time would prove he is right on technology changes the way English is used. People like George Orwell and his supporters are not open minded to accept the change and development of new concepts in the world and still stick to the old rules. What Ganssle did not realize is that the invention of the telephone is not just a pure new technology, it enhanced the way how people communicate each other. Before the invention, people had to meet and talk, or rely on mailmen to deliver letters to each other. After the use of telephone, it made communication much easier and faster. People do talk and communicate much more than before. New technology might provide more channels people communicate each other, but it can’t replace the role of English language plays in people’s life. It is not the media that matters; it is the English language people use that matters. Interestingly, referring back to Orwell’s viewpoint on political writing I would like to ask Jack G. Ganssle and his supporters a question, â€Å"What would you do to deal with the fact that North Korea conducted asecond test of a nuclear weapon on May 26, 2009? † Text messaging â€Å"OMG! Stop it! †? That’s about the best method I can think of by your theory. Evidence shows that English is declining worldwide. The Philippines have been known for having the highest standard of English in Asia. According to Jonny in Manila, â€Å"English as a subject has suffered from lack of money, along with public education as a whole. † â€Å"The government-approved textbooks they will study illustrate the problem. A passage in one for 8-year-olds reads: â€Å"The dog rolled on the floor so fast and fell on the ground. There he laid yelling louder than ever. The dog yelled on top of his voice. † A book for 11-year-olds advises, mysteriously, â€Å"Just remember this acronym—DOCSiShQACNMN—to make it easy for you to remember the order of adjectives in a series. † I heard about a mother who sent her kid to school with the swine flu since she couldn’t afford to pay a babysitter to look after her sick child and she couldnt afford to stay home from work. If people dont even care enough to make tough decisions about the safety of their children, and other peoples children, how can proper education be made a priority? People are more money oriented and materialistic than they were before. Statistics also shows that by comparison, people nowadays study for future careers instead of self-interests developing. This also resulted in the declining of English. William M. Chace wrote, â€Å"The stability of these ideas in the postwar years, from the late 1940s until the early 1970s, permitted the spectacular growth in English departments. The number of English majors spurted up from 17,000 to 64,000 and the number of graduate students from 230 to 1,591. But by 1985/86, the number of undergraduate English majors had fallen back to 34,000, despite a hefty increase in total nationwide undergraduate enrollment. In the foreign languages, philosophy, and history, the story was the same: impressive growth followed by swift decline. The history of enrollments reveals, then, that the study of English and American literature enjoyed only a momentary glamour. † He also pointed out â€Å"Finding pleasure in such reading, and indeed in majoring in English, was a declaration at the time that education was not at all about getting a job or securing one’s future. In comparison with the pre-professional ambitions that dominate the lives of American undergraduates today, the psychological condition of students of the time was defined by self-reflection, innocence, and a casual irresponsibility about what was coming next. † Yes the new technologies have brought the whole world into a new era. There are much more temptations out there for people to own. When I was a kid, a plastic gun was good enough for me to enjoy my whole childhood. We played with dirt, with sand and water, with whatever the nature could offer. Parents and neighbors got together with kids reading stories. Let’s take a look at what kids grow up with today. Video games, cell phones, computers and internet. I am thrilled for the change and I also enjoy it. It seems like if all things around us start talking and listening meaningfully and we have enough bandwidth, there will be no need for reading or writing skills for most people. Road signs will be replaced by talking GPS. It sounds like a fantastic world. We have so many crutches to assist us in our daily life. People no longer need to memorize anything on their own. All you have to do is to make enough money in order to be able to afford them. I do enjoy the convenience and efficiency the advanced technology brings to us. Yet I pray every day there better be no power outage. We had a couple power outages in the server room at work these days. Guess what, I couldn’t do anything but wait for the power coming back since all my stuff are stored in company’s intranet and I can’t get connected to the server to extract the information to work on. Can you imagine what the world would be like if one day our crutches are not working properly? Would it be too late to find out we cannot even communicate properly on our own? I am in favor of George Orwell’s viewpoint. We ought to be able to speak and write English properly and precisely. New technologies can’t replace the power of English language. Works Cited Rodden, John. Scenes from an afterlife: the legacy of George Orwell. Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2003 Orwell, George. â€Å"Politics and the English Language. † Acting on Words: An integrated Rhetoric, Reader and Handbook. 2nd ed. Ed. David Brundage and Michael Lahey. Toronto: Pearson, 2009 471-81 Chace, William M. â€Å"The Decline of the English Department: How it happened and what could be done to reverse it† Autumn 2009 http://www. theamericanscholar. org/the-decline-of-the-english- department/ Ganssle, Jack. â€Å"The further decline of English. Technology is leading to the total breakdown in the use of English. Or something. † Nov. 2, 2005 http://www. embedded-systems. com/columns/embeddedpulse/173402052 Jonny. â€Å"Philippines: The Declining Standard of English† June 17, 2009 http://jonnynz. blogspot. com/2009/06/philippines-declining-standard-of. html

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Women and Gender in the Surrealist Movement

Women and Gender in the Surrealist Movement Surrealism refers to a kind of an abstract art. Surrealism is a product of Dada movement at the onset of the twentieth century. There several kinds of this form of art but the two distinct or major ones are the Veristic Surrealism and Automatism. Automatism is the kind of Surrealism, which received acceptance from the postwar art critics. Others consider surrealism a type of action painting. Artists do not consider surrealism a traditional form of art. Surrealism tends to deal with the inner thinking of the artist than the external visual reality. The Dada movement greatly influenced development surrealism as a twentieth century form art. The works of surrealists have elements of surprise and juxtapositions although the surrealists writers and artists consider their work as a means of expressing the philosophical nature of their movement .They also regard their work as artifacts. Andrà © Breton, the leader of the surrealist movement holds that Surrealism is a revolutionary movement. Surrealism emerged from the activities of Dada movement during the First World War. Surrealist movement had Paris as its most important center of operations. During the 1920s, surrealists spread their activities worldwide hence influencing literature, visual arts, music and film of many languages and countries, political thoughts and practices social theory and philosophy. The response by the women of the Surrealist movement to the refusal by their male counterparts to acknowledge the urgency and independence of women is quite evident in the artistic work of the women of surrealist movement. These women use animal imageries to resist and counter male control that is associated with the machine imagery. The use of wild animals as imageries expresses the essentially uncontrollable and wild nature of the female artists. Using nature and wild animals, the female surreal artists hope to counter the force of their male counterparts who prefer the use of controlling machines. Restricting the images and actions of women characterized surrealism especially the hesitation to acknowledge the female artists as independent. The male surrealists did not want to embrace the independent work of their female counterparts. The male surrealists expected the women to be their muse .the male surrealist artists regarded their female counterparts as a muse who is a child, insane or an erotic object and not one that represents an equally creative and capable artist. This woman forced to find ways of expressing their art beyond the confines of male expectations (Kelley, pgs 56). The women of surrealism were imaginative, bold and quite remarkable in different ways. These women were very active in surrealism even before the1924 in Paris appearance of the first manifesto of surrealism continues to illuminate and expand their artistic influence to date. This research paper highlights the quality, diversity, vitality and range of the female participants in the surrealist movement. The surrealists acknowledge the contribution of women to the surrealist movement and at times celebrate them but the women do not receive such recognition outside the Surrealist movement for their significant contribution. For example, there are very few books within the United States of America devoted to the subject of women and surrealism .the books tend to capture the contribution of individuals whose paintings and photography work still stand out in the art market posthumously. There is serious neglect on the work and contribution of the surrealist women who expressed their work mostly through written work. This kind of neglect results in the misapprehension of the surrealist movement and the maintenance of old stereotypes. Generalizing Surrealism based on painting alone is quite misleading and is a perfect recipe for misrepresentation of the roles played by the women in the surreal movement. Surrealism as a movement has never been composed of painters only but also includes ind ividuals engaged in other forms of art such as writing. There is glaring evidence of the many women poets, and thinkers who work is yet to receive proper recognition. These women contributed immensely to surrealism through ideas, which is a stimulus to imagination .Their ideas were like a liberating force and a source of inspiration to political, moral and poetic insurgency. The surrealist movement opposed de facto or overt segregation along ethnic, gender and political currents unlike many of the political and cultural currents of the twentieth century. The writings of women involved in surreal movement featured along the writings of their male counterparts. The writings by women for example featured during the issue of La Rà ©volution surrà ©aliste and their work formed part of the exhibitions by the surrealists. The surreal movement therefore benefitted greatly from the services of the women even more than some feminist organization due to their active participation in the move ment. Varo, 1955 .Figure 1(Kelley, pgs 56) The challenge, success and achievements of the women of the Surrealism movement are of great importance not only to the movement but also to the genuine seekers of inspiration, knowledge and a better world. Some of the writing by the women of the Surrealist movement is striking due to their contemporary nature and the anticipation of the present day cultural and radical preoccupations. The texts written by the Surrealist movement women thirty to sixty five years ago surpass the present day debates. Nancy Cunard made practical attempts to express her anti-racism convictions by engaging in African Jazz and African art rather than join in whiteness critique. This way, Nancy made her contribution to the liberation of blacks. The green thinking and environmental consciousness that characterize the activities of the surreal movement is quite amazing. The environmental consciousness and desire to live harmoniously with the wild is something to cherish. It is equally important to realize tha t the women in the surreal movement stressed and emphasized the relevance of incorporating ecological concerns into the work of the movement. Wildlife, wilderness and nature form an integral part of the compelling and inspiring themes in the activities of the surreal women. Leonora 1917 Figure 2(Gale, pgs 40). Through their work, the women of surreal movement highlight the relation between man and other animals. The women in the surreal movement drew attention to the threats facing the endangered species and expressing their solidarity with the endangered species. Through their work, the women of surreal moment advocates for sustainable lifestyles and non-exploitation of the planet .The women championed for ecological consciousness and dreamt of the realization of a healthy planet. In the dance, plastic arts and films writings and poetry by the women of surreal movement one gets the feel of the natural world as depicted in the new lights. Their caution of a planet in peril is consistent with most of their works highlighting their plight for environmental conservation and protection of the natural world. It is important to note the environmental concerns raised by the women of the surreal movement are manifesting themselves in the present day in form of climate change, which threatens the e xistence of many plants, animals and the livelihood of humankind. Carrington, Agar, Senard, Rahon and many others represent eco-feminism and forerunners of ecology (Gale, pgs 40). The women in the surrealist movement reoriented certain aspects of surrealism such the obsession with ones sexuality to interrogating femininity and highlighting the interplay between sexuality and gender. The women of surrealist movement managed to rewrite the metaphor of the violent disjunction that characterized surrealism into a positive narration of visionary transformation. The necessity and importance of surrealism to the generation of artists before the world is very significant. This group included Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, Toyen, Dorothea Tanning and Rammedios Varo. Dorothea, 1984 Figure 3 (Dawn, pgs 30). The contribution of women artists to furthering surrealism goals include liberating consciousness from the western thought full of polarities, from positivism and rationalism to the poetry of transformation, accident, ambiguity and the erotic metamorphosis are evident in their works. This group of women became the initial female adherents of this radical and vanguard movement of the twentieth century to explore sexuality as well as gender issues and to contribute towards the self-structured new narratives through visionary thinking. It is important to note that other women who joined the surrealist movement later after the year 1929-experienced marginalization by from their male counterparts. These women neither were of French decent nor were they present during the Surrealist movements formative years. This group of women who did not consider themselves contributed a lot to the activities and works of the surrealist movement but their participation and contribution is yet to earn re cognition. They actively participated in the activities and the exhibitions of the surrealists. Their work continues to circulate in the public domain especially in venues such as the museums, art galleries and exhibitions. The diversity and scope of the work of the surrealist women is evident in their artistic work thus highlighting the various kinds of interactions they had with the surrealists. Leonor Fini did not consider herself as a surrealist despite her close friendship and ties with the surrealists. She is close to several members of surreal movement such as Leonora Garrington and Max Ernst. She also had her work formed part of surrealist exhibitions of the 1930s. The work of Leonor Fini is rooted in the traditions of metaphysics ,symbolism ,German and Italian romanticism. Her work evolved from her earlier figurative paintings to highly evocative symbolic and personal figurations. The probing and complex portraits from her work reveal powerful draughtsman-ship. Her work vei led romanticism in an n evocative and rich manner. The work was often theatrical, characterized by a visual universe in which women and animals acted as carriers of psychic forces (Dawn, pgs 30). Leonoras mother introduced Leonora to the Surrealist movement while she was still a young girl after her mother gave a book on surrealism. She later took up residence among the surrealists .Leonora produced paintings and writings anchored on the belief in transformations, spiritual and psychic journeys. Stella Snead had paintings that bore the imprint of Surrealism even though she joined the surrealists formally. This became evident during the 1936 surrealists exhibition in London. The work had the features synonymous with the work of the surrealists such the startling juxtapositions of real and unreal, logical and illogical, reality and dream, conscious and the unconscious. The younger generation of this group of artists includes Kaye Sage and Dorothea Tanning. She used the metallic colors and abstract forms to relate the paintings to hallucinatory mental landscapes associated with Yves Tanguy and the psychological inscapes by Matta (Breton, pgs 67). Tanning 1944,Figure 4 (Breton, pgs 67) It is important to acknowledge that most of the women associated with the surrealist movement remain individual and diverse group. Their great contributions to the Surrealism by incorporating new perspective to the work of the surreal movement remain a legacy to behoove. In conclusion, it is important to note that women played a critical role in development of all the genres of writings and arts. The women were instrumental in shaping the radical and critical outlook of surrealism. Thus, ignoring or overlooking the contribution of women to surrealism is a deception, which amounts to failing to acknowledge the best aspect of surrealist movement.

Essay --

Abu Dhabi Police: Customer Relationship Management Abdullah Ali Mohamed K-91105597 Ahmed Abdullah Al Maysari K-81105597 â€Æ' Introduction about Abu Dhabi Police: Abu Dhabi Police is the major law enforcement agency in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which was established on 1957. Abu Dhabi Police is mainly responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout the Emirate. As a representative of the Ministry of Interior, and in its capacity as a global partner, the Abu Dhabi Police also works closely with local, national and international agencies to contribute to global peace and stability. Integrity, honesty and respect for human rights are the core values of the Abu Dhabi Police while the notion of public service is a central pillar in Abu Dhabi police thinking. Embraced as a legitimate partner by the community, the Abu Dhabi Police pursue efficiency and effectiveness through the use of the latest technological advancements and systems management practices. By incorporating the best of the old with the best of the new, Abu Dhabi Police has achieved the flexibility, adaptability and dur ability required to be widely regarded as one of the world's leading law enforcement agencies. Vision: To ensure continuity of Abu Dhabi emirate as community enjoys security and safety through the provision of high quality police services to citizens, residents of the emirate and its visitors. Mission: Working for a safe community, achievement of stability, reduction of crime rates. Contribution to implementation of justice in a manner that promotes the confidence of the public in police.â€Æ' The internal and external customers in Abu Dhabi police: Abu Dhabipolice externa... ...o customers are going in front of the other customers, in order to treat all the customers equally. Finally, availability of more seats in the waiting area will create a more satisfied customers, were they can be seated instead of standing in the crowded waiting area with a few seats available. Changes that can be implemented to improve the service provided by Abu Dhabi Police: Provide more smart services through the mobile, in order to complete all required services without the need to visit the service center. Continue providing training on communication skills to all the employees to maintain that the customers are satisfied while dealing with the customer’s service employees. Provide a suggestion and complains box to improve the service in Abu Dhabi police service centers in the future. References: http://www.adpolice.gov.ae/en/Portal/about.adp.aspx

Monday, August 19, 2019

Shoemaker - Levy 9 :: essays research papers

Shoemaker - Levy 9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over 200 million Megatons of dynamite collide with Jupiter. In July 1994 Shoemaker - Levy 9 collided with Jupiter. What is Shoemaker - Levy 9, and how was it discovered? What is Jupiter, and why did Shoemaker - Levy 9 collide with it? Can an event like this happen to Earth? I will answer these questions in this report. But let me start by telling you what Shoemaker - Levy 9 is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shoemaker - Levy 9 is a comet, a small irregular mass made up of rocks and frozen gasses. Comets follow large orbits from around the Sun to the outer corners of our solar system. A comet is so fragile that if you could hold a piece of it in your hands you could pull it apart. Comets only become visible when they get close enough to the Sun for it's heat to vaporize the comet's gasses causing a long tail called the coma. The coma of a comet can be millions of miles long. The comets themselves are only between 20 and 750 kilometers wide. Like all other objects the comet follows the law of gravity. It's orbit is decided by the largest object in the solar system, the Sun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shoemaker - Levy 9 was discovered photographically by Carolyn S. Shoemaker, Eugene M. Shoemaker, and David H. Levy on March 24, 1993. They used the Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California. Shoemaker - Levy 9 was named for it's discoverers and the nine indicates that it was the ninth short period comet discovered by this team. (A short period comet is a comet that has an orbit that lasts less than two hundred years.) Shoemaker - Levy 9 was confirmed by James V. Scotti of the Spacewatch Program at the University of Arizona. It was then given the designation 1993e by the International Astronomical Union's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. This designation shows that Shoemaker - Levy 9 was the fifth comet discovered in 1993. On May 22, 1993 Bureau Director Brian G. Marsdon reported that Shoemaker - Levy 9 could very well hit Jupiter by October of 1993. On October 18, 1993 Paul W. Chodas and Donald K. Yeomans reported to the American Astrono mical Society's Division of Planetary Sciences that the probability of impact of Shoemaker - Levy 9 into Jupiter was greater than 99%. They stated that the fragments would hit over a period of several days in the month of July 1994.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Wedding Toast - Best Man Essay -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech – Best Man Hello my name’s Paul and I’m Martin’s best man, although I’m sure Martin will have a new name for me by the time I’ve finished this. When Martin asked me to be his best man I was initially thrilled at the prospect. Unfortunately it didn't take long for this feeling of well being to dissolve into utter apprehension as I remembered the last time I had to stand up in a room full of people†¦.. I was found guilty and fined $300. I went to a wedding two weeks ago that was held in a nudist colony. Apparently I was just half an inch away from being the best man there too. By the way, if anyone is running a book on the length of this speech could I put $5 on it lasting 12 minutes please? Martin Firstly I’d like to congratulate Martin on his speech. I'm particularly impressed with the fact that you all paid attention and followed his instructions not to laugh. I’m also impressed that Martin followed my instructions to dress smartly today, although I am a bit disappointed he decided to copy my outfit. I have known Martin for over 10 long long years now. When I first met him in college he was loud, aggressive, rude, abusive and swore a lot, but just look at the man he’s become now†¦..nothing has changed. Whilst at college we discovered a local nightclub called Winkers. I would regularly witness Martin’s unique, raw, undiscovered style of dancing in Winkers that left the women speechl... ...any more happy years of friendship. On behalf of all of us in this room I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Pete and Sue Foster for the wonderful hospitality they have shown today. Martin would also like to thank Pete and Sue, in advance, for how well they’re going to treat him in the future. I’d also like to thank the bridesmaids and ushers today for their invaluable contribution to the wedding, I’m sure you’ll all agree with me that they all look wonderful. So, finally (get a glass in your hand): Here's to love, laughter And happily ever after. As Martin and Anne start their new life Please stand and toast the new husband and wife Ladies and gentlemen†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the Bride and Groom

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Ethics and Morality Essay

There is an inherent question on the basis of morality and whether or not it is a man-made, almost religious invention or if it is intrinsic to our beings as humans. I think that the rope that is the argument between is too complicated and tightly knotted to have a short conversation about, but by fraying the ends of the rope we can inevitably decide that morality is innate and that religion may have a part in building upon it, but not in creating it. The curiosity behind the topic of morality is normally fashioned by religious arguments for the assumption that a deity endowed us as humans with some sort of moral compass. However, by searching the brain for its different functions and activities during moral dilemmas and religious interactions, along with historical clues and a little knowledge of sociology, determining that morality is not created, only built upon, is inevitable. Morality is defined as normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons (Stanford). With this as a definition, the first question to rises is the following: What is one moral action that a believer can do that a non-believer cannot do? There are few answers to the inverse, if any, but non-believers do not pose that they have any stronger of a moral compass than believers, while believers do. It is incredibly important to think about an answer to this question because if there truly is no answer to this challenge, then a road has been paved toward an objective that we can already see, which is that being ethical and moral is not necessarily a religious view, so such claims can immediately be cast off and the topic can stay on a strictly scientific road. Now the consideration lies upon what is deemed as an ethical person. Is the president ethical in his decisions? Is a doctor ethical in his decisions? Of course, there is an ethical code in these circles, but does that immediately mean that any decisions outside of the codes are immoral? A moral person is normally described as somebody who takes into account the possible consequences of his or her actions and rationally decides on a choice based on how it may affect those around him. We call these people morally good because their contributions to whomever they are around are normally well thought-out, harmless contributions to the topic. However, this is simply a definition, and the person is simply his or her self. Take into account the thoughts of those around the subject. A religiously-convicted man would say that his religion is the reason for his good nature, while one not necessarily supporting religion would say that he is simply a good person. As an aside, there are multiple people who would take the chance to point out many historically immoral figures, such as Mao Zedong, Stalin, Pol Pot, who were atheistic. While it is true that these figures were indeed non-believers, it is important to distinguish the reasons for their immorality. It was not based on religion, but rather by social constructs and a greed for power that caused them to act out. Some may cite Hitler as an atheist as well, but they’d be digging their own grave. Hitler, in Mein Kampf, even gives credit to the Christian god, and had religious inscriptions on every Nazi-uniform belt. To get back to the previous point, it is important to take into account what those around the subject would perceive, and although the religiously-convicted man might have millions of people around the world following his train of thought, research done Dr. Pyssiainen and Dr. Hauser from the departments of Psychology and Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University offers an interesting perspective on the topic: â€Å"†¦Despite differences in, or even an absence of, religious backgrounds, individuals show no difference in moral judgments for unfamiliar moral dilemmas. The research suggests that intuitive judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit religious commitments. † Pyssiainen’s and Hauser’s study grants us that although religious backgrounds may indeed build upon moral constructs, as good religion is only positively influential to a good person, a complete lack of religious background is perfectly plausible if an individual wishes to be moral because moral judgments are not linked to religious commitments. This finding is absolutely crucial to determining whether or not morality is man-made or inherent to humans because it breaks the perceived bond between belief and morality. So their contribution to the topic has been seen through and accepted as a welcome source of reference. However, it is essential to look at the other side of the argument. Which studies show that seem to show that religion is a key factor in morality? Unfortunately, they are found few and far between. As a matter of fact, there are literally no scientific studies that show religion is crucial in the formation of morality. It’s widely granted that religion, in some aspects, can further construct upon morality and cause others to be exceedingly altruistic and generous, and that is conceded by Paul Bloom of Yale University, but it is not a formative agent. In his paper, â€Å"Religion, Morality, Evolution,† he accepts that religion can be a guiding influence on a positive path. However, he points out that it is by no means the reason for morality, and that religion itself may just be an accident by which humans needed an answer to questions that they couldn’t fathom without the help of a deity. Necessity dictates that there should be some rather fueled individuals on a topic as flammable as the topic of morality and religion. Speaking as an outsider looking in, I cannot very well use the words of Christopher Hitchens, though I would love to dearly, because he was so against religion. While he was indeed logical in most of his claims, he was a self-described anti-theist, meaning that he was against a spectating deity who watched over each individual. Thus, his words would seem rather biased. However, Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, and Sam Harris, a well-known neuroscientist, are individuals who speak strictly through logical and provable means. Richard Dawkins posed the same point as Paul Bloom that religion is most likely an accident through evolution that was used as a possible answer to the world’s greatest questions, and Harris poses multiple reasonable points. The most relevant, though, is that if the bible were the only book in the world, it would be rational to use it as a basis for morality. However, because the bible is not the only book in the world and society is far more civilized now than it was when the bible was conceived, it is reasonable to assume that the bible is not the best book for building a moral compass. To end on a rather short note, there are few, if any, scientific studies arguing that religion is the factory that builds moral compasses. However, there are studies being conducted which follow Pyssiainen’s and Hauser’s and should end up corroborating their finds that morality works independently of religious constructs and confines. Thus, it is both rational and reasonable to assume that, after looking through history at the reasons for extreme wrongdoings and the social situations that facilitated them, and the evidence against opposing claims, morality is indeed intrinsic to our human nature and that it is simply augmented by outside forces, such as good religion. References Bloom, Paul, Religion, Morality, Evolution (January 2012). Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 63, pp. 179-199, 2012. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn. com/abstract=1982949 or http://dx. doi. org/10. 1146/annurev-psych-120710-100334 Cell Press (2010, February 9). Morality research sheds light on the origins of religion. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://www. sciencedaily. com /releases/2010/02/100208123625. htm Harris, Sam. Letter to a Christian Nation. New York: Random House, Print. Harris, Sam. The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. New York: W. W. Norton, Print. Pyysiainen, Hauser et al. The origins of religion Q1 : evolved adaptation or by-product? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, February 8, 2010 â€Å"The Nature of Morality and Moral Theories. † Morality and Moral Theories. University of San Diego. Web. 12 May 2013. .

Friday, August 16, 2019

Character Analysis of Thomas Gradrind in the Hard Times Essay

Thomas Gradrind is the first character presented in the book Hard Times by Charles Dickens. He is one of the central figures through whom the author weaves a web of intricately connected characters and plotlines. The main central features of his character are his monotone attitude and appearance that is mechanized. Mr. Gradrind’s opening speech to a group of young students during the opening scene embodies his dryness and the hard fact that he impounds in his student’s heads.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gradrind is best described physically as an â€Å"obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders† by the narrator, which is suggestive of Gradrind’s unrelenting rigidity (Dickens, 2001, p.47). During the first few chapters, Gradrind expounds his philosophy of calculating his rational self interest. He believes that human nature can be governed by complete rational rules. He is also ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature and be able to tell what it comes to. He lives by a joyless, pure memorization approach to education and life.   In the novel, his dull approach regarding education is shown: Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the    principle on which I bring up these children.   Stick to Facts, sir!† (Dickens, 2001 p.47) By this philosophy, he was able to triumph financially and socially. Even his way of living as a hardware merchant is an implication of his fixation on hard material reality. He also became a member of the Parliament and this position allowed him to indulge his interest tabulating data about people from England. Though he is not a factory owner, he evinces the spirit of Industrial Revolution as he treats people like a machine that can be reduced to a number of principles of science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although it seems that the narrator’s description of Gradrind seems depressing, the latter also undergoes significant change in the novel which later catches the narrator’s sympathy. This is when Louisa confessed to Gadrind that something really important is missing in her life and that she is unhappy about marrying Bounderby. This makes Gradrind realize that the education system that he has is not perfect. This is also proven when he learned that Tom, his son, robbed the bank of Bounderby. After Gradrind realizes his failures, he admits to himself that he is really sorry for relying too much on facts. The dilemmas of his children made him feel and learn love, compassion and sorrow. He later becomes a humble man and making his facts and figures in greater connection with the virtues of faith, hope and charity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the book, Thomas Gradrind was a man who clings to facts and statistical objects as the only truth. He believes that these are the important things that should be dealt with in order to achieve a healthy productive life. This makes him somewhat closed-minded since he solely sticks to his own vision of truth about life. He can be quoted as a perfectionist who strives to make his children perfect and raised them with perfection. Ironically, his children cannot absorb all that he was feeding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Gradrind lives in a reality where he always depends on meanings and calculations. This trait of his was shown in his dialogues such as this: Herein lay the spring of the mechanical art and mystery of educating the reason without stooping to the cultivation of the sentiments and affections. Never wonder.   By means of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, settle everything somehow and never wonder† (Dickens, 2001 p.89) This implies that he has a scientific and mathematical approach to life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After being a prominent citizen of Coketown he later becomes one of the Parliament members. This gives him a chance to implement a one-sided practical philosophy on local schools. He is often viewed as rationalist, self-centered and cold. In raising and teaching children like Louisa, Tom, Jane, Adam, and Malthus, he sees to it that they are equally practical. They are also always forbidden to nurture emotions and fill their minds with imaginations. He also views love and forbearance as a means of regulating facts and figures. Not until Louisa runs to him in full distress of the impending misfortune when she marries Bounderby that he realizes the limitations of his philosophical notions about hard facts. Despite his stubbornness and fixation on logic, Gradrind is a great father to his children. He raised his kids well because he always wanted the best for them. He does things which he thinks will benefit their individuality. Thus, after hearing Louisa’s troubles, he makes it a point to change himself and support her in her agony. For his children, he learned to repent for his wrongdoing and became ready to change his ways that caused his children’s unhappiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main conviction of Gradrind in the story is his utilitarian point of view regarding facts and figures. Being a man of facts and figures, utilitarianism is manifested in his view of every individual. Rather than see people as a unique person, he develops a general view of people, which focuses on their productivity and usefulness in the society as a whole. He feels that everything in life can be measured through universal calculation and tabulations. Everything can be computed, from interior designing to marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Further analysis of Gradrind’s character suggests that he also mirrors the way people think during the era of industrialization. Charles Dickens wanted to explain to his readers the ideals and disadvantages of industrialization. Thomas Gradrind is an embodiment of how an individual embraces the beliefs and practices of industrialization. The way factory owners think during the time of industrialization is shown in the character of Gradrind. They are only after the monetary gain rather than the individual worth of the workers.   Dickens created an enduring tale that reflects the issues of an era filled with historical transformation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The philosophy of utilitarianism and its connection to industrialization is given enough meaning through Thomas Gradrinds character. After practicing the fact philosophy, his daughter Louisa made him realize that something is more important than the lessons of facts and figures. Before the novel ends, she ends up confessing to her father that â€Å"there seems to be nothing here but languid and monotonous smoke† (Dickens, 2001, p.78). She complains how mechanized the way her father raised her that brought her such misery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is in the near end of the novel that Gradrind realizes and sees his errors. He feels sorry for the way his children suffered his ideological principle. For the first time he did not dwell on facts and figures and humbly felt sorry for what he did, Dickens used Gradrind to tell readers how to understand that there is more to life than facts and figures. He wanted to use Gradrind’s character to show that everyone can change even the industrialized society during that time. Thomas Gradrind can be viewed by readers as character of change. He changed his philosophical ideals in place of something more important—his family’s happiness. Each individual has his or her own set of principles. Although it is worth sharing with others, it should not be shared to the extent of imposing it to others to follow. It should also not be used to manipulate other people. Gradrind can be an eye opener for many people who live under the influence of abusive power and authority. Louisa’s case made a turning point on her father’s life and paved the way for a better life for his children. Work Cited Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Norton Critical Edition 3rd Ed. 2001.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Epic poetry Essay

?This article is about the art form. For other uses, see Poetry (disambiguation). Literature Major forms Novel Poem Drama Short story Novella Genres Comedy Drama Epic Erotic Nonsense Lyric Mythopoeia Romance Satire Tragedy Tragicomedy Media Performance (play) Book Techniques Prose Poetry History and lists Outline of literature Glossary of terms History (modern) Books Writers Literary / Poetry awards Discussion Criticism Theory Sociology Magazines Literature portal v t e â€Å"Poem†, â€Å"Poems†, and â€Å"Poetic† redirect here. For other uses, see Poem (disambiguation), Poems (disambiguation), and Poetic (disambiguation). Poetry (from the Greek poiesis — — meaning a â€Å"making†, seen also in such terms as â€Å"hemopoiesis†; more narrowly, the making of poetry) is a form of literary art which uses aesthetic and rhythmic[1][2][3] qualities of language—such asphonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre—to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning. Poetry has a long history, dating back to the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh. Look more:  types of satire essay Early poems evolved from folk songs such as the Chinese Shijing, or from a need to retell oral epics, as with the Sanskrit Vedas, Zoroastrian Gathas, and the Homeric epics, the Iliadand the Odyssey. Ancient attempts to define poetry, such as Aristotle’s Poetics, focused on the uses of speech in rhetoric, drama, song and comedy. Later attempts concentrated on features such as repetition, verse form and rhyme, and emphasized the aesthetics which distinguish poetry from more objectively-informative, prosaic forms of writing. From the mid-20th century, poetry has sometimes been more generally regarded as a fundamental creative act employing language. Poetry uses forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. The use ofambiguity, symbolism, irony and other stylistic elements of poetic diction often leaves a poem open to multiple interpretations. Similarly, metaphor, simile and metonymy[4] create a resonance between otherwise disparate images—a layering of meanings, forming connections previously not perceived. Kindred forms of resonance may exist, between individual verses, in their patterns of rhyme or rhythm. Some poetry types are specific to particular cultures and genres and respond to characteristics of the language in which the poet writes. Readers accustomed to identifying poetry with Dante, Goethe, Mickiewicz and Rumi may think of it as written in linesbased on rhyme and regular meter; there are, however, traditions, such as Biblical poetry, that use other means to create rhythm and euphony. Much modern poetry reflects a critique of poetic tradition,[5] playing with and testing, among other things, the principle of euphony itself, sometimes altogether forgoing rhyme or set rhythm. [6][7] In today’s increasingly globalized world, poets often adapt forms, styles and techniques from diverse cultures and languages.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The Force of Circumstance

Brief summaryGuy, an administrator of a small British colonial outpost, has lived there for ten years. When he was on holiday in England he met Doris. They married and she returned to the station with him. At first they are very happy but then Doris notices a young Malay woman with three half-caste children hanging around the bungalow and annoying Guy very much. Finally Guy confesses that he had a relationship with the woman and that the children are his.Doris needs time to consider this shattering news, in the meantime they continue to live as before but Doris refuses to share her bedroom with her husband and the atmosphere is strained. Eventually Doris returns to England although she knows that Guy loves her and understands that he acted out of loneliness. But she cannot overcome her prejudices and cannot accept the idea that her white husband has had an intimate relationship with a native. Guy, unhappy and lonely, allows the Malay woman and their children to come back.Structure of the plotThe story is carefully constructed like a five-act drama with tension rising to the climax of Guy’s disclosure speech.exposition – introduction to the exotic scenery and the harmonious couplerising conflict – the confrontation of charactersclimax – Guy’s monologue and Doris’s reactionfalling action – Doris’s long suffering and period of indecisiondenouement – Doris’s leaving and the restoration of the former circumstancesThere are hints at the beginning which foreshadow the crisis and you will probably guess from the first mention of the half-caste boys what the conflict in the story is about. What creates the tension is the desire to know how Doris will cope with this situation.Doris says that she’s thankful Guy never had a Malay woman (p. 43 , ls. 1-2)D. cannot accept the excuses Guy makes for the behaviour of European men (p.43, ls.21-22)Guy’s unusual display of affection when he drew Dor is to him as she passed(p.45.ls.27-28)Guy’s â€Å"deathly white† face(p.47, l.3) when he sees the Malay woman at the tennis court and his  silent and bad play afterwards â€Å"there was a change in Guy† (p. 48, l.24)Guy’s â€Å"ashy† face (p.50, l.10) after his servant has roughly turned the woman away. â€Å"He was nervous and irritable† (p.51, ls. 6ff.)SettingThe story is set in the part of Borneo controlled by the British. Which area the story is set in is unclear and not of much importance, as Maugham uses the exotic setting to show the interaction between European and indigenous people and cultures. The newly arrived European woman views the surroundings with a mixture of fascination with the exotic and fear of the unknown. The tropical scenery is described in a way (esp. through colours and sounds) that reveals the mood of the characters.the lead-up to the dramatic climax of Guy’s disclosure is accompanied by a heavy storm, re inforcing the rising tensionthe disclosure is made under an open sky (â€Å"the night was starry†)sounds (as well as colours) gain an immediate presence, esp. the croak of the chik-chak, which appears at crucial moments in the storyDoris tries to import an English lifestyle into a home which until her arrival had contained mostly objects from the indigenous culture (p.44/45) —- her wedding presents, playing tennisCharactersGuyGuy is a fun-loving, cheerful, ugly and noisy sort of person. He has a naturally optimistic nature and likes to laugh a lot. Doris cannot resist his charm.Having lived all his life in the tropics and coming from a family tradition of colonial service, he seems to be the perfect type of colonial agent: he speaks the native language fluently and moves easily between two cultures. From his point of view there is nothing wrong with his ‘going native’.He regards the native woman as an inferior person who fulfils his physical needs and help s him overcome his loneliness, only to be pensioned off when  she is no longer needed. He feels no affection for his children, natives are treated as though they had no feelings or rights.DorisDoris is a pretty, honest person. Before marriage she had a not very important post as secretary to an MP and cared for her widowed mother. Her decision to marry Guy after knowing him for only a month may have been forced by the prospect of a more interesting and exotic life and material and social betterment. Doris is described as self-contained, competent and has ‘deft hands’.She dislikes Guy’s carelessness and is shocked by the behaviour of European colonizers and by her husband’s insensitivity to such immorality. Reasons why Doris will in the end decide against life with her husband:she is shocked at his strategy of hiding his former life from hershe is hurt when she learns the reasons why Guy married hershe cannot tolerate the irresponsible manner with which h e treats his black familyshe cannot stand the idea of him touching a black womanDoris is unable to overcome her middle-class British prejudices and instead of adapting to the new circumstances, of tolerating a certain degree of assimilation toward the native culture, she gives up a relatively happy marriage and returns to the purity of unhappiness and poverty.The Malay WomanShe is never called anything else but ‘the Malay woman’ or ‘the woman from the kampong’ and she never speaks, but her physical presence is strongly felt through her persistent gaze and the way she intrudes on Guy’s life. She is a powerful figure, determining the course of action to her advantage, finally taking over the role of the female in Guy’s home. Unlike Doris she is not humiliated by the existence of another woman and proudly claims her position as wife and mother. She is the stronger of the two .ThemesGoing NativeWhite men actually had a general fear of ‘going native’ which means adapting to the native way of life. So many white men in the colonies insisted on wearing European clothes or retained their typical European lifestyle.They  were afraid to lose their own identity in having too much contact with the natives which would threaten their authority and power. According to imperialist ideology they felt superior and an intermingling of the races had to be avoided. In fact it was very difficult for the white men in the colonies to resist the temptation of the native women because they were the only females around and their exoticism was very attractive. Isolation and loneliness often made the white men forget the standards of behaviour and their fear of ‘going native’.Daily Life in the Colonies  importation of the British lifestyle to the colonies ( tennis and cricket, afternoon cocktails, and leisure clubs )  contact with the homeland is kept up by newspapers and letters — the tropical climate structur es the rhythm of the day: they get up early to make the most of the cool morning, they indulge in long afternoon siestas and enjoy social engagements orThe Force of Circumstance sport towards the evening.Point of viewThe third-person narrator tells the story from an unlimited omniscient point of view, moving freely in and out of the protagonists’ minds. He observes, but does not make judgements.StyleA large portion of the story is taken up by dialogue, another theatrical element, and as there are few long descriptive or reflective passages the plot gains speed and concentration. The language used especially in the dialogues is informal and sometimes ironic The informal vocabulary, the relatively short, simple sentences and the passages of dialogue resemble spoken language. The descriptive passages of the landscape and the characters make use of more figurative language ( images and metaphors, similes, alliteration and inversion )The authorMaugham’s travels in the Pacif ic region were a turning point in his life for there he met a completely new type of person. †It seemed to me that these men had more vitality than those I had known â€Å". To him it was refreshing to discover people who did not live according to conventional European standards. Although in his colonial stories M. depicts the moral damage done  to colonial agents as well as to natives, he never questions the colonial system as such.