The Reality Of A Hero - Definition Essay Essays - Fantasy Tropes

the reality of a hero - definition essay jj The Reality of a Hero Heroes are a creation of a society's take on someone to be worshiped and adored. The most common definition of a hero is a man who is given great courage and strength, praised for his good looks, does no wrong and is the object of admiration for every man, woman and child. Heroes have had changing roles since man wrote his story, and all have been the picture of each society and each civilization's ideals. Now a days a child with visions of hoop dreams, is largely affected by basketball superstar, Michael Jordan. He inspires the young depraved ghetto child to rise up against his unfortunate circumstances. Aside from their many important qualities, and their thought to be flawless identities, all heroes possess faults because they are human and all humans fail sometimes. Heroes begin to fold and make mistakes as they are suddenly thrown into the limelight, and their pureness is broken and looked over as the public craves to see the dirt underneath the hero. There are heroes for all ag es, and for both men and women. Although now a days the definition of a hero depends on society's beliefs, laws and their imaginations. Heroes making mistakes are only natural, they are human and all humans possess faults. All human beings are born and die with character traits, which can be, helpful or harmful. People normally have traits ranging from a perfectionist, to the most common, a coward. These traits form the human personality and define the individual's personal nature. The nature of our so called heroes are, as defined before, brave and full of courage, the object of admiration and respect to all. Teen gangs beat, rape and steal all the while embracing courage, bravery and look down on cowards and stupidity. That, sounding a lot like the character traits of the ideal hero, is perceived very differently in the eyes of the public. Bank robbers, rapists and gang members are not at all role models for society yet they carry the same character traits as them. The definition of a hero is not detailed enough to relate to all people in all situations, and is not broad to fulfill every persons imagination. In a f airy tale book a hero is described as a gracious knight who prides himself on his own personal truth, honor, freedom, and courtesy. The author views a hero as one who is without fault, and truly embodies all goodness. Heroes aren't all goodness though, that is just what their definition believes they should be. Public figures, our modern heroes, are living a life of pain as the newspapers praise them and at the same time rip them to shreds. All heroes from across the globe have to deal with it, from Walt Disney to Princess Diana. With all their good deeds and amazing accomplishments, they were never seen as heroes just because it was said or written that they made a few mistakes. It should not matter what errors they made but how they react to them and what they are going to do about it. Of course that is only one opinion, based on a belief that has been influenced by this day and age as all imagination has. Heroes have become more and more the personal idea of an individual. In the fairy tale, the knight and his white hoarse is the common definition of a hero, but he is not the only one. Every individual in our known world has a different definition of a hero, and it is only through that personal understanding that a true hero may surface. Young children grow up in a world where they are placed in front of the television and begin to view the world from a very different perspective compared to the generation before them. Which exposes them to view people with twisted ideals compared to that of their parents. They have different methods of reasoning that lead to the changing roles of heroes within the human race. Heroes like superman are put away and forgotten while Bart Simpson, the trouble maker from the dysfunctional family TV show, is every ten year olds

Planning for Feasibility Study Essay

Planning for Feasibility Study Essay Planning for Feasibility Study Essay Planning for Feasibility Study Pine Valley Furniture is currently going through a proposed transition to implement two new systems into their business. With current sales up at Pine Valley furniture, it has increased the overall workload. One is the Customer Tracking System; this system will be in place to help the marketing department track customers purchases, along with activity and sales trends. The other system being proposed to be implemented is the WebStore. The WebStore will assist Pine Valley Furniture stay current in the market place with other companies that are selling furniture to individual, and commercial alike. In doing so, these systems will generate revenue for the company. It will take some expenditure to integrate the systems, but the overall long run, it will provide profits for the company. The Customer Tracking System will show us, how the company is doing with purchases, it will also show what the trendy products that customers are searching for are, and in addition, it will give the sales department a greater look at the overall sales numbers. The WebStore will make shopping immensely more convenient for customers to purchase from us. Not everybody has the time to go to a store front, the WebStore will give the customers the ability to browse and purchase in the comfort of their own home. Currently we are using a manual method as well as outdated computer software to track sales related information. In this current system we are currently in, it is causing delays in buying trends, and the data that is being generated is taking some time to get to the spread sheet after the initial point of sale occurs. In addition to that, manual data entry can be prone to have errors involved in the process. With this PVF believes that the work is overloading the systems, which in turn is causing more work, because of inaccurate information. The whole system needs to be evaluated against our current manual methods alongside the new computer systems to be implemented. With sales up a nd growth happening throughout Pine Valley Furniture, it is important we stay ahead of the old ways of doing business. Implementing these systems should handle all customer activity such as, purchasing, support, reporting, as well as assist marketing personal to understand the market as a whole. These new system will put PVF on the market with other competitors, but mainly to better serve our customers. With the market for furniture very vast in nature, it is important that Pine Valley Furniture takes advantage of any opportunity that may present itself. The size of the furniture business is relatively large, with furniture and furnishing sales reaching $101.41billion in the United States. In

Ancient Roman Calendar Terminology

Ancient Roman Calendar Terminology The Ides Can Be on the 15th You may know that the Ides of March the day on which Julius Caesar was assassinated was the 15th of March, but that doesnt mean the Ides of a month was necessarily on the 15th. The Roman calendar was originally based on the first three phases of the moon, with days counted, not according to a concept of a week, but backward from lunar phases. The new moon was the day of the Kalends, the moons first quarter was the day of the Nones, and the Ides fell on the day of the full moon. The Kalends section of the month was the longest, since it spanned two lunar phases, from the full to the new moon. To see it another way: Kalends New Moon (no moon to be seen)Nones 1st quarter moonIdes Full Moon (whole moon visible in the night sky) When the Romans fixed the length of the months, they also fixed the date of the Ides. In March, May, July, and October, which were (most of them) months with 31 days, the Ides was on the 15th. On other months, it was the 13th. The number of days in the Ides period, from the Nones to the Ides, remained the same, eight days, while the Nones period, from the Kalends to the Nones, might have four or six and the Kalends period, from the Ides to the start of the next month, had from 16-19 days. The days from the Kalends to the Nones of March would have been written: Kal.ante diem VI Non. Mart.ante diem V Non. Mart.ante diem IV Non. Mart.ante diem III Non. Mart.pr. Non. Mart.Nonae The days from the Nones to the Ides of March would have been written: ante diem VIII Id. Mart.ante diem VII Id. Mart.ante diem VI Id. Mart.ante diem V Id. Mart.ante diem IV Id. Mart.ante diem III Id. Mart.pr. Id. Mart.Idus The day before the Nones, Ides or Kalends was called Pridie. Kalends (Kal) fell on the first day of the month. Nones (Non) was the 7th of 31 day months March, May, July, and October, and the 5th of other months. Ides (Id) fell on the 15th of 31 day months March, May, July, and October, and on the 13th of other months. Calendars | Roman Calendars Ides, Nones on the Julian Calendar Month Latin name Kalends Nones Ides January Ianuarius 1 5 13 February Februarius 1 5 13 March Martius 1 7 15 April Aprilis 1 5 13 May Maius 1 7 15 June Iunius 1 5 13 July Iulius 1 7 15 August Augustus 1 5 13 September September 1 5 13 October October 1 7 15 November November 1 5 13 December December 1 5 13 If you find this view confusing, try Julian Dates, which is another table showing the dates of the Julian calendar, but in a different format.

Classification of Groups in Glee (Pilot) Assignment

Classification of Groups in Glee (Pilot) - Assignment Example For example, Phin’s mother is single but has a boyfriend who is friendly with her son and encourages him into realizing his potential. However, he separates from Phin’s mother leaving Phin to take of his mother alone. Eventually, he is forced to sell drugs in order to sustain his mother. In this group include teachers, trainers, and guitarists. One of the most notable characters in this category is Mr. Shu also known as Will. Through his determination and his belief in the school student’s he develops a choir and also helps some in unlocking their potential. For example, he helps Phin in realizing who he is and in embracing his singing abilities. He also helps in bringing together the choir as one and also makes them believe in themselves. Another notable adult is the principal whose command on other teachers is spectacular. Through his leadership, he is able to command everyone under him. He is also able to maintain law and order in the school. This group is made up of various students with the major ones being the singers and the dancers. The students are quite young and their interests are way different from the adult’s interests. However, one of the most notable aspects of this group is their talent either in basketball or in the choir. Some of them like Phin has dual talents meaning that they can sing as well as manage in other areas since Phil is also an important player. The only thing missing in this group is their love for education since they claim that they won’t make it past high school. However, from their enthusiasm, it is clear that most of these students are headed for bigger things than what they can see.  

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week Essay

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week - Essay Example Just as Nahavandi (2006) points out, the two leaders are similar, in that they are very passionate about achieving organisational goals. Mary Kay is passionate to the point of nurturing intra-organisational relations to achieve it, while Gates is passionate about having employees being results-oriented. The leaders differ in that Gates is a low LPC, unlike Mary Kay. The latter believes that nurturing intra-organisational relations with and among employees is key to achieving performance target, unlike Gates who sees personal touch among/with employees as peripheral to the achievement of actual organisational goals. From a personal standpoint, I prefer working with Mary Kay because closer intra-organisational relations are sacrosanct in the quest to horn talents and skills [this in itself wards off high turnover], build team spirit, strengthen organisational loyalty and nurture commitment to organisational goals and vision. All these are valuable factors to organisational stability, growth and success. Bill Gates’ great emphasis on brilliance is not all-embracing and his penchant for being rude at times may mean that he is totally not in control of his firm: desired talents may walk out on him eventually. From the foregoing, it is clear that Gates is a low LPC, as opposed to Mary who is a high LPC. Like Gates, low LPC may so much care about performance more than forging work-related relations. Although this may be meaningful in the attainment of organizational goals at face value, yet it is the most unfavorable approach to pursue. This is because, organizational success is a culmination of factors such as: teamwork [and teamwork in turn draws hugely from close-knight relations], effective talent management [which entails the democratization of the workplace, the enhancement of employees’ welfare and injective competitiveness in work performance at departmental and intra-personal level] and having a

Feminism in the Handmaids Tale Essay Example for Free

Feminism in the Handmaids Tale Essay Some would argue that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a book that pulls its ideas and beliefs about women and their place in society from the Bible. But based upon the novel, the Bible, and some writings by Christian writers, that is true, but highly skewed. Let’s begin by taking a look at how society is setup in The Handmaid’s Tale so we can have a clear understanding where the author is coming from. The whole premise is that women have lost all power, freedom, choice, and equality and are instead deemed either suitable for slave/maid type work or bearing children. Girls are taken to Rachel and Leah Re-education center, or the red center, as the girls living there knew it, and â€Å"indoctrinated† or brainwashed into the ideologies of the government and taught that their only role is to conceive children. They are also told that the structure of this society (Gilead) is better for women, more respectful and safe. Offred, the main character in the novel has a very monotonous and strict routine everyday that consists of shopping for the commander, the man of the house, and visiting the doctor frequently to be checked, and then undergo the ceremony. This ceremony is the emotionless, speechless sex that she has with commander in order to bear children because of the sudden drop in reproduction in the past society. Now that we have the groundwork laid, lets look at a couple ways they skew the role of women from what it is meant to be according to the Bible. The ceremony that they participate in includes reading from the Bible before engaging in sex. The only problem with that whole idea, is that they only read a small passage of one book every time, that speaks about a barren women urging her husband to lie with her servant so they may have a child. The problem with this is that it’s taken completely out of context. The backstory to Rachel, the barren woman, is that Jacob was supposed to be married to her after working for her father for seven years, but instead Laban, the father, gives his older daughter Leah to lie with Jacob. When he discovers he was tricked he tells Laban he will work another seven years if he can have Rachel as his wife. Because God saw that Rachel was much more loved than Leah, he made Rachel barren and blessed Leah with four children. This is why Rachel asked Jacob to lie with a servant girl; she was envious of her sister Leah (The Holy Bible ESV, Gen. 29-30). The way it is portrayed in the novel is just as a source of reason. The commander and the government need a way to convince women of society that what they are doing is good and it is what they are designed to do. The Bible also speaks in Genesis how man and woman were created in God’s image and how both are equally valuable. Women in Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are not at all treated equal. Wayne Grudem says it well in his book Bible Doctrine, †¦and Paul emphasizes, â€Å"In the Lord, woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for woman was made from man, so now man is born of woman† Both men and women are equally important; both depend on each; both are worthy of honor† (201). This quote really shows how incorrect the society of Gilead has interpreted the Bible and also how poorly they have viewed women. They claim the safest way to protect the women is to restrict all their rights and give them the opportunity of one of three positions in society, which of those three, they do not even get to select. There are few instances in the novel that represent love, affection, or care; and this would be in the previous world and then between Offred and Nick and even that is a lot of physical affection more than true love. The Bible clearly states in Ephesians 5, â€Å"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church† (Eph. 5). This whole idea is nowhere near represented in The Handmaid’s Tale. The commander is married to the wife almost as a status. He has total authority over her and because she is barren they do not even sleep together. To bare child, he lies with the Handmaid, and to have pleasure, he visits Jezebels, which is a strip club. Which brings up another point in which prostitution and pornography were two of the major staples in the State’s philosophy of keeping women protected, yet they still have clubs that the men visit to enjoy themselves. Some may argue that there is biblical text to support everything that was done, such as Titus 2:5, which states â€Å"†¦women are to be submissive to their own husbands† (Titus. 2. ). This verse is said amongst many other actions women should portray towards their husbands, but it is originally meant, all out of love for their husband and ultimately for their love of Christ. Gilead believes having authority over everyone’s lives and particularly complete control of women. This just one more example of the misconstrued biblical reference portrayed how they see fit. This whole concept of people pulling verses out of context and twisting them to what they want is why so many people have a hard time believing in the truth. It has been so misinterpreted to what people want to believe or how people want others to believe. Gilead’s focus is on reproduction, order, control, and power. They have just found a way to use religion as a tool for their own plans, and in doing so have butchered the entire meaning of the device they are using. One more example of this is through other biblical references in the language. The entire book uses a variety of religious or Biblical language which includes but is not limited to: soldiers being called angels, the domestic servants are called Marthas, the store Milk and Honey, and even vehicles carry religious terms such as behemoth or chariot. These terms are used to help solidify the State’s justification for their actions. Using Biblical terms allows them to continue to preach that everything they do is to protect and serve according to the Bible. Again the problem is that they pull what they want from context and don’t use it according to how the original author intended it for the original audience, or how God meant for us to live. Margaret Atwood wrote a great novel describing what life could be like; if suddenly all women were subject to men’s rule and forced to live under such rigid conditions due to society’s prior downturn. Although the basis of Gilead, and it’s ideas and beliefs were high misinterpreted passages and references of biblical text. As previously stated, if someone is going to use biblical and historical references to support a cause or form a governing society, they must have the facts straight. This means using them in context, and for the original intended purpose. Not changing them or falsifying them to fit your ideas and beliefs.

Personal Essay: I Propose To Change The Status Of Craighead County, Ar :: essays research papers

Personal Essay: I Propose To Change the Status of Craighead County, AR From A Dry To A Wet County I propose to change the current status of Craighead County, Arkansas from a dry county to a wet county. Although there are strong arguments that the benefits of being a dry county are greater than the drawbacks, it is important to reassess those ideas. There are two very important drawbacks to a dry county. One is the loss of businesses and revenues from businesses that sell or serve alcoholic beverages. The second is the safety of those who consume alcohol. First, we must consider the annual amount of money that leaves the pockets of Craighead County citizens and goes into the neighboring counties. As most know you are unable to purchase alcohol under the current laws. Yet, people do not refrain from the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Logically we can conclude that people purchase the alcohol elsewhere. Money that could recycle itself into the economy of Craighead County contributes to others. There are numerous small businesses along the county line that sell only alcohol. Craighead is a college county. College students spend approximately $4.2 billion annually to purchase 430 million gallons of alcoholic beverages. These businesses could be run here, in Jonesboro, instead of places like Harrisburg and Truman. The fact is that people are going to drink. Why not sell to Craighead citizens in Craighead? It makes far greater sense to put back where you take out. Meaning if you earn a living in Craighead one should purchase from those there as well. If the citizens could legally buy alcohol her they would not be helping out their neighbors. Not only by bringing in those stores that specialize in alcohol, but those businesses who serve it as well, Craighead could increase it's income for small business men and for the county. Tax money from liquor sales goes 20% to counties on basis of unincorporated population, and 80% to cities on basis of incorporated population. In turn that would increase employment by creating jobs. Certain restaurant chains refuse to expand into the area partially because they can not serve alcoholic beverages to those of legal age. Business creates jobs, that is a fact, but if business will not build in the area naturally there will be less work. By making Craighead County a "wet" county not only would it increase the per capita income of those there but increase the job availability as well. More important than the economic aspects of turning Craighead into a wet county is the safety of the citizens.

Feminist Undertones in Pride and Prejudice

FEMINIST UNDERTONES IN ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’ Introduction Jane Austen authored the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ in 1813, a period in the social history of England that saw most women as best equipped for the private and domestic realm. An ideal woman was the picture of chastity, innocence and compliancy. Even women authors in this period were expected to adhere to genres that were considered to be solely their domain- the refined arts, household management, love, courtship, family life and fidelity in the face of temptation.Although ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was primarily a romance between two free-thinking individuals, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, it has grave feminist undercurrents that are displayed to the reader in many incidents and conversations that ensue between the characters. The nineteenth century was one of progressive transience, especially for women who forged a new identity for themselves. Literature was a vital mouthpiece f or their miseries. Jane Austen takes a strong jibe at the existing patriarchy under the more dulcet tones of feminine affairs like love, courtships, gossip and bitchery.Austen’s protagonist Elizabeth Bennet is the second of five sisters in the Bennet family. Out of all her sisters, Elizabeth is the only one who exhibits a bent of mind that was rational and somewhat gumptious. Her principal concerns in life were not winning the affections of wealthy men in order to find herself a suitable match. Austen penned ‘Pride and Prejudice’ much prior to the time referred to as the age of New Woman Fiction and yet her writing is a powerful satire on the position of women in society and how this position limited their viewpoint to petty affairs.A good instance of this is the character of Mrs. Bennet or even Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Jane Austen explores various facets of the middle class society of nineteenth century England, successfully giving a panoptic view of the preval ent social mores and mindsets, especially those pertaining to the status of women. The different characters in her novel render a variegated purview of feminist notions. The Character of Mrs. Bennet and Austen’s Satirical Critique From the opening lines of the story Mrs. Bennet is put forth as a dominating, albeit directing, force in the Bennet household.Her very first dialogue with Mr. Bennet, wherein she tries to convince him to meet Mr. Bingley, a man of a fortune as handsome as his appearance, to try and fix a match for one of their daughters, is evident of her mindset. Her scope of interests in life is limited only to the stable marital settlement of her five daughters. Her husband is not of much interest to the reader because of his almost insipid outlook of affairs. Mrs. Bennet inspite of her condescending and parochial behavior is a multi dimensional character, interesting readers very much.Her outragous schemes to send Jane on horseback to Netherfield so as to make h er contract a cold to extend her stay at the Bingleys’ home, manage to shock those who believe in subtlety. Some critics have also referred to Mrs. Bennet as vulgar, a term too extreme for our times. However back then it probably had the connotation of something that was socially hideous. Mrs Bennet is also a prototype of how the women, repressed by society, had stopped striving for social and intellectual advancement. Mrs Bennet’s mental horizons are extremely narrow and she is not ashamed of this fact. Rather she is voluble, to an annoying extent.Mrs Bennet is unable to meet the parameters of decent conduct and behaviour as illustrated in many instances throughout the story. Mr. Bingley’s sisters are extremely repelled by her brash outspokenness, so much so that they use it as a means to break off Mr. Bingley’s association with Jane. Mrs. Bennet also displays an almost obnoxious double standard towards Charlotte Lucas, a very close friend of Elizabeth, by demeaning her appearance in front of her daughters and also Mr. Bingley. However Mrs. Bennet also exhibits some positively feminine inclinations in the course of the novel.One such instance can be her complete disdain for the fact that despite having five daughters, their estate should be inherited by Mr Collins, a complete stranger. Austen makes remarkable use of wit and sarcasm to impersonate Mrs. Bennet. Her novels use comic fiction as a chief means of exploring the individualisation of women’s lives and the revolution in the relation of the sexes at the beginning of the 19th century. Heroine Centric Novels Almost all of Jane Austen’s works feature a female protagonist and most of the other characters are women with a miscellenia of personalities.Austen’s heroines are free spirited young women who have a wide horizon of interests, be it Emma Woodhouse (Emma), Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey), Marianne (Sense and Sensibility) or Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice). In all of these novels the heroine is shown to have her own subjectivity and opinions of life, rather than play a restricted role in the background of the plot. Austen’s stories portray women and the problems faced by them in their daily life through a union of comic and moral indignation. Robert M Polhemus writes, Austen was disposed through comic license to ridicule the inadequacies and constraints of her society. † Through a lens of satire, Austen gave a candid view of the existing social, financial and sexual hierarchies in the middle class landed gentry of eighteenth century England. Women are a prime focus in all her stories and their methods of dealing with situations relating to love, marriage, family, inheritance and courtships. Virginia Woolf once said, â€Å"Austen’s characters are so rounded and substantial that people treat them as if they are ‘living people’. † The heroines in the novels had enough agency to exerc ise their will.They overcame obstacles very modernisitically. In the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, the social world of Elizabeth, is scrupulously described, but within these limitations, the heroine as well as the hero, Mr. Darcy are allowed to achieve self expression. Love and marriage for them signify the control of egoism and misperception and the regenerative merging of the self with the ongoing community. With their earnest tone, clear narrative line, contemporary settings, drama and pathos, Jane Austen’s writings become a persuasive communicator of significant beliefs and values.Elizabeth Bennet is a vivacious young woman who, inspite of living in a society that curtailed the thoughts and actions of the fairer sex, lived freely and almost on her own terms. Her opinions of people and situations are rational and her sense of judgement is almost always sound. She possesses not only intelligence but is also sharp and has a great presence of mind. She reads books , plays the piano and loves walking in the outdoors, an act deeply condemned by Mrs Bennet as well as the Bingley sisters as not ladylike. However these attributes endear her even more to Mr. Darcy.Rachel Trickett, in her essay ‘Manners and Society’, writes â€Å"Jane Austen singles out the snobbery and limitation to censure it. She is the enemy of any kind of distinction that fails to take into account personal merit, worth and intelligence. † Elizabeth has clarity of thought and farsightedness that helps her to see things in the right perspective. Early in the novel she is depicted as being arrogant of her wit and her accuracy in judging the social behaviour and intentions. She believes not in a marriage of economic convenience, but in a marriage that is a result of love.Her acuity and sharpness is much admired by her friends, acquaintances and men who look to court her. However Elizabeth’s quickness also sometimes leads her to misunderstand the actions of others, like in the case of Mr. Wickham’s opnions of Mr. Darcy which are dispelled after she receives Darcy’s self explainatory letter, following his first proposal of marriage to her. Through Elizabeth, Austen tries to promote the image of a sovereign identity of a woman who is as subjective as her male counterparts. Narrative style used to convey feminist themeThe novel in some instances does objectify men, though in obvious humour. This is hinted in the opening lines of the story, â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrouding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. † The author gives an exhaustive overview of each character’s mindset, adhering to no stereotypes. The man and the woman are treated equally, the description of their human psyche not influenced by any sexual convention. Their characteristic virtues and shortfalls are viewed through an objective lens. Mr. Darcy’s disposition isn’t perfect, nor is Elizabeth’s. If Mrs. Bennet is shown to be an annoying, domineering figure then Mr. Bennet’s sarcasm and witty remarks are equated with almost indifference. Jane’s kindness is sometimes over-the-top and in many instances harms her own situation rather than helping her. Charlotte Lucas’ marriage of convenience to Mr. Collins doesn’t turn out to be exactly as comfortable as she had imagined.From the above examples, one may say that Austen’s narrative style is lucidly analytical of personal psyches, interpersonal relationships and social mores. The heroine is a woman of substance, not bowing to set patterns of society. The strings of relationships are drawn and managed by her while the men, though attractive in their characterization are usually arranged in the backdrop. Jane Austen cannot be called a feminist openly, because she never ventured into this foray directly. Rather, her works contain her feminist recollections running collateral to the story, which can be easily enough interpreted.Austen’s writings cannot be termed as a feminist rhetoric because they positively lean towards a humourous critical overview of the prevalent attitude towards women in the middle classes of England and the usual perception one had of them. Austen’s representation of the characters and incidents in familiar context to the readers made their acquaintance with her feminist impartations more intimate. One could connect and emapathise with the characters due to their individuality and familiar spirit. Elizabeth Bennet could easily be imagined as one’s own sister, friend or neighbour.Thorugh the novel, Austen doesn’t disgrace any character for cutting t hrough conventions. For instance, frivoulous Lydia is finally honourably united to Wickham. By the mores of her own society, Lydia must, and it turns out to be no great embarrassment or humiliation to either party. Their fate is that they deserve each other and are completely unabashed by their mutual unworthiness (a very different conclusion from the conventional fate of the ruined girl in the late- eighteenth-century novel and a comic reversal of the expected and entirely typical of Jane Austen’s realism.Jane Austen’s own childhood and upbringing indicates that despite rigid codes of manners in the conduct of everyday life, the education and sphere of action of a young woman of the time was considerably less restricted. Her writings denounce the objectification of women for social dissection and analysis. Arnold Kettle, in his 1951 essay on ‘Emma’, saw Jane Austen’s highly critical concern over the fate of women in her society as a â€Å"positive vibration†. Austen showed a clear and commitment to the rational principle on which women of the Enlightenment based their case.Many parallels have been drawn between Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Austen herself, illustrating the positively feminine and rational side of the author. In a Victorian social structure that had incorporated an idealized version of femininity, repressing the woman figure into the margins, Austen’s fresh approach to regarding women in a progressive light, through literature has been widely acknowledged and appreciated. She is very often referred to as the most loved feminists of all time. In Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Bennet breathes life into a new perception of a New Woman.BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Grey, J. David ed. The Jane Austen Handbook ( London, 1986) 2. Southam, B. C. ed Jane Austen- The Critical Heritage (London and New York, 1968) 3. Watt, Ian â€Å"Introduction to Jane Austen- A Collection of critical essays† (Englewood Cliffs. N. J. , 1963) 4. Luria, Gina The Feminist Controversy in England (New York, 1972) 5. Kirkham, Margaret Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction (London, 1982) 6. Harman, Clare Jane’s Fame, How Jane Austen Conquered the World (Edinburgh, 2009)

Four Poems by Derek Mahon Essay

Four Poems by Derek Mahon INTRODUCTION Derek Mahon belongs to the same generation of Northern Ireland poets as Seamus Heaney. But, whereas many of Heaney’s poems are rooted firmly in the rural landscape of Ulster where he grew up, Mahon’s poems reflect his childhood spent in Belfast. His familiar places were the streets of the city, the Harland and Wolff shipyard where his g-andfather and father worked, and the flax-spinning factory where his mother worked. Later on, Mahon would come to study at Trinity College Dublin and from there he spread his wings to travel and work in many different places, from France, Canada and America, to London and Kinsale in Co. Cork. , †¢Ã¢â‚¬ DAY TRIP TO DONEGAL† Tie shift, in both meaning and feeling, that :sxes place between the first and final lines of ~ s poem makes it memorable. The title :=e~s ordinary: Day Trip to Donegal suggests :- :~ :od days out at the seaside or even a school trip with classmates and teachers. ~–~ opening stanza is conversational in tone. I :– ,al at his seaside destination, the poet s n familiar surroundings. There were to be seen† and â€Å"as ever† the hills â€Å"a deeper green/Than anywhere in the : : – seems at this point that we are r: – r :: share a pleasant day at the seaside in Donegal with the poet. However, just as we . – rev. ~†~ comfortable with this expectation, -:::†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ appears. We are disturbed by the 2. Deration in the final line and the image : ^reduces: â€Å"†¦ the grave/Grey of the sea Me grwnmer in that enclave. † – – : — : _s -â€Å"rial line of the opening stanza , a similar scenario in stanza two. The poet watches the fishing-boats arriving back at the pier with their catch. This familiar scene is often described in attractive terms by songwriters and painters. But here Mahon startles us in the second line by describing the catch as â€Å"A writhing glimmer offish†. The word â€Å"writhing† is very vivid. The fish are seen as suffering and this notion becomes more intense in the concluding lines of the stanza where he sees them â€Å"flopping about the deck/In attitudes of agony and heartbreak†. A story is told about Mahon as an only child who spent a lot of time alone. His imagination had free rein and in the bicycle shed in the garden at home the Mahons also kept coal. Apparently the boy Derek Mahon suffered guilt when he went to the shed to get his bicycle. He felt pity for the coal which was, to him, imprisoned in that dark, cold, shed. His compassion was evident even then; he felt sorry for the coal! In Day Trip to Donegal we see that the poet’s day is changed by the sight of the caught fish. He feels compassion for them in their dying moments. In stanza three the return journey to Belfast is described. This poem is poised between two worlds — the seaside one in rural Donegal and the urban one in Belfast. Have you noticed how Mahon chooses to describe his arrival back in Belfast? â€Å"We changed down into suburbs/Sunk in a sleep no gale-force wind disturbs. † There is a suggestion here of a â€Å"tamer† world than the wild gale-beaten one of Donegal. The phrase â€Å"changed down† refers to the gear-change of the car, but it also shows how the poet is struck by the difference between the rural and the urban worlds he has experienced on that particular day. The sleeping suburbs seem slow and quiet after the drama of the Donegal landscape. Exam ; Career Guide 241 I t/2 _i O Z LU LU h-U LU U Nightmare Stanza four picks up again on the disturbing imagery of stanza two. There is an intense feeling of terror here as the poet recalls his dream after his day out at the seaside. In his nightmare, the sea is seen as a powerful force of destruction. We can be chilled by his description of the sea performing its â€Å"immeasurable erosions† — â€Å"Spilling into the skull. † The combination of words here is powerful: â€Å"immeasurable erosions† and the alliteration of â€Å"spilling† and â€Å"skull†. The choice of the word â€Å"erosion† is worth noting here. It suggests eating away at something — the action of the sea on the coastline over many years. Why does the poet draw a parallel between himself and the eroding coastline, at the mercy of the infinite onslaught of the sea? Could this be an oblique reference to the political circumstances in which he lived in Northern Ireland? We remember that Donegal was described in stanza one as a â€Å"green enclave†. He has travelled there from Belfast — another political entity to which he returns after his day across the border. In the nightmare he is the helpless victim at the mercy of the relentless sea. It mutters â€Å"its threat† — the poet does not enjoy a peaceful sleep after his day-trip to Donegal. Instead he has a kind of nightmare, a surreal vision which is frightening and sinister. The nightmarish journey continues into the final stanza. Now the sea has become a metaphor for the poet’s own view of his life. He is alone and drifting, has not taken enough caution to prevent this danger and feels surrounded on all sides by the â€Å"vindictive wind and rain†, i. . , the malevolent forces that control his life and which cannot be placated. The poem ends on a note of hopelessness and despair. There is no promise of rescue. His predicament recalls that of the fish described in stanza two — â€Å"flopping about the deck/In attitudes of agony and heartbreak†. †¢ â€Å"ECCLESIASTES† The title of this poem situates it immediately in the context of relig ion — Ecclesiastes being the title of a book in the Old Testament, used frequently by preachers in their sermons. The context of the poem is the Ulster of the religious preachers and the churchmen which Mahon knew very well, being an Ulster Protestant by birth. The opening three lines of the poem are full of feeling. We notice the repetition of God and the rhythm created by â€Å"purist† and â€Å"puritan†, and â€Å"wiles and smiles†. Mahon is imagining himself as a member of the preaching classes and he tries in this poer-look closely at his identity as an Ulster Protestant. There is self-mockery in h s _s= of the phrase â€Å"purist little puritan†. The preacher is narrow minded (little) and rigid his attitudes — a â€Å"purist† puritan would be 3 extreme version of an ordinary puritan *^ would have been very strict in religious :. -†¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ moral matters. There is mockery and contempt as he describes the preache’ (Ecclesiastes) as â€Å"God-chosen† and â€Å"God-fearing†. He sees himself as occupying tr-e high moral ground while at the same t~-= basing his morality on fear rather than genuine conviction. The world inhabited by the Ecclesiastes (preachers) is a grim one. The images in ine 4 and 5 convey this most powerfully. The choice of the word â€Å"dank† (meaning da-x sr damp and cold) for the churches and the â€Å"tied up swings† on Sundays paint a joyless picture. Sunday was a particularly gloorny ~ in Protestant Ulster as it was strictly designated for prayer and church-going. Pleasure of any kind was frowned on. Marc then contrasts this life-denying way of lrvr>f with the real life of the world — – â€Å"the heat i the world†. He mentions how such a rigic code of behaviour allows those Churchmer to avoid the humanising interaction with women and the â€Å"bright eyes of children†. He continues with this train of thought in lines to 16. His tone is very critical. He sees tr-e preacher as using his public morality tc 2*c the real challenges of life — the call on eac of us â€Å"to understand and forgive†. The red bandana and stick and the ban? c referred to represent the antithesis of the preacher’s life. The red is a lively contrast n the â€Å"dork doors† mentioned before and the bandana and stick would be used on journe to brighter, livelier places than the dark r of Antrim which are washed by the cole â€Å"January rains†. This dark, cold place is the natural habitat of the preacher. He is following in the tradition of his forebears — â€Å"the heaped graves of your fathers†. Here he can â€Å"close one eye and be king†. This is an allusion to Erasmus, who once said: â€Å"In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is King†. Is this a reference to the closed mm and the bigotry of Mahon’s Ulster? The preacher can lord it over the ordinary peoc whose â€Å"heavy washing flaps† in the housing estates. They are credulous. But Mahon’s preacher has nothing to offer them. The ft imagery of the poem is filled with contemp 42 Exam ; Career Guide cts the preacher â€Å"stiff with rhetoric† forth to the captive audience yet lothing whatever to offer them — ng nothing under the sun†. eamus Heaney writes about Ulster :es in the memory of The Forge, in scape of Bogland, The Harvest Bow and Mahon, on the other hand, has a vision of Ulster — and he shares >n with us in Ecclesiastes. It is a place ;tants and Puritans and Preachers. He :dges that this is part of his own oo, and we find that he has a very ew of the narrow, life-denying f the culture which formed him. IT SHOULD BE† m, the mindset of another type of explored. This time it is that of the jrderer — who kills another man ie sees as a just cause. When ;ntions the Moon in the Yellow ire reminded of the Irish Civil War. :hat name was written by Denis ;et in 1927. Its story is of a man e who tried to blow up a generator ydroelectric station which was and was a symbol of the progress Irish Free State. Blake was shot by ;gt;f the Free State called Lanigan. The = officer of the Free State is the ir in this poem, as he justifies his nd even takes pride in it. : of Murder titeous tone is struck at the

Free Essays on Comapring Lord Of The Rings To Old English Times

The classic story Lord of the Rings, written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, inspired many reader’s imagination while giving them a taste of not only fantasy but Old English history as well. As an Old English Professor, the author portrayed many elements drawn from this very first period of English Literature. As a result, an atmosphere of good and evil, typical of Old English, permeates throughout this work of fiction. In such a setting lived the Old English-like hobbits who spoke an Old English- inspired language and practiced Old English customs. The setting of Lord of the Rings has an Old English quality, typically one were good and evil is fought. In the novel, the setting changes many times, from â€Å"frightening underworlds to magical prairie like scenes†1 that symbolizes goodness. The book takes place in Middle Earth, which is described by Tolkien as a mysterious place full of acts of righteousness and wickedness. Example of a places where bad behaviors occurs are evidently the Mount of Doom, Rohan Forest, the Mines of Moria2 and the deep dark forest at night fall. Mist, Rain and gloomy are all characteristics of these murky atmosphere. On the other hand, Tolkien creates a peaceful environment. Examples of calm tranquil surroundings are found in the author’s description of the Forest of Lothorien, home of the elves and the hills of the Shire where the hobbits live and where an atmosphere described by Tolkien as â€Å"A primitive state of existence, untouched and uninfluenced by civilization or artifici ality†3: and â€Å"Partially dark, especially dismal and dreary†4 reigns. The nature of both places symbolizes goodness. These two settings of good and evil confront each other throughout the story, as seen more clearly through the personalities of the inhabitants. The hobbits live in the peaceful hills of the Shire. They are a breed of miniature people with â€Å"pointy ears whose height range is between two and four fee... Free Essays on Comapring Lord Of The Rings To Old English Times Free Essays on Comapring Lord Of The Rings To Old English Times The classic story Lord of the Rings, written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, inspired many reader’s imagination while giving them a taste of not only fantasy but Old English history as well. As an Old English Professor, the author portrayed many elements drawn from this very first period of English Literature. As a result, an atmosphere of good and evil, typical of Old English, permeates throughout this work of fiction. In such a setting lived the Old English-like hobbits who spoke an Old English- inspired language and practiced Old English customs. The setting of Lord of the Rings has an Old English quality, typically one were good and evil is fought. In the novel, the setting changes many times, from â€Å"frightening underworlds to magical prairie like scenes†1 that symbolizes goodness. The book takes place in Middle Earth, which is described by Tolkien as a mysterious place full of acts of righteousness and wickedness. Example of a places where bad behaviors occurs are evidently the Mount of Doom, Rohan Forest, the Mines of Moria2 and the deep dark forest at night fall. Mist, Rain and gloomy are all characteristics of these murky atmosphere. On the other hand, Tolkien creates a peaceful environment. Examples of calm tranquil surroundings are found in the author’s description of the Forest of Lothorien, home of the elves and the hills of the Shire where the hobbits live and where an atmosphere described by Tolkien as â€Å"A primitive state of existence, untouched and uninfluenced by civilization or artifici ality†3: and â€Å"Partially dark, especially dismal and dreary†4 reigns. The nature of both places symbolizes goodness. These two settings of good and evil confront each other throughout the story, as seen more clearly through the personalities of the inhabitants. The hobbits live in the peaceful hills of the Shire. They are a breed of miniature people with â€Å"pointy ears whose height range is between two and four fee...

All About Geography Questions and Answers

All About Geography Questions and Answers While the word geography is derived from Greek and literally means to write about the earth, the subject of geography is much more than describing foreign places or memorizing the names of capitals and countries. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks to understand the world - Â  its human and physical features - through an understanding of place and location. Geographers study where things are and how they got there. My favorite definitions for geography are the bridge between the human and physical sciences and the mother of all sciences. Geography looks at the spatial connection between people, places, and the earth. How Is Geography Different from Geology? Many people have an idea of what a geologist does but dont have any idea of what a geographer does. While geography is commonly divided into human geography and physical geography, the difference between physical geography and geology is often confusing. Geographers tend to study the surface of the earth, its landscapes, its features, and why they are where they are. Geologists look deeper into the earth than do geographers and study its rocks, the internal processes of the earth (such as plate tectonics and volcanoes), and study periods of earth history many millions and even billions of years ago. How Does One Become a Geographer? An undergraduate (college or university) education in geography is an important beginning to becoming a geographer. With a bachelors degree in geography, a geography student can begin working in a variety of fields. While many students begin their career after achieving an undergraduate education, others continue on. A masters degree in geography is very helpful for the student who desires to teach at the high school or community college level, to be a cartographer or GIS specialist, of work in business or government. A doctorate in geography (Ph.D.) is necessary if one wishes to become a full professor at a university. Although, many Ph.D.s in geography continue on to form consulting firms, become administrators in government agencies, or attain high-level research positions in corporations or think-tanks. The best resource for learning about colleges and universities that offer degrees in geography is the annual publication of the Association of American Geographers, the Guide to Programs in Geography in the United States and Canada. What Does a Geographer Do? Unfortunately, the job title of geographer is not often found in companies or government agencies (with the most notable exception of the U.S. Census Bureau). However, more and more companies are recognizing the skill that a geographically-trained individual brings to the table. Youll find many geographers working as planners, cartographers (map makers), GIS specialists, analysis, scientists, researchers, and many other positions. Youll also find many geographers working as instructors, professors, and researchers at schools, colleges, and universities. Why Is Geography Important? Being able to view the world geographically is a fundamental skill for everyone. Understanding the connection between the environment and people, geography ties together diverse sciences as geology, biology, and climatology with economics, history, and politics based on location. Geographers understand conflict around the world because so many factors are involved. Who Are the Fathers of Geography? The Greek scholar Eratosthenes, who measured the circumference of the earth and was the first to use the word geography, is commonly called the father of geography. Alexander von Humboldt is commonly called the father of modern geography and William Morris Davis is commonly called the father of American geography. How Can I Learn More About Geography? Taking geography courses, reading geography books, and, of course, exploring this site are great ways to learn. You can increase your geographic literacy of places around the world by getting a good atlas, such as Goodes World Atlas and use it to look up unfamiliar places anytime you encounter them while reading or watching the news. Before long, youll have a great knowledge of where places are. Reading travelogues and historical books can also help improve your geographic literacy and understanding of the world - Â  theyre some of my favorite things to read. What Is the Future of Geography? Things are looking up for geography! More and more schools across the United States are offering or requiring geography be taught at all levels, especially high school. The introduction of the Advanced Placement Human Geography course in high schools in the 2000-2001 school year increased the number of college-ready geography majors, thus increasing the numbers of geography students in undergraduate programs. New geography teachers and professors are needed in all areas of the educational system as more students begin learning geography. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) has become popular in many different disciplines and not just geography. The career opportunities for geographers with technical skills, especially in the area of GIS, is excellent and should continue to grow.

Political Science - Globalization and Democracy Critical Review Essay

Political Science - Globalization and Democracy Critical Review - Essay Example However, different approaches are used in each article in order to highlight the potential involvement of globalisation in the governance of countries in the international community: in the article of Cerny (1999) globalisation is considered as influencing mostly the democratic regimes. More specifically, in the above article it is made clear that the increase of the power of globalisation in terms of the governance of states has been achieved through the erosion of democracy, as a key political concept. At the same time, the current and the future role of democracy – as a political concept valuable in nation-states worldwide – are clearly explained. On the other hand, in the article of Hirst and Thompson (2002), globalisation is presented as a set of rules which can lead to the establishment of a global governance and a global economic system without necessarily use as a vehicle an existing political or economic framework; i.e. in the above article, no direct link is e stablished between globalisation and existing political systems. The strengths and the weaknesses of the above articles are presented and evaluated below using appropriate literature. Analysis of the strength and weaknesses of the literature Both articles are based on studies related to the issues under discussion; the literature employed in each article should be critically evaluated aiming to identify the relevant strengths and the weaknesses of these articles. Reference should be made primarily to the role of literature review and the tools used for its incorporation within a particular study – as the above issues are highlighted in studies published in the particular field. In accordance with Hall (2008) the literature can have different aims, including ‘the reference to the views and initiatives of others on specific issues and the identification of the key issues in a specific field’ (Hall 2008, p.34); moreover, the above researcher noted that the tradition al literature review is often inadequate to cover the issues discussed in a particular study – in such cases, it is proposed that meta-analysis should be used, exclusively or in combination with the literature review (Hall 2008, p.35) aiming to increase the credibility of a particular study. On the other hand, Fink (2009) notes that the literature review needs to be based on explicit research questions and search strategies (Fink 2009, p.3) – referring probably to the criteria on which the literature review will be based; otherwise, as Fink (2009) explains, the findings of the literature review could lack of credibility or accuracy. From the same point of view, Birley et al. (1998) explain that the word ‘review’ – as part of the term ‘literature review’ – incorporates certain capabilities, such as ‘exploration, analysis, discussion and summary’ (Birley et al. 1998, p.84). Moreover, Henn et al. (2009) note that the us e of a study in the literature part of a paper needs to be fully justified (p.319) – i.e. the relevance and the necessity of this study as part of the literature used in a paper have to be clearly explained by the researcher. In accordance with Hart (2006) it would be important for a researcher to be aware of the elements and the role of positivism and phenomenology –