Kate Chopin Essays (1449 words) - Fiction, Frdric Chopin

Kate Chopin Kate Chopin is an American writer of the late nineteenth century. She is known for her depictions of southern culture and of women's struggles for freedom. At this time in American history, women did not have a voice of their own and according to custom, they were to obey their father and husband. Generally, many women agreed to accept this customary way of life. Kate Chopin thought quite differently. The boldness Kate Chopin takes in portraying women in the late nineteenth century can be seen throughout The Awakening and other short stories. The following is an overview of her dramatic writing style. Elaine Showalter states, Chopin went boldly beyond the work of her precursors in writing about women's longing for sexual and personal emancipation. (170). Chopin said that she was not a feminist of a suffragist. She was not an activist and she never joined the women's suffrage movement or belonged to a female literary community. Chopin saw freedom as a matter of your won spirit or soul without constraints. She did not try to encourage the women's movement in her writing; rather, she wrote what she felt. In writing what she felt, Chopin came to believe that a true artist defied tradition and rejected respectable morality and the conventions and formulas to literary success. (Showalter 171). It could be said Chopin had a literary awakening. In the early stages of Chopin's career, she tried to follow the literary advice and examples of others of her time. These efforts proved to be worthless. Chopin translated Solitude, a story by Guy de Maupassant, in which Maupassant escaped from tradition and authorityhad entered into himself and looked out upon life though his own being and with his own eyes. (Seyested 701). Chopin did not want to imitate Maupassant; she just wanted to express herself in her writing the way he had done so in his. In The Awakening Chopin seems to tell her story through the main character Edna Pontellier. Her breaking away from the conventions of literary domesticity is shown through Edna breaking away from the conventional feminine roles of wife and mother (Showalter 170). Kate Chopin shows boldness by taking the main characters and having them completely change their views on life. Edna is a young woman who discovers that her pampered married life is not what she wants. So she rebels to find fulfillment for her psychological, social, and sexual drives. Edna is married to Leonce Pontellier. Leonce is Edna's older husband who expects his wife to obey the region's social conventions. He sees Edna as a piece of personal property (Chopin The Awakening 2). Chopin tells in the novel that Edna is fond of her husband, with no trace of passion or excessive and fictitious warmth (18). Edna married Leonce primarily to secure a fatherly protector who would not make too many domestic, emotional, and sexual demands on her. Edna also has no motherly attachment to her children. She was fond of her children in and uneven, impulsive way. When her children were away, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing (18). These feelings show that Edna was not the normal mother-woman of that time. The largest and most criticized step Chopin takes is in The Awakening. Edna is having many mixed feelings about herself and her sexuality. In the novel, Chopin allows Edna to have an affair. This affair is not out of love but out of the need for passion in Edna's life. When Edna's one true love leaves, this allows Edna to face her changing feelings. Her true love, Robert, returns but they both realize it is not ment to be and he leaves again. He explains his action by saying, I love you. Good-by, because I love you, (112). Much shock felt by the readers toward The Awakening and other stories by Chopin was the boldness she took in rejecting the conventions of other women's writing. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier appears to reject the domestic empire of the mother and the sororal world of women's culture. (Showalter 178). Edna seems to go beyond the bonds of womanhood, she did not have a mother of daughter and refuses to go to her own sister's

Battle of Stirling Bridge in the Wars of Scottish Independence

Battle of Stirling Bridge in the Wars of Scottish Independence The Battle of Stirling Bridge was part of the First War of Scottish Independence. William Wallaces forces were victorious at Stirling Bridge on September 11, 1297. Armies Commanders Scotland William WallaceAndrew de Moray300 cavalry, 10,000 infantry England John de Warenne, 7th Earl of SurreyHugh de Cressingham1,000 to 3,000 cavalry, 15,000-50,000 infantry Background In 1291, with Scotland embroiled in a succession crisis following the death King Alexander III, the Scottish nobility approached King Edward of England and asked him to oversee the dispute and administer the outcome. Seeing an opportunity to expand his power, Edward agreed to settle the matter but only if he were made feudal overlord of Scotland. The Scots attempted to sidestep this demand by replying that as there was no king, there was no one to make such a concession. Without further addressing this issue, they were willing to allow Edward to oversee the realm until a new king was determined. Assessing the candidates, the English monarch selected the claim of John Balliol who was crowned in November 1292. Though the matter, known as the Great Cause, had been resolved, Edward continued to exert power and influence over Scotland. Over the next five years, he effectively treated Scotland as a vassal state. As John Balliol was effectively compromised as king, control of most state affairs passed to 12-man council in July 1295. That same year, Edward demanded that Scottish nobles provide military service and support for his war against France. Refusing, the council instead concluded the Treaty of Paris which aligned Scotland with France and commenced the Auld Alliance. Responding to this and a failed Scottish attack on Carlisle, Edward marched north and sacked Berwick-upon-Tweed in March 1296. Continuing on, English forces routed Balliol and the Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar the following month. By July, Balliol had been captured and forced to abdicate and the majority of Scotland had been subjugated. In the wake of the English victory, a resistance to Edwards rule began which saw small bands of Scots led by individuals such as William Wallace and Andrew de Moray commence raiding the enemys supply lines. Having success, they soon gained support from Scottish nobility and with growing forces liberated much of the country north of the Firth of Forth. Concerned about the growing rebellion in Scotland, the Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham moved north to put down the revolt. Given the success at Dunbar the previous year, English confidence was high and Surrey expected a short campaign. Opposing the English was a new Scottish army led by Wallace and Moray. More disciplined than their predecessors, this force had been operating in two wings and united to meet the new threat. Arriving in the Ochil Hills overlooking the River Forth near Stirling, the two commanders awaited the English army. The English Plan As the English approached from the south, Sir Richard Lundie, a former Scottish knight, informed Surrey about a local ford that would allow sixty horsemen to cross the river at once. After conveying this information, Lundie asked permission to take a force across the ford to flank the Scottish position. Though this request was considered by Surrey, Cressingham managed to convince him to attack directly across the bridge. As Edward Is treasurer in Scotland, Cressingham wished to avoid the expense of prolonging the campaign and sought avoid any actions that would cause a delay. The Scots Victorious On September 11, 1297, Surreys English and Welsh archers crossed the narrow bridge but were recalled as the earl had overslept. Later in the day, Surreys infantry and cavalry began crossing the bridge. Watching this, Wallace and Moray restrained their troops until a sizable, but beatable, English force had reached the north shore. When approximately 5,400 had crossed the bridge, the Scots attacked and swiftly encircled the English, gaining control of the north end of the bridge. Among those who were trapped on the north shore was Cressingham who was killed and butchered by the Scottish troops. Unable to send sizable reinforcements across the narrow bridge, Surrey was forced to watch his entire vanguard be destroyed by Wallace and Morays men. One English knight, Sir Marmaduke Tweng, managed to fight his way back across the bridge to the English lines. Others discarded their armor and attempted to swim back across the River Forth. Despite still having a strong force, Surreys confidence was destroyed and he ordered the bridge destroyed before retreating south to Berwick. Seeing Wallaces victory, the Earl of Lennox and James Stewart, the High Steward of Scotland, who been supporting the English, withdrew with their men and joined the Scottish ranks. As Surrey pulled back, Stewart successfully attacked the English supply train, hastening their retreat. By departing the area, Surrey abandoned the English garrison at Stirling Castle, which eventually surrendered to the Scots. Aftermath Impact Scottish casualties at the Battle of Stirling Bridge were not recorded, however they are believed to have been relatively light. The only known casualty of the battle was Andrew de Moray who was injured and subsequently died of his wounds. The English lost approximately 6,000 killed and wounded. The victory at Stirling Bridge led to the ascent of William Wallace and he was named Guardian of Scotland the following March. His power was short-lived, as he was defeated by a King Edward I and a larger English army in 1298, at the Battle of Falkirk.

Chemistry class xii project Essay Example for Free

Chemistry class xii project Essay Theory What is rust? Rust is the common name of a compound, iron oxide. Iron oxide, the chemical Effie, is common because iron combines very readily with oxygen so readily, in fact, that pure Iron Is only rarely found In nature. Iron (or steel) rusting Is an example of corrosion an electrochemical process involving an anode (a piece of metal that readily gives up electrons), an electrolyte (a liquid that helps electrons move) and a cathode (a piece of metal that readily accepts electrons). Causes When a piece of metal corrodes, the electrolyte helps provide oxygen to the anode. As oxygen combines with the metal, electrons are liberated. When they flow through the electrolyte to the cathode, the metal of the anode disappears, swept away by the electrical flow or converted into metal actions in a form such as rust. For iron to become Iron oxide, three things are required: Iron, water and oxygen. Here’s what happens when the three get together: When a drop of water hits an Iron object, two things begin to happen almost immediately. First, the water, a good electrolyte, combines with carbon dioxide in the air to form a weak carbonic acid, an even better electrolyte. As the acid is formed and the iron dissolved, some of the water will begin o break down Into Its component pieces hydrogen and oxygen. The free oxygen and dissolved iron bond into iron oxide, in the process freeing electrons. The electrons liberated from the anode portion of the iron flow to the cathode, which may be a piece of a metal less electrically reactive than iron, or another point on the piece of Iron Itself, Consequences Rusting has a number of effects on metal objects. It makes them look orange and rough. It makes them weaker, by replacing the strong Iron or steel with flaky powder. Some oxides on some metals such as aluminum form Just a thin layer on top which lows down further corrosion, but rust can slowly eat away at even the biggest piece of iron. If a piece of Iron’s strength Is important for safety, such as a bridge support or a car’s brake caliper. It Is a good Idea to Inspect It for rust damage every now and then. Rust also can cause metal parts that are supposed to slide over one another to become stuck. Rust can make holes In sheet metal. Rusty car mufflers sometimes develop holes in them, and the sheet steel making the outer bodies of cars will often rust through, making holes. Rust Is a lot less magnetic than Iron. An iron magnet will probably still work almost as ell when It has a thin coating of rust on It, but If It has rusted so badly that most of the metal is gone, then it will not work very well as a magnet. 1 OFF which is a metallic conductor. So if some electrical connection is made with iron, it’s likely to go bad when the iron surface rusts. Rust is associated with degradation of iron-based tools and structures. As rust has a much higher volume than the originating mass of iron, its build-up can also cause failure by forcing apart adjacent parts ? a phenomenon sometimes known as â€Å"rust packing†. It was the cause of the collapse of the Missus river bridge in 1983, when he bearings rusted internally and pushed one corner of the road slab off its support. Rust was also an important factor in the Silver Bridge disaster of 1967 in West Virginia, when a steel suspension bridge collapsed in less than a minute, killing 46 drivers and passengers on the bridge at the time. Prevention and Protection Because of the widespread use and importance of iron and steel products, the prevention or slowing of rust is the basis of major economic activities in a number of specialized technologies. A brief overview of methods is presented here; for detailed overage, see the cross-referenced articles. Rust is permeable to air and water, therefore the interior metallic iron beneath a rust layer continues to corrode. Rust prevention thus requires coatings that preclude rust formation. Some methods of prevention of rusting are as follows: Gallivanting:- Globalization consists of an application on the object to be protected of a layer of metallic zinc by either hot-dip gallivanting or electroplating. Zinc is traditionally used because it is cheap, adheres well to steel, and provides catholic protection to the steel surface in case of damage of the zinc layer. In more corrosive environments (such as salt water), cadmium plating is preferred. Coating and Painting:- Rust formation can be controlled with coatings, such as paint, lacquer, or varnish that isolate the iron from the environment. Large structures with enclosed box sections, such as ships and modern automobiles, often have a wax-based product (technically a â€Å"slashing oil†) injected into these sections. Such treatments usually also contain rust inhibitors. Covering steel with concrete can provide some protection to steel because of the alkaline pH environment at the steel-concrete interface. Humidity Control:- Rust can be avoided by controlling the moisture in the atmosphere. An example of this is the use of silica gel packets to control humidity in equipment shipped by sea. Metal Coupling:-Len this method, the iron is coupled with other metal and if the metal is above iron in electrochemical series(meaner more electrostatics)then in the galvanic cell is formed by the contact of the iron and that metal, iron will go under reduction it will be safe from rusting. If the metal is below iron in electrochemical series then iron will go under oxidation and rusting will be facilitated. Chemistry class xii project. (2018, Oct 12).

Paintings and allusions in English Patients Essay

Paintings and allusions in English Patients - Essay Example The essay "Paintings and allusions in English Patients" explores The English Patient, a recipient of the Man Booker Prize and the Governor General’s Award, written by a Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist, Michael Ondaatji. The reference comes to light when Kip surveys the chapel with his rifle telescope, â€Å"reached the great face and was stilled by it, the face like a spear, wise, unforgiving. (77)†. When Kip asks a fellow soldier about the true identity of the face, he learns that it is indeed the â€Å"great face† of Isaiah. The painting is a clear depicting of the catastrophic prophecies of Isaiah with regards to the Satanic bombing of Japan. The novel thus challenges the apocalypse (the nuclear bombing) by highlighting a community oriented eschatological society (through the means of Kip). The Queen of Sheeba, also known as â€Å"queen of the south† in the Hebrew bible, is in reality from a South African origin, which apart from other things, talks of kin g Solomon. In the book, The English Patient, her chastity is symbolized by the statue of Virgin Mary. In the passage from Isaiah 60:0; â€Å"And they from Sheeba shall come; they shall bring forth gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the lord.† This is a clear indication that Sheeba is indeed a provider of wealth and a friendly giver. Out here, the chastity of Kip was given a tight joust when catastrophe struck on Japan in the form of an atomic bomb. David and Goliath is a painting by Master Caravaggio, who happened to be an Italian Baroque master.

Describe the three approaches to crime prevention. Explore the most Essay

Describe the three approaches to crime prevention. Explore the most effective approach in relation to either drug offending - Essay Example The police force alone cannot fight against all offense. Decreasing the risk and terror of crime is a job for the police force and the society; therefore, they must work jointly to prevent such crimes. Criminal justice is the study of various laws concerning criminal actions. The three main approaches adopted to prevent crime in the UK are social enlargement approach, police and judges as well as correction approaches, and finally situational approaches. Police force, magistrates and corrections approach is one of the traditional methods used to prevent crimes. They have significant functions to play, however, they can be utilized more efficiently to stop crime. Conventionally, police force services mainly focus on town extensive patrols, reacting to calls, inquiries and arrests. The courts give attention to assessing faults and crimes committed as well as sentencing the offender. Correctional approaches aim at supervising criminals during their verdicts and may or may not try to reh abilitate the criminals. Situational approach works towards decreasing the opportunities for offense by enlarging risks for the criminal and reducing the advantages of the crime. Examples of situational approach to offense prevention consist of enhanced lighting in public areas and self-defense mechanics for women.

Managing Business Problems Essay Example for Free

Managing Business Problems Essay What are the causes of poor productivity within large organizations and how can we look at trying to improve this? Productivity is the degree of output achieved in relation to a certain level of input. For example, in a call centre environment, productivity would be seen as the number of telephone calls answered per hour by a certain number of staff. The telephone calls are the output and the staff available to take the calls are the input. In order to improve productivity, one of the following has to occur: The level of input is decreased however the level of output remains the same, or, the level of output increases but the level of input remains the same. In relation to the example of the call centre, this would mean reducing the number of staff available to answer the phone but yet the remaining staff would still have to answer the same number of calls, i.e. they would have to answer more calls each to compensate for the decrease in staff. Or the other way to increase productivity in a call centre would be to keep the same number to staff available to take customer calls but the number of calls being answered in total would have to increase. Productivity is a major issue within any organisation but especially call centres. Call centres do try to forecast the number of calls they expect everyday and allocate resources accordingly to deal with these pressures, however there are still thousands of calls abandoned (where the customer hangs up before even getting through to an advisor) each and every day, this is sometimes referred to as call leakage. This is a growing problem for call centres across the country and it is surprising the amount of customers who will take their business elsewhere simply because they cant get through on the phone as they see it as poor customer service. In many cases it isnt feasible for staff numbers to be increased in order to cope with the call volumes that are being received and so the only solution to reducing the call leakage is to increase the productivity of the existing staff. Working in a call centre environment myself I appreciate that this is a very challenging task as call centre agents generally feel overworked and underpaid already and trying to get more work out of them will be difficult. However my research into call centre life has thrown up some issues surrounding the task of increasing staff performance in order for your business to work smarter. My research examines the possibility of reward systems as a means of increasing productivity, how call centre staff view their own roles and changes they would like to see in order to help them perform better During my research I searched the Emerald website to find relevant journal articles to assist my studies. I came across an interesting one called An exploration of managerial issues in call centres by Colin Armistead, Julia Kiely, Linda Hole and Jean Prescott. This paper consisted of two case studies carried out in two large organisations; these will be known as Case Study A and Case Study B. I found this article useful as it explores why people work in call centres, how they feel about their jobs and this research is spread over all levels from call centre agent to general manager. Case Study A provides a good background to call centre life and will aid understanding of what it is like to work in a call centre environment. In Case Study A, a total of fourteen staff members of all levels were interviewed, interviews lasted one hour and were all taped and transcribed. The interviews explored the initial decision to work for a call centre, the expectations they had before they started and the extent to which their jobs had lived up to those expectations. The authors also examined company statistics; they found evidence of high turnover in staff who had been employed for a few months then reducing to comparatively low turnover after they had been employed for more than six months. I found the findings from Case Study A to be very surprising having worked in a call centre myself and not having had very many positive experiences during my time there. The overall impression from those interviewed was that they felt very positive about their workplace. There were inevitable differences in how different levels of employees viewed certain issued but there were more similarities than differences. I was interested to see how employees had spoke about productivity and performance targets. It became apparent that performance targets were related to the number of calls answered, the time in which it took to answer the calls and also the levels of call leakage. It is very easy to monitor call centre agents against an array of time-related measures and staff felt under a lot of pressure at times due to this. I can relate to this, as this is exactly how I felt working as a call centre agent. One manager interviewed in Case Study A stated that the most important thing in managing call centre staff was motivation, motivation, motivation, yet the manager in question admitted he had little idea of how to motivate staff. I do agree that motivating staff to perform well is an issue and I appreciate that highly motivated staff will be more productive but I also think that if staff working in call centres had a better understanding of the bigger picture and knew how their actions impacted upon the business as a whole they may change their attitudes and automatically perform better and more efficiently. This is just my opinion from my experience of working in a British Gas call centre for almost three years I have been privileged enough to have been given an insight into the deeper realms of the business, something which frontline staff rarely come into contact with and I do feel this would be of benefit to them. As it stand now, staff are being thrown tough performance targets by management and expected to meet them without question, they have no understanding of why the business needs them to perform at a particular level and what the consequences will be if they dont. I believe business awareness to be a vital part of representing a company to the public and the company I work for do offer a business awareness course, however this is e-learning based and has to be completed in your own time. Needless to say, there are not many staff who take advantage of this opportunity to understand the business they work for due to the above conditions and a lot of staff are probably unaware that the facility even exists. If British Gas were to allow the time for staff to complete this course during working hours or even to be paid overtime for the time they spend on it outside their scheduled hours, they would have a massive response and although this would be time consuming and possibly quite costly, I believe that the positive effects on how employees work would outweigh the costs. Productivity is very poor in the call centre I work in after reading relevant sections in a book called Remuneration Policy by Patrick McCauley I am under the impression that a successful reward system can help to improve productivity. McCauley defines motivation simply as goal directed behaviour and he makes it clear that employees will only be motivated to increase their performance by goals that are actually of interest to them, for example if a manager said to his team one day that the person with the highest productivity that day would be rewarded with a family ticket to the local pantomime then you would get Sandra, the mother with 2.4 children, husband and nice semi-detached house working her socks off, however, Matt, Gary and Emma, the three students on the team and Harold the grandad of the team who is six months off retirement would not be interested in the slightest by the managers offer of reward. McCauley states that the three key questions we need to consider when devising a successful reward system are: * What goals will employees actually pursue? * What factors will determine their success or failure in achieving these goals? * What will be the consequences of achievement or frustration for the employee and the organisation? As I have already mentioned, it is important to offer rewards that are of interest to the staff and that will actually motivate them to perform better and drive them towards goals which involve meeting productivity and performance targets on the way. It is important to offer generic rewards that are appealable to all or a choice of a few different rewards in order to cater for all the different ages, cultures etc. I have dome some research in to reward systems whilst working on a service excellence team in the British Gas call centre and the rewards that were constantly being requested by staff were things such as an extra days annual leave, high street vouchers, deputising for a higher level role for half a day as a development opportunity etc. These were things that the frontline staff were telling management would motivate them to work harder and to a higher standard, however management declined these requests as they saw them as too ambitious and they were especially against the extra holiday which unfortunately was the most popular suggestion. It was a shame these suggestions were declined as staff then felt that they were being ignored which in turn lowered morale and saw a drop in productivity for a short while, it would probably have been cheaper for the company to have allowed a small number of desired rewards which would have increased productivity for while and certainly wouldnt have reduced it. Staff are already aware of what their targets are on a day to day basis and we need to remember that there will be a percentage of staff who do consistently meet these targets, therefore when setting criteria for a reward system we have to set it higher than daily performance targets to show that staff are being recognised for going above and beyond the call of duty and not just being coaxed into doing what is already expected of them. Staff will have to meet daily performance and productivity targets and then some before they can achieve a reward. If an employee successfully achieves a reward for their performance then not only will their productivity have had to increase to achieve the reward in the first place but as that desired behaviour has now been rewarded, the employee will be conditioned into repeating it in order to gain further rewards. If an employee either attempts and fails to reach the goal required to achieve a reward or doesnt make the effort and sees his colleagues around him being rewarded for their increased effort and performance it will have one of the two following effects upon him: * He will become de-motivated as he is feeling left out or a failure as his efforts are not being recognised because he fails to reach the required standard and his performance will drop further. * He will become determined to work to the required level to achieve a reward to prove to himself and his managers that he too can perform well. If the latter of the consequences occurs then the reward systems is still being effective in all areas as even failures are being motivated to continue to strive for the reward on offer. However if the company begins to see individuals experiencing a drop in motivation and performance they may need to consider addressing this with a reward for example for the most improved productivity each month, therefore even those whose efforts dont bring them above the required productivity level for a standard reward have a chance of recognition for their efforts alone. McCauley examines Vrooms expectancy theory and this supports the issues raised above. Vroom does state though that the criteria that needs to be met in order to achieve a reward has to be very clear cut and communicated thoroughly to all levels of staff so as to avoid woolly areas where decisions to reward or not may be disputed. Throughout my research I have identified underlying issues surrounding the productivity of call centre staff and how to improve this by encouraging motivation amongst staff and providing them with personal goals that at the same time guide them towards achieving the productivity levels required by the business. I have come to the conclusion that productivity can only really be successfully increased in the long term by providing something for the individual to work towards, not just setting targets and expecting them to be met. I also think that increased business awareness amongst frontline staff would be beneficial to any call centre so then at least they know and understand why there are certain pressures placed upon them and they may be more welcoming to the challenge of attaining higher targets. Bibliography An exploration of managerial issues in call centres. (Journal Article) Colin Armistead, Julia Kiely, Linda Hole Jean Prescott. Remuneration Policy

Omar Khayyam The Enigma :: essays research papers fc

PROLOGUE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Omar Kahyyam was primarily a mathematician and an astronomer. He was an extremely intelligent individual who wrote many theories in physics and metaphysics. He is also attributed with the reformation of the Persian calender with seven other great intellects to create a calender more accurate than the Gregorian calender. Ironically he is known to the world today for his translated collection of lyrical quatrains called the Rubaiyat. His life and works are somewhat of a mystery because he was rather unpopular until after his death. Yet the work he is most known and beloved for is considered to have been a gross mistranslation of both character and content.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper will be divided into six sections. The first is the prologue. The prologue was used to introduce Omar to the reader. Next there will be a brief biography of his life and major influences of his work. Following this will be a section on his magnum opus and only work, The Rubaiyat. This will include literary criticism of his famous work. After this there will be a brief conclusion to sum up the overall paper followed by an epilogue with my opinion on Khayyam. Finally in my bibliography the reader will see my sources for research and my opinion on those books.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I. OMAR KHAYYAM, THE ENIGMA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the history of world literature Omar Khayyam is an enigma. No poet of any time period has received greater recognition and fame through such a enormous misreading of his work. Known today world wide, Khayyam’s works would undoubtable be unheard of in modern day literature in they were not translated by English writer Edward FitzGerald. The paradox is that FitzGerald misinterpreted both Khayyam and his works in his translation to start an unending conflict1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FitzGerald added to his editions of the Rubaiyat a biographical sketch entitled â€Å"Omar Khayyam: The Astronomer Poet of Persia.† In this he wrote his opinion that Khayyam was an anti-religious materialist who believed life’s only meaning was to be found in wine, song, and worldly pleasures:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having failed (however mistakenly) of finding any Providence but Destiny, and any world but this, he set about making the most of it; preferring rather to soothe the soul through the senses into acquiescence with things as he saw them, than to perplex it with vain disquietude after what they might be.... He takes a humorous or perverse pleasure in exalting the gratification of sense above that of intellect, in which he must have taken great delight, although it failed to answer the questions in which he, in common with all men, was most vitally interested2.

How Our Society Depicts Gender Essay

Gender is a powerful force that has shaped humankind’s history and has remained a strongly divisive issue, influencing all facets of the society. The age-old sexist views against women are still evidently present and strong in today’s society. For instance, in the most recent elections in the United States, gender has played a major role, especially in the light of a good number of women joining the process, either as candidates, campaigners and advocates, or opinion leaders. Zernike, K. (2008), in a New York Times article entitled â€Å"Postfeminism and other fairy tales†, tackles the difficulties that women candidates faced amidst predominantly sex- and gender-biased electorate, and even the media. Gender in the Media The media today carries messages that are either shaped by or shaping the society. Curran, J. (2002) concludes that the media is a powerful and convenient vehicle which societal forces ride on to spread their messages, or to put forward their agenda and win support, and that what the media dominantly carries as messages are reflections of the society at large. What better way, then, to know how society depicts gender than by looking at the way media depicts it, through commercials, for instance. Take as an example Kelly Ripa’s Electrolux commercial, wherein the lady host is depicted as not only an efficient host doing a daily show among others, but also doing all household chores single-handedly. And Electrolux’s tagline â€Å"You can be more amazing† implies that although the woman, represented in the commercial by Ripa, has been juggling time and running around in her feat to efficiently serve her home while maintaining her professional life, can even do more, as if all those things she had been doing are still not enough for the woman to be admired. This depiction of a woman in this commercial does not strictly fall into any of the themes or categories explained by Goffman, as the commercial is already a mixture of various elements mentioned by Goffman, including the use of height differences, smile, elevation, etc. For instance, in a scene where Ripa drinks champagne with colleagues, her male counterparts are shown as much taller than she is, likewise her female colleague, who looks so distinctly like a male in her tailored suit and short hair. The scene sends a strong message that among them, Ripa is of lower rank, as symbolized by her short height relative to everybody else in the scene, her long blond hair and lighter colored suit. Therefore, as the one of lower rank and probably social status, Ripa has to run home to tuck her kids to bed. The use of the kitchen can easily be understood as the commercial is all about selling efficient kitchen and home appliances. However, it also gives a message that being a woman, Ripa must be efficient at home also, and must be able to respond to the kids’ needs at the exact moment that they need her. Overall, the message of the ad is clear – that a woman’s professional success does not really count, as her efficiency at home counts the most. Conclusion Contemporary society is no different from societies of centuries back. While there are several theories on gender which different groups adhere to depending on what is convenient to their beliefs and agenda (Butler, J. , 1988), it is undeniable that gender biases and prejudices have not really changed significantly despite all the efforts through the years. Society still holds a very limited perspective and myopic point of view on gender. Although formal institutions have been set to raise awareness of and promote gender equality, and various mechanisms have been established to eliminate gender biases and prejudices, there is still a prevalent culture of gender inequality. Biases against women, stereotyped as weak, domestic, naturally made for homecare, incapable of professional achievements, among others, still predominate society’s overall mantra – through the media, and even in the political, academic and social arenas. Indeed, as Butler quotes Simone de Beauvoir: â€Å"one is not born but rather becomes a woman,† (Beauvoir, 1986, as quoted by Butler, p. 519), society develops concepts, and in this case, creates the concept of a woman as society wants it to be: weak, domestic, only good for the home, among other stereotypes. As society depicts its women to be such, it should not expect, then, for its women to achieve more in life, it should not push its women to do impossible feats. The society better think of ways to take care of its women, however these women want to live their lives – limiting themselves in stereotypical women roles, or jumping out of the box and dare do what only men are expected to do. Works Cited Butler, Judith (1988), Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory, Theater Journal, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Dec. ,1988),pp. 519-531. Curran, James (2002), Media and Power illustrated edition, Routledge 2002. Zernike, Kate (2008), Posfeminism and other fairy tales, The Nation, New York Times, published 16 March 2008.a

Original Writing- Jonas Brothers

Although many people don't realise it, music plays a big part in everyday life. If its auditioning for the X-Factor, going to gigs every week, singing hymns at mass, singing to your favourite tunes in the shower or just listening to the radio on the way to work, we all like our music. It gets us though the days and has a big influence on what we do. Music separates the people with the many different genres it offers and some very talented people are behind it all. Considering this I would like to tell you about one of my favourite bands; the Jonas Brothers. Jonas Brothers are a VMA-nominated American boy band. The band consists of three brothers; Kevin, Joe and Nick. They come all the way from Wyckoff, New Jersey and have released three albums; It's About Time (2006), Jonas Brothers (2007) and recently, A Little Bit Longer (2008), and one soundtrack; Camp Rock (2008). The band gained their popularity on the children's television network; Disney Channel, which is where the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock , starring the Jonas Brothers, was first shown. The band star in the movie as a boy band named Connect Three. One of my reasons for liking the Jonas Brothers, is the fact that they are well-known for their wholesome, family image. The brothers are all committed Evangelic Christians, and wear purity rings on their left-hand ring finger as a sign to not have pre-marital sex, of which neither of these things they are ashamed of or afraid of showing. Joe stated that the rings symbolize â€Å"a promise to ourselves and to God that we'll stay pure 'till marriage† and Nick thinks that â€Å"its pretty awesome, and the rings are just one of our ways of kind of like being different to everybody else out there†. They also abstain form alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Another reason for liking the Jonas Brothers is the fact that in 2007 they earned about $12 million dollars and donated 10% of it to their charity, Change for the Children Foundation. The charity is a foundation started by the Jonas Brothers, where the contributors donate to charities such as, Nothing but Nets, American Diabetes Foundation, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Summer Stars: Camp for the Performing Arts. Their reasons for stating the charity is to â€Å"support programs that motivate and inspire children to face adversity with confidence, determination and a will to succeed†¦ kids helping other kids who are a little less fortunate.† Paul Kevin Jonas II, also known as Kevin, is the oldest of the brothers aged 21 and born November 5th 1987. He plays lead guitar (usually a Gibson Les Paul) and backing vocals. Kevin is also a songwriter and helped to write the bands self-titled album Jonas Brothers. Joseph Adam Jonas, was born August 15 1989, making him 19. He sings lead vocals, plays percussion and has played the guitar in the song A Little Bit Longer. Joe originally had no intentions of becoming a singer; he wanted to be a comedian and work on the show All That Nicholas Jerry Jonas, is the youngest of the band at only 16 years of age, born September 16 1992. He plays rhythm guitar (usually a Gibson SG in the original re stain colour), lead vocals with brother Joe, piano in the songs When you Look me in the Eyes and A Little Bit Longer, and drums in the songs, Australia, Can't Have You, Sorry and Video Girl. He can play various other instruments also. On November 16 2005 (aged 13), he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Franklin Nathaniel Jonas, is the baby of all the brothers, of only 8 years of age and was born September 28 2000, and isn't in the Jonas Brothers, but being the bands younger brother he still plays a big part in their lives. He is also known as the Bonus Jonas and Frank the Tank. He will debut with his brothers on J.O.N.A.S!(a Disney Channel Original Series (2009)), and may have a small appearance in Camp Rock 2. Other members of the band are: John Taylor who helps produce for the band, as well as plays guitar. Greg Garbowsky has been with the brothers since they started out. He plays bass guitar and keeps a blog of Life on the Road with the Boys. Jack â€Å"Flawless Lawless† Lawless joined the band in early 2007, and has replaced former drummer Alex Noyes. Ryan Liestman plays the keyboards for the group. The single, A Little Bit Longer, released earlier this year, was written by Nick Jonas himself and is about his fighting battle to carry on pursuing his dreams with his diabetes. He sings alone in this song, about how â€Å"you don't know what it feels like until its gone†. This song is very emotional and on occasions, Nick has been seen to be crying on stage to this particular song. He's said â€Å"Luckily, I've got some really great people around me that really help me manage my diabetes. And it hasn't slowed me down yet, and I'm not planning on letting it do that. So I'm going to continue to do what I love and if I have occasional low or high blood sugar, it will be all right because I've got some really great people surrounding me.† With the Jonas Brothers being so talented and successful at such a young age, I find them so inspiring to listen to and am proud to be a fan of theirs. You could be in any situation, but you're holding on because you don't want to give up on love. Say you're in a terrible situation†¦you can always find the light if you look hard enough.

Why Nations Go to War essays

Why Nations Go to War essays In Why Nations Go To War, Dr. Joseph Stoessinger explains eight cases in which why nations do go to war. The chapters read about the Vietnam War and Kosovo explain why these nations went to war and what mistakes hurt each nation. Stoessinger explains that some problems, such as political and economical issues, have hurt the outcome of each war. The war in Vietnam started out as a struggle between France and Communist leader, Ho Chi Minh. President Truman was the first of five presidents to lead the United States through Vietnam. At first, the president thought of the war as Frances problem, but soon wanted France to stay in the war with the help of an aid program. President Truman would end up not sending committed combat troops into the war, but would end his presidency with America paying almost one-third of the total cost of the French war effort. President Eisenhower picked up the presidency, but had China on the side of Ho Chi Minh. Eisenhower increased military aid to France and had America paying over one-half the cost of the war. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was Frances last chance in Indochina. Eisenhower was informed that, without American intervention, Indochina would be lost. French involvement in the war was ended with the Geneva Accords and the creation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization; the United States started their presence in Indochina. Ho Chi Minh would have peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union and China, and would advance to win the general election of 1956 winning him all of Vietnam. The SEATO was created to prevent further territory in Asia to falling under Communist control. The SEATO disrupted the results of the Geneva Accords and also decided to consider South Vietnam a separate state. Ho Chi Minh considered this a violation of the Accords and also believed the Americans were tr ying to hurt him in the political arena. The war bet...

Analytical Comparison of Attachment Theory and Cognitive Theory on Essay

Analytical Comparison of Attachment Theory and Cognitive Theory on Children's Behaviour - Essay Example 46). Such factors may be related to the child’s immediate environment during the early stages of growth, emotional attachments to the child’s care givers, social relations with friends and peers, and factors related to the child’s cognition. Over time, the knowledge of the factors influencing behaviour has enabled policymakers to formulate policies and programs that promote better development of children’s behaviour in different sectors. This paper seeks to examine both the Attachment Theory and Cognitive Theory with the aim of relating the theories to children’s behaviour. Description of Attachment Theory and Cognitive Theory The attachment theory asserts that children begin to develop psychological attachment to the first people they relate with, and knowledge acquired through such attachments influences their behavioural development (Inge 1992, p. 38). As such, the theory affirms that a positive parent-child relationship during the early stages o f child growth and development is essential, since it influences the future behaviour of the child in later stages of life. The nature of the relationship between the child and the care giver during the early stages of growth determines the nature of the child’s character, personality, and behaviour in later years (Inge 1992, p. 38). ... 38). Cognitive theory associates behaviour with the mental processes, asserting that people make choices according to how they perceive and understand different situations in their lives (Doherty & Hughes 2009, p.39). Cognitive theory advances that human behaviour is not solely based on reflex, or cause and effect, but people make conscious and logical choices to undertake particular actions depending on their understanding of the situations. As such, the theory argues that people do not act merely for the need to react to scenarios in their immediate environments, but rather they act to respond to their mental and psychological processes which term their actions as logical and necessary (Dowling 2009, p.121). The exposure of children to environments with different experiences influences their behavioural development, since such exposure requires the children to behave differently in different situations (Chesnay & Anderson 2011, p.3). Analysis in relation to current policies, strate gies, and legislations Attachment theory Different policies, strategies, and legislation have been formulated and adopted in programs aimed at promoting proper children growth and development, particularly in relation to children’s behaviour. Understanding of the influence of the attachment theory and cognitive theory in children’s behaviour has led to the formulation of Every Child Matters, an arrangement that seeks to ensure that all children are considered in the services provided by statutory, voluntary, or private providers (Gargiulo 2010, p.43). Children with avoidant attachment characteristics are largely antisocial and independent in most of their activities,

Corporate Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Corporate Planning - Essay Example In the 1930s, after the Great Depression, quality of life management became the most modern phase of CSR where issues of improving societal gain in areas of lifestyle enhancement became the objective of business, government and corporate leadership. As time progresses, economies and specific international regions are recognising new trends in social attitude and consumer behaviour which are driving new and innovative practices for ensuring positive corporate reputation and also satisfying social beliefs on moral and ethical business practices. The historical phases of CSR maintain both strengths and weaknesses, which will be identified in this paper along with discussion of how these historical phases have developed into new CSR objectives in modern society. Additionally, recommendations on implementing effective corporate social responsibility activities in Hong Kong will be identified and discussed. The concepts of social responsibility were largely generated from the American perspective, since this region was essentially a launching pad for industrialism and growth in the late 1800s. â€Å"America in the 19th century was a society of economic scarcity where economic growth and the accumulation of aggregate wealth were primary national goals† (Hay and Gray, 1974, p.136). It was during this period where the business system was considered to be a quality tool for reducing this scarcity, thus the focus of leadership in the corporate environment was to ensure maximisation of profits in order to enhance total economic growth within a region. One weakness of this historical phase is that it did not involve governmental influence when dictating what were acceptable social responsibility policies at the business level, therefore there was no regulatory body to oversee business activities at the internal level. Because of this lack of regulation and legislation, companies were allowed to exploit child labour and provide unsafe working conditions for