Surrealism Essays (907 words) - Modern Painters, Modern Artists

Surrealism As World War I came to an end, the Dada movement evolved into a new movement called Surrealism. This medium of art created a palette of purity and hope though automatism and use of dreams. The Surrealists strove for simplicity and spontaneity or as some called it, automatism. They wanted to answer the question how shall I be free? and to express thought without any tainted preconceptions. They believed automatism would reveal the true and individual nature of anyone who practiced it, far more completely than could any of his conscious creations. For automatism was the most perfect means for reaching and tapping the unconscious. (Stangos 125) This free style of expression, first used in literary circles headed by Andre Breton and then by painters like Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali and Ren? Magritte, upheld the Dadaist rejection of traditional forms of art. However, by portraying a field of unconscious thought and thereby, following an uncontaminated reality, the surrealists avoi ded the horrors of premeditated warfare and political, social and economic lies and injustices. Surrealist theorists found Surrealism to be: a certain point of the mind at which life and death, the real and the imaginary, the past and the future, the communicable and the incommunicable, the heights and the depths, cease to be perceived contradictably. Now it is in vain that one would seek any other motive for Surrealist activity than determining this point. (Stangos 134) By using one's unconscious mind, the imagination in a primitive state, (Stangos 126) Surrealism found a place where contradictory thoughts might not serve as dichotomies. Free of a socially constructed point of view or raison, a writer or artist travels to a place of thinking that is both irrational and rational at the same time. Through the unconscious or a highly sensitized state of mind, the surrealist brought forth a new manner of seeing and feeling the world as it was understood and negotiated by Western peoples. In its development, Surrealism celebrated the art of children, mad people and primitive art. The Surrealists believed in the innocent eye. They found that art produced by young children was more real than that produced by adults-- since the art of adults was usually repressed and contaminated. The Surrealists often played children's games like the one where each player draws a head, body or legs then folds the paper after his turn so that his contribution is not seen. The strange images that resulted provided Joan Miro and others with inspiration for works, such as The Harlequin's Carnival. (Stangos 127) In addition to this technique, Max Ernst, in 1925, began using a child's technique which led him in his direction of art for the next two decades. The technique was termed frottage, or rubbing. It involved placing a piece of paper over a textured surface and then rubbing it with a pencil to record the texture. Afterwards, the images produced would be rearranged and the results were new images and associations from these initial rubbings. These images would then go on to become inspiration and the groundwork for paintings and sculptures. Ordinary forms and objects were used to create art. The Surrealists saw an object and created art out of it because of the feelings that object inspired or what that object lent itself to be transformed into. In addition to the childlike innocence the Surrealist sought, looked into his dreams and into his childhood for ideas for his art. The Surrealists looked towards dreams because they believed dreams were thoughts and imaginations in the primitive state. Dreams were part of the unconscious, and the unconscious was untainted. In the beginning of the Surrealist period, artists used hypnotism and drugs to venture into the unconscious state to extract images, word and ideas. Andre Breton said that these images and feelings could not be had in the conscious state. Quite often, the Surrealists would create dream-like scenes and scenarios which would otherwise be impossible in the natural world. Salvador Dali once said the only difference between himself and a madman was that he was not mad. His paintings were often a bizarre and erotic dream world influenced by dreams and his fear of sex. Dali painted with a photographic like accuracy and used bright intense colors

The Othello Essay †Timeless Topics. BestEssay.education

The Othello Essay – Timeless Topics The Othello Essay Wow. Shakespeare took on a lot in this play – jealousy, envy, racism, and deceit. It is often considered one of Shakespeare’s â€Å"lesser plays,† if there can really be such a thing, and it is usually not studied unless a student takes a specific course on the playwright, but the beauty of writing an Othello essay is that the topics are just so timely today. A Tough Plot to Follow While the plot itself is pretty clear cut, what makes Othello a bit difficult is keeping all of the â€Å"players† in this tale of treachery and deceit straight. You may need to read it a couple of times and take some notes to keep track. But here are some key points in the plot that you need to remember: Othello is not the usual Italian hero. He is a Muslim living in a society of white Catholics, and his only claim to fame is his prowess as a military strategist and victor. He wants acceptance by this society, and the only way to get that is to keep being victorious in battle and, of course, to marry Desdemona, a white. This, he believes, will bring him the stature that he needs and make him a part of Italian society. There are forces working against him, however, in the name of Roderigo, who loves Desdemona and will do anything to make the marriage fail. He and his co-conspirator Lago concoct a plot to convince Othello that his wife is unfaithful, knowing that the proud military man will not stand for it. And there is a second benefit to all of this. By painting Cassio, one of Roderigo’s enemies, as the lover, they can get rid of him too. Othello jealousy will certainly mean that Cassio will be killed. Against this backdrop, Othello is left without a battle to fight and so has lost his value to Italy. All of the characters have travelled to Cyprus to fight invaders who never come. So there sits Othello, no battle and only time to â€Å"stew† on the rumors and mounting evidence that his wife is being unfaithful. In the end, as the truth unfolds, Othello has lost his reputation and his wife both, and the only option is suicide. Essay Questions That Will Provide Topics Essays on Themes: Shakespeare’s themes are always timeless, and Othello is no exception. Where, in all of history, has there not been jealousy, deceit, racism, and isolation? Here are some possible essay topics: Does Othello have a single fatal flaw or more than one? Certainly, jealousy is one, but is there also envy? Is he longing to be a part of a society that only accepts him because of his military stature? Maybe his flaw is that he wants too much to â€Å"belong.† Without purpose, Othello feels isolated and alone. His â€Å"cheating† wife only adds to this. How does his sense of isolation contribute to the tragic events? Who are the â€Å"racists† in the play? Does Desdemona represent the person who has truly risen above racism? Othello Essays of Characterization A great analysis essay could be written about any number of this play’s characters, for they mirror people who have existed for all time. Here are some potential topics for you: Analyze Emilia’s character. Is she an opportunist with no moral principles? How does she change in the end? Is Lago an opportunist or a racist? Or both? What motivates him to take part in the treacherous deceit to bring Othello down? If Desdemona has a flaw, what is it? Is she a woman ahead of her time? In what way? Once you have read Othello, you may indeed find that you like it better than some of Shakespeare’s more touted plays. One of the reasons for this is that he addresses some really important issues that must be faced in our own time – the struggles for minorities in a society for acceptance and opportunity and the value we place on humans based upon their achievements, sometimes at the cost of who they are. The bottom line is this, however: if you need to write that Othello essay, you have plenty of possible toics! Othello, William Shakespeare’s lesser known tragedy, deals with some pretty hefty themes, certainly for the times in which he wrote. Many consider it a very early treatment of race relations and the struggle for minorities to find acceptance in a white-dominated society. However, you see it, there are plenty of topics for some great essays here.

Learned Lessons from Completing the Project on Royal Tires & More Assignment

Learned Lessons from Completing the Project on Royal Tires & More Systems Upgrade - Assignment Example While completing the project it was evident that it involved change and therefore, it meant that the project manager was equally tasked with change management of which according to the writings by Marshak (2005), the project managers or managers’ in-charge of a change programme are also required to manage people as part of their roles. Being that the project manager did not have any background knowledge on human resource management there were few cases whereby some employees of the company showed resistance to the implementation of the project because of fear of job loss due to the system upgrade that seemingly made some of them redundant. Part of the lesson that the project manager learned from the resistance that was attributed to change, was that he should adopt a humanistic approach to projects that involve change. The humanistic approach according to Kotter (2011) is built on the premise that there has to be an interpersonal relationship between managers and employees, an d therefore managers have to consider the opinions or views of every party affected by the change. Secondly, while completing the project another key lesson that was learned is that the project budget is highly prone to changes that are beyond the control of the project manager. These changes are attributed to economic factors that are external and they may cause an influx of the budget beyond the original estimates or they may cause a reduction in the original estimates of the project budget. The first lesson that was learned while completing the project was that projects that involves change, should be integrated change or people management to eradicate cases of resistance from employees.  

Perception and Cognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Perception and Cognition - Essay Example The things we do consciously are influenced by the unconscious mind - our actions are the effects of stimuli which we are unaware of. There have been various interpretations in this regard. According to cognitive psychology, unconscious information processing likened to subliminal message processing (idea opposed by authors because they thought the definition was unnatural and restrictive). (09No) In Evolution: evolutionary changes occurred as a result of unconscious processes - there was no conscious thought that went into evolution and adaptation; For example, things like culture and early learning - we don't think about our culture - we are surrounded by it from an early age and information gets stored in our unconscious mind without our being aware of it - it is inherent. Same with Early Learning - we learn lots of things at a very young age, which are inherent traits of human kind, which we again, don't consciously think about (for instance, kids, especially infants, learn behavior by "passive imitation" of parents or friends; as infants we unconsciously learn by experience - as we grow up, those learned behaviors/actions/values stay with us, and are stored in the unconscious mind - later in life, we don't consciously think about these things - we just know them to be true) All these characteristics have been oft associate... There is a distinct line between conscious and unconscious goal pursuit. Keeping in perspective the recent evolutionary arrival of modes of though and behavior, it is probably that the conscious goal is directly or indirectly related to unconscious motivational structures. We are predisposed, conditioned (genetically predisposed - this is an effect of evolution) as a human race to prefer certain "aspects of our environment over others" -these are perhaps linked to the behaviors we learn as infants. For instance in various Muslim families, it has been inculcated in the minds of their females that physical intimacy with men is a no and nor are revealing clothes allowed. They are asked to adapt and mould themselves in this peculiar lifestyle where they shun themselves from the society in general and set their goal in such a way where nurturing their kids and serving their husbands in future becomes central to their survival. This is result of environmental and social pressure most of which becomes innate in the female inhabitant in such families. (Iceberg Metaphor and Unconscious Mind) Another theory suggests that impulse to act upon a stimuli is an unconscious behavior - the impulse is produced unconsciously, and then the conscious mind takes over; plethora of impulses that are driven by behavioral and cultural norms and or our values/traditions. Some people react at the sight of lizards or their mention without even without seeing the poor animal. This is because a certain kind of unconscious fear exists in the back of their mind about it. Their reaction for the same is involuntary. It rests at the back of their mind subconsciously which tends to act as prime motivator for the same. We are unconsciously inclined towards certain things over others (certain

Education and Learning Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education and Learning Theory - Essay Example The three learning theories discussed include a number of conceptual differences with regard to preparing instructional multimedia design. In terms of explaining mental activities, Behaviourism is associated with the body while Cognitivism is related to the mind. Cognitive notions include schema or knowledge structures in learning processes, which do not find any behavioural equivalent. In Behaviourism, the instructor designs the learning environment. Cognitive approach involves the instructor in structuring problem solving activities with group learning strategies. In case of Constructivism, the instructor focuses on peer interaction through which, learners can develop their knowledge on known concepts. In Behaviourism, the learner remains passive; in Cognitivism, he learns to process, store and retrieve information for future use. The proposed project on Production of a Visual Basic Tutor intends to include the learning theories of Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism while preparing the instructional multimedia design. A systematic instructional design should include all the three theories that will help analyse learners, make objectives for the course, set the instructional preferences and assess student performance. Student interaction with teachers, course materials, and among themselves is an essential requirement in a learning situation. It is the main objectivity of the instructional design to analyse learners and provide them with required knowledge by creating a problem solving situation.

The Defense Of Humbert Humberts Novels English Literature Essay

The Defense Of Humbert Humberts Novels English Literature Essay The narrator of Vladimir Nabokovs novel Lolita, Humbert Humbert, denounces himself and refers to himself as a brute, (Nabokov 193). It is all too easy for many readers to add their own condemnation; after all, Humbert is a grown man who over the course of the story lusts after and engages in sexual relations with a twelve year old girl. Yet a deeper reading of the material reveals that there may be more to the story than a simple case of pedophilia. An examination of character and symbolism in Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita provides evidence to support the theory that Humbert is a sympathetic but flawed character who is manipulated by Dolores Haze. First of all, Humbert offers an argument for his actions that allows insight into his reasoning. The relationship between Humbert and Lolita is not socially acceptable, but Humbert tries to normalize his actions, citing Poe, Proust, and Petrarch to show how norms have altered over time, (Rothstein 22). Humbert defends himself from time to time by citing historical relationships that were similar to his with Lolita, pointing out that such relationships were acceptable in certain times and places, and even arguing that many girls of Lolitas age have reached a state of physical maturity. When he states that soon I found myself maturing amid a civilization which allows a man of twenty-five to court a girl of sixteen but not a girl of twelve, it becomes clear that Humbert views society, rather than himself, as the flawed factor in this equation (Nabokov 16). Regardless of his arguments, according to the standards of twentieth century American culture Humberts relationship with Lolita is s ocially unacceptable and he remains branded as a child molester. Once more, Humbert is saved from being entirely evil. Humbert is not interested in children, and is described as having the utmost respect for ordinary children, with their purity and vulnerability, and under no circumstances would he have interfered with the innocence of a child, (Nabokov 19-20). Douglas Fowler agrees, asserting that Humbert is no deflowerer of innocent children (49). Instead, Humberts interest lies with what he calls a nymphet, or a young girl who attracts those much older than herself and who is a deadly little demon among the wholesome children, (As Nabokov 16-7). As predatory as his behavior may appear, Humbert has no intention of corrupting or harming the innocent. Unfortunately, these rationalizations lose some of their effectiveness when taking into consideration that they come from an adult who should know better. On the other hand, the argument that Humberts inner child plays into his behavior provides an alternative explanation for those actions. Near the beginning of the text, Humbert relates the tale from his childhood of a seaside romance with a girl named Annabel, which was broken off first by the interference of a pair of adults and finally by the girls death. This sad situation reflects the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe, with its tale of lost love. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea: But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; (Poe 7-10) Humbert feels intrinsically tied to Annabel, again shadowing the speaker of the poems assertion that nothing[c]an ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee, (Poe 32-3). It can be argued that Humbert never entirely grew up as a result of this incident; part of his soul was stunted by his unconsummated childhood love affair. Humbert himself admits to the influence that these circumstances have on later events when he says that in point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, a certain initial girl-child, (Nabokov 9). The concept that Humberts inner child influences his behavior is reinforced by yet more evidence from the story. For example, when Humbert and Lolita set off on their initial road trip he showers her with gifts and goes out of his way to entertain her, referring to himself as eager, hopeful Hum, (Nabokov 140). This reads like a nervous young boy trying desperately to please the girl whom he admires, hoping to catc h her attention and gain her favor. The fact that Humbert expresses disgust with his own adult form, which he refers to as his adult disguise, also lends support to this argument (Nabokov 39). Margaret Morganroth Gullette points out that to Humbert, [a]ll grownup characteristics over-sized frame, hairiness, smell are unnatural to the soul that feels itself to be essentially childlike, (223) and that this is a loathing which he projects onto adult women, (222). The idea that Humbert is actually a child trapped in a mans body makes his infatuation with Lolita if not socially acceptable, then at least somewhat more understandable. If the reader can find a trace of innocence by delving beneath Humberts sinister surface, an examination of Lolita exposes a surprising lack of virtue lying underneath her childlike mask. Nabokov establishes the inconsistency of her character within the very first paragraph: She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita (9). The girls constantly shifting name mirrors the metamorphic quality her character; in one moment she is an injured child, and in the next she reads as a calculating seductress. In many ways she seems to be an average American child, and yet she has none of the innocence that childhood implies. The truth is that she is aware of Humberts infatuation with her and torments him with lines such as [w]ell, you havent kissed me yet, have you? (Nabokov 112). Humbert may never have gone so far as to actually have intercourse w ith a nymphet were it not for his interactions with Lolita. In fact, it is Lolita who actually seduces Humbert, and then goes on to reveal a history of sexual deviancy. Suffice to say that not a trace of modesty did I perceive in this beautiful hardly formed young girl whom modern co-education, juvenile mores, the campfire racket and so forth had utterly and hopelessly depraved, Humbert comments, (Nabokov 133). Because of this previous corruption, Nabokov saves him from the act of actually deflowering precocious Dolores Haze and shifts moral responsibility away, (Fowler 149). This encounter occurs in an inn named The Enchanted Hunters, introducing the symbolism of the hunter, by which Humbert is a hunter whose plans are turned on their head by the youthful nymphet. This theme is echoed later by Lolitas involvement in a play titled The Enchanted Hunters, in which she portrays a perfect little nymph who places several lost hunters under hypnosis (Nabokov 196). Indeed, Humbert spends t he entirety of the story under Lolitas spell. Perhaps the most compelling argument in Humberts favor is that he truly loves Lolita. At first it seems that his love is based upon his view of her as the reincarnation of his lost Annabel, but while Lolitas resemblance to Annabel may have sparked Humberts attraction to her, the idea that this is the driving force behind his attraction soon loses its potency. As Humbert explains, A little later, of course, she à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was to eclipse completely her prototype, (Nabokov 39-40). Thus, it becomes clear that Humberts love is for her, and not for a mere replacement of Annabel. The novel is filled with Humberts endearments for Lolita and his obsession with her is palpable. However, there is a difference between obsession and love, and throughout the novel the nature of his feelings for Lolita is ambiguous. It is at the end of the novel that the true extent of his love for Lolita is revealed. As Noni Tamir-Ghez writes, only at the end does he (and therefore the reader) understand that he actually loves Lolita, not the nymphet in her, (82). When Humbert finally locates Lolita after three years of searching, he discovers that his nubile nymphet has been replaced with a heavily pregnant and worn-out house-wife. Surprisingly, the man who has been disgusted by signs of aging throughout the entirety of the novel is not repulsed by this glaringly adult version of Lolita. Rather than dissipating, his love for her shows through with full force. He insists that I loved my Lolita, this Lolita, pale and polluted, and big with anothers child, (Nabokov 278). Humbert shows the most humanity when he not only discovers the true depth of his feelings for Lolita, but also takes responsibility for his part in the events in the story. He relates an incident during Lolitas absence when he listens to the voices of children and comes to realize that the hopelessly poignant thing was not Lolitas absence from my side, but the absence of her voice from that concord, (Nabokov 308). Only no w does Humberts love for Lolita overcome his need for her. This combined with his regret for his actions makes it easier for the reader to sympathize with him. Humbert attests to his own guilt and the entire novel is intended as a confession. However, if Lolita can be viewed as the victim of a child molester, then Humbert can also be seen as the victim of both his own warped mind and the manipulation of a deviant child. Without the context of the story it would be difficult to understand Humberts actions, let alone forgive him for them. However, Nabokov provides ample material to support the conclusion of Humberts vulnerability. Upon examining his character, Humbert is shown to not truly be a monster, but instead a deeply flawed individual: emotionally stunted, self-deluded, and irresistibly drawn to that which society has deemed is unattainable.

Economics †monopoly Essay

A monopoly is an enterprise that is the only seller of a good or service. In the absence of government intervention, a monopoly is free to set any price it chooses and will usually set the price that yields the largest possible profit. Just being a monopoly need not make an enterprise more profitable than other enterprises that face competiton the market may be so small that it barely supports one enterprise. But if the monopoly is in fact more profitable than competitive enterprises, economists expect that other entrepreneurs will enter the business to capture some of the higher returns. If enough rivals enter, their competition will drive prices down and eliminate monopoly power. Why do economists object to monopoly? The purely â€Å"economic† argument against monopoly is very different from what noneconomists might expect. Successful monopolists charge prices above what they would be with competition so that customers pay more and the monopolists (and perhaps their employees) gain. It may seem strange, but economists see no reason to criticize monopolies simply because they transfer wealth from customers to monopoly producers. That is because economists have no way of knowing who is the more worthy of the two parties—the producer or the customer. Of course, people (including economists) may object to the wealth transfer on other grounds, including moral ones. But the transfer itself does not present an â€Å"economic† problem. Rather, the purely â€Å"economic† case against monopoly is that it reduces aggregate economic welfare (as opposed to simply making some people worse off and others better off by an equal amount). When the monopolist raises prices above the competitive level in order to reap his monopoly. Profits, customers buy less of the product, less is produced, and society as a whole is worse off. In short, monopoly reduces society’s income. The following is a simplified example. Consider the case of a monopolist who produces his product at a fixed cost (where â€Å"cost† includes a competitive rate of return on his) of $5 per unit. The cost is $5 no matter how many units the monopolist makes. The number of units he sells, however, depends on the price he charges. The number of units he sells at a given price depends on the â€Å"demand† schedule shown in Table 1. The monopolist is best off when he limits production to 200 units, which he sells for $7 each. He then earns monopoly profits (what economists call â€Å"economic rent†) of $2 per unit ($7 minus his $5 cost, which, again, includes a competitive rate of return on investment) times 200, or $400 a year. If he makes and sells 300 units at $6 each, he earns a monopoly profit of only $300 ($1 per unit times 300 units). If he makes and sells 420 units at $5 each, he earns no monopoly profit—just a fair return on the capital invested in the business. Thus, the monopolist is $400 richer because of his monopoly position at the $7 price. Table : 1 Price Qty. Demanded Monopoly Profit/Year 7 200 400 6 300 300 5 420 0 The main kind of monopoly that is both persistent and not caused by the government is what economists call a â€Å"natural† monopoly. A natural monopoly comes about due to economies of scale-that is, due to unit costs that fall as a firm’s production increases. When economies of scale are extensive relative to the size of the market, one firm can produce the industry’s whole output at a lower unit cost than two or more firms could. The reason is that multiple firms cannot fully exploit these economies of scale. Many economists believe that the distribution of electric power (but not the production of it) is an example of a natural monopoly. The economies of scale exist because another firm that entered would need to duplicate existing power lines, whereas if only one firm existed, this duplication would not be necessary. And one firm that serves everyone would have a lower cost per customer than two or more firms. Whether, and how, government should regulate monopoly is controversial among economists. Most favour regulation to prevent the natural monopoly from charging a monopoly price. Other economists want no regulation because they believe that even natural monopolies must face some competition (electric utilities must compete with home generation of wind power, for example, and industrial customers can sometimes produce their own power or buy it elsewhere), and they want the natural monopoly to have a strong incentive to cut costs. Besides regulating price, governments usually prevent competing firms from entering an industry that is thought to be a natural monopoly. A firm that wants to compete with the local utility, for example, cannot legally do so. Economists tend to oppose regulating entry. The reason is as follows: If the industry really is a natural monopoly, then preventing new competitors from entering is unnecessary because no competitor would want to enter anyway. If, on the other hand, the industry is not a natural monopoly, then preventing competition is undesirable.

Discuss Friel’s presentation Essay

In the time ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was set Gerry and Chris’s relationship would have been extremely unorthodox and would have circulated a lot of town gossip. Having a child out of wedlock was extremely shocking and making the decision to then keep Michael even more so. In 1936 women had very few rights and with the shock of Michael being born only the towns respect for their brother, a missionary, kept them from being societal lepers. Friel presents the relationship between Gerry and Chris by using stage directions to show the true feelings between them and how their relationship is sustained. Having Gerry and Chris talking in the garden while the four other sisters are inside listening intently shows how little privacy the two have in their relationship. When Gerry first arrives Chris appears extremely cold and offhand in front of him using one word answers ‘Chris: Hello, Gerry†¦ yes†¦yes. ’ All of this gives the impression that she has very little time for him and doesn’t particularly care about him. However Friel’s staging shows the audience that she really does care because we see her reaction before Gerry comes on stage. Friel portrays her as standing stock still in shock then, when coming to her senses, rushing around panicking, ‘adroitly adjusts her hair and clothes. ’ It is the panic before the extract that shows her much Chris truly does care about Gerry and also about how little the sisters have in their lives due to the their scramble to make themselves presentable. This highlights how Gerry is a key romantic figure in the play because even though all the while the sisters are saying ‘Kate: He won’t stay the night here’ and ‘Rose: I hate him!’ they still all end up crowding around the window to listen in and watch, suggesting that though disapproving they still half wish to be in Chris’s shoes. The social constraints of the situation lead them to wanting Gerry out of the families lives, but still the desire is there through the constant comments. These comments are key to the suggestion of an invasion of privacy, ‘Maggie: you should see the way she’s looking at him†¦Kate: they’re not still talking are they? ’ Friel is trying to show how hard it must be for Gerry and Chris to live in such an enclosed area where everyone knows everyone’s business, thus exploring a theme of romance, or lack of romance. This is continued throughout the extract, the fact that Gerry never visits ‘Chris: 13 months’ making the relationship seem very one sided – Chris remembering the last visit to the day while Gerry can’t remember the month. Gerry proposes to Chris at the very end of the extract and this gives a sign that maybe he does care about her. Even though Chris turns him down there is still the slight remembrance of this moment throughout the rest of the play, leading to the audiences opinion that maybe Gerry does truly care for Chris despite leaving her alone with child. However through Michael’s narrative closer to the end of the play in the second act we find out that Gerry already had ‘a wife and three grown children’, Friel choosing to leave this revelation till the end to produce a far more dramatic climax to their relationship. It is then that the audience realises that Gerry never intended to marry Chris and only offered in the knowledge that she would refuse. This all gives the impression that there is never any real closeness or intimacy for the two of them and the whole summer of happiness before, ‘suddenly he takes her in his arms and dance. ’ was a lie. A large influence on Friel when writing ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was the changing role of women in society. Thatcher had just been Prime Minister and women’s rights were becoming much more accepted in the 1990’s, perhaps why Friel chose to make this such a large part of the play. Set in 1936 the Mundy sisters would not have been at all accepted by society with Chris having Michael out of wedlock and then deciding to keep him. Changing attitudes within society would have influenced Friel’s interpretation of Chris and Gerry’s relationship. Friel depicted this family as an example of what is yet to come, the sisters supported Chris throughout and after her pregnancy even though it went against societies beliefs, thus inflicting Chris’s embarrassment upon themselves as well yet still sticking together as a family. Friel emphasizes that women should have the right to do as they please through the disruption of outside influences. At the beginning of the play the sisters are happy in their little bubble making jokes about the outside world ‘Maggie: steady on girl, today its lipstick; tomorrow it’s the gin bottle’ although never participating in it. It’s when they begin to allow others into their circle that things begin to go down hill for them. Before Gerry’s arrival they were all dancing and laughing but his arrival marked a change for them all, Friel perhaps suggesting that women don’t need the influences of men and all they bring with them is destruction. Danny Bradley and Rose are another example of this, the death of Rose’s defenceless white rooster is symbolic of mans predatory nature and the violence of this act implies violence between Rose and Bradley. Therefore Friel is portraying women as stronger without the male interference, Chris and Gerry’s relationship is used to highlight this as it is obvious to the audience that Chris would have been better off without Gerry in the first place but it is this continued procrastinating relationship that truly destroys her. The audience views Chris and Gerry’s relationship with trepidation throughout the play due to Friel’s depiction of him as a stereotypical womaniser. Kate calls him a ‘Loafer! Wastrel! ’ but conveniently neglects to mention the obvious charisma he has. In a short few minutes of conversation he has turned Chris from cold and unwelcoming ‘Chris: Thirteen months. ’ To one who is warm and laughing and allows Gerry to ‘dance her lightly, elegantly across the garden. ’ The audience views this exchange with surprise having heard only very negative things about Gerry from the sisters; the easy acceptance from Chris confuses them. The audience’s mistrust of Gerry’s character increases after the small discussion of Agnes between the two. Having already seen Agnes’s rigid, almost forced disinterest in Gerry, and then to have Gerry asking specifically after her Friel creates a slight unease for the audience, suggesting that something may have between the two of them. This leads to the audience beginning to see the cracks in the family’s foundations with Gerry seemingly at the centre of this. Friel enforces this idea of him being a womaniser later in act 2 when he begins to flirt with Agnes ‘Gerry: Dance with me Agnes.’ and then kisses her forehead, all of this watched by Chris. The audience begins to really mistrust Gerry at this point as it is obvious that he is the cause of conflict between the family they have come to love. The audience is seeing men in a bad light which relates to the feelings at the time it was being performed when the term ‘glass ceiling’ was coming into existence, women in the workplace being oppressed by men and now, in the play, them to being oppressed in relationships. There is the feeling that men can get away with any sort of misdemeanour by just walking away, leaving, whereas women i.  e. Chris, are always left with the result – a baby. Gerry’s carrying on represents this stereotypical male so that when the audience discovers that Gerry in fact has ‘a wife and three grown children’ it comes as no surprise. In conclusion, Friel presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship as something parallel to that of a pre 1990’s relationship. He wants to suggest to the audience that women no need longer depend on men by showing how much better off the Mundy sisters were before the arrival of Gerry and the conflict he brought within the family. Although the influences on Friel were all about the empowerment of women, he presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship with Gerry as the dominant figure, putting the play in the context of its setting and to show how the male dominance was a cause of the family breaking down. Through his presentation of the relationship he is evoking the idea that there are more possibilities available to an empowered women rather than a dominated one.

Animal Cruelty Laws essays

Animal Cruelty Laws essays The current laws meant to safeguard against animal cruelty in the United States do not protect animals used for sport and entertainment. In this essay, I will discuss only animals used for thoroughbred racing, greyhound racing, and circuses. I will not include zoos, farming of animals, hunting, or vegetarianism in this discussion. I will review the inadequacies and poorly enforced laws that are currently meant to protect animals from human cruelty. Neglect and intentional harm constitute the two types of animal cruelty, as categorized by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) (Animal Cruelty: FAQ, 2002). Both types of animal cruelty are present in the sport of horse racing. Drug abuse, lameness, insufficient veterinary care and long road trips are all indications of animal cruelty, requiring better laws and enforcement in the racing industry. The American Association of Equine Practitioners says 60 to 90 percent of racehorses are significantly lame (Horse Racing: A Losing Bet, 2002). Many of these lame horses are forced to race on fractured legs by being treated with drugs to reduce the pain. Drugs are used to suppress the symptoms without treating the underlying medical problems, which can lead to permanent physical impairments (Horse Racing: A Losing Bet, 2002). Veterinarian Gregory Ferraro states, In general, treatments designed to repair a horses injuries and to alleviate its suffering are now often used to get the animal out onto the track to compete-to force the animal, like some punch-drunk fighter, to make just one more round. Equine veterinary medicine has been misdirected from the art of healing to the craft of portfolio management (Horse Racing: A Losing Bet, 2002). Because of this type of drug abuse, one horse in every twenty-two races was so severely injured that they could not fin...

Free Essays on Ivanhoe

IVANHOE TEACHES US A LESSON IN CHIVALRY In everybody’s life, there is something that makes him or her strive for success. That something can be money, a significant other, fame or many other incentives. To the medieval knights, victory renown and glory are the ambitions they strive for. Breaking a law in this code would be considered a disgrace, and would bring a dishonor worse than death itself. However, by applying the Code of Chivalry, the knights in medieval time displayed certain character traits that would secure success and honor in both battle and morality. In the book Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott, a knight named Wilfred of Ivanhoe illustrates this by devoting his attention to keeping the rules of the Code of Chivalry, which consisted of love of adventure, integrity and loyalty to the king, to name just a few. These character traits of Ivanhoe coupled with strong characters and a realistic setting allow the reader to understand the importance of a strong set of moral guidelines to all individuals of all times in spite of Sir Scott’s excessive detail and confusing subplot. Respect and loyalty are two of the character traits that Ivanhoe not only possesses but also helps the reader to see their importance for a successful life. For example, in the very beginning of the book Ivanhoe is known as the Disinherited Knight because his father, Cedric the Saxon, disinherits him; however, even though he is abandoned, he still respects his father and is loyal to him. His respect is shown in the book when the castle burns and someone asks his father whether defeat is visible. Cedric responds by saying, â€Å"Not so, by the soul of Hereward.† He then denounces his Ivanhoe’s beliefs. Instead of getting angry with Cedric, Ivanhoe shows respect, brushes the comments off, and leads a successful life as a result. This is a very good example to today’s reader that comes from generations of children having relationship prob... Free Essays on Ivanhoe Free Essays on Ivanhoe IVANHOE TEACHES US A LESSON IN CHIVALRY In everybody’s life, there is something that makes him or her strive for success. That something can be money, a significant other, fame or many other incentives. To the medieval knights, victory renown and glory are the ambitions they strive for. Breaking a law in this code would be considered a disgrace, and would bring a dishonor worse than death itself. However, by applying the Code of Chivalry, the knights in medieval time displayed certain character traits that would secure success and honor in both battle and morality. In the book Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott, a knight named Wilfred of Ivanhoe illustrates this by devoting his attention to keeping the rules of the Code of Chivalry, which consisted of love of adventure, integrity and loyalty to the king, to name just a few. These character traits of Ivanhoe coupled with strong characters and a realistic setting allow the reader to understand the importance of a strong set of moral guidelines to all individuals of all times in spite of Sir Scott’s excessive detail and confusing subplot. Respect and loyalty are two of the character traits that Ivanhoe not only possesses but also helps the reader to see their importance for a successful life. For example, in the very beginning of the book Ivanhoe is known as the Disinherited Knight because his father, Cedric the Saxon, disinherits him; however, even though he is abandoned, he still respects his father and is loyal to him. His respect is shown in the book when the castle burns and someone asks his father whether defeat is visible. Cedric responds by saying, â€Å"Not so, by the soul of Hereward.† He then denounces his Ivanhoe’s beliefs. Instead of getting angry with Cedric, Ivanhoe shows respect, brushes the comments off, and leads a successful life as a result. This is a very good example to today’s reader that comes from generations of children having relationship prob...

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Where Are You Going Where Have You Been - Essay Example She is the complete opposite of Connie’s, which is the prime reason why Connie’s mother nags her and expects her to emulate her sister more. Their mother is a typical maternal figure and is the source of Connie’s distress, who sometimes wished for her mother to die. Whereas, her father was a busy man, who always worked and hardly had time to talk to anyone in the family. 2. How does Connie view her mother, and vice versa?   Connie views her mother as the primary source distress and frustration in her life as her mother always expects her to be more like her sister. They bicker almost all the time and in the story it is often hinted that her mother envies Connie’s youth and beauty both things that Connie’s mother has lost but Connie admires them in the mirror all the time. There is a lot of friction between the two characters and at one point Connie even wishes for her to die. 3. Why is the father's role so minimal in the story? How is this signifi cant?   The story depicts a typical American family, with a mother, father and two children. The father is shown to be the provider and he takes care of all the demands and needs of the family. His role is largely minimal in the story because the author wants to point out the general role of a father in a domestic household, where the man works and the mother manages the household and is responsible for rearing the children. 4. What are the "two sides" of Connie's life? Why is she split this way?   The two sides of Connie’s life represent ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’. The schism between these two facets of Connie’s life is understandable, as reality depicts what Connie really is and her fantasy include what she wants to be. In reality, Connie is juts a 15 year old and though she is beautiful, she still has a very childlike view of the world and boys in general. She just pretends to act like an adult but when the time came to stand up to Arnold Friend she yelled for her mother, which showed her juvenile insecurity in her nature. The split in the two sides to her life came with the notion that Connie can never fir in to what she imagined herself to be. 5. How does Connie feel about boys? Sex? Is she a typical teen in her fantasies?   Connie for all her immaturity is aware of the beauty that she endowed with. She acts as an adult to convey a powerful sexual image but lacks the power to consistently carry that image due to her juvenility. Her sexual fantasies are largely based on the pop-culture of the society and wishes for a fairy-tale like sexual experience but when she goes with a boy for the first time in an alley, she realizes that life a has lot more to it than just fairytales. However, her immature fantasies are understandable because she is just a 15 year old girl and is just acting her age; hence, Connie is depicted as an archetypal starry-eyed teenager in the story. 6. What is the significance of Arnold's masquer ade? (Car, clothes, boots, glasses...). Why can't Connie see through it at first? At what point does she begin to see through the mask?   There is a story motif attached to Arnold’s character in the story with his Gold convertible, expensive clothes and shades. He represents ‘desire’ for every teenager, because young people at some point or another all dream about more money and power. He even exudes certain amount sexuality that draws Connie towards him; which signifies the materialistic approach that every teenage girl or boy has at this age. However, she soon realizes that when he starts to threaten that he would harm her family that is when she realizes the scary face behind the

International Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Logistics - Essay Example Availability is mandatory. Thus, huge containers are now cut to size to accommodate faster and efficient services. In order to attain such professionalism, global corporate houses have become centres of corporate structures, centred on the principles of co-operation and partnership; outsourcing of logistics functions. Globalization and outsourcing has opened new vistas for shipping lines, forwarders, terminal operators, road haulers, rail operators and barge operators. Together they provide new value-added services as an integrated package. Danzas (since 1999 part of Deutsche Post), Schenker/BTL (the merger between Schenker Logistics and Scansped) and Ku hne und Nagel have evolved from basic forwarders to full logistics service providers. This has led to increased costs on operations. Improvements in terminal and landside operations are required to lower the cost on door-to-door servicing and savings at sea, one reason why shipping companies are expanding their scope to include terminal operations and hinterland transportation. For this, they seek faster port clearances, and better loading/unloading facilities. Participate in the planning and/or implementation of new (intermodal) transport services.