Monday, September 30, 2019

Milliron’s Privacy was Invaded by Face Recognition Technology

Rob Milliron, a construction worker, was enjoying his lunch in an entertainment area of Tampa, Florida, when a government camera equipped with face recognition technology took his photograph. The photo was used without Milliron’s consent in an article published in the U. S. News & World Report. When a woman in Oklahoma misidentified Milliron after seeing that photo and contacted the police department to have him arrested on child neglect charges, the man in the picture was forced to explain his innocence to law enforcement agencies. He told a newspaper once his explanation had been accepted: â€Å"They made me feel like a criminal† (Alexander & Richert-Boe). This case raises ethical concerns regarding governmental use of facial recognition surveillance. Although common use of this technology is yet to be realized in the United States, its future in areas of security and public safety appears rather promising. However, as Milliron’s case shows, there is an issue of legality that federal statutes have not yet addressed with reference to face recognition surveillance. In order to understand the legality of face recognition technology, we have to bring into consideration the Fourth Amendment (Bennett, 2001). The United States Supreme Court held in Katz v. United States that the Fourth Amendment would afford constitutional protection in those areas in which an individual reasonably expects privacy. For a private or public space to be recognized as one that is outside the bounds of search, both the individual occupying the space as well society must recognize privacy interest in the space in question. Courts allow the use of video surveillance only in places where people do not have reasonable expectations of privacy. These places may include sidewalks as well as public streets, workplaces in addition to entertainment areas (Bennett). Because Milliron should not have expected privacy in the public area he occupied, the fact that government cameras took his photograph cannot be considered unethical. Benett writes that â€Å"[c]ourts have found repeatedly that warrantless video surveillance of public areas does not violate the Fourth Amendment, and it seems likely that courts will take the same approach toward public surveillance systems incorporating facial recognition software† (164). This is true despite the fact that facial recognition technology is marked by an unreasonable privacy invasion, and â€Å"all individuals in the camera’s path are subject to a police lineup† (Kasindorf, 2001). Bennett’s claim that face recognition technology would not have a conflict with the Fourth Amendment is based on the fact that the new technology does not involve the kind of physical intrusion, such as the drawing of blood or the taking of urine samples that the Fourth Amendment’s searches involve. Moreover, the Supreme Court has maintained that new technological devices that enhance the senses of law enforcement are entirely constitutional. The Supreme Court has further held that observations using technologies such as biometrics are made in areas where the police have a clear right to be present. Such observations are a part of plain view surveillance that may also be performed without the technology in question. Finally, it has been maintained that no technology may be considered an intrusion where the lack of the technology poses a threat to the security of the people (Bennett). Although this line of reasoning is entirely acceptable, the fact remains that Milliron’s photograph was used without his consent. His subsequent experience with the photo was uncomfortable enough to refer to the publishing of the photo as misuse of information on the part of the government. It was an invasion of Milliron’s privacy to publish the photo without his consent. So, even though the government is correct to use face recognition surveillance in public places for security reasons, it should vow never to misuse the information it gathers thus for security reasons alone. Milliron and other members of the general public should be asked whether they would agree to have their photos published with the caption, â€Å"You can’t hide those lying eyes in Tampa,† as did Milliron’s photo in the U. S. News & World Report (Alexander & Richert-Boe). Clearly, the government should be held as a lawbreaker if it takes photographs for security reasons and publishes them for other reasons.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Ending the War Against Japan Essay

In the article, Ending The War Against Japan: Science, Morality And The Atomic Bomb, the author provides information on the war in the Pacific which involved the United States and Japan. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the United States entered the second World War in 1941. United States gained control of Okinawa in 1945 which meant that the U.S had control, in the months of May through August there were major air attacks on Japan, the Manhattan Project and the two atomic bombs the United States dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were part of the choice out of the many options that might have been given to President Truman and Secretary of War, Henry Stimson. They felt that dropping the atomic bomb was the best way to get the Japanese to give an unconditional surrender. The three options that the author gives in this article are based on three different outcomes that could have changed the way the Pacific War ended. The first option would allow President Truman to end the war peacefully, and it would have also allowed the Japanese to withdraw from the war without shame to their leader and save the thousands of Japanese individuals by not making the United States have to make the choice of dropping the atomic bombs. This option would have let Truman show that â€Å"We as Americans have not sunk to the level of our enemies† â€Å"We should end the war now in a manner that reflects the value we place on the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the individual†. The author gives Truman a second option and this option approaches the war in the Pacific with a demonstration of the atomic bomb in efforts to force the Japanese to surrender without condition. This includes the uprising of the Manhattan Project which gave the United States the â€Å"weapon of almost inconceivable power† with the scare tactics of the demonstration this gives the Japanese leaders an idea of what would come if they continued on resisting a withdraw. The American people felt as though they have put everything on the line to defeat the Japanese and would like nothing less than to see them surrender unconditionally and as long as we are taking responsible authority on our terms of the Japanese surrender we can end the war and increase strength and peace. The third and final option that Truman could have chosen would be to go fourth with the complete plan without the demonstration of the atomic bombs in the deserted Pacific a demonstration provided little purpose.† The Japanese have fought a merciless war of aggression. They neither expect nor deserve mercy†. We were in need of a quick victory and the only way to make japan admit failure and surrender was with strong military force. It was too late for any negotiations with the Japanese emperor, this plan gave President Truman the chance to save more American lives many of the other choices might have resulted in more American deaths. With the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the torture of allies this option to drop as many bombs as needed without warning might have been the only way to send an effective message to the emperors of Japan. After reading the options that the author gives about the different outcomes Truman could have made and If I were Truman and I was making the decision I would have chosen option number two, Because I feel as though the atomic bomb being used for a scare tactic is a great way to show our power but also show our respect for the Japanese. The demonstration of the bombs would allow us to strengthen our roles in America and prevent the unmoral killing of Americans and Japanese.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Organization development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Organization development - Essay Example 1. Improve the mode of communication to help the management understand better the needs of the junior staff. When there is streamlined communication between the management and the employees, no party feels side-lined resulting in a morale boost 2. Create a platform where the outsiders who were helping in retreat training can make reports and give recommendations on their observations so as to help iron out any arising issues affecting the teams. 3. Eliminate slothfulness through the introduction of performance contracts where individuals take responsibilities of their work, hence avoid such scenarios where the manager can joke around with the other workers instead of working with his team. Improvement of the channels of communication where every employee stands equal chance as the management in contributions of ideas will help create a serene environment for both the management and employees. This also will create a good will-power from the management that in turn will help improve the performance of both the managers and also employees. Having well-defined retreat structures where all teams are involved in team building exercises will help in ironing out any differences between workers and fellow and even managers. This will also help instructors feel free and give their best without having the fear of

Friday, September 27, 2019

Elastic Clause of the US Constitution Assignment

Elastic Clause of the US Constitution - Assignment Example â€Å"Implied† powers are â€Å"those powers given to Congress by Article 1, Section 8, clause 18, of the Constitution that is not specifically named but is provided for by the necessary and proper clause† (p. 45). Accordingly, the necessary and proper clause exists to afford these implied powers to Congress in order to make sure the federal government has the power to carry out the laws â€Å"which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States† (p. 44). This clause is problematic for many because it falls along the Federalist/Anti-Federalist divide and the contemporary Conservative/Liberal divide. However, the problem with the necessary and proper clause is not with its controversial and contentious nature, but with the fact that it is vague, ambiguous, and is designed for subjective interpretations and applications of Constitutional law.The phrase â€Å"necessary and proper† in clause 18 of Article 1, Section 8 entitles Congress to make laws that extend beyond what the Constitution enumerates in the previous 17 clauses of that Section. This is taken to be a relationship between an end-goal and the means of achieving that goal (Engdahl, 2011). The end-goal must be a necessity for the achievement of the purpose of a government, which include the formation of â€Å"a more perfect Union† and the establishment of â€Å"Justice† (US Constitution, 1787). These ends are the explicit goals of the enumerated powers; in a similar vein, the implied powers are given only as they are necessary and proper to exercise the enumerated powers. This interpretation of the â€Å"necessary and proper† clause is based on the context in which it appears. Coming after 17 enumerated powers, the final clause specifies that the Congress is able to make laws that ensure the foregoing powers (namely, the enumerated powers ) can be exercised sufficiently. In other words, the eighteenth clause of Section 8 does not give a blank check to Congress to make any rules or regulations it feels like passing. Rather, the expansion of implied powers must always be taken in necessary and proper reference to one of the enumerated powers.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Discussion question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion question - Assignment Example But why did Europeans want to conquer the Native Americans? The discovery of the â€Å"New World† was a lee way for the Europeans to conquer the lands. Despite the fact that they never tried to change the long-lived culture of the Native Americans, the European conquerors subjected the natives to hard labor and used the natives as their machines. The Spaniards who migrated to Americas carried with them livestock for the purpose for ranching. Also, they started sugar plantations in the new lands. Unfortunately, they face a big dearth in labor. However, lack of labor supply was never going to ruin their new found home. As such, they saw the answer to their problem in the indigenous Americans. The decision to use Native Americans was lucrative idea supported by the economic system and protected by the law, which permitted the Europeans to use Native Americans for labor and barred the Native Americans from rebelling against forced labor (Stobaugh, 2012). The motive of the European of conquering the Native Americans was to use them as labo r source to raise their economy and produce products cheaply on their stolen lands, which belonged to the indigenous people. Was conquering the Native Americans beneficial to the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Southern Recreational Vehicle Company Case Study

Southern Recreational Vehicle Company - Case Study Example The reasons by O’Brian for relocation of the company are justifiable as the company has been experiencing loss for the last five years and the present and incentives offered by the state would significantly reduce not only its spiraling production cost but also reduce the burden of rising taxes, increased labor and utility cost etc. that are associated with industrialized states which have strong labor union format. A firm has legal and ethical responsibility towards its workforce when it decides to cease its operation. Though employment and labor laws across states may differ, the basic employment contract ensures that employees are given far warning and compensation by the firm when it decides to cease its operations and relocate. Moreover, ethical and moral considerations are key issues that look at the wider welfare of the employees who have served the company with commitment and worked hard for its success. Thus, the firm must ensure that employees are given fair compensation and provided with opportunities to serve in its new location

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Cloud database management systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cloud database management systems - Essay Example Cloud database management system (CDBMS) can be described as a system which delivers computing as a service. The approach enables the sharing of information and resources between various devices over a common network. While the most common network utilised in cloud computing remains the internet, other networks which are not internet based can also be utilised in enhancing communication between devices (Dikaiakos et al. 2009). The application of the system can be undertaken through purchasing access to the system or running a system independently. The system is commonly managed and maintained through a cloud database provider. The development of a CDBMS requires consideration of different factors, which commonly influence the functioning of the system. The system consists of two fundamental components which must be effective considered and analysed in the development of a system. The structural setting of a CDBMS presents a fundamental challenge to the developers in determining the database model which the developer will be utilising. The architectural design of the systems becomes determined through consideration of the data and deployment models for the system (Rochwerger et al. 2009). The fundamental development problem becomes the integration of the two basic aspects of the system, in seeking to ensure effective functioning of the system. The purpose for undertaking this study is determination of the different factors that must be considered during the development of a database system. These systems ensure individuals can share information and resources through the utilisation of a cloud database and different devices. The study is significant to the various software engineers involved in the development of database system using different models. The study will enable the individuals to understand the parameters of CDBMS which must be considered for effective functioning of the system

Monday, September 23, 2019

World Civilizations To 1500 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Civilizations To 1500 - Essay Example 2. Geographical location of Ancient Mesopotamia determined early populating of these fertile territories. Mesopotamia is translated as "The land between rivers": it was situated between the Tigris and the Euphrates. The rivers and the climate of Mesopotamia attracted people: geographical location allowed them to grow different crops and contributed much to the state origin. But the geographical and environmental factor is not the only one which influenced the development of Mesopotamia. Political division of Mesopotamia as a combination of city-states - Uruk, Ur, Eridu and some others - determined its development as a constant struggle between them for political domination in the region. Economics was linked with geographical factor: irrigation allowed people to grow more food, and they were able to trade services and goods. The rivers also were good transport routes. Geographical factor partially influenced the social structure of Mesopotamia - great amount of slaves and peasants co uld irrigate the territory and provide its fertility. Social structure provided economic development of Mesopotamia: class structure became a fundament of further development of city-states. Women position was not the same as men's, but there were many women gods in city-states pantheons. Religion and intellectual achievements also influenced the development of Mesopotamia. Cuneiform writing system, science and religious structure provided high development of Mesopotamian civilization. 3. Geographical position of Ancient Egypt had a similar feature with that of Mesopotamia: the Egyptian civilization was originated in the valley of the Nile which provided the population with fertile soil which was the source of the economic growth of Ancient Egypt. The Nile was also a principal way of travel and trade. Agricultural development resulted in economical and social structure changes: plentiful harvest gave much food which could be exchanged for other goods. Economics of Egypt was very important factor of its development, and it influenced social structure of the population: food and wealth abundance led to class structure origination, and Ancient Egyptian society became highly developed. The main classes of Ancient Egypt were slaves, warriors, peasants, craftsmen and priests. Such strict class structure provided possibility of cultural development. There were priests who developed science and religious knowledge in Egypt. The life of ancient Egyptians was very tightly co nnected with their religious views. The religion of Ancient Egypt was rather rich: the pantheon of gods was presented very widely and their images were so different, but there were some main gods which symbolized the basic mythological, religious and political views of ancient Egyptians. Ra (Sun god and the symbol of pharaoh's power) and Osiris (symbolized nature resurrection connected with the Nile flood, later the god of the underworld) were the main gods in Egypt. So, such factor as geography is one of the main factors of Ancient Egyptian civilization, but economic and social structure, as well as cultural achievements (including hieroglyphic writing system) contributed very much in general development of Ancient Egypt. 4. Ancient India civilization development also was influenced by the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Humanities Today Essay Example for Free

Humanities Today Essay For as long as humankind has existed so have art, music, architecture, literature, and philosophy. The University of Phoenix (2009) defines humanities as â€Å"an approach to study that emphasizes ideas and values through analysis of modes of cultural expression, philosophical and religious thought, and modes of human communication† (University of Phoenix, Week One Supplement). Gloria K. Fiero (2006) further defines humanities as literature, philosophy, history, architecture, visual arts, music, and dance (p. 4). Humanities impact daily life without many people being aware of their presence. What distinguishes humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression is that they focus on ideas and values, not simply the production or result of an action. This paper will provide current examples of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature and analyze how they reflect current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology. Visual art can be, but is not limited to, painting, sculpture, and photography. Classic paintings by renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso are still considered masterpieces in today’s society but are not enjoyed by the common population the way that graphic and digital art have in the past century. Graphic and digital technology have become the means by which visual art is to be viewed and cherished among the mass population in a way that has never been available in history. Today’s society has become focused on instant gratification. Changes are expected to be made in politics overnight, struggles in socioeconomics demand rectification within weeks (even though they took years to create), and advancements in technology feeds society’s dependence on better, faster, and stronger tools. Unfortunately, visual art has become victim to this need for instant gratification. No longer are single masterpieces created by the flow of an artist’s hands, shaping and molding art into a creation of his or her soul. Instead, art is generated digitally by the click of a mouse and a selection of color and size from a predefined chart. The art can then be mass-distributed and mass-produced around the world in the matter of minutes. The creativity is still there, but the love generated through the time and patience required to construct that art by hand is no longer there. With the flood of self-help books saturating the market, literature also reflects society’s need for instant gratification. Self-help books are a reflection of the current socioeconomic state in which everyone is looking for a way to better his or her life instantly. Politicians have indirectly supported this literary genre by focusing and promoting what is wrong in the country and in each other. For example, if a politician has shortcomings in his or her public speaking abilities, the opposing political party will ridicule that person publicly. Citizens who feel they also do not have strong speaking skills and fear being mocked may then be compelled to purchase a self-help book on public speaking. As technology has advanced, self-help books have become a wonderful tool for individuals struggling to learn how to use the newest electronic devices. One popular technology self-help series is the For Dummies books. The books began in 1991 with â€Å"DOS for Dummies† (Johnson, 2006, para. 3), but they have now sold over 150 million Dummies books in 39 languages. Many people have benefited from the simple, helpful language used in these books, but not all self-help books are created equal. Some self-help books offer a quick solution that often leaves individuals feeling worse than when they began. Striving for self-improvement is excellent; however, self-help books can sometimes do more harm than good. Music in today’s society can also do more harm than good when presented to an impressionable mind. Music has always been used as a means of creatively reflecting political and socioeconomic issues, but since the inception of the Rap and Heavy Metal music genres, discontent, anger, and frustration have become common and wide-spread in music over the past 50 years. Songs about drug use, suicide, murder, and rape and those that use explicit language are common in these two genres of music and have begun to permeate other forms of music. This reflects not only society’s discontent with the current political and socioeconomic state, but it also reflects society’s tolerance and acceptance of freedom of speech. The sound of music, the production of music, and the enjoyment of music have evolved as technology evolves. New sounds that have never been possible before are now available through technology. Music is now available anywhere through the use of an MP3 player or cell phone. No longer does a person have to stop and listen to a musician; music can be played at any time. This fills society’s need for instant gratification. Today’s architecture also caters to the on-the-go lifestyles of society. Bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster are all ideas and values visibly manifested in current architecture. The aesthetic appeal of a building has given way to designs which exploit opportunities to get the most for the money. A recent trend which reflects a change of political and socioeconomic initiatives is building environmentally-friendly structures. That means creating a building that produces little waste, uses alternative power solutions, and emits minimum greenhouse toxins. Advances in technology have made these structures possible; however, they cost additional money to construct, and businesses and individuals are charged more money to use them than a traditionally built structure. Instant gratification, the struggle for self-improvement, tolerance and acceptance, and the idea of making as much money as possible are all philosophies in today’s society. Each is reflected in art, literature, music, and architecture, but as a whole, they make up the philosophy of society through their ideas and values. Developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology have all played a part in creating these philosophies, but they are visibly manifested in the humanities. One can only wonder how the current humanities will be viewed and analyzed 50 or 100 years from now. The examples this paper has provided of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature demonstrate how current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology are reflected. As politics, socioeconomics, and technology change so too will art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. They are a reflection of one another and intertwined in their evolution. References Fiero, Gloria K. (2007). The humanistic tradition (5th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Johnson, Doug (2006, October). For dummies books are popular learning aids. Retrieved from http://www. voanews. com/specialenglish/archive/2006-10/2006-10-12-voa1. cfm University of Phoenix (2009). Week One supplement: Humanities Terminology. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Week One, HUM102 – Introduction to the Humanities website.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath Essay Example for Free

Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath Essay Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath is a truly important picture expressing arts underlying paradigm, every painter paints himself, in a clear and unmistakeable way. It was reported in the mid-seventeenth century that both heads, Goliaths and Davids, are self-portraits at different stages of life though David is described as â€Å"il suo Caravaggino†, or in English â€Å"his little Caravaggio.†1 This clearly refers to how Caravaggio painted himself when young because although his real name was Michelangelo Merisi he was known in Rome as Caravaggio. 2 Remarkably, despite this, few art historians have noted Caravaggio’s self-identification in both figures. One thought it was partly sub-conscious, a psychic echo of the artists violent past.3 Michael Fried, on the other hand, a scholar who often recognizes the act of creation depicted in art thought otherwise. He recently described Davids gesture as a disguised mirror representation of the act of applying paint to canvas, though there is also an important sense in which the head of Goliath may be taken as standing for the painting itself.4 God bless Fried! Other scholars unable to explain why Caravaggio would kill himself, even in a painting, suggest the phrase refers to someone else, â€Å"a boy from the town, Caravaggio† though they cannot say who.5 It is an escape clause. In the world of literal art scholars, artists do not kill themselves in a painting so they imagine something else or ignore the problem. Few early masterpieces so clearly express that every painter paints himself but scholars, convinced that artists tell logical stories that even a patron can understand, have long tried to deny the obvious: both heads represent the artist. This painting, like so many others over the centuries, depicts its own creation in the artist’s mind. Goliath, too, is not a symbol of evil, as conventionally claimed, but of chaos, the chaos so central to creative thinking. Art is first imagined in a mind full of chaotic and random thoughts. As two or more combine spontaneously, the artist begins to impose order on the chaos to create the work. Goliaths death, his head tamed by being depicted forever in mid-scream, is a metaphoric description of that process. Yet while David with the artists frown looks inward to depict the inner process of creation, Goliath also with an artists frown looks outward. He is the painting.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Kierkegaards View On Faith And Knowledge

Kierkegaards View On Faith And Knowledge Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, is often seen as a philosophical iconoclast, who rejects excessive formalism and instead believes in the subjectivity of the autonomous individual; autonomy for him is the best guide to what people should do ethically and ethics could in its turn enable the individual to approach knowledge through faith. This philosopher was thus often concerned with the nature of truth and knowledge especially in regard to articles of faith. It is commonly known that biblical Christianity is founded on the truths of Gods word. Kierkegaards claim that knowledge or truth can be achieved through subjectivity is therefore at first glance incomprehensibly elusive. However, it should be taken into account that Kierkegaard is basing his ideas on a criticism of Hegels approach to the nature of absolute knowledge. Hegel claimed namely that human beings could possess absolute knowledge and certainty through a careful and rational analysis of human existence. John Cli macus, a 7th century monk, argued in his turn against this idea by noting that an acceptance of this approach would imply that knowing is more important for Christians than believing; two acts that are very different at the core because of the qualitative difference between knowledge and faith. (Garrett) Kierkegaards major emphasis in this regard is that Christian life is founded on more than a simple belief in an orthodox doctrine. For this reason, when Kierkegaard underlines the need for subjectivity to reach knowledge he is merely claiming that all human beings must appropriate the truth of whatever they believe if it is truly to take hold of their lives. (Garrett). In short, Kierkegaard argues thus that a rational life is indeed a moral life, and a moral life is a religious life. Morality and ethics consequently inevitably lead to religion. Under such a supposition, the ethical individual would surmise his task as becoming less the individual or particular and more the universal (JSTOR 161). The goal becomes the unification of the particular and the universal. Under such a unity, truth is revealed as truth is in what is ethical, and what is ethical is determined by reason. Contrasting Kierkegaards views with the Kantian approach to faith and knowledge enables also for a closer understanding of the philosophers ideas. To Kierkegaard is it not Kantian reason which leads to God but faith. One cannot make a rational decision towards that which has no facts, no proof, and no certainty. The ethical thrives on the certainty of truth through reason. The religious cannot have such a luxury. It is not rational decision-making, rather, it is faith. Kierkegaard refers to the transition from the ethical to the third stage as the Leap of Faith. The Leap of Faith is the third stage in Kierkegaards theory of overcoming the paradox which is an apparently true statement that however leads to a contradiction or a situation that goes against ones intuition. It can only be resolved when the contradiction is shown as apparent. Kierkegaards story of Abraham exhibits such a paradox. Abraham could not prove he heard a voice yet he believed and was willing to risk his son based on this belief. Through Abrahams story Kierkegaard shows that the paradox of faith rests on the idea that the believer acts on less than complete knowledge. Kierkegaard believed however that humans ought to have faith by the virtue of the absurd, which is because something is contradictory at nature. (Kierkegaard) The leap of faith, that is often associated with the emergence of existentialism, is therefore Kierkegaards response to a problem which is essentially Kantian in origin and structure. Kierkegaard wants to accommodate both the Kantian interpretation of morality as a rational command and Kants insistence on morality as the sole point of access to religion, while rejecting the Kantian moralization of religion and rationalization of faith. The leap of faith is not, as existentialism would have it, an absolute beginning in philosophy or in individual reflection but a transition from morality to religion within an essentially Kantian context. This point is not only of historical but also of systematic value. From the standpoint of Kantian philosophy its value lies in the attempt to establish a connection between morality and religion which preserves morality as a rational command but which also avoids the Kantian reduction of religion to morality and faith to reason. From the standpoint of Kierkegaards existentialists successors it advances the argument that morality understood as a rational command is that condition without which the subject can make no progress toward objective and universal truth, which leads to its avoidance of the separation of reason and choice and ends consequently in subjectivism. Kierkegaard sees faith as the abandonment of all else before it in order to wholly accept it. One cannot coldly and rationally choose to accept faith because it has the greatest utility or merit. This would still be the ethical stage in religious clothing. The third stage, according to Kierkegaard, needs passion to survive; it needs the unknown, and the Leap of Faith. If the particular is not faithfully accepted but is rather critically scrutinized, then the religious stage will inevitably suffer the same fate of a moral dilemma that deprives the ethical stage from eternal happiness. According to Kierkegaard, the religious stage is spared only by the ethical paradox through faith. . It is interesting to note that while philosophers as Kant believe that morality and religion are one so the jump is seamless, Kierkegaard believes the step requires an evolution of thought because one cannot move from a set of moral premises to a religious conclusion if morality, which is expressed concep tually, is understood as commands based on reason while religion, which is expressed paradoxically, is understood as promise based on faith (JSTOR 164). Kierkegaards views regarding the nature of rational knowledge attainment through faith rests thus on several principles as has been illustrated. The Leap of faith has been discussed. Another aspect to his ideas is the ethical individual as part of this complicated process. The ethical individual must be like a judge, closely and impartially evaluating all information and evidence presented before making an educated decision. The imagery of the judge represents the epitome of rationalist ideology. He is a character which tries to equate ethics with rational decisions. The judge seeks to distance his self from social relations and personal desires so that he is like a force of nature. With such impartiality, he hopes that he can logically deduce the correct decision to any situation like an artificial intelligence. The judge attempts to watch the scales of relative merit and announce ones choice only after observing a clear tip in one direction. It is, the Judge might say, a foolproof method for determining which choice will produce the most appropriate action (Friedman 160). Through such certainty, an ethicist could be said to demystify the world. One who can act without doubt and knows exactly what decision to make. If a person was truly capable of such power, they could be said to be making their self into that of the divine, with omniscient knowledge In conclusion, whereas as other theorists who argue against secular enlightenment, such as Immanuel Kant, would say that the individual has a logical inescapable path to religion based on factual reasoning, Kierkegaard disagrees. Kierkegaard soundly rejects such assumptions when he declares: I do not believe that Kant himself, or any of his successors, have managed to show that any serious moral constraint can be derived from simply considering the conditions of rational agency. Nor do I think that this can be done. What follows rests on the premise that the Kantian project is a failure (Rudd 13). According to Kierkegaard, is it not rational thought or morality which leads to God, but rather faith alone. The ethical depends on certainty of truth through reason, but the religious cannot have such a luxury. They depend on the very suspension of reason and certainty of knowledge; they depend on faith. This transition from the ethical to the religious is what Kierkegaard refers to as the Leap of Faith. The Leap requires one to accept that their capabilities alone are insufficient, and that only by placing their faith in God can they hope to achieve true knowledge.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Dulce et decorum est and An Irish airman forsees his death :: English Literature Essays

Dulce et decorum est and An Irish airman forsees his death Analysis of two war poems I am going to compare the two poems â€Å"Dulce et decorum est† by Wilfred Owen and â€Å"Channel Firing† by Thomas Hardy. The poem by Hardy talks about the great German guns â€Å"Big Berthas† which fired across the channel at the nearest coastal villages, and how the noise of these guns is so terrific that it wakes the dead in their graves. â€Å"Dulce et decorum est† is a poem about a group of tired, worn out soldiers who are making their way back from the front line. They come under a gas attack and Owen describes to us the scene which is presented to him of a fellow soldier and companion â€Å"drowning† in his own mucus. Both poems portray a sense of helplessness to this exposure to the war! In the poem â€Å"Dulce et decorum est† we are being told of the gas attack directly by Owen in the first person plural. It is an immensely vivid description that Owen describes to us and his message is hits the reader right between the eyes with its certitude. In the poem â€Å"Channel Firing†, however, Hardy uses two narrative voices. One is the voice of the dead who describe being awoken by the noise of the great guns, the other is God! IN this the message is more abstract because of the way Hardy jokes with us about the war and Gods views on it. Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" was written during his World War I experience. Owen, an officer in the British Army, deeply opposed the intervention of one nation into another. His poem explains how the British press and public comforted themselves with the fact that all the young men dying in the war were dieing noble, heroic deaths. The reality was quite different: They were dieing obscene and terrible deaths. Owen wanted to throw the war in the face of the reader to illustrate how vile and inhumane it really was. He explains in his poem that people will encourage you to fight for your country, but, in reality, fighting for your country is simply sentencing yourself to an unnecessary death. The breaks throughout the poem indicate the clear opposition that Owen strikes up. The title of the poem means "It is good and proper to die for your country," and then Owen continues his poem by ending that the title is, in fact, a lie.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Skill and Craftsmanship in the Works of Steinbeck Essay -- Biography B

Skill and Craftsmanship in the Works of Steinbeck      Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony and The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck professes his admiration for the man who displays skill and craftsmanship in his work. A man who does his job exceedingly well is, by extension in Steinbeck's works, a hero who is satisfied in doing his best in affection for his craft - a direct contrast to the multitude of humans who are merely unsuccessful and unhappy dreamers.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The emphasis of skill and craftsmanship is particularly evident in a description of Slim in Of Mice and Men: He moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.   He was a jerkline skinner, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders.   He was capable of killing a fly on a wheeler's butt with a whip without touching the mule. (97)   Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck makes it clear that the professional prowess of this man is to be equated with his authority, understanding, and compassion. Slim is, for example, the only man who tries to comfort George at the end of the novel when his companion, Lennie dies. When Steinbeck describes Slim as a person whose "authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love" (98), Warren French notes that Steinbeck "breaks his editorial silence...to make it absolutely clear how Slim is to be regarded" (78).   Clearly, Steinbeck regards Slim's morally upstanding character highly enough to consider it prudent to describe outright his feelings toward him. In regard to the other characters, he had been satisfied to let an objective description and an account of each character's actions stand on their own merit.   On a similar note, Bil... ... these character's - Slim's, Billy Buck's, Doc's, and Casy's- tremendous will to achieve the human ideal. Works Cited French, Warren.   John Steinbeck.   New York: Twayne, 1961. . ----------   John Steinbeck.   Boston: Twayne, 1975. Heiney, Donald W.   Essentials of Contemporary Literature.  New York:  Barron's, 1958. Lisca, Peter.   The Wide World of John Steinbeck.   New Brunswick, New  Jersey: Rutgers  Ã‚   University,1958. Mintner, David.   "The Fate of Writing during the Great Depression".   A Cultural History Of the American Novel. http://ocean.st.usm.edu/ ~wsimkins/minter.html>. 19 June 1997.   (5 May 1999). Steinbeck, John.   Cannery Row.   New York: Bantam, 1945. ----------  Ã‚   The Grapes of Wrath.   New York:   Compass, 1958. ----------.   Of Mice and Men.   New York: Bantam, 1955. ----------.   The Red Pony.   New York: Bantam, 1948.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

In what ways and to what effect, does Milton use comparison in Paradise Lost Book II? Essay

Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems of the 17th century, written by John Milton. This is a poem of twelve books describing the fall of man in blank verse, in a manner that is at par with Virgil’s Aeneid for the Romans and Homer’s Iliad for ancient Greece. Milton has several ways of using comparison, which he uses profoundly throughout Book II. Allegory, allusions, contrasts, the comparison between heaven, earth and hell, and the different arguments in the book are the most significant and prominent in his poem, and both pertain to his grand style as well as his motifs. Towards the end of book II, Milton presents an allegory of the two figures Sin and Death at the gates of hell who represent their respective abstract ideas and principles, which he develops throughout the entire poem. As they are abstract ideas, they cannot be visualized, thus Milton gives them physical attributes to further allude to the ideas they represent. Sin is described as â€Å"†¦ woman to the waist, and fair, But ended foul in many a scaly fold Voluminous and vast, a serpent armed With mortal sting.† (II.650-53) With this description, it’s clear to see that Sin is an allegory of Eve because Eve is also beautiful and â€Å"fair† on the outside, but deep inside is evil and tempted by a â€Å"serpent†, even if she is not composed of one. Also, Sin explains how she was seduced by Satan, and as a result of their fornication, conceive Death. She then explains how Death raped her â€Å"†¦in embraces forcible and foul† (II.793) and created monsters that are â€Å"hourly conceived And hourly born, with sorrow infinite To me;† (II.797-99) Both Eve and Sin are seduced by Satan, have excruciatingly painful labor, and bring about the beginning of mortality for all of mankind as a result of sin. Milton has created Sin as an allegory of the whole concept of sin, and furthermore, suggested that women accomplish their sin by being seductive and beautiful, yet evil and serpent-like. Death on the other hand, is a shadow-like creature, described as having a â€Å"†¦head The likeness of a kingly crown had on.† (II.672-73) He is allegorically the consequence of both Sin and Satan’s sin. Interestingly enough, Death is in control of his condition, and instead of enduring suffering himself, he enjoys inflicting human pain. This can clearly be seen as a symbolic, comparative representation of death on earth and how it often inflicts human pain, as well as the way in which us humans are not in control of it. The effect of this comparative literary technique enables the reader to stretch the imagination in order to effectively draw symbolic conclusions and make logical deductions. Another effect of this technique is that it introduces multiple interpretations. For example, another interpretation of Sin and Death is that they could be the pathway for humans to enter Hell through Death, and Sin could simply be one who has paved that way by giving birth to eternal mortality, or alternatively they could be an allegory of The Holy Trinity. These different interpretations lead to a deeper understanding of t he poem, and make it all the more intriguing. As well as making allegorical allusions, Milton also makes allusions to other literary works. The first allusion he makes is in the first two lines of Book two; â€Å"High on a throne of royal state, which far Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (II.1-2) are an allusion to Ormus and Ind. Ormus is an island in the Persian Gulf, and Ind is an abbreviation for India. He makes reference to these places because they’re highly celebrated for their pearls and jewels. â€Å"Sage he stood, With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear The weight of the mightiest monarchies;†(II.305-7) is another allusion to the Greek mythological figure Atlas, who was able to carry the world. Milton uses references to specific people and places in order to emphasize and reinforce the grand stature of the character(s) he Is referring to, which in the above examples, would be Satan and Beelzebub respectively. Another purpose of his allusions is to further extend the reader’s imagination and understanding, whilst creating vivid imagery in the reader’s mind, through comparisons. Lastly, these allusions are important in his work because they not only make his writing exotic, but they also add a lot of weight and grandeur to his style. Another comparative literary feature that is quite prominent in Milton’s works is the use of contrasts, such as antitheses and oxymoron’s. These figures of speech are important in Paradise Lost because they are used to convey and accentuate vivid, yet unorthodox imagery. â€Å"To that bad eminence† (II.6) and â€Å"†¦this darkness light†(II.220) are among his many uses of oxymoron’s. This poetic device not only extends the imagery of the poem, but it also heightens the message or emotion behind it in a non-literal sense. A powerful example of antithesis which is not in Book II, but was still discussed in class is, â€Å"Hee for God only, Shee for God in him†. This is a powerful example because Milton has conveyed sharply contrasting ideas in an emphatic, yet adorning way. Accompanying this feature are the contrasts between light and dark to convey good or bad. With this, his contrasts also include high and low (in terms of altitude or status), and God and Satan. Milton’s strong imagery of light and darkness to convey these contrary ideas could be attributed to his blindness. Although he describes Satan as a powerful being, he generally describes hell as dark, fiery and very low, as opposed to heaven which is described as light and highly exalted. This can be noted in â€Å"What can be worse Than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, condemned In this abhorred deep to utter woe; Where pain of unextinguishable fire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (II.85) and a few lines later he states â€Å"He from Heaven’s higth†(II.190) Contrasts like these are important because they help us to further extend our understanding of Milton’s paradigms of food and bad, and from this, we can deduce that the absence of light in Hell and in Satan symbolize the absence of God in all his glory. Milton’s contrasts of light and dark, and high and low to convey good and bad are also used to contrast Heaven, Hell and Earth. Milton presents a hierarchy based on the proximity to God. Heaven is at the top of the hierarchy where â€Å"Heaven’s high Arbitrator† (II.359) sits, and the primary quality is light. Hell is at the very bottom of the hierarchy and is portrayed as the antithesis of heaven, which is primarily dark. â€Å"As he our darkness, cannot we his light†(II.269) Is a phrase which best portrays the strong contrasts between the two places. Earth is depicted as the young, vulnerable middle-ground connected to both Heaven and Earth. It is also the battlefield that Beelzebub suggests they try to corrupt because he knows that although there is goodness on earth, it is not at par with that of Heaven’s, and is thus able to be defeated. It is portrayed as the neutral middle-ground by Beelzebub who states that the new race of man is â€Å"To be created like to us, though less In power an excellence, but favoured more Of him who rules above;† (II.349-351) Also, Milton’s geographical description of hell has similar physical features as earth (Mountains, rivers, valleys), however, the only difference is that hell has the worst in nature. Milton describes hell as â€Å"†¦dark and wild, beat with perpetual storms Of whirlwind and dire hail, which on firm land Thaws not,† (II.588-90) with streams â€Å"Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.† (II.581) By knowing that Hell is the degenerated form of nature, and that Earth is the middle-ground, we can deduce that Heaven is the more natural and aesthetically pleasing form of nature. This further highlights the hierarchical contrast between the three places. An interesting observation I made was that Earth is connected to heaven with a gold chain and connected to hell through a dark gulf (Chaos and Night). This shows the contrast between the journey to Heaven and Hell. Milton is implying that throughout life, Man must choose to make the difficult, strenuous journey up the gold chain into Heaven, or take the easy way and perambulate down to Heaven through the wide gulf. These hierarchical contrasts and comparisons not only give clarity to the settings in the poem, but also give us a deeper understanding of the nature of the characters in the story. Most importantly, it provides a philosophical and theological context for the poem and it gives us deeper insight into the beliefs and prin ciples that Milton adheres to, without being persuasive. The hierarchy and balance of good and evil are also portrayed and compared through the different speeches given by arch devils Moloch, Belial, Mammon and Beelzebub. Milton seems to depict a certain balance between good and evil or Heaven and Hell, and from that, it is clear that he believes that good will always reign over evil. The first arch devil to speak is Moloch. He proposes open warfare on a battlefield. He believes they have nothing to lose because â€Å"What can be worse Than to swell here, driven out from bliss, condemned In this abhorred deep to utter woe;† (II.85-87) So he clearly believes that nothing can be worse than living in hell anyway. Lastly, he says even if they are defeated in the battle â€Å"†¦if not victory, is yet revenge†(II.1.5). The second speaker is Belial who disagrees and suggests that they stay in hell in the hope that God will forgives them, or over time, they will grow used to the eternal pain and suffering. He has based his reasoning on the belief that even if God could kill them, he never would, and because he is almighty, he can see everything they are doing, and thus, they might be subjected to an even worse hell. The third speaker, Mammon, disagrees to both proposals and suggests that they build a kingdom in hell that will someday be equal to Heaven, because open warfare would be unavailing, and they would not want to go back to living in heaven eternally anyway. Finally, Beelzebub proposes that they do neither. He states that war will be futile because there is no place where God does not reign, so instead, Beelzebub tells them of a new race that God created called â€Å"Man†, and suggests that they seek revenge against him by seducing Man to their side. This is the decision that is unanimously agreed upon. All these proposal’s present Milton’s views about the balance of good and evil, as well as his theological beliefs. The first proposal is rejected because open warfare between Heaven and Hell would be ineffective as Heaven and righteousness will always conquer evil. Belial’s proposal is dismissed because the fallen angels would never be forgiven by God because evil will never go away, thus, the fallen angels will always exist. Finally, as Mammon suggests, there will never be peace between Heaven and Hell because Hell will never match up to Heaven’s greatness, and although Hell will always exist, it will always be under God’s control. The reason Beelzebub’s proposal is agreed upon is because Milton believes that Earth, and therefore Mankind, is the neutral, middle-ground between Heaven and Hell, Angels and Devils, as well as good and evil. It therefore serves as an effective battleground for good and evil forces on earth, as well as in the souls and consciences of mankind. The effect of these comparisons gives us further insight into the beliefs of the philosophical and theological elements in Milton’s time period, as well as the relative forces of good and evil, and how they effect the lives of mankind. In conclusion, there are various ways that Milton uses comparison in Paradise Lost, which each have different effects that range from the introduction of multiple interpretations, to simply extending our understanding of the story through vivid imagery. The comparisons that Milton uses are so complex that they are all connected in some way or other, and this alone gives us an even deeper understanding of the theological and philosophical messages conveyed in the poem. Ultimately, Milton’s intension was to tell the story of Man’s fall, and with his comparisons, he has managed to do much more than just that.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Poem: “Mr. Bleaney” by Philip Larkin Essay

The poem Mr Bleaney has three characters: Mr Bleaney; the house owner; and the new tenant, but centres around the life of one character, Mr Bleaney. The poem focuses on the house in which Mr Bleaney had a rented room for a number of years, until he moved out, or perhaps died. A new tenant is introduced to the vacated room, and he decides to stay. From the description of his old room and its contents, we are able to paint a picture of Mr Bleaney’s monotonous existence and lifestyle. There is great irony in that he fails to realise that by wanting to live in the marked room of Mr Bleaney, and by acquiring his habits, he is in fact a replica of the figure he contemplates and condemns; although in the last two stanzas there is a suggested subconscious dread that he is following in the same footsteps as Mr Bleaney. ‘Mr Bleaney’ has seven stanzas, each with four lines, formed with an alternate rhyming scheme. It is written in iambic pentameters. The very name Bleaney immediately gives a feel of dull blandness, of dreariness and a lack of energy, spirit, colour and light. A Mr Bleaney would perhaps then be a sad, hopeless man, whose boring life is almost a non-event. We never actually get to meet Mr Bleaney in the poem, but we get to learn a lot about him and are left at the end with the feeling that we have. It says in the poem, â€Å"How we live measures our nature,† and if this is true, then Mr Bleaney certainly deserves his name. The poem centres on a description of the room to let, where Mr Bleaney lived for a number of years. The room has Mr Bleaney stamped all over it: his few possessions (a souvenir plate and ashtray), still litter what little space there is. Alliteration adds to the blandness of the room he lived in, with the phrase â€Å"same saucer-souvenir,† which is effective as it emphasises the blandness and flatness in the room. It has no lampshade nor curtain hook; curtains too short; furnished minimally with merely a bed and upright chair, leaving no place to relax nor put belongings or ornaments; there is no colour, leaving the room void of character and personality. Even the view from the window depicts a barren, derelict and littered building site. This incredibly sad and simple abode would suggest a life of poverty. Line two in  stanza one mentions â€Å"the Bodies,† which is probably a workplace, but connects effectively with the ambiguous phrase one line later: â€Å"Till they moved him,† which could mean that he either got the sack, or died. (hence the connection with ‘Bodies’.) This kind of deliberately mysterious phrasing, which makes you stop and think, adds immensely to the atmosphere. The third stanza begins with another statement describing the basic standard of the room: â€Å"No room for books or bags,† which is immediately contrasted by the new tenant accepting the lease, on the next line. It is now that the new tenant takes over the commentary. In the first stanza it was the house owner who was speaking, and the second stanza was devoted to describing the room. We now learn that Mr Bleaney was a lonely man. He probably lay on his bed most of the day and smoked, just as the new tenant is doing. He gardened, given away by the landlady as she hints for the new tenant to do likewise: â€Å"Mr Bleaney took my bit of garden properly in hand;† he stayed at home a lot, enough to become sufficiently annoyed to get the landlady to buy a radio, so she would leave him alone; he gambled: â€Å"He kept on plugging at the four-aways;† he had a monotonous life, his holidays being annual visits to Frinton and Stoke, not the most exciting places on earth. Mr Bleaney had for sure a dull life, set rigid year in year out: â€Å"Likewise the yearly frame.† From now on, after he moved in, the new tenant devotes his time to finding out about Mr Bleaney, and describing the character who emerges with a critical eye. He looks down the end of his nose at him, mocks his lifestyle and finds a sense of achievement in having deduced so much about him. The irony is immense; we can see this new tenant identifying with Mr Bleaney by adopting the same lifestyle as he: Living in the same abode; stubbing his: â€Å"Fags on the same saucer-souvenir,† (alliterated for the emphasis of monotony,) and actually becoming another Mr Bleaney. And we can stand by and watch the new tenant judge and condemn the very man he is becoming. It is almost hypocritical. In the penultimate stanza, nature is used as a comparison to Mr Bleaney, and ultimately, the new tenant too. Words such as frigid and fusty give an air of restraint and stiffness, and maybe impotence and lack of self belief. Personifying such words builds up a character who is dull, flat, uninspired and pathetic. It fits Mr Bleaney perfectly. The last stanza bears the moral from Philip Larkin, stating that what we do with our lives reflects our character: â€Å"How we live measures our own nature.† Also, the mysteriousness surrounding the disappearance of Mr Bleaney is dredged up again, with the ambiguous â€Å"Hired box,† – meaning either the rented room, or a coffin. At the very end a non committal â€Å"I don’t know.† reminds us of the fact that the new tenant is merely presuming, and that contrary to what it seems, we don’t know Mr Bleaney after all.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Indian Textile Industry

Indian Textile IndustryStructure, Problems and Solutions Subject: Term Paper of Organization Management Under Guidance of Dr. Vinayshil Gautam Written By Jaimeen Rana Entry# 2012SMF6890 1 INDEX a) Introduction 3 b) History 3 c) Structure of Indian Textile Industry 3 d) Communication and Effectiveness 4 e) Problems faced by Textile Industry in India 5 f) Steps taken by government till now 7 g) Strategies for growth 8 h) Conclusion 9 i) References 10 2 a) Introduction Indian Textile and Apparel Industry is second largest manufacturer in the world with an estimated export value of US$ 34 billion and domestic consumption of US$ 57 billion.It stands at number two position in generating huge employment for both educated and uneducated labor in India. Over 350 lakh people are employed in this industry in India. 14% of total industrial production is done by this sector. 4% of India’s GDP is obtained by this sector. It contributes 17% to the India’s total export earnings. Top co mpanies in Textile industry in India: Bombay Dyeing Fabindia JCT Limited Welspun India ltd Lakshmi Mills Mysore Silk Factory Arvind Mills Raymonds Reliance Textiles Grasim Industries ) History India’s textile industry evolved and developed at a very early stage and its manufacturing technology was one of the best ones. India’s manually operated textile machines were among the best in the world, and served as a model for production of the first textile machines in newly industrialized countries like England. Marco Polo’s records show that Indian textiles used to be exported to many Asian countries. Textiles have also comprised a significant portion of the Portuguese trade with India.These included embroidered bedspreads, wall hangings and quits of embroidered wild silk on a cotton or jute ground. A big success of Indian textile industry led to the foundation of the London East India Company in 1600, followed by Dutch and French companies. By 1670, there was serio us demand for their governments to ban the import of these cottons from India. The legacy of the Indian textile industry stemmed from its wealth in natural resources cotton, jute and silk. The technology used was superior and the skills of the weavers gave the finished product a most beautiful and ethnic look. ) Structure of Indian Textile Industry The structure of this industry is very complex with the modern, automated and highly mechanized mill sector on one side and hand spinning and hand weaving (handloom sector) on the other side. The small scale power loom sector, which is decentralized, lies in between of the two. 3 Indian Textile Industry is divided into major 3 segments: 1) Cotton Textiles 2) Synthetic Textiles 3) Others (wool, jute, silk etc) Till today cotton textiles are on top with 73% share in total Indian textiles.Coexistence of old technologies of hand working (spinning, weaving, and knitting) with the advanced automatic spindles and loom makes the structure of cott on textile industry very complex. Indian textile industry consists of small scale, non integrated spinning, weaving, knitting, fabric finishing and clothing enterprises, which is not the case in other countries. This unique structure is because of government policies that have promoted labor intensive small scale operations and discriminated against big scale organizations. d) Communication and effectiveness:The study regarding this was conducted within city of Coimbatore, which is considered â€Å"Manchester of South India†. Six textile organizations (3 small and 3 large) were selected within the city. The objective of the study was to examine the difference between small and large organizations in terms of structure, communication and effectiveness. The difference based on structure, communication and effectiveness between large and small organizations show that the two organizations differ significantly with respect to all dimensions except participation in decision making .Large organizations are more centralized, formalized and employees experience highly routine tasks. With regard to communication pattern, small organizations have more open communication while in large organizations communication is more accurate. With regard to effectiveness, large organizations are more effective with regard to all dimensions except job involvement and job performance which are better in small organizations. The effect of structure and communication variables on organizational commitment, job satisfaction, organizational performance and adaptability are more pronounced in large organizations while moderate in small ones.Participation in decision making process has a strong positive effect on job satisfaction, commitment, organization performance and moderate positive effect on job performance. Task routineness and formalization have low positive effect on job involvement and performance in large firms. In small organizations, centralization has a moderate negativ e effect on job satisfaction. Centralization has a low negative, task routineness has a low positive and formalization has a moderate negative effect on group processes.The effect of communication openness is pronounced on job satisfaction and performance. The negative effect of communication accuracy is high on job involvement and group processes and moderate on organizational performance. 4 e) Problems faced by Textile Industry in India (1) Shortage of raw materials: Raw material determines 35 per cent of the total production cost. The country is short of cotton, particularly long- staple cotton which is imported from Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Egypt, Tanzania, U. S. A. and Peru.It is pity that despite largest area under cotton (26 per cent of the world acreage) the country accounts for only 9 percent of the world output of cotton. Fluctuating prices and uncertainties in the availability of raw material cause low production. (2) Obsolete machinery: In India most of the cotton textile mills are working with old and obsolete machinery. According to one estimate in India over 60 per cent of the spindles are more than 25 years old. The automatic looms account for only 18 per cent of the total number of looms in the country against the world average of 62 per cent and 100 per cent in the United States.Obsolete machinery leads to low output and poor quality of goods as a result of which Indian textile goods are not able to face competition in the international market. (3) Power shortage-Textile mills are facing acute shortage of power. Supplies of coal are difficult to obtain and frequent cuts in electricity and load shedding affect the industry badly. This leads to loss of man hours, low production and loss in the mills. (4) Low productivity of labour: Low productivity is another major problem of cotton textile industry. On an verage an Indian factory worker only handles 380 spindles and 2 looms as compared to 1,500-2,000 spindles and 30 looms in Japan. If t he productivity of an American worker is taken as 100, the corresponding figure for U. K. is 51 and for India only 13. Also industrial relations are not very good in the country. Strikes, layoffs, retrenchments are the common features of many cotton mills in the country. (5) Competition in foreign market: The Indian cotton textile goods are facing stiff competition in foreign markets from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan whose goods are cheaper and better in quality.It is really paradoxical that in a country where wages are low and cotton is internally available, production costs should be so high. While certain traditional buyers of Indian textile goods like Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Aden etc. are facing severe balance of trade problem some European countries like France, Germany, U. K. and Austria etc. have imposed quota limitations over the Indian textile imports. Acute world recession has badly affected the export prospects. (6) Competition from the decentralized sec tor: An important factor for the rowing sickness of the mill sector is the growth of the decentralized sector. Being a small-scale sector, the Government allowed excise concessions and other privileges. These accompanied with low wages have led to low cost of production in the decentralized sector. 5 As a result of which the share of mill sector is decreasing, while the share of decentralized sector is increasing. So much so that the share of mill sector in the production of cotton fabrics has gone down from 7. 9 per cent in 1994-95 (cf. power looms 69% and handlooms 21. 6%) to 4. 4per cent in 1999-2000 (cf. ower looms 76. 3% and handlooms 19. 3%). (7) Government controls and heavy excise duties: the cotton textile industry has greatly suffered due to wrong and faulty policies of the Government. In the past the Government has sought control of price, distribution of yarn, pattern of production, etc. At one time the price of the cloth was fixed by the Government below the cost of pro duction. Similarly under the yarn distribution scheme of 1972, the Government made it obligatory on all mills to supply 50 per cent of the production of yarn to the decentralized sector at reduced rates.The high import duty on imported cotton, upward revision of the price of the indigenous cotton and heavy excise duty on cotton cloths are other detrimental factors. Another problem of the mill sector is related to the production of controlled cloths wherein mills are incurring huge loss. (8) Sick mills-In India about 130 cotton mills are sick and incurring constant losses. The Government has set up the National Textile Corporation (NTC) to run these sick mills. Although the government has invested huge money to rehabilitate and modernize these mills, but these mills are yet to become profitable.The NTC is facing dual problems of the obsolete machine, y and excess labour in these mills. According to a working group of the Planning Commission the industry needs Rs. 180. 55 crores for r ehabilitation and Rs. 630 crores for the modernization of sick mills. The cotton textile industry of the country is thus facing both short-term and longterm problems. Former includes problems of high prices, shortage of raw materials, liquidity problems due to poor sales and accumulation of huge stocks due to poor demand in the market.The long term problems of the industry include the slow pace of modernization, outdated technology resulting into low productivity, high cost of production, low profitability and increasing sickness of mills. Other small problems are inadequate training facilities in textile sector, fragmented garment industry, structural weaknesses in weaving and processing, rigid labor laws, infrastructural bottlenecks in terms of power, utility, road transport etc 6 f) Steps taken by government till nowThe Government has undertaken a series of progressive measures like introduction of Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC), Technology Up gradation (sp) fund Scheme (TUFS ), Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP), reduction in customs duty on import of state-of-the-art machinery, Debt Restructuring Scheme, setting up of Apparel Training and Design Centers (ATDCs), 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the textile sector under automatic route, setting up of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) etc, for upgrading and strengthening the textile sector in India.From time to time, in consultation with all stakeholders, Government modifies these schemes so as to achieve better results through improved delivery of programs/schemes. These progressive measures have helped the textile sector to achieve improved growth in production; enhanced productivity and a larger share of textile export market in the world. (1) Technology Upgrading Fund Scheme To facilitate technological upgrading in the sector, the Government launched TUFS with effect from 1 April 1999 for five years initially, and which is extended up to 2011/12.The scheme provides for reimburse ment of 5 per cent interest paid on term loans for technological upgrading of textile machinery. In this way, the Government has assisted the Indian textile companies by ensuring that they are not over-burdened by the high interest rate prevailing in the country. (2) Integrated textile parks scheme In order to a world-class infrastructure for textile units as well as facilitate the need for them to meet international social and environmental standards, this scheme envisages the creation of textile parks in the public-private partnership mode.Currently, 30 parks are in various stages of implementation, and 50 more are planned for the next five years. (3) Fiscal rationalization In the 2006 budget, the excise duty on all manmade fibers and yarns was reduced from 16 per cent to 8 per cent. The 2007 budget carried it forward by reducing the customs duty on polyester fibers and yarns from 10 per cent to 7. 5 per cent. The customs duty on polyester raw materials such as DMT, PTA and MEG we re also reduced from 10 per cent to 7. 5 per cent. These measures are expected to make manmade fibers and yarn cheaper and thus increase the competitiveness of fabric and apparel manufacturers. 4) Technology Mission on Cotton In February 2000, the Government launched the Technology Mission on Cotton with the objective of addressing the issues of raising productivity, improving quality and reduction of contamination in cotton. Indeed, cotton 7 production in the past three years has increased substantially and contamination has been reduced, as assessed by independent agencies. (5) Other steps taken to increase competitiveness Earlier, only small-scale manufacturers were allowed to make woven RMG, knitted and hosiery products.While the initial aim was to boost employment opportunities and promote entrepreneurship at the smaller enterprise levels, in practice it rendered the small manufacturers uncompetitive globally. By 2003/04, the sector had been totally freed. In addition, FDI up t o 100 per cent through the automatic route has now been allowed. So that textile industry will have higher amount of foreign investment. And new technology machinery can be used in India by foreign players which can cause local players also to use the new technology. g) Strategies for growth 1) Improving labour laws: One of the main requirements for growth in the apparel subsector is the relaxation/amendment of the labour laws, to ensure an equal chance of success for the country’s exporters and manufacturers in the present global environment. Outdated labour laws have induced inflexibility in the clothing industry, leading both to fragmented operations in order to circumvent these laws and to lost export orders due to industry’s hesitation over expanding when there is an upsurge. Most of the countries competing with India have labour laws that are more flexible.For example, the Chinese apparel industry has highly flexible labour laws that allow for lay-offs during the non-peak season, hiring of contract labour, and a flexible hiring and firing system in SEZ-based units. The Mexican apparel industry allows layoffs during the slack business season. The industry in India is proposing the provision of flexibility to textile exporting units in hiring labour, subject to ensuring 100 days employment to cater to variations in demand. An increase in daily working hours from 9 hours a day to 12 hours a day, and in weekly working hours from 48 hours a week to 60 hours a week, is also being proposed. 2) Decreasing transaction costs: Various studies have established that the transaction costs faced by the Indian industry are very high, which adversely affects its competitiveness. A study undertaken by the EXIM Bank of India clearly showed that although transaction costs in India had declined because of declining procedural complexities, they were still substantially higher if compared with competitors. Transaction costs vary from sector to sector, and are ve ry high in the textiles and garment subsector, ranging from 3 per cent to 10 per cent of export revenue in 2002. These costs, inter alia, are shown in table 2. 3) Improving the general infrastructural conditions: This improvement includes roads, transportation etc. , so that the costs of reaching the nearest port as well as turnaround time at the port are globally comparable, to ensure that Indian exporters are not placed at a disadvantage vis-a-vis global competitors. 8 h) Conclusion Indian textile industry is a huge source of employment for both skilled and unskilled labor of India so it is very important industry as per economic perspective. This industry faces many problems some of which have been overcome thanks to government policies. But, still some problems are yet to be solved.Different strategies have to be implemented for that purpose. Large sections of the textile value-chain still need to be fully modernized, while the export sector has yet to take full advantage of its existing production strength. There are many areas around the world and many product lines where India is very weakly represented. Thus, while the private sector will need to continue its heavy investment in this industry during the next several years, building on the recent positive trends, India also needs to integrate more fully into the global textile and apparel value chain in order to reap the full benefits from its strengths.Only a coordinated effort by all – the Government, industry and individual units – can enable India to achieve its apparently high and stretched targets of the 12th FiveYear Plan. 9 i) References 1) Sharma Milan, â€Å"Textile Industry of India and Pakistan†, A. P. H. Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2006 2) Research paper: Organizational structure, communication and effectiveness in Textile industry (January, 2000) Authors: T Chandramohan Reddy and S Gayathri Journal: Indian Journal of Industrial Relations http://www. jstor. org/s table/27767666 ) Article: Indian Textile Industry by Dr. P Chellasamy and N Sumathi http://www. fibre2fashion. com/industry-article/market-research-industry-reports/indian-textileindustry/indian-textile-industry1. asp 4) Article: Indian textile and clothing sector poised for a leap by J. N. Singh http://www. unescap. org/tid/publication/tipub2500_pt1chap6. pdf 5) Article: Indian Textile and apparel sector : An analysis of aspects related to domestic supply and Demand by Badri Narayan G http://www. unescap. org/tid/publication/tipub2500_pt1chap5. pdf 10

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Frankenstein: Nature vs Nurture

Twins are commonly used to study the effects of nature versus nurture. Ones immediate surroundings define who they become later on in life. The environment plays a huge role in the development of humanity through cultivating personality, character, beliefs, and many different aspects in a person’s life. Different environmental influences provide for a variety of people. In terms of the literary selection Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the author’s view on Nature vs.Nurture is that the development of an individual revolves around nature. Firstly, the creature conceals wantonly emotions due to the flagrant mistreatment of society. Frankenstein exclaims â€Å"The love of another will destroy the cause of my crimes, and I shall become a thing of whose existence everyone will be ignorant† (Shelley 106). If someone is being shown love and kindness, they will be prone to reciprocate these emotions.As Frankenstein is persuading Victor to create him a female he commiserate s with humanity exclaiming, â€Å"I shall feel the affections of a sensitive being and become linked to the chain of existence and events, from which I am now excluded† (Shelley 106). Long term advantages for learning behavior and for the development of physical and mental health are obtained through stabilizing secure, receptive, and nourishing relationships. The creature learns this is early on in life which is beneficial, so he can carry out illustrious and consistent acts which is the key sustaining the foundation of a prevailing lifestyle.At first, the creature is destitute in expressing himself, however as he matures, he is able to manifest dissimilar emotions. Frankenstein verbally analyzes himself through concluding, â€Å"I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind† (Shelley 104). Learning through the acts of society and constantly being around certain attitudes attaches to the creature’s senses and he adapts. By vir tue of observing and grasping certain ideals of life.

Friday, September 13, 2019

A Study Survey on Home Building Industry

The housing boom kept this country afloat during the darkest moments after September 11, 2001 when other industries like travel, hospitality, entertainment, energy and telecommunications seemed uncertain. One can argue that such a relationship is cyclical; what comes around goes around in the manner of economic trends such as recession and depression but this is not the case with this correlation. People will always need housing. Below are strategies housing providers can implement to continue stimulating growth. Bennett Hecht writes that economic strategies for housing begins on the local level. He writes, â€Å"Housing development is a site-specific, self-sufficiency strategy designed to help developers create jobs and other income-generating opportunities for residents of their properties† (p. 1). This economic development strategy is founded on four objectives: (1)Decrease Cash Outflows from Housing Developments. Whenever possible, developers should purchase goods and services from sources within their housing developments, instead of â€Å"importing† them from other communities. This promotes local growth and activity. (2)Better Use of Space. Housing developers should use available space to sponsor the delivery of much needed services or facilities, such as child care, GED classes, or a convenience store. (3)Increase Cash Inflows. Nonprofit developers should also use available space to increase income to the property and residents by leasing space to paying commercial tenants, by entering into profit-sharing ventures with commercial tenants, or by providing services and products to outsiders. (4)Build Contracting Capacity. The ability to increase cash inflows is directly related to the ability of businesses to compete for work outside of the housing developments. By controlling the awarding of contracts, the developer can â€Å"incubate businesses† by awarding work to residents over a period of time until they can develop the work and contract management experience to, among other things, secure bonding necessary to compete for larger contracts. The beauty of these objectives is that they can be implemented at both the urban and suburban levels. In this respect all parties benefit from the strategy during a time when many housing companies are not planning for the future but riding out the wave of present economic growth. A Study Survey on Home Building Industry The housing boom kept this country afloat during the darkest moments after September 11, 2001 when other industries like travel, hospitality, entertainment, energy and telecommunications seemed uncertain. One can argue that such a relationship is cyclical; what comes around goes around in the manner of economic trends such as recession and depression but this is not the case with this correlation. People will always need housing. Below are strategies housing providers can implement to continue stimulating growth. Bennett Hecht writes that economic strategies for housing begins on the local level. He writes, â€Å"Housing development is a site-specific, self-sufficiency strategy designed to help developers create jobs and other income-generating opportunities for residents of their properties† (p. 1). This economic development strategy is founded on four objectives: (1)Decrease Cash Outflows from Housing Developments. Whenever possible, developers should purchase goods and services from sources within their housing developments, instead of â€Å"importing† them from other communities. This promotes local growth and activity. (2)Better Use of Space. Housing developers should use available space to sponsor the delivery of much needed services or facilities, such as child care, GED classes, or a convenience store. (3)Increase Cash Inflows. Nonprofit developers should also use available space to increase income to the property and residents by leasing space to paying commercial tenants, by entering into profit-sharing ventures with commercial tenants, or by providing services and products to outsiders. (4)Build Contracting Capacity. The ability to increase cash inflows is directly related to the ability of businesses to compete for work outside of the housing developments. By controlling the awarding of contracts, the developer can â€Å"incubate businesses† by awarding work to residents over a period of time until they can develop the work and contract management experience to, among other things, secure bonding necessary to compete for larger contracts. The beauty of these objectives is that they can be implemented at both the urban and suburban levels. In this respect all parties benefit from the strategy during a time when many housing companies are not planning for the future but riding out the wave of present economic growth.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 17

Case Study Example Labor standards cost is another bottleneck as it is high. Maintenance of the machinery requires people to do the work. These people consume funds that drain the company (Truckseat Case Study, 3). The production line is a bottleneck in the sense that the cost of raw materials has increased by double digits. This impacts negatively on the company has the company is forced to pay more for materials that previously cost less. At the same time the quality of products produced are below the customer expectations. When customer expectations about the product are lowered, loyalty becomes elusive (Truckseat Case Study, 3). The bottlenecks drain the company immensely. The reason for bottlenecks is because when the company does not make maximum gains from the products while spending as much to settle labor cost, maintenance of machines not to mention the quality of the products. Bottlenecks are eminent in the delivery section as well. Case in point is that there is no clear determination as to when products should be made and availed to the customers. Consequently, there is a disconnect in the sense that there is no proper market survey to establish demand and supply chain. So in essence, what happens is that sometimes products are sometimes manufactured and not delivered for the simple reason that there is no ready market to have the goods. Another bottleneck arises when the customers are in need of the products but the production levels are low. This happens due to poor forecasting of the market to determine market needs and wants. The level of customer satisfaction is below average in the sense that the quality is not up to the standards expected by the clients. The qualitative analysis figures are in the appendices. 2. Stocks can be an effective lever to remove the bottleneck: select where (along the production flow) to position the decoupling  point: Compare different feasible alternatives of decoupling

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Children and video games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Children and video games - Essay Example Video games are commonly known as time wasters by parents and educational experts. Many educational experts define video games as tools that corrupt children's brains. However even with the studies video games also have positive impacts on children, these positive impacts include the development of the brain and increases the communicational levels of children. In the world, almost 80% of the children play video games at least once a month, some of them are addicted spending almost 13 hours of video games per week (8-12 years old). Those of the age 13-18 years spend fourteen hours a week playing video games, an hour more than those of 8-12 years old (metrics 2.0, 2007). In most cases, stopping the children from playing video games is difficult as video games are prominent in most of their lives. Past evidence proves that gaming has more advantages than disadvantages, especially in the development of the brain and improvement in the social life. When a child plays video games, his or her brain is in a real workout, many of the video games require the child to use a lot of skill in order to win through the levels. In this, the kids have the chance to engage the high level of thinking, skills not even in school. Some of these skills include gained when playing video games include, fine motor, hand-eye coordination, and spatial skills, following instructions and problem solving and logic. Children who play violent games have high levels of aggressive thoughts and are more violent, behaviors, and feelings.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Cross-Cultural Management Difference Between France and China Essay

Cross-Cultural Management Difference Between France and China - Essay Example Communication can be low context or high context. A high context communication would require minimum use of words as the communicators already have most of the information while a low context communication requires more explicit explanations as the communicators do not have the background information. Usually, people coming from cultures that have close family bonding and a huge network of friends, resort to high context communication with members of their culture. French are relatively high context individuals when compared to the Americans and other North European nationals. Thus, the communication is faster and uses fewer words. However, the flip side of this is that French do not trust other people’s analyses. They want to analyze everything on their own and will keep doing the analysis till they get all the information (to the lowest level of detail) they want (Hall and Hall 1997). The physical position an individual occupies in office determines his perception of power. French prefer to occupy a central position in office and like to be surrounded by subordinates to keep themselves at the locus of an information network (Hall and Hall 1997). Monochronic culture is one in which one activity is done at a time. Time is considered as a valuable asset and one that should not be wasted. Here, time is divided into schedules and only one activity is concentrated during a particular schedule. People from Polychronic cultures do not give too much emphasis to time schedules and indulge in many activities at a time.... However, the flip side of this is that French do not trust other people’s analyses. They want to analyze everything on their own and will keep doing the analysis till they get all the information (to the lowest level of detail) they want (Hall and Hall 1997). Territory The physical position an individual occupies in office determines his perception of power. French prefer to occupy central position in office and like to be surrounded by subordinates to keep themselves at the locus of information network (Hall and Hall 1997). Monochronic and Polychronic culture Monochronic culture is one in which one activity is done at a time. Time is considered as a valuable asset and one that should not be wasted. Here, time is divided into schedules and only one activity is concentrated during a particular schedule. People from Polychronic cultures do not give too much emphasis to time schedules and indulge in many activities at a time. They give more importance to completing human transact ions than adhering to time schedules. French are polychronic people. As a result they are committed to human relations, are easily interrupted and usually have flexile plans (Hall and Hall 1997). Thus, French meetings are characterized by high information flow, not too tight on agenda and participants already aware of what will be discussed in the meeting. The end result of the meeting is thought to bring about a consensus rather than stick to deadlines (Hall and Hall 1997). In short, as French are high context individuals they do not like to be told what to do. They take it as an offence. They also give a lot of importance to style and form. As they are polychronic individuals, they would not mind a person coming late in a meeting, but would

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Political Philosophy - What is the best form of government Essay

Political Philosophy - What is the best form of government - Essay Example Plato’s argument against democracy is dependent on the basis of it being centered on the power of the people to decide what they deem is good for them. The problem of the lack of specialization on matters of the state poses a problem on the choosing of the best possible solution. The Greek word ‘demos’ which translates to ‘the people’ is easily attributable to the concept of ‘the mob.’ This is where the concept of the silent majority and the loud minority may come to play. The word mob by itself sends a negative connotation that can be thought of as unruly and chaotic. Plato proposes that a leader should be holistic in his education and approach to ruling the state. Foremost, he must be a philosopher as Plato thinks that this enables him to consider the importance of education for others. There are also other requirements which include knowledge in music, mathematics, military, and physical education. The analogy of a person’s heal th to a state directly explains why Plato does not favor democracy. The state and its health need to be attended to be by a doctor (Wolff, p. 67). A physician will be able to administer with skill and accuracy correct judgment because of his expertise. This in essence undermines the capacity of the people to articulate good views. Mills idea of democracy is very straightforward, â€Å"to improve the citizens, and to manage their public affairs. Thus governments are to be judged by their effects on individuals, whether they improve them morally and intellectually, and by their efficiency in dealing with matters of public concern† This essentially means the need for representation and the importance of the power of the constitution becomes tantamount. People thrive when they are given independence. Everyone plays a part in the realization of sovereignty by being protective against the danger of oppression (p. 94-95). Rousseau’s proposition is not so different from that of Plato

Monday, September 9, 2019

INTB3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTB3000 - Essay Example lobal, acting local and thinking local, acting global, need to exist side by side because contrary to the general perception that building a brand sells it, the actual key to success is local passion for the brand coupled with a feeling of local pride and ownership. Examples of thinking global, acting local: 1. Retaining a clearly focused target product, so that the nature of the product was clear in the customer’s mind – Vicks was a rub for colds 2. Not growing complacent with the 20% growth that made Vicks no: 1 in India, but growing the market and benchmarking against the best in the world 2. Using an efficient, low cost local distribution system and 3. Using local ayurvedic medicinal products to prepare additional Vicks preparations apart from the rub for colds. Thinking local, acting global: 1. The global strategy was to increase advertising during the winter months, but Vicks Vaporub stepped up its advertising in the monsoon months, when local conditions caused more colds. 2. Positioning the 5 gm tin for the middle class and pricing a package of 4 such tins lower than a 19 gm jar, because it was specifically targeted at the middle class. Das and Vicks Vaporub were so successful in India because they were able to understand their consumers and act to satisfy their needs. They were able to use the existing, low cost distribution networks perfected by traders to avoid excessive costs along the supply chain. When chemists and pharmacists across the nation came together to boycott Vicks, the Company changed its registration from Western to Indian medicine to extend this distribution networks to food shops and local grocers, thus avoiding the strike altogether. 1. Being receptive to regional variations, i.e, suiting the product to fit opportunities available in the local market; for example using the monsoon as an opportunity to step up advertising during summer months. In a country like Russia, the economy was in a state of transition from a

Sunday, September 8, 2019

French Literature in Translation (Tristan and Iseult) Essay

French Literature in Translation (Tristan and Iseult) - Essay Example Analyzing the translations of the French version of Tristan and Iseult, one can see that there were two main versions from the French poets of the twentieth century: Beroul and Thomas. These two versions differ in their presentation, style and in some of the scenes, though the theme and the plot were still the same. â€Å"Berouls romance was considered to be the uncourtly version, because it was less refined, and some of the scenes and the behaviors of the characters were brutal at times†¦On the other hand, Thomas wrote courtly version of the romance. Thomas was much more interested in the inner thoughts of the characters† (Joe, 1999). It makes clear the fact that there are differences between these two French versions. The reader/audience can feel the driving force which is yearning for union beyond the restrictions of time, physical passion and their own separate material existence while going through Tristan and Isolde. Through their death, lovers achieved the realization of divine love. In other words, through the world of divine love they receive the status of immortality. Death is presented as a great opportunity to reach the state of oneness forever. Iseult embraces death with full passion and she joins her lover in a mystical background. In the old stories the lovers were buried on the side of a chapel and believed to be regained life with self realization. Wagner, in his opera, demonstrates the events with necessary improvisations and as a result reader can see the historical elements of Western ideologies and principles about love and death is presented clearly in Tristan and Iseult. Wagner’s work underlines the fact that the story discusses serious sociological and psychological layers. The human relation (love between Tristan and Iseult) explores the elements of a great symphonic texture. Merging of the lovers is a perfect example of the

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Students should go to colleges better than universities from the Essay

Students should go to colleges better than universities from the beginning - Essay Example One of the problems is that most of these students study for the sake of passing their examinations (Fernando, 50). As a result, most of them finish campus with no adequate knowledge required by the employers. This makes most of them jobless for a long time, which is problematic for the generation of these productive individuals. The reason is some individuals may not have gotten the required grade to join their desired course (Nitza, 135). Thus, the university admits the individual for a much lower course than the one the individual yearned for. They will only study for that course for the sake of getting a degree. This is unlike in joining college first since the individual can get the required marks in college and then join university to pursue their desired courses. Most of these individuals joining university are fresh from high school where their parents monitor their every move (Chin, 18). However, with university, most of them even move out to live in campus premises. The joy of being able to live away from the parents finally is a relief for most of them who tend to put it in their heads. They become party animals in campus to an extent of forgetting their studies. There are even cases of students caught cheating during exams due to failure of adequate preparation. It is important for such students to realize that despite how long it takes, it is important to join university for the right reasons- working hard to get a well-paying job in future. This brings us to the next