Servitude in Moliere’s Dom Juan

Throughout his lifetime, Moliere wrote many plays that depict the life of the French aristocrats. In these plays, he makes use of the character of the servant, whose presence is put in juxtaposition with their masters. The combination of the two characters usually causes social clash, thus providing the play a satirical tone. Particularly, in â€Å"Dom Juan ou le Festin de Pierre,† Moliere introduces an unforgettable servant character in the name of Sganarelle. Unlike the servants that appear in Moliere’s other plays, Sganarelle breaks the tradition of having servants take a minute role as he shares the position of his master in the lead role. This makes him the most important character among all servants Moliere ever created. The character of Sganarelle uniquely stands out among all servant characters in Moliere’s plays because of the large part he plays in â€Å"Dom Juan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . By assigning one of the main roles to a servant, Moliere attempts to expound on the subject of slavery in a different view. Through Sganarelle, Moliere makes clear his message regarding social division and the flaws of the upper class. Analysis of this character can therefore give a better understanding of the play, and of Moliere’s intention for writing plays of the hypocrite. Moliere’s plays of the hypocrite employ a common pattern with the use of loyal servants to care for their masters and be their guide in times of confusion. However, â€Å"Dom Juan ou le Festin de Pierre† provides a more in-depth characterization as it highlights the importance of a servant character in the life of a master. Throughout the play, Sganarelle’s role in Dom Juan’s life is highly emphasized. In fact, its emphasis could make the audience perceive the two characters as one. In their exchange of dialogues, Sganarelle somewhat serves as an extension of his master’s character, for he often agrees with Dom Juan despite the other’s illogical reasoning. He does this in order to put an end to his master’s prodding or mainly to show sign of respect. Nevertheless, this gesture does not affect the roundness of his character, but makes it all the more interesting. The two main characters in the play are placed in juxtaposition. Dom Juan embodies the upper class or the rich, while Sganarelle embodies the lower class or the common people. In putting them together, Moliere creates a balance between the good and evil, with Dom Juan as the evil character and Sganarelle as the good. In Sganarelle’s own words, he describes his master as â€Å"the greatest scoundrel that ever walked on earth, a madman, a dog, a devil, a Turk†¦a heretic who believes in neither Heaven nor saint, not God, nor bogeyman. (34-35). In Freudian psychology, we can refer to these two characters as the id and the ego, where Dom Juan is the id and Sganarelle is the ego. The two characters are contrasted in the play, with Sganarelle on the positive side opposite to that of his master. The contrast is mainly established with the way they behave and view things. Dom Juan is a typical Casanova whose life revolves around fooling his love interests. His main concern in lif e is to attract women and make them feel miserably in love. First, he woos them until they fall for him and agree for marriage but after that, he leaves them for the sake of another girl, much to the dismay of his servant. Sganarelle constantly warns Dom Juan of the retribution his acts may bring, but Dom Juan would often sway the argument to justify his actions, forcing Sganarelle to give up his point. Likewise, his stature prohibits the servant to condemn his master’s deeds. Though he is allowed to express his views, in the end he also allows his master to win, for he does not have a choice. He admits thus: †¦ I must be faithful to him however I feel. Fear makes me his accomplice. It stifles my feeling; and I often find applauding what I loathe with my very soul. † (35) As society declares, Sganarelle complies with his master’s orders. Due to fear of losing his job, he does what Dom Juan asks him to do, although it is against his will. He tells lies, swears things he does not mean, and covers up for his masterâ€⠄¢s shortcomings in the way the society expects a servant to behave. In complete contrast to his master’s character, Sganarelle is a man of faith. He embodies the common people who are weak and powerless yet are full of faith in God and religion. He exemplifies a believer whose only hope lies in God to save him from his unfortunate situation. With a strong faith, he declares that â€Å"one day the wrath of Heaven will strike him that’s for certain. † (35) His values are more in tact than that of his master; but he is not free to exercise his faith. Nevertheless, Dom Juan gives him the privilege to express himself, and when he does, he speaks his thoughts with some sarcasm: â€Å"Your heart is the greatest nomad that ever was. It likes to be always on the move. It hates to stay in one place for long together. † (36) Because he consents to the wrongdoings of Dom Juan, Sganarelle shares the sins of his master. This means that Sganarelle may be blamed for consenting to his master’s disloyalty to his love affairs. His awareness of this responsibility alone makes him feel uncomfortable; that is why he wishes God to punish his master in order to end up his spiritual agony. Similar to other servant characters in Moliere’s plays, Sganarelle serves as Dom Juan’s close companion. He follows his master wherever he goes, and obeys his will regardless of its consequences. He remains true to him despite the fact that he despises what the master does. The only good thing about Dom Juan is that he allows Sganarelle to speak his mind. In this sense, he shares similarity with the female servant Dorine in â€Å"Tartuffe,† (2000), who freely expresses her opinions on even the most sensitive matters regarding the family. However, unlike the female counterpart who speaks without reproach, Sganarelle is allowed to express his opinions only to a certain extent and upon summons by his master. Since it is very unlikely for Dom Juan to get confused by the deliberate decisions he makes, his effort to elicit opinion from Sganarelle is not because he needs advice on his affairs, but because it pleases him to argue with someone weaker such as his servant. He knows that Sganarelle will have no choice but to agree with him in the end, thus he takes advantage of his servant by winning every argument they have. Although Sganarelle looks weak in Dom Juan’s eyes, looking closely into his character, one may see the strength in him. Amid the struggles he bears in living with Dom Juan, he remains faithful to his faith. Even though he obeys his master, this does not eradicate his faith in God. In fact, it even makes it more intense. As Sganarelle struggles for freedom, his faith grows more each day, and the hope that he will soon be free from his master’s ill doings grows even more. He serves as the conscience that tells Dom Juan what is fair and just, appealing to him to repent and change his ways. In â€Å"Tartuffe† Dorine similarly plays the role of a conscience in Orgon’s life. When the master decides for his daughter to marry the hypocrite, Dorine tries to stop him, saying thus: â€Å"†¦he who weds his child against her will Owes heaven account for it, if she do ill. Think then what perils wait on your design. † (Act 2 S. 2) To a large extent, the similarity between Sganarelle and Dorine is their religious wisdom. Unlike other people who cannot distinguish between truth and hypocrisy, both of them see what lies beneath people’s acts of goodwill. In â€Å"Dom Juan.. † other people are fooled by Dom Juan’s appearance and his kind words except for Sganarelle who knows his master like the palm of his hand. (36) Dorine, on the other, sees the real intention of Tartuffe towards Orgon’s daughter, Mariane. She judges that his regular attendance at church is a sign of hypocrisy. Though Orgon refuses to believe her, she still insists on making him listen to her views because of her concern over Mariane’s future. Another servant character who speaks her mind freely is Nicole in â€Å"Middle-Class Gentleman† (2001). In this play, Nicole plays the servant in Monsieur Jourdain’s home. Finding fault in her master’s rather awkward and delayed interest in the ways of the rich (such as dancing, fencing, poetic speech, etc. ), she openly comments and laughs at Jourdain, much to his disappointment. However unlike Sganarelle or Dorine, Nicole finds support from her master’s wife, who despises her husband’s social climbing. This puts Nicole in a better position to be more outspoken of her opinions. In addition, compared to the other servants, Nicole contributes greatly to the comic elements in the play. Although the audience can find some humor in Sganarelle, it is only in the end that he could truly make the audience laugh while he cries over his lost wages. In contrast, Nicole’s appearance throughout the play is well-noted in her colourful dialogues that employ sarcasm and irony. Like Nicole, Dubois in â€Å"Le Misanthrope† (2000) also helps induce laughter from the audience with his farcical mistakes. The servants in Moliere’s plays serve different purposes. They take the role of a loyal companion, a critique, an advisor, and sometimes a fool. All these characteristics can be found in Sganarelle, making him an interesting servant in Moliere’s plays. This exposition triggers the question, Why did Moliere use a servant character instead of a friend whose status may be similar to that of Dom Juan? Indeed, assigning the role to a friend will make a different story, but one cannot help wonder about this issue. On the one hand, a best friend could likewise serve as a loyal companion and advisor, similar to the role played by Sganarelle. On the other hand, the role of the servant creates a more interesting story. First, it illustrates the conflict between the values of the rich and the poor. Compared to a friend, the servant who comes from a different background has a different set of values acquired from his own social orientation. Sganarelle’s social status affords him views about God and salvation, which are in conflict with his master. Just imagine, if the two characters come from the same background, they will probably connive to disillusion every girl they meet, thus limiting the conflict in the plot. Second, Sganarelle’s social status restricts him to speak his views blatantly. Hence, this causes more conflict towards himself than to his master. With a friend as the critique, the conflict will be between the two main characters, and this could make the plot very ordinary. However with a servant as the critique, the conflict resides only with the servant due to some limitations he has in expressing his thoughts. In the end, he builds a different conflict apart form his master’s, that is, how he could escape his master to avoid all the troubles. Third, with the servant character, the master falls into a pit that serves as his tragic flaw. Without its comic elements, the play would have been a complete tragedy, since Dom Juan maintains pride as his tragic flaw. He refuses to change his ways, believing that he is too powerful to have a need for God. Despite reminders from his servant, he continues with his evil ways, because as expected, he will never listen to a mere servant. As such, the servant character contributes to the master’s tragic flaw, which later leads him to his end. Considering this, one can sense a social commentary Moliere wants to impart through the play. By using the character of a servant, the playwright presents the reality that sometimes those in the lower class who lack proper education and possessions have better religious wisdom and piety than the rich. Through the role of the servant, the juxtaposition between the rich and the poor becomes more visible and effective. Finally, the use of the servant in the play gives it a humorous tone. Specifically, Sganarelle’s lousy effort to cover up for his master’s faults, together with his inner monologues, makes the play interesting and funny. At the end, those who watch it will find themselves pondering on the message of the play at the same time laughing at Sganarelle crying, â€Å"My wages! My wages! My wages! † (47)

Historical Criticism of Anton Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Dog”

Russian short story writer and playwright Anton Chekhov's The Lady with the Dog (1899) is a brilliant exposition of how society's laws and institutions hinder an individual's quest for freedom and happiness (RadEssays, n. pag.). According to the poet and critic Dana Gioia, the style in which the short story was written was consistent with the emerging trends in nineteenth-century short story writing (Gioia, n. pag.).On one hand, it was based on the â€Å"anti-Romantic realism of Maupassant with its sharp observation of external social detail and human behavior conveyed within a tightly drawn plot† (Gioia, n. pag.). On the other, it also mirrored the â€Å"modern psychological realism of early Joyce in which the action is mostly internal and expressed in an associative narrative built on epiphanic moments† (Gioia, n. pag.). Hence, Gioia considered The Lady with the Dog, along with his later works, as a turning point in European literature (Gioia, n. pag.).The short story 's main character, Dmitri Dmitrich Gurov, was a man whose life was trapped early by society and the institution of marriage (RadEssays, n. pag.). During the 1900s, Russian society, just like all other societies, believed that marriage is a sacred institution (BookStove, n. n. pag.). To go against this norm (by committing adultery) meant facing social condemnation and ostracism (BookStove, n. pag.). However, Russia's upper classes only paid lip service to this rule – marriage for them was more of a convennient way to establish and secure fortunes and bloodlines (BookStove, n. pag.). Therefore, while they paraded themselves in public as respectable and happily-married people, they secretly engaged in extramarital affairs to temporarily escape the harsh reality of being trapped in a loveless marriage.Gurov was no exception. Although his real interest lay in the arts (he graduated with a degree in this field), he was forced to take up a â€Å"dignified† job in a bank (Chek hov, n. pag.). To make matters worse, his parents had set an arranged marriage for him with a woman he described as â€Å"unintelligent, narrow (and) inelegant† (Chekhov, n. pag.) – simply put, a woman he did not love. As a result, Gurov was miserable, â€Å"bored and and not himself†¦cold and uncommunicative (in the society of men)† (Chekhov, n. pag.).But feminist critcs argued that the real reason for the scorn he felt towards his wife was that she was an â€Å"outspoken woman who considers herself an intellectual† (Answers, n. pag.) – Gurov was intimadated with assertive women and preferred a woman whom he could control (Answers, n. pag.).Just like many other Russian upper-class men of his time, Gurov found solace in extramarital affairs (BookStove, n. pag.). For him, these liasons were more than just outlets for lust – they were manifestations of his protest against the society which condemned him to a â€Å"pitiable† existen ce (BookStove, n. pag.). Although Gurov openly labelled women as â€Å"the lower race† (Chekhov, n. pag.), he â€Å"could not get on for two days together† without them (Chekhov, n. pag.). His treatment of and philosophy towards women reflected the hypocrisy of Russian society with regard to the issues of love, marriage and infidelity (BookStove, n. pag.).Gurov came across an ally in his latest mistress, Anna Sergeyevna. Just like him, Sergeyevna was also a prisoner of her marriage – she got married young (20 years old), but soon regretted having done so (ECheat, n. pag.). She no longer loved her husband, regarding him as a â€Å"flunkey† (ECheat, n. pag.). In sharp contrast to Gurov’s wife, Sergeyevna was â€Å"soft and childlike, weepy and vulnerable, even a bit ‘pathetic’† (Answers, n. pag.) – the ideal Russian woman of the 1900s (Answers, n. pag.). Eager to live a single and uncommitted life once again, she feigned il lness and went to Yalta, a well-known health resort in Russia (Answers, n. pag.).Free from the unhappy situation of their respective families, Gurov and Sergeyevna carried out an illicit affair in Yalta (Answers, n. pag.). Although Sergeyevna initially felt guilty after Gurov kissed her for the first time, she was already in love with him by the time she returned to S (ECheat, n. pag.). Chekhov used symbolisms to decribe the intensity of their passion for one another. The moon, a timeless symbol of fertility, symbolized the birth of Gurov and Sergeyevna's affair (Openpapers, n. pag.). Sergeyevna's pet Pomeranian, meanwhile, represented the dependency, loyalty and amusement that they were looking for in their respective spouses, but found in one another (Paperstarter, n. pag.).When Gurov and Sergeyevna resumed their normal lives, it was then that they realized how much they missed and loved each other (ECheat, n. pag.). After meeting again in a theater, they decided to continue their clandestine affair. They secretly met in Moscow (Gurov’s hometown) â€Å"once in two or three months† (Chekhov, n. pag.).But Gurov and Sergeyevna eventually got tired of hiding like theives just to maintain their relationship. When they had their usual rendezvous at Sergeyevna’s room at the Slaviansky Bazaar hotel, they discussed â€Å"how to avoid the necessity for secrecy, for deception, for living in different towns and not seeing each other for long at a time† (Chekhov, n. pag.). But they were unable to come up with a clear solution (ECheat, n. pag.).Indeed, Gurov and Sergeyevna’s illicit liaison was a no-win situation. True, they had found real love in each other. But in a society that abhors relationships such as theirs, they were left with three options: run away, tell their respective spouses the truth or end the affair then and there (ECheat, n. pag.). Divorce was out of the question – in 1900s Russia, it was a social taboo, along with adultery (Answers, n. pag.). Divorced people were met with the same social denunciation and isolation bestowed on adulterers and adultresses (Answers, n. pag.). The open-ended conclusion added more credibility to the short story’s theme – the choice between being true to one’s self or adhering to what society believes to be correct.Chekhov’s other writings also echoed the animosity between an individual and society. In the short story Betrothed (1903), the protagonist, Nadya, was engaged to Andrey Andreyich, a man whom she didn’t love (Chekhov, n. pag.). She had no other choice – Russian women during the 1900s were not allowed to study or to work outside the home. Hence, marriage appeared to be Nadya’s only ticket to economic advancement (Eshbaugh, 3).But her perspective changed when Aleksander Timofeyich (fondly called â€Å"Sasha†) arrived from Moscow to visit her family. Upon learning of Nadya’s engagement to And reyich, Sasha warned her about the lifeless existence that is the result of an arranged marriage (Eshbaugh, 3).â€Å"Only enlightened and holy people are interesting, it's only they who are wanted. The more of such people there are, the sooner the Kingdom of God will come on earth†¦ Dear Nadya, darling girl, go away! Show them all that you are sick of this stagnant, grey, sinful life. Prove it to yourself at least (Chekhov, n. pag.)!†Despite Nadya’s initial misgivings, she heeded Sasha’s words. With his help, she fled to St. Petersburg, where she attended university (Eshbaugh, 3). Nadya eventually realized that she made the right decision in relying on herself instead of on marriage to achieve happiness (Eshbaugh, 3). Even her family ultimately supported her choice – their letters to her were â€Å"resigned and kindly, (as if) everything seemed to have been forgiven and forgotten† (Chekhov, n. pag.).Betrothed was â€Å"the last published work of Chekhov and thus his dying words to his literary audience† (Eshbaugh, 3). In a way, this explains its optimistic ending. If in The Lady with the Dog, Chekhov exposed the futility of society’s norms of â€Å"marriage for monetary gains (and) living an idle life without purpose and without love† (Eshbaugh, 3), in Betrothed, he imparted that if man can create society and the status quo, he can also change them.Works CitedChekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Betrothed.† 2008. Ibiblio.org. 11 March 2008 . Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Lady with the Dog.† 2008. Online-Literature. 11 March 2008 . Eshbaugh, Ruth. â€Å"Literary Analysis of The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov.† 21 June 2007. AssociatedContent. 11 March 2008 . Gioia, Dana. â€Å"Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Lady with the Pet Dog’.† 1998. Dana Gioia Online. 11 March 2008 . â€Å"Anton Chekhov, ‘The Lady with the Dog’.† 2008. RadEssays.com. 11 March 2008 . â€Å"A Review of Lady with a Pet Dog by Anton Chekhov.† 4 July 2005. ECheat. 11 March 2008 . â€Å"The Lady with the Dog.† 11 July 2007. BookStove. 11 March 2008 . â€Å"The Lady with the Dog (Anton Chekhov).† 2007. PaperStarter. 11 March 2008 . â€Å"The Lady with the Dog by Chekhov.† 2008. Openpapers. 11 March 2008 . â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog (Criticism).† 2008. Answers.com. 11 March 2008 .

Business munication And Peroformance Free Sample

Reflecting on the individual’s growth is very important for learning, understanding, visualizing person identity and also individual research.   In the present group study, prising of five members I have learnt and experienced a number of munication traits and also an in-depth understanding on resolving the conflicts while being in a group of individuals sharing their ideas and beliefs on different articles and the references. While contributing to the group project I had experience of developing my own skills to learning through online tools, materials from textbooks and utilizing the library resources productively. Participating in the team work, contributing and analyzing to innovative ideas and the quantum of knowledge involved in the group enlightened me on how to resolve any issue or disagreement and appear with an appropriate resolution (Danks, 2012). Likewise, such writing assignment also enhanced my writing skills along with others group members ideas as an added ad vantage. Group project has obliged me with a fresh insight to work in a group. The group work has provided me an opportunity to learn various activities as a part of project. It b es easier to work in teams which exhibits involving and derive satisfying participation for the students. I input my maximum involvement while engaging in this project which made me more task oriented and I achieved better satisfaction. Although the group project demand a set of skills and prove to be challenging too (DuPont, 2013). This project helped me to understand how to tackle plex situation and what kind of plexities are involved in such kind of task oriented groups. Earlier, it turned out to be quite a difficult task for me to get acquainted with the teamwork process and utilization of munication skills but eventually this project helped me to develop good judgment with stronger intellect pushing me towards the achievement of the task. Undoubtedly group working enhances one’s skills and brings attention to one’s personality. It gives an idea of opening up to the variety of people, experiencing good as well bad traits, learning new definitions towards achieving goals and ensures an overall growth of the personality (Johnson and Wiggs, 2011).   The best trait I learned with this project is to interact with new kind of people and improve over my munication skills. It helped me develop a skill which I wasn’t sure of. Most importantly it helped me to get organized, meet the deadlines or sometimes even before that, work in union and raise concerned matters if any. Collective working makes the project bigger as pared as working individually (Ellis, 2012). Group activity has developed a sense of helping in me, and I achieved more in less time simultaneously keeping a check on group members and helping them out if anyone is in need. Precisely, the work distribution done fairly and evenly has been of great praise and work done in efficient and on time has proved to be a boon for the group project. The trait which took my attention was passing of ill ments over other members back or over the members being non-participant during the project work. I am a strong believer of putting hundred percent in any project and be sincere towards the group activity. Another thing which hindered was the availability of all the members at one time (Peterson, 2012). It happens that one will be busy when other is free and vice versa. It’s not the same as when an individual can work at its own convenience. Dependency on other group members for their work has also been one of the issues pondered over during the project study. That’s unfair on the part of a person doing its work on time and meets the deadlines and is focused on pleting the task (Atkins and Lowe, 2011). Group projects involve a variety of people which makes it difficult as pared to working individually. It’s like a river-rafting where all members flow in one direction and make efforts in one direction then journey proves to be smooth and easy-going. Similarly in the reverse condition, it b es inconclusive to mence the journey. To ove e such barriers and to have less obstruction in the working of the project, we decided to elect a team leader that would supervise the progress of the project, conclude team meets and resolve the arguments to maintain the consistency among the members. Initially, it seemed to be like a funny decision, but soon its worth was recognized (Iksan, 2012). Being in a group it became evident that all individuals will try to impose their thinking and this would lead to chaos in pleting the activities. I observed that distributing the tasks among the members became a headache and it ultimately lead to over-lapping of the tasks. The difference of opinion resulted in understanding different perspectives. I also acknowledged that at times some members felt left-out and disconnected. Nevertheless, encouragements from the fellow members kept all of us in unison which enabled the coherence in the group. But overall, whenever the conflicts or any such concerned issues arose we collectively made attempts to resolve and also deliver best ou es which we can. During the course of the project we encountered various difficulties, right from finding the appropriate articles to support our task to quote the references for the same. Numerous researches and methods were made applicable to spot the correct articles and the related online sites were also thorough been looked over to get the suitable material. With the help of such available material I concluded my work assigned task and understood the important notes of prising anecdotes. Another major barrier I faced was the time limit. In exploring the various resources of knowledge, and while going through my research, I always felt short of time and this happen to sharpen my speed in meeting the deadlines (Nixon, 2014). Prominently I excelled in pleting the task that summarized and analyzed the context and topic effectively. I managed to deliver better results for the topic and it didn’t majorly exhibit any plexities in pleting the task. Working in a closely related group of individuals benefitted me the most in a fruitful manner. It gave me satisfaction of discovering the new aspects of the relevant articles with the quantum of knowledge shared by every individual. The best thing I learnt from this group activity was to manage the individuals, work with different mindsets, share the ideas and discover innovations through group members and also sincerely dealing with the conflicts that arose during the term (Largo and Johns, 2008). This project enabled the writing, deriving, piling, organizing and publicizing skills in me to critically review on the subject matter. It made me realize that the project explained negative as well positive attributes. Other than organizing and piling of the related information, I also went through scanning, revising and arranging the important points with supportive examples and keynotes. All this pains in understanding the importance of this project developed the writing skills which has left me also in amaze. Concluding part lead to sense of improvisation in the basic skills I required and enhanced my overall personality. Moreover, not only I shoved off my fear of interacting strangers but also made new subordinates to whom I municated broadly, discussed all the matters which tend to be difficult to ove e and conducted all the tasks as a team. I regard this project as a stepping stone towards the understanding of a better knowledge attributes and incorporating some set of skills which I wasn’t aware of. It had been a useful and a learning experience. This assignment delivered various benefits to me which will be helpful to me for the future assignments. This project again refreshed my research skills from which I had been detached recently. Examining the team attributes, experiencing new challenges every day, developing a sense of critical analysis will definitely help me in future projects. Being a part of a group it ignited the skills of leadership, managing people and groomed myself as a part of team. I am sure all the group members also must have experienced the same as I have experienced. With the available resources it has proved to an easy path to contribute maximum in the pletion of the task and also enhance our knowledge with such improvisation. However, there have been areas where certain changes are needed which would help the group to perform better. Availing the related material onsite on time and make sure that the information is passed on to all the group members together. In the future, the group will perform better with such enhanced skills and deliver with more mitment and sincerity. The project has created a new set of understanding and knowledge which has engraved learning in me and confront me with in-depth obligation to deliver more the next time. I would conclude saying that such reflective learning experience not only groomed my writing skills and enhanced my team work experience but it also immersed me in developing a self-discipline behavior as well a spirit of working in a group. Such group projects enabled to accentuate my hidden personality traits and develop those which I could barely think of.    Atkins, S. and Lowe, S. (2011), Agents of change – a call for effective leadership, University of Boston Press, Boston, Mass Danks, W. (2012), ‘The dynamic boardroom municator’, munication Performance Management, vol. 3, no. 3/4, pp. 82-90. DuPont, A. (2013). munication in action – a review, McGraw-Hill, New York. Ellis, S. (2012). ‘Intellectual teamwork: social and technological foundations of cooperation’, Journal of Sociology, vol. 32, no. 6. Iksan, ZH, Zakaria, E, Meerah, TSM, Osman, K, Lian, DKC, Mahmud, SND and Krish, P (2012), munication skills among university students’, Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 59, pp. 71–6, Johnson, R. and Wiggs, P. (2011), ‘Change management--or change leadership?’, Journal of Change Management, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 311-17. Largo, E. and Johns, M. (2008). Sensing of change management – rulemaking for the 21st Century, Swan Page, London. Nixon, D. (2014). munication traits, Manchester, UK, viewed 16 November 2014, . Peterson, H. (2012), Teamwork dynamics, Smithfield Press, New York. Wu, Z. and Xiao, L. 2011, ‘Team builder: a CSR tool for identifying expertise and team strengths’, Allied munications, vol. 12, no. 10, pp. 32-47..

British Telecommunications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

British Telecommunications - Assignment Example 2) BT's current focus on cost savings and retained earnings to fund operations has created heightened investor confidence and has made the company leaner, which will help it compete effectively in markets facing price pressures (Engebretson 2003). 3) As BT makes capital structure decisions going forward, it should adhere to the 'pecking order' philosophy of capital structure, which states that a firm's first choice for financing should be internal funding, followed by debt and then the issuance of equity (Liesz 2001). Like many firms throughout the world, BT became caught up in an acquisition frenzy during the late 1990s and at the turn of the century. In the process, BT relied on a capital structure that was very dependent on bank debt to finance its activities. Richard Fairchild points out that BT management consistently increased the company's level of debt from 1998-2001 and, in the process, investor confidence eroded (Fairchild 2003). Perhaps BT, as a former government monopoly, does not attract investors looking to assume a high level of risk. At any rate, investors took notice of BT's mounting debt and BT's stock price suffered. From 1998-2001, BT's debt increased from 4.8bn to 31bn, mostly from acquisition activities, particularly the licensing rights for 3G (third generation) in the United Kingdom and Germany (Fairchild 2003). Fairchild points out that, during this period, BT's stock price decreased by approximately 65%, eventually leading the company to use a rights issue in 2002, to decrease its debt to 18.4bn (Fairchild 2003). It is hard to blame BT management for increasing the company's bank debt during this period, as this path was followed by several other European telecommunications companies. BT competitors France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and KPN all have sold or spun-off divisions in the past five years to protect their credit ratings after acquiring high levels of debt (Asset sales to provide new challenge for telco 2006). Analysts described the problem faced by telecommunications providers as a "damned if they do, and damned if they don't" scenario (Asset sales to provide new challenge for telco 2006). In BT's situation, the market clearly was nervous about management's decision to base its capital structure around bank debt. Fairchild points out that when BT increased its level of debt to 31bn, Standard and Poors downgraded BT's credit rating from AA+ to A, which is a reduction of four levels (Fairchild 2003). One could argue that the market was ignoring the various positive aspects of debt in a company's capital structure. As Fairchild indicates, capital

DESIGN THE TRAINING PLAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

DESIGN THE TRAINING PLAN - Essay Example In this respect, it becomes vital for the company to pursue training programs that work to the best interest of its operations. Enterprise architecture is characterized by technological diversity and dynamism in the industry context. Shifts in market needs create operational and performance gaps that have to be addressed for continued competitiveness in business. For this reason, enterprise architecture training at Intel seeks to foster creativity and innovation in the enterprise architecture department. Personal, professional, and company performance cannot be overlooked in the training context (Ilozor, Peter, & Graham, 2012). Whilst the key factor to consider when designing training plan for Intel is the enterprise architecture, the underlying effects on all the other departments in the firm cannot be ignored. To streamline the process, training will have to address emerging effects or implications to ensure that the set organizational goals and objectives are met. Essentially, tra ining at Intel targets enterprise architects. However, engineers and other technical professionals can be factored in if need be. The idea is to ensure that the exploitation of existing and emerging opportunities is characterized by creativity and innovation in technology. ... The training will address the extent to which enterprise architects, engineers, and operations group can exploit technology and processes reuse for enhanced organizational enterprise architecture. Design The training program needs to provide for the needs, interests, concerns, issues, and diversities that characterize the enterprise architecture workforce and the organizational setting at large (Intel Corporation, 2011). The program format, therefore, have to reflect these variables relative to the desired outcome. It is important to note that all the listed factors cannot be necessarily met an individual level. However, departmental and organizational goals and objectives have to be adequately met. Effectiveness and efficiency of the training process is also influential in the realization of the desired outcomes. Training format determination takes the following into account: Formulate and set the training ground in the organization. Identify the needs, interests, concerns, issues, and diversities that influence the training program. Assess the training issue(s) and set the expected training outcomes. Evaluate the current performance of the target group and align the result with the training program. Match training goals and objectives to the organizational business goals. Factor technological creativity and innovation in the training process. Consider the underlying gap(s). Execute the plan. Training duration and method of delivery have to be consistent with Intel’s position in the industry. Being a large player in the industry, a strategic approach to its training program is vital. In this respect, a progressive training delivery best suits Intel Corporation. Enterprise architecture encompasses practices that cannot change

Border security and how it has grown over the decades Research Paper

Border security and how it has grown over the decades - Research Paper Example Border security is becoming an important topic for America, especially after the 9/11 incident. Even though America was successful in patrolling its land and coastal boundaries, the loopholes in the security measures of the air boundaries have been revealed for the first time after the 9/11 incident. Terrorists and intruders are devising new methods to intrude into the territories of America. It is difficult for the border security forces to anticipate the movements of intruders because of the new methods opted by them to enter America. Apart from the threats of terrorists, illegal immigration is another major area of concern for the internal security of America. America’s wider border areas with Mexico and Canada are used extensively by antisocial elements to cross the borders. Even though Bush administration strengthened the measures of border patrol, still intruders are entering America with very much ease. Under these circumstances, the importance of border security forces is getting increased day by day. "Border security is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue; its an American issue†(Cooper, 2011). This paper analyses border security, its history and evolution over the years. Border security force or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest law enforcement workforce in America. It is securing America’s border areas including land, air and sea borders. â€Å"The Border Patrol is the mobile uniformed law enforcement arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It was officially established on May 28, 1924 by an act of Congress passed in response to increasing illegal immigration† (Border Patrol Overview, History and Strategy, 2011). During the last 86 years of history, the structure and functioning of American border security forces have undergone many changes even though the core objective remains the same - patrolling the nation from intruders. Even though the official history of border

Research Issues and questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Issues and questions - Assignment Example The best way to make a student understand is the use of pictorial description. Students can easily learn by watching a movie or pictorial description on the subject. Written tests should be conducted regularly so that students can assess their performance. If they get a lower grade teachers should help them through counselling or any other possible way. Teaching staffs employ methods like pairing students and make them to work as a group. Another method that could be used is pair checking. In this method one student checks another student's work. This improves their capability of grasping the subject. Lectures by visiting professors help in great deal. Seminars should be conducted regularly. Students should be given an opportunity in giving seminars. Presentations play a vital role in seminars. This helps in assessing student's presentation and communication skills. Identifying and nurturing competent ideas in different subject areas, varied classes at different level. Integration of skills needed to life should be incorporated into curriculum, textbooks, instructional materials and teaching-learning and evaluation process. Identifying suitable grade/class for introduction of second language on the basis of analysis of linguistic situation in the state.

History of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

History of Marketing - Essay Example At the end, it also gives brief biographical outlines of Henry Ford and Philip Kotler, the two great personalities who contributed to the development of the modern marketing thought. Marketing, its definition, meaning and scope. The establishment of a market economy in the 20th century has brought about dramatic changes in the social and economic structures and revolutionized the world economy (Bartels, 1976).1 Marketing is a combination of factors that have to be taken into consideration before taking up selling or promotional activities. Fred E. Clark (1922)2 defined marketing as the efforts that result in the transfer in the ownership of goods. Reciprocity and redistribution are the ideal and essential properties of good marketing, where marketing gives to the society more than takes from the society. The modern marketing thought evolved in the early 20th century and students of marketing were basically trained as economists. From 1900 to 1960, over 100 books related to general marketing were published with over 80 authors contributing to those works. By 1900 marketing managers realized that demand is the desire plus ability to purchase. Desire could be altered with help of advertising, sales promotion and salesmanship. With the increasing competition, cost became the principal determinant of price. Concepts like the elasticity of demand became the parameters of marketing in general. The first decade of 1900 saw the emergence of marketing thought with the realization of the distribution problems and planned collection of market information. Concepts were introduced into marketing from established disciplines like economics, psychology, sociology, and scientific management.In the second decade (1910-20), many basic marketing concepts were added to the commerce, trade and distribution topics. Ralph Starr Butler3 and Arch W. Shaw4 were the men instrumental in developing marketing concepts. According to Butler, marketing was the art of co-coordinating and planning of the complicated relations among the various factors in trade. Shaw (1912) distinguished three basic dynamic operations in business: production, distribution, and administration. From 1914 to 1917 Butler added many marketing concepts. From 1920 to 1930, built upon foundations laid in the first two decades, the Principles of Marketing were first presented in the book form by integrating scattered concepts and tentative generalizations. In his Marketing Methods and Policies,5 Paul D. Converse (1921) distinguished between middlemen's functions related to individual firms and middlemen's activities related to marketing in general. Fred E. Clark6 defined the market structure as built on two processes--transfer of title and transfer of goods; and middlemen included merchants, advertising agencies, banks and warehouses. Goods classes included products for personal, implements and machines used in production, and the machines needed to produce the equipment used in production. Marketing efficiency is judged from two viewpoints: from private angle--operating efficiency; and public view--social significance. The next ten years (1930-40) saw the revision and expansion

The Hours-Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Hours-Critique - Essay Example What colors the whole film is the knowledge that Virginia Woolf will take her own life at the end of the story due to her mental illness (Ehlen 45). These ideas and many others warrant a closer examination and clarification of the thoughts present in the film. As such, this paper will seek to identify and focus on the ideas of the film â€Å"The Hours†. To begin with, as the three main characters continue to search for a meaning in their lives, they evaluate suicide to be a means of avoiding the problems they encounter. Laura, Clarissa, and Virginia have a high credibility towards their perceptions and sensitivity with regard to the world around them. Every moment of their lives, traverses with their evaluation of how they feel about living. Thus, they from time to time see death as a solution to their problems that is why they constantly think of committing suicide (59). Given her mental illness, Virginia considers death as the only way out of her oppressive aspects in her li fe. As we analyze the film, we find that she finally ends her life towards the end of the story. Now that we know Virginia took her own life, it is understandable that her deliberations concerning Clarissa are partly a reflection of her own individual struggle and strive with the idea of suicide. Additionally, while in the same universal exploration of the literary work of Cunningham, the idea of humans fascinating with the idea of mortality revolves around the three main characters. Virginia ends her own life due to her aspects of oppressions following her mental illness. Laura Brown on the other hand, experiences feelings that makes see her trapped by the constraints of her function as a suburban homemaker. Due to these feelings, she considers suicide as the only possible escape. At this instant, the idea of shutting the clamor and chatter of living seduces this character. However, since she is an intellectual, at first, she finds her fascination with committing suicide is an inte rest, which has an academic objective. As a result, the thought of not being able to proceed with the killing crosses her mind constantly (66). Regardless of her thought and visions, the feeling of constraints befalls her more and she starts evaluating the idea of killing herself with a serious note. The idea of Laura’s suicide plan is no longer hypothetical when she stands at the mirror while staring at the sleeping pills. The indebtedness of Michael Cunningham to Virginia is too obvious. Consequently, some critics resolved to use the term pastiche with the view of describing his novel. For instance, as Mrs. Dalloway opens and as Clarissa prepares for a party in one fine morning in June, she departs from home to buy some flowers. This description finds its echo when the second chapter of The Hours opens. Intense clarification of this film points out that, a description that shows and describes what the audience already expects is too obvious. Nevertheless, we see the women w ithin this film trying to define the state of their lives within the roles that society set for them without sacrificing their individual identities (81). Occasionally, women such as Clarissa thinks that she is too domestic and Laura feels trapped within the life she finds herself living. This is a clear indication depicting that women of The Hours have varying degrees comforting their respective roles. Analysis of this situation brings about the idea of constrain of societal roles where trappings and domesticity of women illustrates its

Problems and Aspirations of Youth Essay Example for Free

Problems and Aspirations of Youth Essay INTRODUCTION: Trying hands on contemporary writing and then reigning over hearts of millions is not that easy as has been proved by one of the prominent writers of the day – Chetan Bhagat. Very few authors have managed to reach out to such a wide audience as Chetan Bhagat. There is originality of content in his writings and when he writes people feel as if it is their story. He is a phenomenon that has affected everybody, touched everybody’s life. Indian Publishing shall now be divided into pre and post Chetan Bhagat. He has created those kinds of landmarks. Chetan Bhagat projects his readers’ viewpoint in his writings. According to him,† A writer’s first job is to strike a chord, and not to please elitist circles,† He does it by caring for his readers and listening to them,† It can’t be just the language, as it is simply the common language of the people. It is more about what is being said and communicated that strikes a chord.† Chetan strongly believes that the language should be colloquial- a popular fiction has to be a dialogue with the people on the streets. CHETAN BHAGAT:- A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Chetan Bhagat (born on 22 April,1974) is a contemporary Indian author who has written four novels namely :- â€Å" Five Point Someone- What not to do at IIT†, â€Å" One Night @ The Call Center†, â€Å"The 3 Mistakes of My Life† and â€Å"2 States: The Story of My Marriage†, respectively. He grew up in Delhi in a Punjabi family in an uncertain home environment where his parents used to fight a lot. His father, an army officer, was very strict and he wasn’t allowed to watch television or films. So, Chetan and his brother used to make up movie stories and perhaps that’s where this tact of writing all sprang up. Bhagat attended Army Public School (1978-1991), Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi (1991-1995), and then studied at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmadabad (1995-1997), where he was named â€Å"The Best Outgoing Student† He fell in love with his IIM Ahmadabad classmate Anusha and they eventually got married. His novel â€Å"2 States: The Story of My Marriage†, is a fictional version of his love story. After graduating from IIT and IIM, he joined Peregrine, a financial service company in Hong-Kong. It shut down in six months but Chetan stayed on in Hong-Kong for eleven years, moving to Goldman Sachs. It was to spite his boss that he started writing his first novel. No doubt it was a great moment for Bhagat but he was in a bank and dissatisfied. His boss was very bad. So to take revenge on him. He started writing in office. CHETAN BHAGAT’S WRITING STYLE AND CHARACTERS The secret to Chetan Bhagat’s success is he writes in ordinary English and it is reassuring for young people to know someone knows what they are going through. In other words, Bhagat’s writing style tends to be simple with linear narratives and vivid storytelling. His protagonists tend to be named after avatars of Hindu deity Vishnu, like Hari, Shyam, Govind or Krishna. All his books have a number in the title (e.g. ‘five’ in the first, ‘one’ in the second, ‘three in the third and ‘two’ in the fourth book.) When asked about this, Bhagat replied that he is a banker and he can’t get numbers out of his head. Bhagat, 35, is the first to admit that he is no Arundhati Roy, the Indian Booker Prize winning author and says he knows critics feel his books are shallow. But Bhagat, who enjoys a rock-star like popularity among his readers, aged mainly 13 to 30, said he has the ultimate riposte—â€Å"My books sell.† Bhagat says that he writes for ‘ordinary young people’ who feel suffocated by their parents’ desire for them to become doctors, lawyers, or engineers. According to Bhagat- Indian youngsters live under pressure-cooker conditions to succeed. There is cut-throat competition to win places in India’s elite universities with youngsters compelled to score highly from primary to high school. Entrance to top universities often requires ninety percent- plus averages and most children have afterschool tutoring to attain such marks. A paragon of this philosophy can be seen in his novel â€Å" One Night @ The Call Center†, where the hero, who answers the phone calls from clueless Americans about their cooking appliances, remarks,† Every cousin of mine is becoming a doctor or engineer,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.You can say I am the black sheep of my family.† Bhagat believes that India tends to have an academic and social revolution to prevent young people simply regurgitating what they learn without thinking. He wants to convey this message across to the Indian youth- even if they don’t get stratospheric marks, they are still entitled to a happy life; and it’s not the end of the world if they fail. He generally talks about youngsters’ worries, their anxieties and all those things which preoccupy them, by means of his writings. His writing subjects include parental academic pressure along with pre-marital sex, drinking and other topics taboo in socially conservative India. CHETAN BHAGAT’S NOVELS 1. FIVE POINT SOMEONE- WHAT NOT TO DO AT IIT! â€Å"Five Point Someone†¦.† was his first book which adopted a breezy, ironic tone to explore the lives of exam-oppressed students who cram to get into the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and then rebel against the stultifying atmosphere of academic competition. It features soft-drugs, binge- drinking, and an affair between a student and his professor’s daughter. To be clear, the story of â€Å"Five Point Someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  revolves around three studentsHari, Ryan and Alok who come from three different backgrounds. The book is about their years in IIT Delhi and how they cope with the pressure of studies, family and relationships. The book was well received by the public, especially among the younger generation, and brought Bhagat a large following. It was adapted into a play by the theatre group ‘Madras Players’ and also by ‘Evam’. This book was adapted into a movie called ‘3 Idiots’, though Bhagat has stated that he was not involved in the scriptwriting in anyway, and was involved in a controversy with the director and the producer of the movie over crediting his contribution to the script. Directed by Raj Kumar Hirani, and starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhvan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, and Boman Irani in pivotal roles, it was released on 25 December, 2009. About a week after the release of the movie, ‘3 Idiots’, Chetan Bhagat claimed for the credit for the story and this credit row became a national issue. On January 1, 2010, Star News channel got Chetan Bhagat, Aamir khan and Abhijat Joshi- the so-called script writer, switched to each other at their respective places through Star News correspondents. During this programme, Chetan Bhagat claimed that before the release of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, neither he had been shown the preview of the movie nor given any participation in the script writing. At that time he was told that the adaptation of ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to ‘3 Idiots’, was just two to three percent or at the most just five percent and rest of the plot was different, but when the movie released and hit the Box Office as the biggest hit of the time, Chetan felt bad, because the story was not just five percent from his book rather it was seventy to eighty percent of his book. He kept mum for a week but when his fans and readers kept on asking him why he didn’t take any action or show any reaction against the makers, at that point of time Bhagat sought the shelter of the media and came into the lime-light with his credit claim. On the other hand Aamir khan in one of his interviews made it clear that there was no similarity between the movie and ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ and also as Aamir had not read Bhagat’s novel, Bhagat prohibited him to go through ‘Five Point Someone’, saying that both the movie and the novel were quite different from each other in story as well as plot. And now after the release of the movie, seeing it to be a big hit Chetan Bhagat is claiming for credit? It is quite wrong on his part because he wants to snatch the credit of Abhijat Joshi- the actual script writer of ‘3 Idiots’, who worked on the story along with Raj Kumar Hirani – the director. Aamir also interrogated Chetan Bhagat saying that Raju Hirani had directed ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’ and its sequel ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, so Chetan Bhagat would claim that these two movies were also his creations! Aamir labeled Chetan Bhagat as publicity hungry writer. Chetan Bhagat defended himself by saying that the producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had told him that there was hardly any similarity between the movie and the novel apart from the five percent of loose inspiration. He added that he relied upon Vidhu and said so to Aamir prohibiting him going through ‘Five Point Someone’. It was only after the release of ‘3 Idiots’ that Chetan Bhagat realized that he had been duped as Vidhu kept him in dark by lying and that was why he claimed for credit. He said that as per contract signed between him and Vidhu, he had been promised full justice by displaying his name among the main star-cast, but his name was given towards the end among assistants’ names in the rolling cast. This really pinched him. At one occasion during the promotion of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, interacting with the media persons in a press conference when a press reporter asked Raju Hirani, Aamir and Vidhu Vinod about the authenticity of the story whether it was an original one or taken from Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’, Vidhu Vinod lost his temper. He raised his finger at that press reporter and asked him to shut up. This act of Vidhu further added oil to fire and the matter turned from bad to worst. All the news channels repeatedly telecasted Vidhu raising finger and saying ‘SHUT UP’. No doubt, the next day, somehow, Vidhu realized his mistake and openly apologized labeling himself a ‘BEAST’ and his action of raising finger and saying ‘shut up’- an insane or uncivilized act. When asked about Vidhu’s ill-mannerism from Chetan Bhagat, the later showed his gratitude to the media for bringing forth Vidhu’s real per sonality, as it would have been quite difficult for him to do so at his own level. A few days after this incident another interview with Chetan Bhagat was telecasted on news channel where he disclosed that Abhijat Joshi had threatened him to send a legal notice in his name if he ever claimed for the credit for the story again. Chetan Bhagat subsided for some time. It was a great shock to the fan-readers of Bhagat when a video clip of Bhagat’s interview on 24-12-2009 was telecasted on another news channel. It showed Bhagat in very high spirits saying that he had given his book ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to the makers of ‘3 Idiots’ just like a daughter and after watching the premier of the movie ‘3 Idiots’, it seemed to him that his simple daughter turned into a bridal-look, so he would definitely give five out of five points to the movie. Chetan Bhagat also appreciated the adaptation of ‘Five Point Someone†¦.’ to ‘3 Idiots’ and confessed that he couldn’t have done this if asked for as Raju and Vidhu have done and added that his family is quite happy over this. Bollywood News channel Lehren depicted this incident of credit claim row and Vidhu’s misbehavior mere a pre-planned drama to benefit both the movie as well as the book. 2. ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER It was released in India in October 2005 also to popular demand. This book was about six people who work at a call center and about a night when they receive a call from God. Noted Bollywood film director Rohan Sippy bought the rights from Bhagat, but later Sippy let the rights pass on to director Atul Agnihotri, brother-in-law of Arbaaz Khan. The movie version of the novel is titled as ‘HELLO’ starring Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Amrita Arora, Esha Koppikar, Gul Panag, and Sharman Joshi. Bhagat worked directly on the script of the movie, moulding it to fit the silver screen. However, the film did not succeeed commercially. ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ is a romantic comedy set in an office where bored young Indians try to resolve the mindless inquiries of Midwestern American Technophobes. The story is a comedy of romance and crossed lines. There are three main themes: ex-girlfriend, bad-boss, and God. The story revolves around six friends who are selling home appliances to the US from a call center in India. Each one has an issue with love. Call agent Sam works right beside the girl who has just duped him. He is dating someone he can’t stand just to get over her. Esha is just short of becoming a model. Two inches, to be precise. Vroom wants to change the world. Radhika is trying to manage her mother-in-law, and hold down her job. Tonight is Thanksgiving in America, and customers are queuing up to complain about white goods going wrong. On this night of a thousand phone calls, when life couldn’t look more dismal, one unique caller got on the line- God: and that call is going to change everything†¦.A romantic comedy of six friends kicking against the system, against their boss, and against each other. The fact that ‘One Night @ The Call Center’, was an enormous success in India is very strange or unusual and troubling. Although it may seem a feel-good story about Indian empowerment in a globalized world, but Bhagat finds no other way to reach a happy end but through a ridiculous and an unexpected event saving a seemingly hopeless situation and a series of morally reprehensible acts. One might be able to forgive him invoking God- the ultimate fall-back guy when nothing else works: but the mean-spirited and outrageous means he chooses for his characters to find happiness and satisfaction is beyond contempt. In the opening page, we are asked to do a task- think about something you fear, that makes you angry and one thing you don’t like about yourself. After a deep pondering, one may come up with an idea and plod on with the reading. When you reach the end of the novel you find yourself thinking about what you said in the beginning and viewing it in a different way- clever stuff, actually Bhagat’s writing style is so easy that you are soon swept along with the narrative. The novel has a prologue, in which author- Chetan Bhagat encounters a beautiful woman on a train-trip. She offers to tell him a story- but will do so only on one condition that he uses it for his next book. It is set at a call center, describing the events of a single night shift†¦..and she warns him (as well as the readers) to expect at least one unusual occurrence: â€Å"it was the night†¦.it was the night there was a phone call from God.† That’s a lot of pressure to put on a book- and since the phone call comes on page241, that’s also an awful lot of suspense to leave the reader in for a very long time. The story is narrated by Shyam Mehra, who works at the Connections Call Center. Here Indians man the phones all night, fielding calls from American consumers who are having troubles with their electronic goods. The company is kept afloat by its account with Western Computers and Appliances, but isn’t doing spectacularly well (â€Å"call volumes are at an all time low†¦.Connections is doomed†) and there is talk of â€Å"rightsizing† i.e. downsizing. Shyam works in the WASG bay which stands for the Western Appliances Strategic Group, handling home appliance issues i.e. people having trouble with their refrigerators, ovens, and vacuum cleaners. The novel focuses on Shyam and handful of his colleagues- a motley crew of Indians who, for a variety of reasons, have wound up in the same job. For quite a while ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ is fairly predictable; the characters and their personal stories are introduced, the bad boss is shown being bad, the American callers are unlucky. Bhagat does not do any of this particularly well, but it’s modestly engaging and there seem to be some possibilities. Priyanka’s sudden engagement to a Microsoft-man she has never seen, stirs the things up, and each of the characters has his or her own story which Bhagat at least offers a glimpse of. He is at his best in describing the workplace- silliness, dealing with customers and bosses, though not particularly creative or imaginative. Bhagat has a self-righteous and important streak that undermines much of his possibly valid social criticism. Claims of intellectual superiority hardly mask the pathetic inferiority complex they all seem to suffer from. At Connections they are taught: â€Å"the brain and IQ of a thirty-five-year-old American is the same as the brain of a ten-year-old Indian. This will help you understand your clients. You need to be as patient with them as you are when dealing with a child. Americans are stupid, just accept it.† It was quite surprising that the novel ‘One Night @ The Call Center’ was getting an American release, as Americans aren’t exactly shown in a flattering light here. The thirty five is equal to ten rule just makes one stunned. The Indian call center teaches all the agents that a thirty five year old American is as intelligent as a ten year old Indian child!! One would wonder how Americans will take this saying. Perhaps one sort of has to insult the people who call all night long to complain about idiotic problems now and then to stay sane and not end up screaming at them after one stupid question too many. The author does acknowledge that in spite of the vast intelligence Indians have, the country is plagued by corruption and thus very behind America. In a nutshell, it can be said that Bhagat raises valid issues and concerns- but does not take them in the least seriously, offering neither reasonable descriptions of the issues, nor any sensible way of dealing with them. The characters one finds working in these places like call-centers, the cross-cultural issues (some of which he even manages to begin to convey), the different faces of modernizing India, the family pressures especially on women; Bhagat even lays a decent foundation. But in going completely overboard like God! Operation Yankee fears! ; He undoes all of the promise of the book, and with his morally defective happy end, sends such a wrong message that one has to condemn the whole exercise. 3. THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY LIFE It is Bhagat’s third book, about cricket, religious politics and rebellious love. About how three friends get caught in a tangle to earn some money and fame, and how they sort it out. The book was published in May 2008 and had an initial print –run of 200,000 copies. The novel follows the story of three friends and is based in the city of Ahmadabad in western India where the author had begun his independent life and so this city is quite close to his heart. Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment has bought the rights for making a movie based on this, and it will be directed by Abhishek Kapoor of ‘ROCK ON!’ fame. The book has fiction: sentiment, romance, social message, business, life, relations, religion and of course cricket. It’s the story about three friends Omi, Govind and Ish who are struggling to decide their goal. The story is presented through Govind’s eye; he is a brilliant student of mathematics. He has an aptitude and penchant for business and it’s his three mistakes of life that are presented along. Govind is a true Gujarati, interested in coming up on his own in life through business. Ishaan or Ish- a failure in studies but a great cricketer (obviously great in the local school team), has a passion in playing, teaching and watching cricket. Omi comes from a family of priests with no inclination of becoming a priest and just moves along with his two friends. The journey of these simple people in life, how their lives get affected by the worst disasters in Gujarat’s history is portrayed in a simple yet efficient way by Chetan Bhagat. This book also teaches you how your dreams crash into pieces by unexpected events but how with the support from people around, you get back on track, focus and rebuild your dreams. Vidya, Ishaan’s sister, a teenager with her eyes on Govind, represents typically homely Indian girls trying to lose their virginity and so-called boys feeling shy and guilty after having sex with them†¦. as Neha in ‘Five Point Someone’ and here Vidya in this novel. Ali, a gifted batsman and son of a local Muslim politician, plays a prominent role in the story. It’s the story of how Govind, Ishaan and Omi come up with a sports store in their area and how they achieve success in it by clubbing it with Math’s tuitions and cricket coaching classes. The writer has thrown in the angle of Ali a gifted batsman who is in need of coaching and as Ishaan is an avid cricket player whose passion lies in playing, teaching and watching cricket, comes in as Ali’s savior because he does not want a brilliant talent to be wasted. Then there is a love angle of Vidya and Govind thrown in. And to top it all Chetan Bhagat has placed the novel in the era when Ahmadabad suffered with a nightmare of an earthquake and riots. The book traces the lives of these characters and their trials and tribulations. This novel especially comes at a time when people only want to come up with excuses to show or feel how different they are rather than see the common aspects and bring oneness which can keep us together and achieve our common goal of growth, peace and prosperity. The language is simple, it connects well with the youth of India and the narration has improved as compared to the earlier novels. Chetan Bhagat has again proved that to be best novelist you don’t need fabulous vocabulary or you don’t need awesome critics review, all you need is a thread to connect to the plain minds of people. Truly this novel teaches you- life will have many setbacks. People close to you will hurt you, but you don’t break it off, you don’t hurt them more. You try to heal it. It is a lesson not only you, but our country needs to learn. The story involves some of the major headlines of early 2000 like the Gujarat earthquake, India-Australia test series, the 9/11 WTC attack and not to forget the Godhra train mishap. Apart from cricket, business and religion it also has the mesmerizing love story between Govind and Vidya the story is good, since the events are from recent past and it’s easy to connect with it. It can be completed in one sitting. But there are not many surprises as it has not gone away from Bhagat’s typical style of writing. It is less on humor content as well. Chetan has been very clever by stating ‘3 mistakes’ and you keep flipping the pages for knowing the other two mistakes as the first mistake you will come to know quite soon. It is a book with nice ingredients of real events and fiction perfectly cooked for a delicious dish. No mistake in giving it a read. 4. 2 STATES: THE STORY OF MY MARRIAGE This book is about how love marriages work in India and is again typical of him in the first person. It is like his first book ‘Five Point Someone’, expected to be inspired by his own life. The book is funny and completely different from his previous novels; perhaps this time Bhagat did not want to write about friends any more. ‘2 States.’ is about Krish and Ananya, who are from two different states of India. They are deeply in love and want to get married. But their parents do not agree. To convert a love story into a wedding, the couple has a tough fight ahead of them. Perhaps it is no secret that Chetan, a Punjabi and Anusha, a Tamilian, had to work hard to have both sets of parents agree to their relationship and subsequently their marriage. To provide a further glimpse into their personal story, Chetan decided to take up penning this book after leaving his banking job and having decided to become a full-time writer. While Anusha emphasizes that when Chetan announced to her for the first time this book would heavily lean on their life story, she indeed was a little wary. In fact Anusha also stresses that before writing the book, both Chetan and she spoke to their parents assuring them that it was not about them. While Chetan accepts that a lot of portions of the book have been dramatized at the insistence of his wife, he credits his fans for conceptualizing this book. When Anusha read the book, she loved the female lead, who is modern, liberated and educated. India is opening up and parents are learning to accept love marriages despite prejudices about caste. Bhagat has dedicated this book to his in-laws and it would be for the first time any Indian writer has dedicated a book to his in-laws. In fact Chetan Bhagat admits that one of the biggest challenges would be to make sure that his in-laws still want to talk to him after reading this book. He surprises us by saying that he hopes that his wife’s parents will still be his in-laws. But, interestingly, Anusha’s parents had actually flown down from kolkata to attend the launch of the book ‘2 States†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ There is no second opinion about this that Indian love marriages are not easy. It’s just the boy and the girl who fall in love, but everyone- i.e. both their clans, have to fall in love too. In the end, the boy and the girl start questioning whether there’s anything more left to it and even fight. But it’s important to know what parents think of your marriage. Parents still have the remote control when it comes to emotions. According to Bhagat- however independent you are, getting married without parents’ approval is not good for the relationship. No doubt parents’ protesting against children marrying outside caste or religion is archaic today, still there are some honour-killing incidents in the recent times. Bhagat inspires by saying that if all else fails, the parents should do it for the sake of country. ‘2 States†¦.’ we all know well, is the story of Bhagat’s own love marriage to a Tamil Brahmin. Bhagat found that his own marriage had scope for humor because this Punjabi-Tamil is a continuous thing and a lot of Indians can relate to it. The story is fictionalized but the feelings that Bhagat had gone through, are the same as what the characters experience. And of course it was difficult for him to convince his own parents to accept his Tamilian wife – Anusha, who was also a banker. So, there are jokes about Punjabis and Tamilians in this book. More importantly, Bhagat used it to address to his strained relationship with his father. Speaking about ‘2 States†¦.’, Bhagat says that the story is not a memoir, it was nice, the feeling of suspension of disbelief, but as it involves his own family, so he wants to make it clear that it is a work of fiction. That is why there are character changes and the dramatization is higher. Calling it a fluffy novel, Bhagat says that it is personal and treats the complex issue of inter-community marriages, the fun way. And sends home a bigger message of homogeneous society. According to Bhagat, homogeneity is important for a country to move forward. Today’s youth are traveling to different cities for studies and work, and they will meet someone; but parents are still rooted in prejudices that have to be addressed. To take his stand point firmly, Bhagat cites the success stories of Korea, Taiwan and China that have seen progress from a developing country by adopting homogeneity. Chetan Bhagat believes to do what your heart says. Knowing what you want and sticking to your decision is most important. And he himself did just that. He fell in love, knew what he was doing and followed his heart. And so, a book happened. Bhagat feels that his best stories are those drawn from his own life and experiences. The more personal the book, the more unusual and funny it becomes for him. People relate to it better because they know him, his wife and his twin sons. He strongly believes that the function of literature is to reflect society and by means of his novels he is causing some change in a large part of India, which is far more satisfying. AS A COLUMNIST Bhagat has an open-ended column in Dainik Bhaskar, a large Hindi newspaper and another at The Times of India, English daily. He says,†the main purpose of the books and films is to entertain, but the columns allow me to give my views on how the nation should be run.† His articles are written in simple English to achieve mass appeal. He also visits Educational Institutions in India to give motivational talks. ON TELEVISION Bhagat was a judge on a reality show by Star News called ‘Star Anchor Hunt’ AWARDS Chetan Bhagat has been honoured with ‘Society Young Achiever’s Award’ in 2004 and ‘Publisher’s Recognition Award’ in 2005.

Decline in 4th and 5th Century Art and Literature

Decline in 4th and 5th Century Art and Literature Does the notion of ‘decline’ have any relevance for our understanding of the art and literature of the fourth and fifth centuries? Since the Renaissance it has been common for critics to judge the fourth and fifth centuries as a period of cultural and artistic decline. It has been argued that the Late Roman Empire produced an era of â€Å"artistic and cultural stagnation†[1] and it is crucial to explore whether this notion of ‘decline’ is really relevant in terms of creating a balanced understanding of fourth and fifth century art and literature. Furthermore, it is necessary to address the difficulties produced by dealing with the nature of change within a traditional society[2]; particularly, the judgement of whether that change is for the better or worse, and the impact of modern prejudices on our appreciation of Late Antique art and literature. The notion of ‘decline’ can be interpreted as significant to our understanding of art in this period; especially in terms of the major changes in style which were characteristic of the fourth and fifth centuries. The most fundamental of these changes was the general movement away from the ‘naturalistic’ conventions of classical art[3] towards a more abstract and symbolic style. It is this movement, or decline, away from the esteemed classical apex which has been marked as a negative development[4]. Decline is also apparently seen through the deterioration in the overall quality of Late Antique art. Not only has the workmanship of the period been described by critics as ‘cruder’[5], but the originality of pieces has also been questioned. One such example is the Adlocutio relief on the Arch of Constantine; the juxtaposition of opposing art styles, ‘naturalistic’ and ‘abstract’, has not only been described as of less high quality than earlier art, but it has also formed the basis of the Renaissance critics’ perception of ‘artistic decline’[6]. The quantity of large scale sculpture, an intrinsic part of public display for Emperors and the Roman elite, decreased during the fourth and fifth centuries[7]. This could be interpreted as a change in taste and a new focus on different media for public display, or it could provide further evidence for the ‘decline’ of art. The literature of the fourth and fifth centuries has faced similar criticisms, which also mainly focuses on its movement away from classical conventions. One view is that â€Å"the literature of the period is mostly, as literature, second-rate and unoriginal†[8]. The concept of ‘unoriginality’ is significant to texts from Late Antiquity as many writers had a much greater engagement with earlier literature than their predecessors[9], this could be interpreted as imitation and even more importantly as a decline in creativity or originality. Perhaps more significant however, is the momentous change in style away from that of the classical period. This deviation from the classical ideal has been seen as a debasement and a devolution[10], which may have provided a foundation for the notion of ‘decline’ during the fourth and fifth centuries. The highlighted issues have been based on the lack of eloquence, rhetorical skills or poetic poise in comparison to writers such as Cicero, Ovid and Virgil. Contemporaries such as Jerome and Augustine comment on the changes in style in their works. Jerome describes the style of the religious works as â€Å"rude and repellent†[11] and Augustine declares that such works are â€Å"unworthy to be compared to the stateliness of Ciceronian eloquence†[12]. The influence of Christianity on writers of this period could provide an explanation for the apparent decline in quality of literature. An example where this has affected literature is the subsidiary role of poetry within a society which is completely dominated by the Church and its religious texts[13]. There is a much greater focus on less creative works such as theological literature, which consisted of a high proportion of commentaries on the scriptures[14]. Furthermore, the focus of cultural authority had shifted away from expressive and non-religious literature, and so such works lost their ability to be either intellectually or culturally relevant to contemporary readers[15]. It may be possible to suggest that the notion of decline does have relevance for our understanding of art and literature of the fourth centuries, and perhaps any decline or deterioration is caused by the influences of the strong religious inclinations of this period[16]. However, on the other hand, it is important to recognise that the judgement of decline in relation to this period may have been affected by modern prejudices and the perceived criteria of what constitutes good art and literature. In terms of the artistic ‘decline’, perhaps it would be more beneficial to view this period more neutrally and to recognise that it represents a different concept of art and its stylist mannerisms[17]. More relevant than the notion of decline has to be the notion of change, especially considering that the fourth and fifth century art movement marks the first time since the fifth century BC, that the naturalistic classical conventions shifted towards the abstract[18] and towards the new age of symbolic Middle Age portrayals. A significant area of change and development is the use of churches as an art form[19]. Although public buildings had been a common form of artistic experimentation throughout the history of the Romans, the fourth century brings a new dimension with the influence of Christianity. An example of this is the Church of Magia Sophia in Constantinople, whose architecture demonstrates the artist skill and creativity of the period. The church is described in great detail by Procopius of Caesarea who compares the experiences of viewing it with coming â€Å"upon a meadow with its flowers in full bloom†[20]. The exploration of domes, vaults and space is clearly just as prominent as it was before Late Antiquity[21]; it is just done through the building of Christian churches rather than traditional construction programmes. The Late Antique period features an increase in art works of silver and ivory[22] and also includes the use of elaborate carving techniques in Christian Sarcophagi. Some examples include one from the Mausoleum of Helena, which shows battle scenes between Romans and barbarians, and one from the Mausoleum of Constantina, which is decorated with acanthus scrollwork and cherubs[23]. The increase of the use of high quality carving is a clear demonstration of why the notion of decline should not be applied to the art of the fourth and fifth centuries. Furthermore, the art of this period is not only believed to be of high quality but it also shows a considerable amount of innovation. This included the expanded use of opus sectile panels of inlaid coloured marbles, for example the panels used in the secular Basilica of Junius Bassus from the Esquiline in Rome[24]. Figurative mosaics were also used in more innovative ways, and were introduced into the walls and vaults of buildings rather than just into floors, for example at the Mausoleum of S. Contanza in Rome[25]. An element of continuation can also be seen throughout fourth and fifth century art and shows the merging of new Christian iconography with traditional motifs and styles. Mosaics, for example, continue to be as intricate and stylized in villas[26] and are of the same high quality in public buildings. Some of the more elaborate mosaics seen from this period include the mosaics of St Lawrence at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia[27] in Ravenna, and the mosaics of saints at the Hagios Georgios in Salonika[28]. Imperial art also continues to be prominent well into the fifth century, including bronze and marble statues, reliefs and dedications, and columns and triumphal arches[29]. Some examples of this are the bronze of Constantius II and the marble Theodosain portraits[30]. Many of the traditional motifs survive until after the fifth century[31] and demonstrate that a complete decline cannot have been possible as artists were still able to continue creating works as they had done before. An example of the persistence of classical iconography can be clearly seen in the calendar of the year 354[32]. The notion of decline does not necessarily take into consideration the stages necessary in any stylistic progression and that the â€Å"continuous dialogue† between classical and abstract methods of representation in art[33], is something to be celebrated as development rather than criticised as decline. The relevance of decline in literature is perhaps similarly misjudged and the literature of the fourth and fifth centuries may be under-rated by critics because of the overall conception of a cultural deterioration[34]. The scholars, who suggest that this is a period of â€Å"cultural stagnation†, may have dismissed much of the rich material which was developed alongside the rise of Christianity.[35] The literature of this period needs to be assessed on its own terms and its own context[36], rather than under the constraints of modern fashions and preferences. Rather than being in decline, this period is arguably the ‘Golden Age’ of Christian literature[37] and its sheer volume of surviving works means that it is one of the richest periods for literature in antiquity. Important literary figures, who have all made huge contributions to the Christian literature of the age, include Athanasius, Ambrose, Jerome and Augustine. Augustine has been described as a â€Å"marvellous genius† and his work the â€Å"City of God† has been described as one of the first great philosophies of history. [38] Similarly popular Jerome, who was responsible for the translation of the bible, managed to raise â€Å"scriptural studies to a level not surpassed for many centuries†[39]. Aside from just religious texts, the literary sources for Late Antiquity include panegyrics, legal codices, biographies, histories and geographies[40]. The influence of Christianity led to an increase in popularity of biography, as it supported the role of the individual[41]. One of the best examples is Athanasius’ ‘The Life of Antony’, which helped to spread the concept of monasticism. The increase in biographies of entire communities rather than just an individual are also seen, mainly monastically based, for instance Palladius’ Historia Lausiaca.[42] Historical works were common throughout the period and demonstrated a continuation in traditional literary form; however, they took on a much stronger religious focus, and many took polemical positions either defending or condemning Christianity[43]. Arguably one of the most important of the historical works was the History of Rome by Ammianus Marcellinus. He not only wrote in a style reminiscent of early historians[44], such as Livy or Tacitus, but he also showed a remarkable lack of bias which is often evidenced in the writings of contemporaries[45]. There are also enough surviving letters to make the fourth and fifth centuries one of the major periods for ancient epistolography. Just one example are the letters from Q. Aurelius Symmachus of which we have nine hundred surviving letters, covering the entire period from the 360’s to AD 402[46]. A particularly highly criticised area of literature, in terms of decline, is poetry as many critics thought that they were few writers of that age who could actually rank as true poets in terms of style.[47] However, there is a scholarly split in this matter as many see the fourth century as the time when poetry re-emerged in both popularity and strength[48]. Poets like Porfyrius Optatianus had a huge impact through their poetic achievements and the poetry of the age had a distinctive character that set it apart from its predecessors[49]. Innovation in poetry can be seen through the development of multiple pattern poems, which pushed the boundaries of conventional poetry. One of the key figures in the movement is Porfyrius who had a â€Å"singular ability to manipulate verbal surfaces in varied ways†[50]. The criticism that late antique poetry suffers from an increasing level of imitation and unoriginality should be readdressed as authors may have taken up traditional forms bu t they endowed them with new and exciting qualities[51], which thus created a unique and original work. What appears to be actually prominent in fourth and fifth century poetry is diversity[52] rather than decline. Further literary diversity is brought to the fourth and fifth centuries by the influences from the East and their developments in literary languages. Syriac was already developed as literary language before the fourth century, but it was during this later period that its influence began to be truly felt. The most important surviving works are from Aphrahat and Ephrem and both their texts demonstrate the sophistication of the Syriac culture[53].The importance of Syriac literature can be seen in the fact that Jerome, writing in 392, had already read in Greek translation a work by Ephrem on the Holy Spirit[54]. Their works showed an awareness of Greek rhetorical models[55] and further suggest that this was a period of development and not decline. Less extensive, although still important, is the emergence of the Coptic literature of the Egyptians. Coptic literature was mainly functional and used in a religious context but it did include a translation of the bible. In conclusion, it is possible to understand the reasoning behind the judgement of fourth and fifth century art and literature as part of an overall notion of decline, but much of this is based on modern values and not those of the contemporaries to such art forms. In terms of understanding the literature and art of the period in a non biased and non prejudiced way, it would appear far more beneficial to dismiss the notion of ‘decline’ and adopt a more neutral notion of ‘development’ or ‘change’. A fundamental part of understanding this art and literature is the appreciating of some of its unique features, it particular the conflict and compromise[56] between several religious philosophies and two opposing art styles. Whether viewed in a negative or positive light, it seems wrong to dismiss the art and literature of the period under the demise of decline, when it is in fact diverse, vigorous, and of a high quality. Furthermore, I conclude that th e notion of decline should not have any relevance on our understanding of the art and literature of the fourth and fifth centuries. (Word Count- 2,443) Bibliography Primary Sources Augustine, Confessions, trans. A.C. Outler [Library of Christian Classics], 7 (Philadelphia, 1955) Jerome, Ciceronian or Christian?, in J.Stevenson. 1973. Creeds, Councils and Controversies. London Procopius, Buildings, trans H.B. Dewing [Leob Classical Library], 7 (Harvard, 1940) Secondary Sources Brock, S. 1997. Syriac Culture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 708- 719. Brown, P. L. 1980. Art and Society in Late Antiquity, in K. Weitzmann (ed.), Age of Spirituality: A Symposium. New York. 17-28. Cameron, A. 1993. The Later Roman Empire: AD 284-430. London. Cameron, A. 1997. Education and Literary Culture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 665-707. Dihle, A. 1994. Greek and Latin Literature of the Roman Empire: From Augustus to Justinian. London. Elsner, J. 1997. Art and Architecture, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 736-761. Elsner, J. 1998. Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire, AD 100-450. Oxford. Ermatinger, J. W. 2004. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Connecticut. Gibbon, E. (ed.) Bury, J.B. 1966. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roma Empire: Volume 3. London. Grant, M. 1998. From Rome to Byzantium: The Fifth Century AD. London. Jones, A. H. M. 1964. The Later Roman Empire 284-602: A Social, Economic and Administrative Survey Volume II. Oxford. Mastrangelo, M. 2009. International Journal of the Classical Tradition. The Decline of Poetry in the Fourth Century West. Vol 16. 311-329. Mcgill, S. 2012. Latin Poetry, in S. F. Johnson (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Late Antiquity. Oxford. 335-360. Roberts, M. 1989. The Jewelled Sky: Poetry and Poetics in Late Antiquity. New York. Salzman, M. R. 1990. On Roman Time: The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity. Berkeley. Smith, M. 1997. Coptic Literature, in A. Cameron P. Garnsey (eds.), The Cambridge Ancient History Volume 13: The Late Empire, AD 337-425. Cambridge. 720-735. Strong, D. E. 1976. Roman Art. London. 1 [1] Ermatinger 2004:2 [2] Brown 1980:17 [3] Ermatinger 2004:9 [4] Elsner 1997:739 [5] Elsner 1997:737 [6] Elsner 1998:18 [7] Elsner 1997:737 [8] Grant 1998:77 [9] Mcgill 2012:337 [10]Mcgill 2012:335 [11] Jerome Ep. 22.30 [12] Augustine Confessions 3.6-5.9 [13] Mastrangelo 2009:311 [14] Jones 1964:1011 [15] Mastrangelo 2009:312 [16] Grant 1998:80 [17] Ermatinger 2004:9 [18] Elsner 1997:736 [19] Grant 1998:82 [20] Procopius Buildings 1.1.59 [21] Elsner 1998:11 [22] Cameron 1993:159 [23] Strong 1976:315 [24] Elsner 1997:737-8 [25] Elsner 1997:738 [26] Ermatinger 2004:9 [27] Grant 1998:84 [28] Strong 1976:324 [29] Elsner 1998:11 [30] Elsner 1997:736 [31] Elsner 1998:249 [32] Salzman 1990:70 [33] Roberts 1989:68 [34] Cameron 1997:707 [35] Ermatinger 2004:2 [36] Mcgill 2012:335 [37] Cameron 1997:666 [38] Grant 1998:78 [39] Jones 1964:1011 [40] Ermatinger 2004:2 [41] Cameron 1997:699 [42] Dihle 1994:416 [43] Ermatinger 2004:4 [44] Ermatinger 2004:5 [45] Gibbon 1966:122 [46] Cameron 1997:696 [47] Jones 1964:45 [48] Dihle 1994:400 [49] Mcgill 2012:335 [50] Mcgill 2012:336 [51] Mcgill 2012:337 [52] Mastrangelo 2009:313 [53] Brock 1997:709-10 [54] Brock 1997:717 [55] Brock 1997:714 [56] Ermatinger 2004:2

A Clockwork Orange: Review Of Book And Firm Version Essay -- essays re

A Clockwork Orange: Review of Book and Firm Version In A Clockwork Orange, Alex, the narrator and the main character, tells the story of his teenage years, starting at fifteen. He begins his tale as the leader of a small gang that spends its evenings pillaging and wreaking havoc on the town until the gang mutinies and "Your Humble Narrator," as Alex refers to himself, is caught by the police. From there, Alex travels to State Jail 84F to serve 14 years, but receives an offer from "the Government" which entails undergoing experimental treatment in return for early release. He seizes what seems to him an opportunity, but is horrified by the "cure" he endures. The new "good" Alex that is released unto the world is depressed, frustrated, and lonely, although no longer violent. A radical political group then exploits him as an example of the cruelty of "the Government." This faction tries to force Alex to suicide in order to gain a martyr, but Alex's attempt fails and he is nursed back to health and his natural mental state by the Government, who in the end comes out on top. Alex, whose last name is not mentioned in the book, is a violent, aggressive teenager of fifteen, who is the leader of a four-person gang. He truly enjoys violence, reveling in the sight of blood or weapons. Alex's love of hate is not simply a rebellious emotion, but as he explains, it is his very nature, and he could not change it if he wanted to. Despite his passion for what most see as ugly and disgusting, Alex does have a great appreciation for classical music, especially Beethoven. Alex's main conflicts are both external and internal. His external conflicts are between him and the members of his gang. Dim and Georgie, two of the members of Alex's gang, are unwilling to accept Alex's leadership. They challenge his authority, and Alex reacts rashly by trying to re- establish his dominance through defeating both of his aggressors in fighting. This confrontation only raises tensions within the gang, and leads to a betrayal which results in Alex's capture on the charge of murder. Alex's main internal conflict is a physiological one. The Government's experimental treatment which Alex undergoes involves conditioning to produce a feeling of nausea and ove... ... because of their forceful sound, as a symbol of the attitude of the nadsats, or teens. For example, "grahzny bratchny" sounds much more harsh than "dirty bastard," although one is a literal translation of the other. This is similar to Gene Roddenberry's creation of the Klingon language, which sounds very much like Russian, in his series "Star Trek," although this may have been due to a cold war stereotype. This symbol, although it was attempted in the film, did not work well. It seemed that dropping words like "droog, tolchock," and "zooby" in the middle of a sentence of otherwise perfect English only confused the viewer, especially without any reference to the nadsat language. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, presents an issue that should be discussed in schools, although the book may be too potent for some. The film, however, is definitely too focused on plot and the portrayal of destruction and violence, without enough of a focus on theme. I would recommend reading the book; its social commentary is much more relevant now than when it was written in the sixties. A Clockwork Orange: Review Of Book And Firm Version Essay -- essays re A Clockwork Orange: Review of Book and Firm Version In A Clockwork Orange, Alex, the narrator and the main character, tells the story of his teenage years, starting at fifteen. He begins his tale as the leader of a small gang that spends its evenings pillaging and wreaking havoc on the town until the gang mutinies and "Your Humble Narrator," as Alex refers to himself, is caught by the police. From there, Alex travels to State Jail 84F to serve 14 years, but receives an offer from "the Government" which entails undergoing experimental treatment in return for early release. He seizes what seems to him an opportunity, but is horrified by the "cure" he endures. The new "good" Alex that is released unto the world is depressed, frustrated, and lonely, although no longer violent. A radical political group then exploits him as an example of the cruelty of "the Government." This faction tries to force Alex to suicide in order to gain a martyr, but Alex's attempt fails and he is nursed back to health and his natural mental state by the Government, who in the end comes out on top. Alex, whose last name is not mentioned in the book, is a violent, aggressive teenager of fifteen, who is the leader of a four-person gang. He truly enjoys violence, reveling in the sight of blood or weapons. Alex's love of hate is not simply a rebellious emotion, but as he explains, it is his very nature, and he could not change it if he wanted to. Despite his passion for what most see as ugly and disgusting, Alex does have a great appreciation for classical music, especially Beethoven. Alex's main conflicts are both external and internal. His external conflicts are between him and the members of his gang. Dim and Georgie, two of the members of Alex's gang, are unwilling to accept Alex's leadership. They challenge his authority, and Alex reacts rashly by trying to re- establish his dominance through defeating both of his aggressors in fighting. This confrontation only raises tensions within the gang, and leads to a betrayal which results in Alex's capture on the charge of murder. Alex's main internal conflict is a physiological one. The Government's experimental treatment which Alex undergoes involves conditioning to produce a feeling of nausea and ove... ... because of their forceful sound, as a symbol of the attitude of the nadsats, or teens. For example, "grahzny bratchny" sounds much more harsh than "dirty bastard," although one is a literal translation of the other. This is similar to Gene Roddenberry's creation of the Klingon language, which sounds very much like Russian, in his series "Star Trek," although this may have been due to a cold war stereotype. This symbol, although it was attempted in the film, did not work well. It seemed that dropping words like "droog, tolchock," and "zooby" in the middle of a sentence of otherwise perfect English only confused the viewer, especially without any reference to the nadsat language. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, presents an issue that should be discussed in schools, although the book may be too potent for some. The film, however, is definitely too focused on plot and the portrayal of destruction and violence, without enough of a focus on theme. I would recommend reading the book; its social commentary is much more relevant now than when it was written in the sixties.