Playtime

There's a scene where a Janitor comes out and Just tanks in place not knowing what to do because apparently the floor of the building is so clean that there's nothing else to clean. This shows us that their world or things they represent have to be perfect. By having a certain way to walk and the place being clean shows us that they have to represent professionalism. As we keep watching throughout the film we hear a baby cry but we don't see him/ her. The director tries to confuse us by showing a lady that looks like a nurse caring a baby but instead she's caring some towels.But as well shows us another lady walking her back towards us pushing something that looks like a stroller but Instead it's a baggage. This wont be the first or last time he will try to confuse us. As the film moves on, we see a bunch of tours ready to be guided to their destination. Someone goes and assists them but puts them Into two straight lines to not show sloppiness. As they're walking there way out Barbar a notices a dog barking but when she turns around to see where It's coming from the guy Is Just petting his baggage.As they get In the bus the director shows us another scene where Hullo looks new to the city. Hullo goes inside a building where he's supposed to search for someone. But within that search Hullo Is always getting lost or getting confused by a salesman. He studies the frames, chairs, and reflection of windows as If he has never seen those objects before. There are a lot of scenes where people are being framed and we as the audience are looking or hearing what the characters can't notice.For example as Hullo Is dating In a four glass room for the person he may speak to, we hear and see what's going around outside that glass room that he may not hear or see. As he searches for the guy we can see where he Is but Hullo can't. The reflection of the mirror confuses Hullo and leads him to different places loosing the guy again. There Is another sequence where construction work ers are putting up a glass but are being framed with another glass. The people from outside are watching them as If It were to be a show These parts of the film can relate to the reading of Badly Set. Selection 4. Playtime By Janitor her back towards us pushing something that looks like a stroller but instead it's a goes and assists them but puts them into two straight lines to not show sloppiness. As they're walking there way out Barbara notices a dog barking but when she turns around to see where it's coming from the guy is Just petting his baggage. As they get in the bus the director shows us another scene where Hullo looks new to the city. That search Hullo is always getting lost or getting confused by a salesman.He studies he frames, chairs, and reflection of windows as if he has never seen those objects are looking or hearing what the characters can't notice. For example as Hullo is waiting in a four glass room for the person he may speak to, we hear and see what's the guy we can see where he is but Hullo can't. The reflection of the mirror confuses Hullo and leads him to different places loosing the guy again. There is another with another glass. The people from outside are watching them as if it were to be a show These parts of the film can relate to the reading of Baddie Set. 4, selection 4.

Environmental sustainability of Nestlé Essay

Introduction The environmental and sustainability report has become more and more important information to reflect the corporate social responsibility of the company. The companies, in particular the big multinational companies listed in the public, have paid much attention to disclose the relevant information recently (Environmental Leader, 2008). Nestlà © is one of the famous food manufacturing company, and this present paper is to study the relevant environmental and sustainability of Nestlà © accordingly. Environmental sustainability of Nestlà © Based on the sustainability report of Nestlà ©, the relevant environmental sustainability performance information of Nestlà © has been clearly laid out, including government and systems, life cycle approach, the impact of water, climate change, air emissions, transports and distribution, packaging optimization, waste and recovery and biodiversity (Veritas, 2012). In light of the information provided by Nestlà ©, the value of Nestlà © in relation to the environmental sustainability is to enhance its environmental performance and efficient operations, decrease the negative impacts on the natural resource, and constantly employ the cost saving approaches in terms of raw materials, water, etc. Meanwhile, the goal of Nestlà © is to supply the delicious food and beverages, as well as obtain the better environmental performance, with a view to enhance the efficiency of business operation and environmental impact accordingly (Veritas, 2012). In Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s report of environmental sustainability, it has introduced various actions that Nestlà © carried out this year in order to achieve the environmental sustainability goals. The actions taken by Nestlà © include investing CHF 143 million in environmental improvements, performing the relevant project to enhance the environmental impact by reducing water use, non-renewable energy consumption, GHG emissions, avoiding waste and enhancing the utilities of the products, such as the packaging. In addition, Nestlà © also has worked with the suppliers to improve the performance of its supply chain (Veritas, 2012). Nestlà © has provided the quantity information of its performance environmental sustainability since year 2001, including reducing 17% GHG emissions, reduced by 58% and 42% per tonne of product in terms of water withdrawals and energy consumption respectively. Meanwhile, the renewable energy consumption has reduced to 12% of total energy consumption, and the wa ter discharges has reduced by 64% per tonne of product. The efforts that Nestlà © put into the environmental sustainability may increase the cost of its business, but on the other hand, those efforts can also generate more production volume. For instance, the total on-site energy consumption slightly increased by 0.5%, while the total production volume increased by 73.3% over the same period since year 2001. Furthermore, Nestlà © has obtained various awards and recognitions of its performance in environmental sustainability, such as 2011 Stockholm Industry Water Award, 27th World Environment Center Gold Medal award for its commitment to environmental sustainability (Veritas, 2012). Based on the information provided by Nestlà ©, it has demonstrated that Nestlà © has paid much attention to the environmental issue and Nestlà © has the high social responsibility of the environment impact. Meanwhile, there are various elements that heavily influenced the operations of Nestlà ©, and Nestlà © needs to face the relevant challenges of those impacts, including the access of the clean water, constant innovation for the tasty and nutritious food and beverages for the growth population, reducing GHG from its operation, etc. (Veritas, 2012). In the end, the efforts and resources that Nestlà © engaged has not only obtained the long terms positive impact of its corporate profits, but also established the favorable corporate image of its brand and obtained the highly reward for the public (Kolk, 2004). Conclusion To sum up, Nestlà © has established a systemic approach in environmental sustainability and has disclosed the comprehensive environmental sustainability reports to the public. Nestlà © is not the company that only simply chases the growth of its financial revenues, but it also focuses on the environmental impact caused by its business. The release of the relevant information that the company engaged in sustainability activities can make the shareholders and the public know much about the value of company, and generate the positive influences in the long term.

Consensual Relationship Agreement Essay

Abstract As companies begin to acknowledge the existence of work place romances, the use of consensual relationship agreements (CRAs) has become an area of discussion. While many of today’s organizations prohibit the romantic involvement of its employees with one another, there are other companies that have adopted the use of consensual relationship agreements. Although employers find the CRAs an easy solution to this situation, the employees romantically involved, employees are against the agreement, arguing that the contract is intrusive in their personal lives. They go further on their arguments, stating that the agreement is an invasion of their privacy, and that the document goes against some ethical principles. From the Human Resources professionals perspective, they will try their best to make sure employees and employer agree with the contract and are happy with the situation, so a negative influence do not impact other coworkers, and their performances will not affect their jo bs. 1. Critics of CRAs assert that they are too intrusive, ineffective, and unnecessary and that they can cause as many problems as they solve. Identify the specific reasons and examples that might justify these criticisms. Critics are relying on the concern-for-others principles that focus on â€Å"the need to consider decisions and behaviors from the perspective of those affected†, which in this case, are the employees who sign the Consensual Relationship Agreements. Employees who are romantically involved at work and are asked to sign the agreement, may consider getting into their personal life too intrusive. Informing an employer of a relationship should be a decision made based by both parties involved, and not imposed. CRAs can be ineffective because even after signing the agreement, an employee may be discontent with the invasion of privacy, and according to the Human Resource Management, on their Workplace Romance Poll conducted in 2009, they found that: â€Å" Our experi ence was if a company tried to forbid it, more people started dating for the thrill of it† (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). With that in mind, when employees romantically involved disagree with the policies of the contract, they will tend to act against the agreement’s policies. In order to avoid a break of the agreement, the policy must clearly identify who is protected, and explain that the contract works in favor of all three parties involved. Some human resources managers also argue that even with the terms in the contract being clearly and rigorous, that will not make the couple act professionally while at work and many other effects of workplace romance, and therefore, they classify as ineffective. The contracts become unwanted for instance, when employees disagree with such policy. They do not want to be excessively monitored. If an employee feels that the CRAs are too restrictive and that he/she is being treated unfairly, problems in morale, motivation, and productivity are likely to occur. In order to keep productivity and avoid a hostile work environment, the use of the agreement is not essential, as long as the rules of conduct in the workplace are specified. 2. How would you assess the ethical intensity of CRAs from the perspective of the employer? From the perspective of the employees in a consensual relationship? From the prospective of the employer, the CRAs are very necessary. Because on the job relationships are very likely to happen, it is good to have a policy in place to address issues that may possibly arise from on the job relationships. The agreement also protects the company from being sued by employees because of sexual harassment or favoritism, and creates a clearly understanding of properly professional workplace behavior expected, in order to maintain a good working environment for all. According to an article written in the May 2010 issue of Ceridian Connection â€Å"Any work environment presents the opportunity for individuals with similar interest to develop a relationship that is more than friendly.† The article goes on to say that according to a 2009 survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, 40 percent of respond ents indicated that they have dated coworkers; and 18 percent said they have been involved in two or more workplace romances. Because is inevitable the romance in the workplace, many HR professionals try to balance interests for both parties involved: â€Å"Most employers realize that it’s unwise to try and ban all office romances. However, they are very interested in preventing these relationships from having a negative impact on the workplace† (Jones, May 2011). From the prospective of the employee, signing an agreement based on their personal relationship with a co-worker may be intrusive and often times, they prefer to keep the relationship private. Sometimes when employees sign the CRA they have the impression of their superiors and co-workers keeping an extra eyes on them to insure that they are not breaking the policy. That in the end could distract the employee from performing the job to their best ability and reflect on his/her overall performance. 3. What specific ethical principles might be used to justify the use of CRAs? Explain. The principles used to justify the use of CRA would be Organization Interest Principle and the Professional Standards Principle. The Organization Interested Principle is based on â€Å"you act on basis of what is good for the organization† (Hellriegel & Slocum 2011). This principle is used on this situation where the employer foresee a possible issue and impose a policy (CRA) to prevent that issue from affecting the company. This can save time, money, and problems in the long run. The ethical dilemma for CRAs revolves around the ethical principle of Professional Standards Principle, where the employer is balancing the rights of the individual and the needs and rights of the other employees. Most employers want to ensure a reasonable degree of employee privacy; however, there is wide consensus that employers must protect against the actions of employees who send harassing e-mails, disclose personal information, or spend too much time surfing the Internet for personal use. Therefore, the CRA in this case, is used to discuss properly professional workplace behavior, to remind employees that they do not have a legal right of privacy according to the no-harassment policy, and also reduce the risk of harassment litigation. 4. What ethical principles might be used by employees in consensual relationships to oppose signing such an agreement? Explain. The â€Å"Hedonist Principle† and the â€Å"Golden Rule Principle† could be used as a counter argument by the employees that are against the CRAs, because it would foster feelings of injustice for the employees in consensual relationships. The Hedonist Principle is based on â€Å" You do whatever is in your own self-interest† (Hellriegel & Slocum 2011). The employees involved in this situation can complain that the employee is only implanting the agreement because of fear of being sued, and not taking in consideration their personal lives. Furthermore, they can argue using the principle that the employer is acting only for his benefit and that they feel the CRAs are excessive, intrusive and unfair. Using the same perspective, the Golden Rule Principle, which consists in â€Å" You act on the basis of placing yourself in the position of someone affected by the decision and try to determine how that person would feel† (Hellriegel & Slocum 2011), can justify that the employer is misjudging their ethical work based on the feel that dating has nothing to do with the quality of an employee’s work and that job security and advancement should be based on the work itself. According to Randy Sutton on his publication Regulating Workplace Romances, â€Å"Any â€Å"no dating† policy must also consider whether the policy will disadvantage certain employees†, so the employees involved have no negative impact on their career. 5. Do you personally favor or oppose the use CRAs in the workplace? Explain. In my opinion, the use of Consensual Relationship Agreements in the workplace is very necessary and effective. As stated in the case, office romance is bound to take place if you put individuals together in a 40 plus hours per week. Nearly half of some employees reported that they didn’t know if their company had a policy on office romances. I think every employee should act in a professional manner, but unfortunately, a company cannot rely on the hope that they will. A Consensual Relationship Agreement is an agreement between both the employee and management that provides that the employee will not allow the relationship to interfere with or impact the work environment. This agreement also confirms and documents that the relationship is consensual and voluntary. All employees need to have a clear understanding of harassment. If the CRA is done correctly, the document will protect all parties involved of future accusations of sexual harassment, favoritism or unfairness. Mark Gomsak in his publication suggests that the company take the following procedures: implement company-wide policies for romance in the workplace, Forbid Romance Between Boss and Subordinate, apply the so called love contracts, and avoid favoritism (January 2011). From the prospective of the employees romantically involved, they may find a little intrusive in their personal lives, but on the other hand, if the relationship comes to an end, the agreement will secure that they have acted according to the policy and not letting their personal lives interfere in the workplace. Therefore, if the employees act ethically, even when they have a romance in the workplace, then the agreement would not be a problem, it would only prove that the employee is capable of being honest and ethical despite their outside lives, and that work comes in first. The companies would be secure with the document, and the romance would not have any impact to any parties involved. References: Gomsak, Mark J. (2011, January 11). Office romances: How employers can avoid the sting of cupid’s arrow. The Metro Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://www.greaterlouisville.com Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W., Jr. (2011). Organizational behavior: 2011 custom edition (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Jones, L. (2011, May 23). The love contract debate – Employers may want to regulate your romance. Higher education and career blog. Retrieved from http://www.kelloggforum.org No longer a secret: Tools to cope with workplace romances. (2010, May).Ceridian Connection. Retrieved from HR Compliance database. Sutton, R. (2009). Regulating work place romances. Saalfeld Griggs Pc. Retrieved from http://www.sglaw.com

TRAIT LEADERSHIP THEORY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TRAIT LEADERSHIP THEORY - Assignment Example Taylor’s main goal was to attain economic efficiency. On the other hand, sociologist Max Weber’s contribution to the management theory was his concept that ideal bureaucracies comprise several characteristics such as efficiency, division of labour, promotion based on performance, written codes of conduct, impersonality, and hierarchy of authority. Therefore, his conclusion was that a leader obtained power through his position. In the 1920s, another management theorist Mary P. Follett proposed the notion of participatory management, i.e. the abandonment of ‘power over’ and adoption of ‘power with’ by managers. According to Simon, Smithburg, and Thompson (1991), Luther Gulick’s major administrative issue was to determine how to attain control and coordination that was necessary to achieve an organisation’s goals. He proposed the introduction of a powerful chief executive to counter the discordant features that were associated with i ncreasing levels of division of labour and specialisation. In his Notes on the Theory of Organization, he introduced the PODSCORB concept. His main argument was that the roles of the executive include planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting. Leadership R. Dernhardt and J. Denhardt (2006) pointed out that Chester Barnard, who was a business executive, defined leadership as ‘the ability of a superior to influence the behaviour of subordinates and persuade them to follow a particular course of action’. There are many definitions of leadership. However, a common thing amongst these definitions is the concept that a leader should yield power to influence people in an organisation. Fiore (2004) stated that in 1968, John French and Bertram Raven described five different types of power that leaders use in pursuit of their objectives. Although other classifications exist, this remains the most useful and includes: a) Legitimate power: Thi s is power that a leader holds virtually due to the position in the organisation. b) Reward power: This is power that a leader holds to the ability to promote, offer salary increases and allocate interesting challenges. c) Expert power: A leader possesses this power from having superior knowledge in a matter that is beneficial to the organisation. d) Referent power: This is power associated with charismatic personalities, which makes followers identify and respect their leader. e) Coercive power: This is power that establishes a leader’s capacity to punish non-compliant subordinates or exhibition of undesirable behaviour. Effective leaders form an important element that determines the existence and accomplishments of an organisation. This type of leadership will transform possibilities into realities through revealing the potential that lies in an organisation and its employees. Leaders should offer direction by proposing new paradigms when existing ones lose their effectiven ess. Therefore, leadership is a significant way through which persons transform other people’s minds to enable organisations to move forward and attain their objectives. Over the years, various management theorists have suggested different leadership theories, and this paper will focus on one of these theories – the trait leadership theory. Trait Theory of Leadership According to Marquis and Huston (2009), the trait theory was amongst the leadership theories that formed the basis for research up to the 1940s. Trait theory assumes that certain people yield some personality traits or characteristics that give them leadership abilities. Therefore, some people are better leaders than others. Researchers evaluated the lives of prominent individuals in history to help them identify the traits that

Is advertising more effectvie when people like it Essay

Is advertising more effectvie when people like it - Essay Example Rather than the relatively straight-forward approach to advertising taken in the days of print-only media, today’s media outlets are designed around the product or brand first and then disguised to suggest other objectives. This is not necessarily the fault of the media, but is instead a part of the reality of our system. â€Å"These media are delivered for a price. We have to pay for them, either by spending money or by spending time. Given a choice, we prefer to spend time. We spend our time paying attention to ads, and in exchange we are given infotainment† (Twitchell 469-470). Rather than being completely the fault of the media or even of the producers, Twitchell suggests that the human condition is one in which we have been inherently materialistic. â€Å"We have always been desirous of things. We have just not had many of them until quite recently, and, in a few generations, we may return to having fewer and fewer† (Twitchell 471-472). However, in this mate rial culture, where so many things are mass-produced in a variety of forms and substances, it is helpful to have some sort of guide to help us determine which things should be accorded the highest value and which things are not so great. This is where advertising enters the scene and helps us to define just what is valuable and what kind of meaning or history a particular object might have. It takes advantage of this natural human tendency to want to be comfortable and to have stuff to own, trade, protect or produce. However, despite our desire for increasingly more ‘stuff’, we nevertheless insist on being entertained if we are to pay attention to the message or the products it’s associated with. As a result, if advertising is to be effective, it must first appeal to the consumer in an entertaining or meaningful way. Marketing, in some form, seems to

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Music - Essay Example The dynamics of this section are very quiet, often referred to as pianissimo. Keyboard instruments and lack of singer’s voice identify the section’s timbre. The sections pitch is low. The second section begins after one minute and fifty seconds and ends three minutes into the song. The dynamics in this section are moderately quiet, referred as mezzo piano. The timbre in this section is different since the singer’s voice and string instruments are introduced. The pitch is moderately low (Sigman and Bonfà ¡, 2009).  . The third section starts after the third minute and ends after four minutes and twenty seconds. The dynamics of this section are moderately quiet – mezzo piano. String instruments are maintained which maintains unity with the previous section. However, there is no singer’s voice. The last section’s dynamics are moderately loud, known as mezzo forte. The singer’s voice and keyboard instruments characterize timbre in this section. The pitch is moderately high. This piece is designed for an ensemble. This is because it contains four different section, each with a different idea. It also comprises of different instruments and vocals. The closest musical style to this piece is acoustic or folk-rock (Sigman and Bonfà ¡, 2009).  . This is because the dynamics range from very quiet to moderately loud. The instruments used are keyboarding instruments and string instruments, which are also, used in acoustic music styles. This piece could be for education

How successful was the strategic bombing of Germany in the Second Essay

How successful was the strategic bombing of Germany in the Second World War On what criteria do you base your assessment - Essay Example The Germans sought to forego the horrors that dominated trench warfare by technically re-engineering the way in which soldiers met with enemy combatants on the battlefield. However, the Germans were not unique in such an alternate approach as the Allies sought to find a way to avoid a protracted ground battle that would likely see both sides grind to a halt and re-invoke the painful lessons and memories of trench warfare during the Second World War. As a means to avert this, the Allies opted for a litany of approaches; however, for the purposes of this brief research, the one that will be focused upon with the most depth will be that of the CBO (Combined Bomber Offensive) which aimed to bring about the combined destruction of German industry, economics, and moral by providing a steady stream of aerial bombardment to Germany throughout much of the latter part of World War II. Though this aerial bombardment has come to be collectively recognized as a key determinant with respect to the Allied victory, this analysis will attempt to define the campaign, categorize its intended and realized goals, and attempt to draw a level of meaning upon overall effectiveness based upon these prior definitions. Thought it would be foolish to claim that the importance of aerial bombardment was determined as a useful means by the Allies completely of their own volition and in a type of vacuum as it were, it would also foolish to fail to consider the means by which the German aerial bombardment of Britain had a profound effect in guiding and directing the way the Allies thought concerning such a tactic (Childers 2005, p. 79). As night after night for nearly an entire year, the cities and infrastructure of Britain was tormented by nearly incessant German aerial bombardment during the Battle of Britain, it is without question that the formulation of what would become CBO took careful note of the means by which such a form of warfare affected the populace, the moral, and was a useful, albeit costly mechanism, whereby the Allies could seek to leverage an advantage over Germany while at the same time seeking to undermine the nation economically, morally, and industrially (Parramore 2012, p. 75). Similarly, before delving into the overall effectiveness of such a strategy in bringing about the end to the war, one must also consider the fact that after the Battle of Britain was all but decided, the strength and potency of the German Luftwaffe had been so seriously degraded that it no longer had the capability to successfully counter the streams of lumbering bombers that pummeled its cities with tonne after tonne of payload. Likewise, the fact that the Luftwaffe was not only degraded from losses from the Battle of Britain but also from the fact that Operation Barbarossa had already begun in the East ensured that a supreme lack of equipment and support for air defense of the homeland was something that was all but assured (Gentile 1997, p. 53). Approaching the issue fro m this light, it is easy to understand why the Allies used this opportunity to leverage the seemingly inexhaustible production strength that the United States was able to supply Great Britain as fighter blames and bombers were replaced on the front lines at a rate greater than the Luftwaffe and supporting aerial defense ground forces could bring them

Time Management in College Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Time Management in College Education - Essay Example Proper time management in college may involve future planning, monitoring the allocation of available time, goal setting, and prioritizing tasks. Numerous tools, skills, and techniques will help the students to accomplish their goals and tasks within the set deadlines. Such methods may include goal setting, prioritizing tasks, monitoring the academic pursuit, creating a list, organizing a work schedule, and limiting procrastination. Through effective time management, college students will enjoy certain benefits that may include good performance, establishing a conducive learning environment, and focusing on priorities. Indeed, since there are numerous non-curricular commitments that limit the available study time, traditional students should embrace time management in their academic pursuit to ensure that they maximize the available study time. Indeed, the research paper will focus on the significance and direct association between time management and the provision of a college educa tion to first year traditional students.Ahmad, F. (2009). Time Management in Higher Education. Education, Business, and Society:The author in this peer review studies time management in higher education with reference to the credit hour system. In this context, the author explores in-class teaching time and course scheduling in Jordan's universities as seen in Jordan's higher educational system. Moreover, the author relates to time management with effectiveness and increased academic performance and productivity.

Literary analysis of Moby Dick Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literary analysis of Moby Dick - Essay Example The rise of Ishmael at the novel's close points to an alternative world, one controlled more by the forces of nature than by humans, one in which the civilized is not fundamentally different from the savage and the animal, one guided not by a linear plan but, to use Darwin's famous phrase, by an "inextricable web of affinities" (Buchholz 50). Indeed, Moby-Dick itself exhibits the principle of natural selection, for it suggests that species like Ahab are not adapted for survival and therefore face extinction while variations like Ishmael are well suited to thrive and flourish. This essay treats Moby-Dick as an allegory signifying the rise of Darwin and the consequent dethroning of man, the victory of evolution over essentialism. The novel constitutes a prophetic parable of what Freud called the second great blow to man's sense of domination (after the astronomy of Copernicus and before Freud's own psychoanalysis): the emergence of the evolutionary theory that "put an end to this presumption on the part of man" by showing that "man is not a being different from the animals or superior to them; he is himself of animal descent, being more closely related to some species and more distantly to others" (cited in Ancona 17). Certainly Ahab instances a tension between both versions of the pre-Darwinian chain: the spatial and the temporal. On the one hand, he yearns for a static scale of nature, in which hierarchically grouped animals and men are utterly fated to be what they are, moving with the regularity of machines. On the other, he wishes for himself to progr ess, to evolve, to the very top of the chain, from which place he will hold the other species below him. From either position, he maintains, violently, the shared assumptions of both pre-Darwinian chains of being: anthropocentrism, hierarchy, design (Ancona 16). Ahab's ship is a pre-Darwinian world in miniature; it is ordered by a chain of being, seemingly static and spatial. Ahab maintains firm control of his ship's hierarchy, reaching from the bottom, the lowly crew, to the savage harpooners, to the third, second, and first mates, to Ahab himself at the top. In the "Knights and Squires" chapters, Melville details a hierarchy of men ordered by degrees of consciousness, the ability for reflection (Ancona 15). Closest to the hyper-reflective Ahab is the first mate Starbuck, pious, speculative, prudent; next is Stubb, the second mate, utterly carefree, with no interest in abstract thought; under him is Flask, the third mate, ignorant, virtually unconscious, utterly indifferent to the mysteries of whaling. Beneath these mates are the harpooners, likewise divided into hierarchy (Buchholz 51). Ahab is well aware of this hierarchy and sees his job as keeping it in place. Indeed, his first words in the novel work to reinforce the hierarchy he heads. After Stubb has hinted to Ahab that he would like him to tread more softly around the deck while others are trying to sleep, Ahab responds by forcefully reminding Stubb of his place: "Down, dog, and kennel" (127). The Captain knows that he is "above the common," having been in colleges and among cannibals (79), that his command ranges from the institutions of civilization to the habitats of the uncivilized. At the same time, he intimates a more temporal chain of

LEARNING LOG AND COMPREHENSIVE ACTION PLAN FOR CHANGE Essay

LEARNING LOG AND COMPREHENSIVE ACTION PLAN FOR CHANGE - Essay Example this change would result in positive personal and professional growth and in enhancing interpersonal relationships with diverse people from various walks of life. If I did not change these areas, it would affect personal and career growth as problems and conflicts need resolution to avoid negative outcomes. Self-Reflection: The concepts focusing on one’s ability to assess personality, attitude, and emotional intelligence are relevant as these affects all facets of relating with other people. The lessons learned from this section would assist in one’s interpersonal relationships in various situations by acknowledgement of personal strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, a journey in self-awareness provided me with the opportunity to gauge the areas I am strong in and to address those that need improvement. Responses to Reflection Questions: I think that feedback is a necessary element in all communication processes. Self-disclosure however is given only in appropriate situations and to people one completely trusts. Trust should be earned and could not be assumed that all people are trustworthy. Honestly, I am not comfortable with self-disclosure because it exposes aspects of one’s self that could be prone to criticisms. Trusting others should only be practiced when trust has been earned. It is therefore more difficult to disclose oneself rather than learn to trust others. Since I am more apprehensive to disclose oneself to others than to trust other people, then, I welcome feedback more from others; rather than me giving feedback to people that I know would hurt them or betray their trust in me. I have established complete trust to my family and close friends and the relationship is symbiotic; therefore, the relationship has been bonded through trust and self-disclosure. To enh ance relationships with friends, my weakness in self-disclosure could be slowly addressed to be more open to them and to communicate what needs to be addressed. If I am more willing to

Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Comparison - Essay Example The coldest region of the Northeastern US still did not break records of the previous record low temperatures which the region went through in the winters of 1986. Thus the claim made by the critics of global warming is not rational. (NCDC, Climate of 2004, 2004). On the other hand, the heat waves observed in Europe were record breaking of the highest temperatures ever experienced. A divided hypothesis has been created regarding the effects of global warming and if global warming is a myth or a reality. This assignment would further revolve around this issue and give views as to which side of the scientists comes up with a strong hypothesis regarding global warming. In short, this paper is aimed at answering if the Global Warming Skepticism just smoke and mirrors? DISCUSSION "All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or n ot climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster" (Barak Obama). There are two differing views about the existence and causes of Global Warming. One group usually links it to the actions committed by the human beings themselves. However others strongly believe that nature plays a role in creating the problem of global warming (Abrahamson, 1989). The arguments presented by both groups carry importance and without any doubt, these arguments are leading to more and more researches which are beneficial for knowledge and new theories. The study of Earth and its climate is of immense importance and beyond any doubt the reason for such extreme climatic changes should be known. In order to evaluate the reasons behind the changing climate of the Earth, the studies regarding global warming and the arguments against it are helpful. Regardless of all the arguments presented, I belie ve that humans contribute to the climatic changes and extreme weather conditions. The increased CO2 levels and rising temperature do have a link. The link between greenhouse effect and global warming are valid as put down by one set of the researchers. Although the studies and climatic researches are not invalid and the continuous debate over this topic does carry an important place in the Earth’s study. According to my point of view, it is not valid to judge the climatic change just by examining or considering the weather patterns of a small region. Global warming does not talk about a particular region, city or country. It is an overall analysis of the Earth’s temperature. Hence, claims that are based on the study of a single region are invalid and must not be relied upon. The study of NCDC, however, clearly asserts against that claim by ranking the temperature for January 2004 as the 4th warmest on record (NCDC, Climate of 2004, 2004). This further disproves the cla im of the other group. I also agree with the statement that carbon emissions are of the major cause of the problem of Global Warming. The factories which are using the fossil fuels during their manufacturing process are giving out a huge amount of carbon and this contributes greatly in making the climate warmer (CBO, 1990). The trees planted

GPS System Essay Example for Free

GPS System Essay The United State for Department of defense is the one that come up with Global Positioning System (GPS). It is a satellite navigation system which is build up by 24 satellites which are networked. It was initially intended for military application for the department of United States and around 1980s the system was allowed to be used by people who are even not in the military arena. A GPS receiver usually calculates its position by knowing the time when the signals are being sent by the GPS satellite to the atmosphere. The first satellite navigation system which was used by the united state navy was taken in to test by the year 1960. They did it by the use of constellation of five satellites. At this time the system was unable to place accurate clock and they come up with a new satellite called Timation satellite. This satellite was able to accurately calculate the clock and provide a good time when the signal was sent. The GPS system is powered by the use of solar and they still have batteries to be used in case of eclipse. How it works The GPS satellites go round the earth two times a day and in the process it transmits signal information to the ground. On the other sides the GPS receiver acquires this information and calculates the user’s the proper location. GPS system has over the years been developed and it has become more accurate as compared to some years back. When it comes to time keeping you will find that most clocks are synchronized to be able to move well with universal time where the clock is set in to GPS time. GPS System in our case In our case the GPS system can actually be useful to the NYC subway and bus system. The NYC subway will position post along the road and trail as well where bus stops and train are situated respectively. At each stage of the station where those boards containing instruction are elevated in a strategic position such that every body can see it as well as read it. It should use signs that each and every passer is able to interprets or provide avoice which is being heard by all the passengers. The signal signs can be inform of arrows showing the direction in which the train or bus is moving along with the time when the bus will be approaching. NYC subway being a central system for receiving the signal and transferring them to the required destination effectively, then passengers will be able to know when the bus is approaching. May be it can show the time and give a notice, so that, passengers can as well prepare themselves for a board. NYC subway should closely monitor the system to avoid the occurrence of differences by the passengers on which and when to board the bus. They can be able to control the system by making sure that each and every step leading to arrival of signal is properly coordinated by the bus management. People are now able to access the directions on where their destination is situated by even the click of the mouse, where one can Google and find the solution. Transit is well coordinated within the NYC and makes it easy and encourages more people to use the GPS system as a result of its efficacy. Conclusion By the use of GPS System there can be less confusion in the bus station in town of New York because every bus will come at a required time and the passengers for that specific bus will have been arrived. There exists a program where no delays are made to people who want to travel to their destination at the time when they have planned earlier. Over the years GPS system has been improved and tested for better results especially by the NYC subways where is has been a great help to the transport system. Many companies are now developing the idea of using the DPS system over the world due to its efficiency and safe time. Reference Michael . R, 2002, the precision revolution: GPS and the future of aerial warfare, naval institute press.

Liberal and Mercantilist Theories of Political Economy

Liberal and Mercantilist Theories of Political Economy Contrast liberal and mercantilist theories of international political economy and consider which approach is most apparent in the contemporary world. The following seeks to contrast liberal and mercantilist theories that have developed to describe and analyze the international political economy. Once the contrasts have been made conclusions as to which theory is the most apt or apparent in the contemporary world will be drawn. Both liberal and mercantilist theories have advantages and disadvantages when used to understand the international political economy in the present global system. Perhaps it would be more apt to describe the liberal theory as being neo-liberal as it has undergone a recent revival in popularity. It must be remembered that whether a state is most influenced by liberal or mercantilists theories that trade will never be completely free of duty and tariffs, as they are useful sources of revenue for governments. Governments also have to have relationships with other governments and non-state actors that may or may not share their worldview. Liberalism itself can be dated back to the English, American and French revolutions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the mercantilist economic system evolved into capitalism. Liberals were originally regarded as being politically centrist or left wing in outlook but favoring little or no state intervention in the economy. In its original form liberal economic theory strongly advocated a free market approach with states not using tariffs to prevent competition from other countries and not interfering in their own internal markets (Comfort, 1993, p. 345). The basis of liberal theory was the right to gain property or capital to be used however states, businesses or individuals felt appropriate combined with freedom of action and belief (Eatwell and Wright, 2003, p. 27). In classical liberal theory the free market sets the prices for goods, currency exchanges, resources and even wages. However fluctuations within the free market can have serious political as well as econ omic consequences such as unemployment and poverty that can be made worse by international competitors. Governments have attempted to circumvent these problems by setting up welfare states, imposing strict tariff restrictions on imports or subsidizing industries and businesses. The restriction of trade and the use of tariffs are the main basis of mercantilist theory (Harvey, 1995, p. 6). Liberalism was apparently strongest in the international political economy during the 19th century as Britain dominated world trade removing barriers in its way to free trade. Liberal capitalism seemed to be unstoppable during this period. The economic elites of the less developed states were content to play a subordinate role as they were still making profits for themselves (Hobsbawm, 1975, p. 38). However, there were moves away from free trade towards a more mercantilist or restrictive trade practices most notably in Germany and United States whilst even the British started to doubt free trade. After World War One liberal theory seemed to decline in prominence within the international political economy (Hobsbawm, 1987, p. 54). It was a great paradox that liberal theory would regain some of its prominence in international political economy after 1945 just as the free market within most of the world was either tempered by welfare states or communist takeovers. The United States promoted freer trade both out of self-interest and the desire to prevent the great failings within the international political economy during the inter-war period. Through the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Bretton Woods agreement the United States government ushered in an era of liberalism that is still in operation to this day. However, it was not the unrestrained free trade international political economy of the 19th century but without American aid it is doubtful if Western Europe and Japan would have recovered so well to play such key roles in the present global economy. However the World Bank and the IMF are founded on the principles of liberal theory and generally insist that all countries they loan money t o adopt those free trade policies that stem from liberalism. Governments that have to accept these loans leave their economies open to multinational companies and have to reduce spending on welfare and education (Keegan, 1992, pp.16-17). United States domination of the international political economy meant that it could promote the liberal theory of free trade even if it allowed its partners to have tariffs whilst it did not. United States share of world trade declined its share of global exports declining to 13% in the 1980s from its high point of 29% in 1953. However the American based multinational companies such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft have great influence on the global economy due to their size and profitability. Americans continue to believe that liberal theory holds the key to ensuring international prosperity and many nations either through choice or lack of autonomy pursue liberal policies as well (DuBoff, 1989.p.158). Liberal theory does not completely dominate the international political economy as tariffs were not completely removed from all countries and there was the establishment of trading blocs. Blocs such as the European Union (EU), The North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) and Mercosaur in Latin America offer favoured trading terms to members but not always to non-members. The economic advantages offered by free trading areas act as an incentive for non members to adopt liberal policies, for instance the former communists states of central and eastern Europe. For much of the post war period there was also the apparent rival economic and political theory of communism represented by the Soviet Union and its Central and Eastern European satellites. The collapse of communism certainly made liberal concepts within international political economy more apparent in the contemporary world (Keegan, 1992, pp. 3-4). The former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet U nion have all to some extent attempted the twin convergence to liberal democracy and capitalist economy. The opening up of these countries to liberal free trade led to unemployment, the closure of uncompetitive factories and inflation. Russia and its young reformers was not the only country to attempt shock therapy to cure the stagnation caused by central planning (Freeland, 1999, pp. 34-35). However, the economic and political transitions have been more successful in Poland, Hungary and the Baltic States that have since joined the EU. It could be argued that liberal theory of free trade proved attractive to reformers whilst ordinary, people wished to have higher standards of living as in the United States, Japan and Western Europe (Agh, 1998, p.3). The mercantilist theory is in effect the opposite theory to the liberal theory. Mercantilist theory equates to restrictions being placed upon free trade when governments are more prepared to intervene in the international political economy or if needs be to by pass it. Mercantilist theory and practice led to the creation (or explained it at any rate) of separate trading blocs and economic nationalism within the international political economy. Economists and historians have argued that modern capitalism developed from an earlier mercantilist period when the empires built up by the European states such as France, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal competed for global domination and tried to restrict trade to within their own empires. Each country would try to increase its power by gaining colonies, economic influence and more consumers for its goods. Britain by virtue of its naval supremacy and earlier industrialization was able to dominate the international political economy. Where possible Britain removed mercantilist restrictions to trade, allowing workers, businesses and investments to flow more freely (Hobsbawm, 1975, pp. 36-37). However, mercantilist theory and policies remained and still remain in the international political economy. Countries such as Germany, Russia, Japan and the United States used protectionism to start up and enhance their industrialization preventing more efficient rivals from shutting it down. Japan would become the role model for importing superior foreign goods, copying them and them exporting cheaper versions. Meanwhile a renewed wave of imperialism at the end of the 19th century increased the competition for colonies and captive markets. Mercantilist theory was popular then and is attractive now because of its emphasis on national self -interest and gaining at the expense of others. However, the advantages of domestic popularity and employment protection need to be considered in relation to consequences within the international political economy. The United States is as keen to pursue free trade liberal policies as the British used to be, because they gain the most from those policies. Smaller nations on the other hand are dependent on the richer nations and might prefer to restrict trade to protect their industries and jobs but often have that choice taken away from them (Hobsbawm, 1987, p. 54). There are various ways in which mercantilist theory can be put into effect. Methods include the imposition and weighting of tariffs (more restrictive towards unfriendly nations, less restrictive for friends or allies), the restriction or complete ban of certain goods and quotas. Not only can restrictions be used to gain economic advantage they can also be used as political and economic sanctions against states that have transgressed in some way. The effectiveness of sanctions in forcing countries to change their behaviour remains largely unproved both in the past and in the contemporary international political economy. The possible exception to this is the supply of crude oil, which is so crucial to the economies of North America, Europe and Asia. This reliance upon oil gave the oil embargo of 1973-74 such damaging effects on the global economy. The further price rises following the Iranian revolution in 1979; the Gulf War of 1990-91 and more recently the invasion of Iraq demonstrate the vulnerability of the international political economy to the restriction of essential resources. However the governments of the oil producing states are normally happy to take part in free trade even if liberalism is the last thing they would support at the domestic and national level (Harvey, 1995, pp. 288-89). The inter-war period provides the best examples of the bad consequences of an imbalance between liberal and mercantilist influences on the international political economy. Tariffs were raised through out that period yet offered little but short-term advantage at the expense of international co-operation and trade. Whilst Britain and France increased their exports to their colonies and restricted imports from rivals, Italy, Japan and Germany looked at conquest as a means of economic expansion. These mercantilist measures did little to protect and in fact further harmed the international political economy following the great depression after 1929 (Brendon, 2000, p. 165). Added to the instability was the harshness of the Versailles settlement that prevented Germanys economic revival and badly effected the economic fortunes of the rest of Europe. Resentment of the settlement assisted the Nazis Party aided by economic weakness (Smith, 2003, p. 160). The events of the inter-war period are relevant to an understanding of the contemporary international political economy due to the way in which governments and organisations have tried to prevent similar events happening again. Liberalism is seen as the best means of achieving stability and prosperity just as much now as it did in the past (Smith, 2003, p. 161). After 1945 the United States government extended aid not only to its allies such as Britain and France but also defeated enemies in the form of Germany, Italy and Japan. Under the Marshall plan $17 billions of American aid boosted reconstruction in Western Europe (Central and Eastern European countries were forced to refuse by the Soviet Union) that ensured long term stability and prosperity. This is relevant to the present international political economy because it assured the predominance of liberal theory even though it did not completely eliminate mercantilist theory (Ambrose Brinkley, 1997, p. 87). The post-war economic growth of Germany and Japan (the Western part anyway) was aided by the selective use of subsidies and tariffs to promote the most effective parts of the economy rather than the least effective. Germany of course also had to set tariffs in line with its EU partners whilst Japan has not such constraints (Keegan, 1992, p.145). Countries within the international political economy have to find a balance between national self- interest and maintaining worthwhile international trading relationships. Whether guided by liberal, mercantilist or any other theory governments are often guided in their approach to the internationalist political economy by pragmatic considerations. Decisions made on pragmatic basis can later be justified in the mane of liberal or mercantilist theory. The rise of international trading blocs has generally led to a liberalization of trade within those blocs most notably within the single market and single currency of the EU (Smith, 2003, p.230). The cost of failure or the benefits of success of liberalization of trade within the international political economy are great. The General Agreement on Trade Tariffs (GATT) has often been involved in complex trade deals and tariff reductions. Failure to agree can lead to the costly maintenance or extension of trade restrictions. Reductions in t ariffs have been substantial. For instance the cuts agreed to at the Uruguay round of GATT amounted to a $744 billion reduction in tariffs across the international political economy. Such deals demonstrate the intentions of many governments to make the international political economy as liberal in nature as possible but without losing too much of their own position (Ambrose Brinkley, 1997, p. 410). Arguably the liberal theory is the most apparent within the contemporary international political economy. However this has to be considered with remaining vestiges of mercantilist theory. Liberal theory received a revival from the 1970s onwards with the emergence of neo-liberalism. Neo-liberalism became most closely associated with Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan in United States being referred to as Reaganomoics and Thatcherism. They wished to turn the clock back to unrestricted free trade internationally and the free market domestically with reduced welfare states (Keegan, 1992, p.25). Ronald Reagan in fact increased public spending particularly in a renewed arms race with the Soviet Union. An unintended consequence of that policy was the collapse of the Soviet Union and the communist regimes of Central and Eastern Europe (Carroll Noble, 1988, p.433). The re-emergence of liberal democracy and capitalism in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe stren gthened the role of liberal theory in the international political economy. This strengthening happened because of the liberal minded policies of reformers in those countries even though the transitions proved far from straight forward (Agh, 1998, pp. 2-3) Therefore within the present international political economy liberal theory is more apparent than mercantilist theory. The apparent dominance of liberal theory can be explained by the continued strength of American and other major multinational companies, and the political, economic and military might of the United States. Liberal theory is further promoted by institutions such as the IMF that influence developing states into pursuing free trade policies. Developing and former communist states such as Poland also see that adopting liberal theory can be to their political and economic advantage, especially if it allows them access to trading blocs like the European Union. Trading blocs may operate liberal theory within the confines of their members but they can display mercantilist tendencies by restricting trade with non-members. Liberal theory is also promoted by the process of globalization that makes it easier for multinationals to operate within. The increasing use of information technology allows trade to be carried out faster with less chance of governments intervening. Yet mercantilist theory is not likely to disappear from the international political economy just yet as governments are as likely to be guided by national self-interest and pragmatism as they have always been. Bibliography Agh, A. (1998) The Politics of Central Europe, Sage Publications, London. Ambrose S E Brinkley, D G (1997) Rise to Globalism American Foreign Policy Since 1938, Eighth Revised Edition, Penguin Books, New York Brendon, P (2000) The Dark Valley A Panorama of the 1930s, Jonathan Cape, London Carroll, P. N and Noble, D. W (1988) The Free and the Unfree A new history of the United States 2nd edition, Penguin Books, New York Comfort, N. (1993) Brewers Politics A Phrase and Fable Dictionary, 2nd edition, Cassell, London. DuBoff, R B (1989) Accumulation Power An Economic History of the United States, M E Sharpe Inc. New York Eatwell, R and Wright, A (2003) Contemporary Political ideologies, 2nd edition, Continuum, London Freeland, C (2000) Sale of the Century -the inside story of the Second Russian Revolution, Little Brown and Company, London Harvey, J (1995) Mastering Economics 4th edition, Macmillan, London Hobsbawm, E (1975) The Age of Capital 1848-1875, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Hobsbawm, E (1987) The Age of Empire 1875-1914, Weidenfeld Nicholson, London Keegan, W (1992) The Spectre of Capitalism the future of the World economy after the fall of Communism. Smith, D (2003) Free Lunch -Easily Digestible Economics, Served on a plate, Profile Books, London

Theatre Essays Samuel Beckett

Theatre Essays Samuel Beckett Discuss Samuel Becketts handling of identity in his plays Waiting for Godot and Happy Days. The work of Samuel Beckett can be seen to span both the Modernist and Postmodernist paradigms (Bradbury and McFarlane, 1991; Green and LeBihan, 1996), on the one hand being influenced by such canonical Modernist writers as James Joyce and Luigi Pirandello (Knowlson, 1996) and on the other relying heavily on Postmodern notions such as the transgression of the body, the performative identity and the failure of grand narratives such as language and truth. This point is made by Richard Begam in his study Samuel Beckett and the End of Modernity (1996): â€Å"Becketts conception of his undertaking, what we would now call his postmodernism, recognized that an absolute break with the past, a complete supersession of what had gone before, was itself the product of a teleological or modern form of thinking. Proust and Joyce therefore became not figures to be replaced or surmounted but telling points of reference in an ongoing dialogue between past and present.† (Begam, 1996: 14) Beckett’s position as a liminal writer, spanning two distinctly different but obviously connected intellectual regimes, allows us to examine not only his work but the larger context of critical and performance theory. With this in mind, in this essay I would like to look at two main areas of Beckett’s work that are both metonymous with changes in post-War theatre (and perhaps literature) as a whole. Firstly I would like to concentrate on the notion of Postmodernism as it relates to performance, looking at leitmotifs and tropes as they appear in Waiting for Godot (1955) and Happy Days (1961), and secondly I would like to go on to look at the whole notion of identity and its dissolution in these same texts before drawing conclusions as to what this treatment says about the place of performance in contemporary theatre and, perhaps, the wider context of society itself. First of all, however and as a foundation for my later exposition, I would like to offer a brief summary of Postmodernism. Postmodernism, as Fredric Jameson points out, can be best understood through its relationship and difference to Modernism, a philosophical and artistic concept that had it roots in the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century (Bradbury and McFarlane, 1991). In an artistic sense, the Modernist work was characterised by experiment and a rejection of the Romantic subjective self. Works such as T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1989) and James Joyce’s Ulysses (1977) exemplify both the Modernist propensity for innovation and the removed authorial voice and we can certainly see this in many, if not all of Beckett’s theatrical works. Postmodernism, as Jean Francois Lyotard declared in his essay â€Å"The Postmodern Condition† (1991) reflected the breakdown and disillusionment felt by the failure of the very foundations of Modernism; foundations that included such hitherto accepted givens as truth, the self, the homogeneity of Literature and the Arts and many of the other systems of thought that Lyotard termed the ‘metanarratives’ (Lyotard, 1991: 36). Whereas Modernism sought newness and innovation, Postmodernism resulted in the adoption of style over content (Robertson, 1996: 3), the questioning of accepted constructs of knowledge (Foucault, 1989) and the language (Derrida, 2004) and, as we shall see with Beckett the exposure of the artistic machinery. This last point, I think, is crucial to an understanding of Beckett’s place as both a Modernist and a Postmodern writer. As I have already stated, we can recognise certain Modernist images and leitmotifs in Beckett’s work (Eagleton, 1992: 186): the starkly bare characterisation, the dour vision of humanity that we also find in Eliot and Woolf and the conscious effort to experiment and innovate but, underneath this, we also detect a distinctly Postmodern sensibility; one that delights in the deliberate exposure of the performative nature of both the theatre and life. In Waiting for Godot, for instance, there is a constant comic antagonism created between actor and audience, as ideas and lines of narrative are picked up and abandoned without the usual dramatic sense of resolution (Schechner, 1988). In the first Act for example, Estragon begins a joke that is never finished: â€Å"Estragon: Tell it tome! Vladimir: Ah, stop it! Estragon: An Englishman having drunk a little more than usual goes to a brothel. The bawd asks him if he wants a fair one, a dark one, or a red-haired one. Go on. Vladimir: Stop it!† (Beckett, 1955: 16)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The antagonism and frustration engendered by this un-ended joke is more than a mere literary device it is also a performance device that sets up a markedly different actor/audience relationship. Unlike, say, classical Aristotelian dramatic theory that asserts the imperative of the â€Å"incentive moment† (Hartley and Ladu, 1948: 14) the â€Å"rising action† (Hartley and Ladu, 1948: 14) and the resolution, here Beckett (as indeed he does throughout the play) creates a deliberate anti-climax that immediately calls in to question the binary between reality and performance. The same also could be said about much of the dramatic structure of Happy Days, as the workings of the performance are constantly exposed to the gaze of the audience. Here, for instance, Winnie second guesses the thoughts of the audience members as she talks to a passer-by: â€Å"Winnie:†¦What’s she doing? He says – What’s the idea? He says – stuck up to her diddies in the bleeding ground – coarse fellow – What does it mean? He says – what’s it meant to mean – and so on.† (Beckett, 1961: 32)  Ã‚   Here Beckett deconstructs the very essence of the performance itself, exposing the bewildered reaction of the audience to his own drama. In a Postmodern dissolution of identity boundaries, the performer here becomes playwright, audience, character and actor as not only are the thoughts of the character exposed but so too the thoughts of the audience. This is not the only deconstruction of performance Beckett employs in the play. We see, for instance, the questioning of dramatic convention; Happy Days is, for all intents, a monologue but it features two characters, it is about the movement of time but, ironically, the main actor is static throughout and although it is primarily a play about words and not actions it is peppered with pauses and space. All factors that point to both plays as being as much rooted in Postmodernism as Modernism. We have touched upon it already but the overriding sense in both Waiting for Godot and Happy Days is the search and struggle for identity and this also, as we shall see, has a marked impact on the performance of the play and what it means regarding the audience/actor dialectic. The social background to Happy Days was described, in an affective way by Harold Clurman in an early review: â€Å"Beckett is the poet of a morally stagnant society. In this society fear, dismay and a sort of a stunned absent-mindedness prevail in the dark of our consciousness, while a flashy, noisy, bumptious, thick-headed complacency flourishes in the open.† (Clurman, 1998: 235) It is against this backdrop that the characters in the play struggle to maintain their scant identities. Even before the action begins we are made witness to the difficulties in establishing an individual existence as the characters’, names, Winnie and Willie, straightway blur their respective personal boundaries. We see this also to a greater extent in Waiting for Godot, as Gogo, Pozzo and Godot, combine to form a linguistic homogeneity that suggests a group rather than an individual identity. The mise en scene of Happy Days is part Eliotesque wasteland: â€Å"Expanse of scorched grass rising centre to low mound. Gentle slopes downto front and either of stage. Back an abrupter fall to stage level† (Beckett, 1961: 9)   part Postmodern irony, as the backdrop reveals itself to be a self conscious trompe-l’oeil that represents â€Å"unbroken plain and sky receding to meet in far distance.† (Beckett, 1961: 9). Within this, Winnie literally stands as part of the scenery, only half visible that is, in itself, a symbolic representation of both time passing and the extent that she has already lost a great deal of her personal identity. As I have already hinted at, Winnie deconstructs the notion of movement and stasis; on a psychological level she moves quickly between times as in this passage where she and us are taken back into her personal history prompted by the news of a death of a friend: â€Å"Winnie: Charlie Hunter! (Pause) I close my eyes – (she takes off spectacles and does s, hot in one hand, spectacles in other, Willie turns page) – and am sitting on his knees again, in the back garden at Borough Green, under the horse-beech.† (Beckett, 1961: 14) Physically however she is literally trapped, unable to move or stop the flowing of time swallowing her completely. Her identity becomes fashioned by her memories as at first, in the initial Act, they form a reasonable homogeneity and then, in Act Two become more and more diffuse, more and more fractured until by the end of the play she exists as merely snapshots of a life that has been: â€Å"Winnie: Win! (pause)Oh this is a happy days, this will have been another happy day! (Pause) After all (Pause) So far. Pause. She hums tentatively beginning of song, then sings softly, musical box tune.† (Beckett, 1961: 47)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As John Pilling suggests in his study of Samuel Beckett (1976: 85), the playwright twins the enormity of the search for identity in an alienating world with the minutiae of everyday living, as Winnie spends a great deal of the play’s time conducting worthless searches for toothbrushes, or lipsticks or many of the other incidental objects of existence. Ultimately, her search for a personal identity is proved fruitless as she becomes subsumed in that which surrounds her, perhaps a particularly twentieth century vision of the struggle of the personal psychology in the face of the modern city. Waiting for Godot, I think, concerns itself with similar themes and similar characters. Martin Esslin characterised Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as â€Å"concerned with the hope of salvation through the workings of grace† (Esslin, 1968: 55) and we can see that is certainly a major thread in the play. However, we can also note that it concerns itself not with a general salvation but with a very a personal one, with each character desperately searching for their own identity amid the alienation and ennui of the surrounding environment. Most of the play’s linguistic rhythm arises out of the characters’ attempt to assert their own identity in the face of the others: â€Å"Vladimir: Charming evening we’re having. Estragon: Unforgettable. Vladimir: And its not over. Estragon: Apparently not. Vladimir: Its only beginning. Estragon: Its awful. Vladimir: Its worse than being in the theatre.† (Beckett, 1955: 34)   The tooing and froing of the dialogue here is a perfect example of this point, with neither Vladimir nor Estragon willing to surrender themselves to the other. The same can be seen in a more graphic sense with the Pozzo/Lucky relationship that is, at its heart a Hegelian dialectic of the master and slave, with each party attempting (and failing) to break away from the other. In the comic scene towards the end of the play that depicts Vladimir and Estragon exchanging symbolic identities in the form of their hats (Beckett, 1961: 71-72) we can note Beckett’s observation on the ironies of Postmodern life: â€Å"Vladimir takes puts on Lucky’s hat in place of his own which he hands to Estragon. Estragon takes Vladimir’s hat. Vladimir adjusts Lucky’s hat on his head. Estragon hands Vladimir’s hat back to Vladimir who takes it and hands it back to Estragon who takes it and hands it back to Vladimir who takes it and throws it down.† (Beckett, 1955: 72)      The absurdity of this scene arises from the fact that each hat is the same, or at least very similar, so that it makes very little difference which hat ends up on which head. This is, I think, symbolic of the larger treatment of identity within the play; with the playwright suggesting the absurdity of the search for personal individuation. Are not identities much like hats, asks Beckett, remarkably the same? If Happy Days is a study of the search for identity under the crushing weight of time passing, Waiting for Godot is the search for identity within the lightness of forgetfulness. Time in the latter is meaningless, it passes with no affect in fact Estragon can not even remember the events of the day before. Within this, the characters desperately cling to the remnants of their identities whether that be in the form of an oppressive relationship to another, an item of clothing or the feint hope of someone who will never arrive. We can see then that the treatment of identity within Beckett’s two major plays mirrors the questions arising out of Postmodernism, questions that concern the nature of identity and the Self. For Postmodern theorists like Judith Butler (1999) and Michel Foucault (1990) the Self is a performative construct, both given to us by society and adopted as a mask and we note some of this sense in Beckett. Ultimately, then, Beckett’s work deconstructs the very notion of a theatrical performance, suggesting that this is merely one of a number of performances that occurs at any one time. The relationship, then, between the audience and the actor changes from one of passivity to one of dialogue as the former is exposed as relying as much on performance as the latter. This can be seen to be a reflection of Antonin Artaud’s assertions on the Theatre of Cruelty in his second manifesto: â€Å"†¦just as there are to be no empty spatial areas, there must be no let up, no vacuum in the audience’s mind or sensitivity. That is to say there will be no distinct divisions, no gap between life and theatre.† (Artaud, 1985: 84)   Beckett’s work says as much about the identities of the audience as the characters and as much about the performative nature of the wider society as the performance of the theatre. References Artaud, Antonin (1985), The Theatre and its Double, (London: John Calder) Beckett, Samuel (1961), Happy Days, (London: Faber and Faber) Beckett, Samuel (1955), Waiting for Godot, (London: Faber and Faber) Begam, Richard (1996), Samuel Beckett and the End of Modernity, (Stanford: Stanford University Press) Bradbury, Malcolm and McFarlane, James (eds) (1991), Modernism: A Guide to European Literature 1890-1930, (London: Penguin) Butler, Judith (1999), Gender Trouble, (London: Taylor and Francis) Cormier, Ramona and Pallister, Janis (1998), â€Å"En Attendent Godot: Tragedy or Comedy?†, published in Culotta Andonian, Cathleen (ed), The Critical Responses to Samuel Beckett, (London: Greenwood Press) Clurman, Harold (1998), â€Å"Happy Days: Review†, published in Culotta Andonian, Cathleen (ed), The Critical Responses to Samuel Beckett, (London: Greenwood Press) Eagleton, Terry (1992), Literary Theory: An Introduction, (London: Blackwell) Esslin, Martin (1968), The Theatre o f the Absurd, (London: Pelican) Foucault, Michel (1990), The History of Sexuality: Volume 1, (London: Penguin) Green, Keith and LeBihan (1996), Critical Theory and Practice: A Coursebook, (London: Routledge) Hartley, Lodwick and Ladu, Arthur (1948), Patterns in Modern Drama, (London: Prentice Hill) Jameson, Fredric (1991), Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, (London: Duke University) Kenner, Hugh (1973), A Reader’s Guide to Samuel Beckett, (London: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux) Knowlson, James (1996), Dammed to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett, (London: Bloomsbury) Lyotard, Jean Francois (1991), â€Å"The Postmodern Condition†, published in Jenkins, Keith (ed), The Postmodern History Reader, (London: Routledge) Pilling, John (1976), Samuel Beckett, (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul) Robertson, Pamela (1996), Guilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp from Mae West to Madonna, (London: Duke University) Schechner, Richard (1988), Performance Theory, (London: Rout ledge)

Scientology :: essays research papers

The Truth About Scientology Scientology was created around 1950 by a science fiction author, L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology was presented as a religious philosophy, but is actually a warped sense of both religion and science, fused together to create a belief system that is quite damaging to people’s psychological state. Scientologists believe that man is ultimately capable of determining the outcome of all aspects of his life: mental, emotional, as well as physical. It is a twentieth century religion that teaches that one’s health and wellness is something that man is in control of. Man is a spiritual being endowed with abilities well beyond those that he normally imagines. He is able to solve his own problems, accomplish his goals, gain lasting happiness, and also achieve new states of understanding he may never have dreamed possible. As for science, science is the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. Science uses a system, known as the scientific method, to explain general truths and phenomena. As you can understand now, scientology does not meet the requirements of what it takes for something to be classified as a science. However it is a set of ideas based on theories put forth as scientific when they are not scientific, a term known as a pseudoscience. Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, the creator of scientology, published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, and insisted that it was a science. He claimed that dianetics "...contains a therapeutic technique with which can be treated all inorganic mental ills and all organic psycho-somatic ills, with assurance of complete cure.† The truth of the matter is that no scientific testing has been done that would credit this set of ideals. Scientology is a confused mixture of harmfully applied psychotherapy, oversimplified, foolish and irrelevant rules and ideas and science-fiction nonsense that is presented to its members as profound spiritual truth. It is not based on scientific testing; rather it is a cult that was created in the hopes that it could use its mind controlling techniques to manipulate people into handing over their money.

A Woman Who Is a Person in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Essay

A Woman Who Is a Person in The Story of an Hour  Ã‚     Ã‚   In her book, The Faces of Eve, Judith Fryer writes, "In the last year of the nineteenth century a woman succeeded where men had failed: Kate Chopin created . . . a woman who is a person." Chopin’s short story, "The Story of an Hour," openly portrays the true feelings of a woman who feels trapped inside her marriage. In the period in which she lived, there were only two alternatives for her to achieve the much desired personal freedom—either she or her husband must die! Chopin’s story was controversial from the beginning. It was rejected for publication by both Vogue and Century magazines as "a threat to family and home." Vogue later published the story only after another of Chopin’s stories did well publicly. "The Story of an Hour" begins with Louise Mallard being gently informed of her husband’s death in a train accident. Sister Josephine was careful not to upset Louise too greatly because of the latter’s heart trouble. Did Mrs. Mallard suffer from an actual physical ailment or an emotional, psychological trauma? I lean toward the second theory. Louise felt trapped inside her marriage—having no personal freedom—and the only way she could express this was through a physical illness. Mrs. Mallard weeps with "sudden, wild abandonment" and then disappears to be alone. Mrs. Mallard’s sister Josephine and Mr. Mallard’s friend Richards believe she needs to be alone in her grief. She retreats to a comfortable chair in front of an open window—a place the reader is led to believe she frequently spends time in. As physical exhaustion overtakes her, Mrs. Mallard can do nothing but gaze at the scenes taking place outside the window. Strangely, the things she sees are not ... ... or her husband? Now that Louise had tasted freedom, she could not bear the thought of returning to her dreary life. In the split second that she realized her husband was alive and any hope she had freedom was gone, Louise’s heart decided what must be done. He was alive, therefore she must die. Works Cited Ammons, Elizabeth. Conflicting Stories: American Women Writers at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. NY: Oxford UP, 1991. Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour". Rediscoveries: American Short Stories by Women. 1832-1916. NY: Penguin, 1994. Fields, Veni. "Release". Ode to Friendship & Other Essays: Student Writing at VWC. Ed. Connie Bellamy, 1998. Fryer, Judith. The Faces of Eve. New York: Oxford UP, 1976. Jones, Anne Goodwyn. Tomorrow is Another Day: The Woman Write in the South. 1859-1936. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1981.      

Environmental Disasters Essay

For the purpose of this article an environmental disaster is defined as a specific event caused by human activity that results in a seriously negative effect on the environment. Sometimes a natural disaster can become an environmental disaster, but that is a topic to be discussed elsewhere. In most cases environmental disasters are caused by human error, accident, lack of foresight, corner cutting during industrial processes, greed, or by simple incompetence. In other words without some kind of human intervention they would never have happened. They are also often characterised by firm authoritative denials that anything serious has even happened. Lack of foresight is a common cause of an environmental disaster. In agriculture a classic example of is the increasing salinity of soils in hot climates. With the need to produce more food, a warm climate seems ideal for European-style agriculture, once the existing vegetation has been cleared. The one proviso is that there must be plenty of water. Irrigation projects and deep wells are usually the answer, but as has been found in Australia, if this is not properly managed, salination can result and the land becomes effectively useless. A further example of a catastrophic and misguided interference with nature resulted in the dust bowls that hit North America in the 1930s. The fertile soil seemed ideal for intensive agriculture, but a combination of deep ploughing and a lack of crop rotation weakened the soil structure. Following years of drought, high winds simply removed all the topsoil and millions of acres of once fertile farmland became a virtual desert. Another unforeseen agricultural disaster was Moa Zedong’s 1958 decree to eliminate sparrows. It was considered that because sparrows ate grain seeds they were robbing the people of the fruits of their labour. The campaign was very successful that it cleared the way for swarms of locusts to descend on the farms. Crops were decimated, leading to a famine that resulted in the deaths of 38 million people. Introducing alien species can be just as disastrous as eliminating native ones. This has been the case in Australia when in 1859 12 imported English wild rabbits were released so that a local settler could go hunting. In the course of time they multiplied and it is estimated that even after serious efforts to control them, the Australian rabbit populations is still between 200 and 300 million. As well as being responsible for the loss of vast acreages of agricultural crops and grazing land, rabbits are suspected of being the most significant known factor in species loss in Australia, killing young trees by eating the bark at the base of the trunk. They are also responsible for serious erosion as they eat native plants, leaving the topsoil exposed. It is very easy to upset the fragile balance of nature. In June 1918 a steamship ran aground on a Pacific Island and while it was stranded, Black Rats escaped and got ashore. Here they thrived, causing the extinction of several of the island’s endemic birds and other fauna. They also raided the crops of the islanders, particularly the seeds of the Kentia Palm, which was the islanders’ only export commodity. In an effort to control the rats, Masked Owls were introduced but this simply compounded the environmental disaster. By introducing yet another predator to the ecosystem, the result was that many of the remaining sea birds were simply wiped out as breeding species. Industrial pollution has been the cause of so many environmental disasters that it is impossible to list them all. One of the most serious was the Bhopal disaster of December 1984 when a leak of methyl isocyanate resulted in at least 22,000 deaths plus various genetic diseases that will continue for generations. The chief causes of this disaster were negligence, corruption and the complete disregard of safety standards. A number of environmental disasters have also been associated with the oil production industry with theDeepwater Horizon disaster of April 2010 being the most recent one that comes to mind. According to White House energy adviser Carol Browner the spill was the †worst environmental disaster the US has faced†. In this case following a sudden explosion on a drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the safety valve that was designed to prevent an oil spill spectacularly failed. It was months before the leakage was sealed, during which time millions of gallons of oil poured into the sea. The resulting pollution was not just from the oil, but from the chemicals used to disperse it. Whole ecosystemswere destroyed along with the livelihoods of countless people. Many endangered species are not expected torecover. In West Africa the Niger Delta covers 20,000 km2 within wetlands of 70,000 km2, formed primarily by sediment deposition. It is home to some 20 million people from 40 different ethnic groups. Its floodplain makes up 7. 5% of Nigeria’s total land mass and is the third-largest drainage basin in Africa. Its ecosystem contains one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet. In addition to supporting a vast range of flora and fauna, there is arable terrain that can sustain a wide variety of crops,tropical forests and more species of freshwater fish than any other ecosystem in West Africa. Unfortunately for the Niger Delta, oil was discovered in the region. Since drilling began in 1976 there has been a complete lack of concern by the Nigerian Government or the oil operators to exert any control of the environmental problems associated with the industry. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation admits that every year as a result of around 300 individual spills, nearly 2,300 cubic metres of petroleum are jettisoned into the environment. However, this does not take account of so-called †minor† spills and one estimate put the total spillage between 1960 and 1997 as upwards of 100 million barrels (16 million cubic metres). A major reason for these spills is simply the result of poor maintenance. Pipelines are old and corroded and although they have an estimated lifespan of about 15 years, many have been in use for about 25. Leaking pipes and the use of old and corroded tankers account for 50% of all spills. Understandably there has been a major impact on the ecosystem. Enormous tracts of mangrove forest have been destroyed along with most of the flora and fauna that were once found there. The dumping of waste is obviously a serious issue and international regulations put strict controls on this. Unfortunately there will always be unscrupulous people who will try to get around the regulations. A classic example occurred in 2006 when a Panama-registered ship offloaded 500 tonnes of toxic waste at the Ivory Coast port of Abidjan. The company concerned apparently wanted to avoid paying the 1,000 euros per cubic metre disposal charge it would have to pay in Holland. The waste, that was dumped at 12 sites in and around the city was later discovered to contain a mixture of fuel, caustic soda and hydrogen sulphide. This lethal cocktail gave off toxic gas and caused burns to lungs and skin, in addition to severe headaches and vomiting and is said to have caused 17 deaths and made dozens seriously ill. The company involved originally denied all responsibility, claiming that the waste was simply dirty water. It was only after some investigative journalism by the BBC that the full facts eventually came to light. Nuclear accidents can have serious environmental effects. Prior to 2011 the 1986 Chernobyl disaster would probably have been regarded as the ost serious after an enormous explosion sent radioactive ash into the atmosphere covering most of Northern Europe, along with Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. 350,000 people had to be resettled. Then in 2011 came the Fukushima 1 accident in Japan when an earthquake followed by a tsunami hit the nuclear plant. The earthquake knocked out the public electricity supply that powered the pumping of water to cool the reactors. Shortly after the earthquake a tsuna mi destroyed the emergency back-up generators that were due to start up when the public electricity supply failed. It was then realised that the designers had failed to take this possibility into account. As a result a catastrophic situation developed and 14,000 people had to be evacuated from the immediate area. After several weeks a number of brave workers, struggling in appalling conditions, managed to bring the situation under control, but as with so many environmental disasters, once again official information was misleading, sketchy, or simply non-existent. An environmental disaster is usually caused by some form human action, or some form of human negligence. A classic example is with climate change. Vast amounts of greenhouse gas are currently being released into the Earth’s atmosphere, potentially doing untold harm to our environment by speeding up global warming. At the same time people are completely ignoring the warning signs and shutting their minds to the consequences that lie ahead. We don’t know what these consequences will be, but they are not likely to be pleasant. The world seems to be on course for what is likely to be the worst environmental disaster of all time. There is still time to slow the process down, but it will require swift and worldwide action.

Amiri Baraka and the Black Arts Movement

The Postwar 1920s was decade of the crude Negro and the Jazz Age Harlem reincarnation, or first disastrous rebirth of literary, opthalmic and performing arts. In the sixties and 70s Vietnam war and Civil Right era, a sweet breed of sorry artists and intellectuals direct what they call ined the dumb liberal arts bowel ordure. The down(p) arts front military man came into being yet as the break between the sinister and unobjectionable family in America widened in the 1960s, in the wake of Civil Rights front, shaking the countrys semi semipolitical and hearty stability.In fact, the history of African American meter in the ordinal century can be divide not into two but ternary generations the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and early 1930s, the post-Renaissance verse line of the 1940s and 1950s, and the forbidding humanistic discipline movement of the 1960s and seventies. The Harlem Renaissance was the first major flowering of creative activity by African American writers, artists, and musicians in the ordinal century. In the 1940s and 1950s, there was a revival of African American verse, led by Melvin Tolson, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Robert Heyden.Finally, a third wafture of African American verse line emerged in the late 1960s with the nigrify liberal arts movement or swart Aesthetic. It was propel by the tender-sprung(prenominal)ly emerging racial and political sense (Neal 236). Poets much(prenominal)(prenominal) as Amiri Baraka, June Jordan, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Audre Lorde, shipwreck survivor Reed , and Michael S. Harper produced song that was stark nakeder in its language form and to a fault a great deal carried sharp, militant messages. While the Harlem Renaissance was the literary avant-garde movement, the Black artistic productions strifefront was the poetic avant-garde of the 1960s.The Black humanistic discipline movement besides cognize as the vernal Black Consciousness, and the peeled Black Renaissance began in the mid-1960s and lasted until the mid-1970s, though it lingered on for a while thereafter, level spreading into the 80s. The poetry, prose metaphor, drama, and criticism written by African Americans during this period expressed a boldly militant attitude toward snow-covered American culture and its racist practices and ideologies. Slogans such as Black post, Black reserve and Black is Beautiful represented a sentience of political, social, and hea hence freedom for African Americans, who had gained not only a heightened sense of their own conquest but also a greater feeling of solidarity with different parts of the swarthy world African and the Caribbean. The two-year-old artists of the Black Artists drift were fighting for a cultural revolution (Woodard Amiri Baraka 60).The new spirit of militancy and cultural separatism that characterized the racial politics of the late 1960s had profound effects on the look African American poetry was written . there was pressure on African American poets, much than ever before, to produce sue that was explicitly political in character and that addressed issues of race and racial burdensomeness. The Black Arts movement was potently associated with the Black author movement and its brand of tooth root and revolutionary politics.The emergence of Black Power as a mass shibboleth signaled a fundamental turning superman in the modern dusky pink slip struggle, carrying it to the threshold of a new phase. lay waste to Haywood, Black Bolshevik (Quoted in Woodard A Nation Within 69)The Black Arts and the Black Power movement was boost galvanized into action by the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther fag , Jr. and by the angry riots and the fervent of inner cities that ensued. (Wynter 109). The writers and artists of the Black Arts Movement had gone much further than Harlem Renaissance in asserting the larger political and spiritual identity of the Black good deal. to a higher pl ace all, Blacks tended to ref usance to be judged by the rife sinlessness standards of beauty, value and intelligence any longer (Leon 28).In the verse forms and critical statements of Amiri Baraka, Larry Neal and some others, there was a new level of racial consciousness, and cle atomic number 18r extremity of self-definition. Their voice did not limit itself to banish protest, but positively sought to add a new pot of freedom. The young foul poets of the Movement rancid appear from the formal or modernist agencys of earlier blackamoor poets and promoted a poetic form that reflected the rawness of the streets. approximately prominent among these poets were Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovaani, Don L. Lee (Haki Madhubuti), Etheridge Knight, David Henderson, June Jordan, Ishmael Reed, Michael S. Harper, Cl atomic number 18nce Major, Sonia Sanchez, Kayne Cortex, and Lucille Clifton.The dominant ascendant in African American poetry, has always been that of liberati on, whether from slavery, from segregation, or scour from a wish for integration into the mainstream white middle-class society. Another important theme in African American poetry has been the concern with a spiritual or mystical dimension, whether in religion, African mythology, or musical forms like hymns, blues, and jazz. Because the mystical presented a greater sense of freedom, in contrast to the oppression of the political and the social. The black avant-garde of the 60s was rooted in the contemporary commonplace African American spiritual practices. crowd together Stewart, in his essay The Development of the Black Revolutionary Artist in the anthology of Afro-American writing Black inflammation, stresses on the temper and significance of the spiritThat spirit is blackThat spirit is non-white.That spirit is patois.That spirit is Samba.Voodoo.The black Baptist church in the S let outh.(quoted in Smethurst 65) despicable from spirit, when it comes to the word the twentieth century black poetry involved references to both(prenominal) conversational black speech, in terms of style and structure,. The young black poets of the 1960s cogitate much more heavily on the colloquial aspects of speech than their predecessors. They stressed on the contemporary idiom of urban blacks, on references to specifically black culture and cultural practices, and on a realistic ikon of life in inner cities. These poems somatic a form of language and a depth of experience that was unfamiliar to intimately white readers. It is also clear that often the absorbed of the poem involved, at least in part, shocking the readers.During the epoch of slavery, white Americans regarded speech differences as an indication of black inferiority. Black people were stereotypically presented as communicate gibberish, and when they did make attempts at standard English, the results was scoffed at. umpteen nineteenth-century African American writers concentrated on demonstrating their c ommand of standard English as a political defense against equality black speech with intellectual inferiority. entirely others such as Paul Laurence Dunbar and Charles Chesnutt utilise dialect to express the authenticity of communicatory black vernacular. During the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, and subsequently in a more intensified elan in the 1960s Black Arts Movement, African American writers became more intent on celebrating and capturing the nuances of black speech.Arguably, the closely influential of the new black poets was Amiri Baraka. Born Leroi Jones in nakedark, in the altogether Jersey, in 1934, Baraka published to a lower place that name until 1968. After graduating from Howard University, Baraka served in the wrinkle Force until the age of twenty-four, when he move to Greenwich Village in New York metropolis and became part of the avant-garde literary scene, qualification friends with poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Charles Olson, and Frank OHara.During this per iod, Baraka was more drawn to the poetry and ideas of the consumes and other white avant-garde movements than to the politics of black separatism he married a white woman he wrote poems, essay, plays, and a novel within the context of the Beat counterculture and he edited two magazines. However, Barakas evoke in racial issues was clear even in the early 1960s, as attest in his historical study megrims People Negro Music in White America (1963) and in plays such Dutchman (1964) and The Slave (1964).In the mid-1960s, Baraka was deeply alter by the death of Malcom X, and subsequently changed the pore of his life. He divorced and moved to Harlem, he converted to the Muslim faith and took a new name (Charters 469). He then founded the Black Arts Repertory dramatic art/School in New York urban center and Spirit House in Newark. He became the leading spokesman for the Black Arts movement. He was nearly beaten to death in the Newark race riots of 1967. In 1968, Baraka co-edited Black Fire An Anthology of Afro-American Writing, which included social essays, drama, and fiction as comfortably as poetry. In 1969, he published his poetry ingathering Black Magic rime 1961 1967.Barakas poetry changed radically during the 1960s, as he turned from a vague sense of social alienation to a revolutionary vision which reflected deep affinity to black culture. Barakas most famous poem is Black Art (1966) and has been called the signature poem of the Black Arts Movement, though critics tend to be strongly divided on it.Fuck poemsand they ar useful, wd they shootcome at you, cheat what you are,breathe like grapplerrs, or vibratestrangely after pissing. We want give waywords of the hip world subprogram flesh &coursing blood. Hearts BrainsSouls microprocessor chip fire.We want poemslike fists beating niggers out of Jocksor dagger poems in the piteous belliesof the owner-jews. Black poems tosmear on girdlemamma mulatto bitcheswhose brains are red jelly stuckbetween liz abeth taylors toes. ickyWhores We want poems that kill.Assassin poems, Poems that shootguns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleysand take their weapons leaving them deadwith tongues pulled out and sent toIreland. Knockoffpoems for dope exchange wops or slickhalfwhitepoliticians Airplane poems, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr tuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuhtuh rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr compass fire anddeath towhities ass. Look at the LiberalSpokesman for the jews clutch his throat& tail himself into eternity rrrrrrrr The Black Art (in part)(Quoted in Brennan 2)Normal boundaries of poetic language no longer are able to extend Barakas rage, and therefore he resorts to the use of obscenities and raw dependables rrrr. tuhtuhtuh thereby turning language into the vocal guns of poems that kill. For Baraka, poetry is a weapon it is not simply take to bet to create an aesthetic effect, it is meant to campaign some social and political cause. numbers is not just meant to touch patrol wagon and m ove people emotionally, but disturb their souls and move them into action. Poetry is meant to raise consciousness of the masses and bring change into the world. Poetry is not a means of entertainment, it is a way to enlightenment, and beyond that, a grade to empowerment. Barakas poems are raw, and often they mean war.Along with Baraka, perhaps the most probatory poet to emerge from the Black Arts Movement was Audre Lorde. In addition to several volumes of poetry, first gear with The First Cities (1968), Lorde wrote essay (collected in her go for Sister Outsider), an autobiographical account of her battle with cancer (The Cancer Journals), and a fictionalized biomythography (Zami A New Spelling of My Name) (Wilson 95). Lordes poems deal with her face-to-face experience as an African American woman (she called herself, a black libber lesbian mother poet), as well as with the contemporary experience of blacks both in the United States and throughout the world.Lorde is cognise f or her evocative and very powerful use of imagery. In the poem Coal (1968), she says, I am Black because I came from the earths wrong/ now take my word for gemstone in the open light. Lordes poems are her jewels that permit her to reflect words outward into the world.Barakas poem SOS (1966), begins with the words Calling black people/ calling all black people, man woman child/ wherever you are (Quoted in Collins, Crawford 29). The Black Arts Movement was above all a call to the black people to arouse themselves to action. It was an ideological platform. It concentrated on the black experience, the oppression and injustice suffered by African Americans. In a critical essay on Barakas Black Art, Brennan (4) says that art operates, that is to say, can operate, as a revolution. It has the power to destroy the term quo so that a new verity is created. It was to this end to create a new reality that the poets of the Black Art movement struggled, albeit with very limited success. T he movement did not last for long, but had a spacious impact on changing the perceptions of Americans toward the function and meaning of literature.Works CitedBrennan, Sherry. On the sound of water Amiri Barakas Black Art vituperative EssayAfrican American Review, Summer-Fall, 2003. whitethorn 22, 2007, fromCharters, Ann. The Portable Sixties Reader. New York Penguin Books, 2003Collins, Lisa Gail and Margo Natalie Crawford. New Thoughts on the Black Arts Movement. New York Rutgers State University, 2005Leon, David De. Leaders from the 1960s A Biographical Sourcebook of American Activism. Westport, CT Greenwood Press, 1994Neal, Larry. The Black Arts Movement. A Turbulent excursion Readings in African-American Studies. Ed. Floyd Windom Hayes. Lanham, Maryland Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000. 236-267.Smethurst, jam Edward. The Black Arts Movement literary Nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture). University of northeast Carolina Press, 2005.Woodard, Komozi. A Nation Within a Nation Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) and Black Power Politics. The University of atomic number 7 Carolina Press, 1999. Amiri Baraka, the Congress of African People. Black Power Movement Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. Ed. Peniel E.Joseph. Routledge, New York, 2006. 55-78.Wilson, Anna. Persuasive Fictions Feminist Narrative and sarcastic Myth. Cranbury, NJ Associated University Presses, 2001Wynter Sylvia. On How We Mistook The Map for the Territory. A Companion to African-American Studies. Ed. Jane Anna. Oxford Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 107 118