The Dark Ages Essays

The Dark Ages Essays The Dark Ages Essay The Dark Ages Essay Introduction During the reign of the Roman Empire, Europe had advanced in terms of technology and literal work as well as education. During this time, civilization had boomed with many cities being built that facilitated structured formal civilization. During this time agriculture, economy and trade had boomed. It is also a time when literal work was at its peak during those ages. However, towards the fifth century, the roman army was loosing grip of the empire due to economic, political, social and military hardships. The army was becoming increasingly unable to defend the territory during the barbarian invasions and lost. Upon loosing, what was left of the Roman Empire was destruction and stagnation in economy as well as hardship since the civilization had been lost. After the fall, many regions of the territory including Europe were left in social, economic and literal crisis. Several centuries after the fall of the empire literal work was limited and development went down. This has come to be known as the Dark Ages of Europe where there is little known to historians about what was happening at the time. It took a few centuries and great efforts from different parts of Europe including Irish people in coming out of the dark ages through their efforts in preserving of the literal work done before the fall of the Roman Empire. Meaning of Dark Ages The Dark Age represents the first centuries after the fall of Roman Empire and before the middle ages that left Europe quite susceptible to violent warlords, natural calamities such as famine, disease and economic downturn. The term was used as a metaphor to show the contrast between the prior ages and after the dark ages when there was development in both economics and literal work that resulted from education at the time (Mommsen, 1942). The dark ages denotes a time when literal work was limited and hardly any literal production was realized at the time. It characterizes a period during which historical records and other written materials were scarce. Further, it was a period when very few people knew how to write and read. The darkness described was an intellectual one where very little intellectual work took place compared to the period before and after (Mommsen, 1942). Why the Dark Ages were Dark What made the dark ages dark was the effect of lack of intellectual capacity and the waves of war and invasions that followed as well as the theological teachings that advocated that only what was in the bible was true. During the Roman Empire, much of the territories within Europe were unified and well protected by the roman army. This had contributed to an economic, political as well as social development across the whole of Europe. After the fall, maintaining the unification was hard without the protection of the Roman Empire leaving the territories open for grabbing by the warlords that were seeking power. Waves of war accompanied by cultural, economic, political and literal work declined almost to a standstill (Snodgrass, 2000). During the invasions, the barbarians left nothing standing including buildings, arts and even schools. Thus, knowledge was only left to a few people within the monasteries. Without knowledge and literal work for reference, Europe was left in a mess where productivity in all aspects went down. The main reason it was named Dark Age was lack of learning and production of arts or literal work. People were in no position to learn and produce such works due to the hard times of the Dark Age especially warfare from the warlords that roamed through out Europe. This lasted for several centuries before the middle ages when the Europeans started the work of thinking and advancing again. However, this was influenced by the eastern territories that had not been conquered by the barbarians such as China and India where great civilizations thrived during the 1000s.During the invasions by warlords, food would be stolen, people killed, and cities destroyed. This would live the people homeless and wit hout food. What made it quite dark was the lack of intellectual material and lack of scholars to advance the available knowledge. Lack of knowledge made it impossible to advance economically and the people within this age lived a devastating life. It is a time when a third of Europe’s population was lost to plagues that ravaged the territory. At this time, the only formal education was found in church, which acted as the unifying power. The Christian teachings taught that whatever was not in the bible was not true and people should not have to do what is outside of the biblical teachings. Thus, if biblical teachings did not support scientific discoveries, people were not supposed to study science. Thus, the people living in this age only clung to the hope that a better life awaits them in heaven. The hardships during this time made the dark ages dark. Coming out of the dark ages The dark ages had left Europe in crisis and people had lost al hope. Although civilization had stopped in Europe, other territories continued with scientific discoveries. Some of the territories that continued with civilization were Israel, India, China and other territories in the east. During the Dark Age when the Catholic Church was considered the ruler of Europe, the pope ordered crusades. The crusades were religious wars that aimed at restoring access of Christians to Jerusalem. During the Dark Age after some of the invasions, Christians were stopped from accessing Jerusalem. This did not go down well with the Catholic Church tat considered Jerusalem a sacred city that represented the three Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islamic. Thus, the crusades were started in an effort to regain access (Snodgrass, 2000). During the crusades, the warriors who went there interacted with the people they met in the eastern territories and realized there was better civilization than back at Europe. Soon, the crusaders would return home with new technology and skills. As the crusades went on, more was realized and the Europeans interacted with newer architecture, arts and other literal works. It is here that Europe prepared inadvertently to come out of the Dark Age by interacting with other civilizations in the east such as Israel (Snodgrass, 2000). Impact of Ireland in Emerging From Dark Ages During the dark ages, the literal work was lost to many parts of Europe. However, there was a time when efforts to revive the literature was done in the Carolingian period. The Carolingian period represents the period in which efforts were made to revive intellectual and cultural literature and classical texts (Herren, 1981). The Irish during this period had developed a taste for the Latin classical work. There was classical Latin learning in Ireland during the dark ages in the seventh and eighth centuries. The Irish served to protect most of the classical literature through incorporating the principles and ideas in the publications between the ninth and subsequent centuries. During this time, some English scholars went to study in Ireland. â€Å"What, pray, I beseech you eagerly, is the benefit to the sanctity of the orthodox faith to expend energy by reading and studying the foul pollution of base Proserpina, which I shrink from mentioning in plain speech †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Herren, 1981). Further continuation implies that Aldhelm’s disciple went to Ireland to study since he was preparing to go to Ireland. In coming out of the dark ages, Ireland had a significant impact through preserving of the classical literature. The Chivalric Code During the dark ages, many warriors emerged paying loyalty to a leader who would be from their tribe. Their quest was adventure and conquering. Many of the warlords sought their services in the invasions. They were highly trained with their training going for many years. Working for the small warlords the knights were brutal and went around taking anything they want when the Dark Age progressed (Moelker and Kummel 2007). However, powerful people began to reunite the European knights, where a code of conduct was set out to prevent them from engaging in brutal activity. The code set out came to be known as the chivalric code describing how a knight was supposed to treat others within the society especially the weak such as women. It required knights to be gentle and courteous towards women and during their conquest. In modern times, this can be considered a code of ethics that seeks to regulate how the powerful within the society should treat the weak (Moelker and Kummel 2007). However, in military field it would mean stopping women from becoming soldiers since it considers women as weak. Conclusion Warfare and invasions by warlords in Europe was heightened after the roman empire fell. The Roman Empire had established formal structures and governments, laws and formal education that played a crucial role in the economic and social development. When it fell, all this was lost including the literature at the time. The great civilizations were lost in the destruction by ranging wars. It took an effort of several territories and the church as well to get Europe out of the Dark Age. Annotations Herren M. (1981). Classical and Secular Learning among the Irish before the Carolingian Renaissance. Florilegium, 3: 118-157. The article seeks to present evidence about learning in Ireland during the dark ages that many scholars have not accounted for. The Carolingian period represents the period in which efforts were made to revive intellectual and cultural literature and classical texts. The Irish during this period had developed a taste for the Latin classical work. There was classical Latin learning in Ireland during the dark ages in the seventh and eighth centuries. The Irish served to protect most of the classical literature through incorporating the principles and ideas in the publications between the ninth and subsequent centuries. The article further cites that some Englishmen studied at the generosity of the Irish in their land at their expense as well. Thus, Ireland played a crucial role in coming out of the Dark Age through studying and reserving the classical literature. The article illustrated proof that the Irish people exploited the opportunity to study Latin classical literature during the Dark Ages. It portrayed the role that Irish played in coming out of the Dark Ages as that of academic scholars interested in continuing to study classical literature, preserving it and educating the English students simultaneously. Herren discussed various instances of individual accounts of people during the Dark Ages such as Aldhelm. â€Å"What, pray, I beseech you eagerly, is the benefit to the sanctity of the orthodox faith to expend energy by reading and studying the foul pollution of base Proserpina, which I shrink from mentioning in plain speech †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Herren, 1981). Further continuation implies that Aldhelm’s disciple went to Ireland to study since he was preparing to go to Ireland. The article provides a good account of the impact Ireland had on the world in emerging from the Dark Age. Moelker, R. Kummel, G. (2007). Chivalry and Codes of Conduct: Can the Virtue of Chivalry Epitomize Guidelines for Interpersonal Conduct? Journal of Military Ethics, 6 (4): 292-302. This article was published in the journal of military ethics asking a question about the relation or relevance of chivalry codes of conduct and their relation to interpersonal conduct. The article cites that there exists doubt about chivalry being a virtue or just a code of conduct for the military, considering it is not a theological or cardinal virtue. However, some philosophy, tradition and history have been found to regard chivalry as a virtue, describing the agreed conduct of a knight in the middle ages. It contains codes of courteous behaviors that are formal or informal, making interpersonal behavior civilized. It seeks to regulate the behavior between the two genders within the social interaction. The article seeks to find out whether the chivalric code of conduct provides a guideline for leading a virtuous life. the chivalric code represented the expected behavior or conduct of a knight in his quest for adventure, conquering, serving in the army and relating to others within the society such as women with care and love. The article refers back to the historical contexts meaning of chivalry, which meant a definition between roles of men to women. â€Å"Despite this, archaic, symbolic, or anachronistic forms of chivalry may have survived, in which the male was perceived as strong, and protector while the female was perceived as weak, passive, in need of protection, and courteously treated† (Moelker and Kummel 2007). As the chivalric code described how the knights should treat women or those, considered weak in the society, so does the modern world need to treat others with courtesy. The contemporary world should be able to adopt some of the features of the chivalric code that prescribed how men should treat women and weaker people in the society. The article implied that considering chivalric behavior as a virtue would exclude women from serving in the military, as they were considered weak and in need of protection. I agree with the authors that chivalry is a benevolent sexism that excludes wo men. However, it applies in other contexts within the modern society such as protecting the weaker people including women from violence. This article is quite useful in defining the chivalric code and answering the question of its relevance to modern ethics. Mommsen T.E. (1942). Petrarch’s Conception of the ‘Dark Ages. Speculum, 17 (2): 226 – 242. The article presents a conception of the Dark Ages as portrayed by Petrarch, an Italian poet and scholar, as well as one of the earliest humanists in the 14th century. The article cites that the Dark Ages, in its most popular meaning, is used to denote the period in which there was an intellectual depression in the European history that corresponds with the Middle Ages. The Dark Ages and Middle ages have been used to describe the same period but from different perspectives. However, the two names have come to be distinguished as representing two different ages. â€Å"But they have come to be distinguished, and the dark ages are now no more than the first part of the middle age while the mediaeval is often restricted to the later centuries, about 1100 to 1500,† (Mommsen, 1942). The Dark Age now represents the age between the fall of the Roman Empire and revival of the literature. The article clarifies the meaning of the dark ages in details, stating what period can be considered as the Dark Age since it is supposed to represent an era when intellectual work or literature was limited. It clears the controversy contained in considering the Dark Age as the same period as the Middle Ages. Its credibility is entailed in the use of Petrarch’s conception of the Dark Age, and middle age considering he wrote during the middle ages. The fact that the article borrows from Petrarch’s idea who wrote during the middle ages implies that the Dark Age, which represents an age of intellectual depression, could not be the same as the Middle ages since he produced literal work. This makes the definition of the Dark Ages as being an era of intellectual depression agreeable. Snodgrass, A.M. (2000). The Dark Age of Greece: An Archaeological Survey of the Eleventh to the Eighth Centuries BC. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press, The book is written after new archeological evidence has been found supporting the idea of a dark age. Snodgrass presents the evidence that provides an insight into what the Dark Age represented by showing some of the reasons it was considered so. He starts by defining the Dark Age in the first chapter, The Concept of a Dark Age. â€Å"There if a far-off island of knowledge, or perhaps knowledge; then darkness; then the beginning of continuous history,† (Snodgrass, 2000). By this, he defines the meaning of Dark Age, which is a period in which history was not well recorded due to lack of literal materials. It is between two eras, the first one being an age where information or knowledge is available to an age when information is not available followed by a continuous history well recorded. He further provides evidence of why it was considered dark. At the time, there was scholarly scarcity, and people who lived in this age were poor, isolated and aware of the lost skills. The b ook shows a period of discontinuity in development, intellectual knowledge and other issues present before and after the Dark Age. Information regarding this age was scarce, consequently limiting our knowledge about it. This is what qualifies it as a dark age. Through providing strong evidence of the dark age in terms of scholarly and life during this period, the author manages to provide a detailed lens through which to look at Europe’s experience during this age by focusing on Greece. It depicts the experiences of the Dark Age to the people who lived in it, thus providing a good account of the Dark Age. Considering the author makes use of evidence from archeological data collected recently, it provides students with a source of information about how the Dark Age might have affected those who lived in it and reasons it is considered dark. It helps in answering the question on what made the Dark Age dark. References Herren M. (1981). Classical and Secular Learning among the Irish before the Carolingian Renaissance. Florilegium, 3: 118-157. Moelker, R. Kummel, G. (2007). Chivalry and Codes of Conduct: Can the Virtue of Chivalry Epitomize Guidelines for Interpersonal Conduct? Journal of Military Ethics, 6 (4): 292-302. Mommsen T.E. (1942). Petrarch’s Conception of the ‘Dark Ages. Speculum, 17 (2): 226 – 242. Snodgrass, A.M. (2000). The Dark Age of Greece: An Archaeological Survey of the Eleventh to the Eighth Centuries BC. Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press,

Research paper about the play A streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Essay

Research paper about the play A streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams - Essay Example She is a weak character, with no clear opinion of her own. She is forever vacillating between taking sides with her husband and her sister - whoever happens to be more convincing at the moment. She takes the easy way out in a situation that she alone has the power to put a stop to. And because of her lack of decision things get completely out of hand and reach the point of no return. She eventually betrays her sister, lets her husband get away with rape, and in the process ends up living a lie. Let's take the main players: Stanley Kowalski and Blanche Dubois are both strong characters, but they are the antitheses of each other. Blanche finds it difficult to face reality. She prefers to hide behind illusions and pretenses. As she tells Mitch (Scene 9) "I don't want realism. I want magic!" Whereas Stanley is as real as the piece of raw meat he handles at the beginning of the play. Blanche relies on the "kindness of strangers" (Scene 11), while Stanley is clearly a self-made man with his destiny firmly within his control - or at least till Blanche turns up to disturb the balance. He is honest to the point of brutality, unlike Blanche for whom 'life is too full of evasions and ambiguities', so she not only deceives others, but herself too. Blanche describes Stanley as a "survivor of the Stone Age". While this is too extreme, Stanley is clearly a male chauvinist and has a rather primitive streak when it comes to women. He treats Stella quite roughly and demonstrates his power over women with his demands and aggressiveness, whereas Blanche swoons and uses weaknesses to get her own way. However they behave, throughout the play, it will be noticed that Stanley and Blanche are true to their selves, but the same cannot be said of Stella. Stella comes from the same genteel background as Blanche, but she has chosen a more earthy and coarse lifestyle. Unlike Blanche who despite her checkered lifestyle is more of a romantic, Stella follows her basic animal instincts more than any intellectual or romantic call. Before Blanche comes on the scene, she is happy enough with her husband. To his credit, Stanley welcomes Blanche with an open mind. He puts up with her fancy ideas about the dcor, the way she hogs the tub with her predilection for hot water baths, drinks up all his liquor (without contributing in the least towards the house) and flirts with his poker pals. It is only when she starts putting him down, and turning his wife against him that he feels threatened and strikes out - in an instinctive animalistic way, and then he goes straight for the jugular. Stella should have been more sensitive to the needs of her husband, who clearly loves and cares for her. She has made a commitment to love, honor and obey him, therefore he should have been her priority, but she not only invites Blanche to stay, she encourages Blanche's disparaging comments about her husband. Stella should also have realized that any houseguest is bound to upset the natural rhythm of a household. But with a dangerously disturbed and destructive guest like Blanche there's no way there can be any peace in the house. Especially when her husband and sister practically strike sparks off each other every time they interact. Stella should have made her choice a long time back, and ended

History of the Cherokee Indians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of the Cherokee Indians - Essay Example Unlike other Native American tribes, Cherokees built cabins out of woods rather than living in teepees. Their language derives from the language of another Native American ethnic group, namely, the Iroquois. This language was so strikingly different from the languages of other Native American tribes that it made some linguists assume the very name of Cherokee means "people who speak another language". Cherokees have always been a highly spiritual tribe with unique traditions and values. An owl and cougar could be called a cultural archetype of the Cherokee Indians. Cherokees treat these animals with particular respect as they believe an owl and cougar were the only creatures that had been staying awake for seven days during which the world was created and, hence, saw how humans were made. Today Cherokee Indians are divided into many subtribes but under the official federal classification they fall into the following acknowledged categories: the Cherokee Nation, the Keetoowah Band (reside in Oklahoma), the Cherokee tribes and the Eastern Band of Cherokees residing in North Carolina (Hodge).Before the USA appeared on map, the Cherokee Indians used to live on the territory of the present-day Georgia, parts of Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina (Stewart 9). Originally, Cherokee tribes lived in the Midwest of the lands that later formed the USA near the Great Lakes, but with the passage of time they drifted closer to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, which, in turn, they were forced to leave either.

Exploration of a Surrealist theme Essay Example for Free

Exploration of a Surrealist theme Essay Jonathan Safran Foers first novel Everything is Illuminated is yet another artistic interpretation of reliving the memory of the Holocaust – which to younger generations of men and women over the world has moved into the domain of folklore and history, progressing from the living memory of people of yesteryears. In assessing the surrealistic component of his work, we would first define surrealism as an art form and how it has played an important role in modern literature and movies first. Although surrealism as a movement started in 1924, it still influences artists, writers and critics even to this day. At its core, surrealism taps into our unconscious through powerful symbols and abstractions, and according to the author of the book The Surrealist Manifesto Andre Breton(1924), surrealist writers express the passage of actual functioning of thought rather than describing thought itself. The tool that Foer uses in his work is automatic writing which is essentially a popular surrealist tool according to Breton, which implies writing without thinking. This aimed to break down the barriers between the conscious and subconscious, thus providing a clearer picture of the actual awareness and mental processes of the writer. There are numerous elements of Foers work in Everything is Illuminated which is unmistakably surrealistic, and exposes the automatic writing process that Foer employs. In a way this is a new angle way to explore the Holocaust as Alex Perchov, the naive Ukrainian translator writes letters to Foer in a stylized Russo-English tone that reads : It is mammoth honor for me write for a writer, especially when he is American writer, like Ernest Hemingway; or It is bad and popular habit for people in Ukraine to take things without asking are the norm. Interspersed with these letters are the fragments of the real novel by Foer which he exchanges with Alex the interpreter, which describes in a real yet magical account of Foers imagined life in the Shetl, where his grandfather came from, before the Nazis destroyed it completely. An important surrealist theme is this interface between reality deconstructed through Jonathan Foers journey as he traces his familys connections to Trachimbrod ( a fictional representation of the real town Tachenrod) between 1791 and 1942. There are clearly absurd situations and unique personalities and fascinating philosophies depicted in the process, which bring out the intended surrealism. In Chapter two, The Beginning of the world Never Comes, like all traditional Jewish stories it opens with a conditional : Trachim Bs double-axle wagon either did or did not pin him against the bottom of the Brod River. The wagon may or may not have belonged to Trachim, and in truth he may or may not have been killed. This implicit ambiguity and uncertainty is a dominant surreal element – nothing is ever sure when it comes to Trachimrod, and the legend surrounding Trachim who is the real source of the lore. But as a good story is better than no story at all, and Everything is Illminated explores the interface between fact and fiction all along, with the boundaries often merged. To this end, it is a unique narrative art form applied to the pre-history of the Holocaust as someone from a succeeding generation explores its quasi-magical communal origins, now lost. Returning to the theme of automatic writing, much of Alexs perspective as it is presented does not have any line breaks or any semblance of literary organization : They burned the synagogue. They burned the synagogue. That was the first thing they did. That was first. Then they made all of the men in lines' (P. 185). While Alex is literally translating the old womans narrative about the Nazi atrocities, he gives us the surreal impression that he is not lifting his pen from paper as he records a continuous stream of thought. The repetitions reinforce the thought process turning gradually somber and dark, as the novel progresses from its earlier light-hearted beginnings. Towards the end of the novel, it becomes an established theme as the thought process sounds incoherent at times depicting the grim reality of the situation. For instance, when the Nazis march through Kolki, Alex records : It was not forever before he was the only Jew remaining outside of the synagogue the General was now in the second row and said to a man because he only asked men I do not know why who is a Jew and the man said they are all in the synagogue because he did not know Herschel or did not know that Herschel was a Jew (Page 250). Putting no punctuation in this section, as if to rush through the stream of thought is an attempt to get the reader to focus on the text, despite any obvious demarcation between the sentences, as a literary device to bring out the angst and anxiety in the Grandfather as he barely manages to move from one thought to another. The tragedy of the situation, as exemplified by this method of automatic writing, is very distinct from a comprehensively described historical narrative which has been the norm of many historical novels depicting the terror that the Nazis perpetrated. As a surrealist literary tool, this is powerful in evoking subconscious patterns of the mind. Under pressure or fear, as our mind gets cluttered, it gets entwined with the deepest physiological motives of fight or flight – as the mind just processes the bare facts, repeats those which are essential to deconstruct the crucial elements that separate life and death, the bare essentials so to speak. Even love is under strain under such circumstances, and the literary tool of automatic writing that Jonathan Foer uses does not stop at simply removing line breaks and punctuation, he even obliterates the spaces between the words, often repeating them in succession, to bring out the flow and rush of emotion and thoughts. Without stopping to think what he is writing, as if it is a work-in-progress, Foer also introduces the idea of temporality, or the passage of time in his writing. This example of the Grandfathers narrative brings out the idea of a powerful flow : I looked at Grandmother and shekissedmeontheforehead and I kissedheronthemouth and our tearsmixedonourlips and then I kissedyourfather many times I secured him from Grandmothers arms and Iheldhimwithmuchforce so much that he started crying I said I love you I love you I love you I love you I loveyou I loveyou I loveyou I loveyou Iloveyou (Page 250). The use of these new works, cluttered and jumbled, bring out the inherent tragedy of the situation powerfully, as the readers are almost compelled to think outside their normal sphere of reasoning as to why this cluttering has been left unedited in the book. This crazy, quilted patchwork of writing styles that Foer has created perfectly suits the backdrop of the Holocaust, and the use of words like Iloveyou and tearsmixedonourlips seem to express the sentiment that conventional use of English words is inadequate to express the pathos and poignancy of the moment. The presentation of the text itself in Everything is illuminated is another example of surrealistic techniques used in the book. A vivid example is provided in the Book of Antecedents, where after the last entry on Brods list of 613 sadnesses (page 212), the text continues : we are writing†¦ we are writing †¦we are writing for a full one and a half pages. While critics may interpret this somewhat idiosyncratic use as monotonous text in many ways, there is a surrealist explanation that appears plausible. Throughout the interplay of facts, myths and legends seen in Everything is illuminated this was one place in the novel where the reader is powerfully reminded that after all, this is a written piece of work, where writing can be a monotonous activity, when writers have to put pens on papers (or hammer at typewriter keyboards) as part of a daily routine to capture their thought flow. Artistically, this is the equivalent of a painter including a picture of his paintbrushes within a landscape or still portrait to convey the message that it should be interpreted as a work of art, as the artists own rendition of reality. The use of periods to leave out large portions of text is used by Foer in other instances as well, notably towards the end, between the section describing Trachimday and the dream of the end of the world. (pg 272). This was celebration, unmitigated by imminent death. They stayed Without actually describing the bombing of Trachimbrod, Foer powerfully describes the emptiness and tragedy of the impending bombing, as the residents prepared for it stoically, and when the bombing took place they fled the city. These long spaces are the surrealist equivalent of time being frozen, as thought flowed in slow motion. Without adequately expressing the details of the bombing these mental spaces indicate Foers deliberate style of a work-in-progress, as if he intended to fill in these spaces later. In another sense, this surrealistic theme implies the overall mission of the story, as a few characters set out to discover something far bigger than themselves. This surrealist element of describing the function of thought as defined by Breton is evident through out the novel, often with the deliberate misuse of words, as is an artificially distorted surrealist artwork aiming to describe the process rather than reaching literary perfection. For instance, Alex, whose English is not very good confessedly has a thesaurus by his side when writing and picks out inappropriate word alternatives as evident form this line : I have girdled in the envelope the items you inquired, not withholding postcards of Lutsk, the census ledgers of the six villages from before the war, and the photographs you had me keep for cautious purposes†¦ I must eat a slice of humble pie for what occurred to you on the train. I know how momentous the box was for you, for both of us, and how its ingredients were not exchangeable†¦. (Page 23) The inept use of thesaurus-derived synonyms and clumsy phrases remain an important part of the book, as well as the film directed by Liev Schreiber (Carlson 2006) as Alex explains that his friends find his full name Alexander â€Å"more flaccid to utter†. Again in leaving Alexs letters unedited, it is an attempt to depicts the process by which Alex himself matures throughout the book as a researcher and writer, as his initial efforts to prove that he is knowledgeable in English is a surrealistic statement about setting out on the journey to self-discovery through learning. As Alex best describes this process at the end â€Å"Everything is illuminated in the light of the past, which is inside us looking out,† (Carlson 2006) this book is about deconstructing the past using a surrealist technique. Reference Breton, Andre (1924) Le Manifeste du Surrealisme. Translated to English in : Patrick Waldberg, Surrealism (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971), pp. 66-75. Carlson, Daniel (2006) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Decent. Pajiba 2006. Retrieved from the Internet on 15 March, 2008 from : http://www. pajiba. com/everything-is-illuminated. htm

The Theme of Failure as Presented in Das Boot :: Das Boot Essays

The Theme of Failure as Presented in Das Boot      Ã‚  "When 'Das Boot' was first released in the United States, its running time was 145 minutes, and it won huge audiences and no less that six Oscar nominations-unheard of for a foreign film." The genius of Wolfgang Petersen's "Das Boot" is that to Americans it is considered a foreign film indeed; not only in the sense that the film is from Germany, but because the film offers a unique perspective of World War Two, the German perspective. This point of view allows American audiences to walk away from theaters and be impacted by themes which are common in the cinematic industry. However, because the film is the story of a German submarine, the effect is different than anything American audiences have previously experienced. One of these themes is failure. "Das Boot" presents German forces as being able to overcome failure in a victorious manner, while the Allies are shown to be a rather unsuccessful military force.    The Captain of the U-boat serves as a symbol for German warfare. He is first introduced in his full uniform, immediately it is known this man is a figure of authority. In the film's chaotic opening scene, he is one of the few sober soldiers at the bar, illustrating that he is in control at all times. While many are frightened when he pushes the boat twice beyond the recommended depth to test its sturdiness, no one challenges his decision. He is stern, powerful, and respected. As Roger Ebert writes about a scene later in the film: "He's capable of shouting 'I demand proper reports!' even as the boat seems to be breaking up." On several occasions while under attack from depth charges, only the veteran Captain's knowledge is the only thing which keeps the sailors of U-96 from the grave. Because the Captain serves as a human link to Germany's war effort, his characterization shows Germany's relative success in the war. When the Captain is triumphant, so too is Germany.    Under no circumstances can the men onboard the U-96 fail. They are literally trapped in the boat, and all mistakes quickly lead to the same fatal end. Whether the Captain mistakenly surfaces and has the periscope spotted by an enemy ship, or Johan abandons his post in the engine room, the consequence each time is disastrous. Every sailor on the boat depends on one another to perform his duties satisfactorily.

Case Study: Home Depot Implement Stakeholder Orientation

The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. The Home Depot employees Three Hundred Forty Five Thousand and it operates 2,193 big-box format stores across the United States (including all 50 U. S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam), Canada (all ten provinces), Mexico and China. The Home Depot is headquartered from the Atlanta Store Support Center in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia, near Atlanta.It also operates four wholly owned subsidiaries: Apex Supply Company, Georgia Lighting, Maintenance Warehouse, and National Blinds and Wallpaper Company sales are over $81 billion annually The Home Depot is the largest home-improvement retailer in the United States, ahead of rival Lowe's, and the second-largest general retailer in the United States, behind only Wal-Mart. Home Depot continues to do things on a grand scale, including putting its corporate muscle behind a tightly focused social responsibility agenda.Every week 22 million customers visit Home Depot, and that means some conflict associated with providing services in a retail environment will occur. However, even Home Depot is feeling stress of the economics crisis they announced on January 26, 2009 that they plan to layoff over 7000 employees employed with their Home Depot (Expo) operation (Retalindustry. about. com, 2009). Although Home Depots Philanthropic efforts appear to be sincere; Home Depot continues to suffer in customer and employee relations. 1. Rank the relative power of Home Depot’s various stakeholders. Defend why you have ranked the first three as most important.Ferrell, John Fraedrich, Linda Ferrell (2009) define stakeholders as â€Å"those whose continued association is absolutely necessary to the firms survival. These included employees, customers, investors, shareholders as well as governments and communities listed that provides necessary infrastructure. So Home Depot stake holders would include the customers, the employees, the communities that benefit from the philanthropic activities of Home Depot. I ranked the customers first because if Home Depot had no customers they would not need any employees and they would not be able to help others.I ranked the employees second because the employees represent Home Depot to the world – if a customer does not have a positive experience with the employees when dealing with them they will probably not make purchases and if no purchases are made no money is made and ultimately, no Home Depot. The third important stakeholder is the community because if often benefits from Home Depot’s desire to give back to the community. All of Home Depot’s stakeholders listed on their websites would qualify as primary stakeholders 1) Custmoers 2) Associates 3) Communities ) Vendors ; suppliers 5) Shareholders 2. Evaluate Home Depot’s philanthropic activities as a link to its overall corporate strategy . Home Depot has always wanted to be an outlet for â€Å"the people† not just builders or other professionals. Their mantra is â€Å"You can do it. We can help. † This mantra is exemplified in the philanthropic activities that Home Depot has been a part of. Home Depot has shown that they are committed to giving back to the community with their philanthropic efforts. They have given back to the community by donating their time, money, labor and supplies.Their chairtable contributions alone have exceeded $200 million. In 2002, the Home Depot Foundation was established. The foundation supports many community projects, including Habitat for Humanity. City of Home Cancer, a California-based cancer-treatment center, and KaBOOM, a playground construction organization. In 2007, the Home Depot Foundtion commited to investing $400 million in grants over the next 10 years, which will result in the development of 100000 affordable, healthy homes for working families, and the plant ing and preservation of more than three million community trees in urban areas. Homedepotfoundation. org, 2009) All of Home Depots philanthropic activities are too numerous to mention.Giving back to the community through philanthropy is one of their eight core values that Home Depot delivers on the most. Through an extensive community relations program , we reach our to the communities where our associates live and work with philanthropic and volunteer support. Programs bring together volunteerism, do it your self expertise, product donations and monetary grants to meet critical needs and build affordable communities. . How do you think Home Depot has handled ethical issues such as gender discrimination and other human resource issues over the last ten years? In Aug 2004, as a result of an approved settlement, the U. S. District Judge in Colorado ordered Home Depot to pay $5. 5 million to current and former employees, as well as significant injunctive relief. Like many other large c orporations, when there is a settlement there is no admission of wrong doing. Home Depot has had a long history on not dealing with it issues of gender discrimination.As a recent blogger best, put it, If Home Depot was serious about handling their long standing gender discrimination issues, it would 1) Stop systematically sexually harassing and discriminating against women, especially in their merchandising organization. 2) Submit gender and race employment information as promised in 2002 to shareholder (oweners) of the company 3) comply with federal and state regulations on contraception coverage, wage discrimination and civil rights issues (especially since they are federal contractors two times over). ) Stop encouraging and allowing claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation to go univestigated or unchecked, and 5) Hold the perpetrators of these actions accountable to their moral turpitude contract clauses and their largely ingoned code of Ethics and HR SOPs. This appears to be an area that still needs work as they have had several lawsuits in recent years related to these issues and are currently involved in a suit. Perhaps additional training in this area and a comprehensive ethical program will help in this area.References http://corporate.homedepot.com/, retrieved on October 20 ,2009 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/, retrieved on October 20 ,2009 http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/, retrieved on October 20 ,2009 978-1-111-08264-2, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, 2009 Update, 7e, O.C. Ferrell, John Fraedrich, Linda Ferrell –  © Cengage Learning

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 520 Words

The story of The Great Gatsby is a novel that consists of a historical American context during the Harlem Renaissance. This was an excellent novel published in the 1920’s and was considered one of the best novels of its time. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald was an incredibly talented poetic author. Fitzgerald was able to emphasize and create the mood of the generation in a political time. The novel The Great Gatsby is a remarkable novel but also a very sad one. The novel took place during an age or era known as the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† which was a time of American wealth. Politics and corruption at the time is possibly what made Gatsby to be the business man he was. In a time like this in American history, government officials were being bribed by the wealthy people to ignore the crimes they make such as smuggling alcohol during prohibition. Many readers might not notice it but politics was something to be aware about in the novel. A time like this was known for its prosperity and growth but also for its corruption. WW1 ended with the surrender of Germany Warren G. Harding took presidential office in 1920. One goal was to Americans back to â€Å"normalcy† which was business as usual for the American people. Many people thought things were to get right but in fact the opposite occurs with government corruption. The biggest scandal known to the U.S was the Teapot Dome Scandal. The Teapot Dome Scandal was surprising for many Americans. It involved large oil companies, corruption andShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that