Q8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Q8 - Essay Example ast that everyone has difficulty keeping up with them and developing conclusive interpretations about their effects on organizations (Weitz and Shenhav 2000). The balanced-scorecard measures would help to identify advances in technology, especially computer, information, and communications technology, have presented organizations and managers with dramatic new challenges and opportunities, and researchers have been pressing to develop the theoretical and research grounding needed to understand and manage these developments. The rapid advent of computer applications, the Internet, and other forms of information and communication technology have major implications for organizations and their management, but people have trouble saying exactly what effects they have and why. As for effects on public organizations, especially until recently, research has been scarce. The rational for the balanced-scorecard is to investigate and analyze new trends in information systems application and the ir impact on communication, effects on corporate design, structure and productivity. The framework helps to explain why even very similar technological initiatives can have very different outcomes, because of different organizational and institutional influences on their implementation. Fountain also describes how such influences raise formidable challenges for successful utilization in government, given the strong, often entrenched organizational and institutional influences. These components of the framework combine to influence the way technological initiatives play out (Castellano and Young, 2006). 2. The main criteria I will use to assess the information technology are desirability and efficiency test. The objectives of the analysis are to (1) identify the main applications of information technology in a given organization; (2) analyze their impact on a corporate organization, (3) identify the main trends and factors which influence implementation of information technology and (4)

How well do you communicate Essay Example for Free

How well do you communicate Essay I am considered to be a communicative person who established an outstanding raport with others. I am able to listen deeply to people,to help them ,to share my experience with them. Many of them tell me I am a good listener and when I talk they usually listen to me. What is important for a good communication? You need to take into consideration the point of view of others. I respect their opinion,but I respect my opinion as well. . I understand how people interpret my communicative style and I am able to avoid misunderstanding. I sometimes handle children hassles effectively. People usually understand my thoughts and I can nderstand theirs.. The tone of my voice sometimes communicates how I feel about my partner. Determining a communication problem is not very hard for me and I am often able to resolve it. I usually speak in a gentle manner,to give an impression of kindness. I often stay calm in tense situations. I can express my feelings and tell people close to me how much I care about them. My relationship with my family is full of emotion and devotion. Many people think I am a friendly and expansive person. I often know how to cooperate with them and they usually do what I want them to do. Read more:  Reasons why people communicate  essay However,I have not always been so successful. I was shy when I was younger and did not speak with assertion. It was hard for me to express my thoughts,it was hard for others to know how I felt about something. Later,I improved my communication skills. During my experience,I began to speak louder and people could understand me. I listened to others more carefully. I learned that it is important to avoid passive style of communication. I also learned to speak with more assertion because my own opinion is as important as the opinion of other people. I usually tell people to stay calm in unpleasant situations in order to avoid misunderstanding or aggressive communication. This style enables me to communicate effectively. I discovered that my body language and some gestures I made earlier affected my communication in a bad way. Eye contact is extremely important as it shows respect and interest for the person you are talking to. In addition to this,posture is another important aspect of dealing with others and sometimes it affected my communication. I learned to get my posture right which made me feel better. By finding out the major cause of communication breakdown,I could easily improve it. Being aware of the importance of a successful communication,I am trying to find the ways to improve my communication skills. For example,using body language may lead to great communication. This is especially useful when I am not sure how to start a conversation. In addition to this,I need to be clear about what I want to communicate. I also need to be confident that the information if useful and accurate. By successfully getting my message accross,I convey my thoughts effectively .

The Power of Film as Propaganda

The Power of Film as Propaganda The power of film as propaganda reality or myth? Throughout history various persons and administrations in power have attempted to win the hearts and supports of their constituents, often through reframing or reinterpreting historical events in a light favourable to them. This was certainly the case in the Russian Revolution of1917. The Bolsheviks and Lenin, their leader, sought to use film to recast events of the revolution in such a way as to rally and unify the Russian peasantry. Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein was one of those recruited for the task, and while many government-sponsored films of the time have disappeared into the massive pile of poor quality filmmaking, two of his works in particular, Battleship Potemkin and October, were powerful in framing the Russian Revolution in the eyes of the world and his own people. These works demonstrate the power of film, even those recognised as containing elements of propaganda. Hostility and outbreaks had been building prior to the1917 Revolution, with general dissatisfaction for the Tsarist regime. One such event, a naval uprising in Odessa, was chosen by Eisenstein to show the liberation needed by the working class under the csars, which he considered had been subsequently provided by the Bolsheviks. Historically, the event was a mutiny of the seamen against the officers, and had been a major event in the earlier Revolution of 1905. Commissioned by the Soviet Central Committee to create a film commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the 1905 Revolution, Eisenstein originally planned a sweeping series of eight films, forming a panoramic view of 1905 events. However, when confronted with the communist definition of a workable budget, he quickly reduced the number to one. The film included significant license with the actual historical events of the incident, as Eisenstein and his government backers both made changes to portray the situation in a way supportive of the then-current Bolshevik regime. For example, whilst in reality the sailors were captured and incarcerated, Eisenstein ends the movie with the sailors in a rallying cry of class solidarity, rather than being herded off to prison. Eisenstein also used a variety of cinematic devices to reinforce his theme, regardless of historical accuracy. He staged the slaughter of civilians by the Cossacks on a series of steps in Odessa, undercutting close-ups of guns and faces with scenes of fleeing civilians and attacking soldiers to depict the slaughter of the populace by the czars troops. Overseas the film was a rousing success. European and American viewers and critics alike were impressed with the realism of the film and its filmmaking firsts. Eisenstein was the first to use editing to juxtapose apparently unrelated images, to create rapid and dynamic shifts in rhythm, and to compress and expand physical action rather than function simply as a storytelling device. The newsreel-like style of the film was another innovation praised by foreign critics. Americas National Board of Review reported at the time the faithful reproduction of this historical event by adhering as much as possible to a literal transcription and reproduction of officially documented facts Nothing approaching the reality of these scenes has ever occurred in cinematicsbefore. Interestingly, most American audiences regarded Potemkin as a celebration of freedom and liberation, rather than a support of a particular political agenda(Browne 182). Initial critics, with the exception of Gerstein who briefly mentions the propagandistic nature of the final scene, also viewed the film as historically accurate. Given only the partial and fragmentary information about the Soviet Union, the American agencies of interpretation the journalists and the critics sought to sketch a picture of something very new and unknown and used the figure of Eisenstein and the realism of his film to do so. However, by the late 1920s, critics were reconsidering the propaganda elements in Soviet films. For example, in his profile on Eisenstein in 1928, Alfred Barr openly explained the Russian governments involvement in the Potemkin and filmmaking in general, and the propagandistic elements of the movie. Intellects on both sides of the Atlantic appeared to have been quite taken with the reality of the movie, enough to overlook such elements of propaganda, and praise the Soviet filmmaker for his reality, a stark contrast to the to the fictionality and to t he vulgar artifice of the Hollywood image so despised by many of the intellectual elite. The film was not so well received in Russia. While by the 1930s, the Civil War became something of a focus for the revolutionary myth in Soviet cinema just the way the West was won fulfilled a similar function in Hollywood, at the time of its release Soviet audiences preferred lighter and more conventional faire. The problem was that, as long as Soviet audiences had a choice, they preferred the films that were popular elsewhere in Europe, and were happy with a diet of Hollywood hits or Soviet imitations. In addition, Potemkin featured no central hero with whom audiences could identify; the main character of the movie is best described as the collective masses. While Eisensteins lack of a central character fascinated Western audiences, it dehumanised Soviets, who were uninterested in the Cine-Eyes more perfect visions of reality. Potemkin had to be taken off after only two weeks, to be replaced with are turn of Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks, the film featured before its releas e. While the power of Potemkin as propaganda was far more convincing, at least initially, abroad, Eisensteins next great work, October, enjoyed tremendous success at home and was valuable as a way of reframing the October events for decades. Scholar recognise the inaccuracies and license of the film. Figes, for example, contends October is Eisensteins brilliant but largely fictional propaganda film. Rosenstone also acknowledges both the initial impact and lasting influence of the film.  October  has become and remains one of the best known and most enduring accounts of October so well known that it seems no exaggeration to suggest that more people have probably learned about the Bolshevik Revolution from the film than from any other single source. As October had a much stronger impact on the Russian public, both as a movie and as propaganda, it is important to consider the situation in Russia at the time and how it influenced the films creation and support. The Russian peasantry, accounting for eighty percent of the population, was largely hostile and overwhelmingly illiterate speaking more than a hundred different languages. In addition, peasants as a group were largely politically ignorant, and needed, it was felt by government leaders, to be properly informed. Peasants were inclined to believe naively in every printed word, and therefore open to persuasion from a variety of sources. Lack of vocabulary amongst the group and misunderstandings with speakers sent by the Bolshevik regime to educate them further compounded the communication problem. Furthermore, the peasants had not supported the Bolsheviks coming into power. Immediately after the overthrow in October, in November 1917, the Bolsheviks held an election as they had promised. Unfortunately for them, they were not the most supported party, although no group received a majority vote. The Bolsheviks lost the November 1917 election to the Socialist Revolutionaries, who received forty-four percent of the vote to the Bolsheviks twenty-seven percent. Although they lost, the Bolsheviks nonetheless seized and consolidated power. This left the government as one in need of persuasive means to address its constituents. Not having been elected by the people, it depended largely on the power of the word to establish its authority. The Civil War that occurred following the Revolution necessitated urgent, cheap and effective measures to win over the hearts and minds of the people in whose name the Bolsheviks claimed to govern. In response, Lenin realised the importance of the dyna mic visual propaganda that cinema could offer and set the government on a course of creating propaganda films. Films would serve to not only entertain, but to allow the Bolsheviks to construct their particular utopia out of the ruins of Tsarist Russia. However, By the 1930s, the Party functionaries recognized that the films were not useful propaganda instruments as long as they could not attract a mass audience. Russians clearly preferred Hollywood-type films, and had similar response to government-produced propaganda films as they had to Potemkin, although such works had little of its quality or creativity. Government leaders recognised that their greatest artists, who made experimental, innovative films, could not communicate with the simple people who wanted to be entertained. They developed a new slogan for art in the Soviet Republics, loosely translated as movies for the masses. Experimentation was denounced as formalism, as something alien to Soviet art, and now each film had to be immediately comprehensible even to the least educated. Many artists and writers immediately following the 1917 Revolution also recognised the need to enlighten the peasantry, and the potential for creative media to communicate new life options to them, and initially joined in government efforts. Filmmakers such as Eisenstein and Kozintsev, for example, were determined in their different ways to use their new art form to construct a new Sovietman. However, with the increasing and ever more intrusive censorship, in combination with limitations on creativity and severe punishments for violations of government guidelines, many film producers simply stopped making movies. Whilst the cinema became increasingly popular, movie selection decreased. By the 1930s, foreign films had been banned; Soviet films also decreased. Whilst in the 1920s over one hundred movies were made annually, but this number had dropped to less than forty by the 1930s. Content was for the most part centred on the benefits of the Bolshevik regime and the evils of the Tsarist one. Class consciousness could usually be reduced to an understanding that there were enemies everywhere, that the Soviet was of life was superior, that it was the duty of decent people to participate in the building of socialism, that the primary allegiance one owes is to Soviet society and not to the family. As Kenez wryly notes, if one judged the world entirely on the basis of Soviet films, one might have imagined that the task of Soviet border guards was to keep out all those who hoped to enter. The Bolshevik government needed to rally illiterate masses to its support, whilst the Soviet Republic spanned a gigantic geographical and cultural plethora, and a number of events leading up to the current regime seizing power were morally questionable, at best. The question is whether propaganda films really exerted the influence over the public that many have long held unquestionably that they do. The Soviets certainly committed a surprising amount of scarce resources, although not as much as the filmmakers would have liked, to this novel form of propaganda, recognising the apparent potential of the medium of cinema for powerful, mass, political propaganda. Reeves contends that in many countries, including the UK and Soviet Republic, the power of film propaganda was simply assumed. Through the 1950s,politicians and commentators alike seem to have become only more convinced that the mass media in general, cinema in particular, provided a weapon uniquely capable of effectively moulding the ideology of the masses. Reeves further contends that empirical studies in Britain between the First and Second World Wars are primarily supportive of the power of film propaganda and the media to influence the general populace. Almost without exception int er-war studies stressed their enormous power, using metaphors like hypodermic needle or magic bullet to characterise that power in contrast to the weakness of the mass of people who, whether they liked it or not, received the messages which the media generated. While there have been more recent challenges to these findings, Eisensteins October is widely held to have had a profound impact both on the Russian people and foreigners in shaping their perception and understanding of the Bolsheviks rise to power. Although October was made before the changes to filmmaking of the 1930s, it very much followed the type of movie propaganda scheme the government would later require. The film was commissioned by the Soviet agency in charge of the production and distribution of films, Sovkino, as part of the tenth anniversary celebration of the 1917events. Ever the visionary, Eisenstein first planned to create a heroic epic, spanning from the February 1917 overthrow of the Czar to the end of the Civil War in 1921.Pressures of time (both on the screen and in the production process) led to aversion that covered a smaller slice of the past: from February through October1917. The story the movie tells, and the way it tells that story are surely part of along tradition of explaining why and how the Bolsheviks took power. One might even argue that October had a significant role in creating that tradition. The film neither accurately represents what happened nor entirely fictionalises events, instead combining the two to create a picture in the minds of many of the Revolution. The film opens with the downfall of the Russian Czar in February of 1917.While it overdoes the evilness of the Tsarist regime a bit from an historical standpoint, this presents a strong contrast for the following events. Of particular note is the handling of the July Days protests in July of 1917.The Bolsheviks had assembled over fifty thousand supporters, had surrounded the Tauride Palace, and had taken hostage a representative of the Provisional Government during the protest. Bolshevik leaders truly did decide not to overthrown the government during this time, calming the crowd and a voiding bloodshed. Eisenstein is considered by many scholars to be relatively accurate in his rendition of the July events, although he creates from a decidedly Bolshevik point of view. Eisenstein shows us the masses of marching protesters, the bloodshed on the Nevsky Prospekt, the anger of the middle classes against the lower orders, the Bolshevik speakers calming the soldiers, insisting it is not time to seize power. Similarly, Rosenstone states that historians have little dissent over much of the things that led up to the October events, or how Eisenstein handled them. The February Revolution, he contends, was truly popular and necessary, while the Provisional Government was inept, inefficient, stupid or criminal in its attempt to continue the war. Eisensteins portrayal of Kerenskys handling of the entire situation is alsosupported by historians. Figes states that during the event, Kerensky began to strut around with comic self-importance, puffing up his puny chest and striking the pose of a Bonaparte.Rosenstone notes Eisenstein shows Kerensky as a would-be Bonaparte, by cutting from a close-up of him directly to a statue of Napoleon, and he is hardly the only historian to suggest the prime minister saw himself in that kind of heroic role. Figes and Rosenstone both note that Eisenstein used similar techniques to highlight the ineptitude of General Kornilov. Eisenstein suggests that the attempt to overthrow the Provisional Government was really based on a misunderstanding, exacerbated by Kornliov, who also saw himself as a Bonaparte figure and did not realise that most of those supporting him did so with the hope to use him in the governments overthrow .Eisenstein presents Kornilov as yet another potential Napoleon by cutting from his image to that of the same statue previously linked to Kerensky. The film shows how the generals march on Petrograd is undermined by Bolshevik agitators, who are able to convince the Cossacks of his Savage Division that the Soviet programme of Peace, Land, Bread is not meant just for the worker sof Petrograd but for everyone, including them. It is the ending of the movie, as he did in Potemkin, where Eisenstein takes the greatest license. The movie climaxes with the storming of the Winter Palace, an event that did not actually occur. Indeed the Palace was largely unoccupied by the time of the October events, and any Bolsheviks attacking it would have only had to rebuff a few women and elderly men left to tend to maintenance. While Kerenskys cabinet was inside, they were cut off from the outside and posed no threat. The Palace was taken peacefully, with cabinet members arrested. However, Eisenstein realised the film must have a strong climatic event, and as Lenin had previously used the Palace as an emblem of the Revolution conquering old regimes in the name of the masses, he used a dramatic battle to climax his historical rendition. Many Russian critics at the time were appalled that he had even considered dramatising or reframing such an important event in their history. Additional complaints included Eisensteins omission of the collapse at the front and the growth of the workers movement were also directed at the film.Rosenstone would counter that a filmmaker can never forget the demands of the medium no matter how much you are committed to putting the past on the screen, and no matter how accurate you wish that past to be, the one thing you can never do is to mirror a moment all those moments that have vanished. Even in contemporary viewing of October, however, Eisensteins theme is repeatedly that it was the stupidity and oppression of the Provisional Government, not the political desires of the Bolsheviks, that led to the October 1917 Revolution. It was the desires and action of the masses, not Lenin or a few organising leaders, that led to the governments overthrow. As propaganda, the film has long served to reinforce the validity of the Bolsheviks seizure of power, and therefore to instigate major changes on the Soviet populace. It remains the way many, both in Russia and in Western countries, view the events of 1917, an as such speaks to the effective and lasting power of film as a propaganda device. History can be recast, reinterpreted, expressed in film, and many will believe what they see .Eisensteins work reinforces both independent research and policies ofgovernments worldwide that support film propaganda as a convincing tool. BIBLIOGRAPHY Battleship Potemkin. Dirs. Sergei M. Eisenstein and GrigoriAleksandrov. White Star, 1925. Behind the screen. TheTimes (UK) 18 September 2004: Features, Films 29. Balio, Tino. Eisenstein. 21 May 2005.http://members.tripod.com/~afronord/eisen.html Browne, Nick. Eisenstein inAmerica: The First Phase. Emergences 12.2 (2002): 181-197. Encyclopedia:Propaganda Film.January 2005. 21 May 2005.. Figes, Orlando. The Russian Revolutionand Its Language in the Village. The Russian Review 56 (July 1997):323-345. Figes, Orlando. A Peoples Tragedy:The Russian Revolution 1891-1924. New York: Penguin Books. 1998. Forging the Shipof State: The Bolsheviks in Power. 21 May 2005.. Kenez, Peter. Jewish Themes in StalinistFilms. Journal of Popular Culture 31.2 Spring 1998: 159-169. October. Dirs. Sergei M. Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov. WhiteStar, 1927. Reeves, Nicholas.The Power of Film Proaganda Myth or Reality? Historical Journal of Film,Radio Television 13.2 (1993). . Rosenstone, RobertA. October as History. Rethinking History 5:2 (2001): 255-274. Taylor, Richard.Russian and Soviet Cinema: Continuity and Change, Imperial War Museum,London, 17-19 July 1990. Historical Journal of Film, Radio Television 11.1 (1991). . Taylor, Richard.Soviet Cinema: The Path to Stalin. History Today July 1990: 43-48. The OctoberRevolution of 1917.21 May 2005. . Yangirov, Rashitand Taylor, Richard. Soviet Cinema in the Twenties: National Alternatives.Historical Journal of Film, Radio Television 11.2 (1991)..

Causes of Hypothyroidism

Causes of Hypothyroidism INTRODUCTION Hypothyroidism is the most common prevailing endocrine disorder among all endocrine maladies. It is an altered metabolic state, when the body produces insufficient amount of thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism is not only a disorder of endocrine system, it also affects almost all the organ system of our body. It shows a wide range of disease severity from asymptomatic state to coma and made it an elusive clinical entity9 . Thyroid hormone in addition to governing the rate of metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, it also regulates the timing and pace of the CNS development. It is extremely important for the growth of cerebral , cerebellar cortex, axonal proliferation, branching of dendrites, synaptogenesis, and myelination . Thyroid hormone enhances the wakefulness, response to various stimuli like auditory sensation, learning and memory capacity1. By enhancing the gene expression it influences the synthesis of myelin. Myelin synthesis is an important factor determining the speed of impulse transmission along the complex neural pathway which mediates the evoked potential3 . Sometimes hypothyroidism is referred to as â€Å"Silent Disease† because the early stage of disease it is asymptomatic. About 1.6 billion people are at risk of getting thyroid disorders worldwide4. According to NHANES III approximately 4 – 5% of population in the developed world is suffering from hypothyroidism and about 4 – 15% of people by subclinical hypothyroidism5 . In a developing country like India, iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. In India, hypothyroidism is classified under the group of Iodine Deficient Disorder (IDD) 6. Since 1983 India has been following the Universal Salt Iodization Programme. As a result of it, there has been a decline in the prevalence of IDD 7. In 2004, WHO assessment of global iodine status documented that India has optimal iodine nutrition and now India is undergoing transition from iodine deficiency to sufficiency phase8 . But a nationwide comprehensive epidemiological study done in the eight cities of India found that the prevalence of hypothyroidism was 10.95%. One third of them (3.47%) are not even aware of their disease. Subclinical Hypothyroidism was observed in 8.02% of people. Females are more prone to have hypothyroidism than males (15.86% to 5.02%). Unnikrishnan AG et al has also observed high prevalence of hypothyroidism among the Indian adult population6 . The well-known symptoms and signs of hypothyroidism are dry skin, weight gain, cold intolerance, muscle cramps, hoarseness of voice and constipation10 . As thyroid hormone is essential for the nervous system maturation , central and peripheral nervous system dysfunctions are also important consequences of hypothyroidism. About 60 – 90% of the patients may have features of peripheral nervous system dysfunction like weakness, paraesthesia and postural imbalance . The CNS manifestations of hypothyroidism seen in 60 to 80% of patients which include delayed mentation, sensory deficits, depression11 . It also produces delay in the neuronal conduction velocity, alterations in hearing threshold and sensation of smell . All these neurological complications of hypothyroidism will resolve completely with thyroid hormone replacement especially when diagnosed at the early stage12. The peripheral nervous system dysfunction has been studied in hypothyroid patients by a variety of techniques. But the studies in favor of quantification of CNS dysfunction were very sparse. The CNS involvement in hypothyroid patients can be identified with the help of existing advanced electrophysiological studies. Among the electrophysiological studies evoked potentials provide a more reliable and objective measure of the functional integrity of the related sensory pathway13 . Among the various evoked potentials tests, Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) has been emerged as an effective method of revealing the involvement of auditory pathway even in asymptomatic stage itself11 . Brainstem Evoked Auditory Response are produced in response to brief auditory stimulation14,15 . In this technique following a brief acoustic stimulus, a series of potentials are generated which corresponds to the sequential activation of peripheral, pontomedullary, pontine and midbrain portion of auditory pathway. So BERA helps to evaluate the integrity of the auditory pathway13 . Persons who are having abnormal brainstem response to auditory stimuli more prone to develop Sensorineural Hearing loss16 . In 1948 Means states that Hearing loss is one of the troublesome symptom of hypothyroidism and it may be conductive, sensorineural or mixed hearing loss. About 25 to 30% of the hypothyroid patients having loss, but the exact incidence not yet known. So many researchers did study to find the type of hearing loss in hypothyroid patients. Howarth and Lloyd proposed that perceptive deafness is the type of hearing loss in hypothyroidism. (9) Rau et al, Bhatia et al, Von’t Hoff and Stuart , Parving et al and Isam et al were also accepted that sensorineural hearing loss was the predominant type of hearing loss in hypothyroidism people. Malik et al said that the site of lesion in auditory pathway remains speculative , may be at several levels viz in the middle ear, at cochlea and retrocochlear sites 17. The integrity of the auditory pathway is essential for the capture of the acoustic signal by the external ear to the coding of signals in the auditory cortex13 . Hearing loss is an invisible abnormality which will lead to so many devastating consequences in interpersonal communication, psychosocial wellbeing, quality of life and economic independence. Hearing loss in infants and children due to congenital hypothyroidism results in serious impairment in language, communication skills, cognitive and emotional development. In adults hearing loss will lead to loneliness, social isolation, psychiatric disturbances, depression, occupational stress and relatively low earnings18. There are literatures pointing out that early treatment of hypothyroidism will reverse the hearing loss 19-22. Electrophysiological testing for finding the functional integrity of auditory pathway is rarely performed in hypothyroid patients in neurology and otolaryngology practice. Now a days BAER is mainly used for screening the preterm infants and also prior to cochlear implantation. But it was proved that the delay in the auditory processing time may provide the information about the subclinical involvement of central as well as peripheral neuropathy in hypothyroid individuals 8. So they can be used to assess both normal and abnormal auditory function in the field of research. So that BERA can be used as a screening test to find the CNS involvement and the hearing loss in hypothyroid patients even in the earlier stage itself. In this study an endeavor has been made to find the changes in the brainstem auditory evoked responses in newly diagnosed hypothyroid individuals.

Alienation in As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner Essay -- As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner is an American novelist whose major work is As I Lay Dying. Faulkner gave each of his characters traits that are expressed throughout the story.   The reader is introduced to each character through their detailed and descriptive character traits.   We are able to delve into the character's mind and see their personal and distinct traits. He did not tell us anything about the characters, but he takes us into the mind of each character to analyze what we see there. Even though these characters lead parallel lives we can see the total alienation and breakdown of the relationships between each other.   Darl, Jewel, and Anse possess character traits that contribute to or cause the breakdown of their relationship.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Anse Bundren is a poor farmer, who was married to Addie for more than thirty years. He is lazy and selfish and relies greatly on his family and friends. Anse’s selfishness is what separates him from his two sons-Darl and Jewel. For example, the journey to Jefferson, to bury his dead wife was a promise he made to Addie, but his continued perseverance to better himself reveals his true selfishness. Despite the trials along the way and Addie’s body decomposing and attracting buzzards he is only concerned with getting to Jefferson to buy his new teeth. He uses Addie’s death to accomplish his own selfish motives. After Addie’s death Anse says, â€Å"But now I can get them teeth. That will be a comfort.† (Faulkner 28). The only reason Anse is carrying out with the journey is to get his new teeth. He further shows his selfishness when their mules are drowned in the flood. He makes an arrangement with a kinsman to trade Cash’s eight doll ars and Jewel’s beloved horse for a new team of mules. Thirdly, Anse is so concern... ...ls seperate from each other despite everything they share together. Faulkner shows us that with the death of Addie, the flood, fire, and the decomposing of flesh that should have brought them closer together, they are too self-absorbed in themselves to ever get close to each other. Works Cited Backman, Melvin. Faulkner: the major years;: A critical study. Indiana University Press 1966 Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography (Southern Icons) University Press of Mississippi, 2005 Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage, 1987. Getty, Laura J. â€Å"Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying† The Explicator. 64.3 (2005): 230. Gale. Web. 3 Oct. 2011 Humphrey, Robert. Stream of consciousness in the modern novel University of California Press, 1968 Vickery, Olga W. The Novels of William Faulkner: A Critical Interpretation, LSU Press, April 1, 1995

Gender in Shakespeares As You Like It :: Shakespeare As You Like It Essays

Gender in As You Like It One of the most intriguing aspects of the treatment of love in As You Like It concerns the issue of gender. And this issue, for obvious reasons, has generated a special interest in recent times. The principal reason for such a thematic concern in the play is the cross dressing and role playing. The central love interest between Rosalind and Orlando calls into question the conventional wisdom about men's and women's gender roles and challenges our preconceptions about these roles in courtship, erotic love, and beyond. At the heart of this courtship is a very complex ambiguity which it is difficult fully to appreciate without a production to refer to. But here we have a man (the actor) playing a woman (Rosalind), who has dressed herself up as a man (Ganymede), and who is pretending to be a woman (Rosalind) in the courtship game with Orlando. Even if, in modern times, Rosalind is not played by a young male actor, the theatrical irony is complex enough. The most obvious issue raised by the cross dressing is the relationship between gender roles and clothes (or outer appearance). For Rosalind passes herself off easily enough as a man and, in the process, acquires a certain freedom to move around, give advice, and associate as an equal among other men (this freedom gives her the power to initiate the courtship). Her disguise is, in that sense, much more significant than Celia's, for Celia remains female in her role as Aliena and is thus largely passive (her pseudonym meaning "Stranger" or "outsider" is an interesting one). The fact that Celia is largely passive in the Forest of Ardenne (especially in contrast to Rosalind) and has to wait for life to deliver a man to her rather than seeking one out, as Rosalind does, is an interesting and important difference between the two friends. These points raise some interesting issues. If becoming accepted as a man and getting the freedom to act that comes with that acceptance is simply a matter of presenting oneself as a man, then what do we say about all the enshrined natural differences we claim as the basis for our different treatment of men and women?

Gender Inequality: Problems and Solutions :: Gender Sex Male Female Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The issue of gender inequality is one which has been publicly reverberating through society for decades. The problem of inequality in employment being one of the most pressing issues today. In order to examine this situation one must try to get to the root of the problem and must understand the sociological factors that cause women to have a much more difficult time getting the same benefits, wages, and job opportunities as their male counterparts. The society in which we live has been shaped historically by males. The policy-makers have consistently been male and therefore it is not surprising that our society reflects those biases which exist as a result of this male-domination. It is important to examine all facets of this problem, but in order to fully tackle the issue one must recognize that this inequality in the workforce is rooted in what shapes future employees and employers-- education. This paper will examine the inequalities in policy, actual teaching situations, admission to post-secondary institutions, hiring, and job benefits and wages. It will also tackle what is being done to solve this problem and what can be done to remedy the situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The late 1960s brought on the first real indication that feminist groups were concerned with the education system in North America. The focus of these feminist groups captured the attention of teachers, parents, and students. At first the evidence for inequality in schooling was based on no more than specific case studies and anecdotal references to support their claims but as more people began to show concern for the situation, more conclusive research was done to show that the claims of inequality were in fact valid and definitely indicated a problem with the way that schools were educating the future adults of society. One of the problems which became apparent was the fact that the policy-makers set a curriculum which, as shown specifically through textbooks, was sexist and for the most part still is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Textbooks are one of the most important tools used in educating students whether they are elementary school storybooks or university medical textbooks. It is therefore no surprise that these books are some of the most crucial information sources that a student has throughout their schooling. Many studies have been done examining the contents of these books to reveal the amount of sexism displayed in these educational tools. The results clearly show that gender inequality definitely runs rampant in textbooks some of the sexism subtle and some overt. To begin with, it is apparent that historical texts show a distorted view of women by portraying them unfairly and inaccurately and Gender Inequality: Problems and Solutions :: Gender Sex Male Female Essays   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The issue of gender inequality is one which has been publicly reverberating through society for decades. The problem of inequality in employment being one of the most pressing issues today. In order to examine this situation one must try to get to the root of the problem and must understand the sociological factors that cause women to have a much more difficult time getting the same benefits, wages, and job opportunities as their male counterparts. The society in which we live has been shaped historically by males. The policy-makers have consistently been male and therefore it is not surprising that our society reflects those biases which exist as a result of this male-domination. It is important to examine all facets of this problem, but in order to fully tackle the issue one must recognize that this inequality in the workforce is rooted in what shapes future employees and employers-- education. This paper will examine the inequalities in policy, actual teaching situations, admission to post-secondary institutions, hiring, and job benefits and wages. It will also tackle what is being done to solve this problem and what can be done to remedy the situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The late 1960s brought on the first real indication that feminist groups were concerned with the education system in North America. The focus of these feminist groups captured the attention of teachers, parents, and students. At first the evidence for inequality in schooling was based on no more than specific case studies and anecdotal references to support their claims but as more people began to show concern for the situation, more conclusive research was done to show that the claims of inequality were in fact valid and definitely indicated a problem with the way that schools were educating the future adults of society. One of the problems which became apparent was the fact that the policy-makers set a curriculum which, as shown specifically through textbooks, was sexist and for the most part still is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Textbooks are one of the most important tools used in educating students whether they are elementary school storybooks or university medical textbooks. It is therefore no surprise that these books are some of the most crucial information sources that a student has throughout their schooling. Many studies have been done examining the contents of these books to reveal the amount of sexism displayed in these educational tools. The results clearly show that gender inequality definitely runs rampant in textbooks some of the sexism subtle and some overt. To begin with, it is apparent that historical texts show a distorted view of women by portraying them unfairly and inaccurately and