In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Example Essay Example

In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Example Paper In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Introduction By Hans Magnus Enzensberger This essay was adapted from a talk given by the author and translated from German, which I took from Harper’s Magazine. Can we dispense with the written word? That is the question. Anyone who poses it will have to speak about illiteracy. There’s just one problem: the illiterate is never around when he is the subject of conversation. He simply doesn’t show up; he takes no notice of our assertions; he remains silent. I would therefore like to take up his defense. Every third inhabitant of our planet manages to get by without the art of reading and without the art of writing. This includes roughly 900 million people, and their numbers will certainly increase. The figure is impressive but misleading for Humanity comprises not only the living and the unborn but the dead as well. If they are not forgotten, then the conclusion becomes inevitable that literacy is the exception rather than the rule. It could occur only to us, that is, to a tiny minority of people who read and write, to think of those who don’t as a tiny minority. This notion betrays an ignorance I find insupportable. I envy the illiterate his memory, his capacity for concentration, his cunning, his inventiveness, his tenacity, his sensitive ear. In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Body Paragraphs Please don’t imagine that I am speaking not about romantic phantoms but about people I have met. I am far from idealizing them. I also see their narrow horizons, their illusions, their obstinacy, their quaintness. You may ask how it comes about that a writer should take the side of those who cannot read. But it’s obvious! -Because it was illiterates who invented literature. Its elementary forms-from myth to children’s verse, from fairy tale to song, from prayer to riddle-all are older than writing. Without oral tradition, there would be no poetry; without illiterates, no books. But† you will object, â€Å"what about the Enlightenment? † No need to tell me! Social distress rests not only on the ruler’s material advantages but on immaterial privilege as well. It was the great intellectuals of the eighteenth century who discerned this state of affairs. The people had not come of age, they thought, not only because of political oppression and econ omic exploitation but also because of their lack of knowledge. From these premises, later generations drew the conclusion that the ability to read and write belongs to any existence fit for a human being. However, this suggestive idea underwent a succession of noteworthy reinterpretations in the course of time. In the twinkling of an eye the concept of enlightenment was replaced by the concept of education. â€Å"In terms of the education of the populace,† according to Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenbergm, a German schoolmaster in Napoleon’s time, â€Å"the second half of the eighteenth century marks a new epoch. The knowledge of what was accomplished in this regard is joyous news to any friend of mankind, encouraging to the priests of culture, and highly instructive for the leaders of the commonwealth†. As far as the project of literacy goes, we’ve made great strides. Here, it seems, the philanthropists, the priests of culture, and the leaders of the commonwea lth have scored triumphantly. By 1880, the illiteracy rate in Germany had fallen below one percent. The rest of the world has also made enormous progress since UNESCO raised its flag in the fight against illiteracy in 1951. In short: Light has conquered darkness. Our joy over the triumph has certain limits. The news is too good to be true. The people did not learn to read and write because they felt like it, but because they were forced to do so. Their emancipation was controlled by disenfranchisement. From then on learning went hand in hand with the state and its agencies: the schools, the army, the legal administration. The goal pursued in making the populace literate had nothing to do with enlightenment. The friends of mankind and the priests of culture, who stood up for the people, were merely the henchmen of a capitalist industry that pressed the state to provide it with a qualified workforce. It was not a matter of paving the way for the â€Å"writing culture†, Let alon e liberating mankind from its shackles. Quite a different kind of progress was in question. IT consisted in taming the illiterates, this â€Å"lowest class of men,† in stamping out their will and their fantasy, and in exploiting not only their muscle power and skill in handiwork, but their brains as well. For the unlettered human to be done away with, he had first to be defined, tracked down, and unmasked. The concept of illiteracy is not very old. Its invention can be dated with some precision. The word appeared for the first time in a French publication in 1876 and quickly spread all over Europe. At about the same time, Edison invented the lightbulb and the phonograph, Bell he telephone, and Otto the gasoline motor. The connection is clear. Furthermore, the triumph of popular education in Europe coincides with the maximum development of colonialism. And this is no accident. In the dictionaries of the period we can find the assertion that the number of illiterates â€Å"as compared with the total population of a country is a measure of the people’s cultural condition. † And they do not fail to instruct us that â€Å"men stand on a level higher, on the average, than women. This is not a matter of statistics, but a process of discrimination and stigmatization. Behind the figure of the illiterate we can discern Hitler’s concept of der Untermensch, the subhuman who must be eliminated. A small, radical minority has reserved civilization for itself and now discriminates against all those who will not dance to its tune. Today we find that the illiteracy we smoked out has returned. A new figure has conquered the social stage. This new species is the second-order illiterate. He has come a long way: his loss of memory causes him no suffering; his lack of will makes life easy for him; he values his inability to concentrate; he considers it an advantage that he neither knows nor understands what is happening to him. He is mobile. He is adapti ve. He has a talent for getting things done. We need have no worries about him. It contributes to the second-order illiterate’s sense of well-being that he has no idea that he is a second-order illiterate. He considers himself well-informed; he can decipher instruction s on appliances and tools; he can decode pictograms and checks. And he moves within an environment hermetically sealed against anything that might infect his consciousness. That he might come to grief in this environment is unthinkable. After all, it produced and educated him in order to guarantee its undisturbed continuation. The second order illiterate is the product of a new phase of industrialization. An economy whose problem is no longer production but markets has no need of a disciplined reserve of army of workers. The rigid training to which they were subjected also becomes redundant, and literacy becomes a fetter to be done away with. Simultaneous with the development of this problem, our technology has also developed an adequate solution. The ideal medium for the second-order illiterate is television. The educational policy of the state will have to align itself with the new priorities. By reducing the library budget, a first step has already been taken. And innovations are to be seen in school administration as well. You can go tot school now for eight years without learning German, and even in the universities this German dialect is gradually acquiring the tatus of a poorly mastered foreign language. Please do not suppose hat I would want to polemicize against a situation of whose inevitability I am fully aware. I desire only to portray and, as far as I can, explain it. It would be foolish to contest the second-order illiterate’s raison d etre, and I am far from begrudging him on the pleasures or his place in the sun. On the other hand, it is safe to say that the project of the Enlightenment has failed the slogan â€Å"Culture for Everyone† begins to sound comical . And a classless culture is even further from view. On the contrary: we can look forward to a situation I which cultural castes will become more and more distinct. But these castes can no longer be described by using the traditional Marxist model, according to which the ruling culture is the culture of the rulers. Indeed the divergence between economic position and consciousness will continue to grow. It will become the new rule to see second-order illiterates occupying the top positions in politics and in business. In this connection, it is sufficient to indicate the current president of the United States and the current chancellor of the Federal Republic. On the other hand, you can easily find whole hordes of cabdrivers, newspaper hawkers, manual laborers, and welfare recipients whose thoughtfulness, cultural standards, and wide-ranging knowledge should have taken them far in any other society. But this kind of comparison falls short of portraying the true state of affairs, which admits of no clear analysis. For even among the unemployed you can find zombies; even in the presidential office there are people who can read and write and even think productively. But this also means that in questions of culture social determinism has become obsolete. The so-called privileges of education have lost their fearfulness. If both parents are second-order illiterates, even the wellborn child has no advantage over th worker’s son. One’s cultural cast will hencefoth depend on personal choice, not origin. For all this I conclude that culture in our country has come to an entirely new situation. As for the perennial claim that culture provides a common denominator for all people-that we can simply forget. The rulers, mostly second-order illiterates, have lost all interest in it. As a result , culture cannot, and need not any longer, serve the interests of a ruling class. It no longer legitimates the social order. It has become useless-but there is a kind of f reedom in that. Such a culture is thrown back on its own resouces and the sooner it realizes this the better. Where does all that leave the writer? For some time now it has not been a class privilege-or requirement to be concerned with literature. The victory of the second-order illiterate can only radicalize literature. When it has lost its value as a status symbol, as a social code, as an educational program, then literature will be noticed only by those who can’t do without it. Whoever wants to can bemoan all this. I have no such desire. Weeds have always been a minority, and every city gardener knows how hard it is to do away with them. Literature will continue to thrive as long as it commands a certain agility, a certain cunning, a capacity for concentration and a good memory. As you recall, these are the features of the true illiterate. Perhaps he will have the last word, since he requires no other media than a voice and an ear. http://www. gardensofresistance. com/ed/i lliteracy. html We will write a custom essay sample on In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on In Praise of Illiteracy Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Free Essays on Ferris Bueler And Todays Adolescent

The movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off deals with a 17 year old and his friends skipping school for a day and trying not to get caught. In this paper I plan to explain how the movie reflects real life teenagers by showing some of the problem they may face. I will also emphasize on the free spirit of teens and also their tendency to rebel. I will explain how the film deals with the subject of childhood. I will also note the reflection it makes on our society and the basic assumptions it makes about teenagers. I have chosen the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off because it deals with childhood at the last possible stage, and that is the stage that I remember most†¦ high school! Overall this film gives a pretty accurate depiction of a typical teen, although at times it was a little exaggerated. The movie is about a high school senior, Ferris Bueller, who decides to skip school and head into the city for the day. If he gets caught he will not be able to graduate and he has brought his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane along for the ride. Overall the film shows what kind of fun and trouble a high school student is capable of getting into. This movie shows a pretty accurate description of what an American teen goes through on any typical day. First of all it shows the free spirit that many teenagers have. Ferris and his friends are free spirited and just going out to have fun. They are ditching school for the day and that is an example of a teenager’s tendency to rebel against authority. The bad guy in this movie is Principle Roony. It is fitting that the number one enemy of a student skipping school is his principle. This movie does a good job at pointing out a teenager’s tendency to rebel and strive for personal freedom. This movie also shows many things that a child will go through as they get ready to enter adulthood. These things are dealing with friendships, love, parents, future decisions and so on. I will now give so... Free Essays on Ferris Bueler And Todays Adolescent Free Essays on Ferris Bueler And Todays Adolescent The movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off deals with a 17 year old and his friends skipping school for a day and trying not to get caught. In this paper I plan to explain how the movie reflects real life teenagers by showing some of the problem they may face. I will also emphasize on the free spirit of teens and also their tendency to rebel. I will explain how the film deals with the subject of childhood. I will also note the reflection it makes on our society and the basic assumptions it makes about teenagers. I have chosen the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off because it deals with childhood at the last possible stage, and that is the stage that I remember most†¦ high school! Overall this film gives a pretty accurate depiction of a typical teen, although at times it was a little exaggerated. The movie is about a high school senior, Ferris Bueller, who decides to skip school and head into the city for the day. If he gets caught he will not be able to graduate and he has brought his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane along for the ride. Overall the film shows what kind of fun and trouble a high school student is capable of getting into. This movie shows a pretty accurate description of what an American teen goes through on any typical day. First of all it shows the free spirit that many teenagers have. Ferris and his friends are free spirited and just going out to have fun. They are ditching school for the day and that is an example of a teenager’s tendency to rebel against authority. The bad guy in this movie is Principle Roony. It is fitting that the number one enemy of a student skipping school is his principle. This movie does a good job at pointing out a teenager’s tendency to rebel and strive for personal freedom. This movie also shows many things that a child will go through as they get ready to enter adulthood. These things are dealing with friendships, love, parents, future decisions and so on. I will now give so...

How Managers Can Use Motivational Theories to Improve Performance Research Paper

How Managers Can Use Motivational Theories to Improve Performance - Research Paper Example In the case when the production staff is not provided with the motivation to produce end products, to be able to fulfill the demand, the manager would be in serious trouble and it may contribute to majorly drastic consequences. If the efficiency of an organization is to be promoted there has to be provision of motivation. The case can be such that the business division has the very products and resources. However, merely a combination of superior products and resources cannot lead to the best consequences: there is a need for motivation as well if a company aims to be successful (Strategic Direction 22). Simply training the employees and delegating them to work does not ensure loyalty and dedication on their part. Employees have to be motivated in order to attain this. Motivation affects work performance to a great degree, thus it holds a great significance for any organization. As clichà ©d as it may sound employees are an organization’s greatest asset and without motivated workers a company cannot be efficient. A company can only go as far as its workers would lead it, as they are the ones who drive it. An organisation is simply a group of individuals who work together for a general reason. Actua lly they make up the company. No matter how effective the organisation’s technology or devices are, their employees remain as the most valuable asset. Therefore, it is necessary that they are provided with motivation so as to encourage them to perform better and better, which would lead to the company’s increased productivity. Several of the business managers of today do not know how effective motivation can be on the efficiency of their company. Therefore, they are required to learn its importance and to recognize the ways through which they can positively motivate their employees at the workplace. The size of the company is

Critical review of a live poetry reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical review of a live poetry reading - Essay Example nce, it was such a well-planned and well-organized event that they all had a good time, and quite obviously, so did the live audience that comprised teenagers, teachers, the city’s elite, poets-in-the-making and, of course, reporters. In the Cyber Age, for the pessimists who worry that the art of writing and enjoying poetry is on the verge of extinction, the event certainly holds a promise and a hope. They may rest assured. Surely, poetry isn’t about to die. Not so soon! There is no denying that every participant was just as good. Nevertheless, among the best performers were McElwee, Jehanna, Robin Webb and Mona Scott, though it must be acknowledged that it was McElwee’s voice that overshadowed the rest of the programme. Thanks to the open mic scenes that make life in San Francisco a delight. Mona recited a poem titled ‘Advice to a Lover’ (Relationship-Advice-Bootcamp). Though her entire collection dwelt more or less with the theme of love, this particular one was delivered in such an absorbing manner that it almost immediately caught the imagination of every one in the audience, perhaps because it has something to offer for every young man and woman. It was hard to believe that a woman barely in her twenties could accomplish such mastery over the skill of verbalizing the heart’s deepest emotions so effectively. The text of the poem is therefore provided hereunder with the assumption that there might be many readers might find it interesting enough to preserve and add to their library. The title of the poem is itself almost self-explanatory as to what it is about to say. It is rare to find love poetry that is not dominated by the element of tragedy. The final success of the poem lay in its ability to evoke similar emotions in the hearts of the listeners. Usage of words like hath, withal, honies, thee, thyself etc. give the poem a classical, nineteenth century touch. Still the poem, as a whole, sounds perfectly relevant even to the most modern times.

Robert Rauschenbergs work - Windward Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Robert Rauschenbergs work - Windward - Essay Example Robert Rauschenberg gathered the images and their details from various sources whereby he over painted certain parts of the using his hand by an energetic speed so that he allied the gestural painting of expressionism and the aesthetic value in the style (Joseph, et al, 2002). In Windward, some of his photographs of the statue of liberty with the images of houses so as to confront the politics in the nomination of the pope in the Sistine Chapel. Moreover, his composition is mostly dominated with the pictorial of an eagle so as to stand-in a mysterious and the richly allied discourse between the very many contrasted graphics of the worlds which confront any effort at aesthetic categorization. Robert Rauschenberg collective artwork, symbolizes his spirit of extensiveness, encompassing a reflective overview of his most separate periods, including painting, textile collage, sculptural workings prepared from cardboard and scrap iron, as well as a diversity of pictorials transmission and p rinting approaches. Robert Rauschenberg work embodies certain themes as can be found in many artistic works such as novels, short stories, and the novella. For instance, in the case of Scarlet Letter by Mariama Ba has drawn a very vivid picture in explaining the role of religion to determine the fate of women in the society. Similarly, In Windward, some of his photographs of the statue of liberty with the images of houses so as to confront the politics in the nomination of the pope in the Sistine Chapel.

The differences of Ethnic cleansing and Genocide

The differences of Ethnic cleansing and Genocide research methodology: The research conducted herein is primarily doctrinal in nature, with the help of various international instruments and judgments decided by the judicial authorities in the international sphere. research questions: Basic Questions: Through the medium of this project the basic questions that have been asked are: What is meant by ethnic cleansing and genocide? Secondly whether there exists any difference between the two? What are these differences? HYPOTHESIS: There exist distinguishing factors between both the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the only distorting factor is when the latter is achieved by committing genocide. Both, ought to be treated as equally grave crimes committed against humanity. Moreover, a need is felt for stricter laws on ethnic cleansing in order to serve as deterrence to the same. objects and aims: The project has been made on the basic premise of the crime of Ethnic Cleansing with the background of the break up of the Former Yugoslavia, replete with crimes of a grave nature. In order to understand this concept of Ethnonationalism, it is also important to understand another international crime, genocide. Ergo, this project aims at achieving the following in lieu of the research available: To attain clarity as to the concepts of Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide. To surmise the incidents of the two types of international crimes and look at various judicial interpretations and legal instruments for the same. To try and arrive at a clear cut distinction between these two concepts which can be perceived to be intertwined. This project aims at serving as a panacea to innumerable ambiguities found on the laws of ethnic cleansing and to acquaint various interested parties on the aforementioned topic which is, as of now, a morass of laws involved. INTRODUCTION: As long as I have any choice, I will stay only in a country where political liberty, toleration, and equality of all citizens before the law are the rule. -Albert Einstein. For centuries, man has been fighting with his brother, over man-made issues of differences in their status, nationality, race, colour, religion to name a few. In India itself, this differentiation has taken shape in the form of differences in class, differences between Muslims and Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, recent incidents taking place in Orissa and Kerala are gory examples of the same. In fact, this in essence has also taken place in Maharashtra in 2008 wherein almost 20,000 North Indians fled Pune and other such cities, the same revealed by an article in the Indian Express. Statistics in fact have shown that man is being a threat himself to another man causing his mass exodus. Despite the advancement in technology man doesnt seem to want to co-exist with another, a deficiency which will lead to its self-destruction sooner or later. This is essentially the concept of ethnic cleansing, an international crime progressively taking more antagonistic forms as time passes. In principle, an ethnic group  [1]  would be defined as a community whose heritage offers important characteristics in common between its members and which makes them distinct from other communities. There is a boundary, which separates us from them, and the distinction would probably be recognized on both sides of that boundary. Ethnicity is a multi-faceted phenomenon based on physical appearance, subjective identification, cultural and religious affiliation, stereotyping, and social exclusion.  [2]   The phrase ethnic cleansing was originally introduced by reporters covering the Yugoslav wars of disintegration between 1991 and 1995, but as a course of action it is much older than that.  [3]  By definition, it has been defined as a phenomenon wherein one ethnic group expels members of other ethnic groups from a geographic area in order to create ethnically pure enclaves for members of their ethnic group.  [4]   However, the complexities involved when it comes to ethnic cleansing, is that till date despite the number of occurrences there exists a blur when it comes to differences between genocide and ethnic cleansing.  [5]  Also, the number of incidents wherein ethnic cleansing has taken place makes one question the effectiveness and the authority of the UN and the several other peace keeping bodies.  [6]   It is also pertinent to note that while in theory, the purpose of ethnic cleansing is to drive all members of the victimized group out of a territory. In practice, ethnic cleansing is nearly synonymous with genocide because mass murder is a common characteristic of both. Though, therefore, there is a thin line between the two crimes, it is the need of the hour to differentiate between the two crimes and do away with the pervasive ambiguities. analysis: genocide and its incidents: In order, to be able to differentiate between the concepts of genocide and ethnic cleansing it is first important to understand each of these concepts individually. Ergo, this part will basically focus on the definition of genocide as arrived at in several landmark judgments and also its main essentials, with the natural corollary of looking at the definition of ethnic cleansing. The term genocide was coined by Raphael Lemkin using the combination of the Greek word genos (race or tribe) and the Latin word cide (killing).  [7]  Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948 defines the term genocide to include killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, amongst several other things  [8]  , which was accepted as being part and parcel of the customary international law or jus cogens in the case of Prosecutor v. Goran Jelisic.  [9]   The case of Advisory Opinon of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, defines genocide as follows: a crime under international law involving a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups, a denial which shocks the conscience of mankind and results in great losses to humanity, which is contrary to moral law and to the spirit and aims of the United Nations.  [10]   Genocide without exceptions made is considered to the most despicable crime when it comes to crimes against humanity, which is why Courts are reluctant in arriving at a conclusion which affirms the existence of genocide. It essentially requires two components for the said crime to take the form of genocide, viz. Actus Reus and Mens Rea. These go hand in hand wherein if any of the acts mentioned above have been committed with the necessary specific intent (dolus specialis).  [11]   In the Jelisic  [12]  case it was held that the special nature of this intent supposes the discriminatory nature of the act wherein a group is targeted discriminatorily as such and in this context genocide is closely related to the crime against humanity.  [13]  The Court again found the existence of this specific intent in the case of Akeysu  [14]  wherein the Trial Chamber I held that the rape of Tutsi women in Rwanda in 1994 constituted the crime of genocide.  [15]  In the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina v. Yugoslavia it was held that genocide could be committed both at time of peace as well as of armed conflict.  [16]   Therefore, a perusal of the aforementioned cases clearly shows there is a need of specific intent in case of indictments for the crime of genocide.  [17]   Ethnic Cleansing and its incidents: The 1990s has had the most number of instances wherein the crime of ethnic cleansing has been recorded. This has been attributed by the UN to various political parties which indulge in the same by ruling various States. This power was clearly wielded by the Shiv Sena party in Maharashtra with their jingoistic tactics in expelling Non-Maharashtrians. Blacks Law Dictionary defines ethnic cleansing as: The officially sanctioned forcible and systematic diminution or elimination of targeted ethnic minorities from a geographic area by confiscating real and personal property, ordering or condoning mass murders and mass rapes and expelling the survivors. Few authors are of the opinion that the crime of ethnic cleansing is a 20th Century phenomenon while most others disagree.  [18]  A prototype of ethnic cleansing can be taken from the experience of the Jews during the Nazi Regime, where in order to create Lebensraum, or living space, Hitler, the dictator started an expansionist drive to create a pure Germany. The term ethnic cleansing, a literal translation of the Serbo-Croatian phrase etnicko ciscenje, has resulted in a lot of atrocities like mass killings as well as rape as a means of creating supremacy over the minorities.  [19]   In many of these campaigns, women were targeted for particularly brutal treatment-including systematic rape and enslavement-in part because they were viewed by perpetrators as the carriers, biologically and culturally, of the next generation of their nations. Because many men in victimized populations left their families and communities to join resistance groups once violence began, women and children were often defenseless.  [20]  Statistics shows that the Bosnia-Herzegovina war envisaged a shocking estimate of 20,000 women who endured sexual assaults in the form of either torture or rape. Serbian political and military leaders systematically planned and strategically executed this policy of ethnic cleansing or genocide with the support of the Serbian and Bosnian Serb armies and paramilitary groups to create a Greater Serbia: a religiously, culturally, and linguistically homogenous Serbian nation.5  [21]  The promulgation of the concept of ethnic cleansing and the practices it represents are a grim, contemporary reminder of the global nature of interethnic and interracial inequality and strife.  [22]   The following passage taken from an article is proof of the mass destruction and depraved justice that took place during the Bosnia-Herzegovina War: More than two million people-almost half the population- are still dispossessed of their homes. Some 600,000 of these are refugees abroad who have not yet found durable solutions, many of whom face the prospect of compulsory return into displacement within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the near future. Another 800,000 have been internally displaced to areas in the control of their own ethnic group, living in multiple occupancy situations, in collective centres or in property vacated by the displacement of others, often in situations of acute humanitarian concern. The fundamental issue for the future of the post-war society of Bosnia and Herzegovina is whether these people can or will return to their homes.  [23]   A case study shows that the challenges of post 1980 former Yugoslavia were exacerbated by the countrys demographic and socio-cultural make-up, comprising several ethnonationalities with different religions, mentalities, histories and levels of development. In the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina the authoritarian regimes and their leaders were the main sources of human rights violations. Nationalism and hatred of other peoples and religions were probably the reasons for the brutal break up of the former Yugoslavia. Ethnonationalism was, and has largely remained, widely and deeply entrenched among the constituent groups.  [24]   Various authorities indicate that the notion of ethnic cleansing takes place when there is a deportation of mass population on the basis of their ethnic differences in order to create a homogenous ethnic State. While a crime like genocide inevitably results in imposing criminal liability, it has been stated by several authors that since the term ethnic cleansing does not appear in any of the laws the same is not punishable as long as genocide, rape or other crimes against humanity have not been used, which have been banned by several legal instrument.  [25]   This argument however is to be rendered untenable  [26]  as though, ethnic cleansing per se doesnt feature under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, it can be included under crimes against humanity under Article 7 which speaks of Deportation or forcible transfer of population  [27]  equivalent to ethnic cleansing. Moreover, a perusal of the Statute of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia under Article 4  [28]  also makes the crime of ethnic cleansing punishable. The Trial Chamber  [29]  in a particular case was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the crimes that were committed in the Bosnian Krajina from April 1992 until the end of December 1992, the period relevant to the Indictment, occurred as a direct result of the over-arching Strategic Plan. The ethnic cleansing was not a by-product of the criminal activity; it was its very aim and thus an integral part of the Strategic Plan.  [30]   Therefore, a perusal of the aforementioned authorities helps one understand essentially the concept of ethnic cleansing and the essentials thereof. differences between the two: Andrew Bell-Fialkoff in his book, has remarked thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the crime of ethnic cleansing defies easy definition. At one end it is virtually indistinguishable from forced emigration and population exchange while at the other it merges with deportation and genocide. At the most general level, however, ethnic cleansing can be understood as the expulsion of a population from a given territory.  [31]   Different authors have different opinions regarding the differences between these two, while some state such a difference exists only in theory while other claim it to exist practically as well. From a perusal of the above, genocide and ethnic cleansing can be differentiated in three ways: (1) Need of intent: Genocide could be a means to commit ethnic cleansing, but the purpose of such a crime then would not be murder but would be otherwise. Furthermore, in contrast to genocide, there is no need for special intent under the crime of ethnic cleansing, making it easier for parties to establish a crime of ethnic cleansing in comparison to a charge of genocide leveled against a particular party to the dispute.  [32]  It has been found under various texts that the requirement of specific intent is not found under ethnic cleansing, making it easier to prove before the International Courts in comparison to the crime of genocide.  [33]   (2) The purpose: The purpose under genocide is the physical destruction of an ethnical, racial or a religious group, while that of ethnic cleansing is the founding of ethnically homogeneous lands. The means used for the latter could also be genocide.  [34]   (3) Ends achieved: While genocide results in physical destruction of a particular minority groups, ethnic cleansing results in the flight of a community not necessarily mass killing.  [35]   As found in the previously, it may not always be feasible to point out differences between the two. In fact, this clear cut distinction has been reduced by various subsequent measures taken by the authoritative bodies. In 1992 concerning the hostilities in Yugoslavia, the UN General Assembly  [36]  clearly stated that ethnic cleansing is a form of genocide.  [37]   To worsen the situation, in the case of Prosecutor v. Krstic,  [38]  , the Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), expressly diverging from the wider interpretation of the notion of intent to destroy by the United Nations made a difference between ethnic cleansing and genocide. an enterprise attacking only the cultural or sociological characteristics of a human group in order to annihilate these elements which give to that group its own identity distinct from the rest of the community would not fall under the definition of genocide. Similarly, in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro (Case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide) the International Court of Justice  [39]  have also upheld the above judgment based on the same reasoning.  [40]  Various scholars also have given views similar to that found in the above cases wherein a distinction has been made between the two offences.  [41]   Therefore, there remains doubt in this unchattered territory, but courts generally refrain from holding a state or an official responsible for the offence of genocide in comparison to that of ethnic cleansing. Conclusion: From an analysis of the above judgments, we find that there exists a very thin line between the concepts of genocide and that of ethnic cleansing. There is a need to attain consistency with regard to the various opinions on the same, consistency being an essential or cannon of any law. The basic bone of contention is in fact this lack of uniformity in interpreting the law by the courts. That apart, a need is felt that stricter international norms be laid down in order to ensure that a crime like ethnic cleansing taking the form of international crimes like rape, genocide does not take place at the ferocity that it has been since the 1990s.  [42]   It should be realized by the UN and various other monitoring bodies that it is imperative that a clear cut distinction be made between the two, agreed, a strait-jacket formula cannot be applied, but it should lay down certain parameters for determining when ethnic cleansing takes place. As of now, the definition of the said terms remains uncertain in international law. States should realize that even the magna carta Universal Declaration of Human Rights  [43]  ordains equality on each and every human being, which would immediately render the offence of ethnic cleansing purposeless.  [44]   It is to be necessarily understood that, As long as the criminals are divided into ours and theirs; as long as ethnic discrimination is not replaced with moral and professional criteria; as long as already initiated democratic processes do not take roots; there will be little chance of reconciliation, economic development and respect for the human rights and freedoms.  [45]   Therefore, an attempt has been made by virtue of this project to understand the basic differences between these two types of crimes which are basically instigated against other human beings and the same conclusion has been arrived at with the help of leadings judgments and opinions of various authors on the same. Ethnic cleansing results in the division of a particular country into several fragments, there more the disputes the more these fragments will break and finally there shall be nothing for one to offer. This has been aptly illustrated in the following paragraph: In Germany they first came for the communists; and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a communist. Then they came for the Jews; and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists; and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics; and I didnt speak up because I wasnt a Catholic. Then they came for me and by that time there was nobody left to speak up. Martin Niemoller

J.M. Coetzees In the Heart of the Country Essay -- Coetzee Heart Coun

J.M. Coetzee's In the Heart of the Country In the novel In the Heart of the Country, by J.M. Coetzee, the main protagonist Magda lived isolated from almost any human interaction. Due to this isolation from everything outside ‘the country’ in which she resided, combined with her inherent introvertedness and father’s callousness, her view of life was slanted according to the rare exchanges she did muster. As she was prone to bouts of incoherent thoughts and depression, any positive conversation between her and her father, Hendrik, or Klein-Anna served to maintain her sanity. An impolite few words intensified her feelings of seclusion. Likewise a neutral chat ignited optimistic plans for her life, and a favorable stance on ‘the country’. Therefore, Magda based her fluctuating attitude toward ‘the country’ (her life) on the quality of the communications with the three people she knew: her father, Hendrik, and Klein-Anna. The way in which her father regarded her had the greatest influence on her ensuing moods. For example, after trying to help him up onto the bed, begging him to respond and acknowledge her presence, he says only, â€Å"‘Water’†(67). Taking this as a declaration of her worthlessness, she became convinced that she â€Å"[was] an idea [her] father had many years ago and then, bored with it, forgot†(69) about. Locked in self-pity after his reply, she continued questioning the point of her being, feeling insignificant and wanting to â€Å"annihilate [herself]†(71). In fact, that he does not seem to notice her is also a contributing part of her disposition: after taking to bed with a migraine she comments, â€Å"I was not missed. My father pays no attention to my absence† (2). Her resentment of him grew to be so automatic that it envel... ...istress into fits of despair. Magda’s perception of ‘the country’, which was the only home and consistent companion ever known to her, varied depending upon the interactions with the only humanity she came into contact with: her father, the servant Hendrik, and his wife Klein-Anna. Each relationship affected her perception differently, and her moods were constantly volatile. Through this learned dependency on the minimal human contact she experienced, Coetzee suggests that validating one’s life based upon the actions of others is a risky and foolish lifestyle. Magda’s incessant, acidic thoughts ate at her soul until she valued herself at nothing, not unless someone was paying her attention. In the Heart serves as a warning against diminishing one’s own worth for petty and often fleeting, emotions, and lackluster validation from those with ulterior motivations.

The Function of the Landscape Description in Tess of the D’urbervilles

Chapter 1 Introduction Tess of the D’urbervilles is an extraordinarily beautiful book, as well as an extraordinarily moving one. Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of a poor foolish peasant, who believes that he is the descendant of an ancient aristocratic family, first is seduced by Alec, the son of the neighboring family by the name of D’urbervilles. Then Tess encounters Angel Clare, a man of liberal mind and the son of a clergyman, and they fall in love with each other. On the evening of their wedding ceremony, Tess confesses to Angel her seduction by Alec, and then Angel abandons her and leaves for Brazil by himself.Subsequently Angel comes to understand his moral and intellectual arrogance and searches for Tess, only to find that the extreme poverty of her family has driven her back to Alec. So strong is Tess’s love for Angel and so powerful her disgust at Alec when Angel comes back to look for her that she kills Alec. After hiding for a short period of time wit h Angel, after spending a few days of loving reconciliation with Angel, Tess is arrested, sentenced to death for murder and executed essay writer price. The gloomily tragic atmosphere embedded in the novel is doubtlessly related to the author, Thomas Hardy’s views of life and world.In addition, it fits in with Hardy’s desire to express the tragedy that the valuable is tortured and tangled by the irresistant force and at last is destroyed. Hardy is a well-known pessimist and abides by the belief of fatalism that â€Å"everything in the universe is controlled by the Immanent Will†(Luo 1996: 206), which has no passions, no consciousness and no knowledge of the differences between the good and the evil and â€Å"which is present in all parts of the universe and is impartially hostile towards human beings’ desire for joy and happiness†(ibid. . So human beings are doomed to failure when they struggle against the cruel and unintelligible fate, which is pr edestined by the Immanent Will. So there’s no doubt the prevailing moods in Tess of the D’urbervilles are tragic and gloomy. Tess’s tragic fate moves the readers so directly and profoundly that they only focus on the touching narration about Tess’s tragedy and give applause to the author’s genius on arranging such plot. But another unique characteristic of the novel—the remarkableChapter 2 Analysis of the Function of the Landscape Description on the Basis of Six Places There are six places—Marlott, Trantridge, Talbothays, Wellbridge flour-mills, Flintcomb-Ash and Stonehenge—constituting the foundation stone of this novel as well as the pillar of Tess’s sufferings and tragic fate. The landscape descriptions of these six places, connected with each other sequentially, form a river which propels the tragic waves in Tess’s life and winds its way from the beginning to the end of Tess’s life.Every place represent s one important period and level of Tess’s life and they unite together, making the development of the plot proceed forward compactly, smoothly and coherently, linking up different episodes of Tess’s life together, defining the basic tone of the setting. They become the symbols that indicate the fate of Tess, symbolize what Tess is feeling and thinking and predict a series of tortures that Tess will suffer from. 2. 1 Marlott 2. 1. 1 Tess’s hometown Marlott is not only Tess’s hometown where she indeed spends her happy times, more sarcastically, it is also the birth place of Tess’s tragedy.It is a beautiful place and â€Å"lay[s] amid the north-eastern undulations of the beautiful Vale of Blackmoor aforesaid, an engirdled and secluded region†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"this [is a] fertile and sheltered tract of country, in which the fields are never brown and the springs never dry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Hardy 1994: 18). Not only does the natural beauty drift in Marlott, but it has historical origins: â€Å"the vale was known in former times as the Forest of White Hart, from a curious legend of King Henry†(ibid. ). So with its naturally picturesque scenery as well as its historical background, Marlott gives people a feeling of comfort and relax.Then the heroine Tess reveals her veil on an exciting event—May-Day dance. She wears the white gown and the red ribbon and â€Å"she was a fine and handsome girl—not handsomer than some others, but her mobile peony mouth and large innocent eyes added eloquence to color and shape†(ibid. : 51). It seems that Tess, a fragment of the natural world, a natural phenomenon herself, so innocent, pure, naturally beautiful, is in complete harmony with the beautiful and historical place as well as the comfortable and happy atmosphere.But a carriage carrying her drunk father breaks this harmony and some people begin to make jokes of her father which drops naive Tess in a deep shame. T hen a young man of â€Å"superior class† takes part in the dancing. That beautiful place, such beautiful Tess and a handsome young man, these are, undoubtedly, the complete elements of romance. However, nothing romantic happens but the regretful and lost chance. Although the young man feels a little bit sorry that he didn’t dance with the pretty maiden, yet he is anxious to walk and â€Å"dismissed the subject†(ibid. : 23) quickly and easily.The contrast between the beautiful landscapes and what Tess has encountered enables sensitive people to feel some tragic atmosphere, but it is so dim, thin and light, like the haze just emerging in the morning that people will soon forget its existence and ignore it. But after reading through the whole novel, we can find it very romantic that Tess and Angel encounter with each other at the beautiful May; but it’s really regretful and sad that they let each other slip easily. We couldn’t help asking â€Å"why n ot Angel dance with Tess at that time and then love her when Tess was 16? † then maybe Tess can avoid so many sufferings in the future. . 1. 2 The death of the horse It’s unexpected but solid truth that the true life doesn’t include such hopeful â€Å"ifs† for Tess. What is waiting for Tess is the gloomy darkness and sorrow. They like fresh buds conceal themselves in the beautiful and lovely May, prying their chance and preparing for their complete appearance. With the development of the plot, we can feel that the darkness and tragedy is sucking the energy and growing gradually. So Tess’s duty and sufferings are also beginning to swell. When Tess helps her father deliver the beehives to the retailer, the Prince—her father’s horse dies on the road.The hue of the landscapes suddenly converts to sorrow. â€Å"The atmosphere turned pale, the birds shook themselves†¦the lane showed all its white features†¦Prince lay alongside sti ll and stark† (ibid. : 37). â€Å"Pale† â€Å"white† and â€Å"stark† indicate Tess’s moods after her murder of Prince. They express what Tess is thinking and feeling; like a translation machine, they translate the invisible emotion and inner meaning of Tess and it is Tess herself that is really pale, stunned and disappointed in her body as well as her spirits. Then in her despair Tess â€Å"put[s] her hand upon the hole [Prince’s wound]†(ibid. whereas â€Å"this gesture is as absurdly ineffectual as all her effort will be and the only result is that she becomes splashed with blood†(Van Ghent 1953: 430). Maybe this is the first time that Tess has faced such a bloody scene and it is also the first time that the author has referred to death and red blood in this novel. This scene arranged at the beginning of the novel seems to give a hint at something. The hints become a little bit clear with more clues given by the author.  "The pointed shaft of the cart had entered the breast of the unhappy Prince like a sword†(Hardy 1994: 37). Sword† and bloods make us easily recall another scene that Alec is stabbed in the heart with a knife when we read through this novel. It seems that at the beginning Tess’s fate has been displayed to us implicitly. So this accident has a strong allusion to Tess’s future life. The death of the horse is the beginning of Tess’s tragic fate and forces Tess to leave her hometown and work at Trantridge where Tess’s body and mind both confront with a fatal shock and destroy and in the first time people can clearly feel the tragedy overflowing in the air. 2. 2 Trantridge 2. 2. 1 The SlopesWhen Tess is forced to Trantridge to work for her rich relative D’urbervilles, she is stunned by Mrs D’urberville’s house—the Slopes. The house, beyond Tess’s expectation, is not an old mansion, instead, it’s almost new w ith crimson brick lodge, surrounded by various trees and planting. The person in the house, the young Alec D’urberville â€Å"differed more from what Tess had expected than the house and grounds had differed. † (ibid. : 43) Tess originally hopes â€Å"an aged and dignified face† in an old mansion but what she sees is a beautiful and frivolous young man in a new house.The new house, new persons, everything is new. This stimulates one’s curiosity towards a new life but also evokes one’s feeling of fear and unsafety because no one knows what’s on the road. There’s no denying that Tess will start a new life but what’s waiting for Tess? What interests Tess most may be money. â€Å"Everything on this snug property was bright, thriving and well kept; †¦everything looked like money—like the last coin issued from the Mint† (ibid. : 41). â€Å"Landscapes looked like money† but isn’t it Tess’s desir e for money?She kills the horse and cuts the important outlet of her family’s income resulting in her strong desire to get money to reduce her repentance. This indirect and reserved way to express her strong desire for money through landscapes fits in with the reserved nature of Tess perfectly. Maybe there’s money in Trantridge but in the shrub hides a devil—Alec, a fake noble descendant of the D’urbervilles. When he first sees Tess, he fully shows his hospitality and desire for Tess, offering Tess strawberries, filling her basket with them, putting roses in Tess’s bosom, accommodating Tess with a basket of light luncheon.The landscapes around them are so bright and flowery that they make people in a good mood and temporarily forget the growing tragedy and darkness. The red strawberries, the red roses, that’s to say, the landscapes are surrounded by the color red. Even Tess under Alec’s decoration, becomes â€Å"one who stood fair to be the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life† (ibid. : 45) and radiates in the encirclement of the red hue. Her growing womanhood reflected by the red becomes so full that arouses Alec’s evil and erotic desires for her.The landscapes here suggest a strong ardor and passion, but seemingly it is too strong to match the reserved feature of Tess, which makes Tess feel uncomfortable. Besides, the continual usage of the color red gives a hint for the sequent plot. Tess and Alec meet each other in a background with red things and the red strawberries and roses, which like a bridge, link Tess and Alec together but also predict the fate of Tess and Alec—Alec is killed by Tess and Tess is executed.Both of them at last drops in the red bloods and are encircled by the color red. It looks like a circle of fate, meeting in the red landscapes and leaving and parting also in the terrible bloody red. The landscapes are the most powerful witness testifying what others c annot see and never ignore the hidden tragedy looming large around Tess. If we keep an eye on the landscapes, we couldn’t become so surprised when Alec reaches his evil hands for Tess. 2. 2. 2 Seduction in the Chase Alec commits his sins to Tess in the Chase, â€Å"the oldest wood in England†.Before the violence, a turning point that sows the destined tragic seed for Tess’s future, happens, we can clearly smell the danger flowing in the air through the landscapes. â€Å"With the setting of the moon the pale light lessened and Tess became invisible as she fell into reverie upon the leaves where he [Alec] had left her† (ibid. : 77). Without any defence, Tess shouldn’t have slept in the dead leaves and exposed herself to the darkness and the evil Alec. Innocent Tess has no sense of the danger. Then the landscapes, like the thunder and lighting before the storm, continue to give a hint at the impendent danger. The moon had quite gone down, and partly o n account of the fog. The Chase was wrapped in thick darkness, although morning was not far off. (ibid. : 76) Darkness and silence ruled everywhere around. Above them rose the primeval yews and oaks of The Chase, in which were poised gentle roosting birds in their last nap. (ibid. : 77) The lights of the moon, the only light in the darkness, symbolizing the brightness and hope in the night, are disappearing and the darkness at last takes the upper hand. â€Å"Doesn’t the heavy darkness symbolize the cruelty of the fate and the ruthlessness of the world? (Qi & Mogan 2001: 98). The moon finally cannot resist the rule of darkness just like the innocent Tess cannot escape Alec’s devil hands. How lonely and helpless Tess is at that time! No one comes to save her; no one consoles her. The only creature following her is the landscapes. Even under the control of the powerful kingdom of the darkness, in the wild forests with sparse people, the landscapes don’t abandon T ess. They see every torment Tess suffers and are much closer and kinder to Tess than the human beings.Besides, the seduction is expounded by the author very indirectly and reservedly â€Å"Alec stooped; †¦ He knelt, and bent bower, till her breath warmed his face†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hardy 1994: 77). It seems Alec’s softness together with the foggy and dark landscapes reduce the cruelty of this bloody violence. But the wolf in sheep’s clothing is more horrible; the tragedy covered with comedic clothes is more tragic. The landscapes are not the excuse of violence but ironically enhance Tess’s tough sufferings. From Marlott to Trantridge, most times, Tess is alone.No one follows her; no one will hear her painful heart-throbbing and feel her inner emotions except the landscapes. The landscapes’ mission as the prolocutor to transit Tess’s feeling and emotion become more obvious when she works in Talbothays. 2. 3 Talbothays When Tess leaves her hometown for the second time, it is also a lovely morning of May. The landscapes and the environment around Talbothays are so different from the Blackmoor Vale. The world was drawn to a larger pattern here†¦ the green lea was speckled as thickly with them as a canvas. The ripe hue of the red and dun kine absorbed he evening sunlight†¦ [T]he river flowed not like the streams in blackmoor†¦there the water-flower was the lily; (Hardy 1994: 108) All the landscapes, full of cheerfulness, freshness and strong vitality, reveal Tess’s spiritual conditions at that time when she is amid new scenes where there were no invidious eyes upon her. It seems to indicate they can nourish Tess’s hurt heart and renew her confidence and hope for life. They also pave the way for the beginning of a romantic love between Angel and Tess. Talbothays brings a favorable turn to Tess’s life.At Talbothays, both the natural world and Tess come into ripe bloom. Tess is never happier in o ther places than in Talbothays and in accordance, the landscapes suddenly take off its sad and gloomy clothes and become very bright, soft and shining, giving people sensuous enjoyment. There’s a various visionary power of Hardy’s description of the lovers in the roused scene when Tess listens to Angel playing his harp in the overgrown garden. Tess had heard those notes in the attic. Dim, flattened, constrained by their confinement, they had never appealed to her as now†¦ Tess, like a fascinated bird, could not leave the spot.The outskirt of the garden in which Tess found herself had been left uncultivated for some years, and was now damp and rank with juicy grass which sent up mists of pollen at a touch†¦ She went stealthily as a cat through this profusion of growth, gathering cuckoo-spittle on her skirts, cracking snails that were underfoot, staining her hands with thistle-milk and slug-slime, and rubbing off upon her naked arms sticky blights†¦(ibid. : 127). The intense eroticism of the writing, is not in the people but in the details of the scene: the sound of Angel’s harp and Tess’s move as a cat.It is as though the landscapes themselves contain all the secret smells and juices of the act of physical passion. â€Å"The stronger power of the novel derives, I think from Hardy’s ability to shift effortlessly from vivid details of the outer world to the most complex inner flow of character and emotion† (Alvarez 1992: 17). With the development of the relationship between Tess and Angel, the landscapes as Tess’s good friend share Tess’s happiness and become more exuberant and their hues become much brighter. â€Å"The season eveloped and matured†¦Flowers, leaves, nightingales, thrushes, finches and such ephemeral creatures, took up their positions where only a year ago others had stood in their places†¦. Rays from the sunrise drew forth the buds†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Hardy 1994: 133). Alt hough the incident of the churning machine afflicts Tess and she feels guilty for other three beautiful and innocent girls, surrounded and nourished by the new and gorgeous landscapes, stimulated by her love for Angel, Tess is recovering from the heavy moral burden. Tess, after suffering so much, resumes her happiness, becomes â€Å"the daughter of nature† and is harmonious with the landscapes again.The generally luminous tone of the landscapes in Talbothays lasts until the eve of Tess and Angel’s wedding. Then the hidden darkness comes to its life and begins to give off its evil power. At their wedding eve, the sun seems tired and gives out dim lights and â€Å"Gnats, †¦passed out of its line, and were quite extinct† (ibid. : 200). The prosperity, abundance and brightness of summer are diminishing and the cold winter is on the way. There’s a strong allusion that a happy episode of Tess’s life will end and another cold and brutal sorrow is wai ting for Tess. 2. 4 Wellbridge flour-millsAs expected, a series of omens call on Tess heel by heel. First it’s the afternoon crow of a cock, which is believed to predict a bad omen. Then it’s their wedding house Wellbridge flour-mills that depressed Tess severely. He [Angel] looked up, and perceived two life-size portraits on panels built into the masonry†¦. these paintings represent women of middle age, of a date some two hundred years ago, †¦ the long pointed features, narrow eye, and smirk of the one†¦; the bill-hook nose, large teeth, and bold eye of the other, †¦haunt the beholder in his dreams. (ibid. : 214) The terrible portraits add a horrible atmosphere to the house.The background is so uncomfortable and the happiness of their wedding is too dim to be felt. The originally beautiful, warm and lively landscapes completely shrink and wither. Furthermore, the sun sets down and â€Å"it soon began to rain†(ibid. : 215). The rain adds some gloom to the looming darkness and makes people more depressed. It can be assumed the ghostly tragedy will inevitably attack Tess. The assumption is certified when Tess tells Angel her past. Angel’s confession to Tess arouses her hope of getting forgiveness from Angel and makes her narrate her story calmly.But the landscapes have foreseen the result. The ashes and Tess’s large shadow on the wall and ceiling forecast the forthcoming tragic storm. â€Å"The ashes under the grate were lit by the fire vertically, like a torrid waste†¦. A large shadow of her shape rose on the wall and ceiling†(ibid. : 222). When Tess finishes her story, the fire is near to extinguishment. Angel â€Å"stir[s] the fire†(ibid. : 225) but it makes no sense because his love fire for Tess is extinguishing. Then â€Å"he leaves Tess, even though he knows that she is at least as pure as he is† (Williams 2005: 97).The sad and near-to-death landscapes in Wellbridge flour-mil ls form a sharp contrast with the vivid landscapes in Talbothays and mirror the sudden falling of Tess’s emotions and moods. They enlarge the hidden and invisible pains in Tess’s mind and show a bloody scene to the readers that a pure woman is abandoned at the first night of her wedding. Such hurt Angel, Tess’s husband gives to her, is more severe, painful and ruthless than Alec’s because Alec seduces Tess’s body whereas Angel directly ruins Tess’s spiritual world and deprives almost everything valuable of Tess.Tess is pushed to the verge of break-up and what remains is just a living corpse. 2. 5 Flintcomb-Ash But everything is continuing. Tess returns her hometown when Angel abandons her. However, the poverty of her family forces her to leave again. It’s not Tess’s desire of working in Flintcomb-Ash. She just hands over herself to the fate and obeys its order. Flintcomb-Ash is â€Å"a starve-acre place†(Hardy 1994: 277) and the landscapes, like the moods of the heroine, have no passions and souls, just existing meaninglessly and barrenly. Although the life in Flintcomb-Ash is of no importance, yet it’s calm.Meaningless calmness may be better than the ardent torture. If this life can last, it can be regarded as a God’s gift. But Satan has no sympathy. So more powerful tragedies draw near as if to snatch up the remaining energy of Tess. When Tess meets Alec in Flintcomb-Ash, there’s still the moon hanging in the sky. Why is there always the moon appearing? Where’s the sun? The moon has made everything clear. There’s no hope to dispel the darkness and escape the evil hand of fate. The tough landscapes depict the cruelty of the fate vividly.It is so inhumane that it snatches a trunk without any spirits and vitality and does not give it freedom. It even takes the only love Tess remains for her family as weapons, and harshly arranges Tess to go back to Alec to support her family. The darkness and tragedy have grown up and swallow Tess’s everything, her body and her mind. 2. 6 Stonehenge Now that the struggle is fruitless then how does one get freedom and get rid of the cruel control of fate? Tess uses an extreme way to achieve her goal. She kills Alec and gets peace in Stonehenge—the heathen temple.The pillars there are very merciful and Tess â€Å"was sheltered from the wind by a pillar† and â€Å"the stone was warm and dry, in comforting contrast to the rough and chill grass around†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (ibid. : 379). When the human world tries best to capture Tess after her â€Å"cruel violence†, the Stonehenge accepts her and offers what it can offer—a place to rest. There’s no happiness in the human world when Tess obeys all the rules, so after her â€Å"cruel violence†, the world shuts its door for Tess more firmly and â€Å"righteously† and only the merciful landscapes hold Tess.Although the landscapes cannot do more and cannot save Tess, yet they never abandon Tess and help much to alleviate her pains and sufferings. Chapter 3 The Author’s Opinions on the Characters The landscapes serve for Tess’s prolocutor but they are also arranged to express the author’s opinions. Hardy, through the landscape description, becomes Tess’s protector, defender, comforter, lover—but one who ultimately fails in all those roles, since in the end he could not prevent her from dying. 3. Hardy’s involvement in the novel through the landscapes Hardy, like an experienced elder, in fact, from the beginning, always worries about Tess’s fate. He involves in the stage of Tess’s life by the landscapes: when Tess first meets Alec and Alec puts lots of flowers in Tess’s bosom, Hardy expresses his misgiving â€Å"that behind the blue narcotic haze was potentially the ‘tragic mischief’ of her drama†(Hardy 1994: 45); when Tess is seduced by Alec in the Chase, Hardy together with the landscapes gives a painful plaint â€Å"where was Tess’s guardian angel?Where was the Providence of her simple faith? †(ibid. : 77). When Tess and Angel fall in love with each other in Talbothays, he gives a more detailed description of the lovers walking in the dawn: The mixed, singular, luminous gloom in which they walked along to the spot where the cows lay†¦she looked ghostly, as if she were merely a soul at large. In reality her face†¦had caught the cold gleam of day from the north-east†¦(ibid. : 134) At these non-human hours they could get quite close to the water-fowl.Herons came, †¦ watching them by moving their heads round in a slow, horizontal, passionless wheel, like the turn of puppets by clockwork. (ibid. : 135) What is at stake in these paragraphs is not a mere courtship, nor even a description of the forces why Angel falls in love with Tess. On the contrary, Angel seems le ft behind. It’s as if the author—Hardy were alone with his heroine, watching her fascinated, almost surprised by the power of the woman he himself has created.It seems that Hardy, after a painstaking self-control of his emotion, could no longer stand just as a passer-by but involves in the story through the sensitive landscapes and begins to communicate with Tess. 3. 2 Another important character—Hardy himself Another evidence to show Hardy’s self-position in the novel, is that Alec, Angel or other characters, are just passing traveler. â€Å"None of the secondary figures has much interest in his own right, apart from his capacity to illuminate and enlarge the experience of Tess†(Howe 1967: 442). The swiftness with which the other characters diminish, becoming pale and without substance when compared with Tess, and the continual emergence of the landscapes are perhaps a mirror of the way in which Hardy’s personal involvement alters with the story† (Alvarez 1992: 19). He becomes the only character as important as Tess in the novel. When Angel abandons Tess and Tess works hard and lonely in Flintcomb-Ash, the author wins enough space and time to stay with his heroine alone and spends lots of energy describing the harsh and tough environment to express his sympathy and understanding to Tess.After Tess nips her eyebrows off and tries her effort to uglify herself, â€Å"she walks on, a figure which is a part of the landscape; a field woman pure and simple†¦ Inside this exterior, over which the eye might have roved as over a thing scarcely percipient, there was the record †¦of the cruelty of lust and the fragility of love†(Hardy 1994: 272-273). â€Å"Pure†, â€Å"simple† and â€Å"inside this exterior† show that Hardy not only knows Tess’s appearance very well, but his understanding of the inner Tess is beyond anyone else.Angel who loves and takes Tess more as an imaginative Goddess cannot compare with him, not to mention Alec who addicts to Tess’s natural beauty. Hardy’s description seems to be objective, but mixes so much his sadness. When Tess reaches Flintcomb-Ash, â€Å"before her, in a slight depression, were the remains of a village†¦. Hither she was doomed to come†(ibid. : 274). â€Å"Depression† â€Å"doom†, what Tess feels is seemingly just the author’s feelings. Through his such musing voices he makes his presence steadily felt. He like a kind father hovers and watched over Tess.He is as tender as possible to Tess. After the hard work in the Flintcomb-Ash, after her father’s death, after the homelessness of her family, Tess disappears from the horizon. At last, Angel appears and Tess also restages. â€Å"But it was not clear to him till later; that his original Tess had spiritually ceased to recognize the body before him as hers—allowing it to drift, like a corpse†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (ib id. : 366). What Hardy is painfully describing is the tragic fact that even though he doesn’t want to accept, the spirits of Tess has died and only a corpse remains.And Angel, Tess’s husband, hasn’t recognized the truth, which ironically reveals the tragic truth: Angel might not deserve Tess’s so deep and passionate and unconditional love. But Hardy seemingly doesn’t want to end his heroine’s life so sadly and so he leaves five happy days for their escape. Outwardly the author creates a temporarily calm environment for Angle and Tess, but it’s more suitable to say that the five days is just an alleviant to lower Tess’s tragedy more or less and also for the author to make a farewell to his created creature and reduce his sadness.The temporary happiness elapses, and the straining fight against fate is futile. And the last tragedy is doomed to come as Hardy’s pessimistic faith to life. In the holy and serious Stonehenge sur rounded by beautiful landscapes, Tess’s life as well as her sufferings comes to an end. The band of silver paleness along the east horizon made even the distant parts of the Great Plain appear dark and near; and the whole enormous landscapes bore that impress of reserve, taciturnity†¦.The eastward pillars and their architraves stood up blackly against the light, †¦ (ibid. : 381) In this continually roused haunting descriptions of the landscapes, â€Å"which crystallize into visionary states of mind and above all in the power and beauty of the heroine who he created and then unwillingly, destroyed† (Alvarez 1992: 22), Tess wins death as a reward and â€Å"the President of the immortals had ended his sport with Tess†(Hardy 1994: 384), so Tess obtains freedom from the intolerable agony of living. Chapter 4 ConclusionThe novel is so direct in its appeal and unambiguous in its story-line; the plot is not particularly original in its framework, and in the en d it cannot by itself account for the novel’s power. Two remarkable elements in its creation have a significant role to play: one is the passionate commitment to the central character with which the novel is written; the other is the integration of the characters including the author with their environment and landscapes, which Hardy achieved more fully here than anywhere else.The story of Tess of the D’urbervilles begins with the big event of May-Day Dance in the lovely May and ends up with the death of Tess in July. The change of the landscapes, following the season, the weather, the time, predict the main rhythm of the development of the plot and foresee the ups and downs of Tess’s whole life. The characters and the landscapes unite well together and enhance the tragic atmosphere of this novel and demonstrate Tess profoundly.Tess, as if she were a natural phenomenon, is set in the appropriate landscapes: her innocence in the tame, mild Vale of Blackmoor; her seduction in the Chase; then her idyllic love affair with Angel in the sensual Paradise garden of Talbothays in the Vale of the big Dairies; â€Å"her period of desolation at Flintcomb-Ash, where the unforgiving landscape is as stripped of comfort and vegetation as she is of love and hope; finally, her sacrificial consummation on the altar-stone of Stonehenge† (Alvarez 1992: 12).Besides, from the beginning to the end, the author Hardy embodies himself the most beautiful but maybe the saddest scenery to follow Tess, to console her and expatiate her. Tess, Hardy and the landscapes reflect each other, match each other, cooperate with each other, and are integrated together, at last, demonstrate Tess’s tragic fate.The remarkable way of the landscape description as well as the the misery and tragedy besieging Tess offers the most deeply moving reading experience and make people taste the great power of tragedy. The landscapes, like the Phosphor, emit its light and brightnes s, shining the road and guiding us to understand the characters and the novel more clearly and drastically.   

Existentialist View Of Human Condition Essays - Modernism

Existentialist View Of Human Condition Essays - Modernism Existentialist View of Human Condition Two of the main principles of Existentialist Human Condition are: That man exists and then creates himself and what man chooses for himself he chooses for everyone else as well. Lets examine the first principle: man exists and then defines himself. What it means is that man is created on this earth and is nothing but a body, blood and guts. What he chooses to do and to be is what makes him a man. If a man comes into this world and chooses to steal, cheat, kill and lie then that is what that man has made himself to be. While society may see him as a "evil" person, that is what is right for him. Now on the other hand if a person chooses to be generous, kind, honest and loving, society may see him as a "good" person while it is still right for him. According to the Existentialists, a person is placed on this earth with no predisposed "good" or "evil" values, one man is not created with any more good or evil than the next. By the decisions we make in life we create oursel! ves. Next the second view, what man chooses for himself he chooses for everyone else. This is a view I really believe in. Everything we do in life effects someone else, whether we no it or not. Every time we drive our car. Every time we eat something, spend money, go for a jog someone else is effected. For an example: a man goes to the store and buys a stereo. First of all the clerk the clerk is effected because they have to check you out, so you have taken some of their time. The store is effected because they are minus one radio from their store. The manufacturer now has to make one more to replace the one that was bought from the store. The manufacturing employees are effected because put the radio together, and so on. On the other hand a man who chooses to steal that same stereo will effect even more people. If he get caught the store, the manufacturer, the police, the courts, the jails and all the people who are involved with those organizations. So now the question is raised "what if everyone acted the same way that man did?" Well there could be nothing but anarchy, no laws, or government. Basically we would revert to a type of Neanderthal type state. This is why many classic philosophers have problems with the Existentialist point of view, because of the "what if" questions.

Atomic Bomb Use essays

Atomic Bomb Use essays In 1945, the world was changed forever by the first use of the atomic bomb against civilians. This may have been the single most defining event in the twentieth century. Now, the world really could be potentially destroyed, and one false move by government officials could mean the end. This new brand of warfare was first used by the United States against the Japanese in an effort to end the war between the two nations. Yet was the use of this bomb really necessary? This question alone raises several other questions, and this essay will deal with a few specific ones, using Gar Alperovitzs novel The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb as a source. First, why did the United States drop the atomic bomb on the residents of two Japanese cities? According to proponents of the bomb, the reason was to end the war against the Japanese. However, Japan was already in deep trouble as it was. The country was running out of agricultural and industrial power by 1945, and its leaders were starting to accept the reality that they would not be able to win the war. On page 334, Aplerovitz notes that Henry H. Arnold stated in his memoirs that it always appeared to us, atomic bomb or no atomic bomb, the Japanese were already on the verge of collapse. One exception to Japanese surrender was that they wanted to keep their form of government, but the fact that the United States was not clear on the terms of surrender delayed the whole process. All these factors seem to show that Japan would probably have surrendered without the use of the bomb. In fact, several advisors to Truman have said that a mere demonstration of the bomb would probably have done the trick. L. Louis Strauss, the soon to be president of the Atomic Energy Commission, proposed that, the weapon should be demonstrated over some area accessible to the Japanese observers, where its effects would be dramatic (Alperovitz, pg. 332). Yet Truman still decid...

The Abolition of Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Abolition of Man - Essay Example 3. The other reason supporting Lewis argument is the fact that most judgment made by humans are built on false assumptions which come from the confusion of thought (Smilde 5). To supplement on this, there is debunk of the human sense of value in which it is highly inconvenient and incurable when engaged in decision making. This is simply because morality is human and humanity is nature and that nature is a thing to rule not to be ruled by (Smilde 5). This means humanity rules over judgment and decision making and not by the truth of the situation. 1. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. This law is meant to promote generalized harmony and safe stay among people within the society. If everybody in the society follows this law cases of discrimination and other crimes would not happen (Stanford 3). The legality of the law is the fact that it allows tit for tat policy where people would fear ill-treating others for them they wouldn’t want to be ill-treated. 2. Do not kill is another law which is ethically and morally appealing to the human race. The value of human life is very important and everybody has to protect and preserve life (Stanford 5). When this law is implemented and followed by everybody, the moral campaign within the society will see unethical characters like murder, abortion and self-death will cease as everybody will value life (Stanford 3). Adultery and prostitution illegality. This is another law that is based on promoting socially ethical character among people in the community. When adultery and prostitution are illegal, then people will have to be faithful to their wives. When this law is implemented, there will be a reduction in domestic cases of cheating husbands and wives which are very dangerous and can result in murder (Stanford 6). Moreover, cases of sexually transmitted infections will also reduce as everybody will have one intimate partner. Freedom of worship. This is another law that aims to promote harmony by respecting every culture, traditions and religious beliefs of human races (Stanford 10). It should be noted that human culture, traditions, and religion is dynamic and it varies depending on the community. When this law is implemented, a God-fearing society shall be created and peaceful living promoted. This is because most religions preach peace and love.

The Natural Law of Human Nature and the Development of a Moral Research Paper

The Natural Law of Human Nature and the Development of a Moral Character - Research Paper Example For a speaker to share their thoughts clearly they must have a good command of the language. The correct language to use differs depending on the thought, the listeners, and the surrounding. Choosing words correctly is an important aspect of language, and it helps convert thoughts into an understandable message. Therefore, language and thoughts are closely related and highly integrated for there to meaningful communication. Critical thinking refers to a careful exploration of the thinking process to create a better understanding and induce intelligent decision-making (Chaffee 51). For one to be a critical thinker there must have certain qualities such as insightfulness, creativity, passion, open-mindedness and high mental activity. Critical thinking is influenced by various surrounding and personal aspects of a person. The experiences that one has gone through can make them a better critical thinker or can destroy their ability to think critically. Similarly, the emotions of a person have the capacity to influence their ability to think critically. A child that has grown through traumatizing experiences cannot be compared to a child who has never been traumatized in their life when both of them are exposed to traumatic experiences. A child used to traumatic situations will be able to reason out well when such a situation arises. Therefore, personal history is highly influential to one’s ability to think critically. Personal history can influence critical thinking positively and negatively. A child who has previously failed in exams after studying hard may have the wrong perception about working hard.