International Trade Simulation Essay

In jumping into international trade a country would ideally want to maximize profits and maximize the impact of opportunity costs associated with importing and exporting goods and services. The ideal situation for a country involved in international trade would be the exportation of specialized goods that can be efficiently produced and the importation of goods that are produced elsewhere that are produced under similar conditions. Doing so creates reasonably priced goods that are desirable to other countries. The contents of the paper will discuss the advantages and limitations of international trade as identified in the simulation and will indentify four key points from the reading assignments that were emphasized in the simulation. In addition there will be a discussion on the application of what was learned in the simulation to a familiar organization. Lastly there will be a summary of results from this assessment. Rodamia International Trade Advantages and LimitationsOne major advantage of international trade, as pointed out in the simulation, is that by importing certain goods that a country does not have an advantage over means that the country will be able to optimize the production of the products that they do have advantage over. In this type of situation a country exports an efficiently made, high quality product. For example in the first scenario Rodamia the best products for export were cheese and DVD players. Due certain choices along with availability of technology and resources those commodities were the best choices to produce and subsequently export. Importing corn from Uthania was another good choice because corn is produced at a lower opportunity cost which passes that savings along to Rodamia. In addition importing corn allows Rodamia to put a large amount of its resources into producing cheese. Suntize has a comparative advantage in electronics so importing watches from them was a good decision as well. In trading with Suntize and Uthania this made Rodamia in line with opportunity costs of production in each country. The limitation is that comparative advantage does not stay the same because over time as technology develops and skill level adapts the advantage changes as well. Scenario 2 & 3Another advantage is that in order to stabilize international conditions countries can decide to or not to impose tariffs to equalize the  market. In the second scenario Suntize exported watches to Rodamia at a lower price than the watches Suntize was selling domestically. Placing a different price otherwise called dumping, causes the international market to become unstable. Rodamia decided to place a tariff so that the price imported can equate to the market value of the watches. The dumping margin was calculated at 25% which would raise a tariff of $40 per unit or 25% of the export price. The tariff also proves to help protect the domestic producers. This is so because the number of imports starts to decrease and domestic production numbers raise because of it. In Rodamia the tariffs caused imports from Suntize to drop to 2.00 million units and increased domestic production to 6.00 million units. One of the limitations is that imposing tariffs means that consumers will no longer be able to reap the benefits of a cheaper imported product. High tariffs can mean that consumers may have to pay for higher priced domestically made goods. In scenario three not imposing a tariff proved to be an advantage because not imposing a tariff on Uthania and Suntize caused them not to impose tariffs on the cheese that is imported from Rodamia. A tariff would also harm goods producers in Uthania and Suntize. The limitations are that in Rodamia the corn industry is in its beginnings and imposing a tariff would protect the domestic industry from cheaper produced corn. A tariff would foster the potential for Rodamia to be a large corn producer. Scenario 4Free trade improves domestic market competition. What this means for the consumer is better quality goods and for producers an expanded market in which to export their goods. Countries involved in free trade benefit from all the other countries involved as once a country determines their competitive advantage other countries can reap the benefits of having quality goods. Rodamia has decided to negotiate free trade agreements with both Uthania and Suntize. In doing so free trade negotiation lowers trade barriers which allow countries to explore other markets. This can provide consumers with a larger variety of products. In addition opening the country to other markets increase production leads to an increase competition and consumers benefit from this. The limitations are that free trade negotiations do not affect countries that are not a part of the FTA. Countries outside of the FTA will have high trade barriers. Four Key PointsFour key points that were emphasized in the readings and in the simulation were comparative advantage, consumer surplus, opportunity costs, and trade restrictions. Comparative advantage is when a country possesses the technology and resources to produce at good at a lower cost compared to another good and another countries production. Since Rodamia could produce cheese efficiently their comparative advantage would lay in cheese production. The comparative advantages in the simulation determined Rodamia’s exports and imports from the neighboring countries. Consumer surplus is when a country can produce goods at a lower price than another country. The country of Suntize may have had a consumer surplus with its production of electronics. The decision to choose Suntize to import watches was based upon the fact that Suntize had an advantage in producing electronic goods. Opportunity cost is the benefit foregone by producing a certain good (Colander, 2004). Opportunity costs were weighed heavily in Rodamia choosing goods to export. Rodamia was encouraged to export the commodity that had the lowest opportunity cost which turned out to be cheese. Giving away 2000 tons of corn cut cheese production in half where as if no corn was exported and imported instead, yields 8 million pounds of cheese. The last key point involves trade restrictions. Some types of trade restrictions include tariffs, quotas, embargos, and licenses. Tariffs were imposed upon Suntize for creating an unbalanced market. The tariff helped to equalize the imported price with the market value. Not imposing trade restrictions can also help not to harm foreign producers of goods and in return they may not decide to place tariffs on imports. Application of SimulationAs a frequent traveler to foreign Asian countries I now know why some countries produce the goods they produce. For example Jasmine rice is widely known as a Thai commodity but their number one export is computers and computer parts. This is so because Thailand has a comparative advantage in producing those goods and exporting them. Because of the lowered price of production Thailand will be able to export units at a reasonable price making those products desirable to countries that are in need of them. In addition I also see the major disadvantages of being a country that does not have any sort of comparative advantage. This would  make it difficult to trade with other countries that will look for products that can be produced efficiently and less costly. Summary of Results Scenario 1:Exports: Cheese and DVDsImports: Corn/UthaniaWatches/SuntizeScenario 2:Level of Tariff (%/unit): 40Imports from Suntize (million units): 2.00Domestic Product (million units): 6.00Scenario 3:Tariff level: 0%Imports from Uthania & Alfazia ($ in million): 37.29Exports from Uthania ($ in million): 32.48Exports to Alfazia ($ in millions): 8.86Rodamia’s Balance of Trade ($ in millions): 4.04Scenario 4Weather to Negotiate FTA’s: YesCountry to Negotiate FTA’s with: Alfazia and Uthania Conclusion In summary international trade does not come without issues of creating optimal exports and importing the most cost efficient goods. International trade seems to expand the variety of goods that consumers want and for a country and its producer it seeks out new consumers and markets. The contents of this paper has discussed the advantages and limitations of international trade as identified in the simulation and indentified four key points from the reading assignments that were emphasized in the simulation. In addition there was a discussion on the application of what was learned in the simulation to a familiar organization. Lastly there was a summary of results from this assessment. References: Colander, D.C. (2004). Economics (5th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw-HillUniversity of Phoenix. (2007). Applying International Trade Concepts. Retrieved on October18, 2007 from, University of Phoenix, rEesource, Simulation,ECO360- Economics for Business I Web site.

Delta Sigma Theta

The book is affluent in narration of not only the sorority but also of the struggles and fortitude of African American women who often found themselves as a double minority, facing issues of their race and also their sex. It takes you ahead of the conventionality and the existing paranoia, the stride shows and the parties and provides an insight into the more profound rationale and significance of the ‘sisterhood'.‘In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement’ provides a perfect certified chronological reference. It is the detailed history of the organization on paper written in a very convincing manner. It sheds light on the founders, the various events, and the chronology of the events, and other important information about the growth and intensification of the organisation which stood for 90 years. It also talks about the national presidents through 1988, the conventions, the Delta oath and the hymn of the organisat ion.The book talks not only about the history of the largest block women's organization in the United States but also tells of the increasing involvement of black women in the political, social, and economic affairs of America. The foray of the black women in the American politics has been a focal point. This organisation was founded when liberal art tutoring was extensively considered as futile, treacherous, and unrealistic for blacks. They were not provided with enough space and platform to exhibit their talent. Women especially were devoid of any advancement in studies, knowledge and arts.This book is a convincing manifestation of how they overcame the initial prohibitions and challenges to find a place for them in the competitive world and color the canvases of their aspirations. It also gives a reflection of how they gave meaning to their existences by providing platforms to the dreams of the society which was suffering. Paula Giddings remarks that contrasting the aims of other organizations which propagated racial goals, Delta Sigma Theta was formed to transform and assist individuals rather than society.She says that it basically emphasises on the benefit of an individual which would in turn benefit the society. As a sorority, it was formed to bring women together as sisters. If women fought for one cause it could prove beneficial to them as well as to the society. There were certain issues which would create division, often class-related issues involving black women in our society. Giddings also mentions the way these women get together to face the divisive and to address the problem of class related issues.Giddings has given a vision that is obscure because certain goals and aims of the women of Delta Sigma Theta form a mesmerising microcosm. This talks about the struggles, the hardships faced by the black women. It also states the problems faced by the organization. There are many tribulations that Gidding has beautifully mentioned giving an insight into the actual situation that persisted before Afro-American women found a place for themselves in the society.The members stated in Delta Sigma Theta includes a list of renowned women namely Mary McLeod Bethune, Mary Church Terrell, Margaret Murray Washington, Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and, on the cultural side, Leontyne Price, Lena Horne, Ruby Dee, Judith Jamison, and Roberta Flack. In Search of Sisterhood Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement is full of gripping, absorbing, fascinating anecdotes told by the Deltas themselves. The anecdotes are nicely illustrated with uncommon early photographs of the Delta women.

Historiographic Metafiction Essay

The frontiers of a book are never clear-cut: beyond the title, the first lines, and the last full-stop, beyond its internal configuration and its autonomous form, it is caught up in a system of references to other books, other texts, other sentences: it is a node within a network. -Foucault What we tend to call postmodernism in literature today is usually characterized by intense self-reflexivity and overtly parodic intertextuality. In fiction this means that it is usually metafiction that is equated with the postmodern. Given the scarcity of precise definitions of this problematic period designation, such an equation is often accepted without question. What I would like to argue is that, in the interests of precision and consistency, we must add something else to this definition: an equally self-conscious dimension of history. My model here is postmodern architecture, that resolutely parodic recalling of the history of architectural forms and functions. The theme of the 1980 Venice Biennale, which introduced postmodernism to the architectural world, was â€Å"The Presence of the Past. † The term postmodernism, when used in fiction, should, by analogy, best be reserved to describe fiction that is at once metafictional and historical in its echoes of the texts and contexts of the past. In order to distinguish this paradoxical beast from traditional historical fiction, I would like to label it â€Å"historiographic metafiction. † The category of novel I am thinking of includes One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ragtime, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, and The Name of the Rose. All of these are popular and familiar novels whose metafictional self-reflexivity (and intertextuality) renders their implicit claims to historical veracity somewhat problematic, to say the least. 3 LINDA HUTCHEON In the wake of recent assaults by literary and philosophical theory on modernist formalist closure, postmodern American fiction, in particular, has sought to open itself up to history, to what Edward Said (The World) calls the â€Å"world. † But it seems to have found that it can no longer do so in any innocent way: the certainty of direct reference of the historical novel or even the nonfictional novel is gone. So is the certainty of self-reference implied in the Borgesian claim that both literature and the world are equally fictive realities. The postmodern relationship between fiction and history is an even more complex one of interaction and mutual implication. Historiographic metafiction works to situate itself within historical discourse without surrendering its autonomy as fiction. And it is a kind of seriously ironic parody that effects both aims: the intertexts of history and fiction take on parallel (though not equal) status in the parodic reworking of the textual past of both the â€Å"world† and literature. The textual incorporation of these intertextual past(s) as a constitutive structural element of postmodernist fiction functions as a formal marking of historicity-both literary and â€Å"worldly. † At first glance it would appear that it is only its constant ironic signaling of difference at the very heart of similarity that distinguishes postmodern parody from medieval and Renaissance imitation (see Greene 17). For Dante, as for E. L. Doctorow, the texts of literature and those of history are equally fair game. Nevertheless, a distinction should be made: â€Å"Traditionally, stories were stolen, as Chaucer stole his; or they were felt to be the common property of a culture or community †¦ These notable happenings, imagined or real, lay outside language the way history itself is supposed to, in a condition of pure occurrence† (Gass 147). Today, there is a return to the idea of a common discursive â€Å"property† in the embedding of both literary and historical texts in fiction, but it is a return made problematic by overtly metafictional assertions of both history and literature as human constructs, indeed, as human illusions-necessary, but none the less illusory for all that. The intertextual parody of historiographic metafiction enacts, in a way, the views of certain contemporary historiographers (see Canary and Kozicki): it offers a sense of the presence of the past, but this is a past that can only be known from its texts, its traces-be they literary or historical. Clearly, then, what I want to call postmodernism is a paradoxical cultural phenomenon, and it is also one that operates across many traditional disciplines. In contemporary theoretical discourse, for instance, we find puzzling contradictions: those masterful denials of mastery, totalizing negations of totalization, continuous attest4 HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION ings of discontinuity. In the postmodern novel the conventions of both fiction and historiography are simultaneously used and abused, installed and subverted, asserted and denied. And the double (literary/historical) nature of this intertextual parody is one of the major means by which this paradoxical (and defining) nature of postmodernism is textually inscribed. Perhaps one of the reasons why there has been such heated debate on the definition of postmodernism recently is that the implications of the doubleness of this parodic process have not been fully examined. Novels like The Book of Daniel or The Public Burning-whatever their complex intertextual layering-can certainly not be said to eschew history, any more than they can be said to ignore either their moorings in social reality (see Graff 209) or a clear political intent (see Eagleton 61). Historiographic metafiction manages to satisfy such a desire for â€Å"worldly† grounding while at the same time querying the very basis of the authority of that grounding. As David Lodge has put it, postmodernism short-circuits the gap between text and world (239-4 0 ) . Discussions of postmodernism seem more prone than most to confusing self-contradictions, again perhaps because of the paradoxical nature of the subject itself. Charles Newman, for instance, in his provocative book The Post-Modern Aura, begins by defining postmodern art as a â€Å"commentary on the aesthetic history of whatever genre it adopts† (44). This would, then, be art which sees history only in aesthetic terms (57). However, when postulating an American version of postmodernism, he abandons this metafictional intertextual definition to call American literature a â€Å"literature without primary influences,† â€Å"a literature which lacks a known parenthood,† suffering from the â€Å"anxiety of non-influence† (87). As we shall see, an examination of the novels of Toni Morrison, E. L. Doctorow, John Barth, Ishmael Reed, Thomas Pynchon, and others casts a reasonable doubt on such pronouncements. On the one hand, Newman wants to argue that  postmodernism at large is resolutely parodic; on the other, he asserts that the American postmodern deliberately puts â€Å"distance between itself and its literary antecedents, an obligatory if occasionally conscience-stricken break with the past† (172). Newman is not alone in his viewing of postmodern parody as a form of ironic rupture with the past (see Thiher 214), but, as in postmodernist architecture, there is always a paradox at the heart of that â€Å"post†: irony does indeed mark the difference from the past, but the intertextual echoing simultaneously works to affirm-textually and hermeneutically-the connection with the past. When that past is the literary period we now seem to label as 5 LINDA HUTCHEON modernism, then what is both instated and then subverted is the notion of the work of art as a closed, self-sufficient, autonomous object deriving its unity from the formal interrelations of its parts. In its characteristic attempt to retain aesthetic autonomy while still returning the text to the â€Å"world,† postmodernism both asserts and then undercuts this formalistic view. But this does not necessitate a return to the world of â€Å"ordinary reality,† as some have argued (Kern 216); the â€Å"world† in which the text situates itself is the â€Å"world† of discourse, the â€Å"world† of texts and intertexts. This â€Å"world† has direct links to the world of empirical reality, but it is not itself that empirical reality. It is a contemporary critical truism that realism is really a set of conventions, that the representation of the real is not the same as the real itself. What historiographic metafiction challenges is both any naive realist concept of representation and any equally naive textualist or formalist assertions of the total separation of art from the world. The postmodern is selfconsciously art â€Å"within the archive† (Foucault 92), and that archive is both historical and literary. In the light of the work of writers such as Carlos Fuentes, Salman Rushdie, D. M. Thomas,John Fowles, Umberto Eco, as well as Robert Coover, E. L. Doctorow, John Barth, Joseph Heller, Ishmael Reed, and other American novelists, it is hard to see why critics such as Allen Thiher, for instance, â€Å"can think of no such intertextual foundations today† as those of Dante in Virgil (189)’ Are we really in the midst of a crisis of faith in the â€Å"possibility of historical culture† (189)? Have we ever not been in such a crisis? To parody is not to destroy the past; in fact, to parody is both to enshrine the past and to question it. And this is the postmodern paradox. The theoretical exploration of the â€Å"vast dialogue† (Calinescu, 169) between and among literatures and histories that configure postmodernism has, in part, been made possible by Julia Kristeva’s early reworking of the Bakhtinian notions of polyphony, dialogism, and heteroglossia-the multiple voicings of a text. Out of these ideas she developed a more strictly formalist theory of the irreducible plurality of texts within and behind any given text, thereby deflecting the critical focus away from the notion of the subject (here, the author) to the idea of textual productivity. Kristeva and her colleagues at Tel Quel in the late sixties and early seventies mounted a collective attack on the founding subject (alias: the â€Å"romantic† cliche of the author) as the original and originating source of fixed and fetishized meaning in the text. And, of course, this also put into question the entire notion of the â€Å"text† as an autonomous entity, with immanent meaning. 6 HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION In America a similar formalist impulse had provoked a similar attack much earlier in the form of the New Critical rejection of the â€Å"intentional fallacy† (Wimsatt). Nevertheless, it would seem that even though we can no longer talk comfortably of authors (and sources and influences), we still need a critical language in which to discuss those ironic allusions, those re-contextualized quotations, those double-edged parodies both of genre and of specific works that proliferate in modernist and postmodernist texts. This, of course, is where the concept of intertextuality has proved so useful. As later defined by Roland Barthes (Image 160) and Michael Riffaterre (142-43), intertextuality replaces the challenged authortext relationship with one between reader and text, one that situates the locus of textual meaning within the history of discourse itself. A literary work can actually no longer be considered original; if it were, it could have no meaning for its reader. It is only as part of prior discourses that any text derives meaning and significance. Not surprisingly, this theoretical  redefining of aesthetic value has coincided with a change in the kind of art being produced. Postmodernly parodic composer George Rochberg, in the liner notes to the Nonesuch recording of his String Quartet no. 3 articulates this change in these terms: â€Å"I have had to abandon the notion of ‘originality,’ in which the personal style of the artist and his ego are the supreme values; the pursuit of the one-idea, uni-dimensional work and gesture which seems to have dominated the esthetics of art in the aoth century; and the received idea that it is necessary to divorce oneself from the past. â€Å"In the visual arts too, the works of Shusaku Arakawa, Larry Rivers, Tom Wesselman, and others have brought about, through parodic intertextuality (both aesthetic and historical), a real skewing of any â€Å"romantic† notions of subjectivity and creativity. As in historiographic metafiction, these other art forms parodically cite the intertexts of both the â€Å"world† and art and, in so doing, contest the boundaries that many would unquestioningly use to separate the two. In its most extreme formulation, the result of such contesting would be a â€Å"break with every given context, engendering an infinity of new contexts in a manner which is absolutely illimitable† (Derrida 185). While postmodernism, as I am defining it here, is perhaps somewhat less promiscuously extensive, the notion of parody as opening the text up, rather than closing it down, is an important one: among the many things that postmodern intertextuality challenges are both closure and single, centralized meaning. Its willed and willful provisionality rests largely upon its acceptance of the inevitable textual infiltration of prior discursive 7 LINDA HUTCHEON practices. Typically contradictory, intertextuality in postmodern art both provides and undermines context. In Vincent B. Leitch’s terms, it â€Å"posits both an uncentered historical enclosure and an abysmal decentered foundation for language and textuality; in so doing, it exposes all contextualizations as limited and limiting, arbitrary and confining, self-serving and authoritarian, theological and political. However paradoxically formulated,  intertextuality offers a liberating determinism† (162). It is perhaps clearer now why it has been claimed that to use the term intertextuality in criticism is not just to avail oneself of a useful conceptual tool: it also signals a â€Å"prise de position, un champ de reference† (Angenot 122). But its usefulness as a theoreticalframework that is both hermeneutic and formalist is obvious in dealing with historiographic metafiction that demands of the reader not only the recognition of textualized traces of the literary and historical past but also the awareness of what has been done-through irony-to those traces. The reader is forced to acknowledge not only the inevitable textuality of our knowledge of the past, but also both the value and the limitation of that inescapably discursive form of knowledge, situated as it is â€Å"between presence and absence† (Barilli). halo Calvina’s Marco Polo in Invisible Cities both is and is not the historical Marco Polo. How can we, today, â€Å"know† the Italian explorer? We can only do so by way of texts-including his own (Il Milione) , from which Calvino parodically takes his frame tale, his travel plot, and his characterization (Musarra 141). Roland Barthes once defined the intertext as â€Å"the impossibility of living outside the infinite text† (Pleasure 36), thereby making intertextuality the very condition of textuality. Umberto Eco, writing of his novel The Name of the Rose, claims: â€Å"1 discovered what writers have always known (and have told us again and again): books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told† (20). The stories that The Name of the Rose retells are both those of literature (by Arthur Conan Doyle, Jorge Luis Borges, James Joyce, Thomas Mann, T.S. Eliot, among others) and those of history (medieval chronicles, religious testimonies). This is the parodically doubled discourse of postmodernist intertextuality. However, this is not just a doubly introverted form of aestheticism: the theoretical implications of this kind of historiographic metafiction coincide with recent historiographic theory about the nature of history writing as narrativization (rather than representation) of the past and about the nature of the archive as the textualized remains of history (see White, â€Å"The Question†). 8 HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION In other words, yes, postmodernism manifests a certain introversion, a self-conscious turning toward the form of the act of writing itself; but it is also much more than that. It does not go so far as to â€Å"establish an explicit literal relation with that real world beyond itself,† as some have claimed (Kirernidjian 238). Its relationship to the â€Å"worldly† is still on the level of discourse, but to claim that is to claim quite a lot. After all, we can only â€Å"know† (as opposed to â€Å"experience†) the world through our narratives (past and present) of it, or so postmodernism argues. The present, as well as the past, is always already irremediably textualized for us (Belsey 46), and the overt intertextuality of historiographic metafiction serves as one of the textual signals of this postmodern realization. Readers of a novel like Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five do not have to proceed very far before picking up these signals. The author is identified on the title page as â€Å"a fourth-generation German-American now living in easy circumstances on Cape Cod (and smoking too much), who, as an American infantry scout hors de combat, as a prisoner of war, witnessed the fire-bombing of Dresden, Germany, ‘The Florence of the Elbe,’ a long time ago, and survived to tell the tale. This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfamadore, where the flying saucers come from. Peace. † The character, Kurt Vonnegut, appears in the novel, trying to erase his memories of the war and of Dresden, the destruction of which he saw from â€Å"Slaughterhouse-Five,† where he worked as a POW. The novel itself opens with: â€Å"All this happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway, are pretty much true† (7). Counterpointed to this historical context, however, is the (metafictionally marked) Billy Pilgrim, the optometrist who helps correct defective vision-including his own, though it takes the planet Tralfamadore to give him his new perspective. Billy’s fantasy life acts as an allegory of the author’s own displacements and postponements (i. e. , his other novels) that prevented him from writing about Dresden before this, and it is the intratexts of the novel that signal this allegory: Tralfamadore itself is from Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan, Billy’s home in Illium is from Player Piano, characters appear from Mother Night and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. The intertexts, however, function in similar ways, and their provenience is again double: there are actual historical intertexts (documentaries on Dresden, etc.), mixed with those of historical fiction (Stephen Crane, Celine). But there are also structurally and thematically connected allusions: to Hermann Hesse’s Journey to the East and to various works of science fiction. Popular 9 LINDA HUTCHEON and high-art intertexts mingle: Valley of the Dolls meets the poems of William Blake and Theodore Roethke. All are fair game and all get re-contextualized in order to challenge the imperialistic (cultural and political) mentalities that bring about the Dresdens of history. Thomas Pynchon’s V. uses double intertexts in a similarly â€Å"loaded† fashion to formally enact the author’s related theme of the entropic destructiveness of humanity. Stencil’s dossier, its fragments of the texts of history, is an amalgam of literary intertexts, as if to remind us that â€Å"there is no one writable ‘truth’ about history and experience, only a series of versions: it always comes to us ‘stencillized'† (Tanner 172). And it is always multiple, like V’s identity. Patricia Waugh notes that metafiction such as Slaughterhouse-Five or The Public Burning â€Å"suggests not only that writing history is a fictional act, ranging events conceptually through language to form a world-model, but that history itself is invested, like fiction, with interrelating plots which appear to interact independently of human design† (48-49). Historiographic metafiction is particularly doubled, like this, in its inscribing of both historical and literary intertexts. Its specific and general recollections of the forms and contents of history writing work to familiarize the unfamiliar through (very familiar) narrative structures (as Hayden White has argued [â€Å"The Historical Text,† 49-50]), but its metafictional selfreflexivity works to render problematic any such familiarization. And the reason for the sameness is that both real and imagined worlds come to us through their accounts of them, that is, through their traces, their texts. The ontological line between historical past and literature is not effaced (see Thiher 190), but underlined. The past really did exist, but we can only â€Å"know† that past today through its texts, and therein lies its connection to the literary. If the discipline of history has lost its privileged status as the purveyor of truth, then so much the better, according to this kind of modern historiographic theory: the loss of the illusion of transparency in historical writing is a step toward intellectual self-awareness that is matched by metafiction’s challenges to the presumed transparency of the language of realist texts. When its critics attack postmodernism for being what they see as ahistorical (as do Eagleton, Jameson, and Newman), what is being referred to as â€Å"postrnodern† suddenly becomes unclear, for surely historiographic metafiction, like postmodernist architecture and painting, is overtly and resolutely historical-though, admittedly, in an ironic and problematic way that acknowledges that history is not the transparent record of any sure â€Å"truth. † Instead, such fiction 10. HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION corroborates the views of philosophers of history such as Dominick LaCapra who argue that â€Å"the past arrives in the form of texts and textualized remainders-memories, reports, published writings, archives, monuments, and so forth† (128) and that these texts interact with one another in complex ways. This does not in any way deny the value of history-writing; it merely redefines the conditions of value in somewhat less imperialistic terms. Lately, the tradition of narrative history with its concern â€Å"for the short time span, for the individual and the event† (Braudel 27), has been called into question by the Annales School in France. But this particular model of narrative history was, of course, also that of the realist novel. Historiographic metafiction, therefore, represents a challenging of the (related) conventional forms of fiction and history through its acknowledgment of their inescapable textuality. As Barthes once remarked, Bouvard and Pecuchet become the ideal precursors of the postmodernist writer who â€Å"can only imitate a gesture that is always anterior, never original. His only power is to mix writings, to counter the ones with the others, in such a way as never to rest on any of them† (Irnage 146). The formal linking of history and fiction through the common denominators of intertextuality and narrativity is usually offered not as a reduction, as a shrinking of the  scope and value of fiction, but rather as an expansion of these. Or, if it is seen as a limitation-restricted to the always already narrated-this tends to be made into the primary value, as it is in Lyotard’s â€Å"pagan vision,† wherein no one ever manages to be the first to narrate anything, to be the origin of even her or his own narrative (78). Lyotard deliberately sets up this â€Å"limitation† as the opposite of what he calls the capitalist position of the writer as original creator, proprietor, and entrepreneur of her or his story. Much postmodern writing shares this implied ideological critique of the assumptions underlying â€Å"romantic† concepts of author and text, and it is parodic intertextuality that is the major vehicle of that critique. Perhaps because parody itself has potentially contradictory ideological implications (as â€Å"authorized transgression,† it can be seen as both conservative and revolutionary [Hutcheon 69-83]), it is a perfect mode of criticism for postmodernism, itself paradoxical in its conservative installing and then radical contesting of conventions. Historiographic metafictions, like Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gunter Grass’s The Tin Drurn, or Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (which uses both of the former as intertexts), employ parody not only to restore history and memory in the face of the distortions of the â€Å"history of forgetting† (Thiher 11 LINDA HUTCHEON 202), but also, at the same time, to put into question the authority of any act of writing by locating the discourses of both history and fiction within an ever-expanding intertextual network that mocks any notion of either single origin or simple causality. When linked with satire, as in the work of Vonnegut, V. Vampilov, Christa Wolf, or Coover, parody can certainly take on more precisely ideological dimensions. Here, too, however, there is no direct intervention in the world: this is writing working through other writing, other textualizations of experience (Said Beginnings 237). In many cases intertextuality may well be too limited a term to describe this process; interdiscursivity would perhaps be a more accurate term for the collective modes of discourse from which the postmodern parodically draws: literature, visual arts, history, biography, theory, philosophy,  psychoanalysis, sociology, and the list could go on. One of the effects of this discursive pluralizing is that the (perhaps illusory but once firm and single) center of both historical and fictive narrative is dispersed. Margins and edges gain new value. The â€Å"ex-centric†-as both off-center and de-centeredgets attention. That which is â€Å"different† is valorized in opposition both to elitist, alienated â€Å"otherness† and also to the uniformizing impulse of mass culture. And in American postmodernism, the â€Å"different† comes to be defined in particularizing terms such as those of nationality, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Intertextual parody of canonical classics is one mode of reappropriating and reformulating-with significant changes-the dominant white, male, middle-class, European culture. It does not reject it, for it cannot. It signals its dependence by its use of the canon, but asserts its rebellion through ironic abuse of it. As Edward Said has been arguing recently (â€Å"Culture†), there is a relationship of mutual interdependence between the histories of the dominators and the dominated. American fiction since the sixties has been, as described by Malcolm Bradbury (186), particularly obsessed with its own pastliterary, social, and historical. Perhaps this preoccupation is (or was) tied in part to a need to fmd a particularly American voice within a culturally dominant Eurocentric tradition (D’haen 216). The United States (like the rest of North and South America) is a land of immigration. In E. L. Doctorow’s words, â€Å"We derive enormously, of course, from Europe, and that’s part of what Ragtime is about: the means by which we began literally, physically to lift European art and architecture and bring it over here† (in Trenner 58). This is also part of what American historiographic metafiction in general is â€Å"about. † Critics have discussed at length the parodic 12 HISTORIOGRAPHIC METAFICTION intertexts of the work of Thomas Pynchon, including Conrad’s Heart ofDarkness (McHale 88) and Proust’s first-person confessional form (Patteson 37-38) in V. In particular, The Crying of Lot 49 has been seen as directly linking the literary parody ofJacobean drama with the selectivity and subjectivity of what we deem historical â€Å"fact† (Bennett). Here the postmodern parody operates in much the same way as it did in the literature of the seventeenth century, and in both Pynchon’s novel and the plays he parodies (John Ford’s ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, John Webster’s The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, and Cyril Tourneur’s The Revenger’s Tragedy, among others), the intertextual â€Å"received discourse† is firmly embedded in a social commentary about the loss of relevance of traditional values in contemporary life (Bennett). Just as powerful and even more outrageous, perhaps, is the parody of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in Ishmael Reed’s The Terrible Twos, where political satire and parody meet to attack white Euro-centered ideologies of domination. Its structure of â€Å"A Past Christmas† and â€Å"A Future Christmas† prepares us for its initial Dickensian invocations-first through metaphor (â€Å"Money is as tight as Scrooge† [4]) and then directly: â€Å"Ebenezer Scrooge towers above the Washington skyline, rubbing his hands and greedily peering over his spectacles† (4). Scrooge is not a character, but a guiding spirit of 1980 America, one that attends the inauguration of the president that year. The novel proceeds to update Dickens’ tale. However, the rich are still cozy and comfortable (â€Å"Regardless of how high inflation remains, the wealthy will have any kind of Christmas they desire, a spokesman for Neiman-Marcus announces† [5]); the poor are not. This is the 1980 replay of â€Å"Scrooge’s winter, ‘as mean as ajunkyard dog† (32). The â€Å"Future Christmas† takes place after monopoly capitalism has literally captured Christmas following a court decision which has granted exclusive rights to Santa Claus to one person and one company. One strand of the complex plot continues the Dickensian intertext: the American president-a vacuous, alcoholic, ex-(male) model-is reformed by a visit from St. Nicholas, who takes him on a trip through hell, playing Virgil to his Dante. There he meets past presidents and other politicians, whose punishments (as in the Inferno) conform to their crimes. Made a new man from this experience, the president spends Christmas Day with his black butler, John, and John’S crippled grandson. Though unnamed, this Tiny Tim ironically outsentimentalizes Dickens’: he has a leg amputated; he is black; his parents died in a car accident. In an attempt to save the nation, the president goes on televi13 LINDA HUTCHEON sian to announce: â€Å"The problems of American society will not go away †¦ by invoking Scroogelike attitudes against the poor or saying humbug to the old and to the underprivileged† (158). But the final echoes of the Dickens intertext are ultimately ironic: the president is declared unfit to serve (because of his televised message) and is hospitalized by the business interests which really run the government. None of Dickens’ optimism remains in this bleak satiric vision of the future. Similarly, in Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down, Reed parodically inverts Dostoevsky’s â€Å"Grand Inquisitor† in order to subvert the authority of social, moral, and literary order. No work of the Western humanist tradition seems safe from postmodern intertextual citation and contestation today: in Heller’s God Knows even the sacred texts of the Bible are subject to both validation and demystification. It is significant that the intertexts ofJohn Barth’s LETTERS include not only the British eighteenth-century epistolary novel, Don Quixote, and other European works by H. G. Wells, Mann, and Joyce, but also texts by Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and James Fenimore Cooper. The specifically American past is as much a part of defining â€Å"difference† for contemporary American postmodernism as is the European past. The same parodic mix of authority and transgression, use and abuse characterizes intra-American intertextuality. For instance, Pynchon’s V. and Morrison’s Song of Solomon, in different ways, parody both the structures and theme of the recoverability of history in William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom!. Similarly, Doctorow’s Lives of the Poets (1984) both installs and subverts Philip Roth’s My Life as a Man and Saul Bellow’s Herzog (Levine 80). The parodic references to the earlier, nineteenth-century or classic American literature are perhaps even more complex, however, since there is a long (and related) tradition of the interaction of fiction and history in, for example, Hawthorne’s use of the conventions of romance to connect the historical past and the writing present. And indeed Hawthorne’s fiction is a familiar postmodern intertext: The Blithedale Romance and Barth’s The Floating Opera share the same moral preoccupation with the consequences of writers taking aesthetic distance from life, but it is the difference in their structural forms (Barth’s novel is more self-consciously metafictional [Christensen 12]) that points the reader to the real irony of the conjunction of the ethical issue. The canonical texts of the American tradition are both undermined and yet drawn upon, for parody is the paradoxical postmodern way of coming to terms with the past.

Helen Gurley Brown and Second Wave Feminism Essay

Helen Gurley Brown and Second Wave Feminism - Essay Example The second wave feminism battled against domestic violence, giving proposals on the establishment of marital rape laws, divorce laws and establishing shelters for battered women. As put by Scanlon, it was a movement of obsession with â€Å"women’s professional opportunities† and â€Å"about their dating prospects† (2009, x). It is believed to have ended in the early 1980s, paving way for third-wave feminism. The work and life of Helen Gurley Brown was observed as being impertinent and daring. It entailed a celebration of feminism and the sexual practices that women enjoyed, thus giving an appropriate understanding of the second wave movement and further providing a vantage point to view the third wave feminism. Born in 1922 in Green Forest, Arkansas, Brown never noticed as she inherited some aspects of her young life and traditions (Scanlon 2009, 1). Her father died when she was young, something that caused her mother a lot of bitterness, claiming that the husban d had enslaved her through motherhood and marriage and later left her alone even after she had quit her job to undertake these responsibilities. The realization of her mother’s feelings opened up Brown to feminism (Scanlon 2009, 11). She grew up to author an international best-seller in 1962 titled, Sex and the Single Girl. Additionally, she became the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine for over thirty years, giving her audience articles such as â€Å"if you're not a sex object, you're in trouble† and â€Å"good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere† that brought out her feminist ideologies. Even so, Brown faced criticisms from various second wave feminists with regard to the messages carried in her books and the Cosmopolitan. First, Brown was criticized of focusing on her individuality as opposed to the group identity of the body of women. Having come from a background of no education and poverty, Brown worked herself up the economic ladder and secured herse lf employment. She did not allow herself to be held back by structural barriers which she fought against on her way up from a secretary to a copywriter and further to a popular magazine editor (Scanlon 2009, 25). She did not prescribe to overthrowing systems but working towards change. This saw her succeed in her career at Cosmopolitan, earning her a loyal movement of women who prescribed to her philosophies. The women and men equality that Brown prescribed to differed from what other feminists taught. Brown believed that the equality of women to men was in the sexual desire of women. She further alluded to their right to be sexual whether outside or inside marriage. In Cosmopolitan, Brown wrote articles promoting not just economic access equality but also sexual freedom equality. She was an ardent supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, ERA alongside her support for rights to abortion (Scanlon 2009, 256). The second-wave feminists considered men in the then patriarchal society as enemies because they limited opportunities for women. These men took advantage of the caring and nurturing nature of women to confine them to motherhood, denying them their chances in the professional world. These feminists perceived marriage and children as tools used by men to oppress women. On the contrary, Brown did not consider men as enemies, choosing to perceive women as being equal to men in all aspects including their ability to abuse power and playing the games men play in dating. She was therefore criticized of having been absorbed into a system that was oppressive to women. However, Brown argued that she was being a realist and appreciated that if men made rules, then women should have

Analysis of the War on Terror Discourse from the Perspective of Dissertation

Analysis of the War on Terror Discourse from the Perspective of Systemic - Functional Linguistics - Dissertation Example Halliday’s Systemic-Functional Linguistics. Before we go into the actual formation in the speeches, let us first re-examine the core essence of the Interpersonal Metafunction within SFL itself. There are three component areas: the speaker/writer persona, social distance, and relative social status. Interpersonal Metafunction within SFL Societies, or individual if you like, form contexts based on experience. The evolution of experience, therefore, equals the evolution of meaning. However, the system of this formation is more a maze than a cycle because almost every components is a variable whose value is relative to almost every receiver in the formation of the experience. On the interpersonal level, the context and meaning of a text depends largely on speaker/writer, the giver of the text. From the image, persona, and all that constructs the speaker/writer stands for, the context is formed and subsequent meaning to the text is attached. It is, therefore, almost impossible to e xamine any process of information exchange by isolating the speaker or source of the message from historical frameworks. By now, some of you are probably saying that contexts are also largely formed by the receiver’s personal experience. ... However, expressions of future orientation or modalities are not independent causations that you can examine in isolation. In fact, these are results rather than causes of a long process where language is constructed, evolved, deconstructed and elevated to a position of power that can change countries and its destiny. A political speech is one clear example of how the interpersonal metafunction can influence and even manipulate human experience through systematic functional linguistics. Political speeches are delivered rarely as a mode of reporting. Political speeches are delivered to convince, gain votes, get approval of current and prospective voters primarily and all the other secondarily. There is, perhaps, no other platform of communication where meanings are pre-formed even before actual linguistics than a political speech. The persona or source of the message has already formed his meanings through the political parties he or she has chosen to join, stance on political issues, overall media behaviour, and even, physical appearance. The personal forms the social standing and establishes the social distance. Yes, those meanings can be changed as receivers form their own contexts but it can also be enforced once the speaker imposes his or her own using different rhetoric, form different ideas, and establish different presets. The rhetoric used in that speech was one that inspired, not forced take note, the entire nation into war. The text that was used, the thematic formation, and the poetry above the message operated across texts and across time. To demonstrate how the Interpersonal Metafunction in a Political Speech can manipulate human

SPC3301 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SPC3301 - Assignment Example Accordingly, assertive communication is preferable over aggressiveness, which is self-oriented and denies others rights. 2. Gregors parents asked him how he liked the concert last night. Gregor responded with, Wow, it was totally bad! Im going out to get their CD. His parents wonder, If the concert was bad, why would you want to get their CD? Explain the language barrier most likely involved in this exchange The exchange between Gregor and his parents is marred by a language barrier. His response about the concert shows how he liked it, but the words state otherwise. His intention to buy the CD, further, shows that he enjoyed the concert. He intends to state that the concert was good, but uses the opposite word due to lack of the right word. Worldview refers to the personal or cultural perceptions of people about key beliefs and issues such as life, God and death which influence the interaction with others. Personal worldview may be so pervasive that many may not even be aware of it (Steven A. Beebe, Susan J. Beebe, Mark V. Redmond, 2013). The world view shapes all aspects of peoples’ lives, their seeing and thought patterns. As such, it affects how people interpret their experiences. One, non sexist language is beneficial in the sense that it removes gender discrimination in communication. Besides, it creates neutrality in communication which is professional and good especially at workplaces (Steven A. Beebe, Susan J. Beebe, Mark V. Redmond, 2013). Nonsexist communication is also beneficial as it recognizes the equality of both genders thus makes both sexes

Separation of power in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Separation of power in the UK - Essay Example The principle of separation of powers had leveraged many constitution makers, philosophers like Montesquieu whom all had intense thinking to this maxim. Even though the United Kingdom constitution is unwritten, it is a golden doctrine of separation of powers for other countries to follow. Back in 1748, Montesquieu- a French jurist- put forward his hypothesis that â€Å"there can be no freedom† and thought, â€Å"Everything would terminate if the judicial, legislative and executive powers of the government were to be involved by the same individual or authority. In the United Kingdom, the law is separated into three powers; judicial, executive and legislative. The judiciary plays an important role in United Kingdom politics. The judiciary comprises of, the royal court, Supreme Court, crown court and the magistrate courts. It should be apolitical, and any rulings made, for instance on government legislation, must be in a free and fair manner without any element of political bias (Lovell, 2003; p 54). Nevertheless, different aspects about Judiciary raise a string of questions lately: judicial supremacy, judicial independence and judicial neutrality. The courts of England are Crown Court’s jurisdiction is strong because of the power of the Crown. The executive oversees the function of the Crown with relevance to Royal prerogative. The executive has no right to delay the process of common justice. It is a law that goes back down the memory lane over a century ago. Moreover, the executive has no mandate to pressure judges. Especially into acting in ways other than impartiality. In the Act of settlement in 1701, judges in higher courts had the privilege of remaining judges as long as they had shown â€Å"good behavior†. If they were guilty of bad behavior then a legal approach to have them fired was an option. For the large number of judges, there is no such thing. Thus, it guarantees them a security of tenure within their

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Microeconomics - Essay Example 2. Explain the difference between a private good and a public good. Why has there been an increase in the number of public goods "produced" by governments? Public Goods are goods that are non-rival and non-excludable, quite the opposite of Private Goods (Experimental Economics Center). Public goods, being non-rival, means that the marginal utility used-up by one consumer does not limit the marginal utility that another consumer will use. Private goods, on the other hand, are rival goods, which mean that if there are a total of 10 pencils in the market and Consumer A utilizes 4 of those pencils, then the marginal utility enjoyed by Consumer B is decreased to only 6 pencils. Public goods are non-excludable; which basically means that one consumer does not block other consumers from using up the public good. This differs from private goods in that should consumers use up the supply of private goods, other consumers are excluded from enjoying the private good. In Economics, one of the ca uses of Market Failure is public good and the tendency of the consumers to free-ride.

Health Risks of being Obese and Dangers of Anorexia, Bulimia, and Research Paper

Health Risks of being Obese and Dangers of Anorexia, Bulimia, and Gastric By-Pass - Research Paper Example Adults as well as children have been observed to frequently suffer from obesity in modern day context. Obesity is one of the major origins of preventable death. There are various health risks which are attached with obesity or overweight. The health risks associated with obesity are Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, gallbladder disease, pregnancy complications, liver disease as well as sleep apnea among others. Obesity is considered as a psychological as well as a physical problem. Moreover, psychological problems relating to depression, eating disorder and anxiety are among the factors which are responsible for disrupting healthy diet. Body mass index (BMI) is a technique utilized with the intention of determining health risks of a person associated with an individual weight. BMI is normally a proportion of weight to height (NIDDK, 2007). Obesity is determined to be a major problem related to health for both children and adult. It is one of the main public health related problems. Moreover, obesity is considered to be a complex problem. In this regard, there are many factors including nutrition, genetic, energy consumption as well as environment factors which are responsible for contributing to obesity etiology. Overweight children possess many chronic conditions which may lead to obesity in their adult life. Obesity raises the risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes in adults as well as in children. Moreover, obesity in childhood can also lead to high blood pleasure related medical condition in adulthood. Hypertension is related to obesity which may cause cerebral hemorrhage and heart disease (Raman, 2002). Eating disorder is a major reason for obesity. Food is considered as a coping material for individuals suffering from weight gain problem. In this concern, individuals possessing these problems tend to intake food in order to cope up with anxious or stressed situations as well as circumstances. Intake of high

Articulate Thought Essay Example for Free

Articulate Thought Essay â€Å"Articulate speech marks [people] out as [individuals] and in some settings, this can be rather dangerous because people are often suspicious and frightened of articulateness. † (Humanities). Articulateness describes a person’s ability to express an idea coherently. A well articulated idea, concept or opinion, does not use proof based on a fallacy to back up its view. When people speak or write articulately, they are able to convey a message to others in a way that cannot be distorted. It can even be said, â€Å"[a]rticulateness builds the human community. † (Humanities) Without the ability to understand each other there would be no way for a society to function. Each person would not be able to communicate a message from his or her thoughts to another person, thus any sort of teamwork would be impossible. It is the understanding of others’ ideas told to a person in a way more specific than basic gestures or grunts that allows humans to be more successful in groups than any animal. Properly expressed thoughts are the best way to communicate in any form of society, because failing to articulate properly often leads to misinterpretation. A lack of articulation, and thus a lack of complete understanding, leads to people being misinformed. Sometimes people in power use the ability to misinform others to their advantage. By deliberately explaining campaigns vaguely so that the general public does not fully understand, people in power, or people who wish to be in power, can skew facts in their favour. â€Å"We are taught to read and write so that we can obey the traffic signs and to cipher so that we can make out our income tax† (Humanities), but people are deliberately expected to maintain only a level of intelligence sufficient to allow them to participate in society at a minimal level. People are kept in a docile state so that they will not question generally accepted ideas proposed by the government. People are only provided with education to a level insufficient to challenge the inarticulate ideas of those considered superiors. The general public is expected to automatically respect the opinions of superiors, and the people considered more powerful in society are thus able to fool the unintelligent general public. If campaigns proposed by governments were explained articulately, the people would be able to understand the true intent and make fully informed decisions. Privileged to all of the information, the general public would be able to spot any deceptions and each campaign would be subjected to scrutiny. Inarticulateness is nearly as powerful a tool as true articulateness, in some respects. By extending the human capacity of knowledge further than allowed in fundamental schooling, it is possible to overcome the system that attempts to keep society unintelligent. People are able to absorb and think about ideas of others that they have not physically met or spoken to through reading well-written literature. The more people read and are able to understand literature, the more they will develop their own articulate ideas. â€Å"As we challenge ourselves to read more and more difficult literature, we become able to extend ourselves further† (Literature). Literature allows people to â€Å"[leap] over the boundaries that usually separate us from other selves and worlds† (Literature) and increase each person’s base of knowledge substantially. It is only with prior knowledge of a subject that humans are able to intelligently articulate their ideas. However, society is not quick to embrace the powers that articulate thought gives individuals. People do not wish to pick up books unless they are necessary for their immediate success in a submissive society. â€Å"A society like ours doesn’t have much interest in literacy† (Humanities). Governments work to keep society in a level of cautious unintelligence, and are hesitant to embrace articulate ideas because they are truly powerful things. Powerful and well articulated ideas often lead to change, and change is something most people are apprehensive of. People with individual thoughts are marked out and scorned by the masses, and in many less democratic countries than Canada radical thinkers are silenced by means of intimidation or imprisonment. â€Å"Understanding and articulateness lead to [government’s] destruction† (Humanities). The government, as we know it, the system that works in a way which is not always beneficial to the general public because society remains afraid to challenge, could not exist. A well-articulated idea that goes against the government can cause upheaval in society. If people were to act on those ideas and rebel against laws put in place by the government, any sort of order would be in a state of constant flux, moving from one extreme to another. Without radicals, there would be no forward movement in humanity. Radicals such as Aristotle, who believed that there was a proper way to think and that many of the things society automatically accepts as truths are nothing more than fallacy, were scorned during their lifetimes. Many scholars’ ideas were immediately dismissed because people were frightened of their ability to articulate ideas that were radically different from those commonly held. In society there is a nature ingrained into each person, a feeling that one singled from the group will be defenseless and vulnerable. This instinct may be a result of evolution, something that humans needed in order to survive. Now it could be said the need that humans feel to conform to a group because it is presumed safer, is holding society back. Radical thinkers move humanity forward. The need for acceptance, and the desire to fit in rather than stand out in a community is something common to each person. â€Å"Young adolescents today often betray a curious sense of shame about speaking articulately† (Humanities). There is an almost paralyzing fear shared by many people, most noticeably in school children but in adults as well, of not only public speaking but also even raising their hands in a classroom setting. A child asked to give a speech to a classroom of peers about a topic, to share ideas and opinions unique to that child, will often become frightened that his or her opinions will not be shared by the rest of the class. The need for acceptance is often greater than the need to articulate and stand out. People in many cases would rather believe and agree with an idea that they have valid reason to believe to be false in order to be part of a community than voice their own opinion and be rejected. Fallacies are a barrier created by the structure of society in order to discourage articulate thought. People are often afraid of articulateness because it conveys well-formed and direct ideas, something uncommon in society. Humans are naturally afraid of something that is unfamiliar to them. An intelligent individual who thinks differently from the masses, even if his or her idea is perfectly valid and conveyed in such a way that makes their reasoning clear, are often ridiculed because society tends to accept fallacies as proof of validity. An example of a commonly believed fallacy is Circulous probando, or â€Å"thinking in circles† (Think). This term created by Aristotle, â€Å"often entails joining an intellectual herd charging round and round† (Think). The drive that humans have, the instinct to stay equal with the group both in a physical sense and an intellectual respect, leads society to want to believe in fallacies. The notion that if â€Å"everybody thinks such and such; it must be so for the simple reason that everybody thinks it is so† (Think). is safe. If everyone in the group believes a fallacy, those people are all on the same level intellectually, and there is safety in numbers. No one in the group will be singled out. The more people believe in something, be it fallacy or truth, the more likely it is that other people will believe the same simply because it is commonly accepted. This way of thinking can be detrimental to a group of people, because if the group believes in commonly held fallacies over intelligent articulate thought. â€Å"The surest way to destroy freedom is to destroy the capacity to articulate freely. † (Humanities) Without articulate freedom, human society will never progress or evolve.

The Issues Of The Miscommunication Cultural Studies Essay

The Issues Of The Miscommunication Cultural Studies Essay Among the problems faced to modern culture, there is one that is gradually becoming a defining factor in cross-cultural relations. The speech is going about miscommunication that is more and more form the style of the cultural processes of modernity. Miscommunication as the opposite side of understanding is one of the measurements in the process of communication between different cultures. However, the global conflict of cultures, witnesses, accomplices and the judges of which we are was generated by the lack of understanding of an unprecedented scale and intensity. And this lack of understanding beneath our eyes becomes more important in comparison to all other dimensions of communication within different cultures. I would like to discuss the problem of miscommunication in this project and use my own experience as an illustration of a communication breakdown between myself and a person from another culture. The main goals of my project are to explain and discuss how cultural miscommunication influences on our life, and to prove a thesis that miscommunication between different cultures and nations could be overcame through the specific knowledge and respect to a person whom we are communicating with. First of all in the frames of this paper it is necessary to mention that real conflict takes place under special circumstances: in a state of globality. The state of globality is characterized by the activity of an already established and effective global society, where the contours of conventional cultures are broken. Actually, no culture, ethnic group, nation, country or group of countries can no longer pretend that it is separated from the rest of the world and its affairs are internal problems that do not relate to any of the foreigners. It turned out that there are no foreigners at all: theyre gone in the sense that the culture had lost its previous, well-defined boundaries, and therefore alien and own largely mixed up, changed its previous topology and geography. In the modern world ethical issues, and, in particular, issues of ethnic identity and ethnic prejudice achieved its culmination: the linguistic, cultural, status and other differences have become a stumbling block for the peaceful coexistence of many ethnic groups. Defining the term miscommunication we should say that according to Gudykunst (2003), As serious psychological barriers in the process of cross-cultural communication the so-called ethnic stereotypes acts as relatively stable representation of the moral, mental, physical and other qualities of the representatives of different ethnic communities. Every person is a member of a certain ethnic group, and he or she consciously or subconsciously divides all people into ones own (belonging to the same ethnic group) and outsiders (members of other ethnic groups). According to Gumperz ( 1982) we see that on the verbal level culturological sign of somebodys own or someone else is manifested in the semantics of the various nominative units: lexemes, phraseological units, syntactic structures, proverbs, small-format texts (for example, anecdotes and jokes). Thinking about my own communication breakdown with a person from another culture I should say that it was connected with one dialogue misunderstanding. The person whom I communicated with was sure that only old people could be good advice-givers and young people should only listen to them and have no right on own decision of the problem. In that moment I forgot about cultural differences between us (my opponent is a Muslim and they respect old people more than other nations) and tried to prove that every person should has a right on own opinion and it is not a right position always only to listen to somebodys words. Thus, it was the hot debate between us and as a result each of us was disappointed and even upset about result of our conversation. Only now I understood that both of us were wrong, because we used different cultural languages and we made several mistakes in our conversation. I would like to say that this example of miscommunication is rather simple, and it even has an or dinary character, but exactly such simple situations lead in future to hard consequences, when one cultural groups consider other groups bad educated and rude. Thus, I would like to look on this problem of cultural miscommunication through the prism of my new knowledge about this question and demonstrate a solution for this situation. In the beginning of this part of my project I would like to say that all people should work for constructive dialogue between each other. It is a well-known fact that the entire history of humanity is a dialogue. Dialogue permeates our whole lives. It considers a tool for the implementation of communication links, the condition of mutual understanding. Fitzgerald (1996) admitted that the interaction of cultures and their dialogue is the most favorable ground for the development of interethnic and international relations. Conversely, when the society feels inter-ethnic tension and even, ethnic conflict, the dialogue between cultures is difficult, the interaction of cultures may be limited in the field of inter-ethnic tensions of these nations, bearers of these cultures. I understood that processes of cultural interaction are more complicated than we naively once thought; it was a theory that cultural dialogue is nothing more than simple transfer of the achievements of a highly devel oped culture in the less developed, which in its turn logically leads to the conclusion of the interaction of cultures as a source of progress. Now is actively studied the question of boundaries of culture, its core and periphery. I like Ting-Toomey (1999) words who said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ These words forced us to stop be rude and to respect other people. On my opinion every person should respect the point of view of another person and be patient during their communication. In my case cultural miscommunication was not only a result of different attitude to one problem, but also it was provoked by the lack of patience and respect to each other. We forgot one simple truth stated by Van Dijk (1997) who said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Muslims are people who are marked by the culture from their birth and their specific traditions are sometimes strange for me, but it is not a reason to say that their culture is good or bad. I know that these people are different and their religion is different, but I even like them, because their historical, geographical and ethnic elements combine in an unique and original way. Thinking about my situation I have read one interesting advice about how to avoid miscommunication in future and according to Lawrence (1999) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It means that we should use the space of variations around us and think about other possibilities to interpret information in proper way. By keeping our mind free from stereotypes and open to additional possibilities of the information understanding we can prevent future miscommunication conflict from happening. Also it is necessary to add that when a person became an initiator of a miscommunication conflict the simplest thing is to say: I am sorry for the miscommunication which has lead to this situation, but the simplest way is not always the right way. On my opinion it is necessary firstly to take into account opponents cultural specificity and only then to discuss with the person some sharp questions or situations. I want also to listen to words said by Arcidiacono (2010) who thinks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Taking into account my own problem in communication and information from different readings I want to say that the first thing that should be used for overcoming miscommunication is a dialogue. Of course, at the beginning of the conversation, as it was above mentioned, it is necessary to say sorry for miscommunication and then to speak with a person in respectful and polite manner. Forthcoming manner could save many debates and dialogue is a communication with the culture, the realization and reproduction of its achievements, it is the discovery and understanding of the values of other cultures, the possibility of removing political, religious or other tensions between nations and ethnic groups. It is necessary to remember that dialogue is a necessary condition for scientific search for truth and the creative process in art. Dialogue is a way for understanding of own I-image and possibility to commu nicate with others in proper constructive way. I even think that dialogue between cultures can act as a conciliating factor that prevents the emergence of wars and conflicts. It can reduce social tensions and to create an environment of trust and mutual respect. The notion of dialogue is especially true for modern culture and it will help contemporary society to avoid miscommunication. The very process of interaction is a dialogue, and forms of interaction present different kinds of dialogic relations. The idea of dialogue has developed in the deep past. Ancient texts of Indian culture are filled with the idea of unity of cultures and peoples, macro-and microcosm, musings that human health depends largely on the quality of this relationship with the environment, from the consciousness of the power of beauty, understanding how the universe reflected in our being. Basing on my researches I came to the conclusion that the influence of one culture to another is realized only if the necessary conditions exist for such influence. Dialogue between two cultures is possible only when a certain convergence of cultural codes and the existence or occurrence of a common mentality have a place. Dialogue of cultures is a penetration into the system of values of a culture, respect to them, overcoming stereotypes, the synthesis of original and other nationalities, leading to mutual enrichment and integration into the global cultural context. In the dialogue of cultures is important to see the universal values of cultural interaction. One of the main objective contradictions inherent in all cultures is the contradiction between the development of national cultures and their convergence. Therefore, the need for dialogue between cultures is a prerequisite for self-preservation of mankind. A form of spiritual unity is the result of the dialogue of contemporary culture. To sum up, I would like to say that in this research project I have discussed the problem of miscommunication and demonstrated its solution. There were also discussed cultural differences and their influences on our life. I strongly believe that dialogue between cultures was and remains central point in the development of mankind. Throughout the centuries and millennia occurred mutual enrichment of cultures that make up the unique mosaic of human civilization. I agree that the process of interaction and dialogue between cultures is complex and uneven, but only people who are ready go through all difficulties and hardships could be considered communication genii.

Pearl of the Indian Ocean | An Overview of Sri Lanka

Pearl of the Indian Ocean | An Overview of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka officially known as Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. It is an island country in the northern Indian ocean of the southern cost of Indian subcontinent in south Asia. It is known until 1972 as Ceylon. Sri Lanka documented history spans three thousand years. It geographic location and deep harbors made it of great strategic importance from the time of ancient silk road through to World War II. Sri Lanka is diverse country home to many religions, ethnicities and languages. The Sinhalese people are the majority although there are many ethnic minorities including Tamils, Muslim moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the aboriginal vadda people. Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage and the first knows Buddhist writings were composed on the island. The countrys recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war which decisively but controversially ended in a military victory in 2009. Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system. The capital Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte named by a president after himself, is a suburb of the largest city Colombo. An important producer of tea, coffee, gemstones, coconuts, rubber and the native cinnamon. Sri Lanka has been called The tear drop of Indian ocean because of its shape and location is known as The pearl of the Indian Ocean because of its natural beauty. It is also known as The nations of smiling people. The island contains tropical forests, and diverse landscape with high biodiversity. The country has had a long history of international engagement, being a founding member of SAARC and a member of United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, G7 and Non- Aligned Movement. Etymology In antiquity, Sri Lanka was known to travelers by a variety of names, such as, Lanka, Sinhala, Taprobane, Serandib, Ceilao, Ceylon. As a British crown colony the island was known as Ceylon and achieved independence as the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948. History The pre-history of Sri Lanka dates back over 125 thousand years before present and possibly even as early as 500,000 BP. The era spans the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and early Iron ages. Among the Paleolithic human settlements discovered in Sri Lanka, Pahiyangala, Batadombalena and Belilena are the most important. The remains of Balangoda Man an anatomically modern human found inside these caves suggests that they may have engaged in agriculture and kept domestic dogs for driving game. One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana which provides details of a kingdom named lanka that had been created by the divine sculptor vishwakarma, for Kubera the lord of wealth. It is said that Kubera was overthrown by his demon stepbrother Ravana, the powerful emperor who built a mythical flying machine named Dandu Monara. The modern city of wariyapola is described as Ravanas airport. Ancient History According to Mahavasama a chronicle written in Pali language, the ancient period of Sri Lanka begins in 543 BC with the landing of Vijaya, a semi-legendary king who sailed 860 nautical miles on eight ships to Sri Lanka with 700 followers from the southwest coast of what is now the Rarh region of west Bengal. In Sri Lanka there are kingdoms such as, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa, Sithawaka, Gampola, Kotte, Kandy and there are some famous kings in that time they are Pandukabaya, Parakramabahu, Dathusena, walagamba, Dutugamunu, Kawanthissa, Mahasen, Vijaya, Dewanampiyathissa, Sri Vikramarajasingha. According to this there are so many religious places in ancient history like Ruwanwali mahasaya, Thuparamaya, Jaya sri maha bodiya, Abayagiriya, Kiriwehera, Sigriya, katharagama, Temple of Tooth Relic, Mihinthale, Seruwavila, Yapahuwa etc. Sri Lankan dynastic history spanned a period of 2359 years, from 543 BC toad 1815 until the land became part of the British Empire. Independence The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status, with independence proclaimed on 4 February 1948. Sir D. S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Prominent Tamil leaders like Ponnambalam and Arunachalam Mahadeva joined his cabinet. The British Royal Navy remained stationed at Trincomalee until 1956. A countrywide popular demonstration against withdrawal of the rice ration, known as Hartal 1953, resulted in the resignation of prime minister Dudley Senanayake. S. W. R. D. Bandaranayke was elected prime minister in 1956. His three-year rule had a profound impact, through his self-proclaimed role of defender of the besieged Sinhalese culture. He introduced the controversial Sinhala Only Act, recognizing Sinhala as the only official language of the government. Although partially reversed in 1958, the bill posed a grave concern for the Tamil community, which perceived in it a threat to their language and culture. The Federal Party (FP) launched a movement of non-violen t resistance (satyagraha) against the bill, which prompted Bandaranayake to reach an agreement (Bandaranayake-Chelvanayakam Pact) with S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, leader of the FP, to resolve the looming ethnic conflict. However the pact proved ineffective in the face of ongoing protests by opposition and the Buddhist clergy. The bill, together with various government colonization schemes, contributed much towards the political rancour between Sinhalese and Tamil political leaders. Bandaranayake was assassinated by an extremist Buddhist monk in 1959. Madam Sirimavo Bandaranayake, the widow of late S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake, took office as prime minister in 1960, and She was the first lady prime minister in the world. During her second term as prime minister, the government instituted socialist economic policies, strengthening ties with the Soviet Union and China, while promoting a policy of non-alignment. In 1971, Ceylon experienced a Marxist insurrection, which was quickly suppressed. In 1972, the country became a republic named Sri Lanka, repudiating its dominion status. From 1983, ethnic tensions were manifested in on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Because of this (LTTE) tigers so many bombs were blasted and result of that lots of Political Leaders, Celebrities, and Civilians were dead. In 2009, under the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa the Sri Lanka Armed Forces defeated the LTTE, and re-established control of the entire country by the Sri Lankan Government. Finally Sri Lanka has emerged from its 26-year war to become one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Geography The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central port. The highest point piduruthalagala, reaching 2,524 meters (8,281 ft) above sea level. The climate is tropical and warm, due to the moderating effect of ocean winds. Mean temperature ranges from 17 Â °C (62.6 Â °F) in the central highlands, where frost may occur for several days in the winter, to a maximum of 33 Â °C (91.4 Â °F) in other low-altitude areas. In Sri Lanka rainfall pattern is influenced by monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The longest of the 103 rivers in the country is Mahaweli River, covering 335 kilometers (208 mi). These waterways give rise to 51 natural waterfalls of 10 meters or more. The highest is Bambarakanda Falls, with a height of 263 meters (863 ft). Sri Lanka inherits 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons too. The island is rich with minerals such as Ilmenite, Feldspar, Graphite, Silica, Kaolin, Mica and Thorium. Flora and Fauna Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri Lanka is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity density in Asia. Remarkably high proportion of the species among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and 22% of the mammals, are endemic. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small lories, a variety of deer, the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and anteaters. Among the trees of the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. These are the famous National Parks in Sri Lanka Yala, Wilpaththu, Sinharaja, Udawalawa and Kumana Bird Sanctuary. Politics Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in South Asia. The Donoughmore Constitution, drafted by the Donoughmore Commission in 1931 enabled general elections with adult universal suffrage (universal adult franchise) in the country. It was the first time a non-Caucasian country within the empires of Western Europe was given one man, one vote and the power to control domestic affairs. The first election under the universal adult franchise, held in June 1931, was for the Ceylon State Council. Sir D. B. Jayatilaka was elected as the Leader of the House. In 1944, the Soulbury Commission was appointed to draft a new constitution. During this time, struggle for Independence was fought on constitutionalist lines under the leadership of D. S. Senanayake. The draft constitution was enacted in the same year and Senanayake was appointed as the Prime Minister from the parliamentary election in 1947. The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status and Independence to Sri Lanka in 1948. Current politics in Sri Lanka is a contest between two rival coalitions led by the centre-leftist and progressivity United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), an offspring of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and the comparatively right-wing and pro-capitalist United National Party (UNP). Sri Lanka is essentially a multi-party democracy with many smaller Buddhist, socialist and Tamil nationalist political parties. Rest of other parties are Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. Government National Symbols of Sri Lanka Flag Lion Flag Emblem- Gold Lion Passant Anthem- Sri Lanka Matha Butterfly- Troides darsius Bird- Sri Lanka Jungle fowl Flower- Red and Blue Water Lily Tree- Ceylon Ironwood (Na) Sport- Volleyball Sri Lanka is a democratic republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential system, with a mixture of a presidential system and a parliamentary system. It constitutes a parliamentary system governed under the constitution. Most provisions of the constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority in parliament. However, the amendment of certain basic features such as the clauses on language, religion, and reference to Sri Lanka as a unitary state require both two-thirds majority and approval at a nation-wide referendum. Economy According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka has a yearly gross domestic output of US$59 billion as of 2010. It has a GDP of US$116 billion in terms of purchasing power parity. Sri Lanka is next only to Maldives in the South Asian region in terms of per capita income, with a nominal value of US$2,877 and PPP value of US$5,673. It recorded a GDP growth of 8.3% in 2011. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. The development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the governments economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were nationalized and a welfare state established. In 1977 the free market economy was introduced to the country, incorporating privatization, deregulation and the promotion of private enterprise. While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other commodities remain important, industrialization has increased the importance of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. Main economic sectors of the country are tourism, tea export, clothing, rice production and other agricultural products. In addition to these economic sectors, overseas employment contributes highly in foreign exchange, most of them from the Middle East. The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum has listed Sri Lanka as a transitive economy, from factor-driven stage to efficiency-driven stage, ranking 52nd in the global competitiveness. It also ranked 45th in health and primary education, 32nd in business sophistication, 42nd in innovation and 41st in goods market efficiency out of the 142 countries surveyed. Education With a literacy rate of 92.5%, Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations amongst developing nations. Its youth literacy rate stands at 98%, computer literacy rate at 35%, and primary school enrolment rate at over 99%. An education system which dictates 9 years of compulsory schooling for every child is in place. The free education system established in 1945 is a result of the initiative of C. W. W. Kannangara (Father of Free Education) and A. Ratnayake. It is one of the few countries in the world that provide universal free education from primary to tertiary stage. Brief Information about Performing Arts in Sri Lanka Cinema of Sri Lanka- Kadawunu Poronduwa (The Broken Promise) heralded the coming of Sri Lankan cinema in 1947. Ranmuthu Duwa (Island of treasures, 1962) marked the transition cinema from black-and-white to colour. The Music in Sri Lanka-it came from theatrical performances such as Sokari, Kolam and Nadagam. Traditional Music instruments such as Bera, Thammattama, Daula, Rabana, Thalampata and etc. The Dancing in Sri Lanka- There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance such as Kandyan Dancing (Hill country), Pahatharata (Low country), and Sabaragamu. The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture can be traced as far back as to the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The earliest mention about the art of painting on Mahavasama is to the drawing of a palace on cloth using cinnabar in the 2nd century BC. The chronicles have description of various paintings in relic-chambers of Buddhist stupas, and in monastic residence. Culture, Food and Festivals Culture The culture of Sri Lanka dates back over 2500 years. It is influenced primarily by Buddhism and Hinduism. Ancient Sri Lanka is marked for its genius in hydraulic engineering and architecture. The rich cultural traditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the countrys long life expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate. Food Sri Lankans staple food is Rice but in every special movement, Sri Lankans make Kiri Bath (Milk Rice) and Lunumiris. There are so many delicious dishes in this country such as rice and curry, pittu, whole meat Roti, hoppers,String hoppers, wattalapam (special pudding), koththu and Jackfruit. Traditionally food is served on a plantain leaf. Moors special dish is Biriyani, Catholics-Christmas Cake, Hindus- Specially Veg meal. Festivals In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the Buddhist and Hindu New Year festival. In addition, Esala Perahera, a symbolic Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly decorated elephants, is held in Kandy, during the month of August. Fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances are integral parts of the festival. Tamils celebrate Thai Pongal, Maha Shivaratri, Catholics celebrate Christmas, Good Friday and Muslims celebrate Hajj, Ramadan in their respective days of the year. Media Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (formerly Radio Ceylon) is the oldest-running radio station in Asia, established in 1923 by Edward Harper just three years after broadcasting began in Europe. The station broadcasts services in Sinhalese, Tamil, English and Hindi. Since the 1980s, a large number of private radio stations have also been introduced. Broadcast television was introduced to the country in 1979 when the Independent Television Network was launched. Initially all Television stations were state controlled, but private television networks began broadcasts in 1992. As of 2010, 51 newspapers (30 Sinhala, 10 Tamil, 11 English) are published and 34 TV stations and 52 radio stations are in operation. Sports While the national sport in Sri Lanka is Volleyball by far the most popular sport in the country is cricket. Rugby union also enjoys extensive popularity. As do athletics, Football (soccer) and Tennis. Sri Lanka national cricket world cup won 1996. Former Sri Lankan off spinner Muththaiah Muralitharan been rated as greatest Test Match Cricketers Almanac. Sri Lanka also wins so many medals in Olympic Games. Aquatic sports such as Boating, Surfing, Swimming, kite surfing and Scuba-diving on the coastal, the beaches and backwaters attract a large number of Sir Lanka and foreign tourists. There are two styles of martial arts native to Sri Lanka, Cheena di and Angampora.

Grapes of Wrath Essay: From Self-focus to Concern for Mankind :: Grapes Wrath essays

From Self-focus to Concern for Mankind in Grapes of Wrath    At one point in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, it was stated that a farmer lost his farm. As this man’s family picks up their belongings and heads west they meet up with another family dealing with a similar situation. Now these two families share a common bond. A brotherhood is forming. This is the catalyst. No longer is it one farmer saying he lost his land but two farmers united saying they lost their land. The transformation from self-focus to a concern for mankind can be seen in the characters of Ma Joad, Tome and Rose of Sharon. Ma Joad’s main concern at the beginning of the story is her family. She wants to keep the unit together and works diligently to achieve this goal. However, one by one, family members leave the group for various reasons leading to the slow but sure disintegration of the Joad clan. The first to go is Noah; then Grandpa and Grandma die; Connie walks off and leaves Rose of Sharon; Young Tom leaves because he has gotten into trouble again; and Al becomes engaged and decides to go with his fiancà ©e’s family. Ma deals with each loss as best she can. As the story progresses, we find Ma Joad becoming more and more concerned with people outside the family unit. She feels the need to share whatever meager food and belongings her family has with other families enduring hardships. She saw the needs of her own family at the beginning of the story and by the end of the novel, she sees the needs of her fellow man. Young Tom appears to be self-centered when he if first introduced. He has just left prison after serving four years for murder. Tom wants to enjoy life to the fullest and to be with his family. He is very disturbed to find the family home deserted and almost destroyed. He, by this time, has reacquainted himself with Jim Casey, an ex-preacher. The more Tom listens to Jim and his views on life, the soul of man, and the fellowship of mankind, the less he focuses on himself and his needs. He then begins to focus on the plight and abuse of the homeless farmers.   Tom begins to realize that in order for the migrant workers to survive and succeed they must unite.

Depression in To Seem the Stranger, Fell of Dark, Carrion Comfort, and No Worst :: To Seem the Stranger Essays

Depression in To seem the Stranger, Fell of Dark, Carrion Comfort, and No Worst  Ã‚   I believe that there can be seen a progressive deepening of depression throughout Hopkins' so-called terrible sonnets. The poems I intend to look at will show this, starting with "To seem the Stranger lies my Lot", "I wake and Feel the Fell of Dark", "Carrion Comfort", "No Worst, there is None", and finally "My own Heart let me more have Pity on". The first of the above poems shows the beginning of Hopkins' descent into depression. This is followed by "I wake and Feel ...", illustrating Hopkins descending further into depression. The depths to which Hopkins sank are shown in "Carrion Comfort" and in "No Worst, there is None". Following this, "My own Heart ..." represents the beginnings of an ascent out of depression, and into a more stable frame of mind. Although the order of the poems are set by the editors of various collections, I think that the above order is the order in which they were written, based on their content. The symptoms of the early stages of depression, that of paranoia, listlessness and feelings of isolation are recounted in 'To seem the Stranger lies my Lot'. Although in some cases, these feelings tend to be a result of mental imbalance, and have little or no relationship with external reality, in Hopkins' case it would seem that his feelings of isolation are in some senses valid. Following Hopkins' decision to become a Catholic, he came to be rejected by his family. This then would explain his bitterness: Father and Mother dear, Brothers and sisters are in Christ not near And he my peace my parting, sword and strife. To seem the Stranger lies my Lot, lines 2-4 This bitterness he feels about the gulf that now exists between himself and his family is expressed in the irony of Christ being both the bringer of peace, and the cause of the "sword and strife". The paranoia common to the early stages of depression is also expressed: Only what word Wisest my heart breeds dark heaven's baffling ban Bars or hell's spell thwarts. To seem the Stranger lies my Lot, lines 11-13 The alliteration both of the repeated 'b' and 'ell' sounds show frustration at his being not allowed to write his poetry. He transfers the decision of his Jesuit superiors to "ban" his poetry to being one of God himself.