Looking Backward essays

Looking Backward essays Over a century after Edward Bellamy wrote Looking Backward it is still widely used to illustrate the social turmoil associated with the rampant capitalism of the late nineteenth centurys industrial age and as an example of a socialist utopia. This analysis will answer several questions regarding the work: What was Bellamys purpose for writing this novel? What were his goals? Did he achieve them? What influenced this book? These questions deal primarily with the political aspects of this book. However, since this is fiction the book must be analyzed on a literary level as well. Looking Backward centers around Julian West, an upperclassman living in Boston in 1887. West serves as the narrator and begins to describe his life in 1887. This description included numerous references to the labor strikes which torment him in the construction of his new home, the completion of which directly affects his pending marriage to Edith Bartlett. Upon ending an evening of Dining with Edith and her family, West, a chronic insomniac, calls on the services of an animal magnetist who proceeds to induce some sort of trance which is allows West to get much needed sleep. Through a mysterious turn of events West does not awake from his trance when he is supposed to. He sleeps for over a century and is finally revived, without aging a day, in the year 2000. He is awakened in this new year by Dr. Leete who immediately offers a scientific reason for how this extended sleep is possible. After some convincing that it is not a practical joke West proceeds to learn about his new society, one that has changed drastically while he slept. Through much discourse with Dr. Leete and his family West discovers that the labor and economic trouble that West calls The Sphinxs Riddle of the nineteenth century have been entirely solved. Instead of his old industrial society he finds a new socialist coun...

Epiphany Meaning and Examples

Epiphany Meaning and Examples An  Epiphany is a term in literary criticism for a sudden realization, a flash of recognition, in which someone or something is seen in a new light. In Stephen Hero (1904), Irish author James Joyce used the term epiphany to describe the moment when the soul of the commonest object . . . seems to us radiant. The object achieves it epiphany. Novelist Joseph Conrad described epiphany as one of those rare moments of awakening in which everything [occurs] in a flash. Epiphanies may be evoked in works of nonfiction as well as in short stories and novels. The word epiphany comes from the Greek for a manifestation or showing forth. In Christian churches, the feast following the twelve days of Christmas (January 6) is called Epiphany because it celebrates the appearance of divinity (the Christ child) to the Wise Men. Examples of Literary Epiphanies Epiphanies are a common storytelling device because part of what makes a good story is a character who grows and changes. A sudden realization can signify a turning point for a character when they finally understand something that the story has been trying to teach them all along. It is often used well at the end of mystery novels when the saluteth finally receives the last clue that makes all the pieces of the puzzle make sense. A good novelist can often lead the readers to such epiphanies along with their characters.   Epiphany in the Short Story "Miss Brill" by Katherine Mansfield In the story of the same name Miss ​B rill discovers such annihilation when her own identity as onlooker and imagined choreographer to the rest of her small world crumbles in the reality of loneliness. The imagined conversations she has with other people become, when overheard in reality, the onset of her destruction. A young couple on her park bench- the hero and the heroine of Miss Brills own fictive drama, just arrived from his fathers yacht . . . - are transformed by reality into two young people who cannot accept the aging woman who sits near them. The boy refers to her as that stupid old thing at the end of the bench and openly expresses the very question that Miss Brill has been trying so desperately to avoid through her Sunday charades in the park: Why does she come here at allwho wants her? Miss Brills epiphany forces her to forgo the usual slice of honeycake at the bakers on her way home, and home, like life, has changed. It is now a little dark room . . . like a cup board. Both life and home have become suffocating. Miss Brills loneliness is forced upon her in one transformative moment of acknowledgment of reality. (Karla Alwes, Katherine Mansfield. Modern British Women Writers: An A-to-Z Guide, ed. by Vicki K. Janik and Del Ivan Janik. Greenwood, 2002) Harry (Rabbit) Angstrom's Epiphany in Rabbit, Run They reach the tee, a platform of turf beside a hunchbacked fruit tree offering fists of taut ivory-colored buds. Let me go first, Rabbit says. Til you calm down. His heart is hushed, held in mid-beat, by anger. He doesnt care about anything except getting out of this tangle. He wants it to rain. In avoiding looking at Eccles he looks at the ball, which sits high on the tee and already seems free of the ground. Very simply he brings the clubhead around his shoulder into it. The sound has a hollowness, a singleness he hasnt heard before. His arms force his head up and his ball is hung way out, lunarly pale against the beautiful black blue of storm clouds, his grandfathers color stretched dense across the north. It recedes along a line straight as a ruler-edge. Stricken; sphere, star, speck. It hesitates, and Rabbit thinks it will die, but hes fooled, for the ball makes its hesitation the ground of a final leap: with a kind of visible sob takes a last bite of space before vanishing in falling. Thats it! he cries and, turning to Eccles with a grin of aggrandizement, repeats, Thats it. (John Updike, Rabbit, Run. Alfred A. Knopf, 1960) The passage quoted from the first of John Updikes Rabbit novels describes an action in a contest, but it is the intensity of the moment, not its consequences, that [is] important (we never discover whether the hero won that particular hole). . . .In epiphanies, prose fiction comes closest to the verbal intensity of lyric poetry (most modern lyrics are in fact nothing but epiphanies); so epiphanic description is likely to be rich in figures of speech and sound. Updike is a writer prodigally gifted with the power of metaphoric speech. . . . When Rabbit turns to Eccles and cries triumphantly, Thats it! he is answering the ministers question about what is lacking in his marriage. . . . Perhaps in Rabbits cry of Thats it! we also hear an echo of the writers justifiable satisfaction at having revealed, through language, the radiant soul of a well-struck tee shot. (David Lodge, The Art of Fiction. Viking, 1993) Critical Observations on Epiphany It is a literary  critics job to analyze and discuss the ways authors use epiphanies in novels.   The critics function is to find ways of recognizing and judging the epiphanies of literature which, like those of life itself (Joyce borrowed his use of the term epiphany directly from theology), are partial disclosures or revelations, or spiritual matches struck unexpectedly in the dark. (Colin Falck, Myth, Truth, and Literature: Towards a True Post-Modernism, 2nd ed. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1994) The definition Joyce gave of epiphany in Stephen Hero depends on a familiar world of objects of use- a clock one passes every day. The epiphany restores the clock to itself in one act of seeing, of experiencing it for the first time. (Monroe Engel, Uses of Literature. Harvard University Press, 1973)

Behaviourism - BF Skinner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Behaviourism - BF Skinner - Essay Example So as a subject-matter of psychology this theory presents not the subjective world of an individual, but objectively fixated characteristics of an individual' behavior, caused by some external impacts. The followers of behaviorism have stated that the analysis of behavior must be strictly objective and content itself with observation of reactions on the surface. All that is happening inside of an individual cannot be studied as an individual's thoughts and conscience cannot be properly measured or recorded. Therefore nothing but responses and outward actions of a human being, and those stimuli and situations, which determine these reactions, can be researched objectively. According to behaviorists the main task of psychology is to spot the probable stimulus by response, and prognosticate some certain response by stimulus. From the point of view of behaviorism, personality is neither more nor less than a summation of behavioral responses inherent to a given person. Any behavioral response is originated by definite stimulus or situation. The formula 'stimulus - response' has been principal in behaviorism. The law of effect described by Edward Thorndike3 specifies that the connection between S and R becomes stronger if there is some reinforcement.

Participative Management - A Study of John Lewis Partnership Case

Participative Management - A of John Lewis Partnership - Case Study Example Competitors find it difficult to replicate the competitive edge acquired by such a firm over a period of time. The objective of this report is to analyze HRM principles and theoretical observations applicable to John Lewis Partnership. The report will also examine whether and where the HRM policies adopted by the company fulfill or fall short in strengthening its efforts to achieve organizational goals and attempts at suggesting remedial measures. Human Resource Management-Participative Management: The central theme of human resource management is to enhance employee performance through employee commitment (Armstrong, 1987, Storey 1995 cited in McGunnigle 2000). The right human resource management system attracts and retains the right talent, develops workforce skills, resolves or avoids conflicts and motivates workforce into a culture of commitment to achieve organizational goals (Storey 1995 cited in McGunnigle 2000). Watson et al. suggest that a culture of commitment may be induced by the application of specific practices within HRM areas such as recruitment and selection, training and development, reward systems, employee participation, involvement and empowerment (Watson et al. 1996 cited in McGunnigle 2000). Kinnie et al. ... Involvement in decision making Performance appraisal with tight links to contingent pay (Holbeche 2001 p.13) Kinnie et al. sound a word of caution when they argue that the application of specific HR policies may not have a uniformly desirable effect on all employees working in an organization. They argue that the extant debate on the links between HR policy and organizational performance has been based on the distinction between the 'best practice' and 'best fit' perspectives, both of which assume that HR policies have the same effect on all employees working in an organization. The best practice view put forth by Pfeffer (1994, 1998 cited in Kinnie et al. 2005) identifies a set of policies associated with performance improvement applicable to all industries and by implication to all employees. On the other hand the best-fit strategy proposed by Schuler and Jackson (1987 cited in Kinnie et al. 2005) and Miles and Snow (1984 cited in Kinnie et al. 2005) suggests that HR policies consistent with business strategy maximize performance. (Kinnie et al. 2005). There have been a number of references to 'participative management' within the literature on human resource management, which however must not be confused with permissiveness. According to Frohman, it is a "practical approach to solving problems and achieving performance targets by utilizing people as resources." As against the human resource approach which "aims to generate compliance and employee morale" participative management is a "quest for improved performance and quality." (Frohman 1988) John Lewis Partnership (JLP): JLP is an employees' co-operative, wholly owned by its 64,000 employee-partners. This unique democratic management model imbues the company with a corporate

Surveyors & landscape Essay Example for Free

Surveyors landscape Essay

Politics and Modern Musical Artists Essay -- Music Essays

Politics and Modern Musical Artists Musical artists of the modern age have had a great affect upon the generation that the writers of the paper are a part of. Not only have the songs they produced brought us enjoyment and heightened our emotional states, they have also informed us of their opinions. One of the issues drawing the strongest opinions as of late is the American government, particularly the Bush administration. Some of the most popular bands and artists have made it a point to express their views on such matters through their music and concerts, rallying to fight or support a matter relating to the U.S. government. The following bands have influenced at least one of us as their listeners, and the message we carry is that opinion expressed through music is quite an important thing. Eminem has become a huge media icon, not only amongst young people, but also by the regard given to him by older adults. He is the king of controversy, not only for his opinions of homosexuals and drugs, but also his political views. He has been in the public spotlight for about five years now, and ever since his first single, â€Å"My Name Is†, in which he portrayed a promiscuous President Clinton; he has made his view on political figures clear. Eminem seems to have a major problem with authority, and the President is the highest authority, so you can bet your bottom dollar that he has a few things to say pertaining to our Commander and Chief. For Eminem this is not a one-time thing, throughout all of his albums he has always had something to say about politics or the government. In songs such as â€Å"White America†, he speaks on the government's efforts to silence him with censorship. In ... ...hville, 2002. Klosterman, Chuck. â€Å"Fitter Happier: Radiohead Return† Spin Magazine . 2003. Vibe Ventures LLC. 14 Nov. 2004 Mathers, Marshall . Encore . Interscope Records, 2004. Mathers, Marshall . Straight from the Lab EP . Interscope Records, 2003. Mathers, Marshall . The Eminem Show . Interscope Records, 2002. Radiohead. Hail to the Thief . Capitol Records, 2003. Radiohead. OK Computer . Capitol Records, 1997. Sum 41. Chuck. Island Records, 2004. â€Å"Sum 41 Online: Biography.† Island Records . 2004. Fearless Concepts. 16 Nov. 2004 â€Å"Toby Keith: Biography.† CMT.com . 2004. Viacom Company. 17 Nov. 2004

The Changing Role Of Fathers In The Last Thirty Years

The world is dynamic and has witnessed major changes over the past decades. Lifestyles have changed and so have priorities. The role of fathers has not been left behind too; in the past three decades fathers have changed greatly. This is an evolution that has been necessitated by the changes occurring in the various aspects of human lives and relations. Nothing would exemplify this change in roles than taking a critical look at the image and responsibilities of fathers in the 1970s. By then fathers were highly authoritative and much of their time was spent working.They were expected to be the sole beneficiaries in the family. Fathers took care of the financial obligations such as school fees, bills, rent and others. Mothers were expected to play good housewives and take care of the children and the house. Respect and reverence characterized the father’s image; they were hard to understand and were looked upon by everyone in the house. This is a role that would slowly and gradu ally start changing on the 1980’s probably as feminism became institutionalized in almost all modern societies.Women were no longer wiling to stay indoors watching the house and children. They were taking up more challenging tasks that priory were a preserve of the men. This newfound competition would force men to adapt and start spending more time with their children. Fathers started being more responsible and nurturing to their children, playing a visible role in their upbringing. Men at this time were no longer the sole breadwinners; women were chipping in and meeting some of the costs of running the family and thus spending more time away from home.Men hence were forced to make concessions and play an active role with the children. Nothing has seen a rapid evolution during the past three decades than the father involvement in their children’s lives. A study conducted by Levine and Pleck amongst others operationalizes the above fact. The study revealed that over the last recent decades, fathers were able to spend more time than before with an increase of over 10 percent. It is also this period that saw fathers watching over their children at home when their mothers are out working.  (Levine, James and Pittnsky T. , 1997).The image of father across the 70’s and the 80 changed considerably, but it is the late 90s and the last years of this millennium that has almost accorded modern fathers completely new roles that would have been unimaginable thirty years ago. It is not in question that fathers are no longer the breadwinners and the authoritative figures of the past. Parents are supporting each other financially, emotionally and in other essential cores of raising the families.Today’s fathers are looking for their children and changing their diapers. They are taking the children to school and helping them with homework at home. They are even raising the children single handedly in case of death, separation or divorce of a spouse and doing a commendable job out of it. There are those that are divorced and granted periodic visitations, a new role that many are still grappling with. Being a good father is no longer defined along economic lines only, it is a composite product of responsibility at home and being there fore the children.Fathers are playing an important role and being more close to their children than before, their satisfaction according to surveys, emanates from spending more time with their families. Indeed the roles have changed. Men of today are supposed and expected by the society to take up more roles than before. They are no longer inhabited by the societal traditional norms that could see them present a macho figure. In today’s world, they are playing an active role bringing up the kids rather than sticking to the financial obligations alone.