Analysis of Articles about the Effect of the Socioeconomic Roots Has Essay - 3

Analysis of Articles about the Effect of the Socioeconomic Roots Has on the Upper Echelon Management - Essay Example University of Michigan Business School, Working Paper. Although the article is old and is specific to a single function of procurement it is included because it provides the managerial decision making through a procurement perspective. 3. Carl Martin Allwood, Marcus Selart (2001) Decision Making: Social and Creative Dimensions. Springer. This book discusses in detail the decision making processes and the impact of various factors on decision making. It discusses the decision making at different management levels. 4. Charles R. Schwenk (1995) Strategic Decision Making. Journal of Management, Volume: 21, Issue: 3, SAGE. It is written by a graduate of Indiana University. The article discusses various aspects of decision making and discusses the impact of other factors as well on the upper echelon decision making other than just socioeconomic impacts. Therefore, the article looks at the topic under study from a broader view. 5. Christoph Lechner (2006) A Primer to Strategy Process Research. Cuvillier Verlag. This book is academically renowned. One of the chapters of the book discuss the strategies especially used by the upper echelon management in making decisions and the impact of various factors on the cognitive style and their final decision. Although most of the book is irrelevant to this study some part is a readily available source of information. 6. Cliff Bowman and Andrew Kakabadse (1997) Top management ownership of the strategy problem. Long Range Planning Journal, Volume: 30, Issue: 2, Elsevier Science Ltd. the writers belong to the Cranfield Centre for International Management Development, Cranfield University, UK. The paper discusses the involvement aspect of the upper echelon strategic decision making and also shed light on the impact of socioeconomic roots on it.

Cote dIvoire (Ivory Coast) - Country with High Mortality Assignment

Cote dIvoire (Ivory Coast) - Country with High Mortality - Assignment Example Cote d’Ivoire is one of the countries with high mortality rates in the world because of factors, such as malaria, diarrheal diseases, high illiteracy rates and poor health care system among others. As such, the country has a poor health statistics that needs to be addressed to achieve the needs and requirements of a healthy population. The paper aims at discussing why the Republic of CÃ ´te d’Ivoire is rated, according to 2010 statistical estimates, among the countries with the high mortality. This will be through an in-depth analysis of causal factors, affected populations, most impacted ages and group categories as well as socio-economic, political and environmental factors. Provision of requisite countermeasures will be proposed, with the paper drawing a conclusive analysis of the physical and mental health and well-being of the nation. According to UNICEF (2013), the per capita status of the nation is ranked at ‘lower middle’ with a majority percentage of the population being urban dwellers. Statistically, the population portion of the young is placed at an approximate 65% with those aged between the ages of 30 and 70 years comprising an approximated 30%. As of 2007, the percentage population growth rate was at 2.4% with life expectancy rates being placed at 48 years. In terms of national total fertility rates (per woman), it is approximated at (4.5 children per woman), which is relatively low as compared to its neighboring states. The nation’s HIV prevalence rate is placed at 3.9 %, which is relatively better than the average rate of the African continent (UNICEF, 2013). In terms of infant (

Psychology, Theology in Chrisitian Counseling Essay Example for Free

Psychology, Theology in Chrisitian Counseling Essay SUMMARY The book begins with at brief selection as it addresses the importance of the counselor utilizing the Christian faith in counseling in addition to focusing on the relationship between psychology and theology. It addresses the issues and concerns that religion may bring into counseling sessions and how the counselor should address and handle these challenges. McMinn addresses the facts that spiritual development must take place with the client as well as the counselor. The counselor must personally address the regulation of prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption these formulations are a necessity for smooth sessions for the client and counselor. The objective of the sessions is to create a healthy sense of self for the client. Once this objective is achieved, the client can move from being broken, and begin a self-motivated and fulfilling relationship with God and others. In the section, Toward Psychological and Spiritual Health, McMinn focuses his main position to the varied individuality of an individual’s life. He proposes that Christian counseling strengthens three areas of a person’s life: sense of self, awareness of human need, limitations, and confiding interpersonal relationships with God and others. The book appears to be focused on the many important attributes of a Christian’s life i.e. prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption all which should be the foundational make-up of the Christian counselor’s method of treating client’s. Dr. McMinn (1996) believes prayer should be used in and outside of the counseling session, however; with caution. According to McMinn (1996) Christian counselors should depend upon Scripture for truth by determining how to use it appropriately. The use of scripture should be utilized as a therapeutic intervention in the counseling setting. In addition, it would solely depend upon the client’s emotional, mental and spiritual health and how it is perceived. The chapters are formatted in a very straightforward layout. The chapters have sections to address the challenges counselors face, psychological and spiritual health focus points, and also expected results by each foundational element of counseling – psychological, theological, and spiritual. McMinn further discusses the topics of sin, redemption and forgiveness. From the text, it is apparent that the discussion of sin must be handled with care at all times. This subject should be approached with caution and only be discussed if there is a healthy client counselor relationship. Forgiveness is one of the other attributes discussed. Forgiveness has the ability to lead an individual to a healthy and fulfilling life with others and self. It can produce spiritual, mental and emotional reprieve for a client. Redemption is the sole objective for counseling and the counselor must first recognize his redemption before he is urged to be a vessel to redeem someone else. (Ephesians 1:7-8) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (NIV) Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being â€Å"justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus† (Romans 3:24). To be redeemed we first have to be lost, separated, and captive, be in slavery, and so on. In the case of the Christian redemption definition, we are separated from God and need redemption to be able to be reconcile back to God. CONCRETE RESPONSE This book is a very good outline of spiritual and psychological health and functioning. It gives a very detailed outline of what a Christian counselor should be. Having had some counseling sessions with my pastor in regards to debating on divorce, I was able to relate to McMinns outlines. My pastor was firm and consistent and did not waiver from the word of God as it related to my personal issue at the time. Before the sessions begin, one of the major items my pastor discussed with me was prayer. He asked before the sessions started if I would like for him to pray and before the end of each session. He advised me that through prayer I would be able to feel the presence of God in which I did. As I became more acclimated with my relationship with God, I was able to feel his presence. However; at some points during the sessions I felt as if he was forcing his personal beliefs on me as it related to divorce. I was at a point in my life that divorce appeared to be the only option I felt I had. With prayer and the act of forgiveness and continued efforts, I was able to forgive my spouse and move forward. After my sessions, I was able to find my healthy sense of self again which lead to a more positive, healthy and productive life with my spouse. REFLECTION The proficiency of counseling must be carefully implemented in order for the counselor and client to eventually envision and reap the benefits. This action may not happen in two or three sessions or may not happen at all depending upon the counselor and client’s relationship. We as Christian counselors must equip ourselves with the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11, 13). The Holy Spirit should be in the midst of each counseling session in order for the sessions to be productive and prosperous. McMinn (1996) intra disciplinary approach to healing the emotional, mental, and spiritual life of man must be taken in small steps. One question that comes to mind is the section which related to counseling adolescents. According to the book, a teenager appears to be the most difficult to communicate with. In view of the fact that teenagers are faced with an array of complex situations on a daily basis, how would one effectively bring across information for a teenager to perceive who is currently going through a dilemma? Would the same outline be used in treating adults? ACTION As I read Mark McMinn’s book I began to feel a hunger and thirst for the Word of God which became more prevalent as I continued to read. My spirit began to search for more of God . It is apparent that I must fast, pray and read my bible on a daily basis so that I can focus on God and build a closer relationship with him. This book is an excellent resource for counseling for those who need guidance in incorporating spiritual disciplines in a secularly dominated society. The only way this will be instrumental in counseling is to refer to its teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to make it conducive and acceptable in the counseling session. Many Christian counselors can use this resource to reach a level of maturity that will translate into true healing and redemption. As a Christian Counselor, I must first recognize the fact that each person is different mentally, physically and emotionally. Therefore, different methods must be utilized. There is not an outline written in stone; each session evolves into a different method according to the client and the positive or negative response of the previous sessions. The information given by McMinn has truly broadened my outlook in respects to counseling and the relationship I should have with God in reference to becoming a counselor. I would truly recommend this book to any existing counselors or those perusing a counseling career. REFERENCE McMinn, Mark R. Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality In Christian Counseling. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996.

Reception of photography

Reception of photography Using a broad range of critical, satirical, and photographic texts, assess the cultural reception of photography in the mid nineteenth century. The mid nineteenth century was a time of great technological advancement, and a more modern way of living came to be that bought with it significant cultural and social change. The industrial age was in full swing (as a consequence of the recent development of the steam engine), and photography was an exciting (but also intimidating) technology that caused incredible debate surrounds its status as an art form, and also the ethical and social issues its conception invoked. Although Daguerre/Fox Talbots Victorian audience were generally a receptive and willing one ready to embrace new and exciting technology (Goldberg 1991), there is significant evidence that shows a mixed cultural reception in regards to the emergence of early photographic processes. Wells (2004 p.12) states that: hailed as a great technological invention, photography immediately became the subject of debates concerning its aesthetic status and social uses Henisch (1994 pg.2) agrees stating intense controversies raged concerning its status and role in society. Photography had a huge impact on the Victorian society, and in 1839 artist Paul Delaroche is said to have claimed hysterically upon first seeing a daguerreotype photograph, from this day painting is dead. Japanese artist Renjio Shinoke also reportedly snapped his paintbrushes and become a pioneer of early Japanese photography (Eastman 1962). Whilst these examples are clearly overt exaggerations (almost to the point of satire) , they also highlight genuine fears and anxieties felt by artists (especially portrait) and critics alike, which stimulated and engaged the Victorian society in a plethora of debates surrounding the cultural, ethical and social impact the emergence of photography raised . The majority accepted its ability to record mechanically accurate images that are free of discrimination, but photographys status as an art form (or a creative medium) was much less certain , and something that was fiercely contested. Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), a French Poet artist (and well known and very vocal critic of early photography) wrote: If photography is allowed to deputize for art, it will not be long before it has supplanted or corrupted art altogether (Baudelaire 1859 pg.297) Baudelaire suggests photography simply should not be allowed to supplant more traditional artistic methods, and to allow it do so would not only undermine, or negatively impact art, but corrupt it altogether. Baudelaire was not alone, as Goldberg (1991 pg.10) declares William Wordsworth shared in Baudelaires cynical view of photography, and in the 1840s penned a sonnet which declared the degradation of mans noblest attire', and expressed fears that a dumb art would lead his once-intellectual land back to the caves. Here Wordsworth is stipulating photographys potential to instigate the death of human intellect, and again, whilst such arguments are surely sensationalist, these declarations shows that not only was there an opposition to photographys ability to render art useless, but also a fear that its mechanical nature would dumb down society by removing a large part of the human aspect from the creative process. Both views show people believed (among what we can consider high artist s) that photography was a genuine threat to the fine arts of the time. Perhaps artists felt threatened by the technology? Threatened by its ability to so effortlessly paint reality, and ultimately achieve what they had been trying to do for long? Satirical publications in circulation in the mid nineteenth century, of which Punch magazine was the most popular, produced a number of cartoons highlighting these very issues. One such untitled illustration (1860 pg. 140) portrays a fashionable photographer forbidding smoking in his studio, as he declares himself not a common artist. Clearly an underhanded attack on the attitudes photographers took to their work which wasnt shared by their critics. Another satirical sketch, titled How the Famous Photographer Nadar Elevates Photography to the Level of Art show the French artist and photographer Fà ©lix Nadar taking to the sky in an air balloon, clutching a camera under his arm, physically lifting photography into the realms of high art. Su ch a picture of absurdity is surely meant to openly ridicule photography and its quest to be recognised as fine art. The latter picture serves a secondary purpose though, as Nadar was famous for his unsuccessful attempt to build a gigantic air balloon named Le Gà ©ant (or The Giant) around the same time as his photographic exploits. These are just two examples of many cartoons published around the mid nineteenth century that served to ridicule not only photographys quest for a higher status, but also many criticized the photographic studios and the rising popularity of carte de visite . In the photographic studios defence, famous photographic studio owner Richard Beard ran a series of advertisements for his business that served as much to promote his business as they did to promote photography as an art form. Close scrutiny of one of his earliest advertisements (Beard 1843) circulated in 1843 reveals the words Photography is indeed as grand a step in the fine arts as the steam engi ne was in the mechanical arts. This isnt to say everybody had difficulty accepting photography as true art, as many did indeed lament the skill that was required of a competent photographer, and the innate talent required to turn out a successful exposure. A Victorian periodical titled Once a Week published in 1862 states that To produce a good photograph, it requires a thoroughly artistic hand. Francious Argo (1930), when asked by the French government to assess the daguerreotypes successes concluded that M Daguerres wonderful discovery is an immense service rendered to art. This prompted the French government to subsidise Daguerre a pension of 6,000 francs for life, and his son 4,000 on the understanding they could use and adapt it for their own need (Goldberg 1991). Newell states that Argos memorandum mustnt be taken as a reflection of the attitudes of all artists to the new discovery. It appears that it was mainly established artists that held the biggest contempt for photograph y, and I believe not only suggests a fear for their livelihoods, but also a fear that the status of artist, usually reserved for a chosen few, would know be available to anyone with enough money to purchase a camera. It is difficult to truly gauge just how profoundly photography affected art in these early days, but it can be certain it was definitely believed at least possible by many that photography could be a form of artistic expression. as Goldberg (1981 pg.20) states photography and art have always been tangled, are tangled still. Millions of daguerreotype portrait photographs were taken in the 1840s and 1850s (to the dismay of photographys critics) as it began to supersede the more traditional painted portraitures. As Goldberg (1991 pg.12) states: After 1839 people who were not wealthy enough to commission portraits by a painter like Jean-Augusta-Dominique Ingres were no longer had to do with silhouettes and stiff pink renditions of their faces turned out by itinerant painters Portrait painters simply couldnt supply the demand necessary, and the affordability and fast turnaround of mainly studio based daguerreotype photographers (there were also the travelling carts) could offer was simply impossible to match. Photographic studios were the staple of early photography, the most famous of which were the Beard chain of studios (aptly ran by Richard Beard) which began opening in London in 1943. His studios were incredibly successful and lucrative business opportunity at the time, as the deal he made with Daguerre (who held the patent to his process) ensured his studios were the only ones in the UK throughout the early years of photography. Punch magazine (18 ran numerous satirical cartoons that highlighted what appears to be a clear distaste for the photographic studio. One cartoon named Step in, and be done sir! features a cat trying to lure a mouse into a photographic studio. More an echo of the society in which photography was operating, this piece could be looked at in a number of different ways. Perhaps the photographer being the cat (fat cat) and the enchanted lower/middle classes being the mice, echoing how the sitters are led into the studios under what could be considered false pretences in order to have their money relieved of them. Julia F Munro (2009 pg.167) states: George Dodd personified the by-then popular process of photography as the optical stranger, and as [s]trange, scientific, mournful, all at once. Such a figuration typifies the Victoria reaction to the uncanny qualities of the new technology. This statement was retrieved from an article entitled Busy with the photograph, published on April 29th 1854, and encapsulates the mixed reactions of the Victorian public towards early photography and more importantly the photographic studio. The idea of the optical stranger was one that was re-enforced by La Gazette de France in 1839, as they declared the invention of photography upsets all scientific theories of light and optics. The whole act of having ones picture taken was seen by many as a mysterious and bizarre concept, and the resulting exposures were often cited as too-real images (Munro 2009 p.168) and encouraged diverse reaction, ranging from that of excitement, to anxiety and fear, often leading to suggestions of magic (the transfiguration of the common photographer to the role of a magician or illusionist). Literature from the mid nineteenth century is rife with personal accounts of visits to local daguerreotype photographers studios and the wonders of photography. A le tter, published in the Times newspaper in 1852, where-by a middle aged man talks of his recent visit to a photography studio discusses how with a fluttering heart he approaches the mysterious apartment. He is of course simply referring to a typical early photographic studio setup, but these anxieties were very real for the everyday person. Another letter, written by a women this time, was published in the Times newspaper in 1854 describes the photographer disappearing into a mysterious closet and alludes to some hocus pocus being indulged in before he returns with the exposed plate. The photos were perceived as taking on a life of their own to a naive Victorian subject. The tone and lack of colour often provoked reactions of dismay, and many linked what were known as the dark mysterious chambers to execution houses (Munro 2009). The small stiff chairs (encouraging the sitter to sit upright), complete with leg clamps. Further controversy was sown by the nature of daguerreotype. Many referred the way a photograph could only be viewed in certain light, and as Munro (2009 pg.172) puts it seemingly wasnt to be seen one moment, only to burst into view the next. Being photographed and indeed even seeing a photograph were completely new and exotic experiences. For many Victorians, photography was too-real, and a large part of the fear was simply a natural reaction to the newness of the communicative medium, and novelty of a strange new and exotic process (Munro 2009 pg.169). The quoted realness of the photos could suggest a sense of fear relating to just how life like the photos were to a first time viewer, or suggest a much more deep routed fear related to magic and the unknown. It wasnt only the daguerreotype that achieved large scale success among the Victorian public. A large trade in what was known as carte de visite photographs soon came about after their circulation became widespread, as highlighted in the Victorian periodical Once a Week. Carte de visite photo graphs were small paper portrait photographs which usually originated from the albumen process (which allowed for paper based prints to be made from the negative, meaning it was a simple process to produce copies). Once a Week (1862 pg 135) states Literary men have a constant sale and their carte de visites were bought for every album. It becomes clear that collecting these small portrait photographs of the rich and famous was a popular pastime among the middle classes. It became so popular among the middle classes that it was often referred to as Cardomania (Once a Week 1862). We can clearly see that there was a need for photography, but these needs arose after its introduction and were not in place before its conception. There was certainly something about early photography which caused an anxiety in the general public, but also fascinated them enough to endure it (even embrace it). It is now widely accepted that photography wasnt truly discovered until 1839, as it was then that Daguerre and Fox Talbot made their discoveries of early photographic processes, the daguerreotype and calotype respectively, and shared them with the world. Goldberg (1991) agrees that it was much earlier when people began to realise a need and take interest in using light as a way of recording images, the need to preserve a moment accurately and without discrimination. Goldberg (1991 pg.10) goes on to state that desire was abroad to catch nature in a net, and that photography came to serve a much needed purpose, one that had been recognised much earlier that its first conception. Indeed as early as the late eighteenth century, devices such as the camera obscura (optical device used mainly to aid drawing) and camera lucida (a piece of technology which allowed artists the ability to precisely record contours of landscape) were rife, and captured the eye of professional and amateur artists alike. Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), sometimes referred to as the Grandfather of Photography, was one of many people searching for an answer to the void that existed before the conception of photography, and was most interested in its ability to record nature accurately. Talbot states is his manual The Pencil of Nature (1844) that his photography should be thought of as photogenic drawing. Talbot (1844) goes on to say he pursued his development of the calotype photographic process mainly as a result of his poor ability as an artist. Lewis (1996 pg.16) states: The canon of images to which we are so attached reveals as much and perhaps more about the intervening century Talbots photography, The Open Door for instance, appears to serve very little artistic purpose, and could merely be interpreted as a mechanically accurate recording, something he was simply incapable of doing by hand. On the other it could be seen as an example of how photography could supplant the more traditional arts, an early example of the photographers ability to shape, to frame, and to manipulate reality how he saw fit. We may never know, as whilst we are able to appreciate early photographs, it is impossible to know the original context, how they were read, and indeed, what made them meaningful to the society of which they were a product. It is even more difficult to gauge the early intentions of photographic pioneers. Many widely believed that photography was going to bring a truth to society that had never been seen, its potential as a truth bearer, and an accurate recorder of history. Ernst Mach, an Austrian empiricist (ironically) stated How tranquil politics will be!, an d even the notorious critic Baudelaire (1859 pg. 297) stated photography could be considered a handmade of the arts and sciences although he goes on to say a very humble handmaid. Society became increasingly aware of its benefits as a scientific tool and embraced the possibilities this afforded with open arms: A new found purpose perhaps, a commitment to relating to truth? As Goldberg (1981 pg. 16) states: The engine was an extension of the muscle, the telegraph a superhuman voice, and the photograph an unblinking eye with a new outlook on history and knowledge Baudelaire (1859) also suggests photography was merely a sign of the times, showing that links were made between the mechanical nature of photography and societies rising industrial prowess and reliance on machines. The unstoppable rise of industry so to speak. Wells (2004) states a society will also invest and put time into developing new technologies in order to help satisfy previously unseen social needs, and goes on to summarise (2004 pg. 12) that photography was a consequence, and not a cause of culture. I believe that photography was not a cause of change, but an answer to an unforeseen social need brought about by the emerging modern metropolitan lifestyle. It has become clear to me that there certainly was a need for photography, and the Victorians were fascinated with it, whether they loved it or hated it. As Bede (1855) begins is his satirical book Photographic Pleasure with a metaphor comparing men and womens intrigue with photography to the same intrigue they hold for a h uman child: The ladies are enamoured of him: The gentlemen evince their affection by suggestions for his improvement, and by general attention to his welfare.All are fond of him: everyone is declaring that he is the most beautiful baby yet born to Science. It is entirely feasible that the reason it raised such widespread controversy, why it was so widely debated, and ultimately why it was so popular as an amateur hobby or leisure pursuit was simply because the technology was still in its infancy. It was still new, and fresh. Artists were fearful of photography , not only because their jobs were endangered, but also their status as artists. A profession usually only available to a truly gifted few now had the potential to be available to anyone. These critics only served to fuel the anxieties that were common place among the general public, but, despite this, the public did allow photography room to grow (albeit carefully, and with great caution and concern). It was a new technology which people needed time to come to terms with, time to understand, and time to flourish and co-exist peacefully with other more established art forms in the new, fast paced, and modern Victorian metropolitan lifestyle. Bibliography WELLZ, L. 2004. Photography: A critical introduction. Oxford: Routledge. CLARKE, G. 1997. The Photograph. Oxford: Oxford University Press. BAUDELAIRE, C. 1859. The Salon of 1859. Unknown. BRIGGS, A. 1998. A Victorian Portrait. London: Cassell Publishers Limited. GOLDBERG, V. 1991. The Power of Photography: How photographs changed our lives. New York: Abbeville Publishing Group. BEARD, R. 1843. Advertisement [Accessed 2rd December 2009]. Available from: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/73604552/Hulton-Archive GOLDBERG, V. 1981. Photography in Print: Writings from 1816 to the present. New York: University of New Mexico Press GREEN-LEWIS, J. 1996. Framing the Victorians. New York: Cornell University Press. HEINZ, K. 1994. The Photographic Experience 1839-1914. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press. MARIEN, M. 1997. Photography and its Critics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. MUNRO, J. F. July 2009 The Optical Stranger: Photographic anxieties in British periodical literature of the 1840s and 1850s. Journal of early popular visual culture 7(2) pp167-183. UNKNOWN. 1860 Punch magazine October 6th. p.140 UNKNOWN. 1861 Punch magazine June 1st pg.221 ARGO, F. 1930 Bulletin de la Socià ©tà © Fran?aise de Photographie NEWELL, B., and R. DOTY. 1962. The value of photography to the artist, 1839. The Bulletin of the George Eastman House of Photography [online]. 11 (6), [Accessed December 2nd 2009], pp. 25-40. Available From: http://image.eastmanhouse.org/files/GEH_1962_11_06.pdf Daumier, H. 1862. How the Famous Photographer Nadar Elevates Photography to the Level of Art [Accessed 3rd December 2009]. Available from: http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/463-5227 BEDE, C. 1855. Photographic Pleasures. London: T McLean. UNKNOWN. 1862 Once a Week. Unknown TALBOT, H. F. 1844. The Open Door [Accessed 4th December 2009]. Available from: http://cai.ucdavis.edu/waters-sites/aesthetic_movement/opendoorphoto.jpg BEARD, R. 1843. Advertisement [Accessed 2rd December 2009]. Available from: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/73604552/Hulton-Archive Daumier, H. 1862. How the Famous Photographer Nadar Elevates Photography to the Level of Art [Accessed 3rd December 2009]. Available from: http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/463-5227 TALBOT, H. F. 1844. The Open Door [Accessed 4th December 2009]. Available from: http://cai.ucdavis.edu/waters-sites/aesthetic_movement/opendoorphoto.jpg

Cynicism in Works of Ambrose Bierce Essay -- Cynic Author

The style and motives of Ambrose Bierce are those of a great intellect and cynic. Ambrose Bierce used graphic images to get his message across in a lot of his stories such as "Chicamauga" and "The Affair at Coulter's Notch". A good portion of his short stories were stories of innocent people and soldiers and their experiences. He also wrote a book called "The Devil's Dictionary," which reinterprets a few terms in the English language. Ambrose Bierce's cynical perspective, which can be seen within his literary works, actually masks a sensitive idealist, who wants to create an awareness in the readers of the horrors of war as well as the injustices and insensitivities in people and society. To start off, Ambrose Bierce used a lot of graphic images to deglorify war. There were many graphic images in the story ?Chicamauga?, for example, ? - lacked a lower jaw - from the upper teeth to the throat was a great red gap fringed with hanging shreds of flesh and splinters of bone?. ?The unnatural prominence of nose, the absence of chin, the fierce eyes, gave this man the appearance of a great...

Comparing Dystopian Dream of Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale and GATTACA :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Dystopian Dream of Brave New World, The Handmaid’s Tale and GATTACA  Ã‚   In Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill writes that â€Å"it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.† By this he meant there are qualitative degrees of satisfaction and if to be satisfied we’re lowered in status to that of a pig, it’s better for us to be dissatisfied humans. The film GATTACA and the books Brave New World and The Handmaid’s Tale create fictional places where the needs and desires of humans are met, but not as well as they should be and not without a price. Given the achievements in science over the last several decades, specifically in areas of genetics and biology, it is no wonder why we dream of altering our world in the name of progress. But with social progress in these tales comes repressed individuality, loss of personal freedom, and discrimination of those who aren’t the biological elite. Because such stories deal with these potential imperfections of utopia, they’re called dystopias, pessimistic vi sions of societies striving to be ideal but never reaching their goal. Utopian and Dystopian thinkers differ in their views of human nature. While Utopians see human nature as basically good, Dystopians cannot share such optimism. Human nature, in their view, is much like science, neither good nor bad, but varied and variable, potentially both good and evil. Even in the most ideal circumstances, Dystopians believe there’s no escaping those who desire power and control over others. (Dystopia Handout) In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale those who seize power in the Republic of Gilead are the Commanders, men who arrange a right wing militant theocracy that demotes women and controls society. After a political massacre eradicates pre-Gilead government and environmental disasters threaten the proliferation of the human race, those women still capable of reproducing are forced to bear children for those who cannot. Those lucky enough to become Handmaids are spared from life in the Colonies handling toxic waste. Offred, the main chara cter of the book, finds herself stripped away from her family and her previous role in society. Instead of being a wife and a mother, she is what Lois Feuer calls â€Å"a walking womb,† useful only because she’s still fertile in a world where fertility is rare.. In GATTACA, as in The Handmaid’s Tale, reproduction is controlled by an elite group of males, but in a slightly different way.

How does Stevenson play with the Concept of the Double in ‘Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Essay

The novella in question is ‘Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1885 at his residence in Bournemouth after a tragic nightmare. I am going to discuss the subject of duality in the novella. It is set in the nocturnal streets of London in the Victorian era, a period in which doubles and opposites were frequent. Curiously, this novella looks at the life of a scientist called Henry Jekyll who formulates a potion enabling him to temporarily transform both his personality and physical appearance. This new individual is Mr. Hyde, the ‘id’ or the simian who ‘hides’ inside Dr. Jekyll. In many ways, this book reflects Stevenson himself and the Victorian period as a whole. I look at this novella from a various different origins; the father to son relationship as in Jekyll’s confession ‘Jekyll had more than a father’s interest; Hyde had more than a son’s indifference.’; the hypocrisy in the Victorian age as Carew the MP gives the impression of being a homosexual and finally, the adolescent boy inside the grown man which due to Hyde’s physical status, he looks and feels younger. Stevenson represents duality through the physical appearance of the people and places in the book. The first is the entrance to the shared residence which, is both Jekyll’s and Hyde’s habitat contemporaneously although it is not very obvious. The door by which Hyde enters is described as being ‘blistered and distained’ whilst Dr. Jekyll’s entrance has a great faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade. The blistered door can be a reference of a particular sexually transmitted disease, syphilis; Stevenson is trying to code one of the problems that society had in those days. These aspects were frequent in Victorian houses seeing as the front would be lavish whilst the rear constructed of inferior yellow bricks which gives reality a smokescreen. Hyde’s entrance is described as ‘nothing but a door †¦ a blind forehead †¦ discoloured wall†¦ prolonged and sordid negligence†¦ was blistered and distained.’ These descriptive terms imply that the rear of the building was the hideous side, to be kept away from the public eye. This quotation also refers to Mr. Hyde, as it says ‘a blind forehead†¦ discoloured wall.’ At the time, people with big foreheads were considered to have criminal tendencies. The ‘discoloured wall’ can represent the fact that Hyde was a suppressed part of Jekyll and therefore has no colour of its own. There is repetition of two in describing this access seeing as there are ‘two doors†¦ two storeys.’ which again gives us a clear message of segregation between the two characters. Soho once had a reputation for prostitution and brothels and it would be where the aliens or foreigners would go in that period. This is also where Hyde lives; his dwelling has two faces to it. The exterior was sordid and squalid whilst the interior was lavish and elaborate with expensive furniture. We can easily relate this with the characters in the story where the sleazy exterior represents Hyde but inside him is an aristocratic Victorian gentleman. Stevenson refers a lot to interiors and exteriors, ‘pockets inside out†¦ lock fast drawers stood open.’ This is an exposition of the interior, a mirror image; Stevenson is trying to expose the truth of society at the time by showing what is inside. As the ‘pockets’ were ‘inside out’, or in a different sense, inverted, which could refer to an inversion of sexuality which maybe Hyde was leading at the time as he was a mirror image, thus the opposite of Jekyll. Jekyll was the complete reverse of the ‘id’ in physical aspects such as the stature and the age but also in an ironic way that Hyde kills peoples and Jekyll saves lives. The fog that surrounds Utterson as he goes to Soho can also be seen as both a London particular and a reflection of his state of mind. His confusion as he tries to find connections between Jekyll and Hyde is constantly ‘reinvaded by darkness’. This has a double meaning, it could be that Utterson is loosing focus and then regaining it or, it could be that Hyde being the darkness recurrently invades Jekyll. In this atmosphere, there is an inversion of day and night due to the fog, and there would be a ‘glow of rich, lurid brown’ due to the faecal waste and the filthiness of Soho. The three main characters of the book are Jekyll the ‘ego’, Hyde the ‘id’ and Utterson the ‘superego’. Throughout the whole passage, there are no real female characters which, represents the sexism prevalent at the time. Moreover there are auxiliary characters such as Enfield, Carew and Lanyon. Enfield is one of the first mentioned in the book; he appears to lead a double life as he finds himself in the streets of London at three in the morning which suggests that he might have been out in the brothels or maybe leading a second, homosexual life. Sir Danvers Carew also gives a similar impression of leading a two faced life as he too finds himself meandering the streets of London late at night. An explanation that we can offer for the cause of his death was that he had mistaken Hyde for a homosexual prostitute and Hyde released the simian that he was, ending up with the MP’s death. By showing this, Stevenson is trying to show the hypocrisy in society at the time as Carew was both a homosexual and a Member of Parliament that had outlawed such behaviour. Mr Hyde is probably the most complex and mysterious character in the novella. All the characters that see him, sense this unidentifiable deformity in him. This could be due to moral depravity. At the time, deformity was not accepted and those who were deformed were unwanted in the society. Stevenson captures the way people perceived Hyde’s deformities in one passage of the book ‘Snarled †¦ savage †¦ pale and dwarfish †¦ deformity †¦ husky †¦ murderous †¦ hardly human †¦ troglodytic †¦ foul soul †¦ Satan’s signature on a face.’ We have the impression of an amoral, ‘ape-like’ being who is of a different order to the rest of society. As Mr. Hyde attacks the little girl and tramples over her he again gives this barbaric image of an untamed beast or a ‘masked thing like a monkey’ on the other side of this mask is the opposite of this beast. The opposite of the beast; Jekyll is the ‘ego’ and the respectable face in society, a doctor and a wealthy middle aged man. Jekyll and Hyde are one being and this is shown in various instances, in the opening chapter, as Hyde has trampled the little girl, he remarks ‘No gentleman but wishes to avoid a scene’ meaning that he believes himself still a gentleman therefore a part of Jekyll is still present but is hidden inside the binary figure. Henry Jekyll’s response to Utterson ‘You do not understand my position †¦ I am painfully situated, my position is a very strange – very strange one †¦ cannot be mended by talking†¦ it isn’t what you fancy; it is not so bad as that’ gives the impression of him being involved in an illicit affair or blackmail. Jekyll is reassuring Utterson that it is not the usual case a lawyer was used to. Utterson gives a very vivid description of what he thinks about the two characters Jekyll and Hyde, ‘turns me quite cold to think of this creature stealing like a thief to Harry’s bedside.’ This quote clearly tells us that the other characters do not know of Jekyll’s duality. What I believe Stevenson is trying to get across is this message of ‘a monster next to his creator or his double’ the man that created the being that will lead to his destruction. Stevenson applies different layers to the structure of the book where nothing is quite what it seems. The book opens with a frame narrative but ends abruptly with Jekyll’s confession. This can be interpreted as the presence of Hyde; at the beginning it has a frame but at the end this book closes without one as he is not present. The story consists of multiple narratives which again lie within a narrative and this corresponds to Jekyll and the character within him, Hyde. One example is in Dr. Lanyon’s narrative and in Dr. Jekyll’s letter to Lanyon. In the last chapter, Stevenson begins to write in the first person and suddenly there is a shift of person as he talks about Hyde, in such a way as to set aside his second self. ‘He, I say – I cannot say, I.’ as Jekyll begins to regret his discovery and the impossibility of controlling his other self. Furthermore, in the confession, this change of person can be considered as a confused identity, Hyde slowing taking control and manipulating Jekyll. Throughout the novella there are explicit references to the double that are used in either a numerical or a metaphorical way. In the last paragraph of the novella, Stevenson emphasises the sense of the double as he finally reveals, to the shock of the Victorian reader, the duality of Jekyll. The reoccurring references to the double in his confession seem to be a means that Jekyll uses to reassure himself that Hyde is not taking over by segregating him. Stevenson is telling us this strange case starts with one person and will finish with another, meaning that by the end of the process, Hyde takes over and Jekyll will lie dormant and suppressed as once his double did. The obsession that Dr. Jekyll has with the double could also be a reference to the obsession he feels with the experiment; as Lanyon describes the entry book ‘ ‘double’ occurring perhaps six times in a total of several hundred entries. This feeling of the double also appears in various puns and metaphors. ‘On the other side’ is used as ‘on the other hand’ but has been carefully chosen since not only is Jekyll another surface to his physical self but also writes with his left hand which could be referring to sinister (deriving from left in Latin) evil. A mixed metaphor is used in the confession ‘the animal within me licking the chops of memory’ this metaphor has a double duality to it. Hyde is the animal within Jekyll and as we know of Hyde’s deformity, the ‘chops’ could be of his face, whilst the use of ‘memory’ gives us the feeling of it all possibly being a nightmare. As Stevenson wrote this book, he was suffering from tuberculosis and ‘the animal within’ could be the disease wearing him away. The language used describing Dr. Jekyll’s cabinet has a double symbolism to it. The cabinet is clearly divided into two parts, the ‘cosy fireside’ with ‘the things laid out for tea’ and the ‘kettle singing’ gives us this feeling of the place being homely and comforting whilst on the other hand, there are ‘the glass cases full of chemicals’ giving a different atmosphere to the rest of the room. ‘Several books on the shelf†¦ open†¦ annotated†¦ startling blasphemies.’ The book that is laid next to the tea things, presumably a holy book, had been written on with wickedness by Hyde. We can relate this to the fact that it was open meaning that Hyde had been unleashed. The last object yet, probably the most significant in the room, is the cheval-glass. Stevenson shows his bilingual skills and produces a bilingual pun. In French, a cheval glass is also called a phsycà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which is another way of saying psyche. As Utterson and Poole peer into this glass and see nothing, it is another way of saying that they peer into the psyche of Jekyll and Hyde and see nothing as ‘they’ are both dead. This pun tells us a lot of what Stevenson thought of society at the time. Stevenson uses the cheval-glass to say that the Victorian era was not yet ready for psychoanalysis. There are various ways in which Stevenson shows the socio-historical characteristics of the novella and of the time. The typical Victorian gentleman was well known for his duality. This could have been for sexual suppression since there are many sexually-related citations with the lack of female characters and the compromising situations the reader often finds them in. At the time, the exciting possibilities and dangers of science posed many questions to the Victorians. This was epitomised by the fierce debate caused by the publication of ‘The Origin of Species’. This novella can be related to this question as it shows a vast contrast between the two figures, Hyde being the simian and Jekyll the religious man who believes in God. Social problems that were faced at the times were many and severe. Syphilis was a very widespread sexually transmitted disease which was due to the many brothels present in London. Drug addiction was another of the society’s worries; this book tightly relates to this problem as Jekyll depends on the chemicals that he requires to keep Hyde under control. Drugs also had a hallucinogenic effect on people and what Stevenson may be saying is that the whole of the double life that Jekyll was leading was a hallucination and that the drugs transform oneself into another being; that is why he finally dies as Hyde due to toxic-dependency. Victorian society was also obsessed by class. The industrial revolution emphasised the gap between the upper classes and the working class. Stevenson played on the prejudices of his re aders in making Hyde a proletarian figure in contrast to the upright and apparently worthy Jekyll. In conclusion, this novella has many subtexts and concealed messages which the 1886 reader would have readily identify with. This was because they would be exposed to these things every day. We now have a different view of society and science but it could be questioned whether we are any less hypocritical. The theme of the double still continues to inspire play writers and novelists now and for a long foreseeable future.