Happiness Interviews and Happiness Analyzed Essay Example for Free

Happiness Interviews and Happiness Analyzed Essay The first person I interviewed was my mom, Shirley. The reason I chose her is because she is 83 years old and raised seven kids during the early part of the Cold War. She has been married twice, she been broke then been comfortable but not wealthy, and she has seen her share of health problems. For my second interview, I chose a new co-worker named Doug. He is a 21 year old, homosexual, single father. While he does work to pay bills, he grew up in a family with money and usually gets what he asks for. He has never experienced a traumatic event such as a death in the family, serious health conditions, or hard financial times. He is the exact opposite of my mother, making him a perfect comparison. Interview with Shirley Question: What does Happiness mean to you? Response: Well, to me happiness is just being content with life. Bills paid with a little money in my pocketbook, time to relax, and spending time with people I love. Question: Has this always been your definition of Happiness? Why or why not? Response: No, of course not. When I married at 17, I thought happiness was being married and raising a family. However, being as it was just after WWII, birth control was out of my control, and as time went on, my husband failed to work, and the burden of taking care of 7 children on government funds and part-time bartending was almost too much. Happiness had fleeted from my life. My marriage ended after my eighth child died a day after birth and I had a hysterectomy. My husband felt that I was no longer a woman and filed for divorce and custody of our kids. After the divorce, my oldest son left for the Navy and my younger kids had been ordered to life with their father, I was miserable. Finally, I began working full-time, and found happiness within myself. Things got even better when I met your dad. Having a loving husband and a job I loved, I thought I had it all. I had no idea that 7 years after we married, we would get the chance to adopt you, completing the circle. Life was complete and I had never been happier. Question: What was your definition of happiness then? Response: Happiness was staying home and raising you while your dad worked and made enough for us to pay the bills and not be broke, and our family time on the weekend with no worries just each other. Question: After suffering from a life-threatening heart condition leading to open-heart surgery and almost losing your husband to a heart attack, did happiness take on a new meaning? Response: Of course. Now happiness is living one more day to see my wonderful husband, my daughter, and my precious granddaughter. Without that, life would be unbearable. Happiness is also knowing that those you love are happy and satisfied with their lives. Question: Do you think your opinion of happiness will change in the future? Response: Not likely, I mean I am 83 years old. Not much about me is gonna change at this point in my life. (S. Burkhert, personal communication, March 23, 2012) Interview with Doug Question: What does Happiness mean to you? Response: Happiness is doing what I want when I want, not answering to anyone, and having enough money to do whatever. It’s about being comfortable with whom I am as a gay man with a daughter and as a young adult with so many things I want to do. Question: Does it affect your happiness if your actions cause someone else sadness or pain? What about your daughter’s happiness. Response: No, I don’t really care about other people.  I care about me first and if it makes my daughter happy too, then it’s a bonus. I get what I want because if I’m unhappy, nobody’s happy. Question: Have you always been that greedy about your happiness? Response: Yeah, pretty much. Question: Don’t you think everyone has the right to be happy? Response: Sure, as long as it doesn’t affect me. (D. Pittman, personal communication, March 26, 2012) Happiness Analyzed Dawn Burkhert HU300 – Arts and Humanities Kaplan University In The Art of Being Human, Aristippus defined happiness as the sum of total pleasures experienced during one’s lifetime. However, after interviewing two totally different people, reading Chapter 7 in The Art of Being Human, and analyzing my own thoughts about happiness, I do not believe Aristippus’ definition to be accurate. To some, it’s about raising a family and enjoying life’s little moments, to others it’s about personal happiness at any cost, and to a few it is about doing good deeds for other people. Happiness can be fleeting or ever-lasting, can be spiritually influenced or materialistic. For every person, happiness takes on a different meaning. During the first interview with my 83 year old mom, Shirley, family was a key ingredient to her happiness. She was raised to believe in marriage and large families, as well as never putting herself first. Her happiness lies within knowing that she is making her family happy and spending time with her loved ones. She never asks for much, but always gives more than anyone could ever ask. Acts of such selflessness are not as plentiful as in her days, post the Great Depression and during the Cold War. On the other side of the coin, Doug, my second interview is very much the believer is selfish happiness. He feels that his happiness lies with him getting what he wants, when he wants, and without regard to others. As a 21 year old single man, Doug feels that he must always be happy before he can make his daughter happy. He said he would break a promise to his daughter in a heartbeat to do or get something he wanted. He stated that his happiness should come before all others. He has little consideration for others and could care less about other people’s opinions. This seems to be a destructive attitude to have, especially since we will not always get what we want, when we want, or how we want. As for me, I think that happiness should be both about ourselves and those surrounding us. Without happiness, we are nothing more than God-made robots. We were made to feel empathy, sympathy, joy, sadness and other sordid emotions. Happiness is supposed to be the most cherished of emotions according to the emotional state theory of happiness (http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/happiness/). Of all theories of happiness I have researched through the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, I agree the most with the life satisfaction theory. This theory states that happiness is a positive outlook on a person’s whole life not just a few selected events. The life satisfaction theory is the most applicable of theories I think because it tells us not to pick and choose which events in our life brought us happiness or which we would like to forget. It lends itself to the idea that regret of past events or bitter feelings of things we cannot change is not acceptable†¦be happy with who and what you are regardless of your situation and others’ opinions. That describes me so well and I think everyone should feel this way. Happiness is a wonderful feeling, no matter what it is that makes us feel this emotion. I doubt there will ever be a universal opinion of what happiness really is, what it constitutes, and what brings it to us. Some people are happiest while serving others, some while being served, and others are content just being alone. Regardless of how we obtain happiness, we all deserve happiness.

Relevance of Earlier Warfare to Modern Warfare Essay Example for Free

Relevance of Earlier Warfare to Modern Warfare Essay The art of War has been the subject of great scholarly activity as the attributes that make a person a skilled Commander in times of War have arose great curiosity amongst statesmen, generals and philosophers alike. More surprisingly, the advent of modern warfare has cast a shadow of fallacy on the minds of many individuals and has made them to believe that the current military professional has nothing to learn from the great commanders of the past as he is too â€Å"well equipped† to dwell on such detail. The truth is that history is the best teacher and as this paper progresses, I will be utilizing historic references to explain my point of contention that there is still a lot to learn from the likes of Fredrick the Great, Napoleon and Ulysses Grant. Argument The first and foremost evidence to support my thesis is that there is similarity between the goals of the current military professional and his counterpart from centuries ago. This similarity is more profound if you find yourself fighting for the same ideals, the same land and the same enemy. It is this similarity between the two that allows the current military professional to reassess himself in light of what is happening today. For example, according to Adam Hart – Davis (2007), the prime reason for the fall of Napoleon was that he invaded Russia, in the year 1812 (P. 179). The Russian Generals tactfully withdrew from territory destroying their own towns, farms, cultivation and infrastructure along the way. A month after defeating the Russians outside Moscow, Napoleon decided to retreat back to Paris out of concern of loss of control. However, his decision to do so in the winter proved fatal as the lack of shelter and infrastructure killed his troops physically and mentally. The Russians kept pursuit of the retreating forces and managed to kill scores of them. By the time Napoleon managed to get back home, all that was left of his army was a demoralized handful of men against an efficiently trained numerous force that had left Paris with him on the way to Russia earlier that year, contributing to his eventual fall in 1815. According to Gilbert (2004), a 130 years on, Hitler made the same mistake when he invaded Russia in 1941 just when the harsh winter started (P. 249). The Russians employed the same strategy and after defeating the Germans at the siege of Moscow and Stalingrad, they chased the retreating German forces back into Germany proper and were instrumental in the fall of Berlin and the end of the Nazi regime itself. Thus, had Hitler paid attention to the fault at which his predecessor had been, there was a great probability that he would not have met the end that he did in 1945. The second point of argument is that although how we conduct warfare these days has changed, the strategy or tactfulness has not. No matter what resources in weaponry and personnel that a general may have at his disposal, there is no denying that as far as tact is concerned, there is always a lot to learn. Consider Fredrick the Great who, in 1756, fearing a joint attack by major European powers including Russia, Sweden, and Hapsburg Austria etc launched a pre-emptive strike on its neighbors. According to The strategy was of immense benefit as he was able to destroy part of the hostile forces that allowed moral and tangible support when confronted by a full scale invasion. According to Adam Hart Davis (2007), the same strategy was followed by Israel in 1967 when on rumors of a joint Arab attack on her lands compelled her to make a pre emptive strike on Egypt, Syria and Jordan (P. 353). The result was that Israel doubled its land area in just six days by capturing the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank and the Golan heights. Again, what mattered was not the advanced weaponry that Israel had but the line of thought that was mutual between Fredrick the Great in 1756 and the Israeli leadership of 1967. Another example is the use of landscape and climate by the Russian Tsar Alexander in 1812 against Napoleon and by the Russian leader Joseph Stalin in 1941 against Nazi Germany. This use of the climate is yet to be seen again but, according to Adam Hart – Davis (2007), the use of the terrain and the landscape by the Viet-Cong against American forces in Vietnam and the Afghan Guerrillas against Soviet troops in Afghanistan enforces my point that tact is something which can be learned from the great Generals of the past (P. 355, 373-4). The last reason to support my thesis is that the rules of engagement have not changed as weaponry or tools have improved and not changed completely. This calls for a more proactive approach as to how we address the issue at hand, namely, whether the current military professional stand to benefit from the study of the Great generals of the past. Consider an example. The Trojan War, as depicted by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey, could be the first example in warfare history of deception. Whereby the Trojan horse was meant to be a gift, it turned out to be a mechanism as to how the Athenian forces enter the city. Contrast this with reports that in the run up to the 2003 Second Gulf War. According to Sifry and Cerf (2007), American intelligence agencies planted false evidence to make Saddam Hussein believe that the coalition attack would come from Turkey and not from the Southern neighboring countries of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (P. 114). This forced Saddam to place more battalions to defend the Northern front than would have been necessary. Thus, it can be argued that weaponry or tools, to a large extent have remained the same in nature but have changed in form. Guns have replaced swords but their use remains the same. Cannon guns have been replaced but their use remains the same. The Trojan horse has been replaced by false intelligence and thus the use remains the same. In the end, the point of contention is that if the tools at hand for the general have only changed in form and not in substance, there is every reason to believe that the current military professional stands to benefit a lot by studying his counterparts from centuries ago. Conclusion Thus, as can be seen, there is still a lot for the current military professional to learn from his predecessors. The reasons are that situations repeat themselves, tactfulness is an attribute that can be readily applied and does not wither with age and the use of the tools at the military disposal remains the same. It can be argued, thus, that the greatest armies of our time will not be those that have the most advanced weaponry but those with the best Generals who happen to know the history of those before them yet alike them. Adam Hart Davis (2007). History: The Definitive Visual Guide from the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day. London: Dorling Kindersley. Gilbert, M. (2004). The Second World War: A complete History. London: Henry Holt and Co. Sifry, M. Cerf. C. (2007). Iraq War Reader: History, Documents, Opinions. . New york: Simon Schuster

Tracing The Development Of Indian English Writing English Literature Essay

Tracing The Development Of Indian English Writing English Literature Essay Indian writing in English is primarily a result of the English colonial rule in India spanning almost two centuries. There is an undeniable relation between the literary work and the historical background out of which it arises. In spite of the western imperialism and colonialism the Indian culture has grown incredibly over the past two hundred years. It is a well known fact that the Englishmen came to India on the pretext of trade and immediately realized that a stable political control would substantially increase their profits. The Industrial Revolution in England could only sustain itself through the capital made in the Indian territories in the form of revenue collection. They then commenced to annex different territories in and around India and set up a colonial empire. The British rule completely ruined the agricultural self-sufficiency of the farmers and the trade of silk cloth saw a downslide due to the English factory produced cloth more easily and cheaply available. The we avers and artisans lost their job and had to sustain themselves by working in cotton plantations. The old existing order underwent a complete and systematic destruction and overhaul bringing misery, poverty and death to millions of Indians. After a few years of colonial rule and consolidation, the English empire got embroiled in a hotly debated and discussed issue of introduction of the English language in educational institutes. In a watershed decision English was introduced in the Indian education system, and was understood to be a different epistemological template in which not only the language but lifestyle and culture was imposed. Many reformers especially Raja Rammohun Roy, the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, vociferously supported the teaching of the move to bring about economic reforms that would provide new employment opportunities in the administration that required the knowledge of the English language. A systematic enterprise detailed by Macaulay, a member of colonial Indian parliament, than began in which mimic men were produced through the education system in India, who were a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions who we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect.  [1]  The old methods of teaching were made redundant and died a slow death as the earlier system of education was insufficient to cope with the changing social, economic and political circumstances. As it is apparent with scorn and despise towards Indian languages, the sole purpose regarding English was to strengthen their rule and brainwash the colonized; and not to empower or produce scholars. Moreover, the colonizers only had contempt and disdain for the established languages, knowledge, beliefs, religion and educational institutes, labeling them as being irrational, pagan, barbaric, unscientific and immoral. Macaulay articulated the sense of superiority that the westerners felt regarding their culture and knowledge by making a very derogatory and biased statement that a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature India and Arabia.  [2]  He believed that an educated minority would gradually educate the others, this concept came to be known as the filtration effect but it remained flawed and unsuccessful. With the introduction of the English language the missionaries got a better hold on the country and political the empire established the notions that it is a benevolent authority and has now taken the responsibility of bringing light in the form of knowledge to the ignorant population. As a result of English education a few writers an d poets converted to Christianity and imitated a style of writing prose and poetry like the English Romantics and classics. The first phase of Indian English literature roughly comprises the half century before the Great Revolt of 1857. This was a period when English education and Western ideas had begun to act as a great liberating force in a country which had been suffering from political instability for about a century. Henry Derozios Poems written in 1827, reflect his reformist idealism and iconoclastic zeal and he along with a few other visionary writers, poets and artistes worked for the eradication of social evils and called themselves the young Bengal. In fact his contemporaries like Michael Madhusudan Dutt had great technical competence and wrote a long poem on the Christian theme of the original sin, Visions of the Past (1849). Krishna Mohan Banerjeas play The Persecuted (1831) showcased the religious orthodoxies plaguing the Hindu society. The colonizers were initially largely successful in creating a class of interpreters between them and the masses. Education as a tool in the hands of the English proved to a great ideological weapon to legitimize their authority in the colonies. Evidently a hierarchy is created in which the western education model encompasses wisdom and knowledge as against the colonized people who are imbeciles. The education introduced was naturally lopsided and it not only valorized English traditions and way of life, it also provided the newly urban English educated a very limited and constricted space for liberal thought. The Indians began to believe that the colonizers had a moral responsibility to fulfill as the country was depicted to be infected by depravity, bestiality and religious bigotry. The evangelists propagated Christianity in schools indirectly by teaching biblical scriptures rather than English grammar. The weaving together of morality with a specifically English literature had imp ortant ideological consequences  [3]  , which would mean that English behaviour leads to a moral behaviour and ultimately the colonizing country ostensibly projected itself as being a guiding light to civilize the colonies. Though the English always had their propaganda and selfish intention intact, a positive consequence was that the Indians had mastered the colonisers language [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] and further, had by the 1820s begun to adopt it as their chosen medium of expression. These pioneering works of poetry, fiction, drama, travel, and belles-lettres are little read today except by specialists, but when they were published they were, by the mere fact of being in English, audacious acts of mimicry and self-assertion. More than this, the themes they touched on and the kinds of social issues they engaged with would only be explored by other Indian literatures several decades later.  [4]   The middle class Indian intelligentsia created by the English for their convenience was never considered as an equal by the colonizers as they were inherently racists. The British defined themselves as the efficient, ethical, hardworking, courageous and masculine rulers of India, they came to characterize Indians increasingly as slothful, deceitful and immoral.  [5]  The English deemed Indians unfit for self-governance and never gave them any important positions in the administration. The partition of Bengal in 1905 falsely done in the name of administrative convenience broke the powerful intelligentsia that had formed in Bengal. The Swadeshi movement that followed brought in a lot of cultural changes and a revival of old Indian traditions of celebration of festivals, theatres and folk songs focusing on national pride and patriotism. The entry of Indian English writing in the English canon is often debated as some of the critics are of the opinion that this genre got an acceptance only in the late 1950s when the Indian writers decided to establish it as a discipline, while others regard the works initially written by Indians in the English language as the real formation of this literary genre. The first novel by an Indian in English Bankim Chandra Chatterjees Rajmohans Wife appeared quite late in 1864 and is his only novel in English, the rest fourteen successful novels he wrote in Bengali. Kylas Chunder Dutts A Journal of Forty-Eight Hours of the Year 1945 (1835) preceding Bankims novel is about an imaginary armed uprising against the British but cannot be classified as the first novel as it came out in a journal. Mehrotra elucidates on Kylas Chunder Dutts work that: Insurrections seems a commonplace idea, until we realise that the idea is being expressed for the first time in Indian literature, and would next find expression only in folk songs inspired by the events of 1857. It is uncanny that the year of the uprising in Dutts imagination comes within two years of Indias actual year of independence; uncanny, too, the coincidence that the work should have been published in the same year that Macaulay delivered his Minute. In a double irony, the insurgents are all urbanized middle-class Indians with the best education colonialism could offer, the very class Macaulay had intended as interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern. Thus, the language of command is stood on its head and turned into the language of subversion, suggests itself as the imaginative beginnings of a nation.  [6]  The revolt of 1857 was a turning point and India became an empire under the British rule, represented by the viceroy. The revolt saw a unification of the warring Indian states against a common enemy. The heroism, valour and courage demonstrated by Indians inspired a lot of folk songs, poems and literature detailing the battle and brutality with which it was suppressed. The possibility of toppling the British rule looked viable but it took a century for Indians to attain independence. The British formulated numerous rules and regulations to stipulate the authority of Indian princely states and other autonomous bodies and gained complete control over India. Censorship of literature increased many folds as the colonizers strictly monitored any writing that was seditious to the British policies, government or laws. Political t hemes were now discussed through literature in the guise of historical novels or romances which glorified the past rulers. Ironically Shakespeares poetry rings true when placed in the context of Indian English writing, in his play The Tempestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..says You taught me language and my profit in it / Is I know how to curse.  [7]   Meenakshi Mukherjee in her detailed and informative essay Beginning of the Novel  [8]  traces the rise of the early English novel in India that was primarily aimed at an English audience and usually began with titles that would pull the attention of the English towards the orients as unlike novelists in the Indian languages who were confident about a sizeable readership within their specific region, the writer in English suffered from uncertainty about his audience. The earlier tracts written by Kylas Chunder Dutt, Shoshee Chunder Dutt among others did not strictly adhere to the demands of novelistic traditions. The later novels written in the century were more obsequious and tolerant of the British rule and many writers wrote praising the empire and paid homage to the Queen through their writings. The only woman writer who wrote in English during that period has now become an obscure figure. Women in that era were not encouraged to get any education and were scarcely taught the English language. Krupabai Satthianadhans Kamala, A Story of Hindu Life (1894) and Saguna, A Story of Native Christian life (1895) detail topical issues concerning gender, caste, religion and other social issues. To the critic Mennakshi Mukherjee the greatest achievement of the canonical Indian English writing is not the awards or critical acclaim won by the writers now, rather the breaking free from The tentativeness of nineteenth century novelists, not only about writing in an acquired colonial language but also about their readership, has been replaced by an overwhelming confidence among post colonial writers that the English language belongs to them as much as to anyone else. The novels of the nineteenth century brought to limelight the social injustices, superstition and the abominable conditions of the peasants and workers that plagued the Indian society. Womens emancipation, education and widow remarriage also became common themes in the novels and this phase is dubbed as the renaissance of Indian writing in English.  [9]  The tradition of novel writing in India is an imitation of a western phenomenon and thus different from most of the earlier writings that engaged in a quest of metaphysical and transcendental knowledge, where the present world is depicted and painted to be a mere appearance. Another luminary figure is that of Tagore who wrote an expansive body of prose fiction, poetry, and songs. His creative ingenuity is unparalleled in either Bengali or English. He conceptualized and started a democratic, artistic and cultural revolution by training young minds in the university founded by him, Shantiniketan, which attracted teachers and studen ts from all over the world. Tagores Gitanjali (1912) is a great lyrical achievement and his prose fiction deals with human condition and emotions, societal norms and also revolution. His works inspired an entire generation of writers, artists, singers, and the common man. Most of his work is in Bengali and is present to us in translation. Besides, the dangerous of considering English Indian writing as national literature especially in western universities is manifold, primarily because it is written by a minority that is upwardly mobile. Text written in English language should not be the only source of highlighting Indian culture and way of life; this would marginalize the importance of the texts produced in regional languages that have their own values and narratives. The accommodation of Indian writing in English in the English canon is a momentous achievement because it provides autonomy to this genre as it is not merged with Commonwealth writing or is merely labeled as an imitation. The polemics of criticism in earlier days refused to accept it as an area of academic scrutiny as it did not proliferate to the degree it has now. Indian writing in English belongs to a particular class of people who are of Indian origin and have learnt the language well to be writers of that language, and those who are able to read the English language and are to an extent more proficient and comfortable in English than in their mother tongues. These conditioning does not makes them less of a writer rather they are experts in explicating the thoughts and lives of Indian characters living in India but not speaking, thinking or living an English life. It requires great talent, insight and exceptional grasp of bilingualism to express in English the lives of people who do not speak that language. Thus we have Raja Rao in his foreword  [10]  to the novel Kanthapura debating: English is not really an alien language to us. It is the language of our intellectual make-up like Sanskrit or Persian was before but not of our emotional make-up. We are all instinctively bilingual, many of us in our own language and in English. We cannot write like the English. We should not. We can only write as Indians. We have grown to look at the large world as a part of us. Our method of expression therefore has to be a dialect which will some day prove to be as distinctive and colourful as the Irish or the American. Time alone will justify it. One of the major reasons for the proliferation of Indian writing in English is the Indians assertion of autonomy in writing their own histories. Bamkinchandras call We have no History! We must have a History! highlights the need for self representation and expression. The mere act of writing and narrating ones past hints at an inherent power struggle because the mode of recalling the past relies on who has the authority to re-create and re-tell the past. The colonizers perspective would naturally differ from that of the colonized. James Mills History of British India (1817) is only one sided and prejudiced attempt at detailing Indias past. To wrench authority and power from the colonizers one has to narrate ones own stories. Thus, the primary novels written by Indians seemed to be historical fiction which went on to be read and gradually merged with the aspirations of budding nationalist struggle. Likewise, the theme in earlier novel was nation and nationalism and it was developed as historical romances depicting the life of a historical figure in a romantic alliance that showcased the glorious past of the Indian nation, for instance, T. Ramakrishna Pillais Padmini: An Indian Romance (1903). By 1930, Indian English literature became a century old yet failed to produce a single novelist who had a plethora of work to his credit. Then three novelists known as the Big Three wrote and published their works that proved to be an epoch making enterprise. Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand and N.K.Narayan revolutionized Indian novel writing on an unprecedented scale and brought to fore not only the views and idealism of Gandhiji but also provided a poignant, realistic picture of fellow Indians under the colonial rule suffering acute poverty, social discrimination, unemployment and illiteracy. Further, Raja Raos Kanthapura (1938); Mulk Raj Anands The Sword and the Sickle (1942) and R.K.Narayans W aiting for the Mahatma (1955) deal with nationalism and impact of Gandhism in lives of Indians. Regarding the works of Narayan both western and Indian scholars opine that his novels are deeply traditional, apolitical and humanist, yet at the same time his work is highly representatively Indian in their spirituality. His theme and form has enabled him to explore the minutiae and subtleties of human emotions and feelings and to his ironic vision towards human life is aptly universal. Although, the importance of Hinduism in Narayans work is identified by many, a number of his novels probe the limitations and contradictions inherent in Hindu worldview and identity. In Meenakshi Mukherjees assessment R.K.Narayan falls in that category of novelists who do not indulge in any generalizations about what is Indian and what is western. Their characters are a curious blend of the East and the West which all Indians are but they refuse to sift the elements.  [11]  Natural to the writer of po st independence, Kamala Markandayas novels focus on the changing socio-economic scene. Her preoccupation with the theme of hunger in Nectar in a Sieve (1955) and Handful of Rice (1966) and her picture of uprootedness of Indian villagers on account of the menacing growth of industrial civilization derive their vigour from Gandhis pleading for village economy. The process of modernization is satirized in her later novels like The Coffer Dams (1969) and The Pleasure City (1984). Patriotism, freedom struggles, exploitation of the factory workers and the relationship between the colonizer and the condition of the colonized formed the corpus of Indian writing in English. Gandhiji inspired and influenced the writers and poets immensely and this fact is clear in the way activism and courage was liberated from aggressiveness and violence. The tumultuous political situation of the nineteen thirties due to the civil disobedience movement under the leadership of freedom fighters created a readership that wished to explore and get information about their countrys rapacious plunder and the miserable, starving plight of its citizens. The prevailing nationalistic fervor and political situation witnessed a portrayal in the literature produced at that time. Some writers advocated the Gandhian method of non-violence to attain freedom while the others wanted independence through any means whether it involved violence or not remained immaterial to them. The partition of the s ubcontinent had a prolonged disturbing and traumatic effect on the psyche of millions of Indians and became one of the most discussed, debated and analyzed theme in numerous novels. For instance Khushwant Singhs Train to Pakistan (1956) lead to a significant contribution to the genre namely Partition literature in the canon of English Indian writing. The events portrayed in the novel revolve around the depiction of unprecedented violence, brutality and desperation. The novel captures the mindlessness of communal violence and provides a protest against the Indian bureaucracy. Salman Rushdies Midnights Children (1981) and Amitav Ghoshs The Shadow Lines (1988) deal with the theme of partition in a very different perspective. After independence, the era of hope and certitude got sidelined by an age of self scrutiny, skepticism and an attempt to deal with the ones sense of identity exposed to divergent cultures, Indian and Western. Post independence fiction reflected an anxious reality O n one hand freedom had been won; ostensibly the exploiter had been expelled and the forces of evil were no longer in the land. But on the other hand, writers and intellectuals generally felt that the only change effected by independence was the change in the colour of the exploiters skin.  [12]  Political satire and a growing disillusionment with the current state of affairs were highlighted in numerous novels by writers of different vernacular. Moreover, the theme of partition and the consecutive wars with China and Pakistan created a sense of despair in the literary arena and greatly affected the works of writers. Caste and communalism have become major issues in Indian English writing Mulk Raj Anands Untouchable is read as a remarkable and revolutionary novel by both critics and readers, and in this novel he illustrates the pitfalls of a parasitic casteist Hindu society. The concept of marginalization is a common leitmotif in the novels depicting lower caste people and women. Meenakshi Mukherjee says that A huge social divide exists between those have proficiency in English and those who do not. Given the fact that English today is the language not only of upward social mobility and outward geographical mobility, but also a major tool for accessing knowledge at the higher level.  [13]  One cannot remain blind to the major characteristic feature of Indian English literature, both linguistic and cultural, that its influence extends beyond the limits of any elitist paradigm. Along with marginality a sense of alienation is an underlining concern in numerous novels. Anita Desais Cry, the Peaco ck (1963) focuses on the female sensibility at odds with the male dominated society. Her later novels like Fire on the Mountain (1977) describe the isolation and alienation of man from family and society. Upamanyu Chatterjees English August dissects and beautifully expresses the estrangement felt by the characters in the novels. Iyengars pioneering work in the creation of a history of Indian writing in English opened up new avenues of criticism and these studies have done much to establish the parameters of a discussion of the nature and role of Indian writing in English including its form, its audience and its effectiveness.  [14]  The readership and production of numerous writings both in quality and quantity in vernacular languages in India is by far larger than the English counterpart. One has to assess the readership of Indian English writing which is at best nominal in India, the target thus, seem to be the widely English speaking western world. A few popular novels by Kipling, Kim and The Jungle book became extremely popular but the perspective remained of the white man. E.M.Forsters A Passage to India provides an imperial writers ambivalent attitude towards the other, non- Eurocentric culture and the distrust is palpable. One can argue that the earlier writers of English did write to a Christian western world, explaining almost apologetically Indias pluralism and trying to fit in the constraints demanded by English literature and are accused of exoticisng India to the foreign readers. The readership issue of Indian English literature has assumed dimensions more varied than just simple publishing politics. Even now the debate continues and those who choose to write in English argue that English is also an Indian language and they know this language the best. They are accused by those writing in vernacular of not being in touch with the masses and aiming only for self aggrandizement. Interestingly, a new generation of writers has slowly emerged that does not feel the need to provide a glossary for Indian vernacular terms or the Indian way of life. Desai reiterates the fact that a new generation of Indian writes, addressing Indian subjects and items in a language taken from Indian streets newspapers, jou rnals, and films, and a class of enterprising business who decided they were worth publishing marked the 80s and 90s.  [15]   Now a new emergent prototype of writers known as being the diasporic writers have established themselves. Due to colonialism a lot of people from England settled in different parts of the world and a lot of people belonging to numerous places from each and every corner of the word made Britain and other colonizing countries their home; some of them came as indentured labours or as slaves. Britain and other colonizing countries witnessed a spurt in immigration as they needed labourers to work in their factories or healthcare systems, besides many people came looking for better employment opportunities, income and for studies. Therefore, Diaspora can be defined by emphasizing a sense of collective community that one feels while living in one country and looking across time and space for another. It should be noted that the generation born to the migrants who are now settled in another country, might not have the same emotional and sentimental attachment to the old country. Also the jou rney from ones old country to the adopted country creates a sense of shared history and the difference in language, generation, religion and culture make diaspora spaces dynamic and shifting, open to repeated construction and reconstruction.  [16]  The reason for the inception of diasporic writer can be explained as the massive migrations that have defined this century- from the late colonial period through the decolonization era into the twenty first century.  [17]   Naipauls work on Trinidad did not find readership in America because the critics found it stylistically too British. In England Naipaul was rejected because he was too foreign. In more recent times, however, the conference of the Nobel Prize on Naipaul celebrates the acceptance of the author outside Trinidad. For that matter, R.K.Narayans first novel, Swami and Friends, portraying life in a small south Indian village, enjoyed considerable readership in England when first published in 1935. Ruskin Bonds semi-autobiographical reminiscences of living in and out of Dehra Dun bazaar among Indian urchins appeared in a book form The Room on the Roof (1952), it was crowned the prestigious John Lellwyn Rhys Memorial Prize. Bond made India his permanent home unlike other Anglo-Indians who chose to return back. The recognition awarded to the books coming from different places and elucidating the diverse upheaval, lifestyle and attitude towards life we can assess the fact that readership patter n of foreign literature has seen a tremendous change due to the growing socio-cultural influences of globalization. The linguistic effects of Ruskin Bonds minimalist approach or Raja Raos attempts at making English seem to be natural easily acceptable are positive in the sense that they have gained wider popularity outside the realm of colonial modernity. A common thread binds the variant diasporic writers together they are marked by their hybridity and heterogeneity cultural, linguistic, ethnic, national and these subjects are defined by a traversal of boundaries demarcating nations and diaspora.  [18]  A diasporic writers constant struggle with the past that stressed on ones ancestry and valued the pure over the hybrid or the composite is a highly discussed concept in postcolonial literature.  [19]  These writers have transformed the meaning and dimension of Indian writing in English and have made it more dynamic, accommodating and expansive. Indian writers, like Rushdie and Naipaul, Anita Desai, Shashi Tharoor, Amitav Ghosh, Vikram Seth et al have carved a niche for themselves while residing abroad and writing about the sense of rootlessness and displacement that is experienced because of geographical causes and the problems faced by those who are immigrants, refugees or exiled. Their identity is neither lost nor submerge d by overlapping of multiplicity and diversity. The Indian diasporic writer born and brought up in a post-colonial world [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] have had no reason to feel self-conscious in handling the English language, which carries no colonial baggage for them.  [20]  Most of these writers write about Indian subcontinent and present the vastness, pluralism and celebration of multiculturalism that is now associated with India. Rushdies incisive comment on the migrant sensibility is one of the central themes of the displaced personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the effect à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has been the creation of new types of human beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people in whose deepest selves strange fusion occur, unprecedented unions between what they were and where they find themselves à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦migrants must of necessity make a new imaginative relation with the world.  [21]   The psycho-social predicaments of the self under colonialism and its dispensation of a new worldview bridging the east-west divide after independence are investigated. Amitav Ghosh problematizes and delineates a sense of rootlessness in the character of Ila in The Shadow Lines. Her father is a diplomat and she has been brought up in western countries. As a result, she is reduced to th

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Theory and Practice Essay -- Macbeth essay

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Theory and Practice    Shakespeare's Macbeth has been the subject of scholarly research in terms of ambition, politics, and sexuality. The most predominant analysis is that of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship in theory is full of sexual innuendo, maternal power, gender transgression, and violence. In reading multiple essays on the psychological nature of the relationship one question came to mind: to what extent are the characters aware of the psychological effect they have on each other in performance? In contrast to the various essays by literary scholars, Sinead Cusack wrote with Carol Rutter in Shakespeare's Late Tragedies about her process in preparing for the role of Lady Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Although her choices are not the only choices that can be made by an actor in that role, her experience contrasted the theoretical models written by so many scholars. Her relationship with Macbeth was real, not a theoretical analysis of the psychological effect the characters have on one another. Through her written process and the analysis of the scholars mentioned above I will outline the dichotomy between theory and performance and the relationship between Macbeth and his Lady.    Lady Macbeth and the Witches Jane Adelman summarizes the psychoanalytic interpretation of the relationship between Lady Macbeth and the Witches (ibid 140). Lady Macbeth and the Witches signify for Macbeth the role of both temptress and mother, an issue that will be explored more fully below. Adelman claims that the Witches tempt Macbeth on the cosmic plain, whereas Lady Macbeth tempts him on the psychological plain (ibid 139). All of the female figures r... ...ber, Marjorie. "Macbeth: The Male Medusa." Shakespeare's Late Tragedies, ed. Susan L. Wofford. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1996, 74-103. Keirnan, Victor. Eight Tragedies of Shakespeare: A Marxist Study. London, NY: Verso, 1996. Nelson, T.A. ENGL 533 lecture February 18, 1999. Rutter, Carol and Sinead Cusack. "Lady Macbeth's Barren Sceptre." Shakespeare's Late Tragedies, ed. Susan L. Wofford. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pretnice-Hall, Inc. 1996, 119-133. Stallybrass, Peter. "Macbeth and Witchcraft." Shakespeare's Late Tragedies, ed. Susan L. Wofford. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. 1996, 104-118. Staunton, Howard, ed. The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare. New York:   Gramercy Books, 1979. Watson, Robert N. Shakespeare and the Hazards of Ambition. Cambidge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984

Causes Of World War I :: Papers

Causes Of World War I There were many reasons for the beginning of World War 1. Both small and large events contributed to war and it was impossible to control the situation in anyway. Tension was a very large contributor to war. Also there was the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which sparked major issues between Austria and Serbia. No one really understood the reason for the beginning of war or why the countries were fighting. In some cases, you could say that no one was to blame and that war was inevitable. In 1904, an alliance was signed between Britain and France and few years later, Russia, too, joined the alliance. This was to be known as the Triple Entente. Ten years later, the six larger countries had been divided into two alliances. Germany, Austria- Hungary and Italy had formed the Triple Alliance. There were many predominant tensions between specific countries such as Britain- Germany, Russia- Germany, and France- Germany. Germany was a main source of tension between the two alliances due to the arms build up and the strength of Germany as a single power. Within the alliances, each member was made to promise that if an ally was ever in trouble, that they would always help that particular country and help. There were many tensions between people and there wasn't much trust at all. When Germany took the important industrial area of Alsace-Lorraine France in 1871, France showed resentment towards Germany and was trying to form an ally with someone to finally get revenge on Germany. And in 1894 this occurred and France formed an alliance with Russia. France was determined to get revenge on Germany and rightfully get back their land of Alsace-Lorraine. Kaiser Wilhelm 2nd, had always wanted Germany to be a strong power like Britain, but he wanted more power than the British. The German leaders were worried because of the positioning of the two powers in the Triple Alliance. France and Russia were either side of Germany and this was known as 'encirclement'.

The Great Depression in America :: essays research papers fc

Child Labor The 1990 World Summit for children was a landmark, which was attended by 71 heads of state. It was a moment of great satisfaction and encouragement for all the international bodies engaged in their pursuit of making â€Å"A world fit for children†, when 71 heads of state pledged to eradicate polio, reduce infant mortality rate, eliminate the worst forms of child labor and promote vocational training for adolescents (Sandrasagara, 7). Complex Factors There is a popular public opinion that the children should not be exposed to labor tasks including employment at an age, which demands their involvement in educational and recreational activities. The activities undertaken at child age contribute to their growth and development and undertaking labor task at this age is no less than a crime. However, mostly people express this opinion based on strong emotions and the complex factors contributing to this dilemma are not understood in their real background. These factors range from legal, social, political and economic aspects, which extend far beyond the strong emotions. A detailed, careful and empathetic analysis of these factors can lead us to understand the problems of child labor on an international horizon. Powerful legislation, its strict enforcement and the extent of its implementation across the board on an international scale can serve as a foundation in addressing this curse. International studies reveal the magnitude of the grave problem of child labor. A systematic estimate, undertaken in 1985 (Black 9), calculated around 31 million street children worldwide, of whom 71 percent were child workers living at home, 23 percent kept occasional family contact, and 8 percent were entirely separated. The contributing factors to the child labor are limitless, however, the vital few factors are external debt, poverty, lack of appropriate infrastructure, economic crisis, and social and cultural environment. It is said that the information technology has greatly contributed in globalization and transforming the world into a global village. The irony of the situation is that everything in this world is globalizing except wealth and development. The Brettonwoods institutions i.e. IMF and the World Bank have to play a strong and unbiased role in ensuring that the seeds of growth and development are injected into the developing world. Although poverty is termed to be the main causal factor for child labor in the developing world, however, some studies have shown that some child workers â€Å"are relatively from affluent families, and engage in the business for excitement and pocket money (Myers 9).

Modern Politics on “The Strategy of Terrorism” Essay

David Fromkin, author of â€Å"The Strategy of Terrorism† makes several arguments through his article; some of which I feel are relevant to today’s political atmosphere and some which seem unrealistic. The following essay discusses four key arguments and their relevancy in today’s standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most unrealistic statement made by Fromkin was in his description of a terrorist in the eyes of some people. As revolutionaries, terrorists have come to seem romantic figures to many (685). Although written over thirty years ago, it seems unimaginable that anyone could see terrorists as romantic. The author makes another reference to terrorists as men going from gunmen to heroes. While it is possible that terrorist regimes consider their leaders as heroes, it is unrealistic to think any non-terrorist society would agree. The 2001 collapse of the Twin Towers destroyed any possible visions of romance or heroism involving terrorist actions, if anyone was ever to feel that way towards terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To look at Fromkin’s arguments in a pre-911 mindset, some of his arguments may not seem that unrealistic to America’s mainstream society. The American people have been aware of terrorism for decades, but very few physical acts of terrorism has been carried out in American soil; in comparison to overseas countries. Many American’s were ignorant to terrorism, even after the Oklahoma Bombing in 1995; which many considered not to be terrorism because it was an American man with no known organization behind his action. Although, publications would later be released linking McVeigh to the Aryan Nation organization and the Midwest Bandits (Cash & Charles, 2001). Before 911, most American’s perceived terrorism as something that happened in other countries; not in the safe and dependable United States. American’s today are much more aware of the dangers of terrorism. How does one define terrorism? Fromkin did well in answering this question, and his descriptions are still relevant today. The author’s description of terrorism as a fear tactic, using fear as a weapon, and their need for publicity in order to be successful was relevant in the 1970s as well as today. Everyday the news displays more heinous acts of terrorism in Iraq, where our brothers, husbands and other loved ones may be; and we are struck with fear. These images are daily reminders of those we lost in the 911 attacks as well. When human life is taken for reasons only known to the killers, our fear is their success. Fromkin also makes a good argument when he details terrorist strategy as a success determined by response made by the victims’ organization or country. It is my opinion that the United States has reacted as the terrorists hoped. The terrorists had hoped to ruin the economy and security of the American people. When America went to war, the implications were, and still are, innumerable. The divide of lower and upper class Americans has all but wiped out the middle class status; and today, more and more Americans are questioning the government’s motives in going to war with Iraq, the unity once found in America is no more. The final argument to be discussed is Fromkin’s outlook on the United States government as â€Å"a face and not a mask†. I wonder if he would feel that way today. As mentioned above, American’s are now questioning our government’s motives in Iraq. Scandals in the White House and throughout government agencies have become a regular occurrence, published as front page news and on the news. I would have to disagree with Fromkin’s argument; the American government most certainly does wear a mask. It is possible however, that at the time of Fromkin’s article publication, our government had a much better mask in place. In conclusion, Fromkin’s article makes several arguments about terrorism; most however are unrealistic in today’s society. What hasn’t changed however is the strategy of terrorism. Terrorists today use fear tactics and public displays of violence to produce a response. Unfortunately, many times terrorists receive the response they hope for. As Fromkin discussed, sometimes prevention is not enough, and at times inappropriate. The way to combat terrorism is to understand it, know the motivation and not to play into the hands of the enemy. Works Cited Cash, J, D. and Charles, Roger. â€Å"Company Boy: The Connection Between the FBI, Secret Service, White Supremacists and McVeigh.† Soldier of Fortune September 2001, Vol. 26, 9. 30-34. Fromkin, David. (1975). The Strategy of Terrorism. Foreign Affairs (pre-1986); ABI/INFORM Global: 1975.