Ethical Theory Frameworks in the Workplace Essay

Introduction This action plan will explore the effectiveness of numerous ethical theory frameworks and their application to ethical dilemmas in the workplace. A deeper analysis will be performed on ethical dilemma resolution and the specific ethical implications that may arise. Previous ethical dilemma Background The ethical dilemma that will be used for this action plan is the termination of employment for inappropriate behaviour via the use of social media. An apprentice made some inappropriate remarks on Facebook aimed at a work colleague (in a superior position) that were intended to be an attempt at humour however; they were taken by the colleague as offensive. The issue was quite concerning as there was no previous documented occurrence of this type of issue within the organisation and as such, the method of resolution was unclear by both management and staff members. The resolution was the termination of employment of the apprentice and the development of a much needed ‘staff social media policy’ that outlined what was deemed to be appropriate behaviour and how there was a link between social media and the organisation’s bullying and harassment policy. The victim who initially made the complaint felt mixed emotions regarding the outcome as he did not intend on such an extreme penalty to be handed down as the two were actually friends. The victim being a superior felt that if he had dealt with the  issue himself it may damage the friendship and result in tension in the workplace so therefore assumed if the matter was dealt with by an independent party the issue could be dealt with avoiding any damage to the friendship. The approach actually resulted in the matter being escalated and becoming quite an issue for the organisation. Ethical implications from the employee perspective Relationships form a fundamental key in effectiveness at work. The relationships formed with superiors, subordinates and colleagues alike can all impact productivity and general well-being in the workplace. An example of this may be one’s ability to discuss an issue with a colleague in an open and honest way without causing hostility. Another example may be approaching a superior about a delicate situation without feeling intimidated; or alternatively to reverse the situation, when a subordinate approaches a superior. McFarlin (2013, p.1) states ‘Many full-time employees spend more of their waking hours with co-workers than they do with their spouses and families. As such, it is important to allow employees the opportunity to build quality relationships with their co-workers’ and believes that quality relationships at work can lead to: improved teamwork, improved morale, higher employee retention rates and increased productivity. When employees are encouraged to build quality relationships, it can assist the collaborative process and can help overcome feelings of isolation, particularly for new members of a team. These quality relationships can ultimately provide a positive workplace where staff may work harder and feel connected to an organisation. There will always be times where relationships are tested, particularly when faced with ethical dilemmas, or when professional relationships potentially cross into personal relationships. While it is good to have a positive office space or working arrangement, it can possibly restrict the authority of a manager/supervisor if they are seen to be more of a friend than as a ‘boss’. Miksen (2013, p.1) believes that ‘whether you work part-time or are pushing 60 hours a week at your job, you should look at your co-workers as something more than strangers. Building personal relationships in the workplace allows you to work together more effectively with your co-workers and surrounds you with friends while clocked in’. This is a view that some managers and possibly most staff members would agree with. Patrick (2013, p.1) on the other hand, believes that relationships in the workplace should be strictly professional  rather than personal. It is fine to be personable to an extent however; workplace relationships should be guided by specific boundaries. Patrick (2013, p.1) states ‘abandoning parameters can create conflict, loss of respect and ev en embarrassment’ and offers the opinion that boundaries can often ‘firm’ up grey areas, clarify job descriptions, increase efficiency and make a workplace more productive. This is can be observed in most workplaces when staff members approach upper management or those in senior roles, as when put in comparison to the general discussions with colleagues and co-workers. It can be said that workplace relationships can be effective if there is an element of personal feeling involved however; specific guidelines should be set in order to maintain professional conduct. Zeiger (2014) believes that social media allows increased communication in the workplace and allows employees to build relationships which can be beneficial if managed effectively however; goes on to conclude: ‘Social networking has the ability to hurt employee relations within a company. Employees may send negative messages or harass one another through social networking sites and hinder their ability to work together’. This behaviour is a particularly difficult issue to manage as the consequences of one’s actions may not be fully understood via the use of social media due to the absence of immediate repercussions from one’s actions. Jung (2014) agrees: ‘the anonymity afforded online can bring out dark impulses that might otherwise be suppressed’. Regardless of any unknown consequences or understanding of one’s actions, the behaviour demonstrated in person or online has a close relationship to virtue ethical theory and the internal character of a person. Virtue ethics basically encompass moral judgement and provide a basis for which to develop one’s ethical decisions based on the individual’s internal character. Gowdy (2013) believes that virtue ethics is a classification within Normative Ethics that attempts to distinguish moral character, and to apply the moral character as a basis for one’s choices and actions’. Ultimately there has to be some accountability for one’s individual actions whether the consequences are fully understood or not. Herboso (2014) agrees and goes on to state: ‘Virtue ethics focuses on the idea that what we call good is not dependent on the actions we take (deontologicalism) nor the results of those actions (consequentialism), but instead focuses on the person that we are’. Ethical implications from the employer perspective Many employees believe that what happens outside of work is impartial to the conditions of employment however; the code of conduct for most organisations is in place to protect its employees and provide a safe environment for work. The effects of bullying in the workplace are known to be serious issues and legislation does exists to protect employees however; it is unclear as to what extents bullying may go to and the forms it may come in. The increasing demand for technology and use of social media means that employers’ responsibilities in regards to this issue will have to cater for a variety of issues. Caponecchia (2012) believes that online bullying is a particularly contentious workplace issue that is not fully understood and goes on to state: ‘There is sometimes reluctance in organisations to think about psychological hazards from within the risk management framework that they employ for all other hazards. Sometimes it is just a lack of awareness’. The fact that an employee lost his employment as a result of inappropriate social media use demonstrates how serious the organisation is taking this issue. What was unclear at the time (prior to any social media policy) was what the expectations were in terms of appropriate behaviour specifically relating to social media however; regardless of any policy the expectation of respect for colleagues is still there. The termination of employment appeared to be a harsh penalty given the context of the breach and the relationship between the colleagues however; it is in the best interest of an employer to set clear expectations on behaviour and what is deemed to be unacceptable. Employers are bound by legislation to protect employees from any type of bullying or harassment therefore the choice is limited and employers are forced to hand out harsh penalties for such acts. Brush (2014) agrees and goes on to state: ‘The duty placed on employers by work health and safety legislation to provide a healthy and safe working environment and safe systems of work imposes the responsibility on employers to ensure not only the physical health of their workers, but also their mental health. This includes ensuring that employees are not exposed to workplace bullying, harassment or discrimination’ Brush (2014) agrees that the anonymous nature of information and communication technology has created a difficult issue to manage that provides a very unfamiliar platform for  bullying and harassment in the workplace but nevertheless the aim of today’s information and communication technology is to improve the quality of modern life not impede it. Ethical dil emma resolution and ethical theory Resolution method The resolution method for the primary incident was to terminate the employment in order to set clear expectations for the consequences of future bullying and harassment breaches and expectations in terms of social media behaviour. While this was considered by many as quite an extreme measure the fact that expectations are now clearly set and the punishment is so severe, means there is no more confusion as to what is deemed appropriate or inappropriate online social media behaviour. Billikopf (2006) goes on to state ‘effective discipline can protect the organization, the supervisor who enforces the rules, and the subordinates subject to the same. Everyone suffers when there are mixed messages concerning misconduct and discipline’. The secondary action was to develop a clear social media policy that outlined what was deemed to be appropriate behaviour in terms of social media use and its correlation to the organisations bullying and harassment policy already in place. Weekes (2013) believes: ‘As social media becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, its effect on businesses is increasing. This is why it’s important to have a social media policy in place in your workplace. Even if your business doesn’t use social media – your employees might’. Edmond (2013) believes that social media policies are a crucial step in upholding the ethical conduct of a business though agrees that social media is a difficult platform to manage by stating: ‘Ultimately, sovereignty over social media identities rests on the individual. It is impossible to take control of an employee’s standing online, and employers should simply not attempt this. However, designing and implementing a strong social media policy can alleviate employers of legal ramifications, as well as ensure employees become aware of how their actions affect the company’. Ethical decision making Ingram (2014) offers a five step approach to ethica l decision making in the workplace detailed below: Step one: Create a code of ethics and consult it before making business decisions. Ingram (2014) states: ‘A formal code of ethics can help you and your employees make decisions more quickly by conforming to a set of rules to which everyone  agrees’. This is consistent with the organisational code of ethics, specifically regarding respect however; the expectations of social media behaviour were not explicitly detailed at the time of the resolution. Step two: Consider the effects of your decisions on all stakeholders. Ingram (2014) believes it is critical to understand the wider implications of decisions on all stakeholders affected. This is consistent with consequentialist theory and has particular value in this ethical dilemma where there are various layers involved in the issue such as: personal relationships, unclear expectations in terms of behaviour and unfavourable outcomes for all parties involved. Step three: Use industry regulations as a starting point when making decisions. Industry regulations such as legislation regarding workplace bullying and harassment may be important to consider in this example however; the context of the relationship pollutes the clarification of the issue in terms of the original action and the outcome of the resolution. Step four: Consult others when making decisions with widespread consequences. Ingram (2014) goes on to state: ‘Gaining a fresh perspective on your dilemma can help to shed light on possibilities and impacts of which you are unaware. You can ask for help in generating options and in choosing which option to pursue, or you can seek advice concerning an option that you have already chosen before implementing it’. This again reinforces the consequentialist theory relevance in this example and differs from the deontological approach. Step five: Review the results of your past business decisions, and learn from your mistakes. This final step is crucial for the ongoing success of ethical conduct in the workplace however; in this specific example there is some unfamiliarity regarding the social media platform. The future conduct of the business will definitely see some benefit from the clarification of the organisation’s stance of what is considered as social media bullying and harassment though this issue poses the argument that this resolution has created a ‘scape goat’ in order to set an organisational standard. May (2014) offers more comprehensive nine step guide to ethical decision making detailed below: Step one: Gather the facts May (2014) specifies not to make any assumptions as facts may be difficult to find because of the uncertainty often found around ethical issues. Step two: Define the ethical issues May (2014) states: ‘Don’t jump to solutions without first identifying the ethical issue(s) in the  situation, define the ethical basis for the issue you want to focus on and consider there may be multiple ethical issues – focus on one major one at a time’. Step three: Identify the affected parties (stakeholders) Consider multiple perspectives and consider not only the primary stakeholders but any indirect stakeholders. In this case the indirect stakeholder is actually the victim as the resolution handed down resulted in damaged friendship and increased tension in the workplace. Step four: Identify the consequences May (2014) states: ‘think about potential positive and negative consequences for affected parties by the decision’. This is consistent with consequentialist theory and reinforces the importance of consequentialist theory in contrast to deontological framework. Step five: Identify the obligations (principles, rights, justice) May (2014) believes: ‘Obligations should be thought of in terms of principles and rights involved. What obligations are created because of particular ethical principles you might use in the situation and what obligations are created because of the specific rights of the stakeholders’. Step six: Consider your character and integrity May (2014) states: ‘What decision would you come to based solely on character considerations?’ This aligns with virtue ethical theory and begins to form the concept that ethical resolutions or decision making should consider multiple ethical theory frameworks. Step seven: Think creatively about potential actions Ensure that you have not been unnecessarily ‘forced into a corner’ and consider that there may be other alternative solutions available. May (2014) offers the opinion: ‘If you have come up with solutions â€Å"a† and â€Å"b,† try to brainstorm and come up with a â€Å"c† solution that might satisfy the interests of the primary parties involved in the situation’. Step eight: Check your gut May (2014) goes on to state: ‘Even though the prior steps have argued for a highly rational process, it is always good to â€Å"check your gut.† Intuition is gaining credibility as a source for good decision making – knowing something is not right’. Step nine: Decide on the proper ethical action and be prepared to deal with opposing arguments. May (2014) believes that the consideration of potential actions based on the consequences, obligations, and character approaches are crucial elements in any ethical dilemma resolution which ultimately aligns  with consequentialist theory and the seemingly favourable ethical framework. Was the resolution ethical? The colleague that made a poor decision without fully understanding the consequences of his actions is left in an extremely unfortunate situation. The organisation did continue to assist the colleague continue his apprenticeship studies as a non-paid employee which demonstrates an understanding of the ethical implications as a result of the resolution however; there is still an amount of resentment from the apprentice regarding the outcome. Ingram (2014) offers the opinion in defence of organisations being forced to make harsh decisions: ‘If you have made and implemented a decision with questionable ethical implications, act quickly to resolve the matter by making restitution to everyone affected and work to counteract the decision’s effects’. The primary resolution to terminate is closely correlated with deontological ethics as the action is impartial to the consequences of the decision. Deontological moral systems are such that their moral principles are completely separated from any consequences, in this case the result of an employee becoming unemployed for the results of an action that was not fully understood. Cline (2014) offers a criticism in regards to deontological theory that ‘deontological moral systems do not readily allow for grey areas where the morality of an action is questionable. They are, rather, systems which are based upon absolutes — absolute principles and absolute conclusions. In real life, however, moral questions more often involve grey areas than absolute black & white choices. We typically have conflicting duties, interests, and issues that make things difficult’. Deontology teaches that an action is moral if it adheres to established rules however; these established rules are independent of any circumstantial influences. The fact that social media is a relatively new platform for bullying and harassment to present itself, so is the ‘grey’ in the matter in terms of applying deontological ethical theory for a resolution. This issue presents conflict between two categorical imperatives: duty to uphold justice against organisational policy and the duty and responsibilities as a friend. Deontology can be rationally justified in terms of morality however; in practice is problematic due to the rigidity of the theory and its inability to incorporate any variations relevant to the action. Consequentialism on the other hand, allows for decisions to be made in appropriation with the consequences of the action.  If a consequentialist ethical theory was applied to the issue, the best possible solution for all parties involved could be established. For instance, the victim of the issue may not have such mixed emotions regarding the harsh penalty and the implications of his friendship whilst the colleague could still maintain his employment whilst learning from his mistake. Virtue ethical theory teaches that internal moral character should guide behaviour regardless of the platform however; the fact that there is a disconnection between online behaviour and actual personal encounters presents an issue in the clarity of the issue. The colleague believed that the online behaviour was in the context of humour however the interpretation was taken quite seriously. It can be argued that if this were a face to face encounter the behaviour would be significantly different and the fact that social media is a relatively new platform without an organisational policy that details the expectations of employee behaviour, there were no grounds to determine the severity of the ethical issue. From the victim’s point of view there is major conflict with the resolution as the original escalation was intended to avoid any damage to the friendship and actually separate the personal relationship from the work colleague relationship however; the impact of the escalation resulted in an extremely unfavourable outcome for both parties involved. In deontological context the resolution was straight forward though in consequentialist context the consequences were not ideal for any party involved. Hartsell (2006) believes that the relationship between the parties involved in an ethical conflict is required to be taken into consideration for an effective resolution to be determined and goes on to state: ‘The nature of the relationship determines what is ethical, and the nature of the relationship may be properly determined only by open, voluntary negotiation. Openness involves honest disclosure of information, thoughts, and feelings about the issue at hand. Voluntariness involves the capacity to give or withhold consent for participation in the relationship and in the negotiation’. In contrast to the support of consequentialist theory Kokoski (2009) believes that: ‘Consequentiality – utilitarian ideology, which purports to bring about the greatest good for the greatest number of people, is insufficient for it operates from within a narrow landscape of particular instances and doesn’t consider – nor can it – how different situations are ultimately connected to each other in time or how  they are understood in relation to the persons that help bring them about’. From this statement it can be argued that there is some benefit in the consideration for the greatest good for the greatest number of people however; it is insufficient in isolation as an ethical framework to base decision making on. Kokoski (2009) concludes: ‘Consequentialism acknowledges moral values but maintains that it is never possible to formulate an absolute prohibition of particular kinds of behaviour which would be in conflict, in every circumstance and in every culture, with those values’. Murdarasi (2009) believes consequentialism and deontology are the two most important ethical theories, but their ways of deciding what is right are very different and goes on to state: ‘The main criticism of deontology is that it is selfish, a way of avoiding getting your hands dirty (in a moral sense) while still allowing terrible things to happen. The main criticism of consequentialism is that it would allow any action in pursuit of a good cause, even actions that most people would say were clearly morally wrong, such as torture, killing children, genocide, etc.’. This statement argues the relevance for the consideration of multiple ethical theories in any resolution process and that one e thical theory in isolation will be insufficient as a framework for which to base any ideology. Conclusion In summary, ethical dilemmas can be as complicated as the resolution process itself. A multitude of factors need to be considered before any effective resolution process can be handed down along with the consideration of secondary effects that a resolution process may have. Form the deontological point of view – what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong however; there are many factors that cloud this judgement. In this issue alone there is the consideration of the relationship between the two parties that needs to be considered in order to understand the context of the action so therefore; what is considered right and wrong could be a very fine line. In contrasting consequentialist theory – the action on social media was wrong however; the outcome of terminating one’s employment over what was actually considered to be a minor issue and the damage the resolution had on the friendship does not equate to the greatest good for the greatest number o f people. If either of the previously described resolution processes that align with consequentialist theory were followed then the outcome would have been far greater than what was actually delivered. The fact that social  media is a relatively new platform definitely makes the issue a very complicated one and this particular issue demonstrates that the implications of social media on ethical conduct today are yet to be fully understood. Ultimately when there is significant uncertainty regarding an issue, then the consequences of any resolution need to be fully considered rather than adopting a virtuous deontological framework to work within. References Bartol, K., Tein, M., Matthews, G., Sharma, B., Scott-Ladd, B. (2011). Management: A Pacific Rim focus. (6th Ed).NSW: McGraw Hill. Behnke, S. (2005). On being an ethical psychologist. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug05/ethics.aspx Billikopf, G. (2006). Employee Discipline & Termination. University of California. Retrieved from http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7labor/14.htm Brush, D. (2014). Cyberbullying – laws struggling to keep up with technology. CBP Lawyers. Retrieved from http://www.cbp.com.au/Publications/Cyberbullying-laws-struggling-to-keep-up-with-te Caponecchia, C. (2012). Shining a new light on bullying risk. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/shining-a-new-light-on-bullying-risk-6653 Cline, A. (2014). Deontology and Ethics: What is Deontology, Deontological Ethics? About.com. Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/ethicalsystems/a/Deontological.htm Cole, K. (2005). Management : Theory and practice. NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Edmond, C. (2013). Social media policies â€Å"critical† to workplaces. HC Online. Retrieved from http://www.hcamag.com/hr-news/social-media-policies-critical-to-workplaces-177646.aspx Gowdy, L.N. (2013). Virtue Ethics. Larry Neal Gowdy. Retrieved from http://www.ethicsmorals.com/ethicsvirtue.html Greeson, W. (2011). When Good Men Do Nothing. David Padfield. Retrieved from http://www.padfield.com/1997/goodmen.html Hartsell, B.D. (2006). A Model for Ethical Decision-Making: The Context of Ethics. Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.jswvearchives.com/content/view/26/44/ Herboso, E. (2014). Plato’s Beliefs on Ethics. Demand Media. Retrieved from http://people.opposingviews.com/platos-beliefs-ethics-4672.html Ingram, D.

Opening Act of Othello Essay

Othello’s opening scene has an overall negative impact on the audience in the form of shock as some rather crude language; such as †zounds†, â€Å"tush†, â€Å"’Sblood†; opens the play. This scene sets the premise for the play and tells us of Othello and Desdemona’s elopement, and the betrayal of Brabantio. The opening scene occurs at nightfall to a conversation between two men; Roderigo and Iago on a street outside the house of Brabantio, a man who, unbeknownst to his, has just lost his daughter to a man, a general, he does not approve of. The nightfall of the opening scene created the air of mystery and darkness and is quite expository in regards to the character, Iago. The night is a time where most tragedy occurs and Iago distorts the truth and begins his crusade against Othello by revealing his plan to Roderigo, a man who is infatuated with Brabantio’s daughter, Desdemona. The night also exposes Desdemona’s wrong doing in the betrayal of her father by marrying someone who has not asked her father, and therefore has not been given permission, to marry her. When Iago and Roderigo tell Brabantio of Desdemona’s betrayal it is done so in a rather cruel and dramatic manner and shocks the audience. This creates a sense of pity in regards to Brabantio who, not only learns of this betrayal, but also suffers because of the way in which he was told. Iago ‘orders’ Roderigo to summon Brabantio to â€Å"poison his delight,† and he is summoned to the street in a form of disruption coming from Iago and Roderigo shouting that he has been robbed. â€Å"Awake! What, ho, Brabantio! Thieves, thieves! // Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!† The reveal is conducted in a crude manner especially within the language used by Iago: â€Å"Zounds, sir, y’are robbed! †¦ an old black ram // Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!† these lines can be seen as the most striking of many animalistic images into which Iago’s speech habitually lies. It can also demonstrate Iago’s views on aty pical human desires as well as relationships. Although Iago appears to despise the Moor and any thought regarding a union between he and Brabantio’s daughter, there is also an impression that Iago is relishing in the betrayal as well as despising the action. And this open’s the audience to this despising regarding the Moor. Roderigo refuses to believe Iago once told of Desdemona’s, the woman he is infatuated with and even asked her father for her hand in marriage, elopement with the Moor and reveals that he is quite naà ¯ve. He doesn’t believe any body else is fit to marry her and therefore does not believe that Othello is good enough. Brabantio is angry in a different way as he feels betrayed and ‘robbed’. In Elizabethan times, marrying a man’s daughter without seeking his permission was seen as a crime as equally wronged as rape as that was essentially what it was. If the father had not given permission then she was not eligible for anything past marriage. However, Brabantio should be happy for Desdemona as she has, independently, found a man she loves who happens to be that of great power and honour rather than being racially biased against the Moor. However his anguish is understandable considering the severity of the act and no matter how much of a charismatic man Othello is, he says â€Å"words are words. I never did hear // That the bruised heart was pierced through the ear.† This translates to mean that she has betrayed him and she will most definitely betray Othello. Iago uses this to his advantage with regards to his diabolical plan. Words cannot bring consolidation to a man who has been betrayed so defiantly. Othello’s marriage is a result of his pride and arrogance, his tragic flaw or ‘hubris’, something that causes him to escalate to violate an important moral law, later on in the play. Also, his confidence is part of his hubris as it is an escalation of his pride and arrogance and this can be demonstrated in his speech defending his marriage to Desdemona and why he didn’t ask for permission in Act 1 Scene 3. His tragic error, or ‘hamartia’, is not revealed to the audience in so many words, however, the audience knows that Iago cannot be trusted and he is referred to, in Act 1 Scene 3, as â€Å"A man he is of honesty and trust:† by Othello himself so therefore, the audience can conclude that this is his hamartia. Iago is introduced as a confidant amongst the hierarchy, including Othello, who has not yet been physically introduced, and isn’t until Act 1 Scene 2, but is verbally referred to in a racial and disrespectful manner â€Å"mere prattle without practice† and isn’t referred to by name but by him or he. This is the first time we see Iago as a sinister and two faced, much like Janus, the Roman God with two faces mentioned on line 32 of Act 1 Scene 2. His short monologue at the beginning of the scene shows his first contraindication as he doesn’t respect Othello the way he claims to â€Å"off-capped†. Othello’s introduction in not physical but is referred to indirectly but Iago and Roderigo. Neither mentions him by name but do, however, mention him through his status and their complete disregard for his authority. This is due to Iago being passed over for the promotion to be Othello’s lieutenant in favour of Michael Cassio, â€Å"a Florentine //, (A fellow almost damned in a fair wife). A quite obscure, misogynistic comment, in the sense that Cassio does not appear to be married and if ‘fair wife’ were to mean ‘pretty woman’ then Iago may simply be suggesting that Cassio’s fondness of women could be his downfall. A tragic element in regards to Othello as this later results in Cassio’s murder at the hands of Othello; this is seen as Universalism or Apocalyptism where everything seems to fall apart. Othello’s physical entrance in Act 1 Scene 2 is described as having a â€Å"Calm dignity† and is in deep contrast to his verbal introduction in Act 1 Scene 1. This seems to establish him as a hero and prepares the audience from his tragic ‘fall from grace’. Therefore the protagonist is established. Unfortunately, racism was an issue in Shakespearean times and Blacks and Whites weren’t seen as the equals they are today. Roderigo demonstrated the difference between times by being deliberately offensive in a racist comment about Othello â€Å"think-lips†. Throughout the opening act there are many monologues given by Iago. These put fear into the audience as we know what he is going to do but how will his plan come fruition? These monologues give us as an audience an insight into the future and allows us to create our own theories regarding Iago’s plan. There’s a kind of irony within the fact that he reveals all of this to the audience as in the first scene of Act one he says the infamous line â€Å"But I will never wear my heart upon my sleeve // For daws to peck at; I am not what I am.† This biblical reference to exodus shows us that what he portrays is not his true nature. He has specifically said that he would not ‘wear his heart on his sleeve’, a metaphor for being too open and caring yet, his soliloquies are eloquent and revealing. This is an important clue into Iago’s true nature and quite early in the play, however, he remains elusive and is an ever-changing mystery within the play. This is a tragic element used by Shakespeare to keep the audience on their toes, something he was particularly good at as seen in Macbeth; Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy whilst sleep-walking. Iago’s monologues also give us an insight into his mind that would not be shared with another character. It lets us in to the deception and his wanting revenge over Othello. Insight is given into his intentions, motives and desires regarding his plan and we learn that he is going to accuse Cassio of wooing Desdemona and vice versa to sabotage the marriage of the man that rejected him. He is going to inject the jealousy of Cassio into Othello that will later lead to Othello murdering both Cassio and Desdemona. Iago still, however, retains his hold over Roderigo throughout the opening act as he is easily influenced. Domestic tragedy can be found within the marriage reference in Act 1 Scene 3 where Desdemona is first introduced and where Brabantio gives his blessing for her nuptials. The love can be seen as tragic and the whole scene is a rebuttal in regards to Iago’s slander of this union. It is revealed that â€Å"Desdemona was half the wooer† which means that she did half of the chasing. There is also a rebuttal of the accusation of witchcraft from Brabantio, as he believed that Desdemona â€Å"feared to look upon him†. Shakespeare uses a number of tragic elements in order to both shock and excite the audience. These include the Hamartia, Hubris, soliloquy and domestic tragedy. These are incorporated amongst the language in which the dialogue is written and also has a lot to do with the actors chosen to portray the roles of each character as each has their own flaw or quirk. Shakespeare incorporates these in numerous ways but most cleverly with Iago.

Machine Language Essay

1- Machine independent languages The high level programming languages are machine independent, which means they don’t rely on specifications of a particular machine. Brookshear (2012, p.242) indicate that â€Å"Since the statements in a third-generation language did not refer to the attributes of any particular machine, they could be compiled as easily for one machine as for another†. Since machines can understand and execute instructions written in machine language, then a program has to be machine-specific, although the program source code language may be machine-independent, but the compiler target specific machine output. Brookshear (p.243) â€Å"A program written in a third generation language could theoretically be used on any machine simply by applying the appropriate compiler†. The pros of compiling code into machine-specific output is to perform optimizations on the output for the target machine on which the program will run, such optimization won’t be doable if the program is compiled to run on unknown target machine. Machine-independent language may offer optimization in their abstract concepts like structures, objects, loops and conditions, those are machine independent, but the most effective optimizations are those that best exploit special features of the target platform. E.g.: Instructions which do several things at once, such as decrement register and branch if not zero. Wikipedia(2013). 2- Four programming paradigms. Imperative paradigm: is the traditional approach and also known as procedural paradigm. the process of programming is a procedure has one or more actions or commands executed in sequence. the commands or steps are derived by an algorithm in order to produce the desired result. it describes the details of HOW the results are to be obtained, in terms of the underlying machine model. Functional paradigm: functional programming is to do computation by calling or applying functions. each function is an abstract of single or multiple expressions which can be evaluated. Brookshear (p.245) define how functional programming is constructed by having smaller units connected in order so that output of each unit is used as an input in another unit till the desired overall output is obtained. the functional paradigm is simple functions are nested together to build to build main one. As per (Laird ,2009, p.17), The main ideas of functional programming are high-order and pure functions, recursion, evaluation of equations, and pattern matching. Logic paradigm: This paradigm logic based and is different from other main programming paradigms. It’s designed for Artificial intelligence to deal with problems that requires extraction of knowledge and training driven from facts and making use of rules and relations. Nà ¸rmark(2010) highlighted one of its characteristics in program execution becomes a systematic search in a set of facts, making use of a set of inference rules Prolog language is one of the languages that uses logical paradigm. (Laird ,2009), In logic programming, set of facts and rules are analyzed in each step, referred as clauses. Prolog is the widely known language of logic programming. Object Oriented paradigm: Any top language is known by its support of object-oriented programming (OOP). it has gained great popularity in the recent decade. It has 3 main features: Encapsulation: classes are types that are self-contained modules and an instance of the class is an object. Inheritance: Classes could have relationships and organized in hierarchies, inheritance passes the structure and methods in one class down to child classes in the hierarchy. Polymorphism: common types can be presented by using a uniform interface. These features facilitates programming process when programs become larger and complex. Brookshear (p.247) in OOP a software system is represented as a collection of objects,each object is capable of performing actions or requestion actions from others objects. These objects interacts with each other to work out the domain problem. As per (Laird ,2009), All four of the main programming paradigms are useful in their own way, but pure programmg languages of only one paradigm are known to be slightly more limiting. Object-oriented design is currently the most versatile and widely used programming paradigm. 3- Machine language vs. assembly language Assembly Language: is the first step in the evolution of programming languages. (Rajaraman , 1998) â€Å"In an assembly language, mnemonics are used to represent operations to be performed by the computer and strings of characters to represent addresses of locations in the computer’s memory†. There’re one-to-one correspondence between assembly statement and machine code instructions. Thus, assembly language is machine dependent as it’s matched to a particular processor structure. A program written in assembly language has to be translated by an assembler to set of machine code/instructions, thus it can be executed by computer. a disassembler performs reverse function. Machine language: called machine or native code, is the lowest level representation of program. every program is made of a series of instructions executed directly by CPU. Machine language is set of instructions executed directly by CPU. every task has one or more specific instructions. Wikipedia(2013). â€Å"Unfortunately, writing programs in a machine language is a tedious task that often leads to errors that must be located and corrected (a process known as debugging) before the job is finished.† Brookshear (p.240). Although assembly language is low-level language, but is higher level than machine code. It’s more logical and human readable than machine code.

The long term effects of washington's up from slavery Research Proposal

The long term effects of washington's up from slavery - Research Proposal Example He will carve his place in history if he can travel a considerable way in removing racism from the American psyche. I often find the issue of my color an uncomfortable one and am even tempted to ignore it but things that keep happening in the social, cultural and political life of my country keep reminding me of the divisive force of racism. It is in the treatment of the black prisoners and discrimination in the matter of justice, job opportunities and suppression of rights. I find it difficult to accept the differential treatment only because of my skin color, only because I look black, and the way it reduces my relevance as a human being. That, however, does not terminate my dream of a color-free world where humanity will be the only reality. And that reality I don't want to born out of any compassion of the white people for the black people or out of a conscious demonstration of liberalism of the whites for the non-whites but out of an established system of equal opportunities for the black people in every sphere of life like education, employment and other rights to have their rightful place in society. Racism is not something that will stop if the people stop talking about it. Jack Dovidio, a University of Connecticut professor and a researcher of racism for over three decades, estimated that "approximately 80 percent of White Americans have racist feelings they may not recognize" (Shabazz 2007). It may have changed form but is very much there in the new millennium when for similar offence, a black is imprisoned and the white escapes with civil charges. This kind of experience produces in me a critical sense of contradiction that now for over a century has been haunting the black community. Is not our approach to our struggle for equality with the whites with regard to social, political and economic rights by itself the very antithesis of our success in this endeavor In my view, the conflict started from the time Booker T. Washington started the process of compromise with the white to secure a place for the black in America. I do not say that the policy of compromise with the objective of uniting the races followed by Washington was without worth in the context of the institutionalized racism prevailing in America at that time. He needed the cooperation of the white as also their sympathy to see that such appeasement could at least check racism of all kinds against the black. His intention to achieve white sympathy and cooperation is no more pronounced than in the "Atlanta Compromise" (1895) where he spoke of working together for mutual progress. It was received by the radicals "as a complete surrender of the demand for civil and political equality; the conservatives, as a generously conceived working basis for mutual understanding" (DuBois 1903). I find echo of this compromise I am talking about in the autobiographical account "Up From Slavery" (Washington 1901) portraying an optimism that never materialized in future race relations. 3 Washington in his effort not to ruffle the white feathers overlooked the need for a more aggressive approach to empower the Negroes by making them politically and educationally strong which could make their movement against racism self-sustaining and not dependent on the white accommodativeness. I find it simultaneously painful and

Could have the American Civil War been avoided Essay

Could have the American Civil War been avoided - Essay Example Slavery was something thought to be short lived, as the North and West grew exponentially with its specialized industries and the South continued to supply the cash crops of cotton, sugar, tobacco, etc. handled and processed by slaves the Northerners could not afford, and did not believe in keeping. As time wore on and the cotton gin was invented, slavery became even more deeply a part of Southern culture; it was protected under the Constitution (because slaves were personal property), and was impossible to amend. But slavery itself was a red herring. The main complaint of the South was that the North was gaining more power in the federal government and the South no longer had a voice. The North abolished slavery on moral grounds (apparently), but Andrew Jackson, when a Mississippi senator, stated blatantly that â€Å"It is not humanity that influences you†¦ it is that you may have a majority in the Congress of the United States and convert the Government into an engine of Nort hern aggrandizement†¦ you want by an unjust system of legislation to promote the industry of the United States at the expense of the people of the South.† (Epperson, Jim, 1996). Considering the complexities around the issue of slavery (mostly economic) and the desperation of the South to hold onto their slaves along with the general concern from the North of what to do with all the slaves if they were to be freed, it doesn’t seem possible that any mind sets could be changed to prevent the war even if the issue of slavery didn’t exist.

Autonomy of Financial Institutions Research Paper

Autonomy of Financial Institutions - Research Paper Example While politicians and regulators propose a regulated trade system that would mitigate risks of default of one party, maintaining transparency, and providing consistent prices, the bankers pull in the complete opposite direction. The banks want the market to remain as it is whereby over the counter derivatives (OTC) remain unregulated and with unpublished prices to the public. Banks warn that any ban on the unregulated OTC will upset the current markets and lead to possible lawsuits. However, the European Commission maintains that its proposal for a regulation is meant to protect consumers, and spur competition. Thus, on this issue, bankers and politicians hardly see eye to eye. The U.S, as an answer too to the Great Depression, also passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, geared towards more regulations for the financial institutions. However, it lacks the cutting-edge proposal of banning the over the counter derivatives. It should be remembered that these proposals are law in no shortage of critics. While some people, especially bankers, say that it encroached too deeply into the financial institutions’ regulations; others argue that it is hard enough to curtail the possibility of another financial meltdown.  If the banks continue in the direction where there are no published prices for the OTC, no specified quantity and quality on the deliverable, then there is an obvious lack of transparency. This grey region only benefits the  banks. It cushions them from taking the responsibility of the financial losses.  Bankers argue that the small companies which have not attained the exchange listing requirements will be l ocked out of the securities trade if the government bans the OTC. Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) proposal is clear cut- it wants to ban the over the counter derivatives.

Reserve Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Reserve Banking - Essay Example There are two types of banking system that is the fractional banking system, and the 100% reserve banking system. This paper is a comparison and a contrast of these two types of banking system. The 100% reserve banking system is a practice whereby the full amounts of the funds of a depositor are made available to him or her at any given time. In the current global business environment, this system of banking does not exist. This is ever since the 1800s. The major reason is because banking organizations need to make profits, and having a 100% reserve banking system makes it difficult for these organizations to make money (Quagliariello, 17). Therefore, banking organizations and institutions would trade with the deposits in their vaults, for purposes of making profits. These trades involves, issuing of loans, mortgages, and involving themselves in the money market. However, in order to make some money, banking organizations that operates under a 100% reserve banking system, are involved in charging their customers some money, just for purposes of making them to be able to access their services. Lending in this kind of a system normally occurs when there is a separate arrangement, between the depositor and the banking organization, where the depositor is required to authorize the banking organization to lend some of his or her money. This is in direct contrast to the fractional system of reserve banking (Quagliariello, 27). Under this type of banking system, only a fraction of the depositor’s money is able to stay in the banking vaults, and the rest of the rest of the money are used for purposes of trade. Banks normally loan out these money, at an interest. Banks normally carry out this activity, through a vehicle referred to as a certificate of deposit. This system normally works, when the banking organization takes the money that is not needed by the customer, and it

Do journalists have an ethical responsibility towards future audiences Essay

Do journalists have an ethical responsibility towards future audiences as producers of the first draft of history - Essay Example Ethics and journalism have always had an uneasy relationship, James Carey (1987) states that ethics were introduced as an attempt to control journalists, he is of the view that ethics reflect status and class conflict between the owners of the press, the readers and the reporters. Other theories surrounding the emergence of ethics in journalism state that it was an attempt to stop large corporations from giving freebies and junkets to journalists in return for a favourable piece in the press (Christi 1989). In the modern world, journalism ethics are fundamentally governed by the Human Rights; which includes the right to freedom of expression, the right to privacy and the right to information. Society’s expectations of the press and mass media also contribute towards deciding of journalistic ethics. Journalists and the mass media have influential power, which is inherent in their role as informers to the general public. It is their fundamental duty to provide complete informati on, and not distort the picture in any way; however it is easier said than done. Not only are journalists reporters; but they are also human beings, with an opinion. They have a particular view of circumstances,and do not always see the truth; therefore it is important that they carry out their task as objectively as possible and not involve their own opinion- for their opinion can distort the facts . As Wolfgang Donsbach (1992) points that ethical journalism consists of the efforts of finding out complete information, and present the facts in a neutral way. Journalists who state their opinion, and influence facts to back up their opinion are not only unprofessional, but also un-ethical. An opposing view is expressed by Malcom (1989) where he states every journalist... Do journalists have an ethical responsibility towards future audiences as producers of the first draft of history? Information is an increasingly important resource and journalists play a crucial role in producing and disseminating that information. Technology has made broadcasting information easier, which makes information more powerful, and therefore makes journalists the carriers of this power. Journalists have influential power on the public; their views can shape decisions and recollections of past events. Given the freedom of expression, journalists now have the power to hold the government accountable for their misgivings, they are able to raise questions on behalf of the public and subsequently force the government to correct their mistakes. They can make history, alter how we remember history and choose what not to include in history. Journalism, Ethics and Society In a democratic world, journalist have the responsibility of reporting corruption, abuse of power and any other item of information that the public has the right to know. They have a special political purpose to seek the trut h, and resist the pressure to convey distortions. Journalism is indeed a first draft of memory, as Zarecka (1994) states, thatthe elements of the past that are remembered are worth knowing about. Hence journalists must seek to solidify the pieces of information that are deemed to go down in history books, and to conceptualize them by depicting them through mass media.

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Criminology - Essay Example Secondly, if the adolescent knows that the punishment for the crime would be severe, and that he or she would be treated the same way as adult criminals, it is likely that he or she would have second thoughts about committing the crime and lesser crimes would take place. There have been a number of studies carried out in different states of America to find out the effect on young criminals being treated by the juvenile system versus those treated in the adult court systems. Generally, the results have gone against the theory that harder punishments reduce recidivism and draw out the same conclusions i.e. young criminals treated through juvenile systems reduce recidivism. In Florida, a study took a sample of 2,738 adolescent offenders. They included many different kinds of offenses such as burglary, robbery, car thefts, and so on. The study compared two sets of offenders: those who were transferred to criminal courts and those who were kept in the juvenile system. The research concluded that offenders trialed by the juvenile system were rearrested less, 19 percent compared to 30 percent. The time taken before they got rearrested was also greater, 227 days as compared to 135 days. (Johnson & Rosch) A similar study was conducted in New York and New Jersey as well, where 16 and 17 year old lawbreakers were compared. The backgrounds of the offenders were similar. However, the New York state law treats all 16 year olds and most 17 year olds under the adult court system, whereas New Jersey treats them under the juvenile system. Again, the studies concluded that those trialed under the New York law, treating young criminals under adult systems, had a higher rate of recommitting crime. The re-arrests in New York were around 76 percent, compared to 67 percent in New Jersey. Also, the re-arrests took a time period of 457 days in New York, compared to 553 days in New Jersey. (Johnson & Rosch) Therefore, the general pattern depicts

Endangered Snow Leopard Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Endangered Snow Leopard - Research Paper Example Global snow leopards’ effective population size is estimated to be about 50 percent of the total population which implies that there are 2,040-3,295 snow leopards in the world (qtd. in Jackson et al.) This paper studies the factors contributing to the threats of snow leopards’ extinction; its impact; and suggested solutions. Snow leopard is found in the high mountains of Central Asia with major regions that include: Altai, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Tian Shan, Kun Lun, Karakorum, and Himalayan ranges (McCarthy et al.).Ecological regions are defined to be Altai-Sayan, Trans-Altai Alashan, Tian Shan, Pamir, Gobi, Hindu-Kush, Himalayas, Karakorum, Tibetan Plateau, and Hengduan Mountains (Williams, 2008 qtd. in Jackson et al.) 2. Causes of being endangered Major factors which contribute to the threats of snow leopards include: decreasing prey base; illegal trade; encounter with local people; lacking conservation activities; inadequate policy and implementation; and lack of awarenes s among people (Jackson et al.).The Snow Leopard Survival Strategy determined major threats to the specie which can be categorized as: habitat and prey; direct killing; policy and awareness; and other issues (McCarthy et al. 31). 2.1 Habitat and Prey Threats   2.1.1.Habitat Fragmentation and Degradation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Snow leopards utilize several habitat types on marginal basis; however, they have strong association with high alpine tundra which is a very fragile ecosystem itself. Such narrow scale of habitat expose snow leopard to the vulnerability of habitat change in particular. Changes in the habitat over most of snow leopard range do not comply with the common perception of habitat degradation and fragmentation. Construction of roads, large scale natural resource extraction, and urbanization takes place within the snow leopard range; however, its incidence is rare due to remoteness and inaccessibility. Most observed form of habitat alteration is comparatively s ubtle but equally destructive and happens in the form of livestock and their owners’ interference (McCarthy et al. 29).   2.1.2. Natural Prey Reduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Snow leopard’s habitat mountain ungulates are hunted, either illegally or without any regulation. They are hunted by locals either for meat or as a symbol of their victory; meat is also used to serve for honored guest or on special holidays. Moreover, wild meat is greatly appreciated due to its medicinal value. Sometimes, illegal hunting occurs as a result of commercial activity. There is nearly absence of legal hunting by locals which disenfranchises them and makes it hard to comply with the law. Legal harvesting exceeds the allowed area which results in the reduction of snow leopard food resources (McCarthy et al. 30). 2.1.3. Legal Hunting of Natural Prey Sheep and goats trophy hunting is quite prevalent and a lucrative business in most of snow leopard rage-states. It generates wealth fo r private and state hunting reserves. However, they can play a vital role in community base conservation by providing local people with the incentives to protect wild life and its habitat. These hunts are not properly manages and lead to either medium-term social instability or long-term genetic issues. Major conflict in interest is created by the major part of income is generated by trophy hunting. Ungulate stock is reduced limiting the surviving ability of snow leopard and other carnivores. Other declining prey species

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay Example for Free

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay Beethoven was one of the pivotal composers that helped music evolve from the Classical period into the age of Romanticism. When discussing Beethoven’s success in classical compositions, his symphonies are at the forefront of most if not every conversation. However, even within the topic of his symphonies, some are naturally highlighted more than others. For example, one could reproduce the melody from either the opening movement of the Fifth or the finale of the Ninth and a majority of people would be able to recognize them. While these two works were revolutionary in the progression of symphonic music, they were not the only ones to have played important roles in this sense. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is a pivotal work in the expansion of music with programmatic characteristics. However, this symphony is one that sways between the realms of absolute and program music, for it can be identified with both categories of symphonic music. While it is highly unlikely that Beethoven viewed this composition as a truly programmatic piece, the Sixth Symphony has played an important role in the development of the symphony as a genre and influenced future composers of program music as well. In order to discuss the significance of the Pastoral Symphony, one must first shed light on the difference of program music from that of absolute music. Author R. W. S. Mendl describes absolute music as being â€Å"that which gives us pleasure by the sheer delight in sound patterns without having any emotional, pictorial, or literary references† and claims that music with programmatic content â€Å"attempt[s] to represent scenes, objects, or events which exist apart from music.† It is hard to gauge the amount of programmatic works prior to the Pastoral Symphony, simply due to the fact that the term â€Å"program music† was not used as a defining category of music at the time of their release. An estimated eighth of all symphonic works that were presented before Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony were composed with the intent of conveying particular images or scenes. It would seem that with such a small percentage of varying works that were composed to contain prog rammatic ideas, labeling these works with a universal genre proved to be somewhat difficult. With the expansion of this style of writing, naturally the encompassing term â€Å"program music† would become associated with such pieces. Around the time of Beethoven’s composing, music was undergoing a shift from the Classical period into an age of Romanticism. Compositions were expanding in numerous ways regarding form, orchestration, and harmonies that were being implemented. Beethoven has been called â€Å"the innovator who broke through the limitations of Classicism without abandoning them.† This is truly evident through his symphonic writing. While on the cusp of the Romantic era, it became evident to him that the stature of absolute music was on the rise. Lewis Lockwood states that from a compositional aspect, Beethoven looked down upon ‘program music’ for its seemingly shallow representation of actual sounds and lack of originality. In response to this rising style of music, he composed the Pastoral Symphony with the intent of merging illus trative ideas of programmatic music with the structure of absolute music. Beethoven successfully achieved a blend of programmatic and absolute ideas with this symphony, in order to create an overall pastoral feeling of nature rather than depict any specific image. While the symphony and its five movements are labeled with titles that were created by Beethoven himself, he believed that the overall pastoral idea of this work could be perceived by the audience without a description that would usually be necessary with a complete program piece. It is this idea that helped Beethoven create the title as it can be viewed on early sketches, â€Å"Pastoral Symphony or Memories of Country Life: More the Expression of Feeling than Tone-Painting.† It would appear that Beethoven intended to create a general mood that expresses the idea of nature rather than rely on specific images or one precise story to achieve this. Despite Beethoven’s general feelings towards program music and his conscious efforts to claim that the Sixth Symphony was more a collection of overall feelings rather than an attempt at creating one specific image, this piece is neither absolute or programmatic music but a blend of the two styles. The first point in this argument would be the fact that Beethoven attached titles to each of the five movements within this symphony that depict certain scenes associated with pastoral ideas. The headings for the movements are as follow: ‘Pleasant feelings which are awakened in mankind on arrival in the country’, ‘Scene by the brook’, ‘Joyful fellowship of country folk’, ‘Thunder and Storm’, and ‘Beneficent feeling after the storm joined with thanks to the deity’. The mere fact that this symphony is the only one of his nine to contain subtitles attached to each movement that describe a scene of nature favors the thought of the symphony being more programmatic than absolute. However, if one were to look past the movement headings and take into consideration the content of the music, one would observe that the first two movements contain very little defined imagery. From an analytical perspective of the form, the first ha lf of the symphony is rather conventional and resembles the absolute approach to music. These movements hold true to the subheading for the symphony in regards to creating overall feelings rather than one precise painting or story. While there are compositional devices used to help convey the pastoral feeling within the first half of the symphony, it is not until the end of the second movement that Beethoven truly utilizes extra musical associations to convey imagery. This andante movement entitled ‘Scene by the brook’ ends with the flute, oboe, and clarinet engaged in a coda while imitating birdcalls. The composer himself labeled these three woodwind voices as a nightingale, a quail, and a cuckoo, respectively. These birdcalls have led to several debates, discussions, and even complete articles that attempt to analyze the true meaning of their existence in the piece. No matter how they are interpreted, one fact remains still. The birdcalls act as segues from the symphonic first half to the more programmatic portion of the piece. The second half of the Sixth Symphony ventures away from conventional symphonic composing techniques found in the first two movements and includes more programmatic material. A strong indication of programmatic material resides within the later half of the symphony, where Beethoven includes several pastoral elements to enhance the musical imagery. The third movement consists of excited melodies in a compound-meter stylized scherzo representing country-dances. There are several points within this movement that have a drone in the bass that has been viewed as a depiction of bagpipes, an instrument that was frequently associated with the representation of pastoral ideas. This jovial dance-like movement transitions into the fourth movement, which resembles a storm. The storm is â€Å"clearly an example of tone-painting† with its explosive minor chords that represent thunder and lightning and the constant patter of rain in the strings’ lines. Another significant feature added to the symphony that aids the pastoral image is the use of a ranz des vaches in the final movement. The ranz des vaches was an alpine horn call that herdsmen used to summon cattle. Author, David Wyn Jones notes in his book that â€Å"common features of ranz des vaches melodies are: triadic motion, dotted 6/8 meter†¦frequent use of grace notes, all harmonized mainly by the tonic triad.† While looking at the horn call that Beethoven uses within his symphony, one would notice that it meets all of the criteria that Jones listed. The imagery associated with the Pastoral Symphony depicts scenes from nature, which was a subject close to Beethoven’s heart. Through journal entries and letters, one can deduce Beethoven’s love for nature. The following is a letter to Austrian musician and friend, Therese Malfatti in 1810 that depicts his feelings about the outdoors: How fortunate you are to have been able to go to the country so early in the year! Not before the 8th shall I be able to enjoy this delight: I look forward to it with childish anticipation. How glad I shall be to wander about amidst shrubs, forests, trees, herbs and rocks! No man can love the country as I do. For it is forests, trees and rocks that provide men with the resonance they desire. Through this letter and several other firsthand records, one can clearly see Beethoven’s infatuation for the outdoors and the justifiable reason to compose a piece that commemorates this love. It makes sense that the first large-scale work that includes extensive amounts of imagery would reflect the thing that he admired most. Along with the simple beauty of nature, there were other factors that influenced Beethoven while writing his Sixth Symphony. The inclusion of nature and rustic ideas within music was not uncommon to composers prior to Beethoven. Pastoral subjects could be found in several theatrical presentations, operas, and intermezzo from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. One notable work that inspired the development of the Pastoral Symphony was an oratorio written by Franz Joseph Haydn, his teacher and mentor early on in his composing career. Haydn’s oratorio, The Seasons, had an impact on Beethoven while he wrote his Sixth Symphony. Haydn incorporates arpeggiated horn calls in the aria â€Å"Der muntre Hirt† that begin â€Å"a sequence of summer scenes that will [eventually lead] to the storm† later in the oratorio. Similarly, Beethoven opens the fifth and final movement of his symphony with an arpeggiated melody in the French horns that subsequently signify the end of the storm that took place in the previous movement. Another example of musical quotation that Beethoven purposely incorporated is an oboe melody that â€Å"has long been understood as a quotation from Bach’s chorale ‘Birch an, o Schà ¶nes Morgenlicht,’ from the second part of the Christmas Oratorio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is worth mentioning that prior to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, there had been other symphonic works to contain sections that resemble thunderstorms. Several commentaries on the Pastoral and its development discuss the 18th century German composer, Justin Heinrich Knecht and his piece entitled La Portrait musical de la nature. This work seems to contain similar programmatic ideas as that of Beethoven’s symphony, including a thunderstorm that interrupts the overall peaceful feeling of nature that resumes after the storm. In addition to preceding compositions that influenced Beethoven’s writings, there has been the suggestion for the possible influence from the literary writings of Scottish poet James Thomson, mostly that of his well known poems collectively titled â€Å"The Seasons†. While there is no concrete evidence that Beethoven took inspiration from this poem, some scholars feel that the poem possibly had an underlying effect on the outcome of the Pastoral Symphony. The text of the poem discusses nature, progressing through the four seasons starting with spring and ending with winter. The poem was translated to German in 1745 and served as a basis for Haydn’s oratorio that shares the same name. As discussed earlier, Beethoven drew inspiration from Haydn’s oratorio, so it would seem that he was indirectly influenced from the poetry of James Thomson for this reason even if he had no connection to the actual literature itself. So far there have been factors that support both sides of the argument in trying to define the Pastoral Symphony as either a work of absolute music, or one depicting tone painting. The mere fact that the piece contains an appropriate amount of material that justifies both categories, one should agree that this work could be viewed as the perfect synthesis of the two sides of the symphonic spectrum. The next step in understanding the influence that the Pastoral Symphony had on future composers of both absolute and programmatic works would naturally be to look at the general reception of the premiere of this piece. The Sixth Symphony received its first public performance on December 22nd, 1808 along with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Beethoven worked on these two symphonies simultaneously in the years leading up to this concert. At this time however, the symphonies were labeled opposite of what they are viewed as today, which means that the Pastoral was written and performed as Beethoven’s fifth symphony, while the C-minor was viewed as his sixth. Over the course of time it would seem as though the Fifth Symphony has overpowered the Pastoral in the minds of audience members. While this may be true to some extent today, at the time, critics were singing praises to this wonderful portrayal of nature through melody and harmony. A review of the score in the musical journal of the time, Allgemeine musikalishce Zeitung, was typical in saying such things as â€Å"this work of Beethoven, wonderful, original, and full of life, which can be placed without hesitation besides his other masterworks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When comparing it to other compositions that focused on imagery of programmatic material, one critic claimed that â€Å"none of the musical paintings known until now can withstand comparison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Overall, the piece was welcomed positively and viewed as a representation for composers who desired to use programmatic features. Some of the compositional styles that would soon develop through the Romantic period can trace influence from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. When discussing compositions that drew inspiration from the Pastoral Symphony, one should mention Hector Berlioz’s programmatic work, Symphonie Fantastique. As a composer, Berlioz was an advocate for music with more programmatic tendencies and was viewed as a radical composer during his time. At one point in his career, Berlioz wrote critical reviews of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. When discussing the Sixth, he used descriptions such as, â€Å"delightful phrases [that] greet you, like the perfumed morning breeze† as well as â€Å"swarms of chattering birds in flight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With such joyous descriptions that Berlioz gave, it comes as no surprise that he would find inspiration from this piece for his own writing. Author, Owen Jander views the second movement in Beethoven’s symphony entitled â€Å"Scene by t he Brook† as an obvious â€Å"point of departure for the ‘Scene in the Meadows’ in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique†. As mentioned earlier, Beethoven’s second movement has been the topic of several discussions concerning the Sixth Symphony, specifically, the imitation of birdcalls that can be found at the close of the movement. Jander believes the calls to symbolize Beethoven’s acceptance of his growing deafness and his own fate. If one is to agree with this interpretation, then the connection to Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique becomes one that is easy to accept. Berlioz’s third movement, entitled â€Å"Scene in the Meadows† opens with the English horn and the oboe representing two shepherds that are calling to one another. At the end of the movement, one of the â€Å"shepherds† return once more but is not joined by the other, but is instead replaced by the distant roll of thunder heard in the timpani. Those familiar with the piece and its program know that the concluding two movements that follow represent a personal hell and damnation for the protagonist. The connection between both that of Beethoven’s and Berlioz’s works would be the idea that both composers are aware of their own fate and accept it through the illustration of music. Another composer that was potentially influenced by the Pastoral Symphony was that of the German opera composer, Richard Wagner. As just discussed, it would seem that the second movement of Beethoven’s work is to represent the â€Å"realization of one’s destiny through nature†. In Wagner’s opera, Siegfried, there are scenes within the second act that take place in the forest. In which, the main character, Siegfried learns of his destiny from the ability to understand a forest bird. This situation is the exact opposite from that of Beethoven’s, where the composer realizes his destiny through the discovery that he can no longer hear. Two compositions that were separated by nearly one hundred years, both contain similar imagery that represents a person’s realization and acceptance of their destiny through nature. The chances of this being a coincidence seem rather unlikely. To say that that Beethoven’s Pastoral inspired Wagner’s us e of nature within this opera would be a fair conclusion. When discussing Beethoven, the Sixth Symphony may not be a piece that comes to mind right away; one might rather recall themes from other symphonies by him. However, the importance of this piece in the evolution of the symphony as a genre is too important to go overlooked. The mere fact that out of the nine symphonies that Beethoven wrote, the Sixth was the only one to receive a programmatic title and descriptive scenes attached to the movements is an indication at the significance of this work. It may not have directly influenced several composers in the years that followed as far as content is concerned, but Beethoven’s ability to combine aspects of program music with the absoluteness of a symphony opened the door to possibilities for future composers on both sides of the spectrum.

Quantitative Risk Assessment Essay Example for Free

Quantitative Risk Assessment Essay For the project of redesigning packing for the Canadian market, quantitative risk assessment plays an important role. Quantitative risk assessment is, â€Å"A process for assigning a numeric value to the probability of loss based on known risks and available, objective data†¦ used to determine potential direct and indirect costs to the company based on values assigned to company assets and their exposure to risk† (InvestorWords.com, 2014). For this particular project, quantitative risk assessment will be useful in determining not only which are areas of potential risk, but also to what degree these risks may affect the overall integrity of the project. Revised Project Background The project of the redesign of packaging for the Canadian market currently consists of four different product lines including Dial, Tone, Right Guard, and Dry Idea, and consists of over 50 variants spanning the four lines. Each new packaging design is independent of every other thus there exists no interdependency from design to the next. Each design observes a similar path consisting of initial review of changes, alterations, and additions by management, marketing, and the design team, initial layout of established changes by the design team followed by a first round review of changes by marketing, legal, management and compliance. If additional changes are required, a second round of design and review is implemented up to two additional rounds as needed. Upon successful acknowledgement of new designs, the artwork is then sent to our preproduction team for development to printer-ready artwork. Once completed, the artwork is sent to a third party production house for mockups to be created to be sent to the parent  company in Germany for final approval. If any designs are rejected (and they never are), commentary from Germany is implemented into further redesign and the process is restarted. Upon approval from Germany, artwork is submitted to the printer. Printer will then submit print-ready, color-calibrated proofs for final approval. Proofs are reviewed by management for final approval before actual printing. Once printed, packaging is sent to a fulfillment house to have labels applied to containers and filled with product or have wraps applied to soap bars. Upon completion of fulfillment, finished product is shipped to various holding facilities in Canada for final disposition. As previously stated, project will span eight months from inception to final delivery. Risk Identification Framework Management Delays: As the majority of the work for this project involves objective changes and adjustments to existing packaging, the first phase, initial review by management, involves nominal risk. Management will evaluate and select which products will receive updated treatment for inclusion into the Canadian market. Once the products are selected, management has no further involvement outside of potential cancellations of various packaging designs or their requested involvement during a particular phase of completion. Design Delays: As this project includes approximately 50 variants of packaging including labels and wraps, production must be coordinated to allow for enough time for completion of initial layouts and any necessary revisions, while taking into consideration the design needs and time constrains on the design team from other departments and for other projects running concurrently. While the project has a timeline of eight months, final design layouts must be approved and ready for preproduction within the first four months of the project. The in-house design team will complete the bulk of the design phase of the project, though external design agencies may be utilized if time constraints are threatened. It should be noted that the use of external design agencies would incur additional costs. Also, the design process will require an initial review before being released to the review team for official review, to ensure all parameters have been incorporated. Review Delays: This area constitutes the bulk of all potential delays. While each packaging component is independent of one  another, the review process for each component must be completed sequentially among the review team. There are five departments that will review each design layout and either approve or denote changes. Some of these potential changes are subject to additional changes or cancellations by other departments, meaning the first team may indicate several changes that the third team can then override if the indicated changes are deemed unnecessary. Also, the number of rounds of review may add potential delays to the overall project. Another potential area of delay exists with the timely completion of review by the required departments. Certain key staff may be unavailable to review a packaging design during a given time period. To circumvent potential risks, each member of the review staff will have two alternative staff members capable of reviewing each package design. Should no staff members be available to review, the particular review component is submitted to the manager of the appropriate department for their review. This becomes a last-resort scenario in that traditionally, managers indicate changes that exist outside the scope of the project. Review delays present unique difficulties in that not every team member provides feedback as to their daily availability. Pre-Production and Printing Delays: The preproduction team will transition the artwork from its final design to printer-ready artwork. There is typically no risk for delay in this area. The printer will then produce a final round of art proofs calibrated to their individual presses. One round of revisions is already assumed and build into this process. Additional revisions are not typical though can present a nominal risk. Corporate Delays: While exceeding unusual, corporate can play a small role in delaying a project by canceling one or more packaging designs, adding addition package designs above and beyond what management has previously approved, or by simply delaying the provision of final approval on all finished designed submitted. While these scenarios are unlikely, they do represent the extreme limit of delay-related risk in that they can affect the project for an indeterminate amount of time. Qualified and Quantified Risk Matrix Review Delays Reduce Risk Consistent communication with key reviewers. Engage alternate reviews if primary reviews are unavailable. Enlist managers is alternate reviewers are unavailable. Greater than two days review time by each responsible team member. Project Manager Pre-Production and Printing Delays Reduce Risk Constant communication with pre-production team and printer will reduce or eliminate risks. Buffers in timing are already built into production times. Delays indicated by pre-production team or printer. References Cooper, D. F., Grey, S., Raymond, G., Walker, P. (2005). Project risk management guidelines: Managing risk in large projects and complex procurements. West Sussex, England: John Wiley Sons. InvestorWords.com. (2014). quantitative risk assessment. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.investorwords.com/19179/quantitative_risk_assessment.html Loch, C. H., DeMeyer, A., Pich, M. T. (2006). Managing the unknown: A new approach to managing high uncertainty and risk in projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons.

Postcolonial literature

Postcolonial literature Postcolonial Literatures in English Title: What do you understand by the term postcolonial within the field of literary studies? You should refer to at least two texts you have read on the course. ‘Without responsibility, straddling Nothingness and Infinity, I began to weep. This comment of Fanons about the frustration of the inability to free ones black self from the oppressive aspects of racism and colonisation echoes through much of the postcolonial literature that has been studied throughout the course. Postcolonial literature refers to texts written about the effects of colonial rule after ‘the very first moment of colonial contact. Postcolonial authors often originate from colonised countries and, it seems to be the case that those writing about the consequences of colonisation have themselves encountered existence at the hand of the colonisers however; this is not always the case. What I aim to accomplish in this essay is to reveal the varied effects of colonisation on the colonised people in two of the texts that I have read on the course. I will be relating the experiences of those in Nervous Conditions, written by Tsitsi Dangarembga, alongside the occurrences in Miguel Street, written by V.S Naipaul. Although these two books are written by different authors and relay vastly contrasting happenings, there are significant similarities in both books which cannot be overlooked. Themes of childhood, education and struggle inevitably communicate through both novels in similar ways. What is most remarkable however is the method different characters in each narrative use in response to the strains caused, inevitably, by colonisation. Nervous Conditions, set in Zimbabwe around the 1960s or 1970s, portrays the developing life of a young female, also the narrator of the book, named Tambu. This coming-of-age novel reveals not only the trials and tribulations of the main female character but, it shows the ordeals suffered by her surrounding family. Likewise the narrator in Miguel Street also takes on the persona of a child however, this novel is set in Trinidad and the narrator is unnamed. The reader is aware that the unidentified speaker is male and this fact presents interesting contrasts between the two Bildungsroman novels with relation to male and female experiences under colonisation. The weight of Miguel Street conveys the lives of the unnamed storytellers friends and neighbours, rather than his direct family. That said, both of the postcolonial authors disclose their narratives directly from the focal point of colonised communities, coincidently both of which have political conflict in their back-drops. I found the theme of childhood very prominent throughout my reading of both Dangarembgas and Naipauls novels. Both authors use of children as narrators created a sincere naivety something which I do not feel would have been achievable through more experienced relaters. However, I am not suggesting that everything related in the narratives is entirely impartial. Both children, Tambu and the unnamed narrator, encounter, and illustrate to the reader, their lives after the initial occurrence of colonialism on their very different countries. Both young people also experience extreme poverty but, of course whilst Tambu is initially raised on the homestead, the latter develops in to an adult in a much more industrial area. These contrasting, yet ironically similar, lifestyles in the texts reveal the collective impact that colonisation can have on citizens oppressed by colonial rule, irrelevant of their precise locations. Although there are definite similarities between the experiences of Tambu and the unnamed narrator, womanhood serves as an extremely prominent theme in Nervous Conditions. Miguel Street, on the other hand, focuses the readers main attention on the experiences of male hood. This is not to suggest that the women in Naipauls novel do not encompass a purpose, I am merely implying that, through my reading of the text, the male occurrences in the novel are at the forefront of the readers attention. The opening line of Dangarembgas novel, ‘I was not sorry when my brother died. immediately insinuates that the novel will contain some aspects of struggle and resistance. What is most remarkable however is the fact that this powerful statement is declared by a female character, a character that is of a young age at the death of her sibling. Tambu is clearly seen to suffer at the hands of her brother, right up until his death. The narrators destitute parents use what little income they obt ain to send Nhamo to school. This lack of money for educational means highlights the inability of poor, black families, living in colonial areas, of ever ridding themselves from such their current situations. However, the narrators destitute parents decision to provide schooling solely for the male child of the family reveals an awfully apparent situation of female inequality. Nhamos harsh words towards Tambu, after her attempts to grow maize in order to send herself to school, provide a fine example of the oppression felt by the women in the novel. Nhamo uses Tambus femaleness to belittle her when he remarks, ‘Did you really think you could send yourself to school? This satisfactory tone in Nhamos words, as well as his unkindness in stealing Tambus maize, reveals the double struggle experienced by the women in text. MaShingayi, Tambus mother, poignantly highlights the situation of black women when she informs her daughter that life for her, ‘with the poverty of blacknes s on one side and the weight of womanhood on the other, will not be trouble-free. The women in Nervous Conditions endure domination in two different ways; not only are the females in the novel subjugated for being black, they are also repressed for being women. Further evidence in the novel of female strain is through the use of Nyasha and her mother, Maiguru. Although both women are black, they are educated and are reasonably wealthy in comparison with Tambus direct family. Nevertheless, Maiguru and her daughter inevitably still suffer nervous conditions. Nyashas personal toil becomes extremely apparent when she brawls with her father, Babamukuru. Babamukura, the head and main provider for his entire family is highly educated and greatly respected. On Babamukurus return from England with his family, Jeremiah, Tambus father, repeatedly refers to his brother as ‘Our returning prince. There is a great family celebration and the entire family is relieved at their ‘returning hero [s] homecoming. The obvious reason for the admiration of Babamukura is his educative status. Tambu, later in the novel, relates her uncles education with his superiority when she remarks, ‘he had made himself plenty of power. Plenty of power. Plenty of money. A lot of education. Plenty of everything. Unfortunately however, Babamukurus educated daughter and wife do not experience equivalent praise and control. Nyasha and her father, after a continuing conflict of principles, furiously exchange physical blows. Babamukuru scolds her daughter for defying his morals and eventually ‘condem[ns her] to whoredom. In contrast to Nyashas weighty presence in the novel is the heavy absence of her brother Chido. For example, Chido does not attend the Christmas celebrations with his family at the homestead. Unlike Nyasha, Chido is given full reign to do whatever he pleases and go wherever he desires. Although Babamukuru is ‘disappointed that his son will not be accompanying his relatives, there is no transference of harsh words between the two males. It seems to be the case that Babamukuru is gloomy at his sons absence not for the reason of dissatisfaction but for the loss of well-educated male company. The aspect of female inferiority is all too obvious through the contrasting attitudes of Babamukuru towards his son and daughter. Nyasha, according to Tambu, is ‘a victim of her femaleness, a ‘Femaleness as opposed and inferior to maleness. Evidence of the accuracy poignant comment about female suffering in the novel is not sparse. Nyashas development of an eating disorder, along w ith her mental breakdown later in the novel, reveals that not only is Nyasha affected psychologically by her suppression but her physical self is also jeopardised. It is clear that Nyasha loses her sense of self through visiting England and then returning to her country of origin, Zimbabwe. Nyasha confesses her personal damage to Tambu when she claims that she and her brother are ‘hybrids. Tambu also experiences her cousins alter ego when she is searching for Nyasha shortly before leaving to attend Sacred Heart. Tambu sadly finds Nyasha ‘reminding her of the closed girl who had come from England in a pink mini-dress, not the cousin and friend she had mellowed into in the three years since then. The extremity of Nyashas condition becomes clear on Tambus return from the convent school. Tambu describes Nyasha as ‘grotesquely unhealthy from the vital juices she flushed down the toilet and, she gives the reader a commentary of her nervous breakdown. After Nyasha ‘ rampaged, shredding her history books between her teeth, breaking mirrors, her clay pots, and jabbing the fragments viciously into her flesh, her parents finally realise that their daughter is genuinely suffering. Nyashas uncertainty about where she belongs and, according to Tambus mother, ‘the Englishness, ultimately leads to her downfall. Similar to the frustrations felt by Nyasha, although not to the same extremity, are the hardships experienced by Maiguru. Maiguru, although educated, does not receive comparable respect to Babamukuru, from Tambus direct family. Whilst Tambus uncle is welcomed home with an almost royal status, Maiguru attracts little of the praise given by the relatives. Maiguru is belittled by Babamukurus family and Babamukuru provides her with no real support For example, Lucia remarks to Maiguru, ‘Dont worry yourself, Maiguru. The matter concerns Babamukuru. This dismissal by Lucia, along with constant disagreement with Babamukuru about the running of her own household inevitably causes Maiguru to leave her family however she is never really able to escape her situation. Nyasha solemnly claims that her mothers homecoming is ‘such a waste with regards to Maiguru having the possibility to better her lifestyle. Maiguru obviously feels that inevitably she should be at home with her family h owever, it is clear that this believed duty is at the expense of a career of her own. Although the educated Maiguru does have an opportunity for escape, the restraints of her family life are holding her back from a desired profession. It seems to be the case that for the women in Nervous Conditions, to escape from colonial lands and male oppression, one has to leave their family life behind them. By exploring the life experiences of Nyasha and her mother, it can without doubt be supposed that education for women does not offer the same power that it puts forward for men. It would seem that for women, irrelevant of their schooling, there really is no real escape from colonialism or their own men. Fanon, although a highly influential writer, does not tend to regard femaleness in his writings. Fanon claims, ‘My blackness was there And it tormented me, pursued me, disturbed me, angered me. Although these aspects are extremely apparent to the black men in Miguel Street, Nervous Conditions reveals Fanons experiences being largely dedicated female characters. However, as we have already seen, Dangarembgas women are not only imprisoned by their black but also by their femaleness, by men. Nervous Conditions, its title being taken from the introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre to Frantz Fanons The Wretched of the Earth, is unmistakably a feminist re-writing of Fanon.[1] Contrasting with the women as the main focal point in Nervous Conditions, it is the mens experiences and struggles in Miguel Street which makes up the bulk of the novel. Although some of the women in Naipauls novel are seen as victims at the hands of men, the males in the book are often seen as equally foolish, if not more so than the women. Whilst Babamukuru is highly respected by most in Nervous Conditions, Naipauls George is seen as extremely idiotic and compared to a ‘donkey. After the death of Georges wife, whom the reader is led to assume died at the hands of her husband, the unnamed narrator remarks how George ‘went about crying in the streets, beating his chest. This mocking, monkey-like image is far from the genteel representation of Babamukuru. Another illustration of male mocking in the novel is through the use of Man-man. Laughter is a substantial theme in Miguel Street and almost everyone in the novel, at some point, laughs or is laughed at. Man-man is no exc eption. After it is revealed that Man-man always receives ‘exactly three votes when he puts himself ‘up for every election, Hat remarks that ‘Perhaps [it] is two jokers that have voted for Man-man, as well as himself. The idea that this male figure only obtains electoral support from two people who are ultimately ridiculing his sense of self emphasises male weakness in the novel. The scorning towards Man-man continues when he is illustrated as the ultimate irrational fool. After deciding to ‘crucify his-self, Man-man remarks to the surrounding people, â€Å"Stone, stone, STONE me, brethren! Although this behaviour is absurd, I as a reader could sympathise with Man-man for his attempt at escape from the confines of his life. However, as soon as the male extremist shouts, ‘I go settle with that son of a bitch who pelt a stone at me., the bafflement simply conveys Man-man as ludicrous. Inevitably, the contempt shown towards many of the male figures in the novel could be due to Naipauls own personal hatred of Caribbean people. Naipaul was treated extremely badly by his Afro-Caribbean neighbours, which inevitably led to an acquired detestation for them that still remains to this day.[2] Some postcolonial countries go so far as to view Naipaul as a racist.[3] On the other hand, the use of characters such as George and Man-man may be for sympathetic devises. Man-man is conveyed as a pathetic character however, his search for a sense of self echoes the behaviour of Nyasha in Nervous Conditions. The narrator remarks, ‘The authorities kept [Man-man] for observation, Then for good. This occurrence highlights a double oppression. Not only is Man-mans sense of self trapped by colonialism but it is also confined by law enforcement. Similarly, Nyasha is trapped by her femaleness as well as by colonialism. Both characters produced in me a sense of pity; both individuals act irrationally to attempt to free themselves from their surrounding restraints however there is no escape for either. Although most of the male figures in Nervous Conditions are revealed as ridiculous, Elias, the son of the detested George, makes real attempts at bettering his life, and inevitably escaping from life in Miguel Street, through schooling. The narrator claims, ‘I was prepared to believe that [Elias] would become a doctor some day. Unfortunately however, the young man is unable to achieve the desired grades and is destined to life as a cart driver. The inability to escape from his disheartening destiny, without appropriate qualifications, highlights further the importance of education. Without education, men in the novel have no choice but to exist in poverty in colonial lands. Due to Naipauls negative judgements of Caribbean people there is some ambiguity in the narrative about whether Elias situation is presented by the author to generate sympathy or scorn. The fact that Elias has lost his mother generated compassion however, the use of other characters in the novel that reveal wasted chances due to lazy and brainless suggests that Elias exists in the novel just as another dim-witted black man. Another possible case of Naipauls contempt is through the use of Titus Hoyt. Although Titus Hoyt is shown as reasonably intelligent and is regarded with an evident admiration, mainly by the narrator, his achievements do not compare with those of Babamukuru. Although both Babamukuru and Titus Hoyt eventually run schooling institutions, the latter is made to seem like a fool in front of his students. For example, when Titus Hoyt battles to teach his associates Latin Boyee remarks, ‘Mr Titus Hoyt, I think you making up all this, you know, making it up as you go along. The accusative statement ultimately disparages Titus Hoyt and reflects the lack of achievements of some of the more obviously senseless characters in Naipauls novel. Even when Titus Hoyt finally gets recognition through having his photograph placed in the local newspaper, there is a suggestion that through the anonymity of the student who apparently wrote the correspondence , he composed a letter to himself praising his own ‘virtue. Even the description of Titus Hoyt as ‘pop-eyed in the photograph makes the teacher appear as a counterfeit of success. Recognition is an important factor for most of the men in Miguel Street however it seems that there is always some underlying factor which is preventing them from succeeding. Whilst the struggle of colonised lands is extremely apparent throughout this novel, it cannot be ignored that perhaps Naipaul is prohibiting the triumph of the Caribbean male figures for his own satisfaction. Although the men in Miguel Street are shown as foolish and disaster-prone compared to Babamukuru, some of the male figures in Nervous Conditions are also portrayed as idle. Tambus father, Jeremiah, for example, is shown as an extremely futile man, depending on the successes of his brother to support him and his family. It emerges that whilst ‘Babamukuru had defied ‘the weight of his poverty., Jeremiah had merely ‘cringed ‘under the evil wizards spell, the spell that is inevitably colonial rule. The use of Jeremiah as a character may be for the purpose of a mocking devise by Dangarembga to highlight Tambus success as a woman in comparison with her fathers failure as a man. Conversely, Dangarembgas use of a character like Jeremiah may also be to highlight the importance of education and, to reveal that men can suffer frustration just as women can. It becomes clear that nobody in either novel really escapes the oppressions of colonialism. Whilst the failures in Miguel Street are all too apparent, Nervous Conditions promote more subtle disappointments, mainly through women. Although the unnamed narrator gets away from Miguel Street at the end of the novel, it is only through his his mothers bribing that he is able to do this. Furthermore, although Tambu physically breaks away from her toils through genuine personal achievement, there is a psychological part of herself that remains with her previous life. Fanons comment at the opening of the essay cleverly fits in to both Dangarembga and Naipauls novels, as well as much of the other postcolonial texts I have encountered on this course. The frustration Bibliography 13 [1] [2] [3]