A Sound of Thunder Paragraph Essay

The consequences of time travel cannot be matched in terms of unpredictability because any tiny alterations to the distant past can change the outcome of the ensuing events of the future. In the futuristic tale, â€Å"A Sound of Thunder,† by Ray Bradbury, the standard way of life in the present time is subtly altered when an ambitious hunter named Eckels travels back in time to hunt a prehistoric animal. When Eckels is confronted by the frightening Tyrannosaurus rex, he panics and ignores the rules of the guide, falling off the established path. In the heat of the moment, he accidentally steps on a butterfly causing a chain reaction that creates various realignments of society in the contemporary era. Firstly, the essence of society is transformed from good to evil. Before departure, the man behind the desk was against the beliefs of Deutscher and was supportive of Keith. On his return, Eckels notices a slight difference in the demeanor of the man behind the desk; he is now firmly supportive of Deutscher and considers Keith a weakling. He laughs and says, â€Å"You joking? You know very well. Deutscher, of course! Who else? Not that fool weakling Keith. We got an iron man now, a man with guts!† This quote infers that society has drastically changed from the time Eckels departed for the safari to his return on the following day. Second of all, Lesperance does a reconnaissance to select certain targets for the hunters, his mandate being to identify animals that were going to die on the particular day of the hunt anyways. â€Å"I track them through their entire existence, noting which of them lives longest†¦ When I find one that’s going to die when a tree falls on him, or one that drowns in a tar pit, I note the exact hour, minute, and second. I shoot a paint bomb†¦ This way, we kill only animals with no future, that are never going to mate again.† This illustrates how conscientious the company is about the effects of time travel and altering the history of the world. Finally, on Eckels return, his senses detect subtle changes in the atmosphere and his surroundings. Most of all, his eyes see the change in the English language. The sign above the desk was in a phonetic form, and he immediately realizes the intellect of the human race had deteriorated. â€Å"But the immediate thing was the sign painted on the office wall, the same sign he had read earlier today on first entering. Somehow, the sign had changed.† This shows that the slightest, simple, accidental modification of history can have apocalyptic consequences for modern civilization. In conclusion, Eckels’ meandering in the forest 60 million years ago, creates a society with less righteousness, responsibility, and human intellect.

Principles of Management Essay

This has become a very popular definition of management for several reasons. Firstly, this definition is very simple and easy to understand. Secondly, it highlights the indirect nature of a manager’s job. A manager does not operate a machine or sell a product himself. Rather he guides others in producing and selling goods and services. Thirdly, this definition reveals that a manager is the leader of people working under him. Fourthly, it states that management is basically an art or practice of achieving results. The above definition is, however, inadequate for the present day concept of management. It suffers from the following drawbacks. (i) This definition does not reveal that management is a science. The modern concept of management is much wider than simply a skill in getting things done through other people. Since the days of F.W. Taylor management has become a science based on certain fundamental principles. (ii) The above definition does not highlight how does management get things done through people. It fails to reveal the functions of a manager and the skills used for getting things done. (iii) This definition does not recognize the role of human beings. It treats people as mere tools forgetting results and does not consider their feelings, emotions and needs. People are inanimate objects and cannot be treated as mere tools. People have their aspirations and are not mere commodities or means to achieve certain ends. Management is certainly much more than just getting things done through others. (iv)The above definition gives an impression that management gets things done by hook or crook. Results alone are not significant. The means employed to achieve results are equally important. This definition is of man’s putative character. (v) This definition does not reveal that a formal organizational set up is needed for getting things done. A careful analysis of the above mentioned definitions reveal the following important characteristic feature of a Joint Stock Company. 1. An artificial person: – The company enjoys all the rights as a citizen of a country would enjoy. It ‘can own properties, enter into contracts etc. 2. Legal formation: – The formation of a Joint Stock Company is governed by the rules and regulations laid down in the Companies Act, 1956. 3. Voluntary organisation: – It is formed by members voluntarily joining the organisation and contributing money or money’s worth for the business. 4. Separate legal entity: – The Company has a separate legal existence. The owners are different from the people who manage the business. The management is however headed by owners who are elected directors. The company is separate from the persons who own it. The company cannot be held responsible for any misdeeds of the members. 5. Perpetual succession: – Unlike Sole proprietorship and Partnership, the Company has continuous existence. The continuity of the business is not affected by the death, insolvency or insanity of any member. â€Å"Men may come and men may go, but a company will go until it is wound up.† 6. Limit to liability: – The liability of the members of a company is restricted to the extent of the unpaid value of the shares held by him. The personal asset of a shareholder cannot be used to pay the company’s liabilities. 7. Large capital: – A Joint Stock Company can generate huge amount of money towards capital, because the number of persons contributing towards capital are more in number when compared to Sole Proprietorship or Partnership organisation. 8. Large scale operation: – Since huge amounts are collected as capital, the operation of the business will generally be on a large scale basis. 9. Transferability of shares: – The shares of a Joint Stock Company are easily transferable from one person to another, since it is a Public Limited Company. The shares of a Private Limited Company or Government Company are not transferable. 10. Common seal: – The company, being an artificial being, cannot affix its signature on the documents on its own. The common seal is used in place of a signature. Joint Hindu Family Business is a distinct type of organisation which is unique to India. Even within India its existence is restricted to only certain parts of the country. In this form of business ownership, all members of a Hindu undivided family do business jointly under the control of the head of the family who is known as the ‘Karta’. The members of the family are known as ‘Co-parceners’. Thus, the Joint Hindu Family firm is a business owned by co-parceners of a Hindu undivided estate. Its main features are :- * It comes into existence by the operation of Hindu law and not out of contract. The rights and liabilities of co-parceners are determined by the general rules of the Hindu law. * The membership of this form of business is the result of status arising from the birth in the family and its legality is not affected by the minority. Originally, only three successive generations in the male line ( grandfather, father and son) constituted the membership of this organisation. By the Hindu Succession Act, a female relative of a deceased member or a male relative of such a female member was made eligible for a share in the interest of the related member ( called co-parcener) at the time of his death. There is no legal limit to the maximum number of members. * Registration is unnecessary, but the rights of its members to sue third parties for claims of debt remains unaffected. * It is managed generally by the Karta. He has the authority to obtain loans against the family property or in other ways. Other members have no right of management nor to contract loans binding on the joint-family property. * The manager or the Karta has the last word in the formulation of all policies and in their execution. He has unquestioned authority in the conduct of the family business. * The Karta has unlimited liability while the liability of the other members is limited to the value of their individual interests in the joint family. * The firm enjoys continuity of operations as its existence is not subject to the death or insolvency of a co-parcener or even of the Karta himself. Thus, it has a perpetual life like the public limited company.Advantages * Ease of formation * Continuity of operationsDisadvantages * Confined to Joint  Hindu families * Relatively limited capital * Limited managerial talents * Unlimited liability of the Karta| The concept of management is universal and very old. That is why different views have been expressed about its nature by different writers from time to time. The continuous and rapid development of management principles and practices in organization has changed the nature of management. The main points of view about the nature of management are given below: Management as an Inborn or Acquired Ability In the pre-scientific management period, i.e., prior to 1880 there has been a leading concept that management is an inborn ability. It is a traditional approach. The supporters of this concept believe that the hereditary characteristics, inborn talents and natural aptitudes of a man make him an efficient manager. Some people are so efficient and talented since their birth that they lead and get success in the field of business. To our mind, this concept was used when the ownership and management were not separated. But later on the researches and development in the field of science, technology and training etc. changed this old concept. Today management is considered not only as an inborn ability but also as an acquired ability. In the words of Ordway Tead, â€Å"Managers are both born and made.† Today, in large-sized business organizations, ownership and management are separate identities. The management lies in the hands of professional managers who are educated and trained. Thus, now the management can be considered as an acquired ability. Management as an Art, Science or Both A lot of controversy arises whether management is an art or science or both. It is said that the management is the oldest of arts and youngest of science. This explains the changing nature of management. But to have an exact answer to this question, it is necessary to understand both these aspects separately and combinedly, as given below: Management as an Art: Art refers to the way of doing specific things; it indicates how an object can be achieved. In the words of George R. Terry, â€Å"Art is bringing about of  a desired result through the application of skill.† Art is, thus, skilful application of knowledge which entirely depends on the inherent capacity of a person which comes from within a person and is learned from practice and experience. In this sense, management is certainly an art as a manager uses his skill, knowledge and experience in solving various problems, both complicated and non-complicated that arise in the working of his enterprise successful. In the words of Ernest Dale, â€Å"Management is considered as an art rather than science mainly because managerial skill is a personnel possession and is intuitive.† Management as a Science: Science may be described as a systematized body of knowledge based on proper findings and exact principles and is capable of verification. It is a reservoir of fundamental truths and its findings apply safely in all the situations. In this sense, management is a science as it has also developed some systematized knowledge. Like other sciences, management has also developed certain principles, laws, generalization, which are universal in nature and are applicable wherever the efforts of the people are to be coordinated. But management is not as exact science as other physical sciences like physic, chemistry, biology, astronomy etc. The main reason for the inexactness of science of management is that it deals with the people and it is very difficult to predict their behavior accurately. In this way, management falls in the area of ‘social sciences’. Thus, it is a social science. Conclusion- Management is an Art and Science Both From the above study, we conclude that management is an art and science both. According to American Society of Mechanical Engineers. â€Å"Management is the art and science of preparing, organizing and directing human efforts to control the forces and utilize the material of nature for the benefit of men. â€Å"Thus, it has now been accepted that management is an art as well as science. It has the elements of both arts and science. In the words of Dean Stanley, â€Å"Management is a mixture of an art an science – the present ratio is about 80% art and 20% science.† Man is known by company he keeps, and OfficeBOX is no exception. OfficeBOX team is made up of experienced professionals with vast experience in software solutions development and servicing to SMB sector. Through our Business Partnership program, we want to expand thisteam and work with entities that are driven by challenges of SMB sector. The only pre-requisites of becoming an OfficeBOX Business Partner is passion for driving change and willing to work as a team. We envision our Partnership program to create a team of change agents in SMB sector, and hence any prior exposure of working in SMB domain, especially around IT services, will certainly be useful. That gives both OfficeBOX and Partners a head-start in the partnership effort. OfficeBOX wants to include everyone in this revolution, but to name a few categories which relate immediately are: * Financial Account Writers & Chartered Accountants: OfficeBOX is the most advanced accounting software which enables Account Writers and Chartered Accountants maximize the value they offer to their customers. OfficeBOX becomes the most ideal partner for all the book-keeping and reporting needs of enterprises. * Hardware Vendors/Resellers: OfficeBOX understands the needs and challenges of SMB around application of IT to their businesses, and would like to partner with like-minded people in this area. Hardware Vendors/Resellers have been serving the SMBs for years for their IT requirements, making them an ideal choice for the partnership program. * Telecom/Internet Service Providers: OfficeBOX becomes the best add-on that Telecom/Internet Service Providers can offer to the SMB community. It enhances the value that SMB can derive out of the computerization and automation of their business processes. * Trade Associations: What’s good for one brother, is good for whole of the brethren. Who better knows this than the associations toiling day and night for maximizing the good of their members. Partnering with such associations allows OfficeBOX to reach out to the community and include them in the revolution. * Vocational Education Providers: OfficeBOX is the most appropriate platform to make the budding talent ready for their job of optimizing the business processes using the latest technology. Vocational Education Providers imparting such training to students becomes a good partner for OfficeBOX. In the commercial and legal parlance of most countries, a general  partnership (the basic form of partnership under common law), refers to an association of persons or an unincorporated company with the following major features: * Created by agreement, proof of existence and estoppel. * Formed by two or more persons * The owners are all personally liable for any legal actions and debts the company may face It is a partnership in which partners share equally in both responsibility and liability.[1] A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. A ‘sole proprietorship, also known as the sole trader or simply a proprietorship, is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits (subject to taxation specific to the business) and has unlimited responsibility for all losses and debts. Every asset of the business is owned by the proprietor and all debts of the business are the proprietor’s. It is a â€Å"sole† proprietorship in contrast with partnerships. Glos and Baker write that â€Å"A sole proprietorship is a business owned by one person who is entitled to all of its profits,† Reed and Conover say â€Å"The single or the sole proprietorship is a business owned and controlled by one man even though he may have many other persons working for him. A sole proprietor may use a trade name or business name other than his or her legal name.

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

Shakespeare - Essay Example The desire of Helena becomes true, irrespective of her low social position. The success of Helena in turning the king of France has caused for a turning point that helped her a great deal in attaining her dreams. Bertram’s attempt to seduce Diana was well abolished by Helena and trickily she makes union with him in the bed scene and conceives his child. Moreover, she had asked Diana to get the family ring of Bertram. Helena in the play achieves both conditions of Bertram to become his wife in a tricky way. At the end, when Bertram sees his wife’s great attempts to win over, makes him attached towards Helena and thus the play ends well as with the title. The play is not much attached to the unities like the unity of place and the unity of time as Aristotle propounded. But it has made some achievements with the unity of action. It can be seen that the Aristotelian logic of the action, as rebuilt by Frye is well established in the play. According to Aristotle it should hav e â€Å"proper beginning, middle, and end† (Kitano). In ‘All Well that Ends Well’ Frye finds the â€Å"material cause â€Å"of the comedy in the young man’s sexual desire and the â€Å"final cause† in â€Å"the audience, which is expected by its applause to take part in the comic resolution† (Haley 19). All Well that Ends Well has gone through these levels as according to the Aristotle’s theory.

Most Unforgettable Person - Part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Most Unforgettable Person - Part 2 - Essay Example While shopping, we met two of our neighbours whom he swiftly initiated a conversation with. My grandfather was social. The neighbours insisted on paying for the bill of the items we had bought as an appreciation of what my grandfather did to their children every New Year. This left us with adequate money to organise the party to the standard expected by my grandfather. While I was assisting my grandfather set up the tent on the grounds where the party was to take place, I faced challenges fastening the tops due to my height. This is when I came to appreciate that my grandfather was tall. With a little help from a low lying bench, he stretched out his arm to set the top of the tents. I realised that all along, his hat did not leave his head. Sure as I am about his high hygienic standards, my grandfather did not dirty his clothes as much as I did as we set the tent and put everything in

Psychology-Personality Assessment and Theories Essay - 1

Psychology-Personality Assessment and Theories - Essay Example tors include upbringing, environmental factors, physiological factors and various cognitive processes that are responsible for giving rise to a certain behaviour or trait of an individual. In order to further define personalities they are divided into psychological classifications of different people. (Engler, 2008) Personality types actually originated from different sets of personality traits and these types also signify the degree or intensity of the set of traits that characterize the personality type. The notion of personality types emerged from the theoretical works and researches of a renowned psychologist named Carl Jung. According to the Jungian theory of personality, the unconscious plays a great role in the molding and shaping the characteristics of an individual and it is the unconscious thought processes that give rise t various conscious thoughts and cognitions. (Wilde, 2011) Is theories had strong concurrences with the Freudian theory of personality, but the schism between the two theorists was their beliefs regarding the factors that constituted an individual’s unconscious and as Freud was largely focused on sexual desires and interactions between humans, whereas Jung just deemed it another component of the unconscious and not the most fundamental one as Freud thought it to be. Therefore, to illustrate this aspect of his theory, and people can easily find the class that their personality falls into by taking a simple test. There have been a number of speculations regarding the validity and reliability of these tests but they d serve their purpose in providing ample amount of insight into an individual’s personality. (Wilde, 2011 & Plante, 2010, p. 115) Jung classified various types of personalities and this theory was further developed by Katherine Myers and her daughter Isabella Briggs, and drafted out a test called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator that consisted of 72 questions that enabled an individual to describe the degree of intensity

Viral Video Campaign for Morson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Viral Video Campaign for Morson - Essay Example Being a video that can easily be shared over the internet, a viral video has a capability of reaching many people. This hence positions it on a better place to advertise and market a company. Any organization can benefit from viral video technology especially if it gets the right team to do the work. E-commerce is thus in a new league of operation. In a group of four, our assignment on the creation and publicity of a viral video which would see the marketing of Morson international successful began by planning on how we were going to do the assignment. This is because we believed in the ideologies of good plan for a successful work piece. Upon coming up with a work plan, we began by brainstorming on the best methods which would be used in the practical process of coming up with the viral video. A number of methods were proposed but we settled on imaging and animation. This is mainly because these two methods adapt excellently on the internet and has a special feature of diversificati on. In particular for the purpose of E-commerce, the two methods are very crucial in both advertising and marketing. One of the goals of making up the viral clip was to market the recruiting services of Morson International which is both a recruiting company and an engineering consulting firm. Publicizing it on its recruitment services was the main agenda of our assignment. After identifying the two methods, the ideals of what to next much depended on Morson. The story line to be put on the board was supposed to be verified by Morson. Morson added that Arabic language be incorporated in the storyline as they intended to change their website some day in Arabic. Working on the video began by using a flash mx platform. A flash is simple and very flexible hence it was of great importance here. The parts were animated and imagined in a sequential manner beginning with graduate man, end contract, fired man, magic lamp and then genie scenes. The second phase of this video making included introducing the images that described the company. The animation and imaging were successful and now uploading the content was the remaining thing. The content was uploaded and of which it was translated in Arabic and English. The finished video clip was given to Morson who upon keenly looking at it, a feedback was given. The feedback required some changes which among others included having a proper timing. The proper timing would accommodate both slow and fast readers. This aspect was to enhance message delivery to everybody in the fairest way. The last slide was also changed to put more emphasize on the morson.com instead of morson.com/recruitment which would only sell the recruiting department. Grammar was perfected especially in those areas where it seemed wanting and some parts which portrayed a wrong message like the â€Å"fired man† were removed. An Arabic voiceover was also considered and how to mix the corporate overview and aspects of a viral clip were analyzed and fixed. Upon fixing all the recommendation by Morson, the Arabic voice was recorded and a background sound which accentuated understanding was played. The flash was completed and handed to Morson for publicizing it. Considering that the creation of the video was a major part of the assignment, optimizing its search over the internet was equally important. This was to be both b y us and Morson who uploaded it on YouTube. At the end of the

Indonesian Islamic Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indonesian Islamic Law - Essay Example I felt peeved at the manner in which a lady is being shoved out of a hotel lobby, where she was having conversation with two of her lady friend, and the male colleagues standing nearby kept laughing and booing at them. Nobody thought it fit to reason out with the police officials that they are not doing anything illegal in the hotel lobby. What is more troubling is, what message is being sent out about Islamic laws by such an action?3.  Identify cultural values specific to your own culture that impacted upon how you reacted/responded to this article. My culture has given me the values and teaching which do not allow ill-treatment of the female members of the society for the simple reason that they are born as female. Equality in the society is the norm as far as I’ve learnt. I sincerely feel that laws are meant to protect the humanity and not to torture them in the name of religion.4.  Analyze how ethnocentricity can impact the way in which you reacted to this article.Ethn ocentricity implies that an individual tends to focus more on the specific ethnic group he or she belongs to. In general it can be considered as a normal human tendency, but in this case we have a nation which has to take care of so many issues at home for development of its citizens, reconstruction of the infrastructure destroyed during the Tsunami disaster, political issues etc. But focus is being given to the age old Shariah laws instead. When a port city it raises doubts about the capability of the government to take the nation ahead.

The Fog of War Documentary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Fog of War Documentary - Research Paper Example As the discussion stresses  McNamara served as the president of World Bank between 1968 and 1981.The Public policy system analysis which later developed into the recent discipline referred to as policy analysis was instituted by McNamara. After the Second World War, he contributed into reestablishment of the Ford Motor Company while serving as its president before becoming Defense Secretary. He became the company’s director in 1957 and its president in 1960.He was then requested by President John F. Kennedy to abandon his position in the company and serve as the Defense Secretary of the United States. He also served as a member of the board of directors in various corporations as well as non-profit making organizations. He has written documents on several issues and topics like world hunger, nuclear arms, relationships between east and west, the environment, population and development.This essay declares that  the film provides an analysis of McNamara’s controversia l issues in the course of Vietnam War, his contributions during World War II, his upbringing and educational background at Berkeley and Harvard and finally, his service as the president of World Bank for a period of thirteen years. The subtitle of the film is â€Å"Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara†.  At the age of 85, Morris interviewed McNamara; the film was produced based upon that interview. In addition, the film contains television and new reports of 1960’s and cabinet photos during the reign of President Kennedy.... ysis of McNamara’s controversial issues in the course of Vietnam War, his contributions during World War II, his upbringing and educational background at Berkeley and Harvard and finally, his service as the president of World Bank for a period of thirteen years. The subtitle of the film is â€Å"Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara†. During his study, he did statistical analysis with the aim of improving bombing strategies during World War II. At the age of 85, Morris interviewed McNamara; the film was produced based upon that interview. In addition, the film contains television and new reports of 1960’s and cabinet photos during the reign of President Kennedy. Information was recorded during Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis, bombings of World War II, and air attacks against Vietnam to help in understanding what was going on during those periods. Some of the major contributions of McNamara are seen in the Vietnam War which caused deaths of over fif ty eight thousand Americans and 3.4 million Vietnam Citizens. Vietnam War was a conflict between the Northern part of the country under the support of communist countries against the southern part that was supported by the United States and other countries that were against the communist policy. The reasons for the United States’ engaging in the war was to prevent communism from further spreading while Vietnam government wanted to unify the country under a communist government (Morris 38). During World War II, McNamara acted as the commander under General Arch-hawk. He was among the group that came up with the decisions and bombed 67 cities in Japan during which large numbers of civilians were killed. For instance, in the city of Tokyo alone, more than one hundred thousand civilians died after the bombing

Current legal event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current legal event - Essay Example When the order made concerns the businesses, it either leads to a negative impact or a positive impact to the businesses. Such orders have occurred in the United States of America in the year 2012 and the beginning of the year 2013. For instance the president Barack Obama gave an executive order on 12/2/2013 on the legal interpretation to the companies that manage internet activities (Klein, 2012,23). He ordered that the companies should have an insurance coverage that currently exists so that they may be secured from other risks that would affect their operation. This insurance cover, the cyber liability policy, would protect these companies from losses that may result from either the third party or the second party since it would permit them the access to identify the information of customers that transmit computer viruses to the other business partners (Klein, 2012, 31). Therefore due to this order, companies that would be found without such an insurance cover would face governmen t fines or charges. They would in addition respond to the costs used by the government to carry the investigation especially when any breach of conduct is discovered. Some companies accepted this order while others claimed that the penalties were too high and this would not make them reach a wider market. Another ruling came from the Supreme Court on 28/6/2012 that ordered an expansion of Medicaid with governors and the implementation of health insurance exchange. The ruling was to instruct all the individuals that that were under the department of health and human service to design the benefit package for the covered individuals. The expansion policy was also meant for all the states. In addition the governors had requested the federal government to give states flexibility to expand Medicaid. The penalty for not securing health insurance cover was also enforced, to regulate commerce among the state. This order was dismissed by some companies which claimed that it compelled citizens to be participants in the commercial market that would shift them from healthcare market. Therefore the healthcare market would go down as A result. However the provision also prevented the insurance company from refusing persons with the preexisting conditions and to charge their based on the persons medical back ground. Therefore it forced the insurance companies under the health care to reduce their premium rates (Klein, 2012, 27). The court also produced an act, validity of mandatory arbitration clause, on27/2/2013 that provided a legal shield to the corporations who steal from their customers. It forced consumers to give up their constitutional rights of bringing disputes against defendants as class actions, to give immunity to corporation which steal small amount of money across many individual customers. These made the customers to lose hope with such corporations due to lack of trust hence the corporations loosed their customers. Question 2 The legal events will have a sign ificant impact on the businesses because their rights are being protected and catered for. When the federal government gives an order that favors businesses, they get encouraged to involve more on the business activities. For instance the order that was given to the companies that manage internet facilities, which required them to take an insurance cover

CCOT Analysis Essay Example for Free

CCOT Analysis Essay The Indian Ocean was a significant division of water that was bounded primarily by the Indian Subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, and eastern Africa. Many changes occurred over time in the area, especially from 500 BCE and 1400 CE. The interaction of Buddhism and Confucianism altered, increased wealth came to new towns and ports, and population increased due to advancements in technology. Though there were many changes, many things stayed constant in the region. The Indian Ocean region continued to keep many economic/religious factors the same, such that Islamic world continued to spread and exotic goods remained as the basis of trade. Buddhism and Confucianism were the main religious views in the Indian Ocean region. They both flourished initially keeping a stable ratio, but Buddhism began to diminish during the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty based their civil service exams on Confucianism, which as a result led to more focus on Confucianism and later to the downfall of Buddhism. Interactions between developing trade routes led to city popularity, wealth and success. Such cities include, Cairo, Quilon, and Melaka, which became major factors in Afro-Eurasian trade. Technology in the region also led to many different changes in the Indian Ocean region. The three-field crop rotation rapidly changed the rise of cities. Since they were now able to grow dissimilar crops in the same area, more food and trade products came about. As urbanization increased, simultaneously, rural areas increased system also played a big role. As cities grew, they began to prosper. Agriculture boomed and therefore more opportunities for merchants were available as trade was excellent in the area. Many significant transitions and alterations occurred in the Indian Ocean region, which encouraged, primarily, economics, religion, and city success. Coming from the changes that occurred, many things also did remain the same in the Indian Ocean region. Islam continued to spread throughout the division. Trade relations have existed between Arabia and the Indian subcontinent, which linked the Indian Subcontinent to the Islamic world. On top of Islam’s prosperous spreading, Indian trade was still and is still based on exotic goods. A good example of this could be how gold, slaves, silk, and spices were traded at around 150 CE, as well as 700-1000 CE. These constants were significant for the foundation of the regions trade, and the rise of a new religion. The Indian Ocean region had many changes and continuities that all occurred over time. Some changes were made including the rise of cities and trade, and the fall of Buddhism. The continuities include the constant spread of the Islamic world, and the same basis of trade; exotic goods. These factors all shaped the region building a stronger base of advancement demographically, culturally, and economically.

International Relations Major In Diplomacy Politics Essay

International Relations Major In Diplomacy Politics Essay The Ph.D. in International Relations allows students to specialize in a specific domain of knowledge while gaining the recognition that is instrumental to pursue advanced careers in academics, think tanks, international organizations, or government research. A unique aspect of the Ph.D. program  is the very close guidance provided to students  throughout the dissertation process. The program takes full advantage of its location  and it offers access to countless libraries, archives and special collections, and provides an excellent venue for  conducting  interviews with diplomats and members of  government institutions,  inter-governmental organizations and NGOs. Curriculum International Relations Ph.D. candidates must successfully complete: Seven required courses Three  elective courses, including one area courses The international relations curriculum has a multi-disciplinary scope. Required courses cover the disciplines of international relations, political science, economics, international law, international organizations and diplomacy. The choice of electives is made in accordance with the domain in which the candidate wishes to pursue his or her research. Ph.D. candidates may take internships as part of their curriculum in order to develop a network of useful contacts and in order to combine hands-on experience with the scholarly work involved in the Ph.D. program. PhD International Relations Major in Diplomacy Required Courses Core Units Factors and Theories of Analysis in International Relations and Diplomacy Research Methodology and Design Foreign Policy Formulation and Diplomacy International Public Law Current Economic Problems and Policies International Organizations Current Issues in International Relations Elective Courses of Diplomacy Beginnings of the Contemporary Political Order Comparative Politics Anthropology and Politics Post-Modernity and International Relations and Diplomacy Issues in U.S. Foreign Policy COURSE DESCRIPTION CORE UNITS Factors and Theories of Analysis in International Relations and Diplomacy In an international political environment that is swarming with a plethora of events that we read in the day to day news, how can we make sense of it all in a systematic and informed manner, in a way that is theoretical, practical and in a manner that goes beyond the political talk? How can we find trends, patterns and generalizations for events occurring today, with those that occurred in the past and those that we are likely to see in the future? This course emphasizes the role of theory in the study of issues of international relations. Exploring a range of theoretical underpinnings to deepen our understanding of international relations, this course in theories and factors of IR and diplomacy helps us to achieve a greater understanding of the world and the diversity of its cultures with the use of theory. Knowledge of theories of international politics prepares students for understanding the world in a systematic manner, a world made smaller by the steady increase of international contact in society, politics, and business and allows students to acquire knowledge and tools that enable them to analyze and understand the complex world in which we live. Research Methodology and Design This is an introductory course in research methods and design for students of political science, international relations. Students do not need any previous knowledge of social science methodology, but they should already have some substantive political knowledge, and an interest in conducting original research. The aim of this course is to teach students how to gather quantitative and qualitative evidence through the use of established social science research methods and how to analyze that data logically. Starting with a brief introduction to the elementary principles of the scientific method, you will learn how to generate original quantitative data through doing an actual scientific public opinion poll with a probabilistic simple random sample. Then you will be trained in some widely used qualitative data-gathering techniques, including research using published and archival documentation, as well as field research techniques of observation and interview. This phase will include a mandatory field trip to the national library. Once the data-gathering phase is complete, you will learn the basic tools of data analysis: i.e. establishing relationships, testing hypotheses, and developing valid theoretical explanations. Foreign Policy Formulation and Diplomacy To understand Foreign Policy Formulation this Practitioners seminar takes you inside the black box of statecraft in order to study the goals, beliefs, and perceptions of decision-makers. Contemporary diplomacy as a norm-based activity and mindset provides an array of tools for preventive, persuasive and coercive crisis management for enduring stability and globalized security. These operational procedures of thinking and acting diplomatically including pre-crisis diplomatic communication enable us to deal with global and regional disruptive shock events. In the practice of International Relations there is interdependency between diplomacy as the procedural tool-box for the application and execution of policy decisions and International Law as the behavioral guidelines for international policy-making. International Law serves as the language for diplomacy to justify policy decisions. Course objectives: To develop an understanding of the techniques and tactics of diplomacy and international law To become familiar with the role of foreign ministries and embassies To identify the present trends of modern diplomacy, with emphasis on the role of the United Nations To equip students for careers in international affairs International Public Law The knowledge of basic legal concepts is essential for anyone working in or studying the field of international relations and diplomacy. The student will learn about the creation of International Public Law through treaties, customs and general principles. Particular importance will be given to the formation of these sources, showing how treaties are negotiated and illustrating some of the problems that written agreements can present, as well as the questions of equity and the impact and significance of unilateral acts on IPL. States will be studied on many levels, including defining the term state, identifying its attributes and determining how its responsibility can be engaged. Other actors such as international organizations will also be considered, and individuals as subjects and not only objects of IPL. Finally, methods of resolving international conflict will be analyzed from simple informal negotiations to the use of the international court system. The possibility, legality an d desirability of non-peaceful methods will also be discussed. Current Economic Problems and Policies The aim of this course is to equip future policy makers with the basic analytical tools of macroeconomics, and prepare them to assess some of the economic issues they will encounter in this area. Hence, building on the knowledge already acquired by the students, this course will focus on open-economy macroeconomics, with special emphasis on the recent business cycle, current global imbalances, and the exchange rate of the dollar. International Organizations International organizations have joined the list of the most important actors in global affairs. The course distinguishes two types of international organizations: intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and seeks to understand their past and present function in contemporary societies and international relations, focusing on IGOs and the UN in particular. The course also seeks to analyze information to examine plausible scenarios of the future role of IGOs and NGOs. Lectures address issues such as: the importance of IGOs and NGOs as actors in international relations; the administrative and financial structures of IGOs and NGOs; their political and social ramifications; their communication strategies and the role of public opinion in their creation, maintenance and growth; whether IGOs such as the League of Nations or the United Nations have been efficient in accomplishing the goals for which they were founded; what can an IGO or an NGO specific ally accomplish in international relations to advance peace, prosperity and to improve the livelihoods of populations; should IGOs and NGOs have so much power and since few of their administrations are elected democratically, is it in the interests of the state and of the public to limit their power. Current Issues in International Relations The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the diversity of contemporary issues in international relations, with a particular focus on the relationship between regional and global issues. The course will provide an overview of the dynamics of the international system, looking at the major features of the current world order. Underlying processes will be described, with an emphasis on three vital areas: the changing relationship between national governments and their peoples; global capitalism and global markets; and the conduct of global international relationships. The course will also consider a number of contemporary regional case-studies in order to obtain a more precise vision of the political situation of these areas. This will allow students to have a comprehensive overview of the international situation, with a particular focus on the changes which have taken place over the past twenty years. ELECTIVE UNITS FOR MAJOR IN DIPLOMACY Beginnings of the Contemporary Political Order The course is designed to provide necessary understanding of modern political institutions and the ideas that govern them, such as modern conceptions of democracy, human rights, the free market economy, rule of law and universal suffrage. Topical considerations will be explored in light of current events on the international scene. Post-Modernity and International Relations and Diplomacy This seminar is designed to familiarize students with periodization in political history, and particularly with the ideas and concepts related to the notion of post-modernity. The bulk of the seminar is an interdisciplinary exploration of economic, human, cultural and political dimensions of post-modernity. This interdisciplinary approach is necessitated by the simple fact that post-modernity is a multi-faceted phenomenon that defies a neat, clear-cut definition. The seminar will center on various socio-political and economic developments in the world since the fall of communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Particular attention will be paid to the concept of post-modernism developed by authors such as Kojev, Fukuyama, Baudrillard, Lyotard and the theorys relation to knowledge, politics and communication. Issues in U.S. Foreign Policy This course offers the student the opportunity to examine the concepts and theories used by scholars to make sense of past events, interpret and analyse contemporary issues and predict future developments in American foreign policy. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the tools to understand both the how and the why of U.S. foreign policy decision-making. The course covers: the principles and concepts of US foreign policy; sources of American foreign policy; the process, politics and structure of US foreign policy making; past and present foreign policies and possible directions for the future; and competing interpretations of American foreign policy. The making of US foreign policy is a complex process, and the decisions made have tangible and intangible consequences on the lives of Americans and people all over the world. Among other related topics, this course discusses the history, context, politics, structures (Presidency, Congress, Legislative, Executive, Jud iciary, Military, Intelligence, Media, Public Opinion, and Society) and processes that lead to the formulation and implementation of United States foreign policy.

Essay on Women in the Plays of William Shakespeare -- Biography Biogra

Women in the Plays of Shakespeare      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By paying close attention to the woman's part in Shakespeare's plays, we can see his works with a new perspective. But we must remember that we are examining a male dramatist of extraordinary range writing in a remote period when women's position was in obvious ways more restricted and less disputed than in our own period. Sandra Gilbert writes in The Madwoman in the Attic that literature is defined as a mirror held up to society and nature, "the mimetic aesthetic that begins with Aristotle and descends through Shakespeare implies that the poet, like a lesser God, has made or engendered an alternative, mirror-universe in which he actually seems to enclose or trap shadows of reality" (Madwoman 5). While some artists do not necessarily duplicate in their art the "realities" of their culture, they may exploit them to create character or intensify conflict, or struggle with, criticize, or transcend them. Shakespeare, it would seem, "encompasses more and preaches less tha n most authors, hence the centuries-old controversy over his religious affiliation, political views, and sexual preferences" (Lenz 4). His attitude toward women are equally complex and demand as much examination.       As we begin to study the female characters, we must overlook the male superiority that patriarchal misogyny implies in the literature of his era, as evidenced in many studies. In "Shakespeare: on Love and Lust", Charney explains the stance taken by critics such as Janet Adelman in "Suffocating Mothers: Fantasies of Maternal Origin in Shakespeare's Plays, Hamlet to The Tempest", and Kahn's "Man's Estate: Masculine Identity in Shakespeare". He claims that these two authors, as many others do, view Sh... ... mother, wife, nor England's queen" The Roles of Women in Richard III". The Woman's Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed. Carolyn Ruth Swift Lenz, Galye Greene, and Carol Thomas Neely. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1980. Park, Clara Claiborne. "As We Like It: How a Girl Can Be Smart and Still Popular." The Woman's Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed. Carolyn Ruth Swift Lenz, Gayle Greene, and Carol Thomas Neely. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1980. Schoenbaum, S. "The Life of Shakespeare." The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies. Ed Stanley Wells. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Sandra Gilbert. New York: Norton and Company, 1996. www.adfl.org/ade/bulletin/N087/0087015.htm            

Women changing From Hellenistic to Late Antiquity Essay -- essays rese

The world is constantly changing and evolving. In every society across the world, men and women have specific roles that they each carry out. During ancient times, in most western cultures, women were inferior to men. Women’s status seemed to change in a pattern that repeated it self from one time period to another. Gradually, the status of women did change from political standpoints of the societies. From political power to having the right last name, women have transformed and became a huge part of Western Civilization. During times of Hellenic Greece, women were considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual development. In most Hellenic societies, for example, domestic chores were delegated to women, leaving heavier labors, such as war and hunting, to men. Women also have generally had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. From the text from Kilshansky, The Spartan Constitution, Lycurgus believed that motherhood is the most important function of freeborn woman. Lycurgus then insisted on physical training of the females along with the males. Lycurgus also believed that to have future success is to have a strong youth. The Hellenic times were like this for the sole reason that few elite men ruled. With these men in control, it was made possible that no woman could ever have a say in the government of Sparta or the democracy of Athens. When the Hellenistic Kingdoms started to spur, new opportunities for women appeared. Levack stated that, â€Å"Greek women in Egypt, as well as many other Hellenized land, enjoyed full citizenship and held religious offices.† This simply shows that the women of the middle class had new privileges, but what about the women... ...though the wives or daughters of wealthy and powerful families could work with other women of society. For example Melania the Younger, the daughter of a wealthy roman senatorial family, decided to dispose her property. The senate, who, I might add, was all male, objected to the breaking up of Melanie’s family estates. Melania then appealed to the empress, a female leader, and the senate was overruled, allowing Melania to break up her estates. This is just one example of how political power can change the status of women dramatically. Based on these facts on how women gradually promoted themselves into freedom, some factors clearly changed the way people viewed women in their societies. From having political power in the family to being persuasive in other areas of life, women came from being a housewife to a possible empress during the civilization of the west.

Reversing The Aging Process, Should We? Essay -- essays research paper

Reversing The Aging Process, Should We? In the length of time measured as human lifetime one can expect to see a full range of differing events. It is assumed that during a lifetime a person will experience every possible different emotion. If one is particularly lucky, he will bear witness to, or affect some momentous change in humanity. However is it reasonable to ask what would be experienced by someone who lived two lifetimes? Up until recently the previous question would and could only be rhetorical. There is no answer, because no one has ever lived that long. Of course that was up until now. At McGill University, nematodes (tiny organisms) have experienced five lifetimes (Kluger). Through complex scientific experiments nematodes and fruit flies have had their lifespans increased not by fractions of life times, but by multiples of lifetimes (Kruger). Mankind is using the discovery of DNA as an opportunity to play G-d by changing the aging process. Man has a natural tendency to play the role of G-d. Man has a an inherent need to affect others, be it through the vises of war, power, manipulation or politics. However man’s natural tendency to play G-d has reached it’s final manifestation. By attempting to slow down the aging process man is using himself as the ultimate canvas, to play the role of the omnipotent. Research into the process of aging began in 1961(Rose, Technology Review:64). Since then a great deal of time, money and effort have been appropriated into discovering the causes of aging, it can therefore be inferred that humanity has an almost "personal" interest in aging. Of course the culmination of discovering how we age, is discovering how to stop it. An intrinsic characteristic of Man is His obsession with superficiality. Superficiality is equated with appearance. The appearance of beauty can be equated with youth. Therein lies man’s obsession with age, ceasing to age means being eternally beautiful. As usual man’s actions are dominated by ego and self-preservation. Within the confines of youth there lies a certain fountain of power. Power which cannot be accessed once one ages. Things like physical and sexual prowess. The time of youth is often refereed to as the "prime of your life". It is therefore not difficult to understand and conceive of man’s motivation to stay young and to wish that the immediate people surr... ...m control ling microscopic chemical reactions. Man is referred to as G-d’s ultimate creation, the universe his canvas. But what happens when humans steal the canvas and decide to redecorate, would you want to recolor your Picasso? Is there any justification for living that long, does there need to be? These are not easy questions, and there not intended to be, but should scientists prove successful in their endeavors, all of these questions will have to be resolved. How can certain establishments which frown on cosmetic plastic surgery frown on the reorganization of protein strands? There is no doubt that the people in charge of those organizations would take advantage of these technologies (Rose, Melatonin,: 6). How are the two things different? There are no possible answers to these questions for now they must remain rhetorical. It is increasingly obvious that the repercussions of these technologies stretch across the board. As always the horizon of the future stretches before us, only revealing a glimpse of that which is to come. The resounding questions that will soon confront us can only be concluded with the passage of time, something apparently humanity will have a lot of.

Picnic Spot Marketing Essay

Introduction The village of Maizbhandar is very old. Its roots can be traced as far back as the year 1425 with the earliest settlers in the village being migrants coming over from Saudia Arabia. It is a part of the Nanupur Union council that is located in Fatikchori, Chittagong. It takes approximately around two hours on clear roads to reach Maizbhandar from Chittagong city. The road leading to Maizbhandar offers a tranquil and beautiful environment filled with lush greenery that can be a welcome relief at times in contrast to the rough and exhausting city life. One landmark that is bound to grab attention is the Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif that comes into once you enter Fatikchori, something that attracts many unique visitors from all over the country. It is dedicated to the late Ziaul Haque Maizbhandari upon whose memory the village Maizbhandar gets its name. The lives of villagers have prospered well over the years. It is at times difficult to comprehend the change that has occurred in their lives, especially when one looks upon the situation of the same family during post  1971. There also many villagers who have gone on to work in the Middle East thus sending in valuable remittances back to the village that has been in instrumental in improving the lives of the villagers. In fact, it can be said that there is average of 1 person from every family who is working abroad. There are also some entrepreneurs operating in the village manufacturing food products like chanachur, biscuit, etc. Most of the villagers are expectedly farmers whose major crops include rice and chilli. Some of the locals have also set up carpentry shops to boost their livelihood. For shopping, there is the Nanupur Bajar nearby where all types of food and basic necessities are available. It takes around 10-15 minutes on foot to get to the Bazar. There are 5 banks within village and its surrounding areas where villagers can make deposits or take loans. The income disparity is pretty low although there are one or two families who fall in the extreme poverty line although there is always donations coming in to help support these families. The Darbar Sharif of Maizbhandar has also played a pivotal role in the village’s development. As stated earlier, it attracts visitors all over the countries which in turn has helped boosted the  local shops. In fact, some say traffic to the Darbar Sharif was a prime mover behind the development of roads around these parts.  However, despite all the positive changes, there is always the problem of floods that remains a constant thorn in the lives of the villagers. This is a problem that is increasing in frequency due to illegal construction work that is going around the village which is in turn changing the village landscape for the worse. The situation will continue to escalate if the authorities do not take preventive measures. Business Idea Chittagong is getting industrialized at a very high rate these days. There are a lot of offices, restaurants, schools, etc. opening around making city life pretty hectic these days. As such, the situation can be said to be pretty similar to that of Dhaka. As industrialization has moved in, so has moved in the demand for quality family outings or office picnics at beautiful locales in or around the city. However besides the Patenga beach, Chittagong does not offer much. As result, it would be great for the dwellers of Chittagong if picnic spots were to open up around the city. At a distance of 2 hours away from the city, Maizbhandar would provide an ideal picnic spot with its idyllic village surroundings. Companies looking out for HR outings may put this up to good us to boost up the morale of their employees through these picnics. It would prove to be an ideal substitute against the dearth of beaches and sea side resorts that Chittagong seems to offer. SWOT Analysis Strength: I already have a village home that can act as the resort or housing facility. The infrastructure is more or less established giving the picnic spot a good base to start off from. Weaknesses: A nature resort has not been tried out in Chittagong before so the inexperience in this filed may come to bite back later. Opportunities: This would be the first village oriented picnic spot in Bangladesh. As a result, the hype surrounding the undertaking would be enough to lure in potential customers here. Threats: There already some established holiday/picnic spots around Chittagong and they may prove to be a bummer when the project will finally take off. Finance Plan The following table shows the capital investment needed to kick off this venture. Land Development Infrastructure Swimming Pool Complex Water Supply (tubewell) Backup Generator Dà ©cor Utilities The staff costs are estimated to be at around 40,000 taka. The charging rate for picnics would be around 2000 taka per person or 50,000 taka if people were to take a corporate package involving a lot of people and food per person would be priced at 500 taka. Conclusion This a plan that has a lot of potential. Maizbhandar is a prime spot for such a project since its only two hours away from the main city. As such, building in such a plan would lead to great success for the investors.

Linguistics and Language Essay

In this essay, I will explain as well as compare two theories of first language acquisition, behaviorism and innatism. I will explore the differences between them in such categories as the role of the learner, the role of the environment and as well as their strengths and weaknesses. I will then state and explain which one I find more tenable with examples of relevant literature. Role of the Learner Behaviorism, credited to B. F. Skinner in the 1950s, states that the learner knows nothing to start with, he is an empty slate [o1] to be taught. The learner is passive and learns by positive-negative reinforcement, only repeating what he hears. Innatism, credited to Noam Chomsky in 1965, states that the learner is wired from birth for language. The learner is equipped with a LAD, a language acquisition device. This device allows the learner to discover the rules of his language, any language. Role of the Environment Behaviorism states that the role of the environment is key and vital to the learning process. The environment is the active agent while the learner is the passive agent. The environment produces the necessary language input for the learner. It is up to the environment to give positive and negative reinforcement for the learner. Innatism states that the role of the environment is minimal because it only acts as the trigger for learning. It is also thought the environment is flawed and can’t be relied upon to always give perfect information. Therefore, it is up to the learner to find the rules of the language[o2] . Strengths There are a few strengths to support the behaviorism theory. It is easy to monitor the learners’ performance. This is how parents (as teachers) usually teach their children, through nurturing which puts emphasis on the role of the environment. This theory can also explain why learners have the ability to memorize. On the other hand, there are several strengths of the innatism theory. A learner cannot memorize all the possible different language and grammar combinations that he learns through the environment. The LAD helps the learner to generalize rules and make his own creative use of the language. A child will resist using an irregular form because of over-generalizing, and he will create his own form of a word according to the rules that he has internalized. And these rules don’t necessarily conform to adult grammar rules which include many exceptions. By applying these internalized and generalized rules, a child is able to acquire a language at a fast pace. [o3] Weaknesses The Behaviorism theory only accounts for the performance of the learner, and not on his competence. The learner is passive, so this theory does not focus on the learner’s mind and knowledge. It also does not explain why children acquire a language so quickly even if they are exposed to different environments. In addition, this theory also doesn’t offer an explanation of why children over-generalize rules such as the simple past tense of irregular verbs even though they hear irregular forms in the environment. There are also several weaknesses to the Innatism theory. One of the first weaknesses is that it demands the existence of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), its existence is difficult to prove and is immeasurable. This theory also doesn’t take into account different kinds of learners, just ideal learners with ideal grammar. The environment plays a minor role in this theory, so it doesn’t take into account the social aspect of the learner. My Opinion Looking at the two of these theories, I find the Innatism theory the most tenable. In my own experience with my children and students, the learners do not always model my behavior. This usually occurs with irregular patterns, particularly past tense verbs. This is similar to the â€Å"wug† test where a child will form a past tense of a verb that he has never heard before by applying the general grammar rules that he has learned. This behavior cannot be memorized and must be driven by an internal structure. Another reason to support this theory is that learners with impaired intelligence have been able to learn the structure of language. It has also been proven that American Sign Language which is taught to the deaf also has its own language structure. In addition, the creation of Creole languages supports the theory. As a Creole develops, grammar and structure are built in. The LAD would account for the formation of these languages as well as for creative uses of language by a learner. Conclusion In this essay I have explained two theories of language acquisition, behaviorism and innatism. In doing so, I have explained the different roles of the learner as well as the environment. I have also explored strengths and weaknesses of each theory and why I support the innatism theory over the behaviorism theory[o4] . [o1]Good one, I forgot this in my essay [o2]Do you think you should mention poverty of stimulus here? [o3]ording? Universal grammar is built off of two propositions, that all languages are governed by a set of universal principles, and that the mind is equipped with parameters which are set intuitively by the child according to the language input they receive. UG researchers have found a number of universal principles. One of the more prominent principles is structure dependency. Structure dependency states that all sentences regardless of the language are built off of propositions that carry both a noun and a verb phrase; in other words, every sentence in every language must have at least a subject and a verb (Chomsky, 1959). One parameter setting that is contained in the LAD is the head setting. Some languages such as English are head first, other languages such as Japanese are head last. Various arguments have been used to support the existence of universal grammar. Chomsky (1959) has proposed the poverty of the stimulus argument, positing that the input children receive cannot account for what they produce, and therefore, children must have an innate facility. He argues that the input is marred in two ways; first it contains a hodgepodge of performance slips, and secondly, it does not contain any negative evidence. How do children acquire language when they don’t know what they can’t say, or how do they learn to speak correctly when the input they here is at times in correct? They do so, according to Chomsky, through this innate capacity. Jackendoff (1994) offers another argument in support of universal grammar, the argument from expressive variety. Jackendoff argues that given that languages are recursive, there is simply no way of storing all of the possible sentences one can create in one’s mind. In other words, sentences don’t come from habits, but rather from creative expression. Universal grammar has had a lot of capital in language acquisition theory, although it has been critiqued on some fronts. Connectionists, particularly, N. Ellis (2006) has argued that language acquisition is not due to an innate faculty and the creative expression of humans, but equates it to a usage-based approach where children learning piecemeal frequently reoccurring chunks of language. Another argument against the innate language faculty is that UG researchers have claimed that only humans have access to syntax, yet this has been found not to be true. Certain animals, such as the humpback whale and songbirds have been found to possess a recursive syntax, suggesting that syntax and language may have evolved from lower order primates. Whereas universal grammar begins with language from the inside, Sociocultural theory, another prominent first language acquisition, posits language acquisition begins from the outside. Vygotsky, the founder of sociocultural theory, argues that language is a psychological tool, which children acquire and learn to manipulate as they interact with their environment and with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978). Children first learn language as they interact with their parents. Parents use caretaker speech, which makes it easier for the child to understand and grasp a hold on the concepts of the language. As the child begins to understand and produce simple utterances, they are able to use the language to mediate their psychological functioning (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky argues that children begin learning language by first learning single words, which are pure meaning. As they develop their language skills, and engage in social speech, single word sentences are augmented through incorporation of non-meaningful elements, such as function  words, and the child’s thoughts and words begin to develop more sense meanings. For instance, where the word ‘cat’ for the 1 or two year old child could have served as an exemplar for all cats, by the time the child is nine, and having undergone a variety of experiences related to cat, they have imbibed the word with their own unique s enses. Thus syntax and word senses expand, the more a child learns. Now, whereas social speech began from one and developed into many, inner speech, the speech that goes on inside of our heads becomes more and more truncated. Vygotsky argues, contrary to Piaget, that egocentric speech does not ‘disappear’ rather it becomes internalized as inner speech. And this inner speech is something that could not be understood by anybody but the person who is thinking it. Vygotsky suggests that just as people who have known each other for many years, and who have had a large amount of experiences together exhibit language tendencies of shortened syntax because of their historical shared experience, a person’s inner speech also exhibits this characteristic, but even more so; the stuff of thought is nothing but psychological predicates (Vygotsky, 1978). One of the primary ways humans learn anything, according to Vygotsky, is through the zone of proximal development. This concept explains that what a person can do today with assistance, they can do tomorrow by themselves (Vygotsky, 1978). Applied to first language acquisition, the child may receive help from an expert, such as their parents, who point at objects and say their name, for example, cat. After seeing this, the child may repeat ‘cat’ immediately after. The next day, as the child sees the cat, it says the word ‘cat’ without needing to be told by their parents. Chomsky maintains that languages consist of an infinite number of sentences and cannot be learned through habit formation. Language is too complex to be learned in such a short amount of time (Chomsky, 1959). He believes that every human is born with an innate language learning capacity, which is embedded in the language acquisition device (LAD). Chomsky believes that all language share grammatical structures. This is called universal grammar (UG). Proof of UG includes poverty of stimulus, which explains how children acquire the language despite their limited exposure and incorrect input they may receive. Another evidence for UG that languages are recursive, (Jackendoff, 1994). It is impossible to know all the possible combinations; however, they are learned by children. According to UG, there must be some sort of innate capacity that provides the additional information. The fact that children are resistant to correction once again proves that language is developed through an innate capacity. According to Chomsky (1959), all languages share principles, which are invariable across languages. For example, noun phrases and verb phrases. This is called structure dependency. All languages have verbs and nouns. What distinguishes languages from each other according to Chomsky, are parameters, which are language specific. For example, some languages are head first, and some are head last. In relation to UG, Eric Lenneberg (1967) introduced the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), which is a window of language learning opportunity before puberty. Proponents of CPH believe after this period, language learning becomes a much more difficult task and adults tend to rely on other mechanisms such as problem solving skills, reasoning, and deductive instruction to learn a language. Evidence of the CP is for example abused children, who despite being removed from the environment where they were deprived of social contact, were not able to learn the language. There have been many criticisms to Chomsky’s UG, for example, the LAD cannot be located and is immeasurable. Also, Chomsky’s theories overlook the effects of social contact and the environment on language learning. Social interactionist Vygotsky (1978) was a strong proponent of the social interaction hypothesis. He believed that learning takes place through social interaction, and give and take of information with caregivers, parents, or peers. According to Vygotsky, children begin with external speech, which could consist of one word only, but have the meaning of a whole sentence. Gradually, as the child grows older, he develops more complex and longer sentences and associates more meaning with his words. A child also engages in private speech (similar to adults), which is usually meant for problem solving or thinking out loud, but is not meant for sharing although articulated. Vygotsky believes that as the child develops more linguistic skills, this private speech becomes internalized and turns into inner speech, which is pure meaning, and does not consist of subjects; it is predicated. In direct opposition to the environment being the active participant in language learning, Chomsky flips behaviorism on its head and presents the learner as having a primary role while environment becomes secondary. Within the Universal Grammar Theory (UG), Noam Chomsky (1959) presents a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that is responsible for the language learning process. Purely biological, language is filtered through the innate LAD that is structured with principles that are unchanging and parameters that vary according to the language being learned. Proofs to support this theory are many. Syntax and the head-first/head-last parameter are two such proofs. As a child learns language, they hold to one of only two possibilities in any given language – head-first and head-last – and language is formed through recursion and syntactic movement that follow a pattern within a particular language. This shows that language is rule-governed and that the LAD is programmed with language foundations from which a child can develop. That children are resistant to correction follows this same thought as they develop language through the LAD. Language is not linked to intelligence as we see in brain damaged adults who are completely coherent in language skills and others who are cognitively normal but cannot speak correctly. Stroke victims also show that, depending on the area of the brain that is affected, intelligence and speech are not linked. Broca’s and Wernicke’s Aphasias show that certain areas of the brain affec t speech while intelligence remains unaffected. As evidenced by the Gopnik family, genetic impairments have also proven that a glitch in the UG can be passed down from one generation to another, thus proving that the LAD is indeed biological (Jackendoff, 113). Eric Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis (1967) and the cases of â€Å"wild children† are yet further evidence. Lenneberg holds that the LAD becomes dormant or ineffective after a certain age – around the age of 12 – and this is why children acquire language so much more quickly than adults who are attempting the same. Through these studies of particular children who did not learn language and who were void of contact with language as a whole, it shows that the younger the child, the more fully they were able to learn language. Once a child was passed the age of 12 or so, they were unable to acquire proper language skills. The younger children were not only able to learn more adequately but then went on to continue in the language learning process as a normal adult would. As many proofs as there are for Chomsky’s UG and the LAD, criticisms are plentiful as well. First and foremost, where is the evidence that a device like LAD exists? It certainly has not been located in the brain, therefore, it remains immeasurable and some have serious doubt as to its legitimacy. This theory also limits the role of the environment and gives no account for the social context of the language learning process. It idealizes the speaker and the grammar itself to a certain degree and packages the entire process a bit too neatly. Cognitive Development Theory Jean Piaget’s (1955) work in cognitive development is foundational on many levels. Watching his own children, nature, and certain study groups of young children, Piaget introduces a theory that is completely developmental. As a child is ready and developed (both biologically and cognitively), they are able to assimilate, accommodate and adapt new experiences. Underlying in this theory is reasoning and logic. The role of the environment is minimal and the learner is vital but only as they are cognitively developed and ready for new experiences. A child will not learn what they are not cognitively developed to receive at that point no matter what the instruction. Piaget holds to the notion of children developing schema. As a new experience is received and they are biologically and cognitively ready to receive it, they will develop new schema to fit into the framework of schema that they already have developed. This theory also relies heavily on egocentric and socialized speech with each one serving a different function. Egocentric speech is what is used (mainly by children) when words and thoughts are spoken out loud but the one speaking is only dealing with their own thoughts and ideas. Socialized speech is a shift away from egocentric speech where one simply derives pleasure from speaking to being a way of exchanging their ideas or opinions. Although Piaget’s work and theory is critical, it neither accounts for the child’s behavior as a whole nor for the cognitive development after the stage of ‘formal operation’ is reached. It offers vast insight into the developmental process of a child but little instruction on attaining language skills. It was also based solely on a Western model and is therefore quite limiting. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Input & Output Hypotheses As a result of older models of language teaching where attention was given to language grammar, Krashen (1981) places his focus on communication input. He contends that if the learner is given a chance to absorb the language, they will be better equipped to acquire it. Rather than forcing output immediately, Krashen holds to a silent period where learners have the privilege of just listening to language before attempting it†¦much like a young child would in learning their mother tongue. Comprehensible input (i + 1) is the formula that Krashen holds to for optimal language learning for second language learners (SLLs). This states that if a SLL is offered input that is only slightly beyond what they already know, acquisition will take place. He also makes a differentiation between language learning and language acquisition, claiming that acquisition is what is needed for the language learning process. Criticisms of Krashen’s hypothesis are that input alone cannot account for acquisition and that some grammatical forms cannot be learned without being taught. Swain (1985) introduces her Output Hypothesis in contrast to Krashen and claims that no matter the input, if the output is unintelligible, acquisition has not truly occurred. It is the output that forces learners to grapple with the grammatical processing and figure out what works. Through output, a learner can realize their problem areas, can experiment with new areas they are unsure of, and gives them the chance to analyze problems they are having in their language learning process.

Aging Workforce in Singapore Essay

Populations in many developed countries are ageing, and Singapore is no exception. The first batch of post-war baby boomers will reach 65 years of age by 2012. The number of seniors will increase from 8.4% in 2005 to 18.7% in 2030 (refer to Table 1). According to the 2010 Population Report,  The proportion of residents (i.e. citizens and PRs) aged 65 and above increased from 7.0% of the resident population in 1999 to 8.8% in 2009. Correspondingly, the number of younger residents aged 15-64 for every resident aged 65 and above (i.e. the old-age support ratio) fell from 10.1 in 1999 to 8.3 in 2009 (refer to Table 2). (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2010, p. 4) Today, one out of every 12 Singaporeans is aged 65 or above. By 2030, this ratio will become one out of five. On January 2011, the parliament has passed down the new employment law of changing to retirement age from 62 to the age of 65 from January 2012. This is a good news to many Singaporeans who felt that they are still capable of working beyond the retirement age of 62 (Nayak, 2011, para. 3). An ageing population brings both challenges and opportunities, having tremendous effect on all parts of our society – individuals, families, communities, businesses and government. Therefore, we ought to prepare early for the challenges of an ageing population to ensure the well-being of our seniors and their families to provide the first line of support. At the same time, we must be ready to seize the economic opportunities that will emerge from the demographic shift. Aging Workforce in the Hotel Industry With relevance to the major demographic trends, aging population, this revolution will change the face of our labour market. Correspondingly, the workforce is not only ageing, but also growing at a much slower pace. Increasingly, companies are facing problems in recruiting replacements for retiring employees. This is a reality that companies have to grapple with and adapt to. Nevertheless, not all companies are being affected equally nor are they moving at the same rate to identify and address how the ageing trend will be impacting their businesses. Impacts In the hospitality industry, service is the factor that differentiates hotels from its competitors. Therefore with a large amount of aging workforce in the frontline, it will bring down the image of the hotel in terms of appearance; a younger worker would look fresher and have a better appeal to guests. As a guest of a hotel overseas, he or she would be preferred to be served by younger workers than people of an old age. As older employees are naturally more prone to illnesses, they would tend to take more medical leaves thus decreasing the manpower. When one gets sick, it affects the employees’ mood to work and thus less concentration when working. This in turn reduces the efficiency of the operations of hotels. In addition, the needs and interest changes with aging workforce. According to the study by Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) (2010), â€Å"rising health and insurance costs, concern about physical abilities, and adaptability/willingness were ranked as the top three challenges† (p. 3). With the ever changing preferences and needs of the society, hotels have to constantly upgrade their standard of services. However, older employees may not be equipped with latest skills and knowledge needed to achieve the hotel’s competitive advantage. Thus, there is a need to constantly upgrade the skills of their older employees. Older employees are more resistant to changes and improvements. This may be mainly due to their thinking of already having the appropriate experience and knowledge and there is no need for further training, especially in the situation of â€Å"leapfrogging†, where a younger worker is put in charge of a more experienced worker. Many hotels will have an advantage by having a large pool of elderly employees. It is mainly because there are many job positions which young employees would be unwilling to take up. Most time, foreigners would be hired to fill up the rest of the job vacancies that do not appeal to the young employees; however, hotels can have another avenue of recruitment – the elderly workforce. This will give hotels a great advantage to handpick the best candidates out of the pool of elderly workforce. In hotels, there are certain positions that elderly employees occupy, for example managerial positions. Being loyal to the company, they would not want to leave their positions easily as compared to the younger workforce who usually job hops for a better pay. This relieves the hotel’s need to constantly recruit and train new workers, thus helping to cut the costs during the process of recruitment and training. Challenges A) The Human Resource (HR) unit has a challenge to allocate the older employees in suitable positions that is beneficial for both the hotel and the aging workforce. The HR unit also has to ensure that the hotel would maintain a good image and increases their productivity. There is also a need for the HR unit to create a supportive culture for the older workers in order to manage such diverse workforce. B) Keeping older employees motivated at work along with the right attitude is important when serving their customers. In addition, with the older employees being more prone to illnesses, hotels have to struggle with ways to keep their costs low and at the same time provide adequate medical benefits for them. During such periods it is more crucial for managers and supervisors to show them care and patience. C) Values tend to change from one generation to another as well as during different life stages. The thinking of the older generation is more conservative than those of the younger generation. It would thus be a challenge for the hotels wanting the older employees to improve their values in their job scope. With a more conservative mindset and thinking, they would be afraid to try new things and be more innovative. In turn, the hotel will lose its competitiveness if new changes are adopted. Hence, the HR unit in a hotel has to place their older employees in the most relevant training to help them prepare for changes in their current jobs. Besides that, older employees would normally take a longer time to adapt to changes, thus the management has to work out appropriate schedules to help their employees to have a proper balance with their job and trainings. D) Older employees tend to have more skills and knowledge in the industry due to the experiences they have gone through. Retaining this skills and knowledge is critical for hotels to ensure that the younger generation will also have these basic skills and knowledge as a platform for them to have an advantage over their competitors. E) Although there is a need to retain these skills and knowledge, there will definitely be a time when one has to retire. However, the aging workforce is usually reluctant to leave their positions as they are emotionally attached to the hotel. This would be a challenge for the hotel to find ways to recruit younger employees, without resulting in excess manpower and high costs, especially for positions in the higher management. If the hotel were to retain most of the older employees, they may miss opportunities on recruiting young employees who can be a more valuable asset to the hotels which helps to bring their standards to a higher level. Solutions It is time for employers to start responding to the potential consequences of the ageing workforce on their businesses. If not well-prepared, employers may find themselves suddenly faced with labour loss, experience and expertise that will be difficult to offset, given the relatively small pool of new employees. With many companies facing the same problem, competition for new talents is likely to surface. A) Hotels can have interviews to know which areas older employees would prefer to work in and the languages they can speak. With the information gathered, hotels will be able to know their strengths and weaknesses which help to determine where to allocate each individual. With the proper job assignment, hotels will be able to maintain a good image, by reassigning the older employees with language barriers to the backhouse such as room attendant. This allows them to be in their comfort zone and after getting used to their task, the productivity will be maximized in both the frontline and backhouse. B) In order to keep older employees engaged and motivated, it is vital for the HR department to maintain constant communication with the older employees and understand any problems, issues and concerns that they are encountering. By treating their employees like family members, it may be a major job happiness-driver for them and thus motivating them to do better for the hotel. Besides that, communication and treating each other with respect ensures that the spirit of their employees is always high. Through job empowerment, employees will have more decision making responsibilities and hence they will feel more respected as an employee as they are given a chance to handle more difficult situation on their own. As for medical benefits, hotels can pay a certain percentage of their medical fees. For example, the hotels will pay 50% of their employee’s medical fees while the other 50% is paid by the employees. C) Facing the challenge that older generation is more conservative, companies can focus on creating a positive work environment for older employees by allowing flexible hours, more communication and constantly motivating them. Some of the actions can be allowing the older employees to have an option to consider different jobs and different sets of responsibilities. Some older employees may wish to devote their later career years to jobs that allow them to develop new competencies. Others may want jobs that are less demanding, these older employees may be interested in making transitions to different jobs within the company or make lateral moves or even to lower positions with a pay reduction. Other than that, the hotel can allow them to have a choice over the number of hours worked and provide them with flexible schedule for trainings. For example, older employees work on reduced-hours such as part-time or job sharing, so as to schedule the rest of their time for trainings that are a rranged for them. D) To retain the skills and knowledge, the older employees can train and guide the younger employees before they retire to ensure that the skills and knowledge are passed down. After retirement, they can come back and help out by overlooking and having workshops to give further training that is needed. E) To attract the younger people, creative ways are needed. For example, the hotel can come up with a program like the popular show â€Å"The Apprentice† by Donald Trump to search for the best employee. However, we must ensure there is no excessive pool of manpower and costs are kept low. The hotels can allow their older employees to be on-call workers or have flexible work schedules. On-call workers are employees who are called to work only when needed, although they can be scheduled for work for several days or weeks in a row. In days when the hotels need a massive number of employees, the on-call workers will be called back. By providing flexible work schedules, older employees are allowed to plan their work schedules with the choice over the number of hours worked. This will prolong the retirement period for older employees by allowing them to work but at a lesser duration, so that younger employees have the chance to excel and there will not be a surplus or shortage in th e manpower. Case Study: Royal Plaza on Scott The Royal Plaza on Scott is a 5-star leading hotel in Singapore. 50% of the hotel 300 employees are classified under the mature and older category. The company recognized the importance of mature employees and has sets out strategy as Singapore faces human capital challenge of managing a mature and older workforce. According to Fiat (2010), The mature employees are valuable assets to the organization as they are able to share their wealth of experience with the younger employees. The hotel taps on their expertise by pairing the mature employees with the younger generation of new hires to provide guidance and encourage cohesiveness. The hotel also implemented a buddy system where a new mature employee is paired with a younger co-worker or vice versa to work together and learn from each other. For example, younger employees may learn from mature and older employees on how to handle difficult customers while guiding their older colleagues on the effective usage of technology at the workplace. (TAFEP, p. 45) Royal Plaza on Scott has developed recruitment strategies like implementing Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA), where there is a flexible work arrangement which includes flexi-time, part time, job shares and compressed workweeks. Health benefits and programmes will also be implemented including regular health screening, health talk, yoga courses, sushi-making classes and others. This is to encourage for a healthy work life balance. Another great strategy used is to set up a Recreational Committee that was assigned to take care of the well being of co-worker. This committee will be in charge of organizing health awareness events, initiatives to create awareness of healthy lifestyle as well as to bond employees of difference generations (TAFEP, 2010, p.46).

Jane Austen’s use of Gothic Traditions in Northanger Abbey Essay

The term ‘Gothic’ was first really used by Italian writers who ‘accredited’ what they thought was the ugliness of the art and architecture of the twelfth to fifteenth centuries. They often related this art and architecture to the northern tribes of German Barbarians known as the ‘Goths’; these were the first to corrupt the style of the grand architecture back. They would make towers that were too tall, walls that were too thick and arches that were too steeply pointed – thus destroying the architecture of the generation. By adding such grotesque and mysterious objects such as gargoyles, the Italian writers seemed as though they were just adding insult to injury. They were horrified. But just as ‘Gothic’ was at its peak around the mid-fourteenth century, it seemed to decline slowly and make its way into a history book, never to be seen again. But by the late eighteenth century, the Gothic revival was back in business, and more popular than ever before! The Gothic revival was first started by a man named Horace Walpole (1717-1797), as a reaction against the Classicism of the previous era. Horace was a writer who transformed his simple home into the most Gothic building of its age. It had pillars, vaults, arches, and a great tower. This signalled the beginning of a new cultural era. Walpole’s Gothic house was inspired by a dream, which he could only describe as † I had thought myself in an ancient castle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Inspired by his vision, Walpole sat down and produced ‘The Castle of Otranto’, the world’s first Gothic novel and named one of the most influential novels in the history of English literature. In response to this, there were of course many other Gothic novels to be published, among these, was the very popular ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ by Ann Radcliffe. Gothic novels between 1790 and 1830 fell within the category of romantic literature, and you could say it was a rebellion against the formality and rigidity of how other kinds of literature were written at that time. Ever since ‘The Castle of Otranto’, many Gothic novels have followed the similar pattern: the terrifying old castle on the hill or the misty graveyard. The setting is always greatly influential in Gothic novels. It not only evokes the atmosphere of horror and trepidation, but it also portrays the dramatic deterioration of what used to be a beautiful piece of architecture. At one time the abbey, castle or mansion was something treasured and appreciated, but now it is just a mere shadow of its former self. As for traditional Gothic characters, there is always a hero, usually a female, who has no idea of how to deal with the situations put towards her, and you are always able to see a pattern in their characterisation. There is almost always an isolated protagonist, and their part in the story is mainly summarised nearing the dramatic end of the story. Then, there is the villain, who is the epitome of evil. This character could be anyone you could think of; mad scientist, inn keeper, or baron of the manor house. The Gothic novel could be seen as a description of a fallen world and we experience this world through all aspects of the novel: plot, setting, characters and theme. In order for a novel to be Gothic, it must be accurate to Gothic traditions, impeccable language, possibly of old chapters in history. But with great novels come great sceptics; Jane Austen was not altogether pleased with this new genre of writing. She did not regard Gothic novels as ‘proper literature’. She criticised the readers of the novels (mainly young teenage girls). Jane Austen went about her earlier criticisms of Gothic novels to little avail; people still enjoyed reading them and by 1798, Gothic novels were at their peak in fashion although it was never taken seriously as literature. Jane Austen knew she had to do something drastic to proclaim her annoyance of this new genre; so she wrote a parody, Northanger Abbey. Yet the characteristics shown in Chapter 1 do not suggest that Catherine Morland was a Gothic Heroine at all! Catherine Morland is the heroine of the book. She is described as having â€Å"a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features–† and that â€Å"and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind†. Her behaviour was equally inept: â€Å"She was fond of all boy’s plays, and greatly preferred cricket not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rosebush†. Jane Austen employs great irony to describe her, satirising â€Å"her abilities† as â€Å"quite as extraordinary†. Austen ends with the comment â€Å"She never could learn or understand anything before she was taught; and sometimes not even then, for she was often inattentive, and occasionally stupid†. By Chapter 5, Catherine is taken to Bath by some wealthy godparents for her first experience of high society, attending various balls and parties. Catherine meets Isabella Thorpe, an attractive, flirtatious young lady, who introduces her to Gothic novels, such as the ‘Castle of Otranto’ and Catherine is ‘enchanted’ by them. But most of the Gothic moments happen during Catherine’s visit to the Abbey itself. For example, in Chapter 21, during the day, Catherine notices a large chest, standing at one side of the fireplace in her bedroom: ‘The sight of it made her start; and, forgetting everything else, she stood gazing on it in motionless wonder, while these thoughts crossed her’. In classic gothic style, Catherine questions herself: ‘An immense heavy chest! What could it hold? Why should it be placed here?’ This is an example of Austen’s Gothic parodying of the gothic characters and literary style it is, aimed to mock the traditional Gothic heroines who followed this curiosity, usually a feature in all Gothic novels. But it also mocks the way the novels are written. Panting punctuation, excessive exclamation marks and ridiculous hyperbolic adjectives. We see an example of her gothic language when she speaks to herself (concerning the chest): â€Å"I will look into it; cost me what it may, I will look into it, and directly too—-by daylight†. We cannot deny that Catherine is somewhat ‘over-doing it’ with the ridiculous questions â€Å"What could it hold? Why should it be placed here?†. The Chest is described with ridiculous accuracy: â€Å"The lock was silver, though tarnished from age; at each end were the imperfect remains of handles also of silver, broken perhaps prematurely by some strange violence; and, on the centre of the lid, was a mysterious cipher, in the same metal†. This over-descriptive language creates a tense gothic-style passage yet in a way, is ‘too gothic’. By doing this, Austen succeeds in making a ‘spoof’ as it were, of gothic novels written previous to this novel. Catherine decides to investigate, by opening the chest: â€Å"and seized, with trembling hands, the grasp of the lock† and â€Å"she raised the lid a few inches; but at that moment a sudden knocking at the door†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This is when the maid enters; this build-up of tension, and sudden interruption is very anticlimactic, and we see this not only once in Northanger Abbey. When Catherine dismisses the maid, she goes at the chest once more, only to find that it contains white linen! Once again, an anticlimax, which leaves Catherine very surprised (and embarrassed, when Miss Tilney enters shortly afterwards). Later on in this Chapter, Catherine comes to discover a Japan Cabinet: â€Å"She took her candle and look closely at the cabinet. It was not absolutely ebony and gold; but it was Japan†. Catherine (like any other Gothic heroine) is intrigued by this new discovery, and decides to open it, hoping the contents would be more exciting than them of the chest. Thr sequence of events happen by night, giving the cabinet an almost mysterious awe about it, which would only add to the tone of the passage. Austen uses words like â€Å"mysteriously†, â€Å"the wind roared† and â€Å"the rain beat down in torrents against the windows† to give the scene an even more gothic-like tone. Catherine finds that however hard she turns the key on the cabinet, however she manages to open it â€Å"the door suddenly yielded to her hand: her heart leaped with exultation at such a victory† revealing a series of lesser bolts and doors within the cabinet. Catherine’s curiosity would not stop there. She decided to delve further into the cabinet of mystery! A lot of the text on the page is devoted to the examination of this cabinet. â€Å"With less alarm and greater eagerness she seized a second, a third, a fourth–each was equally empty†: this was describing the many smaller drawers within the Japan Cabinet, all with seemingly obvious, predictable outcomes – they contained nothing. The tension has become somewhat lost however in one of the other drawers Catherine finds a parchment: â€Å"her eyes directly fell on a roll of paper pushed back into the further part of the cavity†. There is an air of tension, as Catherine reaches out to unveil what the manuscript beholds. But suddenly (dramatic tension), â€Å"The dimness of the light her candle emitted made her turn to it with alarm; but there was no danger of its sudden extinction† – the candle was flickering yet she did not think it would go out. However the flame did go out: â€Å"Alas! it was snuffed and extinguished in one†. Catherine was now submerged into complete darkness (very much gothic; darkness and candles becoming suddenly snuffed out). Austen uses words like â€Å"horror† and â€Å"trembled† to create an atmosphere of terror and uncertainty. As Catherine stood â€Å"motionless with horror† she thought she could hear â€Å"receding footsteps†. This usage of noises in a perfectly still, quiet and dark atmosphere is used to scare not just Catherine but the reader also. â€Å"A cold sweat stood on her forehead, the manuscript fell from her hand† and she hastily jumped back into bed. This is very anticlimactic, and very unlike a gothic heroine to come running back to a place of safety. One would expect a gothic heroine to relight the candle and look at the parchment nevertheless. However, that is not the case in this instance. A sense of tension is still apparent in the text when Catherine can still hear the slow ‘ticking’ of the clocks in a silent atmosphere – this is bound to be unnerving for Catherine. The weather is still apparent, keeping the tone a tense and restless one: â€Å"The storm still raged, and various were the noises, more terrific than the wind, which struck at intervals on her startled ear†. Austen also uses â€Å"Hollow murmurs seemed to creep along the gallery† to keep the tension on tenterhooks. However, the sheer fact that Catherine falls asleep destroys the atmosphere and tension completely, as we turn to a completely new chapter. Jane Austen’s uses of Gothic traditions are very apparent in this text: she describes the room and the Cabinet so vividly. She adds the traditional gothic tone, the pathetic fallacy, the weather, at night, the rain, and the storm, † The night was stormy; the wind had been rising at intervals the whole afternoon: and by the time the party broke up, it blew and rained violently† all Gothic traditions yet Catherine running back to her bed scared left on a gothic cliff hanger of suspense, however when Catherine ran back to her bed it was totally anticlimactic. In the morning (and the opening of Chapter twenty-two), the scene is completely different. Sun is pouring through the windows and birds are singing. Catherine discovers the precious lists are only laundry bills, â€Å"‘To poultice chestnut mare,’ a farrier’s bill!†: this is very anticlimactic. But this is why Northanger Abbey is a parody, continually acting against what Gothic novels are based around and may contain. Later in chapter twenty-two, Catherine is talking to Eleanor about the death of her mother, and her father’s relationship with her mother. Many of these questions were very rude and personal. As the conversation led on, Catherine drew new conclusions about Mrs Tilney’s death: that General Tilney had murdered his wife and was hiding her away secretly somewhere in the Abbey. This is another example of Catherine’s strange and vivid imagination. â€Å"Was she a very charming woman? Was she handsome? Was there any picture of her in the abbey? And why had she been so partial to that grove? Was it from dejection of spirits?†. These were some of the questions Catherine was asking herself. This is very insensitive, whilst talking on such a delicate matter as a family member. This is unlike a gothic heroine to ask so many questions. The two come onto the subject of a portrait of Mrs Tilney, and how General Tilney most not have valued her, â€Å"A portrait, very like, of a departed wife, not valued by her husband† and that because of this microcosm, â€Å"He must have been dreadfully cruel to her†. Catherine relates these misunderstanding to those of characters she had read in other gothic novels previous to her visit to the abbey: â€Å"She had often read of such characters; characters, which Mr. Allen had been used to call unnatural and overdrawn† . Right now Catherine is mixing fact with fiction, and lets her imagination run wild with vivid ideas of how General Tilney is an evil baron of some sort. Catherine often hears the slightest microcosm, yet turns it into a macrocosm, and lets these new ideas go to her head, and we see this is exactly the case in Chapter 24. Jane Austen’s use of questions and thoughts in Catherine’s head gives us an insight into how the mind of a gothic heroine works, however Catherine has been too taken in by other novels that she actually dreams of becoming a gothic heroine and wants to have a passion for danger (thus the investigations at nightfall in chapter 21 and yearning for answers to the ‘mystery’ which never was). Yet her profile (in Chapter 1) tells us otherwise; it mentions she is nothing at all like a gothic heroine! This new wild passion for mystery and conspiracy led Catherine to enter Mrs Tilney’s room in chapter twenty-four, just when General Tilney was out on a walk: â€Å"The general’s early walk, ill-timed as it was in every other view, was favourable here; and when she knew him to be out of the house, she directly proposed to Miss Tilney the accomplishment of her promise. Eleanor was ready to oblige her; and Catherine reminding her as they went of another promise, their first visit in consequence was to the portrait in her bed-chamber† When she ventures in â€Å"On tiptoe she entered† she notices that the room is entirely normal: â€Å"She could not be mistaken as to the room; but how grossly mistaken in everything else!–in Miss Tilney’s meaning, in her own calculation!†, Catherine expected to enter a room full of mysterious torture instruments and dungeon-like atmosphere. Instead, there was normal furniture, paintings and various other decorations: â€Å"She saw a large, well-proportioned apartment, an handsome dimity bed, arranged as unoccupied with an housemaid’s care, a bright Bath stove, mahogany wardrobes, and neatly painted chairs, on which the warm beams of a western sun gaily poured through two sash windows† – yet again we see the over descriptive language which is ever present in the novel. This is an anticlimax and not Gothic because Catherine was expecting something very different. Northanger Abbey is the epitome of Gothic Spoof. Jane Austen succeeds in mocking what Gothic novels are all about, the content and the way the characters act, as well as the young teenage girls who read them. The description of places and objects is amusingly hyperbolic, and excellent as a parody of a gothic novel. It has to be, because the trend of Gothic novels is to have deep descriptions, and Austen is able to utilize the gothic traditions and add to them somewhat ridiculously! Austen makes good use of the characters i.e. Catherine, and you are able to see what they do and what they think. Austen is good at writing in a gothic style – she builds up tension and pulls us in, only to let there be an anticlimax and let us down. She makes good use of Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Uldopho and the way she entwined some of the ideas from that book to this novel.