Examine strategies adopted by the directors studied on the course to depict marginality in modern French society

Marginality within a society speaks of something or someone that is not important which results in them being excluded from society and leaves them feeling alienated. ‘La Haine' and ‘Sans toit ni loi' are two films developed around the period of ‘la fracture sociale', the former centred on the community in particular and the later centred primarily on the individual. The 1980's saw the rise of civil unrest in inner cities, which similarly led to a rise in unemployment and educational problems. There was also the perceived threat of national identity, and at the same time worries about Muslim integration had commenced. It was at around this time that there was the ‘affaire du foulard,' a very controversial period as the French republic separates the church and the state. The difficulty of integration and threat of national identity, developed into the French media using the ‘la fracture sociale. ‘ ‘La Haine,' was brought out at a moment in France during the Mitterrand period, where serious questions were being asked about integration and immigration. A controversial film, Mathieu Kassovitz' film ‘La Haine,' represents an account of ‘la fracture sociale,' or rather divisions within a society. Marginality is a result of divisions within a society, and in the case of ‘La Haine', these divisions are due to social and racial conflict. Because of such conflicts and divisions it results in certain social, as well as ethnic groups, being excluded from society as a whole. ‘La Haine,' is set in Paris and more specifically in the ‘banlieu's' of Paris, the outskirts of Paris. The fact that it is set on the outskirts of Paris already brings a long with it certain connotations, the fact that it is set a part from Paris itself, all of which are negative. A term particularly used to describe the people within les banlieus is ‘les exclus. ‘ This term quite clearly depicts that they are excluded from the rest of Paris. Kassovitz has translated this problem of exclusion by reinforcing its universal aspect, which represents a principally masculine world. La Haine is centred on a group of friends, all three of a different race, religion and ethnicity. They have been excluded by society and made to become the margins of society because of their accent, their geographical and economic isolation. They are three characters that have not been accepted into society, even though they were born in France and are not immigrants. Almost all the characters in ‘La Haine' are male and female characters; â€Å"underlining their disempowerment† (1) often boss the three main characters around. The citi is divided along gender lines as well as lines dividing social class. The interiors are home to the woman as is the middle to upper class, and the outside is masculine as well as working class. This is quite clearly creating margins for division within the French society as a whole. Paris is a tool that plays a part in upsetting spatial relations with the three friends, not only in the male-female sense, but it also causes them to be separated from Paris and the middle class of society. They feel that presence is not accepted within certain places in Paris â€Å"the spaces become prisons of one kind or another. (2) In this case it is the banlieue that is their prison, it is this space that is excluding them from the rest of society and thus alienating them. ‘La Haine is constructed around the opposition between Paris and the banlieue The exclusion and enclosure that this group of friends faces appears to have forced them to turn and adopt a different identity. The influence of the American culture, via movies and gangster films, is evident from the use of the informal language and slang which convey a feeling of the ghetto. They have practically been rejected by their own society/identity and they appear to have no other choice but to adopt certain American attributes. This is not only emulated in their use of slang, but also in their clothes and the music that they listen to. All of which are typical traits of the American culture. ‘La Haine pushes the idea of assimilation of immigrants into French society throughout the film, resulting in them having to cut off any links they have with their country of origin. Youth in the film are very distant from their parents and also their traditions. This may be because of the struggle; they face on a day to day basis, to fit in. They are considered insiders because they are resident in France while fitting into the youth culture of the banlieue while being outsiders because of racism because of their country of origin. This indicates that they must reject both heir parents and their country in order to survive, otherwise they will be unsuccessful in their assimilation. Lack of identity because of young age is often the case, but with the youth of the banlieue do not really have that reasoning behind their exclusion. It is perhaps the message behind the film that the youth of the banlieue are being forced into criminal and violent actions, because the French society is unwilling to acknowledge the predicament in which they are in. It then becomes a vicious circle, and this predicament into which the are forced becomes their destiny. It is just that the audience feel a degree of sympathy towards these main characters, s they are not necessarily violent, nor are they particularly involved in drugs or crime but due to their social situation they have been branded as ‘les exclus', the excluded ones of French society. Kassovitz offers his audience, through the space of ‘La Haine,' an experience, which is familiar to contemporary France either through personal experience, politics or more recurrently through the media. The portrayal of marginality in contemporary France and its problems, are often the result of the mediatisation of the banlieu and its social problems, which then creates a specific image of the banlieu and its habitants to the rest of society. At this time there were several films that were produced based largely upon the banlieue, and this emergence of films was labelled by critics as he cinema de banlieu. All of which tended to focus on social exclusion within the deprived boundary of cities within France. The effect of space appears to particularly poignant part in the film. The movement of the camera into certain spaces, alongside the sense that they are being forgrounded into the space immediately forces them to the front of the screen; this is created through fuzzy and unclear backgrounds. Another effect used to make a space feel in enclosed is the use of mirrors. All of which communicate the feeling of an enclosed space. Rather than the three friends being liberated, and being allowed to move freely in an open space, they appear to be trapped in such an enclosed space. This may be compared to Nikita, where we find Nikita herself moving in very elaborate spaces, she is not being restricted whereas the groups of friends are. In ‘La Haine' community members are linked by their own exclusion. What we see in ‘Sans toit ni loi,' presents a different form of marginality, that of a homeless woman roaming the streets. Its is normally perceived that when a person is hitch-hiking or even travelling by road that he/she will form certain friendships along the way. Mona represents not only a female figure, but also one of who is travelling alone. Not only is she reflecting her alienation from society by firstly being alone, but also by defying traditional female expectations of how she should be living. It puts into question her Feminine role, which is explored through Mona's life on the road after her death. To those who meet Mona along her journey, they find her radical and out of the ordinary. They are not used to meeting people, and woman of this nature and this prevents her from forming any sort of bond with those that she meets as they are incapable of understanding her. Mona also possesses an indifference to any forms of normality, and it is this indifference to normal social relations that enamours her to some while at the same time others find repelling. The people that appear to be enamoured by her are those that wish to be in her position, free to have the space to do what they want to do, those that are enclosed and caged in their traditional and suffocating female roles. These women at first sight see Mona's braveness and rebellion, and contemplate what it would be like to be in her position. Her presence affects middle-aged housewives, schoolgirls, truckers, mechanics, construction workers, academics, and domestics. Each reacts to her in a way that is indicative of her or his social position in the community. For example, a young farm girl helps Mona fill her water bottle at the family pump and later, during a family dinner, she tells her parents she wants to be free like the camper. When her mother asks who would make her dinner every night, the girl quietly replies, â€Å"At times it would be better not to eat. † To this girl, who lives a sheltered life with her parents in a tiny village, Mona represents the freedom to go where she pleases without answering to anyone, a life full of excitement. Other parents worry that their daughter will turn out like Mona. In reference to Mona, a wife tells her husband, â€Å"She's got character. She knows what she wants. Marry the wrong man and you're stuck for life. I liked that hippy. † To this middle-aged matron, Mona represents the freedom of choice. From these short observations on Mona, frequently given by witnesses who appear only once and are not involved in any of the more complex social relationships in the film, a complete range of views on Mona is expressed. Otherwise others find her, and this is for the most part, offending and disgusting. All owing to her smell, dirtiness and her appearance, all of which normal women who fit into society find disgusting and it is these women that are the main cause of excluding her from society. Not only is it the vagabond role or image that which excludes a person from society, but it is also these liberating and rebellious characteristics that cause Mona to be alienated from society. Mona has five significant relationships throughout the film. She has two female â€Å"friends,† Madame Landier and Yolande, two lovers, David and Assoun, and one intellectual partner, the Goatherd. Through encounters that Mona has along her travels and the relationships which she develops, Varda explores Mona's capacity for emotional warmth, her intelligence, and her independence, but more specifically these relationships explore other people's views of Mona and they express who she â€Å"should† be. It is society that imposes these views on people, forcing them to have certain expectations and notions about others. Madame Landier and Mona are societal opposites. Madame Landier has a career, she has a home, and she is clean and well fed, while Mona does not possess any of these qualities. Mona is a drifter, an outsider, and as such it is her role â€Å"†¦ to provoke self-examination and doubt in the minds of those who ‘belong'. † (3) We never really understand Mona or who she is, and perhaps this is because of the way in which she detaches herself from others. But it is more probably because we are incapable of relating to Mona, and this forms a kind of block in our thoughts and feeling towards her. We cannot understand her perhaps because we are unwilling to. We possibly in effect learn more about the interviewees and in particular ourselves as spectators. It is Mona's detachment from others leads to her deterioration in her health and her ability to read social situations in which she finds herself, and which eventually leads to her death. ‘Sans toit ni loi,' represents a woman's escape from patriarchal control, through utter braveness and rebellion, and an indifference to what is considered the norm amongst society. It is her death that is the first sequence in the film, and it is particularly shocking. The question may be asked whether Mona's life would have been cut so short, had she been accepted by society for her unique qualities. Mona faces several rejections in her journey, the harshest of which is the rejection given by the Goat-herder. In his own words he chose a â€Å"middle road between loneliness and freedom,† when he decided to reject mainstream society but to keep a family. The morning after Mona's arrival his irritation with her begins to show. He thinks she has slept long enough so he makes a great effort to wake her. As they speak he learns that she lives for the complete freedom of the road, that she has no desire for anything and that she is lazy and ultimately ungrateful too. He moves her out of the house and into an abandoned trailer in the yard in order for her to start a potato farm. To disguise her hurt at being moved away from him and his family, Mona exclaims, â€Å"You three and the herd are a crowd† as she moves into her tiny new home. Once in her new home Mona forgets about her potato farm. She stays in her trailer reading, smoking and sleeping. The Goatherd, in frustration, finally kicks her off his property telling her it's not fair that all she does is sit around all day while he and his wife work. During the conversation when he asks her to leave, Mona tells the Goatherd that if she had the chances he has had (he has a Master's degree in Philosophy) she would not be living in the squalor in which he exists. ‘You live in filth just like me, only you work more,† she tells him. Later when he offers his â€Å"testimony,† (which immediately follows Mona's rape) the Goatherd says: â€Å"By proving that she's useless, she helps the system she rejects. That's not wandering, that's withering. † The Goatherd is â€Å"†¦ till in the thrall to the work ethic of the society which [he] affects to despise,†(4) and cannot endure Mona's laziness. According to Varda the Goatherd is â€Å"†¦ the worst judge of all because he wants to be marginal but in his way. He doesn't accept other people. â€Å"(5) The Goatherd lives in some sort of system, although it too is marginal, whereas Mona has rejected the system entirely and functions in an even bigger margin of society. Mona's rejection of social and sexual productivity is counter the idea of women. Her identity as a woman stops her from having fixed identity, along with her constant moving about. â€Å"Mona's independence from a fixed identity is an assertish of her altiriti (otherness). â€Å"(6) In ‘Sans toit ni loi,' Tracking shots are very important, the importance of direction moving from right to left giving the impression of backward movement which may be interpreted as moving against the culture and the tide, which reflects Mona's character. Even her degree of independence is emphasised by the tracking shots; they do not follow her exactly, as the camera either overtakes her or she overtakes the camera. Although we consider Mona as part of the marginal of society, throughout the film we also see her interacting with other groups of marginals: the Mahgrebian migrant workers, the homeless and also the goatherd. Yet Mona also finds exclusion amongst these groups too, this is particularly obvious when the goatherd says to her: â€Å"You're not a drop out, you're just out. You don't exist. † This may as well be the case because although Mona is alive, it is as though she is not really living. La Haine' and ‘Sans toit ni loi' are two films which present the theme of marginality, the former questioning marginality in terms of femininity and female marginality and the later concerned with marginality within the community. ‘La Haine' and â€Å"The Banlieue is presented as a dessert, with no feeling of public space and precious little private space either; Paris where Vinz, Said and Hubert spend almost half the film, is rejecting and alienatory. † ‘La Haine' is in fact, to quote Olivier Mongin, â€Å"the impossibility of developping an identity, personal or collective. This film is concerned In ‘Sans toit ni loi,' the interviews function almost as verbal testimonies; they are not chronologically placed fading in and out, an unconventional style. They also create distance for the spectator, and it is this effect that allows us to judge Mona in some way. We also are able to judge Mona through Varda's use of art. When Mona comes from the sea it recalls the myth of Venus, but in reality Mona is the total opposite of this. Mona is dark from the dirt, smelly and of ‘undefinable shape. ‘

Government control Essay

There are many challenges that have to be faced by humanity in the twenty first century. Some of these challenges are major that have to be addressed immediately while there are some challenges that do not require immediate action. The stronger nations are somehow able to tackle some issues but still there are some issues that are difficult to handle. However, the smaller and the weaker countries that lack finances find it difficult to come up with solutions to these 21st century problems. Diversity and unity Diversity is one of the major issues that need attention as people are moving from their native countries to other countries where they find better opportunities. Diversity means differences in cultures, beliefs and habits that create a mixture of cultures. Here, the issue is to maintain harmony amongst the people belonging to different cultures and so it is essential to ensure that harmony does not collapse. Besides diversity, unity is also one major challenges that have to be worked upon and since one country has many different cultures residing in it, maintaining unity is indeed something difficult to achieve. Today, there is an influx of people who have become selfish and they have opted for individualistic approach that has further spoilt the society. Other problems that can be seen are communalism, regionalism and the increase in the rate of violence that is directly and indirectly affecting the value system of the world. Technological advancements Technological advancements have greatly affected the world and are serving as a major challenge. Since these advancements are taking place at a very fast pace, all the nations are trying hard to keep pace with this and for the weaker nations, this serves as a Herculean task to achieve the goals. The first and the foremost thing that has to be done to cure this is to spread literacy and to make everyone educated. It should not be the aim to get degrees and diplomas but the real essence of education should be understood as this will further lead the people to expand their knowledge, wisdom and to develop positive attitudes. However, it is not just important to educate the people but it is also essential to provide with opportunities to the people so that they can use their talents but this is also serving as a major challenge as many people remain unemployed despite of being educated. Industrialization As progress is taking place, industrialization is increasing rapidly and the natural resources are being consumed at a very high rate. Moreover, increase in pollution is also evident and this can bring adverse affects on the people and the environment especially if no action is taken to cure this problem. There are many other strategic challenges that will be faced in the 21st century and most them are caused due to the changes in styles of businesses that have now introduced. Previously, the marketers used to sell one product to the entire market but today, the customers have become more intelligent and savvy and they seek for customer value and since all the companies are battling against each other to grab the share of their piece of cake, it is hard to achieve targets easily as it was done previously. Market volatility has increased and rate at which organizational change is taking place is high and all these changes have a dramatic affect on the business strategies that are made and implemented. When the business needs are changing, it is also a must that there are changes occurring in the requirement of human input too. Employing the right workforce One of the strategic challenges being faced by the companies is the employment of the human resources. The management has to ensure that it employs the workforce that is not only efficient but effective too. However, there are some factors that affect the global instability and there is a huge global impact and people are entering in high numbers in the market that makes it hard for the social arrangement to sustain. Other than this, there is a very vast pool of human resources that are being wasted and this means that the human beings who are being employed are not able to work at their full potential as they not employed in a productive manner. Moreover, more and more people are added to the entire human workforce each year because of which there is a high pressure on the institutions and on the resources. Wastage of resources The non-human resources that are available to the human beings are being wasted at a very high rate. Both the renewable and non-renewable resources are not being fully utilized and are exploited and if this continues, the people will not be left with anything in the future. The environment is having a very negative impact on it because of the human activities that are taking place. The technological explosions are one of the most dangerous as well as costly damage to the society. Other disruptions that are serving as 21st century challenges are air pollution, soil pollution as well as depletion and desertification. Besides this, deforestation and misuse of water are two other factors that are serving as great challenges and if they will not be controlled, this can lead to major problems in the future. Biospheric disruption is another major challenge that needs attention. Despite of the fact that these are unavoidable, we can at least lessen the destruction that can be caused by the natural disasters that includes the climatic, geological, meteorological and space-oriented disasters. Global warming and ozone loss are climatic, earthquakes and eruptions are geological, floods, storms and droughts are meteorological while asteroids are space-oriented. Human insecurity Human insecurity is also a major challenge and this also leading to global unrest due to the violence that is persisting in the world and inter-human combat is occurring due to the ethnic and religious differences. Moreover, hazardous frustration has to be reduced and since the weapons are being created, they are being used as well and since there is an increase in unemployment, terrorism is increasing in the society. People have to fulfill their basic needs without which survival is more than impossible because of which they are doing crime. Due to this, the crime rate is increasing and is leading to unrest in the society and also affecting world peace. The numbers of extremists are increasing day by day and drug dealers have also outnumbered because of which the youngsters are getting immune to drug usage and are doing crime. Medical challenges Countering the medical challenges also needs immediate action and there are two main trends that are causing increase in health concerns. Firstly, both the people and the things are moving and this has caused transfer of various kinds of diseases that the other people are getting from the humans and from the animals. Even the animals that have some kind of disease are a major threat of spreading diseases. Moreover, the animals that are consumed by the human beings are getting diseases such as bird fly and mad cow disease and if any animal suffering from any such disease is consumed by the human being, it will create serious problems for that individual. Secondly, people are using antibiotics at a very high rate and this has produced more resistant mutations. For this, tighter preventives and control measures are required to ensure human security. Rules and laws A global rule is lacking in the world and so it is serving as a challenge to the society as the world is lacking universal rules and these should be created so that global standards are formed. Today, the world has become a global village and for this it is essential for it to have some universal laws and regulations that must be followed by all the countries. However, the international law must keep pace with interdependence as well. Therefore, global rights must be developed and should also be accepted and implemented by the society. It is argued by some governments that human rights are based on the cultures but universally there should be one common ground or code on the basis of which a norm should be developed. Migration Compared to the previous years, the rate of migration has greatly increased and people are looking for more opportunities outside their home country. It has indeed become difficult to handle all these immigrations and to provide jobs to the people who are moving to the other countries such as United States, UK, Canada and Australia. There are refugees too, who are forced to move out of their own countries and these people have to be settled in other countries where they move. These people create problems when they move to other countries and this is resulting in increase in the global issues that have to be dealt on a global level only. Financial money transfers and trade It has also become difficult to maintain global financial checks and since the number of financial transfers is increasing day by day, the role the government plays and the government control is reduced. Moreover, it also threatens the stability of the currencies and so it is suggested to apply certain percentage of taxes on such transfers. International trade is also growing but it is creating new problems for which negotiation has to be done between the trading countries. Moreover, regulation and adjustment is also needed to keep things smooth. The World Trade Organization ensures that it deals with the rapidly growing trade in a proper manner; however there are still some challenges that have to be met. Trade of services is also growing and the world has to face chronic problems with agricultures and other issues such as problems related to international investment. Corruption has also increased at a major rate and this has also become a major challenge to the world trade. There are many economic agreements that are treated globally and they are becoming more and more complex with the increase in trade. Taxing of international trade has become an issue as well and negotiations have to be made to come up to a common stand. Conclusion Due to all the problems that are being faced by the human beings, the rate of global distress is accelerating day by day and this is leading to serious problems. People become frustrated and hopeless due to the current situation. Income divergence is also increasing between nations and this challenge must be addressed immediately. All the 21st century problems that have been talked about above are sociological, philosophical, economic, historical, and geological and they relate to the human activities in some or the other way. The goal of the human beings should always be to minimize the threat that they get from these challenges if they cannot fully be removed. Moreover, the people should be educated about these disasters and challenges and they should be told about the ways they can adopt to reduce any negative impact created by the human activities. Besides this, backup plans should be made to ensure that the destruction is dealt properly and results in least problems. Work Cited Ciulla, Joanne. B. The Working Life: The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work. 1st Edn. Crown Business / Times Books, 2000. Colwin, Laurie. Goodbye Without Leaving. Harper Perennial, 2000. Hochschild, Arlie. R. The Commercialization of Intimate Life: Notes from Home and Work. University of California Press, 2003. IMF. (2006). Meeting the Challenges of 21st Century Globalization: The Medium-Term Strategy of the IMF. June 4th, 2010. Retrieved from:

History Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History - Scholarship Essay Example The debate on constitution mirrors divisions, which marred the American society during early periods. While the Federalist supported constitution ratification and a powerful national government, the Anti-Federalists advocated for a national government, which is weaker and also opposed the approval of the constitution. The division between Federalists and Anti-Federalist would give birth to political parties trying to woo people to buy their ideologies. The united state’s first party system was comprised of the Federalist Party formed by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party also known as Anti-Federalist (Pickard, 2010). The Federal Party started experiencing opposition in 1790 following Hamilton’s mentioned the possibility of the central government assuming state debts. Republicans, under the leadership of Jefferson, supported the views of older Anti-Federalists accusing Hamilton’s administration for monarchism. A few years later, the Democrats merged with the Republicans to form one national party. During 1800s, the Republican Party gained more popularity as the Federal Party was implementing laws that appeared to favor a powerful national government, which never resonated well with people. Consequently, Democratic-Republicans emerged victorious in 1800 elections with Jefferson becoming the new President (Pickard, 2010). This marked the demise of Federal Party power with Democratic-Republican Party seizing

The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrude von Le Fort Essay

The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrude von Le Fort - Essay Example She has a most uncharacteristic nature which is totally unsuited to her social standing, being fearfully timid and frail. She chooses Carmel of Compiegne as her saviour from the fears and terrors of life. At the sanctuary the character of Sister Marie of the Incarnation is introduced as one which embodies confidence yet humility and faith in the church, but feels that Blanche is unsuited to the rigorous lifestyle of the Carmel. The unfolding events of the French Revolution, bring a drastic change in Blanche’s circumstances from glory and comfort to distress, taking away the one sanctuary she trusted most; the Carmel at Compiegne. The author presents her uniqueness to us as she willingly steps out and joins the sisters who are being led to the guillotine, showing a superb transformation from fear and horror to unimaginable courage. This transformation is the epitome of her faith and belief in God bringing her to a point where the darkness of her fears Surname2 is encompassed an d destroyed by the one and only ultimate source of light ; her love of God. Sister Marie who has a strong, wilful and quite an eloquent personality, has all the makings of a heroine, manages to flee from the executioners for greater service to the Lord and mankind. She realizes that bravery and piety do not necessary come from great acts of heroism. Weak and insignificant beings are chosen by God to become vessels of the working of the Divine. Surname3 The novella has a very interesting character in the form of Blanche de La Force. She was the daughter of Marquis de La Force. Her birth in the nobility did not in any manner reflect in her demeanour. She had a frail disposition and lived in a constant state of fear, which according to her father, was the result of the circumstances at the time of her birth. She would surely have been beautiful considering the lineage she belonged to, had not fear overcome all other senses. She always wore a pinched expression on her face, reflecting i nner turmoil. The other interesting character of the story was that of Sister Marie of the Incarnation. She was the opposite of Blanche in appearance. She was stout and strong. Her demeanour reflected her state of confidence and strong belief in God. She showed a stoutness which bordered on overconfidence. Blanche and Sister Marie had the love of God as the most marked similarity in their personalities. Apart from that, Blanche had a timid and nervous personality. She showed signs of an extreme insecurity complex from a very early age, when she would reconfirm from her nanny that the stairs would not slip from under her feet, or when she would tremble at the sight of a new servant as if she had seen a ghost. As she grew up and sensed the ridicule aimed at her from all quarters, these insecurities only added to her agonizing fear of all things known as well as unknown. Such a disposition had a profound effect on the girl’s personality putting her apart from others of her age g roup. The reason might have been the demise of her mother at childbirth, who might have in other circumstances soothed and calmed her by giving her a confidence which the Jacobean father could not and did not. Sister Marie ,on the other hand showed a self-assurance which seemed to stem from her strong Surname4 faith. She had absolute belief in her own

Economics in the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Economics in the World - Essay Example Between 2003 and 2006, trade in goods within these countries doubled. GCC states’ share of world trade increased to 2.7% from 1.9% during the same period. Total exports of goods in 1990 stood at USD 86 billion, but increased to USD 110 billion by the end of the 1990s. In 2006, total exports rose to USD 422 billion. In terms of imports, total imports were at USD 48 billion in 1990, and increased to USD 82 billion by the end of the 1990s. By 2006, the imports in the GCC states were at USD 238 billion. In 2006, the difference between imports and exports was 184 billion. The main consumer of GCC states’ exports is Asia, while the European Union accounts for nearly one third of the imports to the GCC states. In 2006, exports to Asia from the GCC states stood at 60%, with Japan accounting for 21% of the exports. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states emerged as key global players in the first decade of the twenty-first century. This development facilitated by the enormous resources and capital that was accumulated by these countries in the course of the second oil boom experienced in the year 2002-2008. Through theinfluence of their resources, these countries started reshaping the economy of the world. This influence was more eminent in the wake of the 2007-2008 economic crisis. Partnerships with countries such as China, Russia, East and South Asian nations, and India diverted the Gulf States’ focus further eastwards (Ulrichsen 118). The global share of natural gas and oil is anticipated to increase by 5% by 2020 from 28% which was recorded in 2000. With most of these resources going to the Asian market, the GCC states will most likely increase their diversification and widen their economic interdependencies for the Asian market. According to statistics, 40% of the increase in global oil and natural gas consumption was traced to China from 2004 and 2007. In 2009, China’s import of oil from Saudi Arabia surpassed that of the United States

Explain a Marketing concept for MKGT 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Explain a Marketing concept for MKGT 3000 - Essay Example We would be discussing few major factors that significantly impact purchase behavior and consumption pattern of the products that are used in marketing a product. Customers’ purchase behavior is quite complex because it is intensely influenced by socio-economic and psychological paradigms. It is true that consumers purchase products only when they perceive the need for it. But at the same time, the need could have triggered either by advertisement or by observing other people which could lead to the purchase of the product. Various factors like price, buying value, consumption value and after sales performance add credibility to the purchase. If customer is satisfied, the organizations are not only able to retain them but they are also liable to get new ones through word of mouth publicity that greatly establishes their market credibility. Arnould et al (2004) assert that consumer behavior is also motivated by desired goal that is need based. Products that are bought mainly as a lifestyle statement are prompted by motivated goals. Luxury brands and trend setting goods are major indicators of changing lifestyle pattern that people are ready to adopt to keep up with the times. People are prone to adopt new lifestyle that reflects that changing socio-economic status in society. It also reveals their new value system, tastes and indeed changing preferences.

Discuss the Role of Exchange Traded Currency Options in Risk Essay

Discuss the Role of Exchange Traded Currency Options in Risk Management - Essay Example Over the counter (OTC) transactions are primarily utilized in currency options trade. Leverage is integral to exchange traded currency options. In this regard, returns associated with the resultant transactions are massive. On the same note, such transactions come with a downside of risks. Combining traded currency options with concurrent forex pair enhances locking in of profits. As a result, risks are minimized. Therefore, the role of exchange traded currency options in the management of risks can be evaluated on the degree with which they manage to reduce risks in the underlying transactions and investment activities in the options market. In the view of risk management by the use of exchange traded currency options, foreign exchange rates for different currencies around the world becomes essential to consider. On the same note, it is important to note that different countries have adopted different exchange rate regimes in regard to world currencies. Fixed, flexible or both excha nge rate regimes are used by countries around the world. ... Individuals and investors are termed as risk averse, risk takers or risk neutral. Given this three distinct behaviours, the decision rules taken under each of the three factors depict the role of exchange traded currency options. Literature Review Currency options are hedged to accomplish various desired outcomes that are predetermined by the individual or the company that engages in currency options transactions. The roles of exchange traded currency options in managing risks can be evaluated from two different perspectives. One, prices and rates of exchange in the option market must be assessed for their characteristic risk magnitude. Two, the marginal utility of the individual, investor or the investing company must be assessed for its relevancy in the context of exchange traded currency options. Holton (2003, p. 132) notes that risks that pertain to prices can neither be hedged nor insured. Risks that pertain to exchange rates in the foreign exchange market however, can be hedged . This is done through continued exchange of currencies that can be divided into simpler units that can continuously be handled. In other words, calls and puts therefore become essential in evaluating risk management in the light of exchange traded currency options. Risks associated with foreign exchange dealings are more or less business risks as Lam (2003) notes. Numerous international corporations face unaccountable business risks that do not threaten their daily business aspects, but also the long term operations and performance. The management is accountable for overseeing financial stability. In the light currency options, multinational corporations account for risky business circumstances by engaging in international transactions especially those that involve foreign

Borrowed Theories guiding practice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Borrowed Theories guiding practice - Coursework Example This theory is employed in nursing to review and assess individual’s intentions to adopt a health conduct such as the identification and choosing of a contraceptive. In this case, the theory of planned behavior and reasoned action is used in nursing to promote health and prevent a disease. This theory has been used in health promotion model and extensively employed to evaluate exercise conducts of patients, alcohol use and the use of contraceptives (McEwen & Wills, 2014). The determinants of these behaviors are the apparent behavioral control and a plan to execute a behavior. Contingent on each of the conducts, the behavioral control and the relative significance of the plan differ. The plans to carry out an action are determined by the attitudes of the individual towards the behavior (McEwen & Wills, 2014). This theory offers a definition of the components of attitudes towards the behavior. For instance, the attitude of the individual engrosses the beliefs that the person holds towards the behavior and the positive and negative effects linked to engaging in the conduct. For instance, in the behavior of using condoms, an individual’s intention to use a condom may be determined by the social pressures to use it and the prevention of

An esay about the culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An esay about the culture - Essay Example This particular civilization and culture was one that developed in an isolated area of the globe in which little if any interaction with foreign cultures took place. As a result of this, the unique cultural level of development place within the Eskimo culture was almost entirely naked; not borrowing from the experiences, religions, points of view, or technologies that other cultures might have provided. By means of comparison and contrast, the culture of the Arabs was one that impacted greatly upon other regions in and around those areas that were primarily settled by Arabs. The underlying impact that geography had with regards to this level of cultural development had to act that there were few if any actual barriers within the Arab world between those regions that they colonized, traded with, and impacted in terms of their religion. When viewing North Africa, or the Arabian Peninsula for that matter, is readily noted that few if any barriers exist with respect to individuals freely moving about. As compared to the litany of different cultures, religions, and philosophies that existed within a divided Europe, the similarity and cohesion that existed within the Arab cultures was facilitated by this overall lack of geographic barriers. Finally, the cultures of South America, prior to the introduction of Europeans to this land, were extraordinarily insular. This is not to say that powerful empires such as the Inca did not exist; rather, it merely helps to underscore the fact that even though these powerful empires existed, they only had an immediate cultural impact within a close geographic proximity of themselves. However, unlike the case of the Eskimo culture which is previously been discussed, the issue that was exhibited within South America in pre-Columbian times had to do with the fact that the geography of South America was so formidable and differentiated. Massive rivers, high mountain ranges, deserts, and dense jungles

Database Usage Memorandum Essay Example for Free

Database Usage Memorandum Essay Database means a compilation or collection of data and information in defined or meaningful manners. This compilation of data or information concerning a specific theme or topic, in a distinct, well-organized and compacted way is known as database. The data and information salvaged and kept in database is extremely related and create data recovery simple and quick. Few examples of database are Airplane Timetables, Library card index and personal address books. (What is database? a definition from Whatis. com) Database Management System or DBMS are the soft wares or application soft wares which are used in organizations or companies of all sizes to pile up, keep, recover and process database regularly and quickly. Therefore, the definition of Database Management systems can be written as: The computer program or application software which is written particularly to generate, keep and access database in compact and useful styles. These days there are numerous types of soft wares which are excellent and quality database management systems. Oracle, Microsoft Access and DB2 are few examples. However, Oracle is one of the hugely used Database management systems in industry, companies or organizations these days. The functioning and characteristics of other database management systems are good and effective but Oracle is more vastly used database software in use in organizations. (White) The importance or suggestion of oracle is mostly based on its characteristics and reputation. Oracle users are extremely pleased and comfortable with the setting, facilities and characteristics supplied by Oracle. Banking Industry or Banks are one of the largest and growing organizations in a world. Without any disbelief banks has the largest number of clients or customers. Therefore, banks need and wants such database application software which should perform the necessities of banks. Oracle is software which performs and fulfills all the needs and wants of employees of banking industry. These are the few common characteristics of Oracle which proves its importance and dependability in the banking industry. (Financial Banking) In banks, one of the major and main problems or thread is the shortage or limitation of time. Banks are the organizations that have a largest amount of branches network. Therefore, in this circumstances oracle provide the facility to process data and information at a highest speed available today. Moreover, oracle provides the access to the relevant data by identifying the authority of employees. This facility increases the speed of network and reduces the work load on the servers and networks. (Financial Banking) Oracle is an object rational database and object to oriented database. This is one of the most important features of Oracle. Oracle has a capability to take care of data and information of any organization as objects and can show relation among different objects. In banking industry, there are several types of bank accounts based on the nature of banks offers. Therefore, oracle can treat these sorts of accounts separately. Moreover, oracle executes and works at a high speed which reduces the time consumption. Another facility is that oracle can describe the standard functions and procedure that can act upon them. (Financial Banking) For the success or complete working of any database system, it is very important to have enough man power who can work on database. As far as Oracle is concerns, there is a huge amount of people who are expert in using oracle. Moreover, in universities and colleges students prefer to learn Oracle more than any other database management system. Therefore, presence of oracle experts is another major point which makes oracle the first choice in banking industry. (Financial Banking) Security is another problem for banks these days. Banks are responsible of providing security to the money of their clients. Moreover, it is also very important to secure the personal data of their clients too. Oracle provides the facility of security more than other database management systems available today. Oracle ensures the access of important data to the authorized and relevant users only. However, all unauthorized users can view a small amount of information but the main and vital information is secured in oracle. (Financial Banking) Banks are commonly having branches all over the especial region or area and these branches are usually linked through computer networks. Therefore, it is very vital to consider that each bank branch have same data about the entity. So, when some entity gets updated the main database is updated, and then it triggers to update an event for its entire replicates region wide. In this way all branches get updated and all have the latest and the most recent information about entity is available. (Financial Banking) Maintaining database can create problems when it comes to treat with a huge amount of data. Employees in any organization can face problems when they came across a huge amount of data. This huge amount of data contains a lot of irrelevant data too. However, Oracle can reduce the irrelevant data by itself. Oracle deletes the repetition or duplication of data. If more than one relation of an entity is to be considered, the separate relational table is created. In this way an entity remains unique with in the table. (Financial Banking) Oracle database due to its powerful characteristics, lower waste of time, user friendly environment, un ambiguous data use and storage, security and safety of data and capacity to control data efficiently could be considered as a right choice for the complex systems for instance Banking System. Work Cited White, David. What is a Database Management System?. 11 Aug 2008 http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-database-management-system. htm. What is database? a definition from Whatis. com. SQL Server: Covering todays SQL Server topics. 22 Jul 2008. 11 Aug 2008 What is database? a definition from Whatis. com. Financial Banking. Oracle 11g, Siebel, PeopleSoft | Oracle, The Worlds Largest Enterprise Software Company. 11 Aug 2008 http://www. oracle. com/industries/financial_services/banking. html.

Vodafone Advertising Strategies Analysis

Vodafone Advertising Strategies Analysis Marketing Strategy is a key part of overall corporate strategy, which is concerned with developing plans for finding out what customers want and then effectively meeting their requirements. Vodafones marketing aim is to attain market leadership, network quality and maximize the customer satisfaction. They strategy used by Vodafone is customer focused and product led; the company is continually developing new products and services which utilise the latest technological advances. The aim is extended to provide the customers with e value added services and also competitive charges to the existing customers. The objective of the study is to understand the advertisement strategies adopted by Vodafone Essar in India, and to study the effectiveness of the campaign of Vodafone- Indian Premiere League Season 2 and to make a study of effectiveness of the advertisement strategies of Vodafone in their current market. Vodafone is the most valuable as well as leading international telecommunication company. It has partnered a joint venture in the Indian market with the Essar Group. Essar is a perfect example of the diversified business corporation which is spanning the services and the manufacturing sectors, for eg, steel, shipping and logistics, communications, energy etc. This group has a base asset of about 400 million rupees and an employee group of more than 20,000 people. 21st September 2007, the launch of memorable joint venture, the Vodafone Essar group. Vodafone in India was welcomed with a fantastic phrase Hutch is now Vodafone campaign. Hutch was as it is very famous among people of India, now it was wisely transitioned to Vodafone. This was a significant chapter in the history of telecom, as the evolution of Vodafone, considered to be a very dynamic and at the time ever-growing brand. This brand across India was unveiled country wide through high profile ad-campaign. This migration of Hutch to Vodafone was the fastest and most comprehensive in the history, with 400,000 multi-brands outlets, from which over 350 were Vodafone stores, over 1,000 mini stores, over 35 mobile stores and over 3,000 touch points that were rebranded within 2 months. The company now has 74.08 million customers**. It has earned titles over the years that are Most Respected Telecom Company, the Best Mobile Services in the Country, Most Creative and Most Effective Advertiser of the Year. The study has found out that the advertisement strategies that have been used by the Vodafone Essar have give them better results by increasing their sales. This fact has been proved by the various research tools that can be used such as the correlation, hypethesis testing. This research will sure help the companies to work and improve their advertising strategies, because advertisements are the best ways to convince the people about our brand or product, and make their minds to go and get them. Problem Statement The research statement is To study and analyze the effectiveness of the advertisement strategies adopted by the Vodafone Essar Group The above problem statement quoted is not exactly a research that is to be performed instead it is an analysis to find out whether the advertisement of Vodafone Essar were effective or not. This study will definitely benefit the company by suggesting them if any future changes required in the present strategies. This will also help them in attaining good result in the next financial year with better sales. Research Objectives The objectives of the research are To understand the advertisement strategies of Vodafone Essar. A study of the effectiveness of the campaign used in the Indian Premiere League season -2. To study the effectiveness of the advertisement strategies in the current the market condition. Vodafones Marketing Strategies : Hutch to Vodafone Re-branding of Hutch with Vodafone Vodafones new advertisement strategies started with the very same and familiar character of pug, brand ambassador of Hutch, the hutch dog. Tagline previously was wherever you go, our networks follows with the pug following the child wherever he goes. The message given with the brand transition exercise was The new Vodafone is the same old Hutch. In the advertisement the pug finds a new house after it returns from an outing and feels that the new change is better. They came with the new catch phrase Make the most now. Vodafone had also tied up with the entertainment channels like Star India to run the advertisements and completely roadblock it for 24-hours with the rebranding campaign. Vodafone used all its commercial airtime on 13 channels in 5 different languages from 9pm 20th September to 9pm 21st September to show this campaign. Promotion of the Re-branding to the public Conventionally if we see, for any rebranding to be promoted requires ample period of time. But this challenge was readily taken by Star Network and Maxus, to make it as fast as possible by road blocking the channels on the day of rebranding taken place. Since Star is the leading network in India, this platform proved itself to be very beneficial for the launch of the Vodafone. This not only helped in promoting the brand awareness but also breaks the clutter going on the most happening sector of telecom. The print media came into picture on 21st September one day after the splash from the television. While the rebrand campaign were doing their work on television on the other hand the company was preparing itself to fight the price war, which was again very important factor firstly in telecom sector and secondly in the Indian market. Entry of Vodafone in the Handsets Market Vodafone also launched low-costs handsets to its new subscribers under the Vodafone brand and also co-branded the handsets sourced from the other global vendors. This was done by bringing many low- costs handsets from around the world into India. Vodafone distributed these handsets through its network of 400,000 outlets. By doing all this Vodafone also became a mass mobile phone brand along with continuing to stay as the telecom service provider. The above strategy was used by the CDMA players like RCOM and TATA Tele-services but Vodafone was the first GSM to do this. The Vodafone, a communication leader in an increasingly connected world also enriches the lives of the consumers, helping the individuals, businesses and also the communities to be more connected by delivering them their total communication needs. Vodafones logo is itself a representation of that belief the start of a new conversation, a trigger, a catalyst, a mark of true pioneering. Advertising is the most frequently used tool to support or promote the rebranding, also its very easy, flexible and quick to change. There are also many examples where advertising has rebranded and repositioned or strengthen brands. There were also examples which developed strong emotional link with the public. The advertising agency of Hutch and now Vodafone, O M(Ogilvy and Mather) had two-folded task to do, first to announce the entry of Vodafone to India and second to highlight the transition of Hutch to Vodafone. Which they did very wisely with the pug, in a campaign they showed the pug coming out of the pink kennel and then entering into the red one, the pink color depicted Hutch whereas the red depicted the Vodafone. A more energetic and chirpier version of the song You and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ tune associated with Hutch was also played towards the end and it concludes Change is Good, Hutch is now Vodafone. Advertising agency that proved the success of Vodafone OM also introduced four commercials, which had animated boy and a girl who launched the logo of this new brand to consumers. The four creatives which were merely of 5 seconds included the duo peeping over the wall just to see the logo; parasailing with the logo flying high behind them; releasing a rocket bomb where the explosion in the air reveals the brand logo; and last was the trendy one in which curtain was raised in order to introduce the logo. Another bunch of four advertisements casted the very old Hutch dog pug. These commercials were of 10 seconds and they shot pug in the situations where he literally, saw red, color created the visual impact on the consumers this strategy made the public remember the color of the brand. The pug was shown in a basket that was red in color, popping from a red cart, drying itself on a mat which was also red in color, finally hiding itself in a beautiful red color blanket. Here also the target was fulfilled with the help of the punch line Hutch is now Vodafone. The print ads were working in their own way, in various languages and in various dailies. These print ads were made very simple as in a still shot of the pug was taken inside a red colored kennel. The same creative was used on the outdoor hoardings as well, in all the 16 circles in which Vodafone was now operating. It wasnt easy as it seems to be to integrate the two brands like Hutch and Vodafone. Hutch as is known is a subtle, understand the brand, while globally, Vodafone represents high energy, dynamics and young vitality, all these were represented by its bright red speech mark logo. And because of all this it always had a very energetic background music and feel of the ads. A few advertisement include Hutch is now Vodafone: if we watch any of the start channels or tuned to the 20-20 world cup, the ads were seen. On 11 February 2007, Vodafone agreed to acquire the controlling interest of 67% held by Cheung Kong Holdings in Hutch-Essar for US$11.1 billion and now had to rebrand itself so it had decided to run a new ad series which piggy banked on Hutchs dog mascot and the theme Change is Good. This required nearly 250 crores of spending by Vodafone, but they have successfully painted the town into their color that was red. The most interesting part of it was the 24 hours roadblock that was done on the day of rebranding on the channels of Star network, so that other than this one no other commercials was aired(apart from the in-channel promos). Vodafone also came up with the Valentine Day Special Ads: Vodafone released a very sweet and simple ad of the musical greetings that were targeted at the couples during the Valentine week. The feature of the campaign is its simplicity and believability and is quite well received. It uses the positioning Make the Most of Now enjoy the video. Vodafone Chota Credit Ink Ad: this ad came as a refreshing change and more so that this ad takes a very refreshing look at the school and at fountain pens. This ad creates very wonderfully subtle message which really puts the point of Chota(small) credit across. Vodafone and the Funny Advertisements Everyone likes Funny commercials. Creative people like creating them. Advertiser are pleased to be running them. The consumers enjoy watching them.(Roman and Mass, 1976) In market today there is a lot of competition among the producers, and a lot of choices among the buyers. There is actually a race for proving that one product is better than the other. Producers/ sellers apply a lot marketing skills and advertising strategies in gaining the attention of the public in market. Its a human nature to get attracted towards the things that relieve their minds from hectic schedule. Companies spend millions of dollars to make the public smile and make them buy their products. This can be done through the below ways: Funny ideas for advertisements Make customers Hoardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..use funny Billboard! Mascots dance to your tune by wearing funny costumes! Press the laughter button while they watch TV (zoo-zoo) Make Catchy Jinglesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Your stars would Twinkle!! Want heaps of money..Use inflatable that are funny Vodafone ZOOZOOZ Innovation is always a part of advertisements and the advertising agencies reach out for new ways to capture the prospective consumers heart. Vodafone capitalizes on the innovative ideas and always came with the new advertisements that took the brand on heights always. Out of all the commercials launched by Vodafone, ZOOZOOZ are the best. OM the mastermind behind Vodafone Zoozooz Advertisements and the main objective was to set the position of Vodafone as an innovative leader in the mobile services sector. The promotion strategy was to hit massive levels by maximising the target audience. IPL-2 was the best option for Vodafone to do go for. The advertising strategy behind it proved itself from the fact that the name Zoozooz got coupled with the brand Vodafone and gathered more publicity and reception than IPL. Repetition of the advertisements of Zoozooz may bore the viewers, so OM came up with new Zoozooz Ad every day. Zoozooz were the new brand ambassador for Vodafone, has created a furore in the advertising industry. Zoozooz succeeded in giving the exact makeover Vodafone was looking for along with amazing brand presence. ZOOZOOZ strategy hit in the market The main reason of the advertisement to succeed was that is was very well planned and launched during the time of the Indian Premiere League- 2 using it as its platform. Cricket in India in nothing less than religion, and Zoozooz captured attention of all those people who saw the matches, and this count was huge nearly 2 billion people were targeted through this campaign. People were so attracted that they use to wait eagerly for the break to come and to watch more stories of Zoozooz. Zoozooz has become such a hero in history of advertisements that people will not forget in generations to come. Zoozooz are basically animated character, with egg shaped head, round belly, but hands and legs are extremely thin. It was brand new and innovative concept and also Vodafone wonderfully promoted their services by creating different and more interesting stories featuring Zoozooz in it. The charm of the Zoozooz was so much that self-marketed strategy was also followed and they were instant success to the mass of people. Zoozooz for themselves created such huge audience and also gave boost to the brand of Vodafone. People were as it is excited about the cute and lovable character zoozoo, but this curiosity heighted when Vodafone disclosed that Zoozooz were not animated, rather humans were playing their characters. People became hungrier to know about their favourite Zoozoo. In the second phase Vodafone started promoting these characters on social media sites, which is considered to be a wise decision. People started joining fan club of Zoozooz on these social networking sites like Orkut, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and many more. Also the communication started building amongst these people. Vodafone also came up with the Zoozoo goodies like zoozoo toys, zoozoo mugs, zoozoo keychains, zoozoo t-shirt, etc. Zoozooz have now become a brand. Vodafone Zoozooz are the new Hutch Puppies One often wonders what is it about these advertisements that they clicked the people to certain extent. Is it merely because the Zoozooz are cute or is it because of the humour that is the base theme of the advertisements. Whatever it may but it has given Vodafone, the worlds leading mobile telecommunications company. Zoozooz were launched in the IPL-2 whereas in 2008 i.e. IPL-1 Vodafone came up the advertisement with tagline as Happy to Help services. An animated character was hired in 25 commercials to promote the various Value Added Services(VAS). Vodafone operates in the Oligopoly. Oligopoly is a market structure that has unique features because it is characterised by few sellers and mutual interdependence. Price, Quantity and Revenue are the main players of this market. There are various price wars (cutting down the price) as well as non price wars taking place. Advertising is the non-price war where advertisements are the way to cut the chance of the competitors by making use of various strategies. How did this Ad contribute to revenue Revenue in the three months ended June 30, 2009 rose to 10.7 pounds ($17.7 billion), in line with analyst estimates, clearly proved that the Ad has contributed maximum. Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao said that its total communications strategy was delivering well, with group data revenue 7 % higher than last years comparative period. He also said that the free cash flow generation was strong at  £ 1.9 billion, up 21%. But while Vodafone has shown signs of combating the recession; some areas of weakness still remained. Not considering the positive effect from foreign exchange fluctuations and acquisitions. Vodafone results also highlight several areas in its core businesses that require close attention. According to a report in the Telegraph on 24 July 2009, Vodafone the worlds largest mobile phone firm by revenues, reported sales in line with market expectations for that quarter to end-June as strength in India and Africa compensated for the weakness in Europe. According to CEO Vodafone added 8 million customers in this quarter, taking its proportionate customer base to 315 million. Growth in India and South Africa helped the mobile phone giant report a 9.3% rise in revenue in the three months to end of June to  £10.7 billion. Conclusion After going through the Advertisement Strategies of Vodafone, I conclude that promotion whether it be through print media or through the ads shown on television, plays a very important role in building a Brand. Hutch and Vodafone rebranding is the memorable and most big event in the telecommunication industry. And the advertisement made this event bigger by continuously broadcasting the ads for 24 hours on national television. The main motive is to make people know about your brand. And that is what is done excellently by Vodafone. The advertisement also puts a very big question in front of the other telecom companies, does having big movie stars and cricketers as their brand ambassador really help? Doesnt a simple white character with egg shaped head, round belly and thin legs called Zoozoo can gain the attention of masses. This is definitely a new trend and also a new wave. Thus it can be seen that oligopolistic market structure of this industry has played a significant role in the generation of revenue for Vodafone, especially through this unique advertising strategy.

Critique on Relational Dialectics Essay -- Sociology Sociological Essa

Critique on Relational Dialectics A Theory by Baxter and Montgomery Relational Dialectics concerns itself with trying to explain the intricacies of close interpersonal relationships such as those with a lover, close friend, or family. Written by two women, Leslie Baxter and Barbara Montgomery, it comes across a little more "touchy-feely" than other theories. This Humanist quality in the way it iw presented allows myself to critique Relational Dialectics in the following fashion. According to Griffin, there are five standards that are reliable to the critique of Humanist theories, and they are: New understanding of people; clarification of values; aestetic appeal; community agreement; reform society. Taking a closer look. New Understanding of People This standard looks at whether or not the theory opens up a new perspective that is uniquely human. When trying to understand the laws that govern relationships, Baxter and Montgomery looked at many relationships and found that there were contradictions, different expectations, and several other misconceptions. This led the...

Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcias A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

Magical Realism in Gabriel Garcia's A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings      Ã‚   "A Very old Man with Enormous Wings" (1955) is a short story by Garbriel Garcia Marquez, a Latin American author. This story contains many elements of Magical Realism, such as having one fantastic element while being reality based, having a deeper meaning, and having no need to justify or explain events or human actions. The magical elements in this story are the old man (that is assumed to be an angel) and the girl who was turned into a spider because she disobeyed her parents. The angel is the element in Magical Realism that discovers the mysterious parts in life. Most people believe in supernatural beings like angels. Angels are usually thought of as protecting and taking one to the afterlife. The angel was believed to have come to take the baby to heaven. Another magical element was the sicknesses of the people who came to be healed by the angel. There was "a poor woman who since birth had been counting her heartbeats and had ran out of numbers; a Portuguese man who couldn't sleep because the noise of the stars disturbed him; a sleep-walker who got up at night to undo the things he had done while awake" (527). The realistic elements include everything else in this story. The people's curiosity to the angel and the lady spider are authentic. This element shows the curiosity of everyday people. Another trait of people is shown by Peylo and Elisenda, who take advantage of the angel by keeping him in a chicken coop and charging admission to see him. The purpose of the lady spider may have been to scare children into obeying their parents. The girl was normal until one night when she went against her parents wishes to a dance. On her wa... ..., an angel and an everyday world are crossed, and no one doubts the appearance. The deeper meaning is told though the life of the angel after he was caged and has an impact on any that would read it. This short story would be good for anyone to read whether he or she had read many Magical Realism stories or if he or she have not. Gabriel Garcia Marquez does a perfect job of "transforming the common and everyday into the awesome and unreal" (Flores 114). I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Works Cited Flores, Angel. "Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction." Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durham; N.C.: Duke UP, 1995: 109-118. Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." The Norton Introduction to literature. Ed. Jerome Beaty. N.Y.: W.W. Norton and Company, 1996: 525-529.   

The Careers of Diplomat versus Attache in Victorian Times :: Victorian Era

Diplomat or Attachà ©: Which was the better job? How to become a Diplomat To become a diplomat, one must possess the art of diplomacy. They have to handle know how to negotiate, be well tempered and genteel. In order to become a diplomat Mr. Pitt Crawley must have had to earn and been awarded the position. In addition, he had to possess an art for politics and Etiquette. While in college Crawley mastered these diplomatic skills. He became the Private Secretary to Lord Binkie. He also became the Attachà © to the Legation at Pumpernickel. However, after ten years into this position he â€Å"gave up the diplomatic career and began to turn country gentleman† (Vanity Fair). Crawley prided himself on having manners. Thackeray even mentioned in Vanity Fair that Crawley would have been a great diplomat if not for early neglect. Crawley and the Victorians both had the ability to use deceptive tactics to accomplish certain goals. Modern Diplomacy Modern Diplomacy started in Eastern Europe and Russia during the 18th century. Diplomats were also called statesman. Diplomats were the eyes/ears/and mouth to the outside. They were the ambassadors, the dignitaries who work with the others to maintain civility and peace. They were usually members of the aristocracy (nobility). There were two types of diplomats: public and private. Private diplomats were accountants and investigators that complied information. Marcus Garvey described diplomacy as â€Å"the artful deception of opponents.† While in Parliament a Victorian would have had to deceive his opponents in order to win. The diplomats resolved conflict, restored peace, and respect. The Victorian Age was seen as a time of moral standards that were applied hypocritically. Diplomacy was described as artful deception, but the Victorians were supposed to have moral characters. It was easy to notice that the Victorian’s idea of morality was to give a superficial appearance of dignity and restraint. Today diplomats are referred to as Foreign Service officers. What was an Attachà © An attachà © was a technical expert on the diplomatic staff of his country at a foreign capital ("Attache"). The word attachà © comes from the French word â€Å"attacher.† The attachà © was like a secretary in that they both gathered information for their legation (a legation was an embassy). The job was usually appointed to a former Private Secretary of a Lord. One can either be a cultural attachà © or military attachà ©. An attachà © was also a specialist and they knew everything about what they were an attachà © for; whether it be a culture or a person.

Personal Finance

Thesis statement: why revitalization taking so long and the Impact that this revitalization process affect the resident In Clinton hill. (Topic sentence and main idea)2nd reasons: the government policy Hirsch process 2nd evidence: â€Å"It is ironic that after fighting disinvestment and seeking to encourage reinvestment for more than 20 years the revitalization value that PACK was trying to protect – is seriously threatened. 1 â€Å"Plans for a pedestrian plaza on Myrtle Avenue have been pushed back until summer due to glitches in the bidding process. This isn't the first hold up, which was championed by the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership. † â€Å"The public art component of the plaza was held up by Public Design Commission approval, according to Brownstones. â€Å"2 â€Å"has long been delayed even before 2013, from above said will be done by august 2013 and push again till next year 2015 summer. â€Å"Myrtle Minutes reported that construction will begin this summer and will last for more than a year. 3 (which they have mention will be finished only 2015) â€Å"Alex Barrett, a real-estate developer, unveiled his company's first construction -fence aural, at 4 and 8 Downing Street in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. ( server and a documentary â€Å"Dave Chapel's Block Party,† from 2005. ) a mural that related the building history. â€Å"eh did get approved and he feel suck a good thing why should go thru such Inconvenient process. 3rd reason: bad news 3rd evidence: â€Å"It is important to note that a substantial minority -23 percent -of Clinton Hill's population in 1950 was black, having increased 37 percent over 1940.Although the black population as a whole appeared to have a lower socioeconomic status than all Clinton Hill residents, the proportion of black was not substantially less than that for Brooklyn as a whole. More important, black households were more likely than white Clinton Hill residents to won their dw elling in 1950. â€Å"5 † A final factor that may have limited the speed of revitalization was the Image of the neighborhood. The New York magazine article quoted earlier refers to Fort Greene as a † rough† area. 6 1 OFF police protection and everything, as expected. â€Å"7 Form the physical observe tracing, in front of Bamboo gill and bar there were two black men talks to a black girl. I listened to their conversation while walking across is kind of intimidate you and gross. With one of the guy persistently putting his hand in his pant. 5th reason:barn raising 5th evidence: † A unique aspects of the revitalization in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill is that the proportion of nonwhite residents increased through the last decade. Clearly, one of the major underpinnings of the revitalization of these two neighborhoods is the continuing attraction of these areas to black middle-class households, many of whom undoubtedly are young professionals. â€Å"8 â€Å"Th rough her (Mr.. James) activism she had been able to witness the varying ways that people try to affect change in the neighborhood. â€Å"9 â€Å"As I described in chapter 2, local community based organizations have also played an integral role in revitalization these neighborhoods. 10 â€Å"These social aspects include the myriad ways that neighbors influence one's behavior. Most common in the popular imagination is the notion of peer effects. Peer effects suggest that like follows like and individuals will be influenced by the behavior of their peers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The perspectives Just described examine how an individual's behavior is shaped by the socioeconomic composition of his or her neighbors. The collective community, however, also has a voice in shaping the neighborhood milieu through collective action.A neighborhood is more than the sum of individuals but is an entity itself and can be thought of as more or less effective in achieving its objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Final ly, more affluent neighbors might also be a benefit because of their indirect influence on institutions that serve the neighborhood. I refer to this as institutional resources and consider the role of the gentry in shaping this important component of neighborhood life as well. 11 6th reason: difference or conflict with†¦ Some enjoy with current and some want change (interactions between the gentry and old residents. 6th evidence: â€Å"In addition, a greater proportion of the work force in Clinton Hill (27 percent) than in the entire borough (20 percent) was employed in white-collar occupations. â€Å"12 the sudden improvement, even if beneficial, was also insulting. â€Å"13 â€Å"But there were still people who looked with reverence on the old structure and wished to see it survive the depredations of what was know in those days as â€Å"urban renew. â€Å"14 7th reason: old house n relax 7th evidence: Many brownstones along the streets ringing the park are abandoned, t heir front yards littered with burned mattresses and glass; the rooming houses nearby are crowded.On sunny summer and fall afternoons the prostitutes and winos overflow their stoops at night the blare of music is never far off†¦. â€Å"1 5 â€Å"According to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the area retains its original character today, The area was designated a New York City Historic District in 1978 and a National Historic District in 1983. â€Å"16 â€Å"By 1880, the area within the historic district was almost entirely built-up. â€Å"17

Cognitive science Essay

Stylistics is the study and interpretation of texts from a linguistic perspective. As a discipline it links literary criticism and linguistics, but has no autonomous domain of its own. [1][2] The preferred object of stylistic studies is literature, but not exclusively â€Å"high literature† but also other forms of written texts such as text from the domains of advertising, pop culture, politics or religion. [3] Stylistics also attempts to establish principles capable of explaining the particular choices made by individuals and social groups in their use of language, such as socialisation, the production and reception of meaning, critical discourse analysis and literary criticism. Other features of stylistics include the use of dialogue, including regional accents and people’s dialects, descriptive language, the use of grammar, such as the active voice or passive voice, the distribution of sentence lengths, the use of particular language registers, etc. In addition, stylistics is a distinctive term that may be used to determine the connections between the form and effects within a particular variety of language. Therefore, stylistics looks at what is ‘going on’ within the language; what the linguistic associations are that the style of language reveals. * | Early twentieth century The analysis of literary style goes back to Classical rhetoric, but modern stylistics has its roots in Russian Formalism,[4] and the related Prague School, in the early twentieth century. In 1909, Charles Bally’s Traite de stylistique francaise had proposed stylistics as a distinct academic discipline to complement Saussurean linguistics. For Bally, Saussure’s linguistics by itself couldn’t fully describe the language of personal expression. [5] Bally’s programme fitted well with the aims of the Prague School. [6] Building on the ideas of the Russian Formalists, the Prague School developed the concept of foregrounding, whereby poetic language stands out from the background of non-literary language by means of deviation (from the norms of everyday language) or parallelism. [7] According to the Prague School, the background language isn’t fixed, and the relationship between poetic and everyday language is always shifting. [8] Late twentieth century Roman Jakobson had been an active member of the Russian Formalists and the Prague School, before emigrating to America in the 1940s. He brought together Russian Formalism and American New Criticism in his Closing Statement at a conference on stylistics at Indiana University in 1958. [9] Published as Linguistics and Poetics in 1960, Jakobson’s lecture is often credited with being the first coherent formulation of stylistics, and his argument was that the study of poetic language should be a sub-branch of linguistics. [10] The poetic function was one of six general functions of language he described in the lecture. Michael Halliday is an important figure in the development of British stylistics. [11] His 1971 study Linguistic Function and Literary Style: An Inquiry into the Language of William Golding’s ‘The Inheritors’ is a key essay. [12] One of Halliday’s contributions has been the use of the term register to explain the connections between language and its context. [13] For Halliday register is distinct from dialect. Dialect refers to the habitual language of a particular user in a specific geographical or social context. Register describes the choices made by the user,[14] choices which depend on three variables: field (â€Å"what the participants†¦ are actually engaged in doing†, for instance, discussing a specific subject or topic),[15] tenor (who is taking part in the exchange) and mode (the use to which the language is being put). Fowler comments that different fields produce different language, most obviously at the level of vocabulary (Fowler. 1996, 192) The linguist David Crystal points out that Halliday’s ‘tenor’ stands as a roughly equivalent term for ‘style’, which is a more specific alternative used by linguists to avoid ambiguity. (Crystal. 1985, 292) Halliday’s third category, mode, is what he refers to as the symbolic organisation of the situation. Downes recognises two distinct aspects within the category of mode and suggests that not only does it describe the relation to the medium: written, spoken, and so on, but also describes the genre of the text. (Downes. 1998, 316) Halliday refers to genre as pre-coded language, language that has not simply been used before, but that predetermines the selection of textual meanings. The linguist William Downes makes the point that the principal characteristic of register, no matter how peculiar or diverse, is that it is obvious and immediately recognisable. (Downes. 1998, 309) Literary stylistics In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, Crystal observes that, in practice, most stylistic analysis has attempted to deal with the complex and ‘valued’ language within literature, i. e.  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœliterary stylistics’. He goes on to say that in such examination the scope is sometimes narrowed to concentrate on the more striking features of literary language, for instance, its ‘deviant’ and abnormal features, rather than the broader structures that are found in whole texts or discourses. For example, the compact language of poetry is more likely to reveal the secrets of its construction to the stylistician than is the language of plays and novels. (Crystal. 1987, 71). Poetry As well as conventional styles of language there are the unconventional – the most obvious of which is poetry. In Practical Stylistics, HG Widdowson examines the traditional form of the epitaph, as found on headstones in a cemetery. For example: His memory is dear today As in the hour he passed away. (Ernest C. Draper ‘Ern’. Died 4. 1. 38) (Widdowson. 1992, 6) Widdowson makes the point that such sentiments are usually not very interesting and suggests that they may even be dismissed as ‘crude verbal carvings’ and crude verbal disturbance (Widdowson, 3). Nevertheless, Widdowson recognises that they are a very real attempt to convey feelings of human loss and preserve affectionate recollections of a beloved friend or family member. However, what may be seen as poetic in this language is not so much in the formulaic phraseology but in where it appears. The verse may be given undue reverence precisely because of the sombre situation in which it is placed. Widdowson suggests that, unlike words set in stone in a graveyard, poetry is unorthodox language that vibrates with inter-textual implications. (Widdowson. 1992, 4) Two problems with a stylistic analysis of poetry are noted by PM Wetherill in Literary Text: An Examination of Critical Methods. The first is that there may be an over-preoccupation with one particular feature that may well minimise the significance of others that are equally important. (Wetherill. 1974, 133) The second is that any attempt to see a text as simply a collection of stylistic elements will tend to ignore other ways whereby meaning is produced. (Wetherill. 1974, 133) Implicature In ‘Poetic Effects’ from Literary Pragmatics, the linguist Adrian Pilkington analyses the idea of ‘implicature’, as instigated in the previous work of Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson. Implicature may be divided into two categories: ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ implicature, yet between the two extremes there are a variety of other alternatives. The strongest implicature is what is emphatically implied by the speaker or writer, while weaker implicatures are the wider possibilities of meaning that the hearer or reader may conclude. Pilkington’s ‘poetic effects’, as he terms the concept, are those that achieve most relevance through a wide array of weak implicatures and not those meanings that are simply ‘read in’ by the hearer or reader. Yet the distinguishing instant at which weak implicatures and the hearer or reader’s conjecture of meaning diverge remains highly subjective. As Pilkington says: ‘there is no clear cut-off point between assumptions which the speaker certainly endorses and assumptions derived purely on the hearer’s responsibility. ’ (Pilkington. 1991, 53) In addition, the stylistic qualities of poetry can be seen as an accompaniment to Pilkington’s poetic effects in understanding a poem’s meaning. Stylistics is a valuable if long-winded approach to criticism, and compels attention to the poem’s details. Two of the three simple exercises performed here show that the poem is deficient in structure, and needs to be radically recast. The third sheds light on its content. Introduction Stylistics applies linguistics to literature in the hope of arriving at analyses which are more broadly based, rigorous and objective. {1} The pioneers were the Prague and Russian schools, but their approaches have been appropriated and extended in recent years by radical theory. Stylistics can be evaluative (i. e.judge the literary worth on stylistic criteria), but more commonly attempts to simply analyze and describe the workings of texts which have already been selected as noteworthy on other grounds. Analyses can appear objective, detailed and technical, even requiring computer assistance, but some caution is needed. Linguistics is currently a battlefield of contending theories, with no settlement in sight. Many critics have no formal training in linguistics, or even proper reading, and are apt to build on theories (commonly those of Saussure or Jacobson) that are inappropriate and/or no longer accepted. Some of the commonest terms, e. g. deep structure, foregrounding, have little or no experimental support. {2} Linguistics has rather different objectives, moreover: to study languages in their entirety and generality, not their use in art forms. Stylistic excellence — intelligence, originality, density and variety of verbal devices — play their part in literature, but aesthetics has long recognized that other aspects are equally important: fidelity to experience, emotional shaping, significant content. Stylistics may well be popular because it regards literature as simply part of language and therefore (neglecting the aesthetic dimension) without a privileged status, which allows the literary canon to be replaced by one more politically or sociologically acceptable. {3} Why then employ stylistics at all? Because form is important in poetry, and stylistics has the largest armoury of analytical weapons. Moreover, stylistics need not be reductive and simplistic. There is no need to embrace Jacobson’s theory that poetry is characterized by the projection of the paradigmatic axis onto the syntagmatic one. {4} Nor accept Bradford’s theory of a double spiral: {5} literature has too richly varied a history to be fitted into such a straitjacket. Stylistics suggests why certain devices are effective, but does not offer recipes, any more than theories of musical harmony explains away the gifts of individual composers. Some stylistic analysis is to be found in most types of literary criticism, and differences between the traditional, New Criticism and Stylistics approaches are often matters of emphasis. Style is a term of approbation in everyday use (â€Å"that woman has style†, etc.), and may be so for traditional and New Criticism. But where the first would judge a poem by reference to typical work of the period (Jacobean, Romantic, Modernist, etc. ), or according to genre, the New Criticism would probably simply note the conventions, explain what was unclear to a modern audience, and then pass on to a detailed analysis in terms of verbal density, complexity, ambiguity, etc. To the Stylistic critic, however, style means simply how something is expressed, which can be studied in all language, aesthetic and non-aesthetic. {6} Stylistics is a  very technical subject, which hardly makes for engrossing, or indeed uncontentious, {7} reading. The treatment here is very simple: just the bare bones, with some references cited. Under various categories the poem is analyzed in a dry manner, the more salient indications noted, and some recommendations made in Conclusions. Published Examples of Stylistic Literary Criticism G. N. Leech’s A Linguistic Guide to English Poetry (1969) Laura Brown’s Alexander Pope (1985) Roy Lewis’s On Reading French Verse: A Study in Poetic Form (1982) George Wright’s Shakespeare’s Metrical Art. (1988) Richard Bradford’s A Linguistic History of English Poetry (1993) Poem The Architects But, as you’d expect, they are very Impatient, the buildings, having much in them Of the heavy surf of the North Sea, flurrying The grit, lifting the pebbles, flinging them With a hoarse roar against the aggregate They are composed of — the cliffs higher of course, More burdensome, underwritten as It were with past days overcast And glinting, obdurate, part of the Silicate of tough lives, distant and intricate As the whirring bureaucrats let in And settled with coffee in the concrete pallets, Awaiting the post and the department meeting — Except that these do not know it, at least do not Seem to, being busy, generally. So perhaps it is only on those cloudless, almost Vacuumed afternoons with tier upon tier Of concrete like rib-bones packed above them, And they light-headed with the blue airiness Spinning around, and muzzy, a neuralgia Calling at random like frail relations, a phone Ringing in a distant office they cannot get to, That they become attentive, or we do — these Divisions persisting, indeed what we talk about, We, constructing these webs of buildings which, Caulked like great whales about us, are always. Aware that some trick of the light or weather Will dress them as friends, pleading and flailing — And fill with placid but unbearable melodies Us in deep hinterlands of incurved glass.  © C. John Holcombe 1997 Metre Though apparently iambic, with five stresses to the line, the metre shows many reversals and substitutions. Put at its simplest, with: / representing a strong stress representing a weak stress x representing no stress, and trying to fit lines into a pentameters, we have -| /| x| x| x| /| -| | x| /| x| | But| as| you’d| ex| pect| | they| are| ve| ry| x| /| x| x| /| x| /| x| | x| x| Im| pat| ient| the| build| ings,| hav| ing| much| in| them| x| x| | x| /| x| x| | /| /| x x| Of| the| heav| y| surf| of| the| North| Sea,| flurr| ying| x| /| -| /| x| x| /| x| /| x| | The| grit,| | lift| ing| the| pebbl| es,| fling| ing| them| | x| /| -| /| x| | x| /| x| | With| a| hoarse| | roar| a| gainst| the| agg| re| gate| x| | x| /| | x| /| /| x| x| /| They| are| com| posed| of,| the| cliffs| high| er| of| course| | /| x| | -| /| x| / | x| | | More| burd| en| some,| | un| der| writ| ten| as| | x| /| x| /| -| /| -| /| x| /| | It| were| with| past| | days| | o| ver| cast| | x| /| x| | /| x| | -| /| x| x| And | glit| ter| ing,| ob| du| rate,| | part| of| the| -| /| x x x| /| -| /| -| /| x x| /| x x| | Sil| icate of| tough| | lives| | dist| ant and| in| tricate| -| | x| /| x| /| x| | -| /| x| | As| the| whir| ring| bu| reau| crats| | let| in| x| /| x x| /| x| | x| /| x| /| x| And | set| tled with| cof| fee| in| the| con| crete| pal| lets| x| /| x x| /| x| | x| /| x| /| x| A| wait| ing the| post| and| the| de| part| ment| meet| ing| x| | x| /| x | /| x| x| | /| x| Ex| cept| that| these| do not| know| it, | at| least| do| not| -| /| x| /| x| /| x| /| x| | x| | Seem| to| be| ing| bus| y| gen| ER| all| y| | x| /| x x| /| x| | x| /| x| /| x| So| per| haps| it is| on| ly| on| those| cloud| less| al| most| -| /| x| /| x| | x| /| x x| | /| x| | Vac| uumed| af| ter| noons| with| ti| ER u| pon| ti| ER| x| /| x| | /| /| -| /| x| /| x| | Of| con| Crete| like| rib| bones| | packed| a| bove| them| | x| /| | /| x| | x| /| /| x| | | And | they| light| head| ed,| with| the| blue| air| i| ness| | -| /| x x| /| x| /| x| | x| /| x x| | | Spin| ning a| round| and| muz| zy,| a| neu| ral| gia| | -| /| x x| /| x x| /| x| /| x x| /| | | Cal| ling at| ran| dom like| frail| re| lat| ions a| phone| | -| /| x x x| /| x| /| x x| /| x| /| x| | Ring| ing in a| dist| ant| of| fice they| can| not| get| to| x| /| x| /| x| /| x x| /| /-| | | That| they| be| come| at| ten| tive, or| we| do| these| | x| /| x x| /| x x| /| | x| /| x| /| Di| vis| ions per| sist| ing, in| deed| what| we| talk| a| bout| -| /| x| /| x x| /| x| /| x| | | | We,| con| struct| ing these| webs| of| build| ings| which| | -| /| x| /| | /| x| /| x x| /| x| | Caulk| Ed | like| great| whales| a| bout| us are| al| ways| x| /| x x| /| x x| /| x| /| x| | | A| ware| that some| trick| of the| light| or| weath| ER| | | | /| x x| /| -| /| x x| /| x| | | Will| dress| them as| friends| | plead| ing and| flail| ing| | | x| /| x| /| x| | x| /| x x| /| x x| And| fill| with| plac| id| but | UN| bear| able | mel| odies| -| /| x| | -| /| x x x| /| | /| | | Us | in| deep| | hint| erlands of| in| curved| glass| | Poets learn to trust their senses, but even to the experienced writer these (tedious) exercises can pinpoint what the ear suspects is faulty, suggest where improvements lie, and show how the metre is making for variety, broad consistency, shaping of the argument and emotive appeal. Though other scansions are certainly possible in the lines above, the most striking feature will remain their irregularity. Many lines can only roughly be called pentameters; Lines 16 and 17 are strictly hexameters; and lines 27 and 28 are tetrameters. In fact, the lines do not read like blank verse. The rhythm is not iambic in many areas, but trochaic, and indeed insistently dactylic in lines 9 and 10, 21 and 22 and 28. Line 27 is predominantly anapaestic, and line 3 could (just) be scanned: x x| / x| /| x x | /| | /| x x | Of the| heavy| surf| of the North| Sea| | flurr| ying| Reflective or meditative verse is generally written in the iambic pentameter, and for good reason — the benefit of past examples, readers’ expectations, and because the iambic is the closest to everyday speech: flexible, unemphatic, expressing a wide range of social registers. Blank verse for the stage may be very irregular but this, predominantly, is a quiet poem, with the falling rhythms inducing a mood of reflection if not melancholy. What is being attempted? Suppose we set out the argument (refer to rhetorical and other analyses), tabbing and reverse tabbing as the reflections as they seem more or less private: {8} 1. But, as you’d expect, 2. they are very impatient, the buildings, 3. having much in them of the heavy surf of the North Sea, 4. flurrying the grit, 5. lifting the pebbles, 6. flinging them with a hoarse roar against the aggregate they are composed of — the 7. cliffs higher of course, more 8. burdensome, 9. underwritten as it were with past days 10. overcast and glinting, 11. obdurate, 12. part of the silicate of tough lives, 13. distant and intricate as 14. the whirring bureaucrats 15. let in and settled with coffee in the concrete pallets, awaiting the post and the department meeting — 16. except that these do not know it, 17. at least do not seem to, being busy, 18. generally. 19. So perhaps it is only on those cloudless, almost vacuumed afternoons with tier upon tier of concrete like rib — bones packed above them, and 20. they light-headed 21. with the blue airiness spinning around, and 22. muzzy, a 23. neuralgia calling at random like 24. frail relations, a 25. phone ringing in a distant office they cannot get to, that 26. They become attentive, 27. or we do — 28. these divisions persisting, 29. indeed what we talk about, 30. we, constructing these webs of buildings which 31. caulked like great whales about us, are 32. always aware that some trick of the light or weather will dress them as friends, 33. pleading and flailing — and 34. fill with placid but unbearable melodies 35. us in deep hinterlands of incurved glass. The structure should now be clear. Where Eliot created new forms by stringing together unremarkable pentameters, {8} this poem attempts the reverse: to recast an irregular ode-like structure as pentameters. And not over-successfully: many of the rhythms seemed unduly confined. But once returned to the form of an eighteenth century Pindaric ode, however unfashionable today, the lines regain a structure and integrity. Each starts with a marked stress and then tails away, a feature emphasized by the sound patterns. {9} Sound Patterning To these sound patterns we now turn, adapting the International Phonetic Alphabet to HTML restrictions: 1. But | as | you’d | expect | u | a | U | e e | b t | z | y d | ksp kt | 2. They | are | very | impatient | the | buildings | A | a(r) | e E | i A e | e | i i | th | – | v r | mp sh nt | th | b ld ngz | 3. Having | much | in | them | of | the | heavy | surf | of | the | North | Sea | a i | u | i | e | o | e | e | e(r) | o | e | aw | E | h v ng | m ch | n | th m | v | th | h v | s f | v | th | n th | s | 4. flurrying | the | grit | u E i | e | i | fl r ng | th | gr t | 5. lifting | the | pebbles | i i | e | e | l ft ng | th | p b lz | 6. flinging | them | with | a | hoarse | roar | against | the | aggregate | they | are | composed | of | i i | e | i | e | aw | aw | e A | e | a E A | A | a(r) | o O | o | fl ng ng | th m | w th | – | h s | r | g nst | th | gr g t | th | – | k MP zd | v | 7. the | cliffs | higher | of | course | more | e | i | I e | o | aw | aw | th | kl fs | h | v | s | m | 8. burdensome | u(r) e e | b d ns m | 9. underwritten | as | it | were | with | past | days | u e i e | a | i | (e)r | i | a(r) | A | nd r t n | z | t | w | w | p st | d z | 10. overcast | and | glinting | O e(r) a(r) | a | i i | v k St | nd | gl NT ng | 11. obdurate | o U A | bd r t | 12. part | of | the | silicate | of | tough | lives | (a)r | o | e | i i A | o | u | I | p t | f | th | s l k t | v | t f | l vz | 13. distant | and | intricate | i a | a | i i e | d St NT | nd | NT r k t | 14. as | the | whirring | bureaucrats | a | e | e(r) i | U O a | z | th | w r ng | b r kr ts | 15. let | in | and | settled | with | coffee | in | the | concrete | pallets | e | i | a | e ie | i | o E | i | e | o E | a e | l t | n | nd | s tl d | w th | k f | n | th | k Kr t | p l Ts | awaiting | the | post | and | the | department | meeting | e A i | e | O | a | e | E e | E i | w t ng | th | p St | nd | th | d p tm NT | m t ng | 16. except | that | these | do | not | know | it | e e | a | E | U | o | O | i | ks pt | th | th z | d | n t | n | t | 17. at | least | do | not | seem | to | being | busy | a | E | U | o | E | U | E i | i E | t | l St | d | n t | s m | t | b ng | b z >/td> | 18.generally | e e a E | j nr l | 19. so | perhaps | it | is | only | on | those | cloudless | almost | vacuumed | afternoons | O | e(r) a | i | i | O | o | O | ou e | aw O | a U | a(r) e oo | s | p h ps | t | z | nl | n | th z | kl dl s | lm St | v k md | ft n nz | with | tier | upon | tier | of | concrete | like | rib | bones | packed | above | them | and | i | E e(r) | e o | E e(r) | o | o E | I | i | O | a | e u | e | a | w th | t | p n | t | v | k nkr t | l k | r b | b nz | p Kt | b v | th m | nd | 20. they | light | headed | A | I | e e | th | l t | h d d | 21. with | the | blue | airiness | spinning | around | and | i | e | U | (A)r i e | i i | e ou | a | w th | th | bl | r n s | sp n ng | r nd | nd | 22. muzzy | a | u E | e | m z | – | 23. neuralgia | calling | at | random | like | U a E a | aw i | a | a o | I | n r lj | k l ng | t | r nd m | l k | 24. frail | relations | a | A | e A e | e | fr l | r l zh nz | – | 25. phone | ringing | in | a | distant | office | they | cannot | get | to | that | O | i i | i | e | i a | o i | A | a o | e | oo | a | | f n | r ng ng | n | – | d St NT | f s | th | k n t | g t | t | th | | 26. they | become | attentive | A | E u | a e i | th | b k m | t NT v | 27. or | we | do | aw | E | oo | – | w | d | 28. these | divisions | persisting | E | i i e | e(r) i i | th z | d v zh nz | p s St ng | 29. indeed | what | we | talk | about | i E | o | E | aw | e ou | in d | wh t | w | t k | b t | 30. we | constructing | these | webs | of | buildings | which | E | o u i | E | e | o | i i | i | w | k nz str Kt ng | th z | w bs | v | b ld ngz | wh Ch | 31. caulked | like | great | whales | about | us | are | aw | I | A | A | e ou | u | a(r) | k kd | l k | gr t | w lz | b t | s | – | 32. always | aware | that | some | trick | of | the | light | or | weather | will | dress | them | as | friends | aw A | e (A)r | a | u | i | o | e | I | aw | e e(r) | i | e | e | a | e | lw z | w | th t | s m | tr k | v | th | l t | – | w th | w l | dr s | th m | z | Fr ndz | 33. pleading | and | flailing | E i | a | A i | pl d ng | nd | fl l ng | 34. will | fill | with | placid | but | unbearable | melodies | i | i | i | a i | u | u A(r) a e | e O E | f l | w th | PL s d | b t | n b r b l | m l d z | | 35. us | in | deep | hinterlands | of | incurved | glass | u | i | E | i e a | o | i e(r) | a(r) | s | n | d p | h NT l ndz | v | nk v d | GL s | Sound in poetry is an immensely complicated and contentious subject. Of the seventeen different employments listed by Masson {10} we consider seven: 1. Structural emphasis All sections are structurally emphasized to some extent, but note the use (in decreasing hardness) of * plosive consonants in sections 1, 5, 6, 7, 10-13, 19, 28-50; 31 and 35. * fricative and aspirate consonants in sections 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 19, 25, 28, 32, 35. * liquid and nasal consonants in sections 3, 4, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 31-35. Also: * predominance of front vowels — in all sections but 6, 7, 11, 16, 17, 19 and 31. * predominance of vowels in intermediate positions — only sections 16 and 17 having several high vowels and section 3 low vowels. 2. Tagging of sections Note sections 1, 7, 13 and 15. 3. Indirect support of argument by related echoes * Widely used, most obviously in sections 3-7, 12-13, and 15. 4. Illustrative mime: mouth movements apes expression * Sections 2, 6, 11-13, 19, 31 and 35. 5. Illustrative painting * Sections 3-6, 10-13, 15, 19 and 33. Most sections are closely patterned in consonants. Those which aren’t (and therefore need attention if consistency is to be maintained) are perhaps 8, 9, 14, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 27. Originally the poem was cast in the form of irregular pentameters. But if this is set aside in favour of the 35 sections listed above, how are these sections to be linked in a self-evident and pleasing form? A little is accomplished by alliteration: * f in sections 3 to 7. * s and t in sections 12 to 15 * w in sections 29 to 32 And also by the predominance of front and intermediate level vowels, but these do not amount to much. Certainly we do not find that the overall shaping of the poem emphasizes the argument or content. Sociolinguistics Language is not a neutral medium but comes with the contexts, ideologies and social intentions of its speakers written in. Words are living entities, things which are constantly being employed and only half taken over: carrying opinions, assertions, beliefs, information, emotions and intentions of others, which we partially accept and modify. In this sense speech is dialogic, has an internal polemic, and Bakhtin’s insights into the multi-layered nature of language (heteroglossia) can be extended to poetry. {11} Much of Postmodernist writing tries to be very unliterary, incorporating the raw material of everyday speech and writing into its creations. This poem seems rather different, a somewhat remote tone and elevated diction applying throughout. Let us see what’s achieved by grouping under the various inflections of the speaking voice. * urgently confidential But, as you’d expect, cliffs higher, of course, that they become attentive or we do * obsessively repetitious flurrying the grit, lifting the pebbles, flinging them†¦ burdensome, underwritten†¦ overcast and glinting, obdurate * over-clever silicate of tough lives  distant and intricate constructing these webs of buildings distracted and/or light-headed except that these do not know it at least do not seem to with the blue airiness spinning around calling at random like frail relations * melancholic and/or reflective some trick of the light or weather will dress them as friends pleading and flailing and fill with placid but unbearable melodies. The exercise hardly provides revelation. Heteroglossia is an interweaving of voices, moreover, not shifts of tone or reference. And yet there is something very odd about the opening line. Why should we expect the buildings to be very impatient? This is more than the orator’s trick of attracting attention, since the animate nature of buildings and their constituents is referred to throughout the poem. To be more exact, the attitude of the inhabitants — observers, bureaucrats, architects — to the buildings is developed by the poem, and is paralleled by the tone. But why the confidential and repetitious attitude at the beginning. Why should we be buttonholed in this manner? Why the But, which seems to point to an earlier conversation, and the urgency with which that earlier conversation is being refuted or covered up? Because the blame for something is being shifted to the buildings. What error has been committed we do not know, but in mitigation we are shown the effect of the buildings on other inhabitants. Or perhaps we are. In fact the whirring bureaucrats seem to grow out of the fabric of buildings, and we do not really know if the we, constructing these webs of buildings is meant literally or metaphorically. The poem’s title suggests literally, but perhaps these constructions are only of the mind: sections 17, 20-29, 32 and 34 refer to attitudes rather than actions, and there is an ethereal or otherworldly atmosphere to the later section of the poem. So we return to heteroglossia, which is not simply borrowed voices, but involves an internal polemic, {12} that private dialogue we conduct between our private thoughts and their acceptable public expression. The dialogue is surely here between the brute physicality of a nature made overpoweringly real and the fail brevity of human lives. That physicality is threatening and unnerving. If the we of the later section of the poem is indeed architects then that physicality is harnessed to practical ends. If the constructing is purely mental then the treatment is through attitudes, mindsets, philosophies. But in neither case does it emasculate the energy of the physical world. Architects may leave monuments behind them, but they are also imprisoned in those monuments (us in deep hinterlands) and hearing all the time the homesick voice of their constituents. Conclusions: Suggested Improvements The greatest difficulty lies in the poem’s structure. An pentameter form has been used to give a superficial unity, but this wrenches the rhythm, obscures the sound patterns and does nothing for the argument. If recast in sections defined by rhythm and sound pattern the form is too irregular to have artistic autonomy. A return could be made to the eighteenth century Pindaric ode in strict metre and rhyme, but would require extensive and skilful rewriting, and probably appear artificial. A prose poem might be the answer, but the rhythms would need to be more fluid and subtly syncopated. Otherwise, blank verse should be attempted, and the metre adjusted accordingly. The internal polemic is a valuable dimension of the poem, but more could be done to make the voices distinct. http://www. textetc. com/criticism/stylistics. html1. On StylisticsIs cognitive stylistics the future of stylistics? To answer this question in the essay that follows, I will briefly discuss Elena Semino and Jonathan Culpeper’s Cognitive Stylistics (2003), Paul Simpson’s Stylistics (2004), and a recent essay by Michael Burke (2005). However, because questions are like trains – one may hide another – any discussion of the future of stylistics raises intractable questions about stylistics itself. French students of stylistics, for example, will come across definitions of the discipline like the following. According to Brigitte Buffard-Moret, â€Å"si les definitions de †¦ [la stylistique] – que certains refusent de considerer comme une scien