Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Example

Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Example Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Write a critical appreciation of Sakis Shredni Vashtar putting it in the context of your reading in the Gothic tradition Essay Shredni Vashtar (1910) is a story of relationships and escape. It is an example of equivocal gothic, according to Montague Summers categorizations in his essay The Gothic Quest: A history of the Gothic novel (1938). The story is typical to the Gothic genre as it contains ideas of exploring the unconscious, and the idea of metaphorical constraints (like those of Conradin due to his illness and his controlling guardian) represented by physical and literal constraints (like that of Shredni Vashter). Conradin is a curious character, whos reality seems to drive him into his own imagination, as he feels happier in his own world than in the world of Mrs. De Ropp. Freud in his works spoke about two major principles, the pleasure principle which opposes the reality principle. Conradin bases his life on the principle of escaping his reality in search of happiness and pleasure in his own world Perhaps Conradins masking of his dislike for Mrs. De Ropp is an element of the pleasure principle which avoids conflict and displeasure in favour of gratification and happiness. Gothic novels are often praised for exploring (and often prematurely) ideas, which Freud explored and legitimised. An important element of Gothic is infertility, as it represents death and paths the way for the authors vivid description of the narrators or characters surroundings. In this story, the dull, cheerless garden with few fruit trees and dismal shrubbery seems to reflect Conradins own life, which is full of wearisome things. The garden is described as an arid waste which creates the uncanny atmosphere so needed for a successful Gothic story. The subject of the uncanny is a Freudean idea used frequently in Gothic to arouse a sense of dread, horror and terror. The Gothic makes places obviously unheimlich (or un-homely) such as The Garden, or Heimlich (homely) such as the shed, which is described as a haven to create differing dimensions of fear from the locations in the story. The Garden is used to represent Conradins reality, always under surveillance by Mrs. De Ropp as it is overlooked by so many windows. The Shed however is representative of Conradins imagination, an escape, which is his own, hidden and private from his dominating and controlling guardian. An interesting idea I noticed in the story is the portrayal of religion, the ferret which promotes fear and curiosity in Conradin is associated with being a God, whereas the Houdan hen, the only character to which the boy lavished an affection that had scarcely another outlet is associated with being an Anabaptist (a Christian group who believe in belief baptism, or the re-baptising of adult believers). This is interesting because Conradin associates Mrs. De Ropp with respectability as well as normal Christianity (as it says The Woman indulged in religion) and so seeks anything but. This could be involving ideas of nature versus nurture, as Mrs. De Ropps loveless, cold and domineering treatment of her cousin has resulted in his loneliness and his desire to be independent in his beliefs rather than to learn from his guardian as children are expected to. Conradin is ill, and has but a short time to live, this is typical to the Gothic genre as deterioration is important rather than progression. Mrs. De Ropps short-sighted eyes which she uses to peer at the boy with may be used to show her lack of perception at the boys feelings towards her, and toward his own life, I believe this is important as it is repeated twice in the story in quick succession and I therefore believe that we as readers are supposed to pity Conradin. Her lack of knowledge may be used to speak out against societies and leaders rules, which are reflected by Mrs. De Ropps. There may be some gender issues as well, as Mrs. De Ropp is described as being a middle-class feminist who said that making toast gave trouble, she may have issues with Conradins gender as it seems as if Mrs. De Ropp has no children of her own, perhaps she would rather have a healthy girl of her own than an ill son who is not. The locked hutch door is a threshold, these are very important at perfectly concealing and releasing evidence and further knowledge of what is happening in gothic stories. This locked door is the division, which keeps Conradin away from what he so fears, as well as keeping Mrs. De Ropp away from the secret he so loves (Shredni Vashtar). The ferret parallels Conradin himself, as he is metaphorically imprisoned by his guardian and his illness, unable to reach his full potential in life, just as the captured and literally imprisoned Shredni Vashtar is. Typical adjectives are scattered in this story to create a better sense of atmosphere, such as cold, darkness and dusk. Shredni Vashtar is, for Conradin, the embodiment of his own suppressed power and anger, his thoughts were red thoughts and his teeth were white. Our reactions to the killing of Mrs. De Ropp are strange, as we cannot help but feel slightly victorious if not a little pleased. It is ironic that in the end Mrs. De Ropp transforms from the capturer to the one that frees them both from captivity. Conradin is a dark character as we see him doing to Shredni Vashtar, what he so hates about his own life, control, obsession and captivation. There are few characters with no dark aspects to them in this story, and it is hard to know which one to support. This is a clever technique as it replicates the confusion felt by Gothic characters in most stories. I believe that the escape of Shredni Vashtar is a possible representation of Conradins own future, as the two parralel one another, and Shredni Vashtar is the doppelganger or dark double of Conradin. The doctor who analysed Conradin with an early death is said to be effete a term regarding a person who seeks money (which he surely would receive for the purchase of Conradins medicine) and lacks a sense of responsibility I can not help but be left with the feeling that the short-sighted Mrs. De Ropp and her doctor may be wrong about Conradin. Mrs. De Ropp refuses to accept his health as this way she could exert more power over him, and the doctor is simply greedy for money. Conradin is freed with Shredni Vashtar, and I believe he is freed to of his metaphorical illness posed by enlightenment figures. This brings in another important Gothic trope, which is the mocking of the enlightenment.

Personal development record Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Personal development record - Coursework Example environment issues incorporated in the module presented not only the responsibilities of an engineer but that the profession has great influence in several areas in the society. The site visit and guest talk added value and made the profession a real life experience. The aims and objectives of the module were well presented in the consecutive lectures. All lectures were relevant to the module towards molding of civil engineers. Lack of procurement case studies that assist in critical thinking of real life situations made the lecture slightly difficult to understand. Some lectures presented in power point slides like the Guest lecture required that they be availed to students with more emphasis on assignments to aid student be critical thinkers. The learning approaches used in the module were classroom lectures, guest talk, site visit, and group discussions. The classroom lectures were vivid and relevant to the topics of study. Through the guest talk and site visit, issues of concern in construction practice were well understood. Acquiring professional accreditation from engineering bodies such as The Institution of Structural Engineers, The Institution of Highway & Transportation, ICE, and Joint Board of Moderators among others at no cost. Professional attributes cover engineering knowledge, application, management and leadership, independent judgement, commercial ability, health safety and welfare and sustainable development. The module was well presented although interfered with reticence of individuals. At the same time, research and writing of own notes makes one get a better understanding of the subject. A career talk can be organized for the future classes, conducted with professional engineers from engineering institutions and companies. This will motivate the learner to have vision for the career. Visits incorporated in the module enhances better understanding of the module The lecture enabled me learn that a procurement route is a way of making sure

Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

2 - Assignment Example The McWane Story included various issues which are contrary to the obligations and requirements of a good employer. This include important problems and issues with the balance between profitability and the requirement for ethics in relation to social and environmental matters that culminated into health and safety issues and major employment challenges that led to important and serious problems for the employees of the organization. Primarily, McWane was fundamentally involved in ensuring that profitability was at the center of its practice and its operations. This includes the focus on profits rather than other issues and matters like working with sensitivity and concerns for employees and workers. This led to a strong desire and a strong quest for attaining profits without concerning workers of the plant. OSHA Rules have various requirements for employers like McWane. This includes the fact that employers are required to follow health and safety in protecting employees in dealing with their work. However, McWane’s Tyler Pipes plant was one that overlooked numerous processes and systems that was necessary to improve profitability. However, this process was limited because the firm focused significantly on profits without concerning themselves with the demands and expectations of workers. Safety was sacrificed for meeting productivity targets and for ensuring that workers continue to attain important results and important ends. This led to numerous accidents and processes that led to important processes and systems. The management practices and processes of McWane were such that workers were required and expected to adhere to strict management practices and standards. The implication was that the managers had to overlook important employment statutes including some Common Law and other legal requirements for the regulation of employee

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words - 1

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS - Essay Example Relational exchanges are supported by more frequent communication activity. McDonalds is one of the largest fast food chains in the world with more than 30,000 restaurants across the world (Sweney 2004). It operates in innumerable markets, in different countries and cities and thus caters to consumers with different cultures, backgrounds, languages and tastes. Thus its marketing communication plan is not standardised and needs tailoring for different markets. Previously McDonalds focused primarily on the US and thus the marketing communication was similar in all the regions as the market characteristics were the same. However, argue Brinkman and Brinkman (2002) as the US market saturated, challenges increased as McDonalds surged new markets abroad. Though the marketing mediums are similar in all the countries, however, as per Fill (2006), the extent to which communication medium is used depends upon the market exposure to that medium. As Brinkman and Brinkman (2002) explain, it realised that it could not appeal to all the countries together so it adopted the ‘brand globally, act locally’ strategy to communicate its messages. For instance according to Douglas, in China, the trend is that when consumers watch TV, the in-between advertisements between programs are generally ignored. Thus keeping this in mind, McDonalds thought that it was a waste to spend large sums of money on TV commercials and thus it concentrated on print m edia in China. At the same time, adds Cheung (2006) the few TV commercials it ran in the country featured more male kids than female, as it is a male dominated society. In East Asia, as Schultz and Philip (1999) exemplify, McDonalds concentrates on TV commercials and features children in them to optimise the results. To retain the attention of customers in the US, McDonalds employed the interactive method of advertising via television where the viewers could participate in a competition

Mindless Machines :: Essays Papers

Mindless Machines The official foundations for "artificial intelligence" were set forth by A. M. Turing, in his 1950 paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" wherein he also coined the term and made predictions about the field. He claimed that by 1960, a computer would be able to formulate and prove complex mathematical theorems, write music and poetry, become world chess champion, and pass his test of artificial intelligences. In his test, a computer is required to carry on a compelling conversation with humans, fooling them into believing they are speaking with another human. All of his predictions require a computer to think and reason in the same manner as a human. Despite 50 years of effort, only the chess championship has come true. By refocusing artificial intelligence research to a more humanlike, cognitive model, the field will create machines that are truly intelligent, capable of meet Turing's goals. Currently, the only "intelligent" programs and computers are not really intellige nt at all, but rather they are clever applications of different algorithms lacking expandability and versatility. The human intellect has only been used in limited ways in the artificial intelligence field, however it is the ideal model upon which to base research. Concentrating research on a more cognitive model will allow the artificial intelligence (AI) field to create more intelligent entities and ultimately, once appropriate hardware exists, a true AI. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines intelligence as the capacity to apprehend facts and propositions, to reason about them, and the ability to understand them and their relations to each other. A. M. Turing had this definition in mind when he made his predictions and designed his test, commonly known as the Turing test. His test is, in principle, simple. A group of judges converse with different entities, some computers and some human, without knowledge of which is which. The job of the judges is to discern which entity is a computer. Judges may ask them any question they like, "Are you a computer?" excepted, and the participants may answer with anything they like, and in turn, ask questions of the judges. The concept of the test is not difficult, but creating an entity capable of passing the test with current technology is virtually impossible. Current AI entities are only different applications of algorithms already in heavy use and are not actually intelligent.

Navitas Kaplan Case Essay

The competition relationship between the Navitas and Kaplan is based on high educational service. They both play an important role at own educational fields and geographical fields. According to Brandenburger and Nalebuffs Value Net model Assume that Navitas is the company and Kaplan is one of competitors of Navitas. Most of customers are international students because of the target market of the Navitas. And the suppliers can be universities that have a positive relation with the Navitas such as Griffith University. Moreover, complementor can be student accommodation, good transport connections and appropriate shopping facilities such as a post office in the school. Additionally, the value of Navitas wants to add which is customer loyalty, and it is implemented very well. There is an increasingly number of international students especially Chinese students and Indian students are attracted to entry Navitas for Language improvement and preparation of university. Rules specify ways of attracting customers with strategies such as tuition fee of price-matching. Tactics are the practices sometimes used to take away a competitors possible market share, for example, Navitas provides university pathways programs. Scope is the final part, used to take a broader prospective and create links between competitors games and interests and see how co-opetition can benefit the players. Also, using the 5Qs (pp. 32-33) assess 2. What is Navitas business strategy How well is it performing Navitas business strategy 5Qs What amount of growth and level of profitability does the organisation plan to achieve It wants to grow and be quite profitable. What products and services does it plan to produce Its services are programs leading to higher education in English-speaking countries. What customer and geographic markets does it plan to service Its customers are students, especially international students. What generic strategy does it plan to follow to position itself uniquely against competitors It focuses to form relationships with established, highly credible universities. What position does it plan to hold in the future It wants to be universally recognised as the most trusted global learning organisation in the world. Navitas is a diversified global education provides that offers an extensive range of educational service for students and professionals including university programs, language courses, workforce education and student recruitment. By 2009, the company had become the largest private provider of international pathway students to Australian  universities. Moreover, the goal of the company is expanding its initial position as a university pathway program to a global education provider. Additionally, the corporate strategy of Navitas is to create seamless education pathways for students. Besides, most of Navitass colleges were also located at or near university campuses, providing students with convenience and at the same time leveraging the reputation of university. Due to Navitas also provides English language courses for most low IELTS grades international students before they enter university, the competitors fail to attract more international students. In the future, Navitas prefer to increase and strengthen relations with oversea universities and local campus expansion, and the important point is still focus on international students education. 3. What is Kaplans corporate strategy What is its business strategy in Australia How well is it performing Kaplans corporate strategy Kaplan wants to grow reasonably rapidly and be profitab le. It is a related corporation. All businesses of the corporation relate to each other. The businesses are all in the education and training areas, particularly in business-related or professional areas. The position that Kaplan wants to achieve is to be one of the worlds largest diversified education companies. What amount of growth and level of profitability does the organisation plan to achieve What products and services does it plan to produce What customer and geographic markets does it plan to service What generic strategy does it plan to follow to position itself uniquely against competitors What position does it plan to hold in the future The mission of Kaplan is to help people achieve their educational and careers goals. Kaplan wants to grow in both breadth and depth of education offerings to cover the need of individuals throughout their lifetime, such as test preparations and admissions, kids and schools, meanwhile expanded and increased professional development programs in Australia as quick as possible as well as appointed chief executive of Kaplan Australia to oversee the companys expansion in the country. 4. To what extent is Kaplan a threat to Navitas What should Navitas do to address this Clearly Kaplan and Navitas are competitive relationship in Australia, especially the expansion of Kaplan in Australia is a direct challenge to Nacitass position in the educational market. Kaplan has found its way to make an agreement with a Go8 university whereas Navitas has struggled to get entry to this group. It would signal that Kaplans services  may be better than Navitas in quality terms. It is a negative impact for Navitas in the education industry. Navitas should seek to grow internationally, trying to increase the international market share to make itself more famous and more attractive. On the other hand, Navitas should try to make an agreement with Go8 universities to steady the market share in Australia. 5. To what extent is Navitas a threat to Kaplan What should Kaplan do to address this Navitas entry into the US market is an threat to Kaplan. However, thus the US market is so large and the universities that Navitas is dealing with are not attractive enough, Navitas is difficult to cause any future threat to Kaplan. At this stage, it seems that it is not necessary for Kaplan to worry about the threat from Navitas. Kaplan should maintain the quality of service in US market and pay more attention to expand other markets. 6. To what extent do Navitas, Kaplan and similar organisations threaten existing government higher education institutions, such as universities and TAFEs The organizations like Navitas and Kaplan play multiple roles which can be competitor and complementor with existing government higher education institutions. They share student resource and built own brands to attract them. Moreover, overseas students are more profitable than domestic students. Universities are able to charge full-fees for overseas students, while most domestic placements attract a lower fee. Hence, Navitas and Kaplan pay more attention on the international educational markets, but TAFEs prefer to train professional skills to domestic students for their future careers. The difference of target market of these universities can be operated by them to maximize profits. 7. What should universities do to address this The university should improve the quality of its own service and programs, to be more customer-focused. Moreover, university can work with these profit-based organisations and clearly delineate which services and programs each should provide.

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