Reviewing Martin Scorsese

More than just a filmmaker, Martin Scorsese is the self-appointed guardian of American cinema history. For him, the cinema of the present is always and necessarily influenced by the past. Scorsese commands immense critical respect; whether juggling big budgets and mainstream connections with large studios, delivering star vehicles and box-office successes, or indulging in more personal projects, Scorsese has retained his reputation as â€Å"the quintessential maverick auteur† (Andrew 21).An independently minded cinephile, his relationship to popular cinema has been an extremely productive one. While best known for the savage but complex exploration of masculinity and violence in films such as the New York-based Taxi Driver (1976), the scorching biographical boxing picture Raging Bull (1980), the epic gangster narrative Goodfellas (1990), or the controversial The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Scorsese’s output has been extremely varied. This paper reviews three of hi s films: Taxi Driver, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Gangs of New York (2002).Religion is a consistent theme in Scorsese’s films: almost all of his major male characters voice a fascination with religion in some form. Mean Streets’ (1973) Charlie is obsessed with the idea of his own spiritual purpose. The archetypal selective devotee, his desire to do penance is at odds with his actions: â€Å"he acts like he's doing it for the others, but it's a matter of his own pride† (Scorsese 48). Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle believes himself to be acting out God's rage against the lowlife of New York city; Cape Fear's (1991) Max Cady is likewise fixated; while Raging Bull's Jake LaMotta punishes his body both in training and in the boxing ring in an attempt to atone for his sins.These earlier films seem to be leading towards Last Temptation of Christ’s explicit wrestling with Christianity. Attracting intense reactions from some religious groups, the film, based o n Nikos Kazantzakis' novel, presents a non-biblical Jesus beset by doubts and fears about his identity and mission, constantly, oppressively tempted by evil. A human being much more than the incarnate Word of God, this Jesus is strongly tempted also sexually, and only by a superhuman effort of the will is he able to achieve a final victory. Scorsese argued that it was his intention to show Christ as a real man rather than as a faultless spiritual being.Thus, Christ's (Willem Dafoe) inner emotional struggle and the consistently female image of sin converge, if one is to accept Scorsese's interviews, in making the film as much a working through of his own identity as the story of Christ: â€Å"Jesus has to put up with everything we go through, all the doubts and fears and anger†¦he has to deal with all this double, triple guilt on the cross. That's the way I directed it, and that's what I wanted, because my own religious feelings are the same.† (Corliss 36)It is clear that the major objection of the protesters to this film had to do with its long final sequence, in which Jesus comes down from the cross and walks into an earthly paradise, where he marries first Mary Magdalene and then, as a widower, Mary, the sister of Lazarus. By her and her sister Martha, he has a number of children.The problem is that people who had not seen the film, or who had seen it but not very perceptibly, had no idea that these events happen in a fantasy sequence, a daydream-like temptation to the domestic life carefully formulated by Satan to discourage the crucified Jesus from living fully his mission of salvation. Moreover, it is a temptation sequence represented by Scorsese as a fantasy, something evident in the film language of the sequence, and as a temptation-fantasy that Scorsese has Jesus overcome: he returns to the cross and dies victorious.The Last Temptation of Christ can be interpreted in two distinct ways; either it posits Christ as a human being, or it raises Scorsese's vision of masculine identity to an omnipotent spiritual level. Notions of masculinity, a sense of community and the influence of religion on personal identity are all themes common to Scorsese films. In fact, the film suggests an attempt to universalize masculine experience by having these themes transported from the usual urban, late twentieth-century setting to biblical times.Objections to the film's depiction of Jesus as sexual perhaps served to divert attention away from another more uncomfortable theme; that masculine identity is defined in terms of existential conflict and growing self-awareness, while women remain confined to earth, sexuality and Original Sin. Though Scorsese cannot be simply cast as a misogynist, his personal perspective and belief systems are unashamedly patriarchal, grounded in Catholicism. Women feature mainly on a symbolic level, serving as projections of male spiritual conflicts (even, it might be argued, in The Age of Innocence).Whether nove l, romance, myth, epic, or film, narratives have relied on the presence of the â€Å"hero† as a sign of the human’s search of an ideal. Scorsese's Taxi Driver portrays a character, Travis Bickle, who is alternately an inversion, a corruption, and a variation of the idea of the hero. The film constructs a â€Å"literary city†, an archetypical topos in a story of the mass and the individual, where the â€Å"mass† creates â€Å"a peculiar kind of anti-community within the dissociated culture† (Pike 100).A chain of ironies defines Bickle placed into this setting and defines a new universal truth: anonymity and isolation amid a dense population, an instantaneous repugnance with and attraction for the magnified extravagance and corruption of the city, an estrangement from others which grows with increasing closeness, and an anti-social behavior and a pathological psychology absurdly born of the quest for ideals.In Taxi Driver, Bickle sees metropolitan so cial order as a material hell in a period of a dying God (or already dead God). He places himself in an adversarial connection with the world in general, and he pursues the ideals of self-realization and spiritual reconciliation in ironically repulsive actions. In addition, Bickle maintains a wicked sense for the sacred, and this distorted piety or holiness is manifest in his discourse suggestive of the confession genre, in his wrath for an immoral society, and in his sympathy for the oppressed and browbeaten (archetypically rendered in the form of a prostitute). Bickle recognizes his status as God’s lonely man. He writes in his confessional mode: â€Å"Loneliness has followed me all my life. The life of loneliness pursues me wherever I go: in bars, cars, coffee shops, theaters, stores, sidewalks. There is no escape. I am God's lonely man.†The opening montage of Scorsese’s Taxi Driver launches a series of optical themes, and the images of eyes, mirrors, and glas s symbolize Bickle’s perception of this spiritually bankrupt and spiritually bereft environment. The director manages his editing and camera angles to highlight the protagonist seeing the world through mirrors or glass, particularly the rear-view mirror and the windshield of the taxi, through which all important characters enter: Sport and Iris in a brief glance in his mirror; Palantine in his rear-view mirror; and Betsy through the sheets of an all-glass office. In general, the film mirrors French Existentialist the influence, and the setting, lighting, and mise-en-scene – especially in the darkness of the film – owe a debt to film noir, contributing to the understanding of the struggle of the protagonist.Overall, Bickle represents something more than alienation and social disenfranchisement, since God’s lonely man suffers in metaphysical misery because of the materialization of a world where the True, the Good, and the Beautiful have lost their meaning. In effect, Bickle is a prophet attacking Babylon, but without any assurance of liberation; he is also Theseus in the maze of the city but with no Olympus and no Ariadne. In this state of spiritual bleakness and spiritual poverty, Bickle retains an intuitive longing for the ideal â€Å"but no longer possesses the capacity for identifying, exemplifying or realizing it† (Swensen 267).While isolation and crises of identity are key themes that permeate many of Scorsese's films, they necessarily include explorations of community, or brotherhood against which the isolation, or level of identification for an individual can be measured. This is one of the major themes of one his most recent films, Gangs of New York.Obviously, the director’s explorations of community and brotherhood stem partly from his commentary on his personal experiences, his sense of his home community and of the people he has known. In most cases this sense of docu-realism extends only so far as setting. This film is concerned not only with political, social, and economic conflicts, but also spiritual conflict. In one of his interviews about Gangs of New York, Scorsese states:[During the Civil War] the North and South were fighting for causes. The nativists [whose slogan was â€Å"America for Americans†] and the Irish were fighting for the right to live and the right to live together, but they were dying for it, too. If people believe in something strongly enough they're going to die for it, and that's a major problem in the world today. In the film – as in today's world – religion is used in a militant way. (Scorsese 1)This film is also a characteristic of violence in many of Scorsese’s films: â€Å"The 20th century was arguably the most violent in human history, but the most violent century in American history was the 19th. Poor people, political parties, and gangs would demonstrate, and there was violence constantly.† (Scorsese 2) Alongside the romance of the gangster and of male ritual that is so much in evidence in this film, Amsterdam Vallon and Bill â€Å"the Butcher† Cutting can both be understood in terms of a journey towards salvation through self-knowledge.The themes in Taxi Driver, The Last Temptations of Christ, and Gangs of New York are dominated by the search for self-awareness: â€Å"the individual is trapped in solitude morale and can escape from it†¦if he or she comes to see their condition and then extend themselves to others and then to God† (Hess 20). Scorsese's preoccupations are evident in his work and in his many interviews. Shortly after the opening of his film The Last Temptation of Christ, Scorsese, commented, â€Å"I made it as a prayer, an act of worship. I wanted to be a priest. My whole life has been movies and religion. That's it. Nothing else.† (Kelly 6)Works CitedAndrew, Geoff, Stranger than Paradise: Maverick Film-makers in Recent American Cinema. London: Prion, 199 8.Corliss, Richard, â€Å"Body†¦and Blood†, Film Comment 24.5 (1988): 36-42.Hess, John, â€Å"La Politique des auteurs: Part I World View as Aesthetic†. Jump Cut, 1 May/June (1974): 20-22.Kelly, Mary Pat, Martin Scorsese: A   Journey. New York: Thunder's Mouth, 1991.Scorsese, Martin, Scorsese on Scorsese, David Thompson and Ian Christie (Eds.). London: Faber and Faber, 1996.Scorsese, Martin, Gangs of New York – Martin Scorsese – Interview. (December 2002). Retrieved December 5, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/?noadc=1Swensen, Andrew J.   â€Å"The Anguish of God's Lonely Men: Dostoevsky's Underground Man and Scorsese's Travis Bickle†. Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature 53.4 (2001): 267.

Brave New World: A Shortened Long Form Essay

The Author and His Times Aldous Huxley was born to an elite and intellectual family on July 26, 1894. His family consisted of writers and scientists, and he felt obliged to have the same success. When he was younger, he showed more intelligence and insight than the rest of the children. He also, however, had a rather large head which kept him from walking until he was two. His large head also gave him the childhood nickname of â€Å"Ogie†, which was short for Ogre (Brave New World P.S. 3). In school he was interested in becoming a scientist. However, at the age of sixteen, he contracted an illness which rendered him almost completely blind. In one of his letters to George Orwell, he stated that, â€Å"Since poor sight makes it necessary to ration my reading, I had to wait a long time before being able to embark on Nineteen Eighty-Four†(Brave New World P.S. 12). His condition did not stop him from graduating from Oxford with honors; however it did stop him from serving in the military during WWI with his friends. He was married twice and had one son, named Matthew Huxley. Aldous wrote about forty- seven books during his lifetime, but his most popular are all novels. He wrote a few of the books while experimenting with drugs such as LSD, which he believed allowed a person to achieve an expanded mind. However, the influences that affected him were not all drug related. Other things and events that may have influenced him include his mother dying of cancer when he was fourteen, his life in England and his social status, his visit to America, and his beliefs about drugs and insanity. Form, Structure, Plot, and Point of View The novel flows in chronological order, however, it often switches between two or more conversations, which can be confusing. The novel starts with Henry Foster guiding a group of young scientists through the lab where embryos are decanted. He explains the processes and shows them how the infants are conditioned to like and dislike certain objects based on their class. Outside the group sees Mustapha Mond, one of the world leaders, and he tells them about History. In the girl’s bathroom, Lenina is being berated by her friend for having an exclusive relationship with Henry Foster. It is strange because in this world â€Å"everyone belongs to everyone else† (Brave New World 43). She admits, however, that she finds Bernard Marx. In another part of the building, Bernard is furious at Henry and the Assistant Predestinator for treating Lenina and talking about her like a piece of meat. Later, Lenina accompanies Bernard on a trip to the Savage Reservation. There, they meet Linda, the Director’s ex-lover, and her son John. The sight of the aged people and mothers revolts both Bernard and Lenina. When they return to their home, Bernard pulls some strings and the two savages are allowed to live with them. Linda revolts the other women and the Director resigns when she says that he made her have a baby. Linda then locks herself in her room taking soma holiday after holiday, which would eventually kill her. Meanwhile, John has made Bernard quite popular, and he is able to get more girls. However, the live in London revolts John, and when he refuses to attend a party, Bernard’s social success instantly plummets. Bernard introduces the boy to his friend Hemholtz. The two like each other, but john is laughed at when he recites Shakespeare. Lenina becomes obsessed with John, and tries to seduce him. It does not work, and he responds with more Shakespeare. After he makes a call and finds out his mother is dying from the soma. When the lower class boys who are getting their death conditioning say that she is ugly, John loses it and starts a riot. This is probably the main conflict, because John, Hemholtz, and Bernard are arrested and sent to Mustapha Mond. In his office, John and Mond discuss the World State’s Policies. Mond explains to john why art, religion, and science have been done away with. An argument breaks out, and Hemholtz and Bernard are sent to a far away island. John lives in a light house. When word gets out of his location, he is met by several London citizens. He reacts by taking out his whip. An orgy takes place, and in the end he hangs himself for submitting to the World State Society. Characters Bernard Marx is a male Alpha who was mistaken for a lower class when he was decanted. It resulted in him being smaller than the other alphas, which is his source of insecurity. He does not take interest in sports like the other normal people, and has unorthodox beliefs about relationships and community events. In a conversation about Bernard between Lenina and Fanny, Lenina says, â€Å"Bernard’s an Alpha Plus. Besides, he asked me to go to one of the Savage Reservations†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"But his reputation?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"What do I care about his reputation?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"They say he doesn’t like obstacle golf†¦ and then he spends most of his time by himself- alone† (Brave New World 44-45). Lenina was being questioned by Fanny about her seriousness on having relations with Bernard because of his reputation. However, he is in love with Lenina and would love to have a relationship with her, but his unorthodox mind is furious at the way she treats herself and is treated by other men. His character is surprisingly human for the new world. He feels jealous and lovesick; things that people like Mustapha Mond say have been eliminated. However, Bernard really just wants to be like everyone else, and is therefore seen as a hypocrite. It is not known what class Lenina belongs to, but she is thought to be an Alpha or a Beta. She is a vaccination worker at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. She is very promiscuous, except for her four month relationship with Henry Foster. She is attracted to Bernard and his strange appearance, and becomes obsessed with John and his strange behavior. She is desired by many men, and Henry even says, â€Å"Lenina Crowne†¦ oh, she’s a splendid girl. Wonderfully pneumatic. I’m surprised you haven’t had her† (Brave New World 44). She is the image of the World State’s Policy; she relates to people through sex, and cannot understand John and Bernard’s alternate way of thinking. John is the son of Linda, the Director’s ex-lover which took her to the Reservation, and then lost her. He reads Shakespeare, and loves Lenina. He was alienated from the rest of the Reservation children, much like Bernard and the World State. When John goes to the World State, he is alienated even more, and is looked at like a museum item. He worries about his mother taking so much soma, and when she dies and the lower class trainees say she is ugly, he starts a riot. However, when he first arrives in the World State, he is happy to finally see the place his mother loved and missed so much. When he arrives he says, â€Å"O brave new world that has such people in it† (Brave New World 160). So at first he really likes London. However, when he starts to learn more about the place he is in he becomes disgusted, and when he is drawn into an orgy, he hangs himself for conforming to such a society. Theme Sex in Brave New World is depicted as something that even children should be able to do. It is so important to the World State that two-thirds of Women are sterilized, and the rest have to use contraceptives. Abortion is necessary for failures to use them, if the women wish to stay a part of society. Being a mother is considered an obscenity, while being a father is not as bad, but is still absurd to the people. In a way this is similar to our own world, where women who are promiscuous in any way are considered dirty or unclean, while men are free to sleep around, and are even congratulated by their friends for doing so. The book, however, takes sex to the next level. Children run around naked and interact with erotic play. It is considered as normal as using soma and participating in orgies. At the beginning of the book, Lenina says, â€Å"Everyone belongs to everyone else† (Brave New World 43). This lets the reader know what to expect from the characters as far as their sexual relationships are concerned, and it also lets the reader catch a glimpse at what the World State is about. Throughout the book, the view of sexual relationships is different only for John and the Savages. The savage women beat John’s wife for sleeping with their men, and Linda has no idea what she has done to deserve it. John, on the other hand, from reading Shakespeare learned to be sexually passive, and earn the love of a woman with chivalry instead of seduction. This other view is confusing to Lenina, who sees nothing wrong with the way she acts. John tries on many occasions to get her love, but instead is only met with lust. He tries Shakespeare to no avail, and is very frustrated with the way London’s people think and act. Towards the middle of the book, Lenina says, â€Å"but it was fun†¦ wasn’t it?† after she and Bernard slept together. He was feeling bad about not waiting, while she was confused and told Fanny that she found him to be odd. At the end of the book, after John has participated in the orgy, he says, â€Å"Oh, my God, my God!† (259), and hangs himself for conforming to such a society. Style/Motifs/Diction/Tone The author makes his writing more interesting by switching between conversations that are happening simultaneously. It shows that their world is very busy, and moves at a fast pace. However, it also tends to confuse its readers because they forget who is talking about what, and the rest of the conversation that a certain group of characters are discussing. Besides switching between conversations, the author uses his diction to make the writing more interesting. His word choice shows that the more intelligent characters are telling the story, as opposed to the lower class Epsilons and Deltas. The language was formal, and gave a feeling of sternness and confidence. The novel was not at all poetic, but it got its point across with formal language and very educated word choice. The scientific procedures seemed to be accurate and valid; as though they could someday be real. The recurring motifs of sex, the word pneumatic, Ford instead of God, references to Shakespeare and alienation play important parts in the novel. The word pneumatic is used throughout the book as a way to describe both Lenina and a chair. For Lenina, it is a reference to her skin, and for a chair, that it is airy or has air pockets in it. Though it is unusual for a person to be called pneumatic, it is not unheard of. The use of Ford instead of God means that the new world is completely rid of religion. The word Ford is used instead to show that religion has been replaced by technology. Three of the characters; John, Bernard, and Hemholtz, are subject to alienation throughout the book. John is an outsider in both the savage village and the World State, Bernard is too small to fit his position, and Hemholtz is too smart to even be an Alpha Plus. They are all treated poorly because of their differences (except Hemholtz who is very popular with the women). Sex is probably the most recurring motif because the World State is abundant with free love and open relationships. Everyone belongs to everyone else, and it is wrong to see only one man for a long period of time. The last motif is Shakespeare, which inspires and drives John to act the way he does. He can recite lines from Shakespeare with no trouble, and tries to make Lenina fall in love with him, instead of her just trying to seduce him. In a way, Shakespeare is how John understands the world around him, so he is very lost when he gets into the World State. He feels like he is the only true human, with human emotions and wants. Memorable Quotes/ Personal Response Overall I enjoyed the book to an extent. The story was interesting, but the way it was written bored me and it was hard to follow the switching of conversations. Its strength lies in the story itself, while the weakness is in the execution (the way it was written). It really reminded me of 1984 by George Orwell. It has a different view on how the world will end up, but both worlds are controlled by certain people, and population control is in place. The biggest difference is that one encourages sex, and the other forbids it. I would recommend this book to people who like to read. Some quotes that stood out to me include: â€Å"Cleanliness is next to fordliness† (110), â€Å"We had Elementary Sex for the first forty minutes†¦ but now it’s switched over to Elementary Class Consciousness† (27), and â€Å"I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin† (240). The first is another version of a saying that we use, the second refers to the children being exposed to sex very early, and the third refers to the fact that even though the population is conditioned, some still have the ability to revert to human mind sets. Works Cited â€Å"Aldous Huxley – Biography – The Author And His Times.† Aldous Huxley – Biography – The Author And His Times. Web. 8 May 2012. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1946. 8 May, 2012. Print.

Critically Evaluate the Reasons for the Rise in Position of Apple Essay

Critically Evaluate the Reasons for the Rise in Position of Apple Brandin the Best Global Brands in 2011 - Essay Example Though others consider it to be time consuming and sometimes frustrating, strategic planning has been found to lead to quality decision making if applied effectively (Westphal & Frederickson, 2001, p.1113). This essay tries to find the possible determinants of the positional rise to 8th position of the apple brand in the global brands. Moreover, the rise in position has been linked closely to effective strategic planning hence, some of the tools used in strategic planning have been analyzed and justification for the choice of each tool given. Introduction According to Tapinos, Dyson & Meadows (2005, p.370) recently the topic of strategic planning has drawn a lot of discussions focusing on its effective implementation and the possible outcomes. The subject has attracted both empirical and theoretical exploration as entrepreneurs try to seek more information regarding it. Effective planning has been associated to improved performance, successful implementation and good decision making. Organizations are facing difficult times due to new technologies, market and economic changes globalization and deregulation. Consequently, all these activities call for the application of proper business techniques and the adoption of appropriate planning tools. Although some people may argue that strategic planning has its own ineffectiveness, the advantages that come along with it are overwhelming (Falshaw, Glaister & Tatoglu, 2006, p.9). Strategic planning allows an organization to understand itself by analyzing its vision and objectives in detail. If it is appropriately implemented, it will enable an organization to realize its full potential. Some of the tools employed in planning strategically are discussed below. Tools for Strategic Planning The SWOT analysis tool is the most commonly employed tool to help an organization determine its possible position within the industry of its operation. SWOT refers to the analysis of an organization’s strengths, its weaknesses, a vailable opportunities and finally threats that are facing it (Lyles, Baird, Orris & Kuratko, 2000, p.38). First is to determine the internal position of an organization by assessing its strengths and possible weaknesses. Strengths refer to the most effective skills that are employed by an organization in the attainment of its vision. Some of such skills include employees of high expertise and advanced technology. On the other hand weaknesses are those things that hinder a firm from attaining its full potential such as functional areas’ conflicts and production costs which are very high (Meers & Robertson, 2007, p.303). Brews & Purohit (2007, p.68) asserts that having analyzed its internal position, an organization needs to understand its external position by analyzing the available opportunities and its external threats. Opportunities refer to the currently available or possible future circumstances that are likely to provide a favorable environment for the firm’s gro wth. They include conditions such as completion decrease, market population increase and favorable legislation. On the other hand, threats refer to the currently available or future environmental conditions which are likely to provide unfavorable environment for a firm’s growth such as, unfavorable legislation and new product-development by competitors. An effective SWOT analysis provides an organization with a clear picture of its

Individual Assignment, Theories of Management Essay

Individual Assignment, Theories of Management - Essay Example The first case study deals with the revival of Nissan from losing millions to making millions under the leadership of Carlos Ghosn. The second case study describes the leadership style of Andros Stakis, group-managing director of Stakis PLC, who almost put the entire company in risk. Case Study I - Nissan Nissan Motor Co., a Japanese automaker has been one of the largest car manufacturers in the world (Daily Markets). The company started losing its market share to another Japanese competitor Toyota since late 1970s and was suffering continuous losses since 1997 (INSEAD). In March 1999, Nissan had an alliance with French carmaker company Renault in order to bail out of their mountainous debt (Renault). In terms of strategy, it was a good M&A deal. Renault’s geographical market strengths were in Europe and Latin America where Nissan was weak. Similarly in case of organizational capabilities, upon the merger, Renault would gain access to Nissan’s engineering and manufactur ing know-how, while Nissan would profit from Renault’s marketing and design abilities (NY Times). Cultural clashes, different organizational behaviors and financial conditions of Nissan posed huge risks to the anticipated synergies from the merger. The casestudy reflects on the leadership style of the new COO Carlos Ghosn (le cost cutter) who made a clear agenda of the change that Nissan would go through in the years 1999-2001. In the first week itself, Ghosn made a number of significant changes such as incentive plans for his executive officers, new language policies and a committment to quit if profits were not achieved by FY 2001 (HBS). Ghosn’s leadership style in the case is called as dramatic, sel-sustaining, effective charismatic and focused. The company returned to profit by FY 2000 and had an operational profit of 4.5% by FY 2002. Case Study II – Stakis PLC The second casestudy discussed in the paper is that of Stakis PLC, a group of hotel and casino cha ins in UK. Headquartered in Glasglow, the company was owned and run by Reo Stakis who turned a lace business to a hotel and casino empire. Prior to the appointment decision of Andros Stakis as the new CEO, Reo led the diversification of group into casinos, pubs, hotels and restaurants. In early 80s, the hotel tycoon passed on his business to his son Andros when the company was in a transitionary landscape of the unstable external environment and mis-guided strategic direction. The company’s strategic and financial position was exposed to the downturn in economic climate of 1991. Despite induction of two established leaders, Sir Lewis Robertson and David Michels as Chairman and CEO respectively, the company started having debts as high as ?15I Mn in 1991. Upon a number of cost-cutting measures, divestures, new partnerships and ouster of Andros Stakis, the group had its first pre-tax profits in 1993. Hilton PLC bought the group in 1999 for ?1.2Bn (The Independent). Theories of Management – An Overview This section provides an overview of varios theories of management designed over the period of years to make effective judgements on business and processes: 1. Scientific Management Theory (1890-1940): From the need to increase productivity, Fedrick Taylor divised a body of principles that scientifically selected workers so that each each worker would be given the responsibility best

Life and Works of Burrhus Frederic Skinner Research Paper

Life and Works of Burrhus Frederic Skinner - Research Paper Example His father was a lawyer and his mother stayed at home. Perceptibly, he grew up in an intellectual and conventional household. As a youth, he was described to have difficulties in being socially accepted. One unfortunate event that happened in his life is when his brother died due to cerebral hemorrhage. Unlike any other usual adolescent, he did not actually like participating in the usual college social gatherings. Instead, he was more focused on critiquing authorities. He mainly did this through his journalism. Moreover, he proclaimed himself as a person who does not believe in God in spite of the fact that he was studying in a religiously devout school. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in English Literature, he decided that he would be a writer. He then worked for a newspaper in New York. He did not really become actualized in his first career. Skinner got inspired by the works of Ivan Pavlov and James Watson. Afterwards, he went back to school and got his masters and d octorate in psychology at Harvard. He got married with Yvonne Blue in 1936 and they had two daughters. He then worked at Indiana University’s psychology department. In 1948, his career went back to Harvard until his death in 1990. Works Skinner is known as a psychologist, author, educator, and philosopher. He published many books and journals regarding his theories. He devoted much of his life improving his researches. Lots of his experiments centered on measuring responses to various kinds of stimuli. Until his retirement, he worked on analyzing the human behavior. Skinner became famous for the air crib. It was also known as the baby tender. One of his daughters was raised using this invention. The contraption was made to alleviate Yvonne’s difficulties and worries in caring for their baby. It was fashioned with glass panels as well as with air conditioning. The air crib was invented with the aim to promote the general welfare of infants. In 1994, Skinner was inspired to make this invention when he found out that he would have a second child. In fact, the air crib was commercialized and marketed to around 300 families. It was found to be effective in soothing children and in manipulating the temperature especially during extreme weather. Furthermore, he became known for his book, Walden II. It is about a society run by behavioristic rules (Skinner, 1974). His book talks much about his theory which is called operant conditioning. This simply means that a behavior is affected by the response to that certain behavior. For instance, a child would tend to be obedient when his mother gives him candy as a reward. To concretely illustrate this concept, he devised an experiment. He utilized a special cage well-known as a â€Å"Skinner Box† (Shultz, 2012). It is otherwise called the operant conditioning box. The container has a lever that makes food pellet come out when pressed. The pellet acted as a reinforcing stimulus. When the rat accidentally pushed the bar and food came out, it repeated its behavior. Since the rat got rewarded for pressing the lever, he repeated the same action with the expectancy of having another positive feedback. After some time, the rat kept on pressing the lever until a number of pellets were piled. However, when no food pellet will come out, the rat will learn that its behavior does not result to a reward. Hence, it will learn to stop pushing the lever. Skinner termed this as extinction. Consequently, the rat’s first behavior will resurface if the reward would be returned. In addition, the schedules of reinforcement affect the learning of behavior. In his many experiments, the time and interval of giving rewards influence the rat’

Early Canadian History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Early Canadian History - Term Paper Example As such, a focus upon some of the key issues that were first represented and controversial with regards to public education, a focus upon the differential that existed between urban and rural public education, a discussion and analysis of the court and resources that were leveraged within early Canadian public education, and a focus upon the feminize nation of the teaching profession will be engaged within the course of this brief analysis. Whereas it is true that Canada was but one of many modern states that engaged with the concept of public education during the course of the 19th century, the level and extent to which this occurred and the unique concerns and mechanisms by which it was engaged helped to allow this process to be unique and separate to Canada.1 As such, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed understanding of the way in which early Canadian public education came to be formulated, the means through which it is differentiated from many other public education institutions throughout the world, and the residual impacts of this formulation that can continue to be felt within the current era. As with any dynamic shift, a level of pushback existed with regards to a general societal acceptance of a public education system. ... ugh it is true that the local and regional partners had been ineffective in providing compulsory education for all stakeholders, these individuals nonetheless believed that their model was. Due to the fact that a level of local an individual control existed with regards to what material would be represented the student and how engagement in the learning process would take place.3 This is not particularly surprising due to the fact that it continues to be evidenced within the current era. Any time a federal system seeks to implement a broad level of overarching regulations and norms for the system, individuals within society oftentimes push for a degree of extended autonomy through which they can continue to leverage their own power in lieu of accepting the norms that are specified by the federal government. Evidence of this is continually seen within the United States and has increasingly been noted within the economy and social dynamics of Canada throughout the past several decades. As something of a corollary to the issue that is previously been referenced, it must also be understood that distinct ethnic communities within Canada felt that a normalization of education within a public system would necessarily decrease the level of shared history and cultural integration that these respective communities had formulated over the decades. As even a cursory level of analysis reveals, the different provinces of Canada represent distinct racial and ethnic compositions; especially within the early years of Canadian society. Says one author, â€Å"Due to the fact that the sheer geographic mass of Canada was so large, it was difficult if not impossible for stakeholders within the government to immediately allocate fair levels of funding to achieve the goals they had set out to

Research Design Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Design - Research Proposal Example The statement helps the reader to understand the reality that the failure of a number of children to learn to read and write during the initial stage of their schooling has become a serious problem. Many of the children in America and the Asian countries have faced difficulty in learning various language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The journal article named Illiteracy in America: What to Do about It notices that â€Å"But the fact t hat so many Americans graduate without these basic reading and writing skills points to the breakdown of this l adder out of illiteracy and underscores the point that it may be the condition of education that is the real determinant of illiteracy.† (Illiteracy in America: What to do about it? 1989). It is evident that the social, economical, and cultural factors play a vital role in promoting literacy problem among the students. The Primary and Secondary level students from both the rural and urban areas have faced the problem of literacy in their learning process. Researchers and educational professionals often mentioned that learning or knowledge acquisition is a complex process. Sentence formation is considered as a major step in language learning. Here, the teacher shows some pictures and objects and asked the students to say what they have observed. Educational philosophers have formed a number of learning theories and techniques for students. â€Å"In the past several years, the constructive thesis has taken on a significant role in the theorizations and practices of the international education community.† (Larochelle, Bednarz & Garrison, 1998). Exponents of social constructive theory argue that; â€Å"According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments.† (Social development theory (Vygotsky), 2008). Students show

Tourism management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tourism management - Essay Example Smallness of state can be a source of comparative advantage and this has been proved in the case of two states like Dubai and Bermuda. Destinations that enjoy an international monopoly on a given tourism attraction are said to have absolute advantage (Vellas, 2007). This can be in the form of natural resources or historical heritage sites which cannot be enjoyed elsewhere. This is absolute advantage but at time in smaller destinations the absolute advantage is difficult because of poor economic development. Comparative advantage on the other hand refers to the conditions for producing tourism services. Many countries have abundant workforce and low labor costs. Since the tourism sector is labor intensive any countries enjoy comparative advantage as they can offer tourism services at competitive rates. This enables them to increase their share of world tourism market. If a country has an absolute advantage in relation to another in products that both commercialize in, then if one country chooses to specialize in one product in which it has a comparative advantage, then this country stands to gain. The development of tourism has been a boon for small economies and in some cases the sole source of comparative advantage of small island economies (Mehmet & Tahiroglu, 2002). Bermuda emerged as a tourism sector as it could successfully exploit the ability to take advantage of the climate and location. It attained rapid development and prosperity through tourism. It does not have any regional trading link or industrial capacity but it has proximity to the rich markets in North America. This advantage helped it to gain the strongest comparative advantage in the region. There are other Caribbean islands endowed with similar climatic and locational advantages but they could not achieve the gain that Bermuda could. Bermuda is not a part of the Caribbean but an island which is an overseas territory of the UK. Its dramatic coastline stretches

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Company Law - Essay Example The essay starts by outlining the essence of the law of separate corporate personality. This will be followed by an outline of the case of John who is an employee of Diamond Car Sales as well as application of this law to the case. The essay will also look at the circumstances under which the corporate veil can be pierced. The main body of the paper will give a critical analysis of the facts that can lead the court to pierce the issue of corporate veil in certain instance. Essence of separate corporate personality Cillers et al (2004), state that an association of persons or an organised body can acquire legal personality by way of separate Act. Thus, when the company is formed as a separate entity, it acquires the capacity and authority to have its own rights and duties (Gibson, 1988). Thus, once the company has been incorporated, it can be viewed as a separate or independent person with rights and liabilities that it chooses for itself. This is reflected by the case of Salomon v Sa lomon& Co [1897] AC 22 (Hl). Salomon is the sole owner of the once glamorous company and he decides to turn the business venture into a limited company having realised that it had great potential. As such, Salomon got ?10Â  000 in debentures from the shareholders which were acquired through a bond of the company’s assets. ... This may involve creating a brand name for the company that is used as a source of identity which makes the company different from other enterprises. In as far as the aspect of corporate personality is concerned, it can be noted that the aim of the law is concerned with protecting the interests of the company since it is treated like an individual person with legal rights. For instance, Diamond Car sales built a strong corporate personality where it even went on to categorically state that there was no person who would directly compete with it after leaving the company within the first six months of termination of the contract. Situational analysis John is works for Diamond Car Sales and his contract states that upon termination of his employment, he cannot start a business that directly competes with Diamond Car Sales for a period of six months after the termination of his contract. Apparently, John’s contract is terminated and he decides to go into business straight away des pite the provisions of his contract. Fearful of the provisions of the principle of "Separate Corporate Personality" John wants to know if he can operate a business. John decides to set up a company with his son and it competes with Diamond Car Sales. However, John is neither a director nor shareholder of the new company, but he runs the business and everyone refers to him as "the boss." Against this background, this paper seeks to critically analyse the authenticity of Diamond Car Sales’ warning to John to cease trading or they will opt for legal action in order to stop him from trading in direct competition with the company. Case analysis In this

IT Strategy and Network Design Proposal Essay Example for Free

IT Strategy and Network Design Proposal Essay The GFK School of Motoring was established in 1960. Since then, the school has grown steadily and now has a several offices in the London area. However, the Organization is expanding and a new branch is to be built that will link with the existing network and also utilise the latest technologies such as simulators, the internet and the World Wide Web. Furthermore, improvement is needed in the communications and sharing of information between offices spread around the London. The Director wants to take advantage of the Internet to change the way the company operates. The new branch will allow prospective clients to browse the website and make an initial registration. Interview and the checking of documents can then be arranged on-line. Once a client has been registered any payments due can also be made on-line via any of the various credit and debit cards. Flexibility in the provision of services to clients also requires that once registered, a client can take a driving lesson at any of the centres. Hence an integrated and up-to-date database system is to be implemented. The Director of the organization feels that too many mistakes are being made with the current system and that the success of the organization will be short-lived if he does not do something to overcome the situation. He knows that a good IT strategy and network design could help in part to solve the problem and has approached our team to help create a new branch and implement an efficient and reliable information system to support the running of the organization as a whole. 1.3 DESCRIPTION OF GFK OPERATIONS. Each office has a manager (who tends to be a senior instructor), Several senior instructors, instructors and administrate staffs. The staff hierarchy is as follows: Manager Senior instructors Instructors Office personnel. The manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the office. Clients must first register on-line or at an office and this requires that they complete an application form, which records their personal details. Before the first lesson, a client is requested to attend an interview with an instructor to assess the needs of the client and to ensure that the client holds a valid provisional driving license. A client is free to ask for a particular instructor or to request that an instructor be changed at any stage throughout the process of learning to drive. After a successful interview, the first lesson is booked. A client may request individual lessons or book a block of lessons for reduced fee. An individual lesson is for one or two hours which begins and ends either at the clients home or at the office. A lesson is with a particular instructor in a particular car at a given time. Lessons can start as early as 6a.m. and as late as 8p.m. After each lesson, the instructor records the progress made by the client and notes the mileage used during the lesson. The Organization has a pool of cars, which are adopted for the purpose of teaching. Each instructor is allocated to a particular car. As well as teaching, the instructors are free to use the cars for personal  use. The cars are inspected at regular intervals for faults. Once ready, a client will be given a test date by the instructor. It is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that the client is best prepared for all parts of the test. The instructor is not the responsible for testing the client and is not in the car during the test but should be available to drop off and pick up the client before and after the test at the testing centre. If a client fails to pass, the instructor must record the reasons for the failure. 1.4. AIMS OF THE PROJECT. 1. To design and implement a network solution for the new Barking branch . 2. To redesign or upgrade the companys existing network system. 3. To connect GFK to the Internet and provide full internet service. 4. To design a desktop and its delivery to all GFKs client computers. 5. To address security and back-up issues. 6. To design a network monitoring policy to maintain and/or improve performance in the future. This particular aspect of the group work is investigated in detail by Student number: 0212251 in Part B. 1.5 BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROPOSED NETWORK SYSTEM. The design of the Local Area Network for the new branch and its communication  with the rest of the GFK network will be approached in view of satisfying two fundamental business functions: Information sharing: refers to having users access the same data files, exchange information via email, or use the internet. Resource sharing: refers to one computer sharing a hardware device (e.g., printer) or software package with other computers on the network to save costs. The main benefit of information sharing is improved decision making, which is one of the goals of the GFK School of Motoring. Any application, e.g. a web browser, on the GFK LAN will have the following functions: 1. data storage 2. data access logic 3. application or business logic 4. presentation logic Based on these functions we will be implementing client/server network architecture at the new branch. We will be using 3-tier client/server architecture to spread the load between the clients (microcomputers) and the servers (more powerful microcomputers). This is illustrated in the diagram below: (FitzGerald Dennis, page 46, top). In this case, the software on the client computer is responsible for presentation logic, an application server is responsible for the application  logic and a separate database server is responsible for the data access logic and data storage [1, page 45]. Since the main advantage of a client/server architecture is also its weak point i.e. enabling software and hardware from different vendors to be used together, we will recommend a middleware software such as CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). It will perform two vital functions: 1. It enables a standard way of communication by translating between software from different vendors 2. It manages the message transfer from clients to servers (and vice versa) so that clients need not know the specific server that contains the applications data. The application software on the client sends all messages to the middleware, which forwards them to the correct server. The application software on the client is therefore protected from any changes in the physical network. If the network layout changes (e.g., a new server is added), only the middleware must be updated [1, page 44]. By choosing this architecture for the new branch, we have achieved two things: 1. Better load balancing between the servers on the network 2. Scalability. In the future, if due to business demands the system needs to be extended, this can be easily done by adding one or more servers. 1.6 REQUIREMENTS ACQUISITION. In order to obtain valuable information about the GFK School of Motoring, the group decided to send out questionnaires to members of the organization who uses the old system regularly and have a good knowledge of it. We decided on questionnaires because we believe that the users, being under no pressure as they answer questions about the existing system, will provide a reliable feedback. 1.6.1 QUESTIONNAIRE 1. User: Mr A. Patel. Position: Instructor. Time at Company: 3 years. Branch: Stratford Branch. 1. Question: How often do you use the system? Answer: Daily. As many as 20 times a day, when at work. 2. Question: Are you comfortable using the company network? Answer: Sort of. 3. Question: What do you normally use the system for? Answer: Browsing the internet, enquiring about client information, entering client details, sending and receiving emails etc. 4. Question: Which of these tasks do you found most daunting and why? Answer: No doubt, it is obtaining information about clients. The process is very slow and frustrating especially during peak hours. For some reasons the system is sluggish and it slows down the business. 5. Question: From question 4, do you sometimes have to abort the task? Answer: No, because a client details got to be entered. Its frustrating, but you wait until its done before moving on. As a result we tend to record client details at the whenever the system tend to be responsive. This might be a couple of days later. 6. Question: Which of these tasks do you find easiest to do and why? Answer: No doubt, surfing the internet, sending emails, registering clients on-line. 7. Question: Have you had experiences of viruses causing disruption on the system and how? Answer: Certainly on many occasions. I can remember on one occasion a few of my clients and me couldnt use our computers because it was totally corrupted and my section had to be closed down while the techie people sorted it out. We lost most of the files on our computers. 8. Question: From question 7, on how many occasions did this happen? Answer: Ive experienced it about 6 or 7 times. 9. Question: What advice were you given about using the systems in terms of avoiding virus infection? Answer: The normal stuff. Dont open email you dont the source, log-off the system before you close for the day, etc. But despite taking these measures, we still have the problem. 10. Question: Do you normally back-up your files yourself and how often? Answer: Yeah, files are supposed to be backed up on cd-roms at the end of every working day but not everybody does it. 11. Question: Do you case of lost customer files and how often? Answer: Yeah, we do. I know a few of my mate who do. We just try to re-acquire it from the customer without the knowledge of management. Someone has been reprimanded for it in the past. Sometimes, its the fault of the  system. As I said earlier, it can be frustratingly slow. 12. Question: If you can change the system, what will you change and why? Answer: Definitely, it will be the enquiry procedure. Anything that makes the process faster will do.

Analysing Race in William Shakespeares Plays

Analysing Race in William Shakespeares Plays This dissertation provides a critical discussion of the issues of race in such William Shakespeare’s plays as The Tempest, Titus Andronicus and Othello. Analysing the context, in which these plays are created, and applying to such theoretical tools as the qualitative research method and the social constructionist approach, the research evaluates different perceptions of race through the principal characters of the plays and investigates in depth various critical views. The received results reveal that William Shakespeare interprets the issues of race in a close connection with religious beliefs, politics and social events in Elizabethan period. Although some findings of the research are consistent with the previous studies, other results provide new interpretations and valid data as to the racial issues in Shakespeare’s plays. The issues of race constitute one of the most important themes in world-wide literature. Although in Elizabethan England the ideas of race were much ignored due to the confusion and lack of knowledge in regard to foreigners, William Shakespeare usually applied to the issues of race and racism in his plays. On the basis of such portrayal, it is clear that people of different races lived in England in those times, and that Shakespeare was aware of the complex relations between English people and foreigners. Through his characters, the dramatist uncovers the negative aspects of Elizabethan social ideologies that created a gap among races, alienating foreigners from other members of English society and contributing to their destruction. However, even today the researchers continue to dispute about the implications of race in Shakespeare’s plays. Some scholars maintain the notion that the differences in religions and cultures aggravated the alienation of various races in England, w hile other researchers oppose to this viewpoint, claiming that the colour of skin influenced the complex relations between Englishmen and foreigners. Thus, the issue of race is rather controversial and it should be discussed through religious, cultural, social, political and ethnic contexts in the plays of William Shakespeare. To some extent, such controversy can be explained by the fact that the race has always been utilised to substitute the established social systems for new social hierarchies that reflected their own norms and principles. In this regard, in Elizabethan times people were socially divided into one or another race, taking into account the colour of skin, religious beliefs and cultural traditions of various individuals. Another controversy concerns the origin of the word â€Å"race† that usually dates back to 18-19th centuries; therefore, Shakespeare’s researchers prefer to substitute the term â€Å"race† for the term â€Å"otherness† in their analyses of Shakespeare’s plays. However, such shift from one term to another term is not able to eliminate Shakespeare’s unique in terpretation of racial issues in the selected plays. William Shakespeare wrote many of his plays in Elizabethan period, the era when, contrary to the commonly accepted view, people of various races began to arrive to England. Some recent findings provide valid evidence as to the existence of black people in the 16th-century London. In this regard, the issues of race, to which the dramatist applies in such plays as Titus Andronicus, The Tempest and Othello, provide a new vision on the impact of these races on cultural and social life of English people. At the beginning, black people were taken by force and brought to England as exotic creatures that possessed no rights, but finally they became the members of English society who were called as the Moors. However, such racial integration soon resulted in rather complex tensions among different races, and Shakespeare reflected these relations in his works. As Bernard Harris puts it, â€Å"To Elizabethan Londoners the appearance and conduct of the Moors was a spectacle and an outrage, emph asising the nature of the deep difference between themselves and their visitors, between their Queen and this ‘erring Barbarian†1. Thus, English people could rarely distinguish one race from another race. However, Shakespeare, who took an active part in public life and visited various cultural and public-service institutions, had an opportunity to observe foreigners and attitude of the English towards them, depicting his observations in his literary works. In addition, Margo Hendricks claims that various economic and social changes occurred in England in the middle of the 16th century2. In particular, England established constant relations with Morocco. As a result, various merchants and military people of different races began to arrive to the country and acquire certain positions among the members of English society. All these non-English people, who arrived from Africa, Israel, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and some other places, were called as ‘aliens’ or ‘outsiders’. Despite this integration, many Englishmen revealed racial biases towards these foreigners. According to Ania Loomba, â€Å"Jews, Moors and Christians were never simply religious categories, but variably articulated with nationality, and ethnicity, and often colour†3. Thus, on the one hand, English people accepted foreigners in their country, but, on the other hand, they treated them as outsiders, if these foreigners acquired more power and knowledge in comparison with native citizens. Various violent attacks were initiated by English people against these foreigners; such hostility was intensified by Church that pointed at the poverty of Englishmen as a result of foreigners’ integration into social, political, economical, religious and cultural life of English people. In this regard, English society either rejected these foreigners or forced to assimilate to them, paving the way for racism. This can be explained by the fact that Englishmen were afraid of acquiring culture and traditions of foreigners, as they became engaged in economic relations with them. As Margo Hendricks claims, â€Å"Beginning in the middle ages, the English engagement with ‘foreigners’ often functioned on two levels: spiritual and material†4. Although Englishmen realised that they could receive material profits from their interactions with people of different races, they made everything to preserve their superior position. It was in this environment of racial tensions and complex relations that William Shakespeare created such plays as The Tempest, Titus Andronicus and Othello. The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the representation of race in the selected Shakespeare’s plays on the basis of different perceptions and viewpoints. The research is divided into sections. Chapter 1 presents a statement of the problem that reveals the core of the analysis. Chapter 2 provides a general overview of the issue, observing the context, in which the plays are produced. Chapter 3 offers a survey of the works that have been written on the issues of race in Shakespeare’s plays. Chapter 4 points at the research methods that constitute a theoretical basis for the conducted analysis. Drawing upon earlier findings and evidence, Chapter 5 observes in detail the issues of race in such plays as The Tempest, Titus Andronicus and Othello. Chapter 6 makes a summarisation of the results, while Chapter 7 stresses on the limitations of the dissertation and provides some suggestions for further research. Due to various controversies and ambiguities that emerge during the analysis of William Shakespeare’s plays, the researchers provide different interpretations of the dramatist’s portrayal of race. For instance, Hunter points at the impact of the existing religious and cultural norms on the attitude of Englishmen towards foreigners in Elizabethan times5. Thus, the researcher considers that Shakespeare’s plays reflect the spirit of that period and relations among various races. Although some viewpoints of Hunter are of considerable interest to understanding of Shakespeare’s presentation of race, his analysis is limited only to the religious explanation of racial differences. Hunter pays no attention to social and cultural changes that occurred in England in the 16-17th century, shaping the relations between Englishmen and foreigners. In his analysis Hunter suggests that Elisabeth had rare contacts with foreigners, but this is not really true, if taken into a ccount her edicts that she issued at the end of the 16th century, according to which foreigners had to be expelled from England. This fact points at Elisabeth’s awareness of foreigners and her fear of them; however, on the other hand, the Queen continued to admit black people to her court and, to some extent, supported the spread of slavery. More contradictory findings are presented in regard to individual Shakespeare’s plays. Discussing the â€Å"moorishness† of Shakespeare’s play Othello, Barbara Everett provides â€Å"a challenge to [our] perhaps too simple â€Å"African† sense of Othello†6. Everett claims that the dramatist wants to uncover racial tensions in the 16-century England, thus â€Å"Othello is, in short, the colour the fiction dictates†¦the Moor may be quite as much â€Å"Spanish† as â€Å"African†7. In this regard, Everett applies to the discussion of political, religious and social contexts of Elizabethan period in her interpretation of racial issues. Virginia Mason Vaughn regards Othello’s blackness as the reflection of his otherness, as she states, â€Å"The effect of Othello depends†¦ on the essential fact of the hero’s darkness, the visual signifies of his Otherness†8. While Arthur Little points out that Othello’s tragedy can be explained not only by his different race, but also by his marriage to Desdemona, a white female, and by his jealousy9. Davison goes further in his analysis of Shakespeare’s play, in particular, he suggests that â€Å"Othello is not ‘about’ race, or colour, or even jealousy. It dramatises the way actions are directed by attitudes, fears, and delusions that rule the subconscious than by evident facts†10. Analysing Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, Curt Breight points out that in this work the dramatist’s portrayal of race reveals colonialism and terror of James I, thus Prospero’s attempt to achieve the superior position over other people is a simple reflection of King’s actions11. Paul Brown expresses the similar opinion in regard to the play, claiming that The Tempest interferes into colonialism, and â€Å"this intervention takes the form of a powerful and pleasura ble narrative which seeks at once to harmonize disjunction, to transcend irreconcilable contradictions and to mystify the political conditions which demand colonialist discourse†12. Further, Brown points at the fact that Caliban’s rape and assault are explained by his intensified sexuality that was considered to be a characteristic feature of Indians and other races, except white people. Thus, Prospero’s control over Caliban reveals the suppression of Caliban’s sexuality as well. William Shakespeare’s play Titus Andronicus has been considered as his most unsuccessful literary work for a long time; however, the inability of researchers to understand this play can be explained by the fact that Titus Andronicus is rather ambiguous and doesn’t conform to a particular classification. Here, Shakespeare interprets the racial issues in their connections with religious beliefs of Romans and provides two-fold vision on morality of both ‘civilised’ people and barbarians. Charles Martindale and Michelle Martindale point at Seneca’s influence on this play, uncovering the dramatist’s utilisation of classical sources and claiming that â€Å"Seneca was the closest Shakespeare ever got to Greek tragedy†13. Although all these critical works provide different interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays, taken in integrity, they generate rather accurate data. This dissertation applies to two research methods – a qualitative research method and a social constructionist approach. As crucial theoretical research tools, these methods provide an opportunity to discuss the issues of race in Shakespeare’s plays through various perceptions and viewpoints. The qualitative method is aimed at analysing different interpretations of race, generating valid data that have been rarely mentioned in the earlier studies. According to Taylor, â€Å"Interpretation†¦ is an attempt to make sense of an object of study. This object must, therefore, be a text, which in some way is confused, incomplete, cloudy, seemingly contradictory†14. Drawing upon certain qualitative data, the research uncovers controversial arguments in regard to the discussed issue and evaluates cultural and social events in Elizabethan times. The principal sources are taken from various literary texts and critical researches on Shakespeare. The social constructionis t approach allows to investigate social, cultural and historical contexts of the period, in which Shakespeare’s plays are created. This approach is especially appropriate for this research, as the term â€Å"race† is regarded as a social construction phenomenon. This means that the social constructionist approach challenges the conventional biological interpretation of race, evaluating race through the social perspective. Thus, the method provides a basis for analysing the unity between race and social environment in Elizabethan era. 5.1. The issue of â€Å"Moorishness† in Shakespeare’s play Othello Although many contemporary critics and playwrights make attempts to disregard the issue of race in Shakespeare’s play Othello, the dramatist himself considers this aspect to be crucial for understanding his characters. The principal protagonist Othello belongs to the race of the Moors, and as Everett points out, â€Å"moorishness† was a condition that had a meaning, for Shakespeare and his audiences once casually familiar though long lost to us†15. According to Barbara Everett, the word â€Å"Moor† is thought to originate from mauri who lived in Mauritania province in North Africa16, but English people preferred to apply this term to all foreigners who differed from them either in race or religious beliefs. As Emily Bartels claims, the ‘Moor† was usually associated with â€Å"similarly ambiguous terms as â€Å"African†, â€Å"Ethiopian†, â€Å"Negro† and even â€Å"Indian†17, because the origin of the Moors was rather ambiguous, either the mixture of Berber and Arab or Muslim. In this regard, when Shakespeare calls Othello a Black Moor, he accentuates the blackness of the principal hero, because the Moors were both white and black. By presenting the black character, the dramatist uncovers the existence of racism in the 16-century England and reveals his awareness of the complex relations between black and white people. According to Harris, â€Å"When Shakespeare chose, for this a udience, to present a Moor as his hero, he was simply more aware than his contemporaries of the complex pattern made by white and black†18. Othello demonstrates the biases of English people, in general, and Queen Elizabeth, in particular, towards the Moors. For them, black colour of these people symbolised evil and disaster. Thus, as Margo Hendricks claims, â€Å"In the writing of the day, the Moors were described as ‘subtle’, ‘stubborn’, ‘bestial’ and intolerant†19. Othello’s blackness emerges as a result of his relations with other people who reveal certain biases towards this protagonist. Roderigo claims him â€Å"a wheeling stranger†20 with thick lips, â€Å"gross clasps of a lascivious Moor†21. Iago evaluates Othello through his racial biases, pointing out that jealousy and sexuality are characteristic features of the Moors. As Edward Berry states, Othello’s moorishness â€Å"is not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play, himself included, must respond†22. Brabantio also expresses his negative attitude towards Othello, claiming that he is disappointed with Desdemona who â€Å"fall in love with what she fear’d to look on†23. Desdemona herself seems to revea l certain racial biases to the person she loves. Othello’s words admire Desdemona, but she is not physically attracted to him. Such prejudices prevent her from understanding Othello who is obsessed with beauty of Desdemona. By contrasting black and white, the dramatist simultaneously uncovers the complex relations between two races, revealing that cultural differences may result in tragedy. On the other hand, such shift from whiteness to blackness or vice versa reflects the elements of racial attitude of Venetian people towards Othello. This can be explained by the fact that the Queen was obsessed with white colour, proclaiming it as a colour of goodness and virginity, while black colour was considered as a colour of evil and dirt. Such attitude resulted in the creation of the complex racial tensions between Englishmen and black people. For instance, almost all characters of Shakespeare’s play avoid calling Othello by name; instead they constantly address him as the ‘Moor’, implicitly rejecting him as the member of their society. Thus, Othello is treated as an object because of the racial differences between him and other members of Venetian society. This viewpoint can be explained b y the social constructionist approach, according to which society initially establishes some norms and principles, and further it applies these rules towards certain personalities. Othello makes constant attempts to integrate into this society, but it turns away from him. Despite the fact that he possesses some values and the rank of a general, society is not able to overcome its racial prejudices. As Everett puts it, â€Å"Othello is almost any ‘colour’ one pleases, so long as it permits his easier isolation and destruction by his enemies and by himself†24. In this regard, interpreting the racial issues of the play, Everett points at political and social situations in the country in the 16th century. In particular, moorishness of Othello may reveal his position as a foreigner, a person who differs from the rest of population and who is regarded as a damnable creature. According to Hunter, Elizabethan’s â€Å"awareness of foreigners was closely conditioned by a traditional religious outlook on the world†25. Therefore, the attempts were made to reduce the position of these people in society. In fact, Othello excels many respecta ble members of society, and he sincerely believes in the beginning that â€Å"My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly†26. But racial prejudices appear too powerful, destroying Othello’s intentions to achieve an appropriate place. Iago is the first person who rises against Othello, trying to prove that such people are dangerous for the existing social norms. As he claims to Desdemona’s father, â€Å"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe†27. As a result, Brabantio’s initial attitude towards Othello is greatly changed under such racist words. He tries to prove that Othello has utilised some spell to make his daughter marry him. Such action reveals that in those times the Moors were regarded as people engaged in mysterious and awful affairs. Thus, the only reason for Brabantio’s accusation is Othello’s blackness. Although Othello seems to initially win the respect of Brabantio, Desdemona and some other people by protecting Venice society from Turks’ invasion, such racial prejudices do not allow them to accept Othello as equal to them. Despite the fact that they admire his courage and romantic nature, they are unable to admire him when socie ty reveals its rejection towards Othello. As a result, racism, inspired by Iago, destroys both Othello and Desdemona. Their racial differences appear too powerful and they prevent these characters from understanding each other. In this regard, Shakespeare seems to oppose to the existing social system and ideologies that are based on the principles of superiority. Othello, who is only racially different from other members of society, is regarded as inferior to them, and it is racism of these people that causes the character’s destruction. The ideologies of Elizabethan England were aimed at establishing such social norms that regarded other races as inhuman. Othello’s alienation occurs because of these social standards that shape the attitude of society towards certain individuals. The qualitative research method demonstrates that a literary text usually reflects cultural and social contexts of a certain period28; this is just the case with Shakespeare’s play, in which the dramatist portrays his characters of different races through specific contexts. Shakespeare reveals that, on the one hand, Othello’s military achievements allow him to socialise with the members of the upper class, but, on the other hand, the character’s blackness deprives him of the possibility to belong to this society. Such racial attitude of people negatively influences Othello who starts to experience uncertainty about his social stand. This uncertainty is aggravated when he decides to marry a white female who belongs to the upper class. Gradually, Othello becomes obsessed with jealousy and doubts and acts like a real animal, forgetting his noble manners. Therefore, racism gradually destroys the protagonist and reveals the hate of such people as Iago to people of other races. Iago makes everything to alienate Othello from Desdemona, Brabantio and other members of the upper class, changing people’s attitude towards Othello with his racist words. Although at the beginning of the play, Iago’s wife Emilia doesn’t express her attitude to Othello, she explicitly reveals her racist views after Desdemona’s murder when she claims: â€Å"O, the more angel she, / And you the blacker devil!†29. Further Emilia calls Othello â€Å"as ignorant as dirt†30; this comparison allows Shakespeare to show the attitude of white people towards the black race. Like Othello, dirt is black, and dirt is thrown away, because it is nasty. Many people in Shakespeare’s play have the similar opinion of Othello, alienating from him and implicitly revealing their xenophobic nature. They even provide Othello with hot temper and increased sexuality. To some extent, such viewpoint is explained by the fact that Englishmen identified black people with the son of Noah who was punished for seeing his father naked and with Islamic religious traditions of polygamy. In this regard, William Shakespeare manages to realistically portray society of his time that rejects any person who belongs to a different race or adheres to different religious beliefs. 5.2. Racism and social domination in The Tempest Although Caliban, the character of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, is not really black, he also experiences alienation because of his race. His mother comes from North Africa and is considered of Berber origin, that’s why many white people, who appear on the Caribbean island, express racial attitude towards Caliban. As a result, this protagonist is usually regarded as a devil and inferior to other characters. For instance, Prospero teaches Caliban the ways to live in the island; however, then he starts to treat Caliban as a â€Å"poisonous slave [and] devil†31, considering this vulgar barbarian as a threat to Miranda. In this regard, Prospero implicitly reveals the existing stereotypes of the 16th-century when people with black colour of skin were thought to possess intensified sexuality, thus marriages between a black male and a white female were rarely accepted in European society. It is clear that such notion is greatly exaggerated, but Christian laws and moral principles of those times were rather strict, opposing to each display of otherness. Due to the fact that Caliban’s origin is not clearly identified in the play, the character falls under the category of â€Å"otherness†, performing a subordinate role throughout Shakespeare’s narration. On the other hand, Caliban is important to Prospero who mentions to Miranda that they â€Å"cannot miss him. He does make our fire, / Fetch in our wood, and serves in offices / That profit us†32. These words prove that colonisation initiated by English people and utilisation of black population for their own benefits were crucial for England. Colonisation allowed the country to overcome many economic difficulties, such as unemployment and hunger, increasing England’s power among other European countries. Therefore, English colonisers utilised various measures to control these black people; however, Shakespeare reveals that Caliban doesn’t want to accept such treatment, he considers himself as the original owner of this place. Before the arrival of Prospero and Miranda to the island, Caliban is really perceived as a king, but the attempt of Prospero to civilise Caliban transforms the character into a slave. As Caliban states, â€Å"Thou strokst me and make much o f me†¦ / and then I lov’d thee, / And show’d thee all the qualities o’th’isle†¦ / For I am all the subjects you have, which first was mine own king†33. Prospero makes an attempt to create a hierarchical structure in the island, according to which people are divided into superior and inferior on the basis of their race and position. Such behaviour of Prospero proves that the involvement of English people in slavery began in the middle of the 16th century when Englishmen realised the benefits of slavery, failing to understand the negative impact of this superiority on black people. For instance, finding himself in close relations with white people, Caliban starts to feel alienation in the place he lives. According to Ric Allsopp, Prospero’s dominance over Caliban reveals the social structure that existed in England in that period and that deprived foreigners of the possibility to lead normal lives under racial prejudices34. Colonisation of the island aggravates these biases and provides Prospero with an opportunity to receive power over the islanders. As MacDonald puts it, â€Å"representations of racial identity and difference, similarly matter and show in early modern English literature, [are] itself the product of an age of slavery and colonial displacement†35. By applying to such claims as â€Å"Providence Divine†36, Prospero implicitly points at the fact that he has a control over the island and its inhabitants37. However, Caliban states that it is his mother who controlled the island and further transferred this right to Caliban. In this regard, Prospero, utilising various magic tricks, takes a control over the islanders by brute force, putting its inhabita nts into positions of slaves38. In order to avert people’s attention from this control, Prospero claims that Caliban has tried to rape his daughter, simultaneously revealing the stereotypic vision on barbarians. But some critics consider this accusation as Prospero’s attempt to conceal his violent actions in regard to Caliban and other native people39. Thus, it is no wonder that Caliban rises against Prospero and his control; however, finally Prospero suppresses this assault, proving that white people are superior and more powerful than people of other races. Society is considered to exist on the basis of two ways of interaction: subjugation and mutual interchange of profits. In the case of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, the relations between two races are based on subjugation that allows Prospero, as the member of a more powerful racial group, to enslave Caliban and other native inhabitants and utilise them for his own benefits. As a result, a race of white people appears in a more advantageous position than a race of the colonised black people. It is clear that their relations are not based on mutual interchange, that’s why the members of the second group are deprived of their freedom, former life and cultural roots. However, by the end of the play Prospero realises that on a long-term basis such kind of relations can result in many negative consequences for both interacted groups. Therefore, despite the fact that Caliban usually acts as a barbarian black savage, Shakespeare reveals that, to some extent, Caliban’s actions are justified. When white people arrive to the island, where he lives and where he is thought to be a king, and deprive him of his rights and freedom, he rises against such subordinate position. Caliban, who collides with another culture and another race for the first time, is unable to understand the difference between these white people and native inhabitants. But for Prospero the difference is obvious; Prospero, Trinculo and other white people regard Caliban as a monster, and Trinculo even thinks of taking this beast to England and demonstrating him in specific shows. These shows were rather popular and beneficial for the country’s economy in the 16th century, a s people of different races, mainly Indians or the Moors, were shown to English audience for a certain fee. As Caliban understands that Prospero transforms him into a slave, he opposes him by claiming: â€Å"I am subject to a tyrant, a sorcerer that by his cunning hath cheated me of the island†40. As Prospero makes an attempt to civilise Caliban, his major aim is to suppress Caliban’s nature and make the character serve him. Such dominance over wild inhabitants reflects the attitude of Europeans towards these people of different race. This attitude is especially obvious from the following words of Miranda, Prospero’s daughter: â€Å"Thy vile race / Though thou didst learn – had that in’t which good natures / Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou / Deservedly confined into this rock, / Who hadst deserved more than a prison†41. Such judgement reveals serious racial prejudices; it is clear that Caliban is not able to withstand such attitude, and his rape of Miranda and his assault against Prospero are direct consequences of this racist treatment. However, Prospero manages to stifle a rebellion and change his attitude towards these black people. He leaves the island and releases Caliban. Such actions reveal Shakespeare’s views o n colonisation and race; the dramatist proves that the relations among different races should be based on mutual benefits and freedom. But if one race suppresses another race, this suppression will finally result in the destruction of both races. Despite the fact that Caliban acquires the language and manners of the colonisers, they do not change his nature, because racial attitude, suppression and enslavement deprive Caliban of adopting these norms. Simultaneously, these actions deprive Prospero of establishing good relations with native inhabitants, instead inspiring hatred in them. But as Prospero provides freedom to Caliban, he also achieves inner freedom and understanding of other people. 5.3. Interpretation of race in Titus Andronicus Similar to Othello, Aaron, one of the characters of Shakespeare’s play Titus Andronicus, also belongs to the race of the Moors and is portrayed as a black person. But, unlike Othello, this protagonist confirms to the stereotypic representation of a black villain who claims that â€Å"If one good deed in all my life I did / I do repent it to my very soul†42. Being the lover of Queen of the Goths, Aaron manages to ruin the Andronicii, as well as Titus Andronicus. Like Othello, he is also regarded as a devil, a symbol of evil and destruction. However, Aaron differs from Othello in many ways; above all, Aaron, this â€Å"barbarous Moor†43, applies to various actions and tricks in order to intensify his social position. But as Bartels puts it, although â€Å"Aaron has the freedom and ability to manipulate and maneuver close to the court circle, he is still an underlying servant with no possible avenue for advancement†44. Aaron himself understands that his appea rance and race are serious obstacles to his acceptance in society, that’s why he wants to seclude himself from others and to â€Å"bring [his son] up / To be a warrior and command a camp†45. As a result, Aaron’s son manages to survive, while Aaron is murdered by Lucious, because Aaron is considered to be an absolute evil that deserves death. In this regard, Othello appears to perform a certain role in society, while Aaron’s position comes to simple adjustment to the existing environment. Therefore, contrary to Othello, the Moors in this play are presented as false and unfaithful. Both Aaron and his Moor lover deceive Titus and make him apply to cruelty in regard to his own family. But the charac

The Democratic Symbol Essay -- Politics Government Symbolism Essays

The Democratic Symbol The word â€Å"donkey† has come to have a negative connotation in today’s society. In Webster’s Handy College Dictionary, the definition for a donkey is â€Å"an ass† or â€Å"a stupid or obstinate person†. One would presume that with such a meaning, the Democratic Party, one of the main political parties in the United States, would not be associating itself with such a negative symbol. The first use of the â€Å"donkey† as the Democratic symbol occurred during Andrew Jackson’s run for president in 1828. Because of his populist views and the slogan, â€Å"Let the people rule†, his opponents tried to label him as a â€Å"jackass†, but Jackson used the name-calling and turned it into his advantage by placing the donkey on his campaign posters (The Democratic). Since its first application in 1828 the â€Å"donkey† is a symbol that is now clearly associated with the Democratic Party. This association is present because the attributes that complement this symbol are some of the many attributes that characterize and define the Democratic Party. Although the masses might view the â€Å"donkey† as a representation of something stupid, or silly, the Democratic Party, on the other hand, has come to view the â€Å"donkey† as a symbol that stands for intelligence, courage, and humility (The Democratic). One of many important characteristics that define the Democratic Party is its member’s ability to solve issues that affects the party or the nation in an intelligent manner. This ability came into play on October 29, 1929, at the start of the Great Depression (â€Å"New Deal†). The inherent instability of the market brought about the Great Depression in 1929, and to resolve this instability, government intervention was necessary t... ...eal.† Wikipedia. 22 Nov. 2004. . Robinson, Dan. â€Å"108th U.S. Congress Nears End of Its Term.† Voice of America. 22 Nov. 2004, Washington, D.C. 22 Nov. 2004. . Rosembaum, David E. â€Å"As standoff ends, Clinton is seeking the high ground†. New York Times. 21 Nov. 1995, New York, NY: A1. ProQuest. George Mason University, Fenwick Library. 22 Nov. 2004. Stinnett, Ronald F. Democrats, Dinners, & Dollars: A History of the Democratic Party, its Dinners, its Rituals. Ames, IA: The Iowa State University Press, 1967. â€Å"The Democratic Donkey.† DNC: The Democratic National Committee. 14 Nov. 2004. . The President, The Public, and The Parties. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc., 1997: 30.

Budget 97 :: essays research papers

Budget 97 Finance Minister Paul Martin unveiled the Liberal government's 1997 budget recently. As most economic and political experts predicted there were very few surprises, if any. This was a cautious and predicable budget that was every bit political as it was economical. With the Liberal government set to call an election in late May or early June the Party was very reluctant to rock the boat further. This is what they have done in the 1997 budget and the subsequent reactions to the new budget from both the business and political communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this no-surprises, pre-election budget, Martin said deficit cutting is coming to an end and that Canadians, particularly the unemployed, will soon reap the rewards of 40 months of strict financial management. With the Federal deficit dropping over the last few years, the Liberals feel that they can balance the budget in the next two years. This is important because it will allow the government to halt their foreign borrowing to finance the deficit. This greatly helps the credibility of Canada and puts the country's destiny back into domestic palms. With this said, Martin announced no new tax increases, although the raise in the Pension Plan could be considered a hidden tax increase. Martin announced no new spending cuts in this budget although cuts made in previous budgets are set to slash 3 billion more dollars this year. There was some extra spending sprinkled into various areas. For starters, a new tax benefit will be created in co-operation with the provinces, costing the Federal government $600 billion. This program is attempting to help the poor and this can be effective economically because poor people tend to spend everything they have, and they almost always spend it domestically. This program will be introduced in two the stages, the first of which will begin this July with a $195 million supplement. Instead of benefits being capped at $500 per family, the maximum working income supplement benefit will be increased to $605 for the first child, $405 for the second child and $330 for each additional child. Other expenditures will be include; tax credits for students, $300 million in new health care funding and tax credits for medical expenses of the disabled. Depending on how you look at it, Martin is either spending more or just cutting less.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been many contrary viewpoints that economic and political leaders have thrown out and most are unsure. It appears that Martin has created a no-brainer budget that doesn't do anything to hurt but does not make Canadians feel better either. Martin was expected to put money into job creation in order

Ishmael Essay -- essays research papers

Ishmael The book Ishmael, which was written by Daniel Quinn, is an adventure for the human mind and for society as a whole. Throughout the book Quinn explores many factual scientific principals, but the intent of the book is not to give one a lecture on science. The intentions of Quinn are to discuss and examine the beginnings and also the history of our ecologically dominating culture in which we live in. In this book, Ishmael is a telepathic, highly educated gorilla who explores with his fifth pupil the stories of the Takers and the Leavers. The Takers is a society in which man has freed himself from living day to day, through this wondering if he will be able to find food tomorrow. Takers believe that through technology they can achieve a perfect world where no one suffers from hunger, disease, and poverty. Ishmael though points out that through this search for this perfect world that this has lead to the desecration of the Leaver culture and a decline in community diversity; humanity mus t find a different way to live. The Leavers are a different culture with a different outlook than the Takers. The Leavers live within their means and do not exempt themselves from the laws of competition. From Ishmael, â€Å"The Leaver lifestyle it’s about letting the rest of the community live---and agriculturalists can do that† (Quinn 250). Leavers see the world before the humans as orderly, and in perfect working condition. As a result of the Leavers not producing excessive food their numbe...

Causes of Indian Mutiny Essay

The Indian Mutiny, which occurred in 1857, was the consequence of a number of problems that had arisen as a result of the British occupation of India. It began as a mutiny of the sepoys, a class of soldiers. However, it soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions in the northern and central parts of India. The British occupation caused political, economic and cultural problems in India. This led to disharmony between the two sides. Political forces were a main cause of the Indian Mutiny, that were through overpowering from the British rule. Nationalism had brought a great sense of pride to the conquering nation, where it was seen as both fashionable and right to conquer a nation. This had led to the arrival of the British East India Company where it had strongly implanted itself in the Sub-continent after the victory over Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey fought in 1757. This continued with the English defeating many other forces and brightened the prospects of the company in the country. Many problems had arisen with the rule of the British, where they had enforced extremely heavy taxes upon the India people as well as new land revenue systems had ruined many peasant farmers, which had caused both political and cultural discontent within the Indian people. The doctrine of lapse and the annexation of Oudh by Dalhousie struck at the traditional ways of life and caused hatred throughout the Indian Sub-continent. This had meant that the rulers of each Indian State had lost their land as they had no male heirs. Problems relating to religion had also occurred when the new Enfield rifle was introduced to replace the old musket where the cartridge was heavily greased with animal fat containing both Cows and pigs, which were seen as both sacred and unclean from the Hindus and Muslims respectively. Religious and cultural forces such as the spreading of Christianity and the suppression of traditional practices contributed greatly to the First War of Indian Independence. The changes that the British had made to Indian ways created considerable discontent and disturbances across India. Due to the introduction of steamships, the closeness of the British and Indians disappeared as many families joined their officer husbands, meaning that the officers spent less time with their Sepoys or Indian mistresses. The education system brought about a group of higher-caste men, however jobs were not available to them. There was also fear among the Hindus that their religion would be lost by Christianity. Both the army and the civil population were under the fear that the government intended to make everybody a Christian. Missionary activity was extended by Englishmen all over the country. Furthermore, there were some major reforms such as the abolition of child marriage and the suppression of Sati. These were all major contributing factors to Indian Mutiny which saw the Indians being defeated by the British. There were also many economic reasons behind the Indian Mutiny. During their time in India, the East India Company were successful in building power. Over one and a half centuries, numerous bribes allowed the East India Company to operate in overseas markets. However, this did not benefit local business. For example, the cheap imports of South Asian products, including silk and cotton decreased the profits of domestic businesses. The introduction of the British ‘Doctrine of Lapse’, helped the British to expand their imperial domain. As a result of this doctrine, Indian princes were forbidden from inheriting land from people who they were not natural heirs of. This gave the British vast amounts of land. By 1857, the independence of the remaining states had been reduced, and the East India Company was exporting untold amounts of luxuries back to England each year. These included, gold, silver, silk and cotton. The economic advantages for the British left many Indians out of business or with decreased profits. This caused animosity between the two parties, which led to the Indian Mutiny. In conclusion, the Indian Mutiny had occurred due to various reasons broadly in the category of political, economic and cultural. The British presence in India caused the changes. These had changed the future of India and the many citizens within the nation.