Elements of Gothic Literature Essay

Gothic literature was born in 1764 when Horace Walpole published The Castle of Otranto, which is considered to be the first gothic novel ever written. Gothic literature was originally written as a reaction to the age of reason, order, and the politics of eighteenth-century England. Containing anti-Catholic sentiments and mythical aspects, Gothic literature explored the tension between what we fear and what we desire. The stories were usually set in some kind of castle or old building that showed human decay and created an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Often, one of the main characters would be some sort of damsel in distress, threatened by some man. The words chosen in these novels and short stories were very descriptive, creating overwrought emotion and often, feelings of gloom and horror. Also, within the plot, some sort of ancient prophecy, along with omens and visions, could usually be found. The most important elements to the structure of canonical gothic literature, however, are supernatural and unexplainable events. In The Castle of Otranto, much of the plot surrounds one unexplainable incident: a giant black helmet falls on Prince Conrad, thus killing him. Because of Prince Conrad’s death, Manfred, his father, captures a passing peasant, Theodore, and pursues Isabella, Conrad’s fiancee. Later, it is learned that Jerome (the minister) is Theodore’s father. If the helmet had never fallen on Conrad, Manfred never would have stopped Theodore, and Jerome would never have found his long lost son. Manfred, still believing that Theodore is guilty of dropping the helmet by sorcery, is ready to execute him. At this point in the story, Isabella’s long lost father appears, which halts Theodore’s execution. It is later learned that Isabella’s father found her because a dream he had led him to a monk, who led him to Otranto. The supernatural event here is the dream, which turned out to forecast reality. He accuses Manfred of not being the rightful ruler of Otranto. Eventually, everything is confirmed when the giant version of Alfonso the Good that has been living in the castle (another mysterious incident) breaks through the walls and proclaims Theodore the natural heir of Alfonso and the rightful ruler of Otranto. The Ruins of the Abbey of Fitz-Martin, whose author remains anonymous, also has a similar dependency on a chain of supernatural events. Sir Thomas Fitz-Martin acquires an abbey, which he finds in ruins. He is certain it can be repaired, so he and his people venture inside. Upon exploring the abbey, Fitz-Martin opens a door with difficulty, only to be met with severe shrieks from inside that particular room. Later in the story, the superstition surrounding those screams is explained. Evidently, every night, the ghost of St. Anna can be seen walking up to the altar. She stays there until midnight, and then walks to the south tower. She screams three times, and the ghost of the evil Baron, who possessed the abbey years before, comes. Then, Anna chases him with a â€Å"fire-brand† in one hand and a dead baby in her other arm. The two ghosts eventually come to the Baron’s old room, where â€Å"dismal yells and dying groans† can be heard from. Fiery lights surround the Baron’s old room until the clock that hasn’t been touched in years strikes two, or sometimes three o’clock. This story of supernatural occurrence strikes the curiosity of Rosaline, Sir Thomas Fitz-Martin’s daughter, who then decides to go investigate the south tower. When she does, she finds the torture chamber where they killed St. Anna so many years ago. She is debating whether or not to go in, when she hears a voice commanding her to enter. She feels almost possessed, as the voice tells her to reach inside the coffin. When she does, she pulls something out and takes it with her, fleeing in terror. It is the supernatural phenomenon of this voice that brings in St. Anna’s story, which is written on the papers with which Rosaline fled in terror. The Vampyre by John Polidori casts an interesting slant on the element of supernatural events. The entire story is a supernatural event because Lord Ruthven is a vampire, a supernatural creature. Before this is revealed to the reader, however, there are important unexplainable events that allude to his being a vampire and are of utmost importance to the story. It is the mystery of Lord Ruthven’s appearance that first attracts Aubrey to him, and thus begins the story. Aubrey wants to get to know him better, hopefully to  understand the enigma of his demeanor. They leave on a trip together, and Aubrey notices that Lord Ruthven is extremely charitable. He also notices, though, that Lord Ruthven always gives his money to the scoundrels of society, those who will piddle away the charity pursuing their vices. Then he realizes that all who receive money from Lord Ruthven end up far worse than they were before the charity. Although Aubrey cannot explain this, it intrigues him and makes him wonder if there isn’t a spark of evil in Lord Ruthven. Some time later, Aubrey receives letters from his sister and his guardians. The letter from his sister is very loving, but the letter from his guardians bears only bad and mysterious news. They tell him that his traveling companion is pure evil, that all the women at home that he wooed because of their virtues, have now come forth and shown that they are tainted, and pursue their vices publicly. The people of their town find this unexplainable and very unnerving. He was suspicious of Lord Ruthven’s evil before, but upon reading the letter, Aubrey decides that he must leave Lord Ruthven for the remainder of the trip. Aubrey travels to Greece, where he stays with a kind family and falls in love with their daughter, Ianthe, although he does not act on it. It is here that he learns the legend of the vampire. One day he goes to a place to research, and they tell him to be back before dark because of the vampire. He loses track of time and it is soon dark. He hears a scream and runs toward it. He finds a hut, and picks up a dagger that is inside. However, he is too late. Ianthe was murdered by the vampire. Aubrey falls into a fever and Lord Ruthven returns to him and nurses him back to health. Soon after this, they are attacked by robbers and Lord Ruthven is wounded. He dies, but makes Aubrey promise to him that he will not speak a word of his death. When Aubrey goes back for Lord Ruthven’s body, it is gone, and the robbers tell Aubrey that they had to put it in the moonlight the first night of Lord Ruthven’s death. They go to where they left the corpse, but it has mysteriously disappeared. Aubrey decides that it is time to go home. On his way home, he goes through Lord Ruthven’s things and finds a shaft that matches the dagger he found in the hut exactly. This confirms for Aubrey  that Lord Ruthven is the vampire. When he arrives home, his sister holds a drawing-room. Here, Aubrey is snatched by the arm and told to ‘remember his oath.’ Aubrey is dumbfounded because Lord Ruthven is supposed to be dead, but here he is, pursuing his sister. This drives him into a terrible fever. During this fever, he figures out that his sister is engaged to Lord Ruthven and fears for her. He tries to stop the wedding, but everyone thinks that he is crazy and dismisses him. His sister is killed at the end of the story. The fact that Lord Ruthven is a supernatural creature accounts for all of the supernatural events and the entire story. If he was not a vampire, his demeanor would never have attracted Aubrey initially, and Aubrey never would have gone traveling with Lord Ruthven. Had Aubrey not gone traveling with him, he never would have discovered that Lord Ruthven was a vampire, and gone crazy. If Aubrey had not gone crazy, he would have been able to stop the wedding and save his sister’s life. Supernatural and unexplainable events are crucial to the plot of a gothic story. Often, they act as the backbone of the plot and many of the circumstances and coincidences rest upon them. In The Castle of Otranto, they act as the coincidence drivers as well as supply some of the omens and visions, another element of gothic literature. They bring the real story to the surface in The Ruins of the Abbey of Fitz-Martin, and provide the foundation for the story in The Vampyre. Without the element of supernatural and unexplainable events, much of the canonical gothic literature would not stand on its own.

Job Analysis Process

All businesses have daily needs and challenges to everyday, which is why Human Resource managers and other managers’ turns to Job analysis to help them plan efficiently and effectively. Job analysis an important practice widely used in today’s business. A thoughtful and carefully constructed job analysis process gathers information about the duties, responsibilities, and essential skills required to ensure that the proper persons are placed in the appropriate positions with the right qualifications to fulfill and perform the required job demands.Thoughtful collaborative planning, led by the HR Manager and staff, lends flexibility to the dynamic and constantly changing needs of the organization and the people who labor within. The purpose, process and method of job analysis is the subject of further discussion here to help understand the critical nature creating a true value add within the HR function. The Purpose of Job AnalysisJob Analysis and the information obtained is crucial to recruiting, selection and retention; training programs; performance evaluation and managing compensation; job design and redesign; and above all supporting management to meet the demands of efficiency and productivity. It is essential for the organization’s HR to understand what is needed, where and when to help fulfill the company’s goals and objectives, yet remain responsive to changing needs and circumstances.Job analysis certainly provides this highly beneficial insight in the following key areas: Recruitment and Selection: HR management uses Job Analysis to select the ‘best’ fit of applicants to positions. Job analysis assists HR in carefully identifying the most capable candidates possessing the most suitable education, advanced knowledge, and appropriate proper skills necessary to perform a job, or better, function. Training and Development: Job Analysis is also essential in determining the type, depth and quantity of training and deve lopment needed to integrate new-hires, enhance organizational and personal job  proficiencies and maintain current awareness and understanding of changing workplace initiatives.Continuing training and development goals are particularly well served to improve the employees’ knowledge and understanding of the required job duties. A good The Job Analsis system provides detailed tools to assist management in deciding which systems, tools and materials are needed to help accomplish training and development goals.Evaluation of Employees Performance: Measuring employee performance and productivity is essential to aid management in meeting company goals as well as hiring and retaining quality staff at all levels of the organization. Thorough, thoughtful and monitored Job Analysis process can be used to flexibly and objectively measure metrics and objective s to make sure that goals are being met, productivity maintained ensuring continuing company success.Compensation and Benefits: Objective Job Analysis allows ‘fair’ standards to be set for salaries, wages and benefits paid. The process underscores the value of employee experience, skills and growth with particular job requirements. With a good process in place HR can capably assist management in setting career paths, employee development, incentives, promotions, raises and so forth. The Process of Job AnalysisThe Job Analysis process will help companies intelligently align tasks and functions with ‘most’ qualified applicants, hire and retain them, all the while promoting efficiency and flexibility to meet the demands of a competitive marketplace. Staffing plans are best managed and derived in large part by determining and knowing how many employees are required for particular positions, match qualifications with pay, while setting performance measures.Establishing a dynamic Job Analysis process requires several important parts to be effective in meeting company needs, including but not limited to the following: Understanding & Embracing Job Analysis: Understanding & embracing Job analysis, even in small companies will help a firm identify and recognize the different methods of job analysis and data necessary to establish a solid effective system best suited to the company environment. Input & Analysis: An important first step is to determine who will be primarily responsible for job analysis.While usually managed by the human resource department, company managers, consultants, and even customers will have vital input and contributions. Choosing the appropriate process pays dividends later and is a vital way to self-inform management and HR as to priorities, benchmarks and the labor market. Establishing objective criteria early on in examining particular jobs, skills, an company needs establishes a good basis for managing the system and adopting methods best suited to do so.Planning & Decision Making: Any business process or system is only as good as the infor mation gathered and provided and every level of the organization could be rendered ineffective by too much, too little or irrelevant information with which to make important HR decisions. Obtaining meaningful employee feedback has long proven to be helpful but often overlooked. How much information gathered from inside and outside the organization is key consideration along with how information and data are recorded, presented and weighted.HR management and company management must pay attention to letting Job Analysis get to embedded in old information or become irrelevant to management decision-making processes. A Job Analyst: Even in small companies where employees wear various hats, it is critical to have a properly trained Jobs Analyst. The Analyst should have a thorough up to date knowledge of various analytical methods, research skills, be organized and a good communicator. Innovative experience, if affordable or desirable, would be a big help. Cost effective consulting could be a ready complement or substitute.Even if this function is ‘as needed’ or part time, the Analyst’s role will enable the function to remain useful and dynamic. Job Analysis Process Overview: Project and process information is routinely communicated within the organization in many ways. Identifying the communication channels, throughputs and outputs is much more productive than asking people what they do all day long and there are many psychologically barriers of all employees regardless of rank to answer interview questions and questionnaires honestly.While there is a place for such investigative tools, there is no substitute for observing, discussing and analyzing the skills necessary for a specific position matched against realistic management expectations and using modern methods to match with company requirements. Collecting the Data: Job information and functional data, such as available applicant qualifications, skills and abilities, job activities, duties and responsibilities, are collated so that all such needed and important is readily available in an understandable format to all recipients.The HR manager and management should be constantly searching for enhancements to recruit talent at all levels of the organization, even if not immediately required. Planning flexibly and with foresight can pay huge dividends later. Review, Validation, Monitoring: Similar to hiring, a diligent effort must be made to ensure that data and details collected for analysis are up to date, relevant and realistic and in presentable format.Review of all positions should be made objectively and at all levels of the organization. Feedback from a variety of sources is helpful. Deriving and Implementing Job Descriptions & Specifications: Generally job descriptions are referred to as tasks, duties and abilities (TDA). At this stage, no one, supervisors, managers, or job seekers should have any significant questions about the position. About the company and be nefits, yes, about the ‘job’ – not with a fully functioning, flexible and objective Jobs Analysis.Recruiting and retention are vastly facilitated by selecting proper candidates for positions by matching properly described knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics, known as KSAO. The HR manager, and department, having followed the correct steps for their company can now use Job Analysis processes to assist company management in performance measuring, turnover (and reasons for), earnings/costs, productivity, incentive programs, and most important as a ‘budgeting tool’ for human resource allocation.Care, however, must be taken not to let the process run itself. Continuous monitoring and review is required by all levels of management with HR taking the lead. By utilizing Job analysis, a company can standardize and build a dynamic, thoughtful and above all a flexible Job Analysis process, usually with nominal investment, and by engaging in th e process significantly aid in the achievement of company goals.Establishing a thoughtful process at any time will save time and money, matching the changing needs of the organization with quality and qualified personnel. The HR function can take positive proactive steps to identify quality employees with desired skills and education that match the skills needed by the firm while allowing for a variety of other value-added features to meet future demands of the firm, all starting with a Job Analysis process.

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Model and Strategic Plan - Essay Example Through this combo-meal product, the larger number of consumers can be enticed to try out the new Starbucks product. A significant amount of advertising would have to be included in this strategy in order to inform the target population of the new product (Cravens and Piercy, 2008). These advertising can simply come in the form of posters displayed in front of the Starbucks stores, and made visible to everyone. Advertisements would also have to be taken out in newspapers, magazines, and the social media. Television advertisements would also help inform a larger population about the new Starbucks product (Cravens and Piercy, 2008). The advertisement would also have to emphasize on the uniqueness of the new product for Starbucks, and all the perks and benefits it can offer the clients. It is important for the new product to stand apart from other combo-meals of other business establishments (Rust, et.al., 2004). The advertisement can present a variety of combination meals of sandwiches and coffee for the customers to choose from. The advertisement can also appeal immediately to individual consumer tastes, including the vegetarians, the vegans, or those who have cultural preferences in their meals. The bottom line of the advertisements is that the new product for Starbucks is one which serves the needs of the consumers satisfactorily (Rust, et.al., 2004). It is also important to test the new product and its viability in the market. This can be done through research. A research can be carried out covering the possible target population. This target population would be invited to Starbucks and would be invited to test the new product. Posters of the new product would be displayed outside the stores (Zeithaml, et.al., 2006). The research would note if the respondents would opt for the combo meal, and what type of meal they would choose. Feedback on the quality and the value for money

Aberdour Rocky Shore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aberdour Rocky Shore - Essay Example The report will be aimed at addressing certain issues regarding the analysis of the information obtained through the collected data. Comparison between the Zonation Patterns of Site A and Site B Site A and Site B do not appear to have similar zonation patterns. For example, at a vertical height of 4.79 m above the water line at Site A, the % cover statistics for orange and grey lichens are 5 and 30 respectively. Above 4.82 m from the water line at Site B, the % cover statistics for orange and grey lichens are 5 and 5 respectively. Hence, the scope of symbiotic colony of fungi and algae is limited at Site B. Again, % cover of fucus vesiculosus in Site A at .83 m above the water line is 30 while that in Site B at the same height is 10. Site B, therefore, appears to be less habitable by the seaweed population. This can be suggestively explained by topological variations. Rock structures in Site B appear to be more rugged, hence there are greater tidal activities in the splash fringe lev el. This might have given rise to a washing mechanism that created different zonation patterns in Site B as compared with Site A. Differences between Exposed and Sheltered Shores In the exposed rocky shore, splash zones are large and there is maximum splashing from due to the waves. The area is dominated by organisms which can cling on tightly (for example, limpets and barnacles).

Work-based Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Work-based Learning - Essay Example Thus, the drastic changes that have been taking place in every field of occupation due to globalisation has also resulted in the new knowledge economy where the essential issues become what counts as knowledge sin an organisation, how this knowledge is transmitted and stored, who owns it, and how it is shared etc. that is to say, there has been an increasing significance for both individual workplace learning and organisational learning. Significantly, "workplace learning is a process through which both individuals and organisations move towards desirable and sustainable outcomes. However, this raises the question of whether individual learning and organisational learning are congruent and synonymous. In principle, the desirable outcomes and planned goals of individuals and organisations may diverge. ... Learning in the contemporary world of globalisation has been realised as an important process which involves experience with knowing and there is great scope for work-based learning in every field of education. According to the UK's Campaign for Learning, learning can be defined as "a process of active engagement with experience. It is what people do when they want to make sense of the world. It may involve an increase in skills, knowledge or understanding, a deepening of values, or the capacity to reflect. Effective learning will lead to change, development and a desire to learn more." (Campaign for Learning, 2) This definition of learning suggests the importance of work-experience in the process of learning which can result in an increase in skills, knowledge or understanding, a deepening of values, or the capacity to reflect. Significantly, work-based learning, which is central and most important aspect of learning to impact on performance at work, reflects the concept of work-experience in the process of learning and it is a practical approach to learning and experience. With the emphasis on high standards in the learning process of higher education, the question is now open about what approach educators may employ in order to achieve those standards. Even in the high school levels of learning, educational reforms to help the student development emphasise the incorporation of work-based learning which integrates experiences outside of the school with classroom learning. "Over the last 15 years, some education reformers have argued that integrating experiences outside of the school with classroom learning is an effective approach to engaging students in their studies and helping to prepare them for education and work after high

What is the role of management information systems in the reporting Essay

What is the role of management information systems in the reporting process in a multinational enterprise Discuss the statement, Inadequate MIS in foreign affiliates can become a control problem for MNEs - Essay Example Therefore, these management information systems and the information produced by them are usually considered as crucial components of sensible and practical business decisions. For effective management in the organization, an MIS provides decision makers with facts and supports and enhances the overall decision making process. For top management and local managers, it provides the data and information that is needed to assist the board and management in making strategic decisions. At other levels, management information system offers the capabilities for monitoring and distribution of information to the management, employees, and customers (Comptroller of the Currency, 2000). Information management with in an organization is a sequence of processes that assists the organization in managing the information that flows across organizational units, identifying information needs, obtaining the information, storage and organization of information, developing information products and services, distributing information, and using information that information for effective decision making. Managing the information in this way proposes new strategies for getting the most out of the value of information in organizations, and for a redefinition of the roles of organizational professionals, be they top management, local managers, employees, or other staff (Choo, 1995). Now a days Managers have to cope with high information-processing demands in various circumstances because of the uncertainty of environmental factors and the increasing complexity of organizational activities. Operating in international markets has resulted in significant increase in information- processing demands for top managers. International growth may also cause increased proper information management demands because of the reasons such as: more complex organizational structure of MNEs, communication problems, and the geographical distance between the head office

Geomorphology Lab 3 Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geomorphology 3 - Lab Report Example Further, a model for predicting age can be succinctly tested based on weathering degree. The class split into three groups and recorded the varying degrees of weathering for different tombstones at the Murray Cemetry. The characteristics of the 20 tombstones were recorded by each group. The characteristics recorded for each tombstone include height, width, length, name, thickness at bottom and thickness at top, texture, lithology, tilt and visual weathering class. The data obtained were entered into an excel spreadsheet as shown in the result section. As shown in the above the graph, with the help of a best fit line, there is a general trend observed between weathering class and age. A positive gradient indicates that there is a positive relationship between the two and as the age increases so does the weathering class of tombstone increases. As shown in the graph, there is a general trend between weathering class and height of the tombstone. The equation gives a positive gradient, showing that as the height increases there is a positive effect on the weathering class. The weathering class increases with increase in height. A line of best fit, as shown in the graph, indicates that there is a considerable relationship between weathering class and length. The graph shows that an increase observed in length leads to an increase in weathering class. The positive gradient shows that there is a positive relationship between the two. The results obtained were able to support the initially listed hypotheses. For age, there was observed consistency in its relationship with weathering class as shown in the graph. Hence, from the methodology used, the hypothesis â€Å"The degree of tombstone weathering is related to tombstone age† is sufficiently supported because there was observed consistency with a positive gradient. The results supported hypothesis two which stated that â€Å"The degree of tombstone weathering relies on the height of the tombstone† given

Arab Spring - The Utility of the Foucauldian Notion of Resistance as Essay

Arab Spring - The Utility of the Foucauldian Notion of Resistance as Opposed to The Critical - Essay Example Tunisia’s government was replaced because of protestors who were rural, and joined with labor, and that the Tunisian government was eventually replaced with a government which was amenable to labor. In Egypt, the cosmopolitan and educated young people organized the uprisings, and they soon were backed by the Islamic Brotherhood. However, these young people did not topple the government so much as the military did, and now there is a clash between the democratically backed Brotherhood and the military, and there is not yet a new power structure in place. In Libya, the country devolved into a civil war, as the power structure was voided and no new centralized power structure took its place, therefore, the nation is ran by tribes, and has been marked by multiple secessions, and kin networks are providing the goods and services, along with the safety and security (Anderson, 2011, p. 6). The question is whether the critical theory of international relations and emancipation mark th ese conflicts or do they more closely resemble the Foucauldian view of resistance? The short answer is that Egypt and Tunisia resemble resistance theory and Libya resembles emancipation theory. This paper will explain the two theories and show why each country more resembles one theory as opposed to the other. Emancipation Theory According to Dougherty (2001, p. 470), emancipation theory is based upon revolutionism, which, in turn, is one of the principal traditions of international-relations theory. Specifically, Dougherty (2001) states that revolutionism places human emancipation as being paramount, as it helps to reach â€Å"the fullest human potential† (Dougherty, 2001, p. 477). Devetak (1996, p. 155) states that critical international theory works to bring about radical change by removing constraints on freedom. To this end, Devetak (1996, p. 155) asserts that critical international theory underpins the theory of emancipation, in that it has as its focus the understanding of conditions which would make emancipation possible. Linklater (1990, p. 89) states that the other two traditions of international theory – realism and rationalism - are both based upon order and power. In contrast, emancipation theory is based upon individualism. Furthermore, emancipation, or revolutionism, forms the bas is for critical theories of international relations whereas the other two traditions of realism and rationalism form the basis for traditional theories of international relations (Linklater, 1990, p. 90). Habermas, according to Goode (2005), promoted emancipation by stating that freedom is embodied in the public square of the bourgeois, while overlooking â€Å"antagonistic class relations† (Goode, 2005, p. 34). Neufeld (1995, p. 66) states that critical theory and emancipation have, at their roots, the theories of Kant, Hegel and Marx, although he credits Marx with bringing the theory into its maturation. Perhaps because Marx though that reason would somehow trump power structures and oppression, critics refer to emancipation theory as â€Å"Utopian,† although Wyn-Jones (2001, p. 58) states that while the principles underlying emancipation theory are utopian, the value of emancipation theory relies on this optimism. Devetak (1996, p. 157) further goes on to state that emancipation is based upon three concepts – autonomy, security and community. Autonomy means, according to Devetak (1996, p. 163) that individuals are free to live their lives without constraints which are unnecessary and are inhibiting to freedom. Security means the absence of threats, because autonomy cannot exist in the face of threats – threats curtail freedom, because if individuals are not safe, then they cannot pursue freedom. Among the threats

Effects of Pollution in China Essay Example for Free

Effects of Pollution in China Essay In the last two decades, the air pollution in China has increased substantially. The lack of good air quality is especially prominent in the more urban, industrialized areas of China. Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian warned, â€Å"If China meant to quadruple the size of its economy over 20 years without more damage, it would have to become more efficient in resource use. Otherwise, there would be a painful price to pay† (BBC News). The topic of air pollution is not a new concern to the world; however, the effects of air pollution, especially to the hundred of thousands of people directly or indirectly harmed by the side effects of â€Å"bad air,† should be of grave concern. According to the Ministry of Health, air pollution has made cancer the leading cost of death in China. Air pollution not only affects the people, but also the quality of fresh water, produce, and other natural resources. These kinds of environmental outcomes may seem erratic in other countries but unfortunately, it has become the norm in China. In fact, air pollution in China since the 1980’s has gotten so bad that many of the industrialized areas in Beijing and Shanghai rarely see the sun but rather clouds of smoke and fog. China, with its infamous reputation of becoming a global economic powerhouse, is ironically becoming its own downfall. In the midst of their tremendous economic and industrial growth, the energy outputs to support this growth are reaching an all-time high which means there is more residue of coal and fuel burning released in the atmosphere. In order to understand the extent of pollution in China, one must understand the environmental, social, and political aspects of it. Currently, China is the leading nation in terms of population. Even though China has approximately 1. 3 billion people living in its territory, the dangerous effects that pollution has taken upon the population is still of high concern although many people and government officials choose to not talk about it in order to not cause more burden on the already stressed country. According to the World’s Resource Institute, â€Å"respiratory disease is the number one cause of death in China† (World’s Resources Institute). In some regions, especially the major industrial zones in Hebei Province, rates of chronic lung disease are at least five times higher than the rest of the country. Even the women who do not smoke cigarettes and are living around those areas have the highest rates of lung cancer globally that pertains to the population of women who do not smoke (World’s Resources Institute). It is estimated that annual premature deaths attributable to outdoor air pollution were likely to reach 380,000 in 2010 and 550,000 in 2020 (BBC News). With these potential outcomes that are doubling every decade, China will face even more problems if these environmental issues are not dealt with now. In addition to air population, there is also the concern of water pollution which coincides with the big cycle of environmental distress. In addition, many people who live near concentrated areas of pollution do not know how to protect themselves well because they are unaware of the long term effects of inhaling the air and drinking the water. Nearly half of China’s population consumes drinking water contaminated with animal and human waste and acidic rain and erosion. While there has been an overall decline in mortality from infectious diseases, diarrheal diseases and viral hepatitis, both associated with fecal pollution of water, are the leading infectious diseases in China (World’s Resources Institute). Because of contaminated, polluted water, China has the highest liver and stomach cancer deaths in the world. While the government is preoccupied with wanting to censor all this preventable chaos, many more people are becoming ill and dying from the lack of clean resources. Water pollution has become an intricate part of the problem as well. Many of the main rivers flowing through China have been the target for dumpsites for years. Because of its mass and distance, many people do not think twice when they dump their small amount of trash or waste inside the water; however, if twenty thousand other people are having the same exact justification, then it now becomes an environmental safety hazard as well as a social problem. As a result, it is estimated that three-quarters of the rivers running through Chinese cities are so polluted that they cannot be used for drinking or fishing. Even the infamous Yellow River is suffering from man-made environmental problems. Once the countrys second biggest source of fresh water, the river is now so polluted that almost 70% is hazardous to drink; moreover, because the river has been the target for over-exploitation for many years, the water tends to dry up before it reaches the sea for almost a third of the year. According to the World Health Organization, reports estimate that diseases triggered by indoor and outdoor air pollution kill 656,000 Chinese citizens each year and polluted drinking water kills another 95,600 (Platt). The majority of the air pollution in China is generated by the burning of coal and fuel oil in order to generate electric power. They do not have that much hydropower, power that comes from the energy of massive moving water, to help with demand and supply and, therefore, rely on the burning of coal. Coal is a natural resource that is abundant in amount but requires a lot of manpower and miners to obtain it every year. Because of its population and carrying capacity, China burns more coal to produce electricity than the U. S. , Europe and Japan combined. Air pollution and acid rain, which comes from the coal residue evaporating in the form of smoke into the atmosphere, is killing people. In addition to chemical and industrial factories producing all this dirtiness into the air, vehicles of transportation also add to this pollution epidemic. In the 1990s, the number of vehicles on roads increased very rapidly, especially in medium-sized and large cities. In Beijing, the number of vehicles increased by a factor of 4, from 0. 5 million in 1990 to 2 million in 2002. In addition, the emission factor, the amount of pollution emitted by one car, in China is much higher than in developed countries because China has much lower emissions standards for automobiles (The Chinese Academy). Thus, the drastic rise in the number of vehicles and rapid development of industries in cities has led to worsening air quality, particularly higher concentrations of nitrogen oxides. The burning of poor quality fuel only adds to urban air pollution. Considering the amounts of traffic that the more urban, centralized cities deal with on a constant basis, the amount of fuel being burned into the atmosphere is reaching tremendous heights. Over the years, the government had implemented their own ways of dealing with the pollution problem as well as progressing social development. Embarrassed by the repercussions of industrialization and urbanization, China’s environmental agency insisted that the health statistics be removed from the published version of media reports because the government did not wish to cause social instability. According to Spiegel Online International, in 2007 the Chinese government put pressure on the World Bank to take potentially damaging statistics out of a report on pollution in China (Spiegel Online International). Reportedly, the World Bank reluctantly agreed to the demand of the Chinese government and this report about pollution was never published. Many people did not believe the Chinese government undergone such secretive endeavors to â€Å"protect them but rather it was just the Communist’s instinctive response to every case of bad news – to cover it as much as possible. The Chinese government often has had a hard time prioritizing pressing issues at hand and, therefore, chooses to suppress it until the issue starts developing more and then reaches the attention of foreign countries. This kind of pattern has affected the Chinese government for many years now because of its lack of aggression towards personal, current issues. In terms of the environmental issues, China’s model of pollution compared to that of the United States and Europe is worse because the density of its population is greater and people do not know how to protect themselves properly from the essential tools of life, water and air. Because of China’s reputation as being one of the leading nations in fast economic growth, the government places economic growth before any other problem the nation might have. Some may say, the country is addicted to fast growth and instances of progression. Having a strong, solid economy would place China on the map as a great superpower and can very well earn them the respect and recognition from every other nation. If China starts to slow down their industrial development and economic growth at all, the effects would be social instability, the potential to lose foreign business and trading partners, and takes away China’s hard-earned reputation. Slowing down production to solve such insignificant problems may be a stretch for the Chinese government; however, the threat of pollution is very much real and staggering, which in the long run, would affect the economy in a negative way. With the amount of health-related issues due to the environment, health care costs have climbed sharply. The lack of clean water has affected the farming and crop industry tremendously. The amounts of high energy-dependent industries create greater need for imported coal and fuel; therefore, the environmental problems gradually get harder and more expensive to address the longer they remain unresolved. According to National Geographic, the rate in which this pollution is harming women and hildren would have a great effect on the next generation of China’s leaders, especially with the many recorded incidents of birth defects and brain damage that pregnant women are inhaling everyday of their lives. The pollution in China is not just a current problem but an issue that can surely affect the future of China extensively. In recent years, the Chinese government have been striving to address these environmental issues and making reforms to reverse some of the effects. The government has set goals in order to reduce the emission of fuel and to conserve energy by reducing the level of energy that industries use as well as slowing down the demand for coals. Taking ideas from the United States, China has set to develop alternative methods of energy such as solar power. Yet most of the government’s targets for energy efficiency, as well as improving air and water quality, have not been reached. Although there are many targets and goals set forth by the government to fix this â€Å"pollution problem,† no real concrete actions has taken effect. China’s lack of fundamental changes towards conservation and energy-efficient ways has resulted in no real progression. China refused to invest a lot of money and tax reforms to reach their supposed targeted goals. Even many bureaucratic leaders and city officials often do not invest their money and efforts into closing down factories and industries because that would hurt their local economies. In a way, the government reflects a dog-eat-dog world where everyone chooses to look out for themselves in order to prosper the most. In attempts to stick to their original goals, China began to explore the idea of the Green G. D. P in the mid 2000’s. The Green G. D. P was â€Å"an effort to create an environmental yardstick for evaluating the performance of every official in China†¦it recalculated gross domestic product, or â€Å"G. D. P. ,† to reflect the cost of pollution† (BBC News). In other words, this was a way to calculate the financial loss that pollution has had on the economy and for the government to adjust their expenditures in such a way to reflect a better G. D. P. However, the calculations for some provinces in China reach staggering amounts that was unrealistic for the Chinese government to adjust because if they did, their growth rate for certain areas would be zero which means the overall economy would decline. Because of the failing numbers of the Green G. D. P for China’s economy, the government pulled out of the project in 2007. The failed success of Green GDP for the Chinese government pushed the progression of environmental friendliness preservation back because of the financial and economic issues that arose from partaking in the Green G. D. P (New York Times). One such issue that China struggles with is realizing that any attempt or unrealistic goal set forth to fix the environment problem will always be met with many obstacles and resistance. Such unfortunate issues are part of the reason why China is reluctant in fixing their environmental problems and plays a role in the still on-going pollution issue today. In 2011, Toyota Motor announced that they will be making low-emission cars in China. Because China has the biggest market for cars, Toyota Motor wanted to get into that market in an environmentally friendly way. Along with having the biggest market for cars, China also has the biggest market for pollution. China was keen on welcoming the foreign aid of car expenditures to their market because of its emphasis on producing low-emission cars in the country. As China attempts to work towards its pollution problems after many failed efforts, the people foresee this as a positive business venture on both the Japanese and Chinese because it benefits both sides. Japan would create a bigger market for themselves in East Asia and China will be on the road of becoming more green and energy-efficient, a problem that they have been facing for decades. All and all, it is safe to say that China as well as every other country around the world recognizes that the amount of pollution has increased tremendously. China has played a huge part in the matter because of its massive industrialization and urbanization that attributes to their fast economic growth. Although there are many Chinese officials and leaders out there who fail to see the correlation between air pollution and long-term health and social effects, the growth of air pollution is not going away. Although there are very few studies attributing the socio-economic class, population size, and demographics to the growth of air pollution, the presence of air pollution affects everybody. There is, indeed, a major correlation between air pollution and increased mortality; therefore, China strived to undergo many environmental-friendly programs. In short, there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution is a health hazard in China. The importance of these increased health risks is greater than in developed countries because air pollution in China is at much higher levels and because the Chinese population accounts for more than one-fourth of the worlds total population. Future research will need to clarify the lifetime course of air pollution effects, examine the relevance of long-term exposures, understand alternative methods, and finding correlations between air pollution and health hazards for the Chinese population. Presently, Chinese needs to find a way to efficiently reduce pollution and increase air quality and find a way for industries to be properly monitored. This will enable the people and the Chinese government to be aware of the trends and consequences of air pollution, so they can determine how to remedy the situation in the future.

Kurt Weill And Weimar Germany Music Essay

Kurt Weill And Weimar Germany Music Essay Kurt Weill b Dessau, 2 March 1900; d New York, 3 April 1950 was a German composer and an American citizen from 1943. He was among the prominent composers following the devastation of World War I, and a significant figure in the evolution of contemporary forms of musical theatre. His thriving and influential work for Broadway during the 1940s was a development in commoner terms of the exploratory stage works that had made him one of the world-class avant-garde theatre composers of the Weimar Republic. Weills music and the Weimar Republics influence cannot be understood without understanding the political, historical, economic and cultural aspects of the Weimar Republic, and similarly a brief history of his life during the Weimar Republic. Kurt Weill grew up in a devout Jewish family in the quarter in Dessau, Germany, (Sandvorstadt) where his father was a cantor. By age twelve, Kurt Weill had started piano lessons and it was during this time that he attempted writing music. By 1915 Weill was being privately tutored in composition, piano, music theory and conducting; and with this training, in 1918 he enrolled at the Berliner Hochschule fà ¼r Musik at the age of 18, where he studied composition with Engelbert Humperdinck, conducting with Rudolf Krasselt and counterpoint with Friedrich E. Koch. Due to hardships in the aftermath of WW1 he stopped his studies and during this time, he composed an orchestral suite in E-flat major, Schilflieder, a cycle of five songs to poems by Nikolaus Lenau and a symphonic poem of Rilkes The Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke as well as. From 1921 -1923 Weill returned to Berlin to study with Ferruccio Busoni, and on November 18, 1922, his pantomime for children Die Zaub ernacht (The Magic Night) premiered at the Theater am Kurfà ¼rstendamm; it was the first public concert of any of Weills works in musical theatre. While Weill was studying music a period of political, economic and social turbulence was occurring. Following Germanys defeat in the First World War and the abdication of the Kaiser, a democratic republic was forced on the German people by US president Woodrow Wilson and his fourteen points. The new government had the responsibility of signing the treaty of Versailles and the new government would always be accountable for all the issues that Germany faced, which when the aftermath of the war clear would be many. Backed by the legend of dolchstoss (stab-in-the-back) the German people hated the Weimar government and attributed all their troubles to the republic. Hyper-inflation, reparations, loss of the Rhineland, dependence on foreign loans and pressure from extreme right and left wing political parties were key aspects of the turbulence experience in the Weimar Republic, but above all was the treaty of Versailles. It is this treaty that has multiple historians, Bessel (1990), W.Conze (1954), K.Borchardt (1982), theorising that the Weimar political system was doomed to failure because of its association with the treaty and the knowledge that signing it was a betrayal of the German people and their values. While Weimar Germany was politically and economically unstable, Weimar culture (the aspect that Kurt Weill was directly involved with), was one of the most progressive and vibrant in the world during the years of 1919 to 1933. The republic was considered by the majority of Europe as a place of greater sexual liberty and acceptance. In particular, Berlin, became a thriving centre of many new art movements such as expressionism. Its status in the world of the arts was of the same if not greater importance then New York after 1945. Cultural freedom in Weimar was not widely accepted by all. To the right, the new Weimar culture was repugnant, immoral and self-indulgent and produced and image of Weimar that encouraged new political and social thinking. The abundance of composers and performers that were associated with the communist party, which had become a fashionable aspect of intellectual Europe, violated traditional aspects of German culture, (this would later be restored during the Nazi regime with the introduction of censorship of composers like Kurt Weill). In the post-war Weimar Republic, a more realistic view of art was obtained, which influenced a clearer sense of the artists social/moral abilities. The war had killed aestheticism and the musical world had already been stripped to its foundations, Weimar did not need traditional music. Kurt Weill provides an insight into this view, I have just played to you music by Wagner and his followers. You have seen that this music consists of so many notes that I was unable to play them all. You would have liked now and then to join singing the tune, but this proved impossible. You also notice that the music made you sleepy, and drunk, as alcohol or an intoxicating drug might have done. You do not wish to go to sleep. You wish to hear music that can be understood without explanation. You probably wonder why your parents attend concerts. It is, with them, a mere matter of habit; nowadays there are matters of greater interest to us all; and if music cannot serve the interest of all, its existence is not longer justified. Despite the social freedom, the noticeable representation of Jews in the new artistic movements of Weimar raised this hostility. As an ambitious musician Kurt Weill rapidly became a feature in the energetic artistic scene of 1920s Berlin. In 1922 he joined the Novembergruppe, a group of left-wing Berlin artists that included Hanns Eisler and Stefan Wolpe. They mainly performed the works of modernist composers like Berg, Schoenberg,Hindemith, Stravinsky and Krenek. He had some early successes, but it was his partnership with Brecht that changed Weill into an international sensation. Weimar is truly represented in Die Dreigroschenoper or The Threepenny Opera which debuted on 31 August 1928 at Berlins Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. The 1928 play is an adaptation of the original English Eighteenth-century play, The Beggars Opera written by John Gay. Brechts and Weill had heard of the English play, and thought it was something that could be adapted for the people of Weimar. They found character in its promising political themes so they had The Beggars Opera translated into German for them. With newly discovered Marxist theory in mind, another aspect of Weimars extreme political spectrum, Brecht and Weill then rewrote the play, creating what was to become the the hit of the season. The new German title was an allusion to the meagre amount of wealth with which the working class could use to see theatrical performances. This epic theatre style was performed in the round, evocative surroundings of Shakespeares Globe Theatre with its style also aimed at its working class audience. The name references not only the price of admission, thus the economic status of the Weimar Republic, but is also alludes to the political issues of capitalism national socialism and the working class on which the play itself is based. It was ironic that while Brecht attempted to make a social commentary on the evils of capitalism, the musical score composed by Weill became an immediate success across Germany. Its jazzy features and sharp satire were fuel enough the make it provoke love among the Weimar jazz fans of the day and Weimars obscesion with America. The character Mackie Messe is the anti-protagonist of the play and only one of the countless colourful performances of Brechts original play. However, Weills original score did not include this popular jazz hit until only a few days before opening night. The actor performing Mackie Messe refused to go on unless his character received an appropriate introduction for his character. It was in haste that the lyrics to the introductory song describing Mackies despicable crimes was penned. (theatre and Art, 2010) The Mahagonny opera is most probably to the best-known of Weills works from the Weimar period, its historical affect defines, alongside that of Die Dreigroschenoper, as the most frequently performed works of musical theatre of the Weimar Period. Here Weill alluded to a large amount of found-art, from broadside ballads and parlour melodies to operatic recitative and ensemble-finales. The song forms, for which the work has become rightly renowned, are simply one aspect of the score whose strength lies in the stylistic levels as much on its cautiously selected variety of the emotional and the sarcastic alusions. Weills handling of the band was immediately recognized as definitive for jazz orchestration in art music, and his use of harmonizations came to be a feature not only with his own unique voice but with the Weimar jazz age as a whole. Weill had become the most recognised theatre composer to have emerged in the Weimar Republic. This fact, regardless of his Jewish ancestry and leftist political standings, was inevitable that they would become clear targets when the Weimar Republic started to collapse in 1929. The unruly premià ¨re of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny in Leipzig in 1930 was the lead up to a determined movement to drive his works from the state-subsidized theatres. By the start of the 1932-1933 season this campaign had largely achieved its ends: despite the critical and public acclaim for his opera Die Bà ¼rgschaft (1930-32), the most ambitious of his pieces for the German stage, the work was shunned by most theatres. The enthusiastic reception given to a concert of his music at the Salle Gaveau in Paris (December 1932) confirmed his feeling that he should do more to promote his works outside Germany. (Kurt Weill, 2010) Like the majority of the Jewish artistic population, Weill continually misapprehended various political developments, believing that Weimar could not get worse and would only get better. Upon learning that he and his wife were officially on the Nazi blacklist, at which stage the Nazis had gained power, and were due to be arrested, so in March 1933 he crossed the border to France, still hoping that his stay in Paris would be temporary. It is clear that Kurt Weill was influenced by the social, economic and political characteristics of the Weimar Republic. Like so many artists, director and composers he was affected by the political and economic instability of the Republic and in response used his music to comment on social change. His major works, particularly Die Dreigroschenoper (the threepenny opera) were popular during Weimar (until the Nazi regime) because they represented and were influence by the society and politics of Weimar Germany.