The Cherry Orchard By Anton Chekhov And Metamorphosis

Jamie Barker Candidate number 3375 Exploration Notes In this unit we were studying two contrasting plays which were the Cherry Orchard was written by Anton Chekhov and Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka. As a class we first read the plays and then explored these plays through a series of workshops and as a result this helped deepen my understanding of the plays and help develop and strengthen my acting skills. Social Cultural Historical and Political The Cherry Orchard Social: Social change is one particular theme that is mentioned throughout the play. In one workshop we looked at Ken Johnson s idea on status to deepen our understanding of characterisation. The key to Johnson s work is to follow simple techniques to show what type of status the character belongs to: not holding eye contact, weak in space, sitting to show the use of levels. These techniques are for the low given status characters. Not moving your neck, commanding space and holding eye contact for 3 seconds is the status of a high status or status expert. I watched another group but I focused on Henry as he explored the character of Yasha, I thought her given status was low because he was formerly a muzick and was brought into the family by Andreevna. He also used the technique of being weak in space by letting the other characters demand the space and use it more effectively than herself to show how she is represented in the play. Although he did show his character to be a status ex pert later on in

An Unbroken Agony by Randal Robinson - 1142 Words

In An Unbroken Agony, author Randall Robinson chronicles the history of Haiti from tragedy to triumph. Robinson, a social activist , founder and former president of TransAfrica, an organization of African Americans, that is used to promote constructive U.S policies toward Africa and the Caribbean. Randall Robinson is a distinguished scholar in residence at Penn State Law and Penn State’s School of International Affairs. He is co-producer, creator, and host of the public television human rights series World on Trial, which aims at bringing public awareness to important human rights issues and the international treaties that controls state conduct when dealing with human rights. In An Unbroken Agony, Robinson recounts the history of slaves, who were forced into bondage. Robinson attempts to tell the story of Haiti’s slave revolt against France. Robinson gives a very brief glimpse at the two hundred year history of Haiti following its freedom from France. He tells his story by following dates and specific events beginning with Columbus’ arrival in 1492, leading up to the Kidnapping of Haiti’s President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004. Aristide’s presidency was intricately connected to his people’s fight and success for independence and self-sufficiency, so his immediate removal from the seat was imperative for other countries to disable Haiti from being a threat to their nations. This action uncovers the forces these nations were willing to use to keep the country suppressed.

Group Exercise on “The Landlady” Free Essays

In the exposition stage of the plot, the author reveals all the pertinent details of the story. This story however does not reveal everything about the landlady until the climax of the story. 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Group Exercise on â€Å"The Landlady† or any similar topic only for you Order Now What clues did the author give the reader regarding the sinister plan of the landlady that was about to unfold? Animals were usually a good sign in a place like this, Billy told himself. But both animals were stuffed. He was in the act of stepping back and turning away from the window when all at once his eye was caught and held in the most peculiar manner by the small notice that was there. BED AND BREAKFAST, it said. BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST, BED AND BREAKFAST. Each word was like a large black eye staring at him through the glass, holding him, compelling him, forcing him to stay where he was and not to walk away from that house, and the next thing he knew, he was actually moving across from the window to the front door of the house, climbing the steps that led up to it, and reaching for the bell. He pressed the bell. Far away in a back room he heard it ringing, and then at once —it must have been at once because he hadn’t even had time to take his finger from the bell button—the door swung open and a woman was standing there. She has a room ready for him before he comes in. She had put a warm water bottle in the bed before he came, and the bedclothes had been neatly turned back on one side, all ready for someone to get in. â€Å"Five and sixpence a night, including breakfast. † There were no other hats or coats in the hall. There were no umbrellas, no walking sticks—nothing. There were only two other entries above his on the page, One was a Christopher Mulholland from Cardiff. The other was Gregory W. Temple from Bristol. And the last entry was two years old. She wants him to sign the book, so that she won’t forget his name, and then she can always check the book. She does it with Mr. Mulholland and Mr. Temple. 2. At what point do you begin to become suspicious that the boarding house is not quite normal? †¢When he goes in a kind of hypnosis and goes to ring the bell †¢The landlady answers the door right away. †¢It is very cheap, but no one there. 3. Where is the climax in the story? Its when he realizes there only have been two others visitors besides him, and he notices a suspecting smell and taste in the tea (gets poisoned) potassium cyonide 4. Why does the author write the story in this way? How can you relate his plot’s structure to the theme that he is trying to communicate with you? I think that the reason for this is, that troughout the story there are hints troughout the story that says that this is not a good place – the sign outside – how quickly she opens the door – few visitors – the smell of both her and the tea – her habit of stuffing her pets – etc. This is how he shows that when you are seventeen you still are naive and do not always see the big picture, even if there are hints on the way. THEME ANALYSIS What is the main theme of the story? Why is the author telling you a story of a landlady who inadvertently is also a serial killer? The main theme is â€Å"Naive†. The young man thinks at first that this is the perfect place and is naivly comfortable and does not have any suspission, although there are some hints throughout the story. He doesn’t realise the true character of this â€Å"nice† landlady until it’s too late, and he has been poisoned. I think that the author is telling the story in this way to show that there still is a lot to learn at the age of seventeen, and you are still not ready to make accurate decisions and really not always able to see the big picture. INTERPRETATION What is your reaction to the author’s view on life and/or human behavior? †¢Should people be careful of strangers? The author is trying to tell us that things aren’t always as they seem to be, they can seem harmless on the outside, but on the inside they can do the most unimaginable things, as we read in this story the nice landlady kills and stuffs her victims. This is why we think that the author is trying to show us that you should be careful of strangers, because they aren’t always as nice as they seem to be. †¢Is it better to live in a small town than a big city? We think that the main difference between living in a small town and a big town is, that in a small town it is hard to hide things from your neighbours, and that’s why they are more likely to notice if something is not as it should be, whereas in a big city, people take less notice to other people. They mostly keep matter to themselves and only see the other people on the surface. That is why we think that it is better to live in a small town, if you want to live safe. How to cite Group Exercise on â€Å"The Landlady†, Papers

Matt’s huck finn analysis Essay Example For Students

Matt’s huck finn analysis Essay You didnt want to come. The average man dont like trouble and danger. You dont like trouble and danger. But if only half a man-like you Buck Harkness, there shouts Lynch him! Lynch him! youre afraid to back down afraid youll be found out to be what you are cowards!† In the novel the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain expresses his own views of society (using speeches, thoughts, and sayings such as this one). Huck Finn is the narrator so it enables Twain to use Hucks thoughts and feelings as his own. Twain expresses his thoughts on a variety of subjects and his dislikes about them. Huck doesnt seem to fit in Twains groups of society so he is the perfect character to use as the narrator. Twain expresses his negative views of different types of society like slavery, groups of people or mob mentality, and Huck himself, through the characters and their actions. Twain chows just how white people felt towards black people or slaves back then. He uses Jim as a main source for this. Through Hucks feelings towards Jim he can get his point across to the reader. Huck has mixed emotions about Jim and slavery. He knows Jim should be free and wants him to be, but because of the society he lives in he feels that it is wrong. Huck and Jim are good friends and companions throughout the book, but even Huck says, â€Å"Hes my nigger† in one point in the story. The constant use of the word â€Å"nigger† also shows societies feeling towards black back then. Back then it was a common word used by everyone, now the word â€Å"nigger† is used as a put-down or racial slur and is prohibited. Twain uses these techniques to show us how society felt about blacks even though it was wrong. Twain also expresses his views towards people when they get into a group or mob. This was Twains most expressed comment about society. Twain expresses in many different occasions just how gullible, stupid, following, and cowardly people in groups are. Like the time the King and Duke put on the Shakespearean play for the townspeople. The first crowd came willingly and when they discovered that they had got ripped off instead of revealing the two as fakes they went and told the rest of the town to go. So the gullible second crowed went and got ripped off just as the first ones did. Then both the crowds came the second night in order to tar and feather the men but the King and the Duke ran out the back before the show started (lets just chalk this one down under stupidity). This was the best example Twain uses to express how stupid and gullible people are. The next example is when Buck Harkness raises the mob to lynch Sherburn. This showed us how cowardly the people were and how they wo uld follow anyone that was half a man. Twains depiction of Huckleberry Finn was very different from the rest of society.Huck was his own man and had his own opinions on slavery and other ideas. Huck knew, even though no one else did, that slavery was wrong. He was brought up to believe in slavery but his conscience wouldnt let him accept it, especially with Jim. Huck disobeyed all authority. The only exception was when Tom Sawyer was around. Huck did whatever Tom said and liked to do it. Tom was smarter than Huck but he still wasnt all knowledgeable and lied to make everything his way. This just goes to show that even though Huck isnt like the rest of society he still wasnt perfect. .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d , .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .postImageUrl , .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d , .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:hover , .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:visited , .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:active { border:0!important; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:active , .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4984d7cdef3712bcf3f225892be7f74d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: consumerism EssayTwains use of Huck to express his negative feelings about slavery, groups of people, and Huck himself, proved to be very effective. He kept emphasizing the importance of these thoughts in numerous places throughout the book. He got all of his views on society across to me and I am not the smartest when it comes to literature. â€Å"But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally shes going to adopt me and civilize me, and I cant stand it. I been there before.†

The Haunting Of Hill House Essays - English-language Films

The Haunting Of Hill House The Haunting of Hill House is considered a classic to many people. It has a certain sense of feeling missing from today's novels. The Haunting of Hill House has suspense, horror, a little bit of romance, and an ending that will leave you thinking for days. Shirley Jackson is well known for her twisted work. At the beginning of the book, you our introduced to a character that has a major impact on all of its guests. Hill House. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against the hills, holding darkness within. This is just one of the chilling sentences from the opening paragraph. The fear begins to set in. Shortly after, you are introduced to the strong yet cautious Dr. John Montague. He is a doctor of philosophy and has a new study up his sleeve. He is going to rent the haunted Hill House and document all that goes on. To accompany him and further the study, are three assistants. After considerable research, three patients are chosen. Eleanor Vance, Luke Sanderson, and Theodora (Theo) are the chosen few. You are first brought into the life of Eleanor Vance. Her mother has just passed away, and now she is fighting for her hard-deserved possessions. Eleanor has never been accepted. She has always been on her own and liked it that way. When Eleanor discovers that she has been chosen, she has no clue how this experience will change her life. Next, we are introduced to Theodora. Her last name is never revealed which gives her a sense of mystery. Theo could be considered any man's dream. She is quite beautiful and has that certain something. Theo gladly accepts the invitation to Hill House, and nothing more is said. Luke Sanderson is the future inheritor of Hill House. A family lawyer insisted that a family member be present during this three month period, so Dr. Montague gladly chose Luke. Shortly after, Eleanor, Theodora, Luke, Dr. Montague, and his secretary arrive at Hill House. They are introduced to the mysterious housekeepers, the Dudleys. Theo and Eleanor quickly form a bond and explore the home. They discover how elaborate and titanic Hill House is. The fireplace, walk out veranda, and library are just some of the things that the girls discover. Everyone loves the house for its beauty and extravagance. Later on in the evening, Dr. Montague tells the long history of Hill House. It was owned by Hugh Crain. He had two children, but their mother was killed in a carriage accident just before she arrived at the house. His second wife died from a fall, possible suicide. Crain's third wife died of tuberculosis. Shortly after, Crain passed away in Europe. His two daughters were left with the house, but many fights occur over who should get it. The older sister dies, and the young sister ends up owning it. She commits suicide, and Hill House is left to the Sandersons. The first night was fine, but many things begin to happen. The following night, Theodora and Eleanor have a terrifying encounter. While sleeping, Eleanor hears a pounding sound. She wakes up. The sound continues, so she rushes to Theodora's room. The room becomes ice cold, and the pounding becomes louder. After an intense amount of time, Dr. Montague and Luke arrive. Another thing is discovered by the guests. Outside of the nursery, a cold spot occurs. Nothing can be explained about the cold feeling, but it occurs every time they walk passed it. Over time, Eleanor sees and feels the presence of a superior being. The following quotation comes from the chilling moment when Eleanor discovers no one is in her room: God God-whose hand was I holding? Over time, Eleanor becomes attached to the house. She feels like the house is talking to her. On one occasion, WELCOME HOME ELEANOR was written over Theo's room and clothing. It was written in blood. Eleanor becomes furious, thinking her fellow spouses wrote the frightening message. Then again, she feels like the house is speaking to her. She feels like Hill House is part of her. Later on, this obsession goes one step too far. Towards the end of the book, Mrs. Montague arrives

Courtroom Observation essays

Courtroom Observation essays The courthouse itself was abuzz on a Monday morning. Just about every courtroom was filled, some with trials for petty traffic violations, some with murder trials. The courtroom I selected for observation had a small group of people milling about outside, most of them men and women in business suits. Obviously there to witness the trial, I also believed that a few of the people standing outside the room were slated to be witnesses in the case. Usinger -v- Bartholemew Roofing was a criminal negligence suit filed by a man who claimed that the roofing company he hired had deliberately used substandard materials and performed shoddy work. A section of the Usinger home had been destroyed because the roof suddenly caved in over the dining room. Luckily, no one was injured. This was the A few minutes before 9 o'clock, most of the people outside the courtroom meandered inside to take their seats. The courtroom seated about two hundred people in addition to the courtroom officials. I sat in the second-to-last row, next to a man who told me he had just enrolled in law school. After introducing myself as a fellow observer, I realized the trial was about to begin and took out my notebook. One of the first things I noticed was that the atmosphere was somewhat similar to television courtrooms but that setting seemed more relaxed somehow and quieter. I was surprised how many visitors and observers there were, and was equally taken aback by the relative informality of the interactions between judge and attorney. The judge spoke in a fairly subdued voice, and only one of the lawyers spoke loudly, directing his attention to the jury as if he were an actor. The jury I noticed consisted of a heterogeneous group of men and women, several of whom were minorities. The defendants, including a representative from Bartholemew Roofing and the two contractors who completed the bulk of the work at t...

Media have transformed sport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Media have transformed sport - Essay Example Now, with the help of media, live broadcasts have become very famous among people from all walks of life. Mass communication and mass media came into existence and became popular by the end of 19th century. Examples would be; print media, cigarette cards, cinema newsreel, radio and the latest television era. Then came the tabloid revolution, new men’s magazines, advertising and electronic media like satellites. In the era of print media, social commentators played an important role, new guides and sports magazines began to be published and ‘graphic revolution’ of 1961 as referred to as by Boorstin. Pulitzer established the first ‘sports department’ in New York Times in1883 (McChesney 1989: 53). Sports news has been dominated by national newspapers and has outsourced multi sports magazines (Horne, 1992). As for the cigarette cards; they were invented in France. Cinema brought movement and hence sporting action to the audience for the first time (Aldgate 1979: 17). In Britain, the first cinema performance held in public was in 1896, and there came into being around 4000-5,000 cinemas by 1914. Radio had its own advantages. It was a medium that provided listeners with immediacy. 1922 is the year when this happened in the UK and thus British Broadcasting Corporation was formed. After the formation of BBC in 1927, sport broadcasts became a well known element in the schedules (see Whannel 1992). Next development was in the form of the television; which was established in the 1930s but received more recognition in the 1950s to 1970s. By 1965, BBC had established Sportsview (1954), Grandstand (1958) and Match of the Day (1962) as regular programmes, ITV had launched World of Sport, and in the USA, ABC Sport had launched Wide World of Sport, with its subtitle "the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat", and adopted its slogan "up close and personal" (Powers 1984: 118-21). These developments transformed the nature of sport stardom. Stars and

Cosmopolitan magazine sells sex to its audience Essay

Cosmopolitan magazine sells sex to its audience - Essay Example The rest of the paper analyzes aspects of the issue and the magazine in general, including format, audience, coverage by subjects and content, advertising, ideologies and cultural stories, and the overall worth of the magazine to pop culture (Hearst Communications). II. Format The standard page size of the print magazine is 290 x 210 millimeters, and within this page all of the contents of the magazine are bound, including all articles, photos, advertisements and the cover and back pages (â€Å"Cosmopolitan Specifications†). What differentiates Cosmopolitan from other print magazines is presence of digital and online formats, to complement the print format that is widely distributed physically. The digital versions are identical to the print ones, except that they are made available via the popular digital media distribution formats, namely the iPad, the Kindle, and the Nook. These are on top of the online versions to be had via the web browsers, which include the preview vers ion on which this analysis is largely based (Hearst Communications). The layout of the front page is centered on the model for the month; in this case the picture of Kate Upton is front and center in the front page, with the Cosmopolitan banner in yellow, and the rest of the cover background in pink. Around the cover photo are the headlines of the different stories featured on the magazine issue, surrounding Kate Upton. The emphasis of the articles is on the readers' egoistic and sensual interests. A key feature of every issue, of course, is the pictorial of the model of the month. In this case, the pictorial of Kate Upton for the November issue is already included in the website. The website pictorial is notable for including advertisements for featured products, in this case lingerie. The lingerie worn by Kate Upton has corresponding brands and prices. This way of advertising is a common format for the magazine, more of which shall be discussed in the advertising section of this p aper (Hearst Communications). Among the key defining aspects of Cosmo are the tones that are geared towards women in terms of color, and the use of the word â€Å"sex† in capital letters at least one time in the cover page every issue, in the most prominent part of the magazine cover. Past cover pages confirm this, with at least several article titles bearing the word sex in them. The format is always that of a glossy magazine with the topics inevitably including sex and sex stories purveyed by the magazine all over the world (Zimmerman). III. Audience The audience, it is clear, is made up of women buyers and consumers of the magazine, fans of popular culture, and media in general. The semi-naked photos of Kate Upton likewise invite the males as an alternative audience, even as the primary focus of the articles and the advertisements are women. An analysis reveals that general circulation is about 3 million, with an audience base that extends to 64 countries, corresponding to the 64 international versions that are made available to different audiences by nationality on a monthly basis. The audience extends from teenagers to adult women in different parts of the world, with emphasis on the middle class (Zimmerman). IV. Subjects Covered, Content Summary As discussed in the format, the subjects covered revolve around female grooming and beauty interests, the opposite sex from the point of view of women, and always

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business Strategy - Essay Example Outsourcing and offshoring are some of the new business concepts contributed by globalization. These business strategies help the entrepreneurs to exploit overseas markets. Those who stick with the old business strategies may not take advantage of these revolutionary business concepts and may struggle to survive in the market. â€Å"Competition existed long before strategy. It began with life itself† (Henderson,1989, 139). Competition is becoming intense in every field of life and business is also not an exception. In order to stay in the market most of the organizations devises new strategies and approaches within and outside their organization. According to Markides (1999:6) â€Å"Behind every successful company there is a superior strategy; however there is little agreement on what strategy is or how to develop a good one†. This paper critically analyses the importance of strategy in business. Importance of strategy in business â€Å"There are two major types of str ategy: (1) corporate strategy, in which companies decide which line or lines of business to engage in; and (2) business or competitive strategy, which sets the framework for achieving success in a particular business†(Strategy formulation, n. d). Business strategy seems to be getting more attention than the corporate strategy because of the importance of it in determining future of the organization. ... For example, the recent financial crisis came quite unexpectedly and many big organizations struggled for survival. However, the negative effects of recession have not affected some organizations very much. For example, Apple Inc escaped from recession without much trouble whereas Lehman Brothers faced immense problems. This is because of the better business strategies of Apple Inc compared to that of Lehman Brothers. Negative entropy, Feedback and Steady state etc are some of the business strategies adopted by organizations. Negative entropy is a scenario in which organizations conserve something for the harder times. Apple Inc succeeded in conserving something for the harder times whereas Lehman Brother failed to do so. Feedback is another important business strategy through which an organization fine tunes its strategies. Negative feedback enables the organization to correct deviations or problems. For example, most of the new products developed by organizations will be tested in the market for a substantial period of time before the introduction of the final product. This is a business strategy adopted by organizations ensure the success of the new product in the market. Steady state refers to the balance to be maintained between inputs from the external environment and the outputs going back to it. In other words, â€Å"Companies should define their strategy not based on the product they are selling, but according to the underlying functionality of the product they are selling† (Markides, 1999, p.6). It is necessary to know the market requirement of a product before deciding about the amount of production. So the inputs from the market collected through various market research methods will help an organization decide about

Love and Marriage in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales

Love and Marriage in Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales Love and Marriage Insanities Making sense out of love and marriage ideals is not an easy task, especially as human actions in emotional circumstances do not follow any logic. It is a fact that has been proven consistently over time, across cultures and is also corroborated by many of the stories within Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales. In particular, The Knights Tale and The Millers Tale, that take place in two different social settings, make fun of conventional beliefs about love and marriage in the context of values such as bravery, street smartness, morality, and faithfulness. Through their plots, the narrators styles, and the contrast they set up between cherished and practiced values, the two tales highlight that human behavior in romantic situations is often unpredictable, crazy and colored by ones social class, confirming that there is no such thing as a model love or marriage. Although The Knights Tale plot is set in the halo of honor, chivalry and courtesy, the storys events and the characters actions show the silliness in how they treat love. As an example, the two cousins, Arcite and Palamon, are ready to kill each other for a woman neither of them has talked to. After escaping from the prison, Palamon discovers Arcites love for Emily and angrily challenges Arcite to a fight. Arcite responds, And I denounce all covenants that stand / Or are alleged, between you and me / remember love is free / And I will love her! I defy your might. (Chaucer 46) It is ironic that Arcite, who as a knight should keep his word and follow principles, is willing to break his earlier oath not to come in the way of his cousins love pursuit. Arcite justifies breaking his vow because as a free person he is not constrained whom he loves. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get Emily and doesnt care how strong Palamon is. Even though people can behave irrationally in matters involving love, both Palamon and Arcite are being stupid in this instance. Neither of them knows what Emily thinks. Isnt it exemplary love a two-way relationship? Whom are they courting and quarreling about? Are they willing to go to the extremes of killing each other for a woman who at this moment doesnt represent anything other than an image, symbol or trophy that theyve seen from a distance? What makes this even more bizarre is that Emily doesnt even want to get married. She prays to Goddess Diana, That I would be virgin all my life, / And would be neither mistress, no, nor wife. / of thy company, / A huntress walk the woodlands wild. (Chaucer 65) Emily doesnt like a mans company, prefers hunting and doesnt want to marry or bear children. This exposes the foolishness of what Arcite and Palamon were up to, even though they supposedly follow all the ideals of aristocratic class such as bravery, honor, bond and courtly love. The Knights Tale depiction of love is strongly influenced by its narrator, a knight, and his worldview. In the Prologue, the narrator is introduced as someone who followed chivalry, Truth, honour, generousness and courtesy. (Chaucer 4) Since in a knights world, bravery and physical fights resolve disputes, it is no wonder that in his story, a tournament clash is the best way to settle the rivalry between Emilys two suitors. She is no better than a trophy to be won in a contest. The King Theseus treats Emily, in the traditions of the aristocratic class, as a gift to win peace and harmony. Even though she apparently doesnt have any say, her suitors try to woo her with flowery language as per their traditions, customs and code of conduct. As an example, Arcite, while in prison, describes his feelings towards Emily to Palamon, And with a deep and piteous sigh he said: / The freshness of her beauty strikes me dead / Unless I at least see her day by day, / I am but dead (Chaucer 33) Arcit e is using fancy language to say that hell die if he doesnt the object of his love every day. Although the story represents love in flowery terms and as a bravery contest, reflecting the narrators perspective, the plot and characters actions speak of the irrational twists and turns in romantic pursuits. In contrast to the polished language and high-minded principles of the knights world, The Millers Tale depicts romantic situations in vulgar and comical tones, and in the process, makes fun of conventional dos and donts about love and marriage. As an example, the way Alison handles her two suitors, Nicholas and Absalon, is not only hilarious but also a not so subtle middle-class snub of the upper-class imposed view about love. When Alisons husband leaves for work, Nicholas tries to woo her with aggressive sexual advances. In response, she reacts, Swearing shed love him, with a solemn promise / To be at his disposal / When she could spy an opportunity. (Chaucer 91) She is so attracted to the street-smart Nicholas that she has no problems in being at his disposal. She just wants to wait for the right opportunity when it is safe for her to cheat on her husband. In stark contrast to falling for the physical advances of Nicholas, Alison refuses the dignified courtship of the parish clerk Absalon. Not only does she spurn his affection, she does so by tricking him to kiss her genitals. After this trickery, Teehee! she laughed, and clapped the, window to; / Off went poor Absalon sadly through the dark. (Chaucer 103) Alisons contrasting responses, towards her suitors, highlight the qualities, a middle-class girl like her, admires the most: street smartness, boldness and physical attraction represented by Nicholas. On the other hand, she humiliates Absalon, making a mockery of his gentlemanly approaches and sweet words. Further, by being part of an extra-marital affair, she is being unfaithful to her husband. She also participates in Nicholass scheme to deceive her naive husband, that ends up making him a laughing-stock of the town. When John fell from the boat and no one listened to him, Alison and Nicholas told the town people, That he was mad, Some sort of nonsense about Nowels Flood All started laughing at this lunacy. (Chaucer 105) This episode, in addition to her i nfidelity, was Alisons payback for her marriage with the much older carpenter and his extraordinary protective nature. Maybe, she was married to him because he was rich, a practice that was common in arranged marriages in the medieval middle class. The Millers Tale narrators drunkenness and middle-class perspective shapes his story in direct, crude, and vulgar terms. In the Prologue, he proudly states that One shouldnt be too inquisitive in life / Either about Gods secrets or ones wife. /Gods plenty all you could desire / better not enquire. (Chaucer 88) Through these words, the narrator expresses his view that men shouldnt care about their wives or Gods private affairs. There are lots of women in this world to choose from and men shouldnt ask about the rest. Maybe the narrator has loose morals. Or, his middle-class outlook conditions him to talk frankly about subjects like physical sex and infidelity. In the narrators real world, instant gratification is more practical than high-minded principles or morals. Its also an environment that rewards street smartness and land grab mindset of Nicholas and looks down upon the poetic verbiage of Absalon. In any case, the narrators choice of words and the substance of his tale sets up a significant contrast with the polished language and plot of the Knights Tale. Although the two tales, set in different social contexts, are influenced by their narrators style and language, both stories spotlight that there is no universal standard one can use to judge human actions in love and marriage. The Knights Tale, despite its depictions of idolized values such as honor, bravery, and courteousness, boils love down to essentially a competition instead of a two-way relationship. The Millers Tale, despite its vulgarity and crudeness, presents the day-to-day happenings in love and marriage in ordinary folks lives, in stark contrast to the ivory tower world of the aristocratic class. Both stories, however, confirm that human behavior in love and marriage circumstances is often moody, irrational and erratic. It is, therefore, foolish to make predictions about human behavior in such matters where ones heart rules the brain.

Essay --

I mere end hundrede à ¥r har byen optaget sociologer, lige fra Georg Simmel (1858-1918) til nutidens spanske sociolog Manuel Castells . Disse sociologer har anskuet byen med en modstridende fà ¸lelse. Storbyens fascinerende men pà ¥ samme tid, skrà ¦mmende stà ¸rrelse, komponeret med dens evne til, at udvikle fà ¦llesskaber men ogsà ¥ skabe fremmedgà ¸relse for det enkelte individ. Her vil jeg dykke ind og se pà ¥ de to sociologers teorier, Zygmunt Bauman og Georg Simmel. ZYGMUNT BAUMAN OG HANS TEORI Zygmunt Bauman er en polsk-engelsk sociolog, som blev fà ¸dt i 1925. Baumans teori er, at byens rum er et koncentreret billede, som er en afspejling af samfundets forandring. Hans interesse for byen kom virkelig i centrum, da han skrev bogen †Globalisering – de menneskelige konsekvenser† – hvori han skriver om rummets skiftevis globalisering og lokaliserende karakter, agorafobiens fremkomst og den urealistiske moderne aspiration . Bauman mener, at byens fysiske indretning og organisation afslà ¸rer de moralske và ¦rdier som samfundet har. Han er stor fortaler for det à ¥bne rum, det offentlige rum og inkluder...