The Relationships between Happiness and Meaning Essay Example for Free

The Relationships between Happiness and Meaning Essay Every person on earth experiences happiness as well as unhappiness.   Even infants cry as well as laugh.   Ultimately they grow to realize that there are things that make them happy just as there are situations that make them unhappy.   Understanding the nature of these different things and/or situations is to know how the meanings of these things and/or situations are related to one’s happiness or unhappiness.   Thus, happiness and meaning happen to be closely connected with each other.    There is a reason why we experience happiness or unhappiness.   These reasons are the meanings of our experiences of happiness or unhappiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many ways to understand happiness.   A person who is ecstatic is understood to be extremely happy.   Another person may experience happiness as he or she enjoys life.   Conversely, a person who does not really attempt to enjoy life may be satisfied with his or her life nevertheless.   All of these people may be happy.   Even so, all of them may have different reasons for being happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prophets and sages have often stated that things on earth cannot always make us happy.   A person who is truly happy with life because he or she enjoys a nearly perfect relationship with his or her spouse may lose the spouse to death.   Another person may believe that material things, e.g. new cars, are responsible for his or her happiness.   The person who loses his or her spouse will experience unhappiness, just as the individual who loses all of his or money would become depressed.   People who believe that happiness is equivalent to material success may also develop â€Å"affluenza,† described in the following ways: (1) â€Å"The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses;† (2) â€Å"An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream;† and (3) â€Å"An unsustainable addiction to economic growth (Leon).†Ã‚   Perhaps the rich people who have committed suicide, e.g. Kurt Cobain, were suffering from affluenza.   Regardless, it is generally believed that a person must find the meaning of his or her life to be truly happy (Brain).   Hence, the person who loses his or her spouse has a couple of choices: (1) Either to commit suicide because he or she cannot deal with the unhappiness caused by the loss; or (2) Find reasons to be happy despite the loss.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychologists have found that people feel happy when they increase their understanding.   In other words, knowing the meaning of the things in our world is bound to increase our happiness.   Thus, many people feel satisfied when they read books.   The person who was dependent on his or her spouse for happiness may find happiness in this way.   Alternatively, the individual may decide to pursue a goal that helps to move the human society forward in some way.   The meaning of life is also understood by people to be the service of God (Brain). Regardless of the meaning of life realized by the person who had believed that his or her spouse was responsible for his or her happiness; understanding what his or her life is worth may help the individual to experience satisfaction with life once again.   Moreover, whether the person chooses to serve society or God, by knowing the meaning of his or her existence, the individual opens up to future experiences that may very well allow him or her to find happiness without the spouse.   After all, pursuing a goal to fulfill the meaning of life may lead the person to joyful experiences.   Hence, meaning and happiness could never be separated. Works Cited Brain, Marshall. â€Å"Chapter 41: Material Things Will Not Bring You Happiness.† The Teenager’s Guide to the Real World. 1997. 10 Dec 2007. http://www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/chap41excerpt.htm. Leon, Virginia De. â€Å"Money cant buy meaning: Many simplify to find happiness.† Spokesman Review. 9 Jul 2006.

Chinas Take Over Of Hong Kong History Essay

Chinas Take Over Of Hong Kong History Essay The peoples of Republic of china took over Hong Kong in 1997.China had promised to keep a capitalist economy in Hong Kong for 50 years. Still, many Hong Kong business people (and their families) have migrated to other nation such as Canada and Australia. Discuss the impact of this situation on Chinas Political and Social environment. Introduction Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and maintains a high degree of autonomy except in matters of defense and foreign affairs. It has well-established institutions that support the rule of law and a vigorous civil society. The Basic Law, the SARs constitution, was approved by the PRC in 1990. It provides for the protection of fundamental rights and calls for progress toward universal suffrage and further democratization after a 10-year period, starting with Hong Kongs July 1, 1997, reversion to Chinese sovereignty. The Chief Executive is chosen by an 800-person selection committee composed of individuals who are either directly elected, indirectly elected, or appointed. The Chief Executive supervises a cabinet of principal officers whom he appoints. The power of the Legislative Council (legislature) is significantly circumscribed by the Basic Law. The legislature is composed of 24 directly elected members representing geographic districts, 30 indirectly elected members representing functional (occupational) constituencies, and 6 members elected indirectly by an election committee. It was the economic and social forces unleashed in 1979 in Chinas open door policy and Hong Kongs response to them that may ultimately determine their fate. Given the disparity in the level of economic development and the differences in the economic system between Hong Kong and the mainland, there are obvious benefits to greater integration and this entails making the border more permeable. Managing the permeability of the border has to become an integral part of all economic and social policies within Hong Kong as the two matters will have implications for each other. The period prior to 1949 was one where there was perfect permeability and standards of living were similar between Hong Kong and the mainland. The period between 1949 and 1979 was one where there was essentially no or very limited permeability and standards of living were therefore permitted to diverge between the mainland and Hong Kong. In both periods the government was able to pursue a laissez faire system without any fundamental inconsistency. This is no longer the case with the opening of China. Summary China Take over in a Hong Kong in 1997, there was a carnival atmosphere. In another, a somber rally and March followed by a candlelight vigil. Its clear that one year before China takes control; the people of Hong Kong are divided in their feelings. A period of more than 150 years of British colonial rule ends at midnight on June 30, 1997 when Hong Kong and its 6,000,000 people will be handed over to China. Despite a warning that they will not be allowed to enter China, seven elected Hong Kong officials vowed to go ahead with a trip to Beijing. They will be carrying a 50,000 signature petition protesting Chinas plans to replace the legislature with an appointed body. We are afraid that our free lifestyles, the rule of law, will not be preserved after 1997, pro democracy legislator Emily Lau told the cheering, clapping crowd. Governor Chris Patten urged Hong Kong residents to standup for their freedoms. . Nominal GDP, Per Capita GDP and Foreign exchange rates were all on the increasing side. Due to high exports between 1994-1997 and imports their trade balance has been at a surplus causing their nominal GDP to increase through out the years. Nominal GDP million US$ 1994 130,808, in 1995 139,238 and in 1997 173,045. From 1994-1997 Hong Kongs foreign currency reserves increased exponentially from $49.3 billion in 1994 to $92.8 billion in 1997. The reason for this increase is primarily due to a very well managed trade balance. The interest rate environment in Hong Kong provided an excellent backdrop for the equity markets. MIGRATION IN HONGKONG The peoples of Republic of china took over Hong Kong in 1997 and promised to keep a capitalist economy in Hong Kong for 50 years. However, many Hong Kong people have migrated to other countries. From 1984 to 1997, due to the uncertainty of the transition back to China, thousands of well-educated and wealthy Hong Kong citizens moved to countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States, where they obtained permanent residency status or citizenship. 1 CAUSE OF MIGRATION .Difference in economy system in china and hong kong China is a communist country where socialist economy system holds while the people of hong kong followed capitalist economy . Fear in the stability of government People of Hong kong where worried regarding stability of government so they migrated to other nations. Competition in market Due to the implementation of capitalist economy in Hong kong many big and reputed companies headed towards hong kong and thus the competition of the market became tough. Thus it was very difficult for some business people to continue their business effectively. Corruption is a major problem:- Corruption in Chinese government was one of the major cause that people of hong kong was afraid of. They were not satisfied with the policy of Chinese government where corruption exists. Unsecure future The business people thought that their future was not secure as the government had implemented the law for only for 50 years and so it might happened that their next generation might have to struggle and face the socialist economy. The working class worried that 1997 might usher in chaos and the middle class fears the loss of property and freedom. Freedom of migration Hong Kong residents being free to move in and out of the territory, and they do not have to declare the purpose of their movements to the authorities. This freedom of movement, much valued by the local population, has been enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration about the future of Hong Kong beyond 1997.There was no rule of giving any reasons for the migration to any authority PEST Analysis: . 1. POLITICAL ANALYSIS Prior to July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was a British dependent territory. A British-appointed governor, representing the British crown, headed the Hong Kong government and exercised authority over civil and military matters. An Executive Council advised the governor on all important matters and a 60-member Legislative Council (known as Legco) enacted laws and oversaw the budget. With the territorys transfer to China in 1997, leadership passed from the last British governor, Chris Patten, to a Chinese chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa A The British control of Hong Kong began in 1842, when China was forced to cede Hong Kong Island to Britain after the First Opium War. In 1984 Britain and China signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which stipulated that Hong Kong return to Chinese rule in 1997 as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China . China is in a state of transition now. Being a socialist country, it has carefully changed its political system in recent years, while dramatic changes have taken place in its economic system. In 1979, China started its open policy and economic reform. The Chinese government persisted on carrying out the political guideline of developing economy and enriching Chinese The Joint Declaration and a Chinese law called the Basic Law, which followed in 1990, provide for the SAR to operate with a high degree of economic autonomy for 50 years beyond 1997 B people. Legal System The governments efforts to promote rule of law are significant and ongoing. After the Cultural Revolution, Chinas leaders aimed to develop a legal system to restrain abuses of official authority and revolutionary excesses. In 1982, the National Peoples Congress adopted a new state constitution that emphasized the rule of law under which even party leaders are theoretically held accountable C. 2. ECONOMICAL ANALYSIS Hong Kongs prosperous economy is reflected in the lifestyle of its people. They have one of the highest standards of living in all of Asia, and it is more than 30 times higher than Chinas average standard of living. In 2006 Hong Kongs per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $27,679.20, although much of the wealth is concentrated into relatively few hands D. Foreign Investment Chinas investment climate has changed dramatically in a quarter-century of reform. In the early 1980s, China restricted foreign investments to export-oriented operations and required foreign investors to form joint-venture partnerships with Chinese firms. Foreign direct investment (FDI) grew quickly during the 1980s, but slowed in late 1989 in the aftermath of Tiananmen. However, the Chinese Governments emphasis on guiding FDI into manufacturing has led to market saturation in some industries, while leaving Chinas services sectors underdeveloped. China is now one of the leading FDI recipients in the world, receiving over $80 billion in 2007 according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce E. FOREIGN RELATIONS Since its establishment, the Peoples Republic has worked vigorously to win international support for its position that it is the sole legitimate government of all China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. In the early 1970s, Beijing was recognized diplomatically by most world powers. Beijing assumed the China seat in the United Nations in 1971 and has since become increasingly active in multilateral organizations. Japan established diplomatic relations with China in 1972, and the United States did so in 1979. As of March 2008, the number of countries that had diplomatic relations with Beijing had risen to 171, while 23 maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan F. Hong Kongs greatest growth and development occurred after the Communist takeover of China in 1949, when the commercial and shipping functions of Guangzhou and Shanghai shifted to Hong Kong.. Hong Kong served as Chinas window to the world during the Chinese administration of Mao Zedong. After Maos death in 1976, Hong Kongs role as a banker to China, and as its supplier of information, technology, and capital, intensified G. The Impact of Chinas Entry into WTO on Car Industry China is successful in attracting foreign investment. of income tax. On the other hand, the Chinese car industry has been protected by special policies that limit foreign investment. According to the current Chinese policy on motor industry, Ford will establish a joint venture with 50% share with Chang An Automobile Company in Sichuan Province. Chang An Automobile Company is the 3rd largest car manufacturer in China, which has the experience of car-making for more than 20 years. 3. SOCIAL CULTURAL ANALYSIS China is a multinational country, with a population composed of a large number of ethnic and linguistic groups. The Han (Chinese), the largest group, outnumber the minority groups or minority nationalities in every province or autonomous region except Tibet and Xinjiang. The Han, therefore, form the great homogeneous mass of the Chinese people, sharing the same culture, the same traditions, and the same written language. For this reason, the general basis for classifying the countrys population is largely linguistic rather than ethnic. Some 55 minority groups are spread over approximately three-fifths of the countrys total area. Where these minority groups are found in large numbers, they have been given some semblance of autonomy and self-government; autonomous regions of several types have been established on the basis of the geographic distribution of nationalities. H Education is free and compulsory for all children from the age of 6 to 15, and adult literacy is over 90 percent.. The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts offers courses in dance, music, theater, and technical arts. There are also more than a dozen technical institutes, technical colleges, and teacher-training colleges, which have large numbers of part-time students I. RECOMMENDATIONS China has experienced a stable political system (which is considered totalitarian) with rapid economic growth for more than 10 years, but some political risks still exist. The Chinese government is still insisting on its communist and totalitarian policy, there is no guarantee that China will continue to its open policy and maintain the rapid GNP increase. China also has an unsatisfied human right record; corruption exists in some economical activities in China, all these will be obstacles to foreign investment. Although the legal system of China is adequate to protect foreign investment, the violation of laws by some local authorities will be a potential risk to our investment. Entry Time and procedure Although the car industry is declining in the US and Europe, it is still a suitable time for Ford Motor Company to invest in China. As the 2nd largest car manufacturer in the world, Ford had been waiting patiently to enter the Chinese Market for more than 20 year. Some other world-famous car manufacturers (such as Volkswagen, General Motor, Toyota, etc.) had already started their business years ago, but we do not consider that it is too late to enter the Chinese family car market. Ford has been producing its Transit van in China for many years. The productivity and sales are not as good as expected because of the high cost (price) and limited production. . CONCLUSION Its my first pleasure to do something special kind of project related to Business Environment. With the help of this project I able to learn few special things that was really fantastic and completely unknowing before completion of this project. This experience was really outstanding . This essay applies a historical-institution approach to assess the impact of this situation on Chinas legal and political institutions. In each case historical and institutional trends are described, and the effects of legality on these trends are examined. The topics include changes in economic structure and the rate of growth of GDP, formal legal institutions and legal behavior of the Chinese people, and the forces toward the development of democratic political institutions.

Critique of Sexual Difference | Analysis

Critique of Sexual Difference | Analysis Sexual Difference Representation Explain how and why the critique of sexual difference intersected with a (postmodern) critique of representation in the later 1970s and early 1980s. Consider why photography had an important role and the significance of image-text relationship in this type of practice. As Craig Owens states in his paper ‘The Discourse of Others: Feminists and Postmodernism’ (Owens, 1983), the 1970s and 80s saw a coming together of the (mainly) feminist and queer theory critiques of sexual difference and the erosion of perspectivalist and univocal theories of vision and representation. As this paper shall assert, both of these positions can be seen to be traceable back to a single ontological and aesthetic rupture: the breakdown in what Lyotard was to term the grand or â€Å"meta narrative† (Lyotard, 1984: xxiv) and the subsequent rise in notions such as polyvocity (Deleuze and Guattari, 2004), heteroglossia (Bakhtin, 2000) ecriture feminine (Cixous, 1980) and differance (Derrida, 1997). This paper will also assert, through of the work of Roland Barthes especially, that photography had a major significance in exemplifying the kind of aesthetico-ontological concerns and strategies of postmodernity and poststructuralism; chiefly through such notion s as the punctum (Barthes, 2000); â€Å"the obtuse meaning† inherent within still visual images (Barthes, 1983) and the play of meaning between image and linguistic sign. This paper represents then an attempt to not only understand photography’s place within critical theory over the last two decades or so but how this provides a mirror to the wider movements of philosophical thought. The critique of sexual difference can be seen to emanate from a wide variety of authors (Foucault, Derrida, Kristeva, Wittig etc) however, within the mandates of this paper, I should like to look at two main theorists that have special relevance: Luce Irigaray and Helene Cixous, both of whom have been seen to challenge the phallic hegemony and its role in normative representation. As Elizabeth Grosz (1994) points out, one of the chief critiques inherent within the second wave feminist movement of the 1970s and 80s was its contention that the philosophical and social subject had always been thought of gendered, as Grosz states: The enigma that Woman has posed for men is an enigma only because the male subject construed itself as the subject par excellence. The way (he fantasizes) that Woman differs from him makes her containable within his imagination (reduced to his size) but also produces her as a mystery for him to master and decipher†¦ The construction of the male universal subject, asserted many feminist thinkers, resulted not only in the normalisation of phallocentricism but a privileging of its many dependants (reason, univocity, vision and so on). By positing Woman as the symptom of man through such notions as (among others) the castration complex and the psycho-sexual other, a phallocentric regime suppressed many of the discourses and thought processes associated with the feminine. Thinkers such as Luce Irigaray and Helene Cixous attempted to challenge this position by asserting the prominence of other discourses and narratives that avoided or sometimes even challenged, the dominance of the male point of view. In ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’ (1980) for instance, Cixous suggests that women’s writing and artistic creativity (disciplines such as photography for instance) should recognise the value of multiple readings, intertextuality and indistinct poetic expression, for her the notion of sexual difference was inextricably tied to textual and visual representation and both were dominated by a single, male-centred, vision, as Cixous details: Nearly the entire history of writing is confounded with the history of reason, of which it is at once the effect, the support, and one of the privileged alibis. It has been one with the phallocentric tradition. It is indeed that same self-admiring, self-stimulating, self congratulatory phallocentricism. This same theme is continued in the essay ‘This Sex Which is Not One’ (1985) by Luce Irigaray where the example of the female genitals is cited as existing as an intensive binary, each part relying and drawing stimulation from the other, thus challenging the oneness and singularity of the phallus. Irigaray also makes the point that, for female sexuality, touch is more meaningful that vision, the first suggestion that there maybe some cross over between the critiques of sexual difference and representation. As Owens (1983) suggests, postmodernity and the critique of representation also aimed to challenge the accepted (male dominated) field of vision by, firstly, exposing the links that exist between representation and phallocentricism and then by asserting the value of multi-perspectives, multiple readings and other modes of viewing. The postmodern image, as Jameson (1991) states, is one that has lost its originary connection to a real world and exists instead in a circuit of self referencing images whereby â€Å"The world†¦momentarily loses its depth and threatens to become a glossy skin, a stereoscopic illusion, a rush of filmic images without density.† The postmodern image elides notions such as authenticity and distinct critical reading because it has lost what Benjamin (2008) described as the aura of original authorial intent. Commensurate with notions such as the death of author (Barthes, 1988) the postmodern critical position asserts the validity of multiple readings and the inherent intertextual nature of image and text, as Owens (1983) states: It is precisely at the legislative frontier between what can be represented and what can cannot that the postmodernist operation is being staged not in order to transcend representation, but in order to expose the system of power that authorizes certain representations while blocking, prohibiting or invalidating others. Among those prohibited from Western representation, whose representations are denied legitimacy, are women. The critique of sexual difference, then, and the critique of representation are inextricably linked, being as they are both attempts at challenging traditional modernist and phallocentric modes of thinking. Each can be viewed as a strategy that seeks to overcome not only specific areas (gender inequality, monolithic modes of representation etc) but the regime that provides their ground. Each attempts to do this through a series of critical re-framings and theoretical positions that uncover the inherent inconsistencies and internal fissures in the dominant discourse. Roland Barthes’ work Camera Lucida (2000) is an ideal example of how such ideas can be translated into literary and photographic theory. In his notion of the punctum, for instance, Barthes details how time, sentiment and personal interest can alter our reception of a photograph far beyond the intents of either the photographer or the photographic model. The punctum, or as Barthes details â€Å"a partial object† (Barthes, 2000: 43) is that which exists outside of the normalised view of what is representable in a photograph, it elides direct visual recognition and changes with each viewer and viewing; Barthes describes his experience of a photograph by William Klein from 1954 of poverty stricken children in New York’s Little Italy for instance, despite the overtly socio-political message of the photograph (an adult hand holding a gun to a smiling boy’s head) what could be considered the traditional representational, rational meaning, Barthes can not help but â€Å"stubbornly see one child’s bad teeth† (Barthes, 2000: 45). In his notion of the â€Å"third meaning†, also from his essay of the same name, Barthes points to the ironic and sometimes comical accidental elements of a photograph or a still image of a film, what he calls the obtuse meaning, speaking of a still from Romm’s Ordinary Fascism, he says: I can easily read (in this still) an obvious meaning, that of fascism (aesthetics and symbolics of power, the theatrical hunt), but I can also read an obtuse meaning: the (again) disguised blond silliness of the young quiver-bearer, the flabbiness of his hands and mouth†¦Goering’s thick nails, his trashy ring†¦ For Barthes then, that which was not intended to be represented – the inherent phallic instability of the Nazi party – can be discerned in photography, not in the elements that form the centre of the picture (the ‘studium’) but those at the periphery that elide the rational and studied gaze. As Shawcross (1997) details, Barthes’ notions here reflect the desire to challenge the kinds of discourses we have looked at above, it stresses the importance of multiple readings when dealing with photographic images and also attempts to challenge traditional (Western phallocentric) notions of single point perspective. In allowing such multiple readings, asserts Barthes, the photographs brings into question the relationship between image and text and, more rightly, exposing the play that exists between the two. In a process that Barthes calls â€Å"anchorage† (Barthes, 1977: 38) text pins down the multi-faceted meaning of an image, suppressing the natural polyvocal nature of a photograph and re-establishing the rational search for a unique interpretation. In the series of photographs by Gillian Wearing, for example, where ordinary members of the public were photographed holding up textual messages such as â€Å"I’m Desperate† and â€Å"Help†, it is the text that is assumed to be the underlying truth behind the photographic image, highlighting the extent that textual and linguistic signifiers have historically dominated visual ones. Feminist photographers have often played with the inherent slippage of meaning within the photographic image; the work of Cindy Sherman, for instance, exemplifies many of the issues we have been discussing here. Photographed in a series of ironic and iconic poses and ‘disguises’ Sherman’s work is both postmodern, in that it is self referential and kitsch but it is also considered feminist in that it attempts to rediscover and reclaim patriarchally constructed images of womanhood (the housewife, the screen starlet, the victim etc). As Shawcross (1997) details, by using herself as a model, Sherman also deconstructs the notion of identity and surface appearances – who or what are we reacting to in these images, Sherman the photographer, Sherman the icon, Sherman the disguised housewife or the housewife per se as an image in itself? As Barthes would suggest, the contribution of the photograph to the debate on the relationship between image and text (Sherman tel lingly does not titled any of her photographs) is the very play of interpretation that such photographs expose. Ultimately, then, as we have seen, there could be considered a direct link between the failure of grand narratives such as sexual difference and perspectivalist representation and the rise in critical interest in photography. As an art form that is both indexical and open to manipulation, photography is ideally suited to exemplify debates on the nature of interpretation and semiotics, something that has had a marked influence on both critical theorists and photographers alike. References Bakhtin, M (2000), The Dialogic Imagination, Austin: University of Texas. Barthes, R (1977), Image Music Text, London: Hill and Wang. Barthes, R (1980), Barthes Selected Writings, London: Fontana. Barthes, R (2000), Camera Lucida, London: Vintage. Benjamin, W (2008), The Work of Art in the Age of Technological Reproducibility and Other Writings on Media, Cambridge: Harvard University. Cixous, H (1980), ‘The Laugh of the Medusa’, published in New French Feminisms, London: Harvester. Deleuze, G and Guattari, F (2004), A Thousand Plateaus, London: Continuum. Derrida, J (1997), Of Grammatology, Baltimore; Johns Hopkins University. Durand, R and Criqui, J.P (2006), Cindy Sherman, London: Flammarion. Grosz, E (1994), Volatile Bodies: Towards a Corporeal Feminism, Indianapolis: University of Indiana. Heidegger, M (2007), ‘The Origin of the Workd of Art’, published in Basic Writings, London: Routledge. Irigaray, L (1985), This Sex Which is Not One, New York: Cornell University. Jameson, F (1991), Postmodernism, or The Logic of Late Capitalism, London: Verso. Lloyd, G (1984), The Man of Reason, London: Methuen. Lyotard, J.F (1984), The Postmodern Condition, Manchester: University of Manchester. Owens, C (1983), ‘The Discourse of Others’ available online at http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:Fb1ceOH6t0AJ:www.mariabuszek.com/kcai/PoMoSeminar/Readings/OwensOthers.pdf+the+discourse+of+othershl=enct=clnkcd=1gl=uk Paley, M (1997), Gillian Wearing – Signs that Say What you Want Them to Say and Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants, London: Interim Art. Shawcross, N (1997), Roland Barthes: On Photography, Gainsville: University of Florida.

Inconsistency in Hamlet Essay -- The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

William Shakespeare undoubtedly achieved one of his greatest characterizations when he created the role of Hamlet, in the tragic play Hamlet. Hamlet's appeal to audiences almost certainly stems from his many human weaknesses. The one for which he is best known is indecisiveness, but his inconsistency may well be an even more outstanding characteristic. T. S. Eliot, in 1932, wrote an essay on Hamlet that is still cited as a noted critique of Shakespeare's great tragedy. Eliot argued that Hamlet is an artistic failure, due to a basic weakness in the play. It was his contention that a playwright owes a duty to the audience to write dialogue appropriate to characters as they have been developed in the drama. Eliot made the point that in the "Closet Scene," when Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude, his mother, in her bedchamber, his words demonstrate an animosity and a vindictiveness for which the audience is totally unprepared. Since Eliot's charge against Hamlet is self-evidently valid, actors and directors attempting to stage Shakespeare's tragedy have struggled with the problem Eliot's essay highlighted, both prior to and after its publication. The conventional approach in the 20th century has been to imply, on Hamlet's part, a frustrated, incestuous love for his mother, which may justify the words Hamlet speaks, but for which Shakespeare gives no background whatsoever. As a result, rather than solving the problem, this approach creates yet another inconsistency. Still, in spite of these inconsistencies, and in spite of Eliot's accusation of artistic failure, Hamlet continues to walk the stage and fascinate theatergoers. If it is justifiable to look for logic and consistency in Hamlet, as Eliot did, one can find a far gre... ... times illogical and inconsistent. All of these examples suggest, however, that the logic and consistency advocated by T. S. Eliot are not essential to a play's success, nor to its greatness and immortality. Eliot's conclusion that Hamlet is an artistic failure is based on logic even more specious than that of the indecisive Prince of Denmark. A play succeeds because of its ability to stir the feelings of the audience, to transport the members of that audience to places beyond the bounds of the theater and their daily lives. Audiences, whether those of today or of Shakespeare's era, do not judge a play by its logical perfection. Hamlet, with all of its inconsistencies, evaluated on the basis of its emotional power, the majesty of its language, and by its seemingly timeless ability to move and enthrall audiences, remains one of the theater's ultimate masterpieces.

Unfair Treatment of Immigrant Workers :: essays research papers

As the airbus 300 made its final approach along San Francisco international airport, I saw the Golden Gate Bridge sitting on its splendor lit by the rising sun. I then closed my eyes and said to myself â€Å"I am finally here.† Thus, my journey in search of a better life began. A few minutes later I was off the plane and was already making my way to the customs and immigration check point. I handed my papers to the immigrations agent, he took a look at my passport and documents and without asking any questions handed them back to me, smiled and said, â€Å"Welcome to the United States.† Two months after arriving in the United States, I found myself working long hours and struggling with homesickness. I also discovered the racial tensions and discriminations that were directed at every foreign Information Technology worker. My discovery was also augmented by the comments made by one of my white American born co-worker named Al. He said, â€Å"We are being invaded here, they are taking away our jobs†- referring to the arrivals of more and more foreign IT workers. Not only that, my company was also discriminating us and we were not properly compensated as the signed contract indicated. Before a foreign national could work for a United States company and could come to work in the United States, a contract is required by the Department of Labor that would state how much this particular person would be paid, and that the salary must not be lower or greater than the current existing wage on his field of specialty. Then, the company must submit that same contract to the Department of Justice before a visa could be issued. In my case and for many other foreign workers, our contract which was approved by both departments was breached. We were not even paid half of what the signed contract stated. We worked long hours without compensation. And by the end of the year our W2s’ proved it. And every time we asked or complained, the company would then ask us how much our salary was in the Philippines, and then they would ask us to compare it to what we are making here. And if that answer would not satisfy us, they then would threaten to cancel our visa. Therefore, all I can do is bite my tongue, put up and look at the bright side- I am are here and someday I will get my greencard and I then will be able to live the American dream. Unfair Treatment of Immigrant Workers :: essays research papers As the airbus 300 made its final approach along San Francisco international airport, I saw the Golden Gate Bridge sitting on its splendor lit by the rising sun. I then closed my eyes and said to myself â€Å"I am finally here.† Thus, my journey in search of a better life began. A few minutes later I was off the plane and was already making my way to the customs and immigration check point. I handed my papers to the immigrations agent, he took a look at my passport and documents and without asking any questions handed them back to me, smiled and said, â€Å"Welcome to the United States.† Two months after arriving in the United States, I found myself working long hours and struggling with homesickness. I also discovered the racial tensions and discriminations that were directed at every foreign Information Technology worker. My discovery was also augmented by the comments made by one of my white American born co-worker named Al. He said, â€Å"We are being invaded here, they are taking away our jobs†- referring to the arrivals of more and more foreign IT workers. Not only that, my company was also discriminating us and we were not properly compensated as the signed contract indicated. Before a foreign national could work for a United States company and could come to work in the United States, a contract is required by the Department of Labor that would state how much this particular person would be paid, and that the salary must not be lower or greater than the current existing wage on his field of specialty. Then, the company must submit that same contract to the Department of Justice before a visa could be issued. In my case and for many other foreign workers, our contract which was approved by both departments was breached. We were not even paid half of what the signed contract stated. We worked long hours without compensation. And by the end of the year our W2s’ proved it. And every time we asked or complained, the company would then ask us how much our salary was in the Philippines, and then they would ask us to compare it to what we are making here. And if that answer would not satisfy us, they then would threaten to cancel our visa. Therefore, all I can do is bite my tongue, put up and look at the bright side- I am are here and someday I will get my greencard and I then will be able to live the American dream. Unfair Treatment of Immigrant Workers :: essays research papers As the airbus 300 made its final approach along San Francisco international airport, I saw the Golden Gate Bridge sitting on its splendor lit by the rising sun. I then closed my eyes and said to myself â€Å"I am finally here.† Thus, my journey in search of a better life began. A few minutes later I was off the plane and was already making my way to the customs and immigration check point. I handed my papers to the immigrations agent, he took a look at my passport and documents and without asking any questions handed them back to me, smiled and said, â€Å"Welcome to the United States.† Two months after arriving in the United States, I found myself working long hours and struggling with homesickness. I also discovered the racial tensions and discriminations that were directed at every foreign Information Technology worker. My discovery was also augmented by the comments made by one of my white American born co-worker named Al. He said, â€Å"We are being invaded here, they are taking away our jobs†- referring to the arrivals of more and more foreign IT workers. Not only that, my company was also discriminating us and we were not properly compensated as the signed contract indicated. Before a foreign national could work for a United States company and could come to work in the United States, a contract is required by the Department of Labor that would state how much this particular person would be paid, and that the salary must not be lower or greater than the current existing wage on his field of specialty. Then, the company must submit that same contract to the Department of Justice before a visa could be issued. In my case and for many other foreign workers, our contract which was approved by both departments was breached. We were not even paid half of what the signed contract stated. We worked long hours without compensation. And by the end of the year our W2s’ proved it. And every time we asked or complained, the company would then ask us how much our salary was in the Philippines, and then they would ask us to compare it to what we are making here. And if that answer would not satisfy us, they then would threaten to cancel our visa. Therefore, all I can do is bite my tongue, put up and look at the bright side- I am are here and someday I will get my greencard and I then will be able to live the American dream.

Culture Makes Better Future Essay

Culture is sort of like history or evolution. People make the mistake of assuming history has a purpose or that evolution has a purpose. But in reality, history is just an aggregate of facts and opinions about the past. History, or the march of civilization, has no direction, no goal. Yes, we seem to be â€Å"improving† ourselves by certain metrics but that isn’t an a priori requirement. Evolution is also not striving towards any particular direction. We are not at the cutting edge of evolution in any sense. If in a million years, the organism that can survive on Earth best is an amoeba, then amoebae will be the dominant species on the planet. It’s not a better or worse situation (except maybe for us), it just is. Similarly it is not culture’s job to create a better future. What does â€Å"better† even mean? Better for whom? At what cost for other entities? I imagine some cultures might like to take things slow and enjoy life, while others might believe in long work hours and competitiveness. Who’s the arbiter of better or worse here? Some culture might devalue women to the extent that it loses too many of them and isn’t able to effectively propagate itself, effectively dying out. I’m sure people from that culture wouldn’t be happy about that, although it’s â€Å"good† in some universal sense. Culture exists to propagate itself, not to do any good or bad for the people who follow it. My thoughts here are more or less para-phrasings of the discussion on ‘memes’ from ‘The Selfish Gene’. Culture at best, creates a feeling of societal cohesion, a generalized patriotism that can compel its members to perform better against other cultures. I don’t think it makes any sense in asking if culture is good for youth and country because that assumes that there is an alternative to culture, a state of diminished culture, or non-culture. That’s not going to happen ever. Culture doesn’t allow a vacuum to exist; something always rushes in to take up the empty space. You might mean instead mean to ask about the importance of a country’s indigenous culture for that country’s progress, in the context of foreign culture having undesired influences. To that I say, let the fittest survive. I don’t believe in feeling guilty or upset about, for example, Indian culture becoming westernized. If a culture is strong enough, it’ll adapt itself to new challenges. If not, too bad. Just like there have been millions of species that are now extinct, and also millions more than can arise given the appropriate conditions on Earth– culture, like life, will always be around in some form or the other. And just like you can’t say that any particular bird or animal or virus is â€Å"better† for nature, you really just can’t discuss how culture is â€Å"better† for our future.

Planning And Decision Making Essay

Many organizations lack a better planning and decision making systems that usually leads to the failure of there operations, in this case planning refers to the overall integrated planning system within an organization which incorporates both strategic and corporate planning. An organization is a consciously coordinated social unit composed of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals. Therefore corporate planning can only be achieved through management functions; planning, which encompasses defining organization goals establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals and developing a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities, organizing, which is the determination of what tasks have to be done, who does them how the tasks are to be grouped? Who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made. Controlling, this involves monitoring the organizations performance, leading, which involves managers motivating subordinates, directing the activities to be done, selecting the most appropriate channels of communication and resolving any conflicts among the employees Taking a look at Toyota Industries Corporation that was started in the year 1937 by Kiichirro Toyoda. It started off by manufacturing and selling automatic looms. Later on it extended by manufacturing automobiles including vehicles, car air conditioning compressors and engines. Toyota Company is widely known all over the world as an automobile manufacturer. It proudly owns the title of the world’s largest automaker company. It is known to be the largest then followed by General Motors Company. This company made sales worth 4. 72 million in the first half of the year 2007. It actually made a profit of $ 15. 09 billion. This paper is dealing with an evaluation of the success that this Company is having. This company is known to have production bases in Asia, Europe, Japan, India, China and North America. Toyoda, 2005) Orientation This company is reported to have a better management system that is referred to as the Toyota Production System which is made up of practices that are meant to organize the company’s logistics and its production; it is also found to encouraging a better communication between the company and its clients. Evaluation of Toyota Company shows tremendous success in the year 2007. This has actually ended the reign of the world best selling trademark of General Motors. An evaluation of the success of Toyota Company shows that it has really expanded various markets worldwide. This has enabled it to reach a very wide scope of customers. Evaluation on the success of Toyota Company shows that it has really opened up so many outlets all over the world including Africa. This has helped customers to easily access Toyota products unlike before. That is why this Company is really enjoying the booming success. (Dr. Shoichiro 2006) Planning is very important in any organization. This is because it helps the organization to easily replace personnel who get promotions or those who get transfers. This is because organizations nowadays carry out management development on all the leaders and managers in an organization. This helps an organization to have a pool of qualified personnel. It also helps an organization to carry out technological advancement. This is because the organization’s personnel are qualified and quite updated in the current technology. (www. onesixsigma. com) Key Processes  The system was founded between the years 1948 and the year 1975 which at the moment referred to as â€Å"Just in Time production† it was regarded as a house like design through which most of its workers once they are recruited they first of all get trained first before they start working in the company this actually shows how committed Toyota is in implementing a good performance oriented workforce, in this case we find that after an employee is trained and found to be successful then he is promoted with an ambition of meeting the expected company standards that are set. From the Toyota Production we find that the Managers can use this to identify the training goals. A manager needs to review his employee’s skills and the areas that they need to improve. These needs in the managerial skills will help in making goals. To find out this, the manager needs to asses the workforce and through this he can know what they are able to do and what they can’t do. Therefore the manager cannot just do this by himself. He needs assistance from other people. They can assist in reviewing his performance. Such people include the supervisors. These people can give invaluable information on the areas that need to be improved and give insight on the behaviors exhibited at work. During the planning the manager needs to consider the training programs that are being offered. The manager needs to carry out plan implementation. After that the manager needs to evaluate himself if he achieved his goals. The TPS also ensures that there is a minimal wastage of resources in the company, since the company regards wastage of resources as a result of de-motivation to its employees. Any organization that carries out management development usually experiences an increase in its productivity. When the personnel in an organization get skills in management there will be an increase in production. (www. onesixsigma. com) The founders of the Toyota production system had an ambition of eliminating the burdens which was referred to as the â€Å"muri†, also to curb the inconsistency referred to as the â€Å"mura† and the other reason for establishing the system is avoid wastage which was referred to as â€Å"muda† therefore we find that the company using the system has therefore discovered on how to reduce factors leading to wastage in the production of the firm. (www. onesixsigma. com) This has led to a better decision making in the firm whereby the system defines that better results are always founded on the right process of production whereby the companies are always urged to come up with a continuous flow of communication in order to indicate the threats of the company, we also find that the company encourages the use of the pull system which is directed towards the avoidance of overproduction, the other way that will enable a company to achieve its goals is to have a levelised workload whereby the employees are allowed to work at a lower speed in order to have better production results rather than working with a high speed to give poor results. In figure one, we find that the diagram has indicated that the company operates in two ways the Jidoka and the Just on Time processes whose goal is to enable a high quality production at a lower cost and within the shortest time limit. Here we find the company actually deals with the reduction of the cost of its products and also on the improvement of the quality of its products. Research indicates that Toyota is in a position of producing one vehicle in every six seconds which results into a total of six million vehicles per year, we also find that the company does not employ people who are given the responsibility but the members themselves report to be disciplined in a manner that they always clean their own offices, this policy has been found to be successful in ensuring that the workers report to their working areas with aim of improving their productivity. Key Learnings Management development is very beneficial to organizations. Many organizations that have embraced this usually have efficient and effective personnel. This improves the productivity hence leading to financial gains. The managers are skilled and will deal with issues that can cause losses efficiently. Figure two below indicating the ways Toyota puts together it production process, the company is reported to be successful as a result of encouraging its employees to work together as a team Whereby in terms of staffing, we find that the Toyota company actually employs more than 4,000 workers each day who are always provided with a number of two working shifts, in this company we find that the employees work in terms of teams, under which each team is made of a minimum of four to six employees, research also indicates that eight teams in the company make a whole group which is therefore provided with a team leader. Under the management in the organization we find that the company improves the performance of their workers through a better paying system which research indicates that every member in the team is paid at least ? 7,000 including this is inclusive of shift and overtime premium, they are also provided with a private healthcare. (www. onesixsigma. com) Where also find that there exist the policies of continuous improvement which is the company terms it as Kaizen action meetings which are regarded as circles of quality whereby the member staffs are involved in the improvement of the performance of the employees. This is well encouraged where the company is found to be offering Kaizen prizes after every six months. in the meetings a manager managing a team of twenty five groups is given an opportunity of deciding which group manager is the best after which all the managers in the company decides which group manager is the best to win the presentation. Then the two of the managers are given a chance to travel to Japan for a kaizen conference and give the story about their performance. For all these reasons we find that this Kaizen is used a way of improving the employees performance in the Toyota company and therefore the other companies planning to be as successful as Toyota one needs to implement the same policy in his or her organization. (www. onesixsigma. com) When evaluating the success in this Company, one can’t fail to notice the improved marketing strategies that have been incorporated therein. The company carried out outsourcing of experts who carried out market research on the target customers of this nation. The Company was therefore in a position to strategize so that it could overthrow the previous automobile manufacturer-General Motors. Marketing strategies were put in place to target the affluent customers all over the world. This played a big role in the success of Toyota Company. These marketing strategies included participating in sports. Toyota Company vehicles were used in motor spots and this actually marketed the vehicles. The Super 2000 Corolla and Peugeot were won in motors spots that were carried out late in the year 2007. (Toyoda, 2005) Toyota Company has had various acquisitions which influenced its success. It acquired 8. 7% of Fuji Industries. This Company is the manufacturer of Subaru vehicles. Toyota Company also acquired 5. 9% of Isuzu Motors. These strategies highly influenced the success of Toyota Company in the year 2007. This made Toyota Company to overtake General Motors. Toyota Company really strategized and incorporated new technologies in its manufacturing system. These technologies include an advanced parking guidance system and automatic power buttons. This resulted in the manufacture of hybrid gas-electric vehicle. This was produced in very large numbers. This hybrid gas-electric vehicle is sold at one million all over the world. This played a big role in the entire success of Toyota Company. (Dr. Shoichiro 2006) Evaluation of the success of Toyota Company shows that one of the factors that influenced its overall success in the year 2007 is branding. This company manufactures a wide variety of brands. This gives customers a wide variety of vehicles to choose from this Company. These brands include Lexus GS, Toyota Camry, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prius etc. This has also played a big role in the success of Toyota Company. Surveys carried out on Toyota Company products show a great improvement on the quality of its products. This influenced the general success of this Company until it overtook the previous world leader- General Motors Company. It brands are actually preferred by customers because of quality and durability. Toyota produced Lexus and Scion automobiles which ranked top in reliability and quality surveys. They also ranked best according to various consumer reports. According to the annual report of Toyota Company 2007, there was much incorporation of team work which greatly influenced the success of Toyota Company. This Company has a large market share in United States and Asia. (Wooly, 2006) Conclusion According to the annual report in Toyota Company, approximately 4. 72 million vehicles were sold by the first half of the year 2007. This ended seventy six year reign of General Motors Company. Evaluation of the success of Toyota Company’s success in the year 2007 shows that this company incorporated various strategies that played a big role in its success. These included outsourcing of experts, incorporation of new marketing strategies and opening up of very many outlets all over the world. Branding aspect in this Company was well used by the marketing experts and this is how Toyota Company managed to overthrow the previous world leading manufacturer – General Motors Company. The market share for Toyota Company in United States of America is enviable. This Company currently has the challenge of maintaining its leadership role in the automobile industry.