Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - Marriage in The Wife...

Marriage in Geoffrey Chaucers The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale The disparity in the outcomes of the hags marriage and Alisons marriages in Geoffrey Chaucers The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale depends in part on the womens differing expectations of their husbands. The hags modus agendi depends on a knights obligation to honour his pledge, whereas Alisons modus operandi depends on her husbands conduct after marriage, i.e. on her circumstances. Having saved the knights life, the hag asks the knight to permit her to be his wife. Moreover, she wants to be his love. The knight must marry, since marrying the hag lies within his might. Since the hags definition of being his wife includes her loving him, he is duty-bound to†¦show more content†¦Like husbands in real life, Alisons husbands are not knights. They do not submit to her will out of love for her beauty as she expects. Physically, she beats her fifth husband into submission, crucifies her philandering fourth on the cross of jealousy, and outwits her three horny, old husbands through fl attery and deceit, attacking their fidelity to extort payment for the marriage debt. Alisons marriages are battles, a state of war that continues until she wins the right to rule, after which she controls the marital assets and the stipulation of the marriage debt. She sexually abuses her old husbands, hints she wants her fourth dead, and curtails her young fifths reading. Vae victis - woe to the conquered. Aggressively, Alison pitches them into their purgatory, realizing the right to rule in her own hell. Alison defies ones expectations. Described by the narrator as a church-going woman nonpareil, she presents herself unflatteringly in her prologue. Blinding herself to her immorality with her verbose diatribe, she interprets the scriptures, classical literature, and mythology to suit her immediate needs. By interpreting Alisons tale as wish fulfillment, however, one can grasp for a handle to her motives, hopes, and agenda. The hag exploits the knight as a means to an end, to be young and beautiful. As she gets older, Alisons fading features will not sustain her narcissism. To love herself, she must be beautiful, even if only in the eyes of her next husband.Show MoreRelatedAttitudes Toward Marriage in Chaucers the Canterbury Tales1477 Words   |  6 PagesAttitudes Toward Marriage in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Chaucers The Canterbury Tales demonstrate many different attitudes toward and perceptions of marriage. Some of these ideas are very traditional, such as that discussed in the Franklins Tale, and others are more liberal such as the marriages portrayed in the Millers and the Wife of Baths Tales. While several of these tales are rather comical, they do indeed give us a representation of the attitudes toward marriage at that time inRead More Passive Women in Chaucers Canterbury Tales? Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesPassive Women in Chaucers Canterbury Tales? One argument that reigns supreme when considering Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is whether or not there is an element of anti-feminism within the text. One thread that goes along with this is whether or not the women of The Canterbury Tales are passive within the tales told. This essay will explore the idea that the women found within the tales told by the pilgrims (The Knight’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale to name a few) areRead MoreCourtly Love in The Knights Tale and The Wife of Baths Tale1353 Words   |  6 Pagesin his work The Canterbury Tales. Through the use of satiric elements and skilled mockery, Chaucer creates a work that not only brought courtly love to the forefront of medieval society but also introduced feministic ideals to the medieval society. At times, Chaucer even makes readers question his beliefs by presenting contrasting elements of principle in The Knight’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale, bot h tales told in his profound, multifaceted The Canterbury Tales. Many tales of courtly loveRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath s Prologue And Tale1338 Words   |  6 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer penned one of the great stories on the plight of being a woman as retold in The Canterbury Tales. â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale† points out the fallacy of medieval churches view on women being the lesser gender. â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale† follows a woman, the Wife of Bath, who tries to defend the experiences she has had in her life against the judgements of men. The Wife revealed the prejudice against women at the time by saying, â€Å"it is an impossibility that any scholarRead MoreThe Characters in The Canterbury Tales Essay4000 Words   |  16 PagesThe Purpose of the   Characters in The Canterbury Tales      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The characters introduced in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales each represent a stereotype of a kind of person that Chaucer would have been familiar with in 14th Century England. Each character is unique, yet embodies many physical and behavioral traits that would have been common for someone in their profession. In preparing the reader for the tales, Chaucer first sets the mood by providing an overall idea of the typeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Wife Of Bath 1660 Words   |  7 PagesThe Canterbury Fails: An Analysis of Misogyny in the Wife of Bath’s Tale At first glance, you wouldn’t think that the Wife of Bath’s tale is anything other than feminist. She is, undeniably, the only non-religious female character in The Canterbury Tales and therefore is the only character who is approached from a point of view that was generally uncommon. We don’t have many— or even any, as far as I’m aware— pieces of medieval literature written by or for women or with a main female protagonistRead MoreSimilarities Between The Millers Tale And The Wife Of Bath1507 Words   |  7 PagesHow are women perceived in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales? The Miller’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale both portray women as having a great deal of sexual desire, which was considered taboo for its time. Alisoun, a character in The Miller’s Tale, and The Wife of Bath are portrayed as being promiscuous, however both of these women find empowerment in demonstrating their sexual agency, which was certai nly a taboo perspective for the time in which The Canterbury Tales were written. While the maleRead MoreMarriage And The Role Of Women2150 Words   |  9 PagesKate Eickhoff Dr. White IB 11 English 28 November 2016 Marriage Essay During the 14th century, marriage and the role of women in the marriage were very different from today. Most marriages in the 14th century occurred between an older man and a young girl; a girl is usually chosen because they were pure and could produce the most heirs. The bride’s family would pay the husband through a dowry, consisting of land, money, or anything of high value. The more unattractive the women were, the more theRead MoreChaucer, Shakespeare, and Eunuchs4253 Words   |  18 Pagesthe two men together, but I believe that the most prominent characteristic that the men share is their innovativeness. More specifically their innovative construction of gender confused characters. Dinshaw’s examination of the eunuch Pardoner in her essay â€Å"Eunuch Hermeneutics† distinguishes The Pardoner to be a partial character because of his in-between state. Chaucer and Shakespeare’s construction of partial characters reveals that we cannot trust everything to be true in fiction literature and playsRead MoreEssay about Chaucers Wife of Bath2474 Words   |  10 PagesChaucers Wife of Bath Before beginning any discussion on Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, one must first recognize that, as critic Elaine Treharne writes, â€Å"Critical response to the Wife of Bath has been as diverse as it has been emotive† (2). Some critics love the Wife of Bath and her controversial prologue, proclaiming that she is a woman of strength and powerful words; others hate her and cover the eyes of younger girls, determined that Wife of Bath is instead a role model of what women should not

The Impact Of Literature On Literature And The Social View...

Literature possess the capability to vastly influence the world, and those who find a way to impact literature drive the powerful influence. Few people in the history of literature publicized as many thoughts and critical views as T.S. Eliot, and by disseminating his opinions throughout the literature world, Eliot found a way to communicate new perspectives and tastes in literature (Worthen). Born in the fall of 1888, T.S. Eliot grew up to become one of the most influential poets of all time, as he found a unique way of communicating through literature. Sometimes referred to as the â€Å"keeper of the language† or the â€Å"model poet of our time† Eliot presented powerful criticisms of society, while brilliantly presenting his ideas through essays†¦show more content†¦Containing stories, news, and opinions of both T.S. Eliot and others who wrote about him, The Letters of T.S. Eliot offer an inside perspective on Eliot’s life.. In Volume 1 of the revised edition of the letters Patrick Query describes how T.S. Eliot felt so much passion for culture and how it must improve (Letters, Volume 1). In the volume, the writer states that Eliot started a movement to modernize literature all on his own. Eliot contained such a strong passion for making the world a better place, that as society generally acted apathetic towards life, Eliot strived for a culture where people actually inserted energy and passion into life. Also, in John Worthen’s biography of T.S. Eliot, the author believes Eliot focused the entire masterpiece of Four Quartets on illustrating to his audience despite painful times in life, people must focus more on the beauty of life (Worthen). Devoting much of his literature career to impacting society, Eliot often focused on changing the lack of enthusiasm culture contained. Besides driving culture forward in passion for life, Eliot lived at the forefront of contemporary literature. Before the 20th century, literature foll owed many traditions and guidelines throughout its poems, essays, novels, and plays, but T.S. Eliot played a significant role in bringing about literary modernism. One of Eliot’s great works, Four QuartetsShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Literature On Literature And The Social View Of Poetry1724 Words   |  7 Pages Literature possesses the capability to vastly influence the world, and those who find a way to impact literature drive the powerful influence. Few people in the history of literature publicized as many thoughts and critical views as T.S. Eliot, and by disseminating his opinions throughout the literature world, Eliot found a way to communicate new perspectives and tastes in literature (Worthen). Born in the fall of 1888, T.S. Eliot grew up to become one of the most influential poets of all time,Read MoreLangston Hughes : Black Poets Impact On African American Literature857 Words   |  4 Pages Texas Southern University Black Poets Impact In African American Literature Michael Winston English 132-11 Prof. Dr. Harmon 11-20-2017 African American literature is literature written from African descents that focused on the early time to recent time movements. Early as the 1700’s and late as the 1900’s where African American literature was in progress. Poetry was a substantial part of African American literature, because black poets talked about culture, racism, slavery, andRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreSuperb Motivation. Literature Possesses The Capability1749 Words   |  7 PagesSuperb Motivation Literature possesses the capability to vastly influence the world, and those who find a way to impact literature drive this powerful influence. Few people in the history of literature publicized as many thoughts and critical views as T.S. Eliot, and by disseminating his opinions throughout the literature world, Eliot found a way to communicate new perspectives and tastes in literature (Worthen). Born in the fall of 1888, T.S. Eliot grew up to become one of the most influentialRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray- One Of My Favourite Novels- Wilde1338 Words   |  6 PagesI find the way in which literature can both present and challenge the context and culture which it was written in fascinating. This is especially apparent both within the texts I have been studying for A-level Literature and my own personal further reading. Especially, texts which challenge the social norms of their time are particularly fascinating to me. In The Picture of Dorian Gray- one of my favourite novels- W ilde demonstrates the contrast between the supposed high morality in Victorian societyRead MoreThe Man Within The Shadows1414 Words   |  6 Pageseighteenth and nineteenth centuries was a time that manifested the act of slavery and segregation. In these centuries, the African American Literature was born and based its focus on themes of interest of a select group of people who were known as Negroes, along with oral poetry, gospel music, blues and rap (â€Å"African America literature† 1). African American Literature began with slavery and colonization, however, was not originated until the attention of the Caucasian audience was pronounced with theRead MoreInfluences of the Romantic Period1575 Words   |  7 Pagescontrasted the then prevalent classical forms of literature such as the French Neoclassical Tragedy. But this new emotional literary expression would be a key part of literature during the Romantic Era (Britannica). Literature during the Romantic Era was influenc ed by politics and major historical events and social reforms, religion, science, economics, and art and music. 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Due to the scale of research i n Romantic literature as a discipline, the main focus in this paper will concentrate primarily on two major paradigms in Romantic literature. These two aspects are referred to as Romantic nature and Romantic sublime. The paper will be organised and divided into twoRead MoreT.S. Eliots Writing Style and Use of Symbolism790 Words   |  4 Pagesrisk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go,† T.S. Eliot is basically trying to say that only people who push their limit can actually see how much they can really accomplish. T.S. Eliot made poetry that showed his negative views on life, people, and world. T.S. Eliot took poetry to another level by the way he writes and uses symbolism. Thomas Stearns was born on September 26, 1888. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was Henry ware Eliot who was the president of the Hydraulic-press The Impact Of Literature On Literature And The Social View... Literature possesses the capability to vastly influence the world, and those who find a way to impact literature drive the powerful influence. Few people in the history of literature publicized as many thoughts and critical views as T.S. Eliot, and by disseminating his opinions throughout the literature world, Eliot found a way to communicate new perspectives and tastes in literature (Worthen). Born in the fall of 1888, T.S. Eliot grew up to become one of the most influential poets of all time, as he found a unique way of communicating through literature. Sometimes referred to as the â€Å"keeper of the language† or the â€Å"model poet of our time† Eliot presented powerful criticisms of society, while brilliantly presenting his ideas through†¦show more content†¦Beyond the poetry he wrote, Eliot drove the world to modernist views through essays and other means of literature. Containing stories, news, and opinions of both T.S. Eliot and others who wrote about h im, The Letters of T.S. Eliot offer an inside perspective on Eliot’s life (Eliot and Haffenden). In Volume 1 of the revised edition of the letters Patrick Query describes how T.S. Eliot felt so much passion for culture and how it must improve (Letters, Volume 1). In the volume, the writer states Eliot started a movement to modernize literature all on his own. Eliot contained such a strong passion for making the world a better place, that as society generally acted apathetically towards life, Eliot strived for a culture where people actually inserted energy and passion into life (Poetry Foundation). Also, in John Worthen’s biography of T.S. Eliot, the author believes Eliot focused the entire masterpiece of Four Quartets on illustrating to his audience despite painful times in life, people must focus more on the beauty of life (Worthen). After addressing the aspects of society he believed needed to improve, Eliot wrote several poems on each topic which showed the beauty of his opinion and a more joyful culture. The Waste Land helps describe how to improve the war stricken world, and other poems such as Four Quartets and The Sacred Wood deal with other cultural characteristics Eliot strived to improve. Devoting much of his literature career to impactingShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Literature On Literature And The Social View Of Poetry1391 Words   |  6 Pages Literature possess the capability to vastly influence the world, and those who find a way to impact literature drive the powerful influence. Few people in the history of literature publicized as many thoughts and critical views as T.S. Eliot, and by disseminating his opinions throughout the literature world, Eliot found a way to communicate new perspectives and tastes in literature (Worthen). Born in the fall of 1888, T.S. Eliot grew up to become one of the most influential poets of all time, asRead MoreLangston Hughes : Black Poets Impact On African American Literature857 Words   |  4 Pages Texas Southern University Black Poets Impact In African American Literature Michael Winston English 132-11 Prof. Dr. Harmon 11-20-2017 African American literature is literature written from African descents that focused on the early time to recent time movements. Early as the 1700’s and late as the 1900’s where African American literature was in progress. Poetry was a substantial part of African American literature, because black poets talked about culture, racism, slavery, andRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreSuperb Motivation. Literature Possesses The Capability1749 Words   |  7 PagesSuperb Motivation Literature possesses the capability to vastly influence the world, and those who find a way to impact literature drive this powerful influence. Few people in the history of literature publicized as many thoughts and critical views as T.S. Eliot, and by disseminating his opinions throughout the literature world, Eliot found a way to communicate new perspectives and tastes in literature (Worthen). Born in the fall of 1888, T.S. Eliot grew up to become one of the most influentialRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray- One Of My Favourite Novels- Wilde1338 Words   |  6 PagesI find the way in which literature can both present and challenge the context and culture which it was written in fascinating. This is especially apparent both within the texts I have been studying for A-level Literature and my own personal further reading. Especially, texts which challenge the social norms of their time are particularly fascinating to me. In The Picture of Dorian Gray- one of my favourite novels- W ilde demonstrates the contrast between the supposed high morality in Victorian societyRead MoreThe Man Within The Shadows1414 Words   |  6 Pageseighteenth and nineteenth centuries was a time that manifested the act of slavery and segregation. In these centuries, the African American Literature was born and based its focus on themes of interest of a select group of people who were known as Negroes, along with oral poetry, gospel music, blues and rap (â€Å"African America literature† 1). African American Literature began with slavery and colonization, however, was not originated until the attention of the Caucasian audience was pronounced with theRead MoreInfluences of the Romantic Period1575 Words   |  7 Pagescontrasted the then prevalent classical forms of literature such as the French Neoclassical Tragedy. But this new emotional literary expression would be a key part of literature during the Romantic Era (Britannica). Literature during the Romantic Era was influenc ed by politics and major historical events and social reforms, religion, science, economics, and art and music. Literature of the Romantic Era was heavily influenced by the politics, major events and social reforms of the time, the most notable beingRead MoreThe Feminist: Aphra Behn Essay786 Words   |  4 PagesIn the 17th century a writer named Aphra Behn emerged as leader in English literature. With a shaky beginning, Behn persevered to become the first female professional writer. With her feminist opinions, she revolutionized writing and her impacts in the 17th century would change modern day writing. Behn was a clever writer who wrote lively, vibrant plays and poetry. Behn impacted the world, not only with her writing, but also with her determination and voice about her feminist opinions. Behn showedRead MoreCritical Analysis of Romanticism1387 Words   |  6 PagesThis literature review will critically analyse a range of arguments and perspectives by literary critics and historians and their views will be pertinent to the study of Romanticism . Due to the scale of research i n Romantic literature as a discipline, the main focus in this paper will concentrate primarily on two major paradigms in Romantic literature. These two aspects are referred to as Romantic nature and Romantic sublime. The paper will be organised and divided into twoRead MoreT.S. Eliots Writing Style and Use of Symbolism790 Words   |  4 Pagesrisk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go,† T.S. Eliot is basically trying to say that only people who push their limit can actually see how much they can really accomplish. T.S. Eliot made poetry that showed his negative views on life, people, and world. T.S. Eliot took poetry to another level by the way he writes and uses symbolism. Thomas Stearns was born on September 26, 1888. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was Henry ware Eliot who was the president of the Hydraulic-press

Corporate Social Responsibility Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings

Question: Discuss about theCorporate Social Responsibilityfor Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings. Answer: Introduction CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility and a CSR can be defined as a term or a practice of a business, which provides different-different benefits to the society. A businesss CSR consists of a large number of tactics, which is responsible of giving a part from the companys profit for the charity purposes or for any other processes required for the implementation of greener business tasks. The corporate social responsibilities consist of various types of practices or in other words, we can say that various types of responsibilities are being carried out by the different types of businesses as to fulfil their social responsibilities. Environmental efforts, philanthropy, ethical labor practices, volunteering, etc., are some of the parts of business social responsibility practices. In the environmental effort phase the main focus of the corporate social responsibility is on the improvement of the environment or its surrounding. A large part of carbon is produced by the different- different activities of the corporate sector, therefore they can take several actions for reducing the carbon in the environment, which is beneficial for the company as well as for the society. In the philanthropy phase, the businesses fulfil their social responsibilities by donating to various charitable trusts working across the globe or within the country itself (O'Keefe, 2014). Evaluating a CSR Report by Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings Treating the employees of the company ethically and fairly comes under the phase of ethical labor practices. While performing the ethical labor practices the company or any type of business can easily perform its social responsibilities. In the volunteering phase, the company attends various types of volunteer events arranged for the sake of the society or any other welfare purposes. The active participation of the each and every small, medium or large business helps that business in creating a good image in the society by showing its sincerity towards the society. To show their concern regarding the various specific issues without any expectations fulfil their social responsibility. The case study tells us about the CSR communication report of the Sompo Holdings, which is a Japan based company and was established in the year2010 having various affiliated group companies within the country as well as overseas (Sakurada, 2016). The CSR given in the case study includes various ward-loo king facts, which are directly influenced by the companys plans and other management policies. MR. Kengo Sakurada is the president and the CEO of the company and all the description and objectives related to the CSR are defined by him for the successful implementation of the working strategy (Sakurada, 2010). The CSR report of the company defines various objectives, targets to be achieved and challenges to be faced by the company in the future. The CSR material of the company is totally dependent on various factors other than to international social trends. The CSR report of the company is arranged or designed according to the five material issues of the company (Inc., 2016). The company and its group branches have been working continuously for the fulfilment of the requirements of the people of the country as soon as possible. The company introduces a new management plan in themed of the year for the sake and the wellbeing of the people of the country. The company has expanded its business to a wide range, which includes nursing and the healthcare business across the country (Karnani, 2010). All these services are being provided by the company to the common people by the use of latest technology equipments, etc. All these factors are responsible for providing a better growth to the compa ny as well as for providing a sustainable society. By using the latest technology or any type of digital technology helps in the development of the companys business. As per according to the situation, the management of the company avails latest equipments for delivering a variety of services to the society (Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings, 2016). The company is providing the facility of driving support and many more types of services through their call centers, etc. For the successful accomplishment of the CSR vision the company has designed a framework, which consists of different- different parts like solution for the problems raised due to disaster, plans for the welfare of the people related to their health, managing the situations raised due to global issues of the environment, providing relief to the society by empowering method, providing support to the diversity, etc. The company has also defined some particular strength factors for the various approaches that will help the company in taking several decisions or we can say advantages that it has developed regarding the capabilities and for the management purpose of the various material issues discussed earlier (Shah, 2007). The strengths of the company include the development of the innovative products and the services with the use of financial expertise and many other digital technologies, which helps in delivering various solutions to the problems related to social issues. All this is done and is delivered to the people across the country through the use of latest technology. With the help of the stakeholders and other members of the company the promotion of the development and advancement of the human skills is done within the company and its group branches. Each and every representative of the company, board sectors and the civil society actively participate in the whole process. The facts rel ated to the quality of the life and the facts related to its enrichment are done through the various applications and operations of the experts. All the resources are helpful for the promotion purpose in the field of art and culture (Swinand, 2014). The company has joined the UN global impact and the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development) for the various development tasks. The company is taking active participation in the various discussions and the efforts related to the standardization for the sustainability purpose. All these tasks or the initiatives are responsible for the collaboration between all the stakeholders of the company (4-traders Team, 2016). The company offers a large number of services to its customers as well as to the society. The management makes several efforts for getting connected to the people through the personal interaction method by making the use of digital technology, which directly influences the interface with the customers. The various types of services provided by the company are like PC Insurance, Life insurance, nursing care, health care services etc. The net income of the company for the year 2015 was approximately 3,256,186 million Yen. The company has set various performance indicators for each and every type of CSR material issued. The company provides various products and services which relate to the health, security and wellbeing of the people. In this, the company has provided insurance to the people so that each every person can easily cope up with the situations of earthquake, any legal disputes, services related to supporting the accidents, etc. They are also making several efforts for making the use of eco-friendly parts through the help of various promotion tasks. For the successful accomplishment of the corporate social responsibilities the management of the company is taking strict and important actions regarding to the environmental issues on the global basis. For this the continuous promotion is being done for the use of renewable products. In the year 2015, the company is making use of 5% of the eco-friendly products, 18% bumpers were repaired by the company, 57% outer panels were repaired by the company for the sake of the environment or we can say for solving the issues related to the environment. The various steps taken by the company, helps the company in decreasing the emission of carbon dioxide in the environment by 7.6%, the consumption of the electric power is also decreased by 2.1% and the use of paper in the country is also reduced by 19% from the year 2014. With the help of Social Return On Investment (SROI) the biodiversity ranges to 2% in the year 20 15. The company has increased the existing shares of SRI funds and has received approximately 20 billion yen for the sake of sustainable investment from the fund collected from the pensions. The company has already provided and is providing various financial services for the purpose of addressing the variety of social issues through the method of loans and other investments. Approximately 4 billion yen is provided by the company regarding to the loans for the promotion purpose related to the use of renewable sources of the energy. The company has also invested a large amount of 51 billion in the growth sectors of the country, which includes various sources of renewable energy and the green bonds. Approximately 13000 employees of the company are taking active participation in the volunteer programs, which shows the involvement of the company in the communities working for the society. The company has the partnerships along with the large number of NGOs/NPOs working across the country for the wellbeing of the people. With respect to the human rights the company promotes the childcare leaves among the employees of the company. Various seminars are conducted from time to tim e for the promotion purpose as well as encouraging people for the work- life balance. Provide equal rights to both the male and females working in the company. The company is working continuously for providing a large number of healthcare services to the people of the country and to the people living outside the country. In the long term care service section, the company provides various centres for the long term care, facility of houses for the elders, home care facility for the long as well as short terms. The physical health services are also being delivered by the company by providing guidance related to the health. Various health related programs are arranged by the company from time to time for the people those who are unaware about the critical diseases and for the people on medication. The facility of the mental health care services is also provided to the people by the company. Mental health checkups are arranged for the people living in any part of the country. The company has also provided the facility of consulting services, which provides the people information about every new scheme being introduced by the company for the well -being of the country. It has provided the consulting service for ISO 20121 certification, which helps in maintaining the international standards of sustainability. Support for the calculation of the emission of the gases in the environment taking place through the corporate value chain (Gelles, 2015). The company is also providing the financial products and financial services to the people. Various arrangements have been done by the companys management for providing relief to the people in the critical conditions. The company provides various types of products related to the services for making the society more reliable. Conclusion Through the help of complete value chain, the company is making several promotions for the conservation of resources. It is also working for solving the issues related to the environment. The predefined activities, comes into action for raising the awareness programs related to the environment. It also focuses on the human rights coming under the sector of stakeholders of the company, it also keeps an eye on the equivalent rights of the employees of the company and the rules and regulations considered in the global market. For the corporate social responsibility, the company is taking several actions regarding the corporate citizen activities. It also provides the support for the employees on the individual basis for the efforts make on the social contribution basis. References 4-traders Team, 2016. Sompo Japan Nipponkoa : Holdings Redefined Group's CSR Material Issues. Holdings Redefined Group's CSR Material Issues, 06 September. Gelles, D., 2015. Social Responsibility That Rubs Right Off. Energy and environment, 17 October. Inc., S. J. N. I., 2016. Sompo Holdings Groups CSR. CSR Approach and Resources. Karnani, A., 2010. The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility, 23 August. O'Keefe, L., 2014. Doing Good Is Good for Business -- Corporate Social Responsibility in 2015. Corporate Social Responsibility, 31 December. Sakurada, K., 2010. Corporate Social Responsibility Communication 2010: SJNK media, Available at: https://www.sjnk.co.jp/~/media/SJNK/files/english/news/sj/2010/20101006.pdf Sakurada, K., 2016. Company Overview of Sompo Holdings, Inc.. Company Overview . Shah, A., 2007. Corporate Social Responsibility. Global issues: CSR, 07 July. Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Holdings, 2016. SOMPO HOLDINGS redefined group's CSR material issues. CSR material issues, 11 June. Swinand, A., 2014. Corporate social responsibility is millennials' new religion. Corporate social responsibility, 25 March.

UNIT 201 Safeguarding and pr... free essay sample

UNIT 201 Safeguarding and protection in care settings1.1 Explain the term safeguardingSafeguarding has been described by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a key priority that reflects both our focus on human rights and the requirement within the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 to have regard to the need to protect and promote the rights of people who use health and social care services, so in other words, Safeguarding is the protection of peoples health and well being as well as their human rights enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. It is fundamental to high quality health and social care. In safeguarding people, you will be taking preventative actions, taking necessary steps to prevent issues and these main issues are abuse, bullying, discrimination, harassment, and neglect. Safeguarding adults is also integral to complying with legislation, regulations and delivering cost effective care. These Legislations relating to safeguarding adults includes: ? Care Act 2014 ? Human Rights Act 1998 ? Equality Act 2010 ? Mental Capacity Act 2005 ? Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 ? Mental Health Act 1983 ? NHS Act 2006Safeguarding adults is from the age of 18 years or over; people who are vulnerable and unable to take care of him or herself. We will write a custom essay sample on UNIT 201 Safeguarding and pr or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also, these individuals may need community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age as well as any other illness; and who may or unable to protect him /herself against significant harm or exploitation. 1.2My responsibilities are to ensure that individuals are safe and wellbeing, by assessing the situation following the policy and procedures of safeguarding. As a health worker, I have a duty of care to the people we support and my colleagues. It is very important to work with other health professionals to ensure that if any of these problems are spotted or suspect that they are reported so that action can be taken. It is my duty to safeguard individuals in a way that supports them in making choices and having control in how they choose to live their lives Making Safeguarding Personal, The Health Professions Council standards states that a person who can give their consent has the right to refuse treatment (medication) (NHS). I must respect their right and make sure they are fully aware of the risk of refusing treatment, particularly if they think there is a significant or immediate risk to life. Duty of care can be said to have reasonably been met where an objective group of professionals considers.As a support worker I will establish what the individuals views and wishes are, and maintain any evidence following my organisation procedures for reporting incidents/risks. There are six safeguarding principles enshrined within the Care Act 2014 and these six key principles underpin all adult safeguarding work: ? Empowerment – Personalisation and the presumption of person-led decisions and informed consent. I am asked what I want as the outcomes from the safeguarding process and these directly inform what happens.? Prevention – It is better to act before harm occurs. receive clear and simple information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help.? Proportionality – Proportionate and least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented. I am sure that the professionals will work for my best interests, as I see them, and they will only get involved as much as I require.? Protection – Support and representation for those in greatest need. I get help and support to report abuse. I get help to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want and to which I am able. ? Partnership – Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting, and reporting neglect and abuse. I know that staffs treat any personal and sensitive information in confidence, only sharing what is helpful and necessary. I am confident that professionals will work together to get the best result for me. Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding. I understand the role of everyone involved in my life.1.2 Define the following terms:2.1 Identify the signs and symptoms associated with each of the following types of AbuseAbuse is an act that knowingly or unknowingly causes harm that endangers life or fringes on the rights of vulnerable people. It can take many different forms and be at different levels of seriousness. Q1.3a 2.1a Physical abuse is a deliberately act which cause body damages to another person. This cause might end in some body bruises or cuts. If a person is physically abused it is important to look for the indicators like:? Assault hitting and slapping, the individual will have unexplained injury that is not consistent with an explanation? Kicking- the person will be flinching when approached? Pushing and punching- they will be change of behaviour that is noticed in the persons who are being abused.? Burning- You will see red- hot spots of burns in their body? Restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions- They wont be able to turn their neck due to pain.

The 1999 DBQ essays

The 1999 DBQ essays The American Revolution did not happen overnight. There were many events that led up to the Revolution, and in the process the colonists united more and more against a common cause (i.e. freedom from English rule). This does not mean that the colonists were completely united, because they were not, but in the end they were united enough to overcome the British rule and become independent. The colonists were a different breed of people found nowhere else, and they defined themselves as Americans, not English. There were many factors that incited the revolution. Major factors include taxation, lack of the equality under the law with Englishmen, and the presence of the British army in their midst. The colonists were a very different group of people than the people of their mother country. In Document G, Hector St. John describes the new American. He describes a person whose grandfather is English, wife is Dutch and whose son married a French woman. He is an American who has forgotten the bad things about his past, the poverty, and taken up a completely new life. But this alone is not enough to unite all the colonists together and think of themselves as Americans. The Colonists really started to unite after the French and Indian War. When the war was over the colonists thought that they would get more respect from the British along with an end to higher taxes, and colonists being able to settle in the fertile Ohio Valley. None of this happened. The colonists were not allowed to settle in the Ohio Valley because the British did not want any more trouble with the Indians. After the war the British had a huge war debt and the only way to get rid of it was to tax the colonies. The colonists united when Parliament declared the Sugar Act. Colonists saw that if only one colony was against the Sugar Act, that the British would strike them down and make even worse regulations for everyone. ...

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Research Paper Help Research Paper Help Research Paper Help Research paper writing should start with analysis of an essay question.   In addition, you need to read numerous articles and find enough supporting information.   Research paper help is sought by students who understand that research paper writing process is not as easy as narrative essay writing. While a tutor gives the same essay question to all students, every student comes up with an original paper.   Ordering custom research paper writing at .com, you receive 100% plagiarism free project written from scratch.   You have to include the following parts:   abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion with recommendations.   It is not easy to write a good research paper because in addition to profound writing skills, you have to possess excellent critical thinking skills. Research Paper Help Online You should keep in mind that a good research paper cannot be written in a couple of hours.   You have to spend many hours in a library reading numerous articles, you have to spend a lot of time reading and making notes, you have to spend enough time formatting and proofreading your research paper.   Sometimes, you will find some mistakes and discrepancies even in the course of the tenth reading.   You, as a research paper writer, know what is written in your essay and you unintentionally skip a significant part of each sentence.   Ordering custom research paper writing at our site, you get polished research paper.   Research paper help is aimed at assisting students with their academic projects.   We are available 24 hours a day and all of our writers work full time.   While you have to accomplish many projects, we are ready to devote all our efforts to your needs. Free Research Paper Are there custom written research papers offered for free?   No!   Custom written paper is not posted online.   Once any essay is posted online, it becomes plagiarized.   We offer customized assistance and we will never post your project online.   We value your choice and try our best to provide you with first-rate research paper written from scratch.   Help writing a research paper is your solution to academic challenges.   If you have already written your research paper, answer the below questions to check your work: Have I followed the proper referencing style? Have I acknowledged all scholars whose original ideas I used? Are quotation marks placed around short quotations, and are longer quotations placed in block quote format? Do not hesitate to order professional assistance and you will not regret spending money on our writing services!

Protein concentration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Protein concentration - Essay Example Protein analyses are used for basic research useful in determining specific activities of enzymes, hormones, antibodies and others substances. There are many methods used for the assay such as colorimetric detections, protein copper chelation chemistry and other methods. The Lowry method is one of the most common and useful protein assay methods used with ready to use reagents (Pierce, 2014). The use of absorbance reading for analyzing proteins has been proven to be very useful such that it can be used to predict protein sequence (Anthis and Clore, 2013). Protein absorbs ultraviolet rays. The strong capacity of protein to absorb UV light allows analysis of protein samples through spectrophotometry (Craic Technologies, 2012). There has been many methodologies produced for protein analysis that proves to be accurate and produce good results which include the Bradford Assay and Lowry Assay considered as the most common method (Knight and Chambers, 2003), Biuret Assay, Bichinchoninic Aci d Assay. These methods have their respective advantages and disadvantages when used to read protein concentrations (Sapan, et al. 1999). Other modern techniques are also developed such as DNA Pull down Assay, Microplate Capture and DetectionAssay, Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay, and more (Pierce Protein Biology Products, 2014). There will be fives test tubes properly labeled used for the assay. A test sample diluted with 85% Sodium Chloride Solution is used to reach a final concentration of 150-100 ug/ml. The blank test tube will be added with 0.20ml 85% Sodium chloride Solution. The blank test tube will be used as reference test tube. This will be the test tube for comparison purposes with the other test tubes containing the various reagents. The blank test tube will be the first tube to be read in the spectrophotometer that will set back the reading to zero. All the other test tubes would be read in comparison with the blank test tube’s

Ten Critical Steps for Risk Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Ten Critical Steps for Risk Managers - Essay Example These may include services like having political risk intelligence. Next, risk managers as a way to protect their business in Congo DRC should make a list of the expected political risks and combine them in order to reduce the premiums to be paid for them as a way of protection whether in insurance protection or any other form of protection offered for the business in that country. Communication as another step is very important. This is communication by the risk managers to other stakeholders of the company on issues to do with the company including liability and property coverage, regular updates of the political situation and other logistics issues that may come in handy in prevention of losses from political chaos (Cook, Alston and Raia, 2004). Contract on the issue of risk coverage and any terms of payment in that line should be constantly reviewed and updated. This is a necessary step to be taken by the risk managers who really aim at protecting the business and preventing any form of political loss in this foreign country. Other than contract reviewing, it is necessary for a risk manager to have political risk intelligence which incorporates aspects like political risk insurance of economic and also political events that may occur in that country anytime and that may disrupt the business. This may require working with national intelligence services outside Congo DRC and other trade associations to make this step effective. The country has its own market standard policy conditions and rates that have to be followed if political risk is to be avoided for the business. These may include among others policies on currency conversion or licensing. Export market has its shares of risks that have to be addressed by the risk manager and especially in such a politically unstable country. This includes risks like nonpayment or even frustration of contracts and which may prove detrimental to the business if not effectively addressed by the risk

Misconception of Identifying Ethnic Groups by Cultural Elements Essay Example for Free

Misconception of Identifying Ethnic Groups by Cultural Elements Essay Misconception of Identifying Ethnic Groups by Cultural Elements The common misconception in relating ethnicity and culture is to define ethnic groups by cultural elements. Firstly, ethnic group is a category of people which is bound together by common characteristics that differentiate them from other groups. On the other hand, culture is a system of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people. Culture consists of values, beliefs, religion, experiences, behaviours and traditions acquired by a group of people that is passed down generations by generations (Browaeys Price, 2008). In my essay, I would like to clarify that ethnic groups cannot be defined by their cultural elements with several examples. Commonly, characteristics and traits of an ethnic group is identified by its cultural elements. Elements such as language, religion and customs are used to differentiate a group and another. Specified cultural elements are categorized to represent different types of ethnic groups. However this assumption is not suitable to apply in many situations. It is troublesome to identify ethnic group by cultural elements. This is because the people within an ethnic group does not necessarily possess the identical cultural elements. For instance, the Cham people in Vietnam belong to one ethnic entity, however in different areas this group of people possess different cultural elements. The Cham people in south central of Vietnam and in Mekong Delta have distinctive differences in religion, language and customs. In the south central Vietnam, the Cham practise localized Hinduism and Islam as religion. They speak south central dialect and their writing is originated from a script in Sanskrit. In term of custom, these Cham people are considered matrilineal and practice exogamy. On the contrary, the Cham in Mekong Delta majorly practise Islam. They speak in Mekong Delta dialect and their writing derived from the Jawi script. In their custom, they are loosely matrilineal and practice endogamy(1). This shows that cultural elements are not suitable to determine an ethnic group. People of the same ethnic group may not necessarily practice the same culture. In the study of the Kachin people from Burma, Edmund Leach mentioned â€Å"the mere fact that two groups of people are of different culture does not necessarily imply – as has nearly always been assumed – that they belong to two quite different social systems (Leach 1954: 17)(2). To consider ethnic group as cultural group will fail to address many aspects of ethnic phenomena. Large population of the Kachin people lives in the Kachin Hill in northern Burma’s Kachin State and in neighbouring areas of China and India. They speak different languages and dialects; there is a wide difference in cultures between the same ethnic group in different area. To support this statement, I would like to provide an example; the Malay people who belonged to one ethnic entity in Malaysia are influenced by different customs. Malay people practice two distinct types of customs, the Adat Temenggung and Adat Pepatih. The former is originated from Minangkabau and widely practiced by most of the Malay states. Adat Temenggung emphasizes on patrilineal kinship structure in matters such as inheritance. In contrast, the Adat Pepatih is only practiced in Negeri Sembilan. It emphasizes more on matrilineal kinship structure, in which women gain benefit in matters such as inheritance and marriage (Shuid, Osman Othman, 2006). This depicts that people of the same ethnic group practise various and wide range of customs. Thus, it is difficult to define ethnic group by cultural elements. In the 19th and 20th century, large wave of immigrants from China came to Malaya. Now, Chinese people are the second largest ethnic in Malaysia. Majority of these Chinese are Han Chinese. There is wide spread of Chinese people in every state of Malaysia, espeacially in the town areas. Even though they are grouped as one ethnic entity, their cultural elements varied widely. Most of the local Chinese practise Buddhism and a small number of them have faith in Christianity and Islam. Futhermore, they speak variety of dialects such as Mandarin, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and many more. For example, most of the Chinese in Penang speak Hokkien whereas most of the Chinese in Kuala Lumpur speak Cantonese. Thus, the cultural elements of an ethnic are not fixed, the elements varied greatly to the extent that it is difficult to determine an ethnic group by its cultural elements. Besides that, the influence of political and economical circumstances has changes the cultural elements of the people while the ethnic identity remains. As time passes by, people within an ethnic group spread, share, learn and adapt cultures of other ethnic groups. There is the tendency for different cultures to overlapse in a society. For instance, the Chinese immigrants that came to Malaya in the late 15th to 16th century were known as Peranakan Chinese. This group of immigrants consists of merchants, traders, and those who came to escape economic hardships in mainland China. They embraced the Malay customs and cultures. Most of the Peranakan Chinese engaged in intermarriage with the local Malay. However, there are part of Peranakan Chinese people without Malay ancestry. They belong to Chinese ethnic but adopted the combination of Chinese and Malay cultures. The Malay language and cultures are assimilated into their daily lives, however their ethnic and religious origins still remain. These Peranakan Chinese speak Malay language, wear the baju kebaya, a Malay traditional clothing, and developed their cuisine with mainly Malay spices in their every day lives, they still belong to Chinese ethnic (Tan Chee Beng, 1993). Their ethnic identity cannot be determined by merely identifying their cultural elements. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize my point that ethnic groups cannot be defined by their cultural elements. Ethnic groups can hardly be measured by cultural traits as a matter of fact cultural boundaries do no always go accordingly with ethnic boundaries. Cultural traits of an ethnic group is not always fixed, people of the same ethnic group do not necessarily possess the same cultural elements. To determine ones ethnic identity by identifying his or her cultural elements with the typical cultural elements of an ethnic group is not right. The ethnic identity of a person will still remain unchanged even if his cultural elements have changed. As stated by Michael Moerman, â€Å"Someone is Lue by virtue of believing and calling himself Lue and of acting in ways that validate his Lueness† (Moerman, 1965:1219)(3). Ethnic identity can be claimed by one’s self but not by determining its cultural elements. Bibliography Browaeys M. J. , Price R. (2008) Understanding Cross Cultural Management. New York: Pearson Education. Mahdi Shuid, Suzani Osman, Sazlina Othman. (2006) Sejarah Malaysia. Petaling Jaya: Longman . Tan, C. B. (1993). Chinese Peranakan Heritage in Malaysia and Singapore. Kuala Lumpur: Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn Bhd. (1)(2)Power Point Slides: What is an ethnic group? Ethnic Troubles Theories of Ethnicity. (3)Reading 1: Ethnic identification in a complex civilization: who are the lue?

Internet - Tracing the Source of Denial of Service Attacks :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Tracing the Source of Denial of Service Attacks      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract:   Denial of service attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent and serious, yet the anonymity that these attacks affords the hacker provides no means for a victim to trace the attack.   The weakness of the TCP/IP protocol allows for this anonymity, yet it would be very difficult to change this protocol.   Savage, Wetherall, Karlin, and Anderson present a method for tracing back the source IP address and network path of denial of service attacks.    As the internet becomes increasingly vital to the everyday life of millions of people around the world, it also becomes increasingly vulnerable to hackers.   Through forcing servers or web sites to shut down, hackers have the ability to affect almost every aspect of modern society; finances, safety, education, and many others.   One common method used by hackers to maliciously affect these servers is the denial of service attack.   Savage, Wetherall, Karlin, and Anderson define a denial of service attacks as those that "consume the resources of a remote host or network, thereby denying or degrading service to legitimate users.   Such attacks are among the hardest security problems to address because they are simple to implement, difficult to prevent, and very difficult to trace."1   Denial of service attacks, and the means for servers to deal with and trace such attacks, present numerous ethical issues.    The Computer Emergency Response Team, CERT, is a group based at Carnegie Mellon University.   CERT describes their goal as "[to] study Internet security vulnerabilities, provide incident response services to sites that have been the victims of attack, publish a variety of security alerts, do research in wide-area-networked computing, and develop information and training to help you improve security at your site." 2   This simple description presents an ethical dilemma;   should this team publish information about new vulnerabilities that will provide hackers with the sources from which to create new DOS attacks?   As new software packages are developed at an increasing rate, there will inevitably be more bugs that will provide vulnerabilities to DOS attacks.   If hackers have equal access to information about these vulnerabilities as do system administrators, can the system administrators "keep up" with the hackers?    A fairly simple observation seems to answers this question.   In modern society, it is increasingly difficult to keep secrets.   For example, a few years ago, Intel encountered a bug in the Pentium chip, but did not release information about this bug.

Neoclassical Literature Essay

The eighteenth-century England is also known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. The Enlightenment Movement was a progressive intellectual movement which flourished In France and swept through the whole Western Europe at the time. the movement was a furtherance of the Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its purpose was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas. The enlighteners celebrated reason or rationality, equality and science. They held that rationality or reason should be the only, the final cause of any human thought and activities. They called for a reference to order, reason and rules. They believed that when reason served as the yardstick for the measurement of all human activities and relations, every superstition, injustice and oppression was to yield place to â€Å"eternal truth,† â€Å"eternal justice† and â€Å"natural equality. † The belief provided theory for the French Revolution of 1789 and the American War of Independence in 1776. At the same time, the enlighteners advocated universal education. They believed that human being were limited, dualistic, imperfect, and yet capable of rationality and perfection through education. If the masses were well educated, they thought, there would be great chance for a democratic and equal human society. As a matter of fact, literature at the time, heavily didactic and moralizing, became a very popular means of public education. Famous among the great enlighteners in England were those great writers like John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele, the two pioneers of familiar essays, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Henry Fielding and Samuel Johnson. In the field of literature, the Enlightenment Movement brought about a revival of interest in the old classical works. This tendency is known as neoclassicism. According to the neoclassicists, all forms of literature were to be modeled after the classical works of the ancient Greek and Roman writers and those of the contemporary French ones. They believed that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy, and that literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity. This belief led them to seek proportion, unity, harmony and grace in literary expressions, in an effort to delight, instruct and correct human beings, primarily as social animals. Thus a polite, urbane, witty, and intellectual art developed. Neoclassicists had some fixed laws and rules for almost every genre of literature. Prose should be precise, direct, smooth and flexible. Poetry should be lyrical, epical, didactic, satiric or dramatic, and each class should be guided b its own principles. Drama should be written in the Heroic Couplets (iambic pentameter rhymed in two lines); regularity in construction should be adhered to, and type characters rather than individuals should be represented. John Bunyan Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth â€Å"by hook and b crook. † As a stout Puritan, he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation through spiritual struggle. It was during his second term in prison that he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, which was published in 1678 after his release. Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters. Bunyan’s other works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress, Part II (1684) As Milton was the chief Puritan poet, so Bunyan was the chief Puritan writer of Prose. Bunyan was born in a tinker’s family, and he himself was a tinker. He did not have much education and at sixteen he joined the parliamentary army and then became a preacher. Like Milton he was put into prison in the period of the Restoration, but remained there much longer. He might have written his work The Pilgrim’s Progress in prison although it was published in prison although it was published in 1678 after his release. The Pilgrim’s Progress is written in the old fashioned medieval form of allegory and drama. The book opens with the author’s dream in which he sees a man â€Å"with a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back†. The man is Christian the Pilgrim, the book is the Bible, and the burden on his back is the weight of worldly cares and concerns. It tells how Christian starts his pilgrimage from his home to the kingdom of Heaven, and of his experiences and adventures on his journey. In the western world the book has usually been read and appreciated as religious allegory, though critics have noted that the many allegorical figures and places Christian meets on the way are such as might have been seen in Bunyan’s day on any English market road and that the landscape and houses in the story seem to be no other than those of Restoration England. It gives a real picture of how life was during the 17th century. It is a faithful panoramic reflection of Bunyan’s age. The book’s most significant aspect is its satire, the description of the Vanity Fair. Here Bunyan gives a symbolic picture of London at the time. in bourgeois society, all things are bought and sold, including honour, title, kingdom, lusts; there cheating, roguery, murder, and adultery prevail. The punishment of Christian and Faithful for disdaining things in the Vanity Fair may have its significance in alluding to Bunyan’s repeated arrests and imprisonment for preaching. After all, like Milton, Bunyan in his book is preaching his religious views. He satirizes his society which is full of vices that violate the teachings of the Christian religion. However, his Puritanism weakens the effect of his social satire by exhorting his readers to endure poverty with patience in order to seek the â€Å"Celestial City†. Besides, the use of allegory in most of his works makes his satirical pictures less direct and more difficult to see. His books are more often read as religious books than as piercing exposures of social evils. Bynyan is known for his simple and lively prose style. Everyday idiomatic expressions and biblical language enables him to narrate his story and reveal his ideas directly and in a straightforward way. The influence of his prose in the development of the English language is great, on account of the great popularity of the book. Selected Reading: â€Å"The Vanity Fair,† an excerpt from Part I of The Pilgrim’s Progress The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbours of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Worldly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuses to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however, manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take a pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they get away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed. The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to abide by Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggles with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor—life as a journey—is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, at the same time, everything is based on universal experiences. Besides, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive. The meaning of â€Å"Vanity Fair†, and its reflection of the theme of the allegory of â€Å"The Pilgrim’s Progress† The â€Å"Vanity Fair† symbolizes human world, for â€Å"all that cometh is vanity. † Everything and anything in this world is â€Å"vanity†, having no value and no meaning. The Vanity Fair, a â€Å"market selling nothingness† of all sorts, is a dirty place originally built up by devils, but, this town â€Å"lay† in the way to the Celestial City, meaning pilgrims had to resist the temptations there when they made their way through. So, the depiction of the â€Å"Fair† in selling things worldly and in attracting people bad, represents John Bunyan’s rejection of the worldly seeking and pious longing for the pure and charming â€Å"Celestial City†, his Christian ideal. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) Pope was a London draper’s son. His parents were Roman Catholics, and Pope kept this faith all his life in spite of the hostility of the public in the 18th century toward his religion. At the age of 12, a disease left him a hunchback of less than 5 feet tall. Because of his religion he was denied entrance to Oxford and Cambridge Universities and his deformity often made him the victim of contempt. His early unhappy experiences, in fact, was responsible for his strong reaction to criticism. Pope was self-educated. He worked hard against poor health and unfavourable condition and gained a profound knowledge of both the classics and the craft of writing. The 18th century was an age in which writers had to obey many strict literary rules. But Pope mastered them very thoroughly and used them better and in a more skillful way than most of his contemporaries. He lived an active social life and was close friend to such eminent literary figures as the essayist Joseph Addison and the satirist Jonathan Swift. But he also made many enemies through ridiculing people in his writings. The most popular of his poems is, perhaps, An Essay on criticism, which contains a great number of quotable lines that have passed into everyday speech as popular sayings, such as: â€Å"To err is human, to forgive divine†, and â€Å"For fools rush in where angels fear to tread. † However, as a piece of literary theory, it lacks original ideas. Its significance comes from its assertion that literary criticism is an art form and should function actively like a living organism. The Rape of the Lock is a brilliant satire written in the form of a mock-heroic poem. It offers a typical example of the 18th-century classical style, and a satirical view as well of the tastes, manners, and morals of the fashionable world in Queen Anne’s reign. In fact, Pope not only ridicules a trivial incident that sparks a serious feud, but also mocks the highflown style and language of epic poetry itself. The Dunciad, meaning the study of the dunces, launches attacks on everyone who had ever criticized or insulted him, many of whom are totally unknown to the readers of today The theme and style of A. Pope’s â€Å"An Essay on Criticism† The poem is a comprehensive study of the theories of literary criticism. The poet first laments the loss of true taste in poetic criticism of his day and calls on people to take classical writers as their models. Then he discusses various problems in literary criticism and offers his own ideas and presents the classical rules. At the end of the poem, he traces the history of literary criticism from Aristotle to his day. The poem is a typical didactic one. Written in the form of heroic couplets, it is plain in style, and it is easy to read. Daniel Defoe Robinson Crusoe is based on a real incident. In 1704, Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was thrown onto a desolate island by the mutinous crew of his ship. He lived there alone for 5 years. Defoe read about his adventures in a newspaper and went to interview him to get first-hand information. He then embellished the sailor’s tale with many incidents out of his own imagination. Robinson Crusoe has the appearance of a picaresque novel, showing a lowly person’s wonderings over the world. However, there are some fundamental changes in Defoe’s book. A picaro (Spanish for a rogue) is somebody with a doubtful moral character who does not have a fixed goal in life. Nor does he care much about accumulating money. Robinson Crusoe is in fact a new species of writing which inhabits the picaresque frame with a story in the shape of a journal and has a strong flavour of journalistic truth. The hero is typical the rising English bourgeois class, practical and diligent, with a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges. Defoe attaches individual power in the face of social and natural challenges. Defoe attaches great importance to the growth of Crusoe and tries to teach a moral message through his story. crusoe starts an inexperienced, naive and tactless youth, who through years of tough sea travels, develops into a clever and hardened man. He is tempered and tried by numerous dangers and hardships, but always emerges victorious. He is a real hero, not in the sense of the knight or the epic hero in the old literary genres, but a hero of the common stock, an individualist who shows marvelous capacity for work, boundless courage and energy in overcoming obstacles and a shrewdness in accumulating wealth and gaining profits. In Robinson Crusoe sings the praises of labour, presenting it as the source of human pride and happiness as well as a means to change man’s living conditions from desperation to prosperity. But at the same time, through relationship with Friday and his activities of setting up colonies overseas, Defoe also beautifies colonialism and Negro slavery. His attitude toward women, though not much concerning women is said in the novel, is also open to criticisms, for he lets Crusoe treat women as articles of property and as a means to breed and establish a lineage. But on the whole, this novel is significant as the first English novel which glorifies the individual experience of ordinary people in plain and simple language, and also as a vivid and positive portrayal of the English bourgeoisie at its early stage of development. The novel â€Å"Robinson Crusoe† tells the story of the titular hero’s adventure on a deserted island. Robinson Crusoe, longing to see the wonders of the world, runs away from home, and after many setbacks, settles down in Brazil. The call of the sea attracts him to second voyage in which he is brought along to an island after the shipwreck in a storm through many hardships, he finds ways to get daily necessities from the wrecked ship to the shore, and settles on the island for twenty four years. During the years, he tries to make himself a living in one way or another, rescues a savage whom he names Friday, and builds up a comfortable home for himself. Finally they are picked up and saved by an English ship and return to England. With an inevitable trace of colonialism, the novel depicts a hero who grows from an inexperienced youth into a shrewd and hardened man. The adventures of Robinson Crusoe on the island is a song of his courage, his wisdom, and his struggle against the hostile natural environment. As the very prototype of empire builder and the pioneer colonist, Robinson Crusoe can be seen as an individualistic man who carries human labour and the Puritan fortitude to their greatest effect. Jonathan Swift In some ways Jonathan Swift’s career parallels that of Defoe. Both were considerably occupied in the dangerous career of political writers, and both affiated themselves to Robert Harley, first a Whig and turning the Tory in 1710. swift also followed Harley and shifted from the Whig to the Tory when the latter came to power in 1710. But they differed from each other in the fact that Defoe was a businessman and did not have much knowledge of the classics whereas Swift was a churchman and a university graduate. Another difference between the two was that Swift was a member of the Anglican Church whereas Defoe was a dissenter. Both of them viewed the world with common sense but Defoe aimed to improve the morals of his time, whereas Swift viewed himan society with contempt and has been called a cynic and even a misanthrope. â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† Consisting of four parts, the novel tells four stories of the hero. In part One, the hero is in Lilliput where he becomes â€Å"Man Mountain†, for the inhabitants are only six inches tall, twelve times smaller than human beings. Yet, as a kind of â€Å"man† their sayings and doings forms a miniature of the real world. Part Two brings the hero to Brobdingnag. This time, he comes to dwarf, for the Brobdingnagians are ten times taller and larger than normal human beings. Also superior in wisdom, they look down upon the ordinary human beings for the latter’s evil or harmful doings. The third part depicts Gulliver’s travel on the flying Island where the so called philosophers and scientists devoted themselves to absurd doings, for example, to extract sunlight from cucumbers. The last part tells the hero’s adventure in the Houyhnhnm Land. There horses are endowed with reason and all good and admirable qualities, while the hairy, man-like creature, Yahoos are greedy and disgusting brutes. Henry Fielding During his career as a dramatist, Fielding had attempted a considerable number of forms of plays: witty comedies of manners or intrigues in the Restoration tradition, farces or ballad operas with political implications, and burlesques and satires that bear heavily upon the status-quo of England. Of all his plays, the best known are The Coffee-house Politician (1730), The Tragedy of Tragedies (1730), Pasquin (1736) and The Historical Register for the Year 1736 (1737). These successful plays not only contributed to a temporary revival of the English theatre but also were of great help to the playwright in his future literary career as a novelist. Fielding has been regarded by some as â€Å"Father of the English Novel,† for his contribution to the establishment of the form of the modern novel. Of all the eighteenth-century novelist he was the first to set out, both in theory and practice, to write specifically a â€Å"comic epic in prose,† the first to give the modern novel its structure and style. Before him, the relating of a story in a novel was either in the epistolary form (a series of letters), as in Richardson’s Pamela, or the picaresque form (adventurous wanderings) through the mouth of the principal character, as in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, but Fielding adopted â€Å"the third-person narration,† in which the author becomes the â€Å"all-knowing God. † He â€Å"thinks the thought† of all his characters, so he is able to present not only their external behaviors but also the internal workings of their minds. In planning his stories, he tries to retain the grand epical form of the classical works but at the same time keeps faithful to his realistic presentation of common life as it is. Throughout, the ordinary and usually ridiculous life of the common people, from the middle-class to the underworld, is his major concern. Fielding’s language is easy, unlaboured and familiar, but extremely vivid and vigorous. His sentences are always distinguished by logic and rhythm, and his structure carefully planned towards an inevitable ending. His works are also noted for lively, dramatic dialogues and other theatrical devices such as suspense, coincidence and unexpectedness. Samuel Johnson Johnson was an energetic and versatile writer. He had a hand in all the different braches of literary activities. He was a poet, dramatist, prose romancer, biographer, essayist, critic, lexicographer and publicist. His chief works include poems: â€Å"London†, â€Å"The Vanity of Human Wishes†; a romance: â€Å"The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia; a tragedy: Irene. As a lexicographer, Johnson distinguished himself as the author of the first English dictionary by an Englishman—A dictionary of the English Language, a gigantic task which Johnson undertook single-handedly and finished in over seven years Johnson was the last great neoclassicist enlightener in the later eighteenth century. He was very much concerned the theme of the vanity of human wishes: almost all of his writings bear this theme. He tried to awaken men to this folly and hoped to cure them of it through his writings. In literary creation and criticism, he was rather conservative, openly showing his dislike for much of the newly rising form of literature and his fondness for those writings which carried a lot of moralizing and philosophizing. He insisted that a writer must adhere to universal truth and experience, i. e. Nature; he must please, but he must also instruct; he must not offend against religion or promote immorality; and he must let himself be guided by old principles. Like Pope, he was particularly fond of moralizing didacticism. So, it is understandable that he was rather pleased with Richardson’s Pamela but was contemptuous of Fielding’ Tom Jones. Johnson’s style is typically neoclassical, but it is at the opposite extreme from Swift’s simplicity or Addison’s neatness. His language is characteristically general, often Latinate and frequently polysyllabic his sentences are long and well structured, interwoven with paralled words and phrases. However, no matter how complex his sentences are, the thought is always clearly expressed; and though he tends to use â€Å"learned words,† they are always accurately used. Reading his works gives the reader the impression that he is talking with a very learned man. â€Å"To the Right Honorable the Earl of Chesterfield† The letter is regarded as a strong indignation of Samuel Johnson at the Earl’s fame-fishing, for the later coldly refused giving him help when he compiled his dictionary and hypocritically wrote articles to give honeyed words when the dictionary was going to be published. The Earl was a well-known â€Å"patron of literature† at the time, and it remained a rule for writers to get a patron if they wanted to get financial support or make themselves known by public. But this letter of Johnson made a break-through in that tradition implying their independence in economy and writing, and therefore opened a new era in the development of literature. Richard Brinsley Sheridan Sheridan was the only important English dramatist of the eighteenth century. His plays, especially The Rivals and The School for Scandal, are generally regarded as important links between the masterpieces of Shakespeare and those of Bernard Shaw, and as true classics in English comedy. In his plays, morality is the constant theme. He is much concerned with the current moral issues and lashes harshly at the social vices of the day. In The Rivals, a comedy of manners, he is satirizing the traditional practice of the parents to arrange marriages for their children without considering the latter’s opinion. And in The School for Scandal, the satire becomes even sharper as the characters are exposed scene by scene to their defenseless nakedness. Sheridan’s greatness also lies in his theatrical art. He seems to have inherited from his parents a natural ability and inborn knowledge about the theatre. His plays are the product of a dramatic genius as well as of a well-versed theatrical man. Though his dramatic techniques are largely conventional, they are exploited to the best advantage. His plots are well organized, his characters, either major or minor, are all sharply drawn, and his manipulation of such devices as disguise, mistaken identity and dramatic irony is masterly. Witty dialogues and neat and decent language also make a characteristic of his plays. The School for Scandal The comedy of manners, written by R. B. Sheridan, mainly tells a story about two brothers. The elder one Joseph Surface is hypocritical, and the younger one Charles Surface kind, imprudent and spendthrift. Lady Sneerwell, one of the scandal-mongers in the play, instigates Joseph to run after Maria, the ward of Sir Peter. But, Joseph, while pursuing Maria, the love of his younger brother, tries to seduce Lady Teazle, the young wife of Sir Peter. Misled by the scandal of Lady Sneerwell and Joseph, Sir Peter Teazle believed Charles was the person who flirted with his wife until one day, Lady Teazle, coming from the screen in Joseph’s library, made the truth known that person who intended to seduce her was Joseph. Thus, the latter’s hypocrisy was exposed. At the same time, Sir Oliver Surface, the rich, old uncle of the two brothers, wanted to choose one of them to be his heir. He first visited Charles in the guise of a usurer. Charles sold to him all the family portraits except that of his uncle, and thus won the favor of his uncle. Then he went to Joseph as a poor relative. But Joseph refused giving him any help by saying that he himself was in trouble. For a second time, Joseph’s hypocrisy was exposed. The play ends with Lady Teazle’s reconciliation with her husband and Charles’ winning of the hand of Maria and the inheritance of his uncle. Thomas Gray Although neoclassicism dominated the literary scene in the 18th century, there were poets whose poetry had some elements that deviated from the rules and regulations set down by neoclassicist poets. These poets had grown weary of the artificiality and controlling ideals of neoclassicism. They craved for something more natural and spontaneous in thought and language. In their poetry, emotions and sentiments, which had been repressed, began to play a leading role again. Another factor marking this deviation is the reawakening of an interest in nature and in the natural relation between man and man. Among these poets, one of the representatives was Thomas Gray. Gray was born in London and educated at Eton and Cambridge, where he, after a grand tour on the Continent, spent the rest of his life. He was first a Fellow and 1768 was appointed professor of history and modern languages. On his return from the Continent, he stayed for a short time at Stoke Poges in Bucks, where he first sketched â€Å" The Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard†, though it was finished eight years later in 1750. In contrast to those professional writers, Gray’s literary output was small. His masterpiece, â€Å"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard† was published in 1751. the poem once and for all established his fame as the leader of the sentimental poetry of the day, especially â€Å"the Graveyard School. † His poems, as a whole, are mostly devoted to a sentimental lamentation or meditation on life, past and present. His other poems include â€Å"Ode on the spring† (1742), â€Å"Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College† (1747), â€Å"Ode on the death of a Favourite Cat† (1748), â€Å"Hymn to Adversity† (1742), and two translations for old Norse: The Descent of Odin (1761) and The Fatal Sisters (1761) A conscientious artist of the first rate, Gray wrote slowly and carefully, painstakingly seeking perfection of form and phrase. His poems are characterized by an exquisite sense of form. His style is sophisticated and allusive. His poems are often marked with the trait of a highly artificial diction and distorted word order. Selected Reading: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard â€Å"Elegy written in a Country Churchyard† is regarded as Gray’s best and most representative work. The poem is the outcome of about eight years’ careful composition and polish. It is more or less connected with the melancholy event of the death of Richard West, Gray’s intimate friend. In this poem, Gray reflects on death, the sorrow of life, and the mysteries of human life with a touch of his personal melancholy. The poet compares the common folk with the great ones, wondering what the commons could have achieved if they had had the chance. Here he reveals his sympathy for the poor and the unknown, but mocks the great ones who despise the poor and bring havoc on them. The poem abounds in images and arouses sentiment in the bosom of every reader. Though the use of artificial poetic diction and distorted word order make understanding of the poem somewhat difficult, the artistic polish—the sure control of language, imagery, rhythm, and subtle moderation of style and tone—gives the poem a unique charm of its own. The poem has been ranked among the best of the eighteenth century English poetry. Selected Reading: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

Religions wage peace Essay

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi used his influence as a revolutionary spiritual leader to bring about political and social improvement. Despite holding no government office, he was a major participant in India’s struggle for independence. On the 2nd of October, 1869, Gandhi was born in the coastal town of Porbandar. His family belonged to the wealthy Vysya or merchant caste. His father Karamchand Gandhi was the prime minister of a princely state. At the age of thirteen he was married to Kasturbai, who was of his own age (Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (1869 – 1948) , 2001). His approach was that of a pacifist and he based his independence movement on non –violent non – cooperation or satyagraha, which means truth and firmness. He started this movement in 1915 and was imprisoned on several occasions by the British authorities. He exerted great influence on the Congress Party and the 1947 independence negotiations. In 1948 British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan, which resulted in a great deal of religious violence. At that point of time he was assassinated. His preaching served as an inspiration for non – violent movements and was adopted by Martin Luther King Jr in the USA, who fought for the rights of the blacks and by Nelson Mandela in South Africa, who opposed apartheid (Gandhi, Mahatma (1869 – 1948) , 2005). In the beginning, in 1893, Gandhi was practicing law in South Africa, when he started to formulate and practise the principles of satyagraha or non – violent resistance to injustice. Till the year 1914, he led the movement started by the Indian community of that place, which was opposing racial discrimination. In that year, the South African government bestowed a number of important concessions in accordance to his demands. At that juncture he decided to return to India and in the month of January 1915 he set sail for India. In India he assumed the leadership of its freedom struggle from British rule (Gandhi, Mahatma (1869 – 1948) , 2005). His actions took the form of hunger strikes, the boycott of British goods and civil disobedience. At the same time he made serious attempts to bring about social reform. Even after several rounds of talks and demonstrations, the British chose to ignore the demands of the freedom fighters of India, consequently, Gandhi initiated a non – cooperation movement. This movement had a large number of supporters and many Indians holding official posts in the British Government resigned from their jobs, government agencies were spurned and Indian schoolchildren were removed from schools managed by the British Government. The British were compelled to release Gandhi whom they had arrested (Gandhi, Mahatma (1869 – 1948) , 2005). Gandhi wanted to usher in Swaraj or self rule in India and economic independence was an essential component of this movement. British industry had adopted measures that had exploited the Indian villagers and had reduced them to extreme poverty. In order to counter this situation, Gandhi advocated the adoption of cottage industries and employed the spinning wheel as a symbol of the movement to revive the indigenous Indian industries and lead the simple lifestyle of the villagers of India (Gandhi, Mahatma (1869 – 1948) , 2005). He was granted total executive authority by the Indian National Congress, which was the pioneer in India’s freedom struggle, in 1921. Due to the outbreak of a number of violent and armed insurrections against the British, Gandhi stepped back from active politics from 1924 to 1930 (Gandhi, Mahatma (1869 – 1948) , 2005). On the 26th of January, 1930, a proclamation regarding the Declaration of Independence of India was made by Gandhi. In order to catalyze the process of obtaining independence, Gandhi embarked on a novel civil disobedience campaign. In India the British exercised a monopoly on the production of salt and deemed it a criminal offense for anyone else to produce it. Salt constituted an essential and invaluable commodity for the Indians, a large number of whom were poverty stricken agricultural laborers. Gandhi realized that salt was used by all sections of the society and that an attempt to manufacture salt would appeal to every strata of the Indian society (Graham, 1998). On the 12th of March, 1930 Gandhi and seventy eight of his followers commenced the march from the Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi on the Arabian Sea. The distance covered by them was two hundred and forty one miles and it took them twenty four days to do so. Along the way, they were joined by a tremendous number of people and at one stage the procession was two miles in length. Finally on the 6th of April, 1930 Gandhi reached the sea coast at Dandi and picked up a sod and some salt and boiled it in seawater (Graham, 1998). This act of his shook the British Empire, on which the sun never set, to its very foundations. The man whom a disparaging Churchill had described as a half naked fakir had single handedly defied the might of the British Empire. The British Empire swung into action and arrested Gandhi and his associates. The number who courted arrest was immense and all the jails were overflowing with freedom fighters. Such was the response of the Indians to Gandhi’s call to oppose the British monopoly on the production of salt (Dandi: Salt March). According to Gandhi, there were two difficulties involved with human nature. One was the scope of making a human being perfect and the other related to nonviolence. Gandhi always had an optimistic view regarding men. However, a thorough examination of Gandhi’s political opinions reveals that he never assumed that man had a nature that could be rendered perfect. Further, he opined that reform could only transform a man to a certain extent, but it could never be made perfect. Gandhi proclaimed that it was incorrect to dogmatize in respect of the capacity of human nature to be either besmirched or exalted. This statement clearly elicits Gandhi’s views on man. He also opined that the environmental factors would significantly influence human behavior (Power, March, 1963). Due to individual feelings and thoughts, these efforts have suffered a setback by the negative and irrational forces that reside in them. In particular strong forces like greed and lust could not be diverted by availing oneself of the help forthcoming from other issues. He strongly believed that illogical forces motivated men and this belief was subscribed to by moralists. This is evidenced in situations where there arises a need to participate in a mass movement for realizing socio – psychological interests. Most individuals have shown reluctance to join such movements in the absence of a competent leader. This situation arose in Gandhi’s political career and his opinion regarding this subject was that it was the task of the leader to draw the people towards the objectives. The other issue involves the reshaping of Gandhi’s opinion about the capability of man to engage in acts involving nonviolence. Gandhi had explained in great detail in his thesis that every man had the ability to evaluate the value of ahimsa, where the term ahimsa denotes love or non – injury. Gandhi interpreted ahimsa as individual and social love in thought and deed towards all human beings (Power, March, 1963). Gandhi was prone, on occasion, to restrict this concept of ahimsa as being restricted to himself and his closest followers. For instance, in 1942, the Japanese Army was poised to attack India; at that point of time he permitted all those who did not subscribe to nonviolence to join the effort underway to defend the country. However, the question that remains unanswered is whether he granted such permission because Japanese rule would have been worse than the British rule (Power, March, 1963). The philosophical beliefs of Gandhi were founded on a number of scholarly authorities and social experiences. He staunchly believed that last stage in a man’s journey was the absolute truth, which was described by resorting to theism, pantheism or atheism. He believed that by the use of reason and also by taking the help of faith and intuition, an individual by relying on partial truths could attain the absolute truth. Moreover, Gandhi held that every person was required by dharma to search for this ultimate truth (Power, March, 1963). The method advocated by Gandhi to attain this goal was to follow the path of anasaktiyoga or path of selfless action, which entailed the performance of one’s duty without entertaining a desire for the results of such action. He considered involvement in Indian nationalism to signify selfless action. One of the qualifications to tread this path was the possession of physical, psychological and spiritual courage. He also stated that the man devoid of fear succeeds in realizing his latent prowess by comprehending and practicing ahimsa (Power, March, 1963). The most important characteristic of ahimsa is the attainment of the most advantageous, practical good while treading the path that leads to the absolute truth. The usefulness of such a conviction has to be Its merit is to be elucidated in the light of Gandhi’s firm belief that it is better to resort to violence than to adopt an attitude of submissiveness or to adopt cowardice in the garb of nonviolence. He also stated that violence to some extent was inherent in the process of living (Power, March, 1963). Gandhi based his interpretation of ahimsa on the Laws of Manu and the tenets of Jainism; however, his views were closer to the beliefs of Jainism. His objective and expectation was that he would be successful in transforming every person in such a manner that they would adapt this ideal as an integral part of their life. This precept of ahimsa was one of the foremost requirements of Gandhi. However, he considered truthfulness to be much more important than ahimsa. In this context he stated that truthfulness was far more important than being peaceful (Power, March, 1963). Despite the recurrent description of his pacifism as being absolute, the fact remains that he did not consider nonviolence to be his main goal. Moreover, when ahimsa is considered to be absolute pacifism, then a distortion of the beliefs that were subscribed to by Gandhi occurs (Power, March, 1963). Some other issues that had been addressed by Gandhi are to be found in his opinion of the optimal political system. In his writings, one sees the recurrence of the panchayati raj or the village republic and a system to ensure the welfare of everyone, which he designated as sarvodaya. These ideas reveal the fact that he sought to usher in a political system that was based on his opinions of truth and ahimsa. Moreover, he abhorred the divorce of political and social responsibility from dharmic obligations or obligations required by the basic principles of cosmic or individual existence (Power, March, 1963). Despite being committed to establishing a functionally and physically decentralized political community, he was not in favor of a society that was stateless. The concepts of Sarvodaya and Swaraj or self rule that is personal or corporate, constitute claims for impartiality, freedom and uprightness, and they do not constitute assaults on the government (Power, March, 1963). If he had been desirous of establishing a stateless system, then he would have had to entertain a more sanguine opinion about people than he did under normal circumstances. Moreover, he would have been compelled to eschew political power like he had rejected personal property. The varieties of Sarvodaya as comprehended by Vinoba Bhave, who advocated the redistribution of land and Jayaprakash Narayan, who was an ideologue, had perhaps aimed at a stateless society. However, this was not a component of Gandhi’s political ideologue (Power, March, 1963). Gandhi never struggled against power, and his disagreement was directed against the legal structure of power and the influence of the bureaucracy on it. This was due to the fact that he considered these factors to be hindrances in allowing self realization among the people, prevented them from obtaining justice and precluded rule based on the universal dharma. The acceptance of these views regarding Gandhi’s beliefs, implies that Gandhi’s display of a lack of interest for public office, both during the freedom struggle and during the transfer of power only shows that he did not believe in special forms of power and not that he disliked political power (Power, March, 1963). Gandhi was attached to political power and this is vindicated by his theory of satyagraha, which he construed to be soul force or direct action of a nonviolent nature, because this stratagem was a system of power, which was used by him in the expectation that he would be able to engender reform in institutions and effect the fulfillment of men. This method assumes that an opponent is redeemable and that it can be used for realizing a range of objectives as long as there is no violation of the principle of ahimsa. However, despite its prominence in his political beliefs, this theory was not a dominant principle of his ideology (Power, March, 1963). Amongst all the political thinkers of India, Gandhi was the most modern. He combined the best practices of the Orient and the Occident and formulated a political philosophy that obtained results bordering on the miraculous. The present day politics, which is steeped in corruption, could benefit enormously by implementing his political teachings. Gandhi has never ceased to be an integral part of the politics of India. Gandhi subscribed to a political philosophy that was founded on a number of tenets that had emerged from what was fundamentally his humanistic outlook towards life. He did not encounter any differences between spiritual and worldly matters. However, he subscribed to a few fundamental beliefs, which he adhered to with great firmness. In an article in his journal Harijan he stated that there existed certain eternal principles which could not be compromised on any account and that a person should uphold such principles even at the cost of one’s life. Gandhi was as good as his word and there were some principles that he never deviated from throughout his life. Moreover, he extended these principles in order to rekindle the flame of the nationalist spirit among his fellow Indians. Non – cooperation and nonviolence have not lost their relevance even in modern times. Violent incidents, lack of interest in addressing major issues and in conducting a rational and meaningful dialogue by political parties are the characteristics of present day Indian politics. The only way to rectify this dismal situation is to adopt the principles that had been formulated by Gandhi. Gandhi gave great prominence to power, which he considered to be a means by which people could improve the quality of their life. His political actions were aimed at attaining power, which according to him was not to be concentrated in the hands of a few members of the elite, but was to be distributed among the public. Further, people had become firmly convinced that revolt was a legitimate manner of expressing one’s dissatisfaction. In the final analysis Gandhi was mainly seized with elevating the consciousness of the masses and bestowing upon them the required authority to determine their destiny. This was a unique contribution to Indian politics. References Dandi: Salt March. (n. d. ). Retrieved July 4, 2007, from Manas: History and Politics: http://www. sscnet. ucla. edu/southasia/History/Gandhi/Dandi. html Gandhi, Mahatma (1869 – 1948) . (2005). Retrieved July 4, 2007, from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas: http://www.credoreference. com/entry/6428505 Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (1869 – 1948) .(2001). Retrieved July 4, 2007, from World of Sociology, Gale: http://www. credoreference. com/entry/4785371 Graham, S. (1998). The Salt March to Dandi. Retrieved July 4, 2007, from emory: http://www. english. emory. edu/Bahri/Dandi. html Power, P. F. (March, 1963). Toward a Re-Evaluation of Gandhi’s Political Thought . The Western Political Quarterly , Vol. 16, No. 1, Pp. 99 – 108.