Learning Theories Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Theories - Research Paper Example Because of that, different types of learning methods are prevailing among people. Different scholars and psychologists have formulated different learning theories after comprehensive researches and studies. â€Å"Although there is no acceptable definition of learning, a generally accepted definition of learning is any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience† (Chowdhury, 2006, p.1). Learning is a process and a product at the same time. Many of the psychologists defined learning as a change in behavior. It is a fact that all the people behave in a particular way based on their knowledge level. For example, a person who has completed college education may behave more diplomatically than a person who has not completed college education. In other words, learning makes lot of behavioral changes in a person’s life. ... Customization of these learning theories is necessary for a student to learn the topics properly. In other words, every student should have a customized learning strategy or theory in order to learn the topics properly. This paper describes my ideas of â€Å"the best learning environment† and supports it using the theoretical perspectives of what defines the "best of" in education. Learning Theory and its importance â€Å"Learning is a personal act. We each place our own personal stamp on how we learn, what we learn and when we learn. How we learn is a question that begs the answer--based on learning theory† (Chowdhury, 2006, p.2). As mentioned earlier, no two individuals are alike in their learning methods. Different people use different methods for learning a particular topic. The awareness about different learning theories will definitely help the educators in providing customized learning environments for each student. For example, brighter students may require more complex assignments whereas average or below average students may require simple assignments in order to help them in their learning process. â€Å"Learning theories are the basic raw materials, which are applied in training activities. It is, therefore, essential that the trainer understand the learning theories so that he or she can design the effective training program† (Chowdhury, 2006, p.6). It is important for the educator to know how a particular subject can be taught well in a class. For that purpose different learning theories may help. For example, many learning theories suggest that motivation is required for the students to learn a particular topic well. In order

Rizal and Dumas Essay Example for Free

Rizal and Dumas Essay Since early childhood, Jose Rizal already loved books. His mother, Doà ±a Teodora Alonzo taught him how to read a material in Spanish language and developed his mind and artistic talents by telling him wonderful and colourful stories and poems. Furthermore, his Tio Gregorio, a book lover, intensified his reading of good books. The favourite pastime of Rizal during his stay in Madrid was reading. Instead of gambling and flirting with women as many young Filipinos did in the Spanish metropolis, he stayed home and read voraciously until midnight. I can relate Rizal’s love on books to my passion. Since my high school days, I was drawn to insightful books and magazines. Unfortunately, this passion of mine was not developed early enough because our school’s library back then is poorly-equipped. There are only few books and most of them are outdated but I managed to gain insights from them. By the time I went to the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) in Cebu City to pursue my college studies, I was very much excited when I found out that the institution has a very fascinating library. The size of our library in high school is only one percent of the library of this University. I was amazed by the myriad of new and insightful books displayed in the book shelves. Furthermore, the facility has a huge space so that it can accommodate lots of students. It is during my stay in this University did enhance my reading skills and develop my personal character through reading good and informative books. Through reading lots of books and magazines as well as surfing in the internet, I was able to widen my knowledge and nurtured my soul. I gained lots of information and wisdom from these reading materials. Moreover, my vocabulary and grammar had also improved through knowing the meaning of new words I read from the books. Indeed, reading will truly bring you liberty freedom in your mind and soul. One of the most favourite novels of Rizal was the Count of Monte Cristo which was authored by Alexander Dumas. This novel—which portrays the story of Edmond Dantes instilled his romantic cravings. Accordingly, the life of Edmond Dantes was a story of hope, vengeance, forgiveness, and mercy. This novel was an excellent example of pure wisdom and love. The theme of its story struck Rizal’s genius mind and unique character. The novel be came a favourite reading material of the hero during his teenage years. On the other hand, I can say that this story of Edmond Dantes was truly one of a kind during the times of Alexander Dumas. The story would show us the evil side of human person selfishness and pride. In fact, the events in the story still exist during these times. One good example is the corruption and injustices happening in our country. To name a few: the case of Ampatuan Massacre which until now is still not resolved and the families of the unfortunate victims still not able to taste justice of the crime; and the unending corruption in the Philippines. Furthermore, we can also relate the theme of the story to each of us. The novel was an epic adventure of a human being’s nature and emotions. I can say that it is natural for us to feel angry to those who had wronged us. When we hold grudge to someone, we are compelled to take revenge in order to satisfy our feelings of anger. In fact, this kind of emotional adventure has already happened to me once then and I learned so much out from that experience. Surely, it had also happened to someone else on this planet and many lives are torn apart just because of the selfishness and pride of some people. However, when we surrender everything we feel to God and feeling all those emotions of anger without trying to change anything that has happened to us we will soon be enlightened and forgiveness will step our way. When everything is already enough and we feel that many people have been affected just because of that feeling of anger and revenge, we start to forgive those who had wronged us. Accordingly, this is one of the best feelings we experience as humans because in forgiveness you see peace and love. When you forgive a person, it means that you are letting go of that grudge and finds your way to peace and happiness. Indeed, the Lord Jesus taught us to forgive those who had wronged us. Even He Himself died in the cross in order for us to be redeemed from our sins and to experience new life. That’s how huge God’s love for us. Thus, it is fine when we have to undergo feelings of anger towards a person. It is good to feel it rather than rejecting it because when we start running from the truth that we are angry at the person and all we just feel is revenge we start to hurt ourselves and others. Our health will be destroyed so much that our relationships will be in much chaos. Perhaps, this novel nurtured the spirit of Rizal to fight Spanish tyranny. He was consciously aware of the atrocities and maltreatment that some Spanish officials and friars did to his fellowmen. Corruption and injustice were everywhere but most of the Filipinos were not aware of it. The powerful Spanish Friars just used the Catholic Religion in order to cover their corrupt actions. But Rizal knew that there was something wrong and he must act to fight it. Furthermore, another two books that deeply affected Rizal were Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew. These two books aroused his sympathy for the oppressed and unfortunate Filipino people. He further developed and liberated his mind by reading various books and studying the different lives and cultures of the European countries. He was desperate to free his suffering countrymen from slavery and torture. As much as Rizal did free his mind to venture into the unknowns and to find out that everything that the tyrants did were wrong through fervent studying, he also liberated the minds of his countrymen through writing his first novel â€Å"Noli Me Tangere†. Indeed, Noli was a very excellent novel that showed the truth that the tyrants are torturing the Filipino people. Because of this novel, the Spanish friars were enraged and they tried to protect themselves by attacking the novel. However, truth will always prevail and the good will always win. I can say that Rizal was designated by God to be the saviour of the Filipino people against Spanish tyranny and we can see this through his unique genius and patriotism. He loved his countrymen and he found wisdom in every wrong thing happening in his country. He tried to find a way in order to correct this wrongdoing and he prepared himself to free his countrymen. Indeed, Rizal was a true liberator. And one of the factors that encouraged him to liberate his mind and his people was reading good books. Thus, I can say that reading can free your mind from negative â€Å"stinking† beliefs that blinded you from seeing the right and positive way of living. In fact, I could say that some of our beliefs that we developed and inherited based from our past experiences and influences are all lies. They need to be removed in order for us to see the truth, the right direction and the most eternal way. And we can do this through reading and acquiring wisdom and knowledge. Our lives are driven by our own beliefs and those beliefs brought us to where we are right now whether those beliefs are right or wrong. As much as Rizal freed his countrymen from Spanish tyranny through using his exemplary character and outstanding genius, we can also free our minds against the negative thoughts that are barring our minds to see the right way towards living the most out of life through continued developing of our character and perseverance and passion to learn new things even to the things that we do not know. That’s a true heroism!

Comparative Analysis Essay on Two Articles

Comparative Analysis Essay on Two Articles Introduction Here the selected two articles are Article 1: Basics about Employee Motivation written by Carter McNamara, Article2: Employee Motivation by Dr. Robert E. Wubbolding. As the assignment is to do a comparative analysis between two articles on a related topic, the selection was done on topic of employee motivation which is an essential topic in effective business administration. In the first article it is basically focuses on the new managers and supervisors. First it describes how to clear up the myths of employee motivation. Then it describes basic principles in employee motivation. Subsequently it provides the details of step you can take for employee motivation. The second article is starts with a serious problem in human resource management and then starts the discussion about the Ideas of the management that need to absolutely give up by the management. Then it opens up for a discussion of why employees succeed or fail and what we can do. Accordingly there are no clear cut similarities that we can find it these two articles. But after the reading and the understanding it will open-up for broader understanding of the area of employee motivation. Comparative Analysis As above said Article 1: Basics about Employee Motivation introduces the myths to clear up in the employee motivation. Those are as follows: I can motivate people- Not really they have to motivate themselves Money is a good motivator understand the motivation factor of each of employees Fear is a damn good motivator Fear is a great motivator for a very short time I know what motivates me, so I know what motivates my employees- Not really different people are motivated by different things. Increased job satisfaction means increased job performance- Increased job satisfaction does not necessarily mean increased job performance I cant comprehend employee motivation its a science -Supporting your employees to motivate themselves toward increased performance in their jobs.ÂÂ   Article 2: Employee Motivation also introduces the ideas which have to be given up by the management. Those are somewhat new when compare with the myths of article one. The following four ideas are ineffective and actually constitute barriers to increased quality. As a manager, I can force employees to do what I want them to do Increasing the compensation package is sufficient to keep people happy It is not necessary to reward people for doing what they are supposed to do. People are good, honest, and will always perform to the best of their ability In article one introduces specific steps that can help to go a long way toward supporting the employees to motivate them in an organization. 1.ÂÂ  Do more than read this article apply what youre reading here 2.ÂÂ  Briefly write down the motivational factors that sustain you and what you can do to sustain them 3.ÂÂ  Make of list of three to five things that motivate each of your employees 4.ÂÂ  Work with each employee to ensure their motivational factors are taken into consideration in your reward systems 5.ÂÂ  Have one-on-one meetings with each employeeÂÂ   6.ÂÂ  Cultivate strong skills in delegation 7.ÂÂ  Reward it when youÂÂ  seeÂÂ  it 8.ÂÂ  Reward it soon after you see it 9.ÂÂ  Implement at least the basic principles of performance management 10.ÂÂ  Establish goals that are SMARTER 11.ÂÂ  Clearly convey how employee results contribute to organizational results 12.ÂÂ  Celebrate achievements 13.ÂÂ  Let employees hear from their customers (internal or external) 14.ÂÂ  Admit to yourself (and to an appropriate someone else) if you dont like an employee In article two introduces this area as What you can do and it says like this, Write a description of the behaviour of two employees with whom you need help. Be specific about their negative behaviours. After you read Employee Motivation, return to these two employees, using your new skills. You will be surprised at your success in helping employees learn to modify their behaviours in positive ways-ways that will help their productivity and make them happier-a win-win for everyone! But in article one Basics about Employee Motivation introduces five basic principles in the employee motivation. Motivating employees starts with motivating yourself its amazing how, if you hate your job, it seems like everyone else does, too. If you are very stressed out, it seems like everyone else is, too. Enthusiasm is contagious. If youre enthusiastic about your job, its much easier for others to be, too. Also, if youre doing a good job of taking care of yourself and your own job, youll have much clearer perspective on how others are doing in theirs. Always work to align goals of the organization with goals of employees as mentioned above, employees can be all fired up about their work and be working very hard. However, if the results of their work dont contribute to the goals of the organization, then the organization is not any better off than if the employees were sitting on their hands maybe worse off! Therefore, its critical that managers and supervisors know what they want from their employees. Key to supporting the motivation of your employees is understanding what motivates each of them Each person is motivated by different things. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees, they should first include finding out what it is that really motivates each of your employees. You can find this out by asking them, listening to them and observing them. (More about this later on below.) Recognize that supporting employee motivation is a process, not a task Organizations change all the time, as do people. Indeed, it is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where each employee can strongly motivate themselves. If you look at sustaining employee motivation as an ongoing process, then youll be much more fulfilled and motivated yourself. Support employee motivation by using organizational systems (for example, policies and procedures) dont just count on good intentions Dont just count on cultivating strong interpersonal relationships with employees to help motivate them. The nature of these relationships can change greatly, for example, during times of stress. Instead, use reliable and comprehensive systems in the workplace to help motivate employees. For example, establish compensation systems, employee performance systems, organizational policies and procedures, etc., In article two also describes this in a different manner. It always focuses to speak to the heart of the reader as considering him or her as a manger rather than introducing concepts and approaches in employee motivation. It is as follows with some key areas that author needs to emphasize. That society believes this is illustrated by the actions of our institutions. Authorities believe that stiffer penalties will, of themselves, cure the drug problem; that more effective punishments will control student behaviour. And the world of employment, in which most people spend a high percentage of their time, has surpassed other institutions in affirming this fallacious theory-that people can be effectively controlled from above. The fact is that employees can be helped to become more productive, to show initiative, and to do quality work. But the use of force alone brings only temporary compliance. If you are willing to make a commitment to change, you can learn how to coach employees in an effective manner. You can learn effective ways to talk with employees who are apathetic, resistant, or who suffer from other negative traits or attitudes. If you have ever found yourself without words to respond to an employee, or getting defensive, or giving in to the urge to verbally attack an employee, you will benefit from implementing the ideas contained in this book. These skills can help you feel more comfortable about your job. You might even look forward to Monday mornings! Positive results depend on one condition-you must learn the technique and then put it into practice. Article always try to build a conversation with the reader. It introduces the employees behaviours where the need of the employee motivation will arise as follows. Do you have employees who Are consistently late to work? Perform below their potential? Lack initiative? Fail to follow through? Seem to be moody? Perform poor quality work? Conclusion Article 1 first start up with what a manager should give up if he wants to motivate the employees. After that author wants to clear the myths of motivation and then gradually input the fresh ideas of motivation. Article 2, Employee Motivation, is a tool book that addresses the concerns of anyone who ever wanted to Motivate anyone!. It first asks serious of question which readers mind will open to a new area. Then introduces basic principles in employee motivation and then things can do when implementing those principles. So more or less both the articles try to open the readers mind by thinking that the reader will implement what the authors have mentioned.

evilmac Protagonist Becoming Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Macbeth: Protagonist Becoming Evil The story Macbeth is like no other in plot and poetry. It sets itself apart from the rest by having a protagonist becoming evil. What makes Macbeth such a complicated character is the way his outlook keeps on changing throughout the play. This essay will prove that Macbeth is an evil man and was not overpowered by ambition to get what he wanted. This essay will also determine that certain characters like the witches did not force him to do evil; they simply triggered it. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is shown as a hero in the Scottish army, that is ironic because Macbeth has defeated a traitor and he will become one. We feel that a person of his loyalty could never commit evil unless he had a good reason or if he would be provoked. After Macbeth's first meeting with the witches, we learn from his aside that he has thought about killing Duncan " My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical" 1(Macbeth 1.3.152). Macbeth also says " If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Without my stir." 2(Macbeth 1.4.157-159) which means that maybe he does not have to murder the king to gain that title. Luck has been very generous to him and might continue and make him king. Macbeth's true evil thoughts about being king are first shown when he finds out that king Duncan has named his son Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland. He now shows his evil and his true feelings. " Stars, hide your fires; Let not night see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see." 3 (Macbeth 1.4.57-60) Macbeth is actually seeking help from the dark and supernatural. Macbeth is saying that he does not want to see the evil that he will commit until it is done. It is now known that Macbeth is capable of evil and would commit it. Upon meeting Lady Macbeth, we can assume that any evil done by Macbeth would be contributed by her influence. Lady Macbeth is a very powerful women and she has a-lot of power over Macbeth's decisions. After Lady Macbeth reads the letter from Macbeth, she says that he is in fact too noble to kill Duncan in cold blood but he would like to. " It is too full o'th'milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not

Hamlet Questions and answers Essay

1.1 1. What happens when Francisco and Bernardo meet at the beginning of 1.1? Where are we, and when? Why is there confusion over which one is supposed to challenge the other by asking â€Å"Who’s there†? Why is Horatio with Bernardo and Marcellus? Who is he? They saw something strange, we are at Denmark. He is asking â€Å"who’s there?† It is because he’s not sure what is there by judging the shadow he saw and it is at night causing the visibility becomes very low as well. Horatio was with Bernardo and Marcellus because they have both seen the ghost of King Hamlet, and Horatio has come to help them determine the origin of the ghost. 2. What is Horatio’s initial response to the story of the apparition? What happens when the ghost appears for the first time (1.1.39.1)? Notice that Horatio addresses it as â€Å"thou.† This is the form of address used with friends or inferiors. Shakespeare’s audience would have been much more attuned to the difference than we are. What is the effect of Horatio’s addressing the ghost as â€Å"thou†? When Horatio was first told about the appearance of the apparition, he was skeptical, † Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy And will not let belief take hold of him† ( 1.1.29). When the ghost was first sighted in the play, Bernardo remarks that the ghost looks similar to the King Hamlet, and Marcellus reasons with Horatio that he should address the ghost. This usage of the word † thou† causes the ghost to exit. Marcellus comments that the ghost was offended, meaning that by Horatio speaking to the ghost of the King with such lack of respect and with demands the ghost left. 3. What does Horatio first assume the appearance of the ghost means (1.1.70)? Why are there such intense war preparations in Denmark? (Read 1.1.69-107 carefully to get the international background of the play.) What does Horatio suggest by his discussion of Julius Caesar’s death (1.1.112 – 125)? Why does he choose the example of Rome? (You may research Julius Caesar if necessary.) Horatio initially assumes that the ghost appearance must mean that there is something wrong with the current government, † this bodes some strange eruption to our state†, and that the appearance is foreshadowing some ominous event that will soon occur. There are intense war preparations in Denmark, and Bernardo and Marcellus question Horatio is he knows the reason behind such actions. Horatio responds that there are rumors that the King Hamlet, who was very prideful in manner, was challenged to battle Fortinbras of Norway and did kill the King Fortinbras. Kind Fortinbras forfeited his land to whoever conquered him, but King Hamlet made a deal and bargained some of the given land to the son of King Fortinbras. The young Fortinbras is uncontrollable with his rage against King Hamlet and Denmark and has been attacking the edges of the land with a spirit of adventure , and is set on his attack to regain the lost lands. Denmark is preparing aggressively for the imminent battle against young Fortinbras of Norway. Horatio is suggesting a connection of Julius Cesar’s and the fall of Rome, in that he discusses that King Hamlet’s death will led to the fall of the land. Horatio chooses the example of Rome to emphasize the King Hamlet’s role in destruction. Both Cesar and King Hamlet are prideful in nature, and have had their pride challenged and their subsequent actions leading to their death. Rome is also known as a grand empire of strength but after the assassination of Julius Cesar, the Roman Republic collapsed and ended. 4. What happens when the ghost appears for the second time (1.1.108)? Why does it leave so abruptly? The questions Horatio asks it represent, according to the thought of the time, the reasons why a ghost could appear. When the ghost appears again, Horatio asks the ghost to speak concerning why it had come in the first place and the reason behind such appearances. When the ghost seems to begin to leave after Horatio questions it, Bernardo and Marcellus try to stop it by throwing their partisans at the ghost. Marcellus believes that the ghost left because they had angered it when they attempted to force the ghost to speak using violence, but Horatio notes that it was the roster crowing that stopped the ghost from speaking and then leaving. 5. What is the purpose of the two discussions of the crowing of the cock, Horatio’s pagan one and Marcellus’ Christian one (1.1.130 – 164)? Horatio tells the others that the rosters crowing awaken a god of daylight and any ghosts who are wandering on the earth are forced to hide until night comes. On the other had Marcellus states that daytime is similar to Christs’ Resurrection, and that no evil thing can roam the Earth during the sacred and hallowed time. These two different discussions regarding the rooster crowing are symbolic of the overall confusion and determination of the ghost’ purpose there. Prince Hamlet later questions if the ghost is something of evil origins there to tempt him into committing sins, or if the ghost is merely trying to help and warn him, and is a victim of the the daylight gods’ reign. 1.2 1. What is the threat from young Fortinbras? (ll. 17-41)? How is Claudius responding to the threat? (You may also want to keep in mind that the name â€Å"Claudius† appears only in the opening stage direction for 1.2. The name is never spoken in the play. He is simply â€Å"the King.†) Throughout his speech, Claudius is telling the court of the sorrow in losing Hamlet, but in joy in the court accepting the marriage of Claudius to Queen Gertrude.Claudius refers the young Fortinbras of his ignorance in believing that Denmark would be weak after the death of King Hamlet, and though Fortinbras is demanding the lands which were lost by King Fortinbras, Claudius is ignoring those demands. King Claudius is also telling the court about the uncle of the king of Norway, who is weak and sick and unaware of young Fortinbras’ actions. King Claudius responds to the threat of war from Norway, by sending a message to the uncle of the king of Fortinbras informing him of young Fortinbras’ mission and in that he is using war supplies from Norway’s subjects, and to stop young Fortinbras from moving further. 2. Based on Claudius’ first 63 lines in office (1.2.1-62), how would you rate him as a ruler? In what ways does he already differ from Old Hamlet as king? (Consider how Old Hamlet would have responded to Young Fortinbras.) Laertes asks King Claudius if he would let him return to France with approval and permission, to which Claudius responds first by asking if Polonius, the father to Laertes, approves. Polonius states that he is reluctantly accepting of Laertes’ question and Claudius formally gives him permission to return to France. So far Claudius’ behavior is very different from those spoken about King Hamlet’s. King Hamlet was said to have been very prideful and warlike in his actions, while Claudius is taking a more diplomatically aggressive reaction. Claudius is avoiding physical confrontation with young Fortinbras and is instead implementing the uncle of King Fortinbras to take action to avoid war. This reaction shows the amount of research done and clear thoughts dedicated to how to react to the threat of young Fortinbras without battle that could be destructive. King Hamlet probably would’ve reacted pridefully by force. Young Fortinbras is basically challenging Denmark to fight, which is how King Hamlet was brought to battle in the first place. 3. What do Claudius and Gertrude want Hamlet to do that he doesn’t want to do? Why won’t they let him do it? How does he respond to them? How do they respond to the way he responds to them? (Research the three well-known people associated with the University of Wittenberg in Germany: Martin Luther, Doctor Faustus, and Hamlet. Can you see any connections among the three?) Claudius and Gertrude want Hamlet to stay in Elsinore instead of going back to the University in Wittenberg, and in response he said, forcibly,† i shall in all my best, obey you, madame†, and only responds to his mother. This choice in response displays the amount of anger and repressed emotions Hamlet has against Claudius, and not excluding Gertrude. Claudius responds to Hamlets reply by pronouncing how loving and joyfully kind Hamlet is and that they should go to celebrate their marriage with a feast in celebration. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, and created a whole new religion after he separated himself from the Catholic Church. Doctor Faustus, in the play, had discarded the Bible, in favor of books of magic, and forbidden arts. If Hamlet had gone to this University as well, it is clearly a connection to the separation from  Catholicism and religion, in that Hamlet will begin to question the reason behind the ghost and the incentive of his morality, if religion is no longer needed or believed. 4. How seriously do you take Claudius’ argument against Hamlet’s â€Å"prolonged† mourning (1.2.87-109)? How long has Hamlet been mourning (1.2.138)? (The normal mourning period of a noble or gentle woman for a dead husband at this time [ca. 1600] was a year or more.) Claudius’ argument with Hamlet regarding Hamlet’s prolonged mourning seems ridiculous. Queen Gertrude has also regarded Hamlet’s mourning to be too long and asks why he felt such a personal connection to the death of his father. According to the time period, the mourning period was so recent in relation to the year long usually seen, in that King Hamlet had died only months ago. Read notes on The Wheel of Fortune. Also, consider what you have learned in ENG3U about The Great Chain of Being. Finally, consider what you have learned about archetypes of literature. Now consider #5. 5. How might the death of the King and the remarriage of the Queen to Claudius affect Hamlet’s image of the ideal mother and father archetypes? In other words, what does he come to a realization about at this stage in his journey? It will causes him think that the relationship between mother and father can be easily established by keep changing of marriage, he shows that all the years of relationships between with his father and mother change and there may no true love at all form each other as well. 6. Read Hamlet’s first soliloquy (1.2.129-59) carefully. What is it that is really bothering him about what has happened since his father’s death? How would you describe the tone of his feelings detached, impassioned, rational, ironic, or what? It seems that Hamlet is more confused than angry from his soliloquy. He has been raised in Catholicism and expects the reaction to the marriage of his uncle and mother to be as detested and disgusting throughout society, but  notices how he is alone in his reaction. The double relation, uncle and father, is seen as incestuous and wrong, but he still is unable to know how to comfortably act towards the marriage. Throughout the soliloquy it is clear that Hamlet is more upset from his mother marrying his uncle, than his father’s death, but uses his father death to give him reason for being so upset and betrayed. 7. Concept Consideration: New Historicism Read the following except about religious beliefs of the time from Jung’s Advice to the Players: The shock of Horatio’s news brings him [Hamlet], quite naturally, somewhat out of his despondency. Hope begins to rise once more that perhaps the good father is not completely lost to him. But this is hope tempered by fear and confusion from the beginning. Ghosts, for the Elizabethans, fell into two distinct categories for Catholics and Protestants †¦ . For Catholics, they were actually souls of the departed, on leave from Purgatory. Protestants, on the other hand, held more complex beliefs, thinking them spirits, usually from hell but occasionally from heaven. They were thus either devils or angels who had assumed the shape of the dead (Portfield 78). Question: When Horatio tells Hamlet that he saw the ghost, what does Hamlet suspect the about the nature of the ghost and the reason for its appearance (1.2.254-57)? Which religious views does his opinion seem to favour at this point in time? Works Cited: Portfield, Sally R. Jung’s Advice to the Players: A Jungian Reading of Shakespeare’s Problem Plays. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 1994. Print.

The House of Mirth

The House of Mirth Free Online Research Papers In Edith Whartons novel, The House of Mirth, the main protagonist, Lily Bart moves back and forth between dreams of marriage and equally strong desires for independence and freedom. Despite her training on the social codes of conduct and etiquette, which was ingrained into her daily existence by her mother, Lily exhibits frequent moments of recklessness that threaten her opportunities in the marriage market. Why does a well-trained, economically motivated, twenty-nine year old virgin risk her chances for a financial and social safe-haven? With the aid of Jacques Lacans theories in the formation of subjectivity in the psyche, an analysis of Lily Barts history and background should help answer this question. In Lacans analysis, there are three orders in the psyche that are crucial and equally important to the formation of subjectivity, they are the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real (Lacan, 1975). In order to understand why Lily Bart continually sabotages her efforts to achieve what she frequently refers to as escape from the dinginess of her present life, (Wharton, 2000) an examination of the Imaginary order must first be made. According to Lacan the human self comes into being through a fundamentally aesthetic recognition. Through an external medium (a mirror) the childs fragmented body is made whole the newly fashioned specular I precedes the social I. The Imaginary originates in the human beings fascination with form (Lacan, 1975). In the case of Lily Bart, the form that she is most fascinated with is her own. Lilys constant mirror gazing initiates the process of constructing a center for herself or her ego. As Terry Eagleton explains, This self, as the mirror situation suggests, is essentially narcissistic: we arrive at a sense of an I by finding that I reflected back to ourselves by some objects or person in the world (Eagleton, 1983). In Lilys case, it is not surprising that her first misrecognition of her image has been supplied by her mother. Her mother looks upon Lilys beauty as a commodity or means to a profitable end. Mrs. Bart studied Lily’s beauty with a kind of passion, as though it were some weapon she had slowly fashioned for her vengeance. It was the last asset in their fortunes, the nucleus around which their life was to be rebuilt. She watched it jealously as though it were her own property and Lily its mere custodian; and she tried to instill into the latter a sense of the responsibility that such a charge involved (Wharton, 2000). Inevitably, Lily also sees herself as a commodity. Her fragmented ego is formed on the basis of her significance as an object whose value is determined by the power of its marketability. As Lacan explains, the ego is just this narcissistic process whereby we bolster up a fictive sense of unitary selfhood by finding something in the world with which we can identify (Eagleton, 1983).Lilys sense of identity is directly tied to the objectification of her beauty. She is willing to auction it off to the highest bidder in the marriage market because as Lawrence Selden so accurately observes, it was what she was brought up for (Wharton, 2000). Even though it may have been what Lily was brought up for, we find that the objectification of Lilys beauty is not an indulgence, but it eventually becomes a means for her survival. According to Jacques Lacan, the two most significant moments in the development of human subjectivity and ego development occur in the mirror stage and the oedipal stage. Both of these stages aid the subject in their passage through the imaginary to the symbolic. These two concepts are clearly defined in James Mellards book, Using Lacan Reading Fiction. Mellard explains that the child who previously perceives itself as pieces or fragments is unified in the mirror image of its other, the mother. But this assumed, narcissistic unity is eventually split by the function called the Oedipus complex (Mellard, 1991). In Lacanian terms, the Oedipus complex can also be referred to as the Law of the Father. This principal theory, Law of the Father, is defined by Lacan as an acceptance of the loss of the paternal metaphor the phallus and a willingness on the part of the subject to follow patriarchal authority or law. Lilys desire for independence and freedom lies in direct conflict with what Lacan terms as the Law of the Father or patriarchal law. The phallus and the Name-of-the-Father symbolize that which comes between the mother and child, separating the one from the other, â€Å"symbolizing that which the mother does not have (Lacan, 1975). A monumental moment in Lilys ego formation occurs when her father announces to Lily and Mrs. Bart that he is financially ruined. Wharton describes Mr. Bart as a hazy outline neutral-tinted figure that Lily saw through a blurfirst of sleepiness, then of distance and indifference (Wharton, 2000).In the imaginary Lilys feelings of security and vanity are provided by her dominant mother. Lilys life changes, however, when the power and authority of her father is diminished. Along a metonymic chain of signifiers, Lily realizes that money, power, security, and social standing are all contained under the signifier, father, and upon her fathers death, her world is no longer the same. The death of Lilys father shows her how precarious life is for women who are not under the protection of men. Lily and her mother, devoid of income, rely on the hospitality and charity of relatives. At the age of eighteen, Lilys world is shattered and the only tool available for her use was her face. She rememb ers her mother fiercely stating, â€Å"you’ll get it all back, with your face (Wharton, 2000). The death of Lilys mother further fragments Lilys image of herself. When Mrs. Bart was alive, she was a willing participant in the preparation of her daughter in the marriage market. Now, Lilys reflection is offset by the other prospective virgins of her society and sees the disadvantage that motherlessness places on her task of finding a wealthy husband. Lily concludes that, Mr. Gryces arrival had fluttered the maternal breasts of New York and when a girl has no mother to palpitate for her; she needs be on the alert for herself (Wharton, 2000). Lily feels the loss of support, guidance and self-interest that her mother would have provided if she were still alive. Mrs. Barts death inhibits Lilys transference to the symbolic and further mires her in the imaginary where she mourns the loss of, or lack of a mother. Lilys actions, on the surface, personify an individual who is willing to follow patriarchal authority or law. She appears to be willing to assume traditional gender roles as a wife in her society, but she repeatedly makes decisions that, ultimately, sabotage her chances for success. This repetition suggests that there are other desires that she is repressing. Even though outwardly she is willing to give herself away in exchange for money and social position, internally she struggles with her desire for personal freedom. Consequently, according to Lacan, these repressed desires result in a split or divided self. Lacan further explains that the subject is essentially in a state of conflict between the symbolic and imaginary (Lacan, 1975). The phallic symbol for Lily is money and this represents not only patriarchal law but also freedom. Lilys state of conflict between both orders result from her desire for freedom, which involves money and can only be provided by marriage to a wealthy man which will further make her a victim of the civilization which had produced her (Wharton, 2000) and deny her the personal freedom she desires. Lily is constantly driven to accept the symbols of authority in her world and through them the rule of the Symbolic order. The signifiers of this order constantly appear in aspects that Lacan calls the gaze, along with the metonymical imagery associated with it such as the charwomans stare, the stream of admiring looks, and the several hundred pairs of eyes that gaze upon her beauty or scrutinize her actions. Together these, along with other examples, represent one of the most important motifs in Whartons narrative. The gaze, as Lacan might say, cuts in many directions, as it links the subject to the object and by that linkage turns each into the other. Lily Bart is metaphorically trapped under the gaze which dominates as a double for the New York leisure society who uses their prescribed laws and codes to continually judge Lilys acceptability. Lilys values and self-worth are defined by the perceptions and opinions of others. She is seduced by the ways in which society eagerly reflec ts back upon the heroine, the image it encourages her to flash. A strong example of this can be seen in Whartons tableaux vivants scene where Lilys portrayal of Reynolds, Mrs. Lloyd, shows Lily in the role of an erotic object that exists for others, while alienating her own subjectivity and transferring to those who wish to behold or enjoy her beauty. According to Lacan this narcissistic identification with the other enables her to see her function and place of her world and her being (Lacan, 1975). Is this truly the real Lily Bart, divested of the trivialities of her little world, or is it according to that experienced connoisseur Mr. Ned Van Alstyne just a deuced bold thing showing herself (Wharton, 2000). Lacan would suggest that Lily caught in the gaze of her spectators becomes whatever each of them fantasize her to be. Even though this gaze would initially illicit a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction from Lily, she is quite literally on display and there is an emptiness or lack of value that this public display provides her in her search for self. Lily is adept at attracting the gaze of others, and sees herself as a skillful operator (Wharton, 2000). Early in the novel, she sets her sights on the eligible and wealthy Percy Gryce, and feels confident and almost sure that she, â€Å"landed him, with a few days work, she would win her reward (Wharton, 2000). Despite the financial security and status that a marriage to Percy Gryce would mean to Lilys escape from dinginess, she does everything possible to sabotage her success. She complains that the reward itself seemed unpalatable just then she could get no zest from the thought of victory (Wharton, 2000). Lily describes the courting process with Gryce as a chore but realizes that, she could not ignore him on the morrow, she must follow up her success, must submit to more boredom, must be ready with fresh compliances and adaptabilities, and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honor of boring her for life. It was a hateful fatebut how escapes from it (Wharton, 2000)? Even with marriage ability on the line, she takes a day off and indulges in her own desires with Selden. In this scene, Lily tries with Seldens help to define the meaning of success. Selden expresses his idea of success as being a form of freedom from everythingfrom money, from poverty, from ease and anxiety, from all material accidents a kind of republic of the spirit (Wharton, 2000). Seldens description awakens in Lily a sense of joy and enthusiasm, and he is able to put into language the desire or jouissance that is missing in Lilys life. Lacan explains that to enter language is to be severed from the real, that inaccessible realm which is always beyond the reach of signification, always outside the symbolic order (Eagleton, 1983). Lacan further defines the Real as the truth that we repress. Once that which we desire is the object of discourse, it no longer can maintain the position of jouissance because it becomes real or truth. Lacan tells us that language is, what hollows being into desire. Language divides uparticulatesthe fullness of the imaginary. To enter language is to be severed from what Lacan calls the real, that inaccessible realm which is always beyond the reach of signification, always outside the symbolic order (Lacan, 1975). Lacans contribution to the understanding of the subject is unique because, unlike Freud, he accounted for the power that the social/linguistic world plays in the formation of the self. Lacan viewed the interaction between the linguistic and the ego as a process in constant fluctuation just as the subject is in a constant state of fluctuation between the Imaginary and Symbolic orders. The Real is expressed in the form of discourse, and it can only be studied in its effects on the other two dimensions, the Imaginary and Symbolic (Lacan, 1975). Lily comes close to being able to express her lack or desire or void in words. She eagerly tells Selden, Whenever I see you, I find myself spelling out a letter of the sign and yesterdaylast evening at dinnerI suddenly saw a little way into your republic (Wharton, 2000). Lily is in the process of trying to find out what the word is that is written on the sign that will lead her into the republic of spirit. Unfortunately, even upon her death this word is never spoken between her and Selden. Selden and Lilys discourse is structured similarly to what Lacan refers to as the language of the unconscious. He further explains that, the unconscious is structured, not amorphous, and it speaks rhetorically through the dreams, mistakes, and symptoms of the subject it is the body itself that provides the raw material that the unconscious uses to express itself and the analyst, like a literary critic must read (Lacan, 1975). In Lacanian theory, the conscious and the unconscious cannot be separated. The unconscious bears the marks of the signifiers impressed on it. Selden seems to understand that there is something different about his conversation with Lily. Something he does not usually experience with others. He concludes that ,he himself did not know why he had led their talk along such lines; it was one of those moments when neither seemed to speak deliberately, when an indwelling voice in each called to the other across unsounded depths of feeling (Wharton, 2000) This unconscious expression of the subjects wants and desires goes along way in explaining why Lily had a fatalistic sense of being drawn from one wrong turning to another without ever perceiving the right road till it was too late to take it (Wharton, 2000). In the House of Mirth, Lily Barts unconscious speaks volumes about the decisions that she makes with her life. On more than one occasion, Lily seems to be following a path and then quickly changes her mind about the direction she is going. Carry Fisher assumes that,† its just flightiness but sometimes I think its because, at heart, she despises the things shes trying for (Wharton, 2000). In the end, it is not language but silence that dominates Lilys actions. When Gerty Farish asks Lily to tell her the truth about what happened in Europe, Lily explains to Gerty that Where a woman is concerned, its the story thats easiest to believe (Wharton, 2000). Both Sim Rosedale and George Dorset offer Lily options that will place her back in a position in the New York society that she is accustomed to; however, at the moment that she must make her decision, suddenly fear possessed her, fear of herself and of the terrible force of the temptation (Wharton, 2000). George Dorset appeals to Lily, Its just a word to say, and you put me out of my misery! (Wharton, 2000). Rosedale offers to financially back Lily in her fight against Bertha Dorset. He implores Lily, Here I am ready to lift you out of your [worries] tomorrow, if you say so. Do you say so, Miss Lily? (Wharton, 2000); but Miss Lily never says so. She maintains her silence even when she knows that the words will redeem her in the eyes of a society who has cruelly judged her all her life. Berthas letters are also a metaphor for the silence that Lily keeps at the end. In burning the words that Bertha has written, Lily refuses to allow language to save her. Lacan would say that Lily has reversed into the pre-oedipal stage where language is unavailable to the subjects identification. She is painfully isolated and the loneliness and despair that exist in the last moments of Lilys life are evident. She wonders, If only life could end nowend on this tragic yet sweet vision of lost possibilities, which gave her a sense of kinship with all the loving and foregoing in the world! (Wharton, 2000) Terry Eagleton explains that, according to Freud, The final goal of life is death, a return to that blissful inanimate state where the ego cannot be injured (Eagleton, 1983). Lacan also agrees that when we are severed from the mothers body: after the Oedipus crisis, we will never again be able to attain this state even though we will spend all of our lives hunting for it (Eagleton, 1983). It is under the fatal effects of chloral, which Lily returns to this pre-oedipal state. The significance of the baby that she holds in her arms indicates that Lily is either expressing a lost sense of possibilities of motherhood or she is in fact hallucinating her own rebirth in the form of the imaginary baby. Through death, her maternal longings are satisfied with the reunion of this unreal child. It is also significant that Wharton suggests that Lily does not merely dream of the child, but she actually feels its soft, bodily presence (Wharton, 2000). She becomes frantic and desperate as a flash of loneliness and terror tore its way .She started up again, cold and trembling with the shock; for a moment she seemed to have lost her hold of the child. But noshe was mistakenthe tender pressure of its body was still close to hers; the recovered warmth flowed through her once more, she yielded to it (Wharton, 2000). Lily returns to the pre-oedipal stage to seek the reassurance, comfort and warmth that she cannot find in the harsh reality of her New York world. Rather than conform to society, she retreats, and it is only in death that Lily finds the last letters of the signpost that show her the way into the republic of spirit. Eagleton, T. (1983). Literary Theory and Introduction. Great Britain: Blackwell Publishers, Ltd. Lacan, J. (1975). The Language of The Self: The Function of Language in Psychoanalysis. New York: Dell Publishing Company. Leitch, V. B. (2001). The Mirror Stage as Formative The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. Mellard, J. M. (1991). Using Lacan Reading Fiction. Urbana: Univerwsity of Ilinois Press. Wharton, E. (2000). The House of Mirth. New York: Signet Classic. Research Papers on The House of MirthWhere Wild and West MeetAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMind TravelHip-Hop is Art

The eNotes Blog The Beginnings of a SeaChange

The Beginnings of a SeaChange In an area of Nigeria that is as densely populated as Paris but contains only one primary school, innovative architecture aims to make education available to all. In the water community of Makoko just off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, an exciting new project attempts to turn the tide of limited education and unstable infrastructure. Though the Makokos population is soaring, a lack of well-constructed buildings means that the community   houses only one primary school to serve its approx. 86,000 residents. Why the lack or solid infrastructure? Its because the islands of Lagos amongst which the fishing village resides are vastly covered in water. Residents of Makoko have for years built their homes atop stilts embedded deep in the seabed. Now a team of architects led by native Nigerian Kunle Adayemi will update that idea in order to build schools that will not only withstand the rigors of West Africas current climate, but hopefully also for many years to come. As pictured above, the increase in rainfall and rising sea levels Lagos has experienced over time, due to global climate change, renders the local Makoko housing unsuitable. Adayemis solution is to create a completely free-floating building- one unchanged by any rise or fall in water levels. He and his team have also worked to make sure the new schoolhouses will be eco-friendly and space efficient to boot: Adayemi is hopeful that the design will help more than just the people of Makoko:  The building can be adapted for other uses, such as homes or hospitals. Ultimately, its a vision that can be used to sustainably develop [African] coastal communities. But of course, such an inspirational story is inevitably accompanied by typical political woes; the government of Lagos is reluctant to encourage the expansion of a water-based community. Just in July of last year, Nigerian government officials destroyed dozens of residences after giving residents 72 hours notice of eviction, an act that resulted in the death of one Makoko resident. The reality Adayemi faces- one greater than the threat posed by natural disasters- is that this mere slum (for lack of a better description) occupies prime waterfront, a commodity the politicians of Lagos wont readily relinquish. Thus the project, while furthering the possibilities of architecture, science, and education, faces its biggest opposition in near-sighted bureaucracy: a reminder that advancing education in Africa is never as simple a task it seems on its glass-like surface. For more on this amazing project, head to the Guardian. Its article contains an interesting video that provides a bit of visual insight into life on the waters of Makoko.