This is an essay showing the role of the author in three different texts: "The Expedition of Humpry Clinker" (Tobias Smollett), "The Merchant Of Venice" (William Shakespeare) and "Oedipus the King"(Rex) (Sophocles).
Abstract This paper comprises the studies of the role of the author and the authority he has over his text once it is read, from a module covering issues of intertextuality, reader and authors role, the printing process, critical studies and critical approaches. The main argument is that a reader brings ideas as does the author to the text from previous texts read.
From the Paper "The role of the author is based on preconceptions that many people hold. The notion that an author is creative, original and spontaneous are challenged by theories that no author can be unaffected by cultural activities and experiences and that the reader plays a crucial role in negotiating and constructing meanings and values.#
A text often shows the opinions of an author by conveying balanced or un-balanced arguments or viewpoints. The perspective the author takes when producing a text may often be more bias to one argument than another.# The author is affected by other texts he may have read and drawn meaning from. Social conditions and life experience also affect how an author will write a text, making it difficult to claim that any text is ever truly original. For example, William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, derives in large part from a story in the fourteenth-century Italian collection Il Percorone."
Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the author John Grisham, who has become famous for his law filled suspense novels. The writer discusses whether Grisham's background as a lawyer affects his literary career. Further the writer examines if there are any other factors that affect the choices he makes as an author. Finally, the writer discusses what the future may hold for this author's literary career.
From the Paper "The name "John Grisham" is nearly synonymous with the courtroom/law suspense novel, a genre he and Scott Turow dominated at the end of the twentieth century. Before becoming a best-selling author, Grisham was a lawyer who billed dozens of hours a week from a small Mississippi law office. Today, he puts in as many hours at his desk, creating detailed--if sometimes convoluted--tales of situations that would no doubt cause real life lawyers to reconsider their career choices if such cases truly crossed their desks. Does Grisham's background as a lawyer affect his literary career? What else, if anything affects the choices he makes as an author? What does the future hold for this author's literary career?"
Abstract This paper examines how Robert Dahl has devoted his professional life to the study and analysis on the issues of democracy and how among his countless publications is the book "After the Revolution: Authority in a good Society". It looks at how the central theme of this volume is the discussion about the problems, strengths and weaknesses of democracy and democratic authority. It show how in the same way as philosophers Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes and Rousseau did, Dahl explores two basic questions in the world as to: who governs and to what ends do they govern. Also, it analyzes some questions over the limits of power given to people and explains he meaning of justice and sovereignty.
From the Paper "Further, the Criterion of Economy states that ?a process my be less perfect than other alternatives according to the first two criteria but, on balance, more satisfactory simply because it economizes on the amount of time, attention, and energy.? Dahl said, that ideal state is never reached in practice; therefore we are satisfied with the most acceptable, closest one to ideal, solution, which is an optimal system for making decisions. Finally, the Principle of Affected Interests states that ?everyone who is affected by the decisions of a government should have the right to participate in that government.? As was mentioned earlier, Dahl wrote that most associations use some sort of majority rule to make decisions. Hence, the all of the three criteria and the Principle of Equality my be violated for some members of the association. Thus, it needs to be considered how will democracy protects minorities. Dahl suggests three modifications to his fundamental criteria and principles."
Abstract A paper on how man rejects authority as shown in the book of Genesis. Human nature is predisposed to reject authority, even God's; the book of Genesis details the tragic consequences of Adam and Eve's actions.
Abstract This paper relates that Stanley Milgram was a pioneer researcher on obedience to authority. The author points out that his ground-breaking and shocking studies conducted at Yale in the 1960s are still relevant today. The paper provides historical background on Professor Milgram, a full description of the obedience studies, their results and their applications to society and humanity.
From the Paper "Written in 1974, Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority revealed shocking truths about human nature--particularly with respect to how easily people could be manipulated to perform horrible acts on innocents when induced by a perceived legitimate authority figure. "...the most fundamental lesson of our study: ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process." (Stanley Milgram, 1974, as quoted in Blass, 2004, xvii). While his groundbreaking research was conducted in the 1960s, his findings are relevant today in the field of psychology and in many other fields. His work continues to be studied and applied (Blass, 2004). Just what were these experiments, and what did they find?"
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the play "Antigone" written by Sophocles and its main themes. It discusses mainly the concept of legitimate authority and how it is portrayed in the play. In the play we see a very strong distinction between the laws of the gods and the laws of Creon, the king of Thebes. The play tells of Antigone and Ismene and their brothers Eteocles and Polyneices. It compares the play to "Letter from Birmingham" which was written by Martin Luther King, Jr. after he had been jailed in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. The letter was a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen urging the black community to withdraw support from demonstrations taking place in Birmingham.
From the Paper "Letter from Birmingham deals with a situation different from, but the same as, that in which Antigone found herself. The letter was written by Martin Luther King, Jr. after he had been jailed in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. He had broken the law by participating in a demonstration against the treatment of blacks in the community. The letter was a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen urging the black community to withdraw support from demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. The statement of the clergymen appealed for law and order and common sense to be used in dealing with the racial problems faced by the blacks of Alabama. They believed these matters could be handled in the courts, and that the decisions made by the courts should be obeyed. They deemed the demonstrations, some of which were being lead by outsiders as unwise and untimely."
Tags: Antigone, Sophocles, legitimate, authority, Martin, Luther, King, Jr., Creon, Thebes, United, States, Government
Abstract The paper examines the drama "Six Character in Search of an Author", written by Luigi Pirandello, which is play within a play. The paper shows Pirandello's theme throughout the play that life is a script with people fixed to patterns that are evident in everyday workings of life and through the history of previous lives.
From the Paper "The drama Six Characters in Search of an Author, written by Luigi Pirandello, is a play within a play, full of reality philosophizing, which shows how people are real in the same way that characters are. These two themes are highly reflective on what it means to be a play, by comparing it to life, and what it means to be a person, by comparing what it means to be a character. The drama is an assemblage of a play, put together on the spot, when six characters enter another play's rehearsal in search of an author who will manifest their roles by writing a script to their drama. This is their one bent purpose in life, to live on the stage, in their world in which they are real. Though they seem alive, as they are in their search, they are not fulfilling the purpose of filling their roles. They need to tell their stories, they desire reaffirmation of existence and for this they need their fixed reality, the stage. Their script is this means of existence and acting the script out is a means of living or being real. People in the same way are doomed to be scripted; identical to characters, they live only within their fixed play, that which acts itself out from birth to death."
Abstract A paper discussing respect for authority in the military with reference to the video series "Ethics in America", the portion "Under orders, Under fire".
Looks at the New York State (NYS) Public Authority Accountability Act, which was created to counter corruption and mismanagement in public organizations.
Abstract This paper examines the New York State (NYS) Public Authority Accountability Act, the S-OX Rule 404, a related report by the NYS Comptroller and a report by the Attorney General and the State Isnpector General, requested by NYS Governor, which addressed the sale of certain land rights bordering the Erie Canal. The author explores the factors contributing to the passage of the NYS Public Authority Accountability Act, its intent , the ways this act addresses legislative concerns and its potential to succeed. The paper includes a synthesis of the NYS Public Authority Accountability Act's particular provisions. Figures are included with the paper.
Table of Contents:
Revealing Operations behind Closed Doors
The "Act" Itself
Specific Provisions of the Public Authority Reform Act
SOX Rule 404
Rule 404 of the SEC
Opening Closed Doors of "Internal Control"
Discussion of Amendments Implementing Section 404
Acts in the Interest of the People of NYS
Senate Passes Legislation to Reform Public Authorities The Value of Values
From the Paper "Internal control encompasses more than a company's accounting functions. A number of definitions of the term "internal control" primarily focus on "clarifying the portion of a company's internal control that an auditor should consider when planning and performing an audit of a company's financial statements." This, albeit, did not improve the level of understanding of "internal control", nor satisfactorily provide the guidance that auditors sought. In time, successive definitions followed and increased understanding."
Tags: components governance, erie canal, ethics, internal control
Abstract The paper explains Joseph Raz's theory of authority where he gives his account of the service conception of authority, which states that political authority should be exercised in the service of those it purports to govern. The paper asserts that Joseph Raz's account of political authority is inadequate, since he offers only minimal support for his justification of political authority as the service conception.
From the Paper "A legitimate political authority, involves a right to rule. A political party has a right to rule if among other things, they have power to change a subject situations by imposing obligations to compel with the regimes directives. Joesph Raz theorized that legitimate political authority requires the possession of normative powers as outlined above which is also known as de facto authorities (Raz,1985: 6). In Joseph Raz's theory of authority he gives his account of the service conception of authority which states that political authority should be exercised in the service of those it purports to govern. Raz offers the dependence thesis, the normal justification thesis, and the preemptive thesis to establish the legitimacy of political authority (Raz,1985: 18). Joseph Raz's account of political authority is an inadequate account of political authority though Raz rightly argues, that a political regime can only have law and a legal system if it is a de facto authority (regime possess extensive normative power to govern those subject to the regime). However, Raz fails to conditionally support through his justification of political authority as his service conception and all other problems regarding authority subsumed under it are based on minimal evidence (Raz,1985: 17)."
Abstract In Lewis Carroll's novel, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", Carroll creates a satirical impression of human authority. This paper explains how he portrays seemingly powerful characters such as the King and Queen of Hearts as shallow, idiotic, and farcical, while characters such as Alice and the Cheshire-Cat are depicted as knowledgeable, witty characters who possess the real authority in Wonderland. Carroll, through exaggeration, displays the King and Queen of Hearts as somewhat of a parallel to the top of the hierarchy of authority in the real world. The paper looks at how these characters are presented to the reader as abusing power they don?t really possess. It explains how, in the end, Alice, with the help of the Cheshire-Cat, develops as the true figure of authority in Wonderland and symbolizes young children everywhere, showing them that they too can make a difference in the world.
From the Paper "Lewis Carroll develops Alice as a prominent authority figure throughout her tenure in Wonderland. Alice's authority increases in her own mind as she realizes how farcical and illogical the important figures in Wonderland really are. This is quite evident at the mad tea party when Alice is arriving and the Mad Hatter and March Hare claim there is no room but
Alice indignantly says, ?there's plenty of room!,?(Carroll, 60) and sits down in a large armchair
at the head of the table. Alice, here, is showing the characters of Wonderland that they do not intimidate her and she is trying to enforce her own sense of authority over these idiotic beings. The Hatter and the March Hare try to belittle Alice with their remarks but Alice replies to their snide remarks with polite, intelligent responses. This can be manifested when the Hatter and the Hare are rudely commenting on how Alice could use a hair cut and Alice replies, ?you should learn not to make personal remarks . . . it's very rude.?(Carroll, 60). Although the Hatter and the Hare don?t realize it, Alice is establishing herself as a teacher, or leader, that provides a helpful example to children readers with respect to manners and temperament. The idea of Alice's authority in Wonderland is further developed to the point where she can be recognized as the supreme authority figure in Wonderland near the end of the story at the trial regarding the stolen tarts. Alice, at this point, has grown back to her normal size and has no respect for, or fear of the Queen or King of Hearts any longer."
Abstract This paper was written to give the biographies of these two authors and compare their writing styles to each other. It gives detailed descriptions of their lives, including family, jobs, education, books and other facts. Then it goes on to compare the authors using a ?Author A is not like Author B? format.
From the Paper "Robert Browning was born on May 7, 1812, in Camberwell, the first child of Robert and Sarah Browning. Robert's grandfather had sent his father to supervise a West Indies sugar plantation, but when he saw that this slavery institution was so distasteful he gave up the fortune that was waiting for him and returned home to become a clerk for the Bank of England. He wasn?t able to become rich with this job he had chosen for himself, but besides for having enough money to have a family, he also was able to acquire a library of 6000 volumes."
Tags:authors, blake, browning, comparing, robert, william
Abstract This paper discusses the legitimacy of authority. It considers three types of justification of authority and concludes that their success depends on whether the individual feels that the authority is supportive of themselves and their community. It focuses on the three works "Antigone," by Sophocles, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," and the movie "Fight Club," directed by David Fincher. The paper also looks at where authority can be derived from and whether it remains legitimate in all circumstances.
From the Paper "In Fight Club, the narrator (the main character) feels no connection to any community. The authority of the government and even of his boss at work have no hold on him because he lacks any kind of human connection. He is so alienated that he goes to support groups for people with terminal diseases in an effort to feel any kind of connection. He creates (unknowingly) an alter ego named Tyler Durden who becomes his primary connection, and through that connection he creates a community based on resistance to the culture around him. Tyler Durden gives the main character the strength to "opt out" of the society around him, and he becomes a replaces it with the Fight Club. This touches the lives of other men who are similarly alienated and an alternative society, with its own system of meaning and structure of authority is born. "The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule is that you do not talk about Fight Club" (Norton, Fight Club). When the movie ends, it is not at all clear what will replace the society that Fight Club was created to destroy. Its laws are based on destruction and resistance, and so it is hard to envision a positive program coming out of it."
Abstract Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" examines the nature of power, the sources of authority, and the actions undertaken by men to maintain power and authority. Within this framework, the writer points out that Miller directs us to compare existing sources of authority as opposed to what should form them.
From the Paper "Authority, as in what it means and what it derives from, is a dominant theme in The Crucible. Throughout the play, the various sources of authority, from God and the Church, to men and morality, to books and the law, are analyzed. Each is dismissed because each is distorted and abused by the various characters. Finally, the objective truth, honesty of character (as compared to hypocrisy) and honour emerge as the only legitimate sources of authority and, include within them the concepts of justice and unselfish, or pure, morality. Therefore, while Miller appears opposed to authority that is based in religious faith and the church, as seen from the characterization of Parris and Hale, or authority as rooted in books and law, as clear from the characterization of Danforth and Hathorn as completely blinded to the truth and justice, he is supporting a higher form of authority that is derived from the unselfish, unhypocritical and objective truth that both religion and law call for but, few men are capable of."
This paper discusses the way women authors, such as Kate Chopin, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Marge Piercy, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Henry James, went against the gender expectations of their time.
Abstract This paper explains that women authors from the nineteenth and twentieth century used their literature and poetry as vehicles for the new role and passion of the woman. The author points out that Marge Piercy in her poem "Barbie Doll" articulates the bondage that a woman is under due to the roles and appearances they are expected to maintain. The paper concludes that, from the writings of these women authors, the inner woman bears similar characteristics: Women are consistently making a way through life to gain equality to men and they desire to express their emotions and passions while stepping outside of the societal standards.
From the Paper "Kate Chopin creates a female character in "At the Cadian Ball" and "The Storm" that is vivid and defiant. Calixta is the image of hope that an authentic woman dares to embody. Chopin challenges society in her literature. She tests the roles of women. For instance, the female character she depicts in "The Storm" and "The Cadian Ball" is sexually overbearing, an adulterous, and presumptuous. Radek suggest that women of the nineteenth century "were not supposed to have any real sexual contact before their marriage." The characteristics that Calixta possesses are dissimilar to the expected roles of women. The women of this time should be reserved, subservient, compliant, and gentle creatures."
