Abstract He brings to full literary life not only such characters as Miss Kezia Barnes, Mr. Hathaway, Mr. Mears, and the Barclays, but also the harsh Nova Scotia landscape itself, which effectively functions as a character in the story. One of the key requirements of good characterisation is, of course, the quality of being memorable, and Raddall certainly achieves this quality in his story. His characters possess a vivid quality which seems to derive in part from their very humanity - they are recognisably like people we know - and in part from their very super-humanity - they are a little more extraordinary, a little more real than anybody we have met in our daily lives.
Abstract This paper examines how in his play "Agamemnon", the Greek playwright Aeschylus offers a character study of a complex woman, Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon, the Greek ruler who conquered Troy. It looks at how when considering the characterisation of Clytemnestra provided in the "Agamemnon", many have made a comparison to the much weaker and insignificant character presented by Homer and how unlike Homer, Aeschylus creates a strong version of this character, a woman who manipulates the will of men in order to get what she wants. It discusses her duplicity and the complexities of her character, her strong character portrayal and the fact that she was a powerful women of her time.
From the Paper "She stands firm in the continued celebration of a war finally won and stands in opposition to the warnings of the chorus about celebrating too soon. This is a form of action on the part of Clytemnestra. This action speaks volumes as it gives the audience great insight into her strength. The Chorus did not believe what Clytemnestra had told them; rather they had a typical male view of her and seemed to think she was just being a weak hearted person who is blinded by her longing for her husband. The image that the Chorus has of Clytemnestra was very different from the type of woman she proved herself to be at the end of the play. She emerges a stronger person because in comparison to Agamemnon she tends to dominate, thus showing the reversal of roles between herself and her husband."
Abstract The paper deals with the development of Aeneas' character in Virgil's "Aenid", from a weak, fragile mortal in the first lines of the epic, to a raging warrior in the final book and everything in between. It explains how Anchises guides him into his new role as a leader of men and how his divine calling comes into conflict with his human desires and frailties, with tragic results. Finally, the paper discusses his status as a new model of socially responsible hero.
From the Paper "The figure of Aeneas had already been present, albeit in a small role, in the Homeric epics when work on the Aeneid commenced. Virgil, however, chose Aeneas as the hero for his modern, post-civil war, Roman epic and, with skill and sophistication, unquestionably made the character his own. In a bid to give his work emotional depth unheard of in all previous epics, Virgil characterises Aeneas through his two simultaneous journeys: the physical quest for the future site of Rome, and the personal, character-building process he goes through as he matures and grows into the poet's notion of the new "Roman Hero". This is done cleverly by Virgil; since whereas heroes such as Achilles or Odysseus are highly characterised at most opportunities by any means, Aeneas is defined more by his actions and the epithets given him (especially "pietas", which will be discussed later), with Virgil significantly avoiding writing Aeneas much dialogue in the poem."
Abstract This paper discuss how F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the "American dream" in his novel, "The Great Gatsby." It describes the American dream's significance in terms of plot, characterisation and theme in his novel. The paper suggests that Fitzgerald is critical of the American dream, and ultimately damns it, arguing that the American dream is no longer a universal ambition to which all Americans may aspire.
From the Paper "During the period of the 1920s American society was transformed by the opulence of a decadent era. These changes, as documented in The Great Gatsby, affected every American. However, as Fitzgerald writes, such changes were not uniform. The American Dream, an ideal that had driven the country since its inception, was redefined amid the unprecedented pursuit of wealth and material satisfaction, by a broad section of society. Fitzgerald argues in his novel that the American Dream has lost its significance in a newly materialistic America, influenced by an age of consumer goods. Through his protagonist, Gatsby, he shows the price of living too long for a single, unattainable dream, which had ceased to be. Fitzgerald is therefore arguing that the American dream is no longer a universal ambition to which all Americans may aspire."
Abstract This paper examines the ways historians have characterised the nationalist women's movements in colonial India between 1850 and 1900. The author has also looked at three different schools of thought as separate chapters, in order to look at the notions of practices such as sati and Purdah that were prevalent in colonial India during the time in question.
Outline:
Introduction
The Cambridge School
The Feminist School
The Subaltern Approach
Conclusion
From the Paper "Most of the government reports were written by men, either by British colonial officials, people appointed by the Raj or people associated with the nationalist parties like the Congress Party. They help to provide the public context of the anti-colonial movement and the British response to it, however this was the public context viewed through male only eyes and so cannot provide the entire picture.
"Furthermore, there is not much information concerning women's contributions in the domestic domain, which is central to women's experiences and so consequently is the main concern of women's writings. I will try to illuminate the work of historians who have looked at the role of women's agency both 'hidden' and 'seen', inside and outside of the domestic sphere.
"There are some perspectives that have not produced a sufficient amount of research to look at on the topic in question with one such perspective being Marxism, whereby there have been no major historical writings on the issue of Indian women."
Abstract This paper focuses upon both the needs and the challenges faced by both the family as a whole and by individuals entering the final phase of the family life cycle. It looks at how the final phase of the family life cycle encompasses two separate stages, the launching phase (55-69 years of age), which is characterised by the last dependent member of the family exiting from the family system and the 'later life' stage (70 to 100+ years of age), which is characterised by the acceptance of a shift in generational roles.
Outline
Family Systems Theory
Launching Stage
Assessment and Treatment Issues within the Launching Stage
Transition from the Launching Stage to Later Life
Later Life
End of Life and Loss
Assessment and Treatment Issues in Later Life
Summary
From the Paper "Self-concept plays a large role within this stage, which is best portrayed by Erikson's psychosocial theory of development. Here, the middle aged adult looks outside of themselves and aspires to care, or to be of service to others; such a notion is coined: generativity. Generativity is analogous to unselfish love and is given regardless of whether or not it is reciprocated (Erikson, 1963). On the other side of the notion of generativity is stagnation, in which the individual becomes completely self-absorbed. Such a stage of conflict contributes to one's sense of purpose and their expanded identity. Here, individuals re-evaluate their career goals, they have a shift in family responsibility and they must begin to deal with one's own mortality (Erikson, 1963)."
Abstract This paper examines how America has been characterised by a dramatic decrease in civic engagement and how this decrease is not only illustrated by low turnouts at presidential elections, which reveals a fall in electoral political participation, but also by lower civic engagement through active participation in social and political organisations. Robert Putnam suggests that American society's civic disengagement is, in large part, due to the development of the television. The paper argues that, if the American society is indeed characterised by a significant decrease in civic engagement, the development of television and other forms of media technologies does not lead necessarily to a more 'politically cynical' society.
Outline:
Putnam's Thesis: The Loss in Social Trust is Responsible For Less Civic Engagement
The End of America's Republican Civic Engagement?
Conclusion
From the Paper "Mouritsen questions Putnam's concept of social capital by interrogating the 'civil' in Putnam's conception of 'civil society'. Mouritsen insists on the fact that Putnam puts largely the emphasis on a civic community that emerges almost spontaneously from the people, "from the microcosmos of society" (MOURITSEN, 2003: 651). Putnam's considerations on the forming of social capital are thus based on the assertion that voluntary forces emanating from the people, from 'below', constitute the foundation of a civic consciousness. Mouritsen therefore criticises a conception of civil society that appeals to a narrow sense of republicanism: in this logic, many social scientists used to see the civil society as a civic space emerging independently from state forces, according to the "classical republican ideology of self-governing citizens" (MOURITSEN, 2003: 652). "
Abstract This paper provides a description of the general themes apparent in Ibsen's play 'A Doll's House' and the characters Ibsen creates. In defining the play as a "realism" play, the unique setting Ibsen chooses is analyzed.
From the Paper "All of the characters in 'A Doll's House' are ordinary, everyday people with whom the 19th Century audience would undoubtedly identify. This notion works in the same way as the naturalistic staging, as it prevented the audience from distancing themselves from 'those type of people'. One of the most acclaimed aspects of Ibsen's work is the profound depth and complexity of his characters. The temptation is to label characters as 'good' or 'bad', 'moral' or 'immoral', but their complexity makes such a definite distinction difficult. This is perhaps one of the things that most disturbed people at the time. Ibsen disregarded simplistic definitions and introduced the idea that all people contain elements of both good and bad."
Abstract India is a country that has become a subject of increasing popularity among economists and social scientists. Much of this has to do with the fact that as the nation approaches one billion in population the challenge of achieving economic development has not reduced since the country's day of independence just after the Second World War. At the same time, Indian leaders have been characterised by their desire to implement economy-wide plans, which have met with varying degrees of success. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper will be to examine the topic of economic planning and development in India. This will focus on India's export policy in the 1960s and its impact on the country's economic development from that time till now.
Abstract The urbanization and industrialization of Canada brought with them a rise in the thematic importance of technology in the nation's literature. As the negative consequences of these processes began to be seen very clearly, poets increasingly spoke out against the trend in their imaginative work. Nature is typically cast as a formerly exalted and redeeming entity which technology, the sum of man's scientific 'progress', has sullied. Analysing a number of short poems by Lampman, Pratt, Scott, and Birney, this paper will consider the characterisation of nature and technology which, resoundingly, conforms to the notions expressed above.
Abstract This paper evaluates the conclusion of Mosionier's (1999) "In Search of April Raintree." The essay discusses the core issues of this novel, concerning Indian and Metis relations and the conflicts of identity and culture that characterise this struggle. The evaluation emphasises character development, particularly in the roles of Cheryl and April.
Abstract This paper examines how since the implementation of the modern British welfare state in 1945, the various regimes have been organised around an ideological triangle of family, work and nation. It looks at how this concept draws attention to the way in which welfare policies and practices are the product of a society characterised by normative representations of class, race and gender, which in turn determine the constitution of welfare citizenship. It shows how since 1945, ideological assumptions underpinning the social settlement have altered along with the changing political, economic and social landscape of Britain. It maps these changes, demonstrating the consequences for the development of successive welfare regimes. It also gives a chronological account of the way in which assumptions about class, race and gender influence welfare policy and practice.
From the Paper "During the immediate post-war years there was a significant labour shortage and so the British government began a deliberate policy of encouraging immigration from Commonwealth countries. The British Nationality Act 1948 enshrined in law the right of Commonwealth citizens and their families to work and settle in Britain. However, many migrants found that despite Commonwealth citizenship, their immediate welfare needs were not being met (Clarke et al, 2001). For example, the eligibility criteria for provision of public housing, with regards to length of residence, served to exclude the newly arrived migrants."
Abstract This paper examines how there is no doubt that Stoker's "Dracula" is the literary locus classicus of the vampire,and how filmmakers across the world have used both names to depict horror in films. In particular it looks at how Francis Ford Coppola's distinctive 1992 version claims to adhere to much of the plot and characterisations of the novel with a metanarrative which is produced by a number of voice-overs and a cast of popular actors. It argues how Coppola's version claims no hold over the novel and is positively disappointing in its depiction of fear and fantasy that has maintained Stoker's novel in publication since the nineteenth century.
From the Paper "The horror of Dracula gains added impetus through Stoker's use of fear; fear of sexuality, and fear of regression. He chooses to elaborate on the dichotomy between the East and the West. The fear of a dead, feudal past, representing aristocracy, perversity and lust over a modern, living present, representing middle-class, normality and love. Dracula wants to relocate his horrifying operations in England, to seek new opportunities to satisfy his "sport" in the rational West that will be unsuspecting of his deathly activities. In moving these operations to contemporary London, Stoker is challenging present fears of a regression by using a power of a historically defunct aristocracy gaining control over the citizens of a modern, capitalist society."
Abstract This paper attempts to define and explain Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects approximately 20% of the Western population, and accounts for frequent absenteeism from work and impaired quality of life. The paper outlines how it is characterised by altered bowel habits and abdominal pain, in the absence of any other GI problems and diagnosis is based on the Rome criteria. Despite the the heterogenous nature of the disorder, the writer succeeds in giving a general overview of this disease for the reader.
From the Paper "Psychiatric disorders are recorded in 50-80% of patients with IBS in some studies, although a single disorder is not well defined. Anxiety, depression, somatization, and neurosis have all been recorded1. In patients with IBS, acute psychological attacks have been shown to significantly alter their gastrointestinal motility2. Drossman et al found that patients with IBS undergo more suffering from psychosocial distress than non-patients with IBS3. Osterberg et al, on the other hand, found that there were minute differences in psychological distresses between patients with IBS, and non-patients with IBS4. Thus, assorted studies have conclusions that vary from each other. Altered gastrointestinal motility seems to be associated with the aetiology of IBS, but is not diagnostic. Serotonin (5-HT) has been studied for its role in regulating colonic motility in humans, but it is not yet known whether alterations in the colonic 5-HT system are involved in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome5. Lincoln et al established that the total indoleamine (5-HT plus its metabolite 5-HIAA) concentration in the sigmoid colon in patients undergoing partial or total colectomy for treatment of idiopathic constipation, attributed to IBS, was considerably higher than in normal subjects6. In unstimulated conditions, the colonic myoelectrical and motor activity are normal, whereas under stimulated conditions, IBS patients shown more abnormalities than normal subjects7. Lanng et al, found that all investigations regarding motility disorders showed variation, supporting the general theory of IBS being a broad-spectrum motility disorder."
Abstract A comparison of the characters in Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility", Samuel Richardson's "Pamela" and Fanny Burney's "Evelina". The paper begins by reviewing the literature that preceeded the 19th century and the changes evident in the 19th century. The writer then explores the roles of the main characters of each of the novels, as a part of their society and times.
From the Paper "The eighteenth century was a very important time for the development of a new literary form known as the novel. As this literary form progressed, characterizations of femininity changed, reflecting changes in society. Samuel Richardson's Pamela (1741) is a self-consciously moral antidote to the immoral novels of Aphra Behn, Delarivier Manley, and Eliza Haywood. The full title is: Pamela, or, Virtue Rewarded, and the latter part of the title forms the main theme of the novel. Jane Austen published Sense and Sensibility in 1811, nearly a half century later, and her female characters reflect a difference in attitude towards sentiment."
Tags: burney, characterisation, evelina, fanny, pamela, richardson, samuel
