Abstract This paper is a close textual commentary of one part of Lord Dalhousie's address to the Court of Directors of the East India Company, written in 1856. It follows the main ideas of the text and is organized in three parts. The first one concentrates on the new British annexations in India, the second addresses the economic advantages of the situation and the reforms carried out. Finally, the paper attempts to reveal what Dalhousie has chosen not to say in his report. The purpose of this commentary is to show historical events under an unbiased light and at the same time to explain a text that does not take into account all sides of the problem of British Imperialism. Dalhousie text is included as an Appendix of this paper. This is a textual commentary and was written for an oral presentation during a history of the British Empire class.
From the Paper "The period 1943 - 1856 marked the end of the process of expansion and the consolidation of the British Raj. The second half of the 1850s witnessed the climax of mid-Victorian power, prosperity and enterprise. In England, the predominant philosophy was that of adaptation and improvement. After the definitive annexation of new territories, British power and prestige seemed to be finally asserted and the period is, therefore, often referred to as one of "British supremacy" or "British paramountcy". The political and economic philosophies that ruled internal affairs were exported within the British Dominions - it was the age of the new Indian schools, of the first Indian railway lines, of uniform postage, and of the Indian telegraph. The text at hand illustrates British attitudes to the Empire during that period and, as a primary source document, provides a detailed report on British activity in India. It is delivered by Lord Dalhousie to the Court of Directors of the East India Company. James Andrew Broun Ramsay Marquess and 10th Earl of Dalhousie (1812 - 1860) spent 8 years in India (from 1848 to 1856), fought two wars (the II Sikh and II Burmese wars), worked on a number of reforms, and occupied the post of Governor General."
Tags: british, commentary, dalhousie, economy, empire, general, governor, historical, history, india, indian, international, relations, research, texts, writings
Abstract This paper shows that similar to the Jewish and Christian traditions, where scholars wrote commentaries on the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, Islamic scholars throughout the centuries since the rise of Islam in the first half of the 7th century have written commentaries, or tafsirs, on the Qur"an. It discusses how, ironically, many tafsirs contradict the content of the Qur"an but are extremely valuable because they reflect ideas and interpretations shared in prestigious centers and schools of Islamic learning. Eve's (Hawwa?) depiction in the Qur"an, for example, is in stark contrast with her representation in tafsir. The paper shows how the Qur"an, therefore, portrays an egalitarian position between man and woman, whereas the majority of tafsirs reflect a more hierarchical view. It discusses how this phenomenon is still attested and debated in the late twentieth century, especially by female Muslim scholars educated in a variety of academic fields.
From the Paper "Al-Tabari and al-Razi both wrote Qur"anic commentaries that continue to hold great authority and influence in modern Islamic exegesis. It is important to note that both al-Tabari and al-Razi use many of the hadith materials"the actions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad"which may explain for the discrepancy between the Qur"an's depiction of Eve and that found in tafsir. Stowasser states, ?extraneous detail transmitted in Hadith form and frequently originating in the Bible and Bible-related sources not only fleshes out the story of Adam and Eve but drastically changes it, especially with regard to the woman's role.? As a result, Muslim interpretations of Eve's creation and the couple's exile from the Garden often depart from scriptural content."
Abstract This essay deals with two passages from Carlos Fuentes? novel, The Death of Artemio Cruz. This is a passage commentary on both. The passages were a recollection of a sexual event, from Artemio Cruz's past, dated December 4, 1913. The passages dealt with perception, Cruz's personal yearn for total control. The aspect of male dominance was also present in this passage.
From the Paper "The actual case of this passage was much more grotesque. It was a soldier raping a town's woman, and afterwards, she would get hanged. This was a beautiful lie that Artemio Cruz had created. It was his male egoistic fantasy: a woman who did as he wished, to sleep with if and when he wanted and to be followed, and to be cooked for. Cruz and Fuentes, with their description of the past event, were able to create a romantic moment out of a rape scene. This was akin to the details that Cruz had remembered so thoroughly, as he blended unpleasant images that had pleasant meanings and vice versa."
Abstract This ten page undergraduate paper examines newspaper commentary on the value fluctuations of the Canadian dollar. The paper discusses how the commentaries tended to focus not only on the exchange rate and its shifts, but on the various reasons why these fluctuations were occurring. The paper explains that at times the commentaries dealt with immediate causes of Canadian dollar value changes, while at other times a more extended assessment was given which focused on longer-term influences and trends.
From the Paper "In tracking the changing value of the Canadian dollar between January 24 and March 11, 2005, it is evident that the fluctuation was generally confined within a range of five-cents. The lowest difference between the Canadian and U.S. dollars was reached at the end of this recording cycle, when the difference was .2040 on 11 March. The highest difference was seen one week into the recording cycle when the difference was .2566 on 7 February. During this seven-week period, the average difference between the Canadian and American dollars was .2351."
Abstract This paper is a commentary on the Derek Jarman's film, "Caravaggio", emphasizing the model-artist relationship in the movie and the artistic expression with which Jarman displays Michele Caravaggio himself.
From the paper:
"Jarman's Caravaggio is a rare commentary on the life of Michele Caravaggio, one ravished by misfortune and sorrow but nonetheless embraced and exalted today as a crucial moment in the defining of art. This film not only promotes the efforts and exploits of Caravaggio, but also delves into the realm of the artist as a human, not merely the means through which art is accomplished. Jarman takes special effort to integrate the relation of Caravaggio to his peers and friends while smoothly throwing artistic practice into the mix with a natural fluidity that almost necessitates the replacement of the word "practice" with ?being'."
Tags: caravaggio, jarman, artist, art, artistic, model
Abstract This paper explains that the overall purpose of the Midrash is to explain the meaning of ambiguous texts and their often difficult vocabulary and syntax as well as to describe the personalities and events in the Torah in a manner that makes them recognizable and relevant to contemporary minds. The paper also explains that the Midrash serves the purpose of allowing the student or reader to dwell upon certain themes that are to be studied with much personal reflection and commentary. The paper further discusses the themes found in the Midrash, the different styles of commentary and the Midrash approach to the Torah.
From the Paper "In Chapter Three of his book Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts, Barry W. Holtz informs the reader that there are very distinct differences regarding the Halachah (the laws) and the Aggadah or stories as they relate to oral interpretation, being that of the Torah or the Laws of Moses. For example, the texts concerning the law contain numerous legends and symbolism, while the stories are sometimes suspended in order to highlight certain laws. Basically speaking, one who reads the Midrash should always observe how and why the author omits certain details so that a lesson in the law can be learned, thus formulating one's own explanation of the law or story."
Abstract The following paper examines the way in which Blake, in the poem ?The Smile,? illustrates the human spectrum of emotions using the examples of love and hate. The writer also examines how Blake contrasts the differences between human love and Godly love in this poem.
From the Paper "In the first two stanzas of 'The Smile'; Blake places love and hate at the two extremes of human emotion. Blake states that there is a Smile of Smiles in which these two Smiles [Love and Deceit] meet (lines 3-4). The Smile is flawed because it is deceitful, and thus it is human. The entire first stanza of 'The Smile' is an allusion to the Christian concept of Original Sin, which states that humans are born flawed and sinful. By having the two Smiles meet, or compromise, Blake states that the majority of human love is tainted. According to Blake, human love is a compilation of pure love and dishonesty."
Abstract The paper looks at the strong contrast between "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and the social commentary in Emily Dickinson's poems, notably 67, 249, 254, 505, and 712. The uncertainties of social standing that plague the character J. Alfred Prufrock are contrasted with Dickinson's resolve of these issues in her own life. A distinction is also drawn between their outlook and view of themselves in society and their ultimate happiness. The paper proposes that Dickinson's poems answer the questions Prufrock poses regarding his inability to take action.
From the Paper "At the beginning of the poem, Prufrock shows the woman he is with a sunset, comparing it to "a patient etherised upon a table" (3). This instantly creates an unsettling mood of social insecurities. Dickinson also uses ether as a metaphor, writing that she ?would rather be the One/ Raised softly to the Ceilings-/ And out, and easy on-/ Through Villages of Ether-? (505, 10-13). While Dickinson embraces this ethereal sleep, Prufrock eschews such intoxication. Prufrock's sterile use of the word is indicative of his staid, passive lifestyle."
Abstract This paper discusses the ideals of symbolism and analogies in comparison to Modern day America that are found in Nathanial Hawthorne's novel, ?The Birthmark.? The author examines some of these different themes including feminism, discrimination, physical and spiritual imperfection, decay and duplicity. The author feels that this is a very well-written commentary on society at the time.
From the Paper "From this perspective we may argue that the birthmark is used as a symbol of the inability of men to accept women on equal terms for themselves. Instead they need an idealistic visions of what they believe a woman should be, complete with all of the relevant social and societal trappings. A woman here is not a person, but an object or worship, and as such she is no longer a real person, but a non person that is the creation of the man's mind. This is a feminist perspective, but a valid notion on the way that men of the time sought to perceive women and reduce them to objects rather then accept them as equals."
Abstract This paper discusses that, in their film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", the Coen brothers built in ironic commentary that underscores the understanding of the story of Odysseus. The author classifies the film as a "road picture". The author states that like Homer the always-inventive Coen brothers have taken recognizable allusions to other movies and the surprise of new ones and blended them into a remarkable film.
From the Paper "Into this, they weave some very obscure allusions: Waldrop is the surname of Penny's suitor and of Howard Waldrop who wrote a novel called A Dozen Tough Jobs, in which the central character is a modernized version of Hercules. The title of the movie comes from a 1941 play by Preston Sturgis, called Sullivan's Travels, in which the protagonist must choose whether to obey the studios and create a facile, feel-good comedy or portray the real sufferings of exploited man."
Abstract The paper author feels that "Pride and Prejudice" is Jane Austen's most important work because it is a social commentary on the rules, regulation and practices of her times. This paper describes portions of "Pride and Prejudice that portray negatively the life of the clergyman Williams Collins. The paper author states that Austen uses humor to help describe the way the stratified Victorian society perceived various occupations and institutions.
From the Paper "In other words, while the Church was significant, its clergies were not respected by the nineteenth century society. People would either ridicule them or shun them completely as it appears from this novel. William Collins is made fun in almost every scene in which he makes an appearance. Anthony Trollope has this to say about Austen's art and her views on clergymen, "Miss Austen was surely a great novelist. What she did, she did perfectly. Her work, as far as it goes, is faultless. She wrote of the times in which she lived, of the class of people with which she associated, and in the language, which was usual to her as an educated lady" "
Abstract This paper looks at commentaries on Hume's works by Vladimir Price called "The Ironic Hume." The writer lays out a few suggestions of ironic interpretation not mentioned by Price, the purpose being to get them on the table for philosophical discussion. It begins with a few comments on the intellectual “freedom” of the eighteenth century. This was the time in which Hume lived, a time in which someone like him, a man with integrity, wit, and great intelligence, had to carefully choose his words. The writer then examines Hume's “Of Miracles,” turning to "The Natural History of Religion", and the "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" (with the heaviest focus on this last). The paper focuses on certain passages which appear to feature more than the usual Humean ambiguity. Price’s ironic interpretations are then examined, which provide material which the the writer claims grasps Hume’s intent.
From the Paper ""Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man" (Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (ECHU) I.4: 452). So David Hume advised anyone who would venture into the deep and perplexing regions of abstract philosophy. Indeed, those trying to interpret Hume's own writings, particularly when they relate to religious issues, must stay on their toes. After reading these works, one realizes that Hume's writing style is deceptively simple. Packed within each sentence, each phrase, and often, each word, are meanings within meanings, deep irony hovering over lighter irony, and grand, major points made around smaller, but no less important, staccato-type ones. Certainly, after delving into the challenges lying deep within Hume's religious writings, philosophers might feel the need to relax their vigilance and engage in some business of purely ordinary human gratification. Hume would encourage them to do so."
Abstract McClary brings the idea that during the early nineteenth century, concepts such as identity and masculinity were being newly defined, with art being one of the defining processes. This paper introduces some examples from art of this period, looking at the commentary of McClary to illustrate this theory. According to the paper, it is difficult for readers and listeners to separate the biographical details of the artist from the work.
From the Paper "Schubert, on the other hand, was not a well-known composer in his own time. By the time his work became open to criticism, Beethoven's work so dominated the critical mind as the epitome of German manhood that critical response to Schubert's work was labeled feminine. If Beethoven's directness, violence, and ferocity in his music was male, surely Schubert's flexibility and lack of tonal anchoring, engendering sympathy and attraction, were female. At least, this was the way critics of the period viewed the difference."
Abstract This paper depicts "The Grapes of Wrath" as a social commentary on the Great Depression that caused thousands of people to be displaced and caused the gender role changes within the societal environment.
Abstract This paper assesses critical responses to "The Hokku" of Basho. During the Tokugawa period Basho was, literally, deified and slavishly praised. The modern era began with a re-evaluation and harsh backlash against this status. More recently, Japanese commentaries have developed a critical but positive assessment of Basho's work.
