Essay on Art in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man -- Portrait Ar

Art in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Dedalus' philosophy of art, expressed in his discussion with Lynch in Chapter Five, seems essentially romantic, yet the novel is written in a very realistic mode typical of the twentieth century. This apparent inconsistency may direct us to one way of interpreting this novel. Dedalus' idea of art may be Romantic, but because his world is no longer the world of the Romantics he has to see art more as a fundamental validation of his own being than as a communication of a special vision. Two aspects of Romanticism figure into this analysis of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. First, the Romantics' defining belief in some connection between the human spirit and some higher purpose, and their belief in art's capacity to serve as the vehicle to connect the human with the divine, is the philosophical underpinning of Dedalus' esthetic theory. Second, however, the Romantics also believed that they were communicating in the words of the people, to the hearts of the people, and this Dedalus cannot quite believe he can do. He senses inchoately that communication of the Romantic vision to a modern world is impossible. Therefore, Dedalus' difficult coming of age as an artist, and perhaps Joyce's, records the essentially romantic, Platonic soul, struggling to emerge from the oppressive realities of the mundane world. The Platonic soul has to reject that world because it is not divine, as the Romantics rejected the Enlightenment scientific worldview, but whereas the Romantics of Wordsworth's age could believe their role was to communicate this truth through poetry to "the people," Stephen Dedalus can only withdraw from the world into abstruse theory, or a l... ...religion, its politics, its poverty, its people. Conclusion So when Dedalus finally pronounces his break from his whole upbringing, it is for this reason: his Romantic soul doesn't comport very well with his realist's understanding of the world. Since he cannot believe, as Wordsworth did, that the spiritually starved masses were waiting out there for his pronouncement of a Grand Vision, he does the only thing he can&emdash;he opts out: I will not serve that in which I no longer believe whether it call itself my home, my fatherland or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself to use&emdash;silence, exile, and cunning. (247) Works Cited: Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: NewAmerican Library, 1991.

The Union of American Federation of Labor

Early american workers dealt with many problems. These problems ranged from child labor to unemployment. The workers also tried to set up groups, called unions, that they could call their own. The owners of the companies they worked for could not give the workers what they deserved because of their unions. Many unions also helped shape our modern US history by helping the people come together as a whole. One such union was the American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L. ). The unions of the A. F. of L. laced great emphasis on written collective agreements, including the closed shop, in which only union members are permitted to work. The A. F. of L. unions also insisted that members pay relatively high dues, and many of them established insurance and strike benefits. They became known to be job consciousness rather than class consciousness. The start of the A. F. of L. started with the beliefs of one man. That man was Samuel Gompers. He believed in organizing skilled workers ofd the same craft, build unions of plumbers, or carpenters, or cigar makers. By establishing these unions, a labor movement started to unfold. He split the American unions from the class struggle, and made it a partner to the US and not an enemy as people thought unions were. Gompers made unions respectable to the people. Child Labor The A. F. of L. was a pioneer in restricting child labor. The A. F. of L. would have a law passed by the Congress but the Supreme court would say Congress over stepped its powers. Even though this slowed the progress of child labor laws, it did not stop Gompers from trying to start the laws. The A. F. of L. held a conference in 1922 in which any union who wished to see the abolition of child labor was invited. The council worked for the restriction of child labor by writing an amendment that did not get enough votes to pass. It was not until the 1930†³s that some forms of restriction come about. Unemployment The depression in the 1930†³s gave way to massive unemployment. In 1929, 3. 2% of the workers could not find work. In 1933, it rose to over 24. 9% of the workers not being able to find work. The A. F. of L. ecognized the problem of unemployment even before it became a problem in the 1930†³s. The A. F. of L. had a plan for meeting unemployment: (1) establishment of a national employment service by Congress; (2) census of unemployment to be included in the census to be taken in 1930; and (3) regularization of employment by management to provide stable work. The plan also represented the following program as a means for relieving unemployment: (1) shorter work hours to be introduced in industry, with the five days week and vacations with pay; (2) stabilization of employment. With the effort of the A. F. of L. , unemployment was greatly reduced, but not completely and jobs for workers became easier to attain and keep. Education The A. F. of L. has always supported the education of children and the free public school. They liked the idea of â€Å"enactments that will enforce the education of children. † They supported free textbooks to the school children and the establishment of part time classes for the education of minors who were employed. Federal aid to the A. F of L. eant four items: (1) able to pay the teachers; (2) aid to protect the health of the student; (3) scholarships to help those in need to further education; and (4) support in a school building program. Extra funds would be distributed based on need. In 1920, the Workers† Education Bureau was established with the help of the A. F. of L. The bureau was to promote and assist educational work done by the unions. The bureau became an important and very functional part of the A. F. of L. Merger of AFL and CIO The A. F. of L. and the C. I. O (another strong union) saw that unions would be better able to serve their members and the community if a labor unity was reached. Talks soon started with the help of President Roosevelt but were soon halted by both sides in 1939. Talks did not resume until 1942 where an agreement was negotiated. The agreement was signed by three members of both unions who were put in charge of the agreement. But the major leaders of both unions accused the other of raiding They said that talks could not go farther until they agreed that neither side would raid and the war was over. Year after year, very little progress was made, but enough to keep the talks going. Serious negotiations were not made until 1947. Closer cooperation between both groups slowly began with the help of local groups affiliated with the two unions. In 1954, both sides agreed to the no-raiding policy. The new A. F. L-C. I. O spent time examining their differences standing in the way of finalizing their unity. In 1955, all differences were sorted out and on February 9, the Merger Agreement was signed. On this day, the American Federation of Labor finished its seventy-five years of existence. The Union of American Federation of Labor Early american workers dealt with many problems. These problems ranged from child labor to unemployment. The workers also tried to set up groups, called unions, that they could call their own. The owners of the companies they worked for could not give the workers what they deserved because of their unions. Many unions also helped shape our modern US history by helping the people come together as a whole. One such union was the American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L. ). The unions of the A. F. of L. laced great emphasis on written collective agreements, including the closed shop, in which only union members are permitted to work. The A. F. of L. unions also insisted that members pay relatively high dues, and many of them established insurance and strike benefits. They became known to be job consciousness rather than class consciousness. The start of the A. F. of L. started with the beliefs of one man. That man was Samuel Gompers. He believed in organizing skilled workers ofd the same craft, build unions of plumbers, or carpenters, or cigar makers. By establishing these unions, a labor movement started to unfold. He split the American unions from the class struggle, and made it a partner to the US and not an enemy as people thought unions were. Gompers made unions respectable to the people. Child Labor The A. F. of L. was a pioneer in restricting child labor. The A. F. of L. would have a law passed by the Congress but the Supreme court would say Congress over stepped its powers. Even though this slowed the progress of child labor laws, it did not stop Gompers from trying to start the laws. The A. F. of L. held a conference in 1922 in which any union who wished to see the abolition of child labor was invited. The council worked for the restriction of child labor by writing an amendment that did not get enough votes to pass. It was not until the 1930†³s that some forms of restriction come about. Unemployment The depression in the 1930†³s gave way to massive unemployment. In 1929, 3. 2% of the workers could not find work. In 1933, it rose to over 24. 9% of the workers not being able to find work. The A. F. of L. ecognized the problem of unemployment even before it became a problem in the 1930†³s. The A. F. of L. had a plan for meeting unemployment: (1) establishment of a national employment service by Congress; (2) census of unemployment to be included in the census to be taken in 1930; and (3) regularization of employment by management to provide stable work. The plan also represented the following program as a means for relieving unemployment: (1) shorter work hours to be introduced in industry, with the five days week and vacations with pay; (2) stabilization of employment. With the effort of the A. F. of L. , unemployment was greatly reduced, but not completely and jobs for workers became easier to attain and keep. Education The A. F. of L. has always supported the education of children and the free public school. They liked the idea of â€Å"enactments that will enforce the education of children. † They supported free textbooks to the school children and the establishment of part time classes for the education of minors who were employed. Federal aid to the A. F of L. eant four items: (1) able to pay the teachers; (2) aid to protect the health of the student; (3) scholarships to help those in need to further education; and (4) support in a school building program. Extra funds would be distributed based on need. In 1920, the Workers† Education Bureau was established with the help of the A. F. of L. The bureau was to promote and assist educational work done by the unions. The bureau became an important and very functional part of the A. F. of L. Merger of AFL and CIO The A. F. of L. and the C. I. O (another strong union) saw that unions would be better able to serve their members and the community if a labor unity was reached. Talks soon started with the help of President Roosevelt but were soon halted by both sides in 1939. Talks did not resume until 1942 where an agreement was negotiated. The agreement was signed by three members of both unions who were put in charge of the agreement. But the major leaders of both unions accused the other of raiding They said that talks could not go farther until they agreed that neither side would raid and the war was over. Year after year, very little progress was made, but enough to keep the talks going. Serious negotiations were not made until 1947. Closer cooperation between both groups slowly began with the help of local groups affiliated with the two unions. In 1954, both sides agreed to the no-raiding policy. The new A. F. L-C. I. O spent time examining their differences standing in the way of finalizing their unity. In 1955, all differences were sorted out and on February 9, the Merger Agreement was signed. On this day, the American Federation of Labor finished its seventy-five years of existence.

Economic Issues: Is the war in Iraq good for the economy Essay

As most of the issues concerning nowadays deals more on the economic impacts of the actions of the government, there have been a lot of debates arguing if whether it would be beneficial to the US the ongoing war in Iraq. In an economic view point, it is clear that funding war really requires a lot of money to spend in order to sustain it which in turn involves high opportunity costs on the part of the American people. Last year, around $1 trillion was the expected spending of our government to fund the said war in Iraq (Wolk 1) while there are sectors in the government that lacks enough budgets to continue its functions to serve the American people. Like for instance, the Congress decided to cut the fund allotted for education to around $12. 7 billion. Due to the war in Iraq, the government have incurred tremendous amount of budget deficit, and in order to solve the said problem on the finances of the government they sacrificed the welfare and pass the burden to the students. Moreover, taxes rate were increased by the government due to the need of more funds. It was found out that most of the tax collection of the government entirely goes to transfer payments like the war in Iraq. Moreover, the funds being used for schools came from property taxes; funds for roads and bridges came from gas taxes while user fees funds airports, sewer and water systems (â€Å"Where Do Your Taxes Go? † 2). The government also uses the funds generated from IMF to perform its designated functions. In short, the government charges us taxes in order to fund the war in Iraq and not to give us infrastructures and services that are in the first place role of the government to its citizen. Although at some point in time prices of stocks rise by the start of the war, but it does not guarantee that it would remain at that level. Moreover, it was the result of the expectations of the investors and not because of the direct cause of the war (Glassman 1). It is still up to the investors how they will view the war in Iraq- beneficial or detrimental to stock market. If they see that the war would boost the economy in the future, then, they would improved the stock market. But if the investors think that it would be risky to invest by the time the war began, then, war is detrimental to the financial institutions of the economy. Moreover, the US Central Bank said last November 6 that â€Å"geopolitical uncertainty† is the reason behind the economic turmoil like the cutting of the interest rate to 1. 5%. this only tell us that war in Iraq puts no good in the economy. Deaths might weaken the labor force of the economy and this result to lower productivity and growth of the market (Schifferes 1). Wage rate pressured to go up and could negatively affect the profitability of the companies in the market. Moreover, there are rumors in the market that Iraq will cut their supply of the oil in the international market as a result of the war (Miller 1). With this, there is a possibility that prices of oil products to rise which plays a vital role in the production of final goods in the market. It was said that the price of oil increased from $35 to $40 at the start of the war and this greatly affects the level of the productivity of the economy. Actually, there is really no problem on the military intervention of US to Iraq economic-political situation if it only involved a short period of time (Stiglitz 1). But the current situation seems to be not the case since until now the war continuous to occur in the desserts of Iraq which as we have said imposed uncertainties to the stock market, undervalued the welfare of its citizens and the reputation of the government to the foreign investors. Short run impacts of the war can still be handled by the market system itself; but in the long run, there is already a need for the collaboration of all the sectors of the economy to put back again the economy into its equilibrium condition.

buy custom William Shawcross essay

buy custom William Shawcross essay This Book Report is about Allies by William Shawcross published by Publicaffairs published on January 6, 2004 in New York. In March 2003 the United States, England, and their coalition allies took massive perils in attacking Iraq. They jeopardized one of the most thriving coalitions in history. They jeopardized both the United Nations and themselves. And they periled forming a new marsh in which terrorists could breed and prosper. Allies by William Shawcross is an investigation of the risks taken in Iraq, the motive for them and the ways in which the confrontation posed by Iraq was different from anything faced by the post-war Western accord. Perhaps for that rationale, the choice to go to war in Iraq endangered, and to some level still intimidates, to obliterate that accord. William Shawcross, a notable foreign writer with an unrivalled viewpoint on international associations, shows why the United States had to take the path; why Britain-and many other countries pursued; and why Franco-German fabrication and hindrance had to be brushed aside. Without reducingthe realism of the continuing risks or rejecting that blunders were made along this most tricky of journeys, Shawcross disputes fervently that going to war in Iraq was the correct thing to do. William Shawcross first came to fame with Sideshow, a buzzing denunciation of Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon's measures in Cambodia. This time he vigorously supports the armed forces actions of the United States administration as it attacks Iraq and overthrows the government of Saddam Hussein. Preventive war is not the uncharacteristic approach that some of George W. Bush's detractors might propose but rather an essential plan in dealing with perilous dictators. Shawcross tramples calmly on the argument over the reality of WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and the anxious setting of post-Saddam Iraq while telling at length the human rights offenses committed by Saddam Hussain and his sons Qusay and Uday to make the point that that the war was necessary. France and Germany are cast here as ungrateful opportunists for their antagonism to Bush. Jacques Chirac, in particular, is on the receiving end of much hostility by Shawcross who neverr lets pass an opportunity to mention nickname s like "The Crook" or "Super Menteur" to illustrate the president of France. Strangely, given the book's title and cover photograph of United States President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, there is slight inside information on the bond between the two men and the American and British decision makers that hasn't been well recorded in conventional news channels reporting of the war. This inconsequentiality widens to the rest of Allies as well. I wished for some ground-breaking examination or radical study but Shawcross frequently just presents his view: that Saddam was treacherous, the Americans were correct to eliminate him, and that the UN and much of Europe were incorrect to object. Another dilemma with Allies is how fluid the condition in Iraq was as the book went to press. As a consequence, Shawcross's examination runs the possibility of being obsolete and inappropriate within a moderately short period of time. Allies is a swift read and Shawcross is a very good writer but one desires that he could have given more profundity to such a complex situation. Buy custom William Shawcross essay

The Haunted House (1859) by Charles Dickens

The Haunted House (1859) by Charles Dickens The Haunted House (1859) by Charles Dickens is actually a compilation work, with contributions from Hesba  Stretton, George Augustus Sala, Adelaide Anne Procter,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Wilkie Collins, and Elizabeth Gaskell.  Each writer, including Dickens, writes one â€Å"chapter† of the tale.  The premise is that a group of people has come to a well-known haunted house to stay for a period of time, experience whatever supernatural elements might be there to experience, then regroup at the end of their stay to share their stories.  Each author represents a specific person within the tale and, while the genre is supposed to be that of the ghost story, most of the individual pieces fall flat of that.  The conclusion, too, is saccharine and unnecessary- it reminds the reader that, though we came for ghost stories, what we leave with is  a mirthful  Christmas story. The Guests Because this is a compilation of separate short stories, one would not expect much character growth and development (short stories are, after all, more about the theme/event/plot than they are about the characters).  Still, because they were interconnected via the primary story (a group of folks coming together to the same house), there could have been at least a bit of time spent developing those guests, so as to better understand the stories they ultimately told.  Gaskell’s story, being the longest, did allow for some characterization and what was done, was done well.  The characters remain generally flat throughout, but they are recognizable characters- a mother who would act like a mother, a father who acts like a father, etc.  Still, when coming to this collection, it cannot be for its interesting characters because they just are not very interesting (and this could be even more acceptable if the stories themselves were thrilling ghost stories because then there i s something else to entertain and occupy the reader, but †¦).    The Authors Dickens, Gaskell, and Collins are clearly the masters here, but in my opinion Dickens was in fact outshone by the other two in this one.  Dickens’s portions read too much like someone trying to write a thriller but not quite knowing how (it felt like someone mimicking  Edgar Allan Poe- getting the general mechanics right, but not quite being Poe).  Gaskell’s piece is the longest, and her narrative brilliance- use of dialect in particular- are clear.  Collins has the best paced and most appropriately toned prose.  Salas’s writing seemed pompous, arrogant, and long-winded; it was funny, at times, but a bit too self-serving.  The inclusion of Procter’s verse added a nice element to the overall scheme, and a nice break from the various competing proses.  The verse itself was haunting and reminded me quite a bit of the pace and scheme of Poe’s â€Å"The Raven.†Ã‚  Stretton’s short piece was perhaps the most enjoyable, because it was so well-written and more intricately layered than the rest.   Dickens himself was reportedly underwhelmed and disappointed by his peers’ contributions to this serial  Christmas tale.  His hope was that each of the authors would put into print a certain fear or terror particular to each of them, as Dickens’s story did.  The â€Å"haunting,† then, would be something personal and, while not necessarily supernatural, could still be understandably frightening.  Like Dickens, the reader may be disappointed with the end-result of this ambition. For Dickens, the fear was in revisiting his impoverished youth, the death of his father and the dread of never escaping the â€Å"ghost of [his] own childhood.†Ã‚  Gaskell’s story revolved around betrayal by blood- the loss of a child and lover to the darker elements of humanity, which is understandably frightening in its way.  Sala’s story was a dream within a dream within a dream, but while the dream could have been unnerving, there seemed little that was truly frightening about it, supernatural or otherwise.  Wilkie Collins’s story is the one in this compilation which could actually be considered a â€Å"suspense† or â€Å"thriller† story.  Hesba Stretton’s story, too, while not necessarily scary, is romantic, somewhat suspenseful, and well-accomplished overall.   When considering the group of tales in this compilation, it is Stretton’s which leaves me wanting to read more of her work.  Ultimately, though it is called The Haunted House, this compilation of ghost stories is not really a ‘Halloween’-type read.  If one reads this collection as a study of these individual writers, their thoughts, and what they considered haunting, then it is quite interesting.  But as a ghost story, it is no extraordinary achievement,  possibly because Dickens (and presumably the other writers) was a skeptic and found the popular interest in the supernatural rather silly.

Which Criteria Might Be Most Appropriate for Assessing the Essay

Which Criteria Might Be Most Appropriate for Assessing the Sustainability of Building Materials - Essay Example The resources used to fuel this economic growth (fossil fuels, minerals, fresh water, wood etc.) are being depleted at a very alarming rate. Issues such as global warming, pollution etc. has raised concerns about the future of life on the planet. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the community of scientists and engineers are now promoting sustainable practices in the various fields of engineering (Braganca, Mateus and Koukarri, 2010). This includes lesser dependence on the fossil fuels with increased power production from renewable energy resources, energy conservation through more efficient production systems and building designs and the use of sustainable and recyclable materials in construction industry and consumer goods. The construction industry currently consumes a huge amount of resources mainly the building materials such as structure steel, concrete, cement, sand, gravel, wood, and glass etc. The current annual consumption of structure steel in USA alone is 7.1 millio n metric tones. On the completion of its lifecycle, as the building is destroyed for renovation or incorporation of new designs, this material is usually dumped in waste land and creates environmental issues. Moreover, the materials traditionally used for construction such as masonry bricks and concrete are good conductors of heat and hence they significantly increase the energy consumption for cooling and heating the building. Operation and maintenance of buildings is also a very important concern while selecting the building materials. Deterioration of traditional building materials causes waste materials to escape in to the atmosphere. The maintenance of buildings usually causes use of the same materials with the same drawbacks. It is also reported that the traditional construction materials are responsible for toxic emissions to both outdoors and indoors of the building causing damaging effects on the human health. The above discussion shows that the traditional practices involv e wastage of materials and energy and in most of the cases has deteriorating effects on the environment. It is hence of great importance that the materials used for construction must be environment friendly and sustainable. When it comes to engineering design and material selection process, it is important that the decisions are made on the basis of quantified data rather than abstract observations and experiences. It is important to measure how much a material is environment friendly or to what extent it has the damaging effect on the environment. Hence as the first step towards the use of sustainable materials in the building design, the criteria on which the sustainability of a building is measured should be specified. This paper discusses the research made in this regard and summarizes the criteria used by different researchers and in different regions around the globe. According to Oxford dictionary sustainability is defined as the ‘conservation of the ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources’. With reference to the building materials, the term implies that the selection of building materials should be made considering the environmental effect of their production and usage. Such materials should be given preference which are recyclable, have none or negligible emissions, have very low carbon foot print during their production and transportation. There are several different properties which are desirable in building materials in order to increase their sustainability. The manufacturing processes for the materials should involve minimum green house gas emissions or other harmful environment effects. The emissions from the building mate

Major disadvantages of pizza hut interactive table Essay

Major disadvantages of pizza hut interactive table - Essay Example Second, the platform is vulnerable to uncertainties of technology. Software bugs and failures during a busy session will bring a restaurant to stand still. This will be especially the case if customers get overly used to the platform. It is worth noting that the platform is yet to be tested severely and such software bugs and failures are a possibility. The way to overcome this challenge is through pilot testing the platform before rolling it out fully. Thirdly, the system like any other electronic system is vulnerable to malicious hacking. Malicious hackers may hack the platform and modify customer order contents. This will likely cause uproar in a restaurant as customers get served with what they did not actually order. In order to overcome this challenge, an alternative method should be readily available in case of a failure of the platform. Zolfagharifard, Ellie. Pizza Hut reveals interactive table concept that lets you design your perfect pie. Daily Mail, 4 March, 2014. Web. April 28, 2015.