A Study of Musical Theatre’s Gilbert and Sullivan Essay

Theatre, as we know it, always aims to provoke its audience through emotions, by invoking the muses of comedy and tragedy, and everything else in between. Many names are synonymous to the history and success of theatre, but none comes close to the iconic contributions of Britain’s most illustrious duo, collectively known as Gilbert and Sullivan. Sharp, clever wit and brilliant rhyme have found their rightful places in the theatrical masterpieces composed by renowned playwright William S. Gilbert, and his equally-profound partner, composer Arthur Sullivan. The 1870s marked the beginning of a new ideology in musical theatre, as the partnership brought to the fore previously unheard-of standards that were identified by a mix of intelligence in satire and silliness, as well as melodic instrumentations that complement the passion and creativity of the written word. Such was the success of the outcome that Gilbert and Sullivan managed to pioneer and influence generations of theatre innovations, and eventually, become a solid pillar in both British and American popular culture. Musical comedy writers, Broadway lyricists, literary authors and composers—and even important names in politics and government—are just some of those who have credited Gilbert and Sullivan for a number of their works. Through the excellent vision of production genius Richard D’Oyly Carte, the impressive collaborations of Gilbert and Sullivan were set to stage. The Savoy Theatre in London, Carte’s headquarters, became the setting for many of the duo’s memorable musicals. Innovative from the beginning, The Savoy was the first theatre in the world to utilize electricity, and summoned theatre-goers all over to sample this taste of technology as well as the brilliance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, which were later aptly named â€Å"Savoy Operas† (Kenrick, 2000-2003). The Gilbert and Sullivan era spanned from 1871 to 1896, and between them they were able to create fourteen critically-acclaimed and hugely popular masterpieces—counting The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H. M. S. Pinafore as the most widely-received. II. William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, The Beginning The young William Gilbert (1836-1911) was the son of a naval surgeon by profession, and a writer by interest. He jumpstarted his son’s juvenile career by allowing the boy to accompany his articles with illustrations; William soon found his own talent for writing, and came up with his own compositions. These writings, called Bab Ballads, would later find their way into some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most acclaimed musicals. Gilbert’s Bab Ballads were known for their unique use of humor played out through logic (Classic Gilbert and Sullivan). Mike Leigh, English film and theatre director, concludes this style to be decidedly one that had Gilbert’s signature, where the establishment of the strange, absurd, and otherwise unacceptable concept would be expertly formed into perfect examples of reason and truth—all done with a bite of silliness metamorphosing into deadpan prose. On the other hand, the musical inclinations of Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) also had strong parental influences—his father was a bandmaster with the military, and the then 8-year-old Arthur had already become expert in all the band instruments. In 1856, after concluding his initial attempts of composing songs and anthems in school, Arthur proceeded to claim the first Mendelssohn Prize, and took further studies in composition and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, as well as in Leipzig. He performed his 1861 graduation piece, an ode to William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, at the Crystal Palace; this earned him the prestige of being heralded as the country’s most promising young composer. Among Sullivan’s applauded works early in his career were The Masque at Kenilworth (1842), The Prodigal Son (1869), On Shore and Sea (1871), and a ballet entitled L’lle Enchantee (1864) (Classic Gilbert and Sullivan). William Gilbert’s and Arthur Sullivan’s paths crossed as they attended a rehearsal of the play Ages Ago, where the composer Frederic Clay made introductions. A couple of years after that, Gilbert and Sullivan made their first foray as co-creators of what would be a uniquely wonderful style admired by the whole world. III. Gilbert and Sullivan and the Comic Opera A staple of English theatre during the Edwardian era, the comic opera’s origins come from 18th-century Naples, in Italy. Known as intermezzi, short comic routines were used to end the bigger acts, and enjoyed much popularity that they were later written to exist on their own. The final output was the comic opera, the concept of which was soon transported to Paris, where it easily claimed the approval of French dramatists and audiences. However, the same could not be said upon its arrival on English territory, for theatre professionals and enthusiasts at the time were still more interested in evolving the popular Ballad Opera and the newer form of Music Hall; the latter was introduced to fill the need for a lighter, less serious entertainment style. Finally, in 1871, the comic opera was launched in London’s Gaiety Theatre, through the production of Thespis; or the Gods Grown Old. This not only marked a new chapter in British theatre, but also the first entry of the long-running collaboration of musical theatre’s most prestigious partnership—Gilbert and Sullivan. It all started with the efforts of John Hollingshead, then manager of the Gaiety Theatre, who employed Gilbert’s expertise to write the libretto of his theatre’s 1871 Christmas musical. They had worked together once before, on the burlesque Robert the Devil which also ran in Gaiety. To complete the requirement for the musical, Hollingshead contacted Sullivan, who was then still inexperienced in stage production. This first encounter produced Thespis, but was initially given much criticism and low confidence in the team. Four years later, the producer Carte would bring them back together to create Trial By Jury; the resulting 300 performances declared it a resounding success, as well as a much-awaited approval of the partnership. Perhaps the foremost appeal of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works had much to do with their ability to poke fun and humor at establishment, as well as current social and political issues. This was a high time for patriotism in Britain, and the British audience’s validation of the comic operas sealed the career success of the duo. Much of the credit would also have to go to the newness of concept and execution of each piece, that even foreign audiences understood and appreciated the essence of every performance. To this day, comic opera will always be defined by Gilbert and Sullivan—they truly made it their niche, and those that attempted to surpass or equal their achievements failed to do so (Gillan, 2007). Of the fourteen collaborative works of the famed partnership, many were lauded as icons of comic opera. These were the celebrated productions of Thespis: or the Gods Grown Old, Trial By Jury (1975), The Sorcerer (1877), and of course, the previously-mentioned The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H. M. S. Pinafore. Thespis: or the Gods Grown Old, being Gilbert and Sullivan’s first collaboration, had no real indications of the phenomenal future awaiting its two creators. Yet the classic Gilbert and Sullivan format was already applied in the work, by setting the opera in the mythical Mount Olympus. In the story, the gods have all grown old and the celestial buildings were all in a state of ruin. Then a group of actors and their leader named Thespis went up the mountain to have a picnic, and noticed the sad condition of the place. Thespis gets into a deal with Jupiter, agreeing that his group would take on the work of the tired gods, provided that Mercury would remain to brief them of their duties. But things do not go as planned, and Mercury only noted all complaints. When the gods on break finally return, they discover the unsatisfactory results and banish the group back to earth. 1875’s Trial By Jury made use of an old legal procedure as the main idea, specifically a ‘breach of promise’ trial. This often took place in earlier times, when a man could be summoned to court and sued for taking back a marriage proposal. The characters included a dashing, worldly bachelor and the woman who called for the hearing, a maiden dressed in wedding attire. An all-male jury and an unscrupulous judge round up the cast, with the woman directing her flirtations toward the jury but would end up receiving a proposal from the judge himself—as a way to resolve the case. The storyline established prevailing comic themes that would later be present in most of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works: (1) true and undying love may come from and end in unexpected sources and directions; (2) the existence of politicians who achieved their public status by charming and lying their way through, and (3) aversion for mature women, specifically those over 40—which is, in truth, a nod to patriarchy and sexism. Two years later, Gilbert and Sullivan produced The Sorcerer, which featured a man of magic who brings chaos and confusion to a tiny English village by creating a love potion. In many ways, The Sorcerer made a satire of class distinction and social propriety, which were standard elements in Victorian society. Yet in true Gilbert and Sullivan style, the output was of inimitable wit and class that the references were not declared offensive at all—so much was its success that aside from its own numerous showings, The Sorcerer was staged even as far as America, albeit unauthorized. And while the opera’s theme could have been translated by the French through a multitude of sexual innuendos and references played out by unreal, fantastic characters, Gilbert and Sullivan designed The Sorcerer with roles that were utterly believable and credible—the kind of people that actually exist in everyday life, that the British audience could identify. The penchant for poking fun at British social conventions became Gilbert and Sullivan’s running objective, and in 1878 they again succeeded in producing a successful show that audiences celebrated. H. M. S. Pinafore once again uses love as a theme, but a deeper reading would reveal that the opera tackles the discussion of England’s class society. With the narrative centering on the daughter of a naval captain’s rejection of the Secretary of the Navy—the highest-ranking man of uniform—for the affections of a common sailor, H. M. S. Pinafore showcases the reality of a person born into a particular class, and the availability of options based on this system. It is also a criticism of their society’s double standard on the issue of marriage; they patronize literature’s ideals about love conquering all, while in real life they disapprove of unions between people of different social classes. This time, audiences were not as forgiving as they were with The Sorcerer—the prevailing adherence and respect for the British class system caused low ticket sales. That, as well as the unrelenting hot weather pulled Gilbert and Sullivan’s celebrity down—for a moment. During Sullivan’s summer concerts, he came up with the smart strategy to include several medleys of his Pinafore score; the result was a revived interest in the opera, and eventually sales and attendance reached phenomenal heights. Such was the success of the opera that it encouraged Carte to involve Gilbert and Sullivan in the actual business, dividing all production expenses and sales profits among the three of them. From this point on, Gilbert and Sullivan were given decision-making authority in all their productions. However, because of the opera’s impact on the British audiences, many unauthorized production of Pinafore were staged, particularly in the United States, where international copyright laws were not yet in place. To assert ownership, Carte brought the production overseas where it enjoyed a brief yet successful run in Broadway, and made sure that Gilbert and Sullivan’s works were covered by copyright laws in the country. Carte had this foremost on his mind when Gilbert and Sullivan came up with yet another opera destined for iconic status, 1880’s Pirates of Penzance. This time, Carte protected the production rights both in Britain and New York, which established the legal precedents still observed today. The move has benefited playwrights and writers all over the world, with this initial case on intellectual property rights. Love as an ideal is again the running theme in Penzance, as the story explores the adventures of a young man named Frederick who, by no choice of his own, worked under the tutelage of a group of pirates. As luck would have it, he falls for the daughter of a Major General—a momentous experience that drove him to make up for his previous deeds by eliminating the pirates he used to be associated with. The pirates in question actually turned out to be noblemen who made the wrong choices in life; in the end, they, including Frederick, all take the Major’s many daughters as their wives. There was no stopping the success of Gilbert and Sullivan, and they forged on to firmly claim their place in popular culture. Several productions were created, among them Patience (1881), which told of the poet’s charm and magnetism, a surefire way to get his way with the women, except for the one he wants—who is but a simple milkmaid. Written as a comedy, Patience ultimately focused on aestheticism, which referred to an artist’s or writer’s obsession with beauty. Carte employed a brilliant marketing strategy to promote the production, with the assistance of famed writer Oscar Wilde. The writer was tasked to do the lecture circuit around the United States, to provide a full background on this new ideology, and to ensure public awareness of the opera. Not surprisingly, this tactic resulted in positive financial reaction. With Patience, Gilbert and Sullivan introduced another innovation, this time with the characters of the opera narrative and the songs assigned to them. In their previous works, the duo’s main goal to put a message across was met; the technical level of the story itself remained the way it was from their early projects. Not the kinds to stay within their comfort zones, Gilbert and Sullivan expanded their competencies as playwrights by integrating the characters with music—producing songs and personalities that were exclusive to each other, and the situations they were in. Comic opera was what people called the Gilbert and Sullivan theatre style; in reality, it was the birth of the integrated musical. The partnership, while perfect on an intellectual realm, was slowly revealing its cracks caused by the personal differences of the two artists. Gilbert was apparently so taken with the love potion plot—which he successfully delivered in The Sorcerer—and wanted to create another opera using the same idea. This was not taken positively by Sullivan, who soon decided, on impulse, to focus more on serious projects. Of course, Gilbert did not take this well either, and the beginning of what would be a personal feud between the two took its place. Carte tried to remedy the situation by staging a rerun of The Sorcerer, only as a stopgap measure for further rifts that may damage company existence and operations. Fate once again played a major role in the succeeding events, because the partnership was saved by a mundane object—a Japanese sword. It fell from the wall of Gilbert’s study and almost hit him, but instead of dismissing the incident, Gilbert took inspiration from it. This set the tone and plot for Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular opera to date. The Mikado, staged in 1885, carried the same elements that had made the duo famous: love, and social commentary; with a generous helping of humor and wit. The plot itself was hilarious—it was a scenario questioning what would happen when the Emperor of Japan, know as the Mikado, passes a decree declaring flirting as illegal, and punishable by law. The townsfolk of Titipu refused to follow the new ruling, and consequently appointed Koko, a condemned tailor, as Lord High Executioner. Strangely, the condition for this appointment was for Koko to be beheaded, as he was proven guilty of violating the new law, unless he finds someone to behead first. Koko manages to find someone to execute, and that was the traveling minstrel named Nanki-Poo, who actually agrees with Koko only if he is allowed to marry the beautiful Yum-Yum—Koko’s fiance. Nanki-Poo was given a month to enjoy the wedded life before he was beheaded and Koko can finally marry Yum-Yum. But soon an old woman named Katisha appears, a representative of the royal court, and announces that Nanki-Poo is really the crown prince—guilty of the crime, as he had flirted with her and tried to escape execution by hiding in the small town. Eventually, the Mikado himself arrives and declares that his goal for decreeing such an inane ruling was to let the punishment fit the crime. More misunderstandings and deceptions came afterwards, but in the end everyone lives happily ever after. Gilbert and Sullivan decided to use Japan as a setting to create a satire about the British penchant for all things Japanese, during the 1880s. And because it was brilliantly written and the references to British pretensions and petty customs subtle and discreet, audiences failed to make any negative observations and promptly applauded the performance. Exporting The Mikado to the United States was the right thing to do, for it replicated the success of H. M. S. Pinafore and drove Americans into a Japanese frenzy. The Mikado is the sole musical by Gilbert and Sullivan that had been performed in a variety of languages, and is also their only work that spawned a diplomatic controversy. In 1907, the Crown Prince of Japan came over for a state visit, and immediately the British government ordered a ban on The Mikado; only to discover that one of the Prince’s objectives in visiting Britain was to watch the musical. To this day, The Mikado is still widely produced and staged worldwide. However, the problem with having a major success in one’s name is the pressure to produce another one of equal or greater impact. In 1887, Gilbert and Sullivan staged Ruddigore, which entailed more melodrama than their previous collaborations. It truly was an accomplished piece, but audiences kept comparing it with The Mikado. Once more, Sullivan was disheartened by this turn of events and threatened to leave the industry altogether and focus on classical compositions instead. Gilbert tried to change his mind with a new libretto, one that was not an echo of their old work. With The Yeomen of the Guard, an operetta set during the reign of Henry VIII, romance was played out within the constraints of political controversies, as well as the possibility of execution. Sullivan, satisfied with the proposition, proceeded to create a score punctuated with melodrama and emotion, while Gilbert reinvented himself and his style by veering from his usual whimsical comic dialogue. Serious was the best word to use to describe Yeoman, and this became a personal favorite of Sullivan. The monarchy did not escape the sharp wit of the two, either. In 1889, Gilbert and Sullivan resurrected their signature comic style with the staging of The Gondoliers. A story of a couple of anti-royalist gondoliers from Venice who ironically discover that they have suddenly become kings of a country in the midst of a revolution, Gilbert and Sullivan once again mixed fun and comedy to discuss the idiosyncrasies of the royals and the issues of democracy. The Gondoliers became an instant international hit. No less than the public-shy Queen Victoria requested for several private performances of The Gondoliers, which validated the immense contribution of Gilbert and Sullivan to musical theatre. But the personal differences between the two icons continued to get in the way of their professional relationship. Some were serious concerns, yet some were downright trivial—such as the argument over the cost of newly-installed carpets in the Savoy Theatre. Carte and his wife ultimately chose to take Sullivan’s side, which resulted in their production of Ivanhoe, Sullivan’s grand opera. However, this project failed to achieve any semblance of financial success; which was a mirror of Gilbert’s own experience when he went back to writing his own plays. Several years later, the three business partners tried to put everything aside and reconcile, but sadly, they were never able to bring back their glory days. Still, they managed to produce Utopia Limited (1893), another satire of Britain’s unsuccessful efforts in its dealings with other countries; and The Grand Duke (1896), featuring a theatre group’s attempts to claim power in a problematic Germany. Both productions were of the same make and quality as their previous ones, but neither enjoyed substantial performance durations because of expensive production costs. More than that, it was already apparent that Gilbert and Sullivan no longer had the fresh and intriguing style and creativity that had earned them the respect of audiences worldwide (Kenrick, 2000-2003). IV. Reviews Interesting to note are the reviews made for each of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas, as made by many critics and journalists during the time. Some of the takes of these writers were documented and used as reference, in order to validate the creative contribution given by the duo. One review for Thespis on its opening night in 1871 commended Gilbert and the magnificent storyline he created, as well as the audience’s superb reception of the play. Credits were specifically given to the talent showcased (Perry, 2001). A Trial By Jury review was not truly exciting—while the critic commended the acting and singing done by the performers, it was the â€Å"lateness of the hour† that possibly accounted for the audience’s lackluster reaction (Perry, 2001). H. F. Frost reviewed The Sorcerer in 1877, and emphasized the effective combination of literary merit and dramatic consistency as created by Gilbert and Sullivan, except that their attempts to subtly mix burlesque and opera was not entirely acceptable. Points were given to the theme of exploring human nature’s weaknesses and imperfections (Perry, 2000). It is evident that H. M. S. Pinafore was a huge crowd favorite, as revealed by a review published in 1878. Pinafore was commended for the use of burlesque but had more humor and charm over Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer. The satire and libretto were both noted, and gave Gilbert and Sullivan credit for managing to pull it off without great offense to the public. The actors were also adjudged suited to their roles, and the musical one that will remain in the bills for a long time (Perry, 2001). A review made in 1880 of Pirates of Penzance saw it as having several allusions to H. M. S. Pinafore, particularly in the similarities of some of the characters. But the audience was not put off by that observation, and still applauded the cynicism and wit of Gilbert’s words as well as the charm of Sullivan’s music (Perry, 2000). V. The Final Years Though they never really regained their old camaraderie, Gilbert and Sullivan remained civil to each other until the end. In 1888, Sullivan was granted knighthood, and the former colleagues shared the same stage once more during revivals of their old classics were produced. Later, Sullivan collaborated with other writers to produce several critically-acclaimed operas, including The Emerald Isle in 1900. Sullivan finally passed away at the age of 58, due to a bout of severe bronchitis. Gilbert, on the other hand, got his second wind at the dawn of the new century, with a notable output of librettos and plays. He eventually received his knighthood in 1907, which was long overdue, but allowed him to experience being touted as a British national living treasure. At age 74, while saving a girl from drowning in his own estate, Gilbert was struck by a fatal heart attack. This happened in late May 1911. The great producer Carte succumbed to the permanent effects of illness in 1901, but his opera company was continued by Helen, his wife, and their son Rupert and his wife. They revived the most acclaimed works of Gilbert and Sullivan throughout the years, until the company closed in 1983 due to financial problems. But Bridget, Rupert’s wife, left a considerable amount of money to allow a new group of theatre producers to form a new company, which still stages revivals of the famous musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan to this day. VI. The Gilbert and Sullivan Legacy The achievements of Gilbert and Sullivan were nothing less than national milestones, particularly in the reality of class-conscious Britain. The brilliant wit, humor, and music created by the duo gained popularity with all class levels of society, which was a feat it itself. Apart from that, the team’s theatre philosophy transformed the standard musical preferences to be more attune to popular music, and less concentration on the obscure and exclusive. However, Carte’s company refused to grant performers and directors the freedom to modify each production—every staging had to adhere to the set guidelines of the original team. Critics and audiences could only imagine how fresh eyes and new voices would be able to interpret the tried-and-tested pieces (Wren, 2001). Britain respected the legacy of Gilbert and Sullivan, and their standards of musical theatre bore into all productions made in the late 1800s. George Edwardes, a producer of comic operas, proved to be the duo’s strongest competitor. He started with the success of Dorothy in 1886, which included a ballad entitled â€Å"Queen of My Heart†, that broke all records—even running longer than any of Gilbert and Sullivan’s musicals. But what made Edwardes a respected name was his discovery of a new technique with his production of The Gaiety Girls, a musical named after the famous London theatre. This musical comedy featured many of Gilbert and Sullivan’s standard elements, making it a manifestation of the partnership’s influence on the art. The Gaiety Girls, like most of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas, carried a theme of love gained and lost. But these musicals only had two general narratives—a poor girl in love with a rich man, and wins him in the end, even in the presence of adversities; and a poor girl who attempts to get out of a marriage she did not want, prompting her to involve other characters on a chase. The music and titles of these musicals all had the same essence, which were really just variations on a theme. Interestingly, the seeming monotony of these musicals were greatly appreciated by the audiences and critics, who preferred them exactly as they were. But these productions could never stand up against the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, particularly those that had traveled to the United States. This fact awakened the British audience from their stupor, as they had to acknowledge the international receipt of their own culture (Morley, 1987). Needless to say, the Gilbert and Sullivan operas consistently received much acclaim from their American audiences; the staging of H. M. S. Pinafore started a nationwide craze aptly called â€Å"Pinafore-mania†. Typical of Americans, the music and songs of Pinafore quickly entered the realm of popular culture, and were included in regular talk. The classic line â€Å"What never? Well, hardly ever! † from Pinafore became standard replies of people all over, and the phrase â€Å"short, sharp stock† that was used in The Mikado to mean â€Å"of severe punishment† was borrowed by various writers, artists, commentators and bands. Perhaps the most celebrated American production of a Gilbert and Sullivan original was Pirates of Penzance, which found its way to Broadway in 1981 and enjoyed a run that broke production and staging records. Gilbert, in particular, would often be cited by popular American writers, such as Johnny Mercer, Larry Hart, Alan Jay Lerner, and Stephen Sondheim. Mercer was even quoted as saying, â€Å"We all come from Gilbert†, and Sondheim made a tribute to the famous librettist in â€Å"Please Hello† from his work Pacific Overtures (1976). It is probably not far-fetched to assume that Gilbert and Sullivan’s work lent sophistication and class to the existing brand of musicals then; soon after, new generations of musical talents appeared, putting the USA on top of the list. The Boston Ideal Opera Company, more popularly known as The Bostonians, made the rounds of theatres all over the country, and were received well for their outstanding performances. They included in the repertoire several original American musicals, but were known for their productions of Gilbert and Sullivan works. A listing of American originals that took after the Gilbert and Sullivan tradition is as follows: El Capitan (1896) by John Philip Sousa The Begum (1887) and Robin Hood (1891) by librettist Harry B, Smith and composer Reginald DeKoven The Highwayman (1897), again by Reginald DeKoven (Gillan, 2007). VII. The Gilbert and Sullivan Influence The influence of Gilbert and Sullivan extended all the way to other forms of art ad communication, which included literary works of famous writers. References to their collaborations are found in the work of writer Isaac Asimov, who wrote a number of stories centered on the puzzles and mysteries of the duo’s operas. One such story was of time travel, where one had to go back in the 1800s to rescue the score to Gilbert and Sullivan’s Thespis (Asimov, 1978). â€Å"The Year of the Action† engaged a debate over the actual date of the action in Pirates of Penzance. A story in Asimov’s famous I, Robot, â€Å"Runaround†, had a character singing parts of songs from Ruddigore, Patience, and Pinafore. Cleverly, Asimov concluded his homage to the duo with his story â€Å"The Up-To-Date Sorcerer†, which was obviously a parody of The Sorcerer. Legendary British author P. G. Wodehouse was also known to cite Gilbert and Sullivan in his writings, and more often exclusively referred to Gilbert. His novels and short stories included numerous allusions to the team’s work, many to Gilbert’s early Bab Ballads (Robinson, 2006). The film industry also found the works of Gilbert and Sullivan great material for a wealth of movies. Many of their musicals were adapted into films, including the actors who originally performed in the theatre versions. The Mikado was adapted into a movie in 1939, in full color, for which it won several awards. Also, many films made use of scores composed for a number of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, including The Matchmaker (1958), I Could Go On Singing (1963), The Naughty Victorians (1975), The Bad News Bears Go To Japan (1978), Chariots of Fire (1981), The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989), The Browning Version (1994), and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992). Television is also another medium that has embraced the Gilbert and Sullivan talent. From The Simpsons to Frasier, from Angel to The West Wing, the duo’s music has been showcased in a variety of scenes and episodes. There was even a show dedicated to spoofs of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, entitled The Star of Christmas. Video games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also had visual references of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works, particularly of Pirates of Penzance. Outside of media, many personalities in politics also found good material in the team’s celebrated works to promote their platforms and ideologies. A â€Å"short, sharp stock† remains to be a popular mainstay in many manifestos and debates. VIII. On A Personal Level Though their professional partnership was truly accomplished and proven time and again, it was the personal relationship of Gilbert and Sullivan that had suffered the most. Collaborations may or may not be successful if the participants are friends; however, artists like Gilbert and Sullivan probably see no boundaries between who they are and what they do. Sullivan was not rich, and as he grew up he mad it a point to mingle with the rich and influential. He met Gilbert, and immediately discovered the parallels in drive and talent in both of them. However, he also saw something else—that Gilbert’s friendship could be the means for him to make his career flourish. Sullivan had many other powerful friends, including Queen Victoria, who advi

The Worst Sinner in the Scarlet Letter

The Worst Sinner in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter there are three main sinners presented to the reader. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth are all written with their own forms of sin, and each has a unique coping mechanism for their sins and guilt. Sin, at this time, was a hugely important part of daily life, and punishment for one’s sins was universally seen as not only a positive thing, but a necessary action to keep the people of the colony pure. Both Hester and Dimmesdale receive great punishments for their sin of adultry.However, one character is portrayed as a true sinner, more so than the others. Roger Chillingworth is by far the worst sinner in The Scarlet Letter. This is made apparent by his many attempts to harm Dimmesdale mentally and spiritually, and more importantly his complete lack of remorse for his actions. It is this absence of guilt for his sin that shows that he is a sinner much worse than any other character in the book. Ro ger Chillingworth is Hester Prynne’s husband in the novel, though this is kept secret from the townspeople through the end of the book.He, upon arriving and seeing his wife upon the scaffold, vows to take revenge on the man whom Hester committed her sin. Though he chooses to leave Hester to suffer the punishment given to her, his hatred towards her is never hidden. Chillingworth attaches himself to Dimmesdale upon seeing his grief, in hopes of discovering who the father of Hester’s child is. And once realizing it is Dimmesdale, Chillingworth proceeds to continually torment Dimmesdale as his personal revenge and punishment, to the point of making Dimmesdale ill even further beyond his original grief-stricken depleted health.He does this with no regret or compassion towards the man he torments, nor any recognition for his actions as sinful. As the novel progresses, he takes on an almost evil nature, having no feelings whatsoever save for those of loathing towards Hester and Dimmesdale. Guilt is the thing left completely absent from Roger Chillingworth’s character, and it is this lack that defines him. (â€Å"Summary†) Biblically, guilt is defined in several ways. The Hebrew word asam is used biblically, and means both â€Å"guilt† and â€Å"guilt offering. The Bible says that asam is a part of debt unto one’s neighbor, which can be physical debt or, frequently, sins against others. This asam is a necessary part of sin, and in its absence is sin in itself. This is one of the largest pieces of evidence of Chillingworth’s sin, as he feels no guilt, nor gives any guilt offering unto those whom he has sinned against. Asam is a guilt which we must make amends for, which in Chillingworth’s case, no attempt to do so was made. â€Å"The legislation in Leviticus 5:14-6:7 and Numbers 5:5-10 makes this special quality of asam clear.When someone incurs â€Å"guilt† toward a neighbor, full restitution must be ma de, plus an extra fifth. And then, in addition, a â€Å"guilt offering† must be made to the Lord, because when we sin against others and incur â€Å"indebtedness† to them, we violate the order that God prescribes for his world and his people, and have thus incurred a debt toward him also. † (Motyer) Chillingworth’s sin is also worse than the others’ due simply to the nature of his sins. Adultery is a sin of passion, a lustful passion.Though adultry is one of the biblical Ten Commandments (Bible), in the case of The Scarlet Letter it is a crime committed in a moment, and regretted thereafter by the two involved. Both Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale pay penance for their sin, in each their own form, from the day that it happens. Hester is pained with guilt for months, and once her child is visible she is imprisoned, and later forced to become a symbol of sin to the entire community for years to come, publicly putting her shame on display.Dimmesdal e is plagued by the same guilt as Hester, but because he is not discovered publicly is tormented spiritually and mentally. He begins to physically punish himself, and his regret and guilt weigh so heavily that they make his physically ill for years. Roger Chillingworth’s sin, however, was not in an instant. His was calculated, drawn out, and committed with malice towards both Dimmesdale and Hester for years on end.He tormented Dimmesdale psychologically for years, and drained what little life Dimmesdale had in him out slowly and intentionally. He felt no guilt for these sins, nor was he ever punished for them in life. â€Å"Certainly, if the meteor kindled up the sky, and disclosed the earth, with an awfulness that admonished Hester Prynne and the clergyman of the day of judgment, then might Roger Chillingworth have passed with them for the arch-fiend, standing there, with a smile and scowl, to claim his own.So vivid was the expression, or so intense the minister's perceptio n of it, that it seemed still to remain painted on the darkness, after the meteor had vanished, with an effect as if the street and all things else were at once annihilated† (Hawthorne. Chapter 12. ) This passage shows the reader the malevolent nature that Chillingworth begins to take on in the novel, seeming almost inhuman in his unwavering hatred for Dimmesdale, and the torture he inflicts upon him. Once again his lack of remorse is expressed plainly for the reader.The themes of sin and revenge in The Scarlet Letter are made prominent and clear, as Hawthorne tends to express every theme in the novel. The two are closely tied together in the case of Roger Chillingworth. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne shows that at the time of the novel, sin was an extremely important role in everyday life, especially in a Puritan society such as the one in the novel. Sin is something that everyone believes must be punished, in this life if at all possible, as well as in the next.In the case of old Roger Chillingworth, his sin was not punished in his worldly life, which leads us to believe that divine retribution in the next will be even greater for him than the book’s other sinners. The Black man is used in this book to mean the devil, and it is made clear that doing the bidding of the Black Man, or essentially doing things against God’s bidding, puts a mark on one’s soul that carries into the next life. (â€Å"Sin†) Here is where the concept ties into revenge.This implied mark on the soul is expressed in the theme of revenge in the book. Roger Chillingworth, in his pursuit of revenge on Arthur Dimmesdale, receives a mark on his soul which twists him into a force of evil- a more serious effect than the sins of any other character in the book. Hawthorne expresses here both his own views, as well as the popular view of the time, that a sin committed out of the type of hatred which Chillingworth exhibits, is a tool of the devil, and in itself causes a change in humans into something more sinister.It is this sentiment which is so clearly shown in Chillingworth’s increasingly hideous appearance, and the dehumanization of his character into an instrument solely of spiteful revenge. (â€Å"Revenge†) Throughout The Scarlet Letter, it is made abundantly clear what view the reader is intended to take of Roger Chillingworth. Consumed by his sin, he is permanently altered into an evil spirit for the acts of vengeance he has pursued. This condemnation Hawthorne describes expresses without a doubt to the reader that Chillingworth’s sin is far worse than that of the remorseful and solemn Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.Who, though sinned greatly and were punished, were in the end favored in the eyes of the Puritan community and quite possibly in the eyes of God as people who knew and repented their sins, and were therefore forgiven. It is clear that Roger Chillingworth is the only character deeply changed en ough for the worse to be considered a sinner of any damning proportion, and is made out to be the worst sinner of any character in The Scarlet Letter. Work Cited: Nathaniel Hawthorne. , and DeMaiolo, James F.The Scarlet Letter. New York: Applause, 1996. Print. Motyer, Stephen. â€Å"Guilt. † BibleStudyTools. com. Salem Communications Corporations, 1997. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. â€Å"The Scarlet Letter Theme of Sin. † Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc. , 2012. Web. 19 Nov. â€Å"The Scarlet Letter Theme of Revenge. † Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc. , 2012. Web. 19 Nov. â€Å"The Scarlet Letter Summary. † Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc. , 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. The Holy Bible. 2nd ed. New York: American Bible Society, 1992. Print.

Martin Luther Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Martin Luther - Essay Example With the approval from the Pope, pardoners journeyed throughout Europe, making lucrative profit by selling Indulgences. In addition, the Pope did not allow the Bible to be translated. Luther found it unfair because the common people could not read Latin. It was unfair because the people had to believe whatever the priest told them. Luther believed that the people should be able to enjoy the freedom of reading the Bible on their own and in their own language. Martin Luther knew that the Church lost sight of fundamental truths. The Protestant Reformation was a struggle to change the ways of the Roman Catholic Church and to unshackle the people from ruthless leaders who hungered after the expansion of their domination at the expense of the Church. As a result in summary, Luther’s actions brought more liberty of Christian belief and ways. It was the start of the termination of papal dominion. They no longer had the authority to order both religious doctrine and political rulings. It indicated the breaking loose of people from suffering under the dictatorship of the priesthood in the Medieval

The Flat Woods On Top Of the Hill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Flat Woods On Top Of the Hill - Essay Example The year 1938 foster the town's transformation where it was incorporated under the name Flatwoods and correspondingly, the post office carries its new name. The newly named town is named after the areas of original topography which consists of a belt of flat wooded land, approximately sixty feet in elevation, which runs parallel to the Ohio River. This quiet and charming town was once rolling farmland with green gardens and active pastures. The people are ever so hard working and maintain a closely knit relationship among each other. It was a harmonious town where people help each other in life as in the death of a family. Aside from these, the people likewise enjoy hearty meals together over succulent dishes of foods. My fondest memory of the place was Mr. and Mrs. Wilburn. The Wilburns lived at the top of my street in a charming old farmhouse. The couple had lived in Flatwoods all their lives. It has been said that Mr. Wilburn had moved in the neighborhood of Flatwoods at around 1910. As a child, he has been my depiction of the way life has been. His large overpowering farmhouse stood majestically across our modest home. He drove his antique Model-T Ford around town like it was the newest thing from Detroit. He and his wife were kind and giving people. I particularly enjoyed visiting them at night in their porch where they would animatedly tell stories of the old times. The old man at 70, does not show any sign of aging as he lovingly tends to his overflowing fruits and vegetable garden. Being the kind-hearted couple that they were, they always gave us fruits and vegetables like apples and tomatoes, which in turn we bring home to our parents. Aside from this, another neighbor's house used to be a church. I have lived in Wilburn Street, which was named after the kind-hearted couple. My family's redwood ranch style house is with a small front yard, but with a large fenced-in backyard which sat on a dead end gravel street. The huge back yard is surrounded with healthy green oak trees and scented bushes, a perfect place to be one with nature or just spend a quiet afternoon with a book or sharing the afternoon sun playing games with friends. The house looked bigger than it really was because of the attached two car garage. There were large picture windows in the front that rose to the sky with flower boxes stretching around the house, such an ideal place for family bonding and get together. I have been blessed with a wonderful family.  Ã‚  

Vincent Willem van Gogh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Vincent Willem van Gogh - Essay Example The essay "Vincent Willem van Gogh" discovers the famous artist, Vincent Willem van Gogh. The name Vincent was a common name in the van Gogh family: his grandfather who was very learned was also called Vincent and he studied theology in the University of Leiden in the year 1811. His grandfather had six sons, three of whom were talented in the arts where they became leaders. The van Gough family was talented in the Arts and Religion. Vincent had two brothers Theodorus and Cor, and he also had two three sisters, namely Elisabeth, Anna and Willemina. It is said that as a child Vincent was silent, thoughtful and serious traits that saw him through the zundert village school from around 1860, history shows that a single catholic teacher taught approximately two hundred pupils this later changed in the year 1861 when he and his sister were home taught by a governess until 1864 when van Gogh was sent to a boarding school. Jan Provily’s boarding school was located at Zevenbergen about 32km away. Later as an adult Vincent disclosed that he was distressed on leaving his family. It was not until he went to the Willem 2 college in Tilburg that he met Constantijin C Huysmans, a renowned successful artist in Paris that he was taught to draw, but it is to be noted that his interest in art had began at an early age. As a child he used to draw throughout the years that made him come to the conclusion that he wanted to be an artist. His early drawings are expressive and well done but do not have the intensity.

Argument for or against the ramifications of buying products from your Research Paper

Argument for or against the ramifications of buying products from your own country - Research Paper Example In relation towards the activities of the consumers, the purchasing decision of a consumer seems to be influential towards the success of a company’s strategy especially in domestic and foreign markets. In addition, consumer liking regarding foreign and domestic products could be influenced by their utmost trust and faith regarding the products and conception of consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ among others (Torres & Gutierrez, â€Å"The purchase of Foreign Products: The Role of Firm’s country-of-origin reputation, consumer ethnocentrism, animosity and trust†). The idea of globalization represents significant challenges and opportunities especially for the marketers and the consumers. The various modernizations particularly in the trade policies have offered more foreign product options towards the consumers’. In this connection, one of the factors that may affect upon the decision of the consumer in order to buy domestic product that is own country’s product or foreign products is consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ (Ranjbarian & Et. Al., â€Å"Consumer Ethnocentrism and Buying Intentions: An Empirical Analysis of Iranian Consumers†). Consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ signifies the universal liking for the people in order to realize their own group as the centre of the world and is defined also as an attitude that one’s own group is superior compared to others (Riefler, â€Å"Advanced Topics in International Marketing†). From the perspective of ‘ethnocentric’ consumers, purchasing products from foreign countries is not useful for them because it weakens the domestic economy, causes lack of employment and considers being disloyal or non-nationalistic among others. In other words, consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ provides an individual a sense of uniqueness, emotion, a proper understanding and feelings of belongingness among others (Shimp & Sharma, â€Å"Consumer Ethnocentrism: Construction and Validation of the CETSCALE†). In the

The Transformation of Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV) in the Army Essay

The Transformation of Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV) in the Army - Essay Example In U.S. Army, it also comes as a control vehicle for remote-controlled detection equipment and as a clearance machine. It ensures worldwide logistic and maintenance support using the original manufacturer's warranties with the use of a commercial drive train and components. The Cougar is a versatile, 4x2, 4x4 or 6x6 multi-purpose vehicles with a wide range of configuration to a large variety of mission requirements like mine-protected personnel transport vehicle. The purpose-built monosque capsule is mainly designed to protect the personnel, transmission and the engine not only from ballistic but mine or blast threats. It has a mine or blast protection for the tires against approximately 13kg TNT and for the centre against approximately 6.8kg TNT, as claimed by the manufacturer. Dingo 2 is a light mine-proof vehicle based on the well-known commercial Unimog chassis by Daimler Chrysler. This concept ensures excellent mobility in any type of terrain with low-cost procurement and low lifecycle costs. Daimler Chrysler's worldwide service network provides an excellent support services for this vehicle. The hull is designed to withstand the detonation of anti-tank mines. Mine-protected vehicles made to ord

Anything Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Anything - Essay Example As Hands notes, life has become difficult for millions of families. The median gross full-time weekly earnings have fallen, in inflation-adjusted terms, by 9% since 2008. Living standards for many households have been flat, at best, for much longer. During that same period, the value-added tax, which hits low-income workers hardest, has been raised to 20% (21). It is imperative to come up with means and ways to lift the incomes of those who are poorest paid. If the minimum wages are increased, this should correspond to changes in the tax code. If this were not put in consideration one-third of every pound in wage increase would be taken by the Treasury. What politicians who proclaim an increase in the minimum wage are less keen to share is that only 68% of every extra pound in increased wages actually reaches the pockets of low-wage earners. The rest is taken by the Treasury through a 20% income tax that applies to every pound of earnings above  £10,000 per year equivalent to aroun d 39 working weeks at 40 hours per week on the minimum wage and a 12% national insurance deduction on earnings above  £8,000. For the many who will also see their in-work benefits reduced, the effective marginal tax rate is more than 32% (Hands 21). This is why the claim of raising the minimum wage is a traditional method that is used by politicians. If the wages are increased the government gets credit but, on the other hand the tax revenues increased and worsen the situation. This shows that a better way to help the low-income earners is by a complete tax reform. The national insurance paid is nothing more other than tax by another name. While there has been considerable progress in raising the threshold for income tax, politicians are conspicuously quiet about doing the same for national insurance. The result is that someone working 40 hours at the minimum wage

Explain a Marketing Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Explain a Marketing Concept - Essay Example Customers often do not and cannot describe their needs precisely and it is a marketers job to find out the same. Gillette has been in the business of safety razors ever since 1904. It has been constantly innovating and offering new products as per the market needs. In the late 1980s, companys sales were languishing and market share plummeting. Company was quick enough to realize this and in 1990 launched a product called Sensor– an advanced twin blade shaving system. It was designed to have a pivoting head equipped with moving blades so as to adjust with facial contours. This new offering facilitated closer and smooth shave and thereby Sensor became an instant success for it satisfied markets one of the niche area. It is not surprising that Sensor captured 15% market in the razor and blade segment. Subsequently, Gillette also introduced the ‘SensorExcel’ for women to cater exclusively the women shaving needs. The company continued to offer innovative products such as Gillette Mach3 Turbo, Gillette for Women Venus in the shaving segment year after year to meet the needs of t he ever expanding market. Pencil cell market is huge and usual complaint is a shorter life span of these cells needing replacement quite often. Gillette realizing this drawback of existing product lines introduced high-tech alkaline batteries called Duracell Ultra having a life span much larger than conventional batteries. Needless to say that this new offerings in the name of Duracell became an instant success in the market place for many home gadgets such as digital flash cameras, cell phones, watches. Thus, Gillette is the classic example that offers new products through innovation to fulfill the needs of the consumers and the company’s continued business success proves that new offering to fulfill ever increasing consumer needs is the great marketing

An into to Business Studies End-of-Module Essay

An into to Business Studies End-of-Module - Essay Example ists Threats Low shelf life of cut flowers Highly competitive market Fluctuations in demand depending on various macroeconomic factors Competitors might seek the advantage of poaching the talented employees of Arena Flowers Seasonal business with low profit margin Tough to manage inventory levels efficiently The SWOT analysis of the company can be done taking into account each of the three key business areas as presented in the table shown above (Preston, 2012, p.30-31). It indicates that there are some of the concerning weaknesses of the company which it can improve upon to be able to run its business efficiently and increase its profitability, ultimately being successful in achieving the goals and objectives of the company. In addition to the weaknesses, the company can improve upon the identified threats to become proactive to the situations and add to its competitive advantage in the market. The primary threat identified for the company is from its competitors. Hence, the company can think of expanding its businesses in places where the competition and could easily win the market share there. The company needs to device a strong and diverse marketing strategy to promote and advertise its business which would ensure that it would be able to increase its brand significantly. Efficiency could be achieved in its business operations if the job responsibilities are delegated to all the employees in an effective manner. The company needs to use the latest technology available to design its inventory management system through effective future forecasting of the future sales demand of its products. In order to achieve its goal of becoming one of the largest companies in the industry it needs to have a competitive advantage which could be achieved through strengthening its core competencies and investing more on research and development to innovate new products that could attract large number of customers to buy its products. Focus should be on recording pre-tax prof its rather than after-tax profits to be able to attract prospective investors to invest in the company. All these initiatives can help the company to achieve its objectives and build up a sustainable business. Question 1 (b) Factors Influencing Organisational Culture Organisational culture is an important aspect of analysing a business organisation. In the context of Arena Flowers various factors can be identified which acts as a driving force in developing the cultural environment observable within the company and the business activities carried on by it. One of the major factors influencing the culture of Arena Flowers is the influence of its cofounder Mr. Wynne who is

Technology-HSBC Case Study Essay Example for Free

Technology-HSBC Case Study Essay How has the company chosen to improve its knowledge of customers and therefore its decision making? Analyze the management, organization, and technology dimensions of the solution. HSBC, as with other banks, took advantage of many poor consumers looking to own their own home. These consumers had low credit scores, are in default or have low income, which means there was a higher probability of them not paying back the loan. These banks took advantage by not explaining the entire process of how the amount will double and the interest rate will become adjustable after a couple years. This led to many subprime mortgage loan holders to not meet payments and eventually lose their home. Because of this HSBC was one of the first banks â€Å"announce a billion dollar write-off linked to its exposure to subprime mortgages. † (Modell) HSBC improved one way by advancing their technology. Data is collected and sent to one team of specialized individuals who make sure that all is correct for approval. HSBC also implemented a new process using Experian-Scorex decision support software. This new software will help HSBC with their decision making process. It â€Å"allows HSBC to identify the value of each customer and create tailored product packages. † (Finextra) George Lennox, a senior manager at HSBC, stated â€Å"Strategy Management will undoubtedly become an integral part of our business and we expect that it will make more than 50 billion customer decisions annually for us as we roll it out across our global business. (Finextra) They have also decided that customer satisfaction and building trust is more important than profit. Did HSBC choose the best solution? Explain your answer. HSBC chose a great solution. They allowed almost anyone to obtain a loan as long as they met some requirements. By using the new strategy management software they implemented, they will be able to make sure that each customer looking for services are eligible and able to keep the services. Explore HSBC . Does this Web site provide opportunities for HSBC to gather data about its customers? Describe the customer data collected at the Web site and explain how that data can be used to improve its business performance. Would you redesign the Web site to increase interactions with customers? I explored HSBCPremier, where they gave lots of information on how I can save money for my family, for example a college fund or saving for my child’s first car. HSBC requests lots of information mostly general such as name, date of birth, social security number and driver’s license number. But they also request other information such as any current loans or mortgages, and for instant funding you need to provide them with your current banking information. By collecting all this information, it gives HSBC the right tools to be able to assist customers with great satisfaction. HSBC has requirements linked to all their services. They want to service customers in the best way so they use the information collected to give customers the best service. I would not redesign the entire website. It seems pretty clear to me that not only do they give much information on each product and service they provide, but you are able to contact a representative who will clearly interpret anything you don’t understand. But one feature that I would add is in the â€Å"contact us† section, an option to chat with a live operator. This will allow customers to chat online with a representative about services without having to call on phone or go to a location. HSBC had decision making tools in place prior to the subprime meltdown. Why would you think they missed or ignored the potential catastrophic consequences that became reality? What added value would the new Experian-Scorex software provide? HSBC was looking to expand in the U. S. With the rise of consumers looking to become homeowners, as a business your first instinct is to get in the game and increase profits. I believe that HSBC only wanted to grow and help customers, but due to not being psychics and knowing that the market would crash and people would lose jobs and not be able to pay back loans, they lost in that game. When you have lenders not collecting the right information on consumers to help predict if they are able to pay the loan or not and not explaining the loan correctly to consumers, it causes conflicts. Consumers did not really understand the loans; they just knew they would become homeowners. Subprime loans are the worst, to me. Who wants to pay back 10 times what their home is actually worth? The new Experian-Scorex software will provide great value to HSBC’s strategy management. This new system will collect information and will help HSBC in their credit decisions. â€Å"George Lennox, Senior Manager, Group Credit and Risk at HSBC: As one of the worlds leading financial organizations, it is important to us that we make use of leading edge decision support technology. † (Experian) By implementing this new technology, HSBC will better assist their new and existing customers.

Foundations of psychology Essay Example for Free

Foundations of psychology Essay (a) Conceptually, reasoning is characterized by various attitudes, emotions, feelings or even assumptions. These are the psychological factors that occur psychologically as parameters that help to develop a logical conclusion in ones reasoning. Rationality in reasoning is what yields a final resolution. However, such reasoning is brought to a state of imbalance in which the different assumptions, feelings and attitudes tend to shape the outcome responses. Perhaps however, each of the attributes could be controlled by aspects of various stimuli that respond to the three stage of classical conditioning. Initially, an aspect of anxiety of wanting to create some reflective thinking occurs. This is because of the desire to come to a logical conclusion of the problem held in the reasoning. The unconditioned stimulus before the reasoning was to arrive at a phenomenon based on the results of the reasoning. The driving force then throws an imbalance in the cognitive state of the brain senses with a basic aim of arriving towards an imperative solution based on the foundations of the question in the reasoning. A state of confusion occurs basically due to inability of making the correct choice of solutions. The solution should be independent of the external environment. Additionally, the choices to the solution also consider that reasoning may have various solutions. However, a conflict exists between the set of decisions alternatives due to the inability of making the most rational decision instantly. However, the principles of classical conditioning help to develop various stimuli corresponding to the various decision alternatives. Each stimulus (like a defensive censor) evokes one another to finally reach at an equilibrium consensus which the cognitive personality chooses as the best decision variable (Anne, 1999) A state of ambivalence follows the above stage of confusion. Ambivalence develops from the emotional perceptions and seeks to give a feeling of no specific inclination in any of the decision alternatives persuaded in the reasoning process. This is however a defense mechanism since it denies the strong efforts of strong feelings in the decision alternatives thus lessening the probable pain which one would have encountered in decision making (Michael, 1977) (b) Role of memory in reasoning The human memory is an important element in cognitive reasoning. Memory is what aligns the different aspects involved in reasoning to yield a correspondence between one another. The attitudes, feelings and assumptions ought to be construed in a dimension that brings reflective ties to one another. Memory can be said as the pivot entry between the functional relationships in all elements that define reasoning. The fundamental scope of reasoning is comprised of various complimentary processes that depend on one another. The philosophical and psychological standpoints have pinpointed on memory and reasoning as working in an integrated system and none can replace one another. Memory acts as an object that brings a tie and conjoins the various independent processes that are involved in the process of reasoning. It is also the object that provides subjective interactions and explorations among the wide scope of the cognitive processes to arrive at a balance of interest which is the defining choice/decision variable of the reasoning process (Thomson, 2001) Conceptually, the association that exists in human reasoning is brought about by the organization and content interaction of the human memory. It helps to bring about a scope of interpretation about the various processes that are involved in the human cognition. Consequently, memory is influential as a trajectory object for the integration of the various processes in the reasoning processes that finally strikes a balance in the choice of decision to follow. (c) Obstacles in reasoning There are various obstacles that could hinder the process of effective reasoning. These include; Mental entrenchment: This is a situation that occurs when the mind is framed in models that represent various problems, problem contexts or perhaps the possible procedures for use in solving a particular problem. When a person involved in reasoning has entrenched mind sets, they may develop methods that creates a solution to the problem in question but which does not provide the most optimal and effective solutions to such problems (Mark, 2007) Either, functional fixedness is an obstacle in effective thinking/reasoning. This case arises when an individual who has an ability of doing specific things extends such methods in creating the decisions in reasoning. He is unable to develop methodologies that addresses a certain problem in question but rather has to refer to what models his/her mind (Mark, 2007) Stereotypes: Stereotypes are those fundamental generalizations that are unsupported by rationality held by the members within a certain setting or the contemporary society. Stereotypes could be learned during childhood. Individuals accustomed to various senses of stereotypical thinking always make generalized choice and decisions in their reasoning process. Negative transfers: This is the condition when the procedures that are to be used in solving a current problem occurs in the future as harder problems that are perhaps unsolvable. This is a contrast of positive transfer that implies the former process for solving gone problems make the current problem easy to solve. These obstacles are highly involved in obstructing the critique of critical and effective thinking by bringing the wrong illusions and impressions in the reasoning process. (d) Types of reasoning involved in the experience Generally, there are various reasoning involved in an experience. Each differs in terms of flow of precepts and hypothetical developments. The process of reasoning within the given set of experience is important in giving the rationality behind the choice of one decision at the expense of the others. However, various types of reasoning are used in the reasoning process. These include; Abduction: This is the process through which a hypothesis statement about an experience is made. It seeks to formulate the fundamental scope of levels with which such a problem/experience occurs and the possible influential factors behind it. The cause and the effect reasoning: This is the mode of reasoning which seeks to relate the starting point of an experience or a problem of interest. It involves establishing the causes and effects and then trying to relate how each affects one another or how each is related to the other. (Manktelow, 1999) Comparative reasoning: This is the reasoning precept that seeks to draw a comparative analogy by comparing and relating one thing with the corresponding alternative. It then seeks to strike a balance of stability between such relationships. Deductive reasoning: It is the reasoning that involves establishing the generalized parameters and then moving towards a drive in the specific rules. Inductive reasoning: This is that which involves establishing the specific parameters and then driving towards the generalized rules. (e) Methods of enhancing effective reasoning in this experience. Critical thinking is that which goes beyond logical reasoning. It is that which works towards scrutinizing arguments by support of empirical evidence. Enhancing reasoning is a combination of various tools that promote the cognitive precepts of the human brain. These include; Physical exercise: Physical exercise is highly supportive in the functionality of the brain. A functional brain is a brain that has the cognitive power of critical and effective reasoning. Taking physical exercise helps to refresh the nervous system whose central context is the brain faculty (Robert, 1991) Taking adequate sleep: It is of necessity that a person takes enough sleep that brings relaxation to the reasoning and thinking autonomies. The mind set that could be infiltrated by sleep and stress is prone to inadequate reasoning. Various decisions by the human reasoning can only be ploughed in by a sober and a relaxed cognitive personality. Neurofeedback process: This is the process through which the precepts of human reasoning are controlled by reflecting back to what presumes a certain reasoning obligation. It is the sensational process of developing a raw feedback to the mind that causes fatal relaxation before engaging into fresh models of reasoning (Anne, 1999) Avoiding reasoning distracters: This is achieved through adequate payment of attention. Though a complex pattern involved in the brain function, it can be ensured by the proper payment of attention to the reasoning process that would then help to withdraw all possible abstractions and therefore driving towards concrete decisions. Reference Anne, T (1999) Critical Reasoning in Ethics. London, Routledge Manktelow, K (1999) Reasoning and Thinking. London. Psychology Press Mark, R (2007) The Psychology of Reasoning, London, Routeldge. Michael, S (1977) Reasoning. New York, McGraw Hill Robert, A (1991) Practical Reasoning. London, Routledge Thomson, A (2001) Critical Reasoning: A Practical Introduction. London, Routlege

Stereotypes And Realities Of The Japanese Yakuza Criminology Essay

Stereotypes And Realities Of The Japanese Yakuza Criminology Essay Part 1: Yakuza as Criminals First and foremost, the Yakuza is a crime syndicate and hence it is unsurprising that they indulge in all sorts of criminal activities that involve the vices (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. xviii). The more major activities would be gambling, prostitution, extortion and drug dealing (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. xviii). The yakuzas involvement with gambling can be said to date back to a few hundred years ago, back when some of the yakuza were known as the bakuto, also known as the gamblers (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 7). The bakuto is one of the ancestors of the yakuza and another ancestor would be the tekiya (the peddlers) (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 7), but some yakuza do not regard themselves to be the same as the tekiya (Saga, 1991, p. 195). In the 20th century, the yakuzas gambling activities mainly involved running gambling joints in the entertainment district, where attracting and retaining their customers were of paramount significance. Besides the gambling joint being constantly raided by the police (since running gambling joints is illegal in itself), the yakuza were actually professional gamblers that generally do not cheat as it would chase away their customers once they were found out (Saga, 1991). More recently, besides handling betting on various activities such as Sumo Wrestling and horse races, the Yakuza have also incorporated pachinko parlours into their gambling activities which has been very profitable for them since pachinko is legal and is Japans national gambling pastime (Stratfor, 2012, Criminal Enterprises section, para. 2). The Yakuza have also invested great efforts into prostitution as it is a highly profitable industry that caters to great demand from Japanese men. This has caused the yakuza to have a hand in pornography and human trafficking as well (Stratfor, 2012, Criminal Enterprises section, para. 3). In the human trafficking aspect, the yakuza exploit young foreign women by luring them from overseas to Japan, then forcing them to work in the sex industry. Sometimes, unwanted female children from China are bought for this purpose as well (Bruno, 2012, chap. 4). As for the pornography aspect, not only do the Yakuza produce and sell pornography that may include underage girls (Stratfor, 2012, Criminal Enterprises section, para. 4), they also smuggle in pornography material from overseas (Bruno, 2012, chap. 4). In the case of extortion by the Yakuza, a phenomenon known as the sokaiya has to be briefly mentioned. By sokaiya, one refers to people who disrupt shareholder meetings by engaging in various acts, be it through violence or other forms of disruption; thus members of the corporation pay these people to prevent them from disturbing the shareholder meetings (Szymkowiak, 2002, p. 5). Often, these sokaiya buy some shares in a company to gain them access to these meetings then dig up ugly secrets of the corporation or its members and threaten to disrupt the impending shareholder meeting and reveal these secrets if they are not paid. Their demands are usually met by members of the corporation for fear of unsightly revelations (Bruno, 2012, chap. 4). Due to the ease in which money could be obtained from the corporations as well as the low risk of such an activity (the corporations were unlikely to report the extortion to the authorities since they were afraid the sokaiya would reveal their s ecrets), the yakuza readily engaged in such a form of extortion and [amassed] large cash payoffs from corporations (Szymkowiak, 2002, p. 76). As for drug dealing, the yakuza mainly deal in amphetamines. These stimulant drugs were legal and rampant during and after World War 2, where they were mainly used by soldiers and civilians respectively. Amphetamine abuse was so severe that the Stimulant Drug Control Law was passed in 1951 to curb the use of amphetamines and this law was effective to some extent (Hill, 2003, p. 99). However, even today, drug abuse still occurs in the form of methamphetamine injections. The yakuza dominate this industry due to their availability of resources and manpower which allows them to be able to handle this illegal industry; some yakuza members are consumers of these drugs as well. Although there is contempt within the yakuza towards those that deal with drugs, many yakuza still turn to drug dealing to sustain their lifestyles (Hill, 2003, p. 100) since drug dealing is a very lucrative industry (Hill, 2003, p. 101). It is so lucrative that about a third of the yakuzas income comes from drug dea ling, especially in methamphetamines (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. xviii). Hence, it seems that the Yakuza engage quite heavily in criminal activities and are indeed criminals. In fact, in the National Police Agency White Paper in 1989 (as cited in Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 131), about 80.3% of the yakuzas income is derived from illegal activities, among which the more significant activities will be stimulant drug trafficking (34.8%) and gambling (16.9%). In this case, the yakuzas criminal activities may have led to them being stereotyped as criminals, which they really are. However, it is doubtful as to whether they are the typical criminals that everyone expects them to be. For example, in movies and novels, the yakuza are always reaching for swords and guns but that is not actually the case as they do not want to catch the attention of the police and cause their businesses to close down (Saga, 1991, p. 194). This is an interesting point that seems to portray the yakuza as businessmen. Also, the yakuza are open about their identities as yakuza despite their criminal activities. It is not uncommon to see them wearing accessories declaring their gang affiliation and they also openly display their gang emblems on their offices. Some of the yakuza leaders have even apologised to the public through press conferences for any inconvenience they might have caused during gang wars (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. xviii). All these actions make them seem different from the typical criminal that is often covert about their criminal identity and this is what distinguishes the Japanese Yakuza from the Mafia. Part 2: Yakuza as chivalrous followers of samurai values Besides being criminals, the yakuza also exhibit chivalry in some instances which could be attributed to the influence of the samurai in many aspects of the yakuza. One such aspect would be the relationship between the bosses and the yakuza members which is known as oyabun-kobun (father role-child role). This relationship is uniquely Japanese as it is derived from the lord and vassal relationship of the samurai which originated in feudal Japan. This relationship entails the loyalty and subservience of the kobun in return for the guidance and protection of the oyabun (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 8). A result of this relationship is yubitsume which is a way for an errant yakuza member to pay penance to his leader. Yubitsume involves the severing of a little finger joint which is then offered to the leader. This tradition contributes to one of the most common stereotypes of the yakuza, which is that they all have missing fingers. Also, yubitsume actually has its origins from a few centuries ago when the more influential yakuza wielded the katana (the weapon of the samurai) and the loss of a finger joint will weaken their grip of the katana. This increases the reliance of the errant member on his leader and he therefore becomes more indebted (Stratfor, 2012, Inside the Yakuza World section, para. 5). Once again, the influence of the samurai, which is a Japanese entity, can be seen in the traditions of the Yakuza. Another thing that the Yakuza adopted from the samurai would be the values from bushido, in particular the values of ninjo (obligation or strong sense of duty) and giri (human feeling). With these values, the yakuza could demonstrate that they, like the samurai, could combine compassion and kindness with their martial skills (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 17). These values are part of what makes the yakuza uniquely Japanese. Furthermore, the adoption of these values may have contributed to the stereotypical yakuza hero that was formerly portrayed in yakuza movies in the 1960s a chivalrous yakuza that had to choose between his interests and obligations (Schilling, 2003, p. 23). Additionally, the Japanese Yakuza demonstrated their chivalry when they generously provided various types of relief supplies to disaster victims after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan; they also did so after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 (Norman, 2011). The chivalry demonstrated by the yakuza casts doubt on th eir identities as criminals and sets them apart from ordinary criminals and perhaps other criminal organisations like the Mafia (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 18). However, there are some that argue that the yakuza were more chivalrous in the past. Shotaro Hayashi, a yakuza boss, asserted that the real yakuza existed until only the end of the Showa era [1925] and that there was more chivalry in those days (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 126). This could be why the stereotype of the yakuza has seemed to change in recent years; the modern-day gangsters as portrayed in more recent yakuza movies are more merciless and far from noble, yet they are said to be more realistic (Schilling, 2003, p. 19). This shift in portrayal calls into question what the yakuza really are currently. Yet, the current stereotype in the yakuza movies seems to be contradicted by the recent actions of the yakuza in the Japanese earthquake or perhaps there might be a deeper meaning behind the actions of the yakuza. Part 3: Yakuza as nationalists Besides being chivalrous followers of the samurai values, the yakuza are also nationalists. The beginning of the nationalist yakuza began in 1881 when Mitsuru Toyama set up the Genyosha (Dark Ocean Society), the forerunner of Japans modern secret societies and patriotic groups. This led to the creation of a new type of yakuza that were heavily involved in political activities, specifically ultranationalism (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 22). They funded their political activities through sponsorships from wealthy patrons or typical yakuza crimes. Initially, the more traditional yakuza acted separately from these new yakuza but as it became clear that they shared similar beliefs (such as Shinto) (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 23) and both favoured the right wing (due to threats from the left wing), many of the bosses and their gangs converted to ultranationalism (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 24). In 1919, a national federation of gangsters, the Kokusui-kai, was created, which eventually became the par amilitary arm of one of Japans significant political parties then; eventually, some yakuza bosses even managed to become members of the parliament (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 25). Besides that, the yakuza continued to contribute manpower for fighting and other purposes so as to advance their cause (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. 26). Although all these events happened before the war, even till today the yakuza are affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party, which is a right-leaning political party (Stratfor, 2012, The Meiji Restoration section, para. 4). In this case the yakuza seem to be just Japanese trying to advance a political cause in Japan, instead of criminals. Part 4: Yakuza as Mafia The Japanese Yakuza can also be seen as similar to another non-Japanese criminal syndicate, namely the Mafia. After all, the criminal activities that the yakuza are involved in are quite similar to those of the Mafia. Also, like the Mafia, the yakuza are influential in the construction and entertainment industries; they also control numerous legitimate businesses which are sometimes used as fronts for their illegal ones. Both of them have some political power behind the scenes as well (Kaplan Dubro, 2003, p. xviii). The most striking similarity between the two criminal syndicates will perhaps be their unwritten laws as shown in Kaplan Dubro (2003): Never reveal the secrets of the organization. Never violate the wife or children of another member. No personal involvement with narcotics. Do not withhold money from the gang. Do not fail in obedience to superiors. Do not appeal to the police or even the lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(p. 125) These similarities seem to suggest that the Japanese Yakuza might have been influenced by entities outside of Japan as both the Yakuza and the Mafia are involved in similar activities and are governed by the same rules. Conclusion There is little doubt that the Japanese Yakuza are indeed criminals as their involvement in various criminal activities is extensive. However, they seem to differ somewhat from the average gangster due to the values they seem to uphold, which could be due to their Japanese roots and the influence that the Japanese samurai had on them. Furthermore, the yakuza seem to be strongly affiliated with the political right-wing of Japan, making them akin to nationalists as well. Their similarities with the Mafia, though obvious, seem to be rather limited as various differences can be noted and were mentioned in the paper. Ultimately, the yakuza are originated from and based in Japan, so although it would be a stretch to call them uniquely Japanese as no nationality is completely unique, they definitely possess the characteristics that show that they are Japanese.

Thoughts on Organization :: Writing Education Essays

Thoughts on Organization "We learned about thesis and antithesis and five paragraphs and the whole bit, and learned to do it faster and faster. We repeated it in just the same way you throw basketballs at hoops over and over until you're good at it....All this indicated that I was a 'good writer' and I and teachers both probably believed I really was, and strictly because of this motor skill they'd trained me in." Dave wrote that in an e-mail discussion about theme writing. It made me wonder what the actual guidelines were for the so-called "Official Style," and what, if anything, was wrong with its formula. After all, this is what Universities demanded of us on a quarterly basis. If the scholars and the academe found it to be the standard, what could be wrong with it? I had done it, been good at it. I could turn out one of the "official" papers in a two hour time frame and get an "A". Big deal. Didn't that make me a good writer? What else is there? So I read Strunk and White's version of The Elements of Sty le to find out exactly what I had been doing while fulfilling assignment after assignment. Not that the subject matter was all that entertaining, but couldn't they have spruced up their writing with a little creativity, a little humor? I was so bored, I had a hard time wanting to pick the book up once it had fallen from my bored hands. Ah Ha! I do believe I had inadvertently stumbled upon the result of "Official Style" writing. It stifled the creative, humorous, and personal tendencies that I, and most creatively-intended people, personally look for in a piece of work we would like to tag as interesting. My thoughts then wandered to what the non-official style would set for writing guidelines. Would it be a writing revolution? Would it swim circles around Strunk or would it merely allow more flexibility while still holding Strunk's words as truth? Would I find out that what I had previously written and considered a brilliant paper was actually a regurgatation of someone else's work. And worst of all, would it be as boring as Strunk? Naturally I knew I would find my answer on MCMorg's homepage and bookshelf. So I dug around a little in Aristotle, Finnegan's Wake , Nevin Liab, and our previous reading assignments.

Oedipus Essay -- Literary Analysis, Sophocles

Anger is expressed through a variety of reasons. Vague with many divisions and levels, it comprises of different types. Anger is a powerful emotion that reveals the state of a person. Often, this emotion is uncontrollable because it is used to recompense for what has been lost and creates positive and negative effects. Particularly, it is evident when expectations and goals are unfulfilled or do not meet reality. In Sophocles’s Oedipus the King and Shusaku Endo’s Silence, the protagonists experience anger for reasons that differ. Sebastian Rodrigues's non-acceptance towards others for their lack of moral values and dignity together with Oedipus's hubris and indignation bring a similar result of emotional change. Led by pride, s shows asperity towards those that he feels have the audacity to unfairly mistreat him. When Tiresias refuses to inform him of the murderer, Oedipus answers â€Å"What, nothing? You miserable old man! You’d drive a stone to fury. Do you still refuse? Your flinty heart set in hopeless stubbornness† (Sophocles 19). Through his questions, his anger is aroused. â€Å"Old man† (Sophocles 19) is a connotation to degrade Tiresias while the â€Å"stone† (Sophocles 19) is personified to erupt from anger due to his loathsomeness. Likewise, his heart is personified to be recreant for scheming together with a supposed assassin. After Tiresias divulges that Oedipus is guilty, Oedipus alleges, â€Å"So this is what he wants, Creon the loyal, Creon so long my friend! Stealing up to overthrow and snatch!† (Sophocles 22). Accusing Creon through his sarcastic tone, positive adjectives such as â€Å"loyal† (Sophocles 22) and â€Å"friend† (Sophocles 22) otherwise heightens a sense of betrayal. As he is unjustly surmised, chided and accused as self-cen... ...d the possibilities are hindered by pride, and the most unexpected and impossible can occur. Frequently, people are oblivious to their own flaws by unknowingly holding the same malfeasance and chiding others. By judging others, they become the very aspect and evil that they hate. Oedipus’s anger, while incognizant about the entire plight, seems more justifiable than that of Rodrigues who continues criticizing people after having seen the entire perspective of the situation. He focuses on the narrower view rather than evaluating it as a whole. Both characters exhibit different sides of anger and pose the question, ‘what extent anger is justifiable?’ Perhaps the message that the authors’ intended to convey was that human beings are biased based on their limited point of view, and therefore fallible. This is an ongoing and innate flaw that we must learn from. Oedipus Essay -- Literary Analysis, Sophocles Anger is expressed through a variety of reasons. Vague with many divisions and levels, it comprises of different types. Anger is a powerful emotion that reveals the state of a person. Often, this emotion is uncontrollable because it is used to recompense for what has been lost and creates positive and negative effects. Particularly, it is evident when expectations and goals are unfulfilled or do not meet reality. In Sophocles’s Oedipus the King and Shusaku Endo’s Silence, the protagonists experience anger for reasons that differ. Sebastian Rodrigues's non-acceptance towards others for their lack of moral values and dignity together with Oedipus's hubris and indignation bring a similar result of emotional change. Led by pride, s shows asperity towards those that he feels have the audacity to unfairly mistreat him. When Tiresias refuses to inform him of the murderer, Oedipus answers â€Å"What, nothing? You miserable old man! You’d drive a stone to fury. Do you still refuse? Your flinty heart set in hopeless stubbornness† (Sophocles 19). Through his questions, his anger is aroused. â€Å"Old man† (Sophocles 19) is a connotation to degrade Tiresias while the â€Å"stone† (Sophocles 19) is personified to erupt from anger due to his loathsomeness. Likewise, his heart is personified to be recreant for scheming together with a supposed assassin. After Tiresias divulges that Oedipus is guilty, Oedipus alleges, â€Å"So this is what he wants, Creon the loyal, Creon so long my friend! Stealing up to overthrow and snatch!† (Sophocles 22). Accusing Creon through his sarcastic tone, positive adjectives such as â€Å"loyal† (Sophocles 22) and â€Å"friend† (Sophocles 22) otherwise heightens a sense of betrayal. As he is unjustly surmised, chided and accused as self-cen... ...d the possibilities are hindered by pride, and the most unexpected and impossible can occur. Frequently, people are oblivious to their own flaws by unknowingly holding the same malfeasance and chiding others. By judging others, they become the very aspect and evil that they hate. Oedipus’s anger, while incognizant about the entire plight, seems more justifiable than that of Rodrigues who continues criticizing people after having seen the entire perspective of the situation. He focuses on the narrower view rather than evaluating it as a whole. Both characters exhibit different sides of anger and pose the question, ‘what extent anger is justifiable?’ Perhaps the message that the authors’ intended to convey was that human beings are biased based on their limited point of view, and therefore fallible. This is an ongoing and innate flaw that we must learn from.

violence in movies Essay -- essays research papers

If you watch movies these days you know you’re sure to see some sort of violence whether it be a killing, beating, or some kind of cruel act. Now every time you watch TV, you are likely to see a commercial promoting a new movie with a catch title such as â€Å"Scream† or â€Å"Fear.† Whether you think these movies are necessary or not, production companies know they will get the viewers and this is why they keep making them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was watching a movie the other day, with my lovely girlfriend of course, by the name of â€Å"The Matrix.† The title caught both our eyes as we browsed the aisles of the movie store searching for something good to watch. Seeing that my girlfriend does like violence in movies and thinks its unreal, it seemed like a good enough choice for me. The back of the box showed nothing of violence and the description gave no hints to shootings and killings. The beginning of the movie went well but about a half hour into it, as soon as we could blink our eyes, one of the characters pulls out about twelve machine guns planning to kill the whole city I guess. After blasting all 10,000 of the bullets into the ten guys he was trying to kill, my girlfriend got right up, marched over to the VCR in disgust, and pushed stop before I could get one word of protest out. As you can see, these days there’s not much you can do to get away from watching a movie with even a l ittle violence in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why is it that violence attracts us t...

Compare and Contrast Poems ‘Still I Rise’ and ‘I Shall Return’ Essay

The poems I am comparing and contrasting are ‘Still I Rise’ and ‘I Shall Return.’ The main similarity between these poems is to do with the theme. They both talk about confidence and mental strength. The poets both have had very different upbringings, but have both been depressed at one point in their lives. The woman who wrote ‘Still I Rise’, Maya Angelou, was born in Saint Louis. Maya was sent to live with her grandmother after she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Soon after, she moved to San Francisco, to try to forget about her troubled childhood. She wrote the bestseller â€Å"I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings† as she travelled, and can now speak fluently in lots of languages. ‘Still I Rise’ is based on Maya’s childhood; being treated unfairly, but still coming back with confidence. The other poet was a man, Claude McKay, who was born in Jamaica. He moved to America and founded ‘African blood brothers.’ Shortly after, he moved to London where he died of a heart attack. His poem, ‘I Shall Return’ shows he wanted other people to be grateful for what they had, and to show he had happier times in his childhood. Also, it’s the start of your life; the only time you can control your future, which is a very important thing in this poem as I feel he wishes that he could have stayed in the happy place of his childhood, and that it could have changed his whole life. The way he talks about his recent pain â€Å"To ease my mind of long, long years of pain† and the way he uses repetition emphasises the fact he couldn’t get away from the pain. ‘Still I rise’ is about Maya Angelou’s history. When you read the poem, you feel she has had a bad past, even if you do not know anything about her. The main themes in the poem are about discrimination, and being ill-treated but still coming across as the stronger one. She repeats â€Å"I’ll rise† throughout the poem, showing she has high hopes for herself. Towards the end of the poem, she starts to say â€Å"I rise,† which shows she is happy with how she is now, and possibly happy with the way people treat her. The point in this poem is to show that Maya had personal problems, but wanted to show she had enough inner strength to write about them, and that she wanted someone to listen to what she had to say. The way ‘I Shall Return’ is written helps with how you interpret the poem. McKay wrote the poem in present tense â€Å"To laugh and love and watch with wonder-eyes†, but explains his dreams in the future tense â€Å"I Shall Return to hear the fiddle and fife†. This makes it obvious that his dreams aren’t yet fulfilled, but he hopes they will eventually. The theme is clear all the way through the poem. He repeats â€Å"I shall return, I shall return again,† to show his desire to return to the place of his happy childhood memories. McKay idealised his childhood, he ignored any imperfections and suggests his childhood was perfect. When he went to America, he noticed how much people didn’t respect their life, but this just made him realise how much he had, and he just let it go. The repetition he uses in the poem emphasises his longing to make people appreciate what they have. Another of the main comparisons is that both poems are very personal; they decipher the poets’ childhoods and longings in life. The poems uncover the poets’ history, present lives’, and what they desire in the future. The poems both have pastoral and natural imagery amongst them, â€Å"The forest fires burn† from ‘I Shall Return,’ and â€Å"Just like moons and suns† from ‘Still I Rise.’ This is a comparison; however, they explain them in a completely different context, Maya describing them as ‘on her side’ as she compares them with herself, turning the words into metaphors and using personification. Whereas McKay uses the natural imagery as a relaxing thing as he uses calm words such as ‘loiter’ and ‘bathe’ which makes this a contrasting point. The way the poets have done this is a brilliant way to get the poem flowing with different moods, whilst still getting their purpose across. Angelou talks in a relaxing style, but uses rhetorical questions. This makes her sound challenging and possibly even angry. McKay uses slight aggression and anger in ‘I shall return.’ He uses bold imagery to do this. He also talks about natural things like â€Å"forest fires burn† and â€Å"blades of the bending grasses† and uses personification to make them seem like bad things, like blades of knives, and the burning of flames. However, he does also express his ‘washed away’ feeling vaguely, â€Å"†¦the streams that bathe the†¦Ã¢â‚¬  shows he has a lot of respect for things that happen everyday and shows how much beauty they actually have. The poets make points and raise ideas about confidence whilst they talk about their childhood â€Å"Did you want to see me broken?† (‘Still I Rise’) makes a point of something that hurt her in the past, but now she shows she has enough strength to ask those questions she always wanted to know. That is similar in both poems, but talk in completely different attitudes, whilst explaining similar things. In my opinion, both poems are equally as good. ‘Still I rise’ uses very strong metaphors to bring back how Maya feels about black female history. â€Å"I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, welling and swelling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is a brilliant phrase, using strong personification. A â€Å"black ocean† takes the biggest thing on the planet, and uses black to make it seem mysterious. â€Å"Welling and swelling† could be annotated in two different ways; that black history is becoming more recognised as a big thing, or, the â€Å"welling and swelling† of a woman’s stomach when she is pregnant, emphasising the fact women play a big part in the world, that they are the ones who bring children into the world, and happiness. ‘I shall return’ is short but to the point. Claude takes beautiful things and ‘twists’ them, to make them seem they have a strong personality of their own. This poem is very effective with the way Claude uses very bold imagery. He takes things that people come across every day, but don’t take them into consideration in the way they should.