Impact Of Mass Media On The Society Media Essay

Impact Of Mass Media On The Society Media Essay Media relationships with policymakers showed different shapes of dealings with informations since long ago. In the past it was understood that the medias impact on policy happened in a direct approach, mostly when journalists were detached from the leading decisions. Media inquiries introduced by common public feelings usually help in spreading the public view, individuals act together in order to force the government to reform public policies according to the general public requirements. For example in France, during the presidential election many French citizens were against most laws concerning retirement benefits. Massive protestations forced the government to change some laws. Another example is that, linear concept has been lately labelled by the Mobilisation Model instead of being labelled Popular Mobilisation. This concept suggests that peoples play major roles in policymaking practices; other political scientists views were different, some propose that exceptional interest g roups and further influential political leaders control the policymaking progressions but not the citizens. Protess, Curtin, Gordon, Leff, and Miller (19) share the same point of view and state that policymaking reforms frequently take place regardless the public opinion. They involved some ethnographic investigations of reporters and policymakers to demonstrate how prepublication cooperation published by journalism and policymakers may influence policy outlines and decisions, not the common public impression. For example the website of the Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Carl Bernstein posted a sample of the cooperation between the CIA and the Media stating that, Joseph Alsop, known as one of the American famous columnist working with a specific association, proceeded to the Philippines in 1953 to report news concerning the election. He wasnt asked to attend the event by his association however the journal concerned to post his column. Reasonably, he was there due to the CIA demand. During the past two decades over four hundred American journalists operated secretly for the sake of CIA Central Intelligence Agency, as some tasks were directly assigned by the center of operations at the CIA. They were attending as some detectives used to go in most Communist countries. Journalists serviced their assistance to the (CIA) during a long period of time as a matter of fact; copyreaders and reporters shared their works with CIA members. In several cases, CIA papers indicate that reporters were involved to achieve duties for the CIA with the permission and agreement of the administrations of Americas leading newscast establishments (Bernstein). Such relationships were realized to have a major consequence on policy establishment. Sometimes they use it for what can be called policy opportunities. By getting or constructing all the information in advance, they are more able to control their media reportage to exploit and defused positive advertising for their policies. In this way, they could be viewed as part of the solution even if they initially created the problem Protess, Curtin, Gordon, Leff, and Miller 166-185. This interdependent relationship, involving dynamic cooperation between presses and policymakers to govern policymaking outlines has been called as coalition journalism. Moltosh, Protess, and Gordon would totally stand against this way of being a journalist. The influence of policymakers in the cinema industry is also relevant according to The Guardian One of the UKs leading newspapers in 2012-08-29. The conservative right-hand transparency group, Judicial Watch, expressed in August 2012 a new bunch of papers presenting how president Obama management showed evidence and data to Hollywood film-makers concerning for example Bin Laden attack. To be politically supportive, Obama administrators intended to allow the creation of a pre-election film regarding that heroic assassination. Although at the same time, many attorneys and also lobbyist asserted to media channels that no revelation was allowed because the attack was classified. This illustrates how policymakers could influence film-makers to produce intended films that control the flow of the public opinion and govern their own policies Guardian. The impact of the CNN effect is also very obvious in the foreign policymaking. A lot of revisions have determined that the media has a crucial role in affecting some countries foreign policymaking procedures done by the concept of CNN effect, Gilboa 27-44. Not related only to the CNN effect on policymaking, but relatively on the influence of global media systems to govern political progressions through a specific way of reporting matters and information. This is mainly significant, as lots of people depend on the media to more about foreign news Brown, and Vincent 65-79. Robinson in year 2000 developed the policy-media interaction model, using the structure of press-state relations. This theory was developed by Hallin in 1986 and Bennett around1990. It was used for some of US humanitarian involvements, in the year 1990. The outcomes indicated that serious reportage by the media with a powerful personal point of view on the subject had a significant impact on the public opinion. History shows that, policymakers were inexact sometimes regarding their deeds. For example, most of these interferences caused the US to defend Bosnian, especially Gorazde (1995) but to make alliances with their enemies in Kosovo in (1999). Consequently, the impact of the CNN effect would look to be different relying on the presence of unified policies concerning foreign policy issues Robinson 613-633. On the social level, currently, the media is far and wide wherever the society fits, this century experienced a huge increase in communication gadgets. Within a blink of an eye, individuals can know what their contacts are doing on Facebook, or what they writing on Twitter. Technology has offered publics tools to have access to the whole world The Telegraph. The facility to continually recognize what is fashionable and stylish with superstars, how they act, what they eat, how they look, and what are their concerns, influences dramatically the whole society. Adolescents and teens always make the buzz around for them-self, uniqueness, and a sense of worth with a cool image. The supremacy of the media is a mechanism that powerfully controlled teens. According to Gauna most of them will end up with negative impacts. Teens spending times on Facebook and further social media channels are five times more expected to smoke and tree times more expected to drink alcohol than others not using social links according to CASA. However a number of investigators interrogated whether accessible practices on the net could essentially and possibly exposed teens to drug use. They assumed that there is no linkage between the two. A survey was held questioning about five hundred parents and two thousands of teens. The result indicated by CASA was that approximately seventy (70%) of the teens use social networks and about fifty (50%) of those seventy (70%) view photos of drunken teens and those who use drugs. Teens who do not utilize social networks can still view such photos but are less expected to be influenced. According to CASA only about 14% will be affected by what they see on internet. Actually, social media was expected to make life easier, but it seems not convince the majority of people. Now everyone feels more relaxed when talking to others behind the screens and less comfortable to communicate personally in front of each other. Older generations maybe different and are more able to make distinctions between the social network environment and the true social world, but current generations wont be able to realize it. When they are grown, they will have a confusing opinion about the true social communication. In worst cases, their minds will create a wrong figure of socialism and they will not be able to differentiate between the true world and the social network life. New generations should definitely be concerned by their futures. Most teenagers have difficulty to understand fundamentals that guide social media principles. On the other hand, Dependence on social media has diminished the interactions between students and instructors as a result of emails communication. Just a message without any emotions or even voice tones would certainly create an interesting link. Dr. Kelley Crowley, an instructor of public relations states that students have become restrained and uncomfortable to talk to her in class. Relatively, they prefer and feel more relaxed to contact her via emails, behind a monitor which is detached and does not have any perspective. To concludes, I think I said the same thing earlier in my thesis statement, and I wrote that before I read any of this research informations. Crowley, as well adds that ducking personal communications damages the capability of younger generation. Lack of eye contact in talks and conferences in addition to poor grammar practices influences negatively their professionalism. Most students have to reduce usage of social networks and be obliged in a way or another to interact with their professors in person, with colleagues and friends through school events, clubs or trips Meagan.

Reducing Carbon Emissions Of The Construction Industry

Reducing Carbon Emissions Of The Construction Industry It is ideal to mention that almost all things emerging around us are constructed out of carbon. However carbons in forms of solid are less damaging; such forms are tree tail or a layer of coal in the ground [1]. CO2 is produced from diverse sources, one of which is energy, i.e, the production of energy takes place from burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas, coal, used in power plants, transportation and other construction industrial conveniences and almost everything we do in our live is involved energy. All of the carbon emitters ranging from energy generation to transportation are found for the benefit of humans. So its essential for us to seriously consider and work on reducing CO2 emission. Subsequently, the future will force us to reduce our emission as we will see clearly what negative affect our emitters have had on the environment In addition, every facet of the UKs economy from construction to transportation to agriculture is dependent on fossil fuel imitative energy in fact the emissions of carbon dioxide were over 150 million tonnes in 2004[2] that comes from burning fossil fuels. As we search and try to discover different means of energy sources, we are still facing the certainty that CO2 emission from UK economy is still rising and actions must be come into view to equalise and cut the emissions that we cannot yet eradicate. Figure (2) [3] The UK is currently likely to reduce emissions of CO2 by 15-18% of 1990 levels by 2010 [4]as shown in the figure (2) above; In order from the government to meet these figures, variety of methods are implemented to reduce the CO2 emission, trees are one way to offset carbon emission. Planting tree is a probable process to deal with climate change and it is one of the few methods that in fact eradicate active CO2 from the environment by using a process called (carbon sequestration). Trees are known of absorbing CO2 of the atmosphere and provide it with O2 instead. This operation is referred to as Carbon Sequestration, in addition to the mentioned above, plants do also give back some CO2 but it is of such a small amount, that the effect of tree to nature and the atmosphere is seen totally positive. Other methods that can be used in reducing carbon footprint are factors such as Solar power, Recycling, Water saving and Thermal insulation. Solar power can be used to convert the suns power into other energy sources typically heat, electricity or hot water. This mean of energy generation was adopted due to its extremely low carbon print and hence having no negative effect on the environment during the power generation process. Recycling is significant in the process of reducing the amount of waste dispatched to land fill in comparison to new means of cutting the excessive use of natural sources and materials. Saving water is necessary because there is an increase in population and therefore the rate of water usage is greater than ever, but the water suppliers have a limited contribute obtainable for drinking. Those water suppliers need to use energy to run their treatment plants and pumping water; therefore reducing the usage will save energy considerably. Thermal insulation is used mostly in buildings to prevent having unnecessary heat driven in the structure; this will result in low running cost and less spending on central heating systems as well as reducing the power consumption from electricity. _________________________________________________________________________ Part 2: CO2 emission in construction: One of the major causes of CO2 emission in the UK is caused by construction. This is due to the fact that the construction industry uses untreated materials which are considered as major elements in generating noise, dust and considerable amount of waste. Furthermore, the production and use of concrete has an enormous environmental effect this is because Cement is an energy consumer and CO2 fabricated material. Other factors and causes of CO2 emission are things such as products that use high temperature processes to produce elements such as cement, bricks; these are considered as a main user of energy and emitter of greenhouse gases. Other material productions that can lead to CO2 emission are lead, iron and other chemical creation such as ammonia and titanium dioxide that can definitely cause negative impact to the environment. Part2: Changes have been made to meet targets of reducing CO2 emission Currently United Kingdom is working for changes toward producing and distributing a Greener and environmentally friendly energy. Simple example of those changes is pay-as-you-electrical supply, helping homes produce their own clean energy and boosting electricity production from low carbon sources, which in turn aid in the reduction of CO2 emission. At the moment 21 % of reduction has already been achieved from different sectors. This is equivalent to cutting all emissions from a city four times the size of London.[5] by making these necessary changes. So The UK government has already set targets to meet its goal of making reduction in the CO2 emission and construction is one of the areas that need to be considered in order to meet these targets. One of the actions the government has done to meet the targets is to reduce waste resulted from construction. Therefore, it has introduced the Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) which came into force to make construction companies manage their waste generated on site, (more details of this scheme can be found in the recycling section). Other organisations supported by the government that help contractors to manage and reduce waste are (Norfolk Waste Recycling Assistance Project) (NORWRAP) and The National House Building Council (NHBC), these organisation are part of the commitment and changes the government has done to help reduce CO2 emission by launching an outline plan for these changes including waste collection and recycling. Accordingly, this will reduce the landfill and the removal tax as well as reducing the labour costs of transporting these waste materials. Other Ways in which the UK will meet its targets in further reduction of CO2 emissions are set out in the following areas: Transport organism Homes and society Power system Managing lands, Farms more sustainably Figures of CO2 consumption in the UK from 1990 to 2007 resulted from different sectors are shown below: Figure (4) [6] Transport organism: Most of the energy consumed in this sector is caused from different fuel types; few of which are petroleum, diesel and gasoline. As most types of transport means use these fuels, thus the emission of CO2 caused from the transportation sector continued to increase since (1990). Transportation is deemed as one of the major sectors that can be mortified to meet CO2 reduction targets due to different reasons: People can be greener in the present and future by choosing the most sustainable and lowest carbon ways of meeting their transport needs. The government can support companies that generate low carbon vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emission. Homes and society (Residential): The main goal in this sector is to make residential homes more efficient and support small scale renewable energy projects. This intern will be enhancing green infrastructure and reduce the production of CO2 as it can be seen in Figure (4). Which can then improve the flexibility of our places to impacts of climate change such as flooding and over-heating, therefore it is vital that we acquire a long-term view to develop the functioning of our existing places. Different type of energy sources are consumed by housing some of which are related to lights, water heating and cooking space. New targets according to Governments resource [7] include: Pay as you save pilots helping people make their house greener by using the savings made on bills to repay the upfront costs. Encouragement on the new clean energy cash-back scheme, which means people will be paid for generating electricity from low carbon sources. The power system (energy supply): The most effective way in which CO2 reductions can be achieved is by enhancing the way electricity is generated. Biomass is one of the means the government aim to use in producing electricity; biomass can be converted into gas or liquid fuels by using chemicals or heat to convert that energy into a usable energy source such as electricity. However, CO2 that is released during the production of energy (electricity) from biomass is balanced by that which is absorbed during the production of the fuel itself [8] which make this method considerably energy efficient. Managing land, Farms more sustainably: We have reached an era where we can use technical and methodological ideas such as recycling usable materials, converting the organic material into usable fuel and digging up landfills for extracting solid waste are all logical and feasible ideas whose time has come. Reduction of emissions from agriculture, land use and waste can be achieved by sustaining the resources available for growing food and by well managing water and soil quality. Also allowing undeveloped land for development that greenly meet human needs, as well as supporting the anaerobic digestion, a process that turns organic materials such as food waste, slurries and manures into renewable energy in form of biogas [9] this can be used as an electricity production source thats why it widely spread across Europe. Part 3: Recycling Recycling is considered as a method of making the best use of the waste materials as well as, reducing the excessive use of the currently available natural materials. Recycling also plays a role in reducing pollution caused by dumping waste materials in the ground. Such strategy is very useful in these times where natural sources are of limited existences and need for those resources are gradually increasing day after another. This isnt only for the sake of the current generation but the upcoming generation will live their entire lives in a world we left for them, hence, we must take maximum care. From a technical point of view, recycling is a process that takes less energy to perform and complete than starting the creation of that certain material from scratch. A clear example of that is the use of steel in construction, where melting it and reforming it is by far, an easier process than making the mixing and forming process from the beginning. In figures, researches reached the fact that Aluminium makes use of 5% less energy when made through recycling [10], in comparison to making from the original composites. In this project, the main recycling sector to be discussed is recycling in construction. Construction is considered in many researches as a result of its major impact on the total recycling in the country. The value of construction industry works out to be  £100bn a year and is responsible for 8% of the domestic product in the United Kingdom [11]. Given this field has this crucial influence, it will of course, have a positive impact on the recycling process in total. The recycle process in the construction industry is a process that is involved in the sub-fields of public buildings, houses, roads, public access points, marine structures and major factories. Despite of all the current policies to reduce the emissions and increase the efficiency of recycling, the UK still doesnt meet the drawn targets. This only means, new methods and strategies must be taken. In addition to the local preferences, government policies and legislations; the government was pushed by the EU in 2007 to come up with the Waste Strategy for England 2007. As mentioned earlier, if recycling doesnt take place, the alternative method to get rid of waste materials will be dumping them in the ground. The negatives of this process are a minimum if the dumped materials are bio-degradable, but in case they arent, recycling will play a major role in solving this problem, prevent causing damage to the environment and make a positive use of those non-bio-degradable materials. Following those government legislation, the construction field has followed the following strategies: Improve after-life of constructions to increase the efficiency and cause less need for waste removal. Appropriate disposal of hazardous waste to avoid causing damage to the environment and categorise the waste accordingly. Treat some of the materials those could be treated without the need for recycling to avoid unnecessary waste of energy. In relation with government strategies; the Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) regulation was released in 2008; targeting major construction projects in England with a cost over  £300,000 [12]. This scheme works on the basis of registering what materials will be used, how they will be demolished, when and how they will be dumped or recycled. This scheme stands on the following aims: Reduce the amount of waste produced from construction, demolition or refurbishing. Increase waste recycling and improve efficiency of the recycling process and the materials generated by it. Ensure appropriate disposal of waste materials and diagnose when they are reach the stage to be dumped in the ground (after how many stages of curing), alternatively make better and second use of them to minimize any waste generated, this is presented in the simple flow chart below: Process of minimising construction waste materials [13]

Democracy In South America :: essays research papers

South America is a land of different cultures and has a history of as many different types of government, mostly dictatorships. Most of South America won independence from Spain and Portugal between 1810 and 1824. In 1823, President James Monroe enunciated the first US policy on Latin America. The Monroe Doctrine warned European nations against interfering in the affairs of independent nations in the Western Hemisphere. In 1904, Roosevelt's Corollary said the US would act as a "policeman", intervening militarily when US interests were at risk. After W.W.II, the independent countries of the Western Hemisphere formed the Organization of American States, a military alliance to prevent aggression against any American nation. South America is the fourth largest continent. It ranks fifth in population. The continent is divided into 12 independent countries and two political units. The countries consist of Brazil, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, Surinam, and French Guinea. In the 12 countries of South America, democracy has slowly been on the rise since 1959. The rise started in Venezuela and ended in Surinam last year. One by one South America's countries have turned form dictatorships into democracies where the voters control the elections. Even with democracy taking control, the countries still have many problems. The largest problem is the tradition of corruption of the political leaders. The corruption has mainly been the use of bribe-taking and bribe-giving. "By definition, democracy presumes equal opportunity; bribery and corruption make the playing field uneven and weakens democracy's foundations." Recently, corruption has reached into high places in Venezuela and Brazil. President Carlos Perez (1993) and Fernando Collor de Mello (1992) were forced to resign when faced with corruption charges. The large drug trade has also caused problems for the rise of democracy in South America. Each year, hundreds of tons of Cocaine feed an illegal US drug market. It is worth an estimated $38 billion a year. This illegal money has found its way into the pockets of many people in high places. In Columbia, a major source of illegal drugs for the US, President Ernesto Samper was accused of taking a $6 million bribe to allow drug trafficking to continue as usual. Laundered drug money has financed development in many South American cities, but it has also brought bloodshed. The large gap between rich and poor of South America has presented another challenge for democracy. In South America, the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer.

The Raven :: Literary Analysis, Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe wrote many literary works and had many tragedies in his life. Edgar Allan Poe’s life started in poverty, became better during his adopted years, and once again fell into poverty. Edgar Allan Poe inspired many people with his haunting poetry and short stories. One of his best known poems is â€Å"The Raven.† In this poem he is represented as a lonely fellow in his bedroom, longing for his lost love. Some say this poem is a metaphor for his close friends and family dying. Edgar Allan Poe had a rough life that resulted in many inspiring poems. (Hallqvist 1). Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents, Elizabeth and David Poe were both involved in acting careers. When Edgar was two years old, his father mysteriously abandoned his family, leaving Elizabeth Poe with Edgar and his two siblings, Henry and Rosalie to raise on her own. Soon after Edgar’s father leaving, his mother fell ill with tuberculosis. Elizabeth Poe suffered with the disease from October until December 8, 1811 when she died. Later in Edgar’s life, his poems would relate back to December 1811 and its misfortunes. â€Å"And all I loved, I loved alone† (Lange 12). Poe said speaking of the tragedy of his mother’s death. (Lange 12-13). While Elizabeth Poe had lain sick, Frances Allan and a few other ladies cared for the Poe household. Frances Allan grew and attachment to Edgar and adopted him after his mother died. His siblings were adopted by different families. Frances loved Edgar as her own. â€Å"Edgar was somewhat spoiled by his doting foster mother† (Anderson 12). Frances and her husband John Allan were very wealthy. (Anderson 12). When Edgar turned six, John moved the family to London for business. There, Edgar attended an English boarding school where he studied French, Latin and literature. In 1820, John Allan’s business in England failed, which caused the family to move back to Richmond. Edgar continued school back in Richmond and began writing poems. One of his first poems was about a crush he had on his friend’s mother. â€Å"Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,

Free Essays: The Weak Gods of Iliad, Odyssey and Epic of Gilgamesh :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Weak Gods of The Iliad, Odyssey and Gilgamesh    The Oxford English Dictionary defines god as Ã’1. A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient ruler and originator of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheist religions. 2. A being of supernatural powers, believed in and worshipped by a people.Ó The first definition reflects Modern AmericaÕs connotation of the word god. The latter recalls the Ancient Greco-Sumerian ideal of a being greater than man. While both definitions are equally valid in literature, many perceive the word only in the first view. However, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Epic of Gilgamesh portray gods with limits and weaknesses. The contemporary Christian god is able to demand things of his followers, readily expecting wholehearted and unquestioning obedience. This was not the case with his ancient counterparts.    Rather than exacting demands upon their followers, occasionally the ancient gods were limited to requests. Often they were refused. In the Odyssey, the goddesses Circe and Calypso both expected lifelong commitments from the mighty Odysseus. Both promised great things to the hero, including godhood. Odysseus was able to refuse both goddesses. Human obstinacy beat out the whims of goddesses. If the Protestant god were to make sexual demands upon his followers, more than likely, he would not be refused. One could argue, though, that Odysseus did give in to the goddesses by bedding them. Always though, his focus eventually shifted to returning home and reuniting with his mortal wife. Homer portrayed a man who refused immortal beauty for true love: Ã’She is mortal after all, and you are immortal and ageless. But even so, what I want and all my days I pine for is to go back to my house and see my day of homecoming. And if some god batters me far out on the wide blue water, I will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit within me, for I have already suffered much (93-94).Ó Thus, the mortal Odysseus was able to deny the temptations of the goddesses multiple times. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, another goddessÕ whims are put down. Ishtar, goddess of war and love becomes attracted to the mighty but mortal Gilgamesh. But rather than jumping right into the sack with

Changes and Continuities of Islam Essay

The period from 600 C.E to 1450 is often referred to as the Post Classical period. There were many developments and reforms that occurred during this period however one of the most important events that happened was the establishment and the spread of Islam. Islam is a very prominent religion in the world for its profound values and principles. During the Post Classical Era, Islam from the Middle East was considered a persistent religion but it also went through many altercations as the society changed over time. The first major change is that Islam was born and developed over time. Before 600 C.E, Middle East was not such an organized society because its people worshipped several thousand gods as idols and used them for corrupted purposes. However, this man called Mohammad sought to change the society, considering it being so fraudulent. He soon then developed the religion of Islam, missioned by the angel from God, and the first pilgrimage to Kaaba occurred in 632 C.E. From there the religion of Islam grew popular and spread to many different regions of the world such as North Africa to Spain. By that, it can be known that many people began to worship the religion. The second change is that as different people start to adopt the religion, powers changed. Even from when Mohammad died, people even split for whom they wanted to give the power to. There were various conflicts in choosing the power. The third major change was in the gender relationships. Even though the Islamic society was highly patriarchal, women enjoyed a more active and stronger voice in society and were allowed to take highly valued roles in government, business, and education as the time passed. The continuities of Islam in the Middle East were in the aspects of trade, gender relationship, education and tradition. Muslim merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries continued to trade over the Silk Road even though time passed. Trade improved agricultural productions, which eventually resulted in the development of commercial centers. Maritime trade in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean also continued but the  number of trades increased gradually. Even though the above paragraph illustrate how the women were able to gradually gain power the dominant power of males continued. Though the Quran recognized women as honorable and equal to men, the practice of veiling women created a symbol of male authority in the Islamic community. Education was always one of the most essential aspects of the Muslim society. Missionaries, mosques, and Islamic educational institutions were established throughout the dar al-Islam. Baghdad continued to flourish as a center of learning and culture. Also, Arabic remained as the language of religion, theology, philosophy and law, while the Persian language dominated literature, poetry, history and political reflection. Talking about language, most of the rituals and tradition carried on. As Muslims made the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) constantly, mosques and inns were continuously established. Over the centuries these pilgrims helped to spread Islamic beliefs and values. The global aspect of Islam is emphasized since Islam is one of the cultures that spread very widely throughout the world and became one of the most prominent religions in the world. It influenced the cultures of the countries of North Africa such as the famous Mali and Spain. Mali ruler Mansa Musa observed Islamic tradition by making his pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) in 1324-1325. He gave out gold all along his journey. Upon his return to Mali, he built mosques, particularly in the trading cities frequented by Muslim merchants. He also sent students to study with distinguished Islamic scholars in North Africa. He had 500 slaves on his trip to Mecca. Like this, Islam basically supplemented traditional religions of Africa and other regions of the world that got affected by the religion. Therefore, the Islam from the Middle East in the Post Classical Era made effort to be a persistent religion but never was afraid of altercations to become a better religion for the people to worship.

Femme Fatale in Victorian Literature Essay

INTRODUCTION Victorian Era was the big step in the overall cultural development of England. Many, presently famous novels and poems came to light during this period. Mainly writers, who (in their style of writing) openly manifested their opposition to the strict moral law which was significant those days. Universal etiquette of behavior, wealth and the family name in the social hierarchy ladder were very important to be perceived as aristocracy. Class division within the society was clearly marked. The pattern of a female character in Victorian novel which gained popularity very fast that time was Femme Fatale pattern which is also known as deadly woman. I have chosen such topic, because I am of opinion that femme fatale type of character is the most interesting of all female identity types. Furthermore, Victorian period is a time of a changing role of the women in the British society, which gives us very contrastive background, in which behavior of such woman was something immoral, controversial but also brave. Charles Dickens is widely perceived as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. He is the creator of fictional characters, which are known all over the world and are used as universal patterns through centuries till now. Ch. Dickens in his work described in a perfect way English Victorian society as well as its rules. Dickens, through his life experienced many difficulties, which shaped his identity and had immense influence on his own, specific style of writing. His thirteenth novel Great Expectations was one of the greatest among Victorian Era works. The main character Pip, is growing and developing through the whole story which is why the novel belongs to the Bildungsroman genre. What is more, Great Expectations novel was firstly published in the serial form in weekly magazine All the Year Round so it can be also defined as serialized novel. The plot of this story is quite complicated, bringing the reader much of surprise because of unexpected turns of action and character, like the most significant change in the story is when the main hero suddenly becomes rich person and his life has been rapidly changed. But it is not main hero on whom I am going to focus in the first chapter of my diploma paper. It will be the woman of his dreams. The woman, who was unable to return a feeling back to him, as well as to anybody else. Her name is Estella Havisham and she is the first example which I am going to analyze in my work. The second writer from Victorian era whose fictional character I am going to analyze is William Thackeray. William Thackeray, the next one of the greatest writers in Victoria Era, was born into British high society in 1811. He experienced mostly comfortable and easy life until he reached 22 years old. Till that time he managed to squander most of his fortune. The main reasons which led to that situation were gambling and the Indian Banking Crisis. We can say that during his life he experienced on his own what is like to be rich and poor. That is why he could objectively depict the view of British society of his times. This is exactly what he had done in his famous work entitled Vanity Fair. In 1847 He started publishing short stories in Punch Magazine, which means that similarly to Great Expectations, it was also serialized novel. Although first chapters of this novel were written years before, they were not available for the wide audience. The whole story was completed and published as a book in 1848. That time also it received the subtitle A Novel Without a Hero. Very soon it became successful. CHAPTER ONE: FEMME FATALE AND VICTORIAN SOCIETY 1Victorian Period – Overall information The period 1837-1901 is named Victorian after Queen Victoria who ruled English country that time. It was a time of a big change when English Victorian Society was divided into three main classes: upper, middle and lower which was also called working class. Each class is characterized by various occupations, ways of life and etiquette. The upper class consisted of the nobility, such as dukes, earls, and viscounts. They were often related to the royal families of Britain and Europe, and their society was distinct and separate to the other two classes – certain expectations had to be met by everybody. Most of these ‘aristocrats’ did not have a profession, as their families had sufficient funds to live in affluence. However, many were captains of industry, especially mining or ship building. The middle class consisted of rich families who were respectable, but lacked a â€Å"title†, and often had skilled professions, such as a doctor, or a teacher. At the beginning of the Victorian times, they were a small proportion of the population. However, the effects of the Industrial Revolution meant that more people could be defined as ‘middle class’, because of improvements in education and more opportunities of leveling from the lower class to upper one. The lower class (working class) were made up of the rural and urban poor, who had often low skilled, dangerous, dirty and boring jobs (often all four) that they had to take because of the lack of education. A handful could actually be defined as ‘lower middle class’, but because they often lived in terraced housing areas, they were defined as working class. There was also a class below the working class – paupers. They lived in extreme poverty, often because of old age, unemployment, illness or strained resources. Sally Mitchel in her book clearly points out that Most working people earned just enough to stay alive, and could be thrown into poverty by illness, layoffs, or a sudden misfortune such as a factory fire that caused even short-term unemployment. People in unskilled and semiskilled jobs generally needed additional income from several members of the family. (Mitchel 19) Etiquette was one of the most significant thing that time. Education of the woman would not be completed without teaching rules of proper behavior. Not only women but also men had to obey this set of rules during many daily activities even the simplest one. What kind of jewelry as well as when and where one should wear, who to walk with, who to dance with, how and when to speak to a stranger, were all very critical knowledge. For men, there were rules about bowing, where to sit and next to whom, even about the circumstances in which it was appropriate or not to smoke or drink in front of ladies. Running a house without servants was almost impossible. The number of servants one could afford was a sign of one’s wealth. The bigger house, the more servants were hired. They were usually divided into two groups: indoor (butler, housekeeper, maids) and outdoor: (coachman, groom, a gardener). Being a servant wasn’t well-paid job but thanks to tips, a servant could earn extra money. Next, very significant thing which was obligatory mainly in upper class society was dance. It was the essence of every ball which was one of the greatest entertainment that time in English society. Balls were organized on many occasions and created opportunity to know noble men and women from upper class. In Victorian Britain the ideology of separate private sphere to the woman and sphere of business and politics to the man was clearly marked. The home was regarded as a haven from the busy and chaotic public world of politics and business, and from the harsh life of the factory. In Victorian times, you could travel one of three ways: by train, by horse, or by foot. The most common means of transportation was by far the horse. It was used by rich and poor. The rich owned fancy coaches that had every accessory one could ever need for living on the road, and the poor would go about town on the cheap omnibuses that carried twenty people at a time. 2Femme Fatale The term femme fatale comes from French and it states mainly in the opposition to another popular image of a Victorian woman called Angel in the House. ‘Femme Fatale is a woman who is sexually attractive but cruel and dangerous to men who have a relationship with her’ (Macmillan Dictionary, Femme Fatale definition). There were many famous female characters in the history who suit very well to this image even before the term Femme Fatale has been created. To the most famous examples belong: The femme fatale has always been a well-known archetype in literature, art and movies. The tradition of the femme fatale is long and versatile and can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt, with its iconic Cleopatra. Especially in the fine arts, the femme fatale has been portrayed in many metaphorical ways: as a vampire, nymph, fallen angel or sorceress. She flourished in the 1940’s century film noir, where the combination of aggressiveness and sensuality in women was a central topic (Place, 1998: 57). We can find many examples not only in written form but also in movies, where tempting and lethal women can be found as well: Sharon Stone in BASIC INSTINCT (1992), the Bond Girls or Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones in CHICAGO (2002) were all very seductive, but dangerous. Hence, based on van Dijkstra’s extensive historiography, the femme fatale can be defined as a woman who is mysteriously seductive and uses this quality to outsmart men. Her resistance against male domination exists of beauty, charm and sexual allure: she tempts the male target and drives him crazy by denying him her affection. (1986, 237) To summarize: key aspects of the femme fatale are mystery, beauty, seduction and, most importantly, danger. The most conventional image of the perfect Victorian woman who states in opposition to Femme Fatale woman can be found in the title of a long poem written by Coventry Patmore: The Angel in the House. The pure woman’s life was supposed to be entirely centered on the home. She preserved the higher moral values, guarded her husband’s conscience, guided her children’s training, and helped regenerate society through her daily display of Christianity in action. If she successfully made the home a place of perfect peace, her husband and sons would not want to leave it for an evening’s (morally suspect) entertainment elsewhere. (Mitchell 266) 3 William Makepeace Thackeray – Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta, India, in 1811. He was son of Richmond Thackeray, an Indian Civil Servant, and his wife Anne. Just a few years later his father died, his mother remarried, and the shy and young William was sent to England where he would deal with the harsh realities of isolation at Charterhouse, a private school in London. He then went on to attend Trinity College, Cambridge. Thackeray abandoned his studies without taking a degree, having lost some of his inheritance of twenty thousand pounds through gambling. During 1831-33 Thackeray studied law at the Middle Temple, London, but had little enthusiasm to continue his studies. Soon after He went to Paris to unsuccessfully try his hand at painting. It was in Paris that he met and married Isabella Shawe (1816–1893) in 1836, with whom he would have two surviving daughters, Anne Isabella and Harriet Marian. Back in England he suffered massive financial losses, which is why he had to start writing articles, reviews, essays and sketches as a journalist. Travel articles about France such as his Paris Sketch Book (1840) and The Yellowplush Correspondence (1841) were among his first efforts appearing in various magazines and journals including Fraser’s, Punch, and The Times. He also illustrated many of his own works. After the birth of Harriet, Isabella started on what was to be, until her death, numerous bouts of depression, an extensive search for a cure, and ultimately a slow spiral to insanity. She would live apart from William, rarely seeing him or her daughters. Thackeray remained close to his daughters all his life. Anne was his secretary for a while and they both lived with him at his house in London before marrying. The disintegration of his marriage however would have a profound effect on his life and was reflected in the characters of his novels, including the loveless marriage between Rachel and Frank Castlewood in The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. (1852) and its sequel The Virginians (1857). Haunting the Literary Clubs of London including the Garrick Club, Thackeray also travelled the Mediterranean, A Journey from Cornhill to Grand Cairo (1846) the result. Book of Snobs (1848) and Vanity Fair (1848) followed soon after, but it was not until The History of Pendennis (1850), his semi-autobiographical novel that Thackeray’s success as a humorist was confirmed. He then embarked on a series of lectures published as English Humorists of the Eighteenth Century (1851) and Four Georges (1860), based on the Hanoverian Kings, from his tours of the United States in 1852-53 and 1855-56. In 1860 Thackeray became editor of the monthly literary journal Cornhill Magazine, but died suddenly three years later, in 1863, at the age of fifty two. He lies buried beside his mother in the Victorian Garden cemetery Kensal Green in London, England. Charles Dickens wrote a glowing tribute to him in Cornhill Magazine. William Thackeray is mostly known for his great novel â€Å"Vanity Fair†. The novel was written in 1848. The book brought Thackeray prosperity and made him an established author and popular lecturer in Europe and in the United States. Vanity Fair with its second title A Novel without a Hero is a novel published in 1847–48, satirizing society in early 19th-century Britain. The book’s title comes from John Bunyan’s allegorical story The Pilgrim’s Progress, first published in 1678 and still widely read at the time of Thackeray’s novel. â€Å"Vanity Fair† refers to a stop along the pilgrim’s progress: a never-ending fair held in a town called Vanity, which is meant to represent man’s sinful attachment to worldly things. The novel is now considered a classic, and has inspired several film adaptations, the most recent being the 2004 film starring Reese Witherspoon. In 2003, Vanity Fair was listed on the BBC’s The Big Read poll of the UK’s â€Å"best-loved novel†.[1] 4 Charles Dickens – Great Expectations Charles Dickens is widely perceived as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. He is the creator of fictional characters, which are known all over the world and are used as universal patterns through centuries till now. Ch. Dickens in his work describes in a perfect way English Victorian society as well as its rules. Dickens, through his life experienced many difficulties, which shaped his identity and had immense influence on his own, specific style of writing. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth. He was son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. Until he finished 11 years he and his family moved two times. He was very clever boy. When he was young, he read many novels, especially the picaresque novels of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding. From the early stages he took private lessons, first in dame school, and then at a school run by William Giles, a dissenter, in Chatham. In 1822, the Dickens family moved to Camden Town, a poor neighborhood in London. By then the family’s financial situation had grown dire, as John Dickens had a dangerous habit of living beyond the family’s means. Eventually, John was sent to prison for debt in 1824, when Charles was just 12 years old. In 1860 Dickens started to publish short stories for the weekly magazine â€Å"All The Year Round†. Although intended for weekly publication, Great Expectations was divided into nine monthly sections, with new pagination for each. At the beginning, his serialized story was not so famous as A Day’s Ride by Charles Lever, which was published in the same magazine but soon lose favor with the public. Dickens, during one year of publication (1860-1861), wrote thirty six episodes. The novel gained title Great Expectation and became very successful among works of Victorian era, showing simultaneously Dickens’ peak and maturity as an author. Nowadays, novel is regarded as very important and is taught in many English classes. The main character Pip, is growing and developing through the whole story which is why the novel belongs to the Bildungsroman genre. In many respects, it contains themes and emotions directly related to the author’s experience. For instance, the description of Pip’s childhood has some affinity with Dickens own life. Also, Estella seems directly inspired from Maria Beadwell, a lady whom Dickens loved; Beadwell snubbed him coldly because of his low social status. The plot of story is complicated, bringing the reader much of surprise because of unexpected turns of action as the most significant change in the story when the main hero suddenly becomes rich person and his life has been rapidly changed. But it is not main hero on whom I am going to focus in the first chapter of my diploma paper. It will be the woman of his dreams. The woman, who was unable to return a feeling back to him, as well as to anybody else. Her name is Estella Havisham and she is the first example which I am going to analyze in my work.