Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East

Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East Research design The research design for this research study will be the mixed-method research approach (qualitative and quantitative research). According to Mertler Charles, 2011, qualitative research relies on narrative data while quantitative research relies on numerical data.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The survey research design will generate case-specific data that is necessary to investigate the research objective of this research as outlined above. Survey research designs involve data collection from a specified sample size in order to arrive at an accurate assessment of the whole population regarding specific variables that the study intends to find out. As such survey research study are most suitable in studies that involve investigation of opinions, behaviors, attitudes, perception s, culture orientation and so on which is similar to what we shall be investigating in this research study. Survey research study is especially suited to this type of study since it is possible to customize the research study to focus on key areas of interest. In this case I will use a questionnaire that would be used to collect data of key variables for the research study such as how often students engage with their phone, percentage of students with cell phones and amount of units used on cell phones per student and so on. The idea is to capture all relevant data needed for investigating the research questions for this research study. This information will be analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively and a final report written. Study participants The study will be conducted in Al Ittihad Model School targeting all the male students in the school. A stratified random sampling will be used to divide the classes into strata from which a simple random sample of 20 students will t hen be selected from each class following the respective classes’ register which contains all the population of the study. Thus, because this research study is based on males using cell phones at Al Ittihad Model School the study participants/population are therefore male students at this school. The sample size which is the actual group that will be investigated will be obtained from this study population mentioned above.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Data collected Both primary and secondary data will be used in the study whereby primary data will be obtained through questionnaires administered to the students and observations where applicable. The questionnaires will have both open ended and closed questions. On the other hand, secondary information will be obtained from reports, the internet, journals and magazines. From the data collected, qualitative and quant itative data will be extracted, analyzed and interpreted to answer the research questions of the study as outlined previously. Questionnaires will be used to collect the primary data since the study concerns some variables that cannot be directly observed such as opinions, perceptions and feelings of respondents. Such implicit feelings will only be collected through writing, and questionnaire will be the best tool to collect detailed information. The questionnaire will contain both structured and semi-structured questions. This will allow the respondents to give their own views. The questionnaire will be in two parts. The first part will seek information on the background of the respondents and the next part will obtain specific information on use of cell phones by the respondents under study. The quantitative data will finally be analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data will be done using frequencies and inferential statistics at 5% (0.05) level of significance an d presented using tables, pie charts and graphs. Sampling procedures The study will be conducted at Al Ittihad Model School targeting all the male students in the school. A stratified random sampling will be used to divide the classes into strata from which a simple random sample of 20 students will then be selected from each class following the respective classes’ register. Since we have already determined our population of interest to be male students enrolled in Al Ittihad Model School all that we now need to do is come up with a method that objectively selects required cases from this population.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cause and Effect of Cell Phone Usage Among High School Students from U.S. and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The type of sampling method that is used must be based on a scientific theory backed with a rationale of choosing that particular method which should be releva nt to the type of research study. Therefore for this research study I will use simple random sampling because it is a technique that ensures there is no bias in selecting cases from the population. At the end of this process I intend to have finished selecting the students that I will base this research on who will have been randomly selected from a population of all the students being studied. Simple random sampling is a sampling technique that relies on a simple probability method of choosing desired sample size by random selection (Salant and Dillman, 1994). Ideally, simple random sampling involves assigning all cases of the population with numbers; once this is done the required study cases are then determined. The study population will be the sample size which is randomly picked by selecting cases from a list of numbers that were assigned to the population and then matching these selected numbers to specific cases that would make up the sample population (Newman, 1994). For ins tance, in order to select 100 cases from a population of let’s say 2000 male students enrolled at school Y will require assigning numerical numbers to all the cases as the first step. The second step is randomly selecting 100 numbers from the total list of 2000 numbers which represent the whole population, probably by blindly picking tags with numbers from a basket. The last step is matching the chosen 200 numbers with the population cases which will now be our sample size. Validity and reliability of the data collection tools Content validity will be based on the adequacy with which the items in an instrument will measure the attributes of the study whereas reliability is the extent to which any measuring procedure yields the same results on experiments done several times (Nye and Null, 2001). Questionnaires were administered for pilot study to assess the reliability of the data collecting instrument, however data collected was not part of the study but only to assess the va lidity of the instrument. Apart from pre-test, questionnaires will be submitted to the supervisor for approval before being administered. To ensure there is no misinterpretation, unclear concepts and expressions used will be avoided and structure and sequencing of the questions in the questionnaires will be addressed. Since some of the study respondents are students using cell phone which is against rules of school, the researcher will therefore assure the respondents of confidentiality through anonymity in answering the questionnaires.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Because this research study involves use of questionnaires I intend to guarantee the privacy of respondent and their feedback in accordance with the international standards of research studies. The researcher will also acknowledge the fact that participation in research will be voluntary to those who will be willing to participate in the study. Conclusion This research study will conform with relevant laws that governs all form of research studies in UAE at both local and international levels. I intend to apply for permits and inform relevant authorities on my plan to undertake this research beforehand so as to obtain their consent well on time. References Mertler, C.A. Charles, C.M. (2011). Introduction to Educational Research 7th Ed.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Newman, L. (1994). Social Research Methods. Boston; Allys Bacons. Nye, H. Null, H. (2001). SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Boston; Brown Company. Salant, P. Dillman, A. (1994). How to conduct your own Survey. California; John Wiley Sons.

Image retrieval Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Image retrieval - Research Paper Example There are different varieties of techniques being investigated in the area of information retrieval and the aim of this paper is to focus on the most popular and effective ones in extraction of images from multimedia databases. In general, we will discuss the two main research areas, using textual features and content based features but more specifically, we will discuss the technologies and advancements in employing the textual features. IMAGE RETRIEVAL There is a question of how to handle the vast growing multimedia information and the answer for that is to use multimedia databases. The aim is to retrieve images that most likely match with the query of a user. Users in general search for the images in databases using keywords and features like size, shape, location, etc. For retrieving the right information from such database using queries, two main approaches exist. [1] Firstly we could describe an image using a set of keywords but considering that manual labelling of all the mult imedia information is a hard task. Another area of research which is at the centre of researcher’s attention is Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). [2] However, among these two main approaches, there is a question of efficiency of them. ... TEXT BASE IMAGE RETRIEVAL In order to label images with the keywords, we could either do it manually or automatically, using computer algorithms trained based on the textual information of image and the image features. [3] However even in the automatic way, for training the computer we need to manually provide a set of training data for example different category of images. In addition to the constraints above, when we describe images using a set of keywords, a set of conflicts might happen do to some of the well known issues in the natural language, including synonym words, using different words to express one thing or using a word with usages in different contexts. [4] [4] is one of the papers that suggests not using the text based feature alone since it is not going to be efficient due to the above natural language constraints. They recommend combining text features and visual features. There also some works that recently tried resolving the natural language constraints above. [5] The approach they used was Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) used to joint feature vectors of textual and visual information of the images. The reason that the researchers mainly focus on the content based side of the research might be the problems that appears with labelling the data and of course the lack of accuracy caused by using general natural language processing techniques. Natural language processing is a complex task and full ability to process humans language has not been achieved yet. CONTEXT BASED IMAGE RETRIEVAL (CBIR) CBIR is a popular area of study in image retrieval these days. In this approach we index the images from their visual content. In other words we use features like shapes, texture

To what extent can growing poverty be blamed on the advance of Essay

To what extent can growing poverty be blamed on the advance of globalization - Essay Example Globalisation is defined by Pugel (2004:5) as the â€Å"process of an increased relationship between national economies through international trade, foreign direct investments by multinational firms, and international financial investments†. Increased inter-nation trade results in the increased need for the redistribution of pricing and goods in a way that will ensure market place equilibrium is arrived at. As a result, nations may undergo periods of unemployment, reduced prices of their nations’ natural resources, as well as poor standards of life. On the other hand, Pugel (2004) argues that some countries undergo periods of inflation, increased employment demand, as well as increased living standards; thus there will be both gains and losses as a result of wealth redistribution. In order to establish comparisons between poor and rich nations, definition and measurement of inequality is vital. Once determined, it is possible to evaluate and measure the effects of globa lisation on the nation’s status. According to Birdsall (2002), inequality is the disparity of people’s living standards and their income in different countries. In addition, the World Bank categorises those in developing nations living under a dollar per day and those in medium economies living under two dollars a day as poor (Eswar, Rajan and Arvind, 2007). In contrast, the trio posits that a person in the more developed economies of the US, Japan, and Europe trying to live on under a thousand dollars is relatively poor as the cost of life is these economies is far greater than this amount. There is a rising increase in the income gap between the rich and the poor with many regions worldwide recording figures of 25% or more people living on less than a dollar a day (Ikubolajeh, 2002). According to Pranab (2007), poor people with less income have limited and or less access to the global wealth. A 2003 research revealed that the richest fifth of the global population ga rnered 85% of the globe’s income whereas the poorest fifth managed only 1.4% of the globe’s income (Eswar, Rajan and Arvind, 2007). Comparing the GDP between poorest and richest nations across the globe over the past century results in a constantly increasing and or widening income gap; an indicator that the gap of income has augmented and has continued with the same trend. Apart from income, the standards of living can also be used to measure a country’s level of poverty. Sri Lanka shares impressive social indicators as those of developed nations, for instance, life expectancy, literacy rates, mortality rates and population growth rate in the country is same as that of developed nations. Despite this, the country has a low income. Poverty of a country can be measured by fourteen major indicators that have been further subdivided into four sections namely infrastructure for development, growth and poverty reduction, human development, and governance and investme nt climate (Pugel, 2004). A number of factors can be used to drive economic growth and development, for instance increased educational standards and economic policies such as openness to international trade. Inequality exists in terms of living conditions and standards of livin

The human brain

The human brain Today it is common to compare the human brain to a computer, and a human mind to a program running on a computer. Once seen as just a poetic metaphor, this viewpoint is now supported by most philosophers of human consciousness and most researchers in Machine Intelligence. If we take this view literally, then as we can ask how many gigabytes of RAM a PC has we should be able to ask how many gigabytes of memory the human brain has. Machine intelligence researchers have used a digital computer as a model of the human mind in two ways. Most obviously, the computer has been used as a tool, on which simulations of thinking-as-programs are developed and tested. Less obvious, but of great significance, is the use of the computer as a conceptual model of the human mind. This essay traces the sources of this machine-modeled conception of cognition in a great variety of social institutions and everyday experiences, treating them as cultural models which have contributed to the naturalness of the mind-as-machine paradigm for many people, the roots of these models antedate the actual and cognitive landscape of modernity. The essay concludes with a consideration of some of the cognitive consequences of this extension of machine logic into modern life, and proposes an important distinction between information processing models of thought and meaning-making in how human cognition is conceptualized. (Tugui 2006) Kn?wledge i? defined by the ?xf?rd Engli?h Di?ti?n?ry (i) ex?erti?e, ?nd ?kill? quired by ? ?ern thr?ugh ex?erien?e ?r eduti?n; the the?retil ?r ?rtil under?t?nding ?f ? ?ubje?t, (ii) wh?t i? kn?wn in ? rti?ul?r field ?r in t?t?l; ft? ?nd inf?rm?ti?n ?r (iii) ?w?rene ?r f?mili?rity g?ined by ex?erien?e ?f ? ft ?r ?itu?ti?n. Philosophical debates in general start with Platos formulation of knowledge as justified true belief. There is however no sigle agreed definition of knowledge presently, nor any prospect of one, and there remain numerous competing theories. Knowlegde asquisition involves complex cognite processes: perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning. The term knowledge is also used to mean the confident understanding of a subject with the ability to use it for a specific purpose if appropriate. (Bergeron, 20008) Belief is the psycological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true. Epistimology is the phisolophical study of knowledge and belief. The primary problem in epistimology is to understandexactly what is needed in order for us to have knowledge. In a notion derived from Platos dialogue Theaetetus, philosophy has traditionally defined knowledge as justified true belief. The relationship between belief and knowledge is that a belief is knowledge if the belief is true and if the believer has a justification (reasonable and nessesary evidence/guidance) for believing it is true. A false belief is not considered to be knowledge, even if it is sincere. A sincere believer in the flat earch theory does not know that the Earth is flat. Similarly, a truth that nobody belives is not knowledge, because in order to be knowledge, there must be some person who knows it. Basic psychology and related disciplives have traditionally treated belief as if it were the simplest form of mental representation and therefore one of the building blocks of concious thought. Philosophers have tended to be more abstract in their analysis and much of the work examining the viability of the belief concept stems from philosophical analysis. (Denning Metcalfe 2007) The concept of belief presumes a subject (the believer) and an object of belief (the proposition). So, like other propositional attitudes, belief implies the existence of mental states and intentionality, both of which are hotly debated topics in the philosophy of mind whose foundations and relation to brain states are still controversial. Beliefs are sometimes divided into core beliefs (those which you may be actively thinking about) and dispositional belifs (those which you may ascribe to but have never previously thought about). For example, if asked Do you believe tigers wear pink pijamas? a person might answer that they do not, despite the fact they may never have thought about this situation before. That a belief is a mental state has been seen, by some, as contentious. While some philosophesrs have argued that beliefs are represented in the mind as sentence-like sonstructs others have gone as far as arguing that there is no consistent or coherent mental representation that underlies our common use of the belief concept and that it is therefore obsolete and should be rejected This has important implications for understanding the neurophyshology and neuroscience of belief. If the concept of belief is incoherent or ultimately indefensible then any attempt to find the underlying neural processes which support it will fail. If the concept of belief does turn out to be useful, the this goal should (in princible) be achievable. Philosopher Lynne Rudder Baker has outlined four main contempory approaches to belief in her controversial book Saving Belief Our common-sense understanding of belief is correct Sometimes called the mental sentence theory, in this conseption, beliefs exist as coherent entities and the way we talk about them in everyday life is a valid basis for scientific endeavour. Jerry Fodor is one of the principal defenders of this point of view. Our common-sense understanding of belief may not be correct, but it is close enough to make some useful predictions This view argues that we will eventually reject the idea of belief as we use it now, but that there may be a correlation between what we take to be belief when someone says I believe that snow is white and however a future theory of psycology will explain this behaviour. Most notably philosopher Stephen Stich has argued for this particular understanding of belief. Our common-sense understanding of belief in entirely wrong and will be completely superseded by a radically different theory which will have no use for the concept of belief as we know it Known as eliminativism, this view, (most notably proposed by Paul and Patricia Churchland), argues that the concept of belief is like obsolete theories of times past such as the four humours theory about medicine, or the phlogiston theory of combustion. In these cases science hasnt provided us with a more detailed account of these theories, but completely rejected them as valid scientific concepts to be replaced by entirely different accounts. The churchlands argue that our common-sence concept of brain is similar, in that as we discover more about neuroscience and the brain, the inevitable conclusion will be to reject the belief hypothesis in its entirety. Our common-sense understanding of belief is entirely wrong, however treating people, animals and even computers as if they had beliefs, is often a succesful srtategy The major proponents of this view, Daniel Dennett and Lynne Rudder Baker, are both eliminativists in that they believe that beliefs are not a scientifically valid concept, but they dont go as far as rejecting the concept of belief as predictive device. Dennett gives the example of playing a computer at chess. While a few people would agree that the computer help beliefs, treating the computer as if it did (e.g. that the computer believes that taken the oppositions queen will give it a considerable advantage) is likely to be a succesful and predictive strategy. In this understanding of belief, named by Dennett the intentional stance belief based explanations of mind and behaviour are at a different level of explanation and are not reducible to those based on fundamental neuroscience although both may be explanatory at t heir own level. (Mesarovic Pestel 2008) Reality Vs Model of Reality Reality, in everyday usage, means the state of things as they actually exist. In one sense it is what is real; in its widest sense the term reality includes everything that is, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible. Reality in this sense includes being and sometimes is considered to include nothingness, where existence is often restricted to being (compare with nature). A common colloquial usage would have reality mean perceptions, belief and attitudes toward reality, as in My reality is not your reality.

Warehousing in Supply Chain

WAREHOUSING IN SUPPLY CHAIN Introduction Warehousing is one of the most important and critical logistic activities in industrial and service systems. A few production philosophies, e. g. just in time (JIT) and lean manufacturing, propose and support the so-called ‘‘zero stock’’ as basic and strategic pillar. Also manufacturing requirement planning (MRP), the well known and widely adopted ‘‘push-’’ based full? lment technique, theoretically guarantees no storage quantities when the ‘‘lot for lot’’ reorder policy is adopted.Nevertheless, these special production systems do not operate in absence of warehousing systems that support and smooth the discontinuity ? ow of materials, products and components, at the input and at the bottom of a generic production stage. Warehousing activities and storage systems are necessary! This is true in many industrial and not industrial sectors: from automotive to tile indust ry passing from food industry, health care production systems, service sectors (e. g. banks, universities, hospitals), etc.Obviously, warehousing is the core activity of logistic providers, usually specialized in distribution activities including storage and transportation issues. In special sectors, like the food industry and the health care supply chains, warehousing means storage systems in critical operating conditions, e. g. controlled temperature and/or humidity levels, by the management of fresh and perishable products. The storage systems signi? cantly affect the level of quality of products, the customer’s service level, and the global logistic cost.Just an example: the food industry. Warehousing and transportation issues signi? cantly affect the level of quality of foodstuffs at the consumer’s location, especially when production plants and ? nal points of demand (consumers’ locations) are far away and frequently located in different countries. The mis sion of warehousing is the same of the discipline ‘‘logistics’’: to effectively ship products in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity without any damages or alterations.Important keywords in warehousing and storage systems are: safety, quality, availability, cost saving, customer service level, traceability, picking, automation, ful? llment, travel time, etc. With increased globalization and offshore sourcing, global supply chain management is becoming an important issue for many businesses. Global supply chain management involves a company’s worldwide interests and suppliers rather than simply a local or national orientation. This is the operational arena of warehouses in most complex production systems.THE ROLES OF WAREHOUSE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN Warehouse play vital roles in the supply chain. The warehouse is not only a facility where a company can store their products, but the warehouse offers inventory management, physical inventory counts and shipping functionality. The warehouse charges their clients for a certain rate for the goods stored, the volume of the warehouse used and the services the client wishes to use. The company using the warehouse does not have to employ warehouse staff, does not require any inventory software or warehouse equipment.The owner of the warehouse is responsible for the costs and passes this on to their clients based on the rate they are charged. The warehousing functionality today is much more than the traditional function of storage. The main function that warehousing serves today are hold raw material at or near the point of induction into a manufacturing or assembly process. The work-in-process warehouses hold partially completed assemblies and products at various points along an assembly or production line. Besides, the finished goods warehouse hold inventory used to balance and buffer the variation between production and schedules and demand.For this purpose, the w arehouse is usually located near the point of manufacture and is often characterized by the flow of full pallets in and full pallets out, assuming that product size and volume warrant pallet-sized loads. A warehouse serving only this function may have demands ranging from monthly to quarterly replenishment of stock to the next level of distribution. Edward Frazelle. (2001) claims that distribution warehouses and distribution centers accumulate and consolidate products from various points of manufacture within a single firm, or from several firms, for combined shipment to common customers.Such as warehouse may be located central to either the production locations or the customer base. Product movement may be typified by full pallets or cases or broken case quantities out. The facility is typically responding to regular weekly or monthly orders. Warehouse also receive, pick, and ship small orders for individual consumers. As a fulfillment warehouse and fulfillment centers. The local w arehouse, distributed in the field in order to shorten transportation distances to permit rapid response to customer demand. Frequently, single items are picked, and the same item may be shipped to the customer every day.The value –added service warehouse serve as the facility where key product customization activities are executed, including packaging, labeling, marking, pricing and returns processing. According to Edward Frazelle. (2001) the figure below illustrates warehouse performing these functions in a logistics network. Unfortunately, in many of today’s networks, a single item will pass in and out of warehouse serving each of these functions between the point of manufacturer and the customer. When feasible, two or more missions should be combined in the same warehousing operation, and handling steps in the chain should be minimized.Current changes in the availability and cost of transportation options make combining activities in a single location and link skip ping possible for many products. In particular, small high-value items with unpredictable demand are frequently shipped worldwide froma single source using overnight delivery services. Figure : the roles of a warehouse in logistics and supply chain management. Cliff Otto (2010) is of the opinion that Cross-docking as manufacturers seek ways to move products more efficiently and cost-effectively, many are ediscovering cross-docking—moving product directly from receiving to shipping with little or no inventory and minimal handling. The process is resurfacing as a way to take costs out of the supply chain, accelerate inventory velocity, and improve service levels. While historically used for durable goods, high turn rates and reduced handling make cross-docking an effective solution for everything from perishable products to high-value/high-security goods. The process helps get product to market quickly and economically while reducing the need for warehouse space and inventory c arry costs.In simple words, warehouses are used by manufacturers,  exporters, wholesalers, retailers,  transport businesses, customs (exporters, Importers), etc. They are usually large plain buildings, equipped with loading docks to load and unload consignment from trucks. Based upon the size of the goods and volume of operation they also often have cranes and forklifts for moving goods, which are usually placed on ISO standard pallets. Warehouse is a facility where the supply chain holds or stores goods, until they are needed by the customers. Warehouse can be owned by manufactures, wholesalers, retailers to store the goods.In my opinion, the role of warehousing and storage has changed drastically as customer and vendor compliance issues have come to surface and a greater emphasis has been placed on operations and customer satisfaction. There are more demands and expectations in today’s industry. The management of warehousing operations requires a unique combination of e ngineering, IT, human resources and supply chain skills. Motorsense offers an integrated warehouse solution that incorporates all the above to give a cost effective solution with the added benefit of stock reworking, returns management, sub-assembly and repackaging.REFERENCES 1. Manzini, Riccardo. (2012) Warehousing in the Global Supply Chain. Bologna: Springer 2. Martin Murray. Public Warehousing In The Supply Chain. About. com Guide 3. Edward Frazelle. (2001) World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling. McGraw-Hill Prof Med/Tech 4. Radhakrishnan. (2010) Logistics – Warehouse Management (Part I). 5. David K. Ecklund. (2010) Warehousing Efficiency and Effectiveness in the Supply Chain Process. Supply Chain Management Review 6. G Raghuram. Warehousing to Supply Chain Management -Complementary or Supplementary. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

Gothic novel Essay

The novel ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte has been categorised as both romantic and gothic by scholars and literary critics. The plot entails the exploration of a woman’s domestic trap, a common Victorian theme, with her subjection to patriarchal authority and her dangerous attempts to escape from such restrictions and the consequences. There is a mixture of mysterious events, moonlit natural environment, beautiful dream-like landscapes, enigmatic characters. Jane is represented as the heroine of the story, the virginal Christian female character. In opposition to her is the character of Bertha who is insane and is hidden in the attic of Thornfield Hall, representing Rochester’s torment and his terrible secret. It can be argued that the plot has many entwined characteristics of both genres and it is very difficult to think of it as of one kind. The essay will discuss the way in which the novel accords with the characteristics of a romantic novel and a Gothic novel and evaluates whether it may be possible to assign it with one of the two labels. Romantic novels emphasize imagination and feeling, they focus on nature’s ability to free humans from society’s judgments and limitations. English romance narrates exotic and unusual stories, they are concerned with chivalric deeds (as in the stories of King Arthur), recalling themes of romantic medieval literature. The latter results from a period in English history when society was in search for of order and the approach was that everything had to be explained rationally and scientifically, hence often being referred to as the Age of Reason. However, the romantics’ themes are in opposition to such a way of thinking and rebelled against such established norms and conventions. The characters in romantic novels place the self at the centre of his/her own existence, this is achieved by focusing on his/her thoughts rather than actions. The theme or romantic love as opposed to passionate love is explored too and the consequences the latter would bring. Another narrative style which emerged was the Gothic novel. The background setting has a dim and imposing mansion or castle, as a backdrop to the atmosphere of mystery and suspense, where the character’s fears are explored beneath the surface of the â€Å"enlightened† psyche. Other features of a gothic tale is the presence of omens, portents and visions. There is usually a suffering, tormented woman who needs to be rescued from a controlling and lustful guardian, and in the process displays an array of extreme sentiments and reactions, such as swooning, crying and sorrow. She is usually often commanded to marry someone she does not love or commit some moral or actual crime. Supernatural events may be used to explain coincidences and many scenes evoke terror through the depiction of physical and psychological violence. So I would like to examine how Jane Eyre would seem to be typical of the romantic novel that was so popular in Victorian England, while at the same time having, in my opinion, all the ingredients for a gothic novel. The plot recalls a fairy tale ‘†¦ when you came upon me last night I thought unaccountably of fairy tales’; as Bronte writes in chapter 13. However, Bronte skilfully uses it as a frame, to give a clear picture of her great feminine consciousness, expressed in Jane Eyre’s persona. This is conveyed through the use of a first-person narration, that depicts the world around her and the others in relation to her and her point of view. In the romantic novel the individual stands at the centre of romantic fiction relating facts and experiences. In the following passage, Jane demonstrates her fervid romantic imagination, as she explains to Adele that she and Mr Rochester are going to get married and utters ‘Here is a talisman will remove all difficulties;† (chapter 24) Jane metaphorically evokes the theme of natural forces which come to her aid when she is most in need for comfort. The passage continues with, a fairy that ‘†¦ held out a pretty gold ring†¦.. and I am yours, and you are mine; and we shall leave earth and make our heaven yonder'(chapter 24). The latter depicts the traditions of dream and oral tales which was much loved by the romantics. However, these are also elements which can be found in Gothic novels, where enchantment and fear are closely related. There is much about Jane and Rochester’s introspection, their belief in the supernatural, and conflicting emotions. Jane fights against the wicked spirits of Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Manor Hall, and Marsh End at the end, these supernatural elements take the form of moral choices that force her into reflecting upon righteousness. For instance, the striking of the chestnut tree by lightening, under which Rochester had proposed to Jane (chapter 22), is a portent of their imminent separation and the dangers that lie ahead. It is a perfect Gothic symbol, as nature predicts human fate. Moreover, Bronte is able to convey and juxtapose different tones in the same passage, it can change from a playful and romantic tone to an enigmatic and harsh one. For instance, when Rochester is trying to convince Jane to dine with him and she refuses, his mood changes immediately . He is upset by her answer and asks Jane if she supposes whether he eats as ‘an ogre or a ghoul’ (chapter 24). Here, Gothic elements are used metaphorically to convey the degenerating tone of such a conversation. Recalling the Bluebeard tales themes, which underlines the novel. The supernatural elements conceal emotions and have been used to symbolise the child which resides in all of us and comes out in moments of loss of consciousness and fear, and at the same time heightening the readers awareness of the fragility of the heroine/hero. As when Jane describes the red room, with its noises and mirrors, where she was secluded as a punishment, everything in the room becomes fearful to her eyes. The mere colour ‘red’ conjures up images of blood and being locked in either literally or in a moral sense is an abhorrent idea to most (it recalls also the theme of trap) (chapter 2). Another important aspect of the novel is the exotic. Romantics, in their novels, often alluded to distant places. In the story, Rochester has a house in Spain, where he wishes to take Jane once married, considering it as a more relaxed country, colourful and sensual place. Before meeting Jane, Rochester had travelled around the world in search of a foreign wife (Chapter 27). Yet, Bronte condemns such behaviour and makes Rochester feel reckless with disappointment to the point he utters that ‘I tried dissipation – never debauchery: that I hated, and hate. That was my Messalina’s attribute’ (Chapter 27). Jane rejects such exoticism and is ‘not forming a very favourable opinion’ on him, he is perceived by her as ‘an unfeeling, loose-principled rake’. What Bronte is trying to emphasise is that if romantic love was to be perceived in such a superficial light – as being just for sexual pleasure – then it together with passion, would mean a loss of the self morally and ethically. Moreover, the idea of the character who travels towards unknown distant places, against wicked and unpredictable forces (these are represented by the several lovers he mentions, throughout his journey, and finally by Bertha, his insane wife segregated in the attic of Thornfield Hall). Thus, Gothic elements are used to create a sense of loss and psychological violence, just like what Mr. Rochester experienced throughout his journeys. Bronte demonstrates an attitude towards natural forces, which ‘gravely offered†¦ help’ to such a ‘reckless’ man. In fact, he was not able to fall in love with a ‘womankind’, but with a natural ‘slender creature’ who is personified by Jane (Chapter 27). Thus, the novel entails many elements which are characteristic of fairy tales. Jane is repeatedly described as looking like a spirit, a tiny phantom, â€Å"half fairy, half imp. â€Å". Such an association permits an author to use less words to express deeper ideas, by adding powerful images through an apt use of wondrous language. The imaginary is at the heart of both narrative genres, however under many aspects Gothicism emerges to create suspense and conveys the characters’ inner torments, such as â€Å"the striking of the chestnut tree’, ‘the red room’. These contrast with the romantic descriptions of the outdoor scenes, such as when Jane runs across the countryside, are nevertheless described in a vivid and detailed manner as if Jane Eyre were painting a realistic picture of the scene in all its shades. This imagery suggests her characters’ moral condition and state of mind, therefore the mood of the story is immediately conveyed. There are numerous symbolic references to weather and to the sky, in the form of storms, rain, clouds, and sun. At the very opening of the novel, Jane sets the scene by mentioning that â€Å"the cold winter wind† had brought with it â€Å"clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating. † There is a full moon on the night when Bertha attacks her brother, as there is on the night when Jane runs away from Thornfield. Nature is presented as the â€Å"mother† of all creatures, which connotes Jane’s romantic side and her fragility. The scenes that are a set for Rochester and Jane Eyre’s passion take place in natural surroundings. After their wedding is interrupted, â€Å"the woods which twelve hours since waved leafy and fragrant/now spread, waste, wild and white as pine-forests in wintry Norway. † Here, Bronte adds Gothic elements, which changes the mood to one of tormented state of mind, thus anticipating Jane’s future struggles. At the end, when reunited, Rochester tells Jane that â€Å"I am no better than the old lightening-struck chestnut-tree in Thornfield orchard. † The theme of nature seems to be treated in both a romantic as well as a gothic way, due to the atmosphere which at times evokes joyful and comforting images, while at other times horrific images and death. In chapter 35, the personification of the ‘wind’ effectively suggests the way in which the mood can be created by nature. Bronte uses it as the means by which she received the message from Mr Rochester, in fact she follows it throughout ‘the passage’ until she finds her way out of that situation. This manifestation of the voice perceived in her spirit and mind, and not externally, could be construed in a gothic light i. e. as a portent or a supernatural event. There is, however, a romantic and passionate image of the voice which contrasts with the Gothic setting. The passage ‘I am coming! †¦ hush’ (chapter 37) is extremely descriptive with many adjectives ‘dark’, ‘void’ and nouns such as ‘loneliness’ and ‘hush’. The combination of this with short sentences creates an immediacy, dramatic impact and mystic atmosphere, characteristic of Gothic novels. In conclusion, by writing from an individual point of view, by creating characters who are possessed of strong feelings, fiery passions and some extraordinary personalities, by using some elements of horror and mystery, Jane Eyre is able to recreate life in a fantastic romantic way. The vividness of her subjective narration, especially the heroine who is contrary to the Victorians’ expectations, the presentation of the economical, social background of the time give her works a never dying popularity. The eerie atmosphere with supernatural associations can recall the characteristics of Gothic novels and are used in some way to justify what is inexplicable (as the voice of Mr. Rochester calling her or striking of the chestnut tree). All in all, I consider gothic as a subgenre of the romantic novel, both require drama and high emotional intensity which are elements that can be definitely found in Jane Eyre, one cannot exclude the other, it would be a great mistake to try and categorize such a masterpiece under one genre.

The Cold War Is A Time Of Political Tension Between The...

The Cold War is a time of political tension between the United States and the USSR following World War II and lasting decades. It was a clash of ideology- capitalism versus communism- and a fight for dominance, by utilizing every opportunity for expansion (Trueman 1). The results and lessons learned from the Cold War still remain as reminders and helpful guides for the future. With the War on Terror at hand, the United States could use the lessons learned from the Cold War as a guide. The Cold War will forever be a guide of lessons in aspects of foreign policy, communication, and importance of safety. Following World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union distrusted one another. The Soviet Union had a strong army in the field, while the United States had the most powerful weapon, the Atomic Bomb, in the world (Trueman 2). The sense of not knowing how many or what their next plan is created distrust and suspicion for both sides. With distrust already in place, both sought to further their ideological views. In some aspects, the Cold War was simple a fight between communism and capitalism (Cold 1). Overall, the Cold War was a war between two superpowers supporting conflicts around the world, using words and threats of weapons, and simply trying to make the other look imprudent. The term â€Å"Cold War† is used to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union between 1945-1980. Each superpower processed nuclear weapons and used them toShow MoreRelated Causes Of The Cold War Essay608 Words   |  3 Pagesof the Cold War nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The Cold War occurred during a time of rebuilding for Europe. It characterized international relations and dominated the foreign policies of Europe. It affected all of Europe and determined lasting alliances. 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