Oh, That Jolly Green Giant :: King Arthur Literature Essays

Oh, That Jolly Green Giant In a land of magic, love, betrayal, hatred, loyalty and mystery, there exists a kingdom called Camelot. At the heart of Camelot are the Knights of the Round Table who maintain their loyalty to King Arthur. From the famed knights emerges one knight, who stands out as being traditionally the most loyal, chivalrous, and courtly of all: Sir Gawain. It is during one of Arthur's New Year's feast, that a stranger rudely gallops into the great hall and begins what will be a yearlong test for Sir Gawain. His color, physical stature, power, and magic are astounding to the Knights of the Round Table. Only one knight dares to accept the challenge of this green giant. This is the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a fourteenth Century Arthurian romance by an anonymous poet. "Great wonder grew in hall/At his hue most strange to see,/For man and gear and all/Were green as green could be." (Norton, 161) Throughout this text, great emphasis is placed on the color green and the fact that great power is associated with the color. Green will again be emphasized at the end of the story when Lord Bercilak's wife gives Gawain a magical green girdle, which has the power to protect Gawain from the Green Knight. The green of everything about the knight is then countered by the red glow of his eyes. In these times, dragons and monsters are green with glowing red eyes. They are also powerful and serve as tests for true knights and heroes. The color green is given a mystical power in this story because not only do the girdle and the Green Knight act as green symbols of magic, but the Green Chapel is also a powerful image of magic. While it is not a traditional Judeo-Christian chapel, but rather it seems to be a prehistoric cave. It can be viewed as a holy place simply because it is the only green "life" that exists in the suffocating white snow of the winter. This alone should have alterted Gawain to believe that magic was afoot. It is the sheer size of the Green Knight that intimidates many of the Knights of the Round Table: "As lightning quick and light/He looked to all at hand;/It seemed that no man might/His deadly dints withstand." (Norton, 162) Because Gawain must uphold his knightly duties, he alone takes on the Green Knight's game and presents himself as the student of humility.

Essay --

When Adolf Hitler was put in as Chancellor in 1933, he started to begin the program of the NSDAP, the National Socialist German Labor Party. The highest priorities were to put all men back to work and to increase the birthrate. Both were accomplished by re-instituting the traditional roles of men and women. Within the next 10 years, most women were won over to National Socialism, content to do their part in the great national resurgence. How does this apply to the women of America as we stand at the beginning of the 21st Century? Can we believe that National Socialism offers us something positive too? The answer is yes, there are many advantages National Socialism gives women over other ways of organization. The first concern that women have is their status. Do they become second-class citizens in a male dominated National Socialist state? They do not. National Socialism is based on traditional values, just as volkish paganism and Traditional Christianity. A National Socialist nation is built on the foundation of the family. At the center of the family are children. Children raised in a family learn what it is to be part of a family. From that, they understand they’re part of an even larger unit, a racially homogeneous national family. The woman not only carries the children, but takes on the primary task of raising and teaching them to be healthy and productive members of the nation. In a National Socialist society, there is no higher calling than that of mother. National Socialism provides an array of resources to prepare young women for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth, and to instruct them in the most enlightened child-care practices for the optimum health and well-being of both themselves and their childr... ...lty, honesty, cleanliness, trustworthiness, and respect for life and innocence. Assuredly, men who do not have or strive for all these qualities are not true National Socialist men, no matter if they wear a uniform or wave a swastika. It isn’t only women who are asked to put the group as a whole before the individual self, for even greater sacrifice is asked of our men. What woman prefers a coward who buckles to an alien system for temporary safety or benefits, to a partner who is willing to stand and fight for the values and continuing existence of his race? In the end, the greatest appeal of National Socialism to a woman may be that it gives her an heroic National Socialist man as a partner. It is the honor with which they regard each other that can raise their relationship to a true marriage made in Heaven, or Valhalla. And what more can a woman ask?

Introduction to Culture and Imperialism

Introduction to Culture and Imperialism Edward Said Culture is one of the things that elude an accurate definition. Some of the various well-known definitions are cited by Said in his various works. For instance: â€Å"Culture is the learned, accumulated experience of the communities, and it consists of socially transmitted patterns of behavior. † The final analysis of definition boils down to â€Å"socially transmitted patterns of behavior†, and makes more sense, though like other definitions, it too cannot be taken as exact and conclusive. Said also cites anthropologist Clifford Greety’s definition, An ordered system of meanings and symbols in terms of which social interaction takes place, and social system is the pattern of social interaction itself. † This definition too, has partial relevance to what culture amounts to. Said seems more in agreement with Matthew Arnold who regards culture as, â€Å"each society’s reservoir of the best that has b een known and thought†. Edward Said’s entire professional life was devoted to the teaching of literature. As his critical outlook was influenced by his colonial social background, he could not help looking for imperialistic implications in literature.Imperialism too does not lend itself to a complete conclusive definition, though it is more easily comprehensible than the word culture. For a meaningful discussion, Solomon Modell’s definition of imperialism makes a good promise. He says, â€Å"Imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power beyond its own borders for the purpose of exploiting other lands and other people by establishing economic, social and political control over them. † Said gives an updated version of Modell’s definition in the following words† Imperialism means the practice, the theory and the attitude of a dominating metropolitan centre that rules a distant territory. † It is obvious that the interaction in imperialism takes place between the dominating and dominated nation. That interaction never develops in friendship, because of distrust and contempt on either side. The dominated nation never accepts the ideology and attitude of dominating nation. The best example is the Indo-Pak Sub-Continent, for instance, about 200 years of British rule could not bring friendship between Indians and British government.Literature not doubt is the mirror of culture. Said deplores the general attitude of the critics and readers who never care to look at the cultural aspects of the works of fiction, like the works of Carlyle, Ruskin or Even Dickens. On the other hand, he admires Conrad’s persistence as he forecasts the unstoppable unrest and misrule of the Latin American republics and singles out North America’s particular way of influencing conditions in a decisive, yet barely visible way. He praised â€Å"The Heart of Darkness† by Conrad.Speaking of the interaction between i mperialistic regime and colonized nation, he conceives culture as a protective enclosure where imperialist should stop to check his politics before he enters the door. â€Å"I found it a challenge not to see culture in this way†, says Edward Said. Since the culture includes ideology and attitudes of a nation, any effort on the part of imperialist to subdue the culture of a nation invokes violent resistances. Palestine, Kashmir and Iraq are apt illustrations of the resistance, which results in blood acts of fighting and terrorism.Education, is the field, through which imperialist finds easiest access to the culture of the subjugated nation. As most of the third world countries are backward in education, imperialists launch so-called programs for educational development, to achieve their goal. British did this by setting up state-governed schools and colleges, the curriculum was designed to produce minor officials in cheap English dress, speaking shaky English. Introduction to culture and imperialism is an accurate appraisal of current world scenario around us. It is a warning for people of the world against imperialistic approach of US.Cold War has made US the sole power, being unprecedented. During the Cold War, US had to contribute for the socio-economic development of the third world countries. Its attitude was soft and plaint. It had to respect the mandate of the UNO. In the case of US aggression, the victim state could invoke the intervention of USSR, which US could afford to ignore. With the engineered fall of USSR, US emerged as the self-appointed lord of the world. Muslim militants groups were created, trained, organized and financed to cause the fall of USSR. These groups were made to believe that it was the war between Islam and communism.Heavy consignments of sophisticated arms were supplied to those warriors. Pakistan also had to pay a heavy price by playing a major part in the downfall of USSR. Islam came to be the next target of the sole Su per Power of the world, as a potential challenge in the years to come. The oil-rich Iraq has already been laid waist in the ruthless hunt of WMDs. Afghanistan that spearheaded the war against communism, is now main target in the hunt of Osama. But the power-drunk Super Power does not bother about justifications for whatever it does, so long as it remains at the top. UNO is also helpless in this regard.US adopted the preemption policy. Even terrorism is the exclusive prorogation of the sole Super Power. The prorogation includes defining nuclear proliferation, and therefore Iran is presently on the hit list, whereas Pakistan likely to be the next target, gets an occasional growl from US administration. During 19th century immense power was concentrated in Britain and France as a result of industrialization. It was unprecedented and more formidable than power of Rome, Baghdad, Spain and Constantinople. In the later years, US also came up with Britain and France and that was peak of Wes t domination.The rise was so fast that rate of acquisition of foreign territory had risen up to 247,000 square miles per year in 1914. During this time, US was forwarded as an empire. After annexation of North American territory, Plans were set afoot through intervention to Philippines, the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East, Vietnam and Korea. Edward Said clearly labels as Imperialism whatever US is doing around the world. He says, â€Å"The goal of the US policy is to bring a world increasingly subject to the rule of law, and it is the United States, which organizes the peace and defines the law.United States imposes the international interests by setting the ground rules for economic development and military development across the planet. † Edward Said pins his hopes on a gradual development of awareness, culminating in a formidable, well-organized resistance that would eventually force US to think wise before meddling with sovereignty of other states, but this so lution depends upon the numbers of factors which may or may not come together and it may take ages before they come.

National Museum Review (Philippines) Essay

What a blast from the past. September 5, 2013 a date to remember, another great day in my life. This was the day I and my two block mates went and visit an institution. The institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest of the country. Significantly, this institution is like a trophy to all Filipinos, a triumphant trophy of strong and vigorous mark of an extraordinary history, this is the National Museum of the Philippines. When I was in grade school and high school, I’ve been to the National Museum for several times already, because of our Field Trip. Thus, I am so happy and excited when our Professor in Philippine History told us that one of our requirements is to visit National Museum and be able to pass a reflection about the Museum, because it’s about time to reflect and appreciate more of the country’s history and treasure. I used to conduct researches before I go to a place like National Museum, because I be lieve that it’s not enough just to visit places like such without any prior knowledge or interest about the place, I think being a little cognitive would do, for we can appreciate more of the place. In my research I have learned that, the National Art Gallery was originally designed as the public library by Ralph Harrington Doane. In 1918, the construction begun and was suspended for several times due to lack of funds. Later on, the building was decided to be used by the legislature. Revisions of the plan were done by Juan Arellano. The building was inaugurated on July 16, 1926. Costing only four million pesos, in the mid-1996 the Senate of the Philippines moved out of the building. In 2003, the renovation started to transform it into National Art Gallery of the national Museum. Before entering the museum, you’ll see two sculptures done by the artist Guillermo Tolentino. They are the heroic monuments of Manuel Quezon, former Senate President; and Sergio Osmena, former Speaker of the House. When I entered the door there was a feeling of excitement and something mysterious. Something that holds my breath and whispers in my ears saying, â€Å"This is your country, this is Philippines†. As if I am about to see the past of my country, accounts of its history that were untold. There are different rooms/halls inside the museum. Each caters to different artists, artifacts and historical pieces. One of my favorite in the rooms is the Hall of Masters. â€Å"This room is dedicated to the 19th-century Filipino painters Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo who achieved prominence at  the 1884 Madrid Exposition. Luna’s Spoliarium received one of the three gold medals and Hidalgo’s Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (Christian Virgins Presented to the Populace) received one of the fourteen silver medals† I’m not the artsy type, but this Juan Luna painting is definitely the first and only painting that evoked such strong feelings in me — desperation and hopelessness in a gigantic package. I first saw it in high school, but seeing it as an adult never dimmed the effect it had on me everything else pales in comparison. I hope treasures like this will be forever ours. Another favorite of mine is the Amorsolo Gallery. In my researches I found out that â€Å"Fernando C. Amorsolo, named National Artist in Painting in 1972, was the first Filipino to ever be given that distinction. He was also called the â€Å"Grand Old Man of Philippine Art† at the inauguration of the Manila Hilton’s art center, where his paintings were exhibited, on January 23, 1969. His works covered a wide range of subjects, but he was best known for his idealized female images of the dalagang Filipina. He also painted scenes of traditional Filipino customs, fiestas and occupations, and series of historical paintings on pre-Colonial and Spanish Colonization scenes. He preferred to paint in natural light and developed the backlighting technique, which became his trademark. † Other galleries includes the Arellano room, dedicated to the prolific-painter Juan Arellano, who is also one the architects of the building. The Beloved Land, â€Å"This room introduces the scope of the history of art in the Philippines through a timeline.† The Vessels of Faith, â€Å"This room presents the various expressions of Philippine spirituality.† The Hall of National Artists for the Visual Arts, â€Å"This room is dedicated to the visual artists who have been named National Artists by the government.† The Freedom Yearned For, â€Å"This room expresses the theme of struggle of Filipinos against colonialism and the forms of oppression that persist to this day.† Across the National Art Gallery building is The Museum of the Filipino People. It houses the Anthropology and Archaeology division. The Museum of the Filipino People houses different exhibits from the origin of the islands of the Philippines up to the arrival of the Spaniards. The building formerly housed the Department of Finance. The National Museum of the Philippines is like the country itself, the Philippines is a place of beautiful and fascinating sites, a place of serendipity, a place with much resources Philippines is  truly a place like no other. But what we did, and what we are still doing are abusive and deteriorative manifestation on our God given gifts. Likewise, the National Museum is place of beautiful and fascinating works of art, a place of mystery and treasure, a place of told and untold chronicles of our land. But just like our country we express less care. That is one of my disappointments when I visited; I only saw some of the galleries, for the Museum is under renovation. If I am not mistaken that renovation plan is for years already. I asked one of the staff who guides our way into the galleries, â€Å"Is there any leaflet that the Museum is giving to the visitor?† the staff replied â€Å"None sir, because the Museum has no budget with that.† What the heck. Our history, the evidences of the great journey of the country were located there, yet we don’t give enough care and love on that institution. I have entitled my reflection â€Å"An untold Chronicle through Art (The Pearl of the Orient)† Because it’s so amazing and mind blowing, to think that through the paintings and sculptures, clothes and silks, structures and literature our ancestors creatively made our history engraved on our minds and especially on our hearts. And â€Å"The Pearl of the Orient† because, it is the Philippine itself, the reflection and mirror of our country, of our past and it’s in the hands of the present to ceaselessly preserve its beauty. At the end of the day, I realized that I’m so lucky and blessed to have such wonderful history as a Filipino. The National Museum of the Philippines is the Philippines itself, the story of the Filipinos. Substantially, it is already engraved and will forever be engraved into my mind and into my heart that I am a Filipino, I am proud of my story, and I will keep my blazing heart to ignite with love and care to my country. The First Mass at Limasawa by Carlos V. Fransisco Model for the Commonwealth Triumphal Arch by Guillermo Santos Francis Burton Harrison by Fernando Amorsolo Portrait of a Lady (Unfinished) Fernando Amorsolo San Diego Wreck Site

KM Tutorial Ans

208KM Tutorial 5 Ans Question 1 Ans Show why R&D management is dependent on industrial context. Answer: This question explores the extent to which students understand the importance of industrial context. R&D operations in the industrial chemical industry will be completely different from those in the food industry. For example, R&D managers in industrial chemicals companies may not have to deal with brand managers, whereas in the food industry brand managers will be very influential. Similarly, consumer research scientists will have a significant influence on decision making in consumer markets but not in industrial markets.Question 2 Discuss the range of operational R&D activities. Answer: Figure 8. 1 illustrates the R&D operations commonly found in almost every major research and development department. They may have different labels, but within Siemens, Nokia, BMW and Shell such operations are well documented. In smaller organisations the activities are less diverse and may inclu de only a few of these operations. This section explains what activities one would expect to find within each type of R&D operation. To help put these activities in context, Figure 9. shows how they relate to the product life-cycle framework. They are: Basic Research Applied Research Product Development Technical Service Question 3 What was the traditional view of R&D? Answer: After the Second World War, research and development played an important role in providing firms with competitive advantage. Technical developments in industries such as chemicals, electronics, automotive and pharmaceuticals led to the development of many new products, which produced rapid growth. For a while it seemed that technology was capable of almost anything.The traditional view of R&D has therefore been overcoming genuine technological roblems, which subsequently leads to business opportunities and a competitive advantage over one's competitors. Question 4 Not all firms invest in R;D. What should be th e level of expenditure on R;D for a firm? Answer: One of the most useful guides is to look at industry average expenditure. This will provide a guide to what a firm in a particular industry probably an annual budgetary basis. It requires a longer-term approach enabling knowledge to be acquired and built up over time.This often leads to tensions with other functions that are planning projects and activities. It is unusual for unlimited funds o be available, and hence business functions usually compete with other departments for funds. A great deal depends on the culture of the organisation and the industry within which it is operating (see Chapters 3 and 6). Pilkington, for example, spends proportionally large sums on R;D -many say too much – especially when one considers its more recent performance (Financial Times, 1998). Other companies spend very little on R;D but huge amounts on sales and marketing.This is the case for the financial services industry. So, one of the most difficult decisions facing senior management is how much to spend on R;D. Many companies now report R;D expenditure in their annual reports. It is now relatively easy to establish, for example, that Rubbermaid spent 14 per cent of sales on R;D in 1994; however, exactly how the company arrived at this figure is less clear. Question 5 What are the main strategic activities of R;D? Answer: The management of research and development needs to be fully integrated with the strategic management process of the business.This will enhance and support the products that marketing and sales offer and provide the company with a technical body of knowledge that can be used for future development. Too many usinesses fail to integrate the management of research and technology fully into the overall business strategy process (Adler et al. (1992)). A report by the European Industrial Management Association (EIRMA, 1985) recognises R;D as having three distinct areas, each requiring investment: R;D for e xisting businesses, R;D for new businesses and R;D for exploratory research (see Figure 8. ). These three strategic areas can be broken down into operational activities: 00 defend, support and expand existing businesses; drive new businesses; and broaden and deepen technological capability. Discuss some of the strategic pressures on R;D. Answer: In virtually all R;D functions there is a trade-off between concentrating resources in the pursuit of a strategic knowledge competence and spreading resources over a wider area to allow for the building of a more general knowledge base. Figure 8. 5 shows the demands on technical resources.The growth of scientific and technological areas of interest to the firm pressurises research management to fund a wider number of areas, represented by the upward curve. The need for strategic positioning forces the decision to focus resources and build strategic knowledge competencies, represented by the downward curve. Question 7 What is meant by technol ogy leverage? Answer: While it is tempting to say that technology influences the competitive performance of all businesses, in reality some businesses are more heavily influenced than others.In many mature and established industries, the cost of raw materials is much more of an influence on the competitive performance of the business than are technology developments. For example,the price paid for commodities like coffee, cocoa and sugar can dramatically influence profits in many food industries. Even if the business was to substantially increase the level of R;D nvestment, its competitive position would still be determined by raw material prices.Several attempts have been made by industry to quantify this factor when considering the level of R;D investment required. Scholefield (1993) developed a model using the concept of technology leverage. This is the extent of influence that a business's technology and technology base have on its competitive position. In general, technology le verage will be low when the influence of raw material and distribution costs and economic growth is high. High-volume, bulk commodity products would fall within this scenario.

Dynamics Of Globalization Essay

Two themes emerge from Robert D. Kaplan’s â€Å"The Coming Anarchy. † The first is civilization and de-civilization against all odds. The second is Africa, an example of the group countries that are left behind by civilization. These two themes will be discussed in this essay. The movie â€Å"Girl in the Cafe† is a perfect illustration of what is happening in Africa. The movie took place at a time where most countries have attained a high level of civilization. They have technologies, cultural developments and modern values and concerns. It took place at a time where globalization is at a high level that countries’ leaders meet together to decide the fate of the world. Amidst all their issues stood one issue that not all countries find to be a priority—the condition in Africa and the fate of its people amidst the poverty and difficulties being experienced in the country. It is sad to say that when globalization began to take place, not all countries were able to follow. In fact, even at present, some countries are too attuned to being globalized, but most countries are still struggling with the concept and imagining themselves being globalized and enjoying the benefits that are claimed to come together with globalization. Some countries remain behind their countries’ boundaries by choice, but many remains behind by sheer inability to cope with world developments. Unfortunately, the so-called gap between the rich and poor manifests not only among individuals, but also among countries. Unfortunately, these poor countries are the ones always plagued with issues and hindrances that make it more difficult for them to globalize. Unfortunately, these poor countries are always left behind. It may be asked, â€Å"how did globalization come about? † Globalization may be a need as many people say. In my opinion, globalization is a product of civilization. The world began kept with boundaries. People in the past have limited view of the word. There is an international anarchy, not in the sense that there is chaos and disorder, but in the sense that there is no central government that governs the whole world. Governments are small and order is limited to very small communities. However, people began to explore and discover. They form larger governments and organize into states. Globalization is just a continuation of this—a manifestation of a search for a more advanced civilization. In fact, there were several claims in the past about the creation of an international government. Even at present, an international legal order is manifest, although loosely due to several conceptual and political hindrances such as sovereignty of states. However, it cannot be denied that countries are now forming unions and organizations and building international institutions such as courts and tribunals to govern conduct. The inquiry is therefore clear. â€Å"Will the world organize into a bigger union? † The irony in this question is that many countries such as Africa has not yet achieved the high level of civilization that many other countries have achieved. By not being highly civilized, I do not mean to say that they are savage, but only that they are left behind in terms in terms of political, economic and technological developments. Theirs are mostly a case of lawlessness and crime. Chaos and disorder prevails dues to poverty, disease and inadequate natural resources that are existing in the country. It is like being back during the period before the existence of social contracts where every man is a man for himself. The main concern is individual survival, not the advancement of civilization. These countries who were left behind have not made themselves as civilized and globalized as others countries have made themselves. How can they cope with the new world order that will be established in case civilization and globalization become more advanced? Going back to the question, the articles answer seems to be no. The pattern that may be observed is not integration, but disintegration. Countries are beginning to disaffiliate from their respective unions and affiliations. The reasons are simple, resources are scarce and countries have to fight over these resources to survive. It is â€Å"Africa† in a larger scale. The thing that prevents countries like Africa from assimilating to a grand globalization scheme will prevent many countries from becoming more politically and socially advanced. Worse, it may cause their social and political system to deteriorate, bringing them back to a path where they have already trodden before. That path is a path towards pre-civilization. Anarchy may return. An era of lawlessness and crime may again plague the world. The world may revert to the period before civilization when there is no social contract. The world may go back to a period where it is every man for himself or every country for itself. The pillars of cooperation, which countries have so painstakingly erected may easily collapse in the middle of poverty, need and competition for scarce resources. This prediction may be exaggerated, but it may happen; and what better way exists to show what may happen, but through an exaggeration. It is again a point of interest at this point the situation in countries like Africa. While Africa and other countries are still struggling to achieve the level of civilization and globalization that exist in the world, other countries are already going through the process of de-globalization and de-civilization. Even in de-globalization and de-civilization, they seem to be unable to keep up. Or is it that other countries are the ones keeping up with them in terms of de-globalization and de-civilization? It is in times like this that one may realize why government and laws are important. There may be wrongs committed in the government and it may limit or even abuse individual rights. However, governments create order. In times of difficulties, governments take charge. Governments are necessary in the development of a healthy and orderly social and political system. Law controls people. It may cause evils, but it also controls evils. Law is essential in governance and civilization.

Where are you going,where have you been Bob Dylan Who is the main Essay

Where are you going,where have you been Bob Dylan Who is the main character ,Connie or Arnold Friend - Essay Example The story revolves around Connie who is the main character. She is a beautiful young girl aged fifteen but self-absorbed. She ends up at odds with her mother and leaves the house without her parents’ knowledge. Arnold is a friend to Connie and works at a nearby restaurant. He is a darker version of somehow otherworldly figure type. While Connie’s parents are at a barbecue dinner elsewhere, Arnold heads to her home to take her out for dinner. Connie is powerless and ultimately cannot defy Arnold’s compulsion. The story took place in 1960s and describes a lot about American life back in those days. Even though at one point, Connie discovers that Arnold is much older than he claims to be, she cannot do anything since there was no one at her rescue. In addition, he scares her to give into her demands by threatening to harm her and her family in case she does otherwise (35). This shows absence of law enforcing bodies that could protect all citizens of the United State s of America. In the story, Carol Oates brings about evocation of Bob Dylan with a meaningful purpose. The presence of richness within the setting of the story creates an improvement towards realizing a stabilized life. Furthermore, Oates brings out wealth in view of depicting a period where Americans were going somewhere, ‘where are you going?’ towards social revolution (54). Connie is also the main character because she is representing all the women in America. It was during this period when the American women were at the forefront of asserting about their rights and their impeding need to end their domination from men. Oates uses Connie as the main character to portray the status of women in America during that period and their concerted efforts of claiming their sexuality in a manner that was never visible in the history of America. The story is at the center of Connie and all what revolves around her life. Oates used