Mrs Dalloway And To The Lighhouse By Virginia Woolf Essays

Mrs Dalloway And To The Lighhouse By Virginia Woolf In her writings, Virginia Woolf wanted to capture the realness of life, as one would live it. In turn, Woolf's shared the significant elements of her life in her poetic prose novels, Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, as a relative self-portrayal. In these books Woolf captured the life as she had lived it, performing this task in three different layers of depth. For a general sense, by allowing the characters to live in a similar society as her own, Woolf depicted her society in her writing. In a deeper sense, many of Woolf's family members, relationships, and characteristics were symbolically illustrated through the minor literary characters on a more personal level. Moreover, Woolf displayed her views, beliefs, and personal events through the conscience of the main characters. Commonly, people believe that Woolf had an ideal family. Born into an aristocratic family, her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, was an eminent editor, journalist, and a biographer; her husband, Leonard Woolf, also was an aristocrat writer, who had a membership in an intellectual circle, Bloomsbury Group, along with Virginia Woolf. Similarly, Woolf planned both Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse to be the stories of two aristocratic families. Virginia Woolf lived from the late Victorian Era until the beginning of King George VI's reign, through both the climax of Britain's prosperity and political supremacy and the decline of such political power which was due to the First World War. Yet, in these transitions of Britain's political status, new ideologies, such as feminism, were developing. From the late Victorian Era to the end of First World War marked a period in which the people attempted to accomplish the new beliefs and ideologies, usually resulting in effective movements. Most of these ideas were an antithesis of prewar traditions that were led by Modernist, the questioners of tradition, in literary movements. Feminism was one of the popular new ideologies, which generally began through writers, artists, and women of the aristocracy, for they were the ones who were politically aware of what was going on in Britain and on Continent. Furthermore, people, especially the middle and the upper classes, enjoyed enormous prosperity that was brought in by imperialism and the Industrial Revolution. Prosperity drew people to capitalism and investments in foreign countries, for people loved money and were very avaricious. In her writing, Woolf addressed these Victorian political characteristics through the meeting of Richard Dalloway, Hugh Whitbread, and Lady Bruton in Mrs. Dalloway, where Lady Bruton proposes "a project for emigrating young people of both sexes born of respectable parents and setting them up with a fair prospect of doing well in Canada." Lady Bruton's strong independence as a leader shows the movement towards tolerance of women being in power. This scene also portrays people's cupidity, since this project was designed to bring in a substantial amount of profit. In addition, the Victorian Era was an age of doubt, question, and skepticism towards God, mostly due to Darwinism. Friction was created between morality and newly developing ideologies and beliefs. Although a majority of people still attended church, many writers and artists, especially Modernists, tended to be more agnostic. Likewise Woolf showed the opposing sides, believers and idealists, through the repulsion of Mrs. Dalloway against Miss Kilman, as Mrs. Dalloway has noted, "Had she [Miss Kilman] even tried to convert any one herself? Did she not wish everybody merely to be themselves? Let her... if she wanted to; let her stop; then let her...There was something solemn in it?but love and religion would destroy that, whatever it was, the privacy of the soul. The odious Kilman would destroy it." Britain faced a phase of decline due to the First World War which brought many changes to people's lives, although the aristocrats were not as affected by the war. Some post war effects were loneliness, mental and emotional disorders, and disintegration usually suffered by middle and lower classes. In Mrs. Dalloway, the Dalloway family is planning a party while Septimus Smith, a middle class veteran, is suffering from mental and emotional disorders. Mrs. Dalloway is suffering from loneliness. However, in To the Lighthouse, the Ramsay family, also aristocrats, are suffering from the war due to the death of their veteran son, Anthony Ramsay. Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse are filled with symbols, notably those that represent or suggest vital people in Woolf's life. For example, from her childhood, her father had great influence in Woolf's life, for it was because of him that Woolf began to write. Woolf exemplified her father

Free Essays on Loosening Knots In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the poet represents the protagonist Gawain with two different types of knots. Initially, Gawain is portrayed as the noble knight of King Arthur’s court who is the quintessence of chivalry; he is loyal, courteous and above all honest. The poet portrays his chivalric character with the pentangle on the shield because he is void of faults and â€Å"tulk of tale most trwe/ And gentylest knygt of lote.† (ll. 638-639). These traits are put to the test, and he proves himself honorable except for the last test in which he accepts a girdle from Lady Bercilak for the sake of saving his life. The poet uses the girdle to show how Gawain’s character and motivations change. The evolution of symbolic identification reveals that the love of life causes human beings to lose virtuousness but can be redeemed with spiritual and humanistic moral correction. In stanza 27 the poet introduces the symbol of the pentangle and draws a parallel between trawà ¾ and endlessness. The image of the pentangle dates back to King Solomon and was used by the Hebrews as an attribute of Truth and the five books of the Pentateuch. Already, one can see that the origin of the pentangle has theological significance. Hit is a syngne Þat Salamon set sumquyle In bytoknyng of TrawÞe, bi tytle Þat hit habbez, For hit is a figure Þat haldez fyue poyntez, And vche lyne vmbelappez and loukez in oà ¾er, And ayquere hit is endelez (ll. 625-629). The important word in the preceding passage is trawà ¾e, which roughly translates to the word truth. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word trawà ¾e in the 14th century has several meanings. One definition, which is the more frequently known definition in Modern English, â€Å"is the character of being, or disposition to be, true to a person, principle, cause, etc.† The other definitions pertain to a person’s moral character. One definition relates to virtue in a more general, worldl... Free Essays on Loosening Knots In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Free Essays on Loosening Knots In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the poet represents the protagonist Gawain with two different types of knots. Initially, Gawain is portrayed as the noble knight of King Arthur’s court who is the quintessence of chivalry; he is loyal, courteous and above all honest. The poet portrays his chivalric character with the pentangle on the shield because he is void of faults and â€Å"tulk of tale most trwe/ And gentylest knygt of lote.† (ll. 638-639). These traits are put to the test, and he proves himself honorable except for the last test in which he accepts a girdle from Lady Bercilak for the sake of saving his life. The poet uses the girdle to show how Gawain’s character and motivations change. The evolution of symbolic identification reveals that the love of life causes human beings to lose virtuousness but can be redeemed with spiritual and humanistic moral correction. In stanza 27 the poet introduces the symbol of the pentangle and draws a parallel between trawà ¾ and endlessness. The image of the pentangle dates back to King Solomon and was used by the Hebrews as an attribute of Truth and the five books of the Pentateuch. Already, one can see that the origin of the pentangle has theological significance. Hit is a syngne Þat Salamon set sumquyle In bytoknyng of TrawÞe, bi tytle Þat hit habbez, For hit is a figure Þat haldez fyue poyntez, And vche lyne vmbelappez and loukez in oà ¾er, And ayquere hit is endelez (ll. 625-629). The important word in the preceding passage is trawà ¾e, which roughly translates to the word truth. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word trawà ¾e in the 14th century has several meanings. One definition, which is the more frequently known definition in Modern English, â€Å"is the character of being, or disposition to be, true to a person, principle, cause, etc.† The other definitions pertain to a person’s moral character. One definition relates to virtue in a more general, worldl...

IS RACISM A FACTOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Essay

IS RACISM A FACTOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - Essay Example Before we become passionate about the debate regarding racism in the election, let us first look into the real meaning of racism and then decide whether racism is truly making its indelible stamp on the 2008 presidential election. Racism comes with many definitions and some of these definitions are coined by people to suit their interest. To stay on more neutral grounds in this discussion, let us stick into the common legal and sociological definition of racism. According to the Untied Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the term racism "shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin" †¦ which results into the nullification or impairment of the rights or enjoyment of equal rights in the exercise of fundamental freedoms. In other words, racism works by diving people according to their perceived group and boundaries are set so as to prevent these groups of people from intermingling and working side by side on equal footing. Where groups of people are deprived of their basic rights simply because of the color of their skin, their ethnic origin and their race; such deprivation amounts to ra cism (See Allen, Theodore (1994). On the other hand, sociologist define racism as a highly organized system that is characterized by race based privileges that operations on level levels of society (See Cazenave N and Maddern Darlene A 1999). According to Joe Feagin, the former president of the American Sociological Society, the culture of the United States is rooted on the idea of racism because it social organizations are based on racial selection and segregation (see Feagin 2000). Although the United States government worked hard to eliminate racism within its territories, we cannot deny that incidents of racism in the country are still

Read an article about a remedial action that Sony's management team Essay

Read an article about a remedial action that Sony's management team has taken following the PlayStation data breach and write - Essay Example The CIOs in many companies have to circumvent multiple layers of management to pass on information to the CEOs. Actually the companies can well use their CIOs for generating new product ideas and for grading the customer information, so as to decide which information needs to be deleted or saved for long term use. It was only in retrospect that Sony decided to create the post of Chief Information Security Officer. The truth is that many companies dependent on information for business, like the finance industry do unexceptionally always had the post of a CISO. This laxity on the part of Sony cost the company millions in terms of business and information. However, Sony is still continuing with its obsolete organizational framework, thereby depriving the CIO a ready and easy access to the CEO. In the contemporary economies information is not only the actual product, but it is a product that can be accessed, retrieved and transferred within a matter of seconds.

This I Believe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

This I Believe - Essay Example In the rush, my father happened to put a small dent in another car. Because of our pressing need, we sped off as fast as we could. When we arrived at the company, my father was told that the general manager was not there yet and we would have to wait. This was a relief because we were involved in a small accident to try and get here on time and now we actually had more time than we needed. I asked my father about the small incident on the road but he said that there was nothing that we could do about it and it was an accident anyway. Finally, the general manager turned up and my father went in to see him. Me and my mother waited outside for about 30 minutes until my father came out. I could tell from the look on his face that something was wrong. I asked him whether he had received the job or not and he replied positively. Then I said to him why he looked so sad if he had been hired. My father responded that the manager had told him that someone had crashed into the back of him on hi s way to the building and then sped off without stopping. My father said he felt a sense of guilt. I told him that he should tell his new manager about the incident and the fact that he was the other driver. My father replied that he would probably lose his new job, but there is no way that he could hide this fact from his new boss. So he went and told his new manager. Surprisingly, the manager said that it was okay and he appreciated my father’s honesty and responsibility. Even more shocking was the fact that my father still had a job. His boss told him that he needed employees who he could trust, and that my father was one of

19th Century Colonialism and Racism

19th Century Colonialism and Racism Colonialism and Racism in the 19th Century Throughout much of the 19th century, European powers used their financial wealth and technological advancements to colonize much of Asia and almost the entire continent of Africa. Oftentimes the motivations were national pride and the acquisition of natural resources, but there was another very potent impetus behind Western imperialism in the 19th century: racism. At a time when Charles Darwin had just recently revealed his theory of evolution, and much of the previously unchartered territory of the world was becoming known, the European powers felt themselves to be the superior race, because they believed they were the most civilized, or because they had the most advanced technology. This idea, known as social Darwinism, takes the natural theory of evolution and applies it to human races, positing that the societies and races that are â€Å"superior† than others are more â€Å"fit† to exist and survive, and therefore they make take advantage of and exploit the other, i nferior peoples who are not as â€Å"fit† to survive. With this idea in mind, many Western powers sent troops and resources around to globe to set up colonies and imperialize other nations, often with no regard for the indigenous people. Although this massive wave of colonialism in the 19th century was driven by desire for material wealth and national pride, racism also played a significant role. In George Orwells Burmese Days, he chronicles the daily life of a British gentlemans club in upcountry Burma, part of the British colony of India. His account gives a very telling indication of how the British citizens viewed the local citizens of Burma, and it reveals the racism that was at the heart of the imperial system. When the club is discussing the suggestion to allow a Burmese man to join, the Secretary of the club says, â€Å"Hes asking us to break all our rules and take a dear little nigger-boy into this Club†¦That would be a treat wouldnt it? Little pot-bellied niggers breathing garlic in your face over the bridge-table. Christ, to think of it!† (Reilly, 285). The use of a derogatory racial slur clearly demonstrates the way the British gentlemen thought of the locals, clearly as inferior people. The use of the term â€Å"nigger† has long been associated with people of African descent, but here the British Club secretary uses it to refer to the local Bu rmese citizens, an obvious indication of racial hate and insult. Their hatred and racism go so far that one member of the club, a local company manager, says â€Å"Ill die in a ditch before Ill see a nigger in here† (Reilly, 286). The continuous use of racial slurs and insulting remarks indicate that the British members of the club were all highly racist towards the local people, a factor which definitely influenced the British colonization of India, and the treatment of the indigenous peoples. In a similar portrayal of life inside an imperialized nation, Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness takes a close look at a steamboat journey deep into the heart of the Congo, the captain of which was a white man. The first signs of racism come out when he refers to the African people on his boat as â€Å"cannibals†, implying that they were savage and uncivilized, although there is no other evidence that these people were in fact cannibals. These basic false assumptions are often seen in stories of imperial racism; White colonists are always quick to judge the local people as brutal savages without actually taking the time to understand their culture. However, the ship captains racism goes far deeper than that, when he comments â€Å"the men were†¦No they were no inhuman. Well, you know that was the worst of it—this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped and spun and made horrid faces, but what thrilled you was just t he thought of their humanity—like yours† (Reilly, 296). His pain at realizing that he was connected to these people, through a common humanity, hurts him because they appear so wild and savage to him that he would prefer to believe they were not human, but rather animals or beasts. His European heritage makes him regard himself as superior than the local Africans, and in turn he sees them through racist eyes, another important factor in the Western colonization of Africa. Both these excerpts of colonial life in the 19th century demonstrate that the Westerners almost always considered themselves superior to the local citizens. The European powers had convinced themselves that because they had the power and resources to create global empires, they were somehow inherently better than the people they were conquering, and this all too often lead to the exploitation and degradation of indigenous peoples around the globe. Another example of the conflict between two cultures is shown in the case of Ida Pruitt, in the book Chinas American Daughter by Marjorie King. Growing up in an American family working as missionaries in a small town in China, Ida experiences both the local Chinese culture around her and the American ways of her Christian missionary mother, who resents many things about China. As her mother constantly tried to convert Chinese people into Christians, Ida witnessed the harmful effects of such colonial interactions. King writes that â€Å"As Ida became aware of the differences between the Chinese and the Christian missionary cultures, she resented Christianitys intrusion in the Chinese culture† (King, 17). Even as a young girl, Ida is able to understand that the Western forces (her mother) are attempting to insert their own ways of life, religion, and culture into the Chinese culture because she regards them as inferior. The religious component of this is especially powerful, as many forms of Christianity believe that it is their responsibility and duty to spread their religion and convert as many people as possible, regardless of changing their previous way of life and destroying the original culture. The focus for the Westerners in colonial China was on taking advantage of the local people in order to convert them and insert western culture as a replacement for their own. Ida recognizes this, and â€Å"Ida admired her fathers adaptation to Chinese ways in order to help build genuine friendships between the Chinese and Westerners† (King, 19). Her father acts as a model for a better, more mutual exchange of culture and ideas between the Chinese and the Westerners, which is an equal interaction between the two, not the domination of one over the other as Idas Christian mother attempts to instigate. Ida Pruitts experience as an American in colonial China greatly differ from those of the Westerners in both Heart of Darkness and Burmese Days, as she actually identifies more closely with Chinese culture than she does with her original ethnic culture. Instead of approaching the local citizens as being inherently inferior or below her, Ida embraces their traditions and culture, and in many ways finds the Chinese way of life better than the American one that her mother works so hard to encourage. Especially because she lived in China at such a young age, â€Å"Growing up in the halls and courtyards of the haunted house of Song Family Village, Ida felt herself to be part of Chinese life stretching back thousands of years† (King, 6). As opposed to the British club officer who uses racial slurs to insult the Burmese people, or the steamboat captain who observes the â€Å"wild† and â€Å"inhuman† people of the Congo, Ida grows up surrounded by the Chinese culture, an d she is able to compare and contrast it with the Western tradition promoted by her mother. The racist characters in the other accounts experienced life as a Westerner, and therefore never were able to appreciate or respect any other culture. This stubborn obsession with ones own culture resulted in their imperial racism towards the local peoples. With Ida, she was able to form her own cultural and racial identity while experiencing both Western and Chinese lifestyles, and this allowed her to really respect and understand both, and in doing so she was able to remain connected to both cultures without having to racially reject or degrade one or the other. Racism is unfortunately an inherent part of human society, and it can be especially devastating when it is used to guide political and military decisions, such as during the colonization of Africa and Asia in the 19th century. Many people were killed, exploited, or left in poverty solely because of the racial hate of others. The European imperialism of the world, although based on many motivations, was in part based on racism, as demonstrated in the excerpts from Joseph Conrad and George Orwell. However, not all interactions between cultures were negative, such as the case of Ida Pruitt in China. She was able to ignore her mothers blind bias and learn to value and appreciate Chinese culture, something that indicates the importance of being open minded and experiencing other cultures for oneself before judging. Perhaps if the British officers didnt think so lowly of the locals, they would have provided better things such as schools and libraries, which in turn would result in a bette r educated country and an improved society. If the steamboat captain hadnt viewed the Africans as savages, maybe he wouldnt have been so focused on the material wealth and financial gain that was possible in Africa, but in setting up stable governments and creating better infrastructure for all people. Although things didnt turn out this way, we can learn from this past and apply that knowledge to create a better future. Ida Pruitt is a great example for overcoming racism, by experiencing a different culture for oneself and criticizing your own heritage, rather than stubbornly purporting your way as the best and only way, and hating all other cultures and societies that are different. Always racism may never go away, we can make a difference by understanding the past and learning to appreciate the value of all human societies and races. King, Marjorie.Chinas American Daughter: Ida Pruitt (1888-1985). Hong Kong: Chinese UP, 2006. Reilly, Kevin.Worlds of History: a Comparative Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007.

Battle Of Impunity :: essays research papers

Battle of Impunity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insults often serve as a catalyst for revenge. Yet, revenge never comes without consequences. These consequences can stay in a person’s subconscious for the remainder of their life. Through the clever short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe, Montresor suffers from being insulted, seeking revenge and living with guilt. Montresor is unsuccessful in punishing Fortunato with impunity. The obsession to confess is a killer. Montresor starts the evil revenge plot with a smile on his face. â€Å"It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.† Montresor believes that he will feel free and better about himself, for he will be completing his mission of impunity. With one brick remaining, â€Å"My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so.† He thinks he will feel free, but throughout his life his freedom to do otherwise stands chained in the dank vault with Fortunato. He to is dead to the world, immobile, chained to the rock of his one guilt-ridden act of aggression. The sickness he feels isn’t the dampness of the catacombs, but the first feeling of remorse. He is killing a well â€Å"respected and even feared† man. Now confessing, t here is no way to change the past and his guilty conscience still remains. Through all the trouble Montresor goes through to kill the one person he truly despises, he benefits nothing. He thinks he will be happy. He even smiles at the sight of Fortunato in the beginning. Once he completes the task, the only thing left to do is live his life leaving Fortunato behind physically and mentally. Montresor can be better off leaving Fortunato alone, but instead he takes the unchristian way out and ends Fortunato’s life. He doesn’t gain anything from doing this, except a guilty conscience and a dead body. â€Å"A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.† Montresor doesn’t gain anything positive from the revenge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With every experience one learns a lesson. Montresor lets the insulting Fortunato go straight to his head. He over reacts and cleverly tricks Fortunato into â€Å"the catacombs of the Montresors.