Heart of Darkness - A Reform Piece or Racist Trash? Essay -- HOD Josep

Heart of Darkness - Reform Piece or Racist Trash?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1890, Joseph Conrad spent four months as a steamship captain in the Congo. Like his character Marlow, Conrad became both physically ill and greatly disturbed as a result of his experiences. The Congo haunted Conrad, and despite the fact that he spent relatively little of his time there, he felt compelled to write about his experiences years later.1    Indeed, the Congo had a profound influence on Conrad. While there he met Roger Casement who was to become a life long friend and ally in the campaign against Leopold II. Conrad's experience was much like Marlow's. As a young man, Conrad would look at maps and desired to journey to the as yet unexplored Congo, much the same way Marlow did. He was the captain of a steamboat that traveled between Stanley Falls and Leopoldville. Like Marlow, he also became very ill as a result of his travels. While in the region he kept a daily diary that would aid him in future work. Conrad originally wrote a short story about his experiences in the Congo, but later decided that a slightly longer work would be necessary to deal with the topic.2 Out of this profound influence came a profound novella, Heart of Darkness, which was published in 1902 at the height of the Congo controversy.    Heart of Darkness painted a very dark picture of the Congo. It is no surprise that there is so much dark imagery in Heart of Darkness, Conrad adequately described the tone of the Congo. Kurtz can be seen as a white man who set out for the Congo, like so many others, in an effort to "civilize" the inhabitants of the region. In the end though, it's Kurtz who is the most savage. Kurtz could be a representative of any of the members of the For... ...on different races have improved. That there even is a debate would indicate that people today are more aware of issues of racism than they were in 1902.    Works Cited (1), (2), (6) Forbath, Peter. The River Congo. Harper & Row Publishers. New York. 1977. (3) Widmer, Kingsley. "Joseph Conrad". Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 34. Gale Research Company. Detroit. 1985 (4) Watts, Cedric. Conrad's "Heart of Darkness": A Critical and Contextual Discussion. Mursia International. 1977. (5) Pakenham, Thomas. The Scramble for Africa. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. London. 1991. (7), (8), (9), (10), (12) Achebe, Chinua. Hopes and Impediments, Selected Essays. Doubleday. New York. 1977. (11), (13) Sarvan, C.P. " Racism and the 'Heart of Darkness'". The International Fiction Review. winter, 1980. International Fiction Association.      

Lord of the Flies: The Darkness of Man’s Heart

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is more than a tale about a group of boys stranded on an island during World War II. Life free from rules of society and adults seems like paradise, but it quickly turns into hell on earth. The boys face the ultimate challenge of remaining civilized without supervision or guidelines. Many elements are found within Lord of the Flies: breakdown of civilization, avoidance of truth, and assumed innocence. These elements appear to be the message Golding is trying to convey. However, carefully analyzing the novel, the reader is able to detect symbolism. The author hides powerful messages behind his characters and other objects on the island. Through the use of symbolism, Golding reveals that humans detached from society’s rules allow their innate evil to dominate their existence. By introducing the characters of Ralph and Piggy, Golding shows his first use of symbolism. He introduces them as well-bred British boys and uses them to reflect man’s nature within society. Ralph represents civilized man, and Piggy symbolizes the intelligence of civilization.What is the difference between a figurative and a literal analogy? Ralph is elected leader because he has the appearance, common sense, and his possession of the conch makes him respected (Golding 22). Since he has been elected leader, he is able to enforce rules to govern the island. These rules include: building shelters, collecting drinking water, keeping the rescue fire lit, and proper sanitation (Golding 80-81). Even though Ralph has possession of the conch and is the chosen leader, he relies on Piggy’s intellect. Piggy knows that their arrival on the island has something to do with the war (Fitzgerald and Kayser 82). He also knows the shell is a conch and its use. Due to their plane crash, he realizes that there are other survivors on the island. Therefore, he instructs Ralph to blow the conch in order to gather the others (Fitzgerald and Kayser 81). Piggy is intelligent, but he has many shortcomings: unable to enforce rules, obese, asthmatic, lacks common sense and is unable to empathize with the group (Fitzgerald-Kayser 83), and unable to express his thoughts (Dicken-Fuller 15). Piggy’s shortcomings solidifies him as an outcast and the subject of mockery; he is a product of civilization but incapable of becoming a leader. It is no surprise that Golding allows these two to discover the conch shell, which is used to represent assembly and rational behavior (Dicken-Fuller 15-16) (Kinkhead-Weekes and Gregor 18). It was the discovery of the conch that brought Ralph and Piggy together, and their meeting is the first assembly. The first time Ralph blows the conch, the boys dispersed all over the island automatically respond and rush toward the sound, and the group is unified. Ralph sets a new rule regarding the conch: anyone with possession of the shell has the right to speak. This requires the boys to act civilized during an assembly. Since the boys have been recently placed out of society, their mannerly conduct remains intact which allows them to respect the conch and obey the rules Ralph has set. As the novel progresses, civility fades and the reader realizes that the boys’ true nature was covered by the rules of society. Golding uses Jack’s character to represent the acceptance of primitiveness and disregard for civilized behavior. When Jack allows his beast, his innate evil, to master him, he no longer has the desire to surround himself with civility. Jack uses his savagery, power, persuasion, and hunting skills to entice others to join him in exercising their beasts. This causes the once unified group to separate: democracy and rational society led by Ralph and the dictatorship, barbaric tribe led by Jack (Selby 57). During the group’s breakup, Ralph wishes for a sign from the adult world that will show him how to reassemble the group. Ironically, the sign given is a dead pilot falling from the sky. The dead pilot distinguishes war, death, and destruction (Dicken-Fuller 15). The body also indicates literally and figuratively â€Å"fallen man† (Dickson13), and that the adult world’s civilization is disintegrating just like the society on the island (Selby 58). Golding’s introduction of Ralph and Piggy showcases how man attempts to cling to his genteel values, but Jack’s breakdown shows that humans will eventually allow their nature as innate savages to govern their lives. Some may argue the validity of man’s inborn wickedness by stating that man has been able to create prosperous civilizations throughout history. Likewise, Ralph’s civilization attempts to survive and thrive for a brief period. During that time, the boys were accustomed to following rules, but Jack’s disobedience proves that man’s barbarity, the beast, is not destroyed but it is instead hidden behind the rules of society. Golding uses the contrast of his characters Ralph, Piggy, and Jack to establish that with time, the darkness of man’s heart will eventually emerge, master their life, and lead to the breakdown of society (Fitzgerald and Kayser 78) (Baker 23). Golding’s next essential use of symbolism is provided when the conch is smashed. This action indicates the collapse of civilization and the acceptance of savagery. Ralph and Piggy adore the conch because it represents the order of civilization. When Ralph uses the conch, it forces the boys to act responsibly by reason and not irrationally by impulse. Since the conch is destroyed, there is no value of the rules that initially governed the island; the boys gradually morph into savages (Dickson 16). Since Jack has chosen to accept his beast, he does not care about the affect of shattering the conch (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 21). Golding uses Jack to represent savagery through his description of Jack’s hunting tactics and nakedness. In the opening chapters, Jack is the leader of the choir, and he and the choir are associated with darkness and violence. They are described as dark creatures with black caps and cloaks hide their faces (Dickson 26). Jack has a thirst for power and a desire to control others (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 41). Under his leadership, he encourages others to embrace their savagery as well; fear and temptation drives others to join his tribe. The temptation he uses to entice others to join him is a feast. With the success of the feast, it gives Jack an additional menacing characteristic, a new persona called Chief. The creation of Chief feeds into Jack’s thirst for power. (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 46). Since Jack is embracing his beast and willing to exercise dark desires and violence (Dickson 24), he needs followers that will relinquish their beasts as well. Jack’s leadership allows his followers to become hunters and to accept their savagery as well (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 28). Golding uses Ralph and the contrast of Roger’s character and to portray the emergence of his beast and the affect Jack has on his followers. Before giving in to his beast, Roger under the rules of civilization is able to throw stones at Henry intentionally missing â€Å"here invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life (Golding 62). † Roger intentionally misses because he knows his beast his beast is trying to direct his actions. He is only able to deter the impulse of actually hitting Henry by trying to remember what is considered right and wrong actions in society. Instead of granting his beast full control, he tempts it. Golding describes the moment Roger completely yields to his beast. It was during the reenactment of the pig hunt, which was Ralph’s first hunt. Jack and his hunters circle around the pig, Robert, and begin to poke him with sticks. The innocent reenactment becomes violent; Robert’s screams of pain go unnoticed because their beasts overcome all of the boys. Roger is fighting to get closer, and Ralph is fighting to get near, to get a handful of flesh, the desire to squeeze and hurt was mastering (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 50). Roger submits to his beast, and Ralph awakens his beast that he has been trying to suppress. Since Roger has lost traits of civility, he joins Jack’s tribe and become known as ‘Executioner and Torturer’ (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 60) (Golding 180-181). When the tribe hunts, they cover their faces with â€Å"dazzle paint,† creating a mask that liberates them from feeling guilty about the sinister acts they perform (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 33) (Page 120). The hunters begin hunting as a way to get food but this quickly changes. They become obsessed with bloodlust, killing as a sign of oppression (Page 120). The killing of the sow nursing her piglets is an example of their bloodlust. She is vulnerable, but they force themselves upon her and kill her to act out their oppression (Dickson 15). Eventually, they hunt human prey: Simon, Piggy, and Ralph (Dickson 18). Simon’s character symbolizes man’s flawed nature. Golding uses Simon to symbolize a prophet and Christ-like character. Simon avoids exercising his beast by going into the forest and being alone. During this time, man’s human nature reveals itself to him. Simon’s prediction that Ralph will be rescued shows his prophet-like action. Simon is the only character that understands that the beast is inside themselves, not just in evil forces and bad men but everyone (Page 115; Kinkhead-Weekes and Kayser 45). During his conversation with the sow’s head it tells him â€Å"You knew, didn’t you? I’m apart of you†¦ (Golding 143). † He also climbs the mountain in order to confront the other external beast, the pilot. As Simon gazes into the marred face of the pilot, he is able to witness the evil of the adult world, which is the same evil that is within them. He unties the pilot from the rock; this shows that one must confront the beast in order to be free from it. When he initially tries to voice his opinion about the beasts being within themselves, the group mocks him. He tries to reveal the truth about the beast again, but he is violently killed. When he stumbles out of the forest they act like animals they â€Å"leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, and tore. No words no movement but the tearing of teeth and claws (Golding 153). † Simon’s death not only shows how savagery has completely take over the boys, but it also shows how he represents a Christ-like figure, and if his revelation were accepted, it would give the salvation on the island (Dicken-Fuller 14; Fitzgerald and Kayser 85). In order to avoid facing the truth of Simon’s murder, the boys construct a tribal dance, which is used as a cover up to hide the guilt of murder. Out of fear, they create an image of an external beast represented by the Lord of the Flies, the sow’s head (Page 115; Dicken-Fuller 14) and the pilot (Page 118). Piggy tries to give an intellectual explanation of the beast and fear. In Piggy’s mind, there is no beast because they only created it out of fear. He also tries to rationalize Simon’s murder by calling it an accident and saying that Simon shouldn’t have been playing in the dark, stumbling out of the forest, and scaring them. Even though he represents intelligence, Piggy is unable to see the beast for what it really is (Fitzgerald and Kayser 83). Due to the fact that Jack refuses to look at his inner beast, he believes the beast is a creature that can be won over by a sacrifice (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 45). Golding uses Simon’s character, his death, and the tribal dance to signify that even though man reverts his darkness, he has to acknowledge it in order to be free from the beast. Through the use of symbolism, the characters resort to exercising their innate evil is exposed. Critics believe that Lord of the Flies is a representation of a loss of innocence because Golding illustrates the surrender to savage impulses, murder, losing one’s identity, and corruption of the island through children. Their youthful innocence tarnishes as evil is allowed to permeate and transform them from English schoolboys to savage beasts (Dicken-Fuller 13). Their innocence becomes undeniably altered since they possess the ability to commit the immoral act of murder. Golding demonstrates through there actions that there wasn’t really a loss of innocence because the children had the innate capability to sin. Their inner darkness reflects through their outer appearance. They are content with their uncleanness; it has been accepted as normal (Kinkhead-Weekes and Gregor 40). The murders of Simon and Piggy show that the boys have made the same decision that the adults in war have (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 47). Anytime the chant â€Å"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood† and the dance are in use the boys have a tendency to lose themselves (Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor 51). They turn into savages overcome by the beast and they lose their identities. Jack loses his civilized identity when he wears the mask and has his tribe refer to him as â€Å"Chief. In the beginning of the novel, Percival Madison is introduced. He is able to recite his full name and address. By the end of the novel, Percival allows his inborn sinful nature to control him, and he doesn’t remember his name. Not only does the beast corrupt the boys, but the island is corrupt as well. The island is descr ibed like the Garden of Eden: bright sun, lagoon, sweet air, and ripe fruits (Dickson 13; Kinkead-Weekes and Gregor). It appears to be an earthly paradise (Page 118). The boys are like Adam and Eve living in the Garden of Eden with the ability to sin (Dicken-Fuller 16). The corruption of the island begins with the creepers. Creepers appear to snakes at night. Then eating too many fruits results with the schoolboys having diarrhea. Critics argue that literally eating too many fruits has this outcome, but it could represent that the boys’ sinful bodies are no longer fit for the island, Garden of Eden (Dickson 20). During the hunting of Ralph, the island is set on fire. The island went from an earthly paradise to a burning hell (Dickson 13). Another symbolic meaning of the island’s burning would be that its beauty is degraded by the boys’ presence (Page 118). In conclusion, being stranded on an island with no rules or supervision is initially viewed as an earthly paradise. Numerous ideas like the breaking down of society, ignoring the truth, and assuming the truth. In contrast, if one carefully dissects the novel, the use of symbolism is clearly present. Golding uses his characters and additional articles on the island to demonstrate that man is inherently immoral. Man’s immorality is concealed by the rules governing society. Once man is liberated from rules, he will eventually allow his dark desires to dominate his being.

Charcoal as Plant Fertilizer

Charcoal is considerably neutral, and the natural wood types are perfect in their ability to amend nearly any type of soil. Today, you may here the term bio-char, and this refers to the larger quantities of organic charcoal being produced for use on organic farms and the like. Charcoal is clean, chemical free in most cases, clean to produce when processed properly, and offers an outstanding result without the potentially harmful chemicals and additives so often thrown in to expensive commercial fertilizers. There are many qualities that charcoal brings to the dinner table, to research, to nature, and to the world that you may not recognize as such unless they are pointed out. Due to its extremely high surface area, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus stick to the charcoal and provide an excellent home to soil friendly bacteria and thus essentially turning charcoal into a slow release fertilizer. Inoculate it with fertilizer before applying. Most of the plants growers nowadays are looking forward for an efficient yet affordable way of growing healthy plants, which are weed and worm free. The Group of â€Å"Kids of Einstein† has chosen this Investigatory Project entitled â€Å"Charcoal as Plant Fertilizer† with the idea that this will be the solution of most of the concerns of the plant-growers around the world. Charcoal can be an alternative for the commercial fertilizers which are more expensive to buy. Charcoal can be found and bought all around and has less cost than of fertilizers. This is a very big help for plant growers. This project was chosen because the group believes that having this would encourage others to spread the news of more effective fertilizers rather than using the commercial ones. This is helpful not only of its guaranteed effect but it can also help lessen the expenses of the plant growers that would help them get more motivated of planting knowing that they can save more.

Is there a market for wool suits that are washable?

Washable wool suits with finest material and craftsmanship are very popular among men. Many Australian and Chinese companies are now introducing machine washable new blend of wool suits for increasing the sale of these suits among professionals. In 2005, a Chinese businessman and movie star in joint venture with Helain Group introduced washable wool blend suits with high quality, special performance and easy care. Helian group is China’s one the largest manufacturers and retailers of menswear. They have around more than 250 retail shops in all over China and production of 3 million per year (Yin introduces, 2005) These suits were made with special blended material to maintain their style and shape even after machine wash. Retailers have always been interested in buying and merchandising washable wool suits to enhance their sales and popularize their use among new generation. Washable wool suits are marketed in key regions of China and Australia and displayed at several trade shows and exhibitions in retail stores. Washable wool suits, which were introduced in China, were made with Australian Marino wool. As these suits were introduced it was expected that demand for Australian Marino wool will increase. These wool suits were specifically introduced for increased performance and new innovative styles (Yin introduces, 2005). In 2003, Australian company AWI and Berkeley were the first to develop the technology of these suits. Later these were introduced in China in order to increase demand for Australian wool. Currently China is the largest buyer of Australian wool. Washable wool suits are also becoming popular among other Asian countries. According to Furong, President of Heilan, introduction of machine washable wool blend suits has put Heilan group at edge of others and a major step in improving their market share.   In addition, he believes that the suits they produced were easy to care, easy washable, convenience and cost effective and has huge market potential in China (Yin introduces, 2005). The need for machine washed and dried suits was also felt among American and UK professionals. Men are usually looking for suits that can be machine washed, dried and can be worn without the needed of ironing. However, one problem they face is wrinkles that appear soon after machine wash ruining the expensive fine suit. The second thing of concern to men is the need of well creased and pressed suits during their jobs and business meetings. Young professionals are more interested in having such suits. For some people suits are not just for convenience but they are worn to increase your reputability and status while you work among the company of respectable people, as noticed by a fashion historian, Anne Hollander (Rohwedder, 2006). Many professionals prefer machine wash than going to dry cleaner because its easy, fast and cost effective for them. â€Å"Kenny Cook, a 37-year-old desk clerk for Royal Mail in London, plans to buy one of the new suits for a friend's wedding later this month. Mr. Cook says he eats lunch at his desk and often drops a piece of his sandwich on his suits. ‘I can't be bothered to go to the dry cleaners,’ says Mr. Cook. ‘But I've mastered a washing machine.’† (Rohwedder, 2006) According to a report the new machine washable and dryer-friendly wool suits are made with 45% wool, 52% polyester and 3% lycra. That prevents wool to become as a wet as in its original form. Sale of such suits is also going high in UK and USA. However, most men think that these suits are not very hot, scratchy or shiny (Rohwedder, 2006). US retailers like Nordstorn Inc think that wash and dry suits is a great innovation and needs more development. But Catherine Hayward who is director of fashion design at British magazine thought that there is no need to have machine washable suits as these are needed to work at reputable organizations not for gardening or meat market (Rohwedder, 2006). However, different people have different thinking and many have considered a need for machine washable suits. Sales in China, USA, UK, and even in other Asian countries is gradually increasing. Works Cited Australia : Yin introduces Heilan’s washable wool blend suits (2005) . Retrieved from World Wide Web: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=10076   Beyond the Bale – Issue 16 – Wool Suits Chinese Buyers. Suitable Attire? Suit Goes in Washer, Dryer, But Traditionalists Recoil: ‘This is the Antichrist' (2006) Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114548666330130509.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

Business Strategy report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Strategy report - Assignment Example ch concerns ability of the firm to set goals, according to which proper action plans are set in order to meet those goals and produce desired results. Some of the features of strategic management can be described as follows (DeWit and Meyer, 2004). Strategic thinking- The aspect of strategic thinking involves generation of unique ideas and insights that help to increase competitive advantages of business as well as to achieve desired goals more efficiently. The strategic thinking process requires managers to consider past performance of the business and realize ways in which change or implementation of a new strategy might affect the organization and its various interest groups. Strategic thinking is mostly done when a firm considers applying a change in operations or while incorporating new business ventures into a formal organizational structure. It is mainly a mental process and requires examining the firm from the view point of its capabilities. Managers and authorities brainstorm to come up with new and innovative methods for fulfilling organizational goals and developing new horizons of business opportunity. Strategic planning- The next step after strategic thinking is the process of strategic planning. In strategic thinking, the firm decides upon actions that are needed to be taken. In the strategic planning process, the firm formulates effective solutions so that proposed ideas and objectives can be achieved. Strategic planning involves analyzing the firm considering the following aspects (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2005): Primarily strategic planning involves evaluating the firm from the view point of external environment. This involves conducting PESTEL (Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economical and Legal) analysis. The external environmental factors that can affect functioning of an organization are taken into perspective and ways in which external factors are likely to respond when a firm incorporates changes or new business

Glastonbury music festival tickets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Glastonbury music festival tickets - Essay Example Comparing this to the model characterized as efficient equilibrium, where utility functions increase continuously, efficiency appears not to have been a part of the outcome for this particular event. This paper aims to analyse and compare the varied macroeconomics pricing mechanisms as well as the applicable strategies on ticket allocation, all in a bid to determine the best mechanism that would assist work toward a Pareto efficiency balance for this record-breaking event. The general price theory associates the price of a commodity to vary directly with the value of the commodity (Besanko Braeutigam 2013). The theory further draws an analogy between the value of a commodity and its scarcity or ease of its availability. In a market situation, sellers aim at an optimal price for their commodities while buyers to the contrary opt for minimal price set on commodities. In an average or normal situation, it is the intersection between the two varied prices that ensures that markets are cleared without any excess or surplus on either side. A market clearing condition is thus achieved whenever the supply of commodities equals or meets the total quantity of goods or commodities demanded. For the ticket prices set for the Glastonbury music festival, the price was not at a market clearing level since the demand for tickets by willing buyers overwhelmed the amount of tickets available for sale. Under pure exchange price theory, a trader should be able to balance his endowment in the market with his possessed commodities. With such a balanced allocation of endowments and possessed commodities, Pareto efficiency as outlined in Besanko Braeutigam (2013), may be said to have been achieved which was not the case for the music event. The different strategies or economic paths available and apparently of best application to the sale of Glastonbury music festival tickets, and preferably retain or enhance efficient equilibrium have varied merits

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example There is an established communication between Adam (man) and God (divine). Adam is seen stretching his hand reluctantly and loosely to receive what God is presenting to him. God is trying to transmit some sought of divinity to man. This is being attempted by bringing their fingers as close as possible but it is clear the fingers do not establish a contact. This could be the impossibility of God and man being into contact. The story is biblical though and it has it that after Creation of Adam, God breathed life into him. In the bible there is nowhere we are told that there was a lot of resistance in the process. However, in the creation of man, the work presents an interesting fact (Kleetus, 2005). God is seen trying to reach Adam with all his might. He is stretching his index finger to touch that of Adam. It seems there is a resistance in form of a wind, which is trying to deny him a chance to communicate to his creation. The presence of a wind-like force is depicted in the direction of God’s legs and those of the angels surrounding him. The implication from the figure here is that God is trying with all his might to touch and transmit his mightiness to hid creation amidst a strong opposing force. On the other hand, dam does not seem to have the energy and effort to reach to God. Adam is relaxed and while God is using his right hand to reach him, Adam is using his right hand to support his lazily leaning body and reluctantly uses his left hand to respond to God’s attempt to reach him. The left hand has to be supported by his left leg knee for that case. Adam’s body is leaning against God and it seems he is not willing enough or putting enough effort to make the divine connection with God. The body language of the two is totally different and while one is responding with strength to establish a connection, the receiver is not so much putting an effort to receive. A closer look at the index fingers of the two subjects in