Service and price options Essay Example for Free

Service and price options Essay In summary, the website is very effective in achieving its goal of reaching customers through the internet. Although the rental service via the internet and by mail is only available in the United States, the online service gives an outlook of the whole company. The layout and the consistent use of the color scheme give a unified theme to the website giving the excellent yet uncomplicated look and feel of the website. And though the web design is quite simple and moderately unattractive, it attains its goal to be an alternative and accessible way of rental service to customers in a variety of places. Membership Plans and Retail Options Blockbuster Online renders two major membership or subscription plans for its customers. These two categories are Blockbuster Total Access and Blockbuster by Mail (Blockbuster Online). The only difference on the two major membership plans is that in Blockbuster Total Access, rental services include both by mail and in-store exchanges of movies while in Blockbuster by Mail, in-store exchanges are not allowed. The different plans under these two categories also vary. Blockbuster Total Access can either be premium or just ordinary. In premium, the customer has an unlimited number of in-store exchanges while in ordinary, limited in-store access is available. Regarding Blockbuster by Mail plans, the customer can order online for movie rentals and these are delivered by mail on the customer’s doorstep. Exchanges and returns of movie rentals are also done online and by mail (Blockbuster Online). Thus, in this type of membership plan, the customer need not go to a Blockbuster store. This membership plan is perfectly suitable for subscribers who do not have rental stores in their vicinity. Prices for rental services differ depending on the membership plan of the customers (see Comparison Chart). Retail services are by movie basis. Furthermore, online retail service is done via credit card or online wiring service. In addition to be able to buy movies on line, the customer has to have an account on the Blockbuster website. Prices of movies on sale depend on the movies’ producers. Nonetheless, new releases are much more expensive than old movie copies. Comparison Chart Movie Selections The company has a wide range of movie selections. It also offers TV shows and series as well as game software and music videos. The copies of movies are purportedly sufficient for its number of members and customers. However, the rental service is still subject to the availability of the movie copies. The number of copies also depends on the movie type. Classics have much less number of copies that new releases. Furthermore, most wanted videos have more copies than ordinary hit movies. The large selection of movies is simplified by the website through organizing the movies into different categories and subcategories. The major categories are action adventure, animation, comedy, documentary, drama, family kids, foreign, horror, music performing arts, mystery suspense, romance, science fiction fantasy, special interest, sports fitness, television, war and western. Under these categories are further subcategories of which some are listed below: Action adventure – action comedy, action thriller, adventure drama. Science fiction fantasy – sea adventure, swashbucklers, sword and sandal. Animation – animated musical, anime. Comedy – comedy drama, comedy thriller, dark humor, family comedy, heist/caper comedy. Documentary – adventure travel, art history, biography, history, language literature. Drama – addiction drama, police drama, childhood drama, crime drama, medical drama. Family kids – infant, toddler, children’s entertainment, family classics, kids’ fantasy. Foreign – Asian, Chinese, European, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Spanish, Japanese. Horror – alien invasion, ghosts haunts, monsters, occult, nature-gone-wild. Music performing arts – concerts, classical, dance, gospel, opera, musicals, singers. Mystery suspense – crime, detective film, spy, whodunit, political thriller. Sports and fitness – extreme sports, Olympics, dance, diet nutrition, yoga and Tai Chi. (Blockbuster Online). Competitor’s Information Application Blockbuster Inc. offers a lot of useful information and business experiences as well as practical guides for the establishment of a beginner. It gives insight that can be utilized in order to enter the market with security and stability. The long history and the many amendments to the company’s organization and management can be a lesson to future business establishments even in a different industry. Experienced website history is possessed by Blockbuster Inc.although they are not the first mover in the field of online rental service. Nevertheless, their advantage is that they have made possible and excellent revisions of competitors’ websites making their own website less prone to errors and negative feedbacks. It is therefore this very advantage that a new emerging business can take hold from the information obtained from Blockbuster Online. To further explain such circumstance, it is appropriate to give specific situations. For example, the simplicity of Blockbuster’s website instills over familiarity of customers which can lead to decrease of interest. Thus, if one has to build up a website on the same line of business, one has to make sure that the website include more interesting designs such as animations and video presentations. Addition of background music may also be added to increase the website’s attraction. Scroll over animations and flash presentations of step-by-step procedures may also be employed. It is also appropriate that confidentiality of customers’ information is prioritized. One very important detail that Blockbuster Online lacks must be included in this new website. This detail concern a web page dedicated for the employees of the company where every employee have access to more confidential data regarding the company. This will give an impression to consumers that the company values its own people. Furthermore, a web page containing a live chat room may be of help for quick answers of clients that regard their time too valuable to wait for questions on video rental services. The gathering of data from a future competitor of a budding business establishment is just the beginning of the many challenges and trials that the business will undergo to gain stability and prosperity. It is even the easiest way to accomplish. Data gathering is uncomplicated. What is important is the ability to evaluate the obtained data and utilize it for the benefit of one’s own company. References BlockBuster Online. . Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www. blockbuster. com/. Crunchbase. Netflix. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www. crunchbase. com/company/netflix. Microsoft Encarta 2007. (2006). Blockbuster Inc. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2007 [CD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. Movie Gallery. Business Description. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www. moviegallery. com/company/about. aspx. Press Releases. Blockbuster Inc. Company Profile. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://www. b2i. us/profiles/investors/ResLibrary. asp? BzID=553ResLibraryID=6807GoToPage=5Category=27. Wright Investor Service. Hastings Entertainment, Inc. – Company Profile Snapshot. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://wrightreports. ecnext. com/coms2/reportdesc_COMPANY_418365102. Yahoo Finance. Blockbuster, Inc. Retrieved June 29, 2008, from http://finance. yahoo. com/q/pr? s=BBI.

Impact of Wall Street Crash on Nazi Support

Impact of Wall Street Crash on Nazi Support How far did the Versailles Treaty and the Wall Street Crash help to bring Hitler to power? The year of 1939 undoubtedly marks the commencement of an era of bloodshed, devastation and the catastrophic war. Central to entire cause of the World War II is understanding the role of Adolf Hitler, and the process in which he obtained plenary powers over Germany. This essay seeks to examine the extent that the Versailles Treaty and Wall Street crash assisted Hitler’s rise to power until 1933, when the Enabling act was passed and Hitler effectively attained the powers to pass laws without the approval of the Reichstag. Despite many setbacks in his ascendency to chancellorship, Adolf Hitler was able to utilise the Nazi propaganda, detestation of the Weimar Government, and deficient psychological state of Germany due to the effects of the Versailles Treaty and Wall Street crash to aid his conquest for power. The essay will also highlight that although it can be argued that the vulnerability and desperation of the German population was susceptible to exploitation, the effective organisation, sheer persistence and impeccable character of Hitler served as the fundamental catalyst in his rise to power. A key aspect of Hitler’s rise to power lies in understanding the implications of the Versailles Treaty. The Versailles Treaty that was enacted after the Great War introduced a wide range of negative repercussions on the German population. The strong bitterness at the harsh conditions imposed by the Treaty left the German population in a vindictive state, and they sought a leader to end the humiliation, regardless even if he was dangerous or aggressive. It is believed that Germany surrendered under the hope and belief that the conditions of treaty would be formed in accordance to President Wilson’s fourteen points, which was rooted in ideas of diplomacy and multilateral cooperation, seeking not to place any blame on any country for the war. However, the treaty that was finally created not only removed Germany from the League of Nations, but in contrast was fundamentally a treaty placing the blame of the war on Germany. The Treaty enforced immense reparations liabilities, diminished Germany’s essential economic trades, seized territories, and imposed demilitarisation clauses. George Clemenceau, the French prime minister, demanded that Germany had to be responsible for the damages caused and repercussions of the war, and claimed the most in reparations. They also demanded for full disarmament of Germany, determined to exact revenge for both the Great War in 1939 and the 1870 Franco-Prussian War by extorting as much as possible in financial reparations, and to render Germany helpless and vulnerable in the future (Smith, 1965)[4 in dakin sloss]. The war guilt clause placed shame onto the Germans by forcing Germany to accept the responsibility for creating the suffering and destruction incurred by the Allied Nations. Furthermore, the exclusion of Germany from the League of Nations resulted in a feeling of seclusion, adding to the idea that Europe was exacting its vengeance on Germany for the war. The financial liability of Germany to the Allied N ations required the dedication of its entire economy to repay the debt, and slumped the nation into a state of massive inflation, widespread poverty and impoverishment. The financial burden placed on Germany was made neither in consideration to the fact that Germany was still recovering from the war, nor whether or not Germany had the ability and capability to compensate (Keynes, 1922)[15 in dakin sloss]. Degradation from a militaristic Prussian state to an army closer to the size of a police force increased German sentiments of hatred and anger for the Allied Nations. Extensive control of German territories were seized, including the Rhineland, the Polish Corridor, Alsace-Lorraine, and the Saar Valley. The German economy depended heavily on the iron and coal ore-fields in Alsace-Lorraine and this was seen as a confiscation of limited economic and human resources. However, it has been argued that there has been no strong evidence to prove that the Versailles Treaty was indeed the ca use of the poor economic and social state of Germany. A.J.Nicholls provides evidence to state that the German industry, was recovering its productive capacity despite the costs incurred from the treaty (Nicholls, 2000). Hitler capitalized on the situation, playing to popular sentiments to garner support for the Nazi party. His political agenda as written in the Nazi Party Program stated one of the aims as the abrogation of the Versailles Treaty (Shirer, 1990). The humiliation from the Versailles Treaty affected a huge majority of Germans, and the sentiments of oppression and the need for liberation from the treaty was successfully manipulated by Adolf Hitler in his rise to power. The Wall Street played a fundamental role in assisting Germany in its economic difficulty as a cause of the Versailles Treaty, and therefore, it is difficult to ignore the serious repercussions that Germany suffered as a result of the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Similarly, Hitler exploited the vulnerable state of Germany during the Great Depression, which was caused by the Wall Street Crash, just as he did with the Versailles Treaty. Germany was in a dire economic state after the massive financial output from Great War and perhaps due to the harsh conditions imposed by the Versailles Treaty. International Bankers, primarily from the capitalist United States, provided huge amounts of profitable loans for German industries and cartels, such as I.G. Farben and Vereinigte Stahlwerke. This provided a source of relief for Germany, and to a certain extent some stability and a vast improvement in its economic welfare. In 1924 and 1928, the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan were implemented, which co uld be argued as a means for the Wall Street investors to influence Germany with American Capitalism (Sutton, 1976). In essence, the burden of German reparations to the Allied Nations was remunerated mainly by global subscribers of German bonds issued by the Wall Street stockbrokers (Sutton, 1976). In 1929 the Wall Street crashed, and the significant influence that the American economy had on Germany caused immediate and devastating consequences. As a result, there was a steep increase in unemployment, destitution amongst the working class became widespread, and many industries were forced to declare bankrupt. The Wall Street crash eventually led to the Great Depression. The crucial point to note was that the psychological effects of the Wall Street crash was the main factor which Hitler abused to obtain support for his political agenda. The severe and dire situation that the German population was suffering from caused a psychological faà §ade that allowed the Nazi Party to prosper and succeed. ‘As Germany plunged deeper into the Depression, growing numbers of middle class citizens began to see in the youthful dynamism of the Nazi Party a possible way out of the situation’ (Evans, 2003). Hitler was adept and seized the opportunity to gather the support of the unemployed masses of working and middle class citizens, once again using popular sentiments to his advantage, and this largely accounted for the stark increase in Nazi support in the 1930 elections. ‘Like most great revolutionaries he could thrive only in evil times†¦ when the masses were unemployed, hungry and desperate†¦ (The people’s suffering he would) transform cold-bloodedly and immediately, into political support for his own ambitions (Shirer, 2009). Friedrich Meinecke, the eminent German historian, once referred to Hitler as one of the greatest examples of a singular and incalculable power of personality in historical life. It can arguably be stated that Hitler was the key cause of the rise of Nazism within Germany, and without his dictatorial rule, resilient persistence, and shrewd political ability, there would not have been a Nazi Germany. His ideals of an Aryan Germany ruled by the Fuehrer-prinzip (Leadership Principle) was essentially a dictatorship adopting the authoritarianism of the Prussian army. A political campaign that was presumed by many as a lunacy and impossible to succeed eventually thrived under the dire circumstances that Germany was in. An extremely eloquent speaker, Adolf Hitler had an aptitude in capturing the minds of the masses with his speeches. Shirer asserts that after the failure of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler or the Nazis were hardly heard of and was ‘the butt of jokes’. However, h e also adds that this was a significant event that contributed to the Nazi propaganda. Hitler used the publicity of the trial as a platform to announce the Nazi ideals on a nationwide scale. By the end of the trial, Hitler had transformed his defeat into a victory, and managed to impress the masses of the German population with his eloquence and strong desire for nationalism, and made himself well known around the entire nation. (Shirer, 1990) It is difficult to distinguish whether it was his oratory proficiency or his crafty leadership that contributed to a greater extent to the success of the Nazi party. Although he was incarcerated and barred from speaking in public by the Bavarian Government, Hitler continued to consolidate and influence the masses in the determined pursuit to rebuild the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Whilst the Nazi party was an organisation comprising of murderers, alcoholics, homosexuals and pimps, Hitler was indifferent to this and solely used them to his benefit. Similarly, in the unstable period of 1930 to 1933, due to the death of Gustav Stresemann and the Wall Street crash, Hitler capitalized on the susceptibility of the masses to achieve political power. Hitler envisaged the catastrophe, and premeditated to use it to his advantage (Shirer, 1990). He appealed to a wide range of audiences, with rational anti-communist beliefs for the upper and middle classes, nationalistic attitudes for the working classes, to radical anti-Semitism opinions for the extremist. Hitler once told more than a million cheering Berliners in 1937, â€Å"I did not issue from some palace, I came from the worksite. Neither was I a general; I was a soldier like millions of others. It is a miraculous thing that an unknown man was able to step forth from the army of millions of German people, German workers and soldiers to stand at the fore of the Reich and the nation.† (Evans, 2005) Historians have long attested to Hitler’s rheto rical excellence. Klaus Fisher asserts, â€Å"Without his remarkable gift of persuasion Hitler would never have reached such heights of power.† It was added by historian Frederic Spotts that Hitler’s eloquence was his key to attaining political power. Hitler was able to communicate in a sympathetic way many of the uncertainties and prejudices already felt by the masses, and this was a key aspect that contributed to his success. The origins of Nazi propaganda can be traced to the Nazi Party’s 25 point program and Adolf Hitler’s autobiography titled Mein Kampf, in which he emphasises on the importance of propaganda and indoctrination of the German population. This was carried out through many avenues such as public marches, speeches, newspapers (Voelkischer Beobachter) and repression of all those who opposed. The common goal was to portray Hitler as the answer to Germany’s deplorable situation. Anti-Communist ideologies were promoted to gain support and funds from the middle and upper class voters, whereas the promotion of socialism was used to garner the votes of the working class. Hitler managed to arouse German sentiments of patriotism and nationalism, and promised to lead Germany away from communism, socialism, trade unionism and the futilities of democracy (Shirer, 1990). It must be noted that in order to appeal to all the social classes in Germany, Hitler kept his promises during hi s mass speeches vague, which was unsurprising as many were often contradictory. Events such as the Putsch in 1923 were used to make Hitler a national figure, a patriot and a hero. As one of Adolf Hitler’s closest associate, Paul Joseph Goebbels had a substantial influence on Nazi propaganda even before he was appointed as propaganda minister for the Nazi Party in 1933. He successfully promulgated Hitler’s image as a fanatical nationalist who promised to restore the German Army’s former glory. The Nazi propaganda created the cult of personality around Hitler, leading them to believe that he could re-establish the glory of Germany by uniting the social classes, restoring militarism, and to absolve the nation from the misery of the Versailles treaty. Therefore, although the Nazi propaganda sought to fulfil various goals such as the humiliation of Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, the weakness of the Weimar Republic and Anti-Semitism ideologies, the most dominant aspect was the deification of Adolf Hitler, as the Fuhrer of the Nazi Party. After the adjudication of Kaiser Wilhelm II, a new democratic republic was formed that lasted from 1919 to 1933. Many historians have argued that the Weimar republic was condemned to its defeat ever since the beginning due to the political, social and economic instability of Germany, which it assumed governance over. The Social Democratic Party, faced a number of objective obstacles in their term of parliamentary control. The odium for defeat of the Great War, the implications of the Versailles Treaty, the constant blame of the diktat and labelling of its leaders as ‘November Criminals, and the poor policies that caused an economic crisis due to the Wall Street crash’ (Hamburger and Pulzer, 1985). The defeat in Great War and the signing of the armistice came as a particular disbelief to most of the German population who were under the impression that Germany was close to achieving victory in 1918. Consequently, many of them turned to popular sentiments that the war was l ost from within, blaming treachery and the democratic government for the failure. Furthermore, the responsibility of the acceptance of the Versailles treaty was imposed wholly on the Weimar Government, causing further political demoralisation within the Parliament. During the period of the Great Depression, the German Chancellor, Heinrich Bruning, pursued an ineffective policy of rigid deflation, which increased unemployment and ultimately contributed to the loss of support for the Weimar Government. The acute economic issues that arose hastened the dissolution of traditional form of governance (Rosenhaft, 1983). A.J.Nicholls mentions that ‘perhaps the most consistent opponent of the Republic was Adolf Hitler. He argued that Germany could never be strong while the Weimar system was allowed to continue’ (Nicholls, 2000). In an unstable period plagued with revolutions, uncertainty and frustration, it was suitable conditions for radical left and right wing political partie s to thrive. The Weimar Republic was ruling at an inopportune time, and Adolf Hitler merely capitalised on these factors in the benefit for his conquest of power. The real damage the treaty did to Germany was to disillusion more moderate men who might otherwise have supported their new Republic. Hitler had the patience to wait and the shrewdness to realise that the climate of material prosperity and of a feeling of relaxation which settled over Germany in those years was not propitious for his purposes (Shirer, 1990) References Richard Evans, The Third Reich in Power (New York: The Penguin Press, 2005), 498.

The Effects of Caribbean Colonization on the Family: Through the Eyes o

The effects of colonization on the family of Caribbean people, as described by various twentieth century Caribbean woman writers, are as complicated as they are vast. These authors show that families continue to struggle with separation, poverty, and cultural identity issues that create extra ordinary difficulties for the families who live on these post-colonial islands. It can be argued that all families have struggles, both internal and external, and while this is undoubtedly true, the struggles that the families described in these novels endure have a direct connection to their colonized past and the influences of the colonizer, still felt by the countries colonized and their people. The abolition of slavery in these islands did not eliminate the special problems that the former slaves, now inhabitants, would inherit, nor did it eliminate the effects or consequences that these issues would create for the family. One of the most prevalent concerns for these families is that of separation, both literally and emotionally, due to differences in the family members interpretation and acceptance of their own cultural identity. We can see literal family separation in Jamaica Kincaid's â€Å"Annie John,† through both the emigration of Annie's mother, from the Dominican to Antigua, to Annie's eventual immigration to England. These literal separations of family are derived from economical and educational reasons. Annie John leaves Antigua, and her family, at the age of sixteen to pursue a continued education that she can not find in her own country. We can see the emotional toll this has on Annie as she describes her conflicted feelings on her departure: â€Å"My mother and my father... ...mer colonizer. The authors of these novels show us a glimpse of what it was and is like growing up and living in a post-colonial country. Their mouths have been the mouth of misfortunes which have no mouth. Works Cited   Cesaire, Aime. "Xcesaire." Instructional Web Server -. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.   Danticat, Edwidge. Krik? Krak! New York: Vintage, 1996. Print. Edgell, Zee. Beka Lamb. London: Heinemann, 1982. Print.   Estimates, By Some. "Haiti Earthquake Six Months Later: Where Do Things Stand? - ABC News." ABCNews.com - ABCNews.com: Breaking News, Vote 2010 Elections, Politics, World News,Good Morning America, Exclusive Interviews - ABC News. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. Kincaid, Jamaica. Annie John. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1985. Print. Marshall, Paule. Praisesong for the Widow. New York: Plume, 1983. Print.

Athens-Greece Essays -- Ancient Greece Essays

Athens - Greece   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the fifth century of Ancient Greece the city-states of Athens and Sparta represented two very different forms of living. Spartans directed their time towards their military capabilities while the Athenians were interested in comfort and culture. Sparta’s and Athens’ political and environmental differences along with their different views on women caused the two city-states to be very dissimilar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two major forms of government existed during Ancient Greece: oligarchy and democracy. The government in Sparta was controlled by an oligarchy in which the power was held by a group of five men called ephors. Working below the ephors was the Council of Elders and an Assembly. Male citizens over age sixty could serve on the Council while anyone, male or female, over the age of twenty could be a member of the Assembly.1 Though the citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government, the system worked effectively. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority in the city-state. Every man in the army fought with a great deal of passion for his country. The beliefs of Sparta were oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. The government in Athens followed a very different course than that of Sparta. Upper class male citizens over the age of thirty were the only Athenians who held any right to v ote. The democracy in Athens consiste...

Analysis of Stephen Cranes, Maggie: A Girl Of The Streets Essays

Analysis of Stephen Crane's, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Today in modern America, it has become almost impossible to avoid the tales of horror that surround us almost anywhere we go. Scandals, murders, theft, corruption, extortion, abuse, prostitution, all common occurrences in this day in age. A hundred years ago however, people did not see the world in quite such an open manner despite the fact that in many ways, similarities were abundant. People’s lives were, in their views, free of all evil and pollution. They assumed they lived peaceful lives and those around them lived the same flawless lives untouched by corruption as well. Many were too blind to see beyond their own homes and into the lives of others who dealt with a more unfortunate fate. Those being the ones who lived in poverty, abuse, and other harsh conditions which were finally exposed to America in 1893 by a 22-year old college free lance writer who simply wished to show things as they appeared to him: bitterly real. Stephen Crane was America’s first re alistic writer who exposed the realities of the slums, tenement living and other unfavorable conditions to a very naà ¯ve American audience. Through hard work and his great devotion to the examination of the darker side of life Crane finally was able to publish his novel in which explored his experiences of the New York slums. Through his great use of dialect, irony and realism in his novel Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Stephen Crane is able to accomplish his goal of creating a vivid picture in his reader’s mind, portraying the harsh, abusive conditions of the many lives condemned to this fortune. Stephen Crane began his quest for the truth in the summer of 1889 while visiting his brother who lived in New Jersey (Peden, 104). While living with his brother Crane was drawn to the idea of realistic writing. He would travel to New York on almost a daily basis to witness and experience the poverty and abusive conditions of the slums (Colvert, 104). During his visits to New York Crane was able to establish an understanding and develop a feeling for what life was like in the slums. He soon acquired a craving for individuality and a yearning to express his experiences. He began his mission by placing upon himself the desire to become his own individual, separating himself from other writers of the era by using his unique style of r... ... Garland, Hamlin. â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.† The Arena June 1893. Rpt. in Twentieth Century Literary Critcism. Ed. Dennis Poupard. Vol. 11. Detroit: Gale, 1983. 121. Karlen, Amo. â€Å"The Craft of Stephen Crane.† Georgia Review Fall 1974: pp 470- 84. Rpt. in The Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism. Moses, Edwin. â€Å"Stephen Crane.† Magill’s Survey of American Literature. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Vol. 2. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp., 1991. 427-41. Peden, William. â€Å"Stephen Crane.† Encyclopedia Americana. 1998 ed. Pizer, Donald. â€Å"Stephen Crane’s Maggie and American Naturalism.† Criticism Spring 1965: 168-75. Rpt. in The Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. Vol. 10 New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. 5858-53. Quinn, Arthur Hobson. â€Å"The Journalists.† American Fiction: An Historical and Critical Survey. New York: Appleton Century-Crofts, Inc., 1936. 521-49. Seymour-Smith, Martin. â€Å"Stephen Crane.† Funk and Wagnalls Guide to Modern Literature. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1973. 37-40. Walford, Chester L. â€Å"Stephen Crane.† Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Vol. 2. New Jersey: Salem Press, 1983. 638-47.

Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher Essay

The Gothic tradition has played a central role in creating architecture, poetry, literature, film and even art, such as Henry Fuselis’ 1781 painting, â€Å"The Nightmare†. Oscar Wilde borrowed heavily from the gothic tradition when creating his 1890s novel, â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† and in this essay I am going to be looking at certain gothic sections of Oscar Wildes’ novel where he utilizes the fundamental aspects of the Gothic tradition. I will be looking into â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† and how Wilde plays on the horror, the horrific, the suspense and the supernatural that all contribute to a Gothic mood. The term Gothic commands a vast semantic field of varied terrain; a range of meanings, definitions and associations. It is therefore very hard to define because it covers such a broad portfolio of different aspects. Historically the Goths were one of the several Germanic tribes who were one of the peoples who freed Europe from the clutches of the Roman Empire, culminating in its collapse in 476 AD. History itself has manipulated the term Gothic to be associated with the idea of freedom. One of the reasons the Gothic genre is so arduous to define is that it is constantly evolving and so after being associated with freedom it began to be linked with dreams. The rigid hierarchy of the Victorian era meant that the only place you could explore true freedom was in your dreams. And so again the idea evolved once more to nightmares where you could explore the dark side of human nature. The Gothic novel first became popular in England during the late 1700s and the early 1800s. At the end of the eighteenth century, England found itself in the midst of a social upheaval and it was out of this that the gothic genre emerged. The Gothic novel was invented almost single handledly by Horace Walpole, whose 1764 novel â€Å"The Castle of Otranto† contains essentially all the elements that constitute the genre. Walpole’s novel was imitated not only in the 18th century and not only in novel form but also in poetry, art and even later films. Poe’s, 1839, novel â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, also possesses the innate features of the Gothic tale: a haunted house, dreary landscape, mysterious sickness and doubled personality (which will be discussed in a later paragraph). A mysterious family or past is a very popular theme throughout the Gothic genre and this is clearly evident in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, where Poe likens the house to the genetic family line of the Usher family, which he refers to as the house of Usher. In the novel the building is described as â€Å"neglected†¦crumbling†¦old†¦discoloured1† which refers not only to the mansion itself but is a potent metaphor for the Usher family itself. Furthermore in â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† we see that Dorian’s past is exactly this. His typical Gothic family history includes duels to the death, suicide, young brides and romantic marriages. This also shows the obvious link between the Romantic Movement and the Gothic. One could say that the Gothic genre is Romanticism gone wrong. For example they both have castles but in the Gothic the castles tend to be derelict or haunted and, damsels in distress are seen in both genres as well. Throughout the Victorian era women were thought of as always being virtuous even though the expected behaviour of a husband was the complete opposite. The Gothic genre was an escape from reality and so in the genre emerged the controversial use of women not as pure, chaste people but as monsters and seductresses. Such examples of this could be the tragic death of Dorian Gray’s lover, Sibyl Vain: â€Å"she had swallowed something†¦some dreadful thing they use at theatres†¦either prussic acid or white lead†¦2† The girl’s death is typically gothic through the sheer horrifying nature of the death, swallowing acid, and highlights the waste of tangible life. In addition the women at the opium den is primal gothic, where she asks James Vain: â€Å"why didn’t you kill him [Dorian Gray]3†, which is a horrific question in itself. It is said that she: â€Å"hissed out† these words, which is a potent onomatopoeia, as if she is a snake; a typically frightening and monstrous creature to some. Also her face is described as â€Å"haggard4†, and is perhaps used by Wilde as if to liken her to a witch, only adds to the gothic aura. When James Vain looks back: â€Å"the women had vanished5†, making the women seem in a way, supernatural, another crucial theme in a gothic piece of literature. This was very effective to the Victoria audience as it was totally out of the normal and something that many would never dream of seeing. Furthermore writers in the Victorian era used many contempory issues as a basis of their works in order to bring the horror more to life. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s â€Å"Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde†, the horrific murder of Sir Carew was linked to the similar murders by the infamous Jack the Ripper. This theme is very common, and recurrent in many gothic art forms. In Francis Ford Coppola’s, 1992 film, â€Å"Bram Stoker’s Dracula† Lucy after being bitten by Dracula, starts to become mysteriously sick and evil. Soon after there is a scene where she is about to feed on a baby, demonstrating how the damsel in distress has became evil. Women in Dracula are made into characters to fear rather than the embodiment of purity and goodness. Damsels in distress are also in Poe’s story where Roderick’s sister, Madeline is entombed before she has actually died. This idea is evident in â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† as well, where the damsel is Sibyl Vane who dies early on in the novel however one could also say that Basil, the artist who painted the portrait, is the damsel in distress too. The Gothic genre allowed you to escape from reality, to explore freedom elsewhere and in â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† Dorian tries to find a freedom that takes him away from his reality and his ever-growing sins. The opium dens offer him this release from his memory which are depicted â€Å"like a horrible malady, [that] was eating his soul away6†. This is proven by the fact that Dorian Gray flees to one of these dens, after murdering Basil Hallward; to presumably forget about the awfulness of his actions by losing conciseness in a drug induced languor. The dens located in the most derelict sites of London, maybe represent the squalid state of Dorian Gray’s mind and the actual dens described with words as: â€Å"tattered†¦dulled†¦distorted†¦greasy†¦ochre-coloured saw dust†¦spilt liquor7†, perhaps reflect his mortification of his soul. Drugs seem to give a new tempry freedom for Dorian to experience. Drugs seem to give a freedom which is what the Gothic represents in its entirety. One of the elements of the Gothic is the horrific and this is very vividly brought to life in â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† where Sible Vane kills herself with prussic acid and also when Alan Campbell graphically destroys Basil Hallward body in Dorian’s attic which is almost like Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, â€Å"Frankenstein† reversed. The main idea of a Gothic novel was the frightening and so in Wilde’s novel this is used frequently. The use of far off lands terrifying to the Victorian audience, is a key effect, and one relating to the original idea of the Gothic, although the Victorian Gothic novel found little need for ruins, rugged landscapes and derelict castles, the new landscape was the city as a source for menace and the dark. For example on Dorian’s way to the opium dens one day Wilde describes the route with prime Gothic vocabulary: â€Å"dimly-lit streets, past gaunt black-shadowed archways and evil-looking houses†¦ grotesque children†¦monstrous apes8.† For the upper classes reading the book, would never have been to the dark east end of London so they were left feeling as though they were in some desolate wild place. Another effect Wilde utilizes to scare the audience is how he likens inanimate objects to living things such as when he describes shadows as if they were alive. For example the way that Wilde likens shadows to living things: â€Å"†¦fantastic shadows were silhouetted against some lamp-lit blind†¦ they moved like monstrous marionettes, and made gestures like living things9.† Wilde is also able to make shadows frightening, by personifying the darkness: â€Å"the evening darkened in the room. Noiselessly, and with silver feet, the shadows crept in from the garden. The colours faded wearily out of things10†. From these extracts Wilde creates a typical Gothic mood that is dark and scary. There are some sections of Wilde’s book that seem as though they are describing certain Gothic works of art namely Henry Fusel’s, 1781, â€Å"The Nightmare† where he exploits all the original Gothic traits into a painting showing a women lying on a bed with a grotesque creature on her chest. Also it has many shadows and an ere horse in the background. The picture has all the elements that make the Gothic genre: dark setting, full of shadows, odd creatures, a damsel in distress and the unnatural. The Gothic theme is also represented in the painting, â€Å"The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters† by Goya, 1799. They both have in the paintings a person sleeping and Gothic images around them suggesting that they are in the persons’ dreams. Double personalities, or doppelganger is used a lot among Gothic writers and is demonstrated in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, with Roderick and Madeline, the mansion and the genetic Usher family and this element occurs also in â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† with Dorian. In the novel the double personality is Dorian and his painting, Dorian representing the physical and the painting representing the â€Å"inside† or the soul of Dorian. However the theme is much more widely spread and is in other Gothic works such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s â€Å"Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde†. As in â€Å"Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde† where one character, transforms in to another, when Dorian Gray has the idea to kill Basil Hallward, his urge is described in the book as: â€Å"the mad passions of a hunted animal [that] stirred within him11†. This particularly animalistic description, perhaps serves to highlight the gothic genre even more by making a comparison between animals, that are not restricted in society to act in a certain way, and are thus free to act as they please. By stark contrast, Dorian Gray as a human is restricted to act in a certain way, that is considered morally correct. His act of killing, in human society is considered as a sin. The supernatural is key in increasing the horror of a gothic novel, such as the fact that Dracula does not have reflection in the mirror. In addition when Harker describes how Dracula left the castle: â€Å"†¦I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and began to crawl down the castle wall†¦12† from this extract we can see that Dracula is a supernatural character as his actions are unexplainable. However the supernatural theme running through the book, reaches a dramatic zenith with Dorian’s end. His fatal error is absolutely supernatural with the description of the unrecognisable wrinkly old man where there had recently been a vibrant youth adding to both the awful moral and supernatural effect of the novel. Above all the most gothic and supernatural thing in the book is the portrait of Dorian Gray himself. The painting acts as a guidance to Dorian and almost becomes a moral barometer. After murdering Basil Hallward, the portrait reveals the sin by changing. The portrait is described as a canvas that had: â€Å"sweated blood13†, a blood that is expressed as a: â€Å"loathsome red dew that gleamed14†. Dorian grows increasingly uncomfortable over the course of novel with what the disfigured portrait signifies about himself. And as the novel progresses and the painting continues to register the effects of time and dissipation, and we start to see the degree to which Dorian is undone by the sins that his portrait reflects and the degree to which he suffers for allowing the painting to act as a â€Å"Visible emblem of conscience†. This in itself is a very gothic idea living a life without consequences and letting the portrait bear the sins and this is exactly what Dorian did until his sins caught up with him. The Victorian era was very difficult to live in because of its rigid structured social hierarchy that allowed no â€Å"impurities† or non ethnical or righteous ideas. However the Gothic genre allowed you to do all these things and to explore irrational fantasies and social taboos. This is probably why Wilde liked the genre because being a homosexual he could not explore his own freedom in his own life but instead he possibly explored this through the homoerotic theme of novel. He managed to escape and explore another freedom through the gothic genre. â€Å"The Picture of Dorian Gray† is not an entire gothic novel but a fair amount is and I think that with the gothic sections Wilde has successfully created a primo piece of Gothic literature. 1 The Picture of Dorian Gray, By Oscar Wilde, Published by Penguin.

Cultural Diversity and Literacy Essay

The student body of academic institutions for higher learning is becoming more and more diverse in culture and social groups through the past generations (Koester & Lustig, 1991; Powell & Collier, 1990). Therefore, educators must bear in mind this diversity factor and modify teaching procedures accordingly. I am a Korean intending to effectively teach piano lessons to high school students. I should be able to help my students appreciate the piano, play the piano excellently and make them become highly literate in music. In a paper presented at the Central States Communication Association Convention in Oklahoma City in 1994, Goulden suggests that the primary goal of academicians and educators in facing cultural diversity should be to â€Å"provide an opportunity for learning that is beneficial for students (1994 5). This primary goal is supported by more straightforward objectives. Goulden also states that the students must be prepared for life after graduation (1994 5). Therefore, the end goal should be to help the students, however diverse their cultures are, to stand proud for his culture and for what he has learned. As a piano teacher, I think that aside from teaching my students to simply play the piano, I must also impart on them the value of cultural pride, as well as the importance of understanding people on other cultures that will also be part of their audience in playing the piano. Even as music is considered a universal language, it will help my students to play with passion to be able to transcend cultural differences. It is my goal as a teacher to help them achieve that level of effectiveness. Of course, in effect, I intend to teach piano lessons to my students to help them achieve high literacy in music. Literacy is a much broader concept than most people think. While others believe that literacy is all about learning to read and write, other academicians believe that literacy means deep understanding of subject matters, such as music. To contrast, literacy is what broadens a person’s world, while illiteracy shrinks it down (Needlman, 2001). I think a person’s imagination has a lot to do with literacy. For example, if my students could learn to read the notes and play the piano effectively, I will be happy as a teacher. However, if my students will play the piano and experiment with musical notes on their own, then, I will be happier; because it means that I am imparting high litereacy to my students. If my students can use their imagination and deepen their appreciation and interest in music, I will say they are highly literate in music. As a piano teacher, I think I need to know more than just my students’ level of skills. For instance, I need to know more than just the notes that they can or cannot read, or the music pieces that they can or cannot play. To be able to reach their mind and help them become imaginative, productive and highly literate in music, I must be able to overcome any possible barrier in reaching their mind. I think my students must have fun while learning with me. Culture can be a barrier to literacy, if there is no connection between teachers and students. For instance, some of my students might be intimidated by the fact that we Koreans, are highly interested in music, and it is an integral part of our lifestyle. I, as the teacher, should tell my students, that even if a certain culture appreciates music more than a certain other culture, it does not mean that the others cannot learn. In fact, on the contrary, we would be very happy to share our passion with the rest of the world. I think that as a teacher, I must understand my students, as well as their families and their communities so I can help them to reach a high level of literacy. Through understanding, I can better relate to my students and establish a connection with them so they will feel that they are a part of me, and I am a part of them, and we must celebrate our cultural diversity because it is beautiful to see that we are different, and yet the same. We have different cultures, but we also have the same interest and the same goals. Between my students and me, our main similarities should be our interest in learning together, learning from each other, and learning about music. For me to have a better understanding of the underlying effects of the increased cultural diversity of my students, I should look into the manners in which students from diverse social and cultural units experience music. I think I should educate myself and equip myself with knowledge about my students varied culture before I can become truly effective in reaching out to them, to make them excellent piano players. Culture is not a static phenomenon passed exactly as it is down from one generation to another; in fact, culture is a dynamic, flexible, breathing environment to which every person makes a contribution. In this case, education, specifically music education must be about helping every student find his passion in music, and help him nourish that passion so he could be prepared to make his own contribution to his own culture (Shuler, 2001). If I could help a student with a culture different from mine develop a contribution to his own culture, then it will also be my achievement as a teacher. References Goulden, N. R. (1994). Curricular Changes, Communication Skills, and Cultural Diversity: The Next Generation, 5. Koester, J. , & Lustig, M. (1991). Communication curricula in the Multicultural university. Communication Education, 40, 250-254. Needlman, R. (2001). What Is Literacy? Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www. drspock. com/article/0,1510,5133,00. html Powell, R. , & Collier, M. J. (1990). Public speaking instruction and cultural bias: The future of the basic course. American Behavioral Scientist, 34(2), 240-250. Shuler, S. C. (2001). Music and education in the twenty-first century: A retrospective, Arts Education Policy Review (Vol. 102, pp. 25): Heldref Publications.