Analysis of Peter Skrynecki´s Migrant Hostel and 10 Mary...

Through an individual’s intrinsic desire to develop meaningful connections with society, place or heritage, they forge their own sense of self-identity by overcoming the barriers in place. In Peter Skrzynecki’s poetry, particularly â€Å"Migrant Hostel† and â€Å"10 Mary Street† we witness an individual’s experience of segregation to eventual connection in the world they live. Skrzynecki’s insightful poem â€Å"Migrant Hostel† explores the notion of impermanence and uncertainty in an individual’s experience where stability is essential to develop an identity and sense of belonging. The poem illustrates the disorientating nature of a migrant hostel where the people within yearn for sanctuary in the Australian community. This idea is instantly reflected through the negative connotations in â€Å"no one kept count† representing a sense of anonymity in the atmosphere through a lack of individual significance. The enjambment and juxtaposition of the â€Å"comings† and â€Å"goings† highlights the transient and uncertain nature of the hostel environment where they were â€Å"left wondering who would be coming next†. The intrinsic desire of human nature to develop meaningful bonds with people that share similar adversities is displayed through simile and symbol of a â€Å"homing pigeon circling to get its bearings †. Furthermore, the alliteration in â€Å"memories of hunger and hate† convey their previous experiences hindering their search for harmony and permission into the broader community. This notion is further

The Holocaust Is One Of The Most Puzzling And Unintelligible

The Holocaust is one of the most puzzling and unintelligible events that has occurred within human history. Consequently, investigations and research done on the Holocaust tend to give inconclusive and ambiguous results that do not provide clear reasons why both perpetrators and victims acted the way they did. Almost all historians believe that the leaders of Nazi Germany ordered the massive uprooting and murder of 11 million people, however many question why most European citizens tolerated such a cruel and brutal governmental action. All the confusion that follows the Holocaust yields a challenging task of understanding and interpreting the events that make up the Holocaust. Much like any successful investigation, studies done upon the†¦show more content†¦The cynical viewpoint that Dawid shows when viewing ghetto administration is one that is shared with other victims of the Holocaust as well. In addition to pointing out corruption, Dawid continues to point out how several ghetto residents get unrealistic thoughts in their heads, â€Å"The mood in the ghetto is slowly improving with weak hopes and dreams. Although there’s still no specific reason for encouragement, folks are lifting their heads and speaking about a quick end to the war.† Being pragmatic, Dawid knows there is no reason to be optimistic about an end to the war. He had tried to be positive in previous times, however, he had still ended up in the same position with no better outcome. Along with cynical views within the mind of Dawid Sierakowiak, Jews as a collective had a pretty negative perspective as well, â€Å"Jews seemed to be doomed, people without a future, already dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Similarly, several other victims and survivors held views similar to Dawid Sierakowiak’s. Dawid could not simply move forward in life sustaining ignorant bliss. Effectively, Dawid Sierakowiak portray s a thought process of victims that was quite cynical, yet mostly realistic. Other victims of the Holocaust took much different approaches to how they viewed the treacherous and seemingly godless times they faced. Specifically, certain sects of Hasidic Jews grew closer with their faith, and maintained a strong relationship with God through the carnage. A variety

The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Hyde - 1436 Words

Novels, plays, and movies often depict characters caught in a conflict with their doubles. Such collisions call a character’s sense of identity into question. Robert Louis Stevenson takes this idea of doubles to a whole new level in his novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde. Upon closer examination of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde and his reoccurring theme of duality, we see that however constrained a society is, a person must break free, be multifarious, exploratory, and irresolute. A person must be able to see the â€Å"damage behind apparent failure† and the hypocrisy â€Å"behind worldly success.† The first instance of multiplicity immediately takes form after Stevenson introduces the narrators. Stevenson utilizes the frame story through Mr. Utterson. The narration in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is complex, drawing from almost all the characters to paint the scientist’s dark secrets. Although it is true that there are three main narrators, Stevenson uses two different perspectives to bring the story into a new light. Firstly, there is the main third-person narrator, Mr. Utterson. Mr. Utterson is a limited, third-person character, whose knowledge stops as we find Jekyll’s body. The lawyer personally uncovers more and more evidence as a detective, a close friend, a man of justice, and a â€Å"respected† member of society. Apart from Mr. Utterson, Stevenson narrates from the perspective of Dr. Hastie Lanyon, a friend and a colleague ofShow MoreRelatedThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1675 Words   |  7 PagesThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† is a type of Gothic literature. In the beginning of the story when Stevenson is describing the lawyer, one â€Å"Mr. Utterson,† the mood is a bit dull. At first glance the reader may think that this story would be a bit boring and drab. Stevenson’s story is far from being another dull piece of British English literature. The setting and mood of this novella are more complexRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1196 Words   |  5 Pageswhich do let control you? The good or evil? This was a question that Dr. Jekyll from the book, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, could not answer. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a book about a man who cannot control the two sides of himself, causing him to do terrible things and not even be aware of it. The theme of this book is good versus evil. Dr. Jekyll is fighting his evil side, known as Mr. Hyde, throughout the book. Some people believe that the book’s theme hasRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde938 Words   |  4 PagesVictorian Hopes and Fears Involving Science as Found in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde During the Victorian Era there was a great race to use science to alleviate the suffering of the ill, specifically for those patients who were suffering from ailments of the mind. While some of the methods used to diagnose and treat such afflictions would be considered barbaric in nature by today’s standards, they were considered cutting edge medical science during the time of the Victorian Era. It was also consideredRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Essay975 Words   |  4 PagesStevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a novella that follows the basic outline established by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein. However, Stevenson’s monster is not created from body parts but comes from the dark side of the human personality. In both novels, a man conducts a secret experiment that gets out of control. The result of these experiments is the release of a double, or doppelganger, which causes damage to their creator. While most people think that The Strange Case of Dr. JekyllRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1440 Words   |  6 Pagescomplexity of human nature in his books, especially in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped. The former is about a lawyer named Mr. Utterson seeking out the truth of Dr. Jekyll’s very strange will. He finds out that Jekyll was transforming himself into Mr. Hyde so that he could have the freedom to do whatever he wanted no matter how evil. By the time Utterson finds all this out and findsJekyll, he is too late and Jekyll has already killed himself. The latter is about David BalfourRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1505 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the latter portion of the nineteenth century, Robert Louis Stevenson published his novella, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The fin de sià ¨cle saw the rise of different thoughts and ideas surrounding science and society. These concepts and int erpretations sparked the discourse surrounding the theory of degeneration; which was the concern that civilization would fall to a lower state of being. This chapter will be reading multiplex personality as a manifestation of this broader culturalRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde964 Words   |  4 PagesThe Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson was published in 1886. The story is published during the Victorian era, the Victorian era was an age of repression, there was no violence, no sexual appetite, and there was no great expression or emotion. In the story, Dr. Jekyll creates a potion that turns him into Mr. Hyde, Mr. Hyde is the complete opposite of what people are in the Victorian era. At first, Dr. Jekyll is in control of Mr. Hyde, but towards the end MrRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1326 Words   |  6 Pages The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was published during the late Victorian era, bu t he clearly brings into question the acceptance of Victorian philosophies, especially the belief that one truth exists and that we can identify good and evil as separate entities. The names Jekyll and Hyde have become synonymous with multiple personality disorder. This novel can be examined from the natural dualism and Freud’s structural theory of the mind. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and MrRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1739 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde† by Robert Louis Stevenson, the novel â€Å"Frankenstein† by Mary Shelley, the short story â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw† by W.W Jacobs and the short story â€Å"Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. These four texts convey this theme through the use of gothic conventions such as death, madness and darkness. In the novels The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll are wronglyRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1351 Words   |  6 PagesThe Personas of Henry Jekyll Every person is born with bright and dark personas that people moderate due to the standards of society. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll and Hyde battle for the power to stay alive in the story. As Jekyll continues to try and take over his evil persona, Hyde tries to stay alive and cause evil in the world. In our society, many people will struggle with self control and Dr. Jekyll has trouble controlling his alter ego by performing his evil pleasures

Essay on An Analysis of George Batailles The Story of...

An Analysis of George Batailles The Story of the Eye ...awareness of the impossibility opens consciousness to all that is possible for it to think. In this gathering place, where violence is rife, at the boundary of that which escapes cohesion, he who reflects within cohesion realizes that there is no longer any room for him (Theory of Religion 10). When Georges Bataille first published The Story of the Eye in 1928, anonymously and in a limited edition of 134 copies (Lechte 118), he had been at the Bibliothà ¨que Nationale in the department of numismatics for nearly six years. Bataille was thirty-one at the time of publication, and it was not his first or the most violent piece. The Solar Anus which preceded it actually looks†¦show more content†¦It executes Batailles need to express through his writings what could not be contained by the cultural system within which he lived and worked, and it expresses his need to recognize the existence of what the system cannot contain--the vision of that other eye out of which he looks at the world. Thus rather than dismiss this text as juvenile or adolescent writing, readers should be aware of it as an early declaration of identity formation, one affected by actual events in his life and, although overwhelmingly privileging his sexual obsessions, one which contains nevertheless t he core of his thinking. In Batailles profession of librarianship, cataloging or classification of material becomes obsessive to the extent that every item within a collection must have a named place or it cannot have a place in the collection, for only by being inserted into a named placed within a system can an object be curated or cared for. Bataille captures the intention of this systematizing in his Documents essay on The Use Value of D.A.F. de Sade when he writes: the work of philosophy as well as science or common sense ...has always had as its goal the establishment of the homogeneity of the world [through]...the identification of all the elements of which the world is composed (Visions 96). To know or identify an object such as a coin restricts the coin to its place within the organization of numismatics. The operation reduces knowledge to the ability toShow MoreRelatedFeminist And A Work Of The Sublime3894 Words   |  16 Pageswas known as a punk feminist who dared to cross the line between writi ng about living in a patriarchal society and becoming a patriarchal writer herself. Acker is known for her novels such as Blood and Guts in High School and her retelling of George Bataille’s My Mother to the last novel that was a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. A common divide among the critics of Acker is whether she was a true postmodern feminist writer or if she failed to achieve postmodern feminist status

Western Countries Influence on China in the 19th Century Free Essays

string(46) " sufficient to perform commercial operations\." For quite a long period of time, China has had the largest economy in the world. Concepts such as use of money and development of merchant class were introduced by the ancient China. The Chinese exhibited a false sense of superiority as they believed that they had nothing to gain by trading with other countries. We will write a custom essay sample on Western Countries Influence on China in the 19th Century or any similar topic only for you Order Now The country was locked to external trade and it was not until after the Opium War that the country was forcefully opened to the world, which carried both positive and negative effects (Rawski, Para. 2). In the time of cold war, the literature which talked about China’s development focused on two major issues, one was that the involvement in international trade was less likely to be helpful in search of economic development for poor countries. The second was that the culture and social structure of China was a great impediment to its development. It was believed that substantial development in the country would only arise after major and dramatic changes were carried out to the social structure and individual behavior (Overholt. 22). According to Rawski (Para. ), the 19th century was in the Qing Period of the Canton trade and the balance of payment was in favor of Chinese as the silver flowed into the country. It was at this period that the British discovered a favorable market for opium in China as it shipped opium from India. This new discovery made the silver flow to reverse as outflow of silver increased. The balance of payment was no longer favorable as the trend decrease d money supply in the economy. The resultant effect was a downward pressure on general prices of goods and services that led to economic problems. The Qing court wanted to stop the outflow of silver and Commissioner Lin was sent to Canton in the efforts to stop the trade of opium. He confiscated property that belonged to the British traders and destroyed this business. When the traders complained to their government, the British government responded with military pressure which led to the opium war and unequal treaties system. The British soldiers easily outgunned the Qing forces as they had superior weapons. The Qing then surrendered in the year 1842 and the treaty of Nanking was signed. It allowed unrestricted European access to Chinese ports and the island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. During the war, farm areas were destroyed, and millions of lives were lost that made China’s income to fall. Another war that emerged between the British and the Chinese led to grievous losses and British warships obtained unlimited access to all rivers in China provided they were navigable. All official Chinese documents were to be written in English (U. S. Department of State, Para. 10a). The system of unequal treaties had economic impact on China and it also infringed on their political sovereignty. It led to the imposition of a free trade regime that allowed unlimited trade in all goods and services which eventually was obliged to allow foreign investment and foreign trade as well. The fact that China was large and far from the coast, was a reason that the foreign trade was not a large component of the economy. However, with the coming of new technology which involved rail road and telegraph, the Chinese were eager to utilize these opportunities. New commodities were thus adopted and organizational innovations implemented. In 1860s, the Qing dynasty initiated several institutional reforms in order to deal with the problem of modernization (Gibson 59). The Chinese had a vague concept of European countries and it was not until the opium war that they tried to understand the west in form of their ideologies, social and political structures. Technology was thus introduced into the country as much as democracy and capitalism were recognized by the citizens. They realized that by being locked to other countries, they were left ignorant of significant concepts and ideologies from other countries. The need to conquer the west made them interested in understanding the west in form of their economic structures and political structures. It was certain that the defeat in the opium war was due to the better technology; lethal western weapons, and strong ships. It was then that reform was underway in China (Beeching 47). Economic Reforms In the early 19th century, China was completely closed and isolated itself from other countries in the world. Foreign trade was limited in the city of Canton and it was not until the opium war that led to the signing of Nanjing treaty, that China’s ports were opened and western merchants found their way into the Chinese market. The effect on Chinese economy was significant as they had least expected it. The effect of opening up of China did not have just the negative effects but it also had good and positive effects on the economy and social relationships which existed in the people of Qing Dynasty. Among the negative effects that we shall look in details are internal struggles, increase in the rate of crime, economic downfall in the city of Canton and the increase in the economic welfare at the cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong (Chesneaux, Marianne Maie-Claire 7). Chinese local industries were affected by cheaper western machine made products. This created so much pressure on the local industries as they had to adapt and reform in order to compete with the western merchants. The defeat of China in the opium war was enough to convince the Chinese that they were no longer the ‘Heavenly Middle Kingdom’ that they always thought they were. They were thus awakened and exposed to the reality of progress (Gibson 32). Chinese were used to being self reliant as they had a self sufficient domestic trade. This was occasioned to a large extent by the fact that it has an immense home trade. It has a vast land that their internal trade is sufficient to perform commercial operations. You read "Western Countries Influence on China in the 19th Century" in category "Papers" In opening up, China was able to compare itself with other nations internationally and thus realized that it was no longer on top of the world. Chinese thus developed a sense of purpose and a desire to improve their economy; it was a period of awakening the giant (Chesneaux, Marianne Maie-Claire 53). Various economic repercussions were obtained after the opening of China. The flourishing of foreign trade was evident as China increased its export from 7. 5 million kilograms of tea in 1843 to 42 million kilograms in 1855. The export of silk also increased significantly. The demand of tea and silk led to the expansion of tea and silk producing regions as they greatly benefited from foreign trade. Another economic effect was a monetary crisis which resulted from the increased volumes of trade activities. There was a reduction in the Spanish silver dollar and it appreciated so much that it was abolished and the Mexican dollar introduced. These problems were enhanced by internal monetary crises that were instigated mainly by poor administration. The copper cash that prevailed in China depreciated significantly as a result of inadequate supply of copper. This devastated Chinese financial system and in 1853, the country had to result to paper money (Beeching 67). There was a significant effect on the textile industry. Prior to the Opium War, the Chinese made cloths by hand. This industry was almost eliminated as open system led to the importation of cheaper machine-made cloths and other products. The native textile industries had to adapt by lowering their charges, though this was detrimental to the textile workers. Their wages were reduced as the textile industries looked for ways of reducing their operation costs and led to lowering the living standards of these workers (Beeching 63). The old Chinese self-sufficient economy was changing under pressure. China’s social-economical development was affected by western capitalistic societies. This however did not lead to the formation of capitalistic China but rather made it to a semi-colonial semi-feudal state. The Chinese industries had been exposed to the outside states but at a time when they had not anticipated it. They were thus less prepared and less equipped to compete with these international industries. The opening up of China meant that the people who used to transport goods to Canton (mostly the Hakkas) were left without jobs. The majority of trade shifted from Canton to Shanghai as Shanghai had been opened for foreign trade. The Hakkas were considered to be ethnic minorities by the natives of Canton which led to a competition between the two clans in form of farming and economy. This led to wars between the two clans and as a result, hundred of thousands of lives were lost and the effect was quite significant to the China’s economy. The population which had made the country prosperous was being threatened by this internal wars and struggles (Chung, Para. 4). China was no more affected as a series of natural disasters also stroke the country. The Huang He River had burst its banks and flooded a vast portion of land in the year 1851. In 1855, the river flooded again and the fertile and among the most productive province of Jiangsu was in ruins as farmland was destroyed and loss of lives intensified. The Qing government could not afford to provide adequate aid to the survivors as funds had been drained during the opium war and against the Taipings rebellion. The government was also busy in negotiating for military aid with the European powers. The Qing government also faced contempt from the Nian movement which had just begun. The government was thus placed in a very unstable situation by all these occurrences and frustrations (Chung, Para. 5). According to Chung (Para. 7), the Muslim rebellions that tried to enhance equal rights among the Muslims and the non-Muslims, the Taipings rebellion, and other groups that were opposed to the Qing government failed to strike a solution to the prevailing social and economic crisis, as millions of people died. The much relied agricultural industry was severely affected by these rebellions as the countryside was ruined in these battles and countless people lost their lives. This led the Qing government to increase its dependence on the European Imperial forces and subsequent purchase of modern weapons. These internal conflicts made it hard for the Qing government to concentrate its military powers and it thus lost external wars: the Second Opium War (1856-1860) and Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). The effect was an occupation of Beijing by an international force and the agreement of the Boxer Protocol (1901) which was done under humiliating terms. The government was to indemnify the European powers for the losses that they had suffered. The Qing court resisted reforms and revolutionaries and reformers advocated for overthrow of the Qing dynasty in order to form a republic. The Qing government was eventually weakened by the numerous rebellions as they tried to pursue economic stability as the economic crisis had worsened by the end of 19th century to a national status (Chung, Para. 10). The Rise of China’s Economy The growth and the sudden rise of China is one of the greatest economic successes in the world. With economic reforms in China which started in the year 1979, to 2008 China’s economy is believed to have grown 14-fold in real terms. This has led to the raising of hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty. On per capita basis, China is relatively poor though it is currently the world’s second largest economy. This has led to increase in economic ties between China and the U. S. China is still marked with low-cost labor and as such, most U. S. companies operate in China so as to benefit from the vast and booming Chinese Market and low cost of operations as a result of taking advantage of the low cost labor in their export-oriented manufacturing (Rawski, Para. ). The basic improvements seem to have originated from four modernization strategies in Agriculture, industry, science and technology, and National Defense. This meant that rural electrification had to be initiated, a total industrial automation, a focus on a new outlook of the economy, and an enhanced national security and strength on defense. Mechanization in agriculture and subsequent use of irrigation, led to the modification of the ind ustry so as to enhance production, better farming methods were also encouraged (Rawski, Para. 9). The Chinese social and cultural structure had been thought that it was a major constraint to economic growth and development. The rapid improvement in economic conditions of the Chinese is a clear indication that the social and cultural structures might be conducive to growth. There are certain elements of Chinese culture that generate an enterprising spirit which is not found in most cultures in poor countries. One would pose to wonder why this enterprising spirit didn’t have major effects in the 19th century as it had after the minor reforms in 1978 which initiated explosive growth. China used improvements in the heavy industry and infrastructure. Development of modern highways, and compounding of Petrochemical, steel and other industries ensured that the economic capacity of the nation was improved. This rapid growth was also initiated by the use of cheap labor which was used extensively in manufacture and subsequent export of low-end products (Overholt 23). The Implications The opening up of China and the subsequent catastrophic occurrences had negative impacts on the economic well being of China. The Western countries undermined China’s self sufficient economy, the rural homestead industries were as much adversely affected as the development that occurred in the urban market economy. On the other hand, it opened the nation to compare its progress with other nations as well. Technology was imported from the western countries and all this worked to enable the nation develop unbiased opinions on the working of international economies. The Chinese government established commercial and modern enterprises as a result of stimulation from the western capitalism. Many of the established enterprises went bankrupt as a result of poor administration, but the established modern industries thrived which enhanced the social-economic development of China. The modern industries stimulated the growth of Chinese capitalism and formed a basis which has marked a tremendous improvement of the Chinese economy (Chesneaux, Marianne Maie-Claire 48). It is a wonder that a nation that could barely feed its citizens is an industrial giant with the leading capacity in steel production, aluminum, cement and coal. The U. S. ad been the world’s leading auto market but in January 2009, China had turned the tables. It had also been named the top producer of merchant ships in the year 2007. It is clear that the western influence had negative impacts to China at first but today China has all to gain. The exposure to the western markets at such a critical time gave the nation a clear understanding of improved technology and the workings of international markets a nd economies. China thus used its capacities and its capabilities so as enable it obtain control in this international market. When we compare China to North Korea, a country that was free from western influence, then we can confidently say that Western Influence was what was needed to awaken the sleeping giant in China (Overholt 29). According to the U. S. Department of State (Para. 20b), in the Mid-19th century, the western countries focused the capitalist diplomacy on Korea. The policy which was adopted by the Leaders made the region to be termed as Hermit Kingdom. Korea remained independent until late 19th century when China wanted to block the influence Japan had on Korean Peninsula and the pressure by the Russians. This led to the afore-mentioned Sino-Japanese war in which Japan emerged victorious. Korea was thus annexed as part of the Japan Empire which had strong colonial administration and control and it was not until the end of World War II in 1945 that Japan surrendered. This led to the division of Korea, where the United States administered the southern part and the U. S. S. R. took over the northern side. North Korea attacked South Korea in 1950 and the United Nations sent troops to support South Korea. China Supported North Korea until an armistice agreement was signed in 1953. North Korea is governed by a centralized government under the Communist Korean Worker’s Party (KWP). Minor parties do exist but under limited power and scope of authority. It has a record of wide violations of human rights as the government has total control on all issues in the state. The media is controlled by the government that it is not a wonder that ‘North Korea was ranked second to last on the World Press Freedom Index’ (U. S. Department of State, Para. 23b). North Korea spends quite a substantial proportion of its income on military, but the nation has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Technological links were disrupted and affected with the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union in 1989. The GDP of the nation has stagnated for quite a while and it is far much below China in economic development and in the living standards of its nationals (U. S. Department of State, Para. 18b). Conclusion The Chinese people were against the opening of China by the Opium War, but the control of China and influence by the Western countries made China a semi-feudal semi-colonial state. It was not until then that technology found its way into China and the Chinese were quick to use it to their advantaged. The shameful defeat in the Opium War made the Chinese vow to strengthen their country in order to prevent a repeat of the same. This has inspired the nation to the current situation of growth and influence in the world. In fact China is very reluctant to succumb to international pressure as it is on its way to gain the title the world’s economic giant. How to cite Western Countries Influence on China in the 19th Century, Papers

Utopia By More Essay Example For Students

Utopia By More Essay Focus Question: How does More comment on his times through Utopia? Syllabusoutcome: Describe the interrelationship between the religious environment andthe social and cultural context on which the literature draws. Introduction:When I chose to review Utopia, I can honestly say that I had no idea of what Iwas letting myself in for. The book is so complex and there are so manyconflicting ideas and interpretations that for a time I considered changing toan easier topic. However, Utopia is a fascinating book and gives an insight inEuropean society just prior to the Reformation obviously a time of majorupheaval. My initial focus question was : How does Thomas More demonstrate inhis book Utopia the hypocrisy of Christianity throughout the middleages and how does he comment on possible solutions. However this question wasmuch too broad and I felt that I was missing the whole point of the text and theinsight it gives. So I modified the question to How does Thomas Morecomment on his times th rough Utopia. Commentaries on Utopia were fairlyhard to come by as shown in my diary, though I did find some useful texts. Themovie a man for all seasons also gave an interesting insight intothe life of Thomas More. It must also be said that interviews with experts werepractically impossible as literary critics are few and far between and Utopia isno longer a source of inspiration to many people. Overall Utopia was afascinating topic for research and I enjoyed learning more about it. All writersare influenced by the times in which they live and Thomas More was no exception. He wrote Utopia during a time of great upheaval and expectation throughoutEurope. Furthermore, The Christian church was experiencing a period of greatuncertainty and hypocrisy. Utopia was published in 1516; one year before Lutherposted his 95 theses at Witenberg and the reformation officially began. Therefore, More wrote at a time when there was great poverty amongst theoppressed serfs. The Church was becoming increasingly corrupt, greedy rulerswere waging wars throughout Europe to fulfill their own petty ambitions and therenaissance was causing a cultural uprising. Resultantly Utopia was a product ofreligious, social and cultural upheaval. As Erasmus once claimed in The Praiseof Folly (1511), contemporary pontiffs instead of being the vicars ofChrist, had become the deadliest enemies of the Church, striving ceaselesslyafter wealth, honours, and countless pleasures, even stooping to fight with fireand sword to preserve their privileges. When this work is juxtaposed withLuthers 95 theses and especially Mores Utopia it becomes apparent that thesekey intellectuals were deeply dissatisfied with the church. Central to theirideas was the concept that faith alone, grace alone and Scripture alonejustified a place in heaven without the purchasing of indulgences. The sellingof indulgence s was a practice whereby money was paid to guarantee salvation. Inthis way the Church amassed great wealth at the expense of the peasantry. Thusreligious greed compounded social difficulties and made poverty and crime anacute problem which is considered by More in Utopia. In book 1, he considerswhat is wrong with civilisation. Especially with regard to the severity of thepenal code and the unequal distribution of wealth. More, through his imaginarycharacter Hythloday claims that the death penalty for stealing is too harsh andthat he would much prefer to seek remedies that would eliminate the causes ofstealing. He further describes how, that in the social context of 16th CenturyEurope men were forced to steal out of desperation and starvation. He arguesthat the system was fundamentally faultyin which non-productivenoblemen maintained non-productive flunkeys while forcing the common labourersto drudge in abject poverty. Furthermore, More makes a comment on thelegal system of the time s through discussing the Utopian legal system in whichthe laws are such that the simplest meaning is always correct, such that thereare no need for lawyers and there are no loop holes in the law. Hence people candefend themselves regardless of their intellectual capactity. More then commentson the legal system of the time through the imaginary character Hythloday. Heclaims in fact, when I consider any social system that prevails in themodern world, I cant, so help me God, see it as anything but a conspiracy ofthe rich to advance their own interests under the pretext of organising society. .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 , .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .postImageUrl , .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 , .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:hover , .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:visited , .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:active { border:0!important; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:active , .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2 .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2b22543d058e8ac333e8896fb6c072e2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Employee Attitude / Organizational Behavior Essay More also makes mention of that blessed nuisance money. TheUtopians despise money. When money itself ceases to be useful, all greedfor it is also entirely submerged; then what a heap of troubles is leveled down,what a crop of enormities is pulled up by the roots. This contrastssharply with the aristocrats love of money. More claimed through the imaginarycharacter Hythloday In a cultural context, More writes with an air ofexpectation as he believes that Europe is on the verge of a new age. Tomen like More and Erasmus, humanism seemed to promise itHumanism itself was amanifestation of something still larger: a general renovat ion of the humanspirit and its creative impulses. The term humanist referred to thosestudents of classical learning and literature, particularly to those whofavoured a new curricular influence on ethics, history and poetry as studied inancient Greece and Rome rather than the trivialities of the current scholarlysystem. Mores humanist affiliation can be seen from the fact that in many waysUtopia has a connection with Platos republic, for example in Book 1, Morebegins his book in the form of a debate just as Plato had done. Also, it meantthat there was somewhat of a power struggle between the humanists and theconservative elites who wished to preserve the privileged position. Essentiallythrough Utopia, More describes both his optimism and cynicism as Europe movestowards a new age. By creating an imaginary Utopia he is satirising thecorruption in the church and aristocracy and pushing for humanist reform. Itwould be easy to read Utopia as simply that, a perfect place and something tom ove toward. However there is much more to Utopia then this and when consideredin the religious, social and cultural context of the times it is a call forindividual repentance. It does not pretend to know the answers to problems andits attempts at solutions often seem ridiculous. Yet it does provide an insightinto this major period of upheaval in Europe. Mores epitaph readstroublesome to heretics, yet he wrote of the community ofproperty, the abolition of private property and the universal obligation tolabour- which are today generally associated with socialism. Furthermore,More a devout catholicadvocated such things as Euthanasia, the marriageof priests, divorce by mutual consent on the grounds of incompatibility andreligious toleration. Some literary critics claim that More is making apoint that even the Utopians, despite advocating matters such as Euthanasiaacted better towards each other than Europeans. Therefore More is commenting onthe extent of European wickedness. Others cla im that More had Utopia in mind asa positive ideal to work towards, though his epitaph would contradict this. Morewas confused by both the optimism and pessimism, the prosperity and poverty ofthe age. The contradictions in his writing demonstrate this. Utopia is thereforea complex work to say the least. Whilst it tries to give a description of anideal society it also satirising the corruption within European society. Thisgenre has been used by other writers such as Orwell, Huxley and Atwood tocomment on society in their own times using Mores subtle blend of insinuationand political satire. That Utopia does not attempt a final solution of theproblems of human society for More was to wise to attempt the impossible butit contains an appeal addressed to all of us, which allows of no refusal, thatwe should try to do each one his share to mend our own selves and ease theburden of our fellow-men, to improve man-kind and prepare for the world to come. Therefore, despite all the difficulties in interpreting Utopia, More isultimately calling on European society to change their ways for the bettermentof human-kind, and his principles on religious plurality and social welfare wereforward thinking. Many of the problems he addresses still plague society today.