Biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, UN Delegate

Biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, UN Delegate Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884–November 7, 1962) was one of the most respected and beloved women of the 20th century. When her husband became president of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt transformed the role of first lady by taking an active role in the work of her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt. After Franklin’s death, Eleanor Roosevelt was appointed as a delegate to the newly formed United Nations, where she helped create the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Fast Facts: Eleanor Roosevelt Known For: First Lady to President Franklin Roosevelt, writer, and diplomatBorn:  October 11, 1884 in New York CityParents: Elliott and Anna Hall RooseveltDied: November 7, 1962 in New York CityEducation: Allenswood SchoolPublished Works: You Learn by Living, The Moral Basis of Democracy, Tomorrow is Now, This I Remember, This is My Story, This Troubled World, many othersSpouse: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (m. 1905–1945)Children: Anna Eleanor (1906–1975), James (1907–1991), Franklin Delano, Jr. (1909), Elliott (1910–1990), Franklin, Jr. (1914–1988) and John (1916–1981).Notable Quote: In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt with Father and Brothers. Bettmann/Getty Images Early Life Eleanor Roosevelt, born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City on October 11, 1884, was the eldest of three children of Elliot Roosevelt, the younger brother of Theodore Roosevelt, and Anna Hall Roosevelt. Despite being born into one of the â€Å"400 Families,† the richest and most influential families in New York, Eleanor Roosevelt’s childhood was not a happy one. Eleanor’s mother Anna was considered a great beauty while Eleanor herself was not, a fact that Eleanor knew greatly disappointed her mother. On the other hand, Eleanor’s father Elliott doted on her and called her â€Å"Little Nell,† after the character in Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop. Unfortunately, Elliott suffered from a growing addiction to alcohol and drugs, which ultimately destroyed his family. In 1890 when Eleanor was about 6 years old, Elliott separated from his family and began receiving treatments in Europe for his alcoholism. At the behest of his brother Theodore Roosevelt (who later became the 26th president of the United States), Elliott was exiled from his family until he could free himself from his addictions. Anna, missing her husband, did her best to take care of Eleanor and her two younger sons, Elliott Jr., and baby Hall. Then tragedy struck. In 1892, Anna went to the hospital for a surgery and afterward contracted diphtheria; she died soon after when Eleanor was 8 years old. Just months later, Eleanor’s two brothers came down with scarlet fever. Baby Hall survived, but 4-year-old Elliott Jr. developed diphtheria and died in 1893. With the deaths of her mother and young brother, Eleanor hoped she would be able to spend more time with her beloved father. Not so. Elliott’s dependency on drugs and alcohol got worse after the deaths of his wife and child, and in 1894 he died. Within 18 months, Eleanor had lost her mother, brother, and father. She was a 10-year-old orphan. Eleanor and her brother Hall went to live with their very strict maternal grandmother Mary Hall in Manhattan. Eleanor spent several miserable years with her grandmother until she was sent abroad in September 1899 to Allenswood School in London. Education Allenswood, a finishing school for girls, provided the environment 15-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt needed to blossom. While she was always disappointed by her own looks, she had a quick mind and was soon picked as a â€Å"favorite† of the headmistress, Marie Souvestre. Although most girls spent four years at Allenswood, Eleanor was called home to New York after her third year for her â€Å"society debut,† which all wealthy young women were expected to make at age 18. Unlike her wealthy peers, however, Eleanor did not look forward to leaving her beloved school for an endless round of parties she found meaningless. Meeting Franklin Roosevelt Despite her misgivings, Eleanor returned to New York for her society debut. The entire process proved tedious and bothersome and made her once again feel self-conscious about her looks. There was, however, a bright side at her coming home from Allenswood. While riding on a train, she had a chance encounter in 1902 with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Franklin was a fifth cousin once removed of Eleanor’s and the only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Delano Roosevelt. Franklin’s mother doted on him- a fact that would later cause strife in Franklin and Eleanor’s marriage. Franklin and Eleanor saw each other frequently at parties and social engagements. Then, in 1903, Franklin asked Eleanor to marry him and she accepted. However, when Sara Roosevelt was told the news, she thought the couple was too young to marry (Eleanor was 19 and Franklin was 21). Sara then asked them to keep their engagement a secret for one year. Franklin and Eleanor agreed to do so. During this time, Eleanor was an active member of the Junior League, an organization for wealthy young ladies to do charitable work. Eleanor taught classes for the poor who lived in tenement houses and investigated the horrible working conditions many young women experienced. Her work with poor and needy families taught her a great deal about the hardships many Americans faced, leading to a life-long passion for trying to solve society’s ills. New York Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. Historical/Getty Images Married Life With their year of secrecy behind them, Franklin and Eleanor publicly announced their engagement and then married on March 17, 1905. As a Christmas present that year, Sara Roosevelt decided to build adjoining townhouses for herself and Franklin’s family. Unfortunately, Eleanor left all the planning up to her mother-in-law and Franklin and thus was very unhappy with her new home. Plus, Sara would frequently stop by unannounced since she could easily enter by going through a sliding door that joined the two townhouses’ dining rooms. While being somewhat dominated by her mother-in-law, Eleanor spent between 1906 and 1916 having babies. In total, the couple had six children; however, the third, Franklin Jr., died in infancy. In the meantime, Franklin had entered politics. He had dreams of following his cousin Theodore Roosevelt’s path to the White House. In 1910, Franklin Roosevelt ran for and won a State Senate seat in New York. Just three years later, Franklin was appointed assistant secretary of the navy in 1913. Although Eleanor was disinterested in politics, her husband’s new positions moved her out of the adjoined townhouse and thus out of the shadow of her mother-in-law. With an increasingly busy social schedule due to Franklin’s new political responsibilities, Eleanor hired a personal secretary named Lucy Mercy to help her stay organized. Eleanor was shocked when, in 1918, she discovered that Franklin was having an affair with Lucy. Although Franklin swore he would end the affair, the discovery left Eleanor depressed and dejected for many years. Eleanor never truly forgave Franklin for his indiscretion and although their marriage continued, it was never the same. From that point forward, their marriage lacked intimacy and began to be more of a partnership. Polio and the White House In 1920, Franklin D. Roosevelt was chosen as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, running with James Cox. Although they lost the election, the experience had given Franklin a taste for politics at the top level of government and he continued to aim high- until 1921 when polio struck. Polio, a common disease in the early 20th century, could kill its victims or leave them permanently disabled. Franklin Roosevelt’s bout with polio left him without the use of his legs. Although Franklin’s mother Sara insisted that his disability was the end of his public life, Eleanor disagreed. It was the first time Eleanor had openly defied her mother-in-law and it was a turning point in her relationship with both Sara and Franklin. Instead, Eleanor Roosevelt took an active role in helping her husband, becoming his â€Å"eyes and ears† in politics and assisting with his attempts to recover. (Although he tried for seven years to regain the use of his legs, Franklin finally accepted that he would not walk again.) Franklin reentered the political spotlight in 1928 when he ran for governor of New York, a position he won. In 1932, he ran for president against incumbent Herbert Hoover. Public opinion of Hoover had been decimated by the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression that followed, leading to a presidential victory for Franklin in the 1932 election. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt moved into the White House in 1933. Eleanor Roosevelt gets Worlds Greatest Volunteer citation from Jacques Coe, Treasurer of the National Cancer Foundation. Bettmann/Getty Images A Life of Public Service Eleanor Roosevelt was not overjoyed to become the first lady. In many ways, she had created an independent life for herself in New York and dreaded leaving it behind. Most especially, Eleanor was going to miss teaching at the Todhunter School, a finishing school for girls she had helped purchase in 1926. Becoming first lady took her away from such projects. Nevertheless, Eleanor saw in her new position the opportunity to benefit disadvantaged people nationwide and she seized it, transforming the role of the first lady in the process. Before Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office, the first lady generally played an ornamental role, mainly one of a gracious hostess. Eleanor, on the other hand, not only became a champion of many causes but continued to be an active participant in her husband’s political plans. Since Franklin could not walk and did not want the public to know it, Eleanor did much of the traveling he could not do. She would send back regular memos about the people she talked to and the sorts of help they needed as the Great Depression worsened. Eleanor also made many trips, speeches, and other acts to support disadvantaged groups, including women, racial minorities, the homeless, tenant farmers, and others. She hosted regular Sunday â€Å"egg scrambles,† in which she invited people from all walks of life to the White House for a scrambled-egg brunch and a talk about the problems they faced and what support they needed to overcome them. In 1936, Eleanor Roosevelt began writing a newspaper column called â€Å"My Day,† on the recommendation of her friend, newspaper reporter Lorena Hickok. Her columns touched on a wide range of often-controversial topics, including the rights of women and minorities and the creation of the United Nations. She wrote a column six days a week until 1962, missing only four days when her husband died in 1945. Reg Speller  / Getty Images The Country Goes to War Franklin Roosevelt won reelection in 1936 and again in 1940, becoming the first- and only- U.S. president to serve more than two terms. In 1940, Eleanor Roosevelt became the first woman ever to address a national presidential convention when she gave a speech to the Democratic National Convention on July 17, 1940. On December 7, 1941, Japanese bomber planes attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Within the next few days, the U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany, officially bringing the U.S. into World War II. Franklin Roosevelt’s administration immediately began enlisting private companies to make tanks, guns, and other necessary equipment. In 1942, 80,000 U.S. troops were sent to Europe, the first of many waves of soldiers that would go overseas in the coming years. With so many men fighting the war, women were pulled out of their homes and into factories, where they made war materials, ranging from fighter planes and parachutes to canned food and bandages. Eleanor Roosevelt saw in this mobilization the opportunity to fight for the rights of working women. She argued that every American should have the right to employment if they wanted it. She also fought against racial discrimination in the workforce, the armed forces, and at home, arguing that African-Americans and other racial minorities should be given equal pay, equal work, and equal rights. Although she vehemently opposed putting Japanese-Americans in internment camps during the war, her husband’s administration did so anyway. During World War II, Eleanor also traveled all over the world, visiting soldiers stationed in Europe, the South Pacific, and other far-flung places. The Secret Service gave her the code name â€Å"Rover,† but the public called her â€Å"Everywhere Eleanor† because they never knew where she might turn up. She was also called â€Å"Public Energy Number One† due to her intense commitment to human rights and the war effort. First Lady of the World Franklin Roosevelt ran for and won a fourth term in office in 1944, but his remaining time in the White House was limited. On April 12, 1945, he passed away at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia. At the time of Franklin’s death, Eleanor announced she would withdraw from public life and when a reporter asked about her career, she said it had ended. However, when President Harry Truman asked Eleanor to become Americas first delegate to the United Nations in December 1945, she accepted. As an American and a woman, Eleanor Roosevelt felt that being the U.N. delegate was a huge responsibility. She spent her days before the U.N. meetings researching issues of world politics. She was particularly concerned with failing as a U.N. delegate, not only for herself but because her failure might reflect badly on all women. Rather than being seen as a failure, most regarded Eleanor’s work with the United Nations as a resounding success. Her crowning achievement was when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which she had helped draft, was ratified by 48 nations in 1948. Back in the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt continued to champion civil rights. She joined the board of the NAACP in 1945, and in 1959 she became a lecturer on politics and human rights at Brandeis University. Death and Legacy Eleanor Roosevelt was getting older but she didn’t slow down; if anything, she was busier than ever. While always making time for her friends and family, she also spent a lot of time traveling around the world for one important cause or another. She flew to India, Israel, Russia, Japan, Turkey, the Philippines, Switzerland, Poland, Thailand, and many other countries. Eleanor Roosevelt had become a goodwill ambassador around the world; a woman people respected, admired, and loved. She had truly become the â€Å"First Lady of the World,† as U.S. President Harry Truman once called her. And then one day her body told her she needed to slow down. After visiting a hospital and undergoing lots of tests, it was discovered in 1962 that Eleanor Roosevelt was suffering from aplastic anemia and tuberculosis. On November 7, 1962, Eleanor Roosevelt died at age 78. She was buried next to her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in Hyde Park. Sources Eleanor Roosevelt Biography. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. National Archives 2016. Web.Cook, Blanche Wiesen. Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume 1: The Early Years, 1884–1933. New York: Random House, 1993.Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume 2: The Defining Years, 1933–1938. New York: Random House, 2000.Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume 3: The War Years And After, 1939–1962. New York: Random House, 2016.Harris, Cynthia M. Eleanor Roosevelt: A Biography. Greenwood Biographies. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2007.Roosevelt, Eleanor. The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. HarperCollins.Winfield, Betty Houchin. The Legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt. Presidential Studies Quarterly 20.4 (1990): 699-706.

Beauty Matters Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beauty Matters - Research Paper Example Though the article is of universal interest, the intended audience is certainly the professionals associated with the business world, who are willing to walk an extra mile to accrue professional success. Pragmatically speaking the rhetoric approach of the writer in this article is objective and deductive though highly selective in terms of sources, scarcely intending to take advantage of the emotions of the readers, methodically supporting each premise with the related studies accompanied by apt academic citations, exploring each aspect of the physical attractiveness and its pecuniary impact on professional achievement, and eventually leading to a conclusion that objectively flows from the studies mentioned by the writer. The introductory paragraph is certainly quiet engaging, which alludes to the general perception that attractive people happen to be more successful, supporting it with the associated statistical surveys, thereby accruing the reader interest, without mentioning stron g or opinionated views (Croucher 1). Hence, the introductory strategy of the writer is to catch the popular interest in the issue under consideration, to elaborate on the popular perceptions by bolstering them with the appropriate public surveys and then to proceed with the article in a more systematic and elaborate manner. The writer factually mentions the impact on professional success of the varied attributes of what is generally mentioned as physical attractiveness, like looks, height, physical proportions and weight, and sexual appeal. The crux of the factual catechism attempted by the writer is that not only attractive, taller, well proportioned people earn more than the less attractive or moderately attractive people, but they are also perceived to be more considerate, helpful, talented, intelligent and romantically desirable by other people. Yet, the rhetoric approach of the writer is marked by many strengths and weaknesses. Apparent objectivity has certainly endowed the art icle with much credence. Citation of the appropriate studies and statistics makes the argument sound much factual and academic. The writer explores the idea of attractiveness in much detail, referring to its varied attributes and the quantitative impact they have on professional success and remunerations. Nowhere the writer seems to be biased in favor of a particular opinion. The conclusion naturally flows out from the varied academic and scientific studies mentioned by the writer. However, the biggest lacuna of this article is that it delves on the issue of attractiveness and professional success in lop sided manner. The writer tends to mention and discuss only those studies and statistics that could automatically be expected to lead to the conclusion that attractive people command more professional and worldly success. Not an iota of attempt has been made to mention studies that refer to a contrary opinion, though many such studies and academic opinions do exist. For instance as p er Cleveland, Stockdale and Murphy, â€Å"†¦ guidance, coaching, counseling and friendship are keys to success (Cleveland, Stockdale & Murphy 258).† Besides, the writer fails to take a stand on or discuss the ethical implications of the premise that attractive people command more professional success. He simply and in a matter of fact manner mentions the fact that attractive people are favored in business. However, as per Dipboye and Colella, favoring attractive people in business and

Employee loyalty and retention Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee loyalty and retention - Research Paper Example According to Mathis and Jackson (165), vertical (supervisory/management) and lateral (co-worker) relationships among the staff influences employee retention. An individual in a supervisory role may build or fail to build positive relationships through actions entailing fairness, non-discrimination, flexibility, provision of feedback, recognition of effort, provision of support and work-family balance among many other considerations. Managers have to be conscious of the importance of employee relations since they are in a position to influence these relations. For instance, horizontal and vertical violence cause higher levels of turnover in practices such as nursing (Stanley 5). Employee relations is related to another factor of loyalty and retention; organizational/management factors influenced by employer practices and policies. Mathis and Jackson (165) argue that organizations with clearly established goals and providing employees with the necessary resources to reach their potential retain employees better than their counterparts. Noe, Hellenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (314) state that managers are the most important factor leading to employee engagement. Participative management promotes employee satisfaction, loyalty and subsequently, retention. On the other hand, management practices such as favoritism, involvement in undesirable or unethical practices and taking undue credit for employee efforts lead to low loyalty levels. The way a firm leverages compensation and performance for employees also influences loyalty and retention. Employees cite better pay/benefits as incentives that lead to leaving one employer for another. Conversely, employers may use better pay/benefits as a competitive tool for the attraction and retention of the best employees. Theories of employee motivation also support this view, identifying rewards as the crucial determinant of motivation, which directly relates to loyalty and retention. Noe,

Scientific Management by Federick Taylor Essay Example for Free

Scientific Management by Federick Taylor Essay Federick W. Taylor, considered the father of scientific management published his work, The Principles of Scientific Management in 1911 has been instrumental in revolutionising management thought. He promoted the process of scientifically studying work to increase worker and organisational efficiency. His principles contributed to a variety of management practices involving specialisation, assembly production, division of work, work incentives and management control. The development of machine-tools reach a point marking thr beginning of today large scale production line in factory more tan hundred years ago. The commencement of mass factory production was fundamentally influenced by Federick Talyor. His scientific management concept shaped for good all the features of industry and Talyor is the inaugurator and father of, as well as chief worker in, the movement to impart excellence to management by viewing it as an art base on scientific principles. universal in scope, his work long since has penetrated to every country and that in these establishment ther saw some degree of influnce by his scientific principles. In our global economy, efficient businesses will be rewarded with profit as Federick Taylor advocated in his concept of Scientific Management. In a global economy, there is simply no places for inefficiency to hide wrote Hamel in The Utimate Business Library and You have to believe that Federick Winslow Taylor would have loved Wal-Mart,Sony or Federal Express modern icon of efficiency More than 100 years has passed yet his principles in scientific management is still relevant in many sectors of business today. One example is the fast food restaurant, likened to little factory, with a manager who overseas and control the workers, sales, inventory and supply, everything to keep the shop running efficiently as Talyors wishes. Much of Taylors ideas were adapted in the operation of the assembly line and many of Ford Motor companys operations in the assembling of motor vehicles in early 1910. This was when Ford Motor mass produced cars. However the application of Taylors concept into management practices was met with resistant opposition from workers and their unions, as workers had to work very much faster in Taylors Scientific Management style. Union leader resented Taylors ways and claimed workers were mistreated in his focus towards efficiency. Yet others will find Taylors ideas applaudable up to today. Schachter(2007) found Taylors style still practice in many governrment agencies where proposal of public sector efficiency was similiar with Taylors approach.

Software Piracy :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Software Piracy It is becoming increasingly difficult to manage a company without being involved with decisions concerning software. In our current North American society, nearly every firm uses some form of specialized software whether in the payroll department where the Chief Financial Officer most certainly employs specialized financial software to make financial projections, or through the use of computer interaction with the company bank. Manufacturing firms for example, rely heavily on specialized software for inventory control, billing, shipping and other critical functions. There are also various firms that develop new products and often use computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop and refine product ideas. This perhaps may lead one to argue that virtually every department within a modern company relies somewhat on the use of computer software (Baumer & Poindexter, 2002: 85). As such, it becomes increasingly important to recognize the various forms of software piracy and the necessary steps to be taken in order to prevent such abuses of Intellectual Property. Make or Buy: Weisband and Goodman (1993: 30-33) define software piracy as the direct, unauthorized copying of a program for commercial gain. The use of software involves a classic â€Å"make or buy† decision based on three options. The first option is that a firm may hire programmer-employees or an outside firm to create the software. The drawback in this situation is that the final product may be less than â€Å"perfect,† as employees who have previously created working software for a firm often re-use certain parts of it to save money. In these situations, the issue of ownership of the software is relatively simple. If the creator of the software is an employee, the employer of that person is automatically the owner of the copyright. The second option available to the firm is to contract with a software vendor of copyrighted and trademarked software for installation of their software, noting that a license agreement is necessary and secondly that various terms in the license agreement can be negotiable. In this situation the use of software is often restricted to â€Å"normal operations† meaning that the licensee cannot sell or rent access of the software to any other firm, and secondly that the use of software is restricted to a limited number of people within the firm (Baumer & Poindexter, 2002: 102).

Symbolism in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’

Symbolism in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ Definition: A symbol is something that is itself as well as something else. In literature it means literal or objective sense coupled with abstract meaning. Symbolism refers to serious and extensive use of symbols in a work of literature. Symbolism in Lord of the Flies: The novel is rich in symbolism. A host of different interpretations of the novel’s symbolism – political, psychological and religious – exists. We will look at some of the prominent symbols employed by Golding and try harmonizing the different interpretations. Since symbolism is an evocative device to communicate the theme of a literary piece, we must first agree on the theme of Lord of the Flies. Theme: Evil inherent in man seems to be the central idea of the novel. It may recall the Christian notion of the ‘original sin’ or the idea of the failure of civilization as seen during the Nazi Holocaust or a general pessimistic view of human nature. It may be all the three combined. A group of boys aged 6 to 12 find themselves alone on an island, without adult supervision. At first they try to organize themselves on the pattern of the civilized world they have known. The attempt fails and most of them regress into savagery and animal existence. The novel was deliberately patterned on the children’s classic ‘The Coral Island’ by R. M. Ballantyne. Only, it turns Ballantyne’s theme on its head. Whereas Ballantyne made the children’s isolation on the island a pleasant interlude in a continued life of civilized existence, Golding shows how thin the veneer of civilization really is and how the animal nature of man breaks through in just a few weeks. It is not so much moral judgment as recognition of the essential tragedy of mankind – its intellectual and spiritual nature losing out to its animal nature again and again. Important Symbols: 1. The Scar: The novel starts with the mention of a scar in the jungle. We learn (or rather, surmise) later that it is a swath cut by the falling ‘passenger tube’ in which the children were travelling. The word scar appears in the text without this preliminary information and serves to create atmosphere. The metaphor prepares us for the horrible things to come. In itself it is also the symbol of man’s disruptive influence on his world. 2. The Conch: It makes its appearance as an accidental find of Ralph and Piggy on the beach. It soon assumes importance as Ralph, on Piggy’s advice, blows it to gather the survivors. Ralph is elected leader of the group mainly because he was the one in possession of the conch. From here onwards the conch becomes a symbol of law and order. At meetings the speaker has to hold it in his hands. It gives him the privilege of being heard uninterrupted. Order starts breaking down in the fifth chapter when Jack speaks without holding it. Later, breakdown of order is signalled by Jack snatching it from Ralph in the eighth chapter. In the tenth chapter Jack raids the shelter occupied by Ralph and Piggy to rob Piggy of his glasses. But he does not bother to take the conch away. It is no longer important. In the eleventh chapter the conch is destroyed, symbolizing the complete rout of order at the hands of chaos. 3. The Man with the Megaphone (Grown-ups): When Piggy meets Ralph, his first question is, â€Å"Where is the man with the megaphone? A few pages later the question is repeated by Jack, â€Å"Where is the man with the trumpet? † This, we can assume, was the man in charge of the boys in the aeroplane He stands for authority and control which has suddenly been removed by the crash. A grown-up appears again only at the end in the form of the naval officer who saves the life of Ralph without realizing the fact and brings an e nd to the chaos. But conversely, the adult is the cause of the boys being there in the first place. The war raging outside is nothing but the conflict on the island on a much grander scale. The appearance of the naval officer at close suggests that civilization has been given another chance, despite the bleak outlook. 4. Beast from Air: In the sixth chapter another adult appears on the scene – a dead parachutist. He has apparently evacuated himself from a warplane that has been hit. The man crashes to his death at the top of the hill on the island. He, with his parachute, is taken to be a mysterious supernatural beast by the boys among whom the talk of a snake-like beast of the jungle is already rampant. The dead parachutist is not, however, just an extension of the ghost metaphor. He also represents the historical past intruding on the scene and influencing it in a profound manner. For the boys the historical past is the war they left behind. For humanity it would be the past of man as an insidious influence in his present. 5. The Beast – Lord of the Flies: The title of the novel is itself symbolic. The phrase is a literal translation of the Hebrew ‘Beelzebub’, one of the demons named after a philistine god. Later the term was often used in Christianity as a name for the Devil. The metaphor is one of regression (in its original sense of paganism) and evil (in its later meaning of the Devil). In the novel one of the younger boys, who is referred to as ‘the boy with the birthmark on his face’, tells the others about having seen a snake-like beast on the trees. Though Ralph tries to allay their fears as unfounded, the belief in the beast persists. It is strengthened by the unexplained disappearance of the boy with the birthmark. It is reinforced by the ‘beast from air’ mentioned above, so mush so that even Ralph and Piggy start entertaining the possibility of a beast. Jack, half believing himself, uses the fear cleverly to keep his followers under control. He makes the ritual sacrifice of a wild sow to the beast and lets the head of the animal hang on a stick, ostensibly to appease the beast. Only Simon does not believe in the existence of a beast. In his wanderings in the forest he comes across the head of the sow and the entrails of the animal which have attracted a lot of flies by now. He has a hallucination in which the head appears to him as lord of the flies and speaks to him. The symbolism of the beast is also stated in this imaginary conversation in so many words, as follows: â€Å"You knew, didn’t you? I am part of you?†¦ I am the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are? † The beast is within man, not without. It is the darkness in men’s hearts. It is their primitive nature, hidden behind a thin layer of civilization. 6. The Signal Fire and the Shelters on the Beach: The signal fire and the shelters symbolize ordered society, civilization and hope. They are contrasted with the barbaric and blood-thirsty hunts. The signal fire is Ralph’s idea. He believes that the children will be rescued soon and therefore there should be a smoke signal going all the time for a passing ship to spot. Piggy, who is more of a realist, realizes that those who were expected to know about the children are all dead and it may be a long time before rescue comes. So he suggests the building of shelters. Though both symbols together stand for civilization against barbarism, there is this subtle difference between them, arising as they do from their originators’ differing perceptions of the situation. 7. The Hunts and Mock Hunts: Together with painted faces and long hair the hunts and mock hunts symbolize regression into primitive savagery. The hunters not only seem to have lost all hope of returning to civilization, but they seem to actually enjoy the prospect and neglect to keep the signal fire burning. The hunts can be interpreted as symbolizing the boys' primal urges or even anarchy. Soon after the hunts start, they cease to be a necessary activity aimed at gathering food. The lust for blood becomes more important. Ceremonies and chants invented by the hunters similarly denote regression. The mock hunts of Chapters 4 and 7 are manifestations of regression too. The mock hunts serve another purpose. In Chapter 4 the mock hunt is a mild affair, performed largely for fun. In the seventh chapter it turns into a violent affair in which the boy playing the hunted animal suffers injuries. Thus the mock hunts define the regression of the hunters as civilized humans. The scene in Chapter 7 also shows the good and sensible Ralph feeling the excitement of the mock hunt, thus showing how evil can take hold of any human, unless resisted. 8. Painted Faces and Long Hair: This is the heading of Chapter 4. The degeneration of the boys' way of life is symbolized by clay-and- charcoal masks and long hair. When concealed by masks, the hunters, especially Ralph, seem to have new personalities as they forget the taboos of society that once restrained them from giving in to their natural urges. When Jack first paints his face to his satisfaction, he suddenly becomes a new, savage person. â€Å"He began to dance and his laughter became a bloodthirsty snarling. He capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing of its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness†. The feeling of liberation that results from wearing the masks allows many of the boys to participate in the barbaric pig hunts, the savage ceremonies and the mock hunts. 9. The Island: Those who incline towards a religious interpretation of the novel’s symbolism maintain that the island is the symbol for the Garden of Eden, which is touched by original sin on contact with the human race. This interpretation may have some merit. But the symbolism can be equally validly interpreted as the state of nature to which the civilized children have been returned. It provides the setting for the opening up of their fundamental urges. 10. The Characters: The principal characters – Ralph, Piggy, Simon, Jack and Roger – symbolize certain attitudes and qualities. Ralph and Piggy are on the side pf law and order. Jack and Roger represent primitive urges and tyranny. Simon is a mystic who has clearer view of reality than the intellectual Piggy, the sensible Jack or the manipulative Jack. But we have to be careful not to over-emphasize the point. Otherwise the realistic and believable quality of the characters will be compromised. The symbolism lies more in how the characters grow or regress rather than in their basic make-up. Jack’s character is the most significant from this point of view. From the leader of a choir group he regresses into the leader of a violent and primitive group which calls itself a ‘tribe’. The above list of symbols is by no means exhaustive. The novel is replete with metaphors and symbols. Lord of the Flies is called a twentieth century allegory. It is also one of the most carefully crafted novels of the century. In consequence the careful reader can find a symbol on almost every page. s

Film Review On The Film Cinema - 1673 Words

Throughout the history of cinema, a never-ending evolution in technological progression – paired with filmmakers’ resourcefulness and ingenuity – allowed for the development of style and encouraged a more involved craft, thus giving individual films a specific personality which therefore eased the process of discerning which piece of cinema was created by which filmmaker. Because of the progress made in film technology, especially early on, certain aspects of filmmaking that once were inconceivable (camera movement, Foley, CGI) are often employed in the films that audiences view today. Although, while the evolution of technology may be linear, it cannot be assumed that quality of film follows the same trend. Instead, a filmmaker’s skill†¦show more content†¦Early cinema from filmmakers Dickson and Edison included unadorned, naturalistic depictions of â€Å"well-known sports stars, excerpts from well-respected vaudeville performances, or entertain ment by dancers and acrobats† (Bordwell 8). While the available technology of the time did in fact limit Dickson’s and Edison’s films,) modern or developed technology would be incapable of improving them because of their jejune nature – they did not call for anything more sophisticated. Nevertheless, the creation of the Cinà ©matographe in the 1890s gave filmmakers the ability to shoot on location instead of being restricted to in-studio shoots. Although, the freedom to record in a variety of new locations did not create better movies, but it instead opened the door of opportunity for films like the Lumià ¨re brother’s L Arrivà ©e d un train en gare de La Ciotat and Tables Turned on the Gardener, whose creation would not have been possible if the production was constrained to a studio. With the Cinà ©matographe, options for production were expanded for the film community, which therefore allowed for filmmakers to utilize the technique that was most effective for their piece, whether it be a studio space with controlled lighting thanks to Dickson and Edison or the ability to shoot at a specific location