Virginia Woolf Essay -- Novelists Authors Writers Essays

Virginia Woolf In recent times there has been a renewed interest in Virginia Woolf and her work, from the Broadway play, â€Å"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?† to the Academy award nominated film â€Å"The Hours† starring Nicole Kidman. This recent exposure, along with the fact that I have ancestors from England , has sparked my interest in this twentieth century British novelist. During the early part of the twentieth century, artists and writers saw the world in a new way. Famed British novelist Virginia Woolf was very sensitive to this change, for she felt that human relationships such as ones between a husband and wife of master and servant were shifting, due to all of the political, religious, and social changes. These, of course, transformed into modifications in literature (Richter 3,4). Conventional forms of writing did not portray truth, but rather dealt with certain aspects of life that were distorted and then pieced together via descriptions, coincidences, and transition passages (Blackstone 13). Feminine sensibility was an aspect that could be brought into the novel, and therefore Woolf employed new forms and techniques to her novels (Bernard 12). Through these changes, she consciously made the decision to change the novel from a genre that was developed and dominated by men, to a form that would depict the â€Å"movement of things under the surface--the free play of thought, emotion, insight† (Blackstone 12-13). Due to the transforming atmosphere of the time, Woolf was allowed to explore new territories. At the thrust of Virginia Woolf's writing was the creation of reality. â€Å"The center or meeting place for experience was, to Virginia Woolf, the moment—a cross-section of consciousness in which perception and feelings conv... ...iracy: Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf. Boston: Little, Brown, 1990. King, James. Virginia Woolf. New York: W. W. Norton, 1994. Marder, Herbert. Feminism & Art, A Study of Virginia Woolf. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1968. Naremore, James. â€Å"The World Without a Self: Virginia Woolf and the Novel.† Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon K. Hall. Detroit: Gale Research, Vol. 5, 1981. Richter, Harvena. Virginia Woolf, The Inward Voyage. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970. Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1925. Virginia Woolf. The Literature Network. 22 Jan 2005. Virginia Woolf. Wikipedia Encyclopedia. 22 Jan 2005. â€Å"Virginia Woolf.† Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Microsoft, 1994.

Rising Immigration Rate of Canada

Immigrants make up a considerable proportion of the Canadian population. At the time of the 1991 Census, there were 4. 3 million immigrants living in Canada, which is 16% of the total Canadian population. (See Graph 1, Immigrants as a Percentage of Canada's Population, 1901-1996) Over the past decades the level of immigration in Canada has increased from an average of 137 000 immigrants arriving in Canada in the 1960s to an average of about 200 000 in 1998. See Table1, Annual Immigration Plan 1998) The largest share of immigrants admitted into Canada are in the economic class, in 1994, close to half of the new immigrants coming to Canada were economic class immigrants. Immigration is needed to maintain the Canadian population; â€Å"Canada will be an aging society with such a low birth rate that it will soon be unable to sustain its population without sustained immigration. † Immigrants are a source of labour to the Canadian economy; immigrants are as likely as people born in Canada to be employed, and many are skilled workers that the Canadian economy is in need of. Business class, investor and entrepreneur immigrant help to provide job opportunities in the economy, and also generate more economic activities and income for the Canadian economy. â€Å"Analysis of data from the household/family file of the 1981 Canadian Census of Population reveals that, regardless of origin, immigrants benefit the Canadian-born population through the public treasury. † Immigrants are an aid to the Canadian economy as a result of its ability to sustain the aging population, to provide labour, and job opportunities. Firstly, Canada, like other rich countries of the world, will become an aging society with such a low birth rate; Canada will soon be unable to maintain its population without taking in immigrants. The low birth rate will soon lead to a shortage of future workers for the labour force. As we enter into the twenty-first century, there will be more older people requiring pensions, and in need of extra health care, but there will not be enough young workers entering the job market to support these needs. The fertility rate in Canada is roughly 1. 66, which is below the replacement rate of 2. and less than half the fertility rate of 3. 63 during the baby boom. Despite the number of children is currently growing because the large number of baby boomers are having children, â€Å"this so-called echo effect will have run its course by the early part of the next century so that, in the absence of much higher immigration, Canada's population will begin to decline. † According to Statistics Canada, the Canadian population will stabilize at 31 million in 2026 if the fertility rate of 1. 66 is maintained and 140 000 immigrants are accepted per year, and it will then begin to decline. If the rate of immigration is raised to 200 000 per year, the population will stabilize in 2035, at 34 million, before it begins to decline. The immigrant population is older, on average, than the Canadian-born population because immigrants tend to arrive in their prime working years. Also, it must be noted that children born to immigrants are included in the Canadian-born population rather than the immigrant population. Secondly, of all immigrants accepted into Canada, close to 50% are in the economic class consisting of business immigrants and skilled workers. See Table 2, Immigration Levels, 1998 Canada, Quebec* and Other Provinces) Most immigrants tend to arrive in their prime working years. Immigrants living in Canada are more likely than people born in Canada to have a university degree, in 1991, 14% of immigrants aged 15 and over had a university degree, while only 11% of people born in Canada had a university degree. Immigrants with post-secondary qualifications are more likely than those born in Canada with post-secondary qualifications to be graduates of professional programs in engineering, mathematics, and applied science. See Graph 2, Economic Category Persons Admitted, 1994-1996) For example, in 1991, 17% of immigrant men were graduates of these programs, where there were only 9% of Canadian-born men were graduates of these programs. Immigrants are also more likely than people born in Canada to have full-time, full-year jobs. In 1991, 63% of employed immigrant men and 50% of employed immigrant women worked at full-time, full-year jobs, compared to 59% of Canadian-born men, and 45% of Canadian-born women. According to Employment and Immigration Canada, in 1989-95 the fastest growing occupations include computer programmers and system analysts, data processing equipment operators, and technical salespersons, as well as occupations in health care. But fact is that Canada does not have enough skilled workers to work in these fields, therefore Canada must import workers skilled in these fields, and immigration is the best way to import these workers. There is a higher percentage of immigrant men working in professional or management occupations then Canadian-born men. In 1991, 32% of immigrant men worked in these fields, while only 27% of Canadian-born men worked in these fields. (See Table 4, Comparison of Employment between Immigrant and Canadian-Born Workers) Canada, like other industrial countries will be facing a shortage in skilled workers; Canada will have to open its borders to increased immigration by foreign workers, especially workers with education and skills. â€Å"In fact, industrial countries could find themselves competing for certain types of foreign workers. â€Å"

Rationality and the Ethical Life-Aristotle and Kant

What is rationality and the ethical life? According to Aristotle and Kant, they have different views on what these two things mean. Aristotle explained that a virtuous activity has an intermediate position of excess and deficiency and also a mean relative to us. The definition of virtue is a mean, insofar, as it aims at what is intermediate. Aristotle listed ten virtues in his book that he saw as being most important in becoming a virtuous human being. Aristotle also explained that we must become who we are on our own. Kant explained that humanity is defined as being rational. It is our duty by nature to act morally because we are rational. We have absolute worth because we are human beings. Aristotle and Kant have many similarities and differences in their understandings of the ethical life. Aristotle explained that the virtuous life is the excellent life, which is the happy life, which is the rational life. To be rational, we must practice the ten virtues. Rationality is rooted in our actions. If we see someone doing something out of the norm, we usually conclude that they are irrational. Our actions play a huge role on what we believe in society to be rational or irrational. Aristotle’s understanding of the rational person is someone who practices the ten virtues in a public life because you cannot lead an excellent life if it is a private life. I agree with Aristotle because in order to become rational, you must practice these virtues while interacting with others. Aristotle also believes that the highest good is happiness. Happiness is the human function Happiness is the ultimate end for human beings and happiness alone makes life worth living. However, we must achieve our own happiness by doing something with excellence. Aristotle explains that in order to lead an ethical life, we must leada rational life. Humans are born with the capabilityof becoming virtuous. We must become who we are. Kant explains that because we are human we are rational. All human beings are rational so it is universally shared. Categorical imperative explains tat we must act morally. Our intensions are to be moral when acing and it is our duty, by nature, to act morally. When we act, our intentions are always for goodwill. Kant understood that with rationality comes freedom. When one is rational and free, then one is moral, which explains moral law. Because we are humans, we have absolute worth. I cannot use someone as a means to my ends. Slavery is an example of using humans as a means to some sort of ends. The law of humanity explains that we have absolute worth because we are humans and you cannot put a price on human beings. Kant believes that human beings have absolute dignity and worth because we are human. While studying both the philosophers, I found more differences than similarities in their works. I believe that both philosophers make interesting arguments in what it really means to lead the ethical life. While Aristotle explained that we must become virtuous throughout our lives by interacting with others and leading an excellent life to find happiness. Kant explained that we are born with absolute dignity and worth because we are human. Aristotle and Kant both argue that because we are human, we are rational people. They both believe that because we are human, we have the capability of becoming rational.

Anthem for Doomed Youth

Choose a poem in which you feel there is a significant moment which reveals the central idea of the poem; show how the poet achieves this in an effective way. ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth' by Wilfred Owen is a poem in which a significant moment reveals the central idea of the poem. The poet achieves this through many poetic techniques such as depersonalisation and alliteration. The first hint of content of the poem comes in the title, the paradox of ‘Doomed Youth' implies that it will not be a happy poem but the first line is significant as the central idea of the poem is revealed. â€Å"What passing bells for those who die as cattle?† The rhetorical question at the very beginning of the poem draws the reader in making them think fully about the ideas carried on through the rest of the poem. From the very start we are aware that the people who are dying are not considered important as the writer refers to the people as ‘those'. Also the depersonalisation as he calls them ‘cattle' implies that they were thought to be no more than animals. They also lose their own personal identities. ‘Cattle' also implies that the men do not have voices and needs that anyone else – anyone human – can understand. As a reader I feel that opening the poem with a rhetorical question is very effective. However in the second line of the poem Owen personifies the guns – ‘monstrous anger' – showing that the guns are worth more and have a louder voice than the men who are dying, which links to the first line as the men were depersonalised. Also Owen uses the word ‘stuttering' to describe the rifles which could imply that the soldiers are young and nervous referring to ‘youth' in the title. The reader feels sympathetic towards the young soldiers. Again Owen implies that the soldiers are not seen as individuals by the use of ‘Can patter out their hasty orisons'. By using the word ‘their' Owen shows how the soldiers were grouped together. This idea is carried on to the next line with ‘No mockeries for them' as he refers to the men as ‘them.' The idea of ‘mockeries,' ‘prayers', ‘bells' and ‘mourning' all are associated with death and funerals, but the repeated use of ‘No' tells us that no one respected the soldiers enough for a proper burial, it could also imply too many of the soldiers were dying. This also relates to the question at the beginning of the poem. The reader feels angry that the soldiers are not respected in their deaths. Although the second stanza starts the same way as the first stanza – with a rhetorical question – the ideas suggested are different. â€Å"What candle may be held to speed them all?† Unlike the first rhetorical question this implies that there is not anything good or big enough to show respect to all the soldiers who died in the war. This rhetorical question also links the first and second stanzas together as they both start the same way. Also death is portrayed in a more positive light, as the people at home respect the soldiers. This is shown by the ‘holy glimmers of goodbyes' by the use of the word ‘holy' the poet shows the reader that the soldiers were respected greatly. Owen also implies that only in death with the torture of war end which makes the reader feel sympathy for the soldiers and anger for the pointless destruction that war causes. In contrast to the treatment of the soldiers in the first stanza the writer tells the reader that the soldiers will be missed as he says about the women at home: â€Å"the pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;† This shows that they were worried about their husbands, brothers and sons. This is carried through the next line when Owen tells the reader ‘their flowers the tenderness of patient minds' showing that the war is not only affecting the soldiers but their loved ones who are left behind. This makes the reader sympathetic towards the soldiers and their family and friends. The idea of respect is carried on in the last line as the alliteration of ‘And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.' slows down the pace of the words and ‘drawing down of blinds' symbolises the end of another soldiers life as drawing down blinds was a mark of respect when someone died. ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth' by Wilfred Owen is a poem in which a significant moment reveals the central idea of the poem. Through many poetic techniques such as word choice, alliteration and personification the writer effectively creates a moment which the central idea is revealed. Anthem For Doomed Youth Throughout this poem there is a theme of mourning and funeral. In the first stanza it is almost sarcastic with instruments of war conducting a service on the battlefield for their victims. The guns become ‘passing-bells' and shells become ‘demented choirs'. The second stanza takes us back home where the true mourners are. The poet speaks of how ‘the holy glimmers of goodbyes' will shine in the eyes of boys instead of their hands and how ‘the pallor of girls' brows' being the ‘pall' of the dead. The last two lines, for me carry the greatest effect and meaning: ‘Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds' The first is about the disappointment of people who have worried and waited for a long time and whose pain can only be expressed in small gestures or things such as flowers. The second could be interpreted in many different ways. It could be referring to the custom of drawing down of blinds but it could also be about the end of a life and hope leaving as reality settles. These two lines also delineate the pointlessness of hoping as the dead were ‘doomed' and predestined for slaughter in the way that ‘cattle' are in the first place. ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth' is structured like a sonnet and has a very strong rhyme which never appears to be forced and does not interrupt the meaning of the poetry. Indeed, most things about the structure and choice of language appear to be unforced as they are so well incorporated with one another and only after the second reading does one realise how carefully thought out they are. In the first stanza, there is a large use of onomatopoeia: ‘stuttering', ‘rattle', ‘patter', ‘wailing'. This has the effect of bringing the reader to the battlefield. Wilfred Owen has personified the warfare and made the rifles ‘stutter' and the shells ‘wail'. He has also made them come to life; guns cannot be angry and neither can shells be ‘mourning'. This forms an image in the first stanza that is slightly ‘demented' and disturbing. He often repeats vowel sounds and uses alliteration throughout the poem. In ‘the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle' the ‘a' sound is repeated along with the alliteration of the ‘t's. The words of the poem are cleverly chosen to heighten the expression of the poem in the way it is read. For instance, in the quotation about the rifles above, the alliteration he has chosen to make makes the sound interrupted and quickens the pace. This also reminds of the panic and rushing of war. In the final lines the words are not ones that can be said quickly: ‘flowers', ‘patient', ‘minds', ‘slow', ‘blinds'. This dramatically slows the pace of reading and makes them more expressive because it makes the reader think that the poem also dies with the soldiers or the hopes for the soldiers' lives. What is interesting is that there are no phrases that bind this poem to the First World War. Of course, it was written about it, but if given to a reader who did not know about Wilfred Owen or his works, they could think it was about any or all wars after the invention of the rifle. The poem does not mention trenches or gas. ‘These who die as cattle' are not necessarily British, neither are they necessarily of any side in war; they are the collective dead. ‘The guns' are not our guns or their guns. In the preface for a book of poems he intended to publish, Wilfred Owen wrote ‘My Subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity.' ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth' is unique in that the pity is not only for the soldiers of the First World War, but also for those who suffered the loss of people they loved. It can be raised to a universal level where it comments on the shame and futility of all wars. In his other poetry, there is often blame involved but in this poem he evokes an air of sadness and waste only. There is genius behind the phrasing of it, but it is almost hidden because of its perfection.

Public perception or opinion on GREEN IT practices in Organisations Essay

Public perception or opinion on GREEN IT practices in Organisations - Essay Example The adoption of Green IT ensures that IT technologies have minimal impact on the environment. Today’s businesses, organizations, learning and government institutions are dependent on technology. For instance, it is now possible to shop from the comfort of our homes thanks to the ever growing IT technologies. People are nowadays more glued to their Personal Computers, laptops, smart phones and every kind of electronic devices that simplifies communication. With every passing day, newer, better and more advanced communication devices are released to the market. This implies that the older versions quickly become obsolete and outdated and are constantly replaced with the newer ones. This reliance on technology also implies that more ink and paper are used. The introduction of Green IT to organizations, therefore, is a move that aims at reducing the use of environmentally harmful materials, improve energy efficiency during the use of IT materials and market biodegradability and re cyclability of all IT waste materials in various organizations (Wilcox & Charlotte 2009). This ensures that the IT practices of an organization do not have adverse effects to the environment. In order to promote ICT sustainability, it is important to study the concepts involved and the impact that their adoption in various organizations will have on the environment. This study helps us identify the potential practices that once incorporated in the everyday activities within an organization will help minimize the impact of IT use on the environment. The success of the practice of Green IT largely depends on the public’s acceptance of the practice. People have felt the impact of environmental degradation and are now willing to accept green practices. More people are getting involved in environmental conservation practices and therefore the sustainable ICT. Public Perception of Green IT An environmentally green neighborhood directly translates to a better quality of life of a co mmunity. This implies that greener landscape promotes healthy living. Before a given group of people can accept new life practices, there is a need to educate them on the importance of the practice and to impact to their lives. The results are practices and daily activities that minimize waste and thus conserve the environment. The public will always be worried about accompanying results that comes with the adoption of sustainable ICT. These include financial concerns, perceived disconnects and misperception of terms. While most people in organizations had never heard of Green IT, many considered it as a service or infrastructure delivered by the government. Contrary to the reality, a group of the public also considers introduction of Green Computing to organizations as more expensive. Consequently, people are more concerned on the cost of installation of the sustainable IT infrastructure and their respective maintenance costs. Green IT: Green IT Practices in Organizations The opera tion and communication within organizations have gone paperless. The use of printed hardcopy materials is being minimized with the adoption of electronic archiving and documentation. Instead of using hardcopy documentation, organizations are now promoting the adoption of softcopy materials thereby minimizing the use of

Religious Belief versus Intellectual Acceptance Essay

Religious Belief versus Intellectual Acceptance - Essay Example Theology is the organizing and systematizing of the doctrines of a religion to make them consistent with each other and relevant to the rest of life. It means the evaluation and correction of doctrine. One doctrine is not just as good as another unless it gives equal expression to the same belief, equal in the sense of being as true to experience and as easy to understand in the terms of its expression. A detached study of doctrines in relation to knowledge as a whole is undertaken in the philosophy of religion (Foster, 2000). Some doctrines do not change with changing a life but remain constant because the aspect of the experience to which they refer remains constant. An example, to be discussed more fully later, is the doctrine of the two natures of Christ. Working with the facts of Jesus' humanity and the conviction of his Deity as well, the Church after rejecting doctrinal formulations expressed in terms of dual personalities, or dual wills, or Divine spirit inhabiting a human body, settled on the doctrine of the two natures; namely, that Christ was fully man and fully God, yet one person (Willard, 2000). The doctrine of the two natures of Christ is held to this day because a better formulation of the central conviction has not been found. And, of course, insofar as there is similarity of belief and culture, there will be similarity of doctrine--hence, the degree of consistency within a particular religion that sets it apart from other religions. For example, in the doctrine of the Trinity--that God is one in three persons--person means something quite different from our contemporary idea of a person. Failure to appreciate this often makes people think that Christianity affirms the existence of three Gods. Or again, Protestants affirm their faith in the "holy Catholic Church," even though for many of them the first association of the word catholic is with the Roman Catholic Church rather than with the universal body of Christian believers, as they really define it.

Hume Of the Standard of Taste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hume Of the Standard of Taste - Essay Example In this essay, I first of all, purpose to discuss what Hume proposes to be the condition for beauty. Secondly, I will demonstrate how an object can be termed as either beautiful or not, based on the proposal. In addition, I will analyze the factors that motivated this proposal by Hume, and lastly, examine whether there is sufficient reason to support Hume’s proposal. What is the condition for being beautiful? Hume is of the opinion that for something to be beautiful, then it must be able to have durability, uniformity, and generality in admiration (I.XXIII.12-13). For example, an object that has been around for many generations and withstood the criticisms leveled against it can be said to be truly beautiful. However, an object that was once considered beautiful but has since faded into history cannot be termed as beautiful since it lacks durability. In as far as general admiration is concerned; a beautiful thing tends to gain appreciation from people of multiple cultures all over the world. From Hume’s point of view, the observer’s mind must be at an ideal state of serenity and free of external hindrances and prejudice, while judging the beauty of an object (I.XXIII.11). In addition, Hume states that the observer must also pay very close attention to the object by focusing all thought on the object in order to study its finer details (I.XXIII.11). How does a beautiful object differ from one that is not beautiful? At the outset, Hume seems to agree to the fact that the beauty of an object only lies in the eyes of the observer. For example, Hume writes that a man of sense in as far as arts are concerned is more likely to differ with a man who has no sense of art, concerning the beauty of an object (I.XXIII.23). Similarly, according to Hume, a young man is more likely to consider tender and affectionate images as more beautiful (I.XXIII.30). On the other hand, Hume writes that an old man may find beauty in philosophical and wise teachings tha t teach on the value of life (I.XXIII.30). In Hume’s opinion, beauty can only be achieved if the human mind is free of all internal obstructions and external hindrances. Drawing form these expressions, it is clear that Hume perceives beauty as not stemming from the qualities of an object, but by the capacity of the object to stir up certain sentiments in the observer. Hume gives the example of how two of Sancho’s kinsmen were asked to give their opinion regarding the excellence of a hogshead (I.XXIII.16). Everyone knew that the wine was of superior quality, yet, when the two men tasted it, although both agreed that it was good, one noted that there was a bit of leather taste in it, while the other one noted that there was a silver taste in the wine. Hume goes on to narrate that the two men were ridiculed for their judgment, yet when the hogshead was emptied, therein lay an old key tied ton a leather thong (I.XXIII.16). In reference to this example, it is clear that alt hough people may unanimously decide that something is beautiful; there are critics who may find flaws by carefully studying the object under observation. What is Hume’s motivation for his proposal on beauty? Firstly, Hume tends to draw his motivation for proposing that beauty is an effect on the mind from the fact that beauty is valued by everyone, while ugliness or deformity is usually a repulsive characteristic. Nonetheless, different people have different opinions regarding which objects are beautiful and which ones are not. Secondly, from Hume’