Literature of the Western World Essay

Fray Luis De Leon’s use of the good shepherd motif in At the Ascension (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001) is a wholly unexpected one.   Hearing the phrase or title ‘the good shepherd’ clearly fills one with expectation that the word good in it means good of action.   In other words, a reader encountering this phrase would assume that the shepherd is good because of the work that he does.   For example, a shepherd who carefully rounds up his sheep would be a good shepherd, while one who loses his sheep would be a bad shepherd. This is in opposition to ‘good’ referring to a quality of character.   In this fashion, good is a description of what a person is, not what a person does.   This is apart from action.   It is this latter understanding that is what De Leon leaves us with.   He writes â€Å"Holy Shepherd, dost thou leave thy flock in this valley profound and obscure, to dwell with solitude and grieve, while piercing through the heavens pure, thou risest to immortality secure?† (p. 2217).   This is certainly not the typical use of the metaphor in religious literature. For a more conventional, religious interpretation of the shepherd, consider this oft quoted poem from Lope de Vega entitled The Good Shepherd (Walsh, 1920).   In it he writes, â€Å"Shepherd! Who with thine amorous sylvan song, hast broken the slumber that encompassed me, who mad’st thy crook from the accursed tree, on which thy powerful arms were stretched so long!   Lead me to mercy’s ever-flowing fountains; for thou my shepherd, guard and guide shall be.† This image from de Vega is in complete opposition to the use of the form by de Leon.   It represents, again, a more typical usage of shepherd in a religious context, and is used to demonstrate unconditional, usually sacrificial love for others, as in de Vega.   De Leon, though, turns that motif around, blaming the shepherd for not being all the things that our expectations demand. St. John of the Cross, in his poem I Entered Where I Did Not Know would seem, at least at first glance/first read, to be a substantial paradox.   Certainly to the secular reader, it must be such.   It is a poem that explores such seemingly contradictory thoughts such as, â€Å"Unknowing where I was, I learned unheard of things, but what I heard I cannot say, for I remained unknowing, all reason now transcended† (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001, p. 2220).    Using the words ‘learned’ and ‘unknowing’ in the same few lines does not just transcend reason, but transcends every expectation but contradiction.   This, as I stated, though, is the view of the secular reader.   The paradox is unraveled and the mystery revealed when read through the lens of the religious observer who is accustomed to this type of usage of the limitations of humanity.   St. John clearly is talking of two realms here, the physical (mortal) and the spiritual (eternal).   Knowledge that the self possesses, he is intimating through this poem, is only the knowledge of the physical world that we have.   In that area of understanding, we have our version of knowledge – what he calls ‘knowing’. However, when attempting to grasp the reality of the spiritual world, our knowledge that we possess about the physical world is absolutely useless to us.   Our very own reason (i.e. our mind) cannot even begin to understand what it sees of the spirit world.   It remains outside of our comprehension, and our ability to gain knowledge of.   Even when we stand in its presence, we are left unknowing. Lupercio Leonardo de Argensola’s poem beginning, â€Å"First I must confess, Don Juan,† is most certainly a serious, though clever, observation about appearance and truth.   It reads in a whimsical sort of fashion, and is almost too witty for its own good.   Because of its non subtle imagination, and condescending language, the poem is often misunderstood.   The reader is apt to rush to judgment.   Far from being just a playful conceit, however, it contains much deeper meaning. Lines such as, â€Å"†¦Dona Elvira’s pink and white, if truly seen, owe to her no more than what they cost to buy,† (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001, p. 2239) indicate such a lack of value of internal beauty (and perhaps external beauty, for that matter) within Dona Elvira that the reader almost must laugh at the pointed jest.   But this is serious.   Considering how Argensola treats this appearance of the lady, this is plain to see.   He attributes her with ‘false beauty’ and ‘deceit’, and then goes on to explain that he is swayed by it.   It is clear that he finds this trait of hers to be contrary to truth and is merely appearance. If the poet did not find these issues to be important, then he would have just stated the appearance of the deceit, and been done with it.   Since he adds commentary, however, by going on to talk about its influence on him (and presumably all men), a serious tone is affected.   It is similar, then, to Campion’s Amaryllis in I Care Not for These Ladies (Campion).   Campion declares of the country maid that her natural beauty disdains art and that her beauty is actually her own.   In other words, this is the same question that Argensola raises, the same test he puts to the woman in his poem.   Does she have internal beauty, that of truth without falsehood? This is the true beauty of internal integrity.   Or is she just a painted lady, who practices deceit with her very face?   These are serious questions about not only appearance, but also of truth, and both Argensola and Campion express the same judgment in the end.   These are not mere plays on words, but deeper exercises into human behavior. Sor Juana’s verses regarding men’s choices and their consequences shows her craft at its very best (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001).   As has been noted, it is the choice of her weapon – reason – that made her and still makes her one of the top anti-misogynists of all time.   Her lack of flowery wording and coy assumptions and directions lend to the power of her poems. She remains fully a poet, while also assuming a full role of sociologist.   Had she been purely focused on the direct attack, a non-rational set of accusations, her legacy would have been much different.   She knew and understood that the direct attack through poetry or other works of literature have been long derided as pure emotionalism, a weakness men attribute to women.   Therefore, Sor Juana did turn to logic and rationale.   Ironically, these have long been promoted by men to be men’s tools. Her use of paradoxes to dismiss men’s treatment of women is astounding and successful.   Her words are sharp.   She raises issues in a back and forth style, point for point, in which paradoxes are found, such as men stating that they will batter a woman down emotionally, but be upset when they show emotions. Or courting a woman and then declaring her to be open and lewd when she accepts.   These paradoxes are enough for anyone – feminist or non feminist – to be able to understand that, as Sor Juana would say, â€Å"For plain default of common sense, could any action be so queer as oneself to cloud the mirror, then complain that it’s not clear?† (p. 2263). Machiavellian behavior is that of cunning and duplicity.   This type of overt behavior is easily found in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Wilkie & Hurt, 2001).   However, it is a tempered, double edged sword.   It is too easy, nearly tempting, to assign pro- and anti-Machiavellian behavior within the play specifically to separate characters. What is intriguing is the argument for and against within the same character.   Consider Prospero.   He is full of cunning and guile.   While outwardly extending a hand of friendship as Prince, he acts to destroy behind the scenes simultaneously.   He takes advantage of his mystical powers to control the situation from well beyond the reach of others.   In those ways, he is an easy to find villain.   Particularly, his sheer cunning and duplicitous grabs at power can be expressed as being Machiavellian. But what of the other side of things?   Is there a different aspect by which Prospero can be observed?   Is he to be excused?   And if so, don’t we have to dismiss the Machiavellian notion? It is true that the play opens with his exile.   It appears true that his exile was a wrong done to him by Alonso.   Therefore all of his actions and behaviors through the play could be seen as rightful revenge.   And if this is true, wouldn’t his character be forgiven, and his motivations just?   Finally, in this way, would not Prospero be seen, himself, as actually anti-Machiavellian because he is driven by rightful justice?   This is the interesting question.   It begs us to look deeper into characters before blindly agreeing with popular literary criticism. References Campion, T. I Care Not For These Ladies. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved May 27, 2010 < http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=181014> Walsh, T. (Ed.). (1920). Hispanic Anthology: Poems Translated from the Spanish by English and North American Poets. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Wilkie, B., & Hurt, J. (Ed.). (2001). Literature of the Western World vol.1: The Ancient World Through the Renaissance, 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

BMW’s Internationalisation Strategy

BMWs Internationalisation Strategy â€Å"Worldwide movement toward economic, financial, trade, and communications integration. Globalization implies opening out beyond local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected and inter-dependent world with free transfer of capital, goods, and services across national frontiers.† Globalization is a process of interface and merger amongst the people, companies, and governments of different states, a process encouraged by international trade and investment and supported by technology. This process has effects on the environment, culture, political structures, economic progress and prosperity. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), English: Bavarian Motor Works is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company which was founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars also is under the management of BMW AG. BMW manufactures motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands. BMW is known for its performance and luxury vehicles. BMW cars are being assembled in South Africa since 1968, when Praetor Monteerders’ factory was opened in Rosslyn, near Pretoria. To begin with BMW bought shares in the company, before fully buying it out in 1975. As a result the company was named BMW South Africa; this was the first fully owned subsidiary of BMW AG which was established outside Germany. Despite U.S. manufacturers, such as Ford and GM divesting from the country in the 1980s, BMW continued to maintain full ownership of its operations in South Africa. Subsequent to the fall of apartheid in 1994 and the import duties being reduced, BMW South Africa halted manufacturing of the 5-Series and 7-Series. This was done in order to focus on manufacturing of the 3-Series which was to be exported. BMW South Africa’s cars were now being exported to right hand drive countries which included Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, etc.; this also included the African Saha ra. Since 1997 BMW South Africa had started producing vehicles in left hand drive which were to be exported to Taiwan, the United States, etc. Austria In 1978, BMW took a decision to begin a joint venture with the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch to design, produce and sell diesel engines. When this joint venture ended in 1982, BMW took over the plant in the Austrian city of Steyr under its own group. Over time the Austrian factory had become the back bone for engine production and R&D. United States of America BMWs Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, USA commenced operation and began producing BMW automobiles for the world market in 1994. A huge success of these automobiles soon led to extensive structural enlargements at the Spartanburg plant. Its capacity was enlarged by adding additional shifts, introducing flexible working-hour models and hiring new employees. Today, the Spartanburg plant is open six days a week, with circa 110 hours a week of production. United Kingdom The BMW Group brought its flagship brand MINI into the European market in 2000. The first models to be introduced were the MINI One and MINI Cooper. In 2002, the sporty MINI Cooper S was launched, as did the MINI One D with diesel engine in 2003. In 2004, the MINI convertible was launched. The origin of the MINI is the Oxford plant in the United Kingdom. It is totally incorporated into the BMW Group production network. The plant and Mini brand were acquired in 1994 with purchase of the Rover Group.

Sun Yat Sen and Democracy in China - Indispensable to each other Dissertation

Sun Yat Sen and Democracy in China - Indispensable to each other - Dissertation Example With these ideas in mind Sun set out with the task of materializing his ideas of establishing democracy in China. Commonly recognised as the â€Å"Father of Modern China† Sun was successful in neutralizing the power of the Qing dynasty and was elected as the President of the Republic of China and later became the forerunner of the Nationalist Party in China. The paper focuses on the elaboration of contributions that Sun Yat-Sen made in China for establishing democracy. The prime agenda is to seek an answer to what extent was Sun successful in establishing democracy in China. The paper is disintegrated into several segments in order to critically analyze and reach optimal inferences 1. Introduction Sun Yat-Sen (1866–1925 AD), also known as the ‘Father of Modern China’, was an ardent advocate of constitutional democracy. A Chinese thinker, political leader, and a medical practitioner, Sun-Yat-Sen is renowned for his contribution in the collapse of Chinaâ€⠄¢s two thousand years old autocratic imperial system. Sun Yat Sen’s philosophy was motivated by the modern western culture and he tried to incorporate in China the very characteristics of the same along with the traditional Chinese tradition at its base in order to make China competitive on the global platform. Majority of Sun Yat-Sen’s constitutional thought was built on blocks of ancient Chinese political philosophy with regionalized Oriental political tradition, which might not be easy for outsiders to understand. Considerable volumes of works by Sun Yat-Sen influenced heavily the governmental structure of Republican China between 1928 and 1949. Sun’s prescribed models of democracy were a true... Majority of Sun Yat-Sen’s constitutional thought was built on blocks of ancient Chinese political philosophy with regionalized Oriental political tradition, which might not be easy for outsiders to understand. Considerable volumes of works by Sun Yat-Sen influenced heavily the governmental structure of Republican China between 1928 and 1949. Sun’s prescribed models of democracy were a true mixture of distinctive cultural norms of the East and the West (Chiyeung Ip, 2008: 1-2). With a combination of the Western elements and Oriental theory of constitutionalism, Sun Yat-Sen’s philosophy provides valuable information and solution for problems of the liberal democratic policy faced by the other countries .The policies address the domination of the ‘best marketed’ politicians of â€Å"low-caliber† over the best statesmen; the powerless state of the electorate and also the difficulties faced in the promotion of democratic and socio-economic reforms together. But at the same time he is criticised for the blending of Confucian political ideas (Chinese ethical and philosophical systems developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius) with liberal democratic elements. Considering the criticisms, SunYat-Sen sometimes have been regarded as illogical and disorganised (Chiyeung Ip, 2008: 8).

Discuss the claim that, despite repeated reform, the Common Essay

Discuss the claim that, despite repeated reform, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) still retains its protectionist nature - Essay Example These regulations cover rural development, horizontal matters like financial support and controls, direct payments for farmers among others. Most critics view the Common Agricultural Policy as a form of protectionism meant to defend European producers from inexpensive products produced outside the European Union. This paper is going to discuss the claim that despite repeated reform, the Common Agricultural Policy retains its protectionist nature. Over the years, the European Union has been a model in regional integration and trade promotion trough out the world. This is evidenced by its move to cut many trade barriers through bilateral trade agreements, giving grants to poor countries, not forgetting that its creation has enhanced trade among the member states in a very significant way. Most importantly, it can be noted that the European Union is one of the trading blocs with lowest tariffs on imports from non-member states. Although this claim is true to some extent, the European Union protects Agriculture, which is one of its member states’ key industry sectors through the Common Agricultural Policy. The Common Agricultural Policy enacts trade barriers on agricultural produce from outside the European Union and at the same time subsidizing the domestic producers among its member states. Subsidies and artificially higher prices sometimes lead to overproduction, hence food surpluses in the European markets. The European Union in turn sells the excess supplies to the world market through subsidized exports, ensuring that domestic farmers enjoy higher income and job security. These subsidized export products are sold below the market prices, competing unfairly with products from developing economies. Some of the surpluses are stored to make the food mountains which are often destroyed when they cannot be sold. Consumers on the other hand are compelled to pay artificially higher prices for the food

Importance of Cash Management in Small to Medium Sized Businesses Essay

Importance of Cash Management in Small to Medium Sized Businesses - Essay Example Cash management is important to SME as it regulates cash flow and prevents prolonged cash shortages that result from too much difference between cash inflows and cash outflows.3 Cash inflows come from customers, lenders and investors, while cash outflows include payments made to suppliers, creditors and as employee salaries. Negative cash flow occurs when cash outflow is more than cash inflow (due to several reasons such as weak debtor collections, outdated inventory, etc.); in such a situation, the SME is forced to borrow money from lenders, otherwise it will be in bad trouble – the main source of which is non-payment of dues to creditors, suppliers and employees. SME do their best to avoid this scenario and instead strive to attain a positive cash flow, which takes place when the cash inflow is more than the cash outflow. The overall aim of the SME is to generate profit. But the amount of profit earned is meaningless if the SME does not experience a positive cash flow, simpl y because it is possible to spend cash, not Cash management techniques of SME and consumers are similar in several ways, while they also differ in many ways. SME cannot therefore practice all techniques as consumers and vice versa. There are 5 cash techniques of consumers that SME can practice, as these are sound methods conducive towards generating a positive cash flow as well as profit for the enterprise. Firstly, it is important and practical to prepare a cash flow projection for a certain period (usually 6 months), forecasting the income and expenditure over that period.5 Secondly, it is a good practice to set aside a certain amount as emergency fund to be used in case of unexpected developments.6 Thirdly, leasing of equipment presents a better alternative as compared to purchase, as the former does not result in cash blockage that is caused by the latter.7 Fourthly, the overall aim is to create profit (savings in case of

Michael Foucault Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Michael Foucault - Essay Example His research is often described as postmodernist and post-structuralism (Wikipedia Encyclopedia). Foucault focused on the dangers posed by psychoanalysis in the development of a disciplinary society (Milchman, Rosenberg 2003). One of the main reasons that Foucault emphasized on the subject of psychoanalysis is because it is a topic on which modern thought processes are based. The way we see our selves, our surroundings and the reality around us are all based on psychoanalysis. During the 1950's and 1960's many renowned scientists of the time designated homosexuality as pathological and ill. On the other hand, the adoption of heterosexual behavior (even for the homosexuals) was deemed as correct and righteous. Foucault was highly concerned about the cruelty imposed by various institutions on patients who were not deemed as proper in the face of the society in general. Hence, this justifies his reasons for providing sufficient warnings about the dangers of psychoanalysis. The Foucault methodology does not imply how a person should be but rather focuses on the reasons behind certain behavioral patterns of the patient. Until recently gays did not have any rights in the western society; and neither did children, the old, the mentally ill and the criminals. Foucault has laid the groundwork in his studies to provide these subjugated and oppressed members of the society with proper and due rights. It has been mentioned in a paper by Pryce (1999) that psychoanalysis may be used to obtain information of a "confessional nature" from a patient. This information may be about a topic that the patient is unable to discuss (such as sexual abuse). Three basic steps are used for the process of receiving such information. The direct citation from the paper is given as follows; "First, the medical consultation and examination includes asking the client questions concerning the particulars of sexual activities, orientation and risk behaviors and then physically examining the client. These are often illustrated using preprinted, small diagram of disembodied genitalia or rectum where the physician indicates the site of a lesion by inscribing an X'. Second, during specimen collections and treatments conducted by nurses there is a professional incitement to confess feelings and disclosure of psychosocial dimensions of sexuality. Third, the role of the health advisor and/or psychologist may include that of counselor utilizing some techniques and methods derived from formal counseling and psychology, whereby the client speaks the sin by naming it." Sexuality and Foucault's Work In accordance to Foucault's work sexuality can be viewed in two different ways. The eastern society (e.g. India) sees sexuality as an art form (e.g. Kamasutra), whereas the other type society thinks of sexuality as something to be shameful of and to hide from the public eye. However, in the case of Western society has resulted in the ideology of "confession." This includes the confessions about one's sexuality and sexual origins. Confession is an everyday part of the

Research and Professional Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Research and Professional Skills - Assignment Example Developing critical thinking has made me examine the validity and truth of arguments by assessing the relative significance rather than accepting ideas at face value. In addition, I learned that in order to develop the strong critical mind, it is important to be persistent, as this would enable me to get answers to questions I have asked. In my view, I have learned that research and professional skill is a good subject in that it has enabled me to think carefully and strategically about my objectives and areas which I need to improve. I am now in a position to make plans in that I can choose how to attain my desired career outcome. This is possible because I have set attainable and manageable objectives and I am ready to revise the plans if things do not go as planned. In addition, research and professional skills have helped me improve my writing skill. Throughout the course, I have experienced numerous challenges. For instance, I have been asthmatic because of the bad weather and workload stress that has made me suffer. Because of my sickness, I have been absent for almost four weeks which implies that I have missed classes for a duration of four weeks. Therefore, in order to compensate for the time I have been absent, I need more time and effort in order to catch up with the syllabus. Lecturers understand my situation, give me strong support, and help me to attain what I have missed. For instance, they give me relevant notes that I need to revise, encourage me not to give up and explain concepts that I do not understand. More so, I borrow notes from my classmates and conduct further research in areas that require more reading. I am specialized in management accounting since I performed well in this area at the beginning but I encounter some challenges in decision-making section despite the fact it is the subject I am interested in. The main challenge is that I record poor results in finance  reporting assignment because of poor understanding and sickness. I cannot understand this subject well because of weak interpretation and due to the fact that I did not comprehend the main criteria that the assignment requires.