Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy is another work that could be classified under the feminist canon. The feminist expressions in this five-part novel could be found in the exchanges between the women characters. The imaginative and detailed inquiry into the relationships between mothers and daughters, rich and poor, and black and white in the book brings forth the author’s thoughts on feminism. The fact that Lucy is a semi-autobiographical account of Kincaid’s life experiences makes its voice all the more authentic. The applicability of feminist theories in Rebecca was in the context of the narrator’s relationship with Maxim and his dead Mistress Rebecca. In Lucy, by contrast, we see Jamaica Kincaid’s exploration of subtleties and intricacies involved in relationships between different female characters in the story. Feminism is . . . Read More
Feminist interpretation of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Feminism is commonly understood to be the women’s movement for political, social, educational and economic equality with men. While the United States and Europe have been the geo-political arenas for feminist ideas, the rest of the world is also catching up. Feminist issues range from “access to employment, education, child care, contraception, and abortion, to equality in the workplace, changing family roles, redress for sexual harassment in the workplace, and the need for equal political representation”. The object of this essay is to discuss the following three books from the feminist perspective: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Lucy by Jamaica Kincard and Carrie by Stephen King.
The novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier belongs to two genres – romance and crime. Though the two categories might appear incongruous, . . . Read More
Autobiographical elements in To Room Nineteen by Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing as a literary artist incorporates autobiographical elements in most of her works. And the short story “To Room Nineteen” is no different. The other recurrent theme of Lessing’s writing is her provocative brand of feminism, which also finds expression in this story. The objective of this paper is to draw parallels between the lives of the author and her lead character Susan Rawlings.
In the short story To Room Nineteen, the protagonist Susan Rawlings is propelled by her circumstances into committing suicide. But, this Lessing has dealt with the subject already in her 1971 novel . . . Read More
Environmental factors of substance abuse
Addiction to recreational drugs is gaining epidemic proportions in the United States. These drugs include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. The focus of this essay will be heroin. The following passages will attempt to determine what are the factors that lead to heroin addiction and what role does the environment (meaning social setups) contribute to the condition.
First of all, it is important to understand, that heroin is sought after by addicts for its ability to mitigate pain and suffering. So, all individuals who are mentally stressed and display symptoms of depression are prone to heroin usage. But, . . . Read More
An assessment of the impact of the ideas and activities of John Maynard Keynes on the development of the international economy
John Maynard Keynes was arguably the most influential economic thinker of the twentieth century. His ideas and theories have generated academic discussion and debate. As with all landmark scientific achievements in human history Keynesian economics too has had mixed fortunes in its journey so far. The following quote from Knut Wicksell succinctly expresses this condition,
“…there is no single doctrine taken to be a scientific truth without the diametrically opposite view being similarly upheld by authors of high repute … in other fields of science these conflicts usually come to an end … It is only in the field of economics that the state of war seems to persist and remain permanent.” (Dillard, 1948)
This observation by Knut Wicksell is perfectly applicable to the impact and . . . Read More
The current leadership and membership composition of the Chinese Communist Party reflects the evolution of the Chinese state and society since 1949
Ever since the communist revolution of the late 1940s, and the subsequent formation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949, many positive developments have taken place both within the party as well as for Chinese citizens. The rest of this essay will discuss how the internal party mechanism has evolved to reflect the progress made by the Chinese as a nation and as people.
Firstly, comparison between the erstwhile Soviet . . . Read More
A critical evaluation of Australia’s role in the campaign against global terrorism – the case for a more neutral role
Academics within the Social Sciences and Humanities departments have put forward a broad range of views on the Twenty First century affliction that is global terrorism. While the United States has taken upon itself the prime responsibility of waging “war on terror”, the rest of the world is not so sure about its intentions. There are exceptions, of course, and there is no surprise in the fact that Britain and Australia have continued their long standing position as junior partners to American initiatives – diplomatic or military. This is a tradition that has its origins in the common Anglo-Saxon roots of the respective nations’ elite. While joining the American led ‘Coalition of the Willing’ might help boost the Australian economy, there is more to the issue than just prosperity. In the course of the essay I will be arguing that the status quo lacks prudence and how a neutral stand on the war on terrorism will augur well for Australia’s long term future (Lee, 2007, . . . Read More
Are we living in a period of ‘the cult of the personality’? An analysis in relation to docusoaps and reality TV
One of the markers of the 21st century popular culture is the apparent dilution in its quality and content. The medium with the widest reach, Television, is not only a source of entertainment but also employed by the powers that be to manipulate and deceive the gullible viewer in order to propagate its own political or business agenda. The contemporary media scene is such that the main focus is on vague and superficial qualities such as “the personality” and “the style” – a distinguishable shift from earlier programming that was more intellectually stimulating and culturally refined. Genres such as Reality shows, talent hunts, game shows, etc rule the roost in what is becoming an increasingly consolidated media space. Within an apparently diverse offering to the public, the issues and topics that find representation are very limited, more so in the news media (Marshall; 2004: 102). The rest of the essay will discuss the conditions that led to the present state of popular . . . Read More
Best Practices Manual for Supervisors
The term ‘supervisor’ refers to a person who assigns work to subordinates and oversees their activities and performance. In management the first line managers at operating level are called ‘supervisors’ because it is the primary duty of first line managers to supervise the employees engaged in the basic operations (also called operating workforce) (Ahuja, 2005, p.225).
Supervision
In management, the term ‘supervision’ means overseeing the subordinates at work by their superiors. It is the function of leading, co-coordinating and directing the work of others to accomplish designated objectives. It refers to the direct and immediate guidance and control of subordinates in the performance of their task (Sharma, 204, p.110).
ROLE OF SUPERVISOR IN AN ORGANIZATION
The role of a supervisor in an organization has been shown below: Fig. Role of Supervisor (Sharma, 204, p.111)
(a) As . . . Read More
International Business Report: A Case Study of Ireland
Introduction: Ireland, in spite of carrying several disadvantages compared to its more prosperous neighbours is finally on the ascendancy. While the European Union as whole goes through similar fortunes and the vagaries of economic development is similar across the region, Ireland seems an exception to this rule. If the Foreign Direct Investment is taken as a key indicator of economic progress and political stability, then Ireland has shown some promising signs over the last few years. The rest of the essay is an attempt to understand the conditions that have aided such economic success. This . . . Read More