Bret Harte is a writer whose works are full of human empathy and insight. He is also exceptional in terms of attention to detail and gifted in coming up with beautiful turns of phrase. In the three short stories of the author chosen for this essay, we see ample examples of remarkable literary and humane…
How does Plato’s theory of the psyche relate to modern management practice?
Executive Summary: Plato’s speculations and assertions on the nature of human psyche have withstood the test of time and are a useful aid to modern managers. Plato defined the abstract and the rational as equivalent to the moral good. He equated self-knowledge with self-restraint, and proclaimed that knowledge is virtue. According to Plato, the psyche…
My most enduring childhood memory
The most cherished memories from my childhood are those related to my annual visit to grandparents’ house in the countryside. The excitement of an extended holiday, coupled with the absence of routine school schedule, helped me enjoy every moment of the annual vacation. I was usually joined by my cousins during the vacation, who were…
Response to Equiano the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man
The book Equiano the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man is one of the most important historical documents of imperialism. The book narrates the story of a former slave – Olaudah Equiano (born circa 1750 and died 1797) – who is one of the earliest voices of African slaves. Reading this book has been an…
The misapplication of the myth of Hercules to the injustices of imperialism – based on illustrations by John Smith and Richard Frethorne
The imperialists’ adoption of the myth of Hercules and the many headed Hydra to their cause is problematic and flawed. Firstly, there is nothing Herculean about the imperialist agenda of expansion and economic exploitation. Secondly, far from being the devilish and much maligned mythic creature that is the Hydra, those represented by it are mostly…
A response to Jenni Russell’s ‘The Selfish Generation’
Jenni Russell’s article for the Guardian newspaper that appeared on 6th December 2003 raises contemporary problems in social interactions. She laments the fact that as individual, isolated consumers of a capitalist society, people are gradually losing their humanity. In its place, they are acquiring rather unsavory social tendencies, the most blatant of which is lack…
‘I Started Early, Took My Dog’ by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson’s poems lend themselves to Freudian psychoanalysis as they are full of psycho-emotional posturing and insight. The poem in question ‘I Started Early, Took My Dog’ is subject to various interpretations as it is abstract and lacks a concrete meaning. The poem is thus rich in its interpretive scope across both literary and psychological…
Akatombo, by Naoko Amemiya of Portland Taiko: Unique Feminine Expression in Modern Taiko
The Asian American theatre performance chosen for this essay is Akatombo, a rendering of Japanese Taiko developed by Naoko Amemiya of Portland. Akatombo is a piece of Taiko composition based on “a famous Japanese folk song and showcases tight Taiko choreography, Japanese flute and singing” (Akatombo). Taiko involves “repeatedly banging, slashing at and clacking an…
Why Thales holds a special place in the history of Western philosophy?
Thales of Miletus, usually referred simply as Thales, was an eminent pre-Socratic Greek philosopher. Hailing from Miletus of the Asia Minor region, he is regarded as one among Seven Sages of Greece. Though it was under Socrates, Plato and Aristotle that Greek philosophy found its highest expression, Thales’ discourse set the foundation for the subsequent…
How are customers’ needs different for timeshare units than for hotel rooms?
There are various differences in customers’ needs for timeshare units compared to hotel rooms. Timeshare houses are sought for their exotic locales, ideally suited to tourists and vacationers wanting to enjoy nature in its pristine form. Hotel rooms, on the other hand, are used for far broader range of purposes. These purposes could either be…