Different Societal Institutions Such as the Family, Government and Religion Essay Example for Free

Different Societal Institutions Such as the Family, Government and Religion Essay Different societal institutions such as the family, government and religion, have been seen to have an impact on marriage. The government plays a role in marriage and mate selection when divorce raises issues. Not only does the government play a role in marriage and mate selection, religion also raises conflict for married couples, such as where and how a couple may get married, and if the religion supports the legal issue of divorce. Lastly, family plays a important role in marriage and mate selection through the way their children are raised since people tend to marry people who share similar beliefs and values. The societal institution such as the government, have been seen to have an impact on marriage such as divorce and cohabitation when legal rights come into force. When a divorce happens between couples, the legal issues will give you rights to things such as child support-if you have children, property division and spousal support. Both parents are forced into supporting their family financially in the legal rights called child support. If you and the other parent do not live together, you must split the costs of caring for your child. In most cases, child support is paid until the child can be dependent until the age of 18. However, if the child choses to get married or leave home under the age of 18, they are no longer considered dependent. Now you must be wondering how much child support will cost an individual. The costs may vary depending on the province you are currently living in. This is called the Child Support Guidelines. Many factors are involved in deciding how much child support is paid such as gross income, and how many dependent children the parent with physical custody is supporting. Furthermore, when you apply for child support, the court is entitled to know information about both spouses’ finances. This is known as financial disclosure. Did you know that in Ontario you must be at least 18 years old to get married? Since that in Canada it is a law that you cannot marry another person if you are already married, also known as polygamy, divorce becomes a legal issue. The Divorce Act and the process of getting a divorce remains the same all over Canada. First, you or your spouse must apply for a divorce in court. When you are applying for a divorce, you must be able to demonstrate that the marriage has broken-down. The most common situations that the court sees is that you and your spouse have been separated for at least a year by living in separate housing, if you or your partner committed infidelity, or if the marriage is abusive that it is no longer safe to live with each other. Functionalist might say that divorce is dysfunctional in society since it goes against the norm in marriage where it states that two people are united until â€Å"death do you part†. The societal institution such as religion, have been seen to have an impact on marriage such as same sex marriages and the ceremonies people have when they get married. There are many types of marriages that you can have as we witnessed in the film, Get Him to the Greek, where the family wanted a religious ceremony performed by a religious organization listed in the Marriage Act. In contrast, some couples prefer a civil ceremony that is performed by a judge, justice of the peace, city clerk or someone else who is licenced to perform marriages. Divorce also brings religious barriers to remarriage. Some religions do not believe in divorce and say that you cannot get remarried in a religious ceremony. Furthermore, religion can have a barrier on same-sex marriage. Some religions consider same-sex marriages to be abnormal, so it can be tough for the family to accept that their son or daughter is gay or lesbian. Family acceptance is important to the individual’s self, and if the individual’s family does not accept a part of who they are, they might feel disowned and a loss of self-worth, which leads to conflict in the relationship. Family plays a role in marriage and mate selection through the way they raise their children for the reason that people tend to marry people who share similar beliefs and values. Martin Whytes study of dating and marriage mentions that marital success can be determined. He mentions in his study that the dating experience was not a predictor of success, enduring married couples had several characteristics in common, which are having similar values, enjoying similar leisure time activities, pooling their incomes, sharing in power and decision making in their relationship, having friends in common and having an active social life together. Whyte, 2001) Family has an impact on people’s beliefs and values, how they spend their leisure time, and their social life. System theorists agree that families have an impact on marriage and mate selection of their children because the system theory can help explain issues seen in an individual such as social issues by looking at how they were raised. Different societal institutions present may challenges for married couples. Many factors from divorce amongst all the legal issues associated with it, to religion beliefs, of when and how a couple gets married and the family acceptance of same-sex marriages. Last of all, factors of exactly how an individual is raised by their family plays a significant role in marriage and mate selection and Martin Whyte explains. All three of the different societal institutions play a significant role in determining the success of the couple’s relationship.

Nurture debate in relation to the development of an individual Essay Example for Free

Nurture debate in relation to the development of an individual Essay The major debate concerning nature and nurture has been going on for decades and is still unresolved. Many people like to believe what we have inherited and our genes are what make us unique (the way we are and how we develop). Other people believe that the way we are raised and our experiences, that make us the way we are and how we grow. Physically the way we are built and look can be mainly due to nature. The genes that we inherit from our parents make the way of we look. For example, people say ‘Don’t you look like your mother?’ Genetic inheritance can define our eye colour (blue or hazel), whether we have straight or curly hair or how small we might be. We could also inherit certain genetic diseases which can seriously impact on our health. Though, we can still make decisions on how we look and how we change our appearance. There are multiple different cosmetic procedures available to alter our look. How we choose to live out our life and the choices that we make can have an influence on how we look. For ex, constantly eating junk food and not doing any exercising could lead to obesity. The environment that we are raised in and the experiences we go through can influence our health which contributes to physical growth. An ex of how nature and nurture can affect our physical growth is; we might carry genes that could lead us to be in danger of developing type 2 diabetes, but if we were to eat a healthy diet and get ample exercise , we might not develop the disease. Nature: Jades mother’s childhood was very unlike to what it is today, her life could have been called a difficult life, and her mother was bought up on her own by her own mother as her father died when she was 6 months old. As she grew up without a father figure in her life she closed herself off emotionally from males in general. Jades mother grew up around a lot of uncles and aunts so she was always well looked by her family. Jade grew very close to her gran over the years as she wasn’t getting the attention she wanted off her mother, as she had gotten remarried she had become very distant. When her gran died jades mother was very alone, she hardly ever spoke to her mother apart from at meal times and after she’d get in from being out with her friends. This got increasingly more awkward as time went on as the new husband never showed her any kindness so her mother stayed out  to avoid the arguments. Nurture: Where jades mother spent a lot of time in hospital during her life she was also slower to develop as a person as she wasn’t with her friends often enough to have developed personality traits. As she got older she started staying out overnight and going to parties where there would be lots of alcohol, drugs and sex. She also began hanging out with the older boys and girls; this meant that she was developing at a much faster rate than what she would normally have done. The environment that the she was raised in was very tranquil, peaceful and gentle neighbourhood; there was barely ever any trouble around where she grew up. Nevertheless as she got older she began to get more curious about the rough area’s around where she lived later on during her life she found herself surround by people who lived in these rough areas. This altered the way she saw her own life and what she has been taking for granted. Evaluate how the nature and nurture debate in may affect the p hysical, intellectual, emotional and social development of two life stages of the development of your chosen family member Nature As each cell in the body contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, one chromosome from each pair is inherited from your mother and one is inherited from your father. These chromosomes contain the genes you inherit from your parents. There may be different forms of the same gene. These different forms are called alleles. For example, for the gene that determines eye colour, there may be an allele for green eyes and an allele for hazel eyes. You may inherit a hazel allele from your mother and a green allele from your father. In this instance, you will end up with hazel eyes because hazel is the dominant allele. Those different forms of genes are caused by changes in the DNA coding. The same holds true for medical conditions, there may be a faulty gene that would result in a medical condition, and a normal version that might not cause any health anomalies. If your child ends up with a medical condition it will depend on certain biological factors including: What genes they inherit, whether the gene for that condition is dominant or recessive, their environment, including any treatment they may receive a genetic disease or  disorder is the consequence of changes, or mutations, in an individual’s DNA. A mutation is an alteration in the letters (DNA sequence) that makes up a gene. It’s more commonly referred to as a â€Å"spelling† mistake. Gene codes for proteins, the molecules that carry out majority of the work, perform most life functions, and make up the majority of cellular structures. When a gene is mutated so that its protein product can no longer carry out its normal function, a disorder can result. Genetic diseases can be inherited because they are mutations in the germ cells in the body the cells involved in passing genetic information from parents to offspring. Genetic diseases can also result from changes in DNA in somatic cells, or cells in the body that are not germ cells. Some genetic diseases are called Mendelian disorders they are caused by mutations that occur in the DNA sequence of a single gene. These are normally rare diseases; such as Huntington’s disease and cystic fibrosis. Many genetic diseases are multifactorial—they are caused by mutations in several genes compounded by environmental factors. Some examples of these are heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Adolescence: Physical Social development: Nurture affected the physical and social development of Katherine’s mother Emma. During her adolescence phase Emma thought that she’d have to change the way she looked to fit into society (as she was obese). Emma began to blame herself and others because of the way she looked, she has had to face a ton of criticism from her close family and some friends; as they used to say stuff like â€Å"you’ve got such a pretty face but if you lost a bit of weight you’d be so much better off†. Throughout this time Emma looked towards the rest of her friends for acceptance which meant that to fit in with them she had to have the same stuff that everyone else had (clothes, technology etc.). This was obviously very difficult because of the fact she was quite overweight she couldn’t purchase the same type of clothes that her friends wore; this made her stand out of the crowd which gave her that extra  attention that she didn’t want. Emma spent a lot of time trying to fit in during her teenage years but she found out being herself was more important than losing who she was just to fit in. Emma stayed up late chatting with her friends. A lack of sleep could also affect our body; it would increase blood pressure and cholesterol level, increase stress hormones, etc. Sleep is really important, at this age as she should be having at least 7-9 hours of sleep. Intellectual development: Nature affected Emma intellectually throughout this period as Emma wasn’t really sure on what type of career she wanted to do, however after some thought she decided she wanted to that pursue a career that would evolve helping the elderly. She accomplished in getting a job whilst being at school as this would help her to develop some new skills and allow her to make her own money, although she knew that wasn’t the career path she wanted to stay in. Emma also began to volunteer at a care home; this is what helped her to decide on what career path she wanted to go down. Emotional development: Nurture also affected Emma emotionally during her adolescence; Emma had poor self-image and low self-esteem. She also began to resent her friends and her mother as they both wanted her to be someone that she was not, when it was clear that she was never going to be able to keep the act up forever. During adolescence Emma began to question her own self-worth as some friends were also making snide little comments whilst her back was turned. Emma began to hang around with men as she went into this life stage as she thought that they were a lot less cruel. The boys accepted her more as part of their group so she began to build up her self-image up again, giving her more confidence and self-belief. Adulthood: Physical development: Emma was affected by nature during her adulthood. During her adulthood she discovered that she was at risk of developing a variety of different genetic diseases (diabetes type one, lung cancer, breast cancer, asthma etc.). Emma  also discovered that she may not be able to have children of her own because she has Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which sometimes genetic. If any relatives, such as your mother, sister or aunt, have PCOS then the risk of you developing it is often a greater chance than usual. As she began to get older her hair began to get darker and she began to get grey bits through her hair, she also has had more problems with her teeth as they are falling out or being damaged due to decay. As she got older she also began to put on weight as her metabolism started slowing down. During this life stage Emma became pregnant with Katherine and there were some complications during the birth as she had to have caesarean due to preeclampsia. Intellectual development: Emma was less influenced by nature as an adult as she can make her own choices and decision. When she was deciding on what course is she was going take after finishing secondary school, she knew what she wanted to do after volunteering in elderly care home. When she turned 20 Emma got her first job in a care home she was working double shifts because of the love that she had grown towards her job. After working in a care home for the terminally ill, my mother decided that she wanted a change her job outlook and she started working in a domestic abuse centre for women. When Emma became pregnant with me she started doing hairdressing from home. This was more of a hobby for my mother as she would only do family or close friends. She had had to give up her job at domestic abuse centre because it would have meant putting Katherine in danger and the people at the centre wouldn’t allow it. Emotional development Social development: Emma was both emotionally and socially affected by nurture. Emma was influenced by friends and new work colleagues in adulthood, as you grow more work connections as you get older. Emotionally she began to ponder about life as a teenager, and recognized that the choices she made were the best for her. When Emma reached this life stage she found love and spent 20 years with Katherine’s father which ended after attempting to save their relationship for 2 years. Their relationship had been very successful for 18 years, but after Emma’s mother died he began to try to control her. Emma found it very difficult to deal with after her mother died as she had a few  regrets about the way their relationship ended. Emotionally Emma also found out that after her mother died that she could inherit a variety of genetic diseases. This made it hard for Emma to focus on the positives after splitting up with my father and her mother dying. Socially Emma relied on her friends a lot more as she got older as her family didn’t really contact her after her mother had died. Emma had several best friends that were there to support after her relationship had ended and her mother had died.

A Strong Corporate Image Business Essay

A Strong Corporate Image Business Essay Abstract For a variety of reasons, both academic and business interests in corporate image have increased significantly in recent years. Organizations have realized that a strong corporate image can help them align with the marketplace, attract investment, motivate employees and serve as a means to differentiate their products and services. Thus, many organizations are striving to develop a distinct and recognizable image. This paper investigates what organizations perceive as the essential components of the concept of corporate image and issue advertising. It proposes a general concept about the organization belong to 21st century are more focused towards the betterment of societal and environment. A detail analysis has been performed related to the companys assessment regarding to the carbon emission in relation with the consumer perspective and the importance of social advertising. A corporate image is the strongest determinant of any corporations sustainability. Stock prices can always co me back. Business strategies can always be changed but, when an organizations image is gravely injured, its really difficult, long-term, and uncertain. A risk to its image is a threat to the survival of the enterprise. Leaders who have built a strong image know what it takes: an internal culture that forges a positive opinion of the company by successfully coping with both expected and unanticipated challenges. They know that PR is not a bandage that will cover risky behavior. Most of all, they know they must understand their stakeholders, and that every companys solution must be unique. A companys approach must include structured engagement with investors, regulators, activist organizations, communities, and the media. The primary feature of this engagement is active listening. It provides a means for developing a trained intelligence that enables leaders to anticipate external responses to their actions. And, when necessary, it delivers a perspective that helps protect them from t he kind of competition-driven excesses that seem to arise so easily in our pressurized market environment. Failure to build a culture of attentive engagement can prove devastating, and the world has witnessed spectacular reputational collapses over recent years. Enron and WorldCom are the best known, but, at bottom, these are simple cases of thievery and fraud. An admonition not to steal would be lost on those who are striving to be creatively criminal. Of far greater interest to the great majority of CEOs, and more instructive of the dangers that can lurk in any corporations DNA, are the reputational compromises that have occurred at such companies as Merck, Marsh McLennan, Arthur Andersen, and Monsanto. Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Purpose: 3 Format 3 Essential components of corporate image HYPERLINK #__RefHeading__52079_896431004HYPERLINK #__RefHeading__52079_896431004 issue advertising 4 Corporate Communications 6 Corporate design 6 Corporate Culture 6 Behavior 7 Corporate structure 7 Corporate strategy 7 Steps in building corporate image 9 Top management involvement: 9 Select appropriate Model 9 Involvement of Stakeholders 9 Motivate employees to become corporate representative 9 Communication tactic 9 References 10 Introduction Purpose: The image of organization, as of the viewpoint of customers, is the basis of a high-quality corporate image building program. Effective image management surrounding brand traits is of dominant importance in achieving goals of the organization. Social advertising effectiveness can be calculated by marketing evaluations. The rationale of this paper is to analyze the strategies of effective corporate image, edifice and supervision the same with indication to acquiring maximum customer value for long-run organization gains. Format The paper reviews the literature on the corporate image building and develops arguments in reference to the corporate image and issue advertising. The debate in the paper is emphatically extended over how companies are assessing carbon consciousness among consumers, issue advertising, media impact on corporate image and environmental knowledge. This paper also discusses the essential components of corporate image and issue advertising, process that builds corporate image through media communication and stakeholders involvement. Essential components of corporate image issue advertising The essential components of corporate image and issue advertising are as follows: Corporate Communications Controlled corporate communication Uncontrolled communication Indirect communication Corporate Design Corporate visual identity system Application of CVIS Corporate Culture Corporate philosophy Corporate values Corporate mission Corporate Principles Corporate guidelines Corporate History Founder of the company Country of origin Subculture Behaviour Employee Behaviour Management Behavior Corporate Structure Brand Structure Organization Structure Corporate Strategy Differentiation Strategy Positioning Strategy Corporate Communications Elif Karaosmanoglu, [2005] corporate communication is a term that encompasses all the ways in which the organization communicates with its various stakeholders. Thus, all of the messages emanating from an organization, everything that it produces and all of the activities it is involved in will act to shape stakeholders perceptions. Corporate communication can be both controlled and uncontrolled in nature. Communication intentionally instigated by management with the aim of improving stakeholder relationships is classified as controlled corporate communication. Conversely, uncontrolled communication takes place when organizations influence stakeholders perceptions unintentionally. Corporate design Corporate design is a term used to describe the vast number of visual cues that are associated with a specific organization. Corporate visual identity system (CVIS) is composed of five main elements: the organizations name, slogan, logotype/symbol, color and typography. Visual identity can be conveyed in other ways, for example, through the companies products and vehicles and the location as well as the architecture of its buildings. The interior office design, for example, may symbolize many aspects of the corporate culture. Simà µes, Dibb Fisk, (2005), The creation of strong corporate identity, including identity signs, is crucial for companies to encourage positive attitudes in its different target publics and may provide an important competitive advantage . Corporate Culture T.C. Melewar [2005] there is a plethora of different views as to what constitutes corporate culture. Some argue that it is strongly associated with rituals, for example, one interviewee explicit stated that culture: . . . is the way we do things around here. There is a range of views concerning the relationship between corporate culture and corporate identity. Culture epitomizes the consensus within a company about how activities should be accomplished and is conceived as a result of a groups shared experience and learning with respect to matters of external adaptation and internal integration. Behavior Behavior is another fairly intangible aspect of corporate identity. However, an analysis is made easier by breaking it down into a number of elements that make up behavior including, corporate, employee and management behavior. Many commentators suggest that the actions of a corporation are a fundamental element of its identity. Albert and Whetten [2003], asserted that an organizations brand identity should achieve three things: capture the essence of the organization, distinguish the organization from others and exhibit the same degree of commitment in behavior over time. Corporate structure Corporate structure consists of organizational structure and branding structure and is cited by several authors as being a fundamental component of corporate image. Brand structure: organizations engage in branding strategies in order to differentiate themselves from competitors. Strong brands are fundamental in establishing an identity in the marketplace, strengthening customer loyalty and for many companies are vital in counteracting the growing power of retailers. Organizational structure: The organizational structure is associated with the organizational hierarchy, lines of communication and reporting responsibilities. Of greatest importance is the degree of centralization and decentralization, in terms of both geography and across products Corporate strategy Corporate strategy is the blueprint of the firms fundamental objectives and strategies for competing in their given market. It thus determines what the company produces, the level of profit made and stakeholder perceptions about the company. Many commentators suggest that a strong link exists between corporate strategy and corporate image. Price Water House Coopers [2003] non financial performance is more important than current financial results in creating long term share holder value. Non-financial results sometimes are more important in developing a overall corporate image for example developing a process that will generate less CO2 emission as compare to old processes. Steps in building corporate image Top management involvement: Every branding strategy begins from the board room. Top management involvement helps organization in building strong corporate image. Corporate image is totally a strategic decision taken by the senior management of organization. Select appropriate Model Business Model is the spine of branding strategy. So, it is significant to choose the best replica for your business or put up your own. Because each business has its own wants and working background, therefore, it is best to construct a model which is aligned with the company needs and values Involvement of Stakeholders Stake holders are ones who are directly affected with the organization decision, company should take them in to confidence and involve them in decision making. Initiate activities resulting in the betterment of share holders. Motivate employees to become corporate representative Provide proper knowledge to employees for, e.g., vision, mission, values, and work culture. They can be the best representative of your organization. Educate them about the goals and future aims of the organization. Communication tactic Communication tactic is of prime importance when it comes to create strong brand image. A well planned and defined marketing strategy is helpful in understanding customers needs, helps is identifying issues need to be advertised in order to build strong brand image.

World War Two and Its Impact on the Role of American Women in Society E

World War II opened a new chapter in the lives of Depression-weary Americans. The United States of America had an unusual importance in the war, it had been spared the physical destruction that had taken place throughout the world. Americans on the home front did not see the fighting and brutality as other countries experienced it. However, the events and changes on the home front due to the World War transformed America. One of the greatest conversions was that of the American woman. Women around the country were transformed from the average house wife into a person with a voice and most importantly a purpose. For the first time women were working in the industries of America. As husbands and fathers, sons and brothers shipped out to fight in Europe and the Pacific, millions of women marched into factories, offices, and military bases to work in paying jobs and in roles reserved for men in peacetime. Women were making a living that was not comparable to anything they had seen before. They were dependent on themselves; for once they could support the household. Most of the work in industry was related to the war, such as radios for airplanes and shells for guns. Peggy Terry, a young woman who worked at a shell-loading plant in Kentucky, tells of the money that was to be made from industrial work (108). â€Å"We made a fabulous sum of thirty-two dollars a week. To us that was an absolute miracle. Before that, we made nothing (108)." Sarah Killingsworth worked in a defense plant. " All I wanted to do was get in the factory, because they were payin more than what I'd been makin. Whi ch was forty dollars a week, which was pretty good considering I'd been makin about twenty dollars a week. When I left Tennessee I was only makin two-fifty a week, so that was quite a jump (114)." Terry had never been able to provide for herself as she was able to during the war. " Now we'd have money to buy shoes and a dress and pay rent and get some food on the table. We were just happy to have work (108).† These women exemplify the turn around from the peacetime to wartime atmosphere on the home front. The depression had repressed them to poverty like living conditions. The war had enabled them to have what would be luxury as compared to life before. As women began to enter the male work force and achieve pride and an income, they became oblivious to the war... ...he was not on the home front, she was a WAC officer. Never before this time had women been given the chance to help defend this country as much as during WWII, non the less a black woman. It was a major break through. The help that Fraser provided towards the war cause enabled her to achieve the GI Bill. She used it in her full advantage (128). â€Å"I used part of the GI Bill to go to Northwestern and then full time to Roosevelt U. (128).† Never before this time had women across the country been given the chance to express themselves and hold responsibilities outside their own households. They felt that they were needed and enjoyed their ability to contribute to the war effort. They were given opportunities to prove to the male society that they could be independent and financially secure on their own. These new opportunities were not only for the white women of the population but also the blacks. World War Two acted as a catalyst for change for the women of the United States. Many feel that it was the beginning of a whole new era for the Women of America. Work Cited Terkel, Studs.  "The Good War": an Oral History of World War Two. New York: Pantheon, 1984. Print.

Essays on Movies (Films) - Stephen Spielbergs Schindlers List :: Movie Film Essays

Essays on Movies (Films) - Stephen Spielberg's Schindler's List    "I know that the great tragedies of history often fascinate men with approaching horror.   Paralyzed, they cannot make up their minds to do anything but wait.   So they wait, and one day the Gorgon devours them,   But I should like to convince you that the spell can be broken, that there is an illusion of impotence, that strength of heart, intelligence and courage are enough to stop fate and sometimes reverse it." Albert Camus.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Albert Camus believes that the greatest tragedies of history are so horrific that people stand in awe, and consequently, nobody even attempts to do anything in response of the tragedies.   Many are under â€Å"an illusion of impotence† , and eventually, Camus states, â€Å"The Gorgon devours them†.   Also, in order for this â€Å"spell to be broken†, people must   have â€Å"strength of heart, intelligence and courage.†Ã‚   I believe that Albert Camus is correct, people are under a vale of impotence when it comes to the tragedies of the world, and that people can easily overcome this inability and reverse their fate, or let the â€Å"Gorgon† devour them.   Camus's beliefs can be proved through the use of examples from the movie Schindler's List.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oscar Schindler, the movie's main character, is, in the beginning of the movie, not actually aware of the full extent of the killing of Jews and the powerful anti-Semitic outlook of his comrades.   His ties relating to the affairs of the Nazi party and his loyalty to his country shield him from this knowledge. Thus, it can be concluded that in the beginning of the movie Schindler does not fully grasp the tragedy at hand, and consequently does nothing attempt to aid the Jews.   Shindler's realizations of the horrors of the holocaust begin in one scene near the middle of the film.   During this infamous turning point of the movie, Schindler, on top of a barren hill, traces the path of a young and helpless Jewish girl who wanders haphazardly through the streets of a devastated camp.   In a red trench-coat-coat, nowhere to go, desperately searching for her two parents, the little girl finally wanders into an abandoned building where she is safe from the chaotic world outside.   Her safety is only temporary, for later she will be hunted down and cold heartily murdered, forgotten to the world, destroyed by her own people, asking in wonderment, why do I deserve such punishment?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This scene is the point at which Schindler becomes infuriated, and he asks himself why, and most importantly, what he could do to stop the massacre.

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies :: Fifth business robertson davies Essays

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Robertson Davies' novel Fifth Business, the author uses the events that occurred in Deptford as a Canadian Allusion to reveal character identity. Three characters in the novel from Deptford: Boy Staunton, Dunstan Ramsey and Paul Dempster, leave Deptford to embark on a new identity to rid of their horrid past. The three main characters of the novel, all of whom to some extent try to escape their small town background, change their identity to become people of consequence. All in some way take on a new identity. Imbedded in this transformation is the assumption that one's original self, especially one's small town origins, must be discarded before one can become significant in the world. Firstly, Paul Dempster grows up as an outcast in Deptford, his mother's 'simpleness' leading the tight social world of the town to cast out his whole family and force's Paul to leave the town and create a new image for himself. Paul runs away to the circus in his early teens because of the mental abuse he took from the town because of his mothers incident with the tramp. Dunstable comment's, "Paul was not a village favorite, and the dislike so many people felt for his mother - dislike for the queer and persistently unfortunate - they attached to the unoffending son," (Davies' 40) illustrates how the town treated Paul because of his mother's actions. Paul leaves his past because of the actions displaced by his mother and the guilt he feels because his "birth was what robbed her of her sanity," (Davies' 260) explains why Paul left Deptford. However, while Boy merely tries to ignore his Deptford past, Paul tries to create a completely new one and Paul asks Dunstan to write an autobiography that "in general terms that he was to be a child of the Baltic vastness, reared perhaps by gnomelike Lapps after the death of his explorer parents, who were probably Russians of high birth." (Davies' 231). The scenery of this autobiography seems significantly Canadian, but Paul does not want his book to represent his past life in Deptford. Therefore, Paul Dempster is a troubled child because of his mother's actions in Deptford which in turn force Paul to leave Deptford and to create a new identity for himself. Secondly, Dunstable Ramsey is haunted by the guilt of Mary Dempster over his entire life and he must create a new identity for himself. After a rock has hit Mary in the head (in a snowball thrown by Boy Staunton meant for Ramsay), and her preacher husband is crying over her, young Ramsay's only thought is that

A character study of Nick Bottom Essay

The play † Midsummer night’s Dream† was written by William Shakespeare in 1595 and is set in Athens, Greece. The play features four main groups of people, the court, the lovers, the rude mechanicals and the fairies, all of which are linked by love, marriage, the night and the natural world. The title is paradoxical as, when the compound word â€Å"midsummer† is used it conjures a picture of the play taking place during a joyful and enjoyable time, whereas the word â€Å"night† implies that the play occurs during a dark and frightening time. The oxymoronic title gives the impression that the play is unreal and magical. Nick Bottom is a lower class weaver who considers himself to be a very important and professional person, as he dresses very smartly in the modern film version of the play. This gives us the impression that he is very conceited about himself as well as his appearance. In Act I Scene (ii) Bottom is introduced to the play as the mechanicals gather to determine the roles of each character. Immediately Bottom tries to take control of the situation, as he says † First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on; then read the name of the actors; and so grow to a point†. This shows that Bottom is very bossy, and that he thinks that he is the leader, as he gives Quince precise orders to follow. This also shows that he is a very committed actor as he is very eager to know his role in the play. Bottom becomes full of himself and very pompous as he begins to beseech for various parts of the play, as he says, † let me play Thisbe too. I’ll speak in a monstrous little voice†. In my opinion this shows how ardent and desperate he is for glory, as he searches for more parts to play. Bottom then asks to act the part of the lion, but is refused by Quince, as he feels that Nick’s acting is of such a high quality that he may frighten the ladies. Bottom says â€Å"I will roar that I will make the duke say let him roar again, let him roar again†, which shows how self-centred and ambitious he is. Quince then replies by saying â€Å"And you should do it too, terribly, you would frighten the duchess and the ladies that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all†. This shows that Quince looks up to Bottom as a great actor and a leader, as he is very go-getting and Quince believes that he is so good he will actually scare the ladies. In the modern film of â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, Bottom is also very dramatic and emotional, as he appears to be very prestigious and egotistical. He is very dramatic as he suddenly feels an urge to act, and becomes inspired by himself, as he shouts phrases such as â€Å"The raging rocks and shivering shocks shall break the locks of prison gates, and Phibbus’ car shall shine from far, and make and mar the foolish fates†, which are out of his own inspiration and imagination. Bottom is also very prestigious and egotistical in the sense that he only cares about himself, as he wants to act all of the parts in the play. Bottom also appears to be very emotional, as during one point in the play he is very excited and joyous, whereas he suddenly becomes sad and unhappy. This occurs when Bottom tries to act various parts of the play and someone throws a bucket of water on him. This not only shows what other people think of him, but how foolish he is to actually think that hi is a good actor. As the mechanicals go to the woods to rehearse, Bottom makes himself seem even more foolish as he says, â€Å"First, Pyramus must draw a sword and kill himself, whom the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that? â€Å". This implies that Bottom is so confident that their acting is good that they will scare the ladies. Shortly after Bottom suggests an idea of a prologue to inform the women that Pyramus is not really dead. He says â€Å"Not a whit; I have a device to make all well. Write me a prologue, and let the prologue seem to say we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed†. At this point Shakespeare is expressing how silly the mechanicals were becoming, as they were thinking that they were so good that they needed a prologue, so that they do not frighten the audience. Throughout the play Bottom really thinks he’s something really special for a number of the following reasons. Firstly, he comes up with ideas such as the prologue and thinks that he is such a good actor. Secondly, he actually deems that Titania is in love with him and that he is so handsome and good looking, but wakes up and wonders if it is all a dream. Thirdly, Bottom sees a statue that reminds him of his ‘dream’ and requests a ballad thinking that it was his destiny to perform his dream. He thinks that God has sent him a message to perform the dream and name it â€Å"Bottom’s Dream†. This tells us that Bottom is very imprudent, as he is silly enough to think that God has sent him a message just to perform his dream. Bottom seems more foolish and stupid, as the play continues as he makes continual malapropisms, by mistaking the words ‘devourer’ for ‘deflower’ and also ‘ninny’ instead of ‘ninus tonb’. Another way is when his head is turned into an ass’s head, which matches his behaviour and attitude and makes the play seem more and more surreal. Before the entrance to the wedding, the mechanicals were waiting for Bottom and when he arrived there was a big cheer, which shows that they really looked up to Bottom, as he was an inspiration to them. When the mechanicals are selected to perform, they are delighted, not knowing that they are only being chosen for the Duke’s and Duchess’s amusement. They begin to perform and are laughed at when the wall is seen, as there is a man standing with his arms spread out, covered with a sheet of paper with bricks painted on it but still continue to amuse the guests. Then poor vocabulary is used, which shows that they are uneducated when they say, â€Å"I see a voice† â€Å"hear his face†. At the end Bottom steps in and kills himself, which ends the play and pleases the crowd. Bottom thinks that he is the hero but does not know that everyone was clapping because they were amused. Overall I think that Bottom is a very self-absorbed and shameless person, as he only cares about himself and is very unabashed as seen when their play was acted. Nick Bottom is also a fool as he is always the last one to understand the joke, and he does not know when people are laughing at him. He is also very foolish and big-headed as he thinks that he is supposed to perform his dream, as a message from God. In synopsis I think that Shakespeare is trying to show how lower class people were treated, and how foolish, nai ve and over-ambitious people like Nick Bottom were. However, Shakespeare could have also meant that if you have a dream or an ambition that you should go for it and try to achieve something, like Bottom did.