A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything

A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything A Writer Can be Anyone or Anything By Maeve Maddox I attended a writers workshop session at which a minor, but much-published author warned participants against creating POV (point of view) characters of the opposite sex. According to her writing philosophy, a woman writer should create only female POV characters and men, male POV characters. Thats not to say that the POV characters cant interact with characters of the opposite sex. Her books contain characters of both sexes. She just insists that POV must be limited to the gender and general life experiences of the writer. A woman whose only work experience has been that of office work, for example, has no business writing from the POV of a male brain surgeon. I reacted strongly against her attempt to place such an extraordinary limitation on writers of fiction. Restricting writers to the POV of persons only like themselves makes as much sense as it would to restrict readers to reading books about characters most like themselves. The whole point of creating fiction is to enable people to expand their experience of life. In the writers imagination there is neither male nor female. Some writers will enter into alternate minds better than others, but the success of the attempt will depend upon talent and technique, not gender. The following successful titles wouldnt exist if their authors had followed such a limiting dictum as write only from your own point of view and personal experience: Silas Marner by George Eliot (Marian Evans) woman writing from POV of poor male weaver Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden American man writing from Japanese womans POV A Great Deliverance, By Elizabeth George American woman writing from British male detectives POV And Id be especially sorry never to have read these books in which the authors cross the species barrier to tell their great and moving stories: Watership Down by Richard Adams Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Gayneck the Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji Bambi by Felix Salten Charlottes Web by E.B. White (Yes, I cried when a spider died.) Hurray for the writers imagination! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Preposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Practices and the Performance of a Nigerian Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SME). The WritePass Journal

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Practices and the Performance of a Nigerian Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SME). Introduction Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Practices and the Performance of a Nigerian Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SME). IntroductionObjectives of the Study Research QuestionsResearch OutlineLiterature ReviewResearch Methods and DataDataReferencesRelated Introduction The contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the economic growth and development has been enormous. This contribution is significant for both the developed and developing world. Many governments acknowledge the fact that SMEs play a significant role in the growth and development of their economies. Consequently, a number of government investment projects are geared towards fostering the growth and development of local SMEs. The institution of policies geared towards the facilitation and empowerment of SMEs as well as improving the performance of SMEs remains a major objective of many economic policy makers and governments. In addition, international economic and financial bodies such as the IMF, World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the International Financial Corporation (IFC) have invested heavily in making SMEs robust and vibrant in developing countries. Furthermore, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in developing countries such as Nigeria have employed advocacy and capacity-building campaigns to promote the growth of SMEs. Despite the importance accorded to SMEs as well as their contribution to economic growth, Onugu (2005) argues that the performance of SMEs in Nigeria has been below expectations. Unlike SMEs in other countries, the contribution of Nigerian SMEs to economic growth has not been very impressive (Onogu, 2005). Following from its independence, the Federal government of Nigeria has invested significant sums of money to promote entrepreneurial and small business development projects (Mambula, 1997, 2002). However, results from these projects have not been very impressive. In order words, most of these projects have often been unable to yield their expected returns. Despite the country’s endowment with raw materials and other natural resources, there has been little progress towards the development of the manufacturing sector, which could have increased the production of value added products thereby substituting imports, increasing exports and increasing employment (Mambula, 1997, 2002). Business failure often comes as a result of a number of factors. This could be as a result of poor customer service, poor management and poor human resource management. While the poor performance of SMEs in Nigeria can be attributed to a number of factors, human resource management could be a major factor in determining this poor performance. Human resources are a principal source of economic growth. Like other resources, human resources require effective and efficient utilisation so as to ensure maximum contribution is achieved from them. Approximately 50 per cent of people work in small and medium sized enterprises. Despite this high proportion of human resources in SMEs, most studies that study human resource management have focused on large corporations with very limited attention to SMEs. Moreover, most studies on the practices of human resource management have been carried out in the developed world with very limited attention paid to developing countries like Nigeria. This study is one of the few studies that focus on the management of human resources in SMEs in a developing country. The country that has been chosen for the study is Nigeria. The paper examines the factors that affect the practices of human resource management in an SME in Nigeria and how these practices can affect the performance of the SME in particular and its contribution to the overall growth of the economy as a whole. Objectives of the Study The objective of the study is to examine the SHRM practices of an SME in Nigeria. The study will also examine how those practices affect the performance of the SME and provide policy implications of the findings for future strategy development. Research Questions The paper will be providing answers to the following questions: What are the Strategic human resource management practices of the SME? How do these practices affect the performance of the SME? What are the implications for future development of strategic human resource management practices at the SME? Research Outline The paper is going to follow the following areas: Section one will cover the introduction; section 2 will be dealing with the literature review; section 3 will be discussing the methodology and describing the data; section 4 will provide the results and analysis; and section 5 will present conclusions and recommendations. Literature Review Strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices refer to those activities that are specifically developed, executed and implemented on a deliberate alignment to a firm’s strategy (Huselid et al., 1997). The phrase â€Å"strategic human resource management is an indication that people in the firm are regarded as strategic resources (i.e human capital) that must be managed and leveraged when implementing and executing the strategy of the firm. In early years, efforts made to develop a conceptual framework on strategic human resource management were based on the assumption that in order to promote human behaviour that would fulfil the strategic objectives of the firm, the firm had to implement specific human resource management practices (Fisher, 1989; Schuler and Jackson, 1989; Snell, 1992). A strategic approach to human resource management is an approach that links the human resource management policies with the strategic objectives of the firm. There has been significant debate over the term SHRM as has been the case for human resource management (HRM). Many researchers argue that SHRM lacks conceptual clarity (e.g., Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2000). Three competing frameworks on SHRM have emerged: the contingency, universal and configurational perspectives (Miles and Snow, 1984; Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Delery and Doty, 1996; Pfeffer, 1998; Youndt et al., 1996; Boxall and Purcell, 2000, 2008). According to the universal perspective, all HR practices in all firms have a positive impact on firm performance (Delery and Doty, 1996). The configurational perspective suggests that firm performance depends on unique HR practices while the contingency perspective suggests that a firm’s HR practices are a function of its strategy (Miles and Snow, 1984; Schuler and Jackso n, 1987). A number of studies have tested the different frameworks and found contradictory results. For example, Youndt et al. (1996); and Chang and Huang (2005) argue in favour of the contingency perspective while Tackeuchi et al. (2003) favour the configurational perspective. The frameworks suggested above are mostly relevant for large organisations. Little effort has been devoted towards the development of SHRM in SMEs. For example, Saini and Budhwar (2008) in a study of SHRM practices in SMEs in India argue that bounded rationality tends to constrain the willingness to implement innovative HR practices in SMEs in India because most owners of SMEs tend to believe that they are doing their utmost best. Barber et al (1999) observe that HRM practices that work well in large organisations do not work properly in small firms. As a result, Heneman and Tansky (2002) stresses the need to develop different HRM models for SMEs rather than simply extending existing models that are suitable for large organisations to SMEs. The literature on Human resource management in SMEs suggests that a strategic approach to HRM in SMEs is yet to be developed. Conceptual models that relate human resource management practices in SMEs to the strategic capabilities of these organisa tions need to be developed in order to enable SMEs achieve the full benefits of their human resources. As can be observed, most of the studies of HRM practices in SMEs have been limited to SMEs in Western Europe, U.S.A and India with very limited attention given to Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. In the light of the above limitations, this study aims at contributing to the literature by studying the SHRM practices of SMEs in Nigeria. The study does not intend to test any hypothesis. Rather it intends to focus on providing an in-depth analysis and discussion of the HRM practices of a Nigerian SME. Research Methods and Data Research Methods are the approaches taken to achieve the objectives of a research project (Saunders et al., 2009). There are two main approaches to research including the inductive and deductive approaches. The inductive approach is an approach that aims at developing testable hypotheses while the deductive approach focuses on testing existing hypotheses. The inductive approach can use a single case study to multiple case studies while the deductive approach depends on the use of multiple cases. Moreover, the inductive approach can use either qualitative or quantitative methods whereas the deductive approach relies heavily on the use of large data sets and quantitative research methods. The inductive approach is advantageous over the deductive approach in that it does not generalise its results to all cases. It aims at providing an in-depth analysis of a small number of cases. Therefore, it is the approach that will be used in this study. In other to achieve the objective of this study, this paper will use a case study approach. In order to do this, a Nigerian-based SME will be selected. An in-depth analysis of its SHRM practices will be examined and related to its performance. In order to gain detailed understanding of the approaches, the â€Å"Interpretative phenomenological Analysis (IPA) will be used to gain an in-depth analysis of the HRM practices of the SME.   The Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is an experimental qualitative approach to research in psychology and the human, health and social sciences (Smith et al., 2009). The human resource practices that will be investigated include recruitment, selection, training, remuneration, leave of absence, interpersonal communication, sick pay, and promotion. The practices of these variables will be analysed and an evaluation of how they affect the performance of the SME will be conducted. The performance measures that will be used include profitabil ity, liquidity, management efficiency and leverage ratios. The ratios will be analysed in relation to the SHRM practices identified along with the Nigerian economic environment in which the SME is based. Data The research will use both primary and secondary data. Data for the SHRM practices will mainly be primary data. This data will be collected using survey questionnaires issued to the employees of the SME and interviews conducted with key management staff. Performance data will be collected from the financial records of the SME. Data on the performance measures will be gathered from the financial records of the SME. References Boxall, P., Purcell, J. (2000). Strategic human resource management: Where have we come from and where should we be going? International Journal of Management Reviews, 2(2), 183−203. Boxall, P., Purcell, J. (2008). Strategy and Human Resource Management. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan. Chang,W. J. A., Huang, T. C. (2005). Relationship between strategic human resource management and firm performance: A contingency perspective. International Journal of Manpower, 26(5), 434−449. Delery, J. E., Doty, D. H. (1996). Modes of theorizing in strategic human resource management: Tests of universalistic, contingency. Academy of Management Journal, 39(4), 802−835. Huselid, M.A., S.E. Jackson, and R.S. Schuler. 1997. â€Å"Technical and Strategic Human Resource Management Effectiveness as Determinants of Firm Performance,† Academy of Management Journal 40(199), 171-188. Miles, R. E., Snow, C. C. (1984). Designing strategic human resources systems. Organizational Dynamics, 13(1), 36−52. Schuler, R.S. and S.A. Jackson. 1989. â€Å"Determinants of Human Resource Management Priorities and Implications for Industrial Relations,† Journal of Management 15(1): 89-99. Snell, S.A. 1992. â€Å"Control Theory in Strategic Human Resource Management: The Mediating Effect of Administrative Information,† Academy of Management, Journal 35(2), 292-327. Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S. E. (1987). Linking competitive strategies with human resource management practices. Academy of Management Executive, 1(3), 207−219. Pfeffer, J. (1998). Seven practices of successful organizations. California Management Review, 40(2), 96−124. Onugu, B. A. N. (2005) Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects, St. Clements University Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., Larkin, M. (2009) Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research, Sage Publications. Heneman, R. L., Tansky, J. W. (2002). Human resource management models for entrepreneurial opportunity: Existing knowledge and new directions. In J. Katz, T. M. Welbourne (Eds.), Managing people in entrepreneurial organizations, vol. 5 (pp. 55–82). Amsterdam: JAI Press. Barber, A. E., Wesson, M. J., Roberson, Q. M., Taylor, M. S. (1999). A tale of two job markets: Organizational size and its effects on hiring practices and job search behavior. Personnel Psychology, 52, 841–867. Saunders M, Lewis P and Thornhill A (2009) Research Methods for Business Studies, 5th edition, Prentice Hall FT Harlow Saini, D. S., Budhwar, P. S. (2008) Managing the human resource in Indian SMEs: The role of indigenous realities, Journal of World Business, Volume 43, No. 4, Pages 417-434 Takeuchi, N., Wakabayashi, M., Chen, Z. (2003). The strategic HRM configuration for competitive advantage: Evidence from Japanese firms in China and Taiwan, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 20(4), 447−480.

Strengths and Limitations of Rational-Choice Based Perspectives Essay

Strengths and Limitations of Rational-Choice Based Perspectives - Essay Example The essay "Strengths and Limitations of Rational-Choice Based Perspectives" talks about the rational choice based perspectives in terms of their reliance on mathematical techniques and tries to explain how developmental theories have recently informed our understanding of criminal behavior. A major strength of rational-choice-based perspectives is its reliance on mathematical techniques. When a theory is couched in terms of mathematics, it is usually quite straightforward to determine whether the conclusions follow from the assumptions. In effect, because of its theoretical value as contrasted to practical theories, rational choice based perspectives tend to dominate its competitors because it has been more successful empirically. Another advantage of this perspective is its emphasis and focus on decision making. Here, a decision-making approach views crime within a situational, interactional and social context. Explanations are developed that focus on the beliefs and perceptions of perpetrators of crime. Having a more extensive perspective regarding the causes of crime. Another strength of this perspective is its adherence to the principle of parsimony, i.e. it does not rely on scientists and eugenicists conducting detailed examinations of genetic material. It suggests that the individuals who have a simple choice whether to commit the crime, commit crime or not. Some people consider this as the greatest advantage of this view. This simplistic rational choice based perspective unfortunately leads to more limitations.... Furthermore, rational choice based perspectives are limited due to its abstract nature, that is to say, its lack of realistic and empirical procedures. Thus, the limiting factor of this perspective would seem to be that â€Å"the assumptions of the theory are not literally and completely true . . . Determining the validity of a model would therefore seem to involve a subtle examination of both plausibility of assumptions and conformity with real-world data† (Baylor University, 2002, 56). In relation to its unempirical approach is â€Å"the lack of evidence, which is gathered to give facts to the explanation† (â€Å"White†, 2010). Thus, it leads us to Problems associated with inadequate information and uncertainty (â€Å"Gingrich†, 2000). In other words, the rational choice model limits the explanatory value of how people choose their course of action, which is vital to analyzing criminal behavior. Lastly, a critical limitation and criticism of this view is that â€Å"some theorists argue that almost everything humans do is rational, even altruism and self-sacrifice. By expanding to include all forms of action as rational, irrational action becomes part of the model. By including every possible form of action in rational choice theory, it is not clear how the standards of what is rational and what is not are constructed† (â€Å"Gingrich†) 2. Explain how developmental theories have recently informed our understanding of criminal behavior as a developmental process. â€Å"The emerging developmental approach has emphasized the neurological, biological, mental, emotional, and social changes in children and how these changes

Integrated Critique of Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene and Kozol's Savage Essay

Integrated Critique of Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene and Kozol's Savage Inequlites - Essay Example These perceptions are the reason why a lot of people are dying to go to America; to fulfill their American Dream, as it is commonly known. What they don't know that behind this beautiful image of freedom, peace and equality lays a system that is so cruel and selfish that one would reel at just the thought of it. There are many books that are written in the pursuit of enlightening the readers about the negative side behind America's systems. These books are written not to dampen the spirits of the Americans and the aspiring immigrants of America but to show them the picture that America is not a perfect country it may be a haven for some, but there are also some people who may find it otherwise. The book "Savage Inequalities' by Jonathan Kozol is one of the widely read book that talks about the not-so-good-system of America. This paper is aimed at analyzing the contents of the said book, and thereby evaluating the probable cause and effect of this book to its readers. Also, this paper aims to find out whether Kozol's book is able to make an objective point of view regarding America's unfair system. In Jonathan Kozol's book, "Savage Inequalities", Kozol has described the real happenings in the American Public School System. Conducting visits and research in America's public elementary and high schools, Kozol made a shocking discovery: that despite the new age and laws in America about equality in social class and race, discrimination is still happening and it is taking place in the public elementary and high schools; the place where children go to and learn about these stuff. What is more shocking is that it is done blatantly and no one is taking a stand against it. What more, people who can make changes about these things are even choosing not to address the problem and even voting against doing something about it (Kozol, 1991). It is a vicious cycle, really. Children who are educated in public schools that are inferior in quality, both in facilities and in the academic area, would grow up to occupy the lowest strata in the work force . Since they are used to poor conditions, they would be contented to live with the small wages and poor benefits they would be getting from such jobs. They would marry and their children will once again go to such public school. In turn, children of the rich and the middle class go to good public schools - schools that are complete in facilities and have a good faculty and system. These children would be given good education so that when they graduate they will get jobs that are high paying and white collar. And when it is their turn to raise a family, their children will go to the same good public school their parents went to. So you see, the school serves as a capitalist system that requires the reproduction of the division of labor (Bowles, 1972)). The rich and middle class, knowing that these work at their advantage, see no point in improving the system. In fact, they even create policies to maintain their place in the social strata. Inequality in social status is not the only thing that Kozol has discovered in his rounds in these public schools. He has also found out those public schools that house children of color are more inferior in quality. A good example of such school is the public school in East St. Louis. East St. Louis is populated

The Man Who Was Almost A Man English Literature Essay

The Man Who Was Almost A Man English Literature Essay The Man Who was Almost a Man by Richard Wright, is a coming of age story that also showcases the main character, Dave Saunders, struggle with poverty and racism as well as his struggle to gain power. This short story mainly critiques the social structure of the powerful over the weak. It also as a theme of black vs. white. In the course of my essay I will give some background information on Naturalism, as well as how racism and a search for power affects Dave in the story and the journey this force takes him on. I will also demonstrate what the gun and the mule symbolize in the story. Naturalism writers such as Richard Wright write about characters that face environmental, social, or economic forces that they cannot control or overcome. In naturalist novels, humans are doomed by their own shortcomings. (Baym) Naturalism portrays humans as animals in the world. In Freudian terms, naturalist literature is written to show how the id has the upper hand over the superego and the ego. Naturalism comes to the conclusion that peoples choices are already determined by natural or scientific forces that make people behave in a certain way. In The Man Who Was Almost a Man, Wright makes the main character Dave Saunders a servant to racial hardship. He demonstrates how whites always have an upper hand over blacks. Dave is just like his parents; he is vulnerable to white men in power and money such as his boss Mr. Hawkins and the shop owner Joe. He will never have the power or the money to reach his full potential. Dave lives in a world where he has no power, whether it be personal or economic. In his eyes, he lives a life full of humiliation and abuse. He works a lowly job for money that is given directly to his mom, who with his dad, he is forced to obey. He is also subjected to constant belittling from the hands of his fellow field hands. He has a growing sense of shame that comes from the economic and social forces that keep him from going after his dreams and reaching his full potential. In turn, Dave sees that having a gun is his only option to gain respect and to establish himself in the community. In the short story the gun symbolizes all sorts of things. It stands for things he doesnt have such as power, respect, and independence. All of these things he is desperately seeking. This makes him see the gun as his only solution to overcome all of his struggles and to compensate for all of his shortcomings. He feels like the gun would make him a man even though he has no idea how to fire one. Dave also thinks that the gun would give him independence that he doesnt have. He somehow believes that the gun would get him out of the fields and give him bigger and better opportunities. The story follows along with history. Daves struggle with racism reflects the struggle of African Americans to get more rights and freedoms ever since the end of the civil war. Yes they were free but they were still lacking opportunities. Even though African Americans had tried to get equality and economic leverage in the 19th century, it did not become a movement until the 20th century. Many African Americans where stuck plowing lands for white owners with little compensation just like Dave in the story. Segregation also had a hand in making sure that blacks were kept in their rightful place. Eventually, however slowly, social patterns started to change because blacks began to move north for better opportunities. In the story, Dave suddenly leaves in the end which could pay homage to this movement or so-called Great Migration. This could also be shown to portray a refusal to accept the ways that his family and ancestors had been pushed into poverty and had hope and promise taken awa y from them. In the short story Dave says, Could kill a man with a gun like this. Kill anybody, black or white. And if he were holding his gun in his hand, nobody could run over him; they would have to respect him. (Wright) The gun serves as an equalizer. It blurs the color line making Dave think the gun will make others respect him. He thinks that if he has a gun, he will have power and respect over everyone whether they are black or white. It also is supposed to give him independence but it in turn does the opposite by making him even more committed and obligated to Mr. Hawkins since it will take him two years to pay off his debt after shooting Jenny the mule. In actuality, Dave associates having a gun with power which brings change but makes him take on a journey to adulthood that he was not quite ready for. The mule can symbolize Dave himself. The mule is a servant to the land and Mr. Hawkins. Dave feels like he is stuck just like Jenny. He is bonded to a plow with no rewards or hope of escape or becoming anything better than what he is. Dave feels that he is destined to be just like Jenny even stating, They treat me like a mule, n then they beat me. (Wright) Even though the death of Jenny is accidental, it can showcase Daves unconscious desire to get Mr. Hawkins. By getting rid of one of Mr. Hawkins symbols of power and money, Dave is lashing out at a social order and economic system that he will always be left out of because he is black. A common theme in the story is lying. Daves lies showcase that he is disconnected from the world and shows that he isnt prepared for adulthood. He is constantly trying to twist the truth to his favor. He does this to first buy the gun and then to avoid the punishment of killing Jenny. He lies to his mom to get the money to buy the gun by telling her that he plans to give the gun to his father after he buys it. He then lies about where the gun is saying he threw it in the creek so as not to give up the gun. This comes back to what Richard Wright is critiquing in his short story. He is showing that in the social order in the time that his story takes place, whites are superior to blacks. Dave is a slave to history. He feels he is destined to be just like the rest of his family. He feels like he will always be a slave to the whites. He craves respect and sees getting a gun as his way out when in turn it just makes him seem like a child, which is the opposite of what he was trying to do. By playing around with the gun instead of giving it to his mom like he was supposed to do, he shows that he is immature and not ready for manhood. It also leads to him killing an innocent animal. The story also shows that Mr. Hawkins was actually a kind man. Instead of firing Dave or demanding instant repayment, he offers him a repayment solution and lets him keep his job. However, Dave still resents him because of the power and privilege that he possesses. In conclusion, Dave is trying to overcome the social structure that is forced on him by buying a gun to make others see him as a man and not just some little boy and to give him power. His plan eventually backfires causing him humiliation and showing his immaturity. Also it ruins any chance of the adults around him showing him respect. The force that Richard Wright critiques in this story is the social structure of black vs. white and power vs. weakness. This impacts the main character Dave, who is an African American, to buy a gun to make him feel powerful over his peers including his white boss. Dave eventually tries to combat his failed plan by running away to better opportunities.

Essay --

Jane continues her new life at Thornfield now with the interest of Mr. Rochester and she thinks about the concept of marriage. Charlotte Bronte shows the way each character thinks of each other and how they treat each other. Jane is treated like an invisible un-acknowledgeable maid. Mr. Rochester treats her oppositely unlike his guests. While Jane sits and observes the guest she has an interesting analysis on their looks, behavior and status. Jane’s response to Mrs. Ingram’s engagement made her look like she is better than Mrs. Ingram. When Mr. Rochester’s guest first arrived Jane did not interact with them rather than Adele who wanted to see them. Jane felt that there was no use for her to be friendly with them. Jane doesn’t know them and took the advice of Mrs. Fairfax by sitting at distance and let the guest get comfortable. Jane also felt that as governess she will only assist Adele and Mr. Rochester’s which is the reason for her long stay with the guests. â€Å"But understand that so long my visitors stay I expect you †¦ †(Mr. Rochester, 183). Jane could have socially approached them ...

Beowulf compare and contrast essay Essay

Any cinematic rendition of a popular book, epic, or legend would, undoubtedly, bring about various inconsistencies and differences from the original. In fact, the main point of using two different kinds of media such as writing and cinematography would make it difficult for the messages, the metaphor, and even the style to be delivered as compared from the original into the rendition. In fact, considering that the work that is being considered down his Beowulf — the original Anglo-Saxon epic and the 2007 film rendition — where in it is not even a direct prose literary style but rather constructed with the structure of poetry, and an epic one at that, would provide a force various difficulties. One significant difference between the two works is that the original Beowulf, being an Anglo-Saxon poetic legend, relies heavily on form and meter in order to deliver not only its message but it’s overall effect of legend. Traditionally, epic poems were used as a literary device in order to deliver a message while at the same time making it easy for the memorizing oral tradition as compared to a straight written prose which would be difficult to memorize for its listeners (Puhvel, 1979). Therefore, in Beowulf, the original epic, many monsters and other mythological characters were identified in order for the work to be easily associated to memory. However, in the movie producing 2007, only a few monsters – including Grendel, the Demones, and the Dragon were identified explicitly. However, a specific similarity that could be found between the two works in which the modern rendition and movie had respected from the original epic Beowulf is that it followed the three battle structure that was originally intended into oral and written traditions of the area the first battle was between Beowulf and Grendel — effect of the captured in the movie in the scene of the battle in the tavern. However, the second battle, between Grendel’s mother and Beowulf was not essentially highlighted in the movie but rather focused on internal rather than an external battle from the protagonist and hero of the film. The third battle, on the other hand, was highly specified and indicated in the film together with several animated special effects that were important to highlight the gravity and height of the final battle in judging the characters overall character and in uncovering the most important aspect of the legend — which is to inspire awe and wonder. However, yet another difference that the film failed to indicate is that Beowulf actually comes into specific kinds of classification. The first is between the three battles that were encountered by the protagonists which we have already discussed above. However, in actual Beowulf epic — may be from the written or oral tradition — there is also another structure which is highlighted by the funeral rites with each character’s funeral highlighting an essential aspect and metaphor for the story (Robinson, 1985). However, perhaps the movie would have been too complicated both with respect to metaphor and the lack of action sequence if this structure was used. Definitely, there were similarities and differences between the film and the actual epic, although it would only be expected because the two mediums are significantly different from each other and more importantly, were created and popularized in two extremely different timelines and targeted towards different audiences. References: Puhvel, M. (1979). Beowulf and Celtic tradition. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Robinson, F. C. (1985). Beowulf and the appositive style. University of Tennessee Press Knoxville.

Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Essay Example

Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Essay Example Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Paper Blackadder Goes Forth Ending Paper A situation comedy, or a sit-com, is a comedy series projected from radio or television. The programme itself is based upon how characters react to unusual or comic situations. Situation comedies follow specific characters that encounter situations and then they try and deal with them. In each episode of a situation comedy, the story follows the same characters. Most situation comedies are set in a specific place that forms the set for every episode. A flat is commonly used in situation comedies for the set. Popular examples of flat share situation comedies are Only Fools and Horses and Friends. These two sit-coms are extremely popular, and both are set in a flat. Situation comedies used to form gaps in between more important shows. This was soon changed as the demand for sit-coms massively grew. They are now one of the most dominant television genres around. Blackadder is a situation comedy. It is a most unusual sit-com as in each series the scene is based on a different timeline. Blackadder has been through Elizabethan times, many other timelines and important historical times, and then ends up with the final series in World War One. Most other sit-coms dont do this instead each of their different series is set on the same timeline and in the same place. This is one of the points that make Blackadder different, as in each series the eager watchers dont know what to expect. Blackadder goes forth is also different from the usual sit-com as it is the same situation every episode. The majority of sit-coms dont do this, instead they are based in the same place, but with a different humorous situation with which the characters have to deal with. In Blackadder Goes Forth the situation is exactly the same just the characters deal with it differently. The situation is that Blackadder himself is trying to escape and relieve himself of the hideous atrocities of the First World War. Of course like in any other sit-com, things go very wrong for him and comic experiences pop up along the way. Altogether Blackadder fits into the situation comedy genre in a sense, as it is a sit-com, but is totally different from the majority of other sit-coms. Blackadder has a different story every episode, involves the same characters in every episode, and takes place in the same place in every episode. The differences of Blackadder to the mainstream of sit-coms are shown obviously. This is shown in many ways; one is that Blackadder is set in different historical time in each different series. This attracts viewers to watch Blackadder, because they want to see something new rather than the usual flat share show with people shouting bawdy jokes. This is why the producers of Blackadder have made the show different from the usual sit-com. Another reason why Blackadder is different from most sit-coms is that the situation is the same in every episode of Blackadder. Nearly every other sit-com has different situations and different ways in which the characters tackle these situations. Blackadder Goes Forth doesnt. The situation is of Blackadder trying to escape the war in any way he can. He tries lots of different approaches to deal with his problem, but every episode he fails. This becomes very amusing as no matter how hard he tries; he just cant get out of fighting in the war. Another very important feature in Blackadder that is dissimilar to other sit-coms is the way that even though the scene is set on a historical time scale, Blackadder still has 20th Century views. All the other characters in the whole programme have views of life that relate to the time scale that they are set in, while Blackadder has views of life that we would. This is what makes Blackadder so hilarious to us, as we can relate to precisely what Blackadder is saying and thinking, while all the other characters in the play are trapped in that time zone with historical thoughts, Blackadder makes fun of all the stupid things that happened within that time zone and has the same views and points to express as we do. The one other reason why Blackadder Goes Forth doesnt fit well into the genre of situation comedies is that Blackadder uses satirical comments and elements throughout the programmes. This makes the programme extremely funny, but also makes a point in which we can understand and learn from. Satire is using humour or exaggeration to show what it is bad about a person or thing. Blackadder uses this strongly in all of its episodes in all of its series. Blackadder: Well George, I strongly suspect your long wait for certain death is nearly at an end This is portraying the scene that everyone who wanted action in the war is going to be sent to his or her deaths. The reason why the produces of Blackadder decided to make different historical time scales for their series was possibly so they could use satire to make a point about those different time lines. With Blackadder using satire in this way it gives viewers the humour and hilarity that we get and love from all sit-coms, but also spreading a point across the country about how bad those situations were and how badly our ancestors handled them. So the reason why Blackadder is a funny character is because he is the only sane man and fools surround him. This makes us learn from mistakes that have happened in the past but also provides us with the amusement that we want when we watch a sit-com. Satirical elements are present in Blackadder, even in the title sequence at the start of each episode. There are many satirical elements in the title sequence; the first one being the two rows of five men marching after a sergeant majors command. The first row of soldiers is bandsmen wearing the traditional red colours of the English army. The second row of soldiers is armed forces, wearing the up-to-date camouflage green. This is satirizing the tactics of the British army. The way in which Blackadder does this is by having the bandsmen in red marching in front of the armed forces, it symbolizes that the bandsmen are more important. It shows that playing instruments and wearing smart colours and clothes into battle is more important then staying undetected with camouflage and looking scruffy. This satirizes British tactics and approach to war. It also shows that the British army is out of date, as fighting in bright colours was a thing of the past, showing that the commanders were just old forgotten war heroes who needed to be slapped up-to-date if they wanted to keep their men alive. It also satirizes the fact that blood is to come for those soldiers are behind. The blood red of the bandsmen shirts marching in front of the armed forces means that blood is to come for them and pour from their bullet stricken bodies. There is a character in Blackadder Goes Forth, named baldrick. In the title sequence he is out of place in the band and is franticly running around to find his place. Baldrick is a private in the army. This satirizes the privates as being stupid and out of place fighting in such a war. Also that Baldrick is in the band, and not in the armed forces row like he should be satirizes that he is out of place in the army, and will do more good playing a triangle in a parade. As baldrick is out of place, there is still no place for him in the ranks of men as both are of equal numbers and there is no more room for him. This emphases the point even more that the dim privates are out of place in the war, and they shouldnt be put there, as they dont understand it. How can a man be expected to shoot if he cant even find a place in a band? This is the satirizing point that Blackadder is making when the character baldrick is out of position. Also in the title sequence General Melchett and Captain Darling are standing atop a podium watching the soldiers march. General Melchett is wearing cavalry clothes. This satirizes the generals in the war by showing that they are out of touch and out of date with the tactics of war. They still think that cavalry are the best option to winning a battle, but now that machine guns have been invented cavalry are useless. Yet the generals do not know this, and assume that old tactics are good, but they arent. Captain Darling is cowering behind the General. This satirizes the Captains in the war. This shows that they were cowards and used the Generals as protection to stop them having to fight. Further on in the title sequence Lieutenant George is smiling in a childish way as he marches forwards. This is satirizing the pompous Lieutenants. Showing that they believe that war is just a game, and they should enjoy every minute off it. This is of course the wrong attitude to take to war, as you killed be obliterated any second. Aside from the title sequence, the whole programme contains satirical elements throughout its course, one of these being the living conditions of the soldiers shown in the programme. Blackadder opens up the programme of the last ever episode of Blackadder goes forth with: Hullo, Somme Public Baths. No running, shouting or piddling in the shallow end. Aside from this being droll, it also makes a great satirical point on how the living conditions of the soldiers actually were. The soldiers were caked in mud up to their elbows and sopping wet with the continuous moral beating rain. It satirizes how bad the living conditions really were by basically saying it was wet, and the rain was the least of the soldiers problems at that time. Private baldrick explains that the coffee that all the soldiers have been drinking for months is actually hot mud. He also describes what each of the elements of the coffee is. He states that the milk is saliva, the sugar is dandruff and although he doesnt state what the chocolate sprinklings are, he gives us a very good idea of what they could be! All this satirizes the living conditions of the poor soldiers that had to live in here day in and day out. They were soaked in rain, encrusted in mud, and drinking hot mire with all manner of things inside, but worst of all being pounded by shells all day long. Blackadder Goes Forth also satirizes everyones attitudes to war. Starting with the Generals, they had the worst attitude towards war. As the Generals were not in the trenches and not experiencing the horrors of war, they had no idea what it was like. The generals still thought war was what it used to be, fighting against unarmed enemies that cant win the fight. As general Melchett explains, That pigmy woman with the sharpened mango could have seriously Apart from this being comical, it has a real satirizing point to it. The old wars in which the English used to fight were against aborigines with no weapons other than maybe a spear. The English couldnt really loose a battle against such little an opposition, and from that day they thought they could win any battle that faced them, as they were full of themselves over their glorious victories. This is the attitude that the generals still possessed when commanding in World War One, especially in the Somme area that Blackadder goes forth is set. It satirizes the generals lack of understanding of modern warfare, and shows how they believe they will always win. In the episode Goodbyeee, Field Marshall Haig is playing with toy soldiers. This is satirizing the generals perspective of warfare, and apart from it being hilarious it proves just what the generals were like. They thought that war was a game and that it didnt matter who won or lost. This is shown as Haig knocks over a handful of the plastic soldiers on his model battlefield. Blackadder himself satirizes the advance and progress the army has made while at war, Weve advanced as far as an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping. Apart from this being droll, it satirizes how far the army progresses with such stupid and out of date tactics and childish generals. This relates highly to World War One as the army progressed about a few inches a year, as the generals just didnt know what to do. Another main thing that is satirized is the ranks of different troops. With the generals, they thought that war was just a game. This is shown and satirized in Blackadder by the way the general plays with toy soldiers. He used this as his tactics, moving individual toys and then knocking them over in one fell swoop. This actually shows that he expected his men to die, but sent them in regardless of the consequences, as he was bored of sitting in one place for a long period of time. Being incredibly child-like satirizes the lieutenants. This is shown in the character George. He is satirizing the pompous upper-class lieutenant. He always has a silly grin on his face and relates everything that happens in the war to a well know game of some sort. He even states that he played tiddly winks when signing up to volunteer for the war. He makes such remarks as by saying, we ducked and we dived. This is satirizing views of many soldiers in the war, as they just didnt have a clue about what it was really like. They just thought it was like participating in a sport match, and whatever the outcome, no one would get hurt, but how wrong they were. The other rank that is displayed and satirized in Blackadder is the private. Baldrick plays this role, and acts as the dim private, which is exactly what he is. He is always one step behind everyone else, in the mental way, and in the literal way. As in the title sequence he is behind everyone, and in the speeches he is behind everyone. He is satirizing the low-class dim private. At the end of the last episode Goodbyeee, just before they are about to go over the top, baldrick is more concerned about getting a splinter while climbing the ladder then getting mowed down in a hail of lead by a machine gun. This is because he doesnt understand what is going on. This is satirizing the fact that the dim people shouldnt be there, because if they dont understand what they are doing, how can they possibly fight? Captain Blackadder plays the other rank. He is the only commonsensical man in the whole warfare situation. This is how Blackadder is made funny, as he satirizes everything around him and makes fun of everything. He shares our views of the war, and tries in vain to get out of fighting just as we would, but to no amend, as the generals cant understand why he would possibly not want to go out and fight. This satirizes the generals lack of understanding. Fools surround Blackadder, this satirizes that everyone fighting was a fool, and with such stupid people everywhere, how can they win the war. It also satirizes that no one understands the war, no matter how clever or how high rank. And that everyone is as stupid as the private as they have no idea to fight a war more than he does. The equipment is the last thing that is satirized. This is done by the sticks that the higher ranking officers hold. These sticks do nothing at all. I wouldnt want to face a machine gun without one of these George explains to Blackadder. This is satirizing the fact that some of the equipment had no purpose, and some of the people didnt have a clue what a machine gun could actually do to you.

Reflection Paper Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion

Reflection Paper Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion Many a times, people raise the question on the origin of religion; in addition, this question has fascinated philosophers as well as scientists throughout the centuries (Johnstone 21). Different religions have different practices of what they believe in and so the question remains; what is the origin of these practices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reflection Paper: Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Where did the notion that God exists come from? Due to these questions, many different answers have been given as a way of satisfying people’s curiosity. From my definition, religion is anything that a person relies on, which has pivotal value, whereby the person discovers indispensable wholeness as both an individual and person in the society. Nevertheless, religion can have numerous definitions particularly based on a person’s experience. The emergence of Chri stianity gives the simplest answer as to where religion came from since it gives the answer that God came up with the idea of religion. Religious teachings, especially Christianity, record that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He created a man, animals, and everything else in the world and while in the Garden of Eden, he instilled rules that he wanted people in the garden to follow. He also revealed his intentions by using prophets to get his message across to the people, and through this process, they recorded his words. In this process, there emerged the creation of religion via revelation. Christianity is not the only religion where there is divine origin; for instance, the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha, stated that he received heavenly inspiration in his search for the truth as he sat under the tree known as bo (Johnstone 23). Therefore, he got his religious practices through revelation. In the Islamic religion, Muhammad reports to obtain vision s in a cave close to Mecca from the angel Gabriel. Looking at all the aforementioned reports, it is easy to see a dominant belief that a certain divine power interceded leading to what we know today as religion. The followers of religious leaders who recorded the supernatural revelations believed it to be true and so there was the emergence of a religious system (Johnstone 23). Therefore, in my opinion, these religious leaders played a key role in developing religious practices that people follow in the world we live in and this trend will continue for many centuries to come. Religion at times comes out as science particularly in an environment where thought and language give people control. There is the use of tools, shelters built, seeds planted, and clothes made to keep the body warm. However, in the past, people could not explain what caused the rain to fall, what caused the sun to rise and even where human beings came from. Different communities had varied explanations for all these and many other questions; nevertheless, the principles continued to be the same.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Taylor, one god was responsible for pulling the sun with his chariot across the sky, while another made the wind to blow and many other explanations (94). Therefore, it is clear that people believed that gods had something to do with creating the universe as well as humanity. For quite a number of years, the analyses made concerning the world made a lot of sense as they could underscore the existing facts. Religion had an explanation for the world and so for the ancestors, science was a religion. At times crops failed, people died, and there was answering of prayers and people could see all these occurrences as gods’ doing. On the other hand, after the passing of many years, philosophers started to understand that gods did not ha ve anything to do with the events that happened, the world simply obeyed the already rules of nature (Royce 36). Apart from social scientists who have tried to explain where religion came from, anthropologists and especially those in the 19th Century, came up with their own version of unraveling the mystery of the origin of religion. In their belief, they have the notion that religion in a way came as a response to the various experience that people underwent in the world they lived (Johnstone 24). People went through mysterious, awesome, and horrifying events such as lighting, thunder, tidal waves, illness, death and many others and so they saw the need to know what caused those happenings, hence religious systems slowly came up. From my perspective, I can see how this aspect led to the emergence of religion for people could not go through such traumatic events and not want to know the causes of the same. This realization explains the thinking of anthropologists such as Max Muller who represented the naturalistic school that put emphasis on the significance of nature’s physical acts like sunrises, storms, and tides. Anthropologist from the past believed that trees, rocks, people, and animals possessed spirits (Johnstone 25). There exist psychological explanations with regard to identifying where religion came from. The explanation focuses on people’s emotional needs. It states that people are more likely to look for maintenance of emotional stability particularly when faced with danger, disruption, and insecurity (Johnstone 27). They try to come up with answers as to why such bad things are happening to them and how they can fight against them in order to overcome, and at this point religion comes in because the rational mind cannot unravel the mysteries surrounding such issues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reflection Paper: Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, human beings look for divine intervention and look up to God to answer their prayers and show them the way to follow so that they can come out of the predicament they are in and look forward to a brighter future. In the Christian religion, the records hold that God loves everyone and whoever shall seek him will find him and this assurance underscores why God sent his only son so that he could die for the sake of mankind’s sins and relieve them of eternal punishment (Royce 63). This aspect explains why many people who are having challenges think that they have done something wrong, hence the reason why God is punishing them. According to Sigmund Freud who is regarded as the â€Å"father of psychoanalysis†, religion comes entirely from the guilt that people feel after having done something wrong (Johnstone 28). Consequently, in his perspective, religion by definition is a mechanism that gives people room to sublimate most of the prim itive instincts that they have, but society usually represses. Looking at the sociological views that explain where religion came from, we go over the various explanations by diverse sociologists like Durkheim, Georg Simmel, Emile Durkheim, and Guy Swanson. According to Georg Simmel, faith has to exist in religion just as it is imperative in other human relationships. Religious faith to a supreme being is crucial in our everyday today life (Johnstone 30). I agree with this assertion because, if people do not have faith in a supreme being, they are bound to lose hope in life especially when faced with seemingly insurmountable calamities. Having religious faith helps people to be in a position to believe even when one cannot see the Supreme Being and have trust that everything will work out favorably. Despite the fact that the origins of religion for sure are not clear, speculation as well as research has however been successful. From chapter 2, it is clear that even though there are different suggestions as to where religion came from, it is clear that religion started a long time ago and it was build as a way of helping people to stay on the right path coupled with understanding some of the mysterious events that happen. In my view, the psychological explanations stand out as I also believe and uphold the practices highlighted here. In most cases, people are going through challenging occurrences that they look for divine intervention to help them to sort out their issues. People have the belief that God helps people who help themselves, but I believe there are areas where people are unable to help themselves and so God has to intervene, and this area highlights the need for prayers, as they underscore the popular way of requesting assistance from God. In addition to the aforementioned information, religion is also a way to enforce morality. People’s thinking capacity developed and so did their ego. Property and ego result to conflict and this explains w hy people kill each other in order to defend what is theirs. Uncontrolled egos on the other hand make people vulnerable and both of these aspects give way to moral decay. Therefore, religion came in as a way of underpinning morality.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequently, communities came up with moral codes, which are rules regarding life, sexual activities, as well as property. This aspect greatly helps people to put their behaviors in check. Different communities had different rules; however, there were some that remained the same; for example, do not steal, do not kill or do not commit adultery. Nevertheless, people are weak; therefore, the probability of breaking their own moral code is very high and so a strong community has to be present to ensure morality is enforced. The strongest moral code however emanates from a supreme being because he lives forever and sees everything and has power over life and death; therefore, he commands the greatest respect. Identifying religion with morality has been happening for thousands of years such that many people believe there is no difference between the two. Religion in my opinion also came as a way of making communities to be united. This move was extremely necessary particularly in a prim itive world. Nevertheless, there was a time that religion turned to be very violent especially after the Islamic expansion almost 1400 years ago. There was no unification of communities especially in the 21st century and every religion blamed other religions for the violence (Royce 118). Overall, religion from my perspective was a good thing to emerge as it definitely acted as guidance for all human beings across the world. Otherwise, without religion, people would be acting in any manner that pleases themselves oblivious or ignorant of the consequences. Being able to answer to a supreme being makes people to become humble and aware that there are grave repercussions to any evil deed they engage in (Taylor 123). From the chapter, it is clear that religion serves the purpose of giving people answers to concerns and questions over destiny, purpose, and mystery coupled with offering support and comfort in times of bereavement, danger, and death among other eventualities. Religion is al so important, as it is real unlike in magic where there is a creation of illusions and people get false hope. Religion offers a safe haven for people who are in need of help and particularly divine intervention. From reading chapter 2, it is evident where religion came from irrespective of whether it is a theory or from scientific evidence. All the information given allows us to realize that religion has come a long way to reach where it is today. It also makes us to realize the vital role played by religious leaders from the past who made it possible for people to believe in a supreme being and thus uphold to the rules and practices of religion that help in instilling morality amongst people. Johnstone, Ronald. Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion. 8th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2007. Print. Taylor, Justin. Where did Christianity come from? Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2001. Print. Royce, Josiah. Sources of religious insight 1912. New York: Kessinger Publishing, 2003. Print.

Policy Memo2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy Memo2 - Assignment Example The hegemonic paradigm of the Italian administration focused more on conforming to the law rather than the results achieved. There was no big difference between politics and government. The main underlying idea is a shift from the hegemonic paradigm to a ‘solution’ termed as New Public Management (NPM). The NPM sets to achieve a vast array of objectives, the main one being decentralization. NPM also targeted to establish and incorporate a culture of strategic planning and management in all sectors of the economy. The most significant areas targeted for reforms are devolution and administrative federalism, the reorganization of the central government, Civil Service Reform and the simplification of regulatory and administrative procedures (Capano 789). Several changes were introduced in the name of innovative legislation. Law 421 local government level required the government to introduce measures of controlling finances at the local government level. According to legislative decree number 93, public employment had to be ‘privatized’ save for top managers, the Army, university professors and ambassadors. In 1995, Law no. 273 was introduced to enforce efficiency in public administration. Local government managerial accounting was introduced as per the Legislative Decree no. 77.Various laws were introduced in years 1996, 1997, 1998 up to 2001. One of the crucial changes that took place is the creation of technical-operative structures. However, some of the aspects of the technical-operative structures had already been introduced in sectors such as the environmental field a long time ago. The country saw changes in the employment sector whereby, employees could use collective bargaining for better wages and implementation of pay-per-performance policies. Further, the process of simplification has become successful as concerns the eradication of certificates. Most of the reforms exhibited hallmarks of the very public

To what extent did French avant-garde groupings in the 1880s coalesce Essay

To what extent did French avant-garde groupings in the 1880s coalesce around exhibitions - Essay Example The phrase ‘modern art’ first used by Joris-Karl Huysmans in a book title to delineate the subject matter of several paintings represented in the book in1883. The Anglo-Irish novelist, George Moore followed this in this book, ‘Modern Painting’. It was about this time that the critic Theodore Duret, who used it of certain young painters, introduced the term avant-garde (Wood 1999, pp. 7-33). Subsequently, modernity became the focal point for artists and critics, alike. How Impressionism triggered avant-garde groupings The period of 1860-1880 witnessed an undeniable transformation in the aesthetic perspective as the focus of paintings shifted to the depiction of everyday reality and fashions (Wood 1999, p. 113). Determined to present illustrations of contemporary life in both, urban and rural areas, the Impressionists pioneered this change by creating snapshots of everyday life. The war developed new urgency and hope in the progressive artists born in the 1880 s. There was unanimity amongst the generation that Europe had been endowed a second chance; Salinger 1957, 117 Wood 1999, pp. 28 Wood 1999, p. 113 thereby, a new order should be established (Hungerford 1989). Impressionism, a revolutionary movement in painting followed by music, emerged at the end of the nineteenth century in France. Impressionist paintings can be traced back to the period of 1867-1886 to a party of artists with common approaches, philosophies, and methodologies in art (Huyghe 1973, p. 90). They tried to translate their observations into the paintings by attempting to recreate the manifold and animated results of sunlight and shadows from direct and reflected light. One of the most integral development out of this style was the reproduction of objects out of discrete flecks and dabs of matching or contrasting colours to evoke the broken-hued marvels and distinguishing hued created by sunlight and its reflections (Callen 1982, p. 187). Lastly, conventional formal com positions were replaced by more casual and less artificial disposition of depicted objects. The Impressionists in portraying landscapes, houses, trees, and even urban streets employed these novel-painting techniques (Callen 2000, p. 245). As the mid 1880s approached, the Impressionists began to dissolve as every painter craved to pursue his personal aesthetic interests and principles. Nonetheless, in its short-lived existence, it categorically revolutionized art, paving the way for postimpressionist artists like Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat to be free from all traditional western paintings and methodologies and interpretation of subject matter. Aftermath Impressionism was the first avant-garde in art, which paved the way for contemporary or modern art. Undeniably, the impressionists motivated novel Hungerford 1989, 73 Huyghe, 1973, 90 Callen, 1982, 187 Callen, 2000, 245 approaches, perspectives, notions amongst subsequent artists (Ward 1996, p. 168). It was the resu lt of their relentless struggle and perseverance, that the Salon’s official foothold in the world of art was questioned. Undoubtedly, painters such as Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, and Degas encouraged new art movements, for instance, Post-impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism (Rewald 1978, p. 312). In 1886, following the official death of Impressionists, post-impressionism was born. Before these movements, the Impressionis