Analysis of Jude the Obscure Essays

Analysis of Jude the Obscure Essays Analysis of Jude the Obscure Paper Analysis of Jude the Obscure Paper Jude the Obscure was panned by critics upon its release towards the end of the nineteenth century. The criticism had such an effect on Hardy that he wasnt to write another novel before his death. His attack of Britains dearest institutions (marriage, the class system and higher education) had people so up in arms that the Bishop of Wakefield even burned his copy and persuaded Smiths Circulating Library to withdraw it. The story is a simple tale of a simple orphan boy in a rural district who entertains the diea of becoming a scholar in Christminster. He is tricked into marriage by a local girl, Arabella Donn, thwarting his studies, and the marriage fails. Jude plies his trade as a stonemason in Christminster, hoping that somehow hell be accepted there by being near to it. His experience of University however is notably one of exclusion from it: ironically he gets no closer than fixing the masonry of the university he longs so much to be a part of. After a few alcoholic binges to relieve his frustration, Jude eventually accepts his place in the world. He then falls in love with his cousin, Sue Bridehead and they have children. Society fails to accept their reltionship as legitimate, their children are killed in a shocking murder-suicide and the pair separate. His hopes and passions thwarted, Jude slips into a rapid decline and dies an early death. Cheery stuff! A summary does little to identify the underlying intentions of the novel. All of the characters within it are progressive for their time. Jude has his educational aspirations, Sue scorns moral orthodoxy and Arabella panders to her sexual appetite. Hardys story is set against a world where the common man wasnt persuaded to question their station in life. All of the characters are defeated in the end, but it is their struggle which is important. Judes marriage to Arabella signifies a major theme of the novel confinement particularly in relation to marriage. Jude is tricked into it and trapped because of the implications of divorce. He never fully retains his freedom, even when she leaves him, because he is still trapped by the institution of marriage. He is only free in the physical sense. Hardy later wrote that the novels message was simply that marriage should be dissolvable as soon as it becomes a cruelty so either of the parties being then essentially and morally no marriage. This caused uproar at the time but it is difficult to identify with today unless it is applied to certain religions. The section also deals a little with the manner in which a woman should act. Arabella is a sexual being and knows how to get her man. Jude sees in her something tangible and immediate, unlike his education. Woman of the time didnt act like Arabella does, neither of them follow social conventions and ultimately their relationship dissolves. This again relates back to the entrapment of marriage, as Arabella liberates herself and moves away to Australia, leaving Jude only a letter. Since the introduction of equal rights and divorce, it is hard as modern readers to identify with these issues. The passages concerning Judes education may have a little more relevance today however, particularly his dreams as a young boy, his self-teaching and large volume of work. He is at a disadvantage because of his social status and access to education. This is just as poignant today as it was then. In an age where only 7% of schools are private yet 50% of Oxford students are from them, what hope can someone on the lower echelons have of getting there? Education quality and access is distorted, poverty still exists and not enough is being done to create equality. Social class and status may largely have diluted but it still resonates. Hardys novel speaks of the frustrations at the elitist attitudes of our Oxfords and Cambridges. Life is unfair. Hardy draws us into it and we do care about the characters, which makes it all the more difficult to accept. His characters have no control over their lives, they are forced into their fates, and while things have largely changed, these issues still exist. Poor areas are now urban instead of rural but the ideas are the same. It isnt as controversial today as it was at its release, but I would say that the novel has some success in highlighting problems in society. Jude never reassures. It is a very realistic view of our world. It challenges its readers and raises important questions that should be considered. In 1895 it was ahead of its time. By the time of his death many of the social conventions Hardy criticises had disappeared. He was at the forefront. How does one define success? It certainly wasnt commercially. Critically it caused uproar and ended Hardys novel-writing career. However Hardy had a message and he got it across, elicited response and debate and change. Isnt that what writers want to achieve? Daniel Gourlay | Q31314 Studying Modern Literature: Semester 2 Portfolio Exercises Daniel Gourlay | Q31314 Studying Modern Literature: Semester 2 Portfolio Exercises.

The power of the fist essays

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Epidemiology and communicable disease - Assignment Example For example, individuals who have higher income are likely to access better health services while those with low income are likely not to access health services. This puts those poor person to develop diseases and do not go for treatment, thus making some communicable diseases to spread in the society (Marmot et al., 2012). Communicable disease chain is a circuit of events that starts from a disease-causing urgent to reach an individual ultimately and causes infection. The chain entails the following components: infectious agent, a reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry and susceptible host. For an individual to become infected the entire chain must be intact. However, breaking just one component of the chain of infection makes the infectious disease difficult to spread (Aginam, 2002). There are steps that a nurse can take to break the chain of infection and stop the disease from spreading. For example ensuring that, all children are fully immunized against some diseases like measles and flu among others since this will break the chain from the source. Proper hand washing before handling food, this breaks the chain on mode of transmission and prevents the spread (Brachman,

Persaude people to travel to Walt Disney World Essay

Persaude people to travel to Walt Disney World - Essay Example ex is so huge and comprehensive that on top of the four theme parks previously mentioned, it also contains two water parks, twenty-three hotels with different themes, three luxury resorts, as well as numerous dining, shopping, recreation and entertainment venues (Wikipedia, 2008). The children mostly enjoy the magical, childish vibe and atmosphere of the place, as there are many employees of the entertainment park walking around dressed like the childrens favorite cartoon characters, among which are Mickey and Minny Mouse, which are the most famous ones. There are also many rides whose theme is the magical kingdom or something related to it, as many rides feature puppets of cartoon animals from shows or movies, which visitors see either by going on a ride that floats in the air or by a boat sailing across the building in which it is placed. The whole experience is magical and more enjoyable than anything we can ever imagine. Moreover, there is a special section which is like a fun sports center for kids, full of tunnels, bridges, plastic ball pools and more, in which the kids enjoy moving around and sliding in tunnels as well as getting some exercise along the way. Along with these rides, primarily intended for children and youngsters, there are many other rides which are designed specifically to those who enjoy and crave adrenalin rushes, the fast beating of the heart, the scariest rides. These include several types of roller- coasters, some with scary loops and twirls; an elevator which drops from the height of a dozen or so floors in about ten seconds; scary houses and tours in cursed buildings in which bloody monsters jump at you and scream, and more. Clearly, from the youngest to the oldest, if youre a man or a woman, regardless of your marital and familial status, anyone could enjoy the Walt Disney World, since it provides such a full and complete experience combining fun, magic, exercise, science, technology, films and more, and anyone can find something

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Gobachevs New Foreign Policy and its Consequences - Essay Example Gorbachev’s foreign policy approach was a direct result of domestic concerns. Gorbachev viewed economic and political restructuring as not simply the basis of domestic revitalization, it was essential to sustain the Soviet Union’s position as an international power. Gorbachev described the connection between his domestic and foreign policy programs. â€Å"The success of efforts at internal reform will determine whether or not the Soviet Union will enter the twenty-first century in a manner worthy of a great power.†1 New Soviet government leaders, led by Gorbachev, introduced radical changes to the Soviet system. He initiated perestroika, a series of economic reforms meant to eliminate ineffective administrative structures without fundamentally altering the state-run economy. Politically, Gorbachev introduced glasnost so as to decrease the control of the state and Communist Party interests, the obstacles to economic reform. Political reform was successful but also initiated opposition that ultimately led to Gorbachev’s political demise. New foreign policy thinking was created and implemented to support the pressing needs for economic reform and internal political reforms. These reforms reunited Germany and earned Gorbachev a good deal of popularity throughout the world, more so than in Russia. It also earned him the Nobel Peace prize and an honored position in history. Characteristic of Soviet ideologies from the past, the primary attention of its new leadership was on the domestic issues.

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The Management of Global Trade Distribution - Assignment Example DHL has a considerable market share of around 40% of the Asian market (The Economist, 2012). FedEx accounts for the market share of around of 49%Â  in USA as compared to around 50% by the competitor UPS. FedEx has developed the fleet and service base that has built a strong reputation of the company. For example, GPS tracking, Online Solution (FedEx, 2012a), SenseAware (Business Wire, 2014) are some of the leading services from FedEx. The industry in which FedEx operates is highly competitive and it has low switching cost for buyers and suppliers. Also, the industry is affected by high oil prices. FedEx, with its service to the global market, has focused on building competitive edge with technological innovation and is ranked at the 91st position on the Forbes Most Valuable brands (Forbes, 2013). Competitive information technology orientation has taken the place of absolute advantage for FedEx. Change in the global trade agreements and patterns have a direct impact on the FedEx. FedEx supports FTA for the removal of barriers from Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Furthermore, FedEx has capitalised the growth in global demand for the Korean products where Korea in all has generated $3.8 billion in the year 2011 (FedEx, 2012b). FedEx has planned to establish logistic hub in Pudong considering the global trade patterns between China to Europe where Shanghai Pudong International Airport is to take the position of hub (FedEx, 2012b). Hence, FedEx is keenly developing the comparative advantage from the changing global trade patterns. Furthermore, the company is also directly impacted by the varying regulations from country to country. For example, FedEx launched SenseAware in different market upon receiving security clearance from the respective countries’ and related organisations (Leung, 2011). Most recently it has expanded to 14 European countries and Canada. Such str ong connectivity with the movement of sensitive products has developed

Monotony in Elisa’s life Essay Example for Free

Monotony in Elisa’s life Essay Many people in our modern society lead monotonous lives; in other words they follow a routine and have little or no excitement in their lives. Sometimes we fool ourselves by believing that a monotonous life is happy life, but it does not work the same way for every person. Leading a monotonous life can be very harmful to one’s well being and those around us. In the short story â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck we see a person who finds herself in this situation, following a daily routine without much change in it. When a person realizes that they have been living a boring life they start to feel dissatisfied with what they have accomplished, act on impulse and even resort to different activities in an attempt to escape from reality. It often happens that people neglect themselves and do not do anything to satisfy their inner desires which later turn into regret. Regret is the effect that comes from not doing that which you want to do, not realizing your dreams or even from making the wrong decision. If a person strictly follows a routine it happens that they refuse to relax or have fun because it can affect their work or lives. These people are followed by a feeling of unaccomplishment which can lead to sorrow and sadness. The problem is that you start repeating this cycle that does not really benefit your health, it may benefit others and improve your work or studies but you always have to take into consideration your well being. Regret is a very powerful emotion and can carry on for years if a person is not careful it can gravely affect their state of mind and create many complexes. In â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† the character of Elisa is a perfect example of someone who leads a monotonous life. Elisa is tired of her life because she feels tired of the same issues every day, caring for her garden being a wife and even dealing with an awkward husband. Elisa regrets not living a more exciting life. In the story, the traveling handyman when talking with Elisa asks her for some chrysanthemums seeds and a very interesting conversation comes up. Elisa tries to explain to him how to care for the chrysanthemums by explaining the feeling of how you do it, but they interpret the explanation as something sexual. Elisa gets aroused by the conversation and tries to touch the man’s leg in the heat, but resists herself in the end. This leaves me to think that maybe she feels unsatisfied in her marriage, she desires something, regrets not having this exciting life. By using the same example we can also relate the situation to how living in this monotony can make a person act on impulse. To act on impulse is to give in to your deepest desires, to follow your urges; it is the drive for what we do. This impulsive behavior surfaces from the situation, since Elisa cannot hold her desire she breaks down and almost does something she might have regretted later on. Jane Atkinson states, When a man youve never met before suddenly gives you flowers dont be alarmed hes only acting on Impulse (Atkinson). What I’m trying to say is that acting on impulse is like taking a risk. What we have in the quote is basically that, the man is probably nervous and thinking that the woman will not accept them or feel harassed, but he takes a risk, acts on impulse, without completely thinking about the consequences of his actions. Many people live an entire life by acting on impulse without thinking about the consequences, but it is a fact that sometimes you could end up with a very complicated situation. Sometimes acting on impulse is not bad, but you cannot go over the top, there needs to be a balance between the two. Elisa, for a single moment, acted according to what her body wanted, but at the last moment realized that what she was going to do might have caused big problems later on. Basically acting on impulse is not exactly a bad thing, but in Elisa’s case, where the impulses come out of regret, it is a very severe problem. If you act on impulse you will not just cause harm to yourself, but to those around you too. The human being when cornered in a situation tends to look for an easy way to get out of this situation; this is the meaning of escaping from reality. The easy way out may be an efficient one, but in the long run may end up being the worst since it is the most dangerous for your health. Elisa’s monotonous live creates the perfect situation to make a person desire to escape. To escape from reality one uses an activity or an object which aids the person to create a more comfortable scenario. Many people use drugs to escape from reality, alcohol is one of the most common since it makes you see everything in a different way. Elisa is already mentally affected due to her dull, monotonous life and to make it worst the traveling handyman reminds her that her life will probably be the same until her death. By analyzing Elisa’s behavior from the story we can infer that she has been using the chrysanthemums garden as a way to bury in all her feelings and hide all her sadness, but nearing the end of the story when Elisa and her husband are on their way to the restaurant she asks if they could buy some wine, her second attempt to escape from reality. Elisa wants to use alcohol to escape from the sadness she was feeling; we can also assume that from this point on Elisa might develop a drinking problem due to the constant use of alcohol to alleviate the sadness. Escaping from reality might ease the pain inside one’s heart, but it cannot resolve any problems. Also there is also the fact that Elisa is living in a rather sexist society. Ott, Jim states, â€Å"Its the enigmatic tale of a woman named Elisa who loves her husband, but is fenced in by geography and circumstances in a mans world†. In the quote we basically have a summary of the story, but we mainly focus in the part where it says â€Å"in a man’s world† meaning that Elisa is being seen as weak and defenseless and treated as inferior. If a person constantly escapes from reality and never confronts his problems they will just make things worst since the problems will pile up and become even more complicated. In the end it just goes back to the same saying that everything in excess can be deadly. Leading a monotonous life can be harmful to a person’s well being. Monotony makes people feel dissatisfied, makes them act illogically and can even throw them into a deep depression. But there are also people who believe that it does not cause harm and that it can even be good for your health. Leading a monotonous life does not physically injure anyone and as long as a person does not take it to extreme measures then it does not cause any harm. There is also the fact that nobody has died because of monotony and it is not even a disease. However there are many factors that can make this seemingly normal way of life a deadly one. Even if it is not a disease it acts like one by obstructing your way of thinking, affect your judgment and more. It is true that as long as you do not do anything extreme then it will not cause much harm, but the problem is that not everyone understands this, most people just take it to the extreme or just do not do anything at all. Of course monotony cannot kill a person, but it can drive one into suicide easily since there are many people with weak minds and hearts who get overtaken by the feeling and do rash things without taking everything into account. In other words although monotony is not a deadly disease it can be harmful because it works it affects the weakest part of the body which is the mind. To live on a routine may sound like a completely normal and healthy activity, but, like everything, if you surpass a certain limit it can have the exact opposite meaning and effects on a person’s life. Once you put the facts in monotony can cause great harm like in Elisa’s case, but it can have the exact opposite effect too. Gregory J. Palmerino states, â€Å"In the end, both husband and wife bear responsibility and suffer for their seemingly childless and sexless marriage; the punishment, however, appears to be meted out unfairly† (Palmerino). This one quote basically sums up everything I want say about the story. Elisa and her husband are only making their problems worst and have many regrets and secrets or rather untold opinions of one another that are yet to be said aloud. The only real problem in all of this is the fact that their punishment really is being meted out unfairly since Elisa is getting the short end of the stick because she is being oppressed by her status as a woman and because of the fact that even though she is extremely unhappy she cannot do anything about it. The thing about Elisa’s lifestyle is that one thing leads to another, since she is living a monotonous life she regrets not doing many things and thus tends to act on impulse to try and accomplish these unfulfilled desires and lastly since she cannot fulfill these desires she resorts to the use of other objects to ease the pain in her heart. The saddest part of everything that is happening to Elisa is that she herself is making things worse for her and her husband. Works Cited Atkinson, Jane. Policeman just cant Help Acting on Impulse. News of the World: 53. May 23 2010. ProQuest Central. Web. 19 Oct. 2012 . Ott, Jim. This Valley Life: Livermore to Read and Celebrate Steinbeck. Oakland TribuneJan 07 2010. ProQuest Central. Web. 19 Oct. 2012 . Palmerino, Gregory J. Steinbecks THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS. The Explicator 62.3 (2004): 164-7. ProQuest Central. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.