Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations - The Natural Order is...

Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations - The Natural Order is Driven by Man’s Self-interest Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations argues for a system of political economy that separates economy – the creation and distribution of wealth – from governmental interference. In Smith’s view, the economy of a nation grows as a direct consequence of private business ventures in the interest of each individual owner. Regulation by the government hurts the economy, and the progress of society is derived from the flow of the market. Things should be left in their natural states, thus maintaining a â€Å"natural order† of society. The basis of Smith’s thesis is that this natural order is driven by Man’s self-interest. Smith presents the first†¦show more content†¦The next aspect of the â€Å"natural order† that Smith derives from self-interest is his ideas concerning the nature of exchange and the theory of value. Smith out rightly declares that the nature of exchange is a combination between the self-interest of two parties, that it is â€Å"not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest (22).† Smith believes that exchange takes place when both parties stand to gain, because bargainers â€Å"address [each other], not to [each other’s] humanity, but to [each other’s] self-love† (22). Similarly, Smith also bases his theory of value on the assumption that Man will always act in the manner that allows him to gain the most. Smith defines the value of any product as â€Å"equal to the quantity of labor which it enables him to purchase or command† (36). By th is, Smith is using exchange to define value, and as exchange, according to Smith, is rooted in self-interest, so value is also. The final aspect of Smith’s system of natural order derived from self-interest is that of the relations between the laborer, the landlord, and the stockholder. Smith writes, â€Å"he [the stockholder] could have no interest to employ them [laborers], unless he expected †¦ something more than what was sufficient to replace his stock to him† (46). Here, Smith has assumed that the stockholder will never have relations with laborersShow MoreRelatedLiberty: Adam Smith and Alexis de Tocqueville Essay2532 Words   |  11 PagesBoth Adam Smith and Alexis de Tocqueville agree that an individual is the most qualified to make decisions affecting the sphere of the individual as long as those decisions do not violate the law of justice. From this starting point, each theorist proposes a role of government and comments on human nature and civil society. Smith focuses on economic liberty and the ways in which government can repress this liberty, to the detriment of society. 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Life Cycle Of Butterflies New Jersey Common Core Standards

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How Can We Help the Homeless and Should We Searching for a Solution Essay Example For Students

How Can We Help the Homeless and Should We?: Searching for a Solution Essay How Can We Help the Homeless and Should We?: Searching for a Solution Essay Just a few months ago I was with my friends Mike and Kim and we had been walking around having a great time in the city. We then exited a store and Kim said something under her breath like, Oh, no, when I looked in the same direction to find a middle aged man with a drunken stare to him. She knew this man as the town drunk and he had been homeless for years. He asked us for the time and we replied, but he didnt just stop with that and followed us across the street talking up a storm. He was telling his whole life story in the fifteen minutes we stood there: he talked about how he grew up living poor with his family and how he wanted to be educated and go through college to get a good job so he could live well. But he said his parents just didnt have the money and it was impossible. I felt threatened as did Mike and Kim from the drunken gestures of this man and thought to myself, if this man wanted to make something of his life, I mean if he really wanted to, he would try harder and somehow do wh at he wanted. We tried to leave as soon as possible. But then I began reading these essays about the homeless and it started to change my mind. The essay Virginias Trap by Peter Marin especially effected me because of the way it portrays the young woman that has nothing going for her and almost everything against her. I though about this and decided I had misunderstood the whole plight of this population and thought there must be a better way to help these unfortunate people. How should we help the homeless and should we try even though they may not help themselves? I figure that is the most important question that needs to be answered if anything is to be done. Of the essays I analyzed Awalts Brother Dont Spare a Dime was the one essay that went against the idea of helping the homeless because the author thinks its their own fault for being the way they are. The other two essays are easier on the homeless and want to lend a helping hand. In Address Unknown: Homeless in Contemporary America James Wright thinks that helping the homeless by giving them more benefits that they will be more prosperous. Peter Marin has the same idea in Virginias Trap where the young woman is in need of just a little bit more money to stay the way she is in a home but doesnt receive enough. While Awalts narrow view of homeless people gives him the idea that all should not be helped in anyway, Wright and Marin go towards the idea of helping the people because they have already had a rough life and do in fact need this help to go anywhere in life. Awalts statement that homeless people are a waste of time is a very general statement in the least. Throughout his essay he only mentioned working with one homeless person trying to help him through a detoxification program. This person failed the procedure and left to go back to the streets and drink again. (Awalt 239) Just because this one person didnt have the endurance to undergo such an operation doesnt mean others wouldnt. What we need to have is a more hands on program with these homeless people to give them the attention that they need so that a majority of the people will not end up like this but eventually in their own homes. The opposite view is shared by Wright and Marin in their more lengthy and detailed essays. .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 , .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .postImageUrl , .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 , .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:hover , .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:visited , .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:active { border:0!important; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:active , .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7 .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u21cc80425515e3b1f8afb9d1c2b92ef7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Comparisons and Contrasts of Emily Grierson and Granny Weatherall Essay Wright starts out saying that not all homeless are the same and should not all be treated the same. He states there are different classes of homeless people and there are the worthy and unworthy homeless, meaning that only some deserve to remain this way because they dont try to live otherwise. These small amount of people, about five percent, dont deserve the time and money spent on trying to get them off the streets but the only way to find out if they dont is to try at least once with them. If it doesnt work out thats a small amount of effort .

Interpreting Googles Stance on Guest Blogging

On January 20th , 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts declared guest blogging a â€Å"spammy practice† and that those who are doing a lot of it are â€Å"hanging out with really bad company.† Cutts also said the following: â€Å"So stick a fork in it: guest blogging is done; it’s just gotten too spammy. In general I wouldn’t recommend accepting a guest blog post unless you are willing to vouch for someone personally or know them well. Likewise, I wouldn’t recommend relying on guest posting, guest blogging sites, or guest blogging SEO as a linkbuilding strategy.† Cutts explained that guest blogging was once a legitimate practice but had declined over the years to become spammier and spammier. He included several videos posted over the last few years where he had discussed this decline and warned webmasters that Google would be taking a stronger stance on guest blogging as SEO. Google did just that a few days ago. On March 19th , Matt Cutts announced on Twitter that Google had taken action against a large guest blog network. Today we took action on a large guest blog network. A reminder about the spam risks of guest blogging: http://t.co/rc9O82fjfn — Matt Cutts (@mattcutts) March 19, 2014 What are Guest Blogging Networks? Guest blog networks are networks that connect blog writers with blog owners, businesses, and marketers for the purpose of guest blogging. The idea is that bloggers exchange content with one another in exchange for valuable backlinks and exposure. Examples of guest blog networks include: MyBlogGuest, Guestr, GuestBlogIt, BlogDash, and Blogger LinkUp. After Cutts’ Twitter announcement, many speculated that the unnamed large guest blog network was most likely MyBlogGuest. What Happened with MyBlogGuest Currently, if you search for MyBlogGuest on Google, the site does not appear. Indeed, Ann Smarty of MyBlogGuest confirmed that the site had indeed been penalized. [Official] Even though #myblogguest has been against paying for links (unlike other platforms), @mattcutts team decided to penalize us†¦ — Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) March 19, 2014 On her blog, Smarty responded to the penalty by sharing her Webmaster Tools notice which inferred that Google didn’t like the links pointing to the site rather than any issues with guest blog links. She also outlined her plan for MyBlogGuest moving forward: Publishers will now have the option to nofollow byline links. Smarty reiterated that she has â€Å"trust in natural links† and that those links need to be follow links. Though Smarty has indicated that she doesn’t believe publishers will be affected by the MyBlogGuest penalty, Matt Cutts said that when Google â€Å"takes action on a spammy link network, it can include blogs hosting guest posts, sites benefitting from the links, etc.† Does this Mean Guest Blogging is Bad? Excluding an entire network from Google’s search results is certainly going to hurt but it doesn’t necessarily mean that all guest blog posts are spammy. In fact, Cutts has clarified that branding, exposure, increased reach, and community building remain good reasons to do some guest blogging. What he objects to is strictly using guest blogging for SEO purposes. What Google Really Wants To be clear, Cutts is also not objecting to multi-author blogs, either. He is focused on guest blogging as a link-building strategy and recommends caution when someone proposes a guest blog article. As you know, Google has penalized link farms, link exchanges, keyword stuffing, spammy article directories, and spun content because these practices resulted in unnatural, low quality content. What Google really wants remains constant: natural links, quality sites, and value-adding posts.

Ancient Nepal, ca. 500 B.C.-A.D. 700

Ancient Nepal, ca. 500 B.C.-A.D. 700 Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people were living in the Himalayan region in the distant past, although their culture and artifacts are only slowly being explored. Written references to this region appeared only by the first millennium B.C. During that period, political or social groupings in Nepal became known in north India. The Mahabharata and other legendary Indian histories mention the Kiratas (see Glossary), who still inhabited eastern Nepal in 1991. Some legendary sources from the Kathmandu Valley also describe the Kiratas as early rulers there, taking over from earlier ​Gopals or Abhiras, both of whom may have been cowherding tribes. These sources agree that an original population, probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity, lived in Nepal 2,500 years ago, inhabiting small settlements with a relatively low degree of political centralization. Monumental changes occurred when groups of tribes calling themselves the Arya migrated into northwest India between 2000 B.C. and 1500 B.C. By the first millennium B.C., their culture had spread throughout northern India. Their many small kingdoms were constantly at war amid the dynamic religious and cultural environment of early Hinduism. By 500 B.C., a cosmopolitan society was growing around urban sites linked by trade routes that stretched throughout South Asia and beyond. On the edges of the Gangetic Plain, in the Tarai Region, smaller kingdoms or confederations of tribes grew up, responding to dangers from larger kingdoms and opportunities for trade. It is probable that slow and steady migration of Khasa (see Glossary) peoples speaking Indo-Aryan languages were occurring in western Nepal during this period; this movement of peoples would continue, in fact, until modern times and expand to include the eastern Tarai as well. One of the early confederations of the Tarai was the Sakya clan, whose seat apparently was Kapilavastu, near Nepals present-day border with India. Their most renowned son was Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 563-483 B.C.), a prince who rejected the world to search for the meaning of existence and became known as the Buddha, or the Enlightened One. The earliest stories of his life recount his wanderings in the area stretching from the Tarai to Banaras on the Ganges River and into modern Bihar State in India, where he found enlightenment at Gaya still the site of one of the greatest Buddhist shrines. After his death and cremation, his ashes were distributed among some of the major kingdoms and confederations and were enshrined under mounds of earth or stone called stupas. Certainly, his religion was known at a very early date in Nepal through the Buddhas ministry and the activities of his disciples. continues... Glossary KhasaA term applied to the peoples and languages in the western parts of Nepal, closely related to the cultures of northern India. KirataA Tibeto-Burman ethnic group inhabiting eastern Nepal since before the Licchavi Dynasty, just prior to and during the early years of the Christian era. The political struggles and urbanization of north India culminated in the great Mauryan Empire, which at its height under Ashoka (reigned 268-31 B.C.) covered almost all of South Asia and stretched into Afghanistan in the west. There is no proof that Nepal was ever included in the empire, although records of Ashoka are located at Lumbini, the Buddhas birthplace, in the Tarai. But the empire had important cultural and political consequences for Nepal. First, Ashoka himself embraced Buddhism, and during his time the religion must have become established in the Kathmandu Valley and throughout much of Nepal. Ashoka was known as a great builder of stupas, and his archaic style is preserved in four mounds on the outskirts of Patan (now often referred to as Lalitpur), which were locally called Ashok stupas, and possibly in the Svayambhunath (or Swayambhunath) stupa. Second, along with religion came an entire cultural style centered on the king as the upholder of dharma, or the cosmic law of the universe. This political concept of the king as the righteous center of the political system had a powerful impact on all later South Asian governments and continued to play a major role in modern Nepal. The Mauryan Empire declined after the second century B.C., and north India entered a period of political disunity. The extended urban and commercial systems expanded to include much of Inner Asia, however, and close contacts were maintained with European merchants. Nepal was apparently a distant part of this commercial network because even Ptolemy and other Greek writers of the second century knew of the Kiratas as a people who lived near China. North India was united by the Gupta emperors again in the fourth century. Their capital was the old Mauryan center of Pataliputra (present-day Patna in Bihar State), during what Indian writers often describe as a golden age of artistic and cultural creativity. The greatest conqueror of this dynasty was Samudragupta (reigned ca. 353-73), who claimed that the lord of Nepal paid him taxes and tribute and obeyed his commands. It still is impossible to tell who this lord may have been, what area he ruled, and if he was really a subordinate of the Guptas. Some of the earliest examples of Nepalese art show that the culture of north India during Gupta times exercised a decisive influence on Nepali language, religion, and artistic expression. Next: The Early Kingdom of the Licchavis, 400-750The River System In the late fifth century, rulers calling themselves Licchavis began to record details on politics, society, and economy in Nepal. The Licchavis were known from early Buddhist legends as a ruling family during the Buddhas time in India, and the founder of the Gupta Dynasty claimed that he had married a Licchavi princess. Perhaps some members of this Licchavi family married members of a local royal family in the Kathmandu Valley, or perhaps the illustrious history of the name prompted early Nepalese notables to identify themselves with it. In any case, the Licchavis of Nepal were a strictly local dynasty based in the Kathmandu Valley and oversaw the growth of the first truly Nepalese state. The earliest known Licchavi record, an inscription of Manadeva I, dates from 464, and mentions three preceding rulers, suggesting that the dynasty began in the late fourth century. The last Licchavi inscription was in A.D. 733. All of the Licchavi records are deeds reporting donations to religious foundations, predominantly Hindu temples. The language of the inscriptions is Sanskrit, the language of the court in north India, and the script is closely related to official Gupta scripts. There is little doubt that India exerted a powerful cultural influence, especially through the area called Mithila, the northern part of present-day Bihar State. Politically, however, India again was divided for most of the Licchavi period. To the north, Tibet grew into an expansive military power through the seventh century, declining only by 843. Some early historians, such as the French scholar Sylvain LÃ ©vi, thought that Nepal may have become subordinate to Tibet for some time, but more recent Nepalese historians, including Dilli Raman Regmi, deny this interpretation. In any case, from the seventh century onward a recurring pattern of foreign relations emerged for rulers in Nepal: more intensive cultural contacts with the south, potential political threats from both India and Tibet, and continuing trade contacts in both directions. The Licchavi political system closely resembled that of northern India. At the top was the great king (maharaja), who in theory exercised absolute power but in reality interfered little in the social lives of his subjects. Their behavior was regulated in accordance with dharma through their own village and caste councils. The king was aided by royal officers led by a prime minister, who also served as a military commander. As the preserver of righteous moral order, the king had no set limit for his domain, whose borders were determined only by the power of his army and statecraftan ideology that supported almost unceasing warfare throughout South Asia. In Nepals case, the geographic realities of the hills limited the Licchavi kingdom to the Kathmandu Valley and neighboring valleys and to the more symbolic submission of less hierarchical societies to the east and west. Within the Licchavi system, there was ample room for powerful notables (samanta) to keep their own private armies, ru n their own landholdings, and influence the court. There was thus a variety of forces struggling for power. During the seventh century, a family is known as the Abhira Guptas accumulated enough influence to take over the government. The prime minister, Amsuvarman, assumed the throne between approximately 605 and 641, after which the Licchavis regained power. The later history of Nepal offers similar examples, but behind these struggles was growing a long tradition of kingship. The economy of the Kathmandu Valley already was based on agriculture during the Licchavi period. Artworks and place-names mentioned in inscriptions show that settlements had filled the entire valley and moved east toward Banepa, west toward Tisting, and northwest toward present-day Gorkha. Peasants lived in villages (grama) that were administratively grouped into larger units (dranga). They grew rice and other grains as staples on lands owned by the royal family, other major families, Buddhist monastic orders (sangha), or groups of Brahmans (agrahara). Land taxes due in theory to the king were often allocated to religious or charitable foundations, and additional labor dues (vishti) were required from the peasantry in order to keep up irrigation works, roads, and shrines. The village head (usually known as pradhan, meaning a leader in family or society) and leading families handled most local administrative issues, forming the village assembly of leaders (panchalika or grama pancha). This ancient history of localized decision making served as a model for late twentieth-century development efforts. The River System of Nepal One of the most striking features of present-day Kathmandu Valley is its vibrant urbanism, notably at Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon (also called Bhaktapur), which apparently goes back to ancient times. During the Licchavi period, however, the settlement pattern seems to have been much more diffuse and sparse. In the present-day city of Kathmandu, there existed two early villagesKoligrama (Village of the Kolis, or Yambu in Newari), and Dakshinakoligrama (South Koli Village, or Yangala in Newari)that grew up around the valleys main trade route. Bhadgaon was simply a small village then called Khoprn (Khoprngrama in Sanskrit) along the same trade route. The site of Patan was known as Yala (Village of the Sacrificial Post, or Yupagrama in Sanskrit). In view of the four archaic stupas on its outskirts and its very old tradition of Buddhism, Patan probably can claim to be the oldest true center in the nation. Licchavi palaces or public buildings, however, have not survived. The truly impor tant public sites in those days were religious foundations, including the original stupas at Svayambhunath, Bodhnath, and Chabahil, as well as the shrine of Shiva at Deopatan, and the shrine of Vishnu at Hadigaon. There was a close relationship between the Licchavi settlements and trade. The Kolis of present-day Kathmandu and the Vrijis of present-day Hadigaon were known even in the Buddhas time as commercial and political confederations in north India. By the time of the Licchavi kingdom, trade had long been intimately connected with the spread of Buddhism and religious pilgrimage. One of the main contributions of Nepal during this period was the transmission of Buddhist culture to Tibet and all of central Asia, through merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries. In return, Nepal gained money from customs duties and goods that helped to support the Licchavi state, as well as the artistic heritage that made the valley famous. Data as of September 1991 Next: The River System of Nepal Nepals Climate | Chronology | Historical Setting Nepal can be divided into three major river systems from east to west: the Kosi River, the Narayani River (Indias Gandak River), and the Karnali River. All ultimately become major tributaries of the Ganges River in northern India. After plunging through deep gorges, these rivers deposit their heavy sediments and debris on the plains, thereby nurturing them and renewing their alluvial soil fertility. Once they reach the Tarai Region, they often overflow their banks onto wide floodplains during the summer monsoon season, periodically shifting their courses. Besides providing fertile alluvial soil, the backbone of the agrarian economy, these rivers present great possibilities for hydroelectric and irrigation development. India managed to exploit this resource by building massive dams on the Kosi and Narayani rivers inside the Nepal border, known, respectively, as the Kosi and Gandak projects. None of these river systems, however, support any significant commercial navigation facility. R ather, the deep gorges formed by the rivers represent immense obstacles to establishing the broad transport and communication networks needed to develop an integrated national economy. As a result, the economy in Nepal has remained fragmented. Because Nepals rivers have not been harnessed for transportation, most settlements in the Hill and Mountain regions remain isolated from each other. As of 1991, trails remained the primary transportation routes in the hills. The eastern part of the country is drained by the Kosi River, which has seven tributaries. It is locally known as the Sapt Kosi, which means seven Kosi rivers (Tamur, Likhu Khola, Dudh, Sun, Indrawati, Tama, and Arun). The principal tributary is the Arun, which rises about 150 kilometers inside the Tibetan Plateau. The Narayani River drains the central part of Nepal and also has seven major tributaries (Daraudi, Seti, Madi, Kali, Marsyandi, Budhi, and Trisuli). The Kali, which flows between the Dhaulagiri Himal and the Annapurna Himal (Himal is the Nepali variation of the Sanskrit word Himalaya), is the main river of this drainage system. The river system draining the western part of Nepal is the Karnali. Its three immediate tributaries are the Bheri, Seti, and Karnali rivers, the latter being the major one. The Maha Kali, which also is known as the Kali and which flows along the Nepal-India border on the west side, and the Rapti River also are considered tributaries of the Karnali. Data as of September 1991 Nepals Climate | Chronology | Historical Setting

Learn About Gothic Literature With Elements and Examples

Learn About Gothic Literature With Elements and Examples The term Gothic originates with the ornate architecture created by Germanic tribes called the Goths.  It was then later expanded to include most of the medieval style of architecture. The ornate and intricate style of this kind of architecture proved to be the ideal backdrop for both the physical and the psychological settings in a new literary style, one that concerned itself with elaborate tales of mystery, suspense, and superstition. The height of the Gothic period, which was closely aligned with Romanticism, is usually considered to have been the years 1764–1840, but its influence extends to the present day in authors such as V.C. Andrews. Plot and Examples The plot of Gothic literature novels typically involves people who become involved in complex and oftentimes evil paranormal schemes, usually against an innocent and helpless heroine. One such example is the young Emily St. Aubert in Anne Radcliffe’s classic Gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794). This novel would inspire parody in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (1817). The most famous example of pure Gothic fiction is perhaps the first example of the genre, Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764). Although rather short, the setting certainly fits the description given above, and the combined elements of terror and medievalism set a precedent for an entirely new, thrilling genre. Selected Bibliography In addition to The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Castle of Otranto, there are a number of classic novels that those who are interested in Gothic literature will want to pick up. Here is a list of 10 titles that are not to be missed: The History of the Caliph Vathek (1786) by William Thomas BeckfordThe Monk (1796) by Mathew LewisFrankenstein (1818) by Mary ShelleyMelmoth the Wanderer (1820) by Charles MaturinSalathiel the Immortal (1828) by George CrolyThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor HugoThe Fall of the House of Usher (1839) by Edgar Allan PoeVarney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood (1847) by James Malcolm RymerThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis StevensonDracula (1897) by Bram Stoker Key Elements In most of the examples above, one will find certain key elements ascribed to Gothic fiction.  They  include: Atmosphere: In the Gothic novel, the atmosphere will be one of mystery, suspense, and fear, the mood of which is only enhanced by elements of the unknown or unexplained. Clergy: Often, as in The Monk and The Castle of Otranto, the clergy play important secondary roles. They are often weak and sometimes outrageously evil. The paranormal: Oftentimes Gothic fiction will contain elements of the supernatural or paranormal, such as ghosts and vampires. In some instances, these supernatural features are later explained in perfectly natural terms, but in other works, they remain completely inexplicable. Melodrama: Also called â€Å"high emotion,† melodrama is created through highly sentimental language and overly emotional characters. The panic, terror, and other emotions can seem overwrought in order to make the characters and setting seem wild and out of control. Omens: Typical of the genre, omens- or portents and visions- often foreshadow events to come. They can take many forms, such as dreams. Setting: The setting of a Gothic novel is typically a character in its own right. Gothic architecture plays an important role, so the stories are often set in a castle or large manor, which is typically abandoned. Other settings may include caves or the wilderness. Virginal maiden in distress: With the exception of a few novels, such as Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872), most Gothic villains are powerful males who prey on young, virginal women. This dynamic creates tension and appeals deeply to the readers pathos, particularly as these heroines tend to be orphaned, abandoned, or somehow severed from the world, without guardianship. Modern Critiques Modern readers and critics have begun to think of Gothic literature as referring to any story that uses an elaborate setting, combined with supernatural or super-evil forces against an innocent protagonist. The contemporary understanding is similar but has widened to include a variety of genres, such as paranormal and horror.

Figurative Language versus Literal Language Essay - 4

Figurative Language versus Literal Language - Essay Example Below are some of the most commonly used figurative expressions: Idioms, analogy, metaphor, simile, clichà ©, amphiboly, flame word, hyperbole, euphemism, and colloquialism. All are figurative expressions that may cause confusion and even misunderstanding to the ones that aren’t familiar with them. An idiom is a group of words or phrase that means something else differently from what it says literally. Idioms can actually be considered oral literature. They are passed down from generation to generation as part of culture. Example is â€Å"kick the bucket†, as in Mr. Jones kicked the bucket just yesterday! It would be senseless if a man just kicked a bucket. But kicking the bucket, idiomatically, means to die. It should be avoided in formal correspondences to avoid misunderstanding as idioms are generally geographic in nature. Analogy is another figurative expression that can be confusing. Analogy can be confusing if you do not know the references that the speaker uses in a sentence, especially if the speaker uses pop culture references (I will be a Marshall to your Lily. – in reference to the couple in the TV show How I Met Your Mother). But generally, it is quite useful in simplifying complicated ideas. For example, The CPU of the computer is like the brain; it is the commanding center. For students learning computer, it would be easy to remember: CPU = brain, but the elements used in idioms should be universally known to prevent misunderstandings. A metaphor, on the other hand, is similar to analogy but it does not compare two things directly. In a metaphor, the comparison is asserted to an otherwise unrelated object although one can argue that a metaphor is a type of analogy. A famous metaphor by Shakespeare goes: All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, from As You Like