The Canterbury Tales Literary Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Canterbury Tales Literary Analysis - Essay Example rough the eye of the narrator, who is a pilgrim himself, apparently ready to appreciate his companions for their worthiness, and also record their condition, their array, and their social degree: â€Å"To telle yow al the condicioun/Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,/And whiche they weren, and of what degree,/And eek in what array that they were inne;† The narrator took his â€Å"tyme and space† to relate his story which means that that he has considered his subjects for a period before putting their descriptions on paper, and his portrayals derive as much from his observation as his individual perceptions and opinions regarding the characters. The characters are described in order of their social rank: the military estate represented by the Knight and the Squire is followed by the clerical estates depicted through the Prioress, the Monk, the Friar and the Parson; and then by the laity represented by the wealthy Franklin to the poor Plowman; the upper middle class is followed by a lower one and the rascals at the end. The pilgrims include: a knight, a squire, a yeoman, a prioress, a second nun, the nuns priest, a monk, a friar, a merchant, a clerk, a sergeant of law, a franklin, a haberdasher, a carpenter, a weaver, a dyer, a tapestry weaver, a cook, a shipman, a doctor of physic, a wife of Bath, a parson, a plowman, a miller, a manciple, a reeve, a summoner, a pardoner, the host and the narrator himself. The number of professions depicted are representative of various sections of the society, and Chaucer presents a rich tableau of his times. The narrator is conscious of the social differences.He respects them, and in his description of the clothing, the accessories, and glimpses of behavior conjures up a wide array of characters. The Canterbury Tales was Chaucers attempt at realism in an era when most of the writers of his time were still engaged with larger-than life heroes; his character live, breathe drink and crack jokes as in real life, and Chaucer

The Transformational and charismatic leadership theory

The Transformational and charismatic leadership theory In examining transformational leadership some outstanding examples can be found in both ancient and modern times as exemplified by phenomena. Ghandi, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and even Adolf Hitler were outstandingly successful as transformational leaders (even if Hitlers success was (mercifully) short lived). Hitler galvanized the German people by appealing to their national pride; Lincoln led his country in the face of devastating internal differences; Churchill rallied the nation in the face of impeding invasion and Gandhi moved his people to throw off the British yoke in the interests of national self-respect. In all of these cases, the situation presented national challenges to which in the opinion of the relevant leaders required national responses. The resources that these leaders had at their disposal would scarcely have been enough to lead successfully in a transactional manner. The necessary resources came from the people themselves an example previously recorded in the Bible as the Parable of the five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 15:34). Therefore, one quality of a transformational leader is that followers not only follow, contribute effort but also even contribute material resources needed to get the job done. Leadership requires followers or subordinates and a vision. This notion of leadership has existed for millennia and is recorded in both the Bible and (in China) the Tao Te Ching.(Blanchard Carey cited in Hesselbein Goldsmith, 2006). At the same time, new concepts of leadership stress that leaders will need to take into account the wants of the subordinates that now no longer focus primarily on money (Goldsmith, cited in Hesselbein Goldsmith, 2006). If more money is no longer a prime incentive for followers then transactional leadership has become lost some of its influence and a leader needs to be more aware of emotional appeals. Huang (2005) noted that scholars in characterizing leaders as transformational often filter out the structural components of action and portray a leader as a person of extraordinary qualities performing heroic and revolutionary actions. A transactional leader on the other hand strongly emhpasises contextual factors but neglect how a leader can create his or her own context. If no reconciliation is possible between the structural relations shaping of and being shaped by a leader then a leaders contribution may be misleadingly attributed to a brilliant and catastrophic outcome. The circumstances that may call for exceptional leadership are not always foreseeable although both Scharmer (2009) and Cashman (2008) indicate that leaders can and should be developed that can foresee the future enough to take strategic and preemptive ,measures. Such ability requires a leader posses a degree of flexibility (Doz Kosonen, 2008; Navarro, 2006; OSullivan Dooley, 2009). Given that circumstances will play an important part in determining how a leader performs, the leaders should be able to adjust his or her leadership style accordingly. Amernic, Craig, and Tourish, (2007) in describing Jack Welch noted the different ways in which Welch acted at different times. Beddell, Hunter, Angie, Vert,(2006) compared charismatic, ideological and pragmatic leaders. Beddell et al. noted that a charismatic leader will seek to engage their followers by inviting them on emotional grounds to participate in a future vision. Charismatic leaders will willingly and opportunistically adapt their strategy to obtain their vision (Beddell et al.). Ideological leaders on the other had appeal to visions that emphasise traditions and common past experiences (Beddell et al.). This distinction brings into focus what type of leader is best suited for the current environment. Beddell at al. (2006) reported on the orientation of leaders and differentiated between socialised leaders and personalized leaders. Socialized leaders try to improve and enable others in order to contribute to the improvement of society as a whole, whereas personalized leaders focus on the image their followers have of them. Beddell at al. noted that socialized leaders look farther into the future and are able to identify the important issues to be addressed. Integrity was identified as a critical determinant of performance and outcomes of outstanding leaders. Given the events of the last few years in the financial world, integrity in leaders may no longer be taken for granted. Current leadership faces an environment that can be described as not dissimilar to the crises environments that were faced by the above mentioned leaders. The criteria of today and the future have changed from the immediate past. Current leaders continue to maintain mission statements that are unclear, wrongly focused or misleading; the social contract between leadership and followers that has been in place for decades has weakened to the point of ineffectiveness; concepts of justice and fairness are being reexamined (Handy, 2006). The ethical behavior of several leaders has called into question if current leaders can be trusted (Blanchard Carey, 2006). Transformational and charismatic leadership theory address the leadership styles that foster change by appealing to emotional rather than material values (Barbuto, 2005; Antonakis House, 2002 Nahavandi, 2006). Twigg Fuller, and Hester (2008) found that transformational leadership fostered organizational commitment by stressing a sense of common participation. Twigg et al. found that transformational leadership style was a better determinant of citizenship behavior than other leadership styles. Twigg et al. noted that transformational leadership augments transactional leadership but goes beyond material exchanges. Transformational leaders establish covenants whereby commonly held beliefs and values are considered in addition to contractual obligations. Examples of transformational leadership abound and can make the difference in achieving goals that transactional leadership is unable to achieve. In the organizational field, Kelly (2004) analysed NASA and concluded that there were two eras the first of which was characterized by recognized leaders and programs that were embraced by both the public and the organization. The second era on the other hand was seen as a bureaucracy subject to political and budget influences. The difference between the two eras can be deduced from the leadership. President Kennedy in announcing that the United States would send a man to the moon and return him safely before the Russians did so was the transformational leadership that Scientist Werner von Braun and NASA Director Webb transactionally (Scott Davis, 2007) put into effect. Amernic, J., Craig, R., Tourish, D. (2007, December). The transformational leader as pedagogue, physician, architect, commander, and saint: Five root metaphors in Jack Welchs letters to stockholders of General Electric. Human Relations, 60(12), 1839. Antonakis, J. House, R.J. Â  (2002). The full-range leadership theory: The way forward. In Avolio, B. J. Yammarino, F. J. (Eds.) (2002). Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead. New York, Elsevier. Barbuto, J. E,. Jr (2005). Motivation and Transactional, Charismatic, and Transformational Leadership: A test of antecedents Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies; 11,9(4); Beddell, K., Hunter, S.,Angie, A., Vert,A.(2006). A historiometric examination of Machiavellianism and a new taxonomy of leadership. Journal of leadership and organizational studies, 12(41),15-32. Blanchard, K. Carey D. (2006) Regaining Public Trust; a leadership challenge. In Hesselbein, F., Goldsmith, M. (2006). The leader of the future: Visions, strategies and practices for the new era. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Cashman, K. (2008). Leadership from the inside out: Becoming a leader for life. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Doz, Y., Kosonen, M. (2008). Fast strategy: How strategic agility will help you stay ahead of the game. New York: Pearson/Longman Goldsmith, M (2006) Leading new age professionals. . In Hesselbein, F., Goldsmith, M. (2006). The leader of the future: Visions, strategies and practices for the new era. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., Mckee, A.(2002), Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. In Business Leadership. Jossey- Educational Leadership. San Francisco: A. Wiley Handy, C. (2006) Philosopher leaders. In Hesselbein, F., Goldsmith, M. (2006). The leader of the future: Visions, strategies and practices for the new era. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Hesselbein, F., Goldsmith, M. (2006). The leader of the future: Visions, strategies and practices for the new era. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Huang, G. C. (2005). Chiang Kai-Shek`s use of shame: an interpretive study of agency in Chinese leadership. Doctoral Dissertation University of Chicago. Chicago Illinois. Retrieved October 25, 2007, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. Kelly, J. D. (2002). An organizational history of the national aeronautics and space administration: A critical comparison of administrative decision making in two pivotal eras. Los Angeles: School of Policy and Planning, University of Southern California Nahavandi, A. (2006). The art and science of leadership (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River New Jersey: Pearson Publishing Inc. Navarro, P. (2006). The well-timed strategy: Managing the business cycle for competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Pub. OSullivan, D. Dooley, L. (2009). Applying innovation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Scharmer, C. O. (2009). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Scott, W. Davis, G. (2007). Organizations and organizing rational natural and open system perspectives. New Jersey:Â  Prentice Hall. Twigg N.W., Fuller J.B. Hester, K.(2008). Transformational Leadership in Labor Organizations: The Effects on Union Citizenship Behaviors Journal of Labour Research.(2008) 29:27-41,27-41. Published online: 24 November 2007 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. Retrieved November 25 2008 from Emerald data base.

The Story Of The Hour Essay -- Literary Analysis, Kate Chopin

The Story Of The Hour, by Kate Chopin, is about woman who struggles with oppression brought on by her husband and her secret desire for freedom. Mrs. Mallard doesn’t know how truly unhappy she is until she is told that he has died in train accident. The story is limited to a third-person point of view, but is not short on drama thanks to the structure and style of Chopin’s writing. Her theme of oppression is reveled by the irony of the story, in which she discovers a sense of freedom quickly after her husbands death. Chopin uses symbolism to emphasis this newly found feeling. The main character Mrs. Louise Mallard is a very easy to relate to. The structure and style that Chopin uses in The Story Of The Hour, is used to exaggerate the drama of what is taking place. She uses very short paragraphs the majority being only two to or three sentences a piece. The story is about the hour after Louise find out her husband is dead. It bring us quickly from a state of morning to a place where she realizes that she is â€Å"free† from the bondage of her husband. The structure of the story is reflects the intensity of emotions she exhibits. The length of the story leaves no room for a drawn out exposition, we shoot quickly from the that to the climax and end just as quickly after that. There is a lot of repetition through out the story, which she uses to emphasize the importance of certain points she makes. The word â€Å"open† is repeatedly used through out the story, â€Å"open window†(69) , â€Å"open square†(69). â€Å"opened and spread her arms out†(69) and many more. She also repeats the word â€Å"free†, "Free! Body and soul free!" (69). She also repeats phrases such as â€Å"might be long† like when she says â€Å"She breathed a quick prayer that... ...esn’t seem to be a bad guy, he is the antagonist in the story. He is the character that keeps Mrs. Mallard from living the life she dreams about. It is the very presents of Mr. Mallard, that ends killing his wife. We can only speculate that it was the though of having to live the life she once lead was the real cause of Mrs. Mallards death. Though The Story Of An Hour is very short, it is very powerful. I imagine that there were many women in the 1800’s that wondered what life would be like if there husbands weren’t around. Though Mrs. Mallard is treated as if she is weak because of her heart condition, she is strong in character. I think that even women of today’s world can relate to this to this story in in some way, which is why it has with stood the test of time.

Ow Does the Author Present Human Nature in Lord of the Flies? Essay

Lord of the Flies is a novel written by William Golding, it was published in 1954. It is an allegorical novel in which Golding uses many powerful symbols to present his ideology about human nature. In this novel human nature is seen as a theme which runs through the entire novel. In this essay I will give examples of how Golding presents Human Nature in Lord of the Flies. The quote â€Å"where’s the man with the megaphone? † connotes Human Nature. When the boys land on the island after greeting one anther they ask for others. This shows Human Nature because naturally they are curious about their surroundings; this is developed in each human from a very young age. Looking for other people when you are lost is a common thing to do. Human Nature is presented through the pronoun â€Å"where† because as most humans would do when they are lost, they are questioning things. â€Å"We’ve got to have rules and obey them. † When Ralph starts to desire rules it is the beginning of civilization on the island. Rules are a way of keeping everything under control so that everyone behaves and all rights are equal. The noun â€Å"rules† represents Human Nature. It connects with the principle of Human Nature where naturally rules are desired to keep everything in line. Rules have been made dating back to biblical times to restore law and order. Without rules there is chaos, the fact that this boy has recognized that rules are needed to be made and obeyed shows the impact not only human nature but society has on all of us. The conch is a strong symbol of rules and rules relate to civilization. The conch was one of the first set of rules made on the island. No boy may speak unless he is holding the conch and once he is holding it, he cannot be interrupted. The boys have imposed this â€Å"rule of the conch† on themselves, and thus the conch represents society’s rules. We have rules so that we act civilized, desiring to be civilized is simply part of our Human Nature. Human Nature is presented through the event of Jack killing the pig. â€Å"His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge†¦.. taken away its life like a long satisfying drink† this quotation gives the reader chance to explore the mental state of Jack in the aftermath of killing his First Pig. Jack is overjoyed by kill and is unable to think straight as his mind is â€Å"crowded with memories†. A flaw of Human Nature is the feeling of power it’s something all humans desire unfortunately the lengths some people will go for power can be extreme. Golding explicitly connects Jack’s exhilaration with the feelings of power and superiority he experienced in killing the pig even If it is not a good thing. Jack’s excitement stems not from pride at having found food and helped the group but from having â€Å"outwitted† another creature and â€Å"imposed† his will upon it. â€Å"Ralph Wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart† this is at the end of the novel when Ralph realizes that although he is saved from death on the island. He will never be the same again. He as well has lost his innocence and learned about the evil that lurks within all human beings. The phrase â€Å"darkness of man’s heart,† talks about the presence of evil instincts lurking within all human beings, no matter how civilized you may be. This connotes Human Nature as it talks about something that is within all humans naturally just that some people are able to suppress the evilness. The question that rises in this novel is whether these boys where evil all along or whether it was the effect the environment had on their nature. Human Nature is presented in the novel as the protagonist Ralph and the antagonist Jack. It is clear that when they both land on the island they both appear as immature kids who wanted to get back home. It is part of their Human Nature to return back to where they came from, which is what they try to do. â€Å"You’ll get back to where you came from† here Simon talks and acts almost as if he was a prophet, as if he knows truly that they were going to go home. It is in their nature to go somewhere knowingly that eventually they will go back to where they came from. Golding’s use of words in the novel and the way he presents Human Nature through different techniques makes us question Human Nature. The novel mostly focuses on Humans Nature being the cause of Society’s Flaws. The novel makes you think about Human Nature as a whole and whether these boys were capable of killing each other from the beginning or whether it was due to their surroundings. It also makes you think about yourself; someone who is affected by human nature; if you were left on an island at a young age to tend for yourself what would become of you. In this novel Jack the antagonist has his first experience of killing a pig at first he couldn’t do it, but eventfully he did. This urge then took over his innocence and turned him into a murdering savage. It is clear in Lord of the Flies that Golding believes Human Nature to be evil.

The Impact of African American Stereotypes

Many of us have received a meager education about African-Americans. In fact, many people have no clue about African Americans beyond the information we have been given in the media. The result has been that most whites possess a distorted image of African-Americans. This not only limits a person's worldview, but this is also dangerous. The media has no incentive to present accurate, much less positive, images of African-Americans. This is nothing new, but the inaccuracies have a greater impact on the lives of black people. Throughout history, black men have been presented as beastly savage. For example, in the movie â€Å"Jersey Drive,† the blacks are portrayed as a bunch of violent thieves who thrive from stealing others† cars. Often, in the past they were shown as subhuman beings preying on the fragile white woman. With the advent of radio and television, black men were depicted as buffoons and criminals. Today, few images are presented, showing what black men are really like. For instance, Denzel Washington who is a brilliant actor, as well as a successful businessman in today†s society is a great image. Unfortunately, it is easier for most people who are not black to build their assumptions from media depictions rather than to go out and to meet the actual people. These images have contributed to the most violent behavior against black men that this country has ever seen. Over the course of the twentieth century, thousands of black men were lynched for often false rape allegations by white women. Black men have been repeatedly denied access to opportunities for education and employment. To this day, black men remain perceived as a â€Å"threat† and are the targets of sometimes fatal acts of police brutality. It is not a coincidence that African American men are imprisoned and given stiffer sentences than their white counterparts. Black men are not the only victims of harmful stereotypes. Black women are perceived as pillars of strength. This is a perception that a number of black women are proud to accept. The black women we see in the media tend to be powerful, nurturing figures. With the exception of a handful of supermodels, black women are often viewed as unattractive by the popular American beauty standards. An overwhelming view of black women is that they are stern, perhaps even domineering. To illustrate, In â€Å"Soul Food,† the females are in charge of keeping the family together through all the struggles. These images of black women have led traditional society to ignore the real concerns of black women. Perhaps, they tend to be depicted as superhuman creatures. Black women are seen as being able to withstand any personal tragedy and to emerge totally prepared to face the demands of life. In summation, few of us received educations about African Americans. Throughout history, black men have been presented as beastly. Also, Black women have been perceived as stone walls of strength, powerful, and nurturing figures. Few people take time to see the truth behind these stereotypes. If we really want to know about African Americans, the education that personal interaction and books provide are much more insightful than the media†s misrepresentations.