No Exit - Hell Essays -- essays research papers

Hell. The four lettered word that trembles in the throats of men and children alike; The images of suffering, flame pits and blood, the smell of burning flesh, the shrieking of those who have fallen from grace. For centuries man has sought out ways to cleanse his soul, to repent for his sins and possibly secure his passage into paradise, all evoked by the fear of eternal damnation and pain. The early 20th century philosopher and existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre saw life as an endless realm of suffering and a complete void of nothingness. His pessimistic ideals of life followed through to his beliefs on death, as death for him was a final nothingness. If death was a final nothingness, Sartre's view of hell was really a final statement on life. Jean-Paul Sartre's depiction of hell in the play No Exit reflects his belief on humanity and society.No Exit's hell is embodied in a single room, decorated in Second Empire style furnishings. The surroundings seem more comforting than the traditional conception of hell, as the ones illustrated in Dante's inferno or even the bible. However, from an existentialist's point of view, the setting in itself is rather hellish, as its lavishness is overwhelmingly superficial and superficiality is rejected in existentialist belief. As existentialists believe that human life is lived in suffering, sin, guilt and anxiety, anything superficial is a foolish and naive way of denying despair. In a sense, Sartre's hell exists for him not in the ...

The Sexual Content in Angela Carter?S the Bloody Chamber

The Sexual Content in Angela Carter? s â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, is a selection of fairytales which have been re-written by Angela Carter to place them in the modern day. Carter has taken seven fairytales whose â€Å"latent content† she says were â€Å"violently sexual†, (qtd by Robin Sheets, â€Å"Pornography Fairy Tales and Feminism† 642). The stories include a variation of classics fairytales such as â€Å"Bluebeard†, â€Å"Beauty and the Beast† and â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood† with sometimes more than one version of the same original tale, for example â€Å"Wolf-Alice† and â€Å"The Company of Wolves†. In re-writing these fairy tales Carter has given the new versions a specifically sexual content and focuses on the female protagonist, which as a result, has become the issue of much debate and criticism. In particular, the sometimes explicit sexual content of the stories has raised questions among some feminist writers regarding Carter? s stance on the issue of the role of women and pornography. Focusing mainly on the main story of the collection, â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, this essay will aim to highlight Carter? s intentions for the sexual content of her stories. In doing so, whilst commenting from some critical essays regarding Carter? s stance on pornography, this essay will also address â€Å"Lovely Linda†, a review of Inside Linda Lovelace, by Linda Lovelace a porn actress, which was written by Angela Carter. In her essay, Robin Sheets compares â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† to another of Carter? s books The Sadiean Woman and the Ideology of Pornography. Sheets takes one of ten short stories in the collection and using only this story tries to define Carter as either one of â€Å"Sade? new Juliettes† or a â€Å"new Justine†, (qtd. by Sheets pp636-637). These titles, which make reference to characters from works by the Marquis de Sade, were created by Robin Morgan in her criticism of feminist activists who opposed or supported the antipornography movement, those who support pornography being the â€Å"new Juliettes† as they align themselves with sex based on domination, where the â€Å"new Justines† are said to always portray themselves of the victims of male brutality. Antipornography activists described pornography as a â€Å"cause of women? oppression†, (Sheets 637), and Sheets focuses on this in â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† as a means to decide which flag Carter is flying. Like all fairy tales the original story of Bluebeard contained a moral. Sheets comments that although over time there have been variations made to the story in order to change the moral the one that has prevailed has been that which advises women against curiosity, (Sheets 643). Whilst comparing the Marquis of the story to the Marquis de Sade, Sheets links the sadistic acts of the Marquis in â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† to that of de Sade. When one takes into consideration Carter? s review of Linda Lovelace? s book, Inside Linda Lovelace, when addressing the sexual content of â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, it is easy to understand Carter? s opinion of pornography and as result her reasons for using it in her stories. At the start of the review Carter describes Lovelace? s fame as a result of the â€Å"demands of a society that uses libidinal gratification as a soporific in a time of potential social disruption†. From the outset of this review Carter? negativity towards â€Å"our Lady of Hard-Core Porn†, is evident, so what is different about Linda Lovelace and the content of her own works that attracts so much argument regarding its pornographic nature? In her review she goes on to remark that â€Å"libidinal gratification† is now unlimited but that this has changed as a result of society changing as in short that although we are sexually free now it is only because society says so, which means that if we have to wait for society? s permission we still are not free, (Angela Carter, Shaking a Leg 54). This oppression of women is one of the most commonly debated aspects of pornography. The debate develops into deciding what pornography is and what is erotica, the difference being (if one uses Gloria Steinem? s definition as example), that erotica is â€Å"mutually pleasurable, sexual expression between people who have enough power to be there by positive choice†, (qtd. by Sheets 637). Although Linda Lovelace claims sexual freedom and wants to be equal in bed, Carter makes sure to point out that the sexual acts that Lovelace boasts about being able to do with her mouth and her vagina she has learned from a man, Chuck, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 54). In turn when one compares this oppression to â€Å"The Bloody Chamber† one can see that indeed there are some obvious examples of masochism, one of which being when the narrator describes having sex as being â€Å"impaled†, (Angela Carter, Burning Your Boats, 121) by her husband. Indeed the whole story up until the point where she goes to the forbidden room is one of subjugation. When one takes into consideration the remarks that Carter makes in her article of Lovelace about society, it can be argued that the initial argument regarding the intentions of the sexual content in Carter? s works also stem from the boundaries which society sets. Where some only see the oppression of the protagonist, others look beyond this to see an alternative to the protagonist’s actions. As Merja Makinen points out in â€Å"Angela Carter? s The Bloody Chamber and the Decolonisation of the Feminine Sexuality†, there is an alternative argument to that of the narrator of â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†. Here, Makinen argues that to an extent the narrator does in fact consent to the â€Å"sado-masochistic transaction†, (Makinen 32). This can be seen in the narrator? brief descriptions of the desire that is lurking within her, â€Å"I was aghast to feel myself stirring†, (Carter, Burning Your Boats 119). Therefore, it can be argued that rather than being subjected to this act, the presence of consent transforms this into an act of erotica. This could be an example of which Makinen describes as Carter re-writing the old tales by playing with the earli er misogynistic version, (Makinen 24). As mentioned earlier Sheets attempts to brand Carter as a â€Å"new Juliette† or â€Å"new Justine†, but in the end her argument is inconclusive and cannot decide on one particular side of the fence for the writer. In comparison, Carter refers to Lovelace as someone who has been â€Å"sexually exploited by men†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 55). Carter makes it blatantly clear in this article that she is against pornography, not because of the acts that take place but because of the oppression of women. She describes Lovelace as someone who lives in a world dictated by men, she has learned her technique from men and although it is a world of sex, the sex itself has been reduced to what Carter calls a â€Å"geometric intersection of parts†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 56). Carter compares what Lovelace is doing to that of what takes place in a Brothel. She comments that â€Å"our society generally denies the prostitute both appreciation and the opportunity to exercise particular sexual virtuosity†, and ironically confirms that â€Å"Lovelace is no prostitute†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 55). Carter portrays Lovelace as what this writer believes is what every anti-pornography activist has in mind when they are condemning pornography, â€Å"she is a shaven prisoner in a cage whose bars are composed of cocks†, (Carter, Shaking a Leg 56). From this review it is a wonder that there would be any debate as to whether or not the sexual content of Carter? s works support pornography, and it is clear that she uses sexual practice based on domination for other means, in her writing. The other stories in The Bloody Chamber approach a different aspect of female sexuality and desire and Makinen implies that it is necessary to read all the stories to understand the intentions of Carter. For example, the story of â€Å"The Lady of the House of Love† shows the inversion of the Bluebeard character. Who can mistake the gothic tropes used to portray the female vampire as a male. The teeth of the vampire which would penetrate the virgin boy, but yet there is still an element of desire for the vampire and in order to obtain that she must pay a price. Makinen argues that rather than being against or for pornography, Carter aims to portray a wider incorporation of female sexuality, and use â€Å"feminism to challenge sexist constructions†, (Makinen 25). This, it could be argued, is why the book starts with an obvious description of female oppression. At the same time however, one also has to keep in mind the variations to the original Bluebeard story that Carter has included. The mother who saves the day, the second husband who is gentle and kind and also the protagonist being the narrator herself, are what Sheets describes as Carter â€Å"writing against the interpretive tradition that emphasizes the wife? s sexual curiosity†, (Sheets 644). As we have seen in the review of Lovelace? s book, Angela Carter sees pornography as the oppression of women by men and that she does not look too highly upon this factor. When one takes this into consideration whilst reading her books, it can be seen then that although she uses material which can be argued to be that of a pornographic nature, she does so not as a means to approve of the oppression of women. Rather she uses this material to â€Å"critique phallocentrism† and as a means to demonstrate female sexuality and the representation of femininity, (Makinen p34). Bibliography Carter, Angela, â€Å"The Bloody Chamber†, Burning Your Boats, London: Chatto & Windus, 1995. Carter, Angela, â€Å"Lovely Linda†, Shaking a Leg, London: Chatto & Windus, 1997. Makinen, Merja, â€Å"Angela Carter? s The Bloody Chamber and the Decolonisation of Feminine Sexuality†, New Casebooks: Angela Carter, Ed. Alison Easton, Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000, pp20-36. Sheets, Robin Ann, â€Å"Pornography, Fairy Tales, and Feminism: Angela Carter’s â€Å"TheBloody Chamber†Ã¢â‚¬ , Journal of the History of Sexuality, Vol. 1, No. 4, (April,1997), pp 633- 657 08/04/2011

Political Competence Essay

In almost any affair that involves multiple stakeholders the idea of partnership and collaboration have essential roles. This is also applicable in building a strong society or country especially since it is composed of numerous people with varying needs that must be addressed. In relation to this the concepts of good corporate citizenship and political competence are vital in giving the necessary services to the people. Corporate citizenship pertains to â€Å"a new contract between business and society, a vision of partnership between different sections of community, which allies profitable companies with healthy communities because what happens to societies happens to business† (Benchmarks, n. d. ). On the other hand, political competence involves skills and attributes that make it possible for the achievement of organizational goals (Wells, n. d. ). Good corporate citizenship and political competence are related because these are interdependent upon each other. In order for good corporate citizenship to make successful partnerships it needs political competence that will make sure that the plans they made will be properly applied so that their objectives can be realized. Since the past up to the contemporary time, the government plays an important role in the organization, information dissemination, budgeting, and funding of a country’s healthcare system. The government is the primary body that is responsible in passing laws for the planning as well as the implementation of various concerns regarding the healthcare system of the country. This is greatly observable in countries like the United States of America, states in the European Union as well as in other parts of the world. However, this kind of system is not always as effective as it seem to be. There are still many people who lack the proper healthcare attention, which is always the reason that there are various sicknesses that most citizens suffer from. The main problem why such incompetence takes place is due to the lack of political will coming from the government and also the improper and sometimes illegal contracts that are happening among the public agencies and corporations. This could be seen in the common practice that is observable in the distribution of the needed medicine for most healthcare centers. Government funded organizations are responsible in commissioning private corporations in buying the needed medicinal paraphernalia. Nevertheless, anomalies often happen in this kind of dealings. Corrupt government officials would allot a huge amount of budget in order to buy medicinal necessities but this money is not consumed for this sole purpose. Some of it tends to fall in the pocket of officials who are only thinking of their vested interests. They would engage in illegal contracts with private corporations who would also gain benefit in the process (Messerli, 2008). This kind of issue is clearly an ethical dilemma that needs to be address immediately. A good solution for this problem is to create an objective, independent body that would see to it that the budget allotted for the healthcare of the citizens are use for the right purposes. This is one good way in order to do something to prevent this kind of anomaly from happening. The healthcare of citizens is a very important aspect of an individuals’ right, which is why it should be given due attentions and importance.

Marketing reflections

Apart from creating ‘loyalists' who support the company at all mimes, such schemes also aim at enticing customers away from competition (Morgan, 1996). Price, location and convenience are other determinants of customer loyalty. The case study mentioned in the article presents an overall negative picture of loyalty cards In the hospitality business. It says majority of the customers purchased the loyalty cards of the hotel because it provided good value for money and cheap local deals. Despite having high satisfaction, such ‘mercenaries' had very low commitment towards the hotel (Morgan, 1996).It mentions that other means like customizing arrive for each individual, giving same room to regulars, ‘business roundtable dinners', happy hour etc. , with special attention to profitable customers, might be more successful in retaining customers. However, the above doesn't seem to hold true for supermarket chains. Owing to a change in management, Jewel Coco's move to ditch i ts loyalty card and opt for â€Å"everyday low prices† instead was not received very well by the regular customers. They felt that their right to exclusive discount was being taken away from them and thus, Coco lost quite a few customers.

Production in the Long Run Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Production in the Long Run - Essay Example When it comes to marginal product, change in production is registered after the addition of capital employed. (Steinemann 11) This could be an added employee. The major point about the long run is that all the factors pertaining to production are assumed to be variable. The term ‘Returns to Scale’ is a term used to refer to the process by which a firms output, responds to change factors input. An example of this is as outlined in the table below; Labor Input Plant 1 Plant 2 Plant 3 Plant 4 10 40 100 130 150 20 100 120 150 173 30 120 140 175 199 40 130 170 200 231 50 150 190 230 260 Capital Input 10 20 30 40 Courtesy of (http://tutor2u.net/) From the above chart, Plant 1, business increases to 40 working with labor input 10 and capital input of 10. This demonstrates increase in returns to scale, resulting to a fall in the total cost of production. Generally, the scale of production can be increased or reduced. This is due to the variability of all factors. As a result, th e firm moves to new average cost curves. Every firm has an equivalent short run average cost curve, with the firms’ expansion, it moves on to different short run average cost curves. Economies of scale result after the expanded scale output leads to a lower average cost for each level of output. The overhead costs relative to the running costs will probably be high in industries where big networks and national distribution are necessary. This leaves only little room for the company to exploit the returns of scale available in the market. When the cost disadvantage of operation is small, the companies/firms may operate at a profit. This also happens in price differentiation allowing small suppliers to sell their produce at premium price to the market average, on the advantage, willingness and ability for the consumers to pay high prices to cover the cost per unit. A high level of industry concentration is likely, where the minimum efficient scale of production is high as compa red to overall market demand. The time duration required for the long run id different from one sector to another. For example, in the nuclear power industry, it can take so many years to commission a new power plant or improve capacity. The law of diminishing marginal returns is the only critical difference between long run and short run (Tutor2u par 4). This law only applies to short run, which has a fixed output unlike the case of long run where it’s output are variable. Difference between the short and long run could differ depending on the period; some producers may operate at short run over a minimal period while others may operate at short run over a long time. Variability in the long run also applies to the quantity of capital. This means that, the company can not only adjust manpower in the industry but can also increase the size of the factory. For example, if the currently used factory is used beyond capacity, then a bigger one is constructed in the long run to acc ommodate more output. In the case where the factory has used space, it is possible to relocate to a smaller factory in the long run. The major concerns in the long run production, is how producers adjust the inputs under their control considering changes in prices. All production activities include input that is beyond the producer’s control. This includes the Government and its regulations, forces of nature, weather, and social customs and institutions. These variables are not

The EU has significantly contributed to improving the position of Essay

The EU has significantly contributed to improving the position of atypical workers - Essay Example In these years, there have emerged new forms of work with the changing corporate cultures and requirements of work. These forms include part time work, self employed work, temporary agency work, and others. The number of ‘atypical workers’ has been rising in recent years in the European Union. The broad class of an atypical worker in the EU includes workers on fixed term contracts, construction industry workers, agency workers etc. But unlike a ‘typical’, regular, full-time employee, these atypical workers are guaranteed fewer occupational rights and protection as dictated by the legislation1. This is so because they deviate considerably from the definition of ‘standard’ occupation and regular labour laws seldom apply to them (Broughton, 2010, p.2). But over the past decade, there have been legislations in order to protect the rights of these workers. For example, the Council Directive of December 1997 and June 1999, concerning the framework on part-time and fixed-time work respectively. In the EU, there have been many directions picked to regulate the atypical workers. One of the attempts made was to make sure that the workers and their type of work is not discriminated, thus a new legal concept was regulated which stated that the category of ‘employment’ set under the legal framework, and the subordination criteria not to be used as an instrument to discriminate between the workers of the organization. However, in 2005, the Commission’s Communication on the Social Agenda proposed the Green Paper which was to analyse the work patterns and the position of the labour law to enhance the development of the trends of work. The Green Paper was ‘Modernizing labour law to meet the challenges of the 21st century’ and it was presented in 2006. It subjected to the increase of the atypical contracts with the strong integration of women and older workers represented too2. Another direction taken by the EU on the

VOTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

VOTING - Essay Example According Lijphart (1999, p69), Cleisthenes introduced one of the earliest recorded systems of democracy in Greece back in 508 BC. This system of democracy required voters to select the least preferred politician who was then exiled for ten years in a distant country. The minimum number of votes that were required to have a politician exiled was 6000.However, if more than one politician received more than the set threshold votes, the candidate with the higher number of votes was exiled instead( Lijphart, 1999,p72). In the thirteenth century, the Venetian state created one of the most developed electoral systems at the time. The Venetian system nominated forty members in ‘Great Council’ and in the mid 13 century, the number of council members elected was increased to sixty (Grofman, & Merrill, 1999, p53) Though Venetians applied different electoral systems, approval-voting system was the most popular. The approval system required voters to cast a single vote for every can didate vying for a position in the council. Eventually, the candidate who garnered the highest number of votes was declared the winner to represent the state in the council (Grofman, & Merrill, 1999, p38). ... Equally important all candidates should be treated equally, without favoring a particular person over another. By treating the candidates equally, Schofield (2001, p584) notes that the voters are presented with a favorable opportunity of electing a person of their choice without bias and prejudice of any sort. Fair elections should also ensure that the victory goes to the candidate with the highest number of votes. Different governments and organizations apply various methods of ensuring effectiveness of the participants’ votes. According to Lijphart (1999, p102), votes become ineffective in electoral processes that lack fairness and transparency to both voters and the candidates. These malpractices include allowing particular voters to cast more than one vote, discriminating voters based on their gender, social and economic status, tribe, or ethnicity. In such cases, the votes become ineffective because people are not given an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice ( Lijphart, 1999, p105). In United states for instance, debate on whether setting the minimum voting age amounts to discrimination of young voters still persist. Candidates should be given an equal platform for presenting their candidature to the electorate. However, Schofield (2001, p587) notes that many electoral systems in the world contain elements of unfairness that favor a particular candidate over another or others. In such cases, the preferred candidate receives preferential treatment in form of positive media coverage, favorable popularity ratings among other practices at the expense of the other candidates. These practices make the vote to be ineffective because the