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.

Example of Effective Communication in a Business Environment essay

Example of Effective Communication in a Business Environment essay Example of Effective Communication in a Business Environment essay Example of Effective Communication in a Business Environment essayCommunication is an essential part of human life and has a notable impact on all spheres of human life. In business, communication plays a key role in all types of interactions: top-down interactions, bottom-up interactions, interactions of two equal parties, negotiations, etc (Hartley Bruckmann, 2008). All three types of communications are important for business written communications, verbal communications and expressed communications, also referred to as body language (Hartley Bruckmann, 2008). Business performance and outcomes strongly depend on the effectiveness of communication, because all business transactions include the transmission of information between various stakeholders.One example of effective communication in a business environment took place when I assisted a top manager who was responsible for negotiating with suppliers. I was present at the negotiations and provided various assistance to the top manager. The top managers way of conducting the negotiations and his methods of communication were very efficient.The purpose of the negotiations was to achieve an agreement on the terms and pricing of supplying spare parts for automobiles. The top managers goal was to get discounts or to convince suppliers to offer lower prices; furthermore, it was desirable to reach an agreement that would allow our company to pay for the spare parts after the parts were shipped. Initially, it seemed that it would not be possible to achieve the goals of the communication because the initial conditions offered by the suppliers included higher prices and required sending payment before the orders were assembled and prepared for shipping. However, the top manager managed to convince the suppliers to provide 5-8% discounts for bulk orders. Furthermore, the agreement between our company and suppliers allowed for 80% of payment to be sent after the order was actually shipped.In my opinion, the communic ation was very effective because the top manager managed to move ahead on each objective of the negotiations, so the new agreement created notable financial benefits for our company compared to the previous conditions. In addition, such agreement allowed to set lower prices for our customers, therefore gaining a market advantage over competitors.I believe that the communication was effective because of the following reasons. First of all, the top manager was very well-prepared for the conversation and remembered a lot of market information that he used to convince the suppliers. For example, he made a comparative analysis of the conditions offered by other suppliers and showed the projected order volumes to the suppliers. The second factor contributing to the success of the communications was the focus on win-win solutions: the top manager analyzed the situation from the point of view of the other party (the suppliers, in this case), and clearly demonstrated the advantages of reachi ng an agreement with our company on their side. The third factor that made these negotiations effective was the top managers attentiveness to the reactions and arguments of the other party; the top manager did not push on the supplier representatives to get maximal discount or maximal payment delay, but instead worked together with them to create a mutually convenient solution.According to Hartley and Bruckmann (2008), the effectiveness of communication can be evaluated using five criteria: communication fidelity (preciseness), economy (compact use of symbols, time and energy), congruence (the match between verbal and non-verbal signals), influence (the communicators ability to change the decisions of the other party) and relationship building (creation of trust and improvement of relationships due to communications). In terms of this criteria, the top manager was successful in at least four categories: fidelity the top managers communication was up to the point and informative, co ngruence his nonverbal signals demonstrated confidence and supported his strong position, influence the representatives of the supplier were impressed by the arguments and took them into account, and relationship building   the other party demonstrated respect and positively perceived the results of the negotiations.

Point of View Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Point of View - Essay Example The weather is so bright and white like an ocean. A sparrow comes flying from nowhere and rests at the branch of the bottlebrush tree. As it sits, the delicate branch slightly sways in the air with the impact of the sparrow’s weight and a bottlebrush flower falls down into my lap, as if it is a gift of nature to make my experience more memorable. The sparrow inflates its body filling air in its feathers to make a shield against the cold air of the atmosphere. I have never felt as close to and drawn toward the beauty and innocence of Mother Nature as I feel in these moments. My line of sight takes a 60 degree shift in the vertical plane as it moves from the sparrow up on the tree’s branch to the two girls holding hand in hand jumping their way up to the school over the road in front of me. Their sight takes me back to the time when I was their age and used to go to school with Lisa, my best friend and neighbor. They giggle as they pass by. Their laughter breaks the quiet ness and calmness of the surroundings and adds more life and pleasure to it. Soon after that, I hear the sound of bells approaching from a nearby Church, forming a soothing melody. It has been half an hour and the bus has not arrived yet. The fog in the air increases. My vision is obstructed by heavy mist in the air. I am red in the nose and finger tips and white in the face with cold. I seem to be catching flu. The fragrance of the pink roses and the bottlebrush that I enjoyed 30 minutes ago seems to be receding. I blow my nose but can’t really feel the friction of the tissue paper against my nose because of numbness. I throw the tissue paper away. I need another tissue paper but I have no more. I start feeling hungry as I have not had my breakfast since I got ready for the school in a hurry. I take the biscuits out of their pack in my bag, but they have become soggy and have absorbed moisture from the atmosphere. I miss the crunchiness of a dry biscuit and the

The Impact of Television on the 2008 Canadian Elections Essay

The Impact of Television on the 2008 Canadian Elections - Essay Example It i a very good mean of entertainment. It i a ource of entertainment for all age group,right from children to the aged. One can watch colorful animated cartoon for children a well a health how and port for adult. One can even watch movie at home and thu the time and train one ha to take to buy ticket or go to the theater i aved. A peron who i worned out from office can come home and relax himelf to watch hi favorite TV program. Televiion can never bore anyone and erve a a good time pa. Televiion i alo a good TV for a peron to be upgraded with the knowledge of what i happening around the world. Televiion or I can ay ' The Fifth Etate ', next to newpaper can tell people of the recent event happening around u. People now can ee the Iraq war in their drawing room through private TV channel like CNN, BBC, FOX etc. hown on TV, which would never be poible without the televiion. Cinema award and important port pogramme are being watched live nowaday by million of viewer through TV. Thi TV can even change the political life and ha changed it in many countrie. People can upgrade themelve about the government epecially during day of election and budget eion. For example,the downfall of Rajiv Gandhi in India due to the Bofor' crii wa becaue of different type of ma TV like the televiion. Through televiion one can know the detail of recent dicoverie,innovation ,invention and achievement viually happening around the globe. ... Hence,apart from telephone and airplane,I feel televiion are an innovation that ha changed our live and i one of the main reaon for making the world a 'global village'. The introduction of televiion and it component into the political proce ha greatly influenced politic. Televiion ha given politician a whole new way to communicate and expre their belief to voter. There are a few ignificant effect that thi form of TV ha had on the political proce. Firtly, televiion tend to make political life more fluid and volatile. Outcome are much harder to predict with campaign now becaue a ingle performance before a huge audience can eaily end or precipitate iue almot intantaneouly. For intance, during the 1988 federal election, John Turner' TV debate performance reurrected the Liberal party and almot made them win the election. If it wan't for the televied debate, the Liberal would have urely been doomed. Televiion alo force much of the backtage machinery of political life to endure extremely heavy expoure, making it much more open than it ued to be. Prior to the TV, politician and their aociate were only known by their public appearance and campaign, leaving what happened outide thee appearance in the dark. Becaue of TV and the candid camera, the politician and the election can be looked at in more depth now. Political party convention and other 'behind the cene' event can now be televied and hown to the general public. The nationalization of politic i alo a reult temming mainly from televiion. Becaue the party leader i the main peron een on TV, politic at the riding level tend to uffer greatly. Voter do not really care about who i running in their riding; they are more concerned about the party

The Most Dangerous Game Literary Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Most Dangerous Game Literary Analysis Essay In the short story â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game†, Richard Connell uses conflict to create a suspenseful mood. When Rainsofrd is struggling to swim in the ocean it shows man v. nature conflict. â€Å"For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea† (42). Suspense really shows in this scene because its really nailbiting to see if he is going to give up and let himself drown, or if he is going to push and swimm to the island hes heard has a bad reputation. Man v. man conflict is shown when Zaroff challenges Rainsford to the hunt. Zaroff said, â€Å"Your brain against mine. Your woodcraft against mine. Your strength and stamina against mine. Outdoor chess! † (52). The reader feels a lot of suspense in this part because Rainsford is in an unfamiliar place, in the dark, at night, being chased by an expert hunter, his huge servant/guard Ivan, and a pack of wild dogs. The suspenseful mood reaches a turning point when Rainsford chooses to jump off the cliff instead of continuing the hunt. Rainsford also has a lot of man v. self conflict during the hunt. Rainsford has to repeat a motivational phrase to himself so he will keep calm and collected under the stressful hunt. Rainsford repeats, â€Å"I will not lose my nerve. I will not† (54). This adds suspense because it really makes the reader anxious to know whether or not he will keep his cool. In â€Å"The most Dangerous Game† man v. nature, man v. man, and man v. self conflicts are shown to create a suspenseful mood.

Education Essay -- History, Educational Needs, Curriculum

The reasons we educate our children have changed over time. However, some of the core values remain the same. One of the most important purposes of schooling is the transmission of a culture from one generation to the next. It is important to pass on our culture, values, and beliefs to our children so we continue to have a cohesive population. Schooling offers opportunity to our children by teaching them valuable skills that allow them to be self-sufficient and lead successful lives. Schooling also serves to decrease the social ills those without an education suffer from. A final purpose of education is to create people who are active in civic life. All societies have used formal education to pass on their culture. Schools have been used for centuries to pass on religion, values, and other culturally significant principles. Our culture and curriculum are fully intertwined. When the colonists came to America they brought with them their culture and the way they educated their children reflected that. The first colonists were very religious people and their curriculum was very faith-based. It complimented the instruction they received at church and home. As immigrants flooded into the country, life changed dramatically. As the population spread west, the typical family and social dynamics rapidly changed. People became widely dispersed, and the church’s authority and influence was no longer as important. People soon realized the way they were used to educating their children needed to adapt to their new way of life. Initially only wealthy male children were educated. People might teach their girls to read and write their name, but many believed girls and women lacked the mental capacity to learn much beyond that. In the seve... ...re being piloted at the early grades in a widespread manner† (Feldman, 2007, pg.4) This is a step in the right direction and hopefully with time, there will be an increased awareness and importance placed on civic education. The purpose of schooling can be highly subjective, but some core purposes have persisted through time. These core values are important and will continue to be the driving force of education. Unfortunately, many times the idealized purposes of education are vastly different from the reality. Our education system is not perfect but it is constantly improving. Despite its flaws, our current school system does teach our children many important skills, both socially and academically. School gives our children a chance to reach their full potential and succeed in life. As our culture changes, so will our purposes behind educating our children.

Daydreams Essay: Exam Question

Daydreams A day dream is defined as ‘a series of pleasant thoughts that distract one’s attention from the present’. In my opinion, a daydream is not a frivolous activity practiced only by a doe eyed schoolgirl during an unendurable French lesson. A daydream acts as a subconscious portal which allows one to escape from ones everyday life of stress and negative circumstances. One could almost say it is chewing gum for the mind. Of course, some differ in that view.A critically acclaimed author Ian McEwan said â€Å"The cost of oblivious daydreaming was always this moment of return, the realignment with what had been before and now seemed a little worse. †   his opinion is that daydreaming is a self depressant and that it would only make the persons view of their own life disappointing. He believes that it is a pointless to waste ones time on imaginings of alternative lives that will never become reality. But I wonder if it was these ‘oblivious’ daydreams which lead to him writing many of his books like ‘sweet tooth’ and ‘atonement’.Where is the fine line between daydreaming and simply thinking of possibilities? I myself am a keen daydreamer, sometimes I just lie on my bed and I quietly slip into a dreamtime of my own imaginings. I don’t directly imagine some event or situation I drift between scattered thoughts in search of that perfect possibility. That perfect possibility which fills me with an unconscious serenity and extracts me from my reality to show me a fictional circumstance.When I carefully draw that perfect possibility from the shadows of my mind, like picking an eyelash from my cheek, I examine it cautiously so as not to miss a moment of the fabricated thought. My daydreams can vary from the most extravagant and outlandish events to very trivial thoughts formed by my imagination. I often daydream about my future and what it could be like. My mind becomes completely consumed by t his image and the steps I would need to take to make it a reality. I very much enjoy watching movies where you see projections of the characters daydreams.These daydreams normally vividly depict what that character would love to do in that moment; it is usually an action that would not be acceptable in society. For example, an employee humorously insults their boss or a mother-in-law imagines shoving her daughter-in-laws face into a cake. These amusing daydreams provide a comedic outlet. But when I am watching these movies I can’t help but wish my daydream was that vivid. I never get a completely clear image; all I get is a serious of quick flashes of images.My daydreams are not fluid they are choppy they don’t possess a natural flow like my sleeping dreams have. I often wonder if the fluidity of day dreams and dreams changes for each person. Some psychiatrists believe that the imaginings of one’s mind is associated with mental health and stability, so my questi on is ‘if people’s mental health varies does their way of dreaming vary? ’ Many famous people have become famous because of their daydreams. Einstein is believed to have begun his theory of relativity while he daydreamed about riding or running beside a sunbeam to the edge of the universe.This tiny moment where Einstein’s mind accidentally wandered resulted in a huge scientific breakthrough. Einstein’s theory of relativity which contributed to the development of the atomic bomb. Many famously inspired people praise daydreaming, a well known American poet named Rita Dove celebrates daydreaming. She once said â€Å"I want to discuss an activity which is barely tolerated in adolescence, never encouraged in school – but without which no bridges would soar, no light bulbs burn. † She found that daydreaming was like a creative outlet where one can discover something beautiful without attention.Mozart also believed that daydreaming was a proc ess of greatness â€Å"All this inventing, this producing, takes place in a lively dream† I find it amazing that one daydream, just one, can create a ripple effect and change the world. This tiny thought which is considered insignificant, at first look, can cause an action which is very much significant, in the long term. The positive effects of daydreaming are limitless but of course, daydreaming also has its negative aspects. There is a time when daydreaming can be useful and productive, but other times it can cause you to lose focus and you can miss out.There is a time for fantasy but there is also a time for reality. But overall, my opinion is that daydreaming is positive when one is not daydreaming constantly and about bad things, which can result in depression. Daydreams can be very influential on a person’s mental health. If one is only thinking about negative possibilities, their outlook on life becomes cloudy and hopeless. I once heard someone say ‘How m any of our daydreams would darken into nightmares, were there danger if their coming true. ’ Just because one imagines something it does not mean they want it to come true.The fact that daydreams are just daydreams makes them free to anyone with an imagination. Daydreaming is an activity for all ages; one does not have to be of a certain height to daydream. One does not have to be a particular age to daydream and one does not require three forms of identification to daydream. When one is daydreaming they are free of judgment and worry. Some say, one man’s daydream is another man’s day, but neither will ever know, I think it is the fact that our daydreams are private that makes them our own personal unwritten diary of hope.Just like one’s diaries our daydreams change, our handwriting improves and our thoughts become slightly more grounded. When we are young our daydreams consist of imaginary friends from exotic places and tea parties on the moon with the E aster bunny and Santa Clause. Daydreams as a child are not recognised by the daydreamer. Children can often confuse their fantasies with reality and think their daydreams actually happened. We can openly express our daydreams with others and it is accepted in society and cast off as the sweet imaginings of children with active imaginations.When we are older our daydreams become more refined and closer to reality. The more mature daydreamer imagines what their life would be like if they had taken a different path , some also imagine situations that they are presently in and how they would change if they said or did something. Of course every now and then the inner child in everybody takes charge and we succumb to our childlike fantasies. But these fantasies are not confessed to others often. We never become too old to dream but I wonder at what age one becomes too old for the publication of one’s daydreams.