Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland A critical analysis of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland will help resolve the question regarding the purpose of fantasy in films and literature. It is important to determine if fantasy serves only one purpose, to provide an escape from reality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Alice in Wonderland specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is the contention of the proponent of this study that there is another reason why fantasy in film and literature exists. An examination of Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland will reveal that fantasy serves two purposes and it is to provide a way of escape from reality and provide a mechanism for the delivery of socio-cultural messages. The Primary Purpose of Fantasy The primary objective of fantasy is to provide a way of escape from the unexciting existence of daily living. At the time of writing, England was a progressive society. Victorian England provided a backdrop for the s tory and served as a source of inspiration for the writer (Clark, 1963). The importance of Victorian England in world trade assures stability for the British people (Wood, 1960). In other words the citizens of the said country can expect a routine way of life. The children wakes, up in every morning and expect the same activities to recur. They will eat breakfast and, then, learn the basic skills of reading and writing. Those who had no pending academic requirements spend their time playing with toys while others enjoy the fellowship of friends, neighbours and relatives. The children eat lunch and, then, they will eat their evening meal. After the morning and evening activities had been completed, the children retire to their beds. They need to renew their strength to perform tasks lined up for them the following day. But the same pattern can be expected the following day. The adults experience the same type of routine. They wake up to prepare for the tasks ahead. But they are confr onted with the same workload. The mothers prepare the meals and clean the house. The wife takes care of husband and children. The father eats breakfast in preparation for the work ahead. The professionals report to their respective business establishments. The blue-collar workers report to their employers to perform duties that range from construction work to back-breaking labour in factories. This description of the 19th century life in England may be a simplified version of real events. But it is enough to show the need for activities that can help deal with the grind as a result of predictability and routine (Levin, 1965).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fantasy provides an escape not only from the boredom but also from the pain inflicted by circumstances of daily living (Guiliano, 1982). Fantasy provides an escape because it frees the mind of the reader. In fant asy, there are no boundaries. The link between fantasy and freedom was elaborated by Rosemary Jackson who wrote that fantasy is free â€Å"from many of the conventions and restraints of more realistic texts: they have refused to observed unities of time, space and character, doing away with chronology, three-dimensionality and with rigid distinctions between animate and inanimate objects, self and other, life and death (Jackson, 1988, p.2). Jackson’s insight regarding fantasy provides a clear explanation why fantasy films and fantasy literature are popular, even in the 21st century. The ability to escape through fantasy is something that must not be taken lightly. According to one commentary, â€Å"the ability to escape is an integral part of a healthy adult† (Macpherson, 2000, p.263). Fantasy literature provides a short-term escape from reality. Psychologists consider them as â€Å"breathing and laughing spaces† (Macpherson, 2000, p.263). When faced with insur mountable problems, human beings will find ways to relieve the stress and to mitigate the impact of the negative circumstances (Schwartz, 2006). Fantasy literature and fantasy films provide temporary escape. The problem still exists after watching a movie or reading a wonderful novel. But fantasy films and literature provide the psychological equivalent of an exhaust valve. It enables the person to let go of some steam before the engine explodes due to excess heat and pressure. There are problems that cannot be solved in an instant. There are struggles that require time before it can be resolved. But human beings are prone to overanalyse the problem and, as a result, anxiety can create an emotional stranglehold. Thus, it is important to focus the mind on other things. Therefore, the effective use of fantasy films and literature can be seen as an integral part of human health.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Alice in Wonderland specifically for you for onl y $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Secondary Purpose of Fantasy In the case of Carrolls Alice in Wonderland, one of the purposes of fantasy is to create a mechanism that can deliver social messages (Richardson, 1999, p.169). It can be argued that the author attempted to paint an image of an ideal child. Alice served as a model. The author can describe an ideal image of a child in a straightforward manner, but only a few people may be interested to read the article. It is much better if the message is hidden in a story. People love to listen to stories. The image of an ideal child formed in the mind of the author can come alive through storytelling. Carroll may have utilised an ideal image of an English child but the child that he created in this fantasy adventure was far from perfect. Alice may look perfect on the outside but, when it came to her character, there are areas that required significant improvements. Early in the story, the author seems to highlight the imp ortant weakness in the character of Alice. She was impatient when it came to many things. But what was highlighted in the beginning of the story was that she wanted to do things that are restricted for adults. Her family tried to make her understand that she had to wait for the time when she would be old enough to be considered an adult and experience the things that she wanted to experience such as the ability to drink tea with them. Alice did not listen to the wise words given by members of her family. Her desire to grow up and become an adult without going through the process of maturity became more evident. She was impatient and wanted to act like an adult. The author could preach about values and the importance of humility and obedience. But the target audience may be turned-off by such actions. Thus, it was better to use fantasy to create a more compelling message with regards to the importance of these values. The author was able to express his socio-cultural message in an in direct manner. When Alice fell into a hole, she was separated from her family. It was an indirect way of saying that children who disobey their parents will experience separation. Alice wanted to be independent and wanted to grow up fast. But she had no clear idea with regards to the consequences of such desires. There are many children all over the world who can relate to the feeling of frustration that Alice felt. However, the author wanted his young readers to understand that rebellion against parents can lead to alienation.Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Alice did not only fell into a hole, she also experienced free-fall. She thought that she fell into a bottomless pit and imagined that at the end of the hole is a country called Australia. Fantasy enabled the author to create a world that contradicts the law of nature. It makes the story more interesting. However, this particular scene was inserted not only to explain the transition from the normal world above-ground to the magical kingdom beneath but also to show the folly of pride. Alice wanted to grow up fast and defy the natural processes that usually go with the transition from childhood to adulthood. It can be argued that her impatience and her desire to interact with adults are a sign of pride (Lloyd, 2010). Thus, when she fell into a hole, she experienced free-fall. The whole event symbolised the humbling consequence of pride. The author also made it clear that a child must not desire to cut corners when it comes to the process of growing up. There is much to learn and the c hild must go through the journey from childhood to adulthood. The insistence of Alice to enter the world of the adult was dealt within the story. In one scene, Alice was compelled to enter the house of W. Rabbit. When she was inside, she ate special food with magical powers. The food that she ate enabled her to grow but her growth was abnormal in relation to her surroundings and, therefore, she had to bend so low in order to protect her head. Her growth continued unimpeded so that she was trapped inside the house and her arms and legs blocked all possible entrance and exit to and from the house. She was pinned down, uncomfortable and wanted desperately to go back to smaller size so she can leave the house. The use of fantasy enabled the author to teach his young readers the importance of being a child and the need to follow the instructions of parents. But Alice in Wonderland is not an ordinary example of fantasy literature. The author was not only able to correct the character flaw s of Alice he also managed to create a story wherein he can insert values that were important to his target audience. Carroll’s genius was revealed through the following commentary: â€Å"Alice herself, prim and earnest in pinafore and pumps, confronting a world out of control by looking for the rules and murmuring her lessons, stands as one image of the Victorian middle-class child† (Auerbach, 1987, p.31). Thus, the use of fantasy enabled the author to underscore the importance of certain social values. Conclusion Fantasy in films and literature serves a primary purpose and that is to provide the reader with a mechanism to temporarily escape the humdrum of daily existence. But, in the examination of Carroll’s work Alice in Wonderland, it can be said that the author did not only provide an escape valve for stressed out people, he also showcased Victorian England. Carroll was able to express his socio-cultural message through the help of fantasy literature. In a unique and entertaining manner, the author utilised fantasy literature to communicate ideas that can help parents raise a child. Thus, fantasy literature did not only contain entertainment value but also the capability to impart important life lessons. References Auerbach, N 1987, â€Å"Alice in wonderland: a curious child†, in H Bloom (ed), Modern  critical views: Lewis Carroll, Chelsea Publishers, New York, pp.31-43. Clark, G 1963, The making of Victorian England, Methuen Co. Ltd., London, Guiliano, E 1982, Lewis Carroll: a celebration, Clarkson Potter, New York. Jackson, R 1988, Fantasy: the literature of subversion, Routledge, New York. Levin, H 1965, ‘Wonderland revisited’, The Kenyon Review, vol. 27 no. 4, pp. 591-616. Lloyd, M 2010, â€Å"Unruly Alice: a feminist view of some adventures in wonderland†, in P.B. Davis (ed), Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy : curiouser and curiouser, John Wiley Sons, New Jersey, pp.7-17. Macpherson, H 2000, †˜Classifying escape: Tillie Olsens Yonnondio’, Critique, vol. 41 no.3, pp. 263-271. Richardson, A 1999, ‘Romanticism and the end of childhood’, Nineteenth-Century  Contexts, vol. 21 no. 1, pp.169-189. Schwartz, L 2006, ‘Fantasy, realism, and the other in recent video games’,  Space and Culture, vol. 9 no. 3, pp.313-325. Wood, A 1960, Nineteenth century Britain, Longman, Green and Co., London.

Regulatory Response to the Financial Crisis which began in 2007 Essay

Regulatory Response to the Financial Crisis which began in 2007 - Essay Example 1). The debate still rages as to the real cause of the crisis. King (2011, p. 48) indicates that a major contributor to the global crisis was global imbalances which requires rebalancing of global demand in order to facilitate a sustainable recovery. This paper provides a brief synopsis of the events and the regulations which followed in the US, Germany, UK, Netherlands and Spain. According to Blundell-Wignall and Atkinson (2010, p. 2) every banking crisis has been associated with major disruptions as well as recessions and this is the reason for certain bank regulations. New regulatory responses are generated by every global financial crisis (Helleiner 2010). This was no different for the crisis which started in 2007 resulting in what has been described as ‘the Great Recession.’ Regulatory Response in the United States According to the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee (2010) a multitude of events led to the Great Recession of 2008-2009. They include the housing b ubble which was caused by cheap credit made to persons who would not qualify for a loan under normal circumstances; low interest rates; failure of regulatory agencies; and inflated rating grades provided by credit rating agencies. In order to mitigate the crisis United States government introduced what they described as Targeted Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (TLGP) – (Eubanks 2010b, p. 2). The TARP was later expanded to include automobile companies such as GM and Chrysler (U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee 2010). A number of regulatory proposals were put forward in relation to consumer protection, modernisation of the regulatory system and restoring stability (Eubanks 2010a). These led to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of July 2010 and a consolidation of the regulatory bodies. The objective of the act is to â€Å"create a sound economic foundation to grow jobs, protect consumers, rein in Wall St reet and big bonuses, end bailouts and too big to fail, prevent another financial crisis†. According to Lo (2009, p. 27) there has been a recent proposal to suspend Fair-Value – FASB Statement No. 157. Fair-value or mark-to-market accounting requires the valuations of firms’ asset at fair market prices and not on a historical cost basis. The practice which has forced a number of firms to write down their assets and thus triggering defaults and insolvencies has been blamed for the financial crisis. Regulatory Response in Germany In Germany the single regulator of financial services – the German Financial Supervisory Authority which was established in 2002 in order to improve stability and integrity in the German financial system had its regulatory authority greatly increased in 2009. This was done in order to improve its capacity to manage the financial crisis. The act for strengthening the financial market and insurance supervision became effective on Augu st 1, 2009 (Eubanks 2010b). This act was a measure which had the objective of increasing the preventative, supervisory and intervening powers of this regulatory authority. The act also facilitated the strengthening of informational and reporting requirements for financial institutions, insurance companies

Airline Deregulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Airline Deregulation - Essay Example Although the different airlines were competing on different levels the major airlines Delta, American and United airlines adopted the hub- and spoke system that entailed a shift in the route structure, so as to increase their bargaining power as a supplier. The intensity of competitive rivalry Competition between airlines are increased as more and more airlines joined the market ever since.The impact of the five components consists, Entry of new airlines This made the customers enjoy low pricing from the different carriers, making customers have a variety of airlines to choose from increasing the quality of services from the airlines. The major airlines had to do product differentiation so as to keep their clientele base by opting for a method called the hub. The government had to do a distribution in the routing of the airlines so as not to affect the original Airbus so much making adjustments in who the carriers should operate to what destinations. Due to the competition that the d eregulation enforced on the airlines, the major carriers opted for this FFP’s loyalty strategy. This was a way to win the trust and loyalty of their customers and to maintain their clientele base, they were rewarding their customer's free flights, if there could frequently be flying in their bus, this strategy brought about loyalty that was necessary to keep the hub operation going. Such products were able to put the big air companies on the market, increased their customer base and ensured sustainability of their business.

Healthcare Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthcare Management - Essay Example Our promise when we found this organization was to care for every child, regardless of their family’s ability to afford the cost of treatment. We may not have a crystal ball but our vision for the future is so clear: To be the best children’s hospital. Our vision in the next five years is to: Our new strategic plan honors our promise to achieve our mission while navigating a future filled with rapid change. We will continue to recruit and retain the best faculty and staff to accomplish these objectives. Children’s new strategic plan will guide the growth of our clinical, research and educational programs for the next five years. Reduce cost of delivering healthcare. We will collaborate with healthcare partners to come up with new payment models; coordination of all the aspects of care for children; and continue to use the Continuous Performance Improvement (CPI) to become as efficient as possible in all our processes. Continuous find cures and educate clinicians and researchers. This will entail us coming up with innovative research to develop new cures; enhancement of training for residents and the medical education program; and making sure that all patients benefit from our research. Be more responsive and provide access of treatment to every child. Orchids Children’s will have a bed available for any child who needs one; reduction of waiting time for specialty care and expansion of our services locally and regionally; and collaboration with other healthcare providers to share our clinical expertise. Give the safest and most effective care possible. We will do this by standardizing our care processes and strengthening our system to avoid and respond promptly to medical errors. We also aim to complete the transition to an electronic medical record system. At Orchids Children’s we have embrace our unwavering commitment to prevent,

Shelleys Hymn to Intellectual Beauty and Mont Blanc Essay example --

For Shelley, poetry moves beyond descriptive communicability; it defers meaning, destabilizes understanding, and defamiliarizes perception. Poetry "awakens and enlarges the mind," he says in A Defense of Poetry, "by rendering it the receptacle of a thousand unapprehended combinations of thoughts" (961). The poet-figure envisions new realities and new emotions, the likes of which invalidate, if not eradicate, intimations of referential meaning. "Poetry," Shelley states in his Defense, "lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar" (961).[1] In "Hymn to Intellectual Beauty" and in "Mont Blanc," Shelley offers an intriguing, though perplexing, look at the functioning of the human mind under the influence of nature, inspiration, and poetic creativity. Composed during a tour of the vale of Chamonix between June 22 and August 29, 1816, nearly twenty years after the composition of Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey," Shelley's poems can be read, as some critics have done, as a "Wordsworthian experience" (Brinkley 45). Shelley and his literary precursor share a similar interest in some of the ways the mind works in and reacts to Nature. But whereas Wordsworth finds solace in Nature -- a setting wherein he behaves as a "lover of the meadows and the woods / And mountains, and of all that we behold / From this green earth ("Tintern Abbey," 104-106)[2] -- Shelley ultimately finds it spiritually and intellectually dissatisfying. Although they both use the natural setting and landscape as their subject, the parallels between Shelley's poem s and Wordsworth's remain somewhat perfunctory. Nature, for Shelley, is nefarious. The universe of Shelley's "Intellectual Beauty" and "Mont Bla... ... 24:2 (1986 Dec): 45-57. McNulty, J. Bard. "Self-Awareness in the Making of 'Tintern Abbey'." The Wordsworth Circle 12:2 (1981 Spring): 97-100. Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "Alastor." Romanticism, 1st ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 834-852. --- "Hymn To Intellectual Beauty." Romanticism, 1st ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 852-855. --- "Mont Blanc." Romanticism, 1st ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 855-860. --- A Defence of Poetry. Romanticism, 1st ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 956-969. Storey, Mark. The Problem of Poetry in the Romantic Period. New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc, 2000. Wordsworth, William. "Tintern Abbey." Romanticism, 1st ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 240-244. --- 1802 Preface to the Lyrical Ballads. Romanticism, 1st ed. Ed. Duncan Wu. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 250-269.

What Love is for Shakespeare

Like every other poet, mainly characterized by idealism and creativity, William Shakespeare views love as an eternal and ideal state of being. People often look at its grim features. But Shakespeare chose to distinguish love from pain, as what it naturally is. This essay will try to discuss love as seen by Shakespeare and written in his 66th sonnet. Shakespeare wrote the sonnet by citing important influences on love – time and place, beliefs, church and politics, life and death, change, and permanence. He admits that there are impediments because of these factors, but he refuses to give in and be stopped by them. He said, â€Å"Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. † These impediments for him are considered to be fixable, as he said in Much Ado (MA. II. 2. 1-4. ). Shakespeare disagrees on the kind of love that is easily broken or vanished. He thinks that it is permanent and doesn't yield to heavy toil and suffering. He said, â€Å"Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove:† This is actually common to everyone, particularly those who are new to such intense feeling and have not yet experienced the pain of their first love. However, Shakespeare thinks of love as an unyielding and enduring connectedness. He then compared it to a beacon used by sailors in shipping, unshakeable even by great waves and storms. â€Å"O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken. † Love guides every wandering soul like the northern star guides every sailor. He wrote, â€Å"It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. † Also, love is not a plaything or a toy easily broken by ageing. â€Å"Love is not Time's fool,† proves that love is not based on physicalities that rots as Time dictates. Love endures even Time and doesn't change in distance served. The fleeting time is measured by weeks and hours but these don't matter really for a love that endures change. Death may end everything and given that we don't believe in continued life after death, reincarnation perhaps, love will bring people to their end, still holding each other tight, even with their hands cracked by age. He said, â€Å"Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. † However love may seem perfect and eternal to Shakespeare, he still realizes that everything has an end. This is explained by a seemingly underscored concluding couplet of the sonnet. Love will always be a part of life that is temporary. Nonetheless, he has already made his claim and established his points on the wondrous feeling brought by love to the extent that he seeks challenges from other people and willingly sacrifices the validity of all his sonnets, the melting pot of his romanticism, when this treatise on love is proven wrong. This sonnet has been read widely, like all of his other works, and became the basis for those who seek answers on the question of what love really is. It is never wrong to be idealistic, especially on issues as fulfilling as this. However, we must always accept that everything has its end. Since everyone who feels such love is going to die anyway. Still, Shakespeare is one of those who aims high and gives this very particular topic the right for eternity and endurance. Love is never a simple thing, it is wide and complicated. It digs in people's hearts and reveals what they truly are, without much consideration of what others might say or what time has kept ahead for him. It is worthy of the best imaginations, best literatures, and best descriptions no matter how painful it is at times, the happiest point of loving is always far eternal than that of other source of happiness.

How Glow Stick Colors Work