Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: Dorian as Tragic Hero -- The Picture

The Picture of Dorian Gray:   Dorian as Tragic Hero      Ã‚   In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, we see a beautiful young man who makes tremendous efforts to transform the actual world into the idealistic world of art, dreams and sensations.   Dorian's quest, however, culminates in his ultimate tragic destruction. Given that Dorian lives a corrupt life, one is likely to focus on the negative aspects of his character.   In spite of his significant character flaws, Dorian Gray may still be considered a hero.   This essay will examine Dorian's degradation from the innocent world to the vicious, sensation-oriented world.   The elements contributing to Dorian’s status of tragic hero will then be discussed.    At the beginning, the general mood looks like pure and innocent expressed by the descriptions as follows: "the rich odours of roses...the light summer wind...the heavy scent of lilac"(Wilde 5).   This opening scene precisely symbolizes the world in which Dorian is situated at present.   Just like the beautiful setting, Dorian is a "beautiful creature"(7) and the portrait Basil draws shows Dorian's "extraordinary personal beauty"(5).   In other words, Dorian is in front of the mysterious gate of life that has immense possibilities.   At this point, Dorian is ignorant about both the world of idealistic art and the world of mundane, earthly values.   Dorian merely possesses "all youth's passionate purity"(17).    With the fateful encounter with Lord Henry, Dorian is ushered into a world of idealistic art and beauty.   Lord Henry plays a key role in introducing a new world in which beauty, youth and sensations dominate.   First, Lord Henry employs a powerful strategy of developing Dorian's self-consciousness of his ow... ...t in order to â€Å"kill the past† and â€Å"monstrous soul-life†(192).    Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Oscar Wilde. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Cohen, Ed.   Talk on the Wilde Side.   Great Britain: Routledge, 1993. Ellman, Richard. Oscar Wilde. New york: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1987. Eriksen, Donald. Oscar Wilde. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1977. Freidman, Jonathan (edited).   Oscar Wilde: A Collection of Critical Essays.   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1996. Hart-Davis, Rupert. The Letters of Oscar Wilde. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1962. Juan, Efifanio. The Art of Oscar Wilde. New Jersey: Princetown University Press, 1991. Weintraub, Stanley (edited).   Literary Criticism of Oscar Wilde.   Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1968. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Random House, Inc., 1992.    Essay on Picture of Dorian Gray: Dorian as Tragic Hero -- The Picture The Picture of Dorian Gray:   Dorian as Tragic Hero      Ã‚   In "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, we see a beautiful young man who makes tremendous efforts to transform the actual world into the idealistic world of art, dreams and sensations.   Dorian's quest, however, culminates in his ultimate tragic destruction. Given that Dorian lives a corrupt life, one is likely to focus on the negative aspects of his character.   In spite of his significant character flaws, Dorian Gray may still be considered a hero.   This essay will examine Dorian's degradation from the innocent world to the vicious, sensation-oriented world.   The elements contributing to Dorian’s status of tragic hero will then be discussed.    At the beginning, the general mood looks like pure and innocent expressed by the descriptions as follows: "the rich odours of roses...the light summer wind...the heavy scent of lilac"(Wilde 5).   This opening scene precisely symbolizes the world in which Dorian is situated at present.   Just like the beautiful setting, Dorian is a "beautiful creature"(7) and the portrait Basil draws shows Dorian's "extraordinary personal beauty"(5).   In other words, Dorian is in front of the mysterious gate of life that has immense possibilities.   At this point, Dorian is ignorant about both the world of idealistic art and the world of mundane, earthly values.   Dorian merely possesses "all youth's passionate purity"(17).    With the fateful encounter with Lord Henry, Dorian is ushered into a world of idealistic art and beauty.   Lord Henry plays a key role in introducing a new world in which beauty, youth and sensations dominate.   First, Lord Henry employs a powerful strategy of developing Dorian's self-consciousness of his ow... ...t in order to â€Å"kill the past† and â€Å"monstrous soul-life†(192).    Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Oscar Wilde. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Cohen, Ed.   Talk on the Wilde Side.   Great Britain: Routledge, 1993. Ellman, Richard. Oscar Wilde. New york: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1987. Eriksen, Donald. Oscar Wilde. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1977. Freidman, Jonathan (edited).   Oscar Wilde: A Collection of Critical Essays.   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1996. Hart-Davis, Rupert. The Letters of Oscar Wilde. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1962. Juan, Efifanio. The Art of Oscar Wilde. New Jersey: Princetown University Press, 1991. Weintraub, Stanley (edited).   Literary Criticism of Oscar Wilde.   Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1968. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Random House, Inc., 1992.   

Bad Boss Good Boss Essay

â€Å"Servants don’t know a good master until they have served a worse,† (Aesop). By the tender age of eighteen, most people have had a job. Whatever that job was, the kind of master –boss encountered most likely made a big difference in how work performance is perceived and what constitutes a good or a bad boss. The collaborative relationship or lack there of, between an employee and employer is a contributing factor when measuring whether or not one has been successful. In these encounters one invariably learns the difference between a good or a bad boss. When comparing leadership capability of bosses, it is important to consider communication, collaboration, and people skills to determine their ability to succeed. Good bosses communicate with their employees effectively, while bad bosses are poor communicators. All bosses differ in their communication style. Some bosses like e-mail while others like face-to-face contact. Employees need communication from their bosses to make good decisions and to make sure a job is being done to specification. For example, a project is due in a week’s time; there are three different ways to complete this project, but there is only one way from management’s point of view. A good boss will take the time to explain clearly how he or she wants this job to be done; he or she will show the employee the correct way to do the job so the employee does not second guess himself. How a boss communicates with the employee has a major impact on their performance. Good bosses inspire and motivate the people they lead, encourage them to give feedback, and avoid launching into arguments or becoming angry when they think an employee is wrong. A bad boss on the other hand is withdrawn; he or she does not seem to care if their employees perform to their highest standard, and give neither time nor priority to listening as long as they get the job done. For example, an employee is doing a job that he or she could do much more effectively with a little  guidance; instead of the boss communicating with the employee, he allows the employee to complete the job and does not show the employee anything. Bad bosses do not feel it necessary to tell the employees anything about the bottom line or how the company is doing, he or she does not care about the well being of the employee or how they are performing in their jobs. They just do not communicate, and rarely show any emotion-good or bad. A good boss collaborates with employees, bad bosses are selfish. During one’s working career, one will have many bosses with varying leadership styles and interpersonal skills. Despite the disparity of personalities, the collaborative relationship the boss has with the employees is significant and the effects long lasting. Working well with the employees requires a concerted effort to obtain the knowledge and skills forming the foundation of a mutually beneficial relationship. A good boss knows that improving collaboration with the employees is essential to the advancement and completion of doing a good job. He or she will work with employees to achieve goals and complete projects. If working on an assembly line, a good boss will take the place of an absent employee and do the exact job that employee was doing. Conversely, a bad boss does not know the meaning of team. He will show a lack of interest in the well–being of the people he leads, and he will be prone to be demeaning and disrespectful. He or she will take the credit for a job done well without any acknowledgement to the employees that actually completed the work. When things do not go as planned, bad bosses will place the blame on anyone but themselves, they tend to find it easy to blame wasteful work systems, processes, and staff members for their inability to meet company wide goals and performance standards. Good bosses exhibit good people skills; however, with bad bosses it’s all about them. A good boss will go out of his way to accommodate an employee. Even when reprimanding an employee they will always give them a chance to explain and tell their side of the story. A good boss will tell an employee not to take it personally and take the time to explain that everyone has a bad day. As opposed to a bad boss who does not care about what the employee is feeling, he or she just wants the job done-no questions asked. Bad bosses tend to flaunt their rank and make sure the employees have no doubt about who the boss is. He or she will never get in the trenches with the employees as this is beneath him. When employees do a good job and  are recognized by others, the bad boss wants all of the glory. On the other hand, if he or she is being recognized they do not share the spotlight with the employees. Bad bosses have a false sense of security, they feel that what they are doing is fine as long as upper management does not hold them responsible or accountable for actions or positive change, and things remain in a constant state of confusion for the employees. In the business world, good bosses are an asset to any company. They appreciate what their employees do and do not mind getting in the trenches with them. The turnover rate in the workplace would be much lower if all companies had bosses that were competent, compassionate and fair. Although there may be as many good bosses as there are bad, it is likely that most bosses are a bit of both, ‘swinging both ways’ so to speak. To have a boss that makes employees realize that they have more ability than they thought they had so they do better work than they thought they could, versus a boss that negatively impacts the work environment by fostering high levels of employee frustration, stress, resentment, and unnecessary labor turnover makes all the difference between a successful and unsuccessful company. When given a choice, most people if not all would choose a good boss over a bad boss every time. During the working career, one will have many bosses with varying leadership skills and interpersonal styles. Despite the difference in personalities, the collaborative relationship you have with your boss can be significant and the effects long-lasting. Whether the boss is good or bad, some boss-employee relationships can withstand the test of time. Forming a harmonious and productive relationship with the boss can be good but is not always possible. Every boss brings with them different personalities, backgrounds and challenges. The bottom line is in all successful companies the leaders possess a certain degree of collaboration, communication and good people skills. At the end of the day in a successful company the bottom line is really what matters. References Day, J. A. (n. d.). Good boss, bad boss? Ezine articles, 1-3. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Good-Boss,-Bad-Boss?&id=7250782 Jamison, T. G. (2012, 3/27). 7 Signs of a bad boss. BioSpace. Retrieved from http://www.biospace.com/news_print.aspx?NewsEntityId=254513 Post, P. (2013, 11/17). What does a good boss do to be a good boss. The Boston Globe, pp. 2. Retrieved from http://www.bostonglobe.com Scott, D. E. (2007, 2/1). personal & Financial Health. Collaboration with your boss: strategic skills for professional nurses., 1-3. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/_/print/PrintArticle.aspx?id=159079514

Early Christian Writings Essay

In the beginning of IV century Arius announced that the Father is the only one veritable God, and the Son is His creation. Son was created from nothing, but He has an advantage over the other people, because He was created before time and centuries. Arius teaching is one of the forms of subordination, – a teaching about subordination of the Son to the Father, and the Saint Spirit to the Son. Arius has the following positions: 1. Logos had the beginning of his being ( , erat, quando non erat), because in other case there wouldn’t be any monarchy. In such case could be possible a diarchy (two principles), because He wouldn’t be the Son, – the Son is not the Father. 2. Logos started his existence not from the essence of Father – this could lead to division or partition of Divine Creature, or to sensual concepts, which could bring down the God to human world, – but He was created from nothing by his Father’s will ; 3. He has existence before-time and before-world, but it is not eternal existence; so He is not the veritable God, but he is different from God-Father by his essence, he is a creature ( , ) and Testament uses such expressions about Him; 4. Although the Son is a creature by essence, he has advantage over other people, because he have supreme qualities after the God. The God created everything through Him. First of all God created Him, as the beginning of all paths; 5. In case they call the Son equal to the God you should understand that He is equal by His Father’s will. 6. His will, as it was created, primarily was changeable – equally inclined both for good and to evil. Alexander tried to convince Arius that he was wrong by admonitions, although without success. After fruitless attempts Alexander invited bishops from Egypt and Lebanon and by will of Council expels Arius from Alexandria as well as his followers. There was found ‘The Synodal Letter of the Council of Antioch’, which condemns principles of Arius, but not strictly. Almost all bishops signed this letter (except of three bishops). Alexander tries also to warn other bishops about danger of heresy and, finally, writes a letter to Emperor Constantine the Great. The emperor regrets about quarrels in the Church and asks to make peace. It was impossible, and a little bit later the Church calls Nicaea Council, where after long debates the Church wrote ‘Symbol of belief’ and adopted it. Arius didn’t agree (his followers also protested to symbol of belief and pretending that they agree, changed a letter in word ‘omousius’ (‘similar’, ‘like’ instead of mono-, uni-) and signed the document. The Church discovered falsification, condemned teaching of Arius and expelled him. .

Praying Mantiss essays

Praying Mantiss essays Most commonly known as the Praying Mantis, order mantodea is a group of about 1800 carnivorous insects which prodominatley live in tropical regions of the earth. Though certain species can be found in locations with moderate climate. With an extremely striking appearence, mantids almost have human like qualities with the ability to hold an erect stance, and arms that face forward. A very efficient killer, mantids were created for hunting and killing prey. Order Mantodea is in the subclass Pterygota. As with all classifications there can be debates on where certain orders or species belong. Historically there has been some confusion on whether Mantodea deserves there own order. Some experts have placed Mantodea in the dictyoptera order along with cock roaches (Ramel 1996, Jaques 1981, Phoenix Zoo). Others say mantids belong in Orthoptera, which consists of grasshoppers. Experts say this is due to their large pro notum (Stokes 1983, Borror and White 1970). The emerging consensus around the position of Mantodea believes Mantodea constitute their own independent Mantids can be characterized by their triangular head, and filiform antennae. This head has the ability to turn 180 degrees. With their prominate pair of compound eyes located on the sides of the head, the mantis can almost see 360 degrees around. However the sharpest vision is located in the compound eyes center, for the mantis to optimaly see objects it must turn its head so that the eye is facing the object. These eyes are extremely sensitive to light, changing from light green or tan in bright light, to dark brown in the dark. The prothorax of the mantis is another aid in giving them their distintive appearence. This prothorax has the ability to bend and twist which aids in the mantids ability to see close The two long raptorial front legs are adapted to seize and hold prey...

Unexpected Origins of Common English Idioms

Unexpected Origins of Common English Idioms Unexpected Origins of Common English Idioms Idiom is a fixed expression with a figurative meaning. Idioms serve to make language bright and emotional. Very often its better to use an idiom in common speech to illustrate a particular situation, rather than describe it through specific details. The English language is full of weird idioms. Lets look back through history to find the origin of a few of them. To Blackmail’ means to demand money from somebody by means of immoral measures like violence, threats, or the potential to disclose private information. The idiom originated in Scotland around 1600. Scottish farmers paid the rent in silver coins. They were known as white money and spelled like mail or male. Additional payment, which clan chiefs extorted from the farmers using violence and threat was known as blackmail. Later, this word was adopted when around 1900 criminals started to send letters demanding money in order not to reveal personal secrets (Dalton, 2014). The expression: In a nutshell is used to say that some idea is explained in a very precise way with just a few words. The history tells that a long time ago many significant documents were transported inside a shell of a walnut. According to another version, the important documents would often be shortened; thus only vital points were included into handwritten copies (Delton, 2014). In such a way their size also could fit in a nutshell. The meaning of the idiom: Let the Cat Out of the Bag is commonly referred to as a phrase that means an information leak. This expression was coined in medieval times to speak about dishonest market sellers, who cheated naive buyers. Unfair merchants would place a cat in the buyer’s sack instead of a piglet (Delton, 2014). The substitution was discovered only when the sack was taken home and a cat jumped out of it! The expression: Mad as a Hatter is usually used to describe somebody whose actions are absolutely unpredictable. The idiom is well-known from a novel written by Lewis Carroll. But few people realize that it was used even before that. In the Middle Age, felt hats were made with the help of extremely toxic stuff. It was called marcurous nitrate and it often led to trembling in masters body, as if he was mad. Besides that, theres one more fact connected with this phrase. Robert Crab, who lived in the 17th century and gave all his money to poor people, wore a rather bizarre hat and was often called the mad hatter (Delton, 2014). The idiom: Red Herring is used to describe misleading information. However the explanation for the origin of this idiom is closely connected with hunting. Herring was widely caught in Britain during the 18th century. To keep it eatable for some period of time people would salt it and smoke, thus as a result, fish changed its color from gray into a dark brown, and acquired spicy smell. People used the smoked fish during the hunting season; they dragged it along the hunting paths and away from fox holes, so that the dogs could feel the smell of herring instead of fox (Delton, 2014). Using idioms in your everyday communication can show high level of your general knowledge and showcase your sufficient immersion in the cultural background. Just make sure you know the exact meaning of the idioms you use! Dalton. 36 Unexpected Origins Of Everyday British Phrases. 17 Apr. 2014. http://buzzfeed.com/

Definition and Examples of Cue Phrases in English

Definition and Examples of Cue Phrases in English A connective expression (such as now, meanwhile, anyway, or on the other hand) that links spans of discourse and signals semantic relations in a text. Examples and Observations Within a discourse segment, the discourse coherence relations among the situations are often implicit and involve such notions as cause, consequence, claim, reason, argument, elaboration, enumeration, before, and after. . . . On the other hand, many transitions within a discourse structure, especially changes and transitions from one segment to another, are often made overt through the use of clue word or cue phrase expressions that provide information at the discourse level. These expressions include incidentally, for example, anyway, by the way, furthermore, first, second, then, now, thus, moreover, therefore, hence, lastly, finally, in summary, and on the other hand.(James E. Hoard, Linguistics and Natural Language Processing. Using Computers in Linguistics: A Practical Guide, ed. by John Lawler and Helen Aristar Dry. Routledge, 1998)Once upon a time, there was this boy, and he knew this beautiful woman. Its not you, though. Well, the beautiful woman tells this boy that she has th is secret wish, and her wish is that she wants this guy to really like her. So, anyway, the boy makes this huge, personal sacrifice and he gives his wish away.(Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee Herman, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, 1981) Yeah, well, House is straightforward, brilliant and an ass. . . . Whereas you, on the other hand, have a perfect score. You are responsible, nice, human. And yet, youre Houses best friend.(Mira Sorvino as Dr. Kate Milton in Frozen. House M.D., 2008)My mom adopted [Titembay] from Sally Struthers, like, years ago. You know, one of those for the cost of a cup of coffee a day sort of things. Where shes like, How can you just sit there and not help the children? And we couldnt. We couldnt just sit there and not help the children. So we started sending him pictures and letters and stuff for years, but then I got really into ice skating so we sort of forgot about him. Then one day we get this phone call and its Titembay and hes at the dry cleaners around the corner.(Natalie Portman as Sam in Garden State, 2004)[I]n natural language the connections between enunciations . . . can be signaled by morphemes, that is, cue phrases. Cue phrases express abstract concepts in themselves, that is, they express the concept corresponding to the specific relation that they signify. For instance, the cue phrase because between the enunciations I missed the bus and I left home late expresses a concept of causality, that is, the coherence relation holding between the two spans of text. Obviously, the relation would hold and the concept of causality could still be inferred even if the construction was paratactic, that is, even if the cue phrase because was not there. However, the point is that natural language is capable of directly indicating an abstract concept like causality, entirely independently from the content of the related text spans.(Clara Mancini, Cinematic Hypertext. IOS Press, 2005) Also Known As: clue word

Shakespeare as an Author Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespeare as an Author - Essay Example [Thesis statement]: His tragedies may be interpreted as true depictions of human nature and emotions. One can learn through his plays how deep and complex human emotions are and what great impact they have on our decision-making and judgment abilities. He constructed his tragedies on seemingly small and base human emotions like jealousy, ambitiousness, and procrastination that render great errors of judgment on the part of the protagonists, thus triggering their downfall. Through his tragedies, he not only painted the social, political and intellectual mindset of 16th century England; but also enriched English Literature by breathing life into his characters with his originality and creativity. Shakespeare was a versatile playwright as he wrote tragedies, romantic comedies, and historical plays-- each type speaking of his imagination. Among his most famous tragedies are Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear. His tragedies revolve around the error of judgment that his tragic-heroes make: Othello, Macbeth, Hamlet and King Lear are all men of distinction. Shakespeare handles each character differently and illustrates how the tragic flaws of the tragic heroes change their lives forever. He handles his comedies equally well and deals with different themes about the lighter side of life in his plays like, love and personal relationships. However, â€Å"†¦these are not the only ideas implicit in the comedies; Shakespeare was also concerned with time, destiny, and patience, with old age and youth, with the individual and society, with ignorance and knowledge, confidence and melancholy, with contrasts between love and friendship, nature and art, justice and mercy.† (Brown, 160-161)