On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost Essay Example

On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost Essay On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost: A Rebuttal Within Virginia Wolfs letter and diary entry, she discusses her thoughts on John Millions writing style within Paradise Lost, and reveals her feeling that Milton, while clearly an expert of literary description, does very little to touch upon human passions and emotion within his poem. Upon reading Paradise Lost, it is clear that Wolf has a point; extravagant descriptions of heaven, hell, angels and God abound within the epic, but instances of human sentiment are more difficult to come across. Wolf goes as far as to say that Milton entirely neglects the human heart. While Wolfs statement is not entirely accurate, Millions ornate images and accounts of venerated deities waging war against sinister demonic entities certainly may appear detached and daunting upon first glance; but after an assiduous perusal of the epic, indications of humanistic emotion within the text become apparent. Despite Millions frequent emotionally distant descriptions, within certain points within the poem emotion does manage to percolate through Millions scholarly poetic portrayals. We will write a custom essay sample on On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on On the Neglect of Human Emotion in Paradise Lost specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The rarity of these scenes make them all the more poignant, although one may have to analyze the specific meaning of what Milton is saying in certain lines in order to completely comprehend the sentimentality behind what he writes. Though Milton may remain relatively impersonal throughout his poem, the central themes and the characters contained within it say a lot about Millions personal beliefs; this is particularly evident in his characters soliloquies and discussions. Satan in particular serves to portray certain aspects of Millions principles that make it clear that human lining is not left entirely out of the equation for the author. One instance of personal emotion Milton allows to escape within Paradise Lost is found within the second invocation in the poem, in the beginning of Book Ill. Within this passage, Milton is invoking holy light and asking that this light shine through his mind and allow him to see and tell / Of things invisible to mortal sight! Milton also makes references in this passage to his loss of vision, describing other prophets and poets who were also struck with blindness. One of Millions critics states that There is much to be said for eating Milton less as thesis driven and more as one who worked and worried over the things he wrote, finally leaving many decisions to the reader (Grossman, 264). The viewpoint Grossman suggests is an ideal one to take while considering this particular passage; it is easy to get absorbed in the historical backgrounds or mythological allusions behind what Milton is writing and forget to consider the state of mind Milton was in while writing instead. While some of the lines within the invocation still hold the aloof, pretentiously scholarly air Milton assumes throughout ouch of Paradise Lost, a particular cluster of lines allow the reader to feel some of the grief Milton holds concerning his lack of sight. He writes Thus with the year / Seasons return but not to me returns / Day or the sweet approach of even or morn / Or sight of vernal bloom or summers rose / Or flocks or herds or human face divine / men / Cut off and, for the book of knowledge fair, / Presented with a universal blank / Of natures works to me expunged and razed / And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out (3. (:)-50). These lines are particularly emotional; not only do they outline pacific sights Milton will never again be able to lay his eyes upon, but they also inadvertently address a sense of vulnerability Milton feels because of his inability to read to obtain knowledge. Further information about Millions personal life makes these lines all the more meaningf ul- Milton read voraciously in many different languages during his youth, and many scholars agree that he read literally everything available worldwide until he lost his sight. Combine this information with the idea that suddenly, Milton has found himself completely incapable of reading things for myself, and the words wisdom at one entrance quite shut out suddenly hold a new sense of tragedy. Milton had found himself drastically weakened intellectually, and shares his inner struggle with the reader within these few lines. Yet Wolf states within her letter, Has any great poem ever let in so little light upon ones own Joys and sorrows? Perhaps Wolf never considered the idea that Milton used his expansive academic familiarity within Paradise Lost to make up for the helplessness he felt in this regard. Millions description of the events within Paradise Lost may be one in an undeniably imaginative, but nevertheless, dry and studious manner in order to prove that he will not forget his years of study merely because he has lost the ability to acquire further knowledge. Milton unquestionably lets light in upon his own Joys and sorrows within this passage; his request for the celestial light to shine inwards (3. 52) and illuminate his mind in order for him to better tell his story should be one Wolf is especially familiar with as a contemporary British author. Wolfs own works, along with the primary viewpoints on literature at the time, often center round the idea of a turning inwards within oneself. Milton simply employs this inward turning to better tell his grandiose story of mankinds fall from Paradise, instead of focusing on a realistic viewpoint of the inner turmoil found within everyday individuals as Wolf chose to (Matt, 63). Another example of emotion seeping through Millions verbose prose is found within Satins soliloquy in Book IV, shortly before he enters Paradise. Satan speaks at length within this passage about why he has left Heaven and forsaken God despite his status as a high angel, and a assign Wolf claims in her writings is nonexistent within Millions epic is plain within Satins speech. Satan admits freely that what God asked for him to do- namely, to praise Gods name and thank Him for all He had done- was not a difficult task; he says What could be less than to afford him praise, / The easiest recompense, and pay Him thanks? How due (4. 45-46)! Nevertheless, Satan rebels against these requests, longing to be quit / The debt immense of endless gratitude / So burdensome-still paying! Still to owe (4. 51-53)! Satan seems to have believed that if e could have only reached one step above God, he would be relieved of this hefty burden of owing God for his creation. Satan even admits that [God] deserved no such return / From me, whom He created what I was (4. 42-43), a statement that shows that even the devil has doubts about why he should st rive to do evil to one who is such a powerful force for good. The fiend portrays regret even further in lines 79 and 80 in Book l. Ft, he says Is there no place / Left for repentance, none for pardon refuses to submit for dread of shame (4. 82) from the lesser demons that followed IM in his revolt against God. Later on in this same passage, Satan admits that God would be as unlikely to forgive him as Satan would be to ask to be forgiven, because he would be certain to end up with a worse relapse / And heavier fall (4. 99-100). As a character, Satan is noticeably conflicted at certain points within the text about combating God. Because of Satins knowledge that he could neither be forgiven nor ask for forgiveness, he must give up on all hope- So farewell hope and with hope farewell fear! / Farewell remorse! All good to me is lost. Evil, be thou my good. 4. 107-109. ). Though at first glance Satins statements read as a triumphant exclamation of Satins embrace of evil, upon careful consideration, one can see the sense of loss Satan feels here. By saying he will lose all that is good in exchange for evil, Satan unintentionally admits that he felt hope and fear at one point, and deemed them beneficial emotions at the time. Millions personification of Satan in this particular soliloquy has Satan struggling through a range of emotions- regret, doubt, longing, fear, vanity, despair and anger are all evident within his speech. But spite the ardent range of feeling Satan exhibits, Wolf endorses the idea that Paradise Lost is made up entirely of sublime aloofness and impersonality of the emotions. While evidences of the aloofness and impersonality Wolf speaks of are easy to find throughout the text- for an example, consider the tediously academic descriptions of demonic entities found throughout lines 381 to 521 in Book I- a single example of passionate emotion within Millions poem completely derails her argument that there is no emotion to be found whatsoever. Here, two simple examples of emotion to be found early on in Paradise Lost have already been scribed, but that does not mean that these are the only examples of emotion Milton employs. Satins uncertain but fervent feelings are a supremely obvious demonstration of these, but Millions descriptions of God also portray the authors personal emotions, though in a much more subtle manner. In Book Ill of Paradise Lost, God explains why he created Adam and Eve despite being omniscient and entirely aware of their inevitable fall. He states that Freely they stood who stood and fell who fell, telling the Son that He gave all of his creations the ability to stand if hey so choose and the free will to fall if they chose to fall instead. God seems to spend the majority of Book Ill explaining and defending himself, an action one would not consider typical of a deity. This explanation is Milton speaking through his character about his individual reasoning of why God would chose to allow these circumstances to occur despite being all-powerful and all-knowing. Though the entire conversation between God, the Son and the angels is written using the same wonderful, beautiful, and masterly descriptions of angels bodies, battles, flights, welling places that Wolf describes, that does not mean that the conversation says nothing of the human heart. Instead, Milton uses the character of God to discreetly deliver a message that speaks to his own heart, and provide a defensive point for a common argument made against Millions faith in God. Milton also uses elaborate imagery through his epic to set a sort of stage in his readers heads, allowing the reader to envision characters based on their descriptions within the poem and using these visions to evoke emotion from these theatrical visualization (Bradbury, 78). In perspectives. Those familiar with John Millions life will recall Sensationalist, a controversial pamphlet he produced in 1649 arguing that regicide is acceptable when dealing with an oppressive monarch (Beer, 247). The arguments contained within Millions pamphlet are echoed in Satins speech about Gods domination of Heaven in lines 84 through 124 during Book l. Satan says That glory never shall His wrath or might / Extort from me: to bow and sue for grace / With suppliant knee and deify His poor (1. 110-113) in a direct exclamation of resistance to the idea of leading to a dictatorial power, then goes on to say that their grand Foe (1 . 22) Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven (1. 124). To the informed reader, Satins statement clearly reiterates Millions own ideas about a cruel autocrat. Evidently Milton did not agree with the idea that God himself should be seen as a tyrant, as He granted us free will, but Satins imperfect viewpoint of God nevertheless reflects the authors hatred of tyranny. An argument could be made that the same understated meaning Milton uses in his depiction of God and within Satins speech in Book I is seed throughout the entire text. After all, Milton assigns a specific meaning and motive to each character that is entirely original and a product of his own thoughts. Clearly someone who goes to such drastic measures to employ layers of historical and literary depth in his descriptions would not neglect the formulation of ideas that make up the chief narrative within the story. Upon thoughtful consideration of the central themes within the plot of Paradise Lost, it is evident that Milton has carefully poured his own heart, along with years of study, experience, and faith, into his poem.

Class Consciousness and False Consciousness as Defined by Marx

Class Consciousness and False Consciousness as Defined by Marx Class consciousness and false consciousness are concepts introduced by Karl Marx that were later expanded by social theorists who came after him. Marx wrote about the theory in his book Capital, Volume 1, and again with his frequent collaborator, Friedrich Engels, in the impassioned treatise, Manifesto of the Communist Party. Class consciousness refers to the awareness by a social or economic class of their position and interests within the structure of the economic order and social system in which they live. In contrast, false consciousness is a perception of ones relationships to social and economic systems of an individual nature, and a failure to see oneself as a part of a class with particular class interests relative to the economic order and social system. Marxs Theory of Class Consciousness According to Marxist theory, class consciousness is an awareness of ones social and/or economic class relative to others, as well as an understanding of the economic rank of the class to which you belong in the context of the larger society. In addition, class consciousness involves an understanding of the defining social and economic characteristics and collective interests of your own class within the constructs of the given socio-economic and political order. Class consciousness is a core facet of Marxs theory of class conflict, which focuses on the social, economic, and political relationships between workers and owners within a capitalist economy. The precept was developed in conjunction with his theory on how workers might overthrow the system of capitalism and then go on to create a new economic, social, and political system based on equality rather than inequality and exploitation. The Proletariat vs. the Bourgeoisie Marx believed that the capitalist system was rooted in class conflict- specifically, the economic exploitation of the proletariat (workers) by the bourgeoisie (those who owned and controlled production). He reasoned that the system only functioned as long as the workers did not recognize their unity as a class of laborers, their shared economic and political interests, and the power inherent in their numbers. Marx argued that when workers came to understand the totality of these factors, they would achieve class consciousness, and this, in turn, would lead to a workers revolution that would overthrow the exploitative system of capitalism. Hungarian social theorist Georg Lukcs, who followed in the tradition of Marxist theory, expanded the concept by saying that class consciousness is an achievement that opposes individual consciousness and results from the group struggle to see the totality of social and economic systems. The Problem of False Consciousness According to Marx, before workers developed a class consciousness they were actually living with a false consciousness. (Though Marx never used the actual term, he did develop the ideas that it encompasses.) In essence, false consciousness is the opposite of class consciousness. Individualistic rather than collective in nature, it produces a view of oneself as a single entity engaged in competition with others of ones social and economic standing, rather than as part of a group with unified experiences, struggles, and interests. According to Marx and other social theorists who followed, false consciousness was dangerous because it encouraged people to think and act in ways that were counterintuitive to their economic, social, and political self-interests. Marx saw false consciousness as a product of an unequal social system controlled by a powerful minority of elites. The false consciousness among workers, which prevented them from seeing their collective interests and power, was created by the material relations and conditions of the capitalist system, by the ideology (the dominant worldview and values) of those who control the system, and by social institutions and how they function in society. Marx cited the phenomenon of commodity fetishism- the way capitalist production frames relationships between people (workers and owners) as relationships between things (money and products)- with playing a key role in producing false consciousness among workers. He believed that commodity fetishism served to obscure the fact that relations with regard to production within a capitalist system are actually relationships between people, and that as such, they are changeable. Building on Marxs theory, Italian scholar, writer, and activist Antonio Gramsci expanded the ideological component of false consciousness by arguing that a process of cultural hegemony guided by those holding economic, social, and cultural power in society produced a common sense way of thinking that embued the status quo with legitimacy. Gramsci noted that by believing in the common sense of ones age, a person actually consents to the conditions of exploitation and domination that one experiences. This common sense- the ideology that produces false consciousness- is actually a misrepresentation and misunderstanding of the social relationships that define the economic, social, and political systems. False Consciousness in a Stratified Society An example of how cultural hegemony works to produce false consciousness- that is true both historically and today- is the belief that upward mobility is possible for all people, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, as long as they choose to dedicate themselves to education, training, and hard work. In the U.S. this belief is encapsulated in the ideal of the American Dream. Viewing society and ones place within it based on the set of assumptions derived from common sense thinking results in a perception of being an individual rather than part of a collective. Economic success and failure rest squarely on the shoulders of the individual and do not take into account the totality of the social, economic, and political systems that shape our lives. At the time Marx was writing about class consciousness, he perceived class as the relationship of people to the means of production- the owners versus the workers. While the model is still useful, we can also think about the economic stratification of our society into different classes based on income, occupation, and social status. Decades worth of demographic data reveals that the American Dream and its promise of upward mobility is largely a myth. In truth, the economic class a person is born into is the primary determinant of how he or she will fair economically as an adult. However, as long as a person believes the myth, he or she will continue to live and operate with a false consciousness. Without a class consciousness, they will fail to recognize that the stratified economic system in which theyre operating was designed to afford only the bare minimum of money to workers while funneling huge profits to the owners, executives, and financiers at the top.

A Biography of the Venerable Bede

A Biography of the Venerable Bede The Venerable Bede was a British monk whose works in theology, history, chronology, poetry, and biography have led him to be accepted at the greatest scholar of the early medieval era. Born in March of 672 and having died on May 25, 735 in Jarrow, Northumbria, UK, Bede is most famous for producing the Historia ecclesiastica (Ecclesiastical History), a source essential for our understanding of the Anglo-Saxons and the Christianisation of Britain in the era before William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest, earning him the title of the Father of English history. Childhood Little is known of Bedes childhood, other than he was born in March of 672 to parents living on land belonging to the newly founded Monastery of St. Peter, based in Wearmouth, to which Bede was given by relatives for a monastic education when he was seven. Initially, in the care of Abbot Benedict, Bedes teaching was taken over by Ceolfrith, with whom Bede moved to the monasterys new twin-house at Jarrow in 681. The Life of Ceolfrith suggests that here only the young Bede and Ceolfrith survived a plague which devastated the settlement. However, in the aftermath of the plague the new house regrew and continued. Both houses were in the kingdom of Northumbria. Adult Life Bede spent the rest of his life as a monk at Jarrow, first being taught and then teaching to the daily rhythms of monastic rule: for Bede, a mixture of prayer and study. He was ordained as a Deacon aged 19 – at a time when Deacons were supposed to be 25 or over – and a priest aged 30. Indeed, historians believe Bede left Jarrow only twice in his relatively long life, to visit Lindisfarne and York. While his letters contain hints of other visits, there isnt any real evidence, and he certainly never traveled far. Works Monasteries were nodes of scholarship in early medieval Europe, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that Bede, an intelligent, pious and educated man, used his learning, life of study and house library to produce a large body of writing. What was unusual was the sheer breadth, depth, and quality of the fifty plus works he produced, covering scientific and chronological matters, history and biography and, perhaps as expected, scriptural commentary. As befitted the greatest scholar of his era, Bede had the chance to become Prior of Jarrow, and perhaps more, but turned the jobs down as they would interfere with his study. The Theologian: Bedes biblical commentaries – in which he interpreted the bible mainly as an allegory, applied criticism and tried to solve discrepancies – were extremely popular in the early medieval period, being copied and spread – along with Bedes reputation – widely across the monasteries of Europe. This dissemination was helped by the school of Archbishop Egbert of York, one of Bedes pupils, and later by a student of this school, Alcuin, who became head of Charlemagnes palace school and played a key role in the Carolingian Renaissance. Bede took the Latin and Greek of the early church manuscripts and turned them into something the secular elites of the Anglo-Saxon world could deal with, helping them accept the faith and spread the church. The Chronologist Bedes two chronological works - De temporibus (On Times) and De temporum ratione (On the Reckoning of Time) were concerned with establishing the dates of Easter. Along with his histories, these still affect our style of dating: when equating the number of the year with the year of Jesus Christs life, Bede invented the use of A.D., The Year Of Our Lord. In stark contrast to dark age cliches, Bede also knew the world was round, the moon affected tides and appreciated observational science. The Historian In 731/2 Bede completed the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. An account of Britain between the landings of Julius Caesar in 55/54 BC and St. Augustine in 597 AD, its the key source on the Christianisation of Britain, a mixture of sophisticated historiography and religious messages containing details simply not found elsewhere. As such, it now overshadows his other historical, indeed all his other, works and is one of the key documents in the entire field of British history. Its also lovely to read. Death and Reputation Bede died in 735 and was buried at Jarrow before being re-interred inside Durham Cathedral (at the time of this writing the Bedes World museum in Jarrow have a cast of his cranium on display.) He was already renowned among his peers, being described by a Bishop Boniface as having shone forth as a lantern in the world by his scriptural commentary, but is now regarded as the greatest and most multi-talented scholar of the early medieval era, perhaps of the entire medieval era. Bede was sainted in 1899, thus giving him the posthumous title of Saint Bede the Venerable. Bede was declared venerable by the church in 836, and the word is given on his tomb in Durham Cathedral: Hic sunt in fossa bedae venerabilis ossa (Here are buried the bones of the Venerable Bede.) Bede on Bede The Historia ecclesiastica finishes with a short account of Bede about himself and a list of his many works (and is actually the key source about his life that we, much later historians, have to work with): Thus much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain, and more especially of the English nation, as far as I could learn either from the writings of the ancients, or the tradition of our ancestors, or of my own knowledge, has, with the help of God, been digested by me, Bede, the servant of God, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow; who being born in the territory of that same monastery, was given, at seven years of age, to be educated by the most reverend Abbot Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrid; and spending all the remaining time of my life in that monastery, I wholly applied myself to the study of Scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing. In the nineteenth year of my age, I received deacons orders; in the thirtieth, those of the priesthood, both of them by the ministry of the most reverend Bishop J ohn, and by the order of the Abbot Ceolfrid. From which time, till the fifty-ninth year of my age, I have made it my business, for the use of me and mine, to compile out of the works of the venerable Fathers, and to interpret and explain according to their meaning... Source Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Penguin Classics, D. H. Farmer  (Editor, Introduction), Ronald Latham (Editor), et al., Paperback, Revised edition, Penguin Classics, May 1, 1991.

Concept Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Concept Paper - Assignment Example This results in a gap in their performance as they attempt to perform their role as a leader. (Boak, 2001) The context of my study is to evaluate the need for the restructuring of leadership training in retail management. The need for competent leaders is a bare necessity in the modern retail industry and an essential pre-requisite for its sustenance and growth. The need for able leadership in the retail sector was upheld in the ‘Retail Davos’- the Retail Leadership Forum held on the 13th and14th of September 2011. This event hosted by the global business advisory giants like Goldman Sachs, Korn/Ferry International and OC&C Strategy Consultants, discussed the role of leadership in the modern era of retailing. According to the speakers at the forum, the retail leaders in future will require â€Å"a new set of leadership skills in order to adapt to the changing dynamics in the fact paced industry.† (Harrison, 2011) This has become a pressing issue on the regional as well as global level. And this is what makes this research problem a matter of substantial business interest. In the present business era marked by fierce competition, many global and local retailers are awakening to realize their most critical survival challenge in the forthcoming years. Already caught in the cobweb of competition, pricing, consumer preferences and global extension, the new challenge that has baffled the retail industry is the need for competent leaders. (Florida, 2006; Higgs, 2001; Stalk, 1992) The retail heads across the world have understood that in order to achieve successful organizational growth, it is vital to find and engage the right leadership. (Lengnick-Hall, 2003; Shim, 2002) Studies in retail leadership conducted by Korn/Ferry in collaboration with the World Retail Congress have shown that the lack of right leadership talent can severely affect the development and expansion of retailers, thereby hampering their business growth. (Morel-Curran, 2008) My study

The Verdict screen-play Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Verdict screen-play - Research Paper Example It is in the first meeting with Galvin and the Bishop (who by way of his position as the head of the archdiocese, heads the hospital that mis-treated Kaye; the hospital is run by the archdiocese) that the audience clearly realizes that the major theme of the story is going to be what to choose- the so called greater good or the ethically, morally and politically right position. It is through the transformation of Galvin that this philosophical conflict unfolds. Galvin goes in to meet the Bishop with an inclination to get some compensatory amount for his client and through that acquire himself a decent commission on that. But even at that moment, it can be seen that the question that Dr. Gruber (the doctor who wanted to testify in favor of Kaye) had asked him was haunting him. After telling Galvin that he wanted to testify because he wanted â€Å"to do right†, Gruber had asked him, â€Å"Isn’t that why you’re doing it?†. This simple question was actually a leading question into the contradiction involved in making certain moral choices out of selfish motives or out of convenience. When the Bishop starts speaking to Galvin in their meeting next day, Galvin suddenly finds himself before the reality of the situation. The Bishop is seeking to settle the matter outside the court by giving compensation to Kaye, which he justifies in the greater good of preserving the reputation of his hospital. Two questions that Galvin asks are the keys to challenging the very notion of such a greater good as is presented by the Bishop. The first question is, â€Å"How did you settle on the amount?†, which actually is a pointer to the truth that nobody has the moral right to put a price on the life of a human being. The second question, though directly asked in the text, can be framed from the logic of the total situation as, ‘is it morally right to suppress truth?’, the truth being that a woman was killed by a mistake made by two docto rs. There are several aspects of the story that has to be considered when the contradiction between the ‘greater good’ proposed by the Bishop and the pure moral truth or ‘good’ that is upheld by Galvin is examined. These aspects can be, 1) it is a Christian religious head who is proposing such a solution. But Christianity is a religion that claims to be morally upright and humane; 2) It is a Bishop who is expected to stand up for all such values, who is making this proposition; 3) what is being fashioned by the Bishop as greater good will actually subvert an existing legal system,

Gender Inequality Women In Politics Politics Essay

Gender Inequality Women In Politics Politics Essay The world in which we live is characterized by deeply unequal sharing of the burden of adversities between women and men. Gender inequality exists in most parts of the world, from Japan to Africa, from Uzbekistan to the United States of America. However, inequality between women and men can take many different forms. It manifests itself in the unequal representations of women and men in various walks of life, differences in their salaries, persistent gender stereotypes, and sexual discrimination. One of the most troublesome issues is the extremely unequal representation of women in government and administrative office. Nevertheless, Lithuania, as well as other former communist countries was distinguished by a very high involvement of women in politics (worldpress.com). The role of women in society has been changed a lot in the last few decades. In the early days, women were seen as wives who were supposed to cook, clean, and take care of the children. They were limited from the responsibility of earning money for the family because this responsibility was left to husbands. Women were not allowed to vote and to work outside the family while men took care of having jobs and paying bills. Soon enough some thought that women should have bigger roles than what most of the people thought women should have. With the beginning of industrialization and technological development, the lifestyles of people in Lithuania started to change. The needs of human beings started to increase. This movement toward modern living started to reflect in the lifestyles of people. In this process, women started to practice some outside home activities (Aidis). Therefore, women involved in education in equal terms with men. Consequently, women gradually started to participate in all life movements. They started to think independently and participate equally in outside world along with males (Blackburn). Slowly but gradually discriminating women on the basis of gender, even though it still persists nowadays, diminished considerably. Therefore, the ongoing changes in social, political and economic activities of the country included not only the raise of womens role in society, but also the break of stereotypes of treating human beings by gender which was so well developed through decades (Aidis). Times when women used to sit at home and look after the children are gone. Today, women have bigger roles to play in the society. They are entrusted with more responsibility than men. They have to work along with men in providing a higher income for the family, but even so, most men in Lithuania still consider women to be inferior, and they do not trust them enough in order to permit a female to deal with political, economic, and social problems. As the ruling class, men completely support the patriarchal view of the Catholic Church. The resurgence in the popularity of the Catholic Church has been accompanied by the glorification of motherhood (Voices from Lithuania). Therefore, men favor motherhood over professional and political involvement because they identify political actions with masculine behavior, power struggles, private property disputes, corruption, and hypocrisy (LaFont). Initially, men objected to women starting their career outside home, but with the growing needs and insufficiency of money, they had no other way out but to accept the reality and change according to the circumstances (Aidis). According to Suzanne LaFont, Lithuanian men should be proud of their women getting involved in any social, economic, and political activity, and they should support their efforts to contribute to society rather than crush their struggle with irony, skepticism and empty words (LaFont). Even though gender issues were not a main priority for the country, Lithuania has shown improvements to gender equality by introducing laws and regulations that would protect womens rights in society (wikigender.org). Equal opportunities and equal treatment is enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania (art. 29); in 1998, the Sheimas (Parliament) adopted the law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (wikigender.org). This law forbids direct and indirect discrimination against men and women. It also requires the state and other institutions to work on the basis of equality in gender when it comes to employment, education, science and other areas of activities. In addition to a prohibition giving priority to one of the sexes in employment and education advertisements employers are obliged not to ask job seekers about their age, marital status, private life, and family plans(wikigender.org). According to the statistics prepared by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the year 2009 was marked by continued progress for women in parliament. The global average for the proportion of women in parliament reached an all-time high of 18.8%. Moreover, at the beginning of 2010, the number of women ruling in politics increased even more. They held 35 (13.0%) of the 269 top posts in parliaments around the world. This is an improvement on the 1995 total, when 24 women held this post. In addition, women make up 30% or more of the members in 44 parliamentary chambers 26 single or lower and 18 upper houses. This is a six-fold increase over the 1995 total, when just seven chambers achieved this goal(IPU). According to the Lithuanian Statistics Department Data, slowly and with no doubt, in 2008, 50% of Lithuanian women were involved not only in household but also in state-related activities. Women made 37% of all leaders in the Lithuanian ruling elite such as parliamentarians, senior state officials and executives of companies and establishments (Worldpress.com). The number of females running a business also increased but still remained lower than that of men. Thus, in 2007, women made 31% of businessmen in Lithuania which was 5% more if compared with the year 2006. The first women, who reached top posts in parliaments, were elected in Sri Lanka (1960) and India (1966). Countries of Europe which have had a female president or prime minister in the modern era (1945-2003) are: Bulgaria, Finland, France, the German Democratic Republic, Lithuania, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia (koed.hu). As mentioned before, Lithuania is also ranked among that category, with its current and first female president of the country- Dalia Grybauskaite. Next to the president, Lithuanian inhabitants are honored to have twelve women in top parliamentarian positions that also contributed, in a way or another, in bringing some changes to the country and to its population. One of them is Nijole Ambrazaityte. She was a member of the Seimas from November 25, 1996 till October 18, 2000. She also was elected to the Supreme Coucil (1990-1992). Nijole was a member of various parliamentary groups for the relations with the Republic of Georgia, Africa, China, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Russian Federation, Canada, France, Taiwan, Tibet, Germany, and other North European countries. Nevertheless, Nijole did not contribute only in politics but also in other areas of activity. Therefore, even though she was a winner of international contests of vocalists, Nijole was also granted the highest awards for her contribution to the Lithuanian culture and opera art (Nijole Ambrazaityte). Another woman worth mentioning about is Laima Andrikiene currently a member of European Parliament since year 2004. She was also a Vice Prime Minister of Lithuania between 1989 and 1990. During 1996 2003 Laima was a Chairman of the Board, Laitenis UAB and a Minister in the Ministry of European Affairs. (Laima Andrikiene). She was involved in various projects such as Training programme of Lithuanian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (2002), EU Officialdom Training Programme (2002-2004), Scientific Study Effective Integration of Lithuanian Industry into the EU in a Short Term (2003), EU Sixth Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2003-2004) (Laima Andrikiene). She also received lots honorable medals for her merits. Therefore, she got the Independence Medal of the Republic of Lithuania (July, 2000), National Order of Merit of the Grand Officer for the French Republic (October, 1997), Medal of the Baltic Assembl y (2003), etc (Laima Andrikiene). Furthermore, the woman who achieved a lot in her life and in the lives of millions others was Dalia Grybauskaite. Having received remarkable support from Lithuanian citizens, Dalia was elected President of the Republic of Lithuania in the first election round in the year 2009. Until then, she was a Programme Director in the Prime Minister Office of the Republic of Lithuania (1991), Director of the Economic Relations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1993), Plenipotentiary Minister at the Lithuanian Embassy in the USA (1996), Minister of Finance (2001), and among many other posts she had, one of the most significant was the post of EU Commissioner in charge of financial programming and budget of the European Union (2004) (president.lt). According to Dalia Grybauskaite, gender equality is a topic of vital significance for every nation. In her speech at the General Debate of the 65th Session of The United Nations General Assembly in New York, she said that Gender equality issues are rarely associated with overcoming the economic crisis or stopping the climate change. However, it has been estimated that the elimination of gender discrimination in the labor market could increase the GDP by as much as 30 percent (president.lt). She also mentioned that It is of no surprise that women in Lithuania hold a number of top positions in politics and in business life. It is only natural that Lithuanian women made their own the famous saying: When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Thus, the prerequisite for gender equality represent the participation of both genders in decision making (president.lt). In all the countries of the world, women are in the minority at the decision-making level. Nevertheless, in most of countries more and more women are coming into office and are getting involved in the social life. As a good example would be Sweden. Women have achieved parity in the Cabinet of Ministers (where both men and women each constitute 50 percent), 43 percent of members in parliament and 41 percent of local government officials are women (I Know Politics). Today, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are the only European countries which have more than 30 percent female members of parliaments. Regarding governments, political scientists and political journalists often talk about a glass ceiling effect: this means that women do not get to the highest level of government or business (koed.hu). Mostly, those women who are considered to be part of the government or parliament, they are involved in less important positions. In order to be succ essful, women have to be trained for political discourses and motivated to defend their own rights or political interests. Achieving that would show that the difference between women and men is just a result of their perspective behavior (koed.hu). Nowadays, women in Lithuania do not have enough influence over the decision making but the situation is getting better. The gender identity in peoples minds is still that men are better in politics than women are. It is important to mention that Lithuania always went beyond its neighbor countries Latvia and Estonia, on this issue. It is considered to be the first country among the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe in advancing gender equality (I Know Politics). More recently, the highest level of womens representation in parliament among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe was achieved in Lithuania (18.1%); soon after, Estonia (18%) and Latvia (17%) reached similar levels (I Know Politics). It cannot though be compared to Sweden (43%), Denmark (37%) or Finland (37%). According to Kozma, women and men have different theories of perceiving gender issues in the world today. Women believe that it is not entirely right to think that only they are guilty for the current position in the political area. In a party, a woman gets to hold a position if this is desired by men (feminis.ro). Maria Grapini, the current candidate for mayor of Timisoara (Romania), noticed that it is also true, however, that women are hesitant to support each other. Moreover, she believes that they must know as well that it takes lots of time to become politicians. Mother, wife, business woman, politician! It seems hard to believe but a woman can actually manage everything and not in one regular way, but with elegance, style, and determination. Changes in society today are happening quickly and there is no doubt that there are still many unsolved problems. Men as well as women have to learn that gender identities belong to history and not to the modern life. Therefore, it is not the only option of women to stay home and take care of her children. Men, as well as women were given same rights and possibilities to grow professionally and individually. Therefore, the main goals are protection of womens rights and removal of discrimination in society by eliminating the existed stereotypes from peoples minds. Work Cited Aidis, R. (1997). MoterÃ…Â ³ verslininkiÃ…Â ³ problemos. -Moterys: tapatumo paieÃ…Â ¡kos. Lietuvos filosofijos ir sociologijos institutes. MoterÃ…Â ³ informacijos centras. Vilnius. Blackburn, R.M., Jarman J. and Siltanen S. (1993). The Analysis of Occupational Gender Segregation Over Time and Place: Considerations of Measurement and Some New Evidence, Work, Employment and Society. LaFont, Suzanne. (1988). Women in Transition: Voices from Lithuania. State University of New York Press. Albany. Women in Lithuania: more educated, earn less but their role is increasing. 5 March, 2008. Retrieved on 4 November, 2010: http://irzikevicius.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/women-in-lithuania-more-educated-but-earn-less-but-their-role-is-increasing/ (worldpress.com) Women in Politics. Retrieved on 4 November, 2010: http://www.ipu.org/news-e/wop/37/5.htm (IPU) Statistics Lithuania. Retrieved 4 November, 2010: http://www.stat.gov.lt/en/ (Statistics Lithuania) Gender Equality in Lithuania. Retrieved on 4 November, 2010: http://www.wikigender.org/index.php/Gender_Equality_in_Lithuania (wikigender.org) Thorsten, Nilges. Gender inequality in politics. Retrieved on 4 November, 2010: http://www.koed.hu/mozaik15/thorsten.pdf (koed.hu) Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved on 4 November, 2010: http://www3.lrs.lt/seimu_istorija/w3_lrs.seimo_narys-p_asm_id=5p_int_tv_id=0p_kalb_id=2p_kade_id=3.htm (Nijole Ambrazaityte) Laima Andrikiene. Retrieved on 4 November 2010: http://www2.laimaandrikiene.lt/en/ (Laima Andrikiene) President of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved on 5 November 2010. http://www.president.lt/en/ (Dalia Grybauskaite) Category: Lithuanian Women in Politics. Retrieved on 5 November, 2010: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lithuanian_women_in_politics (Wikipedia) Giedre,Purvaneckiene. Women in Lithuanian Society. 1999. Retrieved on 5 November, 2010: http://www.iknowpolitics.org/files/HDR%20Lithuania%201999%20-%20Ch.%208%20Women%20in%20Lithuanian%20Society.pdf (I Know Politics) Ana Maria, Kozma. The role of women in society. 5 May, 2008. Retrieved on 5 November, 2010: http://www.feminis.ro/feminis/cariera/rolul-femeilor-in-politica-464 (feminis.ro)

History of Exxon Mobil Essay

Founded by John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) in 1870, The Exxon Corporation developed from another oil company giant, which is Standard Oil Company. Reported monopoly of Standard oil over the oil industry in the early twentieth century proceeded to succession of criticism from politicians and even journalists. However, Exxon still remains the third largest company in the United States and reportedly to be the seventh largest in the world. (Fortune, April 28, 1997). It was Rockefeller anticipated a big potential of refining Pennsylvania crude oil. However internal combustion engines were not yet fully developed a substitute can be used which is kerosene to fuel lanterns. When Standard Oil was formed, it integrated all of the docks, railroad cars, warehouses, lumber resources, and other facilities it needed into its operations. Lucrative deals with railroads were made and that drove smaller refiners out of business. (Sampson, A. , 1975) Around 1878 when Rockefeller and partner Henry Flagler (1830-1913) were in control of most of the nation’s oil refining business. Because of its booming business in oil industry, Rockefeller’s was considered one of the five wealthiest men in the country. (Nevins, A. , 1953) In 1882 Rockefeller and his associates established the first trust in the United States, which consolidated all of Standard Oil Company’s assets in the states under the New York Company, in which Rockefeller was the major shareholder. (Nevins, A. , 1953) Standard Oil began producing, refining and distributing oil in 1880’s. Overseas trade had begun mostly in kerosene to Great Britain. The trust encountered challenges with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, followed by an 1892 Ohio Supreme Court decision which forbade the trust to operate Standard of Ohio. The company then moved its base of its operations to New Jersey, which in 1899 became home to Standard Oil of New Jersey, or Jersey Standard. Jersey Standard later became Exxon Corporation (Wall, B. , 1988) In the 1920’s, as the supply of crude oil began shifting its way from the United States and Latin America to the Middle East, Jersey Standard and other companies effectively used the same monopolistic practices that John D.  Rockefeller had used; Standard Oil exploited its rich resources in Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. This made oil prices stayed low and the United States and Europe became extremely dependent on oil fuels for industry and automobiles. (Nevins, A. , 1953) The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed to protect the interests of the producing countries and this led to Jersey Standard sought other sources of crude oil. The company discovered oil fields in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay and in the North Sea. Around the same time, in 1972, Standard Oil of New Jersey officially changed its name to Exxon Corporation. (Wall, B. , 1988) As the OPEC-induced oil shortage depleted much of Exxon’s reserves made them experience financial difficulties; and a lot of people suffered from this cause. In 1989 when a drunk Captain of the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, doing immeasurable damage to the wildlife and to the company’s public image. Eleven million gallons of oil spilled in the Alaskan harbor this made Exxon lost a share of the world oil market to its competitor, Royal Dutch/Shell in 1990. However this didn’t stopped Exxon’s business when they agreed to a $15 billion development of three oil wells in Russia. (Clarke, 1997) Overall, Exxon started in the United States, which started as a regional marketer of kerosene that evolved to the biggest publicly traded petroleum and petrochemical project in the world. Their best known brand names are Exxon, Esso and Mobil. Such products that drive modern transportation, power cities, lubricate industry and provide petrochemical building blocks that lead to thousands of consumer goods.