literature

Introduction

Linda Brent is a pseudonym for Harriet Jacobs in her slave narrative Incidents of a slave girl. The book is about Linda Brent’s life experience as a slave. The storyline is based on the account of her humiliations as she struggles by living a discontented life. The story also highlights the type of castigation that was witnessed in those dark days. Brent tries to stress the absurd punishments that were given to slaves because of simple mistakes at times mere misunderstandings that didn’t go well with the slave masters. Like many other slave narratives, the account is given by a slave who creates a lucid situation for any reader. Linda Brent mainly focuses on narrating the grave situations of young girls’ abuse that are not commonly highlighted in other slave narratives.

Analysis

The analysis of this study is evaluating the character of Linda Brent to determine whether she was a hero or a victim of circumstances.

As a young girl, Linda grows up with a perception of a secure environment oblivious of her status in the society she’s living in. She is unaware because she was lucky to be born under considerate masters. The masters are kind enough to empower her with an education to the level of reading and writing. Her caring parents take good care of her but they shield her from reality (Jacobs 28).

Linda develops a bold and courageous character due to her lack of information. She develops a positive attitude in life unlike other slaves because she does not consider herself as someone’s belongings. As she grows older, she encounters new masters who treat her differently. Dr. Flint mistreats her but her positive attitude towards life enables her to endure the miserable life, and it gives her hope that she will one day lead a normal life like any other human being in happiness with her family. She is a selfless person ready to bear the burden of her children to safeguard them from the misery of slavery (Jacobs 72).

Brent is also a principled person and she continually refuses to recognize the legality of slavery. She bluntly rejects the idea that she is owned by her master. She has an autonomous will that keeps her going even when Dr. Flint sexually harasses her. Linda’s intelligence and rebellious nature lead her to a psychological war between her and Dr. Flint to discard the advances channeled towards her. She at times uses vicious contentment aimed at upsetting him.

Due to her carefree spirit, she sparks off an affair with Mr. Sands intending to hurt Dr. Flint and to prove that she is in charge of her sexuality. She does not love Mr. Sands she considers it wrong to have an affair with Mr. Sands, but it gives her the satisfaction of being in a position to choose her lover. This clearly shows her rebellious and manipulative character. She chooses to live uncomfortably in a small loft space for seven years instead of living contentedly as Dr. Flint’s concubine. She endures this situation to prove to herself that she is a free spirit (Jacobs 100).

When Linda becomes a mother, she changes her mutinous nature. She does not give up on her dream of being free but she becomes profoundly attached to her children who are ironically owned by Dr. Flint. The thought of dreadful things that might happen to them if she decides to escape from Dr. Flint makes her hesitate from escaping. Her maternal feelings create a predicament as she is faced with the biggest test of her life wondering whether she should stay with her children or finally get the freedom that she has longed for all her life. She finally opts to remain with her children and sacrifice her freedom.

Conclusion

Linda Brent can be described as a hero and also a victim of circumstances. She is a hero because she has lived as a free spirit all her life standing by her beliefs. She has an autonomous will that keeps her going even when Dr. Flint sexually harasses her. She also did a selfless act by choosing to remain with her children so that she could safeguard them from Dr. Flint instead of ensuring her freedom by running away.

Her rebellious character is also shown in various instances like when she sparks off an affair with Mr. Sands intending to hurt Dr. Flint and to prove that she is in charge of her sexuality. She does not love Mr. Sands. Just like any other black girl in those days, she is a victim of slavery but her situation was worse because she was sexually harassed by her master.

Works Cited

Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl. Boston: Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

Introduction

Through the Hamlet play, Shakespeare shows that Hamlet – the main character – is deeply influenced by the concepts of death, The Universe, and life in a very profound way. Indeed, Hamlet has a very close relationship with the aforementioned concepts. To illustrate, the character is inspired by The Universe, through the ghost of King Hamlet – his deceased father – to, devote his entire life to avenging the father’s murder. As such, Hamlet is hugely motivated by his desire for revenge. This zeal ultimately costs Hamlet his life. The concept of death is so much intricately intertwined with Hamlet that it eventually makes him die. On the other hand, the concept of life greatly influences Hamlet’s life that he eventually dies owing to the associated disposition. This phenomenon is evident through Hamlet’s action of deciding to act on the ghost’s message. Hamlet is very much touched by the idea that Claudius denied King Hamlet of their life. The character thus acts based on the indignation he has for King Claudius to avenge King Hamlet’s death. This quest takes up all of Hamlet’s remaining days on earth. Ultimately, the mission costs Hamlet his life. All in all, Shakespeare’s Hamlet is so deeply related to death, The Universe, and life that the combination of these 3 concepts changes the character’s life philosophies and dispositions and ultimately costs the character his life.

Relationship with The Universe

To demonstrate, Hamlet’s otherwise peaceful and uneventful life is suddenly altered by the appearance of the ghost of King Hamlet within Elsinore, thus marking the former’s initial contact with The Universe. Hamlet initially encounters the ghost after Bernardo and Francisco spot it and inform the former of its presence. King Hamlet’s ghost instructs Hamlet to exact revenge on King Claudius – King Hamlet’s murderer – by killing the killer. In response, Hamlet dedicates his whole life to settling scores with King Claudius. He addresses the ghost by saying ‘art thou there, / true penny?’ (Shakespeare 53). Hamlet also refers to the ghost as some ‘honest ghost,‘ thus proving that he is convinced of its authenticity (Hamlet: Entire Play). The aforementioned occurrences show that Hamlet fully trusts the ghost. Hamlet is therefore demonstrated as being profoundly influenced by The Universe based on the ghost’s commission that radically changes the former’s life.

In addition, the influence of The Universe on Hamlet is evident whereby he fails to kill King Claudius – who is apparently in prayer – for fear that the King’s soul will ascend to heaven. The prince wonders whether if Claudius ‘goes to heaven,’ Hamlet will be ‘revenged’ (Shakespeare 62). Spiritual issues are thus seen as influencing Hamlet in a very weighty way as they prevent the character from executing a lifetime goal. Consequently, Hamlet’s indecision avails an ideal opportunity for King Claudius to murder the prince. The Universe – that is represented by Hamlet’s spiritual convictions – is therefore seen as impacting on the character by inspiring a development that is related to Hamlet’s eventual demise.

Still, on the concept of how The Universe influences Hamlet’s life, the prince adopts a very new personality after encountering the ghost of his deceased father. These newly acquired dispositions play a significant role in eventually causing Hamlet’s death. To illustrate, after receiving the commission to avenge King Hamlet from the ghost, Hamlet starts to depict erratic and strange behavior. This aspect is evident through Hamlet’s decision to suddenly become hostile and cold towards Ophelia with whom he has had a romantic relationship. After observing this change in attitude in her lover, Ophelia reports the same to Polonius – her father. The father then arranges for a situation whereby he can observe Hamlet’s views about Ophelia by watching the 2 lovers in a conversation. Ophelia approaches Hamlet and promises to offer him the necessary affection after which Hamlet shouts at Ophelia, advising her to join a nunnery. This event confirms that Hamlet has really changed owing to his encounter with the ghost. The character has completely abandoned all his earlier pursuits, as is evident through his decision to leave Ophelia, in favor of executing the ghost’s assignment. The concept of The Universe is thus demonstrated as greatly impacting Hamlet’s life and viewpoints.

In relation to the aforementioned issues, Hamlet is made to drastically change his philosophies about various issues, especially marriage, after the encounter with the ghost. To this end, Hamlet at one point tells off Ophelia – his lover – and informs her that he intends to put an end to all marriages. This idea evidently derives from Hamlet’s indignation towards King Claudius’ beastly act of murdering King Hamlet and later marrying Queen Gertrude – the deceased Kings’ widow. The concept of The Universe, through which Hamlet learns about King Claudius’ heinous act, is thus shown to be greatly influencing Hamlet’s life. To demonstrate, after Hamlet identifies the strategy employed by King Claudius to ascend to the throne – namely, marrying Queen Gertrude – the former becomes so indignant of marriages that he promises to abolish marriage unions should the former assume headship over Norway. In this instance, the concept of The Universe, which is represented by the ghost of King Hamlet, is shown to be impacting Hamlet in an irreversible way.

Relationship with death

On the other hand, the concept of death ultimately influences Hamlet’s existence since King Hamlet’s demise and the related developments directly lead to Hamlet’s death. To illustrate, the concept of their father having been violently killed by Claudius inspires Hamlet to zealously seek revenge against the murderer. This passion so much takes over Hamlet that he unwittingly discloses his intentions to King Claudius. King Claudius thus decides to kill Hamlet before the latter has the chance to murder the former. After making Laertes hate Hamlet, Claudius arranges for a friendly sport between the 2 enemies. Claudius also puts in measures to ensure that Hamlet does not emerge from the sport alive by allowing Laertes to poison the latter’s sword with deadly venom. Laertes refers to this poisoned sword as ‘The treacherous instrument’ that is ‘envenom’d’ (Shakespeare 74). The death of King Hamlet is thus shown as ultimately impacting on Hamlet’s life by causing the character’s death.

In addition, Shakespeare depicts Hamlet as being hugely influenced by King Hamlet’s death when the character kills Polonius and fails to show remorse for this act, thus setting the stage for Hamlet’s own death. Hamlet has been so much aggravated by the death of King Hamlet that he fails to feel the natural sorrow when he accidentally murders Polonius. Rather than apologies for this accidental murder, Hamlet refers to Polonius as a ‘wretched, rash, intruding fool’ (Shakespeare 83). This statement proves that to Hamlet, anyone’s death is insignificant because King Hamlet suffered a cruel death and has not been avenged. The cunning King Claudius grabs the opportunity to implicate Hamlet for Polonius’ death before Laertes – Polonius’ son. This sly lie makes Laertes hate Hamlet and wish for the latter’s death. Eventually, King Claudius tricks the duo into a supposedly friendly match that has however been designed to kill Hamlet. Claudius’ plans succeed but cost the King his own life. Hamlet, Laertes, and Queen Gertrude also finally die. This development thus proves that the concept of death, reflected through King Hamlet’s murder, ultimately costs Hamlet his life.

Relationship with life

Likewise, the concept of life is very instrumental in ultimately leading Hamlet to his death as he strives to punish Claudius for having denied King Hamlet of the king’s right to life. Hamlet’s desire so much consumes him that he dedicates his entire life to seeking ways of exacting revenge on Claudius by killing the latter. Hamlet remarks ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’ (Shakespeare 68). This observation denotes Hamlet’s displeasure with the death of his father. The would-be victim however senses Hamlet’s intentions and conducts a series of preemptive attacks that ultimately cost the latter his life. Claudius begins his plans against Hamlet by sending Guildenstern and Rosencrantz – Hamlet’s friends – to spy on Hamlet. Later, the two friends are commissioned to accompany Hamlet on an expedition to England whereby Hamlet is to be killed. Hamlet mentions this arrangement through the statement ‘two schoolfellows, /…. bear the mandate; ….. sweep my way’ (Shakespeare 75). After these 2 schemes fail, Claudius persuades Hamlet to engage in a friendly sword fight with Laertes. This event happens after Claudius has made Laertes hate Hamlet based on the false allegations that Hamlet Caused Ophelia’s death. Claudius thus permits Laertes to poison the latter’s sword. Hamlet is scratched with the word, thus poisoning him and thus killing him. The concept of life thus draws Hamlet to his death as he seeks to punish Claudius’s act of denying King Hamlet their life.

In relation to the aforementioned issue, Hamlet is so much affected by the brutal cutting off of King Hamlet’s life that he loses respect for life as is evident through his reaction after accidentally murdering Polonius. Hamlet does not show any remorse for this fatal accident. Rather, he indicates that Polonius is responsible for his own death by meddling in other people’s affairs. Hamlet’s emotions have fundamentally changed; he does not seem to have any feelings. The same viewpoint is exhibited when Hamlet murders King Claudius as the play ends. Hamlet uses Laertes’ poisoned sword to stab King Claudius. This poison is surely bound to kill the King. Hamlet does not however seem to be convinced that King Claudius is going to die. He thus goes ahead to force the King to drink the poisoned alcoholic drink that the King himself made. These actions show that the concept of life – as is represented by Hamlet’s father’s death – has greatly altered Hamlet’s views about death. He does not wince as he kills King Claudius.

Conclusion

In summary, through the Hamlet play, Shakespeare describes Hamlet’s experiences to demonstrate that this character’s life is profoundly influenced by the concepts of life, The Universe, and death. Hamlet’s views about life make him dedicate his whole existence to punishing Claudius for denying King Hamlet of their gift of life. In addition, The Universe comes into play through King Hamlet’s ghost’s commission that Hamlet should exact revenge on Claudius for killing King Hamlet. Further, Hamlet’s decision to spare King Claudius while the King prays shows that The Universe profoundly influences Hamlet. Hamlet also loses respect for life following his father’s death. These 3 interrelated concepts gang up to jointly lead to Hamlet’s eventual death.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William (reprint). Hamlet. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2007. Print.

Introduction

In his 2005 book, “The World is Flat – A Brief History of 21^st Century”, Thomas L. Friedman has come with the theory, which was known to all of us for some time now, though without realizing it. Friedman is of the view that since the fall of Berlin wall and as a result of latest technologies available in the market, people all over the world have the exactly same opportunities available to them. This, he argues, means that anyone, anywhere in the world, who has access to these technologies and an entrepreneur spirit can carry out their business on the same level playing field as the biggest corporate in the world. He calls this leveling of the playing field as the “flattening” of the world.

Friedman has presented a very thorough and clear picture of the processes, which led to this change, or “flattening.” I agree with what he has to say about the ten flatteners and their implications. In recent years, we have heard over and over again of how are jobs are being “outsourced”. Just about every product you pick up at a departmental store was manufactured in China or Taiwan or some other Asian county. Outsourcing and offshoring is a reality of today’s time which cannot be wished away.

Big debates are taking place everywhere, among the economists, politicians and in the media. Those who are losing their jobs to the cheap labor in Asia, want the government to legislate against it. But as Friedman has rightly pointed out, in order to compete in the increasingly flat world, the Americans will have to pull themselves up rather than try to pull others down. The “Quiet Crisis” that Friedman talks about is real. While the Indians and the Chinese are educating themselves in science, mathematics and engineering, the Americans are dropping out of high school. The complacency and the lack of ambition among the Americans is a cause of worry.

For almost two centuries, Americans were leading the world because they were at the cutting edge of new technology. However, the manpower needed to sustain this lead is hugely lacking in today’s United States. If the Americans do not pull up their socks, they will soon be left behind while the rest of the world passes them by.

The One Flattener

If I had to choose one flattener, which I feel, has made the biggest impact, it would be what Friedman refers to as “Netscape”. “Netscape helped bring the world to every man on the planet and made it possible for any person sitting anywhere in the world to compete with any other person. Without this flattener, it would not have been possible for a person sitting in India to do the same work done by someone in Indiana.

“Netscape”, in this context does not just refer to the browser, but also to the internet, internet protocols and the underlying infrastructure which has made it possible for anyone, anywhere in the world to go online. According to Friedman, it all decided when Netscape went public on 8/9/95. Internet had existed for sometime before that, but browser made it easier for even the common man to view any file and made the internet truly interoperable.

However, internet had existed for some years before Netscape was developed. During these years, before internet went commercial, scientists developed a series of “open protocols” which made it possible different networks to connect seamlessly with one another. These protocols are well known today and are referred to as FTP, HTTP, SSL, SMTP, POP and TCP/IP. Together they allow transfer of data within networks in a relatively secure manner.

But Internet and browser alone were not enough to make the world flat. It also required a very strong underlying infrastructure. This came in the form of millions of miles of fiber-optic cables laid all around the globe. Fiber optics can carry digitized data much farther and faster than the copper cables. Since 1977, fiber-optics have been slowly replacing the copper wires.

However, in the late 1990s, at the height of the dot-com boom, companies felt that the demand for internet was going to grow infinitely and the organization with the largest capacity would prove to be the most successful. This led to a competition among the companies to lay fiber-optic cable around the world, resulting in an over-capacity. When the dot-com bubble burst, many of these companies went bankrupt and other companies were able to buy this infrastructure for a fraction of the cost.

The fiber optics brought the internet to every corner of the world. It was an investment by some companies which proved to be a gift for the rest of the world. Even today, the full capacity of these fiber-optic cables has not been realized. Since these cables provide us with a high bandwidth, and allow us to transmit huge amounts of data, anyone, anywhere in the world can make complex software and instantly transmit it to a client sitting in some other part of the world.

This has allowed organizations to scout the world for people and geographies which can provide the best talent at the lowest cost and use these people get any work done at a fraction of the cost. All of the other flatteners, besides the falling of the Berlin wall, are directly or indirectly, dependent on the networks provided by this infrastructure. This makes the internet the most important flattener of the ten flatteners listed by Friedman.

Triple Convergence

As stated in the earlier chapter, perhaps the most important invention of the recent times was the internet. However, internet had existed for almost two decades but real flattening of the world started only after 2000. This according to Friedman is because even though the technology existed for some time, it had to come together before it could become useful. Friedman calls this the triple convergence. According to him technology alone is not enough to bring about a change. In order to really make a difference, people must also accept and understand this technology. The various technologies should come together and complement each other. He then goes on to explain the triple convergence in details.

The first convergence, according to Friedman, is the coming together of the ten flatteners. Almost all the flatteners had been around for some time. However, in order to make a difference, they had to come together complement and reinforce each other. This coming together took time and finally started to happen around 2000. This first convergence resulted in the creation a Web-enabled world allowing collaboration of different kinds. People were able to share knowledge and work in real time irrespective of their physical location. This was the first convergence point which helped to make the world flatter.

The second convergence point was using this new technology to come up with new ways of doing business. It is not just enough for a technology to exist. For it to make a difference, it should be used in a way so that it can help improve the profits. Just installing a computer in the office will not improve productivity. For that to often, people will have to use the technology in such a way so that it increases productivity. And that requires building the infrastructure around the technology.

And for that to happens, the managers, CEOs, workers etc. of a company have to feel comfortable around the new technology. Adopting and getting used to a new technology takes time. So even though the ten flatteners had been around for years, it was only when people started to get comfortable with the new technology that they started building their businesses around it. And when that happened, it drastically improved the productivity. This is what Friedman calls the second convergence, that is, the collaboration of people with the technology.

Once the new technology started being accepted by the west, it soon became available to the billions of people in countries like India, China, Russia and Latin America. The ten flatteners ensured that they did not have to step out of their countries, or indeed their homes, in order to benefit from the latest technology. A person sitting in his home or office in India could do the same work that another person employed by a big corporate in the US could do. However, due the differences of wages, corporate saw more value in outsourcing the work than getting it done in house. This was the third convergence.

Thus, although the ten flatteners had been around for some time, it was only when they came together as a result of triple convergence that they started to have an impact on the global economy. This triple convergence was coming together of the ten flatteners, wide adoption of the related technology by people and its wide availability to anyone and everyone who was willing to exploit the opportunities made available by the flatteners.

The Quiet Crisis

After explaining in details the flattening of the world, Friedman goes on to discuss its implications for the American society. According to him, just because the US has been the leader of innovation for almost two centuries, it does not mean it will continue to lead in the future. He is of the opinion that Americans today are complacent and lack the ambition to achieve something new. Most Americans have got used to the luxuries of life and take them for granted. While the US is still the leading innovator, it is likely to lose this position within the next 15-20 years if something is not done about it soon.

The reason why the US is set to lose its advantage is because the number of people adopting for science or engineering careers is steadily falling today. Friedman lists what he calls the three “Dirty Little Secrets” which he feels will eventually lead to the US losing its position as the leader of innovations. The first of these secrets is the “Number Gap”. What Friedman means by this is that there is a huge gap between the number of scientists and engineers required over the next 15-20 years and the number of students in middle school that opt for science and mathematics.

As he points out, it takes about 15 years for a high school student to get qualified enough to start making cutting edge contributions. What it means is that if something is not done immediately to bridge this gap, in fifteen years there will not be enough scientists and engineers in the country to maintain the US at as the lead innovator of the world.

The second secret is “The Ambition Gap”. Today’s children do not have the ambition to achieve something great in life. They are content to get a simple job and then go from year to year doing mediocre work. One of the reasons why more an more companies are outsourcing is not just because of the lower wages in the Asian countries but also because of better productivity. People in these countries are filled with ambitions and do not mind working eighteen hours a day and take very few leaves. On the other hand, this same drive is missing among the Americans.

The third secret mentioned by Friedman is the “Education Gap”. The people in India and China are about as educated as the people in the US and sometime even more so. This means that the same work can be done by the person sitting in China. Unfortunately, for the Americans, the Asians are educating themselves a lot more than the Americans are and this leading to the so called education gap.

In my opinion, this “Quiet Crisis” mentioned by Friedman is a real crisis and if something is not done about it soon, the crisis can become really. There several things that can be done in order to avert this crisis. The first and the most important is to make people aware that crisis is brewing so that can prepare themselves for it. We have to understand that the reason why the US is the only superpower today is because for centuries we have been at the cutting edge of technology. However, we cannot continue to be lead innovators we stop innovating. In order to compete in the flat world, we cannot afford to be complacent.

Next we must instill in our children the burning desire to achieve something in life. For this the parents and the schools need to come together and make children ambitious and want to aim for a Nobel prize. Finally, instead of lamenting that our jobs are being stolen by the Asians, we should upgrade ourselves so that we can compete with them in an increasingly flat world. Instead of fighting a costly battle with the foreigners, the time has come for the US to start fighting its own internal battle. The biggest threat to the US is not from the terrorists but from out own complacency.

The Right Profession

As pointed out by Friedman, in the flat world any job which can be outsourced will be outsourced. Many jobs such as call center jobs, low-end programming jobs and manufacturing jobs are already being outsourced. In fact in another five to ten years these jobs will have completely disappeared from the US. Other jobs which are being outsourced include jobs such as routine Research and Development, back office work, such as number crunching and even tax preparation.

In fact, any job which requires mediocrity will be lost to Asia in a few years from now. In order to survive in such a situation, a person will either have to start their own business, super specialize in a field or constantly keep upgrading themselves in view of the increasing global competition. In these times, the only job a mediocre person can hope to get is serving tables at a local restaurant. But anyone who is willing to rise above mediocrity will have to make some heavy intellectual investment immediately and continuously.

In view of the fast changing world scenario, if I had a chose profession which would see me through the increasingly flat world, it would have to be one which cannot be outsourced. Some of the options which immediately come to mind is a tax consultant (and not a tax preparer), a scientist or an engineer, or a CEO of a company. In view of my present education, of these options, perhaps the best for me would be to try and reach the top management of a multinational company.

As a top manager in a global company, I would be at the cutting edge of technology. The constant competition from other companies would keep me on my toes and force me to constantly upgrade myself and my company. Also, at this position, I will be better able to make a difference to the society.

As a top manager, in a global company, I will have to keep abreast with what is happening around me. Which means that another incident, like the flattening of the world, will not catch me unaware. In fact, such a position, I will probably be instrumental in bringing about such huge changes. One thing to be remembered is that the change is the only constant.

In view of this fact, the best job for me would be one where I do not follow a change but actually lead any change or innovation, As such, the best job for me, given the circumstances is to become the top manager in a Fortune 500 company. And in order to achieve this, I will need to constantly upgrade myself, specialize and super specialize and not let the world and its innovations take me by surprise.

Conclusion

The book “The World Is Flat” is an eye-opener. Although, we are all aware of the changes that have been taking place around us, the book puts these changes in a perspective and allows us to see what mistakes we are making. The book helped me realize that outsourcing is just one of the problems facing this nation. And it is in fact a symptom of a bigger and a far worse problem facing us. And that problem is complacency.

We have got used to resting on the achievements of the generation gone by and our own contribution to the society is minimal. We take a good life for granted but do not realize how are parents worked hard to achieve it. As a result of our complacency, we may soon find many more works are being snatched from us. We have to realize that in today’s world, we compete globally and hence should prepare ourselves for this challenge.

Although the entire book had many interesting things to say, the one section which especially intrigued me was the one on “Quiet Crisis”. Friedman has rightly pointed out that crisis is slowly and quietly brewing up into storm while we are blissfully unaware of it. I would like to re-read the section to get a better understanding of the problems facing our nation so that I am better prepared to face it in future endeavors.

Reference

Friedman, T. (2005). Thw World is Flat: A Brief history of the Globalized World in the 21^st Century. Penguin Books.

The play A View from the Bridge, written by famous American writer Arthur Miller, presents the story of an Italian –American immigrant; Eddie Carbone living in the Red Hook of Brooklyn, near New York. Like William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller tries to catch the attention of the audience at the very beginning itself. In the first Act the dramatist introduces the lawyer who tells the story. Like Classical plays, Miller pictures the opening act with the support of chorus. The lawyer, Alfieri narrates the story of Eddie Carbine, the hero of the play. The end of the Act one is particularly notable for the conflicts between the characters and a lot of changes. This act is also notable for the hidden feelings, passion, hate, desire, and disagreement between the relationship of the central character and the other characters.

The protagonist of Miller’s,” A view from the Bridge “is a dock worker who lives with his wife, Beatrice and her cousin, Catherine. After the death of her mother, Beatrice took charge of Catherine when she was a small girl. Now she is a young girl and it makes disturbances in Eddie’s life. The arrival of Beatrice‘s cousins is a turning point in the play. Miller very effectively connects the events. The relation between Catherine and Rodolfo, who is the cousin of Beatrice, makes irritation in Eddie’s mind. He has also been spending much time with Catherine. The dramatist successfully presents the mental crises of middle class Americans. Here Eddie is more conscious about Catherine. He forgets his status and responsibilities. He is intoxicated with the presence of Catherine. His sincere devotion and passion to her destroys his honour and social status. He loves her blindly and this blind love causes problems later in their life. Miller’s hero is not a representative of a particular nation or a group, he is an ordinary person.

Once, he is even ready to inform the authorities about the cousins. Eddie has enough awareness about his actions. He even admits his friend’s advice, “there are some kinds of love that must not grow”. At the end of the first act Eddie is ready to attack the three young cousins. He tries to humiliate Rodolfo and at last emotively fails to bring out the kitchen chair. The dramatist tries to expose his extreme craftsmanship in presenting the last scenes of the first Act. Eddie abuses his trust as a wise father-figure to persuade Catherine that Rodolpho is a convict and he is under observation. Miller catches the mind of the audience through the end of the first Act. The audience keeps the anxiety to watch the second Act. The clash between Eddie and Rudolpho provides a kind of suspense. The behavioral changes of the characters are another important thing in this play. For example the character of Marco was more respect to Eddie before getting a shelter. But after he begins question to Eddie. Based on classical principles Eddie is the protagonist of the play. He is the representative of a middle class American. At first the audience receives him as a good person who has some dignity. He loves his wife very much and treats the family very well. Catherine Carbone is considered as the heroin of the play. She is a sweet attractive young girl who led the play. With the help of her nice behavior she catches the attention of the audience. Miller pictured her strong female character that has strong mind and personality. Another major female character is Beatrice Carbone, Eddie’s wife. Throughout the play Miller presents her as a strong and gentle woman who is loyal to her husband. One can see the sparkling motherhood and gentleness. Her motherly attitude towards Catherine comes out when she knows her husband is in love with Catherine. Rodolpho and Marco are the cousins of Beatrice from Italy. Their major intention is acquiring American citizenship.

Rodolpho regards Eddie as an opponent, having enough qualities and is ready to marry Catherine for his exact purpose. His love is cons iced for some purposes. Marco has the same purpose; he is also seeking American citizenship. Marco is a hot tempered man. At the end of the first Act he challenges Eddie to take the chair. He is a man completely loyal to his family. He has no other choice except to go back to his hungry wife and sick children in Italy. Eddie handles him as his enemy and at the end of the play he kills Eddie for his own self defense.

Through the play, Miller pictures the socio-economic and political crises affected in post war Europe.

Rodolpho and Marco are the victims of the war depression. They were still suffering from Europe’s broken economy. Many people from Italy became immigrants during the time of post war in England. Rodolpho loves Catherine, but his real intention is to earn American citizenship. Both of them are suffering from severe financial problems. Therefore both are forced to be immigrants in America. Miller expresses American’s attitude towards immigrants through the play. Americans are not conscious enough about immigrants because America follows the policy of race assimilation. Rodolpho and Marco intend to seek American citizenship when the circumstances are suitable. Eddie has a positive attitude towards his wife’s cousins. A chance to make money exists in America in post war period. Both Rodolpho and Marco reach in America illegally. But they are not conscious about American laws. After realizing the relation between Rudolph and Catherine Eddie becomes frustrated. Both of them are working in docks. Eddie tries to disgrace his opponent; firstly, he informs Catherine that Rodolpho is not serious. Then he complains that Rodolpho is homosexual. Eddie’s worse response is expressesed through his repetition. He says about his rival: “He sings, he cooks, he could make dresses…I can’t cook, I can’t sing, I can’t make dresses, so I’m on the water front. But if I could cook, if I could sing, if I could make dresses, I wouldn’t be on the water front.” (Moore, 2000). He finds a kind of mental satisfaction and also reveals his disability to win the young generation. Arthur Miller uses the language devices which mingle both the languages of Italian and Sicilian immigrants and the English language. Eddie never uses his own language. He speaks a native slang. Alfire, the lawyer speaks the natural English. Catherine uses a standard form of language, but not fully. Rudolpho uses highly decorative language. Sometimes he uses some poetic comparisons like “little bird”.

Many symbolisms also have been used in the play. The dancing, the chair as a weapon, Eddie’s dying by his own hand etc. are symbolical. These symbolisms effectively blend with the play. The dancing becomes symbolical as it is performed purposefully before Eddie to make him angry. Symbolism can be found even in the title of the play, “The View from the Bridge,” the play speaks about a panoramic view, through the eyes of Alfieri. These symbolisms make the play really enjoyable.

The language – used by Eddie and the two cousins at the time of challenging – is filled with many allegorical phrases. A viewer can easily find out many layers of meaning. Eddie reveals his inferior feelings through his speech. Miller successfully practices various dramatic techniques. The dramatist presents the character of Alfieri as a narrator. Important events are presented episode by episode through the narration of Alfieri. Miller uses a simple and a colorful language that helps to increase the beauty of the play. The play follows a simple structure. Miller divides the play into two Acts. The first Act deals with Eddie’s realization and in the second, one can see his efforts to regain his lost name. The interludes and narrations are really helpful for the reader.

References

1. Haydor, Abdul. (2007). A view from the bridge: The tragedy in a “view from the bridge”. Quazen. Web.
2. Moore, Andrew. (2000). Studying Arthur Miller’s a view from the bridge: Eddie Carbone, a representative type. AM.

Abstract

The literary world has been spiced with varieties of writers who have come up with a myriad of styles in their works. One such writer is the Nigerian-born Chinua Achebe who not only manages to intertwine the old cherished traditions with the emerging Christian ethics but also wove the literary devices like themes and styles to bring out meaning in a more humorous and also entertaining manner. He has written several books which come in form of novels as well as short stories which have all given meaning and added flavor to African Literature.

Literary Aspects

In investigating the literary aspects and the influence of current literature which has been as a result of veteran writers, it is imperative to have a critical look and study of such legendary figures like Chinua Achebe. There is a lot that has been borrowed from his cultural writings and which significantly influence contemporary literature works. For example, the way Achebe utilizes stylistic devices in his anthologies and book novel collections is quite conspicuous and therefore easy to relate with.

Most of Chinua Achebe’s writings depict a very strong disparity between highly valued cultural practices and Christian values which were quickly infiltrating into Nigerian culture as a result of missionary activities. Consequently, these influences made a remarkable transformation in the life of Chinua Achebe even as he grew up as a child. Moreover, the practice of storytelling was deeply entrenched into the Nigerian Igbo culture and it formed part and parcel of daily living. Chinua was also fascinated by the regular village events which brought the community and this liking definitely molded a talent of rich African tradition in him which was later evident in his several literary works (Laurence 2001).

Style

The main style of narrative rendition used by Chinua Achebe is that which takes the shape of an oral tradition. He is specifically dominant in this mode of literary submission having grown in a traditional cultural background and learned a lot to do with the Igbo people of Nigeria. Although he enrolled in St. Phillip’s Central School in the mid of 1930s where his performance in class was noted with satisfaction, Achebe primarily builds his works of literature from a community he knows very well from his childhood.

This is a similar approach followed by other contemporary African writers who have come to acknowledge the importance of deliberating on local cultural issues rather than highlighting matters which do not directly affect the community. He was particularly superb in handwriting classes. Additionally, his reading skills were excellent. Throughout his educational life, Achebe produced sterling performance especially in works of literature and it was from this backdrop that he managed to deliver the best in literature work through short stories and novels (Allen, 2010).

The use of proverbs as stylistic devices has also been a key area in African literature. Most of Achebe’s literary works are laced with local proverbs which have greatly been emulated in the writing of contemporary literature. At one while he was through with his university education, Achebe began to write a novel that was to be based on fictional work. This was indeed going to be a litmus test for him because not much had been written in English by that time and hence he had little to borrow from.

Nevertheless, he worked extremely smart to produce a novel that would not only reflect the traditional Nigerian life, but also a unique masterpiece with its own style. When Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to Nigeria in the mid-1950s, several elements of politics and imperial domination were highlighted and it created a firm base through which Chinua would address his forthcoming works of literature. Nearly the same period of time when the Queen of England visited Nigeria, Chinua Achebe was invited to Britain by the then-popular British Broadcasting Corporation (Innes, 1990).

He was to attend a training session for some time before coming back to Nigeria. This was a turning point for Achebe bearing in mind that he was going to expand his skills and competence, an opportunity that enabled him to widen the content of the novel in which he was already working.

On the other hand, though, the use of proverbs by Chinua Achebe does not embrace the totality of the traditional life of the Igbo people. Both public performance and thoughts which are generated out of philosophical ideas are strong points in his work. This is similar to the contemporary literature works which have been modified to entail not just the basic literature content but also lively content which may at times be made great by including real thinking and philosophical ideologies.

For example, the masterpiece writing of Chinua Achebe like Things Fall Apart is a vivid example of the direction taken by modern literature in which issues are not entirely deliberated upon on the surface. There are several aspects that are discussed with their meanings below the surface. For instance, the completion of the novel Things Fall Apart was the main task Achebe had immediately after he returned to Nigeria. He improved the novel in a variety of ways ranging from the length of the chapters and prose development which fulfilled both the desired style and theme (Allen, 2010).

Application of English

Although Achebe initially embraced writing in local dialects, he eventually preferred the application of the English language in relaying his literary works. This has been the case in the contemporary literary world whereby most authors are using foreign languages.

Before the close of 1957, Things Fall Apart was ready for publishing. By 1958, this novel was already out courtesy of the Heinemann publishers. The book was positively accepted by the wider literary crew and several positive comments were posted on the novel. However, the book was received by mixed reactions back home. The promotion of the novel was greeted with doubt and ridicule.

However, there were those who were very supportive and thought that the book reflected the reality of the traditional Igbo traditional life. Moreover, positive comments mentioned of the well organized plot and character utilization there by an everlasting memory in the mind of a reader. The novel focuses on the life of a character called Okonkwo who is not at peace with the intrigues of his father. The entry of Christian missionaries and the ensuing conflict between traditional and Christian values are also addressed in the novel.

Achebe manages to draw a vivid picture of the Igbo tradition and how transition from this long held culture to modern Christian civilization proves to be tussle between the two parties (Yale University, 2010). The African Literature has been made proud by “Things Fall Apart” because the content of the novel does not only depict an isolated encounter of the Igbo traditional life in this West African country but it also paints a picture of the entire continent and its people.

Themes

One of the key messages or theme developments in Chinua Achebe’s writings is the cultural identity of the Igbo people who seem to represent the rest of the population. Indigenous way of living is depicted in a variety of ways attempting to highlight how important or influential this traditional life is. After the publication of “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe enjoyed yet another literary recognition when he was mandated with the task of overseeing network operations courtesy of the NBS.

This book novel clearly brought out the theme of culture as practiced by the Igbo people. Even among contemporary western writers, the cultural aspect of a community or society is paramount. His second book entitled, No Longer at Ease is focusing on a public officer who is entangled in corrupt deals in a Nigerian capital city. Obi is the key character in the novel. Achebe writes on the challenges which are being experienced towards the attainment of independence in Nigeria. Obi, the protagonist is intertwined within his family, the community and the wider society. These challenges take him overboard and he finds himself unable to cope.

As a result, he engages in robbery and the long hand of the law catches up with him which culminates to prison sentence. This novel traces the contemporary Nigerian life which has just transformed itself from a traditional set up due to emerging and inevitable changes. The Rockefeller Fellowship which was awarded to Achebe marked yet another turning point in his career. He was to travel far and wide and his first destination was East Africa. One of the magnificent findings as he was traveling was the growth and development of Swahili language. He was categorically amazed by the fact that this language was gaining prominence by the day and it was even being used in radio broadcast.

Another superb writing by Achebe is Arrow of God an d which marked his third novel. Similar to the earlier writings, the novel dissects the emerging differences between the traditional Igbo life in Nigeria and the values being put forward by Christian ethics. The village of Umuaro is the centre of the scene. As the British encroaches the village, the chief priest of Ulu is duly terrified by this action and he is left wondering how the British men are that powerful. In the quest of understanding these foreigners better, the chief commands his son to study the secret behind their power. This tragedy emerging from the British imperialism does not spare Ezeulu who is the supreme chief. He is overwhelmed and eventually consumed (Innes, 1990).

Colonialism as related to culture

One of the areas of conflicts in Achebe’s literary works is the differing Igbo tradition to the emerging modern civilization which is finding its way through the process of colonization (Laurence, 2001). This is true of mankind when he attempts to oppose change which is inevitable. Such levels of conflicts are dominant in contemporary writings. Before writing this novel, Achebe had already preconceived some ideas drawn from the imperialistic activities of the British men who had at one time used a District Commissioner to jail a Chief Priest. He further gained more experience from the archaeological artifacts which had been dug out from one of the Igbo villages.

In his discovery, he was baffled by the cultural complexity of these Igbo remains. These events gave him the inspiration to start writing “The Arrow of God”. Similar to his previous literary works, “The Arrow of God” was received with a profound mixed of reactions ranging from skeptical criticisms to magnificent rounds of applause. In order to strengthen certain structural elements in the book, a revised version was later published to incorporate certain important additions in terms of book structure.

On the same note, Achebe received an overwhelming positive comment from John Updike who affirmed that those who gave negative criticism to “The Arrow of God” had failed in their mission since book was a great admiration beyond Nigerian borders. He further added that Achebe had managed to bring onto the surface what many western writers had failed through his incisive story telling approach as depicted in “The Arrow of God”.

In his response, Achebe confirmed that it was not possible to attain a heroic status in African literature bearing in mind that it relied heavily on the contribution of the community which manages to introduce characters who play different roles in the development of the story (Laurence, 2001).In 1966, Achebe awoke the literary world with the publication of “A man of the people”.

This novel is giving a direct highlight on the state of a certain African state which has just attained independence and now the leadership is under the local rulers. It is a form of terse satire in which a character named Odili who is a teacher by profession strongly disagrees with a bid of as certain Culture Minister who is keen in maintaining his parliamentary seat. The minister is said to duly corrupt in government and this character has made him become unpopular among his constituents. When a copy of this novel was read by John Clerk, the latter was surprised at the predictive nature of the entire story because it addressed all the political events which have pre-occupied some African nations soon after independence.

Clerk confirmed that the events in the book represented a harsh reality of African governments which are usually marred with corruption at the expense of the common man who has to dig deeper into the pocket to make ends meet. It was only a coup which had not happened as per the flow of this book. Nevertheless, Chkwuma Kaduma later took control of Northern Nigeria which was part of a wider plan to overthrow the government. Several people were massacred in this coup attempt only to rubberstamp the theme depicted in the novel. This military event landed Achebe into trouble because they suspecting that he had a prior knowledge of the overthrow attempt by the Army General.

When he got wound of the news that the military were after him, Achebe and his family had to take refuge to the eastern part of the country where military turbulence had not infiltrated much. Amid these tribulations, Achebe and some of his friends decided to increase the number of the books under circulation so that upcoming readers could also have the opportunity to study the literature (Achebe, 2010). In order to achieve this, they established Citadel Press. this publishing house would not only increase the number of copies in circulation but also improve on their qualities through subsequent editions. They started by striking the readership market with “How the Dog was domesticated” story.

This was a rewritten version which underpinned the political mess of his country. Just like the previous publications, the revised editions sent both literary and political shocks to the target audience. One such feedback came from an Intelligence Officer working in Nigeria who asserted that the revised edition of “How the Dog was domesticated” was the most significant piece from Biafra.

After the end of the civil war which rocked the Biafra state, Achebe found himself back in the literary circles when he played an instrumental role which led to the inception of some magazines which were published both in English and the local dialects.

Legacy

In revisiting the Conrad work, it is important to note that much of the criticisms brought about by Achebe’s contributed to this production. Finally, when Achebe returned to his motherland in 1976, there were three key objectives he wanted to meet. To begin with, he wanted to accomplish the wring of a book which he had already begun. This was specifically important to him because he was inching closer to his retirement and it could be a great disappointment should he have failed to complete it.

Additionally, Achebe wanted to revise the local publication Okike. This would go along way in extending his research on the culture of the native people called Igbo. His criticism would go beyond European audience as he had promised. When he was interviewed in 1976, Achebe was very critical of the so called intellects in his country that had separated themselves from the required intellect in pursuit of myopic goals.

These Nigerian intellects, according to Achebe, were only after their status in society as well as the potential to feed their stomach. These intellects are further a disgrace because should anything wrong happen around them, they will not take any action in fear of losing their positions.

In 1979, he received an NNM award which was one of its own kind since it had not been awarded to any other outstanding personality in the history of Nigeria. The “Anthills of the Savannah” marked another literary turning point for Achebe when it was published and released in 1987 (Achebe, 2010). The novel focused on a military attempt to overthrow a government. Although the story was purely fiction, the content and development of the plot augured so well with the real happenings in post independent era in Africa where neocolonialism coupled with hunger for power dominated political leadership in every respect (Allen, 2010).

The “Financial Times” applauded the theme of the book observing that the writer had managed to skillfully incorporate different styles ranging from mythical traditions to contemporary aspects of political administration. The “Financial Times” also noted the book as exciting and loaded with necessary details which would change the perception of the western world towards Africa. Moreover, an opinion vote conducted by the “West Africa” magazine hinted that the novel was a masterpiece which needed to be recognized through a momentous prize.

Conclusion

Finally, Achebe’s fictional writings have one thing in common: They rely mainly on the exploitation of oral tradition which is the main rendition mode to his messages. Right from the mythical and legendary aspects of the Igbo people of Nigeria, Achebe draws the attention of his readership with well woven folk tales which he uses to shed light on both the traditional and contemporary societal values.

The capture point in his submissions takes the shape of story telling but which at the same time are deep in both content and meaning. Further, the short stories written by Achebe are less studied compared to the long narratives in form of novels. Interestingly, he does not put much weight on them as his major literary works although the anthologies too are rich in content in spite of their spatial and cultural variations.

References

Achebe C. (2010). The rich and famous: The Mercury, 23.

Allen L, (2010). Book Review: Dreams in Time of War/ The Education Of A British- Protected Child: Two voices that shout of Africa.

Innes, C. L (1990). Chinua Achebe. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Laurence, M (2001). Long Drums and Cannons: Nigerian Dramatists and Novelists, 1952-1966. Alberta: University of Alberta Press Yale University: Chinua Achebe, Author of ‘Things Fall Apart,’ Will Deliver Chubb Lecture at Yale.

(2010). M2 Presswire. ProQuest Newsstand.

Introduction

The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria deals with issues of global dominance. In this book, Zakaria analyses the role that the US has played in both political and world domination. Zakaria reveals that his book is not about the fall of America.

He writes that his book is about the rise of other countries. He refers to these countries as ‘everyone else’¹. The Post-American World is different from similar books because it does not portray the fall of America but rather dwells on the rise of other countries such as India and China. Zakaria posits that the United States will lose its global influence on politics and capital. The US will however remain strong.

He compares the current US position with similar positions held by countries such as Britain. Zakaria informs us that Britain and the US have dominated global economics and politics for the last 500 years. While Britain has lost both its economic and military dominance, the US has gained a modern military that dwarfs all other armies in terms of size and equipment. Zakaria gives an optimistic analysis of the next fifty or so years. India, Russia and China will continue to rise.²

This book has enjoyed thousands of reviews from magazines and internet users around the globe. It has been viewed as sharp and accurate. It is a good account of global politics and issues and is written with a comfortable journalistic style. The author is well known and very credible. Zakaria maintains that we are living in a “peaceful era”. He is highly hopeful of the 21^st century. He says that global violence was at its climax in the 1980s and 1990s and is now on a historical decline. Less people are perishing in conflicts. He alludes that the US has played a great role in fostering democracy and economic growth around the world.³

As a result, many countries are now rising on the economic front. Wealth has spread to developing countries. The US no longer has the highest buildings or the largest dams. Zakaria looks at the implications of these facts. He advises the United States on the steps it should take to improve its viability.⁴

Body

Zakaria analyses how developing countries have risen over the past decade. This financial growth has created political confidence and patriotism. The downside is that it can also create serious problems. The book informs the US on how to deal with this new age. The book notes that there have been a few changes of power over the last 500 years. These changes have transferred power from the West to the United States.

This power is now being shared by the US and emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia and China. The United States had a lot of economic power at the beginning of the 20^th Century. That power was initially not political. The US gained political power in the middle of the 20^th Century. That power has waned and is now held by several other powerful countries.⁵ Zakaria describes a new world order. He describes his book as such: “This is a book not about the decline of America but rather about the rise of everyone else.” He reports that the number of poor people is reducing in most of the world’s countries.

The world economy has experienced historic growth despite events such as the September 11 terrorist attacks. It “grew at its fastest rate in nearly four decades.”⁶ Macao makes more than Las Vegas in regards to casino taxes. Singapore has the largest Ferris wheel. Bollywood has overtaken Hollywood. A small number of countries experience more than 15 percent inflation. An interesting note is that Iran spends about a penny for every dollar the US spends on weapons. The United States economy has dwindled in comparison to other nations.⁷

This book emphasizes the role of strong central governments. Some people have consequently viewed it as communist. The Post-American World has seven chapters. It first declares its main argument. The argument is that a new power shift has emerged. The United States will remain as the most influential country but with less influence compared to the last few decades. There has also been a shift of power to large non-governmental organizations.

These international organizations need to take adaptive steps to modern trends. Zakaria believes that there is little focus on important issues such as the environment of our planet and inflation. He believes that too much focus is being put on less important factors such as terrorism. The book looks at the factors that have led to the current situation. The West became powerful because of encouraging trade with various nations. The West also improved its labor productivity and. This is where Britain and Europe traded with people from all backgrounds. Britain traded with China, India and nations from other continents.

The US took over this power because of its free market economy and capitalist policy. The US successfully spread this policy to other regions. This spread has caused the creation of new economic powers in a number of nations. The economies of these nations have surged dramatically.⁸ The book compares this growth to similar growths in the late nineteenth century and mid-twentieth century.⁹ In both instances there were new nations that climbed the ranks to become global powers. The author looks at how the US has become distrustful of people from other countries.¹⁰

An entire chapter is dedicated to China. China exports more products on a daily basis than it did in the whole of 1978. Zakaria analyses how the country has steadily modernized. China has undertaken a technique of minor and gradual reforms. It now stands next to the United States on the power scale. It will however take decades for it to reach the same level as the US. China’s Confucian idealism has enabled it to embrace success. This ideology holds that people can be tutored and improved. This can be achieved through individual and collective efforts. High merit and moral perfection are embraced.¹¹

The country also has strong beliefs in the practicality and rationalism. It has an attractive non-combative guiding principle that has been well applied in Africa. This is in contrast to the forceful Western style of intervention. The Western style enforces reforms but the Chinese do not force anyone to reform. China has a fear of social reforms and this is what inhibits it. This is due to its top-bottom political structure.¹²

India also has an entire chapter. It has bottom-top political structure that always falls prey to social unrest. This unrest has little political effect. One of India’s inhibitions is the fact that high priority is put on regional matters. This takes away attention from national matters. This is evident in its government policy and decisions. This book looks at India’s plus side. India has autonomous courts.

Contracts and private property rights are respected. There are many businessmen who speak English.¹³ The constitution is strictly adhered to and the private sector is stable and strong. The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria analyses how global powers have used their power. It summarizes the state of economies, politics and stability. It looks at how Britain and the US started the Boer War and the Iraq War. Britain had enormous political power but it lost its financial authority. The US had unsurpassed economic dominance at the start of the 21^st century. The US was different because it had diminished its political power¹⁴.

Fareed Zakaria is optimistic on the future of the US. He disagrees with signs that show the US is deteriorating. He warns the US about the dangers of internal partisan politics and domestic extremism. He decries the allocation of power to special interest groups. Zakaria is opposed to media sensationalism. This media reduces the federal government’s capacity to deal with new world trends. The book gives a precise and real account of how the United States has used its power.¹⁵

Fareed Zakaria offers six guidelines that the United States should abide to. The guidelines are intended to make the US remain economically and politically strong. The first guideline requires that the US choose its priorities. Zakaria recommends that the US should decide what is important to it instead of spreading its focus on several issues. The US should concentrate on saving and improving the environment and deal with rising commodity prices. Broad rules should be created.¹⁶

Special interests should be put aside. Global mechanisms and institutions should be strengthened and enforced. The United States must commit to these mechanisms and institutions. The third guideline says “Be Bismarck, not Britain”¹⁷. The United States should foster good relations with every nation. They should not try to counterbalance budding powers. Britain lost heavily because of maintaining strained relations with strategic powers.

The US should respond to problems through a variety of organs such as the United Nations, OAS or NATO.¹⁸ It should not address all issues using one front. The US should be rational and assign adequate priorities to all challenges. It should not give undue attention to minor events. The US should deal with terrorists and drug cartels. The last guideline advices the US that legitimacy is the element that determines who has influence. It generates the power to influence agendas and mobilize support.

Conclusion

The Post American World is an informed account of the state of global power. One disadvantage of the book is its brevity. It looks at the changes in the world with a more detailed focus on the events of the last three decades. It shows how US attitudes have changed and there is a greater suspicion of foreigners. The United States is given advice on how it should change and adapt to a new world order. The book gives an optimistic success on the future of the United States. The United States will remain economically and politically powerful but global power will be spread out more evenly.¹⁹

Works Cited

Drezner, Daniel W. Avoiding trivia: the role of strategic planning in American foreign policy. Chicago: Brookings Institution Press, 2009.

Herring, George C. From colony to superpower: U.S. foreign relations since 1776. Oxford University Press US, 2008.

Indyk, Martin Innocent abroad: an intimate account of American peace diplomacy in the Middle East. Simon & Schuster, 2009.

Lundestad, Geir. East, West, North, South: Major Developments in International Politics since 1945. SAGE Publications Ltd, 2010.

Moïsi, Dominique. The Geopolitics of Emotion: How Cultures of Fear, Humiliation, and Hope Are Reshaping the World. Doubleday, 2009.

Salkowitz, Rob. Young World Rising: How Youth Technology and Entrepreneurship Are Changing the World from the Bottom Up. John Wiley and Sons, 2010.

Sen, Amartya. The Idea of Justice. Harvard University Press, 2009.

Waters, Neil L. Beyond the area studies wars: toward a new international studies UPNE. Chicago, 2000.

White, Jane. America, Welcome to the Poorhouse: What You Must Do to Protect Your Financial Future and the Reform We Need. FT Press, 2009.

Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008.

Footnotes

1. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 5.
2. Waters, Neil L. Beyond the area studies wars: toward a new international studies (Chicago: UPNE, 2000), 56.
3. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. (NY: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 119.
4. White, Jane. America, Welcome to the Poorhouse: What You Must Do to Protect Your Financial Future and the Reform We Need. (Houston: FT Press, 2009), 142.
5. Lundestad, Geir. East, West, North, South: Major Developments in International Politics since 1945. (New York: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2010), 121.
6. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 145.
7. Lundestad, Geir. East, West, North, South: Major Developments in International Politics since 1945. (New York: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2010), 121.
8. Lundestad, Geir. East, West, North, South: Major Developments in International Politics since 1945. (New York: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2010), 68.
9. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 209.
10. Sen, Amartya. The Idea of Justice. (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2009), 97.
11. Salkowitz, Rob. Young World Rising: How Youth Technology and Entrepreneurship are Changing the World from the Bottom Up. ( London: John Wiley and Sons, 2010), 67.
12. Sen, Amartya. The Idea of Justice. (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2009), 76.
13. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. New York: (W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 214.
14. Herring, George C. From colony to superpower: U.S. foreign relations since 1776. (New York: Oxford University Press US, 2008), 45.
15. Indyk, Martin Innocent abroad: an intimate account of American peace diplomacy in the Middle East. (London: Simon & Schuster, 2009), 78.
16. Drezner, Daniel W. Avoiding trivia: the role of strategic planning in American foreign policy. (Chicago: Brookings Institution Press, 2009), 245.
17. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 111.
18. Moïsi, Dominique. The Geopolitics of Emotion: How Cultures of Fear, Humiliation, and Hope Are Reshaping the World. (Los Angeles: Doubleday, 2009), 162.
19. Zakaria, Fareed. The Post-American World. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008), 219.

In the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; females are portrayed from various perspectives in which different women come out to possess various personalities, different from others. In this book, Charlotte Bronte introduces a very well-behaved young girl who is an orphan; and one who had been severely receiving mistreatments from her aunt; the wife to her uncle. The character of Jane’s aunt comes out to contradict that of Jane, who is a very humble and well-behaved girl; who lived by her strong principles (Drakulic 125-145).

According to the theory,’infection of the science: the woman writer and the anxiety of authorship’ Charlotte’s writings seem too much influenced by her pre-cursors in the sense that, she seems to have anxiety in her authorship to bring male characters to be humane. In this book, the author brings the two characters, Jane and her aunt; who seem to be contradictory to each other in the sense that the likes of each seem to differ from those of the other.

Critically, such characters portray the disparity of characters in individuals even if they happen to be of the same gender. This difference in personality is far much rooted in certain life events that people undergo; which are different from each other’s, where afterward such characters develop to dominate the personalities these different people generally develop. Charlotte’s anxiety in her authorship seems to revolve around her work in this book Jane Eyre in various aspects as scenes unfold in the story (Duhacek 131-137).

The issue of gender and oppression comes out to be depicted in the book, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This is portrayed when Jane is openly mistreated by her cousins who are boys, as she is a girl. On this basis, therefore, it can be seen that gender issues are emerging to explain how women in the society undergo abuse and mistreatment from males; who seem to dominate over the person of a woman. This is one of the many instances that Jane is mistreated by male characters; indicating the way females in the society are often mistreated by males (Drakulic 125-145).

The theory of literacy sub-culture on the other hand seems to bring out Charlotte’s works as being influenced by her female predecessors in the authorship of books. This is better explained by her work when she brings in to focus the gender issue. On the gender issue still; when Jane completes her schooling excellently securing a position in a teaching post; she is later portrayed to be loved by the character of her employer. In the first instance, Jane seems not to love him but the administrator insists that she must marry him; which Jane later falls for. To Jane; the fact that the school administrator was married makes her not like the idea of their having a relationship between them.

After she fails to comply with her employer regarding the relationship issue; she loses her job which makes her start living the life of a beggar despite her being educated and holding onto the good morals she had. Generally, the mistreatment of women by men is witnessed more often in this book; where Jane finds herself to be the victim of situations in many instances (Erich 77-80).

Love and passion are also other issues that the book, Jane Eyre expounds in-depth; where Jane is the key player in bringing out this issue to focus. As it has been revealed; Jane’s success in the various things she has been doing, all revolve around the theme of love and the passion she had for other people. The love that Jane had for her aunt despite her ill-treatment of her; portrays the way the simplicity of the life of the poor differs from the complexity of the life of the rich; who seem to be heartless and cruel. In his case, Jane who comes from a poor family lives with her rich uncle’s family; from which she receives various mistreatments from the madam and in return shows her brutal aunt a lot of love in exchange (Duhacek 131-137).

In this perspective therefore the book Jane Eyre seems to revolve around love and passion where the main character seems to portray love to every situational encounter; despite the ill-treatments, she receives from these various characters. As it is seen, when Jane’s employer in the school falls in love with her; Jane does not provoke her inhuman nature but mainly displays her morality by refusing to be married as a second wife; until the death of her employer’s wife when she returns for a reunion with her employer getting on to the marital issue (Erich 77-80).

Generally, this book seems to revolve around love and passion; which according to my view the writer wanted to bring out the love and care that should be borne in all people and across all dealings. From the plot this is used to mean that, women in contemporary society should be good-hearted and ones who portray love and care; for and to the other people within the society (Burg et. al. 535-550).

Another issue that is brought out within the story is sovereignty; where the writer of the book brings out the appeal for the appreciation of an individual’s significance. Throughout the story, Jane seems to be on her own and the author treats her as an independent girl with her likes, talents, and interests. Jane’s defiance from her aunt is one of the instances that show how Jane’s life was independent; and that she never feared any person who came along her way to ideality (Drakulic 125-145).

More so, when Jane is pushed by her employer who happens to be very rich; Jane does not accept in the first instance his advances; which portrays how Jane lived an independent life despite her supporters withdrawing the support that they had on her. Further, when Jane loses her job after she objects to her employer’s confrontations of engaging her into a love affair knowing that he was married; Jane lives her own life despite its being a pathetic one, as she becomes a beggar with all the education she had attained (Drakulic 123-130).

Generally, the author brings Jane out as an example to depict how women are expected to be and live within the society. From a personal point of view; the book depicts the expectations of the society from the women, who should be self-reliant and independent in one way or the other; a character which Jane in the book Jane Eyre is portrayed to have. In this perspective therefore the independence part of humans is very crucial; to maintain oneself regardless of the prevailing conditions. In this aspect therefore the writer seems to contemplate the mark of inferiority in women by bringing in the female characters who demonstrate very strong grounds of being independent (Burg et. al. 535-550).

Lastly, atonement and forgiveness seem to prevail in various scenes as the story unfolds. The religious concerns by various characters in the book seem to seek forgiveness as the events in the book reveal. Rochester, who was Jane’s employer, is greatly tormented by reviewing how he had previously mistreated Jane; when she refused to accept his marriage proposal at first, which was followed by Jane’s loss of her job. Rochester makes atone of his behavior; after which she openly accepts Jane when she comes back to her for reconciliation. Jane on the other hand finds it in her heart to forgive most of the people who wronged her from the various incidences shown in the book (Drakulic 123-130).

Jane’s humility and good-heartedness from these instances is the basis for her character of being ready to forgive everybody who wrongs her. The first incidence is seen when Mrs. Reeds, her aunt mistreats her; after which she finds herself in trouble and Jane offers to help her. More so, Jane forgives Mr. Rochester for all the wrongs he had done to her even to the extent of sending her off his job after she failed to fulfill his desires for marrying him. Despite all the torture Jane gets from being sent out of job and having nowhere to go; which leads to her leading the life of a beggar, Jane forgives Mr. Rochester who was the ultimate cause of all the torture that she went through (Burg et. al. 535-550).

The fact that Jane’s mistreatment by the various characters seems to follow her in all the places that she goes; is used to show the fact that she generally forgives all the wrong against her very easily. From a personal point of view; the author brings out the character that is expected of the ladies within the contemporary society for co-existence. Further, Jane gives a good example of the kind of women that society today deserves; so as not to cause much alienation among its members.

Works cited

Burg, Steven and Berbaum, Michael. “Community, Integration, and Stability in Multinational Yugoslavia.” New York: Harvard Publishers. (1989): 535-550.

Drakulic, Slavenka. “Women and the New Democracy in the Former Yugoslavia: In Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflection from Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union”. New York: Rutledge. (1993): 123-130.

Drakulic, Slavenka. “The Balkan Express: Fragments from the Other Side of War”. New York: Norton & Company Inc. (1993): 125-145.

Duhacek, Dasa. “Women’s Time in the Former Yugoslavia: In Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflection from Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. New York: Rutledge (1993): 131-137.

Erich, Vera. “Family in Transition: A Study of 300 Yugoslav Villages”. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1966.