Baums Ambivalent Vision :: Literature Children Books Papers

Baum's Ambivalent Vision Perhaps more completely than any other writer, the person who hopes to write successful children's literature must become a child again, to write with that combination of seriousness, simplicity, and wonder children demand in their stories: they will read no others. Arguably, then--because his books have been read and reread by generations of children--L. Frank Baum possesses this quality, this childlikeness, to a great degree. It is a crucial attribute for writers, one that Erich Neumann calls "a special animation of the unconscious" and defines as "the creative man's special kind of alertness. He usually possesses it even as a child, but this alertness is not identical with the reflecting consciousness of a precocious intellect. The childhood state of the creative individual can be characterized no better than in HÃ ¶lderlin's words: "und schlummert wachenden Schlaf" ("and slumbers in waking sleep"). In this state of alertness the child is open to a world, to an overwhelming unitary reality that surpasses and overpowers him on all sides. At once sheltered and exposed, this waking sleep, for which there is as yet no outside and no inside, is the unforgettable possession of the creative man". ("Creative Man and Transformation" 180) The special, creative state Neumann describes is functionally an altered state of consciousness, one achieved in a writer's case not by drugs, fasting, or meditation, but by simple concentration in a relaxed posture, the restriction of the mind to a blank piece of paper as the writer sits at his or her desk, waiting for whatever will come. Because it is a variety of altered state, because most of the major phenomena of such states overlap (Mogar 385), because one of these phenomena is a shift toward increased imagery, and because the images themselves follow a remarkably regular pattern--it is possible to construct from various sources a visionary schema that indicates just how a particular writer reacts to this heightened sense of the unconscious--with a sense of joy, of fear, or of ambivalence. The first of these sources is Aldous Huxley's Heaven and Hell, in which he identifies the major imagery of visionary states as a sense of light and color in intricate, geometric forms resembling jewels and/or flowers (103-04). This is true in both the positive and the negative visions Huxley identifies, though the jewels and flowers seem divine in the first case and demonic in the second. The latter, the terrible

Analysis of “I Have a Dream” Speech

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech that electrified a nation. In Washington D. C, King delivered his speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial and as his powerful voice echoed out across an audience of 200,000 people, echoes of the Gettysburg address could be heard as well as the Declaration of Independence and the Bible. It has been called â€Å"masterfully delivered and improvised sermon, bursting with biblical language and imagery. †The passionate speech is filled with rhetorical devices that help ground into earth King's demands of racial equality and outcries of social injustice.The second paragraph of the speech starts with â€Å"Five score years ago†, an allusion to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. This is particularly poignant due to the fact that the speech was given on the steps of his memorial. A memorial to the president who passed the emancipation proclamation. Martin Luther King Jr. continues with comparing this (the emancipati on proclamation) â€Å"momentous decree† to a â€Å"great beacon light† to those who had â€Å"been seared in the flames of withering injustice† in an example of a simile and then a metaphor.The metaphor is expanded to call the proclamation â€Å"a joyous daybreak† to a â€Å"long night. † The metaphors help prove King's point through contrasting two abstract concepts through tangible things. The last sentence of the second paragraph is the first of many references to the bible. In comparing Psalms 30:5 â€Å"For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning† to King's line â€Å" It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity† the parallels can be seen.The use of biblical references helps link the work of MLK to the bible and divine things. Southerners being in the â€Å"bible belt† and dominantly Christian, this reference to the bible strikes home to these slaveholders. The third paragraph contains a strong example of anaphora with the repetition of â€Å"one hundred years later† four times. This is used to thrust home the point of how long the suffrage has gone on. The duration is important but also the effect of its repetition makes the paragraph seem longer and drawn out- like the injustices that are still being suffered- one hundred years later.Also a simile is used to compare segregation to imprisonment in the the phrases â€Å"manacles of segregation† and â€Å"chains of discrimination. † The usage of these rhetorical devices relates slavery to jail and further contrast it from the biblical allusions used with equality. Paragraph four of the speech is a large metaphor for an allusion to the United States Declaration of Independence which is later cited directly. In Specific King alludes to the declaration in saying â€Å"unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † Which within itself is a tricolon ascends.This allusion to such an important American document is used to support King's theme of equality by pointing out its resonance in the purely American document. Throughout this portion of the speech King makes a metaphor of these guaranteed rights saying they are a â€Å"promissory note†. This metaphor links these intangible unalienable rights to something tangible which falls into place with the rest of the expanded metaphor. He goes on the say that the Negro people have received â€Å"a bad check† and when they tried to cash this check is comes back marked â€Å"â€Å"insufficient funds. † These metaphors feed into the larger one of a citizens rights to a promise of a bank. Martin Luther King Jr. shows his hope the country in the continuance of the metaphor in which he refuses to believe â€Å"the bank of justice† is bankrupt and that there are insufficient funds in the â€Å"great vaults of opportunity†. Furthermore he makes a metaphor of freedom to riches and security to justice. The use of all these smaller metaphors feed into the larger one and these rhetorical devices are used to link intangible to tangible.Also this shows the realist side of the speaker, not only does he allude and reference biblical things but also he realizes the importance of equality to blacks economically. The fourth â€Å"paragraph† of the speech ends with an example of anaphora. A short hopeful phrase of â€Å"now is the time† is repeated four times back to back to back to back in the last four lines of the paragraph. These rhetorical devices have a powerful impact and add a decisive, hopeful feel. Martin Luther King Jr. in this conclusion also makes another metaphor with saying racial injustice is â€Å"quick sands† and brotherhood is a â€Å"solid rock. These metaphors also link the intangible with the tangible creating a contrast. Apples and bananas are differ ent but the difference of good and bad is harder to see. When attached to real life objects the visualization is made. The rest of the speech contains several more independent metaphors, all used to support Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s points. â€Å"The whirlwinds of revolt will shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges†; making a metaphor of revolt to a whirlwind and justice to a bright day.Yet again, metaphors are used to represent abstract ideas with concrete things to create a contrast. In another place it is seen that storm are like persecution and winds like police brutality. Tying in the earlier metaphor to imprisonment, this usage of a rhetorical device shows the vicious circle Negroes were living with. At some point it becomes repetitious all of the metaphors of justice to everything from money to the bible. But yet again injustice is metaphored to â€Å"sweltering†¦ eat† (alluding to Richard III act one, scene one, li ne one) and justice to an â€Å"oasis† yet another instance in which the metaphors are used to show contrast. Later on the entire country is metaphored to as in â€Å"jangling discords† and that with brotherhood it can be transformed into a â€Å"beautiful symphony. † This metaphor is a nice break for all of those to justice but still the same ideas ring through. This usage of a rhetorical device ties to the topic at hand to a larger more national scale. Some of the most famous parts of this speech are due to the usage of anaphora.In several instances, besides those already listed, Martin Luther King Jr. uses this rhetorical device to sink his point deep into the hearts and minds of those who have heard it. He uses the phrase â€Å"We can never be satisfied† six times in paragraph thirteen. This powerfully blunt statement repeated over and over again is riveting and unifying. Then in paragraph fourteen King uses â€Å"go back to† six times to creat e a larger size to his efforts. After building up the crowd this use of anaphora disperses hope of a better tomorrow to all. No matter where, to everyone. Then in the onsecutive paragraph comes to most famous line of a speech possibly ever: â€Å"I have a dream. †He transitions from we, as a part of the crowd, to I, separating himself as a leader; sharing his dream. While these words may be the most famous, the speech ends with another example of anaphora that are the most important words of the speech. They are â€Å"Let freedom ring. † After alluding to â€Å"My country 'tis of thee† and its chorus line â€Å"let freedom ring† he expands to say let freedom ring in Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, Georgia, Tennessee and â€Å"from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. This all encompassing freedom is Martin Luther King's dream and this beautiful anaphora heightens the grandeur of the allusion. The depth of Martin Luther King Jr. and his speech is s een in his many allusions. Thirteen ends with an allusion to Amos 5:24 with â€Å"But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream† which echoes in King's line â€Å"No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream†.Another biblical allusion is in I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. Which echoes Isaiah 40:4-5 â€Å"Every valley shall be exalted, and very mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Both â€Å"And when this happens, . . . we will b e able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual† and Galatians 3:28 â€Å"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. † All of these biblical references connect the â€Å"dream' of king to the biblical writings.There are two additional non-biblical examples seen in his referencing to â€Å"My country Tis of Thee† and â€Å"Free at last† works of American music. . Martin Luther King Jr. also makes multiple allusions to the Declaration of Independence (some emitted as previously cited before). Including the direct quote of â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. â€Å"Another very closely related allusion is seen where he says â€Å"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream†.In both instances, King is saying that his dream is no different than that of our founding fathers. What alluding the the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution does is show the legitimacy of his dream: it is directly seen in both documents. While it may not be exact anaphora the repetition of words such as freedom (used twenty times) and justice (eight) must be seen as notable. What they do as anaphora (a rhetorical device) is support the key themes of the whole speech- freedom and justice.If there is any impression to be taken from the speech it is the ideas of equality, justice and freedom for ALL. From the allusions to the metaphors and similes, the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech is littered with rhetorical devices but what exactly is rhetoric? Rhetoric is is the art of enchanting the soul (Plato) and the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion (Aristotle). It is th e use of rhetoric that sets this speech a part, makes it so famous and adds to its success in the spreading of one man's dream to change his world for the better.

Platos Influence in Western Culture Essay

Plato (429-347 B. C. E) is seen by many as one of the greatest philosophers of the classical period, if not of all time. Coming from a wealthy Athenian family it is the belief that he followed and further developed philosophy from his mentor Socrates. His first works are seen as the most trust-worthy accounts of Socrates life, and after his death Plato would continue to develop Socrates works with the help from Plato’s most famous student, Aristotle. During this time Plato would develop his most famous work The Republic. This would notably, along with many of his later works, blend his ideas of politics, ethics, psychology, and metaphysics into an interlinked philosophy. Plato’s dialogues present much of the idea’s founded and developed by the trio, especially in one of his most famous dialogues, The Apology of Socrates Trial. It is from these experiences that with the help of his teacher Socrates and his student Aristotle, Plato would develop the philosophical foundations of Western culture. When asked to define the philosophical style of Plato most people would be quick to label him as a political philosopher, this is due to his views on social implication and the idea of an ideal state or government. Plato was an elitist political thinker in the fact that he said that only those with reason, experience and wisdom should govern. The way he put it was: â€Å"Until philosophers rule as kings or those who are now called kings and leading men genuinely and adequately philosophize, that is, until political power and philosophy entirely coincide, while the many natures who at present pursue either one exclusively are forcibly prevented from doing so, cities will have no rest from evils,†¦ nor, I think, will the human race. † By saying this Plato re-enforces his thought that only those with great wisdom should become leaders and politicians. His belief was that cities will remain evil and tyrant until their current kings either began to think and philosophize, or philosophers were to take rule over the kingdom. Plato’s theory was that these new superior leaders would be seen as â€Å"those who love the sight of truth. † And from this they would then create a perfect city much like the one which he outlined in The Republic, which begins with the city being run by an aristocracy, whose virtue is wisdom, lacks honour and because of this gets replaced by a militant government, which had the virtue of honour but also has the vice of poverty. This too is then overthrown by an elitist group whose wealth corrects the poverty of former militant government but also brings the vice of greed. The elitists are once again replaced by an elected democracy whose vision of equality and fairness corrects the former greed but brings the mistake of to much freedom resulting in anarchy. Finally, the movement of democracy brings forth the order of a tyranny, which establishes peace through cruelty and oppression. It is from this cycle of inevitable and more disturbingly logical political change that Plato disliked the idea of democracy, stating that the average person is selfish, envious and stupid, which leads democracy to be highly corruptible and can cause it to open gates to potential dictators. Democracy was seen as a government dependant on chance which for success must be mixed with competent leadership. The belief was that to run a state a government politicians needed expert rulers and not an average unintelligent citizen who may be elected in by accident. A political decision needs good judgement and because of this leaders must be carefully selected and prepared by means of extensive training. Because of this theory Plato would influence Aristotle, the English constitution and the founding fathers of America to develop a mixed republic that combines democracy, aristocracy and kingship. After the death of Socrates Plato returned to Athens and from there founded a school knows as the Academy, which is where we get the English word â€Å"academic† from and still to this day call institutes of higher learning â€Å"academies†. It was around 387 B. C. E in which Plato bought land outside of Athens to set up his school of philosophy there, which many see as the Western world’s first university. The aim of this academy was to train future politicians of Greek states, and studies focused primarily on philosophy and mathematics. The academy would continue to educate for more than 900 years after its founding even surviving the Roman invasion on Greece in 146 BCE, eventually though the academy would close when the Christian Emperor Justinian closed it in 529 A. D. Later though in Florence sometime during the mid-15th century the â€Å"Accademia Platonica† would be formed by a group of scholars who met under the Platonic philosophy professor Marsilio Ficino, to discuss philosophy and the study of classical politics. Finally in 1926 a modern academy of Athens would be built and labelled as Greece’s national academy. Staying true to its original routes to this day the academy still focuses on the study of humanities and science. It is from this initial establishment of his original academy that the legacy was able to pass on through hundreds of years to the point where the tradition is still alive to this date. Had it not been for Plato’s founding of the academy, the education process would most likely be very different than from that of which it is as we know it today. In Plato’s last and longest work entitled the Laws, he begins by asking â€Å"Who is given credit for laying down the laws? † As opposed to his earlier work in the Republic, which focused on what the best possible state might be like and what experiences and adjustments must be made to achieve that status, the Laws rather focuses on the idea of creating a practicable, yet ideal form of government in a much more realistic way than the former. The characters in this work deal with designing rules to meet â€Å"real world† problems and human affairs. Unfortunately though, the dialogue went unfinished at 345 pages at the time of Plato’s death in 347 B. C. E. The incomplete work of the Laws was still able to outline many questions and themes including, divine revelation, divine law and lawgiving; the role of intelligence in lawgiving; the relations of philosophy, religion, and politics; the role of music, exercise and dance in education; natural law and natural right just to name a few. Once again it was because of Plato’s teaching of his theory’s and publication of his dialogue’s that this theory was also able to spread so quickly through Western culture and even play a role in the way we choose laws to this date. Overall it appears that without Plato’s influence and writings the Western world and it’s culture would have been drastically different from what is the current norm in society. Political structure, academic education and formation of laws would all be heavily affected to the point in which many key things that one would see vital in today’s society may not even exist such as the use of a constitution or an academic university, since it was Plato who established and helped spread the development of such institutions. With Socrates and Aristotle, Plato not only helped develop the foundation of Western culture, but he steered it down the right path as well.

Lama Surya Das and the American Dharma

Buddhism is gaining popularity and acceptance with the American public. This could be credited to the immigrants to the USA wherein some of them brought with them their culture and religion and influenced the Americans to follow them. According to Lama Surya Das, there are many factors that influenced the acceptance of Buddhism in the western countries and this acceptance lead to a unique American Buddhism. His article â€Å"Ten Emerging Trends of Western Dharma† details the characteristics of the American Buddhism that sets its identity and tells how and why Buddhism was accepted by the American community.According to Das, American Buddhism is unique since it is meditation-based such that understanding of life and personal growth is attained. It is made it more accessible to the masses and gender equality is promoted. Some of the ways of the traditional Buddhism are also omitted to make it simpler and other meditation practices are accepted to make it more appealing. Spiritua l development is also focused to promote good psychological and emotional welfare. Exploring beyond the doctrines of Buddhism is also promoted to allow independence and self development.Spiritual communities are also encouraged to strengthen the links with each other and to develop a sense of moral and social obligation. These premises can depict the American Buddhism as different from other forms of Buddhism. This difference could then be attributed to the fact that the Americans have a different cultural background and environment such that they accepted and did only those components of Buddhism that fits them. However, Das’ premises contain some vague ideas that are insufficient to say that there is a unique American Buddhism.Some forms of Buddhism are also meditation-based, some also observe gender equality, some are also focused on the spiritual development of a person and some are also promoting spiritual communities to inculcate a sense of moral and social obligation. Omission of a component and focusing on other components doesn’t always mean that it is already a new thing. It is still patterned from the original and the difference was just due to the attitude of the people accepting it.It’s like in the revival of a classic song into a different genre, the song could have a slightly different tune or tempo, but that doesn’t make the song a new song. It was just revived and remodeled to fit the preference of the listening public. Nevertheless, Das stressed that those are just trends he observed and the existence of a genuine American Buddhism has a long way to go. But still, if his trends would be more unambiguous, it is possible that a new form of Buddhism could really take form in America.It is important to note that the acceptance of Buddhism in America is slow. This could be attributed to the fact that America is largely a Christian country, with teachings different from that of Buddhism. However, if Das’ trends ar e accurate, such that American Buddhism is non-sectarian and is open to anyone, it is possible that the American public’s reaction could shift and accept it for the meditation and the other benefits. It is most likely to happen nowadays since American life is a very busy and stressful life.If the practices of the American Buddhism could fit in with the lifestyle of the Americans, more people could be influenced to follow its teachings and practices. It will then be a few steps closer to achieving a genuine American Buddhism. Nonetheless, if the openness of the American Buddhism to other traditions and Das’ argument about Buddhism being not a religion would be pointed out, it will appear that American Buddhism would not materialize as a different religion. This means that the American Dharma would just look like a program or routine that will fit in the lifestyle of the Americans.This is because the people who would practice the Dharma would not need to convert themselv es and retain their former religion. They would follow the Dharma just for the meditation and the enlightenment it brings. This would then make it very appealing to the American Public and make it recruit more followers since it would easily fit in their lives. To sum it all up, I can say that genuine American Buddhism still has a long away to reality. But still, the efforts those people who brought Buddhism to America will not be a waste, and they would be able to harvest the fruit of their labors.

Conflict Management Styles Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conflict Management Styles - Research Paper Example n this paper, we will discuss different ways to handle conflicts along with the approaches that managers and employees use in my organization for the same purpose. There many approaches which one can use to handle workplace conflicts. Some of the most effective approaches include forcing, accommodating, avoiding, compromising and collaborating. Let us discuss all of them in some detail in order to know the way organizations can use them for conflict management. Forcing is one of the five major methods of conflict management. However, people usually use this method as the last alternative when there is no other way to reach a resolution. Managers often use this method to show their power and authority. Although this method helps people in reaching a quick resolution, but it puts an adverse impact on the relationship that a person has with another person involved in the conflict. Accommodating is a technique using which one conflict party accommodates the concerns of the other party involved in the conflict. Although this technique is useful in resolving the conflicts, but there are also some disadvantages of using this technique. For example, a party involved in conflict can try to take illegitimate advantage of the accommodating approach of the other party. Avoiding is a technique using which a person tries to avoid the issue because of some reasons. In some situations, the issue is not so important that a conflicting party should resolve it whereas, in some situations, a party involved in the conflict does not see any chance of getting the demands met. In some situations, one conflicting party is unable to manage the conflict properly and prefers to stay back from the conflict. â€Å"In the avoiding mode, a business professional is low on assertiveness and low on cooperation† (Tanner, 2010). Compromising is a technique using which all parties involved in the conflict cooperate to reach a mutual agreement. This technique is useful where the intent is to reach

A rhetorical analysis about People Like Us(by David Brooks) Essay

A rhetorical analysis about People Like Us(by David Brooks) - Essay Example This is probably because David Brooks wishes to explain to people about their denial. Throughout this article, David Brooks suggests that people do not accept that they engage in discrimination on a frequent basis (Brooks 1). These people talk about the issue of diversity but they never practice it. For example, the same people who suggest to others that they should appreciate diversity live close to people who resemble them. They live next to people who work in the same places as they do or those who have the same education as they do. David Brooks has a fascinating context for his article because of several reasons. First, David Brooks approaches the issue of diversity from a modernized perspective. He introduces the notion of current neighborhoods in which there can never be diversity. David Brook also admits that he wishes that there would be neighborhoods where people with significant diversity would live together in unity (Brooks 1). David Brooks realizes that he cannot convince his desired audience in an easy manner. He ensures that there are several rhetoric strategies to persuade his desired audience. Brook engages in an intense critic of the existing ideas on diversity. The entire article is a critique of the views, which modern people have on the issues of diversity. For example, Brook blames the nature of all the people who live in the current society. He says that the nature, which these modern people have, encourages them to practice extreme levels of segregation. David Brooks persuades his entire audience that there needs to be less discriminatory cases. This is because Brooks understands the negativity of segregation from his experiences (Brooks 132). David Brooks continues to criticize the ideas on diversity in a strategic manner. In the article "People like Us", Brook mentions some of his personal experiences. The experiences that he mentions in the article clarify certain issues to his audience. For example, readers notice Brooks’

Case study analysis of a predetermined international fashion Essay

Case study analysis of a predetermined international fashion organisation (topshop) - Essay Example Considering another example of Polo, the title of the brand has been employed in wide variety of products including clothing and home furnishings such as bedding and towels, and variety of household products are made of linen, which offers the pleasure of comfort in wide range of products (Jean, 2004). The Brand Extension necessarily requires the provisions for the commonality of the features, which shall not be applicable in some of the cases, for instances the concept is irrelevant for brand offering clothing and food products. The product on which the concept of Brand Extension is applied shall of provisions for synchronization and adaptability. However the scheme of Brand Extension requires time and sufficient budget which is essential for the brand promotion, however it has the potential to minimize the financial risk only because the commonality of the brand is responsible for the enhancement of the perception of the consumer based upon core brand equity (Kai, 2005). The development of the branding strategy requires thorough research and concrete knowledge about the reaction and requirements of the targeted customers. The development process initially requires the classification of the customers, not all the brands are meant for all classes of the public; therefore class identification is major step towards the development of strategy. The development phase requires the formulation of the core values i.e. honesty, integrity, excellent communication, and client satisfaction. The formulation of the brand value is significant because it represents 'the creed for the business and become the cornerstone for developing the brand's proposition' (Jean, 2004). The identification of the core values is significant during this phase, following by comprehensive and objective research based upon the 'the brand's strengths and weaknesses, the target audience, and the level of competition'. The development process requires vigorous understanding of the 'brand's industry, its history, the current market picture, and potential growth and direction' (Kai, 2005), however such features are not requisite in the case of Brand Extension. The development of the brand strategy is practiced at the nascent stage of the brand launch, and such exercise shall be avoided mainly because of the time period it requires, however the brand extension shall be preferred solely because the credibility of the new product will rely upon the standing of the brand. For all already successful products of particular brand, the Brand Extension is guaranteed success, however for the Topshop which intend to offer launch new brand the development of brand strategy shall be good starter (Van, 2003). Current marketing strategy Body is to be regarded as the perfect and historic medium for the revelation of the sexual sprit, and body itself has been the right parameter for the evaluation for the evaluation of the human sexual behaviour and identity. Human body is the reflection of the sexual characteristics possessed by any of the body, and therefore the features attired with the human body including their mentality, approach, zeal, behaviour; in short it has been the sexual identity in terms of body which has been responsible for the proper and appropriate understanding of the human body. Such an observation does not have to be taken strictly, because as highlighted before the technological evolution has been responsi