Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Essays Papers

Heart of Darkness Setting: The author placed the novel’s setting on a stream boat on a river near London. "The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest" (1). Then the narrator tells his story in a flash back which he tells about Marlow’s experiences in the African jungle specifically on the Congo river. The majority of the story is told in flash back about the voyage in to the heart of darkness. Characters: The central character is obviously Marlow. He is a man of modesty and courage, which are not stereotypical traits of a sailor which he has become. The book focuses morally on his personal character and then describes to the norm of the rest of the world. The character that Marlow becomes obsessed with later is Kurtz. He is a mysterious dark man who made money trading ivory down the Congo river. "'In the interior you will no doubt meet Mr. Kurtz.' On my asking who Mr. Kurtz was, he said he was a first-class agent" (85) here Marlow is talking to a captain and first finds out about Kurtz. Later he finds out that he transports ivory. Among other insignificant characters on the boat deck of the Nellli were a lawyer and an accountant. Their role seemed as only to be and audience to Marlow and the other unnamed narrator. Point of View: The point of view is from Marlow, but the tale is told from a nameless observer. This is the reason why the novel is in third person, and Marlow’s is refereed to also in third person. Marlow sat cross-legged right aft, leaning against the mizzenmast. He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol. (69) Also the previous quote shows a honest virtue by being compared to as someone to look up to. Action: The story begins with Marlow and four other characters on a boat in the Thames river. The story line then goes into a flashback, and tells Marlow’s story of his adventures in the Congo. He has a connection to become a steam boat captain, but when he arrives at the first station he finds out that his boat is at the bottom of the river. Also Marlow has to rise the boat and repair it with inferior tools.

Do You Agree to Redevelop a City

Do you agree to redevelop Lee Tong Street ? I do not agree to redevelop Lee Tong Street because of the following reasons . From the economic point of view , redevelop Lee Tong Street cause serious economic losses to the shop owners and the residents . First , after the redevelopment , the property prices will be increased . It will threaten the survival of the existing small shop owners . They concern about whether they will receive enough compensation to cover their losses . Some may not be able to afford the high rent and will be forced to close down .Second , the residents worry if they will receive enough compensation to purchase a flat of a similar size and whether their living conditions will be improved . Also , the tenants concern about whether they could be relocated in the same area and afford the increased rent in the future . Those stakeholders need to face a serious economic losses in the redevelopment of Lee Tung Street . From the social point of view , redevelopment of Lee Tung Street will bring a radical change for the local residents . First , after the redevelopment , Lee Tung Street will have many high-rise buildings .Because of the densely-packed high-rise buildings , the density will be increased . And the air pollution also will become more serious . Second , Lee Tung Street was originally a public space where residents could hang around and interact with each other freely . Communities could then be established . However , after these streets are redeveloped into shopping malls which belong to developers and are privately owned , people will no longer be entitled to the right to interact freely in these private areas .This hinders the formation of communities . The redevelopment bring many inconvenient to the society and the residents . P. 1 From the cultural point of view , redevelop Lee Tung Street will destroy the local cultural , Chinese traditional crafts and the traditional architectural . First , residents along Lee Tung Street mad e use of the buildings to establish a local printing industry . They used the front part of the building as their shops , while the back was used as the printing workshops .A cluster of wedding card printing shops soon sprang up and turned Lee Tung Street into a well-known print merchandising hub which is part of the collective memory of Hong Kong people . The local cultural will gradually vanish along with the redevelopment . Different traditional shops and food stalls will be replaced with monotonous chain stores and shops , undermining cultural diversity . Next , although the old buildings on Lee Tung Street are not of special historical value , very few of those buildings in the architectural style of the 50s and 60s are left .Destroy a cultural is easy , but establish a cultural is not a easy job . Redevelopment Lee Tung Street will destroy Hong Kong local cultural . Some people might assert that after the redevelopment of Lee Tung Street , it can has a better use of land for o thers sustainable development . And the better facilities can solve the poor hygiene and the pollution problems . However , after the redevelopment , the buildings will changed from mainly six-storey Chinese-styled tenement buildings to high-rise buildings . The residents will more and more .Then , the density of Lee Tung Street will much increased . Also , the redevelopment project include building new shopping malls . That means Lee Tung Street will become a tourist spot like Causeway Bay . As we all know , Causeway Bay ‘s air pollution problem is the most serious in Hong Kong . Are we going to forgo our environmental problem? Redevelop Lee Tung Street not only affect the local residents , but also all the Hong Kong people . The losses for redevelopment project are more than the benefits . Therefore , it is a wrong decision to redevelop Lee Tung Street . ( End )

An Analysis of Counterfeit Culture in Fashion Essay

Among the social constructs that exist in most cultures and societies, fashion is probably one of the most ambiguous; it can be purposive yet frivolous, essential yet expressive, and functional yet influential.   What started as mere protection from the elements has become a global industry that defines generations and mindsets, producing lifestyles and preferences that are adhered to by large segments of world population.   This phenomenon is linked to the creation of brands and branding—symbols of a particular lifestyle choice that may reflect certain values and beliefs, which ultimately translate into an economy marked by persuasion and aspiration. Popular culture has appropriated fashion and its related concepts in a multitude of ways, and has contributed to the growth of a significant number of brands.   An excellent example of this is the practice of celebrity endorsement, wherein brands are assigned to famous individuals—those who have gained success and equivalent reputations in their chosen areas of expertise—and fashion is probably the most visible.   The lure and appeal of these celebrities instantly affect consumer behavior, and assure economic success for the fashion brand owner. Likewise, a celebrity increases his or her status by being associated with brands that have a positive, aspirational image—which is then communicated to the consumer.   This is perhaps the single most important reason why certain brands are coveted; and such desire is measured in its practical effects:   increased sales, brand growth, and higher tag prices.   However, these results also correlate with negative practices, and one of the most controversial is the production of counterfeit goods. The journey of the garment, which is the basic unit of fashion, traces a long road from its beginnings in the mind and hands of its creator—the designer—who must have included the necessary components for protection and expression, combined with style.   Now, a single garment already connotes bigger concepts of identity and socio-political notions; but the dangers of counterfeiting threatens to redefine the social and political aspects associated with an original creation, as well as the stripping of its unique identity. If the goal of counterfeiting is to help individuals with their status and self-esteem issues, then the act could be evaluated on the level of psychological support and alternative means of coping; but since counterfeiting fashion goods is not ever likely to have this altruistic objective at its core, there can be no other way to define it but downright stealing and infringement. Counterfeiting, as evident in its proliferation worldwide, is a profitable business; people involved in it—the producers and consumers—are liable for their actions.   While consumers could be incorrectly seen as passive participants in the transaction, producers have no other reason to be in it but to claim rights and profits meant for the original source. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Practice of Counterfeiting Fashion Counterfeit goods are defined by Rutter and Bryce (1146) as â€Å"those which illegally imitate, copy or duplicate a good or use a trademark without authorization†, and thus are subject to certain parameters and criteria that will reveal its true source.   The practice of counterfeiting is a trade no longer new, but its occurrence in fashion and its high-profile industry has produced effects that delve not just on appropriating someone else’s ideas—it is now an industry in itself, founded on the copied factors of design and appeal, and, most importantly, on the deliberate attempt to claim the benefits originally meant for the source. Key in this discussion is the level of desire associated with a particular fashion item, which necessarily stems from the popularity and reputation achieved by a brand.   In order to sustain this kind of exclusive image, most fashion brands use leverage on price and availability—the more expensive and limited, the better chances they have for assuming desire, apart from the given quality and originality of design. Therefore, if a fashion item is deemed unreachable or exists in limited quantities, it almost always translates to promoting want and desire in consumers.   Take for instance the Hermes Birkin, an ordinary-looking ladies’ handbag that uses the strategy of exclusivity; with its hefty tag price and buying procedure of having prospective buyers on a list that may be addressed after months—even years—the item has realized its status as a must-have for the status seeker. Counterfeiting enters the picture at this point, taking advantage of the limited production and availability.   Fake Birkins are now introduced, which greatly diminishes the value placed on the original, whether or not marks of identification are put in place.   International fashion brands have become victims of the counterfeiting trade, based on the documented $15.8 billion in terms of losses in total sales of all counterfeited products (Rutter and Bryce 1148).   The original standpoints on the social and political meanings of fashion within the areas of identity and culture have now been taken over by the issues of equality and class. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   China and the Economy of Counterfeiting The process of counterfeiting in its affinity with controversy would not have reached great heights if not for the participation of the producer and the consumer.   News and information in recent years have pointed to specific locales where counterfeiting originates on a large scale, and China—the biggest among several countries involved in the practice—is perhaps the most significant player in the industry. With its huge land area and population, the ascent of China toward economic superiority is apparent, and is acknowledged as the potential determinant of world fashion and its future (Mead 419).   However, its issues regarding its history and politics have pushed the Chinese toward a work ethic of hardship and the idea of quantity (Mead 424), believing that this attitude equates to a richer, better life.   Its sheer size and the persevering quality of its people have made China a major target of international companies, in the same way acknowledging that China has the capability of producing any random commodity required by the market (Pang 120). These two factors, size and capacity, are the same factors that have allowed the Chinese to take on jobs that pay less than required by their Western counterparts, thus making them the perfect players in the goal of mass-producing consumer goods.   Apparel brands such as Nike and Adidas (Pang 129), to name a few, have been manufactured in China for some time; the presence of these coveted brands in the same work environment can eventually give rise to their counterfeit versions. China should not be mistaken as a country that disrespects ownership and originality of ideas; in fact, its history should always be appropriated, and the connections between the past and present should be made.   Work and production were the landmarks of Maoist China, and its recent adoption of capitalism has resulted in a fanaticism for Western brands. Putting these two together would allow one to understand the motivations behind the culture of counterfeiting in China—as it is but a product of opposing cultural and social values informed by history.   However, countries like China and other bastions of counterfeiting will not be able to justify their business any longer; stricter rules on counterfeit goods have been put in place in major locales around the world, and arguments of tradition and historical events will soon become passe and inconsqeuential. IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Fashion Consumer in the Counterfeit World The consumer of counterfeit goods in general is often referred to as the ‘other’ (Rutter and Bryce 1149), and rightly so—for the consumption of products already known to be fake and copied reveals a statement that corresponds to the consumer’s social, political, and economic status, as well as ideology.   These are people who have been excluded from the privilege of affording merchandise that may be too costly or unavailable, yet possess a desire to achieve the same effects gleaned from ownership.

How to Conjugate Porter (to Wear, Carry) in French

How to Conjugate Porter (to Wear, Carry) in French In French, the verb  porter  means to wear or to carry. When you want to use it in the present, past, or future tense to say things such as I wore or he is carrying, youll need to conjugate the verb. The good news is that  porter  is a regular -er  verb, so its relatively easy and this lesson will show you how its done. The Basic Conjugations of  Porter The first step in any verb conjugation is identifying the verb stem. For porter, that is port-. Using that, youll add a variety of infinitive endings to form the proper conjugation. If youve studied similar -er words, such as acheter (to buy) and penser (to think), you can apply the same endings here. For this lesson, well concentrate on the most basic conjugations youll need. Using the chart, simply find the appropriate subject pronoun and tense for your sentence. For example, I am wearing is  je porte  while we will carry is  nous porterons. Practicing these in short sentences will help you commit them to memory. Present Future Imperfect je porte porterai portais tu portes porteras portais il porte portera portait nous portons porterons portions vous portez porterez portiez ils portent porteront portaient The Present Participle of Porter The  present participle  of  porter  is formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem. This creates the word  portant. Porter in the Past Tense The  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is another common way to use  porter  in the past tense. It requires a simple compound of the  auxiliary verb  avoir  as well as the  past participle  portà ©. The only conjugation needed is  avoir  into the present tense; the participle indicates the action took place in the past. The passà © composà © comes together quickly. For example, I carried is  jai portà ©Ã‚  and we carried is  nous avons portà ©. More Simple Conjugations of Porter Among the other simple conjugations, you might need are the subjunctive and the conditional. These two verb moods imply uncertainty, with the conditional saying that the action is dependent on something else. The  passà © simple  and  imperfect subjunctive  are not used often, but theyre good to know in case you encounter them. Subjunctive Conditional Passà © Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je porte porterais portai portasse tu portes porterais portas portasses il porte porterait porta portà ¢t nous portions porterions portà ¢mes portassions vous portiez porteriez portà ¢tes portassiez ils portent porteraient portà ¨rent portassent When you wish to say short commands and requests such as, Carry it! you can use the imperative. when doing so, the subject pronoun is not required, so you can simplify it to  porte. Imperative (tu) porte (nous) portons (vous) portez

Where to Place the Possessive Apostrophe in a Surname

Where to Place the Possessive Apostrophe in a Surname Where to Place the Possessive Apostrophe in a Surname Where to Place the Possessive Apostrophe in a Surname By Mark Nichol You see them all the time during rural drives and suburban errands alike, those olde-fashioned wooden shingles mounted on mailboxes or dangling from porches or fastened to walls: â€Å"The Smith’s† and the like- stark reminders that possessives still throw many people for a loop. Rules about possessives can be complicated, but this error is straightforward enough: Take away the apostrophe and the final s, and what do you have? â€Å"The Smith.† That’s obviously not right (unless the resident ostentatiously refers to himself as â€Å"The Smith† or employs hammer, tongs, and anvil to practice her livelihood). Who lives at this house? The Munsters. Whose residence is it, then? â€Å"The Munsters’† - or perhaps â€Å"The Munsters’ house.† (The additional s is pervasive in books and many other media, while its absence is typical in journalism in the old days of mechanical typesetting, that meant one less piece of type to position and other more casual or ephemeral kinds of publications. In the organic medium of wood, the simpler style can easily be forgiven.) And what if the surname already ends with an s? The rule is to append es to the name, so, the plural of Addams is Addamses. The sign should therefore read â€Å"The Addamses,† or â€Å"The Addamses’ house.† This construction is admittedly cumbersome, and there is a way to avoid it without giving a passing copy editor a case of the shingles: Label your abode â€Å"The Addams house† or inform visitors and passersby that â€Å"The Addams family lives here.† This wording is not as folksy, but it still manages a homey touch without adding sibilant syllables or pesky apostrophes. Admittedly, this ubiquitous error is as much the fault of the sign maker as it is that of the person who commissions the sign, but because it’s difficult to make amends by amending an error engraved in wood, you might want to remember, when you approach the artist’s workbench, the rule for the proper position for the possessive apostrophe. (And email the scribe a link to this post.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withBody Parts as Tools of MeasurementA Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

St George Cabinet by Philip Webb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

St George Cabinet by Philip Webb - Essay Example Background of Webb and Morris The St George Cabinet was made with two individuals who worked together, one which focused on the architecture of the cabinet, named Philip Webb, and the other which included the paintings, known as William Morris. The scenes that are incorporated are from the life of the saint and are taken directly from Medieval style architecture and art. The concept which is associated in this piece is one which consists of the Victorian values of the time, specifically which both the artists had1. The idea of the values was based on the sense of morality toward Christianity and reverence toward the older styles of art work. Morris directly influenced this because of his strong association with the Church and the restoration of older Churches that he was continuously involved in. Webb followed this particular concept with the commercial architecture that he believed was taking away from the reverence of religion and morality of the time2. The concept of religion and morality which both represented not only was based on the restoration of religion in which both believed in. ... This was based on the pagan style initiatives which were initially a part of the Church and which were approached by bringing back the original expressions of religion. The approach to several of the works, specifically by Morris, was descriptive of these scenes, the actions of the saints, and the original stories which could be exhibited in terms of religion and ritual3. Techniques and Materials of St George Cabinet The materials that are used for the Saint George Cabinet consist of painted and gilded mahagony, pine and oak and copper mounts. The overview of this can be seen in figure 1. Fig 1: Saint George Cabinet The main concept with the materials was to use the natural elements that would best represent the cabinet, combined with using durable woods to the completion of the cabinet4. The materials which were used were specifically based on finding the natural woods that would hold in durability and strength, combined with finding the materials from easy to locate resources for t he finished product. This combined approach then allowed for the cabinet materials to work in the finished handicraft material5. The techniques that were used in the making of the cabinet and the design are also defined as rare for the time because of the approach which was taken with the shape and building of the cabinet. The architecture of the cabinet, while having a box like structure, also has the Medieval elements from the sides, specifically with the pointed sides to the cabinet. The horizontal look that is held on the stand is also different to the architecture and creates an appearance that was not as popular for the time. Instead, most were interested in the length – wise

Analyzing Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Othello - Essay Example Lago was careful enough to burn the match on both ends. He had taken both Othello and Cassio into complete confidence. He knew Othello was aware of his real battle skills and earned Cassio’s sincerity by offering him handkerchief. Lago very carefully made Othello feel that Cassio had conducted adultery with Desdemona. In such circumstances, whatever Desdemona had to say in her defense would not matter. Lago’s strategy was too wisely constructed and carefully practiced for Othello to escape. Therefore, it is irrational to call Othello unjust in his display of haste and violence towards Desdemona. On the other hand, Othello also did not trust whatever Lago told him unless he had a solid proof for that. Othello had been very angry with Lago for having uttered humiliating and disdainful remarks about his wife when Lago accused Desdemona to have made love with Cassio. Othello’s rage can be estimated from the fact that he had warned Lago that he would kill him if he di d not provide Othello with a solid proof about Desdemona and Cassio’s relationship. When Lago remained successful in providing Othello with a solid proof of his assertion, Othello can not be blamed for not having suspected Lago instead of Cassio. Works cited: Shakespear, William. Othello, the moor of Venice: A tragedy. London: J. Tonson. 1743, Print.