Gothic Architecture :: essays research papers

Gothic and Romanesque Style Arch. Represented primarily through cathedrals, Romanesque and Gothic styles of architecture were some of the few symbols of civilization in the poverty stricken and often depressing Middle Ages. These cathedrals represented faith, dedication, and cooperation; a sane place in a world of anarchy. Gothic and Romanesque styles of architecture were related in various ways, yet they also contrasted in style in some ways. Romanesque and Gothic architecture, although having many similarities, also have many differences. This may be due to the fact that lifestyles changed in the time between these two eras of architecture. Romanesque architecture was designed to be more for protective purposes than for any aesthetic quality. The walls of Romanesque cathedrals were built very thickly, so as not to be destroyed by invaders. Gothic, on the other hand, had thinner walls and worked towards a more artistic approach. Gothic cathedrals have many more buttresses than Romanesque cathedrals. Gothic cathedrals were also designed with statues and sculptures on them such as the gargoyle, which also served as a rain spout. Romanesque cathedrals had few windows, as the walls of the cathedrals were very thick and made the placement of windows extremely difficult. This lack of light seemed also to project the general mentality and lifestyles of the people of the Middle Ages. To brighten the cathedrals, they often added many wall paintings and mosaics. Contrary to Romanesque architecture, Gothic had many stained glass windows, which spread colored lighting, giving a feeling of peace. They also depicted biblical figures in the windows. Gothic style used many flying buttresses and pointed arches, while Romanesque used rounded arches for added support to the heavy construction of the walls and ceilings. In conclusion, Romanesque and Gothic styles of architecure helped to show

Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur and Monty Python and the Holy Grail Es

Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur and Monty Python and the Holy Grail Professor’s comment: This student uses a feminist approach to shift our value judgment of two works in a surprisingly thought-provoking way. After showing how female seduction in Malory’s story of King Arthur is crucial to the story as a whole, the student follows with an equally serious analysis of Monty Python’s parody of the female seduction motif in what may be the most memorable and hilarious episode of the film. Much of the humor in Monty Python and the Holy Grail derives from the pure absurdity of its characters and situations. King Arthur roams the British countryside on an imaginary horse, evil enemies can only be appeased with offerings of shrubbery, and the knights of the Round Table battle a bloodthirsty killer bunny, to cite just a few examples. The movie contains a great deal of such explicit comedy, but much of its humor works on a more subtle level, plot and dialogue shrewdly satirizing the unjustness of such Arthurian conventions as autocracy, severe social class distinctions, and vainglorious codes of chivalry. The movie also pokes fun at the rather demeaning view of women in traditional Arthurian legend. In Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur women primarily serve as figures of sexual temptation who bring great danger and suffering to the men that interact with them. Monty Python and the Holy Grail,on the other hand, satirizes the idea of the destructive temptress and presen ts women characters in a manner that undercuts this negative Arthurian stereotype. In Malory’s famous account of the King Arthur legend, the most notable example of woman as destructive sexual temptation is, of course, Queen Guinevere. Sir Lancelot’s affair wi... ..., then, Monty Python and the Holy Grail challenges many of the Arthurian conventions that modern audiences consider outmoded and unjust. With their clever exploitation of the role of Arthurian women, Monty Python rebukes the idea of women as manipulative seductresses and effectively exposes the shallowness of this Arthurian stereotype. And on top of all this cultural enlightenment, they still manage to give their audience a good laugh along the way. Works Cited American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd College Edition, 1982. Malory, Thomas. King Arthur and His Knights: Selected Tales by Sir Thomas Malory, ed. Eugene Vinaver (London: Oxford UP, 1975) 124-25. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Dir. Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. Perf. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1975.

Clothing in the Awakening

Clothes appear to have significant meaning in The Awakening, enough so that they are mentioned at almost every description of the characters. Edna Pontellier starts the novel fully dressed and appropriately dressed for a woman of her responsibilities, however, at her final moment, she is naked on the beach. Other women in the story also represent their ‘position’ and the way they feel in the way they dress. For example, Madmoiselle Reisz never changes her clothes.This could possibly symbolize her physical detachment from anything around her, including nature and any suppressed feelings. In contrast, Edna’s clothes represent her physical attachment to society. She sheds her clothes the way a snake sheds its skin when it is time for a new one and it does not fit into the old one any longer. Edna doesn’t feel like she can fit into society any longer. Madmoiselle Reisz, on the other hand, does not seem to have any desire to be more than what she has been given in the society in which she lives.Therefore, she does not change her clothes, because she does not feel the need for change in her life. Other characters, such as Madame Leburn always have new clothes to cover their bodies. This could, perhaps, represent the constant need to cover their sexuality as women in suppressed roles as wives and mothers. Ednas’ nakedness at the end of the novel symbolizes her freedom from any claims her children may have on her and shows how her lack of clothes is equal to her lack of ‘responsibility’, of her family and the 1890s’ society.Through the motif of clothes, Kate Chopin suggests that although society can be restricting, in order to have discipline, rules can be necessary. Can be destructive, lack of rules can lead to destruction of self. The symbol of clothing in the story shows the development of her freedom from the harsh rules of the Creole society. In the beginning of the novel, Edna is accustomed to wearing the same clothes as the Creoles. Throughout the story, she is found loosening her collar and trying to remove articles of clothing.After her awakening, Edna becomes restless and starts to neglect the rules placed upon her. As Edna progresses throughout the novel, she discards more and more layers of the confining clothing that surrounds her body and soul. By taking off her clothing, one piece at a time, she is disobeying the rules placed upon her, and in doing so, she exerts her independence. The clothing symbolizes the constraints on the social behavior of women in this era. It restricts Edna and doesn’t allow her body to move. At the beginning of the novel, Edna is fully dressed and in proper clothing.However, when Edna and Adele walk together on the beach, Edna wears less clothing In one example of rebellion, Edna begins to care less about her duties as a woman in a Victorian society and chooses to not wear what society expects of her. â€Å"Mrs. Ponteiller did not wear her usual Tuesday reception gown; she was in ordinary house gowns. † (59) The house gown are less elaborate and involve wearing less clothing than reception gowns, and to Edna, is more comfortable. Although those around her do not approve, she chooses to do what she feels and does this witho5ut hesitation or guilt.

Gay Marriage? Essay

When you think of America, the first thing that should come to your mind is a nation of peace and equality. But in reality it’s not, is it? We live in a nation of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Homosexuals get the worst of all the unfair treatment. Gays have been fighting for rights since the 1960’s, maybe even before then, and yet today in 2012, those pleas for rights are heard, but ignored & lashed at. We should allow same-sex marriage because banning it is unfair, love is all that matters in marriage, & gay families have certain family values that some straight marriages lack. Banning an issue doesn’t make it go away. The fact of the matter is, it’ll always be there: gay people will always exist & so will their need for equal rights. As stated in ’14th amendment’ in the Constitution, â€Å"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges†¦ nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. † In short, everyone deserves the same, equal rights: that includes gay people. In that case, banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Making this issue illegal is also a form of discrimination. Homophobes ridicule & abuse gay citizens, gays are just being themselves! We are all created equal, so why can’t we all just try to get along? What’s the reason people get married for? Love is. Who’s to judge someone based ;amp; whom they love? No one has the rights to do so. Gays have feelings too, ;amp; them getting married isn’t hurting anyone. In most, basically all, marriages, vows are said to one another. They have many strong family benefits that some straight marriages lack, such as being more open-minded & accepting. As said in a study of gay/lesbian families/parenting, â€Å"Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents, (J. Patterson, Pg. 9). † Gay couples have been proven to have stronger emotional bonds than straight couples. Strong family benefits & strong emotional bonds are necessary to long-lasting relationships & marriages. The thing is, it isn’t who you’re raised by, it’s how you’re raised. Banning the issue is unfair, love is all that matters in marriage, & some gay families have certain family values that some straight marriages lack. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, & transsexual people deserve to have the same rights as & be happy like everyone else. Gays should be allowed to marry.

Pride and Prejudice

These people are general dreadful to talk to and are not enjoyed by many. While these horrid people symbolize all that is bad and prideful within the book, Jane Bennet symbolizes all that is good and lovely. Her caring, accepting, humble attitude towards everything, along with her immaculate beauty, makes her a very desirable woman to be around.While er incredibly positive outlook on life gives many positive qualities, it also hinders her in multiple ways as well. Jane's forgiving nature benefits her throughout the book by allowing her to come to peace with scarred relationships that might have been lost, had she decided to be cold and unforgiving. On the other hand, it also opens her up to being taken advantage of by people. This was the case after her fallout with Caroline Bingley, the sister of her husband. When Jane first becomes acquainted with Mr.Bingley, his friend, Mr. Darcy, also becomes interested in Elizabeth Bennet, Jane's younger sister. Because Caroline had interest in Mr. Darcy, this made her very upset and caused her to ultimately convince her brother to move back home, away from the Bennet sisters. This crushes Jane, because the move is so sudden, and she ultimately blames herself. Although Caroline succeeds in her efforts of separating the lovers, it is short lived. Mr. Bingley ends up returning to propose, adding Jane to the Bingley family permanently.Jane's forgiving nature finally comes in handy when she decides that it s time to forgive Caroline. In doing this, she is mending a broken bond throughout the Bingley family, and brightening the future for her and her husband. The negative effects of this, however, are that she did not stand up for herself when it was due, and could lead to being taken advantage of again by Miss Bingley in future situations. While many characters throughout Pride and Prejudice are conceited and selfish, Jane is humble and giving, despite being the most beautiful and kind Bennet sister.Elizabeth says, † Com pliments always take you by surprise, and me never. (16) Elizabeth says this to Jane after Bingleys party because Jane cannot believe that Bingley could possibly be taking a liking to her. It is this exact trait that attracts Bingley to her, because many other beautiful women are the exact opposite of humble. He adores her beautiful soul, which matches her beautiful face. Had she not been so humble, Mr. Bingley would not have found her any different than the countless pretty faces that he had seen throughout his life.A large concern of many of Jane's close friends and relatives are the thought the he could be taken advantage of because she sees the world unrealistically, believing that everyone is as good and pure on the inside as she is. It is said by her father, mfour tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so discovering her engagement to Mr. Bingley. His main concern is that neither she nor her husband will be able recognize when they are being taken for granted, due to the fact that Jane and Mr.Bingley share a very similar personality. They are both too unrealistic in their expectations of the amount of good in people. Elizabeth Bennet, Jane's younger sister, often praises Jane for her good-natured spirit. She often questions how pure ofa person could have ever been created. She states about Jane, â€Å"What a stroke this was for poor Jane! Who would have willingly gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind†¦ † (217) While she often praises her sister's innocent outlook on life, she is also concerned for her well being.She is afraid that she will not Judge people for what they truly are, and will end up being brought down by them because of it. She loves her sister dearly and longs to protect her from all those who try to bring her down. Because of this, she often tries to e xplain to Jane that you cannot always defend the actions of others. Elizabeth says, â€Å"This will not do, you never will be able to make both of them good for anything. Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. † (217) She says this after Jane has been told the truth of the tension between Mr.Darcy and Whickham. Jane attempts to believe that both men are defendable in their actions and neither was wrong, but Elizabeth explains to her that one of them has to have been wrong. This is hard for Jane to understand, because she tries to go through life trying to believe that everyone has only done a wrong thing for some right reason. In order to succeed in life, though, she must eventually accept that she needs to defend her own goodness. Not everyone is as pure as she is on the inside. Jane Bennet is an extraordinary kind of person.It is not often, even in reality, that someone can have such self-control and faith in others as to go through life believing that e veryone is filled with kindness and good will for others. While this is a rare and incredible trait, it is also negative, for it can make a person naive and allow them to be taken advantage of. Jane's life is filled with more positive effects than negative effects, but she will eventually need to learn to be a little selfish. If she continues to live her life in such a way, the negative effects will begin to out weigh the positive ones. Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice is a story about how other cultural institutions (like marriage) can transcend economics. It’s a novel that illustrates the power of love and how it can rise above class distinctions and social norms. â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (9). This first sentence of Pride and Prejudice introduces the idea that economics and social status affects cultural institutions such as marriage. The boundaries of love is restricted by the social and economic differences amongst the characters in the novel. The situation between Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet is a prime example of the power of love in the novel. The two have contrasting background in which one is an aristocrat while the other is but a mere bourgeoisie. Such difference in monetary wealth and social class is highlighted throughout the novel. Miss Bingley is a character that supports the separation of classes. Her sarcastic letter towards Jane explaining Bingley’s, Darcy’s and her departure from Hertfordshire is a revelation of how love is hindered by socioeconomic boundaries. In her letter, Miss Bingley states â€Å"he [Mr. Bingley] will be in no hurry to leave [London]† (109). She is insinuating to Jane that Bingley is by no means attracted to anything in Hertfordshire. Miss Bingley’s letter also contains disparaging remarks about Jane’s inferiority. She states that â€Å"Many of my acquaintances are already there [London] for the winter; I wish that I could hear that you†¦had any intentions of making one in the crowd, but of that I despair (109). † These words says that Miss Bingley does not believe that Jane can afford to travel to London; she is putting off the idea before Jane can even think of going to London. However, even with the efforts of Miss Bingley in trying to prevent the marriage of Jane and Mr. Bingley, love in the end conquers all and the two are united. The two main characters in Pride and Prejudice plays a vital role to the â€Å"love transcending economics and social norms† motif. On one side stands the highly prideful, aristocrat Mr. Darcy, and on the other is the rebellious bourgeoisie Elizabeth Bennet. Two very contrasting figures who happen to fall for one another. However, their love is also hindered by money and class distinctions. Darcy first proposal to Elizabeth reveals his love goes beyond any socioeconomic boundaries he is tied down to. â€Å"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed (170). † This statement highlights the strength of Darcy’s feelings towards Elizabeth. The word â€Å"repressed† alludes to the difference in social class between him and Elizabeth. Society in Pride and Prejudice would consider the rich marrying the rich a social norm and anything less is a disgrace to aristocracy. Evident of this is Lady Catherine’s confrontation of Elizabeth. â€Å"Because honor, decorum, prudence, nay interest forbid it†¦Your alliance will be a disgrace†¦(298)† Lady Catherine’s words of inclinations show how important boundaries are for the aristocrats in the novel. However, her words have an opposite effect and instead of building a gap between Elizabeth and Darcy, Lady Catherine pushes Elizabeth closer to Darcy. The union between Elizabeth and Darcy shows the surpassing of class distinctions. Pride and Prejudice is truly a literary wonder in which readers are shown that money and fame is not everything; that true love can rise above social norms and economic differences. Even today, with interracial couples and same sex marriages, love is a force to be reckoned with. Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice is a story about how other cultural institutions (like marriage) can transcend economics. It’s a novel that illustrates the power of love and how it can rise above class distinctions and social norms. â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (9). This first sentence of Pride and Prejudice introduces the idea that economics and social status affects cultural institutions such as marriage. The boundaries of love is restricted by the social and economic differences amongst the characters in the novel. The situation between Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet is a prime example of the power of love in the novel. The two have contrasting background in which one is an aristocrat while the other is but a mere bourgeoisie. Such difference in monetary wealth and social class is highlighted throughout the novel. Miss Bingley is a character that supports the separation of classes. Her sarcastic letter towards Jane explaining Bingley’s, Darcy’s and her departure from Hertfordshire is a revelation of how love is hindered by socioeconomic boundaries. In her letter, Miss Bingley states â€Å"he [Mr. Bingley] will be in no hurry to leave [London]† (109). She is insinuating to Jane that Bingley is by no means attracted to anything in Hertfordshire. Miss Bingley’s letter also contains disparaging remarks about Jane’s inferiority. She states that â€Å"Many of my acquaintances are already there [London] for the winter; I wish that I could hear that you†¦had any intentions of making one in the crowd, but of that I despair (109). † These words says that Miss Bingley does not believe that Jane can afford to travel to London; she is putting off the idea before Jane can even think of going to London. However, even with the efforts of Miss Bingley in trying to prevent the marriage of Jane and Mr. Bingley, love in the end conquers all and the two are united. The two main characters in Pride and Prejudice plays a vital role to the â€Å"love transcending economics and social norms† motif. On one side stands the highly prideful, aristocrat Mr. Darcy, and on the other is the rebellious bourgeoisie Elizabeth Bennet. Two very contrasting figures who happen to fall for one another. However, their love is also hindered by money and class distinctions. Darcy first proposal to Elizabeth reveals his love goes beyond any socioeconomic boundaries he is tied down to. â€Å"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed (170). † This statement highlights the strength of Darcy’s feelings towards Elizabeth. The word â€Å"repressed† alludes to the difference in social class between him and Elizabeth. Society in Pride and Prejudice would consider the rich marrying the rich a social norm and anything less is a disgrace to aristocracy. Evident of this is Lady Catherine’s confrontation of Elizabeth. â€Å"Because honor, decorum, prudence, nay interest forbid it†¦Your alliance will be a disgrace†¦(298)† Lady Catherine’s words of inclinations show how important boundaries are for the aristocrats in the novel. However, her words have an opposite effect and instead of building a gap between Elizabeth and Darcy, Lady Catherine pushes Elizabeth closer to Darcy. The union between Elizabeth and Darcy shows the surpassing of class distinctions. Pride and Prejudice is truly a literary wonder in which readers are shown that money and fame is not everything; that true love can rise above social norms and economic differences. Even today, with interracial couples and same sex marriages, love is a force to be reckoned with.

Porter 5 Forces Analysis Essay

Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis of the Retail Banking Industry in Australia Retail banking can be defined as an industry where financial institutions offer mass market banking in which individual customers use local branches of larger commercial banks. Services offered include savings and checking accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit/credit cards. Retail banking aims to be the one-stop shop for as many financial services as possible on behalf of retail clients. Some retail banks have even made a push into investment services such as wealth management, brokerage accounts, private banking and retirement planning. While some of these ancillary services are outsourced to third parties, they often intertwine with core retail banking accounts like checking and savings to allow for easier transfers and maintenance. When applying the Porter Five Forces in analysing industry competitiveness and how it relates to the retail banking industry, the following outcomes have been found. Threat of new entrants Current Rating – (Low) – Future Rating – (Med) It would be very difficult without the access to large capital for the average person/company/organisation to start up a bank. However with the popularity of Credit Unions, Building societies and the evolution of the internet, there are many traditional banking services such as providing mortgages, car loans, paying bills, on which online entrepreneurs can enter this market segment (www.billbuddy.com.au OR Aus POST). Banks would be fearful of losing part of their traditional revenue raising, because it is a good source of fee-based revenue. Another threat to traditional banking is companies offering other financial services. What would it take for an insurance company to start offering mortgage and loan services? Not much. Also, when applying the threat of entry formula to a regional bank, there is a huge possibility that one of the big 4 entering the market will annihilate it. Competitive Rivalry Current rating – (Low) – Future Rating – (Low) When analysing the competitive rivalry of the big 4 banks, (ANZ, Westpac, Commonwealth and NAB), we quickly realise that the Aus retail banking industry is dominated by these banks and it is not very competitive. The products they offer are very similar, interest rates are very close and all of them have ATM’s everywhere. The financial services industry has been around for hundreds of years and just about everyone who needs banking services already has them. Because of this, banks must attempt to lure clients away from competitor banks. They do this by offering lower financing, preferred rates, investment services and access to cash almost 24/7. The banking sector is in a race to see who can offer both the best and fastest services. In the long run, we’re likely to see more consolidation in the banking industry. Larger banks would prefer to take over or buy a large stake in other financial service providers (Commonwealth & Aussie), (Commonwealth & Bank West) and (Westpac & BOM). The Main threat to the big 4 would be small & foreign banks trying to gain market share. However, the big 4 have 83% of the mortgage market share compared to 11.5% of the small banks and 5.3% of the foreign owned banks*. So there is a lot of ground to make up. *Source – Aus Banking Industry Report, Page 14 (May 2011). Threat of Substitutes Current rating – (Med) – Future Rating – (High) There are some substitutes in the banking industry. Banks offer a suite of services over and above taking deposits and lending money, but whether it is insurance, mutual funds or fixed income securities, chances are there is a non-retail banking financial services company that can offer similar services. On the lending side of the business, banks are seeing competition rise from unconventional companies. An example of this would be car manufacturers financing customers by offering 0% financing, why would anyone want to get a car loan from the bank and pay up to 10% interest? Suppliers – Relative Bargaining Power Current rating – (Low) – Future Rating – (Low) The suppliers of capital might not pose a big threat especially when the banks viability was/is guaranteed by the federal government during the height of the GFC. On the labour side, the threat of union interruptions is very low to non-existent. The banks have been quite clever in moving a lot of the front line staff offshore though call centres to ensure that the labour supply is cheap and sustained. This is further supported by the huge uptake of online banking by customers. Buyer – Relative Bargaining Power Current rating – (Low) – Future Rating – (Low) The individual doesn’t pose much of a threat to the banking industry, but one major factor affecting the power of buyers is relatively high switching costs. If a person has a mortgage, car loan, credit card, checking account and mutual funds with one particular bank, it can be extremely tough for that person to switch to another bank. In an attempt to lure in customers, banks try to lower the price of switching, but many people would still rather stick with their current bank. On the other hand, large corporate clients have banks wrapped around their little fingers. Financial institutions by offering better exchange rates, more services, and exposure to foreign capital markets – work extremely hard to get high margin corporate clients. Industry Attractiveness One can conclude based on the outcomes of this analysis, that the retail banking industry would be a very difficult and an unattractive market to be considered by a potential competitor. More particularly for the following reasons; * The large market share of the big 4 banks (who pretty much have the market sawn up), * New loan application numbers have retracted significantly and have not rebounded since the GFC, * the need to have access to large amounts of capital,  * low margins by lower interest rates, * high borrowing cost, * Non-traditional lenders such as car manufactures offering extremely low finance rates, * With all these factors in mind, the barriers to entry are quite high.

Can we know when to trust our emotions in the pursuit of knowledge Essay - 3

Can we know when to trust our emotions in the pursuit of knowledge Consider history and one other area of knowledge - Essay Example This mainly occurs when we lay our fundamental beliefs on matters of the heart rather than using brains to make our conclusions. This type of emotion provides us with strength to engage in intellectual activities. Knowledge is learning or studying something new a person didn’t know before.knowldge and its power suppresses normal schooling as it comes through a very long process of experiences (Campbell, 2002, pp204). Though schooling is educational, it cannot give someone an opportunity to experience knowledge that is experienced when an individual takes on a journey to explore new things. Guided by emotions, an individual tend to dwell deep on a matter and learn more than he or she can have a chance to learn more than ever, thus opening more avenues there were never there before. With emotions facilitating the search of knowledge an individual will have a chance to learn a broader spectrum of things. Using emotions and the art is a trustworthy action. In history, every story is related to emotions. Being compilations of stories from different personas, no one can stand and clearly say what the truth in history is. No one can certify whether historical accounts are true or not. In respect to this fact, the pursuit of knowledge in history then is said to be completely emotional experience (Campbell, 2002, pp134). History, involves evidence used, where it was made, whom it was made by and for what reason. History as a way of knowing the past happenings does not only help us to understand more on what is being researched, but also creates insight into the time period. Sometimes when an individual acts emotionally, his or her rationality is very weak thus allowing an opportunity for history misconstruction. Emotions can immensely affect history. For example, during the trial of David Irving versus Dr. Deborah, and Penguin publishers. Irving was accused to be anti-Semite and a racist, but he strongly resented the accusations saying that the