The Formuliac Narrators Of Edgar Allan Poe Essays - The Black Cat

The Formuliac Narrators Of Edgar Allan Poe The respective narrators in Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat are nameless characters around whom each story revolves. This is just as well, considering the fact that the two narrators are almost interchangeable. Both narrators are thematic symbols of the dark side of the human mind, which characterizes much of Poe's works of horror. Each narrator moves through the action of his story virtually parallel to the other, in his struggles with irrational fear, innate perversity and obsessive mental fixations. Although Poe does insert a few added dramatic elements into the story of The Black Cat, these elements pull the two characters closer together, instead of pushing them apart. The reader can still easily see each man follow the same path through his narration: he becomes consumed by his irrational fear, then obsesses over the object which is the manifestation of this fear, which then pushes him to violence against those associated with the obsession. Poe brings t he reader full circle, using similar language and actions within both plots, taking both narrators to the height of their madness and seeming triumph, which in the end, is their undoing. Both stories are narrated through the distorted eyes of a character that has been driven to madness on some level or another. Each narrator begins his respective story by defending his sanity through a twisted sort of rationalization. The narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart addresses question of his sanity twice in the first paragraph: asking once of the reader, ?why will you say that I am mad and then again asking, ?How, then, am I mad (p277) His defense lies in ?how healthily ? how calmly [he] can tell [the reader] the whole story.? This is the same rationale that the narrator of The Black Cat follows in his defense of his sanity. Just as the narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart presents his personal account of the events in the story as healthy and calm, the Black Cat narrator presents ?plainly, succinctly, and without comment, a series of mere household events (p320).? Although he hopes for ?some intellect [that] may be found which will reduce [his] phantasm to the common-place,? the Black Cat narrator still states, ?mad am I not (p320).? This element of the supernatural is one in area where the two narrators diverge a bit. However, as the two stories progress, this difference is used as a balancing agent that allows the characterizations of the narrators to parallel one another within the action of their respective stories. Both narrators are on the verge of complete madness, waiting for that certain element to push them over the edge. In the first part of the story, the reader learns that the Black Cat narrator ?was noted for the docility and humanity of [his] disposition (p320) in the past. It is indicated that he was at one point, a seemingly happy man. There is no indication of such a past in the life of the Tell-Tale narrator. His murderous intentions ?to take the life of the old man (p277)? are made clear in the second paragraph of the story. Thus, Poe added elements of the supernatural to he plot of The Black Cat. It is left unclear as to whether or not there are actually two cats in the story, or if the original cat, which Poe so aptly named after the Roman god of the Underworld and judge of the dead, Pluto, has come back from the dead in retribution. The narrator's wife's talk about superstitions involving witches and the eerie gallow-shaped white marking on the black cat are also elements that add to the narrator's eventual snap into madness, and what push him to the same violence as the Tell-Tale narrator. This violence is brought on by an irrational fear that both narrators posses. Both the Tell-Tale and the Black Cat narrators refer to their states of mind as a sort of disease. Their individual fears manifest themselves in sensual hypersensitivity, which lead them to be affected in extreme ways by their surroundings. The Tell-Tale narrator says that the ?disease had sharpened [his] senses ? not destroyed ? not dulled them (p277).? His sense of hearing

Paleolithic vs. Neolithic essays

Paleolithic vs. Neolithic essays There are many differences the Paleolithic and the Neolithic ages have. For instance their housing, means of living, and technology. The Paleolithic had camp sites, caves, and huts for their housing. Also their means of living were hunting and gathering. Their technology was having hunting and gathering tools made out of chipped stone, wood, or bone. For the gathering part of their lives they specialized in basketry. The Neolithic, however, had houses of mud or stone, which were more durable than tents or huts. Their means of living farming and herding and they specialized in craftwork. Their technology was having their farming tools made out of ground stone. They specialized in spinning, weaving, and pottery making. The Paleolithic, or Old Stone Age, was the longest. It began about 2 million years ago, when stone tools were first used by human, and ended with the close of the last ice age about 13,000 BC. Neolithic or New Stone Age Stone tools became highly polished and varied. By 6000 BC pottery appeared in the ancient Middle East, and copper was used for the first time in some regions. In other regions, the Neolithic arrived much later. In conclusion there were some similarities between the two ages but there were a lot more differences. ...

Definition and Examples of Aphesis

Definition and Examples of Aphesis Aphesis is the gradual loss of a short unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word. Adjective: aphetic. Aphesis is commonly regarded as a type of aphaeresis. Compare with apocope and syncope. The opposite of aphesis is prothesis. Generally speaking, aphesis is more common in everyday speech than in formal varieties of spoken and written English. Nonetheless, many aphetic word forms have entered the vocabulary of Standard English. In International English Usage (2005), Todd and Hancock observe that while clipping tends to be rapid and usually applies to the loss of more than one syllable,  aphesis is thought to be a gradual process.   See Examples and Observations below. Also see: AphaeresisClippingEllipsisMetaplasmSound Change EtymologyFrom the Greek, to let go Examples and Observations Cute is an aphetic form of acute; longshore is the truncated form of alongshore. This explains the American usage longshoreman for our [Australian] stevedore. Stevedore is itself an aphetic adaptation of the Spanish estivador, which derives from estivar: to stow a cargo.Likewise, sample is an aphetic form of example; backward is an aphetic form of abackward; and vanguard was once avauntguard, from which avant-garde also derives.Ninny is an aphetic and abbreviated form of an innocent. More recently, we have squire from esquire, specially for especially. In the language of the law, several ambiguous forms survive: vow and avow; void and avoid.(Julian Burnside, Word Watching. Thunders Mouth Press, 2004)The Aphetic  Way as an Intensifier- [As an adverb and intensifier] way is an aphetic form of away; it used to be printed way with an apostrophe, but is rarely so today. It means a great distance or all the way, as in We were way off the mark and We went way to the end of the trolley lin e. Some dictionaries consider this adverbial way colloquial, and indeed it often has a conversational or informal tone, but others consider it appropriate for use at all levels except the most formal or oratorical. It also frequently functions conversationally as an intensifier, as in She was way underprepared for the assignment and the student slang exclamations Way out! Way cool! and the like.(Kenneth G. Wilson,  The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia University Press, 1993)- I was tired- way tired. I had been on the road- on the run- I dont know- several weeks- a long time.(Andrew Klavan, The Long Way Home. Thomas Nelson, 2010)-  Im really  way too lazy  to try to locate all those ingredients.(Sarah Mlynowski,  Frogs and French Kisses. Delacorte, 2006)-  Ã‚  The widespread, if witless, use of way to mean much or far, very or especially reveals how people favor simplicity over precision, easiness over elegance, popularity over individuality. Its unac ceptable to use this sense of way in your writing, and its unbecoming in your speaking.(Robert Hartwell Fiske,  Robert Hartwell Fiskes Dictionary of Unendurable English. Scribner, 2011) An Aphetic Verbal DoppelgangerDavid Brinkley welcomed Vice President Al Gore on his Sunday morning ABC program with a cordial Thank you for coming. Mr. Goreas so many guests now doanswered with the aphetic thank you with a slight emphasis on the you.Youre welcome used to be the standard response to thank you, writes Daniel Kocan of Orlando, Fla. Now thank you is the stock response to thank you. Since when, and why? Can you explain this recent doppelganger phenomenon?First to doppelganger: this is from the German for the ghostly double of a living person, and is an apt description of the returned thank you. Next to the aphetic, or shortening of words or phrases by the elimination of the unstressed word or syllable: the I is lost in I thank you.(William Safire, On Language: Let Er Rip. The New York Times, November 28, 1993) Pronunciation: AFF-i-sis Also Known As: aphaeresis, apherisis

Strategic Management of Quest Diagnostics Essay

Strategic Management of Quest Diagnostics - Essay Example Ideally, the diagnosis is established with beyond a reasonable doubt certainty, but substantial uncertainty or frank diagnostic error can afflict the diagnostic process for a variety of reasons. Many of these diagnostic problems are explained by failures of decision-making. Their main strategic approach, competency, and challenges are explained herewith. Quest Diagnostics is the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services. They are the largest providers of global central laboratory services performed in connection with clinical research trials on new drugs and these trials assess the safety and efficiency of these new drugs. Quest Diagnostics operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year providing their customers with a comprehensive menu of routine and specialty laboratory tests and services. Their major services include laboratory health care services, featured lab tests, online services and medical research etc. In New York City by 1967 Dr. Paul Brown launched the clinical laboratory industry with his vision to offer the high quality, highly automated and cost-effective clinical testing. Corning Incorporated purchased Met Path in 1982 and continued to build the company. The business continued to expand and additional companies were acquired, including Damon in 1993, Maryland Medical Laboratory in 1994 and Bioran in 1994. Also in 1994, Corning acquired Nichols Institute, world-renowned for esoteric testing. On December 31, 1996, Corning Incorporated spun off the laboratory testing business to its shareholders, establishing Quest Diagnostics as an independent company trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the Symbol "DGX.†. The acquisition enabled the company to enter into a testing related business, providing services to the life insurance industry.

What cause(s) is the National Liberation Front (FLN) fighting for as Essay

What cause(s) is the National Liberation Front (FLN) fighting for as depicted in the film Would you characterize the FLN as a terrorist group, or as something else - Essay Example The depiction of war in this film reflects the root cause of war, like they occur in other places. Wars normally arise out of ideological differences driven by social, economic and political circumstances. In Battle of Algiers, just as the name the war was driven by the desire of the Algerians to drive the French from their country. The French colonized Algeria during the time when most Western European countries looked for colonies to safeguard their political and economic interests. The Algerians also sought to meet their social, economic and political rights that were not tenable with French in their country. As result of conflicting interest, the Algerians formed different movements and the most predominant one was the FLN. On the other hand, the French felt threatened and therefore had to crush the FLN before it became powerful. Like any other war in history, the unfair treatment of combatants deepened the motivations of the sympathizers of either side and that increased the war fare (Prochaska, 2003). This war film depicts the events that took place in Algeria war against the French Colonialist between the years 1954 and 1962. Like many other countries that were fighting colonial regime, the Algerians decided to coalesce and form the National Liberation Front. It was the understating of the people, at least according to the movie, that they had to form a formidable force through which they would battle the French especially the army and the police who were used by the French government to infringe on them. It inferred from the movie, that the cause is liberation of the country from the French rule but some actions of the FLN members is questionable given the high blood letting tendencies (Parker, 2007). Equally members of the FLN have questionable character. For example, one character Ali La Pointe decides to join the movement. However, his character is ragged given that he had been taken to a reform school in early life.

Euthanasia is Morally Wrong :: Against Euthanasia

The matter of euthanasia continues to be a contentious issue within today’s society. Over the past years, there have been a slew of debates that have tried to justify the practice of assisted suicide, otherwise known as euthanasia. Gallup’s survey in 2007 served to illustrate this fact by showing that over 75 percent of Americans believe that euthanasia should be permitted. However, what Americans have failed to discern is that legalizing any form of euthanasia goes against the sanctity of life and will result in no limitations to the justifications of why it is being performed. It seems as if society has become so debauched that the American people honestly feel that they can condone ending the life of a precious individual. Perhaps in order for one to construct a fitting viewpoint on euthanasia, one must be knowledgeable on the philology and background of euthanasia, along with having a clear comprehension of some underlying terms. Euthanasia is a term which â€Å"derived from the Greek word â€Å"euthanatos†, meaning simply a good death† (Perri, 1996). This word is extremely vulnerable to the various interpretations of all people; therefore, many people fall short when it comes to understanding the two distinct types of euthanasia. These two unique types are known as active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is described as being â€Å"the deliberate ending of a person’s life with the intent of reducing that person’s suffering† (Perri, 1996). For instance, active euthanasia can be as simple as injecting a patient with a harmful toxin. On the other hand passive euthanasia is typically defined as the â€Å"withdrawing of medical treatment with the intention of causing the patient's death† ("Types of euthanasia," 2001). Now an example of passive euthanasia is simply when a patient is perishing and the doctor choices not to recover them. Now it is imperative that one recognizes the distinction between active and passive euthanasia. Another aspect in which euthanasia can be classified is as involuntary or voluntary. Involuntary euthanasia â€Å"is when a patient’s life is ended without the patient’s knowledge and consent† ("Types of euthanasia," 2001). A perceptible example of involuntary euthanasia is when a patient is in a coma and does not have the capability to decide what should happen to him. Lastly, the subject of voluntary euthanasia is â€Å"the patient requests that an action be taken to end his life, or that life-saving treatment be stopped, with full knowledge that this will lead to his death† ("Types of euthanasia," 2001).

New Industries and Administration

The Meiji government during the 1880's created both an institutional and constitution structure that allowed Japan in the coming decades to be a stabile and industrializing country. Two major policies and strategies that reinforced stability and economic modernization in Japan were the creation of a national public education system and the ratification of the Meiji constitution. Both these aided in stability and thus economic growth. The creation of a national education system aided in creating stability because it indoctrinated youth in the ideas of loyalty, atriotism, and obedience. Japan's education system at first stressed free thought and the ideas of individual's exploration of knowledge but by 1890 the education system of Japan became a tool for indoctrination into what Peter Duus calls â€Å"a kind of civil religion† with the Imperial Rescript on Education. This Rescript stressed two things. First, it stressed loyalty to the emperor and to a lesser extant to the state. In every classroom a picture of the emperor was placed. Second, the education system stressed self sacrifice to the tate and family. Filial piety was taught in schools and applied not only to the family but also to the national family which included father, teacher, official and employer. The Japanese education system also created a system of technical schools and universities both public and private that educated a growing class of Japanese on how to use new western machinery, administrate government and run private industries. The Japanese education system following the Rescript on Education served primarily to teach people what to think nd not how to think; and as Edwin Reischauer stated, â€Å"Japan pioneered in the modern totalitarian technique of using the educational system for indoctrination and was in fact decades ahead of countries like Germany in perfecting these techniques. Japan's education system was a tool in creating for Japan a reliable citizenry who respected the government and had the knowledge to act as â€Å"technically efficient clogs† in the new industries and administration that an The ratification of the Meiji constitution drafted in the ummer of 1887 and signed into law in 1889 helped create a stable constitutional order in Japan. The constitution was a gift of the emperor to the people and was made up of a complicated set of checks and balances between the emperor, his cabinet, and the Diet. The constitution although it granted voting rights to only one percent of the population in Japan was well received by the people and played a critical role in lending legitimacy to the oligarchy (Genro) who ran the government. Before the constitution the Genro had little basis in heory for their continued rule other then they spoke for the emperor. But the constitution with its elections and bicameral diet lender legitimacy to the rule of the oligarchy. The constitution also brought Japan at least in the minds of the oligarchy to parity with western political institutions. Indeed, the ruling group in Japan passed the constitution through not because of popular pressure but because they thought a constitution and parliamentary government was a necessary part of the political machinery that helped make western powers trong. In the long term the parliamentary government of Japan and its constitution provided a stable government with its mix of oligarchy, monarchy, and a little democracy for the wealthy. It ensured investors and the Zaibutsu a say in government and promoted growth by creating a stabile government that was critical to ensuring investors will put capital in businesses. Both the new education and governmental structure of Japan passed in the 1880's and 1890's was essential to Japanese stability and economic and industrial growth.