Ethical Behavior of Employee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical Behavior of Employee - Essay Example Menzel’s compliance model suggests that the employee’s conduct is regulated to spur obedience to minimum standards and legal prohibitions; what the law says, what the rules mean, and what one needs to do (Ethical Moments in Government page number). Employees must abide by the applicable rules and practices to stay out of trouble. If they break the rules, they will be subject to punishment. Punishment would be harsh to those who break the rules with willful intention and less harsh if the rules are broken due to ignorance (Menzel, â€Å"PM Plus†). In sharp contrast, Menzel’s integrity-based model is value driven, not rules driven. It combines the awareness of public service ethos, ethical standards, and legal prohibitions, as well as the process of moral reasoning to inspire exemplary actions and ethical conduct (Menzel, Ethical Moments in Government page number). Values may differ depending on the mission, leadership, incentives, awareness, education, and training, aspirations, and culture (Menzel, â€Å"PM Plus†). The employee must choose what is right and what is wrong depending on these considerations. Let us take the city manager’s ethical dilemma here. From a strict compliance point of view, the city manager has no deal with the neighboring community. A verbal agreement is not enforceable under law or under contract in such a situation. As there is no compliance-based ethical issue here, he could go back on his word with the neighboring community and accept the higher offer from his own community without violating professional ethics.

Communication assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication assignment - Essay Example Then finally the areas of improvement in the system are discussed. Finally the paper is concluded by developing a costing implementation plan. In recruitment process Communication is an inevitable element. The recruits are taking care of the company's organization structure, its policies and practices. To make people aware of company's supervisor, its rules and regulations Communication is necessary Communication helps to perform functions of employees effectively. Employees should be sincere in their job (i.e. Employees must show real affection to the organization in which they are working that will finally lead to its great success) If a Soldier really knows why is in his nation's army and why he have to follow certain rules/procedures with the citizens so it is easier to develop love towards nation as commitment to his nation. In order to make the subordinates know about their contribution to the enterprise activity Communication is unavoidable. By this the employees are motivated and will get some idea about what their supervisors and the organization are expecting from them. Communication is needed to teach employees about personal safety on the job. This is essential to reduce accidents, to lower compensation and legal costs and to decrease recruitment and training cost for replacement. Communication helps the manager in his decision process. ... his nation's army and why he have to follow certain rules/procedures with the citizens so it is easier to develop love towards nation as commitment to his nation. In order to make the subordinates know about their contribution to the enterprise activity Communication is unavoidable. By this the employees are motivated and will get some idea about what their supervisors and the organization are expecting from them. Communication is needed to teach employees about personal safety on the job. This is essential to reduce accidents, to lower compensation and legal costs and to decrease recruitment and training cost for replacement. Elite groups and the wider public have acquired about its goals, activities and accomplishments by the amount of support which an enterprise receives from its social environment. Communication helps the manager in his decision process. There is a spate of varied information produced in an enterprise. The manager must make a choice of useful and essential information which should reach him. Co-ordination is achieved through communication. Co-ordination is needed among its component parts on the basis of division of labors and specialization. Many interdependent activities are performed in different departments of an organization. This interdependence is not tolerated in the absence of communication. Communication promotes co-operation and industrial peace. Because of lack of communication most of the disputes in an enterprise takes place. CURRENT APPROACHES TO INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: Formal channels Intranets Intranet is the popular approach to internal communication. E-Mail Newsletter Periodic Presentations By The Boss Open House or Town Hall Sessions and even Good old Team Briefings or Staff Magazines, Notices and Posters. All can

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Auditing - Essay Example However, globalisation is also associated with different business and financial risks. Globalisation can have varied effects on different economies in the world. Various forces like investors, borrowers, financial institutions, etc. are having an impounding effect on increased levels of financial globalisation (Schmukler, Zoido & Halac, n.d., p.1). With globalisation and associated risks, accounting and auditing procedures are also encountering significant changes worldwide. In this report the effects of globalisation on auditing mechanisms and various developments of auditing procedures have been studied. Globalisation Globalisation can be defined as the process of increasing association of the markets worldwide and the interdependence between the business processes followed by different organisations all over the world. Recent years have encountered a rapid increase in such phenomenon. Globalisation describes the spread and interconnectivities of new advanced technologies, communic ation systems and production all over the world (Smith & Doyle, 2002). The two important driving factors towards globalisation are: a) Advancements in infrastructure of telecommunications and b) the increasing use and advancement of internet. The economies of the world are getting connected and resulting in increased opportunities for business concerns as well as rising competitions amongst themselves. There is a development of sharing of international cultures as well. The expansion of trade worldwide and globalisation have brought about significant benefits for different economies all over the world. However the recent Global Financial Crisis has somewhat put a hold on the globalisation process (International Monetary Fund, n.d.). Various benefits to citizens of a country as a result of globalisation includes admittance to increased varieties of products and services at lower costs, increased number of job opportunities, higher standard of living, etc (International Monetary Fund, February 2008). Effects of Globalisation on Accounting and Auditing The number of business organisations operating globally is vast and it is increasing at an increasing rate. This puts emphasis on the development of accounting language which is common to all the countries in the world. Globalisation has brought about significant changes in the accounting and auditing procedures all over the world. There had been profound changes in reporting standards of financial statements of organisations as a result of globalisation. This is quite evident from instances like the convergence agreement that has been signed between International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in the year 2002 and the adoption of International Accounting Standards (IAS) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by the European Union (EU) in the year 2005 (Ding, Jeanjean & Stolowy, 2008, p.145). Globalisation is having a significant effect on the accoun ting profession itself. With the advancement of information technology and internet web based financial reporting systems are becoming more common and also mandatory for most of the business concerns. The accounting models used by different business organisations have changed. Globalisation has also brought about changes regarding the systems of communicating financial

Mathew Brady (the 19th century photographer) and his influence on Term Paper

Mathew Brady (the 19th century photographer) and his influence on historical media - Term Paper Example He is also considered to be one of America’s greatest photographers in his time, during the 19th century. Later on, he became and is currently known to be the father of photojournalism. Born on the eighteenth day of May in the year 1822 in Warren County in the state of New York to an Irish immigrant family, Matthew Brady grew up, later left his Irish immigrant parents and moved to the city of New York when he was only sixteen years of age. When he arrived in that city, he first took the profession of being a clerk in a department store. Soon after working in this job, he created and made his very own business industry in the making, manufacturing and creating cases for jewelry and other trinkets and charms. As a hobby and leisure pursuit, Brady had a great interest and loved to take photographs. He decided to study photography soon after. One of the teachers that he had was William Page. In the year 1839, Page had introduced Brady to Samuel F. B. Morse, who had been one of Page’s instructors and mentors in the art of pictures and was one of the first to ever introduce photography to the United States of America. At that time, Morse just came back from the continent of Europe, who has just begun to start the application of photography, which was still a new process during that time. During his classes as a student of photography, his incredible and exceptional talent and skill in photography was observed and noticed. He was able to quickly realize and find out about his natural ability and gift in taking daguerreotypes and photographs, mostly portraits of renowned Americans. Through Samuel Morse and William Page, he was able to become more and more interested and fascinated with the new art of photography. Because of his growing interest and love for photography and pictures, he later decided to save up his own money to have enough capital in order to create and own his very own photography studio so that he could follow his ambition

Women fce greter chllenges thn men in their ttempts to climb to the Essay

Women fce greter chllenges thn men in their ttempts to climb to the top of the corporte ldder - Essay Example More recently, however, there hs been n influx of women into non-trditionl, higher sttus occuptions, nd it ppers tht trditionl ptterns of occuptionl segregtion my be slowly chnging. It is considered, tht women fce greter chllenge thn men in their ttempts to climb top of the corporte ldder. This suggestion hs been mde due to historicl chnges tht took plce in the distribution of gender workforce nd will be discussed lter in this pper. lthough women nd men hve lwys engged in purposeful ctivity, the set of ctivities tht mny people consider work or employment is not lwys cler. Historiclly, men nd women worked side by side together in the fields. Tody, however, distinction is mde between pid, public work externl to the fmily nd unpid, privte work in the home. Ech of these spheres of work hs come to be sex-typed, with pid work being viewed by mny s the domin of mles nd unpid work in the home the domin of femles. These perceptions re chnging but re still deep-seted in mny respects. Historiclly, men nd women hve hd very different experiences of work. Men hve either secured goods or worked externl to the fmily unit, wheres women often hve worked more integrlly s prt of tht unit. Beginning with industriliztion nd continuing to the workplce tody, men's nd women's experiences of work hve vried significntly, lrgely due to the continuing sex segregtion of occuptions. However, with the onset of two world wrs, both Blck nd White women stedily incresed their numbers in the externl, pid workforce. During the 1990s, the mjority of both men nd women, Blck nd White, were employed outside of the fmily unit. The reltions between men nd women - sometimes chrcterised s "wr" - hve since been trnsformed. In the City of London tody, for exmple, some highly pid expectnt mothers ttempt to time their bonus pyments so tht they fll within the reference period used to clculte mternity py entitlements. If they mnge to win bonus between 18 nd 26 weeks before their expected birth dte, they cn receive mternity py mounting to much more thn they ern normlly - nd with the pprovl of the Inlnd Revenue. How much of this chnge is due to the lw, nd how much would hve hppened nywy becuse of economic nd lbour mrket pressures It is, s lwys, difficult to sy. Yet most commenttors rgue the SD hs hd significnt impct on British working culture. "Tody, it is unusul for women to be discriminted ginst directly becuse they re women, which is wht used to hppen," sys Michel Rubenstein, the founder of Equl Opportunities Review, specilist journl. "The discrimintion tht tkes plce now is mostly round women's fmily roles nd resentment of the disruption it cuses." (Overell, 2006). Jmes Cox, n employment prtner t shurst, n interntionl lw firm, sys: "The City [of London] is the lst bstion of old-style employment prctices, where the focus is on working hrd nd ceding your life to your employer nd clients. "But in the lst few yers it hs been hit relly hrd by women tking [employers to] tribunls nd sometimes wlking wy with multimillion-pound compenstion pyments. It is those cses of the lte 1990s, directly due to the SD, tht hve forced the City to chnge its wys." (Overell, 2006). It is only in very recent yers tht there hs been notble rise in the number of people (mostly women) using sex equlity lw to chllenge employers. In 1998-99, 6,200 women took their employers to tribunl; by 2003-4 the figure hd risen to 17,000 people

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Essay Example for Free

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Essay Tony Morrison became the prominent American writer of the second half of the 20th century mainly because of her novel â€Å"The Bluest Eye† published in 1970. The family relations, beauty and ugliness, cruelty and love are in the focus of the novel. The novel is narrated by a young black girl, Claudia MacTeer and the reader realizes through her perception the atmosphere in the family of her friend Pecola Breedlove. The family relations in the Pecola’s family are very hostile. The topic of racial inequality is one of the central topics. The Pecola’s mother Pauline hates the entire family because she keeps comparing the life of the white family for whom she works as a maid with hers, watching some kind of ideal in the life of the whites. This is the manifestation of the lost identity of the Blacks, an identity which has been suppressed by the cultural development of America. African Americans and their tragedy of the lost culture are in the center of the novel.   The novel is built on the passionate desire of Pecola to be loved by her family and her school friends. Pecola thinks that the reason of the hostile attitude towards her is her black skin and she wants to resemble the American idols like Shirley Temple. Shirley Temple is just an ideal created by the mass culture, an idol which is a part of American dream. The conventional American perception of beauty is connected with the blue eyes and white skin like those of Shirley Temple. A talented young singer, dancer and actor, she no doubt deserves acclaim for her abilities, but as a cultural representation, she symbolizes far more than uncanny, childhood innocence. Tony Morison studies the position of the blacks in America. She names the things which sometimes are not in public but in minds. American society is divided according to the racial principle and nobody can do anything with it.    The author states that America treats its black citizens like people of a lower grade, pariahs, â€Å"There are several levels of the pariah figure working in my writing. The black community is a pariah community. Black people are pariahs. The civilization of black people that lives apart from but in juxtaposition to other civilizations is a pariah relationship. In fact, the concept of the black in this country is almost always one of the pariahs. But a community contains pariahs within it that are very useful for the conscience of that community.†(The Bluest Eye. Review). American culture has produced an utopian image of America, called â€Å"an American Dream†. It is not bad at all; it indicates, at least the standards to be reached and the goals to be gained.   This collective image is an image of a rich country populated with the nice successful people. There is only one problem in this image. The country is rich and the society is successful, but people personifying this success are narrated with the blond hair and white skin. This is just what great American Martin Luther King said about. The racial inequity is in the very essence of the American society. This racial inequity is indicated not in the hostile relations of the Whites and the Blacks but in a lack of the black standards of beauty. A color of the skin is given by God and it can not define the position in the society. Pecola identifies her personal position in the community with the position of the black community in the American society, i.e. as soon as the Blacks are pariahs in the society; she feels herself a pariah within the community. What is more, she understands the position of the black community in the American society and naively associates it with her personal position in the black community. Her dream of blue eyes is a naà ¯ve attempt to break through the concept of the faceless, i.e. it is a protest against her position of a pariah. Tony Morison intentionally uses a dream of a small girl which would never come true to underline the improbability of such a dream to resemble an American icon Shirley Temple in the same way as black community would never become an equal part of the society. The values of the society imposed on the black children are destructive. Pecola is morally suppressed by the values she accepts. These values are dominant and black children are not able to evaluate them critically. Pecola is destroyed by the cultural values she has to adopt. The white culture influences the personalities of the black people especially young ones. The Anglo Saxon standards of beauty follow the children outside the class. Movie blondes with blue eyes catch their sight from the cinema screens, billboards, newspapers and magazines. There is no place to hide from the bluest eyes. These beauties keep telling the children that if they were white with blue eyes they would achieve success. This destroys the girl’s identity. She mistakenly associates her physical appearance with the wealth and happiness. White mass culture shows white skin, blue eyes and blonde hair in association with wealth, happiness and success and a young girl realizes erroneously that her life is defined by her appearance. Pecola’s admiration of Sherley Temple is one of her personal tragic illusions. The success of the movie star Temple poisons the life of Pecola. The mass culture shows the physical beauty in the context of prosperity. This self humiliation develops the complex of inferiority of the girl. â€Å"Long hours she sat looking in the mirror, trying to discover the secret of the ugliness, the ugliness that made her ignored or despised at school, by teachers and classmates alike, She was the only member of her class who sat alone at a double desk.†( Tirell, Lynne) A utopian desire to resemble an American idol became an obsession for Pecola. â€Å"Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ She would see only what there was to see: the eyes of other people.†( Morrison, Toni, p.45) Shirley Temple was extremely popular in America during the Depression. She helped to strengthen the spirit of the nation. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, speaking in 1935, praised Shirley: â€Å"During this Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents, an American can go to a movie, look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles†( The Bluest Eye, Review). When the nation needs to raise its spirit the value of such idols like Shirley Temple is very high. The Pecola’s aspiration to resemble the American idol drives the girl crazy. She looses the connections with the reality. As soon as the world does not understand her desire and does not want to give her a chance to become closer to her idol she decides to lock in herself and find a piece of mind keeping her dreams in herself without letting them out. The hate of people, ideal dream on the movie star physical appearance, the hostile atmosphere at school and in the family and the rape by her father and the hate of her mother made the girl crazy. But is still dreaming of her ideal. Pecola attempts to create her own imaginary reality opposing the real one. After Cholly raped Pecola the second time, even her imaginary friend is not able to bring the piece of mind for Pecola.   You didnt need me before a truth so threatening and painful to Pecola and so close to the psychological reality that it immediately adds, I meanyou were so unhappy before. I guess you didnt notice me before ( Morrison, Toni, p.205) Her imaginary friend created by her imagination reassures her that she has the blue eyes. Still the attitude of people towards Pecola does not change. Her eyes do not produce the expected effect and Pecola finds the explanation in insufficient blueness of her eyes. The parallel between Pecola and Oedipus of Sophocles is marked by the author (Morrison, Toni, p.196 ). The author introduces Claudia to contrast the Pecola’s perception of beauty imposed by the white culture. The white ideal of beauty neglects the self esteem of the black people. The white idols destruct the human dignity of both adults and children. These idols destruct Pecola completely. Claudia in her turn does not accept these idols unconditionally. The attitude towards the white culture defines the survival of Claudia and the demise of Pecola. It is not the white community that has directly destroyed Pecola, but the black community and her parents. They should have insulated her from the white communitys values and have protected her (Hinda Barlaz). The words of narrator about the destructiveness of the physical beauty and romantic love are given in the context when Pauline, pregnant black American woman was watching history of romantic love in the movie theatre. She broke her tooth then as if recapitulating the comparison of romantic love in the movie with her current position. The image of Jean Harlow from the screen destroys the Pauline’s identity as a woman, her belief in American dream and her own beauty. The broken tooth symbolizes her belief in happiness which is destroyed. Toni Morrison and a great American Martin Luther King, Pecola and Pauline, Hero of the Doctorow’s Ragtime and The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, all of them have the common feature. They are all looking for identity as well as other best representatives of the humanity. Martin Luther King and Pecola, no matter how strange it may seem had the same dream, a dream of equality for all disregarding the color of the skin. Hero of the Doctorow’s novel and Oedipus Rex were looking for their lost identity. John Lennon joined Great American King in his dream of â€Å"a brotherhood of men† in his â€Å"Imagine†. Martin Luther King was looking for the identity of the black people of America and paid his life for it. Pecola was looking for her own identity and paid her mentality. John Lennon was looking for a â€Å"brotherhood of men† and paid his life for his search. These principles can not come from the outside; they should be in the people’s mind which is an identity. A hero of one Russian classic (Bulgakov, The Heart of the Dog) kept threatening himself, â€Å"there is a devastation in the country!!!† and he got a respond â€Å"this devastation is in your mind†. The same could be said of identity. We create the identity in our minds and then we apply it to the entire society. Bibliography I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr, Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Source: Martin Luther King, Jr: The Peaceful Warrior, Pocket Books, NY 1968, available at http://www.mecca.org/~crights/dream.html, retrieved 7.04.2005 Tirell, Lynne. â€Å"Storytelling and Moral Agency.† Toni Morrison’s Fiction: Contemporary Criticism. Ed. David Middleton. New York: Garland, 2000. 3-25. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Penguin, 1994. Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, Review, available at http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/lit_term.html#pv Hedin, Raymond. The Structuring of Emotion in Black American Fiction. Novel 16 (1982): 35-54. Edmund A. Napieralski, Morrisons The Bluest Eye., 1994 Heldref Publications, The Explicator, Fall 1994 v53 n1 p59(4), available at http://www.cofc.edu/~farrells/Farrell/oedipus.html, retrieved 6.04.2005 Hinda A. Barlaz, A Reading Guide to Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, available at http://students.adelphi.edu/learningcenter/pdfs/tonimorrison.pdf, retrieved 6.04.2005 Trudy Mercer. Female Childhood Icons in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, available at http://www.drizzle.com/~tmercer/write/morrison/bluesteye.shtml Chris Booker, The Social Status of the African American Male: 1999, available at http://www.pressroom.com/~afrimale/status99.htm Gibson, Donald B. (1989), â€Å"Text and Countertext in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye†, Taylor, Paul C., Journal of Aesthetics Art Criticism, MALCOLMS CONK AND DANTOS COLORS; OR, FOUR LOGICAL PETITIONS CONCERNING RACE, BEAUTY, AND ,  , available at http://www.lib.tjfsu.edu.cn/ymwx/essay/The%20Bluest%20Eye1.htm Bjork, Patrick B. The novels of Toni Morrison: the search for self and place within the community. NY: P. Lang,1996.

Frankenstein and Darkness by Lord Byron

Frankenstein and Darkness by Lord Byron The Romantic period is probably one of the most significant periods of change in literature. It is during this period that a lot of high quality works were produced be it in literature, art or music. Apart from being rich in poetry the period can be seen as an exaltation of the imagination. This was replacing the rational thought which had overcome Europe at the time. The Romantics also saw themselves as prophets and used their works to prophesise about the future of mankind. Due to this it is interesting to investigate whether these prophesies of the future of mankind have actually come true. The essay will look at how exactly the two romantic writers of Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) and the poem Darkness (Lord Byron) and what these two writers prophesised in their works. Also in the end see whether what the writers are trying to portray in their texts can be applied to modern day. References to other romantic works by William Wordsworth and William Blake also aid in this investigation. The essay reaches a conclusion that the various themes displayed in the texts can be applied to modern day and do serve as a warning as most of which these writers feared would happen to mankind is actually taking place to this day. As a final point, that indeed their warnings are justified. Introduction Throughout the ages it can be observed that they were a lot of periods of change that happened throughout the history of literature. These include the Victorian era. One of the most influential periods of change happens to be the Romantic era. The word suggests that this era was based on peoples appreciation of love and romance. All the same, though love was a common theme during works of the time the Romantic of era was in actual fact a movement in the creativity of artists and writers of the time. This movement was not just a shift in the mind sets of those involved with literature but it also involved art and music. The movement began in the late 1700s in Western Europe and continued towards the mid 1800s. In the 1700s there were a lot of advancements being made by the European people including advancements in science and social changes such as the Industrial Revolution. Majority of these changes were brought forth by the Age of Enlightenment that went through the 18th century which saw the awakening of scientific thought, the overthrowing of the conquering religious knowledge and the change in European philosophy as a means of finding reason in the world. It also saw the beginning of the Industrial Revolution which took over Europe during the 18th century. The Romantic era was basically a rebellion against the scientific and rational thought that gripped Europe during the previous age of enlightenment. This rebellion saw the shift from rational thought to more concentration on emotions, passion for life and nature. Other important themes of the Romantic era were nationalism, freedom and liberty. These themes formed the ideals of most Romantics and they displayed them through all their works. Romantics also concerned themselves with using their works as a means of displaying human society and its link with nature often spoke of the future of mankind. They saw themselves as prophets of the future and used heir works as warnings of the future. One of the most influential works of literature written at the time is the poem Darkness by Lord Byron. The poem was written in 1816 in the midst of very strange events which people thought at the time were signs of the apocalypse. That year was known as the year without a summer due to darkness which had over shadowed the land which originated from the volcanic ash cloud of the eruption of Mount Tambora a volcano situated in Indonesia the previous year. Unfortunately the people in Geneva did not know this and went into a panic believing the apocalypse was near. The chaos and activity of the time were the inspiration behind Byrons poem. In addition he wrote his poem as a means of writing about the calamity which will take over mankind if immoral behaviour is continued. Another important work is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Mary Shelley was the wife of another famous poet by the name of Percy Shelley. The book was written while on a visit to the Swiss Alps with Percy at the Lord Byrons home. Here due to the unseasonal rain they had to remain indoors and entertained themselves with ghost stories. Due to the urging of the Lord himself a competition was set to see who would write the creepiest story and Mary took the prize through the writing of her book Frankenstein; Or The Modern Prometheus which is the full name. The book is based on the story of a young ambitious scientist who sets out to create life but ends up creating a monster. This book is a metaphor for what would become of mankind if they continue to tamper with nature. The theme of nature and its destruction is a common theme in a lot of Romantic works. In this paper the manner in which these two writers warn the reader of the misfortune that will take over mankind by looking at various themes and methods the authors use to expose them. Also reference will be made to other works of the Romantic period to show the similarities and differences of the works. Chapter 1: The Theme of Nature in the Works The theme of nature was very prominent in many Romantic works. It was believed that nature possesses an ability to revitalize the mind and help man escape from the constraints of civilisation. The root of these beliefs also come from the fact that the Romantic period arose from the time when Europe was undergoing the Industrial Revolution which saw the destruction of forests and beautiful scenery to make space for factories and mills for industrial purposes. According to them, nature was viewed as a sublime Godly creation which was to be appreciated and not destroyed. This is portrayed through the setting of the texts and the many creative ways the writers made lucid descriptions of nature. In Frankenstein, Shelley uses elaborate description of the scenery to display this. Looking at the first letter from Richard Walton, he describes sensations he feels as he walks through the streets of St Petersburg, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and fills me with delight. The beauty of the environment around him inspires him to continue his voyage to the north pole and increases his excitement about the beauty of the north pole which is he is so eager to see. Throughout the novel it can be noted how nature uplifts and provides some healing for both the monster and Victor Frankenstein. Another famous work is the poem Daffodils also known by the title I wondered lonely as a cloud by William Wordsworth, a celebrated Romantic poet. Wordsworth wrote this poem after taking a walk with his sister admiring the daffodils in the fields surrounding him. Similar to Mary Shelley, he paints an ostentatious image of the beauty of the flowers their ability to invite him to enjoy them through use of language. He describes the flowers as fluttering and dancing as if to say the movements of the flowers are as gentle as the fluttering of butterflies and birds in the breeze and their motions graceful as if they were dancing. The use of imagery was also very important tool for the Romantics to exhibit their message and aid the reader in appreciating the beauty of nature they often portray. There, Margaret, the sun is for ever visible; its broad disk skirting the horizon and diffusing a perpetual splendourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Here, Walton describes in his first letter to his sister Margaret, how the sun spreads over the horizon at the North Pole. The words perpetual splendour further enhance the beauty of the region. In Daffodils, Wordsworth also refers to the power of nature to enlighten his heart from sadness, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦For oft, when on my couch I lie/ In vacant or in pensive mood,/They flash upon that inward eye/Which is the bliss of solitude;/And then my heart with pleasure fills,/And dances with the daffodils. The words vacant and solitude describe his empty state of mind. The daffodils flash appear brightly within his inward eye which is his imagination filling his heart with pleasure. These are all demonstrations of the power nature has over the individual as portrayed by the Romantic writers. Chapter 2: The Consequences of the Pursuit of Knowledge One of the major themes in Frankenstein is the pursuit of knowledge and its consequences. The prior to the Romantic period was the Age of Enlightenment which saw a rise of rationalism and continuous significant scientific advancements. These concerned Mary Shelley and other Romantic writers. The concern was they saw this rationalist movement as man trying to meddle with the laws of nature. This is the foundation of the character of Victor Frankenstein. At the age of 17, Frankenstein goes off to university where he meets many intellectuals and wise professors who inspire him to pursue natural science. Sadly, this inspiration eventually turns into an obsession. I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. From this we see how Frankenstein aspires to achieve greater accomplishments than philosophers before him. He also aims to overcome nature. This means he aims to overcome God himself for God be the creator of nature. Due to this obsession, he sacrifices all his time, energy and health to create life, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding places. It was on a dreary night of November, that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. This opening line of Chapter Five sets a dark, depressing, and cold scene which gives a feeling of foreboding as a means of warning of events to come. Words such as anxiety, agony depict the depressing scene of the coming to life of the monster. Shocked at the hideousness of his creation he laments, How can I describe my emotions at this catastropheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as a part of reinforcing his shock there is a use of exclamation marks as he says, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Beautiful! Great God! This is ironic, in that Frankenstein had sought to create life as a means of being able to uncover nature and certifying himself to be greater than God. Ironically, he calls upon God upon his failure though he never mentions God before. The monster is described to have yellow skin, lustrous black hair and pearly white teeth which form a horrid contrast with his watery eyes, dun white sockets his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. This image painted of the monster depicts how he was created to have beautiful features yet upon his awakening, they come together to form a hideous being. The eyes in their sockets also give a sense of sadness within the monster. The monster is therefore an unnatural being with human features. Unable to bare the being he had created he runs of to his room. He begins to develop fever like symptoms. He recalls the monster as, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the wretch the miserable monster I had created. The use of the word I demonstrates his selfishness and how he does not even consider how the monster feels. The fact that he does not give the monster a name and refers to it as the creature or the wretch, demonstrates his disappointment and dislike for that which he has created. Through these different devices Mary Shelley allows the reader to visualise the scene and have a share in the experiences of the characters. Nonetheless, it may be possible that the monster is a metaphor for scientific creations created with the intention of beauty going horribly wrong. This can be paralleled to the pursuit of knowledge and how it can have dire consequences for in the story it can be seen that the monster brings death and destruction. Chapter 3: The Consequences of the Immorality of Mankind The poem Darkness, creates grisly apocalyptic images of the earth and mankind at their demise. The opening line of the poem Darkness by Lord Byron along with the title of the poem already prepares the reader of the grim mood displayed in the poem. I had a dream, which was not at all a dream. Here the narrator of the poem describes having an experience similar to a dream which but turns out to be more of a nightmare not in his mind but in reality. Basically, Byron speaks as though he had a premonition of the grave future ahead for mankind. This opening just as the opening of chapter five of Frankenstein, It was on a dreary night of Novemberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is foreboding and gives a sense of grief and impending doom. The inspiration behind this poem was not only due to the very strange events of the time which made people believe in the coming of the apocalypse but also immoral acts of mankind. The Industrial Revolution had also provoked a lot of social unrest. Countless underprivileged European citizens moved from their rural countryside homes to work in factories. They worked under very harsh conditions and were paid vey low wages. This exploitation was all in the name of greed and the pursuit of wealth and prosperity in the advancing European societies. These inhumane acts in the name of gaining wealth and gaining status were part of the inspiration behind another famous Romantic works. One such work is Jerusalem by William Blake which was inspired by the writers condemnation of the products of the Industrial Revolution. Written in 1804 Jerusalem later became a patriotic hymn during the First World War and is used as a national anthem for England at certain sporting events. This piece speaks of England being a special land and a possible candidate for the building of a New Jerusalem given the possibility that Jesus Christ visited the land as a boy. In essence, the poem Jerusalem gives hope to the society where as lord Byrons poem speaks of death and destruction giving no sign of optimism of a brighter future. The poem has no obvious structure. It is an 82 lined poem of free verse. It is not divided into any stanzas and is therefore continuous but there is a large use of punctuation marks to break this continuality. This is very evident through lines 78 and 79. The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave, /The moon, their mistress, had expird before; These repetitive breaks portray the disturbance of he natural flow of nature and life during this catastrophe hitting the world. They also help vary the tone and speed of the poem. At the beginning it is slow and calm displaying the gloom of the world, then fast and chaotic and finally slow and calm again to portray the doom taking over the earth. Nature is also at a standstill and seemingly dead as the lightless world. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The winds were witherd in the stagnant air/ And the clouds perishdà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and The rivers, lakes and ocean all stood still/ And nothing stirrd within their silent depths. It seems nature too has died due to the disappearance of light. Byron uses a lot of interesting words to expose the pure gloom and doom he experiences in the events of the poem. The poem itself is centred on the disappearance of light from the earth. Words which accentuate this theme are, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦swung blindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ blackened dull gloomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In addition, the light is described as despairing. In other words, it is as if it is non existent. Fear is also exposed as he talks of how it has overcome the people and how even the toughest of animals were tame and tremulous. Onomatopoeic words such as shrieked, gnashed, howled, hissing, describe the sounds. The fact that there are a lot of sounds creates a certain degree of chaos. Furthermore, the sound of the forests crackling as people try to make fire to light up shows the desperation. The main image in this piece is that of mankind turning into beasts due to the desperation to find light. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the wildest brutes/ Came tame and tremulousà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The more frightening creatures are also consumed by fear to the point that they began to pose no danger and instead the humans became the monstrous ones. Images used to enhance this are, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦vipers crawldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Hissing, but stinglessthey were slain for foodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The vipers which were now harmless were being slain. The word slain puts an emphasis on the cruelty now consuming the humans. The images used in Darkness can also be linked to apocalyptic images used in the bible. Matthew 24:29 reads, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. This is similar to Byrons imagery of, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The bright sun was extinguishd, and the stars/ Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth/ Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air. In the desolation and men becoming beasts Byron adds, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there was no love leftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which can be a reference to Matthew 24:19, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. The disturbance in the peace is enhanced when the writer states, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦And War, which for a moment was no more/ Did glut himself again: a meal was bought/ With bloodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This demonstrates that war had arisen again with man fighting and killing each other just for food. This can be compared to the war referred to in Jerusalem by William Blake. Firstly, a sense of evil of the unjust is also displayed in Wordsworths poem. The dark satanic mills the poet describes are a reference to the mills and factories built during the Industrial Revolution causing all the social unrest which he protested against. The word satanic fully highlights how Blake views the mills as sinister due to the unjust manner in which workers were being treated. In the 3rd stanza he speaks of gathering up arms in order to fight against the evil brought forth by the mills. On the other hand, it turns out the war he refers to is more of a mental fight for he says, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I will not cease from mental fight, / Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand/ Till we have built Jerusalem/ In Englands green and pleasant land. In effect, Jerusalem is a tool in restoring peace and tranquillity in England. The poem itself is more of a call to the English people to rally against the iniquitous acts done to them due to Industrial Revolution. It also gives a sense of hopefulness that freedom and harmony can be restored to the human race. In contrast, Lord Byrons poem does not speak of hope that in the end light which is seen from the last line, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Darkness had no need/ Of aid from themShe was the Universe. This line is as if to say nothing can save the human race from the cruel end they have subdued themselves onto by their immoral acts. Darkness is finally personified and the fact tat it is compared to the universe shows the vast degree to which darkness has taken over the world. Chapter 5: The Symbols of Light and Fire in the Two Texts Symbolism is a very important literary tool used to convey different messages and present ideas and emotions to the reader. The most important symbol in the texts is the symbol of light. In Frankenstein light symbolises knowledge and discovery. This is first illustrated when Richard Walton asks, What could not be expected in the country of eternal light? Walton is clearly vey optimistic about reaching the north pole and looks forward to the enlightenment which will be brought forth by the voyage. The light is a positive object both Walter and Frankenstein try to reach in the hopes of gaining knowledge and enlightenment. Lord Byron uses light to represent life and the balance between nature and the human race. It also represents morality and discretion of man. The disappearance of light means, firstly, the loss of morality of people, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ men forgot their passions in the dread/ Of this their desolationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Secondly, a break in the balance with men turning into beasts and beasts becoming tame. The end result is chaos, gloom and the destruction of nature. This is what the darkness represents in the poem; consequences of mans loss of morality. Likewise, the scene set for the opening of Chapter five of Shelleys book is dull and cold taking place under half-extinguished light giving a foreboding effect of the consequences of Frankensteins work. Fire is a more dangerous version of light which can be created by man. Although fire provides light it also burns and causes pain as discovered by the monster while he was by himself in the forest in Chapter 11. How strange, I thought that the same cause should produce such opposite effects. Normally, to create a fire there must be a spark. Frankenstein collects his materials and then infuses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a spark of being into the lifeless thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This spark could symbolise the starting of a dangerous fire. In Darkness, the disappearance of light causes the world to become void/à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a lumpà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in other words, an empty place. This results in people becoming desperate for light and they try to create their own light, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The habitations of all things which dwell/ Were burnt for beaconsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Forests were set on fire. The desperation only causes more destruction as they destroy nature by setting it to fire all in the search of light. The symbol is further enhanced through the full name of Mary Shelleys Book which happens to be, Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus. In context, the Greek God Prometheus was assigned by Zeus, the god of the sky and the king of the Greek gods, to form man out of water and Earth. However, against the orders of Zeus, he gives man the knowledge of fire. He was then severely punished for this deed and defying Zeus by being tied to a stake where everyday an eagle came to eat his liver. Victor Frankenstein can be compared to Prometheus, as his attempt to acquire more knowledge for himself and mankind only brought dire consequences resulting in the deaths of the ones he loved. Though he did not give fire to humanity he gave the gift of the secret of life, the spark of being but withal it still remains unknown exactly what this spark really is. Similar to Prometheus defying Zeus, Frankenstein tries to defy God and he too is punished for it. CONCLUSION Romantic writers prided themselves with being individuals and Mary Shelley and Lord Byron clearly pay testament to that. These two texts are all very unique though there are some similarities the main one being the ability of the writers to warn of the future. Other writers vey well known woks which waned of the fall of mankind In Frankenstein, the monster is basically an unnatural being. The coming to life of the monster brings an aftermath of death and destruction. In addition the anxiety which Frankenstein experiences could be an illustration of the anguish mankind will suffer from due to these scientific advances. The use of religion i.e. the defiance of God in Frankenstein and apocalyptic imagery in Darkness further enhance their warnings. The question is. were the Romantic writers correct? The answer is yes. The world has changed with wars and global warming, terrorism, corruption and immense poverty being just some of the troubles of the world.