Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost Essay Example for Free

Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost Essay Walking alone at night, for some, can seem like a peaceful thing to do, to help clear a person’s mind and let the day’s troubles disappear into the dark. For others, though, the night is when a person feels the most alone and must face their own demons. Robert Frost makes the night become that dark, grim and depressing time in which people reflect on themselves in his poem â€Å"Acquainted with the Night†. The first time reading the poem, one just simply thinks a person is taking a walk at night in the city, keeping to themself when meeting the watchman and listening to the sounds on the streets around, all the while keeping time by the moon in the sky as to when to head back home. But, when taking a closer look, the reader can begin to see the pain, grief and the foreboding feeling the speaker has about life itself, the feeling of being alone and wanting it to stay that way. It also shows that the speaker isn’t the only person with pain and grief on this night. The theme of Robert Frost’s poem â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† is depression and grief in the speakers’ personal life. Frost tells us this by using symbolism and tone in the lines of the poem. â€Å"I have walked out in rain – and back in rain. † The second line in the poem tells the reader that whatever troubles the speaker is having or has had is so much for this person, that when they walk in the night, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, they will walk and walk all night through the rain, trying to out walk their troubles. The rain can also symbolize life itself, always pouring one thing after another on a person, one stress after another, one heartache after another, and sometimes no matter how strong a person is, they can never get away from that rain. The following line, â€Å"I have outwalked the furthest city light. † tells the reader, in the literal sense, that the speaker also does not care about the distance as to which they will walk to try to leave their troubles behind. Or it can symbolize that no matter how far a person goes in life, there is always trouble waiting. I have looked down the saddest city lane. † shows the reader that the speaker, though physically alone, isn’t all that alone in the grimness of life. The lane the speaker is looking down gives the reader the picture that it is run down, abandoned almost and even probably poverty stricken. The reader sees that the speaker isn’t the only one with trouble and depression, it surrounds the speaker but the he sees himself as alone in that he is wrapped up in his own feelings and thoughts. Even when the speaker passes the watchman on the treet, he doesn’t want to explain why he is out at night and averts his eyes so that maybe he will get by without being stopped. The speaker wants to keep the solitude he has in his mind intact so he wants to avoid even speaking to the watchman. The lines 7 through 10 go more in depth of the speakers’ feelings of solitude and isolation while he is out in the night: â€Å"I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet When far away an interrupted cry Came over houses from another street, but not to call me back or say good-bye;† The 7th line shows that the speaker really is all alone out there when walking; there are no other sounds of people walking or going about on the street he is walking down. The speaker walking alone reflects how he feels in his everyday life, alone, no one to walk with him and take on the troubles of life. But, he isn’t too far away from others because he can hear a cry from another lost soul dealing with their own turmoil. The lines 8 to 9 make the entire poem come across as almost horrific, because the reader then wonders what kind of cry is it that the speaker is hearing? Is the sound of some crime? Or just another person in and dealing with their own hell? Then the final lines of the poem bring home the morbid tone of the entire piece. Line 11, â€Å"And further still at an unearthly height† symbolizes how the speaker feels about how out of reach and out of touch he is with his surroundings and possibly with life itself. The lines 12 and 13, â€Å"One luminary clock against the sky / Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. † makes the reader feel the dark tone of the poem even more. The reader, at this point, is brought closer to understanding the speaker’s feeling of loneliness and solitude because that is how most people feel, no matter when it is, it is never the right time or the wrong time for almost anything. It feels as if one can almost never make the right call as to when to do something in their life that is important. The line 13 makes the reader wonder if the speaker is considering suicide, that the speaker is wondering if the time is ever right for committing suicide, or is it ever right for living life. The repeated line â€Å"I have been one acquainted with he night† as the first and last lines of the poem is the final piece that really sets the tone of darkness for the poem as a whole. Night is usually acquainted with darkness, scary things, loneliness, solitude, unhappiness and even depression. So the simple line brings to light the deepness of the inability of the speaker not being able to find things in common with those around him, not being able to open up and discuss himself and his feelings and thoughts. He has known trouble and pain, and doesn’t know how to leave it behind, so he carries it with him so that even during the day, he feels as if he is always in the darkness of night. Overall, Frost’s poem â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† is a poem that can be taken just literally, or symbolically. It depends on the kind of outlook on life each person that reads the poem has. Some might not see the symbolism of the feelings of darkness, isolation and grief, while others see it right away. But either way, the reader can still feel the dark tone of the poem whether it is the first time reading it, or the hundredth, just from the beginning and ending lines, â€Å"I have been one acquainted with the night†.

Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and the European’s Claim to Superiority

Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and the European’s Claim to Superiority Incomplete Works Cited Just beyond the â€Å"biggest and greatest town on earth†, four men sit patiently on their boat, waiting for the serene waters of the Thames to ebb (65). One of the men, a Buddha, breaks the silence, saying, â€Å"and this also†¦has been one of the dark places of the earth† (67). This pensive and peaceful idol, Marlow, explains to his apathetic listeners how a great civilization is blindly made out of a darkness, remarking, â€Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only† (70). The irony with which Marlow looks upon colonization suggests that this redeeming feature, â€Å"†¦Europe’s claim to be civilized, and therefore superior, needs earnest reexamination† (Sarvan). As Sarvan suggests, Heart of Darkness contrasts the appearance of African â€Å"savagery† with European â€Å"civility† to demonstrate the inhumanity of the Europeans, rather than that of the Africans. Conrad’s dehumanizing descriptions of the Africans serve to show the inhuman effects of colonialism, rather than to demean the African people. For example, Sarvan notes that when an African is â€Å"reclaimed† by serving the Europeans, â€Å"†¦it is grim irony because he has been reclaimed to a worse state of barbarism.† When Marlow reaches the first station, he notices one of the â€Å"reclaimed† in a uniform jacket missing a button and notes, â€Å"†¦[He] seemed to take me into partnership in his exalted trust†¦I also was a part of the great cause of these high and just proceedings† (82). By ironically referrin... ...rlow’s â€Å"ironic voyage of discovery† could have happened anywhere. Indeed, the appearance of a fiendish black figure with his â€Å"long black legs, waving long black arms† is a mere illusion created by the fire behind him (148). The possibility that this wild and mysterious being in the midst of a great darkne ss could represent any man in any place lends a great sense of significance to Marlow’s â€Å"inconclusive experiences† (70). The irony of this dark portrayal of human nature is that humanity must hide from its own abomination in order to survive. Just as Marlow tells a detestable lie to hide the horrors of one man’s corrupted soul, it is ironic that the â€Å"taint of death, a flavor of morality† should protect idealism (96). Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. â€Å"Heart of Darkness.† An Introduction to Literature. Terry, Joseph. New York, NY: Longman, 2001. 1614-1672.

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions (China and Germany) Essay

Gerard Hendrik Hofstede (born October 2, 1928 in Haarlem) is a Dutch expert in cultural studies [GHW]. Hofstede (1980) surveyed 88,000 IBM employees working in 66 countries and then ranked the countries on different cultural dimensions. His research resulted in four dimensions (power distance; individualism versus collectivism; uncertainty avoidance; and masculinity and femininity). In the beginning, China was not included in this study but later Bond and Hofstede looked at Chinese values. From this research they included a fifth cultural value dimension called: long-term versus short-term orientation [SKR]. Power Distance Index (PDI) The Power Distance index shows how less powerful individuals accept and expect an unequal distribution of power. High power distance means that power is unevenly distributed; low power distance means that power is more evenly distributed [TIP]. According to Geert Hofstede’s 5 dimensions China is located in the higher ranking at 80. That means that this society â€Å"believes that inequalities amongst people are acceptable† [GER]. The Power is centralised and the management is autocratic. The subordinate-superior relationship tends to be cleaved and â€Å"there is no defence against power abuse by superiors† [GER]. This means that â€Å"people are less willing to challenge authority which is likely due to old communism beliefs which still have a strong influence on people’s behaviour† [SKR]. Managers expect subordinates to obey them. Subordinates automatically show respect and know that they have to earn their respect. They also expect to be told what to do. Therefore social interactions are formal. In general we can say that the Chinese are â€Å"optimistic about people’s capacity for leadership and initiative† [GER]. The general attitude of the Chinese is that you should not fulfil any duties beyond your rank [GER]. In class I have noticed that the status of the teacher has to be respected and privileges are expected. To listen to a different example: In China it is very common that the workers should come 15 minutes earlier to a meeting and the manager with the most power is always five to fifteen minutes later. That shows that the managers enjoy more privileges. I was able to observe that the compliance of  the hierarchy is maintained very strictly. Individualism versus Collectivism(IDV) This index shows the extent to which individuals are integrated into groups or not [TIP]. In societies with a high IDV index particularly individual rights are protected: self-determination, I experience and personal responsibility are important. In a collectivist culture with a low IDV-index contrast, the integration dominates in any kind of networks. The team spirit is much more characteristic of such a culture [GHW]. According to Geert Hofstede China is located in the lower ranking at 20. â€Å"In collectivist cultures such as China, people work together in groups and often put the needs of that group ahead of their own personal wants† [SKR]. They share responsibility. The Chinese who are doing business tend to stay with the same partners and suppliers to keep loyalty and not worsen relationships [SKR]. In China the community had always the priority. Tian xia wei gong said the ancients – under the sky everything serves the community. In the Confucian influenced social system everyone expects from the individual subordination, self-control and willingness to make sacrifices in order that the family and state can benefit from it. Individualism is a term which has always had a negative connotation in China, because people associated it with egoism. The Chinese prefer a holistic thinking. An example, if a Chinese writes his address down he will start with the country, then the city and the street and at the end his own name. The traditional Chinese medicine is a prime example for holistic thinking. Each disease is always seen in the context of the whole body. Collectivism promotes harmony. In China people focus on harmony and shun the direct confrontation. Harmony is achieved by giving â€Å"face† to others and avoiding losing your own â€Å"face†. When I talked to my Chinese friend â€Å"David Zhang† and asked him about his study he will begin in Germany, he told me that this was a family decision. Of course, it was his wish but without the consent of the family he could never study abroad. Even if he had the money for it he would not do so, because his family is much more important to him. Masculinity / Femininity(MAS) This MAS index shows the expression of the dominant values that are  established in both sexes. Hofstede ranks to the female values of care, cooperation and modesty. As masculine values ​​Hofstede defines competitive readiness and self-confidence. A high MAS index shows a dominance of â€Å"typically male† values, a low MAS index shows a dominance of â€Å"typically female† values [GHW]. ​​According to Geert Hofstede China is located in the higher ranking at 66. It is more a masculine society – a society which is success oriented. You can see it on the fact that many of the Chinese sacrifice their leisure time to work [SKR]. I have noticed that shops are open until very late at night. Officially, nowadays women enjoy the same rights as men in the workplace. The Communist Party in China has made efforts to put both genders on almost the same level. Anyway traditional Confucian thinking does not fit easily with this term of gender equality. It seems to be a bit ironic that the liberalisation policies of the last decade might have turned around many of the advances made by women under the prevalent conditions of the hard-line regimes. Through the traditional values it is the boys who have strong preferences. The men own most of the power and responsibility although there is a high level of acceptance between genders in China [SKR]. Unfortunately, women in executive positions enjoy a low appreciation. There are successful women in all fields, they are among the winners of the economic reforms, but also among the losers. If the economic situation in the factories is poor and staff is reduced, they are the first to be fired. If high school fees are too high, it is usually the daughter, who leave school and has to go to work [BUC]. Uncertainty avoidance(UAI) The UAI index shows a society’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. Cultures with a high UAI, want to avoid the uncertainty and are characterized by many uncommitted laws, policies and security measures. Members are emotional and nervous. Cultures which are tolerant to accept uncertainty have a few rules that are changeable and thus tend to relativism. The members are phlegmatic and expect from their environment not to show feelings [GHW]. According to Geert Hofstede China has a low score of 30 on uncertainty avoidance. China has a high degree of acceptance of uncertainty. This society does not try to take control of the future, and therefore China’s society is not afraid of unforeseen situations [SKR]. The  Chinese consider written and oral arrangements sceptical. Contracts should be structured so that there is still the possibility to change the contract afterwards. The Chinese are very flexible. In case of conflict, a mentor is used, which takes care of the problems of both families instead of going to court. Uncertainty avoidance means for the Chinese first: What does my boss want? If he agrees with my ideas, then I can put it on. But I do not certainly know if he will like my ideas, I rather not ask him indeed I better wait for instructions. In this case, I can do no wrong, because the manager is responsible for all decisions, therefore the uncertainty is resolved. I could observe that the Chinese remain calm when unforeseen situations occur. They do not get upset about the situation. They can quickly accept the situation and adapt their surroundings. Long-term or short-term orientation(LTO) This LTO index â€Å"deals with the issue of virtue. Long-term cultures value thrift and perseverance; short-term cultures value tradition, the fulfilment of social obligations and protecting one’s ‘face’ or honour. A long-term orientation is associated with East Asian countries† [TIP]. According to Geert Hofstede China has a high score of 118. Hofstede analysed that China has the highest ranking of all countries in long-term orientation. It is 30% higher than the Asian average score. China is a country with a strong long-term orientation. It can be seen from the fact that China preferred a long-term development and indirect enforcement strategies [SKR]. According to the Chinese way of thinking it is not the shortest route that leads to the destination but the more difficult path. Therefore the Chinese can handle complex situations without a lot of stress neither they let push themselves through time. The key for the Chinese is to build up strong, reliable, lasting relationships. Before any decision is met there must be gained a certain amount of trust. Obviously this takes longer to finish a business deal. They do not like to rush into things [SKR]. Once you build up the trust and a strong relationship you can rely on it. This culture is marked by loyalty and respect. If you are willing to maintain this relationship you can trust your entire life on Guanxi. Comparison between China and Germany As you can see there are a few differences between Germany and China. In contrast to China the power is decentralised. The German culture is marked by a low power distance and the subordinates expect to be consulted as well as they expect to offer their ideas to the managers. Flashing back to my work experience I can say that I often had to take initiative. Often people are confronted with the adage: â€Å"think by yourself†. The other difference is that the management and subordinates respect each other and treat one another as equals. Usually it is as described, but there are of course exceptions. In most cases, however, I have had the experience that I had a good relationship to my boss. Compared to China, Germany has a highly individualistic society. Personal responsibility, independence, self-determination and I-experience are highly valued in Germany. A prolonged stay abroad is much respected. It shows that you can independently fulfil tasks. Companies wish to have workers with international experience due to growing globalization. That individualism counts, can also be seen in the fact that you put your name first when writing an address. This is totally different to China where you put the country at first as I have already mentioned. According to Hofstede Germany and China have the same MAS index. Mostly it is the men who hold the most of the power. I have noticed women get more and more acceptance in the man dominated business world. For example we now have a woman (Angelika Merkel) as chancellor and not a man. I can see more and more woman taking part in higher positions. Therefore I would rate Germany at 55 because there is no doubt about the increasing acceptance of women. Another example shows that a women’s quota should be introduced in Germany, which includes that at least 10% of women should sit in the top management. Furthermore Germany is a country full of bureaucracy. We have laws for almost everything, insurance companies are supposed to protect us and the institutions should regulate everything imaginable. We want to have everything controlled in order to control the future. Therefore we make contracts and then we act accordingly. This is totally different to the Chinese Culture where people like to keep the possibility to change things afterwards. The highest difference between China and Germany is the LTO index. Unlike China, Germany is more short-term oriented. Managers in Germany try to make high profits in no time. We put  truth and directness before diplomacy. Furthermore I have noticed that German employers are impatient because they want to get fast results. Criticism Unfortunately, I could not check if I would spread as much points as Hofstede because there was too less time to make an intensive investigation. However, I found out through discussions and research that Hofstede was pretty accurate with his assumptions. Furthermore, I want to mention a couple of criticisms of his study. The main point is listed by critics that the drawn samples were not representative. So in the original study(1967-1972 ) information were used from a global survey made by IBM. Thus, it is uncertain whether the system actually worked out measures of national cultures or rather differences in corporate culture between the countries. Furthermore, Hofstede’s approach ignores differences within a nation. The model treats a nation as a homogeneous state of individuals who all share the same value system. This is in most cases incorrect. In addition, criticism of the validity of the items was practiced [4]. Hofstede cites no theoretical justification for the selection of items. House and other people criticizes in particular the failure to distinguish between values ​​and behavior. This is problematic because negative values ​​and behavior are linked. Source Material: [TIP] Geert Hofstede, Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions and Organisations across Nations (Place: Corwin Press, 2001). http://www.tiplady.org.uk/pdfs/LEA502-5-culturalissues.pdf [GER] The Hofstede Centre: http://geert-hofstede.com/china.html [SKR] Hofstede comparison of Germany and China: https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbuinternationalmanagement.wikispaces.com%2Ffile%2Fview%2FHofstede%2Bcomparison%2Bof%2BGermany%2Band%2BChina.doc&ei=vDRYUb6mKo7EswaMoICQAg&usg=AFQjCNHgjNwXhFqhxu015my2P3qIqIftMQ&sig2=MGY08eJFzKV1E–Q6iME-w&bvm=bv.44442042,d.Yms [GHW] Geert Hofstede http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Hofstede [BUC] Der China Knigge ; Yu-Chien Kuan, Petra Hà ¤ring-Kuan ; September 2006 ISBN: 978-3-596-16684-8 Persons I have talked to: David King (Banker / Chinese) David Zhang (Student / Chinese) Primel (Chinese Girl who studies German) Kim Lao (Chinese Business Man / employed by an American company) Lio (Student / Chinese)

What Qualities of the Victorian Architecture Have a Particular Meaning Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Then, he states his sub-claim that the Victorian architectures have several readable meanings because of the development of mechanized iron architectural ornament during that period. To support his sub-claim, he describes the mechanized iron architectural ornament developed in Victorian architecture. In addition, the flourishing and the theorization could be seen as grounds because it shows how the Victorian architecture has evolved with the changing culture (Dobraszczyk 260). By analyzing his article, it is obvious to know that some people did not embrace the use of iron as much as it had flourished during the Victorian era and not every architect or building owner was into iron. However, the development of mechanized iron architectural ornament shows that the architectures were modernized over time and that it was received well as it was the choice for many architects. Blaszczyk's book is valid as he presents pieces of evidence that support his claim fully. For example, he gives sufficient evidence to support his claim by showing how architects embraced the use of iron very well. The pieces of evidence presented by the author are objective research and not personal narrations. We will write a custom essay sample on What Qualities of the Victorian Architecture Have a Particular Meaning or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The book develops my research by providing a lot of information on the construction materials from the Victorian era.