The English Language Today
By David Crystal
Summary
The English linguist, David Crystal, tries to explain the importance and the reasons why English counts as a global language. The text shows two different theories of why a language can be counted as worldwide. The first is the extent to which a language is found useful outside its original setting and the second describes the grade of difficulty of considering the language as global with the help of the total number of its speakers.
To count all the mother tongue speakers of English is not the biggest obstacle, because we have exact numbers of the population of these countries. The problem seems to be the countries that use English as a second or as a foreign language. In these areas where English is used as a foreign language, it is studied at high levels, for example in schools and universities. Even though this happens mostly in developed countries, to make an estimate of the English speakers here is, as Crystal claims, something almost impossible and of course the question of -to what extent somebody speaks English- comes in the picture as well.
In countries where English is used as an official/second language such as Ghana and Nigeria the problem becomes even more difficult. Here, the legal system, education and media are mainly in English. But because of the existence of several ethnical groups, all with different native languages, English has been chosen to neutralize possible ethnical and lingual conflicts in the area. English is counted here as a “second” language also because the people want to maintain their traditions. Because of this many of them speak their own language at home. This factor combined with the poverty that makes the educational opportunities limited, makes it, again, impossible to make an exact estimate of the English speakers in the area.
Crystal argues that every language reaches its climax with the help of the economy. Several languages as French and Latin have reached the worldwide status. Today is the turn of English, but in case of a massive change in the economy and of the balance of power of the western world, the position of the English language can be put in danger, but until then the English language will continue to develop and the number of the English speakers will continue to increase.
Word Count: 383
onsdag 6 februari 2008
What does Rita gain from her education and what does she lose? based on educating rita by Willy russel
What does Rita gain from her education and what does she lose?
In the play written by William Russell in 1979, you meet a 26 year old hairdresser that decides to improve her life trough an education. The hairdresser, Rita, comes from a working class background from Liverpool, something which is an obstacle in her pursuit of knowledge. Nevertheless, she understands that a possible education would function as an entry into a superior lifestyle. As the time passes, Rita’s thirst of education increases and she feels that she gains an identity. Her tutor, Frank, plays a vital part in her development.
The process of gaining this identity decreases her ability to understand the possible drawbacks of her education. Throughout her development, her personality is changing inevitably and according to her, the development is mainly positive. This essay will analyze what Rita gains from her education and what she loses.
Rita is gaining a lot from her education but simultaneously refuses to cope with the fact that her personality and mentality alter too. Because of these changes, Rita distances from her family and the environment she was part of. This huge loss of separation from her family is, anyhow, not comprehended completely by Rita. Nevertheless, the connections with her old environment disappear and not having arrived yet in the new desired, upper-class world, Rita feels desolated and claims that she is ‘I’m a half-caste’. This somber separation from her family, friends, acquaintances and boyfriend can be noticed during several occasions in the play; when Rita joins her family at the pub and while the whole family is singing joyfully along the jukebox, Rita realizes how futile her family’s present is. Rita remarks that she must revive and obtain a genuine identity. This process becomes her intention and because of the education, it occurs. But everything has a prize in life; the more she is distancing from her family and earlier environment, the more she gains the desired upper-class identity.
This fact is grasped by her teacher, Frank. The tutor is, to a certain extent, aware of his decline within the private and working life and notices that Rita yearns for the same things that he does not value anymore. Throughout the play, Frank realizes that because of this education, much of Rita’s personal charisma, as for example her vivaciousness and brightness vanishes. Rita refuses to understand these drawbacks of her education and instead of taking in consideration Frank’s observation, she negates replies: ‘What's up, Frank, don't y' like me now that the little girl's grown up, now that y' can no longer bounce me on daddy's knee an' watch me stare back in wide-eyed wonder at everything he has to say?’
As I mentioned before, with the help of the education Rita gains, more or less, the kind of identity that she yearned for. This occurs tragically because it distances Rita from her family and friends.
In terms of education, because of her thirst of knowledge, Rita gains a lot. She learns how to articulate a speech, to discuss properly, she gains knowledge about classic literature and music, learns how to write essays and learns famous quotations. However, one of the most vital accomplishments of Rita is self judgment. Throughout the play, you can notice how Rita’s ability of questioning knowledge increases. In the beginning of the play, this quotation is found: “Rita, how the hell can you write an essay on E.M Forster with almost total reference to Harold Robbins?” Rita must learn about source criticism “Crap? And who are you citing in support of your thesis, F.R Leavis?” “No. Me!”).
In this case, Rita is making an attempt to write an essay in a germane way, but eventually fails because she cannot question her own work and the sources she is dealing with. Throughout the book, she is progressing to a large extent. In the end she says, I will try to quote from the memory, that “I wanted it all so much, I did not want it (the knowledge) to be questioned”. Frank’s and Trish’s influence helped the protagonist to understand that in order to be a genuine educated person, she has to question all possible knowledge.
Nevertheless, throughout the play, Rita is distancing from her family as a consequence of her new upper-class identity. Her new identity helps her to make tremendous progresses within the scholar life. Despite the obstacles that she faces in the pursuit of knowledge, she succeeds, more or less, to accomplish the demands of her education. Beside that Rita is on her way to become well-read, she even gains knowledge of source criticism and thus understands that questioning all kind of knowledge is vital.
In the play written by William Russell in 1979, you meet a 26 year old hairdresser that decides to improve her life trough an education. The hairdresser, Rita, comes from a working class background from Liverpool, something which is an obstacle in her pursuit of knowledge. Nevertheless, she understands that a possible education would function as an entry into a superior lifestyle. As the time passes, Rita’s thirst of education increases and she feels that she gains an identity. Her tutor, Frank, plays a vital part in her development.
The process of gaining this identity decreases her ability to understand the possible drawbacks of her education. Throughout her development, her personality is changing inevitably and according to her, the development is mainly positive. This essay will analyze what Rita gains from her education and what she loses.
Rita is gaining a lot from her education but simultaneously refuses to cope with the fact that her personality and mentality alter too. Because of these changes, Rita distances from her family and the environment she was part of. This huge loss of separation from her family is, anyhow, not comprehended completely by Rita. Nevertheless, the connections with her old environment disappear and not having arrived yet in the new desired, upper-class world, Rita feels desolated and claims that she is ‘I’m a half-caste’. This somber separation from her family, friends, acquaintances and boyfriend can be noticed during several occasions in the play; when Rita joins her family at the pub and while the whole family is singing joyfully along the jukebox, Rita realizes how futile her family’s present is. Rita remarks that she must revive and obtain a genuine identity. This process becomes her intention and because of the education, it occurs. But everything has a prize in life; the more she is distancing from her family and earlier environment, the more she gains the desired upper-class identity.
This fact is grasped by her teacher, Frank. The tutor is, to a certain extent, aware of his decline within the private and working life and notices that Rita yearns for the same things that he does not value anymore. Throughout the play, Frank realizes that because of this education, much of Rita’s personal charisma, as for example her vivaciousness and brightness vanishes. Rita refuses to understand these drawbacks of her education and instead of taking in consideration Frank’s observation, she negates replies: ‘What's up, Frank, don't y' like me now that the little girl's grown up, now that y' can no longer bounce me on daddy's knee an' watch me stare back in wide-eyed wonder at everything he has to say?’
As I mentioned before, with the help of the education Rita gains, more or less, the kind of identity that she yearned for. This occurs tragically because it distances Rita from her family and friends.
In terms of education, because of her thirst of knowledge, Rita gains a lot. She learns how to articulate a speech, to discuss properly, she gains knowledge about classic literature and music, learns how to write essays and learns famous quotations. However, one of the most vital accomplishments of Rita is self judgment. Throughout the play, you can notice how Rita’s ability of questioning knowledge increases. In the beginning of the play, this quotation is found: “Rita, how the hell can you write an essay on E.M Forster with almost total reference to Harold Robbins?” Rita must learn about source criticism “Crap? And who are you citing in support of your thesis, F.R Leavis?” “No. Me!”).
In this case, Rita is making an attempt to write an essay in a germane way, but eventually fails because she cannot question her own work and the sources she is dealing with. Throughout the book, she is progressing to a large extent. In the end she says, I will try to quote from the memory, that “I wanted it all so much, I did not want it (the knowledge) to be questioned”. Frank’s and Trish’s influence helped the protagonist to understand that in order to be a genuine educated person, she has to question all possible knowledge.
Nevertheless, throughout the play, Rita is distancing from her family as a consequence of her new upper-class identity. Her new identity helps her to make tremendous progresses within the scholar life. Despite the obstacles that she faces in the pursuit of knowledge, she succeeds, more or less, to accomplish the demands of her education. Beside that Rita is on her way to become well-read, she even gains knowledge of source criticism and thus understands that questioning all kind of knowledge is vital.
david mcintyre(teacher) talks about main cahracters in remains of the day
Describing the main characters in The Remains of the Day
Miss Kenton
Worked at Darlington’s for 15 years
Housekeeper
She tells and imagines how her life would be with Stevens P251
She is giving optimismà first time for the reader
She is determined
Seeing & Blindness: she sees that she cannot enter the relationship between Stevens and Darlington
Marries Mr. Ben
Has no close relatives
Not afraid of expressing ideas
Straight forward
Reveals Steven’s personality
Drives the narration
Comes to life at the end of the novel
Can become emotional, then becomes the opposite of Stevens
In contrast to Stevens, she wishes to do something with her life
Darlington
Comes from old distinguished family
Dead and diseased
Darlington symbol for Englishness, when Faraday takes overàsymbol for the disappearance of the empire and the abolishment of the Loyal Houses
Had a nephew
Trusted Stevens
Influenced by the Germans
Symbolizes the position of Britain in politicsà Darlington=powerful, Britain=world power
Has a friend that commits suicide
Darlington is symbol for Englishness & Faraday for Americans
Like a match of rugbyà British traditional sportà fight during the match and friends afterwardsà the same as Darlington thought about Germans, they fought against the Germans, but the fight was now over (UNRELIABLE IDEA OF DAVID)à contrast with USA
Father
· 2 childrenànot a good father à regrets that to the end
· 70 years oldàdies of heart attack
· Worked for Darlington àprofessional relation with himà dignityà Stevens regarded him as the personification of dignity
· Dedicated to work
· Not a member of Hayes Society
· Is Stevens model
· His name was William
Miss Kenton
Worked at Darlington’s for 15 years
Housekeeper
She tells and imagines how her life would be with Stevens P251
She is giving optimismà first time for the reader
She is determined
Seeing & Blindness: she sees that she cannot enter the relationship between Stevens and Darlington
Marries Mr. Ben
Has no close relatives
Not afraid of expressing ideas
Straight forward
Reveals Steven’s personality
Drives the narration
Comes to life at the end of the novel
Can become emotional, then becomes the opposite of Stevens
In contrast to Stevens, she wishes to do something with her life
Darlington
Comes from old distinguished family
Dead and diseased
Darlington symbol for Englishness, when Faraday takes overàsymbol for the disappearance of the empire and the abolishment of the Loyal Houses
Had a nephew
Trusted Stevens
Influenced by the Germans
Symbolizes the position of Britain in politicsà Darlington=powerful, Britain=world power
Has a friend that commits suicide
Darlington is symbol for Englishness & Faraday for Americans
Like a match of rugbyà British traditional sportà fight during the match and friends afterwardsà the same as Darlington thought about Germans, they fought against the Germans, but the fight was now over (UNRELIABLE IDEA OF DAVID)à contrast with USA
Father
· 2 childrenànot a good father à regrets that to the end
· 70 years oldàdies of heart attack
· Worked for Darlington àprofessional relation with himà dignityà Stevens regarded him as the personification of dignity
· Dedicated to work
· Not a member of Hayes Society
· Is Stevens model
· His name was William
comparative commentary, based on article sam cerro
Firstly, in my commentary, the text to the left that is an obituary will be called text A, while the newspaper story, on the right, text B.
The most obvious connections between the two texts, is the theme. The both articles are based on the same piece of information, which is the death of Sam Cerro. Even though the articles have, to a certain extent, a similar theme, the both texts convey different motives.
Another similarity that can be found in the both texts is the cause of Cerro’s death. Although this connection can be perceived, as a close reader, you can notice that in text A the protagonist “died at his home, on August 32, 1994, after a long illness”. The other text transmits the following information “died at St Mary’s Hospital from heart disease”.
An important similarity that you have to take in consideration is that the both texts are paradigmatic. Text A can be classified as paradigmatic because of its structure and language. An obituary is always compact, but very efficient. For example, in its first part it describes Cerro’s personality and conveys what kind of person he was, while the second part of the obituary gives you information about the funeral. The compact form is also combined with a big number of adjectives. These adjectives are words that usually describe the main character in a positive way. “We thank God for the 68 years we were allowed to share his life and know his love.” In the obituary Cerro is described as: beloved, loving and a person that the family members will miss. Text A follows the pathway of an obituary. The text is compact and packed with adjectives that describe the positive properties of Cerro, something that logically affects the readers thinking.
In the same way is the reader affected in text B, which is a newspaper story. Likewise text A, the structure and language of the newspaper story makes it paradigmatic as well. The pathway of a newspaper story consists, unlike text A, of a big number of verbs, while the structure is much longer and divided in columns. The usage of the big number of verbs occurs in order to keep the audience read and get informed through a fast way. As I stated above, the fact that both texts are paradigmatic, makes one similarity that has to be taken in consideration.
It is crucial to understand that even though the both texts are based on the same theme, they convey different motives. Already through the headline in text B, you encounter the word “crime figure”. The subtitle strengthens the negative picture of Cerro even more with the help of the incomplete sentence “Record includes drugs, gambling”
In contrast to text B, text A, already through the first words, the protagonist is given the role of “beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather…” In text A, the presence of the emotional atmosphere describes gives the reader an opposite appreciation.
The texts are dissimilar mostly because their complete different purposes. Text B is a newspaper story, something that forces the journalists to use terms of exaggeration or situations that attract the readers in order to be published. The terms of exaggeration can be noticed between the lines. Throughout the text, the newspaper story infers details of the main character’s life and off-putting arguments that construct an interesting article. There exist several examples that do so, one of them can be “... to have supplied cocaine to the men…”. The use of cocaine works as an eliminating factor from today’s society. A person that makes use of this drug might be shut from the society. In our case the author accomplishes his goal.
On the other hand, text A has a completely different purpose. The obituary has the aim of informing the society of the death of a normal person. Unlike text B, the obituary is most probably written by Cerro’s family. The members of his family, in this case, want to convey the genuine person behind the descriptions of the media, something that can be understood with the help of the presence of love and respect for Cerro in the obituary. The following example “We will love him forever and miss him greatly” confirms the purpose of the obituary, because it argues against text B, which may have been published before text A. The previous example above shows that although Cerro might have had difficulties during his life with following the law, he was a remarkable person, which will be remembered by his family forever. The different purpose of the texts is an important factor that proves the vast differences between the texts.
Another enormous difference is the usage of language in the texts. In text A, the author uses a special kind of vocabulary. This specific code describes the positive properties of the central figure and his/her personality or attitude, “Sam loved the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees and all the animal life beautified from his loving care.” Here the words work together to classify Cerro as a normal genuine person, precisely like everybody else. Unlike text A, text B uses an entirely different language, “Cerro’s long career in local crime included drugs, tax evasion, gambling and illegal abortion.” This example, unlike text A, analyzes what the central character did during his life and what kind of person he was. The poetic way of writing in text A and the journalistic text in the newspaper story makes the two texts even more dissimilar.
Ultimately, if you do not take the paradigmatic form in consideration, it is interesting to analyze what devices the two texts use for the information. Unlike the obituary, in text B, you can notice the presence of the authority of voice. This means that the journalist notifies important associations as the coroner’s office and hints the situation to negative figures, as Garrot the pimp, to influence the reader in the way they wish. In text A, the author uses the presence of several members of family to make the protagonist as normal as possible, “He is survived by his daughters, Linda, Michelle, Cathy and Jacky, his brother, John, and sisters Nellie and Joe and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.” The usage of different tools to influence the reader and win his attention is an important difference that has to be taken in consideration.
Word Count: 1068
The most obvious connections between the two texts, is the theme. The both articles are based on the same piece of information, which is the death of Sam Cerro. Even though the articles have, to a certain extent, a similar theme, the both texts convey different motives.
Another similarity that can be found in the both texts is the cause of Cerro’s death. Although this connection can be perceived, as a close reader, you can notice that in text A the protagonist “died at his home, on August 32, 1994, after a long illness”. The other text transmits the following information “died at St Mary’s Hospital from heart disease”.
An important similarity that you have to take in consideration is that the both texts are paradigmatic. Text A can be classified as paradigmatic because of its structure and language. An obituary is always compact, but very efficient. For example, in its first part it describes Cerro’s personality and conveys what kind of person he was, while the second part of the obituary gives you information about the funeral. The compact form is also combined with a big number of adjectives. These adjectives are words that usually describe the main character in a positive way. “We thank God for the 68 years we were allowed to share his life and know his love.” In the obituary Cerro is described as: beloved, loving and a person that the family members will miss. Text A follows the pathway of an obituary. The text is compact and packed with adjectives that describe the positive properties of Cerro, something that logically affects the readers thinking.
In the same way is the reader affected in text B, which is a newspaper story. Likewise text A, the structure and language of the newspaper story makes it paradigmatic as well. The pathway of a newspaper story consists, unlike text A, of a big number of verbs, while the structure is much longer and divided in columns. The usage of the big number of verbs occurs in order to keep the audience read and get informed through a fast way. As I stated above, the fact that both texts are paradigmatic, makes one similarity that has to be taken in consideration.
It is crucial to understand that even though the both texts are based on the same theme, they convey different motives. Already through the headline in text B, you encounter the word “crime figure”. The subtitle strengthens the negative picture of Cerro even more with the help of the incomplete sentence “Record includes drugs, gambling”
In contrast to text B, text A, already through the first words, the protagonist is given the role of “beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather…” In text A, the presence of the emotional atmosphere describes gives the reader an opposite appreciation.
The texts are dissimilar mostly because their complete different purposes. Text B is a newspaper story, something that forces the journalists to use terms of exaggeration or situations that attract the readers in order to be published. The terms of exaggeration can be noticed between the lines. Throughout the text, the newspaper story infers details of the main character’s life and off-putting arguments that construct an interesting article. There exist several examples that do so, one of them can be “... to have supplied cocaine to the men…”. The use of cocaine works as an eliminating factor from today’s society. A person that makes use of this drug might be shut from the society. In our case the author accomplishes his goal.
On the other hand, text A has a completely different purpose. The obituary has the aim of informing the society of the death of a normal person. Unlike text B, the obituary is most probably written by Cerro’s family. The members of his family, in this case, want to convey the genuine person behind the descriptions of the media, something that can be understood with the help of the presence of love and respect for Cerro in the obituary. The following example “We will love him forever and miss him greatly” confirms the purpose of the obituary, because it argues against text B, which may have been published before text A. The previous example above shows that although Cerro might have had difficulties during his life with following the law, he was a remarkable person, which will be remembered by his family forever. The different purpose of the texts is an important factor that proves the vast differences between the texts.
Another enormous difference is the usage of language in the texts. In text A, the author uses a special kind of vocabulary. This specific code describes the positive properties of the central figure and his/her personality or attitude, “Sam loved the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees and all the animal life beautified from his loving care.” Here the words work together to classify Cerro as a normal genuine person, precisely like everybody else. Unlike text A, text B uses an entirely different language, “Cerro’s long career in local crime included drugs, tax evasion, gambling and illegal abortion.” This example, unlike text A, analyzes what the central character did during his life and what kind of person he was. The poetic way of writing in text A and the journalistic text in the newspaper story makes the two texts even more dissimilar.
Ultimately, if you do not take the paradigmatic form in consideration, it is interesting to analyze what devices the two texts use for the information. Unlike the obituary, in text B, you can notice the presence of the authority of voice. This means that the journalist notifies important associations as the coroner’s office and hints the situation to negative figures, as Garrot the pimp, to influence the reader in the way they wish. In text A, the author uses the presence of several members of family to make the protagonist as normal as possible, “He is survived by his daughters, Linda, Michelle, Cathy and Jacky, his brother, John, and sisters Nellie and Joe and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.” The usage of different tools to influence the reader and win his attention is an important difference that has to be taken in consideration.
Word Count: 1068
notes and preparation on the theme butlers and dignity, The remains of the day
Butlers and Dignity
-Remains of the Day-
The Remains of the Day is a novel written by Kazuro Ishiguro in 1989. In the novel we follow the central character, Stevens, on a six-day-trip. Stevens, the butler, regards himself as a professional butler and squanders his life on improving his dignity and professionalism as a butler. During the novel, the reader comprehends his painful life and past.
Butlers and dignity are two themes in the novel, which might play a part of Stevens’ unhappiness. These two themes are present throughout the whole novel.
Stevens’ unhappiness, as I mentioned above, may be a consequence of his occupation. Being a butler, was not Steven’s genuine choice. He wanted to become a great butler, because it was the only way that a butler’s son could influence the course of events positively. Stevens’ devotion to his vocation and the dignity that is related to his profession is giving him an identity that gives him the role of admirer of life. Stevens converses about how true Butlers must behave and structure their dignity. Throughout the novel he uses his position as a British butler to justify himself.
“The great butlers are great by virtue of their ability to inhabit their professional role and inhabit it to the utmost; they will not be shaken by external events, however surprising, alarming or vexing, they wear the professionalism as a decent gentlemen will wear his suite; he will not let ruffians or circumstances tear it off him in the public gaze; he will discard it when, and only when, he is entirely alone. It is as I say a matter off dignity.”
During the years, Stevens’s personality, interests and behavior are merged together into one professional butler. This becomes “his suite” that he never takes off. This turned Stevens into a day-night professional with “the suit” on. Stevens acts fully professionally. Even the novel is written in such way. Since it is a diary, the reader expects it to be like most diaries: personal, subjective, full of confessions and emotions. As a replacement for such, the diary is composed of structured memories and considerations of butlers. Every single thought is described and analyzed from a butler’s professional point of view.
His vocation correlates with dignity. Stevens considers hid duty in the following way:
“My vocation will not be fulfilled until I have done all that I can to see his lordship through the great tasks that he has set himself. Only on that day I will be able to call myself a well-contented man.”
This example proves how devoted Stevens was to Darlington. This, in combination with the struggle for achieving impeccable perfection within his vocation, gives Stevens the role of a passive admirer of life which analyzes his past through ‘corrective lenses’.
According to Stevens, he is not simply a perfect reflection of Britain’s dignity and perfect butlers, but also a factor that contributed to history through his work:
“The state of the silver had made a small, but significant contribution towards the easing of relations between the two gentlemen that evening. Something so trivial, would affect the rest of the world.”
Even though he may have increased the future Nazi influence in Britain, he did not realize this fact. This error occurred because of the ‘corrective lenses’ that I mentioned above.
-Remains of the Day-
The Remains of the Day is a novel written by Kazuro Ishiguro in 1989. In the novel we follow the central character, Stevens, on a six-day-trip. Stevens, the butler, regards himself as a professional butler and squanders his life on improving his dignity and professionalism as a butler. During the novel, the reader comprehends his painful life and past.
Butlers and dignity are two themes in the novel, which might play a part of Stevens’ unhappiness. These two themes are present throughout the whole novel.
Stevens’ unhappiness, as I mentioned above, may be a consequence of his occupation. Being a butler, was not Steven’s genuine choice. He wanted to become a great butler, because it was the only way that a butler’s son could influence the course of events positively. Stevens’ devotion to his vocation and the dignity that is related to his profession is giving him an identity that gives him the role of admirer of life. Stevens converses about how true Butlers must behave and structure their dignity. Throughout the novel he uses his position as a British butler to justify himself.
“The great butlers are great by virtue of their ability to inhabit their professional role and inhabit it to the utmost; they will not be shaken by external events, however surprising, alarming or vexing, they wear the professionalism as a decent gentlemen will wear his suite; he will not let ruffians or circumstances tear it off him in the public gaze; he will discard it when, and only when, he is entirely alone. It is as I say a matter off dignity.”
During the years, Stevens’s personality, interests and behavior are merged together into one professional butler. This becomes “his suite” that he never takes off. This turned Stevens into a day-night professional with “the suit” on. Stevens acts fully professionally. Even the novel is written in such way. Since it is a diary, the reader expects it to be like most diaries: personal, subjective, full of confessions and emotions. As a replacement for such, the diary is composed of structured memories and considerations of butlers. Every single thought is described and analyzed from a butler’s professional point of view.
His vocation correlates with dignity. Stevens considers hid duty in the following way:
“My vocation will not be fulfilled until I have done all that I can to see his lordship through the great tasks that he has set himself. Only on that day I will be able to call myself a well-contented man.”
This example proves how devoted Stevens was to Darlington. This, in combination with the struggle for achieving impeccable perfection within his vocation, gives Stevens the role of a passive admirer of life which analyzes his past through ‘corrective lenses’.
According to Stevens, he is not simply a perfect reflection of Britain’s dignity and perfect butlers, but also a factor that contributed to history through his work:
“The state of the silver had made a small, but significant contribution towards the easing of relations between the two gentlemen that evening. Something so trivial, would affect the rest of the world.”
Even though he may have increased the future Nazi influence in Britain, he did not realize this fact. This error occurred because of the ‘corrective lenses’ that I mentioned above.
Folkomflyttning och demokratiska reformer
Folkomflyttning och demokratiska reformer
Läxa. Frågor. Svar.
Frågor
· Diskutera orsakerna bakom den stora emigrationen till Amerika under 1800- talet.
· De stora befolkningsomflyttningarna i samband med industrialismens framväxt väckte oro för social upplösning i samhället. Varför? Finns det paralleller till dagens diskussioner om invandring och globalisering?
· Arbetarrörelsen hade en politisk och en facklig gren. Beskriv likheter och skillnader dem emellan!
· Diskutera argumenten för och emot allmän rösträtt i förra sekelskiftet debatt! Vilken hållning intog företrädare för de olika ideologierna och hur resonerade de?
· Både konservativa, socialister och liberaler slöt upp och kring iden att staten skulle ta ansvar för medborgarnas välfärd. Vilka motiv för detta fördes fram av de olika partierna?
Svar
· En viktig faktor som kan ha orsakat emigrationen är kunskapen. Denna blev mycket större, vanligare och bättre än förut. Denna gav också förbättringar inom kommunikation dvs. exempelvis transport, media och post. Det gav människorna stora möjligheter att vara medvetna och informeras oftare och fortare om ett bättre liv någon annanstans och trodde att gräset var grönare på andra sidan.
Kunskapen gjorde framsteg också inom medicinen som hjälpte folket att leva bättre och säkrare. Också p.g.a. ökade befolkningen enormt. Den stora tillväxten ledde till att mer folk behövdes försörjas, mer land odlas och större mängder saker tillverkas. Detta kan ha orsakat brist på land som ledde till att mer folk sökte sig till ställen där de kunde hitta deras behov.
· Emmigrationen och urbaniseringen hade också nackdelar. När folk flyttade till det nya samhället behövde de inte bara anstränga sig att anpassa sig dit, utan också hitta ett helt nytt levnadssätt in en helt annan miljö. Detta ansträngande skifte gav föda till oro och konflikt.
En annan faktor som utsågs vara ”farlig” var att arbetsgivare utnyttjade dessa kritiska lägen till sin fördel genom att t.ex. pruta om lön.
Även idag är invandring en viktig gren i vårt samhälle. Skillnaden till dåtidens invandring är att man är medveten om den oron som skapas när man flyttar ut eller in i ett land, för att dämpa detta har man försökt hjälpa genom till exempel Integrationsverket.
En märklig skillnad är de sociala och etniska skillnader mellan människor som skapar en orättvis obalans i vårt samhälle. Som exempel kan barnarbete ges.
· När folket kom till nya platser innebar det också att de behövde bygga allting från grunden. Detta skulle nöja befolkningen och skapa ordning. Därför byggde man arbetarrörelsen som hade två grenar; den fackliga som skulle se till att arbetarna förhandlade om ett gemensamt avtal som stadgade lika villkor och rättigheter till alla, och den politiska som ville förändra styrelsesättet i samhället. Både dessa fack hade troligen samma mål, att göra samhället så bekväm som möjligt för alla. Den politiska, hade en teori som var multilateral, hjälpa alla, medan den fackliga var mera självisk, som handlade bara om arbetarnas jobb.
· Då strävade människorna naturligtvis efter jämställighet, därför skulle rösträtten införas. Men det fanns gott om motargument! De innebar också att om hur folket som inte hade egendomar och utbildning kunde rösta. Det menades att om man inte har kunskap vet man inte vad politiska inriktningar innebär och om man inte hade egendomar kunde man inte vara ansvarig. Till slut förstod man hur viktig jämnställigheten är.
· Det uppstod med att folk kände sig inte trygga. Det anklagades om hur den fria marknadsekonomin, som var så kraftfull och dynamisk när det gällde att producera varor, hade så stora brister när det gällde att sörja för folkets sociala välfärd.
I’m sorry that I forgot to give you my answers before the holiday. You have my apologies.
Läxa. Frågor. Svar.
Frågor
· Diskutera orsakerna bakom den stora emigrationen till Amerika under 1800- talet.
· De stora befolkningsomflyttningarna i samband med industrialismens framväxt väckte oro för social upplösning i samhället. Varför? Finns det paralleller till dagens diskussioner om invandring och globalisering?
· Arbetarrörelsen hade en politisk och en facklig gren. Beskriv likheter och skillnader dem emellan!
· Diskutera argumenten för och emot allmän rösträtt i förra sekelskiftet debatt! Vilken hållning intog företrädare för de olika ideologierna och hur resonerade de?
· Både konservativa, socialister och liberaler slöt upp och kring iden att staten skulle ta ansvar för medborgarnas välfärd. Vilka motiv för detta fördes fram av de olika partierna?
Svar
· En viktig faktor som kan ha orsakat emigrationen är kunskapen. Denna blev mycket större, vanligare och bättre än förut. Denna gav också förbättringar inom kommunikation dvs. exempelvis transport, media och post. Det gav människorna stora möjligheter att vara medvetna och informeras oftare och fortare om ett bättre liv någon annanstans och trodde att gräset var grönare på andra sidan.
Kunskapen gjorde framsteg också inom medicinen som hjälpte folket att leva bättre och säkrare. Också p.g.a. ökade befolkningen enormt. Den stora tillväxten ledde till att mer folk behövdes försörjas, mer land odlas och större mängder saker tillverkas. Detta kan ha orsakat brist på land som ledde till att mer folk sökte sig till ställen där de kunde hitta deras behov.
· Emmigrationen och urbaniseringen hade också nackdelar. När folk flyttade till det nya samhället behövde de inte bara anstränga sig att anpassa sig dit, utan också hitta ett helt nytt levnadssätt in en helt annan miljö. Detta ansträngande skifte gav föda till oro och konflikt.
En annan faktor som utsågs vara ”farlig” var att arbetsgivare utnyttjade dessa kritiska lägen till sin fördel genom att t.ex. pruta om lön.
Även idag är invandring en viktig gren i vårt samhälle. Skillnaden till dåtidens invandring är att man är medveten om den oron som skapas när man flyttar ut eller in i ett land, för att dämpa detta har man försökt hjälpa genom till exempel Integrationsverket.
En märklig skillnad är de sociala och etniska skillnader mellan människor som skapar en orättvis obalans i vårt samhälle. Som exempel kan barnarbete ges.
· När folket kom till nya platser innebar det också att de behövde bygga allting från grunden. Detta skulle nöja befolkningen och skapa ordning. Därför byggde man arbetarrörelsen som hade två grenar; den fackliga som skulle se till att arbetarna förhandlade om ett gemensamt avtal som stadgade lika villkor och rättigheter till alla, och den politiska som ville förändra styrelsesättet i samhället. Både dessa fack hade troligen samma mål, att göra samhället så bekväm som möjligt för alla. Den politiska, hade en teori som var multilateral, hjälpa alla, medan den fackliga var mera självisk, som handlade bara om arbetarnas jobb.
· Då strävade människorna naturligtvis efter jämställighet, därför skulle rösträtten införas. Men det fanns gott om motargument! De innebar också att om hur folket som inte hade egendomar och utbildning kunde rösta. Det menades att om man inte har kunskap vet man inte vad politiska inriktningar innebär och om man inte hade egendomar kunde man inte vara ansvarig. Till slut förstod man hur viktig jämnställigheten är.
· Det uppstod med att folk kände sig inte trygga. Det anklagades om hur den fria marknadsekonomin, som var så kraftfull och dynamisk när det gällde att producera varor, hade så stora brister när det gällde att sörja för folkets sociala välfärd.
I’m sorry that I forgot to give you my answers before the holiday. You have my apologies.
1. To What extent was the Second World War caused by the failure of the League of Nations?
The Second World War
1. To What extent was the Second World War caused by the failure of the League of Nations?
The League of Nations could have been one huge factor in the outbreak of the war.
It was an association built 1919 and had a simple aim; to ensure that war never broke out again. 1919 was a time after famous disputes, for example the First World War. The First World War was a disaster. This means that it destroyed many lives, families, political relationships etc. The people experienced the horrors of war as unique and with this opinion as a bottom line the majority of the people of the western world built a thought that were made of the words: no more war! After the war, many thought that the League would bring stability to the world. Why was then the League a factor in the war’s outbreak and why is it criticized? Shortage of power can be the answer.
The country that built the association was USA, the greatest power in the world at that time. When USA itself refused to join the League of Nations, it was a serious blow to the prestige of the League.
Germany was not allowed in the League because it was considered not to be part of the international community and the aggressor of the war. Russia was not allowed either, because it generated fear in Western Europe.
The League of Nations could do only three things if a dispute occurred, these things were called sanctions: firstly, they could sit down and discuss the problem in an orderly and peaceful manner. If this did not work, they could give economic sanctions, or they could order the League’s members not to trade with the aggressor country in order to make them pay and suffer.
So, the world’s most powerful nations did not support the League in any way and they were not members of the association either. This left only Britain and France in the ruling positions. This and the poor system that they could react with created shortage of power. This played in its turn a big part in the war’s outbreak.
The lack of power was not only economical but also political. This means that Britain and France were both countries that suffered financially and militarily during the war, so the League’s interventions were dependent of their limited resources.
The League was almost powerless also because so few countries in so limited areas were members. Because of this, Britain and France were not enthusiastic to get involved in disputes that did not affect Western Europe. It could have been possible that because of the lack of power that the League suffered of, dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini became almost free hands to do whatever they wished. My opinion is that the lack of power of the League of Nations contributed quite a lot in the war’s outbreak.
At a social level the League did have success but most of it is almost forgotten with its failure at a political level. The League sent teams to the Third World to dig water wells and to wipe out diseases. They even worked with drug smuggling, status of women and child slave labor. Their ideas were taken up and continued by the United Nations. The United Nations is today one of the world’s most significant organization. This is why people should know more about the League of Nations and not only about its failures.
1. To What extent was the Second World War caused by the failure of the League of Nations?
The League of Nations could have been one huge factor in the outbreak of the war.
It was an association built 1919 and had a simple aim; to ensure that war never broke out again. 1919 was a time after famous disputes, for example the First World War. The First World War was a disaster. This means that it destroyed many lives, families, political relationships etc. The people experienced the horrors of war as unique and with this opinion as a bottom line the majority of the people of the western world built a thought that were made of the words: no more war! After the war, many thought that the League would bring stability to the world. Why was then the League a factor in the war’s outbreak and why is it criticized? Shortage of power can be the answer.
The country that built the association was USA, the greatest power in the world at that time. When USA itself refused to join the League of Nations, it was a serious blow to the prestige of the League.
Germany was not allowed in the League because it was considered not to be part of the international community and the aggressor of the war. Russia was not allowed either, because it generated fear in Western Europe.
The League of Nations could do only three things if a dispute occurred, these things were called sanctions: firstly, they could sit down and discuss the problem in an orderly and peaceful manner. If this did not work, they could give economic sanctions, or they could order the League’s members not to trade with the aggressor country in order to make them pay and suffer.
So, the world’s most powerful nations did not support the League in any way and they were not members of the association either. This left only Britain and France in the ruling positions. This and the poor system that they could react with created shortage of power. This played in its turn a big part in the war’s outbreak.
The lack of power was not only economical but also political. This means that Britain and France were both countries that suffered financially and militarily during the war, so the League’s interventions were dependent of their limited resources.
The League was almost powerless also because so few countries in so limited areas were members. Because of this, Britain and France were not enthusiastic to get involved in disputes that did not affect Western Europe. It could have been possible that because of the lack of power that the League suffered of, dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini became almost free hands to do whatever they wished. My opinion is that the lack of power of the League of Nations contributed quite a lot in the war’s outbreak.
At a social level the League did have success but most of it is almost forgotten with its failure at a political level. The League sent teams to the Third World to dig water wells and to wipe out diseases. They even worked with drug smuggling, status of women and child slave labor. Their ideas were taken up and continued by the United Nations. The United Nations is today one of the world’s most significant organization. This is why people should know more about the League of Nations and not only about its failures.
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