Rip Van Winkle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tear Van Winkle - Essay Example Tear Van Winkle: the Passive Protagonist. By all accounts, Washington Irving’s A Posthumous Writing of Diedrich Knickerbockerâ appears to be a fantasy which requires the peruser to enthusiastically suspend his doubt. In any case, further perusing gives it a more profound importance. Tear Van Winkle, the hero of the story, has a strange involvement with the Catskill Mountain and falls dozes for a long time. He comes back to his town to locate the old request of things changed by the American Revolution. At the point when we consider that the story has been plotted so the hero is missing during such a groundbreaking time of American history, it is clear that the writer is endeavoring to pass on a specific message to the peruser. I accept that Washington Irving’s reason recorded as a hard copy Rip Van Winkle is to affirm that the old, in any event, when it's anything but an impetus of progress, can fill in as an appreciated and significant operator of coherence with the n ew. Tear Van Winkle is a uninvolved hero, however holds his significance until the finish of the story. Tear Van Winkle is â€Å"a straightforward, amiable fellow† who is â€Å"pliant and malleable† (Washington, 2011, p.32), in his dealings with his individual men.

War And Peace By Leo Tolstoy Essays - French Invasion Of Russia

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy At that point novel War and Peace was composed by a well known Russian creator Leo Tolstoy in 1865. The epic portrays the war with Napoleon where numerous nations were included, for example, Russia, Austrian, Prussia, Spain, Sweden, and Britain. The epic primarily centers around Russia. It mirrors the various perspectives and investment in the war of Russian gentry and workers and furthermore shows Tolstoys negative perspective on the war. Demonstrating the war, Tolstoy depicts Napoleons assault on Russia, the skirmish of Borodino, the moderate recovery of the Russian armed force, the success of Moscow by Napoleon, the fire in Moscow, and the recovery of Napoleons armed force during a destructive winter. Naopleon needed to recover from Russia under assaults by Russian laborers and horsemen on the individuals who fell behind. His military additionally sufferes from cold and yearning, since the Russians wrecked all food supplies. The takeover of Moscow by Napoleon end up being futile, and over the long haul, obliterated an enormous piece of his military. Nearby with these authentic occasions, Tolstoy depicts the various classes of Russian culture regarding their support in the war and what sort of an effect war had on their lives. In the start of the novel, the Russian refined class, which was in the emperors circle, needed Russia to take an interest in the war. They needed a fast triumph and pride for the Russian respectability. They didn't envision that the war would decimate homes, horticulture, and take numerous Russian lives. This class is appeared in Anna Pavlova Sharers salon, with its high society gentry, who talk just in French, seeing the Russian language as unseemly and helpful just for laborers. They received French culture and wear French style dress, and simultaneously they need to battle Napoleon. Be that as it may, most of this class doesnt need to take an interest themselves in the war, yet need to win the war with the hands of the workers. These privileged people, notwithstanding their high instruction and force, wi ll do nothing to help win the war. They live like parasites on the collection of Russias society. This is the means by which Tolstoy portrays this class as a rule, however he likewise delineates two agents of this high society, Andrew Bolkonsky and Pierre Bisuhov, who were the more learned ones, and whose lives and perspectives on war and life changed as the consequence of the war. Andrew was keen on a military vocation, and wasnt totally happy with the dictator, while Pierre squandered his life on liquor his ordinary movement. Nonetheless, they fall into the focal point of military exercises during the war; Andrew was lethally injured, while Pierre observes Moscow consuming and honest individuals, ladies, and kids biting the dust from hunger. They open up basic, yet significant facts. They experience the harsh occasions that workers experience and start to feel a solidarity with the country. They begin to acknowledge essential things that they never even idea of, for example, food, harmony, and love. Delineating the Rostov family, who were likewise well off nobles, yet were not in the despots circle and lived in rustic pieces of Russia, Tolstoy demonstrated a run of the mill Russian family who were given to their nation and Russian conventions. All of Tolstoys compassion is their ally and he presents them in a positive manner. They sing Russian legends, which the higher privileged people would not fantasy about doing. Portraying this class, Tolstoy depicts straightforward and interminable issues, for example, birth, love, pardoning, and passing. War hurt these individuals the most. They lost everything: hoses, domesticated animals, and serfs. The loss of their serfs was difficult to find, since they turned out to be extremely near them. The ladies from this class served in medical clinics and became attendants, as Natasha Rostova did, or shrouded injured officers in their home from the French armed force. Men from this class sorted out their own little multitudes of workers and b attled with guerilla fighting when the French armed force was withdrawing, as skipper Dolohov did. As indicated by Tolstoy, these individuals assumed a greater job in war and were more dedicated to their country than the noble class in the dictators circle. As indicated by Tolstoy, the principle national attributes are in Russian workers. He shows this through these individuals, who despise

100 Wonderful Must-Read Books with One-Word Titles

100 Wonderful Must-Read Books with One-Word Titles Heres a fact: You are never going to read all the books you want to read. But half the fun of reading is discovering things you might like to read despite that fact. Which is why these lists are so great, even if the criteria might seem very specific. Theres a whole new opportunity for discovery! So here are 100 books with one-word titles for your perusal. May you find lots of new ideas for Mount TBR. Ive included a brief description from the publisher with each title. There are so many stunners here, this list should keep you busy for a while.  Tell us in the comments about which of these you’ve read or other books with one-word titles that you love. There are a LOT of them. Yay, books! 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami: A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’sâ€"1Q84  is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers. 2666 Roberto Bolaño: Three academics on the trail of a reclusive German author; a New York reporter on his first Mexican assignment; a widowed philosopher; a police detective in love with an elusive older womanâ€"these are among the searchers drawn to the border city of Santa Teresa, where over the course of a decade hundreds of women have disappeared. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple with what it means to be black for the first time. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a newly democratic Nigeria, and reignite their passionâ€"for each other and for their homeland. Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway: Joe Spork fixes clocks. He has turned his back on his father’s legacy as one of London’s flashiest and most powerful gangsters and aims to live a quiet life. Edie Banister retired long ago from her career as a British secret agent. She  spends her days with a cantankerous old pug for company. That is, until Joe repairs a particularly unusual clockwork mechanism, inadvertently triggering a 1950s doomsday machine. Annabel by Kathleen Winter: Kathleen Winter has crafted a literary gem about the urge to unveil mysterious truth in a culture that shuns contradiction, and the body’s insistence on coming home. A daringly unusual debut full of unforgettable beauty,  Annabel  introduces a remarkable new voice to American readers. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer: Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In  Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeers Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition. Ash by Malinda Lo: In the wake of her fathers death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. Atonement by Ian McEwan: Ian McEwan’s symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose. Away by Amy Bloom: Panoramic in scope,  Away  is the epic and intimate story of young Lillian Leyb, a dangerous innocent, an accidental heroine. When her family is destroyed in a Russian pogrom, Lillian comes to America alone, determined to make her way in a new land. When word comes that her daughter, Sophie, might still be alive, Lillian embarks on an odyssey that takes her from the world of the Yiddish theater on New York’s Lower East Side, to Seattle’s Jazz District, and up to Alaska, along the fabled Telegraph Trail toward Siberia. Autumn by Ali Smith: A luminous meditation on the meaning of richness and harvest and worth,  Autumn  is the first installment of Ali Smith’s Seasonal quartet, and it casts an eye over our own time: Who are we? What are we made of? Shakespearean jeu d’esprit, Keatsian melancholy, the sheer bright energy of 1960s pop art. Wide-ranging in time-scale and light-footed through histories,  Autumn  is an unforgettable story about aging and time and loveâ€"and stories themselves. Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins: Like the work of Cormac McCarthy, Denis Johnson, Richard Ford, and Annie Proulx,  Battleborn  represents a near-perfect confluence of sensibility and setting, and the introduction of an exceptionally powerful and original literary voice. In each of these ten unforgettable stories, Claire Vaye Watkins writes her way fearlessly into the mythology of the American West, utterly reimagining it. Beloved by Toni Morrison: Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor: Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra: Hailed as a great Latin American literary event, this stylistically innovative, elliptically told tale of a young man and his love who mysteriously disappears is, as the narrator tells us, a simple story that becomes complicated.' Bruja by Wendy C. Ortiz: CCM is pleased to announce  Bruja  by Wendy C. Ortiz, the author of the critically acclaimed  Excavation: A Memoir  and  Hollywood Notebook. With  Bruja, Ortiz continues to upend and reinvent the memoir in inventive and deeply emotional ways to better fit the terms and trajectory of her exploration. Calf by Andrea Kleine: The year was 1981. The US was entering a deep recession, Russia was our enemy, and John Hinckley, Jr.’s assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan shocked the nation. It was also the year author Andrea Kleine learned her close childhood friend had been violently murdered by her socialite mother, Leslie DeVeau. Celine by Peter Heller: From the best-selling author of  The Dog Stars  and  The Painter, a luminous, masterful novel of suspenseâ€"the story of Celine, an elegant, aristocratic private eye who specializes in reuniting families, trying to make amends for a loss in her own past. Christodora by Tim Murphy: Moving kaleidoscopically from the Tompkins Square Riots and attempts by activists to galvanize a true response to the AIDS epidemic, to the New York City of the future,  Christodora  recounts the heartbreak wrought by AIDS, illustrates the allure and destructive power of hard drugs, and brings to life the ever-changing city itself. Clockers by Richard Price: At once an intense mystery and a revealing study of two men, a veteran homicide detective and an inner-city crack dealer, on opposite sides of an endless war.  Clockers  is powerful…harrowing…remarkable (The New York Times Book Review). Columbine by Dave Cullen: What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we know is wrong. It wasnt about jocks, Goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this bookâ€"widely recognized as the definitive account. Confessions by Kanae Minato: After calling off her engagement in the wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation.  But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a diabolical plot for revenge. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson: With this extraordinary first volume in what promises to be an epoch-making masterpiece, Neal Stephenson hacks into the secret histories of nations and the private obsessions of men, decrypting with dazzling virtuosity the forces that shaped this century. Damnificados by JJ Amaworo Wilson: Damnificados  is loosely based on the real-life occupation of a half-completed skyscraper in Caracas, Venezuela, the Tower of David. In this fictional version, 600 damnificadosâ€"vagabonds and misfitsâ€"take over an abandoned urban tower and set up a community complete with schools, stores, beauty salons, bakeries, and a rag-tag defensive militia. Their always heroic (and often hilarious) struggle for survival and dignity pits them against corrupt police, the brutal military, and the tyrannical owners.' Dancer by Colum McCann: Taking his inspiration from biographical facts, novelist Colum McCann tells the erotically charged story of the Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev through the cast of those who knew him: there is Anna Vasileva, Rudis first ballet teacher, who rescues her protégé from the stunted life of his provincial town; Yulia, whose sexual and artistic ambitions are thwarted by her Soviet-sanctioned marriage; and Victor, the Venezuelan street hustler, who reveals the lurid underside of the gay celebrity set. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente: Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what giants or wicked witches are to European culture: the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. Valentes take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy: Dubbed Dumplin’ by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until  Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she  is  surprised when he seems to like her back.     Duplex by Kathryn Davis: A coming-of-age-meets-dystopian-fantasy-meets-alternate-reality novel, or maybe an Ionesco-meets-Beckett-meets-Oulipo novel…The world [Duplex] describes has gone cuckoo while its characters anxieties remain stubbornly, drably, daringly familiar. ?Tom Bissell,  Harpers Magazine Edinburgh by Alexander Chee: Twelve-year-old Fee is a shy Korean American boy and a newly named section leader of the first sopranos in his local boys’ choir. But when Fee learns how the director treats his section leaders, he is so ashamed he says nothing of the abuse, not even when Peter, his best friend, is in line to be next. When the director is arrested, Fee tries to forgive himself for his silence. Emma by Jane Austen: Beautiful, clever, richâ€"and singleâ€"Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships,  Emma  is often seen as Jane Austens most flawless work. Euphoria by Lily King: Euphoria  is Lily King’s nationally bestselling breakout novel of three young, gifted anthropologists of the 30s caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives. Inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead,  Euphoria  is dazzling…suspenseful…brilliant…an exhilarating novel. â€"Boston Globe Fan by Danny Rhodes: In 1989, eighteen-year-old John Finch spends his Saturdays following Nottingham Forest F. C. up and down the country and the rest of the week trudging the streets of his hometown as a postal worker. 2004 sees Finch teaching in a secondary school, delaying the inevitable onslaught of parenthood. Fan glides between 1989 and 2004, leading inexorably towards the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, the worst sporting disaster in British history, and the true impact of that tragic day. Fences by Augustus Wilson: Troy Maxson is a strong man, a hard man. He has had to be to survive. Troy Maxson has gone through life in an America where to be proud and black is to face pressures that could crush a man, body and soul. But the 1950s are yielding to the new spirit of liberation in the 1960s, a spirit that is changing the world Troy Maxson has learned to deal with the only way he can, a spirit that is making him a stranger, angry and afraid, in a world he never knew and to a wife and son he understands less and less. Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges: The seventeen pieces in  Ficciones  demonstrate the whirlwind of Borges’s genius and mirror the precision and potency of his intellect and inventiveness, his piercing irony, his skepticism, and his obsession with fantasy. Borges sends us on a journey into a compelling, bizarre, and profoundly resonant realm; we enter the fearful sphere of Pascal’s abyss, the surreal and literal labyrinth of books, and the iconography of eternal return. To enter the worlds in  Ficciones  is to enter the mind of Jorge Luis Borges, wherein lies Heaven, Hell, and everything in between. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: One day, the most beloved thief of all arrivesâ€"Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed ofâ€"passed off as mad, and made  to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum. Flicker by Theodore Roszak: From the golden age of art movies and underground cinema to X-rated porn, splatter films, and midnight movies, this breathtaking thriller is a tour de force of cinematic fact and fantasy, full of metaphysical mysteries that will haunt the dreams of every moviegoer. Jonathan Gates could not have anticipated that his student studies would lead him to uncover the secret history of the moviesâ€"a tale of intrigue, deception, and death that stretches back to the 14th century. Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith: All Ida Mae Jones wants to do is fly. Her daddy was a pilot, and years after his death she feels closest to him when shes in the air. But as a young black woman in 1940s Louisiana, she knows the sky is off limits to her, until America enters World War II, and the Army forms the WASPâ€"Women Airforce Service Pilots. Ida has a chance to fulfill her dream if shes willing to use her light skin to pass as a white girl. She wants to fly more than anything, but Ida soon learns that denying ones self and family is a heavy burden, and ultimately its not what you do but who you are thats most important. Fobbit by David Abrams: In the satirical tradition of  Catch-22  and  M*A*S*H,  Fobbit  takes us into the chaotic world of Baghdad’s Forward Operating Base Triumph. The Forward Operating base, or FOB, is like the back-office of the battlefieldâ€"where people eat and sleep, and where a lot of soldiers have what looks suspiciously like a desk job. Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr: Freeman, the new novel by Leonard Pitts Jr., takes place in the first few months following the Confederate surrender and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Upon learning of Lees surrender, Samâ€"a runaway slave who once worked for the Union Armyâ€"decides to leave his safe haven in Philadelphia and set out on foot to return to the war-torn South. What compels him on this almost-suicidal course is the desire to find his wife, the mother of his only child, whom he and their son left behind 15 years earlier on the Mississippi farm to which they all belonged.' George by Alex Gino: When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows shes not a boy. She knows shes a girl. George thinks shell have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be  Charlottes Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she cant even try out for the part…because shes a boy.  With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotteâ€"but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all. Ghostwritten by David Mitchell: A gallery attendant at the Hermitage. A young jazz buff in Tokyo. A crooked British lawyer in Hong Kong. A disc jockey in Manhattan. A physicist in Ireland. An elderly woman running a tea shack in rural China. A cult-controlled terrorist in Okinawa. A musician in London. A transmigrating spirit in Mongolia. What is the common thread of coincidence or destiny that connects the lives of these nine souls in nine far-flung countries, stretching across the globe from east to west? What pattern do their linked fates form through time and space? Gilead by Marilynne Robinson: Nearly 25 years after  Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson returns with an intimate tale of three generations, from the Civil War to the 20th century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at Americas heart. In the words of  Kirkus, it is a novel as big as a nation, as quiet as thought, and moving as prayer. Matchless and towering.  Gilead  tells the story of America and will break your heart. Gilgamesh by Joan London: It is 1937. On a tiny farm in the town of Nunderup, in far southwestern Australia, seventeen-year-old Edith lives with her sister Frances and their mother, a beautiful woman who lives mostly in her own mind after the sudden death of Frances and Ediths father. One afternoon two men, Ediths cousin Leopold and his Armenian friend Aram, arriveâ€"taking the long way home from an archaeological dig in Iraq. Among the tales they tell is the story of Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia. Glaciers by Alexis Smith: Glaciers unfolds internally, recalling the work of writers such as Jean Rhys, Marguerite Duras, and Virginia Woolf, and portrays how the fleeting moments of one day can reveal an entire life. Grace by Natashia Deón: Grace  is a sweeping, intergenerational saga featuring a group of outcast women during one of the most compelling eras in American history. It is a universal story of freedom, love, and motherhood, told in a dazzling and original voice set against a rich and transporting historical backdrop. Guapa by Saleem Haddad: Set over the course of twenty-four hours,  Guapa  follows Rasa, a gay man living in an unnamed Arab country, as he tries to carve out a life for himself in the midst of political and social upheaval. Rasa spends his days translating for Western journalists and pining for the nights when he can sneak his lover, Taymour, into his room. Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum: Intimate, intense, and written with the precision of a Swiss Army knife, Jill Alexander Essbaum’s debut novel is an unforgettable story of marriage, fidelity, sex, morality, and most especially self. Navigating the lines between lust and love, guilt and shame, excuses and reasons, Anna Benz is an electrifying heroine whose passions and choices readers will debate with recognition and fury. Her story reveals, with honesty and great beauty, how we create ourselves and how we lose ourselves and the sometimes disastrous choices we make to find ourselves. Hild by Nicola Griffith: She is destined to become one of the pivotal figures of the Early Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby. But for now she has only the powerful curiosity of a bright child and the precarious advantage of a plotting uncle, Edwin of Northumbria, who will stop at nothing to become overking of Angles. Hild establishes a place for herself at his side as the kings seer, and she is indispensableâ€"as long as she doesnt lead Edwin astray. Himself by Jess Kidd: From the moment he arrives, Mahony’s presence completely changes the village. Women fall all over themselves. The real and the fantastic are blurred. Chatty ghosts rise from their graves with secrets to tell, and local preacher Father Quinn will do anything to get rid of the slippery young man who is threatening the moral purity of his parish. Home by Leila S. Chudori: A story of longing, lust, and betrayal, but also love, laughter, adventure, and mouthwatering descriptions of Indonesian food,  Home  further illuminates Indonesias tragic twentieth-century history made known in the West by the Oscar-nominated documentary  The Act of Killing. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: Homegoing  follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayedâ€"and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation. Inheritance by Lan Samantha Chang: In 1931, abandoned after their mothers suicide, the young Junan and her sister, Yinan, make a pact never to leave each other. The two girls are inseparable?until Junan enters into an arranged marriage and finds herself falling in love with her soldier husband. When the Japanese invade China, Junan and her husband are separated. IQ by Joe Ide: They call him IQ. Hes a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, hes forced to take on clients that can pay. Island by Aldous Huxley: The final novel from Aldous Huxley,  Island  is a provocative counterpoint to his worldwide classic  Brave New World, in which a flourishing, ideal society located on a remote Pacific island attracts the envy of the outside world. It by Stephen King: They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Jamestown by Matthew Sharpe: Deadly serious and seriously funny, Matthew Sharpe’s fictional retelling of one of Americas original myths is a history of violence, a cross-cultural love story, and a tragicomic commentary on America’s past and present. Jubilee by Margaret Walker: Here is the classicâ€"and trueâ€"story of Vyry, the child of a white plantation owner and his black mistress, a Southern Civil War heroine to rival Scarlett OHara. Vyry bears witness to the Souths prewar opulence and its brutality, to its wartime ruin and the subsequent promise of Reconstruction. It is a story that Margaret Walker heard as a child from her grandmother, the real Vyrys daughter. Kindred by Octavia Butler: Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Danas life will end, long before it has a chance to begin. Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi: In an ambitious tale of a clan and a nation, Makumbi weaves together the stories of Kintu’s descendants as they seek to break from the burden of their shared past and reconcile the inheritance of tradition and the modern world that is their future. LaRose by Louise Erdrich: In this literary masterwork, Louise Erdrich, the bestselling author of the National Book Award-winning  The Round House  and the  Pulitzer Prize  nominee  The Plague of Doves  wields her breathtaking narrative magic in an emotionally haunting contemporary tale of a tragic accident, a demand for justice, and a profound act of atonement with ancient roots in Native American culture. Lightless by C.A. Higgins: As the ship’s systems begin to malfunction and the claustrophobic atmosphere is increasingly poisoned by distrust and suspicion, it falls to Althea to penetrate the prisoner’s layers of intrigue and deception before all is lost. But when the true nature of Ivan’s mission is exposed, it will change Althea foreverâ€"if it doesn’t kill her first. Mãn by Kim Thuy: A triumph of poetic beauty and a moving meditation on how love and food are inextricably entwined,  Mãn  is a seductive and luminous work of literature from Kim Thúy, whose first book,  Ru, was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, received a Governor Generals Literary Award and won the nationwide book competition Canada Reads. Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes: Matterhorn  is a visceral and spellbinding novel about what it is like to be a young man at war. It is an unforgettable novel that transforms the tragedy of Vietnam into a powerful and universal story of courage, camaraderie, and sacrifice: a parable not only of the war in Vietnam but of all war, and a testament to the redemptive power of literature. Middlemarch by George Eliot: George Eliot’s novel,  Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life, explores a fictional nineteenth-century Midlands town in the midst of modern changes. The proposed Reform Bill promises political change; the building of railroads alters both the physical and cultural landscape; new scientific approaches to medicine incite public division; and scandal lurks behind respectability. Monster by Walter Dean Myers: This  New York Times  bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steves own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives. Monstress by Lysley Tenorio: Already the worthy recipient of a Pushcart Prize, a Whiting Writer’s Award, and a Stegner Fellowship, Tenorio brilliantly explores the need to find connections, the melancholy of isolation, and the sometimes suffocating ties of family in tales that range from a California army base to a steamy moviehouse in Manilla, to the dangerous false glitter of Hollywood. Motherest by Kristen Iskandrian: Its the early 1990s, and Agnes is running out of people she can count on. A new college student, she is caught between the broken home she leaves behind and the wilderness of campus life. What she needs most is her mother, who has seemingly disappeared, and her brother, who left the family tragically a few years prior. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan: The men and women of each family relate their versions of events and we are drawn into their lives as they become players in a tragedy on the grandest scale. As Kingsolver says of Hillary Jordan, Her characters walked straight out of 1940s Mississippi and into the part of my brain where sympathy and anger and love reside, leaving my heart racing. They are with me still.' Neuromancer by William Gibson: The winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards,  Neuromancer  was the first fully-realized glimpse of humankind’s digital futureâ€"a shocking vision that has challenged our assumptions about our technology and ourselves, reinvented the way we speak and think, and forever altered the landscape of our imaginations. Norwood by Charles Portis: Sent on a mission to New York, he gets involved in a wild journey that takes him in and out of stolen cars, freight trains, and buses. By the time he returns home to Texas, Norwood has met his true love, Rita Lee, on a bus; befriended the second shortest midget in show business and the worlds smallest perfect fat man; and helped Joann the chicken with a college education, realize her true potential in life. As with all Portis’s fiction, the tone is cool, sympathetic, and funny. Oreo by Fran Ross: Oreo, our young hero, navigates the labyrinth of sound studios and brothels and subway tunnels in Manhattan, seeking to claim her birthright while unwittingly experiencing and triggering a mythic journey of self-discovery like no other. Passing by Nella Larsen: Clare Kendry is living on the edge. Light-skinned, elegant, and ambitious, she is married to a racist white man unaware of her African American heritage, and has severed all ties to her past after deciding to pass as a white woman. Clare’s childhood friend, Irene Redfield, just as light-skinned, has chosen to remain within the African American community, and is simultaneously allured and repelled by Clare’s risky decision to engage in racial masquerade for personal and societal gain. Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood: In  Priestdaddy, Lockwood interweaves emblematic moments from her childhood and adolescenceâ€"from an ill-fated family hunting trip and an abortion clinic sit-in where her father was arrested to her involvement in a cultlike Catholic youth groupâ€"with scenes that chronicle the eight-month adventure she and her husband had in her parents’ household after a decade of living on their own. Problems by Jade Sharma: Dark, raw, and very funny,  Problems  introduces us to Maya, a young woman with a smart mouth, time to kill, and a heroin hobby that isnt much fun anymore. Mayas been able to get by in New York on her wits and a dead-end bookstore job for years, but when her husband leaves her and her favorite professor ends their affair, her barely-calibrated life descends into chaos, and she has to make some choices. Prodigies by Angélica Gorodischer: Prodigies  explores the story of the poet Novaliss birthplace in the German town of Weissenfels after it is converted into a boarding house. Moving, subtle, and full of wit, irony, and dreams, this novel fills the house with the women who lived there throughout the nineteenth century, and across the flow of history constructs the secret drama of their destinies. Push by Sapphire: Relentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this horrific, hope-filled story (Newsday) is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption. Pym by Mat Johnson: Recently canned professor of American literature Chris Jaynes has just made a startling discovery: the manuscript of a crude slave narrative that confirms the reality of Edgar Allan Poe’s strange and only novel,  The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Replay by Ken Grimwood: Jeff Winston, forty-three, didnt know he was a replayer until he died and woke up twenty-five years younger in his college dorm room; he lived another life. And died again. And lived again and died againâ€"in a continuous twenty-five-year cycleâ€"each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, remedy past mistakes, or make a fortune in the stock market. Room by Emma Donoghue: Room is home to Jack, but to Ma its the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jacks curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer. Scythe by Neal Shusterman: A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end lifeâ€"and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: Seraphina is a half-dragon, descended from a dragon mother who took human form and a father who has no particular fondness for Seraphina’s kind. Not that anyone else does either. Hers is a world where dragons and humans live and work side by sideâ€"but below the surface, tensions and hostilities are on the rise. Sidewalks by Valeria Luiselli: Valeria Luiselli is an evening cyclist; a literary tourist in Venice, searching for Joseph Brodskys tomb; an excavator of her own artifacts, unpacking from a move. In essays that are as companionable as they are ambitious, she uses the city to exercise a roving, meandering intelligence, seeking out the questions embedded in our human landscapes. Silence by Shusaku Endo: Seventeenth-century Japan: Two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to a country hostile to their religion, where feudal lords force the faithful to publicly renounce their beliefs. Eventually captured and forced to watch their Japanese Christian brothers lay down their lives for their faith, the priests bear witness to unimaginable cruelties that test their own beliefs. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman: Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin. Stoner by John Williams: John Williams’s luminous and deeply moving novel is a work of quiet perfection. William Stoner emerges from it not only as an archetypal American, but as an unlikely existential hero, standing, like a figure in a painting by Edward Hopper, in stark relief against an unforgiving world. Submergence by J.M. Ledgard: In a room with no windows on the coast of Africa, an Englishman, James More, is held captive by jihadist fighters. Posing as a water expert to report on al-Qaeda activity in the area, he now faces extreme privation, mock executions, and forced marches through the arid badlands of Somalia. Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser: With the heart, daring, and evocative atmosphere of  Winter’s Bone  and  True Grit, and driven by the raw, whip-smart voice of Percy James, a blistering debut about a fearless sixteen-year old girl whose search for her missing mother leads to an unexpected discovery, and a life or death struggle in the harsh frozen landscape of the Upper Midwest. Sweetland by Michael Crummey: The scarcely populated town of Sweetland clings to the shore of a remote Canadian island. Its slow decline has finally reached a head, with the mainland government offering each islander a generous resettlement packageâ€"the only stipulation being that everyone must leave. Fierce and enigmatic Moses Sweetland, whose ancestors founded the island, is determined to refuse. Tampa by Alissa Nutting: Tampa  is a sexually explicit, virtuosically satirical, American Psychoâ€"esque rendering of a monstrously misplaced but undeterrable desire. Laced with black humor and crackling sexualized prose, Alissa Nutting’s  Tampa  is a grand, seriocomic examination of the want behind student/teacher affairs and a scorching literary debut. Tinkers by Paul Harding: Tinkers  is about the legacy of consciousness and the porousness of identity from one generation to the next. At once heartbreaking and life affirming, it is an elegiac meditation on love, loss, and the fierce beauty of nature. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh: It accomplished for its own time and place what Hubert Selby Jrs  Last Exit to Brooklyn  did for his. Rents, Sick Boy, Mother Superior, Swanney, Spuds, and Seeker are as unforgettable a clutch of junkies, rude boys, and psychos as readers will ever encounter. Umami by Laia Jufresa: In prose that is dazzlingly inventive, funny and tender, Laia Jufresa immerses us in the troubled lives of her narrators, deftly unpicking their stories to offer a darkly comic portrait of contemporary Mexico, as whimsical as it is heart-wrenching. Unless by Carol Shields: Forty-four-year-old Reta Winters, wife, mother, writer, and translator, is living a happy life until one of her three daughters drops out of university to sit on a downtown street corner silent and cross-legged with a begging bowl in her lap and a placard round her neck that says Goodness.' Untwine by Edwidge Danticat: Untwine  is a spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery, humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship, romance, family, the horrors of loss, and the strength we must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless. Uprooted by Naomi Novik: Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. Vicious by V.E. Schwab: In  Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesnt automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question. Warlock by Oakley Hall: Oakley Halls legendary  Warlock  revisits and reworks the traditional conventions of the Western to present a raw, funny, hypnotic, ultimately devastating picture of American unreality. First published in the 1950s, at the height of the McCarthy era, Warlock is not only one of the most original and entertaining of modern American novels but a lasting contribution to American fiction. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala: In 2004, at a beach resort on the coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala and her familyâ€"parents, husband, sonsâ€"were swept away by a tsunami.  Only Sonali survived to tell their tale. This is her account of the nearly incomprehensible event and its aftermath. Windeye by Brian Evenson: Brian Evenson, master of literary horror, presents his most far-ranging collection to date, exploring how humans can persist in an increasingly unreal world. Haunting, gripping, and psychologically fierce, these tales illuminate a dark and unsettling side of humanity. Zazen by Vanessa Veselka: Zazen  unfolds as a search for clarity soured by irresolution and catastrophe, yet made vital by the thin, wild veins of imagination run through each escalating moment, tensing and relaxing, unfurling and ensnaring. Vanessa Veselka renders Della and her world with beautiful, freighting, and phantasmagorically intelligent accuracy, crafting from their shattered constitutions a perversely perfect mirror for our own selves and state. Zeroville by Steve Erickson: On the same August day in 1969 that a crazed hippie family led by Charles Manson commits five savage murders in the canyons above Los Angeles, a young ex-communicated seminarian arrives with images of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Cliftâ€"the two most beautiful people in the history of the moviesâ€"tattooed on his head.

Animal Morality And Master Morality - 1595 Words

agiarNietzsche is one of the most famous, complex, baffling, and misunderstood philosophers of all time. Nietzsche begins his ethics with the proposition that there are only two basic types of morality: slave morality and master morality. These types of morality Nietzsche proposes were initially formed when society was not actually made up of masters and slaves. In a society where masters were completely free and slaves simply had to do whatever their masters said. Based on their respective situations Nietzsche argues these two groups of people came up with two very different types of morality. Now of course there are no longer literal master and slaves in today’s society. However nietzche proposes well masters and slaves no longer exist but the moral system they came up with do. Therefore if we are to understand and evaluate morality as it exists today, we must investigate morality as it was originally defined by master and slaves. Masters are totally free. They do what they want, to whom that want, and whatever they want. How it is such a person in such a situation begin to think about morality. Nietzsche proposes a person in such a situation would begin by saying that whatever it is the approval of our desire is good. We can imagin such a list of thing such a master might approve of . he will no doubt desire to show off his courage during battle to keep power over his slaves and it demonstrates his honour in front of his fellow master. Goodness in master morality isShow MoreRelatedNietzsche s On The Genealogy Of Morals1668 Words   |  7 Pageswhat is â€Å"bad,† I chose to expand my ideas and compare them to Friedrich Nietzsche’s first essay in â€Å"On the Genealogy of Morals.† Nietzsche first debunks the ideas of Nietzsche sees two types of morality at play creating these original definitions of good bad and evil, master morality and slave morality. I will also use Nietzsche’ s concept of â€Å"will to power† to evaluate each of these ideas. Nietzsche believes that the will to power is the force that pushes humankind. To clarify for my readersRead MoreNietzsche s On The Genealogy Of Morals Essay1445 Words   |  6 Pagesmoral implications, however, it is his concepts of slave and master morality which are seen repeatedly. These two concepts of master and slave morality are particularly evident in the movie Fight Club. Although Fight Club is a modern-day movie, its storyline and subject matter reveals that it was heavily influence by Nietzsche’s concept of slave and master morality. Nietzsche first introduces the concept of slave and master morality in the chapter about â€Å"Good, bad and evil†. He explains it as aRead MoreThe Book On The Genealogy Of Morality1423 Words   |  6 PagesMasters and slaves are constantly discussed throughout Nietzsche’s work, but the connection between them is discussed best in his book On the Genealogy of Morality. The first of the three essays outlines two alternate structures for the creation of values, which is credited to masters and the other to slaves. These two structures are controlled by different intangible themes. The first is ‘good/bad’ in terms of master morality and the second is ‘evil/good’ in terms of the slave morality. Noble classesRead MoreOrigins of Morality Essay1411 Words   |  6 PagesWestern world is slave morality, a morality which puts forward ideals of fairness, equality, and democracy. However, many centuries ago during the medieval times, master morality was the norm; a morality that favors those superior in strength, beauty, intelligence, and status. Master morality preceded slave morality. Friedrich Nietzsche was a philologist, who used his knowledge of words to trace the origins of morality from their ancient definitions. He said that morality was something that manRead MoreNietzsche And Mill s Theory Of Morality Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pageshave explored the theory of ‘morality’ from different perspectives. The two philosophers appear to get along that the notion ‘morality’ has been exploited to a great extent, though a little certainty has been provided on the issue. The two philosophers agree on the complexity of the issue. Mill’s theory of ethics is based on the concept of ‘utility. The philosopher provides the meaning of the idea as it has been largely perverted. Nietzsche stipulates that ‘morality’ is not a common notion due toRead MoreFriedman Nietzsche1247 Words   |  5 Pagesoffensive and the most blasphemous ways possible. His views on morality were what got the most attention by other scholars. In h is Daybreak he called himself an â€Å"immoralist† and often criticized the morality of his day. He wanted to create a new more naturalistic source of value in the fundamental impulses of life itself. He claims that Christianity had more of a master-slave morality than anything else. He associated the master-slave morality to that of the Jewish and Christian traditions. He associatesRead MoreThis piece of work will try to find the answer to the question ‘In Nietzsche’s first essay in the600 Words   |  3 Pagesprove with this argument. It will look at his background in order to see if and how that has influenced his work and opinions. Nietzsche introduces the differences between what he names later in his first essay the master morality and slave morality. The first master morality is the ideas of the nobles, including solders and other ruling classes. This he says is power deciding what good and bad is they see the qualities they possess such as physical strength, political power, over all betterRead MoreEssay Ancient Slavery: Death Senetence or Life Opportunity?554 Words   |  3 Pages In Aristotles Justifying Slavery and Senecas On Master and Slave, the two authors express their opposing sentiments on the principles of slavery. While Aristotle describes slavery as predestined inferiority, evidenced greatly by physical attributes, Seneca emphasizes the importance of philosophical freedom as opposed to physical freedom. (p. 58). The authors contrasting views are disclosed in their judgments on the morality of slavery, the degree of freedom all people possess at birthRead MoreFriedrich Nietzsche s Influence O n Modern Intellectual History And Western Philosophy1559 Words   |  7 Pagesreligion and science. He wrote about morality, tragedy, aesthetics, atheism, epistemology and consciousness. However, some of Nietzsche s most profound elements of his philosophy include his powerful critique of reason and truth. He argued for perspectivism. He critiqued religion and Christian ethics, developed the concept of Ubermensch and the doctrine of eternal return to support it. Also, Friedman Nietzsche came up with his theory of master-slave morality and response to the death of God andRead MoreAristotle And Aristotle s Theory Of Moral Virtue1229 Words   |  5 Pagesour ambitions and wants must have some final purpose. Aristotle believes that this highest end is that of Happiness. He introduces the concept moral virtue which is the ability to properly control desires to follow bad actions, and is the focus of morality. Centered on the core of Aristotle s account of moral virtue is his doctrine o f the mean. According to this doctrine, moral virtues are character traits which are at in-between more extreme character traits. While Nietzsche a German philosopher

Queen Elizabeth I; a Powerful Ruler in England - 2773 Words

Brittany Fleetwood Barbara Whitehead History 111 6 May 2010 Queen Elizabeth I: A Powerful Ruler in History While there was no law in Tudor England preventing appointment of a woman on the throne, the ruling of a woman was considered unfavorable. Women were not normally held high in command because it was believed that women could not rule well. During a time where the role of women was contained, Elizabeth I of England proved her power and remained the only unmarried queen in England’s history. She reined England from 1558 to 1603 and has become the symbol of an age, a symbol of the power of a woman who strived to govern. Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, is one of the most important rulers of English history by winning the†¦show more content†¦And as for the traitor Wyatt, he might peradventure write me a letter but on my faith I never received any from him; and as for the copy of my letter sent to the French King, I pray God confound me eternally if ever I sent him word, message, token or letter by any means, and to this truth I stand it to my death. Elizabeth pled her innocence – her character true and loyal to her sister – and Mary denied to meet with Elizabeth. The English stood by their Lady’s side, â€Å"when bystanders shouted ‘God save the Queen’, there was no response when the cry was ‘God save the Lady Elizabeth’, the answer came, ‘so be it’.† The people favored Lady Elizabeth over Queen Mary. When there was no evidence to prove Lady Elizabeth’s involvement against this treason, she was let go upon Wyatt’s confession that neither Elizabeth or Courtenay had any involvement in the rebellion. The importance of the dispute is that the English supported Lady Elizabeth over their own Queen. The nation’s religious state was most comparable to Elizabeth’s – she was protestant – and the Queen was, in their eyes, putting the fait of their country in reach of one of the most powerful nations during that time. The English sup ported Lady Elizabeth, even before she became Queen. Queen Mary married Philip, ruled, and died shortly after in 1558 just before sheShow MoreRelatedThe Machiavellian Struggle in Spain and England during the Reformation881 Words   |  3 Pagesas England, and a time of decline for other countries like Spain. These two particular countries, England and Spain, had two very powerful rulers who helped determine the fate of their nations. Phillip II of Spain was born into a very powerful family of extremely Machiavellian heritage. He had control of the Netherlands, Spain, parts of the North and South Americas, and parts of Asia and Brazil. He was also extremely Catholic and loyal to the Catholic Church. Queen Elizabeth I of England inheritedRead MoreEssay on Elizabeth1032 Words   |  5 Pages Elizabeth I nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Were Queen Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great effective rulers? Were their reign’s characterized as good or not so well? Disregarding the opinion of those who reigned concurrently or historians today, these two ruled their country in a time of turmoil and uncertainty! The world and the people within it were undergoing a major transition. New lands were being discovered as well as major role-playing continents and countries were changing status. Some losingRead MoreA Comparison of Powerful Female Monarchs: Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici985 Words   |  4 PagesOn the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth I said, â€Å"I will be as good unto you as ever a queen was unto her people† (Grant, 140). Elizabeth I of England and Catherine de Medici of France were both powerful female monarchs during the Renaissance whose rules shaped the current religious affiliations of France and England. The reigns of Elizabeth and Catherine differed in their extent of power and matrimony, but were similar in influence and support of the arts, and Elizabeth was ultimately the more successfulRead MoreElizabeth : A Dangerous World Of Political Conspiracy970 Words   |  4 PagesElizabeth was the daughter of a disrespected and executed mother; Elizabeth was the last in line to take over the throne of England. Elizabeth was born into a dangerous world of political conspiracy, on September 7th, 1533. England had been ravaged by religious conflict, was at war with Spain and France, and in debt when Elizabeth took control of the throne. Scandals and politics made Elizabeth reject Robert Dudley, her true love, and execute his stepson, Lord Essex. This book shows the witty,Read MoreThe Acts of Supremacy719 Words   |  3 PagesThe first Act of Supremacy was introduced by Henry VIII in 1534 during his rule of England. Later, when Elizabeth I came to the throne, the second Act of Supremacy was introduced to bring back the reforms that Mary had abolis hed. Both of these acts have many similarities but also some fundamental differences that helped indicate the type of ruler each monarch would be. Before discussing the differences it is important to first understand how the Act of Supremacy came about. Little is known aboutRead MoreElizabeth The First Was The Queen Of England And Ireland1692 Words   |  7 PagesElizabeth the First was the Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 to 1603. She was the final and fifth monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Elizabeth had many talents, which enabled her to be a capable, strong leader. For many reasons Elizabeth was one of the most notable personalities of Tudor, one being that she kept stability in a nation that was troubled with political and religious rebellion. Against the pressures of parliament she maintained authority of the crown. She was able to transform England’sRead MoreEssay about Queen Elizabeth I: The Most Glorious Ruler of England 1074 Words   |  5 Pagesgreatest monarchs, and brought England out of destitution, and into one of its most glorious periods, the Elizabethan Age. Though, she suffered greatly before crowning; throughout her rule as Queen, England was reformed and fortified to be one of the most powerful countr ies in the known world. Elizabeth was born in the Greenwich Palace on September 7, 1533 to Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII of England. (Stated on page 1 of Crompton, Samuel Willard. Queen Elizabeth and Englands Golden Age. ChelseaRead MoreQueen Elizabeth I702 Words   |  3 PagesQueen Elizabeth I was the most extraordinary leader in English history. She was born on September 7, 1533 at Greenwich Palace. Her birth was not celebrated; instead it was a bitter failure to her father King Henry VIII, who was expecting the birth of a son. Her mother was executed for treason not long after her birth (Jokinen 1). After Henry VIII’s third spouse Jane Seymour died; however, Elizabeth was set back in the order of succession after Edward and Mary by act of parliament. When she came intoRead MoreElizabeth I: Britain’s Triumphant Queen Essay examples1611 Words   |  7 PagesThe exceptional reign of Queen Elizabeth I stands out in British history. Her reign is one of the longest in British history. Under her rule Britain began to gain strength because her policies laid the groundwork for the future rulers to build upon. The previous rulers of England, such as Queen Mary I, created turmoil through their policies which their personal beliefs influenced greatly. Elizabeth I’s reign remained relatively stable and she implemented new political policies that helped to strengthenRead More Biography of Queen Elizabeth Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesBiography of Queen Elizabeth Despite being unwanted by her father, King Henry VIII, Elizabeth managed to overcome obstacles and become one of the most powerful woman leaders of her time. Some of her accomplishments were to defeat the Spanish armada, restore peace between Catholics and Protestants, and lead England to prosperity (Ross 146). The period of time during her reign, fifteen hundred and fifty eight to sixteen hundred and three, is often called the Golden Age since it was

Telecity Group Plc Financal Statement Analysis Free Essays

Submitted in fulfillment of assignment 1 of Financial and Management Accounting course Telecity Group plc Background Founded in 1998 with the establishing of the first data centre in Manchester, Telecity Group plc is operating a carrier-neutral data centre in Europe to support digital economy. It is a combination of TeleCity Limited, Redbus Interhouse Limited and Globix Holdings (UK) Limited. As a leading provider of data centre services, Telecity Group plc is listed in London Stock Exchange. We will write a custom essay sample on Telecity Group Plc Financal Statement Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the meanwhile, it is is a constituent of the FTSE 250, FTSE techMARK 100 and FTSE4 Good indices. Driven by the rapidly increasing of digital economy, Telecity Group has been targeting to build secure, resilient and highly-connected colocation environments for the IT and telecoms equipment, to which customers can outsource their telecoms, web and IT infrastructures. For this purpose, Telecity Goup has launched the demand-driven data expansion programme, which is expanding its data center capacity through Europe. This European-based programme is expected to increase customer power capacity, which will in turn bust company economic of scale. Furthermore, as an Information Technology Company, Telecity Group has been highly relying on high and new technology to attract new customers and increase profits. Thus, much effort has been put into company’s ability to innovate new products and services in terms of data accessibility, security and specialty. Focusing on evaluating the implementation of its growth strategy, this paper will analyse it is financial statement base on the basic financial ratios. Ratios Analysis Introduction This section will evaluate Telecity Group plc’s financial ratios in detail. Other than looking at the past and present performance trends of the Group, this essay will also discover the company’s financial performance in comparison to Datacenter industry overall. Consequently, company management team will be able to determine the short term forecast of future performance. Furthermore, the analysis in this section can give guidance to investors by providing data and giving realistic view of Telecity Group’s inancial position and comparison to the industry. Profitability Ratios Given the important role profit plays as financing both dividends to shareholders and retained earnings, it is the main measure of financial performance. Figure 1 Profitability Ratios (GPM- Gross profit margin, OPM- Operational profit margin) As can be seen from figure 2, the gross profit was dramatically increased from 52% to 56 % through year 2010, and there wa s impressively improvement for year 2011. This can be explained by company’s successfully implementation of its growth strategy. On one side, driven by the high demanding of digital economy, the company has been focusing on increasing earnings by expanding data centre capacity and adopting new technology. On the other hand, along with the growth there is high cost. However, the even higher revenue growth still made the growth of gross profit margin. Operation profit was slightly decrease in year 2011, which implies high administrative costs in 2011. This is mainly because of a total amount of ? ,510,000 provisions respect of certain leases and the acquisition with Data Electronics and UK Grid, the costs of which were accounted in operational exceptional items in consolidated income statement. Figure 2 Profitability Ratios (PreTPM- Pre-tax profit margin, PostTPM- Post-tax profit margin) The pre-tax profit margin has also significantly improved from near 23. 5 % to about 25 % in 2011. One of reasons of this improvement is the gains on foreign exchange. The most important reason should be the write off of costs incurred on refinancing, which was an ? 00m five-year financing agreement with Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS from last year. Unlike PreTMP, post-tax profit margin has dropped impressively to about 17. 6 %. This may be mainly because of the dramatically increment in both current tax and deferred tax. Figure 3 Profitability Ratios (ROCE- Returns on capital employed, ROE- Returns on equity) Figure 3 shows that The Telecity Group’s average ROE is comparable to industry ratio which is 7. 1% up to year 2010. However, in terms of growth, the trend is dramatically going down from 2009, which is despite the fact that both total equity and profit after tax have been improved. However, the growth of profit was not in pace with the equity. In fact, this makes sense when take into account the company’s expansion strategy, which has been being successfully implemented by setting up new data centres across Europe. A big money has been invested in this expansion program, which in turn provided the company high potential turn-over. In general, financial analysts consider return on equity ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels of investment quality. In this sense, the company’s performance is healthy with regards to efficiency of profitability. ROCE is one of Telecity Group key performance indicator, which is added to evaluate company’s strategy of focusing earnings return from investment. ROCE was decreased during year 2011, which was due to the company’s capacity expansion programme and acquisitions’ effect. Even though, the company’s performance in terms of generating returns is healthy in comparison with industry average rate at about 8%. Liquidity Rations Liquidity ratios are to measure a company’s ability to pay off its short-term financial obligations (Atrill and McLaney, 2011). Figure 4 Liquidity Ratios In theory, the higher current ratio is better as it clearly identifies the company’s ability to pay off short debts fund its on-going operations. (Investpedia, 2009) In the case of Telecity Group, its average current ratio shows that the current assets are not able to cover its current liabilities. This is mainly because the company has invested a big money into company’s capacity expansion program and acquisition, which are holding most of company’s capital. However, the average rate is comparable to the industry as a whole at 0. 8. Trade receivable days are healthy between 25 and 40 days over the year from 2009 to 2011, there is even a decrease from 40 days to 35 days in year 2011. This is due to the demanding digital economy market. Financial Gearing Financial gearing happens when business is financed in a way of borrowing (Atrill and McLaney, 2011). The analysis of gearing ratios is to evaluate the business’s level of gearing, which is the key factor of assessing risk. Figure 5 Gearing Rations (D/E- Debts to equity, ND/E- Net debt to equity) Figure 5 shows that gross debt to equity has increased from about 30% to over 60% in year 2011 after a slightly decreasing in year 2010, which indicates Telecity Group is highly geared in 2011. This is because the significantly increase of non-current borrowing for company’s capacity expansion program and the two acquisitions. Net debt to equity is concerned with company cash to repay the borrowings. It has impressively increased to more than 60% as well demonstrating that risk exists at Telecity Group’s failure. Figure 6 Gearing Ratios (IC- Interest covre, NIC- Net interest cover) Interest cover ratio measures the amount of operating profit available to cover interest payable(Atrill and McLaney, 2011)†. As can be seen from figure 6, gross interest cover has fallen from 11 % to 10. 4 % in 2011. In terms of net interest cover which takes into account finance income, the cover ratios were slightly increased. Overall, the figures are showing that Telecity Group has t he strong ability to service its debt. Cash flow analysis CFPS is concerned with the company ability of generating cash. Therefore, it is commonly referred by analysts for more accurate measure of a company’s financial situation. Figure 7 Cash flow ratios (EPS- Earnings per share) The CFPS has increased from 37 pence in 2009 to 60 pence in 2011. The EPS is averagely higher then CFPS as we would commonly expected. Both EPS and CFPS have increased over the two years. The main reasons for the increase and the difference between CFPS and EP as follows: 1. Movement in foreigner exchange 2. Movement in trade receivables and trade payables 3. Depreciation charge 4. Cost of exceptional items To sum up, the net cash flow from operating activities has significantly improved by 25 % to over ? 120million. Over ? 00 million was spent on investment activities, which include capacity expansion program and acquisition activities. Investment analysis â€Å"Investment ratios are designed to help shareholder to assess the returns on their investment† (Atrill and McLaney, 2011). Earnings per share have risen from 19p to 21p in 2011, which is basically because of the increasing profit margin over the year. Conclusion As ca n be seen from above, the Telecity Group plc has gone through a stable healthy financial year with regards the implementation of its growth strategy. Telecity Group’s profitability stayed stable and healthy in the near two years. The low profit increment was due to the company’s expansion and acquisition strategy. Given the fact that data centre services is demanding in digital economy, Teleicty Group’s successfully expansion and acquisition will in turn make big returns. Liquidity is poor in terms of ability to cover its current liabilities. However, given the industry ratio being 0. 58, it is comparable healthy in the market. Furthermore, the short trade receivable days imply the high market demands in the data centre industry. Company’s gearing has risen to extremely high level due to its growth strategy. From investor’s perspective, there would be risk of investing in the case of company’s failure. However, take into the consideration of the characters of data centre industry, which are demanding the high capacity, connectivity and flexible services, Telecity group are in no way to failure as it has achieved successful implementation of its business across Europe and gained the potential of attracting new contract with exiting as well as new customers. Overall, the Telecity has been seeking the best practise within the data centre industry as a leading provider of premium carrier-neutral data centres. As the result of its successful capacity expansion and acquisitions, the further high turnover is inevitably. Appendix 1 Profitability| Gross Profit Margin| =| Gross Profit/Revenue%| ? | ? | 2009| =| 88,727| /| 169,383| %| =| 52. 4%| 2010| =| 109,773| /| 196,397| %| =| 55. 9%| 2011| =| 134,701| /| 239,818| %| =| 56. 2%| ?| Operating Profit Margin| =| Operating profit/Revenue%| | ? | 2009| ? | 39,102| /| 169,383| %| =| 23. 1%| 2010| =| 55,173| /| 196,397| %| =| 28. 1%| 2011| =| 65,359| /| 239,818| %| =| 27. 3%| ?| Pre-tax profit Margin| =| Profit before tax/Revenue%| ? | ? | 2009| =| 38120| /| 169,383| %| =| 22. %| 2010| =| 45,941| /| 196,397| %| =| 23. 4%| 2011| =| 59,438| /| 239,818| %| =| 24. 8%| ?| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Post-tax profit Margin| =| Profit after tax/Revenue%? | ? | 2009| =| 34722| /| 169,383| %| =| 20. 5%| 2010| =| 38,031| /| 196,397| %| =| 19. 4%| 2011| =| 42,641| /| 239,818| %| =| 17. 8%| | Return on Capital Employed| =| Operating Profit/Total Capital employ ed| ? | ? | 2009| =| 39,102| /| (80,467+218,931)| %| =| 13. 1%| 2010| =| 55,173| /| (80654+257,545)| %| =| 16. 3%| 2011| =| 65,359| /| (183,451+298,027)| %| =| 13. 6%| | Return on Equity| =| Profit after Tax| /| Equity| %| ? ? | 2009| =| 34722| /| 218,931| %| =| 15. 9%| 2010| =| 38,031| /| 257,545| %| =| 14. 8%| 2011| =| 42,641| /| 298,027| %| =| 14. 3%| Liquidity| Current Ratio| =| current Assets/Current Liabilities | 2009| =| 51,623| /| 82,961| =| 0. 6 | ? | ? | 2010| =| 46,501| /| 82,474| =| 0. 6 | ? | ? | 2011| =| 48,398| /| 103,283| =| 0. 5 | ? | ? | ?| Trade payable days| =| Trade payables/Cost of Revenue*365| 2009| =| 47,089| /| 80,656| *| 365| =| 213days| 2010| =| 47,085| /| 86,624| *| 365| =| 198days | 2011| =| 57,935| /| 105,117| *| 365| =| 201days | ?| Trade receivable days| =| Trade receivable /Revenue? | 009| =| (19,483-6,975)| /| 169,383| *| 365| =| 27days| 2010| =| (22,139-746)| /| 196,397| *| 365| =| 40days| 2011| =| (26,365-3,560)| /| 239,818| *| 365| =| 35days| Gea ring| Debt to equity| =| Non-current borrowings/Equity%| 2009| =| 80,467| /| 218,931| %| =| 36. 8%| 2010| =| 80,654| /| 257,545| %| =| 31. 3%| 2011| =| 183,451| /| 298,027| %| =| 61. 6%| ?| Net debt to equity| =| Borrowings less cash/Total Equity%? | 2009| =| (80,467-32,140)| /| 218,931| %| =| 22. 1%| 2010| =| (80,654-24,362)| /| 257,545| %| =| 21. 9%| 2011| =| (183,451-22,033)| /| 298,027| %| =| 54. 2%| | Interest Cover| =| Operating profit/Interest expense ? 2009| =| 39,102| /| 3788| =| 10. 3| ? | 2010| =| 55,173| /| 5,017| =| 11| ? | 2011| =| 65,359| /| 6,300| =| 10. 4| ? | ?| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Net Interest cover| =| Operating profit/Net Interest expense| *Net interest expense=Finance expense-interest? | 2009| =| 39,102| /| (3788-117)| =| 10. 7| ? | 2010| =| 55,173| /| (5017-11)| =| 11. 0 | ? | 2011| ? | 65,359| /| (6300-103)| =| 10. 5 | ? | Cash Flow| Cash flow per share| =| Net cash flow from operating activities/Number of equity share issued| 2009| =| 74,017| /| 198, 092| =| 0. 37365| =| 37. 4p| 2010| =| 96,380| /| 198,092| =| 0. 86542| =| 48. 7p| 2011| =| 120,554| /| 198,892| =| 0. 606128| =| 60. 6p| Investment| Earnings Per Share| ? | ? | 2010| =| 19. 0p| 2011| =| 21. 1p| References Atrill, P. and McLaney,P. (2011) Accounting and Finance for Non-Specialists. 7th. ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Telecity Group plc Annual report and accounts 2011 Data centres at the heart of the digital economy, 2011 TelecityGroup. Telecity Group plc Annual report and accounts 2010 Data centres at the heart of the digital economy, 2010 TelecityGroup. http://www. investopedia. com/terms/c/currentratio. asp, Investopedia. How to cite Telecity Group Plc Financal Statement Analysis, Papers

Multifaceted Background-- University Of Illinois Essays

Multifaceted Background-- University of Illinois Writing a self-reflective tirade is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks to perform. I have found myself pondering this topic for an unusually long time; no one has ever asked me to write about my culture-- the one thing about myself which I understand the least. This question which is so easy for others to answer often leads me into a series of convoluted explanations, "I was born in the U.S., but lived in Pakistan since I was six. My brothers moved to the US when I was thirteen" I am now nearly twenty, which means I have spent half my life being Pakistani, the other half trying to be American, or is the other way around? I do not consider myself Paki-American. I am too "Americanized" to be Pakistani. (although by birthright, I am American), and I am not quite up to par with the American way of life. So what does all this have to do with my culture, what does a label really matter to cultural identity? It matters much. I believe that this seemingly trivial confusion over labels reveals the even greater confusion that surrounds my cultural identity: Am I a bridge between these two multifaceted cultures, or have I become a mosaic displaying colors from here and there, and elsewhere too? Perhaps both, and I could be a colorful bridge, or perhaps neither. Whatever the case, I cannot seem to separate these absolutely disparate realities within me. Their forces are still clashing, coming together within me, creating a wonderful confusion out of me. I believe that to truly analyze my culture, the roots of this confusion must be explored. In the span of this essay, I must try to encompass the widths of two wo rlds, their unique interactions within me... which I hope constitute what is called culture. I am an alien of sorts. I am an alien in my own country... but what is my own country? I am an alien wherever I go. In Pakistan, my somewhat eroded Urdu reveals my American leanings. In the U.S., my slight accent and appearance mark me as a "minority." Being bi-cultural has placed me in a perplexing portal between two separate worlds, with their own unique ideology, thinking, traditions and way of life. It helps me understand the relationship that exists between such cultures; and how they differ. My personality and identity has been molded from these separate cultures. Being the odd one out has its own blessing, you know. I have derived from such experiences, the art of diplomacy, and a sense of understanding. As I have matured through life, I have learned a lot. However, one aspect which will always remain gray for me is my identity. Signature: ________________________ Date: _____________________ (word count=469)