The Elements of Science Fiction in Asimov's Foundation

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The Elements of Science Fiction in Asimov's Foundation

[This essay explores those characteristics of the novel Foundation, which are peculiar to the genre of Science Fiction.]

The most fundamental and obvious element of Science Fiction is its dependence on imagined technological advancements. The SF writer exploits the gap between scientific theory and practice to create a world, or at least circumstances, very different from our own reality and yet very believable because of the scientific ‘logic' behind it all. The SF writer must provide some kind of scientific explanation as to how the fantastic things that are being talked about have been made possible. Asimov, in his novel Foundation, introduces hyper-spatial travel based on the concept of hyper-space, to make the existence of the Galactic Empire possible. Nuclear power supplies the energy requirements and the use of coal and oil, as Salvor Hardin says in the novel, is considered ‘barbaric'. Trantor, the capital of this futuristic Empire has gone a step further to ‘make use of the temperature difference between the ground level and a couple of miles under' to supply all the energy required. The ‘glorious' picture is completed in the first few pages with Gaal Dornick following a light beam for a guide and taking a taxi which rises straight up into the air.

Because of this creation of a new, invented world, it becomes essential that the reader be informed about many things that the inhabitants of this world take for granted. This feature of ‘info-dumping' is quite peculiar to Science Fiction, as writers of other genres need not explain such things as how people travel and which fuels they use. A good SF writer does not get carried away by the brilliance of his innovative ideas, thereby disrupting the flow of the story and burdening the reader with too many facts. Instead, the information is provided in small capsules as and when possible with the least intrusion. Asimov uses various devices for info-dumping to avoid monotony. The first one that we encounter is the use of metatext, the Encyclopedia Galactica, which not only informs the reader but is also the ultimate point of reference. Extracts from this invented encyclopedia introduce some characters of the novel and give glimpses of the kind of world, with its social and political milieu, in which they live. Also, the use of an encyclopedia strikes the reader as a scholarly approach, in keeping with the ‘logic' strategy, while serving an important narrative function. The second device is the most commonly used one; that of the authorial voice, but Asimov takes care never to overuse it. Instead, he uses conversation, where at least one of the characters is either young and inexperienced, or does not conform to the prevalent ideas of that society. Gaal Dornick is a provincial boy who is visiting Trantor for the first time and (like the reader) does not know much about it. It is natural for him to ask questions and the answers that he gets inform the reader as well. He and the reader are thus together informed that the people in Trantor hardly ever see the sun or the open sky and actually have to buy a ticket to do so. In another instance, Salvor Hardin disagrees with the notions of the Encyclopedists and the resulting argument is informative, while contributing to the sequence of events at the same time.

Having established a scientific base for the course of events described, SF is not pre-occupied with the concerns of science but the effects that the changed circumstances of the invented world, have on the human society. Alternative visions of the world order can be explored through the world of the novel. In Foundation, though we have the technological advancements as the essential backdrop, much more important is the creation of the field of ‘psychohistory' in the novel a branch of mathematics which can be used to predict ‘the reactions of human conglomerates to fixed social and economic stimuli'. Psychohistory is thus a kind of advanced sociology just as the cars of this world can fly instead of just moving on wheels, the sociology of this world (known as psychohistory) can predict the behaviour of a large society, instead of just studying it. And it is the behaviour of human society that concerns the novel. Science Fiction, thus, simply uses science as a means to provide a larger canvass to explore the problems faced by the human race and the possible ways to tackle them. No wonder then, that SF writers prefer the term ‘SF' to ‘science fiction' since it can be expanded in various ways speculative fiction, sociological fiction and so on (Maxim Jakubowski and Edward James in the introduction to The Profession of Science Fiction).

Speculation is at the heart of SF the SF writer asks the question, "What if…?" and tries to find out answers, opening the path to exploring any number of possibilities. During the early 140's, the time at which Foundation was written, the most relevant "What if…?" question for an English author would be, "What if the British Empire ultimately falls apart?", which had become a concrete possibility by that time. It was natural to speculate on the future of the world organized anew and the governing forces that would shape the future of human civilization. Asimov creates a metaphor of the British Empire in the form of the declining Galactic Empire, in at least as much that the fall of the Galactic Empire is inevitable and even desirable. Hari Seldon says, "We cannot stop the Fall. We do not wish to; for Empire culture has lost whatever virility and worth it once had." Asimov then goes on to explore how peaceful, progressive conditions can be maintained and how various different societies, here belonging to different planets, can be bound together in a desirable relationship, beneficial for all. Through the pages of the novel, first diplomacy, then religion and finally, trade are tested as tools to serve this end. Asimov's speculation concerning trade has proved to be fairly accurate in the present-day world, with the U.S. being a super-power, essentially due to its economic strength and global trade relations.

Unlike the so-called ‘mainstream' fiction, SF does not concern itself with the study of individual characters or human relationships. The essence of SF lies in exploring the collective problems faced by a whole society. As Maxim Jakubowski and Edward James put it, the ‘future development of human society and technology, the possibilities inherent in scientific and social development' are among the basic themes of SF, clothed in action and adventure. In keeping with this SF tradition, the characters in Foundation are not important as individuals but only as people affecting or being affected by the ‘Seldon Plan'- the plan to lead to the establishment of a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Second Empire. The petty Chief Commissioner may ask the narrow-minded question why ‘should we concern ourselves with events of five centuries distance?' but for the psychohistorian, the mathematician-cum-social scientist Hari Seldon, these events are of "overpowering concern" so as to save "one thousand generations of suffering humanity". In spite of Seldon's concern for humanity, he is not important as a character, which is emphasized by the fact that by the end of the very first section of the novel, he declares, "I am finished," but the story has just begun.

The protagonist(s) of SF are ‘types' as imposed by its readership, consisting of two sections of people. The first is of adolescents, often male and therefore, the young, teenaged protagonist. The second section is that of the marginalized, newly immigrant working class and hence, the immigrant from a marginal planet is the category to which most of the protagonists of Foundation belong. On the first page of the novel, we meet Gaal Dornick, ‘just a country boy' who ‘had lived all his life on the world of Synnax, which circled a star at the edges of Blue Drift' and comes to Trantor for the first time. He is naïve enough to believe that his rights as an Imperial Citizen will enable him to have a hearing with the Emperor, when he is wrongly arrested. In another novel of the series, the Prelude to Foundation, we come to know that even the great psychohistorian Seldon originates from a marginal planet. The same is the case of Hober Mallow, the last important protagonist of Foundation. Coming from the planet Smyrno, he is an ‘Outlander' and has a ‘taint in the blood'. Yet it is he who saves the Foundation, working in accordance to the Seldon Plan. Foundation thus presents not one, but a number of protagonists typical to SF.

Lastly, SF portrays the human race as being ‘alone', facing Otherness or the immensity of creation, unprotected by supernatural beings or God. The human race is forced to fall back on its own resources to hunt for solutions and to survive. The planet of Foundation also faces a number of crises and the use of diplomacy, religion and trade are explored in turn. The Seldon Plan itself is a protective measure to save humanity from ten thousand years of barbarism and anarchy, shortening the interregnum between the declining Galactic Empire and the establishment of the Second Empire to one millennium. The interregnum cannot be completely done away with because of the enormity; the huge numbers of people and vast scale of time and space. To establish an Empire of ‘quantillions' of people requires a considerable effort by a large number of people over a time period of a thousand years.

The elements of science fiction discussed above, viz., the dependence on scientific advancements, info-dumping, speculation, the importance of a whole society as opposed to an individual, the typical SF protagonists and the immensity of creation faced by humans; not only establish Foundation as belonging to the genre of Science Fiction but also as a seminal text of SF, a classic in its own right.

Bibliography

Isaac Asimov Foundation. London, Harper Collins, 15.

Maxim Jakubowski and Edward James The Profession of Science Fiction.

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The deep wish to believe in false and forged ideals

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Opening the magazine you come across this really good- looking man with his special car, smoking a cigarette while the sun covers everything with a golden gloss. Life is just perfect. Life is just perfect when you smoke the perfect cigarette. The attractive man looks satisfied satisfied with his perfect life and with his perfect cigarette. That is why people choose buying those cigarettes they want to get a glance of this precious satisfaction. They are searching for the "spirit", which the model obviously has already found.

Why do people get the idea of changing their whole personality by consuming particular products? No matter if advertisements refer to clothes, cars or cigarettes consumers are supposed to get the feeling of being somebody better, lovelier or smarter, if they only wear, drive or smoke the best product of its kind. People get this idea, because their daily life is flooded with advertising. It is easier to win the national lottery than to avoid any advertisement for 4 hours. Advertisements, TV or cinema advertising spots or promoting university students are everywhere. They stand at every corner and they will get you. I admit that I am taken in by advertising too, especially by hair- products and sweets. People, who say that they do not react on advertising, tell a frequent lie. Modern advertising strategies are so sensitive for the current tendencies in taste and lifestyle, that there is no way of escaping them. The effect advertisements want to achieve is to talk people into believing that they are in desperate need of this unique product. I have chosen an advertisement of the tobacco company "Benson & Hedges" to show the way how advertising picks up on people's deepest wishes and how it abuses them to awaken needs.

Looking at the advertisement, the first object you realize is the male model. He looks mischievous, smart and sympathetic. He is covered with dirt, but he does not look filthy- rather like a neat man covered with clean dirt. His whole appearance is expensive, exclusive and sophisticated. He wears a fine leather-jacket, a noble watch and in the background we catch a glimpse of his special, old -but in good condition- vintage racing car. Although he is not clean-shaven, he does not have the image of somebody not caring for his appearance. His exclusiveness lies in little details. His watch, for example, isalthough expensive looking- no Rolex (which is a common symbol for snobbish and often tasteless richness). The message this man conveys is, that luxury is something personal, not necessary to impress other people, but to personally profit from it. This man can afford his luxury. It is not important which business he is in; he obviously is successful and earns good money. His smart and charismatic look does not give the impression that he is resting on somebody else's money. Who does not want to be him? A guy in his mid-0ies, good-looking, well-off and successful, still having spare time to drive his unique racing car into the sunset. It's a common cultural value to be somebody who is able to afford luxury. The advertisement gets people to identify with its model and the lifestyle he stands for.

A gleam of luxury lies upon the whole scene. The last sunbeams illuminate the precious car, its owner and a golden packet of cigarettes. Everything shines in a warm and a little metallic colour and gold is exactly the colour the packet of cigarettes has the packet of which the model took of his "good- feeling" cigarette. The whole scene looks peaceful and precious. The golden colour softens the image and makes it older, timeless and valuable. Whereas the man gets you to see who you want to be, the golden shine gives you a feeling of the atmosphere you want to be surrounded with. The clever combination of different elements in the advertisement allows various associations. It is obvious that the viewer is supposed to associate a special lifestyle with a special cigarette.

The whole image creates a kind of harmony, not only because of the golden shine, but because of all elements fitting perfectly together. It is the perfect background for the car, the perfect car for the man and obviously man and cigarette are well suited to each other as well. The harmony is not disturbed by a clumsy picture of the product. The two packets of cigarettes stand outside the image, only by the golden colour they are connected to the image. What stands completely outside the advertisement is the beam, including the warning against smoking by the ministry of health.

Whereas the picture is one major part of the advertisement, the text is the other one. The slogan says "No spirit, no glory". The "spirit" of the smoking man is obvious. This spirit creates a special kind of "glory", which is underlined by the glorious golden shine of the whole scene. The racing car also stands in a relationship to glory winning races brings glory on you. Smoking this special cigarette gives you the quality of being a winner, a glorious winner, not only in car-races but in life. The caption of the image is "discover metal", which is related to the design of the two packets of cigarettes in gold and silver. Gold and silver as metals stand for jewellery and luxury. The golden, precious shine of the atmosphere in the picture passes on to the packets and due to that fact also on to the consumer buying them. The design of the packets leads to an association of the gleam of luxury with this particular tobacco. Although the whole scene is in some way exclusive it does not exclude the viewer. He can be part of the feelings and values it conveys. The advertisement expresses that the only thing which separates you and this man, is the brand of cigarettes you smoke. This subtext is much more effective than any plain slogan like "B & H are the best cigarettes you will ever find" would be. Good advertising has to animate you to buy something without you realizing that you got caught.

The advertisement addresses a special audience people who value luxury, good style, social and personal success. An exceptional quality of the image is that it addresses men as much as women the former react on the portrayed ideal of a winner, one who reached everything in life without losing himself. Women rather value the model's rough and very male appearance without him considering a danger. They interpret the portrayed man as a typical adventurer and this and his boyish charisma lead to an obvious association with sexuality. For women the model is a symbol and an object of sex. (This also is valid for gay men.) Both genders react the same way on the light-mindedness of the man, because today only few people enjoy the luxury of being free of sorrow. I think this form of luxury, which is not as obvious and glamorous as the luxury of owning valuable things, people desire mostly. Although the man of the picture seems to own and have everything, he does not awaken envy and resentment. It seems to be your own personal decision to be the same way.

The advertisement is not darted at non smokers who never did smoke in life. The feeling created by the model and the setting is like an alliance between viewer and the smoker of the picture. In his look lies something like "You know how damned fantastic it tastes!" or "I am sure you want it too!". Non-smokers normally know why they do not smoke and they definitely do not start because of a really good advertisement. Even if you never touched any cigarette in life you know enough smokers to think twice about starting this habit. In the end the non-smoker can be convinced (to smoke) by nearly everything, but I bet it will not be a magazine-advertisement. The creator of the advertisement of "B&H" was aware of that and so he restricted his audience to people who smoke already.

Most advertising is based on common lies the obvious contradiction of this particular one is that smoking is associated with character and strength, as well mental and physical strength. We all know that this is simply not true. Most smokers will admit this. It does not mean that smokers generally have a weaker character than non-smokers, but everybody who ever stopped (or tried to stop) smoking can tell that it requires much more strength to stop than to start with it. I think the fact, why we -for all that- still believe in the messages delivered by advertisements, is that we want to believe what they tell us. A smoker looking at this advertisement gets the impression that smoking cannot be that terrible and condemnable as it is always said. Smoking gets a new dimension, a dimension which is completely faked. In most cases the ideals created by advertisements are in all ways better than those of the real world ever could be. They are so perfect that we often forget that they are only two-dimensional and lifeless. This leads to the question if this forgetfulness is an effect of too much advertising experience or of our own personal wish to believe rather in ideals than in less perfect but alive realities. I think the answer is that we prefer the ideals. Ideals have no edges which can hurt you. (But they neither have hands to nurse your hurts.)

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Continental Drift, Money and the American Dream

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Money and the American Dream in Continental Drift

The American Dream, once a noble ideal of freedom and individualism, has been replaced by a ruthless game for money, at the expense of freedom and morality. In his novel Continental Drift, Russell Banks highlights the interplay of money and freedom in his characters lives to highlight this substitution.

Banks starts the story of Bobs journey for freedom with a need for money. Money is seen as the central component for freedom here. Bob is a man who lives in a working class-neighbourhood in a community where ...theres never enough money, the men and the women tend to feel angry towards one another much of the time, especially in the evenings when the work is done and the children are sleeping and nothing seems to be improved over yesterday(5). Here, Banks reveals the circumstances surrounding his protagonist; an environment in which happiness and freedom are diminished by poverty. Upon experiencing his first epiphany, or what he calls a nervous breakdown, Bob keeps referring to his familys need for money as being dead. Not affording paint, storm windows and oil to burn for his house and owing money on his car and his boat all that is being dead. When he revisits his childhood dream of becoming successful, Bob tells his wife he used to say well make a killing. A figure of speech used frequently throughout the book, it addresses the theme of power and how to reach it. It is also the readers first clue to the tragic events that Bob experiences in his delusional search of the American Dream. Right from the beginning, the author introduced the connection between money, power and freedom, though at this point it is still undefined.

When Bob reaches Florida, money becomes a significant feature of the novel and the words making a killing take on much deeper meaning. Bobs brother, Eddie, a man who has a new house on the lake in Florida, a new boat, a successful business, and sends his kid to horseback lessons(1); is the epitome of the American Dream. In one passage, Eddie reveals his guiding light, philosophy of life... religion, which is money is what makes the world go round(7-74). Although, Eddie is a man who has real problems (he reveals to his brother later on in the novel). His shady dealings were great sources of wealth as well as fear; a fear that placed him under constant pressure to make more and more money. The first demand that Eddie makes of his brother upon offering him a job is to take a gun to protect the money that will be earned in his liquor store. Bob explains his reluctance to take the gun from his brother by saying that he doesnt even like hunting. Banks then explains that Bob is a fisherman not a hunter(68). The meaning of this metaphor is very important in understanding Bob and subsequent events in the novel. Even though Bob claims not to be a hunter, he still wants to make a killing; this phrase is represented throughout the novel in a series of events in which Bob, who tries to assume a role not fit for him, loses his goodness. The first of those events is when he sees the man who tried to steal the money from the liquor store and kills him. Although Bob had earlier defended his decision of not killing the boy when he had the chance, all of a sudden he was possessed with a ruthless bloodthirsty need to shoot the boy. He wanted to release all that frustration, anger and confusion into this single act that seemed irresistible to him - to become the hunter. Failing to satisfy his desire, Bob explains his behaviour to Marguerite, saying that having not killed the boy when he had the chance the first time, he ended up looking like he dont have any brains, or else too much decency, which amounts to the same thing nowadays. Thus, he wanted to kill the boy.

It is true though that Bob Dubois does partially recover from this world of ruthless existence, and quits his job at the liquor store. Nevertheless, Bob is not happy, not free, for he has a wife and children to support and yet no source of income. He has recovered merely a facade of the dutiful, prudent, custodial, and even-tempered husband and father; his true underlying self, a feckless, reckless, irresponsible, faithless and irrational man. At this point in Bobs life, and in the midst of his desperation, Avery Boone, his childhood best friend, appears offering a partnership that will save Bobs life and more importantly make him rich, ironically by becoming a fisherman. Unfortunately, the reality that Bob and his family face is far from that. In fact Bob and his family end up with less money than they had before; resentment, anger and frustration replace the love that was between his wife and himself. For in Florida, one cannot be a fisherman, to survive one must make a killing. Bob asked Ave for help and found that his best friend had his own problems, much as Eddie did earlier in the novel. This is when Bob reached rock bottom and realized that he had lost everything. There was a life, and because it was under his control, it was his life; and then he traded a big part of that life for one with more promises and less control....then he made another trade, giving away control for promises again, property for dreams, each step of the way, until hes ended up tonight with nothing but promises, dreams and fantasies left to trade with. And no takers(1/14).

Bob decides to take on the offer of smuggling Haitians, and this is truly when Bob, the New Hampshire country boy, loses his goodness. Towards the end, Banks makes the destructiveness of money more clear. In a key passage in the novel, when Bob is aboard the Belinda Blue with the Haitians, Bob stands next to Claude, a Haitian, who eagerly awaits his arrival in America. Bob looks at the boy as though looking at a reflection of his own long lost innocence and at this moment reveals the real American Dream. Youll get to America, all right kid, he says to Claude and maybe just like me youll get what you want...But youll have to give something away for it... And when you get what you want, itll turn out to be not what you wanted after all, because itll always be worth less than what you gave away for it. Bob then summarizes the relationship of money and freedom in a single statement, in the land of the free, nothings free. This statement, the prelude to Bobs own tragic ending, explains why Bob had to die, because like Eddie and Ave, Bob had to pay for the money that he acquired at the expense of others. When the Haitians aboard the Belinda Blue all drown except for one woman drowned in a human tragedy, Bob knew that this was the end of his journey. The journey which was once led by the illusion that he will be rich, happy and free. The result was that he lost any dignity and even peace of mind that he had possessed; he also lost the little control he had which had made his life his own. Finally realizing that the money was destroying his life, he tries to release himself from its hold on him, to redeem himself and perhaps start over with his wife and children again. In New Hampshire he knows he can live peacefully, where he can earn an honest living, one that doesnt cost others lives; where he can be a fisherman. In this final attempt, Bob takes the money that he had acquired from smuggling the Haitians, and, trying to rid himself of the shame and sin, he goes to a little Haitian town where he tries to find Vanise, the sole Haitian survivor. Bob believes that giving the money to its due owner is the only way that he will be able to reclaim his soul, his conscience and his life; it is his only and last chance to purge himself of the consequences of his crime. Thus, when Vanise denies him this chance by refusing to take the money, she kills him just like he killed her son, her nephew and all those other Haitians who were aboard the ship. Bob then is stabbed to death protecting the money against four Haitians muggers. In a final, helpless cry No the money is mine Bob declares that if he has been denied his redemption then he is still not willing to let go of his American Dream. The hunter falls prey to his own game.

Continental Drift is a story about a man who had a dream that he will be successful and make it in the world. Unfortunately, in his quest for that dream, Bob stumbles over a world void of inspiration, and driven by a ruthless desire for money at the cost of dehumanization. Here Bob, like many others before him, is forced to leave his childhood dreams behind and forfeit the few possessions which he had taken for granted.

Please note that this sample paper on Continental Drift, Money and the American Dream is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Continental Drift, Money and the American Dream, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Continental Drift, Money and the American Dream will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality. Order your authentic assignment from and you will be amazed at how easy it is to complete a quality custom paper within the shortest time possible!

DIGS

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Dumbledore IS the Giant Squid in the Lake!!

Any evidence for this theory has to be circumstantial, because

Dumbledore has never been seen transfiguring himself into the squid, and we have no record that he has ever admitted to it. However, there are indications that strongly suggest it.

First of all, we can be sure that whatever the large animal that lives in the lake might appear to be, it is not a real giant squid. Here are some details about the giant squid in nature that contradict the possibility of the Hogwarts squid being real

--it's a salt-water animal and couldn't survive in a freshwater lake;

--there is no explanation how a real squid of any size could have found its way into a closed lake;

--as big as they are (the adult male averaging an amazing 15 or more meters in length, and about 00 kilos some are a great deal larger), the life span is quite short, and they don't live more than five or six years. Since the giant squid was known to Lily Evans in her day at Hogwarts, the squid in the lake in Harry's time is either not the same animal (very small chance of

a second specimen), or it is not a natural squid, but something else.

--they are deep cold-water creatures (the northern and southern

hemisphere ones are different species, because they can't cross the warm equator to mate), and the oxygen content of their blood is decreased by being exposed to warmth until they die of suffocation. You would never find one basking in the shallows on a hot June day; the only time you find them surfacing is when they are dead or dying.

--giant squids are voracious meat eaters and require a large amount of food (up to 50 kilos a day of whatever they can capture). Large squids sometimes even attack sperm whales (or battleships, thinking that they are whales these hunts end badly for the squid, which usually slides backward into the propellers). In a closed lake that is nothing like the size of a

mature squid's hunting range, no one would be safe swimming; and yet students have been seen tickling the Hogwarts squid's tentacles, feeding it toast, and swimming with it companionably; there has even been a report that the Hogwarts squid rescued a student who fell overboard from a small boat

without harming him by so much as a tentacle-sucker. This is not the behaviour of a real squid.

Let us move on now to the evidence for the squid's identity as

Dumbledore

--It has been noted by others that there is some physical resemblance between Dumbledore and the squid both creatures are long and thin, with prominent eyes and strong crooked beaks.

--Dumbledore is a past master of transfiguration, and although Hermione Granger's research into the records of registered animagi has not turned up his name (or she has failed to mention it, which is not really like her), there are other possibilities

1.) he became an animagus at a very young age, and the records she checked do not go back that far; or

.) he never registered (which is illegal, but there are indications

that would not be of the greatest concern to him, mostly that he was far more impressed than disapproving on learning about three secret animagi among his own Hogwarts students); or

.) he simply becomes the squid at need without its being a full

animagus change (as we see, for example, Viktor Krum partially transfiguring into a shark for the second Triwizard Task). This would seem a likely choice, because Dumbledore and the squid do not really share character qualities, as an animagus is thought to share with its human form. The squid disguise would not rule out Dumbledore also being an animagus that takes a more

Why would Dumbledore want to be a squid in the lake at all? Some have suggested that this is recreational for him; it is also a form in which he can spend time with the mer-people in the lake, who are an important part of the population at Hogwarts even though they have little contact with students. There is a more compelling reason, I believe Since giant squids are among the fastest moving creatures in the ocean (their jet propulsion mode of swimming gives them up to 0 miles per hour speed

http//starryskies.com/articles/dln/11-/squid.html

this is a very practical way for the headmaster to travel swiftly to points all over the school grounds lying around the lake. I propose, for example, that this is how Dumbledore went out and returned as fast as he did from the grounds to appoint Firenze as the replacement for Trelawney, in the crisis of divination teachers. And of course, Dumbledore is able to eavesdrop on

student conversations when students retreat to the lakeside looking for privacy, as the three friends do on more than one occasion. In this way, he can not only be unseen, he can make a very fast getaway.

The headmaster of Hogwarts is a very visible person, and secret

opportunities for him to be seen as a squid probably do not occur too often; however, the sharp observer will see that Dumbledore and the squid are never seen in the same place at the same time. Two squid sightings occurred close enough to Dumbledore sightings to cast doubt on our theory, but I think they can be explained easily by the fact that the one end of the lake ends

in a tunnel that actually runs into a secret chamber under the castle (this is the way the first years get in on their first night). With the speed of the squid's mobility, and the ready access to the castle, Dumbledore can easily return to the castle unseen underwater, using his power of invisibility if necessary after transforming into human form again.

1.) at the end of Harry's first year, the three friends were sitting by the lake, with the squid close by, discussing the problem of convincing the teachers that the Stone was in danger, and Harry suddenly decided to question Hagrid. After they spent a brief visit with Hagrid, they went up to the castle to see Dumbledore, only to have McGonagall tell him Dumbledore had left Hogwarts "ten minutes ago." They had seen, while they were

sitting at the lake, the owl bringing the message summoning Dumbledore away. The argument is there was not enough time for Dumbledore to have been the squid, and yet already be gone by the time they reached McGonagall. I think Dumbledore as the squid listened in on the conversation long enough to be

certain that Harry was still not satisfied with the safety of the Stone and was taking further action, as he had secretly been encouraging Harry to do all along, and then left them rapidly underwater to return unseen to the underground castle chamber in under a minute.

.) On the first night of Harry's fourth year, there was a bad storm, and the crossing of the first years over the lake was likely to be especially dangerous. I believe Dumbledore became the squid to watch over the situation, and so he was there to put the Creevey boy back in his boat when he fell out. There would not have been time for him to get back to the Great Hall for Harry to see him there shortly afterward, if he had been traveling as a man, but the squid would have had plenty of time to squirt himself along under the castle ahead of the firsties, and with the additional delay caused by Peeves, there was plenty of time for him to transform and get to the head table. (Some have thought that his hair was shining under the lights of the Hall because it was still wet. I think it is unlikely that a man who can turn into a giant squid cannot dress and dry his hair in a twinkling.) In any case, both Dumbledore and the squid are not seen at the same time.

We need to look at two other kinds of occasion times when we would expect the squid to be present, but it is not, because Dumbledore is there in person; and times when Harry and the squid are both at the lake, and what is going on at those times

1.) Dumbledore is out on the grounds to await the coming of the

Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students in Harry's fourth year. The Durmstrang ship comes up from the center of the lake; if there is any time a normal giant squid would be aroused, this is it. The giant squid is known to be the creature called "Kraken" or sea monster by sailors of old, and it is perfectly able to take a whole ship down to the bottom

http//unmuseum.mus.pa.us/kraken.htm

But no giant squid appears, because the Hogwarts squid is not a real squid, and because Dumbledore is standing close by on dry land. And of course, Harry does not encounter the squid, though he wonders if he will, when he enters the lake during the second Triwizard task, because Dumbledore is present among the judges. (Harry does see the image of the squid being chased by Mermen, painted on a rock by Merpeople, while he is down

there; some have noted that Dumbledore, who knows Mermish, may have learned the language by spending some time being chased while getting to know them. Or maybe the Merpeople just want to show a heroic picture of themselves.) And

in Harry's third year, the squid is not seen in the lake when Harry

drives off the dementors with his patronus, because Dumbledore is still keeping company having tea (or a brandy) with Hagrid after the incident with Buckbeak. Viktor Krum goes for a dip every morning diving off the bow of the ship, but never reports having run into the squid either; if it were a

real squid that was thre all the time, he would have been eaten

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An Inspector Calls

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An Inspector Calls

An inspector calls was first performed in 145. Priestley wrote the play to express his views through the characters, this makes the play educational. Because the play is set in 11 the play is filled with dramatic irony, because the Birlings express their views on the future but the audience already know how stupid they are being, this and the drama of the inspector help to keep the audience entertained.

The play was set in 11, life in 11 was very different from life today. In 11 the class system was very prominent and this plays a big part in the play. Women were also treated differently and were often made to stay at home looking after the house and children while the man earned money.

The inspector seems strange throughout the play because of the manner in which he talks to the Birlings, appearing to have no respect for the fact that the Birlings are a rich and upper class family. The first thing that the audience might notice is his name, Goole, after his exit when it come out that the inspector isn't really who he said he was the audience may start assume that he is some kind of ghost.

I think the purpose of the inspector in the play is to be the Birlings conscience, he teaches them about responsibility for their actions and for each other. He also teaches them about respecting each other regardless of class. He also exposes lies they have told to teach them that lying will come out in the end and be much worse. In the end he warns the Birlings about what will happen if they don't learn from the things he has told them. I think the things the inspector is teaching the Birlings are the views of Priestley and that through teching the other characters the inspector is educating the audience, it has been said that the inspector is the voice of Priestley. "Nobody's been brought in after drinking disinfectant, they haven't had a suicide in months." Mr Birling says this after finding out that the inspector had not been telling the truth all along, he finds this a great relief but as Sheila notices, "The point is you don't seem to have learnt anything." "The moneys not the important thing, Its what happened to the girl and what we all did that matters." This comment from Eric and the previous one from Sheila shows that they have learnt from the experience and the inspectors lessons. "They're over tired, In the morning they'll be as amused as we are." Comments like this from Gerald and Mr. and Mrs. Birling show that they have not learned from the lessons of the inspector and have not changed at all. The way the characters develop, along with the mystery of the inspector and the way Priestley keeps the audience guessing at each characters involvement makes the play very entertaining.

The final speech of the inspector is one of the most important in the play. One of Mr. Birlings first speeches is all about how life is every man for himself and how no one is responsible for anyone else, the inspectors final speech is almost the exact opposite of this and talks about everyone being responsible for everyone else and how everyone's actions effect other people. "And I tell you that the time will soon come when if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." Here the inspector could be referring to world war two, the play being set nearly 50 years before its first performance the audience would know that this is what he was talking about. I think he worded the speech this way to shock and scare the audience, this works in both an entertaining and educational way. At this point the inspector seems to take a sudden change of character, he no longer appears to be trying to play an inspector but instead starts to show that he is acting as the conscience for the Birlings.

As mentioned before, the characters all react differently to the inspectors interrogation. Some of them realise the error of their ways and act very differently to how they did at the beginning of the play. By the end of the play Mr. and Mrs. Birling don't seem to have been changed by the inspector and hold to the thought that they were right all along, however Sheila does not seem to be the same cold, shallow person she was in the beginning. Eric also seems to have been changed by the experience and accepts that he is partly to blame for the death of Eva Smith.

The fact that the older generation stick to their old way of thinking may show Priestley's views on the generations, it shows that he thinks the younger generation more readily accepts change but the older generation prefers to keep their old ways. This is probably one of the things that Priestley wanted to educate his audience about.

Sheila is like the voice of the audience, the audience know that the Birlings are wrong and Sheila tries to show them this. "But your forgetting one thing I still cant forget. Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn't end tragically then that's lucky for us. But it might well have done." She desperately tries to show the Birlings what they have done and get them to change and learn from the inspector.

The way Birling reacts to finding out that Eva Smith had not died that night shows a lot about his unwillingness to change. "I'll admit he a bit of a scare at the time. But I'd a special reason for not wanting a scandal just now." This comment show that Mr. Birling only cares about himself and his family, he is more bothered about there not being a public scandal than any of the things they had done. He believes that because the girl is not dead it does not matter what they all did no matter how much Sheila tries to convince him.

In the final section of the play there is a lot of dramatic tension. Priestley uses this tension to keep the audience entertained and ‘on the edge of their seats'. Priestley first creates this tension with the final speech of the inspector, this speech leaves the Birlings silent and shocked. The silence between the family further builds the tension. "That man wasn't a police officer." Upon Geralds arrival he announces that he has discovered that the inspector was a fraud. This announcement sparks off a discussion in which Mr. and Mrs. Birling and Gerald try to prove the none-existence of the inspector and convince themselves that nothing had happened to a girl at all. During this discussion the tension lowers. "You're pretending everythings just as it was before." Sheila continues to try and show the Birlings that even if nothing happened to Eva Smith they had still done the things they had admitted to, this keeps the tension up and helps to keep the audience entertained.

The Phone call is a dramatic device, when the phone rings the family stops, shocked. They silently look to the phone, this air of shock and the phone call itself make the tension jump rapidly up. "He puts the telephone down slowly and looks in a panic stricken fashion at the others." When Birling performs this stage direction the tension peaks, the look of panic on his face will mean that the audience can probably guess what the phone call was about even before Birling's announcement.

"That was the police. a girl has just died after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police inspector is on his way here to ask some questions." This speech confirms what the audience may have thought about the phone call. It helps keep the tension and creates a cliffhanger to leave the end of the play on. It leaves the audience wondering what is going to happen next and whether the phone call would have happened if the Birlings had learned from the words of the Inspector.

I think that at the end of the play someone really has died and because of the state the Birlings have been left in after inspector Goole's questioning everything that they had said to inspector Goole will come out and the scandal will shame and ruin the Birling family.

I think that the phone call acts as a lesson to the Birling family for not learning a lesson from the words of the inspector and not feeling sorry for what they had done.

Conclusion

The play is still relevant to a modern audience because the issues brought up in the play still exist today. There are still lots of people who are like the Birlings, people who are sexist, upper class snobs who look down on the lower classes and seek only money and their own and their families gain. The mention of "fire, blood and anguish" in the inspectors final speech could refer to world war, there is still the issue of war today. I think that we could learn that our actions effect people around us and that it is bad to have selfish views on everything from the play.

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Keeping the faith - Religious analysis

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1. What reasons are given for Brian and Jake becoming religious? How could this be seen as odd in today's society? What is the predominate view in Western society regarding devoting ones life to one's faith?

Brian and Jake's decisions to devote their lives to their religions were ones that were influenced from a young age. For Brian, it was always something he wanted to do. Brian was always called ‘A gift from God' by his mother in referral to the way that after fourteen years of trying for a baby, she and Brian's father were blessed with beautiful, healthy baby Brian. Brian then decided from a young age that he was going to ‘make it up to God'. For Jake, his decision was not quite so obvious. Jake's religion started as a hobby with Jewish swap cards. However, Jake was always a special kid and very popular, so naturally when he made the decision to become a Rabbi it was smiled upon.

Such decisions made by the two young men could easily be deceived as odd by today's western society. It is a very uncommon commitment for someone of their age to make and undoubtedly people would have had their suspicions about why they joined the priesthood etc. Perhaps people would have thought that they ‘couldn't do any better' or that they were a bit ‘simple'.

Devoting one's life to one's religion is deceived as odd these days because of a change of views by society in general. Young people these days have so many more opportunities than young people in the past have. Young people these days have more and more opportunities to start high paying executive jobs straight from school, what with such advances in the field of technology and IT. These are seen to be more appealing to young people than the strictness and discipline life of devotion to God.

. What aspects of the ministry of a Rabbi and of a priest do we gain insight into thanks the film? What aspects are missing? What expectations were placed upon Brian and Jake as religious leaders?

The film makes a very traditional statement regarding how the Jewish and Catholic ministries are deceived. The ministries are shown to be stiff lipped and customary, the Jewish ministry in particular. The Jewish parish is shown to be drab dull and boring (i.e. traditional) before Jake takes over. Jake transforms into a bright, exciting and interesting ceremony of music and good times, much to the agreement of the churchgoers, but not to the ministry or the other Rabbis. The Rabbis and the ministry argue that making such a fuss and a show out of the traditional mass and service is showing disrespect. This situation makes the ministry out to be a boring and old, afraid of change. The Catholic ministry is not shown as much as the Jewish. However there is one key scene were Anna phones Brian at the ministry at a later hour and the phone is answered by one of the older priests (perhaps a bishop) and the part we see is the older priest bringing the phone through to Brian's room. Although only a very quick scene, we quickly and easily establish a clear view of the ministry as one of tradition and strict views when the older priest quickly snaps at Brian for having a call at such an hour, disturbing his sleep, when clearly it was not Brian's fault. The spiritual, caring and kind side of the ministry was missing form the film, however it is presumed that we will carry our existing views of the church and the ministry into the film with us.

There were several expectations placed upon Brian and Jake as religious leaders. They were hard expectations to live by and often Brian and Jake chose not to live by these expectations. People expected them to be ‘the perfect man'; unable to shown any personal emotion, but still able to remain sensitive and thoughtful, as well as an active role model to the whole society, and at that, one that never slips up. These expectations are not very reasonable and it would be impossible for any human being to follow and live by them completely.

. How did Brian and Jake seek to revitalize their congregations? To what extent were they successful? What measures do religious traditions (religions) need to take, in your opinion, in order to survive?

Brian and Jake used many methods to revitalize their congregations. They proved that even the simple things count, and it was things such as their informal dress that helped make their congregations feel more comfortable. They also become personally more active within their church community, organizing interest and help groups. However they didn't just stick with the simple and easy things. They went out of their way to organize singers for their masses (and they always made an emphasis on music and involvement during mass), they constantly related and updated their masses according to current issues, and they even went out of their way during their own time to organize and start their own ‘inter-faith lounge bar' encouraging all sorts of inter-faith friendships and relationships. In my opinion, these were wonderful things to do for the community.

The Catholic Church, if it wants to survive in this new age world, has review its policies regarding issues such as divorce and contraception, just to name two things. In my opinion, people are not going to hang around long if they are condemned to follow and live by unreasonable rules and policies. People are going to become fed up and forget about the church and they will, no doubt, rejoice their freedom. The church and in general religions

4. The phrase ‘an old age God with a new age spin' is used in the film. What does this illustrate about worship and what people seek from religions?

The phrase ‘an old age God with a new age spin' refers to the way Jake and Brian took the mass and made it relevant for people in today's world.

The fact that their masses were so popular illustrates the fact that people appreciated the way that Brian and Jake took the traditional (old) beliefs and stories and modernized the morals and messages (i.e. giving it a ‘new age spin'). Their packed congregations could be seen as proof that today's people are seeking a mass that they can relate to, rather than a mass that people of past (old) times could relate to.

5. What distinction was made between faith and religion in the film? Give examples of how both were depicted in the film.

The distinction between faith and religion is made quite clear in the film. Religion being a set of structured beliefs and a way of life, and Faith being one's own personal beliefs and spiritual side. Jake presents a brilliant homily to his congregation about the importance of one's spiritual nature and personal beliefs about God and life in general.

6. What evidence is there or tension or division in both the religious communities featured in the film? How do these tensions reflect real issues being faced by religions in Western Society today?

In Jake's Jewish congregation, there is an old Jewish lady who doesn't like it when Jake organizes for the black choir singers to sing at the mass and she complains to the head of the Church. She is seen as proof that there are always people out there that aren't going to be happy about the updates that are being made to the church. They remain narrow mindedly set on the idea that if you change the church, and keep changing the church then one day there's going to be none of the same traditional church left and that there will be nothing to base our beliefs upon. This is the same issue being faced by many religions in Western society today. It is these people who refuse to accept the idea that in order to survive, churches and religions need to change slightly and ‘move with the times'

7. Comment upon how the issues of celibacy & religious prejudice were treated in the film.

a. Celibacy-

In the film it is Brian who has to deal with the issue of celibacy. He states at the start of the film that, he's fine with it, it doesn't bother him, and he just got used to it. At the start of the film he's so ‘cool' about it, that we don't even recognize it as a potential issue. However when Brian falls in love with a woman, being the spiritually in tact man he is, that he naturally develops feelings of resent.

8. What sense do we gain from the film regarding-

a. The relationship between religious traditions (religions) and society today?

The film makes light of an other wise (what can be a) heavy subject. It puts the issue of religion and religious beliefs out in the open and invites us as viewers to form opinions and to question our religious place in society. The film opens up what could other wise be a taboo subject and positions us to broaden our spiritual horizons and helps to make it a subject that we feel more comfortable discussing more openly, which is an important step that we can take as a community to help us grow together.

b. The contribution of religious traditions (religions) to society today?

Religion is an essential part of an every day spiritual life, which in turn is an important part one's self-discovery. The film gives us an understanding of the role of religion in society and one's life from a third person perspective and also positions us as a viewer to reflect (personally) upon how religion contributes to our life.

. Evaluate the treatment of religious traditions (religions) in the film. (150 00 words)

The film does an excellent job of presenting what could easily become a very heavy subject, as a light-hearted feel-good family movie. It tackles what could other wise be seen as taboo subjects and turns them into a light subject matter. The film carefully handles both religions seriously without making it into too serious a film. The film treats both religions as equal and there were never any comments or suggestions that one religion is better than the other is. The film was more about highlighting the similarities and ties between the two religions, rather than the differences. The filmmakers did an excellent job of assuring that both religions were treated fairly and that no one was offended or falsely represented.

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Service Apartment Industry

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Overview

You work for a property development company, which plans to invest in the service apartment industry. You have conducted a survey to determine the patterns of demand for service apartments and the needs of users of such accommodation. You are required to submit a report.

Use items A, B, C, D & E to assist you to write the report. Read the information carefully and select only relevant information to write certain sections of your report.

All three questions are interrelated.

Questions

1. Write the Introduction section consisting of the Background, Objectives and Scope.

Word limit 00 words

. Write the Results section of your report based on the information given.

Word limit 00 words

. Write the Abstract of your report.

Word limit 150 words

Item A Excerpts of a dialogue between yourself and your supervisor

Supervisor As I mentioned over the phone yesterday, our company is looking into investing in the service apartment industry. Our division has been asked to submit a report.

You What would the report be about?

Supervisor The Board of Directors wants to have a clearer picture of the patterns of demand so that we can plan and allocate our resources. We also need to look into the type of facilities that tenants, both businessmen and holiday makers, prefer. This, of course, will determine what we provide at our apartments.

You (Taking down notes.) Anything else?

Supervisor That's about it.

You How much time do I have to complete this report?

Supervisor The next Board of Directors' meeting will be in late August so the report has to be submitted latest by mid-August. Let's say 15 August.

You That doesn't leave me with much time … today is already 10 June.

Supervisor I think two months should be sufficient.

You I'm not sure where to begin. How do I get data for the report?

Supervisor To start with, you can design a questionnaire and distribute it to managers of various service apartments around the island. Don't forget a questionnaire for the tenants as well. You will also need their views.

You OK … questionnaires for managers and tenants. So how many should we send out for each group?

Supervisor Maybe 150 for tenants and 50 for managers.

You O.K. Perhaps I should interview tenants as well in order to get some personal insights or opinions. What do you think?

Supervisor Why not? It will enhance your report. I've got another meeting now. Think about what we have discussed. If you need additional information, call me this afternoon.

You O.K.

(End of dialogue)

Item B Extracts from local newspapers

"More and more multinational companies are setting up bases in Singapore as it was ranked one of the best places for doing business by U.S-based Fortune magazine.

At present, about 80,000 expatriate families live in Singapore. There are only about ,000 units of service apartments on the market. Despite this year's economic downturn, unlike other segments of the property market, demand for service apartments is still high."

--- The Straits Times, 1 July 001

"To attract and retain customers, the service apartments' operators must anticipate their customers' needs and deliver more value. In times of an economic downturn like this year, service apartment operators must try to cut costs and overheads."

--- The New Paper, 1 June 001

"Last October, I stayed in a studio service apartment in Nassim Road and I paid $,500 per month. But this time around I have to pay $500 more. Service apartments are supposed to cost less than hotels." Mr Steven Cross, a U.S. businessman, told the reporter.

--- Today, 0 July 001

Item C Excerpts of an interview with a business tenant on 1 July 001

Interviewer By the way, how long have you been staying here?

Mr Smith About months. Most of us here on business stay for an average of

6 months to a year. You mentioned a survey. What is it about again?

Interviewer My company is looking into the service apartment industry and I am collecting data to write a report.

Mr Smith Oh, I see. Why don't you send out questionnaires instead of conducting interviews?

Interviewer Actually, we are doing that.

Mr Smith So how has the response been?

Interviewer Better than expected. The response rate is 5%. Now, how did you hear about this place?

Mr Smith A friend of mine stayed here for 8 months sometime last year and he recommended it very highly.

Note Item C continues on page 4.

Interviewer What exactly did your friend say about this place?

Mr Smith He mentioned the great location, the reasonable costs and the facilities.

Interviewer Can you tell me more about what you mean by "facilities"? We'll be addressing costs and location in a separate survey.

Mr Smith Well … after a hard day's work, a pool of a reasonable size would be something that I look for. A well-equipped gym would also be a plus. Another important feature is a business centre with basic facilities such as fax machines and photocopiers.

Interviewer Why did you choose to stay in a service apartment, rather than say,

a hotel?

Mr Smith In a way, a service apartment is very much like a hotel, with a hotel's facilities and convenience. But I like service apartments because they combine the comfort of a hotel with the freedom of a private flat.

Interviewer Have you ever had any difficulty in renting a service apartment?

Mr Smith Well, not really, except during holiday seasons such as Christmas.

To avoid this problem, I book at least three months in advance.

Interviewer Mr Smith, I've already taken more than enough of your time. Thank you

so much.

Mr Smith Don't mention it. Hope you have all the information you need.

Interviewer Thank you.

(End of interview)

Item D Sample of the questionnaire sent to tenants on 16 June 001

Survey on Customer Needs in Service Apartments

1. Name of service apartment ____________________

. Address_____________________

. Length of stay (a) 1 to weeks

(b) to 4 weeks

(c) 1 to months

(d) to 6 months

(e) 6 to 1 months

(f) more than a year

4. Purpose of stay (a) Business

(b) Holiday

(c) Others (please specify) ____________

5. Please rank the services needed

not important quite important very important

1

(a) Maid service 1

(b) Laundry service 1

(c) 4 hr reception/concierge 1

(d) Secretarial service 1

(e) Games room 1

(f) IDD service 1

(g) Security guards 1

(h) Wake-up calls 1

(i) Airport transfers 1

(j) Childcare services 1

(k) Others (please specify)________________________________________

6. How often do you use the following facilities per week?

Daily times Twice Once None

(a) Carpark ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(b) Business centre ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(c) Kitchen ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(d) Swimming pool ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(e) Playground ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(f) Tennis court ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(g) Gymnasium ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(h) Laundromat ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(i) Others (please specify) ____________________________________________

7. Suggestions for improvement__________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your time.

Please return the completed form in the self-addressed envelope provided by 6 June 001.

Item E Data collected

Figure 1 Average occupancy rate of service apartments

in Singapore, 16-000

Figure Frequency of facility use by business tenants

and holiday makers, June July 001

Note Item E continues on page 7.

Figure Patterns of demand for service apartments

by business tenants and holiday makers in 000

Please note that this sample paper on Service Apartment Industry is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Service Apartment Industry, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Service Apartment Industry will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality. Order your authentic assignment and you will be amazed at how easy it is to complete a quality custom paper within the shortest time possible!