Writing News Nobel Prize for Literature Goes to Alice Munro

This year’s Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to a Canadian short story writer Alice Munro. Her name appears in the news not for the first time – she already received the Man Booker International Prize for her literary work, and her style is often compared to that of another master of short story – Chekhov. It is interesting to mention that she is the first Canadian writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature for the entire duration of its existence (it was established in 1901), with a probable exception of Saul Bellow who won it in 1976. He, however, was only born in Canada but was raised in the United States, so it is more correct to call him an American writer rather than a Canadian one. Alice Munro is also the 13th woman to be honored with this award. She is unusual in yet another respect – unlike the majority of Nobel Prize winners (and, in fact, the majority of writers in general), she almost exclusively writes in the short story form – not a trivial fit in a literary world, where it is extremely hard to make oneself noticeable unless you write novels or plays. She even said after receiving the award that she hopes it will help people see the short story as an important literary genre, not just something you play with until you have a novel published. She has been writing short stories since 1950, and since then has been often praised for her fresh, witty and independent writing style. Since she started writing she published more than a dozen collections of short stories, usually choosing to write about the things she knew best – the lives of girls and women from her home region of southwestern Ontario. Comparisons with Chekhov come from the fact that the themes she touches upon are to a great degree similar to his – namely, the juxtaposition of quiet, uneventful life in provincial regions and hidden passions, dramas and heated conflicts. Another interesting point is that earlier this year Alice Munro announced that she was no longer going to write fiction, explaining this by saying that she doesn’t have the energy she needs for it anymore. It is somewhat amusing because, when she spoke about her retirement, Ms. Munro mentioned that it was nice to feel just like everyone else again. After receiving the Nobel Prize, it is probably the last thing she can say about herself.

The Blind Obedience in “the Lottery” - 2459 Words

The Blind Obedience in â€Å"The Lottery† â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson written and published in 1948, takes place on June 27th in a small town of three hundred people. Villagers gather together at around ten o’clock for one of the main rituals called ‘the lottery‘, which takes place in the central square. â€Å"The lottery was conducted as were the square dances† (Jackson 31) illustrating the timely scheduled event. It is a normal day with â€Å"the fresh warmth of a full summer day† (Jackson 1). The men arte having regular conversations about â€Å"the planting, rain, tractors, and taxes† (Jackson 21) as they wait for the lottery to began. The lottery, an old tradition, is held every year and is done for the prosperity of the villagers. The secret†¦show more content†¦In Embattled Paradise: The American Family in an Age of Uncertainty (1991), the author Arlene Skolnick goes on about the contrasting visions of 1 950s that shadowed some light on the peaceful images of family life that seemed to have appeared in situational comedies and popular magazines. However, on the other hand a nightmare vision of American family life is presented in the works of Eugene O’Neil, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee. On the contrary, Jackson depicted her own unique vision of the shallow and dark side of the 1950s and reading this piece gives us a new image of Shirley Jackson as a writer. Jackson shows a great theme of man over woman which also reflects the time of that era. A literary critique by Fritz Oehlschlaeger says that a conflict between male authority and female resistance is evident throughout. At the beginning of the story boys make â€Å"great pile of stone in one corner of the square, ‘while the girls stand aside’ talking among themselves, looking over their shoulders are the boys† (45). Jackson distinguishes male and female from the very beginning by showing how the children listen to their father’s orders, but not mother’s: â€Å"Soon the women†¦began to call to their children †¦Bobby Martin ducked under his mother’s grasping hand and ran, laughing, back to the pile of stones. His fatherShow MoreRelatedBlind Obedience in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay2503 Words   |  11 PagesWhen Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, it struck a nerve with readers. â€Å"The story was incendiary; readers acted as if a bomb had blown up in their faces . . . Shirley struck a nerve in mid-twentieth-century America . . . She had told people a painful truth about themselves† (Oppenheimer 129). Interestingly, the story strikes that same nerve with readers today. When my English class recently viewed the video, those students who had not previouslyRead MoreBlind Obedience in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery1059 Words   |  5 Pages The author of â€Å"The Lottery† wrote this story â€Å"to shock the story’s readers with a graphic demonstration of the pointless violence and general inhumanity in their own lives† (Jackson 211). This story reflects human behavior in society to show how although rules, laws or traditions do not make sense, people follow them. Throughout the story the three main symbols of how people blindly follow senseless traditions were the lottery itself, the color black, and the hesitation that people had towardsRead More Essays on Jacksons Lottery: Dangers of Blind Obedience Exposed684 Words   |  3 PagesDangers of Blind Obedience Exposed in The Lottery      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of us obey every day without a thought. People follow company dress code, state and federal laws and the assumed rules of courtesy. Those who do disobey are usually frowned upon or possibly even reprimanded. But has it even occurred to you that in some cases, disobedience may be the better course to choose? In her speech Group Minds, Doris Lessing discusses these dangers of obedience, which are demonstrated in Shirley JacksonsRead More Essay on Shirley Jacksons The Lottery - Blind Obedience Exposed954 Words   |  4 PagesBlind Obedience Exposed in The Lottery    The annual ritualistic stoning of a villager in Shirley Jacksons The Lottery parallels tradition in American culture.   This paper will inform the reader of the effect tradition has on characters in the short story The Lottery and how traditions still strongly influence peoples lives in america.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christian weddings hold many traditions and superstitions that seemingly defy logic.   Although most couples no longer have arrangedRead MoreNegative Effects of Obedience Exposed in Milgram Experiment vs â€Å"The Lottery†1052 Words   |  4 Pageswrongdoings men commits. Both the short story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and the Milgram Experiment presents us the unconscious human nature of obedience towards what perceives to be an authority. Meanwhile the results also serves as a message to promote humanity living a conscious life instead of blindly conforming with the crowd. The following paragraphs explains how each authoritative source established itself, analysis of both â€Å"The Lottery† and Milgram Experiment, and how both pieces of workRead MoreExamples Of Humanistic Obedience In Shirley Jacksons The Lottery1105 Words   |  5 Pagesnot unlikely that it will be terminated by an act of obedience.â €  (362). Jackson’s short story gave examples of how humanistic conscience and obedience can affect people’s actions. Obedience in this short story is demonstrated on three different levels as well having an overall obedience to the tradition or belief they have as a community. The townspeople in â€Å"The Lottery† act the way they do because the lack of humanistic conscience. â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson is an uncanny short story aboutRead More Inhumanity in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find and Shirley Jacksons The Lottery1133 Words   |  5 Pages In Flannery O’Connor’s, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† and Shirley Jacksons, â€Å"The Lottery,† both short stories deal with man’s inhumanity in different situations, and ending with a similar consequence. Jackson and OConnor both use two characters to depict man having the power to manipulate truth and objection into something people accept. In O’Connor’s’ A Good Man is Hard to Find, the Misfit is a character in need of desired assistance, troubled and confused he wanders savagely murdering strangersRead MoreSimilarities and Differences Between ‚Äà ºthe Lottery‚Äà ¹ and ‚Äà ºHarrison Bergeron‚Äà ¹950 Words   |  4 PagesIn this semester, we’ve read â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† from the textbook. They are two short stories; â€Å"The Lottery† was written by Shirley Jackson, and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† was written by Kurt Vonnegut. This essay is to compare the similarities and differences between them. The first similarity is that both of these dystopian stories demonstrate how people force themselves in a tradition that they have been told to follow even if they have an option to seek for change, and to exploreRead MoreCharacters Of Ray Bradburys The Lottery AndAll Summer In A Day?1094 Words   |  5 Pagespositions. This was especially evident in Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery† and Ray Bradbury’s short story â€Å"All Summer in a Day†. In both of these stories the characters raise hell for the protagonists, compelling the reader to ask themselves what the motivation behind these cruel actions was and why the characters allowed themselves to act in such an unjust manner. Protagonist Tessie Hutchinson of â€Å"The Lottery† is stoned to death by her own townspeople who looked upon her as their equalRead More The Shock of the novel The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay551 Words   |  3 PagesThe Shock of the novel The Lottery by S hirley Jackson The first time I read â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, I thought it would be about someone in a desperate situation who wins a large amount of money. However, after reading the story I was shocked and disgusted like millions of other readers because of what the â€Å"lottery† was all about. After my shock wore off I thought about why the author had chosen to be so cynical. It occurred to me that she needed to shock people into changing for the

Critical Discourse Analysis free essay sample

In CDA, the concept of ‘critical’ is applied to the engagement with power relations. In this sense the role of CDA is to uncloak the hidden power relations, largely constructed through language, and to demonstrate and challenge social inequities reinforced and reproduced. The term ‘discourse’ is used to talk about language in use, or the way language is used in a social context to ‘enact’ activities and identities (James Gee 1990). In terms of analysis, the critical discourse analyst’s job is not to simply read political and social ideologies onto a text but to consider the various ways in which a text could have been written and what these alternatives imply for ways of representing and understanding the world and to consider the social actions that are determined by these ways of thinking. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of discourse that views language as a form of social practice and focuses on the ways social and political domination are reproduced in text and talk. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Critical_discourse_analysis) CDA regards `language as social practice and takes consideration of the context of language use to be crucial (Fairclough and Wodak, 1997; Wodak, 2000c; Benke, 2000). Huckin (1997) defines CDA as â€Å"a relatively new approach to analyzing language or texts available to the second language teacher and researcher†. For Van Dijk (1998), CDA is â€Å"a type of discourse analytical research that primarily studies the way social power abuse, dominance and inequality are enacted, reproduced and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context†. Chouliaraki and Fairclough (1999) argued that CDA needs to be understood as both a theory and a method that offers â€Å"not only a description and interpretation of discourses in social context but also offers an explanation of why and how discourses work†. Before engaging in CDS, it is useful to pay attention to a frequent misconception about CDA which considers CDS as a method of analysis or research. Rather, CDS is: an academic movement of a group of socially and politically committed scholars, or, more individually, a socially critical attitude of doing discourse studies. Thus, discourse analysis is NOT a method of research, but rather a (cross-) discipline. It is no more than the general academic activity of studying discourse. Such a study can be carried by a large number of different methods. Another important point needs to be mentioned here is that CDA is not yet a complete approach, so it cannot by itself produce a complete comprehensive analysis of a text. Fowler (1996) argued that: if linguistic criticism now enjoys a certain academic standing, it is not to say that it is completed as a theory of language or an instrumentality of linguistics or even half-way satisfactory. Van Dijk (1996) also claimed that â€Å"since CDA is not a specific direction of research, it does not have a unitary theoretical framework†. Dijk (1998) also argued that the ideas or tools found in CDA may be found in other disciplines and that CDA is like any analysis depends on our purposes and aims, but what is different about CDA is that â€Å"it aims to offer a different mode or perspective of theorizing, analysis and application throughout the whole field of discourse studies†. Huckin (1997) agreed with Fowler and Dijk as for him CDA is not a linguistic theory and therefore it does not provide a complete grammar of syntactic, phonological, or other linguistic elements for any particular language. Nor does it aim to describe any particular text in exhaustive detail. Instead, it tries to point out those features of a text that are most interesting from a critical perspective. Huckin (1997) also believes that there are no specific tools for doing a critical discourse analysis of a certain text or speech, rather language critics have to choose from the linguistic textbooks or the books of discourse analysis the tools that would help them to reach their critical goals. 2. 1. 3. The functions and aims of CDA: Van Dijk (1993) argued that â€Å"CDA deal primarily with the discourse dimensions of power abuse and the injustice and inequality that result from it†. He (1993) added that CDA criticize â€Å"the power elites that enact, sustain, legitimate, condone or ignore social inequality and injustice† and that CDA focuses on â€Å"real problems, that is the serious problems that threaten the lives or well-being of many†. Such a critique of discourse â€Å"implies a political critique of those responsible for its perversion in the reproduction of dominance and inequality†. He (1996) also clarified that: one of the crucial tasks of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is to account for the relationships between discourse and social power. more specifically, such an analysis should describe and explain how power abuse is enacted, reproduced or legitimized by the text and talk of dominant groups or institutions. Huckin (1997) pointed out that â€Å"the primary activity of critical discourse analysis is the close analysis of written or oral texts that are deemed to be politically or culturally influential to a given society†. Carter (1997) argued that the major aim of CDA is to â€Å"uncover the insinuation of ideology and the imposition of power into texts through uses of language which ordinarily readers of texts do not notice. † (Quoted in Farag, 2003, p. 117). CDA aims to illuminate the ways in which the dominant forces in a society construct versions of reality that favour their interests. By unmasking such practices, CDA scholars aim to support the victims of such oppression and encourage them to resist and transform their lives (Foucault, 2000). The aim of CDA is to investigate hidden power relations in a text and have an especial interest in uncovering inequalities, power relations, injustices, biases, etc. (Corson, 2000). CDA aims at investigating â€Å"the subtle ways in which unequal power relations are maintained and reproduced through language use† (Weninger 2008:145). 2. 1. 4. The main tenets of CDA: Van Dijk (2001) clarified that critical research on discourse needs to satisfy a number of requirements in order to effectively realize its aims: 1. CDA research has to be better than other research in order o be accepted. It focuses primarily on, social problems and political issues, rather than on current paradigms and fashions. 3. Empirically adequate critical analysis of social problems is usually multidisciplinary. 4. Rather than merely describe discourse structures, it tries to explain them in terms of properties of social interaction and especially social structure. 5. More specifically, CDA focuses on the ways discourse structures enact, confirm, legitimate, reproduce, or challenge relations of power and dominance in society. He (2001) mentioned that the typical vocabulary of many scholars in CDA will feature such notions as power, dominance, hegemony, ideology, class, gender, race, discrimination, interests, reproduction, institutions, social structure, and social order, besides the more familiar discourse analytical notions. He (2001) also referred to Fairclough and Wodak’s summary of the main tenets of CDA: 1. CDA addresses social problems 2. Power relations are discursive 3. Discourse constitutes society and culture 4. Discourse does ideological work 5. Discourse is historical 6. The link between text and society is mediated 7. Discourse analysis is interpretative and explanatory 8. Discourse is a form of social action. While Fairclough (2000) identifies three central tenets of CDA namely, ‘social structure’ (class, status, age, ethnic identity and gender); ‘culture’ (the generally accepted norms of behavior in the society); and ‘discourse’ (the words we use). The goal of CDA is to determine the relationship between these three central tenets.

Mandate of Heaven

Introduction The foremost rationale of the report is to seek and provide an elaborate explanation concerning the meaning of the â€Å"Mandate of Heaven†. It also covers how China’s yellow river played a role in China’s civilization, how Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism philosophies, Great Wall and Silk Road, Opium Wars, and communism affect China’s civilization. â€Å"Ming† in early Chou was in essence the heavenly mandate given to the ruling class.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mandate of Heaven specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it has undergone two different developments. It initially predestined the moral instructions of heaven. It appears that the superior or the ruling house received authority from heaven to manage and control the people. As such, when the superior or ruler was overthrown, it simplifies a loss in the Mandate of Heaven. Therefore, the concept of M andate of Heaven resembles the heavenly right of kings in that the right to rule streams directly from God’s will. The ruler or superior believes that the way they govern a state is in accordance with the will of Heaven, and that people have to obey the superior that has prearranged the mandate or authority to control them. In essence, it was an idea of authority or legitimacy of a ruler to preside over under the heaven. Thus, the superior became an earthly representative to care for the people, as well as the welfare of their subjects. China’s Yellow River The Zhou and Shang dynasties marked a complex civilization period for China. During this period, Chinese traditions and cultural values were spread and transpired throughout Asia. China’s yellow river played a vital role, as well as the key influence on agriculture in China. The development and success of cities, resource trading and labor opportunities also relied on the yellow river. The Pamir, Tian and Him alaya mountain ranges, the Mongolian steppe, as well as deserts such as the Gobi and Takla Makan, isolate China from the eastern hemisphere. As a result, travel was difficult due to the gigantic trail of mountains, therefore, making trade and transportation difficult, as well. Actually, people did not travel by foot since communication would be made tremendously slow. As an alternative, travel was common through Yangzi and Yellow rivers. In addition, agriculture and trade could not be sufficient without the rivers. Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism Philosophies China has immense history in religion and art. Currently, religion in China is coined â€Å"Chinese Religion† since it is not organized but a combined movement. Chinese culture categorizes religion into four traditions: Confucianism, Chinese folk religion, Buddhism and Taoism.Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most people in China mix religion with their daily beliefs. In addition, the Chinese government plays a crucial role in dictating the religion that people should follow. The Chinese art is founded on these three key religions: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The previously mentioned religions put emphasis on love for nature. For this reason, landscapes, animals, flowers and birds constitute the established subjects of the art of Chinese. Great Wall and Silk Road The Silk Road, which is known as the silk route is a wide-ranging interconnected, set of connections of trade routes that transverse the Asian continent. It connects East, West, and Southern Asia with the Mediterranean countries, as well as the Eastern and Northern Europe and Africa. The origin of the name Silk Road is linked to the extensive trans-continental silk trade that takes place in China. The silk trade came into operation at a time when China had the reign of Han dynasty. In addition, to silk, the other significant feature is the Silk Road that was used to carry some other commodity to form part of the significant world history. In that same light, the Silk Road is regarded as the world’s oldest intercontinental routes that stretch and upholds a considerable number of religions in particular the Buddhism through Central Asia. This broadcast/diffusion has not only made a considerable impact on the lives and cultures in exacting countries within the continent, but it has also left the citizens of those countries with an ocean of wonders in literature and art. Art and iconography are the two main forms that have played a noteworthy role in the transmission of religious traditions all along the Silk Road. The Great Wall of China is a proof and a factual thing to the Chinese’s extensive journey of civilization. The wall was built to protect the country from invaders, as well as a show of wealth and power in ancient China. Opium Wars The reign of Qing dynasty feared instability due to the infl uences of the outside world, especially European countries. This resulted to refusal of the traders into the country. As a result, wars were employed to open trade, particularly for opium. China lost the war, and this paved way to signing of treaties that saw large trading companies being opened in Hong Kong. Communism The onset of communism witnessed an alternate loosening and tightening of political and economic policies. It ensured redistribution of wealth through land reforms, and initiating power structure that was centralized. In addition, communism led to a campaign directed against tax evasion, bribery, theft of government assets, cheating on materials and labor, and stealing government economic secrets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mandate of Heaven specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, communism shifted the economic system to socialist, as opposed to private ownership. China strived to attain e conomic growth and development founded on purposeful destabilization. The video explores the different aspects that affected the Chinese civilization. This essay on Mandate of Heaven was written and submitted by user Desiree Holder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.