Inaccessibility: Fiction and Miller

Inaccessibility Brook Thomas in his essay Preserving and Keeping Order by Killing Time in Heart of Darkness extends J. Hills Miller’s â€Å"unveiling† (Miller 220) of Conrad’s narrative. Miller’s essay Heart of Darkness Revisited demonstrates how Heart of Darkness â€Å"belongs to the genre of the parabolic apocalypse† (Miller 217). Thomas responds to Miller’s unveiling â€Å"a lack of decisive unveiling in Heart of darkness† (Miller 220) by reading â€Å"historically the narrative that Conrad weaves† (Thomas 239) so that we might be able â€Å"to come closer to a truth† (Thomas 239).Thomas presents the possibilities of decisive unveiling, which Miller claims, Heart of Darkness lacks. Miller’s questions what makes Heart of Darkness an apocalyptic parable? Subsequently Miller analyzes Conrad’s narrative â€Å"in light of these generic classifications† (Miller 207). Thomas is cautious in interpreting Co nrad’s narrative and questions the possibility of being able to glimpse into an essential truth by placing the text in historical context.Thomas quotes Miller, to synthesise â€Å"Conrad’s fiction in the context of the history of ideas† (Thomas 242), and later on takes up Miller’s suggestion in the evaluation of The Nigger of the â€Å"Narcissus† by Conrad to demonstrate that there can be â€Å"decisive unveiling† (Miller 220). Although Thomas does not mention Miller’s essay Heart of Darkness Revisited he quotes Miller’s The Disappearance of God and Poets of Reality. In addition to Thomas quoting Miller, both critiques adopt similar approaches in their essays.One of the first passage they quote from Heart of Darkness is Marlow informing us â€Å"the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze, in the likeness of one of these misty hal os that sometimes are made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine† (Heart of Darkness p. 20) both critiques examine Conrad’s writing and his purpose of writing.Miller’s analysis is that Conrad presents to us the description of â€Å"two kinds of stories: simple tales and parables† (Miller 208) and that Marlow’s stories â€Å"like the meaning of a parable- is outside, not in† (Miller 208) and goes on to say that the parable is inaccessible. Thomas quotes this passage to agree with Miller that â€Å"there is no guarantee that we will penetrate to the essential truth† (Thomas 239) at the same time suggest the possibility to glimpse truth â€Å"if we read historically the narrative that Conrad weaves† (Thomas 239).I am convinced that Thomas complicates Millers argument. Miller quotes Marx to define a parable like â€Å"the use of real life condition to express another reality or truth not otherwise expressible† he then compares the parable used from the Bible to demonstrate how Conrad’s fiction functions as a parable. Miller proves Heart of Darkness to be a parabolic apocalypse.In reference to the earlier passage from Heart of Darkness of the haze, Miller compares the image of the haze and illumination Conrad creates, with the â€Å"case of Jesus’ parable of the sower† (Miller 210) as Conrad uses â€Å"realistic and almost universally known facts as the means of expressing indirectly another truth less visible† (Miller 210). Miller further explains that Conrad’s parable becomes not just a way to examine Marlow’s story, consequently to examine Conrad’s narrative itself.Miller quotes Wallace Stevens that â€Å"there is no such thing as a metaphor of a metaphor† and moves on to use the Bible and Conrad’s The Nigger if the â€Å"Narcissus† to demonstrate inaccessibility of Heart of Darkness. Using the parable of the sower Mille r explains: â€Å"If you understand the parable you do not need it. If you need it you cannot possibly understand it† (Miller 210). Likewise Heart of Darkness based on the facts of History and Conrad’s life is used to express â€Å"the evasive and elusive truth underlying both historical and personal experience† (Miller 210) being a parable would fail to illuminate one who does not see the darkness.Miller picks out the passage of Marlow’s narration of life sensation and the impossibility of communicating life sensation sets it against the image of the halo in the mist to show us that Heart of Darkness â€Å"is a revelation of the impossibility of revelation† (Miller 212). The Nigger of the â€Å"Narcisusus† is used by both critiques to examine Conrad’s purpose of writing but interpretations of both critiques differ. They both quote similar passage of Conrad proclaiming his attempt to make his readers see and â€Å"that glimpse of tru th for which you have forgotten to ask†.Miller picks out the â€Å"double paradox† of seeing darkness in terms of light and the two sense of see one as physical vision and second the unveiling the invisible truth. Like the parable of the sower Miller states the Heart of Darkness does not accomplish in makes the reader glimpse truth. This analysis differs from Thomas analysis of the same quotation from The Nigger of the â€Å"Narcisusus†. Firstly Thomas uses this quotation to synthesis Conrad’s narrative and history, that Conrad re-envisions the way ineteenth-century historians that to â€Å"discover truth we had forgotten was to reconstruct it historically† (Thomas 248) linking the reading of the narrative with historical context. Secondly Thomas quotes The Nigger of the â€Å"Narcisusus† where â€Å"Conrad explicitly compares his work as an artist to the work of civilization† (Thomas 254) here Thomas links reading Heart of Darkness fo r the Conrad’s writing and focus on work. While Miller narrows the reading of Heart of Darkness and the inaccessibility of the narrative, Thomas points various ways to allow the narrative to be accessible.Miller examines the similarity between a parable and apocalypse genre through the notion that both â€Å"is an act of unveiling† (Miller 207). Again Miller uses the Bible to demonstrate how Heart of Darkness follows the genre of the apocalypse. Miller compares Conrad’s narrative structure of how the â€Å"reader of Heart of Darkness learns through the relation of the primary narrator, who learned through Marlow, who learned through Kurtz† (Miller 214) to â€Å"the book of Revaltion, God speaks through Jesus, who speaks through a messenger angle, who speaks through John of Patmos, who speaks to us† (Miller 214).This speaking through one next farther is what characterizers Heart of Darkness as the genre of the apocalypse. Miller synthesis of Heart o f Darkness as a parabolic apocalypse is what leads to his conclusion to the lack of decisive unveiling in the novel. The â€Å"ventriloquism† (Miller 214) of having a voice behind a voice and deprives the novel a voice of authority. Miller proves how the novel fits in the generic classification and identify the writing of Conrad to unveil as deeper truth but points out that the problems of the parable and apocalypse in making the Heart of Darkness inaccessible.Thomas acknowledges this inaccessibility but presents us with possible accessible reading through the synthesises he suggests. Thomas quotes Conrad’s Notes on Life and Letters and follows through Conrad’s stand that â€Å"fiction is history† and by placing Heart of Darkness in the context of history we can attempt to glimpse a truth. Thomas presents that Conrad weaves a story that â€Å"that proves to be truer that history† (Thomas 242). Thomas introduces British modernist novelist James Joyc e, D.H Lawrence, Virginia Woolf and E. M. Foster linking them with the â€Å"Jacques Lacan’s revision of Hegel† (Thomas 243) and some recent critiques concept of â€Å"the other†. By using the modern novelist to illustrate encounter between east and west Thomas synthesises Heart of Darkness as an encounter of Europe’s another with the other within itself. Thomas goes on to demystify the Eurocentric history and draws on modern thinkers Friedrich Nietzsche for poststructuralist thought and Sigmund Freud for psychoanalysis.Thomas states â€Å"for critics like Miller trying to cope with the loss of confidence in the Eurocentric view that is dramatized by Conrad’s narrative† (Thomas 244) but Thomas asserts that Conrad’s narrative help identify the condition for poststructuralist thought. And Freud as Thomas states â€Å"Conrad’s narrative [of] Africa eludes all attempts of the Western mind-especially a male mind – to underst and it†. However Thomas points out the problem of simply accepting this reading denying the encounter with â€Å"the other† the non – European, if it is reduced to a function of understanding Europe.Thomas goes back to close read and from the novel and looks at The Nigger of the â€Å"Narcisusus† to examine Conrad’s purpose. How Thomas moves beyond Miller in his analysis is by examining the â€Å"breaks and gaps† (Thomas 251) within the narrative. Miller almost alludes to the encounter of the other within Europe â€Å" the end of the Western civilization, or of Western imperialism, the reversal of idealism into savagery† (Miller 218) but goes on to show that the ironies in Marlow’s narrative is impossible to read with a clear meaning.Miller begins with Marx by using his definition of parable conversely Thomas ends with Marx in examining work and how it is â€Å"work, then, that constructs the lie of civilization† (Thomas 255). Thomas refers back to Conrad’s The Nigger of the â€Å"Narcisusus† examines a passage and draws Miller into the discussion pointing to the task of the writer to be a workman of art to provide a glimpse of truth to the man caught in labour. Work then links with Conrad’s narrative and the breaks and gaps from which Thomas suggests to draw a definitive unveiling.Thomas ends with a more radical envisioning one which allows â€Å"the other† to be represented not one suppressed in an understanding of Europe while Miller ends that his analysis of the novel has made his a witness pushing the truth further away as he adds on to the voices. As compelling as Miller’s close reading and comparison with the Bible, Thomas's extension of Miller’s discussions makes Thomas argument more convincing as he presents an additional step of not just looking into Conrad’s narrative but also the breaks in it.Reference Miller, J. Hillis. â€Å"Heart of Da rkness Revisited. † In Conrad Revisited: Essays for the Eighties, edited by Ross C. Murfin, pp. 31-50. University: The University of Alabama Press, 1985. Thomas, Brook â€Å"Preserving and Keeping Order by Killing Time in Heart of Darkness. † In Conrad Revisited: Essays for the Eighties, edited by Ross C. Murfin, pp. 31-50. University: The University of Alabama Press, 1985.

The Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet essays

The Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet essays The ghost of William Shakespeares play, Hamlet, has a clear mission. He knows that the kings death must be avenged, he knows that Hamlet must do it, and he is very clear about how it should be done. The ghost knows that he must first convince Hamlet that he is who he says he is, and then he must convince Hamlet to avenge his death. His concerns are related primarily to Gertrude and Claudius but he also thinks that all of Denmark should be aware of the terrible deed that has been done. The ghost of Hamlet has a strong sense of self and he is very aware of the immediate surrounding as well as the bigger picture. He also has a plan and Hamlet is the only person that can carry out the plan. The ghost in Hamlet is one that exhibits extreme self-control throughout the entire play. We can see an example of this when the ghost and Hamlet talk at the end of Act I. The ghost is very well aware of who he is, although Hamlet expresses much doubt about his identity. When the ghost tells Hamlet that he is thy fathers spirit (Shakespeare I.v.14), we believe him because his character is strong. He is also aware of the fact that he is a ghost: Doomed for a certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires Till the foul crimes done in my day of nature Here we see how the ghost is not only aware of the fact that he is a ghost but he knows why. He knows that he cannot tell the secrets of his house but if he could, they would freeze Hamlets blood. The ghost is also aware of Hamlets place in all of this. It is simply to avenge his fathers death, a foul and most unnatural murder (I.v.31). It is also important to note how the ghost is able to see the bigger picture. He wants Hamlet to know that he was not just murdered but he was murdered in a foul way by those closest to him. He tells Hamlet that because of how he died ...

The Value of Believing You Get What You Pay For

The Value of Believing You Get What You Pay For Choosing Value Last week I received a call from a marketing executive in Switzerland who wanted assistance with an important cover letter. He had found me on LinkedIn and chosen my company over three others. With excitement in his voice, he explained to me that as a marketer, he was fascinated by his own behavior in deciding upon The Essay Expert: He chose us because we were the most expensive company. In a similar phenomenon, for many months I had been frustrated that people were landing on my professional bio page and calling me about the service, but not purchasing. I considered removing bios from my offerings, but first decided to try raising my rates. Lo and behold, people started buying bios more often! I got the sense that they trusted they would get a better product and perhaps something they couldn’t write themselves. Of course, people do not always choose to buy the most expensive option in front of them. Different consumers have different budgets, and some people simply can’t afford to purchase more pricey goods and services. In fact, the same week I was contacted by the client from Switzerland, I also heard from a client who wanted to pay $500 for services that would normally go for $1700 according to my normal pricing. He simply could not afford my rates. And although I sympathized with his situation, I was not able to work with him and keep within my business model. Pricing Psychology If it’s true that â€Å"you get what you pay for,† expectations are set by price, and regardless of the actual product or service delivered, a consumer will value it according to what he or she paid for it. Studies have shown that people expect a positive correlation between price and quality (e.g., Rao and Monroe, 1989). In a 2008 study about wine enjoyment by Goldstein et. al., consumers who did not know the price of the wine they were drinking did not like more expensive wine better; but when they were told they were drinking a more expensive wine, they gave the wine higher ratings. It seems our brains actually play tricks on us to make us appreciate things more when we pay more money for them! This doesn’t mean that we can charge high prices and then deliver a shoddy result. If someone pays a high price for something and is disappointed, she might be even more upset than if she had paid less- although not necessarily! I have learned that people looking for a deal are often more demanding than those willing to pay for value. Choosing Clients My Swiss client was clearly guided by the phenomenon of expecting value for value. And he knew the value he wanted: the confidence that would come from having a clearly written, persuasive letter, in solid English, stating his commitment and qualifications for transitioning from the corporate to the non-profit world. He was my ideal client. He requested to pay a rush fee for a quick turnaround. He partnered with us fully in the project. And when we delivered the letter, he told us we had exceeded his expectations. In return, I was happy and willing to go the extra mile for him and give him the modifications he needed at 11pm U.S. Central time on a Friday night. He has already purchased additional services. The price-averse potential client, on the other hand, was not my ideal client. He presented with a complex situation that would have required more work than the average executive service, yet even at $1700 he would have been paying mid-level rates. Having been out of work for a year, I believe he was looking for a result that I could not guarantee: a job. For him, I believe confidence in putting his best foot forward might not have been enough, and I was concerned that he might come back asking for a refund of his $500. Every business owner when setting pricing must make a decision about what type of clients they want to target: Do you want those who are looking for a deal and will say yes because you offer one? Or those who want to pay for value and will appreciate your products and services in part because they paid top dollar for them? There is no right answer to which type of client to attract, but for me, I choose the latter. That’s my win-win and I am prepared to live up to my value proposition.

Corporate Strategy of Record Label Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Corporate Strategy of Record Label - Term Paper Example The labels are demanding a revolution from their trade unions and they have dropped DRM to keep up with the changes in the contemporary world by engaging in innovative operations. The competition among the key players in this industry is not as aggressive as in other industries. Sony record label is a renowned company in the entertainment industry offering diverse products and services to its wide market as explained by Hanson et al. (2001). Their productions are highly refreshing and entertaining (Sony United 2007). This is achieved by efficiently combining and managing its resources, competencies, and abilities. This results in a strong competitive advantage. Resources are the features owned and managed by a company to create value for customers as stipulated by Hill et al. (2007). The discussion below analyses the different resources owned and managed by the company. These are described as the tangible resources that have physical properties and are financial in nature (Hill et al. 2007). The company recorded an increase in sales of 10% in the year 2007 (Sony United 2007). The company owns other forms of tangible resources in form of land, buildings, machinery, and equipment valued at nearly 14 million dollars (Sony United 2007). Recent consolidated financial statements how that the company’s annual sales had increased to 78 billion dollars as at 31st March 2010 (Sony Corporation of America 2011). The company has a variety of assets that form a substantial part of the financial assets that have been increasing over the years. The company has intangible resources that have prospective benefits as stated by Hill et al. (2007). The company is linked to quality and is among the top enterprises globally. This reputation has led to increased sales over the years (Singh et. al. 2005). The company’s brand is recognized worldwide and it is among the most trusted music labels.

A Great Deal of Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

A Great Deal of Stress - Essay Example I recently uncovered that one of our members was selling these very same exams via the school website to people outside of the BSP community. The fact that people outside of our program were receiving these past examination papers did not bother me much. What really disturbed me was that the culprit was profiting from a resource that is normally free. It was a difficult decision to make because I was personally close to the person doing this. I was in a dilemma – I also wanted to protect the integrity of the program along with all of its benefits. I could not even seek help from others. It was a question of making a value-driven decision, which potentially puts our friendship at stake. However tough it may have been, I finally chose to go by what my conscience told me. I brought it to the attention of the Director and the Assistant Directors. Appropriate disciplinary action was taken and there were no major implications to the program and the organization. If I had to deal with a similar circumstance in the future, I would still have made the same choice, of abiding by the principles and values that I have earned through my upbringing. While it may be easy to decide, on the contrary, it will be strongly against my core values and principles. And since I have always lived by and made principle-driven decisions, I have not felt regret or resentment having made such a decision, because I am aware that with all conscience, I am doing what I ought to do.

Evidence Based Management and Leadership Research Paper

Evidence Based Management and Leadership - Research Paper Example In the last decade, it has been accepted that in the medical industry the decisions should be evidence based because in this way they can be more careful regarding individual patient’s treatment. Using evidence based management actually provides a just and more explicit way of taking care of someone (Axelsson, 2005). Medical is a profession where everything starts with care and treatment, therefore the use of evidence based management is very much necessary in this field. The evidence may come through a deep research and the observations and in this way we can say that in the medical field the research regarding new innovations and the medicines are really needed.  It is the 21st century and now almost everything is revolutionized or at least running in a new direction and also at a faster pace than ever before. Therefore, we can say that old techniques and the formulas are obsolete now and there are many new techniques to replace the old ones. Medicine is a kind of professi on, which only become perfect with a lot of experience and practice. Along with the practice and experience, the importance of research and exploring new and creative innovation cannot be neglected here. Innovativeness and the creativity play an important role in building a good image of a leader. Therefore, we can say that evidence based management can also help for building a good and effective leader in the hospitals.There is a famous proverb that ‘to a hammer, everything looks like a nail’.

Facilitating Case Management Essay Example for Free

Facilitating Case Management Essay Why is it important for a case manager to develop rapport with a client? Provide three examples of how rapport can be generated. 2. Why are statutory requirements necessary? What impact do they have on the case manager’s role? 3. What information might you need to gather from the families of clients? 4. List two elements that may be considered to be characteristics of a complex case. 5. Describe two strategies you may employ when dealing with a client with complex issues. 6. Case management plans must be developed in order to reflect the initial assessment of needs. Why is it essential that these plans be designed in consultation with clients? 7. Casework processes should be continually monitored for effectiveness. a) List two reasons why this is necessary. b) How should monitoring be undertaken? 8. If changes to a case plan are required, who should be consulted prior to the changes being made? 9. Why is cultural consideration important as part of case management planning? 0. Outline three strategies you think a workplace needs to have for including cultural awareness in the planning process? 11. You are a Team Leader in a Community Service Organisation and your organisation has just employed a new case worker. Describe two strategies that can help facilitate casework consultation between staff to maximise their performance in their new role. Best practice and promoting high-quality case management 12. What is meant by the term ‘best practice case management’? Why is best practice a significant service delivery benchmark? 13. How can case workers benefit from appropriate leadership, support, advice, supervision and challenges? In what ways might these improve service delivery? 14. Legislation, organisational policies and procedures can change over time. How might case management leaders support case managers in keeping up to date with organisational policies and procedures?