Comment on how these may have contributed to the crisis and describe Essay

Comment on how these may have contributed to the crisis and describe the action subsequently taken on these two matters by the UK Government, see other instructions - Essay Example rigger for the crisis was the bursting of the housing bubble in the US, several corporate governance issues at banks were equally responsible for the spread and deepening of this crisis. Two of the most important corporate governance issues at play were – the merger of retail and institutional banking under one banking entity and the fat bonus culture at financial services companies. Whereas retail banking refers to banking in which banks interact/transact with individuals, institutional banking refers to transactions with corporate. The retail banking is rather risk averse and mostly a stable business in itself whereas institutional banking generally involves a lot more risk taking and the business is quite volatile. By having retail and institutional banking under one parent company, the risks taken for doing business in one area become a possible liability for the other. Therefore, losses incurred at institutional banking would have to be borne by the retail banking branch as they fall under the same group. Secondly, some institutions can indulge in putting more risk in its institutional banking business in order to increase their retail business, which is what explains how many banks were able to sell sub-prime mortgages before the crisis started. Sub-prime mortgages are high risk investments for banks and by packaging them into mortgage-backed bonds and sel ling/buying them through their institutional banking arms, banking groups take on significant risk on their balance sheets. Now, in the event of losses in the institutional banking business, financial services groups had to delve into their equities and reserves to cover these losses and to pay their dues. Thus, from retail banking clients’ point of view, the financial groups were using up their savings put in the bank to pay for losses incurred on the institutional banking business. This led to loss of confidence in the retail banks and caused bank-runs at some banks. As the retail banks keep only a

Zara Retailing Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zara Retailing Analysis - Essay Example Key competitive advantage Among of Zara’s competitive advantages are its manpower and human resource management. It is noted that 80% of its employees were engaged in retail sales in stores and 8.5% were involved in manufacturing, design, logistics, distribution, and the remaining were part of headquarters’ activities. This only implies that Zara is good at optimizing its entire operation especially on its supply chain management. Zara is also aggressive in its expansion program considering that 80% of its capital expenditures is appropriated to new store openings, 19% on refurbishing and 10% on logistics. This is one of its competitive advantages because its renowned international competitors are not that aggressive in their expansion program. Zara is also known to consider great savings on employment. It tries to gain more in its manpower expenses by choosing personnel with substantial experience in the clothing industry but with a relatively cheap labor. This is one of the reasons why Zara is generating much competitive income in its operations compared to its competitors. The three international leading competitors of Zara are the Gap from the United States, Hennes & Mauritz from Sweden, and Benetton from Italy. Geographically speaking, it is an advantage for Zara because apparel disposal in 2000 is higher in Europe which is 34%, and followed by the United States which is 29% and in Asia which is 23% (Case 32: Zara: Fast fashion). Zara is based in Europe and this is an advantage on its part because of its proximity in the profitable market for apparel in the world. The proximity is an advantage because this has something to do with other strategic advantage when it comes to culture and understanding customer’s needs at the deepest level. In fact, it is in line with this that Zara has continuous innovation based on customer’s desires. Inditext’s financial comparison Shown in Table 1 are some of the indicators of the financi al performance of Inditex, Benetton, H&M, and Gap. Gap has the highest net operating revenue among the three other retailing companies which is an indication that it may either has more retail outlets than the other or it is really at its best in stimulating needs or demand for its product offerings. Next to Gap is H&M followed by Inditex and finally Benetton. The net revenue can be an indication of market share and in this case, Inditex is not far behind the Gap and H&M. The same trend goes on from gross profit margin until operating efficiency. The operating efficiency is the operating expenses as a percentage of net operating revenues. The above indicators are not enough to tell which among of the four companies have higher profitability. When it comes to profitability, Inditex is more profitable compared to Gap, H&M and Benetton. Inditex has 10.5% net profit margin which is an indication that it has substantially generated more profits. This is the effect of maximizing its opera tion and resources. In fact, its PPE (property, plant and equipment) as percentage of net operating revenue is also higher than the other retailing companies. This is another indication that Inditex has substantially maximized its operation and resources to the fullest compared to the other retailing companies. Table 1. Financial performance of Inditex and its three international competitors Operating results (â‚ ¬ Millions) Gap H&M Benetton Inditex Net operating revenue 15,559 4,269 2,098 3,250 Gross margin 4,656 2,204 909 1,687 Operating efficiency 27.4% 37.8% 29.7% 30.2% Net profit margin -0.05% 9.6% 7.1% 10.5% PPE (% of net operating revenue 30.2% 15.9% 34.3% 37.8% Zara’s fast response model Zara’s fast response model contributes to its competitive advantage. The market for young

Applied Linguistics - 1 Essay Example for Free

Applied Linguistics 1 Essay Language in literature is used to create alternatives to the real world. In doing so, the precise choice and ordering of words is very important. It not only creates a substitute world for us but also determines our attitude to its inhabitants and the events that take place there. This dependence upon precise wording is why a literary text loses so much in paraphrase or translation. However, despite this importance of precise wording, the meanings of literary works are often disturbingly imprecise. Apparently, the linguistics choices in literature are not the concern of applied linguistics. It does not have the same kind of direct social and economic consequences as language education policy, or the spread of English as lingua franca. Yet, it is wrong to decrease the value of the impact and importance of literature. It reflects our individual and social identities, embodies and criticizes the values of the society from which it comes, and it also has an important role to play in education. And because it is made fully from language, it has something to do applied linguistics. Literary stylistics :- Linguistic analysis can describe and analyze the language of a literary text but this is not an applied linguistic activity. However, It begins to move in that direction when linguistic choices are linked to their effects upon the reader. This is the attempt of literary stylistics. It is not in itself applied linguistics as it does not involve any practical decision making, but it is an important resource for the powerful and persuasive uses of language in general. It raises awareness of the importance of precise wording in addition to showing that there are more things in language use than the literal meaning of the words. Literary analysis cannot be brief in order to attain justice to its complex subject-matter. Stylistic analyses tend to highlight three related aspects of literary language: its deviation from the norms of everyday language use; its patterning of linguistic units to create rhythms, rhymes, and parallel constructions; and the ways in which the form of the words chosen seems to  intensify the meaning. These features of language use are not exclusive to literature. They characterize other highly valued uses of language such as prayer, song, and rhetoric. Generally, these features and other similar ones occur in emotive uses of language in society at large, whether in commercial, political, or interpersonal communication. Stylistic analyses can investigate the link between the forms of these language uses and their social and psychological power. If such analysis is used to discuss and reveal manipulation, it then becomes part of an applied linguistic process. Language and persuasion :- As language is used to tell the truth, it can also be used to distort facts, or to persuade people to take a particular stance towards them. Literary language partakes of this persuasive power. It manipulates our feelings and thoughts in ways which we accept happily. Other uses of language are unacceptable, seeking to control and influence our ideas in the service of some political or commercial interest. There are a big number of urgent issues in which language is used for manipulation such as; advertising, science, journals, even telephone operators speak from learned scripts. Applied linguistics should help understanding such issues. This is not only because the power of words is naturally interesting, but also because there are decisions to be made, often with far-reaching consequences for health, welfare, and success. Understanding linguistic techniques of persuasion can improve our ability to make rational judgments on which decisions making depends. Critical Discourse Analysis ( CDA ) :-  In fact, in any communication, there is selection and omission of information. For example, newspaper editors must choose which events to cover, how much space to give to each, and which facts to emphasize or omit. However, one cannot report any event or situation without selecting some facts in preference to others. But the selection reflects the values of the writer and the view of the world which he or she wishes to encourage in their readers. These matters are already apparent to the reader even without any specialize knowledge of language. What is more importance and interest to applied linguists is the presentation of the same facts in ways which, although telling the truth, affect the reader’s attitude. In literary texts, the wording is everything. For example, in the opening scenes of Macbeth, lady Macbeth says â€Å"what’s done is done†, and at the end in her lament she says â€Å"what’s done cannot be undone†. The literal meaning might be the same, but the effect is very different. The analysis of such details can be made to increase the people’s ability to read and listen critically, and to resist being manipulated by what is said. The analysis of such language and its effects is known as critical linguistics. When it is studied in a larger social context, it comes to be known as Critical Discourse Analysis ( CDA ). Another area of interest to applied linguistics is patterns of grammatical choice. For example, there are constructions which allow a speaker or writer not to mention the agent. Two strategies allow this to happen. One is passivization, the favoring of passive constructions over active ones. The other is nominalization, when actions and processes are referred to by nouns without mentioning the actual doers. The techniques can make an action seem certain and impersonal. The work of CDA specialists is of great social importance. Yet, they have the challenge of communicating their specialized knowledge to the outside world. To do this, they have to move in two opposite directions: one towards obfuscation and the other towards a false clarity. Obfuscation is the failure to speak as clearly as possible. The language of law and bureaucracy are often used as examples. It is claimed that in this case clarity should be sacrificed to exactness. The other direction is described as conversationalization and the creation of synthetic personality. This is the tendency for communication to be presented in the form of a casual conversation in which the relationship between the participants is apparently equal and intimate. This presents the opposite danger from obfuscation, for it may make matters simple and imprecise. There is a problem with CDA analyses which has been noted by several applied linguists. They focus their attention too much with the writer while deal too much passively with the reader. Most texts are both formed and interpreted in many different ways. The process of composition is often more hasty and specific purpose affair. Readings also are different. In short, there is a danger of assuming that understanding a text is fully determined by the language used.

Mother Courage Epic Theatre

Mother Courage Epic Theatre Mother Courage is an example of Brechts concepts of Epic Theatre and Verfremdungseffekt or estrangement effect. Verfremdungseffekt is achieved through the use of placards which reveal the events of each scene, juxtaposition, actors changing characters and costume on stage, the use of narration, simple props and scenery. For instance, a single tree would be used to convey a whole forest, and the stage is usually flooded with bright white light whether its a winters night or a summers day. Several songs, interspersed throughout the play, are used to underscore the themes of the play, while making the audience think about what the playwright is saying. Another epic feature that we find in Brechts play is the presence of the songs. Mother Courage tries to teach her children the facts of life through songs, this representing a way of bonding with them, apart from the cart. This latter keeps the family together, and probably that is why in the end we see a lonely Mother Courage pulling the cart: it reminds her of her three children as well as still being a means to make a living. We do not despise Mother Courage as, in some ways, she is admirable however, the audience is exposed to intense irony: in her desire to preserve her family, she has participated in destroying it. Brecht is very famous for his modern conception of epic theatre and is tremendously important for modern theatre as he helps the audience understand that the unchangeable can change. This is Brechts term for that which expresses basic human attitudes not merely gesture but all signs of social relations: department, intonation, facial expression. The Stanislavskian actor is to work at identifying with the character he or she portrays. The Brechtian actor is to work at expressing social attitudes in clear and stylized ways. So, when Shen-Te becomes Shui-Ta, she moves in a different manner. Brecht wished to embody the Gestus in the dialogue as if to compel the right stance, movement and intonation. By subtle use of rhythm pause, parallelism and counterpointing, Brecht creates a gestic language. Epic theatre is gestrual. [] The gesture is its raw material and its task is the rational utilization of this material. (Walter Benjamin, Understanding Brecht, 1966, pg. 3) The songs are yet more clearly gestic. As street singers make clear their attitudes with overt, grand but simple gestures, so, in delivering songs, the Brechtian actor aims to produce clarity in expressing a basic attitude, such as despair, defiance or submission. Instead of the seamless continuity of the naturalistic theatre, the illusion of natural disorder, Brecht wishes to break up the story into distinct episodes, each of which presents, in a clear and ordered manner, a central basic action. All that appears in the scene is designed to show the significance of the basic Gestus. We see how this works in Mother Courage. Each scene is prefaced by a caption telling the audience what is to be the important event, in such a way as to suggest the proper attitude for the audience to adopt to it for instance (Scene 3): She manages to save her daughter, likewise her covered cart, but her honest son is killed. The words in red express the playwrights view of how we should interpret the scene; Courages saving her business at the expense of her son is meant to prove how contemptible our actions are made by war. Anger, outrage, panic, revenge, violence => vital elements of his work, stand condemned Brecht is probably trying to master these emotions in himself, for his work exposes his desire for absolute submission, a state of being in which he can conquer his unbridled feelings, and, instead of engaging himself with the external world, merge with it. (Berstein, The Theatre of Revolt, p. 239) Throughout the twentieth century, Brechtian influence was fully present in the works of various playwrights such as John Arden, Thornton Wilder, Robert Bolt, Peter Weiss, Arthur Adamov, Roger Planchon, and even the famous director Giorgio Strehler. Compatibility between the methods promoted by Bertolt Brecht and the playwrights desire to initiate open debates on history and contemporaneity contributed to creating a strongly opinionated political theatrical genre, formed by the coalition of fringe theatre groups (who would perform on the outskirts) which the young playwrights such as David Hare, David Edgar, Howard Brenton joined. As the main proponent of political drama, Howard Brenton believed in theatres mission to shape consciences and transform society. Despite his desire to distance epic theatre, which he considered rather artificial and simplistic to suit his artistic criteria, the episodic structure and the principle of minimal scenic parts remain Brechtian in origin. In addition, just as Brecht, the playwright starts a crusade against humanist tradition of social drama, seeking for a theatrical form that would incite the lazy audience with disapproval, persuasion and argument. The English playwright is distinguished by his virulent analysis of socio-political structures and putting forward a personal dramatic style, being a master of the temporal dislocations technique and of stage embodied visual images. For him, the theatre had to be the expression of the perfect collaboration between the show and the straight-forward message of the. His first creations Christie in Love (1969), Revenge (1969) and Fruit (1970) successfully materialize this artistic goal. In Christie in Love, Howard Brenton has directed his entire attention to the effects of social injustice, which inevitably metamorphose into violence and crime (this, in fact, being a prominent feature of English political theatre of the period, where many playwrights would tell the story of society dehumanization through violence and indifference). Brenton was said to have aimed at giving the audience a feeling of moral vertigo with his short piece Christie in Love. Looking at it from this perspective, the play succeeds in fulfilling Brentons wish because it did indeed outrage the collective morality. The grounds on which Christie, the serial killer, commits the crimes can be analysed from different perspectives, with little chance of running out of options. He may be the incarnation of evil, an outburst of the brutality inherent in human nature or a psychoanalytic ritual of decompression of repressed love, a deviated revenge of the man who is vulnerable to women. The numerous possibilities of understanding this stage event proves that Brenton is closer to the Brechtian view about the open theatre, the one that does not have to give answers, but to make the audience reflect on either explanation and option they consider suitable and convincing, that he had previously stated. However, it is quite obvious that if the meanings the reader and the audience can infer from this play would stop to the psychological level of killer instinct, the brentonian theme would be much too simplified. But The real purpose of the play concerns society as a whole. What the author wants to suggest is t hat the protagonists atypical behaviour, presented in an almost naturalistic way, is actually societys behaviour, however much the latter one is trying to hide it under the guise of respectability. The equality sign the author puts between a miserable bastard and the world justifies the inversion o the characters portrayals, bringing us to one of the features of the epic form of the theatre, that of presenting an image of the world, instead of ones experience. Christie, the famous mass murderer, appears as a normal human being while the police, the defenders of the people, become abnormal, achieving the bold features of some surreal characters. Roland Barthes has pointed out that the verisimilitude of [epic] acting has its meaning in the objective meaning of the play, and not, as in naturalist dramaturgy, in the truth inherent in the actor. (Styan, Modern Drama in Theory and Practice 3, 1981, p. 142) Brenton keeps the character of Christie in the objectivity sphere, thus provoking the spectators to live with the suspense throughout the play.

Choosing the Humane Road Essay -- Philosophy Afghanistan Essays

Choosing the Humane Road Sophocles, writing in the 5th century BC, created his works as he experienced both the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. These wars were focused around pride and greed, two vices that continue to drive violence in the 21st century. In Sophocles’ work Oedipus the King, Oedipus must come to new understanding of the self in relation to others to truly see himself and to understand the world. The lesson that Oedipus must learn is a lesson that yearns to be acknowledged and embraced still today. Like the Persians, Spartans, and Athens, the United States must, if it wants to be successful as a nation and world power, consider the other as the self. Americans must believe in the oneness of humanity, and they must appreciate the connection that makes everyone in the human race part of a common family. Until the United States views the world in this fashion, it will continue to engage in self-destruction similar to that of Oedipus and of those engaged in war in Sophocles’ time. To fully understand the comparisons that will follow, it is first necessary to understand the history of the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, as well as the history of the United States’ engagement in war. The Persian Wars took place from about 499-479 BC; these battles were fought between the Greeks and the Persians, who lived in the area of the modern day Iran. After numerous battles and minor victories, the Athenians were ultimately successful in defeating the Persians with the help of the Spartans. Following this war, the Athenians and the Spartans became friends because together they had successfully defeated the Persians. In 431 BC, however, the Athenians violated their peace treaty with the Spartans, and, as a result, a civil wa... ... placed the U.S. at another critical crossroads in its history, but many Americans seem to be blind, like Oedipus, to the choices and consequences that lie before them. Until Americans view the Afghan people and all people around the world as equal to themselves, the inevitable consequences, discord, violence, and war, will continue. Works Cited CNN. "Jere Van Dyk: A Historical Perspective of the Fight Over Afghanistan." CNN Online 25 Sept. 2001. 14 Nov. 2001. <http://www.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/ 09/25/van_dyk/index.html>. Rosenblum, Mort, "U.S. Once Backed ‘Freedom Fighter’ bin Laden." The Times Agrus Online 20 Sept. 2001. 23 Nov. 2001 <http://timesargus.nybor.com/Archieve/ Articles/ Article/34086>. Dawoud, Khaled, "American Connection." Al-Ahram Weekly Online 27 Aug. 1998. 23 Nov. 2001 <http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/1998/392/foc11.htm>.

The Beginning of Victory :: Example Personal Narratives

The Beginning of Victory    As the music seeps through the air of the dark basement theater, my fingers begin to slide up the neck of my guitar. Instinct starts to take over. The notes flow through my veins, swim up the cables, and are flung into the sphere of energy that has formed around the small theater. The spotlight falls onto the closed eyelids of the audience as their steps coincide with the rhythmic beat of the improvisation. My mind slips away from the scene.    The freshly fallen snow clings to the limbs of the evergreen trees, forming a canopy over the path that winds its way up the mountainside behind my home. This is where I go when I need to think. As I hike up the narrow trail, I find solitude in nature. There are no houses to fill my view. There are no super-highways cutting through the middle of the path. Most of all, there are no people. A family of deer freezes to look at me in search of a place where the snow has not covered the grass. Further up the trail I stop to watch as two black squirrels chase each other up and around the skeleton of an aspen tree. Through a hole in the canopy the sun glistens off the snow and warms me. As I break out of the trees, I look up and see the sun perched alone in the sky with not one cloud to hide behind.    The band begins to slow the music and the rambunctious dancing turns to hypnotic swaying. A calm, almost mesmerizing jazz progression takes form, and with a slower, more sensuous feeling my body takes command of my instrument once more. I start to drift away again, but this time a different scene surfaces.    I take my usual seat on the rock outcropping that overlooks all of Eastern Colorado and take a very deep breath. As I look upon the city, I see the tops of the skyscrapers poking through the brown cloud of pollution. The entire valley is enveloped in this smog. To the South, where the clouds begin to dissipate, highways and houses flow over the land that animals and vegetation once inhabited. Urban sprawl is replacing nature. Even from this point high above the city, the sounds of cars roaring along the highway are intertwined with the magpie's call and blue-jay's song.

Gothic Fiction Speech Essay

Slide 2- What is it? Gothic fiction is the literature of nightmare also referred to as Gothic horror. It delves into and feeds on the ghoulish and monstrous creatures that haunt the very darkest places in your mind. Fears of claustrophobia, entrapment, terror, horror, pain, madness, the supernatural and the inexplicable. The word â€Å"Gothic† derives from â€Å"Goth†, the name of a barbaric Germanic tribe that invaded Europe. Gothic medieval architecture such as cathedrals attributes a majestic style often with savage or grotesque ornamentation. It branched off from the Romanticism movement which occurred during the 18th and 19th century. Gothic fiction â€Å"gives shape to the concepts of the place of evil in the human mind.† Slide 3- Origins (historical context) An intellectual and secular movement that dominated the eighteenth century. The rise of Gothicism has been attributed by several scholars as a response to the Enlightenment thinkers who favoured rationality and reason over emotions and feelings. It rejected anything that resembled the â€Å"barbarism† of the medieval period in their eyes. Their purpose was to demonstrate that science and â€Å"natural† philosophy were the only means of obtaining knowledge, and not religion which was considered â€Å"irrational†. Gothic fiction was an essential part of the Enlightenment movement as it provided an escape from rationality and reason. Over time though, philosophers and writers began to rebel against the Enlightenment movement and privilege the irrational, emotional and uncanny. Whilst the Enlightenment movement looked to the classical periods of Greece and Rome, Gothic writers looked to the Middle Ages as their inspiration and model. Slide 4 Revolution Revolution had a significant influence on the establishment of Gothic fiction. The French revolution began in1789 and brought a â€Å"Reign of Terror† to the people and â€Å"shook the foundations of European statehood†. Critics suggest the Gothic movement arose during the French Revolution as the social anguish and pain gave rise to the dark imagery and character of the Gothic. As violence and blood-shed persisted, the terror of the Gothic novel in amalgamation with imagery of chase and capture and the threat of evil conquering good, reflects the general anxiety and anguish of the people; the writers and the reading public. Romanticism (1780-1850) Romanticism was the movement that emerged as a reaction to Enlightenment values and promoted â€Å"liberty in literature†. Artists were free to express their most intense emotions and escape from reason and rationality. Through this movement some looked to the gothic past whilst others turned to religion, the supernatural and Nature. After the French Revolution there was a burst of writers inspired by these core concepts of human nature, emotions, irrational entities, individualism and the realms of your imagination. Gothic romance became increasingly popular and many writers took from Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto. Slide 5- Conventions Walpole’s novel established the stock conventions of Gothic fiction that would inspire and continue to be adapted in contemporary society: – Intricate plot- plots within plots with multiple narrators – Stock characters (Virginal maiden, hero, tyrant/menacing villain) – Subterranean labyrinths/hidden rooms and passageways – Ruined castles (later made way to haunted house) – Supernatural occurrences – Remote/isolated setting- wide landscape and therefore nowhere to escape from. – Darkness as intrinsic to humanity – Graveyards/churches/ruins – Monstrous creatures- ghosts, devils, vampires, witches, spirits, angels. – Misty weather – Dreams/vision – Mood/sense of mystery or dread – Justice- E.g. Most common is the â€Å"sins of the father† – Family secrets/ ancestral curses – The double or the â€Å"Doppelganger† (German for â€Å"double-goer†) – Mysterious deaths Slide 6- Evolution of Genre Horace Walpole is credited as the founding figure of gothic literature with his novel The Castle of Otranto (1765). The stock conventions of Gothic fiction were established through his novel; the haunted castles, supernatural occurrences, hidden passageways, etc. Writers such as Clara Reeve and Ann Radcliffe adapted Walpole’s plot to contextually and aesthetically be more socially acceptable in18th century realism by exploring the concept of â€Å"explained supernatural†. Gothic novels were looked down upon by well-educated people as sensationalist women’s entertainment. Anne Radcliffe introduced the dark and menacing figure of the Gothic villain, the â€Å"Byronic Hero†. The gloomy villain, forbidding mansion, and persecuted heroine evident in novels demonstrates Walpole’s and Radcliffe’s influence on Gothic literature. By the Victorian era, Gothic fiction ceased to be the dominant genre and was dismissed by critics. Edgar Allan Poe posed as an innovative American writer during in the 19th century, a re-interpreter of Gothic fiction. He payed greater attention to the psychology of the characters he conjured up. In his story â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† he explores the â€Å"terrors of the soul† as most of his characters descended into madness whilst incorporating Gothic tropes of death, decay and madness. The 1880s saw the revival of Gothic fiction feeding off contemporary fears such as â€Å"ethical degeneration† with famous authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Machen and Oscar Wilde producing gothic works. The twentieth century significantly contributed to the genre with the introduction of film. During the 1920s and 30s movies were based around Dracula, Frankenstein and werewolves then later films began to draw on Poe’s works. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries maintained an ongoing fascination with horror, terror, the supernatural vampires and werewolves demonstrating the ongoing power of the Gothic in contemporary society. Slide 8-Psycho Contextual Placement The beginning of the twentieth century saw the renewed popularity of the horror tale and it is supposed that it was a way of expressing the horrors of World War I. There were numerous variations of Gothic fiction established in this time. Successful mass Gothic novels, often called Modern Gothic or Gothic Romance were written for females, by females like Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca (1993 considered the archetypal Modern Gothic thriller. The 60s, when Psycho was released was an era of great positive change for the role and rights of women. It was a time of sexual revolution which was exploited in the media especially film. Hitchcock broke all film conventions featuring the â€Å"leading female protagonist having a lunchtime affair in her sexy white undergarments in the first scene†. This was significant because before the 60s female sexuality was repressed. In relation to Gothic fiction, the Gothic genre gave way to modern horror fiction. Slide 9- Psycho Conventions Psycho employs several stock gothic conventions including: An Isolated/remote setting with the motel off the side of a large motorway, separated from the outside world. The spooky old house is architecturally Gothic and critics have stated that it is â€Å"a fine 20th Century stand-in for Dracula’s castle.† Bates characterises villain who is psychologically unstable reincarnating his dead mother, whom he murdered, through himself when committing the murders but doesn’t take the responsibility. Themes of corruptibility, confused identities, voyeurism, human vulnerabilities and victimization, the deadly effects of money, Oedipal murder, and dark past histories are realistically revealed. Through the shower murder scene, it is suggested that horror resides in everyday life rather than in the alternate worlds of the supernatural, the fantastic, or the Gothic. The film employs psychological terror rather than the monsters and supernatural trappings that were associated with the genre at the time (1960s). Hitchcock’s psycho changed the direction of the genre with the subsequent rise of â€Å"splatter films†. Slide 11- Fall†¦Contextual Placement During his short life he faced many hardships which influenced his unique style. He was a victim of depression and turned to alcoholism. He was influenced by the Gothic movement in England and in his case the term Gothic can be used interchangeably with Dark Romanticism. Critics classify Poe as a post-Gothic writer but he nonetheless incorporated the Gothic style in his masterpieces. Contextually Poe’s adapted direction of Gothic fiction; the psychological effects of guilt and sin, the conflict between good and evil, people plagued with madness; all stemmed from the absence of parental figures and his alcoholism. Poe is often considered the father of the horror genre. Slide 12- Fall†¦Conventions The Usher house portrays the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Gothic house- as stated by Professor Fred Botting â€Å"The house is both a Gothic manifestation, an architectural ruin set in a desolate and gloomy landscape and a family equally in decay dying from an unknown and incurable disease.† Captures the element of claustrophobia, with Madeline falling victim to the confinement of a coffin whilst still alive and the mental confinement of the characters in the house. Psychological haunting is evident through Roderick’s knowledge of burying his sister alive and the intense guilt he feels. The seemingly supernatural noises that occur whilst the narrator reads a story, intensifies this guilt. Terror encompasses the characters, particularly Roderick, building up steadily as the anticipation of Madeline’s supposed death loiters. The horror is revealed when Madeline, bursts through the doors wearing a gown covered in blood. Decay and ruin are evident physically with the decaying of Roderick and Madeline and the Usher bloodline. In the end both Roderick and Madeline die together followed by the house crumpling around them confirming the collapse of the Usher family. Slide 13 Rather than characterising the traditional complex narrative structure, it is told in first person by one person only and contains an increasing intensifying suspense building to an excessive climax. The climax confirms Roderick’s fear as Madeline bursts through the doors covered in blood. Through this dramatic climax the Gothic value of excess is seen. Poe is a key figure in the transformation of Gothic fiction placing a larger emphasis on the internal rather than the external. He delves into the psychology of man and of the true nature of evil. Through his works Poe has had an ongoing influence of Gothic on contemporary literature. Slide 15-Shining Contextual Placement With the introduction of film in the twentieth century, the most prominent variation of Gothic literature was established. With this new outlet of technology, horror and terror could a be explored on a totally different level with special effect features, lighting and filming intensifying the gruesome and dark imagery of the genre. Punter effectively states the particularities of twentieth century gothic fiction: â€Å"Contemporary gothic reflects and provides a singular symbolic language for the discussion of preoccupations of our time: capitalism, inhumanity, information overload, child abuse, serial murder, pollution, and corruption†. Child and domestic violence, serial murder and corruption are clearly evident Slide 16- Shining Conventions The Shining exhibits traditional Gothic conventions as well as modern adaptations of the genre. The huge old vacant hotel that ends up being haunted hides a dark past of brutal murder. There are numerous supernatural events involving the ghosts of the previous family, Danny’s visions of their murder and the chases through the hallways. The double or the â€Å"doppleganger† seen at the end of the film presents a photo shown of a ball in 1921 with Jack standing in the middle of the gathering suggesting that Jack could be a reincarnation of himself and lives out the horrific events of the past once more. This also ties in the convention of The theme of appearance and reality is prevalent in the film, Gothic fiction exploring this murky ground between what is â€Å"real† and â€Å"fantasy†. This is what descends Jack into madness. Eee/ Gothic fiction has undergone significant transformation as seen and continues to significantly influence contemporary literature. Even though many conventions have been refined, adapted or created the core values and character of Gothic have provided society with an outlet into the dark world of decay, death and mystery leading you on a â€Å"road to that sublime place in the mind composed of fear and beauty.†