Service quality and customer's satisfaction in academic libraries Essay

Service quality and customer's satisfaction in academic libraries - Essay Example A real library contains these along with various instructional and access tools and a high quality customer service. In a library, the fundamental goal of a librarian is to make sure that the service provided is consistent with the mission of the institution of which library forms a part. Service quality of academic libraries: Past and present: Service quality of an academic library is a measure of the customer satisfaction and the extent to which customers feel that their expectations have meet met by the service given. Calculation and management of the customer satisfaction has remained a usual practice in for-profit sector for long. The assessment of service quality in the present age finds its roots in the same old trend of measurement of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction has frequently undergone many changes in the last four decades as a concept. According to Crosby (1993), the contemporary concept of service quality is significantly influenced by all the approaches m ade to it in that past that include the 1960s’ corporate image studies and the 1980s’ total quality approach adopted by many economies in the West. The corporate image studies formed the very initial stage of calculation of customer satisfaction that emerged in the 1960s. The image surveys included questions about customer satisfaction and customers’ views about the quality of service given. These questions investigated the progressiveness and the company’s level of engagement with the community. In the later half of the 1960s, the commencement of studies about the product quality emerged as the second stage of customer satisfaction measurement. A satisfaction index resulted from the adequacy-importance model which served as the cardinal means of measurement of the customer satisfaction, and played an important role in defining the attitudes of the customers. A revolution in the customer satisfaction measurement occurred in the 1980s when the American aut omobile business increased manifolds in competition and many syndicated studies were made. The measurement of customer satisfaction in the contemporary age is quite similar to the trend introduced in the 1980s. The businesses turned to customer satisfaction as a measurement of their quality of service rather and the process of assessment became more intangible. The Gaps Model of Service Quality: Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1985) formed a research group to measure the customer satisfaction using the Gaps Model of Service Quality. The Gaps Model made a totally new approach to the measurement of customer satisfaction by determining the gaps between the expectations of customers and their views regarding the quality of service. In this model, customers establish their expectations, as well as the lowest quality of service that would be acceptable to them. Then once the service has been delivered, the customer explains how he thinks about the quality of service he/she was delivered. The equation, thus, goes as follows: Perceived service quality – expected service quality = gap in service quality. According to Hernon and Nitecki (2001), there are four basic perspectives that define the quality of service namely, excellence, value, compliance with specifications, and achievement of expectations. It is the fourth perspective

Plankton Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Plankton - Research Paper Example The third category, though rarely considered in most cases, comprises of bacteria which mostly feed on dead matter leaving only a few that are photosynthetic. Majority of the planktons can only be viewed with the help of powerful microscope although some larger animals that include jellyfish, shrimps fall in this category by virtue of their floating lifestyle (Ocean News, 2013). In addition to this, most plankton are able to make slight vertical movements along the water column, although some are unable to do anything but only be carried passively by the water current. PLANT PLANKTON (PHYTOPLANKTON) Phytoplankton or plant plankton carries out three major roles that are crucial to general life on earth. These include i. Provision of close to 50% oxygen found on earth’s atmosphere ii. Regulation of carbon dioxide levels within the water and in the atmosphere iii. They occupy the primary level of the aquatic food webs Microscopic algae are the most common phytoplankton. The amoun t and distribution of planktons depends much on the amount of light, availability of nutrients and the steadiness of water layers. For instance, the region around New Zealand experiences the springtime bloom in which case phytoplankton algae extensively cover the surface of water bodies. Such is the case that during this period the temperature is high, sunlight hours increase while nutrients are readily available. This comes following the stirring of storms and the winter cooling. Under such conditions, the phytoplankton undergoes a rapid growth and reproduction (Boney, 1975). In fact, it is said that the reproduction process doubles with each new day, a situation that sometimes escalate to reach nuisance proportions (Bolli, Saunders & Nielsen 1985). At its peak growth, the toxicity level increases and the oxygen in water reduce and at its worst, it is depleted. However, the phytoplankton often depletes their nutrients prior to this. The phytoplankton population is controlled by the grazing Zooplankton. The three major phytoplankton types include: i) Diatoms: This is formed of single cells that are covered within cases of silica (glass). Each of this case comprises two interlocking parts and fine holes that allow nutrients in and waste to move out. These organisms, that also form the photosynthetic group, live mostly in the ocean, and only a small group inhabiting fresh water. ii) Dinoflagellates: The name is derived from the two whip-like extensions (flagella) used to make forward movement. This group takes in the predatory species as well as the photosynthetic members (Tomas, & Hasle, 1997). Red tide is a term used when referring to masses of red-brown dinoflagellates found clustering in surface water bodies. iii) Desmids: These represent the freshwater photo-synthesizers, which are closely associated with green seaweeds. They bear a resemblance to little miniature barbells or green cylinders and are mostly found in rivers and lakes. ANIMAL PLANKTON (ZOOPLAN KTON) The Zooplankton serves as a bridge between the plant plankton, which are food producers, and the larger sea animals. Size has been found to play a major role when it comes to the survival in the sea, with the larger sized planktons getting an advantage over the small sized. Here, the single –celled animal plankton feed on plant plankton or even sometimes ingest one another (Plankton.1976). The larger or multi celled zooplanktons such as crustaceans, jelly fish and arrow

Invention Of The Radio | History

Invention Of The Radio | History Many inventions have changed America but perhaps none more than the radio. Most of us take the radio for granted, not taking a second thought when we turn on the radio in our car or in our house. However in the late 1800s wireless communication seemed like a thing from outer space and the only way to communicate with someone over long distances was if there was a telegraph wire going to them. Some scientists thought there must be a way to communicate without wires, and this idea eventually produced the discovery of radio waves and the invention of the radio. The radio was used to great effect by the government who immediately saw the potential in communicating wirelessly. It wasnt long before the radio got into almost every American home where it changed how people relaxed, got information, and listened to music. The radio was a major tool during the Second World War and during the great depression. Without the radio our world would be much different, we wouldnt have microwaves, cord less phones, remote controlled toys, television broadcasts and many other things we take for granted. The true inventor of the radio has been greatly disputed mainly between Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi who have some of the earliest patents for the radio and did some of the first public displays of radio waves. At the time radio communication was called wireless telegraphy and many scientists around the world including but not limited to Julio Cervera Baviera, Alexander Popov, and Ernest Rutherford were working on it (United States early Radio history). In the end radio technology was a product of several different discoveries done by several great scientists. The base of the invention of the radio is the discovery of radio waves Invention of the radio 4 which are just electromagnetic waves that can transmit sound, pictures and other things Invisibly (The Invention of Radio). Marconi was the first to send radio signals in 1896 and build a working radio. He only sent the encoded signal about one mile but none the less he was the first (history of the radio). Tesla who is also credited with the radio was the first person to draw up a model of a radio however he never actually made a working radio. Marconi further advanced his radio and was able to send a message over long distances (the invention of the radio). Some people think that Nathan B. Stubblefeild a farmer from Kentucky made a radio capable of sending sound four years before Marconi transmitted radio signals. They say that he didnt want to demonstrate his invention to the public out of fear that it might be stolen and when he was found dead in 1929 his radio equipment was missing (The History of Radio). The radio was first thought to be used mainly for land to ship and ship to ship communication which is more like walkie talkies than radio stations. It was used by the coast guard who before radio had been using light signals and homing pigeons for communication. In 1901 radios were set up on five of the Hawaiian Islands and in 1909 Robert E. Peary an arctic explorer radio telegraphed; I found the pole (the invention of radio). The NAVY quickly saw the potential of the radio and put on all of their ship and along the coast line. At this time most radios just sent code or data rather than the sound of pictures were used to today (the golden age of radio). Very few citizens had a radio at this time but this changed dramatically very quickly. Invention of the radio 5 At this time in American history if someone wanted to get some entertainment they had to go out on the town and see a play and if they wanted to hear about what was happening in Washington they had to read a newspaper which wasnt always available. Once the radio found its way into almost every persons home by the 1920s it was an instant hit and everyone was fighting to get on the air and get heard (American radio history). People no longer had to leave their house to be entertained and they could hear about the weather or news from the comfort of their own home. The dust bowl was happening during this radio craze and many families would choose to keep their radio before many other things because it was something that they could sit down around as a family and listen for information about what was happening outside of their world (USA early radio history). They felt that the radio was one way they could have a connection to a world much different or better than theirs (History of the radio). Receiving information wasnt the only thing the radio is good for. There was an explosion of radio drama stations which are much like the modern day soap operas you see on TV. Radio drama was born in 1927 when many radio stations began reading short stories and even writing original scripts for broadcast (A brief history of radio in America). During many radio broadcasts they would play music and in-between the songs they would have people keep up a patter to distract the listener but people started to like these short talking periods. After a while there were just shows where people would act out a script for a story that would progress as the show went on. These radio dramas peeked in the 1940s and have been a dead form entertainment ever since. One thing the radio did for the United States in the early 1900s is it connected the people and the government in a way never before thought of. Most people will read about Invention of the radio 6 Roosevelts fire side chats however there are still some who still remember listening to them. Roosevelt began using the radio to broadcast his himself across the county which let people listen to the actual voice of the president. This doesnt seem like a big deal today since our President is on the news quite often but in the early nineties people only saw pictures and couldnt put a voice to it (How did the radio change America). The radio was a powerful thing, it helped Churchill lead his country through WWII and Hitler would arrest people who listened or promoted radio stations that said things he didnt like (History of the radio). Putting something on the radio wasnt like saying something on television. When ones voice is the only thing the person on the other side gets one must to make every word count. Roosevelt and countless other radio stars couldnt rely on fancy video editing or their looks and body language for catching the interests of their audiences. This form of entertai nment really brought out the best actors and speakers because of the simplicity of it. The radio may well be one of the biggest turning points in America. This is surprising since many of us think of something like the Hadron Collider when scientific turning point is mentioned. However the radio led the way to countless other discoveries and inventions. The radio doesnt have a singular inventor mainly because of the amount of technology that goes into the radio. The first use of the radio was for simple data for naval usage. The radio its self and the ways it was used expanded from the seas to the house hold and every US NAVY boat. Radio not only changed the speed at which we communicate it changed the way people received news, got entertained, and opened jobs for thousands of people in the radio business. Invention of the radio 7 One of the biggest changes the radio had on the world and on the US was the way it changed the way nation leaders communicated with their citizens and how they led them through hard times. Over all the radio has changed the world and the united states in countless ways for ever.

Mentor Graphics :: essays papers

Mentor Graphics Objective To complete all aspects of the exercise regarding D type flip-flop, TTL and CMOS and to familiarize us with the HDL software which is Mentor Graphics. This software is capable of constructing and simulating a particular design. As for this assignment 1, we are given 4 weeks to complete the assignment. It is compulsory to attend every lab sessions as there is no alternative software to use. Only a certain limit of time is given for the use of the software and therefore designing of circuit is required to be completed before attending the lab. To give students a first-hand understanding of the EDA lab and most importantly Mentor Graphics, a powerful tool in HDL technology. This assignment allows the students to understand or rather familiarize themselves with the design flow of the EDA software and to fully explore what the software is capable and powerful to do. Lastly, to prepare the students for the next assignments which uses the similar software. Introduction – D(elay) Flip-Flop (What You Have to Know First!) The D flip-flop is useful when a single data bit (1 or 0) is to be stored. An additional inverter to the S-R flip-flop at the R input creates a D flip-flop. The D flip-flop shown below is a modification of the clocked SR flip-flop. The D input goes directly into the S input and the complement of the D input goes to the R input. If there is a HIGH on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop SETs and stores a 1. If there is a LOW on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop RESETs and stores a 0. The truth table below summarizes the operations of the positive edge-triggered D flip-flop. As before, the negative edge-triggered flip-flop works the same except that the falling edge of the clock pulse is the triggering edge. (a) Logic diagram with NAND gates (b) Graphical symbol InputsD CP(CLK) OutputsQ Q’ Comments 1 1 0 SET (stores 1) Mentor Graphics :: essays papers Mentor Graphics Objective To complete all aspects of the exercise regarding D type flip-flop, TTL and CMOS and to familiarize us with the HDL software which is Mentor Graphics. This software is capable of constructing and simulating a particular design. As for this assignment 1, we are given 4 weeks to complete the assignment. It is compulsory to attend every lab sessions as there is no alternative software to use. Only a certain limit of time is given for the use of the software and therefore designing of circuit is required to be completed before attending the lab. To give students a first-hand understanding of the EDA lab and most importantly Mentor Graphics, a powerful tool in HDL technology. This assignment allows the students to understand or rather familiarize themselves with the design flow of the EDA software and to fully explore what the software is capable and powerful to do. Lastly, to prepare the students for the next assignments which uses the similar software. Introduction – D(elay) Flip-Flop (What You Have to Know First!) The D flip-flop is useful when a single data bit (1 or 0) is to be stored. An additional inverter to the S-R flip-flop at the R input creates a D flip-flop. The D flip-flop shown below is a modification of the clocked SR flip-flop. The D input goes directly into the S input and the complement of the D input goes to the R input. If there is a HIGH on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop SETs and stores a 1. If there is a LOW on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop RESETs and stores a 0. The truth table below summarizes the operations of the positive edge-triggered D flip-flop. As before, the negative edge-triggered flip-flop works the same except that the falling edge of the clock pulse is the triggering edge. (a) Logic diagram with NAND gates (b) Graphical symbol InputsD CP(CLK) OutputsQ Q’ Comments 1 1 0 SET (stores 1)

Laertes to be cordial with everyone Essay

This line tells us once again that the man who listens more but talks less is more prosperous and successful. He also tells Laertes to control his temper if anyone rebukes him. Even here Shakespeare has used personification as he describes ‘ear’ and ‘voice’ as things that can be given. When he says ‘take each man’s censure’ he is telling Laertes to hear out everybody’s opinion but not to voice his own regarding anything. Shakespeare uses the words ‘give’ and ‘take’ almost everywhere in this speech. Polonius also says, ‘Beware of entrance to a quarrel. ‘ This is an important lesson for Laertes and for the reader too. It is important to Laertes because he is going away to a foreign country where he does need friends not enemies. The word, ‘beware’ signals a warning, which shows us the importance of the usage of this word. The word, ‘entrance’ means starting. It is important it highlights the way Shakespeare highlighted certain actions by using more figurative language. He tries to tell us and Laertes that it is not not not not important not to start a quarrel nor should anyone ‘enter’ a quarrel. This can be compared to the next phrase in which he also tells Laertes to be cordial with everyone. Polonius also asks Laertes to stay away from the common folk when he says, ‘Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. ‘ This line means that he should be familiar with everyone’s habits and thoughts but not be too friendly. He is also trying to tell Laertes to be pleasant with his dealings with people but not to be too cheap among common people. It is this moral value that we can only partly accept and learn. It is correct that we should be pleasant in our dealing with people but the fact that we should not mix with the common people is wrong. It shows us that the higher class of people in the Victorian era did not respect or accept the commoners as a part of society. This is in fact the only place where we have to learn the opposite. We should learn that it is not a disgrace to blend in with people who have less money or less food. We can see that Shakespeare has used a strong word, ‘vulgar,’ in describing the lower class of people. The use of this word shows us the feelings of the aristocrats. It tells us how we should respect all kinds of people however poor they may be. It also adds to the lesson that if he has to stay away from all kinds of quarrels and fights he should be warm and cordial in his dealings with everyone. During the speech Polonius also communicates the importance of saving. This is expressed when he says, ‘Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy For the apparel oft proclaims man. ‘ In this line we come to learn a very important lesson that is even important in our daily lives today. Polonius imparts to his son not to wear any attire that is expensive, extravagant flamboyant ostentatious. He should always be moderate reasonable in his spending and only buy things that are within his limits or that which his â€Å"purse can buy†. We see Shakespeare use of figurative language in this line as he personifies the purse to something that is capable of buying things. However it is important to understand that Polonium also meant for his son to dress well â€Å"For the apparel oft proclaims man† as the quote signifies. Further in the speech, Polonius also tells Laertes something that has become one of the most famous lines in our time. Laertes is advised by his father to be, ‘neither a borrower nor a lender is. ‘ This, of course has a lot of moral value whether it be in the Victorian era or the modern era. It shows us that Polonius tells Laertes to guard against excessive spending. He should never spend money to an extent that he will be in depth and will need to borrow money. He should not even help anyone during their times of need. This shows us that Polonius was indeed a very selfish character and also tries to tell his son to be so too. In a way he is noble also because he lives within the limits of what he can buy and imparts this knowledge to his son. This can be compared to the previous lesson in which he tells Laertes not to buy fancy or rich things so as to spend all his wealth. We can see how Shakespeare links the two ideas to seem as though they are the same. The word, ‘costly,’ in the first idea and the word, ‘borrower’ in the next makes the association. It is important for us to realize the importance of wealth in our lives as Shakespeare does and tries to convey this to us. He also tries to show us the consequence when he says, ‘For loan oft loses both itself and friend. ‘ This piece of knowledge tells us just how one must socialize. It also shows us that borrowing or lending money can be disastrous for a friendship. It is quite obvious that Shakespeare is trying to convey to us the importance of a good friendship that is not plagued by money. Another lesson that Polonium gives to his son is- ‘this above all: to thane own self be true,’ and also says that if Laertes does follow this then he ‘canst not then false to any man. ‘ This piece of wisdom is quite important in society today. It is our conscience that we should answer to at the end of the day and not any one else. If we are true to our conscience then we will be true to everyone around us. Here again Shakespeare stresses on the fact that we should not lie, quite contrary to the opinion that he promotes lying when Polonius tells Laertes to keep silent about certain aspects. This truly displays the way he has portrayed his genius. He manages to tell us to be diplomatic but not to lie. The lessons learnt from these speeches apply to our everyday life also as they highlight how we should act and our moral values and conscience also comes into question here. Both Laertes and Hamlet are loving sons to their parents. In fact Laertes is a foil to Hamlet. Both are young men who have had their fathers murdered and both seek revenge. The difference between them is that while Laertes is hot blooded , active and seeks immediate revenge Hamlet thinks over the moral rightness and wrongness of his actions but the end result is the same-that by seeking revenge, by taking God’s justice into their own hands and by seeking to destroy another human life both young men are killed . So what is Shakespeare’s message and advice to us? Not to seek revenge? Not to take the law into your hands however justified it may be? But to avenge your father’s death and to destroy the murderer of your father, is it not the duty of a son and a matter of honor? This is something that Shakespeare does not give a conclusive solution to. He leaves it to us, people of different societies and different periods to make our choices and decisions based on our moral rules and the traditions and practices and conventions of the society that we belong to. But what Shakespeare seems to underline is that destroying another human life whether justifiably or not will have its consequences. Hamlet also explores the theme of friendship and loyalty. Among the hundreds of young men that Hamlet could have as his friends he finds that only Horatio is to be trusted and valued. He has complete faith in Horatio. It is to Horatio alone that Hamlet confides all his secrets. Even on his return secretly from England after tricking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; it is to Horatio that Hamlet narrates the whole sequence of events. At the end of the play when Hamlet lies dying and Horatio shows his loyalty to his beloved friend by preparing to die with him â€Å"I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Here’s some liquor left. † Hamlet lays upon him the duty of clearing his â€Å"wounded name. † He enjoins upon Horatio the sacred task of making the world aware of why and how Hamlet came to meet his end â€Å"If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this hash word draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story. † In contrast Hamlet’s friendship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are shown as false and contemptible. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are young men who tried to take advantage of their friendship for Hamlet. They turned out to be Claudius’s spies and professed friendship with Hamlet for self advancement. And so Hamlet when he discovered the nature of the message that they were carrying to the king of England he substituted Claudius’s order with a fake one according to which it was instructed that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern be put to â€Å"sudden death , Not shriving time allowed. † Hamlet shows no regret or remorse for his deed. Infact he declares â€Å"they are not near my conscience. † Thus what Shakespeare is perhaps trying to teach us is that true and loyal friends are rare and precious. They are to be valued and honored. For every true friend that we have we may have double the number of false friends who will plot our downfall if it is to their advantage. Shakespeare’s message is therefore is to be wary of such false friends. â€Å"Hamlet† also contains lengthy discourses on man and how he is in every way the crown of creation. Shakespeare has used his wealth of poetic genius and shows his incredible mastery over poetic expressions when he describes the beauty of the earth and man as an exquisite piece of art. Looking at the star studded sky he waxes poetic. He calls the sky â€Å"This most excellent canopy,† â€Å"Brave o’erhanging firmament,† â€Å"This majestically roof fretted with golden fire. † Man itself is a â€Å"piece of work† that is to be admired and appreciated. Hamlet is full of admiration of this exquisite creation of nature and exclaims † What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form, and moving how express and admirable, in action how like and angle , in apprehension how like a god. † Later in a discussion with Horatio Hamlet talks of who is an ideal man. According to him the perfect man is in whom passion and reason â€Å"are so well co meddled that they are not a pipe for fortune’s finger to sound what stop she please. † Hamlet considers Horatio as such an ideal man and through Hamlet’s intelligent, detailed and perceptive analysis Shakespeare is telling us about how man can become a â€Å"paragon of animals† by balancing emotions and reason. Hamlet is greatly empresses by Fortinbras and his adventures when he is told of how the Norwegians risked the lives of 20,000 men for â€Å"a little patch of ground that hath in it no profit but the name. † Hamlet comes to the conclusion â€Å"Rightly to be great, is not to stir without great argument, but greatly to find quarrel in a straw when honor’s is at stake. † Hamlet’s character changes during the course of the play. Towards the end especially after his violent confrontation with his mother we see the mellowing of Hamlet and how he slowly seems to be at peace with himself. Perhaps it is the fact that Gertrude and Hamlet has reached something of a better understanding that has given him this peace, because after the closet scene we see Gertrude being more supportive of Hamlet. She does not confide in Claudius the truth about Hamlet’s madness that he is not really mad but â€Å"Only mad in craft. † Hamlet acknowledges the presence of a higher power in our lives. It may have been his escape from death not once but twice that has built up a stronger Christian faith in him. He had on an impulse â€Å"rashly, And praised be rashness for it- let us know our indiscretion sometimes serves us well,† opened the official document entrusted with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and made the astonishing discovery that Claudius himself has passed the order â€Å"That on the supervise, no leisure bated, No, not to stay the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off. † On the same voyage he had escaped death a second time from the hands of the pirates. It is these experiences that had also had a chastening effect on him. Through Hamlet Shakespeare invites us to strengthen out faith in the omniscient when he says â€Å"There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will. † Later in the same scene Hamlet reaffirms this that â€Å"There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. † This faith is established when he continues by saying â€Å"the readiness is all† which means that since no one knows what happens after death , it does not matter whether we die early or not. In a way Hamlet was committing himself in God’s hands and he shows an extraordinary wisdom, humility and maturity which are a lesson to all of us. In Act 5 Scene 1 Hamlet is seen in a mood of contemplation with the skull of Yorrick. Through the image of the skull Shakespeare conveys a powerful message. The picture of the young prince contemplating Yorrick’s skull is a universally recognized icon. The singing grave digger has a profound impact both on Hamlet and on us. He is amusing and terrifying at the same time because he is so full of life and so at home with death . His profession is dealing with something that we would not want to think about and very often struggle to make sense of. The grave digger is the one who has dug grave in which Ophelia is to buried. Soon he will deal with Hamlet, Laertes, with the king and the Queen and finally he will deal with us all whether we are somebody or nobody . Thus the grave digger is the assistant of that Great Leveller- Death. Hamlet says â€Å"Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust; dust is earth; of earth we make loam. † Long before Alexander and Caesar, Claudius and Hamlet came into the world. The grave digger was busy and he will be at his work long after their brief exits and entrances. He has been there from the beginning of human history and will be busy until the final trumpet. Thus through the image of the skull and the grave digger Shakespeare presents a reminder to us about our mortality. â€Å"Hamlet† is the longest as well as the most complex of all Shakespeare’s plays. Hamlet the introspective, contemplative, intellectual and highly perceptive university scholar offers us a deep and profound examination into the nature of human life. The play deals with such eternal themes as death, the meaning and purpose of man’s life, the choices that are available to him and the choices that he should be able to make. Shakespeare does not offer any solutions either foe us or for Hamlet’s own problems. What he does is point out the strength and draw backs of each of the choices that Hamlet and we have made or are likely to make. In this way the play is not simply a plot with characters enacting certain specified rules but it is a manual about life providing us with knowledge, information, wisdom and values that would be an education for life through the medium of drama and therein lies Shakespeare’s greatness.

Pride and Prejudice Essay

The novel Pride and Prejudice was written during the middle of the Romantic period in western literature, but it is itself rather uncharacteristic of other fictional works of the period. Unlike the great Romantic novels and poems of the period, which usually praised youthful passions, Austen’s work minimizes them. Austen’s works are models of restraint. Instead of the wild force of nature, Austen concentrates on family life in small English towns. Instead of rampant emotionalism Austen emphasizes a balance between reason and emotion. Instead of suicide and unrequited love, Austen offers elopement and marriage. â€Å"Austen’s prime theme of marriage is far from trivial† (Walder 1996, p. 52) as it is considered today as marriage was an important issue in Austen’s time and it was the only time when a woman had the freedom to get upward socio-economic mobility [though some critics thinks that she considers that considering money as the criterion for marriage is highly terrible. (Collins p. 161)] This extract explains this correlation between socio-economic status and marriage. Irony or the contrast between the expected and the actual is the chief literary device Austen uses to comment on the manners of English gentry in Pride and Prejudice. Her irony takes different forms for different. Another stylistic feature that one can observe in this extract in general and throughout novel in particular is her formal style. Perhaps the first thing about Jane Austen’s style that strikes the reader is its formality by modern standards. This is a characteristic of her time, and of the outlook she shared. The decorum of her prose represents a disciplined habit of mind and a disciplined attitude towards life. But the formality has about it nothing of the pomp us or verbose. On the contrary one of the chief qualities of her narrative style is precision, lucidity, and economy. With these is combined a habitual tone of irony. The irony is the cutting edge, as it was an instrument of moral perception which was Jane Austen’s sensibility. Mr. Collins speaks about his conception of a true marriage. He takes the conventional notions about marriage of true minds where partners have similar dispositions and ideas about life in general. Mr. Collins philosophy of marriage reminds Charlotte’s reminds Charlotte’s matrimonial ideology as she also consider the harmony of characters and minds as the ultimate source of matrimonial bliss and place no importance to money or fortune. She says in Chapter 6; â€Å"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always contrive to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. † Mr. Collins also suffers from the same fictitious idealism like Charlotte. That’s the reason he says; â€Å"My dear Charlotte and I have but one mind and one way of thinking. There is in everything a most remarkable resemblance of character and ideas between us. We seem to have been designed for each other. † (Chapter XXXV) Furthermore, he longs for same matrimonial felicity for Elizabeth in her married life without knowing what is her ideals of marriage and what she wants to be come out of marriage. Jane Austin has beautifully employed irony as Mr. Collins wishes something for Elizabeth that she does not like. Furthermore, Jane Austin juxtaposes this conception of matrimonial bliss with his own conception of marriage and its preconditions that prevail throughout the novel. Jane Austin has Marxian conception of marriage and she considers wealth and socio-economic well-being as the foremost pre-condition of marriage. For the author, in the persona of Mr. Bennet’s daughter Elizabeth, however, irony’ is potent toy and a defensive weapon in the war against stupidity. The author uses Elizabeth to skewer self-important characters such as Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet. Yet Elizabeth is also blind to her own character faults, and her very blindness is another example of Austen’s use of irony. In her misunderstandings with Darcy, she (who is blind to her own pride in her ability to read character) accuses him false and excessive pride, while he (who is prejudiced against people with less money than he has) accuses her of prejudice. The rest of the episode shows the haughtiness and pomposity of Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins is a type of character that Jane Austin uses to highlight the posing and pretensions of English society of the time and the vain self-importance of an individual. His acquisition of fortune by chance to get an approval of Lady Catherine de Bourgh has made him to think of himself in higher terms and opinion. All his haughtiness and snobbery in the extract is a manifestation of this high opinion of his own self. His high opinion of Charlotte is also a product of this imagined high placement in society. He earns a handsome income and owns a house, so he requires a wife at this stage that can enrich his own fortune. Here Jane Austin elaborates the interrelation of marriage and money. If Mr. Collins would not have owned a house and would not have made a good fortune by chance, he would never think of having marriage. So he imagined conception of marriage as a bond between tow souls that are alike in their dispositions and character, seems only a caprice of imagination only. Establishing a correlation between marriage and social status is an important theme of Austen in this extract. Jane Austen also makes her reader see the correlation in the light of her contemporary social conventions. Earlier in the novel, when Elizabeth refuses the proposal of Mr Collins, he is unwilling to accept it. It was highly improbable that a woman of Elizabeth’ social status would reject the proposal of a well-off person. His self-importance is another factor that contributes toward his un-acceptance if her refusal. He disapprove of Elizabeth’s social status in these words that Elizabeth’s â€Å"portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of [her] loveliness and amiable qualifications†. His social status reassures himself by saying that; â€Å"you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females. † There is a dichotomy of Elizabeth’s refusal to Mr. Collin and her manifestation as an ideal woman of Austen who thinks marriage in terms of money. Walder (1996) has rightly pointed out; â€Å"In a social world where only possibility of movement in a women’s life was through marriage, choice of partner was as serious a business as choice of career was for a man. † Seen in this light, Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins is as brave an act as that of a young man who refuses to enter the family firm. † (Walder, 52) Jane Austen used Elizabeth as her mouth-piece to ridicule the fictitious idealism of various characters throughout the novel. In this case, Elizabeth does not directly say any word about Mr. Collins viewpoints but only show her contempt by feeling sorry for â€Å"Poor Charlotte† but she revisits her thought about her and says that she is not innocent as she herself has decided to marry Collins and choose a pretentious society. Jane Austen reflects here that if someone is placed in this situation, then it is tragic but someone has consciously decided to go for a vain marriage proposal, he ore she should be fully responsible for it. So it was Charlotte own disposition rather than chance that her placed her in that situation. But when Elizabeth herself refuses the proposal of Mr. Collins, she was also caught in fictitious idealism. She is of the view that as her father is a gentleman; she is on equal terms with Darcy and Bingleys. (Brooke, 1999. p. 158) Jane Austen beautifully shows her fictitious idealism as well. Jane Elizabeth also shows, through the character of Maria, the vainglory of English gentry. Unlike Elizabeth, Maria is amazed and amused by the social decorum. She was still startled at the nine dinners at Rosings and several teas. This extract further another aspect of Jane Austen’s art i. e. handling of dialogue. She had a remarkable ear, and must have been a shrewd observer of mannerism in speech. The speech of her characters is always consonant with their personalities yet it never approaches caricature. In the extract, Mr. Collins dialogues are true reflection of his personality yet it does not portray him as a caricature. Maria’s dialogues are equally expressive of her self and her tender age. So this extract and other textual examples from Pride and Prejudice clearly manifest that Jane Austen has skillfully conveyed her basic theme of money and marriage through her subtle style. She does not waste her words and there is uncommon clarity with economy in her art. References Austen, Hane. (2006). Pride and Orejudice. New York: Poenguin Classic. Brooke, C. (1999). Jane Austen: Illusion and reality. Rochester, NY: D. S. Brewer. Walder, D. (1996). The realist novel. Approaching literature. London: Routledge.