Literature is not innocent Essay Example

Literature is not innocent Essay Literature is not innocent. It is guilty and should admit itself so. What does Bataille mean by this, and is he justified? When Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights1 was published, it was deemed by many to be a story of sinister and evil content, and this view was especially centred on the character Heathcliff. Many readers, in general terms, would see the novel as guilty as opposed to innocent (it must be remembered here that Bataille uses the words guilty and innocent not with their everyday meanings, but with meanings that he constructs for the purpose of his argument), and this is perhaps why Georges Bataille chose to include it in his study, Literature and Evil2, and also why the title quote is so relevant to the book. But what does Bataille actually mean in this quote? What is his definition of innocent and guilty? Also, how does this relate to Wuthering Heights (the text we shall concentrate on here) and is Bataille justified in the conclusions he makes? It is important then to firstly attain a good idea of the meaning of Batailles terms, as a starting point for this essay. We will write a custom essay sample on Literature is not innocent specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Literature is not innocent specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Literature is not innocent specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When we think of the word innocent, the word good also comes to mind. Innocence is the state of having done nothing wrong, and so something that commits no wrongs must then be good, and therefore free from guilt. Bataille gives this utilitarian based view of Good; it is based on a common interest which entails consideration of the future3. So something that is not based on a common interest, and does not consider the future and consequences of itself cannot be classed as Good, or innocent, and so must be bad, and therefore can be said to be Evil. Something that is Good has limits, or restraints on it, to ensure it adheres to the rules of what Good is. So it must follow that Evil, in opposition to Good, lacks these restraints, and does not consider the future it merely exists in the moment it presents. This is why it is so relevant to literature when we read literature we are just existing in the moment of the novel it takes no consideration of anything but that moment that it presents. It allows us to explore this world, with no consequences. We are able to suspend our disbelief, and enter the mystical state4 of the novel that we can experience in this solitude. Also, if the content reveals a narrative where there are also no restraints, then this state is intensified. This is where Bataille makes a link with eroticism. In the sexual act, one concentrates simply on the moment, in a manner unique to our species, and nothing else at that point matters. We do not think of external constraints when experiencing sex or literature; both create a world in our minds opposite to that which we live in no constraints or consequences exist there. Bataille sees Evil and love to be closely related with each other. He states death seems to be the truth of love, just as love is the truth of death5. It seems he believes that inside love there has to be a recognition of death, because if you love another life, you are aware it will end, as all human experiences do, and so you recognise that your love is finite it is not unlimited. So love is therefore Good, as it at least has this limit imposed upon it. But perhaps its bad side can be said to be in its physical manifestation eroticism where the persons involved are living in that moment that it creates, and they are free of any limits; it is not done for any future benefit, but just for its own sake. So this could be said to be an evil part of love; but as we will see later, there has to be Evil for good to exist, so this paradox is inevitable. As we know, the love of Catherine and Heathcliff is the focus of Wuthering Heights, so there is much to be explored here the issue of the love presented in the novel, the status of the characters involved, and how this all relates to Batailles opinion on the guilt of literature in general. The character Heathcliff lives life by his own rules, and he sees no limits on himself or his actions he simply does what he wants simply because he can. Is he, then, Evil? It would seem so, as he does not comply with the rationality of the world we live in. Bataille even goes so far as to call him a sadist he hurts others because he knows he can, and he seems to take pleasure in this fact, or, at least, he is indifferent to the other characters plights. He has no concern for any excepting of course the object of his love. Bataille believes we need to comply with reasonable adult conventions6 in order for society to survive, but Heathcliff doesnt want to participate in this order of things. He wants to keep his infantile freedom7, where the laws of society and conventional politeness do not affect Catherine and himself. Bataille believes this is his main reason for acting as he does, because he has been banished from the kingdom of childhood, but wants to return to it, so will sto p at nothing to regain it8, and the freedom he had in it. But isnt Bataille contradicting himself somewhat here? He is saying now that Heathcliff does what he does as a means to an end, rather than just doing it out of pure sadism, so perhaps his deeds are not purely Evil? However, despite this possibility of contradictions, Heathcliff must still be deemed as Evil, because for whatever reason he commits the sins against others, he is doing it because he can, and he disregards the consequences for his victims, which is in itself intrinsically Evil. So in the eyes of the world, Heathcliff represents Evil, and all it stands for. But, as Bataille himself says, Heathcliff believes he represents Good and reason9. Heathcliff is questioning society and its limits, and this is where the theme of transgression becomes important. Heathcliff is trying to transgress through society and its laws, and so he represents opposition to social restrictions. Bataille describes this transgression as a tragic violation of the law, which leads the novel to have a certain affinity with Greek tragedy atonement is connected with transgression. Bataille says that it is not the laws that Heathcliff is trying to transgress that are denounced, but the domain that these laws deny, the forbidden domain. Humanity banishes this domain to us, but Bataille says this only serves to magnify it, and so in essence make us want it more the ban beautifies that to which it prevents access10. In trying to reach this domain, the perpetrators suffer; Catherine dies due to her infidelity to the spirit, and Heathcliff has to endure the agony of life without her. Therefore, in the unlimited world of literature, it can be said that we are given lessons on what happens to those who try and transgress the laws of our society. Over time, as Bataille points out, reason has replaced the primitive taboos, and we have learnt that certain things should be avoided if we do not want to suffer. This can occur easily through literature, as no real beings suffer, but we can recognise what it would be like if there were no rules or limits to live by, or if we refused to live by those limits. Literature can reveal a process of breaking these laws without trying to create another order, simply because it can do this. It only needs to be what it is; it does not need to create anything else. Perhaps literature provides the lesson we need to avoid trying to go beyond rationality in our lives? So, if literature does perform this task, then can it still be called guilty? Would not this make it more of a constraint on society rather than something that could be cal led a bad influence? So perhaps the instant of escape that literature provides can be seen as similar to the eternal escape that death provides? The two can be similarly described both are unlimited in certain senses. In literature, we lose ourselves in something other than ourselves, and this is also true of death, and as Bataille says, what this other thing11 is is not important it is still something that transcends the common limitations we are all subject to. Both provide an escape of some kind, even if one is of more of a permanent nature. Through literature, we are exploring the world of the moment that it presents, and by death we are exploring whatever (if there is anything at all) lies beyond this life. Bataille believes that, in writing Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte had fathomed the very depths of Evil12. From his study, it seems that perhaps you have to be Evil yourself to write literature at all, because you have to be unlimited free of restraints and as we know, to lack these constraints is seen as Evil. Jacques Blondel13 believes Bronte emancipated herself from all prejudice of an ethical or social order, and he believes this liberation is necessary to every artist. He also says this can be felt most intensely by those in whom ethical values are most deeply rooted14, as they have a thorough knowledge of Good, so can easily present the opposite. Due to these values, Bronte is able to resolve the problems in her novel this manly being the purity of love being regained in its intimate truth, which as Bataille said, is that of death. It seems true to say that only by knowing Good can you know Evil to know the opposite of something is essential in defining it, for example, the states of hot and cold. Also, we could say that Brontes own views may have been reflected in Catherine; someone who is capable of total love (we know this when she says, I am Heathcliff15) but also recognises the need to live by the restraints of life, even though in her case it seems to do her little good in the end (admittedly, had she not followed the constraints bound upon her in her patriarchal society, then her and Heathcliff may have married and ended up as beggars, but Heathcliff would probably have preferred this anyway, so this can be seen in two ways). Bataille also says that Bronte identified herself with Catherine, and both were absolutely moral 16 this is in fact what causes Catherines demise, as she cannot detach herself from loving the man she did as a child. Also, she was unable to love without limits, as Heathcliff did, and so she died paradoxically she achieved a love without limits through death which she could not achieve in life. But to extend the paradox further, she now has this lo ve that she needed in life, but has no use for it now in death. Bataille says that Evil therefore, if we examine it closely, is not only the dream of the wicked; it is to some extent the dream of the Good17. If we accept this, and accept Batailles use of the term Evil, then can literature be as guilty as we first thought? We have seen that it is indeed guilty in a number of ways it is outside our social constraints, and can do whatever it pleases, so much so that we can perhaps even call it dangerous, and Bataille even believes it can be compared to the severity of the infringement of moral laws18. As with the sexual act, literature allows us to turn inwardly to ourselves, and to forget the rules we normally live by when not in this mystical state. It is an extension of the passion that we experience through eroticism an extension of the moment of disregard for the future and its consequences. However, perhaps this Evil is necessary to us? Bataille says this Evil may help us recognise that a sovereign part of ourselves is free from the limitations and necessities which we acknowledge in everyday life, and perhaps this sovereign part takes over when we die? This could explain our inner attraction towards death, as the release from these constraints of mortal life. So, as Bataille says Evil is always the object of an ambiguous condemnation19. It is bad to have no concern for the future or rationality, so when literature causes this in us, then it must be found guilty. So it seems Bataille is justified in pointing to the guilt of literature, as it culpable of the charges he brings to it, but the important question is whether or not this causes literature itself to be Evil? I do not think it can, because as we have seen, it may do more good than harm to society, because we can learn from it the consequences of refraining from following rationality and order in life. Bataille is, then, justified in saying literature is guilty, because he proves his case, but it cannot be said that it is guilty of anything bad, so the conclusion we must draw here seems to be that literature is guilty of something but something other than being evil.

Using Expository Essay Topics That Make You Laugh

Using Expository Essay Topics That Make You LaughDid you know that you can use the phrases, 'I can't believe you', 'Who would expect this', 'I'm surprised that you're even reading this'Can you believe this?' in your funny expository essay topic?If you don't know what these phrases mean, you can find them on many different website. They are normally used by people in professional jobs to motivate themselves and to make them go all out for a certain project. They are normally used in formal situations as well.These expressions usually come from the rules that govern the standard essay topic. The usage is not so common, and therefore not so well known by the readers. It is actually a very interesting idea if you are going to use them in your interesting topics of the essay.You need to remember that you need to be careful when using these expressions on your essay topic. A lot of authors think that the expression is funny and they use it to justify their point in the essay. The truth is that using these expressions is very bad and you should avoid them whenever possible.When you are using these funny expository essay topics, it is very important that you keep it short. The shortest possible ideas are best when writing. Also, remember that if you want to impress someone, you should choose words carefully. When you use such words, you might as well leave the person feeling bored.In some instances, you may find it more appropriate to leave out some parts of the funny, expository essay topics. But remember that doing this will not make your topic funnier. It will only make the topic boring. This is because the expository topic is already funnier because it is written in a way that it makes the reader relate to it.It is not impossible to write a good expository essay topic. All you need to do is to find out which topics are funniest. Then you can decide on what parts to remove from the topic. If you follow this rule, you will be able to write more interesting topics tha t will make your readers laugh and to increase the chances of success of your work.

3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses

3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses 3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses 3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, a phrase that supports the main clause of the statement but should be distinct from it lacks an essential element that identifies it as a subordinate clause: a comma separating it from the main clause, thus obscuring the subordinate clause’s function. A discussion, followed by a revision, explains the solution to each sentence. 1. A hillside above the highway gave way showering the roadway with rocks. â€Å"Showering the roadway with rocks† is a subordinate clause describing the consequence of the hillside giving way, so the phrase should be set off from the main clause with a comma: â€Å"A hillside above the highway gave way, showering the roadway with rocks.† 2. The only way you survive is you continuously transform into something else. The transition from is to you seems awkward because there’s no grammatical continuity; in proper speech or writing, one simply does not use those two words consecutively. The solution? Because â€Å"The only way you survive is† is a subordinate clause, set it off from the main clause with a comma: â€Å"The only way you survive is, you continuously transform into something else.† Alternatively, insert the transitional pronoun that between the words, converting the subordinate clause into an integral part of the main (and only) clause: â€Å"The only way you survive is that you continuously transform into something else.† (Or revise the sentence to â€Å"The only way to survive is to continuously transform into something else.†) 3. Product defects that create a public health hazard will eventually be exposed to the light of day in the public arena and, when they are, the company pays the price. At first glance, this sentence may seem correct: An apparent parenthetical, â€Å"when they are,† is introduced into the sentence after the conjunction, seemingly modifying the phrase â€Å"the company pays the price.† But that concluding phrase is an independent clause- a grammatically complete statement that could stand on its own as a separate sentence- and â€Å"and when they are† is not a parenthetical, but a subordinate clause associated with it. Therefore, a comma should precede, not follow, the conjunction and, separating the two independent clauses. However, the second comma remains where it is to separate the clause subordinate to the second main clause: â€Å"Product defects that create a public health hazard will eventually be exposed to the light of day in the public arena, and when they are, the company pays the price.† (â€Å"When they are† may appear to serve both as a subordinate clause and as a parenthesis, but it is essential to the sentence, pertaining to the catalyst for the company’s comeuppance, so it cannot function in the latter role.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Anyone vs. EveryonePeople vs. Persons

Career Plan as part of my CV preparation Assignment

Career Plan as part of my CV preparation - Assignment Example In two years time I can see myself as a graduate student of Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in the University of San Carlos. In my two years left in college, I can achieve this goal by attending to all my classes in every semester, by listening attentively to my professor’s lecture and by studying in advance so that I will have the upper hand advantage in class. I would also take up the 2 summer class I have left to speed up my education in college. I will continue to be active in extra curricular activities such as being in the swimming varsity team because of the extra credit and exposure I am gaining from it. I will also do my best and show my potential in work during my On-the-Job-Training so that I will have a good working record and gain referrals from seniors in the industry and that companies will prioritize my application when I apply. All of these will bring and guide me to my goal which is to finish my college degree with quality education and good reput ation. In 5 years time I see myself competing and building my way to the corporate world. In this time span I see myself working in an oil company such as Saudi Arabian Oil Co., National Iranian Co., or any other leading company. This is an attainable goal because I am equipped with the knowledge and training needed to do this job when I was in college. I will be patient and positive in applying for these top oil companies, I will do my best in job interviews by attending seminars and gaining tips from human resource experts. During this span of time I will aim for a promotion such as the position for engineering manager. I can achieve this goal by being pro-active in work, apply what I have learned in school and by striving excellence in work so that the management will see that I am worthy of the promotion. I will avoid any workplace violations that would interfere with the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 12

Assignment Example Most members of the staff understand the linkage that exists between receiving knowledge in their different institutions and learning or working with collogues. However, areas where staffs’ attentions are seriously required are the same areas where students do not place much emphasis, since they work collectively to contribute to the general success of the institutions. However, most students have taken learning as an add-on to their educational career and in most cases do not work collectively as they busy competing against each other for their academic success. It is proven that the learning process can not be a success without certain factors being considered by professionals. In a professional learning community, society members must be in attendance. Both students and staff must gather and come at an amicable solution on the curriculum, instructional strategies, data, goals and the type of learning required to make the process a success. The professionals also are require d are required to direct their attention to the needs of the students involved so as to provide a common purposes for all the students in the school. Professional learning communities also require effective leadership to oversee the whole process. Capable hands of professionals are tasked with major roles of defining purposes for both staff and students in different schools and organizations. This promotes success as the students and staffs are provided with the needed support which is essential to the learning process and success of students. School heads are also tasked with the responsibility of identifying and setting a space for the professional learning community or faculty involved in the process. This allows members of the staff to gain insight from fellow staff members as there is sharing of teaching practices and artifacts needed in student learning. According to Gamble (2008), a professional learning community transforms professional development of both the teachers and a dministrators into goals. It provides a system which enables both parties to fully benefit from it as it advocates for theories and practices which are accordance with the learning and work environment. The community is data driven as both the teaching and administrating professionals are self motivated by the need to meet the different educational and work requirement for the students or employees. It also greatly depends on both parties accepting their responsibilities in accordance with the work structure existing within a society. Professional learning community incorporates the attitude of professional development amongst educators in schools. It provides both parties concerned with a goal that they work to attain. In addition, professional learning community offers teachers with all the relevant resources they need to become successfully in their teaching process to the students. They are motivated to become better and efficient at their work and this result positively as grad es and performance of the students in school and after school improves significantly. Teachers are provided with an opportunity of what to access for the students’ ideas, how to access and ways to conveying it to the students. Professional learning community also provides teachers with the trustworthiness needed in the current data-driven curriculum as they have their objectives and goals organized before presenting it to the

Price elasticity of demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Price elasticity of demand - Essay Example The resulting coefficient for such is greater than 1 (Ed > 1). In addition, the result of a decrease in the price of the good is also an increase in its total revenue, otherwise, a decrease in its total revenue. ("Price Elasticity") Therefore, an increase in the prices of apples in the market will give a corresponding decrease in the total revenue of the good. This only means that if the price of apples is increased, consumers may decide not to buy the good any longer. However, if the price of apples decreases, people will tend to buy more apples. It is also possible that the consumer will just try to find an alternative fruit instead that is cheaper than apples. On the other hand, if the change in quantity demanded of the product along with its price is less than 1 (Ed < 1), the product is said to be inelastic. In this condition, the percentage change in quantity demanded is less than the percentage change in price. Unlike the elastic good, inelasticity means that a decrease in price will result in a decrease in total revenue and vice versa. ("Price Elasticity") Inelastic products are basically the products that belong to the basic needs of man. One example of an inelastic product would be the salt wherein even a large increase in its price, the demand would remain the same therefore there will be a relative increase in its total revenue.

SARS: Modern Pandemic Episode Essay -- Disease, Disorders

Throughout the ages pandemic episodes have plagued mankind. Severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS is an example of a modern pandemic that recently affected the world. The SARS pandemic challenged world health care organizations and governments on how to confront a modern day pandemic episode. This paper will explore the origin of SARS and the steps taken to contain and treat the pandemic episode. SARS emerged mid-November 2002 in southern China, in the province of Guangdong, but was not officially reported until February 2003 to the governmental health care organization of Guangdong (Ahmad, Krumkamp, & Reintjes, 2009). The first case of SARS outside of China that was reported was on March 3, 2003 in Vietnam, with more cases reported from Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, and Taiwan shortly afterward (Ahmad, Krumkamp, & Reintjes, 2009). By mid-summer of 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) had been notified of 8437 cases worldwide, with 813 deaths (Zhong et al., 2003). The disease spread quickly from China to Europe, North America, and southeast Asia because of travel from where SARS first started. Patients that were infected by SARS were noted to have atypical pneumonia. They presented with high fevers and respiratory issues that quickly developed into pneumonia within a few days (Zhong et al., 2003). Through serological and nasopharyngeal aspirate testing, the coronavirus (CoV) was determined to be the cause of SARS (Zhong et al., 2003). It was also determined that the persons that were originally exposed to the virus had contact with animals, most likely to prepare food, at a produce market in the province of Guangdong (Zhong et al., 2003). The virus had started with the animals, crossed over to humans, and mutated. ... ...?. BMC Public Health, 91-8. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-81 N. S. Zhong, A. C., B. J. Zheng, A. C., Y. M. Li, A. C., L. L. M., A. C., Poon, Z., H. H., & ... Xu. (2003). Epidemiology and cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong, People's Republic of China, in February, 2003. Lancet, 362(9393), 1353-1358. Timen, A. A., van Doornum, G. J., Schutten, M. M., Conyn-van Spaendonck, M. E., van der Meer, J. M., Osterhaus, A. E., & van Steenbergen, J. E. (2006). Public health implications of using various case definitions in The Netherlands during the worldwide SARS outbreak. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 12(12), 1214-1220. World Health Organization (WHO). (2004, October). WHO guidelines for the global surveillance of SARS Updated recommendations, October 2004. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/WHO_CDS_CSR_ARO_2004_1.pdf