Ha Jins The Bridegroom and Kazuo Ishiguros A Family Supper

Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly clear to more and more people throughout the world that the ongoing process of Globalization doesn’t only have strictly economic, but also psychological connotations. That is, the earlier mentioned process affects the manner in which individuals perceive the surrounding reality and their place in it.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Ha Jin’s ‘The Bridegroom’ and Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘A Family Supper’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This, of course, causes many conservatively minded people to criticize Globalization, on account of its assumed capacity to destroy cultural traditions, because the process in question implies the inevitability of unification and standardization. However, while referring to Globalization in negative terms, it is often being the case that these people unintentionally expose the conceptual fallaciousnes s of their own line of argumentation, regarding the Globalization’s counter beneficiary effects. In my paper, I will explore the validity of the above statement at length, in regards to the short stories The Bridegroom by Ha Jin and A Family Supper by Kazuo Ishiguro. Formally speaking, there is nothing new about the issue of a psychological incompatibility between the representatives of older and younger generations, tackled in Jin’s story. After all, it represents a well-known fact that, as compared to what it happened to be the case with young people, their parents tend to be much more conservative. Nevertheless, there can be only a few doubts that there are clearly defined discursive overtones (concerned with Globalization) to The Bridegroom, which in turn imply that there was so much more to the earlier mentioned incompatibility between the character of Old Cheng, on the one hand, and the characters of Beina and Baowen, on the other. The validity of this suggestion will become self-evident, once we analyze what were the innate motivations for Old Cheng to pursue with trying to ensure his adopted daughter’s happiness in the way he did. After all, it is specifically setting Beina up with a husband, so that she could get pregnant and to give birth to children, which Old Cheng considered his foremost duty, as a father: â€Å"When she (Beina) turned twenty-three and still had no boyfriend, I began to worry. Where could I find her a husband? Timid and quiet, she didn’t know how to get close to a man. I was afraid she’d become an old maid† (Jin 472). Given the fact that the story’s plot unravels in China and the fact that Old Cheng appears to have been a rather traditionally minded individual, we can well assume that initially, he used to be a rural-dweller.Advertising Looking for term paper on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He came to the city in search of a better-paid employment and eventually ended up becoming an industrial worker – just as it happened to be the case with millions and millions of people like the character in question, throughout the course of the eighties and nineties. This simply could not be otherwise, because it is namely the abundance of peasants in pre-industrial China, which made it possible for this country to be set on the path of industrialization, in the first place. As sociologists are being well aware of, it this specific category of citizens that traditionally served as the industrialization’s actual ‘fuel’, not only in China but in the rest of currently industrialized nations, such as Britain, the U.S. or Russia, for example.  This provides us with a clue, as to why Old Cheng was strongly driven to marry off Beina at any cost. This is because, despite having relocated to the big city, Old Cheng never ceased being a peasant, in the psychological sense of this word – his persistence in trying to make sure that Beina gets married serves as the best proof to the earlier suggestion’s legitimacy. The reason for this is apparent – people who reside in rural areas, have no other option but to affiliate themselves with agricultural pursuits, as the mean of ensuring their physical survival. Hence, these people’s tendency to indulge in ‘baby-making’, whenever the opportunity presents itself – the more there are children in a particular rural-based family, the better are the chances for this family to enjoy a comparative well-being, as even young children can be successfully turned into agricultural helpers. In big cities, however, there is no dialectically predetermined necessity for people to remain strongly committed to ‘baby-making’, as the realities of an urban living effectively eliminate preconditions for individuals to apply a particularly strong effort into trying to sur vive physically. Because the term ‘Globalization’ is essentially synonymous with the notion of ‘urbanization’, we can well suggest that Old Cheng’s failure in trying to help Beina was thoroughly objective. Even though, as the story’s context implies, this character resided in the big city for a long time, he nevertheless could never adjust to the realities of an urban living. In its turn, this suggests that there is indeed a good reason to think of this person’s existential stance, exposed throughout the story’s entirety, as having been potentially counterproductive. Apparently, Old Cheng was simply incapable of expanding his intellectual horizons – hence, his consistently exhibited perceptual arrogance. The discursive legitimacy of this suggestion can also be illustrated in relation to the theme of homosexuality, prominently featured in The Bridegroom. For example, there is a memorable scene in the story, where Old Cheng refuses to drink milk, poured into the mug for him by Baowen: â€Å"He (Baowen) poured a large mug of mailed milk for both of us, since there was only one mug in the room.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Ha Jin’s ‘The Bridegroom’ and Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘A Family Supper’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More I didn’t touch the milk, unsure whether homosexuality was communicable† (486). This, of course, exposes Old Cheng as having been not an overly bright individual. However, it is not something that could be held against him, but rather the fact that Old Cheng’s attitude towards homosexuality did not change, even after he had a plenty of chances to learn that this ‘disease’ cannot be considered a disease per se, but rather a genetically defined mental condition, that poses no threat to the society, whatsoever. After all, doctor Mai did expla in to Old Cheng what homosexuality is all about: â€Å"Let me say this again: There’s no cure for your son-in-law, Old Cheng, It’s (homosexuality) not a disease. It’s just a sexual preference; it may be congenital, like being left-handed. Got it?† (487). However, even after having learned this, Old Cheng could not help thinking of homosexuality as something morally wicked, because this practice did not make much of a sense in his mind of a primitively thinking peasant: â€Å"If homosexuality is a natural thing, then why are there men and women? Why can’t two men gel married and make a baby?† (488). At the same time, however, Old Cheng remained thoroughly comfortable, while bribing governmental officials with two cigarettes-cartons. Apparently, it never occurred to him to think of bribery as an utterly immoral act. Partially, this explains why, despite corrupted Chinese governmental officials continuing to be sentenced to death, on the accoun t of their bribe-taking practices, the majority of ordinary Chinese citizens (especially those who have been brought in the country) believes that there is nothing wrong about these practices. In fact, in the Chinese language, the very notion of bribe (guanxi) implies its full appropriateness: â€Å"(Guanxi) is the establishment of a connection between two independent individuals to enable a bilateral flow of personal or social transactions† (Yeung and Tung 55). The reason for this is simple – China only recently became an industrialized nation, which is why the majority of people in this country continue to think ‘rurally’ – hence their tendency to give/accept bribes. After all, in order to be able to survive in the rural areas, peasants need to rely on each other, which in turn naturally predispose them towards trying to win each other’s favor.  Therefore, there is indeed a good rationale in believing that the intergenerational conflict, described in The Bridegroom, has been brought about by the process of Globalization (urbanization), which exposes people’s continual endowment with ‘traditional values’, as such that reflects their intellectual inflexibility and consequently – their reduced ability to act as the society’s productive members. What has been said in the paper’s previous sub-chapter, also applies within the context of discussing the themes and motifs, contained in the story Family Supper by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is because, just as it happened to be the case with the earlier discussed story, the roots of the intergenerational conflict in Ishiguro’s story have to do with the fact that, as time goes on, the Globalization-related socio-cultural discourse changes the way in which people perceive the surrounding social reality.Advertising Looking for term paper on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this respect, the narrator’s mentioning of the fact that his mother died, due to having been poisoned by a Fugu fish, has a strongly defined symbolic significance. This is because, by participating in the ceremony of eating this fish, individuals are expected to prove their courageousness. Apparently, they want to be considered as such that does not fear death too much. Simultaneously, however, it reflects these individuals’ lessened ability to appreciate their lives, due to having been ‘trained’ to think of their own and other people’s physical existence; as such that does not necessarily represent the highest value of all. The earlier mentioned ‘training’ usually takes place in rural families with many children. If any of these children dies, his or her parents and siblings do not perceive it in terms of an unbearable loss, as there is still a plenty more left. Given the fact that prior to WW2, Japan was an essentially agrarian cou ntry, the existential attitude, on the part of the narrator’s parents (reflected by their braveness in the face of death), makes a perfectly good sense. After all, the story context implies that they belonged to the ‘war generation’, which means that have been naturally prompted not to put their lives in a particularly high regard. Therefore, there is nothing too odd about the narrator father’s tendency to glorify death, reflected by his favorable remarks, in regards to its former business-partner Watanabe, who after having sustained a bankruptcy, killed himself and its family: â€Å"After the firm’s collapse, Watanabe killed himself. He didn’t wish to live with the disgrace†¦ A fine man.  A man of principle† (Ishiguro 1). Apparently, due to the specifics of its early upbringing and its wartime memories, the narrator’s father did in fact share the illusion that there could be a ‘higher’ purpose to one’ s violent death. This also explains his subtly expressed belief that war is the only effective key to solving seeming unsolvable problems and that one’s willingness to sacrifice its life ‘glorifies’ the concerned individual: â€Å"During the war I spent some time on a ship†¦ But my ambition was always the air force†¦ If your ship was struck by the enemy, all you could do was struggle in the water hoping for a lifeline. But in an airplane – well – there was always the final weapon† (3). The narrator and his sister Kikuko, on the hand, could not have possibly shared their father’s sentiment, in this respect. After all, as the story’s context suggests, both of them had traveled outside of Japan, without having experienced any emotional discomfort, whatsoever. In fact, the story’s narrator appears to have resided in the U.S. for a considerable amount of time, which in turn enlightened him that, due to the realities of the late 20th century’s living, the notion of ethno-patriotism can no longer be considered discursively legitimate. This simply could not be otherwise, because while growing up in economically booming post-war Japan, the narrator and his sister were dialectically predetermined to affiliate themselves with the values of Globalization, as the ‘Earth-flattening’ process. As Ohmae noted: â€Å"The global economy ignores barriers†¦ The traditional centralized nation-state is another cause of friction. It is ill-equipped to play a meaningful role on the global stage† (5). Therefore, even though there can be only a few doubts, as to the fact that both: the narrator and his sister never ceased to respect their father, they nevertheless could never relate to him, in the emotional sense of this word. Apparently, despite the particulars of their ethnic affiliation, they were essentially cosmopolites – thoroughly alienated from what the notion of Ã¢â‚¬Ë œtraditional values’ stands for. This is the reason why Kikuko would never skip a chance lightning up a cigarette, once her father was not around. Nevertheless, unlike what it happened to be the case with the character of Old Cheng in Jin’s story, Ishiguro’s father proved himself intellectually honest enough to consider the possibility that the ‘old ways’, he cherished so much, might have been deprived of a rationale all along. This is exactly the reason why, contrary to the readers’ subliminal expectation, the fish that the narrator’s father prepared for supper, did not turn out to be a poisonous Fugu. There is a memorable conversation that takes place between the narrator and his father at the end of the story, in which the latter does admit that Watanabe’s suicide could never be justified: â€Å"You think what he (Watanabe) did – it was a mistake?’. ‘Why, of course. Do you see it otherwise?’† (4). By saying this, the narrator’s father subtly recognized the sheer wrongness of those virtues, and he used to pursue while young. What has been argued earlier in this paper, suggests that Globalization does not only affect the interrelationships between the representatives of different generations. Instead, it changes the very essence of how young and older people indulge in the socialization with each other. The reason for this is quite apparent – due to the Globalization’s discursive implications, older people can no longer be considered as such that have a plenty of wisdom about them. Yet, this is not because, while addressing different challenges, throughout the course of their lives, the representatives of the older generations had failed at accumulating wisdom, but because what these people know about how the world turns around, does not contain the realization of the fact that humanity is standing on the threshold of a rather dramatic transformation. After all, it is namely during the course of the last few decades (associated with the rise of the Internet) that the pace of the humanity’s socio-cultural and technological progress had attained a clearly defined exponential momentum. What is means is that there are indeed good reasons to believe that, when it comes to identifying the extent of the ethical appropriateness/inappropriateness of currently predominant socio-philosophical discourses, young people will be much more likely to succeed in it, as compared to what would have been the case with their parents or grandparents. Apparently, the very fact that they were born in a time when Globalization started to undermine the soundness of a number of different classical notions/assumptions, in regards to what accounts for the humanity’s actual destiny, in general, and the purpose of one’s life, in particular, makes them cognitively attuned with what would be the ways of the ‘borderless brave world†™. I believe that the earlier deployed line of argumentation, as to the discursive significance of the intergenerational conflict, described in the stories by Jin and Ishiguro, fully correlates with the paper’s initial thesis. Works Cited Ishiguro, Kazuo 1982, A Family Supper. RTF file. Jin, Ha 2000, The Bridegroom. Web. Ohmae, Kenichi. Next Global Stage: Challenges and Opportunities in Our  Borderless World. Upper Saddle River: Wharton School Publishing, 2005. Print. Yeung, Irene and Rosalie Tung. â€Å"Achieving Business Success in Confucian  Societies: The Importance of Guanxi (Connections).† Organizational Dynamics 25.2 (1996): 54-65. Print. This term paper on Ha Jin’s ‘The Bridegroom’ and Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘A Family Supper’ was written and submitted by user J0ey to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A view from the bridge by Arthur Miller Essays

A view from the bridge by Arthur Miller Essays A view from the bridge by Arthur Miller Paper A view from the bridge by Arthur Miller Paper Consider the importance of Italian loyalty in the play A view from the bridge by Arthur Miller. Daniel Bishop In the play A View From The Bridge Arthur Miller constantly conveys the extreme moral importance of loyalty towards others, be it strangers or close family in a closely linked Italian-American community in 1950s Brooklyn. Eddie Carbone values and honours these unwritten laws as much as anyone else, but despite warnings, his own desperation and selfishness slowly leads him to reject these values and therefore suffer the harsh Italian justice of the people that once stood by him. Alfieris opening speech gives us a brief insight into the ways of this Italian community. He describes how people are still very Italian, keeping to superstitions when he says, I often think that behind that superstitious little nod of theirs lie three thousand years of distrust; this also shows how long they can hold a grudge, being very honourable. He also mentions how people are more than willing to take the law into their own hands, due to honour and vengeance when he states, Oh, there were many here who where justly shot by unjust men. Justice is very important here. This shows that people are just like babies, if they dont get what the want they get upset and go and shoot someone and how happy they are to take the law into their own hands. Later we also learn how close the community is and how they all know each other and each others business. He also gives a little hint of a long, drawn out event that is very bad and will probably end in pain when he says, another lawyer, quite differently dressed, heard the same complaint and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. This is referring to Eddies deterioration of character The first, real explanation of the severity of Italian loyalty is learnt in the Carbone household at the beginning of Act One. The family is at the dinner table discussing the arrival of the illegal immigrants; this is significant because one of the most serious acts of betrayal is telling immigration about hidden illegal immigrants. Eddie stresses the seriousness of not telling anyone because of the chance of being caught, as stated earlier, everyone knows everyones business. This is shown when Eddie states; if you said it you knew it, if you didnt say it you didnt know it. Eddie also recalls a story of a boy who snitched about his hidden uncle, his own family turned on him, they spat on him in the street, which means they no longer have any respect for him and is not considered part of the family or community. This shows the severity of the communitys own justice system, and how betrayal and dishonouring is one of the worst crimes in their eyes. This story is ironic as Eddie does exactly the same thing, but with worse consequences, therefore making him a hypocrite. Eddie clearly obeys these laws of the community for now. The whole reason he is taking in these immigrants is out of loyalty. He tells Catherine, just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word you gave away. This shows the Italians strong grudge again. As an audience, by now have taken in the seriousness of Italian values and the responsibilities that come with them. Marco introduces a new aspect of Italian loyalty through his character, the way he acts and communicates with different characters differently. He is obviously polite to Eddie and has great respect for him for taking him and his brother in, taking the blankets from my bed as it is put by Eddie later. There isnt much contact between Marco and Beatrice and Catherine, but he obviously loves his brother. Marco loves his family so much that the whole reason he has come to America, the land of opportunities to earn money for his extremely poor family, this shows the importance of family. Marco is extremely grateful and doesnt want to offend Eddie, he even tells his brother to be quiet quite harshly so as not to offend him, there is a profound show of loyalty throughout this scene, Eddie has taken in these two strangers at great risk without question or want of reward purely out of loyalty to Beatrice and her family. At the end of Act One we see the growing tension caused by Catherine and Rodolphos relationship boil over slightly. Eddie has become hostile out of jealousy and openly questions Rodolphos sexuality, Eddie has given the hint to the audience that he will be responsible, or at least partly for the catastrophic end of the play. Marco acts cool and doesnt notice (or ignores) the tension until the boxing incident which everyone thinks went a bit far, but the tension is lowered but coffee and conversation, yet, out of loyalty to his brother, Marco still feels the need to subliminally challenge Eddie with the chair incident, giving a warning that he has the power to stop Eddie should this go any further and that if it comes to choosing sides he will defend his brothers honour. Here stage direction representing this; Marco is face to face with Eddie, a strained tension gripping his eyes and jaw, his neck stiff, the chair raised like a weapon over Eddies head and he transforms what might appear like a glance of warning into a smile of triumph, and Eddies grin vanishes as he absorbs this look. At the beginning of Act Two Eddie acts out his feelings towards Catherine and Rodolpho in a drunken rage, the audience can make their own judgements upon this but most will loose a lot of respect for Eddie, as do the characters. Eddie still denies his feelings and acts and his reasons for them but no one is convinced and this incriminates him further. Marco still doesnt do anything about this, possibly because he believes it was the alcohol. We have now seen the change Eddie has gone through, all his morals and values which he upheld at the start of the play have all but deteriorated, and worse, he doesnt realise or care, all he thinks about is himself and how to get himself out of situations. All he wants is his respect and dignity, which everyone agrees he doesnt deserve. Alfieri shows great sense of loyalty as he is a man of the law but still believes that Eddie shouldnt turn them in because of trust, loyalty and the unwritten code. Despite Alfieris harsh warnings (which are very accurate) Eddie ignores him and does what he thinks is best and commits one of the ultimate acts of betrayal, the audience now reflects on how serious Eddie was with Catherine about secrecy and wonder how this change of face took place. Alfieris warnings were not unlike Eddies story about the young boy at the start, Alfieri says; even those who understand you will turn against you, even the ones who feel the same will despise you! Alfieri somehow understands Eddies feelings and situation very well. In the final scene, Eddie has committed the betrayal and everyone reacts how the audience would expect, everyone loathes Eddie and has turned their backs on him, yet Eddie feels some remorse as immigration knocks at the door. This is all to much for Marco, and because this would result in sending him home he will not be able to provide for his family and in theory Eddie has killed his family, Marco spits on Eddie in the street, this shows that Eddie has committed a horrible act against the community. Catherine now hates Eddie, understandably, she even says; Hes a rat! this must affect Eddie greatly because he did it so he could be closer to her. What is very odd is that Beatrice is still loyal to Eddie, as she will not go to the wedding under his command, this doesnt necessarily mean she still loves him but is possibly still upholding her wedding vows and the loyalty of being a wife. Marco however wants blood, he is eager to reclaim justice and take the law into his own hands as Alfieri described at the beginning. This, coupled with Eddies demand for respect inevitably leads to the confrontation, neither have anything to loose and through Eddies death his soul is purified and justice is done in the eyes of the community. Alfieris closing speech describes how no one wants what they cant have without risk, unlike Eddie and everyone is better off this way. This play has tested the extremes of Italian loyalty and how important it is otherwise you simply dont fit in, also how severe the punishments are. Through Eddie the community and the audience become more aware of these things and are reminded why they live by their rules.

Astronomy in Japan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Astronomy in Japan - Research Paper Example The ease, by which astronomy was accepted in old Japan was perhaps related to the fact that it complements the Japanese mythology, which is also institutionalized by the government. The Sun goddess Amaterasu has a central role in governance through the royal family, then there are the Moon God, and the stars and how they are interrelated and how their festivities are celebrated to strengthen Japanese traditions and rituals. It appeared that astronomy along with its place in religion gave some form of legitimacy to the myths that forms the anchor of the imperial tradition. From its first introduction in Japan to the present, astronomy have always been important to the Japanese culture. It is easy to understand this because it suits how the Japanese generally see the world. This is demonstrated best in how it is easily integrated in the Shinto traditions. Astronomy is compatible with the Japanese way of life, it reinforced their religion as well as their imperial traditions. Najita reflected this best when he said that human knowledge must rest ultimately on the proposition that the universe is an infinite absolute preceding all human and historical experiences and that what men know, therefore, must be tested with reference to the best-know science of studying the universe, which is astronomy. This is why, although, astronomy is not a Japanese invention, Japan was able to embrace it and a achieve a kind that is uniquely its own.

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth Assignment

Report on the Religious Life of Planet Earth - Assignment Example This is despite the fact that people have different perspectives about the issue of religion. For establishing whether the individuals in the planet are religious and the contents of this religion, a criterion will has to be used for pointing out the various factors, which come into play about religion. The first criterion in this case is in relation to the different branches of religion. So what are the various branches of religion? In this case, there are two extremely significant branches. These are Christians and Muslims. In essence, these are the two significant religions in the world. There are other minor ones like Buddhism and Sikhism just but to mention a few (Tomoko, 2007). The other criteria, which can be established, are in relation to how the religions look like. This is also in relation to the elements, which are associated with these various diverse religions. For starters, in the case of the Christians, the most crucial element is The Bible. In the case of the Muslims , the Quran is considered the most salient element. These are Holy Books. From these books, the teachings of religion can be deduced (Harvey, 2000). These are the writings, which hold the most relevant information, which is associated with the religion. ... In this case, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is commemorated. This is something, which takes place on an annual basis. In the case of Muslims, there is the Idd festival, which is also a significant event on their calendar, which signifies the end of fasting (Tomoko, 2007). In all the religions which are known to be in existence, there is the perception that there is always a place where the good people in the world will go. In almost all cases, this place is termed as heaven. There are many good things, which are associated with this place. At the same time, it is the place where people are encouraged to aim at going in the event of their demise from the earth (Harvey, 2000). Similarly, there is also a place where the individuals who lived wretched lives will go. This place in almost all the religions is termed as hell and is the location the devil is believed to be living. The one intriguing and rather captivating thing is the belief system, which the people of these rel igions have come up with. This is especially in relation to the aforementioned locations. The believers believe that the places exist despite the fact that it has not been proven whether they exist or not (Harvey, 2000). The one thing, which this highlights, is that there is an undoubted amount of faith in the case of the individuals of the religions, which are existent in the earth. There are some functions, which are associated with religion. The first one in this case is that religion provides a means of interaction between the human beings and God. It is through religious activities that human beings can indeed get to communicate with God. Religion also serves to provide people with mental peace. Religion serves to console the human person despite

Calandrino is the main character in Decameron VIII, 3. He is naive, Essay

Calandrino is the main character in Decameron VIII, 3. He is naive, simpleton, and yet a complex character. Discuss in detail what causes his downfall - Essay Example Calandrino’s first downfall was trust. Maso del Saggio’s was described as fortunate and capable of doing most anything. He was not in Caladrino’s circle of friends. Generally even naà ¯ve and simple people like Caladrino have weariness about an individual from a different class or clique. Instead Caladrino bought Maso del Saggio’s outlandish tale of a far off land where there was a wine river and mozzarella mountain. Not only did believe this story, but Calandrino believed the story of heliotropes in the Mugnone valley. The trust in the popular acquaintance was part of what caused his downfall. Not only did Calandrino trust Maso del Saggio, but he placed his trust in two friends named Bruno and Buffalmacco. This trust should have eroded way before the search for the heliotrope. These two friends must have had many laughs at poor Calandrino’s expense, if the three were friends for a long time as the story implied. The friendship was one of two brighter friends and the scapegoat friend. Men like to buddy up with someone that makes them feel more superior. The two friends felt superior at Calandrino’s naivety and simple mindedness, while Calandrino felt superior for hanging out with two smarter guys. Whatever the reason, Calandrino misplaced his trust in these two. Calandrino might have had a trusting nature towards his friends, but not toward his wife. When he reached home to have his wife see him, Calandrino figured she caused the heliotrope to quit working. The only person to tell him the truth, the wife received a beating for her effort. She was probably the only individual who actually cared for Calandrino enough make plans to make him foolish. She was not above chastising him, but did not go out of her way to play a prank on him. Still his trusting nature did not include his wife. This trust issue was a big part of his downfall. The second reason for

Uses of the Internet

Uses of the Internet INTRODUCTION For our current generation, the internet has nearly become a necessity with all of the luxuries it provides. Just about anyone can find at least one use for the internet. But what makes the internet so useful to us? Some people can hardly live without it! The following report will discuss the internets many uses: Communication, File Sharing, and Media. COMMUNICATION The internet is used primarily for communication; people of all ages take advantage of this. What makes internet communication so useful is its speed, and most of it is free. Internet communication varies, there are different methods and different ways to take advantage of your three senses; touch, sight, and hearing. ELECTRONIC MAIL. Electronic Mail, also known as e-mail, is similar to real mail, but instead of writing on stationary and sending them in envelopes, you can type up whatever message you want to send, and it will be sent immediately. You can also send e-mails on portable devices such as a phone, making emailing increasingly popular. Because of this, the post offices may struggle, however people still mail physical objects. However, you can attach files, such as your favorite music, pictures, text documents and more. But be careful when opening messages sent from an unknown user, viruses can also be attached to emails. INSTANT MESSAGING. Instant Messaging (IM) is very similar to e-mailing, and often may be confused for one another. Instead of sending a message and waiting for a reply, IMing is â€Å"real-time,† and you must log on to a Messenger to message other users who you have added to your buddy list. This is almost like chatting, except with typing, since you can immediately send and receive messages without waiting. Instant messaging can also be done on most mobile devices, and offers live webcam or calling on the computer. This is a free alternative to using a telephone, but requires a microphone for your computer. Files can also be transferred through IMing, just like e-mailing, you can also open up picture sharing in order to share pictures saved on your computer. Usually you dont have to worry about viruses if you add people to your messenger that you trust. There are 3 primary Messenger services, they are: †¢ AIM †¢ MSN Messenger †¢ Yahoo Messenger INTERNET FORUMS. Internet Forums or message boards are online discussion sites where a user signs up for an account and posts messages, usually concerning the theme of the forum. Internet Forums are good ways to meet new people via the internet, sometimes they may be all the way on the other side of the world! Forums are usually divided into different sections, which divide into different topics, which divide into different subtopics, which contain different threads concerning the theme of the subtopics. Here, people can post replies with their opinions on the threads. The creator of the forum will assign positions to the members of the forum, in most cases they come in these categories: 1. Administrator 2. Global Moderator 3. Section Moderator Moderators are the ones who enforce the rules of the forum and have the ability to ban members or take away privileges (global moderators having access to the whole forum, section moderators being limited to a section), and administrators who have power over the moderators. Administrators can sometimes even change the forum the same way the creator can, or assign moderator positions. There are also a few more privileges assigned to members by the founder: †¢ Graphic Artist †¢ Affiliate †¢ Members who contribute to the forum in some way †¢ Members who have access to restricted areas Anyone in the world has access to what you write on forums if theyre open to the public, so be careful about what you say. If you make negative comments for bad reasons, people may respond in a negative way as well. RESEARCH AND INFORMATION The internet is also commonly used to obtain information or used for research. With its speed and relevancy, most people would prefer to use the internet for research rather than doing it the old fashioned way by using books. Also, some information may not be recorded in books, or may not be easily found in books, so the internet would also be the better alternative. Some schools even require students to use computers for schoolwork and homework, which is also why some schools provide computer labs and computer classes to help students become more computer savvy in order to do this work. ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIAS. Online encyclopedias are like regular encyclopedias, except information can be immediately found by typing in the key words to what you are looking for. Like normal encyclopedias, online encyclopedias contain many articles on many topics. Online enclyclopedias are constantly growing and being updated, due to more information being generated every day. Two popular forms of online encyclopedias are: †¢ Wikipedia †¢ Other Wikias WIKIPEDIA. Wikipedia is probably one of the most popular online encyclopedias. People viewing articles can sometimes make edits to the articles, or even add new articles. Sometimes articles require more information or cleaning up, and anyone can edit Wikipedia. This comes to the problem that the information on Wikipedia isnt always accurate, so most teachers at schools dont encourage students to use it for research. However, it can be used for research when researching a generic idea. OTHER WIKIAS. Wikias are free webhosting for wikis, where anyone can create their own wiki based on a specific topic, narrowing down the information in the articles. Wikias can be based on long-running TV series, Video games, Companies, anything that contains a large amount of imformation that can be well organized. ONLINE DICTIONARIES. Online dictionaries are like normal dictionaries, and a useful tool for students. Instead of having to flip through several pages of a dictionary to find the definition of a word, all you have to do is type in a word and it will immediately tell you its definition. There are also online thesauruses, Spanish-to-English and vice versa dictionaries, and much, much more. WEB SEARCH ENGINES. Search engines are tools designed to search for information on the web. There is usually a search bar for you to key in what youre looking for, then a page with a list of anything relevant to your search will pop up. You can narrow down your searches to images, files, websites, and more by using advanced search options. Searching on a search engine may even take you to an online dictionary or encyclopedia! Search engines will take you anywhere on the internet, and have the largest variety for finding information. There are many search engine sites, but some websites have a search bar in them that will take you to a search engine. A few popular search engines are: †¢ Google †¢ Yahoo Search †¢ MSN Search †¢ Bing.com (newest this year) MULTIMEDIA Multimedia is different from traditional hand-produced media, and is usually accessed via a computer device. â€Å"The term is used in contrast to media which only uses traditional forms of printed or hand-produced material. Multimedia includes a combination of text, audio, still images, animation, video, and interactivity content forms.† (Wikipedia.) Multimedia can be a useful way to display information or instructions, but can also be used for entertainment purposes. Although multimedia can be purchased or found on things such as disks in stores, it can also be obtained through the internet, which would be more preferable. HOSTING. Hosting is where you can upload multimedia and then have someone else download it to their computer. Basically, you submit a file (or multiple files) to hosts server, and is then hosted on the server where anyone on the web can download it for their own. Your file may even appear on a search engine if someone is looking for it. These are the different kinds of hosting: †¢ Image hosting †¢ Video Hosting †¢ File Hosting Most of the time, content will be removed from the hosting if it is too explicit or offensive. However, there are even some sites that are limited only to explicit or adult material. WEBCAMS. Webcams allow people to use live video. Two primary uses for webcams would be: †¢ Video Chatroom †¢ Video Chat Conference (messengers) Webcams can mainly be used in messengers, but are also used in online video chatrooms, which is also similar to chat conferences. There will be a window where several users can talk by typing text simultaneously, and one or more of those users will be visible through a webcam. These chatrooms are sometimes open to the public at all times, some require a password, and some require an invite, where chat conferences usually always require a invite (unless you make the room yourself.) WEBCASTS. Webcasting is pretty much broadcasting media over the internet. Webcasting involves streaming media technology, so the webcast will be broadcasted from one content source so that several people can listen and/or view the webcast simultaneously. Webcasts can involve video and audio, where podcasts only include audio, making them very similar to radios. Webcasts and Podcasts can also be downloaded, or viewed on video hosting websites. Obviously, these arent live broadcasts. FILE SHARING. File sharing is similar, in a way, to file hosting and transfering files on messengers. Originally, the only way to share files was with removable media (such as flashdrives, floppy disks etc.) But now there is a much more convenient way to download several files of any kind at once. This is how file sharing works; first you must download a program that allows you to have access to P2P (peer to peer) networking. When you download the program, it usually lets you browse through media shared by other users on their computers, and lets you download it. You can share any kind of files this way, making it a popular and convenient way to download. CONCLUSION The internet is one of the most useful tools we could have ever imagined. Even with all the things mentioned in this report, there are still other various uses, but this report did cover the basics that can be broken down into these specific things. Our society will probably never outgrow the internet; we will continue to find ways to advance it. Hopefully if you dont use the internet, or take it for granted, youll now be able to see its significance.

The Rule of Foss V/S Harbottle

THE RULE OF FOSS V/S HARBOTTLE There are 2 elements present for this rule to happen. They are found in the case of Edwards v/s Halliwell. †¢It is the proper plaintiff in an action in respect of a wrong done to a company is prima facia the company itself. †¢Where the alleged wrong is a transaction which might be made binding on a company and all its members. No individual member is allowed to maintain an action in respect of that matter. This means that whenever there is a transaction within the company and there has been a decision by the board (I. e. he majority), any individual member alone will not be able to go to court. In the case of Foss v/s Harbottle: ?There were 2 members (shareholders) of the Victoria Park Company who brought an action against the company’s 5 directors and promoters alleging that they had misapplied the company’s assets and had improperly mortgaged its properties. ?The shareholders wanted the directors to make good the losses sustain ed by the company. The court stated that: The injury was against the whole company and the company was the proper person to sue and not the individual members.The second proposition came from this case called the majority rule: Mozley v/s Alston ? 2 shareholders tried unsuccessfully to restrain 4 directors of the company from acting as such when they should have retired under the articles. The court refused to permit the shareholder to bring their action. The court had in mind that if the thing that one is complaining about is the thing in a company that a majority is entitled to do, then there is no need for litigation. Advantages to this rule: 1. It is more convenient that a company should sue in respect of a wrong done. 2.It eliminates wasteful litigation because there is a process of passing resolution in a company. If there is a problem that can be resolved by majority, there is no need to go to the court. 3. It prevents vexatious actions started by troublesome minority trying to harass the company. Disadvantage to this rule: 1. The company is the proper person to sue but the company can only act through its human agents (I. e. the board, shareholders). Usually, the board may well be the people committing a wrong. There are 4 exceptions to this rule: 1. Where the act complaint of is illegal or is ultra vares.In the case of Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd v/s Newman Industries (No. 2) ? The court of appeal explains that where the wrongful act in issue is ultra vares, the rule does not operate because the majority of members can’t confirm the transactions. If any decision that was taken was taken outside the powers that the majority has, then the minority can bring an action as opposed to the rule. ?It has been seen that an action by a shareholder to recover money or on behalf of the company in respect of an ultra vares or an illegal transaction could be undertaken by personal actions. In the case of Smith v/s Croft (No. ) In this case, it has been deci ded that where what is sought is compensation for the company for the loss caused by the transaction. The wrong is done to the company, so the company is the proper plaintiff. The result out of the transaction caused a loss towards the company. ?Even though it was an illegal transaction, the loss was caused to the company. The shareholders can bring an action but an action called the derivative action (done on behalf of the company). 2. Where the matter in issue requires the sanction of the special majority or there has been non-compliance with the special procedure. An individual shareholder will have locus standi to sue where the act complains of is one which requires the approval of the special majority of members and such resolution has not been obtained. This covers a situation where the article of association has specified a particular procedure that must be followed in respect of a particular transaction. In the case of Edwards v/s Halliwell, ?2 members successfully restraint and attempt by the delegate meeting to increase the member’s contribution without obtaining the 2/3 majority. In this case, regardless that the 2 remaining members could bring that action and eventually won on that action. In the case of Quin & Axtens Ltd v/s Salomon ?In this case, the Article of Association stated that certain transactions could not be entered without the consent of both managing director. One of the directors did not accept for a transaction but the company in a general meeting authorized the transaction without the director’s consent. ?In this case, the court allowed the individual member to enter an action and granted an injunction to the individual member prohibiting the majority from acting in breach of the article.