Death of a Salesman Essay Outline

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1915-2005) Explore the ways in which Miller constructs the identity of Willy Loman and what is suggested by his interactions with his work and his wife in this extract. Thesis Statement:In the passage, Miller criticises society for being stifling and breaking down youths once full of passion into meek workers resigned to their fate. To convey this, Miller uses Loman, an exaggerated version of what the population is going through. They are battered from exhaustion, too accommodating as they are afraid of change and also mentally crushed.Topic Sentence 1Miller constructs the identity of Willy Loman as one that largely comprises of him being â€Å"the Salesman†. The entire dialogue in the passage was dedicated to work, although they were placed in a homely setting, showing that it is hard to separate the private self with the public working self. Evidence from passage: The identity â€Å"the Salesman† is one that identifies Loman the m ost accurately. The title, â€Å"death of a salesman†, also shows that the identity of being a salesman triumphs over all his other identities and even his name. He is also depicted to be living a very rigid, robot-like life.Evidence from passage: Each action is stated clearly in a mechanical manner. â€Å"He closes the door† â€Å"then carries his cases out into the living room† or â€Å"unlocks the door† â€Å"comes into the kitchen† â€Å"thankfully lets his burden down† â€Å"feeling the soreness of his palm† Topic Sentence 2Loman is also seen to be, after 60 years of his life in this stifling capitalism system, resigned to his fate. He is beaten down and is dubious of new prospects as he is much too comfortable and familiar to his current life. Evidence from passage:â€Å"You’re too accommodating, dear. â€Å"I couldn’t make it† â€Å"his massive dreams and little cruelties, served her only as sharp reminde rs of the turbulent longings within him, longings which she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to their end. This inability to change his life in real life seems to manifest into wild imaginations, where he lives out his dreams. Evidence from passage: â€Å"But it’s so beautiful up there† Speaks of his dream-like imagination with wonder, although it was a dangerous situation. Topic Sentence 3Much like his name, â€Å"Willy†, Loman is seen to be much of a willy-nilly and seems disordered and haphazard.Miller constructs this through the use of the Loman’s erratic dialogue with his wife. The constant repetition of phrases and restating his points Evidence from passage: â€Å"I couldn’t make it. I just couldn’t make it, Linda†, â€Å"I stopped for a cup of coffee. Maybe it was the coffee. † Conclusion:Loman criticises society for breaking down a man, stripping him of his individual identity as a person and giving him the identity of a worker. This life manages to drive Willy to slight insanity, and self-doubt so serious that he is unable to provoke any change in his life.

Contemporary Healthcare Specific Management and Leadership Practice Essay

If there is one word which describes the American health care environment during the last decade, that word is change. Professionals joining the health care industry during the 1990s will find little resemblance to the work environment their predecessors found a mere 10 years earlier. Physical therapy practice during the 1960s and 1970s was largely limited to three settings: the hospital, private practice and extended care institutions. Private practice followed the medical practice model and served primarily ambulatory outpatients. Hospital-based practice accounted for the majority of practice opportunities. Along with some limitations on professional autonomy, employment in hospital-based practice generally offered the greatest opportunities for variety in clinical practice. Literature Review Change is constant and usually affects an entire organization. Change sometimes can cause chaos and stress, but which must be acknowledged and dealt with in order to make an organization effective. Improving high-quality patient care is the most important issue for everyone in a physical health institution, and this improvement needs to remain a central focus of and the main reason for the change. Discussions with hospital executives reveal: There is a need for an action plan to meet the needs of a more culturally diversed population. Adverse patient care incidents are under-reported because there are different interpretations about what should be reported. The hospital has not been able to invest in training hospital staff on reporting requirements. There are no systematic report mechanisms in place. Further study on the case reveals that the peer review processes of the hospital are weak if not minimally compliant. The number of patient complaints about hospital care has been rising. Complaints are often complex, and may involve the hospital’s other health care facilities, and health professionals, as well. Medication errors have been a major concern for the hospital this lately. Though deficiencies were cited, the potential for patient harm was not clearly identified. Still, it has important influences on the quality of care for the medical facility. Faith also noted that their premium cost are decreasing, and is becoming a significant concern for the hospital. The lack of clear and concise ethics guidelines for medical personnel, especially on issues requiring ethical decisions. Each group of stakeholders has somewhat different concerns. That is, each cares more about some aspects of an organization’s activities and less about others. Customers. Many organizations say that they put the concerns of their customers or clients first. For U.S. companies, that often means improving the quality of the service while keeping costs in check. Interviews with the customers reveal that the health care organization’s Teamwork Competency account illustrates that using teams to improve quality is one approach that organizations can use to address the concerns of customers. Employees. Many of the concerns that employees have today reflect changes in the structure of organizations and the fact that work is a major activity in their lives. How a company treats employees during times of change is a key issue raised by this company. Pay is another area of concern to employees. The desire to receive equal pay for equal work is among the most important of workplace issues, according to a national survey of 40,000 women. Owners and Shareholders. For many organizations, the concerns of owners—that is, taxpayers and contributors—often are essentially those of society at large. But for privately owned companies, and those whose shares are publicly traded, the concerns of owners—that is, shareholders—may be quite different from those of society in general. Most shareholders invest their money in companies for financial reasons. At a minimum, they want to preserve their capital for later use. Because the job of institutional investors is to make money by choosing which companies to put their investment in, their perspective on corporate issues is to make profit generation the firm’s top priority. As professional investors, these shareholders have considerable power to influence management’s decisions. Physical therapy health care service product is a bundle of tangible and intangible benefits that satisfy patient’s needs. Factors as job design, role clarity, and autonomy affect employee attitudes, which in turn affect patient experience in the institution. These observations emphasize the need to look beyond the immediate and obvious aspects of satisfaction and to consider other aspects, which affect patient perception of their experience. In dealing with the hospital’s problems with respect to organizational processes, ethics and communication issues, it must be considered from three perspectives: structure, process and outcome. To assure that the hospital services are being appropriately provided, each dimension of hospital care provision must be considered. Quality of Life has different meanings as compared to the other health-related subject matters. It is used to describe a patient’s health status, a description of how he perceives himself and his point of view about his life.   But Quality of Life Concept encompasses more than the health status or one’s perception about self and life.   This concept analysis nursing paper serves to provide the most comprehensive definition about this concept and how it is used in medical terms at present. Quality of Life Concept has become an â€Å"impressive ‘explosive’ trend† talked about by medical field professionals, published in journals, books and various quality life articles for the last 10 years now.   Within this period, its concept continues to evolve and has reached three phases. In the first phase, there is the formal assessment made and classified as ‘physician’s judgment of the patient’s health’. In the second phase, the points of view of the patients were given focus and the tools used in the study were those applied from psycho-social fields. In the third phase, multi-dimensional questionnaires were adopted and the concept of Quality of Life and health status begin to have different meanings (Apolone and Mosconi, p.66, 1998). Today, the trend continues to evolve as patient-oriented measures are applied and studied from functional disability scales to spiritual quality of life and economic measures. It is also a lot of other possible factors that have effects on a patient’s perception about what quality of life is in relation to his health.   The patient’s point of view in quality and effectiveness is taken into consideration and is treated as a more comprehensive humanistic approach that determines what to him is quality of life (Apolone and Mosconi, p. 68, 1998). Definition of Quality of Life When we speak about quality of life in layman’s terms, it literally pertains to a number of definitions. It connotes with standard of living, available resources or conditions that tell about either the comforts or discomforts of life and such other identifiable meaning and perception about an ideal life.   There are many indicators about what quality of life a patient can perceive and most of these indicators depend variably on one’s cultural values. Defining Quality of Life for the purpose of this nursing concept paper is variable because it pertains to a â€Å"subjective experience†. Hence, it can not be measured with â€Å"object indicators.†Ã‚   Being the case, according to Skevington, studies show that the â€Å"best person to assess quality of life is arguably the individual himself† (Skevington, par. 4, 1999). When questions are asked to a patient and he, in turn, answers the questions, the medical professional likely gets a limited clinical success in the study of the patient’s history because of limited information.   He is unable to get the necessary data that may be of help in assessing the health condition of the patient.   Hence, there is a need to come up with a good quality-of-life measure that will enable health and interventions to be properly evaluated. The World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, in collaboration with the WHOQOL Group, designed an instrument called WHOQOL-100 that is used in â€Å"multinational clinical trials for the evaluation of quality-of-life outcomes during all types of health care interventions like surgery, counseling and medication.† (Skevington, par.1, 1999).  Ã‚   It is useful also for making cross-cultural function about perceived quality of life relating to health and at a one-to-one level, in improving communications between doctors and their patients in the consulting room (Skevington, par. 1, 1999). The WHOQOL has up come with such instrument and made it as comprehensive as possible to reach out to various global dimensions that are workable internationally. Moreover, it is intended for use by persons with chronic diseases, informal caregivers and people living in highly stressful situations. WHO defines health as a â€Å"state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†.   On the other hand, the WHOQOL Group defines Quality of Life as â€Å"an individual’s perception of their position in life, in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns (Sousa).   It is so broad a concept that it affects the patient’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, and social relationships with his environment in a very complex way.   In addition to this definition, WHOQOL Group has added the sixth domain to the list, which is â€Å"spirituality, religion, and personal beliefs.† (Skevington, par 5, 1999). Furthermore, the WHOQOL 100 is an instrument that is applied to heterogeneous cross-section of sick and well people in order to examine its internal consistency reliability, construct validity , and discriminant power (Skevington, par. 1999).. Concept of Quality of Life in Health Care The Quality of Life came about when the disciplines of sociology and psychology became an issue related to health care. It has emerged into a larger issue when technological advances were aimed at increasing life span. Quality of Life has become a means to guide a patient in deciding on whether to pursue a treatment or not for his or her ailment.   According to clinicians, Health-related Quality of Life is an appropriate focus for a patient who has a disease or who is ill, and whose aspects in life become health-related (Haas, p. 730, 1999). A)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Defining Attributes of Quality of Life. The Walker and Avant’s 1995 method of concept analysis of Quality of Life took note of the various characteristics or critical attributes recurring in the process of their studies and they are grouped according to four recurring themes.   The first theme is the â€Å"multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of the QOL.   Authors have stressed that QOL is a multi-dimensional concept considering that it is â€Å"based on values; is dynamic, ever changing and depends largely on the context in which it is measured† (Haas, p. 733, 1999). The second theme is that QOL includes an assessment.   In this case, the authors include words such as response, appraisal, measure, experience and assessment in defining and using QOL (Haas, p. 733, 1999).   The third theme is centered on the subjective nature of QOL. Grouped within this theme are words like perception, well-being, and satisfaction. (Haas, p. 733, 1999). The fourth and final theme recognizes the objective nature of QOL, with authors using â€Å"behavior, functioning, and environment as measures of QOL.† (Haas, p. 733, 1999). These defining attributes were sourced from the definitions and use of QOL. It mainly shows that QOL is indeed an individual’s current life circumstance. It further shows that it is multi-dimensional in nature and in being so, is based on values and is dynamic. It is also composed of both subjective and/or objective indicators. Finally QOL is subjectively measured by persons capable of self-evaluation.   (Haas, p. 733, 1999) (B) Congruence of the Concept with the Assumptions and Other Concepts within the Model/Theory. The QOL Model was formulated to provide a measure that takes into consideration both the components and determinants of health and well being that are consistent with the concept of Quality of Life. The QOL Model or Profile emphasizes on the person’s physical, psychological and spiritual functioning and his connections with his environments as well as opportunities for maintaining and enhancing skills (The Quality of Life Model, par 3, 2005). The Conceptual framework of the Quality of Life has three life domains which are aimed at providing a person to enjoy the more essential potentials of his life. (The Quality of Life Model, par 4, 2005) Each of the three domains has three sub-domains and they are as follows: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being pertains to who one is.   Its three sub-domains are: (1) Physical Being, which relates to a person’s or patient’s physical health, personal hygiene, nutrition, exercise, grooming and clothing, and general physical appearance; (2) Psychological Being, which relates to his psychological health adjustment, cognitions, feelings, self-esteem, self-concept and self-control; (3) Spiritual Being, which relates to his personal values, personal standards of conduct and spiritual beliefs. (The Quality of Life Model, par. 5, 2005) (b)  Ã‚   Belonging pertains to the person’s connections with his environment. Its three sub-domains are: (1) Physical Belonging, which relates to his connections with his home, work place/school, neighborhood and community; (2) Social Belonging, which relates to his connections with his intimate others, family, friends, co-workers, neighborhood and community; (3) Community Belonging, which relates to his connections with matters pertaining to adequate income, health and social services, employment, educational programs, recreational programs or community events and activities. (The Quality of Life Model, par 5. 2005) (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Becoming pertains to achieving personal goals, hopes and aspirations. Its three sub-domains are: (1) Practical Becoming, which relates to achieving personal goals in domestic activities, in work, in school or volunteer activities or seeing to health and social needs; (2) Leisure Becoming, relates to activities that promote relaxation and stress reduction; (3) Growth Becoming, relates to activities that promote the maintenance or improvement of knowledge and skill and adapting to change. (The Quality of Life Model, par. 5, 2005) Ferrans Conceptual Model of Quality of Life. Ferrans has developed a model based on the adoption of the individualistic ideology, which recognizes that quality of life depends on the unique experience of individuals. He maintains that the individual person is the only accurate judge of his quality of life because people differ in their perceptions and values. (Ferrans, par. 1, 1996)   This model uses qualitative methodology and has identified four domains of quality of life: health and functioning as psychological/spiritual, social and economic, and family. (Ferrans, par 1, 1996)   Patient data are analyzed in relation to these domains of quality of life. Researchers, physicians, policy makers adopt the Quality of Life concept as an instrument that tests the validity, reliability and effectiveness of different and relevant sub-domains for the purpose of evaluating the impact of medical interventions on the population (Apolone and Mosconi, p. 68, 1998). Since the concept is considered non-medical determinant, it is treated as confounder, a complementary way for effectiveness of care to a patient. This is because medicine still plays the major role in determining the final health outcome of a patient. (Apolone and Mosconi, p. 68, 1998) Since patients are the proper judge of their quality of life, there are ways to enhance the well-being of patients who may have a poor quality of life.   Studies show that the presence of positive feelings in patients is the most important feature of the kind of quality of life he has. Patients, with positive feelings most likely enjoy a pleasant quality of life than those who are in-patients and sick. A person has control of his emotions which can generally affect his state of mental being.   It is a matter of developing the positive attitude and containing oneself into thinking of a positive outlook in life.

Somparison between watching movies at home or at the cinema Essay

Naturally, humans always like to amuse themselves whenever they get bored, but the way of amusement differ from one time to another. Nowadays movies have become one of the major way of entertainment especially for families and friends. For me movies are bigger than that, in fact they inspire us and can really touch our feelings, also they can redefine our way of thinking. However, when watching a movie at home is it like watching the same movie but in the movie theater. We always seek for the best and now I started to wonder which one is the best when watching a movie, TV which is at home or the nice and big screen in the cinema. Although they bear some superficial similarities, the differences between watching a movie at home and watching a move at the theater are clear. If the best was watching the movie at home, would it be the right choice despite the big screen of the movie theater. Actually watching a movie at home do have many things that cinema do not have. For example, when we watch a movie at home we totally have 100% privacy, so that we can discuss things we like or did not understand while watching the movie, also we can wear any cloths that make us comfortable such as pajamas or frumpy cloths. In addition to that, we are not subject to any rules or guidance that we should obey or follow, basically we have the right to do anything we want such as pause the movie for a while, rewind to play something we liked again or even forward the movie so we can skip any part in the movie we did not like. On the other hand, watching a movie at home could be somehow disturbing, especially from the family members, as a result we cannot enjoy the movie in a nice and quiet atmosphere. Moreover there are always something going on at home, we really cannot expect what will happened during watching a movie so that could destroy our sense of excitement or even ruin the movie. If we choose to watch the movie at the cinema, it is true we will not have the privacy, nevertheless we will feel the hanger to watch the movie while we are surrounded by other people who also came to sheer us that feeling. Cinemas always have higher quality than homes because they have bigger screen and better and suitabl e voice quality for everyone. Also movie theater provide nice and comfortable cheers so we can enjoy watching the movie while we are relaxing in comfortable seats. Furthermore, we will have the quiet and nighty atmosphere and we won’t be worrying about disturbing from others while we are watching. In fact when we grab our family or our  friends to watch a movie at the cinema, this could be a good and memorable experience. However cinemas do have some disadvantages such as going to the cinema could be more expensive than watching the movie at home, we may not like to sit next to stringers and even we maybe have to be aware of them. Also we have to follow the rules, sit appropriately and one of the rules of the cinema is that we are prohibited to scream or loudly laugh so we have to be quiet , all those things could be a little bet annoying. In my opinion, watching a movie is always excitement despite the place we watch the movie in. actually, it is one way for us to know and understand other cultures. But as a matter of fact I would like to experience watching a movie in a cinema while hanging out with my friends. So the real question i s, where do you prefer to watch a movie at home or at the cinema? The decision is to be made by you. For instance when the decision is made just do not hesitate and hope it will be the best choice for you.

Unit 2 IPIntroduction to American Court System Essay

Unit 2 IPIntroduction to American Court System - Essay Example risdiction is the power provided to the court that it can only hear cases which are brought to the court, or the cases which the court has been limited to, not anything else. Subject matter jurisdiction limits the power of the court so that it can only hear cases which the laws of jurisdiction permit it to. (Subject matter jurisdiction) Personal jurisdiction allows the court to make decisions against or in favor of people who are involved in the case. Every court in a state can exercise personal jurisdiction over the people who live in that state, but not on people who belong to some other state. Therefore, courts cannot implement authority beyond their territories. The government allows the court to pass judgment to all residents of the state and also to those who have been away from the state for a brief period. Residents of other states, who have been in the state for a short period, are also answerable to the court. Moreover, a court which has jurisdiction in a state, also have authority over companies who have opened their offices in that state. The corporations are required to take permission from the court before they can continue their business in that area. The criteria of ‘minimum contacts’ differs in every case. In situations where the case involves a defendant’s contact with the state, the number of contacts required to form personal jurisdiction may be less. If a non-resident in a state does something wrong, the court of the state then, in order to protect its residents, can authorize personal jurisdiction on that person. (Personal Jurisdiction in Federal Courts) Although the courts are allowed to practice personal jurisdiction, there are certain laws, statutory and constitutional, which limit the power of the courts. Because of statutory restrictions, the court should examine the state law to ensure whether it can properly implement personal jurisdiction or not. However, there are three types of personal jurisdiction: Firstly, In Personam

Material Failure and Embodied Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Material Failure and Embodied Energy - Essay Example TASK 1 The bending of an umbrella when wind blows or the breaking of a bags handle, even the collapsing of mega structures like bridges and buildings are some prime examples of structural failure. Structure failure in basic terms can be defined as the destruction or damage of a structure when it is unable to support its designated load any further. Once the structure looses it ability to carry load, it deforms, de-shapes or even destroys completely. There are many reasons a structure can fail its basic ability to hold load (NEL, 2007) Many reasons as states in previously include basic design flaws, construction flaws, overloading, foundation failure, corrosion and excessive use of a moving body. The corrective/preventive measures that have to be taken are in accordance with the structural failure that has either prevailed or in the process of it. An example of it is the leaning tower of Pisa; the design flaw is the soft earth due to which one part of the building is sinking inside. T o negate the leaning effect, large weights and wires have been attached to the tower to keep it from falling to the end it is leaning to. The first part of the report will identify structural failures in my daily routine as an insurance engineer for a local school, where metallurgy plays an important role while covering any damage or even while insuring it. Example No 1: Fan Falling The first and foremost structural failure that was faced by the school administration was the falling of a ceiling fan in a classroom. Luckily the recess was in progress and the fall resulted in no injury to any person. The only damage was to the fan itself and the table which it had fallen on. As a sue action was threatened by the parents of children studying in the school, our firm was called in to analyze the failure, state the cause of it and remedy actions. On inspecting the fan closely it was found that there was huge amount of rust in the loop where the fan was hanging. The loop had been disconnec ted due to this corrosion. Fan rotation causes certain vibration in the whole structure making it a viable threat if any sort of corrosion is present. This problem could have been detected easily but due to the upper portion of the fan concealed inside the fancy fall ceiling, this problem was not detected. After this incident, all the fans in the school were checked and it was a shocking fact that most of the fans had this similar problem. Therefore a complete overhauling of the fan holding loops was recommended for stopping any such future incident. Also as the fall ceilings cannot be removed therefore a calendar inspection plan has been laid out by the insurance team to be done by the school administration. This inspection would also be checked by the insurance team as to ensure proper working of the school administration team. Also to add further security in the system, all hanging items like fans and ceiling lights and chandeliers will be checked for heir secure housing, where t hey are attached to the wall. Example No 2: Swing structure failure The second structure failure that was noticed in the same school was the falling off a children slide to one side while the children were on it taking turns for sliding down. Some children were hurt and minor bruises were seen on children bodies. This incident

Credit analysis of potential customers of IBM Global Financing - Dissertation

Credit analysis of potential customers of IBM Global Financing - Current status appraisal and recommendations for future improvement - Dissertation Example Additionally, it has also hastened the credit approval process to a very short span which is inadequate to accurately arrive at a picture of the credit situation of the Company. This report examines the risks posed in the issue of credit and in financing arrangements, and also examines different kinds of credit models, applying them in the context of IBM Global, to examine its credit appraisal process and suggest recommendations to improve the efficacy of the credit rating process. CHAPTER ONE Aim and Objective of this Study: The recent financial crisis that has affected most of the world economies highlighted the grave problems that can arise when credit and financing arrangements are entered into indiscriminately, without a rigorous credit analysis system in place. IBM Global Financing is one arm of IBM that aids and assists credit worthy clients to develop a comprehensive investment strategy by offering them financing options for purchase of new IT equipment, or lease of equipment and other applications. This study proposes to examine the importance of assessing the risk of credit default risk and entering into a discussion of credit risk models, so that they can be applied in the context of the credit analysis process that is in use at IBM Global Financing. ... he IT systems that are already in existence at various organizations all around the world are legacy systems that are no longer optimum and effective in terms of functionality in a fast paced global environment. IBM Global Financing helps several corporations and businesses to acquire IT solutions that can help to meet the needs of the businesses in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible. It offers different kinds of financing options to address the unique needs of a particular organization and to help the said organizations to also manage their assets and cash flow as they carry on the process of improving and enhancing their IT systems. The Company does not merely offer It equipment at attractive financing rates, it also offers strategic financing for corporations to be able to survive in the current harsh economic climate that has plagued almost every region of the globe. The Company provides invaluable assistance to corporations in IT leveraging, commencing right f rom the beginning of the process when the decision is made to implement improved IT solutions. The corporations in questions are offered options to maximize their purchasing power, offered financial incentives and concessions as they implement and use the said systems and also in the disposal of IT systems when they are no longer effective or when they are upgraded by better systems. The clients of IBM Global Financing are aided in the process of making the right decisions. IBM Global Financing therefore offers short and long term loans, both for end customers as well as partnering options, offering financing on the basis of instalment payment plans, leasing options or through the use of factoring models, all of which are geared towards providing customers with a cost effective option to

Week three discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week three discussion questions - Essay Example Also the analysis will help provide the direction, speed and also the extent of the trends. There are a number of different ratios that can be calculated from the financial statements of a company. The three most important ratios however, are the Liquidity, Profitability and Gearing ratios. The ratio analysis is of great importance, as it is the most effective method to estimate a firm’s performance and also compare it with that of its competitors and the industry on the whole. The long term viability of a company can be assessed from the ratios which indicate the overall performance, such as the asset turnover ratio, which measures how effectively the company has been utilizing its assets to generate sales. The other important measure is the gearing ratio which indicates the capital structure of the company and how effectively it has utilized its debt raising capacity. A company which has an optimum gearing ratio can be considered to be well positioned, or, geared for long term growth. It is imperative to note that though there are strong policies and strict procedures set up within a company, frauds do occur at times. Anonymous reporting hotlines are found to be effective reporting mechanisms. It is also important to keep a positive atmosphere, as very strict policies and internal controls might have adverse effects on employee motivation. Hence it is essential to carefully analyse the working conditions and the policies are to be set accordingly, so that both the objectives are achieved successfully. With the improvements in technology, it has become increasingly easier and effective for management to implement security programs and software within the organization. Software based on Benford’s law and surprise testing are also effective measures when carried out in a professional well planned manner. The most important thing to understand is a person’s base nature, in order to identity deception, fraud or a false statement. The most

The main character Hester Prynne experiences a metamorphosis in Research Paper

The main character Hester Prynne experiences a metamorphosis in Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter due to the act of adultery she - Research Paper Example In the case of The Scarlet Letter, the main protagonist of the story, Hester Prynne, is convicted of adultery and is chastised by the Puritan community. As punishment for her crime, she is forced to where a scarlet â€Å"A† on her chest for everyone to see. In the initial part of the novel, the identity of the father is unknown due to the fact that Hester’s husband is overseas in England; therefore he could not be the father. As a result, she refuses to reveal the identity of the true father, but is convicted of adultery. In this aspect, she is branded so that no one will associate with her due to the fact that she broke the Ten Commandments. It has the â€Å"effect of a spell† or a plague in that it causes the inability for her to associate with anyone in the town. Even travelers who come to visit the town soon learn the truth behind her sins. Because of the mark that she wears, it causes her to become isolated from the rest of the community. Therefore, she does not develop the typical relationships and social connections that would normally be experienced in Puritan society. This is due to the fact that religion is the bond, which ties the entire community together and that connection with Hester was severed when she was convicted of adultery. In this case, she creates her own world for both her and her daughter Pearl. In addition, by closing herself off to the rest of society, it protects the identity and questioning of who is the true father of Pearl. As a result, her â€Å"imprisonment† by society is used in terms as more of a social barrier, than as physical imprisonment. The aspect of her being in prison also transcended other bounds. She was not able to be with the man that she really loved. Chillingsworth tormented her about the whereabouts of her lover, and eventually set out on a vendetta to take revenge on that individual. In spite of all animosity and negative feelings toward her, she is able to maintain and create a saf e environment in which both her and Pearl can live in. Because of the animosity that Hester experiences, there are a great deal of effects of both living and emotion that she has to deal with through the course of the novel. The first main effect on Hester is dealing with Pearl. She is an extremely unruly child that Hester has a hard time controlling. Because the child was conceived out of sin and because of the eccentric and misbehavior, many of the townspeople began to regard the child as a child of hell. In this respect, many of the community attempts to take away Pearl from Hester so that she may be saved and raised in a proper Puritan manner, however the minister of the town, Authur Dimmesdale protests saying that the daughter must remain with the mother. Also, Pearl served as a walking reminder of the sin that Hester committed along with complementing the scarlet â€Å"A† on her chest. Hester lived in this political and social prison for a very long time. Not willing to divulge the other adulterer, she was condemned to living a cursed life. The inability of her to form relations with anyone inside the town as well as raise a child by herself gave her a sense of hopelessness. All of Hester’s struggles and misery is derived from the structure of the Puritan religion. They often did not tolerate those who did not worship

Foundations of Motivation (Module 9) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Foundations of Motivation (Module 9) - Assignment Example In contrast the test samples in India were able to perform the task requiring complex cognitive skills for the highest incentive because that incentive was in consonance with the outcomes they associated with such a tough goal. Thereby the results of this experiment were in tandem with the expectancy theory of motivation. The other conclusions arrived at by this experiment also happened to be strictly as per the expectancy theory of motivation. Once the workers get satisfied in relation to the remuneration, the start considering other desirable outcomes and tend to commit to a task as per the value they assign to these outcomes. These outcomes may not necessarily be monetary, but may comprise of varied other desirable outcomes like autonomy or self direction, opportunity to gain mastery over a skill, the thrill of the eventual challenge posed by a task, and a sense of direction and purpose. As evinced by the expectancy theory the outcomes that specific individuals tend the value diff er from person to person, and the motivation of an individual is directly proportional to the extent to which one values a possible outcome. 2. Them speaker’s message aligns a lot with my own personal experience. As per the conclusions pertaining to motivation deduced from my personal experience, the extent of motivation that an individual commits to a specific goal has a lot to do with the outcomes that an individual expects to solicit from the achievement of that goal. However, the one thing that needs to be taken care of is the fact that the outcomes that a person aspires for or values differ from person to person. I remember when I was in High School; I was quiet good at accounting. It was owing to my proficiency in accounting that a local retail merchant offered me the job of going through his sales accounts every evening. I used to spend about an hour everyday at his shop, checking his accounts. I really enjoyed this job. It allowed me to earn some money without comprom ising on my studies. It happened that during the holiday season the sales of this retailer went up and he offered to pay much more to me if I spent an extra hour or two every day checking his accounts. At first the possible outcome of earning more money appealed to me and I agreed to his proposal. However, as the time passed, this work started interfering with the time I ought to have dedicated to my studies. I soon realized that I valued the need to score better grades much more over the opportunity to earn money at the cost of my studies. Thereby I got immensely demotivated and quit this job after a few days. 3. As a manager the first thing that I learned from the given video is that once the employees are paid as per their expectations, they stop thinking about money and start focusing on the work at hand. Thereby, I will always make it a point to set the remunerations of the employees working for me at a level which is in consonance with their expectations and caters to their se nse of equity. Once this is done, I will never forget the fact that money is not the only outcome that motivates an employee, but people expect varied other attributes from a job that they really feel motivated about, like autonomy or the freedom of self direction, chance to achieve mastery over a skill, the sense of challenge posed by a goal and the sense of direction or purpose associated with a goal. Thereby

Slavery During the Antibellum Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slavery During the Antibellum Era - Essay Example He highlighted the agenda of the South to spread slavery to the rest of the nation. The standard of living of the Negro slaves of the South in real terms was good, according to him. Their family life was free from tensions and the aged and infirm were properly taken care of. Women could look forward to the protective umbrella of their masters against the highhandedness of their husbands. He made an interesting observation about the conditions of labor in the North. â€Å"We do not know whether free laborers ever sleep. They are fools to do so; for, whilst they sleep, the wily and watchful capitalist is devising means to ensnare and exploit them. The free laborer must work or starve. He is more of a slave than the Negro, because he works longer and harder for less allowance.†(George Fitzhugh)This line of thinking was his original contribution to the issue of slavery. Abraham Lincoln possessed the inherent capability to gauge the public opinion, one of the greatest traits of a successful politician. He had the good measure of the issues that divided the North and the South and personally he was not an abolitionist. He advocated that the nation cannot remain half-free and half-slave, on a permanent basis. Supreme Court Ruling, 1857 in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case sealed the fate of the black race. It read thus. â€Å". . . [t]here are two clauses in the constitution which point directly and specifically to the negro race as a separate class of persons, and show clearly that they were not regarded as a portion of the people or citizens of the government then formed.† (Roger B. Taney)The struggle for abolition slavery turned more intense with the legal position clarified by the Court. The court opined that Negro race was a separate class of persons. Denied of legal protection for getting equal status the Negro leadership and society turned cynical and began to adopt violent alternatives to secure their rights. Fitzhugh argued,

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA Essay - 4

Discuss the main causes and effects of gun crime in the USA - Essay Example Act that controls the amount of guns available in America has been quite ineffective and hence it has totally failed to reduce the number of guns in America. As such, the procedure for acquiring a gun has been reduced to that of the market forces of demand and supply, (Ulrich 2009, p.41). This basically means that so long as a person is able to buy the gun, then the supply is readily available. Another school of thought on the causes of gun violence and crimes in America blames the ownership of guns by very young people. Though the law only allows those above 21 years to obtain gun license, (Ulrich 2009, p.49) suggest that this has been reached through very poor and unlimited research. This is true because statistics indicate that more than half of the gun mass killing were perpetrated by individuals below 25 years. Similarly, very young people have been accused of perpetrating gun violence using their parents’ guns. This indicates that the law has various loopholes that allow such crimes to happen without reprimanding the source. Lastly, a large number of guns are illegally available to members of the public. In this case, people can freely and criminally hire guns for uses especially in robbery and assassinations. In America, more than 75% of robbery cases happen at gun point, (Ulrich 2009, p.52). These guns are in the hand of criminals through irregular licensing and gun theft. Accordingly, thugs can either hire guns from illegal dealers or even steal them from the police or other licensed gun holders. In this case, it is important for the Gun Law to be repealed so as to address some of the concerned raised above. The major effect of gun violence has been the increase of gun related deaths. According to Sarah (2013), the US has â€Å"the most guns per head in the world, and equally has the highest rate of deaths from firearms†. This basically, the article has established a close correlation between the number of guns in the private hands and the number of

Violent Games Essay Example for Free

Violent Games Essay In the process of media reform and editing, is it appropriate to limit video games? Nonthreatening things like games should not be banned by our fears, but we should look at the facts. Violent video games should not be banned for their content because no means of art or communication should be banned. Our first amendment is our sacred rite of passage that should be upheld with all of our power. We can benefit from these works of art like we can from a song or picture because of their substantial meaning and portrayal of our own lives. These video games are not even truly bad for your health, they can actually improve it. As Mr. Jacob Sullum said, â€Å"Depictions of violence, unlike obscenity, have played a longstanding and celebrated role in expression properly consumed by minors, from Greek myths to the Bible to Star Wars and Harry Potter. Violent tendencies are an issue in the young mind, and certain people would say that seeing these violent images in video games triggers these feelings and makes their children become irrational. Zackary Morzaini stated in his study that â€Å"violent video games trigger the same response as violent passages in the bible. † So why ban these images. It is up to the individual to react to these violent messages. The vast majority of gamers does not emulate the â€Å"homie-G† of grand theft auto, but instead understand the social norms in video games are Peterson 2 not the social norms of real life. The game merely implies violence. For example, Call of Duty is a demonstration of warfare not unlike chess and battleship has for years. â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. † That is these United States’ Bill of Right’s first amendment, and never shall it be silenced. Our forefathers made this law so no form of media would ever be banished by harsh critics. Our arts shall be protected and regarded in the highest degree, and video games shall be no exception. With their version of interactive storytelling they are no less valuable than movies or music. Art can never be banned under America because we provide our people with the freedom they deserve. What is a little blood between friends? Cooperative and multiplayer games have recently been added in huge numbers to classic games such as the Call of Duty franchise and the Dead Space franchise. These games are violent to the extreme—specifically Dead Space. In these games you have to cut off limbs and kill anyone opposing you so you and your teammates may succeed. In a study co-written by David Ewoldsen he states that â€Å"We think that cooperating with another human overrides the effects of playing a violent videogame. This means that even violence is counteracted by jolly cooperation. This is not only a way to spend time with friends shooting zombies, but also a time for families to come together. Games like Super Mario and Wii Sports are great examples of fun games from ages 8-80. This allows us to Peterson 3 come together, so rather than sitting and playing Monopoly for fifteen hours straight, you can just pop in Wii Sports and start playing virtual tennis. The responsibility of handling violent images does not go into the hands of Electronic Arts (EA), but some of the responsibility falls on the parents. When children play games they might not be ready for the graphic images presented, but our friends at the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) give us ratings to represent these and sometimes children will pick up a game because it’s fun. They do not however, check that it is rated for players seventeen and up and that a ten year old should not have to see those things just yet. Parents do actually do monitor some of these things according to a study for the article Video Games Unplugged, but some is not enough. It is up to the parent to judge whether or not their child is ready for a graphic game, not EA’s. Critics of video game violence say that games are not mandated enough. They also say that violence is too prevalent in them and it is too easy for children to get their hands on them. So, to stop this, we must put more restrictions on video games. Video games are not lawless. ESRB not only rates these games, but requires you to be a certain age to purchase these games depending on their rating. For example, Call of Duty Black Ops Two was rated M for Mature, so you must be 17 or older to purchase the game. Violence was another issue they claim, but these works of art are no different than others. When the movie Zero Dark Thirty came out, the media’s first reaction was not â€Å"This movie is an awful Peterson 4 influence to our children†, but instead gave it praise. Violence has always been important to our culture, from gladiators to Dexter, and video games have the same effect. Art is divinity. Art is beauty. Art is alive. Music and pictures have always entertained us and should never be banned. Video games are a form of storytelling, a way to see beautiful things and witness the greatest sagas. Video games should not be banned because they contribute so much to us and are beautiful in their own right. Violence in video games is no different that violence in 300, but violence in video games have to fight for their rights. We should all support the rights of our arts and support video games. Peterson 5 Works Cited Computer games unplugged. Computer Graphics World Feb. -Mar. 2012: 2. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Sullum, Jacob. The terminator vs. the constitution: Californias video game law does violence to the First Amendment. Reason Feb. 2011: 60. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Johnson, Ted. VP urges game study: Biden: violence link should be probed. Daily Variety 25 Jan. 2013: 7+. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Sanders, Laura. Gamers crave sense of control: feeling competent matters more than violence, blood. Science News 14 Feb. 2009: 14. General OneFile. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

Components Of A Good Password Computer Science Essay

Components Of A Good Password Computer Science Essay Computer manufacturer and OS developers often build and deliver systems in default modes to secure the system from external attacks. From developers view this is the most efficient mode of product delivery. As per the organisation or a user, they require more protected and secured system before it is placed into service. Security baselines are standards which defines a minimum set of security controls for organisations. Security baselines typically address both technical issues such as software configuration and operational issues such as keeping applications up to date with vendor patches. In the security baselines, if hardware, OS, network and application followed the recommended minimum set of security settings then it will significantly decrease its vulnerability to security threats. The process of securing and preparing the system against the internal and external threats and system vulnerabilities is called hardening. Reduce the main reasons of attack that includes the removal of unnecessary services, software and unnecessary usernames or logins. It makes the system more secure, reliable, efficient and gives optimised performance. 12.2 Password Selection Password selection is one of the critical activities that often get neglected as part of a good security baseline. Currently most systems are protected by a user ID and password. If an attacker discovers the correct user ID and password by guessing or by using freely available password cracker tools, then they can gain access to the system. By following basic guidelines and principles in choosing passwords, the passwords used on the system will protect the assets. 12.2.1 Selecting a Password Users should consider a few basic requirements while choosing the password. Set a minimum number of characters and never accept shorter password. Do not use dictionary words and mix of lowercase and uppercase letters with usually one or two numbers. Randomly created passwords are strong passwords and they are difficult to guess and will defeat most password-cracking utilities. However, randomly generated passwords are difficult to remember and users often write down these passwords usually in a location close to the machine. Thus it defeats the purpose of the password. 12.2.2 Components of a Good Password User should create their own easy to remember passwords. Password is meant to protect access and resources from hackers. It should not be easy for them to guess or crack through password cracking tools. Common guidelines to make the password more difficult to guess or obtain are as follows: It should be at least eight characters long. It should include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, special characters or punctuation marks. It should not contain dictionary words. It should not contain the users personal information such as their name, family members name, birth date, pet name, phone number or any other detail that can easily be identified. It should not be the same as the users login name. It should not be the default passwords as supplied by the system vendor such as password, guest, admin and so on. 12.2.3 Password Aging Password aging is technique used by system administrators and it forces the user to change their passwords after specified period of time. If it is not changed within a specific period of time, it expires and must be reset. Password aging can also force a user to keep a password for a certain number of weeks before changing it. Changing passwords periodically will protect against brute-force attacks because when password is changed the attacker must restart the attack from the beginning. If password is changed periodically, an attacker will never be able to cycle through all the possible combinations before the password is changed again. Most operating systems have options that allow system administrators to apply password aging and prevent password reuse. Common guidelines are as follows: User must change their passwords in every 60 to 90 days. A very secured service requires to change passwords every 30 to 45 days. System must remember each users last five to ten passwords and should not allow the user to reuse those passwords. 12.3 Hardening Most computers provide network security features to control outside access to the system. All nonessential softwares such as spyware blockers and antivirus programs prevent malicious software to run on the system. Even with all these security measures, systems are still vulnerable to outside access. System hardening is a step by step process of securely configuring a system to protect it against unauthorised access. It also helps to minimise the security vulnerabilities. The three basic areas of hardening are as follows: Operating system-based hardening It includes information about securing and hardening various operating system. It also includes methods to secure file systems. Network-based hardening It examines the methods and procedures of hardening network devices, services and protocols. Application-based hardening It includes security of client-side user applications and services such as Domain Name Service (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Web servers. 12.3.1 Operating System-Based Hardening Operating system hardening is the first step towards safeguarding systems from intrusion. Systems received from the vendors have preinstalled development tools and utilities which are beneficial to the new user as well as it also provide back-door access to an organisations systems. Operating system hardening includes the removal of all non essential tools, utilities and other systems administration options through which hackers can easily access the system. Hardening process will ensure that all security features are activated and configured correctly. This process makes the system secure, efficient, reliable and gives optimised performance. Some of the security tips to harden the OS include the following: Disable all unnecessary protocols. Disable all unnecessary services. Disable all unnecessary programs and processes. Verify and then install all vendor patches. Install all product updates. Use vulnerability scanner to identify potential security weaknesses. Configure file system security according to the least privilege rule. Note: Least privilege rule states that, allow access to those individuals who require it and allow only as much access required to complete the task. File System Controlling access to the resources is an important factor in maintaining system security. The most secure environment follows the rule of least privilege. The network administrator receives more complaints from users after following this rule as they are unable to access resources. However, receiving complaints from unauthorised users is more beneficial than suffering access violations that damage the organisations capability to conduct business. The least privileged environment can use the user groups to assign the same access to the resources instead of assigning individual access controls. However, in some cases individual users need more or less access than other group members. To maintain security, network administrator provides greater control over what each user can and cannot access. Updates OS updates are provided by the manufacturer of the specific component. Updates contain improvements to the OS and hence, will make the product more secure, efficient and stable to the users. For example, Microsoft updates are labelled with security updates. These updates address security concerns recognised by Microsoft and install them if required. In addition, updates enhance the capability of a specific function that was underdeveloped at the time the system or application was released. Updates should be thoroughly tested in non-production environments before implementation. Since this new and improved function has more security breaches than the original components, it requires complete testing. Hotfixes, security packs and patches are product updates to resolve a known issue. Hotfixes Hotfixes are components that are designed to fix a particular critical system fault. Hotfixes are created by the vendor when a number of client systems indicate that there is compatibility or functional problem with a manufacturers products used on a particular platform. These are fixes for reported or known problems. Hence, hotfixes should only be installed to correct a specific problem. Service Packs Service packs are collection of updates or hotfixes. It correct known issues and provide drivers, updates and system administration tools that extends product functionality that include enhancements developed after the product is released. Service packs are tested on different hardware and applications to ensure compatibility of existing patches and updates. Service packs must be thoroughly tested and verified in non-production environment before it installed on working systems. Patches Patches are used to prevent hackers from invading the system with virus and other malware that exploits the operating systems vulnerabilities. This improves the usability and performance of the system. OS patches are available on the vendor Website that supplies the product. Since patches are issued at unpredictable intervals, it is important to configure the system to automatically connect with the latest security patch updates. When the new update is released, the OS will prompt to install. While preparing clean installation it is advisable to download and install all known patches before introducing the system to the network. 12.3.2 Network-Based Hardening The tremendous growth of the Internet allows to openly access any system on a network. Hence, proper control over network access must be established on systems by controlling the services that are running and the ports that are opened for network access. In addition to the systems, network devices such as hub, routers, switches and modems must be examined for any security vulnerability. Any flaws in the coding of the OS can be exploited to gain access to the network components. These components should be configured with very strict parameters to maintain network security. The softwares of these components require to be updated regularly. By taking necessary steps, network administrator should limit or reduce attacks, accidental damage through their networks. In addition, network hardening also recommend the correct configuration of network devices and the requirement to enable and disable the services and protocols within a network. Firmware Updates Updating the firmware of the hardware device is provided by the manufacturers. These updates fix incompatibility problems or device operation problems. These updates should be applied if the update includes fixes for an existing condition or if it will make the device more secure and more functional or extends its operational life. It is recommended to install and test the firmware updates in a non-production environment to verify if the update contains the necessary fixes and benefits that are required. Device Configuration Network devices such as routers and switches configured with default installation settings. These default settings leave a system extremely vulnerable as it is set for convenience and not for security. Choosing a good password and limiting access to any open ports is very important in maintaining security of the devices. Good passwords are one of the most effective security tools because a good password can be resistant to several forms of attack. Determining the minimum set of services that the devices are running and good passwords is important for maintaining security of those devices. Apply patches and updates that are released by the product vendor in a regular interval. Enabling and Disabling Services and Protocols It is important to measure the current requirements and conditions of the network and infrastructure and then disable the unnecessary services and protocols. This leads to network infrastructure that is less vulnerable to attack. Access Control Lists Configure access list at the network devices to control access to a network. Access list can prevent certain traffic from entering and exiting a network. Access control lists are controlled by an administrator. 12.3.3 Application-Based Hardening Application hardening is the process to prevent exploitation of various types of vulnerabilities in software application by implementing the latest updates. Applications such as browsers, office suites, e-mail client and services provided through servers such as Web servers, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), DNS servers and DHCP servers on a network require regular updates to provide protection against newly developed threats. Web Servers At present most of the organisations have a Web presence on the Internet for numerous business advantages. Due to Internet popularity, Web servers have become extremely popular targets for attackers. Original content on the Websites are replaced with hackers data. E-commerce sites are attacked and users personal account information is stolen. Microsofts Internet Information Server (IIS) or Apache server are most popular Web servers applications in use today. To secure Web servers from hackers, administrator must apply updates and patches, remove unnecessary protocols and services and properly configured all native controls. It is also recommended to place the Web server behind a firewall or a reverse proxy. Microsoft has developed URLScan and IIS Lockdown tools which are designed to secure IIS servers from attacks and exploits. URLScan is a monitoring utility that examines all incoming URLs and rejects any requests for files, directories or services outside the intended scope of the Website. The IIS Lockdown tool turns off unnecessary functions which reduces the attack surface available to an attacker. E-mail Servers E-mail servers and clients are vulnerable to different attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, virus attacks, relay and spoofing attacks. There are numerous deficiencies in the different versions of e-mail server software such as Sendmail for Linux and UNIX and the Exchange or Outlook for Microsoft. E-mail servers are constant potential sources of virus attacks and therefore must have the strongest possible protection for scanning incoming and outgoing messages. E-mail servers should not have non-essential services and applications installed. Administrative and system access should also be securely controlled to block installation or execution of unauthorised programs and trojans. The following attack points should be considered while hardening an e-mail server: Open mail relay allows unauthorised users to send e-mail through an e-mail server. Storage limitation, to limit DoS attacks based on message size. Spamming includes identical messages sent to numerous clients by e-mail. Virus propagation, ensure the anti-virus programs and applications are performing correctly. FTP Servers FTP allows number of users to access and download remotely stored data. It distributes application updates, device drivers and free software to users. Users access this data anonymously. This anonymous access to FTP servers becomes a problem as administrator does not provide anonymous access or does not properly secure the FTP service. This involves setting the appropriate permissions, not allowing the FTP process to be run by an unprivileged user and not allowing users to upload or modify files. Some FTP servers allow upload and download service for authorised users and hence, in that case anonymous access should be completely removed. To overcome buffer overflow problem ensure that FTP server software is up to date and patched. DNS Servers DNS server converts systems host names into IP addresses so that the communication can be correctly routed through the network. Client systems use DNS to locate Web servers, e-mail servers, FTP servers and number of other servers and network services. DNS can be major target for an attacker. The DNS server can be exploited by the following ways: Stealing zone transfers DNS servers are configured to provide information such as list of hosts and routers with IP addresses to other secondary DNS servers. This secondary DNS server is used to maintain a backup copy of the DNS database and to provide name resolution services for client systems. An attacker can receive a zone transfer and use it to track victims network and search for potential targets. Zone update spoofing An attacker can spoof the address of the primary DNS server and send a bogus update to a secondary DNS server. Client systems receive incorrect information and network communication from this bogus server and redirects users to a location controlled by the attacker. DNS cache poisoning Some DNS servers allow attackers to insert bogus information into a DNS cache. To secure and harden the DNS server from various types of exploits, actions to be taken are as follows: Do not place any information on publicly accessible DNS server to avoid snooping around the DNS server. Do not provide additional host information in Host Information (HINFO) records of DNS. HINFO record contains descriptive information about the OS and features of particular system and attacker could use this information to gain access. Configure the DNS servers to only allow zone transfers to specific secondary servers. Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) allows zone transfer to be signed. Zone transfer signing allows secondary servers to verify the credentials of the primary server before accepting data. Ensure that DNS software is patched and up to date to avoid DNS cache poisoning. NNTP Servers Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) servers allow news clients to connect to news servers to share information privately or to post articles to a public NNTP server. NNTP servers are vulnerable to DoS attacks, buffer overflows. To exploit server, attackers connect to a private NNTP server to gain any information to compromise network. Sometimes users post accurate diagrams of their network to ask a technical question and attacker can use this information to find ways to exploit a network. They can even offer bogus advice to create a hole in the networks defences. To protect the organisation from NNTP server exploits, block the NNTP port at the firewall to make NNTP server inaccessible to external users. To protect posted private information, authenticate user to prevent anonymous logins to the NNTP server. Also encrypt communications using SSL/TLS to prevent packet sniffing of confidential data. Do not allow users to post confidential information to the public which will compromise their network. File and Print Servers Files and print servers in a network are used to share resources but it is a common way in which hackers can gain information and unauthorised access. When sharing is enabled to share the resources with a trusted internal network over a NIC, the system is also sharing those resources with the entire untrusted external network over the external interface connection. Attackers attempt to make unauthenticated connections to shared resources on the network. If sharing permissions are configured incorrectly for an easily exploited user account, attackers can gain access to resources and alter them. To secure the file and printer shares block access to shares and related information at the firewall. Use the rule of least privilege to secure shares from external attacker. Virtual Private Network (VPN) is also used to encrypt communications between clients and servers to secure data transmission. Data Repositories Data repositories are locations that hold information about networks, applications and users. Attackers can use the information stored in data repositories to formulate attacks against organisation. Hence, ensure that this information is limited and restricted for external users. As well as authentication and encryption of the data is necessary to protect them from external attacks. Directory Services A directory service is used to store, organise and provide access to information in a directory. The information in a directory services can include system accounts, user accounts, mail accounts, service locations and shared resource information. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a common directory service that organises data in a hierarchical manner. The top entry in a LDAP directory information tree is called root and this LDAP root server creates the hierarchy. The directory service hierarchy and the information it stores provide a good map of network infrastructure. This is convenient for authorised users in a network as well as for attacker. Attacker can use numerous ways to compromise LDAP servers such as attacker can use network resources information stored at directory service to examine network structure, resources and potential targets. Attacker can gain victims network information that is transferred over LDAP through eavesdropping. Some of the ways to protect LDAP hierarchy are as follows: Protect LDAP hierarchy by configuring the strongest authentication to the different versions of LDAP. Both LADP v2 and LDAP v3 support anonymous and simple authentication which are not very secure. Anonymous authentication does not require password and simple authentication uses a password in unencrypted format which attacker can easily hack. Strong authentication over LDAP v2 and LDAP v3 is provided through Kerberos version 4 authentication and Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) communications respectively. Use Secure LDAP (LDAPS) that allows encrypting communications using SSL/TLS. Block access to LDAP ports from the Internet so that attackers cannot make connections using these ports. Databases Database servers are used to store data. Both the data and the database server can be target for an attacker. An attacker can steal the data or take over the database server to exploit it. Some of the ways that the database servers can be exploited are as follows: Unexpected data queries or commands Numerous database servers use Structured Query Language (SQL) which allows for the querying and posting of data. An attacker can use SQL commands to do unexpected things is called SQL injection. Unauthenticated access If unauthenticated access to database server is allowed then the attackers can easily connect and exploit the database server. To secure database servers consider the following points: Test the database by running irrelevant queries and attempt to access unauthorised information. Do not allow unauthenticated connections to the database server. While transferring confidential data to and from database server, use SSL/TLS or VPN connection to protect data. To avoid database server to be queried by external users, block access to it at the firewall. 12.4 Chapter Review Questions 1. How an individual should secure a password? (A) Selecting a password with at least eight characters, at least one change in case and at least one number or special character (C) Storing the password in wallet or purse (B) Using the same password on every system (D) Changing passwords at least once a year Ans: A 2. Which of the following steps is part of the hardening process for OS? (A) Remove unnecessary programs and processes (C) Setting appropriate permissions on files (B) Disable unnecessary services (D) All of these Ans: D 3. Which amongst the following is the correct step to overcome buffer overflow problems? (A) Select strong passwords (C) Install the latest patches (B) Remove sample files (D) Set appropriate permissions on files Ans: C 4. Which of the following requires software up to date and patched? (A) Operating systems (C) Applications (B) Network devices (D) All of these Ans: D 5. Rule of least privilege states that ____. (A) allow access to users who requires it (C) allow limited access (B) allow access to everyone (D) allow full access Ans: A and C 6. Which of the following is designed to fix a particular critical system fault? (A) Hotfixes (C) Patches (B) Service packs (D) None of these Ans: A 7. Which of the following extends product functionality after the release of product? (A) Hotfixes (C) Patches (B) Service packs (D) None of these Ans: B 8. Which of the following fixes incompatibility problems or device operation problems? (A) Hotfixes (C) Firmware update (B) Service packs (D) None of these Ans: C 9. Which of the following steps are used to secure Web servers? (A) Apply patches and updates (C) Place the web server behind a firewall (B) Remove unnecessary protocols and services (D) All of these Ans: D 10. BIND stands for _______. (A) Berkeley Internet Network Domain (C) Berkeley Intranet Name Domain (B) Berkeley Internet Name Domain (D) Business Internet Network Domain Ans: B 12.4.1 Answers 1. A 2. D 3. C 4. D 5. A and C 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. B Summary In the chapter, Security Baselines, you learnt about: Components of a good password and password aging. Different ways to harden the OS. Different ways to harden the network and its devices. Different ways to harden applications such as browsers, office suites, e-mail client and services provided through servers such as Web servers, E-mail servers, FTP servers, DNS servers, NNTP servers, file and print servers, directory services and databases.

William Faulkner: The Postmodern Perspective

William Faulkner: The Postmodern Perspective Many critics consider William Faulkner a modernist writer, citing the time period between the 1930s and 40s as the era in which he wrote himself into and out of modernism. Indeed, Faulkners novels during these years reflect many of the typical aspects of modernist literature, and it is incontrovertibly innovative and unique. However, Faulkner appears to be doing more than what the Modernists were employing at the time, especially in the context of his experimentation with language. In fact, the great Southern writer appears to more so on the road to Postmodernism in his later works than anything. During this period between the 30s and the 40s what critics call Faulkners modernist epoch his writing also seems to flow with Lacans poststructural theories of language. Beginning with The Sound and the Fury in late 1929, Faulkner begins his journey through the Lacanian Mirror Stage, aware of the linguistic Imaginary. His effort to craft the imagined world of Yoknapatawpha reflects his ea rly Modernist self in Lacans Imaginary order stage, marking his uncomfortable attitude towards his alienation from the South he once knew. Quentin, whom most critics see as a double to Faulkner, is the incarnation of Faulkners attitude, and his multiple appearances in Faulkners novels marks the stage in Lacans process of linguistic development each time. The age ends with the authors fulfillment of the Lacanian journey, with nowhere to turn but back. Absalom, Absalom! and Afternoon of a Cow prove Faulkners acceptance of the impossibility of Lacans Real, highlighted by a writing style which could be characterized as transitionally postmodernist. Faulkners modernist/postmodernist identity crisis between the 30s and 40s occurs during the authors Lacanian development in language and thought, ending with the recognition of literatures inability to break the symbolic ceiling. While it would be incredibly shortsighted and undoubtedly wrong to refer to The Sound and the Fury as underdeveloped and not modern, the novel is nevertheless Faulkners most immature piece of literature in the context of Lacanian development. Here, Faulkner begins his troubles with language as he is initially trapped in the Imaginary stage. John T. Irwin, in his essay on Doubling and Incest in Faulkners literature, suggests that Faulkner created the character of Quentin as an unconsciously double of himself. Irwin purports that Faulkners own comments about the novel support this parallel between him and Quentin, especially his recognition of his own failures in literature and fate to retell the same stories (Irwin 280). While most critics point to Caddy as the focus of the novel because of her role as the absent center, a Lacanian reading of the text implies that the absent center is actually Faulkner himself since he puts so much of himself into Quentin (and some of the other charac ters as well, though it is most prevalent here). Quentins chapter, which becomes progressively more self-reflexive and anxious, reveals Faulkners own worries and discontent with language. It ends with his ultimate alienation from everyone and everything Quentins suicide which is how Lacan explains the mirror stage as ending. Lacan describes the completion of the mirror stage as the formation of the Ego through subjectification, during which a person undergoes a conflict between his or her own perception of the self and the actual self through experience Lacan refers to this result as alienation (Evans 110). Quentin has undergone this discovery of his own reality that which others have defined him to be and his perception of himself. As Irwin suggests, It is tempting to see in Quentin a surrogate of Faulkner, a double who is fated to retell and reenact the same story throughout his life just as Faulkner seemed fated to retell in different ways the same story again and again (Irw in 281). His death signifies Faulkners assessment of his own fate. He predicts literary failure for himself due to the inability of language fully express everything he attempts to convey. This marks Faulkners first encounter with the futility of language, and his first step in Lacanian development. Through this inner conflict, Faulkner associates with Quentin, and other characters like him. Indeed, he puts a part of himself in every character that he creates, but characters like Quentin best serve as literary representations of him when considering his troubles with language. Lacan holds that in the beginningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we exist as part of one continuous totality of being. In this early stage of development, we experience noà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦sense of difference, and, precisely for this reason, the [subject] has no sense of a separate identityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there is no I and no other, and, Lacan insists, the two concepts come into existence together (Duvall and Abadie 98). Faulkners state at this point in his literary development is such as Lacan defines it. He has no sense of difference between himself and his work, and therefore he meshes himself with Quentin and his other characters. However, his own repressions appear in Quentins thoughts and words, and Faulkner is unaware o f the amount of similarities between himself and the character. Faulkner revised the introduction [to The Sound and the Fury] several times. In its final version, in which Faulkner doubles Quentins own words in the novel: So I, who had never had a sister and was fated to lose my daughter in infancy, set out to make myself a beautiful and tragic little girl' (Irwin 283). It is clearly through his own connection with Quentin that he learns how to connect with this novel, but the relationship that he develops with the character ultimately blurs the line between himself and Quentin. Faulkner can see the gap between language and reality, but he cannot seem to assure the differentiation between himself and his creations. A year later, Faulkner published his next novel, As I Lay Dying, in which he continues the linguistic struggles and development with the Bundren family. As Terrell Tebbetts suggests, each of the Bundren children suffers his or her own issue with language: Cash can only express himself through lists and figures, and though he seems perceptive at the end by explaining what happened to Darl, Cash recognizes Darls problems with language but presumes that they the fault of Darl, not language (Tebbetts 128-130). But it is better so for [Darl]. This world is not his world; this life his life (Faulkner 149). Cash speaks with a perception that is Faulknerian, as it reflects William Faulkners prediction of his own fate. In this novel, he connects most with Darl through their shared discontent with the shortcomings of language. Darls linguistic troubles are the most serious, as he isolates himself through his inability to express his feelings. His problems cause him to lose his identity, repeatedly asking things about himself such as who am I. Early in the novel, Vardaman asks what Darls mother is (Vardaman describes his mother as a fish), and Darl remarks that he does not have one. I havent got ere one, Darl said. Because if I had one, it is was. And if it was, it cant be is. Can it?' (Faulkner 58). Darls concept of language is that it describes reality, and only reality. He perceives that he does not have a mother because she is dead (hence, the was), yet what he really means is that he no longer has a mother. However, he gets so lost in his attempts to conceptualize this that he arrives at the decision that he does not have a mother. As alluded to earlier, these troubles affect his own identity. I dont know what I am. I dont know if I am or not. Jewel knows he is, because he does not know that he does no t know whether he is or not. He cannot empty himself for sleep because he is not what he is and he is what he is not (Faulkner 46). Darl has entered the mirror stage along with Faulkner, and he is thus aware of the conflicts between his own perceptions and the perceptions of others. Darl is highlighting the gap between the signifier and the signified in language, as Lacan calls it. Darl is our brother, our brother Darl. Our brother Darl in a cage in Jackson where, his grimed hands lying light in the quiet interstices, looking out he foams (Faulkner 146). He has been incredibly objective internally, seeing himself in an omniscient, third-person perspective, but this is a result of the inability to reconcile the real him and the him that others perceive him to be (the Lacanian signifier is their Darl, the signified is the real Darl). Therefore, he becomes the best example in the novel of a character that, by passing through the mirror stage and entering the Symbolic Realm, alienates himself completely (even within himself). Darl is also, then, the most connected with Faulkner, since he becomes aware of the failure of language to ever say what one means (Duvall and Abadie 39). Darl reflects what his mother discovered much earlier: words are no good; that words dont ever fit even what they are trying to say at (Faulkner 99). Addie also saw the gap between experience and language, which proves Coras statement that Darl has the most in common with Addie, but her troubles are more connected with the patriarchality of language, and therefore not as connected with Faulkner as Darl. Also, Addies death is another example of what Faulkner sees as the futility of efforts to connect reality and language. Likewise, despite Darls evolution from the Mirror Stage into the Symbolic Stage, his fate commitment to an insane asylum provides more evidence to prove that Faulkner saw no way to prevent these linguistic troubles from alienating and ultimately destroying his characters and himself. Therefore, Faulkner is still undoubtedly a Modernist at this point, as well as underdeveloped in the progression of Lacanian development, because he sees no escape from such a fate at this point. He would say that language is a hindrance more than a help. Darl masters lan guage internally, but he cannot apply it in reality, thus showing the gap between language and experience a modernist idea: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the wholeness of the image threatens the subject with fragmentation, and the mirror stage thereby gives rise to an aggressive tension between the subject and the image. In order to resolve this aggressive tension, the child identifies with the imageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The moment of identification, when the subject assumes its image as its own, is described by Lacan as a moment of jubilation, since it leads to an imaginary sense of masteryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦however, this jubilation may also be accompanied by a depressive reactionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Evans 115) While Faulkner would not have known the psychological theories of Lacan, the characters of Quentin and Darl seem to fit the characterization of these issues well. However, these two characters are unable to come to terms with their image. While the end of Quentins chapter does not end with his suicide, we learn later that he takes his own life because he foresees no escape. Likewise, Darls uncontrollable laughter at the end of As I Lay Dying is his moment in which he has the opportunity to identify with one part of his fragmented self but proves unable to do so. Darls problem is also left unsolved, as his internal self argues within, demanding an explanation for his false triumph. They are both aware of their precarious states with language. Additionally, the mirror stage is where the subject becomes alienated from itself, and thus is introduced into the Imaginary order. Clearly both characters have entered this stage and find themselves completely alienated from themselves and the w orld. Terrell Tebbetts claims that Vernon Tull is the only character in the novel that can come to terms with this problem, resorting to the constant use of like in his descriptions and an employment of similes while talking (Tebbetts 130). Tebbetts is misled, however, because Tull is actually a Modernist character. By using similes to draw comparisons between things he is attempting to define, he is still grasping for the ideal that Modernists spent their careers trying to reach. Instead, a Postmodernist would take advantage of language rather than constantly highlight its failures (as I will discuss later). Tebbetts believes that Vernon Tull is Faulkners way of saying that the way out of the problem is acceptance, but the solution is more complicated than simple recognition. Besides, characters like Darl, Addie, and Quentin all understood the gap between language and reality, which drove them to their own forms of alienation. As I Lay Dying also features a level of intended humor that is classified as dark, or black, humor. One of the best examples of dark comedy in the novel is when we find Addie Bundren propped up on a pillow in order to watch as Cash constructs her coffin. Then [Addie] raises herself, who has not moved in ten daysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦She is looking out the window, at Cash stooping steadily at the board in the failing lightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He drops the saw and lifts the board for her to see, watching the window in which the face has not moved (Faulkner 28). This moment evokes immediate laughter because Cash, the oldest child of the family, seems like a proud pet retrieving its catch of the day for his master. Likewise, everyone sees the grotesque and gaunt figure of Addie rise as if from the dead in order to view her burial chamber and then return to her former position, seemingly in approval. Even more dark comedy lies in Faulkners intended criticism of the other characters views toward each o ther. Every character that makes a negative comment about another is later shown to be hypocritical, being strange and quirky in his or her own way. Elements of Faulkners early novels, especially As I Lay Dying, show that the author was on the road to self-reflexivity and metafiction. Much of the Addie chapter, through its hypercritical look at the failure of language, is self-reflexive because it is actively commenting on the words and ideas presented in the novel, yet the self-conscious elements seem only present through implication. Faulkner never reaches his potential (or becomes fully aware of what he was doing) with the element of self-reflexivity until Absalom, Absalom! and Afternoon of a Cow. In his novels until then, Faulkner also had a preoccupation with what Modernists referred to as the attempt to make it new, trying to experiment with literature and attempting things unseen before. He is first in the Mirror Stage, looking at the traditional novel with its content, form, mimetic philosophy of language, and decides that he needs to break from tradition. Then he enters the next stage the Symbolic and attempts to creat e new and modern literature. While in this stage, though, he realizes the futility of language, and that everything he attempts fails. Faulkner repeatedly tries to achieve literary transcendence, but all he writes is merely a symbol of what he truly intends. It is not until Absalom, Absalom! that he not only accepts his state and failure, but he knowingly plays with the postmodern techniques and ideas. In the novel, Faulkner uses language to do what Lacan says it does reflect the condition of the alienated subject, the fractured self (Moreland 47). Nothing Faulkner attempts attains the literary transcendence for which he has been searching, and so he realizes this, comes to terms with it, and makes fun of this problem. Faulkners movement through the Lacanian linguistic progression led him prematurely to postmodernism. While he thought he was being modern by experimenting, he was actually employing many elements that surpassed the realm of modernism. As I Lay Dying was his first clear transitional work, in which it marked a road from modern to postmodern literature, as the novel hinges between the two genres itself (although, as mentioned before, it should be classified as a modern text if it must be categorized. Faulkner resists many of the modernist techniques and philosophies, but his break from the movement was not clean, as he continued to inscribe them. Patrick ODonnell agrees with this, aware of the presence of transitory texts: Yet, there are moments in the works of the high-modernist authors I have mentioned that work beyondà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that rupture its bonds (ODonnell 34). His example from Faulkner is the way in which some of his novels attempt to shatter the connectionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦bet ween attempting to transcend the past, and being condemned to repeat it (34). This struggle with the past no longer seems to be an issue once Faulkner writes Absalom, Absalom! although it had been a focus of his earlier novel, The Sound and the Fury. ODonnell agrees that the later works of William Faulkner present more significant breaks from modernism, suggesting that Go Down, Moses is actually a postmodern rewrite of Absalom, Absalom! (36). However, Faulkners work after that became much more conservative, reverting to the modernist tendencies which he displayed at the beginning of his career. Even a quick reading of Absalom, Absalom! in comparison to Faulkners early novels reveals large differences between the styles. Much like his presentations of characters in previous novels, Faulkner puts elements of himself into his characters; however, in this novel, he purposely employs a self-reflexive concentration in order to create metafiction. It is here that Faulkner stops concerning himself with epistemology and instead with ontology. Faulkner operates the text differently in Absalom, Absalom! in the way that he exerts absolute control over every aspect of the story and creates a commentary on language and fiction. ODonnell refers to Faulkner not as the author of the text of Absalom, Absalom! but as the unseen drop that falls into a pool of water and gives rise to a series of ripples, borrowing from Quentins own words in the novel (Weinstein 31). In other words, he becomes the catalyst for the things that naturally occur. Faulkner puts enough of himself into the novel that e verything he has put into place takes over for him. From this, he no longer stresses or frets over the futility of language; instead, he allows it to take over. The metafictional aspect of Absalom, Absalom! lies in the unique structure and writing style. Unlike his previous endeavors, Faulkner dares to tell a story within the story a story about storytelling. The act of telling a story is artistic because the narrator imposes his or her own will upon it, and it is therefore subjective as well. Previously he is unaware of the subjective nature of language, and now he not only accepts it, but he employs it as well (his primary narrator has a subjective viewpoint unlike what he has done previously). His approach in this novel allows him to have fun with it, thus achieving postmodern status and completing his Lacanian development. Examples of the metafictional aspects in the novel appear most often during the sections focusing on or narrated by Quentin and Mr. Compson. In chapter four, Mr. Compson tells his son, people too as we are, but victims of a different circumstance, simpler and therefore, integer for integer, larger, more heroic and the figures therefore more heroic too, not dwarfed and involved but distinct, uncomplexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦author and victim too of a thousand homicides and a thousand copulationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Perhaps you are right. Perhaps any more light than this would be too much for it (Faulkner 90). This is perhaps the most problematic examples of metafiction in the novel because of its focus. While, indeed, it involves Mr. Compson commenting on literature through criticizing a story, it is also taking a Modernists perspective. Faulkner, through Compson, is calling for a return to myth, arguing that the mythological stories of the past are uncomplex and do not suffer from the ambiguity tha t plagues modern literature. This focus on the importance of myths is a common concentration of modernist writers, as is the call to use these stories and make them new. Likewise, Compson seems to be hinting at the significance of this declaration and its symbolism rather than being direct about his point, and implication is the Modernists way of implementing metafiction. The only redeeming factor of the speech lies in his final words, using perhaps to signify his uncertainty, therefore offering a postmodern, skeptical perspective and rejecting absolute truth. The fact that the characters are actively telling the story of Sutpen and commenting on it at the same time is somewhat postmodern, as it is including and drawing attention to the author within the story. There are also times when the narrative from a character goes on for such a long time that the reader forgets who is telling the story, and at this point, the presence of Faulkner as a narrator begins to become more evident. It is also then that comments such as the speech from Mr. Compson take on new and deeper meaning, as the reader begins to associate Faulkner with these ideas more so than the characters. Another more complicated example of metafiction appears again in chapter four, as Mr. Compson says: We have a few old mouth-to-mouth tales; we exhume from old trunks and boxes and drawers letters without salutation or signature, in which men and women who once lived and breathed are now merely initials or nicknames out of some now incomprehensible affection which sound to us like Sanskrit or Chocktaw; we see dimly people, the people in whose living blood and seed we ourselves lay dormant and waiting, in this shadowy attenuation of time possessing now heroic proportions, performing their actsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦impervious to time and inexplicable. (Faulkner 102-103) Faulkner, once again through the mouth of Mr. Compson, is commenting on the state of literature, but more importantly, the uncertainty that literature creates as it all returns to mythology. As he suggests, we as readers have to realize that every story that is told is merely a representation of another, and each is also a mere representation of reality. This also gets back to Faulkners problem with language it never says what you want it to mean. However, it seems now that he has arrived at a fix for this problem The character of Judith, when discussing the story, remarks that words are mere scratches without meaning but it doesnt matter that it is so (Faulkner 131). This differs from the perspective of earlier novels characters because Judith both comes to terms with the meaninglessness of language and decides that it is no longer problematic for her. When asked if she wants Miss Rosa to read the letter, Judith replies, Yesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Or destroy it. As you like. Read it if you like or dont read it if you like. Because you make so little impression, you see (Faulkner 130). Clearly Judith recognizes the futility of language, but she also overcomes the problem, caring not whether Rosa reads the letter or not, because it will not make much of a difference either way. According to Tebbetts, Postmodernists see human attempts to describe and establish truth not only as futile but even as destructive (Tebbetts 131). In other words, if language is strictly symbolic, then it cannot lead us to truth . This comes from a poststructuralist view that truth is a transcendent signifier and does not exist (Lewis 96). The novel embraces this, and Faulkner no longer struggles with the uncertainty of language. Some critics see the novel as having a pattern of uncertainty, which is visible through its use of words like perhaps and maybe. Faulkner had been rejecting this in his earlier novels, but he is finally embracing it here. Faulkner also chooses to utilize the metafiction to inform the reader about his Lacanian journey with language. Lacan says that when the individual is able to split and repress a part of itself, it enters the symbolic realm. The subject becomes aware of its absent center but is driven by desire to fill the void of absence. For Sutpen in Absalom, Absalom! Faulkners momentary stand-in for the duration of this story his enlightenment moment occurs in Chapter Seven, when he is turned away at the planters house (Duvall and Abadie 47). Faulkner, looking back on the past, looks at Sutpen in his Mirror Stage and shines light on his own. Before this moment, Quentin says that Sutpen was no more conscious of his appearanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or of the possibility that anyone else would be that he was of his skin (Faulkner 185). At this point, Sutpen has evolved into the Symbolic Stage, just as Faulkner does in his earlier novels. Faulkners style in the novel is more oral than literary, and the novel flows through thoughts and character dialogue that often seems like Faulkner himself is orally relating the story to his listeners. Critic Conrad Aiken agrees, calling his unique style grossly overelaborate and grammatically annoying (Aiken 135). However, Aiken claims that this proves Faulkners Modernist streak, which is, as proven thus far, shortsighted since Absalom, Absalom! is the authors most postmodern book. What he achieves through this style is the defamiliarization of language, blurring the boundaries of literature. It is these lengthy, seemingly never-ending sentences in the novel that reflect Faulkners aims. Likewise, he also enacts a tactic of delayed disclosure through this approach, starting a section of a story and abruptly stopping to digress onto something else. This way in which he withholds the points and meaning of his sentences, information about characters, and the continuations of half-finis hed stories is essentially Lacanian. A characterization of Faulkners novel as either modern or postmodern requires understanding of what it means to be a postmodern piece of fiction. Postmodern literature is often perceived as a reaction to Modernism, which numerous authors, poets, and scholars worried was becoming increasingly too conventional and traditional. Likewise, they often saw Modernism as an elitist form of writing, since it was usually difficult and obscure. They cited the many complex literary references as a source of this, and suggested that Modernism was catering only to the highly educated because of these references. Postmodernism, in response, frequently involves pop cultural references, including those to other postmodern works, popular art, television shows, politics, well-known historical occurrences, and movies. Postmodernism is also often jumbled with fragmentation, but the use of fragmentation is much more severe than in Modernism, as there is sometimes no clear plot, characters sometimes seem po intless, the story is broken up and confused (often beyond repair). This extreme level of fragmentation is often used to make the point that literature is often more about what is under the surface, and that knowledge of a novels plot does not guarantee that a reader has gotten all meaning from the work. Even Faulkners avant-garde nature and separation from Modernism does not develop into what postmodern literature is known for. In order to answer the question of where Faulkner falls in the spectrum of modern and postmodern literature, one must turn to scholarship that identifies obvious postmodernism and determine if Faulkner lives up to the standards. Barry Lewis, author of Postmodernism and Literature, provides a great description of postmodernism as it applies to literature. He purports that the literature that best falls into this category was written between 1960 and 1990, and that anything before is transitory (Lewis 96). He suggests that the most important elements of postmodernity are temporal disorder, pastiche, comfortableness with fragmentation, looseness of association, paranoia, vicious circles, and language disorder (95-105). Likewise, Lewis also brings Jacques Derridas concept of play as a postmodernism technique. Instead of the modernist quest for meaning in a world of chaos, the postmodern author denies, often playfully, the possibility of meaning (98). As a result, the postmodern novel is often a parody of the modernist quest. Within Faulkners works, there are elements of each of these characteristics, but they all seem to appear faintly and fleetingly. For example, temporal disorder is overtly obvious in The Sound and the Fury because Faulkner blurs the line between all time past and present are hard to distinguish. However, as Lewis would agree, Faulkner does not achieve the degree of disorder associated with postmodernist fiction. Instead of recognizing that history repeats itself and that there are definite concrete moments in time, Postmodernists rather make all time vague and parody other works obsession with time (98). Faulkners Quentin in The Sound and the Fury would have been very Modernist in this category, since his preoccupation with time is ultimately part of what destroys him. However, Absalom, Absalom! removes this worry completely, being completely unconcerned about the passage of time since it does not matter. In fact, the novels structure, constant ly shifting tenses between present and past ever so seamlessly, is postmodern. Therefore, some of these postmodern qualities appear in the novel, but others do not. Another important aspect of postmodern literature that Lewis points out is pastiche, which literally means to combine and paste together multiple elements. Pastiche, then, arises from the frustration that everything has been done beforepostmodernist writers tend to pluck existing styles higgledy-piggledy from the reservoir of literary history, and match them with little tact. This explains why many contemporary novels borrow the clothes of different forms (Lewis 99). Although there are some critics who suggest that this is part of Faulkners repertoire, arguing that he employs this in Absalom, Absalom! there does not seem to be enough evidence to prove that he is actively making the novel parodic. Indeed, there are clearly elements within the story that suggest that Faulkner had the classic Southern gothic novel in his heard while writing it, such as the final conversation between Shreve and Quentin at the end: Now I want you to tell me just one thing more. Why do you hate the South? I dont hate it, Quentin said, quickly, at once, immediately, I dont hate it' (Faulkner 395). Quentin, who often represents Faulkner, may be repressing something, and it very well could be a shared feeling of Faulkner; however, there has not been enough legitimate evidence or scholarship to prove this relationship. Therefore, the novel is not a parody, which hurts its chances at being classified as a postmodern novel. Modernists treat fragmentation and subjectivity as existential crises a problem that must be solved, which their literature attempts to do. Postmodernists, however, believe that this issue is insurmountable, and the only reactionary action that is worthwhile is to play with the chaotic tendencies. In postmodern literature, playfulness becomes the major focus, thus making any order or incontrovertible truth highly unlikely. Faulkner, at least in his early works and Absalom, Absalom! does not seem to venture very deep into this playfulness. Indeed, there is definitely a presence of this in Absalom, Absalom! but it never reaches the extremeness that other major postmodern works achieve. Compared to a work like Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five, Faulkners fiction does not stand up in terms of where it falls on the modern/postmodern scale. The first chapter of Vonneguts book begins by saying, All this happened, more or lessIve changed all the names. I really did go back to DresdenI went back there with an old war buddy, Bernardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Vonnegut 1). The author blurs the line between where his influence ends and where the narrator (who is, in other words, understood to be separate from the author) begins. The first chapter seems more like a preface by the author, or a later comment on his novel that should come after the text; instead, Vonneguts first course of action is to set himself up as both the author and narrator. It is clearly postmodern because he is forthright about it instead of implying the blurred line. I would hate to tell you what this lousy little book cost me in money and anxiety and time. When I got