Production system Essay Example

Production system Essay The production system is viewed as a combination of the materials supply, production planning, scheduling, control and material transformation functions. Together, these functions must respond to demands set either directly by customer orders (in a make to order situation), or to production orders generated by an inventory control function (in a make to stock scenario) Production/Factory responsiveness Production factory responsiveness can be defined in a number of ways: A responsive factory is a factory which is agile. Agility is defined as quick moving, nimble and active. Agility is the ability to thrive and prosper in a competitive environment of continuous and unanticipated change, to respond quickly to rapidly changing markets driven by customer-based valuing of products and services. Responsiveness is the ability of a production system to respond to disturbances (originating inside or outside the manufacturing organisation) which impact upon production goals. Typical disturbances might include, for example, the receipt of rush orders, machine breakdowns or degradations or variations in raw material supply. The disturbances may be internal or external and importantly their effect may be either positive or negative. Range of Production Environments and Responses Agility and Response Agility is described as the ability of a company to operate â€Å"profitably in a competitive environment of continually, and unpredictably, changing customer opportunities†. Four key imperatives have been associated with agile companies: a) Enrich the customer, b) Master change and uncertainty, c) Leverage resources and d) Co-operate to compete. Responsiveness helps in fulfilling the need for agility for mastering change and uncertainty. We will write a custom essay sample on Production system specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Production system specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Production system specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, agility is also concerned with making full use of the influence a company has over the sources of change and uncertainty, to pro-actively remove them or drive them to support the organisation’s goals. An agile company pro-actively influences the various environments in which it operates by means of many different activities, including marketing, co-operative alliances, new product and process development. In contrast, responsiveness is about taking actions in response to actual or potential changes which the system either cannot control or has not planned. The link between agility and responsiveness is outlined as follows: From this diagram we can say that effective response is a critical attribute, and represents the reactive capabilities of an agile organization. Another important parameter to be considered over here is system flexibility. System Flexibility has received much attention as a manufacturing research topic in the last decade or so. It is the ability of a production system to change the mix, volume and timing of its outputs. Total system flexibility is a complicated function of many system attributes, including machine and subsystem flexibilities. While system flexibility constitutes a possible means for responding to disturbances (both internal – e.g. machine breakdowns – and external – e.g. demand variation, rush-orders) it is not synonymous with responsiveness, since the system must also be able to judiciously use its flexibility in response to disturbances – i.e. decide when to flex its outputs and by how much. Parameters to measure factory responsiveness We feel that factory responsiveness cannot be determined by a single variable. In fact, In order to improve factory responsiveness, first it is necessary to find those variables which would help us to measure quantify factory responsiveness. This will also help us to fix suitable benchmarks. Also, ignoring the factory, will only lead to increased inventory, longer cycle times, and higher costs as product variety increases. There are a number of compelling reasons why the factory should be the starting point in the journey toward demand driven manufacturing. First, converting to lean manufacturing in the factories will help ensure that ERP software is not merely automating an otherwise bad process. Secondly, the factory is often the starting point for companies intending to make broader supply chain improvements. When a company sees significant results from the lean manufacturing transformation, they can often convince suppliers to do the same, providing help and experience. Once the factory is lean, upstream supply chain improvements help ensure that supply disruptions do not hamper the lean factory.

Defense of Foucault on the Enlightenment Essays

Defense of Foucault on the Enlightenment Essays Defense of Foucault on the Enlightenment Essay Defense of Foucault on the Enlightenment Essay The Enlightenment: An attitude, an epoch, or the maturity of historical agency? In order to defend Foucault’s conception of the Enlightenment this paper addresses the principal criticisms to which Habermas subjected it. By evaluating the validity of these claims I hope to come to an understanding of the force of Foucault’s response to the question: what is Enlightenment? Abstract The French philosopher Michel Foucault produced some of the most influential critiques of modern Western society. He characterized himself as a historian of â€Å"systems of thought† and probed into conceptions of power, politics, normality and subjectivity that all bore undertones relevant to a consideration of the Enlightenment. The German philosopher, Jurgen Habermas, however, embarked on an acerbic evaluation of Foucault’s work for he perceived it to present a neo-conservative challenge to the â€Å"uncompleted project of modernity† and a work of â€Å"irrationalism† that contested the emancipating gains of the Enlightenment. Confronted with this broadside, and as part of a refusal to partake in what he called the â€Å"intellectual blackmail† of his opponents (313), Foucault decided to respond to the German writer by mounting a counter-attack that would rectify the misinterpretations of his opinions. The result was Foucault’s 1984 essay, What is Enlightenment? This work reveals Foucault’s attempt both to create the program for a historio-critical method based on Kantian thought that could reflect on a number of material practices, and to develop an attitude of modernity that could add a further perspective to debates of the Enlightenment. Schools of Thought Foucault and Habermas are representatives of two of the most powerful projects within contemporary political philosophy. It seems impossible to discuss modern social theory without referring to them and their discourses that often differ enormously in both content and form. In order to understand the force of Foucault’s conception of the Enlightenment, however, it is necessary to comprehend the principal arguments and critiques of its opponents, in this instance, those of Habermas. Although these philosophers o not write strictly within their particular national traditions, it is essential to have at least a minimal understanding of the German and French philosophical schools in order to picture the ensemble in which they take their positions. In these intellectual spheres we find one topic that seems universal and unavoidable, one that has been contemplated â€Å"in various forms for two centuries now†, that is: the Enlightenment (303). This ambiguou s and abstract notion had very different destinies in Germany and France. In Germany it was invested in dialectical philosophy, sociology and reformation and was presented by such names as Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche. It also led to German Critical Theory through Adorno, Horkheimer and Habermas. Habermas’ position fits with the Hegelian tradition in the sense that it bears an emphasis on totalities, universalities, and harmony. Nonetheless, Habermas butted against the pessimistic philosophy of his teachers to advise fervently against abandoning the project of the Enlightenment before its potential for emancipation could be fulfilled. For him, the true philosophical discourse of modernity must take a staunchly critical position based on distinct rational norms and values that have their roots solidly grounded in the contemporary project of Enlightenment. Elsewhere, as in France, the Enlightenment spurred the Descartian cogito and rationalist philosophy, positivism, and epistemology, the philosophy that emphasizes notions of prespectivism. Foucault’s work bears the marks of all of these discourses and due to his emphases on phenomenology and semiotic he has been categorized as a post-structuralist. Was ist Aufklarung? Foucault begins his discussion of the Enlightenment with a reading of Kant’s essay published in 1784 in the Berlinische Monatsschrift as a response to the question: Was ist Aufklarung? (303). The choice of this particular essay signals Foucault’s break with French theory and an inclination toward the German Enlightenment tradition. In addition, Foucault’s attention to Kant indicates a re-examination of his own theory and its position within the larger tensions of French post-structuralism and Habermas’ critical theory. For Foucault, this is a fundamental question that has been approached from many different perspectives and taken different forms; it marks the entrance â€Å"into the history of thought of a question that modern philosophy has not been capable of answering but has never managed to get rid of either† (303). By declaring that â€Å"hardly any philosophy has failed to confront this same question, directly or indirectly,† Foucault is positing a continuity of thought and also shifting away from the ‘anti-thinkers’ of French post-structuralists (303). For Foucault, â€Å"What is Enlightenment†, is evidently an attempt to work out his relation to the Enlightenment not just as an historical period or philosophical event, but also as a very present and somewhat irritating academic, cultural, and philosophical lineage. Foucault proceeds by asking the question: â€Å"What then is this event that is called Aufklirung? † This is a question of the maturity of historical agency; Foucault asserts that the Enlightenment has partially established â€Å"what we are, what we think, and what we do today† (303). From his perspective, the task of modern philosophy to answer the â€Å"imprudently† raised question: Was ist Aufklarung? † (303). By turning to Moses Mendelssohn’s response to this problem, Foucault considers the publication of the two texts, the German Aufklarung and Jewish Haskala, as a converging point in history, recognizing that they â€Å"belong to the same history; they are seeking to identify the common processes from which they stem† (304). Ignoring the ominous suggestion that Foucault inserts about â€Å"the drama that was about to lead,† this point suggests that despite their differences, both authors shared a common intent: to define the project of the Enlightenment and not necessarily to distinguish their particular historical epoch from other ages. Of course, Kant does reference the characteristics of the common age, but this is not the principal concern. Foucault then returns to Kant’s text to highlight the innovation in his response that addressed the question of modernity in an â€Å"almost entirely negative way†; as an â€Å"exit† (Ausgang) (305). While previous reflections of the Enlightenment had taken one of three forms: a world era, an event whose signs are perceived, or as the dawning of an accomplishment, Foucault is faithful to Kant’s â€Å"way out† (305), characterized as â€Å"a phenomenon, an ongoing process†¦ but also†¦as a task and an obligation† (305). Kant is not seeking a global or causal explanation for the enlightenment. Like a genealogical historian he is concerned with â€Å"the question of contemporary reality alone,† and more specifically Kant is concerned with: â€Å"What difference does today introduce with respect to yesterday? (). For Foucault, the appeal of Kant’s text consists of his attention to â€Å"today as a difference in history and as motive for a particular philosophical task. † Instead of proceeding with an analysis of Kant’s text as though it were indicative of â€Å"what we are today,† however, Foucault problematizes Kantâ €™s answer to the question, actively emphasizing and picking apart â€Å"features† of Kant’s work that point to a problematization of the present that does not resemble the Kantian conception. Rather than thinking of the Enlightenment, as an epoch or period in history which inevitably requires that one assume a â€Å"premodernity† and â€Å"postmodernity,† and requires that one situate oneself within a given tradition or trajectory, Foucault utilizes the Baudelairean concept of modernity as an â€Å"attitude, characterized in terms of a consciousness of the discontinuity of time, that is, a mode of relating to contemporary reality(309). This approach attempts to extricate the identification of oneself from history in order to rupture any identification of one’s own constitution as dictated by parasitical inventions of contemporary culture or power, language, institutions, or norms. Accordingly, rather than distinguishing the â€Å"modern† era from the â€Å"premodern† and â€Å"postmodern†, Foucault suggests that we envisage the attitude of modernity as one in conflict with attitudes of â€Å"countermodernity† (310). Foucault uses the Baudelairean concept in the hopes of identifying fault lines that characterize the problematic of the Enlightenment’s obsession with doctrinal remedies, and thereby obtaining a â€Å"permanent critique of our historical era† (312). It is here that Foucault’s propinquity to the German school becomes most evident, for with this definition of the Enlightenment, Foucault adopts the German conception of Aufklarung, and provides a modern procedure that examines the relation between the Enlightenment as a historical period and as a permanent critique of our contemporary reality in positive and negative terms. Thus, Foucault directs our attention to the fact that he is seeking a new method of philosophical interrogation for us that will be geared toward the desire of realizing our own critique, consistent with our constitution as autonomous subjects. These new inquiries must be created without dilapidating the question of Aukflarung, the problematization of man’s relation to the present (318). Negatively In Foucault’s appropriation of the question, the critical attitude to modernity is termed a philosophical ethos (312). This ethos implies a refusal to engage in what he calls the â€Å"blackmail† of the Enlightenment. This is a rejection of any notion of Enlightenment which produces the authoritarian logic according to which one must be either â€Å"for† or â€Å"against† it (313). Foucault extricates himself from this simplistic framework whereby one is categorized as either endorsing the Enlightenment and remaining â€Å"within the tradition of its rationalism,† or criticizing it and trying â€Å"to escape from its principles of rationality† (313). Rather, Foucault argues that â€Å"we must try to proceed with the analysis of ourselves as beings who are historically determined, to a certain extent, by the Enlightenment† (313). Here Foucault aims at the â€Å"contemporary limits of the necessary† not so that they may be described or articulated, but because they should be critically reconsidered (313). The other negative aspect Foucault raises is the confusion between humanism and Enlightenment that often arises in critique of ourselves. Foucault distinguishes Enlightenment from the conception of humanism that he criticizes as recurring set of themes intrinsically tied to value judgments that no period or movement has managed to live up to- Foucault names Christianity, Marxism, Stalinism and even National Socialism as examples of this claim. For Foucault â€Å"humanism serves to color and to justify the conceptions of man† and it is far too supple and inconsistent a notion to serve any critical purpose. As an alternative, Foucault prefers to see â€Å"Enlightenment and humanism in a state of tension rather than identity†(314). This is supported by historical fact, and furthermore it enables one to escape from the â€Å"historical and moral confusionism† that accompanies the assimilation of humanism with the question of Enlightenment (315). By taking this more critical approach to humanism, Foucault aims to subvert the suspect claim of a humanitarian identity that has led to complacency and the betrayal of humanism and the Enlightenment in history. Positively Foucault attaches a â€Å"limit attitude† to his practice of critical reflection, he rephrases Kant’s question about the necessary limitations of knowledge in terms of a â€Å"possible crossing-over† of these boundaries (315). Such a transgression is possible in a form of historical inquiry that is â€Å"genealogical in its design and archaeological in its method† (315 ). Here, Foucault is returning to the historical methodology developed in his earlier works in order to describe the limitations of the transgression he imagines. Firstly, the investigation â€Å"will not seek to identify the universal structures of all knowledge [connaissance] or of all possible moral action† (315), so this is not a Kantian transcendence. Secondly, it will not be metaphysical in the terms laid out by Kant, for â€Å"it will not deduce from the form of what we are what it is impossible for us to do and to know† (315). Foucaults critical ethos is to give â€Å"a new impetus, as far and wide as possible, to the undefined work of freedom† (315). Thus, the critique of modernity is â€Å"at one and the same time the historical analysis of the limits that are imposed on us and an experiment with the possibility of going beyond them† (315). In tow with Habermas’ own perception of the unfinished project, this attitude clearly rejects utopian solutions to the problem of the Enlightenment. Foucault is advocating a trying approach to test contemporary reality, â€Å"to grasp the points where change is possible and desirable, and to determine the precise form this change should take† (315). Therefore Foucault offers an answer as to how he can proceed despite his absence of faith in anything, including the Enlightenment. All one needs to know is that some limits are vulnerable, they can be transgressed, so even what appears to be dispensible or indispensible for ourselves as moral, rational, or merely as contemplative beings can change. This mode of reflection portrays the Enlightenment as the critical ethos of modernity: the reactivation of this crucial attitude. The task of criticism does not adhere to what is given in history as the â€Å"kernel of rationality† (313); it cannot stand within the elaboration of normative limits in the context of a historically constructed present. As such, normative judgments, values, and prescriptions do not exist to supplement that which has been critiqued. Foucault is addressing the possibilities of transformation that arise through an examination of the difference between the past and present that are exposed in critique. This realm of historical ontology must â€Å"put itself to the test of reality† (316), as Foucault says this requires a rejection of â€Å"all projects that claim to be global or radical† (316). Informed by the errors of history, Foucault rejects all propositions that claim â€Å"to produce the overall programs of another society, of another way of thinking another vision of the world,† as these claims have led, in his opinion, â€Å"only to the return of the most dangerous traditions† (316). Nevertheless, Foucault voices his appreciation for the transformations that occurred over his last twenty years in a variety of areas that relate to â€Å"our ways of being and thinking, relations to authority, relations between sexes,† and the manner in which insanity or illness are perceived (316). Despite the problems of incarceration and political use of psychiatry in unjust and totalitarian states, Foucault admits to preferring â€Å"even these partial transformations† that have occurred, â€Å"to the programs for a new man that the worst political systems have repeated throughout the twentieth century† (316). Still, Foucault does not yield any ground as far as the archaeological and genealogical methodologies of his historical studies are concerned. His ontology of man and his historico-critical reflection are grounded in his commitment to their theoretical and practical utility. The Task Returning to Kant’s essay of 1784, Foucault finishes his text with one of many disavowals that characterize his work on the Enlightenment: â€Å" I do not know whether we will ever reach mature adulthood. † Foucault declares that Enlightenment and its intellectual developments have not yet brought us to this stage. Foucault credits Kant for the meaning which he brought â€Å"to that critical interrogation on the present and ourselves† (319). It is through Kant’s innovative reformulation, which endured a legacy of importance and influence for the last two hundred years, that Foucault was able to derive the legitimacy of his own critical enterprise. As Foucault says: The critical ontology of ourselves must be considered . . . as an attitude, an ethos, a philosophical life in which the critique of what we are is at one and the same time the historical analysis of the limits imposed on us and an experiment with the possibility of going beyond them (319). Foucault does not hesitate to declare his faith in the project of the Enlightenment, concluding with the line, â€Å"I continue to think that this task requires work on our limits, that is a patient labor giving form to our impatience for liberty†( 319). Conclusion Although Habermas acknowledges that Foucault’s reformulation of Kant’s, Was ist Aufklarung? , is connected to his own notions of modernity, it seems that Habermas cannot reconcile Foucault’s previous critique of modernity with his later works on Kant and his appreciation of the problem of the Enlightenment. It is unfortunate that Habermas finds these works incompatible, for Foucault successfully produced a work that was both true to his fervor for genealogical inquiry and addressed a question that had been central to the Frankfurt School’s critique of instrumental reason. Furthermore, one could argue that Foucault’s shift in focus from considerations of systems of representation to the critical studies of the implications of such systems, often thought of as a departure from â€Å"archaeology† to â€Å"genealogy,† moved Foucault from the ‘French’ realm of concerns to those questions that were largely considered to be associated with the ‘German’ side. Accordingly, with a little latitude one could claim that the two European schools of thought meet at a juncture of interest in Foucault’s text, for both had been concerned with the question that Kant addressed for the first time in 1784, What is Enlightenment? , and both could be seen as continuing the interrogation of reason initiated by Kant.

Bolman & Deals Four-Frame Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bolman & Deals Four-Frame Model - Essay Example The power to reframe is vital for modern leaders. The ability to see new possibilities and to create new opportunities enables leaders to discover alternatives when options seem severely constrained. It helps them find hope and faith amid fear and despair. Choice is at the heart of freedom, and freedom is essential to achieving the twin goals of commitment and flexibility (Bolman & Deal, 2003, p.433)." In the contemporary times, change within the organizations is an expected and normal phenomenon, though the pace of chance has been manifold accelerated by the IT revolution and the digitization of the economies. Corporate organizations more then often consist of a highly complex framework that can make the task of managing change really challenging and unpredictable. Every organization undergoing a change represents a unique scenario that may have multiple facets such as the popping up technical challenges, existing political framework and the rampant cultural ethos (Tichy, 1983, p.17). The multiple dimensions inherent in the functional efficiency of the organizations call for astute management responses and seasoned administrational efficacy. Also the attitude of the employees towards the inbuilt values and ethical moorings within the organizations more then often gives way to immense resistance from within and without (Lewin, 1947). Thus the complexity involved in managing change may further be aggravated due to a friction between the gamuts of opposing elements within the organizations (Charles, Bastein & Hostages, 1991). In such a scenario, the top leadership within the organizations often gets bifurcated into managers who insist on the relevance of existing maintenance procedures and the managers who aspire to play a leadership role in facilitating the inevitable change (Zaleznick, 1977). Change management undeniably calls for a visionary perspective on the part of a leader and demands an ability to visualize the overall process of change from a vantage point that is seldom distracted by the humdrum of everyday activities (Bums, 1978, p.42). The ability of a leader to visualize change in the context of multiple frames facilitates a linkage of the experiences of the people working within an organization with the requisite transformational behaviour (Avolio, 1994). These intrinsic connections between experience and behaviour yield the stimulating driving f orce that transforms organizations (Schuster, 1994). Hence Bass was not wrong in tracing a direct correlation between the ability of a leader to visualize change from multiple perspectives and team effectiveness (1985). The ability of a leader to dissect the predominant influences within an organization into constituent frames helps in unravelling the vision, beliefs, assumptions and goals that aught to be dealt with on a priority basis to facilitate change (Schein, 2004, p.22).Over the years there has occurred a sea change in the way managers and administrators are expected to visualize change within organizations. From the anachronistic perspective of seeing change as a monolithic phenomenon, managers today are encouraged to

Magazine Exceptionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Magazine Exceptionalism - Essay Example 2008). In the text under consideration, David Holmes proceeds to cite the examples of some important magazines that can be attributed largely the honor of altering the social dimensions and the way people thought. The most relevant example in this context is the magazine Sassy, which was targeted at the teenage girls and originated in Australia in the 70s (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). Eventually the Australian publishers took this magazine to America. The magazines catering to teenage girls until now were utterly conservative and modest in their approach to teenage issues (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). However, Sassy with its liberating content, revolving around the issues like teen sexuality and the erotic aspects of teenage girls' personality, played a pivotal role in changing the social norms (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). So much so, the other contemporary teenage magazines also started modifying their content to meet the competition posed by Sassy (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). The one other important magazine that brought to the forefront the economic and cultural aspects of contemporary cinema was Esquire, published in the late 70s (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). ... Primarily, the magazines as a media form are very close to the masses (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). In contrast, other media forms like the print and broadcasted media prefer to retain a journalistic distance from the society (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). Secondly, people look to the contents in the magazines as catalytic and proactive, which not only intends to inform them, but also stimulates them to act and respond (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). Magazines are media forms that not merely direct the society from outside, but are something that live, act and thrive within the confines of society and popular culture. There may exist objections to this exalted aspect of magazines, as it is very difficult to establish the causality between the contents of a magazine and the attributed alterations in the society, in a strictly academic and scientific way (Tim Holmes ed. 2008). In a culture saturated with media, it is utterly difficult to attempt this analysis, as the media forms and the culture are often intricately intertwined (Tim Holmes ed. 2008).Still magazines will continue to be an important and potent media form that will always have an important role in the shaping of the current culture and society. References Holmes, Tim ed. (2008). Mapping the Magazine. Wales: Cardiff

Balancing College Studies with Work and Family Demands Essay - 1

Balancing College Studies with Work and Family Demands - Essay Example I also have to attend family gatherings during the weekends and holidays. On the other hand, in college, my lecturers expect me to study hard, do assignments and take exams to show that I appreciate my learning process. I also have to take part in co-curriculum activities such as athletics, music and theatre ensembles, student government and language clubs; all these are geared towards enhancing out-of-class experience. However, at times, I can become exhausted and unmotivated because of the amount of workload that I have to attend to, both at home and in college. As much as the college administration wants the students to focus of their studies, they also stress that co-curriculum activities are equally important. Moreover, for that reason, my class timetable includes a co-curricular session in which a student has to participate in at least one mandatory co-curriculum activity; this is according to college policies. In most circumstances, this turns out to be stressful in that I mig ht be having assignments that I am supposed to complete, but taking part in the co-curricular activity eats up my time, and as a result, I do not meet the deadline for the assignment, as I am forced to carry the assignment home. Even so, again, the failure of meeting an assignment deadline cannot be tolerated by my professor and this increases my stress level. At home, my parents expect my siblings, and I to perform certain chores according to a duty roster that they have created. The duty roster is to be followed regardless of whether I have college assignment or not, and when it is my duty it becomes very stressful since I am expected to accomplish my duties at home and finish my college assignment at the same time. After finishing my home chores at night, I retire to my room with the college assignment in my mind. By this time, I am so exhausted in the sense that I cannot fully concentrate on what I am supposed to focus on in order to complete my assignment with a standard that c an attract a high grade. The only thing that I can do automatically without any difficulty is sleeping. I wake up the following day at 6 AM with stress when I remember I did not complete the assignment, which I am supposed to turn in by 8 AM. I conclude that time management is my biggest problem since I am not able to balance my college work and family demands because they conflict with one another. I understand that as a student, maintaining mental health is very important, and this is achieved through a good time management. A good time management helps in balancing college studies with work and family demands. My stress level had increased because I was overwhelmed with both tasks at home and assignments in college. Time management will help me in dealing with this problem in that I will dedicate a specific time to handle one particular issue. All in all the objective of embarking on time management is to make certain that I finish my assignments in college and tasks at home on t ime. I realize that my stress starts when two activities that I am supposed to engage in conflict with each other. The conflict comes when I do not finish a task within the stipulated timeframe, and thus it hijacks the time that I am supposed to dedicate to the second activity. After a careful deliberation, I have decided that I will discuss with my parents the issue of my new schedule. The discussion will entailed creating a new duty roster,

Criticism of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay -- Picture

Criticism of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde originally appeared in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890.   It was then published in 1891, in book form, containing six additional chapters with revisions. The first reviews of Dorian Gray were mostly unfavorable.   It was condemned for its speculative treatment   of immoral or at least uncomfortable subjects. A review in the St. James’s Gazette by Samuel Henry Jeyes, journalist and biographer was titled "‘A Study in Puppydom."  Ã‚   Jeyes refers to Wilde’s idle, â€Å"effeminate† characters in the book and writes: â€Å"The puppies appear to fill up the intervals of talk by plucking daisies and playing with them, and sometimes drinking ‘something with strawberry in it" (Beckson 69).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An unsigned review in Athenaeum, called the book â€Å"unmanly, sickening, vicious (although not exactly what is called ‘improper’), and tedious.† (Beckson   82) Charles Whibley, journalist and writer for the Scots Observer, wrote that "Mr. Oscar Wilde has again been writing stuff that were better unwritten" and went on with "...it is false to human nature-for its hero is a devil; it is false to morality-for it is not made sufficiently clear that the writer does not prefer a course of unnatural iniquity to a life of cleanliness, health, and sanity."   He ends the article by saying ‘...he can write for none but outlawed noblemen and perverted telegraph boys, the sooner he takes to tailoring (or some other decent trade) the better for his own reputation and the public morals" (Beckson 75).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wilde replied to these damaging attacks and told an acquaintance after these first reviews that the story would be "...... ...ver reached, which supersedes that earlier didactic purpose, and makes the quite sufficing interest of an excellent story."’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He concludes by saying "We need only emphasize, once more, the skill,   the   real subtlety of art, the ease and fluidity withal of one telling a story by word of mouth, with which the consciousness of the supernatural is introduced   into, and maintained amid, the elaborately conventional,   sophisticated,   disabused world Mr. Wilde depicts so cleverly, so mercilessly"(Beckson 83-6).   In conclusion, it became apparent with reading the reviews of The Picture of Dorian Gray that the critics seemed to be reviewing the author instead of the book.   BIBLIOGRAPHY      Beckson, Karl.   Oscar Wilde. New York, Barnes & Noble, 1970.   Gagnier, Regenia.   Idylls of the Marketplace. Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1986. Criticism of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay -- Picture Criticism of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde originally appeared in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890.   It was then published in 1891, in book form, containing six additional chapters with revisions. The first reviews of Dorian Gray were mostly unfavorable.   It was condemned for its speculative treatment   of immoral or at least uncomfortable subjects. A review in the St. James’s Gazette by Samuel Henry Jeyes, journalist and biographer was titled "‘A Study in Puppydom."  Ã‚   Jeyes refers to Wilde’s idle, â€Å"effeminate† characters in the book and writes: â€Å"The puppies appear to fill up the intervals of talk by plucking daisies and playing with them, and sometimes drinking ‘something with strawberry in it" (Beckson 69).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An unsigned review in Athenaeum, called the book â€Å"unmanly, sickening, vicious (although not exactly what is called ‘improper’), and tedious.† (Beckson   82) Charles Whibley, journalist and writer for the Scots Observer, wrote that "Mr. Oscar Wilde has again been writing stuff that were better unwritten" and went on with "...it is false to human nature-for its hero is a devil; it is false to morality-for it is not made sufficiently clear that the writer does not prefer a course of unnatural iniquity to a life of cleanliness, health, and sanity."   He ends the article by saying ‘...he can write for none but outlawed noblemen and perverted telegraph boys, the sooner he takes to tailoring (or some other decent trade) the better for his own reputation and the public morals" (Beckson 75).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wilde replied to these damaging attacks and told an acquaintance after these first reviews that the story would be "...... ...ver reached, which supersedes that earlier didactic purpose, and makes the quite sufficing interest of an excellent story."’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He concludes by saying "We need only emphasize, once more, the skill,   the   real subtlety of art, the ease and fluidity withal of one telling a story by word of mouth, with which the consciousness of the supernatural is introduced   into, and maintained amid, the elaborately conventional,   sophisticated,   disabused world Mr. Wilde depicts so cleverly, so mercilessly"(Beckson 83-6).   In conclusion, it became apparent with reading the reviews of The Picture of Dorian Gray that the critics seemed to be reviewing the author instead of the book.   BIBLIOGRAPHY      Beckson, Karl.   Oscar Wilde. New York, Barnes & Noble, 1970.   Gagnier, Regenia.   Idylls of the Marketplace. Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1986.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 13

That night I lay in bed, gazing up at the ceiling. The moon shone through the gauzy white curtains, and the house hummed with activity, a melee of footsteps, heartbeats, and mice skittering inside the walls. It felt as though the entire house were alive, with the exception, of course, of myself and Damon. The Sutherlands had no idea, but when they'd opened their home to me, they had invited Death in. I was a cancer on their happy existence, and soon the darkness would spread, eating through their world until there was nothing left. Though I was no willing participant in Damon's twisted plan, it would be no different from how Katherine insinuated herself into my life and decimated the entire Salvatore family. Like it or not, this family's well-being rested squarely on my shoulders. If Damon killed them, their blood would be on my hands, too. But how could I stop him? I was so much weaker than my brother, and I had no plans to begin feeding on humans again for fear that I'd be unable to stop. I rose from bed and pushed the curtains aside with a violent flick. As I stared at the moon, that orb that had witnessed so much of my ill-doing, I replayed the conversation we'd had with Margaret over and over in my head. The firm set of her jaw. The clear tone of her eyes. The way her lucid blue eyes had sized up me and Damon, as though she could see straight through our skin to our unbeating hearts. Winfield was ready to sign his fortune over to Damon, yet his daughter remained immune to my brother's Power. But how? The only protection I knew against vampires was vervain, but I'd not inhaled its cloying scent since arriving in New York. When trying to draw out Katherine, my father had spiked my whiskey with vervain, sending Katherine into a miasmic fit when she drank my blood. If only my father had thought to protect me sooner, he and I might still be in Mystic Falls, poring over accounting books as I studied to take over Veritas. Sliding the window open, I stepped out onto the narrow balcony. The night was eerily still. No wind rustled the trees, and even the pigeons that roosted on the neighbor's roof were quiet. My balcony faced east, toward the muddy East River and the narrow spit of land they called Blackwell's Island, where the city had recently rebuilt the lunatic asylum. A wry smile twisted my lips. If only I could check Damon in there. But then I let out a groan and clutched the wrought-iron rail with my hands. I had to stop wishing and hoping and thinking of millions of if onlys. I could not wish Damon into oblivion and I could not rewrite the past. What was done was done. Even at my peak Power, I could not cause the world to spin backward, could not turn back time and undo what Katherine did to me and my family. But I was not powerless over the future. I had free will, I had experience, and I had the choice to fight. Hoisting myself up on the rail, I leaped to the roof, landing on the tar with a soft thud. New York was a large city, and someone, somewhere, had to grow vervain or at least have dried sprigs. I'd run up and down the streets until I caught the telltale scent of the herb. Spiking Lydia's drinks would be impossible – Damon was feeding from her – but if I could just sprinkle some in Winfield's whiskey†¦ I ran across the roof, preparing to jump to that of the neighbor, before scaling down their fire escape to the street below. â€Å"Where are you going, brother?† The cheery words sliced through the night like gunshot, and I froze on the ledge. Slowly, I turned around to face a smiling Damon. He looked ready for the second part of his evening jaunt, wearing a three-piece suit and twirling a gold cane in his hand. I recognized it immediately – it had belonged to Callie's father, the man who had imprisoned Damon, torturing him and starving him before forcing him to do battle with a mountain lion. Damon must have stolen it after he killed Callie. Unbidden, an image of Callie bloomed in my mind. Her kind green eyes smiling at me, the freckles that dusted every inch of her body, the way she had so bravely given herself to me on the shore of the lake, offering her blood even though she knew what I was and what I could do to her†¦. Her dead, twisted body lying in the grass behind Lexi's house. â€Å"You bastard,† I said in a low, fury-filled voice that I barely recognized as my own. Rage that had been building for weeks with no outlet tore through my veins, and I felt as though my muscles were on fire. With a growl, I threw myself at him. â€Å"Why won't you just let me be?† Our bodies collided, like stone on stone. Startled, Damon fell backward, but instantly he pushed me off and flipped to his feet. He wrapped his arms around my neck with a vise-like grip. â€Å"If you were so desperate to be free of me, you shouldn't have forced me to become a vampire with you,† he hissed, all traces of joviality gone from his demeanor. I struggled to free myself, but his knee pressed more forcefully into my spine, pinning me to the roof. â€Å"You were the one who urged me to become what I am – to see what Katherine gave us as a gift rather than a curse.† â€Å"Trust me,† I gasped, trying to twist from his grip. â€Å"I would take it back if I could.† â€Å"Tsk-tsk,† Damon chided. â€Å"Didn't Father teach you that part of being a man is living with your choices?† He pressed my cheek into the tar roof, scraping open the skin there. â€Å"Then again, you were such a disappointment to him at the end – not wanting to marry Rosalyn, taking up with a vampire, killing him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You were always a disappointment,† I spat. â€Å"I should have killed you when I had the chance.† Damon let out a dry laugh. â€Å"Well, that would have been a shame, because then I couldn't do this.† The pressure on my spine abated as Damon hoisted me up by the back of the shirt. â€Å"What are you – † I started. Before I could finish, Damon launched me forward with the force of a lit cannon. My body careened through the night air, and for a brief, weightless moment, I wondered if I was flying. Then the hard pavement of the alley between the Sutherlands' and their neighbor's home rushed up to greet me, and my bones cracked loudly on the impact. I groaned, pain radiating through my limbs as I rolled to my back, blood dripping down my face. I lay like that for hours, staring at the stars until my Power healed me, resetting my bones and stitching up the gash in my cheek more swiftly than the most skilled medic could. But when I stood, a new pain shot through my chest. Because there on the brick wall of the Sutherlands' home, written in red ink that could only be blood, were three terrifying words: I'm always watching.