Marie de Frances Lanval free essay sample

Marie de France’s ‘Lanval’ (Abrams, 2006. p. 142-157) is a 12th century lais that tells the tale of a knight who is caught between two different worlds; that of his lover’s and his own. Forced to live between both worlds, Lanval finds himself stuck between a world of solitude and a world of love. Through the trials and tribulations that result from the circumstances that he finds himself in, Lanval is confronted with the challenge of keeping his love with the Queen of Avalon a secret. This essay aims to show that in order to become a better knight Lanval must confront the challenge that results from him being unable to keep his love with Queen Avalon sacred. Lanval’s oath to hide his relationship with his lover is his biggest challenge and ultimately proves to be the lais’s central dilemma and unravels a series of consequences which almost bring about his undoing. We will write a custom essay sample on Marie de Frances Lanval or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is by facing up to the consequences of his actions that he is able to grow personally through learnt humility, develop an understanding of what’s most paramount and mature and become a better knight. In order to develop an understanding of why Lanval failed the challenge of keeping his love secret, we must first develop an understanding of Lanval’s physical and emotional isolation. In the beginning of the lais, Lanval is absent of two things women and land. He is described as a noble foreigner who resides far from his homeland, living by what appears to be the only profession he knows, being a knight (Ireland, 1977. p. 132). King Arthur rewards the service of all his other knights but inexplicably passes over giving Lanval neither women, land nor money. King Arthur’s behaviour is undoubtedly unfair inexplicable, given Lanval moved from a foreign land and has no ancestral rights to any land in the area so is left with nothing. According to Ireland in the ‘Narrative Unity of the Lanval of Marie de France’ such omissions by royalty are not uncommon in medieval literature (Ireland, 1977. p. 133). Further to this, he is not held in high regard by King Arthur’s other knights â€Å"Nor did his men like him at all. They envied his handsomeness, his courage, prowess and largesse. † (Abrams, 2006. . 143). Although loyal to King Arthur and his knights ,the lai reveals that Lanval is upset by the situation he finds himself in and generates a negative outlook, â€Å"Now Lanval is much preoccupied, gloomy seeing the darker side. when he comes from a foreign land and finds no help from any hand,† (Abrams, 2006. p. 143) which leads to him living a life of solitude and isolation. In contrast with the solitud e experienced in his own world of King Arthur’s court, Lanval is provided unconditional love and wealth by the Queen of Avalon. However, to further isolate Lanval from King Arthur’s court, Lanval is forced to separate both worlds because the Queen of Avalon, demands that their love remain sacred or he will lose her forever â€Å"I warn you and pray you and command: you must not tell anyone about the love that you have won. The consequence I shall declare: should people learn of this affair, you shall never see me again,† (Abrams, 2006. p. 145). Throughout the lais, Lanval faces the challenge of remaining loyal to his lover by keeping their love secret. In the end, it is Laval’s ego which stops him from remaining loyal to his lover and revealing their sacred love when King Arthur’s Queen accuses him of homosexuality. Finding it necessary to justify himself to the Queen, Lanval betrays the promise he made to his lover and puts his own pride ahead of his loyalty to his lover. This shows Lanval’s immaturity and how he puts his own selfish pride ahead of any loyalty to the Queen of Avalon or King Arthur. However, it is at this point of the lais that the reader begins to see a personal change in Lanval. Almost immediately he begins to grow personally through the experience by quickly developing self-awareness and regretting his biggest error and betrayal. This is noted by Patrick’s in ‘The Narrative Unity of Lanval’ who suggests that Lanval â€Å"reaches a kind of extra mortal awareness that his life and love lie in the other world,â€Å" (Ireland, 1977. p. 140). After Lanval’s secret love is revealed, it appears that the relationship between him and his lover has ended as â€Å"being well aware that he has spoiled the whole affair,† (Abrams, 2006. p. 149). During his trial, Lanval defends himself but it is his betrayal of his lover that is the biggest concern for the knight than the possibility of being sentenced to death or banished by a jury of his peers. This leads to Lanval’s submission to any decision the court determines; life or death matters little to Lanval if he cannot be reconciled with his lover. It is clear for the reader at this point that a major personal change has occurred in Lanval, the immature knight that the reader gets to know at the start of the poem is already evolving into a selfless knight. It is during his trial that Lanval is left â€Å"complaining and sighing† rying a hundred times for her (his lover) to have mercy (Abrams, 2006. p. 149). It is at this point that the reader can see that Lanval is developing humility brought about by his loss and that his love becomes the most important thing in Lanval’s world. It is by facing the consequences of his actions that we see Lanval continue t o grow personally and ultimately become a better person and knight. In conclusion it is evident; that it is only by failing the challenge of honouring the promise to his lover to keep their unspoken love secret that Lanval is able to eventually come to an understanding of what is most important to him. Throughout the lais the reader is able to follow Lanval’s development and see that it is not until Lanval develops a deep understanding of his mistake and what his pride may have cost him that he is able to develop humility and to become a better person and knight.

Lessons in investing business by Mark Skousen

Lessons in investing business by Mark Skousen Investing In One Lesson by Mark Skousen reveals the main principle of the investing business and can be called a guideline for those who want to succeed in this business.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Lessons in investing business by Mark Skousen specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main values of this book include Skousen’s great experience in this area and the simplicity of his explanations and examples. To my mind the book under consideration can be very helpful for starters and professionals as well. Even Skousen points out the exclusive importance of education and stresses that it is very important to â€Å"take time to educate yourself, to research ways to become more proficient in your own job or business† (Skousen 15). Investing In One Lesson lists the main questions that occur to the majority of investors and gives simple and competent answers. Admittedly, investing business is one of the m ost complicated and unpredictable; that is why it is very important to know the main laws of this world. The book under consideration contains all the necessary information to understand what this business is and the ways how to escape losses and obtain profits. To my mind this book is very helpful and readable due to its proximity to life, since Skousen don’t give the theory, he provides very illustrative examples considering famous companies, such as Yahoo, or Miramar Mining, etc. The book depicts different situations companies face, the ways how companies act, and the results of their actions. I’d like to point out that Skousen repeats one statement from the very beginning through the whole book: â€Å"The business of investing is not the same as investing in a business† (Skousen 3). After reading this book I understood that this statement is really true and this knowledge helped me understand better investing business. Now I understand that main rules that are good for leading business cannot be applied to investing business. Another point that pleasantly surprised me in this book that Skousen admits that losses in this business are quite often and he doesn’t say he never lost money while operating in this business. To my mind, it is very important to remember about the possible losses, and I think that the value of investing business consultants’ portfolio cannot be their doubtful â€Å"invincibility†, but ratio of the amount of gained money to the amount of lost money.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, Investing In One Lesson describes the possible ways how to cope with inevitable difficulties in investing business. After reading this book I learned that one of the main points in making success in investing business is the necessity to limit one’s â€Å"investment choices to those that suit† one’s â€Å"natural disposition† (Skousen 143). Skousen proves that it is necessary to focus on limited number of affairs you know and can deal with. To my mind this is the clue to making success, since one only wastes his/her time and money on knowing better new markets or new business, instead of making progress in the familiar sphere. I would also like to point out that Skousen is a supporter of economic theory of Austrian school, suggesting that government intervention in business should be minimized, and economic principles should be restricted by human motivations. These views can be also traced in the book under consideration. I’d like to point out that Investing In One Lesson broaden my knowledge in investing business and made me understand that it is possible to gain success in this sphere, giving some useful hints. Skousen, M. Investing In One Lesson. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2007.

Fit and Fitted

Fit and Fitted Fit and Fitted Fit and Fitted By Maeve Maddox A Lenscrafter television advertisement showing a man being fitted for glasses caught my attention with its unidiomatic use of the verb fit. At the beginning of the ad, the man is in a traditional examining room, looking anxiously through multiple lenses. At the end of the ad, he is seated comfortably in front of a device that ascertains his prescription by digital means. A voice-over asks, Why have your glasses fit manually? My internal usage detector immediately corrected the question to Why have your glasses fitted manually? American speakers do sometimes use fit instead of fitted as a past form, as in this example: In his case, the punishment fit the crime. In the context of having glasses made to measure, however, fitted is the preferred past form in standard US English. The following examples from US sources indicate that Lenscrafters use of fit as a past form does not agree with common usage in the context of fitting eyeglasses: Safety glasses which are professionally measured and fitted to the individual are recommended for permanent employees whose job duties require frequent eye protection.- University of North Carolina You can also send us new frames you’ve already bought and had fitted and we will fit new lenses into them.- Texas-based mail-order business. After this testing has been completed, your eye doctor will gather additional information so you can be fitted with contact lenses.- US vision information site. This is why it is important to have your eyeglasses fitted before you bring them home.- New Hampshire optometry office. Fitted is also the preferred form in the context of installing or equipping something: Since I last wrote about this issue in 2002, more rental cars have been fitted with such systems, which can instantly relay information on your cars speed, route and position to the rental company.- LA Times More than 200 paroled burglars in Connecticut will be fitted with global tracking devices as part of the states response to a home invasion in Cheshire last month that claimed the lives of a woman and her two daughters.- NY Times After selecting the plan, Hernandez learned it didnt cover the audiologist who had fitted her daughter, who is partially deaf, with a hearing aid.- Chicago Tribune An artist is planning to release about 2000 pigeons  fitted  with LED  lights  over New Yorks East River.- UPI news site. Finally, here are some examples of things being fitted manually: Most polar exploration aircraft must be  fitted manually  with skis for operating on snow.- Popular Mechanics To change the tower lights’ colors, plastic gels are fitted manually over metal halide lamps or floodlights and fluorescent tubes in various color combinations.- Article about the Empire State Building on a US trivia site The models generated for helix ÃŽ ±A, helix ÃŽ ±B and helix ÃŽ ±C located in TraF/VirB10NT  were fitted manually in one monomer of the difference map. - US government science site. Both forms, fit and fitted, are used as adjectives, but with different meanings. Compare: This dress is fit for a princess. (suitable) He never buys fitted sheets. (designed to fit closely) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good WithHyper and Hypo7 Proofreading Steps

Islamic architecture 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islamic architecture 2 - Essay Example The beginning of Islamic Architecture takes place with the construction of the Great Mosque at Cordoba in the Iberian Peninsula. Muslims as well as the Christians consider it a wonder of the medieval ages. The construction of great mosque of Cordoba initiated in between â€Å"784 and 786 at the site of a Christian Visigothic Church† 2. In specific, Abd ar-Rahman acquired the church, and subsequently, his grandchildren modified it over two centuries to transform it into a religious entity, starting in 784. The mosque itself was built in four phases  and is observed as a trademark of sacred Islamic architecture. Ferdinand III king of Castile took over Cordoba in 12363 and sanctioned the Great Mosque as the cathedral of city, Mezquita, and used it with negligible changes for the next three centuries4. In 929, when Abd al-Rahman III5 confirmed himself caliph, and the Spanish Umayyads attained the peak of their supremacy. The caliph built the fortress capital of Madinah al-Zahra about thirteen kilometers Northwest of Cordoba, with its focus to impress the world and exhibit its massive military. He made it his empires managerial and legislative headquarters. The construction in Medina al-Zahra proceeded speedily, particularly since Abd al-Rahman III put in one third of the state revenues in its progression. Finally, he brought in the largest and most grand secular venture of his period, which stayed matchless irrespective of the numerous cities founded until its end. As the caliphate fell in the 11th century, the city then was sacked and smoldered. The new Minister of Caliph Hisham II, Vizir-ul-Mansur6 shifted his concentration towards the east of Cordoba and deserted the city during his reign. Later, the Berber troops destroyed this palace-city in 10107. The Great Mosque of Cordoba is most illustrious for its gigantic arches, with approximately eight hundred fifty six pillars of natural stones. These legendary

FAP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FAP - Essay Example Academics prefer the net present value (NPV) method because it has theoretical validity; accounting managers tend to use the internal rate of return (IRR) method (Lefley & Ryan, 2005). Surveys and case studies have been conducted to pinpoint managers’ feelings on the theoretical versus the practical applications of capital budgeting (sometimes termed capital investment appraisal). Even though considerable research has been undertaken, no definite conclusions have been drawn as to why managers reject academics’ recommendations on sound theoretical models (Lefley & Ryan, 2005). The more sophisticated theoretical models have been studied in relationship to improved firm performance (Pike, 1989), with inconclusive results. The NPV method has some shortcomings; the value added can be measured for most investment decisions. Other models such as payback and accounting rate of return are also useful in analysis, and managers continue to use their intuitive judgment and more basic financial models. Improved efficiency in project selection should logically lead to improved overall performance. Small & Chen (1997) suggest that combining a strategic and an economic approach results in greater project selection efficiency and higher success rates. Lefley & Ryan (2005) that this idea one step further and comment that there are three main considerations in any investment decision: economic, strategic, and project specific risk. By combining these three elements in one model, the impact of investment decisions can be more accurately pinpointed. As stated earlier, researchers and analysts have found that managers utilize a combination of risk assessment models and financial appraisals for practical investment evaluations, and prefer not to rely on any one model, no matter its theoretical soundness (Lefley & Ryan, 2005). One danger of choosing a single model could arise when subordinate managers maximize benefits and minimize costs and risks when they put

Societys Fear of Genetic Engineering Essay -- Papers Science Biology

Society's Fear of Genetic Engineering Works Cited Not Included Anti-technologists and political extremists misinform, and over exaggerate statements that genetic engineering is not part of the natural order of things. The moral question of genetic engineering can be answered by studying human evolution and the idea of survival of the fittest. The question of safety can be answered by looking at the current precautions of the industry. The concept that society needs to understand is that with the right amount of time and money genetic engineering will help reduce disease and save countless lives. Many people do not realize that genetic engineering plays a role in many lives through out the world. Genetic engineering includes artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, sperm banks, cloning, and gene manipulation (Goetz 178). Synthetic insulin is now available for use to treat diabetes. This man made insulin has many positive aspects, which include its life span, cost to manufacture it, and the amount that is available. The synthetic insulin lasts two to three times longer than its natural form and costs substantially less to manufacture than to extract it from an animal, primarily pigs. One other benefit is the amount that can be manufactured. In pigs, the scientists need to wait for it to mature to extract the insulin. The synthetic source is completely man made and any amount can be manufactured in large quantities. The replication of insulin is not the only way biotechnology is being utilized. Today people receive synthetic hormones that their body cannot produce such as growth hormones, thyroid, estrogen, and testosterone. Vaccines are also another form of genetic engineering that h... ...hing that man was not supposed to be able to control. These ideas stem from people?s fear and religious affiliation. This is based on opinions that people have formed, once again, because of their ignorance towards genetic engineering. The fear that people have toward genetic engineering is not new to science. Ever since the beginning of science, man has been afraid of the unknown. Space travel and flying were not widely accepted until the twentieth century and was completely absurd just one hundred years ago. Today they are widely accepted and are used everyday. Genetic engineering is in the first stage of its discovery and will emerge in the twenty first century and will be as accepted as is flying and space travel. The people of the world should ease up on holding back the evolution of science and realize its possibilities for future generations

Disadvantages of Mobile

Disadvantages of Mobile Phones One might say that there are many advantages of mobile phones nowadays and there is no doubt about that. The main advantages is the mobility factor, you can bring your phone everywhere without missing a call, especially the important ones. With advantages there are disadvantages as well. The biggest disadvantages of owning your personal mobile phone. Not all the time it is advantageous, sometimes you are more capable without mobile phones. But if you look at it, mobile phones really did make life more easier and more convenient.Sometimes this convenience may become a disadvantage. Mobile phones make you a target for people who are in need and will probably rob you. Most of the marketed mobile phones are quiet expensive and this makes them very desirable for people with bad intentions and to steal them. Another greatest drawbacks of owning a mobile telephone. You have to be careful with it. Should you lost it somewhere, you cannot find it easily. If you place it about the roof of the car, do not overlook to take it off.If you forget, you will have a pancake instead than a telephone. It is not a pretty scene. Mobile phones are a great invention and almost a perfect technological breakthrough. Nevertheless, do not be fooled by these small and beautiful inventions because they carry danger within them. Now that you know most of the disadvantages of mobile phones. The big bulky price tag and losing your privacy are just two of the many disadvantages it carries. But still, mobile phones are something we cannot live without, and we bet you do too.