ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
“The Metamorphosis,” tells a story of how a man, Gregor Samsa, turned into an indefinite, disgusting insect, and what happened to him and his family after that (Kafka n. pag.). However, perhaps interpreting this text literally would even be a mistake; this is true of many of Kafka’s writings. Robertson points out that this story is “one which resists complete explanation… you can never completely solve it” (Robertson, 1:59). One of the possible readings of the text includes viewing Gregor’s transformation as a way to avoid his exhausting need to slave away for his family. So, let us consider what can be said about “The Metamorphosis” in this context. A closer look at the main character reveals that Gregor Samsa was a hard worker, a man who labored much to feed his relatives. He doesn’t like his work, but he realizes that he has to be a breadwinner after his father lost the ability to work. In fact, he perceives the obligation of earning money for the family as his natural duty, for who else, if not him, would care for his relatives? Who else, if not him, would make sure that his sister, Greta, gets proper education and realizes herself? It appears that the protagonist believes in some kind of a natural social hierarchy, in which he has the place where he must serve his family and support them by dedicating all his life to this cause. When Gregor turns into the creature, he does not care about that in the slightest; on the other hand, he cannot reconcile himself with the fact that he will miss his train and will not be able to reach his work that day. The protagonist’s transformation is simultaneous with his loss of ability to earn money. And at this point, his family starts feeling disgusted with him. They quickly forget all the good that Gregor did for them before the metamorphosis and lock him in his room. They now fear him, find him revolting, and, at the same time, blame him for not being able to work and support them anymore. Gregor’s family now perceive him as a parasite who needs to be looked after. They stop visiting him and contacting him altogether; only Greta plays the role of a (policewoman?) mediator and brings him food and drink. And then, it becomes clear that the family could look after themselves without Gregor’s working for them after all. The father finds himself quite capable of working; moreover, it turns out that he has been setting aside money from what Gregor was earning for them. It becomes clear now that the family was parasitizing on their son all that time. The whole story of Gregor’s transformation might be interpreted as the protagonists’ attempt to escape the unfair responsibility the weight of which he had to carry solely on his shoulders. This attempt is not conscious because Gregor is so confident about his duties that he does not even seem to care about his new form. This indicates the degree of
Compare and contrast the concepts of integrated rural development and agricultural transformation with a specific example of a country or a region. Agricultural transformation describes the process of shifting the use of individual farms from subsistence-oriented production to serve purposes of specialized products that focus on responding to market systems. Agricultural transformation promotes the integration of various sectors in the domestic and international scope to enhance the delivery of output. Agricultural transformation is a key element of structural transformation in a country because it promotes economic growth, development, and employment due to the overall improvement of various sectors. Agricultural transformation is one of the major approaches to attaining integrated rural development because agriculture is a common practice in most rural areas. Research shows that agriculture absorbs about 60 percent of the labor force in Africa (Lutz, 1998). Integrated rural development (IRD) involves a variety of approaches to induce activities that will improve the infrastructure and socioeconomic status in rural areas. Agricultural transformation focuses on the enhancement of farm activities in rural areas while integrated rural development concerns the improvement of livelihoods through agriculture and non-farm activities such as education and small-scale entrepreneurship. For example, the IRD program in the Southern region of Africa encompasses the aspect of agricultural transformation relating to the restocking of animals and non-farm activities that involve brick building projects aimed at promoting social and economic development in various districts in the region. Women bear a disproportionate burden in the agrarian system of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In addition, their productivity is low. Explain these statements with specific examples from individual developing economies. What measures/policies have been implemented to deal with these two issues? Once again, discuss with specific examples from individual developing economies. The greatest percentage of the labor force in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America comprises of women. Women provide the greatest input in food production, harvesting, and weeding in the fields. However, they face limited access to productive resources, which are relevant to the improvement of farm output. In this regard, legal and cultural restrictions on women promote a decline in agricultural production by about 30 percent. Reports on the food insecurity in the world indicate that women in sub-Saharan Africa own less than 15 percent of the total land. In the same way, the percentage of land under female holders in L
Introduction Early childhood is a stage in human development where remarkable changes are experienced physically, socially, and in cognitive abilities. These changes occur in an orderly manner and vary from one child to another. There are distinct stages in the development of human beings from infancy to adulthood (Cooper and Doherty, 2010). Early childhood experiences determine the intelligence, personality and social skills of a person later in life (Lock, 2012). This is an assessment of two different age groups. One is the school age group and the other one is the adolescent stage. These two groups were observed as they engaged in playful activities. It gives an account of what happened at the play ground against what is expected of these different ages. Observations made In the school going age, of particular interest was a boy aged 5 years. In the adolescent group, the object of interest was also a boy aged 13 years. These two sets of children were observed in a play ground. During the observation, various attributes were looked into, ranging from the physical look to matters of emotional, social, psychological and mental growth. The five year old child in the school going age group was free and interactive with the rest of the peers. However, this child was weak, and slower when compared to the rest. There is a probability that this child had a problem because, children in this age bracket are normally strong and vibrant. As for the adolescent boy aged 13 years, he was withdrawn and stayed away from his peers. On inquiring why he was not playing, he gave excuses that he was not in the mood, and that he would start playing later. He was shy and reserved opting to play games on his mobile phone other than play with his peers. Discussion The child in school going age had perfect communication skills. The use of verbal communication, eye contact and body language was his way of doing things as he had perfect non verbal communication skills. Though his tonal variation could be misleading, he responded well to the information given. This child could be lacking proper diet for healthy development (Cooper and Doherty, 2010). The adolescent boy had a problem with social skills. A lot was read from the non-verbal communication, eye contact
Bilingual education is regarded as a huge benefit for young learners. It is believed to have a considerable impact on children’s development not only in relation to the speaking activity but also in many other aspects. The area of the research focus is significant because it is crucial to find out what qualities bilingual education can help to develop and how exactly it influences the progress of preschool children. The question has been studied by many scholars who emphasize the positive influence of bilingual education. The key questions to be addressed in the literature review are concerned with the understanding of children’s early development in relation to bilingual education:  1. Is dual-language learning beneficial or disadvantageous for small children?  2. In what ways can bilingual education be employed in the classroom?  3. What skills can be enhanced with the help of dual-language education at preschool?  4. What methods are most frequently used by researchers to study the outcomes of bilingual education at preschool? The literature review is going to answer all of these questions in order to present a better understanding of the key issue of research: dual-language education. The findings of scholarly articles dedicated to the chosen theme will be introduced. Also, the review will provide data on the choice of keywords and filters of the search, as well as explain the selection of sources to be analyzed. There are several theories in child development that directly or indirectly discuss the implications of dual-language learning. According to the psychosexual developmental theory introduced by Freud, a child needs to pass a sequence of stages concentrated on various pleasure areas. Additionally, Freud put emphasis on the importance of learning to resolve conflicts (Conkbayir & Pascal, 2014). Freud remarked that personality was largely established by the age of five. In relation to this theory, the implementation of bilingual education at preschool helps children to deal with conflicts based on the necessity to accommodate to a dual-language environment (Conkbayir & Pascal, 2014). According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, children’s way of thinking differs greatly from the adults’ one (Conkbayir & Pascal, 2014). Piaget’s theory states that children learn to use language at the preoperational stage when they are between two and six years old. During this period, they do not understand concrete logic and cannot adopt other people’s point of view (Conkbayir & Pascal, 2014). Therefore, this approach also encourages to teach children two languages at a preschool age because they are the most likely to accept new knowledge without serious difficulties or biases. The socio-cultural theory introduced by Vygotsky is also related to bilingual education. According to this approach, children’s learning abilities are impacted by their peers, caregivers, and parents. Vygotsky treate
God intends the family to be one of the fundamental units of society, with Adam the first man, being the symbolic father of the family of humanity. Since time immemorial the Christian family has played a crucial role not only as the solid foundation of the society but also as one of the units through which God intends to reveal Himself to the world. God’s has divine and indefinite purpose to establish order in the society through the family. Because of the divine role that God has for the Christian family, it must thus have an established structure, characterized by the father as the family head, early marriages and low divorce rates. Ancient and modern Christian family structures have some similarities. However, this is not to mean that the family structure has resisted change. Despite the notable similarities in roles and functions, the modern Christian family structure has been altered significantly. The alterations in the family structure have implications, not on the family being one of the focal point for God’s works on earth but socially. The social significance of the family has been watered down. Despite the alterations, the family is still one of the standard units that God uses to reach out to the world. According to the protestant reformist Martin Luther, God chose to work through families such as the family of Jesus, which can be traced back to the family of Adam through Heli (Churton 123). Like the church, the family is a place where family members commune as a holy community through preaching baptismal and marriage, but are not allowed sharing in the Holy Communion. These are the attributes of the worshipping family. However, the family should not be seen as competing with the established church. The family, lead by the father, is the heart of the society with family members as believers undertaking their holy mission but within a controlled structure. This does not mean that the family is emerging as a type of a church or even being the true church. The family should not be seen as the substitute to the established church but as a point of contact between the world and the church. Many of the spiritual battles are fought within families and not in the established church (Scaer 81). Yet still, like during the biblical times where God used to work through families such as of Jacob’s and Abraham’s, modern Christian families are the contact points through which God reaches and touches modern societies (Scaer 87). Jesus continuously referred to God as His father, meaning that He recognized the role of the father as the head of the family (Mathew 12: 49). Like the family of Jesus where Joseph was the father and the leader of the family, the traditional Christian family structure had the father as the centre. Like the church leader, the father had the authority to lead the family in a number of religious rites, and particularly preaching. However, this kind of family structure has been altered significantly during modern times. The Christian fam
George Ryga is now viewed by many theatre and literary critics as one of the most prominent Canadian dramaturges. Among his most famous works, we can mark out such plays as “Sunrise on Sarah”, “Portrait of Angelica”, “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe” and many others. The authors style can be characterized as post-modernistic, because George Ryga often employed many literary allusions, non-linear plot and complex symbols, which have several layers of meaning. His play “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe” is the story of an Indian woman, who is struggling her way in a big city. First, it should be pointed out that Ryga reverses chronological order of events; the plot is mostly based on reminiscences and flashbacks, which is also a typical feature of post-modernistic theatre. The main character is forced to stand before the court; she is accused of prostitution and vagrancy. Probably, the dramaturge chooses to develop the plot in this way because he wants to show that due to some reasons, the protagonist stands on a low step of social ladder, or probably, she is not allowed to rise. In this case, we may as well speak about a literary allusion that Ryga makes, namely to the novel “The Trial” by Franz Kafka. It should be taken into consideration that the main character does not even understand why she is brought to the court. To a certain degree, this scene eloquently describes the bureaucracy of the law machinery, which is able to turn every person into a criminal or an outcast. Rita does not understand Canadian legal system but no one intends to help her. The play is also full of symbols, which can be interpreted from different standpoints, namely, we should speak about the recurring image of train that may have even opposite meanings. Perhaps, it would be better for us to show how Ryga employs this symbol what associations it produces. First, it is worth mentioning that the main character goes by train from her reservation to a big city. For her, this journey is a chance to start a new life, full of promises and opportunities, which Rita has never had before. At this point, the symbol of train represents new life or opportunities. Yet, it should be borne in mind that it may have a drastically different interpretation. Ritas friend perishes under a train, and it immediately gives rise to certain negative associations. This symbol should be discussed within the context of contemporary Canadian society. First, it may be understood as the state, itself, pitiless and sometimes even soulless. Ritas trial clearly represents the functioning of state machine, which attaches primary importance to the letter of law, totally neglecting individuality. To some extent, the death of James Paul represents this triumph of state over personality. In addition to that, Rita is violated on train tracks. It seems that George Ryga does not choose such location accidentally; more likely, he wants to attract readers attention to this symbol. Gyga makes the murders “grab Rita and throw her on train tracks” (Ryga, 50). The author sets a stress on the fact that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the state suppresses personality. In this respect, we may draw parallels between this play a
Introduction Australia is one of the few countries of the world that have been enjoying a high status on the economical front of the world when it comes to the growth of the economy and its statistics. There is no doubt in stating that Australia is noteworthy in a number of areas in which the country has made significant progress. As of the figures presented in the year 2000 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, it is noted that in 1999 the Australian economy grew by 4.3 per cent and as such growing at the rate of more than 4 per cent for the past eleven quarters in a row. That very while Peter Costello, Australian Federal Treasurer, stated that Australia’s future growth is estimated to grow around the same pace; this is something that was not possible in the past. This growth has added millions of billions of Australian dollars to the surplus. There are a number of areas that contribute to this impressive rate of growth for the Australian economy. Major of these areas can be seen as that the exports of the country are on the rise; strong consumer spending also proved to be highly contributory to the boost of the country’s economy. The Federal Treasurer also gave way to a very important notion that in the past, the Australian economy was regarded as the one the depended on commodities; so it was the “old economy”; according to him, today things are different. Australia is now the “new economy” that finds its way of development in the new technology industry. Now, this is absolutely an outmoded approach to say that Australia is a quarry and farm. This is because of the fact that the country’s today Australia’s communications sector is as broad as its mining industry and it is now larger than agriculture. The finance sector is even larger than these (Xinhua English Newswire, 2000). Looking at Inflation Looking at the present condition of the Australian economy, though it is a right observation to make that the country’s economy is booting up, however, inflation is one area that is giving concerns to the regulatory authorities of the country. According to the very recent report by the Economist, USA (2008), it is even putting the concerned officials in a state of trouble. As per the statistics issued by the Reserve Bank of Australia, it raised the benchmark loaning pace (that is by a point of a quarter) to 7.25% which was observed to be its 12 th increase in a row. There are other western countries that are faced with the issue of inflation; however, the source says that the Australian approach
Introduction The first tanks were introduced into battle in the year 1916. Before the introduction of tanks, armored cars were being used everywhere that did not have any of the capabilities of tanks. The first British tanks were put to use on the 15th of September, 1916 in battle (The WWI Tanks, p.1). Strengths and Weaknesses The strengths and weaknesses of British tanks in World War I go side by side. The first and most basic strength of the tanks was that their existence scared the Germans, and they had not been put out of action without more ado, and the first most successful use of tanks was in the Battle of Cambrai, in which “Certain of the tanks were equipped with massive wood fascines to aid trench crossing or special ‘grapnels’ to aid wire removal” (Battle of Cambrai: 1917, p.1). Mass tank attacks proved to be very helpful for the British and the advantages of such attacks were known by the British. In the Battle of Arras, a number of tanks were used so as to break the heavy barbed wires. This battle basically began with a mass attack of British tanks (Battle of Arras, p.1). On the other hand, the tanks had their weaknesses as well. First of all the view slits were so thin that it was nearly impossible to see much during movement and they became targets of the gunshots of enemies. Moreover, the exhaust made too much noise and the heat caused by it could have set alight the fuel tank. Another issue raised was the amount of mud that got into the treads and blocked them up” (The WWI Tanks, p.1). Because of these weaknesses, the British faced many problems in the Battle of Somme. Conclusion In the light of the above discussion, we can hereby culminate that the British tanks in World War I had their specific weaknesses and strengths that lead them to success as well as disappointment in certain battles. Works Cited Battle of Arras. Web. Battle of Cambrai: 1917. Web. The WWI Tanks. Web.