The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradburys stories The Veldt and The Rocket

The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradburys stories The Veldt and The Rocket Although, formally speaking, Ray Bradbury’s stories The Veldt and The Rocket belong to the literary genre of sci-fi, they are not as much about exploring the theme of bright technological future as they are about exploring the effects of futuristic technology on one’s consciousness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradbury’s stories The Veldt and The Rocket specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The common thing about both stories is the fact that, in them, author strived to exploit the motif of parental/social alienation, which he thought was going to represent one of the most important aspects of futuristic living. At the same time, even though the plots of The Veldt and The Rocket revolve around the theme of how technology might affect the workings of people’s consciousness, they offer diametrically opposite views, in regar ds to the subject matter. Whereas; The Veldt implies a counterproductive essence of such an effect, The Rocket promotes an idea that the utilization of technology does not deprive people of their existential vitality, but on the contrary – endows them with it. In other words; whereas, The Veldt is best referred to as the story of ‘degradation through technology’, The Rocket is most appropriately defined as the story about ‘revival through technology’. In our paper, we will aim to explore this thesis at length. In The Veldt, readers are being exposed to the story of two comparatively well-off but overly decadent parents George and Lydia coming to realization of the fact that their ‘Happylife Home’, which featured visually three-dimensional nursery for kids, was in fact causing more harm to their and kids’ well-being then good: â€Å"The more I see of the mess weve put ourselves in, the more it sickens me. Weve been contemplating o ur mechanical, electronic navels for too long. My God, how we need a breath of honest air!† (p. 17). As it appears out of story’s context, the reason why George and Lydia were becoming increasingly weary of their house, filled with a variety of different technological gadgets, is that while living there, they felt as if life-force was being gradually sucked out of them – in ‘Happylife Home’, there was nothing for both parents to occupy themselves with. In fact, house’s nursery had even taken over the upbringing of their children Peter and Wendy. This; however, had proven to be only a half of the problem – as time went by, George and Lydia started to realize that their kids were growing progressively alienated from them, on one hand, and becoming increasingly addicted to spending time in the nursery, on another. Slowly but surely, the techno-nursery became a surrogate parent for Peter and Wendy. As it was pointed out by story’s an other, psychologist David McClean: â€Å"Youve let this room and this house replace you and your wife in your childrens affections. This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents† (p. 16).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the fact that The Veldt was written circa 1951, in this sort story Bradbury was able to prove the strength of his prophetic insights beyond any reasonable doubt – after all, what author contemplated upon in this particular story, had now became a part of objective reality. Nowadays, the computer had effectively replaced parents for teenagers in many American families. This, however did not make the lives of parents any easier – as McClean had rightly suggested, it is only the matter of time before kids, addicted to playing with hi-tech gadgets, become mentally inadequate: â€Å"One of the original uses of these nurseries was so that we could study the patterns left on the walls by the childs mind, study at our leisure, and help the child. In this case, however, the room has become a channel toward-destructive thoughts, instead of a release away from them† (p. 16). Therefore, it makes no surprise that The Veldt ends on a tragic note – after having realized that their parents were serious about shutting down the nursery, Wendy and Peter decided to lure George and Lydia into it, in order for them to be eaten by lions. The morale of this story could be articulated as follows: people who are being deprived of their existential vitality, due to having all of their desires fully satisfied, cannot possibly utilize technology to improve their lives even better – on the contrary, rich but decadent people’s continuous exposal to technology will deprive them of the remains of their liveliness. Nevertheless, as we have pointed out ear lier in The Rocket, Bradbury discussed the effects of technology on people’s consciousness from an entirely new perspective. In it, story’s main character Fiorello Bodoni, who always dreamt of a space travel but was never able to afford it, decides to spend his lifesavings so that at least one member of his extended family would be able to experience the treat of a lifetime – flying to Mars on rocket, just like rich people do. He does it despite his friend Baramante’s advise not to act foolish and to remain content with the fact that there are certain things that poor people will never be able to do: â€Å"No, Bodoni, buy a new wrecking machine, which you need, and pull your dreams apart with it, and smash them to pieces† (p. 178). In other words, even at the story’s very beginning, Bradbury provides readers with the good clue as to the main character’s affiliation with the lowest social strata – hence, establishing an entirel y new semantic context, within which story’s plot would unravel, as compared to what it was the case with The Veldt.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The relationship between decadence and technology, as explored in Ray Bradbury’s stories The Veldt and The Rocket specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unlike the characters of George and Lydia from The Veldt, Bodoni is being represented to readers as someone with the strong desire to help his children to be able to attain social prominence in the future, despite the impossible odds. Ironically enough though, it was namely Bodoni’s realization of a sheer preposterousness of such his intention, which only added to the strength of his resolution to step over the limitations of its own social status – he swore to provide a chance to one of his numerous kids to experience space travel. Nevertheless, it did not take too long for Bodoni to apprehend tha t if one of the children does fly to Mars, it would make the kid feeling guilty for the rest of his life, on the account that others were denied the same opportunity. In its turn, this caused story’s main character to spend his hard-earned money to buy the mockup of a rocket, to put it in his backyard, and to install 3D TV screens in place of illuminators, so that all of his kids would be able to ‘travel’ to space and back, without knowing that this ‘travel’ was an illusion: â€Å"Let all of space come and go, and red Mars come up under our ship, and the moons of Mars, and let there be no flaws in the color film. Let there be three dimensions; let nothing go wrong with the hidden mirrors and screens that mold the fine illusion. Let time pass without crisis† (p. 184). After having ‘flown’ to Mars and back with all the children onboard, Bodoni felt if his actual life’s mission has been fulfilled – after having been to ‘space’, his kids will never think that, due to their low social status, there are things in life that they could never even dream of doing. Even Bodoni’s rather unimaginative wife Maria had grown to appreciate what her husband did: â€Å"Very late in the night Bodoni opened his eyes. He sensed that his wife was lying beside him, watching him. She did not move for a very long time, and then suddenly she kissed his cheeks and his forehead. ‘What’s this?’ he cried. ‘You’re the best father in the world,’ she whispered† (p. 185). The morale of this story is: those with burning desire to fulfill their life-dreams, despite lacking financial means, represent the better part humanity, because it is namely this type of people that make scientific, cultural and social progress possible. When we compare the endings of The Veldt and The Rocket, it will appear that; whereas, Bodoni’s poverty was proven an asset, within the context of how his life was affected by technology, George and Lydia’s prosperity, within the same context, was proven to be the key to their ‘undoing’. Thus, just as we have stated in the thesis, the reading of Bradbury’s both stories provides us with the insight onto the fact that technology itself can never be referred to as being ‘inheritably wicked’, as decadents do.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whereas; the utilization of 3D technology by George and Lydia in The Veldt resulted in bringing about their ultimate demise, the utilization of the same technology, on the part of Bodoni, allowed him to endow his children with an acute sense of self-respect and to strengthen the integrity of his marital relationship with Maria. This is exactly the reason why The Rocket is the last story in The Illustrated Man – apparently, Bradbury wanted to emphasize his belief in the beneficence to the mankind of just about any science-based technology. The analysis of motifs, contained in both stories, leaves very few doubts as to the full validity of his prophetic insights – just like the characters in The Veldt, today’s White people in Western countries continue to grow ever more technologically minded. However, this does not make them more ‘alive’ – unlike their ancestors, who used to bring the light of civilization to savages; they now allow these sava ges to colonize their own countries under disguise of ‘celebration of diversity’. Alternatively, the continuous utilization of technology by poor but mentally adequate people, unaffected by ideologies that derive out of bellyful idling (neo-Liberalism, New Age, etc.), as Chinese and Russians, had created a situation when it is now only the matter of very short time, before the mission of bearing the light of civilization will be given to them. In The Veldt and in The Rocket, Bradbury referred to the concept of technology in essentially the same manner that Richard Wagner referred to the concept of ‘gold’ in his operas – just as it was the case with gold in Wagnerian operas, people’s exposal to Bradbury’s ‘technology’ turns weak even weaker and strong even stronger. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that, besides high literary, there is also a high philosophical value to both of Bradbury’s stories. References Bradbury, Ray â€Å"The Illustrated Man†. New York: Bantam Books, 1983. Print.

20 Quotes About How to Give and Get Respect

20 Quotes About How to Give and Get Respect How often have you heard employees complaining about the lack of respect in the workplace? According to  an  HBR  survey  conducted by Christine Porath, associate professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business,  and  Tony Schwartz, founder of  The Energy Project, business leaders need to demonstrate respect to their employees if they want better commitment and engagement in the workplace. The survey results, as quoted in  HBR in the November 2014  states: Those that get respect from their leaders reported 56% better health and well-being, 1.72 times more trust and safety, 89% greater enjoyment and satisfaction with their jobs, 92% greater focus and prioritization, and 1.26 times more meaning and significance. Those that feel respected by their leaders were also 1.1 times more likely to stay with their organizations than those that didn’t. Building Employee Value Every employee needs to feel valued. That is at the core of every human interaction. It does not matter what rank, or office the person holds. It does not matter how important is the employees role in the organization. Each individual needs to feel respected and valued. Managers who recognize and empathize with this basic human need will become great business leaders. Tom Peters The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity. Frank Barron Never take a persons dignity: it is worth everything to them, and nothing to you. Stephen R. Covey Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers. Cary Grant Probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues. Rana Junaid Mustafa Gohar It is not grey hair that makes one respectable but character. Ayn Rand If one doesnt respect oneself one can have neither love nor respect for others. R. G. Risch Respect is a two-way street, if you want to get it, youve got to give it. Albert Einstein I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university. Alfred Nobel It is not sufficient to be worthy of respect in order to be respected.   Julia Cameron In limits, there is freedom. Creativity thrives within structure. Creating safe havens where our children are allowed to dream, play, make a mess and, yes, clean it up, we teach them respect for themselves and others. Criss Jami When I look at a person, I see a person - not a rank, not a class, not a title. Mark Clement Leaders who win the respect of others are the ones who deliver more than they promise, not the ones who promise more than they can deliver. Muhammad Tariq Majeed Respect at the cost of others is disrespect in effect. Ralph Waldo Emerson Men are respectable only as they respect. Cesar Chavez Preservation of ones own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures. Shannon L. Alder A true gentleman is one that apologizes anyways, even though he has not offended a lady intentionally. He is in a class all of his own because he knows the value of a womans heart. Carlos Wallace From the moment I could even understand what respect was I knew it was not a choice but the only option. Robert Schuller As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others. John Hume Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace - respect for diversity. John Wooden Respect a man, and he will do all the more. How Management Can Convey Respect to Employees The culture of respect should be religiously adhered to by every person in the organization. It has to percolate from the higher management to the last person down the structure. Respect has to be proactively demonstrated, in letter and spirit. Various forms of communication and engaging social interactions can build an environment of respect for employees. One business manager used an innovative idea to make his team feel valued. He would send out a message on their group chat every week or two on what his targets and achievements were for the week. He would also welcome suggestions and feedback on the same. This made his team sense a greater level of responsibility towards their  work and would feel that their contribution had a direct bearing  on  their employers success. Another employer of a mid-size business organization would invest an hour of the day meeting up with each employee personally over lunch. In doing so, the business manager not just learned important aspects of his own organization, but he also communicated his trust and respect to each employee.

Frederick Wiseman and Michael Moore Research Paper

Frederick Wiseman and Michael Moore - Research Paper Example Michael Moore and Frederick Wiseman have been among the leading proponents of this genre, making their documentaries more commercially viable and theatrical-minded. Recent data from the British Film Institute indicates that documentaries released in the UK have increased in number every year in the past two decades. While only four documentaries were released in 2001, ninety documentaries were released in 2012. Since Michael Moore won the Cannes Palme d’or for Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004, filmmakers arose to the fact that the documentary was commercially viable. This has been attributed to the dearth of realism that pushed a section of the audience towards authentic storytelling, whereas moving away from fictional plots and spectacular visuals. The ability for documentaries to fill the gaps left by investigative journalism, which is another reason for the interest in documentaries, has been embraced by Michael Moore and Frederick Wiseman in telling the story from their point of vi ew. ... This allowed the filmmaker to move away from voice-over narrations and embrace lived experience observation. This recording of the moment and its primacy changed documentary construction (Taylor 1). In his commitment as an observational filmmaker to represent real time, Wiseman presents scenes that show time as lived sans the straightforward nature of voice-overs. Wiseman turned to the Silent Ear’s continuity tradition, building a story that possesses a strong arch while also building scenes with resolution and continuity that push this story arc forward (Films 1). He uses the cutaway in High School to maintain progression of a logical dialogue between Michael and Dr. Allen when Michael refuses to accept the punishment handed to him. Using cutaway to Allen’s ring, Wiseman is able to condense a portion of this conversation. The condensing technique also happens between a couple of edits where Michael is seen standing before he is seen standing, almost inexplicably. While it is possible to see that Michael has changed his position by doing a camera analysis, the same cannot be deciphered from the conversation, as Wiseman is able to assure continuity. Wiseman links two separate moments for dramatic action and time, as well as to convey what he had understood from the different scenes (Films 1). Similarly, Wiseman uses the same technique in Domestic Violence in order to condense conversation and time. In this case, cutaway works to trim stories and shape them while also maintaining the meaning and impact that the filmmaker intended to convey (McGavin 1). He also uses this technique in order to surprise the audience. In Domestic Violence, particularly in the second half, he allows more time for story development with the camera focused in