Effects Of Domestic Fiction

Effects Of Domestic Fiction Domestic fiction as a genre was predominantly written for girls and young women by women writers, and the genre grew exceedingly popular and flourished in the nineteenth century, especially during the mid to late nineteenth century. Domestic fiction, often referred to as sentimental fiction (due to its sentimental plotlines and characters) or simply womens fiction, became the dominant genre for girls in both Britain and America and the majority of domestic writing upheld and supported the restrictions of the female role. Many novels of domestic fiction have thus been criticised for not attempting to challenge these limitations and empower young women to live a fuller and more rewarding life, rather than simply reinforcing the idea that women must exist solely within the domestic sphere. This dissertation will discuss three different texts of the domestic fiction genre Elizabeth Wetherells The Wide, Wide World (1852), Charlotte Mary Yonges The Clever Woman of the Family (1865) and Lo uisa May Alcotts classic tale Little Women (1868) and will examine whether literature aimed at girls and young women in the nineteenth century began to empower women and present them with the idea of a life away from the restrictions of the domestic sphere, or whether the genre of domestic fiction simply enforced the rules and restrictions of the female role. Introduction During the nineteenth century, the influences upon the lives of children and young adults were very few and far between. Whereas children of the twenty-first century are still undeniably influenced by literature, these children live in the age of television, extensive advertising, communication, the internet and modern technology, and have an eclectic range of influences at their disposal rather than just literature, one of the main and major influences for children during the nineteenth century was the literature that was written specifically for them. Literacy, and literature itself increased considerably during the reign of Queen Victoria, and this can be attributed to a number of factors one of the most important factors being the expansion of popular education. Children and the idea of childhood had begun to be viewed and treated as a state which was entirely set aside from adulthood, and the child was considered to be far more innocent, and possess a far more malleable mind th an the adult. As John Back observes in his study Towards a Sociology of Education: Everything to do with children and family life had become a matter of worthy attention. Not only the childs future, but his presence and very existence was of concern: the child had taken a central place in the family.  [1]   The Victorians of the nineteenth century created an increasingly sentimental view of childhood which would grow to become widely accepted. Queen Victoria herself and Prince Albert set an example for a prim and proper family in which the children were greatly loved and tenderly cared for. Additionally, Victorian parents were advised to be firm with their children, but to deal with them with a larger degree of tenderness than in the past, and adults increasingly saw childhood as a period in which the child needed to be protected from the complicated adult world and its concerns. As a result of this changing view, education for children became paramount, and increasing concern was placed upon ensuring that children were appropriately taught. As Judith Rowbotham writes in Good Girls Make Good Wives: Guidance for Girls in Victorian Fiction; The child was the father of the man, and it was important to adults to ensure that children, who represented the next generation, should be properly taught. The question that occupied many minds however, was of what did a proper education consist?  [2]   Boys were given penny dreadfuls; inexpensive novels which often featured violent adventure or crime and were issued in monthly instalments. However, a well-educated female at this time was assumed to have been fruitfully instructed in the importance of her domestic and social duties and responsibilities, as well as in academic subjects. As a result of this assumption, girls were presented with the domestic novel. Young women and girls were deemed to be more suited to life within the domestic sphere, and the aim of domestic fiction and girls stories was to justify the boundaries of the female position within society and to convince the female, especially the impressionable young woman, of the necessity to conform to the roles of the domestic sphere. Didactic writing of this kind was certainly not a contemporary phenomenon educational and instructive books for young minds were also featured heavily in the eighteenth century. These however, were intended for an upper-class market and w ere published in the form of essays rather than as books. The contribution that girls made in their home was very significant, however it should be noted that that their lives were not always solely made up of domestic duties and responsibilities it was quite common for girls to be as well educated as boys, and to be accomplished and taught in skills and talents such as art and music. Still more genteel than what their brothers were taught, yet there was life away from the duties of the home. Public schools were available to the lower and middle classes, although they were not yet made mandatory, and girls were educated most often from the age of six until they reached fourteen or fifteen. However despite this, women were still discouraged from pursuing an education, as this would interfere with their duties within the home. The July 1848 edition of the publication The Mothers Magazine featured an article entitled Female Education, which encouraged mothers to restrict the time that their daughters were in education, claiming that their accomplishments would be rendered unnecessary after they married. The article states that young women should remain focused on their duties within the home: [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] let her seek a thorough practical understanding of those principles of which she may as a wife, mother and housekeeper, be called to make daily use. We are advocates for a thorough scientific education; but at the same time, for an education for the ordinary [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] duties which females, as wives, daughters and mothers, will be called upon to perform. The piano, and the brush, should never take the place of the needle.  [3]   Domestic fiction at this time was renowned for sentimental and predictable plotlines, exceedingly dramatic scenes and weak, weepy female characters, and this characteristic earned the genre its description as the language of tears. This was a time when the biggest ambition of young girls was to be married and to marry well for a woman to remain single was considered not only to be a misfortune, but a travesty and yet many of the authors who wrote these books were themselves single women. These books were on of the very few ways that young girls could imagine a life other than their own and therefore must have a lasting and effective impact on how they viewed themselves, both in regards to society and personally. Furthermore, the writers of domestic fiction were generally exclusively women, and for a woman to be a writer was at this point a new notion, and additionally, if their works were considered unseemly or inappropriate material for young girls, no one would purchase them. Due to the fact that for these female authors writing was their only source of income, the sale and popularity of their creations was paramount. As a result, it was extremely rare that domestic fiction for girls in the nineteenth century would feature a character who would step outside of societys restrictions upon young women, and who pushed the boundaries of appropriate female behaviour. For this, the genre has experienced many forms of criticism. The early forms of domestic fiction, conceived by authors such as Maria Edgeworth and Mrs. Sherwood, achieved popularity and social status and these stories whilst being improving, were also considered to be entertaining. Alison Adburgham has commented that: the novels were handbooks to the language of the beau monde, to the etiquette of chaperonage, to permissible and impermissible flirtations, to extra-marital affairs, to all modish attitudes and affections.  [4]   The literature was instructive and the characters unrealistic and wooden domestic fiction was treated as the perfect device to teach young girls how they should behave and present themselves. However, writers such as Charlotte Mary Yonge and Louisa May Alcott nonetheless managed to write characters who did venture beyond the boundaries of assumed stereotypes in understated and subtle ways, and unlike authors such as Elizabeth Wetherell, these writers managed to present an alternative life for girls through their characters, and succeeded in upholding societys limitations upon girls in the process. Instead of doing nothing to challenge these stereotypes and being criticised for this issue, these writers somehow were able to empower their female audience to move beyond the restrictions of their domestic sphere and live a far more stimulating life, or in other cases if their female characters did eventually conform to the institution of marriage and a domestic orientated way of life, t hey would still manage to maintain the qualities which some readers may have deemed undesirable and inappropriate. Moreover, with the publication of Little Women in 1863, Alcott challenged and succeeded in changing what it was to be a young girl in the Victorian age, and for decades to come. Due to the vast popularity of the domestic fiction genre in the nineteenth century, it is certainly indisputable that the genre had great effect on its readers, whether it was the impressionable and innocent little girls which read them or the mothers who read them to their children. But an underlying question of this particular genre is whether the effect was constructive in terms of the development of womens rights and their prospects in life and the growth of their position within the social structure, or whether these novels merely upheld and supported the outdated and strict boundaries set upon women of the nineteenth century and earlier, and supported the stereotypes placed upon them without attempting to make changes to this. I will attempt to answer this question in the chapters that follow. Chapter 1: The embodiment of the feminine ideal: Elizabeth Wetherell, The Wide, Wide World (1850 published in Britain in 1852) The girl of the mid-nineteenth-century spent the majority of her time in the company of other women and middle-class girls in particular spent their time with their mothers, their sisters and female servants or nannies who may have lived with them in their houses. Their experience was majorly influenced and centred around a feminine community, in which domesticity and the domestic role which they would pursue in their futures was central to their lives. As the term implies, domestic literature presented the home and the family as the best context and environment for the character building and moral reformation. Drawing heavily on the Sunday school movement, the genre embodied children with the idea that they were able to transform and save others around them through charity, prayer and devotion. Domestic fiction generally tended to conform to one basic plot line, which featured the story of a young woman (possibly newly orphaned, or separated from her parents) deprived of support she had previously depended on and is thus faced with the task of making her own way in the strange and unfamiliar outside world. Her ego at the outset of the novel is often damaged or is simply non-existent, and she believes that her guardians will always be there to protect and coddle her; however she learns painfully that this is not the case as she becomes acquainted with the real world. This is a world in which she is extremely vulnerable certainly not immune to loss, pain or hardship as she may have previously been, and she is surrounded by people who are far less virtuous than her. The failure of the world to exceed her expectations awakens the young girl to her own possibilities, and what she herself is capable of due to her overwhelming good nature and spirituality. By the climax of the novel, the young woman would usually come to realize and believe in her own worth and most importantly, will come to realize an extremely significant Christian value that everything in life, e ven if it is bad, is caused by God and will eventually lead to something good. Commenting on domestic fiction, Nina Baym describes the genre of the domestic novel in Womens Fiction as the story of a young girl who is deprived of the supports she had rightly or wrongly depended on to sustain her throughout her life and is faced with the necessity of winning her own way in the world.  [5]  Written by Susan Warner and published under the pseudonym Elizabeth Wetherell, The Wide, Wide World is argued to be the novel which first established the genre of childrens domestic fiction, and one which certainly embodies these characteristics of the domestic novel. The Wide, Wide World is one of the earliest and best examples of what would grow to become the most popular genre of nineteenth century fiction the domestic (or sentimental) novel and furthermore, it is considered to be Americas first best-seller novel. Warner was an American evangelical writer of religious and childrens fiction and, of course, domestic fiction. However, as novels were considered by some to be sinful  [6]  and damaging to moral education, Warner described her novels as stories. Sales of the story were unprecedented during the time of its publication as in almost a year, The Wide, Wide World sold over 40,000 copies and this number would rise to 225,000 at the end of the 1850s. Her works were among some of the most popular of domestic fiction written in the nineteenth century, and many featured storylines in which both moral and religious messages were woven. Warners novel featured an accurate portrayal of what life was like during the Victorian era in America and this is one reason for its great popularity. Although the novel is written and set in America, the characters of the story are well-born English and Scottish, and they act according to their stock and upbringing, and a period at the end of the novel takes place in Scotland itself. As a result, despite this being an American text, The Wide, Wide World was wholly relevant and applicable to English readers. Mid-nineteenth century readers of the novel recognised and appreciated its relevance to their own lives and women saw themselves and their situations mirrored in the situation of the protagonist Ellen Montgomery, and the people she meets throughout the story. Although this book was written by a woman for women, it was not particularly aimed at children. What sets it aside as a childrens text and more importantly a girls text is the fact that the protagonist is a young woman. Published in 1850, the novel went through fourteen editions in just two years, and the novel was eventually published in Britain in 1852. It maintained its vast popularity throughout the nineteenth century; however it waned in popularity during the early part of the twentieth century, especially around the 1920s at a time when non-domestic childrens literature began to flourish. In What Katy Read: Feminist Re-readings of Classic Stories for Girls by scholars of nineteenth century girls fiction Shirley Foster and Judy Simons it is stated that Warners text served as a bridge between the pious Sunday school stories of the 1830s and the child-centred adventures of the latter half of the century and furthermore the novel featured an unprotected heroine overcomes suffering and tribulations to achieve spiritual perfection and moral maturity,  [7]  and this would become the archetypal plot which dominated the domestic fiction genre. As mentioned in the introduction, domestic fiction in some cases had become known as the language of tears, and Warners novel certainly conforms to this description, as we can see at many points throughout the text. The novel begins with the disruption of Ellens happy life, as her mother is dying and her father has lost his fortune and upon doctors recommendations, her parents travel to Europe, and it is unknown how long they will be absent. Ellen leads a fulfilling and pampered lifestyle in New York, and as a result of her parents departure, she must leave her home in order to live with her Aunt Fortune, her fathers sister (who seems to share his temperament) in the countryside. Ellen attempts to be brave for the sake of her mother; however she finds little comfort and is clearly devastated at her departure and Ellen, crying, flings her arms around her mother, and hiding her face in her lap gave way to a violent burst of grief that seemed for a few moments as if it would rend soul a nd body in twain.  [8]  As well as being a prime example of the domestic novel, The Wide, Wide World is considered to be a piece of sentimentalist literature, and the novel unquestionably portrays how sentimental Warners style is. The action of the story is introverted within Ellen, and we can see that she is a weepy character at many points throughout the novel. For example; Dressing was sad work to Ellen today; it went on very heavily. Tears dropped into the water as she stooped her heard to the basin,  [9]  is an extract from a four page stretch of the novel, and within these pages Ellen is portrayed to be crying on five separate occasions. On average, Ellen sheds her tears almost once every two pages, and it is clear that her readers are expected to cry with her, and many probably did. The Wide, Wide World is described as the quintessential domestic novel, and many feminist critics have focused on analyzing the novels portrayal of gender dynamics. Warners characters conformed to the stereotypes of ideal young women. Ellen Montgomery, the heroine of the novel, is the epitome of what society desired a young woman to be in the nineteenth century; her behaviour is always modest, indicative of unselfish submission to those in due authority over her, such as her parents. Elizabeth Wetherell was an early provider of the stereotype of a good girl on the most ideal lines.  [10]  Her conduct is perfectly ladylike and throughout the novel she pursues self improvement, and although she is descended from luxury and money, she discovers how to become domestic and to care for both the household and herself, and also commenting on this issue, Rowbotham goes on to claim; The message of didactic fiction throughout the nineteenth century was that feminine influence was more essential to the daily moral health and strength of the family unit and of the nation than that of a man. It was a womans first duty in life therefore, to become as professional in her sphere as a man in his; to cultivate her feminine talents in the emotional realm so as to maximise their usefulness within the domestic orbit  [11]   In addition to this, it was believed that self-sacrifice as opposed to self-sufficiency was what marked women as professionals, and Ellen certainly conforms to this belief and it is clear that she sacrifices her own desires for the benefit of those around her. We observe Ellens thoroughly good and self-sacrificing nature at many points in the novel, particularly when her Aunt Fortune becomes ill. Although her Aunt has treated Ellen badly since she arrived in her care, Ellen must cast this fact aside and take over as head of the household, as it was essential for an ideal nineteenth century girl to become adaptable and to keep her composure in difficult situations. Throughout the novel, Ellen experiences and learns self-sacrifice and unassuming nature and learns to do without the luxuries she has been used to, and it could be suggested that Ellen is the perfect embodiment of the Victorian feminine ideal, often referred to as The Angel in the House. The image of ideal womanhood, as def ined by Barbara Welter in her well-known article The Cult of True Womanhood features feminine virtues such as: Piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity. Put them together and they spelled mother, daughter, sister, wife woman. Without them, not matter whether there was fame, achievement or wealth, was ashes. With them she was promised happiness and power.  [12]   Women were desired and largely required to embody these characteristics and to become the domestic ideal, and this Victorian image of the ideal wife and the ideal woman came to be known as The Angel in the House. The angel was powerless, passive and devoted to her husband, and completely pure. The expression Angel in the House originates from the title of the extremely popular poem by Coventry Patmore of the same name, in which he presents his wife Emily- the angel of the title as a model for all womankind, under the impression that his wife Emily was the absolute ideal Victorian wife. Warners novel is a text which features women, most notably Ellens mother and Alice Humphreys who conform to the ideals of The Angel in the House and it is from these women that Ellen learned to become the perfect and exemplary middle-class Victorian girl. As Signe O. Wegener observes in James Fenimore Cooper Versus The Cult Of Domesticity, Whereas [authors such as] Child and Sedgewick marginalize the mother, Warner allows her more prominence and influence, constantly emphasizing the almost symbolic attachment between mother and daughter. Mrs. Montgomery, although an invealid, is the most important person in the heroine Ellens life, carefully shaping her daughter into an angel in the house and a mirror of her pious and self-sacrificing self. As befits a mother from the hey-day of the cult of domesticity, she has the proper priorities.  [13]   Ellens mother is submissive to her husband, yet is conflicted as she does not want her daughter to be sent away and certainly does not want to go to Europe. However, since both her doctor and her husband (who are both dominant males) demand that she do, she must obey them and the narrator observes, Captain Montgomery added the weight of authority, insisting on her compliance. And of course, the submissive angel in the house, Mrs. Montgomery is required to succumb to the separation. Mrs. Montgomery has absolutely no power in her husbands household yet she never voices her complaints, even when she is to be separated from Ellen whom she loves and adores Ellen learns and demonstrates much throughout the novel from her guidance and it is evident that this is what her mother desires, and we are presented with this fact upon her mothers departure when Ellen is presented with a bible and workbox, essential items for the ideal Victorian girl. The reason for these gifts, her mother explains, is that these will provide everything necessary for keeping up good habits, and that this will help Mrs. Montgomery to rest assured that Ellen will: be always neat, and tidy, and industrious, depending upon others as little as possible; and careful to improve yourself by every means [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] I will leave you no excuse, Ellen, for failing in any of these duties. I trust you will not disappoint me in a single particular.  [14]   Furthermore, under her the guidance of her mother (albeit, her invalid mother) Ellen learns to become the the angel in the house, and one instance in which we can see this is the point at which Ellen experiments in poking the fire in her home. As Mrs. Montgomery is unfit for housework, Ellen learns to recognize the unspoken agreement in which the household duties are transferred onto her: The room was dark and cheerless; and Ellen felt stiff and chilly. However, she made her way to the fire, and having found the poker, she applied it gently to the Liverpool coal with such good effort that a bright ruddy blaze sprang up, and lighted the whole room. Ellen smiled at the result of her experiment. That is something like, she said to herself; who says I cant poke the fire? Now, let us see if I cant do something else.  [15]   Ellen is often unsure of her abilities within the domestic sphere, and this experiment with the poker gives her some idea of what she could be able to perform, and what outcomes they could provide for the house and for others around her and this is clear as she continues experimenting within the room. This suggests, quite literally, that her labours could light up and bring warmth to a cold, dark and cheerless home. She could become the angel in the house or the light of the home and through her domestic labour, as we can see, Ellen herself becomes happier and far more contented. Furthermore, it would appear that her mothers instruction and influence was not in vain and Ellen has seemingly fulfilled her mothers wishes, as we can see by friends describing Ellen as: [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] a most extraordinary child! said Mrs. Gillespie. She is a good child, said Mrs. Chauncey. Yes mamma, I dont think she could help being polite. It is not that, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] mere sweetness and politeness would never give so much elegance of manner. As far as I have seen, Ellen Montgomery is a perfectly well-behaved child. That she is said Mrs. Chauncey; but neither would any cultivation or example be sufficient for it without Ellens through good principle and great sweetness of temper.  [16]   The embodiment of the angel in the house seems to be a dominant theme throughout Warners text, however one of the women in the forefront of Ellens life who should essentially serve as a kind of substitute of Ellens mother, is the exact opposite of this feminine ideal. Ellen, despite all that her mother has left her with to make an ideal life for herself in her absence, finds little solace with her fathers sister, Fortune Emerson. Described in What Katy Read as: In terms of the paradigmatic fairy-tale structure of the novel, she is the wicked stepmother. Apparently incapable of affection and bearing deep grudges, she tyrannises over Ellen: she cheats her of her mothers letters, she refuses to make it possible for her to attend the local school, and in order to vindicate herself in the eyes of Mr. Van Brunt, her farm manager, she makes her niece confess to faults of which she is not guilty. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] In gender terms, indeed, she seems not only more male than female, but embodies a domineering and aggressive masculinity.  [17]   Ellens Aunt Fortune turns out to be the complete opposite of her mother. Unkind and callous, she shows Ellen no affection whatsoever, and in a letter to her mother, it is clear just how uneasy Aunt Fortune makes her, even in aspects beyond her control such as her appearance and manner: I wish there was somebody here that I could love, but there is not. You will want to know what sort of person my aunt Fortune is. I think she is very good looking, or she would be if her nose were not quite so sharp: but, mamma, I cant tell you what sort of feeling I have about her: it seems to me as if she was sharp all over. Im sure her eyes are as sharp as two needles. And she doesnt walk like other people; at least sometimes. She makes queer little jerks and starts and jumps, and flies about like I dont know what.  [18]   In her new life with her aunt who is neither a lady nor a Christian and who certainly does not behave in a familial manner towards Ellen, Ellen is clearly superior. Furthermore, Aunt Fortune blatantly denies Ellen the further education that her mother desired. Only when Ellen meets Alice Humphrey, a refined Christian woman (who is certainly reminiscent of her mother) does she find consolation in such an unforgiving and seemingly hopeless place. Alice is a pious and idealistic woman and as the daughter of a minister, she is a faithful churchgoer unlike anyone else in the area. Alice essentially takes Ellen under her wing and with this new found companionship, and Ellen receives the schooling and moral instruction that her Aunt Fortune has denied her. Alice and her bother John, who is often away studying at school, save Ellen from the unkind and impious atmosphere her aunt has created and this act of rescue by Alice supports the idea and instruction that girls should not affirm their own desires, but wait for a fellow Christian to act as a saviour and to intervene and of course in this kind of domestic novel, this was always the case. As well as supporting the ideal of the angel in the house and creating characters that appear to embody all of the characteristics of the Victorian feminine ideal, The Wide, Wide World also promotes the Christian idea that the good and virtuous die young, but despite an early demise their deaths are seen as being religiously meaningful however untimely. As a result of these deaths, other characters are able to recognize the failure in their own morals. Although Aunt Fortune is gravely ill, Warner does not allow her a meaningful death as she is not religious or devout enough to be worthy of it. However Alice Humphreys enters Ellens life as an ideal role model and certainly the embodiment of the feminine ideal, and her thoroughly good and pure nature essentially means that she is not for this world: She is able to mount a rescue mission and take over Mrs. Montgomerys duties. However, Alice Humphreys is such a perfect Angel in the House that it is not surprising that Death had already marked her for his own. Before she dies, Ellen learns from her how best to combine education, accomplishments and domesticity, taking over Alices place as daughter and provider of comfort in the Humphrey household.  [19]   Both

Essay --

Slaughter house 5 by Kurt Vonnegut is the story of Billy Pilgrim a soldier in WWII that time travels. At the beginning of the story In Slaughterhouse 5 the frequent use of time travel is Billy Pilgrim’s way of coping with the regrets, and reliving the accomplishments of his life Billy has many regrets in the story but there are 3 regrets that really trouble him a lot. The first is the death of Ronald Weary. Billy is in a huge battle and falls next to a tree where Weary helps him only to receive credit for the rescue. When Weary arrives the Germans spot them and they become prisoners of war they are put on a train and sent to a prison. While Weary is on the train he develops a deadly disease in his foot which consequently kills him. â€Å"There was death on the ninth day in the car ahead of Billy’s too. Ronald weary died of gangrene that had started in his mangles feet. So it goes. Weary in his nearly continuous delirium told of the three musketeers acknowledged that he was dying, gave many messages to be delivered to his family in Pittsburg. Above all, he wanted to be avenged, so he said again and again the name of the person who had killed him. Everyone on the car learned the lesson well. Who killed me he would ask. And everybody knew the answer whi ch was this Billy Pilgrim.† The next thing Billy regrets is going on an airplane that is headed to an optometry convention. He knows it is going to crash because of his ability to time travel yet, he still gets on the plane so he doesn’t make a fool out of himself. He survives the plane crash and wakes up in the hospital. â€Å"Billy pilgrim got on a chartered airplane 25 years after that. He knew it was going to crash but he didn’t want to make a fool of himself by saying so.† After the plane ... ... Traflamadorian philosophy he realizes that time travel to cope with his feelings is not a viable solution. The traflamadorians taught him that there is nothing he can to prevent change or alter the future in anyway because from the beginning the moment was is and always will be struvtured that way. Before he went to traflamadore Billy was time travaling quite frequently to try and cope with regrets and relive accomplishments to see if he could have done anything differently in any of the situations he found himself in. Billy seemed to kill himself over what he could and could not have done. After the experience on traflamadore Billy didn’t time travel as much and he seemed to be at peace with the world and his fate. So it is evident that the frequent use of time travel is Billy Pilgrim’s way of coping with the regrets, and reliving the accomplishments of his life.

Analysis of Barclays Bank Essay

Introduction The process of restructuring the telecommunication sector truly got under way in Cameroon in June 1995, when the authorities decided thoroughly to reform network industry sectors such as water, electricity and telecommunications with a view to creating a favourable environment in which to develop their infrastructure and services and thus to satisfy increasingly exigent demand. The process took the form of liberalization, State withdrawal from the sectors concerned and the establishment of a  market structure enabling Cameroon to remain in step with the especially rapid global developments in the telecommunication sector; indeed, in spite of the investments made, the coverage rate and quality of service offered had remained largely inadequate. The process was carried out not only by defining the conditions and mechanisms liable to guarantee the sector’s opening to private initiative, but also by enacting regulations and taking measures intended to enable the sector to play t he decisive role incumbent on it in Cameroon’s economic development. Telecommunication sector reform in Cameroon is not limited to the establishment of new regulations and legislation, to the revision of the institutional framework and the establishment of an interconnection regime or to the introduction of competition. It should also comprise bringing behaviour in line with the times. One of our chief concerns is therefore also effective application of the regulations with a view to fulfilling the universal service obligation, ensuring consumer protection and providing for effective and appropriate regulation of true competition. The acquisition of the required know-how is the biggest challenge we face. The institutional players on Cameroon’s telecommunications scene are, as in many other African countries, of the opinion that any society that delays in jumping on the NTIC train will remain mired in a state of underdevelopment. Observations Background Before 1990, as in most African countries, telecommunication services were managed by a national publicly-owned monopoly. The administration in charge of telecommunications set the rules, ensured they were applied and was itself an operator. The results did not always live up to expectations. In June 1990, the President of the Republic signed the order on the programme to privatize public and semi-public enterprises. The telecommunication sector was added to the programme in June 1995. In July 1998, law 98/014 governing telecommunications in Cameroon (the Telecommunications Act) was promulgated. It established the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency and attributed sector responsibilities to a variety of players: the operation of  telecommunication networks to operators, regulatory matters, i.e. application of the rules and supervision of operators, to a regulatory body, the definition of sector policy and the enactment of market regulations to the telecommunication administration. In September of the same year, two public enterprises, CAMTEL for the fixed telephone service and CAMTEL MOBILE for the mobile telephone service, were set up to take over the telecommunication activities of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and of the public enterprise INTELCAM, which was in charge of operating and developing international telecommunication installations. The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency was set up at the  same time. Immediately after, the sale of a mobile telephone licence and the process of privatizing CAMTEL and CAMTEL MOBILE got under way. In June 1999, a mobile telephone licence was granted to a private enterprise. The privatization of CAMTEL MOBILE was completed in February 2000. The privatization of CAMTEL is not yet complete. A third mobile telephone licence is to be issued. In less than two years, the sector has undergone sweeping change. Suffice it to mention one indicator: in January 2000 there was one mobile telephone operator with about 5 000 subscribers; on 31 March 2001 there were two operators with over 140 000 subscribers. This rapid and in-depth transformation is taking place within a constantly improving legal framework. II A liberal legal framework The development of new technologies and liberalization have permitted access to new telecommunication services which, depending on their specific natures, require appropriate regulation. The Telecommunications Act sets forth a new regulatory framework, opening the telecommunication sector to competition. The framework, which distinguishes between public and private networks, provides for three legal arrangements: concessions, authorizations  and declarations. 1 Concessions The State can grant one or several public or private corporate bodies all or part of its rights to establish and/or operate telecommunication networks. The concession is subject to strict compliance with the requirements set forth in a list of terms and conditions. This arrangement allows the State not only to keep a watchful eye on the harmonious development of modern telecommunication infrastructure, but also and above all to heighten its control over the development and supply of the basic services and facilities us ually demanded by the majority of users. 2 Authorizations The arrangement of prior authorization applies to the establishment and/or operation of telecommunication networks by physical persons or corporate bodies with a view to providing the public with a basic telecommunication service, a value-added service, a bearer service or any other service by using one or several radio frequencies. A list of terms and conditions containing the requirements to be met is attached to the licence issued to the bearer of a prior authorization. The authorization is issued for a fixed period and can be withdrawn under certain circumstances. 3 Declarations Declarations apply to the establishment of private internal networks, low-range and low-capacity private independent networks (that are not radio networks), low-range and low-capacity radio installations (to be determined  by the Administration), and the provision to the public of telecommunication services other than those subject to the arrangements of concession and authorization. Telecommunication terminal equipment is either freely provided or subject to type-approval. Certain provisions of the Telecommunications Act are detailed in decrees and implementing legislation. We shall not examine all of them here; indeed, some of them are still being drafted. The reform in Cameroon established the separation between the regulatory and operating functions. It works in favour of operators being entities controlled by private capital. The general framework for competition is governed by legislation on competition. The legal framework is supplemented by institutions. III 1 A revised institutional framework The telecommunication administration Spectrum management and the legislation and regulations relating to telecommunications are the exclusive domain of the State. The telecommunication administration has been invested, on behalf of the government, with general jurisdiction over the sector. It sets the general regulatory framework. It therefore establishes and implements telecommunication sector policy, whose aim must be to safeguard the missions of public service, to promote harmonious network development throughout the national territory and effective private sector participation in the sector’s wealth and employment-generating activities, and to ensure compliance by all operators with the applicable treaties, laws and regulations. In addition, the administration supervises the telecommunication sector, oversees public telecommunication enterprises, represents the State at international telecommunication-related organizations and events, and manages the radio spectrum on behalf of the State. The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency, which technically answers to the telecommunication administration, is the specialized body in charge of  facilitating actual application of the regulations issued. 2 The Telecommunication Regulatory Agency The organization of the Telecommunication Regulatory Agency established by the Telecommunications Act is set forth in decree No. 98/197 of 8 September 1998. The Agency has three main duties: – to ensure the regulations are implemented; – to guarantee respect for the regulations and the exercise of competition; – to settle certain disputes between operators. The Agency’s regulatory authority is subject to performance of the following activities: – definition of the principles governing tariffs for services; – examination of requests for authorization and declaration and of type-approval files for terminal equipment to be connected to public networks; – establishment of principles for calculating interconnection costs; – establishment and management of numbering plans; – management of the frequencies attributed to telecommunications; – submission to the government of proposals aimed at developing and modernizing the sector; – opinions on draft legislative and regulatory texts concerning telecommunications; – control and penalties for infractions. The Agency is specifically competent to settle disputes concerning interconnection, access to a public network, numbering, cases of harmful interference, and sharing of infrastructure. The Telecommunications Act provides the Agency with a quasi-judicial body and an arbitration procedure can be set in motion should one or the other of the parties be opposed. The parties remain free to bring their case before the competent court. IV Human resources Human resources are the key to management and progress, for they have knowledge, that rarest of economic commodities in the 21st century. The current transition from a monopoly environment to that of controlled competition has given rise to new demands in terms of basic knowledge and know- how in telecommunication regulation. Telecommunication leaders and staff in Cameroon were still dealing with the transition from analogue to digital when circuit switching was suddenly replaced by packet switching. This recent change has reshaped the concept and definition of telecommunication networks and services. Everything must therefore be done to make sure the human resources acquire the skills they need for their own development and that of companies, which create wealth for the well-being of peoples. The Ecole Nationale Supà ©rieure des Postes et Tà ©là ©communications, an independent facility run by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, provides basic instruction in telecommunications and ICT to technicians (technical and operating staff), supervising technicians (operating technicians and supervisors) and senior technical managers (works engineers and operating inspectors). It plans to organize standing professional certification for the staff of public and private enterprises and of the public administrations in charge of telecommunications and ICT. V International cooperation Cameroon has always been present and active in regional and international telecommunication organizations. It is a member of the Administrative Councils of both the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It has had very few bilateral exchanges of experience and information with other African countries. The ineffectiveness of regional (ATU) and subregional organizations (CAPTAC) has precluded the launch at subregional level of cooperation activities aimed at developing telecommunications in Cameroon. At the international level, ITU  has not been closely involved in telecommunication sector reform. In the past eight years, it has provided some technical assistance but otherwise almost no support for telecommunication development projects in Cameroon, possibly because the Area Office in Yaoundà © is not functioning. The capacities of the Area Office in Yaoundà © should be reinforced. Its main duties should be: – To disseminate ITU documents and information in the area. For this, it should have the means required to provide the documentation centres of the main players in each of the area’s countries with the documents and books needed to acquire knowledge in telecommunications and ICT, for most of the sector’s African managers will have to teach themselves. In this respect, hard as opposed to electronic copies remain invaluable in Africa.

What Does It Mean To Be Created In The Image Of God This

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? This question has haunted humanity for thousands of years. If we were created in His image then how exactly did we fall. The first section of the text speaks to this very question by conducting an analysis of the creation account in the book of Genesis. The text begins by noting that the creation of man was intentional and specific. Man was not an afterthought or accident. In face scripture states that man was â€Å"very good.† Scripture also notes that the creation of man was not an evolutionary event, given that this theory would deny the formation of man from the dust and the breath of life that was given by God specifically for man. The text gives five explanations of the term,†¦show more content†¦Traducianism explains that the soul generates within the body as a natural process. Chapter 32 discusses the material and immaterial facets of man’s being. This is referred to by Ryrie as the bipartite unity o f man, which refers to his material or bodily existence as well as his immaterial or spiritual existence. However, the trichotomy approach suggests that the body is not only material and immaterial but the immaterial is further split into the soul and the spirit. The theory of trichotomy often sights Hebrews 4:12, Thessalonians 5:23, and Corinthians 15:44 to support the existence of the both the soul and the spirit. The next section discusses the many facets of the human existence by discussing the soul, spirit, heart, conscience, mind flesh, and will. Chapter 33 discusses the fall of man, which is viewed in three ways. It is either viewed as complete myth, complete historical fact, or a non-historical story with a truthful takeaway. Yet, the account of the fall of man is historically accepted by the apostle Paul, among many others, throughout scripture. However, the nature of the fall as it pertains to Adam is the focus of the chapter. Adam did fall but it is important to note his condition before the fall. Adam was endowed with great power and blessing from God. He was given a moral nature of holiness allowing him to communicate and walk with God. Lastly, Adam was given theShow MoreRelatedCreated in Gods Image Essay946 Words   |  4 Pagesuse in 1:26-27 that God has created man in his image. The text verbatim states â€Å"Then God said, â€Å"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness†¦So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.† From this distinct text we can clearly conclude that when ad created man and woman, they were destined to be in God’s image and carry his image throughout his creation. Today we can see that many of us do not live in God’s image due to society becomingRead MoreThe Nature Of Human Relationships1673 Words   |  7 PagesGod made man in His image and likeness and created woman so that man would not be alone and would have a helper in life. Before exploring the nature of human relationships, it may be useful to begin with an understanding of the innate dignity and humanity within each person. God created man in his image, with all of the dignity that is due one who was brought into being in order to depict the image of God to the world. If one came into contact with God, creator of heaven and earth, would theyRead MoreGrade 10 Religion Unit 11080 Words   |  5 PagesUnit 1 Are we good? Key Terms RELIGION TEST Matthew Lapointe WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN? What does anthropology say about humans? †¢ Anthropologists study the origin, development, and customs of human beings †¢ They may research many questions related to what it means to be human: ï‚ § What is a human being? How are humans different from other living creatures? ï‚ § Where did we come from? How did we originate and evolve? ï‚ § How do we as humans work, think, feel, communicate, celebrate, fashionRead MoreChristian Worldview And The Secular Worldview Of Account1245 Words   |  5 PagesTo compare the Christian worldview to the secular worldview of account, one must understand the definition of what a worldview is and what a Christian worldview looks like as well as what a secular worldview looks. According to Valk (2012), Worldviews are those larger pictures that inform and in turn form our perceptions of reality. They are visions of life as well as ways of life, are individual and personal, yet bind adherents together communally (p. 1). It is not uncommon for individuals toRead MoreBiblical Teaching On The Creation Of Man And The Image Of God1194 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction This paper will attempt to demonstrate the following assertions: 1) Mankind is created in the Image of God, 2) Every human being is created with (and maintains throughout their life) the dignity, value, and worth that comes from being an image-bearer of the Creator God of the Universe, and 3) God, as the Creator, has sovereign rule over all matters of life and death. These goals will be accomplished by first examining the Biblical teaching on the creation of man and woman in the Image of GodRead MoreCore Doctrines Are Apart Of The Christian Faith1488 Words   |  6 PagesGod: Core doctrines are apart of the Christian faith and should be taught no matter what the denomination is. Doctrines are not negotiable throughout the universal Christian churches. However, churches may have different dogmatic beliefs, because there are not set in stone and vary. Theology is defined by Beth Felker Jones as being â€Å"the study of the things of God, a God who loves the world.† Theology is a practice that affects Christians’ lives in many ways: the way that they think, live, and howRead MoreSimilarities Between Aslan And God835 Words   |  4 Pagesanalogy to tell about God`s interactions with his creation and how great and loving God is. This analogy represents different things in the Bible many times, from Aslan taking Edmund`s place at the Stone Table to making a new world, with a recognizable England and Narnia but better, in The Last Battle. Aslan is God in Narnia, or is he? I believe Aslan represents God, because they share some similarities, but they do have some differences. In this essay, I compared God and Aslan as seen in theRead MoreA Book About The Creation Of The World875 Words   |  4 Pagesworld. I encourage you to read this story in Genesis 1. I wanted to share some insights that I recieved from going through this passage in the Bible. I read this passage in my Bible and then I tried to summarize it the best I could to tell it to Ruth. This is my summary: ---- When I was reading Genesis 1 slowly and thinking about it, I realized some neat insights and I wanted to share them with you. Before the sun and the moon existed, there was light and darkness. God had to create the light. I wantRead MoreDiscussion of Gods Ultimate Creation: Man1144 Words   |  5 PagesWhen God created heaven and earth, he wanted to also create those that would be a reflection to his image. He wanted to create more and something that could be good to what he created in the beginning. Earth was created by him and with doing that, he thought to create humankind that could be good to the earth and be superior to everything around them. In Genesis 1:26-27, God talked about how he created humankind within his image so that they would be like God. In Genesis 2:18, the Bible speaks aboutRead MoreGod s Image Of God1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe discussion of being create in God’s image is an important construction that must be understood by Christians and must be articulated by Christians to the unbeliever. Pastor Greg Bahnsen articulates the essential construction of the image of God. Man, in his unregenerate province is hostile to God and is not able to accept theistic construction of God as revealed in the Word (1 Cor. 2 :14). Whether he is a good standing citizen, a notorious sinner, Negro spiritual cunctator , phallus of a church