Christianity And Lord Of The Rings Essay -- essays research papers

If the study of literature shows nothing else, it shows that every author, consciously or subconsciously, creates his (or her) work after his (or her) own worldview. Tolkien is no exception. "I am a Christian..." he writes(1), and his book shows it. Christianity appears not as allegory--Tolkien despises that(2)--nor as analogy, but as deep under girding presuppositions, similarities of pattern, and shared symbols. That there should be similarities between the presuppositions of of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's Catholic faith is to be expected given Tolkien's own views on Christianity and myth. Regarding the gospel story Tolkien wrote, "The gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essences of fairy-stories."(3)Since all myths are subordinate to the overarching "myth," it would be surprising if parallels were not found between greater and lesser. This is certainly true where the author consciously recognizes his archetype. If he has at all grasped its form and meaning, if the archetype has at all succeeded in working its way to his heart, then it must also work its way to his pen. The essence of the gospel and of fairy-tales is, in Tolkien's own word, euchatastrophe--the surprising, hopeful turn in all man's despair and sorrow. Joy is the result, a brief glimpse springing out of the inherent evangelium of the genre.(4)This is the dominant note of, and even the apology for, fairy-tales. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy is set in a pre-Christian world. Hence it cannot adopt an explicit Christianity. Nonetheless it can, and does, shadow Christianity just as the Old Testament pre-shadowed the New, although admittedly Tolkien's is a post-view set as a pre-view. The Christian types to be found in The Lord of the Rings which we will examine are of two sorts: shared world view and shared symbols. The first category embraces such distinctly philosophical issues as good and evil, historical perspective, freewill and predestination, grace, mercy, providence, judgment and redemption. The development of these themes in The Lord of the Rings is Christian or at least Hebraic. Shared imagery is no less important to the tenor of the whole work. An example of shared imagery is the antithesis of dark and light so evident in both John the Apostle and Tolkien. Observe the close connection between Hal... ...Apollo Editions) pp. 158-77.[back] 18. I-347. [back] Additonal References Auden, W. H. "Good and Evil in The Lord of the Rings." Critical Quarterly 10 (Spring/Summer 1968) pp 138-42. ------------ "A World Imaginary but Real." Encounter 3 (November, 1954) pp. 59-62. Callahan, Patrick J. "Animism and Magic in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings." Riverside Quarterly, Volume 14 No. 4 (March 1971) pp. 240-250. Kocher, Paul Harold. Master of Middle Earth; the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972. Meisel, Sandra L. "Some Motifs and Sources for The Lord of the Rings." Riverside Quarterly 3 (March 1968) pp. 125-8. Pfotenhauer, Paul. "Christian Themes in Tolkien." Cresset 32 (January 1969) pp. 13-15. Sale, Roger. "England's Parnassus: C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien." Hudson Review 17 (Summer, 1964) pp. 203-225. Stimpson, Catherine R. J. R. R. Tolkien. Columbia Essays on Modern Authors #41. New York:Columbia University Press, 1969. Urang, Gunnar. Shadows of Heaven: Religion and Fantasy in the Writings of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams and J. R. R. Tolkien. Philadelphia: Pilgrim Press, 1971.

Labor Relations Hw

In my opinion, the employer now has learned what kind of discrepancies can occur and modify the security issues regarding the remaining medications. Any discrepancies occurred after a â€Å"Just† modification of the rules shall be applied strictly as Intended by the employer. 2. Explain why the relevant provisions of the collective bargaining agreement as applied to the facts of this case dictate the award. I think that it is very natural and obvious that the employer, who is in charge of his company, wants to charge someone of any discrepancy occurred inside his mandarins.Even if there is no exact proof existing, the employer believes that each supervisor must be responsible for their actions and be willing to accept the consequences that come from their own subdivision's control. For example, let's say there was a small bug Inside a potato chip bag. The bug could have got Inside the bag In any process during which the potato chip was being made, but the employer must decide one of the suspicious departments for the discrepancy. Let's say that the employer fired the supervisor of the final packaging vision.Even though all packaging is done by machines and the only daily duty of the packaging division is to identify wrong-packaged bags, the employer has made a decision. If there was a fluoroscopic machine that makes it possible to see inside every bag, then things would have resulted differently, but there wasn't one and the packaging supervisor was fired due to â€Å"irresponsibility. † This example explained above would be a similar example to why the relevant provisions of the collective bargaining agreement as applied to the facts of he previous case dictate the award. . What actions might the employer or the union has taken to avoid this conflict? I en employer malign nave set up a more strict policy Walt personnel controlling Ana accessing the medications. The total number of keys and a reliable sign-in/out system will be installed. Personne l granted access to the remaining medication will surely receive a proper orientation and training before accessing it. Also, to clarify the unjust â€Å"Just cause† standard, a very detailed warning and penalty will be posted to those committing any discrepancy.

History of the American Labor Movement

The American labor force has changed profoundly during the nations evolution from an agrarian society into a modern industrial state. The United States remained a largely agricultural nation until late in the 19th century. Unskilled workers fared poorly in the early U.S. economy, receiving as little as half the pay of skilled craftsmen, artisans, and mechanics. About 40 percent of workers in cities were low-wage laborers and seamstresses in clothing factories, often living in dismal circumstances. With the rise of factories, children, women, and poor immigrants were commonly employed to run machines. Rise and Fall of Labor Unions The late 19th century and the 20th century brought substantial industrial growth. Many Americans left farms and small towns to work in factories, which were organized for mass production and characterized by steep hierarchy, a reliance on relatively unskilled labor, and low wages. In this environment, labor unions gradually developed clout. One such union was the Industrial Workers of the World, founded in 1905. Eventually, they won substantial improvements in working conditions. They also changed American politics; often aligned with the Democratic Party, unions represented a key constituency for much of the social legislation enacted from the time of President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal in the 1930s through the Kennedy and Johnson administrations of the 1960s. Organized labor continues to be an important political and economic force today, but its influence has waned markedly. Manufacturing has declined in relative importance, and the service sector has grown. More and more workers hold white-collar office jobs rather than unskilled, blue-collar factory jobs. Newer industries, meanwhile, have sought highly skilled workers who can adapt to continuous changes produced by computers and other new technologies. A growing emphasis on customization and a need to change products frequently in response to market demands has prompted some employers to reduce hierarchy and to rely instead on self-directed, interdisciplinary teams of workers. Organized labor, rooted in industries such as steel and heavy machinery, has had trouble responding to these changes. Unions prospered in the years immediately following World War II, but in later years, as the number of workers employed in the traditional manufacturing industries has declined, union membership has dropped. Employers, facing mounting challenges from low-wage, foreign competitors, have begun seeking greater flexibility in their employment policies, making more use of temporary and part-time employees and putting less emphasis on pay and benefit plans designed to cultivate long-term relationships with employees. They also have fought union organizing campaigns and strikes more aggressively. Politicians, once reluctant to buck union power, have passed legislation that cut further into the unions base. Meanwhile, many younger, skilled workers have come to see unions as anachronisms that restrict their independence. Only in sectors that essentially function as monopoliesà ¢â‚¬â€such as government and public schools—have unions continued to make gains. Despite the diminished power of unions, skilled workers in successful industries have benefited from many of the recent changes in the workplace. But unskilled workers in more traditional industries often have encountered difficulties. The 1980s and 1990s saw a growing gap in the wages paid to skilled and unskilled workers. While American workers at the end of the 1990s thus could look back on a decade of growing prosperity born of strong economic growth and low unemployment, many felt uncertain about what the future would bring.