To what extent is Hardys poetry dominated by relationships Essay Example

To what extent is Hardys poetry dominated by relationships? Essay When looking at this question it is important to define what could be meant by the term relationships. What the word immediately connotes is an emotional connection between a couple. A lot of Hardys poetry concerns this type of relationship but he is by not so narrow that this is his only subject matter. However the broader definition of just any state of connectedness may also be taken into account when coming to a conclusion. Hardys most positive poem about relationships is When I Set Out For Lyonesse. It was written after a trip to Cornwall in which he met Emma Gifford who later became his wife. At the start of the poem the landscape is cold and desolate and love feels a hundred miles away. He does not describe what happened whilst he was there and he creates an aura of mystery around the Arthurian Lyonesse. The importance of Lyonesse is emphasised by its repetition within the poem. The mystery is enhanced when he proclaims that no prophet or wisest wizard could guess what would bechance at Lyonesse. He himself seems incredulous that he could find love because the outlook in the first stanza is so decidedly bleak. When he returns he is transformed by what has happened and magic is in his eyes. He has a radiance which, unlike the macrocosmical starlight, comes from within. Love is portrayed as something remote, rare and capable of bringing about a magical transformation. His relationship with Emma Gifford transforms him and this poem reflects that transformation. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent is Hardys poetry dominated by relationships? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent is Hardys poetry dominated by relationships? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent is Hardys poetry dominated by relationships? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When I Set Out For Lyonesse demonstrates just one of the ways a relationship is presented. Hardys experience of relationships is a varied one. Neutral Tones and We Sat At The Window present relationships soured by apathy. In Neutral Tones the relationship has stagnated; he has become a tedious riddle to her and when they do speak it only serves to diminish their love further. The atmosphere created is bleak and stripped bare of all fertility. Even the sun is devoid of all colour and grayish leaves lie on the ground. In We Sat At The Window two silent figures stare outside into the rain. The continually falling rain is incongruous with the season but its dynamism also marks the passing of time. As the time stretches on they remain silent and Hardy remarks, wasted were two souls in their prime However, here Hardy portrays a wasted potential because they dont grasp how much they have yet to discover in each other. The relationship in Neutral Tones is decrepit; it has run its course and the only strength it has left is the strength to die. Both poems are dominated by a relationship but not in the same way that Lyonesse is. Hardy is enamoured in Lyonesse but how was he to know that, given a few years, this relationship could fade into Neutral Tones? Retrospectively we know that the state of happiness portrayed in Lyonesse did not last. Hardy lamented his treatment of Emma Gifford after her death in 1912. The poems written between 1912 and 1913 are consumed by Veteris Vestigia Flammae. His relationship with Emma Gifford is definitely the dominant theme in this collection. There is both the relationship between the two when she was alive and his relationship with the dead Emma. In The Voice his dead wife is addressed directly. Hardy hears Emma call to him and call to me is repeated throughout the poem to mimic what he hears in his mind. The metrical composition of the poem is particularly striking and onomatopoeiac. The voice of his wife coming and going in the breeze is suggested by the use of dactyls like call to me, the triple rhymes on lines one and three and the sharp truncation of lines two and four. Hardy constructs the poem to show his increasing doubts; the excitement of the first two stanzas gives way to a deep uncertain ty. He sees her in an air-blue gown, as she was in the prime of their relationship, but by the end she has dissolved into wan witlessness. Questions are asked but no response is given and so he carries on faltering forward. Like in Neutral Tones the landscape mimics the relationship; the leaves are falling and a there is a harsh norward wind. The sense of loss is acute and even at the end he hears the woman calling. In many of the 1912-1913 poems reflect the affect of Emmas death upon his perception. Particular moments are chosen to illustrate the change that has taken place. These are moments that have gained poignancy upon retrospective reflection. In The Walk Hardy juxtaposes the past with the present to try and comprehend the difference. The structure clearly juxtaposes the past against the present. When he walked up the hill in earlier days he was on his own but did not mind because he didnt think of her as left behind. He walks up the hill in the former way and sees that the surroundings are similar, so he asks the, What difference then? He replies that there is an, underlying sense Of the look of a room on returning thence The absence is not physical but metaphysical. This poem demonstrates how the loss of a loved one can affect perception. This very Joycean theme is a recurrent one, especially in the 1912-1913 poems. In Beeny Cliff Hardy looks back to a moment where his wife was present. He looks back on an idyllic clear-sunned March Day and the tone is far less emotionally removed than that of The Walk. The first three stanzas are full of colour and light-hearted joy, even though there is darkness it is only temporary and the, sun [bursts] out again After the first three stanzas Hardy shifts; March is nigh and Beeny Cliff is chasmal. This clearly illustrates his shift in perception owing to her death. This idea is again presented in The Going when, upon her death, he sees, morning harden upon the wall The Going has an immediacy that many of his other poems lack. It is Hardys first attempt to come to terms with the death of Emma and is written in the aftermath of her death. Unlike the death in After The Last Breath no sense of numb relief; unlike his mothers death Emmas death came relatively unexpected. The emotions are raw and the tone fluctuates between accusatory and remorseful. He asks why she gave no hint of her death which has altered all. He accuses Emma of indifference but then goes on to regret their lack of communication before her death. Finally at the end of the poem resigns himself to the fact that Alls past amend. He says that her death has [undone] him and he is a dead man held on end. Though their relationship before death was not particularly cordial her death has affected him deeply. Though relationships are a dominant theme in a lot of Hardys poetry they are by no means the only theme. One subject which surfaces in nearly all of his poetry is the natural world. The natural world is used as a device to reflect emotions in, what T.S Eliot called, an objective correlative. Hardy uses pathetic fallacy to illustrate the deep emotional connection he feels with nature. It could be argued that, in the broad sense of the word relationship, these poems are in fact about relationships. Hardy shows the intrinsic relationship between the human being and the natural world. In Beeny Cliff the sea is opal and sapphire when Emma is alive, reflecting Hardys happiness. After Emma has died the cliff is chasmal and is representative of the divide which separates the two. In The Waterfall nature seems to, add to the rhyme of love In Neutral Tones shows a couples apathy towards each other mirrored by the colourless autumn landscape. In Beeny Cliff the seasons are also utilised; it is a clear-sunned March day which traditionally represents a time of fertility and joy. Later on in the poem March is used ironically; he returns to Beeny Cliff on a March day but there is no longer any joy. In We Sat At The Window July the seasons are used ironically again. Even though they are two people in their prime they are wasted: even though it is July it is raining. The scene is incongruous and they are irked by it. This contrasts sharply with The Waterfall in which a moment of pure happiness takes place in the burn of August. Hardy came from a rural background and he felt an deep connection with the natural world. In Throwing A Tree Hardy shows an altruistic concern for nature. He uses an emotive lexis to describe the cutting down of a tree. The workmen are deemed executioners and his personification of the proud tree evokes pathos. At the end of the poem he laments that, Two hundred years steady growth has been ended in less than two hours The incursion of modernism into the natural world is portrayed in a brutal light. This seems an inversion of the fleeting nature of human life in the face of the longevity of nature conveyed in many of his other poems. Nature is often portrayed as a constant which Hardy looks to as a measure of human frailty. This theme really comes to its head in the 1912-13 poems; despite the death of his wife the world continues and he is reminded of his own mortality. In Beeny Cliff the waves are, engrossed in saying their ceaseless babbling say The waves move forward mechanically like time. Though the waves might have seemed far away when they were together, time has caught up with them. Time has now taken Emma to a place where she, No longer cares for Beeny and will laugh there nevermore This is also seen in At Castle Boterel. Hardy imagines that his own subjective memories can surpass the objective facts of time. However, these memories are a phantom figure which is fading as Hardys sand is sinking. When Hardy dies no record of them ever being there will remain because none will remember it, time, in its unflinching rigour, will have moved on. The rocks are primeval and have witnessed the Earths long order and will continue to do so once he is gone. Hardy is a being humbled by the idea of time. In The Waterfall he is mesmerised by the, The purl of a runlet that never ceases In stir of kingdoms, in wars, in peaces; Hardy feels sorely the ache of modernism. In many poems he reviles or tries to shun the encroaching modern world. He escapes the towns in Wessex Heights to go to a place where he can find some liberty. This is one of the dominant ideas arising from Hardys poetry and his books. The Darkling Thrush was written at the end of the 19th century and reflects his deep pessimism. Hardy is in a desolate landscape and night is approaching. He sees the, Centurys corpse outleant And with references to a crypt and the winds death-lament he seems to be at the funeral of the century. The pulse of the earth seems hard and dry and this loss of fertility is reminiscent of Neutral Tones. However this is far more macrocosmical than Neutral Tones, it is not just two lovers who are fervourless, it is, every spirit upon earth. Out of the darkness arises the thrush who sings out in joy illimited. Though the thrush is as frail and gaunt as Hardy it still shows a defiant optimism. The thrushs song causes Hardy to reflect upon his own pessimism. He looks upon terrestrial things and sees no reason for such ecstatic sounds and at the end he is unaware of such Hope. The diction in this poem is highly suggestive; the use of darkling reflects his state of mind whilst also alluding to the poem Dover Beach by Mathew Arnold about the erosion of faith in the 19th century. The morals of the 19th century trouble Hardy quite deeply. In A Sunday Morning Tragedy he tells the story of a girl who falls pregnant outside wedlock. Her lover refuses to marry her and thus, in fear of the shame that would be cast upon her, she tries to abort her baby with a potion but dies. Hardy criticises the fact that her plight is scorned in Christendie. A similar situation occurs in Tess of the DUrbervilles and Hardy remarks that her shame is, Based on nothing more tangible than a sense of condemnation under an arbitrary law of society which had no foundation in Nature. Hardy advocates the plight of women who have to bare the brunt of such shame. In the poem the girls mother declares, O women! Scourged the worst are we. One of the underlying subjects in Hardys poetry is his agnosticism. In Hap he believes his life is dictated by casualty and not by the will of god. Hardy asks for a vengeful god; his view of the world is such that, if it were to be the product of any higher power, it is a ruthless one. He believes that random chance, or hap, dictates his suffering. He explicitly links pilgrimage with pain through alliteration; he is referencing the sacrificial element of religion. Throughout the rest of the poems it is the lack of religion which remarkable. In the poems written after the death of his wife few religious references are made, this is quite unusual. . In Beeny Cliff Hardy is unsure where his wife is; the previously regular rhythm jars at -elsewhere-to illustrate Hardys uncertainty in regards to the afterlife. Some of Hardys views could be seen as quite pagan. When he describes laying his wife to rest in I Found Her Out There he uses many natural images like loamy and nest, this burial ap pears quite heathen. In Voices From Things Growing in a Churchyard he imagines the dead becoming part of nature, in the first line one of the dead declares, These flowers are I Another topic which Hardy writes about is war. In Drummer Hodge a simple country boy from Wessex has become permanently transplanted under the foreign constellations of Africa. Hodge has been fighting in the Boer and is laid to rest in a crude grave. Hodge was a somewhat derogatory term for an agricultural labourer and Hardy disliked such words. In The Man He Killed, another poem about the Boer war, Hardy remarks on the absurdity of killing someone whom, Youd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-a-crown. Hardys portrayal of war is more negative in Channel Firing. The noise of gunnery practice out to sea [shakes] the coffins of the dead and they think it could be Judgement-day. God informs them that all is just as before and the world is as it used to be. As an omniscient being God understands the repetitive cycle of war. In light of this cycle God says they are mad as hatters. No comfort is offered when God says its a blessed thing that for some of them it is not Judgement Day because otherwise theyd have to scour Hells floor. The poem ends with the guns firing again and the place names over which the sound can be heard are deliberate. They are three vestiges of past civilisations that inevitably fought wars as well. Hardy is not overly vitriolic in his commentary on war. For the most part he portrays its absurdity and futility but it is important to note that these poems were written before the atrocities of 1914. In the narrow sense of the word, relationships do not completely dominate Hardys poetry. They are a common subject area but relationships are not an underlying presence throughout all of his poems. The significance of relationships in his poem varies owing to contextual reasons. In the 1912-1913 poems relationships are dominant because the poems were written in the aftermath of his wifes death. Many of the poems deal with other matters such as; war, faith and the natural world. However it is wrong to think of subject matter as something which is mutually exclusive. For example relationships closely interlink with the natural world in poems such as Neutral Tones and Beeny Cliff. If the word relationship is studied in its broadest sense as a state of connectedness then relationships do indeed dominate Hardys poetry. Numerous relationships occur: the relationships between people, the relationship between people and the natural world and the relationship between man and god are just a fe w examples. Again, using this definition it could be said that all poetry is dominated by relationships. Not forgetting one of the most important relationships the relationship between the reader and the writer.

Free Essays on Feminization Of Poverty

The Feminization of Poverty The majority of the 1.5 billion people living on 1 dollar a day or less are women. In addition, the gap between women and men caught in the cycle of poverty has continued to widen in the past decade, a phenomenon commonly referred to as "the feminization of poverty". Worldwide, women earn on average slightly more than 50 per cent of what men earn. Women living in poverty are often denied access to critical resources such as credit, land and inheritance. Their labour goes unrewarded and unrecognized. Their health care and nutritional needs are not given priority, they lack sufficient access to education and support services, and their participation in decision-making at home and in the community are minimal. Caught in the cycle of poverty, women lack access to resources and services to change their situation. The Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, identified the eradication of the persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women as one of the 12 critical areas of concern requiring special attention and action by the international community, governments and civil society. The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women discussed the issue of women and poverty at its fortieth session in 1996, and proposed further action to be taken by UN member states and the international community, including the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all poverty eradication policies and programmes. Among the agreed conclusions of the session were measures aimed at policies to ensure that all women have adequate economic and social protection during unemployment, ill health, maternity, child-bearing, widowhood, disability and old age; and that women, men and society share responsibilities for child and other dependant care. Women are the World's Poor An important achievement of the Beijing Conference has been the recognition by ... Free Essays on Feminization Of Poverty Free Essays on Feminization Of Poverty The Feminization of Poverty The majority of the 1.5 billion people living on 1 dollar a day or less are women. In addition, the gap between women and men caught in the cycle of poverty has continued to widen in the past decade, a phenomenon commonly referred to as "the feminization of poverty". Worldwide, women earn on average slightly more than 50 per cent of what men earn. Women living in poverty are often denied access to critical resources such as credit, land and inheritance. Their labour goes unrewarded and unrecognized. Their health care and nutritional needs are not given priority, they lack sufficient access to education and support services, and their participation in decision-making at home and in the community are minimal. Caught in the cycle of poverty, women lack access to resources and services to change their situation. The Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, identified the eradication of the persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women as one of the 12 critical areas of concern requiring special attention and action by the international community, governments and civil society. The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women discussed the issue of women and poverty at its fortieth session in 1996, and proposed further action to be taken by UN member states and the international community, including the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all poverty eradication policies and programmes. Among the agreed conclusions of the session were measures aimed at policies to ensure that all women have adequate economic and social protection during unemployment, ill health, maternity, child-bearing, widowhood, disability and old age; and that women, men and society share responsibilities for child and other dependant care. Women are the World's Poor An important achievement of the Beijing Conference has been the recognition by ...

The 3 Types of Compounds

The 3 Types of Compounds The 3 Types of Compounds The 3 Types of Compounds By Mark Nichol This post discusses the three types of compounds in English: compound nouns, compound modifiers, and compound verbs. Compound Nouns Compound nouns come in three forms: closed, hyphenated, and open. They are formed by pairing multiple combinations of parts of speech, such as two nouns (workshop), a preposition and a noun (overlord), and a verb and an adverb (smackdown). Open compound nouns, which tend to be newer formations such as â€Å"life span† and â€Å"working class,† may consist of more than two words; these phrases are often adopted foreign terms such as â€Å"persona non grata† and â€Å"tour de force,† although phrases can also be compiled by combining two words into an open compound and then combining that set phrase with another, as when science and fiction team up and then unite with writer. Hyphenation is usually a transitional phase between open and closed forms, but some words get stuck in this intermediary form; examples include by-product, light-year, life-form, and mind-set. Writers often style the these words as closed compounds, however, indicating that the closed forms may ultimately prevail. Hyphenated compound nouns that are likely to remain transitional include self-respect and well-being, although these, too, are sometimes erroneously treated as closed compounds. Other hyphenated forms include compounds consisting of verbs connected to prepositions, resulting in nouns as go-between, follow-through, send-off, and start-up. (Startup is a common variation of the last word, mirroring words such as checkup and makeup, which until just a few decades ago were routinely written check-up and make-up, but start-up is still the favored form.) Hyphenated compounds, like open compounds, may consist of more than two words, as in the case of mise-en-scà ¨ne and will-o’-the-wisp. Closed compounds include afterthought, caregiver, and lifetime. Forms of compound nouns are often arbitrary, and an element in common does not guarantee consistency, as shown in the examples â€Å"road trip† and roadblock. Some compounds are formed from elements of words rather than full words, as in the case of the technological terms bit (from â€Å"binary digit†) and pixel (from â€Å"picture element†), which both pertain to units of data. Such words are sometimes formed in other languages from English vocabulary, as in the case of the Russian term kompromat (â€Å"compromising material†). However, common and proper nouns such as radar (formed from â€Å"radio detection and ranging†) and NASA (which stands for â€Å"National Aeronautics and Space Administration†) are considered acronyms, not compounds. Compound Modifiers Similarly, compound modifiers, which describe a noun (and are often, as on this site, referred to as phrasal adjectives), may be open, hyphenated, or closed. Several categories of open compounds, which remain open rather than hyphenated even when they preced the noun they modify, exist. They include permanent compounds such as â€Å"post office† (as in â€Å"post office box†), which are identified as such by meriting their own dictionary entry in noun form; proper names such as â€Å"New York† (as in â€Å"New York subway system†); foreign terms adopted into English such as â€Å"de facto†; unambiguous phrases such as â€Å"Monday morning† (as in â€Å"Monday morning quarterback†); and constructions with least, less, more, and most (as in â€Å"the least important factor†). (But little, much, seldom, and often are connected to verbs with a hyphen to form compound modifiers.) A rule of thumb for compound modifiers is to hyphenate if called for before a noun but leave open after a noun (for example â€Å"a dark-haired woman,† but â€Å"a woman who is dark haired†), unless, as in the case of such words as life-size, quick-witted, and stand-alone, the compound modifier is listed in a dictionary with a hyphen. A combination of an adjective and a noun is often converted into a closed compound adjective. For example, â€Å"long time† (â€Å"a lengthy period†) becomes longtime (â€Å"lasting for a lengthy period†), and â€Å"every day† (â€Å"all days under discussion†) becomes everyday (â€Å"ordinary†). A related usage error that is increasingly pervasive is the lack of a distinction between â€Å"every day† and everyday; one often sees retail signage reading something like â€Å"Storewide savings everyday!† although the writer means â€Å"every day.† (â€Å"Everyday savings storewide† is correct, however, because here the term is employed as an adjective.) Prepositions and adverbs, appearing in an open phrase such as â€Å"over all† (as in â€Å"The fence had fallen over all her flowers†) combine to form adjectives (as in â€Å"It fit an overall pattern†) or adverbs (as in â€Å"Overall, he was disappointed†). Compund Verbs Compound verbs are those formed from a verb and another part of speech to create a new verb. The five types of compound verb, listed with examples, follow: adverb-verb: undermine adjective-verb: downgrade adjective-noun: counterattack noun-verb: sidestep preposition-noun: offbeat Not all compound verbs are closed. Open compound nouns are sometimes pressed into service as compound verbs, becoming hyphenated in the process. Thus, for example, â€Å"spot check† (â€Å"a quick or random inspection†) becomes spot-check (â€Å"undertake a quick or random inspection†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. FurtherRunning Amok or Running Amuck?Preposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Nathaniel Bacon''s Declaration Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nathaniel Bacon''s Declaration - Coursework Example These is evidenced after he first ignored the interests presented by his majesty and later experienced unjust gains that were full of betrayal from the Indians who were seen taking control of the country after he sold it to them. He also led the Indians against their majesty loyal subjects. These brought out rebellion where the royals failed to make sound choices and caused their downfall because they were not contented with all these was happening around them. Also due to the fact of frequent invasions by robbers’ ad murders, the members became devastated ad dissatisfied with the ruling that William gave them. William tore his people apart when he made them to hate each other which in turn made it for the invaders to attack and tore them a part, these is evidenced by a statement made in consequence eight where it reads, â€Å"For the prevention of civil mischief and ruin amongst ourselves while the barbarous enemy in all places did invade, murder, and spoil us, his Majesty’s most faithful subjects.† These meant he gave them lots of murder even to the loyal people. In conclusion, it is evident that there was division was all over the land that devastated people’s lives and effects in both the social and economic aspects. William with his fear of rebellion, subjected his citizens to lots of debts that made them poorer each day and these weakened them to cause more hatred among each other. The people came to the rescue of Bacon who saw it wise to put the people in economic freedom of which he strived

Contract law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Contract law - Case Study Example As Gavrilovic (2013) has noted, under the Second Schedule of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, a supplier party should make accommodations for the consumer as a way of fulfilling the spirit of reasonableness of contractual terms. In light of these provisions, the University has provided Ms Edwards adequate accommodation of  £20 discount on her weekly rental fee. This accommodation by the University renders her alleged â€Å"unreasonableness† of the institution’s contract terms a, b and c in the tenancy agreement void. Regulation 5(1) of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 provides the definition of an unfair contractual term as one that: has not had the input of the consumer or one that substantially impacts the rights and responsibilities of the parties to an extent that it creates an imbalance of the duties or one that negatively affects the spirit of good faith. In this case, Ms Edwards’ acceptable of the tenancy contract terms offered by the University against other less favourable options provided by the private sector can be construed to mean as a student she negotiated for the lower rental fee (Toms, 2009). A contract term that results in â€Å"significant imbalance† and thus unfair to a consumer, requires that the condition has to be seen as detrimental to the consumer and extremely beneficial to the supplier in terms of profits (Gavrilovic, 2013). In this case, the University did not intend to benefit in any way whatsoever by limiting Ms Edwards’ and any other student’s desire to hold parties within the institution’s premises. In fact, the rule is part of the institution’s duty of care in ensuring that the organization’s assets including the human resources are safeguarded from any harm within the University’s property. In light of this second rule, the contractual terms are fair and reasonable to the plaintiff. Lastly, the terms which the

Essay --

Daniel Urbina Mr. LaVigne English 101 (WC 1110) 4 October 2013 Symbolizing Savagery In William Golding's Lord of the Flies, symbolism is portrayed throughout the novel and impacts the story in such a way that it sculpts almost the entire theme. The boys who are stranded on the island come in contact with many unique elements that Golding uses to symbolize ideas or concepts. Each boy represents a specific element of society, and each object Golding presents throughout the novel also has particular importance to the novel. Through the use of symbols such as the beast, the pig's head, and even Piggy's specs, Golding demonstrates that humans, when liberated from society's rules and taboos, allow their natural capacity for evil to dominate their existence. One of the most important symbols in Lord of the Flies is the also what gives the novel its name, the pig head. Golding's description of the slaughtered animal head on a sharpened spear is very graphic and even frightening. The pig head is depicted as "dim-eyed, grinning faintly, blood blackening between the teeth," (Golding 137) and the obscenity is swarmed with a "black blob of flies" that "tickled under his nostrils" (Golding 138). As a result of this detailed, striking image, the reader becomes aware of the great evil and darkness on the island that the pig head represents. When Simon begins to converse with the seemingly inanimate, devil-like pig head, the source of that wickedness is revealed. Even though the conversation may be entirely a hallucination, Simon learns that the beast, which has long since frightened the other boys on the island, is not an external force. In fact, the head of the severed pig tells him, "Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt and k. .. ...d thump of living things," Piggy's specs are stolen, leaving him virtually blind (Golding 167). Meanwhile, Jack returns to Castle Rock, "trotting steadily, exulting in his achievement," as he has practically abandoned all ties to his previous civilized life (Golding 168). Although there are plenty of other allegories important to the book, the symbols that represent the most drastic changes are the beast, the pig head, and Piggy’s specs. The beast symbolizes the inborn savage nature within all of mankind, and shows that this evil will prevail no matter what. Piggy’s specs represent science, civilization, and order, but are destroyed due to the overpowering evil in the boys. Golding clearly uses the novel Lord of the Flies to project the unfortunate truth that evil is present within all of humanity, and if let loose, will destroy anything that tries to suppress it.

Traffic Jam in Dhaka City

EXAMINATION OF PROFITABILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF BANGLADESH BANKING INDUSTRY Nadim Jahangir', Shubhankar Shill2 and Md. Amlan Jahid Haque3 Abstract Loans are the riskiest asset of a bank, but these loans play a pivotal role in banks' profitability. Banks ‘profitability depends on the results of some parameters and among them Bank b Return on Equity, Market Size, Market Concentration Index, and Bank RiskMeasure are widely used and the same are investigated in the Bangladesh Banking Industry in this study for a period of the last six years. The data comes from the annual reports of individual banks listed in Dhaka StockExchange (DSE) and from the Bangladesh bankb published statistics book (Scheduled Banks Statistics). Correlation matrix and stepwise regression have been used for the purpose of data analysis. The analysisfinds that market concentration and bank b risk do little to explain bank b return on equity, whereas bankb market size is the only variable providing an explanatio n for banks return on equity in the context of Bangladesh. Introduction The tmhtional measure ofprofitabilitythrough stockholder's equity is quite different in banking industry ffom any other sector ofbusiness, where loan-to-deposit ratio works as a very good ndicator ofbanks' profitabiJity as it depicts the status of asset-liabilitymanagement ofbanks. But banks' risk is not only associated with this asset- liability management but also related to growth opportunity. Smooth growth insures higher future returns to holders and there lies the profitability which means not only current profits but future returns as well. So, market size and market concentration index along with return to equity and loan-to-deposit ratio seize the attention of analyzing the banks' profitability. The banking industry of Bangladesh is a mixed one comprising nationalized, private and foreign ommercial banks. Many efforts have been made to explain the performance of these banks. Understanding the performance ofbanks requires knowledge about the profitability and the relationshps between variables like market size, bank's risk and bank's market size with profitability. Indeed, the performance evaluation of commercial banks is especially important today because of the fierce competition. The banking (1) Dr. Nadim Jahangir (Associate Professor) holds a Ph. D. in Management from Australian Catholic University and now is teachmg in the Independent University of Bangladesh. (2) Shubhankar Shill (Lecturer) holds Master degree in Finance from Dhaka University (Bangladesh) and now is teaching in the School of Business, Independent University of Bangladesh. (3) Md. Arnlan Jahid Haque (Lecturer) holds a Master degree in Management from Rajshahi University (Bangladesh) and now is teaching in the School of Business, Independent University of Bangladesh. 36 ABAC Journal Vol. 27, No. 2 (May – August, 2007, pp. 36 – 46) Examination of PI .ofitability in the Context ofBangladesh Banking I ndusqr industry is experiencing major transition for the last two decades. It is becoming imperative for banks to endure the pressure arising from oth internal and external factors and prove to be profitable. Until early 1985, Bangladesh had a highlyrepressed financial sector (Chowhdury, 2002). Banks and other financial institutions were fully owned by the government. In the early part of 1980, Bangladesh entered into the IMF and World Bank adjustment programs and the process of privatization and liberalization gained momentum under the influence ofthe World Bank and the IMF. Since then the banking industry of Bangladesh has become an attractive ground for both domestic and foreign investors to take part in the game. It is of utmost importance that these layers prove themselves profitable. Andrews (1975) noted that it is essential to understand the strategies to achieve greater profitability. In line with this, the current study makes an effort to unearth those pillars which are maj or constituents of strategies and goals. This paper intends to analyze the importance of internal and external factors for banks return on equity. Specifically, the purpose of the study is to closely examine the relationships of bank's market concentration, market size, and bank's risk with return on equity. The intention is to decide which amongst the potential determinants appear to be mportant. Hassan, Khan, and Haque, (1 995) previously examined banks' profitability considering monetary affect and concentration in context of Bangladesh. However Fraser, Philips, and Rose (1974) stated that performance of commercial banks should not be measured by a single proxy but by a set of variables which are jointly determined by market structure, demand, and other factors. Therefore, the current study aims to propose and examine a framework incorporating bank's market concentration, bank's market size, bank's risk, and identify the relationships of these variables with bank's return on equi ty in context f Bangladesh. Literature Review Market Size Cravens (2000) elaborated that, market size is usually measured by currency, sales andlor unit sales for any product market and also in specified time period other size measurement include the number of buyers' average purchase quantity, frequency of purchase for any product oriented market. As a result the key measures of market size are market potential, sales forecast, and market share. In another study on banking reformation Thorsten and Ross (2002) measured the market size ofbanks against the GDP and to measure bank size, Thorsten and Ross (2002) used bank credit to he private sector as a share of GDP. Demirguc-Kunt and Maksimovic (2002) suggested that the extent to whichvarious financial, legal, and other factors (e. g. corruption) affect bank profitability is closely linked to size. In addition, as Short (1 979) argued, size is closely related to the capital adequacy of a bank since relatively banks tend to raise less expensive capital and, hence, appear more profitable. Luthria and Dhar (2005) defined market size as the scale of economic activity over which agents can contact. They tried to measure market size or space by national borders. Large space creates the potential or reaping economies of scale and the scope for specialization as well. It requires specific investments in physical and human capital, as well as marketing channels, constrained by slow- moving economic activity. Market Concentration The concentration aspect is particularly important for the transition economies and it has been very commonly used as the measurement of Nadim Jrrhangir. Shubhankar ShiN and 1Mn. Amlan Jahid Haque profitability ofbanlung industry. Atbanasoglou, Brissims, and Delis (2005) argue that banking systems are highly concentrated, with little separation between central and commercial banking ctivities in order to facilitate the banks' role in the planning process. Ahighly concentrated banking sector resul ts in market power for the banks. As opposed to perfect competition, banks having monopoly power would lead to an equilibrium characterized by higher loan costs and a smaller quantity of loanable hnds (Cetorelli & Gambera, 2001). According to Alzaidanin (2003) when a large share of the business of a given industry is controlled by few large firms or concentrated in a few pockets the situation is usually termed as a slate ofconcentration. However, Deidda and Fattouh (2002) showed theoretically as well as mpirically that the relationship between banking concentration and return on equity depended on the level of economic development. More specifically, banking concentration had an adverse impact on return on equity only in low income countries. For high income countries, there was no significant effect between the two variables. Additionally, Beck, Maksimovic, and Vojislav (2003) found that this effect is especially strong if a state has a weak legal system, high level ofcorruption an d a low level ofeconomic and financial development. Since these factors are true for at least some of the economies under consideration, ne would expect low banking concentration to foster return on equity. Bank Risk According to Allen (1 997), banks tend to focus on areas where they believe they have a comparative advantage to maximize efficiency in making loans. This approach makes banks give attention to geographic, industry specific demographics, and other market characteristics to operate. Calomiris and Karceski (1 998) noted that diversification and different levels ofriskyness is the result ofdifferences across banks in the scale oftheir operations. As economic conditions vary across different regions and industrial sectors, therefore ank riskyness and return on equity also vary across different regions. Gerlach, Peng, and Shu (2004) took a different approach in defining Banks' risk. Poor management qualities in inefficient institutions have a tendency to cany higher risk (cr edit risk, operating risk, & liquidity). The credit risk on any individual loan can be broken down into two components, the probability that the borrower will default, and the losses incurred in the event ofdefault. In an earlier study on asset quality of commercial banks Stafon (2000) found that bank return on equity driven mainly by changes in Net Interest Margins NIMs) and loan provision which in turn were determined by asset quality. However, Greusning and Bratanovic (2003) revealed that return on equity is a revealing indicator of a bank's competitive position in banking markets and of the quality of its management. The authors further elaborated that the income statement ofa bank is a key source of information on a bank's return on equity, reveals the sources ofa bank's earning and their quantity and quality as well as the quality of the bank's loan portfolio and the focus of its expenditures. Relationship between market concentration and banks ‘return on ecjuitv The mpi rical findings on the relationship between market concentration and return on equity are as diverse as the theoretical underpinnings. Parsley and Wei (1 985) found that young firrns in concentrated markets receive more credits than in competitive markets, with no difference for older firms, which results in a positive effect on return on equity. In contrast, Examination of Profitability in the Context of Bangladesh Banking Indust, Cetorelli and Gambera (2001) concluded that banking concentration leads to an overall depressing effect on return on equity. The authors suggest that increased competition (thus less oncentration) causes a rise in entrepreneurship and thus a higher rate of new firm creation. Very convincing is the recent work of Deidda and Fattouh (2002) showing theoretically as well as empirically that the relationship between banking concentration and return on equity depends on the level of economic development. More specifically, banking concentration has an adverse im pact on ROE only in low income countries. For hlgh income countries, there is no significant effect between the two variables. Therefore, the following hypothesis can be proposed: Hypotheis1 : There is a significant relationship between Bank's arket concentration and Bank's return on equity of commercial banks in Bangladesh. Relationship between market size and banks' return on equity Shepherd (1972) mentioned a positive relation between the market size and return on equity. Such a nature ofrelationship continues to receive a great deal of attention. Seedier and Gee (1 96 1) suggested that the variability ofthe growth rate ofbank assets declines with the market size. Demerguq- Kunt and Huizinga (2001) noted that growth ofmarket size, in contrast, is positively and significantly related to profit growth. Again by following the same path of Smirlock (1 985),Alzaidanin (2003) mentioned a positive and significant relationship between banks' size and banks' return on equity based on prod uct differentiations. Therefore, the following hypothesis can be proposed: Hypothesis 2: There is a significant relationship between Bank's market size and Bank's retum on equity of commercial banks in Bangladesh. Relationship between banks' risk and banks' return on equity Gizycki (2001) stated that even though return on equity is influenced by bank's credit risk, the relationship between the two is not straightforward. Movements in the retum on assets will reflect not just credit risk, ut the full range of risks, including bank's exposures to movements in interest rates and exchange rates, liquidity risk and operational risks. Moreover, banks return on equity reflects not just risk-taking, but also other factors such as the mix ofon and offbalance sheet business, operating efficiency, the level of competition within the banking market, and regulatory constraints. Banks earn higher returns by taking on riskier business, this will boost the return on equity. However, if a bank exper iences losses beyond what it had provisioned for, such losses will reduce return on equity. Bourke (1 989) reports hat the effect of credit risk on retum on equity appears clearlynegative. This result may be explained by taking into account the fact that the more financial institutions are exposed to high- risk loans, the higher is the accumulation ofunpaid loans, implying that these loan losses have produced lower returns to many commercial banks. Therefore, the following hypothesis can be proposed: Hypothesis 3: There is a significant relationship between Bank's risk and Bank's return on equity of commercial banks in Bangladesh. Conceptual framework It is proposed that bank's market concentration, bank's market size, and ank's risk are important in the context oftheir relationships with bank's return on equity. Based on the preceding literature review, the following framework was proposed. Nadim Jahangir, Shubhankar Shill and Md. Amlan Jahid Haque The conceptual Mework (figure 1) depicts sample size is trimmed down to 15 because of the measured variables and their relationships in inaccessibility of data. To run the analysis data the present study. fiom the year 2000 to 2005 data were used. Measures Methodology Research setting To calculate profitability of selected banks, the following ratios were used: Only the listed banks n the Dhaka Stock . Bank's return on equity (ROE) = Exchange were selected for this study. The Net Income / Total Equity researchers collected secondary data from the annual reports of these banks. Market size= Individual bank's deposit / Total banks' deposit Srrr~lpliilg nlethod Market Concentration index = Market size Currently the Dhaka Stock Exchange has 23 listed banks. Therefore, the researchers have . Bank Risk Measure = selected 23 banks in Bangladesh. However, the Bank's total loan / total deposit Bd's Market Concentration Bank's Market Size. B'd's Risk Bank's Return on Equity Figre1 : Conceptr~lFramework of proposed variables and their relationshps. Examination of Profitability in the Context of Bangladesh Banking Industry The relevant reasons and credentials behind the above measures ofprofitability ofbanks are as follows: According to Al-Shamrnari M. and Salirni A. (1 998) profitability ratio especially ROE signals the earning capability of the organization. They also suggest that higher return on equity (ROE) ratio is appreciable as it is the primary indicator ofbank's profitability and functional efficiency. Besides that the authors pointed out that higher liquidityratio pulls strength of peration up. Thus, fiom their view it can be stated that bank risk can be offset through lower loan-to-deposit ratio. For bank, the capital sufficiency is important to fiu-ther growth as well as profitability. Conversely, more loans derive higher credit risk, higher rate of nonperforming loans, and lower return on asset as well as equity. They provided a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to explore the financial position ofcommercial banks in Jordan. Therefore, ROE is used here to measure the profitabilitywhich is the most sought after measure among all. Philippatos andYildlrim (2007) recommended that the arket attractiveness and profitability has a positive relationship in the context of monopolistic banking business. Force of lending can pull up through increase efficiency of own capital and competency. However, earlier in 1977, Heggestad explained that if the individual bank has higher market share it is sure to enjoy monopoly which helps the bank to extend market concentration and reduce risk. The ultimate result is the increase ofreturn on equity (ROE). He also said that risk is a fimdamental factor in pulling up profit. But, market size diverts risk hm business and confirms smooth growth and secured ROE.