Doctor Faustus as a 'Tragic Hero'

Aristotle defines the term ‘tragic hero’ as, one who must have high status but must also be noble and virtuous. Though the tragic hero is highly remarkable, he is not perfect. The tragic hero suffers from some error or frailty. His death or defeat is caused by his tragic flaw of excessive pride and over confidence.

In the present play, Faustus’s mind and soul are afire with an inordinate desire for attaining supreme power through knowledge by any way fair or foul and even by selling his soul to the devil. Faustus even after getting his degree of Doctorate and studying all the important branches of learning like Philosophy, Physics, Law and Divinity, he wants to gain super human power. Here he is going to do something against the will of God. He is prepared to surrender his soul to the Devils after enjoying twenty five years of life and he signs the pact and that is his error of judgment or Hamartia for that he has to die at the end of the play.

Knowledge is no doubt powerful, but Faustus who is the embodiment of the dreams and desires, forgets that there is a limit of man’s power and possibilities and that knowledge also may become a source of ruin and destruction of life.

          Hence, in the end of the play Faustus with his limitless lust for power ultimately finds with horror how the glory of temporary success brings about his doom and eternal damnation. So here with the help of this character we can find some tragic elements. In nutshell, Faustus has violated the rules established by almighty so God himself. One can have an idea that these various symptoms of Hamartia define the nature of tragic hero.

Gandhian Ideology in R.K. Narayan’s ' Waiting for the Mahatma'

Ashvin P. Dabhi

Roll no. - 06

SEM - IV

Paper no.E-E-405

Year – 2011-12

Topic: Gandhian Ideology in R.K. Narayan’s Waiting for the Mahatma

Submitted to Dr. Dilip Barad

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

Introduction:-

In this assignment the researcher tries to represent the Gandhian ideology in the present novel Waiting for the Mahatma. Here he tries to depict the similarities of Gandhian ideology in the present novel. He also tries to find out the similarities of Gandhian characters in the present novel. Throughout this chapter he tries to describe how Gandhian influences reflect in the novel and how Gandhian ideology influences on the characters in the present novel.

Narayan has tried to grasp and simplify the Gandhian philosophy in this novel. Sriram serves a double purpose since the name oft ‘Sriram’ is also the chanting word of Gandhiji. Gandhi has mass appeal, a huge gathering of Malgudian citizens are waiting on the bank of Saryu to receive their beloved leader. Volunteers clad in white Khadi guide the people and maintain law and order at the meeting. Though there is severe heat, the crowd sat patiently and uncomplainingly on the hot sand. Then Mahatma reaches the spot and delivers his speech, Sriram listens with great passion and he is completely mesmerized.

Gandhi is a man of simplicity. Moorthy also follows this ideology. As the researcher knows that how Gandhi has decided to wear only Dhoti after seeing some poor women in our country. Here in this novel Moorthy also goes to all castes family. He does not consider in casteism. He thinks all men are born equal. When Gandhi has to about to come at that time the collector of Malgudi wants no children would be there but when Gandhi has arrived at that time there are children and after seeing one child with full of mud, the chairman of Harijan’s hut Natesh says all the dirt is on this boy. But Gandhi does not neglect him. He also offers him flowers and oranges. Then he wants to live in untouchable’s colony.

This novel portrays Swadeshi movement. The woman and the little boy both are frustrated by Sriram’s picketing the shop for selling English biscuits. In Raja Rao’s ‘Kanthapura’ there is the reference of Swadeshi movement. The protagonist Moorthy suggests some young man to leave all the foreign things and then these young men determine and leave all the foreign things. Here in the present novel he also depicted the idea about Swadeshi movement.

There are some other references for Charkhas, Spirituality, and Equality. Here the researcher has come to know that the new ideology of Gandhi for arranging people in local or lower class people’s area. In this novel he has declared that if you want to meet him then you have to go in Harijan’s colony. The character of Bharati and Sriram can be compared with Mahatma Gandhi. There are firm Gandhian ideologies in Waiting for the Mahatma.

As you know that Gandhiji had read Bhagwad Gita, He also saw the drama about Shravan and Raja Harishchandra. He was very impressed by these. In his life there was great change on account of Bhagwad Gita and some religious drama. There is a gradual evolution in Sriram as he spins and reads the Bhagwad Gita and utters Ram Nam in a day to day life.

Conclusion:-

          In conclusion the researcher would like to say that this novel has depicted real Gandhain ideology. Here he also can compare the character Sriram with Mahatma Gandhi. There are many references which show the Gandhian ideology very firmly.

Casteism in The White Tiger

Ashvin P. Dabhi

Roll no. - 06

SEM - IV

Paper no.E-C-401

Year – 2011-12

Topic: Casteism in The White Tiger

Submitted to Dr. Dilip Barad

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

Introduction:-

The White Tiger is the Arvind Adiga’s debut novel. This is a booker prize winning novel. This novel is not reading about tigers or wild life in India but it is a story about class conflict. The story line is exclusively developed by the central character’s lengthy letters written to chairman Mao of China which is again a reference to the class conflict. Here the researcher tries to find out class conflict in the present novel.

This novel describes the travails of a Dalit man from North India and how he finally triumphs over his slavery to the feudal upper caste and becomes an entrepreneur have described that this novel mentions the struggle of a Dalit man and his attainment of the “Indian Dream.’ Many Dalit scholars got this book to the notice of the editor of Dalit Nation. Here I try to put it in perspective within the overall Dalit literature and body of Knowledge.

The protagonist, Balram Halwai says,

“Sweet maker ….. that’s my caste, my destiny.”

With the help of this line here reader can get the idea about casteism. Balram Halwai does not hesitate to mention about his caste. He also says that sweet maker is also my destiny. Many a time it is seen that lower caste people hesitate to mention their caste but here it is not so. Balram mentions his caste with proudly and accepts that it is my destiny. Another character in the novel asks the question,

“Do you think sweet maker can manage fourth gear?”

With the help of this line reader can get the idea that here in this novel how the lower caste people are depicted. Here it is said that how can the lower caste people manage hard work so here it is mentioned that do you think sweet maker can manage fourth gear?

Ram Persad is Muslim. He is number one driver in Stork. When he comes to join in this company at that time he has been asked about caste and then he said wrong about his caste because he is Muslim but here he has mentioned that he is Hindu. He also changed his name for joining in this company otherwise he has not got entry in this company. Here the reader can get the point regarding casteism. At that time people gave importance to caste not the quality of the candidate. After some days Balram knows that Ram Persad is not Hindu and he is Muslim then Ram Persad decides to leave this job. For getting job people have to suffer lots of problems. Employer also considers caste is important than employee’s talent so that is why, I think in both cases Ram Persad and Balram there is caste is likable.

People think that Terrorists are Muslim but if we check then we can come across that there were some famous poets in Muslim like Rumi, Iqbal, and Mirza Ghalib etc. they can understand the nature, people, culture, feeling  so how can we say that Muslim are cruel. It is not so because they also have some human feeling in their hearts otherwise they have not written such kind of poems. So it is not good to say that terrorists are Muslim.

Here there are some good references about casteism. When Balram goes for job at that time he is asked about caste so here reader can get the idea about casteism. Here it means caste is more important than talent because instead of asking regarding education qualification, interests, etc. he is asked about caste. It is not necessary to ask about caste because caste is not valuable but a person is valuable. All are equal in reference of caste. Here I would like to share Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas about caste because he did not emphasize on any caste and he also said,

“All men are born equal”

With the help of this idea one can get the idea that all people are equal. There is no matter for discussing caste.

In this novel Pinky Madam who is the wife of Ashok Sharma, does not accepted by the family of Ashok Sharma because she is Christian. Here also we can get the some how the idea about casteism in the present novel.

 Conclusion:-

In a nut-shell it is just a piece of junk written by an upper caste Brahmin. This piece of junk is given some Booker or Hooker prize and the upper caste reader read these kinds of novels thinking that this is the condition of Dalit is social reform through state legislation and Cultural Revolution. They do not need India to be the ‘White Tiger’ but they will convert it into the ‘Black Panther.’

Impact of Cinema on Society

Ashvin P. Dabhi

Roll no. - 06

SEM - IV

Paper no.E-C-404

Year – 2011-12

Topic: Impact of cinema on society

Submitted to Dr. Dilip Barad

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

Introduction:

            
           There have been several definitions of cinema. There is one definition of cinema that it happens to be the greatest medium of entertainment. There is another definition of cinema that it is a medium that does reflect the true mood of the society and also that changing reality. In accordance with several experts, the Indian cinema does fit in the last definition and in the best manner. Without a doubt Indian cinema has played a major role hitherto and through decades it has also the most appreciated medium of entertainment.

          
          Now the question remains whether it has been the medium of entertainment only or of something else. Surely you are interested to know the definition of this word. The Indian cinema has changed through times and has always tried to cope with the changing reality. If we take the main stream cinema or simply Bollywood into consideration, it will be found that lots of changes have occurred. Popular perception did change and the unrestrained Indian youth started to find its own replica in the celluloid through the angry heroes. The subsequent decodes did not bring any change even if violence and vulgarity became a part and parcel of the Indian cinema and the same is in full vigor at the moment. Perhaps, the Indian cinema has been gratifying the changing reality.

          
             Society and cinema are replicate of each other. In present scenario the major cinema is Bollywood. In society gets influenced by what is shown on the silver screen, the Bollywood always tries to serve what either exists or is demanded by the society. So Bollywood cannot be blamed alone for the change in the society. We Indians are more affected by the television and cinema. It is mostly the children and youth who try to mimic what we see in the cinemas. The present scenario of Indian cinema is not so good as we are moving towards development and our present generation is very sensitive. If cinema continues to show vulgarity, the present and future generation is all set to adopt it.

           
              The twentieth century has many scientific inventions to its credit. The cinema occupies an important place among them. In the beginning cinema pictures were movies only that are only movement but no sound. Such pictures were called silent motion picture. The silent motion pictures were shown with the help of projectors. But with the invention of the photo-electric cell, it became possible to introduce the sound track in the films. The pictures were not only ‘moves’ but ‘talkies’ as well. The talkies became very popular within a very short time. Before the advent of the cinema, the drama or stage-acting was regarded as the most popular source of entertainment. The cinema is a powerful and effective means of communication. Because of its audio-visual characteristic it has a great mass appeal. Such a powerful and effective means of communication can be gainfully utilised in a verity of ways. This most popular source of entertainment for millions of people can be used as an instrument for creating public awakening. In our society there are many practices and traditions which are based on ignorance and which have withheld the progress of our society. Rigidity of caste system, untouchability, dowry system and purdah system has done enormous harm to our society. Cinema films can do a lot to eradicate these evils. They can be used for promoting national integration, prohibition, inter-castes marriages, family planning, eradication of literacy etc. such themes can help the transformation of our society. Many successful experiments have been made in various countries on the utility of films as a means of education. Feature films have been produced for school and college students and students are being benefitted by them. Cinema films have the power to influence the thinking of the people. They have changed the society and social trends. They have introduced new fashions in society. They can create a direct impact on our social life.

         
                 In our country cinematography has been developed as an art and the film industry is an organized industry. It is a foreign exchange earner industry. Many Indian films have won international awards. This gift of science has some disadvantages, too. It is a force and has the power to influence the society. So a film which depicts scenes of moral degradation or which violates our moral standards does immense harm to our society. The films produced on the western trends or the films which try to preach western moral standards are producing a bad effect on our younger generation. So the producers of films and the film censors owe a great responsibility to society. The film producers should try producing formula pictures. Consciously or unconsciously, there are many aspects of a movie that we extract and include in our way of living. Movies like ‘Babul’ raising issue of widow remarriage or those like ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ depicting Indian cultural values of respect for parents’ views tend to make us wonder if movies are merely about entertainment. There are several medium budget movies, especially from the new generation director like Madhur Bhandarkar and Prakash Mehra that induce us to question lives around us. These movies encourage us to consider the social institutions and develop awareness about the rights and duties of people about which knowledge could not be generated even by government programs.

         
                     The new wave of Indian cinema has more arduously started experimenting with new topics that are closer to our lives. Hence, you can realize the extent to which Bollywood mobile influences the real world and your child decides in the modern times when your child decides against studying engineering after they watch the newest movie 3 Idiots. Film ‘Goal’ is about resilience and courage. It is about how you rebuild yourself and bounce back to life amidst adversity. We are trying to convey this through a football match. It is about human drama. It is about the triumph of the human spirit when adversity strikes. Football is merely the medium to express these ideas.

           
               There are very less movies in Bollywood that highly promote good moral values or we can say patriotic values. Hence, it is obvious that it will give a bad impact on today’s youth. Not only the youth will suffer from this, but the society will also suffer because of this. It can also be said that the youth and the society have already started suffering and facing problems because of tis. To prevent all this things, it is necessary for the Bollywood industry to first understand the purpose of broadcasting. Bollywood should understand that broadcasting is the best medium to reach public’s heart. But they should not misuse it. They have the best opportunity to spread food ideas and social awareness thing. This will improve the social thinking of every human and will also make them love them their country. This will stop them from adopting wrong things and will force them to do good things. Hence, producer’s story writers and directors should first think about the required social awareness and should make it a point that they show good things to the youth.

          
         As we know movies belongs different genres like action, thriller, suspense, romantic, art, spiritual patriotic etc. It comprises of songs, fighting and many more things. There are many good producers who have shown good movies in bollywood to the public. The legend of Bhagat Singh, Hey Ram etc. was some of the good patriotic movies. Chakde India and Taare Zameen Par are movies that teach some good things to the society. If at all, people in bollywood industry think of making good movies like the above said movies. Then they might help the formation of good culture in Bollywood movies. Bollywood should prefer to show movies that teach good lessons to the people.

          
             As we are the one who watch these movies, we must raise this issue of avoiding movies whose impact is negative on today’s society. Instead of watching the boring Saas Bahu serial we can demand for the social awareness serials even. Saas Bahu serial are just for increasing the TRP and they do not depict practical life. Practical life is different from what we see in these serials.

Films depict historical, mythological and social themes bearing on Indian lives, whether of the past or the present make a special appeal to the people. The cinema has been found to be the present make a special appeal to the people. The cinema has been found to be the most effective method of exposing social evils such as dowry system. Civil sense and the general morality are engendered through them. The political awareness, fight the masses is largely contributed by cinema as a means of propaganda, publicity and advertisement its services are invaluable and it must be preserved and fostered cot all costs.

        
                Apart from its various advantages, cinema is not free from its civil effects. Film artistry is compelled to compromise with people’s popular taste and appeal to their problems and with the ways of the criminals is now shown. These are apt to affect public morality. The cinema has far reaching effect upon the youth of the country. The films make them prematurely sex-conscious and they start reacting to the scenes of romantic pictures in their regular life. The youth imitating all sorts of fashions from the film lead to the development of expensive tastes and manners.

Conclusion:-

          
                Indian culture is very well known for culture and tradition. It is now moving towards fashion and imitation. Nowadays, it is seen that people are trying to imitate what they see. Most of the things that they imitate belong to what they watch on television and on big screens. Bollywood is the craze for the youth now.  Movies are produced with low moral values. Very easily, the actors in the movies are shown consuming liquors and cigarettes. Youth considers this as fashion and then they start imitating the same. Also in Bollywood clothes which are worn by the stars are imitated by the youth.

CALL- Computer Assisted Language Learning

Assignment Paper-E-C-3204

Topic- Computer Assisted Language Learning

Dabhi Ashvin P

M.A. Part – II

SEM- IV

Roll No -06

Year – 2011-12

Department of English

Submitted to Dr. Dilip Barad

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University

Introduction: -

Nowadays computer is used in various aspects. Without using of computer we can not do many things very effectively. Computer is widely useful tool. There is no any field that is run without computer. With the help of computer the work is done very carefully and perfectly. Computers have become so widespread in schools, homes; colleges etc. and their uses have expanded so dramatically. Now the majority of language teachers must begin to think about the involvement of computers for language learning. Here I try to mention that how computers have been used and are being used for language teaching. This assignment focuses not on a technical description of hardware and software, but rather on the pedagogical questions that teachers have considered in using computers in the classroom.

Meaning of CALL:-

            Computer assisted language learning is a process in which a learner uses a computer and, as a result, improves his or her language. Though this definition might seem unworkably, it at least encompasses a broad spectrum of current practice in the teaching and learning of language at the computer. An awareness of this spectrum allows learners and researchers to recognize appropriate materials and methodologies and adapt others to various technologies and learning style.

            CALL is an amorphous or unstructured discipline because of the changing nature of computers. Changing nature of computers is evolving both in terms of pedagogy and technological advances in hardware and software. Change is also occurring with some advances in computer literary among both teachers and learners. CALL is employed in many ways, both in and out of the classroom. In some commercial applications meant to be used by individuals away from the home. It is promoted as a complete method of learning a language. It can be used both as a reward for better learners or a remedial tool for weaker ones in classrooms. Some language labs integrate CALL and some teachers use CALL activities based on emails and the World Wide Web to supplement student learning.

            Computer based language learning tools will become both pervasive and invisible. They will be commonly included in other applications and computer interfaces will become almost completely intuitive. Through computer software learner can able to recognize and intelligence respond to speech. Computer based language functions are already integrated into world processing and other software that corrects spelling and grammar.

History of CALL:-

             Advances in technology have made some parts of early books on CALL irrelevant. Entire books have been discarded by publishers and valuable information lost except to those able to access university library collections. It is important to preserve such history not just to give a sense of ensure that researchers do not overlook earlier issues and developments and waste time reinventing the wheel.

            The first computers used for language learning were large 1950s’ mainframes that were only available at research facilities on university campuses. These presented particular organizational problems as learners had to leave classroom and travel to a computer. There was the high cost of computers so the process of reaching and learning was limited. At that time parallel research also took place on subjects such as machine translation. The first CALL programs created at three pioneering institutions:  Stanford University, Dartmouth University and The University of Essex. All these universities focused on the teaching of Russian.

            Neuwirth and Koufer’s description of research in CALL is still much practiced but it is of waning interest. A focus of much research in the early years of CALL whether or not computers should be used in the presence of computers in educational context has grown from a single unit in one or more classrooms to computer labs and even to widespread individual ownership by students in some countries.

            In 1959 PLATO system was developed by the University of Illinois working with a business partner, control Data Corporation. PLATO system means programmed learning for Automated Teaching Operations. It is the first and most significant applications for the teaching and learning of language at the computer. This PLATO system combined some of the best CALL features being developed at other universities but different from many other attempts to use computers to teach language in that PLATO’s computer and its programming language were custom designed for the purpose of teaching language. PLATO’s first language learning work was done in teaching a grammar translation approach. Russian language teaching and learning included grammar explanations, vocabulary drills and other drills and translation tests over a course of sixteen lessons. The system had so called ‘intelligent’ features still used today.

            In 1975, microcomputers were first sold in kit form. High-end main frame computers continued to be available and used for CALL research throughout the 1970s and 1980s at university laboratories and commercial institutions. The format has been largely replaced with Compact Disk Read-only Memory as they have a greater installed base in personal computers and feature that is smaller. CD-ROMs are likely replaced by learner volume media such as Digital Videodiscs (DVD).

            Gale describes Macario as an early videodisc program for learning Spanish. It was developed at Brigham Young University. Then Gale mentions two similar videodisc programs that featured non linear opportunities for learning, Montevidisco and Interactive Digame, these two programs pioneered the idea of learners making greater choices about what is to be learned at the computer.

            In 1984, Apple computer introduced a new style of compute, the Macintosh. It differed from earlier domestic use or personal computers in that it offered a graphical user interface. Thousands of new CALL programs have been published since the few mentioned above, but the ones cited so far provide an overview of the types of CALL environment. Morgenstern and Furstenberg provide guidelines as to what might be usefully included in multi media learning environment.

Three Phases of CALL:-

            Though CALL has developed gradually over the last some years, this development can be categorized in terms of three somewhat distinct phases like Behaviouristic CALL, Communicative CALL and Integrative CALL.

(1)   Behaviouristic CALL:-

The first phase of CALL conceived in the 1950s and implemented in the 1960s and 70s was based on the dominant behaviorist theories of learning. Programs of this phase entailed repetitive language drills and can be referred to as ‘drill and practice’. Drill and practice courseware is based on the model of computer as tutor. In other words the computer serves as a vehicle for delivering instructional materials to the student. The rationale behind drill and practice was not totally spurious, which explains in part the fact that CALL drills are still used today. There are some rationale is as follows: first is Repeated exposure  to the same material is beneficial or even essential to learning, second is A computer is ideal for carrying out repeated drills, since the machine does not get bored with presenting the same material and since it can provide immediate non judgmental feedback and third is A computer can present such material on an individualized basis, allowing students to proceed at their own pace and freeing up class time for other activities.

A number of CALL tutoring systems were developed for the mainframe which was used at that time. One of the most sophisticated of these was the PLATO system. The PLATO system included drills, brief grammar explanations and drills, and translations tests at various intervals. In the late 1970s and early 1980s behavioristic CALL was undermined by two important factors. First, behavioristics approaches to language learning had been rejected at both the theoretical and the pedagogical level. Secondly, the introduction of the microcomputer allowed a whole new range of possibilities. The stage was set for a new phase of CALL.

(2)   Communicative CALL:-

The second phase of CALL was based on the communicative approach to teaching which became prominent in the 1970s and 80s. Communicative CALL focuses more on using forms rather than on the forms themselves. It teaches grammar implicitly rather than explicitly. It allows and encourages students to generate original utterances rather than just manipulate prefabricated language. It avoids telling students they are wrong and is flexible to a variety of student’s responses.

Several types of CALL programs were developed and used during this the phase of communicative CALL. First, there was a variety of programs to provide skill practice, but in a non drill format. In addition to computer as tutor, another CALL model used for communicative activities involves the computer as stimulus. The third model of computers in communicative CALL involves the computer as tool. In this role, the programs do not necessarily provide any language material at all. The challenges for advocates of CALL were to developed models which could help integrate the various aspects of the language learning process.

(3)   Integrative CALL:-

Integrative approaches to CALL are based on two important technological developments of the last decade multimedia computers and the internet. Hypermedia provides a number of advantages for language learning. The major advantage of hypermedia is that it facilitates a principle focus on the content without sacrificing a secondary focus on language form or learning strategies. There is the question of quality of available programs. While teachers themselves can develop their own multimedia programs using authoring software, the fact is that most classroom teachers lack the training or to make even simple programs. Multimedia technology as it currently exists thus only partially contributes to integrative CALL. Using multimedia may involve an integration of skills but it too seldom involves a more important type of integration. Another technological breakthrough is helping make that possible – electronic communication and the Internet.

Conclusion:-

            The history of CALL suggests that the computer can serve a variety of uses for language teaching. It can be a tutor which offers language drills or skill practice. It also offers a stimulus for discussion and interaction. With the advance of the Internet, it can also be a medium of global communication and a source of limitless authentic materials. The effectiveness of CALL cannot reside in the medium itself but only in how it is put to use.