The International Air Transport Association Tourism Essay

The International Air Transport Association Tourism Essay Another article written by the International Air Transport Authority states that some airlines have started to see some stabilization in the business and the first class sectors of the airlines. These are the most profitable sectors for an airline.however it is pertinent to note here that not all airline have been as lucky and thus some airline are still facing a loss on these sectors as well. For the other airline which are seeing stabilization, these sectors are back up and running because of the fact that the economic crisis is now improving and slowly people are returning back to their normal lives and businesses have stabilized and thus they are back to doing business as they were before the crisis took place a few years ago in the world. World trade has thus become essential once again and the companies are now slowly allowing their employees to start spending extravagantly as well. Business class has not recovered fully either on the other hand. Passengers who used to fly these classes now resort to flying economy or taking budget airlines. This is due to the new reforms that some companies have come up with restricting the use of the high end seats by its employees in an effort to save up on the money. Economy class passengers who were the tourist class passengers have not fully come back to their original number however. As the majority of the revenue on a flight does come from the economy class, airlines are starting to feel the effects of decline of passengers now. When on certain routes the economy class used to go packed, it is now seeing empty seats as well and empty seats are causing the airlines problems and thus the management of the airlines are considering alternative strategies to deal with these seats. The strategies include offering special last minute deals on seats and thus earning something in comparison to having nothing when a seat goes empty on a flight. The article further goes on to state that as a result of all of the above, passengers numbers are now being stabilized at the expense of much lower yields for the airlines now as airlines are trying to boost up their cash flows now. Having the financial independence is necessary for airlines in order to remain afloat thus they need to take a profit that is lower than that they would normally be receiving just to remain afloat. Times are hard for the airlines but they realize that without this they will not be able to survive and thus will see their precious consumer base going to other airlines in the market.  [ii]   This article written by Jones (2012) states that at a time when the airline industry was booming, many airlines had made their future expansion and growth plans according to this. However after the global financial crisis, airlines had to cut back on their plans in order to remain afloat. Airlines used many techniques to cut back on these plans. Airlines which had ordered planes in advance to cope with the demand that had been increasing over the last few years had to cancel their orders and thus face losses with that as well. Airlines which had merged with other airlines in order to cope with the demand were not regretting this decision as it was becoming too expensive to cope with these expenses in the prevalent economic conditions. Airplanes were being sold off as well. An example can be that of Lufthansa which added 50% more capacity in 2007 in order to cope with the increasing demand but only added 2.3% capacity in 2012. This has shown that there is a downward trend in the increasing world market and that has actually crippled the airline industry. Airlines have also had to retire their older fleet of aircrafts as well in order to cut back on their losses. International routes have been hit the hardest as these were the routes which generated the most profitability for these airlines. The airlines have shrunk their size and laif off their employees as well in order to cope with the decreasing demand for these routes. Many routes have also been scrapped by these airlines as now some routes are not generating the profitability that once was generated and some are even running on loss. This has also resulted in airlines reducing frequency of their flights. This all has an impact on the airline profitability and thus they are now having lower profitability. Feeder airlines have also impacted the profitability of the larger airlines as they were the ones who used to transport people to the major airports from where larger airlines used to operate to the long haul destinations. These feeder airlines have reduced their frequency and some routes have also been closed down thus hampering the profitability of the larger airlines on the long haul routes. Given these changes their has been an immense price competition in the market as well which has resulted in airlines offering cheaper tickets in order to grab the maximum passenger load.  [iii]   Business and first class travel have been the airlines prize possession and they have counted on these seats for they are the ones that achieve maximum profitability for an airline. These seats used to be fully booked well in advance and were typically booked by business travellers. These seats are now going empty a lot of the time as there has been a decrease in the passenger revenues and thus these seats are the ones that once used to bring in a lot of profitability for the company but now are becoming a source of loss for airlines in the economic downturn. Business class and first class passengers are now shifting to cheaper alternatives, like flying in Economy class or shifting to other modes of transportation like the train and even not flying at times and resorting to modern technology like video conferencing in order to cut back costs which are associated with the premier class travel which is expensive. This has impacted the European market the most as the level of business confidence has gone down considerably and thus has proven to have very small increase chances in Europe. However, it is noted that the fluctuation is not consistent and can bounce back as well. However if it does not bounce back it can also spread to other markets as well and thus also hamper profitability. This article highlights the reasons for the decline in PIA air travel which is ultimately affecting the profitability of the airline. there are many reasons given for the decline and all of them are related to PIA in terms of the way the airline is being currently run and thus are not related to the workings of the airlines who are also being faced with this problem as well. One of the major issues faced by PIA is the devaluation of the rupee. PIA suffers high losses due to the exchange rate fluctuations. This devaluation of the rupee has thus led the airline to experience losses even in 2012. Many of the purchases are made in US Dollars are thus the rupee has depreciated and thus the airline is now suffering losses as steps were not taken in advance to solve this problem. The article goes on to say that the airline has also had to deal with the fuel price risk as well however In 2012 the price of the fuel has declined by 8%. The fluctuations in fuel prices has thus led to losses being incurred by PIA as they were not able to protect themselves against this fluctuation. Other airlines have protected themselves by adopting many techniques like purchasing fuel in advance at pre determined rates and thus avoiding the fluctuations that were happening in the international airline market and thus avoiding the problems which were being faced by airlines all over the world as well. Its own internal problems have also led to the profits being decreased as well. This is majorly due to the internal inefficiencies of the airline and the unstable operating performance of PIA well. However recently due to the change in the management the airline has been able to bounce back a bit and improve its European operations as well considerably but it will take more than that in order to improve the condition of the airline. policies also need to be formulated which will help the airline run properly and thus avoid losses. Experienced personnel need to be brought in to take care of this problem. PIA needs to have a long term strategy which it needs to follow in order to improve the profitability and the image of the airline. only by having a long term strategy will PIA be able to protect itself from the changing patterns in the market and thus avoid making losses in the long term as well. Thus it can be said that a long term strategy is something that is needed but is lacking currently in PIA.  [iv]   An article written by IATA(2012) states that the jet fuel prices have also been a reason for the high increase in airline tickets. This has led to the passengers sales declining. The jet fuel prices have risen at a time when there is an economic meltdown and thus passengers have already been forced to reduce their expenditures and this increase has further led them to not travel on airlines thus hampering their profitability. Airlines have not been able to hedge themselves against this fuel rise and that is why many airlines have had to suffer losses and also face decrease in passengers as well. Very few airlines were able to hedge against the rise in fuel prices which have saved them from facing such losses. Other airlines have continued to face losses with the increase in jet fuel prices. PIA has not been able to do so and thus they have lost out on passenger revenues on long haul flights. The management does not have a long term strategy to deal with the rise in fuel prices and thus hedge from it either in any possible way that will help it minimize the losses being faced by the airline. Airlines have also not had the breathing space to adapt to these changes as the changes in the price of jet fuel has increased steadily. Owing to this IATA has spotted a decrease in the industry profits and weak traffic volumes as well. The price of the jet fuel will also determine how the airlines operate in order to best address this situation they are facing. They may need to re think their routes and perhaps even cancel some routes as well. Restructuring will also take place.  [v]   An article written by Hafeez UdDin(2012) states that as PIA is an airline which does not have many international agreements with other airlines, that is why passengers choose not to fly PIA. in this day and age, airlines have contracts with many airlines in order to facilitate the passengers so they can connect on to their destinations with another airline if a particular airline does not fly to a particular destination. Code sharing has become essential now a days and thus is proving to be useful for many airlines in order to improve their profits as well as their image as it really helps facilitate the passengers travelling with one particular airline. However with PIA, they do not offer many options to passengers who need to connect at an airport to another airline. that is one of the core reasons why passengers then choose to fly airlines other than PIA and thus the demand for long haul flights with PIA decreases as well. In Pakistan, there has been a lack of tourism owing to the current conditions of the country. There has been terrorism, political instability, viral outbreaks and acts of violence as well which have caused the condition of Pakistan to deteriorate. This reason has also caused the aviation industry in Pakistan to suffer as well. People feel insecure about travelling to Pakistan that is why the Pakistani tourism industry has decreased considerably. Owing to this people are not willing to travel to Pakistan in order to sight see as much as they once used to at a point in time. Even Pakistani people who reside abroad are a bit reluctant to come to Pakistan and that is why the passenger sales on long haul flights has also decreased as well as the EXPATS were the ones who used to travel on PIA long haul flights the most as well. The reason listed above show why there has been a decline in the sales of PIA long haul routes. Being the national airline of a country that is plagued with these problems is one of the reasons why PIA has been losing out on sales. However, it is not the only reason.  [vi]   According to an article published by IATA (2012), Airlines around the world have devised a new strategy in order to cope with the changing trends in the international market. These airlines are now aware of the impact of the global crisis and are thus adopting new strategies in order to effectively target that segment who has been impacted by it. The effective implementation of this strategy has led them to regain their market share and thus avoid making losses which were going to be inevitable owing to the changing market trends. It is of most importance to note here that the consumers who travel on airlines will not be the ones to change. It is the airline which has to change their strategy in order to effectively cope with the consumers and their varying trends. Airlines have thus adopted new strategies to deal with this. Some new ways of doing it are by offering loyalty programs with added benefits. The other is by cutting on the expenses which an airline were incurring in order to satisfy their customers like providing a meal on board. Even though meals are still provided by the airlines on long haul flights, those meals are then prepared by contractors who charge the airline less for the food. This in turn helps reduce the cost of the ticket. Airlines have also resorted to using the low key airports to operate their flights which have less taxes etc. this means a lower cost ticket for the consumer. All of this eventually leads to lower priced tickets which is what in reality the consumer wants and thus t he airlines needto give them. However the airlines have also taken quite a large dip out of their profits in order to provide them with this. Airlines that are not using strategies like these mentioned above are the ones that are incurring losses on their flights. Passengers will continue to move to other airlines as they feel that those airlines are more suited to their needs and are thus a more viable option for them. Thus this will result in the airlines making more losses and losing out on the market share that is important to them.  [vii]   This articles states that people are very conscious of the things they use these days. People want value for their money and as the competition is immense these days the consumers are spoilt in terms of choice and thus they will very easily switch brands in order to gain something. This shows that there is very little brand loyalty left in consumers. This is also applicable to airlines as well. Airlines need to remain on top of the game in order to deal with the competition they are facing. Every particular aspect needs to be taken into consideration as it can be any factor that changes the mind of the consumer. Many airlines think that things like inflight entertainment are not important factors but the reality is that they are of importance especially on long haul flights. Passengers do give importance to them and thus the consumers believe that these are the aspects which are really important to them Failing to take these into account are the reasons why some airlines are now facing losses. These airlines are also facing consumer shifts to other airlines as well hence steps need to be taken to curb this. An article written by the centre of aviation(2012) states that the problems faced by the airlines are obvious but the successful implementation of a strategy are proving to be problematic. Many airlines face the issues of government intervention. This ultimately leads to a greater time for approving any changes that need to take place as many people/authorities need to approve of the changes before they can be implemented. By the time the strategy is actually implemented, it is too late as the airline is also facing losses owing to the loss in time that the airline faced while getting the approval for the changes that they wanted to the airline. Given the limited finances available to these airlines as well, growth may peak at one time but the financial recovery is slow. This ultimately leads to the unability to raise capital for the airlines. And given the global economy, banks are also reluctant to give out loans as well as they are uncertain of the future in this day and age which leads to financing problems for the airlines. With lack of financing available, airlines thus resort to leasing aircrafts instead of purchasing them. This in the long run is not profitable for the airline. The management of the airline also needs to take into account the micro issues that the airline is facing. Many a times the management aims at solving the macro issues which at the given time appear to be larger but the micro issues are also very important in the running of an airline. these are the issues which need to solved as well because a pile up of these issues will ultimately result in the airline suffering from losses if these issues are not addressed as well as the macro issues as well. Thus an environment needs to be set up where all the problems can be tackled.  [viii]   The article written by Houriani(2012) states that the airline industry is being faced by an excess capacity. This is basically derived from underutilized planes which ultimately lead to an increase in competition. Airlines are facing cut throat competition and because of this the airlines have had to deal with many problems. The operational costs of actually running an airline are increasing and as a result of this airlines are not making that much profits as they once used to. The airline is not passing on the excess costs on to the consumers in fear of losing out on the consumers. This also related with the inflation which is taking place leads the airlines in a very uncomfortable position. Airlines which are in trouble have had to take drastic steps in order to actually live through this. They have had to merge with other airlines and thus resort to compromising on many things. Another thing which the airlines have had to do is join strategic alliances. Joining these alliances have kept the airlines afloat in one way as it means that the consumer powers have gone down and thus the members of strategic alliances have more control thus allowing them to incur less losses as well in these troubling times. The case of operational costs further split into fixed costs and variable costs particularly on long haul flights also needs to be taken into consideration. The airlines are faced with intense inflation which is happening and thus owing to that the fixed costs are rising and the airlines are trying very hard to curb their variable costs so that their expenditures do not increase by that big of a margin. However the variable costs that the airline is now cutting down on are the costs which create a deep and meaningful relation with the customers. Examples of this can be the frequent flyer programs and the lounges that the airlines operate. However, these are the costs that the customers care about the most and thus that eventually leads to the customer base diminishing.  [ix]   An article written by Thompson (2009) states that long haul flights were once an airlines main source of income. Revenue earned from these were greater in comparison to the revenues earned by other flights operated by an airline which were termed as short haul flights. However in this day and age, passengers have been spoilt for choice. Many passengers prefer having layovers in other cities which lets them relax and thus does not prove to be tedious for them either. However, this has not been fared well with the airlines. This has ultimately resulted in lower profits for them. Airlines have taken this change in customer patterns to their advantage. Many airlines now allow their passengers to have a break in many cities before continuing on with their journeys. Many airlines also offer tourism services as well in many cities which ultimately allows the passenger to see the city they are stopping over in. this allows the passenger to book tourism services with the same airline and thus can be less stressful for the passenger and possibly also more cheaper as well for the passengers. This change of pattern has let the airlines branch out into many other services as well which ultimately allows them to have more than one source of income. This has led them to increase their income which is beneficial for the airline. They realized that the passenger patterns have changed and thus aligned themselves with those changing trends. Airlines which have adopted this technique are more profitable than those airlines who have not done so and thus still suffer from making low profits or even losses. Airlines which have not adapted themselves to the changes in the passenger patterns have ultimately lost out on profits and thus they are seeing that the travelling passenger loads have thus shifted to other airlines. This ultimately leads to passengers preferring one airline over the other and thus creating strong loyalties with the airline that best suits their needs. In the long run this is not good for an airline as it leads to the company losing out on its precious consumer base. It is important for an airline to change itself with the changing passenger trends as that is what it is about at the end of the day. Airlines can not stick to their own agenda and not worry about what the travelling passengers want because at the end of the day the passengers are the ones who bring income to the company so their likes and preferences also need to be taken into consideration.  [x]   An article written by Paylor (2005) states that airlines now a days are operating at a capacity that is larger than required. These airlines tend to have excess fleets, larger number of employees and overall are using resources that are not required. Owing to these excess utilization of resources, airlines are now being faced with the problem of incurring losses repeatedly. The losses can be cut down and hence the profitability of these airlines can be improved if various techniques are implemented to cut down on the expenses incurred by these airlines. Airlines feel that they need to have a larger fleet size in order to cater to the global market. Purchasing or even the leasing of aircrafts is expensive hence airlines incur losses. One way for airlines to reduce the losses is to cut down on the flights which they operate. As many of their flights are going with empty seats especially on long haul routes, airlines should thus resort to cancelling flights and filling the load of empty planes on other planes. This can only happen if airlines cancel their scheduled flights and then operate only on those flights which they have full capacity. This way they will be able to minimize the losses incurred and thus will have more profitability as well. The case of an airline is given where the airline should operate one larger aircraft instead of multiple smaller aircrafts and this will prove to be a more viable option for these airlines as they will be able to fill the larger aircraft with the same number of passengers as the smaller aircrafts. This will ultimately result in a lesser loss for the company as the airline will not have to incur the costs of fuel or employee salary on both aircrafts. Thus this is a useful technique. Hence airlines can benefit from employing a strategy which will help minimize the losses incurred by the airline so that the financial position of the airline can be improved. This strategy needs to be employed so that the airline can benefit from the advantages that are derived from it. the advantages of the strategy will help improve the workings of the business and thus allow them to regain some things like the improved profitability and the internal management workings of the company. This will ultimately help the airline in its operations amongst many other things.  [xi]   This article written by Chiu (2012) states that global inflation along with the global economic crisis is the root cause for the losses that the airlines are making especially on the long haul flights. The profitability of the airlines are under pressure and high oil prices are escalating the problems the airlines are currently being faced with in this economic crisis for the last couple of years. Even freight has been showing a low trend and at one time the demand for this way very high but over the last few years this has been been showing a fall as the international market has been slowing down as well. In this condition, many airlines have no choice but to downsize. The first half of this years results have proven to not be good and thus the airlines have had to resort to taking appropriate steps to ensure that losses will not be incurred like they were in the first half of the year. Given this not good scenario for airlines, the airlines are now cancelling orders for aircrafts that they have booked and thus losing lots of money on it as well. Moreover the airplane currently in operations in these airlines are being retired from use as well as the airline can not afford to use them anymore. Over all it can be seen that a long term strategy needs to be in place for the airlines to start maxing profits. Firing employees will not solve the problems because the problem is much more than that. Where as that may be a short term solution in order to increase the profits, in the long term this is not a valid solution as the same thing will occur again hence steps need to be taken to avoid that from happening. Thus these airlines need to come up with long term initiatives in order to solve this problem as this is not a small problem but will continue to increase if it is not properly handled to ensure it happens again.  [xii]   The article written by Upadhyay (2012) states that the future for the airline industry in the long term does seem to improve. By 2030 the airline industry should improve its operations and thus the global traffic for airlines will also double that what it is right now. This will help create jobs as well and this will also be beneficial for the economy as well. The global GDP is also expected to rise substantially too. Thus the aviation sector is perceived to be a very successful and integral one as well to the global growth as it will help the global industry in many ways. However currently the market conditions are not ideal for that to happen. Owing ot the tazes imposed by the EU in favour of a creating a cleaner carbon footprint. Other countries are suggesting imposing similar type of taxes on EU airlines. If this is continued it could lead to a global war which is not in favour of anyone. Thus steps need to be taken to take care of this problem as well. Now a days the industrys profitability is precariously balanced on the edge of a knife which shows the fragile state of the industry. It will not take much to push it over and thus steps need to be taken in order to ensure that it is not pushed over to the side which will lead to a loss. Thus steps need to be taken to ensure that there are proper legislations in place which are in favour of all the airlines and thus are not stopping the progress of any one particular airline.  [xiii]   Industry Overview Air travel remains a large and growing industry. It helps increase theinternational investment, world trade, economic growthand tourism and is therefore central to the globalization taking place in many other industries. Transportation sector is most important sector of any economy and aviation industry is major part of this sector.  [xiv]   In the past decade, air travel has grown by 7% per year. Travel for both business and leisure purposes grew strongly worldwide. Scheduled airlines carried 1.5 billion passengers last year.  [xv]   Worldwide, IATA, International Air Transport Association, forecasts air travel to grow by an average 6.6% a year to the end of the decade and over 5% a year from 2000 to 2010. These rates are similar to those of the past ten years. In Europe and North America, where the air travel market is already highly developed, slower growth of 4%-6% is expected. The most dynamic growth is centered on the Asia/Pacific region, where fast-growing trade and investment are coupled with rising domestic prosperity.  [xvi]   In Pakistan the transportation and communication sector holds more than 10% share in GDP (Gross Domestic Production). The aviation industry can affect the other sector of the economy, e.g. the International Trade, tourism and socio-economic condition of the country.   Historically Pakistan International Airline dominates the major portion of aviation industry. The state owned PIAC establish in 1955 to conduct the domestic as well international operations. It enjoys the monopoly until the deregulation of aviation industry.  Ã‚  [xvii]   Pakistan has a limited number of airlines operating in the country and an even more limited number of airlines that provide international destinations as well. PIA being the National Flag Carrier Is the largest airline in Pakistan and is thus offering the largest network in comparison to any other airline in Pakistan. In the international arena, PIA is being faced with intense competition as many International airlines, especially middle eastern airlines are operating in Pakistan on a regular basis and provide flights to destinations that PIA does not. With the advent of these airlines, PIA has faced stiff competition and has thus lost out on passenger revenues as it has done nothing to cater to those problems. If the financials for PIA are looked at, it can be seen that the revenue being generated by international flights is decreasing at an alarming rate over the last few years. This is despite the fact that PIA has introduced new aircrafts for routes such as London, Toronto, New Yo

Zoe’s Tale PART I Chapter Nine

â€Å"Oh, look,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Teenage boys, about to do something stupid.† â€Å"Shut up,† I said. â€Å"That couldn't possibly happen.† But I looked anyway. Sure enough, across the Magellan's common area, two clots of teenage males were staring each other down with that look of we're so gonna fight about something lame. They were all getting ready for a snarl, except for one of them, who gave every appearance of trying to talk some sense into one guy who looked particularly itchin' to fight. â€Å"There's one who appears to have a brain,† I said. â€Å"One out of eight,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Not a really excellent percentage. And if he really had a brain he'd probably be getting out of the way.† â€Å"This is true,† I said. â€Å"Never send a teenage boy to do a teenage girl's job.† Gretchen grinned over to me. â€Å"We have that mind-meld thing going, don't we?† â€Å"I think you know the answer to that,† I said. â€Å"You want to plan it out or just improvise?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"By the time we plan it out, someone's going to be missing teeth,† I said. â€Å"Good point,† Gretchen said, and then got up and started moving toward the boys. Twenty seconds later the boys were startled to find Gretchen in the middle of them. â€Å"You're making me lose a bet,† she said, to the one who looked the most aggressive. The dude stared for a moment, trying to wrap whatever was passing for his brain around this sudden and unexpected appearance. â€Å"What?† he said. â€Å"I said, you're making me lose a bet,† Gretchen repeated, and then jerked a thumb over toward me. â€Å"I had a bet with Zoe here that no one would start a fight on the Magellan before we actually left dock, because no one would be stupid enough to do something that would get their entire family kicked off the ship.† â€Å"Kicked off the ship two hours before departure, even,† I said. â€Å"Right,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Because what sort of moron would you have to be to do that?† â€Å"A teenage boy moron,† I suggested. â€Å"Apparently,† Gretchen said. â€Å"See – what's your name?† â€Å"What?† the guy said again. â€Å"Your name,† Gretchen said. â€Å"What your mother and father will call you, angrily, once you've gotten them kicked off the ship.† The guy looked around at his friends. â€Å"Magdy,† he said, and then opened his mouth as if to say something. â€Å"Well, see, Magdy, I have faith in humanity, even the teenage male part of it,† Gretchen said, plowing through whatever it was that our Magdy might have had to say. â€Å"I believed that not even teenage boys would be dumb enough to give Captain Zane an excuse to kick a bunch of them off the ship while he still could. Once we're under way, the worst he could do is put you in the brig. But right now he could have the crew drop you and your family at the loading bay. Then you could watch the rest of us wave good-bye. Surely, I said, no one could be that incredibly dense. But my friend Zoe disagreed. What did you say, Zoe?† â€Å"I said that teenage boys can't think beyond or without their newly dropped testicles,† I said, staring at the boy who had been trying to talk sense into his pal. â€Å"Also, they smell funny.† The boy grinned. He knew what we were up to. I didn't grin back; I didn't want to mess with Gretchen's play. â€Å"And I was so convinced that I was right and she was wrong that I actually made a bet,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I bet every single dessert I'd get here on the Magellan that no one would be that stupid. That's a serious bet.† â€Å"She loves her dessert,† I said. â€Å"It's true, I do,† Gretchen said. â€Å"She's a dessert fiend,† I said. â€Å"And now you are going to make me lose all my desserts,† Gretchen said, poking Magdy in the chest. â€Å"This is not acceptable.† There was a snerk from the boy Magdy had been facing off with. Gretchen wheeled on him; the boy actually flinched backward. â€Å"I don't know why you think this is funny,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Your family would have been thrown off the ship just like his.† â€Å"He started it,† the boy said. Gretchen blinked, dramatically. â€Å"‘He started it'? Zoe, tell me I heard that wrong.† â€Å"You didn't,† I said. â€Å"He really said it.† â€Å"It doesn't seem possible that anyone over the age of five would be using that as a rationale for anything,† Gretchen said, examining the boy critically. â€Å"Where's your faith in humanity now?† I asked. â€Å"I'm losing it,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Along with all your desserts,† I said. â€Å"Let me guess,† Gretchen said, and waved generally at the clot of boys in front of her. â€Å"You're all from the same planet.† She turned and looked at the other boy clot. â€Å"And you're all from another planet.† The boys shifted uncomfortably; she had gotten their number. â€Å"And so the first thing you do is you start picking fights because of where you used to live.† â€Å"Because that's the smart thing to do with people you're going to spend the rest of your life living with,† I said. â€Å"I don't remember that being in the new colonist orientation material,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Funny about that,† I said. â€Å"Indeed,† Gretchen said, and stopped talking. There was silence for several seconds. â€Å"Well?† Gretchen said. â€Å"What?† Magdy said. It was his favorite word. â€Å"Are you going to fight now or what?† Gretchen said. â€Å"If I'm going to lose my bet, now's as good a time as any.† â€Å"She's right,† I said. â€Å"It's almost lunchtime. Dessert is calling.† â€Å"So either get on with it or break it up,† Gretchen said. She stepped back. The boys, suddenly aware that whatever it was they were fighting about had been effectively reduced to whether or not some girl would get a cupcake, dispersed, each clot headed pointedly in a separate direction from the other. The sane boy glanced back at me as he walked off with his friends. â€Å"That was fun,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Yeah, until they all decide to do it again,† I said. â€Å"We can't use the dessert humiliation trick every time. And there are colonists from ten separate worlds. That's a hundred different possible idiotic teenage boy fight situations.† â€Å"Well, the colonists from Kyoto are Colonial Mennonites,† Gretchen said. â€Å"They're pacifists. So it's only eighty-one possible idiotic teenage boy fight combinations.† â€Å"And yet still only two of us,† I said. â€Å"I don't like the odds. And how did you know about the Kyoto folks, anyway?† â€Å"When my father was still thinking he'd be running the colony, he made me read the reports on all the colonists and their original planets,† Gretchen said. â€Å"He said I was going to be his aide-de-camp. Because, you know, that's really what I would have wanted to do with my time.† â€Å"Comes in handy, though,† I said. Gretchen pulled out her PDA, which was buzzing, and looked at the screen. â€Å"Speaking of which,† she said, and showed me the screen. â€Å"Looks like Dad's calling.† â€Å"Go be aide de camp-y,† I said. Gretchen rolled her eyes. â€Å"Thanks. Want to get together for the departure? And then we can go have lunch. You'll have lost the bet by then. I'll get your dessert.† â€Å"Touch my dessert and you will die in horrible ways,† I said. Gretchen laughed and left. I pulled out my own PDA to see if there were messages from John or Jane; there was one from Jane telling me that Hickory and Dickory were looking for me about something. Well, they knew I was onboard, and they also knew how to reach me by PDA; it's not like I went anywhere without it. I thought about giving them a call but I figured they would find me sooner or later. I put the PDA away and looked up to find the sane boy standing in front of me. â€Å"Hi,† he said. â€Å"Uh,† I said, a testament to my smoothness. â€Å"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that,† he said. â€Å"It's okay,† I said, only a little flustered. He stuck out his hand. â€Å"Enzo,† he said. â€Å"And you're Zoe, I guess.† â€Å"I am,† I said, taking his hand and shaking it. â€Å"Hi,† he said. â€Å"Hi,† I said. â€Å"Hi,† he said, and then seemed to realize he was back where he started. I smiled. And then there was about, oh, 47 million seconds of awkward silence. It was only actually a second or two, but as Einstein could tell you, some events have a way of stretching out. â€Å"Thanks for that,† Enzo said, finally. â€Å"For stopping the fight, I mean.† â€Å"You're welcome,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad you didn't mind we stepped in on what you were doing.† â€Å"Well, I wasn't doing a great job of it anyway,† Enzo said. â€Å"Once Magdy gets himself worked up, it's hard to get him to back down.† â€Å"What was that all about anyway?† I asked. â€Å"It's kind of stupid,† Enzo said. â€Å"That I know,† I said, and then wondered if Enzo would take it the wrong way. He smiled. Score one for Enzo. â€Å"I mean what caused it.† â€Å"Magdy's pretty sarcastic, and he's also pretty loud,† Enzo said. â€Å"He made some snide remark about what those other guys were wearing as they passed by. One of them got upset and they got into it.† â€Å"So you guys nearly had a brawl over fashion,† I said. â€Å"I told you it was stupid,† Enzo said. â€Å"But you know how it is. You get worked up, it's kind of hard to think rationally.† â€Å"But you were thinking rationally,† I said. â€Å"That's my job,† Enzo said. â€Å"Magdy gets us into trouble, I get us out of it.† â€Å"So you've known each other for a while,† I said. â€Å"He's been my best friend since we were little,† Enzo said. â€Å"He's really not a jerk, honest. He just sometimes doesn't think about what he's doing.† â€Å"You look out for him,† I said. â€Å"It goes both ways,† Enzo said. â€Å"I'm not much of a fighter. A lot of kids we knew would have taken advantage of that fact if they didn't know Magdy would have punched them in the head.† â€Å"Why aren't you much of a fighter?† I asked. â€Å"I think you have to like to fight a little,† Enzo said. Then he seemed to realize this was challenging his own masculinity a bit, and this would get him kicked out of the teenage male club. â€Å"Don't get me wrong. I can defend myself just fine without Magdy around. We're just a good team.† â€Å"You're the brains of the outfit,† I suggested. â€Å"That's possible,† he allowed, and then seemed to figure out that I'd gotten him to make a whole bunch of statements about himself without getting to find out anything about me. â€Å"What about you and your friend? Who is the brains of that outfit?† â€Å"I think Gretchen and I both hold our own pretty well in the brains department,† I said. â€Å"That's a little scary,† Enzo said. â€Å"It's not a bad thing to be a little intimidating,† I said. â€Å"Well, you have that down,† Enzo said, with just the right amount of offhandedness. I tried very hard not to blush. â€Å"So, listen, Zoe – † Enzo began, and then looked over my shoulder. I saw his eyes get very wide. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said, to Enzo. â€Å"There are two very scary-looking aliens standing directly behind me.† â€Å"How did you know?† Enzo said, after a minute. â€Å"Because what you're doing now is the usual response,† I said. I glanced back at Hickory and Dickory. â€Å"Give me a minute,† I said to them. They took a step back. â€Å"You know them?† Enzo said. â€Å"They're sort of my bodyguards,† I said. â€Å"You need bodyguards?† Enzo asked. â€Å"It's a little complicated,† I said. â€Å"Now I know why you and your friend can both work on being the brains of the outfit,† Enzo said. â€Å"Don't worry,† I said, and turned to Hickory and Dickory. â€Å"Guys, this is my new friend Enzo. Say hello.† â€Å"Hello,† they said, in their deadly monotone. â€Å"Uh,† Enzo said. â€Å"They're perfectly harmless unless they think you're a threat to me,† I said. â€Å"What happens then?† Enzo asked. â€Å"I'm not really sure,† I said. â€Å"But I think it would involve you being turned into a large number of very small cubes.† Enzo looked at me for a minute. â€Å"Don't take this the wrong way,† he said. â€Å"But I'm a little afraid of you right now.† I smiled at this. â€Å"Don't be,† I said, and I took his hand, which seemed to surprise him. â€Å"I want us to be friends.† There was an interesting play across Enzo's face: pleasure at the fact I'd taken his hand, and apprehension that if he showed too much pleasure at the fact, he'd be summarily cubed. It was very cute. He was very cute. As if on cue, Hickory audibly shifted its weight. I sighed. â€Å"I need to talk to Hickory and Dickory,† I said, to Enzo. â€Å"Will you excuse me?† â€Å"Sure,† Enzo said, and took his hand out of mine. â€Å"Will I see you later?† I asked. â€Å"I hope so,† Enzo said, and then got that look that said his brain was telling him he was being too enthusiastic. Shut up, stupid brain. Enthusiasm is a good thing. He backed off and went away. I watched him go a little. Then I turned to Hickory and Dickory. â€Å"This had better be good,† I said. â€Å"Who was that?† Hickory asked. â€Å"That was Enzo,† I said. â€Å"Which I already told you. He's a boy. A cute one, too.† â€Å"Does he have impure intentions?† Hickory asked. â€Å"What?† I said, slightly incredulous. â€Å"‘Impure intentions'? Are you serious? No. I've only known him for about twenty minutes. Even for a teenage boy, that would be a pretty quick ramp-up.† â€Å"This is not what we have heard,† Hickory said. â€Å"From whom?† I asked. â€Å"From Major Perry,† Hickory said. â€Å"He said that he was once a teenage boy himself.† â€Å"Oh, God,† I said. â€Å"Thank you so very much for the mental image of Dad as a teenage sack of hormones. That's the sort of image that takes therapy to get rid of.† â€Å"You have asked us to intercede for you with teenage boys before,† Hickory said. â€Å"That was a special case,† I said. And it had been. Just before we left Huckleberry my parents had gone off on a planetary survey of Roanoke and I was given tacit permission to have a good-bye party for my friends, and Anil Rameesh had taken it upon himself to sneak into my bedroom and get naked, and upon discovery, to inform me that he was giving me his virginity as a good-bye gift. Well, he didn't put it that way; he was trying to avoid mentioning the whole â€Å"virginity† aspect of it at all. Regardless, this was a gift I really didn't want, even though it was already unwrapped. I told Hickory and Dickory to escort him out; Anil responded by screaming, jumping out my window and down off the roof, and then running all the way home naked. Which was a sight. I had his clothes delivered home the next day. Poor Anil. He wasn't a bad person. Just deluded and hopeful. â€Å"I will let you know if Enzo presents any problems,† I said. â€Å"Until then, you leave him alone.† â€Å"As you wish,† Hickory said. I could tell it was not entirely pleased about this. â€Å"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?† I asked. â€Å"We have news for you from the Obin government,† Hickory said. â€Å"An invitation.† â€Å"An invitation for what?† I asked. â€Å"An invitation to visit our homeworld, and to tour our planets and colonies,† Hickory said. â€Å"You are now old enough to travel unaccompanied, and while all Obin have known of you since you were young, thanks to our recordings, there is a great desire among all Obin to meet you in person. Our government asks you if you will not accede to this request.† â€Å"When?† I asked. â€Å"Immediately,† Hickory said. I looked at them both. â€Å"You're asking me this now?† I said. â€Å"We're less than two hours from departing to Roanoke.† â€Å"We have only just now received the invitation,† Hickory said. â€Å"As soon as it was sent to us, we came to find you.† â€Å"It couldn't wait?† I asked. â€Å"Our government wished to ask you before your journey to Roanoke began,† Hickory said. â€Å"Once you had established yourself on Roanoke, you might be hesitant to leave for such a significant amount of time.† â€Å"How much time?† I asked. â€Å"We have sent a proposed itinerary to your PDA,† Hickory said. â€Å"I'm asking you,† I said. â€Å"The entire tour would take thirteen of your standard months,† Hickory said. â€Å"Although if you were amenable, it could be extended.† â€Å"So, to recap,† I said. â€Å"You want me to decide in the next two hours whether or not to leave my family and friends for at least a year, maybe longer, to tour the Obin worlds by myself.† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"Although of course Dickory and I would accompany you.† â€Å"No other humans, though,† I said. â€Å"We could find some if you wanted,† Hickory said. â€Å"Would you?† I said. â€Å"That would be swell.† â€Å"Very well,† Hickory said. â€Å"I'm being sarcastic, Hickory,† I said, irritated. â€Å"The answer is no. I mean, really, Hickory. You're asking me to make a life-changing decision on two hours' notice. That's completely ridiculous.† â€Å"We understand that the timing of this request is not optimal,† Hickory said. â€Å"I don't think you do,† I said. â€Å"I think you know it's short notice, but I don't think you understand that it's offensive.† Hickory shrank back slightly. â€Å"We did not mean to offend,† it said. I was about to snap something off but I stopped and started counting in my head, because somewhere in there the rational part of my brain was letting me know I was heading into over-reaction territory. Hickory and Dickory's invitation was last-minute, but biting their heads off for it didn't make much sense. Something about the request was just rubbing me the wrong way. It took me a minute to figure out why. Hickory and Dickory were asking me to leave behind everyone I knew, and everyone I had just met, for a year of being alone. I had already done that, long ago, when the Obin had taken me from Covell, in the time I had to wait before my father could find a way to reclaim me. It was a different time and with different circumstances, but I remember the loneliness and need for human contact. I loved Hickory and Dickory; they were family. But they couldn't offer me what I needed and could get from human contact. And besides, I just said good-bye to a whole village of people I knew, and before that had said good-bye to family and friends, usually forever, a whole lot more than most people my age. Right now I had just found Gretchen, and Enzo was certainly looking interesting. I didn't want to say good-bye to them even before I properly got to know them. I looked at Hickory and Dickory, who despite everything they knew about me couldn't have understood why what they were asking me would affect me like this. It's not their fault, said the rational part of my brain. And it was right. Which was why it was the rational part of my brain. I didn't always like that part, but it was usually on point for stuff like this. â€Å"I'm sorry, Hickory,† I said, finally. â€Å"I didn't mean to yell at you. Please accept my apology.† â€Å"Of course,† Hickory said. It unshrunk itself. â€Å"But even if I wanted to go, two hours is not nearly enough time to think this through,† I said. â€Å"Have you spoken to John or Jane about this?† â€Å"We felt it best to come to you,† Hickory said. â€Å"Your desire to go would have influenced their decision to let you go.† I smiled. â€Å"Not as much as I think you think it would,† I said. â€Å"You may think I'm old enough to spend a year off touring the Obin worlds, but I guarantee you Dad will have a different opinion about that. It took both Jane and Savitri a couple of days to convince him to let me have that good-bye party while they were away. You think he'd say ‘yes' to having me go away for a year when there's a two-hour time limit attached? That's optimistic.† â€Å"It is very important to our government,† Dickory said. Which was surprising. Dickory almost never spoke about anything, other than to make one of its monochromatic greetings. The fact Dickory felt compelled to pipe up spoke volumes in itself. â€Å"I understand that,† I said. â€Å"But it's still too sudden. I can't make a decision like this now. I just can't. Please tell your government I'm honored by the invitation, and that I want to make a tour of the Obin worlds one day. I really do. But I can't do it like this. And I want to go to Roanoke.† Hickory and Dickory were silent for a moment. â€Å"Perhaps if Major Perry and Lieutenant Sagan were to hear our invitation and agree, you might be persuaded,† Hickory said. Rankle, rankle. â€Å"What is that supposed to mean?† I asked. â€Å"First you say you wanted me to say yes because then they might agree, and now you want to work it the other way? You asked me, Hickory. My answer is no. If you think asking my parents is going to get me to change my mind, then you don't understand human teenagers, and you certainly don't understand me. Even if they said yes, which, believe me, they won't, since the first thing they will do is ask me what I think of the idea. And I'll tell them what I told you. And that I told you.† Another moment of silence. I watched the two of them very closely, looking for the trembles or twitches that sometimes followed when they were emotionally wrung out. The two of them were rock steady. â€Å"Very well,† Hickory said. â€Å"We will inform our government of your decision.† â€Å"Tell them that I will consider it some other time. Maybe in a year,† I said. Maybe by that time I could convince Gretchen to go with me. And Enzo. As long as we were daydreaming here. â€Å"We will tell them,† Hickory said, and then it and Dickory did a little head bow and departed. I looked around. Some of the people in the common area were watching Hickory and Dickory leave; the others were looking at me with strange expressions. I guess they'd never seen a girl with her own pet aliens before. I sighed. I pulled out my PDA to contact Gretchen but then stopped before I accessed her address. Because as much as I didn't want to be alone in the larger sense, at that moment, I needed a time out. Something was going on, and I needed to figure what it was. Because whatever it was, it was making me nervous. I put the PDA back in my pocket, thought about what Hickory and Dickory just said to me, and worried.

Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason

Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason: A Response to the Literature Chizi Igwe Introduction to Africana Studies 101, Section 2 Dr. Kalubi May 8, 2010 Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason: A Response to the Literature Background Information The philosophy of Afrocentricity is not a recent development. Its history can be traced to many precursor theories and ideologies. There were many intellectuals who have researched and theorized about Afrocentricity during its development. These intellectuals include names such as Alexander Crummell, Marcus Garvey, Ida B.Wells-Barnett, and Willie Abraham (Asante). Among more contemporary intellectuals, there is Chinwelzu, Wade Nobles, Kariamu Welsh Asante, and Cheikh Anta Diop (Asante). This by no means is not an exhaustive list, but simply a sample of activists/intellectuals who have helped to define the Afrocentric way of thinking. Afrocentricity is an ideology meant to be used as a corrective factor for Africans in Diaspora. It represents the possibility of intellectual maturity, a different way of viewing reality (Asante). This school of thought opens new and original avenues to understanding humans.Through the research on Afrocentricity done by the intellectuals and writers listed above, they hoped it would serve as a vehicle to liberation for Africans. Among them, there was a general consensus that cultural, social, political, and economic liberation desperately needed in the African community would only be realized through the re-centering of the African mind. Though the Afrocentric idea had been an emerging philosophy for some time, Afrocentricity as a literary practice and critical theory was not apparent until the publishing of two central books.These books were Textured Women, Cowrie Shells, Cowbells, and Beetlesticks by Kariamu Welsh in 1978 and Afrocentricity, by Molefi Kete Asante in 1980 (Asante). These works had different inspirations. Welsh’s work was inspired by her choreographic technique called umfundalai wh ile Asante’s work was rooted in his experience with the Los Angeles Forum for Black Artists (Asante). Though these works had different bases, both works were the first intentional acts by authors to explain the theory as well as emphasize liberation.Both works had the purpose of re-establishing African agency as the main core of sanity within the African community. Purpose and Importance One driving objective of the Afrocentric theory was to alter the subject-place of Africans in the social and literary context. In the opinion of Asante, this change was the only option for African people, who were ruled by the constraints of white racial supremacy (Asante). This objective focused around two central questions: 1. How do we see ourselves and how have others seen us? 2.What can we do to regain our own accountability and to move beyond the intellectual plantation that constrains our economic, cultural, and intellectual development? The Afrocentric philosophy sought to answer thes e questions as well as change the position of the African. The Afrocentric idea was characterized by five main characteristics: 1) An intense interest in psychological location as determined by symbols, motifs, rituals, and signs. 2) A commitment to finding the subject-place of Africans in any social, political, economic, or religious phenomenon with implications for questions of sex, gender, and class. ) A defense of African cultural elements as historically valid in the context of art, music, and literature. 4) A celebration of â€Å"centeredness† and agency and a commitment to lexical refinement that eliminates pejoratives about Africans or other people. 5) A powerful imperative from historical sources to revise the collective text of African people. The argument for Afrocentricity certainly has certainly not developed without opposition and critique. These oppositions were not surprising because they came at a time when many concepts were challenging the Eurocentric persp ective.The European’s argument of objectivity issues and subject-object duality come from the alleged supremacy of the European construction in the political world. In The Afrocentric Idea, Asante wrote, â€Å"Objectivity is a sort of collective subjectivity of Europeans. † The driving force behind the claim of objectivity is an attempt to conserve the â€Å"status quo† (Asante). The ancient African Egyptian term called seba means the â€Å"reasoning style of the people (Asante). † The reasoning style of the Europeans was an attempt to keep things as status quo, to â€Å"lock† Africans in their way of thinking.On the surface, this act may not seem detrimental, but the European reasoning just acted as a method to prolong the circumstances Africans found themselves in. It hindered all possibilities of African liberation. Formula for Change Afrocentricity aims to provoke a change; one way to make this change happen was by shifting to a subject-subject relationship as opposed to a subject-object one. If this shift didn’t occur, Africans would always remain in the object place without an opportunity for growth. However, this would not be an easy task in a society so driven by a racist construction of white supremacy over black inferiority.This white-subject black-object paradigm was relevant in different subjects such as sociology, philosophy, and literature. In this way, Europe and Europeans presented a danger for Africans; both a psychological and cultural danger (Asante). This was the type of danger that kills a people’s soul and according to Asante, â€Å"a people’s soul is dead when it can no longer breathe its own air and when the air of another culture seems to smell sweeter (Asante). † In order for this subject-subject shift to occur, African’s place and contributions to history have to be acknowledged.European’s have had a dismissive attitude towards African’s accomplishmen ts and activities. They 1) generally refused to allow the study of any knowledge that they do not control (Asante). 2) A number of white scholars tend to be limited in their interest to subjects that are valuable to the European project of self-glorification and triumphalism (Asante). Finally, to view Africa as a subject in history or as the starting place for an examination of anything is anathema to those who have always ignored the role of Africa (Asante).The Afrocentric school of thought has fought to combat these boundaries by giving the permission to investigate all aspects of Africa’s presence and involvement in the world. To change the â€Å"status quo†, Afrocentricity must serve as both a corrective factor and a critique. Africans throughout the world including the America’s have experienced the sensation of dislocation. Through the act of re-centering the African person and making them an agent, we shed the belief of the unquestioned European dominatio n. In that way, it serves as a corrective factor.Afrocentricity also strives to critique the process and the extent of the dislocation of African peoples that was the result of the domination of the Europeans in all matters. In order to change the circumstances, Afrocentricity calls for the definition of Africans by their own terms, centered on an African ideology as opposed to the European definition and marginalization of Africans in history as well as currently. Response The concept of the European dominated ideology and their concept of objectivity is very apparent to me.Though the article was addressing these concepts from a historical perspective, I believe they are still relevant today. It is evident for example in the teaching of history in schools. Many students are introduced to only a summarized view of black and African history in its relation to the United States and the world as a whole. There is a great emphasis put on the history and accomplishments of Europeans and Americans so therefore it would be easy based on the educational system to assume Africans made no significant contributions.The question that was raised, â€Å"How do we see ourselves and how have other seen us? † is a very important question. Though I believe there has been a change from the past to now, I still believe a major part of how we view ourselves is derived from how Europeans view us. In some ways, they still cultivate our impressions for us. An example would be the music industry. Many music videos and images portrayed about black people display negative images, and many black people in America fall into believing those stereotypes themselves.In my opinion, the Afrocentric ideology, the centeredness on African perspectives, is vital. There will be no complete African â€Å"liberation† until African’s agree on this perspective. Without it, there are many people â€Å"floating†, not knowing where they belong. This phenomenon makes the perpetua tion of European racial supremacy able to continue. The reference to the psychological and cultural danger of Europe resonated with me because it is evident in African culture all over the world.Through the advent of institutions such as slavery, colonization, segregation, etc, Europe and Europeans have had an overly powerful impact in changing and shaping African cultures in a way that distances it from its roots. The five characteristics of Afrocentric idea listed in the article I believe should serve as guidelines of brining the focus back on the African agent. Works Cited Asante, Molefi. â€Å"Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason. † In M. Marable (Ed. ), Dispatches from the Ebony Tower (pp-195-203). New York: Columbia U. P.

Christianity Came Earlier to Britain and to Beowulf Essay

Christianity Came Earlier to Britain and to Beowulf Christian references/allusions appear in Beowulf on six dozen occasions. Some scholars of the Anglo-Saxon period express erroneous notions regarding the arrival of Christianity into Britain. Janet Backhouse in her book The Lindisfarne Gospels, says that these gospels, written about 700AD, were made in north-east England â€Å"less than a century after the introduction there of Christianity† (Backhouse 7). Her view of dating Christianity in Britain to the time of Pope Gregory the Great in the 590’s is a popularly held misconception. The truth of the matter is that Christianity, which later Christianized Beowulf, arrived into Britain very many years earlier than this. The†¦show more content†¦This seems reasonable according to what is written by the historian Eusebius Pamphilus, bishop of Caesarea, in His Ecclesiastical History written in the 300’s. The Ecclesiastical History is a history of the primitive church from the time of the apostles until the 300’s when Eusebius died. Eusebius quotes the then-existent works of earlier writers like the Jewish historian Josephus, the philosopher Philo, Clement, Papias, and church writers like Dionysius of Corinth and Caius who lived before the year 100. In Book2, chapter14 of the Ecclesiastical History Eusebius recounts how the anti-Christian Simon Magus encountered Peter the apostle in Rome: He [Simon Magus] undertook a great journey from the East across the sea and fled to the West, thinking that this was the only way for him to live according to his mind. Entering the city of Rome, by the cooperation of that malignant spirit which had fixed its seat there, his attempts were soon so far successful as to be honored as a god with the erection of a statue by the inhabitants of that city. This, however, did not continue long; immediately under the reign of Claudius, by the benign and gracious providence of God, Peter, that powerful and great apostle, who by his courage took the lead of all the rest, was conducted to Rome against this pest of mankind. He, like a noble commander of God fortified with the divine armor, bore the precious merchandise of the revealed light from the East to those inShow MoreRelatedReconciling Ingrained Traditions with Newly Emerging Christianity1203 Words   |  5 Pagesmarred in idolatry and polytheism. The intermingling of Christian and pagan elements in Beowulf are consistent with the attitudes toward religion that are found in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Beowulf was written in the Middle Ages (500-1000) on Scandinavia, which was a highly pagan society, however the narrator is telling this story within the timeframe of medieval Anglo-Saxon Britain, which was undergoing Christianization. Hence, within the author’s structure of the poemRead More Epic of Beowulf - Where Did the Christianity in Beowulf Come From?2406 Words   |  10 PagesDid the Christianity in Beowulf Come From?      Ã‚   The Christian influences in Beowulf ultimately came from the Christian/Catholic Church of Rome which converted Romans, and thereby the Roman legions and thereby the occupied provinces. Also the Christian/Catholic Bishop of Rome sent missionary priests and monks to the British Isles to proselytze the population. There are additional considerations too.    First of all, let us be clear about the fact that the conversion of Britain to ChristianityRead MoreEssay Beowulf: A Christian and Pagan Poem3470 Words   |  14 PagesBeowulf – a Christian-Pagan Poem  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Beowulf the pagan aspect is revealed through many passages and many heathen rites or customs in which the form of expression or the thought suggests pagan usage or beliefs. The Christian aspect is revealed through 68 passages in which the form of expression or the thought suggests Christian usage or doctrine (Blackburn 3). The Christian element seems to be too deeply imbedded in the text of Beowulf for us to conclude that it is due to additionsRead MoreA Comparison of Christian Influence on Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki2779 Words   |  12 PagesChristian Influence on Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Beowulf the Christian influence is revealed through approximately 70 passages in which the form of expression or the thought suggests Christian usage or doctrine (Blackburn 3); The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki is in its own way infused with Christian values even though it preserves remnants of the cult of Odin.    The Christian element seems to be too deeply interwoven in the text of Beowulf for us to suppose thatRead MoreAnglo-Saxon Heroic Poetry5673 Words   |  23 Pagesascribed the Iliad and Odyssey of the Greek Homer, and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf . The literary or secondary epics were composed by sophisticated craftsmen in deliberate imitation of the traditional form. One such example is Virgils Latin poem the Aeneid, which later served as the chief model for Miltons literary epic Paradise Lost. Virgil and Milton wrote secondary or literary epics in imitation of the earlier primary or traditional epics of Homer. They adopted many of the conventionsRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pagesimportant and distinctive category of readers with separate needs and interests. Despite Philippe Arià ¨ss much debated assertion that childhood was discovered in the seventeenth century, childrens texts with limited circulation have been located from earlier periods of history. The Greek and Roman Eras: 50 B.C.-A.D. 500 The Greeks and Romans treated children as creatures to be trained for adult life and, consequently, the classical literature for the most part really had nothing that could be considered