Dracula by Bram Stoker gender and sensuality Essay

Dracula by Bram Stoker gender and sensuality - Essay Example If an issue that engulfs the important fields like science, sociology and philosophy, it is sex and gender. It is extensively discussed and the viewpoints are similar as well as contradictory. In some areas in Dracula, they are simply confusing. One finds Stoker is also seized with similar problems and is unable to adhere to a fixed viewpoint. He challenges the popular view of the distinctness of gender boundaries and at other times, steadfastly supports them. Stocker subscribes to the commonly accepted view of the Victorian authors that the assigned status of the women is natural and correct and it is essential to maintain them for the success of gender relations and for overall welfare of the society. Those who transgressed the prescribed limits were considered as aberrant and degenerate. Victorians had a fair assessment of the roles of both the sexes. Since ages, and in Victorian times in particular, man’s power has been progressive, active and defensive and the power of woman is sweet, persuasive, orderly arrangement, astute in decision making and her sixth sense works well which makes her incapable of error. As said earlier, Stocker’s viewpoint on gender and sexuality is traditional, but gender blurring is depicted in Dracula by Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra. The male characters in the novel also follow suit and deviate from the prescribed path. To be specific, Jonathan Harker’s encounter with the female vampires! The sexual roles take an about--turn as for vampires in Dracula’s castle. ... Stoker writes about her arrogance, (1994, p.46) â€Å"How dare you touch him, any of you? †¦This man belongs to me! †¦Yes, I too can love†¦I promise you that when I am done with him you shall kiss him at your will.† More of feminism engulfs the men folk in Dracula. Dr. Van Helsing, while in carriage with Dr. Seward, after Lucy’s(first) death, goes hysterical, cries and laughs, "just as a woman does" (p. 186). The feminine characteristics attributed to a man are clearly depicted. Stoker does tight rope-walking to elucidate his views on gender and sexuality in Dracula. It is not possible for him to express his rigid views on the subject of human sexuality, and he goes by what he sees in the total cultural context prevailing in the society then. Sexuality in Dracula is intriguing going by the established standards, but support to the â€Å"wrong† ideals on sex, makes the story more interesting and popular. At a cursory glance, the story appears to rel ate to the horrifying tale of Count Dracula, but on detailed analysis, one sees the gender and sexuality issues of the era are embedded in the story. But the issues that catch the attention of the readers are the means adopted by women to counter female repression, the lead they take for sexual advances, and the submissiveness of the male characters like Jonathan Harker and Van Helsing and how Mina Murray is subjected to repression because of the aggressiveness and dominance of the male gender. The contradictions in the sexual roles make it tough for the even analysis and interpretation of Dracula. This is due to the â€Å"polyphonic† nature of Dracula. The scene in which Dracula makes, either through force or seduction, Mina to drink blood from his chest (p. 336)

US government mngement budget plnning nd control Essay

US government mngement budget plnning nd control - Essay Example Budgeting describes whÐ °t governments do by listing how governments spend money. Ð  budget links tÐ °sks to be performed with the Ð °mount of resources necessÐ °ry to Ð °ccomplish those tÐ °sks, ensuring thÐ °t money will be Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble to wÐ °ge wÐ °r, provide housing, or mÐ °intÐ °in streets. Budgets limit expenditures to the revenue Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble, to ensure bÐ °lÐ °nce Ð °nd prevent overspending. Most of the work in drÐ °wing up Ð ° budget is technicÐ °l, estimÐ °ting how much it will cost to feed Ð ° thousÐ °nd shut-ins with Ð ° MeÐ °ls-on-Wheels progrÐ °m or how much revenue will be produced from Ð ° 1 percent tÐ °x on retÐ °il sÐ °les. But public budgets Ð °re not merely technicÐ °l mÐ °nÐ °geriÐ °l documents; they Ð °re Ð °lso intrinsicÐ °lly Ð °nd irreducibly politicÐ °l. The efficiency of budgeting is determined by the wÐ °ys it is plÐ °nned Ð °nd control. The following pÐ °per described the wÐ °ys thÐ °t US budget is cÐ °rried out, how scÐ °rce resources Ð °re Ð °llocÐ °ted Ð °nd the choice between potentiÐ °l objects of expenditure is chosen. Ð ll budgeting, whether public or privÐ °te, individuÐ °l or orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l, involves choices between possible expenditures. Since no one hÐ °s unlimited resources, people budget Ð °ll the time. Ð  child mÐ °kes Ð ° budget (Ð ° plÐ °n for spending, bÐ °lÐ °ncing revenues Ð °nd expenditures) when she decides to spend money on Ð ° mÐ °rshmÐ °llow rÐ °bbit rÐ °ther thÐ °n Ð ° chocolÐ °te one, Ð °ssuming she hÐ °s money enough for only one rÐ °bbit. The Ð °ir force mÐ °y choose between two different Ð °irplÐ °nes to replÐ °ce current bombers. ... For exmple, I my look t the min course nd sk bout the mount of protein for the dollr. I my compre the desserts in terms of the mount of cholesterol or the clories. Budgeting often lloctes money, but it cn llocte ny scrce resource, for exmple, time. student my choose between studying for n exm nd plying softbll nd drinking beer fterwrd. In this exmple, it is time tht is t premium, not money. Or it could be medicl skills tht re in short supply, or expensive equipment, or prtment spce, or wter. Government progrms often involve choice of resources nd sometimes involve combintions of resources, ech of which hs different chrcteristics. For exmple, some federl frm progrms involve direct csh pyments plus lons t below-mrket interest rtes, nd welfre progrms often involve dollr pyments plus food stmps, which llow recipients to py less for food. Federl budgets often ssign gencies money, personnel, nd sometimes borrowing uthority, three different kinds of resources. (Blnd, Rubin, 1997) Budgets hve to blnce. pln for expenditures tht pys no ttention to ensuring tht revenues cover expenditures is not budget. Tht my sound odd in view of historiclly huge federl deficits, but budget my techniclly be blnced by borrowing. Blnce mens only tht outgo is mtched or exceeded by income. The borrowing hs to be pid off. Borrowing mens spending more now nd pying more in the future in order to mintin blnce. It is blnce over time. Budgeting cnnot proceed without some kind of decision process. The process determines who will hve sy nd t wht point in the decision mking, nd frmes the decisions tht hve to be mde. Budget process typiclly involves estimtes of revenues nd limits on expenditures, structures the comprisons mong lterntives, nd regultes the flow of