Absurdity Of Existence Illustrated In Dumb Waiter

Absurdity Of Existence Illustrated In Dumb Waiter ‘There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false’. I believe that these assertions still make sense and do still apply to the exploration of reality through art. So as a writer I stand by them but as a citizen I cannot. As a citizen I must ask: What is true? What is false?’ ( Harold Pinter ) The theme of nothingness is one of the major themes discussed in existentialism, which, while pervading the movement, shows a common affinity between the Absurd and Existentialism rejecting all of the philosophies, sciences, political theories, and religions which fail to mirror manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s essence as a conscious being. Existentialism discovers and discusses the themes and topics which present a living crueler, darker, and more hopeless than a naturalistic or modern one. Existentialism had a great influence on the thinkers and artists of the time, an influence which led them to the revision of their insight concerning man and his position in the universe. Pinter, like existentialists is involved in the discord of living. His characterization reveals the same anguish apparent in Existentialism. Almost all of the writers who had influenced Pinterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s dramaturgy (concerning Dumb Waiter, Pinterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s work is heavily influenced by Samuel Beckett) were either founders or forerunners of the avant-garde Theatre of the Absurd. Pinter sees the funny side of the absurd. Since there is nothing for Pinter that is not funny, he employs a comic way of expression to laugh at everything, even at the tragic parts of existence. In a Pinter play, the apparently funny scene (considering Dumb Waiter, the scene in which Ben rushes toward Gus in a very threatening way) is simultaneously frightening and inhumane in terms of what the characters are experiencing. The Dumb Waiter, like many other Pinter pla ys, follows the relationship by which the nature of the man-to-man connection is analyzed. In it nothing is ever accomplished through dialogue. Most human interaction in day-to-day life accomplishes nothing more than passing time. Therefore when reading, or indeed watching the play we are overwhelmed by the futility of existence. Most conversation that occurs between Ben and Gus are pointless, and each character has trouble dealing with each other, and therefore, society. The characters are situated in a world where dream and the real are mixed up, tragic and comic are interwoven, the choice becomes a real catastrophe, and disconnected situations are what determine the individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ prospect of the future life. The two killers in The Dumb Waiter are locked up in a room before they carry out their killing. Pinter contrasts the violence of their jobs with their commonplace language and concerns; on the surface we have a bare plot accompanying with a complex implication un derneath it. It reveals a more complex reality that is not comprehensible when observed superficially; such themes as loneliness, lack of communication, fear of the world outside, and the terror of future become the major concern of the absurdist writer. It probes into the essence of manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s position in the universe and his inquiry for knowledge. The two characters on the stage, though apparently limited and undeveloped, examine a deeper and wider extent of human existence in which man is a play-thing employed by some superior beings (here someone called Wilson whose identity is unclear) to play their roles on the stage like puppets of no importance. Unaware Gus asks many questions, inquiring for knowledge, attempting to step beyond oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s limitations, an attempt which is futile in existentialism. Gus is the one who commits the crime and wants to transcend and find the cause-and-effect relationship in the course of the events, while, since the effect in exis tentialism precedes the cause, reasoning is an absurd thing. However, Gusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s desire for knowledge is discernible from the very beginning of the play: Ben. Kaw! What about this? Listen to this! He refers to the paper A man of eighty-seven wanted to cross the road. But there was a lot of traffic, see? He couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t see how he was going to squeeze through. So he crawled under a lorry. Gus. He what? Ben. He crawled under a lorry. A stationary lorry. Gus. No? Ben. The lorry started and ran over him. Gus. Go on! Ben. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s what it says here. Gus. Get away. Ben. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s enough to make you want to puke, isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t it? Gus. Who advised him to do a thing like that? Ben. A man of eighty-seven crawling under a lorry! Gus. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s unbelievable. Ben. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s down here in black and white. Gus. Incredible. Or considering another part of the play: GUS I asked you a question. BEN Enough! GUS (with growing agitation). I asked you before. Who moved in? You said the people who had it before moved out. Well, who moved in? BEN (hunched). Shut up GUS I told you, didn’t I? BEN (standing). Shut up! GUS (feverishly). I told you before who owned this place, didn’t I? I told you BEN hits him viciously on the shoulder. I told you who ran this place, didn’t I? BEN hits him viciously on the shoulder As it is seen in this opening conversation, It is clear here that Gus is no longer the uncertain and subservient partner. Gus questions the possibility of that event in the society. He is looking for the cause, the origin or motivation by asking, â€Å"Who advised him to do a thing like that?† Meanwhile, Ben accepts it as it is without questioning its possibility. â€Å"Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s down here in black and white†, he simply states. Gus wants to know more about his job, about the disorders he sees in the basement or those who are on the upper floor. It is this perpetual questio ning that entrants him as the victim of the final scene. He is Benà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s Labrador, doing exactly as told as if he were unable to think for himself. Gus questions everything: Oh, I wanted to ask you something? . . . Gus. What time is he getting in touch? Ben reads. What time is he getting in touch? Ben. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s the matter with you? It could be any time. Any time . . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Gus (moves to the foot of Ben’s bed).Well, I was going to ask you a question. Ben. What? Gus. Have you noticed the time that tank takes to fill? Ben. What tank? Gus. In the lavatory. Here Gus is after knowledge so as to decrease the fear of unknown in himself while, Ben by preventing the thought of danger, does not allow the fear to imprison his mind. This, of course, makes the whole difference. Thus, the desire for knowledge itself causes the final catastrophe (the murder of Gus). If Be n had the knowledge to respond to Gusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s questions, there would be no conflict at all, and Gus could act more freely, or die knowingly. But life in Pinterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s view, like all other absurdist-existentialist writers, is a big game in which everything happens arbitrarily, and the gun that you have aimed at the other, may suddenly turn back at yourself.

Investment and Fund Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment and Fund Management - Essay Example The current difficulty that the members of Fortunes are facing now is regarding the portfolio of pension provision. According to the current provisions, the members will be paid lump sum based upon individual contributions. But a careful analysis of the pension fund portfolio reveals that it was built up in an undisciplined manner. Hence, the current portfolio is considered inappropriate since the global markets are facing downturns. The objective of the study is to carefully analyse the current portfolio and recommend suitable adjustments so that Fortunes Inc. can meets its pension provision in the coming years. Analysis of Current Portfolio Tottenham Hotspur Fortunes Inc. has bought 2000 ordinary shares of Tottenham Hotspur plc which was founded in 1882 and it owns Tottenham Hotspur FC. It falls under entertainment sector. The total revenue of the company at the end of 2011 was ?261.90 million. The company has experienced a growth rate of over 45% during one year. BAE Systems BAE s ystems plc is multinational British defence aerospace and Security Company. It is the world’s largest defence contractor and third biggest in terms of revenue. It falls under aviation sector. The total revenue at the end of 2012 was ?17.84 billion with net profit over ?1billion. Tesco Tesco plc is a multinational British general merchandise and grocery retailer and is the third largest retailer in the world. It falls under consumer goods sector. The total revenue of the company for the year ending 2012 was over ?65.5 billion with net profit over ?3.9 billion. Whitbread Whitbread plc operates in hotels and restaurant business. As of 2012, the company has over 619 hotels and over 385 restaurants. The total revenue of the company for the year ending 2012 was GBP 1.9 billion with a net profit of GBP 281 million. Barclays Bank Barclays plc is a leading banking and financial services providing multinational company which is headquartered in London, UK. It is public limited company and is traded as BARC on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). It falls under banking and financial services sector. For the year ending 2012, the company reported total revenue over ?24 billion with bottom line about ?235 million. The company specialises in Investment banking, corporate banking and Wealth banking. Helical Bar Helical Bar plc is a holding company operating in property investments and development. It falls under the realty sector. The company leases or owns land and properties for the purpose of trading and selling. The company booked profits of over GBP 7.65 million from a total revenue over 65.85 million. Cable and Wireless Communication It is a global telecom service provider that offers broadband, mobile, television, and fixed lines to customers. It falls under the entertainment sector. In October 2011 the company has sold its 50% interest to Mauritius based Telecom Company known as Vanuatu ltd. In the year 2012, it sold 49% stake to Fiji and formed an amalgamated ent ity known as Fintel. In April 2013, it announced the sale of majority stake to Monaco & Islands division. For the year ending 2012, the company suffered a net loss of GBP 55.49 million. Flybe Group It is UK based domestic airline company and it falls under aviation sector. As on 2012, the company reported to own 19 aircrafts but it suffered a net loss of GBP 22.30 million. Lazard UK Alpha Retail Inc Fund The fund does not charge any initial fee currently

Regulatory and legislative issues paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Regulatory and legislative issues paper - Essay Example â€Å"Thousands of US organizations must comply with the†¦ Security Rule. The Security Rule is a key part of HIPAA -- federal legislation that was passed into law in August 1996. The overall purpose of the act is to enable better access to health insurance, reduce fraud and abuse, and lower the overall cost of health care in the United States† (HIPAA, 2010). The overall common estimation is that the Security Rule has affected healthcare positively, leading to greater client confidentiality and better information access for healthcare facilities. However, cost is a major issue in implementing new technology covered by the rule, such as the establishment of electronic health records. It is important to provide a general overview of the HIPAA Security Rule, its strengths and drawbacks, and how it is being implemented, and reacted against, in the present. databases, and communications. Patients are expected, and have been shown to, have a greater quality of healthcare because of the rule, because due to it, information and healthcare data is delivered faster, better, and more conveniently. Although some state that the rule is excessive, because the government would have to provide for client confidentiality with or without the law, others state that, â€Å"The real value of HIPAAs transaction standards is the reduction of operational expenses and fragmentation in the health care industry† (Zimmerman, 2010). This shows the law to be cost effective, and it is also gathered to be cost-effective from the standpoint of government costs for social welfare programs like Medicare. Although cost effectiveness and better, safer, faster patient information seem to be key advantages to the HIPAA Security Rule, there are also possible drawbacks as this law extends over time. For example, although ultimately the new technology covered by the rule is designed to make facilities more