Classical Realism and Liberal Internationalism Essay

Classical Realism and Liberal Internationalism - Essay Example Taking a look at the recent revolutions and uprising against the sitting governments in Libya, there have been calls for the interventions of foreign military support to the rebels. Proponents of this notion have been calling for the involvement of the United States to support the rebels with their military, as this would spread liberalism and save lives. It would provide an equal ground against the government, which had the disposal of the military in the country to deal with the rebels and seize the revolution. It can be observed that the revolution had an effect of bringing political chaos to both ends, as well as destruction to the nation’s wellbeing for a long period of time. Advocates of both interventions do not seem to fully comprehend the use of force in contributing to political order as in the first place the scenarios happening were created by the absence of a strong state to instil liberal norms, strong government institutions and a sense of nationalism to the cit izens. Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was ready to kill Libyans; the same people he says love him but have a funny way of showing him as he refers to the rebels wanting him out of power. Humanitarians called for the intervention of the United States military to stop Gaddafi from killing his own people who were revolting against him. The successful overthrowing of his government was followed by elections in July 2012. A General National Congress was voted in and a political coalition widely regarded as the liberal option. accorded power, the National Forces Alliance having won 39 seats over the Justice and Construction party affiliated to a Muslim Brotherhood with 17 seats nationwide. I will rationally argue that classical realists’ works such as Morgenthau and Thucydides remain foundational texts for international relation scholars and are cited more frequently than their counterparts in the disciplines of social sciences. This can be attributed to the fact that international relations are still young in its field and feels the need to justify itself intellectually. It shows the need and resolve to have lucid, defensible readings of text that build reliable bridges between realism and the problems that will be of interests to the scholars in the contemporary world such as those formulating liberal internationalism. I will argue that internationa

Employee Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employee Performance - Essay Example The situation has not been this way for a long time; until the last century, their existed an autocratic organizational system where the word of the top management was considered the last word. Their existed an environment where no emphasis was paid on the rights on employees and their needs. In order to properly defend the statement, one needs to look into the reasons for these developments that have been mentioned in the statement. Post-modernism is a concept that is deep rooted in history and is one of the fundamental reasons of the development of the recent organizational structures, bureaucratic environments and empowered employees. A discussion regarding how modernism started would first require understanding what existed in the pre-modernist era. The need for post modernism has been rooted deep in the history of mankind. It was first used in 1914 to describe the changing mindsets of people against the society prevailing at that time. Then came in modernism which gave people an escape from the normality and let people question their beliefs and creativity was fostered. However, it gave rise to modernity or bureaucracy. Bureaucracy usually uses rules and guided procedures in order to accomplish their tasks and depend on the predictability of events. They give no space to the unpredictably of life. In management terms, this would mean that there is task continuity prevalent in organization practicing bureaucracy and people would be subjected to strict rules and norms, repeated preprogrammed tasks and would be provided with stable and probable environments where homogeneity exists between the goods and services offered. Post modernism was a reaction to the modernistic ideas. Post-modernism largely is defined by the age in which there was intellectual growth, cultural enhancement, and development of an artistic state without the boundaries and restrictions of the hierarchies( Frederick, 1984). Post modernism stated that there are no clear cut and defined lines to a central successful organizational principle. It negated the aristocratic or the central hierarchy system and paved way for a more people oriented idea to organization development. Development of post-modernism was a result of the changing times and environment as well. It helped in almost all the disciplines of modern era. Post-modernistic ideas helped in the development of architecture, law, culture and literature. It heavily influenced the marketing and management fields of science as well. The management scenario changed completely with the advent of this idea in the society (Tim, 1999). The main focus would be kept over management and marketing practices because of the topic at hand. Post-modernism can be best explained as an era where nothing is certain and nothing is impossible. There are endless possibilities waiting to be grasped and countless situations in which a man can find himself. However, it has its share of criticism as being meaningless when it came to evaluating mathematical structures. Many people also argue that the era we are living right now is the post-postmodern condition. GLOBALIZATION Globalization is another important factor that gave rise to the post-modern conditions of today. Globalization by definition is turning personalized or localized phenomena's into

European business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European business - Essay Example The term is used for defining the concept of a single federation of states. Fiscal federalism means a more centralized economic order within the new European Economic Community. The European Community progress towards an economic and monetary union based on a common currency will create new demands for the design of fiscal policy. With a common currency and thus, a common monetary policy, member states will no longer be able to influence their local economies through exchange rate or monetary policies when state specific economic shocks occur. (Inman & Rubinfeld 1992, p.1-2) The economic situation in one province does not imply a sectarian policy to take any action or decision regarding exchange rate, interest rates and tax basis. The classical concept of federalism refers not only to an indestructible union of indestructible states but is also the method of dividing powers so that the general and regional governments are each, within a sphere, coordinate and independent. A major rea son for the existence of relatively centralized fiscal systems in developing and transitional countries is the adoption of planned development strategy. (Ahmad & Brosio 2008, p.225) A respected journalist argues that the expanding European Union is becoming a second, and potentially superior, superpower to the United States, and outlines what the new Union will mean to world trade, politics, and power (Reid, 2005). Fiscal federalism involves the handling of fiscal and monetary policy tools by a centralized body. It prevents regional financial inequalities by providing a balanced level of support to all the sectors. It is also criticized in terms of sharing prosperity and crisis. If one of the sectors is making huge revenues and they are effortlessly shared by others because of being members of a union is unjustified. Therefore detailed policy orientations are to be prepared for managing such systems is highly essential. Members of the European Community signed a treaty in 1992 and i t is called Treaty of Maastricht. It is more commonly known as treaty of Europe. This same treaty was the origin of a common currency in Europe called euro. Once the treaty was signed many amendments were made as the need for more detailed orientations rises. The 1992, French Referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, The Treaty on European Union was signed at the Dutch town of Maastricht by the foreign ministers of the twelve European Community members on February 7, 1992 (LeDuch 2003, p.83). The Maastricht Treaty established three so-called pillars of EU: the first being the pillar of Community; the second pillar relating to foreign and security policy; and the third pillar on justice and home affairs (Obokata 2006, p.87). Exploring the politics of European integration, Michael Baun argues that the end of the Cold War and German unification have created a new set of geopolitical realities in Europe (Baun 1996, p.2). European Union is an example of free trade unions like Mercosur, NAFTA, SAFTA and others. It is different to the extent that it has reduced national boundaries to a large extent as compared to other free trade zones. Member countries have wide range of agreements in terms of business, transportation, import and export, tourism, agriculture and so on. The strongest part is the common currency i.e. euro being operational in all member countries. The Treaty of Lisbon or

Impact of technology on today's life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Impact of technology on today's life - Essay Example Even though the great strides in technology have offered technologies and increased opportunities, it has also impacted society to where there have been consequences as well. In particular, the use and development of technology has most impacted the fields of education, medicine, communication, and the environment. Traditional educations in early history were the explicatory nature of academics that were passed through the word of mouth. With the development of written language, knowledge could be stored, harnessed, and taught through the use of books. As technology has been developed, it has opened new avenues into the way teaching is conducted. The Internet, in particular, has become a widely used utility. It allows for a great amount of flexibility in learning. The vast amount of resources that can be brought into the classroom gives educators access to supplementary material that can enhance lectures. Classes can now be taken at a distance, which gives adult and non-traditional s tudents access to education and can take courses at their own pace. This has become a common way in which classes occur in higher education. New technologies such as smartboards and computers are used to teach students in new ways. However, there are also cons to the use of technology in education. Because students have access to a whole new set of resources, plagiarism has become more commonplace and has had to become a strictly enforced academic area. In addition, technology can also hinder educational development as educators and students are now dependent on the need for technology in the classroom through computers and electronic books. The field of medicine has also been influenced by technology. The first movements in the field of medicine consisted of apocrethary and other herbal treatments. As the early scientists became aware of the properties of these herbs, they started learning how to harness and process these chemicals in pure form. This necessitated the development of new devices and procedures by which these compounds could be synthesized. In order to help treat conditions such as bone degeneration, breaking, etc., metallic and polymer alloys have been synthesized to serve as a replacement for these parts. As neural anatomy and the complex thought processes of sensation and perception have been unlocked, more and more advanced prosthetics has been developed to help substitute the replacement of functional limbs. Greater detection devices such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (X-ray computed tomography), etc. have served to help detect injuries, diseases, and abnormalities rather than through the use of exploratory surgery. Laser and computer assisted surgeries have helped increase the successes of surgeries as well as help make complex surgeries easier for medical staff to handle. There are some faults to the use of technology in medicine. An important part of the healing process is the therapeutic relationship between the patient and th e doctor. The overuse of technology can hinder this process, which affects the healing process. The use of technology and medicine is also often times untested or is known to have adverse side effects. As a result, in the case of patients that have illnesses, the use of experimental technology and medication can lead to further complications that accompany the condition. In this field, the use

Software engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Software engineering - Essay Example Development of programming languages was at the initial stages and much work has to be in field of software technology. The hardware equipment used in programming were huge and weighed in tons. To operate one computer more than 10 persons were required. The space required for it was just like an auditorium. The expenses on maintenance were sky high. It was very time consuming effort for even to do simple mathematic calculations. Research on development of software technologies was given more importance and works on these issues were employed. Many companies realized the importance of development of software technology and many research institutes were developed accordingly. After the development of some programming languages like FORTRAN the importance of programming concepts were realized and companies like IBM, Microsoft, Apple, etc., invested heavily on the development of these technologies. The problems faced by these companies were: Development Time problem: In the development of large systems sometimes technology goes through a generation change from the time it was first conceptualized to the tie of delivery. Sometimes systems have to be reprogrammed completely. System User Interface problem: At the time of initial designing of the technology many associated operational procedures were neglected. This resulted in delay in the development process and need of other additional requirements. Additional hardware as well as software was frequently needed to meet the requirements. These problems can be prevented through operational timelines. Test and Integration problem: In the early stages of software development insufficient thought was given to integration and testing. Appointing experienced programmer and conducting tests at all levels can avoid problems. Maintenance problem: The expenditure was huge for the maintenance. The best way to cut costs is to design the code in such a way that changes can be accommodated frequently. Software development life cycle (SWDLC) models were used in developing a software product. SWDLC models helps in understanding the problem, design of a solution and tests on the solution can be performed in an operational environment. Some of the SWDLC are generic waterfall model, department of defense model, spiral model, NASA model, incremental developmental model, evolutionary prototype model, reuse and automated development models, etc. SWDLC process goes through five phases. They are (1) requirement analysis, (2) design specification, (3) coding and unit testing, (4) test and integration and (5) acceptance test. The people involved in software development process are: 1. Operators/Users: These are the end users who use the final products of the software system. Directly or indirectly users are involved in the development of software products. Keeping user's requirements in mind companies develop the final product. Since users are the key to the success of the final product most of the companies takes user's conceptions and develops the product accordingly. 2. Client: Client may be a person or a firm

Romance and romantic medievalism Essay Example for Free

Romance and romantic medievalism Essay John Keats poem, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, presents a knight on his horse who meets a fairy lady but develops this clichi scenario into an exploration of the relationship between, the presumed male superiority and female innocence. It is a ballad that evokes medieval times. However, if one is expecting a stereotypical glorification of these, Keats rather has an interestingly critical approach to the archetypes of medieval romance and romantic medievalism. The identity of the titular female character is kept a mystery. We only know about her through the males interpretation of her. An essential point in this poem since it leads to the implicit meaning by the author. La Belle Sans Merci is a perfect example of how well-worn aspects as love such as sexual desire and unknown identity can be used to present a striking theme in a simple manner. These aspects are combined in a medieval set. The medieval setting is reinforced for the reader through the poems form. It is a ballad, which is full of fittingly old-fashioned diction and syntax. By his antiquated expression and his hypnotically monotone quadrametre, Keats achieves a mysterious and gloomy atmosphere with the first couple of stanzas of the poem. O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, So haggard and so woebegone? (L. 5-6) To use Keatss own words, the mood is woebegone. This clearly reflects the knights emotions as the unknown individual, whose voice opens the poem, asks him about his problems. This is clear evidence that the whole poem is actually a dialogue between the knight and an unknown character possibly identifiable with the poet. The first two stanzas start with a question a clear indication of antiphonal or dialogic style being employed. O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering? (L. 1-2) This unknown character is the speaker in the first three whole stanzas, after which the knight begins to tell of his surreal experience with this fairy. At this point, one could argue that it starts to get interesting. The keywords throughout the next five stanzas are presumed control, power, desire and superiority. Obviously the knight is somehow intrigued by this fairy. In what way, remains ambiguous in keeping with Keatss poetic style. Nevertheless, no doubt is left when one examines the diction that the knight has a distinct sexual desire for her: She lookd at me as she did love, And made sweet moan. (L. 19-20) The knight interprets her sweet moan as sexual and romantic interest even though he has no reason whatsoever to believe that the fairy is essentially interested: And sure in language strange she said I love thee true! (L. 27-28) It is rather his own presumption that makes him imagine this. Thus a still more surreal dream scenario arises within an already surreal world of fairies etc. This way of thinking leads the knight into a form of blind obsession. It is this ecstasy that leads him to his misery. From stanza five where he makes a garland and bracelets for the fairy until stanza eight where she takes him to her elfin grot, he presents himself is in charge of virtually everything. I set her on my pacing steed, (L. 21) She found me roots of relish sweet (L. 25) These are clear examples that indicate that either the knight acts upon the fairy or the fairy acts for him in keeping with conservative sexual roles. It can be assumed that this situation suits him since he nothing else saw all day long. The knight does not hesitate to convey his emotions nor is he the mysterious part in this poem. But loss of control appears in stanza eight when the knight enters onto the fairys territory. Certainly he goes to her home and he may go further than that: She took me to her elfin grot, And there she wept and sighd full sore, (L. 29-30) The subject of the sentences changes; now it is the fairy that acts and the knight becomes a passive character in the poem. This should be considered as the moment when the knights misery commences. Another, yet stronger example of this is found in the next stanza, And there she lulled me asleep, (L. 33). This line is attention-grabbing since it is not only the start of the knights misery, but can also be seen in the context of the male losing out in the battle between sexes. Suddenly the feminine character gets the upper hand in a poem set in the middle ages and written at the beginning of the 19th century. The clichi -like knight on pacing steed strong, handsome and should win over every lady that he desires. Instead he is utterly unmanned by the extremely sexy feminine fantasy character, whose identity remains a mystery throughout the poem, while his psyche is bared. The mysterious identity of the fairy and the ambiguity as to whether she did anything at all to the knight other than leave him is central to Keats message. If we knew more about her, it would no longer be a mystery to the reader whether she did entrance him or whether he has just fantasized all those Pale warriors, Death pale were they all; They cried La Belle dame sans Merci, Hath thee in thrall! Assuming the fairy was human, she could most probably speak and not only make sweet moan. Just one statement from the fairy could lead to a clarification of the real causes of knights apparently miserable situation and that would kill the point of the poem. In conclusion, Keats succeeds in revitalizing the medieval ballad form and romance themes by inverting their clichi s. He thereby succeeds to a high degree in questioning male assumptions of sexual dominance and the reader is left with a lot to think about after reading the poem.

Portrayal Of Vampires In Literature

Portrayal Of Vampires In Literature His face was a strong, a very strong, aquiline, with high bridge of the thin nose and peculiarly arched nostrils, with lofty domed forehead, and hair growing scantily round the temples but profusely elsewhere. The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy moustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth (Stoker, 1897). For many centuries this crude, bloodcurdling image prevailed what is now known to us as the blood sucking vampire. This description of Dracula, as illustrated by Bram Stoker in 1897, compares nowhere near the handsome, romantic, and charming figure vampires have become in modern day film and literature. Yet what is most interesting, in a rather peculiar way, is to see the irony of such a thoughtless creature becoming a prevalent reflection of modern culture; their unchanging, dead existence representing the ever-changing situations of our conscious and unconscious fears. This essay will seek to critically analyse two well known lit erary texts portraying vampires. Through the description of the vampires appearance, role, function and purpose and the several motifs and cultural myths such portrayals and images are drawn upon, this essay hopes to provide several reasons for the human fascination of such creatures and further suggest vampires represent several cultural beliefs and actions implemented by human society. An obscure sort of figure and a likely representation of both erotic anxiety and corrupt desire, the literary vampire is one of the most powerful archetypes bequeathed to us from the imagination of the nineteenth century (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Yet, interestingly as times change it seems each age embraces the vampire it needs (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Prior to the 1970s, the ideal vampire was a portrayal of Bram Stockers Dracula; the captivating, cultured, yet evil Eastern European Count. Since then, as a result of numerous novel publications, including Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles and Stephanie Meyers Twilight, the illustration of the vampire has changed, due to the ongoing transformations in the broader cultural and political mise-en-scene (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). It is mainly through certain motifs and cultural beliefs, both of the past and present, in which the figure of the vampire has transformed. As a prominent figure of time, vampires have represented metaphors for sex uality and power. As of late, while still powerful and appealing, vampires have become a symbol for alienation, choice, societys attitudes towards illness, their definition of evil, and can also act as representations for individual obsession, free agency, self-control, sacrifice and faith. Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire (1976) and Stephenie Meyers Twilight (2008), are just two texts incorporating the fascination of the vampire. However, the texts present several differences; each utilising contrasting ideas in the illustration, function, roles, and purpose of the vampire. Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire accounts the life of a 200-year-old vampire, Louis du Pointe du Pac. Turned into a vampire at the age of 25 by Lestat, Louis story gives audiences two representations of the vampire. Rice steers away from the old portrayal of the creature, captivating this through Louis and Claudia, while also using Lestat as an illustration of the evil, crude, and self-centred vampire. Lestat and Louis are two different vampires; in their appearance, their function, their roles, and their purpose. Louis is the good vampire; humane, genuine and honest. Depicted as beautiful, with utterly white and smooth(Rice,1976) skin, his face a seemingly inanimate as a statue, except fo r two brilliant green eyes( Rice,1976), his hair black, the waves combed back over the tips of the ears(Rice,1976), his shoulders broad(Rice,1976), his figure tall and slender (Rice,1976), his lips silken and delicately lined like any persons lips, only deadly white(Rice,1976), Louis is the image of a different vampire from the one normally envisioned. Lestat, on the other hand is described little in the novel. He is however the opposite to Louis. Illustrated in this book as being 6ft tall with curly blond hair and grey eyes, a short and narrow nose and a mouth that is slightly large for his face(Rice, 1976)), Lestat is charming, attractive and charismatic, but evil. Throughout the novel, Louis relives the moments of how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life (Rice, 2010). He also describes his longing to not hurt but rather to comfort Claudia, who is his only friend and his life. He somewhat becomes a father figure to her, taking it upon himself to care and love her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside (Rice, 2010). Both Louis and Claudia struggle to understand themselves, their purpose, their hatred of Lestat and both become desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand (Rice, 2010). This is in contrast to Lestat who believes vampires are killers Predators. Whose all seeing eyes see a human life in its entirety, not with any mawkish sorrow but with a thrilling satisfaction in being the end of that life, in having a hand in the divine plan(Rice, 2010). He believes his life has no purpose, a least none that involves being honest and caring, but rather a killer and a monster. Similarly, Twilight, a novel written by Stephenie Meyer, further illustrates the idea set by Anne Rice in her novel. When Bella Swan moves back to her childhood home in order to be with her father, she discovers some things that she never thought were possible. She meets the very mysterious Edward Cullen, who while irresistible and charming, has a certain past which he would rather keep hidden. Determined to find out his dark secret, Bella befriends Edward and the two become close. What she does not realise is that the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk (Meyer, 2008). Although Edward warns her on several occasions that he is not the good guy he seems to be, soon Bella puts together the pieces and comes to the evident conclusion that is a vampire. Meyers vampires are in certain ways very different from Anne Rices image in Interview with the vampire. While chalky pale, palest of all the students(Meyer, 2008), with dark eyes(Meyer, 2008) yet all their features were straight, perfect and angular(Meyer, 2008), their faces all similar, yet different; devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful(Meyer, 2008), as Louis in Rices story, the Cullens are humanised with features most cannot resist. To add to the already humanistic vampire image, Meyer also gives her characters gifts above and beyond the norm (Meyer, 2008). In subtle ways these gifts represent their role and function, and as Edward explains their strongest human traits (Meyer, 2008). Each character brings their gift for good; Edward with his ability to read minds, Alice with her gift to see the future, Carlisle brings his compassion, Esme her ability to love, Emmett his strength, Rosalie her tenacity and Jasper his ability to control peoples feelings and emotions. As with the characteristics of the vampires, Meyer challenges the image of the old vampire by means of changing their purpose. Part of the story revolves around what is means to be a vampire. Constantly, Edwa rd is reluctant to befriend Bella as he still believes deep down he is not superhero, but rather the bad guy. He struggles with his existence, describing himself as the worlds best predator, dangerous (Meyer, 2008) and even at one point he confesses to Bella of his struggle to keep himself from killing, to control his thirst for blood. He does still however feel, as any human, revealing to Bella numerous times he cannot live with himself if he killed her(Meyer, 2008), sounding in a way confused and saddened at the prospect. It is important to also mention the Cullen philosophy. It is explained through Edwards father, Carlisle Cullen that their kind are not killers. Carlisle rebelled against being a vampire, he went to great lengths to destroy himself (Meyer, 2008), fighting hard to resist drinking other peoples blood and looking for an alternative to being the vile monster he feared(Meyer, 2008), finding a way to exist without being evil (Meyer, 2008). Both Interview with the Vampire and Twilight, utilise several motifs, metaphors, and cultural beliefs to illustrate the existence, images, and purpose of vampires. The vampire can in several ways, provide a metaphor for sexuality and power, but can also represent alienation inflicted by society, societys attitude towards illness, its definition of good and evil and can even reinforce individual feelings of obsession, free agency and choice, self-control, sacrifice and faith. Present in both texts, however more profoundly in Anne Rices novel, the original representation of the vampiric metaphors, images and purpose related to sexuality and societys attitudes towards illness are explored. It is interesting to see the close similarities between the idea of death from a vampires bite and the death by disease, associating to a vampires wasting, with paleness, with blood flow from the mouth, night restlessness and alternate burning and chills (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Interview with the Vampire is of the two texts more inclined to present audiences with the vampire-as-a-disease metaphor, coincidently incorporating cultural events and beliefs present in America at the time. Rice utilises the metaphor to illustrated societys awareness of AIDS and homosexuality. This changing metaphor of sex and violence leads to the homoeroticism of Least and Louis' (Grey,2003) relationship, encouraging mainstream audiences to accept this new way of society and accept homoeroti c protagonists with fewer qualms that normally evincible (Grey,2003). It also uses sexuality to reinforce the image of the old vampires seduction, its ability to attract both men and women, and of the vampire taking the life of its victims. Twilight however, while describing Edward as attractive and mesmerising, it is important to note the metaphor of a vampire being a crude creature is not heavily present in this novel. Instead, Meyer uses the vampires as metaphors for kindness and sincerity, even in some respect using Edward as a figure of goodness and love. Their romance, cosmically disproportionate, is a parable or transparency of the inequalities and responsibilities of the divine-human synergy (Granger, 2009). Edwards love for Bella is forever unchanging and respectful, while Bellas love for him in return is selfless and sacrificial. Written from a religious point of view, the choices which both Edward and Bella make support the idea of free agency; the power for humans to mak e their own decisions and at the same time be responsible for these choices. Both of them pay the consequences for their choices, whether good or bad. In earlier vampire literature, it is important to note vampires were considered related to the Devil. Very few people befriended such creatures, rather using certain symbols to eliminate them. As a result, the belief of faith and religion can be related to the figure of the vampire. The most common for victory were few: armed with crucifixes, wooden stakes, holy water, garlic and occasionally fire and sunlight, good always prevailed (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Before long anything capable to fend off the vampire, meant those against them possessed great faith. This implied that symbols of faith, when handled by those of less-than-perfect or non-existent faith, might prove ineffective. (Gordon Hollinger, 1997) As in the 1960s and 70s, culture took on a secular view of the world, victims died because of their lack of faith. But as society quickly confronted its loss of faith, vampires lost their ability of their magical arsenal (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). Little is seen of a vampires ab ility to transform into bats and wolves, to crawl on surfaces and disappear in a puff of smoke. And as Louis explains in Rices novel, no such myths exist any longer. The more contemporary vampire exhibits little of the metaphysical, magical, anti-Christian act, but rather his/her own acts are expressions of individual personality and condition (Gordon Hollinger, 1997). This decrease in focus on the vampires metaphysical and religious status supports a loss in the past folkloric characteristics of the vampire. The change from the metaphoric Anti-Christ to secular sinner, from magical to mundane permeates the appearance of and indeed, permits the existence of good as well as bad (Gordon Hollinger, 1997) vampires. And as Edward states in Twilight just because weve been dealt a certain hand it doesnt mean we cant choose to rise above- to conquer the boundaries of destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can. (Meyer, 2008) Many argue the contemporary vampire story often represents the very intriguing condition of what we now known as postmodernism, this idea of good and evil. And what better example than the most central motif present in Anne Rices novel. Lestat represents the vampire of the postmodern era; he dismisses any faith, except faith in himself. On the other hand, Louis is the vampire which struggles against becoming the postmodern, evil creature, taking his loss of faith as an illustration for his loss of humanity. The book also portrays Louis as being aware of the question of good and evil, of struggling to accept Lestats philosophy and belief. Claudia also finds herself in a situation where she is caught between two different examples of what a vampire could be and as a result becomes determined to find out the origin of her existence. Good and evil also appears a central theme within Twilight. Meyer uses the Cullens as the good vampires, who harm no one, and James and Victoria as the bloo dsuckers and murderers. On a more personal level, Edward battles between good (his human desire to not harm) and evil (the fact that he is a vampire) suggesting an example of a conscious and human thought process. Thus, it is not what you are born as or what you are made to be that defines your existence, but rather what choices you make based on your own ideas and identity. The vampire today has transformed from an figure of super evil to being simply an alien other, no longer embodying metaphysical evil, no longer a damned soul (Gordon Hollinger, 1997), but rather an metaphor for our awareness of multiculturalism merely ethnic, a victim of heredity (Zanger, 1997 in GH). Both Interview with the Vampire and Twilight depict vampires as outsiders. In Twilight Bella describes her feelings towards this alienation, feeling pity towards the Cullens, pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted (Meyer, 2008). The idea of being alone is also evident in Edwards distance from his family and his school friends. While his brothers and sisters have moved on and formed close relationships, he remained alone. Incidentally, vampires are forced to live away from society in order to keep their existence a secret. Interview with the Vampire also suggests Louis and Lestat are not accepted within society, constantly being illustrated as outcasts, needing acceptance from society but it seeming as if this acceptance can only be found in another of his kind. This theme speaks to almost every individual, as almost everyone has felt alone or alienated at some point in their lives and illustrates societys attitudes towards certain groups of people. Sacrifice, self-control and obsession are several other themes which vampires represent in both texts. Sacrifice is a dominant theme throughout Twilight. While Bella sacrifices everything to be with Edward, it is Edward who makes a decision to be with Bella, to trust her and her intention of keeping his secret. He sacrifices his secret to be with Bella, and while he may be at a loss, his sacrifice can be seen as acceptable when it may be a free choice to gain something greater. Again, the same takes place in Interview with the Vampire, when Louis makes a decision to leave Lestat and sacrifice his life to take care of Claudia and to find more of his existence. Self-control is equally evident in both of the texts. Self-control is very important in Twilight, as it is closely linked to free agency. In order to have free-agency, the Cullens must have self-control, and as a result self-control is in this case a way of overcoming their instinct and a way to create ones wanted life and princ iples. Vampires in both of the texts are not saints, but just like real people they have flaws. And just like real people, they are under the driving force of obsession. Bellas love for Edward, Louis cling to humanity and Lestats belief to kill goes beyond reason, beyond practically. In a way all of these attributes apply to society today, from the ways we make choices, to the sacrifices we make for those we love and our obsessions with love, humanity, and death. The literary vampire has entertained and captured audiences for many years, changing but never completely disappearing. For it is evident every ages does seem to embrace the vampire is needs (Gordon Hollinger, 1997), guiding us along our paths of socialisation, separations and individualisation. Whether the fears are personal, societal, internal, or external, the vampiric metaphor transforms as time passes. The themes of sexual desire, disease, political and social indifference, religion, alienation, good versus evil, and many more represent the vampire figure. All of the themes discussed mirror our current views of boundaries between individuals and society, between one group and the rest. How intriguing it is to see that such social anxieties and personal beliefs are represented through such a creature, one that breaks boundaries between life and death, good and evil, love and fear. And how interesting it is, that the vampire lives on in this modern society of constant conflict, b etween what is real and what is not, between what is private and what is public, in such a way as helping to dissolve the numerous conflicts and the fixed boundaries by means of representation and example. Vampires encourage creative thought and emotional stability, they act as beings we would all rather be, even examples of how we should be. Providing us with a desire to be good rather than evil, vampires have captured the imagination of the twenty-first century. Like flowers perfuming our dreams and beliefs, vampire will continue to capture us with anticipation and dread for years to come.