Gayl Jones Corregidora free essay sample

Examines the novels portrayal of physical emotional liberation of the black female protagonist from an oppressive past of slavery sexism. Gayl Joness Corregidora Madhu Dubey argues that dating back to the time of the publication of Alice Walkers In Search of Our Mothers Gardens in 1974, black feminist literary critics have used the metaphor of matrilineage to authorize the construction of a black feminine literary tradition (Dubey 245). Consequently, essays by such critics tend to posit the mother as the origin of the black womens literary tradition, as well as the guarantor of the tradition through time. Dubey argues that this black feminist appropriation of the metaphor of literary matrilineage acquires special resonance from the peculiar history of black motherhood in America (245). The significance of this tradition is exemplified in a novel such as Gayl Joness Corregidora. Specifically, Jones uses the novel to demonstrate the strength of..

How Iago manipulates language to achieve his aims Essays

How Iago manipulates language to achieve his aims Essays How Iago manipulates language to achieve his aims Paper How Iago manipulates language to achieve his aims Paper a rephrasing of Saint Pauls, By the grace of God, I am what I am, with a very sinister twist. This confession is perhaps not only directed towards Roderigo, but a warning to the audience that his thus far open admissions are also not what they appear to be, an invitation to search for a deeper mtoive. Despite the truth of that line, Roderigo still choses to trust his confidante who swears by Janus and yet sows such misery and destruction. This seemingly throws Rogerigo into the open accusations of gullibility, however, it is not only he that is convinced of Iagos honest nature. His speech describing Cassios attack on Montano (2. 3. 216) has a simple quality, with plain everyday vocabulary, fluently arranged. The report he gives is accurate, bar a few minor discrepencies too subtle to dispute, but conciously inserted. For example Iago reports, He, swift of foot, outran my purpose, untrue, but cleverly prevents Iago from beign able to idenitfy the crying fellow and the parenthesis,,as it so fell out,, is skillfuly placed to remind Othello of the results of the fight. He speaks in verse to indicate the formality of the situation. Iago is often praised for his honest nature, (without which, the lies would never have been believed) and he is careful to ensure that reputation continues and his plainess of speech and grammatical clarity support this. The idea that a plain speaker tells the truth and the more eloquent speaker is not to be trusted is commonplace and through the conversations between Iago and Othello Shakespeare proves this to be false. In fact, plain speaking does not merely accompany Iagos malice, it is the very medium through which it operates. Put in a clearly difficult position, Iago ablely manages to stay in the good opinion of both Othello and Cassio. Hhis phrases, Touch me not so near and Yet surely, Cassio recieved some strange indigity convince Cassio that Iago is still loyal to him, this is essential to the next stage of Iagos plot. He also includes a weak justification for Cassios actions, But men are men which prompts Othello to believe that Iagos honesty and love doth mince this matter, further placing Cassio out of Othellos good opinion and confirming Iagos good and honest nature. Iago is able to keep the image of his honest public persona with all the characters by altring his language style to the situation, eg, the informal prose of his advice to Cassio regarding reputation, As I am an honest man, I thought you had recieved some bodily wound. There is more sense in that than in reputation. , the comic rhyming in his description of the ideal woman If she be black and thereto have a wit, / shell find a white that shall her blackness fit. Iagos shocking ability to hold on the his honest repuation lies in his masterfull manipulation of rhetorical skills. Through his soliloquies and subsequent dialogues, he reveals himself to the audience to be anything but honest, a master of connotative and metaphoric language, inflammatory imegery, emotional appeals, well placed hesitations, leading questions and meanignful repition, he has all of the skills required to carry out his vast quantity of lies. Indeed, Iago is so good at lying, it seems he is able to convince even himself that he has sound reason to destroy those around him (He believes that both Cassio and Othello have slept with his wife for example). After honest Iago is bid Good-night by Othello in Act 2, scene 3, he speaks directly to the audince in a speech which is both powerful, full of dramatic irony and repulsive. He is completely aware of the feeling he evokes and appears to relish them. He opens with a line that is simply dripping with sarcasm, And whats he that says I play the villian? ,it appears that he enjoys teasing the audience in this manner, he has the audacity to claim that his advice to Cassio to appeal to Desdemona to get his job back was exactly what a genuine friend would advise, and, frustratingly, the audience knows that he is right, horrified, they hear how this good advice will be turned against Cassio. By revealing to the audience his plan to enmesh them all, they can watch the terrible consequences of his lies unfold helplessly and Iago seems to be proud of the situation he is creating. One feels that he is only revealing his plan to them so that his twisted genius can be apprciated. This follows Samuel Coleridges view (Omniana, 1812) that Iagos motives for action were his keen sense of intellectual superiority and his love of exerting power, he does take great delight in his ability to control those around him with such appaerent ease. ANother soliloquy in which he reveals further plot developmet to the audience is in Act 3, scene 3, it begins with his dismissing his wife Emilia, Go, leave me he says after she has just given him the handkercheif which is integral to his furthering the demsie of Othello (his all-consuming goal), and yet recieves no thanks or praise from him showing the poor condition of their relationship. Iagos is perceptive and is very aware of the mechanics of human emotion and expliots these, and the character flaws of those around him, mercilessly to his advantge (eg, Roderigos infatuation with Desdemona, Cassios weak tongue for wine and reputation for womanising and Othellos free and open nature), he explains to the audience in lines 325-7, Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ and it is on this principle he intends to plant the handkercheif on Cassio. To a critical and reasoning thinker, the evdience which the handkerchief supplies would be deemed weak however, for Othellos broken mind, coruppted by Iagos poison of words, it becomes irrefutable truth. Iago goes on to reflect upon the effect he is having on Othello, that the thoughts he is implanting in him burn like mines of sulphur, this evokes a pwerful image of Othellos sanity and mental stability aflame and destroyed. In 3. 3. 12, Othello seems to have grown tired of Iagos unfounded talk of Desdemonas infidelity, Give me a living reason shes disloyal he asks of Iago. This is a precarious situation for him, if he cannot succesfully convince Othello that he speaks the truth, all his workings thus far could be ruined. Nevertheless, Iago retains his calrity of thought and responses in a way which leave Othello unable to reply tih anything but O montrous! montrous! . Iago pleads that he does not lke the office and is spurred on helplessly like a beast by foolish honesty and love. He has already laid the foundation of evidence for his claim by ensuring he has been portrayed as honest in other situations and so, from past experience, it is not surprising that Othello supposes him truthful this time also. Iago knows that this will be the case and tells a story, believable, but false, of Cassio dreaming of Desdemona. He, as has become expected, describes and develops his lies in a very powerful manner which forces Othello to imagine his wife and Cassio togeter, kiss me hard, lay his leg over my thigh, troubling for any person in a relationship to consider. Iago combines this with copious repitition, kiss me, kisses by, and kiss, to ensure there is no way that Othello can avoid these destructive thoughts. Act 4, Scene 1 is the scene which sees the complete errorsion of Othellos mental faculties, his language becomes fractured and inarticulate Noses, ears, and lips. Ist possible? Confes! -Handkercheif! -Oh, devil! -, revealing his own fragmented state of mind, this, from an Elizabethan playwright, is quite a stylistically modern technique. Iago abuses Othellos obvious growing weakness ruthlessly, using all manner of lingustical tachnique to destroy him completely, reducing him to a fit of epilepsy. In lines 2-3, he uses very explicit and detailed language to force Othello to visualise the situation, making it much more immediate and real to him and therefore alos more distressing. Another technique used to manipulate Othellos thought pattern is in the mulittude of unfinshed sentences used from lines 10-32, He did -, give my wife a handkerchief - as just two examples. This is an incredible clever usage of hanging sentences as not only does it spur Othello to naturally proced to finish the sentence, but it also means that he forms his own conclusions, leaving Iago free from blame. Iago feeds Othello informations little by little, he does not simply say all that is needed at once, but prolongs his speech. This is an incredibly effective manipulative technique and ensures that from the begining of the scene riht up until Othello falls into aq trance is a conversation of increasing suspense, with Iagp almost gently prompting him into his epilepsy and the unintelligable speech beforehand. The complete destruction of Othellos articulation shows the possesion and control that Iago now has over Othello. Language is inextricably linked with identity, it is the form in which we communicates and interacts with the world and people surrounding us. That Othello has lost the ability to control his own language reflects how he has also lost his identity which now belongs to and is being controlled by Iago. Othello is aware that he is no longer the man he used to be so to speak, as this speech reveals; I had been happy if the general camp, Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body, So I had nothing known. Oh, now forever Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content! Farewell the plumi d troops and the big wars That makes ambition virtue! Oh, farewell! Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump, The spirit-stirring drum, th ear-piercing fife, The royal banner, and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war! And O you mortal engines, whose rude throats The immortal Joves dead clamors counterfeit, Farewell! Othellos occupations gone. (3. 3. 360) One of the finest examples of this prompting technique is shown with the one word sentence Lie. The double entendre and ambiguity this sentence posseses makes for an incredibly dramtic moment which completes Othellos humilating demise from the honourable war hero he once was. Iago, unsuprisingly, manages to cover himself against every lie that he utters, after all he is not providing Othello with any factual evidence, merely hearsay, which is no more than he [Cassio] will unswear. For a man as broken as Othello now is, it seems fact is no longer a condition required for judgement and decision, even that of murder. Throughout the play, Iago has skilfully displayed his ability to control the actions, and in Othellos case, the thoughts of the other characters in the play, all of which has been done through his control of lanaguage, he has updated the auidence throughout, with his ongoing plans with a sadistic enthuisiasm. So when, in the final scene, the plotting and scheming which he has wholeheartely devoted himself to unravels around his feet, Iago always eager to have the upper hand, tries to retaing what little control he still can by vowing silence. This ensures that neither the charcters, nor the audience, can know Iagos true motivations for his seeming inherent desire to do evil.

Are Enlightenment values universal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Enlightenment values universal - Essay Example For this ground, Enlightenment values have by far, to this point, been inevitably embedded on culture under several aspects of living. The post-Renaissance curiosity in an in-depth study of man and the world after the rebirth of learning and rigorous inquisitions herein designate emphasis on humanities and the quest for means to put knowledge to practical use. Such movement toward intellectual revolution, which was mostly regarded as secularistic by nature, causing progressive changes to humanity proceeded out of several factors. For one, increase in the number of academic institutions across the 18th century Europe and North America generated more intellectual people and scholars capable of questioning the prevailing ideologies of the time based upon prominent fields as science, politics, and religion. Enlightenment was also promoted via the extensive publication of printed texts either as periodicals or books where the bulk of information read prompted and encouraged the general pu blic to express various opinions or insights on the subject matter of worldwide interest. People of middle-class society augmented in number as well and favored being financial supporters of scientists, inventors, and humanism artists. Moreover, men became further inclined to adopt materialism in the form of industries, objects of scientific innovation, and ideas the trade for prosperity of which had been made feasible by the pioneering geniuses of the socio-political, economic, and scientific disciplines. These causes primarily developed the foundations of Enlightenment along with its associated values found through the process of rationalization. At this crucial stage, 18th-century life and beyond was bound to experience and appreciate a profound sense of critical and creative mode of thinking in seeking to be stimulated by the beauty of reason. Eventually, there emerged a growing individual advocacy for human freedom upon discovery of the universal impact of reasoning according t o the basic principles of Enlightenment as perceived in rationalism, naturalism, materialism, optimism, and humanitarianism. By considering reason and science in the systematic process of acquiring knowledge and solving problems of humanity within diverse culture, Enlightenment is claimed to free humanity from the darkness of ignorance. With this end came departure from the burden of false beliefs and the destructive influence of illogical prejudices and superstition on the argument that secular society where liberty, equality, and democracy exist with scholastic endeavor potentially transforms human condition in which the miserable state of poverty and sickness is addressed. Universal ethical norms proposed by the 18th-century intellectuals thereafter transcend the narrow confines of race, color, sex, religion, and ethnicity for instance and such would not have been possible in the absence of Enlightenment values which altogether illumined Europe and brought the Western World to th e heights of drastic progress and advanced rate of modern civilization (Igwe). On the basis of one of the seven core ideals, ‘all human beings possess the ability to be enlightened’. Therefore, ‘enlightenment is universal’

European Union Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

European Union Law - Essay Example Christian is a registered Danish citizen. Consequently, Denmark is an EU member country. The logic now sails through that Christian has the right to reside in the UK alongside his family. According to the EU charter Article 21(1) TFEU, every citizen of a country that is member of the EU has the right to move and also reside in any country that is a member of the union; however, the rights are subject to conditions laid down by the treaty.3 This clause states that citizens of member countries are not supposed to be distinguished by services offered by the state. In fact, the state is supposed to treat them as equals with the citizens, with equal employment opportunities, social security and other citizenship privileges. The law extends to the fact that any EU citizen can complain about services offered in the country in which he or she is a resident and a taxpayer. The carter provides for free passage and residence as long as; the person does not pose a public policy risk and is not a strain of public finances. Since he is not dependent and has a level of employable skills, Christian can reside in the UK indefinitely. Minh is a legal wife to Christian. Under EU law, a person married to a citizen of an EU member country gains automatic access to privileges enjoyed by citizens of the EU countries. In this regard, Minh has the legal right to stay in the UK as long as she is Christian wife. The EU recognizes the social setting and importance of incorporating family members who are not citizens of EU member countries. This applies and is limited to the nuclear family which includes parents and children. The only requirement to officiate the union is the presence of a marriage certificate from a recognized source that state the couple is in a familial relationship. Available information show that Minh has tried to apply for employment at a London college. It implies that she legible under UK labor laws to work and reside in the country. Therefore,

An evaluation of the law surrounding forced marriages Essay

An evaluation of the law surrounding forced marriages - Essay Example Although, the government through legislation has tried to discourage forced marriages, these policy measures have been ineffective in eradicating the dehumanising practice. This difficult in ending the tradition comes from the fact that the forced marriage is deeply rooted culture in the minority groups. According to the United Nations, Forced marriage consists a violation of individuals’ human rights. Forced marriages also violate the rights of children some of whom are forced into marriages before they even reach the age of 10. Legislative response that really tries to address the problem has only been enacted recently, but they still do not provide enough cover for individuals in forced marriages or under threat of being married forcefully. In 2007, the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act) was passed where victims could obtain protection orders from courts. Recently, the Conservative government has announced plans to make forced marriage a criminal offence. This paper cr itically analyzes legislative attempts by successive UK government to respond to the problem of forced marriages among minority groups. Secondly, it critically analyzes the proposed attempt to make forced marriage a criminal offence. ... a Nobleman could only marry a noblewoman.1 To retain and consolidate power noble families encouraged and coerced their children to intermarry. However, with cultural advancement these practices were disappeared before any legal policy could be articulated to address the issue. Nobody envisioned that hundreds of years later a modern British society would be grappling with the problem of forced marriages. In the present and the last century, UK society made the first legal attempt to discourage forced marriage in 1949. In the Marriage Act 1949 prohibited marriages between parties below the age of 16 in section 2.2 This law was strengthened in the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 in Section 11 (a) (ii) put the age of consent for marriage at 16. The 1973 Act also provided protection for individuals below the age of 18 requiring the consent of a legal representative3. Under the matrimonial causes act an individual aged between 16 and 18 has the right to obtain consent for marriage through a co urt order, if the legal representative unreasonably refuses consent4. In the 1973 Act, all matrimonial relationship must start through the free consent of both parties. In Section 12, the 1973 Act prohibits vitiating of consent by other factors like violence or pregnancy. In the 1960’s UK governments made further legal changes to address the issue as immigrant communities continued to increase their number in the UK. In 1962, the UK signed the United Nations Convention to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration5. The convention came into force two years later in 1964 and was adopted by the UK in 1970. Later in 1969 the UK passed the Family Law Reform Act 1969 defined a person under the age of 18 as a minor. Under this definition a minor

Basic Approaches And Contemporary Issues In Leadership Management Essay

Basic Approaches And Contemporary Issues In Leadership Management Essay The first complete contingency model for leadership was presented in 1967 by Fred Fiedlers. His contingency hypothesis was the first to identify how situational factors interrelate with the traits and behaviors of leaders to have an impact on the effectiveness of leadership. The theory proposed that the favorability of the circumstances is what decides how effective the task and the behavior of the person-oriented leader will be. Favorability is established by (1) the amount of trust and respect that devotees or rather followers have for their leaders; (2) the degree to which the responsibilities of individuals who are second to the leader can be organized and the performance measured; and (3) the power that the leader has over the rewards of followers. The circumstances is most encouraging when subordinates have trust and respect for their leaders, respect and trust the leader, the job is greatly structured, and the control over rewards and punishment is held by the leader (Barnett, 2010). The research done by Fiedler showed that leaders who were task-oriented were more valuable and effective when there was either an extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable circumstance, however, leaders who were person-oriented were more valuable if the circumstances were either moderately favorable, or unfavorable. This hypothesis did not really suggest that in various situations, the leader could become accustomed to their leadership styles, but rather that leaders who had various styles would be more valuable when they are put in situations that go with the leadership style that they prefer (Barnett, 2010). Fiedler is of the assumption that the leadership style of an individual is fixed because if the circumstance has a need for someone who is task-oriented but the person who is in that leadership position is relationship-oriented, then either the leader has to be changed or the situation needs to be altered (Robbins, Judge, 2009, pg. 292-293). Following the assessment of the basic leadership style via the lease preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire, Feidler recognized three possible dimensions that, according to his argument, describe the main situational factors that establish the effectiveness of leadership (Robbins Judge, 2009). These three factors include the following: Leader-member relations: The extent to which the followers trust and like the leader, and the readiness and eagerness of the followers to be guided by the follower. Task structure: The extent to which the followers job has been portrayed as either organized or disorganized; and Position power: The leaders power by virtue of the position in the organization and the extent to which, as the leader, he or she can implement power on followers so that they obey and receive the leaders guidance and leadership (Feidlers contingency model, 2009). Feidlers position is that leader-member relations are either good or poor, task structure is either high or low and position power is either strong or week. The healthier the relationship between the leader and followers the more organized the job will be and the more resilient the position of power the more command the leader will have (Robbins, Judge, 2009). Fielder has recently reinterpreted his first hypothesis which he called Cognitive Resource Theory. With this theory he places emphasis on the role that stress plays in situational unfavorableness and how the brain power and know how of the leader effect the way that he or she reacts to stress. The real meaning of this hypothesis us that stress is the adversary of reasonableness, and it is hard for leaders, among others, to think rational and be able to analyze situations when they are under stress. Fielder et al noted that the rational ableness of a leader correlate in a positive manner and their performance is better when they are dealing with low stress situations than when they are dealing with high stress; so the whether the intellect and know how of an individual has any bearing on the performance of leadership is determined by the level of stress. Other studies corroborated the fact that when the level of stress is low and the leader instructed followers on what he needed done, intellect was key to the effectiveness of the leader, but if the circumstance was a high stress one then intellect did not help as much because the leaders thought process was strained. In the same manner, if the leader does not tell his followers what he wants done then intellect do not help because of his reluctance (Robbins, Judge, 2009). The recommendation of Feidler is that organizations employ and choose persons with the essential intellect, know how, and understanding, and then allow those individuals to work under those situations that let them use the resources that they have cognitively. Additionally, the feeling that the leader has of being in control of the circumstance and the level of stress that he is experiencing is essential (Carter, III, 2006). What type of leader characteristic (more intelligent vs. more experienced) is most suited for high-stress incidents? What type of leader (more intelligent vs. more experienced) is best suited for low-stress planned incidents? When giving your answers provide a detailed example of a police leadership position that would fit the leadership style of more intelligent and more experienced.  Ã‚   The leader characteristic most suited for high-stress incidents is more experienced. Feilders Cognitive Resource Theory proposes the significance of situational stress and intellect in identifying with the effectiveness of leadership. Stress makes it hard for individuals to think in a logical manner. As a result, if a situation continues to get more and more stressful then subordinates functioning and judgment will worsen and breakdown. This hypothesis predicts that individuals or groups led by leaders who are smart will function better under situations that are low stressed, and individuals or groups that are led by average leaders will function better in situations that are high stress. While this assumption might seem to argue against perceptiveness, there is a rational justification: Infertile, canned, pre -arranged, secure, or labeled resolutions have a tendency to work out better when the situations are stressful, because they do not rely on either the leaders or followers reas oning, brain power, and inventiveness to work correctly. Meanwhile, when there is an availability of time and resources more artistic solutions are likely to produce a more favorable end result. In essence, an experienced leader must be able to think quickly and critically while being able to make snap decisions at a moments notice. Understand that this hypothesis is not proposing that intellectual leadership is not an important factor in the well being of the company! It is only proposing that times that are stressful are not the most excellent times for the artistic solving of problems. The efficiency of groups can be best maintained when there are stressful situations by generating and carrying out schedules which can be followed by employees as much as possible. The key point here is that intellectual decision making have a tendency to worsen under stress (Mills, 1995). The leadership style that I think would suit the leadership style of more experienced is that of a Swat Team Leader. According to Feidler, individuals or groups that are led by average leaders will function better in situations that are high stress. If for instance there is a hostage situation which in its own right is a very stressful situation because it takes hours of trying to talk down the hostage taker, and the swat leader makes a decision to enter the premises where the hostage taker and hostages are housed, it takes a lot of courage to go through a door knowing that the offender is on the other side waiting to kill you. Sometimes if the hostage taker refuses to talk to authorities they will be unaware of the number of hostage takers inside and also if there are any weapons inside it is hard to say how many and what kind. The leader most suited for low stressed planned incidents is more intelligent. Feidlers theory states that if followers are led by and individual who is smart then they will function better under low stressed circumstances because functioning and judgment will be better as individuals will then have the opportunity to think reasonably and rationally while making sense of the situation that may have presented itself. Fiedler noted that experience weakens functioning in situations that are low stressed. However, it plays a role in situations that are high stressed (Mills, 1995). The position that comes to mind when I think about the more intelligent leader is that of a crime scene investigator. Crime scene investigators investigate and solves crimes. They spend time developing a hypothesis about what happened, when it happened, why it happened, and who did it. They seek to analyze information found at the crime scene and other information given to them in terms of witnesses and confidential informants. I think that the most stressful times of this type of job could come with things like when investigators have to work on a case for long hours or when one has to go to court and testify as an expert witness, or when there is a lack of evidence, other than that I would have to say that the standard level of stress for this position is low. According to Feilder, stress makes it difficult for individuals to think in a logical manner, so if investigators are constantly under stress then they will not be able to think clearly while making sense of bits and pieces o f information to solve crimes. Next, in your own words, define, discuss, and provide a scenario in a CJ organization of Transactional Leadership, Transformational Leadership, and Visionary Leadership. Transactional leadership is when individuals do work only because there is something in it for them, like a reward and no other reason, so the main focus of transactional leadership is to plan jobs and reward construction. With this type of leadership it does not really allow leaders and employees to build a relationship neither does it allow for an environment where people are motivated and want to work long term because as soon as there is no more rewards then the motivation to do the work is also gone. Many organizations use transactional leadership every day in order to get work done. When transactional leaders set goals for their teams he or she also promises a reward for completing these goals and it is also up to the leader to boost employees one the work is completed in a successful manner. For example, may people in criminal justice organizations may simply be working for a paycheck, and remain totally hands-off until a lack of production threatens their pay check. Transformational leadership is when the leaders are highly motivated and they are also trusted by the employees and other management personnel alike. A leader who uses this type of leadership style is someone who establishes goals that are clear and precise, supports, inspires, and encourages employees, helps individuals to realize that it is not about them because there is no I in team, but that it is about the group as a whole, has the expectation that his team must do their best, notices when a job is well done and also recognizes the individual that put out good work, and also, if the leader has a vision he clearly relates this to the team members. Transformational leaders are proactive rather than reactive. For example, a charismatic leader in a criminal justice organization may act as a role model and inspire co-investigators and other law implementers to live up to their highest standards and then go beyond those standards not only for the benefit of the organization but also towards social well being and peace keeping. Visionary leadership amplifies competence because it the responsibility of decision making to the forefront. In order to make the responsibility at the frontline effective, the visionary leader has to allow employees to build excellent decision making skills while trusting them in the process. A visionary leader recognizes opportunities of challenges and growth even prior to it happening and places people in positions that will allow them to turn out astonishing outcomes. Visionary leaders places emphasis on tomorrow and comprise greatness.

Muckrakers :: essays research papers

Muckrakers were early twentieth-century reformers whose 1 mission was to look for and uncover political and business corruption. The term muckraker, which referred to the "man with a muckrake" in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, was first used in a pejorative sense by Theodore Roosevelt, whose opinion of the muckrakers was that they were biased and overreacting. The movement began about 1902 and died down by 1917. Despite its brief duration, however, it had a significant impact on the political, commercial, and even literary climate of the period. 2 Many popular magazines featured articles whose purpose was 3 to expose corruption. Some of these muckraking periodicals included The Arena, Everybody's, The Independent, and McClure's. Lincoln Steffens, managing editor of McClure's (and later associate editor of American Magazine and Everybody's), was an important leader of the muckraking movement. Some of his exposà ©s were collected in his 1904 book The Shame of the Cities and in two other volumes, and his 1931 autobiography also discusses the corruption he uncovered and the development of the muckraking movement. Ida Tarbell, another noted muckraker, wrote a number of articles for McClure's, some of which were gathered in her 1904 book The History of the Standard Oil Company. Muckraking appeared in fiction as well. David Graham Phillips, 4 who began his career as a newspaperman, went on to write muckraking magazine articles and eventually novels about contemporary economic, political, and social problems such as insurance scandals, state and municipal corruption, shady Wall Street dealings, slum life, and women's emancipation. Perhaps the best-known muckraking novel was Upton Sinclair's 5 The Jungle, the 1906 exposà © of the Chicago meatpacking industry. The novel focuses on an immigrant family and sympathetically and realistically describes their struggles with loan sharks and others who take advantage of their innocence. More importantly, Sinclair graphically describes the brutal working conditions of those who find work in the stockyards. Sinclair's description of the main character's