The Power of Pictures An Analysis of Anthony Brownes Picture Books

British children’s picture book author and illustrator Anthony Browne has established himself as an innovative force in the canon of children’s literature through such works as Gorilla and Piggybook. The author has published nearly 40 titles since the 1970s and enjoys international acclaim.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Power of Pictures: An Analysis of Anthony Browne’s Picture Books specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Anthony Browne’s works have been hailed as penetrating social critiques that encourage the modern children’s picture book to expand its reach and touch upon uncomfortable social issues such as restrictive gender roles and narrow minded class limitations. Anthony Browne’s eccentric, provocative books are distinctive in the sense that each one refuses to condescend to its young readers, and his works consistently defy assumptions surrounding the suitable subject matter for children’s picture books that require them to be safe, staid and non confrontational. Anthony Browne regularly employs the children’s picture book as a tool to critically analyze and evaluate cultural assumptions in a playful yet trenchant way. This essay will analyze several of Anthony Browne’s works from the period between 1976 and 1986, with particular emphasis on how Anthony Browne portrays specific social issues in his works. These works include Anthony Browne’s first published work Through the Magic Mirror from 1976, Gorilla from 1983, Willy the Wimp from 1984, and Piggybook from 1986. From the educational standpoint, each of these picture books provide children with keen psychological insights into the often unspoken social rules and roles implicit in the world they are entering as they age and progress through higher levels of learning. The essay will also demonstrate the influence of post modern theory on Anthony Brow ne’s works, as well as the impact of postmodernism on children’s picture books in general. Anthony Browne’s frugal usage of text and language and the deeply layered symbolism of his children’s picture books combine finely wrought and keenly observed surrealistic features with an amusing and clever vision. Anthony Browne’s themes are consistently serious and cover the gamut of human experience and behavior.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He is neither afraid to confront the failure of certain conventional interpersonal relationships, nor challenge the efficacy of the traditional nuclear family model of child rearing. Anthony Browne’s works also play with the distinction between fantasy, perception and reality. Artistically speaking Anthony Browne’s work tends toward surrealism and echoes the work of such surrealist giants as Salvador Dali, Edvard Munch, and Renà © Magritte. Anthony Browne’s works also frequently refer to these artists in a wry and self referential way. His books present his deeply personal and idiosyncratic visual approach through a seamless integration of the extraordinary with the mundane. Anthony Browne’s representational imagery remains simultaneously fantastic yet exact, with painstaking attention to detail and tremendous technical prowess. Anthony Browne’s trademark watercolor illustrations are noteworthy for their signature use of brash colors. Anthony Browne’s use of animals to represent humans, especially gorillas and chimpanzees, also imbues animals with human traits, emotions, fears, problems and concerns. His texts include elements from the fairy tale tradition, folk tales, allegories, and figurative warning tales as the underpinning structure for subtle yet powerful stories. A common plot line of Anthony Browne’s works sees his characters , both human and anthropomorphized animals, delve into their own internal pool of strength to overcome issues of solitude and social isolation, parental neglect, ennui, envy and resentment, bullying and social derision. As a rule Anthony Browne’s works contains strong messages to children to honor themselves above all, regardless of the social costs. In a recent Guardian interview, Flood (2009) drew attention to Anthony Browne’s â€Å"reputation as a sharp social observer. Several of his books skewer contemporary adult behavior†¦especially that of males†¦by showing how foolishness, cruelty, and self-absorption bring out the baseness of our animal natures. In 2000, he became the first UK children’s author to win the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the highest international honour in children’s literature† (Flood, 2009: n.p.). In 2009 Anthony Browne achieved the prestigious honor of being named the children’s laureate in the United Ki ngdom, joining the ranks of such literary illuminati as Ted Hughes.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Power of Pictures: An Analysis of Anthony Browne’s Picture Books specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Anthony Browne was quoted as saying â€Å"he would use his two-year stint as laureate to focus on the appreciation of picture books, and the reading of both pictures and words. Picture books are for everybody at any age, not books to be left behind as we grow older. The best ones leave a tantalising gap between the pictures and the words, a gap that is filled by the reader’s imagination, adding so much to the excitement of reading a book,† he said. â€Å"Sometimes I hear parents encouraging their children to read what they call proper books†¦books without pictures†¦at an earlier and earlier age. This makes me sad, as picture books are perfect for sharing, and not just wit h the youngest children† (Flood, 2009: n.p.). This brings up a valid point and highlights the driving force behind Anthony Browne’s work. Its enduring significance for educators remains Anthony Browne’s â€Å"desire to â€Å"make â€Å"Art,† with a capital A, more accessible to children. I believe we undervalue the visual as a society. Too often I see children’s education mean that they grow out of pictures – away from picture books into words – as though that’s part of the development of a child’s education [and the development of a child into an adult†¦I want children to realize that fine art doesn’t have to be serious and heavy or even part of the educational process. We can just lose ourselves and see ourselves in a painting that was painted 500 years ago† (Hateley, 2001: p. 324). The Power of Pictures Picture books represent one of the earliest and most important tools available to help children m ake sense of their environment, yet cultural and socio economic influences manifest extremely early in children, as Appleyard (1991) highlights in this description of two working class communities: â€Å"Both were in their own way literate communities where reading and writing functioned significantly in the daily lives of the people. But where families did not read to children, ask them the names of things in picture books, use printed stories to help them make sense of their environment, [and] encourage them to write†¦children had difficulty in school and as adult readers [did] not advance beyond magazines and newspapers, the Bible, and the literacy requirements of their work and social lives† (p. 198). The socio economic environment of the child mediates the essential learning value of the children’s picture books, and â€Å"the kinds and levels of literacy can be correlated with the social structure of the community, its history and traditions, the quality of its schools, and the economic opportunities of its people† (Appleyard, 1991: p. 198).Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Children’s picture books hold a deeper meaning when considered in the light of how we learn about ourselves in relation to others and this learning begins almost the instant children begin perceiving images. In fact Peter Hunt (1999) points to a common and somewhat dangerous misconception regarding the deeper impact of children’s picture books when he states that â€Å"picture books are commonly assumed to be the province of the very young, or pre-literate child, a simple form that is beneath serious critical notice† (p. 128). On the contrary, children’s picture books represent a core component in an extremely complex socialization process that begins at birth. Society begins to shape children the moment they are out of the womb. Picture books impart visual meaning to children well before they have developed the critical skills to accurately judge what they are being shown and how it is influencing them cognitively, psychologically, and emotionally. While this may seem an obvious deduction, the power of the picture in the social and psychological development of children simply cannot be overstated. In Hunt’s (1999) words, children’s picture books represent â€Å"one genuinely original contribution to literature in general; they are a polyphonic form that embodies many codes, styles, textual devices and intertextual references† (p. 128). At the risk of sounding cynical, picture books instill core social assumptions and biases about the multiple hidden strata of the culture to which a given picture book ascribes: gender roles, class distinctions, family make up, racial differences, and religious affiliations. As Nodelman (1999) states, children â€Å"must have a pre-existing knowledge of actual objects to understand which qualities of [visual] representations†¦resemble those of the represented objects and which†¦are merely features of the medium or style of representation and therefore to be ignoredâ₠¬  (p. 129) More importantly, â€Å"children must learn these prejudices before they can make sense of [a] picture† (Nodelman, 1999: p. 129). The gender stamp provides one example. Because children’s pictures books show partiality towards a particular point of view – the point of view of the viewer – they possess the power to circumscribe the child viewer into identifying exclusively with what can be seen from that limited perspective. Depending on the gender of the child viewer, he or she then takes on this imposed perspective in his or her subjective life, and begins to observe and value events and other people as the pictorial narrative presents them from this gender specific point of view. The power of visual images stays with us for our entire lives. We need only consider the impact of marketing to understand how swayed we are by pictorial representations of gender, beauty and racial differences in the wider media. The power of Anthony Browneâ€℠¢s picture books lies in their ability to illustrate the emotional discrepancy that many children feel. Anthony Browne’s works highlight the tacit understanding that many children learn very early in life – the sense that their parents are there in body only. As a teaching tool Anthony Browne’s work serves to offer children a means to make contact with an emotional reality that they do not yet have the cognitive skills to name. Post Modern Children’s Picture Books Post modern theory targets and calls attention to the essentially meaningless quality of representation that orders language, thought, and the social world that we humans inhabit, and argues that nothing in language truly â€Å"is† what it claims to represent. Words are merely symbols, and all printed books are black marks on a white page. As such, language resembles more of an agreement than an absolute, an implied understanding between literate folk that an arbitrary sound and image com bination embodies or â€Å"stands for† an equally arbitrary definition. Meaning then becomes socially conferred and as such, subject to infinite change. No representation enjoys purity of meaning. Barry (2009) refers to this concept as the absence of the real, and points out that â€Å"in contemporary life the pervasive images from film, TV, and advertising has led to a loss of distinction between real and imagined, reality and illusion, surface and depth† (p. 87). Barry (2009) explains the post modern era as an era wherein â€Å"a sign is not an index of an underlying reality, but merely [an indication] of other signs† (p. 87). The system of language and the ensuing assemblage of cognitive thought built upon that language then becomes a â€Å"simulacrum† that replaces the concept of the fixed representation of reality understood by previous eras, and â€Å"the sign reaches its present stage of emptiness† (Barry, 209: p. 87). Goldstone (2001) under stands the impact of postmodernism on children’s picture books as creating a generation of children’s picture books in the last 30 years that lack â€Å"clear, traditional, linear story structure [and] a sweet and innocent tone†¦[and that] mock†¦rather than model†¦oral tradition† (p. 362). Nonetheless, Goldstone (2001) quickly tempers this description by highlighting the fact that present day children’s picture books still â€Å"remain true to the classic definition of picture books. Picture books are categorized not by content but by format, which is an interdependence of the illustration and the text. The words and the art reflect and expand each other’s meaning† (p. 362). The aspect that has changed, according to Goldstone (2001), is â€Å"the underlying organization, which has created new linguistic codes. Traditional picture books are certainly not losing their appeal, and no one illustrative or writing style is better t han another. Rather, the boundaries of what is understood as a successful picture book are broadening† (Goldstone, 2001: p. 362). Postmodernism largely defines digital media culture, in that the theory underscores values of playfulness and interactivity. Swaggerty (2009) distinguishes the so-called digital native generation’s cultural make up as â€Å"characterized by connectivity, interactivity, nonlinearity, and instantaneous access to information and social networks† (p. 24). Digital natives tend to have higher standards for their media, as they â€Å"typically have the ability to control information flow, and they prefer to be in control of what they engage in†¦school is not the focal point of their lives; rather it is one of many† (Swaggerty, 2009: p. 24). Given that children gain access to digital media culture as infants, the essential nature of the post modern theory underscores their understanding of the world. Post modern children’s p icture books anticipate this by utilizing the same interactive tools and mischievous disregard for standard literary conventions integral to digital media. For example, post modern children’s picture books may â€Å"feature characters that speak directly to the reader. Some books require readers to make choices about how they will navigate the text by presenting multiple texts. Some children are drawn to the absurdity and humor often found in post modern picture books, or they may enjoy stories that poke fun at fairy tales with which they are familiar†¦post modern picture books are surfacing in bookstores and libraries and in the hands of children, justifying the attention of educators† (Swaggerty, 2009: p. 25). Anthony Browne’s picture books contain significant post modern elements, the most notable being the self referential nature of many of his works. Goldstone (2001) explains that Anthony Browne’s works can easily fit into the category of the â €Å"new breed of picture book has its own commonly held set of structural characteristics. These texts do not follow a linear pattern, are self-referential†¦the characters of a story may refer to the physical presence of the book or the process of making a book, are cynical or sarcastic in tone, and actively invite the reader to co-author the text†¦Not all of these characteristics are always found in one story, but the presence of even one will significantly change the reader/viewer’s way of interpreting the text† (p. 363). Post modern children’s picture books intentionally thwart the traditional book’s ability to enchant the reader. As Swaggerty notes, â€Å"many readers can relate to the feeling of inhabiting a book, or losing themselves in a story. When readers are really â€Å"into† a story, they sometimes forget that they are reading a book† (p. 25). Conversely, post modern children’s picture books consistently remind t he reader that the book is a book, therefore affirming the post modern understanding that meaning is not only a created fiction but also a shared one. Goldstone (2001) states that in post modern children’s picture books the â€Å"characters and the narrator may use the physical pages of the book for props or describe the book’s creation† (p. 366). This activity embodies the self-referential text (Goldstone, 2001: p. 366). Essentially the children’s picture book continually and playfully demands a response from the reader. In Goldstone’s (2001) words, the book â€Å"asks the reader, â€Å"What is real? The story? The page? The book itself?† (p. 366). Post modern texts like Anthony Browne’s implicate the reader in their construction. Anthony Browne’s love of surrealism and the presence of surrealist painters’ influences in his illustrations becomes a consistent post modern element in his children’s picture books, a visual motif that began with his first published book Through the Magic Mirror, in which the work of the eminent surrealist painter Renà © Magritte figures prominently (Browne, 1976). Anthony Browne’s visual citations of Magritte’s work highlight the magical element of Through the Magic Mirror, which depicts a young boy who suffers from ennui and premature world weariness until he gains access to an alternate universe via an enchanted mirror (Browne, 1976). As Hateley (2009) has shown, Anthony Browne’s illustrations present obvious references to the Surrealist master’s paintings, and although Through the Magic Mirror â€Å"offered the possibility of readerly recognition and acculturation, [the book] did not necessarily depend on such recognition in order for the texts to function† (p. 340). A successful post modern children’s picture book by definition must operate on both these levels simultaneously, as most young children will have no co ncept of painting, let alone individual and historically significant painters. The educational delight that Through the Magic Mirror offers harkens back to Anthony Browne’s desire to have art be a natural component of young children’s reading experience (Browne, 1976). In Hateley’s (2009) understanding, Anthony Browne’s self referential use of Magritte â€Å"describes Browne’s deployment of Magritte, but Browne is â€Å"marketing† cultural capital. In circulating Magritte as a collection of visual referents, Browne seems to be producing a Surrealist visual epistemology, but is actually offering up Surrealism as something to be consumed† by child readers (p. 324). Through the Magic Mirror established Anthony Browne as a purveyor of â€Å"high-quality, aesthetically and diegetically pleasurable picture books that often include citations of Magritte, but do not necessarily explicitly explain to readers why they should pay attention to s uch citations. The Surrealist flourishes of the other realm are in keeping with the book’s obvious thematic and titular homage to that favorite of the Surrealists, Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Browne makes direct visual references to the accoutrements of the bowler-hatted men found in several of Magritte’s works including Golconda (1953) and Decalcomania (1966); one of the illustrations reproduces Magritte’s well-known treatments of the mise-en-abyme effect combining easels bearing paintings with the environments such paintings are notionally reproducing, as in The Human Condition (1934) or Euclidean Walks (1955)† (Hateley, 2009: p. 325). Anthony Browne successfully employs the post modern self referential element within his work not only to poke fun at the institution of high art and its intrinsic sense of exclusivity, but also to provide children with a playful and imaginative introduction to some of the most pivotal and grou nd breaking surrealist painters and their works. Another example of Anthony Browne’s usage of post modern elements occurs in his later work Piggyback, published in 1986. Piggyback tells the story of the Piggott family, Mr. Piggott, Simon, Patrick, and Mrs. Piggott (Browne, 1986). The male Piggotts consistently left all of the housework for Mrs. Piggott to take care of and refused to clean up after themselves (Browne, 1986). This led to building resentment in Mrs. Piggott, until the day Mrs. Piggott vanishes from the Piggott household, leaving behind nothing but a note that says â€Å"You are pigs† (Browne, 1986). Then, Mr. Piggott and his sons actually do undergo a metamorphosis into pigs (Browne, 1986). With no conception of how to look after a home, the Piggott household degenerates into a literal pig sty at the hands of the remaining Piggotts (Browne, 1986).The story ends with the male Piggotts gaining appreciation for the work of Mrs. Piggott and when she returns t he family agrees to share the housework together (Browne, 1986). In Piggybook, Beckett (2001) shows how Anthony Browne often integrates explicit pre existing works of art into his children’s picture book illustrations as a simultaneous form of homage and post modern self referentiality (p. 180). An example of this occurs in Piggyback. Beckett (2001) calls attention to the â€Å"portrait hanging in the Piggots’ living room†¦an unmistakable rendition of Franz Hals’s The Laughing Cavalier. Although it is the Dutch master’s most famous painting, it is nonetheless unfamiliar to the majority of children and even many adult readers†¦.In Piggybook, the portrait hangs above Mr. Piggott, who is sprawled on the couch watching television with his two sons while Mrs. Piggott attends to all the domestic tasks by herself. Not only is there a suggestive resemblance between the cavalier and Mr. Piggott†¦notably the round shape of the head†¦but the fat her and one of the sons could easily pass as Dutch. For readers who are at all familiar with Hals’s work, the portrait will evoke guild-hall paintings of Dutch merchants engaged in endless communal banquets† Beckett, 2001: p. 180). In this example Anthony Browne’s illustration performs four functions simultaneously: it visually cites his own personal influences, affirms the post modern intention to parody the staunch â€Å"museum† representation of high art, pokes fun at his own characters, the male Piggotts, and offers children access to a master painter in a fun and playful manner. This example perfectly exemplifies the multi layered and multi tasking ability of effective post modern children’s picture books. Use of Primates Published in 1983, Anthony Browne’s Gorilla launched the author and illustrator into the forefront of children’s literature. Gorilla presents the dilemma of a neglected, despondent little girl let down by the rea lity of her father’s unresponsiveness. Atkinson (2006) calls Hannah’s dilemma â€Å"a recurring theme: two worlds existing together – the absurd and the ordinary. But by the end, a transformation has occurred and the world seems less frightening. It’s also an example of how emotionally powerful [Browne’s] stories can be when he uses primate characters instead of human† (Atkinson, 2006: n.p.) Gorilla recounts the story of Hannah, a lonely little girl whose father seems perennially preoccupied by his work (Browne, 1983). Hannah desperately wants to visit the zoo, yet her father continually puts her off, explaining that he is too busy (Browne, 1983). Instead, Hannah’s father buys her a toy gorilla (Browne, 1983). When the gorilla comes to life and takes Hannah to the zoo, she finally receives â€Å"the kind of companionship that has so far been unavailable from her unusually preoccupied father† (Silvey, 1995: p. 98). The theme of loneliness central to Gorilla repeats in many of Anthony Browne’s works. Indeed, Anthony Browne’s heroes and heroines often confront decidedly adult situations such as loneliness, abandonment, neglect and disappointment. In Silvey’s words, the illustrations in Gorilla set the standard for Anthony Browne’s later works through their â€Å"forceful, strongly narrative watercolors that blend near photographic realism with fantastical touches and that exert a strong emotional, often unconscious pull; the skillful use of color, pattern and background detail to convey mood and meaning; ingenious visual puns and surprises that frequently point to serious, often disturbing underlying themes; and an exquisite empathy for the concerns of lonely sensitive children† (Silvey, 1995: p. 98). Gorilla also cemented Anthony Browne’s use of primate characters in his books. For Anthony Browne, gorillas are regularly substituted for humans. In the author’s words, â€Å"I am fascinated by them and the contrast they represent – their huge strength and gentleness. They’re thought of as being very fierce creatures and they’re not† (Flood, 2006: n.p.) Anthony Browne’s protagonists, simian or human are often social outcasts that encounter neglect, or whose sensitive nature allows them an outsider’s glimpse of the social hierarchy, as exemplified by Willy the chimpanzee that appears in a series of works beginning with Willy the Wimp. Lewis (2001) points to the sparseness of Anthony Browne’s text and the deceivingly simple yet highly effective way that the author illustrates controversial content in Gorilla, namely child neglect and the failure of parenting (Lewis, 2001: p. 4). Anthony Browne’s text states simply that Hannah’s father â€Å"didn’t have time to take her† to the zoo, while the accompanying image â€Å"coolly [illustrates] a picture of Hannah’s father, separated from his daughter by the newspaper that he is holding up and reading at the breakfast table† (Lewis, 2001: p. 4). In Gorilla Anthony Browne tackles a difficult and painful subject for many children, namely the awareness that their parents may be indifferent to their emotional needs. Anthony Browne’s illustration essentially contradicts and disproves the narrative in a subtle yet forceful way. Hannah’s father is not â€Å"too busy† to take her to the zoo; Hannah’s father does not want to take his daughter to the zoo. He would rather read the paper. Hannah’s father represents the reality of many parent child relationships: the parental figure is physically present yet emotionally absent. Social Issues in Children’s Literature Children’s picture books form an integral element of very young children’s understanding of gender roles. Pre-verbal children nonetheless derive implicit meaning from how men and wome n appear in visual representations, what they wear, how they behave physically, their facial expressions, their spatial relationship to each other within the image, and the focal point within the image, typically the point of power, because it is the point of view. In Piggyback for example, Anthony Browne’s illustration that evokes Franz Hals’s The Laughing Cavalier shows Mr. Piggott in the position of power similar to the Dutch merchants it parodies. As Beckett (2001) states, â€Å"Piggott, who seems to be eating or thinking about eating when he is not at his â€Å"very important job,† is certainly a worthy modern descendant of that patriarchal society. The significance that Browne attaches to the portrait is made obvious by the fact that he has added other signs to assist the viewer in interpreting the parody. He humorously suggests the nationality of the Dutch master by choosing Holland’s characteristic symbol, the tulip, to decorate the room† ( p. 180) In Piggyback, Anthony Browne parodies the obvious gender inequities of the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Piggott and the inherent favoritism shown to males in the Piggott’s world, a reference to male privilege (Browne, 1986). As Beckett (2001) states, â€Å"Piggott and his sons, who by now have been transparently identified as male chauvinist pigs, have been transformed into â€Å"real† pigs, and the metamorphosis is reflected in the painting, which replaces the laughing cavalier with a pig in the same dignified pose. The Laughing Pig is a parody â€Å"in the second degree,† to borrow Gà ©rard Genette’s term†¦because it parodies Browne’s earlier version of The Laughing Cavalier, itself an ironic recontextualization of the original masterpiece (p. 183). Spitz (1994) argues that â€Å"illustrations in picture books for young children frequently carry and challenge prevailing gender role paradigms† (p. 311). Gender itself can often assume a problematic stance in children’s picture books, given that it is â€Å"volatile and confusing even to adults† and adults often lack awareness of their own internalized sexism (p. 308). In Spitz’s mind, children’s picture books in general â€Å"assume†¦that children are influenced for better or worse by the surrounding culture as well as by their familial identifications† and for Spitz, it is imperative that parents and educators alike take an active role in deconstructing children’s literature, as children are â€Å"best served by being actively and selectively introduced to that culture by adults, rather than left to assimilate it on their own†¦particularly†¦[in] the field of gender† (p. 308). In Anthony Browne’s Willy the Wimp, Willy the chimpanzee begins the story as a somewhat emasculated male afraid to assert himself even against a fly (Browne, 1984). Anthony Browne believes that â€Å"child ren relate to Willy because often everyone and everything is bigger than they are and that their world is run by parents, teachers and older siblings† (Atkinson, 2006: n.p.). Anthony Browne’s Willy the Wimp highlights the struggle that young sensitive males encounter when attempting to find their place in the masculine construction of gender, characterized by physical power, might, aggression and violence (Browne, 1984). None of these qualities are inherent to Willy’s character, and he suffers bullying as a result (Browne, 1984). Spitz (1994) understands that the â€Å"operative agenda of many works is not to extend the range of possibility and give concrete form to vaguely subversive wishes but rather to promulgate and reinforce prevailing social codes that resist diversity†¦diversity especially in the arena of gender† (p. 311). Works such as Anthony Browne’s Willy the Wimp, Spitz contends, â€Å"curiously†¦often blends these opposing mo tives† (p. 311). Willy’s predicament is more or less solved by the appearance of a female, who effectively replaces him as the victim and allows Willy to reclaim some of his manhood (Browne, 1984). Spitz (1994) states that â€Å"in an uncanny repeat scene of the gorillas’ attack on Willy, the place of the helpless, victimized little boy is taken by a girl. Instead of Willy, little Milly is held now in a viselike grip by the gorilla gang leader who also grabs her purse. The visual equation is patent: the passive, helpless, vulnerable position is gendered feminine: wimp = girl† (p. 321). Traditional masculinity carries a heavy burden for sensitive little boys, and as Anthony Browne asserts, much of life as a young boy growing up, especially with older brothers, is characterized by competition (Atkinson, 2006: n.p.). As Spitz (1994) points out, â€Å"by being able to scare, Willy has changed from a wimp into a hero. Big, strong, and alarming now, he attracts the girl, and, on the next page, we see Milly cover his face with lipstick kisses in gratitude for her rescue† (p. 321). Here we see the reward for proper masculine behavior: male respect, and female affection. As Spitz (1994) astutely observes, â€Å"our culture continues to perpetuate the notion that to be worthwhile, lovable, and effective as a human being, a man must have prodigious physical strength and a frightening demeanor†¦ Although much depends on the way the book is read, its casual, even brazen presentation of wide-spread masculine stereotypes can scarcely be evaded. Little Willy, despite his concerted efforts, fails in the end to achieve this goal. His outside changed, but his inside did not. He is therefore portrayed as sympathetic but ridiculous† (p. 321). In conclusion, Anthony Browne’s children’s picture books bravely tackle difficult and thorny social issues with charm, compassion and wit. The works covered in this essay demonstrate that Anthony Browne’s playful approach to art and literature masks a penetrating and insightful critique of the social assumptions and biases implicit in the Western culture. References Appleyard, J. A. (1991).  Becoming a reader: The Experience of Fiction from Childhood to Adulthood. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Atkinson, F. (2006). Monkey business. The Age. Web. Barry, P. (2009).  Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Critical Theory. 3rd edition. Manchester, Manchester University Press. Beckett, Sandra. â€Å"Parodic Play with Paintings in Picture Books.† Children’s Literature 29 (2001): 175-195. Rpt. in Children’s Literature Review. Ed. Dana Ferguson. Vol. 156. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center. Web. Brown, A. (1976).  Through the Magic Mirror. New York, Greenwillow Books. Brown, A. (1984).  Willy the Wimp. New York, Alfred A. Knopf. Brown, A. (1983).  Gorilla. London, Julia MacRae Books. Brown, A. (1986) .  Piggybook. New York, Alfred A. Knopf. Flood, A. (2009). Gorilla artist Anthony Browne becomes children’s laureate. Guardian.   Goldstone, B. P. (2001). Whaz up with our books? Changing picture book codes and teaching implications: children’s books change with the culture around them. Understanding postmodern picture books helps children make sense of a complex world. The Reading Teacher, 55 (4). Web. Hateley, E. (2009). Magritte and Cultural Capital: The Surreal World of Anthony Browne. Lion and the Unicorn,  33 (3). Web. Lewis, D. (2001).  Reading Contemporary Picturebooks: Picturing Text. London, Routledge Falmer. Nodelman, P. (1999). Decoding the images: how picture books works. In: Hunt, P. (ed) Understanding Children’s Literature. London, Routledge. p. 128-138. Silvey, A. (ed) (1995).  Children’s books and their creators. New York, Houghton Mifflin. Spitz, E. H. (1994). Good and naughty/boys and girls: reflections on the impact of cultur e on young minds. American Imago, 51 (3). Web. Swaggerty, E. A. (2009). Using Postmodern Picturebooks in the Classroom. In: Wooten, D. A. (ed) Children’s Literature in the Reading Program: An Invitation to Read. Washington, International Reading Association. This critical writing on The Power of Pictures: An Analysis of Anthony Browne’s Picture Books was written and submitted by user Damarion U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The eNotes Blog National Book Award FinalistsAnnounced

National Book Award FinalistsAnnounced For book geeks, October is a month of thrills. First, on October 7,   the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa. The Swiss Academy praised the author â€Å"for his cartography of the structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual’s resistance, revolt and defeat.† On October 12, the Man Booker  Prize was presented to British author Howard Jacobson for The Finkler Question, a comic  novel about anti-semitism. You can read a review of the work here. And now, the National Book Award Finalists have been revealed. On October 13, author Pat Conroy (The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini) announced the nominess from Flannery OConnors childhood home in Savannah, Georgia. Peter Carey, whose novel Parrot and Oliver in America was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, is also a nominee for the National Book Award. Among the non-fiction contenders is Patti Smith, often called the Godmother of Punk, for her work Just Kids, a memoir of her life on the punk scene in the 1970s and her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. You can listen to a fascinating interview with Smith on NPRs Fresh Air With Terry Gross here. Poets nominated include C.D. Wright for  One with Others and Terrance Hayes for Lighthead. Young-adult fiction authors include well-known names like Walter Dean Myers (for his novel Lockdown) as well as lesser-known authors such as Laura McNeal (for Dark Water). You can check out the full list of all twenty nominees here.   Happy reading!

Employee Relation - disciplinary & grievance procedures Outline

Employee Relation - disciplinary & grievance procedures - Outline Example Such a procedure enables the employees to have a formal means of complaint about their terms and conditions, working environment, and related issues. Just like grievance procedure, disciplinary action is also meant to resolve issues that are deemed to be in violation of the organisation’s code of conduct in order to improve their performance. If such issues are unresolved, they may lead to conflicts among the members of the organisation and these are counterproductive. Therefore, the role of the disciplinary and grievances procedure is to set the benchmarks that can guide the behaviour of the members in an organisation. Hawkins (1979) posits to the effect that these procedures in an organisation are meant to influence the behaviour of management, employees and trade union representatives in a defined situation to abide by a certain code of conduct. In short, the main purpose of procedures is to have an agreed set of rules which can be used to channel any discussion with regards to issues reflecting discontent through appropriate mechanisms towards finding a resolution. In most cases, matters pertaining to disciplinary and grievance issues are expected to be resolved informally at lower levels in an organisation. However, it must be noted that these procedures are hierarchical in nature. Such issues are first dealt with by the line manager. If the matter has not been resolved, then mediation is considered as a viable option. If there is no solution in sight to the contentious issues, then the matter is raised formally through the disciplinary and grievance procedures for consideration by the top management. Such procedures have been designed in a way to delineate a proper channel that can be followed by a complainant to have his or her issue solved in a formal way. Likewise, every organisation is structured in a particular way and this structure helps to shape the behaviour as

Short story analiysis- Hills Like White Elephants,by Ernest Hemingway Essay

Short story analiysis- Hills Like White Elephants,by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example On this side there was no shade and no trees...It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes†(Hemingway). The imagery of this hot and humid setting creates the idea of a large expanse with nowhere to run or hide from the heat. This creates a feeling of uneasiness, discomfort, and even slight claustrophobia for both the reader and the characters. Additionally, the hills are introduced here which proves to be an important point later on in the story. The hills are not only apart of the imagery that occurs within the story, but also are an important symbol as well. The female character, referred to as Jig, notices these hills: They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry. ‘They look like white elephants,’ she said†(Hemingway). The hills come to symbolize the ultimate issue that lies between the man and woman within the story. It is inferred that the woman is pregnant and that the man is taking her to get an abortion. The hills are a symbol of this conflict. The female character brings up the hills and how they look like white elephants; however, later on in the story, she changes her tune about them: ‘They’re lovely hills,’ she said. ‘They don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin through the trees’†(Hemingway). Ultimately, these comments about the hills are symbolic of the female’s feelings about the abo rtion. With her first comment about the hills, it appears that she is not really in control of her life, simply making observations as life passes her by. However, when she takes back this comment about the hills at the end, it represents the doubts that she is having about having this abortion and represents her desire to ponder her options, instead of acting hastily. The alcohol is also an important symbol within the story. Both the male

Benefits of Systems Thinking

Benefits of Systems Thinking INTRODUCTION Systems thinking is a well organised approach of understanding the dynamic relationship between components of a system, so that we can make better choices and avoid unintentional consequences. It’s a conceptual framework for problem-solving which understands and considers the problems in their entirety (Hall, 1999 and Senge 1990). In other words, it can be defined as a view which looks at the ‘system as a whole’ first with its fit and relationship to external environment being a primary concern as compared to the constituent elements that make up the system (Morgan, 2005). It can be used to understand how systems work and how individuals can deal with them, while looking for patterns of interaction and underlying structures which shapes the systems behaviour. As system is a combination of several parts people who understand systems thinking keep one eye on the big picture (i.e. system as a whole) and one on the detail (i.e. constituent’s components), as the y recognise that problem in one part of the system can impact other parts and forces patterns of behaviour in the system that lead to crisis (Morgan 2005). Systems view is a way of positioning and looking into an organisational or systems issue where system boundaries are to be set to determine what parts are contained inside the system and what parts are considered external environment. The environment will certainly influence the problem solving capabilities of the system, but it’s not the part of the whole system (Ackoff, 1971). Outcomes will depend heavily on how a system is defined because system thinking investigates relationships between various parts of the system and its external environment (Montano et. al, 2001). ADOPTION OF SYSTEMS THINKING A number of methods, tools and principles cover the concept of systems thinking with a common goal of understanding relationships within the system, as systems thinking works on the hypothesis that there are certain evolving properties of systems that do not exist when systems are disintegrated into individual parts. For example consider a driver who is constantly hitting red lights on the road. If the driver is only noticing one part of the system i.e. red lights, then he will simply decide to speed up to in-order to make the next light before it turns to red. But, if he considers other parts of the system i.e. his car, condition of the road, driving style and the distance between two lights, he will notice that every time he tries to speedup to make a light, it changes to red. His speed is tripping the lights to force him to drive slower. So if he is observing this pattern, he can simply reduce his speed to drive thorough all green lights. In systems view, the focus spreads in a variety of different directions compared to the conventional linear style of thinking. It focuses on processes, patterns and relationships and their flow and movement and puts much emphasis on understanding the effects of the interactions in the system as opposed to putting efforts to predict the outcomes (Morgan, 2005). It’s argued that the emphasis on systems view should begin when a project is started and should continue till the final lessons have been learnt even after completion (Stewart and Fortune, 1995). Advantages of Systems Thinking Adopting a view of system thinking can complement conventional styles of research in projects in certain ways: It suggests different levels of analysis and synthesis for different kinds of problems, ranging from the simple activity levels to the more complex hierarchical levels. Systems thinking complements reductionism (the principle that everything can be reduced to its individual parts), analytical analysis (breaking down a system to its smallest components), cause and effect thinking (environment-independent, linear but without feedback loops, closed and defined boundaries), complete determinism (illusion of control) with complexity (a sub-system of larger network), blended structure (explaining the whole system in terms of functions and inter-relationship between parts), circular contributing effects (explaining external environmental influences, performance and feedback) and belief in uncertainty which leads to probabilistic thinking (Schiuma et.al, 2012). It provides a conceptual framework which utilizes different theories, tools and techniques like the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), which helps in constructing a holistic, reliant perspective and practise aimed at disclosing the relationships characterizing a system (Joham et al., 2009 and Pourdehnad, 2007). Such approaches use a non-linear model where different elements are connected through cyclical rather linear cause-and-effect chains. This shows how a system is structured and also shows the nature of interactions among components of the system, which helps in understanding the behavioural patterns characterizing the system under investigation (Schiuma et.al, 2012). Having a reductionist thinking tends to push the project towards a closed systems view of the environmental i.e. the different phenomenon could be explained as individual and isolated events, which shows that the system and the context are separate, deterministic and predictable. In addition, the casual relationship between different elements is linear in the sense that A affects B which affects B, so such a approach can be used as a process or procedure to track and access results and performance on a operational level rather than on a broader system level. Project managers can use systems thinking to assist them in the scoping of a project where the project and its relationship to the environment are examined to underline potential risk areas and also to look at the project performance and thus to facilitate organizational learning (Stewart and Fortune, 1995). Disadvantages of Systems Thinking Although adoption of systems thinking/view is beneficial in some aspects while executing consulting projects, there are still certain problems which are associated with this approach. Some of them are as follow: Concept of systems thinking totally ignores or much worse destroys the most important aspects of human systems, for e.g. the interconnections or inter-relationships amongst and between the constituent sub-systems (Morgan, 2005). The project and its sub-tasks are totally ignored. Reductionism is no longer appropriate for dynamic projects which comprises of mostly human activities. It encourages fragmentation and isolation of the project which causes undue concern with the individual project activities or sub-systems. This method is makes us smart in micro-level thinking with regard to projects whereas on the other hand it’s allowing us to be dumb on the macro-level analysis. Under this thinking the project management loses the capability of making sense of how and why things work in a certain patter/manner. Reductionism can’t be implemented in every project. It tries to deal with the issues of the project one at a time, which leads to the problem of backing up which make things much worse. Also it is not helpful in dealing with multiple or delayed causality, as it is leading us to the simplistic way of thinking where individuals instead of focusing on the core problem focus on ‘either-or’ choices and blame mentality (Morgan, 2005). The simple approach to cause and effect can’t be implemented in consulting projects with high level of complexity, as it can’t keep up with the complexity of the project. As systems thinking focus on dealing with symptoms of the problem, interventions aimed at fixing things can end up sometimes making things better in the short run but worse in the long term. The over-reliance on reductionism will create an imaginary environment in which individuals think that prediction and control are the usable approaches to deal with complex projects. Endless varieties of tools and frameworks would be applied to ensure project success and when all such things fail they will try to explain the causes of system failure using the reductionist explanations of personal failure, resistance to change etc. So, the cycle goes on repeating itself and people, organisations get trapped into fixes which are doomed to fail. Having a systems perspective enables the project to exert control over people and its processes. But such a view tends to act against innovation and adaptation which are fundamental qualities for long-term effectiveness. Adopting a systems view can threatens some of the established policies and procedures in managing consulting projects, for e.g. in areas like monitoring and evaluation, performance management and assessment. Most of the practitioners have doubted its operational use, as it has not provided specific answers to the cases when the system has encountered problems. Some of its ideas such as emergence can be unattractive with project management teams, who are constantly under pressure to give results in short run. Systems view can also have a disengaging effect on people and organisations that are used to a structured system where projects are planned and targets are met. So, adopting a system thinking view can increase the effect of uncertainty in project consulting and management rather than reducing it. System thinking can also be demanding in terms of intellectual resources as it requires multi-disciplinary approaches to handle wide range of issues and patterns. It requires a significant investment in terms of skills, organisational structure where people are trained across a series of interrelated issues to make systems thinking work, because if they give up on the practise of systems views they will probably get back to much easier conventional approaches (Morgan, 2005). Conclusion The implications of systems thinking can be far reaching as it’s not clear how it will fit with other methods of analyzing situations. Questions will be asked about its contribution to monitoring and evaluation as the some of the sub-systems may be inadequate in generating data needed for analysis which leads to reluctance in trusting the conclusions (Morgan, 2005). Though it’s best in synthesis, it needs help in terms of practical analysis, so the question arises that can it supplement present methods of doing things or does it have to replace them in some way? In conclusion, adopting a systems view can contribute in planning and controlling the complexity and uncertainty by embedding flexibility in consulting activities. When implemented and aligned properly, systems view can alleviate the flaws present in the existing frameworks to produce a more general framework which includes both prescriptive and descriptive elements (Montano et. al, 2001). Also, it facilitates the links between project management initiatives and the strategic goals and objectives of an organisation helping in maintain a clear vision of what is being done and why it is being done (Ackoff and Emery, 1972).

Comparison of Masaccios The Holy Trinity and Grunewalds The Isenheim

Comparison of Masaccio's The Holy Trinity and Grunewald's The Isenheim Altarpiece The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was a painting done in approximately 1428. It is a superb example of Masaccio's use of space and perspective. It consists of two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and on the other, St. John. Christ himself is supported by God the Father, and the Dove of the Holy Spirit rests on Christ's halo. In front of the pilasters that enframe the chapel kneel the donors (husband and wife). Underneath the altar (a masonry insert in the painted composition) is a tomb. Inside the tomb is a skeleton, which may represent Adam. The vanishing point is at the center of the masonry altar, because this is the eye level of the spectator, who looks up at the Trinity and down at the tomb. The vanishing point, five feet above the floor level, pulls both views together. By doing this, an illusion of an actual structure is created. The interior volume of this 'structure' is an extension of the space that the person looking at the work is standing in. The adjustment of the spectator to the pictured space is one of the first steps in the development of illusionistic painting. Illusionistic painting fascinated many artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The proportions in this painting are so numerically exact that one can actually calculate the numerical dimensions of the chapel in the background. The span of the painted vault is seven feet, and the depth is nine feet. "Thus, he achieves not only successful illusion, but a rational, metrical coherence that, by maintaining the ... ... wearing a small robe around his waist. The other forms are depicted superbly. Their bodies are not lost behind the drapery which they wear, yet they are not seen exactly either. The folds are more delicate, which create a calmer mood. (Christ's description was already given). The forms are three dimensional, and also have weight. They clearly take up space, and where they are is clearly defined. As in The Holy Trinity, the composition is generally symmetrical, centered around the body of Christ. It is a frightful composition, because of the events taking place. Expression is shown on all of the figures, who grieve Christ's death. Overall, the two works are very similar. Masaccio, however, was more interested in the mathematical aspects of painting than Grunewald. Both works are superb, and have their own distinct qualities.

Kierkegaard Theory Essay

1. Do you approve of Kierkegaard’s father teaching technique? Explain. Are there similarities between his techniques and virtual reality? Are there differences? Yes, I do approve of Kierkegaard’s teaching technique. Basically Kierkegaard and his father were always having intellectual and emotional conversation wherever they were heading to. I feel that it is a form of simulation for Kierkegaard to get himself involved with God. It makes one feel that no matter where we are, we should always put a leap of faith in God because he is always there for us. So how is it useful? Such teaching will enable kids to grow up to be more innovative and creative. It is the process of turning something non-visual or non-sensory into concrete concepts in our minds. That conversion is crucial for a child’s development. It allows a child to take an abstract concept, like â€Å"democracy† and turn it into real-world things. Schools often teach concepts, and they assume children will naturally create accurate, real-world images in their heads. But they were never taught how to imagine something. Therefore the importance of such teaching produce visionary that may lead to a better future, a better world. For example: politicians and scientists. Yes, there are similarity and difference with his techniques and virtual reality. By definition, virtual reality is an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment. The similarity is they both allow people to imagine and picture themselves in the virtual environment and feel it. Gamers enjoy the sensation and â€Å"real-life† battles between monster and them. Similarly, we, who believe in God, enjoy the sensation of knowing that he is by our side. But the difference is virtual reality relies on computers or technology to aid us in producing the images while Kierkegaard’s father chose to describe every fine details and made use of the functionality of brain to imagine the description. Not to forget, everyone think differently, so the projection in the mind would be different from one another. 2. Whom do you think Kierkegaard identifies most with: the friend who doesn’t want to choose or Williams? Or perhaps both? I think that Kierkegaard identifies himself as the friend the most. The friend said: â€Å"Get married, and you’ll regret it. Don’t get married and you’ll regret it.† He is part of what he believes it. Kierkegaard believes that subjectivity is the truth. Either if Kierkegaard should get married or not, he would not know until he finds out himself. There is no objective truth in life, only personal truth which varies for each individual. William said about being refrained from choosing because others have chosen for him. This contradicts to what he said about becoming authentic. A person does not accomplish anything unless he or she accomplishes it by themselves, by making the experience their own. If a person chose not to choose what they want, they will never achieve selfhood and become a true human. 3. Compare the second excerpt with Sartre’s theory of the existential choice. Sartre’s theory of the existential choice believes that everyone always have a choice. Even if we do not choose, we actually made a choice of not choosing. There is always a part of us that we know we are not animals or inert things which allows us to make a choice simply because we know about our own existence and morality. In the second excerpt, it is obvious that Williams’s theory clashed with Sartre’s. By accepting the fact that he has been refrained from choosing, that is his choice of choosing to believe in what others say. Despite, Sartre’s theory does not believe in God, both Kierkegaard and Sartre believe that we should all make our own choices instead of letting them decide our fate. We are who we are only if we make our own choices.