Assignment Digital humanities

                 Assignment

Name : Virani Dhara R.
Course: M. A. English
Semester: 2
Batch: 2019-2021
Roll no: 04
Submitted to: Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English
Paper no: 07
Subject: Literary Criticism
Topic: Digital Humanities and what’s doing in English Department.

 Humanities in the Digital Age:

     In the 21st century, Technology has became progress in each and  every field, most of the work considered into the digitalization, this is we can considered as Digital Age. In medical, bank, office, government works all are access their work thought the help of digital.

    In academic (Educational) world digital process highly affect, it can be helpful to make an education interest, and innovative for both student as well as teacher. For the first phrase of a digital

Revolution in higher education. Much of the teaching and learning apparatus has moved online. Computational technologies and methodologies have transformed research practices in every discipline, leading to exciting discoveries and tools. But, is it useful or applicable in Humanities course. Then the answer is yes!

    For the humanities, the threat of diminished resources has appeared hand-in-glove with the digital turn. The recent events at the University of Virginia demonstrate just how influential the digital paradigm has and there are also available the model of massive open online course (MOOCs) under the development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    As humanities chairs with a long involvement in digital issues, we have clearly seen that top-down budget cuts are often justified. So we believe that humanities faculty members, chairs, and administrators right now have a choice. One option is to take no systematic action on the digital humanities front.

     How can we change the dynamic and create new structures for the humanities to flourish in the digital age? How can we connect the humanities course with digital age? If we connect that how, in which way it my help to assess in humanities. We recommend the following four principles for faculty members, department chairs and administrators to follow in integrating

The digital humanities in the humanities.

• Think departmentally

  In humanities, there are many departments like department of psychology, economics, sociology, English and various language developments, when we think departmentally then it begins with where scholars live and work natively: in their departments, currently, digital  initiatives are predominantly Institutionalized in campus units, library annex programs, or interdisciplinary entities; whereas in departments themselves they spring up by the using of digital tools and they are doing some valuable activities such as writing grant proposals, collaborating on projects, building cyberinfrastructure, creating digital archives, as well as contributing influential non-refereed articles and blog posts, so through this qualitative work, they are train graduate students in digital humanities. And by using digital method or tools to research and teaching then they meet campus standard.

• Think collaboratively

There would be considered the digital humanities are not just a field but a conduit. Digital technologies and media typically require a broad set of methods and skills to carry out as in computational or archival projects that require a broad set of methods and skills to carry out that require the combined expertise of computer – science engineers, social scientists, artist, and humanities to make innovative use of digital tools or platforms, for example astronomically surprised MOOC courses

Distributed Worldwide to ill-defined masses. This is shows how digital platforms play a vital role in humanities course. And by department could be collaboratively work and make the series of lecture as well as also held workshops that expose faculty to digital research and pedagogy elsewhere on campus.

• Thinking computationally

 The humanities departments need more intensive computing power to conduct research in today’s era of large-scale text and data sets. By Using specific technology for the humanities could lead to curricular gains and the result is that the latest technology improves humanities research and teaching together. For example, the Humanities-funded English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA)  project in the university of California at Santa Barbara's English department and the Digital History Project, and they also use this facility in online meeting and job interviews and sponsor workshops to keep faculty current on new technologies and methods.

• Think societywide

The field of humanities have enjoyed immense culture authority and interest in every state and community, but in order to maintain, renew, and update associations with the digital age, they must have to connect with technology and digital tools. In all this, digital technologies are a catalyst for change. Already, digital humanists are exploring methods for publishing in open, blog-based ways. Humanities departments can take such initial, imaginative steps as conducting a department wide exercise in revising the departmental web site. So, these all about digitalization in humanities, what’s it doing in English Department.

 What Is Digital Humanities and What’s It Doing in English Department

     As  above mentioned, through this reading we can understand what is “digital humanities” Or “humanities computing”.

      The contours of this professional apparatus are easily discoverable. An organization called the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations hosts a well-attended annual international Conference called Digital Humanities. During this time digital humanities has accumulated a robust professional apparatus that is probably more rooted in English than any other departmental home, one may be reason is that English department follow more freedom than any other department.

  The contours of this professional apparatus are easily discoverable. An organization called the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations hosts a well-attended annual international Conference called Digital Humanities. We have to use electronic discussion lists, such as blogs, Facebook walls, and Twitter feeds, contributing all the flames and exhortations, celebrations and screeds one could wish to read. We could also, of course, simply Google the question. And the Google takes us to Wikipedia, and we can find what we want.

 The digital humanities is the field of study, teaching, researching, and invention concerned with the intersection of computing and the disciplines of the humanities. In addition we can also contribute our own knowledge in the online platform. Whoever search regarding this topic can find our information or perspective as well like we can get knowledge or information from online sources. 

   As a working definition this serves as well as any I've seen, which is not surprising since a glance at the Page’s View History tab reveals individuals closely associated with the digital humanities as contributor. At the University of Maryland, where he serve as an associate director at the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities, we support work from “Shakespeare to Second Life” and this is make searchable in online platform. The United Kingdom’s JISC and the NEH, makes a searchable digital facsimile of each of the thirty-two extent quarto copies of Hamlet available online. And also e-library provide several books, which is worthy for students as well as for readers.

   The real origin of that term, digital humanities was in conversation with Andrew McNeillie. At about the same time the Blackwell’s volume was being put together, the leader ship of two scholarly organizations opened discussions about creating an umbrella entity for themselves and eventually other organizations and association like interests.

   Digital humanities was also big news at the 2009 MLA Annual Convention in Philadelphia. On 28 December, midway through the convention, William Pannapacker, one of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s officially appointed bloggers, wrote the following for the online “Brainstorm” Section: “Amid all the doom and gloom of the 2009 MLA Convention, one field seems to be alive and well: the digital humanities. There is a also a notable thing is that, “vitality” Of digital humanities with its “ overflow crowds to too-small conference room”.

    Crucially, digital humanities was visible in another way at the conference: the social-networking service Twitter. Twitter is the love-it-or-hate-it Web 2.0 application often maligned as the final triumph of the attention-deficit generation because it limits posting to a mere 140 characters, not 140 words Unlike Facebook, Twitter allows for asymmetrical relationship.

   In the, English departments to cultural studies, where computers and other objects of digital material culture become the centrepiece of analysis. Of course most significant is that Google Books, with scholars like Franco Moretti taking up data mining and visualization to perform “distance reading” of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of books at a time.

    Whatever else it might be then, the digital humanities today is about a scholarship that is publicly visible in ways to which we are generally unaccustomed. That is the benefits to available or active 24/7 life online, this is also beneficial for humanities course especially English department.

Works Cited :

• Bobley, Brett. “What’s in a Name: NEH and ‘Digital Humanities.’” Message to the author. 12 Apr.2010.

• “Digital Humanities.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia, 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 2 Aug. 2010.

• Howard, Jennifer. “The MLA Convention in Translation.” Chronicle of Higher Education. Chronicle of Higher Educ., 31 Dec. 2009. Web. 2 Aug. 2010.

My Assignment on Dickens's dream of 'ideal' society

Assignment

Name: Virani Dhara R.
Course: M. A. English
Semester: 2
Batch: 2019-2021
Roll no: 04
Submitted to: Smt S. B. Gardi Department of English
Paper no: 06
Subject: The Victorian Literature
Topic: Dickens’s dream of ideal society.

 Charles Dickens :

Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world’s best known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are still widely read today.

• Dickens’s works

•The Pickwick Papers-1836

• Oliver Twist-1837

• Nicholas Nickleby-1838

• The Old Curiosity Shop-1840

• Burnaby Rudge-1841

• Martin Chuzzlewit-1843

• David Copperfield-1849

 Oliver Twist : The Parish Boy's Progress

    This novel Oliver Twist considered as a novel of social protest published in November 1838. Through this novel Dickens try to portrait society of Victorian era, during this era how was the society, what types of crime or exploitation happen in the society. Especially for children and orphans. There are also some social evils and the prostitution also how going on during this time. Of course Dickens have some aims and want to display through this novel. And also we can see that what type of society should be and must some social evils abolished for glorified our  society. Dickens have also the dream for ideal society.

 Dickens dream of ‘ideal' society :

       What type of society, can we called 'ideal' society? Is there any parameters through which  we can said that how much society is ideal and is the needed to improve or dismiss from society. Of course we have some mind set to make our society like A utopia  is an  imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities of for its citizens. The opposite of a utopia is a dystopia.

       Utopia focuses on equality in economics, government and, justice, through by no means exclusively, with the method and structure of proposed implementation varying based on ideology. According to Lyman Tower Sargent.

      But, here what kind  of society, Dickens want? Dickens here in this novel mainly portrait or we can says that he exposed numberous social drawbacks in his novel. As the novel progresses the drawbacks, of the workhouse and under world of the 19th century Victorian society are exposed.

What is the reason for his dream of ‘ideal’ society

Of course one of the reason is that he was also suffer a lot in his childhood because of the social evils. In his earlier years, Charles was withdraw from school and forced to work in a warehouse that handled ‘bleaching’ or shoe polish to help support the family. This experience left profound psychological and sociological effects on Charles. It gave him a first hand acquaintance with poverty and made him the most vigorous and influential voice of the working classes in his age. May be through out his life he can see many social injustice and social evils in the society in his life. So, he want to make the society as an ideal and portrait how the social drawbacks still remain and it’s harms the society and also the children and poor became it’s victim.

      In this novel Dickens portrait society, how it was, in this novel he also convey the situation of orphans through the young character Oliver Twist and spawned many other orphan tales. Some are also criticized Dickens for his portrayal of criminals and prostitutes in the novel, which at that time was controversial.

Institutional Cruelty:

    The cruelty of institutions and bureaucracies is the major issue during that time, he was sustained attack on the British Poor Laws, a complex body of law that forced poor families to labour in prison-like “workhouse”. On of the novel's effect is condition of poor in England, and how they are treated through power and face institutional cruelty. In this novel he shows that they are human beings, and that they are not treated as such. One of the example is the situation of workhouse, in this workhouse most of the children are worker and they even not get some basic  needs like food as well as care or love once Oliver after finished his served request for some food, he says that, ‘I want some more, sir!’, after this word/request/demand he was punished to out from workhouse. All the orphan children are work very hard, no one thought about their soft hand and their age of education as well as of playing. They have nothing to enjoy in childhood. They are only exploit by institutional cruelty as well as society, because society has also responsibility to take care of this type of children instead of misuse these children. So through this whole portrait he try to convince that this is not symbol of good society, in his dream of ideal society, there were no exploitation of children especially orphan or poor, and the are also treated same like others to, take care, get a love and some necessary things which normal people get, and don’t victim of social evils.

Under world of 19th century (the condition of society) :

 Here, in this novel Dickens portrait under world society, the terrible underworld of crime and poverty in 19th century London, and also exposed the image of London in 1830’s, the social conditions of the lowest caste, the early Victorian underworld apart from upper class, what are doing the some lower class people, and how was their world is going no that is portrait in this novel by some characters, like Fagin, he was doing wrong thing but in addition he also spoiled the orphan and poor children by teaching how to thief. He also exposed the status of the Jewish minority and Dickens’s attitude towards executions as a method of punishment as well as his opinion about Jews. The practical part focuses on an analysis of individual characters in the novel's underworld. London of pre- Victorian era was a city of contrast; with wealth and splendour on the one side and dirt and shabbiness on the other. Of course the city of London grew up rich as Britain expanded into the overseas, but however, the nineteenth century London was also a city of poverty, with thousands of people living in the overcrowded slums. For a log time, these two different worlds were in a close touch. So, through this whole portrait we can said that Dickens’s dream of ideal society is that, no one poor in the society, and if any person suffering from poverty then it must be fault of system of society, because society also play a vital role in this class distinction as well as there is no class as upper class or lower class then can we said that ideal society according to dream of Charles Dickens.

 

Condition of women in society

 In this novel he was also portrait the condition of woman as a powerless, and how she was treated under the hand of man, is this called the ideal society, of course, answer is not here Dickens portrait situation of woman in Victorian society, And the woman’s condition in the prostitution, he throw light on this and he want to said that, this is not fair and good symbol of society.

    In this novel, he mainly focused on women’s condition through the character of Nancy as a woman represented as at the mercy of the more powerful in society. This is especially exemplified in Nancy, who ends up giving her life in her attempt to act against the men who hold power over here. When Nancy is put in charge of taking Oliver to Sikes, she tells him that she would help him if she could, but doesn’t have the power. This ends up not being completely tried she does help Oliver in going to Rose, but even then Rose must turn to Mr. Brownlow and Mr. Losberne to accomplish anything. It is telling  to consider that Nancy must give her life for just this small show of agency. So, through this one incident or woman’s situation, Dickens try to apply that this is not good for society, for ideal society must the woman became free and she can take her decision by herself without any under the power. Man and woman must became equal for ideal society.

The limits of justice

    In ideal society to have a justice is very important part. Every one can get right justice is a very important. But in real society it was not happen. In this novel he portrait this problem of injustice, almost all of the characters have faced justice, in one way or another. Dickens doesn’t seem completely comfortable with the way that justice has been meted out.

 Through the reading reader also wary about the justice system because of how close Oliver comes to becoming an innocent victim of it. So, because of injustice or many other factors that

Makes the society weaker, so accordingly Dickens’s dream of ideal society, there must be some reform to make the society better or ideal.

Conclusion

 In short,  through this novel, in which Dickens portrait various social drawbacks, which we need to fulfill or reform to make the society better or ideal type of society, here in this novel he mainly focused on trouble of children especially orphan or poor and woman both of have no power, so to make the ideal society we must need some improve and reform in social norm/stereotypes and system.

Work citation:
Dickens, Charles. Oliver Twist. Ed. Philip Home. London: Penguin Classics, 2003.
Chesney, Kellow. The Victorian Underworld. London: Temple Smith, 1970.
Sejnohova, Marketa. The Image of the London Underworld in Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, Prague 2010.

My Assignment on theme of Frankenstein

            Assignment

Name: Virani Dhara R.
Course: M. A. English
Semester: 2
Batch: 2019
Roll no: 04
Submitted to: smt S. B. Gardi Department of English
Paper no:05
Subject: The Romantic Literature
Topic: The theme of Frankenstein

 The themes of Frankenstein

        The word “literature” Itself suggest a lot, but we have still some question in our corner side of mind, that what is the literature?, what is the main aim of writer to production of this type of literary works for reader? And, By reading the literary work what we are getting from that? So, these all above question may be answered by saying that the writer, who wrote the work has some particular aim to convey some message, thought or his deem through his work, or he/she also deal with some fundamental ideas  or have also something to say about which is central idea in his work, which we called THEME of the literary work.

  So, here I would like to mention of the work, which is the part of many academic study, the gothic novel “FRANKENSTEIN” or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. In this novel Mary Shelley deals with great themes or ideas, we can find out various important theme in this novel. So, before we going on theme of this novel let’s first know some basic information of this novel.

 Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

    Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is the great horror story novel ever written, by Mary Shelley was published in London on 1 January 1818, when she was only 20 year old.

     Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. It is considered as the first science fiction novel. It has had considerable influence in literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories, film and plays. The narrative structure of this novel is also very complex, because the story narrated by three person of this novel, captain Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and Monster so we can read this novel by three various perspective. And also various themes revival through this novel. So, let’s deeply know what's the theme of this novel and what’s Shelley wants to convey through this novel.

 Theme of the novel “Frankenstein”

   When we interpret this novel, we can find various themes, which is reflect the main idea or aim of the author, in her novel highlights theme is individual responsibility as well as social responsibility, birth and creation, fear and sexuality, parental responsibility and nature, alienation, unjust society, the idea of the ‘Overreacher' which we have described here.

 Theme of Birth and Creation:

   

We have the question that what is the meaning and the relation of The term ‘Birth' and ‘Creation’?, or who play a major role in the birth and creation, then the answer would be God and woman. This two are play major role in creating life. Then can we said that, God and woman has a power to creating life. So, here in this novel ‘Frankenstein’ reflects major theme birth and creation by creating  a new life in unnatural way by the man(the scientist), who attempt to usurp the role of God in creating life as well as to eliminate the role of woman in creating life in the natural way, but here the creation of monster is a creature created by imbuing various old body parts with a new life, in unnatural way. As we know that God created Adam and Eve and Eve, is it the creation in the natural way?, No, because of course God is God, he has a power he can create anything, but still we can not said that, this is the creation of Adam and Eve is in natural way like Woman, because only woman has womb, by which woman can create a new life or, gave birth of new life, so why God also included into natural way, for creating a new life. Here of course the Scientist create a new life by unnatural way, to join various dead body parts and gave him  life .If we take one another example of unnatural creation of life then of the movie Robot, in this movie can also find out the main character or hero create a Robot this is quite different from Frankenstein because he create a life by machinery elements but still it is considered as unnatural not like natural which woman create. In short here the theme reflects the birth and creation is natural thing which only created by woman and God, God's creation also considered as natural only because of Shelley deals with Biblical myth of creation. Thus, there is an apparent critique of man's attempt to violate the law of nature and also his efforts to eliminate woman from the creative act.

 Dangerous of knowledge

     To have a knowledge is very beneficial or important thing in everyone’s life. Without knowledge we are nothing, only a puppet by other’s hand, for a valuable life we must have some basic knowledge, but when human's thirst became over than some limits then it's became dangerous. So, same as in the ‘Frankenstein’. The pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to surge beyond accepted human limits and access the secret of life. We have also one another example is that Dr. Faustus, a scholar who has too much thirst of knowledge, only because gained of knowledge he even sold his soul, here he was also against the God by doing that type of decision and after the gained of knowledge he misuse that and also became dangerous for him as well as for others.

      In this novel ‘Frankenstein’ we can also find out dangerous of knowledge, as Victor attempts to surge beyond accepted human limits and access the secret of life. He was not the normal scientist, he is curious and also knowledgeable, he broken down human limits and create a artificial life by various old dead body and after creating  the creature type of hideous life he neglected him. And afterward his own production( by knowledge) became dangerous for him. One another example is that Robert Wolton , who has also thirst of knowledge by willing of exploring unexplored place like the North Pole, this is ruthless pursuit of knowledge. Of the light, proves dangerous. But Walton ultimately pulls back from his treacherous mission, having learned from Victor’s example how destructive the thirst of knowledge can be.

 Theme of Alienation and Isolation

   The term ‘Alienation’ and ‘Isolation’ is dangerous thing, because only the person can understand who, go through it and suffering from isolation and alienation. The person who suffering from isolation definitely he was in question of company or other things by which he can live his/her life with joyful.

   In this novel we can find out Alienation and Isolation as a theme, because each and every character are suffer from isolation and Alienation, from the very beginning of the novel the narrator itself became a victim  of isolation and alienation because he was travelled to explore North Pole and from were he was totally disconnected with the world, of course there were crews to communicate, so he share his story or some accidental things with others, but only way, that he was connected with world through letter, which he wrote for his sister to London. Another example of isolation and alienation is that protagonist of the novel, Victor Frankenstein who was also feel isolation and alienation, because after the creating monster, he reject him, but he has still something to say but he cannot share with other, because there where nothing to with which he can share, still the end he has no company to share with. The character Frankenstein, the term ‘isolation’ and ‘alienation’ is deeply connected, he became monster only because of isolation and alienation, he was totally rejected by society as well as his creator and some time bitten up, one reason is that his ugly appearance, otherwise he was not monster.

 Theme of revenge

Revenge, it is horrible as well as harmful word or thing, there is the question is there any good or satisfaction by taken revenge? Then answer may be both, same as here in this novel refer the theme of revenge by monster. The monster begins its life with a warm, open heart. But after it is abandoned and mistreated first by Victor and then by the De Lacey family, the monster turns to revenge. The monster's actions are understandable: it has been hurt by the unfair rejection of a humanity that cannot see past its own prejudices, and in turn wants to hurt those who hurt it.

 Conclusion

In short, this novel refer many themes which is connect with the real life of human being’s like birth and creation, dangerous of knowledge, alienation and isolation, revenge etc. These all are connect with our real life as well.

Works Citation:

 Shelley, Mary. ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus', LACKIGTON, HUGHES,HARDIND,MAVOR &JONES London, 1818.

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