Literary Criticisms Of Emily Dickinsons Poetry Essays -

Literary Criticisms of Emily Dickinson's Poetry -1- Throughout Emily Dickinson's poetry there are three main themes that she addresses: death, love, and nature; as well as the impact of "the word". When discussing these themes she followed her lifestyle and broke away from traditional forms of writing and wrote with an intense energy and complexity never seen before and rarely seen today. She was a rarity not only because of her poetry but because she was one of the first female pioneers into the field of poetry. One of the most fascinating things about Dickinson's poetry is her overwhelming attention to detail, especially her "pin-point" insights on death. In "I've Seen a Dying Eye," by Emily Dickinson, is a poem about the nature of death. A sense of uncertainty and uncontrollability about death seems to exist. The observer's speech seems hesitant and unsure of what he or she is seeing, partly because of the dashes, but also because of the words used to describe the scene. As the eye is observed looking for something, then becoming cloudy and progressing through more obscurity until it finally comes to rest, the person observing the death cannot provide any definite proof that what the dying person saw was hopeful or disturbing. The dying person seems to have no control over the clouds covering his or her eye, which is frantically searching for something that it can only hope to find before the clouds totally, consume it. Death, as an uncontrollable force, -2- seems to sweep over the dying. More importantly, as the poem is from the point of view of the observer, whether the dying person saw anything or not is as significant as what the observer, and the reader, carry away from the poem. The suspicion of whether the dying person saw anything or had any control over his or her death is what is being played on in the poem. The main idea the poem is trying to convey is that death force itself upon the dying leaving them no control, and if something hopeful exists to be seen after death, it is a question left for the living to ponder. Love is another prevalent theme in Dickinson's poetry. "The Love of Thee-a Prism Be': Men and Women in the Love Poetry of Emily Dickinson," an essay by Adalaide Morris, a feminist critic, examines how Dickinson views love with an allegorical neatness created in her poem "The Love of Thee-a Prism Be" (98). Emily Dickinson believes that it is the prismatic quality of passion that matters, and the "energy passing through an experience of love reveals a spectrum of possibilities" (98). In keeping with her tradition of looking at the "circumference" of an idea, Dickinson never actually defines a conclusive love or lover at the end of her love poetry, instead concentrating on passion as a whole (99). Although she never defined a lover in her poems, many critics do believe that the object or focal point of her passion was Charles Wadsworth, a clergyman from Philadelphia In her poetry, Emily represents the males as the Lover, Father, King, Lord, and Master as the women take complimentary positions to their male superiors, and many times the relationship between the sexes is seen in metaphor-women as "His Little Spaniel" or his hunting gun. The woman's existence is only contingent to the encircling -3- power of the man (104). It could be noted that the relationship with her father created some of the associations that Dickinson used in her work-her father being involved in government, religion, and in control of the family. Dickinson's linked imagery in her male love poetry focuses on suns, storms, volcanoes, and wounds (100). There are always elements of disturbance or extremes and explosive settings. There are also repeated examples of the repression of love causing storm imagery to become "silent, suppressed" volcanic activity-something on the verge of explosion or activity. Of course, in the repressed individual the potential for explosion or action can be very dangerous, and frequently in Dickinson's work this kind of love relationship ends of with someone receiving a wound (100). Another underlying theme in Dickinson's poetry was nature. The Imagery of Emily Dickinson, by Ruth Flanders McNaughton, in a chapter entitled "Imagery of

Social loafing Essays

Social loafing Essays Social loafing Paper Social loafing Paper Social loafing A definition of a social loader is an individual who attempts to hide; when placed in a group situation and does not perform to his or her potential. When I am performing a relay, and I am the second leg of the relay and I no I am swimming with lots of very good swimmers on my team, I sometimes do not work as hard as when I am swimming a solo race on my own. I feel that I do not swim to my best potential and tend to slack off only doing enough to keep position. Goal setting Over trained Section B: psychological and physiological weaknesses Self efficacy Self efficacy is the degree of self confidence experienced by a performer when placed in a specific situation. Just before a big competition, or swimming gala, I feel myself have constant doubts about my ability. When I compete in butterfly which is my lease favourite stroke and the one I find most challenging, my levels of self efficacy decline and my confidence levels drop and my performance suffers as a result. By losing self confidence before a game it can lead to a bad performance and this may lead to increased anxiety. By having low levels of self efficacy I feel that motivation drops and the amount of effort applied will fall. Also my commitment and effort may drop and this will affect my performance and training dramatically. Information processing Anxiety/ over arousal Trait anxiety refer to the general disposition of an individual to perceive situations as threatening, just before a competition I feel really nervous which means I feel I am unable to mentally prepare as I should be, I lose concentration focus on other unimportant things, become very tensed and feel I do not listen to my coach but constant concerns about my performance. There are two types of anxiety cognitive and somatic, cognitive anxiety is experienced before an event and it involves the performers thoughts and worries concerning his or her ability to complete the task successfully. This anxiety is what affects me most. Somatic anxiety is physiological responses where you are placed in a situation and are unable to complete the task successfully. My attentional narrowing decrease, this is when arousal theories directly relate to my ability to focus on relevant cues. I tend to focus on irrevlant cues are my concentration is misdirected, for example I will have a slow start of the blocks or a slow changeover. This is known as attentional wastage and it decreases my performance. Section B : Physical and physiological factors Acceleration It is important when completing short distance swimming races for example 50m and 100m that you have power coming off the blocks and out of turns also power to gain advantage over performers. I feel I have a problem with anaerobic fitness and that the last sprint of the race is poor as I lack power and acceleration to finish well. ATP/PC system Long term training methods Section B strategic and tactical weaknesses elite performance Section B: psychological and physiological weaknesses :elite performance Section B : Physical and physiological factors :elite performance

Schindler's List Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Schindler's List - Movie Review Example Events of the film are developed through the character of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman. From the beginning, Schindler is presented as a money making man who support Nazi Party and acts indifferent towards the afflictions of Jewish people. The event of Operation Reinhard in Krakow under the control of Amon Goeth affects Schindle’s mind deeply. As a result of this many Jews were transformed to force Labor camps, others were killed or shipped away. Killing of Jewish people in Nazi camps haunted Schindler’s mind and his mind undergoes some changes. He decided to save Jewish people through employing his company. Through his relationship with Amon Goeth, Schindler secretly recruits Jews and saves men, women, and children from death. The film keeps its difference from other war movies through its fact-based images. Its realistic presentation, especially the murder scenes force the viewers to the world of pity and fear. As Yosefa Loshitzky comments; â€Å"Schindlerâ⠂¬â„¢s List was evaluated in conjunction with only a certain type of image-a fact-based one that differed from earlier Speilberg productions† (Loshitzky, 27). The film makes available the realistic picture of human lust, greed, envy, anger, helplessness, and empathy and love.

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Company law - Essay Example The court of appeal upheld Chandler’s claims against Cape plc., and acknowledged that damages were available for the claimant from the parent firm. The liability was placed on the parent firm for which the claimant was an employee to its subsidiary. The subsidiary firm that employed Chandler had ceased operations by the time Chandler sued for damages. However, the High Court upheld Chandler’s claims, and so did the Court of appeal. Although corporate personality requires that a company within a group of companies should handle its liabilities independently, the court held that the parent company was liable for tortious negligence to Chandler. The decision made by the Court of appeal critically influences the legal provisions that govern corporate operations in more ways than just linking subsidiary liabilities to the parent firms as already seen in the Chandler v Cape plc case. Agency principles that relate to common law are often used in determining closely related cases that are filed on similar grounds. In this respect, parties that are relatively bound to benefit on the same ground as that realized by Chandler could file lawsuits against parent firms for liabilities that could have been rather carried by their subsidiaries. The corporate veil between the subsidiary and the parent firm was lifted on the ground that the parent firm best understood the working conditions that the subsidiary was subjecting its employees to. Legally, the court held that the parent firm was as liable as its subsidiary. However, the subsidiary was no longer operational, thus transferring the negligence liability to the parent firm. Duty of care existed between Chandler and the parent firm, through the employing subsidiary. Corporate veil prompts that the employees clearly understand the direct liable party in relation to whom they act for2. The obligations of all the

The Hobbit | Summary and Analysis

The Hobbit | Summary and Analysis The Hobbit is an exciting fantasy about a hobbit that goes on the most fantastic adventure of his life. Bilbo (hobbit) goes to Middle Earth to seek the long lost treasure. Along the way, Bilbo encounters new friends, strange wild beasts, unlimited amount of danger, and temptation. The plot of this magnificent fantasy fits the quest pattern from the beginning, all the way to the end. The characters contained within the words of this novel fir the archetypal characters in every way. IN addition, the settings of this particular adventure have something magical and enchanted about them. These are the elements required to having the perfect quest, and The Hobbit contains all these elements. Therefore, The Hobbit is a very good example of a monomyth. The plot of this book contains three distinct phases: departure, initiation, and return. The departure phase often contains the call to adventure, the refusal, a supernatural aid, and crossing the first threshold. The call to adventure in this novel occurs when one day, Gandalf appears and asks Bilbo to go on an adventure with him in the following manner: Im looking for someone to share in an adventure that Im arranging [p.6]. There is also a refusal of the call, We are plain quiet folk, and have no use for adventures [p.6]. The supernatural aid is Gandalf, the wise old wizard, and when the dwarves and Bilbo encounter the trolls, [p.34-41] Gandalf comes and helps them and saves them all, and the first threshold is crossed. Bilbo and the dwarves can now move on. After the departure, Bilbo and the dwarves undertake an initiation, and are captured many times and almost killed if it were not for Bilbo. In the road of trials, Bilbo and the dwarves face many dangers and Bilbo has to save h is friends many times after they are captured, and through this, he gains a great deal of wisdom and is raised to a higher status when he saves them from the wood-elves prison [p.166-175]. Ultimately, when it is time to go back, Bilbo is hesitant to return because he has made so many new friends and is quite fond of them, but soon, he leaves with the elves, Beorn, and Gandalf with two trunks full of gold and silver as the boon and continues to lead a simple life. He is now the master of two worlds, and he can go back anytime he wants without any fear. Thus, the plot of The Hobbit fits the monomyth. The characters in The Hobbit fit the archetypal characters of the monomyth pattern. For example, there is a hero (Bilbo); the wise, old man (Gandalf); and the evil villains (the goblins, the Wargs, the wood-elves, the trolls, Gollum, Smaug, and Bolg). In a typical quest, readers expect to find evil characters that must be outwitted or defeated by the hero. In this case, it is the goblins, the Wargs etc. Bilbo is expected to defeat, who will not stop at anything to get their hands on the treasure, even if it means killing millions. Bilbo defeats Gollum in the riddle contest and when Gollum decided to kill Bilbo, Bilbo uses the magic ring to become invisible and follows Gollum out of the caves [p.70-84]. Next, the goblins capture the adventurers and after the escape of Bilbo and his friends, the goblins join armies with the Wargs and are ready to cremate them when the Eagles come and save the dwarves, the wizard and Bilbo [p.99-100]. The trolls that catch the dwarves in sacks, are read y to roast them and ear them when Gandalf appears uses his brain and saves them all [p.37-42]. When the travellers are captured by the goblins, Gandalf disappears from his spot and later appears in the tunnel, kills the Great Goblin, and helps the dwarves and Bilbo escape [p.57-63]. Smaug, the dragon and the guardian of the treasure, is killed by Bard before the war with the help of a thrush [p.231-232]. However, Bolg (son of the Great Goblin) is defeated by Beorn, the man who can turn into a bear [p.266-267]. The one villain who dies without being killed is the Master of the Town. He runs away with the treasure that is to be used to repair the town damaged by Smaug, and is later found dead with the treasure. Consequently, the characters in The Hobbit reflect the conventional characters what would be found within any monomyth. The setting for The Hobbit is the Hill, Hobbiton, Rivendell, Misty Mountains, The Island of Gollum, Mirkwood, the prison of the Wood-Elves, The Lonely Mountain, Long Lake, and Esgaroth. The novel begins on the Hill, near Hobbiton and quickly moves to a magical place called Rivendell where the dwarves and Bilbo stay for a while to get fresh supplies. Soon, they leave Rivendell and enter the dangerous Misty Mountains where they are captured by the goblins [p.57-63]. After they have all escaped into the tunnels, Bilbo falls on the way, finds Gollum on his Island, and scarcely escapes from him and the goblin army [p.65-84]. Next, the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf go to the house of Beorn, who lives near the forest of Mirkwood [p.108-111]. Later, they enter the forest of Mirkwood [p.128-132], and have many more adventures. Then they see the light coming from the bushes and go off path (as they were told not to do) and are captured by giant spiders. After being released, they realise that Tho rin, their leader, has been captured by the wood-elves and to save him, they go after him and are prisoners of the wood-elves [p.156-158]. To escape, they have to journey through Long Lake in barrels [p.170-180] and everything is done by Bilbo because he was not caught since he was invisible. Esgaroth is the last town before the Lonely Mountains and their second last stop as well [182-187]. The last stop for the dwarves is their destination, The Lonely Mountain, for which they have come all the way. The are much wiser than when they started out, and they are very delighted to be at their destination, but they have one last barrier, the dragon, to conquer before they can claim the riches. The setting insists that the reader use their imagination, illuminating images of what unmarked worlds might be like when man has dominated his most despised rival. Therefore, the setting of The Hobbit is suitably impressive in degree and fits the form of an ambitious and heroic quest across the uni verse. The Hobbit is a very good example of a monomyth because the elements required to having the perfect quest are contained within The Hobbit. The plot of this glorious fantasy fits the quest pattern from the start, all the way to the conclusion. The characters enclosed with the words of this novel fit the model characters in every way. Additionally, the settings of this particular journey have something miraculous and charming about them. Along the way, Bilbo encountered new friends, wild beasts, heaps of danger, and temptation and gained wisdom from his experiences. Bilbo started out to seek the long lost treasure, and found out what the real treasures were: friendship, honesty, and trust. The Hobbit is a thrilling fantasy about a hobbit that goes on the most dangerous voyage of his life. About the ways in which The Hobbit demonstrates the features of the fantasy genre. The Hobbit is a fantasy novel about a peaceful hobbit that accompanies a wizard and several dwarves on a journey to steal the great treasures of the dragon Smaug and I believe it demonstrates or uses the features of the fantasy genre. The features of any genre are like a skeleton for the story of that particular genre. Different genres have different features such as different settings, characters, plot, themes and values. Features are like a list of criteria that is used to assess whether the novel fits into a genre. The Hobbit is unable to demonstrate the entire features of the fantasy genre but it is still clear that The Hobbit used the features of the fantasy genre as a skeleton. The first thing to consider when determining whether The Hobbit demonstrates the features of the fantasy genre is the setting. The setting is the where the story takes place. Most fantasy stories take place an enclosed world that is often exotic and mystical (Glasson, 1955, p.55). The setting in The Hobbit follows this idea and the world that it takes place is enclosed and exotic. With rows of strange and devious mountains and thick woods where elves and giant spiders live The Hobbit world is definitely exotic; with the abundance of several other creatures and dragons the world of The Hobbit is also quite mystical and magical. The setting of any genre is the fundamental building block for a stories development. For example, it is quite hard to create an interesting science fiction story that is set in the backyard of a young boy. The Hobbit proves that it uses the writing structure of the fantasy genre by being set in a magical land full of exotic creatures and landforms which are th e elements of a typical fantasy story.     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Setting isnt the only aspect to be considered when writing a fantasy story; there are also characters to be put into consideration. In the fantasy genre there are usually the protagonist and the antagonist that are in conflict with each other. In The Hobbit the protagonist is a simple hobbit, known as Bilbo Baggins, who becomes a thief on a plan to steal treasures. There is no antagonist in The Hobbit. Smaug is not the antagonist because an antagonist is a principal character that opposes the protagonist (www.thefreedictionary.com). Throughout the book Smaug does not oppose Bilbo Baggins until he is provoked. He is more of an obstacle than a villain opposing Bilbo and his party of dwarves. On the other hand, The Hobbit demonstrates the features of the fantasy genre through the development of Bilbo. Protagonists in fantasy stories are well-known for their development or change. For example, in the book called Eragon the main character transforms from a deer hunting farm boy into a fierce and powerful dragon rider. In the beginning of the book Bilbo defines himself and the hobbits as Plain quiet folk and have no use for adventure (The Hobbit, p.4). Throughout the book Bilbo changes into an extroverted and adventure-seeking hobbit through his experiences. Bilbo had changed from a simple hobbit into a fantasy protagonist with that could fulfil the task at hand. Most stories have a diverse range of characters and within these characters are the protagonist and antagonist. Different genres have different personalities or criteria for their main characters. The main character in a fantasy story is usually changing, confident and adventurous. The evidence clearly reveals that The Hobbit demonstrates the features of the fantasy through the knowledge or skills that the hero gains through his quest. Plot and structure is a key feature to the features of the fantasy genre. The plot and structure in the fantasy is quite unique in contrast to the features of other genres. There is calm, upheaval, calm; then stability is restored (Glasson, 1955, p. 55) shows the dynamic structure of a fantasy quest. The Hobbit starts off in a peaceful and calm atmosphere until Bilbo joins Gandalf and the fourteen dwarves in an adventure. During his journey the calm atmosphere is disrupted and upheaved. When the journey ends Bilbo goes back to his normal life, despite his grown love for adventure. Stability is restored at the end of The Hobbit because the arrogant dragon was killed and Bilbos returning to his peaceful life after a crazy adventure. The plot in a fantasy story usually centres on the heros quest or journey. The quest is usually a search for a powerful or ancient object that will restore the stability or calm that was disrupted by evil. The Hobbit conforms to this by focusing on Bilbos journey but the object (treasure) doesnt restore the calm but instead creates conflict. In The Hobbit Thorin and his cousin nearly declare war but are forced to join in an attempt to stop the Goblin army. With this evidence it is obvious that the quest was not aimed to destroy evil and it even started conflict. The quest in The Hobbit strays from the criteria of a typical fantasy story. Every protagonist in any genre encounters obstacles throughout story but the reasons for these obstacles change depending on the genre. A dramatic story would use obstacles as a method to exemplify the feeling of the character or his/her flaws while a fantasy story would use obstacles as a test for to prove the character is worthy or expedient. For example, Bilbo encounters three trolls and tries to pickpocket an object from one of the trolls but he is discovered and captured in his attempt. This obstacle couldve been made to show that Bilbo is not yet a master of stealing and how he still needs to improve before his convergence with Smaug. Most of the elements in The Hobbit successfully combine to create a suitable plot and structure for a fantasy novel. The Hobbit doesnt completely demonstrate the features of a fantasy story mainly due to the themes and values in the story. In a fantasy quest Tradition values are fought for (Glasson, 1955, p. 55). Throughout The Hobbit values are not fought for. For example, Bilbo believed in a simple and harmonious life that is adventure free but as he doesnt fight for what he believes in and ends up accepting Gandalfs request. Even when delving deeper into the story values are not fought for and some are even broken.     Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   There are different opinions on the features of the fantasy genre and how a book fits into a particular genre and it makes it hard to find out whether a book really uses the features as an outline. By using the typical opinion of the criteria or features of a fantasy quest it is quite clear that The Hobbit follows these outlines. The Hobbit is able to include: an enclosed and exotic setting, mystical creatures, characters that learn from their mistakes and flaws, a plot that focuses on a quest for an object and obstacles that test and teach the hero during his quest. Even though The Hobbit doesnt use the themes and values of a typical fantasy quest but it still utilizes the features of the fantasy genre

Hiring In-Laws: A Bad Idea :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Hiring In-Laws: A Bad Idea Many successful small businesses have been ruined by bringing in-laws in to the family business. As these in-laws struggle to establish a voice in the company, meaning well, they often wind up destroying them. As the owner of the family business, it is your job to avoid situations that could hurt or hinder your business. In this case you should assume a few often overlooked points:  When approaching your business, never think of it in terms of one happy family.  Never assume that in-laws will be grateful to benefit from the opportunities the business offers. Rather, they often feel guilty and incompetent thinking they would have never gotten the job if they weren't family.  Even in-laws with terrific ideas for the company will disrupt the business, the family, or both.  In-laws will struggle from day one to try to prove themselves to you. Even at family outings they will often engage in business talk to promote their worthiness and creativity. The O'Shea Family Business To further illustrate the risks of hiring in-laws into a business we will use a real life example, the O’Shea family. The O’Shea family business was fairly simple. They owned a clothing manufacturing company that made camouflage apparel. They were contracted suppliers of clothing to the military since the business opened its doors during World War II. Daniel O'Shea, the company president, was earning a "comfortable living" in 1970 when began making plans to select his successor. His two daughters had no interest in the day-to-day operations of the company. As a result his decision to choose his son, a levelheaded recent M.B.A., was easy. His name was Sean. Sean knew the business very well, and the company grew from his good business sense. He was young and energetic, helping the company to increase profits almost 50% in his first 2 years while at the helm. This meant bigger monthly checks for the family members, and no one argued against that. The business be gan to grow and so did the need for personnel. Sean made a big mistake only 5 years into his career. With the insistence of one of his sisters, he hired an in-law. It was against his better judgement, but he figured he could place him in a job were the family ties would not cause any problems.

Conservative, Liberal and Marxist History

History has been understood differently by different people. While some have understood it as the study of the past events, others have defined it as a record of human actions which have occurred in the past. 1 However the variety of definitions, it should be pointed out that history does not constitute everything that happened in the past. Only those past activities which have had a bearing on the present are what may qualify to be worth history. 2 Just as there are many definitions of history, so are there many branches of history.This essay is meant to define and illustrate the importance of three of the braches of history. These include Conservative, Liberal and Marxist History. The essay is organized in two parts. The first part will provide in-depth understanding of the three terms, whereas the second part will show how important each of them is in the study of history. Conservative History is one historical interpretation of history which traces its foundation in the word â₠¬ËœConservatism’. Conservatism literary means preservation of what has always been tradition.It is an ideology which favours status quo and is very reluctant to accept change. Conservatives prefer having things continues as they have been in the past. Any drastic change to tradition is viewed with suspicion. According to this ideology, political and other human institutions have endured through ages because of tradition. For this reason, change should only be accepted very gradually. 3 Having looked at conservatism, it may now be imperative to define Conservative History as that branch of history whose writings are based on maintaining history as has always been written, without altering it.In this vein, this history favours tradition, as no perceptions or any other radical views are not emphasized. Conservative Historians may also write history not to preserve the past, but to remind society of the good olden tradition. The goal in this case, is to see societies revert back to the values of earlier times. Because of its emphasis on the value of tradition, Conservative History has always perpetuated inequalities, absolutist regimes and domination of the poor by the upper class. 4 Liberal History as the word ‘liberal’ suggests, comes from the Latin word ‘liber’ meaning ‘free’.The word therefore, has more to do with freedom or liberty. Liberalism advocates for equality of opportunity for all and allows maximum freedom to individuals while limiting the powers of government. The earliest form of Liberal History was a reaction to the conservative history, which was being considered as static. Liberal History advocated for the freedom of thought for historians as a way of ensuring the progress of humanity. Core to this branch of history is the belief that if historians are to write history which promotes progress, then historians should not be controlled in trying to seek historical truth.The past, present and future are seen as being interconnected and influencing one another. Therefore, it is not necessary to emphasize one when all the three (past, present and future) collectively shape history of humanity. According to liberal historians, it is possible to analyze history progressively rather than look at it as tradition. They totally differ with conservatives who may always want to maintain status quo in areas such as divine rights of kings and hereditary status among many others. They regard traditions as having no value other than hindering social progress.Further, they hold the view that traditions and other social practices should continually be adjusted for the benefit of humanity. In other words, Liberal History constitutes those historical accounts which are highly critical of certain traditions and cultures, referring to them as uncivilized, barbaric and primitive. 6 Marxist History’s origin may be traced to the works of Karl Marx (1818- 1853) who analyzed human history and concl uded that it was all about class struggles. 7 It is also called Radical History.Marx theorized that in every historical era, there is always a dominating class and an oppressed class, as well as a struggle between these classes. According to him, these struggles are perpetuated by the state and economic conditions such as capitalism which produces oppressed classes. He contended that capitalists will destroy engage in brutal competitive struggles with each other, thereby giving an opportunity to the exploited laboring classes to rise up against capitalism and overthrow it so that they replace it with communism.In communism, there would be no classes and economic benefits would be shared equitably. 8 Marxist History is therefore, that interpretation of history on the basis of not only social and political factors but also economic factors. Marxist historians asserted that poverty and diseases of the poor people are as a result of social classes and conditions under which peasants liv ed and worked. 9 The base of man’s problems was to be found in the division of society into classes. Therefore, in order building a society with no exploitation is only dependant on the forceful removal of the capitalist  system.At the centre of radical history is the argument that the historical analysis of man’s progress and development is meaningless unless that analysis puts into consideration the economic and social relations aspect. 10 This is unlike liberal history which only emphasizes the social and political factors in the analysis of man’s development. So far, it is clear that Marxist History differs considerably from the other two branches discussed. For example, whereas liberal history centres on man’s progress, Marxist history is more concerned with changing the world.Marxist historians advocate for a radical transformation of the economic and social conditions by removing capitalist relations. This would have to be done through a violent revolution. An example of radical historians is Paulo Freire who championed the cause of the oppressed in his book, ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’. 11 In this book, he campaigned for the liberation of the poor who had been oppressed by the dominant classes. Having discussed the three branches of history in detail, the essay will now focus on the importance of each of these branches in the study of history.Merely defining the concepts without illustrating their relevance can render futile the need to understand them (branches) in the study of history. It should be noted from the onset that while all the branches discussed may have their faults or inadequacies, they all are very relevant in the study of history. Many a time, historians align themselves with one of the many branches, and this reflects in their works. The importance of Conservative History can never be overemphasized. What is life without tradition?No society would be what it is today without the contribution of past values and traditions. Though arguable, it could be true to assert that the world has evolved into what it is today because of the good values of the past. It is for this reason that caution ought to be taken to ensure that societies and politics remain immune to temptations to change. Conservative history is premised on the old adage that ‘the devil you know is better than the angel you do not know’. The emphasis on maintaining the status quo will definitely result in continuity and stability of societies and institutions.Conservative history gives an impression that things were better in the past than they are now and that there is need to go back to the olden ways. This is especially true in the area of African education. Indigenous education was better compared to the current western education, which promotes nothing but social stratification and unemployment. The entire curriculum is so irrelevant, bookish, with very few practical subjects at selected level s of education12. However, looking into the past, it is vivid that traditional education which was offered ensured a rounded education and comprehensive preparation for real life.There was no such thing as unemployment! Owing to the fact the past was much better off than the present, conservative history plays an invaluable role in enlightening the present generations on the achievements of the past. Its stress on the need to return to the values of the earlier times has always been received positively. In Zambia for example, there are moves to ruralize the school curriculum so that it includes some of the traditional aspects which have direct relevance to societies.13 Further, tribute should be paid to conservative historians for their role in the re-writing of African History which had been greatly tarnished by some liberal historians. The first writers of African history portrayed it in a very negative way. The African ways of life were seen as heathen, barbaric, primitive, backw ard and uncivilized. 14 It had to take conservative African historians to try to erase the fabrications, omissions and stereotypes of colonial historians. By eulogizing the African past, conservative historians have made a huge contribution to the study of history.Like Conservative History, Liberal history plays an important role in the interpretation of history. The notion of the past as a continuation into the present and future is very true and important. It is very true in the sense that society is indeed dynamic. The conditions of the past may not be the same conditions now. Therefore, societies cannot afford to be static in a fast changing world. For example, in the 1970s, Zambia and many other countries were under socialist and dictatorship regimes. It worked so well that time. However, in the 1990s, a wind of change blew, and countries could not afford to remain static.Many socialist governments were toppled and replaced with more democratic and capitalist governments which espoused the principle of liberalization. The role of liberal history in promoting the progress of society cannot be overlooked. Besides, this is the only branch of history which makes it easy to analyze the past in order to understand the present and finally forecast the future. By supporting social progressivism, certain bad elements of tradition can be done away with. Such elements or practices include the divine rights of rulers, hereditary statusand other injustices. 15 In the study of history, this branch helps greatly in the understanding of present events as offshoots of past events. In addition, it is the goal of liberal history to be written from several view points as long as it has man’s freedoms at the centre. 16 This branch is very important because it allows for the different perspectives with people try to explain historical events. Without liberal history, there would only be one universal interpretation of historical facts. It concerns itself with the politi cal and social life of societies.These are very cardinal aspects of history which demand for interpretation. Marxist history has an immense contribution it makes in the study of history. As discussed earlier, this branch fills the void left by liberal history. The latter only addressed the social and political aspects leaving the economic aspect which also contributes to man’s progress in both political and social life. Though radical in nature, this branch provides a working interpretation or hypothesis of the existing social classes and consequent class struggles in man’s history.17 It is therefore, possible to understand the source of the frequent conflicts between workers and owners of the means of production. Conservative and liberal history may not answer the questions of about poverty and diseases from which poor people suffer. Yet, these are very important questions in any study of history. Radical or Marxist history hence, becomes imperative because it provide s answers to these questions. According to this branch, poverty and disease are as a result of the creation of classes based on economic factors.In other words, capitalism which is the main cause of division of societies is the base of man’s problems and exploitation. 18 Another important aspect of Marxist history in the study of history is its role in trying to change the world. This branch of history attempts to cleanse the world of the social ills and inequalities by bringing them out in the open. It therefore, advocates for a radical transformation and liberation of the poor’s economic and social conditions. Careful analysis of Marxist history offers a good explanation for the under-development of Africa.Colonialism which brought with it capitalism, is blamed for the exploitation of African human and material resources. This knowledge is important in the study of African history. It is necessary to learn how African peasants and workers were stripped of their resou rces by the greedy colonial capitalists. Throughout the colonial period (and even now), Africans did not benefit from their resources. 19 Rather, they have always been suppliers of cheap labour to the capitalists. In summary, this essay has defined three of the many branches of history, namely: Conservative Liberal and Marxist.Conservative history bases its writings on the preservation of what has been traditionally followed. It has no room for divergent and radical views other than the status quo. Liberal history on the other hand, emphasizes freedom of thought for historians as a way of promoting historical progress of humanity. It is a reaction to conservative history. Finally, Marxist history is a radical view of history which emphasizes the interpretation of history on the basis of both social and economic factors.The essay has further, illustrated the importance of each of the branches discussed. Conservative history is cardinal to the understanding and appreciation of the pas t traditions and cultures. Liberal history facilitates an understanding of present events and projection of the future through analysis of the past. Economic inequalities and problems in man’s history can be better explained by Marxist history. It is therefore, clear that historical accounts of all the three branches discussed are extremely relevant in the study of history.