Franz Kafkas Use of Humor Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Franz Kafka's Use of Humor Franz Kafka, born on July 3, 1883 in Bohemia, in the city of Prague, has been recognized as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. His works have been called "cloudy, mysterious, inexplicable" (Oates ix). Most people hear the term Kafkan or Kafkaesque and think of dark, fantastic tales with almost no basis in our known reality. But what of Kafka's sense of humor? I personally laughed out loud several times while reading Kafka's Amerika. Were these snippets of humor part of Kafka's plan or mere accidents? According to Roy Pascal, author of Kafka's Narrators: A Study of His Stories and Sketches, "There is a good deal of humour in these early stories, as in the novels and later stories, but it is often ambiguous and can be overlooked" (Pascal 40). The humor that Pascal refers to is not the usual vaudeville, slap- stick so common in today's society. "Kafka never laughed so much as he did with [Felix] Weltsch, and it was Weltsch who first stressed the role of humor in Kafka's work - gallows humor spiked with desperation, but liberating for them both (Pawel 131). Kafka was a man who was more subtle than most and preferred his humor in a more deliberate vein. Irony was a flavor that seemed to work better for Kafka. By taking a look at some of Kafka's works we can see this irony more clearly. In Kafka's short story entitled, "The Judgement," written in 1912, we see one of the unusual uses of irony by Kafka. The central figure, Georg Bendemann, has just gotten into a long and somewhat heated argument with his aging and infirm father. Suddenly Georg's father "threw the blankets off with a strength that sent them all flying in a moment and sprang erect in bed. Only one hand touched the ... ...afka used humor, as shown here, he used it to further emphasize the horror of what was going on in his worlds. Works Cited Gray, Ronald. Franz Kafka. London: Cambridge University Press, 1975. 74-75. Janouch, Gustav. Conversations with Kafka. Trans. Goronwy Rees. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1971. 33. Kafka, Franz. The Complete Stories & Parables. Trans. Willa and Edwin Muir. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, n.d. - - -, Amerika, Trans. Willa and Edwin Muir. New York, Schoken Books, 1974. Oates, Joyce Carol. Foreword to: The Complete Stories & Parables. Trans. Willa and Edwin Muir. New York: Quality Paperback Book Club, n.d. Pascal, Roy. Kafka's Narrators: A Study of His Stories and Sketches. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982. 189-230. Pawel, Ernst. The Nightmare of Reason. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1984.

ICT and Education Essay

Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) are invaluable in the education of young people today. The internet is the most recent ICT development that is popular with the young generation and can therefore be a very important tool in the education of the young people. Internet-based instruction and course delivery is convenient since it makes education more meaningful, responsive, reliable and relevant. Education technology has embraced the internet both for teaching and learning since it is a paradigm shift that enables both beginning computing level, undergraduate or elementary level, and the advanced computing level, for graduates to be more reliable and responsive. A digital native refers to those people who are born in places where digital technologies- ICT, such as computers, mobile phones and the internet already thrive. The ICT will at this juncture be less important to the education of such young people as compared to those who had no access to ICT earlier at home therefore have to learn and adopt ICT later in life (Anderson & Garrison 2003). This term is used to refer mostly to young people in the 21st century who are in deed in the digital age as compared to those born before this period. ICT will be invaluable to digital natives, also called the millennium learners, as they are well endowed with the necessary skills required for one to be in tandem with the dynamic teaching and learning techniques. ICT is significant to education in a number of ways such as: Facilitating faster access to varieties of learning resources that will enhance teaching and learning, provides immediate feedback from people who are remote of distance, provide authentic and updated information, learning can take place at any time of the day or night, facilitates multimedia education approach, provides online libraries and even caters for children with disabilities (Linn, Davis & Bell 2004). Students are able to actively contribute to the construction of knowledge since the internet promotes cooperative learning while at the same time the students can receive immediate feedback from the teachers. The internet has led to a redesigning of course features such as: online resources, syllabi, virtual classrooms, online discussions, interactive learning and fewer lectures (Roxanne & Turoff 2007). Learning is shifted from teacher centered to learner centered as a result of the internet which caters for the needs of the students more adequately and is self-regulated by the students. In addition, the learners develop critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, better cognition and better management skills. Virtual classrooms are the simulated and computer based environment where there is real time teaching of students from different locations all over the world as if they were at one place at the same time. Instructions are delivered remotely via the internet in these virtual classrooms to teach at high schools, colleges and university to deliver distance education Kariuki & Louis 2004). This method is increasingly becoming popular with students who can now learn from the comfort of their homes and is therefore becoming a major component for education mostly in the developed nations like Britain, the United States, China and Germany. Interactive learning has been developed through the use of engines and programs like face book and twitter where students can chat with their tutors and class mates live to get reading materials, instructions, submit their completed tasks to their tutors and receive immediate feedback on their progress (Plank et al 2009). The internet is therefore an invaluable tool that has significantly impacted to the development of teaching and learning in line with the dynamic world. Reference Kariuki James & Louis Henry (2004), â€Å"The myths about e-learning in higher education,† Taylor & Francis: London Anderson T. & Garrison R, (2003), â€Å"E-learning in the 21st century: a framework for research and practice,† Routledge, London. Starr Roxanne & Murray Turoff, (2007), â€Å"Education goes digital: The evolution of online learning and the revolution in higher education, Routledge Publishers: London. Plank D et al (2009), â€Å"Emerging Web Technologies in Higher Education: A case of incorporating blogs, podcasts and social bookmarks in a web programming course based on students learning styles and technology preferences,† Taylor & Francis: London. Linn M. , Davis E. & Bell P. (2004). â€Å"Internet environments for science education,† Routledge: New York.

Personality Traits Within The Workplace - 1342 Words

Five-factor trait theory As a professional many struggle with attempting to control the dominance of his/her personality trait, in fear that it may be damaging to one s current position. Personally, there has been several instances when an employee was ridiculed because he/she expressed personality traits within the workplace, opposite of what the employer personally desired. Within this paper, one will discuss how the connection of an individual personality trait can be beneficial, as well a productive level of on the job training, for entry level employees, and transitioning from one position to another. Personality Personality has been viewed by many as a way for an individual to express his/her inner most beliefs and values embedded as early as infancy. Psychologists strive to understand how personality develops as well as how it influences the way we think and behave; this area of psychology seeks to understand personality and how it varies among individuals as well as how people are similar in terms of personality (Cherry, 2016, p. 1). In order to gain a proper understanding one s own personality, the individual must first be able to identify and accepts each active traits exercised throughout his/her life. Though the acceptance of personality traits can de demanding , causing many do become intimidated or distracted professionally. It is understood that all employees should collaborate his/her personality traitsShow MoreRelatedThe Big Five Personality Constructs1654 Words   |  7 PagesPersonality theories, or models, are metaphors for describing something which is intrinsically indescrib able, the human personality. 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