Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Chinese History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chinese History - Assignment Example Chinese wooden construction features one of the fundamental principles characterizing classical Chinese architecture, that is, the use of JIAN module. The latter bears some form of semblance of modular prefabrication concept used in modern architecture. Carpenters in traditional Chinese architecture used this module as a standard unit for construction of all buildings. The JIAN constituted a rectangular space characterized by the repetition of adjoining structural frames. Unlike the Chinese Script modular system, which, although old, can be described as contemporary architecture, Chinese wooden construction is much older. This system has been in existence for multiple millennia (Ledderose 103). A principal similarity, however, lies in the fact that both modular systems make use of repertoire, or repetitive utilization of standard units, in order to develop the whole. Both systems also constitute methods of mass production in the architectural realm, which apply intricate mathematical formulae and codification of measurement systems, to foster efficiency of large-scale construction. The distinctive difference is that Chinese Script is a form of architectural decoration, whereas Chinese wooden construction revolves around the creation of an actual building. In regard to development or creation, the Chinese Script begins with the basic elements or single strokes. These are the simplest units in a series, and constitute the character â€Å"transformation† (hua) and the character â€Å"supreme† (tai). These building blocks grow in complexity from the single stroke level, through the intermediate level, to the complex level featuring complete units of constituent characters. These components, also known as modules, make up interchangeable building units, which can be placed together in various combinations, to eventually create written characters or â€Å"Chinese Script†, which is still evident in modern Chinese buildings (Ledderose 10).

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Critical research paper on the book Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid

Critical on the book Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid - Research Paper Example We notice this trend of having an autobiographical base in nearly all of Kincaid’s books, where stories have been taken from the writer’s own life. In the novel ‘Lucy’, we find the main protagonist is an immigrant who comes to United States form Antigua in West Indies, like Kincaid herself. When compared to Kincaid’s other works we find that the chief character Lucy at nineteen is a slightly older character representation than the main characters in her previous works. This gives a more mature outlook to the novel which is interlaced with a cynical note. This work by Kincaid though retaining the piqued nature of her previous work ‘A Small Place’(1988) does not have the surrealism and repetitive nature of the latter, making ‘Lucy’ a far simpler story to read. The novel is a journey where a young girl slowly transcends into a mature woman as she explores her feelings, her loneliness, her sexuality and her conflicts with her mo ther. This novel in a non-linear manner moves smoothly and effortlessly between the past and the present through various dreams, dialogues and flash backs and the whole book bears a testimony to the strength of Kincaid’s narrative prowess. Like other American literatures based on the tales of immigration, this book too talks about the experiences of an immigrant who is new to the American way of life and is slowly adjusting to it. Identity crisis which forms a basis of many a colonial immigrant literature is not presented vividly here. Instead, we find this problem to be represented quite intrinsically in her relationships with her own country, her white employers and her new surroundings. Jamaica Kincaid was born in 1949 in Antigua in West Indies which was then under British colonial rule and her childhood was not a very happy one. However, at a very young age, she developed a liking for books and literature and soon this became an escape route for the young Jamaica