Can Utopia be obtained in a Capitalist Society :: essays research papers

In a capitalist society can utopia really be obtained? I really don’t think so; because if utopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions, then a place where everything is perfect for everyone is not likely. Perfection, I believe, cannot be obtained in a capitalist society because of competition. Competition can help society in many areas, such as improving technology, forcing individuals to work harder, and making more money for the overall economy. But ideal perfection can’t be realistic with competition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of competition, in my opinion, perfection in laws cannot be attained. One reason I think this is true is because of the many laws that governments of a capitalist society has; such as monopoly be outlawed. Laws are not ideal perfect because they are some people who would want to generate more money and can’t because of some law that would prevent them to do so. There might also be some ethical issues between businesses that might lead to imperfection. There might be some common law within businesses that might be unfair for other business that makes society imperfect. Ideal perfection means that all people in the society are not only happy with their economic status but also have no need to improve on that, and when we have competition playing a major part in our society, there is no chance of improvement not happening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Government perfection is really hard to attained because it is rare when everyone agrees on something that the government provides. Government has to maintain not only a good economic system, but also a stable society. In an ideally perfect government there cannot be any differentiation in taxes, nor can there be such a great difference between upper class and lower class. In a capitalistic society there is differentiation in taxes and a wide gap between upper and lower class incomes. A good, successful government in my opinion cannot be ideally perfect. I would think that that could only happen if the government controls the people, like a communist country, but then that in the society’s point of view isn’t perfect either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Can social conditions really be perfect, ideally perfect, for everyone? This is I believe the strongest argument against attaining utopia. What is perfect social conditions, is it everyone having a job, family, and values. Is it following the economic system and trying to reach for the ultimate goal in a capitalist society, which is the bottom line.

Explore F.Scotts Fitzgeralds presentation of class and wealth in The Great Gatsby and The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

Wealth and social class permeate much of F. Scott Fitzgerald's ‘The Great Gatsby' and ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'. Set during the roaring twenties when many people had newly accumulated wealth after the war, both texts seek to explore and satirise the complexities of wealth and social class. They particularly focus on how far people may go to fit into a social class or protect their fortune. Despite ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz' being set within the fantasy genre, elements of Fitzgerald's own life run as undercurrents throughout both texts. Fitzgerald's life features heavily in the texts, be it through the characterisation of Nick and Gatsby or the underlying references to his personal experiences. The experiences of the main protagonists' form parallels with Fitzgerald's interactions with the wealthy, both at Princeton and Great Neck and in his relationship with Zelda. ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz' satirises the exuberant wealth experienced by Fitzgerald when visiting a Princeton classmate. ‘The Great Gatsby' on the other hand, is more reliant on aspects of Fitzgerald's own life which forms the emotional foundation of the novel. Gatsby's relationship with Daisy mirrors Fitzgerald's turbulent relationship with Zelda who much like Daisy, was regarded as being incredibly materialistic. Gatsby can therefore be seen as a representing Fitzgerald's pursuit of sufficient wealth to support an aristocratic love interest. He does this to the detriment of his artistic integrity which he compromised by writing short stories to fund Zelda's opulent lifestyle. This is mirrored by Gatsby compromising his integrity and personal worth by bootlegging and lying about being the ‘son of some wealthy people in the Middle-West', in order to please Daisy and hopefully gain acceptance. He fails in both these areas. In integrating elements of his personal life, Fitzgerald may be implying that loving someone of a different social class comes with compromises and that one may lose sight of who they are in the process. ‘The Great Gatsby' by virtue of its representations of wealth and class can be seen as a running criticism of the American Dream and America's obsession with wealth amidst the hedonistic culture of the 1920's. The American Dream had originally been founded on the notion that anyone, irrespective of their background could achieve anything in the ‘land of opportunity' if they worked hard enough. Fitzgerald however, believed that the American Dream was just an ‘illusion' and that it had been corrupted by the of pursuit wealth. He consistently challenged the idea of the achievability of the American Dream in ‘The Great Gatsby'. The geographical motifs of East and West Egg embody just how unachievable the American Dream is. This geographical separation may symbolise the hypothetical and literal divides between the nouveau riche who reside in West Egg and aristocrats of East egg, consequently highlighting how they will forever lead separate existences. This gives the impression of the American Dream being highly flawed, as having acquired great wealth does not translate into acceptance for the people of West Egg, who are seen as the social subordinates of the aristocrats of East Egg. This is further established by the behaviour of the guests at Gatsby's party. The people of West Egg lack the refinement, grace and manners of their aristocratic counterparts for whom these traits form the rudiments of their social class. This consequently demonstrates how East and West Egg are separated by more than geographical distance but also by simple things such as social etiquette and fashion choices. Jordan's party (who consist of fellow East Eggers) are ‘spread around a table on the outside of the garden' ‘carefully on guard', emphasising that even within the intimate confines of the party the divide is still apparent and the people of East Egg are reluctant to mix. The corruption of the American Dream is further explored through the main protagonists' initial amazement and delight (early on in the text) at the great wealth they encounter. Fitzgerald employs a myriad of symbolisms, metaphors and similes to depict the sheer luxury and over exuberance of the aristocrats within both texts. Through these devices he is able to satirise the materialistic world the aristocrats inhabit, making it appear outlandish. In ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz' John Unger, a boy from Hades with ‘meager standards of living' is ‘amused and delighted', by the luxurious lifestyle Percy and his family lead. When he arrives with Percy they are driven in what Percy dismissively calls a ‘buggy'. However, the reader can extrapolate from John's reaction at the ‘thousand minute tapestries of silk, woven with jewels' that the vehicle is far from an old buggy. In this instance John's amazement may have been employed to paradox Percy's dismissive attitude towards wealth as he refers to the luxurious car as ‘old junk'. Fitzgerald may have used this paradox highlight the hollow nature of the wealthy, whose lives are fueled by consumerism to the extent that they place little value to the possessions everyone else would deem as extraordinary. In ‘The Great Gatsby', Nick is also amazed by the wealth he experiences at the Buchanan home. His first interaction with Daisy and Jordon has a dream like quality to it. When he meets the women they are dressed in white, ‘their dresses rippling and fluttering †¦ a short flight around the house' this gives the women an angelic quality which hints at how Nick is initially drawn in by their great wealth. This surreal and dream like quality of wealth is also reflected in ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz' with the depiction of the girl who is dressed like ‘Titania'. In the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Titania is the queen of the fairies which Fitzgerald may have used to allude to the magical and mystifying qualities of wealth present within both texts. Conversely, the amazement the main protagonists' initially showcased soon dissipates when they discover the corruptive nature of wealth and the wealthy. Despite the people of East Egg possessing an abundance of grace, elegance and taste (that comes with adhering to the norms of aristocratic society) they lack compassion. The East Eggers are presented as little more than bullies who use their money to alleviate any concerns they have, irrespective of who they hurt in the process. This morally corrupt nature of the rich is explored through the Buchanan's in ‘The Great Gatsby' and the Washingtons' in ‘The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'. The Buchanans' are presented as ‘careless people' who ‘smash[ed] things up' only to retreat back into ‘their vast carelessness'. Their lack of moral fiber is further emphasised when instead of attending Gatsby's funeral they move into a house far away. Fitzgerald may have used the Buchanans' as a moral didactic for the readers to illustrate how wealth can corrupt when one allows themself to become consumed by it. On the other hand, it could represent the unfair nature of capitalist societies whereby the wealthy upper-class can afford to pay for peace of mind. This conflicts with Gatsby whom despite accumulating his wealth through criminality is kind and loving, keeping watch outside Daisy's window to insure Tom does not hurt her, consequently illustrating that wealth alone does not corrupt but when coupled with high social status it can have disastrous effects. Moreover, in both texts religion (which is supposed to strengthen ones moral compass) has been replaced by consumerism. Atrocious things are carried out in the name of wealth in the texts, including murder and imprisonment. These things are written off as a natural pre-requisite of success and expansion. Here Fitzgerald argues that wealth can be its own prison blinding its pursuers, dehumanizing them to the extent that they devalue human life and assume that everyone can be bought. Fitzgerald satirizes the absurd nature of the rich when Mr. Washington tries ‘offering a bribe to God' with a voice immersed in ‘inextinguishable pride'. Ross Posnock, a Marxist writer, praised Fitzgerald in his essay ‘A New World, Material Without Being real' for his presentation of the capitalist society in ‘The Great Gatsby'1. Posnock believed that Fitzgerald had captured the capitalist society's obsession with material wealth and how it leads to people being regarded as little more than object that can be acquired along with capital in order to boost ones social status. Gatsby's vast wardrobe is a ‘heavy defensive wall' consisting of ‘thick silk' and ‘expensive dye' which support the Marxist view of material possessions providing a barrier against hardship which the rich can hide behind. For Gatsby, and many others, material possessions help to protect their status in the same way the ‘invisible cloak' of Gatsby's army uniform had hidden his lower class status when he first met Daisy. In general, the negative portrayal of consumerism in his work has made him very popular with Marxist writers. In conclusion, Fitzgerald uses ‘The Great Gatsby' and ‘The Diamond as Big as Ritz' to highlight the negative elements of wealth and class, whilst particularly emphasising that class roles will never be crossed. Both texts highlight the potential hazards of capitalist societies when one becomes consumed by materialism, placing greater importance on monetary fortune and status than the consequences of their actions. Although Fitzgerald presents both wealth and class in negative lights he reminds the reader that wealth alone does not give way to moral corruption hinting that it is wealth in conjunction with high social class that leads to the decaying of one's moral compass.

Common Graduate School Admissions Essay Topics

Without a doubt, the admissions essay is the most challenging part of the  graduate school application.  Fortunately, many graduate programs provide some guidance by posting specific questions for applicants to answer. However, if you are still in need of ideas for an admissions essay, look no further. Composing the graduate admissions essay will never be easy but considering the range of topics ahead of time may help you in planning an effective essay that aids your graduate school application. Experience and Qualifications Academic Achievements: Discuss your academic background and achievements. Of which are you most proud?Research Experiences: Discuss your work in research as an undergraduate.Internships and Field Experience: Discuss your applied experiences in this field. How have these experiences shaped your career goals?Personal Experience and Philosophy: Write an autobiographical essay. Is there anything in your background that you think would be relevant to your application for admission to graduate school? Describe your life up to now: family, friends, home, school, work, and particularly those experiences most relevant to your interests in psychology. What is your approach to life?Strengths and Weaknesses:   Discuss your personal and academic skills. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. How will these contribute to your success as a graduate student and professional? How do you compensate for your weaknesses? Interests and Goals Immediate Objectives: Why do you plan to attend graduate school? Explain how you expect graduate school will contribute to your career goals. What do you plan to do with your degree?Career Plans: What are your long-term career goals? Where do you see yourself, career-wise, ten years after graduation?Academic Interests: What would you like to study? Describe your academic interests. What areas would you like to research?Match to Faculty: Explain how your research interests match those of the faculty. With whom would you like to work? Who would you choose as your  mentor? Essay Advice Most of your grad school applications will require similar essays, but you not should write a generic essay for all of the programs to which youre applying. Instead, tailor your essay to match each program. This is especially true when describing your research interests and their match to the training provided by the graduate program. Your goal is to show how your interests and abilities fit the program and faculty. Make it clear that you are invested in the program by identifying how your skills and interests match specific faculty in the program as well as the grad programs stated objectives.

Beyond Slavery The Multilayered Legacy Of Africans

In the book Beyond Slavery: The Multilayered Legacy of Africans in Latin America and The Caribbean, editor Darien Davis, primarily examines the history of Africans in Latin America between the 1700s and the 1800s.The four readings in part 1, deal with â€Å"independence, freedom, and national identity and emphasize the place and role of freed and enslaved blacks in the revolutionary wars of independence, republicanism, and the periods of national consolidation† (Davis, 3). The work also aid in the continuing discussion of African experiences in Latin America. The writers in the discussion include David Geggus, Camilla Townsend, Juan Manuel Rosas, and Dario Euraque. In the first chapter, Geggus discusses the Haitian Revolution and how its success impacted both Africans and their Caribbean nations. As Haiti is trying to create a free independent state, the news of its success begins to be heard around the world. Africans, who hear of the revolution, become prideful and inspired to obtain their own freedom. Over time, this leads to them becoming more insolent to their masters, going to courts to assert their freedom, and many former slaves (mostly Haitians) help in revolutions for independence. At the same time, many Africans use legal systems to secure their rights and privileges they feel they rightly deserve. Many other Latin American nations were able to obtain independence before they outlawed slavery. The reason for this was because as Geggus points out, â€Å"independence meantShow MoreRelatedAfrican Slavery And The Slave Trade Essay1795 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Slavery is the legalized economic activity under which people, especially the natives of a land, are treated as property by colonizers like the Spanish. Slavery was a system that lasted for many years before it was abolished and the Africans as well as the Indians went through a lot of suffering upon the hands of their masters. The slaves were meant to perform duties such as cultivation of the plantations, domestic chores and even mining activities and were on the constant watch of

Cloning as Solution to Food Shortages and Needs for New...

With food shortages and needs for new medicine, research, and cures, it’s hard to think that there could ever be a solution to these issues. Cloning could be one of the many solutions to the problems that are afflicting the world as we know it. But that has many people wondering what exactly cloning is, and, more importantly why people do it. Knowing what cloning is, why people do it, and other opinions and feelings about cloning could help us solve these issues. To clone means to create a genetic copy of another organism. Cloning depends on there being two cells, one of a female’s egg, and one from an adult that is intended to be cloned. (Wilmut) There are also a variety of specific types of cloning, but two main general types: reproductive and non-reproductive, also called nuclear transplantation or therapeutic cloning. (â€Å"Cloning†) Nuclear transplantation creates clones in a different way than reproductive cloning does. Nuclear transplantation starts when the cell is taken from the adult, which contains the genome of the organism that is wanted to be cloned. (Cloning: Frequently) An egg is then taken from a female, the nucleus removed, and the cell from the adult is placed into the female’s egg. These two eggs are fused together with an electric current. (Weiss) This causes the egg’s DNA to become that of the subject’s egg. (Cloning: Frequently) The egg is then placed into a test tube and allowed to split there before being placed into the surrogate. (â€Å"Cloning†) TheShow MoreRelatedAnimal Cloning Essay2148 Words   |  9 PagesArgumentative Essay Animal Cloning: Beneficial to Humans Today’s technology develops so quickly that many impossible things become true; the example is cloning technology. Cloning is a process used to create an exact copy of a mammal by using the complete genetic material of a regular body cell. Different from the common propagate, cloning needs only one cell and without sex. 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Interview and Standards Investigation free essay sample

In past years students were forced to learn ATA relatively low cognitive levels, it lack the full meaning social studies that old be transferred into real life situations. It is because of this reason why some many students had very little interest in social studies discipline( 1 Instead of us dwelling on past mistakes made in the teaching of social studies, we are finding the best teaching and learning strategies that will energize social studies teaching, in a effort to restore the respect for teachers and students to the importance subject( Boggier,K.E. 201 1). It is the implementation of state and national standards that has been the key factor in making this occur. This essay will examine the Arizona Social Studies Standards for the 5th grade for thoroughness, clarity, user friendly and comprehensiveness. It will also provide a supported, academic response to the interview conducted with Mr.. Osborne a 5th grade teacher at McCain Elementary, in Compton, California and on how social studies is being taught in todays classrooms. On the Arizona Department of Education website it include five 5th grade history strands that emphasize the American history form the earliest Native American cultures to the Civil War. The standards for 5th grade are extremely thorough. It contains strands of American History, World History, Civic Government, Geography and Economics all of which have a specific concept and objective for students at the 5th grade level. Each of these elements play a key role in social studies education.The thoroughness of the Arizona Standards help teachers to create and plan lesson for the material that is being presented to the students to help them acquire mastery skills for that standard. When examining Arizona Standards all of them are very well-defined for each topic, which makes it easier for the educators to read and understand. This helps to alleviate the stress and frustration and promotes the integration of social studies within other subjects.These strands are broken down even more to explicit languages and demonstrates which other strands are connect to built a deeper understanding. This simple traits makes the standards user friendly. Lastly, the Arizona Standards for Social Studies are very comprehensive. It covers a wide array of information, that help students to develop the ability to make reasonable decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse,democratic society in the interdependent world(Passes 2006). Upon interviewing Mr..Osborne, he states that he has seen many changes in the way schools have elected to teach Social Studies in the 25 years he has been teaching. The most common practice he remembers when is having students cut articles from their local newspaper and write a summary or reading a chapter in the Social Studies textbook,answering the questions, and then a test on Fridays to see what the students learned. He says these were very meaningless activities or busy work, so that teacher could focus on the high stake testing subjects implemented for the UNCLE.It is simply because of hose high stake testing that trends have moved away from having a more constructive teaching, student direct teaching. Some examples of this are skits,poetry, research papers and cooperative learning. (Heather, T. L , P. G,201 2). This is directly the opposite of what they are teaching the new teachers, which may be disastrous when they enter the classrooms for the first time. As time has past Mr.. Osborne saw that Social Studies education Was gradually disappearing from the school curricula.With the help of other education relate personnel and Mr.. Osborne the school have integrate a plan to reach every student at their current level to increase their knowledge and appreciation for Social Studies. Mr. . Osborne does not use a standard textbook, because he says the language in those textbooks are too difficult for the students to grasp the concepts. He using a magazine, that was specifically designed for students. The name of this is USA Studies Weekly. These weekly lesson are written in a kid-friendly language.This helps the students to understand the different events, engage them in meaningful activities and connect the learning to real-life context. At the end of the four Kelly lesson the students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the materials by doing skits,role play, poetry or create a 3-D presentation of the most important facts in that unit(McCall,AY). According to Provokes(2009) , activities like these are more engaging and meaningful to students learning process, instead of the basic reading and answer questions. This gives the student the ability to practice literacy and public speaking.In which these are crucially relevant to the schools because it allow the students to make connection to the social world in school and life ended. The contain souse debate of social studies instruction and teachers accountability it has influenced the way new teacher programs are being structured to provide an effective learning. In recent years, changes have been made because social issues and the dramatic increase of minority in the communities. An example of these changes is primarily due to the large migration of English Language Learners that are entering the school systems.This is a positive change for the social studies education. However, this can overload the teacher and curriculum that is bursting at the seams with orgasm that lack clear purpose (Peace. L. ,2011). This is why the ENACT had embodied that all teacher programs be aligned with professional and ethical standards to prepare teachers to facilitate learning that will enable our students to acquire the knowledge and be productive citizens that can In conclusion, the instruction of social studies has compete in society. Untied to take a back burner role in classrooms,because it is not one of the subjects in the high stakes testing covered under the UNCLE. However, this can change if teachers employ effective teaching strategies, that will help everyone to realize the importance of social studies content at every grade level. This will ultimately help our students to have the knowledge, and understanding to appreciate our diverse culture. References Chapin, June R,(2013) Elementary Social Studies: A practical Guide, 8th Edition, Pearson Inc. Heather, T.L, p. G. (201 2) National Trends in Elementary Instruction: Explored the Role of Social Studies Curricula,Socio DOI 10. 1080/00377996. 2011. 592165 McCall, Ova L (2004) Using poetry in Social Studies Classes to Teach about Cultural Diversity ND Social Justice, Social Studies 95,no 4 172-176, Education Research Complete ERRORS host( accessed Pace, J. L(2011) The Complex and Unequal Impact of on January 10,201 5) High Stakes Accountability on Untested Social Studies,Theory and Research in Social Education,39(1 ),32-60 Passe, J. 2006) New Challenges in Elementary social studies,seal studies(5), 189-192 Provokes, C. R. (2009) Inquiry-Based Planning and Teaching for the 21st Century: Impact of the 5 E Model in Social Studies,Ohio Social Studies Review, 45(1 boggle, K. E. (201 1), Back on the Back burner? Impact of Reducing State -Mandated Social Studies Testing on Elementary Teachers Instruction Journal Of Social Studies Research Interview Notes Wilbur Osborne is a 5th grade teacher at McCain Elementary. He teaches all subjects but does a specialized Social Studies rotation with the other 5th grade teachers.He has been teaching with the district for 25 years and plans to continue in this profession until he retires. 1. Do you use a textbook? If not Why? No, the school does not use textbook to teach Social Studies, We utilize a USA studies weekly magazine, that are from the students perspectives. This allows the material covered to be more relevant to the grade level. We also use the Discovery Education Program that includes interactive videos and computer activities to reinforce the target learning. 2. What is your favorite Social Studies lesson to teach? What activities did you use to provide a meaningful connection to the lesson? My favorite unit to teach in Social Studies is the Ancient American in Reconstruction. All of the 5th grade students participate in developing a AD- reconstruction of an event that occurred during this period. Or the students an create a small mystery skit that students must figure out who or what is the mystery object in history. The students are very engaged in seeing how others portray the same moments in history. . Do you believe that every subject taught in school has some aspect of Social Studies? Yes, I believe that all subject overlap with some elements of other subject taught. For example, in during the lesson, the students where able to connect some facts to science, when thinking about the materials used in creating ships that were used for sailing across the globe. 4. DO you believe that students are more interested now in Social Studies than they were in past years of teaching?

Influences Of Geofrey Chaucher Essays - The Canterbury Tales

Influences of Geofrey Chaucher Of all the prominent Italian writers that influenced Geoffrey Chaucer, Dante and Boccaccio had the greatest impact on his literary works. Though others, such as Petrarch, also influenced Chaucer, none did so to the extent of Dante and Boccaccio (Brewer pg.13). In the fourteenth century, Italy led European culture. The most highly organized cities, the biggest industries, the richest merchants and bankers, the best doctors, the most innovational technicians, the best painters and sculptors, the finest vernacular poets, and the most learned scholars were all Italian (Miller pg.125). Chaucer's trip to Florence had taken him to the right place at the right time, and what he saw in Boccaccio and Boccaccio's mentor, Petrarch, was a major shift in literary history (Pearsall pg.254). Throughout Chaucer's visits to Italy, both Petrarch and Boccaccio were alive. Though it is possible that Chaucer did not know of Boccaccio, it is of the greatest improbability, involving several inconceivable coincidences. The more likely scenario is that Chaucer knew about Boccaccio, possibly even met him, and aware of Boccaccio's achievements, he utilized him as a touchstone (Pearsall pg.282). Chaucer became very prone to model his work on previous literary pieces by Boccaccio. Chaucer wrote the short poem the Falls of Princes, which eventually transformed into The Monk's Tale, by using Boccaccio's De Casibus as a mold. Chaucer modeled The Canterbury Tales and The Legend of Good Women on Boccaccio's Decameron and De Claris Mulierbus, respectively. Chaucer also came across Boccaccio's Il Filostrato, Robert Garay Page 2 basis of his Troilus and Criseyde, and Teseida, basis of The Knight's Tale (Pearsall pg.261). All of Boccaccio's influences occurred in less than a decade and virtually affected all of Chaucer's remaining work. At one time or another practically all of Boccaccio's Italian works have been put forward as sources by Chaucer or influences on him. For years the accepted opinion was that ?Chaucer's greatness would be diminished if Boccaccio were more than one of many negligible influences? (Boitani pg.44). An imitation is not weak unless the poet is weak. Boitani states, ?Originality cannot be measured by the absence of borrowing.? Chaucer's originality shows best in works based on other works, such as the Troilus. Chaucer had to learn to ?be unoriginal? when he substituted Italian for French models (Boitani pg.46). Italy had a peculiar mixture of religious and secular people. Chaucer, however, revealed no interest in this world of international politics, though it must have fed some aspects of his ?scepticism and anti-clericalism? (Pearsall pg.308). The other writer who has a tremendous effect on Chaucer is Dante. Dante, an Italian poet, is regarded to as one of the world's greatest poets. His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is considered to be the most able and eloquent summing up of the moral, religious, and political thoughts of the Middle Ages (Schless pg.3). Both, The Canterbury Tales and The Divine Comedy are considered to be quest epics (Schless pg.31). The main Robert Garay Page 3 discrepancy between these works is that The Divine Comedy consists of one protagonist, whereas Chaucer's work contains thirty-one story tellers. To claim that every pilgrim with his or her tale recapitulates the entire ?Dantean? pilgrimage is absurd. The generally accepted theory is that in their summaries, various pilgrims comment or focus on one or more of the aspects of the ?Dantean? journey (Schless pg.74). A sign in the shift in the ?critical sensibility? is R.A. Shoaf's Dante, Chaucer and the Currency of the Word, which, focusing on the two poets' concern with a poetic language, illustrates that Chaucer was, in his words, ?no mere quoter of virtuoso passages? from The Divine Comedy, but ?a great interpreter of Dante? (Shoaf pg.8). In Chaucer and the Poets, Wetherbee observes, ?Dante is not only a model but a standard by which the quality and seriousness of his own future work may be measured,? (Wetherbee pg.21). It is clear to see that Italian writers had a tremendous influence on the writing style and the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Some might argue that he made a career out of imitating the works of those before him, but Chaucer is a very talented and intellectual poet, and therefore his literary pieces would succeed regardless of the circumstances.