Dreamers versus Workers and Their Humanity Essay

Dreamers versus Workers and Their Humanity - Essay Example The Cherry Orchard illustrates Chekhov's time, when feudalism shifted to capitalism and how it differentiated the dreamers from the workers, although Chekhov did not press judgment on these people, since he also believes that humanity is humanity because they are fraught with weaknesses. Chekhov's time represented the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Russia, which drastically altered the social class structure and contributed to the â€Å"defeat of the cultured elite†. He shows Madame Ranevskaya’s household as the â€Å"passing of the semifeudal existence of Russian landowners on their country estates†. Madame Ranevskaya composes the aging and fading Russian aristocracy, who slips into economic decline after centuries of upholding luxurious lifestyles. Another class emerges, nevertheless, the â€Å"semiliterate, ambitious middle class† that Lopakhin belongs to. Lopakhin has become wealthy because of his hard work, which the aristocrats lacked. He is part of the â€Å"workers† in the play. Lopakhin feels short of being part of the true, new upper class, however. He realises that he can never replace the upper class: â€Å"...you'll find I'm still a peasant down to the marrow of my bones† (Chekhov Act 1). This viewpoint may also be part of Chekhov's belief that the bourgeoisie is a class of its own that cannot fully usurp the ancient charm and sophistication of the former aristocracy. The characters depict Chekhov's idea that dreams are nothing without action. Madame Ranevskaya lives in the same dream that she is still wealthy. She sells her villa to have her daughter Anya go to Paris. Once there, they act as if they remain rich. Anya tells Varya: â€Å"We had dinner at a station; she asked for all the expensive things, and tipped the waiters one rouble each† (Chekhov 1). Instead of living within their means, Madame Ranevskaya continues her former wealthy lifestyle, which economically ruins her. Madame Ra nevskaya also wants to save the orchard from being sold and divided. She is emotionally attached to the orchard, which is why she cannot bear selling it. The cherry trees stood for their aristocrat â€Å"happiness,† a happiness which Chekhov felt when he tended to his own orchard (Vorob'eva 82). Madame Ranevskaya knows that they cannot rely on Gaev, because he is also a dreamer who does act to save the orchard. He wants to save the orchard though, because it stands for their erstwhile affluence. He mentions to Lopakhin that their cherry orchard was once mentioned in the Encyclopaedic Dictionary. The dictionary represents the extinction of aristocracy, who will only be remembered in the pages of history. Varya also dreams of Lopakhin's proposal, but the latter does not feel he deserves Varya. Varya expresses her bitterness to Anya: â€Å"But everybody talks about our marriage, everybody congratulates me, and there's nothing in it at all, it's all like a dream† (Chekhov 1). Indeed, these characters have various dreams that they never act on. Gaev illustrates the futility of dreaming:â€Å"I keep thinking and racking my brains; I have many schemes, a great many, and that really means none.† The play draws the difference between dreaming and realising those dreams. But dreaming is better than having no dreams at all. Chekhov shows that people with no aspirations are more deplorable than those who dream. Yephodov, who earned the nickname of two-and-twenty misfortunes because of his

Gharar in Islamic Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gharar in Islamic Law - Assignment Example Another major contribution of the Islamic banks is that being under supervision of their Shariah Boards they presented a wide range of questions concerning modern business to Shariah Scholars, hence, providing them an opportunity to understand the contemporary business practice and trade but also to evaluate it in the light of Shariah and to find out other alternatives which may be acceptable according to the Islamic principles (Vogel and Samuel, 1998). Islamic Laws Islam is a complete code of life and encompasses everything in life. It influences families as much as international relations and certainly includes all financial matters. It sources are the Quran and the Sunnah and the consensus of the opinion of the great jurists and interpreters of Islamic Law. If none of cited provide guidance on a particular matter then there is qiyas or analogy by which jurists and scholars compare an issue of today with a similar one described in the Quran or Sunnah and draw conclusions from the p rinciples involved (Usmani, 2001). In all mattes of finance, the essence of Islamic law is perhaps based on a verse from the Quran that says â€Å"Do not usurp one another’ possessions†. The object of Islamic finance is to eliminate injustice and exploitation in financial dealings and to create an equitable distribution of wealth by encouraging effort and mutual co operation. It is believed that this, in turn, will increase productivity and goodwill, alleviate economic hostility and inspire all the members of a society with a feeling of having common economic goals (Al-Qardawi, 2001). However, because the law is derived from writings that predate modern life, the interpretations can be difficult. In the finance sector, banks appoint Shariah boards to consider transactions that the bank wishes to engage in and decide whether they meet the Shariah requirements. However, boards in different banks may often come to different conclusions (Obaidullah, 2005). Almost all trans actions entered into by banks are based on legal contracts that conform to local law (or in many cases, English Law) and often add Shariah compliance as an additional requirement. This has not proven to be an easy legal basis for business, although only a few cases have come to the courts, the courts have ruled that only one law can be applied (Ghafoor, 1995). London Rulings Two cases are worth studying a) Islamic Investment Company of Gulf Ltd v Symphony Gems & others (London High Court 13.02.02) b) Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd & others v Shamil Bank of Bahrain EC (Royal Courts of Justice, London 11 & 12 December, 2003) In the later case, the banking expert on Islamic Law and former director, Center of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law on the invitation of the court gave following observations (Usmani, 2001): The precise scope and content of Islamic Law in general, and Islamic banking in particular are marked by a degree of controversy within Islamic world, best exemplified by the fact that the actual practice of Islamic banking differs widely within the Islamic world (Usmani, 2001). In the absence of any agreement on the boundaries of Islamic Banking or indeed on what ought to be the precise ingredients of a Morabaha agreement, it is in practice up to the individual banks to determine the issue. In the absence of any legal prescription as to what does and what does not constitute Islamic banking or finance, most Islamic banks, including those in Bahrain, seek the advice of Islamic Scholars who examine and approve