query: To Kill a Mockingbird is a chivalric romance story.

pos: To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960 . It was immediately successful , winning the Pulitzer Prize , and has become a classic of modern American literature . The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee 's observations of her family , her neighbors and an event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville , Alabama , in 1936 , when she was 10 years old .   The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor , despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality . The narrator 's father , Atticus Finch , has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers . One critic explains the novel 's impact by writing , `` In the twentieth century , To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America , and its protagonist , Atticus Finch , the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism . ''   As a Southern Gothic novel and a Bildungsroman , the primary themes of To Kill a Mockingbird involve racial injustice and the destruction of innocence . Scholars have noted that Lee also addresses issues of class , courage , compassion , and gender roles in the American Deep South . The book is widely taught in schools in the United States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice . Despite its themes , To Kill a Mockingbird has been subject to campaigns for removal from public classrooms , often challenged for its use of racial epithets .   Reaction to the novel varied widely upon publication . Despite the number of copies sold and its widespread use in education , literary analysis of it is sparse . Author Mary McDonough Murphy , who collected individual impressions of To Kill a Mockingbird by several authors and public figures , calls the book `` an astonishing phenomenon '' . In 2006 , British librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one `` every adult should read before they die '' . It was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1962 by director Robert Mulligan , with a screenplay by Horton Foote . Since 1990 , a play based on the novel has been performed annually in Harper Lee 's hometown .   To Kill a Mockingbird was Lee 's only published book until Go Set a Watchman , an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird , was published on July 14 , 2015 . Lee continued to respond to her work 's impact until her death in February 2016 , although she had refused any personal publicity for herself or the novel since 1964 .

neg: Essay of Dramatick Poesie Essay of Dramatic Poesy by John Dryden was published in 1668 . It was probably written during the plague year of 1666 . Dryden takes up the subject that Philip Sidney had set forth in his Defence of Poesie ( 1580 ) and attempts to justify drama as a legitimate form of `` poetry '' comparable to the epic , as well as defend English drama against that of the ancients and the French .   The treatise is a dialogue between four speakers : Eugenius , Crites , Lisideius , and Neander . The four speakers represented , respectively Charles Sackville ( Lord Buchhurst and later sixth Earl of Dorset ) , Sir Robert Howard -LSB- playwright and Dryden 's brother-in-law -RSB- , Sir Charles Sedley ( Edward Malone identified him as Lisideius ) and Dryden himself ( neander means `` new man '' and implies that Dryden , as a respected member of the gentry class , is entitled to join in this dialogue on an equal footing with the three older men who are his social superiors ) . On the day that the English fleet encounters the Dutch at sea near the mouth of the Thames , the four friends take a barge downriver towards the noise from the battle . Rightly concluding , as the noise subsides , that the English have triumphed , they order the bargeman to row them back upriver as they begin a dialogue on the advances made by modern civilization . They agree to measure progress by comparing ancient arts with modern , focusing specifically on the art of drama ( or `` dramatic poesy '' ) . The four men debate a series of three topics : ( 1 ) the relative merit of classical drama ( upheld by Crites ) vs. modern drama ( championed by Eugenius ) ; ( 2 ) whether French drama , as Lisideius maintains , is better than English drama ( supported by Neander , who famously calls Shakespeare `` the greatest soul , ancient or modern '' ) ; and ( 3 ) whether plays in rhyme are an improvement upon blank verse drama -- a proposition that Neander , despite having defended the Elizabethans , now advances against the skeptical Crites ( who also switches from his original position and defends the blank verse tradition of Elizabethan drama ) . Invoking the so-called unities from Aristotle 's Poetics ( as interpreted by Italian and refined by French scholars over the last century ) , the four speakers discuss what makes a play `` a just and lively imitation '' of human nature in action . This definition of a play , supplied by Lisideius/Orrery ( whose rhymed plays had dazzled the court and were a model for the new drama ) , gives the debaters a versatile and richly ambiguous touchstone . To Crites ' argument that the plots of classical drama are more `` just , '' Eugenius can retort that modern plots are more `` lively '' thanks to their variety . Lisideius shows that the French plots carefully preserve Aristotle 's unities of action , place , and time ; Neander replies that English dramatists like Ben Jonson also kept the unities when they wanted to , but that they preferred to develop character and motive . Even Neander 's final argument with Crites over whether rhyme is suitable in drama depends on Aristotle 's Poetics : Neander says that Aristotle demands a verbally artful ( `` lively '' ) imitation of nature , while Crites thinks that dramatic imitation ceases to be `` just '' when it departs from ordinary speech -- i.e. prose or blank verse . A year later , the two brothers-in-law quarreled publicly over this third topic . See Dryden 's `` Defense of An Essay of Dramatic Poesy '' ( 1669 ) , where Dryden tries to persuade the rather literal-minded Howard that audiences expect a play to be an imitation of nature , not a surrogate for nature itself .

neg: Character (arts) A character ( sometimes known as a fictional character ) is a person or other being in a narrative work of art ( such as a novel , play , television series , or film ) . The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person , in which case the distinction of a `` fictional '' versus `` real '' character may be made . Derived from the ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ , the English word dates from the Restoration , although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749 . From this , the sense of `` a part played by an actor '' developed . Character , particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema , involves `` the illusion of being a human person . '' In literature , characters guide readers through their stories , helping them to understand plots and ponder themes . Since the end of the 18th century , the phrase `` in character '' has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor . Since the 19th century , the art of creating characters , as practiced by actors or writers , has been called characterisation .   A character who stands as a representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type . Types include both stock characters and those that are more fully individualised . The characters in Henrik Ibsen 's Hedda Gabler ( 1891 ) and August Strindberg 's Miss Julie ( 1888 ) , for example , are representative of specific positions in the social relations of class and gender , such that the conflicts between the characters reveal ideological conflicts .   The study of a character requires an analysis of its relations with all of the other characters in the work . The individual status of a character is defined through the network of oppositions ( proairetic , pragmatic , linguistic , proxemic ) that it forms with the other characters . The relation between characters and the action of the story shifts historically , often miming shifts in society and its ideas about human individuality , self-determination , and the social order .

neg: Dandy A dandy historically , is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance , refined language , and leisurely hobbies , pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self . A dandy could be a self-made man who strove to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle despite coming from a middle-class background , especially in late 18th - and early 19th-century Britain .   Previous manifestations of the petit-maître ( French for small master ) and the Muscadin have been noted by John C. Prevost , but the modern practice of dandyism first appeared in the revolutionary 1790s , both in London and in Paris . The dandy cultivated cynical reserve , yet to such extremes that novelist George Meredith , himself no dandy , once defined cynicism as `` intellectual dandyism . '' Some took a more benign view ; Thomas Carlyle wrote in Sartor Resartus that a dandy was no more than `` a clothes-wearing man '' . Honoré de Balzac introduced the perfectly worldly and unmoved Henri de Marsay in La fille aux yeux d'or ( 1835 ) , a part of La Comédie Humaine , who fulfils at first the model of a perfect dandy , until an obsessive love-pursuit unravels him in passionate and murderous jealousy .   Charles Baudelaire defined the dandy , in the later `` metaphysical '' phase of dandyism , as one who elevates æsthetics to a living religion , that the dandy 's mere existence reproaches the responsible citizen of the middle class : `` Dandyism in certain respects comes close to spirituality and to stoicism '' and `` These beings have no other status , but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons , of satisfying their passions , of feeling and thinking ... . Dandyism is a form of Romanticism . Contrary to what many thoughtless people seem to believe , dandyism is not even an excessive delight in clothes and material elegance . For the perfect dandy , these things are no more than the symbol of the aristocratic superiority of mind . ''   The linkage of clothing with political protest had become a particularly English characteristic during the 18th century . Given these connotations , dandyism can be seen as a political protest against the levelling of egalitarian principles , often including nostalgic adherence to feudal or pre-industrial values , such as the ideals of `` the perfect gentleman '' or `` the autonomous aristocrat '' . Paradoxically , the dandy required an audience , as Susann Schmid observed in examining the `` successfully marketed lives '' of Oscar Wilde and Lord Byron , who exemplify the dandy 's roles in the public sphere , both as writers and as personae providing sources of gossip and scandal . Nigel Rodgers in The Dandy : Peacock or Enigma ? questions Wilde 's status as a genuine dandy , seeing him as someone who only assumed a dandified stance in passing , not a man dedicated to the exacting ideals of dandyism .

neg: Parzival Parzival is a medieval German romance written by the poet Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German . The poem , commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century , centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival ( Percival in English ) and his long quest for the Holy Grail following his initial failure to achieve it .   Parzival begins with the knightly adventures of Parzival 's father , Gahmuret , his marriage to Herzeloyde ( Middle High German herzeleide , `` heart 's sorrow '' ) , and the birth of Parzival . The story continues as Parzival meets three elegant knights , decides to seek King Arthur , and continues a spiritual and physical search for the Grail . A long section is devoted to Parzival 's friend Gawan and his adventures defending himself from a false murder charge and winning the hand of the maiden Orgeluse . Among the most striking elements of the work are its emphasis on the importance of humility , compassion , sympathy and the quest for spirituality . A major theme in Parzival is love : heroic acts of chivalry are inspired by true love , which is ultimately fulfilled in marriage .  The romance was the most popular vernacular verse narrative in medieval Germany , and continues to be read and translated into modern languages around the world . Wolfram began a prequel , Titurel , which was later continued by another writer , while two full romances were written adapting Wolfram 's story of Loherangrin . Richard Wagner based his famous opera Parsifal , finished in 1882 , on Parzival .

neg: Mac Flecknoe Mac Flecknoe ( full title : Mac Flecknoe ; or , A satyr upon the True-Blew-Protestant Poet , T.S. ) is a verse mock-heroic satire written by John Dryden . It is a direct attack on Thomas Shadwell , another prominent poet of the time . It opens with the lines :   All human things are subject to decay , And when fate summons , monarchs must obeyWritten about 1678 , but not published until 1682 ( see 1682 in poetry ) , `` Mac Flecknoe '' is the outcome of a series of disagreements between Thomas Shadwell and Dryden . Their quarrel blossomed from the following disagreements : `` 1 ) their different estimates of the genius of Ben Jonson , 2 ) the preference of Dryden for comedy of wit and repartee and of Shadwell , the chief disciple of Jonson , for humors comedy , 3 ) a sharp disagreement over the true purpose of comedy , 4 ) contention over the value of rhymed plays , and 5 ) plagiarism . '' Shadwell fancied himself heir to Ben Jonson and to the variety of comedy which the latter had commonly written . Shadwell 's poetry was certainly not of the same standard as Jonson 's , and it is possible that Dryden wearied of Shadwell 's argument that Dryden undervalued Jonson . Shadwell and Dryden were separated not only by literary grounds but also by political ones as Shadwell was a Whig , while Dryden was an outspoken supporter of the Stuart monarchy .   The poem illustrates Shadwell as the heir to a kingdom of poetic dullness , represented by his association with Richard Flecknoe , an earlier poet already satirized by Andrew Marvell and disliked by Dryden , although the poet does not use belittling techniques to satirize him . Multiple allusions in the satire to 17th-century literary works , and to classic Greek and Roman literature , demonstrate Dryden 's complex approach and his mastery over the mock-heroic style .   The poem begins in the tone of an epic masterpiece , presenting Shadwell 's defining characteristic as dullness , just as every epic hero has a defining characteristic : Odysseus 's is cunning ; Achilles 's is wrath ; the hero of Spenser 's The Faerie Queene is of holiness ; whilst Satan in Paradise Lost '' has the defining characteristic of pride . Thus , Dryden subverts the theme of the defining characteristic by giving Shadwell a negative characteristic as his only virtue .  Dryden uses the mock-heroic through his use of the heightened language of the epic to treat the trivial subjects such as poorly written and largely dismissible poetry . The juxtaposition of the lofty style with unexpected nouns such as ` dullness ' provides an ironic contrast and makes the satiric point by the obvious disparity . In this , it works at the verbal level , with the language being carried by compelling rhythm and rhyme .

neg: MacBird! MacBird ! is a 1967 satire by Barbara Garson that superimposed the transferral of power following the Kennedy assassination onto the plot of Shakespeare 's Macbeth .   Thus John F. Kennedy becomes `` John Ken O'Dunc '' , Lyndon Johnson becomes `` MacBird '' , Lady Bird Johnson becomes `` Lady MacBird '' , and so forth . As Macbeth assassinates Duncan , so MacBird is responsible for the assassination of Ken O'Dunc ; and as Macbeth is defeated by Macduff , so MacBird is defeated by Robert Ken O'Dunc ( i.e. Robert Kennedy ) . This action is significantly influenced by the Three Witches , representing Students , Blacks , and Leftists .   In a 2006 Washington Post interview Garson said she was not seriously accusing Johnson of complicity in the Kennedy assassination :   `` People used to ask me then , ` Do you really think Johnson killed Kennedy ? ' '' Garson , now 65 , recalls . `` I never took that seriously . I used to say to people , ` If he did , it 's the least of his crimes . ' It was not what the play was about . The plot was a given . ''   The play parodies sequences from Shakespearean tragedies including Macbeth , Hamlet , and Richard III , albeit with Texas and Boston accents . The action follows MacBird from the 1960 Democratic National Convention , when he becomes John Ken O'Dunc 's Vice-President ( `` Hail , Vice-President thou art ! '' ) , to Ken O'Dunc 's assassination ( at the urging of Lady MacBird ) , to a future Robert Ken O'Dunc victory over MacBird at the 1968 convention .   Macbird ! started out as a short satirical sketch by Garson , a recent graduate of the Berkeley anti-Vietnam war movement . It was developed into a full-length play with help from writer/director Roy Levine ( and Shakespeare ) .   The production , which opened a mere three years after the Kennedy assassination , was quite controversial . It has been said that pressure from local authorities was applied to theaters in New York who were considering it . The Village Gate was the only theater willing to defy this pressure and mount the play . Macbird opened there on February 22 , 1967 , and closed on January 21 , 1968 , after 386 performances .   Roy Levine , who worked with Garson to develop the work from what was essentially a sketch to a full-length play , was the original director of Macbird ! His bold and unique theatrical vision marked the production throughout the run , although , near the end of the almost-complete previews , he was suddenly replaced by Gerald Freedman . Set design was by Clarke Dunham , costumes by Jeanne Button , and lights by Robert Brand . The stage manager was Joel Zwick .   The opening night cast included :   Stacy Keach as MacBird  Rue McClanahan as Lady MacBird ,  Paul Hecht as John Ken O'Dunc  William Devane as Robert Ken O'Dunc  John Pleshette as Ted Ken O'Dunc  John Clark as Earl of Warren  Cleavon Little as Witch 2   The original cast recorded a two-disc album of the text on February 6 , 1967 .  It was released in a boxed set with a copy of the script on the Evergreen label as Evergreen - EVR 004   John Clark left the cast early to marry Lynn Redgrave . Cleavon Little made his professional acting debut in the play . It went on to a long engagement but with a different cast in Los Angeles where ironically the next Kennedy assassination would occur on June 5 , 1968 when Robert Kennedy would be shot to death while running for the Democratic presidential nomination . There was also a `` MacBird ! '' production by San Francisco 's Committee Theater circa 1968 .

neg: Song of the Gargoyle The Song of the Gargoyle is a 1991 book for young readers by Zilpha Keatley Snyder . Set in the middle ages , it tells the story of a young boy named Tymmon who lives with his father Komus , the court jester of Austerneve . When Komus is abducted by an anonymous man with a Black Helmet , thirteen-year-old Tymmon is able to escape Black Helmet and leaves the castle grounds to seek refuge in the Sombrous Forest , a forbidden place occupied by wolves and magical beings . Most wonderfully , Tymmon is adopted by a gargoyle named Troff -- a creature with the loyalty of a dog and the fearsome powers of an enchanted being .   After a season surviving in the forest , Tymmon longs to rescue his father and to find a way to avenge him , as a knight would . But Tymmon is a commoner , and he burns with anger at his father , who threw away a noble heritage to become a lowly jester . Tymmon had to watch his childhood playmate turn away from him to become a squire and train for the knighthood Tymmon can never know .   When Tymmon realizes that Troff can pose as a dog , he and Troff leave the forest together . As they travel , Tymmon sees the poverty and suffering of peasants ravaged by feudalistic greed . In the city he discovers that with his talent for music and joking , inherited from his father , he and Troff can make people happy . Beyond that , performing enables him to communicate with people from all walks of life .   Of Song of the Gargolye , Zilpha Keatley Snyder says , `` High among the periods that inspired my childhood dreamscapes were the middle ages . Not a very specific or historic middle ages , actually , so much as a fantasy world peopled by beautiful princesses and -- most especially -- by noble knights . I especially liked the knights . No doubt due , at least in part , to the fact that they rode horses . ( I was also enamored of cowboys . ) However , when I grew older and less romantic , I began to look at my hardware-clad heroes from a more critical point of view . Knights , I discovered , were often a pretty cruel and bloodthirsty bunch , not to mention ignorant and superstitious ... So when I got around to setting a story in their time , I cast about for a hero or two with a better odor . And the result was Tymmon and his father , Komus . And Troff ? Just another tribute to the memory of various more-or-less miraculous four-legged friends . ''   Category : American children 's novels  Category :1991 American novels

neg: The Pardoner's Tale The Pardoner 's Tale is one of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer . In the order of the Tales , it comes after The Physician 's Tale and before The Shipman 's Tale ; it is prompted by the Host 's desire to hear something positive after that depressing tale . The pardoner initiates his Prologue -- briefly accounting his methods of conning people -- and then proceeds to tell a moral tale .   The tale itself is an extended exemplum . Setting out to kill Death , three young men encounter an Old Man who says that they will find him under a nearby tree . When they arrive they discover a hoard of treasure and decide to stay with it until nightfall and carry it away under cover of darkness . Out of greed , they murder each other . The tale and prologue are primarily concerned with what the Pardoner says is his `` theme '' : Radix malorum est cupiditas ( `` Greed is the root of -LSB- all -RSB- evils '' ) .

neg: The American Senator The American Senator is a novel written in 1875 by Anthony Trollope . Although not one of Trollope 's better-known works , it is notable for its depictions of rural English life and for its many detailed fox hunting scenes . In its anti-heroine , Arabella Trefoil , it presents a scathing but ultimately sympathetic portrayal of a woman who has abandoned virtually all scruples in her quest for a husband . Through the eponymous Senator , Trollope offers comments on the irrational aspects of English life .

neg: Chivalric romance As a literary genre of high culture , romance or chivalric romance is a type of prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe . They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures , often of a knight-errant portrayed as having heroic qualities , who goes on a quest , yet it is `` the emphasis on love and courtly manners distinguishes it from the chanson de geste and other kinds of epic , in which masculine military heroism predominates . '' Popular literature also drew on themes of romance , but with ironic , satiric or burlesque intent . Romances reworked legends , fairy tales , and history to suit the readers ' and hearers ' tastes , but by c. 1600 they were out of fashion , and Miguel de Cervantes famously burlesqued them in his novel Don Quixote . Still , the modern image of `` medieval '' is more influenced by the romance than by any other medieval genre , and the word medieval evokes knights , distressed damsels , dragons , and other romantic tropes .   Originally , romance literature was written in Old French , Anglo-Norman , Occitan , and Provençal , and later in Portuguese , in Castilian , in English , in Italian ( particularly with the Sicilian poetry ) and German . During the early 13th century , romances were increasingly written as prose . In later romances , particularly those of French origin , there is a marked tendency to emphasize themes of courtly love , such as faithfulness in adversity .

neg: Eunuchs in popular culture Eunuchs have appeared many times in popular culture .   The Eunuch , a comedy by Roman playwright Terence .  In The Country Wife , the main character , Mr. Horner , pretends to be a man turned eunuch by impotence caused by syphilis in order to gain access to the bedrooms of married women .  Being proud of not being a eunuch is the subject of the song `` At Least You 're Not a Eunuch '' in the play Life and Death in Jaffna ( The Musical ! ) '' by Edward Cress  Eunuchs appear often as villains in Hong Kong kung fu and wuxia films set in ancient China . For example , the films `` Dragon Inn ( Xin long men ke zhan ) '' , `` Butterfly and Sword ( Xin liu xing hu die jian ) '' , and `` A Touch of Zen ( Hsia nu ) '' all feature a eunuch or a group of eunuchs as the main villain . A popular eunuch villain used in ancient China stories is Eunuch Wei , who is based on a historical figure named Wei Zhongxian . Eunuch villains are usually in charge of powerful political posts , such as being the leader of the East Chamber .  The Queen Salmissra , in David Eddings ' The Belgariad and The Malloreon , is only allowed to be served by eunuchs . Her Chief Eunuch Sadi becomes a principal character in The Malloreon , and is referred to in `` The Prophecy '' as `` The Man who is no Man . ''  The character and narrator Taita in Wilbur Smith 's `` Egyptian '' ( 1991 - ) series of novels is a eunuch ( performed as a punishment while a slave ) .  Bagoas was the eunuch favorite of Alexander the Great ( referenced above ) . Bagoas is the main character and narrator of The Persian Boy , a 1972 historical novel by Mary Renault .  Punk rock band the Descendents wrote a song about a eunuch called `` Eunuch Boy '' , which was on their 1996 comeback album Everything Sucks .  Eunuchs feature prominently in Montesquieu 's 1722 novel Lettres persanes , supposedly about Persian visitors to eighteenth-century France .  Varys , a character in George R. R. Martin 's series A Song of Ice and Fire , later made into the HBO series Game of Thrones , is a eunuch by castration .  A historical mystery series written by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer , beginning in 1999 , details investigations carried out by John , the eunuch Lord Chamberlain to Emperor Justinian I , in and around the sixth-century imperial court in Constantinople .  In the 2006 film One Night With the King , Hadassah 's ( Esther 's ) would-be boyfriend , Jesse , is captured by the Persian empire and castrated .  The 2002 historical science fiction novel The Years of Rice and Salt features many eunuchs in its opening section , including the character Kyu and the historical Chinese admiral Zheng He .  Three best-selling novels by Jason Goodwin , The Janissary Tree , The Snake Stone and The Bellini Card , chronicle the investigations of Yashim Togalu , a Turkish eunuch detective to the Sultan 's royal court , in the Ottoman Empire of the 1830s .  The historical novel Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch , by Christopher Harris ( 2002 Dedalus Books , ISBN 1-903517-03-6 )  The Japanese novel ( and later anime series ) Ai no Kusabi has within their caste system `` Furniture '' , or eunuchs who act as servants to the highest social class . The character Katze was once Furniture , but now works on the black market .  In the Japanese anime Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion ( R2 ) the de facto rulers of the communist Chinese Federation are a group of eight eunuchs called `` High Eunuchs . ''  The character Naboo the Enigma from the British comedy act and television series The Mighty Boosh is a eunuch .  For the greater part of Iain Banks 's 1984 novel The Wasp Factory , the 16-year-old narrator Frank Cauldhame claims to be a eunuch , the result of being savaged by a dog when he was an infant . At the novels climax , Frank discovers that she was in fact born female .  In the TV show Major Dad , a eunuch was in charge of the Security wives of Emir of Katodd .  One of the characters that Voltaire 's Candide meets on his adventures is a eunuch .  The Vampire Eli in John Ajvide Lindqvist 's novel Let The Right One In is a eunuch . However , this detail is not made abundantly clear in the book 's 2008 Film adaptation of the same title .  The Yellow Bastard of the Sin City franchise .  In the Red Dwarf episode `` Quarantine '' , Rimmer is said to have been Alexander the Great 's chief eunuch in a past life .  In the manga `` Red River ( manga ) '' one of the main villains , Urhi , is a eunuch .  The eunuch Manan is a major character in The Tombs of Atuan , the second book from Ursula K. Le Guin 's Earthsea series . The story largely takes place in a large convent where no men are allowed , so a number of other eunuchs are mentioned .  In Robert E. Howard 's short story The Scarlet Citadel , the main antagonist has a eunuch prison guard named Shukeli . It is stated that in him , normal human passions have been replaced by extreme sadism .  In William Shakespeare 's play `` Twelfth Night '' , Viola initially decides to disguise herself as a eunuch named Cesario in order to serve Duke Orsino .  In the 2015 video game The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt , the loyal servant and bookie of head Redanian Intelligence Sigismund Dijkstra is a eunuch , called Happen the Eunuch . He takes care of the Bathhouse in Novigrad , which is open to both sexes .   Category : Topics in popular culture

neg: Ode to a Nightingale `` Ode to a Nightingale '' is a poem by John Keats written either in the garden of the Spaniards Inn , Hampstead , London or , according to Keats ' friend Charles Armitage Brown , under a plum tree in the garden of Keats ' house at Wentworth Place , also in Hampstead . According to Brown , a nightingale had built its nest near the house Keats and Brown shared in the spring of 1819 . Inspired by the bird 's song , Keats composed the poem in one day . It soon became one of his 1819 odes and was first published in Annals of the Fine Arts the following July . The poem is one of the most frequently anthologized in the English language .   `` Ode to a Nightingale '' is a personal poem that describes Keats 's journey into the state of negative capability . The tone of the poem rejects the optimistic pursuit of pleasure found within Keats 's earlier poems and , rather , explores the themes of nature , transience and mortality , the latter being particularly personal to Keats .   The nightingale described within the poem experiences a type of death but does not actually die . Instead , the songbird is capable of living through its song , which is a fate that humans can not expect . The poem ends with an acceptance that pleasure can not last and that death is an inevitable part of life . In the poem , Keats imagines the loss of the physical world and sees himself dead -- as a `` sod '' over which the nightingale sings . The contrast between the immortal nightingale and mortal man sitting in his garden , is made all the more acute by an effort of the imagination . The presence of weather is noticeable in the poem , as spring came early in 1819 , bringing nightingales all over the heath .

neg: Bennet family The Bennet family are a fictional family of dwindling Hertfordshire landed gentry , created by English novelist Jane Austen . The family plays a central role in the novel Pride and Prejudice , since it is the one to which the protagonist , Elizabeth , belongs . The complex relationships between its various members influence the evolution of the plot .   In a society where marriage is the only possible future for a young girl of good family , the presence in the household of five girls to marry with no other advantage than their good looks can only be a source of concern . Yet the Bennet couple do not assume their role as educators : the mother repeatedly makes a spectacle of herself , incapable of realizing that her behaviour is more likely to put off any rich , eligible young man who noticed the oldest and most pretty of her daughters . All the while , the father , an indifferent husband , whose mocking gaze only makes things worse , since he has long-since given up on reining in her behaviour , more intent on ` enjoying the show ' than in correcting her behaviour , and the behaviour of his younger daughters , regardless of how negatively it affects his daughters ' chances of respectable matches .   These girls show very different behaviors according to the education they received or provided themselves : the two eldest daughters , Jane and Elizabeth , show irreproachable conduct and are appreciated by their father , while Mary , less physically attractive , displays intellectual and musical pretensions , and the two youngest are both left almost abandoned to run wild under the sloppy , careless supervision of their ineffectual mother .   Other members of the Bennets staged by Jane Austen are , on the one hand Mrs Bennet 's brother and sister -- Mr. Gardiner and Mrs. Philips , on the other hand the designated heir of Mr. Bennet 's estate , his distant paternal second cousin , the pompous and foolish Mr. William Collins . Mr. Gardiner and Mrs. Philips contribute significantly to the progress and outcome of the story , but at a level and in a different register reflecting their respective social belonging . Collins 's character serves as a link between the gentry of Hertfordshire , to which the Bennets belong , and the large property owners Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy .   The legal , financial or emotional interests that unite or divide the members of the Bennet family allow Jane Austen to build a complex picture of society and to raise a number of societal issues specific to her time , particularly concerning girls ' education and legitimacy of certain behaviors .

neg: Guy Fawkes (novel) Guy Fawkes first appeared as a serial in Bentley 's Miscellany , between January and November 1840 . It was subsequently published as a three-volume set in July 1841 , with illustrations by George Cruikshank . The first of William Harrison Ainsworth 's seven `` Lancashire novels '' , the story is based on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 , an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament . Ainsworth relied heavily on historical documents describing the trial and execution of the conspirators , of whom Fawkes was one , but he also embellished the known facts . He invented the character of Viviana Radcliffe , daughter of the prominent Radcliffe family of Ordsall Hallwho becomes Fawkes 's wifeand introduced supernatural elements into the story , such as the ability of the alchemist , John Dee , to raise the spirits of the dead .   The novel 's themes deal with British politics and history , focusing on the events surrounding the 1605 plot to destroy Parliament . Ainsworth also introduced gothic elements , to add a terrifying component to the work . The novel was very popular , and marked the beginning of Ainsworth 's 40-year career in historical romances , but it was not universally admired . Edgar Allan Poe described the style of writing as `` turgid pretension '' .

neg: Mockingbird (Eminem song) `` Mockingbird '' is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fifth studio album Encore ( 2004 ) . It was released as the fifth single from the album in April 2005 . It peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 , and number four in the United Kingdom . It received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance . `` Mockingbird '' was later included on Eminem 's greatest hits compilation album Curtain Call : The Hits ( 2005 ) .   The song is another that addresses Eminem 's relationship with his daughter Hailie Jade , his adopted daughter Alaina and his relationship with his wife Kim . The single cover features a still from the video with Eminem sitting on the couch . This song was also featured on the 2005 compilation album Now That 's What I Call Music 19 ( U.S. series ) .

neg: With Lee in Virginia, A Story of the American Civil War With Lee in Virginia , A Story of the American Civil War ( 1890 ) is a book by British author G.A. Henty . It was published by Blackie and Son Ltd , London . Henty 's character , Vincent Wingfield , fights for the Confederate States of America , even though he is against slavery . As suggested by the title , he is primarily with the Army of Northern Virginia . Henty 's novel has been cited by some  literary historians as an example of British right-wingers ' sympathy for the Confederate cause ; discussing With Lee in Virginia ,  Jeffrey Richards cites the book as `` significantly pro-Southern '' . Henty defends slavery throughout the  novel , stating although slavery was capable of `` abominable '' cruelty under brutal masters ,  '' . . taken all in all , the negroes on a well-ordered estate , under kind masters , were probably a happier class of people than the laborers upon any estate in Europe . '' At the novel 's end , Henty has the Wingfield family 's  former slaves return and continue working for their former owners :  The negroes , however , for the most part remained steadily working on the estate . A few wandered away , but their places were easily filled ; for the majority of the freed slaves very soon discovered that their lot was a far harder one than it had been before , and that freedom so suddenly given was a curse rather than a blessing to them .  Richards cites the novel as an example of Henty 's belief in the `` incapacity '' of blacks and notes that  With Lee In Virginia argues that `` a system of slavery is acceptable so long as the slave owners treat their slaves decently and humanely '' . Nathaniel Cadle claims With Lee in Virginia 's plot works  to `` romanticize and oversimplify the relationship between white Confederate slave owners and their black chattel . ''   The book has been lauded by the right-wing , Neo-Confederate magazine  Southern Partisan , who described With Lee in Virginia as `` the sort of book Southern Partisan readers ought to pass on to their own sons . The politics of sectional conflict are n't oversimplified , but the bias is one Southern Partisan readers are likely to applaud '' .

neg: Aristopia Aristopia : A Romance-History of the New World is an 1895 utopian novel by Castello Holford , considered the first novel-length alternate history in English ( and among the earliest alternate histories in general ) .   Though part of the major wave utopian and dystopian literature that distinguished the final decades of the nineteenth century , Holford 's book reverses the normal stance of utopian projection : instead of imagining a better society at a future time or in a far-off place , he supposes that the founding of the United States occurred under different conditions and follows its development forward to a superior society in his own day .   In Aristopia ( Greek for `` the best place '' ) , Ralph Morton , an early settler in Virginia , discovers a reef made of solid gold . He cannily uses his wealth to build a planned society , based on the Utopia of Sir Thomas More , with innovations and adaptations of his own . In Aristopia , all the land is owned by the government , and only leased to businesses and private citizens . Large-scale trade is also monoplized by the state , and inherited wealth is limited . Morton welcomes productive refugees from European conflicts -- Huguenots , Irish fugitives from Cromwell 's wars , and northern Italian and Swiss artisans .   The colony prospers , buys more land from the Indians , and spreads westward . Morton dies at the age of 100 ; his descendants and successors carry his policies forward .   The Aristopians support the American Revolution , and on their own initiative conquer Canada . Aristopia comes to dominate the new nation , eventually ruling all of North America north of Mexico .   Holford loads his description of Aristopia with satirical remedies for what he saw as contemporary problems and circumstances . In Aristopian jurisprudence , for example , the Court for Assessing the Value of Abstract Words and Phrases polices the language to prevent abuses ; it is the largest and busiest function in the Palace of Justice .   The English playwright Henry Arthur Jones was taken with the idea of Aristopia , and used it in his own polemical writings , as in his `` The Tax-Wise Men of Aristopia '' and his My Dear Wells .   Holford was not the first writer in English to employ the term `` Aristopia . '' The eighteenth-century freethinker John Fransham ( 1730 -- 1810 ) left a posthumous manuscript titled Memorablilia Classica , which contains a piece called `` The Code of Aristopia , or Scheme for a Perfect Government . ''

neg: The Tale of Two Lovers The Tale of Two Lovers ( Historia de duobus amantibus ) written in 1444 was one of the bestselling books of the fifteenth century , even before its author , Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini , became Pope Pius II . It is one of the earliest examples of an epistolary novel , full of erotic imagery . The first printed edition was published by Ulrich Zel in Cologne between 1467 and 1470 .   The novel is set in Siena , and centres around the love story of Lucretia , a married woman , and Euryalus , one of the men waiting on the Duke of Austria . After an uncertain beginning , in which each is in love but unaware that it is reciprocated , they begin a correspondence , which takes up much of the rest of the novel . Before writing his first love-letter , Euryalus quotes Virgil in defence of his position , Amor vincit omnia et nos cedamus amori ( translated : `` Love conquers all ; let us all yield to love ! '' )   The lovers were identified by some with Kaspar Schlick , the chancellor of Sigismund , Holy Roman Emperor and a daughter of the elder Mariano Sozzini , Aeneas ' law teacher at the University of Siena . This equation of characters is no longer accepted .   The Latin text was edited most recently in 2001 . Translations have been made into several languages , including English .

neg: Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a monarch or other political leader for service to the monarch or country , especially in a military capacity . Historically , in Europe , knighthood was conferred upon mounted warriors . During the High Middle Ages , knighthood was considered a class of lower nobility . By the Late Middle Ages , the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry , a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior . Often , a knight was a vassal who served as a fighter for a lord , with payment in the form of land holdings . The lords trusted the knights , who were skilled in battle on horseback . Since the early modern period , the title of knight is purely honorific , usually bestowed by a monarch , as in the British honours system , often for non-military service to the country . The modern female equivalent in the United Kingdom is Dame .   Historically , the ideals of chivalry were popularized in medieval literature , especially the Matter of Britain and Matter of France , the former based on Geoffrey of Monmouth 's Historia Regum Britanniae ( History of the Kings of Britain ) which introduced the legend of King Arthur , written in the 1130s . Sir Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d'Arthur ( The Death of Arthur ) , written in 1485 , was important in defining the ideal of chivalry , which is essential to the modern concept of the knight , as an elite warrior sworn to uphold the values of faith , loyalty , courage , and honour . Furthermore , Geoffroi de Charny 's `` Book of Chivalry '' expounded upon the importance of Christian faith in every area of a knight 's life . During the Renaissance , the genre of chivalric romance became popular in literature , growing ever more idealistic and eventually giving rise to a new form of realism in literature popularised by Miguel de Cervantes ' Don Quixote . This novel explored the ideals of knighthood and their incongruity with the reality of Cervantes ' world . In the late medieval period , new methods of warfare began to render classical knights in armour obsolete , but the titles remained in many nations .   Some orders of knighthood , such as the Knights Templar , have become the subject of legend ; others have disappeared into obscurity . Today , a number of orders of knighthood continue to exist in several countries , such as the English Order of the Garter , the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim , and the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav . Each of these orders has its own criteria for eligibility , but knighthood is generally granted by a head of state or monarch to selected persons to recognise some meritorious achievement .   Knighthood in the Middle Ages was closely linked with horsemanship ( and especially the joust ) from its origins in the 12th century until its final flowering as a fashion among the high nobility in the Duchy of Burgundy in the 15th century . This linkage is reflected in the etymology of chivalry , cavalier and related terms ( see Etymology section below ) . The special prestige accorded to mounted warriors finds a parallel in the furusiyya in the Muslim world , and the Greek hippeus and Roman eques of classical antiquity .

neg: Roberto Devereux Roberto Devereux ( or Roberto Devereux , ossia Il conte di Essex -LSB- Robert Devereux , or the Earl of Essex -RSB- ) is a tragedia lirica , or tragic opera , by Gaetano Donizetti . Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after François Ancelot 's tragedy Elisabeth d'Angleterre ( 1829 ) , and based as well on the Historie secrete des amours d'Elisabeth et du comte d'Essex ( 1787 ) by Jacques Lescéne des Maisons , although Devereux was the subject of at least two other French plays : Le Comte d'Essex by Thomas Corneille and Le Comte d'Essex by Gauthier de Costes , seigneur de la Calprenède .   The opera is loosely based on the life of Robert Devereux , 2nd Earl of Essex , an influential member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England . The plot of Roberto Devereux was hardly original , mainly derived from Felice Romani 's libretto Il Conte d'Essex of 1833 , originally set by Saverio Mercadante . Romani 's widow charged Cammarano with plagiarism , although the practice of stealing plots was very common between rival Italian opera houses .   It is one of a number of operas by Donizetti which deal with the Tudor period in English history and include Anna Bolena ( named for Henry VIII 's second wife , Anne Boleyn ) , Maria Stuarda ( named for Mary , Queen of Scots ) and Il castello di Kenilworth . The lead female characters of the operas Anna Bolena , Maria Stuarda , and Elisabetta are often referred to as the `` Three Donizetti Queens . '' They earned some degree of fame in the 1970s , when the American soprano Beverly Sills promoted them as a series at New York City Opera .   It has been noted that , `` although the plot plays fast and loose with history , the opera carries its own brand of dramatic conviction '' .


query: Nelson Mandela was Chinese.

pos: Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( -LSB- mænˈdɛlə -RSB- 18 July 1918 -- 5 December 2013 ) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary , politician , and philanthropist , who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 . He was the country 's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election . His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation . Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist , he served as President of the African National Congress ( ANC ) party from 1991 to 1997 .   A Xhosa , Mandela was born in Mvezo to the Thembu royal family . He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of the Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg . There he became involved in anti-colonial and African nationalist politics , joining the ANC in 1943 and co-founding its Youth League in 1944 . After the National Party 's white-only government established apartheid -- a system of racial segregation that privileged whites -- he and the ANC committed themselves to its overthrow . Mandela was appointed President of the ANC 's Transvaal branch , rising to prominence for his involvement in the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People . He was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the 1956 Treason Trial . Influenced by Marxism , he secretly joined the banned South African Communist Party ( SACP ) . Although initially committed to non-violent protest , in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 and led a sabotage campaign against the government . In 1962 , he was arrested for conspiring to overthrow the state and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial .   Mandela served 27 years in prison , initially on Robben Island , and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison . Amid growing domestic and international pressure , and with fears of a racial civil war , President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990 . Mandela and de Klerk negotiated an end to apartheid and organised the 1994 multiracial general election in which Mandela led the ANC to victory and became President . Leading a broad coalition government which promulgated a new constitution , Mandela emphasised reconciliation between the country 's racial groups and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses . Economically , Mandela 's administration retained its predecessor 's liberal framework despite his own socialist beliefs , also introducing measures to encourage land reform , combat poverty , and expand healthcare services . Internationally , he acted as mediator in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial and served as Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999 . He declined a second presidential term and in 1999 was succeeded by his deputy , Thabo Mbeki . Mandela became an elder statesman and focused on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the charitable Nelson Mandela Foundation .   Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life . Although critics on the right denounced him as a communist terrorist and those on the radical left deemed him too eager to negotiate and reconcile with apartheid 's supporters , he gained international acclaim for his activism . Widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice , he received more than 250 honours -- including the Nobel Peace Prize -- and became the subject of a cult of personality . He is held in deep respect within South Africa , where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name , Madiba , and described as the `` Father of the Nation '' .

neg: Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa Nelson Mandela : An International Tribute for a Free South Africa was a music concert that took place on 16 April 1990 at Wembley Stadium , Wembley Park , London , United Kingdom ( UK ) and was broadcast to more than 60 countries . It was held two months after the release of Nelson Mandela from a South African apartheid prison and was regarded by Mandela as an official international reception .

neg: List of schools in Nelson, New Zealand Nelson is a city and unitary authority in the South Island of New Zealand . It contains several city schools .   In New Zealand schools , students begin formal education in Year 1 at the age of five . Year 13 is the final year of secondary education .   State schools are those fully funded by the government and at which no fees for tuition of domestic students ( i.e. New Zealand citizens and permanent residents , and Australian citizens ) can be charged , although a donation is commonly requested . A state integrated school is a former private school with a special character based on a religious or philosophical belief that has been integrated into the state system . State integrated schools charge `` attendance dues '' to cover the building and maintenance of school buildings , which are not owned by the government , but otherwise they like state schools can not charge fees for tuition of domestic students but may request a donation . Private schools charge fees to its students for tuition , as do state and state integrated schools for tuition of international students .   The socioeconomic decile indicates the socioeconomic status of the school 's catchment area . A decile of 1 indicates the school draws from a poor area ; a decile of 10 indicates the school draws from a well-off area . The decile ratings used here come from the Ministry of Education Te Kete Ipurangi website and from the decile change spreadsheet listed in the references . The deciles of all schools were last revised using information from the 2006 Census , and may occasionally change for some schools between Censuses as schools open , close and merge . The roll of each school changes frequently as students start school for the first time , move between schools , and graduate . The rolls given here are those provided by the Ministry of Education are based on figures from The Ministry of Education institution number links to the Te Kete Ipurangi page for each school .

neg: Chinese people in Portugal Chinese people in Portugal ( Chinese : 葡萄牙華人 , Cantonese Yale : pòuh tòuh ngàh wàh yàhn ) form the country 's largest Asian community , but only the twelfth-largest foreign community overall . Despite forming only a small part of the overseas Chinese population in Europe , the Chinese community in Portugal is one of the continent 's oldest due to the country 's colonial and trade history Macau dating back to the 16th century .

neg: David Wang (Australia) David Neng Hwan Wang ( 12 February 1920 -- 1 January 1978 ) , was a Chinese-Australian businessman and the first Chinese-Australian elected to the Melbourne City Council .   Wang was born in Haimen county , Jiangsu province , China , the son of a prosperous peasant farmer , and studied radio communications in Shanghai before entering the military academy in Chongqing ( Chungking ) , ( then the temporary capital of China ) in 1939 . Promoted lieutenant in 1941 , he served in the intelligence section of the general headquarters . Following the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific , he was sent to Australia as a captain with the Chinese military mission .   In Melbourne in 1942 he met Mabel Chen , an Australian-born Chinese , who chose the English name David for him . In 1947 they were married in Singapore , where he opened a business importing woollen goods from Australia . These connections to Australia enabled him to gain a seven-year Australian business residence permit in 1948 , despite the then-official White Australia Policy , which prevented Asian immigration . The permit was issued by the Immigration Minister Arthur Calwell , who became a close friend of the Wang family , despite his lifelong support for White Australia . He opened his furniture business in Little Bourke Street in 1950 .   The business grew rapidly and by the 1960s Wang was a leading businessman and a leader of the Chinese community . The Australian Dictionary of Biography notes :  `` Anticipating a growing taste for oriental wares , they prospered almost immediately , obtaining Chinese goods through a Hong Kong agent , and later importing from Taiwan , Japan , the Philippines , Malaysia , Thailand and the Pacific Islands , and , after 1972 , mainland China . The Wangs largely pioneered the trade in Chinese cane-ware , bamboo blinds , camphorwood chests , and arts and crafts . Fireworks were among their most lucrative earners . In 1962 , wishing to make his first overseas business trip on an Australian passport , David applied for naturalisation six months before he had completed the required fifteen years residence , and succeeded on appeal . He purchased and demolished the Canton Building in Little Bourke Street , erecting in its place a modern emporium , opened in 1964 by Calwell . ''   In 1965 Wang , on the nomination of Calwell ( whose electorate covered the City of Melbourne ) , was appointed one of the first two Chinese-Australian Justices of the Peace in Australia . In 1969 he was elected to the Melbourne City Council , becoming the first Chinese-Australian to win a seat in local government . As a Councillor he led the push for the extension of shopping hours and the establishment of new parks in the city , and worked on the approval of Melbourne 's Chinatown Project .   `` Wang campaigned for election to Melbourne City Council , basing his campaign on revitalising inner-city Melbourne , particularly its night life , and injecting an international flavour into the city . As a leader in the Chinese community he had initiated Melbourne 's Chinatown project in 1960 and in 1970 he revived it as a councillor . The Chinese quarter in Melbourne , centred in Little Bourke Street , had been in decline and Wang believed that its transformation with pagodas , archways and suitable lighting would attract tourists and shoppers , as well as promoting Chinese culture . Chinatown was launched in 1976 . ''  Wang served on many other community bodies and was Foundation Chairman of the Dai Loong Association . In 1975-77 he was chairman of the Chinese Professional and Business Association of Victoria . It was widely expected that he would be elected as Lord Mayor of Melbourne , but his early death from a heart attack prevented this .   `` Having experienced little personal prejudice in the business and professional milieux , -LSB- Wang -RSB- saw his advance as demonstrating the fairness of the Australian people , as distinct from the sometimes overbearing behaviour of the country 's officialdom . Cautious and a gradualist , he condemned examples of racism in public life , welcomed the replacement of the White Australia policy by selective immigration , forecast a multi-racial nation , and supported an Asian immigration quota . In 1977 he described Australia as a cosmopolitan community and endorsed racial integration , including mixed marriages , arguing that the Australian Chinese should serve as a bridge of friendship between the two countries . The tolerance displayed by Australian youth made him optimistic about the future . ''

neg: Singaporean Chinese privilege Singaporean Chinese privilege ( or simply Chinese privilege within Singaporean contexts ) is a term used to describe the societal privileges that Chinese Singaporeans enjoy as compared to non-Chinese Singaporeans by virtue of their race . Similar to how white privilege operates in white-dominated societies , Chinese privilege can manifest as various benefits and advantages that may often go unnoticed by Chinese Singaporeans , such as the prevalence of Mandarin Chinese in the public sphere , access to better educational , political and employment opportunities , and widespread media representation of Chinese people .

neg: Corruption in China Corruption in China post-1949 lies in the `` organizational involution '' of the ruling party , including the Communist Party of China 's policies , institutions , norms , and failure to adapt to a changing environment in the post-Mao era caused by the market liberalization reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping . Like other socialist economies that have undertaken economic reforms , such as post-Soviet Eastern Europe and Central Asia , reform-era China has experienced increasing levels of corruption .   Cadre corruption in China has been subject to significant media attention since Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping announced his Anti-corruption campaign following the 18th National Congress which was held in November 2012 . Despite this high-profile anti-graft drive , in 2014 China was ranked No. 100 in Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index , which is 20 places lower than 2013 , when it ranked No. 80 . According to 2016 results of Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International , China ranks 79th place out of 176 countries . This puts China on par with Algeria and Suriname , and comparable to Armenia , Colombia , Egypt , Gabon , Liberia , Panama , Bolivia , Mexico , Moldova and Niger . China ranked less corrupt than neighbours Myanmar , Vietnam , Laos , North Korea , Russia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Afghanistan , Pakistan and Nepal but more corrupt than neighbours Australia , New Zealand , Singapore , India , Bhutan , Macau , Hong Kong and Mongolia . Means of corruption include graft , bribery , embezzlement , backdoor deals , nepotism , patronage , and statistical falsification .   Public surveys on the mainland since the late 1980s have shown that it is among the top concerns of the general public . According to Yan Sun , Associate Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York , it was corruption , rather than democracy as such , that lay at the root of the social dissatisfaction that led to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 . Corruption undermines the legitimacy of the CPC , adds to economic inequality , undermines the environment , and fuels social unrest .   Since then , corruption has not slowed down as a result of greater economic freedom , but instead has grown more entrenched and severe in its character and scope . Business deals often involve participation in corruption . In popular perception , there are more dishonest CPC officials than honest ones , a reversal of the views held in the first decade of reform of the 1980s . China specialist Minxin Pei argues that failure to contain widespread corruption is among the most serious threats to China 's future economic and political stability . Bribery , kickbacks , theft , and misspending of public funds costs at least three percent of GDP . China , though not a member of the OECD has participated as an observer in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions , see OECD Anti-Bribery Convention .

neg: Chinese Taoist Association Chinese Taoist Association ( CTA ; ) , founded in April 1957 , is the main association of Taoism in the People 's Republic of China . It is recognized as one of the main religious associations in the People 's Republic of China , and is overseen by the State Administration for Religious Affairs . Dozens of regional and local Taoist associations are included in this overarching group , which is encouraged by the government to be a bridge between Chinese Taoists and the government , to encourage a patriotic merger between Taoism and government initiatives . The group also disseminates information on traditional Taoist topics , including forums and conferences . The association was a major sponsor of the 2007 International Forum on the Tao Te Ching . The Chinese Taoist Association advocates the recompensation of losses inflicted on Taoism by the Cultural Revolution . Taoism was banned for several years in the People 's Republic of China during that period .   Taoist practitioners in China are required to register with the Chinese Taoist Association in order to be granted recognition and official protection . The CTA exercises control over religious doctrine and personnel , and dictates the proper interpretation of Taoist doctrine . It also encourages Taoist practitioners to support the Communist Party and the state . For example , a Taoist scripture reading class held by the CTA in November 2010 required participants to `` fervently love the socialist motherland -LSB- and -RSB- uphold the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party . '' The central government of China has supported and encouraged the Association , along with other official religious groups , in promoting the `` harmonious society '' initiative of Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao .

neg: Nelson Mandela: A Biography (1999) Nelson Mandela : A Biography is a biography written by Martin Meredith on Nelson Mandela . The book details Mandela 's early life and major influences on him , his moving to Johannesburg , joining the African National Congress , his imprisonment on Robben Island , and eventually , his Presidency . Also chronicled are the rise and fall of apartheid , the scandals involving Winnie Mandela ( Nelson 's wife ) , and Thabo Mbeki 's term as President . Martina Meredith is known for authoring many books and articles on Africa and the key people within it .

neg: Wang Youcai Wang Youcai ( born June 29 , 1966 ) , an active dissident of the Chinese Government , was one of the supporters of democracy in China and an important student leader in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 . Then a graduate student at the Peking University , he was arrested in 1989 and sentenced to four years in 1991 for `` conspiring to overthrow the Government of China '' .   He was released early , in November 1991 , due to the help of former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker , who visited Beijing in 1991 .   In June 25 , 1998 , he and his colleagues organized the China Democracy Party , which was subsequently banned by the Chinese government . In December 1998 the Chinese government sentenced him to 11 years in prison for subversion . He was released from prison and exiled in 2004 under international political pressure , especially from the United States .   Wang was a visiting scholar at Fairbank Center at Harvard University for one year , and completed his master 's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006 . He is one of the members of the Chinese Constitutional Democratic Transition Research and one of the members of the Coordinative Service Platform of China Democracy Party . On July 15 , 2009 , he became co-advisor of Overseas Supporters ' Association of the China Democracy Party , and later became co-executive associate for Committee of Exiled members of the China Democracy Party on October 10 , 2009 .   He did his Ph.D. research on quark transversity at National Jefferson Laboratory in Newport News , Virginia from June 2007 to June 2010 . He was awarded a Ph.D. degree in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011 . He worked at American Express in New York from February 2011 to January 2013 .

neg: 2010 Nobel Peace Prize The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to imprisoned Chinese human rights activist `` for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China '' . The laureate , once an eminent scholar , was reportedly little-known inside the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) at the time of the award due to official censorship ; he is a veteran of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 , and a co-author of the Charter 08 manifesto for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison on 25 December 2009 . Liu , who was backed by Václav Havel and Desmond Tutu , received the award among a record field of more than 200 nominees .   The decision , while widely praised by foreign intellectuals and politicians , was attacked by the Chinese government and the state media . A number of countries , including Saudi Arabia and Russia , also denounced the award and what they regarded as interference in China 's domestic affairs . Following the announcement , official censorship was applied within China -- on the Internet , television , and in print media . The government strongly denounced the award , and summoned the Norwegian ambassador in Beijing to make a formal protest . The Chinese authorities arrested citizens who attempted to celebrate . Liu 's wife was put under house-arrest before the decision of the Nobel Committee was announced .   Chinese diplomats moved to pressure other countries not to attend the award ceremony , which was scheduled for 10 December . Western missions in Oslo received warning letters from their Chinese counterparts ; the deputy foreign minister also warned countries of `` the consequences '' . In December , the Chinese foreign ministry continued the rhetorical assault , claiming `` more than 100 countries and international organisations -LSB- had -RSB- expressed explicit support of China 's position '' . In the end , 46 countries attended of the 65 invited ( People 's Republic of China and 19 other nations declined invitations ) . China 's official news agency , Xinhua , attacked the West for its `` Cold-War or even colonial mentality '' , and for daring to `` regard themselves as the judge , the teacher -LSB- who -RSB- assume that they can forever distort the fact and block the truth by using political maneuvers . '' Strong rhetoric and denunciations of the West continued from official sources until after the ceremony .   Liu is the first person of Chinese nationality to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize , and the first to be awarded a Nobel Prize of any kind while residing in China . Liu is the third person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while in prison or detention after Germany 's Carl von Ossietzky ( 1935 ) and Burma 's Aung San Suu Kyi ( 1991 ) . As the laureate was absent , Liu 's place on the podium was unoccupied ; Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann read I Have No Enemies , an essay that Liu had written for his trial in December 2009 , in place of the acceptance speech .

neg: Steve Tsang Steve Tsang is a political scientist and historian whose expertise includes politics and governance in China , Taiwan and Hong Kong , the foreign and security policies of China and Taiwan , and peace and security in East Asia .   Born in Hong Kong , Tsang received a B.A. at the University of Hong Kong in 1981 and D.Phil at St Antony 's College , Oxford in 1986 . He is a professor of contemporary Chinese studies at the University of Nottingham , and served as Head of the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham ( 2014 -- 2016 ) and Director of the China Policy Institute ( 2011-2014 ) . In September 2016 , the School of Oriental and African Studies ( SOAS ) announced the appointment of Professor Tsang as Professor of Chinese Studies and the new Director of the SOAS China Institute , effective 1 December 2016 . Before joining the University of Nottingham , he spent his career at the University of Oxford , where among other positions , he served as Director of the Pluscarden Programme for the Study of Global Terrorism and Intelligence ( 2005 -- 2011 ) , Dean of St Antony 's College ( 2002 , 1996 -- 98 ) , Director of the Taiwan Studies Programme ( 2001 -- 2011 ) , Director of the Asian Studies Centre ( 1997 -- 2003 ) , and Director of the Oxford University Hong Kong Project ( 1987 -- 1994 ) .   Tsang is the author of A Modern History of Hong Kong ( 2004 ) , which the last British Hong Kong governor Chris Patten described as `` authoritative and well-researched '' . He is also the author of Governing Hong Kong : Administrative Officers from the 19th Century to the Hand-over of China , 1862-1997 ( London : I.B. Tauris , 2007 ) ; The Cold War 's Odd Couple : The Unintended Partnership between the Republic of China and the United Kingdom , 1950-1958 ( London : I.B. Tauris , 2006 ) ; Hong Kong : An Appointment with China ( London : I.B. Tauris , 1997 ) ; Democracy Shelved : Great Britain , China and Attempts at Constitutional Reform in Hong Kong ( Oxford University Press , 1998 ) . He is the author of numerous articles in refereed journals , including most recently `` Chiang Kai-shek 's ` secret deal ' at Xian and the start of the Sino-Japanese War '' ; `` The U.S. Military and American Commitment to Taiwan 's Security '' ; `` Ma Ying-jeou 's re-election : implications for Taiwan and East Asia '' , and `` Consultative Leninism : China 's new political framework '' .   Tsang is an associate fellow at Chatham House , Associate Editor of Palgrave Communication ( 2014 -- ) , Editor of the Nottingham China Policy Institute Series for Palgrave Macmillan ( 2011 -- ) , and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for several academic journals . He regularly contributes to public debates on issues related to the politics , history , and development of East Asia , particularly China , Hong Kong , and Taiwan . He is a frequent commentator in print media and on television and radio , particularly the BBC , where he has appeared on Newsnight , BBC News at Ten , World News , BBC News , News 24 , The Talk Show , Today , PM , Newshour , What If , and various World Service programmes in English , Mandarin , and Cantonese . His op-ed contributions have appeared in The New York Times , Foreign Policy magazine , Jane 's Intelligence Review , Time , Wall Street Journal , Forbes , South China Morning Post , China Daily , Taipei Times , The Straits Times , The Globe and Mail , Chicago Tribune , and the New Statesman amongst others . He has provided expert opinions to parliamentary committees in the British House of Commons , the European Parliament , and the United States Congress .   His wife is English writer Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang . They studied at Oxford University but did not meet until years later in a seminar on the 1997 Hong Kong Handover .

neg: Chinese Chinese can refer to :  Something of , from , or related to China  Chinese people , people of Chinese nationality , or one of several Chinese ethnicities  Zhonghua minzu , the supra-ethnic Chinese nationality  Han Chinese , the dominant ethnic group in China , Singapore , and Taiwan  List of ethnic groups in China  Ethnic minorities in China , the non-Han Chinese population in China  Overseas Chinese , people of Chinese ancestry who live outside mainland China , Hong Kong , Macau , and Taiwan  Chinese language , a language or family of languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China  Standard Chinese , the standard form of the Chinese ( Mandarin ) language in mainland China , Taiwan and Singapore , and the variety most commonly taught as a foreign language  other varieties of Chinese  Written Chinese , the writing system of China  Chinese cuisine , styles of cooking originating from China  American Chinese cuisine  Chinese Peak ( California ) , a mountain  Chinese Peak ( Idaho ) , a mountain  `` Chinese Gordon '' , a nickname of Charles George Gordon ( 1833 -- 1885 ) , British military commander and administrator

neg: China International Fund China International Fund ( CIF ) is a Chinese-owned group of Hong Kong investors that describes its major businesses as including `` large-scale national reconstruction projects and infrastructure construction in developing countries '' . The CIF and its associated companies in Hong Kong and Singapore invested upwards of $ US 20 billion mainly in unstable African dictatorships . They have made agreements with the Angolan and Guinean governments to explore for various resources in those countries . These agreements will result in billions of dollars of money being invested in the two countries . The Company is under the suspicion of being a state-owned company because `` key personnel have ties to Chinese state-owned enterprises and government agencies . ''

neg: Protest and dissent in China In spite of restrictions on freedom of association and of speech , a wide variety of protests and dissident movements have proliferated in China , particularly in the decades since the death of Mao Zedong . Among the most notable of these were the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Communist Party rule , the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests , which was put down with military force , and the 25 April 1999 demonstration by 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners at Zhongnanhai . Protesters and dissidents in China espouse a wide variety of grievances , including corruption , forced evictions , unpaid wages , human rights abuses , environmental degradation , ethnic protests , petitioning for religious freedom and civil liberties , protests against one-party rule , as well as nationalist protests against foreign countries .   The number of annual protests has grown steadily since the early 1990s , from approximately 8700 `` mass group incidents '' in 1993 to over 87,000 in 2005 . In 2006 , the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences estimated the number of annual mass incidents to exceed 90,000 , and Chinese sociology professor Sun Liping estimated 180,000 incidents in 2010 . Mass incidents are defined broadly as `` planned or impromptu gathering that forms because of internal contradictions '' , and can include public speeches or demonstrations , physical clashes , public airings of grievances , and other group behaviors that are seen as disrupting social stability .   Despite the increase in protests , some scholars have argued that they may not pose an existential threat to Communist Party rule because they lack `` connective tissue ; '' the preponderance of protests in China are aimed at local-level officials , and only a select few dissident movements seek systemic change .

neg: South Africa–Taiwan relations South Africa -- Taiwan relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Taiwan and the Republic of South Africa . Taiwan and South Africa established diplomatic ties in 1949 .   The ties lasted and grew throughout the apartheid-era in South Africa and officially ended in January 1998 when South African President Nelson Mandela recognized the People 's Republic of China . Despite the ending of diplomatic relations , Taiwan and South Africa continue to maintain trade relations .   In the absence of formal diplomatic relations , the two countries now have `` Liaison Offices '' , which serve as de facto embassies . South Africa is now represented in Taipei by the Liaison Office of the Republic of South Africa . Similarly , Taiwan is represented by the Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa in Pretoria . There is also a Taipei Liaison Office in Cape Town .

neg: Mandela's nudibranch Mandela 's nudibranch , Mandelia mirocornata , is a species of sea slug , a dorid nudibranch . It is a marine gastropod mollusc , the only member of the genus Mandelia and the family Mandeliidae . The genus and family name honor Nelson Mandela , the former President of South Africa .

neg: National People's Congress The National People 's Congress ( usually abbreviated NPC ) is the national legislature of the People 's Republic of China . With 2,987 members in 2013 , it is the largest parliamentary body in the world . Under China 's current Constitution , the NPC is structured as a unicameral legislature , with the power to legislate , the power to oversee the operations of the government , and the power to elect the major officers of state . The NPC and the National Committee of the People 's Political Consultative Conference ( CPPCC ) , a consultative body whose members represent various social groups , are the main deliberative bodies of China , and are often referred to as the Lianghui ( Two Assemblies ) .   The NPC is elected for a term of five years . It holds annual sessions every spring , usually lasting from 10 to 14 days , in the Great Hall of the People on the west side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing . The NPC 's sessions are usually timed to occur with the meetings of the CPPCC , and these annual meetings provide an opportunity for the officers of state to review past policies and present future plans to the nation . The fourth session of the 12th NPC was held from March 5 to March 16 , 2016 .   In theory , the NPC is the highest organ of state power in China , and all four PRC constitutions have vested it with great lawmaking powers . However , in practice it usually acts as a rubber stamp for decisions already made by the state 's executive organs and the Communist Party of China . One of its members , Hu Xiaoyan , told the BBC in 2009 that she has no power to help her constituents . She was quoted as saying , `` As a parliamentary representative , I do n't have any real power . '' In 2014 , the participating party pledged to `` unswervingly adhere to the leadership of Chinese Communist Party . '' Since the 1990s , the NPC has become a forum for mediating policy differences between different parts of the Party , the government , and groups of society .

neg: Manchu people The Manchu are an ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name . They are sometimes called `` red-tasseled Manchus '' , a reference to the ornamentation on traditional Manchu hats . The Later Jin ( 1616-1636 ) , and Qing dynasty ( 1636 -- 1912 ) are established by Manchus , who are descended from the Jurchen people who earlier established the Jin dynasty ( 1115 -- 1234 ) in China .   Manchus form the largest branch of the Tungusic peoples and are distributed throughout China , forming the fourth largest ethnic group in the country . They can be found in 31 Chinese provincial regions . They also form the largest minority group in China without an autonomous region . Among them , Liaoning has the largest population and Hebei , Heilongjiang , Jilin , Inner Mongolia and Beijing have over 100,000 Manchu residents . About half of the population live in Liaoning and one-fifth in Hebei . There are a number of Manchu autonomous counties in China , such as Xinbin , Xiuyan , Qinglong , Fengning , Yitong , Qingyuan , Weichang , Kuancheng , Benxi , Kuandian , Huanren , Fengcheng , Beizhen and over 300 Manchu towns and townships .

neg: Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela is a 2005 documentary film about a generation of men , considered terrorists by the U.S. government , who left South Africa to form the African National Congress and spread their message across the world . Filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris focuses on his stepfather Benjamin Pule Leinaeng , who was among the first ANC members to leave South Africa in 1960 .   Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela was met with critical acclaim , winning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for its Stranger Than Fiction category and was aired on PBS as part of its Point of View series in 2006 .

neg: Chinese economic reform The Chinese economic reform refers to the program of economic reforms termed `` Socialism with Chinese characteristics '' in the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) that was started in December 1978 by reformists within the Communist Party of China , led by Deng Xiaoping .   China had one of the world 's largest and most advanced economies prior to the nineteenth century . In the 18th century , Adam Smith claimed China had long been one of the richest , that is , one of the most fertile , best cultivated , most industrious , most prosperous and most urbanized countries in the world . The economy stagnated beginning in the 16th century and even declined in absolute terms in the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century , with a brief recovery in the 1930s .   Economic reforms introducing market principles began in 1978 and were carried out in two stages . The first stage , in the late 1970s and early 1980s , involved the decollectivization of agriculture , the opening up of the country to foreign investment , and permission for entrepreneurs to start businesses . However , most industry remained state-owned . The second stage of reform , in the late 1980s and 1990s , involved the privatization and contracting out of much state-owned industry and the lifting of price controls , protectionist policies , and regulations , although state monopolies in sectors such as banking and petroleum remained . The private sector grew remarkably , accounting for as much as 70 percent of China gross domestic product by 2005 . From 1978 until 2013 , unprecedented growth occurred , with the economy increasing by 9.5 % a year . The conservative Hu-Wen Administration more heavily regulated and controlled the economy after 2005 , reversing some reforms .   The success of China 's economic policies and the manner of their implementation has resulted in immense changes in Chinese society . Large-scale government planning programs alongside market characteristics have greatly decreased poverty , while incomes and income inequality have increased , leading to a backlash led by the New Left . In the academic scene , scholars have debated the reason for the success of the Chinese `` dual-track '' economy , and have compared them to attempts to reform socialism in the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union ; as well as the growth of other developing economies .