Literature

The aim of this report is to establish a suitable site location for a new milk processing plant for Brook House Milk Processors. Several factors abound on the selection of an appropriate location for a milk processing plant. In capturing the market niche, minimizing production cost, accessing raw materials, utilizing infrastructural systems in place, capital equipment facilities advantage, efficient cheap labor and the favorable climatic conditions are important in selecting an appropriate location in order to derive the maximum benefit from the foregoing factors to the company. This research is geared to harness the best location parameters to be considered in selecting the site for the new milk plant. The research is geared to determine if a milk plant located in the countryside will accrue the highest returns to Brook House Milk Processing Company. Further to these, the research will seek to establish if adequate resources are allocated in the area to facilitate an entrepreneurial spirit in order for the community around to benefit from the presence of the milk processing plant.


Nature and Scope of the study

The study is about the investigation of a location of a milk processing plant and it will be conducted in the country side and will cover a vast area in view of establishing the correct site to build the factory. The study will explore literature relevant to the site location of the processing plant examine the factors to be considered in selecting the location and the method of collecting data to be used in the research. The data collection will cover respondents in business premises, schools, residential homes, administration offices, other industries located in the area, farmers, and the general public at random. All respondents in each of the mentioned areas will be crucial in successfully carrying out the exercise to establish the appropriate site location for the milk processing factory. Australia has a high consumption of milk and its products. The various neighborhoods in Australia have become more structured through travel and movements with such tendencies changing from time to time. Such changing trends offer milk product developers and milk marketers in Australia a challenge to decide where to build a milk processing plant in order to take advantage of the emerging trends. The research will cover the country side in studying on these trends and establishing the market needs of milk and its products so that appropriate factors are taken on board to help in mitigating the extensive milk and milk products needs of society with minimal cost in respect to Brook house Milk Processing Company.


Objectives of the study
To determine if the location of a milk processing factory in the countryside is beneficial to Brook House Milk Processors.
To establish if the prevailing climatic conditions are favorable for a milk processing plant.
To find out if the cost of production in the countryside will be minimized due to availability of raw materials and cheap labour.
To ascertain the sustainability level of a huge business venture in the countryside owing to the factors on the ground.
Hypothesis
Alternative Hypothesis
There is a significant benefit of constructing a milk processing plant in the countryside due to reduced cost of operation.
Null Hypothesis
There is no significant benefit of constructing a milk processing plant in the countryside due to reduced cost of operation.


BROOK HOUSE MILK PROCESSING COMPANY
Brook House Milk Processing Company is an Australian company with a 70 Australian and 30 Multinationals shareholding portfolio. The company has three fully fledged factories operating in Australia and in New Zealand supplying its products to the Australian Market, other European countries and overseas. The company is a major contributor to the regions economy. It has several milk collection points and cooling units and its current installed processing capacity is 950,000 litres of milk per day.  Besides milk production, the company is involved in the development and sustenance of the livestock sector through various partnerships with farmers, dairy cooperatives and other stake holders in the industry. Brook House Milk Processing Company has registered a continuous growth of all its subsidiaries by investing in upgrading of its processing capacity with the latest available technology in order to process more milk from the milk vendors and farmers and also to provide the consumers with a reliable supply of the companys products.
In continuing this streak of success that the company has had since inception, a fourth milk processing plant was found necessary to further consolidate its operations and  reduce cost of production due to long distances covered either to deliver milk to the existing factories or to deliver the companys products to its ever growing clientele. This research will be in handy to examine the factors in consideration of the location of the proposed factory and it will help put all circumstances surrounding the establishment of the factory in perspective so that the best decision is reached on the site location.

According to the Australia Dairy Industry Council Journal, (2008), the Australian dairy industry has long recognized that its long term growth and profitability is closely linked to its ability to be world competitive as well as develop and retain global export markets. Brook House Processing Plant in its long term strategy intends to increase its market share both locally and in foreign markets.  The Australian and the global dairy markets are registering a sustained period of demand growth due to the growth in both population and income hence resulting in a change in the dietary patterns of households and new opportunities for dairy products in satisfying this demand.

Due to the current production capacity of Brook House Milk Processors, it has been unable to cope with this unprecedented growth. The company faces a combination of expensive haulage of raw materials to its existing branches for the purpose of production and the different seasonal conditions that affect milk production. The increased input costs, expensive labour and infrastructural issues have had a long standing effect on the companys profitability.  These situations have presented the company with a unique set of challenges and opportunities at the same time. An appropriate action was found necessary to reduce the effects of the prevailing circumstances on the company and take advantage of a resourceful strategic new factory in order to improve the overall performance of the company and exploit the benefits accruing from the location of factory due to reduced cost of production

The farmers who provide milk to the company travel long distances to deliver the milk to the cooling units and transfer of this milk to the main processing plant has always posed a challenge to the company due to vehicle breakdowns and the dilapidated rural roads network. This has caused the company to invest more on heavy duty vehicles and sometimes organize pick up points near the farmers dairies to ensure continuous supply of milk.

New challenges of drought and climatic changes in some parts have had the prices of hay to go up hence affecting the prices of milk from farmers. This has been absorbed by the company without passing the burden to the consumer since there is already stiff competition in the dairy industry.

The increased demand has made it necessary for the company to increase its supply network in order to reach the market and ensure the demand is met with a continuous supply of milk and milk products made by the company so that the consumers build a preference for the products and offer continuous support. 

This research is motivated by the importance of evaluation of the companys growth strategy to ensure continuous market presence in the supply of milk and milk products in light of the prevailing market conditions that necessitates more production but at the minimal cost. Since the rural market demand is on the rise and most raw materials are readily available in the country side, a new factory in the country side will be the solution in reducing the operating costs of Brook House Milk Processing new plant and ensure maximum returns. The government incentives to industries operating in the rural areas will be an advantage that will benefit the creation of the milk processing plant in the country side. The operating costs arising from the poor infrastructural facilities will be eliminated as the factory will be located in an area with an efficient mechanism of accessibility to raw materials and inputs.

The availability of large and cheap tracts of land in the country side will offer room for future expansion and offer space for other activities that can be beneficial to the company at a low acquisition amount. Cheap labour in the countryside will be in handy to reduce the expenses on labour on the sections that are labour intensive. The current limiting capacity of the Brook house processing plant is another motivating factor that makes it necessary for the new plant to be located in an area that has expansion capabilities as well as offer advantage of space in order to increase the amount of products made to meet the growing demand.

The companys Corporate Social Responsibility in partnering with the local communities in sustainable projects like provision of clean water, enhancing security, lighting dark areas, community projects, and community infrastructural development aimed at improving the living standards of the people will better be achieved in the country side which has a great potential for growth.


According to the Australian Government National Land and water resources audit report (2007), the dairy industry is Australias fourth largest agricultural Industry. The other three are grains, beef and horticulture. The report further states that the Australian dairy industry has the assets and on-farm processing and marketing skills to produce more milk and sell more products than at any other time in its history which means that the dairy industry has improved markedly over the years. The proportion of dairy farms with native vegetation has fallen over the years although this varies from region to region. The fall in the proportion of the dairy industry land covered by native vegetation is due to the restructuring of the dairy industry and subsequent contraction or movement of the industry to more productive areas with less native vegetation. The industry is mostly located on productive soils however the intensive nature of dairy production results in substantial inputs in nitrogen and phosphorus. Irrigation induced salinity is considered a threat to the condition of the industrys soil assets in most dairy regions.

Presentation on Opportunities for Investment in the Dairy Industry in Western Australia (Frapple, 2007), brought to the fore the competitive advantage that Western Australia has in the dairy industry. The average dairy farm in Western Australia produces 1.3 million litres per year which translates to an average of 3,561 litres per day. Brook house milk processors can attain this benchmark and surpass it with proper mechanisms in taking advantage of the appropriate location benefits that are in the country side. New Zealand investors have set up new farms with over 1000 cows in each while the successful larger farmers are investing in more land, cows, automated milking, robot calf nurseries and irrigated feed production. Such investments by farmers ensure efficient milk supply to the factory and sustained production is maintained. Both irrigated, and dry land farming systems are successful in High milk quality - low bacterial count, good flavour  colour. Quality is paramount in milk production and the primary quality due to good farming systems is a great benefit to the milk plant that processes the milk. Repeatable and predictable climate in production areas with a low disease status and access to grain and pasture is a good location for a dairy plant because the milk herds will be healthy and will give quality milk. Areas identified for expansion of production and a dairy industry well positioned for

Growth has cost, production and market advantages that will improve the profits of the industry. Brook House Milk processing company can take advantage of such settings in the country side with support from the government which is focused on expanding the dairy industry.

According to Barnett, Robertson and Russell, (2008) the major waste material from processing in the dairy industry is water. The water removed from the milk can contain considerable amounts of organic milk products and minerals while on the other hand cleaning of plant results in caustic wastewater. In these cases the factory must find ways of minimizing the amount of both the organic and inorganic material in the wastewater, and methods of reducing the total volume of wastewater released. These methods involve improved techniques of recovering dissolved material and greater recycling of water. The dairy industry like other industries in New Zealand has come under increasing pressure to improve its environmental performance. The pressures for change in New Zealand have come from changes in environmental legislation, trade negotiations and customers who are concerned about the conditions in which the product they are purchasing is manufactured. A variety of clean water discharges are produced by dairy processing operations. These include storm water, cooling water, condensate (steam and evaporator), and permeates from membrane filters. These clean waters are usually contaminated to various degrees and may require treatment prior to discharge or reuse. Problems with the disposal of wastewater have resulted in attempts to reduce the volume of wastewater and the components of the wastewater. At some sites, water is in short supply and the reuse of water is an attractive option. Brook house Milk processors can adopt some strategies like, minimizing the use of water in the present plants and reusing water where possible without treating it first, treating wastewater to allow its reuse, optimize the use of reused water and design or select the new plant to use less water in order to achieve the optimal water usage in the factories.

Environmental guidelines for the Australian dairy processing industry (1997) journal notes that, poorly treated wastewater with high levels of pollutants caused by poor design, operation or treatment systems, creates major environmental problems when discharged to surface water or land. Such problems include contamination and de-oxygenation of streams and waterways by direct discharge or run-off of inadequately treated wastewater, excessive concentration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in surface and subsurface waters which contributes to excessive growth of plants and algae blooms which makes downstream water unsuitable for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses, land degradation and damage to pastures and crops which in the long-term will lead to damage to soil productivity. The selection of a site for the construction of the new dairy plant for Brook House Milk processors should take into consideration nearby land uses, possible future developments, the volumes and nature of wastes produced and the proposed nature of waste recycling, reuse or disposal. Depending on the proposed waste disposal system, adequate land should be available for treatment of wastewater. Soil types should also be assessed on site to check whether they can provide reasonable drainage and have a good capacity to retain nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter. Soils with textures ranging from medium loams to medium clays are suitable. Sandy soils are not suitable because of the risk of leaching of contaminants into underlying groundwater. Similarly, wastewater should not be applied to heavy clay soils where water logging or surface run-off may occur.

Dairy plants and their associated wastewater treatment plants should not be located on a flood plain and should be a sufficient distance from surface water bodies and wetlands to reduce the risks of contamination caused by run-off or accidental spills. Similarly, wastewater treatment and disposal areas should not be sited above major ground water recharge areas such as gravel or sand beds or fractured rock aquifers. Air modeling studies may be necessary at the design stage for large operations when the buffer distances are close to the recommended minima. Site of the new dairy plant should also consider the need to protect sensitive natural water resources. Thus the new dairy plant should not be sited within 100 metres of surface waters, nor be located on a flood plain or in declared special water supply catchment areas, unless adequate protection of surface and ground waters can be done by the company in order to ensure a clean and safe environment.

Meurer-Grimes, (2010) notes that Australias dairy industry is a significant player in the global dairy trade. Asia plays a particularly important role as the key export market for Australian dairy products, primarily cheese and skim milk powder. An increase in global demand for dairy and drought in several regions with high dairy production have created historic highs in commodity prices for dairy products. The Australian domestic market is dominated by retail sales and branded products. Around 70 per cent of Australias dairy markets are mature markets (Australia and Japan) with higher GDPs, good penetration of health care and ageing populations. Consumers are generally aware of the importance of health and nutrition and prepared to spend on functional foods. Dairy production in Australia has undergone radical change in the last decade and dairy producers continue to adapt after almost a decade of drought conditions. Climate change and the resulting water shortages force the relocation of many farmers into higher rainfall areas or a switch from a pasture-based production system to lot feeding. The demand for more energy efficient production processes forces a continuous review of manufacturing practices for dairy products. Despite the changes to the industry, Australian dairy products are in high demand globally due to their high quality, product consistency, food safety and green and clean image. Brook House Milk Processing Company should strive to satisfy the demands of such diverse markets and consumer populations and continuously create new opportunities in those markets, doing so amidst a radically changing production environment. It should have a mechanism that will ensure a constant review of products and initiate new product ideas and process technologies as well top notch innovation.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, issue 3  (2007),  states that New Zealand accounts for approximately 33 percent of the world trade in dairy products and it also accounts for about 2 percent of world dairy production, but exports more than 95 percent of all its products. This is a stark contrast with the global trend where approximately 95 percent of total milk production is consumed within the country of origin. This means that the local market has been largely ignored which presents Brook House Milk Processors an opportunity to do extensive marketing locally for its products and capture the entire market. Development of functional foods is a growing trend in New Zealands dairy industry, and includes products such as low-fat, high calcium and protein milk, and biomedical and bio-health products, such as colostrums based health supplements. Organic dairy production is growing fast. All these are new ground that the company can break into in diversifying its market stretch. All the above reviews give theoretical and empirical framework in which the study is based on.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
The research design is a conceptual framework within which the research will be conducted and its the blue print for the collection, measurement and analysis of the data to be collected. There is a need for research design in this project in order to facilitate advance planning of data collection methods and analysis techniques to ensure availability of time, staff and other resources. Research design will also be crucial in helping in the organization of ideas and a framework within which the study will be conducted and to look for mistakes and other shortages long in advance before they are done. It will also facilitate smooth production of research within minimum expenditure and maximum value will be realized. The design will give others time for their comments and critical evaluation before the actual research is carried out. This will provide a comprehensive review of the proposed study. The research design for this work will help Brook House Milk processors in determining the importance of the study and provide funds for the research work.

Research Instrument to be used in the study. 
Survey research design will be used in this project. This design method will be used because of the low cost and easy accessibility of information. Conducting accurate and meaningful surveys is one of the most important facets of research. The survey research design is a very valuable tool for assessing opinions and trends. Even on a small scale, judging opinion with carefully designed surveys can dramatically change strategies. In research even with unlimited budget, time and resources, 100 accuracy may not be achieved. Opinions, on all levels, are very fluid and can change on a daily or even hourly basis. Despite this, survey research design is a powerful research tool in obtaining an accurate representation of opinion.

Advantages of the Survey research design.
Survey research design is relatively inexpensive and it is useful in describing the characteristics of a large population. No other method of observation can provide this general capability. They can also be administered from remote locations using mail, email or telephone. Consequently, very large samples are feasible, making the results statistically significant even when analyzing multiple variables. Many questions can be asked about a given topic giving considerable flexibility to the analysis. There is flexibility at the creation phase in deciding how the questions will be administered as face-to-face interviews, by telephone, as group administered written or oral survey, or by electronic means. Standardized questions make measurement more precise by enforcing uniform definitions upon the participants. Standardization ensures that similar data can be collected from groups then interpreted comparatively. In survey research design, high reliability is easy to obtain by presenting all subjects with a standardized stimulus which will greatly eliminate observer subjectivity.

Dis-advantages of the Survey research design.
A methodology relying on standardization forces the researcher to develop questions general enough to be minimally appropriate for all respondents, possibly missing what is most appropriate to many respondents. Surveys are inflexible in that they require the initial study design (the tool and administration of the tool) to remain unchanged throughout the data collection. The researcher must ensure that a large number of the selected sample will reply. It may be hard for participants to recall information or to tell the truth about a controversial question.

To counter the disadvantages focus will be channeled towards developing questions that are appropriate for all the respondents and which will carry the weight of the main context within which the research will be done. The researchers will be asked to stick to the initial study design because this will be the bedrock for the study and it is upon which all the respondents will be required to answer the questionnaire. Researchers will also interview the most willing respondents and the questions will be non-controversial in order to ensure easy capture of information. 

SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
The sample Size is the number of items to be selected to make the sample. Sample size is one of the four inter-related features of a study design that can influence the detection of significant differences, relationships or interactions (Peers, 1996). Target population will be the residents of the target area, dairy farmers, administration officials and businesspersons. The sample size that will be used in the study will be efficient, effective, representative, reliable and flexible to use in covering the vast population of Australias country side. The total sample size to be used is as below
WomenMenChildrenDairy Farmers ClergyAdmin. OfficialsHome OwnersSmall BusinessesMedium BusinessesLarge Businesses
Total number of sample that the study will use is 50.

Sampling Technique
This is the method used to select the items to include in the sample from the population. Stratified sampling technique will be used to select each group of respondents to participate in the study. Stratified sampling is a method of sampling from a population and it is used when the population is heterogeneous, or dissimilar, where certain homogeneous, or similar, sub-populations can be isolated into groups or strata. The sub-populations in the country side vary considerably and each sub-population (stratum) will be sampled independently out of which individual elements will be randomly selected. The main reasons for using this sampling technique are that, dividing the population into distinct, independent strata can enable researchers to draw inferences about specific subgroups that may be lost in a more generalized random sample. Secondly, utilizing a stratified sampling method can lead to more efficient statistical estimates (provided that strata are selected based upon relevance to the criterion in question, instead of availability of the samples). Thirdly, it is sometimes the case that data are more readily available for individual, pre-existing strata within a population than for the overall population in such cases, using a stratified sampling approach will be more convenient than aggregating data across groups. Lastly, since each stratum is treated as an independent population, different sampling approaches can be applied to different strata, potentially enabling researchers to use the approach best suited (or most cost-effective) for each identified subgroup within the population.

The strata will be mutually exclusive. Every element in the population will be assigned to only one stratum. The strata will also be collectively exhaustive as no population element will be excluded. Random or systematic sampling will be applied within each stratum. This will improve the representativeness of the sample by reducing the sampling error.

Advantages and disadvantages of stratified sample technique.
A stratified sample will provide greater precision than a simple random sample of the same size. Because it provides greater precision, a stratified sample will require a smaller sample, which will save money. A stratified sample can guard against an unrepresentative sample (e.g., an all-male sample from a mixed-gender population). We can ensure that we obtain sufficient sample points to support a separate analysis of any subgroup.

The main disadvantage of a stratified sample is that it may require more administrative effort than a simple random sample.  This will be countered by ensuring that the researchers are well equipped to tackle all the variables of the study.

As my research will benefit the entire community with benefits owing to the location of the milk processing plant in their area accruing to every household, I am sure many respondents will want to participate in my research. I expect my response rate to be more than 75.

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES
The techniques that I will use for my data collection include a questionnaire and abstraction from records methods.   I will launch my survey in the month of January and end the survey in the month of April. During this period the farmers will not be very busy as it will be low season in milk production.

Questionnaire Method
I will prepare a list of standard questions to fit the inquiry of this study. The questionnaire will be sent by post to selected institutions in the countryside accompanied by a letter explaining the purpose of the study and a self addressed envelope. The letter will also contain the time period that the questionnaire will be re-posted back. Enumerators also will be used to administer the questionnaire. During the monthly regional dairy farmers group meetings, I will initiate random interviews and the questionnaire will be administered in the various discussion group meetings held by the Australian Dairy Insight.

Advantages of Questionnaire method include the method being good for extensive inquiry as the most critical areas are covered under the set of questions. The respondent has enough time to carefully consider the answers as the questionnaires can be picked within a period of time. The method is free from personal bias.

Disadvantages are that some questionnaires may never reach their intended destination and most people ignore the questionnaire unless there is an incentive. To tackle the disadvantages mentioned the same questionnaire will be given to enumerators who will administer it to a selected number of people, read with the respondent explaining the purpose of the study then give a time duration when they will come back to collect the questionnaire. Using enumerators will ensure extensive inquiry and most of the questionnaires will be filled and collected on time.

Abstraction from records
This technique of data collection will be used to collect secondary data whose main sources will be journals, library books and newspaper commentaries among others. In using this method, attention will be focused on the purpose of the data, how the data was collected, how it was summarized and presented, the accuracy of the data and the interpretation made.

Advantages of abstraction method include Information being cheap to collect as the materials are readily available, it takes less time to get the required information and a large quantity of data is available on the subject of Dairy farming in Australia and its impact on the region and beyond.
Inaccurate responses will be tackled by developing open ended questions which will allow for spontaneous responses.

DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected will undergo four processes in its analysis and I will first check for completeness and validity of the data before analyzing it.
Data editing will be done once the raw data is obtained, where omissions, cancellations, duplications or any errors will be eliminated from the data. Original responses will however not be changed. The data will be checked for accuracy and logged in entering the data into the computer transforming the data and developing and documenting a database structure that integrates the various measures.
Coding of the data will follow as Absolute values or scores will be assigned to some attributes observation or judgments. This is called descriptive statistics which is used to describe the basic features of the data in a study. They will provide simple summaries about the sample and the measures. Together with simple graphics analysis, the descriptive statistics form the basis of virtually every quantitative analysis of data. For Example, the table below shows coding the values and the observations.

Strongly DisagreeDisagreeNeutralAgreeStrongly Agree
Classification of the data will then be done into groups or intervals with similar characteristics. Mass data will be condensed through classification. Tabulation of the data will finally be done where different variables in the data will be put in one frequency table to make it easy to compare and contrast and further to enhance operation of mathematical manipulation.

By using the frequency table, I will examine one data at a time to display the number of responses and the cumulative percentage. By using the frequency table, I can be able to perform an eye-ball check for any obvious data. I will use the bar and pie chart to display data visually. Bar charts will be used for comparison and pie charts will be used to display the percentages.

Timescale
 EMBED MSGraph.Chart.8 s
Resources required.
To complete my research I will need access to Microsoft excel (500.00) Enumerators who will carry out the survey (20,000) and the cost to travel to selected target stations (10,000).

Ethical Considerations.
Various ethical considerations will be considered before commencing on the research.
Respondents will not be forced or coerced to participate in the research study. The process will be on voluntary basis. The respondents have a right to privacy and the researchers will uphold this privacy in the course of carrying out the study. The outcome of the results will be used only to the benefit of Brook house milk processing company. All individual responses from the respondents will be held with strict confidence. All information collected will be destroyed after the objective of the research has been realized and utilized fully.

    The crime rate in Russia since the 1980s has been on the rise. Crime and corruption has manifested itself in various forms in Russia as it indeed has in many other parts of the world. The collapse of communism and the post-perestroika transition has impacted the economic as well as social fabric of Russia. Disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 has left each of the several nations of the federation tottering and struggling hard to reconcile internal strife and cross border hostilities.  Added to this is the menace of rampant corruption, unemployment, poverty and shortage of food. The instability and lack of amenities has pushed many towards crime and corruption. The working classes have been worst affected by this change their accepted way of life and activities have undergone a complete transformation and relating to the new, bizarre way of life often becomes a difficult task.

    Organized crime is lucrative business in Russia today and the propensity of foreigners doing business in Russia to bribe their way through red tape or any other procedural glitches encourages this climate of malfeasance. Transitioning from a command economy to a free market open economy is not easy, particularly when the whole mechanism of governance is inept and not structured to enforce law and order efficiently.  

    The greatest challenge in front of the Russian government is to control terrorism, drugs and arms trafficking, black marketeering and illegal immigrations. The issue of corruption at high levels needs to be dealt with firmly as well. Organized crime, such as the Russian mafia, has penetrated deep into the countrys economy and apathy for crime in the Russian psyche. The tacit support of politicians and bureaucrats to the criminals makes it very hard for such crimes and terrorism to be tackled effectively.  Russia is in the middle of purging itself of these vices and finding a semblance of democracy. The current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, has initiated an anti corruption drive and certain changes in the Interior Ministry including reducing the number of police personnel to be able to enhance the salaries and prevent corruption.    

    Russian literature mirrors the changes that its society has undergone over the past couple of centuries. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the writers felt justified in criticizing the political embargo that the communist party had inflicted on the freedom of expression. The horrors of Stalins rule, the brutal suppression of any voice of dissent and the deportation to Siberian gulags and concentration camps provided rich material for writers to focus on. With the setting in of  the thaw  after Stalins death (Morelli, 261) and later the period of glasnost left the writers in search of a worthy cause to pit their talents against. We can see a decided shift in the kind of literature produced in Russia over the last few decades. The slant is more towards crime fiction and thrillers away from classical literature. People prefer to read avant-garde writers like Peeving, Bakunin, Kerensky and others who are not preoccupied with heavy ideological and thought provoking themes and are experimenting with form, language and styles.

    Russian Writers of the Twentieth Century
    Classical literature produced in twentieth-century Russia had an important role to play in making Russian philosophy, ideology and treatment of human issues popular all over the world. The writings of the Great Russian writers like Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, Pushkin and Turgenev had the power to move people and reform society. Every aspect of human emotion is treated with sensitivity, poise and refinement. Suffering and unrequited love were common themes for novels and works of literary art in Russian literature of yester years. Fyodor Dostoyevsky was in particular fond of exploring suffering as a means of atonement and has used this theme in works such as Notes from Underground and Crime and Punishment. His novel The Brothers Karamazov deals with themes of spirituality, doubt and faith in God and human free will. Christianity and Christian symbolism also find place in the works of Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy.

    Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer considered to be one of the greatest novelists of all times. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent 19th-century Russian life and attitudes. He attempted to depict Russian society realistically and focused on the follies and foibles of man. He also drew a very clear sketch of the Russian peasantry. Like Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy was also preoccupied by Christian symbolism. Even though War and Peace and Anna Karenina are voluminous novels, he also popularized short stories as a medium of artistic expression.

    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was Russias most celebrated short-story writer and playwright.     He introduced the technique of stream-of-consciousness which later became popular in Europe.  His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers. His short stories described, intimately and with self-deprecating humor, the life and times of contemporary Russia.

    The treatment of human suffering as a mechanism of deliverance underwent a subtle change in the twentieth- century literature. It was used more as a tool to express evil as was exhibited by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in his book The Gulag Archipelago. In this massive narration Solzhenitsyn talks about the suffering that prisoners were subjected to in concentration camps and gulags in Stalins Russia. It has an auto-biographical element as Solzhenitsyn uses his own experiences and eye-witness accounts to the horrors perpetrated (Maheshwari). In similar fashion the treatment of unrequited love is dealt with differently in an epistolary novel called Zoo or Letters Not about Love by Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky. As we see that even though some of the themes or broad ideas remain the same the way they have been treated by writers of different eras has undergone substantial change.

    Mechanism of Russian Society as demonstrated in Post Soviet Literature
    Post Soviet era literature has seen the popularity of the short stories and writers like Victor Pelevin, Vladimir Sorokin, Tatyana Tolstoya and Lyudhmila Petrushevskaya have come into prominence. Women writers are also making a decided mark in this field. The other interesting development is the emergence and growth of detective novels and crime thrillers as a popular and accepted genre of literature. Writers like Aleksandra Marinina, Boris Akunin and others have become widely popular (Munin).

    Study of Sorokins Work
    Vladimir Georgievich Sorokin, post-modernist Russian writer and playwright, was part of the Moscow Artists Circle also known as the Moscow Conceptualists. He rebelled against literary traditions and rejected the function of language in symbolic communication. Conceptualists tried to invalidate the role of language by creating  hyper-reality  (a term used by Philosopher Jean Baudrillard) by using objects that did not represent any ideas and used language which did not convey any meaning.

    The Moscow Conceptualists employed several ways of isolating their words from any meaningful context (Kustanovich). Sorokin believed that history, literature and language influenced the thought and expressions of men and did not allow any scope for subjective freedom to appreciate a work of art. To demonstrate this theory, he deliberately obliterated any context and followed the technique of bipartite discourse so that the reader would not have any references to fall back upon and be influenced in his interpretation. Sorokin used language to create  clichs  (Kustanovich), reinforcing his belief that art was representative of only art, and language too was representative of itself alone.

    The Conceptualists did not expect any emotional or ideological response from their readers.  Their purpose was to find an alternative pattern of discourse based on random words and clichs that did not convey meaning and could not be contextualized. Conceptual art and texts constitute a critical reflection of Russian society and explored the Soviet metaphor representative of the society and political conditions during that period in history. The Russian conceptualists took upon themselves the responsibility of interpreting works of art and society by their own standards analysis and explanation of the society and its norms had till then been solely in the domain of the Communist party.  Conceptual art and writing in the Soviet was subjected to strict ideological censorship and more often than not the work of these writers was misinterpreted as political affront and gimmickry. The conceptualists wanted to break away from the shackles of Communist monopoly.

    Sorokins work embodies the main tenets of art in the post-modern era and reduces the role of the author to that of a mere scribe who lays no claim to influence the reader with any kind of logic or method. He was powerfully influenced by the conceptualism practiced in the west and admits that western conceptualism  struck him with the simplicity of its idea of conceptualism.  (Kustanovich) Sorokin is perhaps the most prolific writer who has tried to undermine the principles of conventional Russian literature and free it from the oppressive control of the so called custodians of society. In his imitable style Sorokin creates words, phrases and dialogues that have no communicative purpose. To many Sorokins writing is sacrilegious and utterly profane as he attempts strenuously to undo what centuries of traditional Russian literature had achieved in trying to interpret Russian society in the context of Russian history. His work like that of other conceptual writers is a product of the circumstances that were present in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and the 1980s. The socialist strong arm developed and drew strength from the political climate in the depths of Russian society away from public glare. Russian literature and its creators were able to perpetuate this bias, this leaning towards the socialistic ideology and as a result achieved a great deal of social and political clout. Sorokin rebels against this oppressive system and his work is an attempt to reverse this trend and create a non-representative and truly subjective alternative medium of expression.

    In his novel The Queue (translated from the Russian original, Orcherd), Sorokin has implemented the principles of Conceptualism by introducing discourse loaded with  senseless clichs  (Kustanovich). The Queue is dialectical in its structure, divided into several unconnected fragments of conversation. The first half or more of the book contains snatches of conversations between different people who are forced to spend long hours with each other for a purpose that is unclear with no introduction, explanation or note from the writer. Reminiscent of Becketts Waiting for Godot, it is a commentary on the society and lives of people under the Soviet regime. The unending queue symbolizes the perennial shortage of supplies and the author at no point quite discloses what the purpose of the long wait was. The people have disjointed conversations about the tardiness of the women who were dispensing with the items for sale. The merchandize itself seemed to change from one conversation to the other. At one time folks in the line talk about the cabbages being stale then they talk about buying shoes and then about some article of clothing. So the theme of the conversation keeps shifting and the reader is never sure of the context of the dialogue. The people have been queuing up for two full days without much being achieved. The general atmosphere of frustration can be gleaned from following the trend of the various incoherent dialogues. The reader gets to hear conversations between people in different walks of life for example, there is a conversation between two scientists though quite without context and various caustic comments about the inefficiency of the people dispensing the stuff, derisive remarks about the ineffectiveness and corruption of the police and the uncouthness and aggression of the Georgians etc. Sorokins purpose of exploring the various ways of illustrating rhetoric and dialogue is duly demonstrated in this book. The writer refuses to concede that the motif of the book was to critique Russian society. He seems satisfied in having been able to use clichs and words to communicate a style of discourse divorced from the traditional story telling framework.

    As the reader proceeds through the maze of asynchronous and fragmented conversations the character of Vadik emerges as somewhat central to the scheme. We learn that Vadik seems to be motivating people to shrug off their ennui to pool money and buy vodka which is consumed heartily by the people standing in the queue, an action that leaves him in a drunken state and he has to sleep it off in the middle of a grassy patch. We also discover that Vadik has shared an unsuccessful relationship with a girl called Lena, who ditches him for a more cultured and affluent man. At the end of the book Vadik is able to get what he had been queuing up for through the good offices of Lyudhmila with whom he shares an intimate relationship. Lyudhmila works in a warehouse and is able to procure for Vadik the object of his desire, something the reader remains unaware of till the end.

    Sorokins style is abstract and the use of the deconstructionist technique has earned him the reputation of one who deliberately moves away from the traditional prose writing styles. In his attempt to create an audience who would have the capacity to appreciate an idea or concept without prior references or context, he uses language loosely without a logical flow or obvious interpretations. He is satirical about all conventional norms and sometimes uses monosyllablic structures to convey complete conversations and ideas. Sorokin has even been criticized for writing almost pornographic material, as his writing gets very graphic at times ( Literature in Post-Soviet Time ).

    Sorokin does not overtly criticize Russian society or literature but his writing is subversive in itself. His satirizing of contemporary Russian administration and society serves to discredit them without having to resort to open criticism. However, some of Sorokins work has been banned by the Russian government for being inflammatory. One of his recent works, for instance, can be viewed as political criticism A Day in the Life of an Oprichnik describes a dystopian Russian society in 2028, complete with a Tzar in the Kremlin and a  Great Wall  separating Russia from the rest of the world.

    Victor Pelevin and his Works
    Victor Pelevin won the Russian Little Booker Prize in 1993 for The Blue Lantern and Other Stories, and was featured as one of the  best young novelists  by the New Yorker in 1998. Pelevin, another post-modernist writer from Russia, uses surrealism and ambiguity in a combination of fantasy and glimpses of science fiction to satirize the post modern Russian society. He is influenced by Buddhist philosophy to which he was exposed during his visits to South Korea and finds it liberating (Liukennen  Pesonen).

    In his writing style he employs Kafkaesque techniques to deliberately keep his writing impersonal and give the reader the freedom to interpret the text in their own light. He consciously avoided direct dialogue between the writer and the reader for this same purpose. He was struck as a teenager by the absence of writers rationale which added to the inexplicable theme in Mikhail Bulgakovs The Master and Margarita. One of Pelevins favorite themes is to explore nebulous connection between the living and the dead, a theme that he has used in The Blue Lantern.     This book contains eight short stories which are strange but  entertaining  commentaries on everyday Russian life during the glasnost period ( Annotated Review , 26). Pelevin, like Sorokin, does not concern himself directly with Russian society and its corruption. But through his use of satire, black humor, the Surreal and the Bizarre, Pelevin makes important, critical observations on contemporary Russian society. His preoccupation with death is reflective of the condition of Russian administration and his anxieties over it.
Female Presence in Russian Literature

    Contemporary female writers also have a major role to play in this regard. Most crime and detective fiction in the Russian markets today is written by women (Koromova, 4). Alexandra Marinina, whose real name is Marina Anatolyevna Alekseyeva and who like Soretsky was also in the police, was one of the first female writers of detective novels. She was described as the  Russian Agatha Christie  (Koromova, 4). Marinina too reveals the corrupt side of the Russian police force in her novels, using her personal experience. Cherny Spisok is one novel where she depicts the corruption in the police and in literary circles in Russia.

    Another one of Marininas characters, Anastasia Kamenskaya or  Natsya  is another well-developed character. She is intellectual, effective and yet possesses frailties that make her human. One can easily relate to Natsya as her character and relationships unfold throughout the series of novels (Koromova, 4).

    Marininas novels are marked by an optimist tone which is almost absent in contemporary Russian literature. Even though she describes corruption, crime and often great tragedies, she retains her hopeful outlook on life. Her novels are so popular in Russia that they have been made into successful television series.

    Marina Serova is another name worthy of mention here. Although relatively new on the Russian literary scene, Serovas contribution is significant. She is the first Russian writer to introduce a new type of protagonist the woman super-agent. Her heroines are private eye detectives, body-guards, secret service agents and so on (Koromova, 6). Like in Soretsky, there is an undercurrent of deep patriotism in the depiction of these efficient, professional women and their exploits against crime and corruption in Russia.

    Darya Dontsova is another popular female Russian writer. She has a light, humorous style and uses readers latent desires to flesh out her characters placing them in strategic, despairing  situations, thereby making it easier for the public to identify with them (Koromova, 7). Her unique style of writing the  ironic  detective story, the surprising twists and turns in her plot and her effective characterization make her a popular choice among Russian readers. She manages to comment on the criminal world in a satirical, humorous manner and tries to restore the publics faith in the police force (Koromova, 8).

    Among the more serious women writers, one must mention Maria Arbatova. In her short story  My Name is Woman , Arbatova presents a grim representation of the life women lead in Russia and of the appalling condition of medical facilities there. As she waits for her abortion, the writer is told by a more experienced woman that there was no anesthetic used and that shed be lucky to get a shot of Novocain (Arbatova, 48).

    Arbatova talks not only about the depressing situation of erstwhile Russian society, she also makes subtle comments on Russian literature.

I snapped at people like a soldier just back from the war and read the classics to make the baby an intellectual. The classics turned out to be full of horror stories,  however, and whatever I started reading someone was sure to die in childbirth after a while  (Arbatova, 51).

In these few lines Arbatova manages to show what the present medical facilities for a woman looking for abortion are like, and also that these conditions have prevailed for generations. The classics in Russian literature have also recorded the complete apathy of the government and medical institutions to the plight of women in need of medical help.

    Tatyana Tolstaya is another woman writer of note. In her non-fictional work Pushkins Children, compiled over ten years (Eder, 19), she presents her account of the transformation Russia underwent with the collapse of the  Iron Curtain.  Alma Guillermoprieto describes the work as  spinning fury, emitting words like sparks, enraged, saved from choking on the absurdities she Tolstaya has been called to witness only by the irresistible need to laugh at them  (Guillermoprieto, vii).

    She invests her writing with extreme emotion and a  poetic exactness of image  (Eder, 19). Influences of George Orwells Animal Farm and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World are clear in her dystopic, jaundiced view of Russian society and government. This is especially evident in her novel Slynx, which is written as a collection of tableaus (Eder, 19). Pushkin s Children is an unapologetic, bitter chronicle of life and times during Russias conversion. Tatyana Tolstaya calls Boris Yeltsin  a great Russian dolt , describing him thus

 A president can be gotten rid of only by destroying his country, his house, his people. Yeltsin understood this. And he acted accordingly. His whole book is a confused, inconsistent, incoherent, evasive, but ultimately understandable and even partly truthful story about how he, Yeltsin, rose up against Gorbachev, did battle with him, vanquished him, ravaged his kingdom and deprived him of EVERYTHING. And then became Gorbachev himself. And lost.  (Tolstaya, 143)
Anna Politkovskaya s A Russian Diary is another decisive non-fictional work by a woman author. It was published posthumously in May 2007, after Politkovskaya s murder in October 2006. Politkovskaya was a reporter for Novaya Gazeta, who became a popular face in the media following her report on the second Chechen war. The book is a comprehensive account of the collapse of the Russian government under Putin focusing on the critical period in Russian history of 2003 to 2006. Politkovskaya interviewed and interacted with families who were destroyed because of the siege of Beslan in September 2004 (Reid, 183).

Poignant and grim, the book takes the reader through the ordinary person s take on the disastrous governance of Putin. She suggests a massive movement to change the situation as Reid demonstrates
 Anna Politkovskaya concludes with a more generalised what is to be done Tackle poverty, end the disgraceful neglect of health care provision and the environment (at one point she draws attention to the appallingly low life expectancy in Russia, 58.5 years). Initiate a national campaign against alcoholism and drug addiction. End the war in the North Caucasus. Fix the humiliating social welfare system, which barely allows a person to survive, with no prospect of living a fulfilled and dignified life.
(Reid, 183)

Politkovskaya s own murder is a grim reminder of how repressive the Russian government still is on any person or persons speaking out against it.

Other women writers of note are mentioned in the collection Nine of Russias Foremost Women Writers and include the likes of Olga Slavnikova, Natalaia Smirnova and Lyudhmila Ulitskaya.

    Crime in the Popular Fiction in the 1990s
    In the 1990s, life for the working-class Russian was hard. Falling prey to endless corruption and turmoil, the average man or woman had to struggle to survive. Life as one knew it had changed drastically after the Soviet Union collapsed and the poorer classes were left bewildered and ill at ease with the new clime.  In these harsh times, light and entertaining fiction was a welcome relief from ones daily troubles. Low quality, Russian translations of Western popular fiction invaded the markets (Koromova, 1-2). Cheap popular fiction of this sort gave people a solution to dealing with the new present and presented them with ways of finding success in their professional lives.

    These books often depicted horrific crimes as everyday reality, claiming to show what the present had become. They were not part of high literature but they appealed to people because of their sensationalist, radical views. One of the most prominent writers in this field was Danil Koretsky. Koretsky, who writes even today, is a senior police officer and holds a teaching position at the Police Academy in Rostov. Through his books, Koretsky created the imaginary provincial town of  Tikhodonsk.  A morally aware writer, Koretsky uses experiences from his own life to describe the various kinds of criminals in contemporary Russia starting from the bottom rung of petty criminals and their ilk to more sophisticated ones  (Koromova, 3).

    Through his books Koretsky takes his readers on a tour of these various sorts of criminals. He shows them how bribing the bureaucracy works how the previous generation of thugs work on their own principles that defy Law and the new ones who, being inexperienced of life in jail, operate on their own set of rules.

    Unlike other pulp fiction at this time, Koretsky uses more considered characterization to make his plots effective. In Antikiller for example, his hero Lieutenant-Colonel Korenev, also known as  the Fox  is a man who is deeply troubled in his private as well as professional life his colleagues and superiors being of the corrupt, contemptible sort. Koretsky manages to show us the seedy side of Russian bureaucracy without compromising on the characters integrity. Korenev is a sympathetic character and the readers recognize his yearning for what is correct and his fight against corruption (Koromova, 4).

    Post-Soviet Russian Film
    Early films in Russia were considered mainly as means of propaganda. In the 1920s, film-makers and theorists like Eisenstein used various devices to convey their ideological beliefs through their movies. Eisenstein, for example, made the use of  montage , which are basically a series of shots that are not linked temporally or spatially, but by a latent thread of significance almost an intellectual link. For example, in his film Strike (1925), Eisenstein uses montage of the images of two children playing against the striking workers being attacked by the police to contrast the situation and to highlight a certain loss of innocence and justice. Eisenstein does this repeatedly contrasting the workers with farm animals being slaughtered the attackers with acts of savage destruction all to underline the brutality of what was being done by the Soviet government. Eisenstein considered the purpose of montage and film to be the bearers of radical, Communist ideas. His contemporaries too considered film a means of showing their audience what was right, and pave the way to a brighter future (Beumers, 1).

    But after the Soviet Union s collapse, a disconsolate bleakness set in, leading to the phase of the  chernukha  or  that which is made black.  The new directors offered neither consolation nor an answer to all of Russia s problems. They believed that things were to be despaired at and would remain so. It led to a redefining of the  Russian Idea  (Beumers, 4). Film-makers, writers and artists are trying to break away from the older, false constructions of Russia s history and sense of nationhood. Major changes began once Nikita Mikhalkov was elected the chairman of the Russian Federations  Film-Makers  Union in 1997 (Beumers, 4). Mikhalkov seeks to subsidize the production and distribution of films to recover losses that the film industry began to make because of the  chernukha.  People had begun to prefer lighter material like soap operas instead of the bleak, pessimistic movies that were being made by the Russian film-makers.

    V Dvizhenii or In Motion is a 2002 film made by Filipp Ianovksii dealing with the life and relationships of Sasha Gurev, a successful journalist in Moscow. The movie revolves around Sashas frustrations in friendship and love. He is not on speaking terms with his girlfriend Vera, and consequently has two short affairs with Lena and Olga. Sashas quest for true love and identity is reflective of the larger quest that every Russian caught in this generation is compelled to undergo at some point. Ianovskii also makes profound observations on the artificiality of the visual image. Photographs, the camera, eyes symbols that are traditionally associated with reflecting the truth are shown to be mere tools of deception. In a self-reflexive moment, Ianovskii breaks the 180 degree rule that conventional films adhere to and points out to the viewer that this after all is a movie, and like all the other above-mentioned instruments, is a fallacy. Through the portrayal of Sashas repeated failures in finding true love and the theme of the falsifying eye, Ianovskii indirectly comments upon the decadence that has crept into contemporary Russian society.

    Anna Lawton in her book Imaging Russia 2000 Film and Facts talks about how the collapse of the Soviet Union affected the film industry in Russia. She explains that in the last thousand years of its history Russia had never been a democratic state. Those who expected Russia to turn into a democracy after the union collapsed were inevitably disappointed, because  capitalist democracy  in Russia was not a  natural  state (Lawton, 2). All European influence that was found in Russian art and literature was primarily the work of Peter the Great because of whose forceful westernization of Russia, there grew a generation of Russian intellectuals who had dual personalities. Russian by birth and yet influenced heavily by European ideals. The quest of identity, that is such a recurrent theme in the Russian arts begins again.

    Lawton talks about how contemporary Russian films depict this change and how it affected present-day law and order in Russia. Citing Alexander Zeldovichs Moscow (1999), Lawton claims that several Russian films in the 1990s depict Moscow as the  dehumanizing big city par excellence  (Lawton, 111-112). Shopping malls, glitzy restaurants and casinos, night-clubs all add to this view of Moscow as the new urban, mechanized center.

    Reading Moscows synopsis is an exercise in disbelief. The characters have relationships with two or three people simultaneously, betray each other, get tortured, and even get killed at their own wedding (Lawton, 113). The purpose is not to joke, however. The movie makes a point of how even after the collapse of the union, the legacy of the oppressive Soviet system lingers. The new capitalist system is just as  brutish  and violent. The movies jarring cinematography and ironic soundtrack add to the nightmarish feel of the film. Patriotic Russian songs are used in inappropriate contexts, the scenes are shot against the decadent night lights even the obsessive loose morals of the protagonists is a commentary on contemporary Russian society and its uncontrolled degeneration.

    Another movie, Limita, made by Denis Evstigneev in 1994, also shows Moscow to be an inhuman, unfeeling place. In this movie also violence of the mob and ultimate death of the innocent protagonist is depicted. There is a deeply cynical tone to the movie but the director claims that these cynical, selfish and mercenary youngsters were better than those before who promised the happiness of millions without delivering anything but misery (Lawton, 119).

    Several movies in the 1990s deal with the theme of violence rampant among the Russian youth. Of these films, Luna Park, made in 1992 by Pavel Lungin, is notable. The movie revolves around the activities of a young gang who are dedicated to exterminating  Jews, homosexuals, vagrants and Coca-Cola drinkers  (Lawton, 126). The chilling storyline of violence meets with a happy end however as the two main characters migrate to the Russian Far East in their quest, again, for their true identity and a new life.

    We observe therefore this new brood of intellectual film-makers who use dark humor, satire and literary allusions (like Alexander Khvans Duba Duba which refers to Stanley Kubricks film A Clockwork Orange) to criticize the violence and criminality present in modern Russia, especially in the urban youth. The present-day film-makers are also deeply critical of the corruption and criminality that were rampant in Soviet Russia and seek to rewrite history as they know it. Unlike Eisenstein, they are not driven by ideological motives but a profound need to find the true identity of Russia.    

    A detailed study of post-modern Russian literature and the impact of crime and corruption on it, reveals the emergence of various genres of creativity in the field of art and literature. The most prominent among them is the use of satire. Language is often deconstructed and proved to be quite dysfunctional at times. Not all writers use explicit criticism to highlight the rise of crime and corruption in Russia for instance, Sorokin and Pelevin refer to it in subtle, bizarre ways, allowing the reader to form her own judgment, while writers like Tatyana Tolstaya express themselves in much plainer terms, making no apologies for their criticism of the Russian administration.

    Post-modern Russian fiction is marked by the infiltration of corruption, present in the real world. The deplorable state of administration, health facilities and society in general, have been the target of direct and indirect censure.

    The emergence of women popular writers and detective novels in contemporary Russia is also an interesting aspect of this period of literature. Shaped by various sociological factors, Russia s reading audience is precipitating more and more towards crime fiction, sensationalist writing and thrillers in general. This is a marked deviation from the likes of Tolstoy, Chekhov and Pushkin. Women writers have taken the forefront in catering to this audience and there are a number of prolific female authors who now churn out detective novels and thrillers in great volumes.

The study also reveals that there is a very strong rejection of tradition and conventional ways of writing that is present through most post-modern writers. Writers like Sorokin have emphasized time and again that they want to start off on a clean slate, removing from the public memory, previous literary traditions. They deconstruct language to convey the pure form of their message, stripped of all ideologically-charged lessons. This is at a stark contrast from classical Russian writers who used their political leanings to criticize and influence society. Film-makers like Eisenstein too were guilty of using their political ideologies to influence their art, their audience, and ultimately to try and control society. But Eisenstein and his ilk have found their match in the films of the 1990s which criticize modern Russian society and look to a wider, international audience in an effort to relocate Russian identity.

Post-modernist writers remove all cultural contexts from their work. They want their readers to form their own opinions, interpret their work in their own, unique way without being compelled to take one side against the other. And because it has been translated so widely and profusely, Russian literature has found a huge audience around the world. Russia can no longer remain behind the Iron Curtain, thanks to the efforts of these writers and artists.

Over the years, the name, William Shakespeare has resonated within the four walls of literature as one of the most respected and honored personas in the field of writing comedic and satirical plays. Shakespeare has been considered as a very gifted author and playwright who plotted some of the most interesting story lines that have managed to sustain Shakespeares reputation through the ages. However, there appears to be one major criticism as to how Shakespeare develops issues and predicaments in his stories. In this light, Shakespeare must have had his own intelligent reasons why he opted for such treatments for his comedies. This claim shall serve as the main focus of this discussion. The thesis of this paper shall delve on the discussion of reasons why Shakespeare had issues and difficulties in ending his comedies. Possible reasons could be because Shakespeares vision has been constrained, controlled, limited, affected and influenced by other considerations like audience, comedy structure requirements and demands which impacted the individualities of his characters and as well as the storyline in the end. This claim was asserted through the analysis of the critical approaches focused on gender and cultural context. Thus, although it has been easily presumed that Shakespeare holds a particular penchant for unlikely endings as a manifestation for mere futility, this discussion shall substantiate that this feature in Shakespearean works was actually shaped by the different norms and ways of his society during the sixteenth century.

Sudden Change and Turn of Events in Shakespearean Endings
Shakespeare has definitely been successful in establishing his own name as a master is satirical and comedic plays (Dobson and Wells 160). However, although this has been true over the years, critical scrutiny of his works shows that there is something lacking and short as to his literary style. Shakespearean endings have been seen to present some evident flaws.

Change has been a very common feature in most of Shakespeares works. Based from different critical scrutiny on Shakespearean plays, it can be observed that the presence of change in these works is a mere product of the conflict. Schumacher notes,

Another common characteristic of Shakespeares plays  one that is a result of conflict  is the main characters are somehow changed. They are different at the end than they were in the beginning, having learned something, suffered a great loss, made an important decision, or fallen in love, just to name a few examples. (60)   

A lot of critics and readers alike have already noted that in most of Shakespeares comedies, there appears to be a trend involving Shakespeares characters being ensnared in a situation. As it was observed, the crisis and problem seems to be becoming more and more complex as the story progresses, the problem appearing to be unsolvable as the story moves along. It is a condition that would be followed by an unexpected twist in events  magical or otherwise  that seem to surprisingly lend a solution to the problem and provide the ending to the story. The ending may not be unimaginable but is nonetheless totally surprising to have ever have happened, even inside the context of fiction. This merits an analysis of this particular complexity and condition in several of his plays. Evidently, this gives readers a hint that something is missing. Between the cause of the conflict and the resolution, there has to be something, an event, a persona, a decision or a phenomenon which led to the final conclusion and resolution of the story. However, in most of Shakespeares works, this part is somewhat imperceivable. This entails, that there is an evident flaw in Shakespeares authorship.

    Although it cannot be dined that Shakespearean endings hold a strong sense of recall as most of it were perceived memorable, some of Shakespeares selected comedies nonetheless appear problematic as they feature complex plots leading to a surprising and quite unlikely endings. In Twelfth Night, the complexity is found in the problem of mistaken identity. Shakespeare conveniently ends the story with the marriages of Viola and Orsino and Sebastian with Olivia. According to Schumacher, the comedies of Shakespeare is often resolved with weddings at the end (Schumacher 81), without clearly explaining how the people managed to handle the situation and made sense of the confusion. There are strong feelings involved among individuals who, in the end, reveal themselves as someone entirely different from who they were perceived by other people the whole time. It is strange and unbelievable that Orsinos affection for Olivia suddenly disappears and was directed to Viola who deceived him all along. Orsino, at least, should have been subjected to personal confusion and could have not come to a decision such as marrying Viola in such a short period of time. However, this never happened. Instead, the readers imaginations and thoughts are suddenly shifted into a conclusion without having to go through the meticulous process of resolution. The same analysis goes for the emotions of the other characters.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona has always been a favorite piece in school plays. Its distinct and interesting plot has earned itself and its author some sense of prestige which lasted through the ages. However, just like the Twelfth Night, the Two Gentlemen in Verona still appears problematic to some critics as it involves seemingly conflicting features such as the theme versus the ending. In Two Gentlemen of Verona, there again is the concept of hidden identity and patriarchal rule in marriage. The surprising and unbelievable turn of events in the ending is on how Proteus quickly jumped from one emotion to the next and still be considered as a genuine feeling of affection. Moreover, Valentine easily forgave the person who betrayed him and tried to rape the woman he cared for. Apparently, this appears completely absurd. Silvias father who was quickly convinced that his daughter should marry Valentine after showing boldness in threatening to kill the person he originally approved to marry. It was surprising how easily it came to a resolution at the end after the characters display a set of surprising and uncharacteristic disposition considering what has just happened to them and what they discovered about the others. In fact, the ending of The Two Gentlemen of Verona and its weakness is considered by analysts as symbolic of the common weakness of Shakespeare when it comes to ending his comedies (Harbage 118).

In A Midsummer Nights Dream, it appears that Shakespeares ending is questionable in many ways (Lee 139). The conflict here is the interlocking interests of the people involving love and material possession. Oberon could have attained anything he wanted with the elixir or potion. The question is why hadnt he used it many times before to manipulate his wife It cannot be helped but wonder why Shakespeare would go to the extent of pulling in so many characters in a very complex and conflicting situation to teach a lesson when everything can be remedied by magic in the end, without regard for moral values. The conflict is complex and there appears to be no justification done to this intertwined plot when all that was needed was a scheming fairy god and his elixir. Here, it appears that this was what was most convenient for Shakespeare  the use of magic. This makes the ending of the story unbelievable and even surprising, not to mention satisfying in hindsight. It seems that Shakespeare seems to find it difficult to identify a strong positive characteristic in his male characters to use for a more positive resolution of the conflict. This is because of how he designed his male characters  scheming and self centered, from Oberon to Egeus to Lysander to Demetrius.

Shakespeare, and his use of comedy, directs him to a basic and simple storyline and plot. However, within such plots, Shakespeare creates characters that are complex beings living in an equally complex situation and trapped in an equally problematic predicament. How can a collection of scheming, madly in love, obsessed and desperate individuals come together for an amicable resolution that is fair to everyone when this was something that none of them actively pursues since they are all after their own interests How can something this complex end with something simple and still appear to be acceptable in the view of critical observers 

    Shakespeare has the tendency to make characters complex, based on their intentions, on what they wanted to do and what they did and on their personal background This was seen in the key and supporting characters in Two Gentlemen of Verona, in A Midsummer Nights Dream, in Twelfth Night and in the comedies Alls Well That Ends Well and Comedy of Errors. Shakespeare has the penchant to explore and present extra complicated human situations but wants to resolve the resulting issues and conflicts with very simple turn of events that is often considered as highly improbable and unbelievable.

Lindsey and Cerasano, who wrote a book regarding drama in the medieval England, explained that some of the analysts and critics working on and studying Shakespearean comedy considers the collection as reflective of the variety present and found in the collection that separates one from the other (Pitcher, Lindsey and Cerasano 274). It is about the presence of what they call as kaleidoscopic variety (Pitcher, Lindsey and Cerasano 274). The works of Shakespeare are characterized by complex happy confusion of characters, genres and contrasting styles (Pitcher, Lindsey and Cerasano 274). Part of the comedies that were analyzed allowing the creation of such conclusion included the dream-land themed A Midsummer Nights Dream, character and identity confusion-laced stories Twelfth Night and Much Ado about Nothing and the politically charged story As You like It. These are all prominent Shakespearean comedy.

After careful analysis of the endings to some of his plays and the establishment of the argument that such endings can be considered as unbelievable and surprising, it is important to ask why the case here. The exploration of the possible reasons as to why Shakespeare was stranded or stuck in this problem merits several different possible inter-connected ideas. This includes (1) the investigation of Shakespeares position and perspective as a writer, including his writing styles and writing tendencies. For an instance, the constant focus on pursuing love, the use of another identity or the presence of mistaken identity and the surprising and unexpected resulting love story. (2) The role of his characters and how they were developed and attributed with several different characters and the impact of plot and conflict in attaining the end and resolution (story-centric).

Fraser offered an excellent insight regarding Shakespeare and his pursuit of happy endings for his comedies. The author explains that the weaknesses of his characters make it impossible or difficult for Shakespeare to achieve a happy ending, and thus makes it difficult for him to create the ending as well (Fraser 134). Lastly, there is also the factor regarding the impact of socio-cultural expectations and conditions that shape how stories in general were created and presented (socialcultural-centric).
The formula and structure for comedy has a role in this particular difficulty of Shakespeare in ending his comedy works and how he comes up with unexpected solutions to his conflicts. Comedies demand a happy ending regardless of the complexities of the lives of the characters in the story. Shakespeare simply tried to accomplish that happy ending even when the outcome and the circumstances resulting from the unfolding of issues and problems make the happy ending improbable and highly unlikely. This is the case in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Nights Dream and Twelfth Night. Somehow, Shakespeare would make sure that the highly unlikely circumstances will be paired with the highly unlikely reactions of characters to the situation that guarantees the happy ending and the following of the comedy structure for Shakespeare.

Apparently, there indeed is a peculiar unpredictability in Shakespeares endings. Although a lot of people saw this on the positive note, a lot of critics  as what can be observed in the discussion above  have nonetheless pinpointed this as a weak aspect of Shakespeares authorship. As what Schumacher said, this tendency to commit sudden twists in the plot tends to sacrifice the value of conflicts as well as the impact of the climaxes of the stories. Evidently, this signified a great loop hole in terms of Shakespeares authorship. However, aside from these predicaments in terms of plot changes, Shakespeares characters were also bombarded with criticism over the years.

The Role of Gender Shakespearean Endings   
Because of the abovementioned inclination towards unusual and quite unpredictable endings, Shakespeares works were seen to be flawed under some standards and conventions in literature. Unlike most works, his endings usually veer away from the observed flow of conflicts. However, this was not the only feature in Shakespearean works that was seen to possess some level of predicament. His women characters are just as severely flawed. Despite the complexities of his characters, Shakespeare in the end finds it difficult to reach a good ending and conclusion. Making the situation of flawed women worse and complicated are the presence of  men who are often caught trying to fix the situation and how the people look at them in lieu of the mistake and confusion made, only to find out later that it was not enough. Even when the confusion is sorted out in the end the men are already burdened with a bruised ego. He was made a fool and was rendered funny during a particular event in the story, something that he is powerless to change or rectify for what it is and what it should have been.

The problem in the stories like Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Nights Dream as well as in Comedy of Errors are the male characters who are ensnared in confusion that made them act funny along the way and robbed them of any chance to vindicate themselves and remove the image of them as being funny, but fail in the end. Whether or not this was done consciously as part of the concept of comedy, or if this was a subtle way to communicate messages on gender roles and feminism, the only sure thing is that in the comedies, men are responsible for making themselves look and act funny.

    In Alls Well That Ends Well, the conflict resulting from Bertrams being forced into marriage into a woman he does not approve of ended in an unexpected fashion. All of a sudden, Bertram was in love with Helena in the end. There are no significant prior experiences from which Bertram would be inspired to be affectionate with Helena, besides the swap of bed partner. Like in his other comedies, Shakespeare has a penchant for making people love other people instantly and without strong reasons, even when prior emotions are those strongly contrasting with or far from love. In the end, it makes the story appear to have no clear sense at all because of the details of the ending and how the conflict was resolved. In Comedy of Errors, the presence of twins caused mistaken identity-related problems (another common tool used by Shakespeare to create conflict, intrigue and problem). 

    Gender roles have been a very pronounced theme in the plays of Shakespeare. Shakespeare would have not admitted that during his time that he was actually discussing and approaching the issue of gender roles through his work. Gender role as a concept would have been something that was not yet known during that time. Gender sensitivity and gender roles were not yet something that is socially shared for its value and significance. Knowingly or otherwise, Shakespeare and his comedy plays speak about gender roles and allowed the modern era to analyze the value of gender and gender roles during Shakespeares time based on how gender and gender roles were portrayed in the comedy plays.

    Shakespeare has always held the impression of being a versatile artist in various ways. He was so free of expressing himself that some critics would even say he was able to  build a convention of his own. However, contrary to this claim, Shakespeare was actually bound to follow specific standards during his time. During the Shakespearean era, the traditional and strongly conventional society is inclined towards the observation of existing status quo, which also creates parameters for which social behavior is lifted from. This includes gender and gender roles. During that time, men and women have particular roles in the society. This is reflected in Shakespeares works the gender roles in the play either a direct manifestation of the socially accepted practices and norms on gender roles or on the other hand as a way of revolutionizing gender roles and even challenging the existing gender roles in the belief that some of its features and characteristics should and must change. Shakespeare and his comedies feature a story line often featuring an empowered woman. It features a woman who is weak and struggling at first, but who, as a result of her struggle, found her victory and her strength in the end.

    This prevailing concept in many of Shakespeares comedies sends the idea that Shakespeare and his works are empowering women. This was made by addressing gender roles and gender issues during his time (and even advocating mild feminism), not so much as to have women overpower men but for women to be freed from the clutch of being subdued by the patriarchal and paternal eras that European women under monarchic rule has been made to suffer from and be burdened with. This was the situation even when there were already strong ruling queens during his time.

    The queens were still under the patriarchal system of rule. The women in the lower class and echelon of the society were still under the rule and force of male leaders and figureheads in the society, from family to groups to organizations and institutions, all the way to politics and the monarchic blanket of governance and power (Hawkins-Dady 712). The most significant new directions in comedy criticism to emerge in the last decade have been the feminist and gender-oriented approach (Hawkins-Dady 712).

    Critical analysis on gender, gender structure and gender roles assist in explaining this phenomenon. One of the important arguments here is that Shakespeare has the tendency to create individuals and endow them with complex gender roles which either adhere to or break the existing stereotype and acceptable gender roles of his time. In the end, the constraints of the comedy formula overpowers the complexity of the characters particularly their gender structures and gender roles in the story. This becomes irrelevant in the end with regards to the outcome of the play. It is surprising, if not unbelievable and unacceptable, considering the impact and strength of the gender roles and gender power and structure and how it is expected to affect the ending and the turnout of the lives of the people involved in the conflict. For example, Shakespeare has the tendency to empower women in his comedy plays. In the end, the comedys needs for a happy ending often subjugates the innate power of the women characters and make them subjugated by the paternalistic and patriarchal fictional world of Shakespeare.

    For example, a womans submissive role on men is reflected in Scene IV of Much Ado about Nothing (Shakespeare 175). Hero orders the presence of Beatrice, who at the time was asleep, Hero asking that she should be woken up and be at his presence (Shakespeare 175). In Much Ado About Nothing, it is again evident that in one way or another the women are subservient to their men and are subject to the sway of the directions men take in the story. Again, this establishes the idea that there are gender roles reserved for everyone in the society as the play dictates. The surprising outcome and turn of events in the end reinforces some of the gender roles and renders immaterial other gender role implications.

    The struggle of female characters in the comedy works of Shakespeare like the struggle of Helena reflect the struggle of women in love and in social politics and in inter and intra-personal conflicts. Their struggle to be treated in a different manner contrasting the condition Shakespeare often puts them in so that the values like women empowerment are fully achieved and justified. This explains that the key issue is the contrast of the pro-feminist comedies with the malevolent women of the tragedies, linking gender and genre (Hawkins-Dady 712) as seen in Shakespeares comedies. It is a position that will be questionable come the end and resolution of the story because of how the conditions in the ending sometimes go against this.

    In gender and gender roles and power in gender analysis of how the story achieved its ending, Oberons being able to achieve the changeling from Titania sends the message that Oberon as a husband places more importance to his own material needs and wants and does not mind what he makes of his wife just to achieve this need. There is also the presentation of the weak women whose life is strongly affected by men. There is Titania, there is the obsessed Helena and even if Hermia showed control by going against her fathers orders, she is nonetheless subservient to a male figure because of her obsession with her lover Lysander.

     The height of the male dominance and female subservience is how Oberon single handedly remedied the problems in the story. In the end, Shakespeare allows everyone to get what they wanted in a convenient manner. In analysis, they cannot be expected to live happily ever after and without that the story cannot be a comedy. The idea was they could only live happily ever after if they achieved what they wanted, which in the end, most characters appear to have failed to experience. Despite the ease with which Shakespeare has put a conclusion to the dilemma enveloping the characters, how he magically turns things around did not result to a situation that merits a happy ever after ending.

    First, there is the fake love of Demetrius to Helena and how his love for Helena was actually a punishment and not a form of blessing. There is Titanias emotion once she discovered she was tricked by her husband. There is the problem of Egeus regarding the predicament that he and his daughter have been in after the changes in how Demetrius feels for Hermia. In the perspective of gender analysis, what this situation means is that, for one, females are subjugated to the needs of the male characters. The situation is considered as a happy ending when it cannot be true for the women characters, especially in consideration not just to what they are bound to feel in the present short term but also the repercussions of this event in the long term.

    In all the other comedies, there are noticeable gender roles and gender issues that are strongly highlighted in the story but seem to have little or no bearing at all in how the story reached its end. Julia (in The Two Gentlemen of Verona) showed strength in character at first only to falter in the end and be rendered as a person whose life was directed by the tide and direction of the two lead male characters. Helena in Alls Well That Ends Well is a strong woman whose weakness is her obsession for a particular man to whom she did everything just to have him accept to be called by her as her husband. In Twelfth Night, the hardly relevant Sebastian and Orsino were two male characters that determined the fate of Olivia and Viola when it comes to love and marriage.

The Complexity and Dynamics of Shakespearean Characters, a Factor in Problematic Shakespearean Endings
There are many ingredients that Shakespeare uses to create a complex character and a complex plot, story line and main thread of conflict among characters. One of the basic ingredients is the presence of and pursuit of love, and more. For example, Shakespeare and his comedies are consistent with the use of violence and suffering. Shakespeare was to absorb the pole of violence or suffering into his comedies, as in Twelfth Night (Foakes ii). There are also sufferings in his other comedies. The suffering is always standing side by side struggle that is constant in Shakespeares comedies and important in the creation of a triumphant ending that vindicates those that are perceived to have acted morally, or those who have demonstrated bearing supreme above others and above the existing socially accepted behavior and disposition (i.e. Oberon). The characters often suffer emotionally, because they are tormented, they were rendered as outcasts they were removed from the things they want or love and of how circumstances seem to be going against them. Valentine and Proteus were subjected to suffering and violence, and so did Helena and Bertram and Antipholus and Dromio.

    Although it can be observed that most of Shakespeares themes are portrayed with so much compassion, violence and suffering actually appears naturally entrenched in his plots As unexpected as it may seem for many people, for Shakespeare, there is a greater purpose from which the violence and suffering will be of use in the comedy stories Shakespeare has written. It will be reflected after further analysis of such aspect of the tone and theme of the works of comedy of this particular literary genius. Looking at the different comedy works of Shakespeare, there are indeed are consistent ingredients of violence and suffering embedded in the story. It is used perhaps to create the necessary staging for struggle, or merely to give the characters depth, versatility and variety from one another. After all, not every one character in the story is to be burdened or blessed with similar predicaments. If that would be the case, it would be a Utopian society to which Shakespeare and his works are never really strongly leaning on or identified with.

    For example, in the comedy Twelfth Night, the concept of struggle was found among the servants, who struggled with the prospect of daily toiling even during festive seasons like Christmas. In Midsummer Nights Dream the struggle is evident even at the beginning. First, there is the struggle of Hermia against the wishes of her father for her to marry Demetrius whom she does not like. Violence is found in the concept of Egeus threatening his daughter with death should she go against the will of the father.

    The idea of nearly coming to a duel of Lysander and Demetrius is also another example of the inclination of the characters to violence and is proof of the presence of violence. The overall theme of love struggle among the characters in the play is an inclination to the concept of struggle as applied in A Midsummer Nights Dream. In the Comedy of Errors, the presence of beatings was a result of the mistaken identity of the lead characters who are separated twins. The struggle was on how to straighten up the confusion created by the predicament of the twins, especially their separation and their unexpected reunion later in their life.

    Considering the aforementioned complexities in Shakespearean endings, a lot of people may have easily assumed that Shakespeare may have indeed fell short in some areas of writing plays. However, though this may appear to be the common impression, it is nonetheless evident that the problem is not with Shakespeares writing ability but with the choices he made. Indeed, the problem is not with Shakespeare as a writer, or with his imagination and his ability to manipulate the story in such a way that an ending is achieved. As the writer and the creator of the destiny of his characters, it is all in his powers and ability, regardless of how good or bad a writer he is. The problem is with his characters and the intertwined lives that Shakespeare has created for them and how the comedy formula appears to be difficult, if not unsuitable, for the people and the stories that Shakespeare brings forward to the audience via his several different comedy plays. Furthermore, there are also external considerations that Shakespeare has to make to not just simply write an ending but to present an ending that people would like and appreciate. All of these basic and simple considerations contradict with Shakespeares complex characters and plots that achieving an ending the audience would like, approve of and appreciate in a period of time allotted for comedy is difficult. It often results to the presentation of an ending that is considered as unbelievable and surprising.

Socio-Cultural Factors that Affected the Basis of Shakespearean Endings
    A lot has already been reported as to the basis of Shakespearean endings. But the discussion does not end there. Aside from the abovementioned molders of Shakespearean conclusions, there is also the factor of cultural context which Shakespeare has to address and consider in his creation of his story and how it will end. Granted that he already has a vision of how everything will turn out, the historical or cultural context of particular aspects of human life like love, marriage, family and courtship also comes into play here. In Shakespeares works of comedy, the themes and tones alluding to or pointing to the ideas of or concepts of love and marriage have been strongly prevalent in many of his works of comedy.

    This is reflective, according to analysts, of the social conditions present during Shakespeares time. Some of the analysts actually put into consideration actual social conditions as part of their analysis of Shakespeare and his works and the socio-political relevance and bearing of this condition to the conditions in the story and the condition of the characters found there. According to Cahn, love and marriage is the chief concern of young women during that time (Cahn 526). It is no wonder that love and marriage are the chief concerns of the characters in the story, and the problems resulting from this pursuit the struggle the woman is trying to overcome and survive. Given the social constrictions of Shakespeares age, a young woman at that time had to make her chief concerns romance and marriage (Cahn 526).

    There is a popular idea about how art imitates life. Literature as a form of art imitates life features in Shakespeares works of comedy, sharing the similarity that all of them are all reflective of real life. An important similarity found in the many comedies of Shakespeare and universal to the comedies when it comes to tone and theme is how the concept of the comedy and the very ethos and essence that made it a form of comedy is extracted from genuine and real personal experiences of the people of his time. Shakespeares comedies are true to life as we know it (Foakes li).

    Shakespeares comedies often talk about the situations and conditions of real life as he saw and witnessed all of it. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why the comedy of Shakespeare has been successful and well loved and was well received during his time, with regards to the concepts of his stories but not generally how it was resolved in the end. The reader sympathizes and identifies with the struggle, not the resolution per se.

    The characters are bound by the cultural and historical context of the real-life aspects and this condition forces the outcome even when there might be other possible endings to the story which maybe considered as more realistic or close to the reality of the lives of the people in the comedy and will not appear as surprising to the readers. For example, the complexity of the problems of the characters in the comedy A Midsummer Nights Dream makes it surprising that in the end. Everyone lived happily ever after. They were all successful in landing the love of their life. This maybe because during his time, love is as romantic as it is a task to which everyone endeavors to be successful and has consistently successfully pursued considering the social conditions at the time - the expectations of parents for their children to marry, the pressure from parents and the society, etc.

    This ending could have been different, but Shakespeares approach at ending the story may have been strongly influenced by the cultural context of love and courtship during his time. Everything has fallen into place so conveniently to allow the success of the love story of the key people in the story is quite unbelievable  possible in real life, but quite unbelievable. This came to be because even though Shakespeare can lead the story towards a different and more realistic ending considering the predicament of the people involved. He didnt because of the consideration to the formula of comedy, because of the expectations of the people regarding how love and courtship is used, presented and concluded in stories that are supposed to be a reflection of real life, and more importantly, because of the responsibility of Shakespeare to entertain above everything else.

    What Shakespeare displayed with brilliance in the scheming of how conflict is created and put together dissolves into mere questionable and suspect endings. He cannot risk making stories inspired solely by his vision and his different perspectives on the situations of life alone. There is, above everything else, the taste and the sensibilities of the audience to please. Schumacher explained that Shakespeare was still in his youth when he wrote most of his play and was adventurous as a writer (Schumacher 81). This points to the belief that it is actually possible that he goes for stories that are bolder and do not have the same formulaic ending. His sense of adventure in plotting stories and conflicts was tempered by the need to please the audience to be able to maintain a following and to gain the reputation that he had then and today.

    This is important because without the support and patronage of the people in the audience, Shakespeare is no one. In more modern parlance among artists and their creative directions, Shakespeare sort of sold out to what in his time can be considered as the mainstream audience. This career direction for him made him re-think how his stories would end and the most convenient and safe way is for the stories to end happily, at least for most of the characters that the audience would sympathize, empathize or relate to. In turn, it makes the very complex stories end with such degree of simplicity it was nearly impossible that the situation would be approached and settled that easily.

A Normal Case of Writers Block
Though perceived as one of the brightest artists of his generation, Shakespeare was indeed finding it difficult to end his stories. There were even times when he found it hard to construct anything from his imagination. This was even portrayed in stories such as Shakespeare in Love which depicted Shakespeares life and literary adventures (Shakespeare and Donno 52). There was a time when he was already considering what other people think or feel and how this would impact his career. He sought the constant approval of his audience that he sacrificed his vision in exchange for making the audience happy by giving them the ending they want and not the ending that the complex characters and their lives in the story truly deserve.

    Also, those that has explored the comedies of Shakespeare and subjected it for analysis have found out important points and aspects. One of this is the variety, particularly in the structure by which Shakespeare is trying to execute comedy. For analysts, the comedies of Shakespeare, despite how it would appear to be similar with one another, are, individually, representative of the different comic structure Shakespeare utilized to give each comedy play a different twist (Brown 25). What does this mean Maybe, this proves that in his own way, Shakespeare was trying to break free from the restrictions of the comedy structure in his own way in some aspects. Although in the end, it appears that he was not completely freed and his own personal struggle here manifests itself in the difficulty in creating the fitting ending for his comedy plays resulting in endings that are surprising and unbelievable.

    Analysts and critics are the first to explain the reality that the difficulty in describing Shakespeares comedies in general terms is due to their variety or miscellaneity (Salingar 19). The differences in the comedies written by Shakespeare are also influenced by the fact that Shakespeare sought to approach comedy in a variety of ways and through the use of a variety of tools. Because of this, analysts and critics who studied Shakespeares works particularly comedy considers the diversity of comic form and techniques (Leggatt 12) as something that is central to Shakespearean comedy (Leggatt 12). It is expected to be reflected in the many different comedies written by Shakespeare, from his A Midsummer Nights Dream to Much Ado About Nothing and every else in between, before and after, so long as it is Shakespearean comedy.

    William Shakespeare is one of the all time well renowned writer who has influenced many other writers, many cultures, many societies and many people for a long period of time largely because of his works. Shakespeare has produced many works over the course of his career. Indeed, Shakespeares works have become as iconic as he is. His works have as much immortalized itself as it immortalized Shakespeare over and over again. Shakespeare is known for his tragedies as well as his comedies. His comedies have impacted the history of literature significantly.

There is something about his comedies that is always worth investigating. Many analysts have done so and have provided the public with the results of such endeavor, reflected in literature containing analysis of Shakespeare and his works with focus on particular issues, like how he created endings and this process of endingresolution-creation. Proof of Shakespeares inability to end his comedies well is his reliance to the use of magic, supernatural intervention, chance and how these things strongly affect the outcome of the story. In Twelfth Night, representative of the incapability of women as seen by the society during Shakespeares time was when Viola, a woman, was saved by perchance (Shakespeare, Scene II) and not by her abilities. In A Midsummer Nights Dream, the concept of magic and supernatural intervention is as strong as the dependence on the impact of chance. For example, it was by mere chance that Hermia was not aware of Helenas intentions regarding Demetrius. It was by chance that Helena was informed by Hermia and Lysanders plan to elope. This becomes a tool that Helena used and the resulting event critical to the height of the conflict and to the eventual resolution of the problem in the story. Magic was central in A Midsummer Nights Dream as chance was central in the other stories, from the Two Gentlemen of Verona to Twelfth Night. William Shakespeare is a unique individual that has made his mark in the world of literature by writing outstanding and unforgettable plays, especially comedy plays that has become enduring. However, the problem with Shakespeare was that he too was rendered vulnerable and susceptible to the other restrictions and demands in play-writing. There are other considerations that he has to make in creating and finishing his stories and how this appears in the end. As much as there are moral lessons that the story wanted to share, there is also something that Shakespeare expects the audience to experience. Shakespeare was a prominent writer for comedy, but soon the question was not about how Shakespeare shaped comedy but how the structure of comedy shaped the works of Shakespeare.

It is hard to accept that the basic reason is the possibility that Shakespeare doesnt know how to end his plays per se. An occasional writers block is acceptable. Experiencing a writers block in the process of ending the story resulting to an unimaginative conclusion of the story can happen to anyone. However, it is difficult to accept that with Shakespeares caliber and skill in writing, this has become a chronic problem and dilemma in his comedy works. Suspect to his surprising endings is how he allows his characters to act and behave in similar fashions and how Shakespeare makes the characters react to such behavior in an unexpected and surprising fashion. For example, how come it is easy to be in love with a person that resorts to fraud and beguiling even the people they profess they love in the cases of Helena in Alls Well Thats Ends Well, of Viola in Twelfth Night, of Oberon in A Midsummer Nights Dream, and of Proteus in Two Gentleman of Verona

    This is not to mention that Shakespeares writing style has its own problems contributing to the issue regarding how he creates his endings, especially in how he develops characters and how he follows and be repetitive of certain story formulas. Richman posited that in some instances like the case of the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, it was Shakespeare and his writing style and direction that affected the flaw and problem in the creation of the ending of the story (Richman 151). The endings flaws grow out of the playwrights exploration (Richman 151). Rosenblum commented that in some cases, Shakespeare appears to be hastening towards the ending which created problems between characters (Rosenblum 517) and the roles they undertake in the continued unveiling of the circumstances, which makes the resulting condition more and more difficult and more unbelievable.
The criticism of this particular issue is not without implications on some critical approaches that can be used to break apart this condition more clearly. There are aspects that are involved in the assessment of this particular problem of Shakespeare. It is focused on some key socio-cultural components like gender roles and the power among genders, cultural and historical context and the practice, observance and depiction of socio-cultural and personal aspects and concepts like love, courtship, marriage etc.

    Indeed readers and critics alike may sometimes find themselves wondering about how a certain complex conflict became solved easily in a Shakespearean comedy. However, critics should never forget the fact that during the Elizabethan period, comedies such as the aforementioned writing of Shakespeare should always end happily.  Aside from this, it must also be considered that aside from the fact that an author has to make his stories appealing through the crafty utilization of literary elements, he also has to lay these stories down in reflection of the current socio-cultural situations of his time. Hence, a lot of factors aside from mere folly can make an ending problematic, just like how critics looked at these works of Shakespeare. Therefore, there should be no arguments about whether the writer made a bad ending regarding his plays for it is evident that he only complies with the conventions of genres and the needs and issues of his time. Whether the ending is plausible or not, what is important is Shakespeare never failed to provide the world with wonderful and amusing stories to read, that have given the world some of the best and unforgettable stories ever enacted on stage. Hence, Shakespeares particular penchant for unlikely endings has been perceived over the years, based from all the abovementioned truths and facts about Shakespeares preferences as well as the norms of his time, it can finally be deduced that this trait in Shakespearean works was actually molded by the varying conventions and standards of his society during the sixteenth century.

This paper contains the comparison and analysis between two poems and a short story. The poems included in this paper are The road not taken by Robert Frost and When I consider how my light is spent by John Milton. The short story is entitled as the story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. Elements of poetry such as style or structure, rhythm and rhyme, meter, metaphor, etc. and for short story, settings, theme, plot, characters, etc are the basis of the comparison done in this paper. Along with the comparison, analyses of the three literary works are included to further explain how they differ with each other.

Literature pertains to written compositions such as prose, myth, short story, novel and many more. It is used to express what human beings have in mind. Most of the time, literature is a reflection from what is happening or had happened to that person. It adds up color in our daily lives. For instance, short story is a piece of work which is usually written in a narrative form and it does not follow the elements such as rhyme and meter. Instead, it has setting, plot, turning point, etc. novels tends to be the same as short story the only difference is that novel is longer than a short story. Reading these literary works fills up my soul because for every literary piece gives a message that can be applied into reality.

One example of literature that really caught my attention is poetry. Poetry is an imaginative form of writing where in feelings is expressed through rhythmic language of ones choice. Of course, to be able for a piece of writing to be considered as poem it must contain the elements of poetry. These elements under poetry are style or structure, symbol, theme, imagery, meter, alliteration, metaphor, rhyme and rhythm, onomatopoeia and simile. Style ascribe to the way the poem is written. Symbol allude the thoughts consider in the poem. Theme refers to the idea or point of view that the writer wants to allocate. Meter is the rhythmic structure of poetry it makes the poem more melodious. Rhyme and rhythm is the accented sound or sounds we usually hear as we read a poem. These elements are important contents of poem because it dictates how talented, imaginative and creative a writer is. It also gives life to the poem for it paint the thump it will leave to the readers.

Most of the writers used this kind of literature to relieve the pain they are experiencing moreover, share the lessons that they have learned in an artful and creative way. When I consider how my life is spent and the road not taken is some of the well known poems that are very meaningful nowadays.

In When I consider how my life is spent, it seems like there is a speaker and an audience. To justify this statement, the first eight lines of the sonnet somehow reveal the doubt of the writer which happens to be the speaker regarding with his faith to God. It was believed that while John Milton is writing this poem he was already loosing his eyesight. Thus in the preceding seven lines the audience who was God becomes now becomes the speaker relieving doubt and giving the man a peace of mind. As for the structure of the poem, Milton divides it into octet followed by a sestet stanza and due to this structure the poem was considered to be a sonnet. Sonnet is one form of lyric poetry. The structure was supported with rhyme, rhythm and meter making the sonnet more melodious. In line with the second stanza, the first word used was Ere and in the foregoing lines more words used are not that familiar. I may say that the language used is an Old English, thus, the poem is probably written long time ago.

Biblical reference is also prevalent in this poem since Milton had his doubt on his faith to God regarding with his talent, he questioned God about the darkness that he was experiencing which he thinks makes him useless yet He has given him the talent to share to others and that He is his maker.
Furthermore, readers will not have problems to understand the message that Milton is trying to impart to his readers because figurative language is not that often in his context. But his uncertainty was surely the message of his poem. Dark, which is found in the second line of his sonnet, symbolizes the darkness that he was facing at that time, taking away the light that he used to see. Or maybe the spiritual darkness that covers him due to lost of his sight. His talent is also significant since his problem is also attached with his abilities and he thinks, as the poem flow at the end, even without his eyesight he is still ready to serve God which happens to be his maker, for he fears that God will blame him from possessing a talent but not using it nor sharing it to others. Moreover, he fearfully asked God on why He gave him such catastrophic quality yet requires him to use it. This was the significant part of the sonnet where in Milton reveals the problem. But as the octet lines are finished, sestet begins. The audience a while ago was now the speaker. In Gods response to the doubts of the former speaker, He reminded him that He is not after to anybodys works rather after with those people that follow Him. He also state that a man has nothing to worry about anything because He has the control in everything that is happening here on us, all those who wanted to follow Him must only entrust their faith to Him and just continue what they want to do as long as it does not contravene Gods will.

This sonnet is all about the uncertainty of a mans faith to his creator yet this man is willing to serve Him despite his unwanted quality and shortcomings. In return, his maker assures him with peace and reprimands all his worries regarding his problem. Milton gave us an inspirational message that surely can overcome our doubts in life and faith with our maker. All of us are experiencing pain and troubles in life and most of us threw the blame to our God and loose our faith in Him. With this incredible incident that happens in a writer comes up a rousing and brilliant sonnet.

Compared to the previous poem analyzed in this paper, Robert frosts The road not taken is unique in its own different way. It is somehow a delicate poem as you analyze the whole piece. In my own opinion, the theme of frosts poem is all about making decisions in life. At the start of his poem it looks like his having the hard time to decide on which road he will be taking but accepted the fact that he was to choose only one road to travel in to.  Taking it a way in reality, it seems the setting of the story is that there is a man lost in a forest finding a way home then stops in front of two splitting roads taking it into an account that these roads are very different with each other. One road is the usual way that everyone is picking up while the other road is the less traveled one. The usual road is where anyone can find their comfort zone, meaning, more or less they already knows the outcome or the exact thing that will happen to them that is why they chose it. Unfortunately for the other road the outcome is unpredictable no one knows what will happen there it may be good or bad. Then on the second stanza the speaker now decide on which road he will take. He pictured it as grassy and weary place. It seems like no one take up that road because it might be too dangerous to walk by in there. In the last two stanzas, Frost clearly takes the less traveled road. But he has his doubt at the back of his mind as he moved forward. He doubted if he must come back and just take the easy road. The sigh stated at the last stanza of the poem might mean as relief or part of his holding back. Relief, because he has taken into his account that he surpassed the road that he chose and had lived with that decision without blaming himself on not taking the other road and missed a lot of opportunities given by that road. Or maybe that sigh belongs to his regretful decision on picking up the less traveled road and missed the outcome that he really wanted to have or happen. But at the last lines of his poem, he boastfully admitted that he is proud with his decision because at sometime of his life he had made a difference and not just follow a traditional deed.

    Frost used metaphor in most of his lines in his poem. To support this statement, he compared walking in the woods to decisions in life, the diverged roads signify the paths that each of us are usually choosing in response to our problems. The grassy and weary place is associated to the consequences that arise whenever we made decisions. Consequently, rhyme and rhythm is very flamboyant in the poem making it so interesting to hear and read. Its meter is in nonameter which adds up color to the poem.

This poem becomes significant to every reader because its message reveals how people choose their way in solving their own problems and on how they deal with. Most of us choose the easy way out, few takes the risk but somehow fulfilled and obtain happiness. Just like Frost who weighed the costs that he might face in the future from pros to cons, take his stand and decided to take the road that has a much risky side and the percentage of failing is exceedingly towering.

These poems different in many aspects, although they are considered one in terms of category they differ on the elements of literature under poetry. It differs based on poems structure or style, theme, meter, metaphor and simile lines used, symbols and in rhyme and rhythm. In terms of style or structure, the first poem in sonnet form taking it in to consideration that the first part is in octet form then followed by sestet overall it is consist of fourteen lines that is why it is considered as a sonnet while Frosts poem is not in a sonnet form, only a typical poem we used to read. Rhyme ands rhythm is evident within these two poems. Following would be the meter of their poem, the road not taken is in nonameter, while I consider how my life is spent is in octet and sestet meter. As for the themes of the two poems, the road not taken imparts how people decide on their lives. It also highlighted the roads that the usual person that has a problem has to choose. And how a single person take his stand and take the less traveled road despite the holding back he thought at the back of his mind. And at the end he felt somehow satisfied with his decision. Subsequently, the poem when I consider how my life is spent revealed a persons questionable faith to God due to a quality that has given to him that he consider unusable and a hindrance to his God given talent. But despite all of this instances, his fading faith, spiritual darkness that covers him the questions building up on his mind and the doubt in himself he continued to serve the one who makes him. He take away all of his doubt and do whatever He asked for He gave him peace and free him from any worries and just asked him to entrust his faith to Him and everything will be fine. These poems are supported by metaphor and simile lines to further attract the minds of every reader. It is used for creative writing and for readers to interpret the work in their own analysis.

    As I have said earlier, there are other forms of literary works aside from poem. This is the short story. Short stories have their different elements to follow compared to poetry. To further understand the elements between poetry and short story here is an example of a short story entitled The Story of an hour. 

    The plot of the story begins when Brently Mallard was reported to be included as a victim in a train accident. This breaking news was first heard by Mr. Richards, who happens to be the friend of Mr. Mallard. From then, he tries to contact Josephine, Mr. Mallards sister in law to tell her about the death of Brently Mallard. Josephine was the one who told Louise, the wife of Brent about the shocking accident happened to her husband. But because of Louise condition, specifically, a heart condition Josephine broke the news to her as gently as possible. After hearing the new, she broke down and went to her room to be alone. On her room, she sat down beside the window and gazed out while she is sobbing. From her window she can see the top of the tress and hear the birds singing. Since it is springtime as stated in the story patches of blue sky are showing, swiftly rain clears the sky. While staring outside, thoughts have covered her mind that interrupts her grieving, and then she just whispered in bewilderment that she is now free. But guilt comes through her veins and she tried to stop the

thoughts in her mind. But these thought are overwhelming, she allows it to flounce over her. Somehow in her mind she knows that grieving will surely come haunt her down when funeral is arranged. Thus, after this moment she will be forever happy and free. These feelings does not mean that she does not love her husband at all, she do, but she admitted that she does loved him sometimes. But that does matter anymore because what is important now is the freedom that she is longing for.

     Josephine disrupts her sisters moment she knocked at her door because she is worried about her condition. At first Mrs. Mallard told her sister to leave her alone and that she is fine but for some moment she open the door and goes downstairs with Josephine while Mr. Richards is waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Meanwhile, someone is opening the front door, and then there were Mr. Mallard, alive and do not have even a small scratch. He was not in the accident nor near at it when it happened. Mr. Richards quickly go towards the door to prevent Mrs. Mallard from seeing Brently. But it was too late. She sees him. Afterwards, doctors told them that Louise Mallards death resulted from joy that kills. It means that her heart could not hold the happiness she felt when she see her husband again.

    The setting of the story seems to happen in a home and the action takes place in just a single hour. The characters involved are Louise Mallard, a young attracted woman who broke down when she receives the news about the death of his husband but rejoice for the freedom that she receives, next would be Brently Mallard the husband of Louise, Josephine Mrs. Mallards sister, Mr. Richards the friend of Brently Mallard and the doctors.

Short stories have also themes. Like in here, I think the theme of this short story is about the rejection of women in a male prevailing society. This short story was written as sometime in 19th century. During this time men overpower women. Women are just there to cook, clean

the house and be there for their children maybe this was the reason why Chopin wrote this story. To awaken the society that they should not oppress women and give them equal rights as men received from the society.

Exquisitely poems are different in many ways from its structure up to the messages that writers like to share to the readers. Just like short stories too. These two kind of literary works differ and has somehow connections in terms of the elements considered when writing such. Poems have style, theme, meter, metaphor, etc. while short stories have plot, setting, characters, etc. But what makes them special A literary piece becomes special when a writer loves what he was doing. They all say that a work would be special if your heart is with it. Meaning, if you put all your effort, feelings and your talent in what you are doing the outcome will be extraordinary. But other than that we must not forget the One that gave us all these talent and blessing we must always ask for His presence and everything will follow. Poems and short stories are unique in every way this reflects the writers insights and feelings. But these differences have only one goal, this is to give an inspiration to every one and an opportunity to express what we really feel.