Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'K-character'

For a finite group G we study certain rings called k-S-rings, one for each non-negative integer k, where the 1-S-ring is the centralizer ring of G. These rings have the property that the (k+1)-S-ring determines the k-S-ring. We show that the 4-S-ring determines G when G is any group with finite classes. We show that the 3-S-ring determines G for any finite group G, thus giving an answer to a question of Brauer. We show the 2-characters defined by Frobenius and the extended 2-characters of Ken Johnson are characters of representations of the 2-S-ring of G. We find the character table for the 2-S-ring of the dihedral groups of order 2n, n odd, and classify groups with commutative 3-S-ring.

Each year, a growing number of K–12 students participate in some form of online instruction (Watson et. al, 2015). This transition to online learning environments raises questions about the design and distribution of curricula in K-12 educational systems. This dissertation explored the perceptions of K-12 online educators regarding the significance and challenges associated with teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) and character education skills in online learning environments. The SEL related efforts of current online instructors are compared to the best practices in character education and SEL known to be effective in traditional classroom settings. A mixed-methods approach of using a questionnaire to gather data and then conducting interviews was employed. Seventy-one K-12 online educators responded to the questionnaire with a smaller group of six participating in follow-up interviews. The ethics of care (Noddings, 2005) and social responsibility (May, 1996; Dewey, 2009) provided the theoretical lens for this study. Additionally, the Social Development Model (Hawkins & Weis, 1985; Catalano & Hawkins, 1996) was used as an analysis tool to gauge whether the online educators’ purported integration of social and emotional learning and character education met what the Social Development Model proposes is necessary to develop prosocial behaviors. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

This thesis is a study of the first four books of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It accounts for the widespread success of the novels by examining their publication and marketing histories, and their literary achievement as narratives including a sophisticated mix of generic traditions. Chapter One looks at the popularity of the novels, comparing their material production and marketing by Rowling’s English language publishers: Bloomsbury in Britain and Scholastic in the United States of America. The publisher’s influence on the public perception of each book is demonstrated by comparative study of its mode of illustration and layout. Further, the design of the books is linked to their strategic marketing and branding within the literary world. The second chapter considers Rowling’s debt to the school story. It concentrates first on the history of this relatively short-lived genre, briefly discussing its stereotypical features and values. Traditional elements of setting and characterisation are then examined to show how the Harry Potter novels present a value system which, though apparently old-fashioned, still has an ethical standpoint designed to appeal to the modern reader. Chapter Three focuses on the characterisation of Harry as a hero-figure, especially on how the influence of classical and medieval texts infuses Rowling’s portrayal of Harry as a hero in the chivalric mode. The episodes of “quest” and “test” in each book illustrate specifically how he learns the values of selflessness, loyalty, mercy and fairness. Chapter Four surveys the contribution of modern fantasy writing to the series. It shows how Rowling creates a secondary world that allows us to perceive magic as a metaphorical representation of power. This focus on the relationship between magic and power in turn has a bearing on our assessment of the author’s moral stance. The thesis concludes by suggesting that Rowling’s unusual mix of genres is justified by the values they share, and which are inscribed in her work: the generic combination forms a workable, new and exciting mode of writing that helps to account for the phenomenal popularity of the series.

Having as starting point a formula described in the paper of Baum & Douglas, [BmDg] the odd-degree component of the Chern character is is analyzed. Our presentation uses the obstruction theory definition Chern characteristic classes in order to emphasize the connections with the even-degree component (see Theorem 4.3.1) and leads to a natural justification of the fundamental property of the Chern character, i.e. of being a ring homomorphism. The reader is assumed to have some background in topological Î -theory and algebraic topology.

Master of Science

The current state of the art optical character recognition (OCR) algorithms are capable of extracting text from images in predefined conditions. OCR is extremely reliable for interpreting machine-written text with minimal distortions, but images taken in a natural scene are still challenging. In recent years the topic of improving recognition rates in natural images has gained interest because more powerful handheld devices are used. The main problem faced dealing with recognition in natural images are distortions like illuminations, font textures, and complex backgrounds. Different preprocessing approaches to separate text from its background have been researched lately. In our study, we assess the improvement reached by two of these preprocessing methods called k-means and Otsu by comparing their results from an OCR algorithm. The study showed that the preprocessing made some improvement on special occasions, but overall gained worse accuracy compared to the unaltered images.
Dagens optisk teckeninläsnings (OCR) algoritmer är kapabla av att extrahera text från bilder inom fördefinierade förhållanden. De moderna metoderna har uppnått en hög träffsäkerhet för maskinskriven text med minimala förvrängningar, men bilder tagna i en naturlig scen är fortfarande svåra att hantera. De senaste åren har ett stort intresse för att förbättra tecken igenkännings algoritmerna uppstått, eftersom fler kraftfulla och handhållna enheter används. Det huvudsakliga problemet när det kommer till igenkänning i naturliga bilder är olika förvrängningar som infallande ljus, textens textur och komplicerade bakgrunder. Olika metoder för förbehandling och därmed separation av texten och dess bakgrund har studerats under den senaste tiden. I våran studie bedömer vi förbättringen som uppnås vid förbehandlingen med två metoder som kallas för k-means och Otsu genom att jämföra svaren från en OCR algoritm. Studien visar att Otsu och k-means kan förbättra träffsäkerheten i vissa förhållanden men generellt sett ger det ett sämre resultat än de oförändrade bilderna.

Linear characters of finite groups can be extended to take k operands. The basics of such a k-fold extension are detailed. We then examine a proposition by Johnson and Sehgal pertaining to these k-characters and disprove its converse. Probabilistic models can be applied to random walks on the Cayley groups of finite order. We examine random walks on dihedral groups which converge after a finite number of steps to the random walk induced by the uniform distribution. We present both sufficient and necessary conditions for such convergence and analyze aspects of algebraic geometry related to this subject.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aims at highlighting a crucial aspect of Xhosa drama: The portrayal of the role women have been forced culturally to assume in society. A selection of Xhosa plays from three periods (1958 - 1965; 1974 - 1982; and 1988 - 1997) is examined. In the process of the study, the analysis and the interpretation of these dramas as well as the depiction of women characters is examined. Authors of the ten dramas under study advocate change through the powerful forces of gender stereotypes and culture distortions. The attributes that the authors commonly ascribe to women characters are passivity, irrationality, compliancy and incorrigibility. An examination of the reasons behind this proliferation of these female stereotypes and the lack of realistic women characters is undertaken. The study posits reasons why particular stereotypes appear in the works of several authors over a period of time. The women characters are products of social conditioning, that is, ideals or counter-ideals of the prevailing values of the authors' culture. They are a symbolic fulfillment of the writers' needs. The broad cultural perspectives of the authors also shape the texts they produce. These dramas treat issues and themes, which become central to the formal and structural ordering of the drama. Such themes have an impact at times on form and structure. In each case the ideology of the class represented by authors under study is indeed reflected in the text, to its detriment. The dominating themes in the ten dramas are forced marriages and women abuse. The authors are so preoccupied with injustices against women that they distort certain cultural aspects by, for example, exaggeration. Women are constantly depicted as victims, while there are no indications in the authors' depictions of women that perceptions of their cultural role and status are in reality undergoing changes. The thesis is arranged as follows: Chapter 1 introduces the aim, the scope, the theories and the methods of the study. Chapter 2 deals with the development of plot within episodes in the dramas of the first literary period (1958 - 1965). These episodes depict the different phases of the dramas. A critical evaluation of the dramas by motivating their positive and negative aspects is undertaken. Chapter 3 deals with the development of plot within episodes in the dramas of the second literary period (1974 - 1982). As in the first literary period, a critical evaluation of the dramas by motivating their positive and negative aspects is examined. Chapter 4 deals with the development of plot within episodes in the dramas of the third literary period (1988 - 1997). A critical evaluation of the dramas by motivating their good and bad points is undertaken. Chapter 5 deals with woman as character in Xhosa dramas under study. A detailed analysis of the main woman character in each drama is undertaken. Furthermore, a critical summary of how the woman has been portrayed in the dramas is presented. Chapter 6 presents depiction of Xhosa culture in the Xhosa dramas. From each drama, certain selected aspects of culture are explored and an investigation of the portrayal of these aspects is undertaken. Chapter 7 summarizes the findings of the study.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelstelling van hierdie studie is om 'n kern aspek van Xhosa drama te belig: die rolle wat vroue kultureel gedwing is om te vervul in die gemeenskap. 'n Seleksie Xhosa dramas vanuit drie tydperke (1958 - 1965; 1974 - 1982; en 1988 - 1997) word ondersoek. In die loop van die studie, ontleding en interpretasie van hierdie dramas word die uitbeelding van vroue karakters ook ondersoek. Die skrywers van die tien dramas wat bestudeer word, betoog vir verandering deur middel van die sterk kragte van stereopites en kultureelverwronge voorstellings. Die eienskappe wat die skrywers algemeen toeskryf aan vroue karakters is passiwiteit, irrasionele optrede, gehoorsaamheid en deugsaamheid. 'n Ondersoek na die redes vir die proliferasie van hierdie vroulike stereotipes en die tekortkoming aan realistiese vroue karakters in Xhosa dramas word uitgevoer in die studie. Die studie voer redes aan waarom bepaalde stereotipes in die werk van verskeie skrywers oor 'n tydperk verskyn: hulle vrouekarakters is die produk van sosiale kondisionering, dit wil sêm ideale of teen-ideale van die heersende waardes van die skrywer se kulturele agtergrond en 'n simboliese vervulling van die skrywer se behoeftes. Die algemene kulturele perspektiewe van die skrywers beïnvloed en vorm ook die tekste wat hulle lewer. Hierdie dramas behandel naamlik vraagstukke tematies wat sentraalook bepalend is ten opsigte van die vorm en struktuur van die drama. Sodanige temas het gevolglik in bepaalde gevalle 'n invloed op die vorm en struktuur van die drama. Voorts word die ideologie van die klas verteenwoordig deur die skrywers in elke geval gereflekteer en die teks tot bepaalde nadele daarvan. Die prominente temas in die tien dramas is gedwonge huwelike en vrouemishandeling. Die skrywers is so gepre-okkupeer met die ongeregtighede teenoor vroue dat hulle bepaalde kulturele aspekte verwring deur, byvoorbeeld, buitensporige voorstellings. Vroue word voortdurend voorgestel as slagoffers, terwyl daar feitlik geen aanduidings is in die skrywer se voorstelling van vroue, dat persepsies oor hulle kulturele rol en status inderwaarheid besig is om veranderinge te ondergaan. Die proefskrif is soos volg gestruktureer: Hoofstuk 1 gee die doelstellings, omvang, teorieë en metodes wat in die studie gevolg word. Hoofstuk 2 behandel die ontwikkeling van intrige binne verskillende episodes in die dramas van die eerste literêre periode (1958 - 1965). Hierdie episodes gee 'n uitbeelding van die verskillende fases van die dramas wat in die studie ondersoek word. 'n Kritiese evaluering word van die dramas gedoen deur die positiewe en negatiewe aspekte daarvan te motiveer. Hoofstuk 3 behandel die ontwikkeling van intrige binne die episodes van die dramas van die tweede literêre periode (1974 - 1982). Soos vir die eerste literêre periode, word 'n kritiese evaluering gedoen van die dramas deur onder andere die positiewe en negatiewe literêre aspekte daarvan te motiveer. Hoofstuk 4 ondersoek die ontwikkeling van die intrige binne die episodes in die dramas van die derde literêre periode (1988 - 1997). Die kritiese evaluering van hierdie dramas sluit, soos vir die vorige periodes, 'n gemotiveerde beskouing in van die positiewe en negatiewe aspekte. Hoofstuk 5 ondersoek die vrou as karakter in die Xhosa dramas wat bestudeer word. 'n Gedetaileerde analise van die hoof-vroue karakters in elke drama word gedoen. Daarna word 'n kritiese oorsig aangebied van hoe die vrou voorgestel word in die dramas wat bestudeer is. Hoofstuk 6 bied 'n uitbeelding van Xhosa kultuur in die dramas wat ondersoek is. Bepaalde aspekte van kultuur word vir elke drama ondersoek en die uitbeelding van hierdie kultuur aspekte word behandel. Hoofstuk 7 bied 'n opsomming van die belangrikste bevindinge van die studie.

This thesis proposes a novel approach to extracting pose information from image sequences. Current state of the art techniques focus exclusively on the image space occupied by the body for pose and action recognition. The method proposed here, however, focuses on the negative spaces: the areas surrounding the individual. This has resulted in the colour-coded negative space approach, an image preprocessing step that circumvents the need for complicated model fitting or template matching methods. The approach can be described as follows: negative spaces surrounding the human silhouette are extracted using horizontal and vertical scanning processes. These negative space areas are more numerous, and undergo more radical changes in shape than the single area occupied by the figure of the person performing an action. The colour-coded negative space representation is formed using the four binary images produced by the scanning processes. Features are then extracted from the colour-coded images. These are based on the percentage of area occupied by distinct coloured regions as well as the bounding box proportions. Pose clusters are identified using feedback from an independent action set. Subsequent images are classified using a simple Euclidean distance measure. An image sequence is thus temporally segmented into its corresponding pose representations. Action recognition simply becomes the detection of a temporally ordered sequence of poses that characterises the action. The method is purely vision-based, utilising monocular images with no need for body markers or special clothing. Two datasets were constructed using several actors performing different poses and actions. Some of these actions included actors waving their arms, sitting down or kicking a leg. These actions were recorded against a monochrome background to simplify the segmentation of the actors from the background. The actions were then recorded on DV cam and digitised into a data base. The silhouette images from these actions were isolated and placed in a frame or bounding box. The next step was to highlight the negative spaces using a directional scanning method. This scanning method colour-codes the negative spaces of each action. What became immediately apparent is that very distinctive colour patterns formed for different actions. To emphasise the action, different colours were allocated to negative spaces surrounding the image. For example, the space between the legs of an actor standing in a T - pose with legs apart would be allocated yellow, while the space below the arms were allocated different shades of green. The space surrounding the head would be different shades of purple. During an action when the actor moves one leg up in a kicking fashion, the yellow colour would increase. Inversely, when the actor closes his legs and puts them together, the yellow colour filling the negative space would decrease substantially. What also became apparent is that these coloured negative spaces are interdependent and that they influence each other during the course of an action. For example, when an actor lifts one of his legs, increasing the yellow-coded negative space, the green space between that leg and the arm decreases. This interrelationship between colours hold true for all poses and actions as presented in this thesis. In terms of pose recognition, it is significant that these colour coded negative spaces and the way the change during an action or a movement are substantial and instantly recognisable. Compare for example, looking at someone lifting an arm as opposed to seeing a vast negative space changing shape. In a controlled research environment, several actors were instructed to perform a number of different actions. After colour coding the negative spaces, it became apparent that every action can be recognised by a unique colour coded pattern. The challenge is to ascribe a numerical presentation, a mathematical quotation, to extract the essence of what is so visually apparent. The essence of pose recognition and it's measurability lies in the relationship between the colours in these negative spaces and how they impact on each other during a pose or an action. The simplest way of measuring this relationship is by calculating the percentage of each colour present during an action. These calculated percentages become the basis of pose and action recognition. By plotting these percentages on a graph confirms that the essence of these different actions and poses can in fact been captured and recognised. Despite variations in these traces caused by time differences, personal appearance and mannerisms, what emerged is a clear recognisable pattern that can be married to an action or different parts of an action. 7 Actors might lift their left leg, some slightly higher than others, some slower than others and these variations in terms of colour percentages would be recorded as a trace, but there would be very specific stages during the action where the traces would correspond, making the action recognisable.In conclusion, using negative space as a tool in human pose and tracking recognition presents an exiting research avenue because it is influenced less by variations such as difference in personal appearance and changes in the angle of observation. This approach is also simplistic and does not rely on complicated models and templates

碩士
國立臺灣大學
數學研究所
90
In this article our main purpose is to give description of characters of representations of general linear Lie superalgebra in terms of the roots and the Weyl group of it.

This dissertation analyses the protagonists in The Dispossessed, The Left Hand of Darkness, and Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin, and looks at the extent to which they confront the Jungian archetype of the anima. I demonstrate that individuation and wisdom are not achieved in these characters until they confront the anima archetype within their individual psyches. I analyse the experiences and behaviour of each protagonist in order to identify anima confrontation (or lack thereof), and I seek to prove that such confrontation precipitates maturity and wisdom, which are goals of the hero's journey. The essential qualities of the anima archetype are wisdom, beauty and love. These qualities require acceptance of vulnerability. I argue that the protagonist is far from anima integration when he displays hatred and fear of vulnerability, and conclude that each protagonist is integrated with the anima when wisdom, beauty and love are evident in his character.
English Studies
M.A. (English)

The key aim of this work is a method of patriotic education in our schools, mainly in the first grade of primary schools. The point of this work is to awaken patriotism in society again. In the first step we are informed about the important ideas that enable to develope the assumptions neccesary for the patriotic recognition and for an increase in patriotic feeling. The theory pays the attention to morality, influencing behaviour; for example, material and physical values and the aesthetic. It describes each historical term individually, from the beginning of national recovery during the first half of 19th century to the present days. It underlines the need to understand correctly the individual ideas and it points out the general chaos and risks of their interpretations in society. It recognises the important tasks that our society has to face to maintain the education of patriotism succesfully. The practical aspect contains the class discussions, interwiews and analysis of individual pupils, teachers, directors and it compares the level and quality of class debats with teacher`s attitude. The main thing was to find out the teachers' personal feeling about patriotism, his or her attitude towards its education and the way he or she communicates this during the lessons.

In this paper we find irreducible characters of G=SL(k,Z/p^nZ) where n >= 2, k=2,3 and, p is an odd prime. In the case k=2 we give a construction for every irreducible character of G without calculating the character values. Our method is based on finding a normal subgroup of G and applying Clifford theory.
Mathematics

In this study I apply social constructionism as propounded by Vivian Burr (1998) to show that although J. K. Rowling uses stereotypes in the Harry Potter series as a reflection of how gender is constructed across a wide range of societal institutions in contemporary Britain, she created complex characters who on an individual level subvert social constructs and thereby offers her readers alternatives to culturally defined concepts of gender. I explore the all-pervasive social phenomenon of gender and examine how it is constructed in present-day Britain and reflected in the series (bearing in mind that the first book was published in 1997 and the last one in 2007). My analysis of female and male characters in the books, and their interpersonal relationships, shows that Rowling's often tricky portrayal of femininities and masculinities gives us an honest view of teenagers’ lives and contemporary gender relations in an ever-changing, complex world.
English Studies
M. A. (English)

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009.
In the title, the character [k] is in subscript and the character [n] is in superscript. Title from PDF file main screen (viewed on Oct. 19, 2009). "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Pure Mathematics, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta." Includes bibliographical references.

Gateway communities are the towns, cities, and communities that border public lands such as national and state parks, wildlife refuges, forests, historic sites, wilderness areas, national forests, and other public lands. They offer scenic beauty and a high quality of life that attracts millions of Americans looking to escape traffic congestion, fast tempo and uniformity of cities and suburbs. Gateway communities provide food, lodging, and business for Americans on their way to public lands. They serve as portals to public lands and therefore play an important role in defining the park, forest, or wilderness experience for many visitors. Their beauty, high quality of life, and economic benefits do not come easy. Gateway communities face challenges related to managing growth and development, providing economic prosperity, and preserving their character and sense of place. Parksville, TN is located in extreme southeast Tennessee and is a gateway community to the Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee River, one of the premier whitewater rivers in the eastern United States. Many rural gateway communities, like Parksville, lack planning and growth strategies. For this reason, among others, they are particularly vulnerable to haphazard growth and development that threaten their economic potential as well as their character and sense of place. The struggles, problems, opportunities, and solutions for gateway communities are explored in this thesis to determine planning and design mechanisms applicable to Parksville. The product of this thesis is a master plan for growth and development as well as conservation and preservation. Embedded in the plan are strategies and mechanisms to build upon and improve the local economy and safeguard natural, cultural, and historic resources. “Proactive Stewardship Planning” is suggested as a useful term to accomplish these ideals.

anglicky The theses is concerned with the development of moral values of selected thinkers and their followers with the focus on their conception of education to moral values. The author follows the development of moral values from the times of antiquity and its concept of justice, which is exposed in laws of that period. One of the most influent text that has its impact until now is biblical "Ten Commandments". In the next part of the theses author focuses on the development of moral values with thinkers like Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, J. A. Comenius or C. S. Lewis, who had many thoughts and ideas in common. In a different position to moral values stand other important thinkers like J. Dewey, F. Nietzsche or M. Foucault. The next part of the theses refers to contemporary situation in the ethical education in the Czech Republic and the USA (California). Research part of the theses explores the value orientation of the students from the Czech Republic and their peers from the USA (California) with consideration to other factors that can affect the value orientation of the students. The main tool of research is value questionnaire. The research is concerned with the field of traditional values that are passed on from the antient times up to the present day. Furthermore, it is concerned with the...

碩士
逢甲大學
資訊工程學系
105
Chinese character recognition related research has been for decades. Its application such as signs recognition, letters, newspapers and magazines of the text identification, fax documents, etc. And in the Chinese characters, a variety of fonts printed in the text recognition technology plays a very important role. In the past, most of the Chinese characters in the identification of a single or a small amount of the case to achieve a good recognition rate, because different fonts among the text has a complex structure. In the case of different fonts of the same word, the area of black and white in the font will also be different. Therefore, the recognition of Chinese characters in a variety of fonts is a challenging problem. In recent years, due to the rapid development of deep learning, which Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) often used for different recognition problems. If I can use the ability that capturing by CNN features (from the edge to the local, local and then to the whole), we believe that the recognition of multi-font Chinese Characters can be a good result. In this paper, we use the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to perform a variety of font interaction training, which can obtain the accuracy of the single font to other kinds of fonts, and then the accuracy rate is regarded as the input of k-mean algorithm (K-Means Clustering Algorithm). In the cluster clustering results, pick out several fonts as training data, which can get from which fonts have similarities, which fonts on a specific font has a complementary effect, and then it is regarded as input of the CNN architecture. By using this way, we can not only reduce the number of training data set, but also to maintain the original accuracy.

This thesis looks into evidence-based character education as it is researched and applied in the Anglo-Saxon countries, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, as a parallel to Personal and Social Education in the Czech Republic. Its aim is to provide an overview of scientifically studied approaches to the development of human character, inclusive of efficient means of their dissemination. The first part of the thesis includes definition of terms, philosophical and historical foundations of character education, description and classification of character strengths, and their effects on human flourishing. Based on analysis of available sources, the next part of the thesis presents empirically tested examples of best practices being applied in families, schools, and other organizations. It is followed by a part describing certain problems which character education is currently facing and finally a summary of possible solutions. It becomes apparent that character needs to be approached in its entirety with focus aimed toward harmonious development of a wide range of character strengths. Their cultivation by means of upbringing and education shows positive effect on individual as well as societal flourishing - it builds a strong base for the evolution of cognitive skills by developing...

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
管理研究所
104
In the past, the research found that the investment targets in the defined contribution plan had the characteristic of low tracking error. In recent years, the investment market start following the factor investing strategy. And some investors start using the factor investing strategy in the practical. Funds can be used tracking error and active share to sort to four categories of funds. In these four categories, the factor bets and concentrated stock picks kinds of funds have the characteristic of factor investing. As a result, this research use these two kinds of funds to be the research object. And the purpose is to analyze weather the factor bets and concentrated stock picks kinds of funds have the high probability to be put in the 401(K) menu. This research collect the investment targets in the 401(K) menu and the CRSP fund data from 2013 to 2015. The result show that the factor bets and concentrated stock picks kinds of funds have the high probability to be put in the 401(K) menu.

This thesis deals with the evolution of vampire as a literary character in contemporary production for young adults. Its aim is not to describe all existing works but to cover only the most interesting representations of a vampire in various epochs. The thesis describes the most influential works building the literary stereotype of a vampire and proposes an evolution line. The crucial works in this genre are: Vampire, Carmilla, Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Twilight, House of Night, Vampire Academy and Vampire Boardingschool. Based on them we create a typology according to the appearance, character and narrative role of a vampire. The thesis begins with an anthropological introduction, especially with the origin of the vampires in Easteuropean folk tradition. Farther more we deal with most common genres used to enrich the vampire literature and theory of a literary character as a narrative category. The analysis covers the evolution of a vampire character from its naturalistic appearance to its very civilized pole in the contemporary young adults fiction. We close with the chapter describing the character of a vampire as a literary symbol.

The main topic of this work is an effort to answer the question, whether confessional teaching of religion is the right way to approach pupils from secular environment. In the first part of my work I follow up the definition of catechesis and its history. Next I compare confessional and unconfessional way of teaching religion, and as an alternative to it, I propose the teaching focused on cultural context. I also give attention to the term ?secular society? and consequences from that in religion teaching. I look for goals and contents of religion teaching in individual church documents with consideration to non-religious pupils. In the last section of this work I pay attention to developmental psychology, development of religious judgment and the character of educator. In the very end I try to find solutions to teachings focused on cultural context.

Trees, as threshold beings, effectively blur the line between the real world and fantastical alternate worlds, and destabilise traditional binary classification systems that distinguish humanity, and Culture, from Nature. Though the presence of trees is often peripheral to the main narrative action, their representation is necessary within the fantasy trope. Their consistent inclusion within fantasy texts of the twentieth century demonstrates an enduring arboreal legacy that cannot be disregarded in its contemporary relevance, whether they are represented individually or in collective forests. The purpose of my dissertation is to conduct a study of various prominent fantasy texts of the twentieth century, including the fantasy works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Holdstock, Diana Wynne Jones, Natalie Babbitt, and J.K. Rowling. In scrutinising these texts, and drawing on insights offered by liminal, ecocritical, ecofeminist, mythological and psychological theorists, I identify the primary function of trees within fantasy narratives as liminal: what Victor Turner identifies as a ‘betwixt and between’ state (1991:95) where binaries are suspended in favour of embracing potentiality. This liminality is constituted by three central dimensions: the ecological, the mythological, and the psychological. Each dimension informs the relationship between the arboreal as grounded in reality, and represented in fantasy. Trees, as literary and cinematic arboreal totems are positioned within fantasy narratives in such a way as to emphasise an underlying call to bio-conservatorship, to enable a connection to a larger scope of cultural expectation, and to act as a means through which human self-awareness is developed.
English Studies
D. Litt. et Phil. (English)