Tar Baby Essay Example For Students

Tar Baby Essay Toni Morrisons Tar Baby is a novel about conflicts and learned biases that exist on a race, class and gender level. Many of the characters experience a sense of exile either from their environment or from themselves. All of these characters have some sort of issue that exists on a race, class or gender level, that will eventually lead them to their exile. Most of the novel takes place on a white millionaires Caribbean estate, Valerian Street. He in a sense exiled himself from the states because he felt alienated from the world that he lived in. He lived in a capitalistic society, and when he finished working his usefulness in that society was over. So he left his home in Philadelphia with his wife who was not happy about having two homes: I live in airplanes now. Nowhere. Not in PhiladelphiaNot here(P.28) His wife Margaret does not understand why he wants to be on an Island without people that they know. We will write a custom essay on Tar Baby specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Margaret married Valerian when she was a child; one reason for this was that she wanted to get away from her family. In a way, she exiled herself from her childhood because of its complications. Her parents were bothered with the fact that she had red hair, because her father didnt have red hair. He wasnt sure if she was his child or not and this tension continued throughout her childhood. She escaped her past through Valerian and began a new life without the tension that she felt from her parents. Because of her red hair she stands out in her family, and eventually becomes abusive to her husband and her own Son, Michael. Michael is a silent character in the novel but still plays a role. He never shows up at the house because he to exiled himself from his family. One reason for his exile was that his mother abused him when he was a child and he seems to have different beliefs than his father has. He didnt want to follow in his footstep and take over the family candy company: .the son was not charmed with Teddy Boys and Island retreats(P.53) Michael was their only biological child, but Jadine was raised by Valerian and Margaret and her Uncle and Aunt who are the Streets servants. Jadine unlike Michael exiles herself from the life she had away from the Street family. She lived in Paris with all of its glamour, glitz and fame; she worked as a model. She runs away from her way of life in Paris, the life of passing or conforming to what the powerful people in her profession want of and from her. She comes to the Island to relax and clear her head, Margaret believes that she is getting over and affair(P.29) Jadine moves to the Island to find herself getting involved with a young man by the name of Son. Sons exile is the most clear because he was running away from the law. He killed his wife, so the law and his wifes family were after him. The novel itself starts off with Son jumping off of a ship attempting to get back to the town where he was from, Eloe so that he could end his exile. He gets caught in a current and is unable to reach Eloe. (P.6) He ends up on the Island still running from his past using different names for secrecy. In a conversation with Jadine, he tells her his different names: . that says William Green One of them any way. I got another that says Herbert Robinson. And one says Louis Stover (P.174)One of the major themes in this novel was about the different characters that in some way exiled from themselves or from their environment. In each case, the exile had to do with race, class and gender. Valerian left his environment because he felt worthless; he had no more to contribute in the economic world therefor felt out of place. Margarets exile was different be cause she was able to do it because of her gender. She used her good looks to attract Valerian and he took her away from her family, and her past. Jadine was escaping her race issues in Paris;

Introduction to the Custom of Sati

Introduction to the Custom of Sati Sati or suttee is the ancient Indian and Nepalese practice of burning a widow on her husbands funeral pyre or burying her alive in his grave. This practice is associated with Hindu traditions.  The name is taken from the goddess Sati, wife of Shiva, who burned herself to protest her fathers ill-treatment of her husband.  The term sati can also apply to the widow who commits the act. The word sati comes from the feminine present participle of the Sanskrit word  asti, meaning she is true/pure.  While it has been most common in India and Nepal, examples have occurred in other traditions from as far afield as Russia, Vietnam, and Fiji. Pronunciation: suh-TEE or SUHT-ee Alternate Spellings: suttee Seen as a Proper Finale to a Marriage According to custom, Hindu sati was supposed to be voluntary, and often it was seen as the proper finale to a marriage. It was considered to be the signature act of a dutiful wife, who would want to follow her husband into the afterlife. However, many accounts exist of women who were forced to go through with the rite. They may have been drugged, thrown into the fire, or tied up before being placed on the pyre or into the grave. In addition, the strong societal pressure was exerted on women to accept sati, particularly if they had no surviving children to support them. A widow had no social standing in traditional society and was considered a drag on resources. It was almost unheard-of for a woman to remarry after her husbands death, so even very young widows were expected to kill themselves. History of Sati Sati first appears in the historical record during the reign of the Gupta Empire, c. 320 to 550 CE.  Thus, it may be a relatively recent innovation in the extremely long history of Hinduism. During the Gupta period, incidents of sati began to be recorded with inscribed memorial stones, first in Nepal in 464 CE, and then in Madhya Pradesh from 510 CE. The practice spread to Rajasthan, where it has happened most frequently over the centuries. Initially, sati seems to have been limited to royal and noble families from the Kshatriya caste (warriors and princes). Gradually, however, it percolated down into the lower castes. Some areas such as Kashmir became particularly known for the prevalence of sati among people of all classes and stations in life. It seems to have really taken off between the 1200s and 1600s CE. As the Indian Ocean trade routes brought Hinduism to Southeast Asia, the practice of sati also moved into new lands during the 1200s to 1400s. An Italian missionary and traveler recorded that widows in the Champa kingdom of what is now Vietnam practiced sati in the early 1300s. Other medieval travelers found the custom in Cambodia, Burma, the Philippines, and parts of what is now Indonesia, particularly on the islands of Bali, Java, and Sumatra. In Sri Lanka, interestingly, sati was practiced only by queens; ordinary women were not expected to join their husbands in death. The Banning of Sati Under the rule of the Muslim Mughal emperors, sati was banned more than once. Akbar the Great first outlawed the practice around the year 1500; Aurangzeb tried to end it again in 1663, after a trip to Kashmir where he witnessed it. During the European  colonial period, Britain, France, and the Portuguese all tried to stamp out the practice of sati. Portugal outlawed it in Goa as early as 1515. The British East India Company imposed a ban on sati in the city of Calcutta only in 1798. To prevent unrest, at that time the BEIC did not allow Christian missionaries to work within its territories in India.  However, the issue of sati became a rallying point for British Christians, who pushed legislation through the House of Commons in 1813 to allow missionary work in India specifically to end practices like sati.   By 1850, British colonial attitudes against sati had hardened. Officials like Sir Charles Napier threatened to hang for murder any Hindu priest who advocated or presided over a widow-burning. British officials put intense pressure on the rulers of the princely states to outlaw sati, as well. In 1861, Queen Victoria issued a proclamation banning sati throughout her domain in India. Nepal officially banned it in 1920. Prevention of Sati Act Today, Indias  Prevention of Sati Act  (1987) makes it illegal to coerce or encourage anyone to commit sati. Forcing someone to commit sati can be punished by death. Nonetheless, a small number of widows still choose to join their husbands in death; at least four instances have been recorded between the year 2000 and 2015. Examples In 1987, a Rajput man was arrested after the sati death of his daughter-in-law, Roop Kunwar, who was just 18 years old.

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Abortion - Essay Example Spontaneous abortions refer to the natural process during which the human body rejects and expels the fetal contents without any â€Å"voluntary involvement or utilization of induction methods† (102). These events are often the source of great psychological distress to expecting parents and communities. However, the real social dilemma is regarding induced abortions; which refer to a voluntary disruption of a pregnancy brought upon through medical intervention (Hou Chap. 29). As a legal matter, the Supreme Court of United States supported the right to abortion in the judgment given for Roe v Wade case (Hou, Chap. 29). It was seen as the biological right of a woman to decline to carry an undesired child to term, as her physiological right. After this decision was taken there was a significant increase in the rate of abortions in the country (National Right to Life Committee, 4). But not everyone in either the public or private sector agreed with the decision and different states in the United States implemented separate legislations with varying degrees of leniency with regards to the accessibility to abortion services (Hou, Chap. 29), and in many states the debate for the right to abortion is still going on. Recent trends reveal that there is a reduction in abortion rates in the country (National Right to Life Committee 4), indicating that the perspective of the population has shifted against the process, which is labeled â€Å"barbaric† by individuals who oppose it. Anti-abortion perspectives are fueled by the concern for the rights of the unborn child as well as the sanctity of human life – eliminating a human life destroys the sense of a safe and beneficial society for all. Given these sentiments, states with the majority against abortion should implement strong anti-abortion policies which can guide

Maya Angelou Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Maya Angelou - Essay Example The author believes that the sense of displacement is stronger than the racial prejudice alone (Neubauer): "If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat." Essentially this work is interlaced with themes such as â€Å"self-acceptance, race, men, work, separation, sexuality, motherhood† that can be seen as glued together by the central theme of racism (Lupton). Racism continues not just as a theme in ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ but rather as the underlying fabric on which Angelou’s tale is woven. On the other hand, the theme of motherhood emerges strongly late in the work with the birth of Guy, Angelou’s son. However, subtle references to motherhood remain scattered throughout the work. The connection between Momma Henderson and the author is essentially about motherhood where the older woman serves as Angelou’s link to her social and racial identit y. Angelou’s work dwells on the use of metaphor to propagate her point of view. The author has adeptly blended racist undertones and overtones with the metaphor of a caged bird. The utilization of the caged bird stems from Dunbar’s poem titled ‘Sympathy’ where a caged bird is shown singing in order that its prayers for freedom be realized. Angelou likens herself and her community to the caged bird that can see the world around it but remains restricted by the cage from freedom of exploration (McMurry). The African Americans had been emancipated, but socio economic liberties remained few and far in between. The situation in Angelou’s case was exacerbated by a rural community and her female gender. While Dunbar’s caged bird keeps singing in frustration, Angelou is seen as transforming her frustration to her self-acceptance while still being caged by society at large (McMurry). The author has demarcated the cage in the metaphor as social roles t hat have become so well entrenched that no flexibility or hope for change exists anymore. In Angelou’s tale of self realization and development, society’s roles and statuses serve analogous to the bars of a cage. Among other metaphors, Angelou tends to transform Momma Henderson metaphorically to preserve her image as the community leader. Momma Henderson provides Angelou with a submissive method to deal with life but the author feels that this is not the life for her. Since Momma Henderson is her ideal, Angelou does her best to transform the older woman to preserve her own sense of dignity. Angelou’s metaphorical transformation of Momma Henderson reveals both a desire for gaining respect and the fear of being disrespected (Lupton): "... did an excellent job of sagging from her waist down, but from the waist up she seemed to be pulling for the top of the oak tree across the road." Angelou’s mastery of the pen is also evident in her poetic collections such as ‘And Still I Rise’ where a defiant Angelou is seen fighting against overwhelming odds. The recurrent theme of the collection is emergence from defeat where Angelou keeps repeating that she keeps rising no matter how doleful and discouraging the defeat (Neubauer). The theme of self definition tends to emerge in this work as in other works by Angelou and keeps recurring throughout the entire piece. The author’s use of â€Å"I† in her constant reminder of â€Å"I rise†

Petroleum economcs and project management Assignment

Petroleum economcs and project management - Assignment Example OPEC’s first price band mechanism was developed at its 109th meeting of its Conference in March 2000. This mechanism directs that the price of a barrel will range between $22-$28 in order to balance the needs of both the consumers and producers. This method has ensured that OPEC’s role in stabilizing the market is successful because since its inception, the average price of a barrel has been $25.30 per barrel. However, this price band mechanism states that 500,000 barrels per dollar should be added to the market in instances where prices rise above $28 per barrel. This is to ensure that cartels in the industry do not take advantage of high prices and create a shortage hence destabilizing the market. (Alvaro, 2003) As part of its role in ensuring stability in the oil market, OPEC is supposed to deal with shortages that arise from political instability in oil producing areas that may lead to sprawling up of prices. For instance the 2000 September 11 incidence in the USA followed by war in Iraq lead to ‘war premium’; a speculation of oil shortage due to effects of war. Therefore as part of its role in ensuring stability, OPEC convened a consultative meeting to discuss on the ways of countering the looming shortage. This conference was aimed at finding ways in which OPEC could provide assurances to the market that its member countries have the capacity to overcome any shortfall that may occur due to war in Iraq. During the conference, it was agreed that member countries raise their outputs to maximum to meet the market needs and at the same time reduce actual production so as to ensure the threat of over-supply during the season of low demand. (Edmund, 2006) Also, OPEC must demonstrate its commitment to ensuring that the prices do not rise and fall unstably. For instance, in the wake of the price weakness that followed the tragic bomb in September 11 and the war in Iraq, OPEC used the price band strategy in

My Personal Culture

My Personal Culture Introduction The typical cave discovery tells us how people lived thousands of years ago. Likewise a familys personal history tells the story of the family but it also indirectly records society and how it affected them as individuals, as a family, and as a community. Many families take great care to safeguard their family stories and pass them down to future generations through recorded documents and oral history. This ensures that all future generations are aware of the struggles and hardships endured by their ancestors that shaped the early generations. Family history was most often recorded by those who had inherited their wealth or social status and others, who had inherited nothing, would often suppress their family history as a matter of shame. The Webb family boasts no family historian, genealogist, or biographer. Those that are aware of the facts have long passed and the few that remain can only reveal bits and pieces of fading memories. This paper is an attempt to piece together the mem ories, stories, and historical data of the time to tell the story of my family. Life in a company town With the construction of railroad lines in the first decades of the new century coal mining operations and coal towns began springing up almost overnight. To accommodate the influx of workers mine owners had to offer housing and other luxuries to the families migrating to the newly established communities (Buckley, 2004). The majority of Southwest Virginias mountain residents lived settled sparsely in hollows (â€Å"hollers†) between the hills, along creek beds, and on hillsides so many companies had to entice workers from outside the region to move their families into areas that appeared unlivable. This was easier for companies mining in the Appalachian fields since the area accounted for over 90% of the total amount of coal mined in the United States during the 1920s (Buckley, 2004). The early success of extracting ‘black diamonds would be short lived as the onset of such tragic events as World War I and the Great Depression subdued king coal. The early days of coal town living was never discussed amongst my family. My grandfather was born just one year after the fighting in World War I ceased and he lived to survive many other tragic events in American history but never recounted any tales outside living in a coal camp with his family. It is unclear where he was originally from as he never talked about his days growing up or his parents except to tell his fathers name in brief stories of glory days gone by. An interview with his youngest daughter did not shed any light on his mysterious past. She recalls growing up in the same small town in Southwest Virginia but she struggled to recount her experiences growing up in a mining community. My mother was not able to provide much more detail and only confirmed the information I had already attained. Historical fact paints a good picture of their experience and may help explain why family history was not more of a priority. It is unclear whether the family purposefully chose to conceal this time in history or not. The premise may have been to protect future generations from the dark days of struggle the family endured. Only those who have left this life know that answer and those of us who remain must speculate. The coal mining towns were typical of industrial towns in other parts of North America and Western Europe. The houses were usually identical, functional and of simple design. The mining towns were representative of frontier communities. Initially there were few amenities but as the towns grew conditions improved. Schools were opened in the mining towns soon after families arrived in the district. Hotels, a post office, retail businesses, banks, newspapers and churches and sometimes and opera house or theatre were features of all the major communities. Lodges were important in many communities and the members performed a variety of social and cultural functions in the towns (Buckley, 2004). The company store was not just the local grocery store. It was often the center of life in a coal mining town. Every town had one, and everyone shopped there. The company store was usually located near the railroad tracks in the town. Everything that a family might want or need could be bought in t he store, from food to clothing, from hardware supplies and the miners tools to furniture and appliances. My grandfather often compared the company store to our modern day mall and would describe his days of shopping after having received just over two dollars for a whole days work. I never remember hearing my family tell stories about hardship or struggle. In fact, I do not recall ever hearing my grandparents or parents talk about tragedy and triumph, good conquering evil, or good vs. bad. It is as though my entire ancestry had taken a vow of silence. There were no discussions around the dinner table, no meaningful conversations about future goals, and no retelling of early family experiences. Even my earliest memories capture only a glimpse of the events that shaped our familys values. Since the days of my great-grandfather all that seems to have been known was working and living in a coal town. This was considered such laborious work but it seemed to appeal to my ancestors. The code of silence not only encompassed family values but permeated every aspect of family life and living. There were never discussions about diversity of religion, gender, race, or nationality. Even the major events of the time did appear to strike the heart of our family. It is as thou gh they had shut off the world around them and relished in one anothers presence. My father was a stern man. He did not speak much but he had an aura about him that did not require him to. Working around the home was expected and long hours were customary. Dinner had to be prepared and ready to serve as he arrived home from work and the menu always consisted of the family staple: pinto beans and corn bread. Although never spoken we understood that we did not question our father. His rule was not a democracy and at times he ruled with an iron fist. As boys we were expected to do the ‘manly work around the home and our sister was expected to take care of the house and learn to cook. I believe education intimidated my father. He dropped out of school at 13 years of age and never returned. He struggled to read and write and may have compensated by entrenching himself in his trade. There was only one high school graduate in three generations of males in our family. Young men were expected to drop out of school, if necessary, and go to work in a coal mines. In the last 100 years there have only been two college graduates in our family and those experiences were not celebrated. Education was never criticized openly but neither was it lauded in the eyes and ears of the children. I never remember relationships being very important in our family. Affection was not shown openly and never discussed in the presence of children. Those who were married seemed to love one another but did not use words to express their fondness. It was simply understood that their devotion coexisted. This lack of communication carried over in all the relationships within the family. Sitting down to have a meaningful conversation was not something anyone considered doing. Somehow, as children, each of us knew that significant communication was not valued by our parents or grandparents. Parents simply had a way of looking at a child that communicated it was time to stop and toe the line or suffer the consequences. The consequences were most often administered by the males in the family and each of them had a difficult time maintaining control and would often discipline in ways that would be considered child abuse today. For example, I can remember my grandfather laughing while he was t elling the story of throwing large rocks at his boys after they had gotten into trouble. He was laughing as he remembered hitting them with the rocks. Spillover from company town experience My grandfather survived the Great Depression but I do not believe he was unscathed. He was a teenager at the time and forced to give up his childhood and enter the workforce at a very early age. He would tell stories of being 13 and working in coal using picks and donkeys pulling small cars in water up to his chest just to make enough money to help feed his family for the day. For as long as I can remember my grandfather was an alcoholic. He drank from the time he woke up in the morning until he fell asleep at night. I believe he wanted to avoid the scars from so many years of hard living. Unfortunately, each generation that followed mirrored his reluctance to talk about the issues that made life difficult. He had become complacent living in a coal town and his children had become content because it was the only life they knew. In a sense he served the family as he had been served by the company. Each of his children lived in homes that were similar and each of his boys worked long h ours in the coal mines starting around the age of 13. The girls stayed at home to help keep the house, tend the garden, and prepare meals for their brothers. I never remember our family talking about religion but it must have been important to our community because there are six churches in an area that is only 0.2 square miles (Bureu, 2000). Each hollow has its own small church with many of them still functioning today despite having a population of just over a thousand residents. Religion was a taboo subject although no one in the family ever forbade it. There was a sense that no subject was worthy of discussing openly as a family. This would fall in line with the ideology of our earliest remembered ancestor Andrew Webb. Church and the idea of God were not promoted nor denied amongst our family. The attitude resembled the same attitude of the character John Walton from the television series The Waltons. The men in our family were very good-natured and wise, but also fearless, ready to stand up to a challenge and tell it like it is. This personality sometimes causes him to get very brash, even towards his children and wife on occasion, a nd he can also get into the mindset of a workaholic when heavily stressed. They were somewhat non-religious although there were brief moments when God was acknowledged as Creator. The code of silence established by my ancestors runs deep in our family. The current generation does not communicate any differently than those before us. Most often the family can be found together in the midst of tragedy and then the visits are short lived. Family reunions have never been a priority. Although most of the family lives in the county communication is almost nonexistent. Even while gathering information for this paper I found it difficult to talk to relatives about our family history. We had never discussed such things and the idea of having to ask for information about our ancestral past was daunting. There are times I am very aware that my attitude and communication style, or lack thereof, closely mimics that of my ancestors. It is a daily struggle to do things differently and one that sees moments of victory and defeat. I work each day to better communicate with my children. It seemed much easier when they were younger children. As they get older it becomes more of a task for me to communicate because I do not have any experiences to compare it to. My father never talked to me and never allowed his children to see him cry. My children have seen their father show a range of emotions. This has not always been an easy task and one that takes thought on my part. I am careful to explain to them that emotions are a natural and healthy way to promote self care and are every part of being a man. I also explain that there are times when emotions are not appropriate and should be subdued until a more appropriate time to show them. This is something I can never remember my grandfather or father ever discussing. Their lack of doing has made raising children more difficult and stressful. The major difference in our home as compared to what I am aware of in my parents home and grandparents home is a willingness b y my wife and I to talk to our children when they have questions. When they are not asking questions we are. This keeps the lines of communication open and hopefully will instill in them a greater sense of family and increase their world view. Becoming a sensitive multicultural counselor At the age of 18 I enlisted in the United States Army. There was a passion in my heart to move beyond what I knew growing up. I knew there was more to the world around me than coal. My only experience with other cultures came from brief encounters in school and television. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to enlist and move outside the box that had been built by my great grandfather and propagated by those who would follow in his footsteps. A whole new world was opening up before me and my life has been enriched by the adventure. As I look back I am dumbfounded. My parents had never spoken of other cultures or about how we should interact with people of a different race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. I often hear people use the term culture shock when being thrust into a different culture for the first time. This is something I did not experience after enlisting. I had never been around people of color, Mexicans, Latinos, or Puerto Ricans but I did not experience uneasines s in my new environment. There was something deep inside of me that made this new experience right. I cannot explain where it came from or who had instilled this inner strength in me but I believe it was this inner strength that made this major life transition successful. This is a strength I take with me into the counseling field. Through counseling I am able to once again experience a journey into a variety of different cultures. I believe I am also able to listen to others as they tell their story. I spent a lifetime listening but believe that through my experiences in the military my listening skills have been honed so that I can truly hear what people are saying. My experiences strengthen my belief that I am not judgmental towards those I counsel. I avoid reading client histories before a meeting because I do not want to make rash judgments about who the individual is. I have found that the individual is nothing I expected and only vaguely resembles what I read in documentation after our initial meeting . I do believe that another strength I bring to the counseling field is my willingness to learn from others. I do not see myself as being master of anything but a student of all things. One skill I took from my ancestors that increases my success in the counseling field is my work ethic. My work ethic may very well be the greatest tool passed down by my family but it also lends itself to great struggles and stress. I sometimes allow myself to be taken advantage of by others in order to complete a task. My basic belief is that we should prefer our brother in matters of life and success. This is not necessarily our biological brother but more a reference to the people around us. There are times when I am silent and should not be. The silence creates a wall between the client as well as co-workers. Accompanying the silence is an inner critical voice that is often harsh and unrelenting. This causes me to question interventions I use with clients and to doubt the skills I have gained through experience and education. I am also not readily accepting of my own heritage. I feel like I fight daily to prove to myself and the world that I am not following in the footsteps of those before me because I do not like where they have been. This could create a problem when working wit h families that have children rebelling against family norms. I might see myself being more sympathetic to a young person trying to come out from under a bleak ancestral tree. I might also be more tempted to be satisfied with surface problems and avoid digging deeper with clients and their families to get to the underlying issues. This would be placing a Band-Aid on their mental health problems and not facilitating solutions. Having brothers that followed in the footsteps of our ancestors made choosing a different path more difficult. To my knowledge I am the only male in our family to ever graduate from high school. Everyone else dropped out to work in the coal industry by the time they entered their freshman year and most before leaving elementary. This would make me the first male to enroll in college and the first member of our family, male or female, to graduate with a Masters Degree and the only member of our family working in a profession that requires licensure. Breaking away from the generational pattern has not been an easy task. I chose to stay in the same community that I grew up in and our family name is not prominent or known for contributions to better the community. An advantage is that I am very familiar with the culture of our area but I have also been privileged to experience a variety of different cultures and learn from them. I owe this success to my decision to enlist in the military just after finishing high school. This did not allow me time to settle for what was acceptable in the community and it challenged me to move outside my comfort zone. The reward has been an expanded world view. I have experienced other cultures that many in my community will only know from books and movies. As I write this paper I am reminded of the character Peter Petrelli from the television series Heroes. He is a dreamer that always believed he was meant for something more than the existence he knew. I too have believed that I was destined for something more than coal towns and mining. Innately, whether we voice it or not, as human beings we have a desire to make our lives matter, to count for something. And yet, while the desire is there, it can be very challenging to determine how to make a difference and feel content with our offering to humanity. Recruiting providers to the area is difficult and time consuming. Those who do decide to work in the area often choose to leave after only a short stay or they simply do not understand the culture. I am able to incorporate my experiences in other cultures with a complete understanding of the indigenous culture. With an increased knowledge ba se I am able to work at passing on to my children an increased understanding of other cultures while respecting the culture of their ancestors. This ensures a lasting legacy for future generations of our family that choose to live in this community. Conclusion At the age of 40 I am much like my father. I am a stern man and would prefer to be a man of few words. My wife of 17 years, my opposite, compliments me very well and is the main reason I do not rule my house with an iron fist like my father. We fit together like gears in a wheel. She does however prefer the more traditional roles for women and would much rather stay home to cook, clean, and take care of our two children than work. Next to my wife my two sons have had the greatest impact on my life. Seeing them born really reinforced my belief that we have to be responsible, hard working caretakers of a very precious treasure. I wanted them to see that education was important so I returned to college when I was well into my 30s. My wife and I want them to know that family is important so we do a lot of things together as a family. We talk to one another and to each of them daily because we want them to value communication within the family. Mather, Black, and Sanders (2007) wanted to dispel the mistaken belief that people from the Appalachian region had boxed themselves off from mainstream American culture. They point to stereotypes and fictional Appalachian tales â€Å"invented by local color writers† (Black, et.al.) as the source of confusion about the people living in the area. We work each day to ensure our children understand their culture but we also encourage them to be open to different cultural experiences so their lives will be richly rewarding. BIBLIOGRAPHY Black, D., Mather, M., Sanders, S. (2007). Standards of Living in Appalachia, 1960 to 2000. Washington: Populaton Reference Bureu. Buckley, G. (2004). History of Coal Mining in Appalachia. Encyclopedia of Energy , 1, 1-12. Bureu, U. C. (2000). U.S. Census Bureu American FactFinder. Retrieved July 30, 2009, from American FactFinder: factfinder.census.gov

Shakespeares Comedy of Errors and Plautus Menaechmi and Amphitruo Ess

Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors and Plautus' Menaechmi and Amphitruo One of Shakespeare's earliest plays (its first recorded performance in December 1594), The Comedy of Errors has frequently been dismissed as pure farce, unrepresentative of the playwright's later efforts. While Errors may very well contain farcical elements, it is a complex, layered work that draws upon and reinterprets Plautine comedy. Shakespeare combines aspects of these Latin plays with biblical source material, chiefly the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistle to the Ephesians. While Menaechmi is the most frequently cited classical source for Errors, Plautus' Amphitruo is just as relevant an influence; Shakespeare's treatment of identity and its fragility is derived from this latter work. Of course, there are many other structural and thematic resonances between the three texts: each of the plays, to varying degrees, deal with the issues of identity, violence and slavery, while displaying a keen awareness of aspects of performativity, specifically the figure of the p laywright, and the role of the audience. The structural similarities between Comedy of Errors and Plautus' Menaechmi and Amphitruo are quite clear. In addition to adopting the traditional five-act structure, Shakespeare creates act divisions which comply with the Evanthian and Donatian definitions of comic structure (prologue, epitasis, protasis, catastrophe), and draws upon the classical stock of characters: the senex, servus, parasitus, matrona and meretrix. Of course, this does not mean that Shakespeare is a slavish imitator of all things Plautine. While both of the Roman source plays for Errors begin with a formal prologue, set apart from the first act, Errors instead laun... ...s.): Plautus: Five of his Plays, London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1914. Crewe, Jonathan V.: "God or The Good Physician: The Rational Playwright in The Comedy of Errors, in Genre, XV (1/2), 1982, pp. 203-223. Dorsch, T.S (ed.): The Comedy of Errors, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Hall, Jonathan: Anxious Pleasures: Shakespearean Comedy and the Nation-State, London: Associated University Presses, 1995 Hunt, Maurice: "Slavery, English Servitude, and The Comedy of Errors," in English Literary Renaissance, 27(1): 31-55, Winter 1997. Miola, Robert S.: Shakespeare and Clasical Comedy: The Influence of Plautus and Terence, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994. Riehle, Wolfgang: Shakespeare, Plautus and the Humanist Tradition, Cambridge: D.S Brewer, 1990. Segal, Erich (trans.): Plautus: Three Comedies, New York and London: Harper and Row, 1969.

Managing Time Essay

In today’s society, many people are finding it difficult to find time for their family when they are so caught up at work. At times, it could also be that people are with their family more often that their work starts to slack off. In the story, â€Å"Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket† by Jack Finney, Tom has it difficult spending time with his wife, because he is caught up in his work. The theme of this story is time management between work and family can be complicated. A similar theme is shown in the short stories, â€Å"Double Daddy† by Penny Parker and â€Å"Diary of a Mad Blender† by Sue Shellenbarger. First of all, the theme of â€Å"Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket† is demonstrated throughout the story. When Tom decides to stay home, his wife, Clare, tells him, â€Å"You work too much—though, Tom—and too hard. † This shows that Tom has chosen his work over his wife. Later in the story, Tom realizes that his time may be short when he, â€Å"Wished, then, that he had not allowed his wife to go off by herself tonight—and on similar nights. † Tom realized that managing his time with his wife is more important than his work, which reveals the theme of the story. Secondly, in â€Å"Double Daddy† by Penny Parker, a similar theme is shown throughout the article. The author explains, â€Å"More is Expected of father at home these days†¦but the demands of the workplace, is anything, increased in the recent years. This comes to show that father are needed both at work and at home. Linda Dunlap, chair women of the psychology department at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, states that men say, â€Å"I’m working my tail off to get ahead†¦but I’m now spending time with my family. † So in recent years, fathers have realized that time management with their family is important, even though they must work to keep their family stable, which shows how complicated managing time between work and family time can be. In addition, Sue Shellenbarger, author of, â€Å"Diary of a Mad Blender,† writes about a similar theme in her article. Today, even if parents try to stay home with their kids and try to work at the same time can be challenging. As the author states, â€Å"I work from home, but there’s certainly more I could do to integrate my work and my personal life. † So, trying to balance this is a difficult task. Even though managing work and family time is tough, Shellenbarger says, â€Å"My brain just needs a little cross-training,† but she is still finding it tough to manage the time between her family work, which relates to the theme of the story. Finally, managing the time between work and family can be a difficult task for anyone, as explained in, â€Å"Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket† by Jack Finney. Also the demands of the workplace can be a struggle which was shown in â€Å"Double Daddy† by Penny Parker. Last, how it can difficult to bring work home, while trying to spend time with family, like the example in â€Å"Diary of a Mad Blender† by Sur Shellenbarger. The theme of this all is managing time between work and family can be difficult.

Event Essays - Taking Back Sunday, Free Essays

An Influential Person/Event Essays - Taking Back Sunday, Free Essays An Influential Person/Event It seemed like it would make her die, just speaking it. So I didnt tell anyone, not even my best friends. At school I would slip into a fantastical dreamland, nobody there knew that I should be troubled, pensive. I put on my best front and paraded around the school halls with some sort of smile plastered on my face. At lunchtime Id stare at my food thinking that my friends should know. I thought of a million different ways to tell them. Each time that I came close to telling them, I would think about their potential reactions. There would be the normal lunchtime banter going on, complaints about the ranch dressing, and I would blurt out, Hey guys, my mom has breast cancer. The whole cafeteria would turn silent and the plastic forks would drop from their hands, making a sad little clinking noise. Then I would stare at my food mentally kicking myself for having opened my mouth. I chose to say nothing. I remember very clearly the day that I went to go sit with her while she got her chemotherapy. I only did this once because it was too hard for me. I walked down an overly-lit sterile hallway trailing behind my dad. When we reached her room I wished that I could just keep walking, pretend I hadnt seen her. I went in and sat down. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned so that the IV could be inserted into the porto-cath surgically implanted under her collarbone. She was hooked up to three different kinds of poisons, and one normal IV. There were some knitting things spread across her lap and the ever present bag of lemon drops was faithfully at her side. Her head was laid back in the chair, she was tired. She and my dad tried to involve me in some nice chit-chat, I met and shook hands with the doctors and nurses, Its nice to meet you Dr. McCoy. Yeah right. They complimented her on what a beautiful daughter she had. I blushed, smiled politely then excused myself to the bathroom. I wiped a way my forming tears and gave myself a mental pep talk to be cheery. As long as I didnt look at her tired eyes I was OK. Half an hour later, she was done and we got to go home. I stayed alone in my room that night. Out of courtesy to my mom and fear that my friends would find out, I didnt have them over to the house for a long time. I didnt want them to notice anything, like the bottles of medicine all lined up at my moms place at the table. Each pill a tiny soldier waging war on my mothers body. There were always huge quantities of lemons in the refrigerator. A friend would come over, Hey Karen, why so many lemons? Its the middle of winter! I couldnt risk having to explain to them that the taste of lemons made my mom less nauseous. The ceiling of the bathroom had hair on it. She tried so hard to camouflage her hair loss by blow drying her hair for over half an hour every morning. She would turn her head upside down, use some hairspray, then blow dry, then more hairspray and more blow drying. I dont think she realized her effect on the ceiling. Eight months after she had discovered the tumor, she was done with treatment. Eventually her hair began to grow back in. She and I played with new ways to fix her short hair and since it grew in curly, we referred to that phenomenon as, Post-chemo curls. We were both disappointed a few months ago when it dawned upon the two of us that the curls were finally falling out. So she got a perm. I became best friends with my mother during the course of the cancer. I really grew up during those eight long months of fixing the family dinners, trying to be strong for her and trying to take over certain aspects of her role as mom when she couldnt. I think that while hard to endure, her cancer has been good for the family. It

11 Pros and Cons of Using Movies in Class

11 Pros and Cons of Using Movies in Class Showing a film in class may engage students, but engagement cannot be the only reason for showing movies in the classroom. Teachers must understand that the planning for viewing a film is what makes it an  effective learning experience for any grade level. Before planning, however, a teacher must first review the schools policy on the use of film in class. School Policies There are film ratings that schools may adopt for movies shown in class. Here are a general set of guidelines that could be used: G-rated films: No signed permission form is necessary.PG-rated films: A signed parental permission form is required for students under age 13. At the elementary school level, the principal will ask a committee to review the use of the film prior to granting permission.PG-13-rated films: A signed parental permission form is required for students under age 14. No use of PG-13 films is typically allowed at an elementary school level. In a middle school, the principal will ask a committee to review the use of the film prior to granting permission.  R-rated: A signed parental permission form is required for all students. The principal will ask a committee to review the film before granting permission. Film clips are preferred for R-rated films. No use of R-rated films is typically allowed in middle or elementary schools. After checking on the film policy, teachers design the resources for the film to determine how it fits in a unit with other lesson plans. There may be a worksheet to be completed as the movie is being watched that also provides the students with specific information. There may be a plan to stop the film and discuss specific moments. Film as Text The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS) identify a  film as a text, and there are standards specific to the use of film in order to compare and contrast texts. For example, one ELA standard for Grade 8 states: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.   There is a similar ELA standard for grades 11-12 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist). The CCSS encourage the use of film for higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy including analysis or synthesis. Resources There are websites dedicated to helping teachers create effective lesson plans for use with film. One major consideration is the use of film clips as opposed to an entire film. A well-chosen 10-minute clip from a film should be more than adequate to launch a meaningful discussion. Pros of Using Movies in Class Movies can extend the learning beyond the textbook. Sometimes, a movie can really help students get a feel for an era or an event. For example, if you are  a STEM teacher,  you might want to show a clip from the movie ​Hidden Figures  that  highlights the contributions of black women to the space program of the 1960s.Movies can be used as a pre-teaching or interest-building exercise. Adding a movie can build interest in a topic that is being learned while providing a small break from normal classroom activities.Movies can be used to address additional learning styles.  Presenting information in numerous ways can be the key to helping students understand topics. For example, having students watch the movie Separate But Equal can help them understand the reason behind the court case Brown v. Board of Education beyond what they can read in a textbook or hear in a lecture.Movies can provide teachable moments. Sometimes, a movie can include moments that go beyond what you are teaching in a lesson and allow you to highlight other important topics. For example, the movie Gandhi provides information that can help students to discuss world religions, imperialism, non-violent protest, personal freedoms, rights and responsibilities, gender relations, India as a country, and so much more. Movies can be scheduled on days when students could be unfocused.  In day-to-day teaching, there will be days when students will be focused more on their homecoming dance and the big game that night, or on the holiday that starts the next day, rather than on the topic of the day. While there is no excuse to show a non-educational movie, this could be a good time to watch something that complements the topic you are teaching. Cons of Using Movies in the Classroom   Movies can sometimes be very long. A showing of a film such as  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Schindlers List  with every 10th grade class (with their parents permission, of course) will take an entire week of classroom time. Even a short movie can take up two to three days of classroom time. Further, it can be difficult if different classes have to start and stop at different points in a movie.The educational part of the film may only be a small portion of the overall movie. There may be only a few parts of the movie that would be appropriate for the classroom setting and truly provide an educational benefit. In these cases, it is best to just show the clips if you feel that they truly add to the lesson you are teaching.The movie may not be completely historically accurate.  Movies often play with historical facts to make a better story. Therefore, it is important to point out the historical inaccuracies or students will believe that they are true. If done properly, pointing out the issues with a movie can provide good teachable moments for students. Films do not teach themselves. Showing a movie such as Glory, without putting it in the  historical context  of African-Americans and their role in the Civil War or providing feedback throughout the movie is little better than using the television as a babysitter for your children.There is a perception that watching movies is a bad method of teaching. That is why it is key that if movies are part of a curriculum units resources that they are selected purposefully and that there are properly-created lessons that highlight the information the students are learning. You do not want to get a reputation as the teacher who shows full-length movies which serve little to no purpose, other than as a reward within the classroom setting.Parents might object to specific content within a movie. Be upfront and list the films you will show during the school year. If there are any concerns at all about a movie, send home permission slips for students to return. Include the parents to talk about any concerns they might have before the showing. If a student is not allowed to watch the movie, there should be work to complete in the library while you are showing it to the rest of the class. Movies can be an effective tool for teachers to use with students. The key to success is to choose wisely and create lesson plans that are effective in making the film a learning experience.   Source English Language Arts Standards  » Reading: Literature  » Grade 11-12  » 7. Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2019. English Language Arts Standards  » Reading: Literature  » Grade 8. Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2019. Hidden Figures – Curriculum Discussion Guides. Journeys in Film, April 10, 2017.

The Employment Code of Conduct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Employment Code of Conduct - Essay Example Disciplinary procedures are an important part for any organization, it is the disciplinary procedures that determine the complete directive of the firm that the employees are supposed to follow, it may also include the code of conduct. (Gennard, J. & Judge, G., 2005) All the ill effects of not following the terms mentioned in the disciplinary procedures are also mentioned in the same document, like suppose the penalty or punishment for misconduct such as abusing fellow workers is suspension from the company without pay, (Hall, R. & Stewart, J., 2001) so here the term in disciplinary procedure will be as follows: All the employees working for Bodgitt and Blastit limited should not use abusive language against any other employee, manager, stockholder or a general part of the company, or even in the office premises; failing to do so could lead to a suspension of the key employee. (Russell, Kate, 2004) In the above procedure and term, the problem was very clearly stated and so was its penalty. Therefore preventing the company from being a victim by means of a penalty from the employment tribunal. If any such information is not mentioned in the disciplinary procedures or even worse, if the company does not have a disciplinary procedure until now, this could be much worse, the employment tribunal may also force the company to not only let the â€Å"suffered† employee get back to his post in the company, but also the responsible (or rather, irresponsible) employee could also get some compensation out of the whole deal.

Music Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Report - Research Paper Example As a teenager, he enrolled to â€Å"The Secondary Institute of Industry† found in Jeddah upon where he received a diploma in art and industry. However, he ended up working in the post office even after attaining a commendation from a different course, which is not related to his area of work. Mohammed Abdu’s passion for love in songs was evident through is childhood life, where he sang mostly about, dramatic songs to equate it to the kind of tragic and sad life he lived as a kid. Omar Kadres the composer his song realized how much of a talent Abdu had, when he sang on a national Television program in Saudi Arabia, and that is how he put Abdu in the musical world Abdu began his musical career in the early sixties, when his career took a turn around from the industry and shipbuilding job to music. His music career kicked off well courtesy of one Abbas Faiq Ghazzawi, who helped Abdu after he sang about Baba Abbas in a radio show in 1960. The people of Saudi Arabia were fond of Mohammed Badu through his two songs, â€Å"Sakbat Dmouu El Ein† and â€Å"Aalle Albi†. In 1967, he did a song entitled â€Å"Lana Allah†, a song that played a positive impact in reviving his musical career. In 1971 two years later, he became more prolific when he released many other songs, which included his two massive songs â€Å"Lee Thalath Ayyam† and â€Å"Ashoufak kol Yom†. Throughout his musical career, he made concerted efforts by making sure his music spread not only in Saudi Arabia, but also across the borders in the Middle East and the larger Gulf terrain in the Arab areas. Throughout his journey of music, he has managed to release a number of albums that have turned out to be successful since, he released very popular songs that was well received in the Arab world. To elaborate how further he took his music, Mohammed Abdu entered into collaboration with a company called, â€Å"Sawt El Jazeera† to help make his music grow further. Under the guidance of the company, Mohammed