The Importance of Social Justice in Education Essay

The Importance of Social Justice in Education - Essay Example This paper illustrates that scholars have attempted to describe the phenomena in light of factors like political orientation, religious background, and political and social philosophy. However, in the modern society, social justice is the acknowledged as the ideas of ‘equal’ justice and opportunity for every member of the society transcending beyond a courtroom or the judiciary. It involves providing an equal footing to everyone in all the social strata existing, from the very rich to those below the poverty line. The idea of social justice, while hailed by many supporters as the only moral way to run a society is almost impossible to implement in its pure form as many different factors come into play in deciding the life quality of an individual in a society and controlling all them is not only difficult but leads to further debates about the ethical implications of said control. There are two opposing political stances on the issue. The leftist stance which shares some traits with socialism supports the idea of government involvement to ensure social justice through control of the resources present in the society and equal distribution through legislation pertaining to taxation and programs to help to less privileged. Social justice should mean that basic necessities like food, shelter, and education are provided to all at the expense of the privileged few. The right-wing school of thought accepts the idea of social justice but doesn’t support existing government legislation as no one should be ‘forced’ to provide equal opportunity for others- it should be fostered instead by mutual consent and philanthropic response. Healthcare, employment, education, shelter and child protection are just some of the sectors where there is a lot of pressure to ensure social justice as an economy and society can potentially benefit from a healthy and informed population equally provided with all the resources and the prospect to grow and stren gthen. While social justice aims to uphold basic human rights on the basis of a moral and ethical obligation, there is no denying that social justice can also be thought of a practical solution to boost an economy or general profitability of a nation; this may not be one of the more humane reasoning behind the system but it is a rational one. One of the areas which has benefitted from this school of thought is education, where there has been significant movement to ensure some degree of social justice as a well-educated population is a necessary asset to ensure a competitive edge of any nation in terms of technological advances and improved sectors of military, services, sustenance, resource management, and others. It is also necessary as education is one of the major equating factors which decrease the divide existing in a society and the effects trickle down into other areas, effectively impacting lifestyles and a greater possibility of social justice. Education is also one of the tools through which tolerance is spread in society; as shared knowledge and enlightened minds are much more accepting of diversity and merging cultures. By providing the same learning environment, resources and opportunities for higher learning to children coming from different backgrounds, societies have a much better chance of getting rid of negative social developments like racial and sexual discriminations and prejudices. Thereby creating a more equal and collaborative economy which will have an impact on overall productivity as well as social well being of the population.  

The Laramie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Laramie - Essay Example in which religion puts people apart in the play as paradoxically as it is through judgment and the feelings when he questions if his priest and father are right about their arguments against homosexuality. The questioning raises the difference between reality and religion as well as the statement of not giving the organized religion permission of the contents of the said character (Kaufman 21). Evident from the text is the ability to differentiate between religion and spirituality. The idea of well-established religion as well as that of orthodoxy as shown in a way that practices the singular notion of the best. Such traits are depicted by Reverend Phelps when he tries to make the matter of homosexuality be the one who questions whether ones allegiance to his God as it creates a setting that looks to separate individuals from "us or them" situation (Kaufman 32).  Moreover, such also is the same as it discourages the Muslim woman in the play as it awakens the social status of some townspeople simply because of the cultural traditions.   At such point, also, one can get the difference such regards the approach that separates individuals from religion does not represent all the established religions when Matts funeral is held in a Catholic church, the time where establishment of religion does look to bring people collectively. Moreover,  there are also other religions, which cannot really be ready for them to accept fully homosexuality, and as well as its implications on the clergy, given so they cannot respond in the way of Reverend Phelps.   The play makes the greatest statement on religious views of love together with compassion by the individuals as it is seen in the play.   Those who live in the town like Jedidiah work extra hard to reconcile the meaning being loyal to the town, and they also commit themselves to the fraternity by accepting all individuals living there. Romaine Patterson also willingness to remove the perception of "angels" 23 is a good

Identification of unknown soil bacteria

Identification of unknown soil bacteria INTRODUCTION Microorganisms play an extremely important role in soil ecology. Soil bacteria break down organic matter into simpler compounds (Clark). Bacteria in the soil play important roles in different biochemical cycles such as the carbon cycle (Clark). Decomposition is another important role that different bacteria take part in. Without bacteria the ecology of soil would be completely disrupted. The nutrient requirements that different bacteria need to survive decide where each bacteria can be found. Agricultural soil would have a completely different array of microorganisms then soil found in a forest would have. Different conditions such as moisture, nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, temperature and pH of the soil will all determine which types of bacteria will live in thrive in agricultural and forest soil. The objective of this experiment was to try to isolate and identify one specific soil bacteria from either forest or agricultural soil. The bacteria in this report was isolat ed from agricultural soil and using the morphology of the individual cells and colony along the types of chemicals that would react with the bacteria along with what type of extremes the bacteria could survive in the bacteria was identified. METHODS Starting from an original one gram sample of agricultural soil a 10-2 dilution was created and used to create a Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) streak plate (Robertson and Egger 2010). The cultures that arose from the streak plate were observed and the morphology of a specific colony was described and recorded (Egger 2010). A subculture was created from one colony on a new TSA streak plate. A gram stain was prepared using the original colony of soil bacteria and whether it was gram negative or gram positive was recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). Using the new subculture several biochemical tests were performed. A single line of bacteria was streaked onto a starch agar plate and after incubation drops of iodine were added to the culture and if starch is hydrolyzed a color change occurred, results were recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). On a Sulfide, Indole, and Motility (SIM) deep the bacteria isolate was stabbed into the tube  ¾ of the way down (Robertson and Egger 2010). After incubati on the deep was observed for movement away from the original line and three drops of Kovacs Reagent was added to see if a color change occurred (Robertson and Egger 2010). The results of the motility and H2S reduction tests were recorded. The bacteria isolate was also mixed in a peptone broth tube and after incubation a drop of Nesslers reagent and the loop of broth solution were mixed in a spot plate and the results were recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). A loop of bacteria was put into ammonium sulfate and nitrite broth tubes. In a spot plate on loop of the ammonium sulfate broth was mixed with 1 drop of Nesslers reagent and another loop was mixed with three drops of Trommsdorfs reagent and a drop of dilute H2SO4 (Robertson and Egger 2010). Also in the spot plate the nitrite broth was tested with Trommsdorfs reagent and dilute H2SO4 as well as with concentrated H2SO4 and phenylamine (Robertson and Egger 2010). The results for the four tests were recorded. To test for denitrifica tion reagents A and B were added to the nitrate broth tube with the unknown bacteria and the color change of the tube was recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). The unknown isolate was inoculated in a tube of thioglycollate medium and after incubation any growth in the tube was noted and recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). To test the bacteria for catalase and oxidase bacteria was streaked on a TSA plate and after incubation drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide was put on one end of the streak and the formation or lack of bubbles was recorded for catalase, and oxidase was tested on the opposite end of the streak and the results were noted (Robertson and Egger 2010). To test what temperature the unknown bacteria grow best at 4 TSA plates were streaked with the bacteria and each plate was incubated at a different temperature, after incubation any growth on the plates was recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). To test the optimal pH for the bacteria to grow the bacteria was inoculated into tubes that were each at a different pH (pH 3, 5, 7, 9) after incubation the pH that the bacteria grew the best in was recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). TSA plates were also streaked with the unknown bacteria to test in what amount of sodium chloride it could grow in, plates with concentrations of 0,0.5, 2 and 5% sodium chloride were used any growth was recorded (Robertson and Egger 2010). RESULTS The unknown bacterium is rod shaped and gram positive and the colony formed is a raised white circle (Table 1). Tests showed that the bacterium was positive for ammonification and denitrification from NO3- to NO2- (Table 1). Catalase and oxidase test also were positive for this bacteria (Table 1). The bacterium is also a facultative anaerobe (Table 1). Table 1 also shows that the unknown bacterium does not exhibit motility. The unknown bacteria was found to hydrolyze starch, but was negative for reducing H2S (Table 1). The unknown bacterium also does not exhibit nitrification (Table 1). The optimal temperature of the unknown bacteria was found to be about 37 °C and had an optimal pH of 5 its optimal salt concentrations was also found to be at 0-0.5% sodium chloride (Table 1). DISCUSSION The soil bacteria key created by KN Egger (2010) was used to identify what family the unknown bacteria belongs to. The closest match that could be found using the Common Soil Bacteria Key was Actinomyces. A match could not be made to a genus. Actinomyce are a Gram positive, rod shaped family. Actinomyces are not found to reduce H2S or have significant motility. From the results in Table 1 we can conclude that the bacterium is a mesophile as well as an acidophile. We can also conclude from Table 1 that the bacterium is osmotolerant and a facultative anaerobe. Many different tests could have been used to further help identify the bacterial isolate; the most accurate tests would have been to test the DNA or nucleic acids of the bacteria. Many different biochemical tests could have been used such as lactose and glucose. No test result can be considered completely accurate the bacteria could have been contaminated as well as not every bacteria colony will behave exactly the same. It is ex tremely hard to classify a specific bacterium without several more tests to safely conclude that it belongs in the chosen group Actinomyces. REFERENCES Clark, FE. 1951. Bacteria in the Soil. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 7:78-80. Egger, KN. 2010. Common Soil Bacteria Key. UNBC Robertson, S and Egger, K. 2010. BIOL 203 Microbiology Laboratory Manual. UNBC.

Elizabeth Gaskells Ruth as a Victim of Circumstance :: Elizabeth Gaskell Ruth Essays

Elizabeth Gaskell's Ruth as a Victim of Circumstance When her parents die when she is still very young, innocent Ruth Hilton is sent to the city by the guardian she does not know. In the city she is to learn the trade very common for young girls during this time, that of the seamstress (Ugoretz), but events take a drastic turn when she becomes noble Mr Bellingham's mistress. Only 16 years old, Ruth is thrown into the for her unknown adult world and in this world, she cannot separate right from wrong and is thus considered to be a sinner. However, life is never simple and straightforward and in this essay, I discuss the moral aspects of the novel to decide if Ruth really is a bad person. What do we know about Ruth? Well, she seems to be very innocent and not at all aware of Bellingham's intentions, maybe due to the fact that she was left an orphan at such early an age. Like in most literature of this era, descriptions of sexuality are left out and the only way we find out that Ruth and Bellingham have a sexual relationship (although of course we guess that this is the case) is when we are told that Ruth is pregnant, but we are never told whether she knows how this baby was conceived. My guess is that she had never been told about sexuality and knew little about marriage, else a religious and piteous girl like her would never have been this blind to what she was doing. She knows that her relationship with Bellingham make other people talk, but she does not seem to understand why. She could not have known how wrong it was and that this really is the case is confirmed by Ruth herself: "I was very young; I did not know how such a life was against God's pure and holy will - at least not as I know it now" (p 246). When she learns that she is expecting a child, her only wish is to make this child grow up to be good and religious. She promises God that she will try only to do good deeds to make up for her sins, a promise she keeps during the rest of her life. The real hero in this novel is the Dissenter minister Mr Benson, who feels for Ruth and wants to protect her.

Portrayal of Teenage Girls in the Media

In the United States of America, citizens possess the privilege to enjoy the freedom of speech and the freedom to express their views and feelings under the protection of the U. S. Constitution. However, there may be a point at which freedom of speech is abused or escalated to an unethical level that may be harmful to the well-being of society, particularly the youth of today and the future leaders of our world. Over the years, the question â€Å"should parents be concerned about the portrayal of teenage girls in the media? † has become a significant controversial moral issue in society.The portrayal of teenage girls in the media is a controversial moral issue because of the cultural sensitivity and the perceived intrusiveness of the subject. This issue primarily concerns the excessiveness of sexual content and unbecoming images of young women exposed through the media. Needless to say, this question leaves many parents ill at ease. Images, perceived norms and new trends are c onsistently being set for how young girls and women must look, act, think, and feel in order to be successful and accepted in today’s society.There has been an ongoing debate concerning moral actions that need to be taken to regulate the appropriateness of age sensitive material being permeated throughout the media. Media is everywhere; it is in classrooms, advertisements, movies, televisions, magazines, newspapers, the internet, the workplace, and in homes all over the country, and it continues to infuse the world and our lives. Media does not only sell tangible products, but also morals, values, concepts of life, and success, and to some extent normalcy (Killing Us Softly 3).Whether positive or negative, consciously or unconsciously, media affects each and every one of us every day. Young girls are being exposed to a supposed ‘ideal’ image of female beauty through the years of media exposure. For example, the notion that the most important thing to a young woma n should be her physical appearance is an idea that is acquired at a very young age. Even before a girl reaches puberty, she is already aware of her physical appearance and the effect it has on her stand in society. Extreme and unhealthy amounts of guilt and shame can follow if the young woman does not achieve that perception (Killing Us Softly 3).Many people in America’s society believe that the media’s unethical behavior is to blame for influencing and even producing some of the nation’s growing problems among teens, such as eating disorders, increased participation in sexual activity, pregnancy rates, rape, increased alcohol consumption and drug use. Others, however, feel that society should not blame the media for the inappropriate behavior and that lack of discipline and morals among teens in today’s society, but rather blame the parents and educators who influence and guide those teens.The majority of parents hold the media responsible for the corru ption of the morals of teenage girls. They believe that the media’s widely unrealistic and unhealthy depiction of young women and what they are supposed to look and behave like in order to be socially accepted and respected has allowed and encouraged teenage girls to become overly consumed in achieving this supposed ideal. Sadly, it has left many girls confused, in danger, or even dead.Supporters of this position argue that â€Å"the mainstream corporate media construct sex and sexuality in ways that limit and hamper girls’ healthy sexual development† (Durham 12). They trust that there is more evidence that the messages teenage girls are getting about sex from media are harmful rather than helpful (12). Intervention began to be a growing demand from the public audience. One potential resolution to this moral issue is to continue revising and producing television and movie ratings that are current, relevant, and constructive to the current images spread through t he media.For example, a ban on commercials and advertisements that objectify women and promote sexual behavior would be effective to alleviate these unethical teen images. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings and the TV Parental Guidelines (a TV ratings system designed to give parents more information about the content and age-appropriateness of TV programs) (â€Å"TV†) can be used â€Å"to allow parents to block out programs they do not want their children to see, based on the ratings† (â€Å"TV†) and other personal preferences.These types of sources support and encourage media restrictions and the facilitation of providing cleaner and more appropriate television for children. Promoting a more realistic and healthy body image, lifestyle, and attitude for today’s young women through public service announcements is another form of media that advocates healthy teen behavior. According to supporters of such sources, consumer advocacy and action is a principal task in resolving this problem.People have the power to critique, analyze, challenge, and affirm media messages, and also have the option of turning off, boycotting, and disengaging from media that denigrate or insult girls (Durham 227). Just as producers have the right to produce and distribute these messages, the public audience has the right to question and challenge them. It is both the responsibility and obligation of the American society and the government to ensure a safer, healthier, more promising nation for girls to develop and grow without negative imagery, or false and fabricated ideals being fed to them through media.Nonetheless, these potential resolutions to limiting the indecent exposure of teenage girls in the media predictably stir up opposition. Some people believe that society should not blame the media for the inappropriate behavior and lack of discipline and morals among teens in today’s society, but rather the parents and educators who influence and guide those teens. Also, they argue that not all media is bad media, and consider the idea that adults are biased against teens.They believe that those who oppose their belief have over exaggerated the media’s impact on today’s youth, claiming that â€Å"seeing attractive models [has] become such a familiar experience that exposure no longer produces a reaction strong enough to influence self-perception or ones general sense of hope† (Wagner 120). Meaning, that girls have become desensitized to this kind of imagery that does not psychology affect them as much as some would like to believe.After analyzing and being influenced by both sides of the argument, the leading proposed solution to me would be to alter the ideal image of female beauty and appeal disseminated by the media, then to extensively promote and advertise an improved, healthier, beautiful, and more realistic idea of female beauty. The media’s negative imagery has had an im pact on the majority of today’s youth and is noticeably a serious problem. This impact has infected the minds of young growing girls with unrealistic and dangerous notions of perfection and lifestyle, clearly leaving parents concerned.America’s teenage generation is disregarding moral values and the practice of self-respect, faith, self awareness and the embracing of childhood experiences, and rather engaging in activities involving immoral behavior which are simply not age-appropriate. Although who can blame them, since this type of behavior has become socially acceptable due to the media’s infiltration into America’s homes and spread of images and ideals focused rebellious behavior, sexual active, parental defiance, and distorted imagery of beauty and health.The American society should take action as concerned citizens by voicing their opinions to society and demanding a decrease of the objectification and sexualization of females in the media. Addition ally, since advertising agencies are not going to immediately rid themselves of the negative unethical habits with regard to female imagery in the media, continuing to produce and broadcast understandable and accurate ratings on all television programs, movies and even advertisements is an effective way to inform parents about what their children are watching and being influenced by.Many young girls worry about the contours of their bodies, especially shape, size, and even muscle tone, because of the belief that the body is the ultimate expression of the self and beauty (Durham 128). This kind of mentality can cause long-term physical and mental damage and can push young girls to dangerous limits. Communities should promote extracurricular programs that help young people develop self-esteem based on traits such as ability, talents, character, and academics, rather than simply physical appearance.The need to replace sexualized images with positive images of females endorsing notions other than physical beauty is vital. The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents, boys and girls, which lead to healthy, safe and realistic development. Our government has an obligation to protect its citizens from harmful and dangerous things; ultimately, these things are under the government’s control. The negative influences generated by media on young girls should be taken into consideration and should be diminished, even if that means comprising the few positives.This lasting controversy is clearly a conflict between the values of health, safety, self-esteem, and ethical choices of teenage girls on one side, and the support of logical evidence and standpoints and the parental supervision aspect on the other. While promoting positive messages to youth through the media is the ultimate plan and goal for supporting the change in images presented by the young girls about young girls, every solution can back fire.Some may believe that attempting to transform the media is a waste of time because these corporations behind it all will not bend easily since the obvious result and reason for a lack of good conscience is loss of profits and loss of the number one selling point, sex. However, if enough people take a stand and stop buying products with discriminating and insulting ad campaigns, turn off the television shows displaying high school students having sex and doing drugs, stop allowing their children to go see the movies that encourage and reward poor behavior among teens, then a demand will not go nnoticed. This may force those corporations responsible for the media to change this rising controversial moral problem and take us one step closer to having healthier, happier, growing young girls, rather than confused, pressured, unsatisfied, and vulnerable young teenage girls living everyday of their lives engulfed by an array of poor images and trying to live up to a image that is unhealthy, unsafe, unethical, or simply just doesn’ t exist.Works Cited Durham, Gigi. The Lolita Effect. New York: Overlook P, The, 2008. Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women. Dir. Sut Jhally. Perf. Jean Kilbourne. 2001. â€Å"TV Ratings. † The TV Parental Guidelines. 2008. 1 Nov. 2008 . Wagner, Viqi. Eating Disorders. New York: Greenhaven P, Incorporated, 2007.

Dimensions of Intelligence: The Nature and Properties

There is a wide debate as to how intelligence can be defined. Different scholars and researchers argue about the nature and properties that can be definitive of intelligence (Paik 1998). There are also different theories as to the nature of intelligence, but the debate that stands out is whether it has a general intelligence or multiple intelligences (Paik 1998). The school of though that consider a single general intelligence theory points out how there is but one factor that intelligence can be derived from while the other school of thought sees different kinds of intelligence (Paik 1998). However, most believes in the fact that there are different levels of intelligence and how different people have different capacities for it (Paik 1998). Models of Intelligence Sternberg Model Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence exemplified propositions that came from the multiple intelligence schools of thought. This theory dictates three categories of intelligence; analytic or componential intelligence, creative or experiential dimension of intelligence, and practical or contextual aspect of intelligence (Krelof 2002). The analytic dimension pertains to different methods people use in order to analyze information or to process facts in their minds thus becoming a very critical portion of intelligence (Krelof 2002). The components of this dimension consist of the Metacomponents, Performance components, and Knowledge-acquisition components (Krelof 2002). On the other hand, the creative or experiential dimension refers to how people approach new things with its novelty component and he can handle repeated tasks as seen with its automatization (Krelof 2002). The third dimension is the practical dimension that shows how someone relates or adapts to the environmental or sociocultural context and shapes the current environment (Krelof 2002). Understanding Sternberg’s theory implies that there cannot be a single test that can fully account for the different dimensions of intelligence he had mentioned as there are different skill areas involved in the testing (Krelof 2002). Spearman Model According to Charles Spearman, there is a single unitary quality in the brain or the human mind that qualifies his theory under the general intelligence school of thought. He developed a psychometric definition for intelligence and believes in an entity called in the general factor that encompasses the singleness of the intelligence factor or â€Å"one pool of mental energy† (Plucker 2007). Gardner Model Howard Gardner was the one who promotes his own theory of multiple intelligences (Li 1996, p. 33). The uniqueness of his theory from other multiple theorists is his theory is grounded on a biological basis of intelligence (Li 1996, p. 33). This theory is able to isolate seven distinct human abilities that represented seven intelligences (Li 1996, p. 33). He also added a number of other types of abilities that was an offshoot from Thurstone and Guilford’s single ability which was the intellectual ability (Li 1996, p.33). He presented human symbols system that included linguistic, logical, numerical, musical, bodily, spatial, and personal symbols system (Li 1996, p. 33). Analysis of Models There are different theorists that supports that there is but one kind of intelligence and there is a single factor that determines intelligence (Paik 1998). Spearman’s model is the perfect example of this group. In complete contrast, Sternberg and Gardner both puts forth that there are multiple intelligences. However, the multiple intelligence theorists cannot seem to agree as to how many kinds of intelligences are there (Paik 1998). Even though Gardner and Sternberg follow the same school of thought that involves multiple intelligences, Sternberg believes in three dimensions of intelligence while Gardner believes in seven (Paik 1998). Sternberg’s theory is an attempt to reinterpret intelligence according to cognitive terms or under an information processing framework (Li 1998, p.69). He skips the general/pluralist intelligence debate and redefines the domains of intelligence and placed intelligence as a phenomenon that can be dissected into smaller parts (Li 1998, p. 69). On the other side, Gardner promotes the multiple intelligence position and approaches the issue of intelligence based on biology and macrophysics as his pieces of evidence (Li 1998, p. 69). Gardner and Sternberg through their theories presented different definitions of intelligence. For Gardner it was the ability to solve problems within one or more cultural settings (Li 1998, p. 75). While Sternberg sees it as a mental capability from contextual behavior from different regions of the mind (Li 1998, p. 75). Multiple Intelligence Theory Gardner offered two premises and a conclusion from his theory. According to his first premise, â€Å"If it can be found that certain brain parts can distinctively map with certain cognitive functioning then that cognitive functioning can be isolated as one candidate of multiple intelligences† (Li 1998, p. 34). His second premise states, â€Å"Now it has been found that certain brain parts do distinctively map with certain cognitive functioning, as evidenced by certain brain damage leading to loss of certain cognitive function† (Li 1998, p. 34). The conclusion would be the existence of multiple intelligences. The argument is valid and it is taken from neuroscientific evidence (Li 1998, p. 34). His theory has strong support from neuroscience, neuroanatomy, and clinical cases before he concluded brain modularity and multiple intelligences (Li 1998, p. 34). Compared to Sternberg’s treatment of his knowledge-acquisition component that reflects a rather sketchy, inadequate and unclear mechanism, Gardner has presented a more well-rounded and evidence-based theory to the thinking and learning in relation to intelligence (Li 1998, pp. 11-12). References Krelof, N. (2002). Robert Sternberg. Retrieved on October 29, 2007. Li, R. (1996). A Theory of Conceptual Intelligence: Thinking, Learning, Creativity, and Giftedness. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Paik, H. (1998). One Intelligence or Many? Alternative Approaches to Cognitive Abilities. Retrieved on October 29, 2007 Plucker, J. (2007). Charles Spearman. Retrieved on October 29, 2007, from http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eintell/spearman.shtml. Spearman, C. (1904). General Intelligences: Objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology (15), p 201-293, also retrieved on October 29, 2007, from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Spearman/chap5.htm.   

African American essays

African American essays Being African American has never been easy. White America has always been stereotypical of black people, although blacks have shaped American history through inventions, sports, and political science. The way White America has looked at blacks has never changed. No matter how much money you have, youre still a nigga. African Americans have been fighting for equality since the birth of this nation, and the war is raging on. At this point in Americas history, a battle of epic proportions is taking place. The objective is to get "mainstream" America to realize that there is still much more to be done to eliminate the crimes that have been perpetrated and perpetuated against so-called minorities in this democracy. After committing genocide against Native Americans, and securing the slave trade one of the most heinous situations that the world has seen are "minorities" supposed to be pleased by mere legislation in the form of Civil rights? After centuries of free labor, and leaving thousands of people homeless and/or with no economic power, does America truly believe that it has rid itself of this situation by exclaiming, "You are equal!" A Black man goes to see an apartment after calling the landlord to make sure that it was still available. After seeing the man in person, the landlord becomes uncomfortable and says the apartment is rented. This is an example of stereotyping that we as black people see everyday. In the State of New Jersey, for example, Blacks were almost five times more likely as other drivers to be stopped by the police on the highway. Some argue that infamous cases of police brutality against Blacks - the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991, the rape of Abner Louima in 1997 and the killing of Amadou Diallo, a West African immigrant. New York City police shot at the ma ...

Why Its Important to Read Beowulf

Why Its Important to Read Beowulf In the film Annie Hall, Diane Keaton confesses to Woody Allen her interest in attending some college classes. Allen is supportive, and has this bit of advice: Just dont take any course where you have to read Beowulf. Yes, its funny; those of us who, by professorial demand, have plowed through books written in other centuries know just what he means. Yet its sad, too, that these ancient masterpieces have come to represent a form of scholastic torture. Why bother anyway? you may ask. Literature isnt history, and I want to know what actually happened, not some story about unrealistic heroes who never existed. However, for anyone truly interested in history, I think there are some valid reasons to bother. Medieval literature is history a piece of evidence from the past. While the stories told in epic poems can rarely be taken for actual fact, everything about them illustrates the way things were at the time they were written. These works were morality pieces as well as adventures. The heroes embodied the ideals to which knights of the times were encouraged to strive, and the villains performed actions they were cautioned against and got their comeuppance in the end. This was especially true of Arthurian tales. We can learn much from examining the ideas people had then of how one ought to behave which, in many ways, are like our own views. Medieval literature also provides modern readers with intriguing clues to life in the Middle Ages. Take, for example, this line from The Alliterative Morte Arthure (a fourteenth-century work by an unknown poet), where the king has ordered his Roman guests to be given the finest accommodations available: In chambers with chimpnees they changen their weedes. At a time when the castle was the height of comfort, and all the castle folk slept in the main hall to be near the fire, individual rooms with heat were signs of great wealth, indeed. Read further in the poem to find what was considered fine food: Pacockes and plovers in platters of gold / Pigges of pork despine that pastured never (piglets and porcupines); and Grete swannes full swithe in silveren chargeours, (platters) / Tartes of Turky, taste whom them likes . . . The poem goes on to describe a sumptuous feast and the finest tableware, all of which knocked the Romans off their feet. The likely popularity of surviving medieval works is another reason to study them. Before they were set to paper these tales were told by hundreds of minstrels in court after court and castle after castle. Half of Europe knew the tales in The Song of Roland or El Cid, and everyone knew at least one Arthurian legend. Compare that to the place in our lives of popular books and films (try to find someone who never saw Star Wars), and it becomes clear that each tale is more than a single thread in the fabric of medieval life. How, then, can we ignore these literary pieces when seeking the truth of history? Perhaps the best reason for reading medieval literature is its atmosphere. When I read Beowulf or Le Morte DArthur, I feel as if I know what it was like to live in those days and to hear a minstrel tell the story of a great hero defeating an evil foe. That in itself is worth the effort. I know what youre thinking: Beowulf is so long I couldnt possibly finish it in this lifetime, especially if I have to learn Old English first. Ah, but fortunately, some heroic scholars in years past have done the hard work for us, and have translated many of these works into modern English. This includes Beowulf! The translation by Francis B. Gummere retains the alliterative style and pacing of the original. And dont feel you have to read every word. I know some traditionalists would wince at this suggestion, but Im suggesting it anyway: try looking for the juicy bits first, then go back to find out more. An example is the scene where the ogre Grendel first visits the kings hall (section II): Found within it the atheling bandasleep after feasting and fearless of sorrow,of human hardship. Unhallowed wight,grim and greedy, he grasped betimes,wrathful, reckless, from resting-places,thirty of the thanes, and thence he rushedfain of his fell spoil, faring homeward,laden with slaughter, his lair to seek. Not quite the dry stuff you imagined, is it? It gets better (and more gruesome, too!). So be as brave as Beowulf, and face the fearsome fables of the past. Perhaps youll find yourself by a roaring fire in a great hall, and hear inside your head a tale told by a troubadour whose alliteration is much better than mine.

60 Nationalities in Spanish

60 Nationalities in Spanish In Spanish, most of the words for the people who hail from particular countries around the world look or sound very similar to the word for the country in English. For example, colombiano  is the word for a male hailing from Colombia and boliviana  is the word for a female from Bolivia. An interesting distinction that varies from English to Spanish is that words used for nationalities are not capitalized in Spanish. Nationalities Can Be Nouns or Adjectives As in English, the words  for nationalities can be used in Spanish as either adjectives or nouns. An example of the adjective form is I want a French  coffee or Yo quiero  un cafà © francà ©s. An example of the noun form is He is an Italian or Él  es italiano. Who You Are Addressing Usually Matters In Spanish, nouns, and adjectives usually, have a masculine form and a feminine form depending if the person being referenced is male or female. The masculine form is usually used to refer to more than one person of unknown gender. For example, They are American would be translated as Ellos son americanos, which is the masculine plural form. A majority of nationalities end in -o.The feminine form for nationalities ending in -o is made by changing the -o to an -a. For example, the word griego, for a person from Greece, changes to griega when referencing a female. Another common ending for nationalities is  -à ©s. Words ending in -à ©s  can be made feminine by changing the ending to -esa. Thus the feminine form of inglà ©s,  for someone or something  from England, is inglesa. A Few Nationalities Do Not Change with Gender There are some nationalities that do not change form with gender. Nationalities that have irregular endings, such as -ense, as in the  word  costarricense, used for Costa Rican, do not have a separate masculine or feminine form. The word remains the same when describing either gender. The same can be said for  nationalities that end in -a. These do not change, such as  croata  for Croatian, or  belga  for Belgian. The following sampling of 60 countries is listed with the masculine form of the nationality. Use the masculine and feminine rules to change the word depending on the person being addressed and the endings of the nationalities that are given. Related Grammar Rules Plural nouns and adjectives for nationalities follow the regular  rules for plurals., typically by adding an  -s  or  -es. The names of most countries as well as provinces, states, and regions is masculine. The main exceptions are those whose names end in an unstressed -a, such as Francia, Argentina, and Gran Bretaà ±a. Canad, which ends in a stressed -, is masculine. A few country names, the biggest of them being la India, cant stand alone and need the definite article. For some countries, such as (los) Estados Unidos, the definite article is optional., List of Nations and Nationalities Alemania (Germany) - alemnArgentina - argentinoAustralia - australianoAustria - austriacoBà ©lgica (Belgium) - belgaBelice (Belize)  -   beliceà ±oBolivia - bolivianoBrasil - brasileà ±oCanad - canadienseChile - chilenoChina - chinoColombia - colombianoCorea del Norte (North Korea) - nortecoreano, norcoreanoCorea del Sur (South Korea) - sudcoreanoCosta Rica - costarricense, costarriqueà ±o (uncommon)Cuba - cubanoCroata (Croatia)  - croataDinamarca (Denmark) - danà ©Ecuador - ecuatorianoEgipto (Egypt) - egipcioEl Salvador - salvadoreà ±oEscocia (Scotland) - escocà ©sEspaà ±a (Spain) - espaà ±olEstados Unidos (United States) - estadounidense, norteamericano, americanoFilipinas (Philippines) - filipinoFrancia  (France)- francà ©sGales (Wales) - galà ©sGran Bretaà ±a (Great Britain) - britnicoGrecia (Greece) - griegoGuatemala - guatemaltecoHaità ­ - haitianoHonduras - hondureà ±oHungrà ­a  -   hà ºngarola India - indio, hindà º Inglaterra (England) - inglà ©sIrak, Iraq - irakà ­, iraquà ­Irn - iranà ­Irlanda (Ireland)  - irlandà ©sIsrael - israelà ­Italia (Italy) - italianoJapà ³n (Japan) - japonà ©sMarruecos (Morocco) - marroquà ­Ã‚  (Moro is sometimes used but can be considered offensive.)Mà ©xico, Mà ©jico - mexicano, mejicano  (the first spelling is used in Mexico, while usage varies elsewhere)Myanmar/Birlandia (Myanmar/Burma)  -   myanma/birmanoNicaragua - nicaragà ¼enseNoruega (Norway) - noruegoNueva Zelanda (New Zealand) - neozelandà ©sPaà ­ses Bajos (Netherlands) - holandà ©sPalestina  (Palestine) - palestinoPanam - panameà ±oParaguay - paraguayoPerà º - peruanoPolonia (Poland) - polacoPortugal - portuguà ©sPuerto Rico - puertorriqueà ±ola Repà ºblica Dominicana (Dominican Republic) - dominicanoRusia - rusoSudfrica (South Africa) - sudafricanoSuecia (Sweden) - suecoSuiza (Switzerland) - suizoTaiwan - taiwanà ©sUruguay - uruguayoVenezuela - venezolano Notes on Americano Estadounidense is understood everywhere to refer to U.S. residents, but in some areas it can seem overly formal. In parts of Latin America, norteamericano is preferred with speaking of the U.S., although in some places that term is understood include persons or things Canadian (but not Mexican). Americano can be understood to mean Latin American in some areas, but American in the U.S. sense in others. Quick Takeaways As in English, noun and adjective forms of nationalities in Spanish use the same words.Although names of countries are capitalized in Spanish, names of nationalities are not (except at the beginning of a sentence.)The most common endings for nationality names are -o and -es.

Musical Composer Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Musical Composer Research - Essay Example This type of opera is called oratorio and tells biblical tales. Other great composers of that time include Handel (Messiah) and Mendelssohn (Elijah). It is believed that Alessandro Scarlatti was born in Palermo, Italy on May 2nd of 1660. He arrived in Rome when he was twelve years old and studied with Giacomo Carissimi (another great composer of oratorios and secular cantatas). Like other young artisans of his time he was most probably sent to Rome to learn, and work, for the Catholic Church. Musicians at that time were considered in the same social class as tailors and carpenters. Scarlatti's first opera written was called "Gli Equivoci nel Sembiante" and was performed at the palace home of Queen Christina of Sweden (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913). He was employed to the Viceroy as Maestro di Capella for eighteen years and then moved to Rome to be employed as assistant maesto (and then maestro) of S. Maria Maggiore (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913). From there he moved to Naples, spent a short time again in Rome, and returned to Naples where he died. Scarlatti is credited with establishing Naples, Italy as the center of operatic activity (Concise Dictionary of Opera). Scarlatti was educated and held postings in Rome but always returned to Naples as his chosen home. ... Scarlatti's brother, Francesco, was a violinist and composer who penned the oratorio called "Agnus Occisus ab Origine Mundi". His other brother, Tomasso, sang in Naples. Alessandro had two sisters, Anna Maria (1661-1703) and Melchiorra Brigida (1663-1736), who were both singers that worked in Rome and Naples. It is believed that Giuseppe Scarlatti was Alessandro's grandson. Giuseppe was also a composer who wrote several operas (Catholic Encyclopedia). Musical Style Scarlatti is considered the founder of what is called the 'Neapolitan'style of composing. His works transitioned operatic composing from Baroque to pre-classical Neapolitan style. He is considered by many a Baroque composer. "Scarlatti is noted for his thematic development and chromatic harmony which he used with great mastery and in a way anticipates the work of much later composers, among them W.A. Mozart and Franz Schubert" (Dent, p2). Scarlatti is considered the liberator of dramatic expression in opera. Although limited by the Pope's legislation that outlawed secular operas Scarlatti embraced the limitations and created notable oratorios and masses. Many of Scarlatti's works have survived the ages and are performed to this day (Cecelia Bartoli's performance). Scarlatti made good use of the orchestra and performer for operatic expression. Scarlatti is credited with establishing the form of Italian operatic overture with three sections: allegro-adagio-allegro. Many consider this as the forerunner of classical symphony (Dent, p2). He changed how the operatic orchestra contributes to the opera by composing orchestral accompaniment to operatic voice. Instruments were given parts to accompany the opera singers and the orchestra was considered very much a part of the

Whole Foods Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Whole Foods Market - Essay Example The US and Germany constitute the top markets for this industry segment. Some of the other industry trends include emergence of private label brands, as well as a growing demand in the developing economies. The report also shows the market to grow by about 4.2 percent in the present year. It also shows large scale consolidation and foray of major brands into this segment (Sahota, 2010, p.1-11). USA the major market for Whole Foods is the most growing market for the industry with trade values in the industry segment being pegged at 28.6 billion US dollars in 2010 representing a growth of almost 11.8 percent annually. The growth trends of the organic foods also outperformed the sales growth in the entire food category segment reflecting a major shift in consumption patterns of individuals with a shift towards the organic food category (Organic Trade Association, 2011, p.1). These aspects are highly encouraging for a market player like Whole foods whose core product offering happens to be organic foods. Competitive Environment Analysis Porter’s Five Forces Model The competitive environment of any organization can be analyzed using the framework of the five force model proposed by Michael Porter. The five forces and their effect on Whole Foods are stated below: Bargaining Power of Buyers Considering the fact that a large number of retailers including supermarket chains are stocking organic food items, customers are flooded with choices, however with very few specialized organic food stores the bargaining power of consumers is medium. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers for organic foods normally include farmers, and other small and marginal players that are present in considerable numbers, moreover with specialized training for farming being provided by corporate the bargaining power of suppliers is considerably low. Threat of New Entrants It is quite difficult for a new player to establish in the market considering the cost of operations and access to s uppliers, however exiting supermarket chains can pose a threat if they chose to make a foray in this sector, hence the bargaining power of new entrants is medium. Threat of Substitutes Substitutes for organic food include food items that are being preserved or created artificially. In spite of the awareness among consumers with regards to the benefits of organic food, synthetic food items still have an edge over the aspect of lower cost. This makes the threat of substitutes high for the industry. Competition among Existing Players The competition among the players are extremely high with major supermarkets like Wal-Mart and Kroger selling organic food items, although the number of specialized organic food stores is quite less and they are not present in a big way that makes the threat of this force high. The most significant threa

Class student dicussions answers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Class student dicussions answers - Assignment Example There are various security controls that can be undertaken by a company. The argument that David raises concerns emerging security threats in the world today is right. The use of smartphones is on the increase. This has lead to attacks which are targeted at smart phones. With a smart phone also come wireless attacks, which are on the increase. This is something that is becoming a threat even as many organizations adopt wireless technologies. Wireless attacks are becoming common (Fernandez & Jossy, 2004)n. David’s definition of the two approaches to defining risks make sense. Quantitative risk analysis involved putting a monetary value to the risk. Qualitative risk analysis involves identifying a risk and gauging how far the impacts it has. It is like describing the risk and its impact. There are no figures that are associated. This post is succinct and straight to the point. The post by Julius brings a social issue that is emerging. It is hard categorizing this threat under information technology but the explanation given by Julius warrants it to be under information technology. This is a new form of information technology threats that come from hackers trying to practice activism using technology. It is a new method

Lose Control in Gas and Oil Industry Term Paper

Lose Control in Gas and Oil Industry - Term Paper Example Often, these salt producers found the oil and gas that erupted along with the salt brine to be a nuisance. However, some intrepid salt manufacturers sold it for medicinal purposes, or to burn as lighting fuel. Although the natural gas industry is purported to have begun in 1821, George Bissel and Edwin L. Drake created the first drilling rig that was ever used for the specific production of oil on August 28, 1859 near Titusville, Pennsylvania. This well, named the Drake, is considered the first intentional well drilled for oil, as other wells that were drilled at the time were for salt brine or water. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ History_of_the_petroleum_industry_in_the_United_States) The drilling for oil became a phenomenon that sparked many new enterprising companies to start their own oil-related ventures. This â€Å"boom† as it commonly referred to, created a need for workers on a massive scale that was not there in the past. They now needed refineries, drilling tools an d most importantly, manpower. There was so much money to be made in the drilling and production of these new wells that loss of a man’s 2 life became known as acceptable risk, and simply turned a blind eye to the likelihood of being injured or killed. In the oilfield’s infancy, the most common cause of death for these men was the well caving in on them, fires, and explosions. It was not until the year 1900, when a Texas man by the name of Curt Hamill came up with the revolutionary idea of using mud in the hole to flush it out as they drilled, instead of water. This proved to be a remarkable act, as not only did it allow the cuttings to surface, it prevented the hole from caving in. mud is used in just about every drilling operation world wide since. (http://www.enpetroleum.com/texasoilboom.html) 2. Training and Impact on the Oil and Gas Industry In today’s oil and gas industry, there is no longer an acceptable risk hazard associated with the work itself. A singl e death is not acceptable, regardless of the circumstance. Most commonly, deaths occur from either fire or unsafe work, although there are many variables in the number of recordable deaths in the oil and gas sector each year. Given today’s higher standards, the oil and gas business have implemented a wide variety of standards, assessments, and analyses on each type of work performed. These new instructions have greatly improved the production, as well as significantly increased the health and safety of all employees involved. The training of potential employees is extensive, with much emphasis on safety procedures and equipment. They receive this training before they are allowed to enter a location where drilling or fracturing is taking place. Even with company specific training, there are still many other classes all potential and present employees must attend. These include but are not limited to fall hazards and protection, tripping hazards, pinch points, chemicals and the ir uses, confined space 3 training, among other certifications. Another key point in the training of new employees is the stress put on what is commonly called stop work authority. This enables any employee to stop work if any perceived or real unsafe condition exists, without repercussion. This can include shutting down a job completely, and cost the company millions of dollars. This was implemented to ensure safe procedures, and safe work

Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Business Intelligence - Essay Example The main thing here is not structure but rather the application of an integrated organizational system which is capable of aligning vital attributes necessary to leadership and accountability (Blumberg & Atre, 2003). In an economy where speed and adaptability can make or break a business enterprise much like TESCO, companies can only win and as a result, stay profitable through proper organization —and keep on making profits. As TESCO grew over the years, it has become more complex, thus as a result, their capacity for quick response and adaptability to change gets stretched thin. As a supermarket, TESCO thus had to deal with a global playing field, since customers are separating into smaller compact units. Data cascades into TESCO, at the risk of being vague regarding meaningful information. Executives in this supermarket chain may find themselves scrambling to react. It is the organization which holds the key (Power, 2010). What will help TESCO set itself apart and become among the top performers is solely based on the quality of their decision making. The key to revive TESCO is to restructure their whole organization so that they will be able to make the most important decisions well while executing them quickly and consistently. It has frequently been found again and again that TESCO’s main rivals like Sainsbury, which announced UK sales growth to be 1.9% for the second quarter, is a worthy competitor since it has proved to be a decision-driven organization, founded on the pillars of effective decision making and flawless execution. TESCO’s governing body should take it into more consideration that making good decisions simply means being clear about which decisions matter most. This requires getting the right people to focus on those decisions at the right moment in time (Rud, 2009). In order to go back to the winning ways, TESCO will have

Discussion Summary-Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Summary- - Assignment Example Fellow classmates have provided a raft of examples and the corresponding lists of examples supporting each of the four proximity levels. Bishop Pearce provided the example of the Waterbrooke Assisted facility, located in Elizabeth City, NC. The facility provides personalized care including three meals and snacks a day, physician and psychiatric services. On environmental proximity, he identified each of the four levels drawing the work by (Sigh, 2010) to be the foundation on which he drew the four levels on proximity. The work drew a number of replies, most notably Kathleen, who wanted to know if the facility were next to hospital, would it have been a source of hindrance or help. Yvette De Leon, on the other hand cited the Arbors of Port Warwick Facility that is in Newport News, VA. The hospital provides 24 hours services to the residents, though only a meal day is provided. Just like the first contributor, Yvette cited (Singh, 2010), when updating the four Environmental Proximity Model. Kathleen Almeda, on the other hand, gave Dominion Village at Williamsburg that is owned by Five Star Senior Living. Â  Dominion Village offers assisted living, memory care, outpatient rehab services, and respite/short-term stays. Felisa Artis provided the example of the Consulate Health Care as the facility of choice, which specializes in post-acute care, operating 200 centers in 21 states. However, her focus is the one that is at Norfolk, VA. She explicitly provides the examples to match the four levels of proximity and a discussion ensues between the classmates and her. Jennifer Supples provides an example of a facility located 15 minutes from his place of residence, Willows at Meadow Branch which is part of the Consulate facilities. However, he does provide examples on the environmental proximity models. The level of services provided in the facilities were also different, for example, Paola Williams mentioned that Hopkins center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare,

Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Business Intelligence - Essay Example The main thing here is not structure but rather the application of an integrated organizational system which is capable of aligning vital attributes necessary to leadership and accountability (Blumberg & Atre, 2003). In an economy where speed and adaptability can make or break a business enterprise much like TESCO, companies can only win and as a result, stay profitable through proper organization —and keep on making profits. As TESCO grew over the years, it has become more complex, thus as a result, their capacity for quick response and adaptability to change gets stretched thin. As a supermarket, TESCO thus had to deal with a global playing field, since customers are separating into smaller compact units. Data cascades into TESCO, at the risk of being vague regarding meaningful information. Executives in this supermarket chain may find themselves scrambling to react. It is the organization which holds the key (Power, 2010). What will help TESCO set itself apart and become among the top performers is solely based on the quality of their decision making. The key to revive TESCO is to restructure their whole organization so that they will be able to make the most important decisions well while executing them quickly and consistently. It has frequently been found again and again that TESCO’s main rivals like Sainsbury, which announced UK sales growth to be 1.9% for the second quarter, is a worthy competitor since it has proved to be a decision-driven organization, founded on the pillars of effective decision making and flawless execution. TESCO’s governing body should take it into more consideration that making good decisions simply means being clear about which decisions matter most. This requires getting the right people to focus on those decisions at the right moment in time (Rud, 2009). In order to go back to the winning ways, TESCO will have

Growing Up Essay Example for Free

Growing Up Essay The two poems I will be using are FOLLOWER and DIGGING. THe two poems say that at first, when you are young, you admire your father and constantly look up to them. However, eventually you see that it is highly unlikely that he can follow his father into jobs and so you want to become independent and do things yourself, without the need to look after your parents. At the beginning of Follower, he wants to be like his father; strong, powerful yet gentle, loving and a expert at his job. These connote to the admiration shown by Heaney towards his father, this is shown in the poem by The horse strained at his clicking tongue, An expert and Sometimes he rode me on his back dipping and rising to his plod. All of those examples combined implies that he is strong, in control, an expert with a horse-plough and he still has time for his son. He uses enjambament at the end of the second stanza, with a single pluck of reins, indicates it is in one swift movement, suggesting that he is entirely in control. In addition, he compares his father to a ship with phrases and similes such as his shoulders globed like a full sail strung , dipping and rising and mapping the furrow. These connote to the power, strength and degree of proficiency he has and uses with the horse-plough. In the fifth stanza he is still in admiration for his father, I wanted to grow up and plough, but realises that he will not be able to as he feel over burdened in expectations to be like his father and is constantly in his fathers shadow, All I ever did was follow in his broad shadow around the farm. At the end of the poem he is ambiguous as he loves his dad but wants him to go away as he is unable to tolerate his father being a nuisance, But today it is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away. The final five words, and will not go away inimates that he is showered with guilt as he no longer wants to be around his father and have such a close relationship anymore. In Digging he starts off watching his father digging in the flowerbeds from above, inside the house. This is reinforced by the phrase Under my window at the start of the second stanza. The second line in the second stanza is memetic to the sound of digging, with the emphasis on the rs, s and the gs. The enjambament leading to the third stanza shows that these memories are extremely vivid as he changes from his father digging in the gravel to digging in the flowerbeds in one flowing movement. In comparison with Follower he signals admiration of fathers adeptness and uses many technical words to elevate the status of digging with phrases such as The coarse boot nestled on the lug and the shaft against the inside knee was levered firmly. Also the second quote connotes a machine by using words like levered. He uses a couplet of lines as a pivot to change the focus of the poem from his father to his grandfather and uses the term old man to show affection for them. Similarly to his father he admires his grandfather and is almost lauding about his skill and efficiency by saying My grandfather cut more turf in a day than any other man on Toners bog. In the penultimate verse he is depressed as he cannot follow in the family tradition literally, Ive no spade to follow men like them. In contrast to Follower, in the final stanza he decides to dig metaphorically with his pen, enabling him to follow his father, Between my finger and thumb the squat pen rests. Ill dig with it. In conclusion, there are many similarities between Follower and Digging, such as admiration, love and sadness and very few contrasts like in Follower he wants his dad to leave him alone, but in Digging he follows his fore-fathers metaphorically by digging with a pen instead of a spade.

What Is The Bermuda Triangle History Essay

What Is The Bermuda Triangle History Essay The Bermuda Triangle is also known as the Devils Triangle. It is an area located on the north western Atlantic, in the country of International waters, The Bahamas. The Bermuda Triangle is an extremely dangerous area for one to enter. Aircrafts and surface vessels are believed to have vanished in weird ways which are considered human error, piracy, equipment failure, or natural disasters. Important things in society have shown some of these disappearances could have been the laws of physics, paranormal, or actions performed by aliens. I. The Triangle is located between the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. A. The Bermuda Triangle is nicknamed the Devils Triangle. B. In this triangle, it is said that a lot of things in weird ways happen. II. One of the most famous disappearances is the Naval Air Flight 19. A. 13 Avenger bombers handled by Lt. Charles Taylor left the Naval Air Station in Fort Lauderdale on routine mission to practice bombing. B. As they all were trying to go back home, Lt. Robert Cox overheard them trying to communicate over the radio. 1. Lt. Taylor informed Lt. Cox that they were in the Florida Keys, but didnt know how to get back to Fort Lauderdale. 2. Lt. Taylor was actually over the Bahamas not the keys and only kept going to go further out into the sea. III. Rescue teams were sent out to find Flight 19. A. A Martin Mariner did not make its schedule and did not answer calls. B. Flight 19 was never found, neither was the Mariner. Conclusion: For years there has been an unsolved mystery of disappearances of boats and planes with no trace of evidence left behind. Could it be human error? Equipment failure? There are a lot of different things that could have happened with every disappearance within this dangerous area, the Bermuda Triangle. Many believe these disappearances are laws of physics, paranormal, or actions performed by aliens. But, nobody knows. All in all, the Bermuda Triangle is left open for everyones own belief. Since there was no proof of piracy, hurricanes, UFOs or any wreckage found, this is a case of mysterious incidents that will forever be unknown. The Bermuda triangle The Bermuda Triangle is also known as the Devils Triangle. It is an area located on the north western Atlantic, in the country of International waters, The Bahamas. The Bermuda Triangle is an extremely dangerous area for one to enter. Aircrafts and surface vessels are believed to have vanished in weird ways which are considered human error, piracy, equipment failure, or natural disasters. Important things in society have shown some of these disappearances could have been the laws of physics, paranormal, or actions performed by aliens. The Bermuda Triangle is at a status of an Urban Legend. Many events that have been reported or witnessed by people, and many administration agencies have put on record as addressing that the amount and nature of vanishes is very much alike to any other part of the ocean, but people that support paranormal phenomena suggest that many events stay unexplained regardless of any huge investigation. The border of the Triangle depends on who found it; some say its shape is like a trapezoid covering the straits of Florida, the Bahamas, and the whole area of the Caribbean Island and the Atlantic east to the Azores; others add it to the Gulf of Mexico. The more well known triangular area in a lot of documents has its parts somewhere on the Atlantic coast of Florida, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the mid-Atlantic Island of Bermuda, with a lot of the accidents not happening as much along the southern border around the Bahamas and Florida straits. The area is one of the biggest sailing lanes in the world, with ships crossing through it every day for traveling in the Americas, Europe, and the Caribbean Islands. Cruise ships are so big, and comfortable made to go back and forth between Florida and the Islands. It is also a huge flown route for commercial and private aircraft going towards Florida, the Caribbean, and South America from points north. When the Legend of the Triangle showed up in newspapers by E.V.W. Jones on September 16, 1950 through the Associated Press, it was the first article of any kind. Two years after that, Fate Magazine published Sea Mystery At Our Back Door, a small article by George X. Sand that covered a lot of things from the loss of a few planes and ships, the loss of Flight 19, and a group of five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger bombers on a training mission. The familiar triangular area was where the losses happened and Sands article was the first to tell all about it. American Legion Magazine would cover Flight 19 in the April 1962 issue. The issue stated that the flight leader was heard saying, We are entering white water, nothing seems right. We dont know where we are, the water is green, no white. Also, the officials at the Navy board said that the planes flew off to mars. This was the first article to have people curious about Flight 19, but it would take another author, Vincent Gaddis, to write about i t in the February 1964 Argosy Magazine to take Flight 19 and put it together with other disappearances and put it under a new different name, The Deadly Bermuda Triangle, he would write more on that article with a better detailed book, Invisible Horizons, the next year. Others would go on with their own books, like, John Wallace Spencer (Limbo of the Lost, 1969-1973), Charles Berlitz (The Bermuda Triangle, 1974), Richard Winer (The Devils Triangle, 1974), and a lot of others, which they were all staying on the same topics made by Eckert. A research librarian, Lawrence David Kusche, from Arizona State University and author of The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved (1975) has learned a lot more about how he has been writing. His research gave out a lot of errors and disagreements between statements from eyewitnesses and Berlitzs stories, victims, and other people involved in incidents. He stated cases where very important information did not get reported, like the disappearance of round-the-world yachtsman Donald Crowhurst, which Berlitz had showed it as a mystery, besides the good evidence he had. Another example was the story that Berlitz told as lost without a trace three days out of an Atlantic port when it had been lost three days out of port with the same name in the Pacific Ocean. There has also been a lot of incidents far outside of the area, which makes this area a lot more mysterious. The research that he would do was simple and easy. He would read newspapers and reports talking about the weather that was not m entioned in the stories. Kusche came up with some endings of what he had been researching. One, was that with all the ships and aircrafts that had gone missing was not much higher than in any other part of the ocean. Second, tropical storms that had happened in that area were not unlikely or mysterious, which Berlitz and other writers would usually not be able to talk about those storms. Last, was that some disappearances really did not happen. One plane crash was said to be seen by hundreds of witnesses off Daytona Beach, Florida. But, checking the local newspaper, nothing was said about it. Kusche believes that the Legend of the Bermuda Triangle is surely, a mystery. Other people have their own opinions and have done research as much as Kusche has. While the UK Channel 4 television program The Bermuda Triangle was being made by John Simmons of Geofilms for the Equinox Programme, the marine insurer Lloyds of London was asked if a lot of ships had sunk in the Bermuda Triangle area. Lloyds of London replied that the information he had received was not true and no ships had sunk there. The United Coast Guard have found their ending. The disappearances that have happened are close to as many ships and aircrafts that pass through and make it through the Triangle. The Coast Guard is still unsure about the Triangle, even though they get information and publish it, a lot of documents are filed with a lot of the events written by Triangle authors. One event involving the 1972 explosion and sinking of the tanker V.A. Fogg in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard took pictures of the wreck and found a few bodies. One of the Triangle authors stated that all the bodies had vanished, with the captains permission, who was found sitting in his cabin at his desk, holding a coffee cup. Curious researchers, like Ernest Taves and Barry Singer, have stated how mysteries and the paranormal are very popular and make good money. It started getting a lot of material on topics like the Bermuda Triangle. They were able to show that some of the pro-paranormal material is usually wrong or will not work, but its makers keep marketing it. They have claimed that the market is loaded with books, TV specials, etc. that help the Triangle mystery, and good researched material if people are curious about it. Finally, if the Triangle is thought of to cross land, like parts of Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, or Bermuda itself, there is no evidence for the disappearance of any land-based vehicles or people. The city of Freeport, found inside the Triangle, works a big shipyard and an airport which usually handles 50,000 flights, and is visited by over a million tourists a year. There are mysterious explanations of the incidents that have happened. Triangle writers have used a lot of weird ways to explain the incidents. One explanation blames it on leftover technology from the mythical lost continent of Atlantis. Sometimes put together with the Atlantis story is the deep rock composition known as the Bimini Road off the island of Bimini in the Bahamas, which is in the Triangle in some areas. Followers of the physic Edgar Cayce believe his prediction that evidence of Atlantis would had been found in 1968 which leads to the discovery of the Bimini Road. Believers describe the composition as a road, wall, or some other structure, even though geologists think it was already part of the land. Other writers think of the incidents as UFOs. The idea came from Steven Spielberg for his science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which shows the lost Flight 19 as alien abductions. Then there is Charles Berlitz, the grandson of an amazing specialist in language and author of a lot of information on abnormal experience, has stayed with the same huge description, and thought of the losses in the Triangle to be abnormal or unexplained forces. There are also normal explanations of the events that have happened. Boundary problems are one of the big issues in a lot of Triangle incidents. Even though some people have guessed that unusual local magnetic abnormals can be in that area, like abnormals that have not been shown to even exist. Also boundaries have natural magnetic differences that are like Magnetic poles. For instance, in the United States the only places where magnetic north and geographic north are exactly the same on a line going from Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico. Navigators have known this for centuries. But the public is not as informed about it, and think there is something mysterious about a magnetic changing across an area as big as the Triangle, which it will eventually on its own. There are actions of destruction that happen on purpose. Actions of destruction that happen on purpose can be put into two types: acts of war, and acts of piracy. Records in enemy files have been checked for a lot of losses. While a lot of sinkings have been put to surface raiders or submarines during the World Wars and documented in a lot of the command log books, a lot of others that have happened in that type have not been proven. It might not be true that the loss of USS Cyclops in 1918, as well as her sister ships Proteus and Nereus in World War II, were put to submarines, but that information has not been found in the German records. Piracy is the act of taking a ship or small boat on the high seas, which is still happening today. In the western Pacific and Indian oceans, piracy for cargo theft is a lot more common, drug smugglers steal nice boats for smuggling actions, and could have been apart of crew and yacht disappearances in the Caribbean. Piracy in the Caribbean was common from about 1560 to the 1760s, and famous pirates like, Edward Teach (Blackbeard) and Jean Lafitte. Lafitte is sometimes said to be a Triangle victim himself. The Gulf Stream is almost connected to Bermuda itself. The Gulf Stream is an ocean current that is in the Gulf of Mexico, and then through the Straits of Florida, into the North Atlantic. It is a river within an ocean, and like a river, it can and does carry floating objects. It has a surface speed of up to about 5.6 mph. A small plane making water landing or a boat having an engine problem will be carried away from where its at by the current, just like it happened to the cabin cruiser Witchcraft on December 22, 1972, when it reported engine problems by the Miami buoy marker one mile from shore, but was not there when a Coast Guard got there. One of the biggest problems of explanations to the loss of any aircraft or vessel is human error. Whether on purpose or accidental, humans have been known to make mistakes making catastrophe, and losses in the Bermuda Triangle are not acceptable. For instance, the Coast Guard did not see very good training for the cleaning of volatile benzene residue as a reason for the loss of the tanker V.A. Fogg in 1972. Human stubbornness can have caused businessman Harvey Conover to lose his sailing yacht, the Revonoc, as he sailed into the beginning of the storm south of Florida on January 1, 1958. A lot of losses stay uninformed because there is not that much wreckage which could be studied, it has been talked about on a lot of important reports. Many people believe that hurricanes are the reason to every incident that deals with the Triangle. Hurricanes are powerful storms that are made in tropical waters, and have been responsible for thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars in damage. The sinking of Francisco de Bobadillas Spanish fleet in 1502 was the first recorded incident of a destructive hurricane. These storms have in the caused a lot of incidents like the Triangle. An explanation for some of the disappearances has studied on some of the big fields of methane hydrates on the continental borders. Laboratory experiments that have happened in Australia have proven that bubbles can, honestly, sink a scale model ship by lowering the density of the water; any wreckage consistently coming up to the surface would be highly taken away by the Gulf Stream. It has been proven wrong that periodic methane eruptions (sometimes called mud volcanoes) can make spaces of frothy water that can not give adequate buoyancy for ships. If that was true, an area like that making around a ship could cause it to sink very fast and without giving a warning. A white paper was published in 1981 by the United States Geological Survey about the appearance of hydrates in the Blake Ridge area, off the south eastern United States coast. Although, according to a USGS web page, no big releases of gas hydrates are believed to have happened in the Bermuda Triangle for the past 15,000 years. In many oceans around the world, rogue waves have caused ships to sink and oil platforms to go down. Those waves are believed to be a mystery and until just recently were believed to be a myth. Although, rogue waves do not account for the missing aircraft. A lot of incidents have happened throughout years in the Bermuda Triangle. Flight 19 was a training flight of TBM Avenger bombers that went missing on December 5, 1945 while over the Atlantic. The squadrons flight path was planned to take them east for 120 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 120-mile length that would take them back to the naval base, but they never came back. People believed that the flight happened in an unusual phenomena and usual magnetic readings, and that the flight happened on a nice day while being watched by an experienced pilot, Lt. Charles Carroll Taylor. What made the disappearance worse, was that the Navys report of the accident was said causes or reasons unknown. It is believed that Taylors mother wanted to save her sons reputation, so she made them write reasons unknown when actually Taylor was 50 km NW from where he thought he was. Adding to the whole mystery, a search and rescue Mariner aircraft with a 13-man crew was ordered to help the missing squadron, but the Mariner itself was never heard from again. Later, there was a report from a tanker taking off the coast of Florida of a seen explosion at about the time the Mariner would have been on duty. The basic facts of this description of the story are most likely usable, some important information is missing. The weather was getting stormy by the end of the incident, and naval reports and written recordings of the conversations between Taylor and the other pilots of Flight 19 do not say there were magnetic problems. With that, only Taylor had any good flying time, but he was not familiar with the south Florida area and had a history of getting lost in flight, that was done three times during World War II, he led planes into the water twice. Another incident was the Mary Celeste. The mysterious disappearance in 1872 of the 282-ton brigantine Mary Celeste but is not connected to the Triangle that much, the ship had been abandoned off the coast of Portugal. The incident got people confused with the loss of a ship with a similar name, the Mari Celeste, a 207-ton paddle steamer which hit a reef and sank fast off the coast of Bermuda on September 13,1864. Kusche stated that a lot of the facts about this incident were actually about the Marie Celeste, the fictional ship from Arthur Conan Doyles short story J. Habakuk Jephsons Statement (based on the real Mary Celeste incident, but fictionalized). There is also, the Ellen Austin supposedly came across an abandoned ship, placed on board a prize crew, and tried to sail with it to New York in 1881. According to the stories, it disappeared; others state that it reappeared without the prize crew, then disappeared again with another prize crew on board. A check of Lloyds of London records proved that the Meta existed and was built in 1854; in 1880 the Meta was renamed Ellen Austin. There are no real facts for this vessel, or any vessel at that time, that would have a lot of missing men put on board that later disappeared. Then there is the USS Cyclops. The event ending in one of the biggest loss of life in the history of the US Navy not connecting to combat happened when USS Cyclops, under the order of Lt Cdr G. W. Worley, went missing without a trace with a crew of 309 sometime after March 4, 1918, after leaving the island of Barbados. However, there is no strong evidence for a theory, a lot of independent theories exist, some blaming storms, and some suggesting that wartime enemy action was to blame for the loss. There is another, which is Theodosia Burr Alston. She was the daughter of the United States Vice President Aaron Burr. Her disappearance has been thought of a least once to be connected to the Triangle. She was a passenger on board of the Patriot, which sailed from Charleston, South Carolina to New York City on December 30, 1812, and was never heard from again. Piracy and the War of 1812 have been stated to be explanations, just like a theory putting her in Texas, far outside of the Triangle. Spray, is another incident that has happened. S.V. Spray was a fishing boat made as an ocean cruiser by Joshua Slocum and used by him to finish the first ever single-handed circumnavigation of the world, between 1895 and 1898. In 1909, Slocum set sail from Vineyard Haven heading for Venezuela. Not him or Spray were ever seen again. There is no evidence they were in the Bermuda Triangle when they disappeared, but neither is there any evidence of paranormal action. A five-masted schooner was built in 1919, the Carroll A. Deering was found abandoned at Diamond Shoals, by Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on January 31, 1921. Rumors at the time stated that the Deering was a victim of piracy, maybe connected with the illegal rum-running trade during Prohibition, and maybe involving another ship, S.S. Hewitt, which disappeared at about the same time. Hours later, an unknown steamer sailed by the lightship along the track of the Deering, and ignored all the signals from the lightship. It is thought of that the Hewitt could have been the mystery ship, and maybe involved in the Deering crews disappearance. On December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, number NC16002, disappeared while on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. No trace of the aircraft or the 32 people on board was ever found. From the documentation put away by the Civil Aeronautics Board investigation, maybe a hint to the planes disappearance was found, but hardly known by the Triangle writers: the planes batteries were looked at and found to be low on charge, but commanded back into the plane without a recharge by the pilot while in San Juan. Whether or not this led to complete electrical failure will never be known. Although, since piston-engine aircrafts depend on magnetos to help spark to their cylinders rather than a battery powered ignition coil system, that theory is not very believable. G-AHNP Star Tiger disappeared on January 30,1948 on a flight from the Azores to Bermuda; G-AGRE Star Ariel disappeared on January 17, 1949, on a flight from Bermuda to Kingston, Jamaica. Both were Avro Tudor IV passenger aircraft worked by British South American Airways. Works Cited Gian J. Quasar (2003). Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the Worlds Greatest Mystery (Reprinted in paperback (2005)) Daniel Berg (2000). Bermuda Shipwrecks. Adi-Kent Thomas Jefferey (1975). The Bermuda Triangle. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq8-1.htm. (June 1974) http://www.unmuseum.org/triangle.htm (1995) Reflection I chose this particular topic on the Bermuda Triangle because I have heard many things about this triangular area. I figured if I did a project on it, I could find out myself and real facts instead of what people think. My family and I have always been interested in learning what the Triangle was and now I will be sure to inform them on what I have learned. I chose to make a map of where the Bermuda Triangle was located because I think people should known instead of trying to figure it out in their head. The visual has helped me also, so I am not trying to picture what it looks like. The three most important things I learned while doing this project was what occurred during the disappearance of Flight 19, Lawrence David Kusches opinion on the incidents, and last, how ships and aircrafts might sink within the Triangle. I never knew anything like what happened to Flight 19 could happen like that and how they could disappear and never be seen again, it amazes me. Kusches opinion on the incidents is that, it is all just a mystery that will never be solved. Finally, I would have never thought ships and aircrafts would able to sink even when flying, but I believe everything is possible. My Mom helped me out with this project, but knowing my Mom, she helps me out with everything and I love her for that. Most of the time, I worked on it myself and my Mom just helped me out with the final draft and the rough draft. I feel no body really influenced me throughout this project, maybe Kusche because he trully did hard work and I respect people who work hard. I do not think anyone will be affected by this project but I am sure they will love to here all the information I have gathered up. I can share this new information all around the community! Especially in my school, I know some people who want to know what the Triangle is all about and what really happens within it. Now, I have the answer. It is a mystery. I will use this information throughout the rest of my high school years and even maybe throughout college. The topic will probably get brought up and I will know a lot more then any body else. There is not three ways my perspective on life has changed from the information I learned but there is one way. To cherish every moment your living and to appreciate every body you have because you never know what the future holds and when people can just disappear. I believe that I could have done a few things different but not a lot. I could have organized my things better to where I would not have lost a lot of my notes but I dealt with it and continued my project. I think I could have managed my time better and maybe gotten the project done a little more faster. But, with all my hard work, I feel like I accomplished something! . CHECKLIST The outline The introduction states the main topic or idea of the outline, and the conclusion summarizes it. Each sub-topic describes the main idea for a paragraph. Supporting information and details for a sub-topic are listed under the sub-topic with each piece of information listed separately. When supporting information is listed under a sub-topic, there are at least two pieces of information listed. If there is only one piece of information to support a sub-topic, the information is included in the sub-topic. The report The report follows the organization of the outline. Each paragraph in the report matches a sub-topic in the outline, and presents the information and details listed under the sub-topic. Each paragraph includes a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph. Every sentence begins with a capital letter. Every sentence ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark. All words are spelled correctly. There are no missing words.

Pride And Prejudice :: essays research papers

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice takes place in England during the 18th century, with an evident main them of courtship and marriage. The Bennet family consists of Jane, the eldest daughter, followed by Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Being girls, they will not benefit from their father’s will which leads to their mother’s obsession over finding husbands for them. Eventually in the end of the novel, everyone is settled and married, however Bingley and Jane, and Darcy and Elizabeth have comfortable futures to look forward to. Similar to other novels written by Jane Austen, the main theme is courtship and marriage. On a smaller scale, this novel also refers to the reality behind appearances and "truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.† (p.1) Out of the seven marriages throughout the novel, three would inevitably end in failure and two are a success. With Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas, their marriage is based on economics. Charlotte sacrifices her own happiness for financial security. In the case of Whickham and Lydia, only superficial qualities are considered which in time would separate them. Another example of a marriage like Whickam and Lydia’s is the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. As for Jane and the Elizabeth, their marriages are based on calm judgement and are well considered with mutual feelings. Throughout the novel, many of the characters are deceived by appearances, although they become dearer near th e end. In this time frame, women view that men have responsibilities to society. Being unable to provide for themselves because of their ignorance in areas of business or commerce, men would ensure financial stability. Another aspect of Jane Austen’s writing is her use of dialogue. It reflects when less of the physical appearances were used, but more of the inner qualities were displayed, during her time period. Austen is interested in where people stand in society and their engagements in dialogue. Often, through dialogue, her characters are developed. With Austen’s main focus being conversation, much of her work must be able to relate parts of the novel together, interpret clues, and notice tone and meaning. I believe that the main characters of this novel are Darcy and Elizabeth. Referring to the title â€Å"pride† would represent Darcy and â€Å"prejudice† would represent Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s â€Å"propensity to hate everybody† (p.51) and vanity leads to her prejudice.

H.G. Wells :: English Literature

H.G. Wells Herbert George Wells was born in 1866 in Bromley, Kent. His career as an author was fostered by an unfortunate accident as a child. He broke his leg and spent the mandatory rest period reading every book which he could find. Wells was awarded a scholarship and furthered his education at the Normal School of Science in London. It was at the Normal School that Wells came under the wing of the famous biologist Thomas H. Huxley. Wells' "science fiction" (although he never called it such)was clearly influenced by his studies at the Normal School and his interest in biology. H.G. Wells gained fame with his first major fiction work: The Time Machine in 1895. Soon after the publication of this book, Wells followed with The Island of Dr. Moreau (1895), The Invisible Man (1897), and perhaps his most famous popular work: The War of the Worlds (1898). Over the years Wells became concerned with the fate of human society in a world where technology and scientific study were advancing at a rapid pace. For a period he was a member of The Fabian Society, a group of social philosophers in London. Wells's later works became less science fiction and more social critique. The accuracy of the "science" in Wells's work has often been called into question. It is rumored that Wells and the French novelist Jules Verne actually criticized each other's writing. Wells's claim was that "Verne couldn't write himself out of a paper sack" and Verne accused Wells of having "scientifically implausible ideas." The science may not be accurate, but the adventure and philosophy in those books makes Wells' early science fiction fun and fascinating to read. Herbert George Wells was born in 1866 in Bromly, a small town near London. He attended college and graduated with a degree in biology. His lower-middle-class background and his knowledge of science influenced his writings. He thought that science would make a better world. He also thought that that humans would destroy their own race by having a big atomic war and eventually kill each other off. Some of the books Wells wrote were The Time Machine, The Invisible Man The War of the Worlds and The Island of Doctor Moreau. He was very famous in his lifetime, and his books sold well. His book War of the Worlds was a radio drama, performed on Halloween night in 1938. Many people tuned in after they said "This is only a story", so they thought that Martian aliens were attacking Earth. So people grabbed their rifles and jumped in their cars and took off. H.G. Wells died in his sleep on

Light in August Essay

William Faulkner’s celebrated novel Light in August says the tale of an orphan Joe Christmas, who has an unknown or doubtful ancestry who considers himself to be part-black. The novel includes excellent themes that involve issues of gender, race, community and religion. The capture of the racist identity and the portrayal of Calvinistic religion are the main features of the novel. Light in August is one of the best works of William Faulkner. The story starts with Lena Grove, a helpless pregnant girl (from Alabama) who set out of her house in search of her unborn baby’s father Lucas Burch. Lucas Burch had actually escaped from Lena so that he need not bear the burden of fatherhood. Lena’s hunting for Lucas Burch make her reach another man with the same name Byron Bunch. He was a simple man who makes friendship with Lena and later falls in love with her. Byron was kindhearted and provided Lena with home and security that the actual Byron Bunch (the child’s father) could not provide. After that we can see Byron narrating his feelings for Lena to the former Presbyterian minister Rev. Gail Hightower who was pushed to withdraw from his ministry as his wife committed suicide. In the middle of this strange story between Lena Grove and Lucas Burch, there appears Joe Christmas the roommate of Lucas Burch. He was an orphan working in the planing mill like Byron Bunch. The word ‘Christmas’ was added to his name as it was on the day of Christmas that he reached the orphanage. Christmas was also not sure about his ancestry as he wandered across in search of his lineage; a voyage for self-discovery. Christmas’ journey led him to Jefferson, Mississippi where he falls in a dangerous relation with Joanna Burden spinsterish civil rights activist. This affair led him to grave destruction. The most interesting theme of Light in August is the Southern issue with racial identity. Joe is mistreated and humiliated as people suspect that he has a black ancestry. They never him the way they treat white people (Dondlinger, 98-125). We can find in Light in August that majority of the characters are influenced by the notion of race disparity. For example, Joanna Burden, Joe Christmas, Doc Hines, Nathaniel Burde and lastly Percy Grimm are some or the other way influenced by the concept of race (Towner, 45-65). Some of the characters become victims of the senseless racial classification and suffer. Others who are out of this threat believe that there is nothing wrong in treating blacks inhumanly on the basis of racial difference. Racial discrimination is quite acceptable for them (Dondlinger, 98-125). For example The Jefferson sheriff, Watt Kennedy appears to be a decent man. However we can see him punishing a randomly chosen black person in an unwanted investigation (appeared unwanted at first). Similarly several other characters are found to be under the grip of the notion of race. Gender also plays a crucial role in the novel Light in August. Male-female identity and relations is an important topic. For example, we can find Joe being hostile to women. Lena’s baby’s father Lucas Burch also ran away from his pregnant wife; he was also fleeing away from women. Byron Bunch also did not have any plans to marry and was living a lonely life till Lena comes. He was adjusting his life in such a way that he could continue living alone. Rev. Gail Hightower also do not have a good fellowship with women as he led his wife to suicide. Another character Joanna Burden does not even marry. However we can find that the author never attempts to contrast the lonely life of these unfortunate characters with any happy or satisfied normal family or love relationships until the novel reaches the last chapter. We can see that the marriage of Hines and McEachern was also not a happy one. Moreover the Armstids also do not appear to have any love among them. Finally it appears to come to a happy end when Byron Bunch moves away with Lena Grove. But disappointment suddenly comes in she refuses him to share her bed. That relation also seems to be failure. The only relationship that appears to be happy is the relationship of the furniture dealer and his wife. They only had a relationship that had any trace of happiness or satisfaction.