Saturday, November 30, 2019

William WordsworthS Poem Essays - British Poetry,

William Wordsworth'S Poem The world is too much with us by William Wordsworth William Wordsworths poem The world is too much with us is a statement about conflict between nature and humanity. The symbolism in his poem illustrates a sense of the conviction and deep feelings Wordsworth had toward nature. He longs for a much simpler time when the progress of humanity was tempered by the restriction nature imposed. Wordsworth is saying in this poem that man is wasting his time on earth by not appreciating nature around him. He is looking but not beholding. We have given our hearts away (4) means that we have sold the part of us that is from the earth (man which is from dust) in order to make other things more important than appreciating life; such as, money or advancement in employment or just acquiring more things. In Latin, the word Pectus can mean heart, but it can also mean the entire body, or the soul. Wordsworth is saying that we have given our very souls away. Wordsworth gives a pessimistic view of the world, past and future. The words late and soon (1) in the opening verse describe how the past and future are included in his characterization of mankind. The author knows the potential for humanity, but the mentality of getting and spending (2) clouds the perspective of humanity. Wordsworth does not see us as incapable; in fact he describes our abilities as powers. We lay waste our powers (2) is blamed on the earlier mentioned attitude of getting and spending (2). The desire man has for devouring all that is around, darkens the perspective as to what is being sacrificed for the progress. The sordid boon (4) we have given are hearts (4) is the worldly progress of mankind. Wordsworth is saying humanity has become self-absorbed and can no longer think clearly. The destructiveness society has on the environment will proceed freely and unmerciful like the winds that will be howling at all hours (6). Unlike society, Wordsworth does not see nature as a commodity. The verse Little we see in Nature that is ours (3), shows that coexisting is the relationship envisioned. This relationship appears to be at the mercy of mankind because of the vulnerable way nature is described. The verse This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon (5), gives the vision of a woman exposed to the heavens. In addition, the phrase sleeping flowers(7) might also describe how nature is being overrun unknowingly. Wordsworth seems to foresee the inevitable, because he sees himself as one with the environment. The verse I, standing on this pleasant lea, have glimpses that would make me less forlorn (11-12), shows Wordsworth as a visionary who is not responsible for the destruction of nature. In addition, the change Wordsworth is hoping for will come in the form of a mighty revolt by nature. This is why Wordsworth reaches back into ancient Greece for their gods who symbolize nature and strength to make the change. Proteus was a sea god who could change his appearance to get away from capture. Proteus is seen rising from the sea, facing the injustices inflicted upon nature, placing the cycle of life back in balance. The ability to change ones appearance is critical in facing the variety of threats mankind might impose. The god Triton was also mentioned as a savior to nature as well. Triton was the most imposing of the gods because he was master of the seas. I believe Wordsworth selected a sea god as the savior to the world to represent a re-birth. Water is a symbol of new beginnings (birth itself with the amniotic fluid and baptisms, which take place in water) and when the sea gods rise from their watery depths to correct the excesses of humanity, a re-birth will have taken place for the world. Wordsworth states he would rather be a pagan suckled in a creed outworn (10) than go on as he is. Pagan, although shunned by Christianity as an institution because they are polytheistic and are known for worshipping nature, are more appealing to Wordsworth than the accepted Christianity of his time because at least paganism recognizes the importance of

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

No More Sour Grapes

No More Sour Grapes Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. ~ Voltaire You know you think it. An author you know lands a contract or sells an article. She achieves this great promo on a big blog or gets invited to speak at an event that overlooked you. And you feel sorry for yourself . . . and start rationalizing why they were not as worthy as you. Or that you are a better writer. I know you do, because Ive stumbled into that mindset. . . as recently as last week. And I slap myself. I believe in being happy for those enjoying success for the following reasons: 1) You feel better. 2) You can make the other person feel good with a compliment, which makes you feel better. 3) You can study what they did and learn from their success. 4) You can bring attention to yourself 5) That big karma in the sky can come around later and pat you on the back when this successful individual you once supported in their early days becomes able to thank you in return. When you stop and think about it, theres nothing to be gained from begrudging someone else for making a splash. You negate yourself all the above benefits I listed. There is absolutely no good reason whatsoever to look at a winner and not like him. One day and if you keep at it that day will come you will achieve commendation from an editor, a contest, a publisher, an agent, or some group that applauds your efforts. At that time, you would hope that others would bask with you in the glory. You love these people, and surprise, you want to reach out to them and help them in their struggles. Its called reaching back. Writers are connected. Sure, some are higher on the ladder than you. Sure, you wish you were on their rung. But you gain nothing disliking their status. Instead, be thrilled for them. Offer applause and verbalize support. Not only does this make you a better human being, but you also feel a more positive urge to try harder. You hope harder to meet your goals. And the universe eventually rewards you for it.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Trump Effect in Schools

The Trump Effect in Schools A ten-day surge of hate crimes followed the election of Donald Trump in November 2016. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) documented nearly 900 incidents of hate crimes and bias incidents, most committed in celebration of Trumps win, in the days following the election. These incidents occurred in public places, places of worship, and at private homes, but across the country, the largest proportion of incidents- more than a third- occurred in the nations schools. Zeroing in on the problem of Trump-related hate within U.S. schools, SPLC surveyed 10,000 educators from across the country in the days following the presidential election and found that the Trump Effect is a serious nationwide problem. The Trump Effect: Increased Hate and Bullying and Heightened Fear and Anxiety In their 2016 report titled The Trump Effect: The Impact of The 2016 Presidential Election on Our Nations Schools, SPLC reveals the findings of their nationwide survey. The survey found that the election of Trump had a negative effect on the climate within the vast majority of the nations schools. The research reveals that the negative aspects of the Trump Effect are two-fold. On the one hand, in most schools, students who are members of minority communities are experiencing heightened anxiety and fear for themselves and their families. On the other hand, in many schools across the nation, educators have observed a sharp uptick in verbal harassment, including the  use of slurs and hateful language directed at minority students, and have observed swastikas, Nazi salutes, and display of Confederate flags. Of those who responded to the survey, a quarter said that it was clear from the language students used that the incidents they observed were directly related to the election. In fact, according to a survey of 2,000 educators conducted in March 2016, the Trump Effect began during the primary campaign season. Educators who completed this survey identified Trump as an inspiration for bullying and a source of fear and anxiety among students. The increase in bias and bullying that educators documented in the spring skyrocketed in the aftermath of the election. According to reports by educators, it appears that this side of the Trump Effect is found primarily in schools in which the student population is majority white. In these schools, white students target  immigrants, Muslims, girls, LGBTQ students, disabled kids, and Clinton supporters with hateful and biased language. Attention to bullying in schools has increased in recent years, and some might wonder if what is being called the Trump Effect is simply run-of-the-mill behavior among todays students. However, educators across the country reported to SPLC that what they have observed during the primary campaign and since the election is new and alarming. According to educators, what they have witnessed in the schools where they work is an unleashing of a spirit of hatred they had not seen before. Some teachers reported hearing openly racist speech and seeing racially inspired harassment for the first time in careers of teaching that spanned multiple decades. Educators report that this behavior, inspired by the words of the president-elect, have exacerbated already existing class and racial divisions within schools. One educator reported witnessing more fights in 10 weeks than in the previous 10 years. Studying and Documenting the Trump Effect on Americas Schools The data compiled by SPLC were collected via an online survey that the organization disseminated through several groups for educators, including Teaching Tolerance,  Facing History and Ourselves, Teaching for Change, Not in Our Schools, the American Federation of Teachers, and Rethinking Schools. The survey included a mix of closed- and open-ended questions. The closed questions offered educators the opportunity to describe changes to the climate in their school after the election, while the open-ended ones gave them the opportunity to provide examples and descriptions of the kinds of behavior and interactions they had witnessed among students and how educators are handling the situation. The data gathered through this survey are both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Between the 9th and 23rd of November, they received responses from 10,000 educators from across the country who submitted more than 25,000 comments in response to the open-ended questions. SPLC points out that, because it used a purposive sampling technique to gather the data- sending it to selected groups of educators- it is not nationally representative in a scientific sense. However, with its large nationwide set of respondents, the data paint a rich and descriptive picture of what is happening in many of Americas schools following the 2016 election. The Trump Effect by the Numbers Its clear from the results of SPLCs survey that the Trump Effect is prevalent among the nations schools. Half of the educators surveyed reported that students in their schools were targeting each other based on which candidate they supported, but this goes beyond teasing. A full 40 percent reported hearing derogatory language directed at students of color, Muslim students, immigrants and those perceived as immigrants, and at students on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation. In other words, 40 percent reported witnessing incidents of hate in their schools. The same percentage believe that their schools are not equipped to deal with incidents of hate and bias that occur so regularly. The survey results show that it is​ an  anti-immigrant bias that is at the center of the Trump Effect on Americas schools. Of the more than 1,500 incidents that SPLC was able to categorize, 75 percent were anti-immigrant in nature. Of the remaining 25 percent, most were racially motivated and racist in nature. Types of incidents reported by respondents: 672 reported hearing threats of deportation476 reported hearing references to build the wall117 reported hearing the N-word used as a racial slur89 reported that Black students were told to go back to Africa54 reported presence of swastikas on campus40 reported references to the Ku Klux Klan  http://civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/tp/History-Ku-Klux-Klan-KKK.htm31 reported seeing the Confederate flag20 reported references to a return to slavery18 reported references to pussy (as in, grab her by)13 reported references to Nazi and/or use of the Nazi salute11 reported references to lynching and nooses How School Demographics Filter the Trump Effect The SPLC survey revealed that the Trump Effect is not present in all schools  and that in some, only one side of it manifests. According to educators, schools with majority-minority students populations are not seeing incidents of hate and bias. However, they report that their students are suffering from increased fear and anxiety over what the election of Trump means for them and their families. The Trump Effect on majority-minority schools is so severe that some educators report that the students in their schools appear to be suffering from ​a  trauma that hinders their ability to focus and learn. One educator wrote,  Their brains can literally handle a fraction of what students could learn in these same classes in the previous 16 years I have taught them. Some students at these schools have expressed suicidal ideation, and in general, educators report a loss of hope among students. It is in schools with racial diversity that both sides of the Trump Effect are present, and where racial and class tensions and divisions are now heightened. However, the survey revealed that there are two types of schools where the Trump Effect has not manifested: those with overwhelmingly white student populations, and in schools where educators have intentionally cultivated a climate of inclusion, empathy, and compassion, and that have established programs and practices in place for responding to divisive events that occur in society. That the Trump Effect is not present in majority-white schools but prevalent among those that are racially diverse or majority-minority suggests that race and racism are at the heart of the crisis. How Educators Can Respond Together with Teaching Tolerance, SPLC offers some informed recommendations for educators on how to manage and mitigate the Trump Effect in their schools. They point out that it is important for administrators to set a tone of inclusion and respect through school communications and everyday actions and language.Educators must acknowledge the warranted fear and anxiety that many students are experiencing, and develop and implement plans for responding to this particular form of trauma and make the school community aware that these resources exist.Raise awareness within the school community of bullying, harassment,  and bias, and reiterate school policies and expectations for student behavior.Encourage staff and students to speak up when they see or hear hate or bias directed at members of their community or themselves so that offenders are made aware that their behavior is unacceptable.Finally, SPLC warns educators that they must be prepared for a  crisis. Clear policies and procedures must be in place and all educators within the school community must know what they are and what their role is in carrying them out before a crisis oc curs. They recommend the guide, Responding to Hate and Bias at School.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) - Essay Example Similarly, she suffered socially from embarrassment and ridicule from friends and neighbors (Stanard v. Bolin, 1977). In this case the court found the law of tort as well as the law of contract to be the most applicable since the plaintiff was suing for damages arising from a breach of promise- marriage (Lettmaier, 2010). Many American states, a promise to marry is deliberated to be legally enforceable, if the promise or agreement satisfies all the basic requirements of a valid contract. Therefore, failure to satisfy a promise to marry is treated in a similar manner to breach of contract. Moreover, a breach of promise to marry is treated as tort since the plaintiff suffers injury and loss hence they have a right to sue for damages ( LaMance, 2011). In light of the presented facts and claims by the plaintiff, the court ruled that the defendant owed the plaintiff damages for mental distress, injury to health, and loss to reputation. In addition, the court ruled that a rejected fiancà © would no longer be compensated for damages for loss of anticipated financial and social position (Stanard TD v. Bolin,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Cultural Awareness, Understanding, and Acceptance Essay - 2

Cultural Awareness, Understanding, and Acceptance - Essay Example Culture Birukou et al. defines culture as a series of behavior and traditions that specific factions of people in societal setting have developed and these traits passed through generations (Birukou, et al, 2009). This behavioral adaptation defines the society to the environment and gives them an identity that would be known for generations. Birukou et al. further states that the adaptations and behaviors that the individuals depict are not necessarily relayed via a genetic procedure but picked as the traditions dictate the nature of the desired qualities. There are several cultural traits in a community and each one of them unique. Through developing new behaviors, individuals in a setting find it comfortable to entertain daily life challenges prompting these factors to be adopted for a longer period of time (Willcoxson and Millett, 2000). Culture gives individuals a chance to belong to a specific group making them stand out from the rest through the way that they carry out differen t tasks (Luna and Gupta, 2001). In an educational setting, the integration of individual from the staff to the students represents the community that the institution is placed. There exist numerous cultural traits within one community. Multicultural education Multiculturalism is attributed to a situation where a society or an institution recognizes the presence of variable cultural groups promoting their contribution to its development. This entity encourages sharing of the different cultural affiliations identifying individuals from their unique backgrounds. Multicultural education shares the same policy and fights to present equal representation of the various cultural locales in its curriculum. The system of education realizes the need to shape individuals to represent the society better in all disciplines eradicating any form of favoritism and social injustice (Gorski, 2010). Gorski further explains that through implementing a curriculum to atone for the trait that the various i ndividuals in the school setting depict equally , discrimination and ignorance towards the diversities is greatly eliminated (Gorski, 2010). There is a constant admission of various individuals regularly into an education system and through constant revision of the curriculum and school’s policy; an environment that is more comfortable to its members is created. The education system acknowledges the need to build a stronger community that would encourage equality and limit oppression; this necessitates the desire to provide a level of comfort within its curriculum in implementing policies (Gay, 2004). Through stressing on equality measures, cultural bias problem is solved because the curriculum is constantly reviewed to accommodate the needs of various cultures and any form of oppression punished according to a set law. Schools with a more flexible curriculum and a strong set of rules against discrimination progress better in the societal setting. They become increasingly acc ommodating and individuals prefer admission within them as compared to rigid institutions. There is a demeaned system of creativity and contribution in an educational arrangement that does not characterize an equivalent opportunity to its members. Learners contribute actively in a system that unravels different cultural behaviors in its setting. There is a form of cultural

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

Death Penalty Essay Death penalty has been an inalienable part of human society and its legal system for centuries, regarded as a necessary deterrent to dangerous crimes and a way to liberate the community from dangerous criminals. However, later on this type of punishment came to be regarded as a crime against humanistic ideals by many, and its validity in the legal system has been questioned. Until now, the debate rages on. But I’m here to tell you that the death penalty is the right thing to do !! Background: The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.   C. E. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. The death penalty was also part of the Fourteenth Century B. C. E. s Hittite Code; in the Seventh Century B. C. s Draconian Code of Athens, which made death the only punishment for all crimes; and in the Fifth Century B. C. s Roman law of the Twelve Tablets. Death sentences were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, and impalement. In the Tenth Century A. D. , hanging became the usual method of execution in Britain. In the following century, William the Conqueror would not allow persons to be hanged or otherwise executed for any crime, except in times of war. This trend would not last, for in the Sixteenth Century, under the reign of Henry VIII, as many as 72,000 people are estimated to have been executed. Some common methods of execution at that time were boiling, burning at the stake, hanging, beheading, and drawing and quartering. Executions were carried out for such capital offenses as marrying a Jew, not confessing to a crime, and treason. The number of capital crimes in Britain continued to rise throughout the next two centuries. By the 1700s, 222 crimes were punishable by death in Britain, including stealing, cutting down a tree, and robbing a rabbit warren. Because of the severity of the death penalty, many juries would not convict defendants if the offense was not serious. This lead to reforms of Britains death penalty. From 1823 to 1837, the death penalty was eliminated for over 100 of the 222 crimes punishable by death. And in America over 38 states use the death penalty. Now that tells me that almost 50% of the United States uses he death penalty and even john Haynes from the book â€Å"the death penalty† even agrees with me..!!! Mistakes  now let’s move on to mistakes , as we all know back then several ages ago we didn’t have the technology that we do have now. But wait now that we have the world’s smartest people, well at least some. They can assure you that we will give correct D. N. A. answers!!! And if I was to give you a percentage of how many we have gotten correct I would say 100%. Cost of death vs. life in prison: So in the case for money which is better, I would say that the death penalty is a lot better and it’s cheaper than keeping the prisoner there and going through trial after trial after trial, I mean this could go on for weeks and even up to months!!! The death penalty cost the government 1. 5 million- 5. 1 million dollars. The cost of keeping the prisoner $22,218 to 50,000 per year ! In conclusion I know that the death penalty may cost more but do we really want to have our citizen’s life in danger, I know I don’t. Any consideration of the crime rate cancellation would become viable if the crime rate at least for murders goes sharply down. At present, however, capital punishment serves as an important barrier on the way of criminals ready to take another persons life.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Free Henry IV Essays: The Character of Falstaff :: Henry IV Henry V Essays

The Character of Falstaff in Henry IV The character of Falstaff, in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV Part One, serves as an emblem of frivolity and carelessness within a world filled with social and political significance. Falstaff scorns the world of politics and moral decisions in favor of existing from moment to moment. Though he dislikes this "other world", Falstaff realizes he must sometimes come in contact with it. Falstaff’s famous speech in lines 127-139 of Act V shows us how he regards the Prince’s world of honor and duty. Through this speech, Falstaff places himself firmly out of any moral world concerned with justice or honor, instead living for no other reason than life itself. Falstaff’s speech comes after the King and Prince Hal decide to war against the army of Hotspur. Though they wait on word from Worcester, the probability of conflict seems high. Falstaff knows that when the battle comes, he is going to be in the middle of it. Shortly before his speech on the nature of honor, Falstaff shows fear that he might be hurt. In lines 121-2 Falstaff asks Hal to protect him if he should fall during battle. The Prince’s rejection of the request shows his scorn for Falstaff’s desire to passively preserve only his own life. Throughout the last half of the play, as the Prince drifts away from Falstaff, Falstaff’s role in the action of the play as a whole diminishes. The importance placed upon the idea of honor allows Hal to assume his rightful position beside the King, while Falstaff dims into the background. Falstaff’s idea of honor is directly linked to his sense of time itself. In the opening lines of his speech, Falstaff says,"‘Tis not due yet: I would be loath to pay him before his day." (L. 127-8) In this example, God is being related by Falstaff to someone who has set a schedule determining the time and place of everyone’s death. For Falstaff, one’s role in life is not to stray from the path created by that higher Power. The notion of honor, as he later describes in this speech, is a belief through which one can transgress that natural order. He says,"Yea, but how if honor prick me off when I come on?" (L. 130) In order for one to gain honor, one must risk one’s life. This type of gambling is not for Falstaff, as he decides that his own life is more important than,"A word.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Hispanic Cuisine: a Significant Ingredient in Like Water for Chocolate

Hispanic Cuisine: A Significant Ingredient in Like Water for Chocolate Eating is a fundamental activity. Food, itself, is a major component of survival, for without it there would be no life on this earth. Throughout the evolution of man, it has come to have a greater importance with multiple significances to human beings. In fact, it has become a defining factor for families, classes, and cultures all through history. Hispanic societies are no exception. Furthermore, Hispanic women writers have written articles, screenplays, and novels using cuisine as their driving force. A great example is Laura Esquivel’s novel, Like Water For Chocolate. First of all, the title of the novel makes reference to food, but it also has a deeper meaning. Images of heat and fire permeate the novel as expressions of intense emotion. Heat is necessary during the preparation of many foods. In the science of cooking, heat is a force to be used precisely; the novel's title phrase â€Å"like water for chocolate,† refers to the fact that water must be brought to the threshold of boiling and lowered three times before cacao powder can be added to make hot chocolate. However, the many forms of heat involved in the tale cannot be so controlled. Heat is used as a symbol for desire and physical love throughout the narrative. Some example can be found in Gertrudis' rush to the ranch showers then escape from the entire ranch itself, in Pedro's lust for Tita, and the death of Pedro after he and Tita passion is finally realized. This heat is used as a source of power and one of destruction. The epitome of this detail in the novel, where death and desire are paired together, occurs when the love between Tita and Pedro is actualized. Secondly, the recurrence of recipes of Hispanic delicacies throughout Esquivel’s book parallels their importance in Mexican culture. Anne Goldman asserts that â€Å"the very domestic and commonplace quality of cooking makes it an attractive metonym for culture† (Lawless 213). It is no coincidence that the setting of this novel takes place at the same time as the Mexican Revolution. This event was an important modernizing force in Mexican history and is considered to be â€Å"the crucible of social cohesion†¦in modern Mexico† (Pilcher 88). As a result of the revolution, a unifying national identity was desired. Defining cultural cuisines go hand in hand with cultural definitions. Like forming a national identity, or writing a novel, deciding on recipes that will define a nation is a long process. The recipes, that Esquivel ultimately chose to be included, represent the Mexican culture well and show their importance in defining it. Like most nationalities, there are delicacies that the Hispanic culture is known for. As mentioned above, in her novel, Esquivel makes reference to several traditional Hispanic recipes. These recipes introduce each chapter and assist in continuing the novel’s flow. Through these cuisines, the narrator is able to associate another anecdote that forces the tale to carry on. Without the food, the story would be at a stand still because so much of the narrative revolves around the food. Moreover, Esquivel’s usage of magic realism enhances the importance of the mentioned cuisines. Not only does she mention the food, it also has a profound affect on those that consume the entrees. Therefore, they have a profound affect on the entire story itself. One notable example is the Chabela Wedding Cake Tita bakes for the unfortunate union of Pedro and, her sister, Rosaura. The release of her tears in the batter is a release of the immense loss she feels. Because of this added ingredient, the guests who consume the cake are overwhelmed by the same emotion that Tita feels. Making anecdotes, such as this one, in connection with a certain dish, impresses a lasting memory of these dishes in the reader. Also, Hispanic culture places an importance in the transfer of recipes from one generation down to the next. In this narrative, the tradition continues through Nacha, the De La Garzas’ cook, on to Tita. Because Tita’s mother is sinister, unaffectionate, and unable to produce breastmilk for her daughter, Tita is driven into Nacha’s open arms. Maria Elena does not pass down the recipes. Instead, Tita is nourished and educated in the art of cooking through her surrogate mother. Nacha teaches Tita through cultural recipes and secrets of the kitchen. The reader finds that the traditions have been passed down because the omniscient narrator of the tale is Tita’s great-niece. In the tale’s beginning, she introduces a recipe for Christmas rolls. Like a cookbook’s author would, the narrator comments on the onions and how they should be chopped up fine for the Christmas rolls and suggests that a little bit of onion should be placed on the reader’s head to keep from crying when dealing with onion. The trouble with crying over an onion,† she states matter-of-factly, â€Å"is that once the chopping gets you started and the tears begin†¦the next thing you know you just can’t stop. † She adds, â€Å"I was especially sensitive†¦like my great-aunt, Tita† (Esquivel 3). And so the main character is introduced and the s tory can begin. This description is an allusion to Tita’s tear-filled life and her tear-jerking situation. At the story’s end, Tita’s great-niece mentions that as long as someone cooks her recipes, Tita legacy will live on. â€Å"Like a story, a recipe needs†¦a reason to be† (Jaffe 223). For Tita’s descendents, the reason for this narrative is the continued remembrance of Tita. Additionally, this onion description is how the reader is invited to become a part of the tradition. As a professor, Cecelia Lawless has noticed firsthand the effect Esquivel’s novel has on its reader and its â€Å"potential to provide a base for community building. † (215). Her students not only took interest in the story, they also wanted to cook the dishes themselves. They were interested in sharing their own personal recipes they had learned from their family members. Through this Esquivel’s text, which is also considered to be a cookbook, the recipes are sure to be enjoyed for decades. Furthermore, Like Water for Chocolate asserts women as insightful, productive, powerful, sexual, loving individuals through its incorporation of Latino cuisine. In this story, the kitchen is explored as a â€Å"space of creative power [for Hispanic women] rather than merely confinement† as said by the well-known poet, Rosario Castellanos (Jaffe 221). â€Å"It wasn't easy for a person who knew life by way of the kitchen to understand the outside world. This gigantic world which began from the kitchen door toward the inside of the house, because the one that lay adjacent to the back door of the kitchen and that overlooked the patio, the fruit garden, the vegetable garden, yes it belonged completely to her, she controlled it. † (Esquivel 5). Tita uses the culinary arts as a way to express herself and she effectively does so. â€Å"†¦Esquivel subverts tradition by ennobling a ‘domestic’ skill and turning it into an art form† (Glenn 41). For example, at one point in the novel, her love, Pedro presents her with roses to hearten Tita after Nacha’s death and as a symbol of his love for her. Maria Elena immediately sends Tita to throw them away. However, Tita does not want to. Instead, she incorporates her gift into an elaborate dish of quail in rose petal sauce, which turns out to be absolutely divine. She is able to save her present and consummates her love with Pedro through the food she serves. â€Å"That was the way she entered Pedro’s body, hot, voluptuous, perfumed, totally sensuous (Esquivel 48). In addition, this amazing dish sends Gertrudis, Tita’s second sister, running towards the shower outside to cool off. Because she is so hot, the water does not even touch her and the ranch shower is set ablaze. As she runs away, she encounters Juan, a soldier that had been drawn to her scent. Here, Gertrudis exposes her sensuality and courage. She defies social conventions and escapes the oppressive hacienda to pursue what she desires and her independence. And, although, the reader discovers that Gertrudis had run off to a brothel in order to satisfy her desires, she proudly returns, having turned her life around, as Juan’s wife and as a general from the revolution. She informs her family that earned her commission â€Å"by hard work, and fought like mad on the field of battle. Leadership was in her blood† (175). Additionally, Chencha, the ranch maid of the De La Garzas, is shown to possess power through food. An example is Chencha’s soup. Chencha had a firm belief that good soup could cure any illness. In one scene in the story, Tita goes mad after the death of Roberto. She is fed up with her mother, who Tita believes is the reason for Roberto’s death. Tita is sent to stay at Dr. John Brown’s house. Later, Chencha brings Tita the ox-tail soup that she made especially for Tita. With that, Tita returns to her senses. Although, Chencha is in a lower class than the women of the De La Garzas’, Esquivel still empowers this character. Her ability to help Tita is another example of the transformation of an apparent limitation of the kitchen into knowledge, enriched by cooking. The famous Mexican nun, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, describes the importance of the kitchen for Latin American women and the power it provides. But, Madam, what is there for us women to know, if not bits of kitchen philosophy? †¦And I always say, when I see these details: If Aristotle had been a cook, he would have written much more. † (Lawless 217). In conclusion, Esquivel, through Like Water for Chocolate, was effectively able to connect food, culture, and society together. Her decision to portray the novel as if it was also a cookbook energized the tale’s flow, heightened its suspense, a nd conveyed the importance of cuisine in the lives of human beings. Because of her brilliance, it has been internationally acclaimed, and righteously so. Like the tradition of passing down culinary secrets has kept the legacies of families, communities, and cultures alive, so will the study and appreciation of Like Water for Chocolate continue to thrive. Works Cited Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances and Home Remedies. Trans. Christensen Christensen. New York: Double Day, 1992. Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Near a Thousand Tables: A History of Food. New York: The Free Press, 2002. Jaffe, Janice. â€Å"Hispanic American Woman Writers’ Novel Recipes and Laura Esquivel’s Como Agua Para Chocolate. † Women’s Studies 22. 2 (1993): 217+. Lawless, Cecelia. â€Å"Cooking, Community, Culture: A Reading of Like Water for Chocolate† Recipes for Reading: Community Cookbooks, Stories, Histories. (1997) 213-21. Pilcher, Jeffrey M. Que vivan los tamales! : Food and the Making of Mexican Identity. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1998. Sceats, Sarah. Food, Consumption and the Body in Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – 3

Ernest Hemingway probably summed it up best when he said, â€Å"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn† (source). We’re dealing with quite a book here. Published in 1885, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain’s follow-up to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, carved new territory into the American literary landscape in several ways. As one of the first novels to use a specific region’s vernacular in its narration, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn set a precedent for many other distinctly American works to follow. Some readers didn’t exactly â€Å"get† this new colloquial style, however.Accustomed to the proper prose of Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Emerson, some readers didn’t know what to do with Huck’s particular way of storytelling. Aside from the novel’s new style of writing, Twain’s decision to use thirteen-year-old Huck as the narrator allowed him to include certain con tent that a more civilized narrator probably would have left out. At first, Twain’s novel was labeled crass by some readers. The book was even banned in schools for its use of the n-word which is ironic, given that the novel is up in arms over slavery. Even today, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes â€Å"Banned Books† lists.Twain’s novel jumped head first into one of the biggest issues of its day: racism. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed over two decades before Huckleberry Finn’s original publication date, African-Americans everywhere were still victims of oppression and racism. They were technically â€Å"free,† but often by name only in Reconstruction-era America. Many southerners were bitter about the outcome of the Civil War. By guiding his characters through several states of the Confederacy, Twain was able to reveal the hypocrisy of many pre-war southern communities.As a southerner himself, Twain had first-hand exp eriences to draw on, and he was able to walk the fine line between realistic depiction and ironic farce. Not to mention, Twain created the now-iconic character of Jim, a runaway slave who convinces Huck that African-Americans are deserving of freedom, and that equality is a goal for which we all should be fighting. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is now considered to be one of the Great American Novels, mostly due to how it so heartily champions the American ideals of freedom, independence, and rugged individualism.Huck’s dedication to his own moral standards and his bold sense of adventure and self-sufficiency have earned him a place in the All-American Hall of Fame. In addition, Twain is a hilarious storyteller, and the plot of this novel is a roller-coaster ride of moral dilemmas – so trust us when we say that if you haven’t taken the ride yet, you probably should. Why Should I Care? Mark Twain wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn twenty years after the Am erican Civil War. Slavery had been abolished, and the North and South were making up (albeit with some residual anger).So why publish a highly moralistic tale about a system that was no longer in place? Weren’t race issues a moot point once slavery was out of the picture? Hardly. Freedom didn’t mean equality by any means – not legally, socially, or practically. (See Shmoop History's â€Å"Jim Crow in America† for more. ) Actually, come to think of it, this isn’t an outdated notion at all. Rules and laws often don’t accurately reflect what’s really going on. From a legal standpoint today, we have equality of race; yet racism is still a problem.Men and women are equal, yet many still see a â€Å"glass ceiling† for women in the workplace, meaning they often have invisible boundaries to advancement. That doesn’t mean laws are useless. Laws may not immediately effect change, but we’ve seen that they do precede change. While laws can affect how people act, it takes more to change the way we think. We can’t rely on laws alone. That’s where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn comes back into the picture. We need people like Mark Twain to remind us not to be self-congratulatory for starting a process in motion,

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Heresy of Galileo essays

The Heresy of Galileo essays THE HERESY OF GALILEO Galileo was condemned by the Inquisition, not for his own brilliant theories, but because he stood up for his belief in Copernicus's theory that the earth was not, as the Church insisted, the center of the universe, but that rather, the universe is heliocentric. Galileo was a man of tremendous intellect and imagination living in a era dominated by the Catholic Church, which attempted to control the people by dictating their own version of "reality." Any person who publicly questioned Church doctrine ran the chance of condemnation and punishment. If man could think, man could question, and the Church could lose its authority over the masses. This could not be tolerated in the 17th century, when the Church had the power to dictate "reality." Copernicus probably avoided a similar fate by confining his opinions to his students and the university milieu, and in fact his theories were not published until the time of his death. To be tried by the Inquisition was something that nobody could take lightly. Although in Galileo's time the Inquisition was becoming more and more lenient, it was known to have used torture in the past and to have sent many heretics to burn at the stake. As late as 1600, this fate had befallen the Italian thinker Giordano Bruno, a one-time Dominican friar who had adopted a From the summer of 1605, Galileo was private tutor of mathematics to young Prince Cosimo de' Medici, son of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Teacher and pupil became sincerely attached to each other by mutual affection and deference, and this bond lasted to the end of Galileo's life. Galileo remained a good friend of the Grand Duke as well. In the summer of 1611, the Grand Duke invited Galileo to a dinner party at his court. The Duke liked to gather great scholars around him, especially when he had illustrious guests, to hear them talk about issues of ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How To Motivate Millennial Marketers With Directives Garrett Mehrguth

How To Motivate Millennial Marketers With Directives Garrett Mehrguth Are you a millennial? Do you work with millennials? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, millennials are expected to make up half of the workforce by 2020 and 75% by 2030. So, it’s important to   figure out ways to understand these smart and talented millennials working at your company. Are there any idiosyncrasies with this generation that may be helpful to marketers? Today, my guest is Garrett Mehrguth. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Directive, a growing digital agency that employs several millennials. Fortunately, Garrett has found unique ways to keep them engaged and motivated. Garrett’s Motto: Learn, Engage, Create Lesson Learned from First Consulting Client: Ask clients to pay you upfront Never use your power as a leader to manipulate anyone to make a decision Attract millennials by investing in social media to create a positive work culture Utilize recruiting tools to find the most talented millennials Best Defense for Bad Reviews: Demonstrate importance of sharing experiences and showing reviews to everyone involved to continue to grow and retain talent Millennials are the same as everyone else, but treated differently, alienated, and made to feel demotivated and devalued by others Directive offers a meritocracy and culture where people can grow in the company based on how they perform, not how long they’ve been with the company One of the simplest ways to create a structure for success and motivate millennials is to help them prioritize their tasks and goals 99.9% of millennial performance issues are related to time management and communication, or under-developed professional expertise Millennials are motivated when being a part of something larger; they want to feel like what they’re doing is contributing to something Directive supports career-driven millennials who want to be paid what they’re worth in an environment that accelerates their development professionally Offer benefits that serve your team, not ones that attract talent; Directive’s coolest benefit is mental health support Millennials want to learn, and Directive stresses its importance to be successful by requiring each employee to create a piece of content every quarter Be a leader for millennials by holding yourself accountable and taking an authentic look at and fixing everything that’s wrong in your organization Links: Directive Garrett Mehrguth’s Email Fiverr Moz WordStream Distilled Marketing Land Search Engine Land Glassdoor JazzHR Workable G2 Crowd Buffer 37signals Basecamp Torch.io Marketo How to Get Started with Agile Marketing and Do Your Best Work If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Garrett Mehrguth: â€Å"If you could learn, engage, and create, you could always be better tomorrowbecause you never take your foot off the gas.† â€Å"We had this thought process that if we can’t attribute something to revenue, it’s not valuable, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.† â€Å"Your brand dictates the type of talent you acquire or it dictates the success of your organization.† â€Å"Millennials want authentic leadership and want an authentic team and an authentic culture that’s doing things for them, not to attract them.†

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Report 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Report 2 - Essay Example c Growth that significant developments in the trade across the Atlantic Ocean only acted as the catalyst for the strong rise of Western Europe after 1500. That is, European countries on the West side had number of ports along the Atlantic Ocean, and these ports facilitated substantial trade with the New World, Africa, and Asia. This trade aided the merchant groups and the monarchy to become strong forces, gaining not only financial resources but importantly political clout. As Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson (551) point out the trade opportunities made the monarchy to ally with the merchant groups, and both were the â€Å"main beneficiaries of the early profits from Atlantic trade and plunder,† and no anti-establishment groups favoring changes in political institutions could become powerful enough to challenge them. In addition, due to this heightened trade in the Atlantic Ocean, ports cities underwent urbanization, thereby even changing the ‘physical outlook’ (infrastructures) of Western Europe. Although, anti-establishment groups could not do anything, the merchant groups started becoming a strong force due to the economic clout they had, and even started dictating terms to the Monarchy. â€Å"Atlantic trade strengthened merchant groups by constraining the power of the monarchy, and helped merchants obtain changes in institutions to protect property rights.† (Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson 546). These changes mainly led to subsequent positive economic growth that was particularly witnessed in Western