Shared identity

A shared identity brings people together as they feel they feel a sense of belonging. People can have a shared identity through language. For instance, in the United States most people speak English. Those who support English Only bill argue that it will help bring cohesion as people speak one language.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shared identity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They ask, â€Å"will America if it continues on its traditional path of benign linguist neglect, go the way of Belgium, Canada and Sri Lanka-three countries among many whose unity is gravely imperiled by language and ethnic conflicts† (King 437)? Therefore, having shared identity is a good goal as far as individuals are not forced to abandon their individuality. Having a shared goal is a good goal because it can help foster nationalism. Through a shared language people form an identity, and in a country they feel a sense of nat ionalism. For example, in Italy unification came through speaking of a similar language as in Germany. In other instances, people in a country may not share the same language, but they tolerate and embrace each other’s differences. For example, in Switzerland there are four official languages. The people get along well and there is no strife because of the different languages. A strong national identity brings the citizens together. The people â€Å"†¦ share something big and almost mystical that holds each together in a union transcending language. That something I call unique otherness† (King 442). This is beneficial to the country as it enjoys peace and harmony. Besides, the diversity of the people creates a beautiful oneness and every person feels a sense of belong and pride in their country. The drawbacks of having a shared identify goal is the danger of animosity towards anyone considered different. In countries that value one language above the others may f orce all its citizens to speak the preferred language. That favoritism of one language may lead to ethnic wars. For instance, in other countries such as Canada where people speak different languages for example English and French there is ethnic strive hence lack of a strong nationalism. In Moldova in 1995, protests erupted over the language to be used in teaching the Moldovan history (King 440). Some use language to demand for separation from a country, and it leads to loss of life in wars. Therefore, the quest for a shared identity can become a source of strife and division in a country. The goal of a shared identity can lead some people to fail at national integration, and lead to discrimination. Foreigners in a country may fail to integrate, and live normal lives because they feel they are different and unwanted in the host community. Some may result to rebellion or trying to hard to fit in that it destroys their sense of identity. Some become hurt for being different and being discriminated against. For example, â€Å"Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry† (Hurston 419).Advertising Looking for essay on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some adults teach their children hate towards people from different backgrounds and races. For instance, a student in class said: â€Å"I cannot sit by her. My mom said I cannot sit by anyone who is brown† (Nguyen 464). Furthermore, those who do not share a common identity with the majority suffer as Nguyen says: â€Å"I have no way of telling what tortured me more: the actual snickers and remarks and watchfulness of my classmates, or my own imagination, conjuring disdain† (462). Having a shared identity is only good as far as it is used positively to bring people together, despite their differences. The shared identity should foster a strong nationality instead of dividing and separating people. People are different, but they can live as one. Works Cited Hurston, Zora Neale. â€Å"How it feels to be colored me.† Ed. Andrea Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for  Response. 5th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.416-420. Print. King, Robert. â€Å"Should English be the law?† Ed. Andrea Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for  Response. 5th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.434-443. Print. Nguyen, Bich Minh. â€Å"The good immigrant student.† Ed. Andrea Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for  Response. 5th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.458-464. Print. This essay on Shared identity was written and submitted by user Guillermo Larson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Writers of Term Papers

Writers of Term Papers Writers of Term Papers Writers of Term PapersA term paper is rather a complicated research project that requires sufficient experience in analyzing, writing, and presenting the project. That is why writers of term papers should develop a certain set of qualities and abilities. Do you want to know which ones? Then go ahead reading. Do not forget to read article on The Stolen Party term paper writing, how to write term papers, as well as guide on college entrance essay outline writing and how to write a good college essay .Writers of term papers should practice building sentences logically. One of the possible and rather effective methods to do it is to tape-record what you have written and then listen to the record made. You can also ask someone to read your paper to check whether your writing is consecutive and logical enough. Writers of term papers should be well informed on their research area. That is why it is important for writers of term papers to read as much information relevant to their research topic as possible. So, if for example, you are to write a term paper on hurricane Katrina, read all the possible information about hurricanes, watch videos and documentaries, listen to CNN reports, etc. Your professor will certainly appreciate your awareness of the subject, thus, you will have more chances to get an A+ grade.Writers of term papers should learn to be persuasive. The art of persuasiveness is not easy to learn, still, possible. To sound persuasively, it is important for term paper writers to avoid emotions while writing. Besides, emotions are inadmissible in academic writing, and if you want to master in the use of scientific language, you have to keep it in mind. The best and the most important tool that all writers of term papers should use to sound persuasively is argumentation. Make your argumentation reasonable and logical. Provide the reader with enough evidence to prove that your point of view is the only right.Writers of term papers should be able to develop strong and catchy thesis statements. Some writers of term papers confuse a thesis statement with a well known fact. The main difference between a generally known fact and a thesis statement is that a thesis statement is something that you personally consider to be truth while a commonly known fact is something that does not leave grounds for debates. This mistake can make a paper sound unskillfully and become the cause of a low grade. That is why it is of a great importance for writers of term papers to understand the difference between these two notions.Striving at self-perfection is the best way to success. That is why writers of term papers should strive at it.

The Individual and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Individual and Society - Essay Example The individual has violated a type of social norm referred to as injunctive norm. Injunctive norms commonly refer to what is approved or disapproved by the culture, and they encourage behavior through the informal social sanctions. In other words, injunctive refer to the perceptions of what it is supposed to be done (De Cremer, Murnighan and Van Dick 69). For example, the individual has violated of what it is perceived to be done, not to litter the environment. The society in general, requires that the environment is kept clean and the incidences of littering are considered to be against the social norms. Thus, the individual has violated the social norms that require the environment to be kept clean. In USA, there are several organizations and interest groups that have taken the initiative of keeping the environment clean through methods such as litter prevention. Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (par. 6) asserts that littering is a personal choice. In other words, it is an individual behavior to choose to litter on the ground. 83 percent of the litter is disposed properly meaning that most people hold the notion that littering in the wrong places is not good. Thus, litter prevention is a social norm that is accepted by most people living in the USA. It will not be proper for an individual to litter in the wrong places in USA. As stated earlier, choosing to litter (that is, to litter on the ground) is an individual behavior. According to Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (par. 6), 81 percent of individuals litter intentionally; through methods such as flinging, dropping or flicking. It further states that individuals tend to litter in environments already littered. Some of the individuals believe that litter prevention is not their responsibility. These people lack sense of ownership for beaches, walkways, parks and other public places. They believe that someone will pick

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

International Business - Essay Example In the year 1995, Amazon.com launched its first online shopping site, while eBay did their web portal in 1996 (Palmer Kimberly, 2007). 1-1 The development of online shopping In this 21st century, the use of the Internet (World Wide Web) has been through a very dramatic growth of ensuring efficiency, proper connectivity, security, usability and cost effectiveness. These achievements have been realized by getting many of its benefits especially for commercial companies’ positions as was the case in 1993. The World Wide Web was initially developed to be used as a commercial tool, by the British scientist Tim Berners-Lee (Berners-Lee, 2000). Instead of using the Internet solely as a technological tool, it quickly became an effective channel used for the commercial outlet purposes by business vendors and customers who are world wide. By late 2000, the total number of immense internet users had risen to more than 450 million because of its conveniences (Nua, 2012). According to esti mates done by Nua (2012), there were already more than 30 million hosted websites as reported by the various server organizations by 2012 (Web update, www.nua.ie/surveys). The estimated number of users have since its invention increased, signifying that online purchasing and transactions have been on the rise as well (Joines, Scherer & Scheufele, 2003). Online transactions such as purchasing of both goods and services have been cited by many of the web prototypes’ users as advantageous over the traditional techniques that were initially used since web portal applications do not commit consumers to shop at any specific times or specific locations .This advantage of web application has created a quantum leap from the traditional ways of shopping. According to (Joines et al. 2003), online shopping is classified as the most convenient method for customers since all commercial websites provide online visitors with advantages of easily browsing through the available goods and servi ces, and effectively purchasing any of their products and or services at any time by just a click of the button. Equally important, online customers are provided with chat and call applications where they are able to discuss their needs with their product providers and get immediate responses at very low or no costs at all. Additionally, customers have been able to benefit profoundly by using the online transaction methods because of the products’ or services’ reduced prices. Online shoppers are therefore able to shop from any vendor who is offering the desired goods/ services around the world at very low prices. Besides purchasing, no transit charges are appended to small items (Oppenheim et al., 2006). Searching through the internet for products/ services and finding more information about them before doing purchases is always very important to avoid false buying/ purchases. Unlike for the traditional method of

Critical Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Critical Evaluation - Essay Example McCullin has always depicted the unemployed, the impoverished and the downtrodden. NGC director and CEO Marc Mayer reported to have said, "McCullins photographs belong in an art gallery because they consistently bring clarity and compositional grace to their compelling subject matter. These pictures are both hard to look at and hard not to" (Mallet para 2). However, his recent encounter of Syria has not been displayed in the gallery, as Sobey Curatorial Assistant Katherine Stauble writes, "Likely (these images) were not meant to hang on a gallery wall, but rather, to communicate information, to reveal truths and to mobilize action. Now that McCullin has escaped the battlefield and for the past twenty years has been focusing his lens on landscape and still life, one might expect the artist moniker to sit more comfortably with him" (para 5). According to McCullin, "Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures" (para 2). This is what has been the most predominant feature of McCullins photography as shown in Figure. 1. There has been embedded in his pictures "the feelings of people" rather than focusing on the other artistic values (figure 1). He, through his images, has tried to get the sympathetic feelings for the affected people. By capturing a childs picture, he is making use of emotions and feelings of people to get attention. As Susan Sontag writes in her book, Regarding the Pain of Others (2003), that sufferings and emotions sell more than any other factors (Sontag). The most effective and credible advantage of McCullins work (as shown in Figure. 2) would be his unbiased reporting. He not only showed images of the public dying and their sorrows, but he also showed the sorrows of the free Syrian army (Figure 2). "Im just a carrier pigeon that brings the message back home" (para 18), says McCullin. Thus, effectively,

Identification of Bacillus Coagulans from Agricultural Soil

Identification of Bacillus Coagulans from Agricultural Soil Introduction Soil is a common substance that is found almost everywhere in the world and is home to a diverse community of microorganisms, especially for bacteria. Bacteria are so common in soil that surface soil can be home to 108 to 109 bacterial cells per gram of dry soil (Prescott et al., 1999). This quantity of bacterium in soil, however, decreases deeper into the subsurface of the soil. There are small variations in bacterial quantity in subsurface layers, but the surface layer is always the most numerous in quantity (Weaver et al., 1994). This is because these bacteria prefer the smaller soil pores (2 to 6 ÃŽ ¼m in diameter) that are more commonly found in surface soil. This is likely a method to avoid being eaten by protozoa (Prescott et al., 1999). As small soil pores are common habitats for bacterium, and soils contain higher concentrations of CO2 and CO, with lower concentrations of O2, many of these bacteria have developed the ability to grow in microaerobic or anaerobic conditions (P rescott et al., 1999). Although bacterial quantity is plentiful in the surface layers, it is common to find relatively few bacteria of the same species. Rather, there is much variation in the species of bacterium cohabitating in these soil layers (Weaver et al., 1994). As a diversity of bacteria brings a diversity of metabolic pathways and nutrient fixation, this proves beneficial for plants and insects that live in the soil and rely upon the nutrients produced by these bacteria (Weaver et al., 1994). Through isolation, culturing, and testing of agricultural soil bacterium, this lab attempted to isolate and identify a single species of bacterium from agricultural soil. Methods A 10-2 dilution in distilled water was created using 1 g of agricultural soil. From this dilution, a TSA streak plate was made and incubated at 22Â °C for 48 hours and then chilled at 4Â °C until further analysis could be preformed (Egger 2010). From this streak plate, a single culture was chosen to be sub-cultured on a TSA streak plate and was incubated as above. This culture was also gram stained and observed under microscope. The bacterial cell dimensions were calculated and cell shape and arrangement were recorded. The bacterial subculture was then observed for colony morphology. Individual cells were then tested for starch hydrolysis, H2S reduction and motility, ammonification, nitrification, denitrification, oxygen tolerance, and for catalase production (Egger 2010). Further testing was then performed to determine optimal growth temperature, osmotic pressure, and pH. Temperature testing was done at 4, 22, 37, and 50Â °C; osmotic pressure testing done at 0, 0.5, 2, and 5% NaCl; and pH testing was done at pH 3, 5, 7, and 9 (Egger 2010). Data from tests were pooled and used to determine the possible identity of the unknown culture. Results The streak plate of dilute agricultural soil revealed a large quantity of different bacterial colonies varying in colour, shape, size, texture, and elevation. After isolation of a single bacterial culture, there was little to no variation in these characteristics. This single bacterial culture revealed a circular form with a flat elevation and a rough texture. The colour was observed to be clear to white in colour and translucent in appearance. Further observation under microscope revealed staphylobacillus approximately 40 ÃŽ ¼m in length. Gram staining and testing for starch hydrolysis, and nitrification all turned out positive, while testing for H2S reduction, motility, ammonification, and denitrification all proved negative, which is further outlined in Table 1. This bacterium was then determined to be a facultative anaerobe with an optimal temperature of 37Â °C, optimal pH of 7, and optimal osmotic pressure of 0.5% NaCl. It was also observed that there was little growth at 5% NaCl and reasonable growth at pH 5. Discussion As the bacterium isolated in this experiment was rod shaped, gram positive, and catalase producing, it is likely that this specific bacterium belongs to the genus Bacillus (Butler 1986). Determination of the specific species of Bacillus proved more difficult. As this bacterium was able to hydrolyse starch, was a facultative anaerobe, had an optimal growth temperature around 37Â °C, and an optimal pH around 7, the possibilities were narrowed to either Bacillus coagulans or Bacillus licheniformis (Butler 1986). Although B. licheniformis is common to most ground soils, there proved to be a few common factors that supported the greater plausibility of this specific bacterium to be B. coagulans. The isolated bacterium was unable to reduce nitrate to nitrite and was unable to grow significantly in a NaCl medium of 5%. As B. licheniformis is capable of reduction of nitrate to nitrite and growth in 5% NaCl medium, it is unlikely that this unknown bacterium was B. licheniformis (Butler 1986). It was also noted that the unknown bacterium was capable of growth at pH 5, which is a characteristic of B. coagulans (Butler 1986). Specifically, B. coagulans has been recorded as having an optimal pH of 6 and a minimum of 4.0-5.0 depending on specific stra ins (Butler 1986). In order to further verify that the unknown bacterium was B. coagulans, it would have been beneficial to test the bacteriums ability to hydrolyse casein and gelatine as B. coagulans cannot hydrolyse casein and gelatine while B. licheniformis can. It would also have been beneficial to further investigate growth in 7% and 10% NaCl to further verify the identity of B. coagulans if growth did not occur. Unfortunately, not all tests that were performed were useful in the identification of the specific species of the unknown bacterium. The tests were useful, however, in determining genus. As the genus Bacillus was reasonably simple to identify based on the rod shaped bacterium and catalase production, some of the tests, such as the test for H2S reduction were not as useful as others, such as the test for catalase production. If the unknown bacterium did prove to be B. coagulans, this would be an uncommon isolation as B. coagulans is not common in soil (Butler 1986). For this reason, there is little information recorded on B. coagulans ecological role in soil. It would be advised that further investigation into the ecological role of B. coagulans should be performed as, although uncommon, B. coagulans is still a soil bacterium and must therefore play an ecological role in soil. It may also be beneficial to further investigate B. coagulans as it is a common additive in medicated creams and antacids (Butler 1986). This is because of the possible pro-biotic benefits of B. coagulans in the gastrointestinal tract, although these benefit claims have been questioned as to their validity in recent years (De Vecchi and Drago 2006). There has also been a recent study that suggests that application of B. coagulans to arthritic joints may cause a decrease in pain and a reduction in disability of these joints. Althoug h, these are preliminary studies, and the function of this pain relief is unknown, there is significant reason to peruse B. coagulans as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (Mandel et al. 2010). Although the unknown bacterium is likely B. coagulans there were possible sources of error. A major source of error could have come from the gram staining process. There was a possibility that the stain was not rinsed with ethanol for long enough, which would have caused retention of the dye in the cell wall of the unknown bacterium. This would have lead to a false positive for gram staining. If this was true and the unknown bacterium was gram negative, this would indicate a possibly different genus and definitely different species. Although errors could have lead to misidentification of the unknown bacterium, based on the data collected, it is most likely that the unknown bacterium isolated was B. coagulans. There was no reason to believe that the isolated colony was contaminated with different species of bacteria, and testing lead to a conclusive identification of the unknown bacterium. From this it is reasonable to say that the objectives of this experiment were met.

The Shawshank Redemtion-Red and a Tall Drink of Water :: essays research papers

Red and a Tall Drink of Water In a darkened room two passionate lovers eagerly embrace. Outside a destraught man sits in a truck, boozing it up. The old song " If I Didn't Care " , plays from a tinny radio. The drunk man fumbles with a gun while he tries to get out of the truck. He opens the door of the truck, stumbles, drops and breaks the bottle of alcohol, and the extra bullets spill onto the ground. The next scene is in a courtoom where a lawyer is questioning a man. " I was upset. I was confused and drunk. I mostly wanted to scare them ", Andrew Dufresne tells the lawyer that was cross-examing him. " This was revenge", the lawyer shouts in his summation speech. The verdict is guilty and the sentence is two life sentences, back to back. An older black man is sitting patiently in front of his parole hearing. The five men on the panel ask him if he thinks he is rehabilitated and he answers, yes. " It's the Gods honest truth, " says Red. " I'm absolutely rehabilitated. " His friends, ask him what happened at the hearing. Red replies, " Same old shit, different day." He had been rejected and denied parole again. Outside in the exercise yard a loud siren wails. The incarcerated men all gather together to get a look at the new prisoners that have just arrived. Reds' first impression of Andy Dufresne was, " That one looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over. That tall drink of water with a silver spoon up his ass." Little did Red know, at this time, but the two men would develop a strong bond. The mutual friendship Red and Andy would cultivate, caused them both to grow an inner strength which helped them deal with prison life. The new prisoners stand linked together with chains, scared to death, in front of the Warden. He says, " I believe in two things, discipline and the Bible. Here you"ll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord, your ass belongs to me. " That was the kind of attitude Andy would have to live with from now on, and this was just the beginning. " Andy kept pretty much to himself at first...Wasn't till a month went by that he finally opened his mouth to say more than two words to somebody.

“Reading Blind” by Margaret Atwood Essay

1. In her commentary â€Å"Reading Blind,† Margaret Atwood gives her opinions on factors that make a short story good. She writes that a good story has to have a voice that moves not only across pages but also through time. Most people are first introduced to stories at a young age by the â€Å"scandalous gossips† and â€Å"family secrets† that children overhear their mothers discussing in the kitchen, or the oral tales with â€Å"talking donkeys† and â€Å"definite endings† that their grandmother recites to them. All these stories come by voice; and they influence the way each and every person expects from or brings to stories. According to Atwood, a good story has, in many ways, qualities that are similar to those that children want in the tales they are told or overhear. For a story to be successful, it needs to have elements of mystery, proper buildup, unexpected twists, and an â€Å"impeccable sense of timing.† It also has to effectively hold the attention of the readers, and gives them a sense of urgency and excitement in the narration. Toni Cade Bambara’s short story â€Å"The Lesson† is one that effectively embodies the voice that Margaret Atwood mentions in her essay. This short story is told through the voice of the main character—a girl from the ghetto named Sylvia. Sylvia’s narration of the events in this story is as raw and as true to life as any fiction can be. In â€Å"Reading Blind,† Atwood quotes from Raymond Chandler: â€Å"All language begins with speech, and the speech of common men at that.† The voice in â€Å"The Lesson† precisely portraits the speech of a black girl living in the poor urban area with sentences that lack auxiliary or conjugations, and by doing so, reveals the reality like it truly is. In order to closely picture the setting in her story, Bambara has sacrificed the proper and boring ways of the English language and stay faithful to the speech and voices of the people whose stories she depicts. Only with this unmasked honesty can Bambara create a short story that is so appealing and speaks powerfully to the readers. Intentionally or not, Bambara’s story â€Å"The Lesson† closely observes Margaret Atwood’s qualities of a good story; and therefore, it is one that captures the attention of the readers and maintains their interest until the end. 2. In her essay â€Å"Writing Short Stories,† Flannery O’Connor stresses the importance of meaning in a short story. It is, she writes, what â€Å"keeps a short story from being short.† She goes on further to explain that the meaning drawn from a story are from experiences, and by making statements about the meaning, a person can experience it even more deeply. She uses her own â€Å"Good Country People† to demonstrate this point. The plot of this story, a bible salesman stealing the wooden leg of a faithless lady who tries to seduce him, can simply be nothing more than a â€Å"low joke. † However, as the meaning of the wooden leg is explored, and the act of stealing the leg is looked into further, it is revealed that this story deals with much deeper issues. In O’Connor’s opinion, no formula, technique, or theory can really provide guidance for a story. In order to learn to write a story, a person must first write one, then â€Å"try to discover what [he has] done.† She also discusses the two qualities of fiction: the sense of mystery and the sense of manners. She stresses that manners collected from the surrounding environments can provide insights into a work of fiction, and also the importance in the depth of personality in the characters. In Eudora Welty’s short story â€Å"Why I Live at the P.O.,† the author explores the problems buried deep beneath the surface sibling rivalry of a Southern family. Both Sister—the overlooked older daughter—and Stella-Rondo—the beloved younger one—has troubled stories that prevent them from committing themselves to a â€Å"peaceful† family life. A shallow reader might summarize the plot of the story in one sentence: â€Å"A woman is angry at the return of her sister—Stella—when her family turns from her to embrace Stella and her child—Shirley T.; and after a while she leaves home and leaves at the Post Office,† making it an unsophisticated and even somewhat comical drama. However, as the readers ponders more about the meanings lying deep under each character’s actions: their argument about the nature of Shirley T.’s adoption, the competition for attention of the elderly in the family, and most important of all, the act of breaking away of Sister. When the readers have got past that initial stage of merely comprehending the story, they can start unraveling its hidden meaning and draw their own conclusion and make their own statements about these meanings. â€Å"Why I Live at the P.O.† is also a story that draws plentifully from the Southern culture of Mississippi from which the author is from. Welty utilizes her knowledge of the people and environment around her to create characters that are realistic while at the same time mystifying, and thus achieves success in her craft. 3. In his essay â€Å"Looking for Raymond Carver,† A. O. Scott makes a statement saying that â€Å"More often than not, the big talkers in Carverâ€⠄¢s stories are in possession of a degree of class privilege†¦ People who carry on as if they know what they are talking about are regarded with suspicion. Carver’s greatest sympathy is reserved for those characters who struggle to use language to make sense of things, but who founder in the attempt.† By studying Carver’s two short stories â€Å"Cathedral† and â€Å"What We Talk about When We Talk about Love,† the readers will soon come to the conclusion that this statement is very true indeed. The very first line of â€Å"What We Talk about When We Talk about Love† reads: â€Å"My friend Mel McGinnis was talking. Mel McGinnis is a cardiologist, and sometimes that gives him the right.† It is made clear that Mel is one of the people of the first group, the ones who talk and flaunt their ability to talk in front of other people. Being a cardiologist might have given Mel a position superior to his friends’, but that fact still does not justify the fact that he talks on. His wife—Terri—does not seem as enthusiastic to discuss the matter of love as he did, however. In the w hole conversation, the only idea she is insistent about is the fact that Ed—her ex-lover—loves her. The dialogues in this story are dominated by Mel, who constantly denies this information. For Mel—a character that â€Å"carries on as if he knows what he is talking about,† Carver’s approach for him has not been generous. He describes them with a filter that exposes the flaws and imperfection in their personalities. Mel has a medical degree, and also a past in the seminary. He is certain that the extent of his knowledge gives him the authority to talk; and he utilizes that power with no reluctance. He has a set of ideology of what love should be, and expects that only things that closely follow his criteria can be called love. He deems the actions of Terri’s ex- husband as not only violent and threatening, which they are, but also not love, which they can be. His prejudice on life and love makes him appear less reliable to the readers than the other characters, and therefore, he is viewed with â€Å"suspicion.† The narrator in â€Å"Cathedral,â₠¬  on the other hand, falls into the second category of characters. Even from the beginning of the story, he has always had little to say. He struggles to make a connection in communication with the blind friend of his wife, but does so unsuccessfully and with a lot of troubles. The barrier between him and the blind man is formed not only by their inability to reach each other, but also because of the superior position he has put himself above his wife’s friend. Throughout the whole story, the readers witness his efforts to be relevant to the guest and his wife as well; but he fails to do so. His attempts to communicate with the other characters fall flat, because he is too caught up in his own world. He does not want a person from the outside to come in and interrupt the life he is living, much less a man who knows his wife all too well. He is reluctant and uncertain of this visit and the effects it will have on his life; and that is what causes him in the attempt to make sense of things. The empathy that Carver reserves for the narrator in â€Å"Cathedral† can be seen throughout the whole story. Even with his cynical but ignorant outlook in life, the narrator still possesses some qualities that are admirable to the readers. This character is a man who has the typical characteristics of an alpha-male. He is protective of his wife, and becomes jealous of another man who has gotten close to her. His inability to connect with Robert—the blind man—ultimately boils down to the competition for his wife’s compassion, and even though his thinking is flawed, his desire to keep his wife evokes empathy in the readers. Any person would have felt the same jealousy towards another one who can potentially take what are theirs, and the narrator’s failure to communicate with the friend of his wife, no matter how pathetic, is understood by a universal audience and Raymond Carver himself. The narrator in â€Å"Cathedral† and Mel in â€Å"What We Talk about When We Talk about Love† are two types of characters created by Raymond Carver. Mel is a man who can talk a lot about many things, particularly love; he comes across as a man who is judgmental and closed-minded. The other one, the narrator, while having his own struggles with jealousy and compassion, portraits a more universal and understandable kind of person, and therefore reserves more empathy from the readers and the author himself. By studying these two characters, it can be concluded that A. O. Scott’s observation that â€Å"the big talkers are in possession of a degree of class privilege†¦ People who carry on as if they know what they are talking about are regarded with suspicion. Carver’s greatest empathy is reserved for those characters who struggle to use language to make sense of things, but who founder in the attempt† is a true and accurate statement. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"Reading Blind.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 1408-11. Bambara, Toni Cade. â€Å"The Lesson.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 71-6. Carver, Raymond. â€Å"Cathedral.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 168-78. Carver, Raymond. â€Å"What We Talk about When We Talk about Love.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 187-95. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"Writing Short Stories.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 1619-24. Scott, A. O. â€Å"Looking for Raymond Carver.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 1595-9. Welty, Eudora. â€Å"Why I Live at the P.O.† The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. 1317-26.

Essay about The Lottery

Essay about The Lottery Essay about The Lottery Jerry Pan Composition 2, 30232 Character/Conflict Paper 1 June 2013 Human Weakness In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson tells people follow the tradition no matter how ridiculous the tradition can be, and they can even give up their own family and friends to complete the tradition. Later on, people starts to realize the lottery is meaningless, unfair event that needs to sacrifice people and cannot even grow their corns better. We can have more understanding through characters and conflicts. Tessie Hutchinson, protagonist, brings her married daughter into this when she gets chosen by the lottery. Her personality is evil and weak. She does not care about lottery in the beginning, but when she gets chosen, she says â€Å"There is Don and Eva† (642) to change the result of she is going to be stoned. Parents usually think their children are more valuable than themselves, so they would sacrifice their own life for their children, but it does not happen on Tessie. The villagers, antagonist, starts to realize that a blood sacrifice cannot help them with growing crops better, but they still cannot get over with that completely. They still follow the tradition because an old man Warner has a saying, â€Å"Lottery in June, Corn be heavy soon,† (641) but there is no proof on that yet. We also can see villagers start to care less about this tradition from â€Å"because so much of the ritual been forgotten or discarded† (639). Also, there are some complicated rit uals for the lottery, â€Å"but years and years ago this part of the ritual had been allowed to lapse,† (639) we can know that the tradition is slowly being left behind from that text. The conflict in â€Å"The Lottery† is individual vs. Society. Tessie has nothing negative to say to the lottery before drawing; only afterward, when it is too late. She seems like he only one wants to complain about how stupid and pointless this lottery is, but whole villagers still want to stone her. Even â€Å"someone

The eNotes Blog How to Write A Summary in 9 SimpleSteps

How to Write A Summary in 9 SimpleSteps There comes a point in a student’s academic career where shell have to write a summary. Knowing how to write a summary is one of the most beneficial skills that demonstrates reading comprehension and writing ability. Writing a good summary indicates that you clearly understand a text and that you can effectively communicate that understanding to your audience. A summary can be tricky to write at first because it’s tempting to include specific details. But by following our easy 9-step method, you will be able to summarize texts quickly and successfully for any class or subject. 1. Read The first step to a well-written summary is to read the original piece of work. Focus on reading the original text without taking any notes. The goal is to become familiar with the main idea of the piece while gaining insight into the author’s specific style and voice. 2. Gather the Main Idea Once you’ve finished reading the original piece, take time to reflect on what you’ve read. Think about the important points of the text and how the author constructed the sequence of events. Determine the Five Ws (who, what, where, when, why) of the story to help illuminate the essential elements of the text. 3. Reread while Taking Notes Rereading means active reading. Read the story again, this time marking the important points you’ll want to include in your summary. Underline topic sentences and significant plot points, highlight essential quotes, and number the major events as they occur. Also, note the areas you do not understand. 4. Organize your Notes Once you’ve actively reread the text, take a couple of minutes to organize the information you’ve collected. Depending on your learning style, find a way to organize your notes that will make them a reliable reference when you start writing. Go back and elaborate on the key points you noted and clarify any information that was difficult to understand. 5. Create a thesis statement The key to a good summary is a developed thesis statement. The purpose of including a thesis statement in a book summary is to correctly identify the author’s argument or main idea of the text. When writing a summary, you want to recast the author’s argument, without including a personal opinion. 6. Draft a Short Paragraph As you start to write the summary, keep the following in mind: Write in present tense Include the author and title of the work Be concise- a summary should not be equal in length to the original text Cite direct quotes if you use them. Don’t put your own opinions, ideas, or interpretations into the summary. The purpose of writing a summary is to accurately represent what the author wanted to say, not to provide a critique. Be sure to include some transition words (then, however, also, moreover) to help with the overall structure and flow of the summary. 7. Check for accuracy Once you’ve completed your draft, reread your summary to make sure you’ve accurately represented the author’s main ideas and you’ve correctly cited any direct quotes. Ensure the text does not contain any personal commentary and is written in present tense. 8. Revise After you’ve checked for accuracy, you should (as with any piece of writing) revise it for style, grammar, and punctuation. Once you’ve reviewed it yourself, try to find someone else willing to look it over, because another set of eyes may catch something you missed. Plus, if they can understand the original text based on your summary alone, it’s a good indicator that you’ve written a good summary. 9. Review After making revisions to your summary, give your writing a final review. Go through the checklist below to make sure your summary encompasses all of the necessary parts. Included title and author in the introduction Used present tense language Included a thesis statement Cited all direct textual references Avoided the first-person language For a more in-depth review on how to write a summary and to see an example summary, visit   How-To Series.

WEstern Civilization prior to 1660 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WEstern Civilization prior to 1660 - Essay Example By the end of the Greek period, many significant achievements had been made in science and philosophy. Greek thinkers had gained a view of a universe in which the world was round and participated in an intricate dance through the heavens with other bodies named after the gods they revered. Sophistication in mathematics led to the development of geometry which enabled the ancient Greeks to discover even more, including how to determine direction while at sea and scientists were beginning to investigate the elements of earth, air, fire and water (Williams, 1999). Engineers were beginning to understand the physics of the earth’s natural processes and put them to effective use while others were learning more about anatomy and medicine to better heal their sick or, more probably, wounded. However, much of this came to an end when the Greeks were finally defeated by the Romans, who did what they could to remove Greek influence from their provinces. The Greek dependence upon the elephant might have been a simple fluke in history. While they proved to be effective for some time against the Romans, who were unfamiliar with the animal, once the elephants’ weaknesses were exposed, the Romans stopped losing the battles. In one of the first battles in which the Romans immediately drew up into their well-ordered formations so perfect for other forms of warfare, Born (1928) reports how â€Å"the maniples in front were thrown into utter confusion by the crushing weight of the animals: knocked down and trampled upon by them, they perished in heaps upon the field †¦ Most of the Romans were trampled to death by the elephants; the rest were shot down in their ranks by the numerous cavalry† (566). The elephants were used for more than just fighting. For instance, Glover (1948) illustrates how Pyrrhus used elephants extensively in campaigns through his life, introducing the animal to Italy in 280 BC. That they could be quit e effective

Digital communication schemes + AWGN channel Research Paper

Digital communication schemes + AWGN channel - Research Paper Example In digital modulation, an analog transporter signal is adjusted with a digital information flow. Digital modulation techniques can be enumerated as digital-to-analog conversion, and the corresponding demodulation or detection as analog-to-digital conversion. The most essential digital modulation schemes are found on keying, that are PSK, FSK, ASK and QAM. In the subject of PSK; acronym of phase-shift keying, a finite number of phases are used. In the matter of FSK; short form of frequency-shift keying; a finite number of frequencies are used. In the topic of ASK; abbreviation of amplitude-shift keying, a finite number of amplitudes are used. In the area of QAM; meaning Quadrature amplitude modulation; a finite number of at least two phases and at least two amplitudes are used. An instrument that executes modulation is recognized as a modulator and an appliance that executes the converse process of modulation is identified as a demodulator, at times it is also called as detector. An e lectronic tool that can do both processes is a modem; ‘mod’ means modulator and ‘dem’ means demodulator. 1. Quadrature Phase Shift Key Modulation (QPSK) Phase-shift keying is a digital modulation method that transmits information by altering the phase of an oriented signal called as the carrier wave. QPSK is recognized in different notations as quaternary PSK also as quadriphase PSK or 4-PSK. QPSK utilizes four spots on the assemblage figure, at equal arc interval around a circle. With quadrangle points, QPSK can program twice bits per symbol, as revealed in the figure with gray convention to lessen the bit inaccuracy or error rate also known as BER. The numerical investigation demonstrates that QPSK can be utilized also to make twice the information flow rate evaluated with a Binary phase-shift keying (BPSK scheme, a type of PSK) while preserving the identical bandwidth of the pulses. In other words it can be said that QPSK, in order to keep up with the in formation flow rate of BPSK, reduces half the bandwidth requirement as in the case of BPSK. In this issue of QPSK, the BER (bit inaccuracy rate) of QPSK is precisely alike as the BER of BPSK modulation scheme. The numeric execution of QPSK is further wide-ranging as compare to BPSK and also specifies the execution of advanced order PSK. In scripting the mathematical code in the group drawing in language of the sine and cosine waves utilized to broadcast them is as under: The above equation will convey the quadrangle points, as it is desirable in QPSK, the phases will be at one forth ‘?’ at corresponding value of n = 1, three by forth ‘?’ at corresponding value of n = 2, five by forth ‘?’ at corresponding value of n = 3, and seven by forth ‘?’ at corresponding value of n = 4. Where ‘fc’ is the carrier frequency and ‘n’ is the phase value. 2. Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) Quadrature amplitude modulat ion abbreviated as QAM is mutually an analog plus a digital modulation method. It communicates two analog communication pulses, or in an analogous approach two digital bits flow. QAM does so by altering the amplitudes of two transporter