Kate Chopin's short story The Storm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kate Chopin's short story The Storm - Essay Example Like Calixta, women had to suppress their sexual desires and conform to societal marriage norms. Chopin symbolically uses the storm to mean the meteorological condition of the atmosphere with strong winds and rain, thunder and lightning, and dusty wind. This parallels with a literary storm evident in passionate and intense emotion between two past lovers, who coincidentally, reunite during an intense meteological storm (131). For Calixta and Alcee, their reunion evidently brought sustenancial satisfaction evident in â€Å"The generous abundance of her passion†¦ found response in the depths of his sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.† (133) indicates that the two turned to each other to fulfill their sexual wants and needs. Both literary and emotionally, the story focus around the storm’s primary motif. Initially, Calixta is unaware of the upcoming storm and continues sewing despite the atmosphere growing darker and warmer (130). However, her journey to collect clothes outside bumps her to Alceem Secondly, the storm truly begins with â€Å"big rain drops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  falling at the same time Alcee rids into Calixta’s compound to shelter from the rain (131). Finding Calixta alone, Alcee keeps her company, but uncontrollably reminded of previous romance. Thirdly, the storm intensifies outside as sheets of water beating upon boards and the lightning striking a tree. Alcee and Calixta find themselves holding each other as she tries to avoid the crashing lightning (132). Like the storm, they yield to their desire for pleasure, and their overwhelming feelings made it possible to ignore the torrents outside, as if a wall isolated them from reality. This compared to the storm obscuring distance cabins and the distant wood. Fourthly, the storm subsides and passes, leaving soft rain drops. Calixta remains in Alcee’s arms both are happy for overcoming

Oral Communication in Business Essay Example for Free

Oral Communication in Business Essay Business communication is done through various avenues including the written word (via Email, letters and reports), the face to face meeting and telephone conversations. It is particularly important when using speech to communicate with others, whether client or employee, that what you say is what you mean, both in tone of voice and words chosen. The most obvious reason to use the spoken word is to give information to another. How effectively this is done depends on imparting pertinent key points to the listener and giving him or her a clear idea of what the expected result should be. The client wants to know the status of his order and the employee wants to know the deadline to fill it. Oral communication can also be used to persuade or motive others to accomplish a specific task. By showing confidence through your tone of voice and using open-ended statements and questions, your listener is exhorted to action. This is particularly effective when speaking with employees regarding a change in the organization. Make sure they are aware of the benefits and ask them to relate how this will help them in their jobs. The way oral communication is approached can mean the difference between boring your listener to tears or actively engaging their thought processes. Failure to communicate well can be seen as inability to communicate well (Gabbin, 1996). Keeping your listeners entertained is one way to keep them listening. You do not have to memorize a joke of the day, but simply avoid droning on about numbers or statistics or other â€Å"dry† subjects. A company that holds annual employee rallies to boost morale should incorporate both the entertainment and motivation aspects of speech. Reviewing the company’s fiscal state of affairs and thanking employees for their contribution while causing them to think of further ways to improve the future bottom line would create an atmosphere of trust and good will. Motivate, entertain, and leave them looking forward to the next rally!

The Christian Explanation of Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot :: Waiting for Godot Essays

The Christian Explanation of Waiting for Godot    "The human predicament described in Beckett's first play is that of man living on the Saturday after the Friday of the crucifixion, and not really knowing if all hope is dead or if the next day will bring the life which has been promised."  Ã‚   --William R. Mueller  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the five decades since Waiting for Godot's publication, many of the countless attempts to explain the play have relied on some variation of this religious motif proposed by William Mueller. Though Beckett's open text invites the reader to hunt for an interpretation, statements as decisive as this one overstep the search and leave little room for any other possibility. His idea has a compelling textual basis, but its finality violates the spirit of the play. Kenneth Tynan suggests that "Beckett's Waiting for Godot is a dramatic vacuum...It has no plot, no climax, no denouement; no beginning, no middle, and no end." Such an idea forces any analyst of this enigmatic masterpiece to tread lightly and makes definite criticism nearly impossible. Before examining an explanation as conclusive as Mueller's we must acknowledge that we cannot hope to determine "the meaning" of this play. Neither the text nor its author makes a claim to any intrinsic meaning, yet a new meaning is born each tim e a reader or viewer partakes of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚   With such cautions in mind, we can now approach Mueller's religious hypothesis with a safe detachment. The first utterance of Godot phonetically brings God to mind, and evidence throughout the play assures the reader that this path is a valid one to follow. On the most mundane level, Vladimir supports Mueller's premise with his guess at the timeframe of the play: "He said it was Saturday. I think"(10). We discover, however, that even this statement hides beneath the uncertainty as Estragon challenges, "But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? Is it not rather Sunday? Or Monday? Or Friday?" (11). His questioning reasserts that this work defies explanation and reminds us that we are following only one possible solution to an unsolvable problem.      Ã‚  Ã‚   If we read this drama with the intention of fitting Mueller's theory to the play (or perhaps the play to his theory), a vast number of previously unnoticed interpretive opportunities arise. Though the nondescript tree can be universally symbolic, when viewed from a religious standpoint it conjures an image of Christ's cross.

The Works of Phillis Wheatley Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

The Works of Phillis Wheatley Biography: Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa around 1753. Sometime after her birth, she was brought to America and purchased by John Wheatley in 1761. He turned Phillis over to his wife, Susanna, to work as a personal maid. After realizing Phillis’ intellect, the Wheatley family encouraged Phillis to study the Bible and read English and Latin literature, history and geography. Wheatley’s first poem was published in a Rhode Island newspaper in 1767. Poems on Various Subjects consisted of thirty-eight poems written by Wheatley, and it could be found in London in 1773. Wheatley died on December 5, 1784.* Discussion of Wheatley’s Work: The poetry of Phillis Wheatley should be considered very controversial and powerful. The content of Wheatley’s poetry contains the muscle needed to strike controversy and power, but it also must be understood within the context of history. Wheatley was a black slave writing very methodic poetry in America during a time when African-Americans were considered to be less than animals. Reading and writing was not an option given to an overwhelming majority of slaves. Wheatley was able to do both with ease, and her white masters encouraged her to do so. The fact that Wheatley’s poetry was read in her time is another impressive factor. She was black and a female, yet she received a decent amount of readership. In addition, she was respected for her art. However, the controversy and power existed not only within the time period Wheatley lived in, but they also existed within the content of her poetry. "On Being Brought from Africa to America" praised the salvation that Wheatley received by coming to America and being exposed to Christianity. She also ... ... Wheatley stands as a pioneering figure of African-American poetry (Gates xi). Wheatley has provided tremendous inspiration for African-American literature. Zora Neale Hurston, Lorraine Hansberry and Toni Morrison are among the many writers that Wheatley has influenced, and she will continue to influence many more considering her works are still published and read worldwide. Works Cited Gates, Henry Louis Jr. Foreword. The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. Ed. John C. Shields. New York: Oxford UP, 1988. xi. Gates, Henry Louis Jr., and Nellie Y. McKay, eds. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. 164-167. Wheatley, Phillis. "On Being Brought from Africa to America", "Atheism" and "An Address to the Deist." The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. Ed. John C. Shields. New York: Oxford UP, 1988. 18, 130, 131.

Homo Neanderthalensis – the Neanderthals

Since their discovery more than a century ago, the Neanderthals have hovered over the minds and have baffled the best-laid theories of paleoanthropologists. They seem to fit in the general scheme of human evolution, and yet they’re misfits. (Jurmain, Kilgore, Trevathan and Ciochon. p. 367) In a way they are like us the modern Homo sapiens but yet are a very different species. But the real question that needs to be answered is â€Å"why the Neanderthals were considered a different species than the Homo sapiens and what made them go extinct? † The first Neanderthal remains were discovered in the year of 1856 in Germany. This discovery of a skullcap and partial skeleton in a cave in the Neander Valley (near Dusseldorf) was the first recognized fossil human form (Smithsonian 2007b). This was the first time Neanderthal fossils were discovered, as skulls were unearthed in Engis, Belgium in 1829 and Forbes’ Quarry, Gibraltar in 1848. However; these earlier discoveries were not known as belonging to archaic forms. The type of specimen, named Neanderthal 1, consisted of a skull cap, two femora, three bones from the right arm, two from the left arm, part of the left ilium, fragments of a scapula, and ribs. When this skeleton was recovered the workers thought the bones belonged to a bear. The workers then gave the material to an amateur naturalist Johann Karl Fuhlrott, who then in turn gave the fossils to anatomist Hermann Schaffhausen. The discovery was jointly announced in 1857. In 1864, a new species was known as: Homo Neanderthalensis. These, and later, discoveries led to the idea that these remains were from the ancient Europeans who played an important role in modern human origins. The bones of over four hundred Neanderthals have been found since. The most controversial one was excavated in 1908 at La Chalpelle-aux-Saints in southeast France. This was a nearly complete skeleton of a man who would have been elderly by the Neanderthals standards. The bones were analyzed between 1911 and 1913 by the well known French paleontologist, Marcellin Boule. But unfortunately his prejudices got in the way of scientific objectivity. He described the La Chapelle- aux-Saints man, and subsequently all Neanderthals, as dull- witted, brutish and ape-like creatures who walked hunched over with a shuffling gait. Today scientists think he misjudged the Neanderthal posture because the adult male that was discovered had osteoarthritis of the spine. Also, and probably more important, Boule and his contemporaries found it difficult to fully accept that the Neanderthals would have been the ancestor of modern humans. The skull of this male, which was 40 years old when he died, is very large with a cranial capacity of 1,620cm. Typical of western European classic forms, the vault was low and long; the brow ridges are immense, with the typical Neanderthal arched shape; the forehead was low and retreating; and the face was long and projecting. The La Chapelle skeleton wasn’t a typical Neanderthal, but and unusually robust male. Who â€Å"evidently represented an extreme in the Neanderthal range of variation† (Brace et al. , 1979, p. 117). The term â€Å"Neanderthal Man† was named by an Irish anatomist William King. He named them after the Neander River Valley. Classic Neanderthal fossils have been found over a large area, from northern Germany, to Israel to Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy, and from England in the west to Uzbekistan in the east. The first proto- Neanderthal traits appeared in Europe as early as 350,000 years ago. (Bischoff et al. 003). By 130,000 years ago, full blown Neanderthal characteristics were present. Neanderthals became extinct in Europe approximately 30,000 years ago. There is recently discovered fossil and stone-tool evidence that suggests Neanderthals may have still been in existence 24,000 years ago, at which time they disappeared from the fossil record and were replaced in Europe by modern Homo sapiens. (Rincon 2006, Mcilroy 2006, Klein 2003, Smithsonian 2007b, 2007b, 2007c). The classic Neanderthal cranium was large, long, low and budging at the sides. Viewed from the side, the occipital bone is somewhat bun-shaped. The forehead rises more vertically than that of a H. Erectus, and the brow ridges arch over the orbits instead of forming a straight bar. The Neanderthals were robust, barrel-chested, powerfully muscled. They also had a large, thick skull, a sloping forehead, and a chinless jaw. This robust skeletal structure, in fact, dominates hominin evolution from H. Erectus through all premodern forms. (Jurmain, Kilgore, Trevathan and Ciochon. p. 370). Neanderthals had a compact body of short stature. Males averaged 1. 7 m (5ft 5in) tall and an estimate to weigh 84kg (185lb), and females averaged 1. m (5ft) tall and an estimate 80kg (176lb). (Smithsonian 2007c). Neanderthals also differed from modern Homo Sapiens in that they had a low forehead, double arched brow ridge, larger nasal area, projecting cheek region, weak chin, obvious space behind the third molar, heavily-built bones, broad scapula, short lower leg and arm bones relative to the upper portions, occasional bowing of the limb bones, the hip rotated outward, a long and thin pubic bone, and large joint surfaces of the toes and long bones. (Smithsonian 2007c). Neanderthals had noses that were broad and very large. They had limb bones that were thick and had large joints which indicate they had strongly muscled arms and legs. The shin bones and forearms tended to be shorter than those of modern humans. The pelvis was wider from side to side than in modern humans and this may have slightly affected their posture. One striking feature of Neanderthals was the brain size, which in these hominins actually was larger than that of H. sapiens today. The average for contemporary H. sapiens is between 1,300 and 1,400 cm, while for Neanderthals it was 1,520cm. The large size may have been linked with the metabolic efficiency of a larger brain in cold weather. Neanderthals mostly lived in cold climates, and their body proportions are similar to those of modern cold-adapted people for example the Eskimo people. The Eskimo people also live in very cold areas, and have a larger average brain size than most other modern human populations. Neanderthals develop quite differently in their childhood than the Homo sapiens. Neanderthal children may have grown faster than modern human children. Where as modern Homo sapiens have the slowest body growth of any mammal during childhood with lack of growth during this period being made up later in an adolescent growth spurt. The possibility that Neanderthal childhood growth was different was first raised in 1928 by the excavators of the Mousterian rock-shelter of a Neanderthal juvenile. Arthur Keith in 1931 wrote, â€Å"Apparently Neanderthal children assumed the appearances of maturity at an earlier age than modern children. †(Keith, Arthur p. 346) The rate of body maturation can be inferred by comparing the maturity of a juvenile’s fossil remains and the estimated age of death. Evidence shows that Neanderthals had a complex culture although they did not behave in the same ways as the early modern humans who lived at the same time. Scholars debate the degree of symbolic behavior shown by Neanderthals as finds of art and adornment are rare, particularly when compared to their modern human contemporaries who were creating significant amounts of cave paintings, portable art and jewelry. Some researchers believe that the Neanderthals lacked cognitive skills to create art and symbols and, in fact copied from or traded with modern humans rather than create their own artifacts. The Neanderthals had a reasonably advanced toolkit classified as Mode 3 technology that was used by early members of our own species, Homo sapiens. This was also known as the Mousterian, named after the site of Le Mousteir. Near the end of the time of the Neanderthals, they began to utilize the Chatelperronian tool style similar to the blade tools of Homo sapiens. . The tools of the Homo sapiens differed from that of the Neanderthals. The tools of the Homo sapiens were much more detailed as they were made out of ivory, bones antlers, and wood. There is little evidence that Neanderthals used antlers, shell, or other bone materials to make tools; their bone industry was relatively simple. However, there is good evidence that they routinely constructed a variety of stone implements. The Neanderthal (Mousterian) toolkits consisted of sophisticated stone-flakes, task-specific hand axes, and spears. Many of these tools were very sharp. Neanderthals trimmed a flint nodule around the edges to form a disk-shaped core. Each time they struck the edge, they produced a flake, and they kept at it until the core became too small and was discarded. There is also good evidence that they used a lot of wood, although such artifacts would likely not have been preserved (Henig 2000). Chatelperronian is one of the most advanced tool style than that of the Mousterian. This occurred at about the same time as modern humans entered Europe. Many archeologists think that the Neanderthals were attempting to copy the types of tools that they observed modern humans making. Alternatively, it is possible that they may have obtained these tools by trading with the modern humans. While Neanderthals had weapons, no projectile weapons have been found. They had spears, in the sense of a long wooden shaft with a spearhead firmly attached to it, but these were not spears specifically crafted for flight. The Neanderthals used their hunting weapons for hunting prey in close proximity and usually hunted in their localized areas. Because Neanderthals had no long-distance weaponry and were mostly limited to thrusting spears, they many have been more prone to serious injury-a hypothesis supported by paleoanthropologists Thomas Berger and Erik Trinkaus (Jurmain, Kilgore, Trevathan and Ciochon, p. 376). Where as the modern Homo sapiens made use of spear-thrower and bow and arrow. With these weapons the Homo sapiens had a wider range of social contacts, perhaps permitting larger, more organized hunting parities. The Neanderthals built hearths and were able to control fire for warmth, cooking and protection. They were known to wear animal hides, especially in cooler areas. However, there is no physical evidence that Neanderthal clothing was sewed together, and it may have simply been wrapped around the body and tied. A very intriguing find was excavated a hollowed-out bear femur that contained holes that may have been deliberately bored into it. This bone was found in western Slovenia in 1995, near the Mousterian fireplace, but its significance is still a matter of dispute. Some paleoanthropologists think that it might have been a flute, while others have expressed that it is a natural bone modified by bears. Another way in which Neanderthals differed markedly from contemporary modern Homo Sapiens, Homo sapiens employed a much wider range of materials from across Europe- such as seashells from Atlantic and mammoth ivory from southern Germany. Neanderthals, by contrast, probably stayed mostly around their caves and campsites. So they did not trade like the modern Homo sapiens. They probably transported their stone materials from short distances- just a few kilometers away. This suggests that Neanderthals activity was localized and territorial. Although much has been hyped about the Neanderthal’s burial of their dead, their burials were less elaborate than those of anatomically modern humans. The interpretation of the Shanidar IV burials as including flowers, and therefore being a form of ritual burial (Solecki 1975), has been questioned (Sommer 1999). On the other hand, five of the six flower pollens found with fossil Shanidar IV are known to have had traditional medical uses, even among relatively contemporary populations. In some cases Neanderthal burials have been found with grave goods, such as bison and auroch bones, tools, and the pigment ochre. On the other hand burial of Modern Homo sapiens were more much more complex, and frequently included both tools and remains of animals (Jurmain, Kilgore, Trevathan and Ciochon, p. 378) Neanderthals occupied a range of environments across Europe and the Middle East and lived through a period of changing climatic conditions. Ice Age in Europe was interspersed with warmer periods but by 110,000 years ago average temperatures were on the decline and full glacial conditions had appeared by 40,000 years ago. There is evidence that the Neanderthals hunted big game and chemical analysis of their fossils shows that they ate significant amounts of meat supplemented with vegetation. Despite this mixed diet, nearly half of the Neanderthals skeletons studied show the effects of a diet deficient in nutrients. Researchers have long debated whether Neanderthals also included human meat in their diets. It is not always easy to determine whether the cut marks on human bones are due to cannibalism, or some other practice or even animal teeth. But in recent years new evidence has emerged that suggests that some Neanderthals may indeed have been cannibals on occasions. The cave of El Sidron in Spain yielded hundreds of Neanderthals bones with cut marks, deliberate breaks for marrow extraction, and other signs that the bodies had been butchered for flesh in the same way as animals. There is Neurological evidence for potential speech in Neanderthalensis existed in the form of the hypoglossal canal, which is a bony canal in the occipital bone of the skull. The canal of Neanderthals is the same size or larger than in modern humans, which is significantly larger than the canal of Australopithecines and modern Chimpanzees. The canal carries the hypoglossal nerve, which supplies the muscles of the tongue with motor coordination. Researchers indicate that this evidence suggests that Neanderthalensis had vocal capabilities similar to, or possibly exceeding that of, modern humans (Kay et al. 1998). However, a research team from the University of California, Berkeley, led by David DeGusta, suggests that the size of the hypoglossal canal is not an indicator of speech. His team’s research, which shows no correlation between canal size and speech potential, shows there are number of living non-human primates and fossilized australopithecines that have equal or larger hypoglossal canal. In 1997, geneticists were able to extract a short sequence of DNA from Neanderthal bones from 30,000 years ago. In July 2006, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and 454 Life Sciences announced that they would sequence the Neanderthal genome over the next two years. At roughly 3. billion base pairs, Neanderthal genome is about the size of the modern human genome. According to the preliminary sequences, 99. 7% of the base pairs of the modern human and Neanderthal genomes are identical, compared to humans sharing around 98. 8% of the base pairs with the chimpanzee. The researchers recovered ancient DNA of Neanderthals by extracting the DNA from the femur bone of a 38,000 year old male Neanderthal specimen from Vindija Cave, Croatia and other bones found in Spain, Russia, and Germany. Additionally, in 2010, the announcement of the discovery and analysis of Mitochondrial DNA from the Denisova hominin in Siberia revealed that this specimen differs from that of modern humans by 385 bases in the mtDNA strand out of approximately 16,500, whereas the difference between the modern humans and Neanderthals is around 202 bases. Groundbreaking analysis of the Neanderthal genome published in 2010 shows that modern humans and Neanderthals did interbreed, although on a very limited scale. Researchers compared the genomes of five modern humans with the Neanderthal, discovering that Europeans and Asians share about 1-4% of their DNA with Neanderthals and Africans none. This suggests that modern humans bred with Neanderthals after moderns left Africa but before they spread to Asia and Europe. The most likely location is the Levant, where both species co-existed for thousands of years at various times between 20-90,000 years ago. Interestingly, the data doesn’t support wide-scale interbreeding between the species in Europe, where it would have been most likely given their close proximity. Neanderthals persisted for hundreds of thousands of years in extremely harsh conditions. They shard Europe for 10,000 years with the Homo sapiens. Today they no longer exist. There are two main theories of why they have disappeared. The first theory says the Neanderthals interbred with Homo sapiens on a relatively large scale. Followers of this theory believe that although Neanderthals as organisms no longer exist their genes were present in early modern Europeans and may still exist today. Interbreeding diluted Neanderthal DNA because there were significantly more Homo sapiens. Neanderthals were a sub-species of Homo sapiens rather than a separate species and hence their scientific name is Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. There is quite a bit of evidence that supports this theory. There are features of Neanderthals in some Cro-Magnon (Homo sapiens) populations. For instance the discoverers of the 24,000-year-old skeleton of a modern human boy from Lagar Velho in Portugal argue that although the pelvis and facial morphology are sapiens-like, the robusticity and limb proportions are more Neanderthal-like. As the age of the skeleton is later than the time of the last known Neanderthal, these features must represent significant interbreeding and transmission of DNA between modern humans and Neanderthals. Cro-Magnon remains from Vogelherd in Germany and Mladec in the Czech Republic also exhibit a Neanderthal-like projection of the occipital bun at the back of the skull, more so than in later Homo sapiens. Various reasons have been proposed for the ‘replacement’ of Neanderthals by modern humans. Today, most theories accept that Neanderthals displayed advanced behaviors and adaptive strategies and were not sluggish brutes that stood no chance against the vastly superior Homo sapiens. Neanderthal reproductive success and survival rates appeared poor compared to Homo sapiens. Most Neanderthal remains were of individuals rarely over 30 years old and over half were children. Slightly better rates of reproductive success and childhood survival over 10,000 years could be all it took for Homo sapiens to replace Neanderthals. Neanderthals may have also lacked the adaptive nature of modern humans who had complex social networks across wide areas. Smaller populations of Neanderthals that tended to stay in limited areas may have made them vulnerable to local extinctions. The survival techniques of Neanderthals were not as developed as Homo sapiens. For instance, studies on stress and build-up of tissue in Neanderthal bones indicate they may have lacked systematic and directional planning in procuring food. This Neanderthal predominance of ‘brawn over brain’ may also be reflected in the number of skeletal injuries seen in both sexes, probably from close range hunting. Other studies show that 40% of Neanderthal remains have hypoplasia, a condition caused by lack of nutrients in early childhood. This is supported by tests on Neanderthal bone collagen which indicate that meat was very significant in Neanderthal diets to the point that they may be lacking the nutrients from other sources used by Homo sapiens, especially fresh water products and vegetable matter. Researchers also believe climate could have played a major role in Neanderthal’s extinction. New data on the glacial period that occurred from about 65,000 to 25,000 years ago (known as OIS-3) shows that it was a period of rapid, severe and abrupt climate changes with profound environmental impacts. Although Neanderthals were physically adapted to the cold, the severe changes in conditions (within individuals' lifetimes in many cases) allowed no time for populations to recover. I believe doing this research on Neanderthals has taught me a lot more than I knew. I was fascinated by the anatomical differences and similarities between the Homo sapiens and the Neanderthals. I got to learn a lot about their lifestyles, their cultures and how the Neanderthals became extinct. I was surprised to know that some Neanderthals showed evidence of cannibalism. Now having done the research on the Neanderthal, if I was asked to answer my own research question I would be able to answer it. Neanderthals were different from the Homo sapiens for various reasons. They were anatomically different than the Homo sapiens. The Neanderthals were strong and robust while the Homo sapiens today are not as robust and barrel-chested as the Neanderthals. Also the brains of the Neanderthals were larger than the Homo sapiens today. Also I found the extinction theories of the Neanderthals very interesting. I agree with the climate theory. It was mentioned as evidence that the weather was so abrupt and severe it might have affected the Neanderthals negatively leading them to go extinct. Overall this research project made me become aware of all our previous human ancestors.

buy custom Buy Custom SUCCESSFUL STRESS MANAGEMENT Essay Sample

buy custom Buy Custom SUCCESSFUL STRESS MANAGEMENT Essay Sample Successful Stress Management Today, stress management is highly important, especially in business administration field. Every professional activity is followed by situations that cause stress. The vast majority of people cannot function normally while being stressed, because it may affect their coordination, ability to think clearly, common psychological condition, etc. Therefore, proper stress management is the key for success in business and career in general. Since there are many ways of managing stress, every person should find the one that will fit him/her the best. Successful stress management can be achieved with the help of relaxing music, sports, professional psychologist, etc. However, every person can find out his or her unique method to manage stress. One of the best ways to cope with stress in business administration is to memorize the phrase This problem is not the worst thing that could happen to me. Thus, loosing a very good client or spoiling an important official document is not as serious as a death of a close relative or getting an injury that leads to physical disability for the rest of life. Obviously, this phrase does not imply that every problem in business is insignificant and does not require to be solved immediately. This should only help to stay reasonable in mind and actions, which is vital for problem solving. In fact, every professional must be able to evaluate the seriousness of any problem in business thinking in a wider way and considering all aspects, which are both in and outside the problem; this can be done only by the people who do not respond to stress. The idea of the abovementioned way of managing stress is not only the tool for not becoming stressed but also for solving the problem in the best and the fastest way possible, which cannot be done by a person under stress. Therefore, people who had found the method of successful stress management are usually the best workers, because they are the most reliable in difficult situations and are valued by the authorities.

Berkshire Partners Bidding For Carter Essays

Berkshire Partners Bidding For Carter Essays Berkshire Partners Bidding For Carter Paper Berkshire Partners Bidding For Carter Paper Berkshire Partners, which h had extensive experience investing in the retail and manufacturing sectors, was initial ally drawn to o Carters because of the strong brand name night of the senior the co many had developed during d its 136 -year history y, as well ass for the street man augment team m. (See Exhibit 1 for a profile of Berkshire. ) TO o investigate the t option off a potential LOBO, Berkshire assembled d a five-member beer team, to b be led by managing directors Ross Joy ones and Bra Adele Bloom and senior associate Mice hall Occasion. (See Exhibit bit 2 for biographical sketches. The tea am would have eve less than eight weeks to o move thro ugh all the stages of a Goldman Cashled auction -?from initial research and due diligence to valuation and bid strategy. In addition to running the auction and thereby serve ins as Carters agent, Go Olden Caches (GAS) would d be offering g staple-on financing. Under this arrangement, the he winning b bidder would d have the pop option to final once the deal the wrought a prep packaged capital structure proposed by Goldman Cash. L Carters ca arties was of mounded in 18 865 in Amended, Massage hugest. Over the course o of 136 years in the highly y competitive apparel industry, the company became the largest branded d manufacturer Of toddler and baby apparel in thee United Estates and also a leading make Kerr of young ACH Aldens clothing. Divide ding its mark et into five segments-?Ia eyeteeth (i. E. , n newborn), baby sleepwear, baby play wear, young g childrens sleepwear, ND young childrens play. N. wear-?the com many sough HTH to outfit children for the first six yea ears of life, fro mom birth to buy In the early 199 ass, the company found itself struggling g. Owned at the time by in insurance com many Mute al Benefit Life and Wesley y Capital Corp.. , Carters h had developed unprofitable blew product line ones in swimwear and UN underwear, and d many of its more decorative features (zippers, cue UT bows, etc. ) were not well w received by b consumers. In 1 992, thee company installed a new w management NT team led by y CEO Frederick J. Row an, with the intention of steering it back to its core niche off soft, comfortable 1 Moor gang Stanley had recently made a similar offering to the eventual b buyer of Dresser Equipment Grog pup-?underwriting SSL . Billion in debt financing after leading the he auction. While staple-on financing was not a typical practice, , it was becoming nag more common professor or Malcolm Baker and a Research Associate James Quinn, Global Research G Group, prepared this case. HOBS cases rare developed solely as the basis Orr class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, e so urges of primary dat a, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright get 0 2005, 2008, 2011 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To rod deer copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1800-5457685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston n, MA 02163, or go to H hobs. Harvard. Due. No part of this pub publication m or by any mean may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a SP broadsheet, or transmitted in any form ins-?electronic, mechanical, hotfoot opining, recording or o otherwise-?with hoot the permission n of Harvard Busing news School. This document is authorized for use only by Skylark Fang ([emailprotected] Com). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact [emailprotected] Org or 800-988-0886 for additional copies. 205-058 Berkshire Partners: Bidding for Carters clothing. 2 Rowan arrived with 39 years of experience in the industry, most recently running the Bassett-Walker and Lee Jeans division of IF Corporation. Many members of his executive team were also former managers with IF Corporation. With a strategy of simplifying Carters products, Rowan and his team returned to producing what they called high-volume, basic apparel. Product design remained relatively consistent from year to year: About two-thirds of the apparel was carried forward from season to season with the same fabric and construction, varying Only through color and artistic layout. Rowan and his team also focused on improving the capabilities of their supply chain while exploring offshore sourcing options. Throughout the compass history, it had relied on domestic manufacturing to produce its clothing. Bu t amidst an increasingly global environment in which more and more U. S. Impasses were outsourcing production abroad, Rowan sought cost improvements and manufacturing flexibility through manufacturing abroad. In 1 992, Carters closed two of its domestic sewing plants and made plans to close six additional sewing plants and its main textile mill. Central America and Mexico soon became the companys first international production sites. By 1996, with operating and financial performance beginning to turn around, Carters was acquired in a leveraged buyout by Investor S. A. , the Bahrain-based firm est. known for its investments in Gucci Group, Asks Inc. And Tiffany Co. Investor (see Exhibit 3 for profile) paid approximately $208 million. This included $56. 1 million in senior debt and $90 million in subordinated debt. The purchase was consistent with the firms philosophy of injecting patient capital into North American and European companies; this simply involved waiting for the busines s to improve before selling it or taking it public. At the time of the Investor LOBO, Carters was doing business with over 400 wholesale accounts, including department stores, national chains, and epically stores. It had also established a major domestic presence with its outlet stores: The company operated roughly 150 retail outlet stores across the country. Consumers could purchase Carters merchandise through these outlets stores at a deep discount, with the outlet stores offering new products, holdovers from excess inventory, as well as assorted Carters brand accessories and licensed products. Beginning in 2000, Carters launched a new brand called Tykes. A departure from its two mainstay brands, Carters and Carters Classics, the Tykes brand was aimed at the discount channel. Its introduction coincided with a series of conversations with executives from Target, an emerging general merchandise retailer. Target was interested in expanding the stores offerings in baby and childrens lifestyle clothing. With the assurance that Carters could keep its shelves automatically replenished, the companies struck a long-term deal in which the Tykes brand was made immediately available at all 972 Target stores across the country. By the summer of 2001, Rowan seemed to have Carters on a path of operational and financial SUccess. From 1992 to 2000, the company increased venue at a compound annual growth rate of 9. %, with earnings before income, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) increasing 22. 1%. (See Exhibit 4 for selected financial. ) Analysts attributed much of the comma NYSE growth to improved brand recognition, a lower cost structure, expansion into the discount channel, and the movement of some manufacturing operations offshore-?while recognizing Inves tor as an able and willing partner in managing the growth. 2 Chris Rough, Investment Bank Buys Morrows William Carter Co. , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 1, 1996. ([emailprotected] Com). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact [emailprotected] Org or Up for Sale In mid-2000, having watched over the growth of its investment in Carters, Investor decided it was time to sell its stake in the company. Investor typically looked at a range of exit options, but at the time the initial public offering (PIP) market was at a near standstill. In Joneses view: Investor might have been able to take this company public in 2001. But they were at the end of a five-year period, and they wanted liquidity. So to sit there, take another year or two to work their way out of a public stock was not something they wanted. He added: Theyve [Investor] got a network of investors that fund them, but if you dont have good returns coming out to keep talking about, it makes it harder to raise money. So in the normal course they were looking to generate a win through the sale of Carters. Amidst rumors that a handful of potential strategic buyers had passed on the deal, including apparel companies Jones Apparel and SSH Gosh Bogs, Investor initiated an auction among financial buyers. Christopher OBrien, a ember of Investors management committee, added: The nature of this companys business is that it is not particularly related to economic swings. We thought it was a company that financial buyers would find attractive in this marketplace. 3 Berkshire Partners Berkshire Partners was founded in the mid-sass by five individuals committed to creating a private equity firm based on successful relationships, hard work, analysis, and the open decision making of all individuals. 4 By 2001 , the firm comprised roughly 10 managing directors, 4 principals, 12 investment staff (associate level), and 2 advising directors. In a given year, the firm reviewed some 1,200 potential deals, with the intention of whittling the pool down to five to six closed deals. Jones estimated the number of times per year the firm completed full due diligence and submitted a final bid at about 12: Our batting average is pretty good-?we tend to go all the way on things we think we have pretty good odds of winning. So were not making a run at 40 things and getting five. Were doing it on 10-15, and we might get almost there on another handful. For each deal under serious consideration, Berkshire formed a deal team comprising our to five people. A managing director served as lead partner for each team. A team would typically contain an additional managing director, a principal, and one or two investment staff. According to Jones, As a firm, our work is very inclusive and collaborative in our efforts to uncover all the key information. While the deal team took responsibility for making a recommendation and then doing due diligence and bringing back an investment package, ultimate investment decisions rested with the firm as a whole. In analyzing a potential deal, Berkshire relied largely on its internal staff to array out the analysis and would use a Pain and McKinney to help us answer or flush out a couple of issues that we just dont have the resources to do. Beyond that, the firm relied on leading Boston law firms to carry out due diligence on contracts, leases, patents, and trademarks. Ernst Young (EY) handled the firms accounting due diligence, which principally involved looking at quality of earnings. According to Occasion, getting the capital structure right was an art, not a science. He added: There are a lot of factors that go into determining the right financing structure. To st art, theres arches price-?dollars needed to ultimately buy the company. And, of course, there are your 3 Kelly Holman, Berkshire Buys William Carter Co. The Daily Deal, July 17, 2001. 4 Berkshire Partners Web site, Our partnership, Breathlessness. Com/l_o_partnership. SHTML, accessed December 1, 2004. 3 returns. Obviously, if I hold purchase price steady, and increase my leverage, my equity returns will increase, and so on. Berkshire managers believed the equity portion of the capital structure at the time needed to be at least 25% in order to achieve the desired ratings outcome and demonstrate to the lending ease that Berkshire Was making a serious commitment. At the time, investment banks were willing to lend at a rate of roughly four to five times EBITDA, with the multiple determined largely by market conditions. Occasion continued, This is coupled with the challenge of asking yourself: Is this the appropriate amount of leverage for a business of this type; what do the ratings look like; how difficult will it be to get the financing completed; and what does that mean in terms of your total financing costs? These are all the variables that you play with to try to figure out the optimal capital structure for the business. After taking an equity position in a private business, Berkshire saw its role as supporting management in a variety of ways, including a) helping to prioritize key objectives, b) reviewing organizational design, c) helping to build the bench of key managers, and d) even leading the integration process in the event of a subsequent acquisition. Jones added: would say that weve done a lot of work over the last several years to be more thoughtful about how to address opportunities for companies up front and align strategically with management. So in thinking about how we add value, it is important to look t the work we do in due diligence not only as critical to making a smart investment decision, but also a critical foundation to operate from during the life of the investment. At any given time, Berkshire held a portfolio of roughly 25 investments. About half of these businesses required very little of Berkshires management attention-?the firm was on top of these businesses and fully expected to exit them in due course. About one-quarter of the businesses required a moderate level of attention, and another one- quarter required Berkshire to be very focused on them. Businesses earning the largest amount of attention did so because its the early stages, or we could still have a meaningful impact and theyre very important to our firms success. Berkshires typical exit strategy was sale of the company, rather than an PIP, by a ratio of about four to one. The firms conditions for exiting via an PIP were threefold: 1) a strong brand, 2) strong growth potential, and 3) a dramatic need for capital. Unlike many other private equity firms that often used an PIP to close out their ownership stake, Berkshire was more likely to initiate an PIP in the middle of its ownership with the intention f staying involved with the management and helping the company to grow. In many cases, a follow-on offer would ensue. Berkshires Bid for Carters When Berkshire Partners received an invitation to participate in the auction for Carters, the investment team was initially optimistic about a potential match between the two organizations. The firm had developed a focus on building strong, growth-oriented companies in conjunction with strong, equity-incanted management teams. 5 Berkshire viewed Carters not simply as an apparel company in the retail space, but more as a consumer products company. According to Jones, Carters being a really Strong brand that could be leveraged across multiple channels was something that we found very appealing, and in general find appealing. 5 Berkshire Partners Web site, Press Releases, http:// www. Irrationalness. Com/5_1 _ 17_press. SHTML, accessed September 1, 2004. 4 ([emailprotected] Com). Copying or posting is an infringement Of copyright Please contact [emailprotected] Org or Initial Meeting On the first Tuesday of May, Berkshires five-member team traveled to New York to meet with Carters management. The Carter team included the CEO, resident of marketing, executive vice president of operations, executive vice president of global sourcing, and SCOFF. The meeting provided an opportunity for the respective managers to get to know one another, to discuss the ground rules for the auction, and to begin a dialogue about the future growth strategy for Carters. To a person, the Berkshire executives were very impressed with the Carter team, acknowledging their experience, commitment, and confidence in their five-year plan. (See Exhibit 5 for four elements of growth strategy. ) The initial meeting also opened lines of communication between Berkshire ND Goldman Cash, which Carters had engaged to run the auction process. In the early weeks of May, Berkshires team had a number of discussions with Goldman Cash. The deal was being shown to a limited number of financial buyers (more than 2, less than 10), and not all potential buyers would be given the opportunity Berkshire had been given to meet with the management team prior to submitting a preliminary bid. In addition to running the auction, Goldman Cash was providing staple-on financing for the deal, although the buyers were not limited to the Goldman financing Truckee and could choose to submit a bid that would be financed by other sources. (See Exhibit 6 for proposed capital structure. Members of the Berkshire team acknowledged that a staple-on financing structure, if not actually compared against competing offers in the market, could create a conflict Of interest for an investment bank. A banks dual role of auctioneer and financier, if unchecked, could pressure a buyer to accept inferior financing terms in order to win the bid. Occasion stated: Th ere were a lot of tensions inherent in the new staple-on structure. The investment banks ere concerned externally about how it would affect their reputations, and the private equity guys werent that excited about it. They felt it limited their ability to get an edge in the bidding process by bringing more creative financing to deals. What the staple-on did provide, however, was generally a more expedited financing process. Nevertheless, the Berkshire team came away from the meeting in New York eager to look carefully into the deal. In the ensuing days, Goldman furnished Berkshire with a summary of financial projections put together by Carters management (see Exhibits AAA, b, and c). GAS also indicated that the process required potential buyers to submit equity bids of at least $130 million to be considered.

APA Referencing †How to Cite a Journal Article (Proofread My Paper)

APA Referencing – How to Cite a Journal Article APA Referencing – How to Cite a Journal Article The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is favored by hundreds of journals, textbook publishers and academic institutions. APA referencing is therefore one of the most widely-used citations formats, especially in the sciences, medicine and education. In this post, we cover the basics of citing a journal article using the APA referencing style. Author-Date Citations The basic format for all in-text citations in APA involves providing the author surname and year of publication for the cited source in parentheses: Development of golf tourism requires significant planning (Priestly, 2006). If the author is already named in the text, you only need to cite the year: According to Priestly (2006), planning golf tourism demands extensive infrastructure. If the article has three or more authors, provide all names in the first citation: A study by LeClerc, Che, Swaddle and Cristol (2005) shows that golf courses are viable nesting sites for bluebirds. After this, you only have to use the first author’s surname and â€Å"et al.†: Nest boxes on golf courses provide an excellent habitat for young bluebirds (LeClerc et al., 2005). Quoting Sources When quoting a source, APA citations should appear after the quoted text and include page numbers: As well as golf courses, golf tourism requires â€Å"hotels and other forms of property development† (Priestly, 2006, p. 170). If the author is named in the text, the year of publication should be given after the name, but the page numbers still appear after the quoted text: Priestly (2006) states that â€Å"essential to plan golf tourism regions carefully in order to make economic and social objectives compatible† (p. 170). Reference List APA requires all cited sources to be added to a reference list at the end of your document. Entries should include all relevant publication details, with sources sorted alphabetically by author surname. For a journal article, the information required includes: Author Name(s) and Initial(s) (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume Number (Issue Number), Pages. The Priestly article cited above, for instance, would appear as: Priestley, G. K. (2006). Planning implications of golf tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 6(3), 170-178. If you’re citing an online version of a journal article, you should also include the relevant DOI or URL in the reference list: LeClerc, J. E., Che, J. P. K., Swaddle, J. P., Cristol, D. A. (2005). Reproductive success and developmental stability of eastern bluebirds on golf courses. Wildlife Society Bulletin (1973-2006), 33(2), 483-493. Retrieved from jstor.org/stable/3785076

Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cold War - Essay Example Keeping the political and economic interests, Truman decided to confront with the expansionist Russia from an ideological vantage. He declared that his government would do anything to help the nations of the world to keep their liberty upright. But his intention to contain the communist expansionism lies at the hindsight of this policy. This policy of containment remains the sole baseline of the US policy throughout the whole Cold War. Indeed, all of Truman’s successors, more or less, endeavored to implement his policy of containment in different contexts with measures. Mainly two goals, namely supporting democracy and containment of communism, dominated the US policy for the Cold War. In his â€Å"Joint Address Before Congress† he unequivocally declares, â€Å"Greece must have assistance if it is to become a self-supporting and self-respecting democracy.† (Truman 3) The United States’ policy of containment was essentially the result of President Trumanâ⠂¬â„¢s reaction to the Communist expansion intention. In the Potsdam conference, it became clear that the Soviet leaders had no intention to retreat from their wartime position in Europe and the Middle East. ... Truman’s perception of this communist threat was evident in the â€Å"Joint Address before Congress† in March 12, 1947: Moreover, the disappearance of Greece as an independent State would have a profound effect upon those countries in Europe whose peoples are struggling against great difficulties to maintain their freedoms and their independence while they repair the damages of war. (Truman 5) Now the question is what threats Truman perceived because of the communist militias Greece, Turkey and Iran. It is clearly evident in the following part of his address that a sole intention to support democracy and to majority of the people’s opinion in contradiction against the anarchist communist minority. There might be the economic interests which might provoke Truman to raise his voice for democracy in those countries. Even if there was any, he wanted to fulfill those economic interests of the United States by collaborating with the majority of the people, not against their will, as the Soviet authority wanted. Truman’s perception of the communist threat is also evident in the following speech: â€Å"The very existence of the Greek state is today threatened by the terrorist activities of several thousand armed men, led by Communists† (Truman 2). Moreover, Truman might perceive that a sustainable democratic Europe was more congenial to the United States’ economic and political interests in this region. He envisaged that â€Å"an independent and economically sound State is clearly no less important to the freedom-loving peoples of the world than the future of Greece† (Truman 3). But the reason behind his emphasis on the retaining democracy was not only that the US is a democratic country but also that democracy is such a

Reverse Logistics and Green Logistics Research Paper

Reverse Logistics and Green Logistics - Research Paper Example The two most recent concepts in this regard are of reverse logistics and green logistics. Organizations are taking different measures and steps in order to provide the customers with the complete solutions associated with the full life cycle of the products. For this purpose the organizations are focusing more on reverse logistics. Apart from this, the increasing emphasis on the environment protection and the government regulations have forced the organizations to implement green and sustainable supply chain practices. The activities and processes associated with reverse logistics help the organizations in the process of designing green supply chains. The recycling and refurbishment of the products result in reducing the wastage materials, thus protecting the environment. In this paper an attempt has been made to explore and understand the concepts of the reverse logistics and green logistics. For this purpose, three international organizations known for their supply chain management have been selected. These three organizations are: Wal-Mart, Cisco Systems, and Best Buy. Cisco systems and Wal-Mart recently took position in the top five international supply chains (Wailgum, 2010). Apart from the regular channels and elements of the supply chain, the organizations are now giving increasing importance to the activities related to reverse logistics. Most of the time organizations face the issues and challenges regarding the unused, failed, and returned products. The reverse logistics process is known to be composed of returning or exchanging, repairing, refurbishing, remarketing, and disposing off of the unused and failed products. This concept or phenomenon of reverse logistics is becoming popular quickly and is being perceived as an important part of the business operations of the organizations (Venkatesh, 2010). Organizations can generate considerable amount of value and

The Regan Revolution Through President Obama Research Paper

The Regan Revolution Through President Obama - Research Paper Example He also supported anti-Communism policies and strengthened America’s military in response to USSR arms race. The Reagan revolution through President Obama Introduction Another turning points during this period is the 9/11 terrorism attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The terrorism attacks changed the attitudes of US citizens towards air travel. The US enacted the PATRIOT Act that granted counter terrorism agencies the powers to wire trap and apprehend suspected terrorists. The government also enhanced domestic in the significant installations such as airports, roads and ports through creation of homeland security agency. Another 9/11 turning point was invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan since America considered the two countries as a threat to global peace. The US wanted to topple Saddam Hussein regime and end Taliban menace in Afghanistan. The US also changed its foreign policy on nations that were harboring terrorists (Golway, 2008). The first significant turnin g point came in March 1983 when Reagan introduced strategic defense initiatives. The defense projects aimed at manufacturing space-based defense systems that would protect the US from attack by ballistic missiles. This initiative increased the military capability of America and dominance in geo-politics. Some important defense technologies such as space surveillance systems, tracking devices, and anti-missile systems can be traced back to this project. Another significant turning point was the Iran-Contra scandal of 1986 that undermined the international community faith on Reagan administration. Reagan administration was accused of supplying weapons to Iran in exchange of release of hostages that had been held in Lebanon by the terrorists loyal to Iran authorities. The arms were later sold and proceeds went to contras. The US Congress had banned the sale of weapons to Iran. After, Nicaraguan sued the US at the International Court of Justice. The court held that the US had contravene d the international law with Reagan being criticized for ignoring the existence of the political scandal (Golway, 2008). The AIDS epidemic shook the confidence of Americans in the 1980s. The AIDS epidemic was recognized by doctors in early 1980s and captured the attention of the media, special interest groups and the public (Brier, 2009). The epidemic shook the confidence of Americas since it was first associated with gay men and mostly white Americans. Surprisingly, all the people diagnosed with AIDS were gay and suffered from other complications such Pneumonia. Some of the homosexual men who had been diagnosed with AIDS died within a period of 2 years. By 1981, the epidemic had acquired several names such gay related immune deficiency, gay compromise syndrome and gay cancer (Brier, 2009). In the 1980s, AIDS was associated with discrimination and stigma and gay men stopped going out of their houses. Initially, people did not know how AIDS was transmitted since scientists had no evi dence that the epidemic could be transmitted through contaminated blood transfusion. AIDS started being common among homosexuals, drug abuse addicts, Haitians and Haemophiliacs. Haitians also protested against being labeled as a risk group. With more than 3,000 confirmed cases by the end of 1983, there was growing pressure on the government to develop a national AIDS policy and also develop medication (Brier, 2009). In 1985, the government granted five pharmaceutical companies the opportunity to

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Critical Thinking - Essay Example 2. Are there any similarities between the characteristics demanded of an entrepreneur and those of a professional athlete? Would an athlete be a good prospect for entrepreneurship? Why or why not? Could teamwork be important in an entrepreneurial effort? Why or why not? I think that there are many similarities between the characteristics of an entrepreneur and a professional athlete, most notably the discipline required to succeed. Preparation time is also a key aspect of both jobs because nothing should be left to chance. Just like an entrepreneur has to come up with short and long-term business plans, professional athletes need to set goals so that they are always improving. An athlete would be a good prospect for entrepreneurship because he or she would be able to carry over these same traits. Teamwork is very important in an entrepreneurial effort because no one can do something by themselves. Although they may have a thought or vision, they will need other people to carry out the objectives and work for the betterment of the

Modern Civil Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern Civil Society - Essay Example He believed that success meant leading a state of nature to civil society; however, the idea of combining every man who is free creates an agreement between people, and thus government is needed. Rousseau believed that people should give up some of their liberties and be governed in order to provide their own safety and other social benefits, yet Arendt has explained the disadvantages of government who have taken total control of their people. While Arendt and Rousseau both agree that slavery is an inhumane system, they have different views on people being controlled by the government. According to Arendt, the Nazis dehumanized and exterminated Jews by having the idea that everything is possible and everything is permitted. Once the idea had been formed, the purposes of concentration and extermination camps were designed to exterminate and reduce a kind of human being into an almost nonexistent species. Under total terror power control, these people who were in the camps often consid ered keeping themselves alive instead of fighting for freedom, which led them to start losing their thinking skills and began building up their abilities to obey. After the victims began losing their human behavior and their own personalities, they had been trained as â€Å"Pavlov’s dog, which, as we know, was trained to eat not when it was hungry but when a bell rang (Arendt 124)†. In the essay, Arendt stated that under the terror, those human beings had been turned into a â€Å"mere thing, into something that even animals are not (124)†. In other words, Arendt stated that by classifying human beings, Nazis saw Jews as trifling matter who have been â€Å"treated as if they no longer existed, as if what happened to them were no longer of any interest to anybody, as if they were already dead (132)†. They did not treat Jews as human beings, and surely they disregard Jews’ lives. Rousseau had a similar idea, arguing that no one is born to be a slave, and every human being is born equally and only they can choose their destiny: Far earlier, Aristotle, too, had maintained that men are not by nature equal, but that some are born to be slaves, others to be masters. Aristotle was right: but he mistook the effect for the cause. Nothing is more certain than that a man born into a condition of slavery is by nature. A slave in fetters loses everything—even the desire to be freed from them. He grows to love his slavery (61). According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, some people are naturally slaves; however, others are naturally masters. In other words, a slave is born to be owned by another human being, and has no freedom; they even lose their opportunity to be set free from their owner. However, by defining the word â€Å"natural†, Rousseau explained that the nature for a human being is the idea that all men are born free, which means that all people have natural liberty, including slaves. He claimed that it is ridicul ous for a newborn human being to spend a lifetime as a slave, which might mean being locked up with the owner in poor conditions and forced to work for hardly any profit. Furthermore, Rousseau believed that a man could be born in the position of a slave, but the man must have his natural liberty that belongs to himself and only he has the right to decide his destiny. Arendt and Rousseau both had similar ideas that racism and slavery are inhumane actions that should not

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Critical Thinking - Essay Example 2. Are there any similarities between the characteristics demanded of an entrepreneur and those of a professional athlete? Would an athlete be a good prospect for entrepreneurship? Why or why not? Could teamwork be important in an entrepreneurial effort? Why or why not? I think that there are many similarities between the characteristics of an entrepreneur and a professional athlete, most notably the discipline required to succeed. Preparation time is also a key aspect of both jobs because nothing should be left to chance. Just like an entrepreneur has to come up with short and long-term business plans, professional athletes need to set goals so that they are always improving. An athlete would be a good prospect for entrepreneurship because he or she would be able to carry over these same traits. Teamwork is very important in an entrepreneurial effort because no one can do something by themselves. Although they may have a thought or vision, they will need other people to carry out the objectives and work for the betterment of the

Shariah and sufism in islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shariah and sufism in islam - Essay Example quires one to accept the laws of Shariah wholeheartedly and a Muslim should be spiritually involved in making all possible efforts in order to follow the rules of Shariah. Shariah stands as the highest level of goodness one can achieve in this world, and to a Muslim nothing is more important than following Shariah. Shariah gives the Muslims a complete code of life, and guides the Muslims on all matters of this world and the world hereafter. Muslims seek guidance for their matters of daily life from two main sources. First, their Holy Book Quran. Second, the Sunnah of their Holy Prophet Muhammed (P. B. U. H.). The Muslims’ consideration of the Holy Quran is as follows. Every machine we purchase comes with a hand book that mentions every thing about that machine and guides the buyer on how to use the machine so that it would function safely and efficiently throughout the estimated life of that machine. The hand book gives complete information about what temperature and surroundi ngs should the machine be used in, what is the maximum load the machine can take, what precautionary measures should be taken to ensure the machine’s safe functioning and also provides the user with guidance on the matters of repair and maintenance. Likewise, when Allah Almighty created human beings, He gave them a complete book to follow throughout their life. Allah named His Book â€Å"Quran†. He sent the Holy Quran for all human beings to seek guidance from through His Prophet Muhammed (P. B. U. H.). The Holy Quran serves as a complete guide for all human beings. It is a written form of Allah’s interaction with humans. Through the Holy Quran, Allah has conveyed his message to the human beings. Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran how the humans are supposed to live their life. The Quran provides guidance on all matters in all walks of life. Hence, it is the guide sent for the human beings just like the hand book that comes with a machine as mentioned in the example quoted above.

Cuba and Argentina are in Latin America Essay Example for Free

Cuba and Argentina are in Latin America Essay Although both Cuba and Argentina are in Latin America, they still have differences in cultures and even in educational systems. Moreover, despite the fact that these two countries are close in terms of literacy rates (although Argentina is slightly higher than that of Cuba), the two countries have much differences in educational practices. In Cuba, the government subsidize education at all levels. This makes the education in this country extensively state-directed. A lot of public dispute and politics covers the education, being state-directed. The bulk of the tax burden of the people are mainly allocated for education. Education has been the top priority of the country when it comes to funding expenditures and extra projects. Cuba is praised for showing an extravagant and long-lasting effort to ensure the quality of education services that their youth receive. There is a free compulsory primary education for all Cuban children age 6 to 15. The government subsidizes even the higher education. However, this scenario also implies negative impacts. Since the government â€Å"trains† its youth, they also rate them according to their political beliefs. Students have their own â€Å"Cumulative School File. This is like a report card that goes beyond documenting academic standing. It is the record of the student’s political thinking. Anyone who has join protests against the government is hindered to have more opportunities of the higher education or universities. This is also applicable even for the employed people. Some of the students are expelled from school and others are dismissed from work for the employed ones. The control of the government over the people last in more or less a lifetime because this â€Å"report card† are updated. All of the students are expected to have the Marxist way of thinking towards the government and politics. On the other hand, Argentina government is less rigid when it comes to education. They also have the compulsory primary education for children ages 6 to 14 years of age. All children of these ages are mandated to attend the primary education that lasts 12 years. There is no longer compulsory education for the high school level although they could still have affordable high school education offerings. However, half of those who attended the compulsory primary education do not continue to high school. Yet, Argentina is still among the countries who have the most number of degree holders in relation to their population. These two Latin American countries are the same and yet different in a number of aspects in education. Indeed, both countries give importance to education. The government allot an adequate amount of resources to education. This is true since they even have legislated a law that could legalize a mandated primary education for Argentina and in all levels in the case of Cuba. Both are strict when it comes to age requirement for the grade levels. However, their approaches towards the implementation of quality education are different. In Argentina, students who have finished the primary education are allowed to choose in what school they will pursue. Moreover, they have the decision whether they would continue or stop schooling. The students and their family can choose among the various schools that are affordable. On the other hand, Cuba goes beyond the primary education. The government subsidizes education up to the highest level. However, the bearing is that it can decide for the future of the student. The student and his family should agree with the government in all aspects so that he or she could enroll in the best universities. The government does not only have the political power but also the power to have the youth favor to them. Now, if the students from these two countries migrate to the United States of America, they may have the same cultural adjustment problems. Both speaks the same language, and thus both may have the same learning and communication styles. The both may also have the same expected problems when they are brought to the US classrooms. Basically, the problems that may arise from the immigration of the students may be classified into three: intercultural communication, learning styles, and adolescence (Introduction to Immigration in US, 2001). In the United of States of America, government provides education for the people. It could either be on the federal, state, or local level. Because there is allotted budget for education, it is compulsory to avail these education benefits. Children from four to 18 years old are required to undergo the basic education. Moreover, formal education in the US is being held in public, private and home schools. The schooling is divided into kindergarten up to twelfth grade. There are many universities among the numerous states. The students from Cuba and Argentina are expected to have problems intercultural communication. This means not only their difference in language but also the differences in diverse cultures. This may be called a crash of culture or others termed this as â€Å"culture shock. † For example, in the US, the common form of greeting is handshake. On the other hand, in Cuba and Argentina, it is common to give hugs even among the boys, but in the United Sates, this form of greeting is given for those who are already closely related to each other. Another intercultural communication conflict may also be attributed to the differences in religion. The people of Argentina and Cuba relatively have different religion to the majority of the people in the United States. The Cubans and Argentineans are mostly Roman Catholic while the Americans are mostly Protestants. There may be some differences or even conflicts in religious practices and even celebrations. The second type of problem that may arise among the immigrating students is the differences in learning styles. The communication styles also differ from the two countries. People in the United States are a lot more direct in the matter of speaking than the two other countries. Moreover, noises in the American classroom setting are common. This may be distracting to the Cuban and Argentinean students who are used to formal and quiet classroom setting. The third issue is the adolescence of the students. Adolescents struggle with identity issues. This process may be more difficult and complicated for the students who have migrated. They may try to cope with these differences and tend to cover or set aside their own culture. This may cause emotional and social chaos to the student. Statement Prompt The main difference between the education in the United Sates and the education in Argentina is that the former has longer basic education. In Argentina, the compulsory basic education lasts until the student is 14 years old while the basic education is compulsory until the students in the United States are 18 years of age. The basic education in US involves more grade level and classification. More often than not, after the long basic education, the students are qualified to work. Many of the students in US work while studying in college. The long basic education aims to make the students independent and included in the working force of the state. Nevertheless, these problems may be adequately addressed. There are recommendations to smoothen the learning and coping process of the students. First, the teacher has to be aware of the differences of culture among the diverse types of students in the class. The teacher should have the initiative to lessen the crash of culture among the students. He or she should have adequate knowledge about the nature of the immigrant students. This is not to encourage them to change but to let them preserve their culture in their very rights (Introduction to Immigration in US, 2001). Moreover, the teacher should also help the student to have faster English-learning process. He or she should encourage the students to speak English in and even out of the class. Although he is not the student’s English teacher, he should still be patient to talk the student. Lastly, the family of the immigrant students should also be acquainted to the educational system in the United States. â€Å"New comer† programs are effective to encourage the students and even their families to participate more in the school programs. This will make them trust that the school can help the child regardless of the differences in culture. There should be trainings about language skills, work skills and even cultural adaptations program especially for the students. Reasons for immigration may be different but the adaptation that needs to be done may be the same. The differences in culture may be settled in effective communication. Although there are also differences in manners of communication itself, compromising is universal to resolve conflict: crash of culture for this matter. The educational systems may also be different but the goal of education is universal too, learning, knowledge and may be wisdom are the goals of the people who avail education. Reference: Introduction to Immigration in the United States. 2001. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Available at: http://www. nwrel. org/cnorse/booklets/immigration/5. html#overall

The Different Attitudes Toward Disclosure English Language Essay

The Different Attitudes Toward Disclosure English Language Essay We all communicate with others all the time in our homes, workplaces, groups, and in the community. No matter how well we think we understand each other, communication is really hard. Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from differing  cultural  backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavour to  communicate  across cultures. Understanding Cultural Diversity Different cultural contexts brings new communication challenges to the workplace. Even when employees located in different locations or offices speak the same language there are some cultural differences. In such cases, an effective communication strategy begins with the understanding that the sender of the message and the receiver of the message are from different cultures and backgrounds. Funda mental Patterns  of Cultural Differencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Different Communication Styles The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is usage of the language. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in various different ways. Another major aspect of communication style is the degree of importance given to non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes not only facial e xpressions and gestures but it also involves seating arrangements, personal distance, and sense of time. Different Attitudes Towards Conflict Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In fact, face-to-face meetings are recommended as the way to work through whatever problems exist. Different Approaches of Completing Tasks From culture to culture, there are different ways that people move toward completing different tasks. Some reasons include different access to resources, different judgments of the rewards associated with task completion, different notions of time, and varied ideas about how relationship-building and task-oriented work should go together. Different Decision-Making Styles The roles individuals play in decision-making vary widely from culture to culture. Be aware that individuals expectations about their own roles in shaping a decision may be influenced by their cultural frame of reference. Different Attitudes Toward Disclosure In some cultures, it is not appropriate to be frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a misunderstanding, or about personal information. Keeping this in mind when we are in a dialogue or when we are working with others. When we are dealing with a conflict, be mindful that people may differ in what they feel comfortable revealing. Questions that may seem natural to us may seem intrusive to others. The variation among cultures in attitudes toward disclosure is also something to consider before we conclude that we have an accurate reading of the views, experiences, and goals of the people with whom we are working. Different Approaches to Knowing Notable differences occur among cultural groups when it comes to the ways people come to know things. Recent popular works demonstrate that our own society is paying more attention to previously overlooked ways of knowing.  Indeed, these different approaches to knowing could affect ways of analyzing a community problem or finding ways to resolve it. The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. Its important to develop an appreciation for different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person who is sensitive to the unique qualities of others. One way to develop this appreciation is to try to learn about other cultures around the world. As I work for a multinational IT company and have been transferred to Japan for five years on a project. I would find several ways to become knowledgeable about the culture of Japan. One way is to read books written by authors from a particular  culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular  culture  allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people. Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a  foreign language (Japanese). Knowing these key Japanese customs, Ill get closer to the locals and see beneath the surface of Japan. 1. Addressing Someone, Respect Bowing is nothing less than an art form in Japan, respect pounded into childrens heads from the moment they enter school. For tourists like me a simple inclination of the head or an attempt at a bow at the waist will usually suffice. The duration and inclination of the bow is proportionate to the elevation of the person I am addressing. For example, for a friend might get a lightning fast 30 degree bow, an office superior might get a slow, extended, 70 degree bow. Its all about position and circumstance. 2. Table Manners If I am in a dinner party and receive drinks, I must wait before raising the glass to my lips. Everyone will be served, and someone will take the lead, make a speech, raise his drink, and yell kampai! (cheers). If I ever receive a small wet cloth at Japanese restaurants. Then I must use this to wash my hands before eating, then I must carefully fold it and set it aside on the table.( Do not use it as a napkin, or to touch any part of your face). Slurping noodles or making loud noises while eating is OK! It shows that a person is enjoying the food.. Raise bowls to mouth to make it easier to eat with chopsticks, especially bowls of rice. Just before digging in, whether it be a seven-course dinner or a sample at a supermarket, its polite to say itadakimasu (I will receive). 3. No Tipping There is no tipping in any situation in Japan cabs, restaurants, personal care. To tip someone is actually a little insulting; the services youve asked for are covered by the price given, so why pay more? 4. Chopsticks Depending on the restaurant you decide upon for any evening, chopsticks are required. If for some reason one is not too adept with chopsticks, try to learn before passing through immigration. Its really not that hard. 5. Thresholds Take off shoes at the entrance to all homes, and most businesses and hotels. Usually a rack will be provided to store your shoes, and pair of guest slippers will be sitting nearby; many Japanese bring a pair of indoor slippers just in case, though. 6. Masks Sterilized masks, like the ones we have see in the emergency room, are commonly used by salarymen, office ladies, and municipal workers to protect other people from their germs. 7. Conformity Drawing attention to yourself as an individual is a huge no-no: dont blow nose in public, try to avoid eating while on the go, and dont speak on cell phone in crowded public areas like trains or buses. The main problem with this is that foreigners simply cant avoid standing out; we stick out like sore thumbs no matter how long weve been here, or how much we know about Japanese culture and society. 8. Bathing Public bathhouses are alive and well in Japan. Unlike in western cultures, the Japanese bath is used after you have washed and rinsed, and feel like soaking in extra-hot water for 10, 20, 30 minutes. Its an acquired taste to be sure, but can be very relaxing. The honor is given of using the bath first, usually before dinner. One must be extra careful so as to not dirty the water in any way; the sanctity of the  ofuro  (bath) is of utmost importance. 9. Speaking English Japanese will generally assume you are a native English speaker until you prove otherwise. Although one may speak some or fluent Japanese, the default language of choice is English. Many Japanese will insist on using their own English language ability, however limited, to converse with foreigners, in spite of the fact that the person on the opposing end may have more knowledge of the local tongue. 10. Safety Every Japanese person I have met warns me to be safe in my travels, to take care of my belongings. Every foreigner tells me not to worry, nothing can go wrong, nothing will be stolen. However, Japans low crime rate is evident when I saw businessmen who have missed the last train sleeping outside on a park bench, or a group of 5-year-old boys walking by themselves for over a kilometer to make the starting bell at school. Japan Appearance International Business Dress and Appearance  Ã‚  One must dress to impress. International Business Dress and Appearance   For men, they must wear dark conservative attire. International Business Dress and Appearance   Casual dress is never appropriate in a business setting. International Business Dress and Appearance   Shoes should be easy to remove, as you will do so often.   International Business Dress and Appearance   Avoid using large hand gestures, unusual facial expressions and any dramatic movements International Business Dress and Appearance   Avoid the OK sign; in Japan it means money. International Business Dress and Appearance   Pointing in not acceptable. International Business Dress and Appearance   Do no blow your nose in public International Business Dress and Appearance   Personal space is valued    A smile can have double meaning. It can express either joy or displeasure Use caution with your facial expressions. They can be easily misunderstood. International Business Dress and Appearance   The Japanese are not uncomfortable with silence. Japan   Behavior   http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif  Ã‚   Drinking is an important part of Japanese culture. It is a way to relieve business stress. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Never pour a drink yourself, allow someone else to do it.    Most business entertaining is done in restaurants or bars after business hours. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Let the host order the meal and pay. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Japanese rarely entertain in the home. If one is invited to the home of Japanese host, consider it a great honor and display a tremendous amount of appreciation. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   If you are invited to a social event, It is the custom to be fashionably late.    If you do take your host out insist upon paying. The Japanese will refuse but insist. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   It is perfectly acceptable to slurp your noodles. Doing so will exhibit enjoyment of food. To do otherwise, indicates that your meal was not a pleasant one.    Do not openly display money http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Number 14 is bad luck, because in Japanese it sounds like the word shuh-shuh, which sounds like the word for death. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Gift giving is very important both business and personal gifts.. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif  Ã‚  Always wrap gifts. The selection of the wrapping paper is also critical. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Give the gift with both hands and accept gifts with hands. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Do not give gifts in odd number or the number four. http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/images/international-business-etiquette.gif   Gifts should be given at the end of a visit. It is highly inappropriate to touch someone of the opposite sex in public. THERE ARE 10 STRATEGIES THAT HELPS IN MAKING CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONAL EFFECTIVEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. http://www.nynj-phtc.org/images/top10-400-white.jpg g

The Entering of a Non-traditional Sport :: Genders Athletics Essays

The Entering of a Non-traditional Sport There are both many social and cultural costs and benefits of an individual (male or female) entering a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex. First, there are a variety of benefits. When women and men enter non-traditional sports, they are showing society that sports don’t have to be limited to one sex or the other. Women and men are setting an example for everyone around them that you people should do whatever you they want to do no matter what. The entering of a non-traditional sport may be easier for an individual when there is positive feedback from the people around him/her. For example, I don’t think that Bev (in the movie Pumping Iron II) would have been able to continue to weight lift if she didn’t have such positive and encouraging coaches and family. Another benefit of entering a non-traditional sport may just simply involve the use of skill. Although a sport, may not be traditional for a certain sex, athletic capability may be enhanced by participating in these other sports. For example, many football players take ballet lessons to work on their balance, grace, and stability. This kind of situation shows that ballet can be used for just performing ballet or it could mean that ballet is useful for other types of performance. Another way to look at entering a non-traditional sport as beneficial is by looking at upward social mobility. Participation in a certain sport can allow a person to better their chances of getting out of a situation or circumstance. An obvious example of upward social mobility is in the movie Girlfight. Diana has a chance to get out of her home and community through her participation in boxing. Because Diana is a women in a non-traditional sport, her chances of getting out are increased, unlike the many male boxers around her. Because other women boxers are rare, the demand for other competitors is high. Being an individual in a non-traditional sport shows uniqueness, and if that individual is good at what they do, this can bring in more attention and possibly help in achieving other things such as athletic scholarships. Also, in regards to females entering non-traditional sports, there is the benefit of proving to themselves and others that women are just as capable, if not even better, as men in performing certain tasks. This would not be such a big deal if historically sports weren’t established with men and only men’s participation and skill emphasized.

Analysis of Anne Moodys Coming of Age in Mississippi Essay -- Anne Mo

Analysis of Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi is a narrated autobiography depicting what it was like to grow up in the South as a poor African American female. Her autobiography takes us through her life journey beginning with her at the age of four all the way through to her adult years and her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. The book is divided into four periods: Childhood, High School, College and The Movement. Each of these periods represents the process by which she â€Å"came of age† with each stage and its experiences having an effect on her enlightenment. She illustrates how important the Civil Rights Movement was by detailing the economic, social, and racial injustices against African Americans she experienced. Moody’s childhood lacked any positive influences; she was the child of poor sharecroppers who worked for a white farmer and her father deserted the family for another woman. She attended segregated schools and was forced to start working from the fourth grade on in order to help support her poor family. After her father left them, her mother moved them off the plantation and closer to Centreville, Mississippi in order to try and support the family. Her mother eventually married a man whose family did not get along with her and as a teenager Moody felt sexually harassed by her stepfather thus causing Moody to move out while she was still in high school. There were many acts of violence that took place during Moody’s childhood that helped prove to her that interracial relationships were unacceptable. For example, white people burned down the Taplin family home, killing everyone inside. Moody recalls being in shock and everyone in the car sitting still in dead silence, â€Å"We sat in the car for about an hour, silently looking at this debris and the ashes that covered the nine charcoal-burned bodies . . . I shall never forget the expressions on the faces of the Negroes. There was almost unanimous hopelessness in them.† It wasn’t until highschool when she came to her first realization about the racial problems and violence that have been plaguing her when a fourteen-year-old African American boy is murdered for having whistled at a white woman. Before this, Moody was under the impression that â€Å"Evil Spirits† were to blame for the mysterious deaths of African Americans, â€Å"Up ... ...nspired to make a change that she knew that nothing could stop her, not even her family. In a way, she seemed to want to prove that she could rise above the rest. She refused to let fear eat at her and inflict in her the weakness that poisoned her family. As a child she was a witness to too much violence and pain and much too often she could feel the hopelessness that many African Americans felt. She was set in her beliefs to make choices freely and help others like herself do so as well. Toward the end of Moody’s autobiography, it is obvious that all her experiences and challenges in life had deeply affected her. In a way, she seemed tired and frustrated of fighting and struggling, â€Å"I sat there listening to ‘We Shall Overcome,’ looking out of the window and the passing Mississippi landscape. Images of all that had happened kept crossing my mind: The Taplin burning, the Birmingham church bombing, Medgar Evers’ murder, the blood gushing out of McKinley’s head, and all the other murders.† In the background people were singing We Shall Overcome and she wondered to herself how true those three words could be. All she thought to herself was, â€Å"I wonder. I really WONDER.† Analysis of Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi Essay -- Anne Mo Analysis of Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi is a narrated autobiography depicting what it was like to grow up in the South as a poor African American female. Her autobiography takes us through her life journey beginning with her at the age of four all the way through to her adult years and her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. The book is divided into four periods: Childhood, High School, College and The Movement. Each of these periods represents the process by which she â€Å"came of age† with each stage and its experiences having an effect on her enlightenment. She illustrates how important the Civil Rights Movement was by detailing the economic, social, and racial injustices against African Americans she experienced. Moody’s childhood lacked any positive influences; she was the child of poor sharecroppers who worked for a white farmer and her father deserted the family for another woman. She attended segregated schools and was forced to start working from the fourth grade on in order to help support her poor family. After her father left them, her mother moved them off the plantation and closer to Centreville, Mississippi in order to try and support the family. Her mother eventually married a man whose family did not get along with her and as a teenager Moody felt sexually harassed by her stepfather thus causing Moody to move out while she was still in high school. There were many acts of violence that took place during Moody’s childhood that helped prove to her that interracial relationships were unacceptable. For example, white people burned down the Taplin family home, killing everyone inside. Moody recalls being in shock and everyone in the car sitting still in dead silence, â€Å"We sat in the car for about an hour, silently looking at this debris and the ashes that covered the nine charcoal-burned bodies . . . I shall never forget the expressions on the faces of the Negroes. There was almost unanimous hopelessness in them.† It wasn’t until highschool when she came to her first realization about the racial problems and violence that have been plaguing her when a fourteen-year-old African American boy is murdered for having whistled at a white woman. Before this, Moody was under the impression that â€Å"Evil Spirits† were to blame for the mysterious deaths of African Americans, â€Å"Up ... ...nspired to make a change that she knew that nothing could stop her, not even her family. In a way, she seemed to want to prove that she could rise above the rest. She refused to let fear eat at her and inflict in her the weakness that poisoned her family. As a child she was a witness to too much violence and pain and much too often she could feel the hopelessness that many African Americans felt. She was set in her beliefs to make choices freely and help others like herself do so as well. Toward the end of Moody’s autobiography, it is obvious that all her experiences and challenges in life had deeply affected her. In a way, she seemed tired and frustrated of fighting and struggling, â€Å"I sat there listening to ‘We Shall Overcome,’ looking out of the window and the passing Mississippi landscape. Images of all that had happened kept crossing my mind: The Taplin burning, the Birmingham church bombing, Medgar Evers’ murder, the blood gushing out of McKinley’s head, and all the other murders.† In the background people were singing We Shall Overcome and she wondered to herself how true those three words could be. All she thought to herself was, â€Å"I wonder. I really WONDER.†