Mean Spirit Essays - Osage Nation, Mean Spirit, Osage Hills

Mean Spirit Mean Spirit/ Linda Hogan/ ?1990 Our story takes place on an oil-rich Native American town, called Watona, on a reservation in Oklahoma. The course of the story extends from 1918 to the mid-twenties. There is a multitude of characters that accompany this story. One of the most important characters is Nola Blanket, a young teenager who is a full-blooded Osage Indian. She is a very delicate girl but still very strong. Her mother, Grace Blanket, is a very beautiful, well-liked young woman who is very outgoing and fun-loving. Belle Graycloud is a feisty, strong-willed Indian woman. She is well respected and is the commanding grandmother of her household. Her family is very close to the Blankets, who are distant cousins. Belle's daughter, Lettie, is a close friend of Grace. Lettie's lover, Benoit, is an Osage man that is married to Grace's crippled sister, Sara Blanket; but he is more like a brother and caretaker to her than he is a husband. Michael Horse is the fire keeper of the Osage tribe, but he also writes in his spare time. He is an old man who observes everything around him and writes it down in his journals. Stace Red Hawk is a Sioux Indian that works for the FBI. He became a federal agent in hopes of helping the Native Americans and protecting them from being taken advantage of. John Hale is a tall, lanky white rancher and oilman. He is trusted by the Indians, and seems to be a generous and helpful person. Watona was a small Indian town that prospered due to the rich rivers of oil flowing beneath it. As part of the Dawes Act, each Indian was allowed to choose an allotment of land not already claimed by white Americans. Although the 160 acres of land per Indian seemed generous, the land was barren and dry. The government did not know, however, that black oil seeped up out of the earth, and many Indians became very wealthy because of their ?worthless? pieces of land. As a result of the Indians' wealth, hundreds of white businessmen, fortune-hunters, traders, thieves, and swindlers swarmed to the reservation to make cash. When Grace Blanket is murdered by John Hale on a warm summer morning, it is made to look like a suicide and the local law enforcement passes it off as such. Nola and her friend Rena saw Nola's mother chased down and shot, but the Indians know that they must not bring it to the law or they will risk Nola's life. Belle takes in Nola as her own and sees that Nola is safe. Mysteriously, men from the nearby Osage tribe appear to keep watch over Nola in her time of vulnerability. The story progresses as more murders occur and the situation gets more and more rotten. Sara Blanket is killed in an explosion and Benoit is framed as the culprit. Other local Osage people are found dead, inexplicably, and foul play is afoot. It is more than coincidence that many of these people had dealings with John Hale, who often benefited from their deaths. But nobody has any proof of the murders, so Mr. Hale gets away with his dirty deeds. Stace Red Hawk is sent down from Washington, D.C. by the FBI to investigate the murders. As he spends more time with the Indian people, he slowly loses the ways of the white world and becomes in touch with his real self. He meets Michael Horse, who is adding his own chapter to the Bible because he feels that it has left out crucial elements. Horse is a seer, and he often foresees events that nobody else knows about. Horse is also trying to uncover the mystery that is tearing the Osage community apart. After years of searching, the combined efforts of Stace, Michael, Belle, and Lettie yield enough clues to put John Hale on trial. John is convicted and it seems that everyone is finally safe. One night, Belle's husband Moses wakes up, and he knows right away that something is wrong with his twin sister. He finds that her husband was in on the conspiracy and that he has shot her. The family realizes that they are still in danger, and

THE NECESSITY OF EUDAIMONIA essays

THE NECESSITY OF EUDAIMONIA essays Defining the Good Throughout history, many people have attempted to define what it is to be good. They have tried to explain what it is like to live a good life and what it means to be a good person. Many have tried to offer their own insights into what being good really is. Some philosophers have spent most of their lives pondering and arguing their idea of what being good really is. Some philosophers are thick headed about the subject and will refute anyone else's idea of what being good is. Other philosophers were more open minded about what being good is and would accept other's ideas and maybe even include other people's ideas in their own hypothesis. But, there really is no real answer to what being good is. The philosophers who listened to others and accepted other people's ideas might get a little closer to describing good, but even they could not fully define it. The word good is far too obscure to give one true definition to. Instead it will always live as a word with no true meaning. In order to find what the good and apply this, the primary concern of political theorists such as Aristotle whom will be the subject of this research, is to determine by what form of ordinance or law, would succeed the state. And he claims that unity of the Polis really leads to the Eudaimonia, which is the real happiness. Aristotle saw the pursuit of the good of the polis, the political community, as a branch of ethics, the pursuit of the human good as a whole. He called this ultimate goal for human beings eudaimonia, which is often translated as "the good life." He begins the Nicomachean Ethics with the claim that all human activities and pursuits aim at the good. He means for this to be understood as a claim about how human activities contribute to the human function. Ethics is therefore dependent upon theory of human nature, for to be a good person is to succeed in making actual in one's character the unique potential of being human. Fo...

Volunteer Opportunities for Online High School Students

Volunteer Opportunities for Online High School Students Many online high schools require that students complete volunteer hours in order to be eligible for a high school diploma. But, finding a local volunteer opportunity can be difficult if your school does not have a counseling office. Fortunately, volunteer websites can help. If you need to find a volunteer opportunity in your area, try one of these sites. Common Volunteer Opportunities Volunteer Match – This growing database lists thousands of volunteer opportunities searchable by area code. Many listings specify whether or not a particular opportunity is suitable for teen volunteers. You can also search for virtual volunteer opportunities (such as writing web content or putting together newsletters) that can be done in your own home.Charity Guide – Use this site to find hundreds of flexible volunteerism projects that can be done at your own pace. Create a baby supply kit, plant a green roof, or host a bluebird house. You can find projects to rescue animals, help children, protect the environment, and promote safety. Some volunteer activities can be done in as few as fifteen minutes. (Full disclosure: I am also a writer for this non-profit website).The Red Cross – Almost everyone lives near a Red Cross center. Find a local Red Cross and ask what you can do to help. Volunteers prepare for disasters, staff offices, work in homeless shelters, and perform many other services that are valuable to the community. Does It Meet Your Requirements? Before deciding on any service project, check with your school to make sure the opportunity meets all requirements. Some online schools will allow you  to do individual volunteer projects on your own as long as a parent logs your volunteer hours. Other schools require that you work with a specific organization and send in a letter from a supervisor. If you choose a project that suits you, volunteering can be a rewarding experience. Not only will you finish your required hours, you will also get the sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing youve made a real difference in the world.

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing Research - Essay Example Because of this influence, the demand for such products increases manifold and the retailers can benefit from enhanced volumes of sales. They may also become capable of assessing the market trends and can offer valuable feedback to supplier and manufactures to modify or amend their marketing strategies. Thus it can be stated that endorsement by celebrities can have a strong impact on products and create a healthy demand that in turn will raise sales volumes resulting in increased profits for the retailers. â€Å"Celebrity marketing is also a valuable way to build instant name recognition, attaching yourself to a person who is well-known to achieve awareness that otherwise might have taken years of marketing.†1 Marketing Research is a scientific search for information especially in the areas related to functions of marketing. Marketing research as a separate department can be a source of valuable help to management’s decision making process. Today, the dynamic markets require numerous middlemen between producer and consumer. Each middleman provides flow of communication regarding consumer needs and dealer needs to the manufacturer. To evaluate and understand the size and specialization within the business unit and to determine the intervention of numerous middlemen between producer and consumer a company needs proper marketing research. In this context marketing research plays a very important role in the modern marketing system. Accurate information is a core factor in successful marketing research. There are two types of methods employed in data collection: primary data collection and secondary data collection. Primary data collection is facilitated by collecting information direc tly from the source. There are many tools used like observation, direct interview, telephone interview, mail survey, projective technique, etc used in primary data collection. Interview is

Economics for Business and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics for Business and Management - Essay Example The demand curve may take an unique shape like that in figure 3.5 for two major reason, firstly if the product is of an inferior nature. Secondly if the customer believe that even though the price is high the quality is worth it, hence they demand buying more. With respect to figure 3.6 The demand curve will happen to shift incase at every and each price the customers are prepared to buy more or less than before (GILLESPIE, 2011) Similarly supply curve combines all the goods produced and offered for sale in the market against given price (THOMPSON, 2010). Goods are only sold when profit of the producers equates costs or is greater than that which means supply curve can be indicated as social cost. People have to pay a certain cost to attain some benefit. The intersection of demand and supply provides market equilibrium at which equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity is determined (AFRIAT, 2003). Now if the equilibrium conditions are dismantled; the economic efficiency will also b e lost in the process such in the case of benefits and costs, there may be welfare loss or even welfare gain too. Assuming a condition where minimum price is set above the equilibrium prices indicate setting a price floor for a certain commodity. Suppose government introduces price floor on cotton to protect the small producer, this will result in increasing prices where consumers will be required to pay higher prices that the good’s actual worth. In an open competition the prices might have shifted down to equilibrium but due to price floor that won’t be possible. In Fig. 1, Pf price is set to be fixed at $4 where quantity supplied is 2kg Cotton and demand is 1.5kg while at equilibrium consumers might have 1.8Kg cotton at less price of $3.2. So, with an increase in price over equilibrium has reduced the social welfare as the surplus cotton is not demanded yet the consumers are required to pay higher for limited quantity (WESTON & TOWNSEND, 2009). The social cost of co tton is more than the social benefits which sums up the negative net welfare at large. Question 2 (Why a profit maximizing firm produces the output that equates marginal revenues to marginal costs? (MR=MC)) In monopoly or even in perfect competition, a firm optimizes its profit and output where marginal cost and marginal revenue are equal (GRIFFITHS & WALL, 2011). All approaches to analyse maximized profits end up at MR and MC. If we examine total revenue and total cost; they are also summed up by the marginal. Secondly marginal curves provide the slope of change by which accuracy can easily be maintained. In perfect competition firm has MR=MC at two point. First at output level 1 and at output level 7. Firms always prefer the highest output to be produced while secondly at output level 1, though MR=MC but the total cost is below total revenue and the profit at this point is also negative (GILLESPIE, 2011). Finally the maximized profit require the biggest gap and difference between revenues and costs which can only be attained at point where MC=MR as in Fig. 2, at max. profit Average Cost is farthest away from Average Revenue. Mathematically, when MR=MC, after taking 1st derivative the gap between Total Revenue (TR) and Total Cost (TC) is the positive highest. Which after 2nd derivative becomes negative indicating the maximum profit while no other

RoseColored Glasses and The Glass Menagerie Essay Example for Free

RoseColored Glasses and The Glass Menagerie Essay The Glass Menagerie is about a dysfunctional family that consists of a mother, and her two adult children, Tom and Laura. All of them dream to seek comfort and to escape reality because none of them enjoys the life they lead. Similarly, in Rose-Colored Glasses, the narrator of the poem is inclined to dream rather than to face reality because she has not overcome the transition from one big happy family to getting kicked out of her old home and having divorced parents. These two families are reflections of each other because in both families, the characters rely on dreaming to overcome not only the fathers abandoning the family, but also to escape the financial and emotional despair in their livesboth of which are direct impacts from the fathers absence. Faced with disappointment because the fathers desert the family, the characters In Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie and Elizabeth Alexanders Rose-Colored Glasses, withdraw into their distinct worlds to escape the expectations that reality demands. Disappointment is a theme in both the story and the play and with similar impacts on the family. The first time the characters face disappointment is when the fathers leave the familyone through divorce, the other fell in love with long distances. The first impact is emotional despair for both families. In the Wingfield family, Amanda openly expresses her remorse and regret for marrying the absent father. Tom is emotionally distraught because he has to fill his fathers shoes in providing for the family when all he wants to do is to leave and become a sailor. The narrator in Rose-Colored Glasses experiences sadness because her family is broken apart. Besides emotional despair, both families are faced with financial problems. The narrator is kicked out of her apartment which is even more beautiful then it was then, and perfect. This shows how much she wants it back and how sad she must have been when she moved. As for the Wingfields, Tom makes so little money that he has to sacrifice the money for the light bill in order to pay for membership in the Merchant Marines. Laura is deeply disappointed when Jim tells her he is engaged that she may never have renewed hope for anyone again. Disappointment is a theme that partly drives the characters to retreat more so into their illusional worlds in order to escape emotional hurt and financial problems in the real world. The illusional worlds that the characters imagine themselves to be in are sometimes caused by the theme, expectations. Amanda expects Laura to be just like her and actually dreams Laura can be if she just develops vivacity and charm. Amanda fantasizes that these traits can easily be developed if one wills it. However, this is not an easy task for Laura because she is extremely shy. Although Laura is never expecting any gentlemen caller, Amanda never stops telling her to stay fresh and pretty because its almost time for our gentlemen callers to start arriving! 10 From this, we can tell that Amanda expects too much that in her mind, it becomes believable. In another scene, Amanda expects Tom to find Laura a husband in order to secure her future. Amanda so strongly expects Jim to be Lauras future husband that she actually begins to believe it. She ends up over preparing the house and over dressing Laura. She later accuses Tom of playing a joke on her when in fact, she never minded to ask him about it. Laura, on the other hand expects something to come out of her and Jims meeting because he kissed her. She sits dazed after he kisses her, possibilly imagining that he likes her when in fact, this is a false illusion created by her expectation. The narrator in Rose-Colored Glasses however, does not expect, but is expected from her mother to act grown up. When contrasting the time when she would Played checkers with a dolly being enough to be your sister and there was no desperation where one day [she] would cut off [her] tow long braids to now, she is obviously desperate to grow up because she is expected to be. during the years before the divorce she was still a child however the family breaks apart, she walks the passage to overcoming the impact of the divorce and during the process, matured. She feels obliged to deal with the divorce maturely, but at the same time does not want to stop being a child alotgehter, and so she retreats into her own illusional world where she can do whatever she wants. In order to escape disappointment and expectations in life, escapism is a theme in both Rose-Colored Glasses and The Glass Menagerie. Characters from both texts escape in one way or another in order to avoid confrontation with the harshness of reality. Tom goes to the movies to escape the mundane life he leads. Laura indulges in her glass menagerie and music to avoid her mothers expectations of her to socialize. Laura actually wants to be a part  of her glass menagerie and imagines herself to be. In fact, Lauras separation [from reality] increases till she is like a piece of her own glass collection. ixx Amanda and the narrator nostalgically reminisces their pasts as a way to escape. The narrator relives the past in her mind when there was no divorce and where you swung on a trapeze in the dining room archway and Plinked-plinked on the piano and Your little dogs nails scritch-scratching the hardwood floors when he heard you walking from the elevator. The narrator seeks comfort by immersing herself in her past, or perhaps she feels control over her life when she recalls these memories. Similarly, Amandas memories not only let her cling to another time, but also offer her escape from the blow to her self image when her husband deserted her. It is hard for any reasonable reader to believe that Amanda had 17 gentlemen callers in one day. She retreats so far into her world of illusions that this illusion becomes almost too real for her. She wears her yellow dress, believing that she can be just as youthful and vivacious as she was years ago when in fact, the dress is clearly out of place and time, and elicits surprise from both Jim and Tom. In both the novel and play, the theme disappointment leads the narrator in Elizabeth Alexanders Rose Colored-Glasses and Amanda, Tom and Laura in Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie to similar problemsthat is Amanda, Tom and Laura and the narrator become emotionally detached from the real world as they are left to cope with the disappointment that the fathers instill in them. Furthermore, the father leaves all his problems behind for the rest of the family which means every member of the family must fill new expectations in place of the father. Tom is expected to provide for the family, Amanda to care for her two children, Laura to get married so that she does not need to depend on Tom, and the narrator is expected to handle the divorce maturely. All of these expectations are against the wishes of the person expected to initiate them. Tom would rather become a sailor, Amanda to become youthful and to be given the chance to choose a new husband, Laura to become part of her glass menagerie world, and the narrator to live her childhood. All these expectations make reality hard to face and so the characters escape into worlds dreamt in their minds. Amanda and the narrator dream their old times, Tom dreams his sailing prospects, and Laura  dreams to be part of her glass menagerie world. Disappointment, expectation, and escapism are all central themes to both plays in order to convey the major theme that although the human need to dream may give one escape for a brief period of time, retreating too deeply into the dream can be harmful because you do not see reality as it is.

American Masculinity: Defined By War Essay -- War and American Masculi

War has been a mainstay of human civilization since its inception thousands of years ago, and throughout this long and colorful history, warriors have almost exclusively been male. By repeatedly taking on the fundamentally aggressive and violent role of soldier, Man has slowly come to define Himself through these violent experiences. Although modern American society regulates the experiences associated with engaging in warfare to a select group of individuals, leaving the majority of the American public emotionally and personally distant from war, mainstream American masculinity still draws heavily upon the characteristically male experience of going to war. In modern American society, masculinity is still defined and expressed through analogy with the behavior and experiences of men at war; however, such a simplistic masculinity cannot account for the depth of human experience embraced by a modern man. Whether engaging in European trench warfare or fighting through the jungles of Vietnam, a soldier must learn to cope with the incredible mental stress brought on by the ever-present threat of a grisly death. The physical stress introduced by poor nutrition, a harsh and hostile environment, and the cumulative physical effect of emotional trauma only serves to make a trying situation even more taxing. It is out of this violently stressful environment that the coping mechanisms that characterize wartime masculinity arise. A natural response to such a violent environment is to simply behave in a way that portrays no weakness. If the soldier does not show any signs of weakness, he finds it much easier to convince himself that he can survive by his strength. In asserting his control over himself by hiding all of his weaknesses, h... ...y and war still abound; however, these analogies cannot capture the full masculinity of the modern man as they do not allow for the formation of intimate personal relationships, such as that between husband and wife, which lie at the heart of ordinary civilian life. Works Cited Kriegel, Leonard. â€Å"Taking It.† Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology. Ed. Estelle Disch. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. 194-196. Messner, Michael A. â€Å"Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities.† Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology. Ed. Estelle Disch. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. 120-137. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Broadway Books, 1990. Petrie, Phil W. â€Å"Real Men Don’t Cry†¦ and Other ‘Uncool’ Myths.† Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology. Ed. Estelle Disch. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. 221-226.

Goodner Brothers Case Study

Q1. Define SWOT analysis with appropriate examples using external resources (200 words) SWOT Analysis, technique credited to Albert Humphrey, is strategic planning method used to evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in business ventures. 1 It involves 1) Specifying objective 2) Identifying internal and external factors favorable and unfavorable to achieve objective 1 Example – Healthcare Software Company selling high value products 2 Strengths : Internal Characterisitcs of Business that give it an advantage 1 †¢ Highly experienced team, well established, reputable company †¢ High Percentage of Sales from Exports †¢ Knowledge of Advanced technology †¢ Very efficient Processes †¢ Top class service Weaknesses : Internal Characteristics that place it at disadvantage 1 †¢ Customers slow to Upgrade †¢ Complicated Products – need lots of Customisation †¢ Products innovative and market needs to be educated †¢ Technology emphasis within company rather than Marketing emphasis Opporutnities : External chances to impove performance 1 New competitors entering markets †¢ Government spending cut backs †¢ Technology changing fast Theats : External elements that could cause trouble 1 †¢ Population ageing †¢ Environmental issues increasing profile †¢ Healthcare costs rises rapidly †¢ Increased Safety and Risk awareness in healthcare Possible Strategy 2 Invest in marketing skills and knowledge to find new markets for specialist technical knowledge Increase export market to give buffer to Local Government initiatives in healthcare Add more value to customers outbidding new competitors. Emphasis in sales materials to offset new competitors entering market. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/SWOT_analysis & http://www. managementstudyguide. com/swot-analysis. htm Copyright  © 2008 – 2012 managementstudyguide. com. All rights reserved. (1) |http://www. rapid-business-intelligence-success. com/sample-swot- analysis. html  © Copyright Syd Stewart 2008 (2)| | |

Typology of Phraseological Units in English

Typology of phraseological units in English Difference in terminology (â€Å"set-phrases†, â€Å"idioms† and â€Å"word-equivalents† [1]) reflects certain differences in the main criteria used to distinguish types of phraseological units and free word-groups. The term â€Å"set phrase† implies that the basic criterion of differentiation is stability of the lexical components and grammatical structure of word-groups. There is a certain divergence of opinion as to the essential features of phraseological units as distinguished from other word-groups and the nature of phrases that can be properly termed â€Å"phraseological units†.The habitual terms â€Å"set-phrases†, â€Å"idioms†, â€Å"word-equivalents† are sometimes treated differently by different linguists. However these terms reflect to certain extend the main debatable points of phraseology which centre in the divergent views concerning the nature and essential features of phraseological units as distinguished from the so-called free word-groups [2, p. 100]. The term â€Å"set expression† implies that the basic criterion of differentiation is stability of the lexical components and grammatical structure of word-groups.The term â€Å"word-equivalent† stresses not only semantic but also functional inseparability of certain word-groups, their aptness to function in speech as single words. The term â€Å"idioms† generally implies that the essential feature of the linguistic units under consideration is idiomaticity or lack of motivation. Uriel Weinreich expresses his view that an idiom is a complex phrase, the meaning of which cannot be derived from the meanings of its elements. He developed a more truthful supposition, claiming that an idiom is a subset of a phraseological unit.Ray Jackendoff and Charles Fillmore offered a fairly broad definition of the idiom, which, in Fillmore’s words, reads as follows: â€Å"†¦an idi omatic expression or construction is something a language user could fail to know while knowing everything else in the language†. Chafe also lists four features of idioms that make them anomalies in the traditional language unit paradigm: non-compositionality, transformational defectiveness, ungrammaticality and frequency asymmetry [6, p. 1-3].The term â€Å"idiom†, both in this country and abroad, is mostly applied to phraseological units with completely transferred meanings, that is, to the ones in which the meaning of the whole unit does not correspond to the current meanings of the components. According to the type of meaning phraseological units may be classified into: †¢Idioms; †¢Semi-idioms; †¢Phraseomatic units (after Ryzhkova). Idioms are phraseological units with a transferred meaning. They can be completely or partially transferred (red tape [3, p. 740]). Semi-idioms are phraseological units with two phraseosemantic meanings: terminological and transferred (chain reaction [3, p. 10], to lay down the arms [3, p. 33]). Phraseomatic units are not transferred at all. Their meanings are literal. Other types of phraseological units are also distinguished: †¢Phrases with a unique combination of components (born companion [3, p. 138]); †¢Phrases with a descriptive meaning; †¢Phrases with phraseomatic and bound meaning (to pay attention to [3, p. 40]); †¢Set expressions (cliches) (the beginning of the end [3, p. 59]); †¢Preposition-noun phrases (for good [3, p. 311], at least [3, p. 414]); †¢Terminological expressions (general ticket [3, p. 755], civil war [3, p. 121]) (after Ryzhkova).Semantic complexity is one of the most essential qualities of phraseological units. It’s resulted from the complicated interaction of the component meanings (meaning of prototype, of semantic structure etc. ). All these components are organized into a multilevel structure [4]. Idioms contain all information in co mpressed form. This quality is typical of idioms, it makes them very capacious units (idiom is a compressed text). An idiom can provide such a bright explanation of an object that can be better than a sentence. We can compare idioms with fables (the Prodigal son [3, p. 571]).Idioms based on cultural components are not motivated (the good Samaritan [5], Lot’s wife [5], the Troy horse [5]). Phraseological meaning contains background information. It covers only the most essential features of the object it nominates. It corresponds to the basic concept, to semantic nucleus of the unit. It is the invariant of information conveyed by semantically complicated word combinations and which is not derived from the lexical meanings of the conjoined lexical components [4]. According to the class the word-combination belongs to, we single out: †¢idiomatic meaning; idiophraseomatic meaning; †¢phraseomatic meaning (after Ryzhkova). The information conveyed by phraseological units i s thoroughly organized and is very complicated. It is characterized by: 1) multilevel structure; 2) structure of a field (nucleus + periphery); 3) block-schema (after Ryzhkova). It contains 3 macro-components which correspond to a certain type of information they convey: †¢the grammatical block; †¢the phraseological meaning proper; †¢motivational macro-component (phraseological imagery; the inner form of the phraseological unit; motivation) (after Ryzhkova).Phraseological unit is a non-motivated word-group that cannot be freely made up in speech but is reproduced as a ready made unit. Reproducibility is regular use of phraseological units in speech as single unchangeable collocations. Idiomaticity is the quality of phraseological unit, when the meaning of the whole is not deducible from the sum of the meanings of the parts. Stability of a phraseological unit implies that it exists as a ready-made linguistic unit which does not allow of any variability of its lexical c omponents of grammatical structure.

Essay Sample on Biracialism The Identity Development

Essay Sample on Biracialism The Identity Development Essay on Explication from Two Themes: This novel is based mainly on the theme of biracialism. This theme has been clearly brought out in the fact that the novel is set in a family of parents from two different races. The main character in the story, Birdie, is a white girl whose parents are from different races. Her father is black, while the mother is white. She is confused to be of a Jewish-American origin. The theme of biracialism is contrasted with the theme of identity rationalization. This is well observed in the fact that the main character, Birdie, has no clear race due to the difference in the race of the parents. Her father, who is black, does not approve of her, since she is white, and often disregards her. Birdie is helped by Cole, who understands the difficulties she is going through identifying herself with her family and the rest of the world. A child identifies herself with her parent’s origins. If the parents are from different races, the child may identify herself with the race of one of the parents. Birdies mother on the other hand, is so involved with civil activities that she barely has time for her children. She is the white parent, and is the most suitable one to indentify herself with Birdie. Birdie in this case cannot be classified as an American or a Jew. She has to search for her own identity. They even go ahead and come up with their own language with her sister. They can communicate in the language very well but it cannot be understood by other people. It is in the search for her identity that one night her father, his black girlfriend and her sister leave, for a place they are later to understand to be Brazil. In the United States, interacialism is not supported. The Americans believe that the land is strictly for the whites and those from other races are considered to be evil people and may be arrest ed by the government on grounds of underground illegal activities. Biracialism in the States is often faced by many challenges. Those individuals from different races have troubles identifying themselves with the Americans. This is the reason as to why Birdie is forced to live a lie. She is forced to adopt a white identity in order to remain safe in America. The issue of biracialism in the states can be considered a disadvantage in the sense that parents from different races may be forced to separate in search of secure places where there is no racism, and where Biracialism is accepted. Biracialism often leads to individuals, especially children, lacking racial identity. This is what happened to Birdie. She does not have a race to identify herself with and is forced to adopt a different identity to be safe in the United States of America. IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT In the modern world, various different races have come in contact and have over the years learned to coexist together in a cosmopolitan world. However, this does not come or did not come without various challenges, which threatened the coexistence which many strived for. Even so, many people are faced with issues of identity and the roles that they should play in order to achieve their identity. In the novel, Caucasia by Danzy Senna, these issues are illustrated through a mixed family setting involving a mixed family in which the mother is white and the father being a black man. The white woman and the black man have got two daughters one named birdie while the other is called Cole. From this perspective, it is evident that this is a family, which is faced with a lot of racial and cultural issues, which are expressed throughout this book. The writer has illustrated the issues from one of the daughter’s perspective and managed to analyze them in an interesting way which grips the reader (Senna, 39). In the story, issues of race are outlined in various ways. As such, the novel talks of the two blood sisters who are very different in appearance. Although born from a white mother and a black father, birdie the younger sister looks white while her elder sister looks black. This fact has brought out various issues one being that people believe that birdie is an adopted child of the family. The book was set in the 1970s and 1980s a time where America was still struggling with racism issues. Such racial politics are seen to distort the lives of the two girls as they struggle with finding their own identity in a society with little or no mercy for other races. At the time, racial intolerance was still rampant, and the girls had to deal with racial politics every single day given the nature of their family. Birdie who looked white had to deal with the issue of having a black sister, as well as a black father. For birdie, it was rather difficult for her to commit to an identity since she was of mixed race but looked white. She had to also deal with her socially accepted identity on one hand and her psychological construction of her identity. The society identified birdie as a white person and for this reason she was said to be adopted by the family. To further highlight this, her sister Cole looked black in a way which did not raise any form of doubt. It was difficult for her to be able to relate with other people in society without having being declared a misfit one way or the other. It was a constant battle of family relations and identity issues over societal expectations. The family eventually splits under various racial issues as well as politics of race having the separation of the daughters when the family breaks apart. Cole goes with her father while birdie goes with her white mo ther. This shows the strain of maintaining a multiracial family at the time which is posed by society, as well as family individuals. The splitting of the family also posed a lot of strain on the two girls finding their own identity amidst social and personal expectations. Birdie is said to be like a chameleon that has to keep changing in order to fit in society. At one point Birdie in Caucasia asks â€Å"what is the point of surviving if you have to disappear?†(Senna 29). This line shows how issues eg identity will influence the lives of many people. The reason for this being that every person such as birdie in this novel will have to construct their own identity either based on societal expectations or in relation to personal and individual views. From the novel Caucasia, it is evident that multiracial marriages at the time were encountered with very many issues leading to such marriages being dissolved. Birdie and Cole’s parents split due to strained relations brought about by issues of race (Senna 55). This further brought about issues of identity confusion especially to children born the mixed families. Interracial differences at the time of setting the novel was highly magnified leading to rampant and reckless discrimination. Even multiracial families brought together by love seemed to crumble with time due to strained interracial relations affecting both parents and children alike. However from the novel it is evident that children in such families were much more tolerant of racial differences as opposed to their parents (Hooks, 66). Birdie lee and Cole lee despite their appearances were very close and were traumatized by their untimely separation. They also had to struggle to find their own identity amidst the racial tension evident in the book at the time. From this we learn that people have got different views about issues relating to identity and how to deal with role confusion due to construction of identity. CONCLUSION In conclusion, therefore, the novel has highlighted that identity issues will have to be determined by the person in relation to the social placing and in relation to societal expectations. The issue of man overcoming adversity shows how people will strive to overcome challenges in life. This has also been elicited well by the author.

Helping Students Move Beyond General Goals

Helping Students Move Beyond General Goals Once you have determined a general goal and you think you know why it appeals to you, you are ready to write it in a way that will help you make it happen. Goals Studies of successful people have shown that they write goals that contain similar elements. To write a goal like winners do, be sure that: It is stated in a positive way. (eg. I will... not, I might or I hope...It is obtainable. (Be realistic, but dont sell yourself short.)It involves your behavior and not someone elses.It is written.It includes a way to measure successful completion.It includes the specific date when you will begin working on the goal.It includes a projected date when you will reach the goal.If it is a big goal, it is divided into manageable steps or sub-goals.The projected dates for working on and completion of sub-goals are specified. Despite the length of the list, great goals are easy to write. The following are examples of goals containing the necessary components. General Goal: I will be a better basketball player during this year.Specific Goal: I will get 18 baskets in 20 tries by June 1, 2009.I will begin working on this goal January 15, 2009.General Goal: I will become an electrical engineer some day.Specific Goal: I will have a job as an electrical engineer by January 1, 2015.I will begin working on this goal February 1, 2009.General Goal: I will go on a diet.Specific Goal: I will lose 10 pounds by April 1, 2009.I will begin dieting and exercising February 27, 2009. Now, write your general goal. (Be sure to start with I will.) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now make it more specific by adding the manner of measurement and projected completion date. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I will begin working on this goal on (date) _______________________________ Considering how completing this goal will benefit you is quite important because this benefit will be the source of motivation for the work and sacrifice needed to complete your goal. To remind yourself why this goal is important to you, complete the sentence below. Use as much detail as you can by imagining the goal completed. Begin with, I will benefit by meeting this goal because... _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Because some goals are so big that thinking about them makes us feel overwhelmed, it is necessary to break them into sub goals or the steps you need to take in order to meet your major goal. These steps should be listed below along with a projected date for completion. Creating Sub-Goals Since this list will be used to schedule your work on these steps, you will save time if you set up a table on another piece of paper with a wide column for listing the steps, and a number of columns to the side which will eventually be used to indicate time periods. On a separate sheet of paper, make a table with two columns. To the right of these columns, attach gridded or graph paper. See the image at the top of the page for an example. After you have listed the steps you will need to complete in order to attain your goal, estimate the date by which you can complete all of them. Use this as your projected ending date. Next, turn this table into a Gantt chart by labeling columns to the right of completion date with appropriate time periods (weeks, months, or years) and color in the cells for the times you will work on a particular step. Project management software usually contains features for making Gantt charts and make the job more fun by automatically changing related charts when you make a change in any one of them. Now that you have learned to write a great specific goal and to schedule sub-goals on a Gantt chart, you are ready to learn how to maintain your motivation and momentum. Back to Goals and Resolutions: Writing Great Goals

Various Key Competencies of The Crocs Inc Shoe Company Case Study

Various Key Competencies of The Crocs Inc Shoe Company - Case Study Example Crocs Inc can employ this strategy through making shoes from foam clogs (a croslite material) manufactured by a Canadian company (Snyder, 2011). This material is a mixture of inexpensive ingredients from many suppliers. This material is very easy to wash with water and it does not slip on wet boat decks. It prevents bad odor because of the presence of large ventilation holes. The foam is closely celled in shape of the wearer’s foot to provide maximum comfort. These new designs of shoes may be sold to sailors from a leased warehouse. They can also have a brand name â€Å"clogs†, which can capture the attention of many sailors. Synder (2011) postulates that the company may also hire experienced consultants in combination with their own representatives and distributors who will be experienced in sales and marketing to manage its sales and control costs. A supply chain that provides a competitive advantage can also be developed by Crocs Inc managers. Through this supply chain, retailers can place bulk orders to be supplied during the selling season. These orders can be quickly manufactured and shipped to new retail stores. This will no doubt offer a competitive advantage over other manufacturers. Crocs Inc may also expand through acquiring ideas from executives, Flextronics, and built infrastructure. The shoe company can also launch their sales worldwide to increase profits. It can also be helpful in getting a brand name that would stand out in the competing market in Europe (Snyder, 2011). Funky looking shoes would then be introduced in the market. The company should buy most of the competitors’ stakes so as to take control of the market. The company should also consider increasing more shoe companies. This can be done by opening more branches in different territories around the world. These new companies will add more ideas to the business and increase the rate of growth.