Chinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart Essay - 1187 Words

Throughout â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe, aspects of Igbo culture are presented to the reader in order for them to obtain a grasp on how people from a part of Africa live. For the majority of Part I, different sides of Igbo culture are relayed to the reader predominantly through the 3rd person, as well as through the perspective of Okonkwo, in order to gain the understanding that these people do indeed, have a rich, intricate, and sophisticated way of life. However, things turn for the worse and in Parts II and III, where Achebe recreates the conflict between European and Igbo cultures at the turn of the twentieth century by focusing on the cataclysmic changes introduced by the forces of Christianity and colonialism, and how they destroyed the strong foundation of the once proud Igbo people. The first real beginning of conflict between the Europeans and the Igbo began in Chapter 15, with the arrival of the first white man on his iron horse (pg. 120). The elders of the village consulted the Oracle and were told that the white man would soon be followed by others like him and that the white men would destroy their way of life, so for fear of what might happen if they did not take action, the Igbos slaughtered the white man out of blind conviction. Not long after the fact, other white men massacred the people of the village after discovering that the natives killed the first white man who came to their village with their ‘powerful guns’ and horses which theShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1719 Words   |  7 PagesThings fall apart is a classic novel written around the turn of the century, the novel focuses on the protagonist who we can also call a hero, Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected leader within the Igbo tribe of Umuofia in e astern Nigeria. Strong individual with a passionate belief in all the values and traditions of his people. Chinua Achebe presents Okonkwo as a particular kind of tragic protagonist, a great man who carries the fate of his people. Okonkwo is a man who is inflexible andRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1033 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Chinua Achebe is a famous Nigerian novelist in worldwide. Things fall apart is Chinua Achebe’s first novel published in 1958, the year after Ghana became the first African nation to gain independence. And this novel is one of the first African novels to gain worldwide recognition. (Phil Mongredien, 2010) This novel presents people a story of an African Igbo tribal hero, Okonkwo, from his growth to death. The fate of Okonkwo also indicates the fate of Africa caused by the colonizationRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart883 Words   |  4 Pagesdehumanize the native population and convince themselves that they are helping. Chinua Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart attempts to correct these misguided views of African societies by portraying a more complex culture that values peace, and the art of conversation. Achebe also tries to portray the idea that not all European people they come in contact with are aggressive, and misconstrued in their view of the African societ ies. Achebe tries to show us the value of his society through repeated views into conversationsRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1410 Words   |  6 PagesTeddy Manfre Ms. Blass ENG 209-001 April 24, 2017 Things Fall Apart In 1958, Chinua Achebe a famous Nigerian author publishes one of his most famous novels Things Fall Apart. The novel takes place in a Nigerian village called Umuofia. During the time that this novel is published Nigeria is being criticized by the Europeans for being uncivilized. In response, Achebe uses his brilliance in this novel to express the valued history of his people to his audience. His focus in the novel is on the pre-colonizedRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1015 Words   |  5 PagesIn his novel Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe utilizes his distinctive writing style in order to accurately capture the culture and customs of the Igbo people despite writing his story in a foreign language. Five aspects of Achebe’s style that make his writing unique is the straightforward diction present in dialogue, the inclusion of native parables convey Igbo life authentically, the inclusion of native Igbo words and phrases, detailed descriptions of nature and the usage of figurative languageRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1702 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: Things Fall Apart Biographical information about the author: Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. He had an early career as a radio host, and later became the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria. After moving to America, he became an English professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Achebe has won numerous awards for his poetry and fiction, including the Man Booker prize and Commonwealth Poetry Price. He currently teaches at Bard College. Author: Chinua AchebeRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart Essay1347 Words   |  6 PagesCulture is an Important Element of Society Chinua Achebe is the author of when Things Fall Apart while Joseph Conrad authored Heart of Darkness. Conrad and Achebe set their individual titles in Africa; Achebe is an African writer whereas Conrad is Polish-British. The authors draw strength from their backgrounds to validity the authenticity of their fictional novels. Conrad writes from his experiences in the British and French navies while Achebe uses his African heritage. The theme of culture isRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1248 Words   |  5 PagesChris Lowndes Ms. Cook A.P.L.C. 21 October 2015 We Are Family: Hardships in One s Family in Things Fall Apart Specific attributes correlate with each other to help create or not create the ideal strong family. However, through those attributes arise conflicts and major disputes. This issue of trying to achieve and create a strong family is of immense importance in one’s life, especially in Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart, a milestone in African literature. For instance, the father leaves his legacyRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagescertain degree of the priest class, libation, holidays, creation stories, divine systems of punishments and rewards. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a story of tragic fall of a protagonist and the Igbo culture. Achebe demonstrates different examples and situations of where an African culture, in the instances of tribal religions, did certain things because of their tradition is and the way they developed into. African cultures pondered life mysteries and articulated theirRead Mo reChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1314 Words   |  6 PagesChinua Achebe masterpiece â€Å"Things Fall Apart† (1959) is the classic story of Okonkwo, a young man who strives to be revered by his village and family but because of his own internal character flaws meets his own demise. In the Igbo culture, family traditions are an important narrative throughout the novel. Okonkwo, the protagonist character of this story, begins with many attributes of what would be concluded as a hero with his cultural society. He is hard working, a material provider, feared and

Fitness program for Football Free Essays

Many things affect your performance in games. Training preparation and fitness definitely affect your performance in games this is because when you train you improve everything needed to play football. If you exercise and train on cardiovascular endurance therefore you can last a whole game without tiring which is great because then you can play without the team having the strain of carrying you through the match. We will write a custom essay sample on Fitness program for Football or any similar topic only for you Order Now So if you train you become fitter if the training involves steady progression, this will enable you to play the game without tiring or straining yourself to hard. The better and more you exercise won’t just affect your fitness it affects all three aspects of your health. The three aspects of health are social, mental and physical well-being. If you do exercise the social well-being would improve because you go to classes and meet people and make new friends so exercise = more friends+ and greater social well being. Exercise helps your mental well-being because you deal with stress and new skills and tactics giving you focus and determination. It also helps when the day is bad for oneself you can go out and relieve stress and tension that has built up during the day. Exercise helps physically because overweight people burn body fat and skinny people build muscles and give them a nice shape. It also prevents heart disease and high blood pressure, back pain and some cancers. Swimming and walking help people with asthma and all this gives a higher life expectancy so exercise looks good for everyone but too much can cause illness and make yo u more susceptible to flu. The reason for training is to improve your ability to take part in physical activity. Training has certain principles that apply no matter no matter what sport you undertake. These are: (S) Specificity (P) Progression (O) Overload (R) Reversibility (T) This is there because it is a simple way of remembering the principles of training Specificity Any type of training must be suitable or specific to the activity that you are training for E.g. A strength building programme will not train your body in order to run a marathon. Aswell as choosing a type of training you may wish to train concentrate on part of the body too E.g. strength building on the legs. SPECIFIC EXERCISES WILL NOT PRODUCE SPECIFIC RESULTS Each activity will have different specific demands. Most physical activities require a combination of exercises and it is important to analyse exactly what is required and those requirements can be met. It will even be necessary to identify relevant muscle groups. Overload This is making the body work harder than normal in order to improve it. Overload can be achieved in the following ways. Frequency of training: To start with you may only train twice a week with a recovery period in between. This could be increased to every other day and then to five times a week to create overload. Intensity: You can increase the intensity by simply working harder at the training method you are using e.g. twenty minute jog at 50 % of max speed increased to twenty minute jog at 60 % of max speed. Time/ Duration: Refers to the length of each training session and this should be made longer to achieve overload. Unfortunately we can’t increase the time of each session because we are confined to lesson times. Your body responds to overload by adapting to it. Used sensibly it will lead to an improvement. Progression The training you are doing and particularly the amount of overload must be increased progressively. In other words, as your adapts to the increased demands that you are putting on it, then that demand should be steadily increased. If you sty at the same level so will your fitness, but you must not do too much too soon, this will lead to injury. Reversibility If you either stop or decrease your training you go into reverse and lose the effect. There are three heart rate zones they are normal, which is below 60% of your highest heart rate and there is aerobic respiration, which is above 60% of your max heart rate, and below 85% of max heart rate then there is anaerobic respiration, which is above 85% of max heart rate. When your heart rate is normal this means no benefit from training so this is bad so I have to make myself go above 60% of my max heart rate for someone my age because everyone has a different heart rate. It is believed that your max heart rate is 220- your own age e.g. 220 – 15 = 205 beats a minute which is extremely fast therefore 123 is my aerobic point and 174 is my anaerobic point. A way you can see your anaerobic point is on this graph: To make my fitness programme effective for my current level of fitness I will use many bits of information gathered such as the results from nine fitness tests preformed in class times also I will use whether recent illness has effected my performance of late. The results were in a table like this one: This table shows that I had an average attempt but can improve in allot of areas so I will focus on these areas. The areas that most concerns me is co-ordination and reactions this is because they are needed most of the time playing football e.g. when I need to dribble and look up for options so this is good when a cross can get into the box. Reactions are needed in football when the ball can’t be seen when it is crossed then at the last minute you see it and need to control it. So in my programme I will be using this information to get these different fitness components improved. Over the last two weeks I have had lots to eat this being bad food for fitness because it is that time of year so this may effect my ability at the start of the course. I have had no real illness but the slight illness has now gone and I am back to normal and fighting fit. My football skills always need to be improved so I will use practices to improve passing and shooting techniques so these will be included to my fitness programme. Also I will do a little on control because it makes no harm practicing that. You should always do a warm up before each main activity because it is light exercise to get the blood pumping around the body. Also during a warm up your muscles get by the blood flowing around them gets faster and this lowers the risk of injury. The warm up also heats up synovial fluid this makes joints more mobile. When stretching in a warm up this helps muscles, tendons and ligaments from getting strained. When doing simple skills this your muscles but also helps psychologically. So this light exercise helps all three elements of health if doing in a group. In a good warm up before any sport there should be three main phases a gross body movement stage where by you do simple jogging for a long time doing such things as bringing your knees up to your chest, flicking your bottom with your heels then when you feel it is good gradually get faster into sprinting. This is to get the blood pumping around your body this also may improve slightly on cardio vascular endurance. Remember go from slow to a faster speed. My gross body movement arrangement can be shown in this diagram: The second stage of any warm up should be stretching this will help loosen the main joints this also helps to stop muscles, tendons and ligaments straining. The stretching phase should start from your ankles upwards stretching nearly every muscle. To improve flexibility you should stretch from 10-30 seconds and doing it regularly should be 8-10 seconds. The stretches used should be one as these: The next stage in the warm up is the skills stage, which helps the psychological side giving focus and determination. In this stage there should be simple tasks, which involve skills needed in a game e.g. passing against the wall controlling it and passing again and other various simple tasks. After the main activity there should be a cool down this should be included because helps your body recover after vigorous activity. Like the warm up this has phases but only two they are gross body movement and stretching. The gross body movement stage this time is to give oxygen to the muscles meaning lactic acid can be removed thus giving the muscle less stiffness. During the warm up you go from slow to fast this time go from fast to slow. Use many of the techniques shown in section five on the warm up. Finish off the cool down with some stretches this should loosen your muscles and prevent stiffness because usually after exercise muscles are often tight. As before in the warm up go from ankles upwards. Use the stretches shown in the warm up section. To monitor my performance of my activities in the 6 sessions I will use this table: I have used this table because it sets a target for each session and shows how close I was to meeting the target so if my sessions are good I should reach the target easily each time. I will make sure that the area is safe for others and myself. I will pack things away and leave them in safe places and make sure they are out of the way. I will try to set up things in an area that is out of the way of other people so noone is harmed. I will put things away immediately away after use. I will wear suitable clothing that is easy to do all the activities required. How to cite Fitness program for Football, Papers

Catcher In The Rye Theme Essay Example For Students

Catcher In The Rye Theme Essay The Catcher in the RyeIn Jerome David Salingers book The Catcher in the Rye the difficulties In Holdens life sends you through a thrilling adventure through all Holden have been through. The short story Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut also shows the drama of a little girl named Ramona. Ramona has an alcohol addictive mother who thinks Ramona is in serious trouble. Ramonas mother creates an imagery friend from Ramona to help her out with things and to keep her company while she is playing. In The Catcher in the Rye Holden does not have an imagery friend but he does have friends to talk to when he needs someone to talk to. Through all lifes unexpected happenings Holden and Ramona rose to the occasion or fell to the pressures. The book The Catcher in the Rye is centered on Holden Caulfield, a seventeen-year-old narrator and central character of the novel. He addresses the reader directly from a mental hospital or sanitarium in southern California. Holden begins at Pencey Prep, a private sch ool in Pennsylvania, on the Saturday afternoon of the traditional football game with school rival, Saxon Hall. Holden finds himself in many unusual situations. He keeps running away from home and not even thinking of turning back. He went to New York one time to experience life there. Holdens conflicts are like what Salinger had growing up. Holden lost a very important person to him, his brother. Salinger also lost many close family members too. In the end Holden is at the sanitarium in California. He doesnt want to tell us any more. The whole story has only made him miss people, such as his brother. The short story Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut was another short story written by Salinger. In Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, Eloise an alcoholic mother believes that her little girl Ramona is in serious trouble. She has a make believe friend named Jimmy who provides her with the entertainment that lacks in her neighborhood. Eloise once loved Walt Glass, who died over seas in an explosion. Seeking a love for replacement, she found Lew whose role in this story is that he once referred to Eloises hurt ankle as uncle wiggily. In a drunken rage, Eloise forces her daughter to sleep in the middle of her bed. This is also related to The Catcher in the Rye and Salingers life in the fact that everyone has lost a loved one in their life. Holden his brother, Salinger his family member, and Eloise her husband. Salinger chooses to write stories like this to show that salvation is possible, and that we are not all fated to a life of phoniness and disgust. One of the themes in the story is emotions. T his is the main theme. I have brought this up before about each person in the novel dieing. Thats where all the emotions come from. Whenever you lose a family member or someone close to you youre bound to show emotion. As in the two stories and in Salingers life. Holden showed emotion when he was fail in high school. Holden said, Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules. Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it. Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then its a game, all rightIll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there arent any hot-shots, then whats a game about it? Nothing. No game. (Chapter 2) That showed some of Holdens emotions in the beginning of the novel. Mr. Antolini said, I have a feeling that youre riding for some kind of terrible, terrible fall. . . . The whole arrangements designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldnt s upply them with. . . . So they gave up looking. ( Chapter 24) Holden has just left his parents apartment, following his conversation with Phoebe, and he is reaching a point of serious insecurity, having just bursting into tears. Phoebe lent him her Christmas money. He goes to Mr. Antolinis because he feels he can trust and open your heart to in him. This is another emotion Holdne had. .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d , .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .postImageUrl , .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d , .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:hover , .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:visited , .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:active { border:0!important; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:active , .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u45806c490039dc9568858269a60dc08d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: MENTAL ILLNESS EssayNew York is a symbol in this story. I see New York as a fast moving city. In The Catcher in the Rye, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut and Salingers own life they were all fast moving and at a fast paced action. Very Similar to New York which has people moving from building to building and sidewalk packed to the limit. In Holdens life, main character in The Catcher in the Rye, he has to move on from his brother dieing. He moves on from that pretty fast. In Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut Eloise moves on fast from the passing away of her husband. New York is also where Holden shows his individuality and independence. Holden says, Ackley took another look at my h at . . . Up home we wear a hat like that to shoot deer in, for Chrissake, he said. Thats a deer shooting hat. Like hell it is. I took it off and looked at it. I sort of closed one eye, like I was taking aim at it. This is a people shooting hat, I said. I shoot people in this hat. ( Chapter 3)Holden uses the hat as a mark of individuality and independence. We see how deeply his desire for independence is connected to his feeling of isolation, to the anger he has for the rest of the world. The last is characterization and the Will to move on. Everyone in their respected books or life moved on from their troubles and difficulties in life. They all went their separate ways in order to be happy. Holden tried to ignore his past and move on from it. Holden said, The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobodyd move. . . . Nobodyd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.(Chapter 16) He meant by that that after moving on people may not be different but he would. Holden would change in personality, character, and sprit and also would change his mind direction in life. In conclusion Salingers life, The Catcher in the Rye and Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut are not all that different books. They have many similar characteristics. Then again each book does have their own differences. As would any two books. Many people prefer The Catcher in the Rye because of its direction of teenage rebellion, but I enjoyed Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut because of the little humor in it. In the end Holden says,Im standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliffI mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. Thats all Id do all day. Id just be the catcher in the rye and all.Salinger does a great job of relating many aspects in each of his books and that is why he is a great author. 1.Hale, John K. J.D. Salinges Catcher in the Rye. Blooms Notes. 1996. Chesum House Publisher. 2.Simmons, Joseph.No Catcher in the Rye. In Modern Fiction Studies, Vol. IX, NO 4, Winter, 1963-64. pp 370-76. 3.Topper, Martha. In Memoriam: Allie Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. In Mosaic. Vol. XV, No1 Canter, 1982. pp 129-40.

Market Potential Index Essay Essay Example

Market Potential Index Essay Paper What are the indexs used in developing this index? Market Potential Index was developed to assist companies compare emerging market with each other so they can find which market to come in and the appropriate selling schemes for those states. Eight dimensions were used to make the index ; each measured utilizing different indexs ( Global EDGE ) . Market size is measured utilizing indexs such as urban population and electricity ingestion. Market growing rate is measured utilizing Average one-year growing rate of primary energy usage and Real GDP growing rate. Turning markets will demo increase demand for merchandises. Market strength is measured utilizing GNI per capita and private ingestion as a per centum of GDP. Market Consumption Capacity is measured utilizing Percentage portion of middle-class in consumption/income. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Potential Index Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Market Potential Index Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Market Potential Index Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Commercial Infrastructure is measured utilizing indexs like Cellular Mobile endorsers. Main Telephone lines. Number of PC’s bought. figure of internet users. Paved route denseness. per centum of family with Television and population per retail mercantile establishment. Economic freedom relates to the grade of economic and political freedom occupants enjoy. It is measured utilizing indexs such as economic freedom index and political freedom index. Market Receptivity related to sum of imports a state consumes and the willingness to seek forging merchandises. It is measured utilizing Per capita imports from US and Trade as a per centum of GDP from state trade informations. State hazard is measured utilizing the index state hazard evaluation from state hazard study Which of the indexs. in your sentiment. would hold a greater impact for a company that markets laptop computing machines? I think the dimension of Commercial Infrastructure would hold a greater impact for a company that markets laptop computing machine because it is measured utilizing a really relevant index of figure of Pcs ( per 1000 dwellers ) . This dimension besides created utilizing indexs such as figure of cellular nomadic endorsers. chief telephone lines and figure of internet users. All these indexs are really utile in finding if the market is favourable to come in because if the market has high figure of internet users or telephone and Personal computer proprietors. it might demo the company that the market has already been tapped by other companies and possibly motivate them to look at other markets. where commercial substructure is moderate or low. Using the MPI. which states would be ideal for this company to come in? Why? I think that China would be ideal for the laptop company to come in because it has a high market size and market growing rate but a moderate to low commercial substructure. The manner I am reading the MPI. It means that China has room to turn in the commercial substructure country and a laptop company could capitalise on this great chance. Whereas. Hong Kong. Czech Republic and South Korea are rated high for commercial substructure. which could means that those markets might hold good established laptop companies and non deserving it for this company to come in and vie. On the other manus. you besides have to take into history other seven dimensions because a market might hold low commercial substructure and potency to turn but besides have really high state hazard. low economic growing and market size for this laptop company to enter. Using the same logic and taking into history other seven indexs. I think some other ideal states for this company to come in along would China would be Turkey. India. Singapore. Peru. Mexico. and Malaysia.

Education Standards in Todays Society Essays

Education Standards in Todays Society Essays Education Standards in Todays Society Essay Education Standards in Todays Society Essay Peter Broughan once stated Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave. In today’s society, a quality education being provided during the most impressionable years of a child’s life is essential to the development and success of our children. One of the most prevalent problems in our educational system today is the variation in the quality of education that children are provided. The quality of education tends to be a reflection of the affluence, or lack there of, in the communities that children come from. In order for a child to succeed in today’s society, a high quality, well balanced education is imperative. The curriculum, classroom size, resources, funding and management of the classroom are all factors that help contribute to and establish this educational quality. Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson passed several legislative acts between 1975 and 1976, which were designed to correct the many inequalities that existed in the public education system. As previously mentioned, these inequalities included the access to as well as the quality of education that poor and minority students received as opposed to their non-minority or privileged counterparts. As a result of these reforms, every child is now required to be enrolled in some form of public or private education, which is known as Compulsory Education Law. These laws worked well to insure that all children were enrolled in some sort of educational program, however, it seems to have fallen short in its goal to address the value of the education that is provided. Although compulsory education was implemented with the intent of creating all men equally, without the â€Å"quality† of the education being equal the very purpose of the law goes unserved. Compulsory educational laws mandate that a child be enrolled in an educational curriculum by a certain age ( age five to six in 32 states) and remain enrolled until age 16 in 26 states and 17 to 18 in the remaining states. Many officials argue that age should not be used as a measure of determining a child’s readiness to enter school and be successful. The issue that we need to keep sight of is that if children are allowed to enter school at younger and younger ages, many people may choose to enroll their children in school although the child may not be ready to learn from and be held to standards of a structured curriculum. In essence, without age limits imposed, the school system may eventually be used as a cheaper alternative to daycare. This increase in attendance would increase the need for additional teachers and resources as well as increase class sizes. These additional needs would eventually pose added stress to an already faltering educational system. Classroom size is one of the most critical components of a quality education. The number of students that are being provided instruction by a single teacher can affect how much each student actually learns in a number of different ways. A prime example of this is my daughter’s high school. Over the past three years, the number of children in one class has risen from approximately 22-25 children per class to nearly 40 students due to budget restraints and teacher lay-offs. With this increase in class size, my daughter has regularly complained of distractions by other students, discomfort due to the close quarters. She has also talked about the inability of the teacher to gain and maintain control of the class in a timely manner so that a descent period of instruction can be given. As a result, the children who are willing to learn are left to study independently or â€Å"wing it† on tests that contain material which the teacher was unable to cover during the class period. The larger classroom sizes also cause a child to be less willing to ask for extra assistance. In a more intimate setting a child may feel more comfortable in saying he or she does not understand. It may also be much easier for a teacher to notice that a child is struggling, even if the child doesn’t ask, and provide the individualized attention that a child may require. With larger classes also comes more conflict among students which may stem from cramped conditions or the disruptive behavior of some students. In addition to classroom size being an issue, a larger issue lies with the variance in curriculum. Some measures should be put in place to establish a common standard for things such as grading scales, text books used, and basic curriculum that is covered. If a child graduates from a high school which is known to have lower educational standards, this child is automatically placed at a significant disadvantage among his or her peers when applying to institutions of higher learning. In the American culture, success and development is generally defined by an individual’s education level, which leads to other things such as social status, and employment. Without a sound educational foundation, one generally cannot expect to secure a well paying, meaningful job. The problem with this measure of success lies in the lack of uniformity in the education system. For example, a child who attends high school in the state of California is required to have 120 credits completed and pass the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) in order to graduate. In contrast, a high school student in the state of South Carolina is required to have a total of 24 credits completed and pass the South Carolina High School Exit Exam. This difference in requirements poses a significant issue to children that may transfer from one state to another, such as dependents of military members. When a child transfers from California to South Carolina, as my daughters, did, many things get â€Å"lost in translation†. Upon transfer, my daughter lost three credits that were deemed â€Å"useless† by South Carolina’s education system and was forced to compensate for this by attending additional classes in an after school and online setting. In addition, she has also had to take the South Carolina High School Exit Exam despite the fact that she passed the California High School Exit Exam in during her sophomore year in California. Establishing a national common curriculum standard which all children have to master prior to graduating high school would essentially level the paying field when it cam to children applying to institutions of higher learning. It would also make it easier for colleges and universities to translate the various high school classes and grade levels that appear with each new applicant. If this cycle of inequality continues, many schools in underprivileged areas will continue to graduate students that lack the basic skills to properly function in society while schools in more affluent communities continue to turn out future leaders. Compulsory education helps to prepare children to be productive and functional members of society as well as teaching them citizenship skills as well as tolerance and cultural diversity which is needed for them to become functional and productive members of society. Although the thought of moving away from compulsory education may be alluring with the rise in home schooling and other means of alternative education, the real answer is not to deviate from the plan, but to improve upon it. Malcolm Forbes once stated Educations purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. I believe that if a child enters and exits our educational system with the knowledge and confidence that he has been provided with an education that is just as valuable and thorough as his peers, we have succeeded in arming that child with the strength and confidence needed to succeed in all of his endeavors. Weaver, Reg. â€Å"Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization: Improving NCLB to Close the Achievement Gap. Senate Committee on Health, Education, and Pensions and the House Committee on Education and Labor. 13 March 2007. 06 Nov. 2010. Print. Compulsory Education. National Conference of State Legislatures. N. p.. n. d. Web. 06 Nov. 2010. ncsl. org/programs/educ/CompulsoryEd. htm Ivan Illich. â€Å"Deschooling Society. † Cuernavaca, Mexico. Nov 1970. Web. 7 Nov 2010. preservenet. com/theory/Illich/Deschooling/intro. html ETNI-English Teacher’s Network. Education Quotes. 20 Nov. 2010. etni. org. il/quotes/education. htm

Across the Nightingale Floor

Written by the pseudonymous Australian author, Lian Hearn embraces a contemporary writing style, and her novel shows little resemblance to that of Australian literature. Based on high recommendations from my peers and seeing that the novel was intended for teens of both genders, I was compelled to explore this novel. Although a well written quest, I believe that it is an inappropriate book for high school study due to its incomplex storyline and weak moral sense. In the mythic novel, Takeo, a young boy living in the Three Countries, is on a quest to kill Iida, the callous leader of the Tohan clan, after Iida burnt Takeo’s village and killed his family. Takeo is taken in by Lord Shigeru and begins training as a warrior. Having being brought up by the Hidden, a peaceful clan who are against war, Takeo demonstrates reluctance to kill. This creates problems in his training and his teacher is determined to help him overcome this. Across the Nightingale Floor takes on a traditional and contemporary trend, incorporating ideas such as teenage love and arranged marriages. Gender discourses are embedded within the novel and are shown through the domination of males over females. Being a female, Kaede is without freedom and is forced into an arranged marriage with no objection. Lord Iida on the other hand, being a domineering male, overpowers Kaede. The majority of the novel consists of a war discourse which is apparent through the feud between Lord Shigeru and Iida. Family discourses are also seen at the very beginning of the novel with Takeo’s family. Contrasting themes are cleverly entwined, as the novel revolves around strong themes such as love, beauty, honour, vengeance and death. Love is portrayed through many parts of the novel; Takeo and Kaede, Lord Shigeru and Lady Maruyama and all the friendships and alliances that Takeo and Kaede make throughout the novel. Beauty is shown through Kaede’s striking appearance which men die for. Honour is seen in Kaede’s obligation to marry, as well as Takeo’s pledge to avenge Iida. Vengeance and death are portrayed in both Iida and Lord Shigeru’s death, and is also present throughout the entire novel as Takeo seeks to kill Iida. In terms of moral perspectives, Across the Nightingale Floor does not depict conceptions of peace as it holds many unethical ideas. Although mentioned early in the novel, Takeo’s religious upbringing is overlooked as his trainings as a warrior requires him to kill. Iida’s vindictive character is emphasized through his intentions of strengthening his power base by destroying defenceless villages. Innocent village inhabitants are brutally punished by Iida through methods such as suspending them in midair to be further eaten alive by crows. Such immoral concepts would not be suitable for school students to absorb. While the novel contains figurative language, it is also accompanied by plain prose which dissatisfies the story, and the reader’s opportunity to broaden their vocabulary is miniscule. Through the course of the novel, the reader follows three perspectives: The protagonist, Takeo, Kaede, and the narrator. Much confusion is brought about as the story switches from first person to third person, and a considerable level of concentration is required. The reader is needed to position themself in three perceptions, as well as being able to sympathize for both Takeo and Kaede. The novel’s intermittent pace also further complicates things as the author fails to describe the situations in detail. An example of this is the death of Takeo’s family. Although Takeo’s grievance for his dead family is obvious, it is difficult for the reader to sympathize for him due to their lack of understanding of his family bonds, caused by a deficiency in information. It can be easily assumed that the imagery contained in Across the Nightingale Floor is based on feudal Japan. A tell-tale sign of quests, the maps at the very beginning of the book lead to this preconception. Although this is the case, very little references are made to the surroundings within the novel, consequently decreasing the reader’s ability to visualize the exotic Japanese backdrop. Most of the characters’ thoughts are incoherent within the novel. Takeo’s thoughts on his new-found supernatural powers are unheard of, as well as what he thinks of having to use weapons, something which disagrees with his anti-war nature. As the antagonists of the novel, Iida and his men are undeveloped characters and do not seem to make much progress throughout the novel. They are not given a chance to portray their strengths, nor are they seen to fall. Because Takeo’s role as a warrior conflicts his reluctance to kill, his personality is divided thoroughout the whole novel. Takeo takes the centre of the many conflicts between the other characters, and this mainly influences and emphasizes his divided nature. As a result, Takeo’s issues remain at the end of the novel and he is unable to resolve them. It is evident that Australian literature is gradually dominated by simple texts and to my disappointment, Across the Nightingale Floor further highlights this issue. While its intended audience is young adults, I would recommend this novel for primary school students, due to its simple-crafted language and easy to grasp concepts. Although it may not be suitable for teens, as a children’s novel, Across the Nightingale Floor is an enjoyable read. Across the Nightingale Floor Written by the pseudonymous Australian author, Lian Hearn embraces a contemporary writing style, and her novel shows little resemblance to that of Australian literature. Based on high recommendations from my peers and seeing that the novel was intended for teens of both genders, I was compelled to explore this novel. Although a well written quest, I believe that it is an inappropriate book for high school study due to its incomplex storyline and weak moral sense. In the mythic novel, Takeo, a young boy living in the Three Countries, is on a quest to kill Iida, the callous leader of the Tohan clan, after Iida burnt Takeo’s village and killed his family. Takeo is taken in by Lord Shigeru and begins training as a warrior. Having being brought up by the Hidden, a peaceful clan who are against war, Takeo demonstrates reluctance to kill. This creates problems in his training and his teacher is determined to help him overcome this. Across the Nightingale Floor takes on a traditional and contemporary trend, incorporating ideas such as teenage love and arranged marriages. Gender discourses are embedded within the novel and are shown through the domination of males over females. Being a female, Kaede is without freedom and is forced into an arranged marriage with no objection. Lord Iida on the other hand, being a domineering male, overpowers Kaede. The majority of the novel consists of a war discourse which is apparent through the feud between Lord Shigeru and Iida. Family discourses are also seen at the very beginning of the novel with Takeo’s family. Contrasting themes are cleverly entwined, as the novel revolves around strong themes such as love, beauty, honour, vengeance and death. Love is portrayed through many parts of the novel; Takeo and Kaede, Lord Shigeru and Lady Maruyama and all the friendships and alliances that Takeo and Kaede make throughout the novel. Beauty is shown through Kaede’s striking appearance which men die for. Honour is seen in Kaede’s obligation to marry, as well as Takeo’s pledge to avenge Iida. Vengeance and death are portrayed in both Iida and Lord Shigeru’s death, and is also present throughout the entire novel as Takeo seeks to kill Iida. In terms of moral perspectives, Across the Nightingale Floor does not depict conceptions of peace as it holds many unethical ideas. Although mentioned early in the novel, Takeo’s religious upbringing is overlooked as his trainings as a warrior requires him to kill. Iida’s vindictive character is emphasized through his intentions of strengthening his power base by destroying defenceless villages. Innocent village inhabitants are brutally punished by Iida through methods such as suspending them in midair to be further eaten alive by crows. Such immoral concepts would not be suitable for school students to absorb. While the novel contains figurative language, it is also accompanied by plain prose which dissatisfies the story, and the reader’s opportunity to broaden their vocabulary is miniscule. Through the course of the novel, the reader follows three perspectives: The protagonist, Takeo, Kaede, and the narrator. Much confusion is brought about as the story switches from first person to third person, and a considerable level of concentration is required. The reader is needed to position themself in three perceptions, as well as being able to sympathize for both Takeo and Kaede. The novel’s intermittent pace also further complicates things as the author fails to describe the situations in detail. An example of this is the death of Takeo’s family. Although Takeo’s grievance for his dead family is obvious, it is difficult for the reader to sympathize for him due to their lack of understanding of his family bonds, caused by a deficiency in information. It can be easily assumed that the imagery contained in Across the Nightingale Floor is based on feudal Japan. A tell-tale sign of quests, the maps at the very beginning of the book lead to this preconception. Although this is the case, very little references are made to the surroundings within the novel, consequently decreasing the reader’s ability to visualize the exotic Japanese backdrop. Most of the characters’ thoughts are incoherent within the novel. Takeo’s thoughts on his new-found supernatural powers are unheard of, as well as what he thinks of having to use weapons, something which disagrees with his anti-war nature. As the antagonists of the novel, Iida and his men are undeveloped characters and do not seem to make much progress throughout the novel. They are not given a chance to portray their strengths, nor are they seen to fall. Because Takeo’s role as a warrior conflicts his reluctance to kill, his personality is divided thoroughout the whole novel. Takeo takes the centre of the many conflicts between the other characters, and this mainly influences and emphasizes his divided nature. As a result, Takeo’s issues remain at the end of the novel and he is unable to resolve them. It is evident that Australian literature is gradually dominated by simple texts and to my disappointment, Across the Nightingale Floor further highlights this issue. While its intended audience is young adults, I would recommend this novel for primary school students, due to its simple-crafted language and easy to grasp concepts. Although it may not be suitable for teens, as a children’s novel, Across the Nightingale Floor is an enjoyable read.

History of the Brooklyn Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of the Brooklyn Bridge - Essay Example After 60 years of political, financial as well as technical negotiations, John Roeblings plan was accepted, the New York Bridge Company was formed and, in the year 1869, construction of the bridge at last began. In the year 1867, a group of well-known leaders formed the New York Bridge Company for the reason of constructing as well as maintaining a bridge across the East River. Via the enabling act, the Brooklyn city subscribed for three million dollars of the capital stock, while the New York City just subscribed for one and a half million dollar. The company was allowed to fix toll rates for pedestrians as well as all kinds of vehicles, getting a profit of no more than 15% per annum. The bridge was built over fourteen years in the face of huge complicatedness. Roebling died by an accident at the onset; a fire in the Brooklyn Caisson smoldered for a few weeks; Roeblings son, Washington, who occupied the post as chief engineer, endured a crippling attack of the bends during the build ing of the Manhattan Caisson, and sustained to direct operations, sending messages to the location by his wife, Emily. After the towers were constructed, a cable parted from its port killing two people; there was fraud committed by the cable contractor (Trachtenberg, 1990). Soon after ground was broken on January 3, 1870, work on the Manhattan and Brooklyn foundations. Life in the caissons was unhappy. Immigrant laborers worked in the profound foundations, paid $2.25 per day to work in perilous circumstances lacking electricity, telephones or other conveniences.