More free stuff

More free stuff On the topic of free benefits for MIT students Tonight (Wednesday) on campus, theres a free sneak preview of Tim Burtons Corpse Bride, brought to you by the MIT Lecture Series Committee (LSC). Long-time blog readers may remember that last year around this time I attended a free sneak of the film I Heart Huckabees, and also listed some other sneaks that have previously come to MIT, including 8 Mile, Grosse Pointe Blank, School of Rock and Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. LSC frequently (i.e., several times each term) gets sneak previews of upcoming movies, and usually theyre good ones. Its a pretty sweet deal. Next week, LSC will present a lecture (which, despite their name, is a rarity, as they mostly show movies) by Bringing Down the House (you know, the book about the MIT Blackjack team) author Ben Mezrich and MIT Blackjack team member Semyon Dukach. Theyre on campus promoting Mezrichs next book, Busting Vegas, which is subtitled The MIT Whiz Kid WHo Brough the Casinos to Their Knees. The whiz kid in question is the aforementioned Mr. Dukach. The LSC website says about this lecture: This MIT community exclusive event kicks off their national book tour, which includes radio and television appearances on programs such as 20/20. Mezrichs previous work is the basis of a Hollywood screenplay with Oscar Award winning actor Kevin Spacey producing. In his latest book, Mezrich reveals Dukachs incredible adventures as the Darling of Vegas a gambling wunderkind who ransacked the most famous casinos across the globe with his unheard of system. An MIT student on the weekday, Dukach spent his weekends as a force on the casino floor, shaking casinos from Vegas to Monte Carlo for millions but risking his life in unbelievable fashion. This is the second MIT Blackjack Team-related lecture this year, the first being this past IAP; I described it at the end of this post. So, I guess the message of this entry is, if you like free new movies or want to learn how to beat the casinos, then, um, MIT is your place.

Argument Essay Heaven s Gate - 1261 Words

Emiliano Diaz CW- 5th hour Argument Essay By definition religions can be considered cults. â€Å"Great devotion to a person, idea, object or work† (Merriam-Webster). But regardless of definitions, the media has made the word â€Å"cult† become surrounded by a negative connotation. A few famous examples of cults that have made headlines in America, especially in the 1980’s and 90’s include The Manson Family, Heaven’s Gate, and Scientology. Only Scientology is still active today and they have 25,000 followers in the US (Metzger). The former was made famous for the killing of Sharon Tate and four other people in 1969. It sparked instant media attention due to Tate’s popularity as an actress. Present day, Charles Manson is in jail serving life and†¦show more content†¦An argument can be made that cults are seen as a religious construct, but cults are dangerous and need to be contained. Cults are distinct from the major and minor religions people follow and worship. These group s cause horrible harm to their members, and they get away with it with the excuse of religious freedom. But they shouldn’t be protected under the amendment. Not all harm by cults is physical, mental and emotional abuse is just as harming to a person. Being slapped or punched leaves a mark on your body for a day or two, but an insult can become tattooed on your mind. In the documentary Join Us from award winning director, Ondi Timoner, some of the members from the cult Mountain Rock Church broke off and sought counseling. At The Wellspring Resort- the only rehab center for ex-cult members in the US- they opened up about their experiences and desire to recover from the abuse they endured (Join Us). Some of the members were there for about ten to fifteen years and didn’t know how to function without someone telling them exactly what to do (Join Us). Deborah Melz, the first one to speak up on her desire to leave, details times when The Reverend would corner the kids and beat them just for being loud. Watching her kids become terrified and depressed she sought help for her family (Join Us). Although her husband, who’d been withShow MoreRelatedSociological Approach to the Study of Religion1673 Words   |  7 PagesSociology is one such approach that this essay will be looking at through its founding fathers Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx. Sociology in general looks at people’s dynamics and explains a group’s influence. It demonstrates how religious belief and practices have become so important over time and emphasises their role and significance throughout. Each of these three sociologists has a link to these ideas which will be the main thesis in this essay. Emile Durkheim looks at religion fromRead MoreAnalysis Of Alexander Pope s The Enlightenment 1411 Words   |  6 Pagesjudgement to achieve our own wholesome understanding of the world we live in. In ‘An Essay On Man’, Alexander Pope demonstrates his method of reason and the conclusions he has drawn about the world, basing his argument on optimism. Samuel Johnson, however, in ‘The History Of Rasselas Prince of Abissinia’, highlights the brutality of man as well as how man’s concept of happiness is subjective between people. In this essay I will show how the reason of Pope and Johnson differs and how their understandingsRead MoreResearch Paper: Paradise Lost1888 Words   |  8 PagesEden, also called Paradise. Its the same story you find in the first pages of Genesis, expanded by Milton into a very long, detailed, narrative poem. It also includes the story of the origin of Satan. Originally, he was called Lucifer, an angel in heaven who led his fol lowers in a war against God, and was ultimately sent with them to hell. Thirst for revenge led him to cause mans downfall by turning into a serpent and tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. SUMMARY The story opens in hellRead More Sin and Death in John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay2270 Words   |  10 PagesSin and Death in Paradise Lost      Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract: Death assumes in his original argument, with most readers of Paradise Lost, that Satan is all bad, having rejected God, and presumably that his charisma is illusory. Sin assumes, with Empson, that Satans entire career, including his corruption of Eve, is the project of an all-powerful and sinister God. By the time Satan gets to Mt. Niphates in Book IV he is convinced of both; he recognizes that his misery is his own fault for rejectingRead MoreFences: White People and Troy Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Fences† August Wilson’s famous play â€Å"Fences† is a drama set in the 1950’s. Being a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the best play of the year, this play has had many positive responses to blacks and whites in this society. It is about protagonist Troy Maxson as well as his african american family that is filled with drama and excitement. In Wilson’s Fences by Joseph Wessling he expresses, â€Å"Fences is about the always imperfect quest for true manhood. Troy’s father was less of a â€Å"true†Read MoreFall from Grace: Satan as a Spiritually Corrupt Hero in Miltons Paradise Lost2859 Words   |  12 PagesMiltons Paradise Lost Can Satan -- a being, so evil that even as an Ethereal being of Heaven, who was cast out of Gods grace - be a hero? John Miltons Satan in Paradise Lost is very much a romanticized character within the epic poem, and there has been much debate since the poems publishing in 1667 over Miltons sentiments and whether Satan is the protagonist or a hero. As an angel in God the Fathers Heaven, Satan rose up with a group of following of one-third of all of Heavens angels and triedRead MoreMythology : Mythology Of The Fierce Amazons2071 Words   |  9 Pagesgoddesses, heroes, and mythological figures flourish on university databases. However, even though these resources exist in mass quantity does not mean that they contain quality. In more precise terms, they seem to lack substance. Anyone can write an essay about the mythological women of a culture and how that projection lead to the creation of certain archetypes within that culture. But how did that mythology impact the culture? How did it influence the women of that culture or the policies and lawsRead MoreThe Vampire Lestat and the Problem of Eternal Damnation Essay3601 Words   |  15 PagesHowever bad a mortal sin is, according to the Catholic Church it can be forgiven as long as it has been confessed to an ordained priest or bishop. It is important to confess regularly as any person who is in mortal sin cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven, therefore if a person dies in a state of mortal sin they will be eternally damned to suffering in Hell. It should also be noted that Jesus died for the sins of all baptised Christians, so confession is the only way that a sinner can remain in GodsRead More Charles Dickens Hard Times and David Lodges Nice Work Essay2444 Words   |  10 PagesBritain was really â€Å"two nations†, Dickens wanted to show his readers what was behind the glittering faà §ade of Victorian industry. He wanted to show his readers the factual monotony behind the sulky blotch towns of industrial Britain. As the essay title suggests, both Lodge and Dickens have portrayed their format of an industrial landscape. Both authors’ coddle in a crestfallen environment of the industrial world: one at the height of a revolution, the other at the height of a decline. DickensRead MoreMelting Pot6314 Words   |  26 Pagesstatue is reinforced by Emma Lazarus’poem â€Å"The New Colossus†, which is inscribed on a plaque at the base of the statue. Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of exiles. From her beacon hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. â€Å"Keep, ancient

The Freedom Of Speech By The Bill Of Rights - 1569 Words

The bill of rights was created to give people the fundamentally important individual freedoms that no law could limit or take away. The quote from In Our Defense Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press greater emphasis how vital it was to make freedom of speech the main priority for the people of this nation. However, many of the stuff the people express when using this right had caused many to feel offended because they have different beliefs and values. This has led to the creation of laws which have tried and defined such broad topics into a single definite definition. Free speech is one of the several liberties given by the bill of rights to every person living in the Unites States. Such right, however, is limited in colleges where students are sheltered and not exposed to topics that are currently reshaping society in new ways. Colleges and universities are the ideal places to challenge debatable topics to better prepare students to be tolerant of the opinion of others. Free speech on college campuses is not truly free speech for the reason being that colleges use policies and school codes to regulate what is allowed to be said in a college campus. Free speech should be defined as the right to express any belief/view without restraint from the government or college campus. When talking about speech people need to understand that there is a bigShow MoreRelatedFreedom Of Speech : Bill Of Rights851 Words   |  4 Pagesin the Bill of Rights in the First Amendment the following: â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances† (Bill of Rights - Bill of Rights Institute. Bill of Rights Institute). How do these â€Å"Clauses† protect us within the First Amendment? Do we really have â€Å"freedom of speech†Rea d MoreFreedom Of Speech By The Bill Of Rights Essay1340 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversial topic that many protested for was, freedom of speech. After many years of wanting to be heard, Americans finally achieved the assurance of having a voice. The Bill of Rights was passed on December 15, 1791; commencing with the First Amendment. The First Amendments defends freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. Stated in the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment declares Congress shall make no law†¦ abridging the freedom of speech.† Thus, meaning that citizens cannot be imposedRead MoreThe Freedom Of Speech By The Bill Of Rights977 Words   |  4 Pagesand what the ones mainly pertaining to criminal justice actually meant. The First, Fourth, Fifth,Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment all provide a foundation for our criminal justice system. There are also many particular protections in The Bill of Rights. The First Amendment has many different clauses that make it up and I would say that it is the most important out of the Amendments in regards to the criminal justice system. First of all, the Establishment Clause ensures the individuals fromRead MoreFreedom Of Speech : Speech1105 Words   |  5 Pages Freedom of Speech Freedom of Speech, part of the First Amendment, is a privileged right that should not be taken lightly. The Milo Bill is said to protect students’ right to their freedom of speech on school grounds. It was introduced at Tennessee’s State House and is named after Milo Yiannopoulos, a British public speaker who made a career out of â€Å"trolling† liberals and gained publicity for uncalled-for acts, such as racist and harassing comments on Twitter, which got him banned from the socialRead MoreI Had A Dream Speech By Martin Luther King Jr.1684 Words   |  7 Pagesa dream speech† In the duration of five minutes, he made history and changed society’s view upon those with a darker skin tone. On that day he changed many opinions and views, in the matter of five minutes. He proved that we, the American people have the power to change a nation through our words. Not only can we change the world with our voice, but we can change the world through our action s. Protests and gatherings have impacted the United States civilization as we know it. Our freedom of speechRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1639 Words   |  7 PagesBefore the Bill of Rights, in 1787 the delegates of the thirteen states all got together in Philadelphia to write up the U.S Constitution. But this was only the first attempt at the constitution because there were flaws in it that needed to be fixed. This first constitution only relayed what the government could do and not what it couldn’t do. This was a problem because people in the government could do anything because there was no say in what they were not allowed to do. Another flaw was that thisRead MoreThe Importance Of The Bill Of Rights1331 Words   |  6 Pages1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified by three-fourths of the states and was therefore added to the Constitution, becoming law. Out of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, the section regarding freedom of expression within the fir st amendment and ninth amendment protect a large portion of the freedom enjoyed by the citizens of the United States. These amendments are different in what they protect: the First Amendment regarding free speech provides protection for a single, identified right, whereasRead MoreCivil Liberties are Constitutional Protections Against the Government1681 Words   |  7 PagesWe know people support rights in theory but their support may waiver when it comes time to put those rights into practice. Civil liberties are legal constitutional protections against the government, and basically, tell the government what it cannot do. Judicial interpretations shape the nature of civil liberties, and as these interpretations change over time, so do our rights. To understand the civil liberties and freedoms we have, and how they have changed, we must examine several key Supreme CourtRead MoreWhat is the Bill of Rights?1440 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bill of Rights Essay â€Å"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others.I do not add ‘within the limits of the law because law is often but the tyrants’ will,and always so when it violates the rights of the individual† -Thomas Jefferson. The Constitution was created because of the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation did not simply protecting the rights of the people which the Founding Fathers was concernedRead MoreThe English Bill of Rights: The Role Change for the Monarchy Essay836 Words   |  4 Pagesto limit the power of the crown. For this, they created The Deceleration of Rights, later known as the Bill of Rights. The English Bill of Rights changed the lives of the people of England and changed the role of citizens in Monarchy. The English Bill of Rights changed the role of citizens in Monarchy by assuring that citizens may petition the King without receiving any punishments, allowing the m have the freedom of speech and by assuring that they will not be charged with any odd punishment or a

Power of a Woman (the Colour Purple) Free Essays

The Power of Women Every country on earth is affected by a common issue – discrimination. Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially in regards to race, age, or sex. Such an issue began to affect the world in the seventeenth century, and has continued till this day. We will write a custom essay sample on Power of a Woman (the Colour Purple) or any similar topic only for you Order Now African Americans were first targeted by the Caucasian race due to the significant difference within their skin tone. In the Colour Purple by Alice Walker, people are faced with several types of discrimination: sexism, domestic abuse and racism. Discrimination is one of the most devastating events that mankind may have to potentially face. In the seventeenth century, sexism was leading this era. Women were not thought of very highly and were often taken advantage of. Till this day there are still sexist comments being targeted towards women. This social issue in society plays a large role, which dictates the opinions and views of when perceiving a gender . In the novel, The Colour Purple there is a very sexist setting, causing frequent beatings, the stereotypes based on African American women, and the thoughts and feelings towards them. Throughout this novel many different strong women are mistreated, the strongest of them all being – Cellie. Sexism played a large part in women’s lives, as they were judged upon a woman’s beauty, clothing and children. When young Cellie was sold and married to an older man, she did not know the devastating events that her life would bring. Cellies husband makes her cook, clean, take care of his kids, shave him and have sexual intercourse with him. Cellie accepted the stereotypes that were presented to her and she was obligated to think that the way she was treated was acceptable â€Å"When a women marry she spose to keep a decent house and family† p47. When Cellie says this she is sharing her thoughts on how a married woman should act and her place in the home. This forces Cellie to be prejudice and think that all men are horrible and sexist. There comes a time in every strong woman’s life, that hurtful words are said about appearance, imagine and behaviour. This young woman was told every single day by all the men in her life how ugly she was. She was reminded every single day about her flaws, this lead to the down fall in her self- esteem issues. Her husband never showed her love because he thought she was â€Å"too black† to actually love or even respect. The reason why Cellie’s father sold her and not her younger sister was because she was too pretty for any man, and young Cellie was not. She was reminded every day of her flaws. â€Å"He black as tar, nappy-headed, got legs like baseball bats, and I hear she got that nasty women’s disease†. This quote is said to Cellie by her father in law while they are having a family dinner. Cellie begins to feel embarrassed because her whole family begins to laugh and agree. Sexism is a type of discrimination, and is still an issue in today’s society. Thousands of homes have been affected by domestic violence. The conformational battle between spouses, ex spouses and children has been affecting society for a long time. Each year thousands of females are beaten by their husbands, fathers, or even their brothers. Before Cellie married, she was harassed by her own father. He would rape her and give her cruel and unusual punishments. She thought she had no options and had to endure the pain that her father had infused upon her. Cellie did not know that the pain she was enduring from her father was against the law, because she had been surrounded in this environment her entire life and it was all she knew. Cellie did not understand that being raped by her father and getting her daughter taken away from her was against the law. â€Å"He [Pa] never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it. I don’t never get used to it. And now I feels sick every time I be the one to cook† p1. Cellie’s father was physically violent and he caused extensive emotional damage by not showing respect for his daughter, he treated her like she was his personal slave and he never said a kind word to her. She was under her father’s influence as she was not able to tell anyone about the events that were taking place in her home and the way she was being treated. Cellie struggled her whole entire life in search for happiness. When Cellie was sold and married to a man, she was glad because she was unconfined from her father and his cruelty. Her husband had no intension of loving her, he not only physically abused her but he was verbally abusive as well. He ordered her to take care of all the housework- because she is a female and he insisted that she look after his kids. If Cellie refused and defied her husband she was severally punished. It is common for any human being that is put forth in these traumatizing events to lose respect for themselves, forget how to live life as well as love. Cellie’s life has always been full of sorrow and darkness, until a miracle occurred. Cellie met a powerful women who changed her perspective in life, and reminded her how to laugh, have fun and stand up for herself. She found the courage to stand up for herself and get a divorce from her husband. â€Å"I curse you, he say what you mean? I say until you do right by me everything you touch will crumble† p122. Cellie realized that a woman does not need a man to survive and that woman can live their lives the way they want to. She managed to establish self respect and obtain higher self esteem. Racism is the discrimination of different races and is the thought of one race or color of skin has more physical and mental abilities than another. Why do we think such things of other people? Is it really right to think of people differently because of the color of their skin? In the seventeenth century it was considered tolerable to be divided by the colour of your skin. Caucasian’s were known to be successful store owners and filthy rich. Whereas people from the African American decent were slaves or small store owners and were considered poor. The Caucasian decent at the time were the wealthiest and always wanted the cleanest African Americans to be their slaves and take care of all their household chores. If an African American refused to become a slave then they were forced to become on and had to endure cruel and unusual punishments. In the novel, another powerful women Sofia is taken away from her family and friends to become a slave. She was a slave for the most powerful woman, Sofia had chosen to stand up for herself and say that she did not want to be the mayors wife’s slave, she had even slapped her for asking, Sofia was then put into jail. Once she was released from jail, she was sent to the mayor’s house to become their slave, once again and now became their property. â€Å"Miss Millie finger the children some more, finally look at Sofia and the prizefighter. She look at the prizefighter car. She eye Sofia wristwatch. She say to Sofia, All your children so clean, she say, would you like to work for me, be my maid? Sofia say, Hell no. She say, What you say? Sofia say, Hell no. Mayor look at Sofia, push his wife out the way. Stick out his chest. Girl, what you say to Miss Millie? Sofia say, I say, Hell no† p137. Any African American woman would be honoured to work for a wealthy Caucasian family but Sofia was unwilling and had enough self respect not to degrade herself. Sofia is standing up for herself, her children and her beliefs, but she is thrown into jail to be beaten and come out a scared black women. Sofia’s children do not become slaves or â€Å"maids†, but one of Sofia’s punishments was that she was not allowed to see or even speak to her family. One Thanksgiving Day, Sofia was rewarded for being a good slave and was allowed to go visit her family with one condition, Miss. Mille would have to drive her there and back to make sure she would not run away. When they got there Miss. Mille was not able to turn off her car, so Sofia’s brother had tried to help, but Miss. Mille got scared and thought she was being sexually abused. Miss. Mille had forced Sofia to drive her home and she was never to come back to see her family again. â€Å"Come on Cellie, let’s go these people are going to hurt me and your the only one I trust† p150. Even though Sofia’s brothers were only trying to help Miss. Millie, she was scared because they were â€Å"black† she was being racist and stereotyped that all â€Å"black† people were not decent individuals. Racism played a very important role in African American families; it broke them apart and/or made them stronger. It had broken bonds and made African Americans live through memories they have of each other. Discrimination is a social issue that still influences people all around the world. This issue has many different aspects and people are affected and treated by it differently. The novel The Colour Purple is a historical novel that involves many different forms of discrimination: sexism, racism and domestic abuse. Discrimination is affecting many people around the world and we need to put an end to it, putting an end to it is the only way we will be able to change the world! How to cite Power of a Woman (the Colour Purple), Papers

Segu Literary Analysis free essay sample

Maroon Millionaire Black Studies AAA proof. Miseries Wednesday @ 1 :Mom March 10 2009 Segue Literary Analysis The historical novel Segue by Mares Condo is set in the African country of Segue during a time of great cultural change. The African Slave Trade, the spread of Islam, and personal identity challenges were all tremendous and far-reaching issues facing Africa from the late 1 sass to early 1 sass. Condo uses the four brothers of the Terror family, Tickers, Mailbag, Saga, and Nab, to demonstrate the impact that the issues of Islam, slave trade, and identity ad on African people through the development of each character.The Oldest Of the sons, Tickers exemplifies the influence and spread Of Islam through out Africa at the time. When the reader is first introduced to Tickers, he is portrayed as a boy unhappy with his religion and desperately searching for one that focuses on love rather than fear like the native religion he was raised with. We will write a custom essay sample on Segu Literary Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Tickers is intrigued by a new religion and in Condogs words, Islam was new to the region, brought there by the Arab caravans like some exotic merchandise! (Condo 22). In this way, Tickers saw Islam as a means of escaping from a oral of sacrifices and old ways to one that offers an exotic, loving appeal. With Tickers, Condo is able to show how Islam spread through trans Sahara trade routes, as well as the opportunity it provided for Africans during the time period. Tickers ventures off in pursuit of Islamic studies and after being expelled from an Islamic university begins to teach Islam in the city of Jennet. It is in Jennet that Tickers states, How strange that the name of God is should divide people when god is love and power. The creation of all living creatures comes from His love, and not from any other power Condo 149). It is in this insight that Tickers again demonstrates the nature of Islam. Unlike the religion he was born into in Segue that focused on sacrifices and ancestor worship, Islam is a religion of love that offers him comfort and strength. It is because of this new knowledge and faith that Tickers is unable to fathom how religion could split people apart instead of bringing them together. Upon his return to Segue, Tickers is praised and respected for his journey to distant lands. He is also made a member of a high council and consulted on issues of relations with neighboring people (Condo 163).The respect and admiration given to Tickers demonstrates how Islam was eventually perceived. Tickers, much like Islam as a whole was eventually respected for his worldly knowledge and different opinions, which made him a very powerful person in his community. In this sense Islam, although at first different to the people of Segue, provided helpful diversity to the people Of Africa. In the same way that Tickers exemplified the spread of Islam in Africa, his younger brother Mailbag is a symbol for the treatment of women in African society, as well as one aspect of the African slave trade.First, Mailbags attitude toward women in Africa will be examined. In her first description of Mailbag, Condo writes, He was a violent, quarrelsome little boy, completely spoiled because of his extreme good looks (Condo 127). Mailbag is a violent boy who will ultimately reach his end because of it, and after he leaves Segue, Mailbag joins a group of warriors with his friend Jodie and falls into a world of immoral behavior. While digging yams from the ground that did not belong to them, Mailbag and Jodie came across a girl wandering in the field.As she ran away Mailbag chased ere and he pinned her down; She flashed him a look of defiance unusual to anyone s o young. So he penetrated her. (Condo 231). This is not the first woman Mailbag has raped, and in doing so in such a casual way, he demonstrates his lack of respect for women. During this time especially in Africa, women as a whole were not respected when compared to men. Mailbags actions therefore represent this generally held belief by Africans at this time that women were inferior to men. Eventually Mailbag evolves as a character and makes smarter decisions regarding his treatment toward women.When in the presence of the woman Roman trying to attack him, Condo writes, He was about to throw himself on her, knock her down, kill her perhaps, when a voice reminded him of his difficulties in the Shanty kingdom after the rape of Aviva. What would happen if he now committed murder? (Condo 265). In two ways here, Mailbag has grown up. First he realizes that all his actions have consequences and that he must realize them before making unwise decisions. In realizing this, Mailbag represents Africans evolving as a whole to recognize that they must work together as a people.Secondly, Mailbag realizes that Women are people too who can be reasoned with and respected rather than literally beat into submission. On a grand scale, Mailbags second revelation represents a change in attitude toward women by African people. Still, more important is Mailbags evolution in the context of the African Slave Trade. Later in the story Mailbag gets involved in the slave trade. Condo writes, So Mailbag was to be seen being rowed out to the slave ships, coming back with their captains And going with them to inspect human cattle whom he myself had made presentable beforehand by various tricks (Condo 271). Here, by assisting the slave ship captains, Mailbag is playing an active role in the propagation of the African Slave Trade. Mailbags actions and active involvement in the slave trade as demonstrated above, point to the idea presented in class of Africans as active agents in the slave trade. This idea of agency focuses around Africans actively manipulating the slave trade for economic gains because they knew how to work the system. With this understanding of agency, it can be understood that Mailbag was definitely acting as an agent in the African slave trade.In a grander sense, Mailbag thus represents Africans as a whole who acted as agents in the slave trade. These people did exist and Mailbags character in Segue serves as an example of this idea. Mailbag kept working his way up, and soon he managed slaves on plantations; Now Mailbag could be seen taking droves of slaves out of the town to the palm groves and supervising their work (Condo 272). This further supports the idea of agency and demonstrates the effect of historical circumstances on everyday peoples lives.Mailbag is a native African with strong community ties coming from being brought up in a small village. The historical progression of European involvement in Africa and within the slave trade however, provided the economic and personal incentives for Mailbag to turn against his African brothers and become an active agent in the slave trade. In the same way that Mailbags active involvement in the slave trade was a result of situational consequences, his brother Sagas struggle with identity was a consequence of his birth. Saga is unlike his brothers in the sense that his mother was a slave.She omitted suicide when he was young, and through out the book Saga struggles with grasping the nature of his true identity. He feels neglected, not because he is treated poorly, but rather because he is simply ignored by everyone. He lives in the shadow of his legitimate brother Tickers and although they are the same height, age, and are often mistaken for each other, Tickers is favored over Saga. Condo captures Sagas frustration by stating, Alas, the hazards of birth! If hed been born of this womb rather than that, his life would have been quite different (Condo 30). This is the reason or Sagas identity struggle through out the book. He is plagued by the constant reminder in Tickers of what he could have been, and constantly haunted by nightmares of his slave mothers horrific suicide. Sagas identity crisis presents itself in his struggle to prove himself to his father Dousing. Because Tickers always overshadows him, Saga is constantly struggling to gain his fathers approval. Condo writes, He had passed too soon, without waiting for him, Saga, to prove himself. Now Dousing would never know what his son was really worth, this son whom he regarded as a bastard (Condo 80). Sagas need for approval from his father is a result of his constant struggle with identity. Because of his insecurity with his own self, he longs for the approval of his father and is heartbroken when he realizes that he will never be able to prove himself. Sagas Character in Segue parallels the struggle of Africans on the continent with their common identity. The disconnectedness of the regions and the intervention of Europeans on the continent serve to stratify Africans living on the continent. Saga serves as a metaphor for the Africans struggle with identity in the 19th century.The youngest brother of the Terror family is Nab who, in contrast with Mailbag, represents the horrors of the African slave trade. Nab is the youngest, and most reliant Of the brothers. He tags along with Tickers until Tickers journeys to Jennet to study Islam. After Tickers, Nab begins to tag along with a peer named Teflon. Nab goes on a hunting expedition with Teflon one day and gets captured by slave traders. Nab is sold into slavery and lives as a slave. His journey is one from a child of wealth to a common slave, exemplifying the horrors of the African slave trade.After becoming a slave, Nab becomes a broken man. Before his death, Condo writes, Ever since that fateful hunting expedition had parted him from his own people, he had lost interest in everything (Condo 215). Slavery made Nab lose faith in everything. He once was a happy youth playing with his friends and brothers, but before he dies, he feels nothing. He does not even fight for his life because he feels that it is not worth anything. Becoming a slave destroyed his spirits and even his will to live. Nabs story shows the dark side of the slave trade.While his brother Mailbag benefited from the same game of slave trade, Nab ended up paying the ultimate price. The same event had different consequences for both brothers, and in doing so, represents the two sides to the slave trade issue. Slavery can be beneficial to some in certain contexts, but at the same time there will always be those who suffered because of those who prosper. The Slave trade had dire effects on Nab, whose character served as an example Of all those lost and forgotten in the African slave trade. Africa in the late 1 7005 and early 1 8005 was a time of great significance.Religions and cultures were being fused, personal and generational identities were being developed and questioned, and the African slave trade was beneficial for some while proving detrimental to the lives of others. Mares Condogs Segue, uses the four brothers of the Terror family to embody the effects of these historical events and make grander claims about Africa as a whole. Through this story we are able to gain insight about Africa during this time period while seeing the effects these historical events had on the people of this time. References Mares, Condo. Segue. Word Count: 1,887 New York: Viking Penguin Inc. , 1987.

My Papas Waltz essays

My Papa's Waltz essays Confessional in spirit, viewing madness as a transforming force, Theodore Roethke's poetry explores the depths of the self, attempting to achieve wholeness through destruction. His verse is finely-crafted, full of stunning images and chant-like rhythms, which echo the poetry of T. S. Eliot and William Butler Yeats. From his Modernist masters, along with others such as Gerald Manley Hopkins, Roethke learned to find objects in nature which crystallized his poetic emotions. He drew upon his early childhood in Michigan, where his father owned one of the largest and most beautiful greenhouses in the state thus his work is rich in natural imagery of the garden. The luxuriant plant life of his father's greenhouses symbolized for Roethke both abundant life and death often the wet soil and the curling garden slugs became associated with decay and loss of self, while flowers could spark a mystical sense of oneness in the poet. At the center of Roethke's universe as well as his garden was h is father, a rough and stern man of Prussian descent who often grew irate at his son's delicate nature. The death of the father engendered enormous guilt in his teenage son, and the shadow of the father loomed over Roethke as he experienced nervous breakdowns, perhaps courting madness in attempts to exorcise his inner demons. The aloof and cold father, whose love was never expressed openly, created in the young poet feelings of inadequacy, as well as contradictory desires to reconcile with the father and to flee his burdening memory. Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" captures in dramatic fashion his relationship to his father. In the poem, whiskey has loosened Otto Roethke's stern demeanor, demolishing his habitual aloofness and moral severity. Thus the poem describes an exhilarating, as well as frightening, moment of union with the father, who has become a drunken whirlwind in the kitchen. Roethke's poetic style captures the movement of the dance, as ...

The Phonogram WH

The Phonogram WH The Phonogram WH The Phonogram WH By Maeve Maddox A reader commenting on Wile vs While wrote: Modern speakers and writers have a problem with W words such as while and wile (another example: whale, wale, and wail) because there is no longer a distinction made between the way wh and w are pronounced. Not all American speakers distinguish between the sounds of whine and wine, but many still do. There are advantages to teaching the distinction, even in regions where the difference has been lost in the local dialect. Wh represents the sound one makes when blowing out a candle: [wh]. The number of English words that begin with wh is not large, and even speakers who distinguish between the initial sounds of Wales and whales do not pronounce wh as [wh] in every word that begins with the wh spelling. For speakers of dialects that still distinguish between the pronunciation of which and witch, the following words begin with the aspirated sound [wh]: whack whale wharf what wheat wheel wheeze when where whet whether which whiff Whig while whim whimper whip whirl whisk whisker whisky whisper whit white whoop why In the following words, the spelling wh represents the sound [h]. who whom whole whose wholly whore What linguists call the â€Å"wine-whine merger† is no doubt destined to prevail in the United States. Nevertheless, teaching the aspirated sound of wh is an aid to spelling mastery. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageWhat is Dative Case?50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases