African American In The 1920s Essay Example for Free

African American In The 1920s Essay The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to improve the state of being for African-Americans. According to the book, Introduction to Black Studies, by Maulana Karenga, various core principles make of the basis of African-American Studies. Some of the core principles consist of 1)history, 2)religion, 3)sociology, 4)politics, and 5)economics. The core principles serve as the thematic glue which holds the core subjects together. The principles assist with the expression of the African-American Studies discipline (Karenga, 27). The core principle of history is primary factor of African-American Studies. History is the struggle and record of humans in the process of humanizing the world i. e. shaping it in their own image and interests (Karenga, 70). By studying history in African-American Studies, history is allowed to be reconstructed. Reconstruction is vital, for over time, African-American history has been misleading. Similarly, the reconstruction of African-American history demands intervention not only in the academic process to redefines and reestablishes the truth of Black History, but also intervention in the social process to reshape reality in African-American images and interests and thus, self-consciously make history (Karenga, 69). African American History or Black American History, a history of African-American people in the United States from their arrival in the Americas in the Fifteenth Century until the present day. In 1996, 33. 9 million Americans, about one out of every eight people in the United States, were African-American. Although African-American from the West Indies and other areas have migrated to the United States in the Twentieth Century, most African- Americans were born in the United States, and this has been true since the early Nineteenth Century. Until the mid-20th century, the African-American population was concentrated in the Southern states. Even today, nearly half of all African-Americans live in the South. African-Americans also make up a significant part of the population in most urban areas in the eastern United States and in some mid-western and western cities as well . Africans and their descendants have been a part of the story of the Americas at least since the late 1400s. As scouts, interpreters, navigators, and military men, African-Americans were among those who first encountered Native Americans. Beginning in the colonial period, African-Americans provided most of the labor on which European settlement, development, and wealth depended, especially after European wars and diseases decimated Native Americans (http://encarta. msn. com). Thus, history plays a role in the way African-Americans have shaped the world over time. The core concept of African-American religion has always played a vital roles in the African-American life since its beginnings in Africa. Religion is defined as thought, belief, and practice concerned with the transcendent and the ultimate questions of life (Karenga, 211). The vast majority of African Americans practice some form of Protestantism. Protestantisms relatively loose hierarchical structure, particularly in the Baptist and Methodist denominations, has allowed African Americans to create and maintain separate churches. Separate churches enabled blacks to take up positions of leadership denied to them in mainstream America. In addition to their religious role, African American churches traditionally provide political leadership and serve social welfare functions. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first nationwide black church in the United States, was founded by Protestant minister Richard Allen in Philadelphia in 1816. The largest African American religious denomination is the National Baptist Convention, U. S. A. , founded in 1895. A significant number of African Americans are Black Muslims. The most prominent Black Muslim group is the Nation of Islam, a religious organization founded by W. D. Fard and Elijiah Poole in 1935. Poole, who changed his name to Elijiah Muhammad, soon emerged as the leader of the Nation of Islam. Elijiah Muhammad established temples in Detroit, Chicago, and other northern cities. Today, Louis Farrakhan leads the Nation of Islam. A small number of African American Muslims worship independently of the Nation of Islam, as part of the mainstream Islamic tradition (http://encarta. msn. com). Presented with the fact that African-American religion is predominately Judeo-Christian, the tendency is to view it as white religion in black face. However, the rooting of the two religions varies due to the historical and social experiences (Karenga, 212). African-American over time has somewhat declined in its power. The church was once the sole basis of the community, especially to those in need. Today, this is speculated to be the link in the decline in the bonding of the African-American community. The core principle of African-American sociology integrates the various aspects and social reality from an African-American perspective. African-American sociology is defined as the critical study of the structure and functioning of the African-American community as a whole, as well as the various units and processes which compose and define it, and its relations with people and the forces external to it (Karenga, 269). African-American sociology involves the study of family, groups, institutions, views and values, relations of race, class and gender and related subjects. The African-American community, like other communities, is defined by the sharing of common space. Parts of its common space, however, are bounded areas of living, such as ghettos, which not only close African-Americans in the community, but simultaneously shuts them out from the access and opportunities available in the larger, predominately Caucasian society (Karenga, 302). The concept of isolation creates areas of poverty. Socially, isolation in ghettos prevents the cycle of diversity society, allowing prevailing stereotypes to surface. The immense concentration of African-Americans is a reason for disadvantages, such as joblessness, poverty, etc. Statistics suggest that the employment rate issue is an essential on among African-American women. The average rate of unemployment among African-American women in the 1980s was 16% and was higher for African-American men (Giddings, 350). Thus, the concept of diversity prevents African-Americans from thriving socially. The core concept of African-American politics can be defined as the art and process of gaining, maintaining and using power (Karenga, 311). The institution of politics has played a role in the African-American community since the 15th amendment was passed, allowing African-American men the right to vote (Constitution). In order to obtain political power, however, there are eight bases: 1) key positions in government 2) voting strength 3) community control 4) economic capacity 5) community organization 6) possession of critical knowledge 7) coalition and alliance and 8) coercive capacity. In order to attain these, African-Americans must unite, for unity strengthens weak groups (African-Americans) and increases the power of others (Caucasians) (Karenga, 363). Over time, African-Americans have made substantial strides in politics. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who ran for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, brought exceptional support and force to African-American politics. In 1989, Virginia became the first state in U. S. history to elect an African- American governor, Douglas Wilder. In 1992, Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois became the first African-American woman elected to the U. S. Senate. Today, Moseley-Braun is a candidate for the Presidency of the United States (Franklin, 612). There were 8,936 African-American office holders in the United States in 2000, showing a net increase of 7,467 since 1970. In 2001, there were 484 mayors and 38 members of Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus serves as a political alliance in Congress for issues relating to African- Americans. The appointment of African-Americans to high federal offices? including Colin Powell (chairman of the U. S. Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1989-1993; Secretary of State, 2001-present), Ron Brown (Secretary of Commerce, 1993-1996), and Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas? also demonstrates the increasing power of African-Americans in the political arena (http://encarta. msn. com). Despite the advances of African-Americans in the political scene, the rate of voting has immensely declined compared to 40 years ago. According to statistics, less than 20% of African-Americans between the ages of 18 and 24, the most vital voting age group, voted in the last 40 years (http://www. rockthevote. org ). African-American votings disappointing decline over time has become a setback in regards to power, for politics control most of the issues that concern society, such as healthcare, housing, and employment: issues that the African-American community are in need of improving. The core concept of economics is defined as the study and process of producing, distributing (or exchanging) and consuming goods and services. Economically, African-Americans have benefited from the advances made during the Civil Rights era. The racial disparity in poverty rates has narrowed to some extent. The African-American middle class has grown substantially. In 2000, 47% of African-Americans owned their homes. However, African-Americans are still underrepresented in government and employment. In 1999, median income of African American household was $27,910 compared to $44,366 of non-Hispanic Caucasians. Approximately one-fourth of the African-American population lives in poverty, a rate three times that of Caucasians. In 2000, 19. 1 % of the African-American population lived below poverty level as compared to 6. 9% of Caucasians population. The unemployment gap between African-Americans and Caucasians has grown. In 2000, the unemployment rate among African-Americans was almost twice the rate for Caucasians. The income gap between African-American and Caucasian families also continue to widen. Employed African-Americans earn only 77% of the wages of Caucasians in comparable jobs, down from 82% in 1975. In 2000, only 16. 6% of African-Americans 25 years and older earned bachelors or higher degrees in contrast to 28. 1% of Caucasians. Although rates of births to unwed mothers among both African-Americans and Caucasians have risen since the 1950s, the rate of such births among African-Americans is three times the rate of Caucasians (DeBose, 1). Thus, the state of African-American economics have flourished over time, yet remains in a state of improvement. Whether one talks about poverty, incomes, jobs, etc. , all imply and necessitate the concern with economics in the African-American community (Karenga, 355). Conclucively, the possibility of problems arising towards the discipline of African-American Studies are rooted in the birth of the discipline itself (Karenga, 476). The mission of the discipline, problematic administrators, and campus opposition are examples of obstacles that often attempt to prevent the missions of African-American Studies. However, African-American Studies has continued to defend its stance over time. Thus, as long as there is an African-American culture, the quest for knowledge in the African-American studies field will remain. Works Cited DeBose,Brian. Reclaiming the Mission. Nov. 2002 . Franklin, John Hope. From Slavery to Freedom. Nashville, TN: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Giddings, Paula. When and Where I Enter . New York:Perrenial, 1984. Karenga, Malauna. Introduction to Black Studies. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press ? Third Edition, 2002. http://encarta. msn. com http://www. rockthevote. com.

Acting and Identity in Sizwe Banzi is Dead and in Death and the Kings

Both "Sizwe Bansi is Dead", (written by Athol Fugard in collaboration with John Kani and Winston Ntshona) and "Death and the King's Horseman" (written by Wole Soyinka) are both set in South Africa, in two important and significant cultural moment for the country. "Swize Bansi is Dead" tells the difficult reality of Africa under apartheid (1950s), analysing the complex issue of identity in that time. The rules of Apartheid meant that people were legally classified into a racial group, mainly Black and White, and separated from each others. This division restricted black people from being able to vote, having medical care, education, or other public services, and if when, in rare cases these were possible, they still were of a lot inferior compared to what white people were entitled to. Not only Black people were thus deprived of their write as human beings, as persons, but what most suggested that they'd lost their identities is that all of them had to have an "identity book". This item, insert them into a system of figures, where each one of them wasn't identified by a name anymore, they were recognised and registered by a number. This is a very important issue of the play, in fact the focal point is to show us how irrelevant the name and the "identity" had become for those people. Is your name your identity? And if not, is it possible to maintain a stable and truthful inside identity when deprived of all signs of uniqueness such as your own name? This theme is very much confronted in Sizwe Bansi is Dead. The main character, Sizwe Bansi is forced into talking a terrible decision. Taking a dead man's identity book, therefore stealing his "official" identity, to be able to get on with his life and keep in contact with his f... ...the characters show how loosing their write to vote and therefore express their opinion, and especially having to carry an identity booklet all the time (just because of the colour of their skin) can generate an inside crisis on one's identity. Is our identity determined by our name? Can we change name and be able to keep a stable identity? This play also raises the issue of being actors, just to survive in the society they lived in. Not being able to show their feelings and their disappointment at any time, obliged them to smile, sing, and fake. These issues are also raised in "Death and the King's Horseman", but more with showing how important and determinant our culture is for our personal identity. Thus, living in an era where this one is changing, because of the rough imposition of a new one, can torn one's personality, making them doubt all of their beliefs.

Zoe’s Tale PART I Chapter Eleven

Things to know about the life of Zoe, on the Magellan. First, John and Jane's master plan to keep the teenage boys from killing themselves or others worked like a charm, which meant I grudgingly had to admit to Dad he'd done something smart, which he enjoyed probably more than he should have. Each of the dodgeball teams became their own little group, counterpointing with the already-established groups of kids from former colonies. It might have been a problem if everyone just switched their tribe allegiance to their teams, because then we'd have just substituted one sort of group stupidity for another. But the kids still felt allegiance to their homeworld friends as well, at least one of whom was likely to be on an opposing dodgeball team. It kept everyone friendly, or at least kept some of the more aggressively stupid kids in check until everyone could get over the urge to pick fights. Or so it was explained to me by Dad, who continued to be pleased with himself. â€Å"So you can see how we weave a subtle web of interpersonal connection,† he said to me, as we watched one of the dodgeball games. â€Å"Oh, Lord,† Savitri, who was sitting with us, said. â€Å"The self-satisfaction here is going to make me gag.† â€Å"You're just jealous that you didn't think it up,† Dad said to Savitri. â€Å"I did think it up,† Savitri said. â€Å"Part of it, anyway. I and Jane helped with this plan, as I'm sure you recall. You're just taking all the credit.† â€Å"These are despicable lies,† Dad said. â€Å"Ball,† Savitri said, and we all ducked as a runaway ball ricocheted into the crowd. Whoever thought it up, the dodgeball scheme had side benefits. After the second day of the tournament, the teams started having their own theme songs, as team members riffled through their music collections to find tunes that would get them riled up. And this was where we discovered a real cultural gap: Music that was popular on one world was completely unheard of on another. The kids from Khartoum were listening to chango-soca, the ones from Rus were deep into groundthump and so on. Yes, they all had good beats, and you could dance to them, but if you want to get someone wild-eyed and frothy, all you have to do is suggest that your favorite music was better than theirs. People were whipping out their PDAs and queuing up their songs to make their points. And thus began the Great Magellan Music War: All of us networked our PDAs together and furiously started making playlists of our favorite music to show how our music was indisputably the best music ever. In a very short time I was exposed to not just chango-soca and groundthump but also kill-drill, drone, haploid, happy dance (ironically named, as it turned out), smear, nuevopop, tone, classic tone, Erie stomp, doowa capella, shaker and some really whacked-out stuff alleged to be waltz but critically missing three-quarter time or indeed any recognizable time signature at all as far as I could tell. I listened to it all with a fair mind, then told all their proponents I pitied them because they had never been exposed to Huckleberry Sound, and sent out a playlist of my own. â€Å"So you make your music by strangling cats,† Magdy said, as he listened to â€Å"Delhi Morning,† one of my favorite songs, with me, Gretchen and Enzo. â€Å"That's sitar, you monkey,† I said. â€Å"‘Sitar' being the Huckleberry word for ‘strangled cats,'† Magdy said. I turned to Enzo. â€Å"Help me out here,† I said. â€Å"I'm going to have to go with the cat strangling theory,† Enzo said. I smacked him on the arm. â€Å"I thought you were my friend.† â€Å"I was,† Enzo said. â€Å"But now I know how you treat your pets.† â€Å"Listen!† Magdy said. The sitar part had just risen out of the mix and was suspended, heartbreakingly, over the bridge of the song. â€Å"Annnd right there is when the cat died. Admit it, Zoe.† â€Å"Gretchen?† I looked over to my last, best friend, who would always defend me against Philistines. Gretchen looked over to me. â€Å"That poor cat,† she said, and then laughed. Then Magdy grabbed the PDA and pulled up some horrible shaker noise. For the record, â€Å"Delhi Morning† does not sound like strangled cats. It really doesn't. They were all tone-deaf or something. Particularly Magdy. Tone-deaf or not, however, the four of us were ending up spending a lot of time together. While Enzo and I were doing our slow, amused sizing up of each other, Gretchen and Magdy alternated between being interested in each other and trying to see just how low they could cut each other down verbally. Although you know how these things go. One probably led to the other and vice-versa. And I'm guessing hormones counted for a lot; both of them were good-looking examples of blossoming adolescence, which I think is the best way to put it. They both seemed willing to put up with a lot from each other in exchange for gawking and some light groping, which to be fair to Magdy was not entirely one-sided on his part, if Gretchen's reports were to be believed. As for Enzo and me, well, this is how we were getting along: â€Å"I made you something,† I said, handing him my PDA. â€Å"You made me a PDA,† he said. â€Å"I always wanted one.† â€Å"Goof,† I said. Of course he had a PDA; we all did. We would hardly be teens without them. â€Å"No, click on the movie file.† He did, and watched for a few moments. Then he cocked his head at me. â€Å"So, is the whole thing shots of me getting hit in the head with a dodgeball?† he asked. â€Å"Of course not,† I said. â€Å"Some of them are of you getting hit in other places.† I took the PDA and ran my finger along the fast-forward strip on the video player. â€Å"See, look,† I said, showing him the groin shot he took earlier in the day. â€Å"Oh, great,† he said. â€Å"You're cute when you collapse in aching misery,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad you think so,† he said, clearly not as enthused as I was. â€Å"Let's watch it again,† I said. â€Å"This time in slow motion.† â€Å"Let's not,† Enzo said. â€Å"It's a painful memory. I had plans for those things one day.† I felt a blush coming on, and fought it back with sarcasm. â€Å"Poor Enzo,† I said. â€Å"Poor squeaky-voiced Enzo.† â€Å"Your sympathy is overwhelming,† he said. â€Å"I think you like watching me get abused. You could offer up some advice instead.† â€Å"Move faster,† I said. â€Å"Try not to get hit so much.† â€Å"You're helpful,† he said. â€Å"There,† I said, pressing the send button on the PDA. â€Å"It's in your queue now. So you can treasure it always.† â€Å"I hardly know what to say,† he said. â€Å"Did you get me anything?† I asked. â€Å"As a matter of fact,† Enzo said, and then pulled out his PDA, punched up something, and handed the PDA to me. On it was another poem. I read it. â€Å"This is very sweet,† I said. It was actually beautiful, but I didn't want to get mushy on him, not after just sharing video of him taking a hit to his nether regions. â€Å"Yes, well,† Enzo said, taking back the PDA. â€Å"I wrote it before I saw that video. Just remember that.† He pressed his PDA screen. â€Å"There. In your queue now. So you can treasure it always.† â€Å"I will,† I said, and would. â€Å"Good,† Enzo said. â€Å"Because I get a lot of abuse for those, you know.† â€Å"For the poems?† I said. Enzo nodded. â€Å"From whom?† â€Å"From Magdy, of course,† Enzo said. â€Å"He caught me writing that one to you and mocked the hell out of me for it.† â€Å"Magdy's idea of a poem is a dirty limerick,† I said. â€Å"He's not stupid,† Enzo said. â€Å"I didn't say he was stupid,† I said. â€Å"Just vulgar.† â€Å"Well, he's my best friend,† Enzo said. â€Å"What are you gonna do.† â€Å"I think it's sweet you stick up for him,† I said. â€Å"But I have to tell you that if he mocks you out of writing poems for me, I'm going to have to kick his ass.† Enzo grinned. â€Å"You or your bodyguards?† he asked. â€Å"Oh, I'd handle this one personally,† I said. â€Å"Although I might get Gretchen to help.† â€Å"I think she would,† Enzo said. â€Å"There's no think involved here,† I said. â€Å"I guess I better keep writing you poems, then,† Enzo said. â€Å"Good,† I said, and patted his cheek. â€Å"I'm glad we have these little conversations.† And Enzo was as good as his word; a couple of times a day I'd get a new poem. They were mostly sweet and funny, and only a little bit showing off, because he would send them in different poem formats: haiku and sonnets and sestinas and some forms I don't know what they're called but you could see that they were supposed to be something. And naturally I would show them all to Gretchen, who tried very hard not to be impressed. â€Å"The scan's off on that one,† she said, after she had read one I showed to her at one of the dodgeball games. Savitri had joined the two of us to watch. She was on her break. â€Å"I'd dump him for that.† â€Å"It's not off,† I said. â€Å"And anyway he's not my boyfriend.† â€Å"A guy sends poems on the hour and you say he's not your boyfriend?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"If he was her boyfriend, he wouldn't be sending poems anymore,† Savitri said. Gretchen smacked her forehead. â€Å"Of course,† she said. â€Å"It all makes sense now.† â€Å"Give me that,† I said, taking back my PDA. â€Å"Such cynicism.† â€Å"You're just saying that because you're getting sestinas,† Savitri said. â€Å"Which don't scan,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Quiet, both of you,† I said, and turned the PDA around so it could record the game. Enzo's team was playing the Dragons in the quarter-final match for the league championship. â€Å"All your bitterness is distracting me from watching Enzo get slaughtered out there.† â€Å"Speaking of cynicism,† Gretchen said. There was a loud pock as the dodgeball smooshed Enzo's face into a not terribly appealing shape. He grabbed his face with both hands, cursed loudly, and dropped to his knees. â€Å"There we go,† I said. â€Å"That poor boy,† Savitri said. â€Å"He'll live,† Gretchen said, and then turned to me. â€Å"So you got that.† â€Å"It's going into the highlight reel for sure,† I said. â€Å"I've mentioned before that you don't deserve him,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"He writes me poems, I document his physical ineptitude. That's how the relationship works.† â€Å"I thought you said he wasn't your boyfriend,† Savitri said. â€Å"He's not my boyfriend,† I said, and saved the humiliating snippet into my â€Å"Enzo† file. â€Å"It doesn't mean we don't have a relationship.† I put my PDA away and greeted Enzo as he came up, still holding his face. â€Å"So you got that,† he said to me. I turned and smiled at Gretchen and Savitri, as if to say, See. They both rolled their eyes. In all, there was about a week between when the Magellan left Phoenix Station and when the Magellan was far enough away from any major gravity well that it could skip to Roanoke. Much of that time was spent watching dodgeball, listening to music, chatting with my new friends, and recording Enzo getting hit with balls. But in between all of that, I actually did spend a little bit of time learning about the world on which we would live the rest of our lives. Some of it I already knew: Roanoke was a Class Six planet, which meant (and here I'm double-checking with the Colonial Union Department of Colonization Protocol Document, get it wherever PDAs have access to a network) that the planet was within fifteen percent of Earth standard gravity, atmosphere, temperature and rotation, but that the biosphere was not compatible with human biology – which is to say if you ate something there, it'd probably make you vomit your guts out if it didn't kill you outright. (This made me mildly curious about how many classes of planet there were. Turns out there are eighteen, twelve of which are at least nominally humanly compatible. That said, if someone says you're on a colony ship headed to a Class Twelve planet, the best thing to do is to find an escape pod or volunteer to join the ship's crew, because you're not going to want to land on that world if you can avoid it. Unless you like weighing up to two and a half times your normal weight on a planet whose ammonia-choked atmosphere will hopefully smother you before you die of exposure. In which case, you know. Welcome home.) What do you do on a Class Six planet, when you're a member of a seed colony? Well, Jane had it right when she said it on Huckleberry: You work. You only have so much food supply to go through before you have to add to it from what you've grown – but before you grow your food, you have to make over the soil so it can grow crops that can feed humans (and other species which started on Earth, like almost all our livestock) without choking to death on the incompatible nutrients in the ground. And you have to make sure that earlier-mentioned livestock (or pets, or toddlers, or inattentive adults who didn't pay attention during their training periods) don't graze or eat anything from the planet until you do a toxicology scan so see if it will kill them. The colonist materials we were given suggest this is more difficult than it sounds, because it's not like your livestock will listen to reason, and neither will a toddler or some adults. So you've conditioned the soil and kept all your animals and dumb humans from gorging on the poisonous scenery: Now it's time to plant, plant, plant your crops like your life depended on it, because it does. To bring this point home, the colonist training material is filled with pictures of gaunt colonists who messed up their plantings and ended up a lot thinner (or worse) after their planet's winter. The Colonial Union won't bail you out – if you fail, you fail, sometimes at the cost of your own life. You've planted and tilled and harvested, and then you do it again, and you keep doing it – and all the while you're also building infrastructure, because one of the major roles of a seed colony is to prepare the planet for the next, larger wave of colonists, who show up a couple of standard years later. I assume they land, look around at everything you've created, and say, â€Å"Well, colonizing doesn't look that hard.† At which point you get to punch them. And through this all, and in the back of your mind, is this little fact: Colonies are at their most vulnerable to attack when they're new. There's a reason humans colonize Class Six planets, where the biosystem might kill them, and even Class Twelve planets, where just about everything else will kill them too. It's because there are a lot of other intelligent races out there who have the same habitation needs as we have, and we all want as many planets as we can grab. And if someone else is already there, well. That's just something to work around. I knew this very well. And so did John and Jane. But it was something I wonder if other people – either my age or older – really understood; understood that Class Six planet or not, conditioned soil or not, planted crops or not, everything they've done and worked for doesn't matter much when a spacecraft shows up in your sky, and it's filled with creatures who've decided they want your planet, and you're in the way. Maybe it's not something you can understand until it happens. Or maybe when it comes down to it people just don't think about it because there's nothing to do about it. We're not soldiers, we're colonists. Being a colonist means accepting the risk. And once you've accepted the risk, you might as well not think about it until you have to. And during our week on the Magellan, we certainly didn't have to. We were having fun – almost too much fun, to be honest about it. I suspected we were getting an unrepresentative view of colony life. I mentioned this to Dad, while we watched the final game of the dodgeball tournament, in which the Dragons were raining rubbery red doom on the previously undefeated Slime Molds, the team Magdy was on. I was perfectly fine with this; Magdy had gotten insufferable about his team's winning streak. Humility would be a good thing for the boy. â€Å"Of course this is unrepresentative,† Dad said. â€Å"Do you think you're going to have time to be playing dodgeball when we get to Roanoke?† â€Å"I don't just mean dodgeball,† I said. â€Å"I know,† he said. â€Å"But I don't want you to worry about it. Let me tell you a story.† â€Å"Oh, goody,† I said. â€Å"A story.† â€Å"So sarcastic,† Dad said. â€Å"When I first left Earth and joined the Civil Defense Forces, we had a week like this. We were given our new bodies – those green ones, like General Rybicki still has – and we were given the order to have fun with them for an entire week.† â€Å"Sounds like a good way to encourage trouble,† I said. â€Å"Maybe it is,† Dad said. â€Å"But mostly it did two things. The first was to get us comfortable with what our new bodies could do. The second was to give us some time to enjoy ourselves and make friends before we had to go to war. To give us a little calm before the storm.† â€Å"So you're giving us this week to have fun before you send us all to the salt mines,† I said. â€Å"Not to the salt mines, but certainly to the fields,† Dad said, and motioned out to the kids still hustling about on the dodge-ball court. â€Å"I don't think it's entirely sunk into the heads of a lot of your new friends that when we land, they're going to be put to work. This is a seed colony. All hands needed.† â€Å"I guess it's a good thing I got a decent education before I left Huckleberry,† I said. â€Å"Oh, you'll still go to school,† Dad said. â€Å"Trust me on that, Zoe. You'll just work, too. And so will all your friends.† â€Å"Monstrously unfair,† I said. â€Å"Work and school.† â€Å"Don't expect a lot of sympathy from us,† Dad said. â€Å"While you're sitting down and reading, we're going to be out there sweating and toiling.† â€Å"Who's this ‘we'?† I said. â€Å"You're the colony leader. You'll be administrating.† â€Å"I farmed when I was ombudsman back in New Goa,† Dad said. I snorted. â€Å"You mean you paid for the seed grain and let Chaudhry Shujaat work the field for a cut.† â€Å"You're missing the point,† Dad said. â€Å"My point is that once we get to Roanoke we'll all be busy. What's going to get us through it all are our friends. I know it worked that way for me in the CDF. You've made new friends this last week, right?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Would you want to start your life on Roanoke without them?† Dad asked. I thought of Gretchen and Enzo and even Magdy. â€Å"Definitely not,† I said. â€Å"Then this week did what it was supposed to do,† Dad said. â€Å"We're on our way from being colonists from different worlds to being a single colony, and from being strangers to being friends. We're all going to need each other now. We're in a better position to work together. And that's the practical benefit to having a week of fun.† â€Å"Wow,† I said. â€Å"I can see how you weaved a subtle web of interpersonal connection here.† â€Å"Well, you know,† Dad said, with that look in his eye that said that yes, he did catch that snarky reference. â€Å"That's why I run things.† â€Å"Is that it?† I asked. â€Å"It's what I tell myself, anyway,† he said. The Dragons made the last out against the Slime Molds and started celebrating. The crowd of colonists watching were cheering as well, and getting themselves into the mood for the really big event of the night: the skip to Roanoke, which would happen in just under a half hour. Dad stood up. â€Å"This is my cue,† he said. â€Å"I've got to get ready to do the award presentation to the Dragons. A shame. I was pulling for the Slime Molds. I love that name.† â€Å"Try to make it through the disappointment,† I said. â€Å"I'll try,† he said. â€Å"You going to stay around for the skip?† â€Å"Are you kidding?† I said. â€Å"Everyone's going to stay around for the skip. I wouldn't miss it for anything.† â€Å"Good,† Dad said. â€Å"Always a good idea to confront change with your eyes open.† â€Å"You think it's really going to be that different?† I asked. Dad kissed the top of my head and gave me a hug. â€Å"Sweetie, I know it's going to be that different. What I don't know is how much more different it's going to be after that.† â€Å"I guess we'll find out,† I said. â€Å"Yes, and in about twenty-five minutes,† Dad said, and then pointed. â€Å"Look, there's your mom and Savitri. Let's ring in the new world together, shall we?†

The Secret Life of Bees Personal Review - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1098 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Secret Life of Bees Essay Did you like this example? Full of twists and turns, the book The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, tells the tale of a teenage girl name Lily and her journey of discovering her mothers past before she died. Lily Owens grew up with an abusive dad and a housekeeper who has taken the role of Lilys mom. As the story develops, so does Lily. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Secret Life of Bees Personal Review" essay for you Create order She becomes a lovely young women who can see beyond others peoples race. When Lily goes to Tiburon in hopes of finding out more about her mom, she meets August, May, and June, the three beekeeper sisters. Lily stays with them and learns about their traditions. While she learns about her mother, she also falls in love with Zach. However when all seems well, T.Ray, the abusive father, shows up. He tells Lily the harsh truth. When she finally finds her mothers darkest secret, she is in shock for many days. Despite this, she soons learns to embrace it and move on. The New York Times Best Selling author creates an original novel by drawing the reader in and keeping them on their toes. The book uses different types of figurative language, a creative plot, and sympathetic characters that ultimately allows the reader to clearly imagine the book and develop true emotions. To start, figurative language keeps the reader engaged. Using different types of figurative language makes the story interesting. For example Sue Monk Kidd uses bees to represent Lilys mom. In the beginning of the the book, Lily feels her moms presence when the bees swarm her room. The book starts off by saying, At night I would lie in bed and watch the show, how bees squeezed through the cracks of my bedroom wall and flew circles around the room, making that propeller sound, a high-pitched zzzzzz that hummed along my skin. (Kidd 1) Doing this makes the reader curious why there are bees in her room. These bees show Lily that they need a queen in order to function which relates to lily because she is lost without a female figure that she can look up to. She starts by using her memory of her mother to fulfil this role but soon moves onto rosaleen and finally August. She finally knows the feeling of being loved by a mother after years without her real mom. They also use other types of f igurative language other than symbolism, metaphors are also used effectively. In chapter one, we see Lily describe her relationship with Rosaleen as she is Rosaleens pet guinea pig. (Kidd 2) Since Rosaleen has no experience with raising kids, she experiments on Lily. Effective use of figurative language proves to work as it makes the book extremely good. Throughout the book, interesting things are constantly happening which shows a creative plot. It starts with Lily and Rosaline escaping from the hospital after they had an incident with the racist white folks. Since this was extremely dangerous and risky, it draws the reader in. Lily and Rosaleen go outside of the hospital and she took Rosalines hand and tugged her down the sidewalk. (Kidd 49) Using suspense makes a scary mood in the book as the readers hope that they will escape which makes them wonder what will happen next. Using different moods, she allows the reader to visualize what is happening. Further in the book, Lily finds Zach, a young african guy, who she falls in love with. Because they are different race and have to face racial discrimination from others, they have to keep their relationship secretive. Readers want to find out if they can overcome this challenge so the interesting plot keeps readers engaged and proves to be efficient. Overall, the creative plot deems ef ficient as readers find new challenges and solutions in every chapter. Characters that have experience pain and suffering makes the reader sympathize with them. The Secret Life of Bees have multiple characters that have experienced many misfortunes. Sympathetic characters let the reader to truly care for them which is one of the many reason this novel is truly wonderful. Throughout the book, readers can sympathize with Lily and how she has an abusive father. When Lily argues with her father, hebrought his hand against [Lilys] face. (Kidd 294) We can see the pain that Lily goes through and what she had to grow up with. Violence often happens in families and many experience the pain so many people can relate to Lilys case. Although T. Ray is abusive, many readers can also relate to his pain. He lost his wife twice as she left him the first time and to death the second. As a result, he takes his anger out on Lily who was the one who accidentally killed her. However, at the end of the book T. Ray realizes that he has lost his daughter and decides that in or der to give her the life she deserves, he needs to leave. When T. Ray is leaving, Lily demands him to answer her life-long question, if she was the one who killed her mother. T. Ray speaking the truth tries to comfort her daughter when he says, I could tell you I did it. Thats what you wanna hear. I could tell you she did it to herself, but both ways Id be lying. It was you who did it, Lily. You didnt mean it, but it was you. (Kidd 299) Lilys father then proceeds to leave leaving Lily deep in thought. Almost every character in the book can be sympathized with and as a result, it creates a masterpiece. Clearly, important characters that readers can relate to improves the book drastically. The Secret Life of Bees is an amazing book that clearly deserves a lot of attention. Sue Monk Kidd captures the story of Lily and how she finds out the secret of her mother when she was alive. This book was definitely one of the best book that I have ever read. Because I could sympathize with the characters, I truly enjoyed the relationships that took place and how they turned out. The way the problem was established early on in the book and how it was solved at the end was brilliant. This book was meant for anyone that enjoys reading about love and the journey to find friendships. Anyone that enjoys reading about overcoming racial discrimination and prejudice. All in all, The Secret Life of Bees, written by Sue Monk Kidd is truly an amazing piece of art as it includes multiple figurative language use, creative plot, and real authentic characters which readers can relate to.

How Does Flexibility Affect A Person s Physical Health

It was rival night: West Delaware against Independence. My brother, Dallyn, was in the midst of his senior football season and they were ahead in the third quarter. Dallyn was running for the touchdown when he was brought down with terrible knee pain. His ACL and Meniscus were torn. Dallyn would now be out for the rest of his senior football season and would not be able to step back on the wrestling mat for his last year as a West Delaware Wrestler. The doctors and physical therapists asked him if he knew that inflexible muscles and tendons could have a direct correlation with tearing or straining them. From then on Dallyn worked to improve flexibility in his life. Flexibility can be described in multiple ways. One way the dictionary†¦show more content†¦Research from Mayo Clinic states that side to side and equal flexibility is probably the most important for average athletes (â€Å"Stretching Essentials†). With a lot of sports, athletes push off from side to side in fast and explosive movements. If the body is not prepared for fast movements, a harmful outcome could result. Physical flexibility is not the only kind of flexibility in life. The dictionary also defines flexibility as the willingness to be altered or adapt to alterations (â€Å"Flexible†). Even with sports, a person can benefit from having this type of flexibility as well. A teammate has to be able to work with other people’s schedules to figure out what time works best to have practice. Additionally, in sports each person has a different strength and weakness than the next. In team sports, teammates have to be able to accommodate for the other teammate’s weakness if the team craves success. A team may change positions around while discovering which person fits best at each position to help the team excel. If the athlete participates in individual events, flexibility still applies. If the athlete can work on and be flexible with new techniques, then he or she will outsmart the opponent. In school, it’s necessary a person is flexible in certain situations. One situation that comes to my mind is scheduling for classes. A person has the opportunity to pick his or her classes in most high schools.Show MoreRelatedResearch Paper : Therapeutic Services1619 Words   |  7 Pagesreceive is physical therapy, which provides services for people that are either injured, disabled, or diagnosed with a disease that affects them physically, and much more (WCPT). Physical therapy is not always for a long period of time. But for example, if a child got a broken leg due to a sports injury, their physical therapist would be that person to help guide the child and teach them how to properly use their crutches, what to avoid, and other beneficial advice for them. Another way physical therapyRead MoreRichard Lazarus and Susan Folkman’s and Stress and Coping Paradigm1542 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkmanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â €ž ¢s and stress and coping paradigm and in view of this paradigm explain age and individual difference in the experience and handling of stress 1. Introduction Stress is induced by life events .Lazarus and Flokman in (Cavanaugh and Blanchard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Field (2005) point out stress is defined by the person and that no two people experiences stress the same event in exactly the same way. Each individual has a specific tolerance for stress dependingRead MoreA Holistic View Means That We Are Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pagesthe whole person. You can think of this as different levels, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It s the concept that the human being is multi-dimensional. We have conscious and unconscious aspects, rational and irrational aspects. 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Within the castle, players will encounter many risky obstacles but will always find a reward hiding not too far away. If the champion dies as a result of losing health points (HP) an heir will take their place. Upon choosing an heir you are given 3 randomly generated characters to choose from, no two heirs are exactly alike, often having some sort of disorder /†trait†, and a large part of the fun is deciding whichRead MoreThe Importance Of Physical Education1361 Words   |  6 Pagesto no importance on physical activity. Their idea of exercise c onsists of how fast their fingers type. Immediate changes need to be implemented in the education system to avoid serious long-term effects. College physical education courses are designed to promote a healthy lifestyle through education and exercise. The main objective of the education system incorporating physical education into curriculums was to inform and educate students on the importance of exercise for health purposes, ( Read MoreAgeism is Widespread in Western Societies1250 Words   |  5 Pagesstereotypes on the older adult/person and how these stereotypes may limit access to jobs, medical care or a person’s autonomy In the age stereotype context, there are two kinds of stereotype, which is negative stereotype and positive stereotype. Nevertheless, the old generations are frequently being victims of the negative age stereotype. Emile et al (2014) contend that the negative age stereotype that is targeted at old people frequently entail the decline of the physical and mental condition, performanceRead MoreWellness Components, Warm Up, and Cool Down Essay1412 Words   |  6 Pagesevery person defines wellness differently; some would say wellness is illness free, while others may say healthy or fit. Many people do not know what being fit or being healthy is because everyone they hear it from tells them differently. We all have different levels of abilities and require different workout programs and food guidelines. Diet and fitness are not the main qualities for being healthy, there are five components that make up overall health or wellness this is called holistic health, (MacDonaldRead MoreThe Sci ence Of Yoga And How Does It Affect Human Beings Bodies Or Even Minds?1056 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment Carmen Lupsac 1. The Science of Yoga Description: This article is about the science behind yoga. The big question is â€Å"How does it affect human beings bodies or even minds?† Author Alice Walton references a therapist named Stephen Cope that has done an immense amount of scientific research behind yoga. This research informs the readers about how yoga does not only dampen the body’s stress response but it also boosts levels of the feel-good brain chemicals that are responsible for feelings

Essay on Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in the United...

The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans†¦show more content†¦This has led many teenagers to switch over to marijuana and by legalizing it the switch to a safer drug would continue and it would also make it cheaper than other illicit drugs. This correlation can be seen with the statistics provided by the NIDA 2011 study. 25% of teens surveyed said they tried marijuana at least once last year and 6.6% of 12th graders admitted to smoking weed daily. Marijuana use has been the highest since 1981, but at the same time cigarette and alcohol usage have reached historic lows. 11.7% of U.S. teens reported having smoked a cigarette in the last 30 days, compared to 12.8 percent in 2010. Also alcohol usage has reduced, the proportion of 8th graders reporting any use of alcohol in the prior 30 days has fallen by about half (from 25% to 13%), among 10th graders by more than one third (from 43% to 27, and among 12th graders by about one fourth (from 54% to 40%). Legalizing marijuana would not just help teenagers choose a safer drug, it would also hurt drug cartels and benefit the U.S. economy. Drug cartels operating out of Mexico have made billions and billions of dollars by distributing illicit drugs all over the United States. 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Which brings aboutRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1269 Words   |  6 PagesAbu Matar 1 Mahmoud Abu Matar English Composition 2 Research Paper 14 April 2015 Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana is most commercialized drug in the world, so why not just legalize it? Although there are legal restraints against marijuana, 1 in 3 Americans have tried it, out of curiosity at least once. Multiple studies have proven that, marijuana is psychologically and physically healing. Medical marijuana should be legalized for its beneficial advantages, such as, treating or preventing health conditionsRead MoreStatistical Analysis Of Medical Marijuana807 Words   |  4 Pageswhether the percent of a state identifying as liberal has an influence on the passage of marijuana legalization referenda, statistical analysis was conducted. The results are presented below. First, the results of a univariate analysis are presented. Then, the results of a bivariate Pearson’s correlation coefficient are given. 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Twenty three states and the District of Columbia has legalized marijuana for medical or recreational purposes in the United States. Legalizing marijuana has many benefits to it. Not only has marijuana been proven to counter act someRead MoreEssay about Should Marijuana be Legalized?968 Words   |  4 PagesShould marijuana be legalized for recreational or medical use? This is a debate that has been happening for quite some time and this is not just a debate that is happening among people. There are many that have taken sides including medical personal and government officials. Currently in the United States there are two states in which recreational use of marijuana is legal; Colorado and Washington. There are three states currently that have pending legislation to l egalize recreational use; CaliforniaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1372 Words   |  6 Pagesis marijuana, and surprisingly it is all around us. Marijuana is even referred to in today’s media Mainstream media sources that people enjoy, like music, movies, and TV shows, do not even bother to leave the drug out of their system. Now being a young adult and having my own personal experience with the drug and knowing its effects on others, I wonder why it’s not legal. Why is it that this drug has become illegal all over the world? The debate to legalize marijuana in the United States of America

Athens

Athens-Greece Essay Athens GreeceDuring the fifth century of Ancient Greece the city-states of Athens and Sparta represented two very different forms of living. Spartans directed their time towards their military capabilities while the Athenians were interested in comfort and culture. Spartas and Athens political and environmental differences along with their different views on women caused the two city-states to be very dissimilar. Two major forms of government existed during Ancient Greece: oligarchy and democracy. The government in Sparta was controlled by an oligarchy in which the power was held by a group of five men called ephors. Working below the ephors was the Council of Elders and an Assembly. Male citizens over age sixty could serve on the Council while anyone, male or female, over the age of twenty could be a member of the Assembly. 1 Though the citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government, the system worked effectively. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority in the city-state. Every man in the army fought with a great deal of passion for his country. The beliefs of Sparta were oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. The government in Athens followed a very different course than that of Sparta. Upper class male citizens over the age of thirty were the only Athenians who held any right to vote. The democracy in Athens consisted of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. All branches of the government were capable of vetoing one another. It was also customary to expel from the country any speaker who became too powerful. However, as stated in the Athenian Constitution, male citizens were equal and the governments focus was on the individual rather than the state as a whole.2Another difference between the two great city-states was their environment and how it affected the trade in the two cities. The Athenian economy depended on foreign trade and travel.3 Because of Athens location on the Aegean Sea, sailing increased trade. While trade was a necessity in Athens, it wasnt in Sparta. Since Sparta was cut off from the rest of Greece by two mountain ranges there was little trade being done. The Spartans rarely traveled from their city-state or allowed foreigners into it. This kept out foreign ideas and allowed an element of surprise when it came to attacks.4 Quite possibly one of the greatest differences between the Athenian and the Spartans regarded their attitude towards women. Womens roles in society and their relationship with the community played a major role in the development and effectiveness of each states government and culture. Unlike the rest of Greek women, Spartan women had the freedom of equality except for voting rights. They did little housework or sewing. Since men were in the military, the women had full authority over their households and were not forced into a life of only childbearing and housekeeping like the Athenian woman.5 Since the woman of Sparta exemplified a greater authoritative influence, the nation thrived and became a world leader. When Athenian girls came of age, their fathers offered them for marriage. Even as wives, they were required to stay indoors at all times. Their primary life tasks were child rearing, housework, and sewing giving them no possibility to contribute to the Athenians development and culture. Sparta was uneasy concentrating on war and the State as a whole while Athens was laid back focusing its attention on comfort and the people of the State. With their differences in government, physical surroundings and views on women Sparta and Athens represented the two very different ways a polis could have been back in the fifth century of Ancient Greece.