Nadine Gordimers A Soldier’s Embrace Essay -- essays research papers

A lion, apartheid, South Africa and racism. What do these things have in common? They all play a part in Nadine Gordimer’s collection of short stories called A Soldier’s Embrace published in 1980. This book is based around the lifestyle of South Africa, and the law separating the different cultures at that time (South Africa no longer has these laws of apartheid as of 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the recent news, there was a story about South Africa and its quarrels. What happened was there was a black man who tried to enter South Africa illegally, and he was caught. As a punishment, the white South African police let their dogs attack the black man and rip him apart. Just because the racist laws of South Africa have been rewritten less than a decade ago, does not mean that the people of different races have forgotten about that ordeal. It is these problems that Nadine Gordimer writes about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  She is a South African novelist and short story writer, who wrote about many of the issues there, such as the clash of races. In her short stories, she explores human behavior and unjust authority which was forced not only upon the native Africans, but also upon the people from the Middle East and the Chinese. She is a founding member of the Congress of South African Writers and won the Nobel prize for literature in 1991 (notice that is the same year the racist laws of South Africa were changed). She writes devotedly about South Africa and even ...

Conditions and Effects of the Evolving Electronic Economy on Labor Essa

Conditions and Effects of the Evolving Electronic Economy on Labor â€Å"But I think what surprised me as much as anything was not to find any stores on Washington Street, or any banks on State. What have you done with the merchants and bankers? Hung them all, perhaps, as the anarchists wanted to do in my day?† â€Å"Not so bad as that,† replied Dr. Leete. â€Å"We have simply dispensed with them. Their functions are obsolete in the modern world.† (60) Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy, 1887 Edward Bellamy’s futuristic conception of commerce in the 21st century unintentionally created a surprisingly accurate representation of the emerging electronic economy. The use of computer technology and the internet is allowing the creation of greater corporate profit margins at the expense of labor. There is a clear march towards â€Å"seamless† electronic transactions that removes many established forms of traditional marketing and employment that have existed for centuries. Funded by corporations, government, and ironically by consumers themselves, the evolving wireless economy promises to accelerate consumption at a blistering pace with little thought about the need for labor to have viable forms of income to sustain consumption. We are on the threshold of establishing global economic methods of manufacturing and distribution promoted by a capitalistic quest for profit that has not considered the far-reaching implications of dissolving existing methods of commerce or consequences of increased production. Capitalists have grandiose plans for increasing production and consumption at the expense of labor, but few plans for sustaining income for labor to support consumption. They have neglected to recognize or plan for the inherent flaws of capitalism that will have a tremendous effect on our future system of economy and society. At this time, we can only postulate theories about the outcome of our transformation to a digital, global economy. The indicators, however, predict a continuation of trends that do not portray favorable situations for labor or to support a cohesive society. In his book Looking Backward, Edward Bellamy astutely envisioned future methods of transactions that are increasingly becoming our reality, and his description of contrast between old and new world commerce could not have been more clear: â€Å"That must be a tremendous saving of handling,† I said. â€Å"... ... Atkinson, Robert. The New Economy Index, Understanding America’s Economic Transformation. Washington, D.C.: Progressive Policy Institute Technology, Innovation, and the New Economy Project, 1998 Bellamy, Edward. Looking Backward 2000-1887. New York: Random House, 1982 Braverman, Harry. Labor and Monopoly Capital, The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1998 Byrnes, Nanette. Internet Anxiety: Part in envy, part in fear, Corporate America is embracing a radically new business model. Business Week. June 29, 1999 Fiore, Frank. e-Marketing Strategies. Indiana: Que Publishing Company, 2001 Hanson, Ward. Principles of Internet Marketing. Ohio: South Western College Publishing, 2000 Hoque, Faisal. e-Enterprise. Business Models, Architecture and Components. Cambridge: University Press, 2000. Press, Associated. Does Tax Plan Repeat History? Sonora: The Union Democrat, March 12, 2001 Rosner, Bob. Getting Laid Off Isn’t The End of the World. San Francisco Chronicle, March 11, 2001 Stricker, Frank. Causes of the Great Depression, or What Regan Doesn’t Know About the 1920s. Dominguez Hills: California State University, 2000

Developing language skills Essay

1. INTRODUCTION Throughout the last several years English teaching course books have become the essence to learning the English language successfully. There has always been a major necessity to reading, listening and writing but recently educators have found that communicative competence is an important asset that needs acquiring. According to this latter statement, recent course books are equipped with all four skills in order to achieve a proficient level of English. However, due to new discoveries such as the learner-centered learning or Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory , many books are inclined to the different necessities that better suit the  student. Here, for example, we are presented with two very different books directed to teenagers. In the following course books: Bachillerato book Made Easy and the Basque book ‘Botellà ³n!’ we will intent to make various contrasts and comparisons amongst the four major skills to English language learning. 2. METHODOLOGIES We must realize that all course books have many methodologies.. We have seen in Methodological Approaches (See Funiber Subject 1) that Marianne Celce-Murcia quotes that â€Å"a historical perspective needs to be taken into consideration to be able to evaluate innovations effectively†. As we can see there has been an immense amount of detail added to language teaching from the early 19th century when comparing the Grammar – Translation method to the newly adopted approaches although there are still signs of the methodologies present within the newer books. Here are some: 2.1. TABLE MADE EASY BOTELLON! both Grammar-Translation Method Exercises to translate into L1 Use of dictionary Direct Method No use of mother tongue Reading Method Lots of reading material Structuralism Plenty of drilling and repetition Contrastive Analysis â€Å"Bachillerato† will focus on common Spanish errors, eg. DO/MAKE The theme/subject is inclined to a Spanish saying: botellà ³n.. Behaviourist Stimulus, response, reinforcement: activities Cognitive Approach Rules are made clear first before practice (TPR) CALL The course book is equipped with extra material: resource books for teachers and a website TPR â€Å"Learn language through doing† CLL Extensive list of themes: appreciating the learners needs. – No textbook. Natural Approach – Contain all four skills – Teacher support. Lexical Approach Vocabulary importance. Audio-visual Method Meaningful communication and social contexts. 2.1.1 THE LEARNING THEORIES IMPLICIT This chart shows both course books seem to have adopted some essence of the older methodologies. Nowadays approaches are more familiar where teachers can choose a method that will better suit the learner. However, our next research will be on : integration and segregation of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. 3. INTEGRATION First: the meaning of integration is the usage of all four language skills simultaneously in various activities. Some exercises begin with reading, perhaps a follow up of discussing the article and finally concluding a written summary of the text. By doing all three activities we are utilizing the skills of reading, speaking and writing. As Dr Garza quoted it â€Å"most teachers recognize that the four language skills support each other and are found together in real-life language use†. Also, none of the separate language skills are ever used in isolation (Funiber, Developing language skills in the classroom). Now we understand the significance, we can continue to analyse this method in the books. 3.1. EXTENT Made Easy, from an external perspective looks as though the skills have all been segregated but in fact they have all been integrated. The reading, which is divided into a before, while and after reading which are entwined with various grammatical activities for preparation. However when you look at an internal view of the course book we see that there is a high level of integration with the four skills. Take the writing section which has various grammar exercises (Language/Vocabulary) Assignment – DLSC beforehand to ensure understandability of the learner which also holds a cognitive approach to learning according to Chomsky. Here, reading and writing are both merged then followed by reinforcing activities. As we have learnt reading in traditional terms at least, seems to be a natural bedfellow of writing (Funiber). Lastly, we have a division of the listening and speaking activities from an outer look in the last page but they are  however united through the theme of the subject which locks them together. On the other hand, the Botellà ³n book is relatively distinctive. Firstly, the format that is uses is generally integrating reading and plentiful of brainstorming writing activities with the final intention of speaking. However there are activities of listening which is integrated with writing. However there is only the one activity (2) that is segregated which is the skill of speaking as is the final activity which perhaps helps the teacher to evaluate the extent of the learne rs new acquired knowledge throughout the course. 4. PRODUCT AND PROCESS ASPECT However, there are some similarities worth mentioning between the two course books. They both take a process approach which has the student â€Å"working up to† the final contribution. A process approach tends to focus more on various classroom activities which promote the development of language use: brainstorming, group discussion and rewriting (Steele, 2004). In the Bachillerato book Made Easy on page 61, we have: before and after writing preparation: an insight, planning, mind mapping, writing first drafts, feedback, editing and evaluating.Chen for example states that â€Å"these studies have quantitatively measured improvements in learners’ test scores following the completion of a strategy training programme† (2007). Furthermore, the Botellà ³n book also includes a process approach but in a broader sense and tends to cover most of the book with an abundant amount of brainstorming activities that drive and lead to a final proposal (writing) and a discussion part (speaking) at the end. As Lynch quotes: â€Å" the route one takes to that goal† (1996:148). To compare: 4.1.1 TABLE Process writing Product writing Text as a resource for comparison Imitate model text Ideas as a starting point Organization of ideas are more important than ideas themselves More than one draft One draft More global, focused on purpose, theme, text type i.e. reader is emphasized Features highlighted including controlled practice of those features Collaborative Individual Emphasis on creative process Emphasis on end product * Table 1: Product and process writing: A comparison (Steele 2004 p. 1) 5. AUTHENTICITY Now looking more closely to the aspects of authentic/genuine exercises. The significance of an authentic text: some researchers have gone on to say: â€Å"authentic materials are materials that we can use in the classroom and that have not been changed in any way for ESL students† (Sanderson, 1999). Harmer (1991) defines authentic texts as â€Å"materials which are designed for native speakers; they are real texts; designed not for language students, but for the speakers of the language†. Authentic texts is language used by natives which have not in any case been manipulated by authors to suit the level of then learners. Although, what matters is the response and expression of the learner, if it in accordance to the text then the response has been made authentic as once quoted by Widdowson (Funiber, Developing Language Sills in the Classroom). In Made Easy, there are many reading activities. In the text â€Å"Making and keeping friends† we can see that there is a previous activity to help the learner think and analyse the text before reading; predicting. According to Revell and Breary, a way of dealing with this problem is to get the learners to predict the main points of the text (Funiber). After the reading there are questions to be answered straight after the comprehension: if we immediately ask questions then we are denying the chance to give an authentic response (Lynch 1996: 124-125). The next â€Å"authentic† text would be the possible newspaper or magazine article (pag 63) which has probably been falsified to a certain extent to suit the level of the learner. In the  speaking, on page 67, they are able to give their own opinions in relation to the listening previously heard which allows their own expressions to be considered. The listening provides the learner with many different ideas for brainstorming. However, they are not real life situations, there is no genuine media and there is an exclusion of body language and facial expression and thus there is no possible reply (Funiber). In the Botellà ³n book, we are presented with a real problem of teenage street drinking which induces a genuine problem. The first speaking exercise allows the learner to give real feedback with an authentic and genuine response. Throughout the unit we have, as mentioned above, many reading activities: real life opinions, newspaper articles and a diplomatic meeting. This all seem extremely genuine but to what extent is unclear. On another positive note, we have two You tube debates: Pregnancy Discrimination and The Iraq War. These last two are very opposite to the general and ordinary listening we are used to and they are in fact impossible to manipulate. Following this virtual debate, we have a more general listening about p sychology with Dr. Lindee which although is a very universal reciprocal activity it may have some essence of credibility. 6. SIMPLIFICATION Widdowson says that â€Å"text simplification for second language learners is the adaption of a â€Å"genuine text† in order to facilitate reading and comprehension skills. Some authors claim that Assignment – DLSC authentic materials (genuine) are often too hard for students who read at lower levels .Though is controversial issue, a genuine text is not necessarily better than an adapted one, what matters if the student responds to it as he would in real life.† On the one hand this will benefit the some learners, as by manipulating the text to suit the learners interest this will stimulate their motivation and interests. However, Honeyfield (1977) says that the two principal aspects of text simplification, namely simplifying language and simplifying content, produce material which differs significantly from ‘normal’ English in the areas of information distribution and common structure. By altering the language,it reduces the colloquial and â€Å"realness† of the language. Now the question remains as to how do we  identify if the text has been adjusted? Swaffar (1985) says that the primary intent of an original text is to communicate meaning, and in her view, authentic messages which perform this function have the following characteristics: authorial cues, repetition, redundancy, and discourse markers. She claims that simplified texts do not have these characteristics because they have a â€Å"pseudo-intent†, which is to teach language, rather than to communicate. Made Easy has three very different texts: firstly on page 61 the text holds an easy vocabulary, short sentence structures, redundancy and a a simple content of topic. On page 63 however, in activity 6 we have a newspaper report, we are given information with an unsophisticated vocabulary and a structure that is in relation to the grammar explained in the previous activity: the reported speech. Lastly, there is an essay written in an academic format, supposedly by a native adolescent. There are longer sentences with subordinate clauses and a wider scope of vocabulary . All three text show some sign of simplification which is not ideal because as Willis says, in developing their communicative skills learners need to become aware of the choices realised in genuine language use in order to create appropriate meaning (1996: 26). This opinion puts learning on fluency. The Botellà ³n gives more of a realistic and pragmatic cognizance because all of the texts represent â€Å"real life† opinions which should all interaction between natives should be genuine. Firstly, on page 64, activity 3, we have 7 different views about the subject of alcohol. By analysing the content we have a very colloquial type of language expressed by native English foreigners living in Spain. Secondly, on page 71, activity 6, we have more viewpoints but there is a more complex vocabulary and structure with more detail, plentiful of subordinate clauses and some acronyms. Lastly, on page 74, activity 7, we have more opinions but these are inside quotation marks which indicate direct speech and should be understood as a natural and spontaneous spoken English. The amplest difference about the two books when identifying these concepts is on page 77 of the Botellà ³n book on activity 8: There are two virtual debates (Pregnancy Discrimination and the Iraq war) which are provided to the students to watch from the web. This is the closest encounter we  have to real conversation. McCarthy and Carter explain that â€Å"’language in action’ involves participants in using language to refer to action in an easy and unproblematic way because they are taking place before their respective eyes (pag. 209). 7. SKILLS The next subject is the relationship between the work and learning/practice of grammar: When teachers first began to adopt a communicative approach to foreign and second language teaching, â€Å"learning communication† was often presented as an alternative to â€Å"learning grammar†. We noted a strong sense of convergence between stated beliefs and actual classroom practices. Having our self-experienced English language learning by explicit instruction on the rules of grammar, the belief that grammar teaching should be integrated into speaking, writing and reading. belief that grammar is central to language learning and direct grammar teaching is needed by their EFL/ESL students† We think this particular type of study vitally important especially in light of the results of the recent Richards, Gallo, and Renandya (2001) survey that suggest evidence of divergence between teachers’ stated beliefs and actual classroom practices related to grammar teaching. 8. PRODUCTION: ORAL AND WRITTEN In Bachillerato Made Easy there is a continual relationship between production (oral and written) and grammar because we can see that the step includes a written part where the students write sentences to take into account the ways to report what someone has already said, then in an oral practice they report the message using a reporting verb and making some changes in tenses pronouns, adjectives and adverbs. In â€Å"Botellà ³n† there isn’t a relation between skills and grammar because the unit doesn’t show any grammar description. They have a brief model to write, read, speak and listen but they don’t have the grammar reference to follow the different skills. What are the opportunities for production do both units provide? Oral communication is a two-way process between speaker and listener where both the speaker and the listener have a positive function to perform (Byrne  1986: 8). So speaking is therefore an interactive process but we have to recognize that there will be times when the speaker’s role will be essentially passive which is emphasized in McGregor’s model of collaborative discourse (see Section 2.2.3) Furthermore writing is labeled as written production and is one of the branches, it is a skill that students must develop. When expressing oneself in a language, this is only done in an oral fashion; written communication is extremely important in language learning. So both units provide their students with situations that allow development and progress in the four skills: Bachillerato Made Easy the unit provides opportunities with a group work, self-access and Presentation – Practice –  Producti on, for both production skills (oral, written) the unit tends to be teacher-centred, as the teacher leads the activity and provides necessary information. Furthermore it is a student centred activity because the learners in some steps are able to decide what to say, and how to say it, for example: for oral production the learners start discussing with a self-assessment task in two different exercises. In the first exercise learners have to reflect about their behaviour in given situations and in the second part they have a free group discussion about the same topic which is presented in all the unit and provide the learners with the necessary structure, vocabulary and grammar (previously taught). ‘Botellà ³n!’ provides opportunities with interaction where the learners work in groups or independently where they have the chance to work together and interact autonomously and the teacher acts as a facilitator by monitoring their work. For example for the written part they use the steps in the reading part to refute a diplomatic way the topics given. Now the learners are totally trained for talking about different points of vi ew. As we know there are three main stages in any unit: Presentation, Practice, and Production. A unit which includes all these stages can help learners to learn more efficiently. 8.1 TYPES The presentation stage involves explaining the aims of the unit so that children know what they will learn and why. It is also during this stage that the teacher explains the new language, including both its meaning and  form, and how to say or write it correctly. The goal of the practice stage is to help the children use the new language you have just explained to them. It is at this stage that error correction is most important. The final stage is the production stage. This can help motivate children to communicate meaning with the new language. Children should experiment with the language. For example in Bachillerato Made Easy, they write an essay but in the part for production it is required to follow the steps to create the essay: description, narration, exposition, and argumentation) or it is better to write a paragraph or notes for a letter to produce learning.In â€Å"Botellà ³n† they make a diplomatic discussion, this part requires more group work and pair work to achieve more examples of communicative language. 8.1.1. ACTIVITIES Assignment – DLSC The variety of the activity types provide opportunities for students to build Awareness or Conceptualize understandings related to the learning. They help the learners to apply their knowledge of the contents using a variety of processes and techniques. The four skills work in tandem when the activities that require their use are designed to support learners in the process of learning, creating and producing a specific product. The Bachillerato Made Easy unit presents the following activities for the speaking section (oral): dialogues, role play, talking about themselves related to behaviour in different situations that mention generalization and advice to take into account in our real world to be good friends. In this activity students are allowed to answer questions using their own words. On the other hand, a written section follows these activities: Written practice to responding to questions that are related to friendship. In the speaking section the activity discusses some of the issues, factors and solutions for the problem. Apart from that the other activity is to work individually, whether they agree or disagree and to state their own reasons about the proposed solutions. The last activity is a discussion in groups, giving for and against arguments. In the written section the unit uses a discussion organiser in a written practice where the students have to write some notes proposing a solution which could be appropriate for everybody on the subject of botellà ³n. 9. OPINION AND CONCLUSION We can say a textbook is only as good as the teacher who uses it. A textbook is just a tool, in our teaching arsenal. Sometimes, teachers over-rely on textbooks and don’t consider other aids for the classroom. Some teachers reject a textbook approach to learning because the textbook is outdated or insufficiently covers a topic or subject area, but we know that a book or a unit is very important to learning the language. So we prefer both units: Bachillerato because this unit is considered Authentic and Genuine, the unit works with the four skills and other points such as grammar which are vital to learning the language. Furthermore the unit has different activities for each skill. On the other hand the unit â€Å"Botellà ³n† because it is algo genuine although this unit is more student centred. In this case it is focused on each student’s needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles, placing the teacher as the facilitator. BIBLIOGRAFY 1. Berliner, D. C. (1987). Ways of thinking about students and classrooms by more and less experienced teachers. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers’ thinking (pp. 60-83). London: Cassell. 2. Chen, Y.(2007). Learning to learn: the impact of strategy training. ELT Journal, 61 (1), 20-29. 3. Gabrielatos, C. (2002). EFL writing: product and process. Retrieved on 25 August. 2010 from 4. Funiber, Methodologies and Approaches. Developing Language Skills in the Classroom. 5. Gardner, A., & Johnson, D. (1997). Teaching personal experience narrative in the elementary and beyond. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona Writing Project Press. 6. Higuchi, M. (1998) Using Authentic Texts in EFL Teaching and Learning 7. Honeyfield, J. (1977). Simplification. TESOL Quarterly, 11(4), 431-440. 8. McCarthy, M. and R. Carter. 1995. â€Å"Spoken Grammar: What Is It and How Can We Teach It?†. In English Language Teaching Journal, 49ï ¼Ë†3ï ¼â€°: 207-18 9. Steele, V. (1992). Product and pro cess writing: a comparison. Rowley: Newbury House. 10. Swaffar, J. (1985). Reading authentic texts in a foreign language. The Modern Language Journal, 69, 115-134. 11. Swan, M. 1980. Practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 12. Widdowson, H. (1976). The authenticity of language data. J. F. Fanselow & R. H. Crymes (Eds.), ON TESOL ’76. Washington: TESOL. Assignment – DLSC 13. Willis, D. et al. 1996. MA TESLï ¼ TEFL Open Learning Programme Pedagogic Grammar. Birmingham: The Centre for English Language Studies, the University of Birmingham. WEB READINGS 1. Claridge, G (2005) Simplification in graded readers: Measuring the authenticity of graded texts http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/october2005/claridge/claridge.html 2. Higuchi, M. (1998) Using Authentic Texts in EFL Teaching and Learning http://bambi.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/~kiyou4228021/12_1/12_1_03.pdf 3. Md. Kamrul Hasan & Mohd. Moniruzzaman Akhand Kamrul, H. and Moniruzzaman, A. (2010) Approaches to Writing in EFL/ESL Context: Balancing Product and Process in Writing Class at Tertiary Level http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NELTA/article/viewFile/4612/3823 4. Tamo, D. (2009) The Use of Authentic Materials in Classrooms http://www.lcpj.pro/skedaret/1277547685-74_pdfsam_LCPJ,%20Per%20shtyp.pdf

‘Cousin Kate’ by Christina Rossetti Essay

This Victorian poem is about the narrator (a fallen woman), the Lord and Kate. It is a ballad which tells the story from the narrator’s perspective about being shunned by society after her ‘experiences’ with the lord. The poem’s female speaker recalls her contentment in her humble surroundings until the local ‘Lord of the Manor’ took her to be his lover. He discarded her when she became pregnant and his affections turned to another village girl, Kate, whom he then married. Although the speaker’s community condemned the speaker as a ‘fallen’ woman, she reflects that her love for the lord was more faithful than Kate’s. She is proud of the son she bore him and is sure that the man is unhappy that he and Kate remain childless. Some readers think that she feels more betrayed by her cousin than the lord. This poem is a dramatic monologue written in the Victorian era. Structure The poem is written in first person narrative. It has 6 stanzas of 8 lines: One stanza each on the narrator, the Lord and Kate; stanza 4 contrasts the position of the narrator and Kate; stanza 5 criticises Kate and stanza 6 focuses on the narrator’s triumph at having a child. Each stanza is the same length and each line has a similar rhythm, giving it a ballad-like feel. It could also be conveying the strength and perseverance of the narrator who has to face life in conflict with the expectations of Victorian society. Note that the tone changes as the poem progresses – regret, accusation, bitterness, triumph. The rhyme scheme always connects the B (2nd line) of each couplet. E. g Stanza one – AB/CB/DB/DB. Sometimes the first line of the couplet is rhymed. The rhyme emphasises the last world to aid meaning. The regular rhyme could also suggest that narrator has not only been dominated by the Lord (because men and in particular men of a higher social standing) but is also trapped with Victorian social conventions (she is now a fallen woman in conflict with the values of her society). Sometimes the first line is rhymed as in Stanza 3 – AB/AB/CB/AB. In this case the words ‘Kate’, ‘gate’ and ‘estate’ are stressed in order to convey the way Kate has been elevated from her position in society. However in stanza 5 this rhyme of ‘true’ and ‘you’ contrasts the narrator’s strength of feeling with Kate’s. ‘Cousin Kate’ is written with an iambic rhythm. Generally, one line of the poem has three feet, and the next has four. The poem, therefore, generally follows the following pattern: da dum da dum da dum da dum da dum da dum da dum Iambic rhythms often follow the natural rhythm of speech, a little like a heartbeat. If we apply this to one of Rossetti’s lines, it reads as follows: â€Å"Because you were so good and pure†. Therefore the meaning of the words is captured in the line as specific words are stressed. The repetition of: ‘Why did a great lord find me out’, conveys the anger and bewilderment of the speaker at her change of circumstances, whilst the phrase: ‘good and pure’ has a hollow ring by its second occurrence. Thereafter, repeated phrases are altered to highlight the contrasting situations of Kate and the speaker: The community ‘call’ Kate ‘good and pure’, but ‘call’ the speaker ‘an outcast thing’. Kate ‘sit[s] in gold’, the speaker ‘sit[s] †¦ in dust’. The image of dust connects to a life of poverty and also suggests how she has been soiled by society. Whereas ‘gold’ suggests that her cousin has riches. Kate’s fate is to ‘sit †¦ and sing’, the speaker’s to ‘sit and howl’. This suggests the mental anguish that the narrator is experiencing at being abandoned whereas to ‘sing’ indicates that Kate is content. However, the speaker believes her ‘love was true’, while Kate’s ‘love was writ in sand’ suggesting that her love is stronger than Kate’s. The echoed structure in the final stanza – that Kate has ‘not got’ and is ‘not like to get’ the gift of a child – emphasises the speaker’s sense of triumph. Language The speaker’s questions in the first stanza express her anger and confusion at the experiences she has had to endure: ‘Why did a great lord find me out†¦ Why did a great lord find me out? ’ She suggests that before the arrival of the ‘great lord’, she was happy and ‘contented’ (line 3). She was not looking for a new situation in life. It came unexpectedly. The idea that the lord filled her heart with care suggests that she had less to worry about previously. She is angry that he made her anxious instead of happy and took her away from her friends, her ‘cottage mates’ (line 3). She questions her cousin Kate in stanza 4 suggesting that she loved the lord whereas her cousin did not marry for love. The speaker addresses her questions, laments and moans to Kate. She begins the third verse, ‘O Lady Kate, my cousin Kate’ and the fifth, ‘O cousin Kate’. Throughout, she employs a tone of accusation, repeatedly using the word ‘you’ as she compares Kate to herself. In the last four lines, the speaker draws her attention away from her bitterness at Kate and addresses her son. She calls him ‘my shame, my pride’ (line 45). The oxymoron highlights the conflict that she experiences at loving the Lord and her son but also knowing that she has defied moral convention. Through active and passive verbs Rossetti emphasises the powerlessness of women in Victorian society by associating the lord with a series of actions which take the initiative. He ‘f[ound]’ the speaker ‘out’ / ‘praise[d]’ her / ‘lured’ her / ‘wore’ her / ‘changed’ her / ‘cast’ her ‘by’ / ‘fooled’ her. These are harsh actions, which become more ominous with regard to Kate. Like a stalker, the lord: ‘saw’ her / ‘chose’ her’ / ‘watched’ her / ‘lifted’ her ‘To sit with him’ / ‘bound’ her/ ‘won’ her / ‘bought’ her. Like a hunter, the lord ‘f[ound]’ the speaker ‘out’, ‘lured’ her, then ‘chose’ his next victim in Kate, whom he ‘watched’, then picked up (‘lifted’) and ‘bound’. Both women are referred to as birds, with Kate seeming to be trussed and bound by her fine clothes and wedding ring. In ‘Cousin Kate’, the dove image draws on these ideas of hope and fulfilment and is a symbol of purity that stands in direct contrast to the contaminated state the speaker finds herself as she describes herself as ‘an unclean thing’ (line 15). However, she acknowledges that the tenderness associated with the dove is no match for Kate’s ‘stronger wing’. Even though the speaker claims that she ‘would  have spit’ and ‘[would] not have taken’ the lord, the fact that this is in the future conditional tense indicates that the reality of the situation is in fact very different – she will always be powerless. Alliteration is used throughout the poem: The soft innocence of the speaker before her life changed is conveyed by the soft M of ‘maiden’, ‘mates’ and ‘mindful’ in stanza 1 When the speaker claims that she was led to the lord’s house to lead a ‘shameless shameful life’, the sibilance in this line reinforces the joining together of oxymorons that these words perform. It also reflects the hushed manner in which the speaker was ensnared by the lord, taken in, then later cast aside The speaker’s anger shines through the harsh consonants of ‘Lady Kate, my cousin Kate’ In the final stanza, the speaker emphasises the close bond she shares with her son when she asks that he ‘Cling closer, closer yet’ (line 46). The emphasis here highlights her fear and together with the repetition of the word ‘closer’, suggests that it is for her own comfort, as well as her son’s, that they remain together. Strong images are used to convey the predicament of the narrator. She claims that the lord considered her as a ‘plaything’ (line 12) whom he could treat how he liked without any regard for her feelings. Much like the ‘silken knot’ (line 12) he wore around his neck (a cravat or tie), he treated her as a fashion accessory he could use and then cast away, rather than as an individual with her own needs. The speaker recognises that the lord ‘changed me like a glove’ (line 13). He used her and moulded her into a shape that suited him and then, like a glove that no longer pleases, dispensed with her completely. A glove is an intimate and personal object that fits itself around its user. By describing herself as a glove, the speaker acknowledges that she lost sight of her own needs and desires in an attempt to please and suit the lord. Essay title: Explain how Rossetti creates sympathy for the narrator in ‘Cousin Kate’. Use examples from the poem to support your answers.

American Identity Construction In Raising Victor Vargas English Literature Essay

American Identity Construction In Raising Victor Vargas English Literature Essay Peter Sollet’s 2002 movie â€Å"Raising Victor Vargas†, is a fascinating piece of cinematic work because it has the incredible ability to transport an audience member from the movie theatre and place him or her behind main character Victor, thus becoming an eye witness of his daily actions in the barrio. By taking this approach, Sollet gives the audience the opportunity to analyze the negotiation and construction of Dominican self-identification in the United States. The movie is set in New York City’s Lower East Side and a majority of the main characters are members of the working class Vargas family. The head of the household is grandmother Anna Guzman, who is a first generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. She has the responsibility to raise her three grandchildren named Victor, Vicki and Nino. Victor is a real ladies’ man and the central narrative of the movie revolves around his attempts to seduce popular neighborhood girl Judy Ramirez. His involvement with Judy is a desperate effort to rescue his reputation as Victor’s friends assume that he has slept with â€Å"Fat Donna.† Over the course of his seduction process, Victor gets both his brother and sister tangled up in his actions which makes raising victor vargas a mission impossible for his traditional grandmother. Both the general audience and critics appreciate the movie. It faired well at the box office and it received many positive critical reviews, including one from popular Chicago-Sun Times critic Roger Ebert who gave it three and a half stars out of four. â€Å"Raising Victor Vargas† also won several prizes including the Grand Special Prize at Deauville Film Festival and the Made in Spanish award at San Sebastian International Film Festival. Reasons for its success may lie in the fact that it is not a typical teenage comedy, since it not merely touches upon teens’ experiences with relationships. It also raises issues concerning th e search for an Dominican-American identity, the defining of race through language, the acceptance of generational tensions and the existence of cultural differences. All of these issues give a glimpse of how ethnic-racial identities are played out in New York City’s Lower East Side. By analyzing the construction of an ethnic-racial identity in â€Å"Raising Victor Vargas† by means of the previously listed topics, this paper will demonstrate how the existence of fluid identities encompasses feelings of inclusion and exclusion that are able to dominate lives within an urban minority community. The academic discussion on identity construction in Latino communities in New York City mostly focuses on the existence of panethnicity among Latinos and how this affects integration into American society. According to scholars Josà © Itzigsohn and Carlos Dore-Carbal, the existence of panethnicity â€Å"refers to the expansion of ethnic group boundaries to include different nati onal or ethnic groups that share a common language, a common culture, or a common regional origin into an encompassing identity.† This panethnicity has been examined as a secondary identity that coexists with national identifications. In addition, the link between America’s racial classification system and panethnic identity has also been researched extensively. Overall, research has drawn the conclusion that separate racial and ethnic categories are able to construct panethnic identities, yet they can also create panethnic identities together.

Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Feminism - Essay Example That function gives women such wisdom and power as no male ever can possess. When women can support themselves, have their entry to all the trades and professions, with a house of their own over their heads and a bank account, they will own their bodies and be dictators in the social realm. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1890 (Banner, 1980) The activists for women's rights in the nineteenth century may have read Godey's Lady's Book and the same domestic novels as their neighbors, but they believed that women's moral superiority justified their working for women's equality inside and outside the home. Why did they challenge the prevailing restrictions on women How did their own experiences in the family lead them to a feminist consciousness How did their domestic experiences shape their feminist thought and action Family issues--women's property rights, child custody, marriage, reproductive control, and divorce--were central to the early women's rights advocates' understanding of women's oppression. The Declaration of Sentiments passed in 1848 at Seneca Falls, New York, as well as the resolutions passed at other women's rights conventions, reflected the centrality of these concerns. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, along with many Quakers and Spiritualists, were the strongest advocates for marriage reform, both before and after the Civil War, when the women's rights movement as a whole narrowed its platform to concentrate on the vote. This emphasis on family issues stemmed from the supporters' own domestic experiences--empowering as well as restrictive--and from their outrage over the victimization of other women by abusive husbands. Aware of the precariousness of women's covert domestic power, many early activists for women's rights forged a feminist agenda designed to benefit women and their familie s. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Antoinette Brown Blackwell, and other notable feminists who were dismayed by the slow progress of achieving public power sought to apply feminist principles in their own lives. They pursued two major alternative strategies: combining marriage, motherhood, and careers; or choosing single celibate lives dedicated to reform (Banner, 1980). Many early advocates for women's rights came to a feminist consciousness as they perceived the disparities between their own experiences as wives and mothers and the cultural ideals of true womanhood. Some of them came to an awareness of their subordination when they were discriminated against in the abolitionist and temperance movements. In these movements they gained valuable political organizing experience through public speaking, lobbying, and petition campaigns. For others their feminist consciousness stemmed from their experiences as Quakers and Spiritualists. Women spoke in Quaker meetings, became ministers, held separate business meetings, and had equal educational opportunities. Feminists against the Traditional Family Certain topics were almost universally taboo in nineteenth-century America. Even husbands and their wives avoided discussing sex, homosexuality, prostitution, insanity, illegitimate children, birth control, and suicide. In a time when nudity was considered indecent, Hiram Powers's statue of a nude female titled Greek Slave caused uproar. Some museums had a "ladies hour" when women could view the statue

Corporate social responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate social responsibility - Essay Example al, 2005). Activities of Corporately Socially Responsible (CSR) Firms: Coca cola international claims itself as a socially responsible multinational firm. It is currently operating in dozens of countries while honoring its commitment of being CSR efficient. As a sure sign of success not only has it been able to capture and sustain a remarkable 49% of market share in beverage market around the world , rather the increasing revenues have consistently shown a better picture throughout (Cokecsr, 2011). Following are the activities claimed by coca cola as their Corporate Social Responsibilities. Energy Efficiency and Climate Concerns: The Company claims at reducing the carbon emissions throughout the value chain and making their processes more energy efficient (cokecsr, 2011). Emissions of harmful materials are carefully managed. Water Stewardship: Water consumption for running the operations is strictly need based; there is no excessive usage or wastage of drinking water. Water sustainab ility is ensured during operations at coke plants; what is consumed is returned to the environment (cokecsr, 2011). ... Community, Health and Employee Safety: The corporate makes significant investments to ensure a protected community, improved health and employee welfare; enabling the company to sustain its remarkable position as a world leader in beverage market (cokecsr, 2011). Factors to Enhance CSR Image: Companies employ different tactics to improve their CSR image in the eyes of their consumers, it is because they are highly concerned with the social needs of their consumers. The augmented exposure of customers to environment and social issues and crisis is a huge potential threat for large companies. To resolve these supposed threats from customers, large companies take specific initiatives. The basic purpose is to create a higher degree of customer satisfaction. If the society is growing, the environment is protected and people are healthy then it is quite certain that the customers will be satisfied. Media marketing or advertisements are the main aid to generalize the community about corpora te social responsibilities. The investments which a company makes in a community are the ones that really reap the benefits for the company in the longer run. It may include educational investments, health care initiatives and eliminating social evils from the society (Armstrong, 1977). Every company, that employs a CSR policy, publishes an annual report which covers the yearly operations, initiatives and achievements of the company (ckecsr, 2011). This coverage provides a complete picture of how the firm’s projects have turned out. For instance, if investments have been made in long term projects which are beneficial for the firm’s associations; this will create