Australian waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australian waste - Essay Example The most polluted sites in Australia include transport sites, roadsides, park/waterfront areas, rivers and creeks, school grounds, coastal/beach areas, as well as shops and malls. A recent trend exists that seeks to move away from burying and burning of waste in Australia towards its reuse and recycling. This shift towards sustainable development and conservation ideals with regards to waste disposal, as well as policies aimed at recycling, reusing, reduction of generation, and extraction of energy from the waste have caught on in Australia. Since the 1990s, household waste recycling has become more popular. Reasons for this trend can be explained by the presence of kerbside recycling; raising commodity prices, as well as increased levies for land fill services to prohibitive levels. However, mobile phones have introduced a new dilemma since they contain harmful products. This has necessitated novel ways of disposal. AUSTRALIAN WASTE Australia generates approximately one tonne of was te every year that is sent into a landfill. After the United States and Israel, Australia ranks as the third largest producers of landfill among developed countries. Significantly, most of this waste is resultant from goods that Australians do not even use with waste of over $10.5 billion per year occurring. This habit has begun developing in the early 20th century as ideas of convenience and hygiene gave rise to disposable products, which was justified because the consumer was assured of un-contaminated products. Buying into disposability is easy because new products are cheaper than fixing a broken one. However, this kind of disposability is a fantasy that exists because Australians do not have to see, smell, or handle their waste. This is unlike natural systems where waste is critical in the maintenance of life and, therefore, is not removed, but used as a resource for another system. While organic material in nature can decompose and be used to create something new, this is not possible for industrial objects. It, therefore, becomes important to recognize the regenerative power that waste can have. Australia’s recycling habits, however, have been improving, although there is room for improvement. The most important waste management principle, including recycling, repair, reuse, and reduce, is refuse. Australians are encouraged not to buy a lot of products to begin with since the realization of a sustainable environment also needs a reduction in consumption (O'Connor, 2007). For fourteen years, plastics make up the majority of waste collected in Australia with 31.75 of all collected waste being plastics. Miscellaneous items like cigarette butts made up 17.7% of all rubbish. Metal, especially aluminium ranked third at 14.6%, followed by glass at 13.1%, and finally paper at fifth accounting for 12.6% of all collected rubbish (Australia Bureau of Stastistics, 2007). Other material included polystyrene and rubber. These are the major sources of rubbish i n Australia. When it comes to rubbish items, cigarette butts rank first accounting for 29.6% of items surveyed. Alcoholic beverage containers made of glass were second with 5.4%. The other rubbish items in order of prevalence include confectionary and plastic chip bags, plastic bottle caps, pieces of glass, PET drink containers, metal items, especially aluminium, and paper. The most polluted sites in Australia include transport sites,

Classic Knitwear Essay Example for Free

Classic Knitwear Essay Classic Knitwear, founded in 1995, began production of a unique line of unbranded casual knit apparel. Included in their product line were such clothing as T-shirts, sport shirts, sweatshirts and other wearing apparel. Although the company saw exceptional revenues as of 2005, they still felt that they were not meeting certain criteria when it came to their gross margin. They sought to increase their gross margin, currently sitting at 18%, to that of a more comfortable number of 20%. To combat this issue, Classic Knitwear decided to team up with Guardian, a producer of odorless repellant protection against bugs, and combine their fortes into a line of clothing infused with the bug repellant technology. These new products would hopefully to rise the gross margin to the 20% they were hoping to accomplish. The non-fashion casual knitwear market consisted of products that range from casual t-shirts to even underwear. Within this industry, it can be divided into two categories, those manufacturers who brand their products with their name and those companies who choose not to brand their line of products. On the branded side of the industry, Classic competed with three major brands. These brands were JamesBrands (which accounted for $4.5 billion in revenue from sales), Flowerknit (which accounted for $1.25 billion in revenue from sales), and Greenville Corporations TopTops Division (which accounted for $630 million in revenue from sales). These branded labels competed on the level of private- labeled businesses. On the other side of the industry, Classic competed with one company in terms of unlabeled products. BB Activewear were major competitors as they generated $590 million or 23.6% market share, which made them a leader in the market. Although not directly involved within this sector, Jamesbrand, Flowerknit and Greenville Corporations TopTops Division still were involved with Classic on this level. Distribution channels are essential when it comes to the wholesales of these companies products. 90% of the product distribution from these companies go directly to two distinct types of retailers. Almost 50% of these sales are accounted for from mixed retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Kohls, who sell clothing as well as wide variety of other products. The other 40% is sold towards clothing specialist retailers, such as Gap and Brooks Brothers, who only specialize in the selling of clothing related products. The remaining 10% of the distribution channels contained bits from non- grocery retailers, home shopping, internet retailing and direct selling to the customers. In order for manufacturers to compete for retail business, they used a variety of strategies in order to gain attention from these retailers. Some of these tactics involved prices, variety of products, and efficiency of delivery. Classic Knitwear, since its inception, has been a simple manufacturing company whose focus is on creating and distributing unbranded casual knit apparel which includes T-shirts, sweatshirts and fleece like products. Unlike other companies that chose to have expensive products which carried prestigious fashion labels, Classic decided to venture away from them and focus on products that were categorized as non- fashioned knitwear. With this strategy, Classic accounted for $550 million in revenues from domestic sales. They have also decided to sell only in the United States, as foreign markets were too much of a risk that could have negative consequences. 75% of this revenue came from the selling of their products to wholesalers, who in turn, resold the Classic clothing to screen- print channels which customized the products with logos and images. Ortiz and Chong decided to concentrate on this pathway because it offered the fastest growth potential than trying to sell like ordinary retailers. As a result, Classic Knitwear had established itself as the #2 seller in the market, accounting for 16.5% of the market share. Classic generated the remaining 25% of their revenues from mass retail channels under private labeling. Classic would sell their products to retailers such as Wal-Mart and Dollar General and would be carried under the name of the retailer or through a house brand that was developed by the retailers themselves. In fact, these two retailers accounted for 57% of those revenue sales. To help accomplish such high revenues, Classic had to achieve low production costs throughout the entire company. To ensure that such goals were obtainable, Classic established state-of-the-art production factories that were situated off shore, mainly in the Dominican Republic. Being situated not in the United States allowed them to have much lower production costs than those produced domestically. Although other companies had also set up production factories in other countries, Classic was able to have a slight competitive advantage over these other companies. What helped them keep this competitive advantage was a high volume- low SKU (stock keeping unit) strategy. This ensured that they would produce high quantities of products without the large variety of products that other companies had. As of 2005, Classic felt that it would never reach their goal of 20% gross margins through various controlled labels or tie in promotions. However, Classic Knitwear had an epiphany which could potentially shoot their gross profits to levels that they would feel satisfied with. With the rise of the West Nile virus across the Americas, more and more people were looking for ways to prevent the transmission of the diseases. Classic thought it would generate the attention of customers to produce a new line of clothing that would be infused with chemicals that would be able to repel insects that carried the West Nile virus. With the help of another company, Guardian, who specialized in insect repellants, they would be able to create such a line of products. The reason that they chose Guardian was due to their flagship repellant, have established them as one of the top producers in insect repellant. The products would consist of a short and long sleeve T-shirt, a Mens polo, and a Mens fleece. Along with the production of these chemical infused clothing, Classic was targeting males 18-35, seeing as these individuals would most likely be outside during times when insects are active. The initial investment of such a line could cost about $10 million, which would help to generate 50% unaided awareness across the United States. In order to get the needed awareness of their product out to the public to ensure increased gross margins, Classic relied heavily on marketing. They had studied how other brands that were selling similar brands of insect repellant clothing and how they were successful, establishing themselves into small niche markets. Based on those already established companies, Classic decided to sell their product lines to retail stores with cardboard displays housing the different styles of shirts. On the outside of each of the boxes would display pictures of outdoor related activities that would promote the proper use of each shirt. Some of these retail stores would be outdoor related stores such as Bass Pro Shops and L.L. Bean. Classic wanted to have 10,000 displays in stores over the next 2 years after the product line was to begin production. To help get these displays in stores, they offered discounts on the sale of T-shirts if the store agreed to have a display in their store. Classic, with the production of these chemical infused shirts, could have a possible juggernaut to help generate sales, but there could be other possibilities that could help them reach their target gross margin of 20%. One alternative would be to not produce the new line of shirts, relying on frequent customers to help generate the extra sales to gain the extra gross margin. Another possibility would be to vertical integrate with one of the screen-pressing companies that create the logos which are later screened onto the sold shirts. By integrating, they could possibly cut unnecessary costs that would also help create higher gross margins. Lastly, another possible alternative to this problem would be to establish a brand of clothing that is positioned near the high labeled brands. They would have to compete with the big three companies with sales, but could possibly steal sales away from them to help establish themselves. Classic Knitwear was set with a problem of what to do to try and earn more in their gross profits. To solve such case, it would be recommended that they continue with the production of these insect repellant shirts. With the outbreak of the West Nile virus and outdoorsmen wanting styled brands to wear, this idea would help to generate the sales need to raise the gross profits. Based on Consumer.com surveys, it was concluded that there was a strong desire for such a product, especially one whose clothing was made out Classics materials. In the end, the continuation of this line would help generate the extra gross margin they had hope to gain.

Romanticism Arts Essay examples -- essays research papers

Sensation, imagination, and judgment are interrelated in the experience of art. Burke explains how sensation, imagination, and judgment determine the experience of pleasure and pain, and how pleasure and pain are represented by the aesthetic concepts of beauty and sublimity. Burke says that, in order to understand the origin of our ideas of the sublime and beautiful, we must examine the experience of pain and pleasure. Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich has a painting that will leave viewers in thought. His painting, The Wanderer at the Sea of Fog, leaves us to ponder what has happened. We see a man, wearing all black, standing on a ledge of rocks. He gazes out into a beautiful open sky, slightly cloudy, with the sun setting. There is an orange haze left as the reflection of the sun fills the sky. However, we cannot see his face. We do not know his facial expression, if he is sad, or if he just wanted to see the view. The end of pleasure may result in a state of indifference, disappointment, or grief. On the other hand, the end of pain may result in a state of indifference, happiness, or delight. Burke uses the term "delight" to refer to a pleasure which is caused by the removal of pain, while he uses the term "joy" to refer to a pleasure which arises in and of itself. As I look at this painting, I try and wonder if this painting h...

The Theme of Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Englis

The Theme of Death in William Shakespeare's Hamlet In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the protagonist, Hamlet is obsessed with the idea of death, and during the course of the play he contemplates death from numerous perspectives. He ponders the physical aspects of death, as seen with Yoricks's skull, his father's ghost, as well as the dead bodies in the cemetery. Hamlet also contemplates the spiritual aspects of the afterlife with his various soliloquies. Emotionally Hamlet is attached to death with the passing of his father and his lover Ophelia. Death surrounds Hamlet, and forces him to consider death from various points of view. In the first scene of Act 5, Hamlet discovers Yorick's skull in the graveyard. While Hamlet is speaking to Yorick, his father's jester's skull, as well as about him, Hamlet focuses in on the physical deterioration of the human body. He also touches on the inevitability of death as everyone's fate. He orders the skull to "get to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come"(5.1. 178-179), which means no one can avoid death. Hamlet also imagines the jester's features still existing on the skull, consequently showing his enthrallment with the physical outcome of death on the body. This concept is a very prominent motif throughout the play. Hamlet repeatedly makes observations alluding to every man's physical decomposition. "A man may fish with the worm that have eat of the king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of the worm," a symbol in which he states, " how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar" (4.3. 26-31). The ghost of the elder Hamlet is described as a very genuine looking ghost. The spectators ... ...s that he has slain Polonius the father of his "love" Ophelia. He comments, saying "I'll lug the guts into the neighbor room. / Mother, good night indeed. This counselor/ Is now most still, most secret, and most grave, / Who was in life a foolish prating knave. -/ Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you." (3.4. 235-9). Death is approached through many facets in the play Hamlet. Shakespeare has used a great deal of imagery and symbols in order to portray death as a major theme in this play. The play is seeped with literal death as well as figurative death. By Hamlet approaching death in physical, spiritual, and emotional terms forces death to become a major theme in the play. Sources Consulted Fagan, Garrett G. Death in Hamlet. 24 July 1998. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Four Great Tragedies. Sylvan Barnett, ed. New York: Signet 1998.

Environment and renewable energy

EnvironmentThe word environment means ‘surroundings ‘ . It includes everything that we depend on during the class of our life such as air, H2O, dirt, works, animate beings etc. The most serious environmental job of today is the pollution of air, H2O and dirt, lives of endangered species of workss and animate beings, planetary heating, interrupting of ozone bed, acid rains and devastation of tropical rain woods.Renewable EnergyA really utile method to minimise the environmental pollution is the usage of renewable energy systems alternatively of the conventional resources. Renewable energy by its definition agencies, â€Å"Renewable energy is derived from natural procedures that are replenished invariably. In its assorted signifiers, it derives straight from the Sun, or from heat generated deep within the Earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, air current, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermic resources, and bio fuels and H derived from renewable resources.† In kernel, a phenomenon uses non-pollutant beginning as fuel alternatively of conventional fuel like oil and coal.Solar EnergyThe most popular and simple manner of alternate energy is solar energy i.e. the electricity produced by Sun ‘s radiation. There are two methods of accomplishing the above-named end,Photovoltaic CellsA photovoltaic cell alterations sunlight straight into electricity. These cells usually produces 1 – 2 Watts of electricity which is non sufficient plenty to run contraptions, hence a figure of such cells are bound together to organize big faculties and even these faculties can be connected to organize arrays to bring forth needed power end product. PV systems can easy be used at any distant site like RF Stationss. They are besides used to power tickers, reckoners, route marks and street lamps. Electricity produced by these faculties green goodss Direct Current ( DC ) whereas the normal place contraptions that we use are Alternate Current ( AC ) applia nces hence an inverter is required to change over the DC into AC.Solar Power PlantsThey indirectly generate electricity when the heat from solar thermic aggregators is used to heat a fluid that produces steam to travel the turbine that is connected to ordinary generators. Restrictions The end product of solar energy systems depend on sum of solar radiation produced by the Sun at that peculiar site and at that peculiar clip of the twelvemonth. Furthermore, the PV faculties are merely 18 % efficient nevertheless ; attempts are being made to increase their efficiency to a singular degree.Wind MillsThe windmill systems includes wind turbine with a conventional generator. The air current fluxing green goodss mechanical energy in a turbine that is converted into electricity from a conventional generator coupled to the turbine. These systems works basically the same as coevals from fossil fuels except that alternatively mechanical energy produced by utilizing steam it is produced from the burning of fossil fuels, the mechanical motion is produced by the air current flow. Modern air current turbines range from 600 kilowatts to 5 MW of power end product, although turbines with rated end product of 1.5-3 MW have become really common for commercial usage. Restrictions The power end product of a turbine is a map of the regular hexahedron of the air current velocity, so as air current velocity additions, power end product additions. Areas where air currents are stronger and more changeless, such as offshore and high height sites are preferable locations for air current farms. Since air current velocity is non changeless, the energy production besides varies.Nuclear Power PlantsNuclear power workss usually use atomic fission reaction to bring forth energy. In fission the karyon of big, atoms such as uranium 235 or Pu 239, is split into two or more smaller karyon bring forthing big sum of kinetic energy along with free neutrons and gamma radiation. The free neutrons are used to bring forth more such fission reactions. A chilling system removes heat from reactor nucleus and transports it to the country where thermic energy is used to heat unstable bring forthing steam to revolve the turbine coupled with conventional generators. Issues It is fact that the atomic waste is risky to the environment but these hazards can be eliminated by utilizing improved method to manage the waste merchandises. Furthermore, atomic reactors produce virtually no air pollution and the energy green goods is much higher than the fossil-fuel generators. In add-on, atomic power produces far less godforsaken stuff than fossil-fuel based power workss. Coal combustion workss are peculiarly noted for bring forthing big sums of toxic and mildly radioactive ash due to concentrating of course happening metals and radioactive stuff from the coal. Restrictions The atomic power workss have high initial investing and the care cost is besides really high.DecisionThe renewable energy system uses fuel that has unlimited militias, free of cost and generalized being like sunbeams for solar systems and air for air current factory systems, even U for atomic power workss are really abundant in nature. It is about every bit common as Sn or Ge in Earth ‘s crust, and is approximately 35 times more common than Ag. In add-on, more significantly they are none or far less pollutant than the conventional beginnings. However, these renewable energy systems produce no air or H2O pollution but do hold some indirect impacts on the environment. For illustration, fabricating the photovoltaic cells used to change over sunshine into electricity consumes silicon and produces some waste merchandises. In add-on, big solar thermal farms and windmill can besides harm desert ecosystems if non decently managed. Man in the name of engineering and scientific promotion does these amendss to the Mother Earth like the arms that we make to safe lives are really killing ourselves by one manner or the other. It is we who in the unsighted pursuit of technological promotion had willing or unwillingly destroyed the full ecological system and it is our premier responsibility now to salvage it as our endurance depends on its being

How to Write a Critical Lens Essay

How to Write a Critical Lens Essay How to Write a Critical Lens Essay In a critical lens essay you write upon a quote and express your critical opinion about it. The quote can be from a book or can be a universally known one. Examples of universally known quotes are: â€Å"Be yourself everyone is taken†, â€Å"Two things are infinitive: the universe and the human stupidity; and I am not sure about the universe†, â€Å"Be the change you wish to see in the world†, â€Å"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans†, etc. Writing a critical essay is easy as long as you pick the right quote on that you can write best or research well the ones you cannot. It is called a critical lens essay because you are supposed to view the quote you have chosen as if through critical lens; analyze and defend it. Basically, those kinds of essays are literature analysis papers and analyses requiring extensive research. How to write a critical lens essay In the final paragraph of the introduction you should state the quote you have chosen and its author, title and genre. The thesis statement must connect the quote with your work. Your whole essay will be determined by what you state in the introduction. It is important to write whether you agree or disagree with the quotation you have chosen or given to you. In order to form the right opinion on the quote, you should research facts and examples that either prove it or not. It will be good if you draft your conclusions before starting to write the actual essay. Prioritize your evidence by its convincing strength and reliability to the quotation. Brainstorm. The interpretation of the quotation is vital to making a good critical evaluation. You can try to conflict it, reason with it, even humor it but whatever the critical opinion on it will be, it has to be strong, well researched and with correctly developed examples and ideas. It is essential to interpret your quote and explain what it means to you. If necessary you can restate it and write it in your own words. Body of a critical lens essay In order to have a well-developed critical lens essay your body should consist of at least three paragraphs. It is precisely in the body of the essay where you state what you have researched so far and drafted. In that part of the essay you must convince the audience that your interpretation of the quote is logical, reasonable and acceptable. In the introduction you introduce the reader to the quote you are going to examine in a clear and short manner, you also introduce to the reader your critical opinion and attitude towards it, but it is in the body of the essay that you have to prove your point. A well-written body will make your work sound reliable and trustworthy; if it is not done well from the research to putting it down in written form, your whole essay will lack sense of completeness and trustworthiness. So, once again, research and draft not only parts of your critical lens essay but as a whole. In the first paragraph you should write about the fact, idea or character that illustrates your critical opinion on the quote best. If you are writing on a quote from a specific book you may pick up a character that best suits it and examine how he or she relates to the quote. Do not forget to connect the fact, idea or character to the critical opinion and attitude you have up to the quote. In the second paragraph focus on what the author of the quote has meant. If it comes from a book, what is its purpose and meaning in the book? For example, let’s say you have to write a critical lens essay on the quote â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.† from the book â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird†. The message is simple: you can never understand what the person next to you is experiencing until something similar does not happen to you. And here you can examine how this quote relates to the book itself. In the third paragraph you can write about a personal story that proves your critical attitude towards the quote or state another fact or idea you have researched. If you have more than three facts or ideas that prove your theory, keep writing as each of them is stated in a different paragraph. Conclusion of a critical lens essay In the conclusion you restate your critical opinion about the quote and the information you have given in the introduction. Make it sound strong and convincing. Always proofread your essay at least once.

2019s Top Writing Websites

2019s Top Writing Websites Mary Jessamyn West, American author of short stories and novels, once wrote: Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.While there is truth to the statement, being alone can also mean frustration when youre trying to learn how to survive in the writing and publishing industry. With so much information available on the Internet, its hard to know how to sift through it and find the most valuable advice given, considering how little time most of us have to read it.Thats why weve taken the work out of the search and have compiled a list of the top writing websites of 2019 based on the content they offer and the value of the advice given. Hopefully, this will help you in the struggle to access the resources and community you need, when you need it most.General writing adviceThese websites offer general writing advice for authors. Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels.PsychWriterAlmost anyone can put a story on paper- but only the best writers know how to craft engaging characters who remain in the mind of readers long after the story is finished. And thats the exact skill PsychWriter helps you develop.Written and maintained by Tamar Sloan, a practicing psychologist and award-winning young adult author, PsychWriter explores how to use the principles of psychology to create deep, well-crafted characters who take on a life of their own. On the site, visitors can download a free e-book, Hook Your Readers, where they can learn how to give readers what they are really looking for, capture readers by sparking curiosity, engage readers with the power of emotion, and craft a compelling character that readers cant help but connect with.The site also contains informative blog posts written by Sloan surrounding certain topics in character building and psychology, such as this one focusing on Engaging Emotion and this one about Capturing Curiosity: The Power of Conflict.Writers DigestThere are few sites as compact with resources and opportunities for writers as Writers Digest. The sites mission encompasses every aspect of a writers life- from inspiring creativity to community connections to resources needed at every stage of the writing journey.The site offers everything from creative writing prompts, poetry prompts, and inspirational advice to practical advice, interviews from fellow writers, free workshops, competitions and lists for professional services. With so many free resources, a writer really has no excuse not to sharpen his or her craft and connect with like-minded creatives seeking to get better at what they do.Well-StoriedWhile Well-Storied has resources across multiple categories related to writing and publishing, one of its standout sections is The Writing Life, with articles aimed at helping authors work through everything from time management to creative burnout.Additional categorie s for writing include Characters, Plotting, Pre-Writing, and Story Elements, among others, to help writers gather the tools needed for the profession. There are also free courses, workbooks, a podcast, and a community page focused on connecting writers to the various social opportunities provided through the website.Marketing and publishing your workThese websites offer advice on how to market and publish your writing. Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels.Create If WritingVoted one of Houstons Top 25 Social Media Power Influencers, author Kirsten Oliphants Create if Writing has one of the best taglines Ive ever seen on a writing website: Turn readers into raving fans†¦without being smarmy.With advice on everything from building an author platform, social media strategy for authors, and how to handle bad reviews- to finding time to write and dealing with a disastrous book launch, Oliphants blog is full of helpful tips. She also offers a free yearly content planner and strategy guid e to help you focus your writing goals and get on track with your time and creative energy. In it, youll find guidance on everything from social media strategy, to investment plans, to editorial calendars and professional development planning- all at absolutely no cost to you.The Creative PennWeve previously written in depth about author Joanna Penns amazing website, The Creative Penn, which is aimed at helping writers navigate the often-frustrating waters of publishing and marketing their work. However, no list of 2019s best websites for writers is complete without it.In addition to the extensive free resources available on the website, Penn also publishes a podcast for writers, with new episodes posted every Monday. It offers interviews with new and established authors, inspiration for writers needing an extra helping of it, and a plethora of information relating to the writing, publishing, book marketing, and entrepreneurial life.Independent Publishing MagazineIndependent Publish ing Magazine is another online magazine and website weve reviewed in more detail. It has been named as one of Writers Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers and Feedspots Top 100 Self-Publishing Blogs and Websites for Independent Authors. It also features an originally researched and synthesized Publishing Service Index, providing an easy-to-use list for authors looking to self-publish based on services offered and the market share of each independent publishing platform.Elsewhere on the site, Independent Publishing Magazine offers a trove of resources aimed at self-publishing, traditional publishing, marketing your work, and new authors looking for an open window into the industry.The Write PracticeAlthough most of the websites mentioned in this list are completely free resources, The Write Practice is one membership-based site that writers should definitely take advantage of if you have the extra funds for professional development. In fact, this could be the best $15-$25 monthly mem bership costs you spend if you want to become a better writer.Included in the premium ($25) monthly membership fee are publishing opportunities (The Write Practice partners with literary magazines to help you get published), deadlines and the accountability you need to turn your passion into finished stories, valuable feedback from a community of writing professionals, networking opportunities, premium coaching opportunities, discounts, and writing contests.You dont have to pay for the monthly membership to enjoy other opportunities the site offers, such as an informative blog and links to other resources available online. However, to get the most out of the site, a subscription is definitely worth its weight in the informative and collaborative gold youll receive from it.Creative games, courses, prompts, and worksheetsThese websites offer creative games, courses, prompts and worksheets for writers. Photo by Pixabay from Pexels.Language is a VirusWriters and writers block go togethe r like peanut butter and jelly. In fact, if youre a writer who has never experienced writers block, you should probably publish your secret and become a millionaire on that ability alone. Youll be in envious company if you do.Enter Language is a Virus, a website full of fun games and text manipulators to reset your mind while working on a project. Instead of going down the inevitable rabbit hole of social media when the words just wont come, try these games instead. Youll find that keeping your focus on words and their arrangement is a great creative exercise in finding your way back to your writing.For example, one game called Reverse Poem reverses whatever words you type to help you find an entirely new way to look at them. Another called Rewordifier randomly replaces words in your text, pulling words from author-based word lists, genre-based word lists, or the entire English dictionary.E.A. Deverells Creative Writing BlogSome websites created by and for writers are so full of ads and random syndicated feeds that its impossible to sift through the madness and get to the good stuff. This is not the case with E.A. Deverells Creative Writing Blog. In fact, I dare you to find something- anything- on the website that isnt of use to your work as a writer and creative. Even the (very few) ads are targeted perfectly and are currently limited to offering links to Neil Gaimans writing course.Want 100 days of flash fiction prompts? How about a free, downloadable worksheet for people watching or a past/present/future/ideal mandala? Whether you inspiration in the form of creative writing or poetry prompts, downloadable worksheets, or a free novel outline, author Eva Deverell has you covered.Write or DieMandy Wallaces Write or Die blog starts by offering a free course containing publication strategy, writing prompts, submission tips, and cover-letter how-to information. However, the most fascinating part of the website is a deep dive into MBTI- or Myers-Briggs Type Indica tor- for ones character building. In it, youll find character cheatsheets for each of the personality types (ISTP, ESFJ, INFJ, etc.), as well as how to use these personality types to create realistic, living, breathing characters that your readers will readily identify with.She also offers multiple free tools for writers, including downloadable PDFs for everything from character design to scene planning to writing critique templates and checklists. The site is full of so many valuable resources that writers are truly missing out if they dont add it to their bookmarked websites.

Technology in the classical era Essays

Technology in the classical era Essays Technology in the classical era Essay Technology in the classical era Essay provides a strong need for public Infrastructure in the way of the necessity for flood prevention construction. This view is only on of many other possible views we could have heard from, ranging from: the common wealth, all the way to royalty. Though the point of view of this document was clearly that there was an obvious necessity for a flood prevention plane, some of the other views we could have heard room Like say the royalty for Instance, may have not really noticed that there was a need for a flood prevention plane because they TLD have to live with the destruction that the floods caused. The Han official may have put up a request that flood planes be built because a lot of soldiers are not well housed and so they are on the lower grounds with the common wealth people and have experienced the floods first hand, so he would be looking out for his soldiers, keeping their moral up, and over all Just keeping as many alive as he could. He could have also been trying to pep their moral up In the sense that if there was a flood prevention plan, there would be no need for the soldiers to worry about their family and their loved ones, seeing that all the foot soldiers were not wealthy people nor did they come from wealthy families, compared to the majority of the generals and officers. Document six, written by Plutarch, a Greek-born Roman citizen and high official, describes the construction of roads in the second-century B. C. E. Under the rule of political leader Gauss Gracious as he anxiously built roads not only for utility but also for beauty. It explains the Importance of bulling the roads to Gallus and how well mapped out It was, as the saying goes, All roads lead to Rome. It displays how the dedication of one aspect of an empire can impact society so greatly, it shows how much of a necessity order is. Plutarch may have described the road construction in extensive detail because it was something tremendous back then, something that was thought of as high quality. Document eight describes the process of turning stream water into drinking water and the enormous stretch of the many uses It has. The governor of Britain, Frontline, also a roman general, may have spoken of the aqueducts and viewed them as some of the few monumental structures that were actually useful, or at least had a use, unlike the pyramids and such. For the attitudes towards tools and men being in workshops, the views were accumulating towards the view that workshops were not for the clever nor for the gentlemen. Page Break In document five, Cicero, and upper-class Roman politician leader In the first century workshops dont have, and never will have anything enlightening about them. This splays the fact that the attitudes are very much original and from a direct source. Cicero may have said that it was a vulgar and non-enlightening choice to work in a workshop because those sort of Jobs are never clean, are all hands on, attract the common folk, and because gentlemen are not supposed to those sorts of hands on things, it brings them lower, they should have someone do it for them. Document seven describes what the speaker speculates about who invented tools, seeing them as nimble and sharp but neither great nor elevated. The whole point of this comment is the fact that it revolves around the idea of an opinionated and varied attitude of the speaker. Seneca, and upper-class Roman philosopher and adviser to Emperor Nero in the first century C. E. May have said that the person was neither great nor elevated because a great of elevated person would Just have someone else do it for them, its not the fact that he made tools that made the work more efficient than by hand, its the fact that he was even doing that work in the first place. Most advancements are done in the best interests of both parties, though a couple advancements could hinder one side but help the other. In document two, it is clear that the advancement only helped one side. The government replaced the workers hand crafter sturdy and long lasting tools with cheaply made brittle tools made in prison camps. Ultimately, it hindered the government too because it took efficiency away from the workers in the same given amount of time. This advancement decreased efficiency of the workers and productivity levels, but made it a lot cheaper for the government and therefore gained them a bit more wiggle room with income, which in turn hindered the entire process, which ties into the two categories of advancements in the thesis. Human Guan, a Han government official, may have said that now the salt and iron is sold at high prices and that some of the poorest peasants now had no choice but to work there, because, it shows how great of an impact a governments choices can have on people. Document three on the other hand, was a very beneficial advancement, employing nature to do mans work. It increased productivity and there for helped all parties. Human Tan may have spoken of this in such a supportive way because it not only helped productivity, but it also elevated the empires stature. In document four, It Shih has created a water powered blowing engine. It definitely helped them on their way to establishing their name in the top empires. The writer may have spoken of the new invention so well, because it was an enormous advancement back then. On the other hand, It might help to hear from the working class because those are the people that actually used the tools, They have first hand experience and they also know the efficiency of the new tools compared to the old tools or the times before the advancements compared to the mime after the advancement. It might also be helpful to hear from foreigners because if the tools are efficient, word will have reached the foreign countries about the advancements, and if they have heard of them, it proves that they really are good tools. It might help to hear from women because they will hear to complaints of their husbands who use the new tools or they will hear the gossip from other wives and so it gives you almost a 3-D perspective instead of a 2-D one because now you see all the sides of the situation instead of Just the black and white.

Statistics paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Statistics paper - Essay Example ere chosen for discussion in this statistics paper from the works of Bennett (2004), Greenblatt (2002), Hiller, Knight, Rao and Simpson (2000), Makkai and Payne (2003), Niazi, Pervaiz, Minhas and Najam (2005), Wei, Makkai and McGregor (2003), and Young, Dembo and Henderson (2007). The Bennett (2004) study began in 1996 to ascertain the prevalence of drug usage among offenders in the United Kingdom, and to trace whatever links there are between drugs and crime in relation to arrestees. This study was patterned after the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program of the United States Department of Justice. Like the DUF program, the Bennett (2004) research is being carried out using interviews and drug tests as the key methodology. The following substances are being tested as part of the large-scale drug research : amphetamines (including ecstasy), benzodiazepines, cannabinoid metabolite, cocaine metabolite (including ‘crack’), LSD, methadone, opiates (including heroin) and alcohol. The Bennett (2004) research used both descriptive and inferential statistics. Measures of central tendency including the range, median, proportion, frequency, percentage were used to describe the prevalence of drug use among the arrestees. The range was used to describe the length of the interval which contains all the data. The range also indicates dispersion of the data. Arrestees who tested for cannabis, for example, ranged from 36 per cent to 58 percent across the five survey area (p. 17). The proportion states the relationship of one part of a measure compared to a whole. In this study, proportion was oftentimes used to depict the picture of the size of the populations of arrestees testing positive for any of the eight substances in the aforementioned paragraph, such as â€Å" †¦ three out of four arrestees tested positive for at least one drug (including alcohol)† (p. 18). The median in this study describes the midpoint of the range where half of the data contained in the range falls

Caretakers' Emotional Responses to Providing Care to Elderly Loved Essay

Caretakers' Emotional Responses to Providing Care to Elderly Loved Ones in Assisted Living Facilities - Essay Example ructured interviews allows for responses such as 'I started feeling a little resentful' (p10), an emotion which may not be typically associated with ailing relatives. There are fewer assumptions being placed on the data being collected, which leaves more room for hypothesis generation. Weaknesses of the Research by Sanderson & Meyers (2008) There are strengths, outlined above, of qualitative data that are applicable to this study. Correspondingly, there are weaknesses. Firstly, it can be hard to generate data and representations of this data for use in the published paper (Thorne, Kirkham & MacDonald-Emes, 1997). This can make it difficult for both readers and researchers to visualize the topic in a meaningful way (Carr, 1994). This lack of data also makes comparisons with other studies and individuals within the study more difficult, as the qualitative data collected is more difficult to graph. There are ways around this. One way to generate a more numeric version of the qualitative data is to use a technique called coding, which relies on giving mentioned words certain values and evaluating them in this way (Holloway & Wheeler, 2009). In the context of nursing, many heath bodies want results that can be applied in a meaningful way to the healthcare industry, and this can often be a challenge for qualitative data (Carr, 1994). Another issue with qualitative research that applies to this essay is that because of the complex nature of collecting data via interview or analysing long-answer responses to a questionnaire. This means that the sample size of qualitative studies is often far smaller than those in quantitative studies, making it harder to generalize the results to the population (Kuper et al, 2008). Sanderson & Meyers (2008) recognize this, and suggest that... This paper has primarily focused on the weaknesses of the study thus far. There are, however, many strengths as would be expected from a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal. The paper clearly explains the aims of the research, and this is reflected in the succinct title and abstract. Generally, the paper achieves what it sets out to do, which is give detailed responses from those with relatives in assisted-living facilities to illustrates the difficulties of putting the elderly in care. The research design was appropriate for this, because they wished to get detailed responses, which could not have been gathered using a quantitative study. Sanderson & Mayer clearly understand the limitations of their study and incorporate this into their discussion, whilst forewarning about generalizability and making assumptions. The research also performs well ethically. The researchers recruited people from an event, and therefore the participants were well-versed on how the study would proceed and what their responses would be used for. In this sense, the paper succeeds in achieving its aims whilst behaving in an ethical manner. There is no clear indication of the relationship between the researcher and the participant but it can be assumed that this was anonymous, confidential and private from the description of the interview location

The Call Centre and Tengo Ltd Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Call Centre and Tengo Ltd - Assignment Example It is with regards to these facts that the researcher has endeavored to investigate the reasons behind such poor quality service and high employee turnover in the company’s customer contact division. The research revealed that the managers faltered on number of levels within the framework of strategic human resource management. Their authoritarian type leadership combined with the absence of adequate training and development facilities as well as reward and recognition framework has significantly deteriorated the motivation level of several employees which in turn increased the employee turnover in the customer contact center. Therefore, after exploring the ongoing situation in Tengo’s customer contact centre, the managers are recommended to follow a follow a team leadership style by emphasizing on the welfare of the employees as well as having adequate training and development programs in place. They are also advised to have proper payment and reward packages in order to boost the engagement level of the employee base by appreciating their effort through appropriate compensations. In addition the managers should also make the employees an integral part of the organizational decision making process in order to make them feel valued within the company. It is expected that the adoption of these measures are likely to remedy the employee turnover issue in the company. Managing human resource within an organization is arguably the most important responsibility that needs to be handled with utmost sincerity and care by human resource managers (Armstrong, 2012). HR managers need to have a thorough knowledge of the competency and skill sets of the employee base in order to allocate them in different functional departments as per requirement. Shuffling the workforce skillfully is an art and this activity serves as one of the fundamental determinants of organizational success (Hendry and Pettigrew,

Substance Abuse Counseling- Family Roles and Dynamics Assignment

Substance Abuse Counseling- Family Roles and Dynamics - Assignment Example For instance, in cases where parents are users of such substances like alcohol, the dependents always tend to follow suite, and especially for those whose parents were very prone to alcohol. A research conducted in the US found that almost half of all children (35.6 million) live in a household where a parent or other adult uses tobacco, drinks heavily or uses illicit drugs. Family wrangles and divorce have been a significant source of substance addiction and abuse. In a research conducted, it was found that children who were subjected to parental divorce can lead to a child’s risk to substance use. It was found that over 50% of teens whose parents had divorced were likely to drink alcohol than those who had both their parents (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2005). Members of family of substance abusers regularly live in constant fear that their flimsy surroundings could collapse. Those families affected by substance abuse are usually characterized by marital problems, increased exposure to diseases, child neglect or abuse, inconsistent childcare, exposure to crime, social isolation, children’s academic problems, domestic violence, shifting family roles, and financial difficulties. In financial problems, substance abusers are exposed to long-term unemployment, injuries/accidents at work, and job instability; this puts their families under intense financial pressure (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2005). For instance, time spent assisting a substance abusing family member can minimize the time available for work and this ultimately minimizes family earnings. In another instance, substance abuse in a family increases the probability of divorce and unhappy marriages. It is suggested that substance abuse in a family can influence its quality. Poorer relations in a marriage are more likely in alcoholic men

Evaluate to what extent we are witnessing a decollectivisation of Essay

Evaluate to what extent we are witnessing a decollectivisation of British Employee Relations - Essay Example the exercise of a person’s desires and goals and so he will tend to value self reliance and independence and at that time resist a lot of the interference from outside exerted upon the interests of a person whether by the family, society or other institution or group. Individualization focuses on the individual making him its focus and therefore begins with the basic premise that a human person is holds primary importance in the liberation struggle. It has at times been applied to mean the quality of being an individual. Individualism is therefore associated with bohemian and artistic interests and lifestyles in which there is experimentation and self creation as opposed to popular mass opinions, tradition and behaviors as with humanist ethics and philosophical positions (Brown & Marsden 2010, pp. 2) Human resource management (HRM) involves planning, managing recruitment, implementing, training, career and initiatives of development in an organization. Human Resource Management aims at maximizing an organization’s productivity through the optimization of employee effectiveness while at the same time improving the life of employees at work and treating the employees with dignity as resources that are valuable. Human Resource Management incorporates efforts aimed at the promotion of personal development, the satisfaction of employees and compliance with laws related to employees. As a result it brings gain to both the company and the employee. The employer benefits from better work performance while the employee gets satisfaction at the work place among other things.The Human Resource Management shift is important to the management of a business. When the shift happened in business dynamics companies realized that the knowledge that people have and the people themselves pro vide the single source for competitive advantage that is sustainable (Brown & Marsden 2010, pp. 3). The reason for this is that other resources that are related to technology, materials,

Substance Abuse Counseling- Family Roles and Dynamics Assignment

Substance Abuse Counseling- Family Roles and Dynamics - Assignment Example For instance, in cases where parents are users of such substances like alcohol, the dependents always tend to follow suite, and especially for those whose parents were very prone to alcohol. A research conducted in the US found that almost half of all children (35.6 million) live in a household where a parent or other adult uses tobacco, drinks heavily or uses illicit drugs. Family wrangles and divorce have been a significant source of substance addiction and abuse. In a research conducted, it was found that children who were subjected to parental divorce can lead to a child’s risk to substance use. It was found that over 50% of teens whose parents had divorced were likely to drink alcohol than those who had both their parents (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2005). Members of family of substance abusers regularly live in constant fear that their flimsy surroundings could collapse. Those families affected by substance abuse are usually characterized by marital problems, increased exposure to diseases, child neglect or abuse, inconsistent childcare, exposure to crime, social isolation, children’s academic problems, domestic violence, shifting family roles, and financial difficulties. In financial problems, substance abusers are exposed to long-term unemployment, injuries/accidents at work, and job instability; this puts their families under intense financial pressure (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2005). For instance, time spent assisting a substance abusing family member can minimize the time available for work and this ultimately minimizes family earnings. In another instance, substance abuse in a family increases the probability of divorce and unhappy marriages. It is suggested that substance abuse in a family can influence its quality. Poorer relations in a marriage are more likely in alcoholic men

Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Analysis - Essay Example For Americans of the past, the initial stages of designating an industrial economy on a global level occurred to have established a revolutionary social order that only raised confusion especially among the working class, making them suspiciously ponder and react upon the possible outcomes of social development for the nation (Foner). It entailed a notion that such approach to spontaneous progress determines allocation of power and social security. In this regard, reformists of the period were led to conceive that potential peril exists with the significant concern that as a response to it, people of the lower class may act in tumultuous aggression in exercising their democratic right over to suppress individual economic growth thinking that liberty of acquisition of rights to property (Foner), particularly with those who could afford, would only emphasize inequality among social divisions and thus create on appropriating amount of common interests. Progression of economic developmen t enabled Americans to adapt to the concept and application of ‘Social Darwinism’ in their everyday living since the competition to acquire relative or higher advantage in upgrading social and economic status in American society had apparently become essential. With the transition from late 1600 to early 21st century, however, opponents to globalization have emerged and such movement is comprised of heterogeneous motives which hardly form a unifying principle or an irregular coalition proposes highly emotional arguments. These non-adherents have been critical toward the means of globalization that are currently utilized to deal with the aspects of consumerism, immigration, and nutrition (Gast). Such methods employed are criticized for having much association to both economic and environmental crises as food scarcity, mass immigration with the third world nations, as well as global warming, respectively (Gast). At present, the state of

Implementing EMS Recommendations Essay Example for Free

Implementing EMS Recommendations Essay Introduction After an audit had been performed for Riordan Manufacturing, faults were found in current procedures and solutions created to make them more sustainable. Listed below are some barriers that may occur when implementing Riordan’s new strategies and the necessary steps needed to overcome those barriers. Identified as well are methods currently in place to ensure systematic monitoring of the new sustainable practices that have or will be put in place. Identify Barriers Riordan Manufacturing has to identify the barriers they must overcome to become a sustainable organization. The barriers must be broken into two parts, external and internal barriers (Ruark, 2013). External barriers are those that Riordan must follow because of federal laws, state laws, and local policies. Another external barrier is the suppliers the organization contracts to do additional work whether in the United States or another country. The organization is responsible for those non-sustainable issues that the contractor creates. Internal barriers are the ones that the company creates, but can control. The organization will have to hire Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that understand the issues, create a plan to overcome those issues, and maintain the progress. The SMEs must have the funding in place to start doing their work. They must communicate their findings and provide solutions to Riordan Manufacturing management. Communication is the largest barrier to overcome. The SMEs must establish a target and conduct a plan. Another internal barrier is change, and people don’t like change. The leadership must work hard to get the employees on board to help with the changes. Creating an  additional department supervised by the SMEs that handles these barriers will make Riordan manufacturing a success. How or why they might occur Barriers occur for many reasons, and some of the reasons they occur is the lack of communication from the management down to the lowest level. Communication must flow up and down to understand the organizations target and intents. The communication flow will allow the employees to understand the policies and procedures that Riordan Manufacturing has put in place. Another reason barriers occur are due to the lack of training that the employees do not receive. Having properly trained employees will assist with the proper flow of communication as well as the process and procedures that Riordan will implement. The cost to Riordan Manufacturing to implement any new sustainable plan will be a short term profit lost for the organization. The last important reason barriers occur is because resources are not in place as well as the SMEs to provide the guidance to become sustainable and maintain sustainability. Consider financial, social, ethical, technical, and practical aspects of business Financial cost, social concerns, and the environment are important aspects to the approach in becoming compliant with any legal requirements. The practical aspects barrier Riordan Manufacturing will encounter will be trying to improve their facilities with new pipes, air vents, and drainage systems. Implementing the new measures will have an impact on the technical barrier in the operations of the facilities to produce a product that can cause delays in production. Ethical and social issues are important to any organization that is trying to create and maintain their Environment Management System (EMS). The organization cannot allow anyone to use products or change manufacturing processes as that will be unethical. Describe methods currently in place or necessary to ensure systematic monitoring of new sustainable practices.   Riordan Manufacturing will implement some of the new processes recommended to deal with the oil, ink and the solvent issue. They will make sure to measure the air quality in the factory, recycle the oil keeping track of how  much oil is been used, and how much solvent is been separated from the water. They have several measures of monitoring the three areas in the different facilities, but will need to improve in reporting and making changes when needed. How are they measured or monitored? Updating the existing reporting process for all the areas and conduct meetings with the leadership, employees and stakeholders to see what the best approach to any situation is. Adding additional measures to analyze any situation will allow Riordan Manufacturing to understand what is working and what is failing. Monitoring the air pollution and pounds of waste in all the Riordan Manufacturing facilities will allow them to keep track in monthly bases to improve sustainability. What happens if a recommended practice is not working as it was intended? Different courses of action (COA) must be completed for any one task. This COA allows the organization to decide on the best approach when dealing with any issue. The COA will outline the process, produces, and cost to the project. This different COA also provides the leadership with the different solutions to one issue. If the COA selected is not working they have other COA for the same situation they can quickly implement to solve any problem. Conclusion Riordan manufacturing will implement new solutions to help make them more sustainable. Of course, Riordan will need to identify their internal and external barriers to overcome, and once found putting strategies in place to overcome and avoid them. One of the biggest barriers is communication. Having a barrier of communication prevents the flow of understanding of policies and procedures as well as the targets and intents put in place by Riordan. Updating the reporting system as well as adding an additional measure to analyze situations, will allow Riordan to see which processes are successful and which ones failed. Failed processes will be dealt with by putting together multiple courses of action so that solutions can easily be switched if one is not working as well as anticipated. Business organizations have an obligation to help sustain and preserve the environment for future generations. Riordan has taken the initiative in  developing strategies that will incorporate sustainable business practices to ensure that the company and the employees leave less of a carbon footprint for future generations. Reference Ruark, C. A. (2013, August 9). Eliminating Barriers to Small Business Sustainability. Retrieved from Triple Pundit: http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/08/eliminating-barriers-small- business-sustainability/

Postcolonial literature

Postcolonial literature Postcolonial Literatures in English Title: What do you understand by the term postcolonial within the field of literary studies? You should refer to at least two texts you have read on the course. ‘Without responsibility, straddling Nothingness and Infinity, I began to weep. This comment of Fanons about the frustration of the inability to free ones black self from the oppressive aspects of racism and colonisation echoes through much of the postcolonial literature that has been studied throughout the course. Postcolonial literature refers to texts written about the effects of colonial rule after ‘the very first moment of colonial contact. Postcolonial authors often originate from colonised countries and, it seems to be the case that those writing about the consequences of colonisation have themselves encountered existence at the hand of the colonisers however; this is not always the case. What I aim to accomplish in this essay is to reveal the varied effects of colonisation on the colonised people in two of the texts that I have read on the course. I will be relating the experiences of those in Nervous Conditions, written by Tsitsi Dangarembga, alongside the occurrences in Miguel Street, written by V.S Naipaul. Although these two books are written by different authors and relay vastly contrasting happenings, there are significant similarities in both books which cannot be overlooked. Themes of childhood, education and struggle inevitably communicate through both novels in similar ways. What is most remarkable however is the method different characters in each narrative use in response to the strains caused, inevitably, by colonisation. Nervous Conditions, set in Zimbabwe around the 1960s or 1970s, portrays the developing life of a young female, also the narrator of the book, named Tambu. This coming-of-age novel reveals not only the trials and tribulations of the main female character but, it shows the ordeals suffered by her surrounding family. Likewise the narrator in Miguel Street also takes on the persona of a child however, this novel is set in Trinidad and the narrator is unnamed. The reader is aware that the unidentified speaker is male and this fact presents interesting contrasts between the two Bildungsroman novels with relation to male and female experiences under colonisation. The weight of Miguel Street conveys the lives of the unnamed storytellers friends and neighbours, rather than his direct family. That said, both of the postcolonial authors disclose their narratives directly from the focal point of colonised communities, coincidently both of which have political conflict in their back-drops. I found the theme of childhood very prominent throughout my reading of both Dangarembgas and Naipauls novels. Both authors use of children as narrators created a sincere naivety something which I do not feel would have been achievable through more experienced relaters. However, I am not suggesting that everything related in the narratives is entirely impartial. Both children, Tambu and the unnamed narrator, encounter, and illustrate to the reader, their lives after the initial occurrence of colonialism on their very different countries. Both young people also experience extreme poverty but, of course whilst Tambu is initially raised on the homestead, the latter develops in to an adult in a much more industrial area. These contrasting, yet ironically similar, lifestyles in the texts reveal the collective impact that colonisation can have on citizens oppressed by colonial rule, irrelevant of their precise locations. Although there are definite similarities between the experiences of Tambu and the unnamed narrator, womanhood serves as an extremely prominent theme in Nervous Conditions. Miguel Street, on the other hand, focuses the readers main attention on the experiences of male hood. This is not to suggest that the women in Naipauls novel do not encompass a purpose, I am merely implying that, through my reading of the text, the male occurrences in the novel are at the forefront of the readers attention. The opening line of Dangarembgas novel, ‘I was not sorry when my brother died. immediately insinuates that the novel will contain some aspects of struggle and resistance. What is most remarkable however is the fact that this powerful statement is declared by a female character, a character that is of a young age at the death of her sibling. Tambu is clearly seen to suffer at the hands of her brother, right up until his death. The narrators destitute parents use what little income they obt ain to send Nhamo to school. This lack of money for educational means highlights the inability of poor, black families, living in colonial areas, of ever ridding themselves from such their current situations. However, the narrators destitute parents decision to provide schooling solely for the male child of the family reveals an awfully apparent situation of female inequality. Nhamos harsh words towards Tambu, after her attempts to grow maize in order to send herself to school, provide a fine example of the oppression felt by the women in the novel. Nhamo uses Tambus femaleness to belittle her when he remarks, ‘Did you really think you could send yourself to school? This satisfactory tone in Nhamos words, as well as his unkindness in stealing Tambus maize, reveals the double struggle experienced by the women in text. MaShingayi, Tambus mother, poignantly highlights the situation of black women when she informs her daughter that life for her, ‘with the poverty of blacknes s on one side and the weight of womanhood on the other, will not be trouble-free. The women in Nervous Conditions endure domination in two different ways; not only are the females in the novel subjugated for being black, they are also repressed for being women. Further evidence in the novel of female strain is through the use of Nyasha and her mother, Maiguru. Although both women are black, they are educated and are reasonably wealthy in comparison with Tambus direct family. Nevertheless, Maiguru and her daughter inevitably still suffer nervous conditions. Nyashas personal toil becomes extremely apparent when she brawls with her father, Babamukuru. Babamukura, the head and main provider for his entire family is highly educated and greatly respected. On Babamukurus return from England with his family, Jeremiah, Tambus father, repeatedly refers to his brother as ‘Our returning prince. There is a great family celebration and the entire family is relieved at their ‘returning hero [s] homecoming. The obvious reason for the admiration of Babamukura is his educative status. Tambu, later in the novel, relates her uncles education with his superiority when she remarks, ‘he had made himself plenty of power. Plenty of power. Plenty of money. A lot of education. Plenty of everything. Unfortunately however, Babamukurus educated daughter and wife do not experience equivalent praise and control. Nyasha and her father, after a continuing conflict of principles, furiously exchange physical blows. Babamukuru scolds her daughter for defying his morals and eventually ‘condem[ns her] to whoredom. In contrast to Nyashas weighty presence in the novel is the heavy absence of her brother Chido. For example, Chido does not attend the Christmas celebrations with his family at the homestead. Unlike Nyasha, Chido is given full reign to do whatever he pleases and go wherever he desires. Although Babamukuru is ‘disappointed that his son will not be accompanying his relatives, there is no transference of harsh words between the two males. It seems to be the case that Babamukuru is gloomy at his sons absence not for the reason of dissatisfaction but for the loss of well-educated male company. The aspect of female inferiority is all too obvious through the contrasting attitudes of Babamukuru towards his son and daughter. Nyasha, according to Tambu, is ‘a victim of her femaleness, a ‘Femaleness as opposed and inferior to maleness. Evidence of the accuracy poignant comment about female suffering in the novel is not sparse. Nyashas development of an eating disorder, along w ith her mental breakdown later in the novel, reveals that not only is Nyasha affected psychologically by her suppression but her physical self is also jeopardised. It is clear that Nyasha loses her sense of self through visiting England and then returning to her country of origin, Zimbabwe. Nyasha confesses her personal damage to Tambu when she claims that she and her brother are ‘hybrids. Tambu also experiences her cousins alter ego when she is searching for Nyasha shortly before leaving to attend Sacred Heart. Tambu sadly finds Nyasha ‘reminding her of the closed girl who had come from England in a pink mini-dress, not the cousin and friend she had mellowed into in the three years since then. The extremity of Nyashas condition becomes clear on Tambus return from the convent school. Tambu describes Nyasha as ‘grotesquely unhealthy from the vital juices she flushed down the toilet and, she gives the reader a commentary of her nervous breakdown. After Nyasha ‘ rampaged, shredding her history books between her teeth, breaking mirrors, her clay pots, and jabbing the fragments viciously into her flesh, her parents finally realise that their daughter is genuinely suffering. Nyashas uncertainty about where she belongs and, according to Tambus mother, ‘the Englishness, ultimately leads to her downfall. Similar to the frustrations felt by Nyasha, although not to the same extremity, are the hardships experienced by Maiguru. Maiguru, although educated, does not receive comparable respect to Babamukuru, from Tambus direct family. Whilst Tambus uncle is welcomed home with an almost royal status, Maiguru attracts little of the praise given by the relatives. Maiguru is belittled by Babamukurus family and Babamukuru provides her with no real support For example, Lucia remarks to Maiguru, ‘Dont worry yourself, Maiguru. The matter concerns Babamukuru. This dismissal by Lucia, along with constant disagreement with Babamukuru about the running of her own household inevitably causes Maiguru to leave her family however she is never really able to escape her situation. Nyasha solemnly claims that her mothers homecoming is ‘such a waste with regards to Maiguru having the possibility to better her lifestyle. Maiguru obviously feels that inevitably she should be at home with her family h owever, it is clear that this believed duty is at the expense of a career of her own. Although the educated Maiguru does have an opportunity for escape, the restraints of her family life are holding her back from a desired profession. It seems to be the case that for the women in Nervous Conditions, to escape from colonial lands and male oppression, one has to leave their family life behind them. By exploring the life experiences of Nyasha and her mother, it can without doubt be supposed that education for women does not offer the same power that it puts forward for men. It would seem that for women, irrelevant of their schooling, there really is no real escape from colonialism or their own men. Fanon, although a highly influential writer, does not tend to regard femaleness in his writings. Fanon claims, ‘My blackness was there And it tormented me, pursued me, disturbed me, angered me. Although these aspects are extremely apparent to the black men in Miguel Street, Nervous Conditions reveals Fanons experiences being largely dedicated female characters. However, as we have already seen, Dangarembgas women are not only imprisoned by their black but also by their femaleness, by men. Nervous Conditions, its title being taken from the introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre to Frantz Fanons The Wretched of the Earth, is unmistakably a feminist re-writing of Fanon.[1] Contrasting with the women as the main focal point in Nervous Conditions, it is the mens experiences and struggles in Miguel Street which makes up the bulk of the novel. Although some of the women in Naipauls novel are seen as victims at the hands of men, the males in the book are often seen as equally foolish, if not more so than the women. Whilst Babamukuru is highly respected by most in Nervous Conditions, Naipauls George is seen as extremely idiotic and compared to a ‘donkey. After the death of Georges wife, whom the reader is led to assume died at the hands of her husband, the unnamed narrator remarks how George ‘went about crying in the streets, beating his chest. This mocking, monkey-like image is far from the genteel representation of Babamukuru. Another illustration of male mocking in the novel is through the use of Man-man. Laughter is a substantial theme in Miguel Street and almost everyone in the novel, at some point, laughs or is laughed at. Man-man is no exc eption. After it is revealed that Man-man always receives ‘exactly three votes when he puts himself ‘up for every election, Hat remarks that ‘Perhaps [it] is two jokers that have voted for Man-man, as well as himself. The idea that this male figure only obtains electoral support from two people who are ultimately ridiculing his sense of self emphasises male weakness in the novel. The scorning towards Man-man continues when he is illustrated as the ultimate irrational fool. After deciding to ‘crucify his-self, Man-man remarks to the surrounding people, â€Å"Stone, stone, STONE me, brethren! Although this behaviour is absurd, I as a reader could sympathise with Man-man for his attempt at escape from the confines of his life. However, as soon as the male extremist shouts, ‘I go settle with that son of a bitch who pelt a stone at me., the bafflement simply conveys Man-man as ludicrous. Inevitably, the contempt shown towards many of the male figures in the novel could be due to Naipauls own personal hatred of Caribbean people. Naipaul was treated extremely badly by his Afro-Caribbean neighbours, which inevitably led to an acquired detestation for them that still remains to this day.[2] Some postcolonial countries go so far as to view Naipaul as a racist.[3] On the other hand, the use of characters such as George and Man-man may be for sympathetic devises. Man-man is conveyed as a pathetic character however, his search for a sense of self echoes the behaviour of Nyasha in Nervous Conditions. The narrator remarks, ‘The authorities kept [Man-man] for observation, Then for good. This occurrence highlights a double oppression. Not only is Man-mans sense of self trapped by colonialism but it is also confined by law enforcement. Similarly, Nyasha is trapped by her femaleness as well as by colonialism. Both characters produced in me a sense of pity; both individuals act irrationally to attempt to free themselves from their surrounding restraints however there is no escape for either. Although most of the male figures in Nervous Conditions are revealed as ridiculous, Elias, the son of the detested George, makes real attempts at bettering his life, and inevitably escaping from life in Miguel Street, through schooling. The narrator claims, ‘I was prepared to believe that [Elias] would become a doctor some day. Unfortunately however, the young man is unable to achieve the desired grades and is destined to life as a cart driver. The inability to escape from his disheartening destiny, without appropriate qualifications, highlights further the importance of education. Without education, men in the novel have no choice but to exist in poverty in colonial lands. Due to Naipauls negative judgements of Caribbean people there is some ambiguity in the narrative about whether Elias situation is presented by the author to generate sympathy or scorn. The fact that Elias has lost his mother generated compassion however, the use of other characters in the novel that reveal wasted chances due to lazy and brainless suggests that Elias exists in the novel just as another dim-witted black man. Another possible case of Naipauls contempt is through the use of Titus Hoyt. Although Titus Hoyt is shown as reasonably intelligent and is regarded with an evident admiration, mainly by the narrator, his achievements do not compare with those of Babamukuru. Although both Babamukuru and Titus Hoyt eventually run schooling institutions, the latter is made to seem like a fool in front of his students. For example, when Titus Hoyt battles to teach his associates Latin Boyee remarks, ‘Mr Titus Hoyt, I think you making up all this, you know, making it up as you go along. The accusative statement ultimately disparages Titus Hoyt and reflects the lack of achievements of some of the more obviously senseless characters in Naipauls novel. Even when Titus Hoyt finally gets recognition through having his photograph placed in the local newspaper, there is a suggestion that through the anonymity of the student who apparently wrote the correspondence , he composed a letter to himself praising his own ‘virtue. Even the description of Titus Hoyt as ‘pop-eyed in the photograph makes the teacher appear as a counterfeit of success. Recognition is an important factor for most of the men in Miguel Street however it seems that there is always some underlying factor which is preventing them from succeeding. Whilst the struggle of colonised lands is extremely apparent throughout this novel, it cannot be ignored that perhaps Naipaul is prohibiting the triumph of the Caribbean male figures for his own satisfaction. Although the men in Miguel Street are shown as foolish and disaster-prone compared to Babamukuru, some of the male figures in Nervous Conditions are also portrayed as idle. Tambus father, Jeremiah, for example, is shown as an extremely futile man, depending on the successes of his brother to support him and his family. It emerges that whilst ‘Babamukuru had defied ‘the weight of his poverty., Jeremiah had merely ‘cringed ‘under the evil wizards spell, the spell that is inevitably colonial rule. The use of Jeremiah as a character may be for the purpose of a mocking devise by Dangarembga to highlight Tambus success as a woman in comparison with her fathers failure as a man. Conversely, Dangarembgas use of a character like Jeremiah may also be to highlight the importance of education and, to reveal that men can suffer frustration just as women can. It becomes clear that nobody in either novel really escapes the oppressions of colonialism. Whilst the failures in Miguel Street are all too apparent, Nervous Conditions promote more subtle disappointments, mainly through women. Although the unnamed narrator gets away from Miguel Street at the end of the novel, it is only through his his mothers bribing that he is able to do this. Furthermore, although Tambu physically breaks away from her toils through genuine personal achievement, there is a psychological part of herself that remains with her previous life. Fanons comment at the opening of the essay cleverly fits in to both Dangarembga and Naipauls novels, as well as much of the other postcolonial texts I have encountered on this course. The frustration Bibliography 13 [1] [2] [3]

Changing the Tone :: Personal Narrative Writing Papers

Changing the Tone Every piece of writing has a voice, we've already established that. But even in the same piece of writing, the same "speaker" or "voice" may take on different tones, depending on the purpose behind the writing. Sometimes it can make the piece a bit confusing, as if the speaker is distracted. However, I think that using different tones in the same voice makes that voice seem more human, more real, more identifiable. Basically, it makes me like the writing more, even if it is poorly done. After all, when I talk or write to someone, the conversation wanders and emotions change. If the writing does that as well, I feel as if I know a real person. I know that when I write my tone changes as I write, especially if there are other things going on at the time I write. And it always seems as if there is something around to distract me. Especially when there are other people with me, like right now. I wonder why it's so loud. Speakers! He gets so upset over speakers! Sometimes I just don't understand why he continues to buy things like speakers, hi-fi VCRs, and stereo components if they cause him to get mad like this. He says he enjoys adding to his entertainment center, but I find that hard to believe. He gets mad every single time he tries to hook the things up. And then, he thinks I'm the one who is getting upset. Please! In case he hasn't noticed, I don't like to be snapped at for no reason, just because he's mad that everything isn't going perfectly. I can't wait until he's finished! Oh, well, at least he's done moving furniture. Sorry about that. I just got so mad, and since I was writing at the time, let my situation into the paper. It does, however, show what I was saying at first. While I am still the same person I was at the beginning, my tone definitely changed. Yet it doesn't even take a subject change to make the tone change. Even if I continue to write about my boyfriend, who is the guy up there with the electronics addiction, my whole tone could change while I write about him. Because you know that if he is my boyfriend I must like him at least a little. Actually, it's kind of amazing that we're still together.

Review of Brazil the Movie Essays -- essays research papers

Upon watching the movie Brazil for the first time, the first thought which comes to mind is ‘WHAT’. However, once past the exterior of the movie, one is able to divine its true meanings. Written by Terry Gilliam, Charlie McKeown and Tom Stoppard, Brazil was a groundbreaking movie which brought to light many issues within society which were valid in 1985 and remain so today. This text is valued because of the issues it raises, such as technology, an unwieldy government and consumerism, which are timeless issues. Brazil is based around a futuristic bureaucracy, where everything and everyone is property, there is little or no communication, and with the right forms, you can legally do whatever you want. This movie shows the flaws of such a system, that whilst aiming for perfection, is merely digging itself deeper into confusion and destroying the very society it seeks to control. Brazil is a dark comedy which shows us the consequences of handing over our lives to a faceless bureaucracy. Sam Lowry’s world is made up of millions upon millions of machines, upon which everyone relies to survive. Machines perform basically every task that there is, from the most mundane task such as creating food, to the most complex and important tasks such as deciding the fate of every living person within the system. When we first meet Sam his alarm clock is not working, the phone is large and hard to work, and the food that his machines make is completely inedible. This does not bode well for the people, for if the machines cannot even handle the most basic of tasks, how could they possibly handle the complex ones? We are taken further into the world of faults and failings within the system later on, when Sam has major problems with his heating ... ...reedom, and that the mind is the only truly safe place. Brazil is a film which rolls up all of the problems which society was experiencing at the time that it was made into one darkly humorous movie. Commercialism, terrorism, technology, bureaucracy and government control, cosmetic surgery and the lack of freedom and individual expression. This movie was not mainstream because of the way that it delivered its message, and also perhaps simply because the government suppressed it somewhat. However, this film provided great insight into these problems, and continues to do so today, as many of these problems continue to exist. Brazil aims to highlight these problems and make the viewer think about what they have seen. This movie was not intended to change the world, but simply to try to prevent it from spiralling down into a dystopian Brazil-like chaos.

Photo Manipulation and Our Society Essay

Almost everything we see today from the billboard ads to magazine covers, we see several photographs that are purposefully manipulated to either sell a product or an idea. By seeing these photos we somehow ingrain in our memory the concept being conveyed through them. From perfect cookie cutter models and artists to the overly manipulated advertisements, these things are part of how the society defines their view of the world. The question now is; should photos be manipulated to effectively convey an idea to the society? Photo manipulation is defined as â€Å"the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception (in contrast to mere enhancement or correction), through analog or digital means. † With this, we can say that photo manipulation is a form of art wherein you would drastically change and/or combine several images to create a new one to effectively show your concept as an artist. We could also say that photo manipulation is a technique where you can drastically alter an image to deceive people by creating illusions to promote a product or an idea. There are other definitions of photo manipulation and it mainly covers how much of the original photo was changed to create a new one. When we see smartly conceptualized advertisements we somehow get that image stuck in our memory banks for their beauty and good use of technique. These advertisements work both as a great work of art making it a medium to sell something to the public. It really shows the creativity of the artist/photographer by transforming his pictures into something more powerful and thought evoking. Photo manipulation as a work of art is one of the better sides of photo manipulation for it promotes both your creativity as an artist. These new images have a major effect on society for it may supplement your advocacy and a call for change. Several issues with photo manipulation have risen since it became popular in the 1920s. It has been extensively used for photojournalism. A picture is worth more than a thousand words. What you see affects your perception on what’s real or not, it can mislead from the truth and even make you misinterpret the facts. Because of this the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) in the USA has set a Code of Ethics which promotes accuracy of published images and over manipulation. We also see extensive photo manipulation in advertisements nowadays. In this current time people usually see advertisements having models with bodies which look like they’ve gone through a cookie cutter because of their perfection. Perfect skin, perfect smile, perfect teeth, perfect eyes. We rarely see the real view where average people can relate themselves to and in turn feel good about it. It is completely understandable that advertising firms are after aesthetics and product imaging but they should do it completely in the bounds of what is natural and normal. In conclusion, photo manipulation is really a helpful technique in expressing one’s thoughts, emotions and ideas. When you manipulate an image you usually add or remove some parts to help make the composition of the photo better and more interesting. Since we all have easy access to photo manipulating software we get to enjoy it by transforming pictures into colorful stories then it turns into a work of art. However, there are times that you get deceived by what you see and you wouldn’t know if what you’re seeing is real or not. This is sometimes the case with some photos being published in the news and advertisements. They do a great job with editing their photos that the public gets swayed with a wrong idea or perception of the truth. Photo manipulating is a skill to learn but use it ethically and responsibly.

A Long Walk to Freedom Essay

†¢This extract is an autobiography by Nelson Mandela talking about the transition from a small undemanding child to a contributing factor in society. The writer engages our sympathy by effective use of vocabulary, various linguistic techniques and through his nostalgic tone. In the title, ‘Long Walk to Freedom,’ the long, drawn out vowels like ‘ee’ and ‘o’ reflects the struggles and difficulties in this exhausting walk. Even the word ‘walk’ co notates to the, strive for the attainment of freedom and rights of all individuals. There is a gradual flow of ideas in this extract which has a great impact as it bringing out the growth and understanding through the passage of time. In the beginning, a somber serious mood is created as they farewell their ‘last links to childhood’ and step into a wider mature world of adulthood. The ‘speeches, songs and gift-giving’ portray the African culture; the ‘sons of Xhosa’ have just been ‘circumcised’ again reflecting African customs. Due to this, the writer gains a ‘heady feeling’ of confidence and his body gestures – ‘straighter, taller, firmer’ effectively illustrate his inner feeling of pride and satisfaction. Suddenly the ‘gaily colored dreams’ darken, as the young adults now have to face the harsh reality. There is a sense of clouding of the future as the Chief would give a speech, ‘continuing a tradition. ’ The words act like a source of inspiration and encouragement, enlightening the youngsters to the disgruntled society. It is in their hands that the future lye’s, and imperative that they are exposed to the reality around them. Calling their ‘sons’ ‘young healthy and handsome,’ Meligqili begins his speech in an assertive tone. In addition to this, he also calls them ‘flower of the Xhosa’ sketching a metaphorical image of budding life and the true potential and ‘pride of [the] nation. ’ He shakens the juvenile adults with harsh words naming the ritual an ‘empty, illusory promise. ’ There is a dejected, deep sense of negation as they have ‘no strength, no power, no control’ over their ‘own destiny. ’ Furthermore, their bleak future is ragged off their rightful position as they are nothing more than ‘slaves in [their] own country,’ and ‘tenants in [their] own soil. The bitter irony behind these juxtaposed words hits us hard, as they are left with no value or significance in the very own homeland – their possession which has been snatched away from them by the whites. The pungent issue of racism is raised as ‘all South Africans, are a conquered people. ’ Moreover, in the land of their ‘birth,’ they suffer the discomfort of ‘shacks’ and ‘cheap alcohol’ since they are deprived of their own land to ‘prosper and multiply. ’ These lines repeatedly highlight the struggles, injustice and discrimination the unfortunate people endure everyday in their native soil, but yet not theirs. In addition to this, it is them who ‘cough their lungs out deep in the bowels of the white man’s mines. ’ This is the most impactful metaphor and alliteration as it allows us to visualize the inhuman, merciless conditions the people are made to work in, detrimental to their health and all for the robbed treasures of the whites. They have lost every bit of authority or belongingness of their own possessions and rather their energy, labor and efforts are wasted in filling the greed of the white men. †¢Piling up such dreadful, pathetic images, our sympathy and compassion is drawn.  We can understand the brutalizing agony internally and externally torturing these innocent people regularly due to ‘unequalled prosperity. ’ Their ‘abilities, intelligence,’ are all ‘squandered. ’ The writer uses superlatives like ‘simplest, mindless chores,’ which show their powerless nature and ‘attempt to eke out a living’ for the white men. Furthermore, the words of the chief are at the peak of disappointment where he wants a chance to ‘shake [Qamata] awake’ and tell him that ‘the flower of Xhosa nation are dying. Their state is so helpless that is seems even their God is ‘dozing’ and he repeats the ‘flower of Xhosa,’ to underline the youth – the future, beauty, innocence and strength of their fading nation. †¢All these horrific visions illustrated and the bitter, harsh words of truth leave an undying, unbelievable and undeniable impact on the reader. The words pierce through our ears, almost allowing us to feel the pain. It arouses a number of questions in our minds especially due to the irony, and great sympathy for the Africans. Yet, the young adults are only ‘more and more quiet’ and ‘more and more angry. By these repeated comparatives, the writer contrasts their present feeling of resentment to their mood of celebration earlier. All the words are slowly seeping in but it only made them rather ‘cross’ as they thought the chief was being selfish and ‘ignorant,’ in his ‘abusive comments,’ since he was not noticing the positive side – the whites brought them ‘value of the education’ and the moral cultures and etiquettes taught by them. Their tender age has almost blinded them to the ‘oppressorâ€⠄¢ behind what they think is the ‘benefactor. In all, the only thing the chief ended up doing was ‘spoiling the proud feelings with wrong headed remarks,’ for the teenagers. †¢Gradually, the pace slows and there is growth of mental maturity and realization as the true meaning of the chief’s words began to seep in Mandela’s mind. The real essence of the words had ‘sown a seed’ to the development of a potential future, although it had been ‘dormant for a long season. ’ Now, the tables turn as Mandela realizes it’s him who was the actual ‘ignorant man,’ not the chief. Adding on to the different metaphorical images; is when Mandela watches ‘the river’ ‘meander on its way. These phrases reflect back to the title and theme of a ‘long walk’ which is a route with its curves and junctions. Finally, the river ‘[empties] into the Indian Ocean,’ symbolizing his outpour of emotional success as after ‘many miles distant,’ he sees a vision of success – liberty and happiness. Although, this young adult had not yet ‘crossed that riverâ⠂¬â„¢ and his future seems very bleak, but he is now ready to face the challenges of life and combat the rocks that hinder his route, with a lot of power, struggle and hard work. His foresight is still limited as he knows ‘little or nothing of the world beyond,’ that ‘beckoned’ him. Under these words, the writer expresses how none of them had yet tasted the ‘gift’ of freedom and independence but right now, for all he knew, darkness was descending – it was ‘sunset’ already and time for him to prepare. Furthermore, we get a little more idea of the African tradition as ‘it was forbidden to look back while the lodges were burning,’ probably because we can never go back to the past and remembering it will only sadden us more and build hesitance to step into a new world. This feeling is even understood as Mandela is unable to ‘resist’ and looks back at ‘two pyramids of ashes by a large mimosa tree. ’ These ashes metaphorically symbolize the loss and fading away of a ‘delightful world’ of childhood and the ‘sweet’ ‘irresponsible days. ’ There is complete dilemma as, when he looks back, there are only faded ashes and ahead; darkness enveloping him. Also the ‘mimosa tree’ in a way symbolizes the survival of the fittest, as it is a sturdy, giant tree that continuously bears the pain of memories burning by it. †¢After a pause, there is a new picture illustrated – ‘now [he] was a man. There is a deep sense of negation and remorse as ‘never again’ would he get back those youthful, playful, mischievous days. After ‘many years’ he has finally become a man but now it’s like a re-birth to attain independence. †¢All in all, the extract ‘country childhood’ brings out the first steps of Mandela through inspirational words and encouragement; to the celebrated statesman he is now. He is a potent symbol of resistance striving out his life to attain his goal of victorious freedom and in this autobiography, he embodies the spirit of dignity and triumph of hope over despair and hatred.