The Affect of Aggression on Motivation

Sport psychologists have been becoming increasingly important in the realm of sports; helping athletes in their focus and controlling emotions; such as anxiety. Moreover, they have also become assistants to team organizations In selecting potential players, As previously stated, much research has been completed in an effort to not only increase performance but to also predict future performances. As result, many theories have evolved. These theories range from the achievement goal theory (ACT), to the self determination theory (SDTV), ACT states that an Individual will poses either an ego goal orientation or a task goal orientation.Researchers have examined different aspects of athletes' motivational orientations in hopes to predict a successful performance. Based off this research, it has been shown that when athletes have a high task goal orientation they are more likely to give a successful performance. However, it has been shown that athletes at the elite level of competition pos sess both a high task orientation and ego orientation. This is important to coaches when considering how to motivate players. One motivational tactic that has been heard on the sidelines at sporting events Is the coach telling his players to be aggressive.Moreover, athletes routinely site aggressive play as the factor In a win or loss. In this regard, the focus of this proposed study is to investigate what role aggression has on an athletes' motivational orientation and whether aggression has a positive correlation with performance. Aggression Is seemingly becoming more evident in sports. Moreover, aggression has evolved as a positive attribute In the eyes of athletes and spectators alike, and has earned itself an important role in team sports (Rascal, Coulomb-Cabbage, & Delegate, 2004).However, little research has been conducted on aggression and how TTS manifestation will affect an athlete's performance, or if aggression is more prevalent In one goal orientation over another. To s tudy the occurrence of aggressive behavior, the proposed study will look at athletes In the sport of boxing which is often viewed as a highly aggressive and sometimes barbaric sport. Boxing is 1 OFF play them must also have a certain degree of aggression that motivates them to continue the sport. However, a conceptual definition of aggression is that it is a negative personality trait that is connected with sport participation (Keller, 2004).Aggression has been further broken down into two categories; hostile and instrumental. Hostile aggression is defined as behavior that is performed with the sole intention of inflicting harm on a person and is seen as being an emotional response out of frustration or anger; while instrumental is considered non-emotional and is behavior that intentionally causes injury or harm to an opponent in the pursuit of another non-aggressive goal such as scoring or winning (Rascal, Coulomb- Cabbage, ; Delegate, 2004).With this in mind, this study will also measure assertiveness; which is defined as a non-hostile, non-coercive tendency to behave with intense and energetic behavior to accomplish one's goal, and within the sport setting is within the rules of competition. Assertiveness will primarily be included because the primary goal in boxing is to inflict injury or harm on an opponent. This study will also measure the goal orientations of the athletes. Previous studies have shown that when athletes have a high ego low task orientation they are more prone to aggression and a win at all cost mentality (Rascal, Coulomb-Cabbage, & Delegate, 2004).Therefore, it is hypothesized that 1) the goal orientation of the boxers will be influenced by the level of aggressiveness or assertiveness 2) aggression will be correlated with a high ego-orientation and assertiveness will be correlated with a task-orientation 3) assertiveness will have a positive correlation with performance and aggression will have a negative correlation with performance 4) assertiveness will be viewed and considered to be aggression by the athletes in the study. Method The design of this study will be non-experimental and will utilize surveys and researcher observation.The study will have two independent variables, aggression and assertion; and three dependent variables, task-orientation, ego-orientation and performance. Performance will be Judged by a win or loss. Aggressive behavior will be considered illegal blows. This will include low blows, kidney punches, rabbit punches (punches to the back of the head), hitting on the break (when the referee calls a halt to the action), hitting an opponent while down on a knee, and excessive holding. Assertive behavior will be pressing the action, and a high volume of punchers thrown (>50 punches/round).The distinction between aggression and assertiveness will not be made to the athletes and will be used as criterion for observers when rating the performance of the athlete. The participants in the study will b e 30 active professional (n=10) and amateur (n=20) boxers between the ages of 18 and 25. Active participation will be defined as having at least one fight 2 months prior to the study and the subjects must have a fight scheduled to take place during the study. Participants will receive information on the parameters of the study and will be informed that all data collected will be anonymous.In addition written onset will be obtained by all subjects. The subjects will complete surveys that will rate the performance of their last competition, goal orientation, aggression, and assertiveness. The outcome of their last competition (whether the athlete won or loss) and demographic information will also be used in the data analysis. To assess developed by Roberts and Plague will be used. This scale has shown both reliability and validity for assessing task and ego goal orientations. Aggression will be measured in two ways; first, the subjects' global aggression will be assessed by the Buss-D arker Hostility Inventory (BID) scale.This will be used to see if aggression is a core trait of the athlete. Questions are answered either true or false and indicate whether the actions described are thought to be self-descriptive; and second, the subjects' situation-specific or sport aggression will be measured with the BAG-S scale. This is a 30 item inventory that measures both hostile and instrumental aggression. It uses a 4-point Liker scale with 1 being strong agreement and 4 being strong disagreement. To assess assertiveness, the Rather Assertiveness Schedule (RASA) will be used.This is a 30-item questionnaire that measures perceived assertiveness. It uses a six point scale that ranges from 3 to -3; with 3 being very characteristic of me and -3 being very uncharacteristic. Additionally observers will measure the subjects' level of aggression and assertion during competition using a 4- point Liker scales with 1 being very aggressive and very assertive and 4 being little aggress ion and little assertion. Analysis Analysis of the data will be conducted using several methods. For assessing the levels of aggression and assertion on performance the Pearson Correlation Coefficient will be used.

Critical Response on “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” Essay

There have been many struggles in history between authority and those who oppose it. The most obvious and most common example is revolutions against governments. We live in a society where stability and assimilation are not just recommended, but also enforced. We have the right for civil disobedience, so long as it is non-violent and within reason. In the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, R.P McMurphy, a â€Å"brawling, gambling man† enters a mental asylum in Oregon, and begins to wage war â€Å"on behalf of his fellow inmates†. However he finds himself at odds with Nurse Ratched, a strict, manipulative and methodical woman who runs the ward like a â€Å"precision-made machine†. The book follows McMurphy’s actions that constantly clash with the Nurse, and what she represents: authority. By the end of the book, there are many examples of struggles against the higher power, and it is in my opinion that the statement â€Å"when authority and indi viduals come into conflict, authority always wins out† is incorrect, because individuals do not have to win the physical conflict to win the battle of brains. From day one, the reader finds that McMurphy is out to cause trouble. Gambling is illegal in the ward, but McMurphy declares that he was sent to the institution â€Å"to bring [the inpatients] some fun an’ entertainment around the gaming table†(p. 16). He starts interrupting daily meetings, which the Nurse treats with much importance. And whenever he is reprimanded for something, he laughs. The laughing is the most important part of his self-defence, as it is the only legal way he can fight back against authority. It is a symbol of defiance, and a sign of McMurphy’s freedom. It shows that, no matter what the institution does to him, he still has his mental independence. As the reader progresses further on in the story, McMurphy makes a bet that he can â€Å"get [the Nurse’s] ‘goat'†. When he finds he has no ward-clothes (p. 79), he runs around in a towel, threatening to drop it at times, while the distressed Nurse tries, in vain, to make him get dressed. Then, the same morning, he takes bets on his accuracy about throwing butter at the clock (p. 85). McMurphy wants to watch the World Series, and takes a vote from all the saner patients. While all of them vote to watch it, the Nurse shuts the  idea down, even when McMurphy gets the majority. When airing on television (p. 114), he stops work and proceeds to turn on the television, sit down, and watch the game. When the rest of the men decide to stop work and join him, and the Nurse turns the power off, they continue to watch, just to show that her power and authority has nothing over them. This is an example of individuals fighting against authority. They might not be successful in the real world (having to wear clothes, not being able to watch the baseball game), but inside they’re freer than they’ve ever been before. Being downtrodden and strict by the Nurse forced them to become less Things begin to grow bigger and more important as the story progresses. McMurphy realizes that his release is dependent on his good behavior, and tones down his obnoxious acts. However, he still finds that Nurse Ratched is going to keep him in the hospital for as long as she wants. He tries to be subdued, and in doing so, another rebellious inmate called Cheswick, who had tried very hard to be like McMurphy, kills himself, because he thinks that McMurphy has been defeated (p. 136). Nurse Ratched sees the change in McMurphy, and to gain total control of the ward, she demands penance for the insubordination during the World Series. McMurphy smiles and nods, but destroys the glass that separates the nurses’ room from the ward, to show his true feelings (p. 155). He excuses himself, saying that the window was â€Å"so spick an’ span [that he] completely forgot it was there†. This shows how he is standing up to authority, and while he doesn’t change anything in the real world, it shows the inmates and himself that inside they are free. Part III describes McMurphy’s fishing expedition. He takes the men on an excursion on a fishing boat, much against the Nurse’s wishes, but by tricking the doctor to come along, he succeeds. While there is not much about Nurse Ratched in that part, Chief Bromden, the narrator of the story, notices that the Combine is working on the outside too – with commuters and houses and children (p. 186). He had been in the ward for about 20 years, and a lot had probably passed since he was younger. However, this glimpse into society makes them realize that they (as patients) aren’t as monotonous as this, and they can be more free than they are already. Within a week of the trip, Nurse Ratched is ready with her new plan. She tries to show McMurphy as a con man, stealing and wining money from all the patients. But she is shocked to discover that all the patients were happy to lose that money, as they enjoyed themselves, and weren’t using it for anything else anyway. After a few more instances of insurgence (McMurphy and Bromden’s fight with the staff {p. 215}; continuous interruptions to ward procedures {p. 229}), the final insurrection came: McMurphy’s party. McMurphy organizes for two of his â€Å"friends† to come to the ward for a party that would also serve as his breakout. After a great night, everyone falls asleep, and in the morning, the day-staff came before anyone can wake up in time. After searching for Billy Bibbit, and finding him unashamed of his actions the previous night, the Nurse gives him a guilt trip, threatening to tell his mother, and then locking him in the ward’s doctor’s room. Billy commits suicide, and the Nurse tries to blame it on McMurphy’s lack of respect for authority. Realising that any chances of surviving are ruined, and that his battle with authority is now at it’s final stage, McMurphy sacrifices himself (and consequently his mental-independence) by attacking Nurse Ratched, exposing her as a vulnerable woman, and destroying any sense of authority and control she had left over the patients. This is the final action between two desperate factions: the authority and the autonomy. The showdown ends with McMurphy being captured, but because the other patients see the nurse as a woman, and not as the dominant Nurse, she can never have the same control over them as she had previously had. McMurphy is lobotomized, but before the ward can see him in his vegetable-like state, Chief Bromden smothers him with a pillow, and then breaks down a wall to freedom. The patients never get to see McMurphy as a vegetable, so their last memory of him alive is his attack on the Nurse. McMurphy is remembered as a symbol of resistance, and as a hero against the authority that had cowed the patients for so long. I believe that McMurphy shows the reader that while the authority may be able to make you conform, you can still remain free inside, which is more important than anything else on earth. Because it is against national  regulations to take away freedom, and as long as you have your sanity and your mental independence, nothing can beat you.

Frederick Douglass: His Slavery Years Essay

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the United States was a young nation divided by numerous philosophical and political differences. Arguably, slavery was the most divisive issue at the time. There were individuals who spoke out against slavery; perhaps the most eloquent anti-slavery voice belonged to Frederick Douglass. Douglass was an American abolitionist who altered American views concerning slavery through his writings and actions. He stood in stark contrast to pro slavery advocates’ claim that slaves lacked the intellectual capacity to act as free citizens. Douglass was born into slavery as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, in February, 1818. The exact date of his birth is unknown. Douglass chose to celebrate February 14th as his birthday. In his autobiography, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass (2002) stated, â€Å"I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen authentic record containing it†(SparkNotes Editors, 2002). Douglass’s birthplace was Holmes Hill Farm, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Frederick’s mother, Harriet Bailey, was a slave who worked the cornfields around Holmes Hill. Little is known of Frederick’s father other than he was a white man. There was speculation that Douglass’s father was his master as slave owners often impregnated their female slaves. Common among slaves was being forced to work long hours; Harriet was no exception. The long hours deprived Harriet from forging a motherly bond with her son. Douglass (2002) recalled the only time he spent with his mother was when she would walk 12 miles after dark to lie next to him at night (SparkNotes Editors, 2002). At a young age, Douglass was separated from his mother and placed in the care of his maternal grandmother, Betsey Bailey. Several years later, when told that his mother had died, Douglass barely reacted to the news. Living with his grandmother shielded Douglass from the harsh realities of slavery. Betsey’s job was to simply look after the young children of the slaves. When Frederick was seven or eight years old, he would begin to the face the bleak life of a slave. Douglass’s grandmother inexplicably took him on a long, faraway journey. The two approached a large, graceful home, called the Lloyd Plantation. Several children were playing in front of the home. According to Sandra Thomas, author of Frederick Douglass–Abolitionist/Editor, A Biography of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Betsey Bailey pointed to three of the children and introduced them as his siblings, Perry, Sara, and Eliza (Sandra Thomas, n.d). Frederick reluctantly joined his brother and sisters for a bonding session. After a while, Frederick realized his grandmother had left the plantation without him. Life on the Lloyd Plantation was vastly different from what Frederick was accustomed to. The plantation encompassed 20 farms and grew tobacco, corn, and wheat. Douglass’s master was named Captain Aaron Anthony, who was also the plantation’s superintendent. Captain Anthony supervised all of the plantation’s overseers, and was responsible for three to four hundred slaves owned by the Lloyd family. All slaves were required report to Lloyd’s central plantation for their monthly allowances of pork or fish and cornmeal. All of Lloyd’s slaves referred to the central plantation as â€Å"The Great House Farm,† because it resembled a small village (SparkNotes, 2002). The slaves also received one set of linen clothing, which was expected to last for one year. Frederick did not work in the field as a young boy because children were not strong enough. Instead, he was assigned to be the companion of Daniel Lloyd, the plantation owner’s grandson. Even though Daniel quickly became quite fond of Douglass, this friendship did not produce any favoritism towards Frederick. Like the other slave children, Douglass was given only a long, linen shirt to wear. The cold winters damaged Douglass’s feet so badly that he could insert a pen into the cracks of his flesh (SparkNotes, 2002). The children were fed cornmeal mush and forced to eat it out of a trough, similar to how pigs were fed. Perhaps the only preferential treatment Douglass received came from Lucretia Auld, Captain Anthony’s daughter, recently married to a ship’s captain. Lucretia gave Douglass menial tasks to perform, such as running errands. In 1826, Lucretia told Douglass he would be sent to Baltimore to live with her brother-in-law, Hugh Auld, manager of a ship building company. Additionally, if Frederick cleaned himself up really well, Lucretia promised to give him a pair of pants to wear for his trip. In his autobiography, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass (2002) states he spent the majority of the three days leading up to his trip at a creek, â€Å"washing off the plantation scruff†(BookRags, p 75). Clean and stylish in his pants, Douglass left the Lloyd Plantation for what he hoped would be the last time. Of leaving Colonel Lloyd’s plantation, Douglass (2002) felt no sorrow or loss because his mother was dead, he seldom saw his grandmother, and his relationship with his brother and two sisters was limited (BookRags, p 75). Frederick arrived in Baltimore and was greeted by the Hugh and Sophia Auld, and their little son, Thomas. The happy smile on Sophia’s face represented a first for Douglass; kindness on the face of a white master. Douglass (2002) believed his move to Baltimore signified the first major step toward freedom. He credited his selection among so many other children as an act of divine intervention, saying: From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom. This good sprit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise. (Book Rags, p. 75) Frederick’s duties at the Auld home were to run errands and care for the Auld’s infant son, Tommy. There was a noticeable difference between slavery in Baltimore and slavery in the country. In Baltimore, slave owners shared a common sense of decency towards their slaves. In general, slaves were rarely beaten and were given adequate amounts of food to eat. Sophia Auld was unlike any white woman Douglass had ever encountered; she treated him like a human being. Sophia was a religious woman and would often read aloud from the Bible to Frederick and Tommy. Douglass gathered up enough courage and asked Sophia to teach him how to read. Sophia agreed and had soon taught Frederick the alphabet and a few simple words. Sophia had never been a slave owner, and had not developed the mindset that blacks were sub-human. Sophia was thrilled with Fredericks’s progress and excitedly informed her husband. Hugh Auld was furious at his wife’s willingness to bond with a slave as well as her desire to educate one. Auld informed his wife that it was unlawful to teach a slave. Furthermore, if a slave knew how to read and write it would make him unfit to be a slave. A slave owner’s worst fear was an educated slave. An educated slave would no longer obey the master and may even begin to question life as a slave. An educated slave may even escape to freedom alone or with a band of slaves. Auld ordered his wife to stop the lessons immediately. Over time, the constant prodding from Sophie’s husband and the menacing effects of slavery soon changed her attitude towards Frederick. Douglass (2002) noted the change of feelings in his autobiography, saying: But, alas! this kind heart had but a short time to remain such. The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye under the influence of slavery soon became red with rage; that voice made of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh discord; andangelic face gave place to that of a demon. (Book Rags, p. 77-78) Frederick surmised from Auld’s outburst that reading and writing were his pathways to freedom. Frederick made obtaining this knowledge a personal challenge. Douglass used what he learned from Sophia and increased his knowledge of the alphabet on his own. He accomplished his task through diligence and the use of clever tactics. Since Sophia had stopped teaching Frederick to read, she became extremely vigilant in preventing him from learning, becoming stricter than her husband. Whenever she caught Frederick reading, Sophia would scream at him to stop and threaten to beat him if she caught him reading again. In order to counter Sophia’s watchful eye, Douglass made friends with as many white children as he could while he ran errands. The children became Frederick’s teachers; each child offered a different skill set to further Frederick’s knowledge. Whenever Douglass had time between his errands, he would join his friends for a quick lesson. Frederick also exchanged bread for instruction, particularly from the poorer white kids who had less to eat than he did. Frederick (2002) recounts talking to some of them about freedom and even gained sympathy from some for his plight (BookRags p. 79).   When Douglass was around 12 or 13, he obtained a copy of a book entitled, The Columbian Orator, a collection of speeches and essays dealing with liberty, democracy, and courage. The book opened up for Douglass a vast array of ideas on freedom, liberty and truth. One particular passage in the book intrigued Frederick the most. A master and his recaptured slave exchanged dialogue regarding why the slave had run away. The master failed to understand why the slave had attempted to escape for a second time, outlining the many acts of kindness given to the slave. The slave defended his actions and the conversation soon turned into an argument for or against slavery. The slave expertly countered every point the master made for why slavery should be allowed. Having realized defeat, the master granted the slave freedom, even wished him prosperity in his new life. The book also contained a speech arguing for the freedom of Irish Catholics and for human rights in general. Douglass began to fully articulate the case against slavery, but it also brought forth the painful realization of his own life as a slave. The warnings of Hugh Auld had come true, Frederick’s new found knowledge began to torment his soul. In his autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, (2007), Douglass stated, â€Å"the very discontent so graphically predicted by Master Hugh had already come upon me. I was no longer the light-hearted gleesome boy, full of mirth and play, as when I landed in Baltimore†(Library of Liberty, p.90). During this time, Douglass began to listen to anyone who discussed slavery. At some point in the discussions, Douglass heard the word abolitionist for the first time. In a city newspaper account of a Northern abolitionist petition, Frederick learned that word meant anti-slavery (SparkNotes, 2002). Armed with this new found knowledge, Frederick attempted to learn all he could about abolitionists. Douglass (2007) declared, â€Å"I therefore set about finding out, if possible, who and what the abolitionists were and why they were so obnoxious to the slaveholders†(Library of Liberty, p 90). Soon thereafter, Douglass aided two Irish sailors, without being asked, unload a boat at the wharf. When the task was completed, one of the sailors asked Douglass if he was a slave. Frederick (2007), replied, â€Å"I am a slave for life† (Library of Liberty, p.93). The Irishman shrugged and appeared to be deeply affected by Frederick’s response. Both Irishmen implored Douglass to run away to the north where he could be free. Douglass pretended to be uninterested, because he feared the men might be bounty hunters who enticed slaves to escape, then recaptured them to collect the reward money. However, the thought of running away stayed on his mind, with a vow to do so when the time was right. Before he could run away, Frederick believed that he should learn to write. Douglass (2007) surmised that knowing how to write would be useful, â€Å"as I might have occasion to write my own pass†(Library of Liberty,p.94). By this time, Douglass was assigned to Hugh Auld’s shipyard. He used that opportunity to study the letters that the ship’s carpenters wrote on pieces of timber. Douglass quickly became proficient in writing the letters he knew, and devised a plan that would increase his writing skills. He approached local boys at the shipyards and challenged them to writing contests. Douglass would write out the letters he had learned, and defied them to outdo him. This tactic gave Frederick the opportunity to learn new letters which he practiced over and over. Any writing surface he encountered, i.e., fence, wall, or pavement, he used to practice. His master’s son, Tommy was in grade school at this time and had several books at home. Whenever Douglass was left alone to care for the house, he wrote the words in Tommy’s book until he was able copy them exactly. Through these tedious tasks, Douglass learned to write. About three years after moving to Baltimore, Captain Anthony died. Anthony’s youngest son, Richard, preceded him in death. In order to divide the estate equally between the two remaining children, Andrew and Lucretia, Douglass was sent back to Talbot county as property to be evaluated. Frederick’s departure from the Auld household was a sad occasion. Douglass (2007) recalled, â€Å"We all wept bitterly, for we were parting, and it might be we were parting forever† (Library of Liberty, p.97). At the valuation (2002), slaves young and old were ranked along with the pigs, horses, and cattle (Book Rags, p. 80). The slaves were forced to anxiously wait to see where they were headed. Frederick’s worst fear was to be placed in the possession of Master Andrew, a man known to be heartless and cruel. Douglass was especially troubled by this since he had experienced a certain degree of kindness in his life. Fortunately, Douglass was given to Lucretia Auld, who promptly sent him back to Baltimore to live with Hugh and Sophia Auld. Shortly after his return to Baltimore, both Lucretia and Master Andrew died. Their deaths left all the slaves in the hands of strangers. Perhaps the cruelest aspect of slavery was how Frederick’s grandmother was treated. After years of faithful service to her master and his children (2002), after caring for him from infancy to death, and after populating his plantation with her children and grandchildren, she was deemed too old to be of value and sent out to a little hut to die alone (Book Rags, p. 82). Two years after the death of Lucretia, Thomas Auld had a disagreement with his brother Hugh, and demanded Frederick’s return. Unlike the first time he was forced to leave Baltimore, Frederick was not sad about leaving Hugh and Sophia. According to Douglass (2007), â€Å"The influence of brandy and bad company on him, and of slavery and social isolation on her had wrought disastrously upon the characters of both†(Library of Liberty, p. 100). When Douglass returned to live with Thomas Auld, his began to experience slave life as a field hand. For perhaps the first time in his life, Douglass began to experience prolonged bouts of hunger. He and the rest of the slaves had to resort to begging and even stealing in order to obtain food. Douglass and Captain Auld did not get along; Auld considered Douglass spoiled from city life. Douglass received several beatings as a result of his attitude and for purposely letting the master’s horse run away. Despite several beatings, Douglass refused to be broken. As a direct result, Captain Auld lent Frederick to Edward Covey for a year. Covey was a farm renter with a reputation for being a â€Å"nigger breaker†(Library of Liberty, p. 101). Douglass was thankful for the move, believing he would at least have enough to eat. During Frederick’s first six months with Covey, he was beaten for a myriad of mistakes. Some of the mistakes were real, while others were due to Covey’s imagination. Frederick (2007) experienced his darkest days as a slave, stating: I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died†¦(Library of Liberty, p. 105). A flicker of hope kept him going—the ships on the Chesapeake Bay. Frederick admired the vessels with their white sails and swift mobility. Douglass (2007) contrasted his condition of bondage to the freedom of the seas (Library of Liberty, p. 105). Frederick gained an overwhelming desire to escape from slavery or die trying. A turning point in Douglass’s life occurred after an incident with Covey. Frederick was severely beaten by Covey for being too exhausted to continue to work. Douglass fled to Thomas Auld’s home for protection but was ordered to return. Upon his return, Douglass was beaten again. After conferring with another slave, Frederick was given a root to carry for protection. The next day Douglass received kind words from Covey instead of a beating. The next encounter between Douglass and Covey resulted in a fight that lasted nearly two hours. Afterwards, Covey did not lay a hand on Douglass again. Frederick (2002) recalled, â€Å"My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Book Rags, p. 110). When Douglass’s time with Covey ended, Frederick’s life became similar to a nomad’s. Douglass spent time on another farm, but was arrested for conspiring with other slaves to escape. After his release from jail, Douglass returned to Baltimore and Hugh Auld. Auld assigned Douglass to a shipyard so that he could learn to caulk. There were white men at the shipyard that refused to work with Frederick and a fight ensued. Douglass was assigned to another shipyard where he finally learned to caulk, and received top wages for his work. Since he was still a slave, Douglass was forced to give Hugh Auld all of his money. This injustice reinforced Douglass’s desire to escape, and he put a plan together to do just that. After years of hardship, beatings, jail, and other emotional atrocities, Frederick Douglass was ready to escape slavery. Douglass (2007) stated, â€Å"On Monday, the third day of September, 1838, in accordance with my resolution, I bade farewell to the city of Baltimore, and to that slavery which had been my abhorrence since childhood (Library of Liberty, p.110). Loosely dressed as a sailor, Frederick boarded a train to New York. Using his knowledge of ships, the vernacular of sailors, Douglass deceived the conductor into believing he was a seaman. Douglass’s perilous journey to freedom ended twenty-four hours later in New York City. Douglass found freedom and prosperity as a free man. He eventually settled in New Bedford, MA, with his new wife Anna. Douglass discovered that colored people in the North were united in their efforts to help escaped slaves. Douglass’s (2002) interest in the abolitionist movement was fueled by reading The Liberator, a newspaper that stirred his soul to join the fight to end slavery (Book Rag, p.112). In August, 1841, Douglass attended an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket. With encouragement from a friend, Frederick speaks for the first time to a white audience about slavery. From that moment on, Frederick Douglass became perhaps the foremost figure in the abolitionist movement. References Douglas, F. (2002). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.bookrags.com/notes/fred/PART5.html Douglas, F. (2007). The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: From 1817-1882. Retrieved from http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/2007/138723 SparkNotes. (2002). SparkNote on Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/narrative/ Thomas, S. (n.d.). Frederick Douglass, Abolitionist/Editor, A Biography of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Retrieved from http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/douglass/home.html

The Currency of Kenya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Currency of Kenya - Essay Example An emerging market is those countries that have their cost of labor, either direct or indirect, low as compared to other countries cost of labor. This means that emerging markets have cheaper labor compared to wealthier nations. The wealthier nations have their labor cost high; hence investment in the wealthier countries is expensive. When wealthier nation invests in the emerging market, they spend less in their expense on the labor. They move fast to take advantage of the readily available cheaper source of labor. They invest in these emerging markets, capitalizing on their profits because they will spend a little amount of foreign currency on the labor. The emerging markets provide cheaper readily available labor, hence wealthier nations move quickly and invest in the emerging markets (Commission). The currency of Kenya exists as Kenyan shilling. Kenya offers to investment opportunities to the US government. Kenyan economy is moving to an open economy from a closed one. This ensures a stronger and a more stable economic prowess. An Exchange reform ensures a stable economy. When the US invests in Kenya, the Kenyan Shilling will be stable hence growing the economy to a greater height, hence attracting more investment. Sound political and economic environments attract investors. Foreign donations by the World Bank, IMF, and other world organization increase the confidence of other nations investing in Kenya (Commission). The spread return: this is the total amount the investor is expecting to get a profit from the investment. Investors risks by investing in foreign countries. Investors will invest more in a country when they ascertain more returns than when they invest in their country.

What should a guide to proper cell phone use include Essay

What should a guide to proper cell phone use include - Essay Example stance, in offices or during any official business, in schools and hospitals, talking loudly on cell phones or the loud ringing of the phones are regarded as not impolite but also distracting. Secondly, there are certain formal restrictions on cell phone usage such as when driving, when crossing the road, or during a flight. This is because talking on the phone while driving or crossing the street may divert ones attention from being alert and therefore lead to accidents. Cell phone usage while driving has been strictly prohibited as being too dangerous to ones safety and also those of others on the road. Thirdly, there are some etiquettes that go with using cell phones in public. For example, talking loudly on the phone, using loud ring tones, listening in on someone else’s conversation are some of the basic etiquettes that one should follow. Also, in certain buildings for security reasons, cell phones are not allowed and the regulations in place by these buildings should be respected. Finally, mention must also be made of the fact that several tests have proved the harmful health effects of prolonged and excessive use of cell phones. Using these phones for long conversations and also using them several times a day may lead to health problems such that deleterious impact on the brain cells. In conclusion it may be said that while they are no doubt useful, it is advisable that cell phones be used in accordance with certain guidelines as mentioned above and also not used

Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Service Management - Assignment Example The chapter even focuses on the issues of queue as well as bottlenecks and the using of queuing theory to face these issues in capacity management. The chapter even focuses on how organizations need to manage their coping zone and how the utilization of the resources can be managed and improved. In case of a cruise, the organization can implement demand based capacity management strategy. In this strategy the cruise may face the issue of increase in reservations and in order to meet this increase they can decrease the demand for reservation by increasing the prices of their services (Johnston 2012). An internet retailer can experience an increase in demand and if it does not have the required amount of staff to deliver the goods and services. Then the internet retailer can adopt the chase management strategy by increasing the number of part time or contractual workers and even by increasing the hours of work and pay overtime to them. An insurance broker may use the chase strategy in case it is experiencing a decline in demand for its insurance services. Insurances are sold by salesmen on the basis of commission. An insurance broker may higher individuals on basis of commission instead of hiring individuals on basis of fixed salary and pays them according to their number of sales. This will help the insurance broker in managing its cost of

Dostoevsky crime and punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Dostoevsky crime and punishment - Essay Example The wise saying goes—howsoever powerful may be the waves of an ocean their real nature is mere water! Once the crime is committed, a series of thought-currents related to the incidents begin to tax the brains of the perpetrator of the crime. They challenge his decision. In the introduction to the book it is observed, â€Å"†¦.it is precisely from such an attempt to grapple with the moral implications of the social and cultural realities of the day that Dostoevsky produced a work whose timeliness increases rather than diminishes with the years.†(Introduction vi†¦) All murders are not calculated. Most of them are done at the time when one is seized with spontaneous anger and loses the mental equilibrium. As a consequence, the murderer has a life-time to regret. Even after undergoing the legal punishment for the heinous act committed, the trace of that action remains within the portal of the mind. For every murder, it is possible to detail the negative and positive consequences. The consequences of murdering a known criminal, the doer of many dastardly acts, can not be compared to the murder a Professor by a student, who failed him in the paper. Utilitarianism intervenes in such cases and makes an attempt to differentiate between right and wrong by measuring a decision based on its calculated worth. Having murdered the landlady, Raskolnikov tries to reason out the positive benefits that her money would do to the society. But this is just wishful thinking. Murder is a murder and the one who does not have the capacity to give life, has no right t o stifle out any life. The one who understands the concept of utilitarianism in its true spirit, would find it difficult to accept and will resent the claim of Raskolnikov that his action of murdering the old woman can be accepted as morally right. A performer of the action can not be the judge of the merits/demerits of that action. One can’t be the lawyer and the judge for the

Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Economics - Essay Example As such, it is argued that, unemployment is directly related to economic growth of any given state or country. Consequently, economists argue that, unemployment is an issue that affects every state or country in the world with varying percentage rates (Srinivasan and Sivagnanam 2010). In light of this, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States of America are the three countries that have experienced major unemployment issues in the world. Essentially, the percentage rate of unemployment in these three countries has been in a close watch in for the last five years with major similarities and differences being displayed in this duration of time (McCord 2011). In January 2008, the percentage rate of unemployment was relatively similar in the United States of America and the United Kingdom with a variation of 0.1 % in the captured statistics. However, European Union experienced a higher percentage rate at 1.6% more as compared to UK and the United State of America mean ing that, in that year the EU was leading in percentage rate. In the beginning of 2009, the three countries experienced an increase in the percentage rate, where the rate in United Kingdom increased with 1.9 %, the European Union increased by 1.8%, and the United States of America increased by 3.6%. ... In addition, European Union moved from 8.6 % in the previous year to 9.7 % while the United States of America moved from 8.7% to 9.8%. In a general sense, between 2008 and 2010, the three countries have witnessed a significant increase in the rate of unemployment where each had a disparity of more than 2.0 %. In the beginning of 2011, the United Kingdom insignificantly reduced at 0.2%, the European Union increased insignificantly at 0.1%. However, the United States of America experienced a significant decrease of 0.9 %. The entry into the year 2012 saw a return of the two; United Kingdom and European Union countries into an increase mode. In contrast, the United States of American witnessed a constant decrease from the previous year. In January 2013, the overall percentage rate of the United Kingdom would best be described as fluctuation in terms of increase and decrease. In particular, the country had a decrease compared to the previous year. Layard, et al 2011 argues that, in relat ion to the United States of America, the unemployment level was at its highest of 9.8% in 2010, although the rest of years were covered by a fluctuation between 5.1% and 7.6%. Conversely, the European Union is the leading country among the three in the unemployment rate for the last six year where a significant increase has been noted, the United States of America comes in as the second while the United Kingdom is the last in line. The UK Domestic and International factors Causing Variation in Unemployment Rates in the UK, the EU and the USA Domestic Causing Variation in Unemployment Rates According to the graph, it is apparent that, the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom is relatively lower as

Definition of Dismissal Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definition of Dismissal - Literature review Example This method, however, is not included in the contract laws but it is a discovery of the judges, it is based on the principle that employees are paid wages for the work that they do therefore if they do not work they should not be paid. When the employee accepts not to work for the employer even though he has the will and potential to work, it is deemed that he has accepted the repudiation, otherwise he would have stayed at home and sued the employer for payment of wages since the contract would still be valid (Akin, 2004, p569). The provisions in the dismissal of an individual explain that an employee should only be dismissed without notice under three situations, the first one is if the employee has not completed one month since he started to work for the employer. Second is if the terms of the contract have the provisions for dismissal without notice, and the third is when an employee act in a manner that acts to betray the confidence and trust that the employer had placed in him. The notice period before a dismissal is usually written down in the contract should be a minimum of a week and in case the contract does not state the notice period the common law is applied. Common law requires that the employer should give the employee a notice of at least one week for employment period lasting from one month to two years and then one extra week for an additional year above 2 years that the employee works up to a maximum of 12weeks. However, common law can give an employee up to 12 months depending on the seniority, expertise and the length that the employee has been working for the employer. The remedies available for wrongful dismissal in of an employee include compensation in a tribunal and damages in a court of law, the employees will, however, be required to apply for the compensation within three months after they have been dismissed (Geare, 2007, p276). The employer is liable to pay the dismissed employee the loses that include his notice period including a ny benefits or pay rises that he was entitled, otherwise in the case of wrongful dismissal the employee can only sue for lost earnings and damages due to the spoiling of his reputation. For an employment relationship to be considered to exist there must be objective conditions, this means that the features that are existing in regard to the way the worker performs his duties and how he is remunerated by the employer must be put into consideration (Bird, and Charters, 2004 p212). The rights of employers and employees depend on the duration of contract where the employee performs the assigned duties by the employer in return for her wages, if the employee fails to perform the assigned duties, then he breaches the contract for employment and is therefore liable for dismissal. In Jordan, the workers are protected by the labor act that stipulates that a worker be employed either indefinitely or for a specific period, in the agreement for a specific period, the contract is deemed to have been terminated at the end of the period. However, if the employee continues to work after that period the law considers the contract to have been renewed and is considered to have been an indefinite contract from the beginning.  Ã‚  

Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management Essay 1)Given Bandag Auto’s size, and anything else you know about it, explain why and how the human resource management function should be reorganized. Because of the lack of any kind of plan or strategy for the company, having a functioning human resource management in place is vital. First of all management formulates a strategic plan. The strategic plan implies certain workforce requirements. Given these workforce requirements, human resource management formulates HR strategies to produce the desired workforce skills, competencies, and behaviors. Finally the human resource manager identifies the measure he or she can use to gauge the extent to which it’s new policies and practices are actually producing the required employee skills and behavior. There should be a strategy map in place which shows the big picture of how each department’s performance contributes to the company’s overall strategic goals. The HR score card is used by many employers to quantify and computerize the maps activities. The score card refers to a process for assigning financial and nonfinancial goals or metries to the human resource management-related chain of activities required for achieving the company’s strategic aims and for monitoring results. The computerized scorecard process helps to quantify the relationships between the HR activities, the resulting employee behaviors and the resulting firm-wide strategic outcomes and performance. All of this presents the manager with a digital dash board which are computerized graphs and charts of where the company stands on all the metries from the HR scorecard. 2)Recommend what Bandag should change and/or improve upon regarding the current HR systems, forms, and practices the company now uses. They should put their HR system under one management source in order to acheire a desired workforce. This would be achieved by having (a) set policies and practices Human resources policies are vital to any organization because they provide structure for the human resources department and guidelines for employment activities. Without human resources policies, it would be extremely difficult to justify employment or business decisions. Human resources leadership is initially responsible for creating the policies. Human resources practices are the method used to conduct any type of employment action. The human resources department develops the introduction to the set of policies and guidelines and explains the importance of the policies. Policies about performance appraisals, fair employment practices, appearance and behavior are just a few of the several policies contained in an employee handbook.The handbook is distributed to new employees on the first day of work and is typically discussed during informal or formal orientation sessions. Employers expect employees to fully understand the policies; a signed form to acknowledge the employee has received and understands the employment policies is contained in the employees personnel file. Without the support of its executive leadership team to which the human resources director should belong the human resources policies will either fail or the workforce will be resentful of the human resources department as a whole. Without policies, an employee has no way of knowing whats expected of her. Without policies, whenever a manager needs to correct the employees behavior or performance, neither the manager nor the employee have any guidelines to follow. This makes it extremely difficult to conduct any type of manager-employee discussion. In short, the lack of human resources policies weakens the employer-employee relationship which can prevent your business from being successful.(b) recruiting and screening Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies. The recruitment industry has four main types of agencies: employment agencies, recruitment websites and job search engines, headhunters for executive and professional recruitment, and niche agencies which specialize in a particular area of staffing. Some organizations use employer branding strategy and in-house recruitment instead of agencies. Recruitment-related functions are generally carried out by an organizations human resources staff.The stages in recruitment include sourcing candidates by advertising or other methods, screening potential candidates using tests and/or interviews, selecting candidates based the the results of the tests and/or interviews, and on-boarding to ensure the candidate is able to fulfill their new role effectively.. One meaning of screening is the investigation of a great number of something (for instance, people) looking for those with a particular problem or feature. ( c) benefit plans and payroll,There were three plan features I thought were going to become increasingly more prevalent in the future: individually managed accounts, distribution planning help, and greater integration of payroll and 401(k) administration. and (d) application forms and performance evaluation forms. This would eliminate all the different channels that everything goes through and make it much simpler and easir to keep a handle on .Because every =thing would one consistent source. 3)Jim fired an employee for creating what the manager called a poisonous relationship. Explain whether or not the employee has a legitimate claim against the company and the actions the company should take. The employee could have a legitimate claim because on his performance appraisal it was said that he did the technical aspects of his job well. Even though it was said he had serious problems interacting with his coworkers his boss admitted hearing rumors that he might have some mental issues. So under the new ADA laws he could possibly have a claim against the company due to mental disability. The actions the company should take from my view would be to have in place a working HR system to be able to handle this type of situation. Then there would be no guess work into how to proceed. My thoughts are that they may well have to take this employee back and attempt to make reasonable accommodations for him if possible in accordance with the new ADA guidelines or risk possibly being sued. 4) Miriam, the controller, is basically claiming that the company is retaliating against her for being pregnant, and that the fact that the company raised performance issues was just a smokescreen. Explain whether or not the EEOC and/or courts would agree with her and the actions the company should take now. I think that EEOC and \or courts might agree with her because the company had no problems with her for the 6 years previously. The issues the company rasied especially in regard to her monthly budgets being late and possibly being forged should have shown up in her performance appraisal and dealt with before now .The actions the company should take now is to have a viable HR syatem in place to be able to avoid such situations like this from happening in the first place. Because they would have known all the specific facts of the Pregancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and been better able to remedy the situation possible without a lawsuit. 5)An employee who is deaf has asked to switch jobs to be a delivery person and he was turned down. He is now threatening to sue. Recommend what the company should do and describe why. The company should allow the employee to switch because under the American Disabilities Act it prohibits employment discrimination against Qualified disabled individuals. It prohibits employers with 15 or more workers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities with regard to applications, hiring, discharge, compensation, advancement, training, or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. It also says employers must make reasonable accommodations for physical or mental limitations unless doing so imposes an undue hardship on the qualifying job skill he should be able to switch and given reasonable accommodation in the form of modified work schedules, acquiring equipment or other devices to assist Kim.

The Hurt Locker Analysis Film Studies Essay

The Hurt Locker Analysis Film Studies Essay The Hurt Locker is a movie written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It displays combat at its best in Iraq. The movie reflects on the celebrated life of a soldier and is entitled, war is a drug. The soldier vividly displays war as a drug that needs to be taken by all soldiers at all times of their lives for their survival. The writer depicts this through the display of the paralyzing life of a soldier in war. She emphasizes this through the main character whose daring nature puts him at loggerheads with his colleagues (Eldridge and Sanborn) (Olsen, 2008).This paper analyze critically, the Hurt Locker with a specific focus on conflicts, symbols as well as irony presented in the movie. Various conflicts are displayed in the movie, first, when James is hired to replace the previous team leader, Sergeant Thompson. With his experience in war, he conflicts with the rest of the soldiers owing to his aggressive nature and failure to follow protocol. The soldiers find James ways reckless and disturbing but his spontaneity is seen to assist them soldier on to the end. Further James conflicts with Sanborn while trying to pursue the suspects of a petrol oil tanker that had exploded. Sanborn argues that the work should be left to the three platoons in the area. James however wins him over (Ressner, 2008). Again, an external conflict is encountered while driving back to their camp, the three soldiers, Eldridge, Sanborn and James come into conflict with five mercenaries who engage them in battle but they manage to kill after a long struggle. In another scene, the James teams set out to plant an explosion in a desert and they leave. James returns to the site, where the explosive s are already rigged to detonate, to pick up his gloves, which he had forgotten. Sanborn loudly ponders about killing James by deliberately making the explosion explode on him. Eldridge is does not concur with him and is hence unhappy. The theme most featured in the video is that of soldiers dying for their country in patriotism. This is cleared portrayed in the sacrifices made by leaving their families to fight for their countries. At the end of the movie features James with his little son, he recalls the war and contemplates going back to the battlefield. Later he goes back to the battlefield portraying his addiction to war. Other subthemes include violence and war seen in the encounters of the soldiers dismantling bombs and fighting enemies who attack. The filming of the movie in Iraq explains this theme clearly since it is known as a war country (Nott, 2009). The director of the movie integrates principally very shaky and obscure scenes in the movie to portray the uncertainty that hits the soldiers in addition to the danger they face. Iraqis are seen peeping through cracks of buildings, fences and on balconies; this isolates the American soldiers (James, Sanborn, and Eldridge) as being in a suspicious territory. This indirectly portrays these people watching from afar, as people who could set up an explosion on the US soldiers. The stereotype surrounding the towel headed terrorist is personified within the hurt locker. It is implied in the sniper scene at the UN building and depicted by the group of men and women pushing the cart after learning of the body bomb. This denotes the Iraqi as untrustworthy (Tobias, 2009). The American soldiers tend to sympathize with a 12 year old boy, Beckham who displays a flawed character resembling an American teenager. Despite his character, James sympathizes with him and attempts to befriend him. Beckam symbolizes the American culture. Later on Beckams body is found with a bomb implanted in his chest. This makes James go in pursuit of the assailants who did the deadly act. The scenes of a body bomb discovered put the Iraqi citizens in bad light through stereotypes (Olsen, 2008). This symbolizes the American foreign policy. As James dislodges the bomb in the boys chest this symbolizes Americas efforts to liberate and bring democracy in Iraq, the body bomb being a product of the Iraqis. This also serves the purpose of cleansing the view of American soldiers universally as connecting with the locals to help them. This is depicted clearly by James mistaken identity of the body bomb. The setting greatly influences the featured characters. Arid desert scenes and streets with small tunnel like alleyways with debris allover signify the battlefield. Chaos and disorganization is portrayed by explosions at every instance. The only orderly and peaceful place is the US camp victory .These two conflicting images reflect the US foreign policy of bringing forth order and liberation to the Iraq citizen. Dialogue in the movie depicts stereotypes of various kinds. The US soldiers are seen in engaging in slang talk throughout the radio communications. This portrays the superiority complex of the US soldiers with regard to the foreign policy. This is also a depiction of how the US soldiers carry themselves in the battlefield (Ressner, 2008). Bigelow, constructs the movie without favoring any side, this puts him in a state of political balance rather than politically driven level. This he does by balancing the preconception of the audience about Iraq and loose truth about the same. The use of camera angles and dialogue instigates suspense and represent the stress intensity by highlighting the suspicions and insecurity of the setting. The scene before the colonel Cambridges death where he speaks in a demining tone attempting to dismiss the group of Iraq citizens who leave an explosive device close to him. This scene degrades the intelligence of the Iraqi citizens and instigates in the viewers a terrorist image due to the bombing that results. The figure colonel Cambridges reflects the inability of the US forces to adequately understand the people of Iraq. Cambridge is the most intelligent man within the soldiers and the only US casualty expressing the notion that intelligence does not equal to superiority in a dangerous en vironment (Nott, 2009). Inhumanity of the war is depicted when Reed, a colonel congratulates James for his brevity. This shows the Americas brutality when he further claims that James will not make it after which follows gunshots. This clearly portrays a balance in the political sides of Iraq and America as this shows the brutality of the American side. The presence of British mercenary dressed in hajji clothing depicts the inability of the Americans to know the difference. This shows the Americans as being human in a variety of ways (Tobias, 2009). Irony is clearly displayed by the title of the movie whereby the war is depicted as a drug. This is an ironical of the normal situation where human beings like peaceful engagement with each other. At the end of the movie, James is seen as an addict of war. He misses life in war and finally goes back to war, depicting an irony (Olsen, 2008). In sum, the hurt locker depicts the title war is a drug. This is shown in its main character, James whose addiction to war leads him to going back to war each time. This title is ironical since in normal situations, a human being may never crave for war. Various conflicts are displayed especially concerning James spontaneous behavior. At some instance, Sanborn reflects accidentally killing James. The colleagues also fall into conflict with a group of Arab mercenaries but they emerge victorious after numerous confrontation. The movie is symbolic in most instances, first the setting of the movie is in a desert with scenes depicting disorganization and chaos with a touch of Iraq. The only orderly and organized place is the victory camp of the US reflecting the efforts of the united states of liberating Iraq. Their friendliness to the 12-year-old boy shows the effort of the Americans at interacting with the Iraq to solve their indifference. American soldiers are depicted as having a supe riority complex in their dialogue with each other and in their belittling of the hajji soldiers. There is however a balance of political sides where the director portrays the Americans brutality in addition to showing the ruthlessness of the Iraq people. This way he wins in his depiction of lack of favoritism. In totality this movie portrays the title war is a drug.

Media Representations of the Poor

Media Representations of the Poor Maia Vogt Comms: Television criticism The Social Perversion Towards the Poor There has always been a negative stigma of the poor, and whats more it is highly accepted to stigmatize, those who are lower in the social economic chain. Reality T.V is an inexpensive program which exploits its cast/situation by pitting them against social groups (in this case the poor). It also perpetuating stereotypes and rewards ruthless behavior. As a result, it has normalized this Darwins animalistic behavior. Reality TV offers the allure of stardom in its messy intricate web of exploitation. It promises casts fame by trying to have them constantly push buttons on acts that make it more of a guilty pleasure to watch (Strachan, 1). In this case, shows such as Buckwild, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and The Beverly Hillbillies has further perpetuated the stereotyping of rural Americans, especially in the South. CBS’s The Beverly Hillbillies depicts rural â€Å"rednecks† who are put into wealthy Beverly Hills with their lives recorded for a year to see how this family reacts to the life of the lavish. Despite this innocent intention, The Beverly Hillbillies inevitably became the laughingstock which created great controversy. However, this show was like the catalyst which sparked the creation of future Reality TV shows which starred urban low classes (Telegraph Herald,1). The show was less about healthy family dynamics but more about mocking of the poor rural citizens through their spontaneous, out-of-place reactions. Ghen Maynard a CBS alternative programming executive, indicates that reality TV is not harmful and quotes that â€Å"viewers enjoy the humor that comes from the fish-out-of-water scenario of the show.† (Telegraph Herald,1) He also goes on to say that main purpose of selecting of this cast is because â€Å"we want a family who has a sense of humor about them selves.† (Telegraph Herald,1). In other words, there is no intentions to harm or stigmatize the poor. Viewers want a glimpse of a humorous family. However, that is not the case because these shows do not bring a sense of community. Instead, it directly mocks rural culture. Another illustration is the raging MTV show Buckwild, which depicts young rural Appalachians teens who like to spend their free time drinking and mudding. Despite its light-hearted atmosphere, the show made viewers oblivious to the mere fact that they are laughing at the cast not with the cast. This not only gave viewers the negative received idea of Appalachia, but also internalized the cultural norm of mocking the poor. On the other hand, some critics argue that the show actually highlighted poverty in that region. As a result of this show, numerous popular program such as ABC’s 20/20, PBS Frontline and even the popular teen clothing brand, Abercrombie Fitch have attempted to make money off the hardships of rural life ( in this case, Appalachia). Conversely, these attempts actually steered viewers away from the core issues that affect the Appalachian community and further perpetuated more stereotypes (Bradner, 2). The truth is, seeing people suffer is perversely entertaining. For example, when Grandee a cast member of Buckwild says â€Å"I dont’ have a phone. I don’t have a Facebook. I don’t have none of that Internet Stuff.† (Brander, 3) We as viewers find that laughable and pathetic, but viewers forget that Grandee saying this in broken English is the result of years of exploitation of Appalachians from the mining companies that once operated there. Viewers do not understand the correlation of lack of education, basic healthcare, high teen birth rates and c hronic disease that ravaged through this Appalachian community. The primary focus is the humor which stems from the lack of these necessities (Bradner, 2). However, executive producers of MTV defended these shows by indicating that this is reality. On the contrary, if that was the case, MTV would be showing how these people are isolated from the most basic needs. The reasons the casts go â€Å"mudding† to waste time is because they have no disposable income to do anything else. The show would highlight the everyday struggles of the cast and families living under the poverty line in Appalachia, but that would not result in a high ratings show (Bradner,3). It is a risk producers are not interested in risking. The reason for this exploitation of the poor is to create a barrier. As Bradner states â€Å"without the foil, we would have to face our own poverties, our own barbarism, our own shelterness, our own lack of sophistication.† (Bradner,3) Brandner’s point is that this is an emotional barrier in which we as viewers intentionally let ourselves to be divided from how we truly think of ourselves and our values. The psychological effects on targeting the poor is that it results in viewers, in this case non-Appalachians feel that the are somehow superior to their rural counterparts (Bradner,3). Harold Rogers, a U.S. Rep. once asked said â€Å"no one would dare propose creating a program focusing on stereotypes about African Americans, Muslims or JewsWhy then would it be ok to base those of us living in rural America?.† (Bradner,2) Roger’s point is that American society is a double standard which makes it acceptable to bash the poor and make them the ridicule of our jokes. Ultimately this perpetuation of the poor changes our values. The depictions of reality TV about the poor are not only seen through the cast, but it is lived vicariously through its viewers. Stereotyping poses a problem because it forces groups to conform into a set standard and this affects the viewers perception by not allowing them to break past these set standards. Consequently, one can not create healthy relationships because there is a barrier due to what we see on reality TV (Bradner, 4). Moreover, the greatest damage of all will forever be the cast which will be seen as the fake person alities producers have made them to become (Bradner, 4). These shows are devastating on both viewers and the demographic. These findings have important implications on the border domain of just how much reality TV has become an American staple. Its negative jokes are contagious (Strachan, 1). The point is there can still be Reality TV shows starring the poor, however these shows should not show the molded personalities of the cast and their outrageous behavior. Instead, it ought to show how these people are just like everyone else, with a dream a sense of individualism and how the conditions of poverty has propels them to better their life. One example of this kind of show could be The Wire which shows how urban inequality affects the poor and their drive to overcome these set stereotypes (Blair, 2). Today, we we live in a realm of Reality TV because we have been so internalized by set standards. Reality TV’s influence is a persisting force which in the end, results in the producers having the last laugh. It is our duty as citizens to not become ambiguous to the colorblind biases perpetuated through television. It is our job as audiences to determine what is real, what is reality and redefine the accepted life lessons taught by reality TV. Citations: Blair, Elizabeth. From Good Times To Honey Boo Boo: Who Is Poor On TV? NPR. NPR, 05 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 May 2015. Brandner, Alexandra. America’s Favorite Joke Is Anything but Funny.Saloncom RSS. Salon, 7 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 May 2015. Strachan, Alex. Effects Are Real, Even If Shows Arent. Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia) (n.d.): n. pag. LexisNexis Academic [LexisNexis]. Web. 14 May 2015. Herald, Telegraph. Reality TVs Potshot at Poor Goes Too Far; Turn It Off: CBS Hopes to Get America Laughing at the Expense of Real-life hillbillies in California. Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) (2002): n. pag. LexisNexis Academic [LexisNexis]. Web. 14 May 2015.

The Devastating Impact of Weapons of Mass Destruction :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Devastating Impact of Weapons of Mass Destruction A burning ball was so bright and vivid overhead. Confusion arose when they realized that it was 8:15 a.m., and that the sun had already risen that day. The people of Hiroshima remember that day as "the day the sun rose twice" (Motro). They ran in a state of panic as the images of people's shadows were burned into the cement. This mayhem happened all because of the use of a weapon of mass destruction. The definition of a weapon of mass destruction is "a device, object, or substance that a person intends to use to cause multiple human deaths (Vernon). According to this definition, things like nuclear, biological and chemical bombs fall into this category. Many people think that, "such acts deserve universal condemnation"(biological weapons). The use of weapons of mass destruction is wrong. They are illegal, morally wrong, mentally disturbing, and the effects of the impact last forever. As far back as documented history can tell humans were using weapons to kill each other (Ali). When humans first started to make arrows, they were dipping them into animal waste so that the waste would act like poison. Rebehn M.D. writes, "The weapon of choice against a civilian enemy became biological, then chemical and nuclear, as soon as scientific advancement and technological development made them available." After World War II, the Hague convention was signed. This made it illegal to use weapons of mass destruction. The Geneva Convention, another official document, was signed in London, Moscow, and Washington on April 10, 1972. This particular Convention prohibited the use and production of chemical and biological weapons. While this particular document makes it illegal, most countries are still accused of making such weapons. Everyone was fearful that the Japanese and Germans were developing such weapons (Ali). In the society that Americans live in, it is not acceptable to kill another human being. By using biological or chemical agents, people are doing just that. Innocent people found themselves caught up in a military struggle for power. The chemical or biological weapons used do not distinguish between soldiers and civilians. Think about little babies with open sores all over them or becoming so sick that they suffer and eventually die. The use of a regular bomb would eliminate the suffering that usually occurs after an attack. Furthermore, bombs would not be dropped on civilians anyway.

marriage under fire :: essays research papers

Marriage under Fire We must remember what marriage is for and why God has given it the design he did. Marriage is to be between a man and a woman. This goes back to the beginning of time and why God created woman in the first place; â€Å"to provide a helpful mate for Adam; it was not good that man should be alone† (Genesis 1:18, 20-23). So we see that marriage was God's idea, not men. Knowing this, why in the world would we as Americans give that right to homosexual couples? Marriage is a blessing the God gave to man. In society today, many individuals have forgotten the importance of marriage. People have the tendencies to marry anyone at anytime because they do not see the significance of marriage and God. America was founded by God and his beliefs. The United States screams God everywhere from currency to the Pledge of Allegiance. Thus meaning, why would the United States, a place of God, allow something morally wrong and sinful? Some would argue that homosexual marriage is a step in the righ t direction for human rights. They believe it is an act of freedom. This is wrong because homosexual matrimony is everything God stands against. Citizens today do not have the right to try and add or delete any scriptures in the Bible to help themselves. God made the Bible to guide people in the right direction. People need to read the bible in order to understand the word, not to change it. Accepting homosexual marriage would only hurt America. It is a major threat to the structure of families. The country should not take lightly the meaning of marriage and on a higher note try and take it away. â€Å"Marriage is like a brand new car: once you take that car off of the car lot the value of it depreciates. Giving homosexuals the right to marry would depreciate the value of marriage and the pride it once carried will be no more. Not only does it do that, but more importantly it goes against God! We must preserve our values and morality for generations to come, for those children being born today and next year.† The marriage between two people of the same sex is against Gods beliefs, a threat to the structure of families and a sin to mankind. With dedication and perseverance people who oppose gay marriages can succeed in ending the debate of making it legal.

Re-appropriating the Parable of the Sower into the Modern Context Essay

â€Å"The Word of God,† the letter to the Hebrews writes, â€Å"is living and active† (Heb 4:12). In ways more than one, this passage tells of the eternal character that marks the truths found in the Scriptures; for while the written texts of the Scriptures have long been established – read: definitively canonized – thousands of years ago, the teachings and wisdom which are contained therein are never confined into either the timeframes or specific contexts of the written literatures themselves. Instead, the truths of the Bible speak to all believers in the past or in the present (as even in the future). As indeed, it is normative even, for Christians scattered all over the world, to glean faith and life lessons from the timeless teachings of the Bible. On account of these reasons therefore, it is surely not bereft of good reasons to claim that the Bible, all things considered, is a universal source of inspiration for all peoples of all times and places. Rationale and Scope  In view of the foregoing, the roadmap and central thesis of this term paper is aimed at appropriating a particular truth of the Bible into the present context. This is done on the underlying assumption that the stories in the Bible offer timeless lessons and truths, if only they are appropriately discerned within any particular context or situation. Specifically, paper attempts to make a successful re-appropriation of the Parable of the Sower; and the modern context into which it shall be retold would be in â€Å"workplaces† – i. . , into the context of people’s professional life and, in many ways, in the manner by which they conduct business enterprises. The choice to re-appropriate the Parable of the Sower into the context of people’s affairs relative to their business enterprises or professional jobs is an option taken not without discerned reasons to say the least. Christians, ever since, have always been called to bear witness to the faith they profess by living exemplary lives right within their very contexts. And since, nowadays, many people spend most of their times in their respective workplaces, the need to bear witness to the truths of the Gospel within these types of environments surely becomes even more urgent. Schminke, citing the idea of Delbecq, in fact argues that â€Å"at the beginning of the century,† the â€Å"non-business settings† acted as the locus where peoples’ â€Å"moral character was forged†; today meanwhile, â€Å"the employing organization takes up much of people’s preoccupation and time,† and, as a consequence, it â€Å"informs and shapes both (the) behavior and character† of modern peoples (ix). There are surely enough good reasons to say that, in view of Schminke’s observation, the Parable of the Sower – as a particular truth propounded by the Gospel – can speak volumes to the manner by which people of this contemporary setting respond to the invitation to seek the ways of God right into their otherwise non-religious contexts. Retelling the Parable in a Contemporary Context Before proceeding with the re-interpretation of the parable, it may be good to note that the Parable of the Sower appears in all Synoptic Gospels –namely, in the Matthew 1: 1-23, Mark 4: 3-20 and Luke 8: 4-15. At the very least however, it would appear that the story attempted to drive home a singular lesson: that God has made salvation openly available for all people; but the quality of a person’s response is what determines if one has helped oneself make that salvation work for his or her own life. The parable, essentially, is about the manner by which human persons respond to God’s call to salvation (Suarez 2). And key to attaining one’s salvation lies in â€Å"listening intently† to the ubiquitous invitation of God to live out the message of the Gospel in every moment of one’s life (Maxwell 103). If the Parable of the Sower is about the quality of a person’s response to God’s invitation to encounter Him at every moment of one’s life, how then should the story be properly re-appropriated into the context of one’s professional or â€Å"work-related† life? First, one can note the significance of the Sower’s sowing of seeds to this end, as this is the first aspect brought into the fore by the parable. The Gospel recounts: â€Å"A Sower went out to sow† (Mat 13: 3). This first statement itself, can be interpreted in a lot of ways. But what proves to be chiefly important for this study is to note that the act of â€Å"sowing of seeds† can mean that first, that Jesus announced the message of salvation without discrimination and prejudice, and that, second, while He was aware that people can take the message in a myriad of different ways, Jesus went on to proceed with sowing the seeds of salvation nevertheless. In many ways, one must always remember that these two aspects are especially applicable in one’s professional lives. Much too often, people think that, because business environments or professional workplaces are chiefly concerned with ensuring company’s development and growth, and applying key economic concepts thereof, or maintaining a healthy level of profitability for the company, the nature of these jobs have nothing to do with religiosity or the practice of one’s faith. And at the other side of the coin, people think that spirituality, or even the basic sensitivity to God’s presence, has to be confined within the august walls of the church. But this paradigm is problematic, if not all together false. If the Sower had sown seeds on to all types of grounds – whether nurturing or adverse to the seeds – then people should realize that the nurturing one’s faith is not confined to the time one spends in the church, but embraces all aspects of one’s life, including those times spent in one’s profession and work. Which is why, the call to live out that faith demands that one must find ways to recognize the presence of God within in these environments. For at the very least, even when one is immersed in an environment which, on the surface, has nothing to do with one’s exercise of faith, the challenge to be always conscious of the religious precepts demanding ethical conduct at all times and in all places, by choosing to adhere to the â€Å"framework of general principles of right or wrong,† and learning what one ought to do, and what one’s duties are,† ultimately has to be dealt with no matter what (Guy 22). Secondly, the significance of the four types of grounds on to which the seeds fell merits considerable attention in this regard. As indeed, it is certainly wise to ask how these characterizations best exemplify the context of people who find themselves at the heart of domineering culture of business enterprises. Jesus continues on with the parable: â€Å"As he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them† (Mat 13: 4). And, purporting its corresponding interpretation, Jesus furthers: â€Å"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown along the path† (Mat 13: 19). Pavements, because they is too often â€Å"packed so tightly†, as well as finished in a manner evened and leveled, makes a good place for â€Å"easy pickings for the birds† (The Bible Church). If taken into the modern context, Jesus here may be argued to be referring to people who, far from being ignorant, do not just give much thought about their belief system or faith. Herein it makes sense to call these people as atheists – people who, while not directly denying the existence of God, nevertheless â€Å"do not make any assertion whatsoever about him† or about the need to believe in Him (Gaudium et Spes 919). These are the types of people who manifest wholesale disinterestedness in asking questions about God or His precepts, since they find it meaningless. And in many ways, there are a lot of people of this nature in the world of business enterprise. Among others, these people are the ones who do not feel chiefly accountable to a higher authority in conducting business. Surely, it is not surprising to hear of unethical practices being committed within workplaces. In fact, it is a commonly held assumption that the â€Å"practice of business enterprise† smacks of a â€Å"dark side: narcissism, greed, political ruthlessness and injustice perpetrated on employees† (Schminke x). If these phenomena say something about the point in contention, it merely speaks of the manner by which â€Å"the modern world itself, though not of its very nature but because it is too engrossed in the concerns of this world, can often make it harder to approach God† (Gaudium et Spes 919). The Gospel proceeds: â€Å"Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away† (Mat 13: 5-6). In view of this description, Jesus explains further: â€Å"As for what is sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the world, immediately he falls away† (Mat 13: 20-21). By right of observation, one can attest to the fact that rocky grounds are indeed replete with small weeds. But since there is â€Å"no place for a hardy root system to develop†, no plant ever grows from among the rocks (The Bible Church). The cited passage can be reinterpreted as a description referring to people who readily assume that faith is but a matter of intellectual exercise and conceptual frameworks. In modern society, there are a lot of people who, without knowing it, belong to this categorization. Suarez maintains that it is â€Å"risky† for believers to treat the truths of the Gospel as â€Å"mere object of ingenious intellectual dissertations (as well as) of brilliant and polemical but superficial essays† (2). For all its promises however, this type of attitude towards faith lacks breadth and depth, and ultimately, does not change one’s behavior for the better. In the field of business, many people are exactly such type of believers. These happen when, despite being idealistic about doing things rightly in the first place, certain individuals start to trade off moral precepts demanded by religion – such as honesty, justice, transparency and truth – for certain self-serving interests such as good name, promotions and sizeable profits, in the long run. Lack of conviction breeds a kind of faith lacking with the courage of bear witness. And like someone who hears the Word of God but, apparently, does not listen, a person who cannot bear witness to the truths of the Gospels in his or her workplace surely is reluctant to practice what he or she so delightfully hears on account of the difficulties that arise with the obedience is demanded corollary to it (Suarez 4). By and by Jesus continues the parable: â€Å"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and chocked them† (Mat 13:7); and, explaining it further, He argues, â€Å"He who received seed among thorns is he who heard the word; but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he became unfruitful† (Mat 13:22). Immediately, one may rightly surmise that this categorization reflects, in many ways, the general atmosphere of modern society. In fact, Cardinal Hume firmly believes that the contemporary milieu is gripped with a controlling desire towards consumerism and materialism; and, such unmistakable preponderance to what the world offers, endangers peoples’ faith as a consequence (61). To be sure, it is certainly not difficult to re-interpret this particular passage in the modern context of business enterprise for the plain reason that it is normative for nearly all types of business outfits to engage in trades that ensures growth and progress. Surely, such preeminent emphasis (which companies lay) on accruing profits has significant impacts in the peoples’ – read: employees’ – belief and value systems. Put in other words, if the company puts higher premium than most on achieving worldly success, the people employed under are said to follow suit, without them even realizing it. Guy even contends that â€Å"company traditions† can â€Å"creep into a person’s normative judgments† easily (47). And concretely, this happens when the company unreasonably demands from its employees’ their unqualified attention and time – on account of the need to work for higher earnings – and thereby not leaving them with space for their relational and spiritual needs. The results can therefore prove to be detrimental to the peoples’ faith; for if many people would simply shrug off the need to attend to their spiritual needs, by saying that â€Å"they just do not have the time† for it, then there are reasons to think that â€Å"the many cares and snares of this world† truly render Christian faith unprolific, if not meaningless altogether. Finally though, Jesus speaks of the Good News to end the parable in an optimistic tone: â€Å"But the other seeds fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit; some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold† (Mat 13:8). To such description, Jesus appends: â€Å"But he who received seed into the good ground is the one who heard the word, and understood it; which also bore fruit, and brought forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty† (Mat 13:23). In here, Jesus’ parable reaches its climax; it offers its central thesis – namely, that the way towards a meaningful life lies in listening to what the Lord says, understanding the message thereof, and putting its lessons in one’s life (Suarez 8). Interpreting this aspect into the modern context of conducting business, and living in the world of business altogether, is surely not difficult to do. This is because there are faithful Christians – immersed, as they were, into the morally-adverse structure of business enterprise – who still are able to discover the presence of God right into their otherwise difficult situations. One may perhaps cite how many business ethicists believe that there are still a good number of employees feel that it pays off not resorting to malpractices at the expense of compromising opportunities to practice ethical and religious principles (Guy 22). For instance, it is not uncommon to hear of stories involving high-profiled dissenters and whistleblowers who tried to rectify incidences of corruption, fraud or theft in their workplaces. Even when their decision to come out into the open comes with a high price – e. g. eing frowned upon by colleagues, or worse, losing their jobs ultimately – these exemplary people have shown exactly how one should practice the mandate of the Gospel and seek God’s ways in every moments of life. People who act ethically and observe religious precepts faithfully in workplaces too often show the world what faith in God truly means. For faith, as the learned John Constantino writes, â€Å"deals with the nature of God, with the essence of spirituality, and with the quintessential manifestation of that spirituality in our day-to-day lives† (4). Conclusion  By way of conclusion, this paper ends with a thought that affirms the tenability of re-appropriating the Parable of the Sower into the lives of modern people, who spend much of their times in their respective workplaces. In the first place, it was learned that the parable can lend an insightful thought which affirms the universal character of God’s call to salvation – i. e. , God sows the seed of salvation to all types of environment, even those – like the business environments – that may appear to be adverse to persons’ religious and spiritual ideals. In the succeeding discussions which were developed, it was likewise seen that Jesus’ description on the four types of soils can be taken as analogical references to the four types of attitudes that may be exercised in the workplace. But in the final analysis, the paper also affirms the fact that modern Christians are called to emulate the seed that fell into the good soil, and thereby put into practice the truths that are found in the Scriptures itself.

Militarism: Iran & Nigeria Essay

Every state dreams of having stability and structure to properly govern and control its citizens. All states wish that they possessed such great structure, that every citizen of their country would be fully protected and looked after. However, there are some states that lack resources and are not capable to ensure the safety and well being of their citizens. Most states that offer solidity and organization more than likely have a strong military that have power within the government, referring to militarism. The concept of militarism states that it is â€Å"a strong military spirit or policy. [A] principle or policy of maintaining a large military establishment†[1]. Militarism goes beyond the thought of defense and battleship, it refers to the amount of power a military has over or with a government. With militarism comes the excessive spending on military and the military’s ability to have total control. Though is it important to have a strong relationship between military and the government, Nigeria and Iran have two separate ways of intertwining the two in their states. Nigeria is known for its strong military presence within the government. The degree of militarism in Nigeria is high because of their past history being under civilian rule. During the first forty years of Nigeria’s independence, this state only lasted ten years under a civilian government. A few years after the downfall of their civilian government, they soon fell under military rule. Nigeria has always been considered stronger and more power when they were controlled by their government, rather than following a democracy[2]; this exemplifies militarism. Although in Nigeria they tend to use their military to create a corruption within politics, other countries use their militaries for difference purposes. Iran has always had a mediocre military. Iran does not have a strong military, so their influence is of low impact on politics. The degree of militarism in Iran is subtle because they mostly focus on working with the citizens directly, rather than trying to govern them. With a broken military, all they have to offer is a societal impact. With the citizens of Iran, their military helps keep them in order while under governmental oversight. In Comparative Politics, it was stated, â€Å"since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Iranian government has worked hard to maintain control of the military. [†¦] Rather than a strong military and a weak civilian government, Iran had a weak and fractured military alongside a strong civilian political institutions†[3]. Iran has always worked to fall under autonomy and flourish into a well developed independent state. There becomes a time where the military begins to overrule their government and take matters into their own hands. Currently, a lot of Nigerian citizens are realizing what has been going on for the past forty years and are starting to take action. In Iran, they continue to be content with civilians to governing their state, while the military stay under governmental watch to ensure that they do not do anything crazy. Both countries are lesser-developed countries, but when it comes to militarism, it all depends on what they citizens wish to fall under. Having a high degree of militarism is not always a good thing to have because the military having a heavy involvement in politics and governance will not end well due to budgeting, defense, and a positive societal impact. When citizens live under the governance of people, rational decisions are made. When citizens live under the governance of the military, more than likely fear amongst each other arises.

The Rain Came by Grace Ogot

The title of the story is The Rain Came by Grace Ogot. The author of the story is Grace Ogot or also known as Grace Emily Akinyi. She was born on 15 May 1930, near Kisumu, central Nyanza Region in Kenya. In achievement, she became the first African woman writer in English who published fiction by the East African Publishing House. Her stories such as Land Without Thunder (1968), The Other Woman (1976), and The Island of Tears (1980) provides the traditional Luo life.Most of her fiction stories are according with the customs, history and traditions of the Luo tribe in Kenya, which has the second largest ethnic group. The Luo tribe lived for most part near Lake Victoria. Her formal writing reflects the addition of her formal learning with the traditions in her life. All her collections of writings reflect her personal love towards the stories of her culture. Grace Ogot passed away in April 2010.Character AnalysisThe main character or the primary character is Oganda which means â€Å"b eans† due to her very fair skin. She is the chief’s only daughter around at the tender age to married and also the protagonist in this story. She is a very traditional and great woman where she willing to sacrificed herself so that the Luo will have rain.She also loves to imagine her future where she imagined which man should be the best man to married. Oganda is very disappointed on her people which they willing to give her up to sacrifice. Lastly, she also a person who easily to give up where she never fight for her life to run away or hide herself but choose to accept the fact that she is the chosen one and ready to be sacrifice.The supporting character would be Labong’O. He is the chief of Luo. He has 5 wives and 20 children, among all Oganda is his daughter. He is the bravest man and a great leader of the village. He always holds his promise to the village where he promised would sacrifice himself or his family for the sake of the tribe. Other than that, he is also a loving father and loves his daughter very much but he could not bear the risk to safe Oganda.Another minor character would be Minya which is the chief’s fifth wife and Oganda mother. She is a loving mother where she is not willing to sacrifice her only daughter. Grandmother has a characteristic of a protective grandmother where she protect Oganda by not allow her to leave her hut and listen to the truth that she have to be the  sacrifice.Furthermore, Oganda lover which is Osinda, he is a very brave man and would will to do anything to save her lover. In the story, Osinda went into the sacred land to save Oganda and take care of her until she wakes up from the faint. Kech is son of a neighboring clan elder. He is a very handsome guy with sweet meek eyes and roaring laugh but he is too short for Oganda. Dimo, a tall young man which is brave and a great wrestler but he is too cruel where always quarreling and ready to fight.The selfish one would be the villager, frie nds and relatives where they are so happy that the chief’s daughter have to sacrifice to have rain. They are also very naà ¯ve, traditional and believes in animism where they believes sacrifice would bring them torrent of rain. Another supporting character is the little child which is very naà ¯ve. The little child broke the silent and gives the earring to Oganda before she enters the sacred land. Lastly, Ndithi, the witch man and Podho is the ancestor of Luo.Setting (Place, Time, Atmosphere, Social Condition)The setting of place is in Kenya, near the Lake of Victoria. The time is drought season, where everyone in the village is anxiously waiting to hear when it will rain. Besides that, all their cattle are dying in the fields as there is no water. The atmosphere of the story is very anxious, tensed and confused. In paragraph 2, ‘ the atmosphere in the village was tense and confused’. The social condition is people believing in tribal law where they believe in their ancestors as gods.The chief of tribe believes whatever the ancestors of Luo told him and sacrifices of his daughter is a must to the lake monster in order to have rain. In paragraph 7, ‘Let her offer herself a sacrifice to the lake monster! On that day, the rain will come down in torrents. Let everyone stay at home on that day, lest he be carried away by the floods.’ In paragraph 9, ‘but he continued, ‘the ancestors have chosen her as a sacrifice to the lake monster in order to that we may have rain’PlotThe plot applied the Freytag pyramid where in the exposition start when the chief come back from the witch man house and was told that his only daughter will be the sacrifice where his heart is totally doomed but no any other choices but sacrifice her daughter to the lake monster. Rising action is  when Labong’O declared that Oganda will be the sacrifice. Oganda feels very sad and the villager prepared a big feast for her before she went on the journey to the Victoria Lake.The climax of story is when Oganda goes to the lake and she is very terrified as she thinks that she has been followed by the Lake Monster and run, finally fainted. In the falling action, Osinda appears and comes to save Oganda and the resolution is the thunder come and the rain came. ThemePeople generally are very selfish.The theme of the story is sacrifice for the benefits of others. Oganda is selected to die for the villager’s benefit in which they will have rain. When one person is being sacrifice to the lake monsters, everyone in the village will have rain and they will survive form drought. The cattle will also not die.Another theme is the family ties. In the story, the Chief, his wife and their daughter has the strong bonding of love and care for each other. Labong’o loves his daughter so much that he weeps as he knows that she is going to be sacrificed to the lake monster for the villagers. His wife also faints when hears th e news of their daughter being sacrificed.Moreover, the belief in customs, traditions of the tribe is also one of the themes. In this story, the villagers of Kenya believe their ancestor as their gods and will pray for the ancestors for help. They believe that when a person, Oganda is to be sacrificed to the lake monster, rain will come.Point of viewIt is a third person omniscient point of view. When something happened to the character, the readers can actually feel and sense the feeling and emotion of each character because they have been told in detail while they are needed through the story. The readers know what the character thinks and feel. In the story, the reader can feels the sad and depressed emotion of Minya, Labong’o, Oganda and her grandmother. Besides that, we can feel the happiness of villagers when they dance joyfully after knowing that Oganda will be a sacrifice for the lake monster and they will have rain soon.SymbolismIn paragraph 16, ‘they have been like three cooking stones’ which represents  the relationship between the parents and daughter. In paragraph 7, ‘a young woman who has not known a man’ represents a virgin. ConclusionThe story ends in a good ending in which Oganda is not being sacrificed and can run away together with her love ones, Osinda. Besides that, the rain came in the end. The story affects us in the responsibility and the strong beliefs in customs and traditions. In the story, although the chief has dearly loved his only daughter very much but he takes his responsibility as the head of the Luo tribe to obey their ancestors and sacrifice the daughter to the lake monster for rain.I have learnt to be a responsible person and be strong like the chief in all obstacles in life. He takes his responsibility as a chief to bring benefits to his villagers. He has undergone a huge pain in which he has to offer up her daughter as sacrifices for the whole village’s needs, which is the rain. He puts his tribe as priority before everything else as a leader and representative. We should have personality like the chief which is responsible as a leader and head. It brings you as a liable and trustworthy person. Besides that, we can see the strength of the villagers in following their customs and traditions.The Luo (a tribe in Northern Kenya and Uganda) believes in their ancestor as gods. It is even stronger when they turn to their ancestors for help when in time of great needs. In paragraph 2, ‘The chief had prayed daily to the almighty through the ancestors to deliver them from their distresses. The highest priority in their life is to obey and pleasing the gods (lake monster) and ancestors.It strikes us that the villages are following their customs and unlike most of the society nowadays that they do not follow their traditions and have neglected it. The family ties are very strong in this story. We can see it from the love and care of the three family members, who ar e Oganda ( the daughter), Labong’o ( the father) and Minya ( the mother).Three of them love each other in which the father and mother are very depressed and sad when they know that their daughter’s life is at stake. In paragraph 4, ‘ Labong’o did not care anymore. He assumed the position of a simple father and wept bitterly’. In paragraph 16, ‘for a long time the three souls who loved on another dearly sat in darkness. It was not good speaking. In the past, they had been like three cooking stones, sharing their burdens.’ This shows that they are as one in spirit and their bonding is very strong. From this, we learn the importance of family love and being as one.