African American Literature Essay Example for Free

African American Literature Essay African American literature has a strong deeply rooted background in the history of America, thus giving the writers categorized in this genre a strong message to convey in any story they chose to tell. From tragic life moments to happy life moments, the writers have the ability to tell their story in a variety of methods. This canon of literature serves as a diary for the African American community. All of the literary works that compile this genre reflect the many twists and turns a collective group of persons must endure while struggling to achieve a place in history. The following discussion of three historically significant African American stories reflects the struggles one race of persons had to endure on their journey throughout various time periods in America. The Short Stories In the short story, My White Folks Treated us Good by Mariah Hines the author describes in first person account of a situation when African American slaves were treated well in comparison to the stories of abuse, rape, and neglect most persons are accustom to reading from this era. The slaves never went hungry, always had clothes to wear, were able to work under their own accord, always treated with respect, and were told to take Sundays off while also being encouraged to attend church on Sundays. The slaves were in fact treated so well that when they were free to leave, they choose to remain at their former master’s farm and continued working for him. Hines concluded the Master continued to support his former slaves. Hines stated â€Å"Master helped us much as he could. Some of us he gave a cow or mule or anything he could spare to help us (p. 34). † Moving forward in time, the short story Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston describes a situation of domestic abuse in a long term relationship between a wife, Delia Jones, and her husband, Sykes Jones. Sykes enjoyed torturing Delia, he would find ways to make her job as a washwoman more difficult by kicking the clothes across the room or by scaring her with ways related to her fear of snakes. Sykes enjoyed fighting; he in fact enjoyed it so much so that he intentionally picked fights with Delia. This type of torture strained their marriage to the point of near silence on a daily basis. Sykes thought it to be a good idea to bring a rattlesnake into their home. The rattlesnake got lose in the home, Delia was able to get outside the home but Sykes remained in the home and was attacked in their bedroom. Sykes yelled to Delia for help and comfort, but she was unable to come to him related to fear. Delia finally walked to the door, but due to the nature of his injuries and the distance to the doctor she understood he would not make it through this attack, therefore she allowed him to pass in their backyard. â€Å"She could scarcely reach the chinaberry tree, where she waited in the growing heat while inside she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye which much known by now that she knew (p. 108). † This story shows how those who choose to abuse others always pay for those actions in the end. Alice Walker wrote the story Nineteen Fifty-Five, about a young white singer, Traynor, who purchased a song from a young African American woman, Gracie Mae, and went on to become famous after recording and releasing his own version. His version of Gracie Mae’s song continued to eat away at Gracie Mae for the rest of her life. It did not have the same meaning, nor was it loved by his fans for the same reasons she hoped it would be. The fans loved Traynor, not the song. Traynor continued to keep in contact with Gracie Mae throughout his time in the army, touring, marriages, and divorces. Then towards after many years, contact stopped and Traynor was found dead after 15 wives and a troubled road in the end. Gracie Mae lived vicariously through Traynor and his portrayal of her song. Gracie Mae herself lived quite happily through the birth of many children, the divorce and/or death of three husbands, the showering of gifts from Traynor, and his ultimate death. Gracie Mae did have a connection to Traynor that flowed deeper than her song. â€Å"One night I dreamed Traynor has split up with his fifteenth wife p. 297). † Due to the stereotypes and prejudices of this time period Gracie Mae and Traynor were never able to express the emotional connection they felt between each other. Common Literary Conventions Literary conventions and themes were similar in the stories; connotations, culture, undertones, and main characters were alike. The three stories were written in first person and portrayed a personal struggle endured by each main character. The main character was always female, strong, and independent in different way. The stories span three different periods of time, yet still reflecting similar struggles in very different settings. These conventions are important when connecting the messages of these stories. Each has a story of struggle, some are internal while others are outward, and each woman must find inner strength to change or cope with their situations. Beginning with My White Folks Treated us Good, this story was historically important in relation to conveying the happiness that could be found in such a dire situation as slavery. Hines showed not all slavery conditions were adverse or abusive; there was still the possibility of enjoying life, and gaining independence by getting the break needed, such as the freeing of all slaves, to make one’s own life better. In Sweat, Hurstson was able write a story about a woman able to persevere in a dreadful situation of both mental and physical abuse. During this time in history, women were not able to be independent and outspoken due to a fear of judgment or increased abuse. Delia was given the chance to be free from the abuses of Sykes and took that chance by allowing him to die from his injuries, thus resulting in her freedom. Following in the same suit, Nineteen Fifty-Five expressed the internal struggle of a woman’s desire to be understood and independent. Gracie Mae wanted to sing her own song and live her own life, without connection to a version of her song that did not represent the original intent. Gracie Mae was happy with her life, but was never free from what the release of her song brought to her life. Conclusion Culturally, these stories are important to all American’s. The historical significance of these stories and the emphasis on equality places a connotation of acceptance and availability of equal opportunity to all persons regardless of color, social class, age, race, gender, or personal situation. African Americans are able to tell their personal stories of struggles and triumphs through literature. This literature is a valuable tool for all persons wanting to educate themselves about significant times in American history. References Young, A. (1996). African American Literature: A brief Introduction and Anthology. New York, New York: HarperCollins College Publishers.

The Work and Skills of Managers within the Organization Essay -- GCSE

The Work and Skills of Managers within the Organization ABSTRACT The aim of this essay is to investigate whether the work and skills of a manager are the same regardless of the level of their position within the organization. Through research conducted into three main theorists namely Henri Fayol, Henry Mintzberg and Robert L. Katz it is concluded that the core work functions a manager does are the same irrespective of position. The work roles in which a manager occupies within the organization are dependent upon the organization and their position within the organization. The skills that are needed by managers are universal to all managers but the composition of these skills is largely dependent upon the manager's position. The work and skills of managers are the same irrespective of the level of their position within the organization. Introduction A manager's job is essential to the smooth operation and profitability of an organization. Can we say that the work and skills that managers need are the same irrespective of their level within the organization? The short answer to the question posed above is yes and no. The long answer is that managers of all levels will perform the same basic management work functions. The role and consequently the type of work the manager does will be dictated by the level of their position within the organization and the type of organization. To accomplish these work functions the manager needs core sets of skills, however the composition of these core sets of skills is dependent upon their level within the organisation. Work Functions of Management Henri Fayol (1841-1925) first proposed the ideas of an ordered set of management functions (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter 2003, p. 41). Through Fayol ¡Ã‚ ¯s involvement as managing director of a large French coal-mining firm he developed a framework of management activities (Robbins, et al., 2003, p. 41). The functions of management that Fayol devised included planning, organising, commanding, co-ordinating and controlling (Lamond 1998, p. 6). The idea of core functions that pervades every level of management was revolutionary when Fayol first wrote it and is still used as a framework for many textbooks (Robbins, et al., 2003, p. 9). Through refinement of Fayol ¡Ã‚ ¯s five management functions it is now recognised that there are four distinct management function... ...n be seen that the work of management of all levels consists of the four main management functions, namely planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Works Cited: Carroll, S. & Gillen, D. (1987),  ¡Ã‚ °Are the classical management functions useful in describing managerial work? ¡Ã‚ ±, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 38-51. Koontz, H., O ¡Ã‚ ¯Donnell, C. & Weihrich, H. (1982), Essentials of Management, (3rd edn), McGraw-Hill Inc., Sydney. Lamond, D. (1998),  ¡Ã‚ °Back to the future: Lessons from the past for a new management era ¡Ã‚ ±. In G. Griffin (Ed.), Management Theory and Practice: Moving to a New Era, Macmillan. McKenna, S. (2004),  ¡Ã‚ °Predispositions and context in the development of managerial skills ¡Ã‚ ±, Management Decision, Vol. 23, No. 7, pp. 664-677. Mintzberg, H. (1975), The Manager ¡Ã‚ ¯s Job: Folklaw and Fact, Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp49-61. Peterson, T. & Van Fleet, D. (2004),  ¡Ã‚ °The ongoing legacy of R.L. Katz An updated typology of management skills ¡Ã‚ ±, Management Decision, Vol. 42, No. 10, pp. 1297-1308. Robbins, S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I. & Coulter, M. (2003), Management, (3rd edn.), Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest.

Application of Epidemiology to Obesity Essay

Obesity has been defined as a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that health may be adversely affected. The classification of overweight and obesity allows the identification of individuals and groups at increased risk of morbidity and premature mortality. 1.Analyze the obesity problem in the U.S. as compared to another developed country in which the obesity problem is not as significant. Include factors such as age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and marital status in your analysis. Hypothesize the reason why the rate of obesity is higher in the U.S. than the other country. Obesity has been such a struggle for Americans since the early 1980s. According to Fleming, major effort to reduce the proportion of members who are overweight or obesity involves a strategic plan (Fleming, 2008). Obesity varies by age, gender, and by race-ethnic groups. A higher body weight is associated with an increased incidence of a number of conditions, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and with an increased risk of disability. Obesity is associated with a modestly increased risk of all-cause mortality. However, the net effect of overweight and obesity on morbidity and mortality is difficult to quantify. It is likely that a gene-environment interaction, in which genetically susceptible individuals respond to an environment with increased availability of palatable energy-dense foods and reduced opportunities for energy expenditure, contributes to the current high prevalence of obesity (The Epidemiology of Obesity, 2007). The United States is not alone in experiencing increases in the prevalence of obesity. Similar increases have been reported from a number of other countries and regions of the world. For example, in England, the prevalence of obesity (BMI is greater than or equal to 30) among women 25–34 years of age increased from 12% to 24% in only 9 years between 1993 and 2002. In Portugal, increases in overweight among school-age children also have been found. Less-developed countries also have seen increases in obesity (The Epidemiology of Obesity, 2007). Among preschool-age children in urban areas of China, the prevalence of obesity increased from 1.5% in 1989 to 12.6% in 1997(The Epidemiology of Obesity, 2007). Differences in the prevalence of obesity between countries in Europe or between race-ethnic groups in the United States tend to be more pronounced for women than for men. For example, in Europe, the WHO Multinational Monitoring of trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease study, which gathered data from 39 sites in 18 countries, found the prevalence of obesity was similar for men across all sites (The Epidemiology of Obesity, 2007). For women, however, there were marked differences in prevalence between sites, with higher values for women from Eastern Europe. Similarly, in the United States, there are marked differences in the prevalence of obesity by race-ethnic group for women but not for men. According to the U.S. obesity trend, the southern states have the highest prevalence of obesity out of all the fifty states. The CDC stated that more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese. Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese (Overweight and Obesity, 2011). 2.Compare obesity rates and obesity-related health care costs in your state to all of the U.S. Recommend how your state can treat obesity as a threat to public health. As stated above, Georgia is one of the southern states that have a high prevalence mortality rate. The greatest problem with the statistical linkages between body mass and mortality is that other confounding factors are not considered, leaving little basis for drawing causal inferences. Most epidemiological studies estimating the relationship between body weight and mortality do not control for fitness, exercise, diet quality, weight cycling, diet drug use, economic status, or family history. Furthermore, in studies that control for some of these factors, the data are usually self-reported and thus of extremely questionable reliability. Georgia ranks seventeenth most obese state in the nation. Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges. Millions of Americans still face barriers like the high cost of healthy foods and lack of access to safe places to be physically active. There has been a significant increase in health care cost in accordance to obesity. The annual cost of obesity in Georgia is estimated at $2.1 billion ($250 per Georgian each year), which includes direct health care costs and lost productivity from disease, disability, and death (indirect costs) (Georgia Data Summary, 2008). Treatment of this epidemic would be rather difficult. At a federal level, the new health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, has the potential to address the obesity epidemic through a number of prevention and wellness provisions, expand coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, and create a reliable funding stream through the creation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for death than people of optimal (normal) weight. An estimate of excess mortality is called the population attributable risk (PAR). PAR is an estimate of the proportion of deaths caused by a particular risk factor, in this case, overweight and obesity. The PAR represents the proportion of deaths in a population that would be eliminated if the risk factor were removed from the population. The PAR for overweight and obesity is the fraction of all deaths that would not occur if everyone were of optimal (normal) weight. The PAR from overweight and obesity is estimated using the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Georgia and the relative risk for dying among overweight and obese persons compared with normal weight persons. The risk varies by age and sex. In Georgia, approximately 10% of the total number of deaths each year is attributable to overweight or obesity, indicating that about 6,700 Georgians dies annually because they are overweight or obese. About 1,500 (22%) of the excess deaths occur among people who are overweight, and 5,200 (78%) occur among those who are obese (Georgia Data Summary, 2008). 3.Suggest how politics of this issue will hinder your ability as an epidemiologist to help your community and / or state deal with the issue of obesity. The medical costs of obesity in the U.S. have been estimated at $75 – $100 billion a year. The estimate for Georgia is about $2.1 billion per year, or $250 per Georgian per year. Excess body fat is associated with both direct costs such as diagnostic and treatment services related to overweight and obesity, and indirect costs such as lost wages and reduced productivity due to illness, disability, and premature death (Georgia Data Summary, 2008). As an epidemiologist, the extra funds would not be available to help those individuals that are obese and want to lose the weight. The U.S. is already spending a large amount of money through medical cost for those obese individuals. A government grant to help individuals may even get refused because again, the funding is coming from the government. Politics would not want to provide funding for a start of a program because it is cost efficient and could be expensive. We are now at a point where governments are belatedly aware of the threat that rising obesity poses to population health as well as to society’s economic well-being and the natural environment. The awareness of the size and complexity of the problem is also evolving into an awareness of the need for multiple actions to achieve a high enough ‘dose of solutions’. There is widespread agreement that a multi-sectorial response will be needed from governments, the private sector, civil society and the public. 4.Propose four (4) new policies or laws that the government can implement to address the obesity problem in the U.S. Include the implications of those policies or laws on people, health insurance, health care providers, businesses, and the food industry. In an ideal world, governments would have been monitoring population obesity trends and have acted early to implement the actions needed to halt and reverse the obesity epidemic. However, this is not the common reality and, indeed, only a handful of countries have monitoring systems in place to detect changes in the prevalence of obesity and its risk factors. As stated above in question number two a new health reform law has to address the obesity epidemic through different wellness, and providing coverage to the millions of Americans. Government could also issue a community transformation grant to individuals that have transformed their obese bodies into healthy balanced bodies. Policies to reduce greenhouse emissions, such as corporate and individual carbon trading, would be powerful stealth interventions for obesity prevention. Congestion taxes, car-free cities, public transport growth and other urban planning options will have increased physical activity as a beneficial side effect and thus contribute to obesity prevention. Reducing the carbon cost of food could also have an effect on energy intake since many of the energy dense foods which promote obesity tend to be more processed, packaged foods in other words, higher in carbon costs. 5.Assess and address the causes which have made obesity rates increase for the past decade. Over the past three decades, obesity has increase significantly. While the exact reasons for increased global obesity were still undetermined, experts said changing habits were likely contributors. Diets are different than they were 30 years ago, and modern technology has decreased physical activity. Developing countries now have a lot of the conveniences that are commonplace in wealthier nations. There are also an increase of automobile, which we are widely dependent on and less walking or bicycling. In conclusion, the drivers of this pandemic that is now affecting rich and poor countries alike must be global in nature and relatively recent in onset. While biological hard-wiring explains the potential for the development of obesity, it cannot explain the secular trends in obesity prevalence. Humans have, for good survival reasons, evolved a biology that is designed to maximize energy intake and minimize physical activity. We seek and enjoy good tasting food (especially sweet, fatty and salty foods) and we seek to reduce the effort needed to do work (by designing machines and technology to do it for us). While these are powerful factors, our biology has not changed over the last 30 years. What has changed dramatically is the environment around us – especially the easy availability of foods and energy-saving machines that feed those biological desires. It is the increasingly obesogenic environments which are promoting especially excessive energy intake but also reduced physical exertion that are driving secular trends.

Explore the Way Shakespeare Present Strong Feelings in His...

In my opinion there are many different types or kinds of strong feelings, from hate to anger and romance to love. Shakespeare has and always will be one of the greatest writers of all time at expressing these types of feelings. Shakespeare portrays these in many different poetic styles and genres, for example in his sonnets. However he is also known for expressing his feelings towards love in over 30 of his plays through the genres of romantic comedy and tragedy. In one of his plays, â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†, Shakespeare uses many different types of love; through a family, a well connected town, soldiers returning from war and lovers. Taking one aspect of this, the lovers, I pick out one male role in particular, Benedick. Who appears†¦show more content†¦The way these lines bounce off one another highlights the compatibility of Beatrice and Benedick, although at this point in the pay, both vehemently deny any interest in the opposite sex, as Benedick declares â€Å"I love none†, to which Beatrice counters, â€Å"I had rather hear a dog bark than swear a man loves me.† However if you look at the contrast of the way he speaks of her in Act 1 Scene 1, when they are refusing to show their love to each other, saying, â€Å"What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?† and in Act 2 Scene 3 when their friends have cunningly and cruelly set them both up, â€Å"‘any pains that I take for you is as easy as thanks.’ If I do not take pity of her I am a villain! If I do not love her, I am a Jew.† You can see the contrast of how his pent up love hidden away between their banter, changed to a maturing sense of over gratitude and honest romantic love towards her even as she is being mean unto him. There is also a sense of overlap between Shakespeare’s sonnets and some of his plays. In Much Ado for example, there is a very strong connection, in my opinion, between the first meeting of Claudio and hero in Act 1 Scene 1 and Sonnet 18. In Act 1 Scene 1, Claudio on first sight of hero falls deeply in love, so much so he describes her as â€Å"the sweetest lady that I ever looked upon.† Also he rebukes Benedick’s single minded view by saying â€Å"Can the world buy such a jewel?† this has a very strong connection towards the entireShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing And King Lear3685 Words   |  15 PagesName: Instructors’ Name: Course: Date: Analysis of Shakespeare’s powerful female characters in the play â€Å"Much Ado about Nothing† and â€Å"King Lear Introduction Shakespeare is seen to value the role of women as his plays often portray women as heroines. These women have strong characters that endear them to readers. Readers in our current world, and especially women, are encouraged to be self-assertive in demand for equal treatment in our society. This has been the tradition for women in the WesternRead MoreThe Relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing1888 Words   |  8 PagesIn this Shakespearean comedy ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ two similarly obstinate characters of Beatrice and Benedick are presented between the rather normal relationship of characters Hero and Claudio. Shakespeare presents Beatrice and Benedick’s obstinacy towards the rather obligatory act of marriage and also their particularly similar personalities that cause reason for their familiar act of squabbling; he does this whilst also presenting two characters that are completely interested in marriage andRea d MoreMuch Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare2685 Words   |  11 PagesMuch Ado about Nothing is a humorous play by William Shakespeare set in the city of Messina located in southern Italy. The acts have two main locations; Leonato’s house and his orchard. The others were sidelines; the church and the street where Dogberry and Verges discovered the villainy. Many scenes take place inside the several rooms of Leonato’s house, including scene 4 of Act 3. The main emergence of Benedick and Beatrice’s love story takes place in the orchard, without which the play is incompleteRead More The Role of Women in Hamlet in William Shakespeares Play Essay2041 Words   |  9 PagesThe Role of Women in Hamlet in William Shakespeares Play Gertrude and Ophelia, the only two women in Hamlet, reflect the general status of women in Elizabethan Times. Women were suppressed by the males in their lives (brothers, fathers, and partners) and were always inferior. Ophelia and Gertrude have little or no power due to restricted legal, social and economic rights that were found in Elizabethan society. The male characters in Hamlet reflect this sexist view pointRead MoreComparing and Contrasting the Relationships of Beatrice and Benedick, and Hero and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing2098 Words   |  9 PagesIn Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, written in the early 15th century, the relationships between Benedick and Beatrice and Hero and Claudio are the key to the play and create a lot of tension and comedy. The two relationships are interesting in different ways, and this essay will explore this in terms of the language used, the plot, characterisation and how the two relationships stand thematically. Beatrice and Benedick are interesting due to Shakespeare’s use of language. ConfusionRead MoreThe Dramatic Importance of Act 1 Scenes 1 and 2 of William Shakespeares Twelfth Night4384 Words   |  18 PagesShakespeares Twelfth Night The title Twelfth Night seems to suggest that Shakespeare, who wrote the play around 1602, wanted it to be performed on the twelfth day after Christmas; the festival of the Epiphany. This day formally marked the end of the Christmas season, which at the time was celebrated as a special festival. In addition to eating, drinking and generally over indulging, the performance of plays was a common feature on this day. He may have written this romanticRead MoreBritish Arts5612 Words   |  23 Pagesoften used to refer to those arts which use space, but not time, for their appreciation. For example, this is what is covered by the subject ‘art’ in schools. The word â€Å"culture† has several meanings. It can be used in its anthropological sense to mean ‘way of life’. But many people also use it as a synonym for ‘the arts’. Dance usually refers to modern artistic dance forms; ballet usually has a more traditional feel, unless we say modern ballet. A novel is a long story, e.g. 200-300 pages, a short prose

Wangari Maathai Environmentalist, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Dates: April 1, 1940 - September 25, 2011 Also Known as: Wangari Muta Maathai Fields:  ecology, sustainable development, self-help, tree planting, environment, member of Parliament in Kenya, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife Firsts:  first woman in central or eastern Africa to hold a Ph.D., the first woman head of a university department in Kenya, first African woman to win the Nobel Prize in Peace About Wangari Maathai Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt movement in Kenya in 1977, which has planted more than 10 million trees to prevent soil erosion and provide firewood for cooking fires. A 1989 United Nations report noted that only 9 trees were being replanted in Africa for every 100 that were cut down, causing serious problems with deforestation: soil runoff, water pollution, difficulty finding firewood, lack of animal nutrition, etc. The program has been carried out primarily by women in the villages of Kenya, who through protecting their environment and through the paid employment for planting the trees are able to better care for their children and their childrens future. Born in  1940 in Nyeri, Wangari Maathai was able to pursue higher education, a rarity for girls in rural areas of Kenya. Studying in the United States, she earned her biology degree from Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas and a masters degree at the University of Pittsburgh. When she returned to Kenya, Wangari Maathai worked in veterinary medicine research at the University of Nairobi, and eventually, despite the skepticism and even opposition of the male students and faculty, was able to earn a Ph.D. there. She worked her way up through the academic ranks, becoming head of the veterinary medicine faculty, a first for a woman at any department at that university. Wangari Maathais husband ran for Parliament in the 1970s, and Wangari Maathai became involved in organizing work for poor people and eventually, this became a national grass-roots organization, providing work and improving the environment at the same time. The project has made significant headway against Kenyas deforestation. Wangari Maathai continued her work with the Green Belt Movement and working for environmental and womens causes. She also served as national chairperson for the National Council of Women of Kenya. In 1997 Wangari Maathai ran for the presidency of Kenya, though the party withdrew her candidacy a few days before the election without letting her know; she was defeated for a seat in Parliament in the same election. In 1998, Wangari Maathai gained worldwide attention when the Kenyan President backed development of a luxury housing project and building began by clearing hundreds of acres of Kenya forest. In 1991, Wangari Maathai was arrested and imprisoned; an Amnesty International letter-writing campaign helped free her. In 1999 she suffered head injuries when attacked while planting trees in the Karura Public Forest in Nairobi, part of a protest against continuing deforestation. She was arrested numerous times by the government of Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi. In January 2002, Wangari Maathai accepted a position as Visiting Fellow at Yale Universitys Global Institute for Sustainable Forestry. And in December 2002, Wangari Maathai was elected to Parliament, as Mwai Kibaki defeated Maathais long-time political nemesis, Daniel arap Moi, for 24 years the President of Kenya. Kibaki named Maathai as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife in January 2003. Wangari Maathai died in Nairobi in 2011 of cancer. More About Wangari Maathai Wangari Maathai and Jason Bock. The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience. 2003.Wallace, Aubrey. Eco-Heroes: Twelve Tales of Environmental Victory. Mercury House. 1993.Dianne Rocheleau, Barbara Thomas-Slayter and Esther Wangari, editors. Feminist Political Ecology: Global Issues and Local Experiences.

The Power of Persuasion in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...

From the power of persuasion to the value of honor and beyond, one can witness many facets of human nature played out among the pages of â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. No theme of which can be seen more impeccably than the showcase of virtue verses sin. As Gawain is launched into tests of courtesy it is clear that much more is being examined than just his execution of courteous behavior, it is the nature of those around him that is also being taken into account. It is interesting how an author uses the combination of a negatively imbued foe and a positively inspired hero to highlight the traits most desirable for the mere mortals reading such a tale. In â€Å"Sir Gawain† the author uses some of the seven deadly sins to poetically draw†¦show more content†¦Pride is the chief of the seven deadly sins because it is the hardest sin to overcome. No matter how pious a person’s actions are the knowledge that they’re being holy can contribute to the inflation of their pride in their piety. Such a case is highlighted for us in â€Å"Sir Gawain† after the Green Knight makes his challenge to Arthur’s court. No one in Arthur’s court steps up to take the challenge set before them .The Green Knight takes this as cowardice and berates them asking where their arrogance and pride is now. Arthur, of course, is upset by this taunting and takes to the duty asked. (Lines 309-342) Here the reader is shown how much Arthur values the reputation of his courtesy. It is this pride and arrogance that gets him in a pinch of trouble. Luckily, Gawain beseeches Arthur by asking if he â€Å"Would grant (him) the grace† to come down and take over the fight in his stead. (Lines 343-361) This is an example of Gawain’s famous courtesy. Gawain swoops in and asks to release his boss from the contract of a dual in the most eloquent and almost shy manner imaginable. This relates to pride in that Gawain is the most courteous of the knights and thus is the jewel of his king’s court, but he asks humbly if his Lord and Lady would allow him the privilege of his request. It is Arthur’s pride that gets him into trouble and Gawain’s courtesy that gets him out of it. Though Gawain’s courtesy is an excellent trait it is also aShow MoreRelated Sir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1602 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and The Green Knight Summary The story begins in King Arthurs court, where he and the Knights of the Round Table are celebrating New Years. While they are enjoying their feast, a gigantic Green Knight rides in on a green horse with an immense axe in his hand to offer them a challenge. His offer is: I shall bide the fist blow, as bare as I sit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.., but in twelve month and one day he shall have of me the same. (Norton Anthology,208) After a moment of consideration, Sir GawainRead MoreSir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1342 Words   |  6 PagesSir Gawain and The Green Knight In literature, insights into characters, places, and events are often communicated to the reader through the use of imagery within the text. Thus is the case with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Pearl Poets use of imagery runs rampant within the work culminating to set forth the theme of mysticism and/or the supernatural. In this Medieval romance, the types of imagery used are that of the season or climate, the colors and textures of fabrics and jewelryRead MorePropaganda In Beowulf1007 Words   |  5 Pagesmonsters/thoughts that try to control everything in its way to cause complete destruction and terror across the land. The very notion of God in the story exhibits Christian beliefs and shows that Beowulf’s fight against the devil would be backed by God’s power and love toward his creations and the good word professes. The truth he represents is displayed in Beowulf’s character as well as his morals. The legend suggests that pagan beliefs surrounded it and the ancient mythological gods were replaced byRead MoreThe Noble Chivalric Code And The Middle Class1489 Words   |  6 Pagessix very different pieces written by six very different authors, who represented very different ideas of class division based on the timeframe in which they lived. From chivalry as a knight to ideals of the middle class, this theme is presented thoughout. Chivalry was an ambition, an alluring ideal to which young knights might aspire. â€Å"While Chivalry definitely existed, there was no exact â€Å"Code of Chivalry.† Like a lovely dream, it had many interpretations. Because of this, the definition of chivalryRead MorePerceptions Remain Unchanged By Marie De France Essay1918 Words   |  8 Pages Perceptions Remain Unchanged Marie de France, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the Pearl Poet share one important personal commonality—they all are products of the Medieval Period. During this time, men hold the power and dominate all aspects of everyday life. Women are suppressed and are expected to support men by learning and performing wifely duties, and attending to the needs of the men close to them. There is no opportunity for women to place themselves in positions of authority or influence without

Twenty-One free essay sample

Johnson and Housman both characterize coming of age as a part of life. In To Sir John Lade , Johnson welcomes getting older in line 1, long-expected one and twenty. Housman ties coming of age with finding love. He mentions love several times throughout the poem, but not your heart away (line 4), but keep your fancy free (line 6). Housman states his point of becoming older through his first-person point of view and a regretful tone. He reminisces about when he was twenty-one. He looks back and he wishes he had heeded the counsel of the wise man. The wise man said, Give crowns and pounds but not your heart away (line 3-4), meaning material possessions come and go, but love should be kept. He notes that love is worth more than any amount of money. The wise man also warned, The heart out of the bosom was never given in vain, meaning love can entrap one. We will write a custom essay sample on Twenty-One or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Line 13-14 states, Tis paid with sighs a plenty and sold for endless rue, shows that Housman thinks love can leave one in misery or heartbroken. He is now twenty-two and agrees with the wise mans counsel by saying, tis true. Johnson brings about his point of growing older by his use of a nonchalant tone and his use of a third-person point of view. Johnson describes the coming of age as a lively time in ones life. Sir John has turned twenty-one and he has inherited a great deal of money. John was admonished to show the spirit of an heir (line 12) and to call the Bettys, Kates, and Jennys (line 9). Johnsons view on adulthood is very relaxed and he views it as a time to experience life. In line 17-18, John was told that Wealth was made to wander, let it wander as it will. Johnson shows that John should enjoy his newfound wealth and allow it to spend. Scorn their counsel and their pother, John was advised to overlook any fuss made about his wilful waste (line 26). Johnson had the ambition to live life as if it were to end the next day. The two poems captured getting older in two separate points of views. Housman had a sense of regret and doubt about his decisions made when he was twenty-one. Johnson depicted John as experiencing life to the fullest when he was twenty-one