Point of View in Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay -- American Litera

Point of View in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker Point of view is described as the perspective from which a story is told (Literature, G25). In the story "Everyday Use" the point of view is that of first person narrator or major character. The story is told by the mother in the story. The theme of this story is that of a mother who is trying to cope with changing times and two daughters who are completely different. Having the story told from momma's point of view helps to reveal how momma feels about herself and how she defines her daughters Dee and Maggie. "Everyday Use" is told from momma's point of view which helps to reveal how she feels about herself. Momma feels that she is an uneducated person, she says "I never had an education myself," this creates barriers between her and her oldest daughter Dee who has a college education (94). She describes herself as "big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands" that wears overalls by day and flannel gowns by night (93). From momma's point of view one can tell that she favors her relationship with her daughter Maggie mo...

Oppression in Cry Freedom Cry, the Beloved Country :: Cry the Beloved Country Essays

Oppression in Cry Freedom   Cry, the Beloved Country  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      For years the government of South Africa suppressed its black population. Oppression that wasn’t deserved, oppression based on difference in color. In both of these works, the cries of South Africa were heard. The cries of the black people that are the foundation of South Africa, the blacks that were the heart of what South Africa was all about. In both stories, there is the fact that the only way to change your ways sometimes has to come through suffering. In Cry Freedom, we   see change through extreme suffering in the character of Donald Woods. Woods starts out in the movie as being not really open to the ideas of black consciousness. He sees them as only getting the blacks into more trouble. After meeting Biko, he starts to warm up to the ideas the blacks hold precious, but when Biko dies, Woods becomes a whole new man. Immediately, Woods begins to notify the public about how these blacks are being treated. He changes the way he goes about fighting for the rights of the blacks. Before, he only stood behind the black population of South Africa. After Biko’s death, he leads them. He is looked down upon by most whites, and hate crimes, like when the police came to his house and shot through the windows,   are committed against him and his family. Yet still, he fights. He moves his whole family away and writes a book to help the plighted blacks in South Africa. After Biko’s death, he begins to see himself as the only o ne who can continue Biko’s hope for South Africa. In Cry, the Beloved Country, every character involved goes through severe suffering and it leads to change. Kumalo goes through tremendous suffering, with the death of his son. He has to face it, and begin to understand the many problems in the lives of the black population in South Africa. He leaves Johannesburg   with a new and improved view on the changes taking in place in the South Africa that he used to know. We see Kumalo’s change after he returns to Ndotsheni. â€Å"Kumalo began to pray regularly in his church for the restoration of Ndotsheni. But he knew that was not enough. Somewhere down here upon the earth men must come together, think something, do something†(Paton 263). He now realizes that praying isn’t enough, that he has to work toward making South Africa a better place.

“Dude, Where’s My Country?” Book Review

â€Å"Dude, where is My Country† is a book written by Michael Moore and published by Penguin Books in 2004. In this book, Moore provocatively and boldly discusses several socio-political events in America. He takes on George W. Bush, the Conservative brigade and corporate wheeler dealers in America and offers wide ranging remedies which place the country’s redemption squarely on the shoulders of the liberal forces. The author dissects America’s problems in topics ranging from tax cuts, the Iraqi war, among others and demonstrates the failure of the nation-state to be a direct consequence of conservative ethos. Moore first seeks to debunk what he calls the ‘Big Lie’, that America is inherently and pervasively conservative. He terms this belief as a propagandist fib, perpetuated by the right in order to put down the liberal masses. â€Å"†¦.. So, in the tradition of all propagandists, they lie. They create an opposite truth: AMERICA IS CONSERVATIVE. Then they pound away with that false message so hard and so often that even their political opponents come to believe that it's true,† Moore asserts (Moore, 2003 page 2). To prove that most Americans are indeed liberal, Moore gives facts which demonstrate majority support for the Civil Rights movement, abortion, the Roe vs Wade ruling, the Green movement, gun restrictions, universal healthcare (or socialized medicine as he puts it), community as opposed to jail service for offenders, gay and lesbian rights and unionization. He then wonders why conservatives hold the rein of leadership in the country and proceeds to offer his ten cents worth. Chapter one poses seven seemingly rhetorical questions to Bush. Home of the Whopper† is the heading of Chapter two and it serves as an allegorical forerunner of the issues presented herein. Here, the author discusses the lies told by the Bush administration before narrating a fable featuring his great-granddaughter who seeks to find out from him the state of the world when oil and plastics were available and seeks to understand the reasons behind the failure of planning. In a sense, this chapter indicts the Bush administration for its lax energy policies and seems to suggest a bleak future for America occasioned by these policies. Chapter four is titled â€Å"The United States of Boo† and it takes the form of an essay. In this chapter, Moore demonstrates that death through terrorism is statistically impossible. As he so ably shows, there are other countless and plausible ways through which Americans can die that terrorism threats count for nothing. The ruse by the conservative war makers is a subterfuge meant to take away Americans’ civil liberties. Nowhere is this more succinctly evidenced than in the Patriot’s Act, Moore infers. The next chapter delineates ways in which ordinary Americans can reduce acts of terrorism. In subsequent chapters, Moore launches into an angry offensive tirade against George W. Bush that is laced with acerbic humor. The Bush years are summarized as a failed presidency and various facts adduced to support this claim. The war against Iraq is presented in great detail and used as an example to show Bush’s weak leadership. Similarly, the Enron debacle, the infamous Bush tax cuts and the collapse of other firms are cited as products of failed economic policies. The author lays bare the association between Bush, Osama Bin Laden and Saudi Arabia. He goes on to make staggering claims about alleged business connections between the Bushes and the Saudi Arabia nobles. Contrary to the wishes of FBI and notwithstanding the fact that only four of the 19 hijackers were non-Saudis, the Bush government shielded the Saudi Arabians from investigations while other Arabs in America were apprehended just like the Japanese were during the post world war II interment. Moore dismisses the high approval ratings enjoyed by Bush in 2004 thus: â€Å"the high ratings for Bush are not an endorsement of his policies. Rather, it is the response of a frightened country that has no choice but to back the man charged with protecting them. America has not fallen in love with Bush-it's more like â€Å"love the one you're (stuck) with. † (Moore, page 6). Railing against the â€Å"Christian Coalition†, Moore eloquently makes pitch for a presidency built around persons who live and understand America as it is. In regard to this, he introduces the â€Å"Draft Oprah for President† movement. Oprah, it seems, is the very representation of this people president that America so desperately needs. A clarion call for liberals to redeem their country from the ‘undesired’ hands of the conservatives is sounded. Moore gravely states that Democrats should not be left to â€Å"screw up† the [2004] election and instead details what he calls â€Å"Operation 10-Minute Oil Change† where everybody is called upon to do something for ten minutes daily in an effort to drive out Bush and his oil cronies. While the book is written in an easy to understand language with poignant examples, some hard facts and disturbing and weighty questions that inevitably stir up reflective thought, one cannot help avoid the feeling that it is grossly subjective and devoid of serious discourse. Additionally, ‘Dude, Where is My Country† seems like an unabashed endorsement of General Wesley Clark and the Democrat platoon. I do not agree with Moore because his book is redolent with numerous misrepresentations, falsities and inaccuracies. In page 69, he deliberately misrepresents facts about American’s dealings with Iraq, conveniently trashing the provisions of UN’s food for oil program. He gives a long list of persons supposedly aggrieved with the Patriot Act in page 111. However, according to the sources he has given, the listed persons were never in any way affected by the legislation. In a brazen display of dishonesty, Moore claims that closure of schools in Oregon in 2003 was as a direct result of the Bush tax cuts whereas they were actually due to a new law that decoupled the state’s income tax system from that of the central government. There are many other claims which cannot stand the test. They seem to have been intentionally twisted so that they can prop his claims. Some of his assertions border on the speculative. A good example of this is the unsubstantiated claim that Saudi military acted in cahoots with Bush and the Saudi government to launch them. While some claims are backed by solid fact, many others are not factual and it is precisely this reason that makes it hard to agree with Moore lock, stock and barrel.

11th Grade

During the founding of the new nation, the United States, there were a number of influential people who made important decisions based on their various opinions. These people, the founding fathers of the United States, would set examples, ideals, and rules for many leaders to come. Our first president George Washington, our 3rd president Thomas Jefferson, and our first Supreme Court justice John Marshall were all very important and influential individuals. Together, their opinions and ideals helped shape the growth of our nation from domestic policy to the basis of the government’s operation. George Washington was the first president of the United States of America as well as one of its founding fathers. When he resigned from office and gave his farewell address, he stated three of his opinions that would be very influential in the development of the United States. During that farewell address, he addressed two very important issues. First was that the United States of America should remain in the most neutral position possible when it came to foreign affairs (this would be ignored by latter presidents). Second was that no political parties should be formed within the new government. These were significant statements because they helped to shape the foundation and cultural beginnings of the new American government. In addition to his farewell advice, he informally set the presidential term limit to two terms, a tradition which has been upheld to this day with very few exceptions. (Note: FDR was the only president to hold three terms) These opinions were important to him because he believed that they would enable the people to grow together as one strong, unified nation. While his ideals were certainly not held up forever, they allowed us to build up our country before civil war broke out among the southern and northern states. President Thomas Jefferson was also a very important and influential president because of his strong opinions on creating a unifying domestic policy. His opinions about the power given to the president were also important. In one of his most famous moments he said, â€Å"We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists. † This was a very important moment because it demonstrated an emerging American spirit and encouraged one of the ideals instilled by George Washington. By unifying the people of the different parties as â€Å"Americans†, he helped to promote a feeling of unity among the states. This was one of the ideals promoted by George Washington when he warned America not to form political parties; it’s the same issue of unity, just addressed from a different angle. It also helped to calm the growing distress and conflict between the Republican and Federalist parties. Another very important accomplishment that happened when Jefferson was in office was the Louisiana Purchase. While it was significant because it more than doubled the size of the United States, it was also a source of much debate. In the arguments against Jefferson there were many people who believed that the Louisiana Purchase was unconstitutional. Most prominent was whether the President had the power to spend 15 million dollars on a segment of land without the approval of the people (Congress, etc). His choice to spend the money was important because it basically said, â€Å"I’m the president and I have power. † His actions don't directly reflect his stated beliefs in strong state government, but they do illustrate the fact that he often chose the most pragmatic route in his decisions and put the good of the country over his personal beliefs John Marshall, the first Supreme Court justice, was a very influential figure because his beliefs and opinions developed and gave power to the Supreme Court and the judiciary branch for the first time. One of the most important contributions he made for the Supreme Court was the concept of judicial review. After the case of Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court was given the power to review laws, and court cases in order to determine whether a law or case was constitutional. John Marshall also extended the power of the Supreme Court to cover all matters not explicitly mentioned to be governed in the state. In short, he created most of the power that is invested in the Supreme Court today. The most influential of these three men was John Marshall. He was the most influential person because he created a strong judicial branch, something that is essential to the system of checks and balances. Without the power that currently resides in the Judiciary branch of the United States, the government would be an unbalanced system that would be able to create laws between the executive branch and legislative branch without any chance of rulings on constitutionality from the court. For example, in the case of Dred Scott vs. Sanford (a famous case regarding slaves’ Constitutional rights), the Supreme Court struck down several federal laws, including the Missouri Compromise, which was ruled unconstitutional. While most people today wouldn’t agree with the ruling given in Dred Scott, it still shows the power of the judicial system, able to strike down Federal law in accordance with an era’s political and social climate. The separation of powers is one of the most important parts of our government and without it our modern government would not exist in the same definition as it does today.

Effective Study Skills Essay

Why it is so hard to concentrate while studying, or even to study effectively? The hardest part of studying is concentrating on the material at hand. Memorizing everything is nearly impossible, but with a better understanding of effective memorization skills you can improve your memorization skills surely. Did you know that the most effective method of studying is to use notes, or note-cards? Some people actually have trouble taking notes, due to improper note taking methods. Although there are many different methods for effective study skills, there are three that have been proven to be the most effective: concentration, memorization, and ote taking skills. Have you ever found yourself reading a paragraph, and when you finish you think to yourself, â€Å"What did I Just read†? Well 10 and behold; it happens to the best of us. One proven method of concentration is to get yourself into a quite, but not completely silent to where you hear yourself think, environment. Also if you will adjust yourself to where you are not slouching or hunching over, as these positions tend to make you ache or get sleepy. The next step is to read at a steady pace, not too fast to where you forget and not to slow to where you read the same thing over and If you’re like me then you probably forget a lot of things you read on a daily basis. I sometimes find myself wishing I was like a computer and I could Just store anything and everything, except for viruses. We, as human beings, cannot and will not ever be able to remember everything; however we can remember key items, but only with the proper techniques. The key to remembrance is to review more than once, and take breaks in between your study sessions. Also be sure to prioritize what you plan to study and how you plan to conduct your study sessions. Another proven memorization technique is to take notes, which we will discuss next. Proper note taking is probably the hardest of the three steps, due to most people not knowing what to take note of. Many people can take notes great, but some have trouble knowing what to write down, or if the note they Just wrote is even note- worthy. Any form of note-taking that requires compilation of information by categories, rather than in narrative form is best done using index cards. Index cards are a life saver when it comes to taking notes, and the best part is you can use them for Q ; A, highlights, key points, or even paraphrasing. One of the best pieces of advice is that if the note doesn’t sound note-worthy, it’s probably not. Effective study skills can mean the difference between an A and a B. In most cases it can make a world of difference in your school of choice or even your life long career decisions. Many people today think that they had it rough when they went through school, well in my young age, we too have it rough and the only way to stay on top is through self improvement. Just remember the next time you sit down for a study session; concentration is the key, memorization will help you unlock the door, and taking notes will hopefully keep you from forgetting to lock it behind you. Effective Study Skills By hahaitsmine

Elements of leadership development and it’s importance

A leader is not born in a single day, neither is he found in your neighbor’s house. The Leader is in ‘you’. Like every living thing needs food for growth so do the leadership qualities need some nourishment to develop. For its development we need to work on all the important elements that are required to become a great leader. This theory applies not only to an individual but to an organization too. After all it is the individual who constitutes the organization; therefore the principles which we apply to get success in our lives can be used, to get success in an organization too. To start off, we must first and foremost deal with Personal Empowerment. Every human being, every society, every group or organization is not free from faults and mistakes. Weakness is found in everyone. Now, what matters the most is overcoming those, by making right practices and adopting good habits, along with good choices. â€Å"The more you know, the more you realize how much you do not know-the less you know, the more you think you know†-David T. Freeman. Another factor which would empower us in true sense, which is necessary for leadership, is ‘knowledge’. If you don’t know a vital piece of information, then find it out. Ask, get the facts, you need to take smart decisions. Knowledge gives you power. Ignorance puts you at the mercy of others. Another important lesson to be learnt in this segment called personal empowerment is learning to say a ‘yes’ to opportunities. Every individual and organization needs to get out of their cocoon and experience everything that gets into their way in a bold manner. Moving on to our second element -Control. Learning ‘To control’ is necessary for developing Leadership skills. Self-control (a form of control) is vital, one must know that he has control over his own leadership skills and can develop them. Same can be applied to an organization, it has control over its own actions, on performing the right set of actions, and one can achieve a lot. About ‘Control’- Leadership Development Leader Robin Sharma says-â€Å"When things get difficult it’s more important than to pursue excellence, is to focus on things that you can control. Take control of things that you can do and execute them brilliantly.   Then go home and let it go.† So, when you are in charge of a group you must also know how much of control is healthy for a group too. If one tries to get control on all the activities, then he might be regarded as a bad Leader. ‘Control’ must never be in excess amounts so as to frustrate. Freedom- one might wonder, as to, what freedom has to do with leadership. Soon our doubts would be cleared. A book called ‘Leadership Development in Balance’ has to say that-â€Å"I believe those leaders who find ways to create broader amounts of freedom rooted in trust have more sustainable success over time. Of course, to provide freedom, people must be willing and able to accept it and to use that freedom for the right means and ends†. This shows how freedom is necessary to take an action and also to reach ones goals. But with freedom comes-‘Responsibility’. A leader is responsible to perform his duties. A leader has to take accountability of his responsibility. There may be a difference in the level of responsibility, but we have our own set of responsibilities which we have to attend to and address. This in turn must help us to develop ethics .The Center for Ethical Leadership suggests that-â€Å"Core values are what motivate every individual and   shared core values are the foundation for agreements and co-operation among diverse people†, says Pat Hughes, Director of curriculum development for The Center. Ethics are vital for leadership because, these values create an impression on other people primarily. The other elements do create an impression but it is ethics which is most visible. Hence, we have discussed the importance and necessity of each of the elements i.e. personal empowerment, freedom, ethics, control and social responsibility for leadership development. REFERENCE: On personal empowerment: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/06/16/developing-self-reliance-personal-empowerment Quote of Freeman: http://www.mind-trek.com/ On Ethics: http://humanresources.about.com/od/leadership/leadership_development.htm http://www.leader-values.com/Content/detail.asp?ContentDetailID=33 http://www.impactfactory.com/p/leadership_ethics_skills_training_development/friends_1547-11105-65192.html On control:

Writing Skills Part

Which of the following would be an appropriate way to add variety to your sentences? A. Use questions and answers together. B. Add personal anecdotes. C. Use more close-up words. D. Make your sentences read like a spoken conversation. 2. Nelson's hobby is tinkering with small appliances. Tinkering with implies that Nelson is unskilled at his hobby. You want to change the flavor of this sentence to show that Nelson is, in fact, quite skilled at his hobby. Which of the following should you choose to replace tinkering with so that the reader gets the right idea? A. Selling B. Fiddling with C. Repairing D.Messing with 3. Anna is an exceptional young girl. Anna does any Job that needs to be done. To vary the sentence structure, which one of the following sentences should you insert in the blank? A. Anna is a hardworking and versatile person. B. Anna works hard every day of her life. C. Anna is always working hard at home. D. Have you noticed how hard she works? 4. Which of the following d irect quotations is punctuated properly? A. â€Å"Way to go, Sean,† the coach shouted. â€Å"That was a great run! † B. â€Å"Way to go, Sean,† the coach shouted. â€Å"That was a great run†! C. â€Å"Way to go, Sean†, the coach shouted. That was a reat run†! D. â€Å"Way to go, Sean†, the coach shouted. â€Å"That was a great run! † 5. When we speak of the flavor of a word, we're talking about the extra understood meanings that it carries in addition to its main meaning. These extra meanings are called denotations. ‚ ¬8. shadings. C. connotations. D. definitions. 6. A thesaurus is a book that's useful for finding A. synonyms. B. definitions. C. frequently misspelled words. D. famous persons. 7. Which is the best strategy to follow when you write a report or an essay? A. Get it right the first time and put it aside until it's due. B.Revise it over and over for at least hree or four years. C. Work on it over a seven-day p eriod and rewrite it at least twice. D. Write it in one sitting and revise it only once. 8. Find the sentence with the active voice. A. It was voted by the legislature to pass. B. I was told by the chairman that the bill was passed by the legislature. C. The bill was passed by the legislature. D. The chairman told me that the legislature passed the bill. 9. Of the following methods, the best way to increase your reading is by A. forcing yourself to read subjects you dislike. B. setting a goal to read five new pages every night. C. eading a new book every day. D. Joining a mail-order book club. 10 which ot the tollowing words is most likely to carry a connotation? A C. walk D. stride 1 1 . Of these four words, which one is most likely to have a negative flavor? A. Harangue B. Confound C. Meander D. Distract 12. Which of the following sentences is written in the passive voice? A. The effects of cyanide are well known. ‚ ¬8. Having left the building, Elvis never returned. C. I would not provoke that man if I were you. D. They considered their options. 13. Which one of the following sentences or phrases is most likely to be considered a clich ©?A. How dead is a dead doornail? B. Are you a man or a moose? C. Look before you leap. D. When in doubt, pout. 14. Which of the following sentences uses the best close-up words? A. Sara is pursuing a non-science degree. B. Sara is studying languages. C. Sara is studying French and German. D. Sara is pursuing a degree. 15. Which one of the following statements about making your writing fun to read is not correct? A. Direct quotations should be reserved for characters in stories. B. Give your writing a personal touch by showing that you're interested in your subject. C.The conversation you write must sound natural for the characters. D. An anecdote or humorous quotation is often more convincing than a strong argument. 16. When using direct quotations in your writing, which of the following should be placed outside th e set of quotation marks? A. Semicolon B. Question mark C. Comma D. Period 17. A clich © is a B. new C. worn-out D. wordy expression. A. foreign 18. Read the word in parentheses; then decide which of these sentences most effectively translates an abstract concept into a mental picture. A. (Sunrise) The rising sun transformed the canyon into bright stone and deep shadow.B. (Studious) Lucy ay on her bed reading a back issue of National Geographic. C. (Freedom) On her twenty-first birthday, Lola declared herself a woman. D. (Rumors) Whispers of doubt filled the empty halls like the reek of boiled cabbage. 19. An antonym is a word that's A. the same in meaning. B. pronounced the same. C. defined in a thesaurus. D. opposite in meaning. 20. What is the most important point in the following sentence? My sister, Emily, the tallest girl in her class, has many friends. A. Emily is the tallest girl in her class. B. My sister's name is Emily. C. Emily is my sister. D. Emily has many friends.