Song Of Solomon Essays - Song Of Solomon, Milk, Pontius Pilate

Song of Solomon Throughout the centuries many authors have attempted to capture the individuals quest for self-authenticity. In the novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison depicts the many aspects of self-actualization, as well as the tormenting road that leads to the shaping of an individual. Through beautiful language, with immense reality, she is able to describe young black mans journey as he uncovers his personal history, myth, and essence. The story revolves around generations, past and present, of a black family in the south. The character of Milkman (Macon Dead jr.) evolves through the descriptions, events, and experiences of others. His parents, Macon Dead sr., and Ruth Foster Dead, represent the wall-blocking Milkman from his true authentic identity. Many of Milkman's major problems are a direct result of his parents suffocating mistakes. Ruth breast-fed Milkman until he was six years old, hence the name Milkman. She was sexually repressed by her husband for twenty years, and used her young son as a substitute for sexual intimacy. Ruth believed that she possessed no authenticity, and that she was insignificant and isolated. By passing these negative attributes and emotions to Milkman she disturbed his natural process for growth, and ultimately left him feeling lost and insecure. Instead of encouraging Milkman to grow and mature, Ruth hoarded him into the world that she herself despised. Milkman's father, Macon Dead sr., became a ruthless money hound after his father, Jake, was shot and killed for his property. This devastating event from his childhood made him miserly, insensitive, and stingy. Macon Dead sr. becomes a money hungry machine because he does not want to suffer the same fate as his father. Macon Dead sr. fails to tell Milkman the reasons behind his miserly attitude. Thus creating an insurmountable gap between their relationship. Milkman's mother and father both thrust their personal fears on him adding to the destruction of his personal identity. Only after Milkman uncovers these tribulations behind his parents' identities, can he begin his quest for self-authenticity. By displacing the profound effect Milkman's parents have on his quest for self-actualization, Morrison is able to convey her theme of generational conflict. Without appropriate parental guidance, honesty, and explanation Milkman has trouble finding the authentic individual within himself. The inner turmoil within both Ruth and Macon Dear sr. reflects negatively upon Milkman, leaving him lost and unfocused. Morrison writes of this hole within Ruth, "?because the fact is that I am a small woman. I don't mean little; I mean small, and I'm small because I was pressed small. (p. 124)" Instead of accepting the problems with their own authenticity, both parents force their unauthentic values on Milkman. The overbearing needs of both parents result in Milkman's need to find his personal Identity in other places, other people. The individual who first inspires Milkman to discover his own identity is Pilate, the forbidden sister of Macon Dead sr. She is a mysterious woman, large, masculine, and frightening. Her brother abandoned her after years of support because she began making wine. Macon Dead sr. this drunken profession, and subsequently forbid Milkman to encounter her. Despite his father's wishes Milkman is intrigued by Pilate and quickly becomes absorbed in her magical, spiritual, fulfilling world. This was the same world that once held his father in awe. Morrison writes, "surrendering to the sound, Macon moved closer. He wanted no conversation, no whiteness, only to listen and perhaps to see the three of them, the source of that music that made him think of fields and of wild turkey and calico. (P.29)" By entering into Pilate's' home Milkman begins to question why his father acts the way he does. Through Pilate, Milkman discovers a past that seems lost within his father. This realization begi! ns Milkman's quest for self-authenticity. Milkman's flight to identity takes him many places. He is fortunate to have a friend, Guitar, who is also lost, and hunting for his authentic identity. The two pursue adventures and their contrasting personalities leave them wit ha wide perspective on events and experiences. While Milkman seems quiet, poetic, almost stumbling on his authentic self. Guitar is eager, outgoing, and aware of his needs. Morrison creates Pilate as a metaphor for a pilot, guiding Milkman through his quest. The

What is the theme of The Country of the Blind and how is it portrayed Essay Example

What is the theme of The Country of the Blind and how is it portrayed Essay Example What is the theme of The Country of the Blind and how is it portrayed Paper What is the theme of The Country of the Blind and how is it portrayed Paper In the short story The Country of the Blind, the author H.G. Wells tries to convey a certain message. Wells expresses the theme of how man has difficulties adapting to change. The protagonist, Nunez, attempts to convince the villagers on the existence of sight but fails. The villagers are xenophobic therefore, are not willing to accept the truth and have difficulties to adapting change. Wells uses diction and setting to contribute to the understanding of this theme.The author uses diction to communicate the theme of how man has difficulties to adapt to change. As Nunez tries to convince the villagers about the beauty of sight, it is evident that they have difficulties accepting this through the use of diction. When they describe eyes as irritating bodies, something that is extremely agitating, it shows that the villagers were impatient and bothered with his constant appreciation for his sight, therefore showing their narrow-mindedness (Wells, 1997:21).By also describing eyes as queer things, something that is not normal or odd, shows the communities unwillingness to acknowledge an outsider (Wells, 1997:21). Moreover by describing Nunezs sight as an imagination it shows that they believe his views are ridiculous and unrealistic (Wells, 1997:22). Additionally in response to the words vision and sight, the villagers would be outraged and shocked. Through their reactions Wells clearly shows how difficult it is for them to adapt and accept something new (Wells, 1997:25).The author also uses setting to communicate the theme of how man has difficulties to adapt to change. Wells locates the Country of the Blind in a completely isolated area surrounded by rocks and cliffs. Due to the geographical location of The Country of the Blind, it is cut off from the exploring feet of men (Wells, 1997:4) thus causing the villagers imagination to be shrivelled (Wells, 1997:13). The isolated location of the Country of the Blind clearly causes the villagers to have no flexibility and a lack of understanding of the modern society therefore making it hard for them to adapt to change.Furthermore, Wells describes the outside world surrounding the Country of the Blind as an area that is frightful, icy, and incessant. All three of these words have negative connotations that show the outside world to be chaotic and have extremely appalling living conditions (Wells,1997:4). Wells juxtaposes this to describing the Country of the Blind as an area that has sweet water, beautiful flowers, and rich brown soil, all that have positive connotations that show the Country of the Blind to be a phenomenal place (Wells, 1997:4). The juxtaposition between the two worlds shows that they view their land as perfect, therefore there is no need for the chaos that comes from the outside.Wells clearly expresses the theme of how man has difficulties adapting to change through the use of diction and setting. Nunez tries to educate the villagers on what is out there in the modern world, but t hey just neglect it and have difficulties in adapting to a new idea. Man will always have difficulties adapting to change from what they are well adjusted to, but man should atleast try to acknowledge and appreciate that there is something else in the world. Without loosing their traditional roots man should be willing to learn and knowledge themselves on the modernization taking over our world.

Antigon as a Leader Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Antigon as a Leader - Article Example This essay stresses that leaders do differ from managers, considering the convictions of most scholars who have studies the differences between leaders and managers. Leaders are involved in strategic management, just as the managers. However, leaders exhibit this aspect of strategic management in their behavior as well. Another difference between leaders and managers is evident in the way these relate with people and perceptions toward work. While managers exhibit high interaction with people, leaders are considered loners with great visions. Managers also use people to get goals and visions achieved. In addition, leaders are more charismatic and empathic than managers, since these will prioritize the needs of the people at their expense. This paper makes a conclusion that in the struggle for liberation from the Apartheid rule, Mandela’s party, the ANC, adopted an approach of violence, even though previously the party had advocated for a peaceful approach. Mandela admitted to his party adopting a violence approach from the previously held peaceful policy. In his view, the peaceful approach adopted by the ANC earlier on had failed, since it did not put an end to apartheid rule. This decision to adopt violence is justified. If the ANC had not turned to violence, the whites would have never addressed the concerns of the blacks through their peaceful approach. Secondly, violence was the only option left, since all other democratic options had been closed down in the country’s legislation by the whites.

Assembly Automation and Product Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assembly Automation and Product Design - Essay Example The electrical function refers to the plugs ability to properly conduct current from the socket to the electrical device in a safe and proper manner. The mechanical function refers to the sockets ability to withstand all the forces required for safe installation of the plug into the socket. The mechanical function also includes the proper design of the plug so as to safely clip into the socket and be safely held and removed from the socket. Aesthetic function refers to the ability of the socket to have appealing features to the customer. Ergonomic function refers to the sockets ability to withstand fatigue due to continual use.2 The 13A pin is made of the following components. Conductors are the three pins; they are made of brass. Fuse element made of copper. Fuse clip made of copper, cable wires made of copper and fuse ends made of copper. The insulators are the plug body and base made of plastic. The cord clip made of nylon, Cable sheath made of PVC (polyvinylchloride) wire sheath and pin sheath made of PVC. Fuse body made of alumina. The pin has screws firmly holding together all the parts. The cord grip screw is made of steel, the major plug screw is made of steel and the pin screw is made of steel or brass.3 In the process of material selection, the engineer should consider the materials are the best conductors and those that are the best insulators. The engineer should consider the price and the ease of molding and access the materials. Polymers can be shaped into the desired shape of the plug through molding. This can be easily done for mass production. Wood can only be machined; this method is ineffective for mass production. Thermoplastics have various options for mass production such as welding, use of adhesives and molding. Therefore, even though wood provides the cheapest source of raw materials, it is difficult to use it in mass production. The plug body should be strong and stiff so as to hold the pins safely. Through a material selection process an engineer is able to select the most suitable polymer to use.  

Core Competencies Essay Example for Free

Core Competencies Essay A business or product which generates a sturdy, dependable flow of cash. Dog- a product with low market share in a slow growing market and thus neither generates more consumes large amounts of cash. Star- products that are in high growth markets with a relatively high share of that market. They tend to generate high amounts of income. Question Mark- growing rapidly and thus consumes large amounts of cash but because they have low markets shares they do not generate much cash 2. What are core competences? Core competences are critical capabilities to a business achieving competitive advantage. The starting point for analysing core competences is recognising that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence mastery as it is for market position and market power. Senior management cannot focus on all activities of a business and the competencies required to undertake them. So the goal is for management to focus attention on competencies that really affect competitive advantage. 4 Potential sources of core competences * Distribution * Marketing * Management * Manufacturing 4 criteria used to evaluate core competences * Valuable * Rare * Costly to imitate * Non substitutable 3. What should an audit of resources include? The resources available to a business whether it be owned or obtained through partnerships, joint ventures or simply suppliers arrangement with other businesses. The assessment of the strength and weakness of an organisation in conjunction with an assessment of opportunities and threats. It should have the key success factors for the markets and industries in question and the comparable strengths and weaknesses of competitors for the same customers. 4. What are the strategic options for competing in a Mature Industry? Prune marginal products and models * Emphasize innovation in the value chain Strong focus on cost reduction * Increase sales to present customers * Purchase rivals at bargain prices * Expand internationally * Build new, more flexible competitive capabilities 5. Define the Value System The Value System is the set of interdependent situations within a business which both directly or indirectly adds value to the customer and ultimately generates a net cash inflow. This also provides a key link between competitive strategy and shareholder value. Even though the value system bears some resemblance to Porter’s value chain, the latter is perhaps less flexible and less easily tailored to the variety of the modern business.

Fitness Training :: essays research papers fc

Most fitness and training facilities now have stability balls, foam rolls, balance boards and other â€Å"fun† toys as part of their conditioning equipment. These are part of a new trend in the strength and conditioning field called â€Å"functional training†. Definition Functional training is the action of training â€Å"function†, a general term that meaning â€Å"role or duty†. Functional training is the science of training the body to meet the specific demands of life and sports. It is based on 1) the principle of specificity and 2) muscle function. The principle of specificity also known as SAID (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands) means that the body responds and adapts specifically to the type and amount of physical demands under which it is placed. In other words, you only improve what you’ve specifically trained. Since muscle form dictates the role and function of each muscle, muscle needs to be trained the way it is designed to funct ion. Origin Functional training is nothing new and comes primarily from the rehabilitation field. For many decades, therapists have been experimenting with ways of helping their patients regain function. Their goal is to retrain muscles to work properly using special exercises. In their quest to help their patients to become more functional, they have a developed functional training approach. Traditional vs. Functional Traditional strength training usually consists of trying to develop strength and build muscle through isolating specific muscle groups. This type of training could be called dysfunctional training and only develop segmental strength. Traditional strength training is adequate for building muscle but it does not train the body to meet the specific demands of life and sports. It does not reproduce real life conditions and only serves to create non-functional strength. Peter Twist, Vancouver Canucks Strength and Conditioning Coach, explains: â€Å"Typical strength traini ng attempts to develop the body through a piecemeal approach, isolating specific muscle groups. Worse yet, this is often done with the body unloaded, sitting stationary on a machine while moving one isolated body part through a controlled range of motion, usually in a strict linear, straight ahead motion†. Traditional strength training train isolated muscle function while functional training train the body to work as a unit. The central nervous system is programmed to make the body function as a unit, not to work in terms of isolated muscle function. Functional training is â€Å"functional† since it trains the body the way it has been designed to function.

How economically smart war is Essay

War has been a part of the lives of people since history began. People have battled over different things, ranging from roaming rounds in prehistoric times to control of the world in present day. This essay will analyze how economically smart war is, specifically World War I, from the view of the United States of America. The US entered World War I in 1917; however, we entered the economic war long before that. The US had been supplying Europe with weapons, bullets, and other equipment into the war. The term mobilizing is used in warfare, but our economy was getting a boost without the US sending any soldiers out of the country. These products were inelastic, meaning that the consumers of the goods were unresponsive in change in price. For the US, this meant that they could set prices at extreme prices and the countries that could not make these goods themselves or get from another source had to buy the goods at these extreme prices. This created an economic boom for 44 months from 1914-1918. This also eased the process of the US joining the war. It was not as economically straining to mobilize for war because some facilities that would be used for the war were already functioning close to the production possibilities curve. This means that the facilities were functioning at maximum efficiency. During this time period, the unemployment rate went from 7.9% to 1.4%, showing that as soldiers left to go overseas, jobs opened up on the home front. However, the war had to be paid for somehow, and this somehow came on the form of taxes and bonds. Takes were raised from anywhere from 20%- 60%. War bonds were bought by citizens and were promised to be repaid with interest after the war. However this also would lead to the downfall in the Great Depression, as the government would have no money left to pay the population back with. In my opinion, war has a greater value than the debts it creates. It is about â€Å"flexing your military muscles† to make sure order is kept in the world. Some of the things that soldier’s lives are lost for are found many years later in the forms of our rights and freedoms and do not have a value that can be expressed in dollars and cents. Because these do not have prices, it is a personal opinion weather a war is economically worth the risk. However, I feel that it is worth being able to live the life that I have now than suffer under laws enforce upon our country by the would-be conquers of my homeland.