Duty To Ones Family And Heritage English Literature Essay

Duty To Ones Family And Heritage English Literature Essay Sense of duty and honor to ones heritage and family! What is it about that feeling that beckons individuals to fulfill that responsibility? Is it because they feel pressured to do so by their family, or is it the culture of a family that pressures the individual into fulfilling that duty. Whatever the reason, this idea of ones responsibility to their heritage and family is the most evident and arguably the most important theme in Alice Walkers Everyday Use and Eudora Weltys A Worn Path. Both narratives provide and in depth look at the barriers that divide families, and the challenges they go through to overcome them. The main theme in the short story Everyday Use concerns the characters connections to their ancestral roots. In Everyday Use, Dees beliefs about her heritage and family contrast those of her mother and little sister Maggie. Maggie and her mothers connection to their heritage lie in their memories and traditions of their foremothers. They would rather remember their ancestors for who they were as people, not as members of a specific society. Dees bond to her heritage comes from collecting and displaying her ancestors possessions as African art. Dee believes that she is asserting her African heritage by changing her appearance, her personality, and even her name, in spite of the fact that her family has lived in the America for several decades. Her mother states that when Dee sees the new house, a three-room shack with no real windows and a tin roof, she will want to tear it down. (Walker 445) When Dee arrives at her mothers house her appearance confirms this trend. She is dressed in i ntricate clothing with an assortment of gold jewelry and she crudely informs her mother and sister thats she now goes by the name of Wangero. Maggie and her mother are bemused and somewhat intimidated by Dees new image as Wangero. Dees selfishness and need for independence is demonstrated at a young age when she watches her humble home burn to the ground, with a look of concentration on her face. (Walker 444) Later, Dee wanted nice things (Walker 445), particularly clothes, and was obsessed with capturing a fashion and lifestyle that contrasted with her humble roots. In contrast to Dees material life is Maggies and her mothers pride in their home and heritage, and their satisfaction with their own lives. They have made the front yard clean and wavy, a yard like this is more comfortable than most people know. (Walker 443) Because of their opposing views, each member of the Johnson family values their possessions for different reasons. Dee searches the house for objects she can display in her own home as examples of African-American folk art. Maggie and her mother value the same objects not for their artistic value, but because they remind them of their loved ones. Dee admires a butter churn, and when Maggie says it was carved by their aunts husband His name was Henry, but they called him Stash (Walker 447) Dee replies mockingly that her sister has a memory like an elephants. (Walker 447) But the story implies that Maggies elephant-like memory for her loved ones and her appreciation for their handiwork is a more authentic way to celebrate their heritage than Dees artistic interests. Dees interest in the butter churn and the quilts is brought up because they are priceless objects. She wants to have them as antiques and would not think of using them for everyday use. However, everyday use in the narrator s opinion is the best way to value the past, and to keep it alive. Phoenix Jackson, the protagonist in the short story A Worn Path, is a character who defines the theme of duty to ones family. She is the symbol of determination, endurance, and the will to survive in the face of adversity and death. In the character of Phoenix, Welty is able convey the virtue in doing selfless things for others. Her selfless concern for her grandson is the most powerful representation of giving and self-sacrifice. Critics have noted that her total determination in making the long journey on foot and alone points to these qualities, as does the mythological meaning of her name Phoenix, an Egyptian bird symbolizing resurrection. Christian symbolism is also quite clear in the narrative. For example, the fact that the story is set during the Christmas has led many critics to parallel Phoenixs journey with that of a religious pilgrimage. Phoenix Jacksons overwhelming sense of duty to her grandson is the only thing that seems to keep her focused on the long and hazardous j ourney to town. Because she is the only person her grandson has to rely on, We is the only two left in the world, (Welty 69) she tells the nurse, she is determined to make the trip to town to get the medicine that will relieve his injured throat. Her responsibility dominates her personality, overcoming her progressing senility, her poor eyesight, and her difficulty in walking. Phoenix again demonstrates her dedication to her grandson when she speaks to the hunter about her journey into town, she tells the hunter I bound to go to town, mister, the times come around.(Welty 67) While much of the storys power comes from the imagistic and symbolic use of language, the action in the story shows Phoenix in direct conflict with the outside world, a society run by white people who have little respect or understanding for her situation. A man hunting in the woods assumes that she is going to town simply to see Santa Claus, while a nurse somewhat politely calls her as a charity case and offers little compassion for the troubles of Phoenix or her sick grandson. The nurse however has a duty and a responsibility to keep giving Phoenix the medicine as long as she keeps coming to get it. She says that, the doctor said as long as you came to get it, you could have it, but its an obstinate case.(Welty 69) Even the hunter who helps Phoenix out of the ditch, and the young woman on the street, who ties up her shoes, seem to act purely out of duty, not out of compassion or love. Only Phoenixs actions, making the difficult journey into town for her grandson, are due to a true sense of responsibility and are motivated by a true love. Most people are compelled by this sense of duty and responsibility for their families and their heritage at some point in their lives. People wouldnt be who they are today if it wasnt for their ancestors and those that came before them, and if it wasnt for the love and life lessons that families provide for each other then individuals would have no idea where their place in the world is, or what to do with the gift that is life. People will often go to extreme lengths to prove or simply fulfill their own sense of duty to the ones they love. Some might argue that they only do this because they feel that they must, or that there will be some unknown consequence if they dont, but I would like to think that people do what they do for the ones they love because it has positive effects for them, as well as themselves. Its human nature to want carry out responsibilities that have been laid down and set before us, not just the need to please others. Works Cited Page Gioia, Dana and X.J. Kennedy, eds. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Tenth ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. Tom Hopkens. A Worn Path Critical Analysis. Eudora Welty Literary Criticism. 14 Oct. 2002. Google. 15 Apr. 2010. Anthony David. Everyday Use Literary Criticism. Women Literature Newsweek. 7 May. 2004. Google. 15 Apr. 2010 Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. Literature: Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 64-68. Print. Welty, Eudora. A Worn Path. Literature: Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 443-447. Print.

The Black Panther Party Essay -- essays research papers

The Black Panthers aren’t talked about much. The Panthers had made a huge difference in the civil rights movement. They were not just a Black KKK. They helped revolutionize the thought of African Americans in the U.S.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Black Panther had a huge background of history, goals, and beliefs. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, Ca 1966, founded the Panthers. They were originally as an African American self defense force and were highly influenced by Malcolm X’s ideas. They were named after Lowndes County Freedom Organization or LCFO. The Panthers had many goals like; giving back to the ghetto, protecting blacks from police brutality, and to help blacks get freedom and jobs. They also had many beliefs like; Malcolm X was a great person, and they believed that gun use was ok if necessary, or if people were oppressing the poor. The Panthers had many accomplishments while they were around, these were some of them. The Panthers gave to the need many times. They did stuff like opened food shelters, health clinics, elementary schools, patrolled urban ghettos to stop police brutality, created offices to teach young black kids, and they said that they were going to start stressing services. The Panthers had many great people join them, but one man had made a huge accomplishment that will never be forgotten. In November of 68’ the Chicago chapter of The B.P.P. was founded by Fred Hampton, he was a strong leader. The accomplishment he had made was that...

What’s on Human Mind?

[pic] [pic] Joni Mitchell Submitted to: Dr. Remedios Biavati Submitted by: Jacqueline T. Sangalang 2P4 LIT101A Joni Mitchell Born Roberta Joan Anderson; November 7, 1943 is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Western Canada and then busking on the streets of Toronto. In the mid-1960s she left for New York City and its rich folk music scene, recording her debut album in 1968 and achieving fame first as a songwriter (â€Å"Urge for Going†, â€Å"Chelsea Morning†, â€Å"Both Sides Now†, â€Å"Woodstock†) and then as a singer in her own right. Finally settling in Southern California, Mitchell played a key part in the folk rock movement then sweeping the musical landscape. Blue, her starkly personal 1971 album, is regarded as one of the strongest and most influential records of the time. Mitchell also had pop hits such as â€Å"Big Yellow Taxi†, â€Å"Free Man in Paris†, and â€Å"Help Me†, the last two from 1974's best-selling Court and Spark. Mitchell's soprano vocals, distinctive harmonic guitar style, and piano arrangements all grew more complex through the 1970s as she was deeply influenced by jazz, melding it with pop, folk and rock on experimental albums like 1976's Hejira. She worked closely with jazz greats including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, and on a 1979 record released after his death, Charles Mingus. From the 1980s on, Mitchell reduced her recording and touring schedule but turned again toward pop, making greater use of synthesizers and direct political protest in her lyrics, which often tackled social and environmental themes alongside romantic and emotional ones. Mitchell's work is highly respected both by critics and fellow musicians. Rolling Stone magazine called her â€Å"one of the greatest songwriters ever,† while All music said, â€Å"When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century. By the end of the century, Mitchell had a profound influence on artists in genres ranging from R&B to alternative rock to jazz. Mitchell is also a visual artist. She made the artwork for each of her albums, and in 2000 described herself as a â€Å"painter derailed by circumstance. † A blunt critic of the music industry, Mitchell had stopped recording over the last several years, focusing more a ttention on painting, but in 2007 she released Shine, her first album of new songs in nine years. Cultural Background Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada generally including all parts of Canada west of the province of Ontario. The West is considered by many to be a cultural region with an identity separate from that of the rest of Canada. The special cultural, political and economic characteristics of â€Å"the West† are, however, not universally agreed upon, nor are its eographical limits and stereotypes of the West mask the cultural, physical and historical differences within this vast and varied region. In Canadian politics, the term â€Å"the West† is used misleadingly in Canadian media style guides as shorthand for the Conservative leanings of Western Canadians, as contrasted with the greater likelihood for candidates from either the Liberal Party of Canada or the New Democratic Party (NDP) to be elected in Central Canada (although the NDP's roots are in Saskatchewan and Britis h Columbia). Exceptions exist, particularly in British Columbia, as well as in the prairie cities of Winnipeg and Regina, where the Liberal Party currently hold seats, as well as in other major urban centers such as Edmonton where Liberal and NDP candidates have been elected in recent history. The social democratic NDP had its origins on the Canadian Prairies and in the mining and pulp mill towns and railway camps of British Columbia, and has a history of support in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Both Sides Now Composed and Performed by Joni Mitchell Rows and flows of angel hair, And ice cream castles in the air, And feathered canyons everywhere, I've looked at clouds that way, But now they only block the sun. They rain and snow on everyone. So many things I would have done, But clouds got in my way. I've looked at clouds from both sides now, From up and down, and still somehow, Its clouds illusions I recall. I really don't know clouds at all. Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel As every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way. But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away. I've looked at love from both sides now, From give and take, and still somehow It’s love's illusions I recall. I really don't know love at all. Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say â€Å"I love you† right out loud, Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way. But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, They say I've changed. Something's lost but something's gained in living every day. I've looked at life from both sides now, From win and lose, and still somehow It’s life's illusions I recall. I really don't know life at all. Both Sides Now is a concept album by Joni Mitchell released in 2000. It traces the progress of the modern relationship through Mitchell's orchestral renditions of classic jazz songs. Two of Mitchell's own songs are also included, â€Å"A Case of You† (1971) and â€Å"Both Sides, Now† (1969). The orchestra was arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza. In the liner notes, co-producer Larry Klein describes the album as â€Å"a programmatic suite documenting a relationship from initial flirtation through optimistic consummation, metamorphosing into disillusionment, ironic despair, and finally resolving in the philosophical overview of acceptance and the probability of the cycle repeating itself†. A limited run of copies were released on February 8, 2000, in special chocolate-box packaging for Valentine's Day, including several lithographs of original Mitchell paintings. Many of these were returned to stores as the CD holder in the box would not reliably hold the disc and copies often arrived scratched. A regular jewel-case edition was released on March 20, 2000. Both Sides Now is also available on DVD-Audio. As of December 2007, the album has sold 323,000 copies in the United States. On the concert tour tie-in to this album, Mitchell performed the songs in the same sequence, but opened with an overture, â€Å"Nuages† — the first movement from Nocturnes, an orchestral suite composed by French composer Claude Debussy. â€Å"Nuages† means â€Å"clouds† in English. While the music certainly sets a romantic mood, the usage of this piece can be seen as a clever pun, since Clouds is also the name of the album on which the song â€Å"Both Sides, Now† made its original appearance. Both the album and the title song are featured in the film Love Actually (2003). *The picture on the upper left was the cover of Joni’s album, â€Å"CLOUD. REACTION I think this song means that people have different perceptions of what love and life are all about when they're children as opposed to when they're adults. When we were children, we saw love as a fairytale, hence the line: â€Å"Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you f eel, as every fairytale comes real; I've looked at love that way. † But when we became adults, we realized that love is NOT a fairytale, thus the line: â€Å"But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go, and if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away. Love and life can be painful, and children don't see that. They see love and life as a fairytale. It possibly means also that, there is no correct answer when it comes to fragile things like love and life. They are too big and meaningful to be summed up by anything. There are certain things in life you can never learn about from a book or from other people, like this song suggests life and love; you have to experience them, because they are different for every person. We'll never understand everything. You can be an idealist, or you can be a cynic, but you're silly if you think you understand it all.

Argumentative Essay Sin Taxes Are Positive for Society

Governments Should Tax Sin Products Higher In our country, the government has traditionally taxed some goods at a higher rate or at an additional rate. They do this to products called sin products, like cigarettes and alcohol. The government does this as a way to discourage the abuse or over use of these products. Recently, governments have tried to raise taxes on other products like large, sugar-filled soft drinks and junk foods. There has been opposition to raise taxes on soft drinks and snack foods, but it is a good idea. There is evidence that these taxes can reduce the number of people who purchase these items. Therefore, the added cost can help people be make better choices and be healthier. Sin taxes are something that†¦show more content†¦It is logical for the government to want to expand sin taxes from cigarettes and alcohol to new health threats in our lives, like soft drinks and junk foods. By increasing the cost of these products, governments can cause some current users to stop or lessen the amou nt of these products that they use. The added tax can also discourage some people from starting to use the products. This can really affect young people because they have a limited disposable income and the higher cost would discourage children from purchasing them. Governments also hope that by raising the costs on certain products that are not healthy, they would be promoting healthier products. Sin taxes can encourage healthier lifestyles in people and cause medical costs to go down. They have a positive effect on society. Tyler Kelly #17 ASD 1/13/13 Outline Governments Should Tax Sin Products Higher Paragraph 1: Introduction: * government traditionally taxed some goods at higher rate * do it to sin products, like cigarettes and alcohol. * does it to discourage abuse or over use * raise taxes on soft drinks and junk foods * opposition to taxes on soft drinks and snack foods, but good idea. * evidence taxes reduce people who purchase * added cost help people make better choices and be healthier. Paragraph 2: Body: * something governments doing for hundreds of years * 1600’s inShow MoreRelatedCommon Sense And Civil Disobedience Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesArgumentative Essay Common Sense and Civil Disobedience Published in the year 1776, common sense is an open challenge to the British government and the royal monarchy of that time. Paine spoke the language of a common person and worked for the independence of Great Britain. Paine states his opinion by arguing at the American Independence beginning with the theoretical and general reflections about religion and government and move on to the specifications about the situation in the colonies. By doingRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagesown conclusion, then its your responsibility to give them reasons they can appreciate. Lets examine that last remark. A conclusion backed up by one or more reasons in any order is called an argument, even when the reasoner is not being argumentative or disagreeable. The word â€Å"argument† is a technical term we will be using frequently in this course. Being logical means, among other things, that you should give an argument to support your conclusion if you expect other people to accept itRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesDiversity 18 †¢ Improving Customer Service 18 †¢ Improving People Skills 19 †¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 †¢ Coping with â€Å"Temporariness† 20 †¢ Working in Networked Organizations 20 †¢ Helping Employees Balance Work–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do