Identity Essay -- Identity character literature self

Identity is a state of mind in which someone recognizes/identifies their character traits that leads to finding out who they are and what they do and not that of someone else. In other words it's basically who you are and what you define yourself as being. The theme of identity is often expressed in books/novels or basically any other piece of literature so that the reader can intrigue themselves and relate to the characters and their emotions. It's useful in helping readers understand that a person's state of mind is full of arduous thoughts about who they are and what they want to be. People can try to modify their identity as much as they want but that can never change. The theme of identity is a very strenuous topic to understand but yet very interesting if understood. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez and Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki are two remarkable books that depict the identity theme. They both have to deal with people that have an identit y that they've tried to alter in order to become more at ease in the society they belong to. The families in these books are from a certain country from which they're forced to immigrate into the United States due to certain circumstances. This causes young people in the family trauma and they must try to sometimes change in order to maintain a comfortable life. Both authors: Alvarez and Houston have written their novels Is such an exemplifying matter that identity can be clearly depicted within characters as a way in adjusting to their new lives. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez is a tale of four girls who are forced to leave their country, Dominican Republic. This occurred because their father got into police problems ... ... true American and she has neglected who she really was. Jeanne is a different person but as she grew and became more mature through her experiences she realizes that she can't transform her identity no matter how hard she tried. The theme of identity was clearly stated in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez and Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki. In both novels families are forced to emigrate from their homeland as an act of protection. As the main characters try to adjust themselves into their new surroundings they undergo extreme pressure into trying to remain comfortable and stable in such a way that their identity (who they are) changes. But once they go back to their homeland and these characteristics are soon acknowledged by them and they then realize that you can't change who you are and your identity well always remain the same.

Total Institutions Essay -- essays research papers

Total Institutions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the year 1961, the author, Erving Goffman, published a book consisting of text and studies on mental patients and inmates, in what he has called â€Å"total institutions†. There is a large focus on the life of mental patients, due to his year long study in an American institution. However, the center of my reading was based on the institutions and the lifestyles that are reached when placed in such establishments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When describing these institutions the author referred to them as segregated communities. This is exactly what they are. One is cut off from the outside society, with little or no contact at all until the inmates stay is over. The character of these institutions is one that is an intimidating barrier to the outside world. One who’s barriers could be as simple as a fence or a locked door, but as distinct and scary as the high walls, thick bars and razor wire topped, electrically protected fences of today’s top penitentiaries. Every institution provides a new world to its members, in most successful cases, changing the perception and reality of the inmate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through the years of research conducted by the author, Goffman concluded that the total institutions in our societies breakdown into five rough groupings. There is room to expand on each one of these groupings as these findings are not precise, interpretation is the key when classifying the establishments. His first conclusion was to classify all institutions that were established to care for people who were incapable and harmless to themselves and one another. One may relate to these institutions as the may be part of our lives on a daily basis. This may be the nursing home where the elderly, widow/widowed grandmother/father is living out his last fine days on this earth. It could be one of the less than desirable child rearing homes, such as an orphanage. Or this category may also include where the unfortunate, the wanderer, and the vagrant all congregate, our nations homeless shelters. Whatever the institution may be, it is defined by a place where one may go to receive treatment, nourishment and attention when there may be no other opportunity afforded them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second of these groupings, encompasses all of the institutions that care for people who are inca... ...s schedules are all imposed by the officials that run the institution. The goals of the institution are fulfilled by these schedules and the tasks that are completed by the inmates, whether it may be a work service crew maintaining the grounds or by a janitorial staff maintaining the interior. Even though these institutions are similar in many instances to others, the do however have more contact with the outside world and rely on that contact to enhance its abilities to rehabilitate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total institutions are ones that will take away and identity and not ask questions. One where inmates are moved as managed group and looked down upon as secretive and bitter. Treating one like they are inferior and, guilty and weak is no way to re-establish someone’s life and return them to the world. Total institutions are incompatible with family , which is one of the strongest values that we need to maintain in this disintegrating world environment. We need to embrace family and do what we can to maintain our natural family values all throughout our travels and daily life. 1961 erving goffman asylums; essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates

Divorce Bill Essay

Below is a free essay on â€Å"Divorce Bill† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. New Divorce Bill Stirs Controversy in the Philippines The Philippines and Vatican City are the only Catholic countries and in fact the only two countries which do not permit divorce. Though The Philippines is a democratic country, and over the years, the evolution and transformation of the ways of life and the ways of thinking there have undergone dramatic changes, adopting other cultures and traditions, the nation remained religiously contained and oriented, which indicates that the majority of Filipinos still value their beliefs in the Supreme Being.A Divorce Bill, also known as House Bill 1799, is currently a controversial hot topic in the country. Though annulment, which is filed under Article 36 of Family Code in the Philippines, is duly being applied and allowed in the country, most of those who are pro-divorce would say that is not enough intervention for those couple who can’t live together anymore. Annulment is too costly for the marginalized sectors or common people to get approved in the Supreme Court. Thus, it only means legal separation but not actually ending marriage. This involves a claim that a marriage even from the beginning was defective and is thus null and void. Infidelity, battery or abuse, gross irresponsibility, homosexuality, impotency, and some sexually transmitted diseases in either spouse can be grounds for annulment. Furthermore, the increasing rate of abuse of women and children is an ongoing reason why people want divorce to be legal in the country. There are about 22 women per day reporting physical abuse by their spouses and that in itself is an indication that it is about time to pass a divorce law, according to the pro-divorce. For the anti-divorce, however, the sanctity of marriage is always highly regarded in respect to divine law made from the Holy Scriptures. The fear of God and the religious belief system remains intact among the majority of Fili pinos, be it non-Catholic Christians or Roman Catholics. Thus, this is†¦

Effects of Europe’s Colonization of Africa Essay

Imperialism is the political, economic, and social control by one country over another country. In the 1800’s, many European countries began their imperialism of most of Africa. But when the Europeans were finally forced out, the government, economy, and social life were in ruins because a lack of concern by the Europeans, and their hasty decisions. The Europeans ignored the social effects on the African people completely. When the new â€Å"borders† of Africa were drawn at the Berlin Conference, of which no African people had any input, the Europeans drew the lines according to what they wanted, and not what the African people had already established. The effect of this was that many ethnic and religious groups, and even sometimes families, were split up, causing mass havoc and chaos. The Europeans also decided that they were going to implement their own religion into the African peoples. Many times, if an African resisted, he would be beat for his religious beliefs because he would not convert to Christianity. Mostly, this only angered the African people. Overall, there was simply a total disregard for African life throughout the imperialism of Africa. Many Europeans had views that were contradictory. One such example is Henry Morton Stanley. Although he claimed to accept the Africans, he often portrayed them as childlike and ignorant. However, he was the ignorant one, not realizing what he was saying. Maybe it was not that he did not realize what he was saying, but he was trying to satisfy one group, while portraying his true personality to another. The political impacts of imperialism are probably the most widespread. The way the borders were drawn has created several civil wars that still rage on today. The lack of concern on the Europeans’ part created a huge problem when they left; they had made the borders so that previously warring tribes were placed in the same place, creating havoc. Also, few Africans had a strong governing power to begin with, and the leaders did not know how to deal with the economic mess, nor the social mess, because their knowledge and resources were so limited. Another huge problem was deciding who would be in power. This goes back to the civil wars and lack of concern on the  Europeans’ parts; they had made the borders so that previously warring tribes were placed in the same place, creating havoc. This led to the economic and political problems that still exist in Africa today. Economically, the Europeans depleted many of the resources that Africa had. The countries went in, plundered what they wanted, and sold it to their home countries, with the Africans receiving none of the profit. This can be likened to someone discovering a gold coin in a neighbor’s backyard, but declaring that it was their’s because they found it. This wouldn’t happen most places, but since the Europeans were the ruling powers of the time, there was no one to stop them. But what resources the Europeans didn’t completely plunder, they didn’t teach the Africans how to effectively make a profit from them. The Africans relied on the Europeans for their economy, because before their ethnic and religious groups had been separated, there was no need for an economy. But since the different areas had been reestablished as countries with peoples within its borders that fought, one had to be established. The Africans had no knowledge of how to run an economy, and as a result, there is an economic problem that still exists in Africa today. The biggest economic impact on Africa was also a social impact. Slave trade. It is probably one of the most significant issues to ever be written as history. The slave trade was the biggest exploit of Africa by the Europeans. Seeing that the Americans needed manpower for their large agricultural-based economy, the Europeans saw yet another economic road to riches. The Europeans thought of the Africans as inferior, and seeing that they could get ride of some of the resistance, they began to sell the Africans to plantation owners. This produced money for the Europeans, and separated many African families forever. Looking back on this problem, had the Europeans shown a little bit more concern for the Africans and thought about the consequences of their actions, the social, economic, and political problems that exist today in Africa would be lessened or even non-existant.

Critical response to ‘Z for Zachariah’ Essay

The book I read is ‘Z for Zachariah’ by Robert C. O’Brien. I enjoyed this book because it contained few but excellent characters and is full of mystery and suspense. ‘Z for Zachariah’ is about a sixteen-year-old girl, called Ann Burden who thinks she is the only person to survive a nuclear war. However, as her diary entries progress, you learn of a person in a green suit who is pulling what looks like a trailer covered with the same green material as the suit approaching Ann Burden’s valley. Later in the diary you find out that the person is a man who had been an industrial chemist before the war, working for the Government designing a suit to protect people in the event of a nuclear explosion. His name is Mr Loomis and he is wearing the only one of these suits. When Mr Loomis finally arrives in the valley, he is amazed by the fact that there is water, which appears to be safe but Mr Loomis makes one severe mistake. When he checks the water for the level of radiation with his Geiger counter he in fact checks the clean water in the stream but then goes on to venture further down the valley, where he finds Ann Burden’s home where the polluted Burden Creek is nearby. Once Mr Loomis has seen inside Ann’s house (where Ann has cleverly hidden any clues that could show the visitor that there has been people living there recently) he then proceeds towards Burden Creek in the hope of getting his first bath in probably months. However, not realising that the stream and Creek are not connected and in fact the Creek runs into the valley from over the hill where the pollution is, he jumps right in. Within a very short period of time after Mr Loomis has had his bath he became very ill, as he had been exposed to a lot of radiation. When Mr Loomis becomes sick Ann then realises she will have to help him and that is when she first shows herself. Ann’s diary entries take you through the events that happen when she is and is not in the company of Mr Loomis. My favourite part of the book is the first three diary entries. In these diary entries Mr Loomis has not yet arrived in the valley however Ann has seen smoke from over the hill for three days, which she presumes is from a human made fire because it is in a thin column that it rises. The smoke comes at the same time everyday, in late afternoon. Each afternoon the smoke is nearer to Ann’s home. I like this part of the book the most because in it you find out what it has been like for Ann being alone for so long because her family left her to look for other people and had never returned. It is interesting to read Ann’s thoughts of being excited and scared that she may in fact not be the only person left in the world. It is obvious why Ann would be excited about someone else coming into the valley but maybe not so clear why she would be scared. Ann is scared because after the nuclear explosion some radio stations had still broadcasted, but towards the end of them broadcasting the presenters seemed to be going crazy. Here is a quote from the second diary entry which will explain why Ann is scared â€Å"Suppose a car came over the hill, and I ran out, and whoever was in it got out – suppose he was crazy? Or suppose it was someone mean, or cruel, and brutal? A murderer? What could I do?† After this quote, you realise that Ann is a very sensible and careful person because she decides to move her things to a cave nearby her home and make it look as though no one has lived in her house. That way she can watch whoever is coming into her valley and if they are crazy or mean she can stay in the cave unbeknown to the visitor and wait until they leave. At the end of the third diary entry Ann has still not seen anyone but knows that they are camping at the crossroads and exploring North, South, East, West and when they come into the South they will find Ann’s valley. The most remarkable character in the book I think is Ann Burden. She is careful, mature, kind, helpful, sensible, confused, and strategic/logical. In the following paragraph I will explain why Ann Burden is all of the things I have just said: The reason I think Ann is careful is because when Mr Loomis is first entering the valley she goes to the cave to live there as she does not know if Mr Loomis is ‘safe.’ During the book ‘Z for Zachariah’ you realise that in fact even though Ann is only sixteen she is more mature than Mr Loomis who is quite a bit older than Ann. The proof that shows this, is all of the words I am using to describe her and she also thinks about having children to begin the human-race again. The words kind, helpful and sensible describe Ann well because when Mr Loomis is ill with radiation poisoning she helps him and is kind to him even though he’s a stranger. Also Ann still helps Mr Loomis after he tried to rape her – she gives him half of everything i.e. eggs, milk and chicken and lets him have the comforts of her home while she moves into the cave. It is obvious that Ann is confused, as she does not know why Mr Loomis is being so horrible to her especially when she has done everything she can to be nice to him and to help him. The last words to describe Ann are strategic and logical; I think these words describe Ann well because when she does not want Mr Loomis to find her she thinks about what he can and cannot see e.g. when she builds a fire she thinks about where and how to build it so Mr Loomis can’t see it – she also thinks about what time of the day to light it. The style of ‘Z for Zachariah’ is in diary form. Throughout the book there were not many figures of speech, however, there were a few similes, here is a quote from the book that describes Ann’s dog Faro when he has returned from the dead lands where there is radiation, in it there is a simile â€Å"as thin as a skeleton.† The structure of ‘Z for Zachariah’ is in chronological order, each event happening in an order that makes sense and makes the story more intense and interesting. During the book, there is not much direct speech as the genre of the book is in diary form so it contains more of the thoughts and feelings of Ann Burden. The themes in the book are effects of modern technology, survival, dominance, bullying, age against youth, optimism/realism, breeding, art v science and religion v atheism. In the following sentences, I will discuss the themes that occur in ‘Z for Zachariah.’ The first theme ‘effects of modern technology’ is the theme that allowed the story to occur because nothing in the book would have happened had there not been a nuclear explosion. The themes of survival, dominance and age against youth are all linked together and are in a way very similar to each other. These three themes are perhaps the strongest and most occurring ones throughout the book, I will explain why: survival of course is going to be a major issue, Ann is the one who thinks about this the most having thought of growing her own crops, so when the supplies run out in the shop she will still have food to survive, and that is just one example. Throughout the book Mr Loomis tries to be the stereotypical ‘Alpha male,’ he wants everything to be done his own way and to be done by him. For example when Ann said she would go into the town with the safe suit to collect books, even though Mr Loomis is still ill he refuses to let her go, perhaps thinking she is incapable or he could have been worried she wouldn’t come back with the safe suit, although I think the first scenario is more likely. The only time Mr Loomis seemed to let Ann do things her way is when he could not do things for himself, however, he never admitted it. ‘Age against youth’ is another strong theme as throughout the book you realise that Mr Loomis even though he is older he is not always wiser and more mature, in fact Ann is definitely the more mature of the two characters. Optimism and realism are two words that can explain Ann and Mr Loomis’ completely different personalities. Ann being the optimist who thinks that the results of an action will always be good and Mr Loomis being the realist he makes decisions based on facts and not on false hope. Throughout the book breeding is a theme, but more with Ann – she thinks towards the future and beginning the human-race again. The theme of art v science is one that occurs throughout the book. As Ann is interested in art and Mr Loomis is interested in science, a few quarrels occur between them. However, ‘quarrels’ is perhaps the wrong word because Mr Loomis always seemed to get his own way. Again, I will use the example of when Ann wanted to use the safe suit to collect some engineering and physics books for Mr Loomis; she also suggested that she get some for herself. Such as poetry. Yet Mr Loomis refused and said, â€Å"You could not go. Understand that. Keep away from the suit. Never touch it.† After Mr Loomis had given Ann his lecture, she could not understand why he had become so angry. It was alright if he wanted something but as soon as Ann wanted something to do with her interests, it was too much of a risk. Religion v atheism is a theme in the book. Ann being the religious one and Mr Loomis the atheist. I don’t think Ann is strongly religious, I just think she finds going to the church and praying a ‘comforting factor.’ Earlier I said Mr Loomis is an atheist. This means that he doesn’t believe that any god or gods exist, therefore he does not understand why Ann would want to go to the church and ‘waste her time’ praying. I enjoyed this book because there were few characters, which allowed you to get to know them better. I also liked the style of the book being in diary form because you didn’t have to read the minute by minute accounts of what is happening in the book you only get to read the exciting and more intense parts which would be written in a diary. The thing that made the book a little boring was the fact that there weren’t many different figures of speech. The length I though was too long, some parts of the book seemed to be dragged out to give it a longer length, for example when Mr Loomis is sick the book got a little boring because in the diary entries you really were only told what Ann had did that day, there wasn’t enough character interaction. One thing that I thought ruined the book was the ending, I thought it was exciting when you were told that there was hope that there could be other people still living and you wanted to keep reading and know if there was anyone else out there, but it just stopped. Taking the entire book into account my opinion is that it is quite good as I think it gives a good insight into what could happen if there is a nuclear explosion – it is realistic.

James Baldwin Essay

Has writing ever changed your life? Have you wondered about the author of the amazing work? James Baldwin was the author of books, plays, and essays that broke literary ground. His work explored social and racial issues regarding discrimination. James Arthur Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in August 2, 1924 to Emma Berdis Jones and an unknown father. His stepfather was David Baldwin, a Baptist preacher and a factory worker. Baldwin grew up with an abusive father and a poor family with eight siblings. He wrote and edited the school magazine at his middle school, Frederic Douglass Junior High, at the age of 11. At the ages of 14 through 16, Baldwin was a Pentecostal preacher at Pentecostal Church, delivered by the difficulties of life, as well as his abusive stepfather, who was also a preacher. At the age of 15, a running buddy, Emile Capouya, recommended the young Baldwin to meet Beauford Delaney, an American modernist painter. Delaney became Baldwin’s mentor, living proof that African-American artists exist and that he could become one himself. You might be wondering what Baldwin achieved in young adulthood as he matured into the revolutionary writer he became. After attending high school, Baldwin started a string of ill paid jobs, self-study, but earned a literary apprenticeship in New York City. Around the age of 20, Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village, New York a popular home of African American artists and writers. While in New York, he befriended Richard Wright, a fellow African-American writer. At the age of 21, Baldwin landed a fellowship through Wright. He started to publish his first essays and short stories (ex: The Nation, Partisan Review, and Commentary). Three years later, at the age of 24, Baldwin moved to Paris on another fellowship. His personal life was lonely. He once loved Lucien Happersberg, a Swiss artist that he lived with while he stayed in Switzerland. He was single and had no children. His personal hobbies included writing and reading which lead to his writing career. He enjoyed writing poems, essays, short stories, and plays that were against discrimination. Baldwin was one of the leading voices in the civil rights movement. His work broke literary ground by influencing others. Maya Angelou called Baldwin her â€Å"friend and brother† and was greatly influenced by his work. He was especially well known for his essays on the black experience in America. He provided an unflinching look at the black experience in America through his work. Nobody Knows My Name, one of Baldwin’s touching books, hit the best-sellers list, selling more than a million copies. Early on December 1, 1987, Baldwin died of esophageal cancer in Saint-Paul-de-Venice, France. He was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, near New York City. Baldwin was cheerful and active days before his death, hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. He had continued to write until his death at the age of 63. He had finished Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings, and had published The Price of the Ticket in 1985, just two years from his death. James Baldwin was an influential person. I learned that anyone can change things within and without your reach with determination. I was impressed that he was eager to change people’s perspectives of the world around them. The lesson that I learned from him was that one should do the right thing in bad situations. James Baldwin was a truly amazing person.

Diabetes Fact Sheet For African American Women Essay

Diabetes Fact Sheet For African American Women - Essay Example A number of factors account for this but most outstanding could be sighted as the fact that there is a high level of disparity in the provision of quality healthcare to all areas of the American population. Records also have it that diabetes is a disease that poses so much health threat to affected persons. Consequently, a refusal by stakeholders, especially the government to address the issue would mean that the human resource base of the country will be jeopardized because the greater part of the United States workforce would be an ailing one. Among the African American women population, there are other critical statistics of facts that are worth elaborating as far as diabetes is concerned. This is because it is a fact that other risk factors such as age and family history can hardly be controlled. Subsequently, African American women who are over the age of 50 are more likely to get diabetes than those of other ages. Again, 45% of African American women are from homes with a histo ry of diabetes. What this means is that 45% are at risk as far as risk factors are concerned.In conclusion, it would be said that preventive primary healthcare delivery must be intensified among the African American population. Policy experts can make good of this fact sheet by ensuring that in their primary healthcare campaigns, African American women are admonished to maintain a healthy weight; eat low-fat, well-balanced diet; make physical exercise a habit; and reduce alcohol intake (Women Health, 2012).