Comparing Tension and Conflict in Things Fall Apart and Clear Light of

Tension and Conflict in Things Fall Apart and Clear Light of Day      Ã‚  Ã‚   How does the tension between traditional and modern views of the world play itself out in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", and Desai's "Clear Light of Day"?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In both Achebe's and Desai's novels, tension and conflict between the new and the old, traditional and modern are the strong undercurrents that move the story and the reader into an unconscious emotional uneasiness.    In both novels, the backdrop and the story are engrossed in a struggle between two worlds, the new and the old fighting out its battles in the characters portrayed within.  Ã‚   Achebe makes his stand in eastern Nigeria while Desai illustrates her point in Old Delhi.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first part of "Things Fall Apart", Achebe, portrays a traditional African culture, but one on the verge of change.  Ã‚   Early in the novel you can see change is already taking place.   "...in the past a man who broke the peace was dragged on the ground throughout the village until he died.   But after a while this custom was stopped because it spoiled the peace which it was meant to preserve."  Ã‚  Ã‚   But traditions continued on, including ritual killing and banishment of one of the village leaders.   But then things begin to change more rapidly with the coming of the missionaries.   When they gave them the "evil forest" to build their churches on there was no turning back.   Many of the abused and outcast were converted when they saw that these new people prospered in the evil lands. The people started to revolt against their traditional gods.   "Three converts had gone into the village and boasted openly that... ...k after...  Ã‚   But even this simple act has its overtones, "...she has always liked to rule others..."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both of these novels the main characters have to be strong to deal with the tides between tradition and modern culture.   Their lives are not easy, but while reading about them, maybe we can make it easier for others to live in our world and understand those who do not wish to make the journey of "progress".   Failing that, maybe we can at least understand our own journey through this jumble we call life.    Works Cited and Consulted    Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1986.    Desai, Anita. The Clear Light of Day London: Penguin, 1990    Taiwo, Oladele. Culture and the Nigerian Novel. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1976.

A Comparison Between A Public High School and a Private High School Ess

For my field work project, I chose to do an observation of a public high school and a private high school. The schools I decided to observe were County Public High School and The Pickard School, both of which are located in demographically similar neighborhoods. The purpose for choosing two schools with similar characteristics was to have schools with equal social and economical factors encompassing them. This, I felt would make my findings unbiased within the scope of the project. My rationale for choosing this was to comparatively analyze the differences and similarities between both of the schools, and also to see just how true the stereotype is that private schools are better than public schools. My first visit was to the Pickard School, one of the most distinguishable schools I have ever visited. The school, attended by a mere 200 students, ranged from grades 9-12. It was very clean and freshly painted. When I first walked in the front door of the school, I noticed a large, beau tiful mural of the ocean and a lighthouse with what I later learned was the school motto "Create the Vision" worded across it. I then met with the principal, who informed me about the school. I learned that this school consisted primarily of under-achieving students. Most of the parents chose to send their children there because of their sub-par performance at their prior public school. For a school made up of primarily underachievers, oddly enough, 43 of 44 of last year’s graduates went on to pursue their post-secondary studies. Comparatively, that is a much higher percentage than the 60% of County Public High School graduates who went on to college last year. What is it that is making this school more successful academically? I asked the principal, who taught for 20 years in public school, what she thought made her school different and, if anything, better than public school. She said there is only one difference and that is control. She explained that they had a greater am ount of control on many different levels that public schools do not. The private school has the right to control who stays in the school and who is expelled for failure to adhere to its guidelines. This is not the case in public schools. Another area of control was the fact that the principal as well as all of the staff were required to know every student on a personal level. Because the school is so small, i... ... heads for the business decisions and received hands on experience for the procedure of purchasing. They did not need a lab to gain this type of experience. This leads me to believe if you encourage students to put their heart into something, they are more than likely to give it their best effort. Either way they learn something from the experience. Although you can’t make a student enjoy every class and everything they’re required to learn, if you encourage them to create their vision, they will do whatever it takes to get there. Even if it means succeeding in classes that are preliminary to their achieving their goal. Gaining control by knowing each student as an individual is possible to obtain in a public school setting. I believe this is the most important approach to a successful education. I will apply this lesson when I myself will be teaching in a public school. I will make it my every mission to give individual attention to all of my students. Although I w ill have a lot more students, and this task will be difficult, it will not be impossible. It will just take more time and work. I will make every effort to focus on encouraging all of my students to â€Å"create the vision†. A Comparison Between A Public High School and a Private High School Ess For my field work project, I chose to do an observation of a public high school and a private high school. The schools I decided to observe were County Public High School and The Pickard School, both of which are located in demographically similar neighborhoods. The purpose for choosing two schools with similar characteristics was to have schools with equal social and economical factors encompassing them. This, I felt would make my findings unbiased within the scope of the project. My rationale for choosing this was to comparatively analyze the differences and similarities between both of the schools, and also to see just how true the stereotype is that private schools are better than public schools. My first visit was to the Pickard School, one of the most distinguishable schools I have ever visited. The school, attended by a mere 200 students, ranged from grades 9-12. It was very clean and freshly painted. When I first walked in the front door of the school, I noticed a large, beau tiful mural of the ocean and a lighthouse with what I later learned was the school motto "Create the Vision" worded across it. I then met with the principal, who informed me about the school. I learned that this school consisted primarily of under-achieving students. Most of the parents chose to send their children there because of their sub-par performance at their prior public school. For a school made up of primarily underachievers, oddly enough, 43 of 44 of last year’s graduates went on to pursue their post-secondary studies. Comparatively, that is a much higher percentage than the 60% of County Public High School graduates who went on to college last year. What is it that is making this school more successful academically? I asked the principal, who taught for 20 years in public school, what she thought made her school different and, if anything, better than public school. She said there is only one difference and that is control. She explained that they had a greater am ount of control on many different levels that public schools do not. The private school has the right to control who stays in the school and who is expelled for failure to adhere to its guidelines. This is not the case in public schools. Another area of control was the fact that the principal as well as all of the staff were required to know every student on a personal level. Because the school is so small, i... ... heads for the business decisions and received hands on experience for the procedure of purchasing. They did not need a lab to gain this type of experience. This leads me to believe if you encourage students to put their heart into something, they are more than likely to give it their best effort. Either way they learn something from the experience. Although you can’t make a student enjoy every class and everything they’re required to learn, if you encourage them to create their vision, they will do whatever it takes to get there. Even if it means succeeding in classes that are preliminary to their achieving their goal. Gaining control by knowing each student as an individual is possible to obtain in a public school setting. I believe this is the most important approach to a successful education. I will apply this lesson when I myself will be teaching in a public school. I will make it my every mission to give individual attention to all of my students. Although I w ill have a lot more students, and this task will be difficult, it will not be impossible. It will just take more time and work. I will make every effort to focus on encouraging all of my students to â€Å"create the vision†.

Global war on terrorism Essay

Serving my country is one of the bravest and greatest things I have done in my life. I was the first sergeant of Bravo 796 of the 14 military police brigade. Being the first sergeant was one of the most exciting jobs I have ever done, yet tough and hard, with a lot of personal responsibilities. The position is a bit challenging and demanding, so I had to be tough too. On a single day, the things that you I had to do were many, with many people complaining that they cannot get a hold of you. This might have been true, because of all the jobs that had to be done. My job was people. Dealing with people’s problems every day, starting from their health, welfare, discipline, and morale to mention but a few was the order of the day. From the time that I started my day, sometimes as early as one o’clock in the morning, having to deal with people’s problems and at the same time complete my duties at the end of the day, was so tiring. Most of the time, I had little or no time to do the paper work, as most of the duties involved outdoor activities. There was also no enough time spend with my family. The job requires that the needs of the country and the service be put before the personal needs. By doing this, I was able to enjoy the rewards of my military career. I also had to be skilled enough in matters concerning the army, because the position requires a person that is knowledgeable enough. Therefore, a lot of learning was necessary, for me to meet the demands of the position. I was mobilized for Global war on terrorism on the July of 2006 up to January 2009. Our mission was to train and to provide disciplined, physically fit, motivated, tactically and technically fit military police soldiers. The soldiers had to be familiar with the values of the army, and their character and conduct had to be pleasant, and reflecting the values of the military. In my experience as a first sergeant, one of my duties was to over see the smooth training of the soldiers in law enforcement duties. Some of the subjects that were taught were basic law enforcement tasks, reports and reforms, responding to incidents, unarmed self defense, maneuver and mobility support operations and enemy prisoner of war operations. I had to ensure that the soldiers were familiar to and fully understood the concepts that these subjects taught. Since the first sergeant’s position is the one at which all units merge, there are several key duties that are attached to this position, including holding formations, instructing the platoon sergeants, advising the commander and assisting in the training of the enlisted members. Relationship with the soldiers When the young soldiers to be first arrive at the training grounds, many of them are not aware of the reality of military training. They are not used to being shouted at and to obey orders, even when they do not feel like. They are also not used to being woken up so early in the morning by an officer shouting so loud at them. For many of them, it is their first time to leave home, or to be away from home alone for the first time to stay on their own. Despite these difficulties, they have to be treated in a manner that will harden them. As a sergeant, I had to treat the soldiers in such a way that they will able be to survive, even at the worst conditions. They have to live where they are asked to live, even when the situation is uncomfortable. However, these difficulties are imposed on purpose, to adjust the soldier’s attitude to the military way of thinking. Furthermore, it makes it easier to impose self discipline, obedience, loyalty, military rules, military policies, etiquette and sacrifice among other values and customs of the military to them. Some people say that the military officers gain pleasure in making the lives of the soldiers difficult. However, from my experience, I would not say that this is true. They only adhere to the rules of the military, to train the soldiers both physically and psychologically, in order to tear apart the civilians, and build from scratch a dedicated, physically fit and a proud member of the United States Armed Forces. Being in direct contact with the soldiers, and at the same time able to influence them for the better using your power is the key to earning their respect and to understand them. This is one of the most importance things that the first sergeant has to do. Your influence is so important that it determines whether a company will fail or deteriorate. As the first sergeant, I had to take all the knowledge I had and effectively pass it to the commanders of the units to teach it to the soldiers effectively, and at times training them myself. Being the first sergeant, you can only know if your efforts in training the soldiers have been effective through the behavior and the work of the soldiers. Normally, I had to make sure that my behavior, especially when around the soldiers is at its best. If a sergeant’s behavior is rotten, then the company will definitely copy that, and the results will be rotten soldiers. I also had to be completely involved and aware of every thing that goes on in the army, especially with the soldiers. This is why the position is so important, that most people refer to it as the livelihood or the blood of the army. A sergeant is required to act as an exhibitionist, to display his impressive character to all the other members. Sometimes, it may be said or thought that he is boasting; such a behavior is not egotistical, but it is required and can be viewed as a way of setting the example. Therefore, I had to ensure that my behavior is exceptional and outstanding. By doing this, it is assumed that the members of the unit will want to be exceptional too, putting aside their differences involved at a personal level, and work or live as brothers. As the duty of the first sergeant, I had to train the members of the units to the best of my interests, and be proud of them and their achievements. This entails praising the soldiers and talking proudly of all their success and positive attitudes to different people. In my experience, I learnt that a first sergeant’s role is important, in that he should act as the leader for the soldier’s success, and should he fail, the unit members may fail too. To attain the best of the soldiers, he needs to discipline them and be tough, to ensure their behavior is pleasant and acceptable in the military. He should also be a wise counselor, giving them advice whenever they need it. Being a provider is also a major duty of the first sergeant to ensure that they are comfortable. I also had to be a confidant to the soldiers of my company, listening to them and also being a friend in general. These are some of the aspects that bring the sergeant and the soldiers closer, to establish a close relationship comprising respect and concern to them. Relationship with the captain A unique relationship comprising of respect and confidence should exist between the sergeant and the commander. This relationship should not be the buddy to buddy kind of relationship, but one based on the work values. In most cases, such a relationship with the captain is not so common with officers of other ranks within the military. Being the first sergeant, I had to ensure that the will of the captain is carried out. When the first sergeant is given the title during his appointment, then he is automatically given authority to pass his ideas to the captain, to ensure the learning of the soldiers is as effective as it can be. While advising the captain, I sometimes found myself arguing or disagreeing with him on several matters. This is where there the authority, professional relationship, past experiences, and loyalty with the captain was required. At times, there are situations when the captain is not as experienced as the first sergeant. This may lead him to disregard the advice given to him by the sergeants. There can also be times when the sergeant’s reasoning has saved the captain’s reputation, which signifies the important role of the sergeant as the advisor to the captain; that failing to take the sergeant’s advice may lead them to making blunders that may cost them their jobs. In conclusion, I would say that the role of a sergeant is very important in the military training ground. Being a good leader, showing all the desirable characteristics, and above all things being able to interact with people of all kinds were some of the characters that guided me. Otherwise, I would not have been able to execute the position’s duties, and my job would have been a lot harder. Training the soldiers to the best of my knowledge for the sake of the countries safety was my priority, and today, I am proud of the service I gave my country. References 1) Military, Global security. org, 2009, retrieved on 2/9/2009 from http://www. globalsecurity. org/military/intro/enlist. htm

2012 Hsc English Essay

2012 English HSC Essay by Marcus Kraefft An individual’s perceptions of belonging can change in response to the passage of time and their interactions with the world. Constructive interactions can increase one’s sense of belonging. In the same way destructive interactions or alienation can decrease one’s sense of belonging. The passing of time also affects an individual’s sense of belonging in that it can lead to an appreciation of place and culture. One’s sense of belonging also depends on whether they choose to belong and are chosen to belong, but choice is not always enough.Although both parties may want to belong to each other, barriers can still exist, preventing a sense of belonging. This is evident in Raimond Gaita’s ‘Romulus, My Father’ (1998) and ‘American History X’ (1998) directed by Tony Kaye. The sense of belonging of the individuals in these texts evolves through the elapsing of time and interactions wi th their world. An individual’s interaction with their world shapes their sense of belonging; constructive interactions increase one’s sense of belonging.Upon first moving to Australia Romulus was immediately drawn to Horu and Mitru because they have similar backgrounds. Romulus had many interactions with Horu and Mitru and as a result Romulus felt an increasingly strong sense of belonging to them. Romulus spent more time and interacted more with Horu and we see that Romulus developed a stronger friendship with Horu than with Mitru. Raimond also had many interactions with Vacek and as they met more often Raimond felt more and more comfortable with Vacek, showing an increased sense of belonging.Similarly in ‘American History X’, Derek despises negroes and has no sense of belonging to them. When Derek goes to prison though, he is forced to interact with negroes through prison duties such as folding sheets together. From this Derek forms a strong friendship w ith a particular negro, Jim, and as a result of their interactions, his perspective of negroes changes for the better. â€Å"In here, you the nigger†, as quoted by Jim, shows the contrast in the environment Derek is in; he was used to a white dominated society and is now forced to live in a society dominated by negroes.In the same way that constructive interactions strengthen a sense of belonging, destructive interaction or alienation can weaken a person’s sense of belonging. In ‘Romulus, My Father’ Christine is forced to move with Romulus to Australia. â€Å"She’s a city girl†, who felt alienated in the barren landscape of Frogmore – â€Å"a landscape that highlighted her isolation†. Her mental illness reduced her number of interactions with others and directly resulted in a decreased sense of belonging.Alienation causes loss in one’s sense of belonging and can be expressed through desensitisation. This is present in â⠂¬ËœAmerican History X’. The skinhead clan reject all negroes and immigrants, alienating them. Alienation results in a decreased sense or absence of belonging, which can be represented by causing harm to another with no remorse. This is shown in ‘American History X’ when Derek murders two negroes and then smiles about it while being arrested by police, as if he is proud of what he has done.This absence of belonging between the skinheads and the negroes applies to both parties. This is shown at the end of the film when a negro high school student gruesomely shoots and kills Danny, Derek’s brother, in the school bathrooms. He stood in silence with no emotion and no remorse. This scene shows how alienation affects a person’s decisions, actions and reactions. Choosing to belong and being chosen to belong often leads to a sense of belonging but choice may not always be enough. Certain barriers may exist to prevent a sense of belonging.In ‘Romulus, My Father’ Christine chooses to belong with Raimond as his mother and Raimond accepts his mother, loving her very much, but Christine’s mental illness prevents her ability to nurture Raimond as a mother should. Horu sees this lack of attention and despises Christine because of it, asking her to leave and never come back. Although Christine wanted to belong, her mental illness affected her relationship with both Raimond and Horu. This demonstrates Christine’s inability to integrate with Australian culture. Another barrier to a sense of belonging is race.In ‘American History X’ the negroes and immigrants want to fit into the local community but because of their race the skinhead clan reject them. Similarly in ‘Romulus My Father’, upon arrival to Australia Romulus wants to be accepted by the Australian culture but initially he is not because of his foreign background. Over time Romulus is eventually accepted into the Australian community b ecause of his hard working habits. This shared value allows Romulus to integrate with Australians and form a strong sense of belonging with Australian culture.An individual’s sense of belonging is affected by the passing of time in that it can lead to an appreciation of place and culture. Initially Romulus did not like the Australian landscape – â€Å"The noble red gums†¦ seemed symbols of deprivation and barrenness†. Raimond was influenced by Romulus’ European stories and memories but over time Raimond began to show an appreciation and sense of belonging to the Australian landscape. This is shown when Raimond is about to shoot a wild rabbit but does not because he realised that the environment and nature itself is beautiful.The elapsing of time also allowed Romulus to build up a strong reputation of being a hard working blacksmith. He developed trust with Australians over time which would have been difficult given Romulus’ foreign background. Initially in Australia Romulus had little knowledge of the environment and its effects on everyday life. Romulus accidentally lit a hay stack on fire, not being familiar with the hot and dry climate. Over time Romulus was able to adapt to the Australian environment and so he no longer made mistakes and was therefore accepted by Australians as a worker.Similarly in ‘American History X’, Derek initially despises negroes, but his time and interactions in prison change his perspective of them. Derek is alienated in prison and vulnerable to assault from the negroes but Jim tells them not to harm Derek even though he is a Neo-Nazi. Derek discovers that Jim saved his life; Derek as a direct result appreciates negroes and accepts them, showing respect and friendship. Derek’s opinion on foreigners is changed by the actions of one man.From these points it becomes clear that the passing of time and the interactions of an individual with their world shape that individualâ⠂¬â„¢s sense of belonging: Constructive interactions often result in a sense of belonging whilst destructive interaction or alienation results in a decreased or no sense of belonging. Choice also affects one’s sense of belonging however choice may not always be enough as there are often barriers preventing a sense of belonging such as mental illness and race. Time can also have an impact on an individual’s appreciation of place and culture, increasing their sense of belonging.

After Thousand Years Essays - Anaida, De, Green Leaves, Free Essays

fter thousand years naida want to believe to a memory and love, left man after him and no matter what he did no matter what he does and will do in his future , he just has to do something good for world?s sake, something important to every body who he is surrounded with, let it be a very little thing? here was a man, so he created how to write and read, he taught then children how to do it. Soon they became talented writers; there was a man, he painted pictures and in the museums people were feeling better in their hearts looking at them; there was a man, he planted a seedling, after some years it grew up a big tree and made the air cleaner. here will be a man and he will continue loving, his love will retain through the centuries and after thousand years you?ll see a tree full if green leaves, under it?s shadow will sit a painter drawing a picture on canvas of a writer with a lot of papers on his knees and many other people will be around them walking, smiling from the bottom of their hearts. You can explain a picture and you?ll see that the only name for it - is the one ? ?life is beautiful?.

District Attorneys office Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

District Attorneys office - Research Paper Example A good attorney spends most of their time researching, has a great memory and writes convincingly, so any degree that prepares on for this is probably a good choice. Depending on what particular field in law one wants to go into, there are other options. It is not unheard of for individuals with an established career to attend law school in mid-life in order to become a litigator in their chosen field. Many colleges offer some sort of pre-law coursework and this is not a bad idea if it can be worked into the schedule. Any course of study at the undergraduate level that familiarizes the student with the course of study in law school will be of benefit and help the student achieve higher comprehension and higher grades in law school. Asking the prospective law school what kind of coursework would be beneficial will result in solid information as to what the admissions board would like to see. Wise students will try to provide the admissions board with a high GPA along with the course o f study and life experience the board is looking for if they want to be admitted. If law school is the goal, then the undergraduate degree is just the final step on the path prior to law school. With undergraduate degree in hand, the next step is to get accepted into law school. An appropriate degree from a good school, a high grade point average and an excellent LCAT score should provide the applicant with many options as to which school to consider. There are three types of law schools and each provides the student with a different experience and benefits package for a variable price. : Ivy League schools such as Harvard or Yale are the top tier, where the coursework is rigorous but the real value is the rolodex one could walk away with after graduation. Ivy League schools are expensive and should be considered an investment in who one gets to know as much as what one learns. The value of relationships and â€Å"connections† cannot be understated, and this is the true value of attending the prestige schools. There are plenty of solid Universities that have excellent law schools, all provide a solid education and possibly some good connections but the value of this choice is the quality of the education in terms of cost. It is possible to shop around and find a well-regarded law school that offers the degree for a much lower price than a comparable school. Keep in mind that the admission process will be tougher because more people will be applying. (Sedberry) The bottom tier schools simply provide one with a degree and hopefully the preparation necessary to pass the bar exams. Cost and time are usually the major issues here, as it is possible to go to school part time and complete a law degree in four to six years. Several schools offer online law degrees (adultlearn.com). A prosecutor works for the State, so any law school will work as long as it results in passing the bar exam. The better the school the better-off the individual is when trying to get hired, but passing the bar exams makes the attorney a member in good standing with the union. The course of study in law school is normally three years and results in the award of the Juris Doctorate degree. In general, the first two years of law school consists of the basic curriculum and all the students are in competition with one another. The class standing is based on the performance in these classes. One way to

Product Design and Development Management [Brand creation and Essay

Product Design and Development Management [Brand creation and development] - Essay Example Karl Speak even argues that marketplace position and intimate relationships are today valued above profitability. The present â€Å"information age† has turned consumer culture development and brand relationships as the new â€Å"best practice† in business (49). What makes branding an important marketing tool, is that â€Å"the brand image is enduring in the minds of the customer† (Montague 17). Branding is a powerful instrument to counteract market negative pressures, because branding makes companies, products and services visible and distinct; it prolongs products life cycles, and allows companies to sustain costs and prices to levels that are less dependent on competition. Developing a strong brand identity that is consistent with corporate strategy is therefore the recipe for long-term success. Brand identity refers to the degree a product has achieved a distinct image in the eyes of consumers and the general public (Schmitt et al 83). â€Å"It’s corporate strategy made visible.† (Peters 11). Brand identity is closely related to customer impressions, meaning the image a product or a company actually has, as opposed to product or corporate expressions, meaning the image that is desired (Schmitt et al 84). Often companies produce positioning statements that describe how the brands should be positioned in the minds of customers. These statements are the backbone for branding strategies that attempt to minimize the gap between desired brand image and actual identity. Brands make promises for unique product experience. Delivery of those promises is therefore crucial for creating lasting impressions and loyal customers. The brand management profession commands a range of tools for successful brand development. These are graphic standards, conformity to corporate identity, marketing communications sending consistent brand