Mending the Relationship of Two Brothers in James Baldwins Sonnys Blu

Mending the Relationship of Two Brothers in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues According to Liukkonen, James Baldwin is well known for his "novels on sexual and personal identity, and sharp essays on civil-rights struggle in the United States." "Sonny's Blues" is no exception to this. The story takes place in Harlem, New York in the 1950's and tells of the relationship between two brothers. The older brother, who is the narrator and a participant in the novel, remains unnamed throughout the story. The novel is about the struggles, failures and successes of these two African American brothers growing up in the intercity as a minority. The encounters that the narrator and his brother, Sonny, have throughout the story exemplify Baldwin's theme of personal accountability and ethical criticism. The older brother, the narrator, finds himself struggling at the beginning of the story. While riding the subway, he reads in the paper that Sonny has been arrested for possession of drugs. During his day of teaching, he reflects on prior years with Sonny and their past adventures as young boys. He remembers Sonny's "wonderfully direct brown eyes, and great gentleness and privacy." The narrator sees his brother as a good boy, not "hard or evil or disrespectful." He wonders how many of his algebra students are similar to Sonny in appearance and personality along with his drug habits. This comparison allows the older brother to conclude that Sonny was probably not arrested on his initial use of drugs. It also allows the narrator is see that Sonny may be like most of the other young boys in Harlem. As the narrator makes his way to the courtyard heading home from school, a "friend" of Sonny's, another drug-user, approaches him. The narrator ... ...the narrator and all people a way of finding meaning in their pains and joys. The two brothers again can live in brotherhood and harmony. Works Cited Finnessy, Patrick. James Baldwin. 2004. Biographies. University of Illinois at Chicago: Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Heterosexual Concerns (OGLBTC). 26 Apr 2004. James Baldwin. 2004. American Masters. PBS. 23 Apr 2004. Liukkonen, Petri. James (Arthur) Baldwin Books and Authors. 2002. Amazon.com. 20 April 2004. Magill, Frank N. ed. Masterplots II: Short Story Series. Vol 5 Pru-Ter. California: Salem Press, Inc. 1986. Sipiora, Phillip. Reading and Writing about Literature. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. Wilson, Kathleen, ed. Short Stories for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context and Criticism on Commonly Studied Short Stories. Vol 2. Michigan: Gale Research, 1997.

A description of a tranditional ELT classroom in Korea

It’s a Friday afternoon. After he looks through the schedule to find out which class he has to instruct next, Mr Jo is checking up the word quiz papers which will be used to see whether they have reviewed the words that they learned from the last English class.Now he enters the door of the classroom, and tells the students running, chatting, sitting on the desk to prepare for the class. After settling down the class, he begins to check if everyone is present. And the teacher is giving out the word quiz papers and telling them to write down on the sheet the words that he will say. Right after speaking ten words he wants to check up, he has students swtch their papers, and score them, Next, the teacher gathers up all the papers and puts them aside, and he is moving to the next segment.Mr. Jo points out a student and asks her what grammar points she was instructed in the last class. Unfortuantely she doesn’t remember what she learned, so Mr. Jo warns her that if she doesnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t reivew what she learns next time, she will have a penalty for that.For students to refresh their memory of what they have learned, he starts to go over the points again. Finishing the review, he has the students open up the textbook and begins to cover the reading passage. The teacher reads all the sentences and translates them one by one as usual. Whenever he runs into a grammar point that might be new to the students, the teacher explains it in Korean, and encourages them to take notes on their textbook.After he goes through all the passage, the teacher gives them some homework to write all the sentences and to translate them to Korean on the notebook, and also asks the students to solve all the questions on the grammar and reading sections.Getting back to his desk, he piles up the quiz sheets and starts to go through the number that each student has scored today. Now he is getting ready for another class of the same level as he has just been through.  

Family structures and roles Essay

We use the word role today meaning a function or part played in life. As a member of a family or a work situation the roles we have in life depend on the situation we are in at the time. I myself am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a care assistant, a student and a friend. As you can see I have many different roles in my everyday living. The main role in my life will be the role within my family unit. This project will look at the roles of members in a family unit and how this has changed over the last 25-50 years. Nuclear family The roles within the nuclear family used to be the father being the main provider and working long hours to support his family and the mother looked after the children and the home. Because men were the ones with the money they took charge inside the family. This was considered the norm but over time changes came about when the wife began to reject the housewife role and demanded a greater say in decision making in the home. They wanted to be considered equal to their husbands. Women began insisting men carried out tasks around the home. This lead to husbands spending leisure time with family instead of spending time with his male companions down the pub after work, it resulted in close emotional bonds with his wife and children, he began to help with household tasks and childcare. With the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960’s women were able to limit the number of children they had and gave them the freedom to obtain paid employment. A marriage now became a partnership with the husband and wife now sharing the routine of everyday life. Attitudes changed in society, it was now considered normal for husbands and wives to both work and share household tasks and childcare. In today’s society it is not unusual for the wife to be the main provider and the husband stay at home to keep house and look after the children. The term househusband is now well known. There are three different roles: Joint roles; where couples work together in the house or garden. Complementary roles: where couples helped one another such as one may paint the other may paper. Segregated roles; where couples have separate jobs to do, e.g. the wife does the ironing the husband mows the lawn. Extended family The role of members in the extended family did not vary greatly from those of the nuclear family. The daughter settled in close proximity to her mother and they saw each other on a daily basis. This gave the grandmother the opportunity of a supporting role in the upbringing and education of the child(ren). They were also if able to give financial support. The extended family members usually took on the role of caring for an elderly parent. A person is now expected to live well into their 70th or 80th year, this means there has been a huge growth in the number of three-generation families. Nursing homes and residential homes are now on the increase in today’s society and the role of looking after a parent in their old age within the family unit has now decreased. The roles within the extended family have varied greatly due to women and men now having equal opportunities and both going out to work. The care of the child while the parents work is more often than not taken on by a family member e.g. grandparent aunt or uncle. Whilst the local extended family takes on the role of childcare it is both the parents responsibility to take on the role of providing for their family. Reconstituted family Reconstituted families became more popular after the divorce reform act of 1971 was introduced making it easier to obtain divorce. The roles within the reconstituted families can be very difficult due to stepparents taking on their new role and children rebelling against the discipline given out by a stepparent. In reconstituted families both the man and the woman take on the role of the living expenses and food costs of the home. Joint financing of the stepchildren’s expenses is less common, it is much more common for the mother to receive financial help from the stepfather in order for her children’s expenses. Both parents along with household tasks usually take on the role of childcare and educator. Members of the extended reconstituted family also take on the childcare role when both parents work. One parent family The role of the single parent can be a difficult one, as they have to take on the role of mother, father, carer, provider and educator. This itself can become a huge task especially if there is no immediate family around to offer support Single parents have become more popular in today’s society for a variety of reasons. There are more women than men who take on the role of the single parent but it is probably a harder role for a man to cope with. A mans role in life is seen to be masculine; they define themselves by their work role. Single fatherhood requires men to look at their priorities around work and family and so their role in life now becomes the sole provider for his child(ren). Partnership arrangements There are many types of families in today’s society including gay and lesbian couples. The public’s opinion of these couples has changed enormously over the last few years. The role of carer and educator within this type of family usually falls on both individuals. Benefit such as income support or working families tax credit is paid to the natural parent of the child and does not include the other persons income, as the law does not recognise them as a couple, therefore the main provider will probably be the natural parent but not in all cases. Cultural influences There are many people from many cultures settled in Britain today. Being of a different cultural background has resulted in prejudice. Prejudice still exists today, and although there is discrimination out there, it is against the law and much harder to prove. Because of so many cultures in our lives we have seen many changes in society, namely the opening of shops, supermarkets, take-away food shops and restaurants. Many years ago it was unusual for families to eat outside their home or the home of a family member, today take-away food and eating out is a part of every day life. We now have new tastes ranging from Chinese to Indian and Italian to Mexican. Why roles have changed Many changes have taken place over the years especially the roles within family life. The introduction of the pill made it easier for women to take control of their bodies resulting in fewer children being born. The influences that have changed the way we think the way we see the family and the roles we play are due to the media, television newspapers and magazines. Legislation has given us equal pay, equal opportunities for all and equal rights regardless of our class gender or culture. Women can now own or rent their own home and are considered equal owners in the case of divorce. Women can now take out loans or credit agreements without their husband or fathers consent. Health care has improved considerably over the years and screenings for women’s problems has been forced into action. Overall life has become better for women today. They now have the same rights as men and are considered an important part of our society today.

Immigrant Chronicle Essay Example

Immigrant Chronicle Essay Example Immigrant Chronicle Essay Immigrant Chronicle Essay Write a paragraph about ‘St Patrick’s College’ and belonging say what it says about belonging and the language feature used The poem ‘St Patrick’s College’ by Peter Skrzynecki describes his school years at the Catholic college in Edgar Street Strathfield. This is an important part of Peter Skrzynecki’s life, a time when he was trying to fit in, to assimilate, to belong. Double use of the possessive in the first line ‘impressed by the uniforms of her employer’s sons mother enrolled me at St Pat’s’ indicates his mother’s hopes and ambitions. As an immigrant mother she is trying to ensure her only child’s future inclusion in social hierarchy of their new country. However, this sentence also suggests that these are perhaps not the best ways of deciding on a school which would be suitable for Peter trying to fit in. Then in the lines ‘our lady watched/with outstretched arms/her face overshadowed by clouds’, the poet conveys that he didn’t feel included. Our lady’ represents the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and symbolizes the warmth and protection offered by all mothers as they embrace their children, However here, the negative connotation of ‘overshadowed by clouds’ reinforces his feelings of not really belonging at this religious institution. This metaphor is reinforced in the last stanza where the lady still watches over him ‘unchanged by eight years of weather’. Even after 8 years of attendance, the poet still does not really belong. Then the use of colloquial language and connotation of shared friendship ‘played chasings up and down the station’s ten ramps’ shows Peter’s young and that he is fitting into some extent but he is still unsure about where he belongs. He doesn’t feel he is part of the school. Repetition of eight years, metaphor and emotive language ‘for eight years I carried the blue, black and gold/I’d been privileged to wear’ are used in the forth stanza to emphasizes the length of time he spent at the school and the benefits he gained there. Even though he did the same things as any student does at school and did fit into St Patrick’s in some ways, he is still unsure about where he belongs. In the last stanza, negative words and tone of uncertainty are used to show Peter Skrzynecki’s time at St Patrick’s is at an end and there are some things he still can’t do, but he will never have chance to finish those things just like he will never completely belong.

Wovoka essays

Wovoka essays In the late 1880's, the Native American people were a nation in trouble. These people suffered through the Trail of Tears, starvation, and illness. Throughout all this, they managed to grasp something that they could believe in. Unfortunately, this something resulted in mass murder. Since the white man first set foot on these shores, the Native American population has had to endure gross atrocities. It started with the upheaval from their land, pushed out west. This lead to what is now known as the Trail of Tears. A large group of Indians were forced to march from Fort Defiance to their new home on reservations out west. They were forced to make this march in the middle of winter and lost one-third of the people by the time they reached their new home. The Government, in order for the Indians to agree to relocate, promised that the reservations where they were to live would receive food and supplies. Unfortunately, corrupt Indian agents made their plight worse. Because the white man had systematically wiped out the buffalo, their main source of food, the Indians had to rely on the Government for their survival. The Indian agents, whose job it was to distribute the food and supplies, gave the people rotten food or no food at all. They sold the inventory and pocketed the money. Soon after, the Indian population began to starve and fall ill due to the lack of medical supplies. Finally, there was a glimmer of hope. A young Indian named Wovoka had a vision that the Native American people would emerge from their trying times to a paradise on Earth. He began to speak of God and the coming of Christ, traditionally Christian beliefs. But he went a step further and spoke of the white man disappearing or being integrated into the Indian population. This concerned various Indian agents, who saw Indians traveling from far away to hear this messiah figure speak. Their concerns grew mor...

Chapter Assignment

A. Scope Statement Project objective To organize a casual, charity dinner-dance concert for 30 couples within four weeks at cost not to exceed $5,500. Deliverables Dinner for 60 people. Venue. Jazz music performance. Charity Information announcement. Milestone 1. Hall reserved and Jazz combo hired -February 2 2. The guest list checked-February 7 3. Invitation sent-February 14 4. Track list confirmed-February 20 5. Caterer hired-February 25 6. Tables, chairs arranged-February 28 Technical requirements . There must be dance floor that can accommodate 60 people to dance. 2. There must be sufficient number of tables and chairs that can hold 60 people. 3. There must be proper sound equipment for the music. Limits and exclusions 1. The concert will be organized to the specification provided by the local charity. 2. Alcohol drinks are not included among the ticket price but soft drinks are included. 3. Venue decoration and arrangement work limited through February 27 to March 1. Customer review The local charity b.The priorities would likely be the time and scope. The time is constrained since the concert would be held on specific date, and the scope of it must meet the specifications provided by the local charity. The quality should be accepted since the project should be on time and not to exceed the budget. Therefore, slightly lower quality is acceptable though not desirable. The one should be enhanced Is cost. Because the remaining budget will be included In charitable donations, the organizer loud take advantage of every opportunity to reduce the cost.

Information Systems Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Systems Paper - Essay Example The latter is typically referred to as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. A typical ERP platform would encompass all major functions in an organization such as Operations, Inventory & Stores, Accounting, HR, Payroll, etc. Most clients tend to purchase an off the shelf product, and contract a software deployment specialist to make the required customizations to the platform and adapt the system for use at a particular company. I was involved with the specific deployment of an ERP system at a ceramics manufacturing company with roughly 1300 employees. The company was migrating from a legacy FoxPro based system to an MS .net based client-server ERP system, which would encompass all departments and be written in the newer Microsoft .net framework with a user friendly Graphic User Interface (GUI) as opposed to the text based interface for the legacy system. The specific departments that the ERP presently covers is Accounts, HR, Payroll, Inventory & Stores, Commercial Department, Sales, and Fixed Asset Control. The Manufacturing module is being developed and will be integrated into the ERP system over the next 10 - 12 months. The ERP platform, in its present state controls virtually every business process in the company. A closed loop workflow ensures tight knit integration between departments with electronic authorizations and checks at every stage of the process. Global connectivity of the system with users in 2 factories and 4 sales offices meant that user groups had to be able to interact with the system in a secure environment to manage workflows in these remote locations. For the factory locations, the company decided on connectivity through leased lines with direct point-to-point connectivity. However, with the geographically diverse locations of the 4 sales offices, leased line connectivity was not feasible. The company decided to utilize Internet based connectivity using Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to be establish connectivity from these remote locations to the main server housed in the corporate office. Connectivity to the system was a critical requirement for all remote locations. In the factory environment, the only way for the factory warehouses to check-in and enter fresh production into inventory is by utilizing the Stores & Inventory module to generate an inward bound Material Note. The Warehouse in turn is required to generate the Material Receipt Note to complete transactions. Similarly, when the Warehouse receives an electronic request to dispatch new products to one of the four remote sales locations, it uses the system to create a Material Dispatch Note that is closed once material is received by the remote location and the ticket workflow is closed in the system electronically. In case of an unplanned system downtime or a network outage, the company's operations come to a standstill since workflows cannot be completed. One of most critical workflows that get affected is the inventory process. No inventory can move in and out of any warehouse of the company until the sys tem electronically updates its records. The company had to put in exception handling for these circumstances, which involve emailing data packets to update inventory and complete workflows when there is scheduled maintenance of the system, or where longer system shutdowns may be required. System security was another important aspect of the system.