Morrisons Beloved Community Essays - Beloved, Women And Death, Sethe

Morrison's "Beloved" Community After the abolishment of slavery, the black community became the core of African American culture and life. This was due in part by segregation and other socioeconomic factors, but also to the spiritual and social unity of each black member. This was well exemplified in the story, as each former slave underwent arduous struggles to affix the broken pieces of their lives and attempt to become independent members of the community in a time which did not allow them to accomplish such a feat. The black community played a major role in Beloved, especially with their interactions with Sethe. After Sethe's escape from slavery, she traveled to Cincinnati to reunite with her children and mother-in-law, Baby Suggs. She arrived at 124, a house constantly filled with people and happiness. Where not one but two pots simmered on the stove; where the lamp burned all night long. Strangers rested while their children tried on their shoes. Messages were left there, for whoever needed them was sure to stop in one day soon. (Morrison, 87) Sethe was enveloped with love and security, while Baby Suggs, the local spiritual leader, became the driving force in the community, gathering the people together to preach self love and respect. When warm weather came, Baby Suggs, holy, followed by every black man, woman and child who could make it through, took her great heart to the Clearing... (Morrison, 87) Toni Morrison's Beloved is a book about a community made up of individuals running away from their pasts. In meeting a few of those individuals and learning how and what they are running from, it becomes obvious that no one can deal successfully with the burden of past memories alone. Those who attempt to face their troubles alone wind up tiring out and giving up, as is demonstrated by Baby Suggs. Sethe and Paul D however, try to fight back the past only to realize it cannot be done alone. After doing so, they find that with the community or a loved one to encourage you to put some of your weight in their hands, (22) the present becomes tolerable and a future possible regardless of the past. Baby Suggs, a prominent figure in the community with an intolerable present and past, which helped her learn early on what it was like to be left alone, to deal with difficulties. When the community that had served as her strength withdrew its support, because they were angry and had taken offense to the uncalled-for-pride (137) Baby flaunted when her grandchildren and daughter-in-law were finally together, she no longer felt the support. As if the weakness Baby was suffering from their disapproval was not enough, the family was hit with another blow, when Sethe was imprisoned. As Sethe is being taken away by the sheriff, the community who was already looking unfavorably upon the family's pride, asked the questions: Was her head a bit too high? Her back a little too straight? (152). These questions foreshadowed how, as long as 124 continued to be prideful, the community would keep their support withdrawn from the family that lived within. As a result, Baby Suggs, Sethe and the rest o f the family was left to deal with their trials alone. Hence, Baby who at one time found her strength in the community, lost that sense of belonging, her strength then died leading to her giving up the fight. "Her past was like her present - intolerable, and since she knew death was anything but forgetfulness, she used the little energy left her for pondering colors. " (4) Without the community, Baby Suggs stopped looking towards a future and relinquished her fight to ponder color, an occupation that took no energy on her part and that she could accomplish without anyone's help. Similarly, Sethe was left to deal with her problems alone, rather than giving up however, she threw herself into keeping what she has left, and protecting her family from the past. To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay. The 'better life' she believed she and Denver were living was simply not that other one (42). Sethe's equation for a future meant subtracting or running away from the past at all

Mycobacterium leprae essays

Mycobacterium leprae essays Mycobacterium leprae is a chemoorganoheterotroph microbe that causes the disfiguring disease called leprosy. Leprosy is also known as Hansens disease because it was first discovered by Dr. Armauer Hansen is 1873. Leprosy has been around since biblical times but there was no treatment available until the 1940s. Mycobacterium leprae has never been grown in artificial cultures but can be grown in the footpads of mice and armadillos. Mycobacterium leprae closely resembles the size and shape of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mycobacterium leprae is acid-fast, gram-positive, and rod shaped. It also has a thick, waxy coating. Leprosy has a gradual onset which can take years due to the long incubation period which can be as long as three to five years. This disease is transmitted through the skin or the mucus lining of the nose and throat. Children are more susceptible than adults to contracting the disease. Some of the symptoms of leprosy are one or more skin lesions with decreased sensation, lesions that have not healed after several weeks to months, numbness in extremities, and muscle atrophy. There are two common forms of leprosy, tuberculoid and lepromatous. Tuberculoid leprosy causes the loss of sensation of the skin and atrophy of the muscles. This is the mildest form of leprosy and there is nerve damage but it is non-progressive. The more severe form of leprosy is lepromatous leprosy which is also the progressive form of this disease. Less nerve damage is associated with this form but facial features, fingers, and toes disintegrate. People with long-term leprosy may lose the use of their hands or feet because the absence of sensation can cause injuries to go unnoticed. Inadequate care causes infection of open wounds. Gangrene may also follow, causing body tissue to die and become deformed. The person infected could also experience blindness if the disease continues to advance. ...

Manufacture and Sale of Counterfeit Goods Essay

Manufacture and Sale of Counterfeit Goods - Essay Example Peter Law, in his article, â€Å"A Call for more Sweatshop† and others who favor sweatshop labor argue that it provides a means of employment for the weaker section of the population which helps the lower income population to lead a better livelihood. In addition, such companies provide employment for women, and that would, in turn, help them to become more independent and self-supportive. While sweatshop labor does provide a means of employment for the people, the mental and physical turmoil endured by the employees is much more than the benefits gained. In addition, the manufacturing of fake goods by itself is illegal as it is a deliberate infringement of the intellectual property rights of companies that produce the original goods. Hence, stricter policies and judicial changes should be introduced to close down companies producing fake goods and help save the lives of millions of women and children who are forced to work under horrendous conditions. The production of fake or counterfeit products is a violation of intellectual property rights and it poses a significant threat to the world economy as both businesses as well as the consumers are at a loss. As mentioned by Goodwin, the intellectual property theft has affected the world economy to the tune of nearly $600 billion a year. The number of fake products being seized is increasing at an alarming rate with a recent report from the EU customs showing seizure of nearly 100 million products in 2001. This illegal trade is part of every sector such as the information technology sector, clothing, toy industry and pharmaceuticals to name a few and the global market of counterfeit products have risen from 3 billion a year to nearly 100 times more (Counterfeiting and Organised Crime). The sale of counterfeit products has risen sharply over the past decade. A recent report shows that both industrial and commercial counterfeiting represents about 5 to 7% of trade in the world.

Psychological theories Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Psychological theories - Research Paper Example People need to feel loved and appreciated in order for them to change from bad habits (Schur,  2001). Therefore, the society should treat people in a better way instead of labeling them. This way, persons will not feel stigmatized despite their past actions. Instead, they will even desire to change in and become better persons. Therefore, indeed labeling theory has a significant effect on the psychology of an individual. Background Most of the crimes in the world are usually owed to poverty or lack. Although it is true that individuals may commit some crimes such as theft due to lacking some materials possessions, other crimes such as murder cannot be owed to lack or insufficiency of wealth. Serial killers are mostly defined as individuals who kill more than three people within a very period. For instance, records kept of serial killers show that they killed upto three victims per day. Serial killers do not just murder their victims. Most of them rape or sodomize their victims befo re putting them to death. There have also been cases of killers who mutilate the bodies after the victims have died. It is for these reasons that serial killers are thought to be psychopaths who have no conscience at all. Scholars assert that serial killers mainly murder out of psychological reasons such as labeling by the society (Cote,  2002). ... In addition, they are also not individuals who will have regrets after committing their crimes. Instead, scholars assert that these individuals derive fun and pleasure from these inhuman acts. The Labeling Theory and Crime The labeling theory states that people can create an individual’s bad character when they stigmatize them (Bryant, 2012). For instance, when an individual has been charged with criminal activities, people in the society are likely to label him or her as a criminal. The labeling theory asserts that; when an individual has been labeled in a certain way in the society, they tend to start acting according to their label (Cote,  2002). In addition, when people feel they are being treated like criminals they become frustrated and filled with anger. Therefore, the only way to vent this anger is by murder, as a way of taking revenge on humans. The theory also asserts that persons that have been labeled do not have peace inside themselves. Therefore, in order to en sure that other persons are also not peaceful too, the individuals prefer to take their lives by killing them. Therefore, the key causal factor arising from labeling theory is frustration. Individuals become frustrated due to stigmatization in the society. The labeling theory asserts that when an individual has been labeled, a number of factors in him become affected and thus, he starts engaging in criminal activities. This is because; labeling significantly affects the psychology of an individual. Labeling theory and the Social Psychology of an individual The social psychology of an individual refers to his social attributes. While some individuals are born while antisocial naturally, labeling affects the

Presidential Transition and Policy Priorities on Civil Rights Essay - 1

Presidential Transition and Policy Priorities on Civil Rights - Essay Example These among other concerns are what makes the upcoming days doubtful and very uncertain. I think that acknowledging and taking into account the reality of any situation is the focal point of any circumstance that arises. Being honest with oneself and the public at large makes it easier for everybody to see what exactly is going on and how it is presently affecting the lives of one and all. Others may think that accepting a weakness or flaw is limiting the ability of an individual to think of an appropriate action. What others may not realize is that it is actually the starting point of trying to solve a problem. Because once a dilemma is openly admitted, it is easier to focus on forming plans on how to reduce the damage and eventually eradicate it when short term and long term solutions are made and implemented. not just happen in one day, it is expected that its resolution will also have to come in gradual phases. Hence an abrupt improvement is not likely to happen at once, and the worst could still turn up around the corner. In line with the economic upheaval, the State of the Union also mentioned the need to empower the American people as to how they would use their money to offset the crisis at hand. This does not necessarily mean handing over money to the people per se but showing them that public money is being put to good use and the government is not squandering it to serve its own purpose. However unlikely, this could be one of the answers on how to stabilize the weakening economy, because everybody will have to learn to spend wisely and frugally. It also goes to show that the people are really the heart of the nation for they have a say on how things should be managed in order to keep their heads above water. Having an economic and financial crisis on hand does not mean total devastation of the economy because there is always a chance to turn things around for

Devising As A Journey Of Exploration And Discovery Theatre Essay

Devising As A Journey Of Exploration And Discovery Theatre Essay Devising is a very fluid form of theatre. Taking inspirations from anywhere and everywhere, a devised performance can be in any form and on any topic. This style is in direct contrast to scripted theatre, where a text is laying out the plot, direction, characters and details of the final performance. Although there is freedom for a personal interpretation of the overall view and form of the piece, the rehearsals and performances are confined by what has already been decided by the playwright. But devising is unlimited, in which a company can produce a performance on any theme or topic, taking ideas from any part of life and producing something new and fresh †¦the precise nature of the end product [of devised theatre] is unknown. In conventional theatre, however, everyone knows the production is, for example, Shakespeares Hamlet from the outset. (Oddey, 7) An example of a devising piece is the recent Fairytale Mash-Up which I was involved in as an actor. For this our original stimulus was a collection of short fairytale stories, some of which were familiar and others were unknown to the group. On reading the stories we found them to be surprisingly gruesome, which was something that is not necessarily picked up when a fairytale is heard as a child, such as the butcher cutting off the girls feet in Red Shoes. This was an unexpected twist and was the main basis of the beginning of our idea, as we decided from the very start that the Fairy Godmother would be dead, and therefore would not make all dreams come true as is usually expected of this character. Already we had a new interpretation of a classic idea, but our own input had discovered a new alternative. As oak trees grow from small acorns (Greet, Why Devise) and all ideas must stem from somewhere, the actors within a devising group are responsible with feeding new ideas into the group to create more diversity within the piece. Through this an actor has the power to get what they individually want from the piece and therefore it becomes more personal for the actors. It becomes their piece in a deeper way than, for example, a Chekhov play would, as it is inspired by their own ideas and experiences. In the Mash-Up I personally wanted something from it, having not attempted a murder mystery before and having not explored the true possibilities within comedic theatre. Devising allows us, as actors, to explore ourselves, our possibilities and our limitations. Sarah Kane believed that if something could be imagined then there was a way of reproducing it on a stage, and with this in mind an actor can explore distant memories and fantastical stories in aid of a devised performance. As every human is unique and no two people have the same experiences, a devised company has a whole variety of stimulus that is previously unseen and unexplored by a public audience. In this, the not knowing is clear, as at the start of development of a piece nobody knows what will be their influences and stimuli, and this creates a feeling of excitement and in return provides energy for the piece. This, as a result, means inevitably every devised piece will always be original due to the fact that a different group of actors will provide different motivations, due to the contrasting relationships within the group. In the 1960s a group was formed called the People Show and their performances relied on the differences and conflict between individual artists within the group, which changed with every new shows situation, conditions and circumstances. Every show was a unique devising performance. (Oddey, 5-6) This company is an ideal representation of a devising company, as they are described as a group of individual artists in collaboration with each other, taking risks, having a sense of unknown at the start of the devising process (Oddey, 6). It is this risk-taking that is important to devising, as people need to lose their inhibitions for true inspiration and new ideas to form. Having worked with members of my group before there were connections for some, but others were new relationships that had to be built during the development process. A benefit of this was that fresh eyes on an actor would see a talent within them that had maybe not been explored before, that their closer friends would have overlooked as being too obvious. In this risks were taken, not all of which were successes but by doing rehearsals we allowed the freedom and non-judgement of an idea so that even if only a tiny aspect of it was used later, we made it so that actors would not fear having ideas rejected within the group. One of the main techniques within devising is improvisation, which in reality is the basis of most devised work. This is a spontaneous activity, and therefore allows freedom, as an actor is not tied down by any limits, there is no final destination laid out in advance and there is limited if any direction made. The actor can be in the moment, without having to concern his thoughts with the next moment: Nothing is fixed and absolute, it is in flux, what will the next moment be? (Bentley, 78) In improvisation the next moment is not important, it is about focusing on the current and feeling free to explore in the present without fear of the future. Not all improvisation goes well, and more than often it takes more than several tries to find something worth anything, which is why continued improvisation is vital for discovering new things, because if a company always goes with the first idea they limit themselves greatly where they should be free to pick and choose from many ideas. Addit ionally a benefit of devised work is that even a concept that has been weeks in processing can be dropped if needed something that is not so possible within scripted work. In our piece we swapped and changed characters as we felt needed one member was set to be the Fairy Godmother before this was changed weeks in, but it was discovered that this actually allowed the original actor to experience more, having been able to try out more than one character until she found one that would fit with what she wanted out of the devising experience. Additionally, original characters like a reclusive genie were dropped as we felt necessary, and in early stages we were regularly swapping characters until we found an option that gave everyone the best opportunities for themselves and for the group. WE toyed with the idea of simply picking out characters from a hat then performing as them or producing still images without discussing it, but this became more complicated as some were drawn more to a certain character and struggled with more obscure options. As time went on and the piece became more complex and structured, one group member produced poems which acted as monologues for all the different characters, so in time we found ourselves structuring scenes around these poems as more were produced. It was quite interesting combining improvisation with scripted work, as we could improvise and develop until we found a place where the poem fit, and once it was done we would improvise the end of the scene as well. This meant that we could feel sure that the scene would have a point but we would still have the freedom to play around the set information. Additionally, as all the scenes were flashbacks for various murder suspects, there was no set order for them to be in, so this also added the opportunity to play with different orders to study the flow of energy from one to another before finding the right arrangement. Oddey says how thinking on your feet allows the individual to respond to new ideas or thoughts spontaneously, to sense and react to others so that the interaction or combined operation often produces unknown or unseen fresh material. This is not to underestimate the value of or importance of group discussion, but to point out the danger of becoming preoccupied with talking (155) and this is definitely a significant point. In our group we found that discussion was best left until after trying out some free improvisation and even then it needed to be brief otherwise it became compressing. We gave ourselves strict time limits and this meant that there wasnt time to talk and added concentrated energy into a moment, which often created new and exciting results. Devising is also about exploring how common ideas and regular day-to-day things can be flipped on their head and transformed into brand new perspectives, thereby challenging our preconceptions. (DV8, Artistic Policy) Theatres priority is to get a message across or to make an audience feel something particular, and more than often this is done through opening their eyes to the obvious but unexpected. This is the use of the known rather than the not known but has just as much if not more of an impact on viewers. The forgotten and the ignored are just as important as the undiscovered and in fact these things make it more personal and an actors own memories or feelings have a real power to shape plot or characters. Additionally, using influences from outside of theatre is very important and often not considered. For Frantic Assembly neither of its artistic directors has a formal background in drama, theatre or dance. In creating work, the company relies on influences that lie, for the mo st part, outside the realm of theatre and its regular forms and practise. (Frantic, †¦uk/p110.html) For our work we were inspired greatly by the 2001 film Shrek and used nursery rhymes for development in one scene. By looking further than common theatre techniques and looking outside the box, we found more options for variety within the piece. The physical company DV8s focus of the creative approach is on reinventing†¦ with meaning, particularly where this has been lost through formalised techniques (Artistic Policy). Another skill in devising is the use of play and re-exploring our childish minds, though not pretending to play as a child, but rediscovering the intensity of focus we experience as children (Greet, Why Devise), as this removes inhibitions and helps to reintroduce the more fantastical creative imaginations we once had. Consequently it makes actors less fearful of bad ideas and therefore less afraid to be more outrageous and experimental. One can then look beyond self-perceived limitations (Frantic, †¦uk/p106.html) and find a more energetic side, which means that physical theatre is achieved much more easily. Even closing ones eyes makes judgement less threatening which provides opportunity for even more exploration. In devising, the aim is to produce brand new theatre that has not been seen before. We found in our company that we often did not know what would happen next; in fact the murderer was not decided until well into the rehearsal process. It made no sense to know the end before the beginning or middle, so we did not rush this decision. Our piece was not a search for knowledge, but for the unknown. (Barba, 5), so knowing the ending would have confined us and limited exploration, constantly distracted by the final message of the piece. Even if two companies did a performance of The Caucasian Chalk Circle for example, completely uninfluenced by each other, they would still be telling the same story. This is why for our piece we used well-known characters but then added a twist, such as Cinderella actually being an obsessive cleaner. By exploring all of our different possibilities we did discover new opportunities and new perspectives on theatre as a whole. The real discovery, however, comes at the end, when we watch it back and see what we have achieved from scratch, and finally acknowledge and notice how our own input has provided a brand new interpretation: Now we have made a journey in our own home. True travellers know this experience very well: the unknown world is discovered when one returns. (Barba, 146)

Scarlett Letter :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a novel with much symbolism. Throughout the novel several characters represent other ideas. One of the most complex and misunderstood characters in the novel is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol – one that is always changing. Although Pearl changes, she always symbolizes evil. Pearl symbolizes evil in the story by representing God’s punishment of Hester’s sin, symbolizing the guilt and the scarlet letter that controls her behavior, and defying Puritan laws by being cheerful and associating with nature. Pearl represents God’s punishment by her mocking and nagging of Hester. Throughout the novel she sometimes seemed to her mother as almost a witch baby (Matthiessen 104). She is a baffling mixture of strong emotions with a fierce temper and a capacity for evil. With Pearl, Hester’s life became one of constant nagging, and no joy. The child could not be m ade amenable to rules. Hester even remarks to herself, “Oh Father in heaven – if thou art still my father – what is this being which I have brought into the world'; (Hawthorne 89)? Pearl would harass her mother Piyasena/Pine 2 over the scarlet “A'; she wore. In time, Hester was subjected to so much ridicule from Pearl and others that she was forced into seclusion. Pearl represents the sins of both Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl is said to be the direct consequence of sin (Martin 108). Their sins include lying to the people about the affair that led to Pearl. Hester realizes what Pearl represents when she does not hold Pearl up in front of the “A.'; She carries the child around because it is a direct reflection of her sin. Hester is, “wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another'; (Hawthorne 48). Dimmesdale’s sin is not adultery but not having the courage to admit that he had adulterated. Therefore his is a “concealed sin.'; The scarlet letter amuses Pearl, and also controls her behavior. It is noted that, Pearl has been described in terms almost exclusively of uncontrolled, chaotic passion (MacLean 54). Throughout the novel Pearl is attracted to the “A.'; Even when she is just a baby, “her infant’s eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter'; (Hawthorne 90). When Pearl is older and Hester throws the letter on the ground, Pearl yells at her mother until she places the “A'; back on her bosom.