Black Elk Speaks Essay Example for Free

Black Elk Speaks Essay Black Elk Speaks is about a Native American boy that has visions and these visions help him with the religious aspects of live. He has these visions that tell him what to do and shows him the path to righteousness. These visions can also be seen as myths, which are stories that try to explain something. Every culture has their own collection of myths. Black Elk Speaks is also a very symbolic book, because it has the use of many objects or people that represent other things. In the American culture, as well as other cultures around the world, are also very symbolic. The American culture is very diverse in that there are many different cultures that have mixed and created the American culture. The American culture is not something that is easily explained, because it is so mixed with many other cultures from around the world. At first there were American Indians and they brought along their tribes and myths and rituals. Then came the British and over time the Chinese because of the California gold rush. In time America was in habited with many different nationalities and ideas. These ideas were slowly but surely blended together. As for example, when the British shared their meal with the Indians they were also sharing their culture and food. The exchange of food and other ideas brought the two distant worlds closer. The more important ideas are what does all this exchanging of food and ideas symbolize? â€Å"A symbol is something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention†(Wikipedia, 1). The object used in Black Elk Speaks is a pipe, given to them by a â€Å"young and very beautiful† woman, which symbolizes trust and companionship. Now, my friend, let us smoke together so that there may be only good between us† (Black Elk Speaks, 5). Black Elk and Neihardt have a smoke together to share their friendship and trust between the two. The pipe can also symbolize peace amongst people and/or tribes. Another act, such as the killing of a bison, might be seen as bravery, integrity, courage, pride. The American culture changed drastically when more cultures were included, such as the Chinese and African Americans. Slaves brought in from Africa, which meant that they brought along their culture and tendencies to America. Even though slavery was not the right thing to do, it brought a new culture into America and made it more diverse and â€Å"developed. † For example, superstitions are something that has shaped the culture as well. Spilled salt, walking under a ladder, a broken mirror, etc. are all superstitions that are said to lead to bad luck. When someone does one of these things they believe that bad luck is upon them. This causes them to act in a different way. Something bad in the future happens they may turn and blame it on the bad luck. Maybe some of the things that happen are just coincidences but culture has taught us to believe that it was the bad luck caused by the spilled salt, broken mirror, or walking under a ladder. Another big symbol in Black Elk Speaks is the four ribbons tied to the pipe that Black Elk and Neihardt smoke. It represents the powers of the four quarters of the universe. There are four ribbons tired to the pipe and each ribbon is a different color, which symbolizes a different power. Black is for the west, the source of the rain; red is for the east, the place of the morning star that gives wisdom; white is for the north, source of cleansing wind; and yellow is for the south, the places of summer and growth. Myths are another big thing that shapes a culture. Black Elk’s visions are like the myths in this story. In his vision, a bay horse greets Black Elk. He then tells Black Elk that he will tell him a story of the life history of himself. The horse walks in a circular motion â€Å"‘Behold me! ’ he said, ‘My life-history you shall see. ’†¦ ‘Behold them! Their history you shall know’† (Black Elk Speaks, 19). Each side that the horse goes to there are twelve horses that are each in a group of different colors. The horses to the north are white, those to the east are sorrel, those to the south are buckskin, and the ones to the west are black. The horses will take Black Elk to his Grandfathers. The sky fills with dancing horses that change into diverse creators and lead a formation of the horses from the four directions. They arrive at a cloud those changes into a tepee with a rainbow door, which inside the six Grandfathers are waiting. A myth is like a traditional story which usually contains some sort of hero or event. In this myth, the vision that Black Elk is having, is an event that is occurring. A bay horse appears in front of him and shows him the way to meet the six Grandfathers. Sometimes myths may sound like a fairy tale. For example, in ancient China, there was once this monkey that was very troublesome and cause destruction to the heavens. He was punished and put under a mountain. After about several hundred to a thousand years a monk comes along to save the monkey and there starts a journey of adventures and evil to obtain immortality. This is a myth because it is a legend of a hero that is punished for his crimes and therefore pays his debt by serving under his master. There are many aspects of a culture. The American culture is very diverse and tough to explain in one short answer. There is no true American culture because it is just a mixture of different cultures from around the world. Black Elk Speaks shows the forms of myths and symbols and how they contribute to American culture. Black Elk’s myths and symbols are very similar to those of the American culture.

Comparing Truth in Death Of A Salesman and The Glass Menagerie Essay

Seeking Truth in Death Of A Salesman and The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Often society seeks to thwart the desire of certain people to find and/or face the truth. Examples of this are found throughut literature. Two excellent example of this are Biff Loman from 'The Death Of A Salesman' and Tom Wingfield from 'The Glass Menagerie'. At some point, they both have to face and understand the truth about their lives. Biff is faced with the lies and   morals of society obsessed with the corrupt version of American Dream, especially his father, and his inability to pursue his own goals and dreams. Tom is faced with the sad reality of life in his family and the desire to escape it.    Biff Loman grew up in a family of a salesman. He had a reasonably happy childhood, and a great school career. He was good at American Football and won a football scholarship. His father, Willy Loman, was always very proud of his son and always praised him and put him above others. Unfortunately, Willy's life philosophy was ruined by the corrupted version of the American Dream. He believed that the key to happiness is money and success and the a person does not necessarily has to work hard to attain it. Biff grew up with those ideas and they influenced him a lot. But when he caught his father with another woman, the realization of the lie and corruption turned his life around. He no longer believes in his father or the dream, and lives a... ...Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. Downer, Alan S. American Drama and Its Critics. Chicago, University of Chicago Press [1965]. pp. 218-239. Hayashi, Tetsumaro.   Arthur Miller Criticism.   Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1969. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Miller, Arthur.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1965. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568. Comparing Truth in Death Of A Salesman and The Glass Menagerie Essay Seeking Truth in Death Of A Salesman and The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Often society seeks to thwart the desire of certain people to find and/or face the truth. Examples of this are found throughut literature. Two excellent example of this are Biff Loman from 'The Death Of A Salesman' and Tom Wingfield from 'The Glass Menagerie'. At some point, they both have to face and understand the truth about their lives. Biff is faced with the lies and   morals of society obsessed with the corrupt version of American Dream, especially his father, and his inability to pursue his own goals and dreams. Tom is faced with the sad reality of life in his family and the desire to escape it.    Biff Loman grew up in a family of a salesman. He had a reasonably happy childhood, and a great school career. He was good at American Football and won a football scholarship. His father, Willy Loman, was always very proud of his son and always praised him and put him above others. Unfortunately, Willy's life philosophy was ruined by the corrupted version of the American Dream. He believed that the key to happiness is money and success and the a person does not necessarily has to work hard to attain it. Biff grew up with those ideas and they influenced him a lot. But when he caught his father with another woman, the realization of the lie and corruption turned his life around. He no longer believes in his father or the dream, and lives a... ...Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. Downer, Alan S. American Drama and Its Critics. Chicago, University of Chicago Press [1965]. pp. 218-239. Hayashi, Tetsumaro.   Arthur Miller Criticism.   Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1969. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Miller, Arthur.   Death of a Salesman.   New York: Viking, 1965. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.

Technology in the 21st Century

If you think back 10 or 20 years ago, you may wonder how we ever did some of the things we are able to now. Technology shapes our society in a number of different ways. Before the invention of the internet, there wasn't email. Many people in the business world communicate solely with email and without it, they are lost. Have you ever lost your internet connection or networking device? You are literally stuck in a mess and have no idea what to do. Think back the first cell phones that were available, before the days of text messaging and blue tooth. Technology is essential in our society in order to grow and move toward the future. With the rising technology, a lot of issues have been done that have remained to be puzzle to many living in the twenty first century. This has further triggered a debate on the appropriate definition of the term technology. With others criticizing technology, most proponents of technology have suggested that technology refers to the employing the use of a variety of tools and approaches in the finding or deriving at possible solutions to certain problems. Technology has been associated with a variety of negative events that befell mankind and other creatures existing in the universe. However, the benefits have greatly surpassed the negatives associated with technology. Technology has played an immense part towards influencing the lifestyles of the present generation. In a particular, the emergence of internet services has given a great boost to the business industry. With it, We have the ability to shape the world we live in. The inventions we create allow us to transform our environment, explore the stars, connect societies across the world, and even extend our lifespan. The invention of the computer has brought economic and social change to the world. So what does the future of technology hold for our society? The possibilities are literally endless. Some of the key factors the government is working on surrounds information technology. With all the new innovations in technology, some people learn how to corrupt and abuse it. Protecting our individual privacy has become so important due to overwhelming cases of fraud and identity theft. The internet allows us to input personal information online for practically anyone to see. Social networking sites have become so popular that undercover policemen have stepped in to protect eople from rapists, murders, and pedophiles. There are tools and practices that exist to allow individuals control over their personal information, but it is not enough. Web site hacking goes along with individual privacy, but it impacts the future of several businesses. Government leaders are looking for ways to create a safe, secure and reliable computing environment for businesses and individuals. Protecting our children from inappropriate content is another popular topic among several businesses and government agencies. While the personal computer and the internet have revolutionized education, they have also opened the doors for exploration by curious children. Technology has allowed countries across the world to connect and interact without having to fly thousands of miles to communicate with each other. Governments and industries are able to communicate and work together towards the future. This allows successful countries to communicate with other countries who lack essential resources and help them find ways to combat their challenges. Digital information can be sent with the click of a button. Software, books, music and video files can be easily distributed to anyone, anywhere. For users, this is beneficial because for no cost, they can share videos of their new baby being born to their family who lives across the country. Of course, the government has had to step in to protect property rights of individuals to ensure that nothing is being digitally stolen. We should look at technology at the gateway to the future. The possibilities of what we can create are endless. Even as we have challenges with technology, we are still able to see amazing things come from it. Technology plays a critical role in our society. Creating technology that is secure and trustworthy is the future. Several companies are working together to achieve this goal and to help our society move forward. Technologies arise to satisfy our wants and needs, this is how society and technology shape the future for one another. As individuals, we are in control of the future. We should dream big and start finding ways to make our dreams into reality.

Night Terrors

An article by Ph. D John Cline has help me to come to believe otherwise. There was a situation In which a woman woke up to her sleeping husband's fists. Indeed the husband was sleep but far away from peace. The husband was experiencing a night terror. A night terror is far worse than a bad dream, a night terror is when someone wakes up screaming and in some cases they act out their dream.In this case the husband acted out his dream; however, his actions occurred unknowingly. His wife screamed his name for him to stop, this of hich woke him up. These events didn't stop there so the husband decided to seek professional help. upon being appointed to a sleep specialist he learned about Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder. He quickly learned that he was suffering from a very rare disorder. About 0. 38 percent of the general population and about . 50 percent face this disorder.This disorder is also known as RBD his class of which is known as parasomnias. Parasomnias are unwanted phy sical events dealing with sleep. RBD happens to blend with Rapid eye movement. In the sense of this disorder the person's body is paralyzed and intense and colorful dreams occur. This sleep disorder is most common to men over the age of fifty years of age; however, Its possible for anyone to have this disorder but theyre not as Ilkely. Many sleep dfferent disorders associate with each other such as this one and sleep apnea in relation to rapid eye movement.R8N happens to also be associate to Parkinson's disease. There are Whitehead 2 many sleep disorders that can effect our sleep. This of which happens to be important because sleep Is Important to use as humans. Sleep can determine how health one can be mentally and physically. The Importance of sleep speaks for itself n fact, we do spend one-third of our life sleeping. I chose this article because everyone sleeps but, who says that we have to be at peace while doing it? I couldnt possible picture life without sleep.Honestly, I thin k life would be entirely too long and tiring without it. I also wanted to know more about this disorder for future references. Psychologically this article covers REM which happens to be the movement of the eye as someone dreams. In addition, I believe that our society would be pleased to know this disorder Is not a common one. This article was great in terms of knowledge of the disorder. I would have maybe even njoyed reading this article on my free and not Just for class purposes.In reading this article Ive learned that I am at a greater risk in having this disorder than the general population. To sum things up, never take your recommended six-eight hours for granted, because you never know when things could start to go bump in the night for you. Night Terrors By tiequeisha Jones me to come to believe otherwise. There was a situation in which a woman woke up to Upon being appointed to a sleep specialist he learned about Rapid Eye Movement however, its possible for anyone to have t his disorder but theyre not as likely.Many sleep different disorders associate with each other such as this one and sleep apnea in relation to rapid eye movement. RBN happens to also be associate to Parkinson's important because sleep is important to use as humans. Sleep can determine how health one can be mentally and physically. The importance of sleep speaks for itself peace while doing it? I couldn't possible picture life without sleep. Honestly, I think that our society would be pleased to know this disorder is not a common one. This this article IVe learned that I am at a greater risk in having this disorder than the

Saying Even in Spanish

Saying Even in Spanish Even has dozens of possible translations to Spanish. Heres a guide to even that will work most of the time. As is the case with other words that have a wide range of meanings, many of them apparently unrelated to each other, when translating even you need to understand first what it means and how it is used. Most of the time it is an adjective suggesting uniformity or an adverb used to add emphasis, although it can be a transitive verb as well. One way to translate even, at least when it isnt being used for emphasis, is to come up with an English synonym and then translate the synonym. This can be especially useful when a dictionary isnt helpful. ‘Even'’ Meaning ‘Uniform’ or ‘Consistent’ Uniforme can be used most of the time when even is referring to something being consistent: Las temperaturas no son uniformes durante el aà ±o. (The temperatures arent even through the year.)Es importante que la aplicacià ³n de tinte para el cabello sea uniforme. (It is importante that the application of dye for your hair be even.)Si la superficie no es uniforme, se puede usar la masilla para arreglar las fisuras. (If the surface isnt even, the putty can be used to fix the cracks.) ‘Even’ as the Opposite of ‘Odd' An even number is a nà ºmero par. Un nà ºmero par es un nà ºmero entero que puede ser dividido exactamente por dos. (An even number is a whole number that can be divided exactly by two.) ‘Even’ in Competitions In competitive contests, empatado can refer to an even or tied score: Los candidatos presidenciales estn empatados con un 48 por ciento de apoyo popular. (The presidential candidates are even at 48 percent of popular support.)Estaban empatados en la parte alta del inning 10. (They were even in the top half of the 10th inning.) ‘Even’ as Lack of Debt Two persons or entities can be said to be even if neither owes something to the other. This can be explained directly: Se me pagas 10 pesos, no me debers nada. (If you pay me 10 pesos well be even. Literally, if you pay me 10 pesos, you wont owe me anything.) Getting Even At least two reflexive verbs, vengarse and desquitarse, can be used colloquially to mean to get even as an act of vengeance: Voy a vengarme de una manera que te haga sentir miserable durante mucho tiempo. (Im going to get even with you in a way that makes you feel miserable for a long time.)No es justo desquitarse con el que trata de ayudarle. (It isnt right to get even with the one who is trying to help you.) Translating ‘Even’ for Emphasis Even often suggests the idea of up to and including a stated condition. In these cases, aun, hasta, or incluso can be used, often interchangeably. Hasta el presidente lo piensa asà ­. (Even the president thinks so.)Aun asà ­, no podemos ganar el premio. (Even so, we cant win the prize.)Aun hoy, la mejor forma de prevenir la gripe es la vacuna. (Even today, the best way of preventing the flu is vaccine.)Parece que incluso mi hijo querà ­a  ver la pelà ­cula. (It seems that even my son wanted to see the movie.)En la casa de Dios, hasta los pobres son reyes. (In Gods house, even the poor are kings.)Ser jazzista es difà ­cil, incluso en Nueva York. (Being a jazz musician is tough, even in New York.) ‘Even’ in the Negative Ni siquiera is frequently used in translating the phrase not even: Ella ni siquiera puede hablarme. (She cant even speak to me.)Un accidente destrozà ³ su coche y ni siquiera fue al hospital. (An accident destroyed his car and he didnt even go to the hospital.)Ni siquiera yo quiero estar conmigo la mayorà ­a de las veces. (Not even I want to be with myself most of the time.)El paà ­s ni siquiera va a crecer lo suficiente para pagar los intereses de su deuda. (The country wont even grow enough to pay the interest on its debt.) ‘Even’ as a Verb Verbs that mean to even, that is, to make smooth or level, include nivelar and allanar: Allanaron el terreno antes de construir la casa. (They evened the terrain before building the house.)Van a nivelar los salarios de los maestros. (Theyre going to even out the teachers salaries.) Key Takeaways Even has a multitude of meanings and can be translated to Spanish in numerous ways that depend on the context.When even is used as a way of adding emphasis, good translations include aun, hasta, and incluso.Ni siquiera is usually the equivalent of not even.

Betrayal and Loyalty

Throughout the play, Iago manipulates the other characters into betraying one another so that he can get his ultimate betrayal on Othello. Shakespeare uses Iago as the main portrayer of betrayal throughout the entire play. He betrays all the other characters, but his main focus is on Othello. Despite that, he ends up betraying all the people closest to him. Iago’s betrayal starts off from the first scene page of the play right until the end. The audience learns Iago’s motive through his monologue: â€Å"Thus do I ever make my fool my pursel hate the moor, and it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets’ has done my office. I know not if’t be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind will do as if for surety. † Iago suspects that Othello has had an affair with his wife. However, Shakespeare makes Iago’s motif very unclear; therefore, it can be argued that this is Iago’s excuse and in actual fact he has no reason other than he simply hates Othello. Iago wants to destroy Othello because Othello promoted Casio as chief lieutenant instead of him, which is another reason why Iago wants to destroy him. Iago is one of Shakespeare’s most complex villains. Initially, we see Iago’s character as pure evil, yet later we see him as a completely amoral person. Iago does not push aside his conscience to commit his evil plans, he simply lacks a conscience to begin with. Through Iago, Shakespeare shows us a character that acts against his reputation and betrays all this friends and loved ones. Through some careful thought out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer to his ultimate goal. He is the main driving force of the play, pushing Othello and everyone towards their tragic end. Iago is smart. He is an expert judge of people as well as their character and uses this to his advantage. Iago is also quick on his feet, making him able to improvise when something unexpected occurs. Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognize the advantages of trust and uses it as a tool to forward his main purpose. Throughout the story he is commonly known as the â€Å"honest Iago†. He even says himself, â€Å" I am an honest man†. Trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily betrayed. Iago is a master of betrayal. He slowly poisons people’s thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without risking himself. Iago is capable of anything, not even the brave soldier Othello is safe from this villain. Othello holds Iago to be his closest friend and advisor. He believes Iago to be a person, â€Å"of exceeding honest, who knows all qualities with learned spirit of human dealings†. Yes, he does know about human dealings, but he is not the honest man he appears to be. He uses Othello’s trust in him to eventually turn Othello into a man no better than himself. Othello is introduced to us in the first scene of the play in a negative light, when Iago and Rodrigo refer to him using derogatory terms such as, â€Å"The Moor†, â€Å"the thick lips†, â€Å"an old black ram† and â€Å"a Barbary horse†. Othello may be an outcast in Venice due to the color of his skin; however, he is a highly respected soldier. He is extremely skilled in his field and a loyal man; therefore, valuable to the state. Due to this, we soon learn of Othello as the noble man he is. Othello, however, has the â€Å"tragic flaw†. It is the internal imperfection in a hero that brings him down. His downfall becomes his own doing; he is no longer the victim of fate. The prejudice of those around him destroyed him, and they believed that, â€Å"A black man is an unattractive creature, not quite human, and unworthy of love†. Thinking this made him unable to believe that Desdemona could truly love him. This is why he believes Iago so easily when he convinces him Desdemona has had an affair. Othello betrays his wife by believing Iago’s word over hers, this then leads him to his ultimate betrayal when he kills her at the end of the play. At this point he also shows his loyalty to her by killing himself, stating that he can’t live without her. The man we see at the end of the play is not the loyal man we meet in the beginning. Othello has let the â€Å"green eyes monster of jealousy† turn him from a loyal soldier to a betrayer just like Iago. Desdemona is a lady of spirit and intelligence; she is the most direct, honest and loyal character of the play. She only betrays people to those to who she is loyal. Desdemona is a lady of few words, yet she makes sure every word counts to get her point across. In Desdemona’s eyes, Othello is the hero of many exciting and dangerous adventures; he is the orphan who needs love. These are the reasons Desdemona had fallen in love with Othello, despite all the nasty remarks from fellow Venetian citizens. Her marriage has brought her position and happiness, so much that she finds it unbearable to think that her husband has turned against her. This numbness lasts until she sees that he actually intends to kill her. She then puts up a defense, insisting on her loyalty and innocence. In despair of losing his love, she still defends him from consequences of his actions, but he is past seeing the truth: that she has committed herself to his love, and without it she cannot live. Othello ends up killing his wife, in spite of her loyalty toward him till the very end. By the end of the play, all characters have lost their loyalty to each other from what Iago as done to make them feel betrayed. Desdemona is left lifeless in her room, Iago kills his wife Emilia, as she reveals that Desdemona has been falsely accused of adultery, and Othello kills himself rather than living with what he has done. Iago is the only survivor by the end of the play, which further justifies his intelligence. All the characters have reached their downfall and Iago is finally pleased. He has completed the ultimate betrayal.

Case study - company's strategy Research Proposal

Case study - company's strategy - Research Proposal Example The industry information that Mercury is using is far too old to be of any use to the company. A market report cites increasing consumer confidence as the global economy continued to emerge from the post-9/11 recession (A $500 million opportunity in womans better apparel, 2004). Today, financial markets throughout the world are going through convulsions as virtually everyone wonders what the future will bring, whether it will be a corrective recession or full depression. Ellen Blake of Denbleyker Financial notes in her analysis of the company that "Q4 earnings dropped slightly below expectations during 4Q due to a variety of small economic and execution surprises. Management appears to have a good handle on these issues now, and we believe that the stock is a good value at these prices" as Denbleyker Financial raised its assessment of Mercury stock to "Buy" in January 2008. Mercury does not present a threat to Nike and Adidas since it only comprise 9 percent of the global market; thus, it will not be watched by bigger competitors so it is free to chart its own course. However, it has not yet achieved a double-digit share of the global market among adults. The shift should focus on the "tween" market – those who have parents buy shoes for them now, and who later will buy their own. This market segment when taken cared of can be a solid base of customers in the long-term. 1. Continue with current marketing efforts to adult markets and maintain current market share, however, due to recession, marketing tactics should be made. Preserving current market share also will preserve the upward trend in total sales. The third alternative is the choice which is continuing current adult focus but also increasing attention to â€Å"tween â€Å"and teen markets. This is supported by a large study indicating that outside of school hours, each week "people between the ages of 13 and 24 spend 16.7 hours online †¦ 13.6 hours watching