Ethnic group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic group Essay Crash is highly ambiguous in the depiction of multiculturalism in American society. Almost all the ethnicities depicted in Crash question the perception others have their particular group, but at the same time affirm the different stereotypes surrounding their ethnic group. For example, one of the black characters (‘Anthony’) remarks that they should be afraid in a white neighborhood, due to their group’s association with crime. Following this intelligent observation, he and his friend (‘Peter’) proceed to steal a car from a white couple (Rick and Jean Cabot), affirming the stereotype whites have of them. Another example would be the Persian-American father, who is accused by a gun-store owner to be a danger to society, The father denies this fact, but ends up shooting a child. This ambiguous portrayal shows us one of the dilemmas of Multiculturalism in American society. While it strives to acknowledge diversity, it also promotes color consciousness by rejecting color-blind solutions. To quote Gordon and Newfield â€Å"Multiculturalism in the 1980’s sponsored renewed protests against white racism and yet it appeared to replace the emphasis on race and racism with an emphasis on cultural diversity. Multiculturalism rejected racial subordination but seemed sometimes to support itâ€Å". While Gordon and Newfield also attest that â€Å"multiculturalism often avoided race. It designated cultures†, but multiculturalism in Crash inexorably comes down to race and ethnicity. The characters in Crash think in terms of race or ethnicity, not culture. Despite the fact that every major character is culturally ‘American’, race is the definitive factor in determining identity. The upper-class African-American Cameron is accused of not being ‘black’ enough. The Persian-American father is angered that he is mistaken for being an Arab (traditionally considered to be part of the Hamitic race), while both ethnicities can be considered part of Islamic culture. The Asian-American characters and the Cambodian immigrants are first and foremost ‘Asian’ and no attempt is made to distinguish them culturally. This can clearly be seen at the end of the movie; Anthony drops the Cambodians off in Chinatown, an ‘Asian’ neighborhood, inhabited by Chinese-Americans whose culture and language is completely foreign to the Cambodians. Furthermore everyone from South-American is labeled as Latino or Hispanic, despite the fact that Brazilians are culturally and linguistically Portuguese and that Argentina is more ‘white’ than the United States. Detective Ria is called Mexican (the most common Hispanic group in Los Angeles) multiple times in the movie, despite having a shared Puerto Rican and El-Salvadorian background. One must understand that there is a racial divide or a perceived racial divide in American society, not just between the white American majority and minority groups but between different minority groups as well. This is best seen during Crash’s opening scene, where a ‘native’ Asian-American woman (Kim Lee) accuses the ‘native’ Hispanic Ria of being an illegal immigrant in broken English. Another example would be the privileged African-American Cameron. After an attempted carjacking, he is mistaken for one of the carjackers, due to his belligerent attitude and encounters a racial divide that completely nullifies his privileged position. In other words, his upper-class job gave him a degree of ‘whiteness’, which dissipates when he is mistaken for a ‘black’ thug. The racial divide is best described by Ronald Takaki, a Japanese-American and a professor on multicultural American during an encounter with a taxi driver. The taxi driver asked how long he had been in the US; Takaki interpreted his question in terms of race: â€Å"Somehow I did not look ‘American’ to him; my eyes and complexion looked foreign. Suddenly we both became aware of a racial divide between us†. For the taxi driver, an Asian man speaking good English was somehow remarkable and likely made his comment without any racist connotations. For the Japanese-American Takaki, it was a reminder that the notion of ‘Americaness’ was still closely related to race. Another Academic, Schlesinger notes that â€Å"The bonds of cohesion in our society are sufficiently fragile, or so it seems to me, that it makes no sense to strain them by encouraging and exalting cultural and linguistic apartheid. The American identity will never be fixed and final; it will always be in the making†. Despite being an assimilationist, Schlesinger has a valid argument, at least with this quote. ‘American’ is not a fixed identity; it means different things to different minority groups. For the Asian-American woman, speaking broken English raised no questions regarding her Asian-American identity, while the Hispanic Ria was dumbfounded by the fact that the women accused her of being an illegal in broken English. Schlesinger correctly notes how fragile the bonds between the different ethnic groups are. This returns in Crash, where almost every ‘multicultural’ interaction is the result of a crash or conflict. As Gordon and Newfield point out in their essay, multiculturalism might have placed the emphasis on cultural diversity, rather than race or racism, but it has done little to deal with the underlying racial divide that exists in American society. Bibliography. â€Å"Argentina Demographics Profile 2010†, Index Mundi, accessed 10-3-2010, http://www. indexmundi. com/argentina/demographics_profile. html Avery Gordon and Christopher Newfield, Mapping Multiculturalism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996), 3-4 Schlesinger, Arthur M. , The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society (New York: Norton, 1992) 137-138 Takaki, Ronald, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (New York: Back Bay Books, 1993) 1-2.

Celtic Christian Art Origins and Development

Celtic Christian Art Origins and Development How Celtic was Celtic Christian Art? The art of the Early Christian Period has been regarded as an Irish phenomenon representing the survival in Ireland of La Tene artistic traditions. (Laing, 1975, 339) It has gained considerable attention due to its wealth of ornamental metalwork, illuminated manuscripts and stone structure. However there is still the debate How Celtic is Celtic Christian Art? The term must first be analysed in order to understand the characteristics of Celtic Christian Art. The high point of this Insular art of the early Christian era was the creation of a series of illuminated Christian manuscripts, notably the Book of Durrow (c.650) and the Book of Kells (c.800), as well as such metalwork masterpieces as the Ardagh Chalice, the Derrynaflan Chalice, the unusual Moylough Belt Shrine, famous processional crosses like the Tully Lough Cross and the Cross of Cong, and the secular Tara Brooch. Within this essay I will attempt to summarise the origin and development of Celtic art in Great Britain and Ireland. As a result, this would assist my analysis on the significant influence Christianity had on Celtic art. A breakdown on examining Celtic art, is to begin defining the term. The term Celtic Art is defined by the people who spoke the Celtic language and embraced their traditions. Thus explains the characteristic decorative motives, for instance the divergent spiral were of foreign origin. However, one must understand that the conversion of the inhabitants of Britain from Paganism to Christianity was a gradual process, extending over a period of several hundred years. Therefore the evidence for the existence of Romano-British Christianity is scarce. Out of the several hundreds of inscribed and sculptured monuments belonging to the period of the Roman occupation of Britain there are hardly any which bear Christian symbols or show traces of Christian art.(Allen, 2001, 162) Moreover another misinterpretation about the term was that many believed the term came from art found in a church or a specific object. The term usually means art which embraces the character of Christianity. A number of problems must also be considered such as assessing beyond the religious aspect of the Celtic Christian tradition, creates a challenge as distorts the image of the range of material which may once have existed. Robert Lloyd Laing supports this view as he suggests that the Early Christian Art is a complex amalgam of artistic traditions which became blended together in the fifth to seventh centuries.(Laing, 1997, 339) Another issue of reliability of using other sources (for instance the La Tene Art), to assess the Christian Celtic Art, as it creates some imperative variations. Whilst La Tene art is undoubtedly of the same genus as that of the early Christian Celts, the variety in vogue after the fourth century AD was markedly different.(Laing, 1987, 5) These difficulties must therefore be interpreted by using the Celtics traditions and its influences from outside elements. This would allow a descriptive analysis of the origin and changes within Celtic Christian Art. Ireland was one of the very few countries that were never colonized by Rome. Unlike Britain and Continental Europe Irish Celtic art was neither influenced by Greek or Roman art. Between the end of the Iron Age and the gradual emergence of Christianity in Ireland a prominent feature within the Irish culture was its unbroken tradition of Celtic culture influenced only marginally by Roman art. Furthermore, Christianity gained more attention with the arrival of St. Patrick in the 5th century CE. This along with the significant introduction of the renaissance of Hiberno- Saxon style or Insular art which was caused by the mission of Aidan of Iona in the 630s to the ancient kingdom of Northumbria, were was especially important in the later development of insular Celtic art and changed the Celtic Christian art. The spread of Christianity throughout Ireland introduced the Irish monastic art. Archaeological evidence such as the monasteries became the principal artistic centres which aid archaeologists, to understand the origin and development of Celtic Christian art. Thus emphasises the impact of Christianity on Irish art and should not be underestimated. A renaissance in the arts was created due to the close connection of the network of monasteries throughout Ireland, Britain (especially Northumbria) and parts of Europe. All these monasteries combined acted as centres of learnin g and artistic craftsmanship as well as places of religious devotion. Thus resulted to the illumination of manuscripts and the enhancement of Celtic designs taken from jewellery and metalwork produced for the Irish secular elite, but most insular art came about because of the patronage and direction of the Catholic Church. Christian Celtic art can generally be summarised by looking at stone crosses, illuminated manuscripts, and metal objects such as chalices, shrines and reliquaries. The art of this period utilized traditional Celtic curvilinear designs enriched with foreign influenced brought back to Ireland by returning missionaries-motifs such as the Saxon use of entangled, interlocking animal forms in geometric decorations. The art of the Anglo-Saxons came into contact due to the Irish missionaries. They practised the traditional colourful animal style in metalwork which became a significant aspect within Celtic art as they associated the animals to individual gods and myths. This is supported by Paul Jacobsthal who analysed that The Scythian animal style expresses a Eurasiatic beast-mythology, a totemism which was all its own. (1935, 113) This shows a subtle influence Christianity had on Celtic Art as the people of the time are beginning to assess animals with religion. However there are limitations with using the animal designs for understanding the changes within Celtic art. Allen suggests that Animal forms are comparatively rare in Late-Celtic art, as they are not interlaced, so that it is almost useless to seek for the original inspiring idea in this direction. (2001, 250) Nevertheless we could still establish a connection with the La Tene compositions and the animal ornaments. For instance from Donore a disc was found; it demonstrated an elaborate composition of trumpet scrolls in tinned bronze, placed against a richly textured background. The sophistication of this striking pattern may be compared to the great Chi-Rho page of the Gospel book, the Book of Kells, which was preserved at the nearby monastery of Kells, Co. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-images/kells-chi-rho-page.jpgMeath for many centuries. The Early Christian Mediterranean artistic traditions would be similarly seen amongst the Frank and Lombards in which these missionaries would have travelled. In addition this connection would have produced a shared manuscript for illuminators, metalworkers and later, monumental sculptors which enabled the basic houses to foster a new art form in northern Britain and Ireland. The most notable artefacts of Christian Celtic Art were dominated by ornaments such as trumpet scrolls, fine spirals often designed to be seen as a reserved line of metal in a field of red enamel. This pattern is best exemplified on the escutcheens of a series of vessels called hanging bowls. These bowls are most likely to be found in Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in eastern and southern England. In addition these bowls have a distinct decoration which is more likely to be Celtic in character. Allen suggests that The closest resemblance between the spiral decoration of the Pagan period and that of the Christian period is to be found on the discoidal ornaments with patterns in champlevà © enamel, forming the attachments of the handles of certain bronze bowls, several examples of which have been discovered from time to time in different parts of England.(2001, 243) the distinctive Celtic character is often argued, for instance some archaeologist believe that it represented booty taken by the conquerors from the Celtic lands and others believe it was uniquely religious. Another important artefact of the time was the Book of Durrow. It is another illuminated manuscript of the Insular style. There are unique textual peculiarities which create a similarity with the Book of Kells. It was seen as one of the most outstanding early manuscripts in the history of Irish art. The illuminated text includes the four Gospels of the New Testament, along with the six surviving carpet pages (which were believed to have been devoted for decoration). It is furthermore suggested that it was linked with the earlier patterns of Celtic metalwork. Unusual symbols are assigned to the gospels which do not follow tradition: a man for Matthew, but an eagle for Mark (instead of the traditional lion), a calf for Luke, but a lion for John (instead of the traditional eagle). These symbols along with the cross which unites them amplify harmony if the Gospels and the argument that early Christian art had influences from the Celtic tradition. This is furthermore supported by the interlace pattern-work, spirals, zoomorphic triskeles, and knots, which were all derived from Celtic art. OSullivan agrees with this argument as they suggested that In Durrow it is followed by a page of abstract design based on Celtic ornament, the first of five so-called carpet-pages, one of which originally faced the opening of each gospel. (2005, 526) In the late 7th to early 8th century, Irish missions in Europe produced the most impressive Celtic Christian art in Europe. This is shown in the illuminated manuscripts of the Bible, which were embellished with decorative borders and astounding intricate, inventive lettering. The complexity of the twining geometric designs dominated previous art, the rare representations of human faces and figures were abnormally stylized. Another book which was considered just as important as the Bible and was seen as a masterpiece of its time was the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells shares the monumentality of its conception with some of the later Pictish cross-slabs, decorated with a wealth of biblical and secular scenes (Laing, 1979, 168) This book was deemed as the most famous, finest group of manuscripts of the 6th through to early 9th centuries, in the monasteries of Ireland, Scotland and England. The book had many similar features to the bible, it included the iconographic and stylistic traditions and the decorated letters, which were usually found in incipit pages for the Gospels. Large stone crosses were also seen as a significant aspect in evaluating how Celitc Celtic Christian art was during its time. During the later eighth and ninth centuries the form of the ringed High Crosses came of great importance. Many of the crosses are devoted to Christian scriptural themes but one early group, probably mostly ninth century in date, is dominated by abstract interlace ornament, the La Tene animal interlace, and key- and fret-patterns. Pure ornament plays a major part also on the crosses with figured scenes and frequently occurs in the form of bossed fleshy scrolls. These sculptural works reached their high point during the early tenth century, as evidenced by Muiredachs Cross at Monasterboice, County Louth, and the Ahenny High Cross in Tipperary. The free-standing crosses, in which the outline of the stone corresponds with the outline of the cross, are the most highly developed type of Celtic sculptured monument of the Christian period, and are therefore presumably the latest, with the exception of those of the decadent period just before and after the Norman Conquest.(Allen, 2001, 188) These crosses were vital in understanding the Celtic Christian art, they were carved with interlacing relief decorations such as ceremonial religious objects, which ornamented with gold filigree and coloured enamel stud. An example of this type of cross would be the Ardagh Chalice. The Ardagh Chalice largely conceals its Christian symbolism, but it carries two medallions on its bowl that contain prominent crosses of arcs.(Duffy, MacShamhrian, Moynes, 2005, 141) This highly sophisticated design is considered one of the finest works of Insular art. Stokes suggested that The Tara brooch and the Ardagh chalice offer the most perfect examples of the use of this peculiar spiral that have been found in the metal-work of Irish Christian Art;(2004, 63) The Ardagh Chalice itself is made from a silver-bronze alloy and its main features include delicate gold filigree work, ornate handles and the use of semi-precious and coloured stones and enamels. The overall impression is that of a master craftsman at work and probably dates from the eight century. Another significant chalice was the Derrynaflan Chalice which was considered to be one of the most outstanding religious artworks in the history of Irish art. It was made in the eigth and ninth century by Irish metallurgists. These were highly skilled craftsmen who had superlative artistic skills during the Insular Art period (c.650-1000) in the ultimate La Tene style. Duffy, MacShamhrain and Moynes analysed that the Derrynaflan Chalice is less colourful than the Ardagh Chalice however its filigree is of great interest because it shows elements of common Christian iconography griffons, birds, beast, and quadrupeds, probably lions that are widespread in early medieval European sculpture and metalwork as part of the Tree of Life and related motifs. (2005, 141) Brooches are also very useful in examining How Celtic is Celtic Art? In Ireland, the Celtic brooches were a perfect example of the type of jewellery the high-status people used to wear. Many of the brooches features include symbols that have come to epitomize the Celtic culture; examples such as Claddagh, the Brigids cross, the Celtic hound and the classic example of Celtic interlace are typical patterns for Celtic art. The most popular Celtic brooch is the Tara brooch design. The Tara brooch design and the Hunterston brooch are considered to be two of the most important evidences in Celtic Christian art. Hourihane suggests that It has long been recognized that while both brooches show elements from the native Celtic La Tene repertoire, their design also reflects outside influences and incorporates many foreign elements.(2001, 211) The Tara brooch is a classic example of an artefact from early Christian-era Ireland. It dates around 700AD and features an embellished circle with a long, straight pin. It is a representation of the Celitc peoples brilliant craftsmanship. The Hunterston brooch is one of the earliest examples of decorative brooches from Britain and Ireland. Solid silver with gold and silver filigree and amber studs compose the head and pin of the brooch. The style of the brooch derives from the Pictish tradition in its presentation of zoomorphic creatures.Brooches can be found on monument al sculpture of the Mullaghmast stone, in which they appeared to be used for carrying variants of the early hanging bowl style. Moreover during the period of 800-100AD, silver became exceedingly popular with the Irish and Anglo-Saxon metallurgists, thus led to the creation of well-noted brooches. In conclusion Celtic Christian art was very Celtic as just like all art, it was inspired by religion. The Celts paganism was different to that of the Greeks and Romans as it was supported by the authority of druids, who were the guardians of writing, teaching, culture and most importantly religion. Their polytheistic ideas manifested themselves through animals, various monsters and collective goddesses, (Gods and demigods were usually depicted on coins). Thus, this explains the popular use of zoo morphology in their art. In addition to understand Celtic art we must analyse the unity between the materials and techniques the people of the time used. For instance Celtic art consists of hard or hardened objects such as metal, stone, wood, leather, glass and clay. There is no painting (except on pottery), no wax, no wickerwork and virtually no weaving. Iron engraving and abstract sculpture in bronze both derive from the Ancient Celts who combined the techniques of engraving and sculpting most effectively. Their strong point was the creation of tiny sculptures, particularly for the embossed engraving of coinage. Another form of unity was their common use of animals. Frequent subjects such as the quadrupeds, birds, fish and reptiles are often represented, along with the merge of plant designs which lend themselves into transformations. The Celts favoured using animals and plants than those depicted humans, thus makes it simple for an archaeologist to identify Celtic Christian art. The very human representations which were found are usually a form of an imaginary being for instance a monster, as though everything in the world were metaphysically linked. The treatment of these subjects is a source of bafflement for, in each case, the Celts present us with riddles. In conclusion, to answer the question How Celtic is Celtic Christian Art? an archaeologist must look at the common traditional themes which continued through to the Early Christian art. The complex, twining geometric designs predominated; the rare representations of human faces and figures were abstract and stylized, would assist us in judging how Celtic, Celtic Christian Art was at the time. Bibliography Allen J. R., 2001, Celtic Art in Pagan and Christian Times, Dover Publications Inc, General Publishing Company Ltd, 30 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario Duffy S., MacShamhrain A., Moynes J., 2005, Medieval Ireland: an encyclopedia, Routledge, 2 Park Square Miton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN, U.K. Dumbleton W. A., 1984, Ireland, life and land in literature, State University of New Yotk Press, State University Plaza, Albany, N.Y., 12246 Hourihane C., 2001, From Ireland coming: Irish art from the early Christian to late Gothic period and its European context, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeston University, Princeston, New Jersey, 08540 Laing R. L., 1975, The Archaeology of Late Celtic Britain and Ireland, c.400-1200AD, Methuen Co Ltd, 11 New Fetter Lane London EC4P 4EE Laing R. L., 1997, Later Celtic Art in Britain and Ireland, Shire Publications Ltd, Cromwell House Church Street Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire HP27 9AA UK OSullivan, 2005, Manuscripts and Palaeography in A New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early Ireland, Oxford University Press, New York Stokes M., 2004, Early Christian Art in Ireland, Kessinger Publishing,

The Pros and Cons of Teaching Sex Education in Public Schools Essay

     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Picture a young couple being on the verge of exploring their sexual desires for the first time. The question is does this young couple have the proper education to make this life changing decision? They most likely were given their education from the school they attend. Hopefully the school taught them what they needed to know to make such a decision. Should sex education be taught at school by teachers or by the parents? Problems with having sex education at school There are many problems with having sex education in public schools. Religion plays an important part to the topic of sex education. Some parents feel that if the school gets to speak to their children about sex before they do, than important things about their religion will be left out of the discussion. If their religion says not to have premarital sex, then that child doesn't need to learn the proper way to put on a condom, where to go to get birth control pills, or anything about abortion. None of this information is going to be needed because the child of the family who uses religion as a guideline for everyday life. These children don't need their heads filled with what isn't important in their religion. According to the Web page SIECUS, parents are-and ought to be-the primary sexuality educators of their children. From the moment of birth, children learn about love, touch, and relationships. Infants and toddlers receive sexuality education through example when their parents ta lk to them, dress them, show affection, play with them, and teach them the names of the parts of their bodies ("Sexuality"). Another reason parents want to teach their children about sex education is that they feel it is up to them and no one else to teach their kids ... ...ks Cited Cooper, Carol. "What shall we tell the children?" The Lancet 356 (2008): 780. "Does Sex Education work?" AVERT 18 Nov. . Harris, Wendy. "Schools fail sex ed, new studies say Parents, students want more comprehensive; lessons even as scope of teaching has narrowed." Spokesman Review 27 Sep. 2007: A1. Jordan, Timothy R. "Rural parents' communication with their teen-agers about sexual issues." The Journal of School Health 70 (2008): 338-344 Schemo, Diana J. "Survey Finds Parents Favor More Detailed Sex Education." The New York Times 4 Oct. 2007: A.1 Sexuality Education is the Schools: Issues and Answers." SIECUS Report 27 (2007) Web. 19 Nov. 2008 http://www.siecus.org/pubs/fact/fact/0007.html. Ubell, E. "Sex-education programs that work-and some that don't." Parade Magazine 12 Feb. 2007: 18-20.

Habermas’ Between Facts and Norms: Legitimizing Power? Essay -- Philso

Habermas’ Between Facts and Norms: Legitimizing Power? ABSTRACT: To overcome the gap between norms and facts, Habermas appeals to the medium of law which gives legitimacy to the political order and provides it with its binding force. Legitimate law-making itself is generated through a procedure of public opinion and will-formation that produces communicative power. Communicative power, in turn, influences the process of social institutionalization. I will argue that the revised notion of power as a positive influence that is produced in communicative space runs contrary to Habermas’ original concept of power in his theory of communicative action where power is understood as a coercive force that has to be avoided in order for the discursive situation to prevail. As such, I believe that the introduction of communicative power and its close tie to ‘legitimate law’ and political system greatly reduces our critical ability with respect to political systems as exercised in liberal-democratic states. In addition, I will arg ue that his revision alludes to a redrawing of the boundaries between the life-world and the system in favor of the latter, and consequently indicates a shift to the right in Habermas’ latest work. To overcome the gap between norms and facts, Habermas appeals to the medium of law, which gives legitimacy to the political order and provides the system with its binding force. Legitimate law-making itself is generated through a procedure of public opinion and will-formation that produces communicative power. In its turn, communicative power influences the process of social institutionalization. I will argue that the revised notion of power as a positive influence that is produced in communicative space, runs c... ...’ new elaboration on the deliberative model of its substantive force; once again confronting it with the Hegelian charge of emptiness and ineffectiveness. (6) Habermas’ claim that Kant subordinates law to morality—because the legitimacy of law is derived from the categorical imperative—can be contested. If one sees that for Kant the categorical imperative underlies both law and morality, one can object to the use of the term "subordinate" by Habermas as an inaccurate description of the relation between law and morality. (7) J.Habermas, "Three Normative Models of Democracy", in Constellation, Vol. I, No:1, 1994, p. 8 (8) J.Habermas, "The Entwinement of Myth and Enlightenment: Rereading Dialectic of Enlightenment", in New German Critique, No:26, 1982, p. 27 (9) Habermas dedicates chapter six of BFN to elaborate on the role of constitutional adjudication.

The Significance of Inappropriate Laughter in Dry September and That Evening Sun :: Faulkner’s Dry September Essays

The Significance of Inappropriate Laughter in Dry September and That Evening Sun When one laughs, a public expression of feelings is being made. One’s guard is let down, and the act of laughing and the emotion that catalyzed it often appears to leave the immediate control of the laugher. Ironically, the more inappropriate the situation, the more full bodied and unstoppable one’s laughter can become. Both Minnie of â€Å"Dry September† and Nancy of â€Å"That Evening Sun† laugh at seemingly ill-timed occasions. Minnie, who has cried rape against Will Mayes, goes to the picture show with some friends. On the way there, she is the focus of the public eye and has to walk among whispers such as â€Å"That’s the one: see?† The one in pink in the middle.†(180) and â€Å"Is that her? What did they do with the nigger?†(181) Her temptation to laugh began as soon as she entered the theater: â€Å"Her lips began to tingle. In the dark, when the picture began, it would be all right; she could hold back the laughing so it would not waste away so fast and so soon.†(181) Soon, when the picture started, Minnie â€Å"... began to laugh. In trying to suppress it, it made more noise than ever; heads began to turn. Still laughing, her friends raised her and led her out, and she stood at the curb, laughing on a high, sustained note, until the taxi came up and they helped her in.† (181) Analyzing the motivation behind Minnie’s laughing episode is dependent on wheth er or not the reader believes that Will Mayes raped Minnie. If Minnie is telling the truth, then perhaps her laughing is a form of crying. Both actions are similar in their instability and often can be interchanged. For example, people have been to known to laugh at funerals and cry when they are happy. On the other hand, if Minnie is lying about the rape, her laughing can symbolize her pride in getting away with it. In addition, Minnie’s laughing could be a response to the irony linked to her having to claim rape in order to be re-sexualized and become the talk of the town. In â€Å"That Evening Sun†, Nancy was found lying in the street laughing after â€Å"Mr. Stovall kicked her in the mouth with his heel and the marshal caught Mr. Stovall back.† (291) Similar to Minnie, Nancy’s laughing may be just a substitution for the act of crying.

Companies that gives importance to their employees

Companies that gives importance to their employees BY 2141361 Companies that gives importance and value to its employee. Boston Consulting Group BCG invests â€Å"100-plus hours and thousands of dollars to recruit each consultant,† says the company's site, and it also claims to pay 100 percent of its employees' health care premiums. â€Å"Attracting top talent and maintaining an environment in which employees can rapidly develop have been key to our success and our ability to deliver enormous value to clients.Recognitions like this are a nice acknowledgment that our efforts are highly unusual and, based on our growth and client retention, ffective,† says Rich Lesser, BCG's chairman of North and South America. SAS Institute SAS has ranked in Fortune's Top 100 for 14 consecutive years, according to the company's web site. The company says that â€Å"if you treat employees as if they make a difference, they will make a difference. SAS employee rewards includes subsidized Montessori child care, unlimited sick days, a free health care center, and intramural sports teams. CEO Jim Goodnight says that â€Å"[we create] a culture that rewards innovation, encourages employees to try new things and yet doesn't penalize them or taking chances, and a culture that cares about employees' personal and professional growth. † Zappos. com Zappos accomplishes a mix of both â€Å"traditional† ways of showing employee appreciation, like company picnics and holiday parties, as well as more unique ways.Last year they held the Zfrog awards, which let employees pitch their own business ideas, â€Å"laughter yoga† classes, Tank Top Tuesday, and recognizing employees in different departments, such as Merchandiser of the Quarter. â€Å"l love working at Zappos; the creativity and fun we have here are unparalleled, at least by any other ob I've ever had. There are all sorts of people here: young and old; shy and extremely outgoing; ‘normal' andâ₠¬ ¦ weird. I love that Zappos embraces people of all cultures, styles, and personalities,† says one Zappos employee.DreamWorks Animation According to DreamWorks' careers site, â€Å"the work community is enriched with many special events including movie screenings, art and short film festivals, artistic development classes, and family get-togethers. † â€Å"We are committed to fostering a culture that embraces innovation, creativity, collaboration, and a solid dose of fun. † Throughout the year, the company offers its employees art shows, craft fairs, movie screenings, art classes and lectures.CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg communicates daily with his employees through blog posts and his staff appreciates â€Å"the transparency between the employees and the CEO,† says Dina Strada, Manager of Employee Events and Communications. Hasbro, Inc. On its web site, Hasbro writes: â€Å"We value our employees and understand that our success would not be possible without al l their hard work, dedication, and passion. † Hasbro employees have access to the company's fitness centers, half-day Fridays, rograms.Hasbro also makes sure to remember employees' children by participating in Kids Carnival, Santa Breakfast, and Bring Your Son/Daughter to Work Day. S. C. Johnson At the family company S. C. Johnson, 12,000 employees have access to a concierge service that will see to it that their chores get done. This ranges from returning overdue library books to making sure your dry cleaning gets picked up on time. â€Å"To make the best products for your family, we need the best people in our company family,† according to the company website. Also available are childcare for parent employees, and paid sabbaticals.

Control Freak Essay

Virgos are analytical, observant, and precise. We strive to be perfectionist, so we have to be on top of everything and every detail. Whenever I do anything I do my best to make sure it’s perfect, whether it’s something I’m passionate about or something I’m forced to do. I like for things to be perceived in a certain way, I like for my efforts to be praised, and in order to get that it has to be perfect, if not near. A lot of people assume being a control freak is a bad thing, but in my opinion it’s not. I know what I want, and most times how I want it done. I’m not always lost or confused on a lot of things because I’ve probably thought about it in my head before and know what most possible outcomes are. What I’ve learned is that the only people who dislike control freaks are people who are control freaks themselves, or have control issues on some type of level. People who don’t really like responsibility, and are untamed tend to like control freaks because they keep them in line, and on point. They direct them and help them stay on track. An example of someone who could be a control freak is a Sergeant in the Army. When you’re a sergeant you have to dictate and tell people what to do. You have to make sure people follow a certain set of guidelines and rules, while following them yourself. Having that type of power over people will sometimes go to your head and make you a compulsive control freak. You want things done a certain way, at a certain time, in a certain place, with no exceptions. Another Example of someone who takes being a control freak overboard, or obsessive is  the â€Å"controller. These people obsessively try to dictate how you’re supposed to be and feel. They have an opinion about everything. They’ll control you by invalidating your emotions if those don’t fit into their rulebook. People with low  self-esteem who see themselves as â€Å"victims† attract controllers. Whether spouting unsolicited advice on how you can lose weight  or using anger  to put you in your place, their comments can range from irritating to abusive. What’s most infuriating about these people is that they usually don’t see themselves as controlling–only right. When it comes to myself and being controlling, it was never because I had a desire to control someone. When I was younger I watched over my younger brothers, I had a responsibility. I was left in charge, and having two younger kids to watch over, I had to take on the role of a father. So I was a mini dictator, I had to tell them what to do, and how. I had to make sure everything in the house was straightened, and not broken, and I sometimes had to discipline them. After years of doing this I developed a controlling personality. I don’t see myself as overly controlling, just subtly controlling. I don’t try to control every aspect of people’s lives. The only thing I’m really particular about is details in something I’m doing such as my work, art, appearance. When it comes to relationships and me being controlling, it doesn’t affect them. It doesn’t affect them because I’m not over the top controlling, I just tell them things to help improve them in some type of way. I actually like somewhat controlling people in relationships. The way I see it, it’s a challenge. They’re not easy, and submissive. I love dominance in a person; it gives me a sense of security when someone shows dominance. To me it’s like they care enough to give direction and guidance. Not all control freaks have a need to obsess and be in control of everything that is happening, some of us were put into a position of power that lead to being a control freak. And in our mind, it isn’t being controlling. We’re just particular about things, we know what we want in life. What’s so bad about that?