Value of Suffering in Markandayas Nectar in a Sieve Essay -- Nectar S

Value of Suffering in Markandaya's Nectar in a Sieve  Ã‚   Kamala Markandaya's Nectar in a Sieve portrays its positive woman characters as ideal sufferers and nurturers. "[T]he cause of her suffering springs mainly from poverty and natural calamity. The women are from the rural sections of society. They are the daughters of the soil and have inherited age-old traditions which they do not question. Their courage lies in meek or at times cheerful way [sic] of facing poverty or calamity" [Meena Shirdwadkar, Image of Woman in the Indo-Anglian Novel (New Delhi: Sterling, 1979), 49]. Rukmani, the main character, and her daughter Ira display suffering hroughout the novel. Rukmani works hard and is devoted to her gentle husband. She endures blow after blow from life: poverty, famine, the divorce of her barren daughter, the deaths of her sons, her daughter's prostitution, and finally her husband's death. When she finds te emotional cener of her life, her relationship with her husband, threatened by the discovery that he fathered another woman's sons, she neither strikes out at him nor crumbles: Disbelief first; disillusionment; anger, reproach, pain. To find out, after so many years, in such a cruel way. ... He had known her not once but twice; he had gone back to give her a second son. And between, how many times, I thought, bleak of spirit, while her husband in his impotence and I in my innocence did nothing. . . .At last I made an effort and roused myself... "It is as you say a long time ago," I said wearily. "That she is evil and powerful I know myself. Let it rest." She accepts the blow and moves on in life. In addition, when her son Raja is murdered, even her thoughts do not express rebellion. She moves from nu... ...osites of Kunthi. Their goodness originates in their acceptance of suffering, whereas Kunthi's evil originates in her refusal to sacrifice herself for others. As ideal images, Markandaya's heroines correlate with Shirwadkar's conception of how early Indo-Anglian novels portray women as Sita-like characters. By fulfilling cultural values, however, Rukmani and Ira find in their way of lifenot only suffering but also a sureness and inner peace. Shirwadkar claims that women in later novels lose even the satisfaction of this fulfillment, because they find themselves trapped between the traditional and modern requirements for women. Earlier images of calm, enduring women change to new ones, of frustrated women caught between the Sita-Savitri figure and the modern, Westernised woman. Works Cited: Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar In A Sieve. New York: Signet Fiction, 1995.

Joan Didion essay Essay

In the essay â€Å"On Self-Respect† by Joan Didion one is confronted by the perception of delusion and self-deception. Throughout the essay Didion uses an array of allusions, images, and diction to persuade us into comprehending the essay and what it is trying to display. The essay evaluates and condemns various allusions that help to convey Didion’s message that she is trying to get across that when you have self-respect you have more benefits than when you self-reproach. In paragraph two Didion explains how she has not been elected to Phi Beta Kappa and that the â€Å"failure could scarcely have been more predictable or less ambiguous.† Didion knew she did not have the grades for it. She explains a past event that helps us understand more about her and why she might feel the need to write an essay over self-respect and self-reproach. Didion creates an image in the readers mind that now because of her past events she had been stripped of her innocence. Didion was so used to having everything go her way but now she realizes that the, â€Å"lights will not always turn green† for her. She now regrets not trying harder and blames herself for not being elected to attend Kappa, which makes her not have any self-respect for herself as a person. Throughout the first half of the essay Didion explains self-respect and how one can be stripped of it but also what self-respect is about. In paragraph four Didion describes that to have no self-respect is to just lie awake during the night and think about all the regrets we have and to blame our self as we lie there not able to turn off the voice in our head. Didion uses the allusions of self-reproach or self-deception in paragraph four. Paragraph five reads, â€Å"It’s our choice to sleep in the bed we make,† what Didion is trying to get across is that the bed we make is the future path we set. It is our choice to sleep in it or in other words walk that path to self-respect. This paragraph addresses an image in the reader’s heads that it is always their choice whether or not to take the path to having the self-respect that they need. The other half of the essay Didion changes to a more persuasive, more experienced, tone about having self-respect. Since Didion has gone through what suggests to be not having self-respect due to her past events she is now try to convince us, the readers, that having no self-respect will get us no where in life. In Paragraph nine it states, â€Å"but when they do play, they know the odds,† referring to the people that do have self-respect. This part of the essay is trying to show the readers that people who have self-respect play the fields and take risks and that’s one of the reasons self-respect is good for a person. Didion uses her past to tell us that soon enough no one will be there for us after we push them away because its easy to be mad at everyone when you blame yourself all the time. People will no self-respect will no longer be involved with the outside world, which can hurt a multitude of people. We must choose the path that we made that is better for us. In the essay Didion uses a variety of allusions and imagery to prompt the readers that we cannot self-reproach and that self-respect does not come from others opinions but from what we think of our self. Didion wants the readers to apprehend that we have to move on from our mistakes in the past because that’s what they are, the past. We cannot change what has happened so we must live now in the present and set our self a path in the future to follow. In the end the readers learn the lesson that they must explore and venture self-respect and the meaning and concept of it to understand why we need it and why we must not blame yourself for the past but to move on in life.

What representation of American Social Class is there in the first four scenes of Falling Down?

The opening scene of Falling Down immediately establishes the location of the film, America; this is obvious to the audience with the American cars and yellow school bus with the stars and stripes hanging on the side. The lead character played by Michael Douglas is established as a white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant (WASP) who is supposedly the most privileged class in American society. He is meant to represent the typical American white-collar worker. The audience gets this impression of D-Fens (Michael Douglas) because he is smartly dressed with a white shirt and tie, he wears glasses, he's cleanly shaven and is driving a typical American family sedan. This first impression of D-Fens is subsequently taken apart throughout the film and the audience later finds out that he is unemployed and discontent with American society. D-Fens' car and the way he acts give the audience a early clue that he is not all that he seems. D-Fens is stuck in a traffic jam and getting more and more frustrated by the things around him, he reacts very violently to the fly in his car and thrashes around trying to kill it, this gives the audience an indication that he is quite a violent person when he gets annoyed. Another indication is when D-Fens tries to cool himself down and his air conditioning system doesn't work, so he tries to open the window but the handle is broken, the car is like a metaphor for D-Fens' life shabby, worn out and not like it used to be. There is quite a range of different social classes represented in the opening scene all seen from D-Fens' point of view. In the back seat of the car in front of D-Fens is a young Hispanic girl who is staring impassively at him watching his frustration and breakdown unfold. D-Fens seems uneasy about this maybe because it reminds him of his own daughter and he feels ashamed that he can't drive her to school anymore. This girl is shown in contrast to the children on the bus who are noisy and happy whereas she is silent. She is sad looking and the car she's in is also old these things make the audience think she also doesn't have the happy life that the American dream is supposed to offer. This immediately brings up the question of race in the film and whether people from minority ethnic groups have the same opportunities as WASP's. The camera then pans across to show another white-collar worker, a middle-aged woman putting on bright lipstick and trying to make herself look younger, this gives the impression that she feels threatened perhaps by younger women in her work place. The next vehicle that comes into shot is the typical American school bus the children are very noisy and annoying, there is also a mixture of races represented and they appear to be getting along with each other. There is a black boy that is staring at D-Fens in much the same way as the Hispanic girl and it appears that non-WASPs are more of a threat to D-Fens and this perhaps suggests he is racist. Next to the school bus is a new sporty, convertible with two yuppies in the front seats. They can be categorized like this because they have mobile phones, a nice car, and smart suits. They are represented as aggressive and impatient as the driver is honking his horn for no apparent reason. They are rude and loud on the phone and they appear arrogant because they don't feel that they should be stuck in the traffic jam with everyone else. They seem to epitomise capitalism in America and the type of people that become rich and successful in a capitalist society. There are also representations of American society shown on the three bumper stickers that D-Fens looks at. The first one says â€Å"Financial Freedom phone †¦ † this also shows capitalism in America and that fact that many people live in debt and see themselves as being trapped with only money being the way out. The next sticker says â€Å"He died for our sins† and this shows how religious orientated American society is. The last one says â€Å"How's my driving? Phone 1-800 EAT SHIT! † this just shows how uncaring American society has become with many people being stuck in poverty, whilst many others are living in luxury. The flashing ‘Delay' lights, the heat, noise and smoke all come together and the quick straight edits from each of these elements build up the sense of desperation and threat until D-Fens finally has enough and gets out of his car and tells the man behind him that he's â€Å"going home†. This phrase is repeated throughout the film and it becomes D-Fens' quest. ‘Home' is not literally his house but back to a time when D-Fens felt less threatened from foreign immigrants or non-WASPs, a time when his role in society was more defined and he was a family man and a breadwinner, a time when he felt proud of America and its people. In the next scene the second main character, Prendergast, is introduced. He also appears to be a white-collar worker and a WASP but he is slightly older than D-Fens, his reaction to the traffic jam is in contrast to D-Fens' because he is more relaxed and doesn't let it frustrate him. He is represented as a wise old cop who is from the old school of policing and he is contrasted with the young arrogant policeman on the motorbike who enjoys his power but turns out to be a less competent cop than Prendergast. There is also a smarmy salesman on the scene trying to offer the young cop help, which he rejects. He talks about his trade and how he gives discounts for officers of the law, this suggests that money can influence police and that they are corrupt. The third scene represents a single mother who turns out to be D-Fens' ex-wife, she is shown as stressed and overworked having to get the groceries, walk the dog and look after the child all at once. The house appears to be nice, quite large with a garden and white picket fence and it seems to represent the ideal American family home, although there are signs of it starting to fall into disrepair with the paint on the house peeling off and the front garden being untidy. This shows how D-Fens used to have a nice traditional family life and the suburban idyllic house that went with it, that's when it used to be ‘home'. There is also a sign of how gun culture is very much part of American society with D-Fens' young daughter playing with a realistic looking toy gun and learning from a young age the power that you can have by possessing a gun. The fourth scene represents an immigrant shopkeepers in particular a Korean man. It opens with the well dressed, white D-Fens walking into a poor area of the city, this is shown by the graffiti on the walls, the rubbish on the streets and the fact that there are metal bars over the windows to keep the small shop secure. The Korean shopkeeper is dressed in old, unfashionable clothes and he appears quite impoverished because his till is very old fashioned and he is wary of a WASP coming into his shop in this area. This shows the separation of communities in America and the lack of trust between them. D-Fens is very racist towards the shopkeeper in this scene and he shows no respect for him when he marches in and asks for change without even having eye contact with the shopkeeper. D-Fens sees himself as being dominant over the Korean man and he sets the price of 50cents for the can of Coke and he takes control. He sees the immigrant as inferior to him because he is a WASP and he still has the ideals of the time before. D-Fens is racist because he mocks the Korean mans accent and the fact that he can't pronounce the ‘V' in five, then because the man is Asian he immediately assumes that he's Chinese and this is a typical ignorant view of an American who are traditionally insular in their views. This is shown again later on in the film when Prendergast immediately assumes that his fellow Japanese cop can understand the Korean man. When D-Fens finds out the man is Korean he says about the foreign aid that his country has given to Korea and he therefore feels that this man owes him and in saying ‘my country' he implies that the Korean man doesn't belong there. The image of the American flag is used once again in this scene when the container full of flags is smashed on the floor in a struggle between the two characters. This shows how immigrants feel that they have to be visibly patriotic towards America to fit in with society. The broken glass container could also be a symbol for how communities are now broken in America. Or it could symbolise how the American dream is broken for this shopkeeper and also significantly for D-Fens. D-Fens then says that he is â€Å"going to take prices back to 1965† before violently smashing up the shop. This period of time is what D-Fens associates with â€Å"home† because at this time WASPs were the dominating group in society and there was prejudice against other ethnic groups, this was a time when he felt accepted and valued in society and he was a happy family man living the American dream and this is a time he wants to return to. The Korean shopkeeper is obviously used to violence and robberies living in the area that he does because he gets on the floor and shouts â€Å"Take the money! this is seen as a major insult to D-Fens because he sees himself as middle-class and in his opinion robbery is a thing that poor working class people do. He also feels that he is justified in terrorising this shop because all he wanted was some change for the phone. This scene has been interpreted by many people as being racist and this is an understandable view because the Korean man is represented in a negative way. He is rude and scruffy whereas D-Fens is represented almost like a hero figure with traditional Hollywood hero lines and he appears to be fighting for consumer rights.

Macbeth Motifs Essay

When it comes down to it, humans are mammals, and there are some animalistic traits that every mammal shares. The story of Macbeth by Shakespeare includes a theme that is the epitome of a trait that all mammals share, weak versus strong. Through the use of metaphors including birds, the symbolism of Macbeth as an owl throughout the story, and the juxtaposition between birds, weak versus strong is represented by the motif of birds in Macbeth. Birds are incorporated into other literary elements that Shakespeare utilizes, showing the true depth of his writing. Metaphors allow the reader to paint a picture of written words referencing images that they are familiar with. Like any other animal, there is a hierarchy of strength and therefore power for birds. The metaphors that Shakespeare incorporates into Macbeth including birds allow the reader to reference their experience with strong birds fighting to create an image of what the humans in the story might have been fighting like. A captain describes how valiantly Macbeth fought in the battles in the beginning of the story, saying that he was â€Å"as sparrows eagles†, which paints a picture of a valiant and strong eagle fighting a small, meek sparrow (1.2.35-42). However, later in the story, when Macbeth’s position shifts and he is no longer perceived as a noble soldier but rather as a tyrannical ruler preying on those he controls, birds are used in a metaphor again to illustrate a changed image of Macbeth. â€Å"A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place,† representing honor and innocence, â€Å"was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed,† illustrating an evil bird using its strength to overpower and kill an innocent bird (2.4.11-14).Sometimes, a reader does not glean the true meaning of an object in a story until after it has been illustrated throughout the entirety of the work of literature. Throughout the uses of birds in Macbeth, including the imagery and metaphors, a pattern occurs where a powerful owl is preying on weaker birds, and by the end of the story the reader comes to realize that the owl is a representation of Macbeth and the acts he is committing. The owl referenced during the murder of Duncan, is described as an â€Å"obscure bird† that â€Å"clamored the livelong night† as he â€Å"heard i’ th’ air, strange screams of death† (2.3.49-56). The owl in this scene is a symbol for Macbeth discovering what he is capable of, and what new powers he receives when he utilizes his newfound strength against others. One example of how he uses his recent strength was when he decided to have everyone in Macduff’s castle unnecessarily murdered. In this scene Lady Macduff is expressing her anger toward her husband, but also reveals characteristics of Macbeth when she states that her husband is not equal to â€Å"the most diminutive of birds,† which â€Å"will fight, her young ones in her nest, against the owl† (4.2.6-14). Macbeth being represented by the owl in this context depicts him as a villain that is so hungry for control that he will go to such extremes as to attack a weak, defenseless bird and it’s young. Sometimes it is equally as important to illustrate the weak side of a relationship as the strong side because then the contrast between the weak and the strong is magnified for the reader. In Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes this juxtaposition to make the theme of strong versus weak even more apparent by inserting some descriptions of birds that appear weak to make the acts done by the stronger birds even more horrific. The day before Duncan’s murder where a powerful, evil owl was present, Banquo and Duncan comment on the sweet, innocent birds at Macbeth’s castle, â€Å"this guest of summer, the temple-haunting martlet, does approve†¦that the heaven’s breath smells wooingly here† this illustrates their vulnerability and unawareness to the upcoming strike by Macbeth, making his actions seem even worse. When Lady Macduff tells her son that â€Å"thou’dst never fear the net nor lime, the pitfall nor the gin,† he responds with a question of why he should because â€Å"poor birds they are not set for†, meaning that because he would be such a weak bird, hunters would have no want for him (4.2.36-37). Just after making this point, the defenseless son of Macduff is murdered by the king Macbeth, making the reader question what kind of tyrant Macbeth has come to be. The use of birds in Macbeth by Shakespeare is used to develop the theme of weak versus strong when they are used in metaphors, when Macbeth is represented by a bird throughout the story, and by the juxtaposition of the weak and strong birds. The acts committed by the characters aroused emotions in the audience because they were not so unrealistic that the audience could not relate to them, they represented the mammal in humans, the animal inside of all of us that we attempt to constrain. Birds are essential to create this unsettling feeling because their rustic, animal-like nature is no unlike the animalistic traits we try to hide, which allows the reader or audience to relate with the motif.

English 2 Investor Relations Officer Assignment

English 2 Investor Relations Officer - Assignment Example It even extends up to other disciplines like the business administration field of professionalism. This means that getting an employment in this industry is not a walk in the park; however, a good self-marketing strategies and a well placed resume would lead one right into the business. The main reason why one would want to venture into this field is the huge amount of potential cash that one can get in the field. We have seen how successful people can be in the real estate marketing industry. The world is in a position whereby very many constructions are going on with each passing day. There is the need for many real estate agencies to market and help bring up these buildings. The other reason why some people have ventured into this business is the self-drive and passion for such things as real estate marketing (Securities Data). Some people have a personal liking for marketing and message delivery in the real estate industry. They follow this passion and get through all the obstacles that might get in their way to pursue their dreams. These are the most persistent candidates for the job since they rarely take no for an answer. They look for jobs in one office after another without despair. An investor relations officer links the company to the outside world as he helps in the conveyance of the different kind of messages to the intended persons. He helps to settle the company’s legal need so that there are no complications. The real estate industry is infested with so many legal wrangles between the member companies and, in some cases, with the public too (Basskaran 76). As an amateur in the business, it would not be easy finding your way into the various fields. One is often bullied by those with experience. The more one gets the needed experience, the better they are at their job. As much as academic qualifications matter in the job, in most cases, it is one’s character that bails them out; how you would express yourself when your company is in need

International strategy operation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

International strategy operation - Coursework Example As a small-scale company in Austria, AGRANA had to compete with other larger and similar companies. Prior to 1989, AGRANA encountered a lot of business challenges before it was able to successfully compete in the global markets. Regional integration is referring to the process in which companies located in different regional states are actively interacting with one another in order to promote both economic and political security1, 2 whereas global integration is pertaining to the process in which the company is able to benefit from the act of combining the different business activities that are located in different countries around the world3. Through regional and global integration, AGRANA was not only able to gain benefits from economies-of-scale but also created more competitive advantage. Ever since the CEE decided to open its market to other regions and in the world market, the scope of AGRANA’s target market also increased significantly. Through foreign direct investment (FDI), AGRANA took the opportunity to expand its manufacturing plants in different regional and international sites4. Since AGRANA was selling homogenous products, its target buyers can easily purchase the same item from other companies. Back when the scale of AGRANA was small, the bargaining power of its buyers was high. Therefore, the company was determined in searching for ways on how they can effectively cut down its operational costs without sacrificing the quality of the products. To compete in the market, the company had no other choice but to improve its marketing and production strategies to create cost and differetiation advantages5. It means that through product differentiation, market segmentaion, the use of generic strategies, and continuous reduction in the actual fixed costs of the busienss6, AGRANA was able to keep up with the tight market competition. For example, instead of

Leadership Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Paper - Essay Example The men and women behind an organization say a lot about how trustworthy the institution is. Good leadership brings about a working environment both harmonious and efficient which can consequently lead to a more effective workforce and a successful organization. In the business world today, there are a number of companies that continue to dominate the public because of excellent leadership and management. The World Health Organization is one of those companies. For 62 years, with almost 100 states under its membership, WHO has initiated successful programs driven to eradicating health issues worldwide. It has been the known guide of many health institutions in creating policies regarding the well-being of individuals around the world. Through its excellent leadership and management, WHO has been a trusted and respected institution in the field of health care. My paper will argue that WHO is a successful company because of its good decision-making, employee treatment and excellent leadership. I believe I will fit into this organization because I am patient, hard-working and I have a passion for helping people. There are a variety of industries in society. Among these industries, I consider health care the most important as it continually strives to find ways to nurture the well-being of the individual. Inasmuch as without the individual, there would be no society, it is therefore vital to provide efficient healthcare services. â€Å"Healthcare combines medical technology and the human touch as it diagnoses, treats and administers care around the clock, responding to the needs of millions of people-from newborns to the terminally ill.† (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010) There are many establishments that make up the healthcare industry. These vary in terms of size, manpower and organizational structures. Doctors’ offices, hospitals and nursing facilities