Effect of Cultural Shock and Cultural Adjustment on International Essay

Effect of Cultural Shock and Cultural Adjustment on International Mobility - Essay Example The movement of people between and within countries has been noted to be on the rise especially with the increased globalisation. In some countries, the number of foreigners could be exceptionally high such as in the Gulf countries where Furnham (2010) notes that foreign workers comprise about 75% of the total semi-permanent population. Business people, students, missionaries, volunteers and asylum seekers among other groups of people would become temporary or permanent sojourning expatriates in foreign countries more often. These people face a myriad of challenges when in a new environment. In the context of this paper, focus would be on the educational sector and how cultural shock affects international mobility. Most universities have more than a third of the students classified as foreign or international, an observation that continues to take prominence even in other lower institutions of learning (Akhtar & Bo 2010). Various push and pull factors inform on the increase in migrations: leisure, to proselytise or to trade, among others. Some move so as to escape the difficult conditions back in their homelands whereas others would be attracted to specific places. They could face persecution due to their political or religious stands and therefore seek asylum or refuge. Others would move due to employment opportunities as well paying jobs attract them or education, attracted by the superior education systems. Furnham (2010) observed that American universities, for instance, have over half a million of the international students. The US is said to offer the greatest opportunity for higher education for international students globally.... Cultural Shock With the world continuously shrinking due to globalisation, researchers have been keen to study the characteristics of expatriates who succeed in foreign countries. Analysing various research studies tackling this issue, Furnham found out that majority of the researchers concur on the importance of social skills and uses the term â€Å"cultural intelligence† to refer to the â€Å"blend of social and emotional intelligence, reflecting sensitivity to and ability to manage people’s beliefs, behaviours and motivation in culturally diverse settings† (2010, p. 28). The social identity theory explains one’s social self which borrows from being a member of a group. Further, the social identity concept argues on a combination of one’s knowledge of being a member of a social group and the associated value or emotional component (Terry et al. 2006). But it has been noted that most expatriates fail in their assignments in foreign countries becaus e of cultural differences (Yue & Le 2012). As such, those who develop the ability to quickly adjust and acquire intercultural competencies would have a competitive advantage. Those who take long in cultural shock could be greatly disadvantaged. Coined by the anthropologist Kalervo Oberg in 1960, the term cultural shock refers to an affective disturbance resulting from an interaction of one’s conceptualisations and realities. According to Miller, Matveeva and Nekrassova (2011), cultural shock results from an individual’s psychological expectations not conforming to the new cultural setting. Individual management in a foreign country could cause one frustration, depression and homesickness. Cultural shock

Elder Mistreatment Essay Example for Free

Elder Mistreatment Essay Old age is generally a time for great life changes, stresses, and multiple losses for a maturing adult. An individual’s capacity to manage stress fluctuates with age. There are optimism and positive energy in youth, along with physical stamina to meet demands of life and cope up with conflict. With advancing age, and consequent physical illness, bereavement and fears, people suffer a deterioration of their mental stamina in negotiating challenges of life (Gonzalez et al. , 1988, 15). With an increasing sense of loneliness and insecurity about life, aging adult face a completely different level of problems that relate more to continuity, meaning and purposefulness of life, rather than meeting its material accomplishments. Elder mistreatment: Definition Defining elder mistreatment requires due consideration of a number of factors that vary from victim profiles to type and degree of abuse. Therefore to standardize its definition, elder mistreatment has been described as a process that starts with being overwhelmed that leads to abuse, mistreatment and neglect that causes suffering and pain for the victim (Johnson, 1991). Elder mistreatment deals with such issues as maltreatment, neglect, abuse, domestic violence, conflict and lapse in care management and physical and financial exploitation (Elder Abuse). Despite all the health management plans the fact remains that elder people are very vulnerable when it comes to health care. They are easily susceptible to diseases, illness, injuries, and psychological traumas that are consequences of aging (Pillemer and Wolf, 1986). These circumstances lead to abuse owing to isolation of According to national surveys, more than 49 percent of elder population reports abuse that range from neglect in providing basic amenities such as food, water, medicines, shelter, clothing, and timely medical treatment to denial of emotional and psychological support (Elder Abuse) With significant increase in America’s elder population, providing adequate elder care at family, social, and institutional level has become a major issue. The public conscience level for the major problems facing old age people are neglect, mistreatment and mismanagement in care related aspects has seen greater academic research to find out the causative factors behind elder neglect and mistreatment. Precipitators in elder mistreatment Contrary to the general perception of American family as one that is caring, considerate and loving towards its elder members, researches in elder neglect and abuse have shown that most of the neglect and mistreatment is inflicted at the hands of close family members (Pillemer and Wolf, 1986). In a report by National Elder Abuse Incidence Study on elder abuse, it was shown that majority of abuse on people aged 60 or more takes place in domestic quarters at hands of family members (Bergeron and Gray, 2003). Close relatives such as siblings, children and in several cases even spouses have been found to be responsible for neglect and abuse. Earlier conceptions of families being a safe heaven for elderly population received setback as definition of neglect broadened to comprise sensitive issues of psychological support, emotional care, empathy and understanding (Douglass et al, 1984). An issue of grave concern is the findings pointing to elder abuse and mistreatment taking place at professional health care and nursing institutions by nursing staff that is specifically trained for taking adequate care of elderly people (Johnson, 1991) Types of mistreatment afflicting elders Elder population suffers a wide range of mistreatment and abuse. The major types of mistreatments as described at Elder Abuse Help Guide are 1. Physical abuse of Elders: It includes physically maltreating old people, assaulting, beating, pushing, using physical restraints and manhandling. Physical abuse is relatively a rare phenomenon.   2.  Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse of elders includes verbal or non verbal expression of disconcert, insult, blame, verbal harassment, ridicule, intimidation, and yelling on part of care takers. Emotional mistreatment is one of most frequent and commonly occurring abuse that elders suffer throughout the nation. 3. Neglect: Elder neglect involves ignorance of basic needs and requirements of aged people, lack of shelter, absence of supervision and monitoring, deliberate delay or denial in providing medical care and inadequate personal and hygienic care. 4. Emotional Neglect: Emotional neglect leads to severe stress among old people.  They are deliberately ignored, left to fend for themselves, not taken care of in such activities in which they require support and help of care-takers. 5. Financial Abuse: Elders are often abused financially by exploiting their financial resources and denying them the privileges of their own assets. Elders subjected to financial abuse are often deliberately isolated from rest of world by their caretakers to avoid exposure and detection of their fraud. Financial abuse of elders is a common occurrence when elders are not staying with their blood-relatives but with near relatives or friends. Reasons and warnings of abuse In the researches in elder abuse, a pertinent focus of researchers has been on the causes that lead people to inflict abuse and mistreatment on people that are vulnerable, dependent and in need of love, care and emotional and often material support (Johnson, 1991). Finding the reasons for abuse becomes critical as it also acts as pointer to possible cases of abuses and mistreatment in many social and community settings where cases of abuse are not reported out of their sensitive nature. In explaining the cause of abuse, Bonnie and Wallace (2002) have presented a detailed socio-cultural model that identifies underlying processes in abuse Overview of model of elder mistreatment Meanwhile extensive research by a number of academicians and scholars has further helped to create a structured profile of abuser. An elderly person may be undergoing abuse or is highly susceptible for it when the caretakers show psychopathological tendencies, trans-generational discrepancies, stressful life, economic hardships, burnout, drug-dependency, drinking problem, degree of dependence that is greater than care takers’ ability to handle, coercive and dominating nature of caretaker, inexperience, lack of sympathy and inability to feel empathy (Anetzberger , 1987; Anastasio , 1981;Johnson, 1991). Elders may also be suffering abuse if they show constant fear of their care-giver, if there is a confrontational atmosphere around, and if they are get suddenly isolated, uncommunicative and pensive. Preventing Elder Abuse It is a poignant fact that elders themselves can do little in preventing their abuse. In case of people who are completely dependent on care-givers, such as Alzheimer’s patients and terminally ill patients, their survival depends on the care-givers and hence they rarely report abuse incidents out of fear of antagonizing their care-givers. Therefore to prevent elder abuse requires a broad program that should focus on development of services for elderly care, training sessions for care givers, initiation and integration of family members in the elderly care programs. Moreover, it is vital to pass the message that adequate, compassionate and empathic care of elders is a holistic issue, one that has long term defining impact on social culture and ethics.

Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond :: Speare Witch Blackbird Pond Essays

Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond shows the maturation process of a young girl from Barbados. Kit’s life in Barbados is shattered when her grandfather dies. As a result of his death, Kit is forced to leave the island and her carefree lifestyle. She travels to Connecticut to find her only living relatives. Once she reaches Connecticut her persona evolves from an island girl, to hard worker, and finally to wife. Kit is a young island girl who is running away from her problems. She is escaping from the only home she has ever known and leaving behind her soon to be lover, Nat in order to get away from a man she does not wish to marry. Kit tells Mercy that she does not want to marry him because he is much older then she is, â€Å"He was fifty years old, and he had pudgy red fingers with too many rings on them. You see Mercy why I couldn’t write† (pg 47). She makes up her mind and runs to a family whom she has never met, without even writing to them. Once she reaches Connecticut, Kit is disappointed at the first sight of land, â€Å"The bleak line of shore surrounding the gray harbor was a disheartening contrast to the shimmering green and white that fringed the turquoise bay of Barbados which was her home.† (Pg 7) Once she reaches her aunt and uncle’s house it is a huge culture shock for her. In Connecticut everyone does his or her part and helps with the housework, where as in Barbados, there are people who do that for you. Kit must learn how to be of some use to the family. â€Å"By the end of the day the word useful had taken an alarming meaning.† (Pg 42) She also has to attend Puritan meetings regularly, something that she never had to do before. â€Å"The puritan service seems to her as plain and unlovely as the bare board walls of the meeting house† (pg 52). While at meeting she is called upon by a wealthy young man, William Ashby; once again in an attempt to fit in, she agrees to have him visit her in her uncle’s house. Although she is not interested in him, she continues seeing him because she knows that if they are married she will not have to do any chores at all.

Two Girls with the Courage to Change their World

Although most humans are born free, they can live life bound by the barriers and expectations of society. The novels The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and Sister Wife focus on female protagonists who break out of the moulds their societies place them in and form their own identities. In this essay, I will argue that these novels show how feminism has a positive impact on society and on the individuals who practise it. To do this, I will analyze how the cultures restricted females, how each protagonist resisted conformity, and the successful conclusion each character reached. In The Sweetness of the Bottom of the Pie, the main character, Flavia DeLuce, epitomizes the struggles women faced for equality in England during the 1950’s. In the aftermath of World War II, a new emphasis was placed on the nuclear family as the foundation of society. Although during the war many women worked outside the home and participated in the war effort, after its end they were encouraged to assume roles of wives and mothers as the government aimed to re-establish domesticity as women’s primary occupation. The fictional town of Bishops Lacey was no different. Women were expected to perform domestic work or jobs considered to be specific to their gender, such as a cook or librarian, and men were expected to perform the superior roles, such as detectives, professors or priests. The society Flavia was raised in expected females to be dependent and accepting of their male superiors. Flavia, the protagonist of the novel, can be described as an independent, self-reliant, and persistent eleven year old. Throughout the novel, her feminist qualities and resistance to the moulds of her culture are evident. Flavia verbally declares on several occasions that she is just as capable, if not more so, than her male counterparts: â€Å"Yes, I’d solve this case and present it to him wrapped up in gaily colored ribbons† (95). In this statement Flavia affirms her belief that she has the ability to solve the case just as effectively as the male detectives. Similarly, Sister Wife‘s main character, Celeste, questions the inferior place of women and their lack of rights in the context of a polygamous community. Celeste was born in Unity, home to The Movement, a conservative religious group that lives apart from mainstream, modern society. Unity is a society based on conformity and unwavering obedience, especially when it comes to women. Women in this society are not granted the option to choose; before they are born, their roles in society are already planned, â€Å"Fathers and mothers †¦ from the time your daughter can crawl, you must teach her that she does not belong to you but to the prophet and the man the prophet will assign her to in marriage. Only these men†¦ can take your daughters to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom† (33). This statement, spoken by the prophet, clearly shows the roles of women in Unity and their dependence on the male figures that dominate their society. Celeste, who can be described as an opinionated and individualistic young girl, has to hide aspects of her natural personality to find acceptance in Unity. Celeste begins to question the ways of The Movement as the day when she will be assigned to a husband draws near. She does not want to be married at 15; she seeks higher aspirations, such as â€Å"an education, a career, to fall in love and chose her own husband, to be independent and think for herself† (264). However, Unity would never permit Celeste to do any more than become a celestial wife. A celestial wife is a term commonly used in polygamous communities meaning heavenly or holy wife; a woman can be considered a celestial wife when their husband marries more than one women. This forces Celeste to decide whether to conform to the roles laid out for her, or to resist her male dominated society. In the novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia, contrary to Celeste, avidly verbally and physically, defies her male dominated society. Flavia hates being undermined and judged based on her gender instead of her abilities; â€Å"’why it’s only a girl,’ ‘I could’ve slapped his face,’† (242). These statements occur after Flavia is caught breaking into a boys boarding school. When a teacher notices her he calls the police, assuming that she was a boy and therefore a legitimate threat to security. However, when he discovers that she is a girl, he apologizes for alerting the cops and claims that if he knew, he could have easily dealt with the situation. In Bishops Lacey, many male figures decide the scope of Flavia’s abilities before they get to know her; as a result Flavia receives great joy in proving them wrong. In the beginning of the novel, Flavia discovers a dead body in her front yard. Instead of initiating the expected female response of running to get help, Flavia kneels over the body and exclaims, â€Å"I wish I could say I was scared, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life† (29). Although Flavia wakes Dogger, a maintenance worker in the De Luce home, she takes care of the dead body herself. Flavia calls the police, confirms that the victim is dead, and is the first to greet the detectives when they arrive. Her natural ability to remain calm and take control of the situation is very uncharacteristic of the females in Bishops Lacey. Ms. Mullet’s response to the situation is much less refined: â€Å"Oh, good Lord! † (14). Later, when Flavia’s father is charged with the murder, she cannot just watch as men try to wrongly convict him of the crime: â€Å"My duty was to my father and it had fallen upon my shoulders to help him† (152). Despite the detective’s setbacks, Flavia begins to unravel the mystery which will free her father and prove that she is just as capable of solving the case. During her journey to discover the truth, Flavia ignores the rules created by the men in her life, such as ignoring the detective’s obvious worry for her safety, her father’s pleas for her to â€Å"Go home,† and unlawfully breaking into a hotel room and a clock tower (173). Flavia’s determination and unwillingness to rely on men are admiral qualities; however, they do place her in serious danger. Near the end of the mystery Flavia is kidnapped by the murderer Frank Pemberton. Although this is the first time in the novel she shows fear, Flavia still refuses to submit to his demands. Despite the fact that she is physically bound and unable to resist, she believes she can still conquer Pemberton with her wit. Throughout the novel Sister Wife, Celeste also defies the male dominance in her society; however, she does this in a much subtler way. Through the majority of the novel, Celeste mentally resents the restrictions and roles of women in her society; however, physically, she seems to follow and obey the laws laid down by men. This is one of the major differences between the two characters, as Flavia could be characterized as a woman of action whereas Celeste could be described as a woman of thoughts. At the beginning of the novel, Celeste seems to be the perfect daughter: she is obedient and respectful of her culture. However as more of her character is revealed, the reader discovers that Celeste is consumed with thoughts of a life outside Unity. Within the community, Celeste’s lifestyle is so structured that â€Å"a person doesn’t really need to think at all† (11). Yet, Celeste still doubts the system and finds it impossible to accept the prophet’s laws without questioning them: â€Å"God is not in the religious ranting, he’s not in the rules or the sacred book. He is here in this beauty of this divine morning† (129). When Celeste meets a young, attractive boy named Jon, she begins to believe that she should have the right to fall in love with a boy her own age. Although Celeste and Jon’s relationship is banned in Unity and considered blasphemy, neither character can stop romantically seeing the other. Celeste wonders whether â€Å"it’s time for her to change things†¦. Refuse to be assigned to a husband† (49). This shows Celeste’s feminist tendencies and her subtle way of resisting her society. However, Celeste’s loyalty and love for her family prevents her from acting on her desires. When Celeste and Jon are caught, he begs her to leave with him: â€Å"’Celeste you know you don’t want this life’†; she responds: â€Å"‘But I also know that I cannot disgrace my family’† (142). After Jon’s departure, the whole community becomes aware of Celeste’s indiscretion and Celeste reaches a new level of despair. She laments that â€Å"What Daddy wants is right for him. Nobody asked me if being a celestial wife was right for me; if they had I would have said no† (148). Celeste begins to feel like a caged animal and every movement becomes an effort. This leads the reader to conclude that without the right to think independently and make decisions for oneself, people can lose the very essence of what makes them human. The days begin to blur for Celeste and soon she finds herself engaged to Jon’s father. It does not matter how much she is repulsed by the idea of her new husband; Celeste cannot leave Unity and in the end she chooses to marry the one the Lord reveals for her. In the end, Flavia’s resistance to the gender inequality in her society changes Bishops Lacey forever. When sitting in a room alone with a raging murderer, Flavia realizes that there are no miracles in Bishops Lacey. If she wants to live she â€Å"must make things happen for herself† (315). Flavia knows that â€Å"humans were incapable of accepting their own helplessness,† (316) and as a result they have become survivors. She was not giving up without a fight, and although she knew that she could not escape alone, she physically fought Pemberton with everything she had. Flavia proclaimed that â€Å"Napoleon had once called the English a nation of shopkeepers†¦ but we were a nation of survivors, and I, Flavia Sabina De Luce, could see it even in myself,† (331). Even as the strength leaves her body, Flavia stalls Pemberton using her knowledge of the murders he had committed, hopefully buying her rescuer the time he needs. In moments, Dogger arrives, freeing Flavia from Pemberton’s grasp. When Flavia is freed from the pit she had been concealed in, the residents of Bishops Lacey no longer view her as just a girl. They regard her as â€Å"somehow a different Flavia than the one†, they knew â€Å"only two days ago† (349). Flavia will forever be remembered as the girl with enough courage to defy all the odds and uncover the truth. The symbolism of her heroic journey is evident as Pemberton is arrested in complete darkness and her father is released in the light that followed. The idea of darkness becoming light also symbolized the rebirth of Bishops Lacey, as their previous view that â€Å"females were disadvantaged by nature† (275) had been proven false by Flavia’s actions. In the weeks that follow her kidnapping, Flavia comes to be perceived as an equal in her community, consulted by the detectives and police. As a result her independence flourishes. In contrast, Celeste’s resistance to the gender inequality in her society changes her life forever by providing her with enough strength to follow her dreams. Celeste does not find any more happiness in married life than in life with her biological family and feels as though she has â€Å"been sentenced to a life without hope. My heart feels as though it will never heal† (246). This statement reveals the psychological realities of many women trapped within the system of polygamy. To keep a level of sanity, Celeste creates Inukshuks; this allows her to regain some control in her life and feel connected to the earth. As male dominance leaves little room for female imagination, Celeste manages to express herself through her creations and this ends up saving her soul: â€Å"When I concentrate on rocks, I forget everything else, and for those short hours I experience peace† (246). The idea of using an element of creation to explain one’s society and her place in it is a common theme shared by both novels. In The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia uses chemistry to express her creativity and knowledge, using chemical analogies to explain her world. After only a few months of marriage, Celeste becomes pregnant, and as a result, her devastation increased because a child would forever bind her to Unity. But on the first day of spring her daughter, Hope, is born, and suddenly everything in Celeste’s world changes. She wants her daughter to have everything she did not have: â€Å"I may not have been strong enough to leave Unity for myself, but in this moment I know that I will find the strength to do it for her† (264). Celeste’s dream of escape become reality when she leaves Unity a few months after her daughter is born. The courage to believe that society should have a place where everyone is equal is the foundation of feminism in both the novels Sister Wife and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. The two female protagonists defy the male dominance in their societies and discover who they truly are. Each character faces the obstacle of a very repressive culture and yet, are able to summon the courage of the feminists who lived before them to resolve the conflicts of their time. Though Flavia’s resolution had more of an immediate impact than Celeste’s, by leaving Unity, Celeste set a new precedent for girls in polygamous communities and helped others realize that there is a way out. Therefore, it is justified to claim that both girls resolved aspects of gender inequality in their societies. These unique women have positively impacted society and contributed to the rights and freedoms modern women enjoy.

Abolition Movement Essay

Nineteenth century America bore a perplexing set of movements. Most of which aimed largely to reform American society. At this era, America is redefining her identity. Such was a significant time for reformation movement to peak. The Temperance Movement, religious â€Å"Second Great Awakening† and Women’s Rights Movement are along some of the major efforts attempted to improve the nation and its people. Most important of all, the Abolition Movement, which the very foundation of freedom in America was redefined. The American abolition movement emerged in the early 1830’s as the by-product of â€Å"Second Great Awakening.†[1] Revivalistic tenets led the abolitionist to view slavery as a product of personal sin. They demand emancipation as the price of repentance.[2] This religious revival resulted to thousands of conversions to evangelical religions.[3] Slavery was one of the issues in America which most people sought to end. As early as 1688, the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, took a public stand against slavery.[4] Even though most quakers own slaves when they first came to America. William Buriling, Ralph Sandiford, Benhamin Lay, John Woolman and Anthony Benezet were among the society’s members who largely determined their policy. These people were the salient figures who primarily opposed slavery within the society. By late 1700s and 1800s, the Society of Friends declared their protest against slavery. Quakers opposed it on religious grounds. Others contended that slave owners violated the very principles that the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence had established in 1776. Many religious figures had largely contributed to America’s history of slavery. One was Lyman Beecher, one of the country’s prominent nineteenth- century clergymen and a revivalist of Second Great Awakening.[5] Students of the school where Beecher became pastor, debated the issue on slavery and preferred to adopt abolitionism, which the board of the school opposed. In protest many students including Theodore Weld left the school.[6] Religion had intruded on slavery issues even during the establishment of Quakers. It is often said that this group have influence beyond their numbers. Through their social class and background, Quakers have shared an important role in forming America’s history as well as the society. In 1833, the American Anti-Slavery Society was established by William Lloyd Garisson[7] with fellow abolitionists Arthur Tappan, Lewis Tappan, and Theodore Dwight Weld. It attracted a crowd with lecturing agents, petition drives and a wide variety of printed materials, condemning slavery on moral grounds. The organization sent lecturers about the brutality of slavery across the North, including Ohio. Unfortunately, abolitionists’ appeal of emancipation were rejected by higher institutions as well as individual slave-owners. Some important figures in the emancipation in America were blacks, themselves. Most prominent black during the period started their journey from the oppression of slavery of the Southern states toward more desirable freedom enjoyed at Northern states. In this freedom, they did not grow complacent while their people and family still suffer from inflictions of the institution of slavery. The most famous of this divine ordeal was that of Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman[8] was a slave from Maryland. She suffered all her life from seizures, headaches and hypersomia having had knocked in the head with a heavy iron weight by a slave owner. In 1894 she escaped to Philadelphia where she met with William Still, the Philadelphia stationmaster on the underground railroad. Still, along with the Philadelphia Anti-slavery Society, enlightened Tubman of the workings of the underground railway. Eventually, she became a conductor for the underground railway. Dubbed as the â€Å"Moses of her people†, she helped provide safety and salvation to an approximately 300 slaves. She worked various jobs in order to finance her actives as a conductor. During the Civil War, she served as a soldier, spy and a nurse for the Union. Another women of considerable existence was Soujorner Truth. Truth had been born a slave from Ulster County, New York at a time wherein the state still permits slaves. The anti-slavery law of 1827 freed her from bondage. Her freedom prompt her to be an active abolitionist and a woman’s rights advocate. Truth became one of the most famous orator of her day. Her passion came from her desire to abolish slavery and help her fellow black. Her speeches against the evils of slavery â€Å"shamed many people who were apathetic and passive†. She also fights for women suffrage. Her speech, â€Å"Ain’t I, a Woman?†[9] was her legacy. The speech were made at 1851 Convention on Woman’s Rights after a clergyman remark women as â€Å"too weak and helpless†. Another individual of which probably had the greatest impact for the cause, was Frederick Douglass. Douglass was probably the most important black figure in the abolition of slavery. His accomplishment had impact America on a political scale. His reputation was in an international level. Douglass was born a slave in Maryland. He escaped from bondage and went to New Bedford with the help of a black navy named Ruggles. Although blacks are free in the city of New Bedford, it isn’t a paradise. Douglas observed the discrimination throughout the city.   He subscribed to an abolitionist paper the Liberator by William Lloyd Garrison. Through the Liberator, Douglass were introduced to abolitionist movements. Garrison eventually became his personal hero.   Later he became a member of American Anti-Slavery Society. On August of 1841, an abolitionist meeting took place at New Bedford. Garrison saw Douglass, and he eventually recognized the potential. Douglass became an agent for Garrison. He became a traveling lecturer â€Å"touring the Northern states to talk about his life and sell subscriptions to the Liberator†. The young Douglass â€Å"told stories of brutal beatings of slave owners to women, children and the elderly†. He told the story on how he broke the slave breaker Edward Covey[10]. He scorned clergyman â€Å"who warned slaves that they would be offending God if they disobeyed their masters†. He speaks of evil of masters breeding their female slaves. He grew in skill within his trade that people began doubting his credibility. â€Å"How can such a slave have such a commanding master of words?† they told themselves. This provoked Douglass into revealing his true identity through the disclosure of personal details. He published an autobiography entitled â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave† against the protest of his mentor Garisson and some co-abolitionists. The theme of the narrative is about moral force. â€Å"It is a story of triumph and dignity, courage and self-reliance over the evils of brutal, degrading slave system†. The narrative connotes the existing corruption in the human spirit that â€Å"robs both the master and slave of their freedom†. The book became popular in the North as well as in Europe. However, the Federal Law on fugitive slave threatened his freedom. The Law gave Thomas Auld the right to seize his property. The threat prompted his tour in London where he was later joined by Garisson and other abolitionist. August of 1846 at World Temperance Convention in London, Douglass attacked the American Temperance Movement. He felt that temperance activist were hostile to free blacks. Emancipation in Britain is still fresh among its people. In that regard Douglass felt little racial prejudice among the British. He carved connection among British and Europeans who were compassionate for the cause.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tour â€Å"aroused goodwill for the abolitionist cause in the British Isle†. The success in Britain had propelled his reputation to an international level. Douglass established friends and supporters in Britain. In fact, it was his British friends who paid[11] the price of Douglass’ freedom in America. With his renewed freedom he went to Rochester, New York to settle. The town had reputation of being pro-abolition. The women were also active in fighting for their rights. In here, he established a new anti-slavery publication, named North Star, which was not supported by Garisson. With the North Star he no longer have to cling with white abolitionist group of   Garisson. The widening connection of Douglass open his mind to the political aspects of his cause. He began to question the Garissonian views. For Garisson, â€Å"abolishing slavery through violence is wrong†. Garisson believed he could convince the slave owners into giving up their slaves thus setting them free. A white militant named John Brown[12] helped convince Douglass that â€Å"pacifist means could not by themselves bring an end to slavery.† Douglass believed that the North would never abolish slavery if it could cause the break up of the Union and collapse of the Constitution. â€Å" He therefore decided that slavery would have to be ended through political reforms†. Tension began to rise when Douglass urged North Star reader to be politically active and be involved. The change in principle created factions within the abolitionist circle. He, however, did not allow such disputes to affect what he aspired to do. Douglass became one of the most prominent and respected black of his time. His actions and success boosted the confidence of the black abolitionist. He tried to establish a black vocational school. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin helped to raise the fund. Furthermore, his Rochester home became the most important station on the underground railroad. He became the superintendent of the entire system in his area. The information regarding the evils of slavery are readily available due to hard work and perseverance of Frederick Douglas and William Lloyd Garrison[13]. However, the popularity of these informations are confined within the anti-slavery circle. In line with this, a fictional novel of abolitionist nature was published entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The author was Harriet Beecher Stowe, an alleged daughter of Lyman Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin had been published by weekly installment in the National Era from summer of 1851 to spring of 1852. Nevertheless, its popularity was still within the abolitionist circle. Its popularity gained when the novel was published in full in 1852. Uncle Tom’s Cabin became the best selling fiction of its time. It is considered by many, as one of the most influential American works of fiction ever published. The fiction had made an impact on America’s inner inquiry and realization of identity and of morality.[14] The success of the novel were founded on Stowe’s humanization of the slaves. The fiction places the reader in frontal view of the barbarity and â€Å"inhuman disintegration of families† which existed in the slavery system. Mothers were portrayed in their most desolate state when their masters sell their babies to a slave trader. The fiction appeal to the Christian soul as Stowe embodied Christ to Uncle Tom which is a black dutiful, loyal and a forgiving slave. The works of fiction â€Å"arouse the antislavery sentiment in the North and provoke angry rebuttals in the South†. Oppositions of views paved the way to devisions. Slavery was no longer a problem of the south and it concerns the whole nation as a whole. The culmination of all these events leads to a bloody battle between the Union and the Confederate slave states. The Union was fighting for a unified nation. The Confederates, on the other hand, wants to separate from the Union in order to secure their rights to own slaves. This disparity brought America to Civil War from 1861 to 1865. It was this reason why Abraham has been quoted saying to Stowe â€Å"So this is the little lady who started this war.† The status of the South as an agricultural states contributed much to their dependencies on slaves. Slaves were utilized for their manual work on the fields and plantations. In contrast, the North are already being industrialized. Their production was dependent on factories and machineries. It was the bloodiest battle that took place in American soil. The Confederate eventually succumb to the much equip forces of the Union. It was very devastating era that Americans have gone through in order to bring about change which redefined freedom in their constitution. Emancipation of all slaves was decreed to slaves states after the Civil War The abolitionists had their victory through information dissemination. Victory was achieved through rallying speeches that awakened compassion and goodwill of humanity. The rallying cries of the oppressed accused passivity a crime. They have pressured those who claimed to be free to guard and fight for freedom. On the night of the proclamation, Douglass was quoted as saying â€Å"We were waiting and listening as for a bolt from the sky†¦we were watching†¦by the dim light of the stars for the dawn of a new day†¦we were longing for the answer to the agonizing prayers of centuries.†[15] WORKS CITED Scott, Donald. â€Å" Evangelicalism, Revivalism and the Second Great Awakening.† TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center. October 2000. Queens College. 18 April 2009. McKivigan, John. â€Å"A Brief History of the American Abolitionist Movement.† American Abolitionism. n.d. Indianapolis. 18 April 2009. â€Å"The Second Great Awakening and the Age of Reform.† Teach US History. 19 April 2009. http://www.religioustolerance.org/quaker1.htm â€Å"William L. Garrison.† Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. 18 April 2009 Robinson, B.A. â€Å"Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Quaker History†. Religious Tolerance. 7 February 2006. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 19 April 2009. Woodson, C.G. â€Å"Anthony Benezet.† Classics on American Slavery. 25 March 2003. Dinsmore Documentation. 19 April 2009. â€Å"Abolitionist.† Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. 19 April 2009 Sassi, Jonathan. â€Å"Great Questions of National Morality.† Common Place. 9. 1. ( October 2008): 19 pars. 19 April 2009. â€Å"Lyman Beecher.† Ohio History Central. 1 July 2005. A product of the Ohio Historical Society. 19 April 2009 â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld (1803-1895).† Forever Free.The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. 19 April 2009. â€Å"The Effect of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.† 123HelpMe.com. 18 Apr 2009 Thomas, Sandra. â€Å"Frederick Douglass:Abolitionist/Editor† 19 April 2009. â€Å"The Life of Harriet Tubman.† New York History Net. 20 February 2008. 19 April 2009 .

Colored Nails essays

Colored Nails essays Societies Reaction to Both Men and Women Our assignment was simple, paint another person of the opposite sexs fingernails and have them observe the reactions of people around them. There were two subjects in this assignment. Subject One: Female, average height, very outgoing and friendly, loves to have color on her nails. Subject Two: Male, taller than average (63) college student with a semi-pale complexion. Likes to wear t-shirts and jeans and has a very easygoing attitude. Upon completion of this assignment, it was required that we report on the reactions and attitudes of the people that observed the color on the subjects fingernails. The subjects were interviewed at the end of the assignment with the same set of questions. The following are the questions and answers given by each subject. An overall analysis of the assignment will follow the questions and answers given by each subject. Subject One: Female, average height, very outgoing and friendly, loves to have color on her nails. I chose the color purple because it is my favorite. The second time around, I chose burgundy simply because I didnt receive any comments the first time, so I went with something more noticeable. 2. Describe the painting of each others nails. It was strange feelings having a man paint my nails. It felt as if I had stepped out of the normal boundaries of society by having a man paint them. When I normally get them done, I am used to females with some skill and knowledge of the art painting them. With a male painting them, I was unsure what they were going to look like when he was done. I didnt know if there was going to be polish all over my fingers or not. 3. What did you think when you first finished painting and looked at your hands? Wow, for someone who has never done this before, he did a good job. I will actually be able to do everything like normal and not feel embarrassed about how my ...

Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie Essay Example

Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie Essay Example Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie Paper Why Is the Story called Fanny and Annie Paper Essay Topic: Call of the Wild Literature For many people, the title of D. H Lawrences short story seems to be inappropriate in relation to the story, as the title seems to infer that the two main characters in the story are Fanny and Annie. However, this is exceptionally misleading, as Annie is not seen at all within the story. Fanny, is the main character in the story, together with her fiance, Harry. Perhaps, a more suitable title would be Fanny and Harry as the story chronicles their relationship. Much of the tale concerns Fanny and her feelings towards her return to Moresby and her impending marriage to Harry. The first scene is set in the local station where Harry is picking up Annie. The scene is hugely important to the book as it gives the reader certain assumptions about the two main characters, which the reader carries through throughout the story. Her entrance into the story tells the reader a great deal about her personality. Lawrence uses the colour of red and in particular the image of fire, to describe her fiery nature, in the light of the furnace together with, The pulse and darkness of the red fire from the furnace towers in the sky illustrates this point. However, when Fanny meets Harry, the author uses gloomy colours to describe the scene, The flames had sunk, there was a shadow. This image is reinforced by the colour of scarf Harry is wearing, his red-and-black scarf knotted round his neck, this could suggest the two personalities in the relationship, Harrys black drabness coupled with Fannys fiery nature. We later learn that Fanny was once a ladys maid but had rejected that lifestyle to come back to marry her first love, a foundry worker. However, we can see that Fanny is not entirely happy with the scenario she is in, this is best illustrated when she is comparing her arrival with her arrival at Gloucester, her previous dwellings, Compare this with the arrival at Gloucester, the carriage for her mistress, the dogcart for herself everybody so polite to her. This is followed by quotes such as She had come home -for good and more importantly What a comedown! Her relationship with Harry is one she feels committed to by obligation and does not seem to possess a true love for him. We can derive this from the passage from the opening scene when the sky turned dark when she met him. When she thought about Harry her thoughts were not exactly brimming with compliments, He had his attraction even for Fanny and she felt he was like a doom to her. At this stage the reader feels that the only reason that Fanny does not love him is due to his mannerisms, His way was common. An interesting way to look at Fanny is to see her relationships with both her aunt and Mrs. Goodall, Harrys mother. Her Aunt Lizzie seems to be very knowledgeable about Fannys situation The two women sat and talked far into the night. They understood each other. Lizzie seems to be against the marriage and believes Fanny is going into it for the wrong reasons, You cant wonder you know, child, if he doesnt seem so keen, its your own fault. Fannys answer typifies her feelings towards Harry, Oh aunt, I couldnt stand him when he was keen. I can do with him a lot better now The fact that Fanny can just do with him shows Fannys true feelings towards the relationship. Lizzy attitude toward her nieces predicament is displayed after Fanny has gone, Poor Aunt Lizzie, she cried woefully over her bright niece when she had gone to bed. Fannys relationship with her future mother-in-law, Mrs. Goodall is somewhat different, Between Fanny and Mrs. Goodall, his mother, there was naturally no love lost. Lawrence uses Mrs. Goodall as a direct contrast to Fanny, Mrs Goodall has a distinct hate of the upper class, She fairly hated the sound of correct English. This seems like a match made in hell, however we see that Mrs. Goodall does have a slight liking towards Fanny, For Mrs. Goodall was impressed by Fanny a woman of her own match or perhaps because she had been left two Hundred Pounds by her Aunt Kate. This shows the reader how Fanny is perceived by other people. What the reader can deduce from this is that Fanny seems to get on with people despite the fact that she seems to look down on the residents of Moresby. Annie has a more abstract role in the story. Annie has a very small part to play in the story. In fact, we do not see her at all. However, her impact on the story is unmistakable. Annie comes from a very poor family, shes a tanger-s We know her mother, Mrs Nixon is a rather evil woman, as we can see from the description that Harry is relating to Fanny, Shed half-kill if they made a mark on the floor. This apparently turned Annie into a bit of a wildchild, Ay, she is alright. But she is always in an out th pubs with th fellows. Mrs. Nixon berates Harry for causing Annie to get pregnant. She first reveals this in a church. This is very important, as the church has great meaning to the story. The church is the symbol of love in Fannys life. She first went their with her first fianci Luther, the true love of her life, her cousin Luther at her side, young, clever as well as where she had the most admiration for Harry, for he was a soloist in the choir where he had a certain winsomeness, the church itself had been vividly depicted by Lawrence, and again the little old chapel was a bower, this is all done to build up the moment on the unsuspecting reader. The author does this to make the reader feel the same sense of disbelief about the accusation as the rest of the congregation did, Fanny, startled like the rest. At this point the plot changes completely, no more is Harry the man who was not very marked and becomes this womaniser who has copulated with a young girl. In one moment, Fanny goes from aggressor to victim and Harry from victim to aggressor. However, in my opinion Fanny knows more about Mrs Nixon and her daughter Annie, for she has seen Mrs Nixon before, Fanny stared across the darkness, and saw a woman with a black bonnet what is interesting as black was the colour used to describe Harry in the first scene. Black symbolises mystery and seediness, which the story turned into after Mrs Nixons revelations. Fanny seems to have accepted Harrys past after Harry admitted sleeping with her, it is no more mine than any other chaps and her role as the victim is confirmed when she chooses to stay in Harrys house after he had admitted it, Ill stop with you tonight, mother. Calling Mrs. Goodall mother is telling the reader that she is still going to marry Harry, despite his past misdemeanours. Harrys behaviour is Lawrences message to society. The story written in 1921, the year women got the vote, hence, became emancipated. However, in most places, especially in the Industrial Midlands and the North, men still had a very low regard for women. Harry seems to treat women like sex objects. He is marrying Fanny despite the fact that she had already rejected him once. This means he must realise that fanny does not love him, but he still is going ahead with the wedding. This coupled with the fact that he slept with an underage girl, Thatll not get you out of it, in court shows us that he treats women with disdain and gives them little respect. Harry, though does not seem to be bothered with the outcome of his escapades and it seems that the local community seem to believe him rather than Mrs Nixon. Lawrence is trying to show the public that if a woman had done what Harry had done then she would be labelled a Whore or a strumpet and would be ex-communicated from the community. However, men represented by Harry seem to get away with this sort of behaviour. The author is also attacking the institution of marriage. Most of the marriages in the book were false. Fanny and Harrys relationship is also seemingly doomed. In the 1920s women started coming out of failed relationships. However, the culture beforehand was just to grin and bear it, which Lawrence is deploring.