Prejudice and Racism in Heart of Darkness, A Grain of Wheat, and A smal

The Literary Response to Racism in Heart of Darkness, A Grain of Wheat, and A small place   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Racism and prejudice can be regarded as both societal and individual phenomena, developed and manifested at all levels of society; from government policy through organizational structures, inter-group and interpersonal interactions to intra-personal attitudes and feelings. Media and literature react to these perceptions and have taken part in shaping the attitudes and feelings of society. The novels "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, "A Grain of Wheat" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, and Jamaica Kincaid's essay "A small place" represent a literary response to the insidious tool of racism in colonial and postcolonial history.    Racism has typically been reflected by structural inequalities rooted in history and been perpetuated over time. The belief that one group was inferior to another was essential in order to justify the process of dispossessing indigenous groups of their land during colonization. The colonial powers instituted and maintained differentials between different ethnic and cultural groups by parceling out admission to education or employment, and by restricting access to law and medical care. These inequalities consequently served to emphasize difference rather than similarity among the colonized and the colonizer, thus reinforcing stereotypes of superiority or inferiority. The policies and practices were aimed to reflect a belief that the dominant culture is the "normal" one, which served as a standard by which all else could be judged.    Ngugi wa Thiong'o is an African post-colonialist writer who portrays his experience of colonial racism from a native's view. In his novel A Grain of Wheat, he picture... ...o. 7 The Post Colonial Studies Reader: Editors Bill Ashcroft; Gareth Griffiths, Helen Tiffin. Publisher: Routledge New York, 1999 DiBeta, Karen: A Grain of Wheat: Dispelling the Great Myth http://www.tcnj.edu~lmccaule/emposit.htm   Accessed June 29, 2001 Human Rights Watch: Leave No One to Tell the Story. Genocide in Ruanda.Doc.# 171-1 http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/Geno1   Ã‚  Accessed June 19, 2001 Eurofic: European Forum for International Cooperation. Platform of the European Commission on Development and Cooperation, 115 Rue Stepin, Brussels, Belgium http://www.oneworld.org/eurostep   Accessed June 21, 2001 Omoregie, F.K: Rodney, Cabral and Ngugi as Guides to African Postcolonial Literature English Department, University of Botswana http://landow.stg.brown.edu/post/africa/omoregie11.html#mungoshi1   Accessed June 28, 2001   

Hamlet Diary :: essays papers

Hamlet Diary Act 1: 1st Entry; I am still in morn. My father's death came as to a shock to me. He was a great man who led and served his country well. He died of means, which are unknown, which leaves me curious on the manner. As I am soaked from head to toe in these inky-covered clothes, I sit and contemplate. It has been one month since and my father's brother; Claudius is to be wedded with my mother. Is it possible that my mother is finished grieving? I know that there is no time put on such a feeling, but one month! Can be true. Father was a good King; loyal, trusting and good at heart. Does my mother realize? Has she, herself been shocked with the tragedy that our family has encountered? And what is this about Claudius? I mean, his Brother! One month and these two are ready for the incest within marriage. Claudius is acting with haste. I do understand the position on which now lies upon him, but what I don't understand is how could they be already in love so soon after my very fathers death?! I shall keep my eyes open, as I keep these clouds above my head. 2nd Entry; My fathers back from the dead! Could it be true? Does my father lie in purgatory? Why does he lay unrest? Does Horatio speak the truth? He is such the scholar, but does his eyes deceive him? I shall go and look for my self! 3rd Entry; It is true! My father has chosen to show to warn me about the unfaithful deeds. MURDERED! Claudius, that swine. Plague upon him. With his murderous intentions, he shall feel the rage, which my father unleashes upon him. Is my mother blind to these intentions? To these actions? Is it true, that my mother and Claudius had adulterous relations before my father's death? I am now mad, for that will be the explanation which people will say in my defense. I will play insane, for people will expect such intentions of my revenge. My father's murder has now brought me to an unconscious state. When I seek revenge, it is merle just an act out of my madness. I must reveal his sinister-like actions. Revenge has to be wisely thought out. I will reveal Claudius, and kill him at the right time. I swear on my father's grave, I shall heed my father's commands. 4th Entry; Most foul, strange and unnatural. Claudius kills, for the crown

The Perception of Happiness in Families :: Happiness Essays

Guccione begins by discussing the uninteresting perception people have with the lives of happy families. Using a quote from Tolstoy, Guccione shares past data of how people are taught to believe that all happy families are alike, while happy families share a uniqueness through their melange of misery. This discussion prepares you for her thesis, which explains how happy families struggle and work for the lives they graciously enjoy. Her thesis is marked by examples of myths, which she dismisses through her research. Successful families, according to her research, must develop skills in negotiating and coping. Guccione also mentions that not all happy families are alike. In fact, each is happy in its own way. She stresses how successful families earn their happiness and that it is not simply known to them. There were three sections of the body in Guccione's essay. The first part of the body discussed the notion of boundaries among families. Balance was another key term and she uses the living call as an example: "Families must be strong enough to allow integrity and and interaction within, yet be permeable to the outside." Guccione's research also led her to the importance of family members feeling that they are an intimate part of a group. She stresses that a frequently encountered problem is families where no one belongs, "where people come and go" as she puts it. Guccione then takes you into the life of a woman, Peg, who now lives an extremely happy life with her family. Previously, Peg had severe problems with her family and was unhappy. However, by creating a balance, she was able to negotiate and cope with the problem. The section closes with Peg, the difficulties she lived and the ones yet to come. Overall, she expresses relief in knowing that hard work leads to happiness. The second part of the body enters the world of single parents, how they cope with life in order to reach true happiness. Guccione begins by showing her research of how happy families posses a mutual thread; "the ability to maintain the balance between individual freedom and the need people have to belong to a group." She also encourages families to help each individual member reach their own potential. Guccione then tells the tale of Marie, a single mother raising her two boys, aged 11 and 13.

Implications of Economics and Policy for Health Professionals

Getzen, T. states, health is irreplaceable, and any change in health can strongly affect the value of many other goods. Health is more precious and time more limited than money. Managed Care is a system of health care that combines delivery and payment; and influences utilization of services, by employing management techniques designed to promote the delivery of cost-effective health care. Insurers/managed-care organizations controls health care in the United States today because nowhere are the changes in the U. S. health services system more evident and more constant than in area of managed care. The shift from fee-for-service to manage care was the need to reduce costs for care and was embraced by various payers as the solution to the unchecked rise in health services expenditures (Barton 2007). The current health care system in the United States is failing. Health Care costs are increasing at a pace which far exceeds inflation. Managed care organizations were established as a cost effective alternative to traditional fee for service. A constant and constantly changing factor that influences the delivery system is the strength of this economy (Barton 2007). When jobs are at stake in a weak economy and the housing market is also at its lowest, insurance premiums steadily increasing, individuals aren’t focused on maintaining health coverage they are more concern with maintaining their homes and trying to pay the mortgage. Health Care Administrators will be challenged with a number of different types of health decisions and choices can be distinguished from a wide range: individual decisions, health policy decisions, health action decisions, regulatory decisions regarding the health system, micro-level health decisions and decisions made outside of the health sector. PubMed suggests, with regard to health-related matters, decision-making is characterized by the level of uncertainty, the complexity of the health system and its structure, the role of urgency and the obligation to act; however, there is a significant emotional factor in these decisions and the supremacy of the individual in the decision-making process. On the policy side, health-related decision-making poses questions concerning the role of expertise and necessitates the development of public debate. As for the matter of health financing, namely through social security and insurance, it calls for a re-examination of the economic analysis of health decisions and policy and the development of a more coherent position on the right to health versus the right to universal coverage. Healthcare is changing in terms of how and where care is delivered, who is providing those services, and how that care is financed. Healthcare Administrators require trained staff to manage the changes taking place. Healthcare Administrators have an opportunity to make a significant contribution to improving the health of the communities their organizations serve. Health Care Administrators plays a key role in keeping cost at a minimum and oversee the delivery of quality care. It is a must that Administrators make effective decisions, they need to be open to different opinions and good at analyzing contradictory information. They must understand and incorporate the best business practices. Also their focus is integrating medicine through the highest quality, the most access, for the best economical method. (Linden 2010)

Holocaust – the avoidable genocide

The holocaust was the avoidable genocide of millions of â€Å"undesirable† citizens just because they were Jewish. Canada made egotistical decisions that lead to the death of thousands of Jews, which could have been prevented. Canada was a contributor to the holocaust and enabled Hitler to think his crimes were justifiable. Canadian politicians valued the strength of their economy over people lives, were anti-Semitic, and made Hitler feel like his views were unanimously agreed with and that his crimes were admissible. Canada didn’t want to accept refugees because they thought it would be bad for the economy. Canada thought that all of the Jews would be cheap labor, thereby drive the wages down. This would mean that the majority of people living in Canada would be affected by the income would drop, making it harder to support a family. This was especially scary for people who are just recovering from the Great Depression and had lived through ten years of economic hardship. Canada also thought that taking in Jewish refugees would mean that there would be more competition. More job competition would mean that existing Canadian citizens would have to compete for job with Jewish refugees. The Jewish refugees would work for less than the Canadians, which wouldn’t be appealing for the Canadians. In the 1930’s, Canada was largely anti-Semitic and Prime Minister Mackenzie King didn’t necessarily agree with them, but he just wanted to keep the country united and keep both Ontario and Quebec happy. Mackenzie King’s biggest focus was keeping the citizens of Canada on his side. He wanted to make sure he would stay in office by doing what the people of Canada wanted. The Jews were given the lowest tier immigration. They were considered less desirable and it was almost impossible for Jews to get into Canada. Canada wanted to bring in farmers to help feed the population and they wanted to make use of the vast amount of land that they had. In order to enter Canada, immigrants would need to prove to the government that they had enough money. The Jews had all of their possessions taken from them by the Nazis and therefore Canada wouldn’t let them in the Country. Canada thought if they let a couple of Jews come to Canada, then many more would try to follow. Canada’s unwillingness to take in Jewish immigrants further showed Hitler that his views were unanimously agreed upon. The â€Å"SS St. Louis† was a ship carrying 1000 Jewish refugees escaping from Germany and going from country to country trying to find a place that would accept them. It travelled to Cuba, America, and Canada and was turned down by all of the countries. The US coast guard even fired warning shots to keep the ship away from Florida’s shores. The ship was eventually sailed back to Europe and the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France absorbed the refugees. The Canadian government showed Hitler that they to didn’t want Jews in their country and further supported Hitler and contributed to the Holocaust. The Evian Conference was a meeting of 32 countries to discuss the increasing number of Jewish immigrants that were fleeing Nazi prosecution. Hitler said â€Å"I can only hope and expect that the other world, which has such deep sympathy for these criminals [Jews], will at least be generous enough to convert this sympathy into practical aid. We, on our part, are ready to put all these criminals at the disposal of these countries, for all I care, even on luxury ships†. Even with Hitler saying that he would allow Jews to leave the conference was seen as a failure. The only country willing to accept a significant amount of refugees was Jamaica but only 800 made it. This truly shows that Canada is a contributor to the holocaust and they didn’t assist the Jews. Canada was a contributor during the holocaust and chose not to help out the Jewish refugees and put a stop to the inexcusable extermination of millions. They valued the strength of their economy over everything, were anti-Semitic, and made Hitler feel like his views were agreed with. The Holocaust was one of the biggest calamities in human history and will go down in history as an event that could have been avoided if other countries such as Canada didn’t contribute to the massacre.

Fast Food in School Cafeterias Essay

Buckley, Cara. â€Å"A Proposal to Separate Fast Food and Schools.† New York Times [New York] 20 04 2009, n. pag. Web 26 April. 2012. . The author explores research done that suggests that the closer a fast food restaurant is to a school, the higher is the obesity rate of the children there. Eric N. Gioia is a city councilman from Queens and he wants to ban any fast food restaurants from opening within a tenth of a mile from any schools. According to the report â€Å"The Effect of Fast Food Restaurants on Obesity† done by researchers from The University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia, when fast food restaurants open a quarter mile or more away from schools there is no change in the obesity rate, but when they are open within a tenth of a mile from schools obesity rates rise. The study also found that the daily caloric intake could increase 30 to 100 calories a day depending on the proximity of fast food chains to schools. The study even showed that pregnant women are more likely to gain a lot of weight of they live within a mile of fast food chains. This article from the New York Times explores the side of a ban on fast food restaurants near schools. Buckley did an in depth analysis on the ban of fast food near schools and what the effects of having fast food chains near schools has on the children. She used many reliable sources to support her research. The only problem that I see with this article is that it does not explore the other side of the argument enough. Overall I gained a lot of useful information from this article, and learned a lot of useful facts. Harris, Karen. â€Å"Fast Food in California’s High Schools: Popular, Profitable, Contributing to Teen Obesity?.† California Center for Health Improvement . n. page. Web. 26 April. 2012. This article talks about fast food in California High Schools and the reasons they are sold more than the healthy options. There are many schools that sell taco bell in school. The student’s say that these food options taste better. Also, the schools sell them ‘A la Carte’ so they can profit and use the money for school activities and such. This article also discusses how the school environment can take away from anything that parents try to teach their kids about healthy eating. Many school districts allow private corporations to advertise in their schools, promoting eating unhealthy food. This article gave me a good idea of what fast food actually in schools is like. It is obvious that kids are going to go for the more unhealthy option of the foods they have to choose from, because it tastes better, they can get it faster, and it is usually cheaper. This article was a good source of information but it even says in the beginning that the source of their data is a little bit unreliable because it is just the schools mailing in their information about what food they serve and not all schools reported their information. Over all this is a good source for basic information about fast food in schools, but not all of the data is reliable. Do fast-food chains cluster around schools? MSN.com. 26 April 2012 This article addresses the problem of having fast food restaurants located near schools, and says that the corporations do this strategically. This makes it very hard to eat healthy for kids when they are being tempted with cheap, quick food. This article says that nearly 80 percent of Chicago schools studied had at least one fast food restaurant within a half mile. It also discusses how when a child eats fast food they consume more calories fat and sugars than they would eat fruits and vegetables. Burger King wouldn’t answer any questions about the placement of their stores, and McDonalds denies that schools have anything to do with where they place their stores. This article is a lot like the first one that I read, but had more research into the amount of fast food restaurants in proximity to schools. I like  that they did the research in a city like Chicago, and it says that these findings are similar in other cities across the nation. This article could help me in my research because it shows that it is proven that fast food chains cluster around schools. Eisler, Peter, Blake Morrison, and Anthony DeBarros. â€Å"Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches .† USA Today. 9 12 2009: n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. . In this article, the authors explore the fact that the meat we eat at schools does not go through the same standards that the meat served at fast food restaurants. The government is supplying schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that aren’t good enough for many fast food chains to serve. The authors say that the standards that Jack in the Box uses for its food is ten times more stringent than what the USDA sets for the meat served in schools. When it comes to chicken, schools are being supplied with thousands of tons of meat from old chickens that fast food restaurants don’t use. The standards are not the same, and that is very alarming. I really like this article because it is different from the other ones that I have read. It shows the downfalls of cafeteria food, instead of the bad things about fast food. It really opened my eyes that we never really know where our food comes from, and sometimes even when we think we are eating healthy we are consuming old, gross meat. This is extremely useful to my research because it shows the downfalls of the USDA and proves that school foods are not always better than fast food. Denver, Kusa. â€Å"‘Pink slime’ eliminated from fast food, but not school lunches .† USA Today. 09 03 2012: n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. . This article talks about Pink Slime and how it is still being served in schools, but fast food restaurants have decided not to use that meat anymore. The U.S. Department of Agriculture told an online newspaper that it is buying 7 million more pounds of the Pink Slime to serve in school lunches across the country. But at the same time the USDA says that, â€Å"All USDA  ground beef purchases for the National School Lunch Program must meet the highest standards for food safety.† This slime is made of cow intestines and other by-products that we really don’t want to eat. This meat is more prone to E. Coli and salmonella. I definitely think this article is useful to me because it is yet another example of the food we are being served in schools. It is not held to the same standards that fast food chains hold their food to. I think the research used reliable sourced such as the USDA and the U.S. department of agriculture. Childhood obesity and obesity in general are some of the biggest problems facing the United States. We as a country are trying to educate everyone on how to eat properly and live a healthy life. We blame fast food chains for the obesity in our country, when in reality they are not the main problem. It is a culture change that is hard to wrap our heads around, and one that people don’t know how to deal with. The economy is bad, therefore we go for the cheaper food, and fast food chains are everywhere, and convenient. The food in schools should be held to a much higher standard than it is, and advertisers are targeting kids in schools and tempting them to eat unhealthy foods. There are many problems between schools and fast food. The proximity of a school to fast food restaurants has shown to have an impact on the weight of the children in the surrounding schools. This makes perfect sense to me because it makes it more convenient. Burger Kings always have signs about deals on burgers or fries. They are directly advertising to the young kids in those surrounding schools. The advertisers know that kids are tight on cash, and want to get their food quick. Some researchers say that there is no correlation between obesity and having fast food restaurants near schools, but I think there definitely is. If there is no McDonald’s right across the street from a school, those kids won’t have a choice of eating it and might make a better choice. I know that people should have the will power to say no and try and eat something healthier, but I believe that the government should be doing something to try and make it easier for Americans to live a healthy, after all shouldn’t the health of  their country be important to them? I think that laws should be passed against having fast food chains within a certain distance of schools, because that is just escalating the problem of obesity in America. Another link to schools and obesity is the advertising and availability of fast food in a school cafeteria. It is hard for a 12 year old to choose grilled chicken and broccoli over a cheeseburger when given a choice. Ads that show happy kids eating McDonalds are directly targeted at young kids, showing them that they will be happy if they eat fast food. Childhood obesity is on the rise and advertising in schools is a huge reason. It is ridiculous that schools allow this and even that the government doesn’t prevent it. Kids are victims in this situation because they have no say about what kinds of advertisements they are exposed to. You would think that the adults in this country would see this problem and try to fix it, but instead we just serve McDonald’s and Taco bell in the cafeteria instead of having delicious healthy options. It is so counter productive to teach kids about the food pyramid and tell them to be active and eat their fruits and veggies and then offer t hem fries and a hot dog. That is not fair, its almost like we are setting the children up for failure and obesity, exactly what we say we are trying to prevent. The most shocking thing that I found throughout my research was the lack of quality in the meat that is being served in school cafeterias. According to a few of the articles that I read fast food chains would not serve the quality of meat that the government is giving to schools. The USDA is supposed to be protecting us as consumers when in reality they are giving schools beef with pink slime and old chicken meat that fast food chains wouldn’t even serve. The meat that our children are eating is more likely to have E. Coli or salmonella. All the blame is being put on fast food chains for the unhealthy country we are becoming when in reality many school lunches are just as bad or worse for us than fast food. With all of this being said, fast food is having a huge impact on modern day schooling and our society in general. Schools are changing because now we have to make it part of the curriculum to teach children about healthy  eating and living, when in previous time periods that was the parent’s job. It has now become the school’s job because even the generation of parent’s isn’t living a healthy life. This can take away from teaching more important things to the curriculum such as math science and reading. Also, the schools can now be blamed for the rise in obesity because they are not always serving healthy foods, and they are allowing fast food chains into their cafeterias.

A Freedom Trail in Boston

Boston is the largest city of the Common wealth of Massachusetts and belongs to one of the oldest cities of United State of America.   It was founded by Puritan colonialist from England in 1630.Boston was a short way across Boston Harbor at Charlestown from immediate area which was settled by Euro-Americans that made it grow. Its deep habor and advantageous geographic position helped it to be the busiest port of Massachusetts Bay Colony.Boston played a fundamental role in the American Revolution. Several events and battles such as Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, The Battle of the Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston all occurred near or in the city. Boston is sometimes referred to be Cradle of Liberty. It has historic sites remains which have been of tourist attraction. It has preserved colonial and revolutionary past from the harboring of the U.S.S. Constitution to many famous sites along the freedom Trail (Seasholes, 2003).It is this Fre edom Trail caught my attention during our visit to Boston. Freedom Trail is a reddish path that runs through downtown of Boston and Massachusetts leading to sixteen important historic sites. It is a four kilometer walk that starts from the Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Moment in Charlestown. Originally, the Freedom Trail was conceived by local journalist William Schofield who promoted the idea of linking local landmarks with a pedestrian since 1951.For any visitors like us to Boston, they must include a walk into history along the Freedom Trail. However, one can begin the walk in the middle or the end and wend way through the streets of Boston. This Trail took us sixteen historical sites in about three hours and we covered about a half century of the America’s most significant past.To visit these historical sites, one may opt to have a self guide or assistance of tour guides who are available through the Boston Common Visitors Centers at 148 Tremont Street or the Bostix Bo oth located at Faneuil Hall. Also one can decide to take a ride by paying one of the trolley tours, which are unofficial guided tours and have disembark at selected stops but we decided to take a tour guide. The best point to start for Freedom Trail excursion is the Boston Common which is the America’s oldest public park where we definitely started.This park rests on forty four acres of open land. Initially it was used as common pasture for grazing cattle that was owned by the townspeople of Boston. Later it became a ‘trayning’ field for militia which was used as British Army camp. Also it was use to hand pirates, witches or publicly pillory criminals besides serving for public oratory and discourse. Currently, the place is used for concert and provides calm respite from the bustle of city life (http://www.aviewoncities.com/boston/bostonattractions.htm n.d).From Boston Common the next historical site we visited was the State House. It was built on 1798 and is wid ely considered to be one of the most magnificent and well suited buildings in the county. It was constructed shortly after the revolution by Charles Bullfinch as a new center of the state governance.Presently, the building serves as the seat of the government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. From state house our next stop was at Park Street Church. It was founded in 1809. Its 217 ft steeple was the first landmark travelers saw when approaching to the Boston. It has gained a lot of significance due for its involvement in political, social and humanitarian issues. For instance, in 1829 Wiliam Lloyd Garrison delivered a speech from the church pulpit condemning slavery and he was the first to do so in public.Just after this the next Freedom Trail stop was Old Granary Burying Ground. Originally it was called South Burying Ground due to its location in the southern area of Boston settlement and latter was renamed Middle Bury Ground as Boston grew towards south. Its present name is de rived from a grain storage building which stood at same site with Park Street Church.Some of Boston’s famous revolutionaries were buried here including John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Robert Treat Paine all three who signed Declaration of Independence and also Paul Revere and victims of Boston Massacre.   Following the red line of the Freedom Trail it led us to King’s Chapel and Burying Ground. The Royal Governor built King’s Chapel on the this town burying ground   in 1688 , as no one would sell him land to build a non-Puritan church for king’s men   who were British law enforcers (Ibid).