A Leap Further By Being Stiff Essay Example for Free

A Leap Further By Being Stiff Essay The concept of being inflexible or being stiff in making decisions has been conceivably one of the finest characteristic which has served the protagonists in the famous stories made in Asian literature.   Pak Hun in The Descendants of Cain, the student in Ya Dafu’s Sinking and Junshi in Creation, portray a character which in one point or another gives light to what appears to be sturdy sense of personality in the arena of decision making and in the context of survival and collaboration with the other characters in the story.    Perhaps that certain point of personality is nevertheless one of the viable factors why the aforementioned roles portrayed has been greatly regarded by the viewing audience, and in a larger concept, patronized as distinctive and distinguishing for that instance (Anderson). Pak Hun in Hwang Sun-won’s Descendants of Cain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main character of the story is Pak Hun, which is characterized as a passive person with eternally hesitant and ineffectual finesse.   Even though he is placed in a pedestal of social and political turmoil over the issue of survival and the perception of â€Å"not acting is not surviving,† the author gave him a powerful disposition in the love story that he has shared with the married lover, Ojaknyo.   His nostalgic yet inexorable presupposition on how to help the people in his village without compromising his fists just to save the love he has painstakingly pampered has caused him well in leading on to his venture in life and manhood. Unlike the other heroes in most stories, Pak Hun is deprived to act in his own will, driven by the horrors of reality and of what seemed to be his inherited fate in social class and on his manner in taking on the course of life.   Apparently, this so-called stated cowardice has served him the best of his effort, his compassion for others has saved him from the infamous destiny that he has forsaken.   Being sympathetic and sensitive has been a source of syntax towards emotion and a stronger drive for the Hamlet-like character to lead more than what he might further get in return of the â€Å"inflexibility† not to move mountains but to live a life worth living (Choe). The Student in Ya Dafu’s Sinking   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The connotation of â€Å"national allegory† in Yu Dafu’s Sinking offers an articulate and interwoven portrayal as represented by the student in the story (Denton).   Consequently, several critics portrayed the character as that which depicts the political situation of China as well as with the state of â€Å"powerlessness† that it is experiencing—gradually that of a modern mind, alienated from the faà §ade of the society, turned in on itself, ultimately divided and desolate for liberalism—psychologically apart from the social milieu. Sexual liberalism was rarely stated in the story, hence, in the general context in deciphering the meaning of the whole gist of the story, it would be seen that the student is after the â€Å"affection† of love and sexual activity—which on the more complex comprehension determines the fatal state of crisis of China in that certain point of time.   The protagonist’s patience and admiration to the flow of what seemed to be â€Å"natural way of life† has saved him from being off the scene of explicit exposure to the red light society which he later finds out to be a beneficial thing within the grasp of the May Fourth dilemma. Those who were behind the bars of desperation have been emotionally convicted in living in agony’s sagacity and apparently making them a part of the unidentified sinking icons in their community.   All of which lead to a single idea that the protagonist himself his leading a social transformation through the light of traditionalism.   Nevertheless, it showed that the point of â€Å"sinking† was happening in a nationalistic schema which in the vortex of the south and traditional China’s scenario, it may be taken to assumption that a moral community has longed for a distant sense of transformation which is clouded by a strike of fantasy and illusion. Junshi in Mao Dun’s Creation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Creaation, published in the year 1928 commences the story with Junshi, an intellectual man experiencing a crisis in life and a flashback of emphasis on failed projects which on the brighter side has made the protagonist gain much by choosing to stick on the result of what has been defined as lacking of revolutionary consciousness.   The ostensibly optimist portrayal with regard to women’s emancipation has been symbolized through Junshi’s stubborn yet sanguine personality which fueled his drive to overcome pessimism (Anderson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The inflexible and confining ideals that has bewildered Junshi was basically a manifestation on his dream and hope, perceivably, to transform his wife, Xianxian through the advent of providing her with the amenities and educational entities which are aimed to mold her into a fashionable and politically and culturally inclined woman. Junshi then later finds out that his so-called creation of his wife has not given him the ample point of expectation that he wished to have, rather making him the person who is to catch up rather than one to have molded his wife in return.   The very fact that it has weakened his wife’s dependence on him and made her stronger in an astonishing effect—unlike the other characters in the aforementioned stories, inflexibility in Junshi’s case has been unsuccessful and has even made him see himself as a pitiful and apathetic person rather than that which ruled their marriage. Works Cited Anderson, Marston. Beyond Realism: The Eruption of the Crowd. Mao Dun, Zhang Tianyi, and the Social Impediments to Realism: The Regents of the University of California, 1990. Choe, Wolhee. The Descendants of Cain. Pacific Affairs 73.2 (2000): 2. Denton, Kirk A. The Distant Shore: Nationalism in Yu Dafus Sinking. Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR) 14 (1992): 107-23.

The Handmaid’s Tale :: Margaret Atwood The Handmaid’s Tale Essays

The Handmaid’s Tale The Handmaid’s Tale and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? draw on different narrative techniques to establish our relationship to their protagonists. Margaret Atwood allows the reader to share the thoughts of the main character, while Philip K. Dick makes the reader explore the mysteries behind the story. Atwood’s style works because she can directly show her readers what she wants. Dick’s opposing style works for him because he can present paradoxes and mysteries and let the reader form the conclusion. Both of these styles are skillfully utilized to create complex stories without losing the reader along the way. Both of these works establish relationships between the reader and the protagonist. In Atwood’s, the reader feels empathy and sympathy for the main character, Offred. Dick’s story is less clear-cut. While the initial reaction is usually empathy and sympathy for the human Deckard, further study often leads to the controversy that Deckard may truly be an android. The goals of the authors differ greatly, and so do their narration styles. But they are both effective in getting across the author’s intentions. Atwood needs to make the reader relate to the main character, to get inside the thoughts and feelings. So she uses certain style, for instance, to make the reader relate more to the character, she would have phrased that sentence: I need to make you relate to Offred, to get inside her head, and understand her thoughts and feelings. This sort of personal narrative of the thought process is the style of The Handmaid’s Tale. You learn Offred’s motivations and they are so perfectly articulated that you begin to yearn for the same things she does, and to despise the same things she does. This kind of personal relationship is necessary for the setting of the story. The best way to explain this future society and it’s rules and to make the reader truly have an emotional response to it, is to put the reader right into that society and let them feel what it’s like. This is the way Atwood gets across her feelings about the future world that Offred lives in. She forms a close relationship with the reader and the character, and then shows the reader Offred’s feelings about different aspects of the world. This is not to say that everyone reading the book will get the exact same thing from it.

Components of Science Planning Essay

There are five essential components of scientific inquiry teaching that introduce students to many important aspects of science while helping them to develop a clearer and deeper knowledge of some particular science concept and/or process. Research has demonstrated that student involvement in the inquiry process provides a much needed connection and ownership of scientific investigations that will lead to a deeper conceptual knowledge about the content. Inquiry can be labeled as â€Å"partial† or â€Å"full† and refers to the proportion of a sequence of learning experiences that is inquiry-based. For example, when a textbook doesn’t engage students with a question, but begins with an experiment, an essential element of inquiry is missing and the inquiry is said to be partial. Also, inquiry is partial if a teacher chooses to demonstrate how something works rather than have the students explore it on their own and develop questions and explanations. What is important is that at least some of the components of inquiry are present within classroom hands-on experiences and hands-on does not necessarily guarantee inquiry. If all five elements of classroom inquiry are present, the inquiry is said to be full, however each component may vary depending on amount of structure a teacher builds into an activity or the extent to which students initiate and design an investigation. How does a teacher decide how much guidance to provide in an inquiry-based activity? The key element is in the intended outcomes. Whether the teacher wants the students to learn a particular concept, acquire certain inquiry abilities, or develop understandings about scientific inquiry influences the nature of the inquiry. In some instances partial inquiry may be more appropriate than a full inquiry-based experience. Teachers need to make meaningful decisions about how to best deliver the curriculum. The Five Essential Components to Inquiry 1. Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented questions. Scientists may pose two types of questions. They may propose â€Å"why† questions such as â€Å"Why do objects fall toward the Earth?† or â€Å"Why do humans have chambered hearts?† Many of these types of questions can’t be addressed by science. Then there are the â€Å"how† questions such as â€Å"How does sunlight help plant grow?† or â€Å"How are crystals formed?† which can. Students may ask â€Å"why† questions that can be turned into â€Å"how† questions and thus lend themselves to scientific inquiry. The initial question can originate from the learner or the teacher. Purposeful questions can be answered by students’ observations and scientific knowledge they obtain from reliable sources. Skillful teachers help students focus their questions so that they can experience both interesting and productive investigations. Teachers can provide opportunities that invite student questions by demonstrating a phenomenon or having them engage in an open investigation. Sometimes, questions will develop from students’ observations. Other times, the teacher provides the question. Either way, questions must be able to be investigated in a classroom setting. Teachers will likely have to modify student questions into ones that can be answered by students with the resources available, while being mindful of the curriculum. 2. Learners give priority to evidence, allowing them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically-oriented questions. Science uses empirical evidence as the basis for explanations about how the natural world works. Importance is placed on getting accurate data and from observations. To make observations, scientists take measurements in natural settings, or in laboratories. The accuracy of the evidence collected is verified by checking measurements, repeating the observations, or gathering different kinds of data related to the same phenomenon. Evidence collected is then subject to questioning and further investigations. Within the classroom setting, students should follow similar guidelines during their laboratory experiences. 3. Learners formulate explanations form evidence to address scientifically oriented questions. Scientific explanations should be based on reason. They provide causes for effects and establish relationships based on evidence and logical argument and must be consistent with the observations and evidence collected. Explanations are ways to learn what is unfamiliar by relating what is observed to what is already known. For science, this means building upon the existing knowledge base. For students, this means building new ideas upon their current prior knowledge and understandings. 4. Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations, particularly those reflecting scientific understanding. Evaluation, and possible elimination or revision of explanations, is one feature that distinguishes scientific from other forms of inquiry and subsequent explanations. Examples of questions one may ask are: â€Å"Does the evidence support the proposed explanations?†, or â€Å"Can other reasonable explanations be derived for the evidence?† An essential component of this characteristic is ensuring that students make the connection between their results and scientific knowledge. 5. Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations. Scientists communicate their results in such a way that their results can be reproduced. This requires clear articulation of the question, procedures, evidence, proposed explanation, and review of alternative explanations. Having students share their explanations provides others the opportunity to ask questions, examine evidence, identify faulty reasoning, point out statements that go beyond the evidence, and suggest alternative explanations for the same observations. As a result of this communication, students can resolve contradictions and solidify an empirically based argument.

Understanding Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow laws maintained racial segregation in the South beginning in the late 1800s. After slavery ended, many whites feared the  freedom  blacks had. They loathed the idea that it would be possible for African Americans to achieve the same social status as whites if given the same access to employment, healthcare,  housing ,  and education. Already uncomfortable with the gains some blacks made during  Reconstruction, whites took issue with such a prospect. As a result, states began to pass laws that placed a number of restrictions on blacks. Collectively, these laws limited black advancement and ultimately gave blacks the status of second-class citizens. The Origins of Jim Crow Florida became the first state to pass such laws, according to Americas History, Volume 2: Since 1865.  In 1887, the Sunshine State issued a series of regulations that required racial segregation in public transportation and other public facilities. By 1890, the South became fully segregated, meaning that blacks had to drink from different water fountains from whites, use different bathrooms from whites and sit apart from whites in movie theaters, restaurants, and buses. They also attended separate schools and lived in separate neighborhoods. Racial apartheid in the United States soon earned the nickname, Jim Crow. The moniker comes from a 19th-century minstrel song called â€Å"Jump Jim Crow,† popularized by a minstrel performer named Thomas â€Å"Daddy† Rice, who appeared in blackface. The Black Codes, a set of laws Southern states began passing in 1865, after slaverys end, were a precursor to Jim Crow. The codes imposed curfews on blacks, required unemployed blacks to be jailed and mandated that they get white sponsors to live in town or passes from their employers, if they worked in agriculture. The Black Codes even made it difficult for African Americans to hold meetings of any kind, including church services. Blacks who violated these laws could be fined, jailed, if they could not pay the fines, or required to perform forced labor, just as they had while enslaved. Essentially, the codes recreated slavery-like conditions. Legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments sought to grant more liberties to African Americans. These laws, however, focused on citizenship and suffrage and did not prevent the enactment of Jim Crow laws years later. Segregation did not only function to keep society racially stratified but also resulted in homegrown terrorism against blacks. African Americans who did not obey Jim Crow laws could be beaten, jailed, maimed or lynched. But a black person neednt flout Jim Crow laws to become a target of violent white racism. Black people who carried themselves with dignity, thrived economically, pursued education, dared to exercise their right to vote or rejected the sexual advances of whites could all be targets of white racism. In fact, a black person neednt do anything at all to be victimized in this manner. If a white person simply didnt like the look of a black person, that African American could lose everything, including his life. Legal Challenges to Jim Crow The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) constituted the first major legal challenge to Jim Crow. The plaintiff in the case, Homer Plessy, a Louisiana Creole, was a shoemaker and activist who sat in a whites-only train car, for which he was arrested (as he and fellow activists planned). He fought his removal from the car all the way to the high court, which ultimately decided that separate but equal accommodations for blacks and whites werent discriminatory. Plessy, who died in 1925, would not live to see this ruling overturned by the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which found that segregation was indeed discriminatory. Although this case focused on segregated schools, it led to the reversal of laws that enforced segregation in city parks, public beaches, public housing,  interstate and intrastate travel and elsewhere. Rosa Parks famously challenged racial segregation on city buses in Montgomery, Ala., when she refused to relinquish her seat to a white man on Dec. 1, 1955. Her arrest sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott. While Parks challenged segregation on city buses, the activists known as the Freedom Riders challenged Jim Crow in interstate travel in 1961. Jim Crow Today Although racial segregation is illegal today, the United States continues to be a racially stratified society. Black and brown children are much more likely to attend schools with other black and brown children than they are with whites. Schools today are, in fact, more segregated than they were in the 1970s. Residential areas in the U.S. mostly remain segregated as well, and the high numbers of black men in prison mean that a large swathe of the African American population does not have its freedom and is disenfranchised, to boot. Scholar Michelle Alexander coined the term the New Jim Crow to describe this phenomenon.   Similarly, laws that target undocumented immigrants have led to the introduction of the term Juan Crow. Anti-immigrant bills passed in states such as California, Arizona,  and Alabama in recent decades have resulted in unauthorized immigrants living in the shadows, subject to shoddy working conditions, predatory landlords, a lack of healthcare, sexual assault, domestic violence and more. Although some of these laws have been struck down or largely gutted, their passage in various states have created a hostile climate that makes undocumented immigrants feel dehumanized. Jim Crow is a ghost of what it once was but racial divisions continue to characterize American life.