The Components of an Intriguing Biography

A biography is a story of a persons life, written by another author. The writer of a biography is called a biographer while the person written about is known as the subject or biographee. Biographies usually take the form of a narrative, proceeding chronologically through the stages of a persons life. American author  Cynthia Ozick notes in her essay Justice (Again) to Edith Wharton that a good biography is like a novel, wherein it believes in the idea of a life as a triumphal or tragic story with a shape, a story that begins at birth, moves on to a middle part, and ends with the death of the protagonist. A biographical essay is a comparatively short work of nonfiction  about certain aspects of a persons life. By necessity, this  sort of essay  is much  more selective than a full-length biography, usually focusing only on key experiences and events in the subjects  life. Between History and Fiction Perhaps because of this novel-like form, biographies fit squarely between written history and fiction, wherein the author often uses personal flairs and must invent details filling in the gaps of the story of a persons life that cant be gleaned from first-hand or available documentation like home movies, photographs, and written accounts. Some critics of the form argue it does a disservice to both history and fiction, going so far as to call them unwanted offspring, which has brought a great embarrassment to them both, as Michael Holroyd puts it in his book Works on Paper: The Craft of Biography and Autobiography. Nabokov even called biographers psycho-plagiarists, meaning that they steal the psychology of a person and transcribe it to the written form. Biographies are distinct from creative non-fiction such as memoir in that biographies are specifically about one persons full life story -- from birth to death -- while creative non-fiction is allowed to focus on a variety of subjects, or in the case of memoirs certain aspects of an individuals life. Writing a Biography For writers who want to pen another persons life story, there are a few ways to spot potential weaknesses, starting with making sure proper and ample research has been conducted --  pulling resources such as newspaper clippings, other academic publications, and recovered documents and found footage.    First and foremost, it is the duty of biographers to avoid misrepresenting the subject as well as acknowledging the research sources they used. Writers should, therefore, avoid presenting a personal bias for or against the subject as being objective is key to conveying the persons life story in full detail. Perhaps because of this, John F. Parker observes in his essay Writing: Process to Product that some people find writing a biographical essay easier than writing an  autobiographical  essay. Often it takes less effort to write about others than to reveal ourselves. In other words, in order to tell the full story, even the bad decisions and scandals have to make the page in order to truly be authentic.

Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) Essay - 872 Words

Youth crime is a growing epidemic that affects most teenagers at one point in their life. There is no question in society to whether or not youths are committing crimes. It has been shown that since 1986 to 1998 violent crime committed by youth jumped approximately 120% (CITE). The most controversial debate in Canadian history would have to be about the Young Offenders Act (YOA). In 1982, Parliament passed the Young Offenders Act (YOA). Effective since 1984, the Young Offenders Act replaced the most recent version of the Juvenile Delinquents Act (JDA). The Young Offenders Act’s purpose was to shift from a social welfare approach to making youth take responsibility for their actions. It also addressed concerns that the paternalistic†¦show more content†¦Youth crime is a tough issue, with many differing opinions. Punishment and rehabilitation, one, the other, or both, all topics of debate within society. If you were to discuss the issues with the parents of a victim, it would be understandable that their opinions would differ greatly than those of the parents of the offender. Many people have formed an opinion without an in depth look at the act. Others simply do not care. The question that needs to be answered is, does the Youth Criminal Justice Act in Canada properly address the victims rights, the rights and needs of the young offender, and does it protect public safety? That question is hard to answer, as some people think that the Act is a more decent and humane way to approach young persons in trouble with the law. On the other hand others feel it offers too much protection to those whom least deserve it -- the young offenders, and very little to those who deserve it -- the victims. The Youth Criminal Justice Act should concentrate on making young offenders aware that they will be held responsible and accountable for their behaviour. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Today, despite the fact that youth crime ratesShow MoreRelatedThe Youth Criminal Justice Act893 Words   |  4 Pagesfire. The youth criminal justice Act (YCJA) provided opportunities for them to reintegrate and rehabilitate, instead of throwing them in jail. YCJA covers kids between the ages twelve to seventeen years old. It s purpose is to handle youth offenders more differently than adults because of their undeveloped minds. The YCJA was released back in 2003. By protecting the rights and providing Youth Canadians the support they need, the YCJA benefits the offenders in a positive way. The act gentrustRead Moreimprovements of our youth criminal justice system Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesWhen thinking about youth crime do you envision a country with a high rate of young offenders, gang activity and re-offending? Or do you envision a country with a significant increase of young offenders either being successfully reintegrated into society, or help ed by a community when seeking forgiveness for a minor offence that they have committed? Since the passing of Bill C-7 or the Youth Criminal Justice Act on February 4, 2002 by the House of Commons, many significant improvements have beenRead MoreThe Youth Criminal Justice Act879 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice† –Abraham Lincoln Why is it that gardeners spend so much time nurturing their precious flowers? Perhaps the answer lies in the satisfaction which is gained from raising beautiful blooms. In like manner, Canada’s government believes that their flourishing youth deserve care and support in their journey of learning morals. The Youth Criminal Justice Act is a system which enforces the punishment of teenagers from the ages of 12-17Read MoreYouth Criminal Justice Act881 Words   |  4 PagesWhen someone mentions the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), some would argue that there is no purpose for it. Some believe that the age boundary is inappropriate; some believe that children should not have reduced sentences and special rights; and some may think that a youth’s criminal record should be accessible in the future. If one would look at all of the positive aspects, statistics, and examples that apply to the YCJA, then they would better appreciate the statute that applies to the youngRead More Juvenile Delinquency Act ( Jda ) And Young Offenders Act1260 Words   |  6 Pagesetc. Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), a part of Canadian Legislation, determines the process of prosecution for youths under the Canadian Criminal Justice system. This has assisted several young adults reintegrate into society. It contains a set of definitive purposes and principles to aid judges in deciding sentences that are appropriate for youth. Prior to the YCJA, the Youth Justice Legislation was greatly influenced by two major acts: Juvenile Delinquents Act (JDA) and Young Offenders Act (YOA)Read MoreYouth Criminal Justice Act Essay1257 Words   |  6 Pagescontinue the government established the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) which gives young offenders a chance to better themselves, and. By doing so, the YCJA helps teach youth that their actions are unacceptable and the punishments imposed are lesser then an adult. Through the analysis of their unacceptable actions, lesser punishments and a better future, it is clear that YCJA is highly effective at giving youth a better chance in society. The YCJA teaches youth that their actions were unacceptableRead MoreYouth Criminal Justice Act1532 Words   |  7 PagesThe Youth Criminal Justice Act is a piece of Canadian legislation...that determines the way in which youths are prosecuted under Canadas criminal justice system. The act was implemented April 1, 2003, after 7 years, 3 drafts, and more than 160 amendments. The clearly stated purpose of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is protection of the public through crime prevention, rehabilitation, and meaningful consequences (s.3(1)(a)(I-iii)). For a better understanding on whether the courts were followingRead MoreHow Effective Is The Youth Justice System Essay1709 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction How effective is the Youth Justice System in responding to youth crime? Since the arrival of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) came into effect, the crime rates have decreased. Previously Canada had one of the highest youth incarceration rates in the western world. However since the Youth Criminal Justice Act got put into place in 2003, the crime rates have declined significantly. The Youth Justice System does their best to better and rehabilitate the adolescents that get intoRead MoreThe For Young Boys From Hell s Kitchen New York1657 Words   |  7 PagesHow would you feel if one act of immaturity defined the rest of your life? Not very good one would imagine. However it does happen and in this case it has happened to four young boys from Hell’s Kitchen New York. A simple idea of a funny prank on the local hot dog vender turned into a nightmare for the boys. Their prank got them charged with Criminal Negligence causing Bodily Harm, Theft and Mischief over $5,000. The b oys were sentenced to a young boy’s home where they were sexually and psychicallyRead MoreYCJA841 Words   |  4 PagesMental Illness and Risk-Needs Responsivity Referring to aspects from Goldson and Muncie’s (2006) article on â€Å"a youth justice with integrity† (pp. 99-102), the essay will argue that section 38 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) should incorporate a risk-needs responsivity model (RNR) to the sentencing structure. Moreover, this addition should replace the 2012 amendments of section 38, which incorporated deterrence and denunciation into sentencing practices (s. 38(2)(f)). This amendment has

Prison and Recidivism free essay sample

One issue that has created controversy and influenced correctional policy over the past twenty-five years is correctional treatment programs. Although the public supports the concept of rehabilitation and treatment programs, there is an expectation that such programs reduce recidivism. In New York City, the recidivism rate in the jail system is as high as 65%. Out of 340,000 males, 200,000 black males are arrested yearly by the NYPD out of a population of 1,200,000 black males. Rehabilitation is a programmed effort to alter the attitudes and behaviors of inmates and improve their likelihood of becoming law-abiding citizens. It focus is on preventing future crimes and return someone to a prior state. An offender who completes their criminal punishment (i. e. sentence to X amount of years in prison, rehabilitation, etc†¦) and continue to commit crimes, committed Recidivism. Correctional officials try to reduce recidivism and rehabilitation in many ways. First, correctional programs aim at trying to reduce offenders’ motivation to commit further crimes. Second, correctional agencies offer psychological counseling to help offenders understand the factors that trigger certain behaviors, anger management, etc†¦ Finally, correctional programs may simply have a goal of improving offenders’ decision making. The term Recidivism is frequently used for substance abuse or criminal behavior. No person or program can force offenders to change their behavior or to make good decisions to avoid crime, especially months after they leave the supervision of correctional officials. There are a few isolated relationships between a treatment program and a reduction in recidivism. Also, there are no consistent findings that any single treatment program significantly reduced recidivism. Care for rehabilitation decreased after the early 1970, by Martinson and his colleagues’ review of the usage of correctional treatment. There are many methodological concerns about the early work of Martinson and the ability to actually evaluate correctional treatment programs based on recidivism. One concern is that many question the power of using recidivism as a measure of the use of correctional programs, considering it unfair to expect correctional treatment to have a long-term effect by reducing recidivism. Another concern is that social science research designs often have difficulty controlling for the many external and internal factors that can affect recidivism rates. In a 1975 analysis of the studies reviewed by Martinson, Palmer noted that 48 percent of the studies cited found a positive effect on recidivism. And in 1990, Andrews and colleagues found that of the better-controlled studies, 40 percent found that treatment had a positive effect. Meta-analysis has identified positive effect of correctional treatment programs in reducing recidivism as well. Meta-analysis is a statistical measure of the average effect an intervention has on recidivism across all studies, while identifying and controlling for various study conditions. In a 1993 analysis of the effect of correctional treatment, Lipsey and Wilson reviewed ten meta-analyses and identified 25 percent reduction of recidivism by psychological, educational, and behavioral correctional treatment programs. And, in 1995, Losel reviewed thirteen meta-analyses and found that the average effect from the treatment intervention would result in a recidivism rate of 45 percent for the treatment group and 55 percent for the control group. In 2005, the Washington legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to find evidence-based options that could reduce recidivism and avoid the need for expensive prison construction. Boot camps are expensive to operate because they require a high staff to inmate ratio, and they are especially expensive compared to minimum-security prisons, where most of the boot camp offenders would otherwise be incarcerated. Daily per-inmate costs for operating boot camps in thirty-one states and the federal system in 2000 were $67. 85, even higher than the average cost for all prisons during 2001 of $62. 22. Several recent findings have been very critical of the impact of boot camps on reducing recidivism. A review by the U. S. General Accounting Office (GAO) reported that boot camps only marginally reduce recidivism, and difference between boot camp and non-boot camp offenders diminish over time. GOA study found that the impact on recidivism to be best negligible. As a result of the negative findings, several states are questioning their usefulness and reconsidering the idea, and New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Arizona have all closed their boot camp operations. In The Pew Report One in 31 notes, â€Å"Recidivism rates are discouragingly high. Every state is focusing on ways to improve the programming and transition for inmates coming out of prison, hoping to reduce recidivism and thereby reduce the costs for incarceration. Governor Doyle believes that additional focus on reentry, community treatment, and diversion programs will reduce recidivism and the number of offenders. Intermediate sanctions should reduce the level of recidivism for offenders are one of the goals of Intermediate sanctions. Recidivism is not significantly affected by simple community surveillance unless it is combined with participation in treatment programs. Petersilia, in reviewing studies of intermediate sanctions, concluded, â€Å"The empirical evidence regarding intermediate sanctions is decisive: without a rehabilitation component, reductions in recidivism are elusive. † When the two components are combined in a quality fashion, intermediate sanctions have proved effective in reducing recidivism. There are identifying programs that show evidence of success in reducing recidivism and funding those for intermediate sanctions in the past decades. There are mixed results concerning the effect of correctional education on post-release recidivism. Several studies have indicated a positive relationship between participating in prison education programs and lower recidivism. A study of post-release recidivism of inmates released from Texas prisons during 1991 and 1992 found that inmates at the lowest levels of educational achievement benefited most from participation in academic programs as indicated by lower recidivism rates. Vito and Tewksbury evaluated a program in Kentucky to increase the literacy levels of state and local inmates and to reduce recidivism; wasn’t much of an affect. Study show that Vocational training is shown to be effective in reducing recidivism. Vocational training is specific training in a trade area to prepare students to work in that area. Saylor and Gaes found that those who participated in either vocational or education training were 33 percent less likely to recidivate through the observation period. Lattimore and colleagues also found a reduction in recidivism rates by vocational training participants in too North Carolina prisons for young offenders. Female inmates have a link between their criminality and substance abuse, unlike male inmates. Recidivism rates for female offenders are high, yet thought to be less than recidivism rates for comparable male offenders. Murderers have very low rates of recidivism. Inmates who have committed murder and then had their death sentences commuted indicate that offenders who commit murder have a very low rate of recidivism, and less than 1 percent later committed another murder. Several programs have been found effective in improving the success of prisoner reentry and reducing recidivism. Work release programs are effective in reducing recidivism and improving job readiness skills for ex-offenders. Recidivism of releasees from a private prison is lower than those released from public prisons, and of those who reoffended; the crimes were less serious for the private prison releasees. Sex offenders are difficult group to rehabilitate. Recidivism rates generally attributed to sex offenders are not as high. Sex offenders’ inmates in state prisons in 1991 who were recidivists are 24 percent of those serving time for rape and 19 percent of those serving time for sexual assault; had been on probation or parole at the time of the offense for which they were incarcerated. In the study of Bureau of Justice Statistics of recidivism by probationers, rapists on probation were found to have a lower rate of rearrest for new felonies (19. 5 percent) than other violent probationers (41 percent). (Recidivism,†). Lower rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration rates for ex-inmates who had served a sentence for rape or sexual assault than for those who served a sentence for all violent offenses. Management and treatment of sex offenders are difficult and often unsuccessful, even though offenders convicted of rape and sexual assault have lower recidivism rates than other violent offenders. Almost two of every five offenders are returned to prison. Intensive treatment and monitoring in the community, often lead to revoking supervision as a preventive approach to avoid further criminality. A Supreme Court case that deals with recidivism: 10/2003-Ohio Prison: Inmate Gets Death Sentence In Strangling An Ohio prisoner convicted of strangling his cellmate will be executed. The prisoner, Timothy Hancock, 33, initially got a life sentence for the November 2000 slaying. However, Warren County prosecutors appealed to demand stiffer punishment, and a new sentencing was ordered. Hancocks death sentence will be automatically appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court, which is required in capital cases. Hancock was convicted two years ago of killing Jason Wagner, 25, of Lancaster. They shared a cell at Warren Correctional Institution near Lebanon. Hancock was serving a life term for a 1990 murder. Recidivism is the state of relapse that occurs when offenders complete their criminal punishment and then continue to commit crimes. When an offender committed a crime and has paid for the punishment, it is more likely that the offender will commit the crime again in the future. Correctional treatment programs are effective, but don’t work on all offenders; cannot change their thinking pattern. Although the recidivism rate is decreasing, the correctional treatment programs needs to improve their programs and come up with other methods and strategies. No matter how much we improve our programs, we can never know the mind of every criminal; therefore, recidivism will always exist.

Masculinity/Femininity Essay Example

Masculinity/Femininity Paper Things Fall Apart Masculine/Feminine In most cultures an individual’s gender will influence their characterization. For instance, Ibo tribes in Africa classify people according to their gender. Women are thought as submissive individuals who are to some extent weaker than men. Men on the other hand are thought of as strong beings with much expected from them. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart strongly emphasizes on the categorization of masculinity and femininity in the society of Ibo tribes. Throughout the book, Okonkwo’s idea about masculinity situates him with respect to his community. In his community Okonkwo is greatly praised for his masculine traits. It is Okonkwo integration with masculinity that leads to him becoming an â€Å"outcast† in his community and to him committing suicide. According to Okonkwo it was better dead then to summit to femininity, any feminine action on a man’s behalf is considered to be humiliating his reputation. Okonkwo’s father Unoka is an example of a man with a humiliating reputation. Unoka is a failure in his community and considered an â€Å"unsuccessful† man, due to the fact that he was always borrowing money and his family suffers from hunger. We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Masculinity/Femininity specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When Unoka died he had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt. † (p. 8) For this reason Unoka is often referred to as being agbala, which is the word for a woman or a man with no titles. Okonkwo is the opposite of his father, he is a successful man. It is because of his father that he tends to look down at feminine actions of any kind, because of this fear of becoming his father or having one of his sons become like his father. In contrast to his father Okonkwo earns many titles and instead of being looked down upon, he is greatly admired for his achievements. Once of Okonkwo’s greatest achievement is his escapement from his father femininity and failure. â€Å"But for a young man whose father had no yams, there was no other way. And what made it worse in Okonkwos case was that he had to support his mother and two sisters from his meager harvest. And supporting his mother also meant supporting his father†¦And so at a very early age when he was striving desperately to build a barn through share-cropping Okonkwo was also fending for his father’s house. †(p. 22) Okonkwo is able to do what his father does not do. Okonkwo is able to take care of the family. From an early age Okonkwo has to do his work and his father’s work of supporting the family all at the same time. One can see that by taking on his father’s tasks and his own tasks that he wants to rise above his father’s legacy of spendthrift, lazy behavior, which he views as weak and therefore feminine. Not only does Okonkwo show that he is trying to rise above his father’s legacy but he also shows his aggravation and lack of patience with unsuccessful men. During the meeting held for men to discuss the next ancestral feast, Okonkwo let off on a man with no titles. The man with no titles contradicted Okonkwo and displeased with his comment Okonkwo fired back â€Å"this meeting is for men. † With this comment Okonkwo â€Å"killed† this man’s spirit by insinuating that the man was feminine for having no titles and for being stupid enough to contradict Okonkwo who is a man of titles. The people in the village were very displeased with Okonkwo’s comment asking him to apologize. This shows that although Okonkwo is viewed as a hero, his impatience and extreme masculinity make him an outcast among the people in his tribe. Okonkwo’s impatience and extreme masculinity is not what solely makes him an outcast in his tribe but ironically it was also his feminine sin that forces him to be cast out of his tribe for a long period of time. In the tribe there are two kinds of crimes a female crime and a male crime, when Okonkwo’s gun blows up, he incidentally kills a boy and that is a feminine sin. It is considered a feminine sin because it is done unintentionally. This shows how his masculinity as well as feminine crime makes Okonkwo an outcast in his community. Even though his faults are unintentional it is foreshadowing how Okonkwo will never again fit in with his native tribe or any other one for that matter. Similarly to his father Okonkwo is unable to fit in with the native tribe or even adapt to changing times. On the contrary to his father who stood for an inactive, poor, spendthrift, weak, calm, and a man that is interested in music, Okonkwo manages to attain great social and financial success by being the complete opposite of that a productive, wealthy, thrifty, brave, violent, and a man unalterably opposed to music. Yet, both Okonkwo and Unoka are incapable of adapting to changing times; as other people come to live with the people Umuofia, namely the white men. One can see his inability to cope with his culture or that of the white men, towards the end of the story when Okonkwo is speaking on how to deal with the abominable gang of white men. â€Å"Let us not reason like cowards, if a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does. These people are daily pouring filth over us and Okeye says we should pretend not to see†¦this was a womanly clan he thought. Such a thing could never happen in his fatherland, Umuofia† (p. 158-159) One can see that even in his exiled state in his mother land, he is unable to see things the way others in his mother’s clan see it. Unlike Okonkwo, the people in his mother’s clan feel that resorting to violence and brutality is unnecessary. They believe that violence and brutality is not their affair but instead it is of the gods and the offender. His masculine attitudes of not â€Å"reasoning like cowards† and â€Å"this is what a man does† are examples of how he cannot and will not back down from his war ways, which shows he is trying to strive away from his father’s legacy of a man who had no titles. Through out the book Okonkwo tries to get the most he can possibly attain. Okonkwo was really first recognized for throwing the cat and becoming the greatest wrestler in Umuofia. This probably has him thinking that the way to achieve greatness is through sheer strength alone. Okonkwo thinks that his mother’s clan is too womanly compare to his father’s clan of Umuofia, however even when he returns to his father’s clan after the completion of his exile he is also very much out of place there also. This is due to his obsessive masculinity and also because he just cannot adapt to the changing of times. Okonkwo â€Å"had lost his place among the masked spirits in the village† in addition to that â€Å"he had lost the chance to lead his warlike clan against the new religion† consequently he lost any voice he ever had and was a â€Å"stranger† in his land seeming as nobody appeared to have taken any special notice of the â€Å"warriors† return. He speaks with his friend Obierika about the strangeness of his home land saying, â€Å"Perhaps I have been away too long, but I cannot understand these things you tell me. What is it that has happened to our people? Why have they lost the power to fight I have also heard that Abame people were weak and foolish. Why did they not fight back? Had they no guns and machetes? We would be cowards to compare ourselves with the men of Abame. Their fathers had never dared to stand before our ancestors. We must fight these men and drive them from the land. † (p. 199-201) Okonkwo does not realize that everyone else in the tribe is adapting to the inevitable and that is the assimilation or the taking over of by British people’s culture. Okonkwo does not see that his place in society is diminishing very rapidly and his masculinity is not a match for what the other culture brings with them, that being its cleverness. He does not even understand his own people and why they are doing what they do. All he thinks of responding with is again violence and brutality another sign of his Macho only attitude. The people in his tribe are slowly and easily succumbing to the white man as his friends Obierika tells him right afterwards â€Å"It is already too late, our own men and sons have joined the ranks of the stranger. This is perhaps all Okonkwo can take in and also foreshadowing the events that will happen later on in the story. Even so Okonkwo feels that his tribe could still be saved if only people were to get together and strike back at what was upon them. Okonkwo blames Egonwanne saying that he is a â€Å"coward† and that if it was not for his womanish wisdom Umuofia would not be going through all that it is going through right now. Okonkwo does not know that there is really nobody to blame and its just the changing times. To put it simply Okonkwo is a lion in the snow left all by his lonesome self, not adjusting to the times and letting his masculinity get the best of him. â€Å"He had brought down his war dress, which he had not touched since his return from exile. † To further emphasize on his masculinity Okonkwo goes out with his war gear. This not only distinguishes him from the rest of the men in the town meeting but also completes his transformation into an outsider in his own community; a tribe that would not go to war. â€Å"Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape they had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in this tumult. †(p. 205) Okonkwo figures out the fact that Umuofia would not go to war during a meeting regarding the white man. In this meeting he cuts a white messenger’s head off and sees the looks of the people’s faces and how they will take no action against the â€Å"strangers† in their land. During this meeting Okonkwo sets on his path to becoming a complete outsider. He is a complete Outsider/Exile due to his masculinity and that the femininity of his â€Å"fellow’ tribesman. Okonkwo finally completes his transformation into a complete outsider in his tribe when he commits suicide. The district commissioner asks someone to take down the hanging body of Okonkwo. One of the people in the tribe responds to him saying that it against their custom. â€Å"†¦a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen. His body is evil, and only strangers may touch it. That is why we ask you people to bring him down, because you are strangers. †(p. 207) With this final act Okonkwo sets himself free from a culture from which he is no longer a part of but an old relic, a symbol of the changing times. His suicide makes it so that people know that he no longer wishes to associate himself with his tribe. He feels that it is all â€Å"falling apart† and his masculine ways just cannot adjust to the womanly way that the tribe is headed in. In conclusion, Okonkwo’s masculine way might appear too extreme to have led to suicide, yet the audience must understand that his masculinity was not only a way of life but also a way to escape from his father’s â€Å"feminine† lifestyle. Okonkwo’s father was degrading due to his lack of masculinity and Okonkwo could not bear to be the same. Okonkwo put his masculinity before anything. Okonkwo would rather be an outsider in his community than a doomed â€Å"feminine† man. When Okonkwo sees that his people have given up the will to fight and stand up for them selves, Okonkwo feel’s discouraged. Not standing up to fight for your country, your people and your family is cowardly, and Okonkwo just cannot and will not submit to cowardliness. Okonkwo insisted that his people go back to its war based lifestyle, yet his people refused to go to war against the whites. Okonkwo was to manly to change his mind and assimilate to the whites, he viewed that as weak and feminine. Although his refusal to adapt to his tribes new ways made him an outsider, Okonkwo could not and would not give up his manliness for anything, not even his life. Okonkwo choose his death before ever submitting to femininity, and his greatest fear of becoming just like his father who held such a trait.

Free Essays on Making A Moral Decision

Making a Moral Decision In Joseph Conrad’s short story â€Å"The Tale† and James Joyce’s short story â€Å"A Painful Case† there are several similarities between the characters of the stories. Each story is composed of parallel moral lessons, which becomes the theme of the stories. The main characters look back at a point in their lives and are unsure if they made the wisest choice in their individual situation. The moral of each story is an ethical decision may never have a right answer. Conrad and Joyce portray a moral lesson in a very similar way. In each story the main characters, the commanding officer and James Duffy, look back on moments in their life and regret the decisions they have made. The commanding officer in â€Å"The Tale† decides an entire ships fate by directing them off cliffs, consequently the captain of the ship and his crew die. The commanding officer states, â€Å"That course would lead the Northman straight on a deadly ledge of rock. And the commanding officer gave it to him† (Conrad 17). The main character of â€Å"The Tale† is aware of the importance of his decision and questions whether or not it was the wisest choice. He contemplates with this and it effects him on an emotional level. At the beginning of â€Å"The Tale† the women (who is never given a name) requests he tell a tale like he used to before the war. She states, †Å"You used to tell- your- your simple and professional- tales very well at one time†¦you had sort of art- in the days- the days before the war† (Conrad 2). This statement supplies the reader with evidence that the commanding officer is a changed man since the war and foreshadows that the story will not be like his old â€Å"simple† stories. Throughout the story the commanding officer battles with his instinct to decide whether or not to believe the Northman. He continually asks himself why the Northman did not sound his horn when they entered the bay, and why the Northman’s vo... Free Essays on Making A Moral Decision Free Essays on Making A Moral Decision Making a Moral Decision In Joseph Conrad’s short story â€Å"The Tale† and James Joyce’s short story â€Å"A Painful Case† there are several similarities between the characters of the stories. Each story is composed of parallel moral lessons, which becomes the theme of the stories. The main characters look back at a point in their lives and are unsure if they made the wisest choice in their individual situation. The moral of each story is an ethical decision may never have a right answer. Conrad and Joyce portray a moral lesson in a very similar way. In each story the main characters, the commanding officer and James Duffy, look back on moments in their life and regret the decisions they have made. The commanding officer in â€Å"The Tale† decides an entire ships fate by directing them off cliffs, consequently the captain of the ship and his crew die. The commanding officer states, â€Å"That course would lead the Northman straight on a deadly ledge of rock. And the commanding officer gave it to him† (Conrad 17). The main character of â€Å"The Tale† is aware of the importance of his decision and questions whether or not it was the wisest choice. He contemplates with this and it effects him on an emotional level. At the beginning of â€Å"The Tale† the women (who is never given a name) requests he tell a tale like he used to before the war. She states, †Å"You used to tell- your- your simple and professional- tales very well at one time†¦you had sort of art- in the days- the days before the war† (Conrad 2). This statement supplies the reader with evidence that the commanding officer is a changed man since the war and foreshadows that the story will not be like his old â€Å"simple† stories. Throughout the story the commanding officer battles with his instinct to decide whether or not to believe the Northman. He continually asks himself why the Northman did not sound his horn when they entered the bay, and why the Northman’s vo...

Multicultural Matrix paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multicultural Matrix paper - Essay Example Due to the globalizing trend of economy in particular and of the world in general, people of different races and cultures move dramatically from one place to another in the global scale. As a consequence, a nation-state -- especially the advanced or developed countries such the North America and the Great Britain -- in the present time-period is inhabited or populated by many and various races and cultures. Perhaps this diaspora of people from different land and time, at certain rate, is a welcome to particular nation-states. It is arguable that industrialized nations widely receive the migration of people of different colors mainly because of the latter’s worth or value in the economic sense. For one, colored people are beneficial and helpful to the country’s progress and development. That is, they become part and parcel of the labor force from their host country. For a particular nation-state, people from multicultural backgrounds are greatly advantageous or â€Å"he lpful† for the reason that they are industrious and submissive. Du Bois, Yavno, and Stanford (2001) note that multicultural groups such as Mexican Americans have â€Å"histories of low-paying manual labor† (p. 78). People from different colors and cultures are more submissive to their host country to the extent that they allow themselves to be exploited.

The Islamic Center Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Islamic Center - Case Study Example onnecting facility and thus before establishing other facilities such as schools, the board must ensure that the community derives maximum utility from the gym. Therefore, in addition to the volunteers, the gym requires some permanent staff, to oversee its operations. This can be ensured by educating the community about their obligation to pay the required fees, and then using the fees to financially motivate the permanent employees. IC is advantaged to have a lot of professional in the board and thus with each member working on the new strategy (Cropf, Kohler, and Loutzenhiser 71), the community will be made to support its operation and thus avoid chaos in the long run without reducing the board members working hours in their other professions. The gym is a uniting factor in addition to being a recreational facility. For this reason, everyone needs to feel involved in its management, operation and maintenance. Notably, the vandalism was motivated by lack of proper and timely communication rather than change of events (Cropf, Kohler, and Loutzenhiser 70). Therefore, the ad hoc committee is obligated to advice the board on the importance of properly communicating to the community on any changes. Secondly, the community should also be encouraged to understand the main objectives of the gym. Holding several meetings to educate the gym members, especially Muslims on the importance of unity can adversely reduce chaos from the members. These meetings would also increase the member’s desire to volunteer as trainers. Moreover, the gym should remain well maintained, with staff that ensures that resources are well utilized to reduce costs. The gym was made to benefit the whole community, and members should be made aware of that. By using the Muslim teachings of brotherhood, members can be encouraged to help better the community they live and mostly for future generations. The most demotivating factor is lack of financial benefit in dedicating time