Invisible Man By Ellison Essays - Puppetry, Invisible Man, Dolls

Invisible Man By Ellison Life on the Strings Dolls. We are surrounded by dolls. G. I. Joe, Barbie, Polly Pocket, and WWF action figures. Prior to our plasticene friends we had paper dolls, marionettes, and delicately featured porcelain dolls. We are strangely fascinated by these cold, lifeless objects that look so much like ourselves. Children clutch them and create elaborate scenes, while adults are content to simply collect, allowing them to sit, motionless on a shelf, staring coolly back at their live counterparts. Which brings us to and interesting point, are people simply dolls for other people to play with or collect? One could make the arguement that we are all Tod Cliftons', doomed to dance by invisible strings while wearing a mask of individualism. However, unlike Tod Clifton, most of us will not realize that who pulls the string, is not ourselves. Ralph Ellison's novel, The Invisible Man is fraught with images of dolls as if to constantly reminded the reader that no one is in complete control of themselves. Our first example of doll imagery comes very early in the novel with the Battle Royal scene. The nude, blonde woman is described as having hair "that was yellow like that of a circus kewpie doll" (19). Ellison draws a very strong connection between the plight of the Negro man and the white woman. The fact that they are both shown as puppets or dolls in the work is no coincidence. The woman and the African are merely show pieces for the white men in the novel. Tod Clifton's dancing Sambo dolls are the most striking example of doll imagery. This small tissue paper doll has the capability to completely change the Invisible Man. When he sees that the powerful and enigmatic Clifton is the one hawking the abominable dolls, the narrator is so filled with humiliation and rage that he spits upon the dancing figure. But what is it that has caused this surging of fury? It is Tod Clifton and not the narrator who has degraded himself to such a base level. However, it is our narrator's sudden comprehension of his own situation that causes his wrath. The line "For a second our eyes met and he gave me a contemptuous smile" (433) illustrates this moment of realization for our narrator. It shows the reader that Tod Clifton was aware of his position as a puppet all along and chooses to enlighten the narrator at this particular point in the novel. The Invisible Man recognizes that all his life he's been a slave and a puppet to others. Whether those others were Bledsoe, his grandfather, or the brotherhood is irrelevant, but there has always been and imperceptible string attached to him governing everything he does. Not only a string but his own physical characteristics echo those of the grotesque Sambo dolls. It's cardboard hands were clenched into fists. The fingers outlined in orange paint, and I noticed that it had two faces, one on either side of the disks of cardboard, and both grinning. (446) Hands doubled into fists? This is the brotherhood message in a nutshell, Strong, ready to fight for what one supposedly believes in. Yet, at the same time these fists are controlled exclusively by the one holding the strings. And the black Sambo puppet blissfully unaware that he is merely a plaything. He smiles to the crowd and back to the puppeteer. It is the grin on the face of this doll that initially angers the Invisible Man. But why? Thinking back to the very start of the novel we have the Grandfather's dying words to our narrator, "...overcome 'em with yesses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction..." (16). It would seem as though the Grandfather and Tod Clifton are in league with one another as they both have a firm grasp on what power men have over men. We get a powerful and disturbing image of this very idea when the Invisible Man is in the factory hospital after the explosion. It is a scene that seems to fade into the mishmash of confusion that accompanies this part of the novel, but it is nonetheless very important. As the narrator lies in his glass enclosed box with wires and electrodes attached all over his body, he is subjected to shock treatment. "Look, he's dancing," someone called. "No, really?" ..." They really do have rhythm, don't they? Get hot, boy! Get hot!" it said with a laugh. (237) This image is almost a perfect match with that

Strategies for Graduating College Early to Save Money

Strategies for Graduating College Early to Save Money Many of the top private colleges and private universities in the country now have a total sticker price hovering around $70,000 a year. Some public universities have total costs of well over $50,000 a year for out-of-state students. However, even if you dont qualify for financial aid, theres an obvious way to reduce your college costs: Graduate from college early. Finishing college in three and a half or even three years can save you tens of thousands of dollars. How to Fast Track Your College Career So how can you graduate early? The math is pretty simple. A typical college load is four classes a semester, so in a year youre likely to take eight classes. To graduate a year early, you need to acquire eight classes worth of credit. You can do this a few ways: Take as many AP courses as you can. If you score 4s or 5s on the AP exam, most colleges will give you course credit. In some cases, a score of 3 will earn credit.If you have the option of an International Baccalaureate program, you can often earn college credit if you score well on your IB exams.If your high school has dual enrollment options with a local college, the credits you earn will often transfer to your undergraduate institution.  Take all available placement exams when you arrive at college. Many colleges offer placement exams in subjects like language, math, and writing. If you can place out of a few requirements, youll be in a better position to graduate early.Take community college courses for general education classes like writing, history, or introduction to psychology. Course credits will often transfer. Summer, even the summer before college, is a good time to rack up credits. Be sure to check with your colleges Registrar first to make sure the course credits will transfer. If you plan to study abroad, pick your program carefully. Youll need to transfer credits back to your college, so you want a program where all of your course work is going to count towards graduation.Take the maximum number of credits allowed when youre in college. If you have a strong work ethic, you can pack more into a semester than the average student. By doing so, youll fulfill all of your academic requirements sooner. With some professional programs such as engineering and education, graduating early is rarely an option (in fact, often students end up taking more than four years). The Downside of Graduating Early Realize there are some disadvantages to graduating early, and youll have to weigh these factors against the financial perks: Youll have less time to build relationships with your professors. As a result, youll have less opportunity to conduct meaningful research projects with the faculty, and your professors wont know you as well when you need letters of recommendation.Youll be graduating with a different class than the one you entered with. This isnt necessarily a big deal, but you may find that you end up without a solid sense of class affinity.Youll simply have less time to grow and mature. Many college students really blossom during senior year as their experience and confidence grow.For many students, college is a wonderful time for  making new friends, growing intellectually, and discovering ones self. Students are often in tears at graduation because they are sad to have college come to an end. Make sure you really want to  rush this time of your life.This is related to many of the above points, but with less time to gain research and internship experiences, and with less time to foster meaningf ul relationships with the faculty, youll be in a weaker position when applying to jobs or graduate school. Its possible the money you save from graduating early will be lost with lower lifetime earnings. These issues, of course, arent a big deal for some students, and its quite possible that the financial benefits outweigh all other factors. A Final Word Many colleges use fast-tracking as a marketing ploy. The undergraduate experience, however, is about so much more than earning enough credits to get a degree. Accelerated degree programs make much more sense for non-traditional students than for typical 18- and 19-year-olds who will grow so much socially and intellectually during four years of college. That said, the financial factor cant be ignored. Just be sure to recognize that there are both pros and cons to rushing a four-year degree.

How to Format Block Quotations

How to Format Block Quotations How to Format Block Quotations How to Format Block Quotations By Mark Nichol A block quotation is a distinct body of type set off from the default text (also called the running text), usually distinguished by insertion of line spaces above and below and formatting of a narrower margin (and sometimes even type of a different point size or a distinct font). When reproducing written text from another source, consider setting the quoted material off from the rest of the content in a block quotation if it is more than a hundred words long. consists of more than one paragraph. is made up of a number of shorter passages (so that it would resemble an indented list without numbers or bullets). constitutes a letter or other correspondence, complete with salutation, signature, and the like, or another type of templated form. requires any special formatting. However, determine whether it might be better to simply paraphrase a long quotation in one or more normal paragraphs with perhaps some partial quotations when phrases should be reproduced verbatim. When the first line of each paragraph in the running text is indented, block quotations of a single paragraph, and the first of multiple paragraphs, are not indented, but subsequent ones should be. When paragraphs in running text are distinguished not by indentation but by line spaces, follow the same format in block quotations. If the block quotation is inserted in a framing paragraph that continues after the quotation, do not indent the first line of the rest of the paragraph. If paragraphs are set off by line spaces, a new paragraph that immediately follows a block quotation should be separated from the quotation by two line spaces so that the new paragraph is not mistaken for a continuation of the paragraph in which the quotation is inserted. When a block quotation is the continuation of an introductory sentence, use punctuation or capitalization (or a lack thereof) accordingly. In this case, the quotation is a continuation of the introduction, so no punctuation or capitalization is necessary: â€Å"The writer described the apparition as a tall, thin wraith of diaphanous constitution, as if made of smoke . . . .† (Note also that a block quotation is not enclosed in quotation marks; it is assumed that such an excerpt is quoted material.) If the first word of the quoted material had originally been capitalized (â€Å"A tall, thin wraith . . .†), silently correct it, as above; it’s not necessary to call attention to the change, as is sometimes done in specialized contexts (â€Å"[a] tall, thin wraith . . .†). A lead-in line consisting of a complete clause, and the first word of the following quotation, should be treated otherwise: â€Å"The writer described the apparition as follows: It was a tall, thin wraith of diaphanous constitution, as if made of smoke . . . .† The same rules hold for run-in quotations (those that are assimilated into the running text): â€Å"The sage says that ‘a fool and his money are soon parted.’† (Though the adage, standing alone, would begin with an uppercase a, it is part of the framing sentence here and must be lowercased; alternatively, you could write, â€Å"The sage says, ‘A fool and his money are soon parted.’†) If the writer wishes to amend or comment on a quotation, several strategies are available: To clarify that a typographical error is in the original, insert sic (Latin for â€Å"thus,† or â€Å"so,† and meaning â€Å"as originally published†), italicized and in brackets, after the offense. Take care, however, not to employ this term as a textual smirk, and if the quotation is full of unconventional, outdated, or variant spelling, an explanatory note before the quotation is preferable to a quotation repeatedly interrupted by [sic]. When you don’t need the entire quotation to illustrate a point, you may delete irrelevant passages and indicate the elision with ellipsis points. However, it is not necessary to precede or follow a passage with ellipses to indicate that you are not reproducing the entire text from which the excerpt is derived; the reader will assume this. If you must make comment or clarify a point, enclose the note in brackets, but be as concise as possible, or provide a longer explanatory note outside the quotation. If you wish to emphasize one or more words or phrases, follow the quotation with the parenthesized note â€Å"Italics added† or â€Å"Emphasis mine,† or vice versa. But a quotation with extant italicization should be treated differently: Insert the comment in brackets immediately following your emphasis. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†How to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsTitled versus Entitled

How Salt can be separated from a Solution of Water Essay

How Salt can be separated from a Solution of Water - Essay Example How Salt can be separated from a Solution of Water It was concluded that sodium chloride disintegrates in water to sodium and chlorine ions that are surrounded by polar water molecules. This allows dehydration of the compound NaCl†¢2H2O to form crystals of salts. The compound salt has many usages from the different fields of science, agriculture, industries and domestically as a food additive. Salt, which is a naturally occurring mineral and having the principal component as sodium chloride, has many uses both industrially and domestically. NaCl is a common salt, and it has an ionic compound formed as a result of gaining and sharing of electrons by sodium ions and chloride ions. The salt is responsible for the sea water salinity and in organisms that are multicellular, the salt forms the extracellular fluid required in cell activities. The salt was anciently used as a form of currency in some of the cultures as a result of its cost especially when salt trade was of importance in the Mediterranean times. Domestically, the salt id edible is it adds taste to almost all meals consumed in the human diet. Additionally, the salt is used as a food preservative and as a condiment. Lastly, the salt is used industrially in extractions of different types of compounds like chlorine and sodium in chemical synthesis. This report explains the method in which a dissolved salt, NaCl can be separated from water using the solar method process. The process of evaporation is involved since water will be get rid of leaving behind the salt.

Recruitment, Selection, and Deployment of Human Resources Case Study

Recruitment, Selection, and Deployment of Human Resources - Case Study Example Immediately, Hutton should cascade a memo acknowledging the management’s shortcomings about what is expected from their employees, analyzing why the employees’ expectations were different from the actual work. This will prevent employee attrition and further degradation of employee performance.   Second, Hutton should conduct a job review in addition to performance review and check where the gaps lie between what is communicated to the employees and the actual work. Identifying those gaps will help the management to implement remedial measures in closing the gap between job expectation and job reality. Lastly, communication should be improved on all levels. The problem is a symptom of a communication problem and management should cultivate it. Encourage feedback from the employees instead of being threatened by it. The old human resource formula of Kanata which made it a successful company is no longer applicable to the new market reality of globalization and increased competition. The symptoms present such as not meeting the desired number of minorities in the workforce, increasing demand for unionization, etch, is an indication for Kanata to adapt to the new market reality. These tendencies of Kana’s workforce makes the organization less competitive in the market. The current human resource practices of Kanata is rigid and prone to internal conflict. While the norm in human resource now is work flexibility, Kanata sticks to the old fixed schedule. The relative higher salary of grocery department compared to Super K and 24-7 is susceptible to internal professional jealousy that could undermine productivity. Also, the company lags in terms of hiring part-time employees which could help the company cope with the increased competition by being efficient in its labour cost. In general, its workforce is not abreast with the needs of the new market. There are three alternatives being considered by the company. First is internet marketing, second is expanding abroad and lastly, the expansion of the convenience stores and pastry division.        

Monastic spirituality in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Monastic spirituality in the 21st Century Essay In the 21st Century, it could be said that monastic spirituality in an outdated concept. In the contemporary world we live in today, it has become increasingly difficult to live obedient to the Churches teaching. Some people would argue that there should be no real set of moral codes, and that the Church should not have such high authority. This contrasts to the Celtic Monks belief that Nothing must be refused in their obedience; to be Christs true discipleit will not be pleasing to the Lord. In society today, people dont see a need for a moral code. They make their own subjective decisions about what is right and wrong from them, and dont accept religious or government law. Grove argues People do not see the Church as having a real relevance in their everyday lives, and therefore do not recognise its authority in everyday matters. Some sociologists have said that it is this belief that has led to religious organizations watering down their beliefs to accommodate many beliefs, in the hope that this would make their religion more popular. However, in actual fact this can often lead to the religious organization becoming less popular, as they may lose the devoted members, who arent looking for a watered down religion. Pope Benedict said that relativismdoes not recognise anything as being certainits highest goals are ones own ego and desire. Relativism is the belief that concepts such as right and wrong, goodness and badness, or truth and falsehood are not definite and that they alter in different cultures and situations. It could be described as the cherry picking for faith. An example of this would be ignoring the rule of no contraception, for promiscuous reasons. An other common example would be the issue of sex before marriage. The Celtic monks had a huge sense of Divine Will that had to be obeyed. Saint Columbanus reminded us of this by saying by strict obedience shall the monk show his love of God. Many of these traits, that the monks found so admirable, have been lost in todays society. Monks believed that community was better than the individual, and that when we do something, it should be for the sake of the community, rather than for the sake of the individual themselves. The monks saw obedience as responding to Gods call. We can see a huge lack of obedience to God by looking at the large decline in vocations in recent years. In 2008, in Dublin, only three people were ordained into the priesthood. There are many reasons for this, a main possibility being the recent scandal the Church has been involved in in recent years. In 1968, 95% of Catholics went to mass. By 2004 this amount had dropped to a mere 50% (BBC Newsline). These figures support the view that as Christians, we no longer feel compelled to be obedient to God. This can relate back to what Pope Benedict described as The Culture of Relativism. Another debated issue is the importance of chastity and sexuality in our society today. Saint Columbanus said a monks chastity is indeed judged by his thoughts. He said that they were not only judged by sexual relations, but by the purity of the mind, and the sexual desires that they experienced. This view contrasts greatly to the view of society today. In our modern society, people are often sexually objectified. An estimated average of 75% of prime television shows include content of a sexual nature, and in soap operas it is estimated that extra-marital sex is referred to two out of three times every hour. This is because the television companys know that in todays society, sex sells. It is no longer thought of as a big deal, and there has been a massive increase in sexual promiscuity. This has led to a big increase in sexually transmitted diseases, which are becoming increasingly difficult to control. It also meant a big increase in the amount of unwanted pregnancies. Unlike monastic living which promoted the selfless giving of ones self to the community, we have adopted a hedonistic, narcissistic attitude. We have become our own lust. Michael Maher points out that the standards in Celtic monasteries are severe, particularly in the area of sexual morality. For many today, the idea of chastity is an outdated concept and is problematic for the future of the priesthood in the Catholic Church. This would lead me to believe that in regard to this aspect of monastic life, monastic spirituality could very easily be perceived as outdated in the 21st Century. Brigid of Kildare had a preferential option for the poor. She vowed to the king of Leinster, If I had all your wealth, I would take it and give it away to the poor, So Brigids monastery in Kildare, became known as the City of the poor. Aidan of Lindesfarm also expressed solidarity to the poor, when he gave away the kings gift of a horse to the first beggar he met saying Surely this son of a mare is not more important to you than that son of man. However, the Church didnt always share the same view. Leondardo Boff argues that the Church became an abstract speculation removed from the original spirit of the Gospel message, and out of touch with real life. The Church has been criticised for siding with the vested interest, and in its history has even been involved in colonisation and the removal of land from the peasantry, in its commitment to obeying the laws of the land. Richard Woods reminds us that justice and chastity were the main hinges of Celtic social action. This is another way, in that it could be said that monastic spirituality is an outdated concept in the 21st Century. Views that should be had today have slowly died off, and have left places worse off. However, Bishop Casadaliga reminds us that as long as there are poor people in the world, and as long as there is a God who cares for the poor, there will be a need for a theology of Liberation. The spirit of Liberation Theology is very much evident in Celtic Monasticism in many ways, from the care of the poor and the sinner, to the welcoming of the stranger. Hospitality was always extremely generous in the monasteries, and any stranger who came was very well looked after. In 2004, 19% of asylum seekers were allowed to find refuge in Britain, while 78% were turned away. The Celtic monks in their openness to all, especially the weakest turned no one away. This shows another way that Monastic Spirituality could be considered an outdated concept in 21st Century life. In conclusion, it would appear that Monastic Spirituality is in fact an outdated concept in 21st Century living, with our lackadaisical views on chastity and sexuality, and our selfish views on poverty, it seems that Monastic Spirituality has been lost, and I believe it would be in the Catholic Churches interest to try and retrieve some of this monastic spirit.

The Lunch Time Book Buddies - Pass It On Program Essay -- Literacy Ess

There’s no denying that reading is the foundation for all academic achievement (paths, whether they lead you down the road of a doctoral degree or to the door of parenting). It reinforces language and communication, without it you cannot read a menu, bus schedule, recipe, street sign, bank statement or loved ones letter, not to mention phone texts or discovering a favorite book. Reading navigates us through our day-to-day life and fuels our imagination (and opens up worlds of possibilities: new countries, new cultures, and your own history). However, the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), aka â€Å"Nation’s Report Card†, revealed 34% of fourth grade students in public schools fell below the basic reading level and one in six students not reading proficiently in the third grade do not graduate high school on time. These staggering statistics along with the accountability reforms of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have led scholars and educat ors to look for more effective means of reading instruction and have contributed to the development of alternative, supplemental reading activities and programs to support/bolster literacy improvement. Research shows that the level of reading fluency in third grade is a predictor of future academic achievement. Third grade is when reading transitions from decoding to comprehension of text (Stevens, 2006). These key literacy skills build students’ capacity to learn independently, from all academic fields and social environments (Shanahan, 2010). It is no surprise that reading instruction is such a strong focus of curriculum in pre and early elementary education. Educational trends regarding reading instruction have vacillated between traditional phonics and holistic langu... ...2007). Tips for teaching: Using partners to build reading fluency. Preventing School Failure, 51(2), 52-55. National Center for Education Statistics (2011). The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2011(NCES 2012–457). Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2011/2012457.pdf Shanahan, T. (2010). Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Smith, M. K. (2004). Nel Noddings, the ethics of care and education. The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/thinkers/noddings.htm Stevens, R. J. (2006). Developing reading fluency: What does the research say? Catalyst For Change, 34(1), 37-44.