Makioka Sisters Essays - The Makioka Sisters, Taeko,

Makioka Sisters With life comes death, with destruction comes rebirth, and with fear often comes understanding and growth. Constant change within our environment surrounds and invades our existence--which too is ever changing, growing, digressing and evolving. Often a sad tone resounds within this acceptance of uncontrolled fluctuation. It is the sad or destructive experiences that one wishes could be controlled; and often those become more apparent then the joy and happiness that accompanies change. Throughout Tanizaki's The Makioka Sisters the essence of the novel is captured using subtlety to describe the timeless cyclical changes in nature, thus revealing and enhancing the acceptance of the unavoidable impermanence that is woven into the sister's lives and experiences. Transformations within their natural world saturate and undeniably affect the lives of the characters in this novel. Throughout the novel the sisters are constantly exposed to the beauties and destruction that the cycles of nature produce, changing and affecting their lives for brief and lengthy durations. Change in nature perpetually occurs and learning to adapt to its inconsistency is often demanded of the sisters. Tanizaki poetically uses the fluctuation of nature to delicately suggest fluctuation or transformations that occur within the characters. For example, as massive flooding consumes the Kobe-Osaka district with destruction, the Makioka's lives are consumed with upheaval; and yet, this inevitable chaos encourages realizations for Sachiko and transformations within Taeko. The most disastrous flood in the district's history, its transforming effects on the river are vividly described as, "less a river than a black, boiling sea, with the mid-summer surf at its most violent" (Tanizaki 176). Its burdens afflict the land, and all of its inhabitants, from scuttling crabs and dogs to the Makiokas, Stoltzes, and countless other families. Physically destroying homes, railroads and schools, the flood claims lives amidst clouds of dust, mud, and sand. The rain viciously reveals its overpowering capabilities. As Sachiko searches for occupying distraction from the worry that she endures concerning Taeko's safe return, she is drawn to the pictures of Taeko's performance of "Snow" from the previous month. The effects of the flood and its devastating possibilities encourage Sachiko to view both these pictures, and Taeko in a revised light. Sachiko admits her luring interest to a photographic pose of Taeko which reveals a "certain delicate winsomeness and grace[in Taeko.] ...one could see from this photograph that there was in her too something of the old Japanese maiden, something quietly engaging" (189). In the midst of chaotic torment Sachiko is able to appreciate the many aspects of who Koi-san is rather than concentrate on her sister's demise. And not without sadness, she questions whether it was only by chance that Koi-san had been captured in this light or rather that it had been an unhappy omen for the disaster that now lay lurking. For Taeko, the floods transform her spirit as fear and lack of enthusiasm take root in her heart. Her environment has instilled a previously unfelt sense of fear and respect for its reigning force. Shaken, and perhaps disenchanted with the changes around her and within her, Taeko avoids work and activity for an entire month after the torrential storm. "Taeko, usually the most active of the three, had evidently not recovered from the shock of the flood. This summer she showed little of her usual energy" (204). As the natural destruction drains her energy it also transforms her interests in Kei-boy, killing the last of her love for him. Within both of the sisters, the inevitable changes that the floods bring, seeps deeper than the surface damage; bidding and encouraging new growth and challenge within the characters hearts and minds. Yet another encounter with a severe storm, this time a Tokyo Typhoon, reveals the destruction and terror that nature can display, disrupting lives, and harshly revealing the change in direction that the Makioka's prestigious lives have taken. The worst typhoon in over ten years, winds literally shaking the house, dirt and sand forcefully flying through vacant cracks, and walls billowing seemingly ready to burst; the family must remain calm although terror chills their bones. They eventually find safety and solace next door in a sturdier home than their own. The storm not only reinforces the necessity to accept and deal with the atrocities that nature randomly brings, it also reveals the depths to which the Makioka's have fallen with their move to Tokyo. "To lose the Osaka house was to lose their very roots" (99). Change in prestige and economics has obviously affected the conditions of the home that they are now reduced to invest in. Dramatic

canada and ww1 essays

canada and ww1 essays Ypres 1915- The Ypres what the first battle Canada had ever fought in it was in the first week in April this was also the first time that poison gas was used .The Germans would release thousands of tons of chlorine gas in to the east wind and it would drift into the french trenches killing and suffercating the troops. The Somme 1916- The allied forces plan was to launch simultaneous offensives on the western ,eastern and Italian fronts. The Somme was a region for the french and the British assault. The battle had lasted several months by Christmas 800,000 men and 24,029of them where Canadian had given the lives to the battle. This was the first battle where Canada was recognized as a hard hitting force in the war. The battle of Vimy ridge - The Canadian share of the British assault was the seizure of vimy ridge. The ridge was a vital point for the Germans defense it was lined with elaborate trenches and dugouts. The Canadian commanders came up with the idea to dig tunnels in to the ridge. On Easter Monday April 9th all for divisions of the Canadian corps rushed the ridge by mid-afternoon half of the ridge was theirs and in three days it was theres. Passchendaele - On the 26th of October it began it was the muddiest battle field ever know to the troops and the most dangerous they have ever seen 20,000 men under went heavy fire. Then on October 20th Canada and two British division the Canadians began the assault on passchenaele. They gained the out skirts of the city and held it for five days in a brutal rain storm. On November 6th the reinforcements arrived four fifths of the enemy died and 16,000 of British and Canadian had died it was one of the worst battles in history. ...

Cultural profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Cultural profile - Essay Example Social groups mostly share a number of characteristics including involving the use of a common language, sharing cultural values and also sharing norms and traditional values (Chelidze 12). The Muslim based believers are also mostly portrayed badly as well as negatively by the media systems in the society (Chelidze 10). For example, I totally support Muslim faiths, and I have experience a number of discrimination and prejudices in the society. This usually provides bad relationship and poor interaction between Muslim individuals and other people the society. Stereotypes, discrimination, as well as prejudices based on individual cultural identities and ethnicity systems, form some of the problems that the Islamic-based religious individuals are facing in the United States (Chelidze 13). According to recent religious studies and reports, racial group, ethnicity as well as religious group of an individual role play a greater role towards various social activities in their life including their marriage practices, communication practices and their perceptions about life in general (Verkuyten 357). Therefore, the main aim and purpose of this paper is to discuss various social identities and religious beliefs and values including the Caucasian ethnicity, as well as the Islamic religion. The paper will specifically deal with the social identities covering ascription as well as avowal identity systems and how it influences my social interaction with others in the society The Caucasian race is mostly found in North America, Europe, parts of Asia as well as in some regions in Africa. Historically, various historians believed that there were two races especially the Mongolians and the Caucasians. According to these anthropologists, the Caucasians were more likeable and intelligent than Mongolians especially due to their light skin and moral values (Verkuyten 355). The Caucasian group was also closely associated with individuals

Realism, Liberalism, and the English School Research Paper

Realism, Liberalism, and the English School - Research Paper Example The Realist school makes it clear that States are to act to secure their fundamental national interest in foreign policy, and in this way are countered by the school of Liberalism in foreign policy. The Liberal school of foreign policy believes that the ideals, ideologies, and cultural principles of the nation are what the government and its ministers should also advocate through international relations. In this manner, the Liberal school critiques the moral nature of the Realist school, inferring that what is called â€Å"reality† in this interpretation is merely a projection of the self-serving interests of power and generally minority or oligarchic interests. In this manner, the ideals that are derived from moral principles can also be implemented as a goal in foreign policy through Liberalism. An example of this would be the internationalization of human rights and democratic principles through treaty accords. There is a third school of international relations that can be viewed as a synthesis of the schools of Liberalism and Realism. The English School, developed through the experience of British Empire building, advocates the pursuit of liberal principles and ideas internationally through foreign policy but doing so in a realistic manner that is not in conflict with essential national interests. The assumptions of each of the schools are found in prior judgments that are part of the system of thought or belief system that the philosophies operate through in foreign policy.... sumptions of each of the schools are found in a priori judgments that are part of the system of thought or belief system that the philosophies operate through in foreign policy. For example, the Realist school can be seen as an empirical and materialist philosophy, in that it focuses on specific gains that can be measured, planned for, and rationally studied to determine the extent of accomplishment. The Realist school projects the self-interest of the individual in a macro-framework as the State, and in this manner favors the centralization of power in one individual, as in a monarchy, dictatorship, prime minister, or president. The Realist school bases its definition of the State on the centralization of power, as this authority in military, finance, and legal statutes are assumed to be able to be mobilized upon a common policy of government in international relationships that attain concrete goals. As the Realist school is based on a type of calculation in power relations with obj ectives established in advanced and accomplished through strategic planning, it enables the development of International Relations as a formal discipline, similar to economics and law. The Liberal school generally accepts the a priori judgment of the Realists, but seeks to reform it on the principles of Humanism. In theory, where the Realists trace their lineage back to Machiavelli, Hobbes, Adam Smith, and Hume, the Liberal school looks to Rousseau as the exemplar and archetype of progressive philosophy applied in a humanistic manner for the purpose of freedom and human liberation. In this regard, while the Realist school may have no moral objection to enslave, coerce, or dominate a local population if it furthered the aims of the State as defined by those in power, the Liberal school would

Human Resource Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Resource Management - Case Study Example Part One, an overview of Tesco, provides a rationale for selecting the organisation, identifies specific features of the context within which it operates and key features of its business strategy, shows how it responds to the wider business environment, and explains the implications of the business strategy adopted for the management of people. Part Three diagnoses and critically evaluates the key elements of Tesco's HR strategy and the nature and scope of HR practice, with particular attention to the degree by which HR practice supports the organisation's business strategy and the extent to which different aspects of HR strategy are horizontally integrated. As a company that depends for its success on the quality of direct employee contact with customers through a unique and special shopping experience, Tesco like other similar companies claim that its people are its most important asset. Guided by a key core value of looking after its people so they can look after their customers, Tesco provides market-leading working conditions for its staff. However, it doesn't stop there. It also encourages suppliers to do the same: offer attractive benefits and wages, flexible work hours and leave, profit-sharing, subsidised meals, childcare vouchers, and an award-winning pension scheme, amongst other benchmarks. Achieving its business objectives would have been difficult without trust and dependence on the skills and commitment of employees who are encouraged at all levels to make their fullest possible contribution to business success. Guided by the slogan "Every little helps", Tesco delivers a unique shopping experience for customers, an objective that demands ongoing training to ensure that employees understand the right customer service objectives and strive to achieve them. Tesco was chosen for this paper because the quality of its people is recognised as a key factor for its profitability and stellar business performance, despite the bad press it gets from time to time due to the fact that despite their best efforts, it could never satisfy every

ICT in the classroom to enhance teaching

ICT in the classroom to enhance teaching Trying to engage students in the classroom each day can be an increasing challenge but there are many ways to make the activities in the classroom worthwhile for learners and to make what they learn, matter. Learners love a challenge and giving their work meaning will motivate them to want more of it because it allows them to be the central point in the learning process. ICT can both improve and enhance both learning and teaching in an ESOL class and technology is not only a tool for use in the classroom, but is also a resource for accessing information that further enables learning to take place. New ways to integrate technology into the learning process are being created daily. In this commentary I will provide an evaluative overview on the use and effectiveness of using YouTube the video-sharing website as a teaching material to assist my learners with two of the key skills, listening and speaking. The Learners The Level 1 ESOL students are from Slovakia, India, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Poland. They have all completed City Guilds Level 1 Speaking and Listening Assessments and the Literacy On-line test at the end of the last semester. All the students have access to computers in the college and use Moodle in lessons on a regular basis. As a group they have expressed that they want more practice in listening and speaking English inauthentic situations to prepare for the real world and so the last few session have been focused on Work and Jobs leading to Interviews. Students have shared that when they are listening to another person speaking a foreign language, (for them, English) they try to translate it into their native language. Comprehension is more difficult when reduced forms, and the level used, and colloquial language is used. Learners need more exposure to them and an awareness of a speakers corrections and rephrasing use, ( ..ermà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I meanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ er..) to expand comprehensibility Scaffolding In the previous sessions I used strategies to assist learning when they were first introduced to the subject of jobs. This is to give them motivation, a context and a starting point from which they can understand new information introduced in the coming lessons. Using Scaffolding techniques can be important for all learners and not just ESOL learners or those with learning difficulties. The aim is that learners will, at the end, demonstrate comprehension independently. Some strategies used include: Activating prior knowledge on jobs, job adverts, CVs etc. (this is a top-down processing referring to utilising learners schemata. breaking tasks into easier, more manageable steps to facilitate learner achievement showing students an example of the eventual outcome facilitating student engagement and participation teaching key vocabulary terms, relating to the genre of Jobs, before reading asking questions while reading to encourage deeper investigation of concepts modelling an activity for the students before they are asked to complete the same or similar activity asking students to contribute their own experiences that relate to the subject at hand According to McKenzie (1999), the defining features of successful scaffolding include clear direction, purpose, and expectation. Results include on-task activity; better student direction; reduced uncertainty, surprise, and disappointment; increased efficiency; and palpable momentum. Scaffolding instruction is also intrinsic in Lev Vygotskys (1978) idea of the Zone of Proximal Development. The main point is to support learners to have communicative competence, the ability for language learners to use socially, contextually and culturally appropriate language in communicative contexts. Content Content that is familiar is easier to comprehend than content with unfamiliar vocabulary or for which the listener has insufficient background knowledge off. Mock interviews is a noticing exercise: paying attention to grammar as it occurs in different contexts and structures in listening material, language practice activities and spoken interactions. This is good differentiation when a one learner point out a point to another. Videos and other visual support can increase learners comprehension as long as the learner is able to interpret it correctly. They can observe facial expressions, gestures; body language and pictures tell their own story. Using the interactive Smartboard has made the whiteboard come alive and one of the latest, convenient and versatile ICT tool in use in the classroom is YouTube where you can share videos of every kind. Although you have to be aware that many education institutes have blocked YouTube due to the inappropriateness of some of the content. The students took part in mock interviews where learners videoed pairs, then watched later to discuss what went well and what did not and gave each other feedback. This is a bottom-up process where learners start with basic language and build to some complex structures. Intonation, stress and rhythm play a part in this process as well and it was important that I gave all the students opportunities to practice statements and questions using declarative forms and with rising intonation with questions. I tried to obtain dvds of real interview but had no success so turned to YouTube where I researched many clips and used ones that I felt were suitable for this group of learners. The clips from YouTube were shown at the end and finishing with a funny clip to lighten the end of the session. Some of the clips feature ESOL students in mock interviews and some were native speakers in real-life situations that give the learners a realistic foreign language experience. Conclusion There are many videos on YouTube that could potentially be used in an ESOL educational class. There are video clips from televisions program, experts discussing a specific topic, or just some home movie clips up loaded by individuals, of a place you are teaching about or may be thinking about visiting. It comprises of user-uploaded content and can mean that a lot of it is unreliable, unbiased or inappropriate for cultural and classroom use. When looking for specific themes a tutor could spend hours searching on the site but can still be a laudable learning and teaching aid. The company is based in San Bruno, California, and uses Adobe Flash Video and HTML5 [4] technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, BBC, Vevo, Hulu and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program.[5] Unregistered users may watch videos, and registered users may upload an unlimited number of videos Component The aims of this study reported in this article are to investigate factors affecting English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers use of computers in their classrooms and to find out EFL teachers perceptions of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and ways to improve CALL practice in school settings. Participants in the study were twelve Korean in-service teachers of EFL working at secondary schools in Korea. A questionnaire and follow-up in-depth interviews were employed to collect data. The results of the study indicate that the teachers have positive and favourable attitudes toward the use of the computers. They consider computer technology as a useful teaching tool that can enhance ways of teaching by offering students a variety of language inputs and expanding students learning experiences in real and authentic contexts. It is also reported that external factors such as lack of time, insufficient computer facilities, rigid school curricula and textbooks and lack of administrative support negatively influence the implementation of CALL in the classroom. Internal factors such as teachers limited computer skills, knowledge about computers and beliefs and perceptions of CALL also seem to significantly affect teachers decisions on the use of CALL. Based on the findings of the study, implications are made for the effective implementation of CALL in EFL contexts. Article Text In recent years, the rapid evolution of information and communication technology (ICT) has made great changes in societies and education. The Internet, particularly, has become a useful tool for communication, a venue for experiencing different cultures and a mediator in diverse political, social and economical situations. Along with the impact of the Internet worldwide, the extensive use of computers at schools has had a critical influence on educational environments. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MOE HRD) in Korea, for example, has implemented several Educational Reform Plans since 1997 to meet the challenges in an era of high-technology. At the governmental level, the Education Ministry implemented The Comprehensive Plan for Education in the Information Age aimed at building the infrastructure for education between 1997 and 2000. It included ICT equipped classrooms, computer labs and digital libraries with computers connected to the Internet to provid e schools with technology-enhanced learning environments. On the basis of the plans, the Korean government has provided every school with multimedia computers, software programs and high-speed broadband Internet connections to cope with an information technology society and to integrate ICT into everyday educational practices. In terms of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), the paradigm of English education in Korea has moved to the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach along with the Seventh Educational Reform in 1997 (Choi, 2006; Kwon, 2000). The underlying theoretical concept of CLT is communicative competence, which refers to the ability for language learners to use socially, contextually and culturally appropriate language in communicative contexts (Savignon, 1997). However, most Korean learners of EFL have difficulties to develop their communicative competence beyond the classroom mainly because they do not have a supportive learning environment where they can hear and speak English for communicative purposes (Jeong, 2006). Therefore, some special efforts are needed to help Korean students expand their language learning experiences and practice the target language outside the classroom. This need can be found in the Korean governments special emphasis on English language proficienc y and computer literacy in the spirit of globalization. English language proficiency and computer literacy are currently essential elements in the Korean society in looking for a job, obtaining promotion and entering into a school of higher education (Kwon, 2000). In these circumstances, the Internet, combined with a variety of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs, is on its way to restructuring the concept of the language classroom and the roles of the learner and the teacher in foreign language learning and teaching in Korea. The appropriate integration of Internet-connected computers into the language curriculum is a key issue to consider when examining the effective use of computer technologies for educational purposes in Korea. In many Japanese universities, language instructors are facing challenges associated with low academic achievement among students, mainly caused by reduced competition among students at universities. Teaching at one such university, the author has been seeking to cope with classes where students vary greatly in English ability, with those who have limited English skills and knowledge and/or have not developed basic learning habits or study skills. This article discusses how technology can help the teacher to accommodate different learning needs and get/keep students motivated. It is based on the recent classroom practice in one of the courses the author taught, where students were supposed to learn research and presentation methods by using English in conjunction with computers and the Internet. In addition to using Moodle, an open-source learning management system, other web tools including weblogs and online materials were integrated into learning activities. These activities helped students feel more comfortable using computers and the Internet, and encouraged them to look for better ways to express themselves. Also, the activities were utilized flexibly to accommodate students diverse abilities and interests, helping keep them actively engaged with the course. There are three strategies ESL/EFL teachers can follow to ensure that technology fits their needs. First, investigate new media to see if it is suitable for classroom use. Then identify how new media changes TESOL. Finally, set English Language Teaching objectives before selecting any tools of technology. Itesl (2008) engaging and motivating all learners supporting the development of problem-solving and thinking skills in an open-ended environment helping learners to make meaningful links between subjects and enabling teachers to use ICT across the curriculum encouraging children to hypothesise and discuss what might happen, aiding the development of talking and listening skills and a collaborative approach to learning suiting a range of learning styles: thereby supporting personalised learning giving children a unique means of communicating and developing their ideas. McKenzie, Jamie, (1999). Scaffolding for Success. From Now On: The Educational Journal, Vol. 9, No. 4. from http://www.fno.org/dec99/scaffold.html. Michael Morgan,The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XIV, No. 7, July 2008. http://iteslj.org/[accessed 20 April 2011] [Accessed 20 April 2011] Valdez G, http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te600.htm[accessed 20 April 2011] Dodge, Bernie, (December 2, 1998). Schools, Skills and Scaffolding on the Web. from http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/scaffolding.html. [Accessed 20 April 2011] Appendix i- References Barton, D. (2007) Literacy an Introduction to the Ecology of Written Language. Blackwell Publishing: Oxford. Crystal, D. (1991) A dictionary of linguistics and phonetic., Basil Blackwell Oxford. Harmer, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching 4ed. Pearson Education Ltd: Essex. McCarthy, M. (1991)Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press. Petty, G. (2009) Teaching Today -A Practical Guide 6ed Nelson Thornes: Cheltenham Richards, J (1990) The Language Teaching Matrix 7e, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The Internet TESL Journal (2005) Creating ESL/EFL Lessons Based on News and Current Events http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Banville-News/[15 April 2011]

Sleeping Arrangements :: Essays Papers

Sleeping Arrangements The autobiography I read was Sleeping Arrangements, the childhood memoirs of Laura (Lily) Shaine Cunningham. I chose this person simply because I had never heard of her before. Everybody was doing a book on celebrities, and at first I wanted to do Audrey Hepburn. I love her films; I have even already read a biography on her. But many other people were doing their biographies on her, and I realized that if I could find a book by a person who has led a typical childhood I would be different. By finding a book by a person I had never heard of I thought that I would find a normal life, but this book showed me that there isn’t a normal or typical childhood for anyone. Lily, as she is referred to throughout the book, is not famous. Lily was born the daughter of Larry Moore, though she isn’t sure of the spelling, and Rosie Shaine. Until she was three Lily and Rosie wandered from relative to relative, sleeping under dining room tables or where ever there was room for them. Then they rented an apartment in the Jewish section of the Bronx. Lily made two friends there, Diana and Susan, and they had wild unsupervised fun roaming about the parks and abandoned buildings. When Lily was 6 her mother became very ill and her Uncle Gabe comes to live with them. A couple weeks later Rosie dies in the hospital and Lily’s other uncle, Len, comes to help Gabe. They move to a bigger apartment in the same building, and let Lily decorate it. The walls are painted orange and white stripes in two rooms; pink and white stripes for another room, and for the living room a gold lamà © convertible sofa. Eventually the â€Å"unkies† mother move s in too, and then their family is complete. Over the years Lily learns about love, life, and death, although not all of it is accurate. Lily has gone on to write many books, plays, and her most famous work, A Place In The Country. The part of this book that really interested me the most was the first one and a half chapters. â€Å"He’s fighting in the war.† (Pg 1) This is what Lily told people when they asked where her father was.