American History The Dark Past - 1556 Words

American History: The Dark Past Unique characters, stimulating story plot and surprising endings are some reasons people in literature believe the two novels To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck have maintained their long standing positions in American literature. Readers and critics alike spend much time searching for what distinguishes these novels from others. As plain and old these books may seem, their messages are not. To some, the messages of these novels are about the inspiring, exhilarating, and uplifting history of this country. But in this case, it is the polar opposite. Throughout these novels, racism, sexism, and many other themes are exhibited as the norm for the characters. Readers often forget that these dark aspects of the past are a part of America’s history. Spanning from the start of early civilization, humans have made many mistakes and to stop this vicious cycle, they have to learn from the past by keeping classics like these part of school curricul ums. After the required novels in their English classes, students unanimously agree that classics are overrated and outdated. They claim that the themes exhibited throughout the book create a monotonous tone and plot. However, these are what gives the novels their energy and unique depth. In both Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of racism is focused on. Racism is a controversial issue for all skin colors and is still prominent in the 21st century.Show MoreRelatedWhat ´s Dark Tourism?1253 Words   |  5 Pagestourism field is dark tourism, also known as black tourism and grief tourism. Dark tourism is a type of tourism where tourists go to places that are related with death and tragedy. Death and tragedy are usually associated with darkness. For this reason, many authors prefer using the word thanatourism, because this term is a neutral term without any emotional meanings. More recently it was suggested that tourists also need reasons to visit a destination of dark t ourism. The main signs of dark locations isRead MoreWhat Is Our Hope For The Future914 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican History: Our Hope for the Future Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. That’s a statement that we’ve all pobably heard before. It is true that american history can give us hope for the future while it can also bring to light pessimism and concern us. While there is many horrible things happening in the world today, I think we can all look towards the dark with hope. While the horrible events look as though no good can come from them, the american people can haveRead MoreIs Affirmative Action Fair?1067 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Negro Holocaust, The United States has a brutal history of domestic violence, especially the violence committed against Negro citizens. Negro citizens have been victimized by racism, lynching, and beatings due to their inferior status. According to â€Å"Is Affirmative Action Fair?† there have been various practices motivated by racism such as slavery, job discrimination, and segregation. These practices have left African Americans wit h additional â€Å"negro problems† correlating with the colorRead MoreSummary Of Mark Of Oppression 968 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough innumerable numbers of African Americans try to overcome their struggles, according to Perceptions of and Preferences for Skin Color, Black Racial Identity, and Self- esteem Among African Americans, while multitudinous dark-complexioned African Americans view their skin color proudly, others are ambivalent and view their blackness as a â€Å"mark of oppression† (Kardiner Ovesey, 1951). This â€Å"mark of oppression† has come from the way African-Americans have been treated as a whole and throughoutRead MoreGerman History Essay1730 Words   |  7 PagesMost would agree that it is valuable to acknowledge history, whether it be through documentation, education, or architectural preservation. However, history can be complex and ugly, stained by war, genocide, and destruction. Therein lies a philosophical controversy: should these historical â€Å"stains† be acknowledged or buried? What role do these ugly histories have in the development of a society? Within the last century, no nation has been forced to confront these questions on the same scale thatRead MoreJourney Of Journey1383 Words   |  6 Pageshorse in the woods that belonged to someone else to watch the snow fall through the trees before his long journey ahead of him. While we are busy with our everyday life we forget to stop and look around. For example, Frost says â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep† (Schilb, 1300). People sometimes are too busy with getting their jobs done and fail to notice the beauty that the world has to offer. In the second poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† theRead MoreThe Period Of Rome And Greece1467 Words   |  6 PagesAges† also defined as the Dark Ages. Dark Ages denote customary light-versus-darkness; the contrast to darkne ss reveals a period void of light, a period of intellectual darkness. Some segments of Europe during this period lacked sufficient historical and written archive records. The conception of the Dark Age originated with the Italian scholar, poet, and Renaissance humanist David Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) in the 1330s. Patriarch saw the post-Roman periods as dark in paralleled to the clevernessRead MoreLabeling Theory And Its Effects On The United States Essay1625 Words   |  7 Pageseight was selected because they were young, low-level and not violent. They were offered a deal. If they agreed to enter a program of education and work at a legal job, they wouldn’t face charges. The program lasted a year with the eight African American males with Prosser and Foster at their side for guidance. They helped them get jobs from part-time jobs to part-time jobs, and even took them back and forth to work. Also, they worked with them as they studied for their high school diplomas. At firstRead MoreThe Exploitation Of Africans And Members Of The African Diaspora1635 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout American history, the exploitation of Africans and members of the African diaspora continues as a controversial topic among cultural critics because of America’s unwillingness to accept the flaws of its past. Discussions on whether the sentiments of slavery still impact people of the African diaspora are intricate. Furthermore, the marginalization of people of the African Diaspora continues to complexify the issue. Social concepts in modern America such as education, nationhood, fact makingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Darwin s Plantation 1365 Words   |  6 Pagesthings about the African American race, however that information was never released. These ideas and experiments continued to spread, though many fired back with the ideas of God. The book continuously recognizes the fact that racism isn’t something that can be stopped by a campaign or a passed law- it is only something that can be stopped by each person individually- especially one who has the Holy Spirit alive within them. After viewing how the African Americans were treated, the book then

Women in the Workplace Free Essays

From running for president, making up over half of the workforce, managing some of the world’s most successful companies, and earning almost 60% of university degrees in America and Europe, women’s presence in the workforce is more prominent today than ever. This â€Å"economic empowerment of women† is changing the workplace, as we know it. Only 20 years ago, women were viewed as only capable of unskilled jobs and were assumed to place marriage and children before having a career. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in the Workplace or any similar topic only for you Order Now In today’s society, women have more opportunities to have power over their lives and chose their career path. In today’s global economy, every country should be utilizing the talents of their women in their workforce. For many countries, this progress has not been the same as America. For example, in Italy and Japan men employment rates are more than 20 percentage points higher and women’s employment rate is still below 50%. On average, women still earn significantly less than men and are a minority in top management. Remarkable Social Change without Conflict The Economist found three surprising results from the increase of women in the workforce: the lack of privilege felt from women about their new opportunities, unmet expectations of women’s role in the workforce and the lack of resistance from society, especially men. The lack of celebration from women is believed to be because of the economic necessity of women to work. Today, most households are two-income and women have little choice as to whether they want to work or not. Their contribution is the only way for many households to maintain their standard of living after having children. Also, many young women take this opportunity to work for granted, because they have grown up in a welcoming environment where women were always part of the workforce. Although women are encouraged to enter the work force, only 2% are managers and less than 13% are board members. Men dominate top management. America and Britain’s average full-time, female workers earn only about 80% as much as their male counterpart. Finally, most Americans are comfortable with women in the workforce with 9 out of 10 men are even comfortable with women earning more than they do. The minimal resistance to this social trend, especially by men, has allowed it to adapt rapidly and with little conflict. Contributing Factors to this Social Change A major explanation for increased women in the workforce is the large amount of women who are university graduates and professional workers. Growth of higher education has increased women’s value in the job market and has caused a shift in the woman role model as professional women, not just homemakers. According to The Economist, in 1963, 62% of college-educated women were in the workforce whereas 46% of those who had a high school diploma. Today, 80% of American women with a college education are in the workforce in contrast to 67% with a high school diploma and 47% without one. Women are also educated in more â€Å"marketable subjects† such as business and management. In 1966, 40% of women obtained a degree in education and 2% in business and management. Where as today, 12% obtain degrees in education and 50% obtain degrees in business and management. Engineering and computer science are one of the few areas women are lagging in. Politics have had a major effect on this revolution. Feminists have made domestic slavery unacceptable. Feminists have also strongly criticize discrimination toward women in the work place. We’ve even seen equal-rights acts passed in order to assure an equal playing ground in the work force for men and women of all ethnicities. Economic and technological forces have also played a role in the empowerment of women in the workforce. There has been a growing demand for women in the workforce. When strength was required to work, men had the advantage. The growth in the service sector and decline in the manufacturing sector has made brainpower more of a demand in the work force. This puts men and women on a more equal playing ground. Lastly, women have been more than willing and able to meet the demands of being in the workforce. Many factors play a role in this. For example, traditional cleaning is done easier and quicker than before. The contraceptive pill has allowed women to get married late, increased their ability to invest in their careers, and allowed them to finish schooling instead of taking breaks due to childbirth. Major Challenges Faced with a Woman Workforce Two major challenges have occurred with the increase of women in the workforce. First, women continue to be under-represented in top management, with only 2% in America and 5% in Britain, and are paid considerably less than men. Secondly, it is very demanding for women to manage both their career and their family. In America, 74% of parents believe they don’t spend enough time with their children because they are constantly juggling their work and home life. In two-parent working households, childcare consumes a large proportion of the budget, but having one parent stay at home could result in much lower income for family expenses. Therefore, having only one income is not an option. Poor households are affected the most because of the large amount of poor mothers in the workforce and the unwillingness to spend public funds on childcare for these mothers. Career Woman vs. Motherhood As women become more and more prevalent in the workforce, they find themselves choosing between being successful in their careers and being a stay-at-home mother. Many women are in challenging careers in their 20s, leave in their 30s to have children and find it hard to return after their leave of absence. Of all the women who left work to have children, 93% of women wanted to return to work, but only 74% returned to work, only 40% returning full-time. Also, many women find the role of motherhood damaging to their professional career. Those women in corporate America who don’t have children earn as much as men, where as mothers earn less and single mothers even less. The Economist explains that the â€Å"cost of motherhood† is great for women in professional careers because wages increase abruptly and schedules are very demanding. Many times executives are expected to work in numerous departments and travel often. Therefore, the gap ii pay and positions between men and women may be because women are measured exactly the same as men, not because of discrimination or unfair treatment. This trend is producing high cost on individuals and society because many professional women are eliminating motherhood altogether or are forced into the fertility industry when they do decide to have children. Solutions for these Challenges For the most part, people believe that this trend will handle itself. Others argue that government intervention such as women quotas, state-funded daycares, extended paid maternity leave, â€Å"parent’s salary,† earlier preschool education, or the elimination of part-time jobs is necessary to fix these problems. The Economist discusses how these different alternatives have been used in other countries with success, but there is not enough evidence to show these measures have created the success. In fact, America has had many of the same results as these countries without taking such drastic measures. There are less dramatic steps that the American government can take to improve and ease women into the workforce. These include alterations such as longer school days and shorter summer holidays or closing midday. The struggle with fixing problems from â€Å"the social consequences of women’s economic empowerment† will continue for decades to come. The Future of Women in the Workforce This trend of women in the workforce is likely to continue to grow and is apparent throughout all aspects of business. The Economist predicts that by 2011, there will be 2. 6 million more female than male university students. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that women already compose more than 2/3 of employment in 10 of the 15 job categories today. Many women are also opening their own business, doubling that of men in the last 10 years. Women will also benefit from the â€Å"war for talent† because of the ageing workforce and need for skill-dependent workers. Many firms are dividing hours differently such as judging hours annually instead of weekly, allowing them to come in early or late, allowing Fridays off as long as hours are made up, and even allowing husbands and wives to share jobs. The corporate world is even making adjustments to encourage women into the workforce and help with the juggle of raising children and working such as rethinking promotional practices and sustain communication with mothers who are away from work due to their children, allowing them to work from home, or offering flexible scheduling. With the advancement of technology – Internet, e-mail, and conferencing – redesigning the workplace is much more possible. How to cite Women in the Workplace, Essay examples

Narrator Description Essay Example For Students

Narrator Description Essay What is narrator? Narrator is the voice the author creates to tell the story. The possible ways of telling a story are many, and more than one way can beworked into a single story. Conventionally, the various narrators thatstorytellers draw upon can be grouped into four broad groups: the third-personnarrator, the first-person narrator, the omniscient narrator and the witnessnarrator. After reading William Faulkners A Rose For Emily ,EdoraWeltys A Worn Path, Richard Wrights The Man Who Was Almost AMan and Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,I want to discuss what type of the narrative voice the four writers create intheir own stories. A witness narrator is who tells only what they see or hearthrough their perspectives. For example, in William Faulkners A Rose forEmily which is about an insane woman who kills her man and sleeps with thedead man for ten years, I can find that there is an example of witness narrator. The author, William Faulkner, uses the Jefferson town people as witness tocreate the towns view about Emily. After the town noticed there was a stinkysmell from Miss Grierson house , they asked Judge Stevens to send her wordto stop it( Faulkner,337). The town people discussed about the stinkysmell from Emily s house, they were the observers. A first-person narrator iswhen the narrator speaks using I or We pronouns. We cansee such first-person narrator in both A Rose For Emily and The Man Who Was Almost A Man. Faulkner uses the town people as observersin A Rose For Emily but his we, though plural and representative ifthe towns view of Emily, is definitely a first-person narrator. Just as in thearticle where it says We did not say she was crazy then. We believed shehad to do that. We remembered all the young men her father driven away, and weknew(338).