Mo Yan’s the Garlic Ballads: Saga of Suffering and Solitude Essay

They are, instead, people with their own shortcomings and prejudices, and by understanding that, Mo Yan shows the true power of an artist–rather than stoop for the easy message, he dives into the actuality of his characters to make them empathic and flawed, and allow us to root for them and cringe when we realize that they simply don’t have the wisdom to always act correctly. When it comes to the plight of the farmer and the destitute, Mo Yan has experience in spades. The Garlic Ballads tells the tale of a group of Chinese peasants whose lives are dependent upon selling their garlic crop; when harvests exceed governmental estimates, officials curb the amount of garlic that can be brought to market, setting off a violent chain of events. Against this backdrop, Mo weaves presents three stories: that of two lovers, which dominates the novel, as well as a familial conflict and the relationship between two friends. Howard Goldblatt’s translation is so good as to make the reader mistake this for an English novel; the prose is nearly flawless. Set in rural China, The Garlic Ballads explores the misfortune of ordinary Chinese farmers during the post revolutionary period. The very title which focuses on the word ‘Ballads’ reveals that it is a love story in particular spiced by magic realism. The harrowing experiences make the stuff of the novel. The small dramas of the Gao and Yang families, set against a slightly larger but nonetheless miniscule backdrop of rural corruption gets steadily deeper as it progresses, illuminating the paradoxes of modern China and the unchanging demands of love, family, and duty. There are also other heterogeneous elements – an arranged marriage, a botched directive from central agricultural planners, a drunk driver with government connections. All are woven into a coherent whole through the poetic vision of Mo Yan who easily peddles in realism. This novel which focuses on the aftermath of an uprising a tragic story which depicts both a very specific time and place and sheds light onto basic human truths. The people of Paradise County have been encouraged, if not ordered, to grow garlic, and so garlic has infused itself into every aspect of the people’s lives–their breath reeks of it, their celebrations tainted with it. But the governing officials of Paradise County are out to grab up every copper they can, and so out come the taxes for traveling the roads to the co-op warehouses, the penalties, the closures, and one day the garlic farmers have had enough and act out against the officials making their lives so full of hardship. The government retaliates, and Mo focuses on some of the victims. First, there is Gao Yang, who suffers enough with a blind daughter and a new son soon to be born, but he is beaten and brought to jail. One who escapes at first is Gao Ma, a former soldier who longs to marry Jinjun, whose family have agreed to marry her to someone else, but Gao Ma and Jinjun do not take the alternate marriage lightly, and trouble ensues from there. Jinjun’s mother, Fourth Aunt of the Fang family, is also sought after in the police hunt since she won’t stay quiet about her husband being run over by a government official, and the lives of these peasants intertwine through the courses of love and justice. The Fang family is cruel to both Jinjun and Gao Ma as they try to reject the lovers’ vow to be married, and Gao Yang suffers humiliation and torment from his cellmates. Fourthly we have the character of the Aunt who appears to be tyrannical at home, but in jail she becomes a different creature altogether. At times, she is bawdy and scatological, at other times heart-breaking and lyrical. Thus through the characters, Mo Yan gives us the entirety of the human spectrum in his novel. The main story in The Garlic Ballads details the tragic love story of Gao Ma and Fang Jinju. This story is told in parallel with the life of Gao Yang and some other stories. All are inter-related. The background is a Chinese village in the mid 1980s. The details make it frightfully real. The central focus in the book is however on an invasion and trashing by an angry mob of the local governmental offices. We do not see this event occur until the end of the book, yet it colors every moment in the lives of the Fang and Gao families of Paradise County. It is understandable that the Beijing government would suppress a novel that shows most of its local officials to be bloated satraps and its policement to be little better than thugs, applying cattle prods to their prisoners and beating them mercilessly. Equally villainous, however, are the Fang family, who force their daughter to marry an old man in a three-in-one arranged marriage that guarantees that their crippled eldest son also gets a bride. In a grisly scene, the marriage deal finally goes through after both the daughter and her fiance commit suicide: Their bodies are dug up, their remains are mixed together, and they are re-interred in a single coffin. The full picture of alternating hopelessness and rebellion emerges slowly and tragically, and the disparate elements weave together into an elegant and moving whole. The Swedish Academy which selects Mo as the recipient of the Nobel Prize praised his ‘hallucinatory realism’ saying that along with his other writings, Sorghum, The Big Breasts and Wide Hips, The Garlic Ballads ‘merges folk tales, history and the contemporary’. Mo in his writings mingled fantasy and reality, historical and social perspectives and thus created a world reminiscent in its complexity of those in the writings of William Faulkner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Although Mo is the writer of eleven novels and a hundred of short stories, The Garlic Ballads seems to be his masterpiece. Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan – a pseudonym for Guan Moye; the pen name means â€Å"don’t speak† – grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in north-eastern China. The cultural revolution forced him to leave school at 12, and he went to work in the fields, completing his education in the army. He writes about the peasantry, about life in the countryside, about people struggling to survive, struggling for their dignity, sometimes winning but most of the time losing . Arundhati Roy’s A God of small Things is graphic and captivating, but seen from that perspective, The Garlic Ballads is ten imes more so. The novel depicts simple people living in hard times, in very helpless circumstances. Basically there was no way out, and people could only console themselves that their lives were `fated’. â€Å"I think writers write for their consciences, they write for their own true audiences, for their souls,† Mo said in an interview with  China Daily. â€Å"No person writes to win awards. † Today the best reward in literature comes to him. In fact he is the first Chinese writer to win this reward in Literature. The Garlic Ballads seems to have gained prominence no less than Marquez’s 100 years of Solitude.

Assessment criteria in the standards Essay

1. Define person-centred values (1.1.1) Person-centred values include: Treating people as individuals for example give the resident choice what they want to wear, to eat, where they want to be, if they want go shopping. Taking account choices, wishes and desires. Supporting people to access their rights by giving them information about choices that they have, and helping them to understand. Supporting people to exercise choice in every day live activity Treating people with dignity and respect in there decisions by involving as few staff member as possible during the personal hygiene, closing the doors and curtains, knocking on the door. Recognising that working with people is a partnership rather than a relationship controlled by professionals 2. Explain why it is important to work in a way that embeds person centred values (1.1.2) see more:explain factors that contribute to the wellbeing of an individual It is important to work in these ways, to meet the needs of the individual to improve self esteem and confidence. To provide the best possible quality care service by treating people as individual and respecting there choices. To ensure a good quality of life of the individual so they can feel like in there own homes, and take part or not in a activity, treat the individual as you would want to be treated 3. Describe how to find out the history, preferences, wishes and needs of an individual (2.2.1) Sources of information to find out the wishes and needs of an individual include asking: – the individual – family – friends – other carers – other professionals i.e. GP, social worker, nurse – referring to documents i.e. care plans, reports and other records. 4. Describe how to take into account the history, preferences, wishes and needs of an individual when planning care and support (2.2.2) When planning care and support we must appeal to documents i.e. care plans, reports and other records, involve person asking them, for example giving them choices about all aspects in there live eg: asking person hot or cold drinks, tea or coffee, ask every time. Also I can involve family and friends in decisions if needed, or take decision in the best interest of the individual. People wishes and choices may change so carers should be aware of that. 5. Explain how using an individual’s care plan contributes to working in a person-centred way (1.1.4) A Care Plan may be known by other names (e.g.: support plan, individual plan). It is the document where are detailed day to day requirements and preferences for care and support. It must included: Health, employment, education, social, religious and cultural. Using a individuals care plan means that I working towards the individuals choices and wishes because individuals should be involved in planning of there own care plan. 6. Define the term ‘consent’ (3.3.1) Consent is agreement to an action i.e. in social care agreeing to a bath or a shower, to medication, agreement to have details shared with others. 7. Explain the importance of gaining consent when providing care or support (3.3.2) It is important to gain consent so the person will feel comfortable and happy about the activity. If I gain the consent the individual will be more likely to co operate. Without consent the person may become distress and upset and this could provide dangerous situation when they can harm themselves or others Lack of consent could be construed as abuse i.e. forcing an individual to have a shower when they have not agreed. 8. Describe how to establish consent for an activity or action (3.3.3) Consent can be in different forms and includes: Verbal consent. This should involve the individual and language used mast be simple and recognisable by the individual. Communication should by checked be repeating the question. Any physical disease should be taken into account eg: deafness, vision problem. Written consent. The individual mast understand what are they signing for. Consent via a representative or advocate. 9. Explain what steps to take if consent cannot be readily established (3.3.3) Steps to take when consent cannot be established include: Not continuing with the task. Ask individual about the reason they not consenting. Find out if there is that can be solved straight away e.g. Person may not be ready, he may ask for another 5 minutes. Reporting to the supervisor or manager if the problem cannot be solved immediately. Recording the information in the daily care plan 10. Define what is meant by active participation (4.4.1) Active participation is a way of working that recognises an individual’s right to participate in the activities and relationships of everyday life as independently as possible; the individual is regarded as an active partner in their own care or support, rather than a passive recipient 11. Describe how active participation benefits an individual (4.4.1) Benefits include: Sense of well-being for the individual means that the person feel good about themselves. Sense of purpose on every day live. They can enjoy life Engagement in daily activity which give the person a sense of achievement an stimulation which can be physical and mental 12. Identify possible barriers  to active participation and describe ways of reducing them (4.4.2) †¢ Barriers include: †¢ issues over physical access †¢ lack of information in accessible formats †¢ emotional barriers such as lack of confidence †¢ professional support staff taking over †¢ family carers who find it hard to let go 13. Describe ways of encouraging active participation (4.4.4) Ways of encouraging participation include: – discussion and encouragement with the individual – providing useful information – using friends and family to encourage – ensuring appropriate activities – peer-group encouragement – persuasion techniques – highlighting the benefits of the activity 14. Identify ways of supporting an individual to make informed choices (5.5.1) Ways of supporting an individual to make informed choices include: – discussion with the individual or advocate – providing relevant information which is accessible and understandable e.g. It should be in a language that is understandable to that person. If the person that cannot read I may use pictures instead – guidance from friends or family – using an advocate or support service 15. Explain why risk taking can be part of an individual’s choices (5.5.2) Risk-taking means being aware of the potential hazards but still carrying on with the activity. I can reduce the risk so that person choice could by meet. For example when individual want make a cup of tea I will let him to take a cup, put a tea bag in cup, but I will fill the cup with hot water. 16. Explain how agreed risk assessment processes are used to support the right to make choices (5.5.2) Risk Assessment Processes include: Risk assessing in activity so that the potential risk can be identified, in this way we can look to reduce the risk. The person can make a choice about activity. In this way the person views and opinions are respected. All risk assessment should be recorded and reviewed 17. Explain why a worker’s personal views should not influence an individual’s choices (5.5.3) Personal views should not influence an individual’s choices because choices that other people make are not ours choices. Everyone needs to be able to make their own choice. 18. Describe how to support an individual to question or challenge decisions concerning them that are made by others (5.5.4) Support an individual to question or challenge decisions includes: Encourage questions and comments from the individual, making sure that they understand Give the individual time to speak and be prepared to listen what they want to say Assist the individual to ask for a second opinion, from somebody who can have more experience, information and advice(sign posting) Speak/refer the individual to a senior member of staff to discuss issues and way to solving them. If is necessary use the complaints procedure. 19. Explain how individual identity and self-esteem are linked with wellbeing (6.6.1) Individual identity is about who I am, my experiences, my beliefs, culture, religion. Self esteem is filing good about myself, being happy and content, having confidence. This two are linked to well being, because well being is about being happy with yourself and your life. 20. Describe attitudes and approaches that are likely to promote an individual’s wellbeing (6.6.2) Attitudes and approaches that are likely to promote an individual’s well-being include: Being treated as an individual so your choices are respected and acknowledged like some of the people don’t eat meat and we have to give them other choice which does not include meat. So it is treating people witch dignity and respect giving them choices. Good communication is needed so everybody understood each other. 21. Identify ways to contribute to an environment that promotes wellbeing (6.6.2) I have to be sure that environment is not to hot or not too cold. If it is too hot I can put a fan on. If it is too noisy I will look at ways to reduce the level of noise. If the individual does not like other person I will put him next to that person. They may be people that really like each other and I will encourage this friendship. Furnishing and decoration can be involved in a person wellbeing. I would ask the person what kind of decoration they like. I will make sure that chairs, bed are comfortable and what the person want. Once you have completed, your Learning Advisor will be able to cross reference the knowledge into UNIT 4222-207 of the diploma (EXCEPT 1.1.3)

Guidelines for a Reflective Paper

In reality, it Is a lifestyle of Its own – something some people view as Hellenizing and patriotic while some view as terrifying and unacceptable. Some people are incredibly proud of a family member having served or have given his/her life to service; while some feel remorseful for having lost a loved one in war. However you look at it, military service is like a pendulum. It goes back and forth; left and right; liked or disliked; loved and hated; patriotic or horrific.To get to the point, every member of a military family is affected by the demands of the military; husband, wife, children, and even extended families such as grandparents, uncles and aunts. Additionally, every aspect of life Is also affected by the military -? marriage, schooling, religious practices, cultural, moral, social, and economic. Perhaps, the children represent a great percentage of the affected population. They are the silent majority – since they can't protest and need to get along with the f low of the rigid military life.My Life Before Who really knows what life Is Like for the children In the military? How do they cope with the separations due to deployments, changes In schools, leaving their friends Enid, starting a new social circle someplace In the world, divorce, culture shocks, language barriers, and career choices? No one would know better but a child who grew up wrapped around the military tight grip. I was one of these children. We are referred to as military brats; a moniker I am not really crazy about. But the military was my life for _ years. I learned to love it and hate it.I learned to appreciate it and loathe It. Learned to live It. And I found out that kids on the other side of the world (non-military) have Just as much If not more reasons to love and hate their life. I am not going to draw comparisons and contrasts between the two sectors but I would like to focus on how the military life has affected me as a person that I am now. How did it influence my philosophy in life? What did I experience out there that helped me mold my character? How did the military drive my energy and resources (in spite of Its straining demands) so I could look at the positives and build on them?

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HR management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR management - Essay Example It can be revealed that the definition of the abbreviation ‘SME’ depends upon the number of the employees that the organization employs. Smaller firms tend to differ in terms of the people they take up and the work done by them. The nature of the firm may be different depending upon the market context (Collings & Woods, 2009). It has been evident that the employees working with the smaller firms tend to display greater level of satisfaction in comparison to the larger firms. The major issue related to this fact is the difficulty to comprehend if the satisfaction has been derived from the size of the organization or it has been as a result of other contributing factors such as the leadership style, the familial culture or the role of the management (Collings & Woods, 2009). The Issues Relating to SMEs In Terms Of Personnel Management and HRM For the small and medium sized enterprises management of the human resources tends to become a cumbersome task. In such firms, the t raining program plays a vital role in assisting the small firms to set up their business. In addition to this training assists the firms in improving the working as well as operation of the overall business. Irrespective of the size of the firm, there is requirement of the skilled, qualified and committed workers as well as the managers in order to maintain the competitive position of the firm. It has been observed that the employees such as the workers or the managers are becoming increasingly mobile all around the globe and they tend to keep themselves updated with the new employment opportunities. In this context, the biggest challenge for the SMEs may be its inability to compete with the larger firms in terms of the payment of salary. They may also be more reluctant to train the managers since they are scared of poaching (Mittelstadt & Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2007). It can be mentioned that there is requirement of the technical as well as the mana gerial skill-development. There is further requirement of the highly specialized knowledge and greater degree of the training flexibility in order to provide the training support to the SMEs (Zanko, 2002). Even though the adoption of the human resource management related practices and methods may enhance the output as well as the survival of the small and medium-sized organization, it has been noted that there is high informality in small and medium sized organizations in comparison to the larger organizations. It can be revealed that the small and medium enterprises may not consist of enough abilities to establish the HRM practices, however with the employment of the skilled labours as well as the employees and with the interconnection with the other organization the SMEs can adapt to such practices (Bacon & Hoque, 2011). The strategic human resource management plays a considerable role in the small and medium enterprises. However, there are many SMEs that face serious human resour ce related troubles, while it can further be analyzed that it is the human resources that assist the organization in the expansion and sustaining of the competitive organization. The literatures on HRM fail to address the specific dilemmas of the small firms. Therefore, there is a need to point out the dilemma and solve them so that the people in the small and medium enterprises can be effectively managed (Brand & Bax, 2002). The management of the

The American Cultural Myth, America as the Land of Freedom and Essay

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Terrorist Scene & Aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorist Scene & Aftermath - Essay Example Terrorist attacks could be planned or completely disorganized, but it is always good to presume that any terror attacks have organized traps for the first responders. This aspect calls for extra carefulness for who should or should not take the first response step (Weiss, 2001, pg.117). First responders do not always find their actions rewarding. In some cases, terrorist ambush those willing to take first action by shooting at them, planting bombs in unexpected locations, trapping them within buildings, or making them appear like they were among the terror attackers among other dangers and traps. Some terrorist attacks however may not need to be planned for the dangers to be high. Attacks made using radiological dispersion devices are generally dangerous for first responders who may lack the expertise to detect harmful radiations (Runge, 2009, pg. 407). The invisible radiations in this regards could be part of the dangers and traps arising from a well-planned terrorist attack of such kind. In the case of terrorist attacks, hospitals within the locality are likely to be interrupted since they are faced with the obligation of accommodating the injured victims. In order for hospitals to avoid adverse interruptions, they should prepare a disaster plan to prepare for major influxes of injured individuals after terrorist attacks. This plan for enhancing preparedness should include an effective plan for handling the deceased especially in worse case situations (Lowe & Hummel, 2014, pg. 211). The preparedness plan may include contingencies that would encompass the hospital’s strategy. The hospital can also adopt the plan to include further actions such as handling victims of terrorism attack earlier even before arriving at the hospital. This could be done like the case of many hospitals that have already implemented plans for handling victims of

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Race Colors Judgement Essay Example for Free

Race Colors Judgement Essay The criminal justice system in the United States is one of the many places that I believe stereotypes are formed. For example, African-Americans make up only 13% of the U. S. population but represent 46% of the inmate population who have received sentences of more than one year (Hart, 2006, p. 1). Another example of a racial disparity can be seen the percentage of African-Americans who are drug users (14%) and those sentenced for drug offenses (53%) (Sentencing Project, 2009 p. 3). More African-American men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole then were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began,† (Alexander, 2010). However, this is not just a problem within the African-American community. More than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities and three-fourths of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color (www. sentencingproject. org). 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Whites in our society are taught to embrace egalitarianism (equality) and make a conscious effort to behave non-prejudice, or have non-bias beliefs. However, that does not mean that they still don’t harbor prejudicial attitudes. In a trial setting aversive racism and race salience, or racially charged vs. racially neutral, go hand and hand. Studies have concluded, a trial that is racially charged reminds jurors of their egalitarianism, but in a trial not racially charged a jurors’ motivation to avoid being prejudice is not triggered; instead they demonstrate their racial bias (Sommers Ellsworth, 2001). It is the run of the mill trials where juror biases are displayed. White jurors need to be â€Å"reminded† that they should not have a bias. By â€Å"reminding† them, by a racially motivated incident, jury voir dire, jury instructions before deliberation, and others, White jurors are less likely to demonstrate racial bias towards an African-American defendant. Jury composition or heterogeneity vs. homogeneity groups, is theorized to be a huge factor in overall group decision-making skills. This is especially important in the jury decision-making process and verdicts because minorities are underrepresented on a jury. Sommers’s study â€Å"Racial Diversity and Group Decision Making† (2006) concluded, a jury, which has heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity considers a wider range of perspectives and information (Sommers, 2006). It was the diversity of the group influence on the White juror more than the performance of the African-American juror in the group (Sommers, 2006). This is not to say that the African-American juror did not perform well. Since many juries are not racially diverse, Whites on a jury may forget their egalitarian values, may not consider a wider range of perspectives and information, and will spend less time on their decisions. In-group bias is when people show a strong preference for fellow in-group members and tend to malign out-group members (Sommers Ellsworth, 2000). Thomas Pettigrew, current Research Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California, in his 1979 study demonstrated that negative behaviors of in-group members were attributed to situational forces but negative behaviors of out-group members were attributed to inherent dispositions, which is the opposite from positive behavior attribution (Sommers Ellsworth, 2000). This is a particularly important theory because juries for criminal trials are taking in facts pertaining to the negative behavior of a defendant who is either from their in-group or out-group. Systematic information processing is conceptualized as â€Å"Comprehensive analytic orientation to inform processing in which perceivers access and scrutinize a great deal of information for its relevance to their judgment task† (Tamborini et al. , 2007) Heuristic processing is conceptualized as â€Å"A more limited mode of information processing that requires less cognitive effort and fewer cognitive resources than systematic processing† (Tamborini et al. , 2007) Simple stated, heuristic information processing are shortcuts using previous knowledge and stereotypes, which influences peoples’ judgments. During a trial, jurors take in enormous amounts of information and when deliberating they tend to fill in the missing information with past experiences or stereotypes about certain crimes and criminals. This is not their intention, however it is how people cognitively process information-we put information into or take it out of certain categories. There are three main research methods used to study race and its effects on juries (Sommers Ellsworth, 2003). Archival analysis of actual cases is ideal but there are a lot of confounding variables, which are hard to measure and control statistically (Sommers Ellsworth, 2003). Another method used is post-trial juror interviews. This method is useful because you are asking direct questions of the jurors, who were part of the real trials. However, it is time consuming, has a small sample size, and relies on self-reporting by jurors (which in unreliable) (Sommers Ellsworth, 2003). The third method is mock juror experiments, which relies on the experimental method of social psychology and allows the experimenters to control the confounding variables (Sommers Ellsworth, 2003). There are some downfalls to using mock juror experiments as well, such as using college students as participants, written trial summaries, instead of witnessing a real trial, and the decision made by mock jurors have no real consequences (Sommers Ellsworth, 2003). According to Sommers and Ellsworth (2003) it is best to use multiple methods. For example compare archival data to mock jury data. As I stated earlier, aversive racism and race salience (racially charged vs. racially neutral) in trials go hand and hand. Sommers and Ellsworth (both social psychologists) first studied race salience in their study, â€Å"Race in he Courtroom: Perceptions of Guilt and Dispositional Attributions† (2000). Since the theory of aversive racism (modern or subtle) states, Whites are more motivated to â€Å"appear† non-prejudice when racial issues are salient or prominent. They found that when a trial involves race salience the race of the defendant did not influence the White jurors (Sommers Ellsworth, 2000). However, when a trail did not have race salience, the African-American defendants were found to be more guilty, aggressive, and violent by the White juror then the White defendant. This could have a profound effect, since Whites are not caught up in the day to day of racial issues, they may not take notice to the most subliminal racial issues in a trial. It may cause them to revert back to the more overt form of racism without even consciously knowing they are being racist or displaying their biases. A more recent study, â€Å"Diversity and Fairness in the Jury System†, conducted for the Ministry of Justice Research Series, by Thomas and Blamer (2007) concluded when a trial is racially charged (race salience), conviction rates for African-American defendants were lower. However, the conviction rate between White jurors and African-American jurors for African-American defendants were no different (Thomas Balmer, 2007) (44% and 43%). In trials that were racially neutral, White jurors had low conviction rates for African-American defendants, while African-American jurors had high conviction rates for White defendants and low conviction rates for African-American defendants (Thomas Balmer, 2007). This was a very interesting finding because in the Sommers and Ellsworth studies (2000, 2001) African-American jurors showed leniency both in race salience and non-race salience trials. Thomas and Balmer (2007) point out that in the Sommers and Ellsworth study that jurors did not decide cases as part of a jury with any deliberations (Thomas Balmer, 2007). The results in the Thomas and Blamer study showed that individual jurors had difference conviction rates, but as a jury there was no difference between race salience and non-race salience trails (Thomas Blamer, 2007). None of the juries (there were 8 in all) in the Thomas and Blamer (2007) study convinced the White defendant, The juries in England and Wales where this study took place have the same makeup as juries in the United States, majority White (Thomas Balmer, 2007). That makes a nice segway into my next theory of jury composition because it appears that they dynamic of a racially mixed jury helped ensure individual biases were not allowed to dictate verdicts (Thomas Balmer, 2007). Justice Thurgood Marshall said, â€Å"Diverse juries enjoy wider ranging discussions because White and Black jurors bring different experiences and perspectives to the jury room† (Sommers, 2006). Not only do African-American jurors bring different experiences but also, as we saw in the Thomas and Balmer (2007) study a racially mixed jury might help to ensure individual biases are not allowed to dictate verdicts. Again, referring to a study by Sommers (the leading researcher in this field) in which he specifically studies â€Å"The multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations† (Sommers, 2006). Having African-Americans (or minorities in general) on a jury can bring two different types of diversity-deep-level diversity and surface-level diversity (Sommers, 2007). Both can affect information exchange in different ways. Deep-level diversity brings the expertise, attitudes, and values of the individual members to the deliberation room (Sommers, 2007). Surface-level diversity brings members’ demographics and social category membership into the deliberation room (Sommers, 2007). Sommers’ (2006) found diverse groups spent more time deliberating, made fewer factual errors, and if there was an error it was more likely to be corrected, more open-mindness, and less resistance to discussions of controversial race topics (Sommers, 2006). The homogenous jury was the opposite (Sommers, 2006). Those results showed the affect deep-level diversity could bring to a jury. However, another aspect, which will bring me back to the theory of aversive racism and race salience, is the affect having diversity has on a White juror. By having a racially diverse jury, the White jurors have the issue of race and egalitarian values in the forefront of their minds. The White jurors are avoiding seeming bias. Sommers et al. , (2008) conducted a study to see if there are â€Å"Cognitive effects of racial diversity in a group. † The study found that Whites in a diverse group process information more thoroughly. They had no interaction with a diverse group member, it was simply being aware of a diverse group composition, which impacted the cognition of White members. It even improved reading comprehension of race-relevant passages, especially when Whites expected to have race-relevant conversation. This is important in a legal context as well. If a White juror’s cognitive ability, and information processing is improved they will use systematic processing which is â€Å"A comprehensive, analytic orientation to information processing in which perceivers access and scrutinize a great deal of information for its relevance to their judgment task†, instead of heuristics processing or shortcuts in their decision making (Tamborini et al. 2007). The Supreme Court attempted to make juries more racially diverse â€Å"Batson prohibition against race-based peremptories was based on two assumptions: (1) a prospective juror’s race can bias a jury selection judgments; (2) requiring attorneys to justify suspicious peremptories enables judges to determine whether a challenge is, indeed, race-neutral† (Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U. S. 79 (1986). To summarize the findings, White jurors tend to show their bias towards African-American defendants when the trial is not racially charged because they are not motivated to conceal their bias (aversive racism and egalitarian views). In homogenous juries Whites are more like to be bias, spend less time on their decisions, make more errors, consider fewer perspectives, are not motivated to conceal their bias. Also, when there is information overload jurors use heuristics (shortcuts) to process information, rather than a systematic review of the information. Tis effect, of using shortcuts, produces bias judgment for both African-American jurors and White jurors. All the aforementioned could be cause for the bias decision making of jurors and juries. However, there are positives that can be found throughout these studies. For instance, racially diverse juries, and race salience trials can help alleviate the biases by jurors and juries. It also proves that not all White juries are affected by the race of a defendant (in certain situations). Race and its effect on jury decisions is a topic that will be studied for years to come because of the complex nature of a jury and modern racism. Although studies have shown bias decision-making by White jurors there is still not enough statistics to make a causal connection. Research has also shown ways in which a jury’s bias can be minimized. The jury is one of the backbones of the court system, because of this, it is imperative that we continue to study juror bias and how to minimize their bias through different trial techniques and policies and procedures.

Determining Operating Systems Essay Example for Free

Determining Operating Systems Essay This paper will describe how Barnes Noble (BN) uses an operating system and software applications to help the company reach its objectives (see appendix A). This paper will also describe the functions of computer hardware components used in the organization and how they aid BN in achieving its goals. Barnes Noble’s objective is to be the â€Å"World’s Largest Bookstore,† and it is. BN’s operating systems and software applications have also helped Barnes Noble â€Å"offer the largest in-stock selection of in-print book titles with access to approximately one million titles for immediate delivery† (Barnes Noble, Inc. , 2012). In addition, Barnes Noble has the world’s largest eBookstore which has partnered with Microsoft to offer a wide selection of college textbooks. Almost every organization or business benefits from a reliable database. â€Å"Databases are a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access generally in a computer† (Dictionary.com, 2014). Until 2004, Barnes Noble used an Oracle operating system. The Oracle System database was able to hold all of the inventory statistics BN needed, but the information was difficult to input and extract. In order to access sales data and inventory, the stores had to suspend all business operations and shut down once a week for four hours. Information Technology professionals or programmers were required to produce reports, which created additional and unnecessary personnel costs. Barnes Noble needed a new database system to store and keep track of essential data; and, a new database management system to make the data useful. In 2005, Barnes Noble participated in a joint project with Microsoft to create a new data warehouse. They used the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition operating system to run the  Microsoft SQL Server 2000. Barnes Noble’s databases include customer information, such as book genre likes/dislikes, purchase history, and personal information, such as methods of payment and contact information. Another function of BN’s database is to maintain inventory statistics, a record of best-selling books, prices, and order information. A third aspect of BN’s database is to record employee and payroll data like, salary per hour, hours worked, sick days/vacation, and overtime. Databases are imperative for the success of Barnes Noble, but the raw data in the databases is not very useful on its own. Therefore, BN uses a database management system (DBMS). â€Å"A DBMS is a program used to create, process, and administer a database† (Kroenke, 2013, p. 113). Barnes Noble needed a DBMS that could easily create reports, so executives had fast access to sales st atistics, inventory, and membership information. They could then use this readily available information to target customer demographics or promote seasonal sales events. Due to its participation with Microsoft, Barnes Noble uses a DBMS called, â€Å"Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Integration Services† (Microsoft, 2005). â€Å"Structured Query Language (SQL) is an international standard language for processing a database† (Kroenke, 2013, p. 114) that all of the most common DBMS’s use. Microsoft’s SQL Server enables BN to manage critical information and run applications that may be too complex for other programs. SQL Server also provides tools, features, and functionality to construct classic and innovative extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) applications that are used to relay millions of rows of data. This DBMS includes database administration that can be used to set up a security system involving user accounts, passwords, permissions, and limits for processing the database. Online Analytical Processing Cubes (OLAP) is one of the database applications that Barnes Noble can use. The program is simple enough for most people to learn, and it is a relatively easy means of creating reports and viewing data based on varying criteria without having to hire programmers for help. Another database application is ‘Litespeed’ by Quest Software. Barnes Noble uses Litespeed for the backup and recovery of data, which is something every database needs. Although Microsoft’s SQL Server is costly and can have limited compatibility, almost anyone in the company can learn how to use it. There are also security enhancements, embedded reporting and data analysis tools that allow BN to gain greater  insight from its business information and achieve faster results for a competitive advantage. In conjunction with its need of databases, Barnes Noble extensively uses hardware components for data input, output, and storage. Input hardware is any device used to supply information into a computer such as a keyboard, mouse, barcode scanner, or display. â€Å"Barnes Noble, Inc. is a bookselling company. The company is a content, commerce and technology company that provides customers access to books, magazines, newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform† (Barnes Noble, Inc., 2012). Barnes Noble operates more than 1,350 bookstores across the entire United States, and close to 700 bookstores on college campuses. Input devices at each location allow employees to enter customer information into an individual terminal that is then sent to a central server for storage. â€Å"Hardware for the project was a 64-bit HP Integrity Superdome Server equipped with 20 1.6-gigahertz Intel Itanium 2 processors and 84 gigabytes of RAM† (Microsoft, 2005). â€Å"Output hardware is an electronic or electromechanical equipment connected to a computer and used to transfer data out of the computer in the form of text, images, sounds, or other media† (Dictionary.com, 2014). One example of output hardware used at Barnes Noble is a printer for producing r eports. Executives at the company often need â€Å"Current sales data as well as historical information, which could be used to understand trends, such as in seasonal or regional sales. That kind of information could be used to shape promotions and marketing campaigns† (Microsoft, 2005). Another important output device from Barnes Noble is an eReader, named ‘Nook,’ that allows customers to purchase and download publications from BN’s library via WiFi. BN’s eCommerce division offers The Nook in several models and with varying features, but was primarily designed to give customers an alternative to traditional forms of written media. Customers can choose from millions of digital books, periodicals, movies, and music. The Nook is also environmentally friendly because it saves space and reduces paper waste. In addition, Barnes Noble’s eReader offers a backlit display that claims to have â€Å"resolved the number-one problem couples have in bed – having their sleep interrupted, or being prevented from falling asleep, when their partner reads with the light on† (Barnes Noble, Inc., 2012). In conclusion, this paper described how Barnes Noble uses the Microsoft  Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition operating system to run the Microsoft SQL Server 2000. The HP Integrity Superdome Server is a more effective and efficient mode of storage, and information from databases is easier to access. Now, â€Å"Because of the rapid extraction and loading of sales and inventory data, company employees and managers no longer have to wait to get information that can help them make business decisions† (Microsoft, 2005). The database administration security system also effectively uses account controls to allow customers access to the database of digital publications, which has greatly increased Barnes Noble’s eCommerce division. References Barnes Noble, Inc. (2012). Barnes Noble Booksellers. Retrieved on June 16, 2014 from the World Wide Web. www.barnesandnobleinc.com Dictionary.com, LLC (2014). Dictionary. Retrieved on June 16, 2014 from the World Wide Web. www.dictionary.reference.com Kroenke, D. (2013). MIS Essentials 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Microsoft Case Studies (November 11, 2005). Bookseller gains business insights across sales channels with new data warehouse. Retrieved on June 16, 2014 from the World Wide Web. www.microsoft.com/casestudies Microsoft Corporation. (2005, October). Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Customer Solution Case Study. Retrieved from http://download.microsoft.com//barnes_noble.pdf.

Introduction to Alcohol Addiction Theories

Introduction to Alcohol Addiction Theories Alcohol Addiction Addiction in general, though this paper will focus on alcohol specifically, is characterized by a chronic relapse state that embodies key elements, such as the compulsion to seek out and use the drug, the inability to control the amount used, and a negative emotional state when the substance cannot be accessed (Gilpin and Koob, 2008). Alcohol consumption evolves from impulsive to compulsive through repeated binging, withdrawal, and craving cycles, which cause neuroadaptations (Cui et al., 2013; Koob, 2013). Research on the neurobiology of addiction has focused on the positive reinforcing effects and the activation of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuit being the sole motivator. The mesolimbic system (the primary reward circuit) projects from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and utilizes dopamine as its main neurotransmitter (Gilpin and Koob 2008). This circuit helps shape incentive salience, better known as the wanting or desire for alcohol (Robinson Berridge, 1993; Berridge, 2007). Oral ethanol self-administration is reduced by the administration of dopamine and NMDA receptor antagonists into the nucleus accumbens (Rassnick 1992). Weiss et al measured dopamine levels in the extracellular fluid of the NAcc and showed alcohol ingestion or even the anticipation of alcohol causes an increase in dopamine (Weiss et al. 1993). However, Rassnick also demonstrated that positive reinforcement alone does not motivate alcohol consumption while using a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced lesions of the mesolimbic dopamine system did not block alcohol self administration (Rassnick et al. 1993). Even in the presence of administered methylphenidate, subjects experiencing alcohol withdrawal show lowered levels of dopamine by 50-70%, as compared to controls; withdrawal causes decreases in dopamine function and the neuroadaptations that lead to a hypodopaminergic state during withdrawal (Karkhanis 2015 CIE ethanol exposure reduces presynaptic DOPAMINE NEUROTRANSMISSION IN THE MOUSE NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS; Volkow et al. 2007 Profound decreases in dopamine release in striatum in detoxified alcoholics: possible orbitofrontal involvement.). In the early stages of alcohol use and abuse, positive reinforcement acts as the main motivating factor in alcohol-drinking behavior. However, at some point chronic alcohol exposure causes a shift from alcohol use to alcohol dependence that parallels the switch from positive reinforcement to a mixture of both positive and negative as the motivating factor behind alcohol use; this is caused by neural changes, or plasticity, that chronic alcohol exposure elicits (Gilpin and Koob, 2008). There are three widely recognized stages of alcohol use that overlap and ultimately contribute to the progressive transition from alcohol use to alcohol dependence. They are: 1) binge and intoxication, 2) withdrawal and negative affect, and 3) pre-occupation and anticipation, better known as craving (Volkow et al., 2016). Neuroadaptations within the addiction circuitry and the progressive transition from alcohol use to dependence hinge on the repeated cycling of these three stages. Three phenomena contribute to the progression of alcohol use disorders and the shift from positive reinforcement to both positive and negative reinforcement as motivators for alcohol use. They are sensitization, tolerance, and withdrawal. Drug sensitization, which is the opposite of tolerance, refers to the individuals increased stimulus that occurs when the same amount of substance is taken as before; this leads to the cue-induced craving. When it takes more alcohol to achieve the same level of intoxication, as a smaller amount used to, then the subject has developed a tolerance. Withdrawal is the outward presentation of neural changes and happens when adverse effects occur in the absence of the substance, such as insomnia, delirium tremors, anxiety, and seizures. As these elements of addiction repeat, the disease progresses and spirals more out of control (Gilpin 2008)

Art And Mathematics:Escher And Tessellations Essay -- Math Artistic Pa

Art And Mathematics:Escher And Tessellations On first thought, mathematics and art seem to be totally opposite fields of study with absolutely no connections. However, after careful consideration, the great degree of relation between these two subjects is amazing. Mathematics is the central ingredient in many artworks. Through the exploration of many artists and their works, common mathematical themes can be discovered. For instance, the art of tessellations, or tilings, relies on geometry. M.C. Escher used his knowledge of geometry, and mathematics in general, to create his tessellations, some of his most well admired works. It is well known that in the past, Renaissance artists received their training in an atmosphere of artists and mathematicians studying and learning together (Emmer 2). People also suggest that the art of the future will depend on new technologies, computer graphics in particular (Emmer 1). There are many mathematical advantages to using computer graphics. They can help to visualize phenomena and to understand how to solve new problems (Emmer 2). â€Å"The use of ‘visual computers’ gives rise to new challenges for mathematicians. At the same time, computer graphics might in the future be the unifying language between art and science† (Emmer 3). However, one must remember that art is by no means the same as mathematics. â€Å"It employs virtually none of the resources implicit in the term pure mathematics.† Many people object that art has nothing to do with mathematics; that mathematics is unemotional and injurious to art, which is purely a matter of feeling. In The Introduction to the Visual Mind: Art and Mathematics, Max Bill refutes this argument by stati... ...d Mathematics. Ed. Michele Emmer. Cambridge: MIT Press. 5-9. Emmer, Michele. â€Å"Intoduction to the Visual Mind:Art and Mathematics.† The Visual Mind: Art and Mathematics. Ed. Michele Emmer. Cambridge: MIT Press. 1-3. Escher, M.C. Escher on Escher- Exploring the Infinite. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986.whattess.html. â€Å"Math Forum: What is a Tessellation?† Available Online.http://forum.swarthmore.edu/sum95/suzanne/whattess.html.Accessed 10/5/99. â€Å"Maurits Cornelius Escher.† Available Online. http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Escher.html. Accessed 10/16/99. †M.C. Escher- Interlocking Shapes and Tessellations.† Available Online. http://www.znet.com/~wchow/escher.htm. Accessed 10/7/99. Schattschneider, Doris. â€Å"The Fascination of Tiling.† The Visual Mind: Art and Mathematics. Ed. Michele Emmer. Cambridge: MIT Press. 157-164.

Dough Writing :: Writing Technology Inventing Essays

Dough Writing Writing, to many, is not seen as a technology. This everyday, innate, task is easily over looked especially in today’s modern world of high tech computers, cameras, phones, and palm pilots. It’s hard to imagine at one time people actually invented this thing called the alphabet, somehow made each letter represent a certain sound, then by combining this with other letters and sounds made words. But someone did and we, as a society, forget that and take writing for granted. We do not think about writing or its intricacies when we are in the act of writing. This is partially due to the availability of writing utensils and other materials needed to perform the task. What happens though when those things are taken away from us? Set about with this task, to write something without using any form of writing technology including pencils, pens, paintbrushes, and paper, I have found a new respect for writing, and the tools used to write with. I saw this as the intended outcome, but what surprised me was the amount of thought and planning the writing took. Not thinking of what to write, but instead how to write it, not with which materials, but how to actually shape the letters to make them legible. Once given this assignment I began thinking about nature and came up with my first course of action: a piece of bark with carbon writing on it from a burnt stick. This sounded great, how easy, then I realized I live in an apartment with no trees around. I thought about going to my friends and taking materials from their trees but when I tried the snow and rain from the past week had made everything very wet and hard to work with. The bark was too moldy or malleable and the sticks were too damp to light on fire. I had to find another way. My next idea was to make paper and write with charcoal or carbon on that. I had done this before in elementary school and remembered it to be quite easy. We had made a lot of paper for nature journals so I felt it appropriate for this assignment. I had everything ready to go, the blender, berries to make the paper pretty, water, flour, and a stick.

The Oak Tree: A Symbol For America :: essays research papers

America, our great country, is strong, powerful, and influential. Americans exemplify positive values, selflessness, hospitality, and the American way of life. The mighty oak tree that stands taller, bigger, and older than all others best represents this grand country. Each part of the tree illustrates a facet of our nation. Shapely emerald leaves covering the tree symbolize the values many Americans hold concerning themselves, others, and their nation. Leaves help the tree grow and flourish just as our value of caring for our neighbors help us to unite and become more successful as a whole. The beautiful shade and distinct shape of these leaves make the tree more attractive and unique. Our values often differ from values of other countries due to cultural contrasts such as with religious, racial, and education issues. We give much more freedom than many other countries do to those of different races and religions. Also, he hold education in a much higher regard than other countries. It is these differences which sometimes make our country seem more appealing to those of foreign lands. Without leaves in the spring, the mighty oak would have no means of nourishment and would die. Our common American values bind us together as one unit just as all the leaves work together to benefit the oak. Without them we would be millions of separate bodies aimlessly wondering about a common ground, and our country would fall to pieces. Thus, there would be no country as there would be no tree. The lonely oak's long, gnarled limbs seem to reach out as far as they can just to touch another tree. One limb reaches far to the east until it finds a maple. Our brave troops fought in the east to fend off the Czechoslovakians and Serbians from nearly defenseless Bosnia. Another limb bends down and softly touches the fresh buds of a young sapling. Many Americans give years of their lives in South Africa to the Peace Corps to touch the lives and hearts of many villagers. Yet another limb seems to branch out in all directions with its twigs reaching both up and down and side to side. Every year, many Americans donate money to the Christian Children's Fund where it is then used to heal, feed, and educate poverty-stricken children all over the world. Just as our branches stretch out, so do our American arms to help those less fortunate.

Literature Summative Assesment

Rules of the Game Pre Reading: A. Read the cartoon and answer the questions.1. What country do the mother and daughter live in? They live in America.2. Was the mother born there? How do you know? No, she wasn’t born in American. I know because in the cartoon the daughter asks the mother if she means America and the mother says no where we are from original, our mother country.3. Why is the mother angry? The mother is angry because the daughter doesn’t know her and her mother's origins.4. Why is the daughter angry? The daughter is angry because her mother keeps nagging her.B. The mother and daughter in this cartoon do not understand each other. In your opinion, which of the following factors are to blame for this lack of understanding? Explain. The different in their †¦. Language : the mother was born and raised in another country so her English isn’t as fluent as her daughter's, who was probably born in the USA, this may cause a â€Å"shortage† in com munication or embarrass the daughter. Culture : the mother probably comes from a more traditional culture, which may cause a conflict between her and her daughter. C. Do you think the same types of conflict between parents and children are common in our country? Why or why not? I think that the same types of conflicts exist in our country because it consists of different ethnic groups and minorities. Every generation differs from the one before it, especially when the parents are born and raised in other countries. For example, the Russian immigrants who have trouble learning the Hebrew language and their children who adjust more easily. Basic Understanding Part 1What lesson does the narrator learn from her mother? The narrator learned from her mother that she can get what she wants without nagging.What hopes does the narrator's mother have for her children? The narrator's mother hopes for her children that when they grow up they will learn in a University.Is the family poor? Does narrator think so? The narrator's family is poor because she lives above a bakery with two bedrooms flat, but the narrator doesn't think that her family is poor because she says that her bowl was always full and that she ate five meals a day.Do you think the narrator's memories of her childhood are pleasant or unpleasant? All in all, I think the narrator's memories of her childhood are pleasant. She fondly remembers her life in San Francisco's Chinatown, which were filled with games in back alleys, fragrance of Chinese food and the different shops in the area.Why do the children prefer the alley to the playground? The children prefer the al ley to the playground because its’ darkness gives a sense of mystery and adventures.Why is the narrator scared of the sanddabs? The narrator is scared of the sanddans because it reminds her story that her mother told her about a careless girl who ran into crowded street and was crushed by a cab.What joke does the narrator play on the tourist? The tourist asked the narrator and her brother to pose for a picture in front of the â€Å"scary† restaurant, and after he took the picture, she told him to have dinner in the restaurant. The tourist asked what they served, and she shouted: â€Å"Guts and ducks and octopus gizzards! † and ran off.How did the narrator get her name? What does this tell us about her parents' desire to adapt to their new culture? The narrator was named after the street that her family lived in, and it tells us that†¦What is the tone of this passage? The tone of this passage is deductive and defensive , the mother explains the many abilitie s Chinese people have.Vocabulary practice: Write a sentence about the story using each pair of words/ phrase. 1. Invisible / strength: Waverley's mother taught her the art of invisible strength. 2. Strategy / arguments: Waverly learned from her mother the strategy for winning. 3. Rise above / circumstances: Waverly’s mother wanted her family to rise above their circumstances. 4. Two bedroom flat / Chinese bakery: Waverly lived in a two bedroom flat that sat above a small Chinese bakery. 5. Alley / playground: the best playground for the Chinese children was the dark alleys. 6. Playmates / adventures: The playmates always find adventures in the dark alleys. 7. Named after / official: the narrator is named after an official name of a street. 8. Wicked / Chinese torture: the wicked people should be tortured in Chineseculture. Understanding the poem: Answer the questions. 1. Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. Whose point of view is rules of the game told from? The story is told by the narrator's point of view. 2. How did Waverly get her name? She was named after the street that her family lived in. 3. Where does the story take place? Copy and complete the chart. The setting City| San Francisco. | Neighborhood| China town. | Home| Jong family home| 4. What do we learn about Waverly's family? Waverly's family is a Chinese poor family that lives in Chinatown in San Francisco and in her home there is one girl named Waverly and her two brothers. Basic Understanding Part 2 1. What do we learn about Chinese culture from this incident? we learn from this incident that Chinese people attribute great importance to modesty and humility. It was shameful for the mother that her son was disappointed with his chip gift. 2. Is Waverly happy with her gift? How do you know? Waverly was happy with her gift which is life savers candy because she says that she kept eating them all the night because they were her favorites. 3. Why does Mrs. Jong tell Vincent to throw the chess set away? Mrs. Jong told Vincent to throw the chess set away because it was used before and he knows that because there are missing parts. 4. What is it about chess that attracts Waverly? She sees that the chessboard seems to elaborate secrets waiting to be untangled. 5. How does Waverly convince her brother to let her play chess? She uses the Lifesavers (her gift from the Christmas party) as a bribe to be let into the game. 6. Why do you think Mrs. Jong tells Waverly not to rely on other people to explain the rules? Because there is a sentence which says: â€Å"better you take it, find out yourself†. This means that it's better to find the answer yourself because Waverly has to learn to go forward alone without any help. 7. Why do Waverly's brothers lose interest in chess? Waverly's brothers lose interest in chess because they become more interested in roaming the streets in their Hopalong Cassidy cowboy hats. Vocabulary practice A. Which word in each group has a different meaning from the other two?donated / given / receiveddecent / poor / fineroken / lacking / missinggraciously / impatiently / politelyextra / replacement / substitutetactic / strategy / foresighthide / reveal / showadversary / partner /opponentB. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words from exercise A. There may be more than one possible answer. 1. The gifts at the Christmas party were given. 2. It would have been a decent chess set- except that it was obviously used. 3. Several of the chess pieces were missing, but Mrs. Jong accepted the gift politely. 4. Vincent wouldn’t let Waverly play until she offered her life savers as replacement for the chess pieces. 5. Waverly studied the instruction book and learned some important strategies for winning at chess. 6. She learned that chess is a game of secrets which she must never reveal. 7. Soon, Waverly wasn't losing any games -but she lost her adversaries! Understanding the story: Answer the questions. 1. Which gift does Waverly choose at the Christmas party? The gift that Waverly chose was heavy and compact one that was wrapped in shiny silver foil and a red satin ribbon. 2. Who gets the chess set? Vincent, Waverly's brother gets the chess set. 3. What is wrong with the chess set? The wrong thing about the chess set is that it was used before and there are missing parts. 4. How is the problem solved? The problem was solved by putting a buttons (Lifesavers) instead the missing parts. 5. How does Waverly learn to play chess? She learns the rules of the game and goes on to continue playing chess. 6. How old is Waverly at this time? Waverly is six years old. Basic Understanding Part 3 1. Why is the man surprised by Waverly's question? — 2. What are these the names of? â€Å"These† is the names of strategies in chess which Lau Po taught Waverly. 3. What do we learn about Chinese culture from Mrs. Jong behavior? We learned about Chinese culture that it is built on modesty. 4. What strategy does Waverly use to convince her mother to let her compete in the tournament? The strategy that Waverly used to convince her mother to compete in the tournaments is the art of invisible strength 5. Why do you think the boy wrinkled his nose? Because he is 15 years old and she is 9 years old and he thought that she is young to play chess. 6. What does the wind represent in this passage? The wind represents the thinking power of Waverly. 7. What does Waverly silence tell us about accepted codes of behavior in the Jong family? It's tells us about the respect and listening to elders and for what he says because he has more experience than us. 8. How does Mrs. Jong justify Waverly's special treatment? Mrs. Jong justified Waverly's special treatment by telling Vincent:† Waverly squeezes all her brains out for winning chess. You play, worth squeeze towel†. 9. How does Waverly behave at chess competitions? What does this tell us about her character? It tells us that Waverly is very smart because she made for her opponent a good measure and that will make him think less because he is thinking that he is going to win and then Waverly will win. Vocabulary practice: A 1. Form as many phrases as you can by combining words the box. You may use words more than once, but use each word at least once. *champion *game *regional *chess *grand master *smile *child *local *status *etiquette *national *tournament *exhibition *prodigy *triumphantnational championchess national championlocal championlocal tournamentchess gamechild prodigyhess etiquetteexhibition gametriumphant smilegrand master statusregional tournamentA 2. Complete the sentence with the words combinations you formed. You may use words more than once, but use each word at least once.Waverly learned the fine points of chess etiquette from Lau Po.After watching an exhibition game, a man suggested that Waverly should play in local tournament.Waverly said that she didn't want to play in the local champion, but she really did.After Waverly won an important national tournament, shop owners in the neighborhood decided to sponsor her in national champion.By her ninth birthday, Waverly was a national champion, but she was still 429 points away from grand master status.6Waverly had become a child prodigy and her picture appeared in life magazine.At the end of a game, Waverly would flash her opponent a triumphant smile.B. Match the words from A and B to form verb phrases. Use each phrase in a sentence about the story. Make any necessary changes. A B 1. Attend 2. Want desperately 3. Defeat an opponent 4. Display trophies 5. Do chores Understanding the story: Answer the questions.Who helps Waverley become a better chess player? Lau Po, an old man helped Waverley to become a better chess player.Who watches Waverly exhibition games in the park? Some of Chinese people and tourists watch Waverly's exhibition games.Why does Waverly think her mother will not allow her to play in chess tournament? Waverly thinks that her mother will not allow her to play in chess tournament because she thinks that her mother will not let her play with strangers.What does Mrs. Jong give Waverly at her first tournament? Why? Mrs. Jong gave Waverly a small tablet of red jade which the sun's fire to give her luck in the tournament.How do people in the neighborhood show their pride in Waverly's achievements? The Chinese bakery beneath their home displayed her growing collection of trophies in its window, a flower shop, headstone engraver, and funeral parlor offered to sponsor her.What concessions do her parents make to allow her practice? Her parents allowed her not to clean to allow her practice .At what age does Waverly become a national chess champion? Waverly became a national champion in age nine.How does Waverly dress for competitions? Waverly wears a crisp pink and white dress with scratchy lace for the competitions.Basic Understanding Part 4 1. Why does Waverly find it difficult to practice at home? Waverly finds it difficult to practice at home because her mother who stands beside her while she is trying to plan her steps in the game. 2. How do you think Waverly's brothers feel about her special treatment? I think that he feels so angry about that, because they do all the work in the home when she is practicing all the time. 3. Why do you think Mrs. Jong insists that Waverly accompany her to the market? Mrs. Jong insists that Waverly accompany her to the market because she wants to boast and show that Waverly is her daughter. 4. How does Waverly feel about her mother's boasting? Waverly feels embarrassed when her mother boasted her. 5. What do you think Waverly wants to escape from? I think that Waverly wants to escape from her mother's nagging. 6. How does Mrs. Jong react when Waverly finally arrives home? She says calmly:† we not concerning this girl. This girl not have concerning for us. † 7. Who does Waverly see as her opponent? Waverly sees her mother as her opponent in the chess game. 8. What do you think Waverly's daydream symbolizes? The imaginary game could symbolize the transition from childhood to approaching adulthood. Vocabulary practice: A 1. Match the sentence beginnings in A to the endings in B. 1. Mrs. Jong thought of herself as –Waverly's protective ally. 2. She had a habit of – standing over Waverly while she practiced. 3. Waverly's parents made many concessions – to allow her practice. 4. Waverly had to accompany her mother – to the market on Saturday. 5. Waverly thought her mother was using her – to show off. 6. She thought her mother's behavior – was embarrassing. 7. Waverly pulled away from her mother – and knocked into an old woman. 8. The woman's bag of groceries – spilled to the ground. 9. Waverly fled from the market – looking for escape routes. 10. When she finally returned home – the door was locked. 11. Waverly stood there and – waited for her punishment. B. Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words and phrases from the list. Advance * alone * angry black slits * chessboard * disappear * fly out* grow light * rise up * scream * triumphant smile. Waverly lay on her bed. In her mind she saw a chessboard her opponent was opposite her – two angry black slits on her face was a triumphant smile. As Waverly's opponent advance Waverly's pieces scream, retreated and fell off the board. Waverly felt herself grow light and she rise up into the air. She flies out of the window and over the city until everything below disappear and she was alone. Understanding the story Answer the questions 1. Why is it difficult for Waverly to concentrate at home? Waverly found it difficult to practice at home because her mother who stands beside her while she trying to plan her steps in the game. 2. What further concessions do her parents make to allow her to practice? She doesn't have to eat all the food that her mother made for her, she doesn't have to wash the dishes, and she doesn't have to tidy her bed. 3. What is Waverly's one obligation at home? The only thing that Waverly does at home is practicing chess. 4. How does Mrs. Jong show that she is proud of her daughter? How does Waverly react? Mrs. Jong shows her daughter that she is proud of her by insisting that she accompanies her to the Saturday market days walk with her proudly between the shops and saying â€Å"this is my daughter wave-ly Jong† to anyone who looked their way. One day Waverly tells her mother that she wishes she wouldn’t do that, and reproaches her mother that If she wants to show off, she should learn how to play chess. 5. Describe the scene that Waverly imagines at the end of the story. Waverly imagines a chessboard and her mother standing in front of her as her opponent and Waverly sees her white pieces falling off the board one by one and her mother's pieces are approaching her. Analysis and interpretation A 1. In this story the game of chess is used as a metaphor for life. Rules of the game† refers not only to the rules of chess, but also to the rules of life. Do you think this is a good comparison? Why or why not? It is a wonderful comparison; the rules of chess that Waverly learns are similar to the life skills for achieving success. This is the art of invisible strength. Examples: 1. Self control –†Bite back your tongue† â€Å"Vincent at first refused to let me play, but when I offered my Life Savers as replacements for the buttons that filled in for the missing pieces, he relented. â€Å". 2. Hiding your desires –†strongest wind cannot be seen† 3. Withholding knowledge – â€Å"I also found out why I should never reveal â€Å"why† to others. A little Knowledge withheld is a great advantage one should store for future use†. â€Å"It’s a game of secrets in which one must show and never tell. † 4. Foresight – â€Å"see the endgame before the game begins† â€Å"†¦ It is essential in the endgame to have foresight, a mathematical understanding of all possible moves. â€Å". 5. Planning –† the one who plays better has the clearest plans for both attacking and getting out of traps. † A 2. Answer the following questions, keeping the chess – life metaphor in mind. 1. When Waverly is six years old, her mother teaches her an important rule of life:† The art of invisible strength†. By this she means remaining silent, hiding her desire in order to get what she wants. How does this lesson help Waverly get what she wants from her mother? Give two examples from the story how does it later help her succeed at chess? Thus it is that Waverly, the protagonist and narrator of this short story, possesses a strange hybrid mix of values and lessons she has learned, some from her Chinese heritage taught to her by her mother, and some from her American heritage: her birth country. The art of invisible strength, then, is part of Waverly's Chinese heritage: â€Å"I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games†. This â€Å"art of invisible strength† is described by her mother as not confro nting others openly. Instead, you must seem to go along with them whilst subtly leading them in the direction that you prefer. 2. Waverly says of chess:† A little knowledge withheld is a great advantage one should store for future use†. Do you think this is true in life as well? Explain. Yes, I think this quote is true in life as well as in chess. I think it's true because the more knowledge we have, the more we can make use of it in the future knowledge can be a weapon for the future. 3. At the end of the story, Waverly imagines a game of chess in which her mother is her opponent. Who is wining this game? How does Waverly react when she understands that she cannot defeat her mother? How does this imaginary game reflect what is happening in Waverly's life? In the game Waverly visions in her mind that her mother is her opponent and she is winning. When Waverly understands that she cannot win this game, she felt herself growing a light and suddenly flies out the window. This game reflects Waverly's life in the sense of the on-going conflict with her mother, in which she feels she cannot win, and prefers to run away. 4. When Waverly says at the end of the story † I closed my eyes and pondered my next move†, do you think she is talking only about chess? What else might she be referring to? What do you think her next move will be? I don't think that Waverly is talking only about chess; I think she is also talking about her next move at home if to apologize to her family or to keep on not talking to them, but I think at the end she will apologize to her family because she is still young and she still needs her parents. B 1. Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces. One of the main themes of the story is the culture conflict between American- born Waverly and her Chinese- born mother. The chart below outlines some main differences between the two cultures. Read the chart and answer the questions that follow. Chinese people value †¦| American people value †¦| group cooperation | Individualism and personal freedom| maintaining â€Å"face† by showing respect and avoiding open confrontation or criticism | Open discussion and self- expression, even if it means direct confrontation and criticism| modesty, humility| Assertiveness| A formal social society in which status is based on age, gender and family| an informal society in which status is based on personal achievements, with equal opportunity for all| Respect for elders; obedience| Self- determination; independence| Mystery and magic| Rational thinking and logic| 1. What are some of the main differences between Chinese and American culture? The differences between Chinese culture and American cultures are: The Chinese culture in built on modesty, humility, Reciprocity and understanding between each other and also to give respect to elders. The American culture everyone has to go in his own way and to be assertive, to do the maximum to get to his/her goal even to â€Å"Run over† people. 2. Which aspect of each culture do you prefer? Explain. I prefer the American people's values because their cultures and values are liberal and are similar to the values that I was brought up on. 3. How is your own culture similar to / different from Chinese and American culture? My culture is similar to the Chinese culture in the aspect of giving respect to the elders and to be modesty. B 2. Which thinking skills did you use to answer the questions in B1? Explain. * Comparing and contrasting: finding similarities and differences and drawing conclusions. I used the thinking skill Comparing and contrasting because I was asked to find similarities and differences between a different cultures and the best way to finds differences between two categories are Comparing and contrasting. C 1. Now apply this thinking skill to the story. Copy and complete the diagram below with words from the list. How are Waverly and Mrs. Jong similar? How are they different? Support your answers with examples from the story. Waverly: mischievous, competitive, Americanized, independent and selfish. Mrs. Jong: modest, boastful, proud and superstitious. Both: strong-willed, traditional, clever, stubborn, determined, hard-working, confident, ambitious. Examples:Mrs. Jong is determined to teach Waverly the â€Å"art of the invisible strength†.Waverly is determined to learn how to play chess.Mrs. Jong is modest because when Waverly won her first game she said that it's luck.C 2. We often compare and contrast in our daily lives. Give one example of how you have used this thinking skill in the past few days. I used this thinking skill of compare and contrast that happened a couple of days ago between the choices of buying a new acoustic guitar or to continue practicing on my old guitar and when I will get better in playing the guitar I will buy a professional acoustic guitar. D 1. Imagine that a student from another country has joined your class recently. Although he seems bright, he doesn't pay attention in class, doesn't do his homework and doesn't interact with the other students. Which of the following might be connected to his behavior, in your opinion? Explain. He doesn't pay attention in class and he doesn't do his homework though he seems bright because he might have difficulties with the language and with new students whom he didn’t know. D 2. We can also use this thinking skill to gain a fuller understanding of people and events in literature. How is the characters' behavior in this story connected to their cultural backgrounds? Discuss the following, keeping in mind what you have learned about Chinese and American culture. (Page 78) 1. Mrs. Jong is showing her modesty by attributing Waverly's success in the chess game to luck rather than her excellent skill in playing chess. 2. Lao Po teaches Waverly to be humble and not announce the end of the game with arrogance and pride because she may be mistaken, and her opponent may still make a move and win the game. This saying also reflects a belief in mystery and magic, rather than logical reasoning. 3. Waverly cannot say anything to disagree with her mother, because in Chinese culture children show obedience and respect for their elders and do not contradict their parents. 4. When Waverly tells her mother that she can't practice when her mother stands over her, she is expressing her own feelings and asserting herself. This is an example of how her behavior has become Americanized. 5. Waverly is being impolite to her mother. She is showing her disrespect to her elders. This behavior contradicts the values of respect and obedience to the elders that is valued in the Chinese culture. Here Waverly shows the influence of the American cultural values of assertiveness and independence. D 3. Find additional examples in the story of how the characters' cultural backgrounds are reflected in their behavior. . One of the mothers at the Christmas party slaps her son because he did not show appreciation for her gift. His mother has to apologize to the crowd for his bad manners. 2. Waverly talks back to her mother and criticize her. She expresses her opinions openly- a quality values by the American culture. 3. Mrs. Jong gives Waverly a small tablet of red jade for luck before the chess tournament. This is an example of the importance of magic and mystery in Chinese culture. D 4. Tell your classmates about a time when you used the thinking skill of making Connections to help you to understand something better. Two weeks ago I saw a friend that Is walking and his leg is broken, I asked him what happened to him and he said nothing, two hours later other friend told me that they lost the football league game and his friend was quit the game after 30 min, then I understood that he was hurt in the game. E 1. Because of the cultural differences between them, Waverly and her mother view things from different perspectives. Decide whether each of them would agree or disagree with the following statements. Explain your answer. 1. Mrs. Jong would probably agree. Waverly would probably disagree. Waverly would think that children need to adopt the values of the culture they live in. 2. Waverly would probably agree. Mrs. Jong would probably disagree. Mrs. Jong would believe that cultural values should be passed on from generation to generation. 3. Mrs. Jong would probably agree. Waverly would probably disagree. Respect for parents and obedience is part of the Chinese culture. Waverly would think that children should express their own opinions openly and not have to behave as their parents wish. E2. Discuss the statements above with a partner. Whose perspective do you identify with- Waverly's or her mother's? My partner disagree with this statement because he think that if the children will obedience for everything which his parents says to him the boy will not be wrong and he will not learn from his mistakes. F. thinks back over the story. Answer the questions. 1. How is the theme of cultural conflict reflected in the story? The theme of cultural conflict is reflected in the conflict between Chinese-born Mrs. Jong and American born Waverly. Waverly and her family live in Chinatown in San Francisco. They live above a Chinese bakery, shop in a traditional Chinese stores (like the medical herb shop and fish market), go to the First Chinese Baptist Church and get presents from a Chinese Santa Clause. The Chinese immigrant parents want to preserve their traditional culture, whereas the children want to integrate in American society. Waverly's mother emphasizes traditional Chinese values of self-control and obedience, whereas Waverly wants to assert her independence. The young Chinese American fined them pushed away not only from American society but also from their Chinese parents and heritage. 2. How is the theme of conflict between mothers and daughters reflected in the story? This story is really one big struggle about independence between Waverly and her mother. Waverly, as the story progresses, becomes more aware of her talent, shows embarrassment at the way her mother takes pride in her and wants to exploit her gift and talent to bring attention to her: â€Å"My mother would proudly walk with me, visiting many shops, buying very little. â€Å"This is my daughter Wave-ly Jong,† she said to whoever looked her way. One day, after we left a shop I said under my breath, â€Å"I wish you wouldn't do that, telling everybody I'm your daughter. While the narrator enjoys the challenge of winning at chess for its own sake, clearly the mother enjoys the success of her daughter for the admiration it brings to her. At the end, the imaginary of the chess board in Waverly's dream is used to symbolize the conflict between Waverly and her mother, as each struggles for mastery over the other. The way that the story ends, with Waverly closing her eyes and â€Å"pondering my next move,† shows Waverly's desire to escape her mother and treats her conflict as a game of chess. Although Waverly has lost this round, she is considering how to ventually beat her mother and gain the independence she so desperately desires. 3. in the beginning of the story, Waverly is more in touch with her Chinese culture. How has this changed by the end of the story? In the beginning of the story, Waverly is more in touch with her Chinese culture because she is younger and her mother has more control over her. She lives and plays in a Chinese neighborhood. By the end of the story, Waverly is older and has been more exposed to American culture. She has attended chess tournaments, each one further away from home. As a result she is less in touch with her Chinese culture. 4. Mrs. Jong is upset because Waverly is becoming Americanized, but she herself adopts certain aspects of American culture. Find examples in the story. Mrs. Jong names Waverly after the street they live on. She takes her children to a Christmas party. She allows Waverly to play in the chess tournaments and she gives Waverly special privileges (according to the American rules). 5. Waverly sometimes sees her mother as her opponent. Are they â€Å"playing† by the same rules? Explain. How does this affect their relationship? Waverly learns the Chinese rules of behavior and uses them to get what she wants. For example she uses self-control and manipulation to get her mother to allow her to play in the local chess tournaments. However, as Waverly gets older, she and her mother don't always play by the same rules. Mrs. Jong plays by the Chinese rules of behavior, whereas Waverly has begun to reject these rules in favor of the American values of self expression and independence. This causes conflict in their relationship. 6. Explain the ending of the story. What does Waverly's daydream symbolize? Do you think it could be metaphor for growing up? Explain. At the end of the story Waverly imagines a chess game with her mother as her opponent. Mrs. Jong sits opposite from her, winning the game of inner strength. The chess game is a metaphor for her struggle and rebellion against her mother, and therefore for growing up. In her imaginary game, Waverly breaks free from her mother's influence. She leaves the safety of her home and neighborhood and floats above the city. She is free but also alone with no one to guide her or tell her what to do. She must now make her own decisions. Waverly has to plan her next move at home concerning her relationship with her mother. The imaginary game could symbolize the transition from childhood to approaching adulthood. G. Like the United States, Israel is a country of many immigrants. Have you, or has anyone you know, ever experienced a cultural conflict similar to the one Waverly experiences in the story? Share an example of this with your classmates. I had a Jewish friend that his parents came to Israel from Russia, but he was born here and was raised up on the Israeli culture. His parents want him to be surgeon so he could make the Russian community proud but he wants to be musician so he had many fights with his parents until they give up. Bridging text and context A. Read the background information. To what extent is the information reflected in the story rules of the game? (Page 79) The two stories is very similar because the two stories are about the Chinese immigrants families. and both families has one girl and two boys, in both stories the girls have Arguments with their mothers and there are conflicts between the American culture and the Chinese culture. B. How does reading biographical information about Amy Tan add to or change your understanding of the story? The author's difficult relationship with her mother is reflected in Waverly's difficult relationship with her mother, whom she sees as her opponent in the imaginary game. The culture's conflict that Chinese Americans experience is another theme that is reflected in the story. Waverly does not entirely identify with the American mainstream or with her parents' Chinese culture. C. Compare and contrast the fictional character of Waverly Jong with the author, Amy Tan. The character Waverly Jong is both similar and different from the author Amy Tan: 1. Both were the only daughters of Chinese immigrant parents and both had difficult relationship with their mothers. 2. Amy Tan became a successful writer, while Waverly became a successful chess player. Reflection 1. Did you enjoy reading the story? Why or why not? I enjoyed reading the story because it reminds me of myself, even though I am not an immigrant, but still there are many things that happened to Waverly that happened to me also, and it's good to see how people from different cultures react to similar situation, because if this kind of situations will return in the future, I will know how to deal with them. 2 . What did you found interesting or memorable about the story? What I found interesting in the story are the conflicts between Waverly and her mother because it happens to everyone, not only them but it's memorable because they have a different culture which will make them look differently from myself in a similar situation. What interest me is the comparison between their culture and my own.