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Oedipus Blindness vs Sight

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Oedipus: Blindness vs Sight

Pride is Oedipus most significant flaw, and it leads him to many misfortunes. He presses on with the investigation to find out his father’s killer, leading to the discovery that he is the guilty party. Throughout the Oedipus stories, he refuses to listen to anyone but always tries to prove his point. Despite the negative connotation to Oedipus’ pride, there is also an upside. Oedipus solved the greatest pestilence on the kingdom of Thebes by following his pride blindly. A pestilence had struck Thebes for some time, and the people desperately wanted to find out its cause. Even before they got to him, Oedipus was already determined to find out the cause. He had his bother in law, Creon, consult the oracle and he returned with the news that for the plague to end Laius’ murderer had to be found. Oedipus made it his mission to investigate what happened and find the murderer, not realizing that he was the guilty one.

Oedipus asked Tiresias the prophet for his insight into the murder of the former king, but Tiresias refused to give him a direct answer. Furious, Oedipus would not relent until he got the answers, he found out the painful truth that he had killed his father and married the king’s wife; in essence, he had married his own mother. The situation is a two-faced one; it rid Thebes of its plague, but at the same time, it destroyed Tiresias. Despite Tiresias’ warning that his pursuit of the truth would bring only pain, Oedipus chose to move on Looking at the greater good, Oedipus; pride, in this case, saved the kingdom and its people from further suffering. However, Oedipus’ family was destroyed. He learned the truth of his childhood and the unfortunate prophecy that had come true.

Works Cited

Sophocles, E. A. Oedipus the king. Classic Productions, 1994.

Observing a Scene

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Observing a Scene

The Fonda restaurant is one of my all-time favorite places to eat. Not only do they have the best Mexican food in town, but the ambiance is also great, and the service simply superb. However, I have never taken the time to really look around, and this experience gave me a lot of insight into deliberate observation and just how much people rarely take the time to look about them. I chose to visit the restaurant over the weekend at 11 in the morning, just before the place filled up with the lunchtime crowd. The restaurant is famed for its pizzas and tacos, and many families are regular customers from around the area.

On the outside, the restaurant is surrounded by a lot of bushes and greenery, instantly giving the place a relaxed feel. Some flowers also grow in rustic pots made of wood, steel, and clay, further adding to the ambiance of the outside. For those who like to sit outside in good weather, there are several outdoor tables and chairs made to withstand harsh conditions such as the sun and the rain. The furniture was all painted brown and green, blending in with the surroundings. I saw a friendly waiter attending to a large group with children. The children all had small chairs and were given paper and coloring pencils. Even before the food arrived, they were laughing merrily while comparing their drawings. With such a happy welcoming sight, many diners walked into the equally striking interior of the restaurant.

The first thing that struck me was the simple yet luxurious décor in the inside. The furniture was all made up of base colors such as white, gray, and black. These colors instantly brought a sense of calm and peace to the restaurant. Brightly colored pillows brought bursts of color into the place. Everything was made in simple and straight lines, with no overly intricate pieces of furniture. The floor was made of polished brown wood, adding to the sophistication of the interior. The walls were a pristine white, making the space as bright as possible the French doors opening to the patio brought in a lot of natural light, making the space vibrant and bright. There were also blinds that could be folded when the brightness proved too much for the diners.

There were three separate sitting areas. To the left, there was a large area fitted with couches and coffee tables. A bookshelf stood nearby, showing that people who sat there often read while enjoying their drinks. To the right, space was divided into two with a broad aisle between. One side had comfortable booths where those who wanted a bit more seclusion and quiet could enjoy themselves. On the other side were chairs and tables that could seat four people each. I would approximate that the whole place could sit about fifty people when full.

Fonda is a family business, and the owner is often at hand to welcome guests and chat with them for a little while. I got in at around 11, which was still a quiet time. The kitchen is visible through glass walls as one entered, so it was possible to see all the chefs decked out in white gear hard at work for lunch. At the door, Mark, the owner greeted me warmly. His cheeriness was infectious, and I immediately felt quite at ease. I told him that I would take something cold as I waited for a lunch order. He walked me to the counter to a pleasant young man named Ron, who was happy to discuss options with me as I was unsure. He assured me that it would be ready in a few minutes, and I chose a quiet table by the window to watch.

My drink came looking so lovely that I was afraid to touch it. Several colors were distinguishable inside the frosted glass, and it tasted just as heavenly as it looked. There were few people about the restaurant, and the wait staff took their orders with smiles brighter than their white uniforms. One thing that I always find different in this particular establishment is the extent that the staff goes to make people feel welcome. They walk diners through the menus, helping them decide what to take. I am almost always unsure of what to take, so this is a great help.

After about an hour, the place began to fill up with people. There was a bustle as the previously idyllic mood changed as more people came in. Mark kept his place by the door, welcoming guests, and walking them to their tables. One instance that struck me was when a blind man walked in with his cane. Mark walked out to meet him happily and led him to a table close to mine. The man was a friend of his, and he knew exactly what he wanted. Before the food came, Mark chatted with him and asked after his family. It warmed my heart to see such kindness in one small space.

I appreciate my observation experience at Fonda; it helped me see just how important it is to take a moment out of our busy times to talk to a complete stranger. Every waiter and waitress in Fonda takes time to learn their customer’s name and something small about them. Everyone feels welcome, and the food tops the whole experience. I saw many people come in sad and unhappy, and walk out smiling. The biggest lesson is that it’s the small things that count.

Nonverbal Communication Observation

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Nonverbal Communication Observation

Non-verbal communication refers to a technique of conveying messages, thoughts, emotions and feeling through actions and expressions rather than words. In our day-to-day lives, verbal and non-verbal forms of communication work together to deliver messages, thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Aspects of non-verbal communication often express our emotions better than words. Non-verbal communication comprises of body language (kinesics), touch (haptic), distance (proxemics), oculesics, their physical attractiveness, vocalics, and chronemics.

While having my coffee at the local Cafe with my friends, I noticed a couple seated next to our table. One could tell from the onset that the two were a couple from their kinesics, haptics, and oculescis. The young man, Caucasian, was about twenty-three years of age, towering at the height of 6ft 1, while his girlfriend, African American, was about 5ft 7. The two, both smartly dressed, seemed to be on a date, as they sat at opposite sides of the table and were constantly smiling at each other. Due to their proximity, I could catch some of their words. The two were talking about a trip they would have next year to Malta. The lady was animatedly counting up the needs she would need from her trip. As she folded her fingers one by one, the guy began to laugh stating that she did not need all that luggage. It was evident from their body language that the two had been dating for a long time. Their body movements were swift and unrestrained showing that the two were open with each other and had, therefore, probably known each other for a while.

The two were so engrossed in their conversation about Malta that they did not see the waiter coming to take their order. The waiter who had been standing over them for more than two, three seconds cleared his throat. An emblem in America and most of the world that calls for attention. From their widening eyes, quick glances at each other, and embarrassed smiles, the two must have been startled by the waiter’s presence. They made quick orders without perusing the menu meaning that they were regulars. After the waiter took the order, the two did not talk until a few minutes later when their food arrived. The young man extended his hand and held the lady lovingly while they looked deep into each other’s eyes and smiled. These two were a sight to see! When their food arrived, they thanked the waiter and did not hurriedly began to eat, but continued to talk! These time, the two were speaking in hushed tones and were quite close to each other. The lady had held her face with her hands and her elbows on the table while she spoke softly to the guy. After they finished their meal, the two walked out together holding hands, while the gentleman carried the lady’s handbag. When they got to the door, he opened the door for her, and the two stepped into the warm sunshine.

Later that afternoon when I went to the library, I saw a group of about five teenagers. From their dressing, I could tell that they all knew each other and enjoyed a hobby together, say Rock and Roll music. From their dressing, I could tell that they were into Rock Roll as they all had dyed their hair black, wore tight jeans and t-shirts. They were all laughing quietly at something one of them had said. The five teenagers, all male, did not seem interested in reading. They kept whispering to each other, that other library users kept staring at them annoyingly. They flipped pages, switched seating positions, shared earphones while watching some videos on their phones. After a little while, the librarian walked in, tapped two of them on the shoulders, and placed her middle finger on her lips, an emblem meaning, ‘observe silence!” After she walked away, the five looked at each other shrugged, and left the library, to the pleasure of everybody.

The other conversation I observed was by two middle-aged gentlemen who were discussing stocks; on the train, on my way home. One of the men was in an ash-gray suit while the other was dressed in an immaculate double-breasted navy-blue suit. I could not see their shoes as their suitcases blocked my view, but I guessed that they must be wearing expensive Italian, leather shoes. The two men sat on adjacent seats but did not seem to share much. From their conversation on stocks, these men obviously worked in the financial industry but were not friends. They must be colleagues in the same firm, different departments, I guessed. The two had little or no eye contact, they had stiff body movement as if they were uncomfortable, and they went on for minutes without talking. After the first man got to his stop, he got up, picked his briefcase, shook hands with his colleague, and left without many pleasantries.

New Order in America Post World War II

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New Order in America: Post World War II

When World War 2 was coming to an end, the United States was in a far much better place economically than ever. However, there were still devastating effects that the world war had caused in the lives of Americans. Many Americans including both men and women had joined the military in order to help the country fight and many perished in the war. Industrialization had also kicked off especially industries that manufactured combats and most people had moved near war industries due to high demand of labor. Most of these factories located in the Atlantic, Pacific as well as the Gulf coasts and the migration led to sprouting of towns (Hooks, pg. 303-337). After the World War II it was almost as if America was beginning a new era that would be characterized by growth considering it had just undergone a great depression just a few years back. This paper looks at Americas new order especially between 1940s-1960s.

Building on the economic base just after the war ended was more affluent and easy in America that people could actually not believe it. There were several public policies that were passed that helped Americans especially those who had participated in the war. For example, the GI Bill of rights passed in 1944 was to give the veterans money so that they would be able to attend college, buy farms and also buy homes (Maier, pg. 607-633). The money was a form of compensation to the Americans who had sacrificed their lives in the war front and would help them have a better life. This was where the American Dream was coined, where many Americans were living better lives as they could now even own their homes. After the post war, America was an economical power house and most Americans were actually leaving better lives than Japan and Germany.

The US government had jumped from a great depression to an economic powerhouse as money had been spent during the war. After the war, the war manufacturers tried to convert war materials to consumer goods and the appliance and automobile sector also grew drastically. Many towns had already grown with buildings being constructed and between 1950s and 1960s, some Americans had retreated to live in the suburbs where they could enjoy the consumer economy and also try to search for normalcy. President Lyndon Johnson was also trying to come up with initiatives to help better the society. These initiatives were referred to as Great Society. Aim of these policies were to help reduce crime, end poverty, abolish inequality and help improve the environment. In 1964, during his speech he pointed out that the great society would be one of the largest social reform plan as he was also seeking reelection for a second term (Johnson).

An affluent society was created in America after the WW2 and although many would want to believe almost all American’s lived a good life this was not the case. Many Americans especially the whites had been lifted into the burgeoning middle class but there was also a lot of inequalities that arose. Women were still struggling to attain equal rights and be treated same way as the men (Locke). The poor people who were mostly the black were still struggling to get access to good school, health care as well as better paying jobs. Jim Craw on the other hand was creating laws that were promoting segregation of the colored people. This was another part of America that seemed to have been forgotten while the other part enjoyed the boost of the economy and its fruits.

After the war, the African Americans also became interested in being treated better, they came up with civil rights movements that would advocate for equality and ensure better treatment by the system. After the war many whites had gained employment while the blacks seemed forgotten. Philip Randolph who was the black labor leader threatened to march to Washington unless the blacks too were also given equal employment opportunities. In order to prevent this demonstration, President Roosevelt gave an executive order which prohibited discrimination of the blacks in defense industries. Committee of Fair Employment Practices was also established. They also championed for better treatment of their children especially the fact that schools were also racially segregated. The Brown vs Board was a notable ruling that allowed black children to be able to attend schools that were only meant for the whites. The blacks were also eventually allowed to vote with the clause of one being asked to do an exam before voting being removed (Hall, pg. 1233-1263). The “Journey of Reconciliation” was also created where George Houser led a movement of whites and black leaders on a march which challenged racial segregation in interstate buses.

In 1940-60s, new tension emerged, the cold war, which was a threat between the united states and the Soviet Union. There was political consensus regarding cold war and US received bipartisan support from most foreign US policies. Vietnam war however witnessed in the North of Vietnam led to more tension that would put America in bad light. The USA supported the anti-communist South by sending military guides to instruct and aid the South Vietnamese Army (Feis, pg. 82). The South was at war with the communist party Viet Cong which was established in the South. The fight led to the campaign of assassination spearheaded by the Viet Cong and it received tremendous support from the north in 1959. The Americans were afraid that if the communist party took over Vietnam then it was definitely going to spread to the proximate countries. During this period the cold war was also intensifying in the entire world and the USA toughened its policies against any of the communists and the Soviet Union allies and under the leadership of the then president Dwight D. Eisenhower the United States vowed to aid Ngo Dinh Diem and the anti-communist South.

In conclusion, World War II as a major boost to the American dream. Many Americans were able to leave the lives they wanted which was quite a comfortable life than their economic competitors including German and French. It was also during these period that major changes were initiated to ensure African Americans also felt as Americans. Laws were passed to ensure the racial segregation ended and African Americans too could enjoy the boost the war had impacted to American economy. Vietnam war and cold war was also an eye opener to devastating effects war could have that led to America reevaluating grounds on when they can launch attacks in foreign countries.

Works Cited

Feis, Herbert. From trust to terror: the onset of the cold war, 1945-1950. New York: Norton, 1970.

Hall, J.D., 2005. The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past. Journal of American History, 91(4), pp.1233-1263.

Hooks, Gregory, and Leonard E. Bloomquist. “The legacy of World War II for regional growth and decline: The cumulative effects of wartime investments on US manufacturing, 1947–1972.” Social Forces 71.2 (1992): 303-337.

Locke, Joseph L., and Ben Wright, editors. The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open U.S History Textbook, Since. Vol. 2, STANFORD University Press, 2019

Maier, Charles S. “The politics of productivity: foundations of American international economic policy after World War II.” International Organization 31.4 (1977): 607-633.

Thematic Analysis of Misery by Stephen King (2)

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Mexican Americans in Sports

Sports in America is one thing that brings people together. Ranging from baseball, basketball, football, boxing and soccer, you will often find so many people who have come together to cheer on their teams. Sports is a great thing as one can be a professional and get paid really well, gone are the days everyone wanted to be a doctor or a pilot as now we can be able to tap into talent. Through sports scholarship many students have earned themselves slots in school where they get to study for free in return play for the school team. Over the years there are stereotypes that have been developed regarding sports and although these stereotypes include the fact that often blacks excel in sports. Although these is true, groups such as the Mexican Americans often do not get the ovation that they deserve. There have been even very many Mexican Americans that have had a major contribution in our sports world and we need to also talk about them while we talk about people who have had an impact in sports.

For over a century in the united states, Mexican Americans athletes have participated in both professional sports as well as community based interscholastic. People of the barrios as well as the ranchos descent have been using sports as way for leisure, recreation as well as bringing community bonding. There ae very few historians that have focused on sport participation for Latinos. This paper looks at important individuals that have been on the world of sport chronologically spanning from around 1920s to present time. The paper will analyze the sporting experience that the individuals had and how sporting life has had an impact on both their lives and the community (Jorger, pg. 67-71). There are those players that used their sports influence to pull themselves out of poverty and help their community. The Mexican sports men and women have also used their positions to voice out the issues that minority immigrant groups go through in America.

Mexican Americans and Sports book by Jorge Iber has an impact on the emerging comprehension of how important sport is especially to minority population in the united states. This could probably explain why African Americans who are also a minority group seem to excel in sports. Through sports, most of these individuals often find a sense of belonging. There has been numerous evidence on how Latina have used leisure, culture and sports as a way of constructing both gender and sexual identities (Jorger, pg. 98-109). Most towns that are predominantly resided by Mexicans have often exhibited high number of crime rate and gang related activities. However, there have been development where sports are being used to preoccupy the young children and nature their various talents thus deterring them from getting engaged in gang related activities.

Most of Latino athletes who have excelled in the sports world will attest to the fact that most of their success is not individual achievement alone. Most of these sports men and women have received support from key community leaders, coaches, friends, family and their fans as well. This goes to prove that their achievement is celebrated communally. Just like most immigrant groups, sports have facilitated the adjustment of Mexican Americans into the urban setting introducing their children to the mainstream American culture but at the same time trying to preserve their ethnic identity. Sports has offered the Latinos an escape from the grim social; realities that they get to encounter in their day to day life. In trying to achieve equality in the world of sports, Mexican Americans have tried to re-negotiate issues including nationalism, race relation as well as citizenship so that they are able to get a sense of belonging in this foreign land.

Latino participation in sports has not been a walk in the park but has rather been shaped by class, racial as well as the gender status. The firs key obstacles that they have faced is the high financial muscle that one needs in order to participate in sports. Most Latino families struggle to put food on their table thus most put work as a priority and not sports. This has envied opportunity to several individuals who have talent but are unable to forgo working and focus on building their skills. There are cost associated with getting right training equipment, buying sports gear, transportation cost as well as training charges that has discouraged parents from enrolling their children in organized sports (George, pg. 87-107). Another challenge is depiction by the media. Most English–language sports media have continually misunderstood the Latinos. Most media have used racial as well as gender stereotypes in depicting athletes. An example is the complaint by Roberto Clemente who was a baseball player stated that he hated how English media often quoted him phonetically making him appear illiterate or poorly educated. Some Latinos have also expressed the lack of commercial endorsement due to perceived language barrier. Richard Pancho Gonzalez who was a tennis player threatened to renounce his American citizenship and play for Mexico if the print media did not treat him well (Greenberg, pg. 671-676).

La Colonia neighborhood in Oxnard, California has often been known as a hotspot for gangs and crime but it is also known for producing toughest boxers in the united states. In the year 1978, Community Service Organization tried to use sports as way of fighting crime. A La Colonia Youth Boxing Club was established it the aim that it will help draw the children from the streets and away from gangs by encouraging them to participate in sports. The boxing trainer Louie Tiny Pationo began a youth program in his backyard and he would later get the backing from the city in opening a fully equipped gym that would help the youth train in professionally. By helping their children, the city officials hoped crime rates in the city would reduce and the city would now be known for creating something positive. This strategy worked as La Colonia Boxing gym became a refuge to many troubled kids’ who would later become top professional boxers,

Fernando Vargas who is a household named in the boxing world is a product of the gym youth club. Growing up he had no father figure and had been suspended out of school severally. However, after he met Garcia who would guide him in the sporting world, he strayed participating in boxing professionally. Vargas became among the youngest people to win the world light middleweight title. There were other boxers that were also trained by Garcia including Victor Ortiz, Brandon Rios, Danny Perez, Robert Garcia his son and Miguel Angel. The name of the gym would later change from La Colonia Boxing gym to La Casa de Campeones which loosely translates to house of champions has it has produced top-notch fighter all whom are, Mexican Americans (Fernando). The success of these gym they converted angry rebellious kids who were ready to go into the streets to become criminals into professionals who are making an impact in the world clearly shows how important sports is in the community and why the government need to support it.

Aside from boxing, Mexican Americans have also had an impact in baseball. Latinos make up highest number of the minority group that play baseball. Esteban Bellan was among the first Mexican American to play baseball in the professional league. In 1990, percentage of Latino players who played in the league had grown from 13% to 30% by 2006 (Samuel, pg. 101-106). Those who have succeeded have stories of how baseball helped them escape poverty. However, they still various challenges including different American culture and language barrier (Bob). They have also been involved in the American football. Although there are not as Many, Mexican Americans who have participated in the NFL games, the few who have participated have proved that everyone is capable of doing something. Danny Villanueva was among the earliest field-goal kickers in the NFL from the Mexican descent. Just like mentioned before, history of Mexican American football is not only limited to individual’s stars but rather include the efforts of coaches, teammates as well as the fans. The best example is when Donna High School football team were able to win the Texas championship. Donna was a racially segregated town but both Mexicans and whites came out to support their team which was composed of 10 Mexicans and 8 whites and they were able to win the games. The team was considered an underdog and was competing against a top ranked team. The Mexican Americans that worked as migrant workers against their parents pulled a surprising win a proof of what they could do if given an opportunity.

Basketball is a sport also loved by the Mexicans and there have been several Mexicans that have been featured in the NBA including Alfred Butch Lee. Basketball among the Mexican Americans brought a sense of community and provided a platform where they got to interact with other ethnic groups. In South Chicago between the year 1930-1940, Mexican youth travelled across America with their basketball teams becoming exposed of various cultures and understanding how their ethnic identities were understood by other people (Carlos, pg. 58). In the 2008 documentary, Basketball in the Barrio, it portrayed how Rocky Galarza founded unique basketball camp in El Segundo Barrio a Mexican American neighborhood in the united states (Jorger, pg. 1-15). The space provided a place Latino youth could come train basketball and escape the street life that would have led the into committing crimes.

Women have also not been lefty behind in fighting for a space at the table sports women who are Mexican American have achieved in various fields including Nancy Lopez a known golfer. Most women grew up in a surrounding where they were encouraged to just take up house duties ND many are into beauty. However, there are those that have shown that women too are good in sports. Lisa Fernandez a pitcher for softball team won Olympics gold medal in 1996 and 2000 inspiring so many girls. Women like Monica Gonzalez who is the founder of Gonzo Soccer has been vocal in encouraging more women to play (Williams). In 2017, Gonzalez was among those who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in collaboration with ex-professionals and the Equal Playing Field Initiative and played a match to raise awareness on gender inequality in sports.

In conclusion, Mexican Americans have had an impact in our sports world. It is important we begin to understand the contemporary roles that the Latino athletes have in the U.S sports. For the various trams, leagues and the sports network this may be an opportunity to expand the market an untapped fan base as well. Despite the barriers that they have to go through including race, gender inequalities and culture, Mexican Americans are fighting all odds to also have a voice and say in the sports world.

Woks Cited

 Bob Harkins, “Is Baseball Turning Into Latin America’s Game?” NBCSports.com, at http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43665383/ns/sports-baseball/, accessed July 19, 2012.

Carlos Ortiz, “Eet Eez Time to KO the Stereotype of the Latino Athletes.” Nuestro Magazine, July 1977, 58.

Fernando Dominguez, “Ready to Rumble: La Colonia Holding a Full House.” Los Angeles Times, July 3, 1996. B3.

George Sanchez, Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), 87-107.

Greenberg, Bradley S., et al. “Local newspaper coverage of Mexican Americans.” Journalism Quarterly 60.4 (1983): 671-676.

Jorge Iber et al., Latinos in U.S. Sport: A History of Isolation, Cultural Identity, and Acceptance (Human Kinetics, 2011), 67-71.

Jorge Iber and Samuel O. Regalado, Mexican Americans and Sports: A Reader on Athletics and Barrio Life (Lubbock, TX: Texas A & M University Press, 2007), 1-15.

Samuel Regalado, “Image is everything: Latin Baseball Players and the United States Press,” Studies in American Popular Culture 13 (1994): 101-106.

Stodolska, Monika, et al. ““I was born in the hood”: Fear of crime, outdoor recreation and physical

activity among Mexican-American urban adolescents.” Leisure Sciences 35.1 (2013): 1-15.

Williams, Lena. “Hispanic Female Athletes Are Few and Far Between.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2002, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/sports/women-s-sports-hispanic-female-athletes-are-few-and-far-between.html.

Long Essay

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Long Essay

The 1920s were prosperous years from the American population, and this cultivated the culture of consumerism. At this time, items such as ready-made clothing, motor vehicles, household appliances like refrigerators, and trips to theatres became staples in the American household. Although these were not new in the country, there was an increased appetite for them in the 1920s. There are several reasons for this shift to consumerism. Consumerism is a theory used to explain why people acquire goods and services in increasing amounts with time (Beder 43). Some of the reasons for the increasing consumerism in the country during the 1920s are technological advancements and inventions in areas such as communication, transport, and manufacturing.

The first reason is that people had more disposable income with increased prosperity. More Americans had jobs, and wages were on the rise. Wages rose from an approximate figure of $36.4 billion to over $50 billion. This rise meant that people earned more, and thus they had more disposable income to spend. They spent this extra money on consumer goods that they previously would not have been able to access. Access to credit also became much easier during the 1920s, and people could purchase any goods they wanted and pay off their debts later over time. This fuelled the attitude that a person could buy now and pay later.

Advertising also played a massive role in encouraging the culture of consumerism in the 1920s. Companies used different platforms such as television, print media, and celebrities to advertise their products to the public. Movie theatres gained popularity during the time, and advertisers took advantage of this. There were adverts before the airing of movies, and this prompted consumers to purchase the products they saw. The 1920s also saw a growth in the celebrity culture, and ordinary people wanted to be like these celebrities. A company would hire a celebrity to advertise a product, and people would rush to purchase the item. Access to electricity as the country switched from coal gave households the power needed to run appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and electric irons that saved on labor and were also luxurious (Beder 45). Another reason why the United States prospered in the 1920s is increased efficiencies in terms of new technology and mass production. An example of this is the assembly line in factories that allowed them to harness economies of scale and produce goods at a lower price for the consumers.

The Great Depression between 1929 and 1940 marked a period of economic turmoil for the United States, and it also spread to other industrialized nations in the world. The Depression brought changes to the relationship between the economy and the state. Currently, the US government has different kinds of support for citizens who are unemployed, disabled, or living in poverty. Things were quite different in the 1930s. There were no such provisions, and when the Great Depression hit, people lost their sources of income, leaving them helpless. This was when President Roosevelt sprung to action with the New Deal and the Second New Deal.

Before the Depression, the economic system was more or less a laissez-faire capitalistic system (Cole & Ohanian 783). However, when the economy collapsed, the people were left alone with no one to come to their rescue. This situation is what prompted the state to take more control of the economy, and the two were firmly entwined since then. The government took a more proactive approach when it came to economic matters. Some of the systems introduced under the New Deals include social; security, unemployment insurance, welfare programs, job creation programs, among others (Cole & Ohanian. 802).These federal programs allowed the state to oversee the economy of the country and step in when necessary. For example, unemployed people could file for unemployment insurance and get some money from the government when they lost their jobs. About two hundred thousand people received social security benefits in 1940 alone, and this has grown to millions today.

The Second World War and the early Cold War brought many changes to the United States. The Cold War inspired fear and paranoia among the American public that there were communist spies in the country (Keegan 31). For this reason, the government and the public took a great interest in finding any spies and punishing them. Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy preyed on this public fear claiming that he had a list of communist spies within the country. The Second World War had a significant impact on the US economy. When the war began, the country was still reeling from the effects of the Great Depression, including widespread unemployment. The war effort required the production of different kinds of goods and this created employment for many people. World War two became a kind of alleviation for the Great Depression because people could find work in the factories (Murray & Millett 11).

The America of today is based mainly on the contours of the twentieth century. The first reason for this is that many government programs established under the New Deal during the Great Depression are still in place today. These include unemployment insurance, government bailouts, and the social security system. The Cold War was characterized by proxy wars between the United States and the Soviet Union, and this persists to date. The United States and countries from Eastern Europe fight for superiority in areas such as space exploration, the creation of arms and weapons, as well as proxy wars.

Works Cited

Beder, Sharon. “Consumerism: An historical perspective.” Pacific Ecologist 9.1 (2004): 42-48.

Cole, Harold L., and Lee E. Ohanian. “New Deal policies and the persistence of the Great Depression: A general equilibrium analysis.” Journal of political Economy 112.4 (2004): 779-816.

Keegan, John. The second world war. Random House, 2011.

Murray, Williamson, and Allan Reed Millett. A war to be won: Fighting the Second World War. Harvard University Press, 2009.

Literary Analysis The Yellow Wallpaper

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Literary Analysis: The Yellow Wallpaper

The short story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman discusses the narrator’s struggle with mental illness without any support from her husband. The narrator and her husband went to a holiday home so that the narrator could get enough rest and improve her health. In reading the short story, readers can see that the narrator is an oppressed woman who has little or no say in what happens to her. Her husband makes all the decisions, and he often dismisses everything that she wants to do or say. In the nineteenth century, women suffered from many types of oppression, and the narrator in the short story embodies many of their struggles. With time, women gained the courage to speak out against oppression, especially through the media. As a writer, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote the short story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ as a way to expose her own struggle through the literary media by employing different themes and literary styles.

The main character in the story is the narrator, who in this case, is the author of the short story. She is suffering from depression and struggles with how to overcome it. Her husband, John, is a doctor who has dismissed her illness as nothing more than ‘temporary nervous depression’ (Maitun 12).Despite this diagnosis, the author feels that there is something more profound, but her opinion is drowned under the learned opinion of both her brother and husband, who are professionals in the medical field. Weir Mitchell is the doctor who treats the narrator, and his recommendation is the resting cure. He thinks that a lot of rest will eventually help to cure the sick woman. For this reason, John takes the narrator to a holiday home from which she writes ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’ The narrator explains, “He said we came here solely on my account, that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I could get.” (Gilman 648)John does not want the narrator to exert herself in any way, and she has to keep her writing a secret though it makes her feel better. The short story is based on Gilman’s personal struggle with depression and futile attempts at getting treatment. Having been treated by Dr Mitchell, she wrote the story to elaborate on the evils of the resting cure.

One of the major themes in the short story is the oppression of women in marriage. The narrator’s husband makes all the decisions regarding her life, leaving her no option to follow his every lead. He does not care what she thinks or wants; he just does what he feels is good for her. She writes, “He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.” (Gilman 648) For example, she is not allowed to write or do any other work despite the fact that she knows some type of exertion would make her better. Instead of confronting her husband about this, she is reduced to hiding her journal whenever her husband approaches. John refuses to let the narrator see her cousins because he thinks they are too stimulating for her delicate condition. Another prominent theme in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is self-expression. The narrator in the story is not allowed to express herself in any way, especially through writing. She has to keep her thoughts and opinions to herself, and this eventually drives her into a nervous breakdown. The diary is the only way for her to express her stifled thoughts and opinions.

The main premise that Gilman passes across in the short story is the dangers of the resting cure. Many doctors, especially in the nineteenth century, prescribed the resting cure for women suffering from mental illness. Having gone through the trauma of the resting cure herself, Gilman tries to fight against the use of this technique. She shows that the resting cure is ineffective because it does not take into account the narrator’s need for mental occupation (Dennis 23). Her mind is already plagued by thoughts and anxiety, and extended periods of idleness only make it worse. She becomes obsessed with the wallpaper and conjures up many images in her mind because her mind has no other occupation. She mentions her own doctor in the short story, and he eventually discarded the resting cure as a means of treating mental illness (Stiles 41). John, the narrator’s husband, threatens that if she doesn’t get better, he will return her to Dr Mitchell, and the thought of that terrifies the narrator. John and Dr Mitchell might have had the narrator’s best interests at heart, but they infantilize her and treat her like a passive object.

The short story employs several literary devices to make its point clear to the readers. The first person narration makes the whole story more credible. Gilman is the narrator in the story who speaks from her personal experience. Because of this, the narrator explains things as she sees them, making readers get her primary point of view. She explains how she feels, her thoughts and her desires which have been repressed by her husband (Stiles 14). Her unhappiness and dissatisfaction are evident in the way she writes, yet she must do her best to get better for the sake of her husband. The reader can empathize with her. Symbolism is a prominent feature in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’ After observing the wallpaper for many days, the narrator begins to see the figure of a woman inside it. The woman is trapped behind bars and constantly tries to get out. the narrator says ,” Then in the very ‘bright spots she keeps still, and in the very shady spots she just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard.” (Gilman 654) As the days go by, the narrator becomes fixated on this woman till the day of her nervous breakdown. The woman in the wallpaper finally escapes, and the narrator thinks that she too escaped from the wallpaper. The struggles of the woman in the wallpaper symbolize the narrator’s own struggle to escape from the confinement of her mental state and marriage, where she is not allowed to do anything but rest.

Situational irony in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is also another literary device. This refers to a situation in which a character does something that results in the opposite of the intended result. In the short story, all John wants is for the narrator to get better. He takes her on holiday into the countryside so that she can get all the rest and air she can get. John actually thinks that she is doing a lot better after some days, with the narrator writing “John is so pleased to see me improve!” (Gilman 653). However, their stay in the house only makes things for the narrator. She learns to keep her obsession with the wallpaper a secret, but it eventually drives her into a breakdown. Dramatic irony is also used in the short story where the reader knows something that the characters do not. John chooses a specific bedroom for the narrator and himself in their holiday home, and the narrator notices some strange things in the room such as the fact that the bed is fixed to the floor. She muses, “It was nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge, for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.” (Gilman 648) She concludes the room must have been a nursery, but this is evidently not the case. The fittings in the room suggest that it was used to confine an insane person.

When Gilman first published the short story, it received a tense reception. Women could relate to many of the things the author wrote about, yet others said it would encourage people to feel as insane and depressed as the writer. Even before this, many publishers refused to publish it because it had very dark themes. Another issue is that the story left people confused as to what eventually happened to the narrator in the story. Gilman made sure to hand a copy to Dr Mitchell, who later acknowledged the destructive effects of the resting cure and abandoned the treatment. Gilman’s efforts to shed light on the issue of mental illness and its treatment among women finally bore fruit.

In conclusion, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is the story of a woman trying to get treatment for depression. The story is set in the nineteenth century where mental illness was dismissed as something minor and temporary, and John shows this in suggesting that rest would be the best cure. The main themes in the story include oppression of women in marriage, self-expression and the resting cure. The author uses literary devices such as irony, symbolism, and first-person narration to bring out the meaning of the story. Although the story received mixed reactions upon publishing, it still played an important role in challenging the benefits of the resting cure and creating awareness of mental illness.

Works Cited

Dennis, Clarissa E. “Creativity and Madness: The Misunderstandings Behind Mental Health.” (2019).

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s” Yellow Wallpaper”. Gale Cengage Learning, 2016.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, 1860-1935. The Charlotte Perkins Gilman Reader: The Yellow Wallpaper, and Other Fiction. New York: Pantheon Books, 1980.

Maitun, Maitun. The wife’s depression in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s the yellow wallpaper. Diss. UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, 2018.

Stiles, Anne. “The Rest Cure, 1873-1925.” BRANCH: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History. Ed. Dino Franco Felluga. Extension of Romanticism and Victorianism on the Net. Web.

Listening Appreciation.

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Listening Appreciation.

There are different things to consider in music including the tone type of voices, speed and instruments used. For this case week one introduces several instruments used in music in different scenarios. There are instruments used at the band, basic music and orchestra. After listening to the videos there is much learnt and a lot to appreciate and some are discussed below.

First, instruments give a whole new spice to music. In the first video, Orchestra there are different instruments used to play instrumental versions of common music which makes them appealing to the listener. However, it is not an easy task to get the knots of the different parts of the songs thus those playing did a great job. More so, the band instruments video introduces to us different instruments explaining what they are made of and how they are operated to produce sound. For instance, the flute is blow different ways while holding different parts of the flute in order to produce different pitches. A sharp tuning is obtained when the head joint is pushed in all the way. Other interesting instruments demonstrated in the video are the saxophone, bassoon, clarinet, oboe and the French horn. Also, it was great to learn about instruments from India in the world instruments video. Among them is the harmonium which can be confused with the digital piano. It is interesting to understand the basic music theory and why there are always five lines and four spaces in which music is written (staff) among other things. Lastly, in the instruments percussion video, indeed there is a lot of skills needed to operate the musical instruments for example the vibraphone, the drum which might seem easy but it needs some learning.

Conclusively, the videos on the different instruments are interesting and educative at least after a repeat I can confidently play one of the instruments. Playing music instruments is not easy and it needs dedication and being keen while learning the skills in order to be perfect.

Conflict Resolution and management

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Conflict Resolution and management

Introduction

In order for relationships to be healthy, conflict has to arise at some point. In reality, people will never agree on the same issues all the time. It is vital that people learn not to avoid conflict, but rather deal and control it. Mismanagement of conflict will affect relationships in a negative manner. When people do not seem to agree on an issue, and they draw away from each other, this is a conflict situation. Most times, people may disagree over work related matters, and it affects their relationship. For example, while working at on a project, I disagreed with my partner concerning the research methods to be used. The opinions presented by my partner were different from mine and thus the cause for conflict. I was unhappy, and stressed out about the matter; thus I choose to keep away from my partner. On the other hand, I wanted us to come to a mutual agreement concerning the research method we would use. Later on, after consultation and finding a common ground, the conflict was solved. Each of us wanted their opinion to be accepted at the expense of the other. I wanted to use a Qualitative method of obtaining Data, while my partner chose to use a quantitative method. I believe that my method is far superior to the other one, which was presented. We all wanted this situation to be solved by finding the suitable research method for our project.

It is clear that we needed to find the true source of the argument that we were had. The problem is that everyone believes that their view is more superior to the other. We need to know that, in the professional world, people should not allow personal issues to affect their work performance. After talking with my partner, I found out that she held a grudge against me. The matter is not related to work, and it took place during our time away from work. We talked about the issue and concluded that the matter was personal and should not affect our work. Furthermore, we brainstormed about various research methods until we found one. The reason why the conflict was solved is due to putting our personal differences aside. The only conflict that was not solved is the personal issue, as it takes a lot of effort. Moreover, we believe that our work is vital as compared to other conflicts that affect relationships.

The success of the project was achieved because, at work, excuses and unsatisfactory work is not accepted. We had to listen to the each other’s view points as this work was a collaboration. The expectations we set were to come up with an award winning project, for our career improvement. Each of us is aware of the fact that our success is only achievable if we solve the conflict at hand. Thus, I believe that the ideal expectations of this agreement materialized.

In conclusion, I learnt that relationships can be harmed due to conflict. Conflicts should be handled in a manner that is positive and respectful. In turn, the two people will form a bond, which will encourage growth. In this case, we changed our attitudes, in order to work and to achieve success. I was extremely tolerant while talking to my partner, as the tone I used was low. Indeed, disagreements should not be the reason why people cannot make progress in their lives.