Applying Social Anthropology to Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily

Literature has always served as a great resource for documenting the past. Despite its fictional qualities, its ability to represent people of a specific generation makes it a valuable instrument to help social anthropologists characterize societies.In particular, William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily provides details about the Southern American people in the early 1900s. Reflecting on the story’s characterization and angle of narration, readers can easily come up with a view of Southern people’s attitudes and values.Certain attitudes and values are reflected in the story as it focuses on a single major character, Miss Emily Grierson. Born in an aristocratic family in the early 1900s, Miss Emily is bound to submit to strict family rules and traditions that her society imposes, one of which is giving utmost respect to her father, who raises her up on his own.Pictured as a woman with very strong attachment and dependence on her father, Miss Emily finds it too difficu lt to move on after the death of the old man. Such implies the importance the Southerners gave their family, especially their parents, but also reveals the drawbacks of authoritarian parenthood practiced in those times.With her father as her only guide, Emily is treated with preciosity (West 193). This makes her believe that she is different from other girls, and that no man truly deserves her. This mindset greatly affects the way she relates with others, especially with men. Her father’s restriction on her, which is mainly due to the social standing they try to maintain, severely affects Miss Emily’s view of life and relationship.As the story suggests, preciosity leads to a psychological imbalance, which is made worse by the loss of her father. Her refusal to bury her father, her murder of Homer, and the years she spent sleeping with the latter’s cadaver suggest a distorted mentality and family orientation.In Littler (cited in Akers), Faulkner himself expressed sympathy towards his character. This explains the reason why he created Miss Emily’s character.Having observed the effects of aristocratic family system, Faulkner attempts to make his readers feel ridiculous about Miss Emily’s fate, thus implying the need to revisit certain family values practiced during his time. However, while his attempt to provide social criticism may arouse sympathy towards women like Miss Emily, it may also cause readers to ridicule the characters and the society they live in considering the story’s angle of narration.Narrated by limited-seeing narrator, the story suggests bias on the part of Miss Emily and even the townspeople. Beginning with the protagonist’s funeral, the narrator may be assumed to be of younger age than Miss Emily. If the story begins with Miss Emily’s childhood, readers may be led to believe that the narrator is Miss Emily’s contemporary. However, since it highlights not only the funeral but also the gothic elements (Littler, cited in Akers) in Miss Emily’s life, one may be inclined to believe that a lesser attachment exists between the narrator and the main character, despite Faulkner’s expression of sympathy towards women like Miss Emily.As the narrator comments, Miss Emily has been â€Å"a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.† This statement supports the view that more than sympathy, Miss Emily’s character is looked upon with contempt and ridicule. Notably, the narrator highlights events leading to Miss Emily’s fall and the town’s discovery of her insanity. The respect that the people once had is suddenly lost along with the death of her father.This means that the people paid respect to Miss Emily and made her a â€Å"duty and a hereditary obligation† owing to what her father has done for the people, and not because of the way she conducts herself in society or how people feel genera lly about others. Although divided into five parts, the story presents three timelines namely, the remote past, the immediate past and the present. The remote past hints on how Miss Emily is raised in seclusion and is made to believe that no one is worthy of her.The immediate past includes her father’s death, Homer’s disappearance, Miss Emily’s purchase of a rat poison, her refusal to pay land taxes, and the foul smell from her house that the people complain about. These two timelines present ideas that could lead readers to a contemptuous reaction towards Miss Emily’s character. Moreover, the present time where the people find â€Å"a long strand of iron-gray hair† further suggests the anomaly in Miss Emily’s life, making her look more horrible and loathsome.Considering the angle of narration, it is more conclusive that readers would see Miss Emily’s characterization in a negative view. The events leading to her tragic end portray Mi ss Emily in a negative manner, thus soliciting a negative reaction from the readers and implying how the narrator feels about the main character.However, it is equally important to consider that the shift in timelines suggests change in the way people regard Miss Emily. It should be noted that the Old Grierson’s death is what brings Emily to her downfall and the decrease in the amount of respect she gets from the neighbors. This change in the people’s treatment of a once respected figure mirrors the way Southerners value family reputation and tradition.As the narrator reveals, the people respect Miss Emily for what her father has done for the community. Honoring people’s contribution to society is a sign of respect still demonstrated by the Southern American society until now. However, in the case of Miss Emily, questions regarding her morality and seclusion also lead the people to feel otherwise.

Development Of Christianity

Christianity developed as a combination of Jewish monotheism and Roman universalism. It developed this way because it started out in a society that was anti-Jewish and Roman, and ended in a society that was Roman and Christian. Christians were originally persecuted by the Romans along with the Jews, who also persecuted them. One of the earliest people to spread Christianity to Greece and Asia Minor at the same time was the apostle Paul. Pauline Christianity synthesized the role of Jesus as a divine figure with Greek traditions.Christianity emerged from Judaism, but there are key differences to remember. The Jews view themselves as inheritors of a historical religious tradition that binds their society together no matter where it is. Christian eschatology does not view the coming of God as a historical event. The apostle Paul still left a definitive and lasting impression on Christian history and the way Jesus was thought of by the mass numbers that Paul was able to convert in Greece and Asia Minor.Paul, who received a vision of Jesus that blinded him, and then was miraculously healed, became one of the first Christian evangelists, spreading the word of Jesus throughout his lifetime. His traditional pattern of teaching was to begin speaking at a local synagogue, get thrown out, and continue to preach to the masses in more bucolic areas, establishing small churches through the teachings of Jesus that were later expanded in other evangelical trips.Through his wide travels, purposeful indifference to persecution, and the expostulation and sometime exhortation of the idea, still generally applied, that Christians cannot impose an ethnicity upon those who come into the faith, Paul spread the word of Christianity, performing exorcisms and miracles, guided by his concept of otherworldly forces while still being grounded in his ability to tell their voices from his own. Paul set a whole new precedent for participating in Jesus.It is also arguable that the prevailing con ception of Jesus changed with the social territory Paul covered, graded upon the inhabitants’ prior belief systems as adaptive mechanisms that accepted while changing the idea of Jesus in ways that were primarily Jewish (paternalistic, monotheistic), Greek (Dionysian), and Roman (universalist). As time went on, the idea of Jesus returning to earth became less popular and the religion shifted from being persecuted to being accepted, revitalized, and set in a system of official theology.The idea of Jesus at this point changed as it was determined universally by council what was to be thought of Jesus; whether or not he was human or divine, submissive to the idea of the father, etc. It is easy for any society to take the parables of Jesus and do virtually anything with them, since many of the parables are so open-ended. Some of these confusions were cleared up by councilor definitions, and others were added.All of the gospel writers had a different agenda in presenting the life of Jesus; this is perhaps the main reason, apart from the natural flux of a changing  society, that the understanding of Jesus was capable of changing from age to age: the definitive texts on his message are often contradictory and are fairly open to interpretation. The formation of Christianity was basically a combination of Jewish monotheism and Roman universalism, perhaps with some Greek paganism as well. One of the earliest relationships between Christianity and the surrounding culture was highly influenced by the journeys of the apostle Paul. Paul went into different geographical regions as he spread the word of Christianity, as mentioned.â€Å"Paul worked intensely to collect money for ‘the poor among the saints at Jerusalem†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Considering the importance that Paul attaches to this mission, and also the stress on economic themes in Luke-Acts, it is very odd that Luke fails to mention either the poverty of the Jerusalem church or Paul’s Great Collecti on† (Schneider, 2002). All of the gospel writers had a different agenda in presenting the religion is not necessarily a whole and functioning world that is intrinsically separated from society; since it relies upon society to thrive, it must necessarily make allowances as this society changes.When dealing with Christianity and conceptions of Jesus throughout the Christian age, one must take into account societal and religious shifts as they occur synchronously. For example, for hundreds of years after the death of Jesus, Christians were not fully accepted, and were condemned and executed by the Romans. An exploration of the evolving understanding of Jesus at this point revolves around his parables and also the onset of Pauline Christianity.Although some skeptics outside of Christianity attribute the apostle Paul’s states of grace to a disease the apostle himself perhaps mentions in the Bible, and even within the Catholic church some argue that his visions may have been hallucinations or perhaps the result of a CNS disorder which carried him to spastic heights of epiphany, Paul still left a definitive and lasting impression on Christian history and the way Jesus was thought of by the mass numbers that Paul was able to convert, thus changing the face of Christianity to its status as a scourge in early Roman times to an official state religion towards the fall of Rome. REFERENCE Schneider, J.R. (2002).   The Good of Affluence.   Grand Rapids, MI:   William B.  Eerdmans.

Impact on My Life Essay

Ashley Douglass 3rd period Jason When I think of someone who has made an impact on my life, the first person that comes to mind is my older brother Jason. He inspires me to be the best person I can be. Graduating valedictorian from his class and attending Yale University, Jason has shown me that dreams do come true; he reminds me that I must never give up. Growing up, Jason was always the smartest kid in class. He was beating games at age five and had an eloquent vocabulary. At a young age my parents could see that he was a genius; my mom always joked how it was all the Chinese food she ate while she was pregnant with him. After finishing seventh grade, he attended SMU’s talented and gifted program, also known as TAG. This was a summer program where you live in a dorm, go to classes, and earn college credits at a young age. He continued this summer program every year until he graduated high school. After applying to multiple colleges, two schools he had dreamed of going to contacted him and let him know that he had received a fully paid scholarship. These schools were SMU and Yale University. He had to decide if he wanted to stay close to family or move thousands of miles away to Connecticut where he’d never been before. Soon after, he decided to attend Yale University and begin his college adventure on his own. When he moved out, a part of me felt like it was missing. I knew eventually he’d have to leave for college, but I didn’t mentally prepare myself. I would come home from school and go in his room to ask for help with homework and the vacant room reminded me he had left. Even though I wasn’t ready for him to leave, I knew when he left he was leaving to fulfill his dream and make his family proud. Throughout high school he had always dreamed of being a movie director, so right off the bat he chose to major in directing at Yale. Every summer after he had completed his classes, Yale paid for him to study abroad, study film, and film his own movies. Jason is now a senior, and if his script gets picked out of all the directors there, he gets his movie and name on the big screen. What makes Jason stand out from others is how he has never become big headed. Not only does he put other people before himself, he stays humble and he wakes up everyday to make others smile. School has always been his priority, and he tells me religiously to keep my grades up because getting into a good college holds the pathway to my future. Fortunately, he almost has his dream in the palm of his hand. I know with his drive and work ethic, his script has a big possibility of getting picked to be on the big screen. I have always believed in him and I appreciate how he constantly pushes me to be the best I can be. He has shown me that dreams can become reality if you try hard enough. For many years, I’ve always dreamt of being a famous singer. Jason has been by my side since day one and supports my singing. Not only is he my big brother, he is my motivation. Every person he comes across, he treats them with upmost respect and lets them know he will always be there for them. In conclusion, Jason has made the biggest impact on my life out of everyone. Not only does he tell me to follow my dreams, but he pushes me to be the best person I can be. He inspires me with his love, integrity, honesty, and how humble he is. He is important to me because of how supportive he is in everything I do and he is always there for me when I need him even though he is thousands of miles away. He has taught me that you have all the potential inside you to be whatever you want to be. Each day you take a step towards your dream and when times get hard, hold onto it. Because there will be a morning where you wake up and realize you’re the person you dreamed of, doing what you wanted to do all along.

Case Study Endocrinology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study Endocrinology - Essay Example The substantially increased level of growth hormones which were directly secreted to the circulatory system targeted more somatic cells triggering more cell division, protein synthesis, and bone growth (Mader, 2001). Thus, in a span of 10 years, Jessica gained 325 pounds in weight, and 7 inches in height which is and indication of increased metabolism. 3. At age 23 Jessica manifested suffering from intensifying migraines; impaired working ability as always tired, no menstrual cycle for 19 months; enlarge feet from size 9, 3 years back. At age 30 or 10 years after, Jessica gained 325 pounds in weight, and 7 inches in height. These clinical indicators support the diagnosis that indeed Jessica is suffering from acromegaly in as much as the symptoms are consistent with the indicators for the disease supposed by Dr Cook et al in 2004. 4. In case the clinical diagnosis is correct, then, biochemical GH level at 75g glucose test would be at1ng/ml to 100 ng/ml level (Cook et al, 2004). Obviously, this diagnosis is for a secondary disorder, which is adenomatous anterior pituitary gland or anterior pituitary gland tumor, where mass of the anterior pituitary gland could be equated to hypersecretory activities. 5. A 75g glucose test which is a biochemical test could confirm the clinical diagnosis. ... Obviously, this diagnosis is for a secondary disorder, which is adenomatous anterior pituitary gland or anterior pituitary gland tumor, where mass of the anterior pituitary gland could be equated to hypersecretory activities. 5. A 75g glucose test which is a biochemical test could confirm the clinical diagnosis. 75g glucose can be administered orally to Jessica. Her GH levels can be monitored thereafter. This must be at intervals 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. A GH reading at or between 1ng/ml to 100 ng/ml levels of IGF-I is indicative of acromegaly. This can be substantiated by the initial serum test for IGF-I levels (Cook et al, 2004). 6. In order to alleviate Jessica's acromegaly symptoms, Cook et al in 2004 suggested that the patient may be given a medical therapy consisting of somatostatin. Somatostatin may be introduced subcutaneously 3 times a day or every 8 hours. Somatostatin has been found to be capable of lowering the GH level of patients, as well as IGF-I levels in approximately 50 % to 70 % of recipients. The rate of normalization has been found to be within the region of 41 % to 67 %. However, the highest level of inhibition may be observed or experienced by Jessica after 2 hours. This level of inhibition will end in about 6 hours only (Cook et al, 2004). Nonetheless, in case Jessica will be found to be a good surgical candidate, then, surgery can be an option. In the event that Jessica agrees to undergo surgery, the operation will then offer her a spin towards her normal GH secretions and IGF-I levels. This will also mean purging the mass end product and troubles linked to her neurons like migraines. Likewise, this will preclude recurrence of the tumor (Cook, 2004). Reference Mader,

Biology Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology Blog - Essay Example I would ask about his family history to establish whether there have been other members who have been victims of atherosclerosis. Apart from the apparent smoking, I would I would strive to establish other risk factors that are predisposing this patient to worsen his health by carrying out diagnostic tests e.g. ECG, exercising for stress test, or CT scan. This will determine the extent of this condition in order to advice on treatment. Treatment would include first discussing with the patient about his symptoms and the dangers that they pose to him and those around him. He should begin by taking charge of his smoking and recommend that he should eventually quit the habit. Other lifestyle habits to avoid are getting rid of foods high in cholesterol and alternatively adopt low fat and low salt diets. Exercises should begin if he has not been active before as this helps to increase the flow of blood throughout his body system and burns out fats. In addition to lifestyle changes, I would recommend certain medication that will aid the heart in working more effectively. This will depend on the condition of his heart at that moment. Aspirin can be taken as soon as he experiences shortness of breath to aid in breaking up any possible blood clot. 2. An important quality that makes organisms living things is their ability to maintain homeostasis. Describe an example where animals or humans (again, you may or may not choose to use personal experiences) have gone through either a negative or positive feedback mechanism to maintain homeostasis. The maintenance of a relatively constant internal environment despite external environmental changes is homeostasis. One example of a positive feedback mechanism in Homeostasis in seen in the sweating activity. The activity of the sweat glands in our bodies is an important process through which we strive to conserve or release body heat. Just like the way we

Test runs and pilot experiments on a carbon capture plant Literature review

Test runs and pilot experiments on a carbon capture plant - Literature review Example This project focuses on the physical absorption of carbon dioxide. The objectives of the project are as follows: 1. Understand the basic processes occurring in the plant for separating carbon dioxide from nitrogen 2. Become familiar with the plant (hardware, instrumentation and control systems). 3. Be able to prepare start-up and shut down instructions for operating the plant in a safe and efficient manner, taking into account that during transient conditions chemical plants are less safe than when they operate at steady state. 4. Develop an understanding of the relevant theory behind the operation of the pilot plant, e.g. Use of principles of heat transfer, mass transfer, and gas-liquid equilibrium. 5. Understand the effect of controllable system parameters on plant performance; and how to measure, control, and evaluate performance. Be able to plan a set of relevant experimental runs to collect the required data. 6. Analyse and present experimental data in a clear, concise and coherent form in the form of a brief individual report. 7. Work effectively and efficiently in a group to achieve a complex goal. In order for the success of the entire project, there were safety precautions that had to be adhered to; these are COMPULSORY safety precautions. The emphasis on the safety precautions is because there is a steam present in the plant and there are other potential dangers too, in the Pilot Plant Area. The paper presents the protection had to be worn at all times. ... The emphasis on the safety precautions is because there is a steam present in the plant and there are other potential dangers too, in the Pilot Plant Area. Given, the following protection had to be worn at all times: 1. A white laboratory coat 2. Goggles - may be removed in the control room. 3. A hard hat should be worn in the main areas of the plant. There are a number of pipes that can pose a danger to any exposed head. In addition, there are gantries surrounding the plant where things can fall! 4. A safety shower, situated at the right hand corner, in the main laboratory. This is seen as you enter the pilot plant. 5. Always think ahead; consider your own safety as well as that of others. 6. Must also sign into areas of the main control room. Methods and Materials The pilot plant consists of three absorption columns and one regenerator. The absorption columns are made out of acrylic plastic and have a height of 2.4 m and diameter of 0.1 m. Sampling points for the gas composition an d temperature are located along the sides of each column. Two columns are randomly packed with 16-mm Pall Rings and IMTP#15 and 1 column is packed with 4A Cempak structured packing. The structured packing sections were rotated 90" with respect to each other in the column. The absorption process was carried out in a counter-current mode of operation, whereby the feed gas composed of CO, air enters from the bottom of the column flowing upwards, and the prepared M U solution is pumped to the top of the column and flows downward by gravity. Treated gas exits via the top of the absorber and the rich MEA solution leaves at the bottom. The IMTP #15 and 16-mm Pall Ring packing’s were provided by Norton Chemical Process Products and the

Corporate governance in Olympus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate governance in Olympus - Essay Example This had to be initiated since the company was making a difference in the market with outstanding potential share. In 1950, Olympus started the diversification of its product offerings in medical systems, health care equipment, and then moving forward to SLR cameras and world’s first Microcassette recorder (Olympus Imaging America Inc., 2012). As a highly innovative company relying on its ability to give more value for its customers, Olympus continued responding to the market’s needs for products such as â€Å"clinical blood analysers, powerful microscope systems, and breakthrough digital cameras† (Olympus Imaging America Inc., 2012). After 93 years, today, Olympus seems to be so proud about its achievement from the past until at present while it continues to create the same enthusiasm in producing its product offerings and creating value for customers through its high standard quality product and service contributions in the market. From a very simple microscope, the world’s needs for clinical equipment moved to a higher standard. Olympus then started to produce products like â€Å"acoustic microscopes, ultrasonic endoscopes, reagent AIDS detection, digital voice recorders, and best-selling camera like the Infinity Stylus† (Olympus Imaging America Inc., 2012). Olympus therefore provides equipments and devices for medical and healthcare, imaging and information, and industrial applications (Datamonitor: Business Information Centre, 2007). Olympus is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan while the rest of its satellites or branches are situated in Europe, Asia and Americas. It has centralised structure, aiming to produce new innovative ideas, technological advancement, and a cut-above-the-other-manufacturing performance, consistently. The company is organised into different segment divisions such as imaging system business, medical systems business, life science business, information and communication business and other businesses (Datamonitor: Business

African American Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African American Music - Essay Example Could you imagine African American culture without music? This question is rather rhetorical. Floyd defined African-American music as music that emanates directly from the black experience in America, descending from the calls, cries, hollers, spirituals, ragtime, and blues of the slavery and post-slavery periods. This genre includes jazz, rhythm and blues, black gospel, and all the forms to which these genres have given birth (Floyd, 232). Interestingly, no one knows exactly when the blues or jazz music began. â€Å"When asked about the origin of blues, old-time fiddlers in New Orleans replied, the blues? Ain’t no first blues! The blues always been† (Southern, 332). Historically, through their indigenous music of their homeland, slaves brought many characteristics of blues, ragtime, and jazz music. Even though those persons could not bring their instruments and familiar possessions from their country, they did bring music in their hearts and minds. For them music serve d as a way of life in Africa, for celebrations and rituals. For work, pleasure, and freedom in America, the slaves adapted a new kind of music, developing a new culture for themselves by combining parts of the American culture with African culture. The new music of work songs, shouts, hollers, cries, and moans, evolved into the blues, happy and sad songs.

Issues and Dilemmas of Contemporary Public Administration WK 6 Term Paper - 1

Issues and Dilemmas of Contemporary Public Administration WK 6 - Term Paper Example More often than not however, public administrators have been confronted with a myriad of ethical obligations which include but not inclined to: public interest, administrative responsibility as well as other personal life matters such as finances, sexual misconduct and health, among many others (Geuras & Garofalo, 2009). Public interest incorporates the welfare of the general public. Public administrators are mandated to serve the people. Thus, they are endorsed with the duty and responsibility to enhance public interest. It is therefore expected of them to conduct their activities with fairness and equality. Thus, they have an ethical obligation to maintain accountability and openness in their activities so as to ensure that they are doing what is perceived to be right within the perception of the public. Administrative responsibility on the other hand involves the behavior of public administrators and the expectations that others have with respect to that behavior. In this regards, a public administrator is deemed to be responsible if his/her behavior conforms to the expectations. Conversely, if a public administrator’s behavior deviated from the expectations, such an administrator is considered irresponsible. The private sector has been applauded for enhancing administrative responsibility more efficiently than the public sector. Perhaps, this accounts for the increased prevalence of various governments privatizing most of their activities. In a nutshell, privatization refers to the incidence of transferring ownership of public service, property, agency, enterprise or business from the public sector to the private sector. More often than not, privatization has been considered as a solution to the many challenges that are replete in public administration. This has seen an increase in the private sector assuming the responsibility of carrying out service delivery, which was initially carried out by the public sector. In the recent years, many

Reading and writing experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading and writing experience - Essay Example Whereas the university recognizes English as the primary language of instruction, Joe did not have adequate writing skills in English. Therefore, he had problems keeping up with the lecturers pace in the class. More often than not he had to keep on asking his desk mate for course books so that he could copy what he had not been able to copy during class time. This was a great challenge in his learning of English. He would thus opt to listen during class time and write the notes later during his free time. This interfered with his learning process. Additionally, he would find learning how to write in English difficult since learning in class was taking place at a very fast pace that he would not be able to keep up. The fact that the English class had many students from different parts of the world posed a great challenge for Joe. This is because students spoke different dialects. Whereas a good language environment is important for language development, Joe did not enjoy favourable language environment. He would often be confused on which dialect to follow and in the process lost track in learning how to speak English. However, he would sometimes hang up with few friends who are native English speakers and they would influence him to speak proper English. Furthermore, the cultural confusion would add more problems to learning how to speak English. This was because of the cultural conflict between different students in class. Learning to read and write in English means a lot for international students. Particularly, they need to learn English so that they can apply the same in learning other subjects. Therefore, the challenges faced by international students, like Joe, need to be addressed. The university may consider setting the right language environment for international students to influence their learning. Although mixing native and international students can cause cultural shock, it can be one of the greatest tools of enhancing

Which type of hotel you would like to work Essay Example for Free

Which type of hotel you would like to work Essay I would like to work in resort hotels and Hyatt Regency is my first choice. The leisure and pleasure travelers were drawn by favorable climate and recreational activities which are provided by resort hotels. Hyatt Regency focuses on providing recreational activities such as golf, tennis, spa and swimming; others offer family activities. Resort hotels are usually located in suburban area which offering relief from crowd area. In order to maintain the occupancy during the low and shoulder seasons, the larger resort hotels providing meeting and exhibition places become a destination for MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) Market. Hyatt Regency has also provided a full-services business center. Moreover, guest rooms and suites in resort hotels are generally larger than those in other types of hotels. Sometimes resort hotels provide kitchen facilities since these hotels cater to families who have vacation or stay for several weeks. Hyatt Regency has also provided some kitchen facilities such as refrigerator and microwave. There are there reasons of why I would like to work in resort hotels. First and foremost, I can enjoy a better quality of life in resort hotels than other types of hotels such as commercial hotel. Since the resort hotels are usually located in less populated and congested area with favorable climate and beautiful views. I can relief from smog and appreciate the great environment nearby. Other types of hotels are usually located in urban area and near shopping, business areas and other major attractions. Those staff possibly cant enjoy their life while they are working, so their quality of life is worse than those who working in resort hotels. Secondly, I think working in resort hotels is more challenging than those hotels which concentrated in serving few types of guests. As I mentioned above, resort hotels are also a destination of MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) Market which for maintaining profitability during the low and shoulder seasons. Generally speaking, resort hotels cater leisure travelers, families, business persons and other types of guests. Each type of guests has their unique requests and requirements on their accommodations, food and beverage or other services. Leisure travelers may  request a room must face a direction for religious purpose; the parents may request a child care service. Guests expectations are vary but must be met. The quality of services decides the survival of a hotel. If the guests unsatisfied about the services in any aspect, they will not come again. The hotel will not survive even though luxury amenities and facilities are provided. I think I pay effort in satisfying various guests needs is challenging and I can gain satisfactions from here as well. Finally, harmonious atmosphere is easily found in resort hotels. Resort hotels usually cater those leisure travelers and families who sometimes stay for several weeks or months. Some returning guests tend to treat hotel staff like friend. At the same time, the hotel staffs treat the guests with dignity and respect. These add to the overall party-like and harmonious atmosphere, which is common at many resort hotels. To conclude, a better quality of life, more challenging works and harmonious atmosphere in resort hotels are main reasons for attracting me to work in resort hotels.

Superconductors & physicist Essay Example for Free

Superconductors physicist Essay Superconductivity was discovered by a Dutch physicist Kammerlingh Onnes in 1911 while studying â€Å"resistivity of mercury at low temperature† (Halliday 1999). To his surprise he found that below a temperature of about 4K mercury suddenly lost all its resistivity that was named by him as a superconductor. Conductors are those substances through which electricity pass to a larger extent. Superconductors are conductors that lose their resistance at a very low temperature. Every conductor possesses resistivity up to a certain extent whereas; superconductors lose their resistivity at low temperature. Superconductors are conductors with zero resistance. Functions and Applications Nowadays superconductors are used by scientists in making different things like noise reduction filters, communication satellites, mobile signal receivers, and other sophisticated and important machines which are extremely useful to us. Extensive researches are being carried out to design superconductors and ceramics to be used future for communication technology (Klauda 2000). Several experiments are conducted to reveal the possibility of cryogenic and high-temperature superconductor technology for use in base transceiver stations (BTS’s) and communication satellites for global mobile communication (Klauda 2000). Super conductors has helped a lot in the medical field by saving and diagnosing a lot of disorders in the human body like introducing MRI(magnetic resonance imaging) in which image is made of the inner delicate parts of the human body such as brain, stomach etc (Uses for Superconductors). Super conductors have also played a major role in advancing the transport system by replacing the huge electromagnets with super conducting magnets thus making it faster. A train operating on super conducting magnet attained an unbelievable speed of 361 mph (Uses for Superconductors). Electric generators composed of super conductors are of great importance because they are much better than the ordinary and typical generators. Super conducting generators produce much more electricity than ordinary generators. Nowadays efforts are made to commercialize these generators in order to fulfill the energy need of the world. Nowadays superconducting transformers have also been introduced to the world. In some countries underground cables including copper are replaced by superconductors making it more efficient than ordinary copper cables. Modern calculations reveal that supper conducting cables are 7000% efficient than ordinary copper cables (Uses for Superconductors). It is believed that in the next decade superconductors will replace electrical appliances in which copper is used. Super conductors are also used in industry to make Ultra high performance filters. Future of Superconductors Superconductors are of high utility in the future. Beside benefits there are also some drawbacks of using superconductors on a larger scale. Superconducting magnets are hazardous to human health thus restricting the commercial usage of MAGLEV vehicles (Uses for Superconductors). Another hitch in the wide usage of superconductivity is its high cost that for several decades restricted the functions of superconductors. Since superconductivity is attainable only at a very low temperature that is achieved in a bath of liquid helium. Since helium is found in very little quantity in the atmosphere is therefore, extremely costly limiting the functionality. After decades of hectic research, liquid nitrogen has replaced helium lowering the cost to a greater extent. References Halliday, David. (1999). Physics (Vol.2 Extended Version, 4th Ed).Robert Resnick, Kenneth S Krane. John. John Wiley Sons, Inc. New York Klauda, Matthias. (July 2000). Superconductors and Cryogenics for Future Communication Systems. Tobias Kasser, Bernd Mayer, Christian Neumann, Frank Schnell, Bachitor Aminov, Arno Baumfalk, Heinz Chaloupka, Serguei Kolesov, Helmut Piel, Norbert Klein, Stefan Schornstein, and Martin Bareiss. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 48, no. 7, 1227 Uses for Superconductors. Accessed August 19, 2008 http://superconductors. org/Uses. htm

The Effects Of Teenage Childbearing Children And Young People Essay

The Effects Of Teenage Childbearing Children And Young People Essay Sadly, pregnant teenagers in society today are too often labeled as sluts . While the majority of gilrs become pregnant by accident, a small number become pregnant on purpose. These girls feel that they will be loved, or have someone to love, or that a missing void in their ife will be filled. Worst of all some girls plan to become pregnant to heal a relationship or to hold on to a boyfriend. The fact is, if two people are in a unstable, struggling relationship, having baby will just bring on more stress and turmoil. For the other girls who become pregnant by accident this is due to carelessness, lack of knowledege, the it can t happen to me attitude, or just really by accident. For many girls, they are under the false pretense thatthey cannot become pregnant the first time they have sex. Not only is this false, but one out of twenty girls become pregnant the first time they have sex, and ninty percent of all teen pregancies occur within the first year of having sex (Guernsey 19-20). Pregnancy is a very serious situation for teenagers, because young teenage bodies are not developed enough then the bodies of women who are over twenty. Due to this, the death rate is sixty percent higher among pregnant teenagers under the age of fifteen than among older girls and women (Gutman 24). Babies born to teenagers are twice as likely to die before their first birthdays than are the babies that are born to women in thier twenties,also teenage babies run a hihger risk of being born premature or being born with mental and physical handicaps (Gutman 25). Some teenagers are afraid to tell someone about their situation, so they do not get pre-natal care which harms both the mother and the baby. When a teenager finds out that she is pregnant, she has three choices: give it up for adoption, keep it, or have an abortion. A large number of these teens choose to have an abortion. Twenty five percent of all abortions are among the teen age population (Bender and Leone 58). For many girls this is an easy way out of a difficult situation and they feel that know one will know that they do not want to know. For some those feelings stay true, but for others a deep sense of depression falls over them for killing something that they made. For other girls that choose not to keep the baby but are against abortion, they give the baby up for adoption. For many girls adoption is a stressful and heart breaking experience, after carrying a baby for nine months and then handing it over to strangers, I don t see how it wouldn t be a heart breaking time. There are agencies that allow mothers to keep in touch with the family, but most girls know that they will never see there baby again. For other girls, they may make all the arrangements for adoption and then after giving birth may change their minds completly and take on their motherly role. For the teens that keep the baby,they encounter a very challenging situation. They have to get proper health care for example. Many girls are forced to drop out of school and get jobs or the father of the baby drops out of school to support his family, if he stays with the mother. Less than one third of teens who have babies finish school before the age of eighteen (www.teenpregnancy.org). Once a teenager has a baby they have to focus on someone other than themselves, which means they can not do what they want when they want anymore. Their lives revolve around their baby and its needs. Many unmarried teen mothers end up poor or on welfare. Every year the federal government spends about forty billion dollars to help teenage mothers (Flinn Hauser 15). However for some teenagers watching their baby grow or the bond that they share is a reward for their hard work. An often over looked part of teenage pregnancy is the role of the father. About 1.1 million males father babies every year (Ayer 27). Approximately ten percent of fathers marry the mother of their baby. Some fathers care for their baby and pay child support but do not stay with the mother, or sadly some fathers refuse resposibility and do not give support in any way. A fatherly role is very important in child raising, so some communities and schools are now starting programs for teenage fathers and educating boys about teenage pregnancy. Many teen fathers may at first feel out of place, scared, and not educated enough to become a father. They may feel that a whole financial burden is now being placed on them, or that they will not be able to provide for their family. This leads to many fathers skipping out on their responsibility. Programs are now being designed to give fathers emotional support so that they will be able to handle becoming a teenage father, and to realize that there are benefits and obligations of fatherhood. As the article states the benefits to children, families, and society of the commitment of fathers are undisputed. Therefore, it is worth the time and effort of schools and community organizations to implement programs for young fathers that will enable them to develop into responsible adults, meet thier obligations, and create a generation of well-nutured and effectively educated children (www.ed.gov.html). For the unfortunate teen that has no support there a teen pregnancy houses that house both mother and child. Many clinics such as Planned Parenthood give free or low cost care to mother and child and offer services to help ease the teens time of confusion. Community-wide teen pregnancy prevention efforts are also underway (Dryfoos 214). The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregancy was organized in 1996 and is focused on reducing the rate of teen pregnany in the United States,to improve the well being of children and to try to reduce child poverty. In conclusion, teen pregnancy is an issue that should be taken seriously. With the growing rate of teenagers getting pregnant every year more steps should be taken to try to eliminate teen pregnancy. Perhaps these steps should be educating children while their younger or a better sense of birth control for teens or showning pictures of abortions, like they did in my high school. This may be cruel, but how many people who see the pictures will want to get this done after they see what it does.Teenagers are using abortions as a way of birth control , they feel that if they become pregnant there is always an abortion. Abortions can not be like that. If more teens are serioulsy educated then possibly less teens will be careless and the rate of pregnany will decrease. It might sound ridiculous, but maybe parents should really give the birds and the bees talk , because if children hear it from their parents they may take sex more seriously. Some children have sex to feel cool or just to fi t in. It cannot be like that and children need to be taught that.Teen pregnancy is a serious risk for both the mother and the child. Many teenagers do not know about these risks and they need to know before it is to late and they are stuck in a situtaion that they can not get out of. The programs for teen fathers are wonderful because they really tell the boys how it is. Many boys do not know the risk of pregnancy and everything that it entails, these prograns will help to work with them and possibly scare them or at least give them a little more knowledge. Having a baby will change a teens whole life and the steps that are being taken will hopefully work to help teen mothers and fathers and help to lower the birth rate in teens. There is many books out that show cases of teen pregnancy, they should be read to get to know the effects that a baby has on a teens life. With the statistics and facts givin, I really learned so much on teen pregancy and hopefully others will to. The amount of school completed for a women affects her life. It also affects her opportunities for marriage, her circle of friends and her income from work, which can also lead to poverty. Girls who give birth during their adolescent years tend to function less effectively in numerous ways than their peers who delay childbearing (Hofferth et al., 2001). However, recent research indicates that many of the negative outcomes of adolescent motherhood, such as low educational achievement and consequent poverty, precede rather than stem from early parenthood (Hofferth et al., 2001). In essence, teenage childbearing adds to the limited prospects of already disadvantaged adolescent girls. These outcomes include poorer psychological functioning, lower rates of school completion, lower levels of marital stability, less stable employment, greater welfare use, higher rates of poverty, and slightly greater rates of health problems for both mother and child as compared to peers who postpone childb earing (Hofferth et al., 2001). Other consequences of teenage pregnancy and motherhood are low-achievement, low-motivation, the teenagers immaturity and lack of success in school which are also linked to the fact that teenage mothers drop out of school (Hofferth et al., 2001). Therefore Hofferth et al. (2001) would expect early child bearers to be less likely than their childless peers to complete high school or at least college. Moore, Manlove, Glei, Morrison (1998) studied adolescent mothers and concluded that early parenthood had a strong negative effect on the educational attainment of girls, such that young mothers were unlikely to continue their education beyond giving birth and thus obtained lower total levels of education than their peers who delayed childbirth. In large part because of low educational attainment, teenage mothers have lower incomes as adults and are more likely to be on welfare than their peers who delay childbirth (Moore et al., 1998). Overall, young mothe rs with a high school degree and work experience, may provide the needed incentive to obtain and maintain stable employment. Mothers with low education skills and poor functioning, or with other family problems, may have great difficulty maintaining stable employment, and thus may suffer a substantial loss in income (Moore et al., 1998). However, parental involvement in their daughterà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s school such as attending school meetings, participating in school activities, going to their daughters honor ceremony are not related to whether their daughters will become pregnant. Furthermore, adolescents who are involved in religious organizations are less likely to bear a child. Teenage girls who belong to a club or attend church are those who most likely will not bear a child in high school (Moore et al., 1998). Several techniques have been developed to attempt to separate out the effects of background factors which influence both the probability of a teenage birth and the future functioning of the young mother from the effects of early childbearing. For example, a number of studies have compared sets of sisters, one of whom had a child as a teenager and one of whom delayed childbearing until adulthood, in order to control for differences in family background factors commonly found between teenagers who do and do not become young parents (Hoffman, 1998). Such studies found that the effects of teenage childbearing on high school completion and total educational attainment are much smaller than previous studies had indicated. For example, Hoffman, (1998) found that postponing a teenage birth to after the age of 20 would increase the total educational attainment. This study found that having a child before the age of 18 reduces the likelihood of graduation from high school but attaining a GED ( General Equivalency Degree). However, a GED may carry a lower return in future earnings than a high school diploma (Hoffman, 1998). This seems to be possible because of some teenage mothers that have a child and atten school at the same time. This is due to the fact that there all several programs that exists for this matter. There are day cares in the school which watch the child for the teenager while she is in school. There are multiple negative consequences associated with teen pregnancy (Moore et al., 1998). Teenagers who have babies at an early age are less likely to complete high school, and more likely to be on welfare or to work at a job with a low income and experience poverty than women who delay childbearing until an older age (Moore et al., 1998). The disadvantages for teenage girls who bear a child at such a young age reduce their education or employment opportunities. For women who delay pregnancy and childbirth, there are some advantages (Hofferth et al., 2001). The mother is more experienced with life itself, has a better education background and often has a steady job and steady marriage. As life progresses, such factors integrate themselves with life and having a child.

The San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation :: Technology Tourism Galleries Essays

The San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation Living in the heart of Silicon Valley, technology plays a very important role in the everyday lives of the people who populate it. Large portions of this population are children. When we think of our children, we think about the future of this world. As a group, we believe that our job as a society is to introduce technology to children in an enlightening and fascinating manner. By doing this, we can inspire children to become innovators of technology and apply this to the future of technology. The San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation is a place that dedicates itself to introducing technology in a very attractive style. The 132,000 square foot facility houses four permanent themed galleries and over 250 exhibits (www.thetech.org/about/factsheet.cfm). The museum is also home to "The Spirit of American Innovation, an exhibit about the National Medal of Technology, the nation’s highest honor for technological innovation" (www.thetech.org/about/factsheet.cfm). Inside, everyone, whet her they are children or grandparents, everyone gets to participate in hands-on activities that teach and introduce them to a variety of activities ranging from the beginning steps of web-design, riding and designing an Olympic bobsled to participating in a virtual heart surgery. With all the wonders that exist in this museum, children have the opportunity to learn about technology in a variety of different forms and are able to "discover new insights into technology and the process of innovation through exploratory activities" (www.thetech.org/about/mission.cfm.). People of all ages engage in the exploration and experimentation of the technology that affects their everyday lives. Exploring the Tech Museum of Innovation and the activities it presents and offers to children, as well as others, helped us to better understand and learn of the positive ways in which technology is presented to our youth. In this report we first discuss our rationale and focus, describing the importance of the Tech Museum of Innovation and the connection it makes with the representation of technology, particularly for children. In the second part we identify the research question that we investigated. We then illustrate how we gathered and analyzed our data. Following this, we apply a number of course concepts to specific examples in order to answer our research question. Finally, we discuss how the implications of our analysis relate to communication and technology and how our findings support or do support what we have looked at in class.

Misunderstandings of a Foreigner in American Culture Essay -- American

I still remember the shock I got when I first moved here. What a terribly superficial culture this country has, I thought. The way people treat each other, especially in conversations! At the beginning they ask you: "How are you?" But beware! They don't really want to know how you are, and if you make the mistake of actually giving them a detailed account of your well-being, they'll shun you for weeks. On the other hand, you're required to immediately embrace all new acquaintances with the standard "Nice to meet you." Maybe you weren't even in the mood to meet somebody at this particular moment, and if she or he turns out to be just another perfectly intolerable human being, then you lied to the entire world around you! I had some serious objections to this whole game. Unfortunately, even I am human and realized that it was either going to be adaptation or getting the heck out of this country, and my finances narrowed it down to the first choice. In addition to my little blunders with American small talk, I also had quite a few instances of misunderstandings, and it certainly was not because my English wasn't fluent! I could tell you about the time I had an enticing little talk with a seriously cute guy who threw me a "I'll call you later" at the end of the conversation. Dummy me, sat by the phone the rest of the evening waiting for him to call. Is this an instance of gendered communication, or is it just a sign of the "American" times? How often do we use these vague phrases to be non-committal with almost anybody? These sentences have lost any actual meaning; they're an easy, "polite" way out of any situation. We refuse to give a concrete answer and therefore we can't be tied down to any kind of commitment. It's a good way to... ...erstood! -- by the opposite sex I would like men to be on the lookout for these revolutionary and radical women because, after all, we women have the power to send you all back to your beloved "caves"! Works Cited Gray, John. "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." Writing the World: Reading and Writing about Issues of the Day. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 16-25. Tannen, Deborah. "'Put Down That Paper and Talk to Me: Rapport-Talk and Report-Talk." Writing the World: Reading and Writing about Issues of the Day. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 8-16. Troernel-Ploetz, Senta. "Selling the Apolitical". Writing the World: Reading and Writing about Issues of the Day. Ed. Charles R. Cooper and Susan Peck MacDonald. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 67-73.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: Free Essay Writer

1984 is a story about dictators who are in complete control of a large part of the world after the Allies lost in World War II. The government in this novel gives no freedoms to its citizens. They live in fear because they are afraid of having bad thoughts about the government of Oceania, a crime punishable by death. Winston the main character, is an ordinary man of 39 who is disgusted with the world he lives in. He works in the Ministry of Truth, a place where history and the truth is rewritten to fit the party's beliefs. The facts--significant and insignificant are rewritten, they thoroughly destroy the records of the past, and they print up new, up to-date editions of old newspapers and books Their goal is to make people forget everything- facts, words, dead people, the names of places. People guilty of crimes (free thought) are erased from having ever existed. The Ministry of Truth allowed the controling powers to have control over its citizens using memory erasing techniques (c cognitive psychology). Winston is aware of the untruths, because he makes them true. This makes him very upset with the government of Oceania, where Big Brother, a larger than life figure, controls the people. Big Brother is the figurehead of a government that has total control. The Big Brother regime uses propaganda and puts fear in its citizens to keep the general population in line. Big Brother has a army of informers called thought police, who watch every citizen at all times for the least signs of thought that the goverment would not agree with(a thought crime). His dissatisfaction increases to a point where he rebels against the government in small ways. Winston's first act of rebellion is buying and writing in a diary. This act is known as a thought crime and is punishable by death. Winston starts writing in a diary so he can difereniate between what has actually occured and what he is being programmed to believe. The other reason for the diary is so that people in the future will be able to read what really went on during Winston's time. Winston commits many thought crimes and becomes paranoid about being caught. Meanwhile he notices a young woman paying him a great deal of attention, she is actively involved in many community groups and he feared that she had something to do with the thought police.

Marketing Changes Your Brain

The reason why I chose the topic for my final paper â€Å"Marketing Changes Your Brain† is because we are constantly surrounded by advertisements on a daily basis to where the government is basically brain washing us from birth to be consumers in this capitalistic society. Also this topic reminds me of one of my favorite professors, Dry. Choc who teaches Sociology at San Diego State University. His lectures were always life changing, and I could tell in the conviction of his voice that he is strongly assassinate about his profession and loves teaching undergrads.One of the main topics of the semester was about consumerism and how it affects us every single day. Statistics show that the average American will come across 5000 different types of advertisements a day (Lecture, Choc). There are millions of ways we come in contact through ads these days including, commercials, posters, covers on food, and etc. What I basically learned in this class was that we should be more aware o f what it meaner to be consumers of Capitalism and to realize how much we have been exploited to be constant consumers.The reason many of us fall for advertisements we see is because many of these companies purposely make their commercials activate a part of the brain's reward/pleasure center. The pleasure center is made up of nucleus acumen's and ventral testament area which the brain receives dopamine (Plotting, Summoning). This reward/pleasure is closely associated when individuals do pleasurable things such eating favorite foods, watching movies, sex, and drugs (Plotting, Summoning).In the module 9 critical thinking, the article explains how the consumption Coca Cola will activate the reward/pleasure center which is another example of why many Americans are addicted to it. It is ironic that Americans in recently years have put so Running head Much money into preventing obesity and childhood obesity yet our government doesn't put any effort into reducing the number of ads we see from these soda companies. Another interesting point that the critical thinking article shows is how smell and auditory senses also have to do with marketing and how we consciously don't even realize it.I can relate myself as when I'm near In-n-Out burger and I can smell the burgers and suddenly want a craving for it. The textbook calls this Subliminal Message where it meaner that our perception is below an absolute threshold where there is less than 50% of it being realized (Plotting, Summoning). Another subliminal message can also be auditory as the text book gives an example of how playing French music will result in people purchasing more French Wine. Subliminal messages can be seen at every store at the mall, such as Hollister.Walk into a Hollister and you will notice how it Just smells like a concreted perfume pit and the ambient lights. However the greatest influences to our brains is culture, another point which Dry. Choc has always brought up in lectures. Advertisement have been a dominant influence in our culture and it is unfortunate that many Americans do not even realize how much our brain is being influenced. Not even Just as adults, advertisements can capture someone at any age. Despite these, I urge many people to make more wiser choices such eating balanced,

Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER FIFTEEN GAIA-S

GAIA-S Sura Novi now stepped into the control room of the small and rather old-fashioned ship that was carrying Stor Gendibal and herself across the parsecs in deliberate Jumps. She had clearly been in the compact cleaning room, where oils, warm air, and a minimum of water freshened her body. She had a robe wrapped about her and was holding it tightly to herself in an agony of modesty. Her hair was dry but tangled. She said in a low voice, â€Å"Master?† Gendibal looked up from his charts and from his computer. â€Å"Yes, Novi?† â€Å"I be sorrow-laden†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and then said slowly, â€Å"I am very sorry to bother you, Master† (then she slipped again) â€Å"but I be loss-ridden for my clothing.† â€Å"Your clothing?† Gendibal stared at her blankly for a moment and then rose to his feet in an access of contrition. â€Å"Novi, I forgot. They needed cleaning and they're in the detergent-hamper. They're cleaned, dried, folded, all set. I should have taken them out and placed them in clear sight. I forgot.† â€Å"I did not like to-to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (she looked down at herself) â€Å"offend.† â€Å"You don't offend,† said Gendibal cheerily. â€Å"Look, I promise you that when this is over I shall see to it that you have a great deal of clothing – new and in the latest fashion. We left in a hurry and it never occurred to me to bring a supply, but really, Novi, there are only the two of us and we'll be together for some time in very close quarters and it's needless to be – to be – so concerned – about†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured vaguely, became aware of the horrified look in her eyes, and thought: Well, she's only a country girl after all and has her standards; probably wouldn't object to improprieties of all kinds – but with her clothes on. Then he felt ashamed of himself and was glad that she was no â€Å"scholar† who could sense his thoughts. He said, â€Å"Shall I get your clothes for you?† â€Å"Oh no, Master. It be not for you. I know where they are.† He next saw her properly dressed and with her hair combed. There was a distinct shyness about her. â€Å"I am ashamed, Master, to have behaved so improperly. I should have found them for myself.† â€Å"No matter,† said Gendibal. â€Å"You are doing very well with your Galactic, Novi. You are picking up the language of scholars very quickly.† Novi smiled suddenly. Her teeth were somewhat uneven, but that scarcely detracted from the manner in which her face brightened and grew almost sweet under praise, thought Gendibal. He told himself that it was for that reason that he rather liked to praise her. The Hamish will think little of me when I am back home,† she said. â€Å"They will say I be – am a word-chopper. That is what they call someone who speaks – odd. They do not like such.† â€Å"I doubt that you will be going back to the Hamish, Novi,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I am sure there will continue to be a place for you in the complex – with the scholars, that is – when this is over.† â€Å"I would like that, Master.† â€Å"I don't suppose you would care to call me ‘Speaker Gendibal' or just†¦ No, I see you wouldn't,† he said, responding to her look of scandalized objection. â€Å"Oh well.† â€Å"It would not be fitting, Master. – But may I ask when this will be over?† Gendibal shook his head. â€Å"I scarcely know. Right now, I must merely get to a particular place as quickly as I can. This ship, which is a very good ship for its kind, is slow and ‘as quickly as I can' is not very quick. You see† (he gestured at the computer and the charts) â€Å"I must work out ways to get across large stretches of space, but the computer is limited in its abilities and I am not very skillful.† â€Å"Must you be there quickly because there is danger, Master?† â€Å"What makes you think there is danger, Novi?† â€Å"Because I watch you sometimes when I don't think you see me and your face looks – I do not know the word. Not afeared – I mean, frightened – and not bad-expecting, either.† â€Å"Apprehensive,† muttered Gendibal. â€Å"You look – concerned. Is that the word?† â€Å"It depends. What do you mean by concerned, Novi?† â€Å"I means you look as though you are saying to yourself, ‘What am I going to do next in this great trouble?† Gendibal looked astonished. â€Å"That is ‘concerned,' but do you see that in my face, Novi? Back in the Place of Scholars, I am extremely careful that no one should see anything in my face, but I did think that, alone in space – except for you – I could relax and let it sit around in its underwear, so to speak. – I'm sorry. That has embarrassed you.. What I'm trying to say is that if you're so perceptive, I shall have to be more careful. Every once in a while I have to relearn the lesson that even nonmentalics can make shrewd guesses.† Novi looked blank. â€Å"I don't understand, Master.† â€Å"I'm talking to myself, Novi. Don't be concerned. – See, there's that word again.† â€Å"But is there danger?† â€Å"There's a problem, Novi. I do not know what I shall find when I reach Sayshell – that is the place to which we are going. I may find myself in a situation of great difficulty.† â€Å"Does that not mean danger?† â€Å"No, because I will be able to handle it.† â€Å"How can you tell this?† â€Å"Because I am a – scholar. And I am the best of them. There is nothing in the Galaxy I cannot handle.† â€Å"Master,† and something very like agony twisted Novi's face, â€Å"I do not wish to offensify – I mean, give offense – and make you angry. I have seen you with that oafish Rufirant and you were in danger then – and he was only a Hamish farmer. Now I do not know what awaits you – and you do not, either.† Gendibal felt chagrined, â€Å"Are you afraid, Novi?† â€Å"Not for myself, Master. I fear – I am afraid – for you.† â€Å"You can say, ‘I fear,† muttered Gendibal. â€Å"That is good Galactic, too.† For a moment he was engaged in thought. Then he looked up, took Sura Novi's rather coarse hands in his, and said, â€Å"Novi, I don't want you to fear anything. Let me explain. You know how you could tell there was – or rather might be – danger from the look on my face – almost as though you could read my thoughts?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I can read thoughts better than you can. That is what scholars learn to do and I am a very good scholar.† Novi's eyes widened and her hand pulled loose from his. She seemed to be holding her breath. â€Å"You can read my thoughts?† Gendibal held up a finger hurriedly. â€Å"I don't, Novi. I don't read your thoughts, except when I must. I do not read your thoughts.† (He knew that, in a practical sense, he was lying. It was impossible to be with Sura Novi and not understand the general tenor of some of her thoughts. One scarcely needed to be a Second Foundationer for that. Gendibal felt himself to be on the edge of blushing. But even from a Hamishwoman, such an attitude was flattering. – And yet she had to be reassured – out of common humanity – He said, â€Å"I can also change the way people think. I can make people feel hurt. I can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Novi was shaking her head. â€Å"How can you do all that, Master? Rufirant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Forget Rufirant,† said Gendibal testily. â€Å"I could have stopped him in a moment. I could have made him fall to the ground. I could have made all the Hamish†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stopped suddenly and felt uneasily that he was boasting, that he was trying to impress this provincial woman. And she was shaking her head still. â€Å"Master,† she said, â€Å"you are trying to make me not afraid, but I am not afraid except for you, so there is no need. I know you are a great scholar and can make this ship fly through space where it seems to me that no person could do aught but – I mean, anything but – be lost. And you use machines I cannot understand – and that no Hamish person could understand. But you need not tell me of these powers of mind, which surely cannot be so, since all the things you say you could have done to Rufirant, you did not do, though you were in danger.† Gendibal pressed his lips together. Leave it at that, he thought. If the woman insists she is not afraid for herself, let it go at that. Yet he did not want her to think of him as a weakling and braggart. He simply did not. He said, â€Å"If I did nothing to Rufirant, it was because I did not wish to. We scholars must never do anything to the Hamish. We are guests on your world. Do you understand that?† â€Å"You are our masters. That is what we always say.† For a moment Gendibal was diverted. â€Å"How is it, then, that this Rufirant attacked me?† â€Å"I do not know,† she said simply. â€Å"I don't think he knew. He must have been mind-wandering – uh, out of his mind.† Gendibal grunted. â€Å"In any case, we do not harm the Hamish. If I had been forced to stop him by – hurting him, I might have been poorly thought of by the other scholars and might perhaps have lost my position. But to save myself being badly hurt, I might have had to handle him just a small bit – the smallest possible.† Novi drooped. â€Å"Then I need not have come rushing in like a great fool myself.† â€Å"You did exactly right,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I have just said I would have done ill to have hurt him. You made it unnecessary to do so. You stopped him and that was well done. I am grateful.† She smiled again – blissfully. â€Å"I see, then, why you have been so kind to me.† â€Å"I was grateful, of course,† said Gendibal, a little flustered, â€Å"but the important thing is that you must understand there is no danger. I can handle an army of ordinary people. Any scholar can especially the important ones – and I told you I am the best of all of them. There is no one in the Galaxy who can stand against me.† â€Å"If you say so, Master, I am sure of it.† â€Å"I do say so. Now, are you afraid for me?† â€Å"No, Master, except Master, is it only our scholars who can read minds and. Are there other scholars, other places, who can oppose you?† For a moment Gendibal was staggered. The woman had an astonishing gift of penetration. It was necessary to lie. He said, â€Å"There are none.† â€Å"But there are so many stars in the sky. I once tried to count them and couldn't. If there are as many worlds of people as there are stars, wouldn't some of them be scholars? Besides the scholars on our own world, I mean?† â€Å"What if there are?† â€Å"They would not be as strong as I am.† â€Å"What if they leap upon you suddenly before you are aware?† â€Å"They cannot do that. If any strange scholar were to approach, I would know at once. I would know it long before he could harm me.† â€Å"Could you run?† â€Å"I would not have to run. – But† (anticipating her objection) â€Å"if I had to, I could be in a new ship soon – better than any in the Galaxy. They would not catch me.† â€Å"Might they not change your thoughts and make you stay?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"There might be many of them. You are but one.† â€Å"As soon as they are there, long before they can imagine it would be possible, I would know they were there and I would leave. Our whole world of scholars would then turn against them and they would not stand. And they would know that, so they would not dare do anything against me. In fact, they would not want me to know of them at all – and yet I will.† â€Å"Because you are so much better than they?† said Novi, her face shining with a doubtful pride. Gendibal could not resist. Her native intelligence, her quick understanding was such that it was simple joy to be with her. That softvoiced monster, Speaker Debra Delarmi, had done him an incredible favor when she had forced this Hamish farmwoman upon him. He said, â€Å"No, Novi, not because I am better than they, although I am. It is because I have you with me.† â€Å"I?† â€Å"Exactly, Novi. Had you guessed that?† â€Å"No, Master,† she said, wondering. â€Å"What is it I could do?† â€Å"It is your mind.† He held up his hand at once. â€Å"I am not reading your thoughts. I see merely the outline of your mind and it is a smooth outline, an unusually smooth outline.† She put her hand to her forehead. â€Å"Because I am unlearned, Master? Because I am so foolish?† â€Å"No, dear.† He did not notice the manner of address. â€Å"It is because you are honest and possess no guile; because you are truthful and speak your mind; because you are warm of heart and – and other things. If other scholars send out anything to touch our minds yours and mine – the touch will be instantly visible on the smoothness of your mind. I will be aware of that even before I would be aware of a touch on my own mind – and I will then have time for counteractive strategy; that is, to fight it off.† There was a silence for long moments after that. Gendibal realized that it was not just happiness in Novi's eyes, but exultation and pride, too. She said softly, â€Å"And you took me with you for that reason?† Gendibal nodded. â€Å"That was an important reason. Yes.† Her voice sank to a whisper. â€Å"How can I help as much as possible, Master?† He said. â€Å"Remain calm. Don't be afraid. And just – just stay as you are.† She said, â€Å"I will stay as I am. And I will stand between you and danger, as I did in the case of Rufirant.† She left the room and Gendibal looked after her. It was strange how much there was to her. How could so simple a creature hold such complexity? The smoothness of her mind structure had, beneath it, enormous intelligence, understanding, and courage. What more could he ask – of anyone? Somehow, he caught an image of Sura Novi – who was not a Speaker, not even a Second Foundationer, not even educated grimly at his side, playing a vital auxiliary role in the drama that was coming. Yet he could not see the details clearly. – He could not yet see precisely what it was that awaited them. â€Å"A single Jump,† muttered Trevize, â€Å"and there it is.† â€Å"Gaia?† asked Pelorat, looking over Trevize's shoulder at the screen. â€Å"Gaia's sun,† said Trevize. â€Å"Call it Gaia-S, if you like, to avoid confusion. Gaiactographers do that sometimes.† â€Å"And where is Gaia itself, then? Or do we call it Gaia-P – for planet?† â€Å"Gaia would be sufficient for the planet. We can't see Gaia yet, however. Planets aren't as easy to see as stars are and we're still a hundred microparsecs away from Gaia-S. Notice that it's only a star, even though a very bright one. We're not close enough for it to show as a disc. – And don't stare at it directly, Janov. It's still bright enough to damage the retina. I'll throw in a filter, once I'm through with my observations. Then you can stare.† â€Å"How much is a hundred microparsecs in units which a mythologist can understand, Golan?† â€Å"Three billion kilometers; about twenty times the distance of Terminus from our own sun. Does that help?† â€Å"Enormously. – But shouldn't we get closer?† â€Å"No!† Trevize looked up in surprise. â€Å"Not right away. After what we've heard about Gaia, why should we rush? It's one thing to have guts; it's another to be crazy. Let's take a look first.† â€Å"At what, Golan? You said we can't see Gaia yet?† â€Å"Not at a glance, no. But we have telescopic viewers and we have an excellent computer for rapid analysis. We can certainly study Gaia-S, to begin with, and we can perhaps make a few other observations. – Relax, Janov† He reached out and slapped the other's shoulder with an avuncular flourish. After a pause Trevize said, â€Å"Gaia-S is a single star or, if it has a companion, that companion is much farther away from it than we are at the present moment and it is, at best, a red dwarf, which means we need not be concerned with it. Gaia-S is a G4 star, which means it is perfectly capable of having a habitable planet, and that's good. If it were an A or an M, we would have to turn around and leave right now.† Pelorat said, â€Å"I may be only a mythologist, but couldn't we have determined the spectral class of Gaia-S from Sayshell?† â€Å"We could and we did, Janov, but it never hurts to check at closer quarters. – Gaia-S has a planetary system, which is no surprise. There are two gas giants in view and one of them is nice and large – if the computer's distance estimate is accurate. There could easily be another on the other side of the star and therefore not easily detectable, since we happen – by chance – to be somewhat close to the planetary plane. I can't make out anything in the inner regions, which is also no surprise.† â€Å"Is that bad?† â€Å"Not really. It's expected. The habitable planets would be of rock and metal and would be much smaller than the gas giants and much closer to the star, if they're to be warm enough – and on both counts they would be much harder to see from out here. It means we'll have to get in considerably closer in order to probe the area within four microparsecs of Gaia-S.† â€Å"I'm ready.† â€Å"I'm not. We'll make the Jump tomorrow.† â€Å"Why tomorrow?† â€Å"Why not? Let's give them a day to come out and get us – and for us to get away, perhaps, if we spot them coming and don't like what we see.† It was a slow and cautious process. During the day that passed, Trevize grimly directed the calculation of several different approaches and tried to choose between them. Lacking hard data, he could depend only on intuition, which unfortunately told him nothing. He lacked that â€Å"sureness† he sometimes experienced. Eventually he punched in directions for a Jump that moved them far out of the planetary plane. â€Å"That will give us a better view of the region as a whole,† he said, â€Å"since we will see the planets in every part of their orbit at maximum apparent distance from the sun. And they – whoever they may be – might not be quite as watchful over regions outside the plane. – I hope.† They were now as close to Gaia-S as the nearest and largest of the gas giants was and they were nearly half a billion kilometers from it. Trevize placed it under full magnification on the screen for Pelorat's benefit. It was an impressive sight, even if the three sparse and narrow rings of debris were left out of account. â€Å"It has the usual train of satellites,† said Trevize, â€Å"but at this distance from Gaia-S, we know that none of them are habitable. Nor are any of them settled by ‘human beings who survive, let us say, under a glass dome or under other strictly artificial conditions.† â€Å"How can you tell?† â€Å"There's no radio noise with characteristics that point them out as of intelligent origin. Of course,† he added, qualifying his statement at once, â€Å"it is conceivable that a scientific outpost might go to great pains to shield its radio signals and the gas giant produces radio noise that could mask what I was looking for. Still, our radio reception is delicate and our computer is an extraordinarily good one. I'd say the chance of human occupation of those satellites is extremely small.† â€Å"Does that mean there's no Gaia?† â€Å"No. But it does mean that if there is a Gaia, it hasn't bothered to settle those satellites. Perhaps it lacks the capacity to do so – or the interest.† â€Å"Well, is there a Gaia?† â€Å"Patience, Janov. Patience.† Trevize considered the sky with a seemingly endless supply of patience. He stopped at one point to say, â€Å"Frankly, the fact that they haven't come out to pounce on us is disheartening, in a way. Surely, if they had the capacities they were described as having, they would have reacted to us by now.† â€Å"It's conceivable, I suppose,† said Pelorat glumly, â€Å"that the whole thing is a fantasy.† â€Å"Call it a myth, Janov,† said Trevize with a wry smile, â€Å"and it will be right up your alley. Still, there's a planet moving through the ecosphere, which means it might be habitable. I'll want to observe it for at least a day.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"To make sure it's habitable, for one thing.† â€Å"You just said it was in the ecosphere, Golan.† â€Å"Yes, at the moment it is. But its orbit could be very eccentric, and could eventually carry it within a microparsec of the star, or out to fifteen microparsecs, or both. We'll have to determine and compare the planet's distance from Gaia-S with its orbital speed – and it would help to note the direction of its motion.† Another day. â€Å"The orbit is nearly circular,† Trevize said finally, â€Å"which means that habitability becomes a much safer bet. Yet no one's coming out to get us even now. We'll have to try a closer look.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Why does it take so long to arrange a Jump? You're just taking little ones.† â€Å"Listen to the man. Little Jumps are harder to control than big ones. Is it easier to pick up a rock or a fine grain of sand? Besides, Gaia-S is nearby and space is sharply curved. That complicates the calculations even for the computer. Even a mythologist should see that.† Pelorat grunted. Trevize said, â€Å"You can see the planet with the unaided eye now. Right there. See it? The period of rotation is about twenty-two Galactic Hours and the axial inclination is twelve degrees. It is practically a textbook example of a habitable planet and it is life-bearing.† â€Å"How can you tell?† â€Å"There are substantial quantities of free oxygen in the atmosphere. You can't have that without well-established vegetation.† â€Å"What about intelligent life?† â€Å"That depends on the analysis of radio-wave radiation. Of course, there could be intelligent life that has abandoned technology, I suppose, but that seems very unlikely.† â€Å"There have been cases of that,† said Pelorat. â€Å"I'll take your word for it. That's your department. However, it's not likely that there would be nothing but pastoral survivors on a planet that frightened off the Mule.† Pelorat said, â€Å"Does it have a satellite?† â€Å"Yes, it does,† said Trevize casually. â€Å"How big?† Pelorat said in a voice that was suddenly choking. â€Å"Can't tell for sure. Perhaps a hundred kilometers across.† â€Å"Dear me,† said Pelorat wistfully. â€Å"I wish I had some worthier set of expletives on instant call, my dear chap, but there was just that one little chance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You mean, if it had a giant satellite, it might be Earth itself?† â€Å"Yes, but it clearly isn't.† â€Å"Well, if Compor is right, Earth wouldn't be in this Galactic region, anyway. It would be over Sirius way. – Really, Janov, I'm sorry.† â€Å"Oh well.† â€Å"Look, we'll wait, and risk one more small Jump. If we find no signs of intelligent life, then it should be safe to land – except that there will then be no reason to land, will there?† After the next Jump, Trevize said in an astonished voice, â€Å"That does it, Janov. It's Gaia, all right. At least, it possesses a technological civilization.† â€Å"Can you tell that from the radio waves?† â€Å"Better than that. There's a space station circling the planet. Do you see that?† There was an object on display on the viewscreen. To Pelorat's unaccustomed eye, it didn't seem very remarkable, but Trevize said, â€Å"Artificial, metallic, and a radio-source.† â€Å"What do we do now?† â€Å"Nothing, for a while. At this stage of technology, they cannot fail to detect us. If, after a while, they do nothing, I will beam a radio message at them. If they still do nothing, I will approach cautiously.† â€Å"What if they do do something?† â€Å"It will depend on the ‘something. ‘ If I don't like it, then I'll have to take advantage of the fact that it is very unlikely that they have anything that can match the facility with which this ship can make a Jump.† â€Å"You mean we'll leave?† â€Å"Like a hyperspatial missile.† â€Å"But we'll leave no wiser than we came.† â€Å"Not at all. At the very least we'll know that Gaia exists, that it has a working technology, and that it's done something to scare us.† â€Å"But, Golan, let's not be too easily scared.† â€Å"Now, Janov, I know that you want nothing more in the Galaxy than to learn about Earth at any cost, but please remember that I don't share your monomania. We are in an unarmed ship and those people down there have been isolated for centuries. Suppose they have never heard of the Foundation and don't know enough to be respectful of it. Or suppose this is the Second Foundation and once we're in their grip – if they're annoyed with us – we may never be the same again. Do you want them to wipe your mind clear and find you are no longer a mythologist and know nothing about any legends whatever?† Pelorat looked grim. â€Å"If you put it that way. But what do we do once we leave?† â€Å"Simple. We get back to Terminus with the news. – Or as near to Terminus as the old woman will allow. Then we might return to Gaia once again – more quickly and without all this inching along, and we return with an armed ship or an armed fleet. Things may well be different then.† They waited. It had grown to be a routine. They had spent far more time waiting in the approaches to Gaia than they had spent in all the flight from Terminus to Sayshell. Trevize set the computer to automatic alarm and was even nonchalant enough to doze in his padded chair. This meant he woke with a start when the alarm chimed. Pelorat came into Trevize's room, just as startled. He bad been interrupted while shaving. â€Å"Have we received a message?† asked Pelorat. â€Å"No,† said Trevize energetically. â€Å"We're moving.† â€Å"Moving? Where?† â€Å"Toward the space station.† â€Å"Why is that?† â€Å"I don't know. The motors are on and the computer doesn't respond to me – but we're moving. – Janov, we've been seized. We've come a little too close to Gaia.†

Read Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol Essay

In 1964, the author, Jonathan Kozol, is a young man who works as a teacher. Like many others at the time, the grade school where he teaches is segregated (teaching only non-white students), understaffed, and in poor physical condition. Kozol loses his first job as a teacher because he introduces students to some African American poetry that questions the conditions of blacks in America. Years later, after holding many other jobs, Kozol misses working with children. He decides to visit schools across America to see what has changed. What he learns is saddening; many schools have student bodies that are still separate and unequal. Kozol’s journey starts in East St. Louis, Illinois. Traveling with a woman from a religious organization, Kozol takes a look around the inner city. The town sits on a flood plain below beautiful homes that have been built on. Furthermore, factories pour sewage and toxic waste into the city. Playgrounds are found to contain heavy metals that can make children ill. An attempt has been made at building a new school in one area, but cheap construction techniques result in a roof that collapses. Local grade school children tell Kozol horror stories of family and friends who were murdered. A visit to the East St. Louis schools reveals an overall lack of facilities. Sewage floods lunchrooms, making it intolerable to serve food there. Students need books, computers, chalk and even toilet paper. Science classes need test tubes, tables, running water and even heat. The ceiling is about to collapse in one school, the gym and locker room stink with toxic mold, and even the arts classes have no tools. Dedicated teachers make poverty wages teaching oversized classrooms and even choose to bring in their own teaching aids and pay for them out of their own wages. Almost every student in every rundown school is not white. Minority students know they are receiving inferior education in ugly, filthy, dangerous buildings but seem most concerned by the fact that they are all pushed aside and not accepted into nearby white schools. They wonder why they are not liked or trusted. Next Kozol travels to Chicago, Illinois, in the area of Lawndale where Martin Luther King has worked and experienced the worst racism of his life. The conditions are similar as in East St. Louis with filth, decay and danger in mostly non-white schools. Kozol focuses on the incompetent and unkind teachers are the only people the Chicago school system have been hired for these segregated schools and offering low wages. The author disagrees with government officials claims that schools don’t need more money, only better teaching methods. To prove his point he talks about a dedicated, brilliant teacher working in the slums who manages to excite students. She is just down the hall from uncaring teachers. If they wish to learn her methods, all they have to do is watch. Lack of money is the problem and racism is the reason these schools are not getting the money they need, Kozol states. Thousands more dollars are spent each year on each white student attending better schools in the nearby suburbs. Blaming teaching methods or parental involvement for the horrible problems in segregated schools is easier than raising money and finding solutions. The author continues on that the way schools are funded allows inequalities to continue. Local property taxes fund schools, meaning the money a school receives is based on the value of the houses in the area. Houses in richer areas can be afforded by whites that pay more property taxes and get better schools (even if they are dumping sewage onto non-white areas situated below them without paying taxes to those areas to help clean up). Richer homeowners also get tax relief for paying their mortgages. Meanwhile, poor black areas are dumping grounds for toxic waste and garbage, which benefit the wealthier citizens, but they tend to be the only places poor non-whites can afford to live. Low properrty values result in badly funded, dangerous schools. Wealthier whites avoid these public schools and move to suburbs where their property taxes go toward building elegant public schools. Trier school is an example. It attracts a highly trained staff, and boasts an Olympic swimming pool as well as other luxuries. An article about this suburban school brags that most of the students in it are white. Kozol says that magnet schools (special public schools built for the most talented students) seem like a good idea, but are also unfair. The inner city disadvantaged non-white students usually don’t provide head start programs or educated parents who can help them push for admittance. Students of magnet schools are mostly white. Disadvantaged students watch television and know they are being treated like something less than human. This is savagely cruel. In the next area, New York, Kozol sees the same pattern of filth, indifference and degradation. The difference between money spent in inner city schools and outlying suburbs is more than double in the New York districts. The school system administrators admit they don’t even know how many kids become discouraged and drop out of these schools. Kozol finds this shocking in a town where every penny stock on Wall Street can be accounted for every day. However, the school system cannot collect a list of names of dropouts. In fact, several school administrators admit that they actually hope kids will drop out because they have so many students, they can’t teach them all. Health care for disadvantaged minorities is pathetic, which shows society’s indifference to the non-whites, says Kozol. As in Illinois, funding inequalities in New York are not just a local problem. The State of New York actually distributes more money to the richer schools. Visiting a fancy school in Rye, NY, Kozol is disappointed to learn privileged kids are uninterested to the suffering of non-white students in other schools. According to Kozol this is not true of students in his day. Media adds to the misconceptions about poor schools, according to Kozol. For instance, The Wall Street Journal claims that minor cuts in class size won’t help test scores much. Kozol argues that if that is the case, why not double the number of children in each white public school classroom? Nobody would stand for this. He visits Camden, NJ, the fourth poorest area in country. At Pyne Jr. High there are no computers. At the local high school the computers have literally melted because of the extreme heat in the non-air conditioned building. Kozol wonders why African American teachers at these schools ignore the issues of race as if they just accept matters as inevitable. High school kids in Camden tell Kozol about being unable to read the classics because pages are missing from their books, and one promising student is told by her guidance councilor to give up her dream of becoming a lawyer because her English isn’t good enough. As in other cities, dangerous chemicals flee from nearby factories (the factories do not pay taxes here) and children suffer major illnesses. The only principal who earns respect from the media s a man who walks around the school with a bat and tosses three hundred students out of school. This doesn’t help the school, but it gets him on the cover of magazines. When parents of a young boy named, Raymond Abbott go to court to protest the inferior education he is receiving as a poor non-white boy in New Jersey. Expensive lawyers are hired by the State to fight the lawsuit. Eventually the court decides that Raymond is indeed being unfairly treated. However, the decision comes too late to save his educational career. Raymond ends up a dropout cocaine addict in jail. Before introducing readers to the problems in Washington, DC, Kozol observes that disadvantaged people ask for totally equal education when they go to court. Why not? Kozol heads to Washington, where the city contrasts with the reality of the non-white slums a few blocks away. A city official observes that the very poor accept a dual system with richer magnet schools so the whites won’t leave altogether and take political power and money to the suburbs. The news media seem to â€Å"blame the victim† portraying the people who live in ghettos as dangerous fools who spend too much on expensive tennis shoes and jewelry. Kozol says TV viewers in the suburbs don’t understand this stuff is being pushed on ghetto residents who have no access to things of real value. One failed method of improving non-white schools has been to hire non-white administrators. Kozol says this cannot help. Detroit has had non-white administration for years and the underfunded schools are still in a predicament. When a U.S. District Court finds that Detroit schools are both separate and unequal, the U.S. Supreme Court is called in to consider the charge. The Supreme Court at this time is heavily packed with conservative Nixon appointees. These judges say that making things fair in the city of Detroit for the poor would unfairly punish the suburbs. An important Justice of the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall, disagrees with the majority opinion and sees that the country has taken a giant step backward in values. Later, President George H.W. Bush says money is not the answer to solving school problems. Kozol then heads to San Antonio where he begins by claiming that Americans hesitate to directly discriminate against other people’s children because this would make them feel guilty. However, he thinks, laws have allowed discrimination to occur in a less direct form. For example, in the 1920s in America the Foundation program is established. It is supposed to mean that everybody is taxed on local homes and businesses at the same rate, and the federal government comes in to make up the difference in money raised by sending extra subsidies to poor schools. Yet, white schools historically get more of this â€Å"make up† money. Kozol thinks it’s strange that when it comes to equal funding for public schools, officials fight for local control, but the federal government is happy to overrule federal control when it comes to which books should be read, and other important issues. In 1968 in San Antonio, the parents of Demetrio Rodriguez and other students go to court to fight for equal funds for their low-grade school. Justice Powell of the Supreme Court suggests that a quality education is not guaranteed by the constitution, although lawyers argue the students need the skills to vote, which is guaranteed by the constitution. Twenty-one years later it is found that unequal funding is in fact unfair, but of course this decision is too late for the kid who brought the lawsuit in the first place. Kozol visits Alamo Heights near San Antonio where the wealthy live. He then descends to the shacks below the bluffs where 99.3 percent of the kids are Hispanic and poor enough to rely on the school lunch program for their main meal of the day. Down in the valley, the teachers are underpaid, the buildings are crumbling and the schools can spend only a fraction of what they spend in Alamo Heights on each student. Yet most of the State’s extra funding goes to Alamo Heights. Finally Kozol sees that when white children are impoverished and discriminated against, their schools are poor, too. He visits a community of poor Appalachian children thrust into one school. It undergoes overcrowding; the building is in shambles and teachers lack resource, just like all of the non-white schools all over the country. He is told that soon many of these children will be bussed to non-white schools nearby Kozol’s observations are haunting. Time and time again the pattern is repeated; Non-whites pushed into nasty, dangerous conditions through history, whites unwilling to share their prosperity with the people of color they fear, governments endless excuses for doing nothing and actually blocking the success of poor schools in corrupt ways. Kozol’s conclusion is that this is illogical, unpatriotic and deeply unkind. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and what is has to offer when describing the unequal treatment African Americans and minorities have in urban areas. â€Å"Here’s what we should do. Put more money into preschool, kindergarten, elementary years. Pay college kids to tutor inner city children. Get rid of the property tax, which is too uneven and use income taxes to support these schools. Pay teachers more to work in more places like the Bronx. It has to come from taxes. Pay them extra to go to the worst schools. You could forgive their college loans to make it worth their while.†, this statement spoke to me. It’s the ideal plan, however I don’t see it actually transpiring into our education world. I was ignorant to the true facts of the American educational system. This book, Mr. Kozol, has opened my eyes to the history, suffering and makes a powerful impact on his behalf. He begins by showing specific, terrible injustices then examines how the troubles have come to be, sometimes by reviewing court decisions or by tracing the movement of labor away from a particular area. Next, he talks about those things standing in the way of improvement, often vague attitudes or fears. Finally, toward the end of the book, he begins to outline his vision for getting past the roadblocks and improving all schools. The result is that the reader/I was hooked right away, wondering how in the world such awful things have come to pass.