The character Dee walker,alice everyday use Essay

The character Dee walker,alice everyday use - Essay Example She is the successful daughter, â€Å"the child who has made it† (Walker, Para. 3) and carved a place for herself in the outside world. Her style of dress, in striking shades of yellow and orange, ethnic jewelry and hairstyle all deliberately accentuate her African heritage and call out loudly for attention. They constitute her apparently defiant statement of identity. Dee’s use of the Swahili style of greeting, â€Å"Wasuzo-Teano† (Walker, Para. 21), and her adoption of the name, â€Å"Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo† are also meant to reinforce her assertion of her roots. Dee’s veneer of pride in her heritage is like her â€Å"sunglasses which hid everything† (Walker, Para. 82). A deeper study of Dee’s personality reveals that she has actually rejected her roots. â€Å"She had hated† (Walker, Para. 10) her childhood home. Her attitude towards her mother and sister is marked by criticism and condescension. Dee takes pictures of them as if they were curiosities and includes the house and the cow, but not herself. She does not see herself as a part of their world. Her change of name is again a rejection of her lineage. The name Dee, which has passed down to her through generations of her family, is more a genuine part of her heritage than the affected African name she has adopted. Her rejection of her past is irrevocably made by her statement about the old Dee: â€Å"She’s dead† (Walker, Para. 27). Dee covets the churner top and dasher, not as treasured parts of her past life, but as pretentious artistic curios to be flaunted as exotic ornaments. Likewise, her estimation of the quilts, â€Å"they’re priceless!† (Walker, Para. 52) is not based on the value of her love for the grandmother and the aunt who made them, but on their considerable monetary value as antiques, which will make a striking fashion statement. Dee does not know who made the dasher, nor does she know how to quilt. Unlike her sister Maggie, who will use

Definition of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definition of Ethics - Essay Example In the professional world, ethics refers to â€Å"the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Professional ethics are rules that govern the actions of the people it covers. Ethics tells them what is acceptable behavior from one that is not. Connotative Meaning Ethics connotes a clear sense of the right things to do and the wrong things to avoid. Since ethics corresponds to established rules and laws, everyone is expected to follow and adhere to them. Ethics governs the behavior of people; it tells them how to behave and act in different situations that are acceptable to the norms of society. It is a standard against which people’s behaviors are measured. Being moral means conforming to accepted standards of behavior. Ethics also connotes a system of belief from which people subscribe. It is a shared consciousness among people composed of their beliefs, values, and aspirations which guide their daily living. Similar to laws , however, ethics in this sense is developed by the people and is passed on to other generations. Having survived the test of time, this gives ethics a sense of legitimacy making it even more useful as a set of guiding philosophies for the next generation to use. Ethics can also be considered an area of inquiry. Studying ethics as a branch of philosophy reveals the fundamental nature of the term and the sets of knowledge that have been built around it by philosophers. In this sense, the true nature of right and wrong is argued and debated. Inconsistencies, gaps, and limitations in the definition of morality are threshed out. This results to a connotation of ethics that transcends the boundaries of time and space. Professional ethics, on the other hand, emphasizes the need to adhere to those rules since deviations from them can result to legal consequences. Examples of professional ethics include physician, journalist, and business codes of ethics. These ethics act as guidelines that help professionals make the right decisions when faced with morally-challenging situations. Examples of these situations include a doctor considering euthanasia, a journalist covering a hostage crisis, or a corporate executive dealing with union issues. I see ethics as a set of moral standards that must be observed and followed. Having a sense of right and wrong is important because it translates into the behavior and actions of a person. Ethics is what directs a person to choose the right thing over the wrong one. Knowing the difference between right and wrong allows a person to make informed decisions when dealing with difficult situations. It enables a person to align his/her moral convictions with those of the established ethical rules. Adhering to ethics, however, remains to be a personal choice. Despite societal expectations to act and behave according to ethical rules, it cannot be avoided that people’s actions may sometimes deviate from the norm. Ethics, then, is a c onscious decision that requires constant effort from the person adhering to it. It is a conviction to follow established moral principles in order to achieve societal harmony. Ethics in this sense involves having to compromise one’s beliefs with the collective belief system that a society holds about proper behavior. Since ethics is constructed by society,

Compare the short story Flowers for Algernon Essay Example for Free

Compare the short story Flowers for Algernon Essay The differences between Flowers for Algernon as a short story and as a movie represent the differences between the two media. In my essay I am going to show, from the differences between the short story and the movie, the differences between the two media, coming up with the conclusion that the short story is the better medium by which to tell this story. One of the most significant differences between the short story and the movie is the developing of Charlies character in the story. In the book for example, is nothing said about his family, whereas in the movie is told a lot about his childhood and in the end he also sees his mother. When we see Charlie in the movie identifying himself as lonely, he becomes a more described character than he is in the book. This shows the difference that in a short story we have to develop a character ourselves, but in a movie only throughout one picture of a person we already get a description of this character we would never have got in a short story. In the movie we have seen the information about Charlie we immediately get it supported by information about his family. There are also different kinds of pathos in short story and movie. With the identification of Charlie Ms Kinnian and indirectly Algernon with the loneliness in the movie, they identify themselves as sad. This makes the movie much more pathetic than the short story, because in the short story only the identifying between Charlie and Algernon takes place, which is much less pathetic. What also support the pathos in the movie is the whole emotion around the relationship between Charlie and Ms Kinnian. This could represent the fact that a movie has to be more emotional than a short story, so that the people want to see it. But it could also show that someone who is making a movie has to bring in more pathos in his story, because he shows the story omniscient. That means he has not the chance to tell the story in diary-form and so directly out of the brain of the main character which is much more personal. With short story as diary-form you can see everything through the eyes of the diary writer. To compare the roles of the doctors, doing the operation, also brings up a big difference. In the movie there is no Dr. Nemur, who plays a big role in  the short story. In the short story Dr. Nemur represents the scientific world, which is not always human. Dr. Strauss plays the good, personal and human guy, which also cares about Charlies feelings and his psychology. Now in the movie there is only Dr. Strauss, who then has to represent the scientific world but also has to be the good guy. So two flat characters from the short story can be put into one character in the movie. Because Dr. Strauss is representing two characters, he becomes a grotesque person. This happens, because he has to represent a scientific society, which does not have ethics as basis but also has to represent a world of humanity and ethics, which in the short story represent Dr. Nemur. In my opinion the short story is the more successful medium by which to tell the story, because the movie creates you through a lot of emotions one specific opinion about what happens to Charlie. Whereas in the short story you have more chance to create your own opinion about the story, which is a very important thing in stories but also in your life.

Christianity And Environmental Issues Religion Essay

Christianity And Environmental Issues Religion Essay The Bible calls Christians to be the stewards of the earth. We are called to maintain and protect the earth. God loved His creation. He protected and maintained His creation. We are created in the image of God and as Christians we should love the earth. Genesis 1:26(NIV) says Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' God did not give us earth to man so man could consume all the resources over all the earth. We have to make a suitable environment for all of Gods creatures. Christians are called and can change the earth through awareness, conservation, pollution control and environmental restoration. Christians have to take the lead in creating awareness of the earths environmental problems. Rev. Tom Wenig, pastor of Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, says that [environmental awareness] is really trying to develop a mind-set. It isnt trying to take on a big political agenda. First, the church has to realize that they are called by God to sustain and protect their environment called earth. For decades, Christians have ignored this issue. One article that was published in Science stated that Christians have ignored environmental issues and have helped create environmental problems. But the church is responsible for caring for Gods creation. The church should freely share the importance of conserving resources, recycling, donating, and other ideas to preserve our environment. The church should also reach out to non-Christians and make them aware of the importance of taking care of our earth. Christians and churches are just beginning to work together to help make positive and meaning ful changes to our world. The hope is that this trend continues and a national and global support continues to grow toward the awareness. Christians can have a positive impact on plants and animals through conservation. Psalm 145:9-10(NIV) says The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, o Lord; your saints will extol you. We can conserve energy by turning things off and not using them and turning down the thermostat at home. We can conserve water by taking shorter showers, installing water saving showerheads, and not watering our lawns. We can use energy efficient light bulbs and insolate our water heater which saves on electricity. We can insure our houses are suitable to weather. We make sure it is energy efficient and no energy is seeping out. If we all work together to conserve and are aware, we can help to preserve the environment. Controlling pollution anyway we can as individuals and Christians will benefit and preserve the environment. Matt Farina says that God loved us enough to make this world for us. The least we can do is care for it. Christians can make a great impact through recycling. A survey from the Department of Ecology in the state of Washington showed that 12,842 aluminum cans were recycled in 2008. Recycling helped save 2,658,142 British Thermal Units (BTU). Recycling also helped to avoid 47,882 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Seattle recycles 44 percent of its trash and is aiming for 75 percent by 2025. We can recycle bottles, metal, cans, and trash to make materials reusable. Riding bikes or walking instead of driving will decrease the use of gas. Carpooling instead of taking individual vehicles can save gas. Sending emails on a computer instead of writing letters will save the amount of trees being used for paper. Handling chemicals properly will decrease the amount of filthy air that people are using. We all can help the environment if we learn to control pollution. As Christians, we need to step away from our cultural barriers and support environmental restoration. Adam Clarke compares environmental restoration to the restoration of man. He states This perfection is the restoration of man to the state of holiness from which he fell, by creating him anew in Christ Jesus, and restoring to him that image and likeness of God which he has lost. As Christians, we can support this cause by planting gardens and not relying on the supermarkets to provide fruits and vegetables. Once our gardens are harvested we should donate our fruits and vegetables to others to share with. Some people criticize Christians and non-Christians as environmental extremists. Some individuals say that the claims regarding the environment and its deteriorating state as false and exaggerated claims. Other individuals believe change is constant and inevitable and that man is powerless to do anything about it. That cannot be any farther from the truth. More and more people are dying or catching diseases due to environmental hazards. These issues are not limited to America. This issue is far worse in third world countries. Churches that take part in mission trips visit countries that have massive famine in the land. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Americas and 47% of its population is below the poverty level. In countries such as Nicaragua, the famine is so massive that adults and children are living in dumps. There is no clean water to drink and there is almost no healthy food to eat. Third world countries are in serious need of environmental restoration. Restoration to these countries can happen in events like visiting these countries on mission trips. Feeding kids, building houses, and providing clean water is a great way for Christians and non-Christians to restore the environment. People who criticize Christians and non-Christians for being environmental extremists have not seen the impact. They have not witnessed the chemical diseases that come with pollution in America and the famine in third world countries. There are many opportunities in these cultures for Christians and non-Christians alike to restore the environment. The environment and its restoration is a major issue. People are contracting diseases from toxic chemicals in the pollution that is being put out. People in third world countries are dying due to the famine in the land.

Costa Rica and the CBD :: Government Essays

Costa Rica and the CBD Introduction Costa Rica has been well ahead of other developing countries with its environmental policies. Its involvement with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was in part due to the fact that the country had already been complying with many of the stipulations the convention put forward. In order to understand Costa Rica's environmental leadership one must first understand the history of the CBD and of Costa Rica's environmental policies, and the implications the CBD has had on Costa Rica . It is also important to discuss the increasing role of non-governmental organizations within Costa Rica for changing and creating environmental policy. Even though Costa Rica had advanced environmental policies before the creation of the CBD, the CBD has been important in jumpstarting more international relations between Costa Rica and other countries as well as with other international organizations. Costa Rica worked with international organizations before the ratification of the CBD, but they were more prevalent after the conference. Background to the CBD In 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of the most important outcomes of Earth Summit was the creation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the enactment of the convention one year later. The CBD was the first global agreement for the conservation and the sustainable use of biological diversity. It identifies a set of problems, goals and policies that are common to states worldwide. Its three main goals are: to ensure the conservation of biodiversity; to require the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity; and to share the benefits from the commercial utilization of genetic resources in a fair way ("Text of CBD"). These goals were not new for Costa Rica. It is very important to consider the needs of developing countries when drafting international legislation regarding biological diversity because most of the world's biological diversity is found in developing countries. A reason for the c reation of the CBD was the global demand to protect biodiversity and one its provisions is that states have a sovereign right over biodiversity resources. Both of these factors are important when looking at where environmental policy is today because many developed countries who are not home to a significant amount of biodiversity are still concerned with it and that is why they want to impose regulations on the maintenance of biodiversity in other countries.

Comparison King rat and mcKenzies Boots :: essays papers

Comparison King rat and mcKenzies Boots Wartime. It is a time of pain, a time of agony, a time of great suffering. Yet through all the hardships of war, there always arises heroes, people who soar above all to rid the world of the evil that is war. What is it about such heroes that make them standout from the rest? More importantly, what is it about soldiers that enable them to survive the atrocities of war? There are many possible answers to this question such as being in top physical condition and having the proper combat and weapon training. More importantly, a time of war can take a heavy toll on one's mind and a person must have great mental strength in order to deal with the death, pain, and terror that result from war. Survival in war may depend more on mental strength than on physical strength. One important aspect of mental strength is having the will to survive and not giving up at all. In order to be strong mentally, one must also be able to block out all emotions and morals that could lead to weak ness and even lead to death. Having a good companion at a time of war could also be very helpful in the building of mental strength. All of these elements show how mental strength can be very important when it comes to surviving an unforgiving war. What exactly is the will to survive? A couple of scenarios explains it best. For example, it is what keeps a severely wounded man alive long enough until proper medical attention arrives. It is what prevents a soldier from going insane when things get uncontrollably out of hand. It is these things and a great deal more. In the novel King Rat by James Clavell, the character known as the King showed he had a very strong will to survive. He was stuck in a Japanese prison camp for the past couple of years and he had refused to give up on his life like the others. A good example of this was when a fellow prisoner had just died and he was talking to the doctor who had been in charge of him. "What'd he die of?" "Lack of spirit." The doctor stifled a yawn. His teeth were stained and dirty, and his hair lank and dirty, and his hands pink and spotless.

Communication Opinion Paper

Communication Opinion Paper Christine Kendall HCS/320 November 18, 2012 Tralicia Brown Communication Opinion Paper Introduction Effective communication in health care is crucial for health care professionals, the patients and the establishment providing the care. It can mean the difference between life and death. When there is not enough communication within the health care industry, medical care will not be given effectively due to mistakes that will be made when things are not clear.When lives are at stake, effective communication is a must in the health care industry. Effective Communication and its Elements Effective communication involves more than understanding information that is being conveyed. How a person understands and receives a message are two different things therefore understanding feelings, thoughts, wants, and needs are crucial in effective communication (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010). The success of every relationship whether it’s personal or pro fessional relies on a person’s ability to communicate effectively.Becoming a skilled communicator requires learning the elements necessary for effective public speaking, interpersonal relationships, and business relations. The four basic elements of effective communication are sender, receiver, message, and feedback. The first component is the sender/receiver which acts as a transceiver by speaking to someone and receiving nonverbal feedback simultaneously. â€Å"The message is the idea, thought, feeling, or opinion to be communicated† (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010, chap 1).It is important to recognize not only the content of the message, but also the nonverbal communication that you may be sending as well. â€Å"Feedback is the receiver’s response to the message and indicates how the message is seen, heard, and understood, and often how the receiver feels about the message and/or the sender† (Cheesebro, O’Connor, & Rios, 2010, chap 1). Elements of Effective Communication and Rules of Health Care Communication Health communication is â€Å"the way we seek, process and share health information† (du Pre, 2005, pg 8).Health communication is based on personal goals, skills, culture, situational factors, and being considerate of other people’s feelings (du Pre, 2005). People are influenced greatly by other people and rely on others to help meet their goals. As du Pre (2005) explains health care providers have many goals such as patient health and showing their knowledge. Patient’s also have many goals when it comes to their health care such as wanting to get better and to be reassured. Whether or not these goals are met is based on effective health communication.Recognizing interdependence and that no one communicates alone has influence on the effectiveness of communication. Being friendly and honest will help others feel comfortable enough to be friendly and honest with you. People who communicat e well are sensitive to other people’s feelings and expectations. This includes listening carefully, being aware of other cultures and their personal preferences. Another example of effective communication in health is recognizing shared meaning. What an action means depends on the people and the circumstances involved† (du Pre, 2005, pg 8). This is usually based on how people respond to each other by smiling, nodding their head, or an angry look. This will let you know how people are responding to your conversation (du Pre, 2005). How to Communicate Candidly Effective interpersonal communication between a patient and a health care provider is one of the most important elements in patient satisfaction, compliance and the outcome of patient health.Despite this acknowledgement of the importance of interpersonal communication, in medical training the subject is not always emphasized. Effective interpersonal communication can lead to the patient offering enough information to lead to a diagnosis, the provider and the client both can discuss an acceptable treatment plan, the client and the provider are both committed to fulfilling their responsibilities during and after treatment (de Negri, Brown, Hernandez, Rosenbaum, & Roter, 2012).The following steps to effective communication and encouraging the client to communicate candidly include: encouraging a two-way dialogue, establishing a partnership between client and consumer, creating a caring atmosphere, bridging any social gaps between provider and client, accounting for social influences, effectively using verbal and non-verbal communication, and allowing the client enough time to tell their story (de Negri, Brown, Hernandez, Rosenbaum, & Roter, 2012). Cultural Differences and CommunicationExcellent cultural communication skills are beneficial to relationships with colleagues, clients, and customers and improve business performance. If challenges and opportunities are handled well when working with p eople from different cultural backgrounds, they can increase productivity, improve performance, innovation, and progress (Kaplan & Cunningham, 2010). There are a few tips when conversing with someone from a different culture which can increase your chances for being understood. These are: Know yourself and your own cultural Context. Read also: â€Å"Advice About Communication†Think about how your culture context impacts your communication style. Know your audience. Some cultures are more direct than others, speaking less verbally and rely more on nonverbal communication. Yes does not always mean yes. Respect English language barriers. When speaking to someone who does not speak English there are tips to make sure that you are being understood. These tips include: speak slower, avoid the use of slang words, take breaks in the conversation and don’t surprise people.Respect your audience and do not judge. Try looking at situations with different cultures as different not right or wrong. Ask questions to make sure they understand. (Kaplan & Cunningham, 2010). Conclusion Due to the fact that when there is not enough communication within the health care industry, medical care will not be given effectively, it is crucial for health care professionals to learn the skills necessary for effective communicati on. It can mean the difference between life and death.