Essay on The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauda...

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauda Equiano The narrative by Olaudah Equiano gives an interesting perspective of slavery both within and outside of Africa in the eighteenth century. From these writings we can gain insight into the religion and customs of an African culture. We can also see how developed the system of trade was within Africa, and worldwide by this time. Finally, we hear an insiders view on being enslaved, how slaves were treated in Africa, and what the treatment of African slaves was like at the hands of the Europeans. Olaudah spends a good part of the narrative acquainting the reader with the customs of his people. He describes the importance of hygiene to his people. Their overall health and vigor was†¦show more content†¦They seemed, if we take him at his word, to be a friendly and civilized people. As he put it cheerfulness and affability are two of the leading characteristics of our nation. The village economy was particularly interesting, and Olaudahs descriptions are very revealing. His people needed guns because other villages had them. The guns were brought to Africa by the Europeans, who used them to trade. (That the Europeans both supplied and fulfilled this need bears mention.) Olaudah states that he had never seen a European; his people traded with wandering merchants who acted as middlemen. These middlemen traded guns for potash, which they probably used in trade again elsewhere. Later in his life Olaudah also saw iron pots, crossbows, and European cutlasses among African people. This clearly illustrates the trade that developed between coastal tribes and Europeans, and the existence of middlemen who worked along established trade routes. There is also evidence of the Columbian Exchange in this writing: the crops that Olaudah mentions his people raised. He says that they grew corn and tobacco, These crops were unknown in Afroeurasia before Columbus returned from the New World barely two hundred and fifty years earlier. These two crops traveled from the Western Hemisphere via very indirect trade routes, over a period of many years. They became staples in a rural village miles from the African coast. This shows the level of sophistication inShow MoreRelatedTriangular Trade Route And The Middle Passage Essay1042 Words   |  5 Pagesso close together they were prone to getting disease, which would then lead to death. A famous African American, Olauda Equiano, wrote a book about his experience during the Middle Passage. Equiano wrote The closeness of the place and the heat of the climate, added to the number of the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us† (Equian o). Many slaves were beaten severely and some even jumped overboard. Death rates were so high that at the end of

What atmosphere does Lorca create in Blood Wedding and how does he create it Free Essays

The classical and highly acknowledged play Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca delivers many symbols and similes which communicates the themes of the play and also create an atmosphere which Lorca directs as he wants it. With an excellent skill of writing Lorca draws the audience into the surreal play with this intense atmosphere. It also makes the spectators understand the deeper meaning of the tale. We will write a custom essay sample on What atmosphere does Lorca create in Blood Wedding and how does he create it? or any similar topic only for you Order Now The atmosphere in the play is ever changing. It starts out as a heavy dark sinister foreboding, the semi-subconscious sense that death will take place in the play with the mentioning of the knife. When it is known that a marriage is to take place the atmosphere is slightly lifted in the joyous occasion. However Lorca quickly shows the conflicts that are taking place within Leonardo and the Bride, and also between them, and the now almost obvious menace that hangs over the setting. The realisation of Leonardo and the Bride’s act, confirming the growing tension, now gives expectations of the murder that has been suspected from the start. With the introduction of the Beggar and the Moon there is a violent and an intimidating atmosphere that is abruptly replaced by the calm sorrow of the last scene. It is easy to see how contradicting and profoundly complex the atmospheres are to each other through each scene, which then gives each more attention from the audience because of this. In the beginning when the Bridegroom and Mother are talking about something as common as the every-day job of going out to gather food it does not indicate any tension that will soon appear. However as soon as Mother curses the knife, â€Å"Damn the knife, damn them all and the devil who brought them into the world†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act 1, Scene 1) it is immediately clear that knife it something much more sinister than simply to cut grapes. The sudden contradiction and the fact that this particular symbol will dominate the play strongly marks the dark atmosphere. The constant mentioning of death indicates that this is, as Lorca meant to say, inevitable. This menacing atmosphere never leaves, but stays in the background through the play, since it is obvious that death will sooner or later take place. The tension rises when marriage is mentioned and it is immediately very clear that conflicting forces are behind these events. Leonardo and the Bride’s apparent dislike to their marriages which is seen very early on with Leonardo’s outbursts, â€Å"Why can’t you just shut up?† (Act 1, Scene 2) and the Bride’s aggressive manner, â€Å"taking her wrists Leave them!† (Act 1, Scene 3) confirms that trouble is rising on the horizon and, since the foreshadowing of death is already present, it leaves a breathless feeling, a surge of knowledge of what will happen. The actions of the characters also contribute to the atmosphere. When Leonardo at the wedding party keeps coming and going it gives him a sort of constant menacing aura that reminds us that this occasion is full of contradiction within. At the point when the Bride and Leonardo runs off and people starts to chase them it is like an explosion of events that has been predicted from the very beginning of the play. The Moon’s bloody and violent personality and its conversation with the Beggar tell of the murder that by now is already known to come to be. â€Å"Tonight, I want a heart split wide so that I may warm myself. A human heart for me!† (Act 3, Scene 1) However, it gives that little extra tension from the fact that the Moon may or may not be there to shine and reveal Leonardo and the Bride. â€Å"Quickly! Light†¦light everywhere. Do you here? They mustn’t escape.† (Beggar) (Act 3, Scene 1) The tale of Blood Wedding is told through usually short sentences. This very plain language gives us the sense of the straightforwardness of the peasant community, which then reassures us of an uneventful and calm society. This makes the different atmospheres in the play stand out, as they are certainly neither uneventful nor calm. The colours of each scene are also very important to bring forth the right kind of atmosphere and also the moral notions of the play. For example in the first scene the room is coloured yellow. People might interpret the meaning of colours differently but in the western world yellow is generally considered as the colour of treachery and infidelity. It makes a feeling of what might be expected to happen later on in the scene. There is also used music, â€Å"two violins†, to enhance the atmosphere. Personally I would expect the music that is played as a sad melody with a slight echo to it. This would create an atmosphere which would confirm even more the coming murder, but as there a few indications that the Bride and Leonardo might make it, for example the constant reappearing of the Moon, it makes the uncertainty stand out as the audience is suddenly left to wonder what will happen next. The complete transformation of atmosphere in the last scene is so sudden and unexpected that it leaves a sort of echo of the last scene. With this melancholy calmness it is also easier to bring about the more moralistic purposes of the play without the too fierce tensions that keeps the audience more focused on the events than the message of Blood Wedding. The women weeping and mourning for the dead is also a very good way to give a final feeling that makes the audience understand that the play is over and what consequences it brought, that is death. Lorca uses many skilful ways to make the atmosphere through Blood Wedding. With gestures, colour, music and symbolism the Spanish writer displays a very artistically body created for the play. It is as though Lorca decided to build up such a tense atmosphere just to make the audience hang on to every single word and so pay more attention to the final point made in the last scene, the fact that the Spanish society is very oppressed and that women are kept captured in it even when the men are dead and gone. 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War Is Kind free essay sample

War is Kind In Stephen Cranes poem â€Å"War is Kind,† He uses repetition, tone and imagery, to communicate his theme: war is not kind, it is horrible. Repetition is the most prominent literary element used by the author. One of the most repeated phrases is war is kind. Not only does it appear in the title, but it is repeated in lines 15, 12, 16, and 26. Crane illustrates that he is being verbally ironic. He does not mean that war is kind, but that war creates Misery. The phrase do not weep is also repeated several times throughout the poem. The phrase is repeated five times throughout the poem. The title shows the ironic tone of the poem, because it is very hard to imagine kindness in war. The beginning stanza confirms the tone while it addresses the lover of a soldier who has died in battle. The author tells the lover not to leave her soldier at death. We will write a custom essay sample on War Is Kind or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Followed by an overdramatic image of death, with the dying soldier throwing his wild hands towards the sky dictand the affrighted running on alone. Also, Crane uses imagery, â€Å"to show the gruesomeness of war. The â€Å"eagle with crest of red and gold† is a symbol of America in the war. The young men fight for this symbol and for the freedom of America, but the men think that they don’t have a choice in the war. In conclusion I was able to comprehend Stephen Crane’s poem â€Å"War is Kind. † I see this poem as Crane expressing his anger towards the pointless death of young men in war. Crane’s philosophy about war seems to be that death is glorified, and that the military throws away young men’s lives and tears families apart. The poem seems to glorify war, but in an ironic, sarcastic manner so that Crane’s true feeling about war are revealed.

More than One Kind of Irony

More than One Kind of Irony More than One Kind of Irony More than One Kind of Irony By Maeve Maddox Irony and its adjective ironic have joined the class of carelessly used words–like literally and awesome–that drive many language lovers wild. As early as 1926 H.W. Fowler decried the use of irony and ironic to refer to happenings that are merely coincidental or odd. For example, if I run into you in Walmart and an hour later bump into you at OfficeMax, that’s not ironic; it’s a coincidence. If I’m driving to school with barely enough time to make it to class on time and get stuck at a train crossing, that’s annoying or frustrating, but it’s not ironic. Fowler describes three kinds of irony: Socratic irony, dramatic irony, and the irony of Fate. Socratic irony takes its name from the philosopher Socrates who would pretend to be ignorant, so as to encourage his students to argue their beliefs. The television detective Columbo is a master at this kind of irony. Just as Socrates used apparently innocent questions to show up his students’ shaky arguments, Columbo uses feigned humility and ignorance to lure his suspects into talking too much and revealing their guilt. Dramatic irony is the irony of classical Greek drama, written for an audience that knew the details of the drama being presented. This kind of irony produces goose bumps in the audience or reader. When Oedipus swears he’ll bring his father’s murderer to justice, the audience knows that Oedipus is his father’s murderer. When Oedipus innocently marries Jocasta, the audience knows that she’s his mother. Strong stuff, dramatic irony. Novelists set it up by letting the reader know what the characters do not. Irony of Fate occurs when misfortune is the result of Fate, Chance, or God. In Fowler’s words, â€Å"Nature persuades most of us that the course of events is within wide limits foreseeable, that things will follow their usual course† If you watched the video clips of the floods that ravaged England in early 2014, you may have seen the pictures of the fabulous, recently completed mansion, its four-acre grounds ringed by a protective moat; despite the owner’s efforts, the waters triumphed. This is an example of the irony of Fate or Chance, also called cosmic irony. Reedsy defines it from the point of view of writers: Irony is a storytelling tool used to create contrast between how things seem and how they really are beneath the surface. The term â€Å"ironic† comes from the Latin word ironia, which means â€Å"feigned ignorance.† Two other types of irony not mentioned by Fowler are â€Å"verbal irony† and â€Å"situational irony.† Verbal irony occurs when a person says one thing, but means another, for example, saying â€Å"Lucky me!† when you slip on the ice and break your arm. Situational irony is similar to cosmic irony. You go into a situation expecting one outcome, but experience the opposite result. The O. Henry story â€Å"The Gift of the Magi† is built on situational irony: the wife sells her hair to buy her husband a watch fob; the husband sells his watch to buy his wife a decorative comb. The irony is that neither spouse can use the thoughtful gift. Irony has more than one meaning, but â€Å"coincidental† and â€Å"odd† are not among them. Related article: What Is Irony? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Addressing A Letter to Two PeoplePeace of Mind and A Piece of One's MindSupervise vs. Monitor

Learn How to Tell Time in Italian

Learn How to Tell Time in Italian The simplest way to inquire about the time in Italian is by using the verb essere: Che ore sono? Che ora à ¨? – What time is it? You can use the above sentences interchangeably when asking about the time, but when responding you will always use sono le unless you are talking about 1 p.m. in the 12 hour clock (à © luna) or mezzogiorno and mezzanotte: Sono le diciassette. – It is the 17th hour or 5 pm.È mezzogiorno. – Its noon. Be Polite But even better, if you want to be polite add an excuse me into the mix: Mi scusi, che ora à ¨? – Excuse me, what time is it?Mi scusi, che ore sono? – Excuse me, what time is it? The two questions have the same meaning and basic structure. The difference is that the first uses ora à ¨? (is it now?), while the second uses sono le? (is it?). Both uses are perfectly acceptable, but the first conveys a slightly greater sense of immediacy. Useful Vocabulary: Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night To indicate a.m. add di mattina: Sono le 11 di mattina. – It’s 11 in the morning. To indicate afternoon add del pomeriggio (12 noon to 5 pm): Sono le 2 del pomeriggio. – It’s 2 in the afternoon. To indicate evening use di sera . This period of time changes with seasons but it usually sits between the afternoon and the late night, from 5 pm to 9 or 10 pm: Sono le sei di sera. – It’s 6 in the evening. To indicate night time use di notte (10 pm to early morning): Sono le 3 di notte. – It’s three in the morning. Must-Know Vocabulary Words Additionally, there are a number of important words and phrases to know in relation to telling time in Italian. Heres a brief list with their English equivalents: Una mezz’ora (A half hour):Mamma arriva tra mezzora. – Mom arrives in thirty minutes.Un quarto d’ora (A quarter of an hour):Ho bisogno di un quarto dora per farmi una doccia. – I need 15 minutes to take a shower.A volte (Sometimes):A volte mi prendo un caffà ¨. – Sometimes I buy myself a coffee.Due volte al giorno (Twice a day):Passeggio al cane due volte al giorno. – I walk the dog twice a day.Tutti i giorni (Every day):Io vado al gym tutti i giorni. – I go to the gym every day.Ogni tanto (From time to time):Ogni tanto visito la mia zia in Chicago. – From time to time I visit my aunt in Chicago.Mancano cinque minuti alle... (It’s five minutes to...)Mancano cinque minuti alle 3 pm. – Its five to 3 pm.A che ora chiude? (What time does it close?):A che ora chiude la piscina? – What time does the pool close?A che ora apre? (What time does it open?):A che ora apre il panificio? – What time does the baker y open?A che ora comincia? (What time does it start?):A che ora comincia il film? – What time does the movie start? Reminder Dont forget that the 24 hour clock usage is widespread in Italy and most parts of Europe. In short, 1 p.m. is expressed as 13:00, while 5:30 p.m. is 17:30. An appointment or invitation for 19:30 is meant for 7:30 p.m. But the 12 hour clock is well known and everyone will understand when you use it. Finally, the months, as well as the days of the week in Italian, will give you more vocabulary and broaden your skills in the language.

The importance of the perception communication at work depending on Dissertation

The importance of the perception communication at work depending on the Generation X and Generation Y - Dissertation Example These diverse attitudes and principles translate differently in a workplace context, with both generations having unique values associated with what constitutes an effective and motivational business model. There are significant gaps in research literature describing what specific characteristics of a business model will motivate and inspire workers to achieve top quality performance in the job roles of Generation X and Generation Y. In most respects, knowledge on both generations tends to illustrate Generation X as an independent and headstrong generation with pre-established principles and values. In opposite accord, Generation Y is presented as more liberal, flexible, and success-minded in the organisational context. This sizeable gap in knowledge specifically includes knowledge of the importance of communications for both generations. ... 1.1 Research aims and objectives The aim of this research project is to determine the level of importance of communications in the workplace as it pertains to both generations. This is to determine if communications strategies can be an effective motivational model for both Generation X and Generation Y. This study maintains three specific objectives: Determine what actually motivates both Gen X and Gen Y in a workplace context Determine how both generations perceive communications as a motivational tool Identify proven models of motivation that have been effective in boosting performance for both Generation X and Generation Y. The study will consult with various secondary literature sources to paint a portrait of both generations, with special focus on attitudes, principles, experiences, and expectations for an organisational job role. Results of findings will be compared to a primary research project (which is described in this proposal’s methodology section) to determine wh ether communications can be considered a viable motivational model for both generations or for a single generation. The results of this study should assist in closing some of the gaps in literature that currently exists regarding motivational strategies for both generations and recommend a new model of motivation that could potentially improve business culture and strategic performance when applied to Gen X and Gen Y. The goal of the project is to create an innovation in knowledge about both generations that can provide new direction for managers in organisations that struggle with Gen X and Gen Y employees to gain top quality performance and dedication to meet strategic goals both short- and

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Movie Review Example Moreover, they can be personal as well as professional. To maintain interpersonal relationships, it is necessary that people use effective communication. For that, not only is it necessary for people to be able to send an intelligible message, but for the other person, for whom the message is intended, to be able to receive and decipher it clearly as well. Lacking clear communication, the relationship can be complicated by creating conflict therein. An excellent way to illustrate interpersonal relationships and the communication they involve would be through the movie The Hours, where many such interpersonal relationships along with the intricacies thereof have been portrayed. Stephen Daldry’s The Hours is based on the novel by the same name by Michael Cunningham, and relates three different stories, set in three different times and settings about three different women and their lives, the only thing similar between them being the novel Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. The mov ie relates a day in the lives of these three women and those around them, and is a good illustration of various interpersonal relationships as well as the dynamics thereof. ... It is clear that Virginia has a very loving relationship with her husband. The concern that Leonard has for her is clear, and what is more, he expresses it clearly, too. In the beginning, after the doctor’s visit, when Virginia comes down, he expresses her concern clearly when he insists that she eat something. Furthermore, towards the end of the movie, when they are at the train station, Leonard tells her how he lives in constant fear that she would kill herself, and that the reason they moved to the suburbs is because of her health. It is easy to see just how much concern and love Leonard has for Virginia, and what is more he also expresses it to her clearly as well. This love is clearly reciprocated, through words as well as gestures, by Virginia as well. Right down to her suicide note, whereby she says that he has given her the greatest possible happiness, and that she does not think two people could be any happier than them. When it comes to her sister, Vanessa, however, there is a distinct lack of open interpersonal communication. While Virginia tries to talk about her illness and her absence from London, Vanessa seems intent on changing the topic and not talking openly. Vanessa does not express her fears and her trepidations about Virginia’s health, nor does she openly inquire after them to allay them, and perhaps because of that reason she tends to be â€Å"scared† of her sister. It is clear that Virginia does not like that, and she tries to communicate her dissatisfaction to her sister, but as it is necessary for interpersonal communication for the other person to be receptive to one’s message, which clearly Vanessa is not, it has not effect. In the second story arc there is Laura, who lives with