Devil in a Blue Dress

Although the main character Ezekial (Easy) Rawlins is not a licensed private detective, he is given the opportunity to work as if he were one. At the end of the book he writes to a friend whom he tells he has had a couple of additional cases as well as the one featured in the book. As one might expect this leads to more mysteries to solve. Currently there about eight sequels to Devil in a Blue Dress. The series is popular and sells well. The novel is set in Watts, one of the poorer and primarily black sections of Los Angeles, in 1948. Easy Rawlins is a black war veteran.During the war he initially worked as a typist because black soldiers were segregated from the white soldiers and usually put in noncombatant positions. Rawlins volunteers for combat where he participates in D-Day and later fights in General Patton's tank corp. Until just before the book begins Easy has worked in an airplane manufacturing plant. After an argument with his foreman, Easy walks off the job and is fired. Easy Rawlins is the main character. He is a large, tough black man originally from Houston, Texas. He mistrusts white people in general and white policemen in particular.He lives pretty much hand to mouth except that he has managed to obtain a mortgage and buy a house. Trying to pay his monthly mortgage is often a struggle and is a motivating factor for his actions later in the book. Easy is extremely proud of his house with its fruit trees, flowers and yard. He cares for it so much that at times throughout the book when it is suggested he avoid physical attack by leaving the area he refuses because he won't leave his home behind. Despite his feelings about white people and his frequent confrontations with violence, Easy is a very likeable man. He has an eye toward the ladies and they often reciprocate.When the book opens Easy has nothing to do since he lost his job the previous day. He visits an illegal bar located near his home and run by a friend of his, an ex-heavyweight fighter named Joppy. The bar is located above a meat warehouse and always stinks of meat. Since Joppy has a checkered past regarding encounters with the law and because the room above the meat warehouse would never be approved by a health inspect, Joppy doesn't have a license, he buys stolen liquor that has been high jacked from trucks to sell to his patrons and the bar has no license, the bar doesn't officially exist.In fact much of the world Easy occupies doesn't exists in the eye of the law. The world is full of jazz, cigarettes, alcohol and violence. At the bar Joppy introduces Easy to a white man, DeWitt Albright. Albright is an old friend of Joppy's and he needs someone to find a white woman named Daphne Monet. He offers Easy one hundred dollars to find Monet and to tell him where she is. Albright claims he needs Easy to look for Monet because she has been seen in clubs considered to be black night clubs and a white man asking questions, no matter how tough, would be unlikely to get the information he sought might even be killed.Since Easy is well-known and well-liked in the community Albright believes he will be more successful in find Miss Monet. Although Easy suspects that Albright is a gangster or some other type of criminal and probably very dangerous, he needs the money to pay his mortgage and accepts the job. Thus begins Easy's journey through Watts, East L. A. , Santa Monica and other cities in the L. A. area. During that time Easy is arrested for murder and beaten by the white police.He is threatened with numerous guns, attacked with a knife, accused of messing with one of his friend's woman and visited by a second friend with who he shares a criminal past. Despite the above named adventures, Easy has little difficulty finding Daphne Monet. His reaction to her is typically male and he would consider giving up everything to be with her. Besides Easy, a variety of characters appear. Easy seems to know everybody and has a past with them. Some of these suc h as Coretta, who has an eye for men, appear briefly and are used by Mosley as victims of murder. However two characters deserve more mention.Mouse is a man without a conscience and a good deal of skill with both a knife and a gun. One can't describe him as immoral because he has no ethical standards to break. He is amoral. He doesn't recognize morality and it plays no role in his life. Given enough motivation, i. e. , money, Mouse would kill anyone without hesitation or remorse after the fact. Mouse is a good man to have on your side in violent situations, but he needs to be closely watched to make certain he doesn't suddenly turn on his friends and change side should it be to his personal advantage to do so.It is large through Mouse's skills with guns and a proclivity toward violence that East survives the case. Daphne Monet is a fantasy woman. She plays the role men want her to play and has learned to work men so well that she gets what she wants when she wants. She is physically small, beautiful, has a sensuous body with doe-like eyes that can melt a man's heart while exciting him with the possibility of a sexual relationship. She knows how to use all her charms to get what she wants and rarely hesitates to make use of them.She is out for herself and will likely do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Daphne Monet is an alias for Ruby Hanks, although she passes for white, she is a light skinned black woman from Lake Charles, Louisiana who like so many of the characters in the book has a past with Easy. Throughout the book Rawlins fails to recognize Rube when he meets Daphne because she has grown up and out since he last saw her when she was a child.. Unlike Mouse Daphne Monet has a conscience and an awareness of what is right or wrong, however she probably wouldn't hesitate to do wrong should the situation call for it.Money is her motivation and one wonders if Mosley used the last name â€Å"Monet† because of its similarity to the word â€Å"mo ney,† a driving force in here life. The crime that starts all of the violence and killing is Daphne's stealing $30,000 from Albright. Naturally he wants it back. Throughout the novel Daphne uses Easy to avoid being killed and to keep the money she as stolen. Ultimately she is successful. Daphne, Mouse and easy keep the money, Albright, among others, is dead. Rawlins is satisfied at the end of the book. Although there are threads of crimes left hanging, Easy is satisfied.He has settled things to his own standards and couldn't care less if the white police still have crimes to solve. Mosley's book provides a well plotted scenario with a very likeable main character. Typically private detectives are white males. Using a black man as a detective and revealing events to the reader through his eyes is an interesting device. Easy Rawlins has been treated as an inferior all of his life by white people. Easy Rawlins is a man with faults. He has prejudices that are understandable and pr ovide a more rounded character.He is a believable multi-dimensional character that does not fall prey to the many stereotypes many writers of detective stories use. Easy Rawlins is neither such an all bad person that he is unbelievable nor is he so pure and good so that he appears insipid. The plot of Devil in a Blue Dress is quite plausible. There was never a doubt that most of the events such as those happening in the book could and did occur. The only difficult part to accept is that the main characters were able to divide the money evenly and each of them keep their $10,000 share.It appears more likely that someone else would show up looking for the money. However, a willing suspension of disbelief easily remedies this small issue. The description of the location and time period appears to be historically accurate. Mosley is aware of historical facts and provides explanations for those things that might appear to be inaccurate. For example, because the military was segregated by race during World War II, most blacks did not serve in combat. Mosley deals with this by recognizing that blacks could serve in combat if they volunteered to do so.It is interesting to note that at the time when the novel takes place there are truck farms growing artichokes, strawberries, and lettuce between downtown L. A. and Santa Monica. Today there is nothing to separate L. A. from Santa Monica except a sign announcing the city limits of Santa Monica. Roads that are wide and well-traveled today are little used roads in the country. The book is very readable and interesting. It is interesting to read a detective novel from the point of view of a black man.His opinions of white people are largely negative and based on the events in the novel, correct. Easy was interesting and likeable. Daphne Monet was an exciting, sexy woman written to engender attraction and lust for male readers. The pacing was good and added to the suspense. At times the prose seems to lead the reader, subtly suggesting the reader continue to read and to read faster and faster. Devil in a Blue Dress appears to be authentic not only in its historicity, but in the way it feels and the atmosphere Mosley creates.While reading the box the reader is able to assume the persona of Easy Rawlings and look at events through his eyes. One of the best features of Mosley's book is that he uses language and terms that would have been used in 1948. Easy thinks of himself as a Negro, not as a black or African-American or some other recently developed politically correct term. This is refreshing given the extreme attention to political correctness today. It is irritating when people try to rewrite history by pretending that political corrects extends eternally to the past.Over all, Devil in a Blue Dress is quite a good book. Easy Rawlins is a believable character and interesting character. He provides a point of view to the reader that is unusual if not unique. One wonders if Daphne/Ruby is really The De vil in a Blue Dress as she is made out to be. For the male characters in the book and to men reading the book she is definitely an angel. The plot is intriguing and intricate enough to engage the reader and to encourage the reader to read the other books in the series. Works Cited Mosley, Walter. Devil in a Blue Dress. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1990.

Literature Paper Essay

Sophocles two plays, namely the AD 6717-658 Oedipus the King as well as the 658-693 Antigone, are dominated by elements of conflict – both external and internal. The external conflict involves two persons with opposing viewpoints being engaged in a physical or philosophical confrontation. On the other hand, the internal cases of conflict occur when certain individuals in the 2 plays encounter dilemmas regarding doing things that their consciences counsel against. Further, the playwright describes various characters handling the conflicting situations in a variety of ways. For example, some characters just choose to give in, become complicit, and do the things that their consciences advise against. A notable example of this phenomenon in Oedipus the King is Queen Jocasta’s action of bowing to King Laius’ (her husband’s) pressure and thus giving away the young Oedipus to be disposed off. Likewise, in Antigone, Ismene depicts the same behavior of allowing outside pressure to adversely influence her conscience-led aspirations. To this end, Ismene refuses to join efforts with Antigone – her defiant sister – in burying Polyneices – the 2 sisters’ departed brother. Conversely, the 2 plays contain cases whereby physical person-to-person conflicts arise. For instance, in Antigone, Creon – Thebe’s ruler – holds viewpoints that conflict with those of Haemon – Creon’s son. To illustrate, when Creon detains and intends to murder Antigone – Haemon’s fiance – son and father are at loggerheads. The situation deteriorates to the extent of father and son insulting one another. Haemon angrily leaves, promising that he will never come back. Similarly, in Oedipus the King, King Oedipus becomes conflicted with prophet Tiresias because Tiresias is experiencing an internal sort of conflict. The prophet is aware that telling King Oedipus the truth about who killed King Laius would yield no good results. On the other hand, King Oedipus is very intent on ascertaining the true identity of Lauis’ killer, not knowing that Oedipus himself killed Laius. The conflict between the 2 personalities pushes them to exchange harsh words. This conflict is resolved when Tiresias utters the definitive paradox that Laius was indeed killed by his (Laius’) son. All in all, through the two plays – Antigone and Oedipus the King, playwright Sophocles describes both external and external cases of conflict, with the conflicts being resolved to the detriment of a certain individual. To begin with, Queen Jocasta’s conflict regarding either disposing off or saving the life of Oedipus – her son – ends with the infant son being disadvantaged when he is disposed off. The hopeless Oedipus passes from the hands of Jocasta, to a servant, to a lowly shepherd and eventually to a King’s palace. Through such transition, the baby encounters various hardships. Firstly, he risks being killed and then spends some time out in the open fields where he is exposed to the elements. Further, it is notable that the shepherd who eventually passes Oedipus on to King Polybus has no means of keeping and raising the condemned child. Jocasta’s indecisiveness when she faces the internal conflict of either saving or killing Oedipus thus causes the son immense problems. In this case, Sophocles describes a conflict being resolved to the detriment of a particular personality – Oedipus. In a similar version, in Antigone, Sophocles describes Antigone’s conflict as resulting in a string of misfortunes. After Creon the King unjustly orders that Polyneices should be ignored regarding proper burial, with Eteocles being accorded a fitting send-off, Antigone – Polyneices’ sister – becomes mentally conflicted. Antigone immediately detects Creon’s partiality in ordering for this obviously discriminative treatment. She thus cannot demonstrate complicity by adhering to Creon’s unjust edict. The determined girl therefore opts to secretly accord Polyneices a proper burial. By doing this, Antigone risks being put to death as indicated by Creon’s directive. She however gallantly carries on with her plan and even boldly defending her decisions before the King. Related to Antigone’s mental conflict is Ismene’s dilemma whereby she has to choose to either stand by Antigone or obey Creon’s controversial decree. By adhering to the directives that Creon has issued, Ismene will in effect be betraying Polyneices – her brother. Conversely, by deciding to join Antigone in properly burying Polyneices, Ismene will be showing sisterly responsibility to her departed brother as well as to Antigone. In addition, Ismene risks being put to death as per Creon’s orders should she go by Antigone’s bold decision. Eventually, Ismene shies away and avoids going by Antigone’s plans. On her part, Antigone boldly accords Polyneices a proper send-off, thus attracting Creon’s wrath. Ultimately, the 2 sisters find themselves behind bars, with Ismene being a sort of martyr since she did not participate in Antigone’s defiant actions. It is at this point that Antigone faces another conflict when Ismene offers to suffer the consequences of Antigone’s actions. Antigone is aware that it would be unjust to allow Ismene suffer the same fate as Antigone. Although outside pressure eventually forces Creon to let the 2 girls walk free, the conflict that Ismene and Antigone face is resolved with disastrous results. Further, the decision that Antigone makes because of being mentally conflicted serves to make Creon’s son – Haemon – to also become conflicted. To illustrate, after Creon puts Antigone in prison, intending to kill the girl, Haemon intervenes, trying to persuade Creon to let the girl walk away. Haemon does this because he is an intimate friend to Antigone. He thus cannot allow his father to kill Antigone owing to the love that Haemon has for Antigone. It is worth noting that Haemon is in a tight spot when he approaches Creon, persuading the King to let Antigone go away. This is because Haemon risks being branded a traitor or someone who demonstrates insubordination towards the King. On the other hand, should Haemon decide to keep quiet, allowing the King to do as he wills with Antigone, Haemon will demonstrate lack of commitment towards Antigone. Son and father thus confront each other because they hold varying viewpoints about the incarceration of Antigone. Again, Sophocles describes a person-to-person conflict being resolved in a negative way. After Haemon and Creon hurl insults at each other, Haemon walks away, promising that he will never come back. True to his words, Haemon commits suicide. Likewise, through the Oedipus the King play, Sophocles describes the shepherd who witnessed King Laius’ murder as well as Oedipus as being conflicted both externally and internally. For instance, King Oedipus desires to know every detail of his (Oedipus’) childhood. On the other hand, the shepherd is aware that should he become aware of his past, Oedipus will only experience pain. The shepherd thus only gives certain details of Oedipus childhood after which he begs to be allowed to stop the narration. By doing this, the shepherd seeks to shield Oedipus from the pain that will inevitably result when the King learns of his (the King’s) past. Such good intentions are however misunderstood by Oedipus as the shepherd’s demonstration of insubordination. Consequently, Oedipus threatens the shepherd with death should he hold back any information from the King. The shepherd is thus deeply conflicted. He is very sure that when Oedipus learns the truth about Oedipus’ lineage, the King will surely be gravely hurt. Out of fear for his life, the shepherd finally explains all the details about Oedipus life. Consequently, the King becomes distraught. Further, the Queen commits suicide, after which Oedipus gorges out both his eyes and goes into self-imposed exile. Once more, Sophocles describes the conflict between the shepherd and King Oedipus as being resolved in a bad manner as it results in the deaths of Queen Jocasta and the self-imposed exile of King Oedipus. In conclusion, though his 2 plays – Oedipus the King and Antigone – playwright Sophocles describes numerous instances whereby various characters are conflicted either externally or internally. One notable case of mental conflict in Antigone is the instance when Antigone has to choose to either remain loyal to Polyneices – her brother – or obey Creon’s dictatorial decree. Conversely, the instance when Creon and Haemon exchange bitter words denotes external conflict. On the other hand, in Oedipus the King, Jocasta’s indecision regarding whether to dispose off or save Oedipus represents internal conflict. The shepherd and Oedipus’ confrontation demonstrates external conflict. Further, all the conflicts that are presented in both Oedipus the King as well as in Antigone are resolved in ways that harm certain characters.

Individual Organizational Structure Paper Essay

There are two types of organizational structures. The vertical structure and the horizontal structure. Vertical structures have a chain of management which usually reaches from the CEO at the top making any and all decisions and then delegating authority to all the lower-level managers. The horizontal structure which is often referred to as flat structure, have close to no middle managers which means that high level managers handle all the typical day-to-day tasks as well as interacting with the customers and employees. Since most new companies and small businesses will opt for the flat structure because of the fact that they have a more limited amount of employees. The smaller the business is, the more intimate it is. The lack of large workloads means that management styles are going to be more informal than formal. This means that companies like Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and even Chevron will be vertically structures whereas mom and pop shops will be more of a horizontally structures company. Since I am currently 6 months pregnant and crazing Mexican food, I will have to use this as my company organizational structure comparison. I will begin with Taco Bell. Because it is a chain, it has the vertical organizational structure. The CEO makes most if not all of the decisions while the lower to middle level management enforces all decisions and rules. There is however, an amazing restaurant in San Marcos Texas called Gracias. They serve in my opinion, the BEST cheese enchiladas in the whole world. Now, there are only four restaurants in south Texas and each of them is owned by one person, but each store does its own thing. Depending on which day you go into the restaurant, you might get the waitresses that know that  ordering a half and half means an iced tea, half sweetened and the other half UN sweetened. Also, depending on which store you go into and which day you go, you might get the enchiladas with too much Cumin on them, or the ones that are just perfect. Each store has their set recipes, but it is always up to the cook how they want to prepare the food. The difference between this and Taco Bell is that Taco Bell’s food is pre-made, freeze dried, and more expensive. They do not make anything, everything is just put together for them and they must arrange it in the proper order. They are preparing it rather than cooking it. The stores themselves are arranged how the manager of that store wants it to look. The only thing the same is the menu and the sign out front. Taco Bell has everything looking the same, with no differences. Since CEO’s like structure and duplication, there is no room for difference or creativity. In a horizontal structure, there is room for differences because it is a smaller business where the rules are more lax. In my personal opinion, I will always prefer the smaller stores or the horizontal businesses. You get more attention in these kinds of places. They get less business because they are not as well-known and not as crowded all the time. Because they do not advertise on the television, they are reserved for locals more than tourist or people that are just passing through. Since there is no real HR department, you must work things out with fellow employees or managers. There are always laws that will protect you regardless of who your business owner is, but there is not a specific department that handles those kinds of things within the company. The location is key in this situation because it is hidden in a smaller part of an old neighborhood. All four of the stores are. This is perfect because you have the chains closer to the highway so people can get in and out quick without getting lost in the city. Since this restaurant is more directed to locals, only true locals know about it. This restaurant is ALWAYS packed on the weekends and usually full during lunch hours during the week, while Taco Bell gets I’s regular business from time to time. Because the food is better, the service is more personal, and the environment is home town, this makes it a better place over all to enjoy a good meal. Since there are only  four stores compared to the thousands that Taco Bell owns, there is less revenue, but since it is a family business, there is no need to share the money with a lot of outside investors or business men/women. Another example would be Wal-Mart versus Buda Grocery. Wal-Mart is a major shopping center chain t hat is run by many different CEO’s and higher ups. They make decisions that directly benefit themselves and hire and fire employees freely because they feel like employees are a dime a dozen. They expect middle management to run most if not all the day to day business and handle as well as track all revenue. Buda Grocery is a tiny store with 4 aisles in the small town of Buda Texas. Its owners, Mr. and Mrs. Montague, have run the store for almost 50 years and they inherited it from Mr. Montague’s father before him. There are 3 employees other than the couple themselves. George is the butcher, he took the position when Mr. Montague got too old to cut the meat himself. George is almost exact with any and all weight of meat the first time without having to put any back. Sue is the cashier and is one of the sweetest women in the world. She never has a frown on her face. Finally, they have a college student come in from time to time to help with the store up-keep and stocking. I never got his name. Mrs. Montague is the book keeper/manager. She does all the ordering as well as any HR work that needs to be done and tracks the revenue as well as signs the checks. The store was sold to a different owner when Mr. Montage died of a heart attack in 2004 and Mrs. Montague could not run it on her own. The new owners have since then re-modeled the store with beer advertisements and even included an extra aisle for adults only. The store before was a dry store, which meant that they did not sell beer or alcohol. It is sad to see what kind of changes the business has faced, but it is still a horizontal organizational structure until this chain becomes big enough to own more and more stores like this. In conclusion, we can see the differences between a vertical organizational structure, where the rules are passed down and expected to be followed through with, and a horizontal structure where things are done depending on how well they work for each department or store. Each structure works well in its own way, but I always feel more comfortable in a horizontal situation because there is room for error. You never have to fear about the higher ups coming to evaluate everything because you are the higher ups. Things are more lax because it just works better that way. REFERENCES: Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2011). Management: Leading & collaborating in a competitive world (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Green, Sarah. Personal Experience, (2010). Being a customer of Buda Grocery for over 20 years.

Artificial Insemination Restrictions Based on Financial Stability Essay

Artificial Insemination Restrictions Based on Financial Stability - Essay Example They make decisions according to their moral standards. However, those who want to conceive children using artificial insemination should have stable financial background showing that they can support the child. Artificial insemination is the injection of sperm in a female’s uterus with the purpose of impregnating her. This usually occurs if the husband or partner is not able to make her pregnant or if the female has fertility problems. Most of the laws only provide that children can only be conceived through the biological method. This indicates that there are no legal restrictions for artificial insemination. Parenthood has not been altered in the constitution, and this indicates that problems associated with artificial insemination cannot be dealt with legally. This occurs in some countries such as Israel (Green 1). However, artificial conception has been legalized in most of western countries and other developing countries. The procedure of insemination is mostly legalized for married couples to ensure that children will be brought up in the right environment. If used by other groups of people such as unmarried individuals and lesbians, many legal considerations such as the financial status should be considered. They should be capable of bringing up the baby without any problem. According to the Hosmer model, individuals are supposed to act in the correct manner for them to be trusted. Acting in the right way is morality and morality always creates trust and indicated a commitment of the individual. The study of the morality of an individual who wants to conceive artificially is relevant, especially for those who are not married. It shows the level in which an individual can commit himself or herself to the task. Trust is always linked to commitment and commitment linked to effort. However, sometimes moral behavior is usually ruined by personal desires. An individual would do anything to create certainty that they acquire what they desire. This inclu des changing their behavior on that certain occasion. Some behaviors cannot be changed, as they are inbuilt like facial expressions. The individual who wants to conceive artificially should be fit and morally correct. Legislations on child protection should be developed so that they provide for changes in technology especially in reproduction (Shaw and Corvino 380). The couple ought to be capable of supporting the kid and grant him his rights according to the law. Insemination should have obligations and should, therefore, not be an option for anyone. This will ensure that the child is raised up in the right environment. Lack of this is what leads to children mistreatment, and children who are denied their rights. Artificial insemination needs to be controlled among the populace. Childcare needs a lot of attention and the mother does not have time to work but take care of the child. They will only work when the child matures enough. This requires the mother to have financial resourc es at the time they are not working. It is, therefore, significant to restrict the procedure to married couples whereby one couple will be working while the other will be caring for the child. Those who are engaging in this practice should be financially stable so that they can support their children. In some cases, one delivers multiple children, which can be tough for the mother especially if she had prepared for only one child. Every parent has a duty to provide for their children with food,

Topic below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic below - Essay Example The order that he gives to the man’s actions – he dies, then he gives up loving, then he lives with her – makes it clear that his death was not literal but emotional. Imagery is used in the first stanza as the poet presents the wedding band as a form of retainer. A retainer is a kind of restraint that forces something to remain in place. Creeley says the golden wedding ring was only â€Å"the first retainer,† forcing the reader to see the ring as a leash. The tone is established throughout the poem as the information is presented. The second stanza should give an impression of passionate love-making as it is presumably occurring on the wedding night, but instead it seems somewhat cold. It is labeled as the second restraint he placed on her and she, again, has no active part in the action. He just wakes up, leans over and kisses her without any consideration for what she might want. Throughout his poem, Creeley uses the technical tools of literature such as language, imagery and tone to make his point clear. Although his couple presumably loves each other at the beginning of the poem, they are seen as emotionless zombies by the end. If one reads the poem a little closer, it seems the reason this marriage has lost its passion is because of the restraints he’s put on her which removes her exciting mystique and he loses

Fences By August Wilson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fences By August Wilson - Research Paper Example The experiences Troy Maxson had to go through in his early life and his failure to realize his American Dream have a negative impact on his life and family. This frustration makes him unable to forgive and then gain maturity. Wilson portrays the painful experience of Troy Maxson whose American Dream turns out to be a failure. Despite his talent as a baseball player, he faces racism and segregation that prevent him from making a successful career in the Negro League and, therefore, achieve his American Dream. The failure of his dream transforms him into a bitter person who realizes the limitations of his opportunities. His shift from a Negro League player to a garbage collector reveals terribly the downfall he has to go through and the forms of careers America reserves to people of his color. This critic sums up his experience: â€Å"For Troy, however, the American dream has turned into a prolonged nightmare. Instead of limitless opportunity, he has come to know racial discrimination and poverty. At age 53, this former Negro League hero is a garbage collector who ekes out a meager existence, working arduously to support his family and living from hand to mouth† (Koprince). This failure of his American Dream explains his strong and definite refusal to allow his son to embrace the career of baseball player. The memory of his own painful experience and his awareness of the racial barriers ahead justify his opposition. He wants to avoid his son the same humiliation and failure he has to undergo. Troy’s life has always been filled with much drama and painful experiences from his birth to his death. Born in an African American family that faces the hardships related to the social realities of the period, he does not enjoy much joy. The family supposed to nurture and protect him was the first one to let him down and deceive him. The actions of his own biological parents were the first deceptions he had experienced in life, which explains his departure fro m home. Denied security and protection from his own home, his refuge in the streets will not offer him a better opportunity but lead him straight to jail. This article indicates: â€Å"What should a realist expect of Troy Maxson, who was abandoned by his mother at age eight, fled a brutal, lustful father at age fourteen, began to steal for a living, and served fifteen years on a murder charge? One can only hope for some measure of good, and Troy exceeds a realist's expectations† (Wessling). These painful experiences do not prepare Troy to become a responsible man, which explains the various struggles he faces to raise a family himself. His whole life has not been easy because he had to face one obstacle after another and learn to defend himself against any aggression and injustice. His concern to defend himself and his attempts to attain justice for himself and blacks in general make him a rebel. This author argues: â€Å"Even in Wilson's fictive world of 1957, he is regarde d as a ‘troublemaker’ for complaining that black garbage workers should be able to drive the trucks, just like white men. Not only was Troy ‘born too early,’ therefore, but Wilson portrays him as lacking the conciliatory temperament to be one of the first players to break baseball's color barrier† (Koprince). These claims grant him the status of a pre-civil rights actor who denounces injustice and fights for more consideration. The painful

Economic liberalization in Indonesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic liberalization in Indonesia - Essay Example Custom clearance procedures and computerized documentation requirements have facilitated imports and exports although registration of importers has remained a major requirement. The Customs Directorate of the Ministry of Finance has also implemented a post-entry audit system, which relies primarily on verification and auditing rather than inspection to monitor compliance. A paper less electronic data interchange system that links importers, banks, and customs was also introduced and is slowly being adopted (Trade Regulations and Standards). Import tariff has also been considerably reduced and it now ranges from 5% to 30% with a major exception applied to all imported distilled spirits which has a 170% duty applied to it. A 10%VAT is applied to import goods, and luxury goods are subjected to a luxury tax ranging from 20% to 35%. Several free foreign trade zones have been opened which makes it more convenient for importers and exporters to do trading business. Prohibited imports are ex plicitly stated in their policies, emphasizing the non-acceptance of labels in Chinese languages even Indonesian dialects. As for administrative fees applied to import goods, additional fee is required for licensing, storages and warehouses, while anti-dumping, countervailing and excise duties are collected if applicable. An import license approved by the Minister of Industry and Trade is a must before any product importation is allowed. The main documents required at the import level are Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin and the Bill of Lading. They have shipping restrictions wherein all import and export products must be carried out on Indonesian vessels. The local currency is rupiah but the American Dollar is most recommended for currency exchange control. Indonesia also supports the agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics in Jakarta, Indonesia, promising areas for investment/joint ventures/services include oil and gas, manpower and engineering consultancy services for the petroleum industry, mining, plantation products, IT education and services, ports and railways, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and education (both School and University). The above mentioned trading policies are encouraging signs that the Indonesian government is truly supporting its trading business as it is beneficial to their own economic growth. However, there are many factors to be put into consideration such as too much leeway given too soon may give justified cause to the growing opposition against liberal trade among the locals which could cause instability and unpredictability, however minimal, to future transactions. Indonesia also needs to work on a lot of its policies to make it a haven for trading business. Bureaucratic red tape still exists, as is common to many countries, and this could cause hassles in the application of import licensing. It is apparent that they are striving for transparency which is crucial in a business relationship but this, too, needs to be worked at.

Financial and Strategic Management of Projects Essay - 1

Financial and Strategic Management of Projects - Essay Example The analysis of cash flows assists the CEOs and other top officials in ensuring that the investments made by the company is giving adequate return and company’s funds are not tied up in all the wrong ventures. Such an analysis cannot be made via Balance sheet analysis which represents the value of the assets on historical cost or the market value. From the perspective of a newly launched company, it is of prime importance to the management to ensure whether the operations are being conducted in the most prudent manner and are generating sufficient cash flows. Cash stream is considered to be the lifeline in the financial stability of any organization, and cash flow analysis plays a significant part in cautious cash management planning References [1] â€Å"Importance of Cash Flow Statement† accountlearning.blogspot.com. Account, n.d. Web. 16 July. 2011. [2] â€Å"Importance of Cash Flow Statement† buzzle.com Buzzle.com, n.d. Web. 16 July. 2011. 2) Ratio analysis is a very accurate and reliable tool when it comes to analyzing the financial outlook of a bank. The primary reason to conduct a ratio analysis is to quantify the results of the operations of a bank and compare them with that of the prior year(s) in order to assess different aspects of the financial feasibility. The ratios can be divided into various categories such as profitability, gearing and liquidity, each focusing on a different area of the financial outlook of the bank and highlighting its performance. These analyses form an integral part of the financial statement analysis, especially from the investors point of view, who always strive to invest in companies having strengthen and stabilizing financial ratios and representing an upward trend. It is of great significance that the ratios must be benchmarked against a standard in order for them to possess a meaning. Keeping that into account, the comparison is usually conducted between companies portraying same business and financ ial risks, between industries and between different time periods of the same company. The liquidity ratio measures the company’s ability to pay its short term liabilities. The ratio illustrates that how quickly a company can convert its assets into cash and cash equivalent in order to pay off its short term liabilities [Jim Mueller]. The most commonly used liquidity ratio, the current ratio, which is calculated by comparing the current assets and current liabilities. The strengthened the current ratio the more ability the company has to pay its debts and short term obligations over the next 12 months. The gearing ratios and indicate the level of risk taken by a company as a result of its capital structure [gearing ratio]. These ratios are a great source of determining the level of financial risk to which the company is exposed and thus helps in reducing it to the optimum. The debt ratio represents characteristics which is the opposite to that of the equity ratio. Debt ratio, which calculated by comparing the total liabilities to total assets, is a primary tool in determining the influence the company is under as a result of obtaining finances from sources other than equity. A lower ratio represents that the company is utilizing its equity in order to finance its operations and thus curtailing the financial risk

Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global warming - Essay Example The incidence of climatic disasters is becoming more and more frequent. Hurricanes, floods, drought etc are continuously occurring at different parts of the world. It has been Man induced changes in the environment has been causing changes atmosphere and the ecology, which is eventually leading to climate change and global warming. The objective of this easy is to analyse the causes and impacts of global warming. It has been estimated that the average temperature of the air near earth’s surface has risen by 1.3 Fahrenheit (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). However, this does not mean that every corner of the earth experiences an increase in temperature. This increase in the average temperature of earth has given way to systemic changes in the physical systems of the earth. For instance, the rise in temperature is experienced most in the poles. The systemic effect that this causes is that the ice melts in the poles which cause further change in the climatic patterns and ecologica l patterns in other parts of the globe. The warming in the poles along with change in wind pattern would result in colder winters in continental Europe. Similarly, West Africa would receive more rains while central Africa won’t receive enough rain (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). ... The most important source for this is fossil fuel emissions. Whenever a fossil fuel is burnt in form of fuel as in the case of cars, aero plane or industrial units, carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere and it gets accumulated. The chart below represents the sector wise contribution of green house gas emissions. Fig 1: Sector wise contribution of green house gas emission Source(Venkataraman & Smitha, 2011) The natural form of reversal of this accumulation process is the vegetation which absorbs carbon dioxide as a source of energy. However, the indiscriminate human intervention with the green cover of the earth is hindering this natural process. Deforestation limits the scope of carbon emitted into the atmosphere being absorbed by plants. Thus the amount of carbon in the atmosphere keeps increasing causing the globe to be warmer. Moreover, when plants are destroyed and they decay, the carbon stored in them is released back into the atmosphere which aggregates the problem. There are natural systems which are called ‘carbon sinks’ which stores carbon for thousands of years. The chain of activities as explained above results in these carbon sinks to fail. If the carbon stored in these carbon sinks are released, it may result in detrimental effects on earth’s various systems. It has been found that oceans which are carbon sinks are failing in their capacity to store carbon (Venkataramanan & Smitha, 2011). This is resulting in ocean water to turn acidic. This would in turn mean that ocean life will largely be affected. It is the green life within the ocean that helps the ocean to store carbon (Barnett, et al. 2005). Thus this act like a chain reaction where in the ocean turns acidic and the plants

Native American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Native American Culture - Essay Example They had a value system in place before being colonized, which consisted of four commandments; respect mother earth, respect the great spirits, respect our fellow man and woman, and finally respect for individual freedom. The last commandment was violated by the incoming Europeans as they took away their freedom and way of life. Health Care Beliefs In Native America, there is the belief that is centered on interconnectedness, meaning that everything on earth is connected and therefore has a spirit. Medicine refers to remedies, actions and any type of prayer used to honor the sacred being. From the Native American point of view, medicine is about curing the ailing person rather than healing, and the traditional healers oversee these operations with their aim being to make a person whole again. Traditionally, Native Americans are of the opinion that sickness is due to spiritual troubles, and if a person falls sick then the person is imbalanced, and his or her thoughts are negative. The healers believe that conditions, which are inherited from the parents to the child, are hard to treat and the main cause is an immoral lifestyle led by the parents. The main purpose of traditional healers is to restore an ailing patient back to a state of being whole, and a healthy and pure state of mind, body and soul. The healers combine rituals, religion, herbal medicine and spirituality to treat ailing people. Practices widely used by the traditional healers include the utilization of purifying methods, herbal remedies, symbolic healing and shamanism to clean the body and soul. In rituals, family and friends can be used to invoke the spirits to aid in the healing of the sick person. Natives seek the direction of medicine men and healers for spiritual purposes, and to be reassured about something, the place to go is to the traditional healers. The Native Americans use the modern medicine to treat the White man’s illness and use Indian medicine to treat Indian diseases. Ac cording to the American Indian people, every person on earth is here for a reason and when the reason is attained, the person dies. Upon a person’s death grieving is not held for a long time since it acts as an obstacle to the dead, as it prevents them from entering the new world. Differences of Health Care Beliefs The Native Americans believe in cooperating with one another to achieve any obstacle while the Americans competition reigns supreme; the principals of capitalism are applied. As a sign of respect, eye contact is not maintained in health institutions, and it becomes difficult to diagnose a patient. As sign of honesty and earnestness, eye contact is maintained and diagnosing a patient becomes easy with the Americans. To the Native Americans listening is preferred to speaking therefore; it becomes difficult to know what ails the patient. Emphasis is placed on expressing what a person feels among the Americans therefore the ailing person will communicate with the nurse s and doctors. According to Native Americans, emphasis is put on non-verbal communication and observation while the Americans emphasis is placed on communication, which is considered as very important since a patient is able to open up. Native Americans do not criticize the person administering the health services directly thus it becomes difficult to rectify ineffective situations in health facilities. Conversely, in the American culture, criticism is expressed directly, with the reason being that the patient