Till Death Do Us Part :: essays research papers

The status quo of marriage in American society, in some cases, is a moderately complicated issue. I do know, however, that before the marriage takes place there is an interlude called the dating period. In this dating period the two members of the couple attempt to get to know one another. This is the period where many people fall in love. This is also the period where many people realize that they are with the wrong person and have to start over with someone new. The dating process, which lasts for a sporadic interval of time, ends when one person in the couple offers a marriage proposal to the other. This agreement to marriage is a sacred bond of love and trust that proves to one's significant other that one will enter into an exclusive relationship with that person until they are parted by death. If the marriage proposal is accepted, the couple is pronounced engaged, or betrothed to one another, and they set a marriage date. During the engagement the couple exchanges rings as a sign of devotion. Once the wedding date reaches its destination, the couple then performs the marriage ceremony, which is a gathering of close friends and family to witness the marriage. This ceremony is performed in a church at the hand of a priest who then pronounces the marriage as holy matrimony. During the wedding ceremony there is another exchange of rings that show a symbol of the couples undying love for each other. After the wedding, the couple usually takes a trip called the honeymoon where they consummate the marriage by making love. This process is the norm for how people are married in American society. The problem with this system is that most people enter into the marriage for the wrong reasons and end up getting a divorce. A divorce is a legal dissolution of a marriage contract. The problem with divorce is that the marriage is supposed to be a contract that is supposed to last until someone in the couple dies; only then is the sacred vow broken. Otherwise, the couple is going against God's will. Defying God is not the only detrimental effect, however. More marriages in the United States end in divorce than in any other country in the world, and it can be seen throughout America's history. There is consensus that the overall U.S. divorce rate had a brief spurt after World War II followed by a decline. It started rising again in the 1960's and even more quickly in the 1970's, but leveled off in the 1980's only to begin a fluctuating increase that has lasted to the present. It is said that 40 or possibly even 50% of marriages will end in divorce if the current trends continue. Divorce would not be such a terrible thing

Oriental Food as the Cultural Other Essay

In Coco Fusco’s â€Å"The Other History of Intercultural Performance†, he promotes the idea that â€Å"racial difference is absolutely fundamental to aesthetic interpretation† while giving an explanation of how Western civilization has viewed the cultural Other—meaning, the so-called primitive people often stereotyped as savage and lacking in â€Å"discipline, civilization and industry† (Fusco). From the Western perspective, Oriental food is considered as the Other. The American staple typically consists of processed foods that are readily available such as pizza and burgers. These Western dishes can be found in almost all major cities and towns of the United States which have created a cultural appetite for anything that is ready for consumption. Oriental food, on the other hand, is viewed mostly as an alternative, albeit oftentimes costly, for the average Westerner (Counihan, p. 58). As with most Asian meals, the principle is to cook food from the freshest ingredients available. Typical vegetable dishes are prepared using vegetables that are picked fresh whereas seafood meals are cooked using the freshest fish and seashells for instance. Every food is prepared carefully regardless of the duration of the process, thereby creating the impression that each serving of Oriental food is a handiwork, so to speak, that can hardly be rivalled by fast food chains. Although there is hardly any single ingredient that unifies all the rest of the Oriental cuisines, there are similarities that can be pointed out. For instance, the â€Å"Tom Yum† soup of Thailand, a taste of hot and sour flavours using aromatic herbs, is a mix of spices and leaves of plants that are abundant in the country. As for the more general Thai cuisine, dishes are basically hot and spicy and are prepared using a balance of its five key flavours: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and the optional bitter flavour. Fresh herbs and spices are preferred over dried ones which is perhaps one reason why Thai dishes have that distinct taste. In addition to these single whole dishes, rice is also served as part of each meal with the inclusion of fish sauce such as â€Å"nam pla† and other complementary dishes. Japanese meals are another example of Oriental cuisine. Perhaps the most fundamental and unique characteristic of most Japanese meals is that each dish is served using raw ingredients. For instance, the popular Japanese food â€Å"sashimi† is raw seafood coupled with a dipping sauce. Aside from seafood, meat can also be prepared raw in Japanese meals such as Basashi, a raw horse meat delicacy. â€Å"Sushi† is also one of the more popular dishes in Japanese cuisine. It basically includes vegetable, meat and fish which can be rolled inside dried sheets of seaweed or placed over a bowl of rice. Philippine cuisine as an example of Oriental dishes also includes rice as part of the whole course of every meal. However, most Filipino dishes are prepared using the milk from coconuts and the sauce from tomatoes. Examples of these dishes are â€Å"kaldereta† (goat in tomato stew), â€Å"afritada† (beef or pork simmered in thick tomato sauce) and â€Å"ginataang manok† (chicken in coconut milk). In a way, Philippine and Thai cuisines are similar in the sense that they make use of the ingredients that are naturally found in the surroundings and that these ingredients are harvested and cooked almost the same day. There is the preference for everything fresh instead of dried spices, herbs and main ingredients. Fresh fish and meat is also preferred over frozen ones although the option to make use of the latter is available. More importantly, the techniques involved in preparing these Oriental dishes are unique in their own ways. The way Japanese sushi or sashimi is prepared is different from the way Thai tom yum is prepared. And yet while there are differences, there are also semblances which seem to connect all these Oriental food. Apart from the fact that most Oriental meals include rice as part of the course, these dishes also include spices and herbs which strengthen their flavours. Westerners who have travelled all the way to the Eastern parts of Asia often encounter the strong aroma from Oriental dishes that are distinct from those of Western dishes. It is not surprising that most Americans, for instance, would rather depend on fast food restaurants for their meals. For people living busy lives in the dense urban areas of the United States, time is a precious commodity that should not be wasted in exchange for sumptuous meals in cosy Oriental restaurants. Moreover, Westerners barely have a full idea of how to prepare Oriental meals for themselves without learned skills or the help from other skilled individuals. The knowledge of preparing Oriental food is simply beyond the inherent or immediate environment of Westerners. The fact that not all ingredients for Oriental cuisines are readily available in Western societies adds to the seemingly inaccessible or at least hardly accessible nature of Oriental dishes for Westerners. In general, there are more reasons to believe that Westerners are more inclined to settle for what they have in their immediate surroundings than to learn things outside of their reach as far as cuisines are concerned. What does Oriental food mean? For the most part, Oriental food reflects the culture of Oriental people in many ways. The ingredients used in these dishes reflect the kind of environment that the people have in which they have no other choice but to survive. Every piece of vegetable or leaf of plants in each delicacy indicates the available and usually abundant resources in the people’s native land. In effect, the unique ingredients in Oriental dishes create the identity of these dishes that are distinct and entirely different from Western dishes. Moreover, the very presence of these ingredients easily helps in identifying what is Oriental from what is Western. From a Western perspective, these Oriental dishes appear to be entirely different from the food delicacies which they are accustomed to, creating the impression that what is â€Å"alien† to their taste buds, so to speak, are either exotic or rare. By attributing these qualities of exoticness and rareness to Oriental dishes in a general manner, Westerners have showed the tendency to suffuse some of the ingredients founds in these dishes into their own meals. Moreover, Western societies have found ways to establish food chains that provide supposedly genuine Oriental dishes in their menus. In the United States, for instance, numerous restaurants serving Oriental meals have been put-up primarily for profit. Through the profit-seeking motives of business-minded individuals, Oriental dishes in Western markets have been characterized oftentimes as luxury delicacies or â€Å"alternative† dishes to the more predominant pizza, burgers and other Western meals. In contemporary times, the effect is that Oriental dishes are stereotyped as the cultural â€Å"Other† when in terms of food. The ways in preparing Oriental dishes also reflect the behaviours of individuals and groups in these Oriental regions of Asia. They indicate a â€Å"performance† done in order to create the distinct flavours and tastes of these dishes, the knowledge of which has been passed-on from one generation to another. The skills involved in preparing these dishes have been practiced and perfected through the generations of families that have continued the legacy of preparing Oriental food. For them, preparing these meals is nothing but an ordinary routine that has become a part of their daily survival. From the viewpoint of Westerners, Oriental dishes are rarely part of their daily survival or not at all. That is, they can continue with their lives even if they are not able to relish the taste of Oriental food. These meals that are foreign to Western societies are, in effect, taken for granted or are simply considered as alternative viands to their regular course of Western meals. That attitude reinforces the notion that any plate of Oriental dish is just another â€Å"Other†. It can be said that Western societies can only get as close to so-called authentic Oriental dishes by replicating them through food establishments. Whether consciously aware or not, Western societies are public outlets for contributing to the notion espoused by Fusco; they reinforce the stereotype of â€Å"the primitive† and the Western â€Å"ability to exert control over and extract knowledge from the ‘primitive’ world† (Fusco). Restaurants in Western societies that feature Oriental dishes are not simply established from almost everywhere in these societies without first studying these culinary delicacies. On the contrary, Westerners tend to â€Å"extract knowledge† from such â€Å"primitive† dishes as if Western meals are the bases for identifying a dish as whether a part of civilized world or otherwise. Like Fusco’s public experiment—one that sought to bring into realization the often disregarded observation that â€Å"a substantial portion of the public believed that our fictional identities were real ones† as though these beliefs have never been challenged and has sit firmly well in the collective consciousness of the people—so-called Oriental restaurants in Western societies reinforce the many illusions about Oriental dishes and, more generally, Oriental culture. One of these illusions is the belief that there are Oriental dishes that do not fit well with the palate of Westerners. For instance, there are Oriental delicacies which make use of several animal organs which are rarely used for preparing Western meals. There are even insects that are part of the ordinary Oriental dishes. Westerners tend to develop an aversion towards Oriental dishes with these animal organs and become branded as either exotic or primitive. The larger consequence of such an aversion, apparently, is an aversion towards the people who take pride in preparing and eating such dishes (Smith, p. 486). Nevertheless, the fact that there are restaurants in Western societies that serve Oriental dishes signify that there are attempts to bring these dishes closer to Western societies even if such attempts are only secondary to the intent to profit. Moreover, a notable characteristic of Oriental restaurants situated in Western societies is that they slightly redefine the Oriental dishes that they serve in order to attract potential customers and maintain the patronage of the buying public. They add a Western â€Å"touch†, in a manner of speaking, to these foreign dishes. In consequence, Oriental dishes are given the impression that they are merely subjects of Western consumption and can be subject to change depending on the needs of the Western clients. To a certain degree, it goes to show a form of cultural subjugation or assimilation that distorts the original nature not only of the dishes but also of the Oriental culture from a Western perspective. The dishes that are presented to the Western public are no longer faithful to the original dishes as they were in Oriental countries. Western societies become unknowingly unaware of the original nature of such dishes, thereby treating their false impressions of these Oriental dishes as the so-called â€Å"Other†. On a personal note, I can say that there is a great deal of knowledge that can be derived from studying Oriental dishes as they serve as windows into the cultural aspects of several Asian countries. An awareness of Oriental dishes in terms of their distinct ingredients and unique methods of preparation can help the Western perspective look beyond that false impression that veils the genuine. If we are able to comprehend a significant portion of the stories behind each of these Oriental dishes and the whole array of Oriental food in general, there is a chance that we can gain substantial cultural knowledge of what has been called as the â€Å"Other† (Mintz, p. 104). As the saying goes, you are what you eat—if you know what the â€Å"Other† eats, it is likely that you get to know the â€Å"Other†. Works Cited Counihan, Carole M. â€Å"Food Rules in the United States: Individualism, Control, and Hierarchy.† Anthropological Quarterly 65. 2 (1992): 55-66. Fusco, Coco. â€Å"The Other History of Intercultural Performance†. 1994. November 21 2008. . Mintz, Sidney W. , and Christine M. Du Bois. â€Å"The Anthropology of Food and Eating. † Annual Review of Anthropology 31 (2002): 99-119. Smith, Monica L. â€Å"The Archaeology of Food Preference. † American Anthropologist 108. 3 (2006): 480-93.

Black Americans Receive A Stricter Punishment Than White...

Without a doubt, black men in the United States continue to be excessively â€Å"incarcerated, policed, and sentenced to death at significantly higher rates than their white counterparts (Kerby 2).† Portrayals in the media have depicted black men as thugs and common criminals; these negative stereotypes demoralize men of color and allow society to believe and internalize this destructive thinking. The racial disparities that exist in the criminal justice system are an indirect consequence of the portrayals of African American men that circulate in society. Because of racial disparities that occur in the United States it consequently threatens communities of color by â€Å"disenfranchising thousands by limiting voting rights and denying equal access to employment, housing, public benefits, and education to millions more (Kerby 2).† Two professors from the University of British Columbia and the University of Michigan Law School, M. Marit Rehavi and Sonja B. Starr recently conducted a study that confirms that Black Americans receive a stricter punishment than White Americans. According to the study â€Å"Black Americans receive almost sixty percent longer prison sentences than white Americans who committed the same crime (NewsOne 1).† Dr. Rehavi and Dr. Starr gathered their data from fifty-eight thousand federal criminal cases and determined that the sentences that Black people received varied significantly from those given White people (NewsOne 2). Assistant Professor of Economics Dr.Show MoreRelatedFelony Disenfranchisement And Its Effects On The State Of Residency843 Words   |  4 Pageson which convicted felons are not allowed to vote. The United States’ disenfranchisement law places drastic effects on felons in their state of residency by preventing them from voting. English colonists brought disenfranchisement to America as a punishment for felons’ criminal behavior. Committing a crime showed that they were unfit to be included in political events. There is a lot of controversy about Disenfranchisement laws. Disenfranchisement varies in different states Maine and Vermont, felonsRead MoreAmerican Education : Challenges And Successes1279 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Education: Challenges and Successes The current educational system in America is far from perfect. But, in truth, it has never been perfect. Some problems of the past, such as transportation and segregation, no longer exist. However, some issues in present education, like family problems, financial hardship, and lack of discipline in schools are barriers to getting a good education . Educators need to be able to adapt to the needs of society and students. American education has problemsRead MoreThe Current Educational System Of America1245 Words   |  5 Pagesimprove our educational system with better teaching methods, first we must look into the past to see where the problems started. Some of these problems have been resolved, while others still exist today. Around the 1870’s, one of the challenges in American education was just getting kids to school. According to Erin McCarthy, in her article 11 Ways School Was Different in the 1800s, some kids were too busy working, and they couldn t come to school because their families needed them to harvest cropsRead MoreStop Closing Our Eyes to Discrimination and Prejuduce876 Words   |  4 Pages Prejudice and discrimination is something that happens a lot more often than we would like to admit. To be prejudiced, means to have negative perspectives for others, solely based on their membership in a group, such as religion, sex, and color. Discrimination cannot take place without prejudice, f or the reason that, it is the behaviors that result from those negative perspectives. It is unethical, and in some cases, illegal. However, although there are laws for discrimination, that does not stopRead MoreBlack Man Who Was Suspected As The Killer Of A White Off Duty Police Officer Essay1726 Words   |  7 PagesTroy Davis, a black man who was suspected as the killer of a white off-duty police officer, was executed in 2011 with insufficient evidence in the state of Georgia (Bedau). There was no physical evidence or weapon presented in the prosecution and so they had to base their judgement all from eyewitness (Bedau). His execution raised an â€Å"international outcry† due to seven out of nine eyewitnesses contradicted their trial testimony and many of them confessed that they felt pressured or threatened byRead MoreRacial Disparities Of The United States Justice System3104 Words   |  13 Pagesspecifically African Americans, being arrested, receiving harsher sentence s, and being incarcerated more frequently than Whites. As of 2008, African Americans comprised 13% of the general population, yet made up 38% of prison and jail inmates. Latinos comprised 15% of the general population, and 19% of the prison and jail population. An African American male born in 2001 has a 32% chance of spending time in prison at some point in his life, compared to 17% for a Latino male and 6% for a white male. AfricanRead MoreJuvenile Justice System Based On Their Race, Gender, And Social Class Essay2585 Words   |  11 Pagesmore harshly than others due to aspects about themselves that are out of their control. Doing further research into the juvenile justice system and how it is structured to help certain youths while neglecting others, it is clear that the treatment of minority youths is entirely unjust and that a reform of this system is, without question, necessary, not only to maintain an even and fair justice system for juveniles, but also to help these m inority youths strive in their lifetime rather than fall victimRead MoreCivil Liberties Movement : Black Lives Matter Essay1500 Words   |  6 PagesThere seems to be a growing trend of civil liberties movements, from the widely outspoken Black Lives Matter to the newly introduced Blue Lives Matter movement, and is causing quite a stir as a whole. There are many who argue that an attack on any law enforcement official, ranging from police officers to firefighters, should be considered as something more than just an attack on a law enforcement official. Blue Lives Matter is of great importance and deserves attention because of incidents that happenedRead More Capital Punishment: Fair Or Unfair? Essay1881 Words   |  8 Pages The most severe form of punishment of all legal sentences is that of death. This is referred to as the death penalty, or â€Å"capital punishment†; this is the most severe form of corporal punishment, requiring law enforcement officers to actually kill the offender. It has been banned in numerous countries, in the United States, however an earlier move to eliminate capital punishment has now been reversed and more and more states are resorting to capital punishment for such serious offenses namely murderRead MoreSummary Of The Scarlet Letter 1633 Words   |  7 PagesBlock 5 Mrs. Schuet 26 September 2014 1. Title and Author: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn 2. Summary: A women named Hester, one of the protagonists in the novel, has committed adultery, and has a child. The townspeople believe that her punishment should be to wear the letter A on her clothing so she and the town can remember her sin. Her daughter name is Pearl. Hester will not reveal with whom she had the affair with. The reverend named Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl, but he hides the

Analysis Of Alexander IIi The Great King Of Macedonia And...

â€Å"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won t taste good.† ~Joe Paterno. Alexander III the Great, King of Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian Empire is considered to be one of the best military geniuses of all times. He was inspiration for conquerors to come such as Hannibal, Napoleon, and Pompey along side Caesar. Alexander was born in 356 BC in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia.1 Alexander’s childhood had a major impact on his later life and his military strive. At a young age Alexander watched his father turn Macedonia into a mass military power. His father won many great battles all throughout the Balkans. When he was just twelve years old, he showed off his horse riding skills to his father and many others. He tamed a Bucephalus, a rowdy steed. Bucephalus was supposedly unable to be ridden, and all who had tried to tame it had their flesh â€Å"devoured†. When he was 13, his father Philip hired philosopher Aristotle to be his teacher. For three years Alexander learned about science, medicine, and philosophy. In 340 BC, when Alexander was only 16 years old, Phillip invaded Trace and left Alexander in charge of Macedonia. While he was in power a Thracian tribe posed a threat, and Alexander constructed an army and lead them against the rebels. Not only were the Thracian rebels defeated, but also Alexander captured their stronghold and named it Alexandropolis after himself.1 Once Alexander turned 18 his father made him oneShow MoreR elatedCharacter Analysis of Alexander the Great2170 Words   |  9 Pagesvast understanding of how we lived and the historic events that took place. This however is not true of past and present historian’s analysis of one of the greatest leaders in the history of the ancient world. Alexander, son of Philip the II, king of Macedon is brought to light with many different opinions. Was this man the ruthless ruler that brought down empires and siege cities while killing innocent in droves? Was he a gracious man of honor that sought to unite the ancient world? Perhaps he was

The Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka - 1301 Words

Franz Kafka’s story â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is one of the most famous novellas of twentieth-century literature. It was published in 1915 and is among his best known works. At first, the story seems to be confusing, but towards the end, we can see the true meaning of the tale. The story is about Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who lives in an apartment in Prague with his family - his mother, father, and sister - Grete. The story begins with Gregor Samsa â€Å"found himself transformed in his bad into a monstrous insect.†(269) His metamorphosis has a very significant effect on his family members as they changed their behavior in response to his new look. These transformations bring the attention to how people can transform under pressure. Transform, to the point where they may no longer recognize themselves. Kafka was born in 1883 in a middle-class, German-speaking Jewish family in Prague. He was the eldest of six children. He had two younger brothers, who died at the ages of fifteen months and six months, and three younger sisters. It is generally agreed that Kafka suffered from clinical depression and social anxiety throughout his entire life. He also suffered from migraines, insomnia, constipation, boils, and other ailments, all usually brought on by excessive stresses and strains. In 1923, he moved to Berlin to separate himself from his family s influence and to concentrate on his writing. However, Kafka s tuberculosis worsened and he returned to Prague, then went to aShow MoreRelatedThe Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka1052 Words   |  4 PagesFranz Kafka wrote one of his most popular books, The Metamorphosis, during the literary period and movement of existentialism. His novella stresses many existential ideals. The most predominant ideal that is seen through Gregor Samsa and his fath er in The Metamorphosis is that choice is the opportune of the individual. One’s ultimate goal in life is to successfully find a balance between work and leisure. It is through the juxtaposition of Gregor Samsa and his father, the conceding tone of the authorRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka867 Words   |  4 Pagesincluding rapid growth spurts. Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develop after birth or hatching. Involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt changes in the animal’s body structure through cell growth and differentiation. The author Franz Kafka, who relatively wrote little in his short life and who published less has been enormously influential on later writers. He is considered an export of German expressionism. The metamorphosis is Kafka’s longest story and oneRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The metamorphosis,† is a story by Franz Kafka, published in 1915 is a story divided in three chapters: transformation, acceptance, and the death of the protagonist. There are many interpretations that can form this tale as the indifference by the society that is concerned with different individuals, and isolation pushing some cases to the solitude. Some consider The Metamorphosis as an autobiography of the author, which tries to capture the loneliness and isolation that he felt at some pointRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1246 Words   |  5 PagesIt can be hard to understand the meaning of the novella â€Å"The Metamorphosis,† written by Franz Kafka, without thinking of the background. Due to the fact that, â€Å"using† and knowing â€Å"[the] background knowledge† of a story is important to read a â€Å"text† (Freebody and Luke). In the novella â€Å"The metamorphosis†, â€Å"Kafka’s personal history† has been â€Å"artfully [expressed]† (Classon 82). The novella was writte n in 1916, before the World War 1 in German {Research}. When the novella was written, in the EuropeRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1380 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself†: A Psychoanalysis reading of â€Å"The Metamorphosis† by Kafka The Metamorphosis is known to be one of Franz Kafka’s best works of literature. It demonstrates the interconnection between his personal life and the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, of â€Å"The Metamorphosis.† Franz Kafka was born in 1883 and grew up in a financially stable Jewish family in Prague. He was the only son left after the death of his youngerRead MoreThe Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka656 Words   |  3 PagesMuch of Franz Kafkas story â€Å"The Metamorphosis† spends its time talking about Gregor as he struggles to live his new life as a bug. Gregor tries to find a analytical reason as to why he has taken upon this form but later on finds on that he has to accept the truth. From being an ordinary travel salesman and provider for his family to a abomination, Gregor becomes hopeless as he cant work or provide for his family. His new life as an insect causes a hardship as he is faced with isolation from hisRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka783 Words    |  4 Pages In the story â€Å"The Metamorphosis†, written by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s family represents the causing factor that prompts Gregor to become a cockroach. Gregor’s family is a symbol of a repressive structure that inhibits Gregor’s every thought and action. When Gregor gets up in the morning to get ready for work and finds that he has been transformed into a cockroach, he ponders about how maybe he should just go in to work late and get fired, but then realizes that he cannot because â€Å"if [he] were not holdingRead MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Metamorphosis is a novella written by German author Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. The novella tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who one day awoke to discover he had transformed into an insect like monstrosity. Throughout the story, Gregor struggles with the horrible prospect of coming to terms with his situation, as well as copin g with the effects of his transformation, such as the fact that his family is repelled by his new form, and that he is no longerRead MoreThe Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka1021 Words   |  4 PagesFranz Kafka’s, The Metamorphosis, is a novella about Gregor Samsa, a man who devotes everything to fulfilling the needs of his family. Kafka’s existentialist perspective on the meaning of life is illustrated through the use of the protagonist of Gregor Samsa. Existentialism is a philosophy â€Å"concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility† (Existentialism). Gregor is unable to fulfill the existentialist view of finding meaning in one’s life;Read MoreThe Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka1050 Words   |  5 PagesOn the surface, â€Å"The Metamorphosis† by Franz Kafka is an evocative story of a man transformed into a â€Å"monstrous vermin†. It seems to focus on the dark transformation of the story’s protagonist, Gregor, but there is an equal and opposing transformation that happens within Gregor’s family. Although Gregor has physically changed at the beginning of the story, he remains relatively unchanged as the novella progresses. The family, on the other hand, is forced to drastically change how they support themselves

The Secret Circle The Divide Chapter 6 Free Essays

The moon overhead was a bright white waxing crescent, and the sky was clear. Cassie and Adam were standing by the maypole hand in hand, and she felt radiant in the yellow camisole dress her friends picked out for her. She’d found it in the dining room early that morning. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Divide Chapter 6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Suzan had dropped it off with a note written in her loopy script: This dress screamed your name! Suzan had also bought ties for all the guys, and they looked good, but the girls outshone them in their dresses. Melanie was in green chiffon and Laurel in carnation-pink voile. Suzan, always voluptuous, had chosen a copper-colored tank dress for herself that was pushing the boundary of indecent exposure. Diana wore an understated ivory silk tunic. Deborah, who rarely wore dresses, was decked out in her own way. She had on tight white jeans, a white T-shirt, and a purple leather jacket. â€Å"Have you seen Faye?† she asked Cassie and Adam. Adam shrugged his shoulders, but Sean responded, â€Å"She’s out on the lookout for Max.† Deborah scoffed. â€Å"She hasn’t given up on him yet? He’s been evading her all week.† Sean shook his head. â€Å"Not a chance,† he said. â€Å"Faye never backs down that easily.† â€Å"What about Nick?† Cassie asked. â€Å"Have you seen him?† Deborah’s face hardened at the question. When it came to Cassie, she was extremely protective of her cousin. â€Å"I don’t think he’s coming.† â€Å"Why not?† Cassie asked. â€Å"Because he’s not.† Deborah tried to stare Cassie down, but Cassie brushed it off. Deborah thought she was doing the right thing, guarding Nick from getting hurt any more than he already had, but she didn’t understand that Cassie’s intentions were good. After clearing the air with Diana, she’d felt so much better. She hoped to do the same with Nick tonight. Diana frowned at Deborah in a way that revealed she sympathized with Cassie’s predicament. â€Å"Nick may show,† she said. â€Å"If he’s anything, he’s unpredictable.† There was a moment of silence as Cassie let her eyes wander up the maypole. She admired the multicolored garlands and ribbons streaming down from its apex. Then Diana said, â€Å"Hey, Cassie, isn’t that Scarlett?† Scarlett had spotted them and was making her way through the crowd in their direction. She was wearing a cornflower-blue baby-doll dress, and her long red hair was stuffed beneath a brown felt bowler hat. She waved when her eyes locked with Cassie’s, and then she picked up her pace to a trot. â€Å"Who is that?† Adam asked. Cassie noticed a shard of fascinated curiosity in Adam’s voice. â€Å"Ooh, I love that hat,† Suzan said. Deborah nodded. She always appreciated a girl stylish enough to successfully pull off wearing an article of men’s clothing. â€Å"Those boots are killer, too,† she said. Scarlett was all smiles and confidence as Cassie introduced her to the rest of the group. Her dark eyes passed over each of them individually, and she greeted everyone with the affection of an old friend. It wasn’t just Scarlett’s fashion sense that was captivating, Cassie noted. It was her nature; she was immediately comfortable with everyone she met. And she was pretty. Sean’s tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth when he shook her hand. Scarlett extracted herself from Sean’s grasp with a chuckle and turned to Diana. â€Å"Good to see you again,† she said. â€Å"Yes,† Diana answered, in a way that made Cassie cringe. But Scarlett flashed a white smile that showed she refused to take Diana’s indifference to heart. â€Å"The egg toss is starting,† Sean said excitedly, trying to regain Scarlett’s attention. â€Å"We should go cheer on Chris and Doug. The grand prize is a five-hundred-dollar gift certificate to Pete’s Candy Store, and they’re determined to win it.† Scarlett scanned the many booths and food trucks. â€Å"Actually,† she said, â€Å"I’m famished. And I’m dying for one of those chorizo skewers.† â€Å"I’ll come with you,† Cassie said. She was anxious to learn more about Scarlett and, come to think of it, she was pretty hungry herself. The group split up then, everyone heading over to the egg-toss lawn, except for Adam and Diana, who were on their way to visit Melanie and Constance at their jewelry booth. Cassie and Scarlett each bought a skewer and struggled to not talk with their mouths full as they walked the festival’s perimeter. â€Å"So you’re staying at the B and B?† Cassie asked as innocently as possible. Scarlett nodded, chewed, and swallowed. â€Å"Where are your parents?† â€Å"My mom passed away,† Scarlett said abruptly, like she wanted to get that information out of the way as fast as possible. â€Å"Oh, I’m sorry.† â€Å"She grew up here,† Scarlett continued. â€Å"That’s why I wanted to come to New Salem, to kind of reconnect with her, and my past.† She looked away then, perhaps afraid she was oversharing. Cassie searched her mind for the right thing to say. â€Å"I think that’s great. I mean, I think that’s a really brave thing to do. Even if it’s painful.† Scarlett nodded. â€Å"I guess I’m just looking for a new start.† â€Å"I know what you mean,† Cassie said. â€Å"So tell me something about you.† Cassie’s mind raced. She wanted to change the subject to something less heavy, but it occurred to her that every good and exciting thing she wanted to tell also involved the Circle, so she was left speechless. For the first time since she moved to New Salem, she understood why being friends with an Outsider could be such a challenge. â€Å"Well,† Cassie said, â€Å"that’s my mother over there selling raffle tickets.† But when she pointed her mother out, she also caught sight of Adam and Diana off in the corner, sharing a vanil a ice-cream cone. They were laughing because Adam had gotten ice cream on his nose and chin, and the more he tried to wipe it away, the more ice cream he smeared around. Cassie felt her stomach drop. But why? It was only an ice-cream cone. A shared snack between friends was nothing to get upset over. She would just join them. She led Scarlett their way and then noticed Faye approaching from the opposite direction. Faye was wearing a sheer black dress that fit her like a corset. A few paces behind her was Max, who, even in his casual polo shirt, still looked like he’d just stepped out of an Abercrombie catalog. Adam and Diana stopped laughing and regained control of their ice-cream situation once they noticed Cassie and the others heading their way. Faye introduced Max and then sized up Scarlett. â€Å"Who are you?† she asked. â€Å"This is Scarlett,† Cassie said. â€Å"She’s new to town, just like you, Max.† Max gave a nod to Scarlett, but his focus was clearly on Diana. â€Å"I saw you at the assembly on Friday,† he said. â€Å"You were the only one paying attention to my dad’s boring speech.† Diana appeared flustered. â€Å"You saw me?† she said, and then added, â€Å"It wasn’t boring.† â€Å"No? Are you sure?† Max stared at her roguishly until she cracked. â€Å"Okay, maybe just a little.† â€Å"Thank you for your honesty.† Max reached for Diana’s hand and squeezed it between his thick fingers. â€Å"Now we can be friends.† Diana blushed, and Cassie noticed Adam shift uncomfortably. â€Å"My dad’s here somewhere,† Max said, still addressing only Diana. â€Å"If you find him, you should let him know what a great orator you think he is.† Faye was clenching her jaw so tightly, Cassie feared her head might explode. â€Å"I’ll do that,† Diana said. â€Å"But if you’ll excuse me for right now, we were about to go cheer for our friends.† She gestured toward the egg-toss competition. Max looked a little disappointed. â€Å"Yeah, I should go find my dad,† he said. Faye made a move to follow him, but he stopped her. â€Å"I’ll see you later,† he said, and then disappeared into the crowd. Adam, who’d been deathly silent till now, had a look of disgust on his face. â€Å"Well, that was weird.† â€Å"Adam,† Diana scolded. â€Å"He was just trying to fit in. That’s what people do when they’re new. They’ll do anything to impress you.† Scarlett looked down, assuming that was a knock at her. Cassie opened her mouth to say something, but before any words came out, Faye stormed off. â€Å"Max wasn’t working so hard to impress her,† Adam said. â€Å"Faye’s been sexually harassing him since the moment he got here,† Diana said, raising her voice. â€Å"He doesn’t have to try for her.† Cassie wished Scarlett wasn’t witnessing this strange moment of tension. It was actually embarrassing, how petty her friends must have appeared. â€Å"Let’s go,† she said to Scarlett. â€Å"They’ll catch up.† Together they crossed the square. â€Å"Diana and Adam aren’t usually like that,† Cassie said. â€Å"You just happened to catch them in a weird moment.† â€Å"I get it.† Scarlett smiled. â€Å"Couples get jealous; they fight.† Suddenly Cassie felt sick again. â€Å"Adam’s my boyfriend,† she said quietly. â€Å"Not Diana’s.† â€Å"Oh.† Scarlett bit her lip. â€Å"That was stupid of me, I didn’t realize – â€Å" â€Å"No, it’s fine. I can see why you’d think that. It’s kind of complicated.† When they found the rest of the group clustered at one end of the cheering section, Cassie was relieved for the chance to change the subject. The competition was down to Chris and Doug, and a brother-sister team who couldn’t be a day over eleven years old. â€Å"They really like candy,† Cassie said to Scarlett, as if that were a reasonable explanation. â€Å"I can respect that,† Scarlett said. â€Å"I really like candy, too. I once ate so many Skittles, I sneezed rainbows for three days.† It was a dumb joke, but Cassie recognized it for what it was. Scarlett was trying to lighten things up, to comfort her, and she appreciated that. Outsider or not, she liked this girl. Just then, a scream for help came from the north side of the square, and everyone’s attention shifted. All eyes searched for the source of the bloodcurdling sound, but the group recognized it immediately as Melanie’s voice. They dashed toward the jewelry booth. Even Chris and Doug let their eggs fall to run and help. When Cassie reached the booth, she pushed through the crowd to find Melanie’s great-aunt Constance sprawled out on the ground. Melanie was crying out for someone to call an ambulance. A few townspeople with medical training kneeled over Constance, taking her vital signs, ordering everyone to stay back and give her some air. One of them had a hold on Melanie, who was thrashing and swinging at him before Diana and Laurel caught her by the arms and pulled her off to the side. A woman who’d been about to purchase a necklace from Constance said, â€Å"She was fine one second, and then she got this panicked look on her face and just collapsed.† Adam eyed the crowd for anyone suspicious. Cassie searched the mass of strangers’ faces for her mother but couldn’t find her. Maybe she’d gone for help. Or maybe the sight of Constance dropping to the ground was too much for her. In moments of crisis her mother tended to break down rather than rise up. It wouldn’t have surprised Cassie if she’d gone running home. The paramedics arrived, and Cassie had to look away while they performed CPR on Constance’s unresponsive body. The group embraced Melanie while Adam hugged Cassie close. She buried her head in his shoulder. It was impossible to know how much time passed while the paramedics worked on Constance. Cassie kept thinking it had to be a joke. Ha ha, got you, Cassie imagined Constance saying from her spot on the ground. Constance was always trying to remind them of the fragility of life and the delicate balance of all things. Maybe this was just one more lesson. But then the paramedics stopped their pushing and pulling and pumping and gasping. There were no more mouthfuls of air to be given or received, and there was no more hope. The paramedic in charge stood up and brought their efforts to the ultimate conclusion. He declared Aunt Constance dead. Expired was the word he used, which struck Cassie as unbelievably harsh. â€Å"Probably a brain aneurysm,† he told his deputy, and then he expressed his condolences to Melanie. â€Å"We did everything we could, miss,† he said. Cassie had never seen Melanie lose it the way she did at that moment. She’d always kept herself together in the face of any hardship – especially in public. But this was just too much. She fell to her knees and wailed. So much for new beginnings, Cassie thought. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Divide Chapter 6, Essay examples

Swot Matrix for Compass Group free essay sample

The SWOT analysis that my group and I came up with took a lot of time and research to ensure that our analysis would be effective. (SWOT analysis on page? ) Strengths Our group came up with five major strengths that Compass obtains. The first major strength that Compass possesses is they have excellent customer service. Excellent customer service is a major strength to have because this makes customers want to come back and this keeps revenue up. The second strength that is entailed on our SWOT analysis is strong client relationships. This is evident in their day to day activities while dealing customers and clients. The third strength Compass possessed is they have a very diversified client base. The fourth strength is convenience. I think that Compass Group biggest strengths are that they have a diversified client base and that they are what clients view as â€Å"convenient†. Because Compass has three divisions that are station around the world it can gain different clients and be able their needs. We will write a custom essay sample on Swot Matrix for Compass Group or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The next strength that is entailed on our SWOT analysis is Compass Group has consistent revenue growth. This is very important when dealing with any company because revenue is what pays the expenses to run the company and without revenue the company would go out of business. The last strength is Compass group’s diversified geographic presence. Compass Group has four divisions located in four different countries making it easier to target different client in different countries. Weakness Every company has weakness or things that can be better at and Compass is one of them companies. One of Compass Group’s weaknesses is that since they have divisions all over the world, not all of the managers operate the same way. This can be a problem because as a company, you want everybody to be on the same page even if you have different divisions operating out of different countries. The second weakness is that Compass Group trades in too many countries. It is economically not worth it. The third weakness is that Compass group leverage ratios show high debt. This means that Compass Group is operating it’s company at a high risk. The third weakness that Compass Group processes is that it has very low profitability ratios. The last weakness that is on the SWOT analysis is that Compass Group Time-Interest-Earned is very high. That means Compass has a lot of money that can be allocated for other purposes. Opportunities Just like every company has strengths and weakness, they also have opportunities to make their company better. The first opportunity is that restaurant industry sales have increased sixty-six percent in the U. S since 1970. The second opportunity is that fifty-two percent of meals are eaten outside of the home. What both of these stats tell me are that more people are going out to eat instead and getting a traditional home-cooked meal and this can only help my company become more profitable. The third opportunities we saw for Compass is that the contract food service market is still growing. This is great for Compass because this gives Compass an opportunity to gain more clients. Another opportunity for compass Group to grow as a company would be to seek the military as a client. Threats The threats to a company are the most important aspect of the SWOT analysis because a threat can cost a company money and it just might run you out of business. The first threat is that the sales /employee ratio is considerable lower than other industries. This could be a problem because as a company you are not getting enough sales per employee and you are losing money because of it. The second threat to Compass Group is that menu prices increased one-two percent with higher labor costs. This could be a big threat depending on the customers because there are always going to be one or two customers complaining about the new prices but it becomes a problem when a majority of you customers start complaining then you can lose of on business. The third threat is the compass Group rival competitors control seventy percent of the US contract food market. If this threat is not lowered to somewhere among fifty percent Compass Group could lose a lot of money in the near future, because if you rival competitors control more than half or the market they can dictate the price to the market. Then, Compass Group will have to make a choice if they want to continue with the own method or play copycat. The next threat of UN investigations can bring bad press to Compass Group and maybe lose some money too due to fines, court cost and things of that nature. The last threat is the never-ending problems of oil prices. This is not a huge problem for a big company like compass group but it is a problem because with rising oil prices it costs more to ship the necessary items to their destination.