Holistic and Academic Education

Holistic and Academic Education Holistic education is a discipline of education based on the premise that each person finds, meaning, identity and purpose in life through connections to the natural world, to the community, and to humanitarian values such as peace and compassion. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning. This is the definition given by Miller, editor, founder and author of the journal Holistic Education. The term holistic education is often used to refer to the more democratic and humanistic types of alternative education. Flake, C. L (1998) describes this further by stating, What distinguishes holistic education from other forms of education, at its most general level, are its objectives, its focus to learning through experience, its goals and the significance it places on primary human values and relationships, within a learning environment. The concept of holism refers to the idea that all the properties of a given system in any field of study cannot be determined or explained by the sum of its component parts [Forbes, S. H, 1996]. The system as a whole instead determines the behavior of its parts. There is no single source for a holistic education movement. There is neither a major form of expression nor a predominant proponent. It is difficult to define clearly a holistic education. There are a number of perceptions and values, however that most schools claiming to be holistic would follow [Miller.R, 2010]. A holistic way of thinking rather than defining human possibilities narrowly, literally tries to integrate and encompass multiple layers of experience and meaning. Teaching Methodologies There are several methodologies adopted by schools that preach holistic education: Religion as a part of life: Holistic education cultivates religious values as a part of the life. There are classes that insist and preach moral values such as divinity, spirituality, realization of self, morality, mortality, serving the community and much more. Live Workshops: Education through experience is the main motto of holistic education. Everything is made live in the form of workshops. Scholars from various disciplines interact with the students and conduct real-time workshops rather than imparting the bookish knowledge. Children or students literally do what they learn and learn what they do. This make the children gain experience in each and every subject they learn. Science Fairs and Exhibitions: The institutions spent a lot of amount in gather people of same likes and interests at a single place and share their views on thoughts. Knowledge is the only resource that multiplies on sharing. Knowledge transfer is accomplished in holistic education due to many fairs and exhibitions. Special Training Programs: Training programs to develop various technical, managerial and behavioral skills are conducted often by these institutions. Some of the most significant training programs are leadership training, team building training, communication training, psychological training, orientation training and religious training. Mentors The teachers in the holistic schools are not strict as that of regular academic schools. Rather than threatening the students by exercising strict control over them, these teachers act as real friends and mentors of the students. The children can get guidance from their mentors very easily and without a hesitation. The barrier between the teacher- student relationships is completely broken in holistic education. Thus holistic education is far beyond the styles adopted by conventional academic learning. With acts like terrorism, crime and violence increasing in the society, holistic learning, obviously is the need of the hour. Aims and objectives of the study Primary Objective: To understand the key concepts and options of holistic education. To analyze the difference between academic and holistic education. To identify the need for holistic education. To study the process of education followed in holistic institutions in India. To evaluate the effectiveness of holistic education systems. Secondary Objective: To create awareness about holistic education among people of India. To emphasis the need for holistic education in India. To encourage the people to seek holistic education rather than conventional academic education. Review of literature The Indian educational history has always been glorified by the presence of universities like Nalanda, Vikramshila and Taxila, from the ancient period. India has got the privilege of establishing universities, even before there were universities in continents like Europe. The contributions of Arya Bhatta, Chanakya, Kalidasa and Baskaracharyya could not be forgotten by the whole world. Be it mathematics, science, literature or technology, India would be in the list of one of the historic contributors irrespective of the discipline of education. Indians have produced many of the most successful and remarkable insights, thoughts and inventions. However, on examining the post independent era, the scenario of growth in the present Indian education is remarkably low and in fact pitiable. The 65 years of post independence has not made much difference in Indian education, especially in rural India. Independent India however has stood unique by setting up over seventy education commission or education committee. Out of the 94 developing countries in the world, the position of India is 76th in terms of overall educational development index [EDI]. The percentage of students enrolled in first standard (Class I) and reached to fifth standard (Class V) is 77 in other developing countries. Controversially in India it is only 60%. [Krishnamurthy, 1994]. This statistical data is significant enough to understand the deteriorating situation of present India. India ranks a low 105 out of 127 nations in UNESCOs Education for All Development Index (EDI) for 2004, despite its much-prevalent Education for All (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) initiative. The worst part of it is that the United Nation body says it is doubtful if India would be able to achieve the EFA (Education for All) goal. The EFA goals concentrates on 100% enrolment in primary schools by the year 2015 and it is one of the U Ns Millennium Development Goals (MDG). All this has happened only because of the conventional educational system that focuses much on making the children to pile up with loads of books rather than understanding the true value of education. The conventional academic education ruins the imaginative power of kids. Especially the academic educational system in India is so strict that it does not give place for creativity and human values. On the other hand, an alternative educational system also known as holistic education is emerging in India. Unlike the conventional system, holistic education concentrates on learning through experience. This gives a new definition and style to education. By this system, children can learn by doing whatever they love to do. This system induces an interest for learning among children and education is being made a fun by this process. Holistic learning is also known as transformative learning. Jack Mezirow (2000), Neuman (1998), Boyd Meyers and Edmond OSullivan, (1988) have contributed to the research of transformative learning and have identified a new framework or pedagogy that is to be demonstrated in holistic programs. According to Mezirow, the goal of education is to help the individual become a more autonomous thinker by learning to negotiate his or her own values, meanings, and purpose rather than uncritically acting on those of others[Mezirow ,2000]. According to Edmond OSullivan, transformative learning involves experiencing a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thought, feelings, and actions. It is a shift of consciousness that dramatically and permanently alters our way of being in the world. [Edmond OSullivan, 1988]. OSullivan E., has identified five themes as the fundamental to transformative learning. The connection or relationship that humans have with the natural world also known as the consciousness of the environment Conscious world citizens, equality, peace, world citizenship, interdependency, narratives of inclusion and interconnectedness Integral curriculum; integral development-from the personal to the planetary, contextual-holistic vs. content-informational An experience of belonging: community, a place, roots A sense of the sacred: integrative dimension of experience, awe, respect for life, connections to the spirit [Jack Mezirow, 2000], On the other hand has specified ten elements that provide a strong foundation for transformative learning. A sense of safety, openness, trust; egalitarian, nonjudgmental and non-competitive environment A learner centered approach Critical reflection and explorations of alternative personal perspectives Affective learning, emotions and feelings discussed Solitude, self dialogue Handling disagreement, confronting rather than avoiding Experiential learning Acknowledging many ways of knowing and learning; multiple intelligences Questioning our assumptions, beliefs The use of rational discourse, dialogue [Boyd and Meyers, 1988], include supporting students to recognize their spirit-a knowing or a truth that resides in them, in promoting transformative learning. [Neuman, 1996] expands the acknowledgment of the importance of feelings and emotions to the transformative aspects of learning experiences. Research methodology Two forms of research are undertaken in order for the purpose of satisfying the objectives of the study: Primary Research: Data collected through first-hand sources Secondary Research: Second-hand data collected through different sources Primary research- Quantitative Research Quantitative research method will be followed in order to create a detailed analysis of consumers perception regarding emails and direct mails as marketing medium in India. Quantitative research offers several advantages to the study: Brower et al (2000, pg. 366) assert that quantitative researchers pursue- and insist that they generate- value-free, unbiased data. Similarly, McLaughlin et al (2002) highlight the following uses of quantitative approach: Research and establish explicit hypotheses Uses accurate measures of concepts Uses tests of statistical significance Uses controls for other explanatory variables Provides a clear theoretical context Case-studies The term case-study usually refers to a fairly intensive examination of a single unit such as a person, a small group of people, or a single company. Case-studies involve measuring what is there and how it got there. In this sense, it is historical. It can enable the researcher to explore, unravel and understand problems, issues and relationships. It cannot, however, allow the researcher to generalize, that is, to argue that from one case-study the results, findings or theory developed apply to other similar case-studies. The case looked at may be unique and, therefore not representative of other instances. It is, of course, possible to look at several case-studies to represent certain features of management that we are interested in studying. The case-study approach is often done to make practical improvements. Contributions to general knowledge are incidental. The case-study method has four steps: Determine the present situation. Gather background information about the past and key variables. Test hypotheses. The background information collected will have been analyzed for possible hypotheses. In this step, specific evidence about each hypothesis can be gathered. This step aims to eliminate possibilities which conflict with the evidence collected and to gain confidence for the important hypotheses. The culmination of this step might be the development of an experimental design to test out more rigorously the hypotheses developed, or it might be to take action to remedy the problem. Take remedial action. The aim is to check that the hypotheses tested actually work out in practice. Some action, correction or improvement is made and a re-check carried out on the situation to see what effect the change has brought about. The case-study enables rich information to be gathered from which potentially useful hypotheses can be generated. It can be a time-consuming process. It is also inefficient in researching situations which are already well structured and where the important variables have been identified. They lack utility when attempting to reach rigorous conclusions or determining precise relationships between variables. Sample size This study takes into consideration ten different holistic schools functioning in India. Secondary Research Secondary data is the information what was collected in the past for some other purpose. Usually, researchers start their investigation by studying a rich variety of already accessible data, to see if they can make a breakthrough in the study partly or wholly, without the use of expensive, time-consuming first-hand research. The following forms of secondary data will be used to research purpose: Books Journals and articles Newspapers Magazines Online web portals Annual Reports Government Agencies Independent Agencies Government official reports Limitations of the study- .5 page This concentrates on the holistic educational practices in India and not any other type of education. This study focuses exclusively on alternate schools. This study involves the holistic schools in India alone. This study is applicable for holistic schools that have been successfully serving the society for not less than eight years.

Traffick :: essays papers

Traffick This saga of the so-called "war" on drugs is a masterwork of superb performance, smart writing--and, most of all, the mark of a director who not only knows what he wants, but also exactly how to make his ambitious vision a glorious reality. Unlike most multicharacter pastiches, such as the ones made by Robert Altman, or Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, the characters of Traffic's three tales don't constantly crisscross, nor are they all brought together by a big event. Intersections are rare in Traffic, and the junctions that do occur are often fleeting. Yet the stories are strongly linked by their greater thematic concern: to vividly illustrate how the drug problem touches all corners of the country, all walks of life, from people on the harsh urban streets to those in lavish upper-class neighborhoods. Soderbergh and writer Stephen Gaghan, working from the '80s British miniseries Traffik, steadfastly refuse to force easy, comforting conclusions from difficult and complex situat ions; as in real life, one is left to decide for oneself who or what is right, and what it all means. While Traffic is essentially about the war on drugs in America, the film's starting point is the almost-exclusively south-of-the-border (and nearly-completely Spanish-language) story of Javier Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro, doing away with his annoying tics and delivering a career performance), an average Tijuana State policeman who is given the opportunity for greater prestige by working for General Salazar's (Tomas Milian) efforts against the drug cartels. Just north of the border in San Diego is the setting for another thread, in which very pregnant European à ©migrà © Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones, her real-life condition adding a deeper layer to her role) learns that the pampered lifestyle provided by husband Carlos (Steven Bauer) comes from dabblings in drugs, not legit business ventures. The film also travels a bit northwest to Cincinnati, the third central locale, where Caroline (Erika Christensen), the teenage daughter of newly-appointed U.S. drug czar Robert Wakef ield (Michael Douglas), brings her father's enemy much closer to home than he could have ever imagined. Soderbergh effortlessly weaves the individual strands into a tapestry that is at once cohesive and characterized by its contrasting colors. The latter can be taken in a literal sense--Soderbergh, under the pseudonym "Peter Andrews" (his father's name), shot the film himself, and he gave each part of the film its own distinct look: grainy, washed-out yellow for Mexico; a solemn blue sheen for Cincinnati; sun-drenched full color for San Diego.

Comparing Love and Marriage in Canterbury Tales, Lanval, Faerie Queene,

Love and Marriage in Canterbury Tales, Lanval, Faerie Queene, and Monsieur's Departure Medieval and Renaissance literature develops the concepts of love and marriage and records the evolution of the relation between them. In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Christian love clashes with courtly love, as men and women grapple with such issues as which partner should rule in marriage, the proper, acceptable role of sex in marriage, and the importance of love as a basis for a successful marriage. Works by earlier writers portray the medieval literary notion of courtly love, the sexual attraction between a chivalric knight and his lady, often the knight's lord's wife. The woman, who generally held mastery in these relationships based on physical desire and consummation, dictated the terms of the knight's duties and obligations, much like a feudal lord over a vassal. This microcosm of romance between man and woman was anchored by the macrocosm of the bonds among men and their fealty to their lord. The dominance of women and fealty to the leader in courtly love contrasts with the d ominance ...

Analysis on “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare Essay

In life, things are not always what they seem. People may appear to be one way but turn out to be an entirely different. The romantic-comedy, The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, shows the deliberate use of deception by the characters. Deception is a tool that is used for many purposes. The purposes can be harmful, protective or for personal gain. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia, Jessica, and Shylock are all characters who use deception to carry out their own motives. Shylock, the hated Jew, makes his living through the practice of usury and uses deception when Antonio asks to borrow money from him. Shylock agrees to lend Antonio three hundred ducats if Antonio is willing to sign a bond that would allow Shylock to have â€Å"an equal pound of [his] fair flesh†(I, iii, 145-146). He expresses the bond â€Å"in a merry sport†(I, iii, 141) and uses this bond to also show that â€Å"[he] would be friends with [Antonio], and have [his] love†(I, iii, 134). Though Shylock’s description of the conditions in the bond makes it seem as if Shylock does not mean harm, his intentions are to harm and humiliate Antonio. Antonio says that â€Å"[he] neither lend[s] nor borrow[s] by talking nor by giving of excess†(I, iii, 57-58) and is willing to do that for his dear friend, Bassanio. At first, Antonio is not blinded Shylock’s friendly pretence, aware that Shylock â€Å"is like a villain with a smiling face [and] a goodly apple rotten at the heart†(I, iii, 96-97). However, in the end Antonio accepts the terms of the bond. The cruel use of deception from Shylock is to help fulfill his intention of revenge against Antonio. The deliberate use of cruelness in falsehood is also shown in Shylock’s own daughter, Jessica. Jessica runs off with her Christian lover, Lorenzo. Jessica is â€Å"asham’d to be [her] father’s child†(II, iii, 17) and describes that her â€Å"house is hell†(II, iii, 2). Jessica lies to her father when he asks her what his servant, Launcelot, said to her as he left the house. Launcelot actually told Jessica to watch out for Lorenzo who would be coming by the house later, but she tells her father that Launcelot just said farewell to her. Shylock, of course, trusts his daughter and does not know that she is deceiving him. Another deception by Jessica is when at the night of her elopement, she is disguised as a page boy. She must do this for women  are not allowed to be out in the streets at night during the Elizabethan times. While leaving, she steals and gives Lorenzo some of her father’s valuable possessions. Later on with the jewels she stol e from her father, her mother’s ring is among them and uses it to purchase frivolous things like a monkey. Jessica’s use of deception causes much grief for Shylock not only because of the stolen jewels and ducats but also the loss of his daughter. Portia is another woman who is involved many deceptive plots many which occur during the lottery of the caskets. The choosing of the caskets is bestowed upon her from her father who past away. The lottery involves suitors taking the chance of Portia’s hand in marriage. A particular suitor, the Prince of Morocco arrives to take this risk. In this scene, Morocco pleads Portia to â€Å"mislike [him] not for [his] complexion†(II, i, 1). Portia tells Morocco that she does not mind the complexion of his skin and that he is â€Å"then stood as fair as any corner [she] ha[s] look’d on yet for [her] affection†(II, i, 20). Once he leaves, however, Portia says, â€Å"Let all of his complexion choose me so†(II, vii, 78-79). Portia sets an innocent and admirable face when Morocco or any other suitor is choosing the casket, but the minute he leaves, she mocks them; all except Bassanio. Although this scene shows a cruel deception by Portia, she did it to be polite as was expected of her. Portia uses this deliberate deception further in the play but in a more dignified way. In Act 4 scene 1, Portia dresses as a male lawyer in order to deceive the court and save her husband’s friend, Antonio. She must disguise herself because in Elizabethan times, women were not allowed to participate in law or any other profession. This time, Portia’s deception is not harmful, but is a far more selfless act. Portia sees that disguise is the only method to save Antonio’s life that is very dear to her husband, Bassanio. Dressed as a young lawyer, Portia manipulates the law with her intellect and saves Antonio’s life from certain death by of Shylock. Shakespeare made use of deception and false face in The Merchant of Venice because it is part of our everyday lives. All three characters deliberately use deception in order to achieve their goal. There are many different motivations for the use of a false face and these are shown in The Merchant  of Venice. Whether it is Shylock using it for revenge, Jessica to search for a happier life or Portia to encourage peace, Shakespeare’s use of deception is for the audience to realize that for our own expediency, society takes advantage of the false face.

Discuss Ways in Which Edward Thomas Presents Memory in ‘Aspens’.

â€Å"Empty as sky, with every other sound No ceasing, calls there ghosts from their abode† Discuss ways in which Thomas presents memory in ‘Aspens’. In your answer, explore the effects of language, imagery and verse form, and consider how this poem relates to other poems by Thomas that you have studied. Memory is presented as either a way of life or a community of change, as demonstrated in ‘Aspens’, ‘Old Man’, ‘Aldestrop’. He does this through the variety of techniques such as change in form, use of imagery and alternations in the tone of each poem to explore memory.As well as this, Thomas explicates the devastation of emptiness due to the consequence of war, which is portrayed through the use of soft consonantal sounds or the use of sibilance to carry the silence through the poem as it does in the places described in each poem. Quatrain A, B, A, B combined with the iambic pentameter shows regularity in the stresses of the beat, which reflects the motion of the Aspens as they sway consistently in the breeze. Alternatively, the regularity in the rhythm could reflect the beat of the hammer of the Blacksmith’s, as mentioned in the second stanza to emphasise how the vignette was once active, busy and lively.This is also seen in the sonnet by Robert Frost, Acquainted with the Night, where iambic pentameter could have been used to reflect the constant depressive state the poet experienced at the time. This contrasts with another of Thomas’ poems, ‘Tears’, where his thoughts are disjointed and disorganised as he tries to recollect his memories. Thus the use of free verse and an 18 line stanza, unbroken, is appropriate as it reflects how he struggles to remember. Despite this, the whole stanza is in iambic pentameter but Thomas has used this technique in order to reflect what is going on in his memory.For example, the last 6 lines of the stanza regulate, as all are of the same lengt h, which expresses the formality of the soldiers marching and their systematic organisation. In comparison, ‘Old Man’ has an irregular structure and this use of free verse conveys Thomas’ uncertainty in dealing with the subject of memory. It would be deemed applicable to say that the struggle to reminisce is present in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the hyphen at the end of the first line to show the pause in his recollection, as seen similarly and previously in the first line of ‘Tears’ as the use of two hyphens portrays Thomas’ thought process.The theme of emptiness is seen throughout Thomas’ poems. The wartime poet writes of his memory of livelihood and activity in villages, such as the one described in ‘Aspens’, and then how it begins to disappear as a result of war. This is shown as the village is left with a ‘lightless pane and footless road’ causing the village to appear as ‘empty as skyâ €™ and this simile gives a sense of vastness of the effects of the war, emphasising on the emptiness in the poem. Further, the mention of the ‘cross-roads to a ghostly room’ explicates that the village is so empty that it is leading nowhere.This metaphor is ironic as cross-roads are suggestively open gateways and a sense of choice in direction. However this connotation is altered as Thomas uses the metaphor ‘ghostly room’, to portray the vacant village and this is supported by the cross-roads as they lead to emptiness and isolation. This is also seen in ‘Old Man’ as the paradox ‘only an avenue, dark, nameless, without end’ gives a sense of no lead despite the fact that an avenue should lead somewhere. It is clear here that Thomas’ state of depression is reflected in this last line as the imagery conjures connotations of death, gloom and finality.The emptiness is also portrayed in ‘Aspens’ as Thomas describes the ‘ghosts from their abode’, which suggests he is referring to the ghostly memories of the village, comparing them to how things have changed. We also see emptiness in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas explains how the unexpected stop is ‘bare’. The reason for this could be because the train was not due to stop at Aldestrop; on the other hand it could indicate the effects of wartime, particularly desolation. Loss of memory is seen in many of Thomas’ poems through different ways.Edna Longley, critic, points out that the part of the mind that remembers is the same part of the mind that generates poetry- the subconscious and comments that in ‘Old Man’ ‘perhaps / thinking perhaps of nothing’ is a rhetorically cunning line break. The verb ‘think’ is central to the poem as is the verb ‘remember’. Particularly in ‘Old Man’ Thomas uses the metaphor ‘I have mislaid the key’ to p resent his attempt of recollecting his first memory of the plant, Lads-Love. He portrays this as tantalising as he can ‘think of nothing’ when sniffing the herb, which suggests he finds loss of memory as frustrating.This is shown from the anaphora of ‘no’ at the end of the poem as it rightly expresses that the more he tries to remember the less likely the memory will reappear, which further shows his frustration of struggling to regain his memory. Despite this, Thomas makes it clear that the memory brings him sentimentality and this is clearly important to him. He shows that although the smell of the bush is ‘bitter’ he admires the plant because it brings back memories of his daughter. In comparison, Thomas also mentions that names are important in ‘Aldestrop’ as ‘I remember Aldestrop -/ The name’ suggests that the name brings every detail for him.A sense of change in community is seen in various poems by Thomas, due t o the effects of war. Most specifically, ‘Aspens’ shows clearly how vibrant and animated the village was once before through the onomatopoeic sounds ‘clink, the hum, the roar’ as they reflect the vivacity that was once present before the war. This is contrasted as the silence is emphasised through the dominance of sibilance through ‘a silent smithy’ and ‘a silent inn’, which emphasises the hollow atmosphere.The silence is further shown by the sibilance in the penultimate line ‘ceaselessly, unreasonably grieves’, which allows the silence of the trees to continue through to the end of the poem. A sense of change is also seen in ‘Aldestrop’ as Thomas uses the metaphor of ‘all the birds’ to represent the people of England as they suffer from the effects of the war as a whole. The fact that Thomas mentions countryside towns such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire shows how much Thomas values tradit ional English scenery and therefore shows his devastation of the effects of war.Thomas uses lots of different techniques in order to portray memory through a communal change, emptiness and as a way of life. Through his language, structure and symbolism within his poems, the reader is able to understand Thomas’ thoughts about memory (those being that it is frustrating to have ‘mislaid the key’ and how memories can change over time) and relate their own experiences with Thomas’ due to his profound and truthful portrayal of memory.

Reading Response to Devil in a Blue Dress

I enjoyed the manner with which Moslem used these two themes In particular to discuss some societal Issues. Starting with a brief summary of the novel, I intend to expatiate on these two themes in subsequent paragraphs. The Plot Set in Los Angels in 1948, the Devil in a Blue Dress is centered on the character of Ezekiel ‘Easy† Railings a black man who had fought in World War II and who has Just lost his Job at an aircraft company and desperate to find a means of earning an income to meet his financial needs especially his mortgage payment.Ease's aspiration leads him to accepting a Job from Dewitt Albright to find a young white lady Daphne Monet. Although Dewitt Albright had a questionable personality, Easy accepted the job after assurance from Albright that the task does not portend any significant problem with the law. Moreover, it was an opportunity to earn some money and considering his financial situation he had to accept the Job. As the story progresses, Easy comes t o realize that things are far more complicated than he could have thought. He Is accused of murder, at risk of being hurt by Albright henchmen Easy is expected to track down is not who they say she is.Easy along with Mouse have to find their way out of the predicament they find themselves while avoiding being dragged in by the nets of the law. The plot of the novel is typical of what to expect from a top-notch detective fiction novel, lots of deaths and intrigues and a proper dose of suspense. Moslem ensured that the chapters were brief yet; almost each of the chapters carried a new twist to the overall plot. Although the overriding theme is that or race and racism and the influence of money on the inhabitants of society, one can identify other inconspicuous issues raised in the novel such as sexual perversity, independence and war.Theme: Race and Racism A major theme in the novel is that of race and racism, the setting of 1948 is obviously a time when the United States of America h ad very visible racial segregation lines and it was refreshing to read a novel that captured this issue as it were back then. Moslem sought to highlight how racial inclinations dictated how the different characters relate with each other and/or how it affects the manner in which they respond to events. Even from Ease's first encounter with Albright- a white man, it was clear that their different racial backgrounds indicated problems ahead.Having fought alongside white men during the war, Easy must have been very disappointed to return only to see that segregation lines are still very visible. In a way, I think Ease's bewilderment was captured in his explanations of his wartime relationship with white men. Stating how he ate and slept with them, and even killed some blue-eyed young men during the war. For Easy, it was refreshing to know that white people were Just as afraid to die as he was (Moslem, 1990) the theme of racism was also inked to authority and how those who believe they are racially superior exerted it.This was evident in the way Albright consistently called Easy â€Å"boy' to send a clear message as to be racial superiority. Moreover, it was quite fascinating to see how Moslem used the novel to highlight and dispel insinuations that the issue of race and racism is well defined. For instance, Moslem showed that race and racism are not that clearly defined; for someone like Daphne Monet who feels lost not being able to clearly establish which side of the divide she belongs. Another case is that of Benny, Ease's former boss.Benny is of mixed racial background and despite Ease's description of him as being darker than most mixed-race blacks around, Benny considers himself racially superior to Easy. Furthermore, Moslem tries to show us how undefined race and racism is with the information that Daphne Monet is not white but black. Ease's response to this revelation is that of disbelief and rightly so. As far as Easy is concerned, Daphne Monet is white. â€Å"l looked at her to see the truth. But it wasn't there. Her nose, cheeks, and her skin color – they were white. Daphne was a white woman† (Moslem, 1990).Moreover, it is not all about the dark for race and racism in the Moslems work. The author in my view sought to highlight how people from different racial backgrounds can along well with each other. Ease's reasonable relationship with Primp as well as his statement about the Negro and Mexican being the same lays credence to this as both blacks and Mexicans are both at the receiving end of racial discrimination from the whites (Moslem, 1990). Theme: Money The theme of money and how it directs the actions of the various characters in the novel Just like race and racism is a recurring issue in the novel.Throughout the plot, pushes some of the characters to the extreme. In fact, so evident is the theme of money in the plot of this novel that most of the deaths that occurred can be traced to the influence of money. Ea se's financial constraint and his acceptance of Albright offer sets the tone for the theme of money and from then we start to see how each character's financial gain influences their actions. Moreover, I found it interesting that Moslem sought to separate Easy from the rest of the pack. From the beginning, Moslem tried to show what was behind Ease's quest to achieve financial stability and reducibility.We are made to see Easy as a man that was so passionate of keeping his most priced assets, which is his house. Easy speaks dearly of his house as the only thing he has got and the only thing worth fighting for and this influences his decision to accept the Job from Albright with a view to earning some money to make his mortgage payment. This is in stark contrast to other characters in the novel whose aim to achieve some level of financial freedom stem from greed. Violence and War I believe a reader response on the Devil in a Blue Dress will not be complete without brief commentary on the theme of violence and war.Although in my opinion, nothing in particular stands out on these two issues in the novel, one cannot ignore the recurring nature of physical violence and war in the novel. Moslem did not disappoint in the area of physical violence as will be expected from a detective fiction novel, there are lots of deaths to evoke the air of mystery and to build up suspense. As for the theme of war, Easy could not shake off his experience of fighting in the Second World War and this is understandable considering the abundance of events hat sees him reminiscing and relating happenings in his environment to memories of the way.It is refreshing to see how his experience of war helps him to develop a balanced approach to things. Ease's war experience also helps him to see other ways of solving problems rather than resorting to violence like most other characters in the novel. To this, we have to acknowledge the influence of â€Å"the Voice† in helping Easy make the right choices and it worthy of note that â€Å"the Voice† was created in Ease's war days. Reference Moslem, W. (1990). Devil in a blue dress. Washington Square Press: New York

HW9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HW9 - Essay Example Extended Matrix 3: Once firm B enters and exits the market, the profitability chances collapse at the same time as the company loses $1,000,000. The only sound approached is considering paths NP and PN (this combination considers neutral risk taking) as it considers the N =Neutral path in both cases. c. By choosing to take 7500 and 50% gamble chances of winning between 5000 and 10000, the CEO is considered a risk taker as the cash amount and the expected outcome range only add up to $7500 + 0 = $7500 or $7500 + either $5000 or $10000 = either $12500 or $17500. d. From the utility function, the extended matrix show that the CEO has better changes of accepting $10,000 in cash and 50% gamble of winning between $7500 and $12500. This would make her returns 10,000 without risks and 50% chance of losing the opportunity to win 7500 or 12500. However, an ideal path from 1 on the above extended matrix show that accepting $10000 and taking the 50% gamble chance increases her chances of having 22500 if the gamble paid of. Either way, the taking of chances with decisions whose outcome can result to benefits or no benefits shows that the CEO is a risk