Toni MorrisonS Essay Recitatif Essays - Recitatif,

Toni Morrison'S Essay ?Recitatif? Mark Sommers Feldman 11/27/99 Recitatif Toni Morrison's essay, ?Recitatif? is about two girls, Twyla and Roberta, who grow up in an orphanage because their mothers could not properly care for them. The underlying theme in ?Recitatif? deals with racism. An interesting twist is the mystery of the girls' race. Leaving clues, but never stating whether Twyla or Roberta was black or white, Morrison makes it clear that the girls come from different ethnic backgrounds. At one point in the essay Twyla comments, ?that we looked like salt and pepper.? Due to the fact that the story is told in the first person, it seems natural for the reader to associate Twyla with himself/herself. ?Recitatif? proves to be a noteworthy experiment, ?toying? with the reader's emotions and effectively noting stereotypical races and their characteristics. Morrison never states the race of the girls for a purpose: to make the reader form his/her own opinion. The story begins with Twyla's mother dropping her off at the orphanage. There she met Roberta, who became her best friend, bonding because they were not real orphans with ?beautiful dead parents in the sky.? Instead of being ?real? orphans, they were just abandoned kids whose mother's did not want them. Although the girls had few friends, their lives did not lack adventure. For example, they enjoyed spying on the big girls who liked to smoke and dance, and sadly got a laugh out of yelling mean things at Maggie, the woman who couldn't defend herself because she was mute. One of the last times the girls saw each other in the orphanage was the day of the picnic. Shortly after the picnic Roberta's mother came to take her home, marking the first small fracture in their friendship. The next time they saw each other was years later in the restaurant that Twyla worked. Roberta acts coldly towards Roberta partly because she was high off of drugs, on her way to see a Jimi Hendrix concert. Twyla was deeply offended that her former best friend would treat her so badly. Twelve years later they meet again at a grocery store. Roberta married a rich man and was now called Mrs. Benson; she was dressed in dimonds and talked much nicer to Twyla. By this time, Twyla has one child and Roberta has four. Strangely, Roberta acts extremely friendly, like she has met her long lost best friend. Twyla can't hold back her emotions and questions Roberta about their last encounter at the restaurant. Roberta shrugs it off, ?Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black?white. You know how everything was.? A friendly goodbye and the women go their own separate ways again. The third time they meet is at the school where Roberta's kids attend. Roberta and the other mothers were picke ting because they didn't want their kids to be segregated. This led to a fight that would be not resolved until Twyla and Roberta meet for a final time, severing any last chance of friendship for the women. The problem lies inside the hearts of two special women, two childhood friends, and two different races. ?Recitatif? challenges the reader to not be judgmental toward of the either girls and accept their color. Morrison gives clues to encourage the reader to make assumptions about the girls' race. From the beginning the author asserts that one girl is black and one is white, but not which is which. There are many instances that Morrison uses things that are stereotypically ?black? or ?white,? almost begging one to infer the race of each girl. Although there is no answer to the mystery, what one decides for himself/herself says something about his/her own ethnic background. Morrison thrives off the stereotypes people have set for blacks and whites. For example, Twyla's mother told her that ?those? people smelled funny because they didn't wash their hair. This might suggest that Roberta was black because many black people don't wash their hair often. On the other hand she could have been talking about the orphans not bathing properly which could cause them to smell ?funny.? Everything seems to be a gray area. On the night of the picnic when her mother came to visit, Twyla was embarrassed because

Art Therapy essays

Art Therapy essays What is Art Therapy? Art therapy is hard to pin down, as the use of art therapy crosses many lines of use. It is used on people of all ages, people with disorders and addictions, and those facing chronic, terminal, or serious illnesses. It is also used on persons who have had traumatic life experiences, and those with Art therapy is in simple terms, art and psychology. It brings together aspects of art, behavior, personality and mental health. To "Draw from Within" in a popular catch phrase among art therapists, which helps define art therapy from regular art. The focus of art therapy is the person's inner experience and feelings. The artist must reach inside to express images, instead of seeking outside stimulus. There are also different ways of viewing art therapy. The first is seeing art therapy as a process, which in itself is healing. The second is the product, or interpretation of the art. Creative process is said to be therapeutic in and of itself, as it is an opportunity to express onself authentically and spontaneously. The product of the process is based on the meaning of the art, and what it says about the individual. This approach is known as psychotherapy, as it communicates issues and emotions. Most art therapists use both process and product in their work, being that the process is healing, and the products communicate Interpretations of art in therapy is an interesting field. Therapists study images to determine if there are recurring symbols or colors which may be connected to certain disorders or illnesses. Although there are at times interpretations, the art therapist may want the artist himself to interpret his own work. Asking people to interpret their own work is important because how you choose to express yourself is very personal, changing from person to person due to life experiences and cultural differences. The responses an art therapist receives says as m...

The Exaggeration of Rules and Laws essays

The Exaggeration of Rules and Laws essays In The Death of Common Sense, Philip K. Howard argues that the present day over-reliance on statutes and regulations in America as a means to create a just and fair society has, in fact, achieved just the opposite. In presenting his case, Howard is actually making a strong point in reminding the reader that the dispensation of justice requires the understanding and practice of the spirit of the law. Blind application and adherence to statutes of law will only lead to a system that may end up Howard traces the root of the system to the rationalist movement in the 1960s that favored statutory law, as it was believed to be more consistent and fair: "The credo of this rationalist order, like our law today, was that government should be self-executing and dispassionate. The idea spawned numerous reform movements, including socialism. It also led to the invention of modern bureaucracy." (Howard, 27-28) It is evident in the preceding statement that the spirit behind the formation of statutory law was unquestionably praiseworthy. Unfortunately, the solution devised led to a bureaucratic system that only succeeded in loosing sight of that very Bureaucracies, as is widely acknowledged, usually lead to the stifling of good ideas, innovation, initiative and most important a loss of perspective. Indeed, experience has shown again and again that bureaucracies usually miss the wood for the trees. And in doing so defeat the larger purpose for which they were set up in the first place. Howard ably demonstrates this very point when he cites the example of Mother Teresa's nuns of the Missionaries of Charity having to perforce abandon their plans to convert two abandoned buildings into homeless shelters in New York City on account of the bureaucratic insistence of the city's building code that the nuns would have to install a lift (Howard, 3-5). The ...

Juvenile Recidivism and Restitution essays

Juvenile Recidivism and Restitution essays Develop a list of reasons why restitution should reduce recidivism and a list of reasons why it might not. Does restitution make sense to you? In the response to the high rise in crime, most states have adopted a "get tough" response to juveniles that focuses solely on punishment. However, many states, strive to maintain a balance between reducing crime and helping young offenders to learn from their mistakes and avoid possible incarceration in the future. A restitution program is a court diversion program that was developed in collaboration with the Juvenile Justice System. The purpose of the program is to provide an alternative to prosecution for first-time juvenile offenders, in certain misdemeanor cases. The focus of the program is to enable youth who have been arrested for committing a crime (e.g. burglary; vandalism; minor assault or other misdemeanors), to meet face to face with the victim and work out a payment plan for the damage suffered by the victim. The program provides all parties in a juvenile offense (the victim, the offending juvenile, and the juvenile's parents or guardians) the opportunity to work out an acceptable plan that directly addresses the harm caused by the criminal act. As a court diversion program, the juvenile restitution program also provides an alternative to criminal prosecution and the exigencies of the criminal justice system. As a diversion program, the offender may avoid criminal prosecution, court appearances, sentencing alternatives and a record of criminal conviction. Likewise, the victim is not subjected to the rigors involved in a legal case, and may have a better opportunity for direct compensation. The victims are often schools, parks, or other government bodies, as well as private shop owners and property owners. The victims and juvenile offenders are often from the same neighborhood or the same general part of the island. Victims and the parents of the juvenile offenders report...

Management of Organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management of Organizations - Research Paper Example This also includes fulfilling the requirements for activities such as recruitment of new members of management teams, establishing business relationships with other organizations and coming up the best platform for increasing the intellectual property rights of an organization. To be successful in delivering the best for this career, it is essential that become enlightened on a number of key skills. These skills are as stipulated below. It is clearly vital to note that this job requires one to be very excellent in making quality business strategies. To be successful here, it is necessary that I have excellent qualitative and quantitative skills. In addition, as a key member of an organization, I should also have excellent electronic commerce skills. This will facilitate smooth execution of business functions globally hence increasing the companies competitive advantage (Miles,

Sales Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sales - Case Study Example Similar is the case at Shields where a new manager leading a sales team that is facing issues in accepting company’s new sales policy (which is in line with that of its main competitor) that is to generate sales through big accounts rather than several small ones as done earlier. Continuation with the same tactic of implementing the new policy over the sales team might result in more slumps in sales quota and increased drop outs that would result in mismanagement of the existing accounts hence further decline in sale level. Summary of the Facts Shield is an Insurance company that provides customized insurance and risk management programs to all size of commercial enterprises. Shield is a result oriented company. Their main objective is profit maximization through increased sales revenue. Following the footsteps of its major competitor the higher management decided to implement a new sales strategy namely First-Plus to increase revenues by bringing in larger accounts. Training of new managers done in theoretical manner through manuals in only 5 days period. Training comprising majorly of introducing First-Plus a new policy for sales rather than how to manage a sales team effectively as well as efficiently.

History of Security in the U.S Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Security in the U.S - Term Paper Example One example of ancient private security forces was the security force hired by Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses the II in the 13th century. In the US, the roots of the private security forces and private security companies can be traced to the mid 19th century. During this time, Alan Pinkerton established a private detective agency called Pinkerton Agency and his company became the first investigative agency that had the capacity to function on a national level. In 1889, Brinks Incorporated was formed for purposes of protecting property and payrolls. In 1909, William J. Burns was formed as a private detective agency. This company became the investigative unit for the American Banking Association. The above-mentioned companies are referred to as the â€Å"Original Three†. Another security company formed during this time is the Wells Fargo. By 1914, the railroads had already obtained authority to come up with their own private security units that worked with full police powers (Dyonder, 2010). After this, the rate of growth of private security industry increased greatly. Currently, there are more than ten thousand private security firms in the US that earn the nation an annual revenue of more than $15 billion. It has also become such a good source of employment with those employed in private security firms outnumbering those employed as public security officers by far. Its rate of employment is also increasing than any other type of business in the US. Factors leading to the significant growth of private security   The World War II is one very influential factor in the development of private security in the US. During this time, thousands of military men who were trained in intelligence and law enforcement established private agencies to protect against sabotage and espionage. The Cold War also created the need for private or background security clearances and investigations. This provided civilian jobs for many people who were highly trained. Dyonder (2010) reve als that when war was raging in Europe, President Roosevelt passed an executive directive giving the US war department the authority to acquire and train private security personnel to guard against threat to the US industry. By the middle of the war, more than ten thousand factories in the US were patrolled and protected by private security firms. Industrialisation increased the need for private security in the US. The main reasons for this is that industrialisation triggered a great rise in crime rates leading to an epidemic of crimes. The rise in crimes was because of the increased rates of unemployment. Singh (2005) states that with this levels of unemployment and the possibility that crimes rates would rise because of the Great Depression, private security companies embedded themselves more into the security industry. Increased rates of urbanisation also encouraged the growth of private security in the US. The exodus of people to large cities led to increased poverty, violence a nd crimes in these cities. This led to a need for seeking additional and closer supervision of homes and other private property. Singh (2005) points out that the growth of private security and the utilisation of its personnel was also enhanced by the popularity gained by automobiles. Move toward professionalism