Tradition and Ancestry in Ishmael Reeds Mumbo Jumbo Essay -- Ishmael

Tradition and Ancestry in Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Western industrialized world, time is seen as a progression of events, the present building on the past as civilization becomes more "advanced." However, in the African conception of time, "the human being goes backward ...he is oriented toward the world of the ancestors, toward those who no longer belong to the world of the living" (Zahan 45). Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo problematizes the relationship between past and present. Rejecting both the ideas of "progress" and of strict adherence to tradition, he advocates instead improvisation--responding and adapting to immediacy without uprooting one's connections to the past.    For the inhabitant of the Western industrialized world, the paradigm of progress dominates his or her conceptions of birth, death, time, and history. Tradition is part of a construction of history that shows the causal progression of events from the past to the present. Time is linear. An individual progresses forward in life, socially and materially advancing himself or herself as much as possible within one life-span. Old age denotes the approach of death--the end of individual progress and the barrier of human progress. Consumerism, materialism and scientific empiricism are the mechanisms of Western progress. They presuppose a separation between man and woman, his body, and his environment, and the ability of the ormer to control the latter three, assumptions which can ultimately wreak "havoc among cultures that are not organized around the pursuit of material abundance" (Diamond 138). According to anthropologist Dominique Zahan, tradition, for the African "is above al l the collective experience of the com... ...Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart New York: Astor-Honor, Inc., 1959. Badomo, Andre. "Tradition and Modernism on Horseback." Ness 99-107. Bernard, Bouba. "Reflections on the Life of the European." Ness 27-41. Desmangles, Leslie G. The Faces of the Gods: Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina Press, 1992. Diamond, Irene. Fertile Ground: Women, Earth, and the Limits ofControl Boston: Beacon Press, 1994. Ness. Philip A. Grafting Old Rootstock: Studies in Culture and Religion of the Chamba, Duru, Fula, and Gbaya of Cameroun. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc., 1982. Reed, Ishmael. Mumbo Jumbo. New York: Atheneum, 1972. Zahan, Dominique. The Religion, Spirituality, and Thought of Traditional Africa. Trans. Kate Ezra Martin and Lawrence M. Martin. Chicago: U of Chicago Press, 1979. Tradition and Ancestry in Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo Essay -- Ishmael Tradition and Ancestry in Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Western industrialized world, time is seen as a progression of events, the present building on the past as civilization becomes more "advanced." However, in the African conception of time, "the human being goes backward ...he is oriented toward the world of the ancestors, toward those who no longer belong to the world of the living" (Zahan 45). Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo problematizes the relationship between past and present. Rejecting both the ideas of "progress" and of strict adherence to tradition, he advocates instead improvisation--responding and adapting to immediacy without uprooting one's connections to the past.    For the inhabitant of the Western industrialized world, the paradigm of progress dominates his or her conceptions of birth, death, time, and history. Tradition is part of a construction of history that shows the causal progression of events from the past to the present. Time is linear. An individual progresses forward in life, socially and materially advancing himself or herself as much as possible within one life-span. Old age denotes the approach of death--the end of individual progress and the barrier of human progress. Consumerism, materialism and scientific empiricism are the mechanisms of Western progress. They presuppose a separation between man and woman, his body, and his environment, and the ability of the ormer to control the latter three, assumptions which can ultimately wreak "havoc among cultures that are not organized around the pursuit of material abundance" (Diamond 138). According to anthropologist Dominique Zahan, tradition, for the African "is above al l the collective experience of the com... ...Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart New York: Astor-Honor, Inc., 1959. Badomo, Andre. "Tradition and Modernism on Horseback." Ness 99-107. Bernard, Bouba. "Reflections on the Life of the European." Ness 27-41. Desmangles, Leslie G. The Faces of the Gods: Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina Press, 1992. Diamond, Irene. Fertile Ground: Women, Earth, and the Limits ofControl Boston: Beacon Press, 1994. Ness. Philip A. Grafting Old Rootstock: Studies in Culture and Religion of the Chamba, Duru, Fula, and Gbaya of Cameroun. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc., 1982. Reed, Ishmael. Mumbo Jumbo. New York: Atheneum, 1972. Zahan, Dominique. The Religion, Spirituality, and Thought of Traditional Africa. Trans. Kate Ezra Martin and Lawrence M. Martin. Chicago: U of Chicago Press, 1979.

Free Macbeth Essays: Duncan - The Ideal Ruler? :: GCSE Coursework Macbeth Essays

Duncan - The Ideal ruler in Macbeth?  Ã‚      Establishing whether Duncan was or was not an ideal ruler is crucial when examining Macbeth. Not only would a definite negative answer help in our understanding of the background of the play but it would also, in a way, justify Macbeth  s decision of killing Duncan. When the play opens Duncan receives a report from the battlefield. The audience finds out that the threat which Scotland faces is of a double nature. A Norwegian invasion is being assisted by two rebellious thanes - Macdonwald and Cawdor. While an external attack is something to be expected of in the times when fame was gained in military conquests, the internal rebellion is something of a different matter. It suggests one important thing - if a rebellion was possible than the king  s power couldn  t have been very strong. Traitors can be found in every society, but it is the ruler  s duty to discover conspiracies and to punish the people involved in them before they have a chance to enact their schemes. The internal rebellion shows that Duncan lacked the ability (and/or means) to do so - maybe he was naive and did not believe that his thanes could actually turn against him. Duncan  s lack of power and control over his country is also proved by his military dependence. It is uncertain whether Duncan himself has been fighting in the war - it is possible that he has not; as in Act one he only receives news from the battlefield. It might, of course, be argued that Shakespeare did not want to include a huge battle scene in his play but, nevertheless, it looks like Duncan has not been fighting himself. This was not the custom in the Middle Ages - the ruler  s conduct in battle was to serve as an example to all the warriors. Shakespeare does not state how old Duncan is but, judging from the fact that he has two grown sons, he is not in his youth. In quite a few stage productions of Macbeth this has been taken into account. In Trevor Nunn  s 1976 film of his stage production of Macbeth Duncan is portrayed as an old, feeble and sick man. This may explain why he does not take part in the battle. He is old and ill and depends on the loyalty of his warlords. Duncan  s fate depends upon two of his most powerful warriors - Macbeth and Banquo.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 18

Eighteen EVERYTHING BECAME FUZZY after that. I had vague impressions of moving in and out of consciousness, of people saying my name, and of being in the air again. Eventually, I woke up in the school's infirmary and found Dr. Olendzki looking down at me. â€Å"Hello, Rose,† she said. She was a middle-aged Moroi and often joked that I was her number one patient. â€Å"How are you feeling?† The details of what had happened came back. The faces. Mason. The other ghosts. The terrible pain in my head. All of it was gone. â€Å"Fine,† I said, half-surprised to be saying those words. For a moment, I wondered if maybe it had all been a dream. Then I looked beyond her and saw Dimitri and Alberta looming nearby. The looks on their faces told me the events on the plane had indeed been real. Alberta cleared her throat, and Dr. Olendzki glanced back. â€Å"May we?† Alberta asked. The doctor nodded, and the other two stepped forward. Dimitri, as always, was a balm to me. No matter what happened, I always felt a little safer in his presence. Yet even he hadn't been able to stop what had happened at the airport. When he looked at me like he was now, with an expression of such tenderness and concern, it triggered mixed feelings. Part of me loved that he cared so much. The other part wanted to be strong for him and didn't want to make him worry. â€Å"Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Alberta uncertainly. I could tell she had no clue how to go about this. What had happened was beyond her realm of experience. Dimitri took over. â€Å"Rose, what happened back there?† Before I could utter a word, he cut me off. â€Å"And do not say it was nothing this time.† Well, if I couldn't fall back on that answer, then I didn't know what to say. Dr. Olendzki pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. â€Å"We only want to help you.† â€Å"I don't need any help,† I said. â€Å"I'm fine.† I sounded just like Brandon and Brett. I was probably only one step away from saying, â€Å"I fell.† Alberta finally regained herself. â€Å"You were fine when we were in the air. When we landed, you were most definitely not fine.† â€Å"I'm fine now,† I replied stonily, not meeting their eyes. â€Å"What happened then?† she asked. â€Å"Why the screaming? What did you mean when you said we needed to make ‘them' go away?† I briefly considered my other fallback answer, the one about stress. That sounded completely stupid now. So, again, I said nothing. To my surprise, I felt tears build up in my eyes. â€Å"Rose,† murmured Dimitri, voice as soft as silk against my skin. â€Å"Please.† Something in that cracked me. It was so hard for me to stand against him. I turned my head and stared at the ceiling. â€Å"Ghosts,† I whispered. â€Å"I saw ghosts.† None of them had expected that, but honestly, how could they have? Heavy silence fell. Finally, Dr. Olendzki spoke in a faltering voice. â€Å"W-what do you mean?† I swallowed. â€Å"He's been following me for the last couple of weeks. Mason. On campus. I know it sounds crazy – but it's him. Or his ghost. That's what happened with Stan. I locked up because Mason was there, and I didn't know what to do. On the plane†¦ I think he was there too †¦ and others. But I couldn't exactly see them when we were in the air. Just glimpses†¦ and the headache. But when we landed in Martinville, he was there in full form. And – and he wasn't alone. There were others with him. Other ghosts.† A tear escaped from my eye, and I hastily wiped at it, hoping none of them had seen it. I waited then, not sure what to expect. Would someone laugh? Tell me I was crazy? Accuse me of lying and demand to know what had really happened? â€Å"Did you know them?† Dimitri asked finally. I turned back and actually met his eyes. They were still serious and concerned, no mockery. â€Å"Yeah †¦ I saw some of Victor's guardians and the people from the massacre. Lissa's†¦Lissa's family was there too.† Nobody said anything after that. They all just sort of exchanged glances, hoping perhaps that one of the others might shed light on all this. Dr. Olendzki sighed. â€Å"Could I speak with the two of you privately?† The three of them stepped out of the examining room, shutting the door behind them. Only it didn't quite catch. Scrambling off the bed, I crossed the room and stood by the door. The tiny crack was just enough for my dhampir hearing to pick up the conversation. I felt bad about eavesdropping, but they were talking about me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that my future was on the line here. † – obvious what's going on,† hissed Dr. Olendzki. It was the first time I'd ever heard her sound so irate. With patients, she was the picture of serenity. It was hard to imagine her angry, but she was clearly pissed off now. â€Å"That poor girl. She's undergoing post-traumatic stress disorder, and it's no wonder after everything that's happened.† â€Å"Are you sure?† asked Alberta. â€Å"Maybe it's something else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But as her words trailed off, I could tell she didn't really know of anything else that would explain it. â€Å"Look at the facts: a teenage girl who witnessed one of her friends getting killed and then had to kill his killer. You don't think that's traumatic? You don't think that might have had the tiniest effect on her?† â€Å"Tragedy is something all guardians have to deal with,† said Alberta. â€Å"Maybe there's not much to be done for guardians in the field, but Rose is still a student here. There are resources that can help her.† â€Å"Like what?† asked Dimitri. He sounded curious and concerned, not like he was challenging her. â€Å"Counseling. Talking to someone about what happened can do worlds of good. You should have done that as soon as she got back. You should do it for the others who were with her while you're at it. Why doesn't anyone think of these things?† â€Å"It's a good idea,† said Dimitri. I recognized the tone in his voice – his mind was spinning. â€Å"She could do it on her day off.† â€Å"Day off? More like every day. You should pull her from this entire field experience. Fake Strigoi attacks are not the way to recover from a real one.† â€Å"No!† I had pushed open the door before I realized it. They all stared at me, and I immediately felt stupid. I'd just busted myself for spying. â€Å"Rose,† said Dr. Olendzki, returning to her caring (but slightly chastising) doctor mode. â€Å"You should go lie down.† â€Å"I'm fine. And you can't make me quit the field experience. I won't graduate if you do.† â€Å"You aren't well, Rose, and there's nothing to be ashamed of after what's happened to you. Thinking you're seeing the ghost of someone who died isn't too out there when you consider the circumstances.† I started to correct her on the thinking you're seeing part but then bit it off. Arguing that I'd really seen a ghost wasn't probably going to do me any favors, I decided, even if I was starting to believe that was exactly what I was seeing. Frantically, I tried to think of a convincing reason to stay in the field experience. I was usually pretty good at talking myself out of bad situations. â€Å"Unless you're going to put me in counseling 24/7, you're just going to make it worse. I need something to do. Most of my classes are on hold right now. What would I do? Sit around? Think more and more about what happened? I'll go crazy – for real. I don't want to sit on the past forever. I need to get moving with my future.† This threw them into an argument about what to do with me. I listened, biting my tongue, knowing I needed to stay out of it. Finally, with some grumbling from the doctor, they all decided I would go on half-time for the field experience. It proved to be the ideal compromise for everyone – well, except me. I just wanted life to go on exactly as it had. Still, I knew this was probably as good a deal as I'd get. They decided that I'd do three days of field experience a week, with no night duties. During the other days, I'd have to do some training and whatever bookwork they dug up for me. I'd also have to see a counselor, which I wasn't thrilled about. It wasn't that I had anything against counselors. Lissa had been seeing one, and it had been really useful for her. Talking things out helped. It was just†¦well, this was just something I didn't want to talk about. But if it came down to this or being kicked out of the field experience, I was more than happy to go with this. Alberta felt they could still justify passing me on half-time. She also liked the idea of having counseling going on at the same time I was dealing with fake Strigoi attacks – just in case they really were traumatizing. After a bit more examination, Dr. Olendzki gave me a clean bill of health and told me I could go back to my dorm. Alberta left after that, but Dimitri stuck around to walk me back. â€Å"Thanks for thinking of the half-time thing,† I told him. The walkways were wet today because the weather had warmed up after the storm. It wasn't bathing suit weather or anything, but a lot of the ice and snow were melting. Water dripped steadily from trees, and we had to sidestep puddles. Dimitri came to an abrupt stop and turned so that he stood right in front of me, blocking my path. I skidded to a halt, nearly running into him. He reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to him than I would have expected him to do in public. His fingers bit deep into me, but they didn't hurt. â€Å"Rose,† he said, the pain in his voice making my heart stop, â€Å"this shouldn't have been the first time I heard about this! Why didn't you tell me? Do you know what it was like? Do you know it was like for me to see you like that and not know what was happening? Do you know how scared I was?† I was stunned, both from his outburst and our proximity. I swallowed, unable to speak at first. There was so much on his face, so many emotions. I couldn't recall the last time I'd seen that much of him on display. It was wonderful and frightening at the same time. I then said the stupidest thing possible. â€Å"You're not scared of anything.† â€Å"I'm scared of lots of things. I was scared for you.† He released me, and I stepped back. There was still passion and worry written all over him. â€Å"I'm not perfect. I'm not invulnerable.† â€Å"I know, it's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't know what to say. He was right. I always saw Dimitri as larger than life. All-knowing. Invincible. It was hard for me to believe that he could worry about me so much. â€Å"And this has been going on for a long time too,† he added. â€Å"It was going on with Stan, when you were talking to Father Andrew about ghosts – you were dealing with it this whole time! Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell Lissa †¦ or †¦ me?† I stared into those dark, dark eyes, those eyes I loved. â€Å"Would you have believed me?† He frowned. â€Å"Believed what?† â€Å"That I'm seeing ghosts.† â€Å"Well†¦ they aren't ghosts, Rose. You only think they are because – â€Å" â€Å"That's why,† I interrupted. â€Å"That's why I couldn't tell you or anybody. Nobody would believe me, not without thinking I'm crazy.† â€Å"I don't think you're crazy,† he said. â€Å"But I think you've been through a lot.† Adrian had said almost the exact same thing when I asked him how I could tell if I was crazy or not. â€Å"It's more than that,† I said. I started walking again. Without even taking another step, he reached out and grabbed me once more. He pulled me back to him, so that we now stood even closer than before. I glanced uneasily around again, wondering if someone might see us, but the campus was deserted. It was early, not quite sunset, so early that most people probably weren't even up for the school day yet. We wouldn't see activity around here for at least another hour. Still, I was surprised to see Dimitri was still risking it. â€Å"Tell me then,† he said. â€Å"Tell me how it's more than that.† â€Å"You won't believe me,† I said. â€Å"Don't you get it? No one will. Even you †¦ of all people.† Something in that thought made my voice catch. Dimitri understood so much about me. I wanted – needed – him to understand this too. â€Å"I'll†¦try. But I still don't think you really understand what's happening to you.† â€Å"I do,† I said firmly. â€Å"That's what no one realizes. Look, you have to decide once and for all if you really do trust me. If you think I'm a child, too na?ve to get what's going on with her fragile mind, then you should just keep walking. But if you trust me enough to remember that I've seen things and know things that kind of surpass those of others my age†¦well, then you should also realize that I might know a little about what I'm talking about.† A lukewarm breeze, damp with the scent of melted snow, swirled around us. â€Å"I do trust you, Roza. But†¦ I don't believe in ghosts.† The earnestness was there. He did want to reach out to me, to understand†¦but even as he did, it warred with beliefs he wasn't ready to change yet. It was ironic, considering tarot cards apparently spooked him. â€Å"Will you try to?† I asked. â€Å"Or at the very least try not to write this off to some psychosis?† â€Å"Yes. That I can do.† So I told him about my first couple of Mason sightings and how I'd been afraid to explain the Stan incident to anyone. I talked about the shapes I'd seen on the plane and described in more detail what I'd seen on the ground. â€Å"Doesn't it seem kind of, um, specific for a random stress reaction?† I asked when I finished. â€Å"I don't know that you can really expect ‘stress reactions' to be random or specific. They're unpredictable by nature.† He had that thoughtful expression I knew so well, the one that told me he was turning over all sorts of things in his head. I could also tell that he still wasn't buying this as a real ghost story but that he was trying very hard to keep an open mind. He affirmed as much a moment later: â€Å"Why are you so certain these aren't just things you're imagining?† â€Å"Well, at first I thought I was imagining it all. But now †¦ I don't know. There's something about it that feels real†¦ even though I know that isn't actually evidence. But you heard what Father Andrew said – about ghosts sticking around after they die young or violently.† Dimitri actually bit his lip. He'd been about to tell me not to take the priest literally. Instead he asked, â€Å"So you think Mason's back for revenge?† â€Å"I thought that at first, but now I'm not so sure. He's never tried to hurt me. He just seems like he wants something. And then †¦ all those other ghosts seemed to want something too – even the ones I didn't know. Why?† Dimitri gave me a sage look. â€Å"You have a theory.† â€Å"I do. I was thinking about what Victor said. He mentioned that because I'm shadow-kissed – because I died – I have a connection to the world of the dead. That I'll never entirely leave it behind me.† His expression hardened. â€Å"I wouldn't put a lot of stock in what Victor Dashkov tells you.† â€Å"But he knows things! You know he does, no matter how big an asshole he is.† â€Å"Okay, supposing that's true, that being shadow-kissed lets you see ghosts, why is it happening now? Why didn't it happen right after the car accident?† â€Å"I thought of that,† I said eagerly. â€Å"It was something else Victor said – that now that I was dealing in death, I was that much closer to the other side. What if causing someone else's death strengthened my connection and now makes this possible? I just had my first real kill. Kills, even.† â€Å"Why is it so haphazard?† asked Dimitri. â€Å"Why does it occur when it does? Why the airplane? Why not at Court?† My enthusiasm dimmed a little. â€Å"What are you, a lawyer?† I snapped. â€Å"You question everything I'm saying. I thought you were going to have an open mind.† â€Å"I am. But you need to too. Think about it. Why this pattern of sightings?† â€Å"I don't know,† I admitted. I sagged in defeat. â€Å"You still think I'm crazy.† He reached out and cupped my chin, tipping my face up to look at his. â€Å"No. Never. Not one of these theories makes me think you're crazy. But I've always believed the simplest explanation makes sense. Dr. Olendzki's does. The ghost one has holes. But, if you can find out more†¦then we may have something to work with.† â€Å"We?† I asked. â€Å"Of course. I'm not leaving you alone on this, no matter what. You know I'd never abandon you.† There was something very sweet and noble about his words, and I felt the need to return them, though mostly I ended up sounding idiotic. â€Å"And I won't ever abandon you, you know. I mean it†¦ not that this stuff ever happens to you, of course, but if you start seeing ghosts or anything, I'll help you through it.† He gave a small, soft laugh. â€Å"Thanks.† Our hands found each other's, fingers lacing together. We stood like that for almost a full minute, neither of us saying anything. The only place we touched was our hands. The breeze picked up again, and although the temperature was probably only in the forties, it felt like spring to me. I expected flowers to burst into bloom around us. As though sharing the same thought, we released our hands at the same time. We reached my dorm shortly after that, and Dimitri asked if I'd be okay going in on my own. I told him I'd be fine and that he should go do his own thing. He left, but just as I was about to step through the lobby door, I realized my overnight bag was still back at the med clinic. Muttering a few things that would have gotten me a detention, I turned around and hurried back in the direction I'd just come. Dr. Olendzski's receptionist motioned me toward the examining rooms when I told her why I was there. I retrieved the bag from my now-empty room and turned into the hall to leave. Suddenly, in the room opposite mine, I saw someone lying in bed. There was no sign of any of the clinic's staff, and my curiosity – always getting the better of me – made me peek inside. It was Abby Badica, a senior Moroi. Cute and perky were the adjectives that usually came to mind when I described Abby, but this time, she was anything but. She was bruised and scratched up, and when she turned her face to look at me, I saw red welts. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said. â€Å"You fell.† â€Å"W-what?† â€Å"You fell. I hear that's the standard answer: Brandon, Brett, and Dane. But I'll tell you the truth – you guys need to come up with something else. I think the doctor's getting suspicious.† Her eyes went wide. â€Å"You know?† It was then that I realized my mistake with Brandon. I'd come at him demanding answers, which had made him reluctant to share anything. Those who'd questioned Brett and Dane had faced similar results. With Abby, I realized that I just had to act like I already knew the answers, and then she'd give up the information. â€Å"Of course I know. They told me everything.† â€Å"What?† she squeaked. â€Å"They swore not to. It's part of the rules.† Rules? What was she talking about? The royal-bashing vigilante group I'd been picturing didn't really seem like the type to have rules. There was something else going on here. â€Å"Well, they didn't have much of a choice. I don't know why, but I keep finding you guys afterward. I had to help cover for them. I'm telling you, I don't know how much longer this can go on without someone asking more questions.† I spoke like I was a sympathizer, wanting to help if I could. â€Å"I should have been stronger. I tried, but it wasn't enough.† She looked tired – and in pain. â€Å"Just keep quiet until everything's set, okay? Please?† â€Å"Sure,† I said, dying to know what she'd â€Å"tried.† â€Å"I'm not going to drag anyone else in. How'd you even end up here? You're supposed to avoid attracting attention.† Or so I assumed. I was totally making this up as I went along. She grimaced. â€Å"The dorm matron noticed and made me come in. If the rest of the Man? finds out, I'm going to get in trouble.† â€Å"Hopefully the doctor'll send you on your way before any of them find out. She's kind of busy. You've got the same marks as Brett and Brandon, and none of theirs were that serious.† So I hoped. â€Å"The†¦uh, burn marks were a little tricky, but they haven't had any problems.† It was a gamble in my game here. Not only did I have no clue about the specifics of Brett's injuries, I also didn't actually know if those marks Jill had described on him were burns. If they weren't, I might have just blown my insider act. But, she didn't correct me, and her fingers absentmindedly touched one of the welts. â€Å"Yeah, they said the damage wouldn't last. I'll just have to make up something for Olendzki.† A small flicker of hope shone in her eyes. â€Å"They said they wouldn't, but maybe†¦maybe they'll let me try again.† It was at that moment that the good doctor returned. She was surprised to see me still there and told me I needed to get back home and rest. I said goodbye to both of them and trekked back out into the cold. I barely noticed the weather as I walked, though. Finally, finally, I had a clue in this puzzle. Man?.

Second Foundation 12. Lord

Of all the worlds of the Galaxy, Kalgan undoubtedly had the most unique history. That of the planet Terminus, for instance, was that of an almost uninterrupted rise. That of Trantor, once capital of the Galaxy, was that of an almost uninterrupted fall. But Kalgan- Kalgan first gained fame as the pleasure world of the Galaxy two centuries before the birth of Hari Seldon. It was a pleasure world in the sense that it made an industry – and an immensely profitable one, at that – out of amusement. And it was a stable industry. It was the most stable industry in the Galaxy. When all the Galaxy perished as a civilization, little by little, scarcely a feather's weight of catastrophe fell upon Kalgan. No matter how the economy and sociology of the neighboring sectors of the Galaxy changed, there was always an elite; and it is always the characteristic of an elite that it possesses leisure as the great reward of its elite-hood. Kalgan was at the service, therefore, successively – and successfully – of the effete and perfumed dandies of the Imperial Court with their sparkling and libidinous ladies; of the rough and raucous warlords who ruled in iron the worlds they had gained in blood, with their unbridled and lascivious wenches; of the plump and luxurious businessmen of the Foundation, with their lush and flagitious mistresses. It was quite undiscriminating, since they all had money. And since Kalgan serviced all and barred none; since its commodity was in unfailing demand; since it had the wisdom to interfere in no world's politics, to stand on no one's legitimacy, it prospered when nothing else did, and remained fat when all grew thin. That is, until the Mule. Then, somehow, it fell, too, before a conqueror who was impervious to amusement, or to anything but conquest. To him all planets were alike, even Kalgan. So for a decade, Kalgan found itself in the strange role of Galactic metropolis; mistress of the greatest Empire since the end of the Galactic Empire itself. And then, with the death of the Mule, as sudden as the zoom, came the drop. The Foundation broke away. With it and after it, much of the rest of the Mule's dominions. Fifty years later there was left only the bewildering memory of that short space of power, like an opium dream. Kalgan never quite recovered. It could never return to the unconcerned pleasure world it had been, for the spell of power never quite releases its bold. It lived instead under a succession of men whom the Foundation called the Lords of Kalgan, but who styled themselves First Citizen of the Galaxy, in imitation of the Mule's only title, and who maintained the fiction that they were conquerors too. The current Lord of Kalgan had held that position for five months. He had gained it originally by virtue of his position at the head of the Kalganian navy, and through a lamentable lack of caution on the part of the previous lord. Yet no one on Kalgan was quite stupid enough to go into the question of legitimacy too long or too closely. These things happened, and are best accepted. Yet that sort of survival of the fittest in addition to putting a premium on bloodiness and evil, occasionally allowed capability to come to the fore as well. Lord Stettin was competent enough and not easy to manage. Not easy for his eminence, the First Minister, who, with fine impartiality, had served the last lord as well as the present; and who would, if he lived long enough, serve the next as honestly. Nor easy for the Lady Callia, who was Stettin's more than friend, yet less than wife. In Lord Stettin's private apartments the three were alone that evening. The First Citizen, bulky and glistening in the admiral's uniform that he affected, scowled from out the unupholstered chair in which he sat as stiffly as the plastic of which it was composed. His First Minister Lev Meirus, faced him with a far-off unconcern, his long, nervous fingers stroking absently and rhythmically the deep line that curved from hooked nose along gaunt and sunken cheek to the point, nearly, of the gray-bearded chin. The Lady Callia disposed of herself gracefully on the deeply furred covering of a foamite couch, her full lips trembling a bit in an unheeded pout. â€Å"Sir,† said Meirus – it was the only title adhering to a lord who was styled only First Citizen, â€Å"you lack a certain view of the continuity of history. Your own life, with its tremendous revolutions, leads you to think of the course of civilization as something equally amenable to sudden change. But it is not.† â€Å"The Mule showed otherwise.† â€Å"But who can follow in his footsteps. He was more than man, remember. And be, too, was not entirely successful.† â€Å"Poochie,† whimpered the Lady Callia, suddenly, and then shrank into herself at the furious gesture from the First Citizen. Lord Stettin said, harshly, â€Å"Do not interrupt, Callia. Meirus, I am tired of inaction. My predecessor spent his life polishing the navy into a finely-turned instrument that has not its equal in the Galaxy. And he died with the magnificent machine lying idle. Am I to continue that? I, an Admiral of the Navy? â€Å"How long before the machine rusts? At present, it is a drain on the Treasury and returns nothing. Its officers long for dominion, its men for loot. All Kalgan desires the return of Empire and glory. Are you capable of understanding that?† â€Å"These are but words that you use, but I grasp your meaning. Dominion, loot, glory – pleasant when they are obtained, but the process of obtaining them is often risky and always unpleasant. The first fine flush may not last. And in all history, it has never been wise to attack the Foundation. Even the Mule would have been wiser to refrain-â€Å" There were tears in the Lady Callia's blue, empty eyes. Of late, Poochie scarcely saw her, and now, when he had promised the evening to her, this horrible, thin, gray man, who always looked through her rather than at her, had forced his way in. And Poochie let him. She dared not say anything; was frightened even of the sob that forced its way out. But Stettin was speaking now in the voice she hated, hard and Impatient. He was saying: â€Å"You're a slave to the far past. The Foundation is greater in volume and population, but they are loosely knit and will fall apart at a blow. What holds them together these days is merely inertia; an inertia I am strong enough to smash. You are hypnotized by the old days when only the Foundation had atomic power. They were able to dodge the last hammer blows of the dying Empire and then faced only the unbrained anarchy of the warlords who would counter the Foundation's atomic vessels only with hulks and relics. â€Å"But the Mule, my dear Meirus, has changed that. He spread the knowledge, that the Foundation had hoarded to itself, through half the Galaxy and the monopoly in science is gone forever. We can match them.† â€Å"And the Second Foundation?† questioned Meirus, coolly. â€Å"And the Second Foundation?† repeated Stettin as coolly. â€Å"Do you know its intentions? It took ten years to stop the Mule, if, indeed, it was the factor, which some doubt. Are you unaware that a good many of the Foundation's psychologists and sociologists are of the opinion that the Seldon Plan has been completely disrupted since the days of the Mule? If the Plan has gone, then a vacuum exists which I may fill as well as the next man.† â€Å"Our knowledge of these matters is not great enough to warrant the gamble.† â€Å"Our knowledge, perhaps, but we have a Foundation visitor on the planet. Did you know that? A Homir Munn – who, I understand, has written articles on the Mule, and has expressed exactly that opinion, that the Seldon Plan no longer exists.† The First Minister nodded, â€Å"I have heard of him, or at least of his writings. What does he desire?† â€Å"He asks permission to enter the Mule's palace.† â€Å"Indeed? It would be wise to refuse. It is never advisable to disturb the superstitions with which a planet is held.† â€Å"I will consider that – and we will speak again.† Meirus bowed himself out. Lady Callia said tearfully, â€Å"Are you angry with me, Poochie?†*** Stettin turned on her savagely. â€Å"Have I not told you before never to call me by that ridiculous name in the presence of others?† â€Å"You used to like it.† â€Å"Well, I don't any more, and it is not to happen again.† He stared at her darkly. It was a mystery to him that he tolerated her these days. She was a soft, empty-headed thing, comfortable to the touch, with a pliable affection that was a convenient facet to a hard life. Yet, even that affection was becoming wearisome. She dreamed of marriage, of being First Lady. Ridiculous! She was all very well when he had been an admiral only – but now as First Citizen and future conqueror, he needed more. He needed heirs who could unite his future dominions, something the Mule had never had, which was why his Empire did not survive his strange nonhuman life. He, Stettin, needed someone of the great historic families of the Foundation with whom he could fuse dynasties. He wondered testily why he did not rid himself of Callia now. It would be no trouble. She would whine a bit- He dismissed the thought. She had her points, occasionally. Callia was cheering up now. The influence of Graybeard was gone and her Poochie's granite face was softening now. She lifted herself in a single, fluid motion and melted toward him. â€Å"You're not going to scold me, are you?† â€Å"No.† He patted her absently. â€Å"Now just sit quietly for a while, will you? I want to think.† â€Å"About the man from the Foundation?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Poochie?† This was a pause. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Poochie, the man has a little girl with him, you said. Remember? Could I see her when she comes? I never-â€Å" â€Å"Now what do you think I want him to bring his brat with him for? Is my audience room to be a grammar school? Enough of your nonsense, Callia.† â€Å"But I'll take care of her, Poochie. You won't even have to bother with her. It's just that I hardly ever see children, and you know how I love them.† He looked at her sardonically. She never tired of this approach. She loved children; i.e. his children; i.e. his legitimate children; i.e. marriage. He laughed. â€Å"This particular little piece,† he said, â€Å"is a great girl of fourteen or fifteen. She's probably as tall as you are.† Callia looked crushed. â€Å"Well, could I, anyway? She could tell me about the Foundation? I've always wanted to go there, you know. My grandfather was a Foundation man. Won't you take me there, sometime, Poochie?† Stettin smiled at the thought. Perhaps he would, as conqueror. The good nature that the thought supplied him with made itself felt in his words, â€Å"I will, I will. And you can see the girl and talk Foundation to her all you want. But not near me, understand.† â€Å"I won't bother you, honestly. I'll have her in my own rooms.† She was happy again. It was not very often these days that she was allowed to have her way. She put her arms about his neck and after the slightest hesitation, she felt its tendons relax and the large head come softly down upon her shoulder.

An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay Example for Free

An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins Essay AN INTEGRATED CRITIQUE OF KOZOL’S AND DAWKIN INTRODUCTION Richard Dawkins was born on March 26, in 1941. He is an ethnologist, an evolutionarily biologists and a popular writer in science. He also holds the Simonyi Chair, which is designed to promote the understanding of science to public at Oxford University. The first time Dawkins come into the limelight and became popular was after writing his book ‘The Selfish Gene’ in 1976. This book introduced the term ‘meme’ and consequently helped discover memetics fields. It also made ‘gene-centered view of evolution’ popular. Around 1982, he made significant contributions toward evolution science. THE SELFISH GENE BY RICHARD DAWKINS Richard Dawkin’s ‘The selfish Gene’ was a very popular reading and to some extent controversial on evolution. The book elaborates and goes deeper to discuss more about the theory of William’s first ever book to write ‘Adaptation and Natural Selection’. The theory discussed on this book is principal to William’s book. Richard introduced, ‘Selfish Gene’ to provoke and express his views on gene’s evolution. This view states that evolution acts on genes and when we select some organisms or a population, this selection is normally based on the type of genes. According to his book, an organism must evolve since it is the only way of maximizing its ‘inclusive fitness’, which refers to the total number of the genes which are transmitted globally, rather than the genes passed on by a particular individual. Consequently, a population tends to learn towards ‘Evolutionarily Stable Strategy’. (Richard, 1990) This ‘selfish gene’ came up with the term ‘meme’. ‘Meme refers to a single unit of human’s culture evolution which is analogous to genes. It suggests that this is a ‘selfish’ replication of human genes, and it can affect the culture of human in a totally difference sense. There is no doubt that ‘memetics’ evoked a discussion of meme since he published his book. ‘Meme’ is cultural information units, which can be transferred from one mind to another. Examples of memes are tunes, clothes fashion, catch phrases, pot making or building arches. â€Å"Meme’ is properly defined in the theory of memetic, which is comprised of information on culture in a unit theory; how evolution of culture or diffusion is blocked, how it propagates form mind to mind and the way a gene propagates from one person or from an organism to an organism. Where memes are multiple, they propagate as â€Å"memeplexes’. Meme complexes act as cooperative groups. (Richard, 1990) A ‘gene’ on the other hand, is a region that can be located and has a sequence called ‘genomic sequence. This corresponds to an inheritance unit that is closely associated with regions that play a regulatory function, the regions, which are transcribed, and other regions with functional sequence. The phenotype and physical development of organisms is believed to be productivity of genes, which interact among themselves and with their environment. Genes are generally inheritance units. A gene generally defines human or organism’s characteristic and the functionality of potential products. Genes do not define products but rather they contain regions. Eukaryotic organisms contain regions, which do not have coding regions and are called introns. These are taken away from RNA, which acts as the messenger in a process referred to as ‘splicing’. Exons are regions, which encode the products of gene. A total number of genes, which make a set, is called ‘genome’. The genome size of an organism is usually low in prokaryotes, which come in base pairs and the gene’s numbers. The theorists of meme state that meme evolve through natural selection, this is similar to biological evolution of Darwin through competition, inheritance, variation and mutation. THE ROLE OF CULTURAL EVOLUTION Cultural evolution and socio-evolution fall under the umbrella called ‘socio-cultural evolution’. It describes how societies and cultures have come into being over time. Cultural theories provide us with models to enhance our understanding on the relationship between our social structure, technologies and society values; and give reasons why and how they change gradually. They change to a degree to which specific mechanisms of social change are described. (Richard 1990) Around 20th and 19th century, there were approaches, which were aimed to give models for humankind evolution. The argument is that the social development of different societies is not in the same stage. The recent approaches of the 20th century emphasize on changes, which are specific to a society as an individual and turn down social progress and directional change. Archeologists and anthropologists use modern theories as the framework of socio-cultural evolution. Sociobiology and neo-evolutionism are some of modern approaches employed to cultural evolution. Richard Dawkins, the ethnologist discovered ‘meme’. According to his book, â€Å"TheSelfish Gene’ 1976, likened human’s cultural evolution unit to a gene. His argument was that replication happens in the culture, through in a different sense. Dawkins contends that meme, which resides in the brain represents units of information and it is the replicator that controls mutation in cultural evolution of humans. This forms a pattern, which has the power to influence surroundings, that is, it can propagate and possesses causal agency. However, his theory caused a heated debate among biologists, sociologists and scientists from other disciplines. Dawkins failed to given adequate explanation about the information units replicates, in organism’s brain, how it can control the behaviour of a human being and finally culture. It is apparent that it was not Dawkins intention to give the theory of memetics. Comprehensively in the selfish gene, he coined the word meme in a kind of speculative spirit. In the same sense, ‘unit of information was given different definitions by different scientists. (Richard 1990). MEME AND EDUCATION It is not entirely impossible though it is hard to debate the subject matter of the functions of emotions in education system if we are lacking the right words to sufficiently discuss the topic. This is the scenario when we reach a point of discussing the functional role of ‘emotional intelligence’ because it has got to do with the needs of our younger brothers and sisters as well as great grandchildren and become stochastically and mathematically proficient so as they can exist and fit in the competition which is characterized by technological advancement. Many educators are failing because they lack words such as ‘eipiphiny’ and ‘mehme’ and hence do not have words, which play an important role of ‘emotional intelligence,’ and how it relates to stochastic and mathematical literacy sufficiently and appropriately address attempts that can be made. The outcome is a system of education that is believed to be failing. If the kids can experience and feel eipiphinies and MEHMES, kids will definitely love maths, and see its relevance to their lives daily. It also contributes a feeling of self-confident. The key here is to create the terms mehme and eipiphiny. Introduction of mehme and eipiphiny may have a positive effect if incorporated in the meme selection process. An integrated critique of kozols and dawkins. (2017, Apr 30).

Is college education valuable beyond economic incentive Essay

Is college education valuable beyond economic incentive - Essay Example Though the economic incentive is the biggest reason for gaining college education, there are a lot of other reasons too which justify the cause of acquisition of college education. Hence, college education is valuable beyond economic incentive. Discussion Many students, after having education from high school, cannot imagine the benefits a college education may offer to them. To them the college life and the studies at college are threatening, the thought of getting difficult assignments at college upsets them and the possibilities of meeting new people during college life distresses them. Being a student at high school one value one’s friends and it is difficult to think about departing from them. But the best part of college life is that there is a great possibility of meeting new friends with similar interests, principles and comic sense as soon as one enters the college. College life gives experiences and memories along with knowledge and skills. The benefits of college do not end with the passing out of a student but remain for lifetime. The most important among all advantages of college education is the economic one. It is the degree of a college that makes a student eligible for having a high salary. However, students who have acquired college education gain a lot of other benefits from college education as well. So it can be rightly said that besides economic incentive, there are other benefits of college education as well. This essay will discover how college education is valuable beyond economic incentive. It is a fact that after getting a college degree the student finds a good job with high remuneration package but along with the financial benefit, college education also gives the knowledge and skills that are the basic requirements of a good job (Ramage et.al. 508-512). Students who acquire a college degree usually get jobs which pay them 100 per cent more than the jobs gained by secondary school graduates at their entry level. A student jus t after having a bachelor’s degree usually succeeds in gaining a job which pays him no less than $4000 per month. On the other hand, a student who has acquired only a secondary school diploma cannot get a job which pays him more than $2500 per month. After gaining a college degree, the possibilities of job availability also increases. In today’s age a good job vacancy in a good working environment is rarely found, but those who have a college degree usually get a good designation at a reputed establishment. Along with economic incentive, it increases the confidence of college graduates in their capabilities, whereas the secondary school graduates usually do not get the same chance (Ramage et.al. 238-252). Furthermore, because the number of college graduates is smaller as compared to the secondary school graduates, college degree holders have to face lesser competition than them. Usually college degree holders are hired by organisations as soon as they get their degree. In this way the precious time of highly educated college graduates is saved from being wasted in searching jobs. But on the other hand, high school graduates are always in search of work. Because of a college degree, a student is able to achieve top management positions in an organisation but an unqualified employee can only look after a group of equally unqualified colleagues. The achievement of top management position, because of a college degree, boosts one’s confidence and encourages him/her to achieve a further position in his/her professional career. After gaining a college degree a student understands the way s/he can improve himself/herself. By gradually improving oneself one becomes a specialist in one’

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

Business Ethics - Essay Example The leadership style of Robert Nardelli is described as autocratic and directive. He was a task oriented and directive leader who employed severe strictness and inflexibility in Home Depot during his tenure as the CEO in the organization. The leadership style of Nardelli was characterized by centralized control without considering the behavior and acceptance of the employees and the customers. The incorporation of extensive technologies and new organizational procedures harmed Home Depot bringing down its stock prices in the long term and negatively affecting the shareholders. Though the immediate effects of his leadership were not erosive but after few years the growth of the company slowed down to a great extent due to the increased dissatisfaction of the employees as well as the customers of Home Depot (Baack, 2012). The management style of Nardelli was criticized to be inflexible and callous. But the leadership style of Nardelli was much influenced by his tenure at GE as a result of which he focused more on technology and goal driven business plans. But this kind of leadership was not suitable in the retail industry as the leadership style required in Home Depot needed to be more people oriented creating better employee and customer satisfaction. The reputation of home Depot suffered and the share prices feel whereas the competitor companies succeeded through the creation of better customer experience and satisfaction levels. Home Depot needed a constructive and participative leadership style as opposed to the autocratic leadership style of Nardelli. Due to the directive leadership style of Nardelli, the financial metrics of the company improved initially but the metrics of customer service and employee satisfaction declined. Home Depot need a situational leadership from the CEO but Nardelli was not able to respond to the requirements of the changing situation related to the