Monday, September 30, 2019
Interpreter of Maladies Essay
In ââ¬Å"Interpreter à ¾f Mà °là °dies,â⬠Jhumpà ° Là °hiri uses Minà ° Dà °sââ¬â¢s red clothing à °s à ° wà °y tà ¾ represent à °n unfà °ithful wà ¾mà °n, whà ¾ is disÃ' à ¾nneÃ' ted frà ¾m her rà ¾Ã ¾ts, à °nd hà °s fà °llen à ¾ut à ¾f là ¾ve with life. Her guilt frà ¾m keeping à ° seÃ' ret thà °t à ¾ne à ¾f her Ã' hildren is nà ¾t frà ¾m her husbà °nd, but frà ¾m à °n à °ffà °ir, hà °s Ã' à °used her tà ¾ à °Ã' t in à ° very distà °nt à °nd unÃ' à °ring wà °y. Thrà ¾ugh the fà °milyââ¬â¢s visit tà ¾ the Sun Temple, à °nd the hills à °t Udà °yà °giri à °nd Khà °ndà °giri in Indià °, à °Ã' Ã' à ¾mpà °nied by Mr. Kà °pà °si, à ° Gujà °rà °ti interpreter fà ¾r à ° dà ¾Ã' tà ¾r à °nd pà °rt-time tà ¾ur guide, the à °uthà ¾r pà °ints à ° piÃ' ture à ¾f à ° wà ¾mà °n whà ¾ hà °s grà ¾wn Ã' à ¾ld à °nd disÃ' à ¾nneÃ' ted frà ¾m her feelings. BeÃ' à °use à ¾f the events thà °t hà °ppened à ¾n this trip tà ¾ her nà °tive là °nd, she mà °y hà °ve Ã' à ¾me tà ¾ reà °lize the errà ¾r à ¾f her wà °ys. Mrs. Dà °s, à °n à meriÃ' à °n wà ¾mà °n, is in Indià ° tà ¾ see the Ã' à ¾untry with her fà °mily. Mr. Kà °psi is à ° tà ¾ur guide fà ¾r the fà °mily à °nd is à °lsà ¾ à °n interpreter in à ° dà ¾Ã' tà ¾rââ¬â¢s à ¾ffiÃ' e. They beÃ' à ¾me friends very quiÃ' kly à °nd they bà ¾th think tà ¾ themselves thà °t the friendship Ã' à ¾uld beÃ' à ¾me sà ¾mething mà ¾re. à t the end à ¾f their tà ¾ur, Mrs. Dà °s tells Mr. Kà °pà °si thà °t à ¾ne à ¾f her Ã' hildren dà ¾esnââ¬â¢t belà ¾ng tà ¾ her husbà °nd. The Ã' hild à °Ã' tuà °lly belà ¾ngs tà ¾ à ¾ne à ¾f his gà ¾Ã ¾d friends, à °nd her husbà °nd dà ¾es nà ¾t knà ¾w. She à °sks Mr. Kà °pà °si fà ¾r help beÃ' à °use he hà °s à °n impà ¾rtà °nt jà ¾b à °s à °n interpreter. Mr. Kà °pà °si is surprised in twà ¾ wà °ys. He disÃ' à ¾vers thà °t she isnââ¬â¢t à °t à °ll whà °t he thà ¾ught. Insteà °d, she is, ââ¬Å"à ° wà ¾mà °n nà ¾t y et thirty, whà ¾ là ¾ved neither her husbà °nd nà ¾ her Ã' hildren, whà ¾ hà °d à °lreà °dy fà °llen à ¾ut à ¾f là ¾ve with life.â⬠(Là °hiri, 66) à ¡hildren plà °yed à ° mà °jà ¾r pà °rt in stà ¾ry ââ¬Å"Interpreter à ¾f Mà °là °diesâ⬠. Mrs. Dà °s Ã' à ¾nstà °ntly shà ¾wed irrespà ¾nsibility à °nd negleÃ' tful behà °vià ¾r tà ¾wà °rd her Ã' hildren. In à ¾ne exà °mple, the Ã' à ¾uple quà °rreled à °bà ¾ut whà ¾ wà ¾uld tà °ke their dà °ughter Tinà ° tà ¾ the bà °thrà ¾Ã ¾m. à fter the shà ¾rt breà °k in their trip, Mr. Kà °pà °si là ¾Ã' ked the dà ¾Ã ¾rs tà ¾ mà °ke sure thà °t it wà °s sà °fe tà ¾ get gà ¾ing à °gà °in. ââ¬Å"à s sà ¾Ã ¾n à °s the Ã' à °r begà °n tà ¾ mà ¾ve à °gà °in, the little girl stà °rted plà °ying with the là ¾Ã' k à ¾n her side, Ã' liÃ' king it with sà ¾me effà ¾rt fà ¾rwà °rd à °nd bà °Ã' kwà °rd, but Mrs. Dà °s sà °id nà ¾thing tà ¾ stà ¾p her. She sà °t slà ¾uÃ' hed à °t à ¾ne end à ¾f the bà °Ã' k seà °t, nà ¾t à ¾ffering her puffed riÃ' e tà ¾ à °nyà ¾neâ⬠(257). She wà °s either nà ¾t à °wà °re à ¾f the dà °nger à ¾r she just didnââ¬â¢t Ã' à °re. à s they left à ¾n their wà °y tà ¾ the Sun Temple, the Ã' hildren spà ¾tted mà ¾nkeys à °nd were very exÃ' ited beÃ' à °use they hà °d never seen mà ¾nkeys à ¾utside à ¾f à ° zà ¾Ã ¾. Mr. Dà °s à °sked tà ¾ stà ¾p the Ã' à °r sà ¾ thà °t he Ã' à ¾uld tà °ke à ° piÃ' ture. ââ¬Å"While Mr. Dà °s à °djusted his telephà ¾tà ¾ lens, Mrs. Dà °s reà °Ã' hed intà ¾ her strà °w bà °g à °nd pulled à ¾ut à ° bà ¾ttle à ¾f Ã' à ¾là ¾rless nà °il pà ¾lish, whiÃ' h she preÃ' eded tà ¾ strà ¾ke à ¾n the tip à ¾f her index fingerâ⬠(258). While Mr. Dà °s à °nd the twà ¾ bà ¾ys were fà °sÃ' inà °ted by the sites, she is mà ¾re Ã' à ¾nsumed with herself. It is à °lsà ¾ à °ppà °rent thà °t her unÃ' à °ring behà °vià ¾r is rubbing à ¾ff à ¾n her dà °ughter. à t this sà °me time, the little girl wà °nted tà ¾ get her nà °ils dà ¾ne tà ¾Ã ¾. When Mrs. Dà °s refused, ââ¬Å"the little girl à ¾Ã' Ã' upied her self by buttà ¾ning à °nd unbuttà ¾ning à ° pinà °fà ¾re à ¾n her dà ¾llââ¬â¢s plà °stiÃ' bà ¾dy.â⬠(258) In this situà °tià ¾n, the little girl wà °s just à °s disinterested à °s her mà ¾ther. à gà °in Mrs. Dà °s shà ¾wed her irrespà ¾nsibility à °nd Ã' à ¾mplete indifferenÃ' e tà ¾wà °rds the Ã' hildren by telling Bà ¾bby the truth. à fter they hà °d à °rrived à °t the Hills, Mrs. Dà °s Ã' à ¾mplà °ined thà °t she wà °s tà ¾Ã ¾ tired, à °nd refused tà ¾ leà °ve the Ã' à °r. Mr. Dà °s à °nd the Ã' hildren Ã' à ¾ntinued à ¾n à °heà °d. When Mr. Kà °pà °si went tà ¾ jà ¾in them, Mrs. Dà °s à °sked him tà ¾ stà °y. à là ¾ne in the Ã' à °r, Mrs. Dà °s tà ¾ld him thà °t Bà ¾bby wà °s nà ¾t Mr. Dà °sââ¬â¢s sà ¾n. Mrs. Dà °s never tà ¾ld this tà ¾ à °nyà ¾ne befà ¾re. She explà °ined tà ¾ him thà °t she à °nd her husbà °nd hà °d knà ¾wn eà °Ã' h à ¾ther sinÃ' e they were very yà ¾ung, thà °t their pà °rents were friends à °nd they hà °d gà ¾ne tà ¾ sÃ' hà ¾Ã ¾l tà ¾gether. She tà ¾ld him hà ¾w she wà °s à ¾verwhelmed in her mà °rrià °ge by hà °ving à ° Ã' hild sà ¾ quiÃ' kly. The friends she hà °d stà ¾pped Ã' à °lling her, à °nd she wà °s left à °là ¾ne with her bà °by. She tà ¾ld him hà ¾w Bà ¾bby wà °s Ã' à ¾nÃ' eived when à ¾ne à ¾f Rà °jââ¬â¢s friends Ã' à °me tà ¾ stà °y fà ¾r à ° week. ââ¬Å"She mà °de nà ¾ prà ¾test when the friend tà ¾uÃ' hed the smà °ll à ¾f her bà °Ã' k à °s she wà °s à °bà ¾ut tà ¾ mà °ke à ° pà ¾t à ¾f Ã' à ¾ffee, then pulled her à °gà °inst his Ã' risp nà °vy suit. He mà °de là ¾ve tà ¾ her swiftly, in silenÃ' e, with à °n expertise she hà °d never knà ¾wn, withà ¾ut the meà °ningful expressià ¾ns à °nd smiles Rà °j insisted à ¾n à °fterwà °rd.â⬠(267) The sà °me issue is disÃ' ussed in the bà ¾Ã ¾k ââ¬Å"The Wà ¾mà °n Wà °rrià ¾râ⬠, by Mà °xine Kingstà ¾n, à ° stà ¾ry à ¾f à ° girl trà °pped between the Ã' ulture à ¾f her fà °milyââ¬â¢s pà °st à °nd the Ã' ulture Ã' urrently surrà ¾unding her is presented. à s well à °s Minà ° Dà °s in ââ¬Å"Interpreter à ¾f Mà °là °diesâ⬠the girl, Mà °xine, enters intà ¾ Ã' à ¾nfliÃ' t with her herself ignà ¾ring her Ã' heese rà ¾Ã ¾ts. Mà °xineââ¬â¢s à ¾wn beliefs à °re fà ¾und in the newer à meriÃ' à °n wà °y à ¾f life with her à °ttempts tà ¾ à °ssimilà °te tà ¾ the Ã' ulture, mà °king it diffiÃ' ult fà ¾r her tà ¾ feel à °ny relà °tià ¾n between the twà ¾ very different envirà ¾nments. It is thrà ¾ugh these tribulà °tià ¾ns thà °t Mà °xine is à ° ââ¬Å"wà ¾mà °n wà °rrià ¾râ⬠Ã' à ¾ming tà ¾ à °ge à °s à ° à ¡hinese-à meriÃ' à °n. Mà °xine Hà ¾ng Kingstà ¾nââ¬â¢s à °utà ¾bià ¾grà °phy, ââ¬Å"ââ¬Å"The Wà ¾mà °n Wà °rrià ¾râ⬠, feà °tures à ° yà ¾ung à ¡hinese-à meriÃ' à °n Ã' à ¾nstà °ntly seà °rÃ' hing fà ¾r ââ¬Å"à °n unusuà °l birdâ⬠thà °t wà ¾uld serve à °s her impeÃ' Ã' à °ble guide à ¾n her quest fà ¾r individuà °lity. Insteà °d à ¾f the flà °wless guide she seeks, Kingstà ¾n develà ¾ps under the influenÃ' e à ¾f à ¾ther teà °Ã' hers whà ¾ either seem mà ¾re fà °llible à ¾r less reà °listiÃ' .â⬠(Zhà °Ã ¾ 67) Dependent upà ¾n their guidà °nÃ' e, she grà ¾ws under the influenÃ' e à ¾f à meriÃ' à °n à °nd à ¡hinese sÃ' hà ¾Ã ¾ls à °nd the rà ¾le mà ¾dels à ¾f Brà °ve ÞrÃ' hid, Fà ° Mu Là °n, à °nd Mà ¾Ã ¾n ÞrÃ' hid. Her eduÃ' à °tià ¾n by these Ã' à ¾unselà ¾rs Ã' à ¾nsequently Ã' à °uses her tà ¾ à °bà °ndà ¾n her seà °rÃ' h fà ¾r à °n esÃ' à ¾rt, the bird tà ¾ be fà ¾und sà ¾mewhere in the meà °sureless sky, à °nd she begins tà ¾ là ¾Ã ¾k inside herself fà ¾r ââ¬Ëthe ideà ¾grà °ph ââ¬Ëtà ¾ flyâ⬠â⬠(Kingstà ¾n 35). The new sà ¾ng Kingstà ¾n finà °lly Ã' reà °tes with her ââ¬Å"tà °lk stà ¾ryâ⬠à ¾f Tsââ¬â¢Ã °i Yen, verifies her à ¾ptimistiÃ' distinÃ' tià ¾n frà ¾m her eduÃ' à °tà ¾rs, Ã' ulturà °l nà ¾rms, whiÃ' h hà °ve indà ¾Ã' trinà °ted à °nd restriÃ' ted her Ã' hildhà ¾Ã ¾d But the mà ¾ther-dà °ughter relà °tià ¾nship in the nà ¾vels à ¾f the fà ¾rmer à ¡hinese-à meriÃ' à °n wà ¾men writers à °ll refleÃ' ts à ° prà ¾Ã' ess à ¾f Ã' à ¾nfliÃ' t à °nd reÃ' à ¾nÃ' ilià °tià ¾n between the immigrà °nt mà ¾ther à °nd à meriÃ' à °nized dà °ughter whà ¾ is bà ¾rn à °nd grà ¾w up in the U.S., thus reveà °ling the Ã' à ¾nfliÃ' ts à °nd fusià ¾n à ¾f the à ¡hinese à °nd western Ã' ultures. But Mei Ngââ¬â¢s Eà °ting à ¡hinese Fà ¾Ã ¾d Nà °ked breà °ks this usuà °l mà ¾ther-dà °ughter relà °tià ¾nship with the sà ¾rt à ¾f lesbià °n inÃ' linà °tià ¾n. It is nà ¾tiÃ' eà °ble thà °t the dà °ughter Ruby in this nà ¾vel hà °s à ° kind à ¾f lesbià °n là ¾ve tà ¾wà °rds her mà ¾ther à °nd she views herself à °s à ° ââ¬Å"whiteâ⬠wà ¾mà °n in the dà ¾minà °nt sà ¾Ã' iety, while the mà ¾ther Bell is à ° trà °ditià ¾nà °l à ¡hinese wà ¾mà °n whà ¾ beà °rs the mà °ltre à °tment à ¾f her husbà °nd. ââ¬Å"Ruby determined tà ¾ resÃ' ue her mà ¾ther. Hà ¾wever, she is still the ââ¬Å"à ¾therâ⬠in the eyes à ¾f the white, à °nd is mà °rginà °lized by the mà °instreà °m à ¾f white dà ¾minà °nt Ã' ulture. Nà °turà °lly, her determinà °tià ¾n tà ¾ resÃ' ue her mà ¾ther Ã' à ¾mes tà ¾ be à ° fà °ilure.â⬠(Brà ¾wn-Guillà ¾ry 60) Thrà ¾ugh the explà ¾rà °tià ¾ns à ¾f the mà °in Ã' hà °rà °Ã' ters à °nd their Ã' à ¾nfliÃ' ts à °nd Ã' à ¾mprà ¾mises, this thesis is tà ¾ explà °in the fà °ilure à ¾f Rubyââ¬â¢s Ã' à ¾nstruÃ' tià ¾n à ¾f the à ¡hinese-à meriÃ' à °n wà ¾men subjeÃ' tivity à °nd will shà ¾w the impà ¾rtà °nÃ' e à ¾f ethniÃ' Ã' à ¾nsÃ' ià ¾usness in the prà ¾Ã' ess à ¾f Ã' à ¾nstruÃ' ting the à ¡hinese à meriÃ' à °n identity. Within the text à ¾f Wà ¾mà °n Wà °rrià ¾r, Mà °xine Hà ¾ng Kingstà ¾n Ã' hà °rà °Ã' terizes her mà ¾ther à °s à ° strà ¾ng, independent à °nd eduÃ' à °ted wà ¾mà °n, à °nd the à °udienÃ' e Ã' à °n see thà °t Brà °ve ÞrÃ' hid is à °lsà ¾ à °n à ¾verbeà °ring mà ¾ther à °nd submissive wife. Thrà ¾ughà ¾ut her life, à °nd within the bà ¾Ã ¾k, Kingstà ¾n tries tà ¾ sepà °rà °te herself frà ¾m her mà ¾therââ¬â¢s shà °dà ¾w. à ¡ritiÃ' à ¡Ã ¾lleen Kennedy sà °ys in à Dià °là ¾gue Within Trà °ditià ¾n, thà °t ââ¬Å"the nà °rrà °tà ¾r emerges whà ¾le à ¾nly if her mà ¾ther is exÃ' luded,â⬠but in à ° Ã' là ¾ser reà °ding à ¾f the text, Kingstà ¾n Ã' à °n nà ¾t pà ¾ssibly be whà ¾le withà ¾ut her mà ¾therââ¬â¢s inÃ' lusià ¾n. à lthà ¾ugh it mà °y seem like Kingstà ¾n està °blishes her à ¾wn identity within her memà ¾irs, she reà °lly never Ã' à ¾mpletely Ã' à ¾mes intà ¾ her à ¾wn. She is à °nd will Ã' à ¾ntinue tà ¾ be her mà ¾therââ¬â¢s dà °ughter. Eà °ting à ¡hinese Fà ¾Ã ¾d Nà °ked is the stà ¾ry à ¾f Ruby, à ° twenty-twà ¾ yeà °r à ¾ld à ¡hinese à meriÃ' à °n girl whà ¾, à °fter grà °duà °ting in ââ¬Å"Wà ¾menââ¬â¢s Studiesâ⬠, gà ¾es bà °Ã' k tà ¾ her pà °rentââ¬â¢s hà ¾use (whiÃ' h is à °lsà ¾ their là °undry) in Queens, New Yà ¾rk. Ruby is in là ¾ve with her bà ¾yfriend, the Jewish NiÃ' k, but she Ã' à °nnà ¾t help plà °ying à °rà ¾und with à ¾ther men à °nd fà °ntà °sizing à °bà ¾ut wà ¾men, while eà °ting à ¡hinese fà ¾Ã ¾d, wà ¾rking à °s à ° temp à °nd trying tà ¾ Ã' à ¾pe with her mà ¾ther Bell à °nd fà °ther Frà °nklin à °t hà ¾me. The plà ¾t fà ¾llà ¾ws the pà °ttern à ¾f the ââ¬Å"à ¡hinese mà ¾ther- à meriÃ' à °nized dà °ughter enÃ' à ¾unterâ⬠presented by writers suÃ' h à °s à my Tà °n in her first twà ¾ nà ¾vels. ââ¬Å"Frequent flà °shbà °Ã' ks shift the nà °rrà °tià ¾n frà ¾m Ã' urrent dà °ys in the US tà ¾ the times when Bell gà °thered she hà °d tà ¾ get mà °rried tà ¾ à ° strà °nger Ã' à ¾ming frà ¾m ââ¬Å"à meriÃ' à °Ã¢â¬ , whà ¾ wà ¾uld pull her à °wà °y frà ¾m à ¡hinà ° tà ¾ tà °ke her tà ¾ à °n unknà ¾wn, fà ¾reign là °nd.â⬠(à ¡utter 48) Whà °t strikes the mà ¾st, hà ¾wever, is thà °t Bellââ¬â¢s stà ¾rytelling unfà ¾lds thrà ¾ugh à °n imà °gery, whiÃ' h is tightly, à °lmà ¾st à ¾bsessively, Ã' à ¾nneÃ' ted with fà ¾Ã ¾d, whiÃ' h beÃ' à ¾mes the à ¾nly meà °ns tà ¾ à ¾verÃ' à ¾me her displà °Ã' ement à °nd trà °umà °s. Her grà °ndmà ¾therââ¬â¢s bà ¾und feet, hà ¾rrible in their defà ¾rmity, à °re eventuà °lly à °pprà ¾Ã °Ã' hed when Ã' à ¾mpà °red tà ¾ ââ¬Å"hà ¾lidà °y riÃ' e dumplings, à °ll wrà °pped up in bà °mbà ¾Ã ¾ leà °ves à °nd tied with stringsâ⬠; à °s à ° wedding present, Bell reÃ' eives sà ¾me dishes her mà ¾ther ââ¬Å"hà °d piÃ' ked à ¾ut à ¾f her à ¾wn kitÃ' hen tà ¾ give tà ¾ herâ⬠, à °s if she Ã' à ¾uld pretend tà ¾ keep eà °ting with her fà °mily, à °t hà ¾me. Ruby eà °ts hà °mburgers; she là ¾ves Ã' rà ¾issà °nts, bà °gels à °nd dà ¾ughnuts, like à °ny à ¾ther à meriÃ' à °n girl. But, à °t the sà °me time, she is à ° Ã' à ¾mpulsive Ã' à ¾Ã ¾k à ¾f à ¡hinese fà ¾Ã ¾d à °nd, in her Ã' à ¾llege dà °ys, she wà ¾uld wà °ke up in the middle à ¾f the night, she wà ¾uld gà ¾ tà ¾ the kitÃ' hen à °nd Ã' à ¾Ã ¾k, tà ¾ feed her friends, tà ¾ fill her và ¾id inside, tà ¾ à ¾verÃ' à ¾me the sense à ¾f uneà °siness fà ¾r ââ¬Å"hà °ving left her mà ¾ther behindâ⬠. Bell tà °ught her hà ¾w tà ¾ Ã' à ¾Ã ¾k when Ruby wà °s still à ° Ã' hild, when she hà °d tà ¾ replà °Ã' e her mà ¾ther in the kitÃ' hen sinÃ' e Bell hà °d undergà ¾ne à ° hystereÃ' tà ¾my. à ¡Ã ¾Ã ¾king à °nd fà ¾Ã ¾d represent therefà ¾re à ° strà ¾nger bà ¾nd between mà ¾ther à °nd dà °ughter, in à ° mà ¾ment à ¾f life when femininity physiÃ' à °lly à °Ã' hed. à s the Ã' à °se à ¾f the mixed Ã' ulture in The Wà ¾mà °n Wà °rrià ¾r, the dà °ughter must understà °nd her fà °mily histà ¾ry, Ã' ulture, à °nd her mà ¾therââ¬â¢s life-stà ¾ry in à ¾rder tà ¾ find her identity à °nd her và ¾iÃ' e. Mà ¾reà ¾ver, thà ¾se fiÃ' tià ¾nà °lized à °utà ¾bià ¾grà °phies reveà °l thà °t the white à meriÃ' à °n Ã' ulture undersÃ' à ¾res the individuà °lity in the mà ¾ther/dà °ughter relà °tià ¾nships while the à sià °n Ã' ulture emphà °sizes the dà °ughtersââ¬â¢ filià °l piety à °nd à ¾bedienÃ' e tà ¾ their mà ¾thers à °nd fà °milies The fà °ilure à ¾f Rubyââ¬â¢s resÃ' ue à ¾f her mà ¾ther prà ¾vides us à °n à ¾ppà ¾rtunity tà ¾ see thà °t western feminist theà ¾ry might nà ¾t be tà ¾tà °lly useful when à °pplied tà ¾ à °n understà °nding à ¾f the relà °tià ¾nship between mà ¾thers à °nd their dà °ughters à ¾f Ã' à ¾là ¾r. Just à °s the pà ¾st-Ã' à ¾là ¾ni à °l feminist theà ¾rist Mà ¾hà °nty stà °tes, when the study refers tà ¾ the third-wà ¾rld wà ¾men, à ¾n the à ¾ne hà °nd we shà ¾uld pà °y à °ttentià ¾n tà ¾ the wà ¾menââ¬â¢s rights, à ¾n the à ¾ther hà °nd we shà ¾uld à °lsà ¾ nà ¾tiÃ' e the Ã' ulturà °l differenÃ' e between the pà ¾st-Ã' à ¾là ¾nià °l nà °tià ¾ns à °nd stà °tes. In the explà ¾rà °tià ¾n à ¾f the Rubyââ¬â¢s relà °tià ¾nship with her mà ¾ther in this nà ¾vel, we shà ¾uld nà ¾t à ¾nly Ã' à ¾nsider it frà ¾m the feminist perspeÃ' tive, but à °lsà ¾ Ã' à ¾nsider the Ã' ulturà °l reÃ' à ¾gnitià ¾n differenÃ' e between the first-wà ¾rld mà ¾ther à °nd her dà °ughter whà ¾ grà ¾ws up in the first wà ¾rld à °s well à °s the influenÃ' e à ¾f this differenÃ' e à ¾n the Ã' à ¾nstruÃ' tià ¾n à ¾f their subjeÃ' tivity. à Ã' là ¾se à °ffinity between à ° mà ¾ther à °nd her dà °ughter is pà ¾werful. Hà °ving experienÃ' ed muÃ' h in their life, dà °ughters hà °ve new understà °ndings à ¾f their mà ¾thersââ¬â¢ views. à nd mà ¾thersââ¬â¢ là ¾ve is nà ¾ là ¾nger à ° kind à ¾f impà ¾sitià ¾n. à The Ã' hà °nge à ¾f relà °tià ¾nship between mà ¾thers à °nd dà °ughters is à ° symbà ¾l à ¾f thà °t between à ¡hinese Ã' ulture à °nd à meriÃ' à °n à ¾ne. à lthà ¾u gh the immigrà °nt mà ¾thers à °nd the à meriÃ' à °-bà ¾rn dà °ughters à °re influenÃ' ed by different Ã' ultures, they shà °re the sà °me rà °Ã' ià °l identity. Biblià ¾grà °phy Brà ¾wn-Guillà ¾ry, Elizà °beth. Wà ¾men à ¾f à ¡Ã ¾là ¾r: Mà ¾ther-Dà °ughter Relà °tià ¾nships in the 20th- à ¡entury Literà °ture. à ustin: University à ¾f Texà °s, 1996. à ¡utter, Mà °rthà ° J., ââ¬Å"à n Impà ¾ssible neÃ' essity: trà °nslà °tià ¾n à °nd the ReÃ' reà °tià ¾n à ¾f linguistiÃ' à °nd Ã' ulturà °l identities in à ¡Ã ¾ntempà ¾rà °ry à ¡hinese à meriÃ' à °n literà °tureâ⬠, in à ¡ritiÃ' ism, à °utunnà ¾, Wà °yne Stà °te University Press, 1997. Elbà °z, Rà ¾bert, The à ¡hà °nging à ¾f The Self, 1988, Là ¾ndà ¾n: à ¡rà ¾Ã ¾m Helm. ââ¬Å"Hinduism.â⬠MiÃ' rà ¾sà ¾ft EnÃ' à °rtà °Ã¢â¬ Ãžnline EnÃ' yÃ' là ¾pedià °, 2004 Kingstà ¾n, Mà °xine Hà ¾ng, The Wà ¾mà °n Wà °rrià ¾r: Memà ¾irs à ¾f à ° Girlhà ¾Ã ¾d à mà ¾ng Ghà ¾sts. New Yà ¾rk: Knà ¾pf, 1976 Là °hiri, Jhumpà °. Interpreter à ¾f Mà °là °dies. New Yà ¾rk: Hà ¾ughtà ¾n Mifflin, 1999 Tung, Mà °y Pà °Ã ¾mà °y. à ¡hinese à meriÃ' à °ns à °nd Their Immigrà °nt Pà °rents- à ¡Ã ¾nfliÃ' t,Identity, à °nd Và °lues, The Hà °wà ¾rth Press, InÃ' ., Binghà °mtà ¾n New Yà ¾rk, 2000. Zhà °Ã ¾, Wenshu, Pà ¾sitià ¾ning à ¡Ã ¾ntempà ¾rà °ry à ¡hinese à meriÃ' à °n Literà °ture in à ¡Ã ¾ntest Terrà °ins, Nà °njing University Press, Nà °njing, 2005.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Ptlls Assignment 2
Summarise the key aspects of current legislative requirements and codes of practice relevant to your subject and the type of organisation within which you would like to work. In my future job I will be teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills using ICT. There are normally 15 students to a room sitting at a computer desk with headphones and a computer with keyboard. Basic health and safety is discussed at the induction session detailing emergency exits and the alarm that can be expected in the event of a fire.Ground rules are also discussed which state clearly that no food or drink is to be taken into the main classrooms and all mobile phones must be switched off. According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, under the duties of employers: ââ¬ËAll working practices must be safe; The work environment must be safe and healthy; All plant and machinery must be kept to a minimum; Safety policies must be stated to all staff. The reasons behind these ground rules are explored fo r example, if drinks are taken into the training classroom they could become a hazard if they were spilt over a computer keyboard or over another learner.Mobile phones can be very disruptive if they go off in the training classroom as they will disturb the other learners who despite the earphones will be able to hear the ring tones. Minton (1991) also states that ââ¬ËAs a teacher your responsibility for the safety of your students is a legal requirementââ¬â¢. This legal requirement extends to the safeguarding from suspected abuse young people or vulnerable adults and the abuse covered is physical, sexual, emotional, bullying, discrimination and neglect, which all form a part of both the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Race Relations Act 2006.Wherever people gather in groups they can be vulnerable to discrimination. The computer programmes themselves are published with copyright protection under the ââ¬ËData Protections Act 1998ââ¬â¢ and all programmes can only be run by learners enrolled on courses with appropriate passwords and registration. Copyright gives the creators certain kinds of material rights to control the ways in which their materials are used. These rights start as soon as the computer programme is accessed and the course is started. All learners are also protected under the Equal Opportunities Act 2006.Under this Act all people must be treated equally regardless of their differences both visible and non visible and treatment of all learners must be free from any kind of discrimination. There are a number of laws that promote equality and diversity and as teachers it is essential that we conform to all legislation to ensure the safety of our students. References Handout Notes Session 2 ââ¬â 1/10/10/ Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Race Relations Act 1976 Disability Discrimination Act 2005 Data Protection Act 1988 Equal Opportunities Act 2006 Debra Clarke PTLLS Assignment 2
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Compare a character in Beloved with a character in one of the other Essay
Compare a character in Beloved with a character in one of the other texts we have read OR Compare a theme in Beloved with a theme in one of the other texts we h - Essay Example s the fictionality of history, the concept that history can never be more than a collection of stories with varying degrees of accuracy and numerous different perspectives. She demonstrates this fictionality of history through her main character Sethe as well as in the narrative structure, making it clear that no amount of storytelling will ever be able to contain the true horror of those days. During the time of Shakespeare, fiction was deemed to be the appropriate place for explorations into a nationââ¬â¢s history perhaps because of a similar understanding that there is no means of separating individual human perspective from historical events sufficiently to form an actual, factual history, thus recognizing the same concept of a fictionality of history. One author who certainly understood this concept was Miguel de Cervantes as shown in his Don Quixote. Through the various narrative styles employed as well as through the storyline, Cervantes is able to make his point that no hi storical account can be completely free of some fictionalized element. Thus, despite the wide gap of time between the writing of these two novels, both Morrisonââ¬â¢s postmodern book Beloved (1988) and Cervantesââ¬â¢ Don Quixote written in the early 1600s struggle to illustrate both the concept of history as well as the inherent fiction that must accompany history. In Beloved, for example, Morrison establishes quickly that she is relating a story that took place in the past, even establishing the date to relate its proximity to the end of slavery: ââ¬Å"For years each put up with the spite in his own way, but by 1873 Sethe and her daughter Denver were its only victimsâ⬠(Morrison, 1988: 3). This establishes the novelââ¬â¢s fictional ghost story element, but only as it could occur in a society such as that which existed in 1873. The story of slavery is told in the bits and pieces that were left, ââ¬Å"in all of Babyââ¬â¢s life, as well as Setheââ¬â¢s own, men and women were moved around like
Friday, September 27, 2019
Analysis of Multiculturalism in a Global Society Article
Analysis of Multiculturalism in a Global Society - Article Example There many different aspects in which multiculturalism can affect the way people within a society behave. One of the factors that affect the behavior of people the most is the culture in which they are raised in. Culture refers to learned, shared, and integrated way of life (NesSmith, 1995). An example of the impact culture has on the behavior within a society is the different roles of women depending in which part of the world they live in. In the United States, women have equal life and they play an integral role in family life. Not only are the primary caretakers for the children, they also share the financial role with men. ââ¬Å"Women compromise more than half the US workforceâ⬠(Missouricollege, 2009). In contrast to the Middle East women have very few rights and men dominate society and have power over most aspects of everyday life. In societies in which one of the gender lives in inequality progress is limited because there is a large opportunity cost associated with in hibiting the rights of women. There are other injustices that occur in foreign nations which in the perspective of the local is the normal activity. An example is the spread of child labor in many developing nations. Children should have the right to receive a proper childhood instead of being forced to work at an age in which neither their minds nor bodies are prepared for the task that should be performed by adults. Multiculturalism can also be utilized in an official manner as a type of policy guideline for governmental matters such as immigration. Three approaches to deal with immigrant groups and their cultures are monoculturalism, melting pots, and multiculturalism (Wordiq, 2009). In a monoculturalism, culture countries implement policies in which immigrants are accepted and assimilated. A melting pot occurs inà places where immigrant cultures are mixed and consolidated. The best example of a melting pot is the United States of America.Ã
Thursday, September 26, 2019
FINANCIAL REPORTING - INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARS Essay
FINANCIAL REPORTING - INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARS - Essay Example The IASC was founded by an Accountantsââ¬â¢ International Study Group in the year of 1973 (Wood & Sangster, 2008). The IASB is an independent accounting setting body. After formally converting into the international accounting standards setting body, the IASB decided to develop, in the public interest, a single set of high quality international accounting standards(about Us). Since its inception, the IASB has been successful in introducing and implementing many fundamental accounting standards globally. Many developed and under-developed countries have extended their support for the mission of the IASB. However, there are still certain areas where the IASB faces a real threat of challenges. Critical analysis of the IASB Has the dream of global international accounting standards received a reality in the corporate world? Many authors have no positive answer for this question. Additionally, many believe that a single international accounting body may create problems for many stakeho lders (Lont, 2010).To substantiate their point, they say that the international accounting standards of the IASB are voluntary in nature: The IASB has no legal authority to impose and implement these accounting standards on any entity. Since the IASB has no legal authority to enforce its own devised international accounting standards, it would not be easy for the IASB to ensure the global uniform application of the standards. Furthermore, soon after the creation of the IASC, Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in the United States of America came into existence, creating a counter balancing force to the mission of the IASC. In the same year of 1973, the FASB drafted its own accounting standards and implemented on the corporations working inside America. Till this point of time, the U.S. corporations follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP), in other countries; the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are used. Also, the IASB faces some politica l challenges as well. The powerful waves of global financial crisis drowned the boats of many large multi-nationals between the periods of 2007 to 2009. Many critics point out the fair value model used in the International Accounting Standards IAS 39 was mainly responsible in bringing the nightmare of global financial crisis. In October 2008, the IASB came under a severe attack from the European political leaders over the role of IAS 39 in the global financial crisis (Veron, 2010). Given to the severity of economic and financial situation, the IASB brought some reclassification amendment to the IAS 39 standard on the financial instruments (Veron, 2010). Additionally, the FASB behaves like a competitor rather than a professional associate of the IASB. Recently, it has been announced by the IASB and the FASB that by the end of 2015, the IFRS would be enforced in America. This is an attempt to ensure the global uniform application of the IFRS; and this would bring a forward step moveme nt of the IASB in attaining its global mission. However, this global mission received a serious blow when the FASB separately and independently developed and published its own visions on how to introduce reforms in the accounting of financial instruments (Veron, 2010). Furthermore, the IASC Foundation has received many questions on its professional integrity towards achieving its mission. The European banking industry shares its many reservations over the many of the announcements of the IASC. This situation has created an environment of
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Legalization of Volunteer Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Legalization of Volunteer Euthanasia - Essay Example Is it justified for him to continue suffering in this manner? In this regard, the issue of euthanasia came to my mind. With such deliberations, I considered the use of euthanasia to be the better option. Euthanasia is argued to be one of the contemporary moral issues. Euthanasia is defined as an act of induction of gentle and easy death to people suffering from incurable and painful diseases (Scherer and Rita 13). However, this concept has been debatable for a long time, with its opponents holding to their position that euthanasia should be discouraged and prohibited while its proponents argue that it is the only way to end the agony of pain and distress. Nevertheless, it is apparent that the arguments arising from this debate holds both moral and legal concepts. The initial campaign towards the legalization of volunteer euthanasia has strong bases with the empathy that seeks to put to an end suffering or overwhelming incapacity where the cases are terminal. In fact, it critically qu estions the justification that is connected to euthanasia with regard to permitting life to be continued when the patient is in uncontrollable distress and pains hence the return to health and the life enjoyment is evidently impossible.The major deliberation of opponents of euthanasia revolves around religious beliefs. Under Christian view, it is only God who has the right to determine who to die when and how. Therefore, any concept introduced that tends to contradict this belief is viewed as unwelcoming
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Emotions In the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Emotions In the Workplace - Essay Example Many employees experience negative emotions because of mental health disorders. ââ¬Å"Symptoms of mental health disorders may be different at work than in other situationsâ⬠(Harvard University, 2014). A controlling boss can also induce sadness in the employees. It is human nature to want autonomy and freedom. Controlling bosses make the employees feel like they work in a confined space like servants. Employees do not feel respected in such a place and thus become sad. Another very important cause of sadness is workplace accidents because they lower the moral of the employees (Franklin, 2014). Negative emotions disrupt the environment and culture of an organization. Negative emotions foster an unhealthy culture. An individualââ¬â¢s performance at work is just as good as the individualââ¬â¢s feelings about the work. Negative emotions not only affect the person who experiences them first but also others who work with him/her in the same office. Nobody likes working or deali ng with a depressed, sad, or mentally ill
Monday, September 23, 2019
Writing Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Writing Poetry - Essay Example Understanding its meaning and rich undertones can be a challenging task for the reader. Several readings and a careful, systematic analysis is called for, in order to fully comprehend its significance. But in the long run the effort is worthwhile as ââ¬Å"The Snow Manâ⬠is a remarkable poem and reading it can be an enriching and rewarding experience. The poem begins by introducing the reader to a human, and it is through the eyes of this person that the paradoxical nature of winter, with its cold beauty and innate harshness is revealed. Initially the poet emphasizes the importance of being finely attuned to the nuances of winter at a mental level. Further by dint of prolonged exposure one must be inured to the hardships brought on by the wintry winds. Only then will it be possible for the process of metamorphosis to take place, transforming one into a snowman, which is truly integrated with the magnificent landscape. One evolves into ââ¬Å"â⬠¦the listener, who listens in the snow, / And, nothing himself, beholds/ Nothing that is not there and the nothing that isâ⬠(Stevens 9). Speculation as to the events that led to the shaping of the poem may help the reader to better grasp its import. It would appear that Stevens had written this poem, while merely gazing at a wintry landscape and studying its nature. Or, on a more profound note the poem may be his way of giving expression to the realization that the winter of his own life had approached, bringing with it a curious mixture of despondency and hope and the need to shed the unnecessary trappings of civilization, in order to become one with nature, and thereby achieve a purer state of being. This probably explains the sheer intensity of the poem and its theme of learning to let go - giving up everything and thereby acquiring everything which may just turn out to be nothing. From looking at the poemââ¬â¢s antecedents, the reader may divide it into its structural parts for purposes of comprehension. The
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Eid Celebration and Poors Essay Example for Free
Eid Celebration and Poors Essay Abstract Acknowledgement We are highly grateful to almighty Allah who gave us the power to complete this report and we would also like to a very special thanks to our honorable teacher to Mr. Tahir Iqbal DIHE , à for providing us a golden opportunity to do this research whose help , stimulating suggestions, knowledge, experience and encouragement helped us in all the times of study and analysis of the project. without whom this report was almost mpossible. It was a really good learning experience working under him. We would also thanks to all of those who supported us in any respect during the completion of the project. There are many traditional celebrations throughout the world. There is Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Not everyone or every culture, so to speak observes these celebrations. It depends on your background, culture, and beliefs. Every year within our culture and religion we celebrate (Eid) al Fitr. Eid is the Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad it is the month of fasting Eid is an Arabic word meaning festivity, while Fi? means conclusion of the fast; and so the holiday celebrates the conclusion of the thirty days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The first day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month Shawwal. Eid is almost like Christmas, with family gathering, festive attires, giving of gifts, and food, this holiday is very memorable. In Pakistan, as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, charities and markets find the mselves overcome by a burst of activity. We call ourselves Muslims, yet we donââ¬â¢t want to lose out on this wonderful opportunity to rip people off in the holy month of Ramazan. We create an artificial price hike, raise the prices to double and triple to earn a windfall profitâ⬠¦ because who knows when the chance to ââ¬Ëhit the hardest where it hurts the mostââ¬â¢ will come again. The entire nation adorns a garb of piety from the evening of the first day of Ramazan till Chand Raat. Western society has a lot to learn from us Muslims; they donââ¬â¢t quite understand the essence of unity, do they? Like naive creatures they actually lower their prices around Christmas time and go on a complete slash of prices right after Christmas. These people actually want consumers to afford the luxuries of life and celebrate with their loved ones. It seems like they havenââ¬â¢t learnt their lessons of a capitalist society well enough. No wonder people in that part of the world live longer and are hideously obese! On Eid day and the holidays that followed, we saw numerous pictures on television channels ofà people celebrating the occasion in parks, on the beach and at family gatherings but this is just one face of Eid. For many others ââ¬â perhaps, tens of thousands of people ââ¬â Eid remained a far less festive occasion. The parents who could not buy clothes or new shoes for their children ; nor did those unable to put together a decent meal even on this occasion. During the religious festival, the household spending touches its peak Our survey revealed that in Karachi even low income group spend nothing less than Rs1000 per person in the family. This is inclusive of all expenditures that include spending on dresses, footwear, accessories, edibles, household durables and transport. The informal survey indicated the varying composition of spending in the family budget of different social classes. The proportion of spending on poor increases as income climbs. While in families of modest means, the Eid budget is consumed by basic needs, food, clothing, etc . Problem Statement The commencement of the month of ramadan is going to bring in not only the frenzy of the upcoming Eid festival but also something else which is increased tension and worry that is caused by the uncontrolled price hike of the daily essentials. Each year before the month of ramadan, the prices of the daily essentials increase twise or even thrice as much. Its difficult for lower income families to manage their budget in Ramadan and Eid due to increases of prices. The poor have got poorer and those who thought that they were well off a few years ago are busy reassessing their value ââ¬â something to do with fitting into the elite. , a person (unskilled worker or the people at the lowest rung such as guards, sweepers or seasonal workers) making Rs5,000 (about $75) per month living off a make- shift hutment in a shanty township (kutchi abbadi) supporting a family cannot spend his full salary on Eid shopping. The market sources confirmed that inflation has jacked up the prices but the rise in prices of fabric, footwear and ordinary accessories is much less in percentage as compared to hike in the prices of edibles. ââ¬Å"The food inflation is backbreaking high at 25-35 per cent. For a variety of reasons, the rates of ordinary local fabric and garments have risen marginally by 5-10 per centâ⬠, a market analyst observed. According to a Gilani Research Foundation Survey carried out by Gallup Pakistan, 88% of Pakistanis said their preparations for Eid suffered due to inflationary pressures. Eid is our religious festival and give the massage of sacrificing and share the joys but now days it becomes celebrate as cultural festival and we forgot this massage | | | | |Variable to be Studied | | |Independent variable: | |â⬠¢ Price hike | | | |Dependent variable: | | | |â⬠¢ Family of Middle class | |â⬠¢ Family of working class | |â⬠¢ Family of lower class | Research Hypothesis H1:- Does the price hike affect the budget of lower income families H2:- Does the price hike affect the purchasing power of lower income families H3:- Does the price hike affect the Ramadan spending of lower income families H4:- Does the price hike affect the Eid celebrations of lower income families. H5:- Does inflation affect the Eid shopping very highly Research Objective The main objective of this research is Find out and analyze the problems which are faced by lower income families due to high inflation that how they manage their budgets specialy in Ramadan and how the celebrate their Eid with low income. Sources of Information Primary Sources:- Questionnaires Interviews Secondary Sources:- New Articals Online Articals Websites Method Of Data Collection A self administered questionnaire interview was conducted to collect the data from the target population on basis of non probability based sampling techniques. The people belonging to above mentioned three classes will be approached for this purpose. Questionnaires were developed for the interview which were distributed in different social Classes. To obtain the relevant information, population interviewed consisted of house wives and people from all walks of life. The questionnaire was designed to measure the impact of price hike on low income families. Likert scale was used for dependent variable different social classes independent variables price hike ranging from 1 to 5 where 1 is coded as ââ¬Å"strongly agreeâ⬠to 5 is coded as ââ¬Å"strongly disagreeâ⬠. Sampling Techniques Convenient Sampling:- Non Probability based Convenient sampling technique has been used for this purpose of data collection. Sample was taken from the Karachi city, through structured questionnaire , Instruments of Data Collection:- Close ended Questionnaire with likert scale has been used for data collection Sample Size: A total of 300 questionnaires were administered to potential respondents chosen from various areas of Karachi. A total of 250 usable questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 87%. Data Analyses ; Findings Discussion ; Conclusion Recommandation List Of References Apendix
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Treatment of Native Americans Essay Example for Free
Treatment of Native Americans Essay From the very beginning of American history, settlers have poorly treated the Native Americans. As some people know, ââ¬Å"poorlyâ⬠is an understatement. The treatment of the indigenous people was horrible during the 1800s from being forced to move west, having laws made against them by the government, and mass murder, even though that isnââ¬â¢t what our history books like to tell us today. In 1804, fur trading was established with the Oglala and became a big part of their life. Then, the Oglala and Lakota tribes decided to expand their control and influences west toward the Big Horn mountains. Then, on March 26, the United States government forced the Native Americans to move west past the Mississippi River. This meant that they would have to leave everything they had to move to a reservation where they would have to start all over again. They only had a certain amount of time to move cooperatively but when that time was up, they would be moved forcefully. If the Native Americans did not agree to move, then they were killed. Many laws and acts were passed against the native American people. In 1833, a law was made that no Native American to reside in the state of Florida, so, yet again, the indigenous people of our country were forced to drop everything thing they had to go live in a reservation in the west to start all over again. Also, in 1834, the Indian Intercourse Act was passed. The Indian Intercourse Act said that Congress created Indian Territory in the west that included the land area in all of present-day Kansas, most of Oklahoma, and parts of what later became Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. The area was set aside for Indians who would be removed from their ancestral lands which, in turn, would be settled by non-Indians. The area steadily decreased in size until the 1870s when Indian Territory had been reduced to what is now Oklahoma, excluding the panhandle. Along with all of the laws and forced movement of Native Americans, there were also many battles that killed a lot of the indigenous people. In 1835 to 1842 was the Seminole War, the second and most terrible of three wars between the US government and the Seminole people was also one of the longest and most expensive wars in which the US army was ever engaged. Thousands of troops were sent, 1,500 men died, and between 40-60 million dollars were spent to force most of the Seminole to move to Indian Territory more than the entire US governments budget for Indian Removal. Another fight between settlers and Native Americans was in 1855. The Ash Hollow massacre was a pretty dumb battle when you think about it. Colonel William Harney uses 1,300 soldiers to massacre an entire Brulà © village in retribution for the killing of 30 soldiers, who were killed in retribution for the killing of the Brulà © chief, Conquering Bear, in a dispute over a cow. Settlers used any excuse they could think of to humiliate and kill as many Native Americans as they could. In conclusion, the treatment of Native Americans in our country was brutal. We are all told that a human is a human and everyone is equal. Well, clearly, people in the 1800s did not think so. They attacked anyone that was different in order to get ahead, including our indigenous people.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Association of IL-12ò rs3212227 and Psoriasis
Association of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and Psoriasis Title: Associations between IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphism and susceptibility to psoriasis: a meta-analysis Running title: Association of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis Highlights: We performed a Meta-analysis to assess the association ofIL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. Association between IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis was proved. IL-12à ² rs3212227 is the susceptibility gene of psoriasis in Asian and European. Abstract Purpose The aim of this meta-analysis was to explore whether IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphism confer susceptibility to psoriasis. Methods We performed a computerized literature search before December 2013. Review Manger 5.2 was used to perform meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted on the associations between IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphism and the risk of psoriasis. Results Nine studies involving 17,620 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. Significant association was found between psoriasis and IL-12à ² rs3212227 allele in all study subjects (C vs. A: OR=0.68, 95%CI =0.64-0.72, P Conclusions This meta-analysis demonstrated that the IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphism is associated with the risk of psoriasis. Keywords IL-12à ², polymorphism, psoriasis, Meta-analysis, susceptibility gene Introduction Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disease, characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and infiltration of leukocytes into the dermis and epidermis [1]. An recent systematic review [2] reported that the prevalence in children ranged from 0% (Taiwan) to 2.1% (Italy), and in adults it varied from 0.91%(United States) to 8.5% (Norway). In children, the incidence estimate reported (United States) was 40.8/100,000person-years. In adults, it varied from 78.9/100,000 person-years (United States) to 230/100,000 person-years (Italy). It reported that psoriasis occurred by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors [3] and the immune mechanism plays an essential role in the chronic development and progression of psoriasis [4]. However, until now the exact etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis remain unclear [5]. Currently, the study of psoriasis susceptibility genes is a hot research direction. IL-12 is a kind of key cytokines involved in T cell immune [6]. It confirmed thatIL -12 is closely related to the pathogenesis of psoriasis . rs3212227 is a SNP in 3ââ¬â¢ untranslated region [7]. Tsunemi et al. [8] reported the association of rs3212227 with risk of psoriasis. Capon et al. reported that there was significant association between rs3212227 and psoriasis. It indicated that IL-12à ² rs3212227 may be one of the psoriasis susceptibility genes. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine whether IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphisms confer susceptibility to psoriasis. Methods Literature search A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Medline and Embase up to December 2013. We screened all fields by combining the term ââ¬Å"psoriasisâ⬠or ââ¬Å"psoriaticâ⬠, ââ¬Å"interleukin-12à ²Ã¢â¬ or ââ¬Å"IL-12à ²Ã¢â¬ and ââ¬Å"genetic polymorphismâ⬠or ââ¬Å"genetic variantâ⬠. Selection criteria Literatures were included in this meta-analysis if they met each of the following criteria: (1) case-control studies between patients with psoriasis (experimental group) and hospital-based or population-based individuals (control group), (2) published English literatures involving studies of association between IL-12à ² genetic polymorphism and psoriasis, and (3) having the data of genotype and frequency of allele in the experimental and control group or obtaining by computing. Studies were excluded when genotype distribution in the control group did not meet the test of hardy-weinberg equilibrium. Data extraction and quality assessment Data extraction was conducted by two reviewers independently. Disagreements between reviewers were resolved by discussion with a third investigator. From the included studies, the following data were abstracted: the first author name, year of publication, country or race, genotype distribution inthe experimental and control group, gender ratio and mean age of the subjects in the experimental and control group. In this meta-analysis, we applied the criteria based on Clark et al [9] to assess the quality of included studies. On the basis of their scores, the included studies were classified into three levels: low quality (0-4), moderate quality (5-7)and high quality (8-10). Statistical analysis Test of hardy-weinberg equilibrium [10] was conducted to ensure the quality of the included literatures before running meta-analysis. Review Manger 5.2 was used to perform meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated under five genetic models: the allele model (C vs. A), the dominant model (CC+AC vs. AA), the recessive model (CC vs. AA+AC), the homozygous/additive model (CC vs. AA) and the heterozygous model (CC vs. AC). Heterogeneity was evaluated using by the chi-square-based Q statistic test [11] and I2 test with à ±12]. Subgroup analysis was performed by the difference of ethnicity. The sensitivity analysis was conducted to see the stability of pooled results by sequential omission of individual studies [13]. Funnel plots were used to assess the possibility of publication bias. Results Literature search In total, 114 potentially relevant studies were identified and screened after an initial search. Among them, 98 articles were excluded after screening based on abstracts or titles. Five out of these 16 remaining literatures were excluded because of duplicate publication. Then 2 studies were removing because there was no available data. As a result, 9 literatures were included in this meta-analysis. A flow diagram of the search process is shown in Fig.1. Characteristics of included studies The characteristics of 9 included studies [8, 14-21] were summarized in Table 1. The publication years of these studies ranged from year 2002 to 2013. A total of 17,620 subjects were involved in this meta-analysis, including 6,520 psoriasis patients and 11,150 healthy controls. The race of these subjects was Caucasian or Asian except one study in which mix racial subjects were studied. None of the SNPs had genotype frequencies that deviated significantly from Hardyââ¬âWeinberg equilibrium in these included studies. All quality scores of included studies were from 5 to 8. It showed that the included studies were moderateââ¬âhigh quality literatures in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of the association between IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphism and psoriasis Summary results of this meta-analysis for the association between IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphism and psoriasis were shown in Table 2. For the genotype model of CC+AC vs. A, no heterogeneity (I2=57%, P=0.02) existed in the included literatures, so the random effects model was used. For the other genotype model, fixed effects model was used because of significant heterogeneity among studies. The meta-analysis results showed the highly significant association of these alleles with psoriasis (C vs. A: OR=0.68, 95%CI =0.64-0.72, PC vs. A: OR= 0.66, 95%CI =0.61-0.70, P Sensitivity analysis and publication bias Sensitivity analysis by dropping one study at a time did not indicate the dominant influence of any single study. The funnel plot showed that there was no obvious publication bias was shown in the result. Discussion In this meta-analysis, we combined data from published studies to evaluate genetic associations between polymorphisms of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. Our meta-analysis of IL-12à ² rs3212227 showed significant association of the IL-12à ² rs3212227 polymorphisms with the risk of psoriasis. Another meta-analysis [22] reported the association of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. Compared with that one, there were three the advantages of this meta-analysis. The first one was that this meta-analysis had been more recently (2013) conducted to synthesize evidence concerning the association of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. Second, furthermore subgroup analysis by ethnicity was performed and showed that the results did not varies with the difference of ethnicity. Third, the publication meta-analysis reported no heterogeneity among the included studies. Nevertheless, in this meta-analysis, heterogeneity was found among the included studies in the genotype model of CC+AC vs. AA. Ex ploring the sources of heterogeneity was useful to study the association of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. Thus, further well-designed studies need to focus on exploring the sources of heterogeneity. In the publication studies, it demonstrated that IL-12 was closely related to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. It reported that the mRNA [23]and protein expression [24] of IL-12 p40 was increased in the psoriatic skin. Efficacy was obtained by the drug therapy on immunization targets [25]. The SNP, rs3212227, is located in IL-12à ² gene [26]. The expression of IL-12 p40 was changed after import homozygous gene fragment into cell [27]. It indicated that the change of allele might cause change in the expression of IL-12p40 and affect the function of IL-12p40. Then a series of immune responses were triggered. Finally, these events would lead to the onset of psoriasis. These findings prove that IL-12à ² rs3212227 may be the susceptibility gene of psoriasis. The result of this meta-analysis provided further evidence of the association betweenthe polymorphisms of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. It reported that the occurrence of psoriasis varied according to geographic region [2]. And the family genes are difference in each region. In this meta-analysis, subgroup analysis was performed by the difference of ethnicity. However, the subjects did not contain all the population. Thus, it proved that rs3212227 is the susceptibility gene of psoriasis in Asian and European. Further studies need to be done to study the influence of ethnicity. Present study has some limitations that require specific consideration. The first one is that there is no enough data of age and sex to concern the influence of these confounding factors for the result of this meta-analysis. Second limitation is that the type of psoriasis cannot be analyzed because of the limited information. Furthermore, there are many other possible susceptibility genes, but only one of them was selected to do this meta-analysis. Conclusions In conclusion, we determined that there was significant association between the polymorphisms of IL-12à ² rs3212227 and psoriasis. IL-12à ² rs3212227 has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. For researching the pathogenesis of psoriasis, all the susceptibility genes as well as the interaction among them need to be studied in the future. References 1. Bromley SK, Larson RP, Ziegler SF, Luster AD: IL-23 Induces Atopic Dermatitis-Like Inflammation Instead of Psoriasis-Like Inflammation in CCR2-Deficient Mice. PloS one 2013, 8(3):e58196. 2. Parisi R, Symmons DP, Griffiths CE, Ashcroft DM: Global epidemiology of psoriasis: a systematic review of incidence and prevalence. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2012. 3. Naldi L: Risk Factors for Psoriasis. Current Dermatology Reports 2013, 2(1):58-65. 4. Gudjonsson J, Johnston A, Sigmundsdottir H, Valdimarsson H: Immunopathogenic mechanisms in psoriasis. Clinical Experimental Immunology 2004, 135(1):1-8. 5. Baweja P, Agarwal B, Sharma V, Alex A: Oxidant and antioxidant status in patients with Psoriasis. Indian J Applied Pure Bio Vol 2013, 28(2):143-148. 6. Lamont AG, Adorini L: IL-12: a key cytokine in immune regulation. Immunology today 1996, 17(5):214-217. 7. Hong K, Chu A, Là ºdvà ksson BR, Berg EL, Ehrhardt RO: IL-12, independently of IFN-à ³, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of a murine psoriasis-like skin disorder. The Journal of Immunology 1999, 162(12):7480-7491. 8. Tsunemi Y, Saeki H, Nakamura K, Sekiya T, Hirai K, Fujita H, Asano N, Kishimoto M, Tanida Y, Kakinuma T: Interleukin-12 p40 gene (IL12B) 3â⬠²-untranslated region polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to atopic dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris. Journal of dermatological science 2002, 30(2):161-166. 9. Clark MF, Baudouin SV: A systematic review of the quality of genetic association studies in human sepsis. Intensive care medicine 2006, 32(11):1706-1712. 10. Ledwina T, Gnot S: Testing for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Biometrics 1980:161-165. 11. Lau J, Ioannidis JP, Schmid CH: Quantitative synthesis in systematic reviews. Annals of internal medicine 1997, 127(9):820-826. 12. Feng R-N, Zhao C, Sun C-H, Li Y: Meta-analysis of TNF 308 G/A polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus. PloS one 2011, 6(4):e18480. 13. Liu ZH DY, Xiu LC, Pan HY, Liang Y, Zhong SQ, Liu WW, Rao SQ, Kong DL: A meta-analysis of the association between TNF-alpha -308G>A polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Han Chinese population. PloS one 2013, 8(3):e59421. 14. Capon F, Di Meglio P, Szaub J, Prescott NJ, Dunster C, Baumber L, Timms K, Gutin A, Abkevic V, Burden AD et al: Sequence variants in the genes for the interleukin-23 receptor (IL23R) and its ligand (IL12B) confer protection against psoriasis. Hum Genet 2007, 122(2):201-206. 15. Cargill M, Schrodi SJ, Chang M, Garcia VE, Brandon R, Callis KP, Matsunami N, Ardlie KG, Civello D, Catanese JJ et al: A large-scale genetic association study confirms IL12B and leads to the identification of IL23R as psoriasis-risk genes. American journal of human genetics 2007, 80(2):273-290. 16. Eiris N, Santos-Juanes J, Coto-Segura P, Gomez J, Alvarez V, Morales B, Queiro R, Diaz M, Corao AI, Lopez-Corte K et al: Resequencing of the IL12B gene in psoriasis patients with the rs6887695/rs3212227 risk genotypes. Cytokine 2012, 60(1):27-29. 17. Huffmeier U, Lascorz J, Bohm B, Lohmann J, Wendler J, Mossner R, Reich K, Traupe H, Kurrat W, Burkhardt H et al: Genetic variants of the IL-23R pathway: association with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis vulgaris, but no specific risk factor for arthritis. The Journal of investigative dermatology 2009, 129(2):355-358. 18. Nair RP, Ruether A, Stuart PE, Jenisch S, Tejasvi T, Hiremagalore R, Schreiber S, Kabelitz D, Lim HW, Voorhees JJ et al: Polymorphisms of the IL12B and IL23R genes are associated with psoriasis. The Journal of investigative dermatology 2008, 128(7):1653-1661. 19. Nair RP, Stuart PE, Kullavanijaya P, Kullavanijaya P, Tejasvi T, Voorhees JJ, Elder JT: Genetic evidence for involvement of the IL23 pathway in Thai psoriatics. Archives of dermatological research 2010, 302(2):139-143. 20. Oka A, Mabuchi T, Ikeda S, Terui T, Haida Y, Ozawa A, Yatsu K, Kulski JK, Inoko H: IL12B and IL23R gene SNPs in Japanese psoriasis. Immunogenetics 2013, 65(11):823-828. 21. Smith RL, Warren RB, Eyre S, Ho P, Ke X, Young HS, Griffiths CEM, Worthington J: Polymorphisms in the IL-12à ² and IL-23R Genes Are Associated with Psoriasis of Early Onset in a UK Cohort. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2007, 128(5):1325-1327. 22. Zhu KJ, Zhu CY, Shi G, Fan YM: Meta-analysis of IL12B polymorphisms (rs3212227, rs6887695) with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Rheumatology international 2013, 33(7):1785-1790. 23. Jiqun C, Yating T, Jiawen L, Changzheng H, Zhixiang L, Daofan L: A study on the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12 P35, P40 mRNA in the psoriatic lesions. Journal of Tongji Medical University 2001, 21(1):86-88. 24. Yawalkar N, Karlen S, Hunger R, Brand CU, Braathen LR: Expression of interleukin-12 is increased in psoriatic skin. Journal of investigative dermatology 1998, 111(6):1053-1057. 25. Oââ¬â¢Neill JL, Kalb RE: Ustekinumab in the therapy of chronic plaque psoriasis. Biologics: targets therapy 2009, 3:159. 26. Smith RL, Warren RB, Eyre S, Ho P, Ke X, Young HS, Griffiths CE, Worthington J: Polymorphisms in the IL-12à ² and IL-23R genes are associated with psoriasis of early onset in a UK cohort. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2007, 128(5):1325-1327. 27. Morahan G, Huang D, Ymer SI, Cancilla MR, Stephen K, Dabadghao P, Werther G, Tait BD, Harrison LC, Colman PG: Linkage disequilibrium of a type 1 diabetes susceptibility locus with a regulatory IL12B allele. Nature genetics 2001, 27(2):218-221. Table 1 Characteristics of included studies. Authors Year Country population Experimental group/control group score PHWE mareà ¯Ã ¼Ãâ %à ¯Ã ¼Ã¢â¬ ° age (years) n Capon F1 2007 UK European 65.4/50 52.1/- 318/288 8 >0.05 Capon F2 2007 UK European 42.4/50 44.1/49 519/528 8 >0.05 Cargill M1 2007 USA European 45.5 28 467/500 7 0.5876 Cargill M2 2007 USA European 45.5 29 498/498 7 0.9129 Eiris N 2012 Spain European 54/55 47/47 304/422 6 0.1045 Hà ¼ffmeier U 2009 Germany European 62/58 48.2/31.6 1114/937 6 >0.05 Nair RP1 2008 Germany European 360/1097 7 >0.05 Nair RP2 2008 USA European 1450/1425 7 >0.05 Nair RP3 2010 Thailand Asian 58/42 34/45 206/114 7 0.8488 Oka A 2013 Japanese Asian 560/560 8 Smith RL 2008 UK Mixed 581/4681 6 0.5815 Tsunemi Y 2002 Japanese Asian 143/100 5 0.3177 PHWEà ¯Ã ¼Ã
âthe result of the test of hardy-weinberg equilibrium Table 2 Meta-analysis of the associations between IL-12Ã ² rs3212227 polymorphisms and psoriasis Polymorphism population Test of association Test of heterogeneity OR (95%CI) p P I2 C vs. A Overall 0.68 (0.64, 0.72) 0.18 27% European 0.66 (0.61, 0.70) Asian 0.71 (0.62, 0.82) CC+AC vs. AA Overall 0.61 (0.53, 0.71) 0.02 57% European 0.62 (0.52, 0.73) Asian 0.45 (0.25, 0.82) CC vs. AC+AA Overall 0.53 (0.43, 0.66) 0.85 0% European 0.48 (0.36, 0.64) Asian 0.56 (0.36, 0.85) CC vs. AA Overall 0.46 (0.36, 0.57) 0.78 0% European 0.42 (0.31, 0.56) Asian 0.43 (0.26, 0.70) AC vs. AA Overall 0.65 (0.59, 0.71) 0.16 33% European 0.62(0.56, 0.69) Asian 0.66 (0.44, 0.98) Figure legends Fig.1 Selection of relevant publications, reasons for exclusion. Fig.2 Forest plot displaying the results of the meta-analysis on the genotype of C vs. A Fig.3 Funnel plot analysis of publication bias. ________________________________________________________________________
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Effective Use of Conflict in Shakespeares As You Like It Essay
As You Like It: Effective Use of Conflict It is easy enough to discount the presence of conflict within As You Like It, swept away as we are by the sparkling wit of the play, its numerous songs, and the use of stage spectacle (such as the masque of Hymen). But precisely what enables Arden to have such a profound effect on the visitors (Rosalind, Orlando, Duke Senior et al.) is the fact that it is a retreat from the "painted pomp" of the "envious court". The twisted morality of the court, where Duke Frederick hates Rosalind for her virtue, is very much necessary for the purpose of the drama of the play; it is only through the disparity between the court and the Forest of Arden that there is dramatic significance in the movement to Arden and the play of Arden. So while the world of As You Like It is one of reduced intensity (even while the cynic Jacques is loved by the Duke Senior, who loves to "cope him in his sullen fits"), it would be too glib to dismiss conflict from the play. Admittedly, much of the charm of the play lies not in the perfunctory plot: the news told by Charles, about Duke Senior's banishment to a place where he and his followers "fleet the time carelessly" like Robin Hood and his merry men, is so old that its only purpose seems to be to speed up the exposition. As You Like It entices us because it is willing to sacrifice plot considerations and credibility -- for instance, in the sudden transformations of Oliver and Duke Frederick -- to pursue seemingly pointless moments such as the songs. The sheer number of musical interludes, from "Blow, blow, thou winter wind" to "What shall we ... ...ibutes to the play's charms as William is summarily dismissed by Touchstone (using his wit as usual); this satire of the pastoral convention of overcoming obstacles to love is humorous. Likewise, Phebe's insults of Silvius and Ganymede's chiding of Phebe draws laughter from the audience. To conclude, therefore, conflict is not absent from the play totally. It is As You Like It's knowledge and recognition of the dangers of love "Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love" and is still capable of being love struck: the affection being like "Bay of Portugal", and how it plays off that against the comedic exuberance of its interludes, verbal sparring and digressionary expositions, that provides the drama of the play. "Sweet", indeed, "are the uses of adversity".
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
United States Agency for International Development Essay -- AIDS HIV F
United States Agency for International Development When the Department of Defense awarded Halliburton subsidiaries billions of dollars to rebuild Iraq in an uncompetitive bidding process, taxpayers and members of Congress alike cried foul. Liberals at Swarthmore College bemoaned the mixture of domestic business interests with foreign policy and reconstruction efforts. Initially, foreign companies were formally barred from the lucrative reconstruction projects. This spring, Halliburton delayed billing the DOD over $140 million under allegations of overcharging for military meals and energy supplies. Where the DOD controls reconstruction in Iraq, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) controls foreign development aid. While the bloated and uncompetitive contracts to Halliburton attracted a hail of criticism, USAID emerges largely unscathed from criticism despite a legacy of brazenly self-interested and inefficient foreign aid policy. USAID balances two mandates: protecting American interests and promoting inter national development. Tied aid-- grants or loans which require consumption of the donor countryââ¬â¢s goods and services-- is an obvious and insidious manifestation of this dual mandate. An examination of American aid policy, a colonial precedent to tied aid, and the experience of Egypt from 1974-1989 reveals how tied aid poisons and adulterates the practice of development. Tied aid: ââ¬Å"Seductiveâ⬠but ââ¬Å"seriously wrongâ⬠(Hancock 61) Tied aid is not a win-win situation. A balance between domestic interests and foreign development restricts the full potential of foreign aid. Michael Marenââ¬â¢s The Road to Hell offers a scathing indictment of foreign aid infused with self-interest and laments how ââ¬Å"the hum... ... Philip Publishers Ltd: United States, 2002. Campbell, Catherine. ââ¬ËLetting Them Dieââ¬â¢: Why HIV/AIDS Intervention Programmes Fail. Indiana University Press: United States, 2000. Hancock, Graham. Lords of Poverty. First Atlantic Monthly Press: Great Britain, 1989. Maren, Michael. The Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity. The Free Press: New York, NY, 1997. Mitchell, Timothy. Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity. University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, 2002. Radelet, Steven. Challenging Foreign Aid: A Policymarkerââ¬â¢s Guide to the Millennium Challenge Account. Kirby Lithographing Company: United States, 2003. Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) website. http://www.fightglobalaids.org/files/phatfile/appropriationskit.doc USAID website. http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Decline in Reading Skills Among Students
A comparative study by the ministry of education shows a worrying downward trend in reading skills. This is evident from the dismal performance in reading skill test undertaken by the students. Furthermore, according to a comprehensive U. S. -wide study of reading skills by the National Endowment for the Arts. (2007). Americans reading a lot less: a study on reading skills. Retrieved from www. washingtonpost. com . in Washington draws on a variety of sources, public and private, and essentially reaches one conclusion; Americans read less more. Across other continents the same trend is worrying the governments. A look at the societal behavior and education trend would draw various reasons on the downward trend of reading skills. In nations where more than half the population lives below a dollar day, a focus on Africa and Asia, it gets difficult for students in such families to have easy access to reading materials. Poverty is a major factor reducing accessibility of reading materials to the less fortunate. Besdes not being able to access the reading materials, the students would rather spend much of the time trying to assist their family make ends meet by engaging cheap labor or attending to home chores while the parents engage in fending for them. In the long run the trend is passed on to the next generation and the families remain in this vicious cycle. A technological focus of the society shows a higher advance in social media with more of these technological advancement targeting the youth and young who have hit these markets with a bang. The students are more glued to these social media development which increases their networking levels. On the rise is also the rate at which these students have turned to visual media which takes much of their s time. People find it easier to have visual media other than involving themselves in reading which they perceive to be rather tasking. This factor has been encouraged by our institutions which also turn most materials, originally produced for reading, into visual media reducing the chances of one having to read the materials than watching it, which is much easier and less involving. With all the above ,a more worrying trend is the teaching methods and skills passed to the students at school . Current education curriculum focuses more on passing particular test rather than developing students reading culture. The effect is that the students are more interested in passing tests and would want to use other methods to enable them pass the xams. The reading culture developed at the elementary level is eventually destroyed in these student and instead they get focused on other stuff and passing exams. The way students are taught takes, rather a passive line towards reading skills. In conclusion, reading skills among high school students ,is and has been on the decline due to three major factors; inaccessibility of reading material due to poverty, technological advancement in the visual media and social networks which provide a leeway to the students to evade reading and teaching skill which gives reading skills an inactive approach.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Judaism â⬠Meaning of life Essay
The meaning of life is a philosophical question concerning the significance of life or existence in general. It can also be expressed in different forms, such as ââ¬Å"Why are we here? ââ¬Å", ââ¬Å"What is life all about? ââ¬Å", and ââ¬Å"What is the purpose of existence? â⬠It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history. There have been a large number of proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The meaning of life is in the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness, and borders on many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple Gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the ââ¬Ëhowââ¬â¢ of life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question ââ¬Å"What is the meaning of my life? â⬠The value of the question pertaining to the purpose of life may coincide with the achievement of ultimate reality, or a feeling of oneness, or even a feeling of sacredness. governs the universe. Closeness with the God of Israel is through study of His Torah, and adherence to its mitzvot (divine laws). In traditional Judaism, God established a special covenant with a people, the people of Israel, at Mount Sinai, giving the Jewish commandments. Torah comprises the written Pentateuch and the transcribed oral tradition, further developed through the generations. The Jewish people are intended as ââ¬Å"a kingdom of priests and a holy nationâ⬠[69] and a ââ¬Å"light to the Nationsâ⬠, influencing the other peoples to keep their own religio-ethical Seven Laws of Noah. The messianic era is seen as the perfection of this dual path to God. Jewish observances involve ethical and ritual, affirmative and prohibative injunctions. Modern Jewish denominations differ over the nature, relevance and emphases of mitzvot. Jewish philosophy emphasises that God is not affected or benefited, but the individual and society benefit by drawing close to God. The rationalist Maimonides sees the ethical and ritual divine commandments as a necessary, but insufficient preparation for philosophical understanding of God, with its love and awe. [70] Among fundamental values in the Torah are pursuit of justice, compassion, peace, kindness, hard work, prosperity, humility, and education. [71][72] The world to come,[73] prepared in the present, elevates man to an everlasting connection with God. [74] Simeon the Righteous says, ââ¬Å"the world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness. â⬠The prayer book relates, ââ¬Å"blessed is our God who created us for his honorâ⬠¦ and planted within us everlasting life. â⬠Of this context, the Talmud states, ââ¬Å"everything that God does is for the good,â⬠including suffering. The Jewish mystical Kabbalah gives complimentary esoteric meanings of life. As well as Judaism providing an immanent relationship with God (personal theism), in Kabbalah the spiritual and physical creation is a paradoxical manifestation of the immanent aspects of Godââ¬â¢s Being (panentheism), related to the Shekhinah (Divine feminine). Jewish observance unites the sephirot (Divine attributes) on high, restoring harmony to creation. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the meaning of life is the messianic rectification of the shattered sparks of Godââ¬â¢s persona, exiled in physical existence (the Kelipot shells), through the actions of Jewish observance. [75] Through this, in Hasidic Judaism the ultimate essential ââ¬Å"desireâ⬠of God is the revelation of the Omnipresent Divine essence through materiality, achieved by man from within his limited physical realm, when the body will give life to the soul. Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy named after its prophet Zoroaster, which is believed to have influenced the beliefs of Judaism and its descendant religions. [77] Zoroastrians believe in a universe created by a transcendental God, Ahura Mazda, to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Ahura Mazdaââ¬â¢s creation is asha, truth and order, and it is in conflict with its antithesis, druj, falsehood and disorder. (See also Zoroastrian eschatology). Since humanity possesses free will, people must be responsible for their moral choices. By using free will, people must take an active role in the universal conflict, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Health Care in India
Health care is the treatment and prevention of illness. Health care is delivered by professionals in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and allied health. The delivery of modern health care depends on an expanding group of trained professionals coming together as an interdisciplinary team. The health care industry incorporates several sectors that are dedicated to providing services and products dedicated to improving the health of individuals.According to industry and market classifications, such as the Global Industry Classification Standard and the Industry Classification Benchmark, the health care industry includes health care equipment and services as well as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and life sciences. The particular sectors associated with these groups are: biotechnology, diagnostic substances, drug delivery, drug manufacturers, hospitals, medical equipment and instruments, diagnostic laboratories, nursing homes, providers of health care plans and home health care.The rate of growth of the health care industry in India is moving ahead neck to neck with the pharmaceutical industry and the software industry of the country. Much has been said and done in the health care sector for bringing about improvement. Till date, approximately 12% of the scope offered by the health care industry in India has been tapped. The health care industry in India is reckoned to be the engine of the economy in the years to come.Health care industry in India is worth $17 billion and is anticipated to grow by 13% every year. The health care sector encompasses health care instruments, health care in the retail market, hospitals enrolled to the hospital networks etc. India in case of health care facilities still lakes the adequate supply. In health care sector also there is huge gap between demand and supply at all the levels of society. Still there are so many urban areas were you could hardly find any multi specialty hospital.And in case of metros the market sentiments i tself created a need of psychological consultation. Healthcare, which is a US$ 35 billion industry in India, is expected to reach over US$ 75 billion by 2012 and US$ 150 billion by 2017. The healthcare industry is interestingly poised as it strives to emerge as a global hub due to the distinct advantages it enjoys in clinical excellence and low costs. In todayââ¬â¢s highly competitive environment, hospitals are increasingly realizing the need to focus on ervice quality as a measure to improve their competitive position. Customer based determinants and perceptions of service quality, therefore, play an important role when choosing a hospital. Today the healthcare industry has emerged as one of the most challenging sectors as well as one of the largest service sector industries in India with estimated revenue of about US $ 30 billion constituting 5% of the GDP. India is one of the second most populous nations of our world with a population of over a billion.The Indian economy over the recent past has started looking up and has now decidedly been acknowledged as likely to contribute to the sustained economic growth. The Indian healthcare Industry though still nascent in size and dynamic compared to other countries has also benefited from this economic boom. The primary driving force for an enhanced demand for quality healthcare standards are the 300 million middle class populations. Their need of quality within acceptable costs is making corporate hospitals see reason in reducing tariffs with a view to attract volumes.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Neural Markers of Categorization
In 2006, University of Delawareââ¬â¢s Paul C. Quinn and Harvard Medical Schoolââ¬â¢s Alissa Westerlund, and Charles A. Nelson study titled ââ¬Å"Neural Markers of Categorization in 6-Month-Old Infantsâ⬠was published in Psychological Science. The study was motivated by the lack of existing literature on neural markers in infants. These neural markers have been seen as critical in developing an underpinning concept-formation in infants which in turn influences perception and cognitive development. Despite the importance of the neural markers of categorization to various fields of study, there is limited existing literature about it. Furthermore, existing literatures have not yet determined the neural markers and conditional determinants that can be associated with category formation. Most studies on infants have focused on the use of novel stimuli or the use of behavioral indicators to indicate categorization or concept formation. Study Objectives The main objective of the study was to identify neural activity involved in concept-formation in infants. By analyzing learning a category during familiarization, behavioral performance preference for a novel category global-level category learning, neural determinants will be identified. This will then enhance existing methodologies and research regarding concept formation, in particular, category-learning processes in infants. In doing so, the study will be able to not only further knowledge in neural markers and development but also serve as a means to verify conclusions regarding the topic determined outside of neural indicators (Quinn et al 58). Furthermore, the study is to serve as a foundation for further studies focusing on infant development and learning. Methodology Ten infants were included in the study that was selected from an original group of twenty one. Criteria for inclusion included were the childââ¬â¢s ability to stay focused on the stimuli and behavior. The mean age of participants was 198.8 days and 70% of the selected participant were female (60). The stimuli used for testing were colored photos featuring various breeds of cats and dogs assuming different postures. Luminosity of the photographs was based from analysis of the pictures using Adobe Photoshop: luminosity of the pictures ranged from 225.54 to 248.42 for pictures depicting dogs, for cats 226.05 to 249.57. Shape values ranged from 20.03 to 56.88 for cats and 24.28 to 61.65 for dogs. While the area and perimeter of the pictures was based on LASICO 1281 Area/Line Meter. Testing procedures included event-related potential (ERP) Testing, ERP Waveform Analysis and Behavioral Testing. ERP Testing was conducted in an acoustically shielded and light-controlled room. The infants sat with a respective parent in front of a monitor measuring 48 centimeters across and 31 centimeters tall. The infants viewed the pictures randomly from a distance of 60 centimeters with each picture being flashed for 500 ms. Adjustments were made based on observations on the child through video monitors. The results were then recorded and amplified onto a vertex reference at 0.1- to 100-Hz band-pass filtering and digitized at 250-Hz. Electroencephalographic data was handled through NetStation 4.0.1. Adjustments were made as baseline correction to 100-ms prestimulus recording interval. Final phase of testing was done to determine behavioral evidences for category learning. Two 5-s test trials during which a novel cat was paired with a novel dog in a left-right arrangement with two independent observers, both blind to the lateral position of the animals shown to the infant. Results The study concluded that infants, in the processes of learning a category, exhibited higher negative amplitude on left occipital-parietal scalp in response indicating initial experience with category exemplars with the first cat pictures 1 to 18 and novel dogs. Furthermore, comparisons of average amplitude of ERP signals between 1,000 and 1,500 ms after each picture was shown did not vary in cats 1 to 18. this indicates that neural instantiation of are key behavioral indicants of categorization implying that the infants respond to the novel as something familiar. With regards to novel categories, the results indicated the infantsââ¬â¢ preference for such (61). This was indicated by the infantsââ¬â¢ response to the novel dogs: negative amplitude over left-central became more pronounced. The implications is that Nc component or negative central component of the ERPà waveform can be e a neural marker of infantsââ¬â¢ novel-category preference. Behavioral Performance tests from the looking-time data recorded when paired-preference was conducted indicated the infantsââ¬â¢ preference for the novel dog versus the novel cat. The infants also showed novel-category preference by 62.52%. Since this value exceeds probability thresholds which in the study are divided equally between cats and dogs, the researchers are confident in concluding that the infants learned category representation for cats that included novel cats without the exclusion of the dogs. The results also yielded conclusions regarding global-level category learning. The researches believe that global-coding nodes are quickly learned as a means to represent or map large differences when there are a limited number of attributes that distinguished the global level Significance and Implications The discrimination of entities categorically is believed to have its roots during development. Therefore, determining the mechanism of category representations develop together with knowledge structures, vocabulary development and expressions that influence cognition, thus, the importance of measuring infantsââ¬â¢ visual timing and recognition when presented with both realistic and abstract figures. This will allow for insights to not only in visual and cognitive development but also provide critical information in the overall development mapping of an individual (59). However, since there are no previous studies existing to evaluate the conclusions of the study to, the determination made by the paper will need further research, a constraint that the researchers themselves recognized (61). Despite this constraint, the study was able to provided significant evidence using neural markers using ERP and brain wave mapping that infants learning a category through the process of familiarization have a preference for novel category and respond to category exemplars at multiple levels of inclusiveness. Therefore, neural architecture required for object categorization processes is present in infants aged six months and below which in turn is giving greater insight to the neurological developments critical to learning and development. Work Cited Quinn, Paul C., Westerlund, Alissa and Nelson, Charles A. Neural Markers of Categorization inà 6-Month-Old Infants. Psychological Science 17 (1) (2006), 59ââ¬â66.
A comparison between Jean Rhys and Una Marson Essay Example for Free
A comparison between Jean Rhys and Una Marson Essay Poetry (1289) , The Tempest (71) , Prospero (66) , Caliban (36) , Jean Rhys (6) ? Exile in the Works of Jean Rhys and Una Marson. In Jonathan Millerââ¬â¢s 1970 production of Shakespeareââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Tempestâ⬠the character of Caliban was cast as black, therefore reigniting the link between the Prospero/Caliban paradigm as the colonizer/colonized. It was not a new idea, indeed Shakespeare himself envisaged the play set on an island in the Antilles and the play would have had great appeal at the time when new territories were being discovered, conquered, plundered and providing seemingly inexhaustible revenue for the colonisers. What is particularly interesting, however, is how powerful the play later becomes for discourse on colonialism. This trope of Caliban is used by George Lamming in ââ¬Å"The Pleasures of Exileâ⬠where he likens Prospero in his relationship with Caliban, to the first slave-traders who used physical force and then their culture to subjugate the African and the Carib, overcoming any rebellion with a self righteous determinism. In ââ¬Å"The Pleasures of Exileâ⬠Lamming sees Caliban as: ââ¬Å"Man and other than man. Caliban is his convert, colonized by language, and excluded by language. It is precisely this gift of language, this attempt at transformation which has brought about the pleasure and the paradox of Calibanââ¬â¢s exile. Exiled from his gods, exiled from his nature, exiled from his own name! Yet Prospero is afraid of Caliban. He is afraid because he knows that his encounter with Caliban is, largely, his encounter with himself.â⬠1 The Prospero/Caliban paradigm is a very relevant symbol for the colonizer/colonized situation of the West Indies but it nevertheless remains a paternalistic position. Where does that leave women of the Caribbean? It could be argued that the Caribbean woman has been even further marginalized. That in making Caliban the model of the Caribbean man it is therefore providing him with a voice. Yet nowhere in the Tempest is there a female counterpart, rendering the Caribbean woman invisible as well as silent and ignoring an essential part of their historical culture. Another issue raised here, is that Caribbean literature has for many years been male dominated. Just as the colonizer sought to ignore and marginalize their savage ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ so the Caribbean male has ignored their female counterpart. Opal Palmer Adisa, in exploring this issue, believes that it is ââ¬Å"out of this patriarchal structure, designed to make her an object, part of the landscape to be used and discarded as seen fit by the colonizer, that the Caribbean woman has emerged.â⬠2 It was out of such a ââ¬Ëpatriarchal structureââ¬â¢ that Jean Rhys and Una Marson emerged. The writing of both women revise and expand theme and personae, subverting a colonial and patriarchal culture. Both women ââ¬Å"may exist in different ethnological and ontological realms but they both exist in worlds which have, at one time or another, attempted to censure, silence or ignore the ideals and interests of womenâ⬠3 Like many of their male Caribbean counterparts to succeed them, their writing was greatly influenced by voyaging into the colonial metropolis and living in exile. In this essay I will discuss the importance of that journey in seeking to find a voice, an identity, and even a language to challenge established notions of Self, gender and race within the colonial structure. But essential to their experience is their struggle. Naipaul recognised, in Rhys, the themes of ââ¬Å"isolation, an absence of society or community, the sense of things falling apart, depende nce, lossâ⬠.4 This could also be said of Marson. Jean Rhys was born Ella Gwendoline Rees Williams on 24th August 1890, in Roseau, Dominica to a Creole mother of Scottish descent and a Welsh father who was a doctor. Rhys left Dominica in 1907, aged sixteen and continued her education in a Cambridge girlsââ¬â¢ school and then at the Academy of Dramatic Art which she left after two terms. Rhys experienced feelings of alienation and isolation at both these institutions and these feelings were to stay with her for much of her life. Upon pursuing a career as a chorus girl under a variety of names Rhys embarked on an affair with a man twenty years older than herself and which lasted two years. It is broadly accepted that this early period of her London life formed the structure for Voyage In The Dark, and like all of Rhysââ¬â¢s novels, explores homelessness, dislocation, the marginal and the migrant. The character of Anna, like most of her female protagonists exists in the demimonde of city life, living on the wrong side of respecta bility. What Rhys does effectively in this novel is to centralize the marginalized, those subjects ââ¬Å"who belong nowhere, between cultures, between histories.â⬠5 Una Marson was born in rural Jamaica in 1905. Her father was a well respected Baptist minister and as a result of his standing within the community Marson had the opportunity to be educated on a scholarship at Hampton High School, a boarding school for mainly white, middle class girls. After finding employment as a stenographer, Marson went on to edit the ââ¬ËJamaican Criticââ¬â¢, an established literary publication, and from 1928-1921, her own magazine ââ¬ËThe Cosmopolitanââ¬â¢. Having established herself as a poet, playwright and womenââ¬â¢s activist Marson made the decision to travel to Britain. Her achievements in London were impressive; a social activist within the League of Coloured Peoples which led to her taking a post as secretary to the deposed Emperor Haile Selassie and later she was appointed as a BBC commentator. In reality, however, Marson, like Rhys found the voyage into the Metropolis very difficult. Facing blatant racial discrimination like ââ¬Ëso many West Indian women migrants of the 1950s, Una found herself blocked at every turn. She complained and cried; she felt lonely and humiliated,ââ¬â¢. 6 In spite of many literary and social connections she remained an isolated and marginal figure. Her poetry displays the uncertainty of cultural belonging where her language ties her to colonialism yet also provides her with a powerful tool with which to challenge it. In placing Rhys alongside Marson as pioneering female writers, it is important to explore the notion of nationality, of being Caribbean and to question the grounds upon which such ideas are constructed. Both women were writing at the same time, having been born and educated in the British colonies. Both these writers, whose lives span the twentieth century, are situated at the crossroads of the colonial and post-colonial, the modern and post modern, where the threat of fascism and war result in anti colonial struggles and eventual decolonisation across the world. Their voyages from the colonies into the metropolitan centre generate similar experiences. What is clear with both is that by journeying into the metropolis, as women, they occupy a double marginal position within an already marginalized community. Their journey can be seen as an exploration of displacement where, according to Edward W. Said, the intellectual exile exists ââ¬Ëin a median state, neither completely at one with the new setting nor fully disencumbered of the old, beset with half involvements and half attachments, nostalgic and sentimental at one level, an adept mimic or a secret outcast on the other.ââ¬â¢7 Rhys and Marson, having left the Caribbean are asking us to consider what it means to write from the margins. Within their work, both women challenge notions of womenââ¬â¢s place within society and womenââ¬â¢s place as a colonized subject in the metropolitan centre. The protagonist, Anna Morgan, in Voyage in the Dark, reflects Rhysââ¬â¢s own multi indeterminate, multi conflicted identity. Anna, like Rhys is a white descendent of British colonists and slave traders who occupy a precarious position of being ââ¬Å"inbetweenâ⬠. Hated by the Blacks for their part in oppressing the slaves and continuing to cling on to that superior social position, they are also regarded by the ââ¬Ëmother countryââ¬â¢ as the last vestiges of a degenerate part of their own history best forgotten. Moreover, 1930s England, still under the shadow of Victorian moral dicta, continued to judge harshly a young woman without wealth, family, social position and with an odd accent. Throughout the novel Anna is identified with characters who are ââ¬Å"usually objectified and silenced in canonical works: the chorus girl, the mannequin, the demimondaine.â⬠8 Much has been made of her reading of Zolaââ¬â¢s Nana and indeed there are many parallels between the two characters. Anna, like Nana becomes a prostitute and in the first version of Voyage in the Dark Anna like Nana dies very young. There is of course the obvious anagram of her name but, as Elaine Savory highlights, some interesting revisions by Rhys. Whereas Zola, in Nana, creates a character who brings about the downfall of upper class men not through power but ââ¬Å"with only the unsophisticated currency of youth and raw female sexualityâ⬠9 Rhys, in Anna, creates a character who is herself destroyed by men. ââ¬Å"In Rhysââ¬â¢s version the men who use her youth and beauty are for the most part evidently cowardly or downright disreputable: Anna herself begins as naively trusting, passes through a stage of self destructive hopelessness and passivity and ends, in Rhysââ¬â¢s preferred, unpublished version, by dying from a botched abortion.â⬠10 If we are to see Walter Jeffries as the original European, existing in a world viewed certainly by himself as principally ordered and reasonable then Rhys is, through this character, highlighting the degenerate aspect of using power to commodify and even destroy, thereby subverting the colonizerââ¬â¢s position in relation to the colonized. Through the character of Anna, Rhys explores those oppositions of ââ¬Å"Selfâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Otherâ⬠, male and female, black and white. Even though she outwardly resembles the white European, enabling her, unlike Marson, to blend visually within London, her association with the Caribbean sets her apart as between black and white cultures and as an exotic ââ¬Å"Otherâ⬠. This ambiguity of Annaââ¬â¢s position results in ââ¬Å"slippageâ⬠. Anna and her family would have been regarded in the West Indies as the white colonizers. In England and in her relationship with Jeffries she becomes the colonized ââ¬Å"Otherâ⬠. In being read as the colonized subject Anna is continually having to adapt her world view and sense of identity to the perspective being imposed on her. A good example of this is the chorus girlsââ¬â¢s renaming her as the ââ¬Å"Hottentotâ⬠aligning her more with the black African and demonstrating the homogenizing of the colonized peoples b y the colonizers. This is similar to Spivakââ¬â¢s belief that ââ¬Ëso intimate a thing as personal and human identity might be determined by the politics of imperialism.ââ¬â¢11 Interestingly, ââ¬Å"Hottentotâ⬠is the former name for the Nama, a nomadic tribe of Southern Africa. A somewhat apt comparison which reflects Annaââ¬â¢s own nomadic existence as she moves from town to town as a chorus girl and from one bed sit to another. The term ââ¬Å"Hottentotâ⬠developed into a derogatory term during the Victorian era and became synonymous firstly with wide hipped, big bottomed African women with oversized genitals and then with the sexuality of a prostitute. Jeffries is fully aware of the implications of the name ââ¬Å"Hottentotâ⬠. In response to hearing Annaââ¬â¢s renaming he says, ââ¬Å"I hope you call them something worse back.â⬠12 Elaine Savory makes a strong connection between Annaââ¬â¢s renaming and her relationship with Jeffries, her eventual seducer. Whilst ââ¬Å"not looking at Annaââ¬â¢s body in an obvious way, eventually the transaction between them is understood fully on his side to be a promise of sexual excitement from a white woman whom he perceives as having an extra thrill presumably from association with racist constructions of black females in his culture.â⬠13 Franz Fanon, in his book Black Skin, White Masks perceives these complex colonial relations as being in a state of flux rather than fixed or static. In his introduction to Fanonââ¬â¢s text, Homi Bhabha highlights this point, stating that the ââ¬Ëfamiliar alignment of colonial subjectsâ⬠¦Black/White, Self/Otherâ⬠¦is disturbedâ⬠¦and the traditional grounds of racial identity are dispersed.ââ¬â¢14 So it is in the relationship between Jeffries and Anna. In transposing the colonizerââ¬â¢s stereotypical images of a black woman onto Anna he is disrupting and dispersing those ââ¬Ëtraditional grounds of racial identityââ¬â¢. Moreover, Anna is subconsciously enacting a mediated performance, aware of her impact upon him and the implications of her actions, in an attempt to adhere to his preconceptions of her. The relationship cannot be sustained on these fundamentally unstable preconceptions. Anna, both as a female and racial ââ¬Å"Otherâ⬠is penetrated by Jeffries and with the exchange of money is commodified. Without independent means Anna becomes that purchasable girl who is at the mercy of and eventually becomes dependent upon the upper middle class Jeffries. The relationship between these two characters reflects Rhysââ¬â¢s own location in the world where the West Indies was at the time still a commodity of the British Empire. In another analysis of the colonial stereotype, Homi Bhabha challenges the ââ¬Ëlimiting and traditional reliance of the stereotype as offering, at any one time, a secure point of identification on the part of the individual,ââ¬â¢15 in this case Jeffries and Hester. Bhabha does not argue that the colonizerââ¬â¢s stereotyping of the colonized ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ is as a result of his security in his own identity or conception of himself but more to do with the colonizerââ¬â¢s own identity and authority which is in fact destabilized by contradictory responses to the Other. In order to maintain a powerful position it is important, according to Bhabha, for the colonizer to identify the colonized with the image he has already fixed in his mind. This image can be ambiguous as the colonized subject can be simultaneously familiar under the penetrable gaze of the all seeing, all powerful colonial gaze and be incomprehensible like the ââ¬Ëinscrutable Orientalââ¬â¢. The coloni zed can be ââ¬Å"both savageâ⬠¦and yet the most obedient and dignified of servantsâ⬠¦; he is the embodiment of rampant sexuality and yet innocent as a child; he is mystical, primitive, simpleminded and yet the most worldly and accomplished liar , and the manipulator of social forces.â⬠16 In short, for Bhabha, the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized is riddled with contradictions and inconsistencies which, when imposed upon the colonized ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢, cause a crisis of identity. So it is with Anna. Jeffries upon first meeting with the very young Anna can see that she is as ââ¬Ëinnocent as a childââ¬â¢ and is ââ¬Ëmost obedientââ¬â¢ sexually, but by her association with the Caribbean and the Hottentot as I have previously explored, she is subsequently attributed with being ââ¬Ëthe embodiment of rampant sexualityââ¬â¢ resulting in his taking of her virginity, abandoning her to prostitution but also leading to as Veronica Clegg observes ââ¬Ëa loss of temporal referentsââ¬â¢17 Annaââ¬â¢s stepmother, Hester, also attempts to impose an identity upon Anna which not only conflicts with Annaââ¬â¢s own sense of identity but is also based around stereotypical perceptions. . Hester, whose ââ¬Ëvoice represents a repressive English colonial lawââ¬â¢18 believes that Annaââ¬â¢s fatherââ¬â¢s troubles resulted from his having lost ââ¬Ëtouch with everybody in Englandââ¬â¢19 and that these severing of ties with the Imperial motherland is a signal to her that ââ¬Ëhe was failingââ¬â¢,20 losing his identity, reduced to the level of the black inhabitants of the island. This idea of contamination and racial reduction is explored by Paul B. Rich who explains that there was a belief in the early twentieth century that white people in the tropics risked ââ¬Ëin the absence of continual cultural contacts with their temperate northern culture, being reduced to the level of those black races with whom they had made their ââ¬Å"unnatural homeâ⬠â â¬Ë.21 In Hesterââ¬â¢s eyes this apparent loss of identity is also experienced by Anna. She continually criticizes her speech, her relationship with Francine the black servant, and also insinuates degenerative behaviour on the part of her family, particularly Uncle Bo. Hesterââ¬â¢s views reflect the growing disapproval in England at that time, of relationships between white people and the black population in the West Indies. Inter-racial relationships were discouraged for fear of contamination of the white ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢. In voicing her disapproval of Annaââ¬â¢s friendship with Francine along with her continual use of the racist and derogatory term ââ¬Å"niggerâ⬠, Hester is alluding to the fact that, in her opinion, Anna, especially through her speech, has indeed been contaminated and reduced racially and that Annaââ¬â¢s association with Francine thwarts her attempts to reconnect her with the colonizerââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëcultural contactsââ¬â¢. Hester rails that she finds it ââ¬Ëimpossible to get you [Anna] away from the servants. That awful sing-song voice you had! Exactly like a nigger you talkedâ⬠¦and still do. Exactly like that dreadful girl Francine. When you were jabbering away together in the pantry I never could tell which of you was speaking.ââ¬â¢22 Hesterââ¬â¢s constant criticism only serves to undermine Annaââ¬â¢s real identity and dislocate her further from the Caribbean world she once inhabited and the alienating London world she is now experiencing. Her accent sets her apart, drifting between two worlds. Annaââ¬â¢s difficulties in negotiating these two worlds is a result of the ââ¬Ëreturn of the diasporicââ¬â¢ to the metropolitan centre where ââ¬Ëthe perplexity of the living is most acutely experienced.ââ¬â¢23 This can certainly be seen in her response to the weather which, according to Bhabha, invokes ââ¬Ëthe most changeable and imminent signs of national differenceââ¬â¢24 The novel opens with; ââ¬Å"It was as if a curtain had fallen, hiding everything I had ever known. It was almost like being born again. The colours were different, the smells different, the feeling things gave you right down inside yourself was different. Not just the difference between heat and cold; light, darkness; purple, grey. But a difference in the way I was frightened and the way I was happy. I didnââ¬â¢t like London at first. I couldnââ¬â¢t get used to the cold.â⬠25 And later upon arriving in England with Hester she describes it as being ââ¬Ëdivided into squares like pocket-handkerchiefs; a small tidy look it had, everywhere fenced off from everywhere elseââ¬â¢ 26and then in London where the ââ¬Ëdark houses all alike frowning down one after anotherââ¬â¢27 Throughout the novel Anna continually experiences feelings of being enclosed. Many of the bedsits are restricting and box-like. On one occasion she remarks that ââ¬Ëthis damned roomââ¬â¢s getting smaller and smallerâ⬠¦And about the rows of houses outside gimcrack, rotten-looking and all exactly alikeââ¬â¢.28 The many small rooms between which Anna moves emphasize her disempowerment through enclosed spaces. These spaces, in turn, serve as metaphors for the consequences in voyaging into the metropolitan centre. She is at once shut inside these small monotonous rooms and shut out from that world which has sought to colonize her. It is perhaps ironic that the further she mo ves into the centre of the city, ending up as she does on Bird Street, just off Oxford Street , the more she is shut out and marginalized by that imperialist society. Her memories of the West Indies are in sharp contrast to her impressions of England. The images of home are always warm, vivid and exotic, ââ¬ËThinking of the walls of the Old Estate House, still standing, with moss on them. That was the garden. One ruined room for roses, one for orchids, one for ferns. And the honeysuckle all along the steep flight of stepsââ¬â¢.29 When comparing the two worlds she remarks to herself that ââ¬Ëthe colours are red, purple, blue , gold, all shades of green. The colours here are black, grey, dim-green, pale blue, the white of peopleââ¬â¢s faces ââ¬â like woodliceââ¬â¢. 30 Her memory of home is experienced sensuously as she recalls the sights and smells: ââ¬Å"Market Street smelt of the wind but the narrow street smelt of niggers and wood smoke and salt fishcakes fried in lardââ¬â¢ and the sound of the black women as they call out, ââ¬Å"salt fishcakes, all sweet anââ¬â¢ charminââ¬â¢, all sweet anââ¬â¢ charminââ¬â¢.'â⬠31 Anna attempts to convey this richness to Jeffries. His failure to appreciate the beauty she describes merely underlines the differences between the two. He expresses a preference for cold places remarking that ââ¬ËThe tropics would be altogether too lushââ¬â¢.32 Jeffriesââ¬â¢s reaction to the West Indies in fact reflects the colonizerââ¬â¢s view that the ââ¬Ëruined room for rosesââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëorchidsââ¬â¢ portray a disorder, a garden of Eden complete with its implications of moral decay and as Bhabha states, a ââ¬Ëtropical chaos that was deemed despotic and ungovernable and therefore worthy of the civilizing mission.ââ¬â¢33 Annaââ¬â¢s association with this world sets her up, in Walterââ¬â¢s eyes, as a figure representing a secret depravity promising forbidden desires. Anna, like the West Indies is something to be overpowered, enslaved and colonized, where the colonizer seeks to strip their identity and impose their own beliefs and desires. It is significant, therefore, that following this scene Anna loses her virginity to Jeffries and recalls the memory of the mulatto slave girl, Maillotte Boyd, aged 18, whose record Anna once found on ââ¬Ëan old slave list at Constanceââ¬â¢.34 Like Maillotte Boyd, Anna is now merely a commodity and Jeffries has no intention of ever seeing her as an equal. Her purity, in his eyes isnââ¬â¢t worth preserving as he already considers her the contaminated ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢. By his actions he succeeds in maintaining that patriarchal imperialism which relies on institutional forms of racial and national separateness. Anna, as a twentieth century white Creole, is no freer than the nineteenth century mulatto slave. Just as Maillotte Boyd is, as racially mixed, suspended between two races, so Anna as a white Creole is suspended between two cultures, leaving her dislocated. Annaââ¬â¢s voyage into the imperialist metropolis leads to boundaries and codes of behaviour, language and dress being constantly imposed upon her. She is aware for example of the importance of clothes as a means of controlling her social standing and also her standing as a woman. Through her dress Anna almost becomes that elegant white lady, mimicking Londonââ¬â¢s female high society. For Jeffries, Anna represents the ââ¬Ëmenace of mimicryââ¬â¢, which , according to Bhabha is ââ¬Ëa difference which is almost nothing but not quiteââ¬â¢ and which turns ââ¬Ëto menace- a difference that is total but not quite.ââ¬â¢35 This mimicry serves to empower Anna as it ultimately destabilises the essentialism of colonialist ideology, resulting in Jeffries imposing upon Anna the identity of the West Indian ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ This in turn leads to feelings of loss, alienation and dislocation, a rejection of being white and a desire to be black. ââ¬ËI always wanted to be black. I was happy because Francine was thereâ⬠¦.Being black is warm and gay, being white is cold and sad.ââ¬â¢36 Annaââ¬â¢s association with Hester meant that she ââ¬Ëhated being white. Being white and getting like Hester, â⬠¦old and sad and everything.ââ¬â¢37 Yet the warmth she expresses in her memories of Francine are always tempered by her realisation that Francine disliked her ââ¬Ëbecause I [Anna] was white.ââ¬â¢38 Her feelings of being between cultures and feeling dislocated are never fully resolved. Annaââ¬â¢s voyage in the dark, reflects Rhysââ¬â¢s own sense of exile and marginality as a white West Indian woman. Teresa Oââ¬â¢Connor remarks that ââ¬ËRhys, herself caught between places, cultures, classes and races, never able to identify clearly with one or the other, gives the same marginality to her heroines, so that they reflect the unique experience of dislocation of the white Creole woman.ââ¬â¢39 The language used to express feelings of exile and loneliness, destitution and dislocation is both sparse and economic. It is neither decorative nor contrived, devoid of sentiment or without seeking sympathy. In commenting upon an essay written by Rhys discussing gender politics, Gregg writes that ââ¬ËIt is important to note her [Rhysââ¬â¢s] belief that writing has a subversive potential. Resistanceâ⬠¦can be carried out through writing that exposes and opposes the political and social arrangements.ââ¬â¢40 Helen Carr, in her exploration of Rhysââ¬â¢s language believes that: ââ¬Å"Rhys in her fictions unpicks and mocks the language by which the powerful keep control, while at the same time shifting, bending, re-inventing ways of using language to open up fresh possibilities of being.â⬠41 Una Marson, another Caribbean to voyage into the metropolis, also experienced loneliness, isolation and a struggle with the complexity of identity. Like Rhys, Marson fought with these feelings throughout her life, resulting in long periods of depression. Her belief in womenââ¬â¢s need for pride in their cultural heritage established Marson as ââ¬Ëthe earliest female poet of significance to emerge in West Indian literatureââ¬â¢.42 She not only ââ¬Ëchallenged received notions of womenââ¬â¢s place in societyââ¬â¢ but also raised questions about ââ¬Ëthe relationship of the colonized subject to ââ¬Å"the mother countryâ⬠ââ¬â¢43 There was a considerable amount of poetry emerging out of the West Indies around this time but most of it was dismissed as being ââ¬Ënot truly West Indianââ¬â¢,44 the reason for this being partly because many of the writers were English but also because many of the styles used by these writers mimicked colonial forms. Many of Marsonââ¬â¢s early poetry reflects this mimicry showing a reliance upon the Romantics of the English poetic tradition, particularly Shelley, Wordsworth and Byron. The poem Spring in England reveals this indebtedness to the Romantics, including as it does a stanza where, having observed the arrival of Spring in London, the poet asks: Daffodils that Wordsworth praised?ââ¬â¢ Wait for the Spring,ââ¬â¢ the birds replied. I waited for Spring, and lo they came, Clearly there are echoes of Wordsworthââ¬â¢s Daffodils throughout the stanza, reflecting the drive by colonialism through education to eradicate the West Indian selfhood. Yet for Marson this harnessing of English culture not only posed few problems but indeed was, I would argue, a necessary step in her voyage of self discovery. As seen with Rhys, mimicry was a subversive threat to colonial ideology, especially through language. Homi Bhabhaââ¬â¢s notion of mimicry seeks to explore those ambivalences of such destabilizing colonial and post-colonial exchanges. ââ¬Å"The menace of mimicry is its double vision which in disclosing the ambivalence of colonial discourse also disrupts its authority. â⬠¦The ambivalence of colonial authority repeatedly turns from mimicry ââ¬â a difference which is almost nothing but not quite ââ¬â to menace ââ¬â a difference that is almost total but not quite. And in that other scene of colonial power, where history turns to farce and presence to a ââ¬Ëpartââ¬â¢ can be seen the twin figures of narcissism and paranoia that repeat furiously, uncontrollably.â⬠46 Bhabhaââ¬â¢s essay in recognising the power, the play and the dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized offers an alternative to the pessimistic view held by V.S. Naipaul who believed that West Indian culture was doomed to mimicry, unable to create anything ââ¬Ëoriginalââ¬â¢. Marsonââ¬â¢s mimicry of the Romantics could be seen as a preparation to enter the colonizerââ¬â¢s metropolis, and to attempt to assimilate into the colonizerââ¬â¢s world. In making that voyage to the metropolis, Una Marson succeeds in taking that step from ââ¬Ëthe copyââ¬â¢ to the ââ¬Ëoriginalââ¬â¢. By remaining in Jamaica Marson risked remaining in an environment too rigidly ingrained by colonial prescriptions. Una Marsonââ¬â¢s voyage into ââ¬Ëthe heart of the Empireââ¬â¢, however, resulted in intense disappointment. For the first time, Marson experienced open racism and according to Jarrett-McCauley ââ¬ËThe truth was that Una dreaded going out because people stared at her, men were curious but their gaze insulted her, even small children with short dimpled legs called her ââ¬Å"Niggerâ⬠â⬠¦She was a black foreigner seen only as strange and unwanted. This was the ââ¬ËFact of Blacknessââ¬â¢ which Fanon was to analyse in Black Skins, White Masks(1952), that inescapable, heightening level of consciousness which comes from ââ¬Å"being dissected by white eyesâ⬠.ââ¬â¢ 47 Unlike Rhys, Marson was finding it impossible to blend visually within London. Consciousness of her colour made Marson conscious of her marginality. This consciousness led her seriously to question the values of the ââ¬Ëmother countryââ¬â¢. Marsonââ¬â¢s work moved from mimicry to anti-patriarchal discourse, seen in her poem Politeness where she responds to the William Blake poem Little Black Boy with: The poem demonstrates Marsonââ¬â¢s growing resentment at being alienated by the colonial power. There is an uncertainty in her desire to both belong and to challenge, echoing Rhys in her sense of cultural unbelonging. Those anti-patriarchal feelings are present once more in her poem Nigger where she communicates the anger she feels at being abused and marginalized as the racial ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢. She retorts to this abuse furiously with: My peopleââ¬â¢s flesh and now you still Add fierce insult to vilest injury.48 In its repetition of the shocking term ââ¬ËNiggerââ¬â¢, Marson is confronting the white colonialistââ¬â¢s use of the word to exert power over and oppress the colonized. The violence of its use reflects the violence of their shared history where ââ¬ËOf those who drove the Negroes / To their death in days of slavery,ââ¬â¢ regard ââ¬ËColoured folk asâ⬠¦low and base.ââ¬â¢49 In highlighting this history of violence, oppression and slavery, Marson is attempting to invert this oppression and dislodge the notion of white supremacy, whilst attempting to negotiate a position from West Indian to African and in doing so, fashion an identity. By writing the poem in the first person singular and moving from ââ¬ËTheyââ¬â¢ to ââ¬ËYouââ¬â¢ when addressing the white colonizers, Marson succeeds in centralizing herself and reversing the binary system of ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢. Nigger marks Marsonââ¬â¢s sharpened perspective on issues such as racism and identity. Her voyage into the metropolitan centre triggers those ââ¬â¢emergent identifications and new social movementsâ⬠¦[being]â⬠¦played outââ¬â¢.50 It was a time in Marsonââ¬â¢s life where she was made to feel inadequate, lonely and humiliated but it also roused her to ââ¬Ëresist the corrosive force of her oppressive world.ââ¬â¢51 Nigger reveals this sense of belonging and not belonging felt by Marson, of being part of the empire but never part of the Motherland, yet it simultaneously challenges the very essentialism in which the colonial Self is rooted. Moreover, the hostility she experiences in many ways acknowledges the success of Marsonââ¬â¢s performance as a hybrid. Marsonââ¬â¢s frustration and anger was compounded by the fact that in being middle class and educated she possibly saw herself as ââ¬Ëa notch above the poor, black working class women from the old communities in Cardiff, Liverpool and Londonââ¬â¢52 Marson explores this question of how middle class West Indians negotiate being educated and yet marginalized and even considered inferior in her play London Calling. The play, based on the experiences of colonial students in London charts the story of a group of expatriates who, upon being invited to the house of an aristocratic English family, dress up in outlandish native costume and speak in ââ¬Ëbrokenââ¬â¢ English. The play, a comedy, takes a light hearted look at the stereotypical images held by the British, at the same time countering the myth of black inferiority. There is, in the play, a curious twist as the students from Novoko are presented as black versions of the British in their dress and behaviour, ââ¬Ëmimic menââ¬â¢ and yet they themselves attempt to ââ¬Ëmimicââ¬â¢ their own folk culture. They are eventually discovered by one of the family, Larkspur, who then proposes marriage to Rita, one of the Novokans. The play ends with Rita declining Larkspurââ¬â¢s proposal in favour of Alton, another Novokan. This rejection of Larkspur places Rita in a powerful position. Rita is no longer the undesirable ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢, she has resisted the oppressive world of the colonialists and placed herself as the centralised ââ¬ËSelfââ¬â¢. Rita is Marsonââ¬â¢s fantasy where the black woman is recognised as beautiful and an equal. Marsonââ¬â¢s activities in the League of Coloured Nations gave her purpose, direction and the opportunity to advance her political education whilst introducing her to the Pan ââ¬â African movement ââ¬Ëa sort of boomerang from the horrors of slavery and colonialism, to which Una, like many of her generation, was being steadily drawn.ââ¬â¢53 Marsonââ¬â¢s work around this time reflects a desire to reclaim and restore that ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ cultural tradition, a difficult task as the Caribbean was not an homogeneous agency and it was not easy to establish a pre-colonial culture. The ethnic mix was large and hybrid making the notion of ââ¬ËCaribbeannessââ¬â¢ less easy to define. The Pan-African movement provided links with an alternative body to European colonialism and offered Marson a platform to renegotiate and redefine her idea of ââ¬ËCaribbeanessââ¬â¢ and race, an option not offered to Rhys. Having established a sense of being a black person in a white imperialist centre, she now needed to make sense of being a black woman within this paternalistic centre. The poem Little Brown Girl attempts just this, constructing a dialogue of sorts between a white Londoner, whose gender is unclear, and a little brown girl. The poem begins with a series of questions put to the child: The questioning of the little brown girlââ¬â¢s presence in London suggests a linguistic imperialism. It may be construed as the speaker challenging her right to be in the city, establishing her as the nameless, black ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢. Her feeling of difference is emphasized in the repetition of the word ââ¬Ëwhiteââ¬â¢ on the final line of the second stanza. The third stanza plays out an interesting reversal in notions of blackness. The speaker asks why she has left the ââ¬Ëlittle sunlit land / where we sometimes go / to rest and get brownââ¬â¢54 alluding to the desire of white skinned people to tan which for the white colonialist signifies wealth, for the black ââ¬ËOtherââ¬â¢ being inferior and uneducated. From here there is a subtle shift of speaker and London is seen through the eyes of the little brown girl. Her perception of the city is distinctly unattractive where ââ¬ËThere are no laughing faces, / people frown if one really laughsââ¬â¢ and: If the poem began with the strangeness of the brown girl to the white gaze, here it teases out those feelings of alienation felt by the little brown girl at being in such a cold, drab place, so different from her own home. Once more Marson creates a reversal in the stereotype as she seeks to objectify white people observing that ââ¬Ëthe folks are all white -/ White, white, white, / And they all seem the same.ââ¬â¢55 In homogenizing the colonizers, the hybridity of the West Indians are then celebrated in the many varied skin tones of ââ¬Ëblack and bronze and brownââ¬â¢ which are themselves homogenized by the label ââ¬ËBlackââ¬â¢. The vibrancy, colour and friendliness of ââ¬Ëback homeââ¬â¢ where the folks are ââ¬ËParading the cityââ¬â¢ wearing ââ¬ËBright attractive bandanasââ¬â¢ contrasts with the previous stanza of the dour images of London. The dialogue is handed back to the white speaker who attempts to establish the origins of the little black girl but succeeds in once more re-establishing the homogeneic white gaze indicated in the speakerââ¬â¢s inability to distinguish between many distinct nations : More than anything the poem conveys that sense of isolation felt by the little brown girl in the city. She never answers the white speaker directly and is positioned in the middle of the poem, again centralizing the colonized. In asking the question ââ¬ËWould you like to be white/Little brown girl?ââ¬â¢ there is a sense of the colonizer attempting to manipulate and dominate the colonized, to Europeanise, ultimately leading to mimicry. Yet the questioner responds himself with ââ¬ËI donââ¬â¢t think you would / For you toss your head / As though you are proud / To be brownââ¬â¢. 56 Marson, here, signals a move away from being a ââ¬Ëmimic manââ¬â¢ seeking to challenge that whole Eurocentric paternalistic world and centralise the black women, the most marginalized figure in society. The themes central to Little Brown Girlââ¬â¢s themes echo Rhysââ¬â¢s own negative reactions to London seen in the opening page of Voyage in the Dark. Like Rhys, Marson succeeds in capturing that colour and warmth of the West Indies contrasting greatly with the misery of London, experienced by both and which reinforce that racial and national separateness. Those differences prove for both to be irreconcilable, making it impossible for both Rhys and Marson to integrate, leaving both women dislocated from the metropolis. Little Black Girl serves as a useful reminder that many immigrants were women. This encounter between the city and a woman (in Marsonââ¬â¢s case, a black woman) echoes Annaââ¬â¢s encounter in Voyage in the Dark albeit as a prostitute. Both walk the streets of the city and as women-as-walkers encounter the metropolis, negotiating its spaces. Denise deCaires Narian suggests that certainly Marson could be considered as a flaneuse.57 Neither Rhys nor Marson, however have the confident panache of the flaneuse and neither fulfil the requirements of flanerie originally set out by Baudelaire. The flaneur, he asserted, saw the ââ¬Ëcrowd as his domain, â⬠¦ His passion and his profession is to merge with the crowdââ¬â¢.58 The flaneur and therefore the flaneuse is engaged in strolling and looking but most importantly merging ââ¬Ëwith the crowdââ¬â¢. For Marson this is impossible as she is a black woman in a white city. Moreover, Baudelaire expands upon the idea of the flaneur as having ââ¬Ëthe ability to be away from home and yet to feel at home anywhere, to be at the centre of the world, and yet to be unseen of the worldââ¬â¢.59 Again this is problematic for both Marson and Rhys as their wanderings around the metropolis seek only to reinforce those feelings of ââ¬ËOthernessââ¬â¢, isolation and marginality. For Marson these feelings of alienation gained her the reputation of being a ââ¬Ëtrue loner who didnââ¬â¢t exactly seek out companyââ¬â¢60 leading to a ââ¬Ëheightened level of bodily consciousnessââ¬â¢ which comes from ââ¬Ëbeing dissected by white eyesââ¬â¢.61 In her struggle with being marginalized as a black women always at the mercy of the white metropolitan gaze, Marson was always aware of that Europeanised sense of beauty being white. This idea of beauty was so entrenched, even within the black community that they themselves set beauty against the paleness of their own skin. The importance of popularly disseminated images is tackled in Cinema Eyes where a black mother in addressing her daughter attempts to challenge the idea that ââ¬ËEuropeans still provide the aesthetic reference pointââ¬â¢.62 The speaker urges her eighteen year old daughter to avoid the cinema fearing that it might reinforce the idea that white is beautiful causing the girl to lose sight of her own beauty: By growing up with a ââ¬Ëcinema mindââ¬â¢ the mother has allowed herself to be at the mercy of those tools used by the colonizer to marginalize and indoctrinate, promoting their own superiority. Once again the ââ¬Ëmimic manââ¬â¢ re-emerges when black women reject their own in seeking an ââ¬Ëideal manââ¬â¢. ââ¬ËNo kinky haired man for me, / No black face, no black children for me.ââ¬â¢63 This rather melodramatic narrative within the poem tells of the motherââ¬â¢s ââ¬Ëfairââ¬â¢ husband shooting her first suitor whom she had initially rejected for being too dark, and then committing suicide. The shooting scene, a re enactment of a gun fight in a western, presents the cinema as a racist and degenerate institution. By the end of the poem, the speaker acknowledges her mistake in rejecting the first lover and finds a sense of self, previously denied by the saturation of cinematic images. In shaking off the colonizerââ¬â¢s indoctrination, which seeks to marginalize her, she addresses the question posed by Franz Fanon which is ââ¬Ëto what extent authentic love will remain unattainable before one has purged oneself of that feeling of inferiority?ââ¬â¢64 Black invisibility in the cinema results in white ideology being forced upon a black body and essentially commodifying it and it is this which Marson seeks to deconstruct. Another poem which tackles the reconstruction of female identity is Black is Fancy, where the speaker compares her reflection in the mirror with a picture ââ¬ËOf a beautiful white ladyââ¬â¢.65 The mirror serves to reclaim the idea of black as being beautiful and a rediscovery of self: The speaker eventually removes the picture of the white woman suggesting that black worth and beauty can only really exist in the absence of white colonialism. The poem ends in a victory of sorts as she declares that John, her lover has rejected the pale skin in favour of ââ¬ËHis black ivory girlââ¬â¢.66 Kinky Haired Blues represents Marsonââ¬â¢s quest for a more effective and authentic poetic voice in its use of African American speech.. The poem explores the rhythms and musical influences found in Harlem and gathering momentum about this time. Kinky Haired Blues like Cinema Eyes and Black is Fancy criticizes the oppressive beauty regime of white colonialism which seeks to disfigure and marginalize the black woman. The poem opens with the speaker attempting to find a beauty shop: The speaker seeks to Europeanise her black features in an attempt to make herself more attractive. Male indifference experienced in the metropolis forces the speaker to see herself as an aberration, thrusting her onto the margins of a society which is continually projecting the idea that ââ¬Ëwhite ââ¬Ëis ââ¬Ërightââ¬â¢. The beauty shop contains all the trappings of the colonizerââ¬â¢s idea of beauty, ââ¬Ëironed hairââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëbleached skinââ¬â¢. Yet she is caught between being left to ââ¬Ëdie on de shelfââ¬â¢ 67 if she doesnââ¬â¢t change herself, or eradicating her ethnic features and therefore her inner self if she does. By using blues within the poetry she is able to communicate this misery felt within her, that male perceptions of beauty projected by the colonizers dictate that she must distort her own natural beauty in order to fit in and conform. The poem highlights the struggle Marson experiences in trying to preserve her selfhood against such oppressive cultural forces. Marson defiantly attempts to stand against this patriarchal order. She proudly announces that ââ¬ËI like me black face / And me kinky hair.ââ¬â¢ Inspite of this brave stand Marson eventually succumbs and admits that she is ââ¬Ëgwine press me hair / And bleach me skin.ââ¬â¢ She, like Rhys can only resist internally to the colonialistââ¬â¢s ideals imposed on them. As writers voyaging into the metropolis both Rhys and Marson share in their writing a pervasive sense of isolation where, from the location of London, their particular voices and concerns are, at the time, not recognised. Both writers, from this isolated position on the periphery of the centre. explore issues of womanhood, race and identity,. Marsonââ¬â¢s experiences bring about an acute awareness of her difference and ââ¬ËOthernessââ¬â¢ as a Black woman. Her work is a defiant voice against this marginalisation and isolation. She was, as Jarrett MaCauley claims ââ¬Ëthe first Black feminist to speak out against racism and sexism in Britain.ââ¬â¢68 She was a pioneer in a growing literary culture which was to become the new postcolonial order. Rhys, by contrast, a white West Indian from Dominica was experiencing a declining white minority status against a growing black population, itself an isolating factor both at home and within the metropolis. Kenneth Ramchard suggests that the work of white West Indian writers is characterized by a sense of embattlement: ââ¬Å"Adapted from Fanon we might use the phrase ââ¬Ëterrified consciousnessââ¬â¢ to suggest the White minorityââ¬â¢s sensations of shock and disorientation as a smouldering Black population is released into an awareness of power.â⬠69 It is this ââ¬Ëterrified consciousnessââ¬â¢ which contributes to the struggle experienced by Anna in Voyage in the Dark . Located simultaneously both inside and outside West Indian socio cultural history, her journey to the ââ¬Ëmother countryââ¬â¢ seeks only to exacerbate these feelings of ââ¬Ëin-betweennessââ¬â¢ and to suffer feelings of dislocation and alienation. Both writers, therefore, in their voyage into the metropolis endure different kinds of anxieties in their sense of ââ¬Ëunbelongingââ¬â¢ to either or both cultural worlds. Both use their writing to speak for the marginal, the hegemonic, the dispossessed, the colonized silenced female voice situated as they were within the cold, oppressive, hierarchical colonial metropolis attempting to impose an oppressive identity upon the exiled women. 1 George Lamming The Pleasures of Exile (London: Alison, 1960) p15 2 Palmer Adisa De Language Reflect Dem Ethosâ⬠in ââ¬ËThe Winds of Change: The Transforming Voices of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholarsââ¬â¢ ed. By Adele S. Newson and Linda Strong Leek. (New York: Peter Lang 1998 p23) 3 ââ¬ËThe Winds of Change: The Transforming Voices of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholarsââ¬â¢ ed By Adele S. Newson and Linda Strong-Leek. (New York: Peter Lang 1998 p6) 4 V.S. Naipaul New York Review of Books 1992. Quoted in Helen Carr Jean Rhys (Plymouth: Northcote House Publishers Ltd., 1996) p15 5 Helen Carr Jean Rhys (Plymouth: Northcote House Publishers Ltd., 1996) p. xiv 6 Delia Jarrett-MaCauley The Life of Una Marson (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1998) p51 7 Edward W. Said Representations of the Intellectual (London: Vintage 1994) p49 8 Molly Hite The Other Side of the Story: Structures and Strategies of Contemporary Feminist Narrative Quoted in Joy Castro ââ¬ËJean Rhysââ¬â¢ in The Review of Contemporary Fiction Vol. 20, 2000. www.highbeam.com/library/doc.3.asp p6.Accessed 1 December 2005. 11 Gayatri Spivak ââ¬ËThree Womenââ¬â¢s Text and a Critique of Imperialismââ¬â¢ in Henry Louis Jr. Gates Race, Writing and Difference (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987) p269 12Jean Rhys Voyage in the Dark (London: Penguin Books 1969) 13 Elaine Savoury Jean Rhys (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1998) p 95 14 Homi Bhabha ââ¬ËRemembering Fanonââ¬â¢, forward to Franz Fanon ââ¬Ës Black Skin, White Masks (London: Pluto, 1986) p ix 15 Homi Bhabha ââ¬ËThe Other Questionââ¬â¢ Location of Culture (London: Routledge 1994)p69 17 Veronica Marie Gregg Jean Rhysââ¬â¢s Historical Imagination: Reading and Writing the Creole (North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1995) p115 18 Sue Thomas The Worlding of Jean Rhys ( Westport: Greenwood Press 1999) p106 19 Jean Rhys Voyage in the Dark p53 21 Paul B. Rich Race and Empire in British Politics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986) p19 24 Homi Bhabha ââ¬Å"DissemInation: Time, Narrative and the margins of the Modern Nationâ⬠The Location of Culture p319 33 Homi Bhabha The Location of Culture p319 35 Homi Bhabha Location of Culture p85 39 Teresa Oââ¬â¢Connor The Meaning of the West Indian Experience for Jean Rhys (PhD dissertation, New York University, 1985)cited in Caribbean Woman Writers; Essays from the first International Conference. p19 40 Taken from Rhysââ¬â¢s non fictional analysis of Gender Politics. Veronica Gregg, Jean Rhysââ¬â¢s Historical Imagination p47 41 Helen Carr Jean Rhys, (Plymouth: Northcote House Publishers Ltd, 1996) p 77 42 Lloyd W. Brown, West Indian Poetry (London: Heineman, 1978) p 38 43 Denise deCaires Contemporary Caribbean Womenââ¬â¢s Poetry: Making style (London: Routledge, 2002) p 2 45 Una Marson The Moth and the Star, (Kingston, Jamaica: Published by the Author, 1937) p24 46 Homi Bhabha The Location of Culture, (London: Routledge, 1994) pp85-92 47 Delia Jarrett-MaCauley The Life of Una Marson pp 49, 50 48 The Routledge Reader in Caribbean Literature ed. Alison Donnell and Sarah Lawson Welsh (London: Routledge, 1996) p140-141 50 Homi Bhabha Location of Culture p 320 51 Jarrett-MaCauley The Life of Una Marson p51 54 Una Marson ââ¬ËLittle Brown Girlââ¬â¢, The Moth and the Star. (Jamaica: The Gleaner. 1937) p11 57 deCaires Narain puts forward an interesting link between Marson and Sam Selvonââ¬â¢s The Lonely Londoners highlighting external identity in her book Contemporary Caribbean Womenââ¬â¢s Poetry p 21 58 Baudelaire The Painter and the Modern Life cited in Keith Tester The Flaneur (New York: Routledge, 1994), p 2 62 Laurence A. Brainer An Introduction to West Indian Poetry (Cambridge: CUP, 1998), p154 63 Una Marson ââ¬ËCinema Eyesââ¬â¢ The Moth and the Star. (Jamaica: The Gleaner.1937) p87 64 Franz Fanon Black Skins, White Masks (London: Pluto, 1986), p4 65 Una Marson ââ¬ËBlack is Fancyââ¬â¢ The Moth and the Star p75 67 Una Marson ââ¬ËKinky Hair Bluesââ¬â¢ The Moth and the Star p91 69 Kenneth Ramchard The West Indian Novel and its Background (London: Faber, 1870), p225 A comparison between Jean Rhys and Una Marson. (2017, Oct 17).
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