The Oppression of Colonized India Illustrated in Arundhati Roy’s Novel

The post colonial experience has made the goal of harmonious family relationships that much more difficult, due to the families fragmenting throughout the old country and immigration to the land of the colonizer. Children and adult children alike lose perspective on their homeland and the struggles within their homeland. They become awe-struck by the development of the colonizers land, and as a result become confused with where their loyalties should lie. In Arundhati Roy’s novel â€Å"The God of Small Things†, the Kochamma family is a family of tragic situations and tragic people. Not all of their problems stem from colonization; in fact it is their own cultural traditions that lead to much of the tragedy; however it can be argued that the underlying theme within the novel is one of a people oppressed by the colonization of India by England, and how a society already consumed with prejudices based on class (or caste, as the Indian would refer to it) and colour begins t o turn on itself, and devalues its own people, culture and heritage. The Kochamma family lives, works and plays together. They do not however communicate with each other, nor do they comfort each other or attempt to understand one another. This is the greatest downfall of the family. Colonization plays a role in how some members begin to perceive each other and India as a whole; as well it lays the foundation for the sense of worthlessness each member of the family feels at different times. Although the English have left India when this story takes place, their presence can still be felt. â€Å"Englishness† and whiteness is held in high regard, and is something to emulate and work towards. The Indians, who had always had a class system and a disregard for darker skin,... ...n all of these stories, the children look to their families to help them form their identity and find their place in the world; and in most cases are disappointed with the lack of unity and dis-functionality they encounter. This relationship is much like India has with itself and England. Rather than thinking independently and trying to move away from British culture and being a people oppressed by colonization, the Indian people become a victim once again insomuch that they continue to think like the colonized even after they have won independence. The fragmentation of families in the post-colonial experience will only cease when the fragmentation of their country and culture has been ratified, and the shameful mindset of the colonized victim is shed from their minds and they are able to find respect and the future in their own customs, culture and people.

The Relationship Between the Roman Authorities and the Early Church

When early Christians began to read the Bible and follow The Way, they begun to walk the path and carved which was uniquely Christian history. Eusebius was a bishop, an overseer in the tradition of the apostle Paul and John among others. It is amazing that his detailed account during those days were not only preserved for posterity, but that he had the tenacity, the determination and the strength to identify and record people and events he was facing during his day. These were people who were being murdered or whose bodies were mutilated.We read of characters and personalities – different people – from all walks of life who had a common experience. They became disciples of Jesus the Christ and almost all of them faced the same fate which is martyrdom. The Roman government was more than a backdrop for the setting of the story that Eusebius had written. It was an empire whose rule was not to be underestimated for its intelligence and its equally determined goal to subdue all who seemed and were planning to defy that rule. Yet for some observers today, the Rome seemed tolerant for the practice of any religion.The question then remains: why did Rome persecute the Christians? And why do we look back to this period to call it as the era of the martyrs? Looking back at Rome’s policy we see the Imperial authorities as remarkably lenient over the religions of those they have power over with. If the national religions of those territories would include homage to the emperor among their other ceremonies or rites, Rome almost never get in the way. As long as the Roman authorities think that the Christians were just a sect of the Jews, followers of Jesus enjoyed immunity much like the rest of them.But upon realizing that this supposed Jewish sect were up to more than being very fanatical about their monotheistic beliefs and that this â€Å"sect† not just incessantly talked about Jesus but intended to make Christians out of the entire population o f the empire and that this was spreading like wildfire, Rome changed its stance and started to view the Christians as threats. From time to time, the Christians felt the wrath of the Roman authorities as well as its very own people. The experiences of every named disciple or follower were more than horrific.These Christians suffered torture of every kind invented by fellow human being. The main cause of the loathing and revulsion that the early Christians felt from within the Roman society lies in the former’s distinctive life-style. The real Christian is a person who is essentially unlike the rest. Problem is that men always view with suspicion people who are different. Then and now, conformity not distinctiveness, is the way to a trouble-free life. So the more early Christians took their faith seriously the more they were in danger of crowd reaction.Thus, simply by having a lifestyle in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, the Christian was a constant unspoken condemnati on of the pagan way of life. As Eusebius in his time was observing and reacting to the events that took place, it was not that the Christians went about all or any forms of censure to disparage the government and those who were not with â€Å"The Way,† nor were they consciously self-righteous and a cut above all others. It was clear then that the Christian ethic was a criticism of the pagan way of life.Fundamental to Christianity and primary cause of continual hostilities was the Christian’s rejection of the pagan gods. The Romans expectedly had deities for every facet of living- be it for harvest (sowing and reaping), or perhaps something to do with the weather. The Christians denial of them marked the Jesus’ followers as enemies of the state. There were also social events which were of themselves reasons that Christians object because they were inherently wrong like the gladiatorial combats which were intolerably inhuman.The picture is clear that it was hard f or Roman society to co-exist with a totally distinct and seemingly opposing lifestyle that to annihilate or hurt to discourage these Christians was the order of the day. This widespread hatred for early Christians helps explain the persecution in the Roman hands. There were outbursts of bloodshed which became common. Another obvious and related reason why Christians were persecuted was the slanders disseminated against them. This was both implied and detailed in the reports made to Eusebius from named persons. Once these defaming stories started they could never be stopped.The secrecy with which Christian gatherings were held aroused suspicions and bred distrust. Charges include sex orgies, cannibalism and even ridiculously, atheism. But the more serious supposed crime the early disciples of Jesus committed surfaced from the tradition of emperor worship. This practice sprang from the merits of Roman rule; what was popularly called Pax Romana or the Roman peace. The resulting peace w as a deep and heartfelt gratitude to the spirit of Rome. This was an easy step from the spirit of Rome to become the goddess of Roma and eventually evolved into one final symbol of Roman spirit which was the emperor.Any allegiance other than to that of the Roman emperor slowly spelled intimidation or threat to their governance. No other sect or group posed this threat during these times than the â€Å"fanatical† Christians who were loyal to their â€Å"Lord. † In one sense, Rome was right because there was a real conflict of loyalties. The Christians never compromised by saying â€Å"Caesar is Lord. † From then on, Roman authorities branded them as a band of potential revolutionaries threatening the existence of the Roman Empire and were then deserving of expulsion or death.

Fahrenheit 451 Dialect Journal Essay

Predict This sentence has negative and a happy tone at the same time. Bradbury makes the character sound like he’s evil or perhaps has a lot of things to hide, considering that snakes in general slither around and seem to hide themselves. Yet, he has no remorse for what he was doing either with the included phrase, â€Å"and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies. I predict that this person is doing this as it was he’s job. I also wonder why he is burning whatever he was trying to get rid of. This reminds me of a firefighter because of the way the author is describing what this person was doing, but instead of water it is kerosene. Maybe this person’s job was to purify the area in the society by burning it. â€Å"He remembered nothing like it save one afternoon a year ago when he had met an old man in the park and they had talked†¦.† Predict/Clarify This sentence holds a mysterious tone. Who is this man and why is â€Å"they† in italics? Did something peculiar happened a year ago that made him remember  it in a odd way? I think we shall learn more about this other man later in the story. Maybe this man is related to the girl, that’s why Montag suddenly remembers the man after the conversation with the girl. It was said that he saw Clarisse’s face in the walls too. It has been confirmed that the man, Montag, is a firefighter, but with no usage of water what so ever. He’s job is to purify the community by burning book because it is illegal. I wonder why that is and also why other things that should be okay illegal as well. This shows sign of a world that supposedly utopian, but in reality, a dystopian society in itself. â€Å"He felt his smile slide away melt, fold over and down on itself like a tallow skin, like the stuff of a fantastic candle burning too long and now collapsing and now blown out.â €  Evaluate The author explains that Montag is not only unhappy, but he is now incapable of pretending otherwise. Which he is revealing his true emotions. By comparing his smile to a burnt our candle, it shows how definite his unhappiness is. Then when you read the part where it describes the candle that can never be lit again tells us readers that Montage can never truly be happy with himself again. Predict There is something that is bothering him and he has been unhappy for awhile now. â€Å"He felt that the stars had been pulverized by the sound of the black jets and that in the morning the dart would be covered with their dust like a strange snow.† Evaluate The author is describing how Montag feels like the stars are being ruined by the black jets. The starts represent his perfect world and the black jets are something that is destroying his perfect world. Bradbury is creating a somber situation. Predict The sentence shows hidden darkness within Montag. Maybe the black jets represents Mildred swallowing the pills and how he is aware of the imperfect  world that is around him with the author’s usage of the words, â€Å"pulverized† instead of â€Å"crushed† or â€Å"ruined.† â€Å"You don’t need an M.D., case like this; all you need is two handymen, clean up the problem in half an hour.† Predict The word that are placed in this sentence demonstrates insensitive words towards one another humanity has become. Mildred was dying and society cared enough to send only two â€Å"handymen† to fix the â€Å"problem.† This sentence has surprisingly cold connotation which shows Montag and the readers the heartlessness of the world. I wonder why that is? Also, why they didn’t send professional help instead of people (who we don’t know if they were qualified) with machines to essentially replace almost all the inner liquids of the body with new (from a stranger) liquids. Again, the question of why Mildred was trying to kill herself? I think this is one of the reasons why Montag is unhappy with life. â€Å"He felt his body dive itself in a hotness and a coldness, a softness and a hardness, a trembling and a not trembling, the two halves grinding one upon the other.† Evaluate The author is showing us that Guy was having contradicting feelings about what Clarisse has said. Bradbury has chose to put the contradicting words next to each other to create a pulling effect. As a result, it makes the reader feel the confusing tug-of-war effect as Montag did. Even though he has an uneasy feeling about the girl, Montag is still fascinated by her and is interested enough to stick around to listen to what she says. Predict This is character development and where Montag learns more about her. Then afterwards, they go on an adventure to figure out why their society is the way it is. Eventually, Montag will regain his happiness again by spending more time with Clarisse possibly. I wonder what kind of a relationship they will build as we progress in the plot. â€Å"Montag’s hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his  chest.† Evaluate Guy’s hand represents his subconscious and his true desire. Bradbury illustrated this by describing it like Montag’s hand has a mind of its own. This is change in Guy’s heart and the start of something new. He is beginning to show what he really wants as opposed to what he’s supposed to be doing. Predict Eventually, Montag will have a change of heart of what is right and what he is required to do. It makes me wonder if Clarisse and Guy will find the truth of the world they live in. Why isn’t everyone curious about why they are doing what they are doing? â€Å"He felt her there, he saw her without opening his eyes, her hair burnt by chemicals to a bottle straw, her eyes with a kind of cataract unseen but suspect far behind the pup is, the reddening pouting lips, the body as thin as a praying mantis from dieting, and her flesh like while bacon.† Clarify I never really thought that Clarisse would disappear like that. I thought Clarisse was a character that would come back and continue the story with Montag. Also, it seems to be that Mildred was really scatterbrained. I honestly never really thought that she had that kind of personality. It makes me wonder even more why she wanted to kill herself and if the society is doing it to her. Evaluate Bradbury used imagery to describe the detailed features of Mildred and how she doesn’t seem to be a healthy being. The abnormally white flesh and burnt hair shows that they live in a place where artificial beauty through hair dye and diets are required. They way she is described is almost like a walking corpse and is hopeless. The only Montag remembers her is that he â€Å"saw her without opening his eyes† because she is so distant. â€Å"If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to  worry him; give him one.† Predict This sentence is optimistic and gives a general picture of how the society is looking at things. They’re seeing that if we give people one choice then everyone can be happy or at least content with life. Which I don’t understand why since there are still people upset because they are losing their books and other odd events such as children killing other children. I have a feeling that after reading a book or two, Montag could question the motives of the society and where it is heading like the reader is. I don’t understand how the people agreed to this to let the world involve into this. If this was America and the â€Å"Land of the Free,† shouldn’t the people be allowed their freedom of owning books? It looks as though the â€Å"authors† are more worried about books and pedestrians then the lives of the citizens. â€Å"Again he found himself thinking of the green park a year ago The thought had been with him many times recently but now he r emembered how it was that day in the city park when he had seen that old man in the black suit hide something, quickly, in his coat.† Clarify Again, we hear about this man Montag met at the park. He can’t seen to shake that memory. Although this time he describes it in more detail. Predict What is so significant about this person? Was that man hiding a book in public? Is he connected somehow with Clarisse? Guy mentioned the man after talking about her, so maybe they are connected in some relevant way. At this point he is stuck and doesn’t know what his move is next. I think that he’s going to go out and find this man to learn more about books. Assuming he find the old man, possibly he will fight for the rights for books and for things to go back to the way it used to be, breaking the dystopian society he is facing.

The compromise of 1850

The compromise of 1850 The compromise of 1850 was passed in 1850 and was a collection of five bills. The compromise helped to stop confrontation between slave states in the South and Free States in the North that had lasted for four years. The confrontation was a result of disagreement over the status of territories that had been acquired during the Mexican-American war of 1846 to 1848.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The compromise of 1850 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The compromise was drafted by Henry Clay a member of the Whig party and he brokered it with the help of Stephen Douglas to avoid civil war and secession. The compromise of 1850 also helped avoid sectional conflict between states for four years (Miller Vandome, 2009). The compromise was praised welcomed by both sides though each had reservations about specific provisions. Texas received debt relief and retained control of El Paso in return for it surrendering its claim t o New Mexico. California was also allowed to join the Union as a Free State and averted it from being split at the Missouri Compromise Line (Rozwenc, 1957). For the South, Wilmot Proviso was avoided and as compensation, the South was allowed to have slave states, which was to be determined by popular Sovereignty in the new territories of Utah and New Mexico. The compromise also allowed slave owners to follow fugitive slaves even in states that were free. The fourth statute or the Fugitive Slave law required federal judicial officials in both Free States and slave states to assist in returning slaves who had escaped (Henretta, Edwards Self, 2011). According to Michael F. Holt, the compromise of 1850 was a forecast of disaster rather than an effective political action. The compromise destroyed the Second American Party System and Michael states that, â€Å"men had placed their loyalty to their own party and defeat of the opposing party within their own section ahead of sectional loy alty; neither the North nor the South could be united into a phalanx against the other† (Michael, 1983 p.139). This acted as a catalyst in throwing the country into civil war in 1861. Kansas-Nebraska Act The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 helped create the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. The Act helped to open new lands for settlement and repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The act was designed and brokered by Stephen Douglas who was the senator for Illinois. He designed the act to open thousands of new farms and allow a transcontinental railroad to be built. The problem of the Kansas-Nebraska act started when in the popular sovereignty was included in the act. According to popular sovereignty, voters in the region were to decide whether they would allow slavery in the territory or not. The result of this was a bloody civil war between pro and anti- slavery activists (Franklin, 1956).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get you r first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many pro-slavery settlers from Missouri came to Kansas with the intention of voting in the ballots. They formed groups that were known as Blue Lodge who wanted the territory to allow slaves. Abolitionists from the East known as Jayhawkers moved into Kansas with the view of making the new territory a Free State and this led to bloody confrontations with the Blue Lodges. Hostility between the two factions and there were reports of intimidation and ballot rigging from both sides. The Kansas-Nebraska Act split the country and this is the root cause of the 1861 civil war. The Act went against the earlier Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850 and this irked many citizens. The turmoil that ensued gave rise to the Republican Party after the Democratic and Whig parties split. It also split the control into two major political camps that is Northern part, which was sympathetic to Republican Party and the South, which sympa thized with Democratic Party. Eventually the anti-slavery state constitution was created and on January 29 1861, Kansas joined the Union as a Free State. It was not until the civil ended did Nebraska join the Union as a Free State (Henretta, Edwards, Self, 2011). Conclusion Both the Compromise of 1850 and Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 failed and were ineffective in creating peace in the country. References Franklin, R. N. (1956). The Kansas-Nebraska act: a century of historiography. Indianapolis : Bobbs-Merrill. Henretta, A., Edwards, R., Self, O. (2011). Americas History. New York: Bedford Martins Michael, F. H. (1983). The Political Crisis of the 1850’s. New York:   W. W. Norton and CompanyAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on The compromise of 1850 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Miller, F. P., Vandome, A. F. (2009). Compromise of 1850. New York: Bedford Martins Rozwenc, E. C. (1957). The Compromise of 1850 , Volume 27Problems in American civilization. Boston: Heath.

Avoid These Common Mistakes While Learning Spanish

Avoid These Common Mistakes While Learning Spanish You want to learn Spanish but still sound like you know what youre doing? If so, here are 10 mistakes you can avoid in your studies: 10. Being Afraid To Make Mistakes The truth is, nobody learns a foreign language without making mistakes along the way, and thats one we all learn, even with our native language. The good news is that wherever you go in the Spanish-speaking world, your sincere attempts to learn the language will almost always be appreciated. 9. Assuming That the Textbook Knows Best Even educated people dont always talk according to the rules. Although Spanish according to the rules will almost always be understood, it can lack the texture and sincerity of Spanish as it really is spoken. Once you feel comfortable using the language, feel free to imitate the Spanish you hear in real life and ignore what your textbook (or this site) tells you. 8. Ignoring Proper Pronunciation Spanish pronunciation isnt all that difficult to learn, and you should make an effort to imitate native speakers whenever possible. The most common mistakes of beginners include making the l of fà ºtbol sound like the ll in football, making the b and v sound different from each other (the sounds are identical in Spanish), and failing to trill the r. 7. Not Learning the Subjunctive Mood In English, we seldom make a distinction when verbs are in the subjunctive mood. But the subjunctive cant be avoided in Spanish if you wish to do more than state simple facts and ask simple questions. 6. Not Learning When To Use Articles Foreigners learning English often have a hard time knowing when to use or not use a, an and the, and its the same for English speakers trying to learn Spanish, where the definite (el, la, los, and las) indefinite articles (un, una, unos, and unas) can be confusing.. Using them incorrectly usually wont keep you from being understood, but it will mark you as someone whos awkward with the language. 5. Translating Idioms Word for Word Both Spanish and English have their share of idioms, phrases whose meanings cannot readily be determined from the meanings of the individual words. Some idioms translate exactly (for example, bajo control means under control), but many dont. For example, en el acto is an idiom meaning on the spot. Translate it word for word and youll end up with in the act, not the same thing. 4. Always Following English Word Order You can usually follow English sentence order (except for putting most adjectives after the nouns they modify) and be understood. But as youre learning the language, pay attention to the many times where the subject is placed after the verb. Changing the word order can sometimes subtly change the meaning of a sentence, and your use of the language can be enriched as you learn different word orders. Also, some English constructions, such as placing a preposition at the end of a sentence, should not be imitated in Spanish. 3. Not Learning How To Use Prepositions Prepositions can be notoriously challenging. It can be helpful to think about the purpose of the prepositions as you learn them, rather than their translations. This will help you avoid mistakes such as using pienso acerca de ti (Im thinking near you) instead of pienso en ti for Im thinking about you.. 2. Using Pronouns Unnecessarily With very few exceptions, English sentences require a subject. But in Spanish, that frequently isnt true. Where it would be understood by the context, the subject of a sentence (which in English often would be a pronoun) can and usually should be omitted. It usually wouldnt be grammatically incorrect to include the pronoun, but use of the pronoun can sound clunky or give it unnecessary attention. 1. Assuming That Spanish Words That Look Like English Words Mean the Same Thing Words that have the same or similar form in both languages are known as cognates. Since Spanish and English share a large vocabulary derived from Latin, more often than not words that are alike in both languages have similar meanings. But there are plenty of exceptions, known as false friends. Youll find, for example, that embarazada usually means pregnant rather than embarrassed, and that a violador usually is a rapist, not someone who merely committed a traffic infraction.

Missions to Nicaragura Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Missions to Nicaragura - Research Paper Example One of the mission groups is a BIMI mission group. The BIMI for Nicaragua is a Baptist international mission group that started its mission work in 1962. The mission group was started by Bob and Sabina Dayton. The main aim of BIMI mission group is to bring together and support missionaries and mission projects that were still going on in Nicaragua. The group supported different mission groups in order for them to be in a position to serve better the people of Nicaragua (BIMI, 2003). Another mission group is Nicaragua mission project which is a Christian movement mission that started in 1960s as a ministry to prisoners. The mission started with the name â€Å"the Christian mission in the jails†, and their founders were Rev Marceline Davila Castillo, a pastor in assemblies of God and Antonio Martinez who belonged to church of Nazarene. The group’s objective is to solve the problems faced by residents of this country by improving their life (Lubensky, 1999). The Nicaragua mission project goals were to build churches in order to spread the gospel and reach to people in all areas in that country. The mission project aimed at reinforcing ecumenical associations as well as promoting growth of churches as well as their communities. The mission group built their financial and prayer support structures through donations from their members as well as from the missionaries. The Nicaragua mission group made their first move towards their target in 1959 in Acahualinca in the neighborhood of Managua where they built their first church. The group was assisted by Pentecostal movement of Latin America in which they are part of (Serafino, 2013. The Nicaragua mission project has been successful in its work. The mission groups have stuck to their original vision of serving the populace of Nicaraguans. This has been proved by the number of

Could a seniority Based Pay be used as a Motivation Device (MBA Essay

Could a seniority Based Pay be used as a Motivation Device (MBA DISSERTATION) - Essay Example The purpose of the present research was to establish if the seniority based plan can act as a motivational device. Towards this, a qualitative research was conducted where the managers and the employees were asked to give their opinion about Favourable/unfavourable aspect of the plan, and also to make suggestions to improve it. The responses indicated that employees at Federal Foods Ltd appeared to be approving of the concept of seniority based pay, but were concerned about problems with its implementation. Employees at Federal Foods Ltd appreciated the opportunity to be judged on merit, the money offered by the plan, and the incentive to of raise through seniority; but they were concerned with the quality of the goals that were set and with a lack of fairness or a perception of favouritism in the allocation of rewards. The offered suggestion included an appeal to inculcate fairness in the implementation of the plan, to make relevant goals contingent upon the pay and to involve worke rs in the entire process. The participant observation that was carried out by the researchers revealed that the supervisors who acted as their conduit to the senior managers motivated the workers. Other factors that can be attributed to motivating the employees include, realistic and fair budgets, and the encouragement to exercise self-evaluation. It was also observed that among those hired-with-tenure, Federal Foods Ltd employees with 3 to 15 years of seniority earned approximately 8 to 10 percent more than new hires with tenure; and Federal Foods Ltd employees with 16 or more years of seniority earn over 15 percent more than those with 2 or fewer years of seniority. Among Federal Foods Ltd employees who have exhibited a willingness and ability to change employers there are positive returns to seniority. It was also found that the rising returns to seniority among Federal Food Ltd employees are consistent across gender and across departments. The in depth