Charlottes Web and Lincoln a Photobiography

Charlottes Web and Lincoln a Photobiography E.B White’s book, Charlotte’s Web, tells the story of a piglet rescued from death from its owner by the owner’s daughter, Fern. Fern appeals to her father’s sense of justice, pleading with him that, to kill the piglet just because it is a rant would be most unfair. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Charlotte’s Web and Lincoln: a Photobiography specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Wilbur, the piglet, thus survives and lives an adventurous life, later being sold to the Zuckermans, on whose firm he develops a friendship with a spider named Charlotte, who saves the life of Wilbur again when the owner tries to slaughter him over the Christmas season. Russell Freedman’s picture book Lincoln: a Photobiography tells the story of the life and times of America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. Using pictures to augment the writings, the book traces the life of Lincoln from childhood to his eventual rise to the pinnacle of US politics – the US presidency. Pictures give a story an extra angle of believability and are an important addition to the words of the text. While Charlotte’s Web is a fictional account, Lincoln: a Photobiography is a factual account of the life of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the US. Charlotte’s Web, in telling the story of Wilbur, the pig, illustrates the theme of discrimination, as depicted in the life and activities of Wilbur. From the very day of his birth, Fern’s father declares Wilbur unfit to live due to his small stature and sickliness. The picture, on the other hand, portrays Abraham Lincoln as a person who endures a lot of hardships and discrimination, battling discrimination against himself, and discrimination against those whom the constitution gave him power to lead – for instance African Americans suffering under slavery. In Charlotte’s Web, as stated earlier, the them e of discrimination manifests itself in the life of Wilbur. At birth, Mr. Arable marks Wilber for death due to his perceived illness; Wilbur was not supposed to live since he would not bring any returns (profit) to the owner. As Fern questions why her father heads for the pigsty with an ax, her mother explains, â€Å"One of the pigs is a runt. It is very small and weak. It will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it† (p 1). Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This statement leaves Fern mortified and highly disturbed, and she rushes after her father to protest at what she felt to be a serious case of injustice. Fern begs for the life of the pig, promising to look after him, and his father backs down and lets Fern keep the pig as her pet. Wilbur grows to become an active and healthy pig, defying the prognosis that Fern’s f ather and mother had defined for him at birth. This clearly is a statement by the author against discrimination based on appearance. The author encourages the reader to develop a culture of giving persons the benefit of doubt, instead of condemning them quickly without getting to know them. In Lincoln: A Photobiography, Russell Freedman portrays a Lincoln who encounters much derision and mocking due to his looks. Lincoln grows to a very tall stature, and thus his gangly frame attracted much negative discussion (p 1). He grows in a society the places premium value on looks. Lincoln, however, overcomes this primitive judgment of one’s character based on looks and successfully pursues his educates to become a lawyer. Abraham Lincoln came from a very poor background, a factor that weighed heavily on his life as he rose up the societal ladder as a lawyer and a congressional representative. He rarely talked about his background (p 8). Lincoln was of the view that one’s ba ckground should not be a factor for success as long as a person was determined to rise to the highest levels of the society. An element explored by both authors is the futility of discrimination based on age, race, gender, looks, and even class. A common thread in both stories is the fact that the individuals discriminated never chose to be of the specific age, race, gender or other such social constructs. When Fern is pleading with her father for Wilbur’s life, and her father states that he wants to kill the pig due to the fact that it was runt, Fern states that â€Å"The pig couldn’t help being small† (6). This statement pricks the conscience of her father who decides to let his daughter have it her way. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Charlotte’s Web and Lincoln: a Photobiography specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Similarly, Lincoln did not choose to have his looks; therefore, any refe rence to his looks was invalid. Additionally, Lincoln did not choose his poor background, and Russell Freedman portrayal of Lincoln overcoming the circumstances of his poor background to scale the heights of American politics invalidates discrimination against a person based on the background, which the person had no control over. Furthermore, in both texts the authors depict the golden rule of treating another person in the same fashion that one would like others to treat him/her. Fern asks her father whether he would have killed her for being small at birth the very reason that Mr. Arable uses as justification for his intent of killing the piglet: â€Å"If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?† (3). She appeals to her father’s sense of justice, urging him to treat the piglet as if it were his own. Fern, even in her young mind, knew that if her father would realize that his actions on the piglet could very well reflect his actions on a human bein g, he would not proceed and kill the innocent piglet. Her father later appreciates the fact that his daughter had a keen sense of justice, something he tells to his wife and son. The America’s Civil War, which characterized Lincoln’s presidency, intended to reconcile the divergent views on slavery. The North was of the idea that slavery should become to an end, while the South wanted slavery maintained, at the very least in the southern states. Slavery is one of the highest forms of discrimination, and in the US, the slaves were of African descent, and were enslaved because they belonged to a different, supposedly ‘inferior’ race. As president, Lincoln was highly critical of the unfairness and highly discriminative nature of slavery, where slaves labored from dusk until dawn, in deplorable conditions and at no pay. In the book Lincoln: A Photobiography, a prologue containing Lincoln views on slavery, presented in his own handwriting states that â€Å"As I would not be a slave, I would not be a master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Freedman ix), Lincoln, through this piece of writing, not only opposes to the institution of slavery that had become highly entrenched in the American economic, social and political fabric, but also urges Americans to view slavery in a different manner. This prologue by Russell Freedman sees Lincoln urging Americans (and readers of the book at large) to put themselves in the position of the person(s) they are discriminating. In this way, he urges them determine if they would be comfortable in such situations. Therefore, just like in Charlotte’s Web, the author urges the readers to eliminate discrimination by putting themselves in the situation of the people they discriminate.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, Wilbur, the pig, overcomes discrimination and isolation at a personal level and in a similar manner, Lincoln experiences hatred and much abuse from his contemporaries due to his political stands on slavery. In Charlotte’s Web, fellow animals at the Zuckerman farm spurn Wilbur simply because these animals are envious of Wilbur’s cheerful nature. When he seeks to engage with the lamb, the lamb retorts, â€Å"†¦ Go play by yourself! I don’t play with pigs† (p 28). The Goose and Templeton the rat also reject his advances. However, Wilbur does not despair, and he eventually finds a fitting friend in Charlotte, the spider. Many of the farm animals feign a sense of urgency or lie that they are busy to avoid the company of Wilbur, an innocent victim of discrimination. Through Wilbur’s refusal to be put down by these unrequited advances, E.B White communicates the message that the reader should always stand by their unique and genuine characteristics even in the face of discrimination, and such a stand is usually vindicated in the future. For instance, in Wilbur’s case, Charlotte’s friendship turns out to be most enriching, and Charlotte even saves his life. In Russell Freedman’s Lincoln: A photobiography Abraham Lincoln comes under a lot of vitriolic attack from all manner of persons for his opposition to slavery. Freedman posits, â€Å"During the Civil War he was the most unpopular president the nation had ever known† (5). When Lincoln warns his fellow Congress representatives that the American nation could not survive with one half supporting slavery and the other half opposed to it, they accused him of predicting disintegration of the nation, and earned even more enemies, simply because of his position. However, President Lincoln did not waver in his commitment to abolish slavery. In the face of huge odds, Lincoln perseveres and abolishes slavery by the end of the four-year Civil War (Dirck 23). Freedman communicates to the reader the virtues of being firm in one’s conviction, that in the end the virtuous person will become validated, as Lincoln has been, occupying Folk hero status among the Americans today for his virtuous and firm leadership during the Civil War. In contrast, however, both authors deal with the ultimate gain of fighting against discrimination differently. E.B White mainly tackles discrimination at the personal level. Beginning with Fern, White portrays her as the hero who stands up for the right to life of a pig deemed as worthless by its owner (45). Similarly, Wilbur’s ability to remain true to his character (despite rejection from friends at the farm) tackles discrimination at a personal level. Russell Freedman, on the other hand, tackles discrimination at a professional and political level. Abraham Lincoln as a president comes under heavy criticism for his political stand on issues like slavery. In conclusion, both E.B White and Russell Freedman tackle the issue of discrimination and racism. As discussed in the essay, White tackles discrimination at personal level while Russell tackles discrimination at professional level. Noteworthy however is the interconnection between the two – that having convictions at a personal level informs the reaction of a person at professional level. For instance, Abraham Lincoln was able to stand against slavery at a political level because he was against it even at a personal level. Therefore, through their different works, the authors have spoken against all forms of discrimination and its ills. Dirck, Brian. Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief. Perspectives on Political Science 39.1 (2010): 20-27. Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Clarion Books, 1987. Print White, Brooks. Charlotte’s Web. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1952. Print

Hammer-Headed Bat Facts (Big-Lipped Bat)

Hammer-Headed Bat Facts (Big-Lipped Bat) The hammer-headed bat is a real animal, and its scientific name (Hypsignathus monstrosus) references its monstrous appearance. Indeed, websites and social media describe the hammer-headed bats appearance as the spitting image of a devil and even claim that its a cryptid known as the Jersey Devil. Despite its fearsome attributes, however, this bat is a mild-mannered fruit-eater. Nevertheless, you shouldnt get too close, because its one of three species of African fruit bat believed to carry the Ebola virus. Fast Facts: Hammer-Headed Bat Scientific Name: Hypsignathus monstrosusCommon Names: Hammer-headed bat, hammerhead bat, big-lipped batBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: Wingspan 27.0-38.2  inches; Body 7.7-11.2  inchesWeight: 7.7-15.9 ouncesLifespan: 30 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: Equatorial AfricaPopulation: UnknownConservation Status: Least Concern Description The hammer-headed bat is a type of megabat and the largest bat native to Africa. Both males and females are grayish brown, with brown ears and flight membranes, and tufts of white fur at the base of the ears. An adult bat ranges from 7.7 to 11.2 in body length, with a wingspan of 27.0 to 38.2  in. Males range in weight from 8.0 to 15.9  oz, while females weigh 7.7 to 13.3  oz. Male hammer-headed bats are larger than females and look so different from their mates that it would be easy to think they belonged to a different species. Only the males have large, elongated heads. Female hammer-headed bats have the fox-faced appearance common to most fruit bats. This hammer-headed bat looks unnaturally large because it is closer to the camera than its handler. Per Se, Flickr The hammer-headed bat is sometimes confused with Wahlbergs epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi), which belongs to the same family but is smaller. Wahlbergs epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) also has a hammer-head face. Michele DAmico supersky77 / Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Hammer-headed bats occur across equatorial Africa at elevations below 1800 m (5900 ft). They favor humid habitats, including rivers, swamps, mangroves, and palm forests. Hammer-headed bat distribution map. Chermundy Diet Hammer-headed bats are frugivores, which means their diet consists entirely of fruit. While figs are their favored food, they also eat bananas, mangoes, and guavas. The bat has a longer intestine than that of an insectivorous species, allowing it to absorb more protein from its food. There is a sole report of a bat eating a chicken, but no carnivorous activity has been substantiated. The bats are preyed upon by humans and birds of prey. They are also susceptible to severe parasite infestations. Hammer-headed bats are prone to infection by mites and Hepatocystis carpenteri, a protozoan that affects the liver. The species is a suspected reservoir for the Ebola virus, but as of 2017, only antibodies against the virus (not the virus itself) have been found in the animals. Whether or not the bats can transmit Ebola infection to humans is unknown. Behavior During the day, the bats roost in trees, relying on their coloration to camouflage them from predators. They pick and eat fruit at night. One reason large bats such as the hammer-headed bat are nocturnal is because their bodies generate considerable heat when they are flying. Being active at night helps keep the animals from overheating. Reproduction and Offspring Breeding takes place during dry seasons for some populations and at any time of the year for others. Most members of this bat species reproduce via lek mating. In this type of mating, males gather in groups of 25 to 130 individuals to perform a mating ritual consisting of wing flapping and loud honking. Females fly through the group to evaluate potential mates. When a females selection is made, she lands beside a male and mating occurs. In some hammer-headed bat populations, males perform their display to attract females, but do not form groups. Females usually give birth to one offspring. The time required for gestation and weaning is unclear, but females are known to mature more quickly than males. Females reach sexual maturity at 6 months of age. It takes males a full year to develop their hammer-head faces and about 18 months before they reach maturity. The bat has a life expectancy of thirty years in the wild. Conservation Status The conservation status of the hammer-headed bat was last evaluated in 2016. The bat is categorized as least concern. Although the animal is hunted as bush meat, it occupies a large geographic range and the overall population has not experienced a rapid decline. Sources Bradbury, J. W. Lek Mating Behavior in the Hammer-headed Bat. Zeitschrift fà ¼r Tierpsychologie 45 (3): 225–255, 1977. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1977.tb02120.xDeusen, M. van, H. Carnivorous Habits of Hypsignathus monstrosus. J. Mammal. 49 (2): 335–336, 1968. doi:10.2307/1378006Langevin, P. and R. Barclay. Hypsignathus monstrosus. Mammalian Species 357: 1–4, 1990. doi:10.2307/3504110Nowak, M., R.  Walkers Bats of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp.  63–64, 1994.Tanshi, I. Hypsignathus monstrosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T10734A115098825. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T10734A21999919.en

Event Sponsorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Event Sponsorship - Essay Example The sponsorship should take into consideration the continuous funding of the event and the value and goals that should be met. Commercialisations of events have led to the compromise of values in event managements and have led to failure in some events. The project proposal aims at evaluating the challenges faced by event managers in handling sponsorship. It also aims at coming up with better strategies to improve sponsorship. Event management is a task that has a long history. Today, various events are held. The events range from games, festivals, concerts, meetings to political rallies. Up to these days, events remain an important part of people's culture and help social development of people. For their success, these events need to be managed. In managing events, sponsorship is very important. It should be noted that managing events is expensive and needs funds. Sponsorship of an event is not just as way of raising funds for the events, but it also entails marketing. The finding of sponsors, choice of sponsors and managing marketing and commercials should be an integral part of event management. Sponsors are important in event management. Good management of sponsors is lacking in event management. It should be noted that events are very important elements to people's culture. A successful event should send the required message or meet the desired goals (Allen, Bowdin, 2006, pp123). It should be noted that there are different categories of sponsors. Some sponsors are not motivated by business while others are motivated by business and aim at marketing their products. In managing sponsors, some event management conflict over the amount allocated to a certain sponsor and the recognition of the sponsor as a sponsor to an event. Poor management of sponsor could explain the conflict in events and the inability to sustain a sponsor for a long time. Lack of good sponsorship management also leads to failure of some events. Research Question Which and how important is the role of sponsorship in an event management context Aim and objectives Managing a sustainable fund is a principle element of event management. Sponsors are the main sources of funding to an event and they should be well managed. The management of sponsorship should ensure a sustainable fund and at the same time maintain the integrity of the event (Cornwell, Amis, 2005). The research will establish the problem encountered in managing sponsorships and come up with a better way of managing the sponsors. The project will also establish things which people managing events can do to ensure sustainable fund for events. Literature review Events are an integral part of communities. In the early days, every community had its own events and activities. The events were great opportunities for social development and development of cultures. It was also a great opportunity for interaction, communication and development of leaders (Berkowitz, 2008). In the past, the major activity had either cultural or religious base and involved people from a given geographical region. Although cultural and religious events remain important today, events have taken different perspectives including people from various cultures and large geographical regions. Small events are not involving and their management is simple;

The Use of Multicultural Material in ESL Classrooms Essay

The Use of Multicultural Material in ESL Classrooms - Essay Example This will also ensure that future bullying will be eradicated. In order to teach ESL, the teacher has to understand his/her students and try to make learning a fun experience. How does a teacher therefore manage to make lessons fun for children of such diverse backgrounds? Using multicultural material can enable the child to embrace his/her own culture in a different language as well as by having a unifying language (English), they are able to express themselves and share their experiences with their classmates. ESL does not only benefit the students; in that at the end of the day they learn their target language, but also benefits the teacher who is faced with a classroom with students from various backgrounds, belief and culture. David O. McKay has this to say about ESL: â€Å"Students who are working on understanding the English language may also be experiencing confusion and frustration from immersion in a foreign culture. Multicultural teaching techniques can help students in a bilingual setting feel more comfortable and gain a better understanding of the learning materials. Multicultural techniques may include linking ESL materials presented to native cultures, providing learning materials and classroom aides that are of a diverse nature, and encouraging students to express their frustrations and confusion in a constructive manner.† Sixth grade students are at an age where learning has to be made interesting, especially when it comes to a new or not very well known language. Many will lose interest others will generally not learn. Using multicultural tools in classrooms such as: Performing plays about various groups/cultures Learn songs in different languages Exchange cultural stories such as fairytales and show the students how cultures do not vary that much Develop a multicultural calendar; where important days can be observed by the whole class irrespective of the culture. Such tools aid both the teacher and the student understand the other and realize that many are not so different after all. According to Jones (1986), multicultural learning activities are most effective for learners when they: i. Offer students opportunities to observe/participate in the affairs of the community ii. Engage students directly and actively in learning iii. Rely on a broad range of instructional materials. Literature Review How can ESL students who usually have a hard time â€Å"fitting in† due to the inability to communicate effectively manage to do so? ESL classrooms are therefore there in order to teach the student how to behave, communicate and appreciate the English language and it’s culture (for lack of a better word), both in formal and academic context as well as informal/ social contexts. In order for such students to be able to interact with other students whose first language is English, they must first learn to interact among themselves and this is where the use of multicultural material in ESL classrooms is import ant. In order for this to be a success, the fewer number of children in a classroom the better. Crowded classrooms, especially of such a sensitive kind may cause conflict between the students and learning anything can prove difficult due to constant distraction among the students. Fewer students in a classroom give room for individual attention and a better learning atmosphere for the students.

Identity Crisis in Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee

Identity Crisis in Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee ABSTRACT: Immigrants have envisioned tales that exhibit experiences of independent and emerging countries. Cultures have taken up new form in the contemporary times, where the issues of Diaspora, globalization, consumerism, transnationalism cultural hyberidity and identity crisis have become new motif in the postcolonial literatures. The new issues give rise to identity crisis that evokes feelings of an individual that portrays socio-cultural setup that shows the blend of tradition and modernity. The new identity creates problems for Tara in Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee, where she is alienated, languishing in the angst and ennui of the diasporic experience, yet to carve out a niche for herself. In the novel, Bharati Mukherjee has struck a balance between tradition and modernity by representing past and present which is achieved through the female protagonist -Tara, who severed her links with tradition but remains tied to her native country. Tara is influenced by ancient customs and traditions, but is rooted to modern customs. She is conscious of her existential predicament which is mirrored in the epigraph: No one behind, no one ahead the path the ancients cleared has closed. And the other path everyones pathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ goes nowhere, I am alone and find my way. Tara is alienated from the society as she oscillated between the nostalgic fascinations of a traditional past and the romantic and adventurous allurements of the present. The diasporic qualities exhibited by Tara establish the merging of the East and West which shows the clash. The Identity of the protagonist is highly assimilative, can adopt and accommodate herself both to her traditional Indian way of life and to her newly adopted American ethos. She tries to move away from the constrained identity and vacillates between two lives: maybe I really was between two lives.(251) Taras reconstruction of identity is rooted in her nostalgic and romantic recollection of her past. It is based on the flux of her thoughts about the past coming to her mind in the present but in fragments, and not whole. She tried to reconstruct her identity through her diasporic experience. She was attempting to redefine the importance of her cultures through space and time. Loneliness had made Tara a little wanton and wantonness had made her very lonely. In these five years she had changed beyond recognition, but other character Bish had not changed at all.Bish is also an upholder of tradition. He prefers the values of an imagined past than those of contemporaneity. The concept of home and migration is very much embedded in the narratology that Bharati Mukherjee presents in Desirable Daughters. It is the sense of migration which brings about a change to the identity of Padma, who has finally made New York her home, her land of choice. But her inalienable attachment to her home makes her the sustainer and preserver of Bengali tradition in America. The alien culture thus fails to subvert her traditional identity. On the other hand it only remaps nad reconstructs her cultural identity. Hence migration plays a crucial role in restricting individual identifies and cultural attitudes and perceptions. The novel is woven brilliantly which depicts the thoughts and feelings of three Calcutta, India-born Brahmin upper-class sisters, renowned for their beauty, brains, wealth, and privileged position in society. Mukherjee narrates their lives as they leave their conservative, sheltered childhood home, where they are inundated with culture, tradition, and values and inculcated with education by the Catholic nuns in their convent structured school and college. Two of them emigrate to America and the other relocates to Bombay, India. The three sisters, Padma, Parvati, and Tara, are born exactly three years apart from each other and share the same birthday.They are named after the goddessess name,hoping that they will survive and prosper in whatever they do. We are sisters three/as alike as three blossoms on one flowering tree. (But we are not), says Tara, the protagonist, quoting a poem. Desirable Daughters is the novel that takes a long time to lift itself from the surface and once it releases its themes and characters, it seems to get liberated from the trapped situation. Engrossed in Indian culture old and new, it keeps strucking down in tight little circles of detail that create an atmosphere of cramped inwardness, even suffocation. Bharati Mukherjee, like in her previous four novels and short stories, tries to portray the repression that enables the women of her culture nailed down in subservience to male desires. The feelings and emotions are discovered after exploring traditional Indian society. The novel is based on three strikingly-beautiful sisters from a privileged Bengali Brahmin family in Calcutta feel the tug between tradition and freedom as they try to meet expectations that are often wildly contradictory. The youngest, Tara Chatterjee, seems to have flown farthest from the nest. Tara is divorced from Bishwapriya (a Silicon Valley multimillionaire hand-picked for her by her father), shes raising a sensitive teenaged son on her own. The depressing part is that, she works as a lowly teacher, a choice which would be unthinkable in the culture of her birth. The story is narrated by Tara from her adopted San Francisco home, where she lives with Andy Karolyi, a strange sort of Hungarian Zen carpenter who earthquake-proofs houses. The lifestyle of the protagonist implies, a sort of free and easy hippie lifestyle, but nothing could be farther from the truth. In the novel the rebellion-gestures are merely trappings, or reactions against the gagging restrictions of Taras girlhood. Tara initiates her tale of repression in a curious way, with a legend about her namesake Tara Lata, also known as the Tree Bride a remarkable figure who became prominent in the fight for Indian freedom. After going in for more than twenty pages, Tara then delves into telling story of her own, which seems to be dislocating in nature. She recalls the utter lack of romanticism in her marriage, in which her father told her, There is a boy and we have found him suitable. Here is his picture. The marriage will be in three weeks. Tara, not knowing any other way, submitted: I married a man I had never met, whose picture and biography and bloodlines I approved of, because my father told me it was time to get married and this was the best husband on the market. Mukherjee dwells on every detail of this highly traditional occurrence. The father of the child bride is a traditionalist even though he is a lawyer educated in English and English law. The groom dies of snakebite and his family blames the bride as unlucky. Greedily the father of the groom demands the dowry. But the brides father takes his daughter into the forest where he marries her to a tree. She becomes a woman noted for her courage and generosity. Her American granddaughter visits her home. She has the same name, Tara Lata, as the old woman and like her she has two sisters. The contemporary woman is a divorced woman. Her ex-husband was the traditionally pre-selected bridegroom like his former wife a resident in America and now she lives with her lover, an American, in San Francisco. Her son introduces a young man who claims kinship as the son of her oldest sister, Padma. This is a kind of impossibility. An impossibility since her sister never had a child and a possibility since the familial relationships are so convolutedly secretive as to make the existence of the young man as her nephew plausible. It seems likely that the young mans claim is true and that Padma, Taras sister, did bear an illegitimate child. This is a momentous event for Tara. As the pampered child of wealthy Calcutta parents, she was sheltered from the poverty of the city and from all but the most severe political crises. She suffers the stress now of an immigrant with a child that belongs wholly to her new country. The discovery of Padmas child brings into focus all her inner disqu iet and the need to find valid connections. In the novel, Taras relationship with her two elder sisters is complicated, the flow of affection blocked by a certain formality and adherence to preset roles. Middle sister Parvati married a rich man and stayed in India, but by some miracle was able to select the suitable match for her. Parvati in her own way had established her identity, because of which it was said:Parvati, the pliable middle daughter had done the unthinkable: shed made a love match. He was certainly not what brains-and-beauty Parvati Bhattacharjee could have commanded on the Calcutta marriage market. Even though Paravati was given right to select her right match but after that she is depicted as one who is a meek follower and gets diminished by losing her real.She writes to Tara: I hope you arent doing bad things to yourself like taking Prozac and having cosmetic surgery. Please, please dont become that Americanized. The third, and the eldest sister of Tara, Didi, is married to a Mehta (an illustrious family which includes the conductor Zubin) and moved to New Jersey to pursue a career in television. But again, all is not as it seems. Her lifestyle is a thin veneer laid over the dense, pressed-down bedrock of tradition. She is considered to be most glamorous of all the three sisters. The other character Chris Dey, is represented as crisis in the novel. He is a young man who represents himself to Tara as Didis illegitimate son, conceived through an affair with a prominent businessman named Ronald Dey. This exposes an ugly under layer of culture to Tara, not the India of doting grandparents, not the India of comfort and privilege, but the backyard of family, the compost heap. The characters in the novel are not portrayed in the liberated form, they are trapped into different set of emotions trying to carve out a new identity for themselves. Tara is projected as a character who more of a status conscious tries to uphold the values of traditional society despite falling for different allurements in the present. Her elder sister, Didi pretends hard to be a pure character but falters when gives birth to her son, which represents misalliance.Chris Dey isnt really who he says he is, and in fact he feels like a device, something dropped into the story to keep things moving forward. In the end, the novel, tries to come back from where it started, where and the legend of Tara Lata the Tree Bride, but this device doesnt quite work either. The denouement somehow goes slack and does not yield a satisfying end to the story. The novel seems to be a family saga which could not bring out the desirable characteristics in the characters of the novel, that portrays them as a dominant in any sphere. The end is quite suspenseful and complex where the description of homeland may be magical but symbolic intention was lost. Bharati Mukherjee depicts a liquid society in her novels, ie a society in flux. It is a society of constant flow, the flow of migrants, the flow of machines, flow of criminals, flow of power structures, flow of people and commodities.  Amidst all the confusions the message was brought out clearly and it is represented as a fascinating beautifully written work of art that exhibits vulnerability that cannot be missed out.

Develop positive relationships Essay

Learning Outcome 1 : Be able to develop positive relationships with children and young people. 1.1. . Explain why positive relationships with children and young people are important and how these are built and maintained. Developing a positive relationships with children and young people is extremely important as it could impact hugely on their learning, development confidence and skills learnt as they grow. Nurseries and schools have allocated key workers assigned to develop a bond, care for the childs welfare and liaise closely with parents of the child. Children and young people thrive in all stages of learning and development if a positive relationships are in place and maintained. Children and young people need to feel comfortable with the people around them and one another. This will build confidence and encourage them to try new areas of learning at every stage of their development. If relationships between parents, care providers are positive the child will feel secure and can easily separate from parents when needed. Children are more likely to want to participate and enjoy activities if the feel happy and safe in their environment. Positive relationships also alleviate to some degree negative/unwanted behavior, as caregivers are more likely to recognise the initial signs and meet the child’s needs prior to any adverse behavior. Verbal communication between child and adult will also help the child develop language skills and the confidence to express themselves. Practitioners/care providers should try to recognise a child’s needs by their emotions/facial expressions. Knowing the child well – their interests/likes and dislikes will enable the practitioner to responding to its needs and emotions, plan for the child’s future developmental needs and build strong positive relationships. 1.2. . Demonstrate how to listen to and build relationships with children and young people. When building relationships with children we first need to get to know them – how they like to communicate – this may be through facial expressions, body language and gestures especially in the very young. They need to feel  confident and secure within that relationship. When trying to build relationships practitioners need to be consistent and fair – listening to the child and understanding the message they are trying to portray. Children need to know their feelings are important and their needs will be taken into consideration. Practitioners should ensure that their own emotions/feelings (having a bad day/quite and withdrawn) are not transferred on to the child. Building good relationships with parents is important as they too need to feel that they and their children are being treated fairly within the setting and that everything that can be done is being done to assist their child. Being able to identify and sort out conflicts and disagreements fairly and calmly will develop trust between adult and child and will teach the child how to respond to future disagreements with other children. Respect and courtesy should be shown to children and young people at all times to that they may in turn learn how to develop these skills when interacting with others. Practitioners can being to teach children from a very young age how to respect other people (feelings and emotions)/their belongings/teach good manners and how to act in an appropriate way. If children are spoken to warmly, encouraged and shown respect they will in turn develop these skills for themselves. Valuing and respecting individuality will help children to develop their own strengths, talents and attitudes and be accepting of another childs individuality. Allowing children to explore their individuality will show that we respect and are comfortable with their differences and encourage them to try new activities/skills which they may also enjoy. Show that we all accept and encourage individuality in people. To feel secure children need to know that they can rely on their care providers. We should therefore honor all promises and commitments made. Forgetting a promise or changing our mind may cause a child to distrust or become wary of adults. They may feel let down or disappointed. Keeping a check on the way we interact with young people, monitoring their reactions to us will indicate if we need to change our approach or way of teaching. Some children are sensitive, some outspoken and confident etc. Once we know the child we should then adapt our approach accordingly. Maintaining confidentially is extremely important when working with children and young people. Children need to know that they are valued and respected and that if they have worries or concerns they can talk with an adult confidentially. However, circumstances where abuse/neglect have taken place or are suspected, care providers have a duty to report the situation to the appropriate person thereby protecting the child. Documents/reports should be kept locked away. Permission should be sought prior to photographs/information being shared. Personal information regarding a child or young person should not be discussed /given out unless requested by professionals or appropriate authorities. Parents also need to feel that their information or conversations will be treated with respect and confidentiality. Consideration should be given to how care providers speak and give direction to children and young people. Responses should be appropriately given so the child does not feel intimidated or ordered. Children should always feel protected and secure in their environment. 1.3. . Evaluate own effectiveness in building relationships with children or young people. I believe I am able to build positive relationships with children and young people. With younger children, having a calm and gentle manor, making eye contact (at the childs level), expressing concern when needed will begin to form a positive relationships. When possible new children arriving at my setting are offered one to one time so that a strong initial relationship can begin to develop. Spending time with them alone, showing an interest in their skills/activities, encouraging and playing with them whilst trying to form a special bond with the child will help them to see me as a person  they can trust and someone who cares about them. Babies need physical contact to build a relationship – cuddling and talking gently to will reassure and settle . Babies will often cry as they need to be comforted, others may need some kind of interaction for a while. Getting to know the baby, understanding its body language and responding to its needs will help form and build a trusting r elationship. With older children I believe taking an interest in their abilities and skills, talking about their hobbies, listening to them, praising and giving encouragement, showing approval enables me to build strong relationships. Learning Outcome 2 : Be able to build positive relationships with people involved in the care of children and young people. 2.1. . Explain why positive relationships with people involved in the care of children and young people are important. Positive relationships are important because personal information has to be shared regarding the childs education and well-being. Good communication is essential to allow various carers/agenices/schools etc to communicate and pass on accurate information. It allows a childs care to be consistent, identifies needs, monitors the childs progress and ideas and skills can be shared regarding the child. It also shows the parent that professionals and carers alike are all working towards the development and well being of their child. 2.2. . Demonstrate how to build positive relationships with people involved in the care of children and young people. To ensure that positive relationships are maintained all parties concerned regarding the development and needs of a child should be invited to comment, offer advice, make suggestions and pass on information to plan for the immediate and future needs of the child. There are various ways that all parties who have an interest in the child can be kept in the loop – on-line communication, meetings , telephone, written reports etc. Sharing and  recording information is fundamental to a childs progress and to ensure all needs are met. Parents hold valuable information regarding their child so should be kept informed of decisions made regarding their childs emotional and educational development. – their opinion sought and be allowed to contribute in the decision process. Parents should be invited along to meetings, regularly updated and be given the opportunity to talk with all parties involved in their childs welfare. Confidentiality should be remembered at all times.

Using dbExpress in Delphi Database Applications

One of the strengths of Delphi is the support for many databases using several data access technologies: the BDE, dbExpress, InterBase Express, ADO, Borland Data Providers for .NET, to name a few. What is dbExpress? One of the data connectivity options in Delphi is dbExpress. In short, dbExpress is a light-weight, extensible, cross-platform, high-performance mechanism for accessing data from SQL servers. dbExpress provides connectivity to databases for the Windows, .NET and Linux (using Kylix) platforms.Initially designed to replace the BDE, dbExpress (introduced in Delphi 6), allows you to access different servers - mySQL, Interbase, Oracle, MS SQL Server, Informix.dbExpress is extensible, in that it is possible for third-party developers to write their own dbExpress drivers for various databases. One of the most significant features of dbExpress lies in the fact that it accesses databases using unidirectional datasets. Unidirectional datasets do not buffer data in memory --Â  such a dataset cannot be displayed in a DBGrid. To build a user interface using dbExpress you will need to use two more components: TDataSetProvider and TClientDataSet. How to Use dbExpress Heres a collection of tutorials and articles on building database applications using dbExpress: dbExpress Draft SpecificationAn early dbExpress specifications draft. Worth a read. Introduction to ClientDataSets and dbExpressA TClientDataset is a part of any dbExpress applications. This paper introduces dbExpress and the power of ClientDataSets to people who have been using the BDE and are afraid to migrate. Additional dbExpress Driver OptionsA list of third-party drivers available for dbExpress Migrating BDE Applications to dbExpressThis PDF goes into extensive detail on issues you may face when migrating applications from BDE components to dbExpress components. It also provides information on performing the migration. Create a Reusable Component to Connect Delphi 7 to DB2 with dbExpressThis article shows you how to use IBM DB2 as the database for applications written with Borland Delphi 7 Studio and dbExpress. Specific topics include how to connect the seven dbExpress components to DB2 and use them to build visual forms on top of database tables.