Two Nation: The War Continues... Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"So the question for white Americans is essentially moral: is it right to impose on members of an entire race a lesser start in life and then to expect from them a certain degree of resolution that has never been demanded from your own race?† With this question the author concludes his book. The book is called â€Å"Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal.† The author is Andrew Hacker, a professor of political science at Queens College. He has written many books along with this one mostly dealing with race and other social problems faced in America. He believes that race plays a larger role in America than it does anywhere else in the world. The title has many sources and foreshadows some of the conclusions he makes in the book. The â€Å"two nations† being discussed are the White nation and the African-American (Black) nation. It has been said many times in history that the two major races in this country have been separ ate, hostile and unequal. It is interesting to find out what Mr. Hacker thinks about all of this as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is separated into three parts. In the first part Hacker wishes to give the reader insight on how â€Å"we† define and divide people into races. He will also discuss what it feels like to be black in this country and why white Americans act the way they do to those of African-American descent. In the second part he will focus more on the role race plays in such areas as education, family life, economy, politics and crime. In the third section there are statistics based on race and an index. In the opening chapter of the book Hacker discusses the â€Å"origin† of races. Separation and the giving of names to peoples belonging to a group have been done since the first time differences in physical appearance began to appear. He argues that the Native Americans have been at a low population but the population suddenly increased when many individuals began to claim their race as being Native American. He also says that the race once known as â€Å"mongoloid† and other races from the Asian continent have all been combined and renamed by the majority white race to â€Å"Asian-American†. The author then discusses how ridiculous it is that the people in this country have designated everyone in the world to a separate group. Defining them before they can define themselves.   Ã‚   ... ...urban areas anymore. After going to public schools for almost 16 years I can say that there is a lot of segregation everywhere because people feel more comfortable among those of their own race. Does this mean that if there are a group of white kids hanging out together that they are racist? No, this just means that all they are is a group of kids. For someone to point out their race and the fact that they are all the same and then to judge them and their beliefs without knowing anything for sure is a racist statement in itself. Overall, Andrew Hacker is a good writer. I don’t agree with all of his beliefs but he makes a very good argument. There are many people that feel strongly about an issue and do not speak up. The admirable thing about Hacker is that he said what he feels and he is not scared to speak his mind. That is a respectable trait. Don’t you agree? â€Å"A huge racial chasm remains, and there are few signs that he coming century will see it closed. A century and a quarter after slavery, white America continues to ask of its black citizens an extra patience and perseverance that whites have never required of themselves† -Andrew Hacker (On the final paragraph of his book)

The film ‘11th Hour’

The film ‘11th Hour’ features many well-established scientists and public figures, such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Stephen Hawking, James Woolsey, Wangari Maathai, William McDonough, and others. All of them offer their own perception on the nature and causes of global warming, deforestation, raising see levels, species extinction, and other environmental problems that plague our planet today. Mikhail Gorbachev advances the argument that our thinking about the environment is the root cause of the imminent crisis.He argues that it was a fatal mistake to think that man is the king of nature. Indeed, our disconnection from the nature resulted in the great degree of alienation and ignorance. While human species is an inherent part of the Earth’s global ecosystems, men prefer to view themselves as ‘outsiders,’ superior to other species. Such approach brought about the overexploitation of the Earth’s resources and considerable environmental damage.Similar approach is taken by David Suzuki: he strongly deems that the framing of environmental discourse is done incorrectly. The mankind should arrive at understanding of itself as an integral part of the ecosystem; in other words, humans are also an element of nature, just like earth, air, fire and water. Paul Hawken also supports this notion by claiming that the living system should be perceived as a complex integral organization. While it is currently in decline, the very existence of the human race on this planet is under threat.Herman Daly, an influential scientist on both environmental and economic field, believes that the root cause of environmental problems is associated with the fact that the economic system should be viewed as a subsystem of biosphere, thus the expansion of economic system should be limited by the natural capabilities of the biosphere. Lester Brown supports Herman Daly by claiming that the economy expanded beyond the ability of the planet to sustain economic acti vity on such a scale, and the indirect cost of production in the form of damage to nature are too high.The film persuasively argues that both individuals and corporations can make a considerable contribution to stopping (or at least slowing down) the degradation of the environment. In fact, many individuals seldom realize how their consumption patters are contributing to the aggravation of the situation. The culture of consumerism that constitutes the underlying philosophy of the West fuels unnecessary overproduction: reconsidering one’s consumption pattern can be the first step on the long way of saving the Earth.Such an approach implies not only reduction in consumption of non-essential goods and services but also buying from companies that are known to use environmentally-benign technologies in the process of production. Switching to less environmentally damaging types of transport (such as a bike or public transport instead of a private car) is another manifestation of co nscientious attitude. Economical usage is energy is another little earth saving project susceptible of being exercised at the personal level.It is also possible to engage in environmental activism and help raise awareness of the acute challenges faced by the mankind. Finally, every person can apply his or her professional skills to building more sustainable relations between the humanity and ecosystem, whether this person is a designer or CEO. Industries, in turn, can embrace environmentalism by implementing ‘green technologies’ into the production process.Also, firms should invest more into R&D with a view to mastering technologies that can make the current situation more sustainable, e. . carbon-neutral city and self-sustaining houses. Companies should also switch to renewable energy sources, since the overdependency on the fossil fuels is one of the greatest problems the humanity confronts. There is little consensus within both academic and lay circles as to whether the nature is able to cope with the environmental problems itself. In my opinion, ecosystems have a great potential of restoring the state of natural balance; however, the devastating influence of the humankind has significantly undermined this ability.At the dawn of the 21st century, environmental problems are looming large, and many processes are already irreversible. For instance, species that became extinct due to man’s activity could have been essential elements of certain food chains and habitants. The frequency of large-scale natural calamities, especially in the places that have been for a long time considered relatively safe, is a telling manifestation of the inability of nature to sustain its balanced state.Yet the film argues that today is exactly the day when the humanity can redeem its attitude to nature and prevent a global catastrophe. Therefore, the need for a different approach to the relations between the mankind and environment is necessary. It is imperativ e to carry on conservation and purification activities coupled with a persistent effort by both businesses and individuals to reduce (and, under the dream scenario, to stop) their environmentally damaging activities.

Magical Realism In Beloved - 1787 Words

From early classics like The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to somewhat recent stories like The Haunting of Hill House, it seems that no matter what great works are added to horror as a whole, the genre is never given respect. Consequently, when highly respected works involve horror elements, critics tend to describe these elements as â€Å"magical realism† to the effect of denying that any high-end literary novel could come from the horror genre. In this case Beloved, a magical realism interpretation feels lacking because the title character is different from a fairytale ghost or creature; she is a legitimate threat in the book who should not exist. The entire time Beloved is at 124, Morrison uses the language, syntax, and plot of the†¦show more content†¦Stretching out her arms she tried to circle it around Sethe. Firstly, Morrison draws out Beloved’s entrance in the first paragraph, building up tension before it is revealed to the reader that it is Beloved approaching. For the first three whole clauses of the second sentence, there is no indication that this entrance is for any character readers know. It isn’t until the fourth clause that readers get a strong hint that the figure is Beloved, and the confirmation that it’s Beloved doesn’t even come until the second paragraph. In this way, the belated inclusion of her name almost jolts readers. The pacing feels slow, and the effect is to build tension in the readers gradually for every clause in the second sentence with no real relief until Beloved’s name is mentioned afterward. This use of isolated clauses to create unease is also found when Beloved is entering the house after the events in the clearing: â€Å"Breathing and murmuring, breathing and murmuring, Beloved heard them as soon as the door banged shu t behind her,† (page 118). â€Å"Breathing and murmuring† is just an unusual clause; it puts emphasis on breathing, a normal human action, and it’s repeated twice. The effort Morrison puts into telling us Beloved is breathing makes her seem abnormal, suggesting breathing is not a given for Beloved. Simultaneously, the repetition of murmuring makes her seem unstable because of how murmuring is associated with obsessiveness. Looking at these twoShow MoreRelatedLove and Trauma: Exploring Magical Realism in Toni Morrison ´s Beloved843 Words   |  3 Pagesvariety of literary techniques in the novel Beloved, however, the most dominant technique is that of magical realism. The term magical realism was created in the early twentieth century, originally to describe a new style in German painting, but later applied to Latin American fiction (Faris 1). This technique blends realistic narrative with supernatural elements in such a way the reader does not question the im possibility of these events. Magical realism is used in this novel to enhance three majorRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Beloved920 Words   |  4 Pages1. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, she takes her audience back to a past where the oppressed (slaves) did not have a voice. How does Beloved compare to other slave narrative, and why is it important? How does memory involve itself within this concept? â€Å"A Different Remembering: Memory, History and Meaning in Beloved† is Marilyn Sanders Mobley’s attempt to distinguish the difference of Morrison’s novel from the established white literary tradition that critics were trying to place it in. Mobley arguesRead More Discovering a Culture through Magical Realism Essay1080 Words   |  5 PagesDiscovering a Culture through Magical Realism      Ã‚   Every culture has a memorable type of literature. When one thinks of English literature, one thinks of William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. The American writers Thoreau, Clemens, and Emerson bring to mind the days when America was still proving herself to be equal to the European countries. France had her own artists, such as Voltaire and Hugo, as did Spain with Cervantes and Dante. However, when one thinks of Latin America, what writersRead MoreLike Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel1773 Words   |  7 Pagesabout real life. This genre of literature is usually referred to as magical realism. As can be easily understood from the very name, the authors that adhere to it, try to describe real life as it is, with all the positive and negative elements of it; however, in the course of their narration, they may engage various fantastic elements which put emphasis on particular aspects of the story or contribute to its development. Magical realism in Like Water for Chocolat e is an irreplaceable element of the storyRead MoreSupernatural Elements in Like Water for Chocolate and the House of the Spirits1014 Words   |  5 Pagesof the spirits† by Isabel allende, magic realism has been used as a common literary device to give the book a fantasy-like twist, making it very interesting and engaging. Magic realism stretches the boundaries of realism in order to stretch or widen the definition of reality. In Like Water for Chocolate, magic becomes ordinary, admitted, accepted and integrated into the rationality and materiality of literary realism. The first instance of magic realism in Like Water for Chocolate is Tita’s entryRead MoreSupernatural Elements in Like Water for Chocolate and the House of the Spirits1004 Words   |  5 Pagesof the spirits† by Isabel allende, magic realism has been used as a common literary device to give the book a fantasy-like twist, making it very interesting and engaging. Magic realism stretches the boundaries of realism in order to stretch or widen the definition of reality. In Like Water for Chocolate, magic becomes ordinary, admitted, accepted and integrated into the rationality and materiality of literary realism. The first instance of magic realism in Like Water for Chocolate is Tita’s entryRead More Comparing One Hundred Years of Solitude and Bless Me Ultima Essay1675 Words   |  7 Pagesthe wisdom contained within the telling. These ancient methods evolved naturally into the writings of contemporary Latin American authors. The blending of fantasy with reality to evoke a mood or emphasize elements of importance became known as magical realism, and was employed to great effect by Latin authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and Rudolfo Anaya, in his work, Bless Me Ultima. Bless Me Ultima introduces Antonio, a young boy caught betweenRead MoreThe Theory, History, and Development of Magical Realism Essay examples3188 Words   |  13 PagesMagical realism is more a literary mode than a distinguishable genre and it aims to seize the paradox of the union of opposites such as time and timelessness, life and death, dream and reality and the pre-colonial past and the post-industrial present. It is characterized by two conflicting perspectives. While accepting the rational view of reality, it also considers the supernatural as a part of reality. The setting in a magical realist text is a normal world with authentic human characters. It isRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Oz And On Kahani 949 Words   |  4 Pagesbeauty in the world. Seeing magical, fantastical worlds not only appeals to their fascination with magic and beauty, but also gives them hope that life might remain beautiful and happy and fair. By making these worlds dreamlands, both Rushdie and the pr oducers of The Wizard of Oz, maintained the sense of wonder that excited children, but made it clear to the adults that they were not trying to present this as the real world. Keeping this distinction clear provides realism without compromising the funRead MoreBone Gap By Laura Ruby Takes Readers On A Journey Of Magic1442 Words   |  6 PagesBone Gap by Laura Ruby takes readers on a journey of magic realism in the small town of Bone Gap, Illinois. This young adult novel features brothers, Sean and Finn O’Sullivan, as they struggle through feelings of rejection and loneliness due to continuous abandonment. When the beloved Roza mysteriously disappears, it only adds to the previous loss of their father and desertion of their mother. As the novel progresses, the line between reality and fantasy blurs while a determined Finn strives to find