Masculinity: Slavery in the United States Essay

Things Fall Apart was written in the 1890s, when whites went to Nigeria. The novel shows the clash between the white’s and the culture of the Igbo people. The novel is about a man named Okonkwo, and his growth for respect, fortune and power which in the end leads to his expected death. His great power did not come to an end because of colonization, but rather his downfall was his obsession with masculinity. The narrative of Frederick Douglass also defines masculinity. The narrative of Frederick Douglass took place in America. During slavery, Frederick Douglass was limited to plantation work because blacks were not seen as being capable to achieve more in life but that did not stop him. Even though both men came from two different backgrounds, they both had a way of portraying their masculinity. There are many things in life that can either make us successful or leads us to failure. In things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s feared he will become a failure like his father. He struggled to be as different from his deceased father as possible. He believes his father to have been â€Å"weak, effeminate, lazy, ignominious, and poor. Consequently, Okonkwo strives to be strong, masculine, industrious, respected, and wealthy† (pg 4). This drove him to recklessness, and added to his death. He began to let the thought of fear of failure and of weakness to control his life through the novel (pg 13). Okonkwo believed felling an emotion or showing one was a sign of weakness. He said, â€Å"’When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed† (pg 65). He began to talk to himself so much about how weak he was becoming. It got to the point where he believed showing an emotion was a sign of weakness. In chapter twenty, Okonkwo had a conversation with Obierika and he felt as though whites have taken over their tradition and culture but Obierika explained to him that the whites did nothing to his people. His people betrayed their own. He says, â€Å"Obierika points out the impossibility of the colonialists understanding anything about the Umuofians without speaking their language. He points out the ludicrousness of denigrating unfamiliar customs. Yet, Obierika does not lay the blame wholly on the side of the white man. He feels also that the Umuofians who have converted to Christianity have consciously and wrongly turned their backs on their own â€Å"brothers† (pg 174-175). Another one of Okonkwo’s weaknesses was portrayed through the way he defined masculinity so narrowly. Even though Okonkwo was a part of a male-controlled society and the male gender was already established with great authority he still felt like he had to control everything as a man should do. He was scared to adapt to this change because he felt this will make him less of a man. He says, â€Å"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart† (pg 176). He was not able to adapt to the clashing values of both societies and the changing ways around him. He could not accept the fact that in a colonized society he would be an average person, rather than a distinguished and powerful male. By adapting to his own idea of masculinity he rejected everything that his father stood for; cowardice, gentleness, and laziness. Okonkwo stood for bravery, courage, hard work, and at many times, felt violence was the only answer to his solution. Okonkwo lived in a patriarchal society where males dominated, and he took advantage of this authority. He associated masculinity with aggression and felt that anger was the only emotion that he should display. Frederick Douglass was a man who stood for what he believed without letting fear taking control of him. Likewise, Frederick Douglas was born in February 1818. â€Å"At the age of ten or eleven, Douglass is sent to live in Baltimore with Hugh and Sophia Auld. Douglass overhears a conversation between them and comes to understand that whites maintain power over black slaves by keeping them uneducated. Douglass resolves to educate himself and escape from slavery. Douglass struggles to free himself, mentally and physically, from slavery†. During this time, African Americans were very limited to do anything. All he wanted was freedom from slavery so he can feel like a man. Douglas was an abolitionist who was dedicated to learn. He was motivated to teach himself how to read and write because he did not want to be a slave for the rest of his life. Frederick Douglass was driven to succeed. Frederick Douglass was a slave at one point but gained his freedom through his education. He says, â€Å"What he most dreaded, that I most desired† (Douglass pg 19). Douglass knew his master did not want him to learn how to read and write, yet he was thirsty and attempted to better himself. Frederick Douglass is a man who had a lot of potential. Frederick Douglass saw the cultural differences between blacks and whites, yet he still focused on his goals and motivated himself. Even though Douglas knew that whites had the mentality that â€Å"They were better than blacks,† he still focused on his goals. Frederick Douglas never looked down on education because he knew what the outcome of his goal would bring. Moreover, Frederick Douglass was a self-motivated man who wanted to have freedom. He claims, â€Å"When I was sent of errands, I always took my book with me, and by going one part of my errand quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return† (Douglass pg 22). With Douglass ambition, he was ready to get his freedom without thinking about the consequences because he knew his hard work will pay off one day. Frederick Douglass is the definition of a man and a leader because he was honest, straightforward, inspiring, and competent. Many great men have come and gone but Frederick Douglass will always have a great influence on many generations because of his drive to get his freedom and education. Education is something one needs. It will be hard for many to function through life without an education and he showed anyone can do it if they put their mind to it. There were many differences between Okonkwo and Frederick Douglass but both men had a purpose in life as men and I believed they both accomplished what they were looking for even though ones went better than the other. Okonkwo’s demise was not because of colonization, but rather his downfall was attributed by his obsession with masculinity. The narrative of Frederick Douglass was the definition of masculinity.

Practice Midterm Exam (Statistics)

AMS572. 01 Practice Midterm Exam Fall, 2007 Instructions: This is a close book exam. Anyone who cheats in the exam shall receive a grade of F. Please provide complete solutions for full credit. Good luck! 1 (for all students in class). In a study of hypnotic suggestion, 5 male volunteers participated in a two-phase experimental session. In the first phase, respiration was measured while the subject was awake and at rest. In the second phase, the subject was told to imagine that he was performing muscular work, and respiration was measured again. Hypnosis was induced between the first and second phases; thus, the suggestion to imagine muscular work was â€Å"hypnotic suggestion† for these subjects. The accompanying table shows the measurements of total ventilation (liters of air per minute per square meter of body area) for all 5 subjects. Experimental Group | |Subject |Rest |Work | |1 |6 |6 | |2 |7 |9 | |3 |8 |9 | |4 |7 |10 | |5 |6 |7 | (1) Use suitable test to investigate whether there is any difference between the two experimental phases in terms of total ventilation. Please state the assumption(s) of the test and report the p-value. At the significance level of 0. 05, what is your conclusion? (2) Please write up the entire SAS program necessary to answer questions raised in (a). Please include the data step as well as tests for testing for various assumptions. Solution: (1) Assume that the difference [pic]is normal. [pic] and [pic] The hypotheses are [pic] v. s [pic]. The test statistic is [pic] Since [pic] and [pic], we can not reject [pic] at [pic]. [pic] (2) The SAS code is as follows: data hypnosis; input subject rest work @@; iff=work-rest; datalines; 1 6 6 2 7 9 3 8 9 4 7 10 5 6 7 ; run; proc univariate data=hypnosis normal; var diff; run; 2 (for all students in class). John Pauzke, president of Cereals Unlimited, Inc. , wants to be very certain that the mean weight ? of packages satisfies the package label weight of 16 ounces. The packages are filled by a machine that is set to fill each package to a specified weight. However, the machine has random variability measured by ? 2. John would like to have strong evidence that the mean package weight is above 16 ounces. George Williams, quality control manager, advises him to examine a random sample of 25 packages of cereal. From his past experience, George knew that the weight of the cereal packages follows a normal distribution with standard deviation 0. 4 ounce. At the significance level ? =. 05, (1) What is the decision rule (rejection region) in terms of the sample mean [pic]? Please derive the general formula using the concept of Type I error rate. (2) What is the power of the test when ? =16. 2 ounces? Please derive the general formula for power calculation first. 3) What is the sample size necessary to ensure a power of 80% when ? =16. 2 ounces? Please derive the general formula for sample size calculation based on the Type I and II error rates first. Solution: (1) [pic] [pic]. [pic]. [pic]. [pic] Hence, the rejection region is [pic]. (2) [pic] [pic] (3) [pic] [pic][pic]. [pic] Hence, about 25 packages of cereal should be sampled to achieve a power of 80% when (=16. 2 ounces. 3a (for all exc ept AMS PhD students). Inference on one population mean when the population is normal, and the population variance is known. Let [pic], be a random sample from the given normal population. Please prove that 1) [pic]. 2) [pic]. Solution: (1) [pic] Thus, [pic] (2) [pic] Thus, [pic] 3b (for AMS PhD students ONLY). For a random sample from any population for which the mean and variance exist. Please prove that 1) The sample mean and sample variance are unbiased estimators of the population mean and variance respectively. 2) When the population is normal, we have learned that the sample mean and the sample variance, are indeed, independent. Please prove this for n = 2. That is, for a random sample of size 2 only. Solution: (1) [pic] [pic] (2) When n=2, [pic], [pic] If we can show that [pic] and [pic] are independent, then [pic]and [pic]are independent. This can be done easily using the mgf technique: [pic] 4 (extra credit for all). An expert witness in a paternity suit testifies that the length (in days) of pregnancy (that is, the time from impregnation to the delivery of the child) is approximately normally distributed with parameter [pic] and [pic]. The defendant in the suit is able to prove that he was out of the country during a period that began 290 days before the birth of the child and ended 240 days before the birth. If the defendant was, in fact, the father of the child, what is the probability that the mother could have had the very long or very short pregnancy indicated by the testimony? Solution:let [pic]~[pic] and [pic]~[pic] [pic](the woman had a very long or very short pregnancy) [pic] [pic] Happy Halloween!

Reading and Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading and Questions - Assignment Example In his publication, Feldman (2002) pointed out the precise definition of existential reflection. He derived the definition from the goal definitions of the research activity as being the part of authentically moving in a forward direction. It is characterized by making a strong structure of understanding of a teacher in a classroom set up and the illumination of assumptions with regard to an individual as a teacher. Also by clearly expounding light assumptions, hypothesis, theories and even some common myths found in the surrounding systems effecting teaching. In short, existentialism asserts our existence to have come before essence. This is to mean we first are then later we seek to find a definition of whom we are. Therefore, this existentialism tries to help individuals to realize the freedom they have to choose. Judging how existential action research is oriented, there exists a close relation to a critical approach to a research that considers critical issues especially when engaging an action. This research action is supported with proper pillars, which makes it a sensible approach. Some of the critical approach in this research action include; the constant search for ourselves that starts when we realize that we were thrown to existence’ and not particularly sure of when we came, hence; we wake up making discovery of ourselves. After this, the long journey of trying to find a sense the follows. Also, since action research acts in the confines of the system that the improvement and understanding of such practice situations is to be carried, it involves the researching of one’s own practices and hence makes a critical enquiry to be made public (Feldman, 2002). This explains how hard it is for an existentialist approach to action separate from the way a person acts and who that person is. This is explained in the way a teacher first has to question

Mix design report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mix design report - Essay Example The education at the high school level is a strength that can translate to economic boost since there is about 90% of the populations aged 25years and above with this basic education. This is a true since when majority of natives have basic education they are keen and understands the work they do hence quality services Another strength that the city of London enjoys is that few people (8%) leave below poverty index. There is promise that this figure could go down due to the presence of royal opera house which creates job to many young people. The figure is also smaller nationally. The poverty index used here was an index of 1.5. Another weakness is seen in marginalization and gender disparity. Although the ratio between women to men is almost 1:1, women are restricted in owning farms and occupying leadership positions. The data under London county was suppressed implying that there were confidentially with the data for public access which is a weakness The increase in population is a weakness to the government .This is because the government should put up measures to curb the ever rising rate of population. The more the population the more burdensome and budgetary constraints to the government. The priority for the government is to create more resources for development and infrastructural alignment. Comparatively, the population keeps rising from 2000 upto 2003 projection. The manufacturer’s shipment stands at about $300Million. This although still below the expected level of industrialization, it offers the opportunity for more shipments and revenue generation for the states. This is also seen as a pointer towards creation of jobs for the young people. It is also seen as an opportunity to increase the bilateral trades and ties with the regional and counterparts countries The number of retail sales also offers the opportunity for business and trade. It can be seen that the number of retails sales significantly

Differentiate among the three fungal phyla Assignment

Differentiate among the three fungal phyla - Assignment Example This organism is commonly referred to as the bread mold (Tortora, Funke & Case, 2012). Organisms in this phylum obtain their nutrients through absorptions. They usually secrete hydrolytic enzymes that can break large molecules into simpler substances in a process of decomposition. They then absorb the simpler substances as their nutrients. Organisms in this phylum are important to humans because they are used in producing coloring agents and anesthetics. They are also important in agriculture because they help in decomposition that returns nutrients to the soil. They also increase the absorption of water and minerals from the soil by agricultural crops. Organisms in this phylum reproduce both sexually and asexually. The asexual reproduction process of ascomycetes involves conidia formation. The sexual reproduction these organisms differs from those of Zygomycotes. For example, unlike the zygomycota, the haploid stage of reproduction of the ascomycetes involves joining of male and female gamete producing cells. The sexual reproduction of these organisms leads to the formation of Ascospores. An example of organism in this phylum includes the baker’s yeast The ascomycetes obtain their nutrients the same ways as zygomycetes. For example, they decompose the surfaces of their surrounding using their strong digestive enzymes. The decomposed substances are them absorbed into their cells in form of molecules. They obtain their nutrients from dead matter or through a symbiotic relationship with some living organisms. Ascomycetes are also used in food production. For example, the baker’s yeast is used in making many products such as bread and wine. In addition, their ability to decompose substances makes them important in agriculture just like the zygomyotes. In addition, they provide nitrogen to some plants during symbiosis. Unlike the other phyla, organisms in this phylum only reproduce sexually. They

History the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History the world - Essay Example One of the evidences that prove the significance of the agricultural revolution as a turning point in human history is the shift in economic activity that has persisted to the current period. Before the agricultural revolution, man relied on hunting and gathering for his food supplies, activities that required fewer skills that aimed at capturing a target. The agricultural revolution however witnessed improvement in human initiatives that involved development of agricultural based technologies for agricultural practices. These initiatives marked a turning point because they formed a system that has not been replaced but has only been refined and developed towards higher levels of efficiencies. The revolution therefore marked a turning point in agricultural based technological developments in human initiatives (Kahn, p. 12). The agricultural revolution also marked a turning point in human history because of the shift in man’s main economic activity. While the Paleolithic man relied on gathering and hunting, the agricultural revolution made a shift towards agricultural dependence that has never been reversed. Even though hunting and gathering continued, it has never been practiced as the main economic activity as it used to be practiced prior to the agricultural revolution. Another significance of the agricultural revolution that marked the turning point in human history is its large-scale food supply that shifted man from small-scale food generation ventures, in hunting and gathering, to mass production of food that could then be stored for future use. This is because of the low output levels of hunting and gathering as compared to agricultural output that could sustain food supplies needs for longer periods. Such reliance in mass production has been maintained in human history to indicate that i t was a significant development. Unlike

Business law - Contract problems, FIRAC case, and short summary Assignment

Business law - Contract problems, FIRAC case, and short summary - Assignment Example to be bound by the agreement, statute of fraud covers contracts of sale of goods for a cost of at least $ 500 and requires such contracts to be in writing (Clarkson, et al, p. 234, 303). Hodge entered into a contract to work for Evans on the prime condition that the contract would be permanent. His condition was accepted but he was fired within a year. Hodge has sued for a breach of contract while Evans argues that the oral contract is unenforceable. Watkins and Iams entered into an annually renewable contract in which Watkins was, based on a promise, to be the sole distributer of Iams’ products in Michigan. The renewed contract in 1993 however reserved the company’s right to appoint any other distributor in Michigan. Iams then notified Watkins that its contract would not be renewed and contracted another company. Watkins has since sued for breach of contract, fraud, and promissory ‘estoppel’. A contract that either does not involve land, is enforceable within a year, is not a contract of guarantee, is not a promise that involves â€Å"consideration of marriage† and is not for sale of goods worth at least $ 500 dollars does not necessarily have to be in writing (Clarkson, et al., p. 304). Promissory estoppels also creates liability on promises relied upon in contracts (Clarkson, et al, p. 259). Dyer purchased a car with written provisions that no taxes were included in the price. While the contract restricted the agreement to its written terms, the salesperson assured her that sales tax was already paid. She has realized otherwise and has sued for breach. The parole evidence rule provides that oral agreement that precedes or is made alongside a written contract, in which the parties intended to be fully bound by the written contract, is inadmissible. The rule however has exceptions that include â€Å"contract subsequently modified, voidable or void contracts, contracts containing ambiguous terms, and incomplete contracts† among others (Clarkson, et al,