Free Essays on John Updikes Separating

There were many different aspects of John Updike’s â€Å"Separating† that I enjoyed. The focus on what a modern day family is like, the character development of Richard, and the reversal of male and female stereotypes to name a few. However, I decided to focus my paper on the three different conflicts Richard, the protagonist of the story, encounters. The first conflict is between Richard and his wife Joan. Their marriage has been falling apart and they don’t seem to even enjoy each other’s company anymore. The whole basis of the story is around this couple’s separation. It is never made clear the exact reason for the dissolution of the marriage. IT is hinted that Richard might have been having an affair. But, whatever the reason, it is made known that it is Richard’s decision to leave. After the blowout at the dinner table, where three out of the four children learn about the separation, Joan says that â€Å"it really wasn’t fair. It’s your idea, and you make it look as though I was kicking you out† (p 833). The second conflict is between Richard and his children. He is faced with the responsibility of telling his kids about his decision to leave. Him and his wife decide that its best to wait until school has ended and they were all home in one place. They had also decided to tell them one-by-one instead of in a large group because, as Joan puts it, â€Å"they’re each individuals, you know, not just some corporate obstacle to your freedom† (p 830). However, the plan falls apart when Richard starts crying uncontrollably during dinner. His younger son, John, asks his mother in the kitchen why his dad had been crying and she admits to the separation. The girls take the news fairly well and do not have any problems accepting it. John, on the other hand, makes a scene by eating a cigarette and lighting matches in his mother’s face. The oldest son Dickie was absent from dinner that night, so Richard was st... Free Essays on John Updike's Separating Free Essays on John Updike's Separating There were many different aspects of John Updike’s â€Å"Separating† that I enjoyed. The focus on what a modern day family is like, the character development of Richard, and the reversal of male and female stereotypes to name a few. However, I decided to focus my paper on the three different conflicts Richard, the protagonist of the story, encounters. The first conflict is between Richard and his wife Joan. Their marriage has been falling apart and they don’t seem to even enjoy each other’s company anymore. The whole basis of the story is around this couple’s separation. It is never made clear the exact reason for the dissolution of the marriage. IT is hinted that Richard might have been having an affair. But, whatever the reason, it is made known that it is Richard’s decision to leave. After the blowout at the dinner table, where three out of the four children learn about the separation, Joan says that â€Å"it really wasn’t fair. It’s your idea, and you make it look as though I was kicking you out† (p 833). The second conflict is between Richard and his children. He is faced with the responsibility of telling his kids about his decision to leave. Him and his wife decide that its best to wait until school has ended and they were all home in one place. They had also decided to tell them one-by-one instead of in a large group because, as Joan puts it, â€Å"they’re each individuals, you know, not just some corporate obstacle to your freedom† (p 830). However, the plan falls apart when Richard starts crying uncontrollably during dinner. His younger son, John, asks his mother in the kitchen why his dad had been crying and she admits to the separation. The girls take the news fairly well and do not have any problems accepting it. John, on the other hand, makes a scene by eating a cigarette and lighting matches in his mother’s face. The oldest son Dickie was absent from dinner that night, so Richard was st...

Keeping Close to Home Essay Essay Example

Keeping Close to Home Essay Essay Example Keeping Close to Home Essay Essay Keeping Close to Home Essay Essay Bell Hooks essay â€Å"Keeping Close to Home† . describes her battles after she was accepted at Stanford University to foster her self-fulfillment. In this essay Hooks negotiations about her journey to educate herself and no losing her sense of where she came from as African American adult female from a working category background. Hooks parents wanted her to travel to a school near to place. a non-diverse like Stanford was. They wanted her to travel to a school no merely near to place but were the bulk were black excessively. Her household biggest fright was her girl altering her head or losing her values and the connexion with them. They knew college alteration people. However Hooks found the manner to maintain stopping point to place by sing every twelvemonth. sometimes when she couldn’t travel place because she didn’t have the money to travel. she had to remain at school. she expresses in a transition how her household wasn’t happy or supportive about her determination about her traveling to Stanford. As she said â€Å"My parents had non being delighted that I had been accepted ad adamantly opposed my traveling so far from place. At the same clip. I did non see their resistance as an look of their fright that they would lose me everlastingly. â€Å"Like many propertyless folks. they feared what college instruction might make to their children’s even as they unenthusiastically acknowledge its importance† ( 101 ) . Most childs have a really strong cognition about were they come from like Hooks was. opposite to some others which doesn’t. this make them to be weak. they could alter their values and they might bury about their households and community. . When childs go to college they are in touch with many different people from different backgrounds. It is normal that their parents could be afraid of their childs altering their heads afterwards they will be populating off from place and this could go on. This changes depend on how strong their roots are. Having no contact with no contact with their households that could go on. like Hooks explains on her essay when she said â€Å"Often I tell pupils from hapless and propertyless backgrounds that if you believe [ that ] what you have learned and are larning in schools and universities separates you from your yesteryear. this is exactly what will go on. It is of import to stand house in the strong belief that nil can truly separate us from our yesteryears when we nurture and cherish that connection† ( 108 ) . The best manner to keep the values our household gave us when we go off from place either to college or to populate far from our households is maintaining in touch with them for this purpose talk to our households one time in a piece will be good besides neer bury were we came from. When I read Hooks essay. this send me back in clip to the twelvemonth of 1979 when I graduate from High School. As I was reading her essay I felt that Hooks and I had the same battles. Before I graduate from High School I had my head set about traveling to college. My household was really hapless. My female parent was ever a really difficult worker adult female. she ironed all the vicinity vesture. I am really proud of my female parent being a individual female parent she was capable to race my small sister and I all by herself after my pa past off when I was 12 old ages old Hooks’s negotiations about how proud she was about her male parent excessively when she said â€Å" â€Å" I neer knew how hapless we were until I needed to travel to college. I knew I will necessitate to happen a occupation to foster my instruction. Hooks reveals all the hurting and struggles she had after she was accepted at Stanford. how her parents were non supportive. I had the same exact battles. My female parent was really disquieted when I told her about my determination on traveling to school. she argues with me about how her friend’s childs neer came back to their places and how they stop sing their parents after they went to school. My female parent was non being really supportive like Hooks parents were. She teaches us to how to be loving. caring. how to esteem each other in the household and everyone else. She wanted for me merely to happen a occupation near to my house. she even talked with the proprietors of this pharmaceutics on the corner of my house to give me a occupation as a teller. She said I should remain place and assist her with the house jobs. she neer thought I could be anything more than a housework. We lived in a really little town called Villa Canales which was eight hours off from the college I decided to travel. That was the most painful determination I had of all time made. After all I was the first coevals trave ling to college. My household was really tight with really strong values. My sister and I used to pass all our summers holidaies at my grandma’s house when we were small. we loved to listen all the narratives she had to state us. while we grow up. This made my household really similar to Hooks’s household. However my female parent was afraid of me being far from her and my small sister and bury about them which didn’t happen. Even when the communicating was non easy in Guatemala where I grow up. I did all my attempts keeping communicating with my household. Distance was non adequate ground for me to halt maintaining in touch with them the same and neer bury about all the instructions she gave me. The same manner Hooks neer stopped her contact and communicating with her household. The intent of her essay is to reason about that pupils coming from a working category background should non be ashamed where they come from nor either forget about their households. Traveling to school far from place shouldn’t alteration people. at least no their values. To maintain this values integral people demands to maintain the connexion as Hooks did by maintaining in touch with her household and community. Universities separates households this should non go on because the lone manner we keep our values is being tight with our households.

Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg in the Civil War

Brigadier General David McMurtrie Gregg in the Civil War David McM. Gregg - Early Life Career: Born April 10, 1833, in Huntingdon, PA, David McMurtrie Gregg was the third child of Matthew and Ellen Gregg.   Following his fathers death in 1845, Gregg moved with his mother to Hollidaysburg, PA.   His time there proved brief as she died two years later.   Orphaned, Gregg and his older brother, Andrew, were sent to live with their uncle, David McMurtrie III, in Huntingdon.   Under his care, Gregg entered the John A. Hall School before moving on to nearby Milnwood Academy.   In 1850, while attending the University of Lewisburg (Bucknell University), he received an appointment to West Point with the aid of  Representative Samuel Calvin.    Arriving at West Point on July 1, 1851, Gregg proved a good student and an excellent horseman.   Graduating four years later, he ranked eighth in a class of thirty-four.   While there, he developed relationships with older students, such as J.E.B. Stuart and Philip H. Sheridan, with whom he would fight and serve with during the Civil War.   Commissioned a second lieutenant, Gregg was briefly posted to Jefferson Barracks, MO before receiving orders for Fort Union, NM.   Serving with the 1st US Dragoons, he moved to California in 1856 and north to Washington Territory the following year.   Operating from Fort Vancouver, Gregg fought several engagements against the Native Americans in the area.    David McM. Gregg - The Civil War Begins: On March 21, 1861, Gregg earned a promotion to first lieutenant and orders to return east.   With the attack on Fort Sumter the following month and beginning of the Civil War, he quickly received a promotion to captain on May 14 with orders to join the 6th US Cavalry in Washington DCs defenses.   Shortly thereafter, Gregg fell gravely ill with typhoid and nearly died when his hospital burned.   Recovering, he took command of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry on January 24, 1862 with the rank of colonel.   This move was facilitated by the fact that Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtain was Greggs cousin.   Later that spring, the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry shifted south to the Peninsula for Major General George B. McClellans campaign against Richmond. David McM. Gregg - Climbing the Ranks: Serving in Brigadier General Erasmus D. Keyes IV Corps, Gregg and his men saw service during the advance up the Peninsula and ably screened the armys movements during the Seven Days Battles that June and July.   With the failure of McClellans campaign, Greggs regiment and the rest of the Army of the Potomac returned north.   That September, Gregg was present for the Battle of Antietam but saw little fighting.   Following the battle, he took leave and traveled to Pennsylvania to marry Ellen F. Sheaff on October 6.   Returning to his regiment after a brief honeymoon in New York City, he received a promotion to brigadier general on November 29.   With this came command of a brigade in Brigadier General Alfred Pleasontons division. Present at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, Gregg assumed command of a cavalry brigade in Major General William F. Smiths VI Corps when Brigadier General George D. Bayard was mortally wounded.   With the Union defeat,  Major General Joseph Hooker assumed command in early 1863 and reorganized the Army of the Potomacs cavalry forces into a single Cavalry Corps led by Major General George Stoneman.   Within this new structure, Gregg was selected to lead the 3rd Division consisting of brigades headed by Colonels Judson Kilpatrick and Percy Wyndham.   That May, as Hooker led the army against General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stoneman received orders to take his corps on a raid deep into the enemys rear.   Though Greggs division and the others inflicted substantial damage on Confederate property, the effort had little strategic value.   Due to its perceived failure, Stoneman was replaced by Pleasonton. David McM. Gregg - Brandy Station Gettysburg: Having been beaten at Chancellorsville, Hooker sought to gather intelligence on Lees intentions.   Finding that Major General J.E.B. Stuarts Confederate cavalry had concentrated near Brandy Station, he directed Pleasonton to attack and disperse the enemy.   To accomplish this, Pleasonton conceived a daring operation which called for dividing his command into two wings. The right wing, led by Brigadier General John Buford, was to cross the Rappahannock at Beverlys Ford and drive south toward Brandy Station. The left wing, commanded by Gregg, was to cross to the east at Kellys Ford and strike from the east and south to catch the Confederates in a double envelopment.   Taking the enemy by surprise, the Union troopers succeeded in driving the Confederates back on June 9.   Late in the day, Greggs men made several attempts to take Fleetwood Hill, but were unable to compel the Confederates to retreat.   Though Pleasonton withdrew at sunset leaving the field in Stuarts hands, the Battle of Brandy Station greatly improved the Union cavalrys confidence. As Lee moved north towards Pennsylvania in June, Greggs division pursued and fought inconclusive engagements with Confederate cavalry at Aldie (June 17), Middleburg (June 17-19), and Upperville (June 21).   On July 1, his compatriot Buford opened the Battle of Gettysburg.   Pressing north, Greggs division arrived around midday on July 2 and was tasked with protecting the Union right flank by new army commander Major General George G. Meade.   The next day, Gregg repulsed Stuarts cavalry in a  back-and-forth battle east of town.   In the fighting, Greggs men were aided by Brigadier General George A. Custers brigade.   Following the Union triumph at Gettysburg, Greggs division pursued the enemy and harried their retreat south. David McM. Gregg - Virginia: That fall, Gregg operated with the Army of the Potomac as Meade conducted his abortive Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns.   In the course of these efforts, his division fought at  Rapidan Station (September 14), Beverly Ford (October 12), Auburn (October 14), and New Hope Church (November 27).   In the spring of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Major General Ulysses S. Grant to lieutenant general and made him general-in-chief of all Union armies.   Coming east, Grant worked with Meade to reorganize the Army of the Potomac.   This saw Pleasonton removed and replaced with Sheridan who had built a strong reputation as an infantry division commander in the west.   This action rankled Gregg who was the corps senior division commander and an experienced cavalryman. That May, Greggs division screened the army during the opening actions of the Overland Campaign at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House.   Unhappy with his corps role in the campaign, Sheridan obtained permission from Grant to mount a large-scale raid south on May 9.   Encountering the enemy two days later, Sheridan won a victory at the Battle of Yellow Tavern.   In the fighting, Stuart was killed.   Continuing south with Sheridan, Gregg and his men reached the Richmond defenses before turning east and uniting with Major General Benjamin Butlers Army of the James.   Resting and refitting, the Union cavalry then returned north to reunite with Grant and Meade.   On May 28, Greggs division engaged Major General Wade Hamptons cavalry at the Battle of Haws Shop and won a minor victory after heavy fighting.   David McM. Gregg - Final Campaigns: Again riding out with Sheridan the following month, Gregg saw action during the Union defeat at the Battle of Trevilian Station on June 11-12.   As Sheridans men retreated back towards the Army of the Potomac, Gregg commanded a successful rearguard action at St. Marys Church on June 24.   Rejoining the army, he moved over the James River and aided in operations during the opening weeks of the Battle of Petersburg.   In August, after Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early advanced down the Shenandoah Valley and threatened Washington, DC, Sheridan was ordered by Grant to command the newly-formed Army of the Shenandoah.   Taking part of the Cavalry Corps to join this formation, Sheridan left Gregg in command of those cavalry forces remaining with Grant.   As part of this transition, Gregg received a brevet promotion to major general.   Shortly after Sheridans departure, Gregg saw action during the Second Battle of Deep Bottom on August 14-20.   A few days later, he was involved in the Union defeat at the Second Battle of Reams Station.   That fall, Greggs cavalry worked to screen Union movements as Grant sought to extend his siege lines south and east from Petersburg.   In late September, he took part in the Battle of Peebles Farm and in late October played a key role in the Battle of Boydton Plank Road.   Following the latter action, both armies settled into winter quarters and large-scale fighting subsided.   On January 25, 1865, with Sheridan set to return from the Shenandoah, Gregg abruptly submitted his letter of resignation to the US Army citing an imperative demand for my continued presence at home. David McM. Gregg - Later Life: This was accepted in early February and Gregg departed for Reading, PA.   Greggs reasons for resigning were questioned with some speculating that he did not wish to serve under Sheridan.   Missing the wars final campaigns, Gregg was involved in business activities in Pennsylvania and operated a farm in Delaware.   Unhappy in civilian life, he applied for reinstatement in 1868, but lost out when his desired cavalry command went to his cousin, John I. Gregg.   In 1874, Gregg received an appointment as US Consul in Prague, Austria-Hungary from President Grant.   Departing, his time abroad proved brief as his wife suffered from homesickness.   Returning later that year, Gregg advocated for making Valley Forge a national shrine and in 1891 was elected Auditor General of Pennsylvania.   Serving one term, he remained active in civic affairs until his death on August 7, 1916.   Greggs remains were buried in Readings Charles Evans Cemetery.      Ã‚   Selected Sources Civil War Trust: David McM. GreggSmithsonian: David McM. GreggOhio Civil War: David McM. Gregg

M4A2 Leadership and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

M4A2 Leadership and Ethics - Essay Example Given the constraints on time, three members of the Executive Committee of TESCO were interviewed. These members were Laurie McIlwee, Matt Atkinson and Alison Horner. Laurie McIlwee serves as TESCO’s Chief Financial Officer, a highly critical position for any business operation in the modern economy. McIlwee has a well rounded career with sizable foreign exposure in the United States, Middle East, Central Europe and the United Kingdom. The interviewee was chosen for his decision making proximity to Clarke. Matt Atkinson currently serves as TESCO’s Chief Marketing Officer and presents a diverse career ranging from service in Asia to the United Kingdom. Atkinson is in constant contact with Clarke, especially in order to deal with any ethical controversies that may arise out of the group’s actions. Alison Horner is currently serving as TESCO’s Group Personnel Director with her initial joining in 1999 as a Personnel Manager in TESCO. Horner has witnessed the g rowth of Clarke over the years from his previous positions to the current position of Group Chief Executive. 1. Describe the ethical issue faced by the organization and explain how your chosen leader handled it. Do you agree with the individual's strategies for resolving the issue? TESCO is one of the United Kingdom’s largest retail operations and has found itself in various ethical dilemmas over time. It has been argued that TESCO has developed a supply chain network that forces other competitors to the ground and does not allow new competition to enter the market. The allegations were investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) but the possibility of TESCO’s monopoly was rebuked although there were concerns of TESCO’s large footprint in the industry (Office of Fair Trading, 2006). The organization’s leader allowed an investigation to take place without using any political influence or other forms of coercion. The investigation was carried out throu ghout the United Kingdom for all major retailers. The organizational leader ensured that all and any kind of information requested for the investigation was provided impromptu. In addition, TESCO has come under fire time and again for using suppliers exploiting cheap Bengali labor. TESCO’s suppliers are using labor that is paid roughly five pence every hour for an eighty hour week without any perks or benefits on the job (Ramesh, 2006). The allegations were not merely restricted to TESCO but to all major retailers operating in the United Kingdom (Label, 2006). In response to allegations of labor exploitation, TESCO’s leadership responded by stating that their suppliers were meeting the minimum national standards enforced in Bangladesh. The organization’s leader opined that all legal rules and guidelines were being met by both TESCO and its suppliers in Bangladesh so it did not make any sense to call these transactions as unethical. Moreover, the organizational l eader held that TESCO was providing jobs for millions in Bangladesh which was aiding poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Criticism has also been diverted towards TESCO on the issue of misleading price cuts projected through misleading advertisements. In order to bolster sales, TESCO reduced prices on unpopular items and slightly increased prices on popular items but advertised the overall sale as being uniform for all goods. In addition, TESCO’s buy one and get one free offers are speculated to increase wastage with special emphasis on food

How Has Diasporic Media Culture Transformed Hegemonic British Cultures Research Paper

How Has Diasporic Media Culture Transformed Hegemonic British Cultures - Research Paper Example "Paul Gilroy's prolific writings on race, diaspora, and national identity can be traced to an intense critical engagement with "the canon" of British cultural studies." (Durham and Kellner 2006. p. 340). He wanted to have the development of the cultural studies on an ethnohistorical perspective and felt the importance of cultural perspectives in presenting "for the images of their racialised others as objects of knowledge, power, and cultural criticism" (Gilroy 1993. p. 5) Thus, Gilroy makes it clear that "Analysis of the political dimensions to the expressive culture of black communities in Britain must reckon with their position within international networks. It should begin where fragmented diaspora histories of racial subjectivity combine in unforeseen ways with the edifice of British society and create a complex relationship with has evolved through various stages linked in different ways to the pattern of capitalist development itself" (Gilroy 1991. p.157). The contribution of the media in the development of diasporic cultures in the UK cannot, at any stage, be neglected. The boundless dialogue between communities and cultures has been crucial in the development of community relation of the British with the ethnic diasporic communities and the meanings of uniqueness and ethnic individuality. "Diasporic media cultures develop as meditation becomes increasingly central to social and cultural life. Everyday culture has become media culture" (Silverstone 2005). The British culture is very much connected with the diasporic cultures and the contribution of the diasporic media is notable in this regard.  

Gender diferences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender diferences - Essay Example Kimmel explains that gender inequality and differences are the core of Muslim society determining its main norms and traditions, relations between women and men, husbands and wives. The case Punishment Worse than the Crime shows that gender relations are a part of cultural traditions. â€Å"One of the key determinants of women's status has been the division of labor around child care. Women's role in reproduction has historically limited their social and economic participation† (Kimmel 53). The case shows that gender differences are socially determined. Those values, customs and behavioral norms that account for the sexual differentiation in adult personal identity and behavior are transmitted from generation to generation. In Muslim countries, gender identity is being constructed at every developmental stage of the life cycle, from infancy right through to late adulthood, as the developmental antecedents and behavioral consequences interact with the personality. For Pakistan women punishment is worse than the crime because women obtain a low social role in society and cannot accuse men in wrong behavior. In many Muslim countries, a woman is â€Å"a thing† owned by a man (a father or a husband) who has no rights and freedoms (Connell 43). The case shows that culture and social practices passes on to children, who once they have put on the lenses. This process holds true as a general but not an absolute pattern. Not everyone is so preprogrammed. There are in every society and culture mismatches whose bodies are of one sex and their psyches of the other. They develop their own gender identity by looking at rather than through the lenses. Far from being unnatural, such phenomena are part of the diversity of nature interacting with culture, very much, she says, like the diversity of food preferences: the natural desire for food does not in itself determine what is acceptable food in one culture as against the next, or what one person will prefer as against another within the same culture. "Rape may be a strategy to ensure continued male domination or a vehicle by which men can hope to conceal maternal dependence, according to ethnographers, but it is surely not an alternative dating strategy" (Kimmel 55). The picture pre sented here is of a community in which traditional cultural norms and ideal practices form the basis on which patriarchy is reproduced. Two factors, education and unemployment, are countervailing factors, both of them having had and continuing to have a profound effect on the most central institution in East life, marriage, and the relations between men and women. Education and other Western influences, bringing about significant changes in the way East fulfill their roles as fathers. The most important part of the story would be a rape itself and its perception by men. It is possible to assume that men do not feel guilty or do not perceive the act of rape as a crime. Cross cultural perspective can be applied to all situations described in this case. The psychological theory suggests that labor division influences perception of women and their social roles. In this division, a woman's role is ideally that of housewife and a man's that of provider working outside the confines

Rank the Duties of the Athletic Director Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rank the Duties of the Athletic Director - Essay Example Dorame explained that his position as Athletic Director demanded great dedication and hard work to help the sports administration to run on well – oiled wheels. Some of the chief responsibilities discussed were evaluating and hiring both head and assistant coaches, guiding and mentoring them, seeing that all game schedules were carried out smoothly and in case of rescheduling, he had to see that all concerned were informed and a suitable date fixed for that particular match. He also had the responsibility to see that regular practices for the various games were scheduled to train the players. Mr. Dorame said that he was also responsible for the collection of user fees and for convening important meetings with the coaches, players and their parents, so that they would become familiar not only with one another but also familiar with the rules and regulations of the sport. When questioned on the traits of good and poor managers, Mr. Dorame explained that good managers are not only very responsible and dedicated, but also work hard beyond the call of duty and besides carry out their duties in a very efficient manner. On the other hand, poor managers are slack in their duties and do not behave in an efficient and responsible way. When asked about the greatest challenge faced by an Athletic Director, Mr. Dorame said that staying on top by proving ones skill and efficiency and achieving goals and coming out successful after an event would be the greatest challenge and success for an Athletic Director. When asked about his views on the most important duties of Athletic Directors, Mr. Dorame explains that this position warrants hard work and dedication in addition to good health if an individual wants to be successful. The job of an Athletic Director is full time and highly stressful and in order to be good at it, one has to know how to handle stress. Some of the most important duties he discussed were