What to Do with Winter Break

What to Do with Winter Break It is finals week, and that may seem a bit stressful for students. However, winter break is just around the corner! Winter break is a time to catch up on sleep, spend time with family, and get ready for round two  in the  spring. The University of Illinois offers opportunities for a productive winter break regardless of where you end up. Productive things  to do over break include going abroad, taking a winter course, doing a job shadow, or maybe even attending a conference. The University of Illinois provides numerous opportunities for students to go abroad and spend time learning in other countries. I have not been fortunate enough myself to go abroad, but it is on the college bucket list. Many of my friends have had an opportunity to go abroad and have shared that it is something I must do! Studying abroad is a great addition to your resume as well as an opportunity to gain cultural insight you might not be able to gain here. The University of Illinois also offers opportunities for students to take winter courses. Sometimes during the course of your college career, you fall behind and need credits, youre  trying to get ahead, or youd simply just like to take a course for fun. Numerous courses are offered to students to help them to reach their academic goals. Being at home over winter break may put you closer to some top-notch work places. Some students spend their time over winter break learning about what careers they would like to have post-graduation. My academic adviser has shared with me many job shadowing opportunities available in my field. This could be an opportunity for me to grow my network and even gain some insight into the different industries. Last winter break, I was provided with an opportunity to attend a conference with the University of Illinois Leadership Center. The conference was the Leadershape Institute. It was a week long and was held at nearby Allerton Park. This experience helped me to grow academically, mentally, and professionally. I found it to be a productive opportunity for me to maximize my collegiate experience. Winter break should be spent relaxing, connecting with family, and enjoying time away from school. However, winter break can also be productive for your college career. In the past I was fortunate enough to have a productive winter break and hope to continue to do so. Immanuel Class of 2019 I am majoring in Agricultural and Consumer Economics within the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. I am from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I chose the University of Illinois because of everything it can offer its students.

What to Do with Winter Break

What to Do with Winter Break It is finals week, and that may seem a bit stressful for students. However, winter break is just around the corner! Winter break is a time to catch up on sleep, spend time with family, and get ready for round two  in the  spring. The University of Illinois offers opportunities for a productive winter break regardless of where you end up. Productive things  to do over break include going abroad, taking a winter course, doing a job shadow, or maybe even attending a conference. The University of Illinois provides numerous opportunities for students to go abroad and spend time learning in other countries. I have not been fortunate enough myself to go abroad, but it is on the college bucket list. Many of my friends have had an opportunity to go abroad and have shared that it is something I must do! Studying abroad is a great addition to your resume as well as an opportunity to gain cultural insight you might not be able to gain here. The University of Illinois also offers opportunities for students to take winter courses. Sometimes during the course of your college career, you fall behind and need credits, youre  trying to get ahead, or youd simply just like to take a course for fun. Numerous courses are offered to students to help them to reach their academic goals. Being at home over winter break may put you closer to some top-notch work places. Some students spend their time over winter break learning about what careers they would like to have post-graduation. My academic adviser has shared with me many job shadowing opportunities available in my field. This could be an opportunity for me to grow my network and even gain some insight into the different industries. Last winter break, I was provided with an opportunity to attend a conference with the University of Illinois Leadership Center. The conference was the Leadershape Institute. It was a week long and was held at nearby Allerton Park. This experience helped me to grow academically, mentally, and professionally. I found it to be a productive opportunity for me to maximize my collegiate experience. Winter break should be spent relaxing, connecting with family, and enjoying time away from school. However, winter break can also be productive for your college career. In the past I was fortunate enough to have a productive winter break and hope to continue to do so. Immanuel Class of 2019 I am majoring in Agricultural and Consumer Economics within the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. I am from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I chose the University of Illinois because of everything it can offer its students.

The African Americans Struggle Throughout Historys...

The cast. Slavery in the civil war and the African American struggle throughout history influences Beloved’s author throughout her works. Born in Lorain, Ohio on February 18, 1931, Chloe Anthony Wofford became one of the most influential and inspiring authors of the century. The second child of four, Chloe was extremely independent and eventually changed her name to Toni. After leaving home, she attended Howard University and Cornell University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Master of Arts Degree, respectively. Marrying Harold Morrison in 1958 brought great joy to Morrison, but they divorced in 1964. From that relationship, she was blessed with two beautiful children, Harold and Slade. She often uses her†¦show more content†¦Slavery and its effects drive Sethe and many other characters in Beloved to deteriorate as people. Even after fleeing their plantations, slaves did not feel as if they were liberated because of the way they were exploited while enslaved. Beloved’s characters demonstrate that ex-slaves must first own their identity before truly being free. Identity is a key component to a human’s survival, and the degrading force that slavery had on African Americans did not allow them to have love for their own being. Paul D, an ex-slave, explains that white owners could â€Å"dirty you so bad you couldn’t like yourself anymore,† which scarred many until their death (Morrison 295). When a person cannot love himself, it becomes very difficult for others to appreciate his life. Even mothers and fathers would become detested by their children over time because of their demeanor. The way in which whites treated slaves as if they were livestock became the way in which slaves regarded themselves. Sethe often has identity issues in Beloved and separates herself from her daughter and the black community in which she lives. Names are an essential part of one’s identity and white owners would have no emotional attachment to what they named their slaves. When owners gave names, they assigned them in a mocking or jeering manner. Cynthia Lyles-Scott explains, â€Å"Blacks receive dead patronyms from whites . . . names are

Battle of Charleroi in World War I

The Battle of Charleroi was fought August 21-23, 1914, during the opening days of World War I (1914-1918) and was part of a series of engagements collectively known as the Battle of the Frontiers (August 7-September 13, 1914). With the start of World War I, the armies of Europe began mobilizing and moving towards the front. In Germany, the army commenced implementing a modified version of the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan Conceived by Count Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905, the plan was designed for a two-front war against France and Russia. Following their easy victory over the French in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, Germany saw France as less of a threat than its larger neighbor to the east. As a result, Schlieffen sought to mass the bulk of Germanys military might against France with the goal of winning a quick victory before the Russians could fully mobilize their army. With France eliminated, Germany would be able to focus their attention to the east (Map). Predicting that France would attack across the border into Alsace and Lorraine, which had been ceded following the earlier conflict, the Germans intended to violate the neutrality of Luxembourg and Belgium to attack the French from the north in a large-scale battle of encirclement. German troops were to defend along the border while the right wing of the army swept through Belgium and past Paris in an effort to crush the French army.   French Plans In the years prior to the war, General Joseph Joffre, Chief of the French General Staff, moved to update his nations war plans for a conflict with Germany. Though he initially desired to create a plan that had French forces attack through Belgium, he was later unwilling to violate that nations neutrality. Instead, he and his staff designed Plan XVII which called for French troops to mass along the German border and mount attacks through the Ardennes and into Lorraine. Armies Commanders: French General Charles LanrezacFifth Army Germans General Karl von  Bà ¼low  General Max von HausenSecond Third Armies Early Fighting With the beginning of the war, the Germans aligned the First through Seventh Armies, north to south, to execute the Schlieffen Plan. Entering Belgium on August 3, First and Second Armies drove back the small Belgian Army but were slowed by the need to reduce the fortress city of Liege.   Receiving reports of German activity in Belgium, General Charles Lanrezac, commanding the Fifth Army at the northern end of the French line, alerted Joffre that the enemy was advancing in unexpected strength.   Despite Lanrezacs warnings, Joffre moved forward with Plan XVII and an attack into Alsace.   This and a second effort in Alsace and Lorraine were both pushed back by the German defenders (Map).      To the north, Joffre had planned to launch an offensive with the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Armies but these plans were overtaken by events in Belgium. On August 15, after lobbying from Lanrezac, he directed Fifth Army north into the angle formed by the Sambre and Meuse Rivers. Hoping to gain the initiative, Joffre ordered Third and Fourth Armies to attack through the Ardennes against Arlon and Neufchateau.   Advancing on August 21, they encountered the German Fourth and Fifth Armies and were badly defeated. As the situation along the front developed, Field Marshal Sir John Frenchs British Expeditionary Force (BEF) disembarked and began assembling at Le Cateau.   Communicating with the British commander, Joffre requested that French to cooperate with Lanrezac on the left. Along the Sambre Responding to Joffres order to move north, Lanrezac positioned his Fifth Army south of the Sambre extending from the Belgian fortress city of Namur in the east to just past the mid-size industrial town of Charleroi in the west. His I Corps, led by General Franchet dEsperey, extended the right south behind the Meuse. To his left, the cavalry corps of General Jean-Franà §ois Andrà © Sordet linked Fifth Army to Frenchs BEF.   On August 18, Lanrezac received additional instructions from Joffre directing him to attack north or east depending upon the enemys location. Seeking to locate General Karl von  Bà ¼lows Second Army, Lanrezacs cavalry moved north of the Sambre but were unable to penetrate the German cavalry screen.   Early on August 21, Joffre, increasingly aware of the size of German forces in Belgium, directed Lanrezac to attack when opportune and arranged for the BEF to provide support. On the Defensive Though he received this directive, Lanrezac adopted a defensive position behind the Sambre but failed to establish heavily-defended bridgeheads north the river. Additionally, due to poor intelligence regarding the bridges over the river, several were left completely undefended. Attacked later in the day by the lead elements of Bà ¼lows army, the French were pushed back over the river. Though ultimately held, the Germans were able to establish positions on the south bank. Bà ¼low assessed the situation and requested that General Freiherr von Hausens Third Army, operating to east, join in the attack on Lanrezac with the goal of executing a pincer. Hausen agreed to strike west the next day.   On the morning of August 22, Lanrezacs corps commanders, on their own initiative, launched attacks north in an effort to throw the Germans back over the Sambre. These proved unsuccessful as nine French divisions were unable to dislodge three German divisions. The failure of these attacks cost Lanrezac high ground in the area while a gap between his army and Fourth Army began to open on his right (Map).   Responding, Bà ¼low renewed his drive south with three corps without waiting for Hausen to arrive. As the French resisted these assaults, Lanrezac withdrew dEspereys corps from the Meuse with the intent of using it to strike Bà ¼lows left flank on August 23. Holding through the day, the French again came under attack the next morning. While the corps to the west of Charleroi was able to hold, those to the east in the French center, despite mounting an intense resistance, began to fall back.   As I Corps moved into position to strike  Bà ¼lows flank, the lead elements of Hausens army began crossing the Meuse.   A Desperate Situation Recognizing the dire threat this posted, dEsperey counter-marched his men towards their old positions.   Engaging Hausens troops, I Corps checked their advance but could not push them back across the river. As night fell, Lanrezacs position was increasingly desperate as a Belgian division from Namur had retreated into his lines while Sordets cavalry, which had reached a state of exhaustion, needed to be withdrawn. This opened a 10-mile gap between Lanrezacs left and the British. Further west, Frenchs BEF had fought the  Battle of Mons. A tenacious defensive action, the engagement around Mons had seen the British inflict heavy losses on the Germans before being forced to give ground. By late afternoon, French had ordered his men to begin falling back. This exposed Lanrezacs army to greater pressure on both flanks. Seeing little alternative, he began making plans to withdraw south.   These were quickly approved by Joffre. In the fighting around Charleroi, the Germans sustained around 11,000 casualties while the French incurred approximately 30,000. Aftermath: Following the defeats at Charleroi and Mons, French and British forces began a long, fighting retreat south towards Paris. Holding actions or failed counterattacks were conducted at Le Cateau (August 26-27) and St. Quentin (August 29-30), while Mauberge fell September 7 after a brief siege. Creating a line behind the Marne River, Joffre prepared to make a stand to save Paris. Stabilizing the situation, Joffre began the First Battle of the Marne on September 6 when a gap was found between the German First and Second Armies. Exploiting this, both formations were soon threatened with destruction.   In these circumstances, the German Chief of Staff, Helmuth von Moltke, suffered a nervous breakdown. His subordinates assumed command and ordered a general retreat to the Aisne River.

Racism in William Shakespeare’s Othello Essay - 2606 Words

Racism in William Shakespeare’s Othello In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello racism is featured throughout, not only by Iago in his despicable animalistic remarks about Othello’s marriage, but also by other characters. Let us in this essay analyze the racial references and their degrees of implicit racism. Racism persists from the opening scene till the closing scene in this play. In â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello† Valerie Wayne comments on the racism inherent in the final act of the drama: When Othello finally kills himself and says he is killing the ‘turbaned Turk’ who ‘beat a Venetian and traduced the state’ (V, ii, 349-50), he is killing the monster he became through Iago’s mental poison, but he is†¦show more content†¦The alleged supersexuality of Africans also figures in the play: Iago calls Othello the â€Å"lusty Moor,† describing him with images of animal sexuality. Other characters reflect similar prejudice. (128) Perhaps the charges of racism in the play are exaggerated. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar in â€Å"The Engaging Qualities of Othello† comment on the Elizabethan point of view: Much ink has been spilled in the debate over the color of Othello and what physical characteristics Shakespeare attributed to a â€Å"Moor.† Actors who have portrayed the part have also shown much concern over their make-up. There is little to indicate that Shakespeare of his contemporaries would have interpreted the union of Othello and Desdemona as a problem in mixed marriage or would have regarded the racial differences as of vital interest. To the Elizabethans, Othello was an exotic, and such interest as always attaches to exotics attached to him. (129) In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his dislike, or rather hatred, for the general Othello for his having chosen Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello. Roderigo shares Iago’s prejudiced attitude toward Othello: â€Å"What a full fortune does the thicklips owe / If he can carryt thus!†Show MoreRelated Racism in William Shakespeares Othello Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesRacism in William Shakespeares Othello The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racistRead MoreExposing Racism in William Shakespeare’s Othello Essay2036 Words   |  9 Pagesfrom fear unnatural a racist’s hate plagues a vulnerable community of black slaves, with religion and war corrupting diverse cultures in the attempts to purify the existence of sin. This enlightening argument of what inspires William Shakespeare’s to compose the play Othello contaminates romantic relationships, Before the integration of black-skinned people into Elizabethan culture, Christian ideology coalesce Satan’s appearance with babies born black, with such manifestations supported by centuriesRead MoreRacism In Othello Analysis829 Words   |  4 Pagesof Racism in Othello.† Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 3, Oct. 1993, p. 304. In this article, the author relates the idea of primal scene to racism in â€Å"Othello†. Primal scene is a psychoanalysis theory by Sigmund Freud. This theory claims once a child imagines or sees their parents having sexual relations they will be unable to repress this image from reappearing in their mind. The author relates this theory to the play â€Å"Othello† byRead MoreDifferences Between Film And Othello1503 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the years the play Othello by William Shakespeare has been adapted both on the screen and on stage many times. The questions o r race and racism that have quite often been a point of discussion with William Shakespeare’s play Othello can be seen through the bard, however some may argue that Othello’s skin colour was purely a plot device. This paper will look at two film that have been re-made since the 1960’s, which provides an analysis of the concept of race and how political ideas andRead MoreA Malevolent Villain Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pagesattack, trick, and persecute the main character or another central character within their story. They add to the plot and tension of the work. Another malicious character is Iago, the villain in one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Othello. In this play Iago sets out to destroy Othello for multiple reasons, most of which are unsubstantiated imaginings. Iago’s role as a malicious villain is evidenced by his misogynist, racist, and manipulative behaviors. The first evidence of Iago’sRead MoreOthello Character Analysis1241 Words   |  5 PagesOthello, a play written in the setting of Venice City during a period of war between Venice and Turkey in the 16 century is one of the numerous William Shakespeare’s plays. Othello a middle-aged black moor who is also a general in the defense forces marries Desdemona, a white aristocratic lady against the wishes of her father. Their love, however, does not have the happily ever after ending due to the manipulations, deceptions, and scheming of Iago who is driven by revenge and selfish ambitions.Read MoreOthello - shakespeare and saxs film adaptation923 Words   |  4 Pagestrue of Shakespeare’s Othello and Sax’s film Othello? (700-800 words). Texts reflect their contexts and this is evident in both William Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s film Othello. This reflection is established through the two ideas of racism and the inequality between genders. The context of a text plays an essential role as it is the way in which the composers convey their message and this is done effectively as both composers are conveying an important message about racism and genderRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare941 Words   |  4 PagesBlack Racism and the public’s reliance on stereotypes to judge individuals of a different decent can be traced throughout literature. The Elizabethan’s are no exception, and as their view of the word grew so did the permeation of racism and xenophobia in their society. Theater in Elizabethan England was full of stereotypical black characters that further perpetuated society’s racist tendencies. One play that challenged these stereotypes was Williams Shakespeare’s play Othello which depicts theRead More Rating Othello1404 Words   |  6 PagesRating Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Is this Shakespearean tragedy Othello at the top of the rating chart, or is it just near the top? And why? This essay intends to examine various aspects of this subject, along with critical opinion.    This play ranks near the top. The Bard’s presentation of emotions, character, of good and evil actions that are down-to-earth – these are sometimes seen as the main reasons for the high ranking of Othello. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar in â€Å"The Engaging QualitiesRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1140 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Othello† is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1603. In this play, Shakespeare features three major characters: Othello, Iago, and Desdemona. Othello, a black man, and Desdemona, a white venetian secretly eloped in the play. Iago shows racism and prejudice towards their relationship because of their skin colors. In the play, Iago says: â€Å"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, or else the devil will make a

Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boys coming of age in Missouri of the mid

Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boys coming of age in Missouri of the mid-1800s Essay Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boys coming of age in Missouri of the mid-1800s. The main character, Huckleberry Finn, spends much time in the novel floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. Before he does so, however, Huck spends some time in the fictional town of St. Petersburg where a number of people attempt to influence him. Before the novel begins, Huck Finn has led a life of absolute freedom. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him; his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, Huck is not used to following any rules. The books opening finds Huck living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are fairly old and are really somewhat incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huck Finn. Nevertheless, they attempt to make Huck into what they believe will be a better boy. Specifically, they attempt, as Huck says, to civilize him. This process includes making Huck go to school, teaching him various religious facts, and making him act in a way that the women find socially acceptable. Huck, who has never had to follow many rules in his life, finds the demands the women place upon him constraining and the life with them lonely. As a result, soon after he first moves in with them, he runs away. He soon comes back, but, even though he becomes somewhat comfortable with his new life as the months go by, Huck never really enjoys the life of manners, religion, and education that the Widow and her sister impose upon him. Huck believes he will find some freedom with Tom Sawyer. Tom is a boy of Hucks age who promises Huck and other boys of the town a life of adventure. Huck is eager to join Tom Sawyers Gang because he feels that doing so will allow him to escape the somewhat boring life he leads with the Widow Douglas. Unfortunately, such an escape does not occur. Tom Sawyer promises much but none of his promises comes to pass. Huck finds out too late that Toms adventures are imaginary, that raiding a caravan of A-rabs really means terrorizing young children on a Sunday school picnic, that stolen joolry is nothing more than turnips or rocks. Huck is disappointed that the adventures Tom promises are not real and so, along with the other members, he resigns from the gang. Another person who tries to get Huckleberry Finn to change is Pap, Hucks father. Pap is one of the most astonishing figures in all of American literature. He is completely antisocial and wishes to undo all of the civilizing effects that the Widow and Miss Watson have attempted to instill in Huck. Pap is a mess: he is unshaven; his hair is uncut and hangs like vines in front of his face; his skin, Huck says, Is white like a fishs belly or like a tree toads. Paps savage appearance reflects his feelings as he demands that Huck quit school, stop reading, and avoid church. Huck is able to stay away from Pap for a while, but Pap kidnaps Huck three or four months after Huck starts to live with the Widow and takes him to a lonely cabin deep in the Missouri woods. Here, Huck enjoys, once again, the freedom that he had prior to the beginning of the book. He can smoke, laze around, swear, and, in general, do what he wants to do. However, as he did with the Widow and with Tom, Huck begins to become dissatisfied with this life. Pap is too handy with the hickory and Huck soon realizes that he will have to escape from the cabin if he wishes to remain alive. As a result of his concern, Huck makes it appear as if he is killed in the cabin while Pap is away, and leaves to go to Jackson Island a remote island in the Mississippi River. It is after he leaves his fathers cabin that Huck joins yet another important influence in his life: Miss Watsons slave, Jim. Prior to Hucks leaving, Jim has been a minor character in the novel he has been shown being fooled by Tom Sawyer and telling Hucks fortune. Huck finds Jim on Jacksons Island because the slave has run away. He has overheard a conversation that he will soon be sold to a slave owner New Orleans. Soon, after joining Jim on Jacksons Island, Huck begins to realize that Jim has more talents and intelligence than Huck has been aware of. Jim knows all kinds of signs about the future, peoples personalities, and weather forecasting. Huck finds this kind of information necessary as he and Jim drift down the Mississippi on a raft. Huck feels a comfort with Jim that he has not felt with the other major characters in the novel. With Jim, Huck can enjoy the best aspects of his earlier influences. As does the Widow, Jim allows Huck security, but Jim is not as confining as the Widow. Like Tom Sawyer, Jim is intelligent but his intelligence is not as intimidating or as imaginary as is Toms. Similar to Pap, Jim allows Huck freedom, but he does it in a loving, rather than an uncaring, fashion. Thus, early, in their relationship on Jacksons Island, Huck says to Jim, This is nice. I wouldnt want to be nowhere else but here. This feeling is in marked contrast with Hucks feelings concerning other people in the early part of the novel where he always is uncomfortable and wishes to leave them. At the conclusion of chapter 11 in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim are forced to leave Jacksons Island because Huck discovers that people are looking for the runaway slave. Prior to leaving, Huck tells Jim, Theyre after us. Clearly, the people are after Jim, but Huck has already identified with Jim and has begun to care for him. This stated empathy shows that the two outcasts will have a successful and rewarding friendship as they drift down the river as the novel continues. Twain, Mark Mark Twain and racism almost always appear together in critics articles yet is racism really the problem? There is a major argument among literary critics whether Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is or is not a racist novel. The question boils down to the depiction of Jim, the black slave, and the way Huck and other characters treat him. The use of the word nigger is also a point raised by some critics, who feel that Twain uses the word too much and too loosely. Mark Twain never presents Jim in a negative light. He does not show Jim as a drunkard, as a mean person, or as a cheat. This is in contrast to the way Hucks white father is depicted, whom Twain describes using all of the above characterizations and more. We see Jim as a good friend, a man devoted to his family and loyal to his companions. The Red Tree analysis essayIn his subtle manner, he creates not an apology for slavery but a challenge to it. Salwen, Peter The entire plot of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is rooted on intolerance between different social groups. Without prejudice and intolerance The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would not have any of the antagonism or intercourse that makes the recital interesting. The prejudice and intolerance found in the book are the characteristics that make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn great. Wagennacht, Edward C. The author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, who is more commonly known by his pen name, Mark Twain. He was born in 1835 with the passing of Haleys comet, and died in1910 with the passing of Haleys comet. Clemens often used prejudice as a building block for the plots of his stories. Clemens even said, The very ink in which history is written is merely fluid prejudice. There are many other instances in which Clemens uses prejudice as a foundation for the entertainment of his writings such as this quote he said about foreigners in The Innocents Abroad, They spell it Vinci and pronounce it Vinchy; foreigners always spell better than they pronounce. Even in the opening paragraph of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Clemens states, Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. Twain, MarkKaplan, Justin The World Book There were many groups that Clemens contrasted in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The interaction of these different social gro ups is what makes up the main plot of the novel. For the objective of discussion they have been broken down into five main sets of antithetic parties: people with high levels of society and people with low levels of society, rednecks and scholarly, children and adults, men and women, and finally, the Sheperdsons and the Grangerfords. Whites and African Americans are the main two groups contrasted in the novel. Throughout the novel Clemens portrays Caucasians as a more educated group that is higher in society compared to the African Americans portrayed in the novel. The cardinal way that Clemens portrays African Americans as obsequious is through the colloquy that he assigns them. Their dialogue is composed of nothing but broken English. One example in the novel is this excerpt from the conversation between Jim the fugitive slave, and Huckleberry about why Jim ran away, where Jim declares, Well you see, it uz dis way. Ole missus-dats Miss Watson-she pecks on me all de time, en treats me pooty rough, but she awluz said she woudn sell me down to Orleans. Although this is the phonetic spelling of how some African Americans from the boondocks used to talk, Clemens only applied the argot to Blacks and not to Whites throughout the novel. There is not one sentence in the treatise spoken by an African American that is not comprised of broken English. But in spite of that, the broken English does add an entraining piece of culture to the milieu. Blair, Walter The second way Clemens differentiates people in the novel of different skin color. Blacks in the book are portrayed as stupid and uneducated. The most blatant example is where the African American character Jim is kept prisoner for weeks while he is a dupe in a childish game that Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn play with him. Clemens spends the last three chapters in the novel to tell the tale of how Tom Sawyer maliciously lets Jim, who known only unto Tom is really a free man, be kept prisoner in a shack while Tom torments Jim with musings about freedom and infests his living space with rats, snakes, and spiders. At the end of this chapter Tom even admits, Why, I wanted the adventure of ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The next two groups Clemens contrasts are the rednecks and the scholarly. In the novel Clemens uses interaction between backwoods and more highly educated people as a vital part of the plot. The main usage of this mixing of two social groups is seen in the development of the two very entertaining characters simply called the duke and the king. These two characters are rednecks that pretend to be of a more scholarly background in order to cheat people along the banks of the Mississippi. In one instance the king and the duke fail miserably in trying to act more studiously when they perform a Shakespearean Revival. The duke totally slaughters the lines of Hamlet saying, To be, or not to be; that is the bare bodkin. That it makes calamity of so long life. For who farfel bear, till Birnam Wood do come to Dunshire, but that fear of something after death. Blair, Walter Thirdly Clemens contrasts adults and children. Clemens portrays adults as the conventional group in society, and children as the unconventional. In the story adults are not portrayed with much bias, but children are portrayed as more imaginative. The two main examples of this are when Huckleberry fakes his death, and when Tom and Huck help Jim escape from captivity. This extra imaginative aspect Clemens gives to the children of the story adds a lot of humor to the plot. Fourthly in the novel Clemens contrasts women and men. Women in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are portrayed as frail, while men are portrayed as more outgoing. The foremost example of a frail woman character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Tom Sawyers Aunt Sally. One example was when Tom and Huck were collecting wildlife to live in the shack that Jim is being held prisoner in they accidentally let loose some snakes in Aunt Sallys house and Aunt Sally, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦would just lay that work down, and light out. The main reason that Clemens portrays women as less outgoing is because there are really only four minor women characters in the novel, while all major characters are men. Lastly Clemens contrasts two families engaged in a feud. The names of the two families are the Sheperdsons and the Grangerfords. The ironic thing is that, other than their names, the two factions are totally similar and even attend the same church. Blair, Walter This intolerance augments a major part to the plot because it serves as the basis for one of the escapades Huck and Jim get involved in on their trip down the Mississippi. In conclusion the entire plot of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is rooted on intolerance between different social groups. Without prejudice and intolerance The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would not have any of the antagonism and intercourse that makes the novel interesting. Therefore making it not a racist novel, but historically accurate tail of life at that time. Mark Twain is innocent of all wrongdoing.

Market Entry Strategy free essay sample

Anna’s Car is one of the top automakers in the United States that is currently planning on selling its new revolutionized Smart Cars to two foreign countries, Japan and Germany. The company believes that the increasing trend of going green and concerns about the environment in Japan and Germany will merge significant profits shortly after entering those two markets. Anna’s Car has evaluated various market entry strategy alternatives and is now hesitating between direct exporting or foreign direct investment for Germany and franchising or joint venture for Japan. Direct Export The main advantage of direct exporting for Anna’s Car is going to be fact that the company will be able to produce Smart Cars in the United States and then sell them to customers in Germany. Anna’s Car would have a great control over the entire export transactions and would gain the freedom as far as deciding which target buyers to approach or who to use to distribute the cars in Germany. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Entry Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is also potential for higher profits and a better chance to build a closer relationship with the German marketplace and its buyers. However, Anna’s Car will have to devote more time, personnel, and company’s resources to ensure a smooth and successful endeavor. Many internal organizational changes will be necessary in order to support more complex functions. The important step will be to choose the best channels of distribution and make business connections in order to sell Smart Cars. However, before exporting cars into Germany, Anna’s Car will need to go through custom procedures which involves filling out customer declarations. Furthermore, the company will need to ensure it carries a CE (â€Å"Communaute Europeenne† which stands for European Community) marking that â€Å"indicates that the respective party has successfully assessed the goods for compliance with European safety standards which has to be accompanied by a signed Declaration of Conformity (DoC)† (German Business Portal, 2010). Once selling products in Germany, Anna’s Car will have to pay value added tax – VAT – that all entrepreneurs who are engaged in business that is generating income have to pay. Foreign Direct Investment Anna’s Car may also choose an option of self growth through investing in building and establishing branches and manufacturing facilities in Germany, instead of producing cars in the USA. This form of market entry would lead to increase in profits due to the eligibility of tax cut that is given to those who are interested in foreign direct investment in Germany. However, Anna’s Car first would have to invest a lot of money in opening up factories and sales offices and dedicate a significant amount of time before the business is established in that country. The good news is that Germany has a welcoming attitude towards foreign companies that are interested in direct investment. The German market is open for investments in practically every industry sector, especially in the auto manufacturing industry. According to the Trade Invest â€Å"German law makes no distinction between Germans and foreign nationals regarding investments or the establishment of companies. The legal framework for FDI in Germany â€Å"favors the principle of freedom of foreign trade and payment† (FDI, 2010). In fact, there are more and more international companies that discover Germany due to its security and rewarding investment location. The UNCTAD World Investment Prospects Survey 2009-2011 confirms Germanys reputation as one of the most attractive business locations in continental Europe. Germany ranks second within the EU-15, and seventh internationally in the â€Å"most attractive business locations in the relevant regions 2008-2010 categoryâ€Å"(American Chamber of Commerce, 2010). The Trade Invest explains that study on the attractiveness of the European economic area (2010) also shows that Germany is the number one business location in Europe and even the number five worldwide. Based on this, it will be very advantageous for Anna’s Car to do business in Germany. Franchising Anna’s Car is evaluating an option of buying a franchise of Toyota, Nissan, or Suzuki in Japan. That way there will be less chance of failure in case something goes wrong as Anna’s Car would be buying an established business that has been very successful. Statistics show that â€Å"franchises stand a much better chance of success than people who start independent businesses; independent businesses stand a 70 to 80 percent chance of NOT surviving the first few critical years while franchisees have an 80 percent chance of surviving† (Coltman, 2009). Also, Anna’s Car would receive a lot of help with starting the business and running it afterwards which would be necessary as the company will be performing operations in a foreign country hat has different rules, culture as well as language. Anna’s Car would get all the equipment, supplies and instruction or training needed to start the business. If the negotiations go well, the company would be also able to receive ongoing training or help with management and marketing (for instance, parent company’s national marketing campaigns). Supplies and inventory will cost less than if Anna’s Car was running an independent company. The research shows that â€Å"franchising in Japan has shown a steady growth: the franchising system has been recognized by the Japanese society as a tool of innovation and development for the economy of the country† (Info Franchise, 2007). Starting franchising in Japan may be quite easy as the franchising system is not as regulated – there is no need to get license and register or file a document to become a franchisor. However, in spite of such freedom, Anna’s Car will need to be aware of the Medium-Small Retail Business Promotion Act that enforces some regulations, specifically the tax provisions. Furthermore, Anna’s Car will be able to count on the Japan Franchise Association (JFA) that consists of leading Japanese franchisors and companies which are interested in franchising and whose purpose is to provide help and support to every entrepreneur that wants to start franchising in that country. Joint Venture Another option of entering the Japanese market can be a joint venture in which partners share ownership of a newly created business. The advantages of such entry market for Anna’s Car would be using the ownership’s experience about new market environment, speed, sharing of resources, high profits, and leverage. The joint venture would also enable partners to combine their strengths so they can be more successful in business. However, there are some risks that need to be taken into account too. For example, joint venture partners share not only the rewards but also any losses or there may be a potential conflict between partners which most of the time arise out of cultural differences. The main thing for Anna’s Car before entering into a joint venture will be ensuring that its interests are properly reflected in the joint venture agreement (management responsibilities, shareholder rights, and exit strategies in case one of the partner decides to leave) and that this agreement will be enforceable under Japanese law. Conclusions Anna’s Car has a great potential of becoming very successful in Germany and Japan, especially in times when protecting the environment has become so important in almost every country in the world. The company needs to decide which market entry method is the most suitable for it by firstly evaluating its overall strategy, current resources as well as competitive advantage. Since different regions offer different advantages as well as obstacles, Anna’s Car needs to be able to adapt and acclimatize in those two countries. Also, following the specific rules of entering a foreign country will be crucial in making sure that the company doesn’t get in trouble with the law.