Ousmane Sembene Black Girl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ousmane Sembene Black Girl - Essay Example The protagonist’s disillusionment drives her to desperation until she eventually decides to commit suicide. The tragic life of Diouana is representative of many African women’s lives, who suffer acute neglect and subjugation not only in their home countries, but also in the global context. The film’s opening sequence introduces one to a ship docking in harbor in Southern France, with the main character Diouana disembarking from it. The Senegalese woman left her native country to work for a French couple as their children’s caretaker. One of the first points noted is the protagonist’s need to look for an informal job in France, irrespective of the fact that her country is already independent from colonialists. This draws one’s attention to the failure of African elite leaders to empower their citizens, especially women, who are relegated to the role of domestic workers, instead of being trained formally to gain fiscal independence. Contrary to Diouana’s expectations, her migration to France is not joyous or fulfilling at all. Her  expectation of travelling to France and that of her French employers is completely disjointed and incomplete, which leads her to a silent, withdrawn and gradually depressing existence. The silence is perha ps symbolic of the African woman’s suppression to the point of being unable to speak her mind or communicate effectively (Spivak 72-75). After arriving at the high rise apartment in Antibes, France, Diouana is instantly given instructions to start cleaning. It becomes apparent that her lifestyle in France, with the French couple is strikingly dissimilar from the one she had with the same family in Africa. While in Dakar, she wore her native apparel and exposed her natural hair. She also took care of the couple’s children and did not have to do household chores. However, in France, Diouana puts on a

Wuthering heights Essay Example for Free

Wuthering heights Essay Should Wuthering Heights be considered relevant in todays society? I say, yes. Although I must admit, I was very close to hating this book, not only because of the confusing situations which occurs and my dislike towards all characters, but also for much more reasons that I dont wish to point out at this moment for that we shall be here for a terribly long time if I did. However, I must also admit, the context of this book, Wuthering Heights, have portrayed many relevant themes that are still existing today, even as I speak. Catherines decision of marriage is one example. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary Nelly, I am Heathcliff. In this quote, Catherine was well aware of her love for Heathcliff claiming that they both have the same souls. She had no income or property of her own. Her physical comfort depends on the will of her father and brother and the most crucial decision of her life, to marry Edgar Linton, is determined by the fact that if she were to marry Heathcliff, they would become beggars. In my opinion, this is a case of forbidden love. Catherine and Heathcliff cannot be together as their statuses are simply too far apart. Many has pointed out that this is irrelevant today as currently, we have the freedom to marry whoever we like. Statuses and class arent considered as important anymore. But is this so? That nowadays we could say I do to whoever we desire? In the book Forbidden Love, by Norma Khouri, told on the accounts of a true story in the small town of Jordan, there is a much similar situation. Dalia, a Muslim, was in love with a Catholic man called Michael. In Jordan, it is considered extremely immoral for two people with such different beliefs to be together. As a result, Dalia was honorably killed when her secret relationship was discovered. Here, this is much like the account of Wuthering Heights. Although it is fair to argue that both stories are different; one deals with religion and honor killings when the other with statuses. However the concepts of the two are very much alike as both revolve around the idea of forbidden love. Love that can never be equated. Perhaps the procedure of murder or revenge would not appear in every situation such as this, but most definitely it will end painfully tragic. The heartbreaking story of Dalia  and Michael was real. It only happened several years ago. As I have heard in your speeches, many have pointed out that the scene of Catherines ghost was much irrelevant as opposed to todays society for that we now do not believe in the supernatural. I find this argument rather hypocritical. If I remember correctly, only a few years back, was there not a reality TV show starring John Edwards which was such a big hit, it attracted millions of viewers around the whole globe? Mr. Edwards claimed, through his television show, that he could communicate with the souls of the dead. This not only brought the attention of numerous but also their belief in him. Many say that his so-called communications is probably just a sham and arent genuine. Whether he really beholds such powers or he was simply making up his sixth sense, I do not care for that he is a person that I neither like nor like to know more of. I am merely mentioning this troublesome man to prove my point. Not of the existence of the supernatural or that ghosts do really appear through your window, but of our beliefs in it even today. As modern day citizens, our acceptance of the paranormal is still very strong. If it wasnt so, then wouldnt the ratings for a reality show of communications with dead spirits be extremely low and unpopular much like the opposite of the results of Mr. Edwards multi-million making one? Here, in the story of Wuthering Heights, the use of a ghostly scene was to attract the readers attention making the book sound interesting and engaging. Bronte addresses the bond between Catherine and Heathcliff in a spiritual way. Thus, making their love towards each other almost inseparable. As children, they had a bond that grew out of similar needs. They grew up protecting and trying to shelter each other from the abuse of Hindley and Joseph. Consequently, they developed an eternal friendship, love and affinity. One could say that they were soul mates even children. Bronte expands the notion of eternal love by creating the supernatural aspect in the story. This is illustrated when Heathcliff contacts Catherines spirit after she dies. Their souls are eternally joined so as a result, Heathcliff cannot live in this realm without her. Only their souls joined together make one. Heathcliff eventually dies to reunite his soul with Catherine. Another aspect which is relevant today and forever it shall remain relevant  is selfishness. Catherines selfish character was depicted when she wanted both Edgar and Heathcliff at the same time. In the beginning, she was introduced as a high spirited character who was wild. However, she drastically changes throughout the book. When she hurts her leg and is forced to stay at Thrushcross Grange, she returns to Wuthering Heights as a well dressed and dignified lady. She was easily swayed to the superior lifestyle of the Lintons and began to look down upon Heathcliff. She even laughs at his rough and dirty appearance and says I didnt mean to laugh at you. I could not hinder myself Heathcliff. Shake hands at least! What are you sulky for? It was only that you looked odd. If you wash you face and brush your hair, it would be alright. But you are so dirty! I as a reader was left surprised and cheated with this reversal. However, she becomes more and more selfish by the minute and even tries to change Heathcliff and begins to feel that he is in fact, beneath her. This is one of the reasons why she starts to look at Edgar in a new light. He, unlike her family, was refined, gentle, rich and handsome. When he asked her to marry him, she accepted, knowing very well that she loved Heathcliff. Ive no more business to marry Edgar than I have to be in heaven. If the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldnt have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now, so he shall never know how I love him; and that not only because he is handsome, Nelly, but because he is more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Lintons is as different as a moonbeam from lightening or frost from fire. We could her marriage to Edgar was for all the wrong reasons. Catherine even confides to Nelly, he shall be rich and I shall be the greatest woman of the neighborhood and I shall be proud of having such a husband. It is evident that Catherine throws away love for her own selfish wants and materialistic motives. She wanted Edgar for his life and riches and Heathcliff for his soul. She didnt want to choose between the two and she never really did. She toyed with both of them by marring Edgar while still loving Heathcliff. Thus, she caused pain for the two men, by causing Edgar to be jealous and Heathcliff desiring revenge. Catherines passion towards Heathcliff ruined many lives. Later in the story, she suffers from the results of the selfish and naive decisions she makes. I wasnt sorry for her not only because I find her very much annoying, but because I felt that  she deserved it they were the bad choices that she must live with. Her character was childish and spoilt who loved to be in the centre of attention. It is not surprising why she wanted to be the most powerful woman in the neighborhood. The character Catherine, not only gives us something to hate and despise, but to also learn from. Throughout the whole story she was indeed very selfish and very rarely has she ever used her head to decide. Thus, this lead to the suffering of not only her, but many additional innocent lives in both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. My point here is selfishness is something that only destroys happiness of not simply you, but others as well. This theme is not only relevant, but should be considered everyday. In conclusion, I still think that Wuthering Heights is a relevant text and should be studied by teenagers through high school. Even though I shall be feeling somewhat sorry for them, the book portrays the some of the most significant qualities of mankind. That is something that I cannot argue against.

Gang Violence in the United States Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

Gang Violence in the United States Gang violence in America is reaching alarming proportions. Chicago police Commander Donald Hilbring states, "Gangs are everywhere. All throughout the city of Chicago, the suburbs, throughout the state, throughout the nation." Chicago police state that so far this year, more than 100 gang-related murders have occurred. Everyday an other report on the evening news relays the tragedy of a child accidently caught in gang crossfire. The image of black, inner-city teenagers selling "crack" on neighborhood street corners and shooting it out over drug "turf" comes to mind whenever we hear the story told. What can we do to understand and remedy this problem before an entire generation is lost? We hear the stories about abused, abandoned children. We hear about drug-addicted mothers and absent fathers. We hear about children forced to fend for themselves in a cold, hard world. It's no wonder kids join gangs. They need someone to care. They are looking for a sense of belonging and family. Yet, not all youngsters who join gangs are looking for a sense of belonging. Often, adult gang members lure teenagers into gang activity. They establish them as drug dealers, use them as car thieves, and often pay them to commit robberies and even shoot rival gang members. Adults use juveniles because the law does not prosecute them in the same manner as adults. Under the current system, the teenagers are back on the streets, and the adults are rarely caught. Just as we assume we know the reasons kids join gangs, we also assume we know who joins gangs. Gang violence is stereotypically thought of as a Black or Latino, inner-city problem. Dr. George Knox, an expert on gangs, says, ... ...her Chicago neighborhood, COP-Citizens on Patrol, a volunteer group, has formed a neighborhood watch group. They patrol the streets and report any suspicious activity to the police. Their presence helps reduce gang activity on the streets of their community. Juvenile justice reform, programs for rehabilitation, and adult concern and involvement are all ways to help remedy the current crisis of gang warfare in our streets. For those youth already involved in gangs, rehabilitation and counseling may help rescue them. For those youth who refuse to give up the gang lifestyle and crime, tougher juvenile laws should put them in jail, away from other children and the rest of society. Finally, parents and community members need to care. Children who grow with parental guidance, in an environment of care and concern, are much less likely to fall prey to gangs.

Essay on Multiple Voices in Morrisons Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon

The Significance of Multiple Voices in Morrison's Song of Solomon  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Of the various manifestations of voice that participate in the interplay of voices in Song of Solomon, I would like to name three - the narrative voice, the signifying voice, and the responsive voice - each of which is dialogized within itself and in relation to the others.    In the opening scene of the novel, the third-person omniscient narrative voice [emphasis added] informs us that at the time of day that Mr. Smith plans to fly from the roof of Mercy Hospital, "word-of-mouth news just lumbered along" (3). This phrase not only encodes the black vernacular but also immediately directs the reader's attention to the cultural, communicative process by which the community structures itself. Interestingly, the phrase appears in the second sentence after Mr. Smith's note about his planned flight appears in the text. Thus, it abruptly shifts the reader's attention from the spectacle of Mr. Smith to the linguistic community of which he is a part. For this community, word of mouth is both a mode of communication and a category of knowledge upon which its members depend. The phrase also stands in contrast to the written word of Mr. Smith's note and therefore, paradoxically, points to his announcement as a suspension of the normative, just as the description of th e community that follows the phrase suspends the reader, along with the curious crowd of onlookers. On the one hand, the narrative voice contextualizes the act of an individual with the attendant communal response; on the other hand, it concurrently informs the reader and abdicates any totalizing ability to do so. Perhaps more importantly, however, in the litany of information about how the bl... ...significance to the listener. By paying attention to how identity is constructed dialogically rather than monologically, the reader hears and celebrates the voices that Toni Morrison both directly and indirectly enacts in the text. But this process also enables the reader to critique those cultural hegemonic forces that have silenced some voices in the first place. A dialogic reading not only encourages the reader to relinquish interpretations which reduce the African American community to a monologic, manageable entity but discourages the reader from coming to closure too easily.    Works Cited Marilyn Sanders Mobley, "Call and Response: Voice, Community and Dialogic Structures in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon," in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon," in New Essays on Song of Solomon, ed. Valerie Smith, Cambridge University Press 1995, 41-68. 42-43:

Berkeley in the Sixties

The movie Berkeley in the 60's archives how an extremely minute set of undergraduates who sought to discover politics going into the Open Speech and Anti-War activities. Opening early on in the decade as the Management of the Institution of higher education of California at Berkeley makes a decision to forbid tables where associations approved out flyers, the Liberated Speech Movement was a minute grouping of citizens concerned in protecting the first amendment of the Constitution.The Academy Management took this as an insult to their power, and as the Management tried to warm up their muscles, their events just appeared to support the fire of the association. The point is that if the Management hadn't completed this core of a very little angry group is enough to stand up for their rights, the huge level communal transformation that happened in the United States and one could dispute in western society, most likely wouldn't have occurred for fairly an extended time perhaps not at all .These dispute showed what a grass roots group could do. It assisted the civil rights association and initiated the Women’s and Anti-War movements. This happened all because the Head of the University of California couldn't accept a little thing. People who were actually instrumental in the movements performed most of the film narration. They emerge to be extremely open about what was sensible and what was not. Not everybody who took part was of a solitary mind. Several were more fundamental than others.Some saw the progress demeaning into a useless mob and left to get concerned in the major remains of American politics. If each and every movie has characters the faction itself was one. It started out very alert. The public concerned was by and large upper middle class white kids. They were very naive. When they complained, they advanced the protest from a position of principles. Any limit on speech was objection. Afterward, as more people came together, the impracticality st arted to demean.Not everyone in the crowd was basically there to protect the original amendment. Some decided they had the authority to re-organize the world to their fondness. Problem like People's Park had nothing to do with open speech, but where more of loosen of the demonstrator's own opinionated influence. As this happens we see the quality of the movie transform. It's simple to get after someone who was thrown in a police car for conversing; it's harder when you notice them whirling over cars and basically stealing land.This deterioration from the interior principles into a mob appears to shade many of the current protests. People like to maintain the tag â€Å"Grass Roots† without essentially making it. What is absent from the movie is the other point of view, the view of the management. Anybody in a place of power counting Governor Ronald Regan is highlighted as an adversary of democratic system. The filmmakers bringing the picture as one 25 years after the faction, emerges to not have completed the effort to discuss the conflict.If they had, they did, they made no cite of it. Still, as a documentary of a point of analysis of a period, Berkeley in the 60's accomplishes something. Even If you were not there, you would at least recognize the students' point of view. This perhaps is biased in the students' support, but it is educational, and does keep your concentration the whole time. This is a huge way to educate history. Bibliography ? Yahoo Movies, Berkeley in the Sixties. Retrieved on Friday February 16, 2007 from http://movies. yahoo. com/shop? d=hv&cf=info&id=1800178336

Tips for Multi-Resolution Delphi Applications

Tips for Multi-Resolution Delphi Applications When designing forms in Delphi, its often useful to write the code so that your application (forms and all objects) looks essentially the same regardless of what the screen resolution is. The first thing you want to remember early on in the form design stage is whether  youre going to allow the form to be scaled or not. The advantage of not scaling is that nothing changes at runtime. The disadvantage of not scaling is that nothing changes at runtime (your form may be far too small or too large to read on some systems if it is not scaled). If youre not going to scale the form, set  Scaled  to False. Otherwise, set the property to True. Also, set AutoScroll to False: the opposite would mean not changing the forms frame size at runtime, which doesnt look good when the forms contents do change size. Important Considerations Set the forms font to a scalable TrueType font, like Arial. Only Arial will give you a font within a pixel of the desired height.​  If the font used in an application is not installed on the target computer, then Windows will select an alternative font within the same font family to use instead. Set the forms Position property to something other than poDesigned, which leaves the form where you left it at design time. This usually ends up way off to the left on a 1280x1024 screen- and completely off the 640x480 screen. Dont crowd controls on the form- leave at least 4 pixels between controls  so that a one-pixel change in border locations (due to scaling) wont show up as overlapping controls. For single line labels that are alLeft or alRight aligned, set AutoSize to True. Otherwise, set AutoSize to False. Make sure there is enough blank space in a label component to allow for font width changes - a blank space that is 25% of the length of the current string display length is a little too much but safe. Youll need at least 30% expansion space for string labels if you plan to translate your app into other languages. If AutoSize is False, make sure you actually set the label width appropriately. If AutoSize is True, make sure there is enough room for the label to grow on its own. In multi-line, word-wrapped labels, leave at least one line of blank space at the bottom. Youll need this to catch the overflow when the text wraps differently when the font width changes with scaling. Dont assume that because youre using large fonts, you dont have to allow for text-overflow- somebody elses large fonts may be larger than yours! Be careful about opening a project in the IDE at different resolutions. The forms PixelsPerInch property will be modified as soon as the form is opened, and will be saved to the DFM if you save the project. Its best to test the app by running it standalone and edit the form at only one resolution. Editing at varying resolutions and font sizes invite component drift and sizing problems. Make sure that you set your PixelsPerInch for all your forms to 120. It defaults to 96, which causes scaling problems at a lower resolution. Speaking of component drift, dont rescale a form multiple times, at design time or runtime. Each rescaling introduces round-off errors which accumulate very quickly since coordinates are strictly integral. As fractional amounts are truncated off the controls origins and sizes with each successive rescaling, the controls will appear to creep northwest and get smaller. If you want to allow your users to rescale the form any number of times, start with a freshly loaded/created form before each scaling so that scaling errors do not accumulate. In general, it is not necessary to design forms at any particular resolution, but it is crucial that you review their appearance at 640x480 with large and small fonts, and at a high-resolution with small and large fonts, before releasing your app. This should be part of your regular system compatibility testing checklist. Pay close attention to any components that are essentially single-line TMemos- things like TDBLookupCombo. The Windows multi-line edit control always shows only whole lines of text- if the control is too short for its font, a TMemo will show nothing at all (a TEdit will show clipped text). For such components, its better to make them a few pixels too large than to be one pixel too small and not show any text at all. Keep in mind that all scaling is proportional to the difference in the font height between runtime and design time, not  the pixel resolution or screen size. Remember also that the origins of your controls will be changed when the form is scaled- you cant very well make components bigger without also moving them over a bit. Anchors, Alignment, and Constraints: Third party VCL Once you know what  issues  to bear in mind when scaling Delphi forms on different screen resolutions, you are ready for some coding. When working with Delphi version 4 or higher,  several properties are designed to help us maintain the look and layout of controls on a form. Use  Align  to align a control to the top, bottom left, or right of a form or panel and have it remain there even if the size of the form, panel, or component that contains the control, changes. When the parent is resized, an aligned control also resizes so that it continues to span the top, bottom, left, or right edge of the parent. Use  Constraints  to specify the minimum and maximum width and height of the control. When Constraints contains maximum or minimum values, the control can’t be resized to violate those constraints. Use  Anchors  to ensure that a control maintains its current position relative to an edge of its parent, even if the parent is resized. When its parent is resized, the control holds its position relative to the edges to which it is anchored. If a control is anchored to opposite edges of its parent, the control stretches when its parent is resized. procedure ScaleForm (F: TForm; ScreenWidth, ScreenHeight: LongInt) ;begin F.Scaled : True; F.AutoScroll : False; F.Position : poScreenCenter; F.Font.Name : Arial; if (Screen.Width ScreenWidth) then begin F.Height : LongInt(F.Height) * LongInt(Screen.Height) div ScreenHeight; F.Width : LongInt(F.Width) * LongInt(Screen.Width) div ScreenWidth; F.ScaleBy(Screen.Width,ScreenWidth) ; end;end;

How to get Your CDL in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi

How to get Your CDL in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi This article is useful for anyone who wants to get a CDL in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. If you want to learn about earning a CDL at other states, we have put together a comprehensive guide on how to get a commercial driver’s license in every state of the country. AlabamaBefore You Apply for Your CDL1. Get you  doctor to fill out  the current Department of Transportation Medical Examination Report (Form 649-F)2. Learn or review  the rules and regulations of commercial driving. You can study these in Alabama’s Commercial Driver License Manual.How to ApplyTake the following documents to your nearest Driver License Division office (make sure to research ahead for one that handles CDLs!):A current Alabama driver’s licenseA Social Security card or other proof of Social Security numberYour current DOT medical certificate (from above)Proof of insurance for the testing vehicle if you are taking the skills test$25 for the written test, $20 for the skills testL icense fees vary depending on your desired  class of license. Class A costs $66.25; Class B costs $56.25; Class Ccosts $36.25. If you are purchasing a CDL  or a license to operate only a school bus, the fee is $36.25.What to Expect When TestingFirst, on test day,  you will take one or more knowledge tests (which are written), depending on the license and endorsements you want.Then, if you pass the knowledge tests, you qualify to take the skills test (which is a driving test). Another option at this point is choosing to  be issued a learner’s license, which will allow you to practice driving  a rig with a licensed commercial driver in the passenger seat.When you feel   ready to take the on-road driving test, you can make another appointment at  the CDL licensing office.  The driving skills test includes: vehicle inspection (where you must  prove your vehicle’s safety and show your inspection skills), vehicle control (you will be asked to drive forward, backward, and in turns, in a small  area), and the actual driving test (this tests how well you know  Ã‚  signs, driving laws, and regulations).ArkansasBefore you take your certification exams, you must assess your driving record. If you have any serious offenses, like  DUI, you may be disqualified.The Knowledge TestsYou must pass the written knowledge test before you can take your road skills test. In order to familiarize yourself with the content of the exam, study the Arkansas  CDL Manual  to learn about driver safety, cargo safety, equipment, traffic rules, inspection procedures, and hazardous materials.To bring on test day:Documents that prove your age and identity$42, which is the fee for your CDLIf you haul hazardous materials, you will need to have federal  background and fingerprint check.The Road Skills TestAfter you have passed the written tests, you are ready for the road skills test.  On this test, you will be asked to perform driver tasks including pre-t rip inspections, changing lanes, tying down cargo, and maneuvering intersections.  The Arkansas CDL Manual review everything you will be tested on- review the criteria before test day so you are familiar with the tasks you will face.RequirementsYou must self-certify one of the following driving categories with the Arkansas DMV:Non-Excepted InterstateExcepted InterstateNon-Excepted IntrastateExcepted IntrastateIf you choose Non-Excepted Interstate, you must provide the DMV with a federal medical certificate.MississippiTo obtain a CDL in Mississippi, you must hold a  Regular Class R driver’s license. You must also obtain a current medical card when applying.Testing for the CDLNext stop is to take and pass the written and skills tests. All the information you need to know about the exam is in the Professional Driver’s Manual, which you can find at any  driver’s license office  throughout the state. You can schedule an appointment for the driving test either   online  or by phone.What You Must BringYour valid Mississippi driver’s license, a CDL learner’s permit, and your completed application for your desired CDLAnother driver to accompany you who holds the same class CDL license (or greater) as the one you seekA current medical cardThe same class of vehicle you will be driving once you obtain your CDL (it must pass inspection before any tests will be administered)A Social Security cardProof of residency (electric or water bill, lease agreement, vehicle-registration receipt, mortgage documents, homestead exemption receipt, bank statement, notarized employer verification on company letterhead (with a phone number) that states your address)Appropriate feesOut-of-state applicants applying for a Mississippi CDL can use their valid driver’s license from another stateNote: If your job entails hauling hazardous materials, you must undergo a background check. You will have to complete a  Driver’s License Hazard ous Materials Endorsement Application  and pay a fee.