Crossing to Safety and The Sweet Hereafter Essay Example for Free

Crossing to Safety and The Sweet Hereafter Essay The long summer has led me to produce a few thoughts on the assigned summer reading. While reading the books The Sweet Hereafter and Crossing to Safety I have discovered the importance of first person. By comparing the books I have found how the first person viewpoint relates to the characters, the action, and how the novels differ by author in their style of writing. The Sweet Hereafter has an interesting approach to sending us on a journey through the story. By having four narrators we get to see all the angles around the main event. One narration in particular, Billy Ansel, gives us an eye witness account of the featured action in the novel. The swerve off the road to the right, the skid, the smashing of the guard rail and the snow bank; and then the tilted angled plummet down the embankment to the sand pit, where, moving fast and somehow still upright, the bus slid across the ice to the far side; and then the ice letting go and the rear half of the yellow bus being swallowed at once by the freezing blue green water. Here we see how the first person can be used for action sequences. Because Billy Ansel was the only eyewitness, it is imperative that Russell Banks puts in his account in his own words, thoughts and feelings. Using the first person is one way to depict action, but it is also an efficient way to describe characters. Wallace Stegner takes a drastically different approach to his novel Crossing to Safety. The book is primarily told through the eyes of Larry Morgan. Throughout the book we get Larrys thoughts and feelings on events and happenings from beginning to end. Wallace Stegner uses Larrys character to describe the other characters and issues. Charity I was prepared for more or less-the fine narrow head, the drawn back hair, the vivid face, the greetings that managed to be excitedly personal even while she was dividing them among eight of us. but right then, in her doorway, crying greeting, she looked simply tall, beautiful, exotic and exuberant. These excerpts are a good example of Stegners use of the first person to describe a character as Larry saw it. Wallace does a good job of making sure not to overindulge the reader with pointless details and leaves the description short and sweet. Banks and Stegner both use the first person to tell their tales, but it is evident that their traits and s tyles vary significantly. Banks and Stegner have almost two completely different approaches to their novels. Russel Banks broke his story into four character chapters where we see one angle on the tragedy and surrounding events. By doing so, Banks invokes a different feeling from the book. Russell makes it seem as if the characters are actually talking to the reader, as if they were right across from you telling the story. The use of dialect and vocabulary also give the story a personal touch, to continue the exclusive feeling. Wallace Stegner uses one main character to take us through the book, inserting thoughts and dialogue when necessary. Wallace uses the first person viewpoint very differently than Banks. While reading Crossing to Safety it emits the feeling that the reader is actually there in the scene, watching it all take place as the story goes on. Stegner makes the book feel more like a movie than a story because of his vast descriptiveness in every scene and thought. Wallace makes the story flow s lowly building to climax whereas Banks has short thoughts with a peak at every turn of the page. The Sweet Hereafter and Crossing to Safety are both very-well written books and deserve the credit they get. While both books encompass the first person point of view, it all comes down to the personal choice of the reader, the literary connoisseur. Works Cited Stegner, Wallace. Crossing to Safety. New York, 1987. Banks, Russell. The Sweet Hereafter. New York, NY, 1991.

Cause and Effect Essay - Factory Farms Cause Sickness and Pollution

Cause and Effect Essay - Factory Farms Cause Sickness and Pollution There is little doubt that animals raised on small-scale diverse farms are apt to be healthier. When allowed to range freely, particularly in organically maintained yards and pastures, they receive more exercise, their diet is more varied and they are exposed to commensal bacteria that help exclude, and build resistance to, harmful pathogens. Some organic practitioners also argue that free-ranging animals actively seek out plants with medicinal properties that can build their resistance to illness, When Livestock production is carried out on a scale that suits the global market, however, huge numbers of animals are kept in tightly confined conditions, and the potential for disease outbreaks is much higher.. The important considerations of animal welfare aside, these methods lead to the rampant use of antibiotics, which poses a significant health risk, not only for the livestock, but for consumers as well, since antibiotic residues can remain in meat and milk. Roughly half the 25,000 tonnes of antibiotics produced in the United States are used in the raising of animals for human consumption. There are other reasons for concern about the overuse of antibiotics in giant livestock operations. Some 40 to 80 percent of the antibiotics used in farming are thought to be unnecessary even under factory conditions, as 80 percent of their use is as a preventative measure and for growth promotion. Overuse has already rendered some drugs ineffective and may even make some strains of bacteria untreatable. According to the Public Health Laboratory Service in Britain, a new strain of salmonella that first appeared in the United Kingdom in 1990 is re... ...rom practices all too common among industrial pig operations: transporting animals in contaminated vehicles and feeding them waste food containing infected meat. Problems like these are an inherent part of a food system that is so large that companies can increase their profits by millions of dollars simply by saving a few cents on each animal ¹s feed, or by using chemicals or processing methods that reduce costs by a fraction of a percent. We all want safe, healthy food, but we cannot rely on the global food system to provide it. The corporate food chain has grown so long and the distance between producers and consumers so vast that no one can really know how their food was grown, how it was processed, and how it was treated during its long travels. Only by localising and reducing the scale of our food systems can we once again trust the food we eat.

Modern Language Association Essay

The Modern Language Association (MLA) format is the most used format in doing papers especially with Liberal Arts and Humanities subjects (Purdue Owl). This format is based primarily on the author’s name and page number format. But before we start discussing how to cite sources, we must first learn how to properly format the paper using MLA. According to the OWL at Purdue website, the paper size should be a standard 8. 5 x 11 inches with 1-inch margin on all sides. The paper should be double-spaced using a formal font style such as Times New Roman in 12 pts. On all pages of the paper, a header that includes the last name of the owner of the paper and page numbers should be placed. The first lines of the paper should be indented to the left and one line apart: First and Last Name of the owner of the paper, name of professor, Subject/Course, and the date. Once these things are set up, the paper could now be officially started; the title of the paper should be at the center one line following the date (Purdue Owl). There are two basic ways of doing an in-text citation using MLA format. The first is using signal phrases — naming the author first in the sentence and then placing in parentheses the page number where the citation came from after the cited words. The second is including the last name of the author in the parenthetical citation, written before the page number and without any marks between them. If a particular source has no author mentioned, there are also two ways on how to properly cite the material. First is to use the title of the work as a signal phrase or place a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citation. In case of sources where an organization can be used as the source, use the name of the organization as if it was the author. If page numbers are missing, like in web sites, just include the name of the author, again, either as a signal phrase or a parenthetical citation (â€Å"MLA in-text citations† 2).

Lord of the Flies Essay

Throughout literature we have seen different characters struggling with their inner evil. That inner evil can be brought out by a trigger incident or environment which drastically affects a character’s nature. In the Lord of the Flies, being marooned on the island brings out the evil and savage side in the children. It is shown through their disregard for social norms, merciless killings, and lastly turning on each other. In Lord of the Flies, the boys let out their inner beasts by showing no regard for social norms, remorseless killings and turning on each other. At the beginning of the novel they did not lose sight of social norms. As they find that they are alone on the island, no adults anywhere, they realize the importance of democracy and order in a place where there are no rules. â€Å"I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them after all, we’re not savages†¦ † (Golding, 47) This statement is said by Jack, who is addressing the crowd of boys during an assembly. This statement shows that in the beginning before any talk of a â€Å"beastie†, they understood that they needed some order, some form of government that would provide them with safety and tools for survival. Jack’s words later prove ironic because he is the one to disobey Ralph and turn his back on the rules. By ignoring the rules and their government, he leaves the civilized tribe to form a tribe with the demented rules of the wild. As the story unfolds, they slowly move away from their government. â€Å"You see Ralph your conch doesn’t work on this side of the island† (Golding, 195). The symbol of their democracy is the â€Å"talisman, the fragile, shining beauty of the shell. † (Golding, 200) It was used to call together the boys to hold an assembly to discuss the troubling issues being made clear by Jack’s hunters. When Jack says this, he proved that the hold of democracy is fading away as they became more savage. Toward the end of the novel, the democracy is destroyed and nonexistent, and the conch is shattered. â€Å"The conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist† (Golding, 200). This moment is very symbolic because it represents the downfall of any sort of order among the children. Without any form of government the laws that had once applied in their homeland, England, have no power on the island, and in turn lead to the boys encountering their inner evils by ignoring those laws. During the book we see that they develop a fascination and desire with blood and hunting which later lead to shameless killings. First, there is an attempt of killing a pig which drives Jack to hunt again â€Å"You cut a pig’s throat to let the blood out,† said Jack, â€Å"otherwise you can’t eat the meat. † â€Å"Why didn’t you ­? † They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh; because of the unbearable blood. â€Å"I was going to,† said Jack. He was ahead of them and they could not see his face. I was choosing a place. Next time ­! †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Next time there would be no mercy. † (Golding, 33-34) After this encounter with the pig, Jack was obsessed with hunting and killing this pig. When Jack and the group of hunters find a sow with her piglets, they are thrilled. This time it was for more than just food, their killing of this sow was brutish and vicious. It is described â€Å"†¦ the sow staggered her way ahead of them, bleeding and mad, and the hunters followed, wedded to her in lust, excited by the long chase and the dropped blood. â€Å"The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her. † (Golding, 149) This sow was a symbol of an innocent being killed, she was a mother. She had children to look after, and the hunters deprived the piglets of their mother. The killing of Simon was done out of fear of the beast and in the darkness of the night. â€Å"At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws. (Golding, 168) The imagery used in this chapter is that of an animal, by using teeth and claws to describe how cruel this killing was, showing that they have truly becoming animal like and savage. Through this event it seems as they grow more savage they become a little more afraid and desperate. The murder of Piggy is not as violent as that of the sow and Simon. â€Å"Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across hat square, red rock in the sea. His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it was killed. (Golding, 200) Piggy was killed by Roger, who was throwing rocks, which knocked him off the cliff. The savage tribe ignored what Piggy had said about choosing sides, â€Å"Which is better – to be a pack of painted [Indians] like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is†¦. Which is better – to have laws and agree, or to hunt and kill? † (Golding, 199) By Piggy saying this, it got Roger upset, because he had critized his chief and their tribe. When Roger was a part of the civilized tribe, he conditioned his arm to shoot and miss â€Å"Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he [Roger] dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life†¦ Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins. † (Golding, 67) As he became more savage, he had lost the conditioning and the restraint he once had to hurting someone, which is shown through his actions. They were fearful, ignorant, and desperate and with that comes violence, they felt no remorse for their actions only pride and hatred. This also proved that through killing they let out their inner beast. In the beginning, they are not physically turning on each other, they used verbal abuse to belittle those who are younger or had no power. There are three groups of people who are frequently abused, the â€Å"littluns†, Piggy and Simon. Piggy was the major victim, Jack and the rest of the children would frequently name call him, tease him and laugh at him. â€Å"Oh, shut up! † â€Å"I got the conch,† said Piggy, in a hurt voice. â€Å"I got the right to speak† (Golding, 49) they found him amusing, for they felt he spoke of nonsense. Jack, as chief, decided to tie up Wilfred and beat him. â€Å"He’s going to beat Wilfred. † â€Å"What for? † â€Å"†¦ I don’t know. He didn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. He’s been†-he giggled excitedly-â€Å"he’s been tied for hours, waiting-. † For no apparent reason, Jack wanted to torture Wilfred, maybe to reassert himself as chief and gain more followers. The last example of turning on each other in Lord of the Flies is the burning of the jungle to trap and kill Ralph. â€Å"He swerved as a spear flew past and then was silent, running. All at once the lights flickering ahead of him merged together, the roar of the forest rose to thunder and a tall bush directly in his path burst into a fan-shaped flame. † (Golding, 220)In order to capture Ralph, Jack set the jungle alight to draw him out, and kill him. This is also an example of their want to hunt and kill, and in order to be rid of order and civilization Jack had to kill Ralph, but he had not succeed. In order to have peace among the children, they all needed to be supportive and understanding, but they were cruel and hurtful to each other. This proves that thought their consequential actions, that were both cruel and unusual, turning on one another allowed the children act savage and unleash their inner evil. In the novel Lord of the Flies the children discover their inner evil by forgetting social norms, senseless and remorseless killings and lastly by turning on each other. Thought a series of events the children show these qualities that prove once and for all that all people, young and old have the ability to be savage and evil. In this particular novel, these boys encounter their inner evil by the influence of fear, ignorance, and desperation.

Financial Management Essays

Financial Management Essays Financial Management Essay Financial Management Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: : Instructor: Date: Financial Management DuPont Return on Assets is a ratio on the relationship between the net income, sales, and the total assets of a company. The ratio aims at measuring the return on equity, ROE. The aim of calculating the DuPont return on assets to compare the sales or revenue generated to the net income. The ratio is used for showing the impact of assets turnover and the profit margin. The ratio can indicate the efficiency of the company at using its total assets in generating revenues or sales. The ration is also referred to as return on investments, since assets are considered the investments of the owners of the company (Gibson, 2010). The formula of return on assets is as shown below DuPont return on assets == Net Profit ? Net Sales Net Sales ? Total Assets Using this formula, the return on assets for Megaframe Computer can be calculated with ease considering the figures needed for the calculation are provided in their financial statements. Megaframe return on assets == $100,800 ? $ 720,000 $ 720,000 ? $ $ 410,000 == 26% The DuPont return on assets from Megaframe Computer Co. to the nearest whole percentage is 26%. This means that the company is generating using its total assets to generate sales by 26%. For this ratio, the higher the percentage recorded, the more efficient the company is able to generate sales using its assets. Thus, in order to interpret the results well, Megaframe Computer Co. would need to consider its return on assets for the previous years to find out whether the company is improving or going down in terms of generating sales using its assets. The ratio enables the stockholders to ways in which returns on their investment would be affected when there are changes in operations, use of assets, or even the capital structure (Godwin Alderman, 2010). Thus, when the return on assets according to the DuPont method reduces, it will indicate that the company is not using its assets, as it should. Thus, the ratio serves to indicate the health of the company in terms of its effectiveness in directing the resources to drive sales further. References Gibson, C.H. (2010). Financial Reporting and Analysis: Using Financial Accounting Information (Book Only). New York, NY: Cengage Learning Godwin, N.H., Alderman, C.W. (2010). Financial ACCT 2010. New York, NY: Cengage Learning

Whatever Essays - Fiction, Film, The Walt Disney Company

Whatever Essays - Fiction, Film, The Walt Disney Company Whatever him seem naive and as Scar said from the very beginning gifted with more brawn then brains. In the Little Mermaid, Ursula is the villain. She is an octopus who appears to have been educated in Oxford as opposed to living under the sea her whole life. Again, we see a villain with a regal air. Although she is not visually appealing and has a more robust form than most traditional villains, she is cunning in her own way. The movie never really established her former relationship with Triton the king of the sea. It simply implied that there was an incident for which she was cast from the kingd Bibliography kjgh ijg

Tentacle - Definition of Tentacle

Tentacle - Definition of Tentacle Definition When used in a zoological context, the term tentacle refers to a slender, elongated, flexible organ that grows near the mouth of an animal. Tentacles are most common in invertebrates, although they are present in some vertebrates as well. Tentacles serve a variety of functions and can help the animal to move, feed, grasp objects, and gather sensory information. Examples of invertebrates that possess tentacles include squid, cuttlefish, bryozoa, snails, sea anemones, and jellyfish. Examples of vertebrates that posses tentacles include caecilians and star-nosed moles. Tentacles belong to a group of biological structures known as muscular hydrostats. Muscular hydrostats consist mostly of muscle tissue and lack skeletal support. The fluid in a muscular hydrostat is contained within the muscle cells, not in an internal cavity. Examples of muscular hydrostats include the foot of a snail, the body of a worm, a human tongue, an elephant trunk, and octopus arms. One important clarification should be noted about the term tentacle- although tentacles are muscular hydrostats, not all muscular hydrostats are tentacles. This means that the eight limbs of an octopus (which are muscular hydrostats) are not tentacles; they are arms. When used in a botanical context, the term tentacle refers to the sensitive hairs on the leaves of some plants, such as carnivorous plants.