Thursday, March 19, 2020

The Bacchi essays

The Bacchi essays Man, supposing you and I, escaping this battle Would be able to live on forever, ageless, immortal, So neither would I myself go on fighting in the foremost Nor would I urge you into fighting where men win glory. But now, seeing that the spirits of death stand close about us In their thousands, no man an turn aside nor escape them, Let us go on and win glory for ourselves, or yield to others Sarpedon speaks this passage to Glaukos, why Sarpedon was chosen to speak these words might be because he was the result of one of Zeus many affairs. Sarpedons courage is also mentioned in line 104 of book twelve, which helps to support his words in this passage. The passage itself deals with the build up of the Trojans breaking through the defense that the Achians had constructed to defend their ships and men. It is at the end of book twelve that Hektor with the aide of Zeus breaks through the Achian wall by throwing a massive rock, which appears to be Herculean in nature. What makes this even more remarkable is that the Trojan forces had bombarded the wall with all their might and had been unable to break through. Then, when it appeared that they would not be able to do it, Hektor stepped up and in true Heroic fashion solved the problem. A common question which comes up, is why in many Greek stories do you see people fighting a battle in which they now they are going to loose. The attack on the Trojans was of very little consequence to many of the men who were at this battle. If they one or lost would not overly affect their cities, except for the fact that either way there would be far fewer men when they returned. So why then did the fight these battles? The answer is really quite simple. In ancient Greek civilization, there existed a Heroic code that had to be followed. The Consequences for not following this code was disgrace, which was worse then death. No man would want his name disgraced, for not only...

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The 15 Best Editing Tips to Craft Clear Content - CoSchedule

The 15 Best Editing Tips to Craft Clear Content It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I never set out to become an editor. I always loved to write (I recently found an anthology of literature I published at age 10), but I didn’t fully understand the weight of an editor’s role until I had already been editing for a few years. You see, everyone has their own editing processes and their own tricks, so I never knew whether my way was the â€Å"right† way. In fact, most people use one trick in particular: Let someone else do it. That’s because it’s easy to have great ideas. It’s not so easy to write them down in a way that others can understand them. It’s not worth putting your ideas down on a page if you can’t edit your own work or can’t get someone to do it for you. And in today’s content-driven universe, you can’t afford to be both a bad writer and a bad editor. This is why  the role of the great editor is paramount. Whether you use these tips for yourself or pass them along to your favorite college intern, I encourage you to keep your editing chops in tip-top shape. In today’s world of more, more, more, it’s not always the longest or most timely content that wins- it’s the best. In today’s world of more, more, more, it’s not always the longest or most timely content thatGet Your Free Self-Editing ChecklistThe 15 Best Editing Tips to Craft Clear Content1. Put Yourself in Your Audience’s Shoes First and foremost: Audience, audience, audience. You may not see this as a traditional editing tip, and I get that. But after you write your first draft (which should always be for yourself, by the way), it’s time to read through the entire thing and pretend you are someone else- namely, someone in your audience. That â€Å"someone† might be a persona: an avatar of a particular segment of your audience with unique interests and problems. Ask yourself, would that person find this piece valuable? Does it answer a question relevant to their interests? Would they click this headline? Is this writing above or below their experience level? Your answers to these questions will help you tailor future drafts to better serve your audience’s needs. Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Target Audience and Create the Best Content That Connects 2. Read Your Writing Out Loud No, this isn’t about admiring the sound of your own voice or keeping your pet hamster occupied. Reading your work out loud will draw attention to clunky turns of phrase, misused words, and convoluted sentence structures. It’s a great way to revisit your work with fresh eyes (or ears) after hours of writing. Reading out loud doesn’t just help your syntax, either. You’ll more easily detect lapses in your authentic voice- moments when your writing stops sounding like â€Å"you.† You might also discover opportunities to finesse the rhythm and pace of your writing. Grab a glass of water, close that office door, and give this tactic a try. As a bonus, you may even want to consider recording yourself reading aloud so you can listen back and see how you really  sound. Don't want to read your own work out loud? Get an app to do it for you. ReadWrite is a helpful Chrome extension that can do just that: 3. Kill Your Darlings Brace yourself: Ten to fifteen percent of what you’ve written likely needs to be cut. If that percentage seems daunting, don’t despair! Taking a hatchet to that first draft will only make your writing leaner, meaner, and more effective. As you trim, look for repetitive sentences, weak transitions, unnecessary anecdotes, and clichà ©s. Cut or revise anything that hikes up your word count without delivering value in return. Yes,  search engines (and many humans) prefer longer and meatier content. But never prioritize quantity over quality when it comes to your words. 4. Quell Your Writer Ego Skeptical of these editing suggestions? Struggling to find anything to trim or change? Your writer ego might be the culprit. Ego should take a backseat when editing. Remember that first tip, where you put yourself in your audience’s shoes? That shift in perspective helps you serve your reader, rather than yourself. Editing is part of that service. Clinging to your writer ego leads to slimy self-promotion, clouds your ability to see opportunities for improvement, and obstructs your development as a writer. Prioritize what you’re giving your reader, and stronger writing will follow. Prioritize what you’re giving your reader, and stronger writing will follow.5. Make Paragraphs Smaller and Sentences Shorter We tend to pontificate on the intrinsic value of the language we explore through the written word while sipping our steaming cup of tea and baring our souls to the world around us to the sound of the raven’s caw outside our- Gah. Gross. I can barely make sense of sentences like the one above, much less learn from them. And I’m not alone- English-speakers find shorter paragraphs and sentences easier to comprehend. The human brain looks for natural breaks in the text and uses those pauses to interpret what it’s just read. Ramble on for too long, and you’re likely to lose your reader. Most of your sentences should fall comfortably inside the 20- to 25-word range. Publishers disagree on the ideal length of a paragraph for web content- some feel two sentences is long enough, while others insist on a minimum of five sentences. Whatever rule you obey, limit yourself to one idea per paragraph. You may need several words to elaborate on an important point or frame an idea in colorful language to emphasize its power. Go nuts! Just be sure to break those ideas into concise, comprehensible chunks. Recommended Reading: How Long Should a Blog Post Be to Get the Most Traffic and Shares? 6. Vary Sentence Length and Structure I may sound like I’m contradicting the point I made above, but hear me out: Your sentences can vary in length while still being succinct. Cap the majority of your sentences at 20 words, but don’t be afraid to mix it up. Throw in a short, emphatic statement here and there. Step outside that 25-word maximum every so often. These variations create rhythm, control pace, and help hold your reader’s attention to the very last word. Varied sentence lengths create rhythm, control pace, and help hold your reader's attention to the...7. Avoid Adverbs Take it from Stephen King himself: â€Å"The road to hell is paved with adverbs.† â€Å"But,† you say, â€Å"I write content for a martech publication, not fiction! I never use adverbs. When would I use a word like ‘angrily,’ ‘playfully,’ or ‘indubitably?’† Not so fast. Comb your sentences for common adverbs like â€Å"very,† â€Å"totally,† and â€Å"really†- you may find a few have snuck into your writing. And while you might think you need certain adverbs for clarity, look for more specific ways to create emphasis without relying on empty adverbs like â€Å"extremely.† And while you might think you need certain adverbs for clarity, look for more specific ways to...8. Develop an Allergy to Jargon â€Å"Jargon† includes both industry-specific colloquialisms and vocabulary used by experts to talk precisely about high-level concepts, and it’s essential to understand the difference. To an outsider, any industry-specific terms might sound like gibberish. This kind of jargon can be useful when writing for your peers- provided you match your language to your audience’s experience level. The other flavor of jargon, however, muddies your writing. Don’t mistake a â€Å"fancy† word for a precise one. Avoid â€Å"utilizing† or â€Å"leveraging† something when you could simply â€Å"use† it. As you edit, ask yourself, â€Å"Is this language as specific as possible? Is there a simpler word I can use here to communicate the same idea?† If the answer is â€Å"yes,† you’ve got some jargon-slashing to do. Recommended Reading: The Most Complete Content Editing Process to Avoid Copy Disasters 9. Passive Voice Is Not Needed What’s passive voice, you ask? (Hint: I included an example in the title of this section.) To identify passive voice in your writing, look for any sentence where the subject is acted upon by the verb. For example, in the statement, â€Å"This article was written by me,† the subject (â€Å"this article†) receives the verb â€Å"to write.† You could rewrite this sentence to be in active voice by swapping â€Å"this article† with the noun performing the action. Your new, active voice sentence then reads, â€Å"I wrote this article.† You now have a more direct sentence using fewer words! Like magic. Remember, automated grammar-checking software doesn’t always detect these kinds of errors. You’ll need to scan your writing yourself to find and correct any egregious uses of passive voice. Scan your writing yourself to find and correct any egregious uses of passive voice.10. Check Your Gerunds Make sure you haven’t padded your word count with unnecessary gerund phrases- passive verbs followed by â€Å"-ing† words. Gerunds often sneak into your writing like this: â€Å"If you’re wanting to try our service . . .† (Rather than, â€Å"If you want to try our service†) â€Å"In this episode, she is asking . . .† (Rather than, â€Å"In this episode, she asks†) If you find a gerund attached to a passive verb, swap out the phrase for a single active verb. Voila! You just created a stronger sentence. Isn’t editing fun? If you find a gerund attached to a passive verb, swap out the phrase for a single active verb....11. Take Your Time Take your time in all stages of writing, not just the editing stage. Take time to formulate an insanely powerful idea. Take time to flesh out an outline that will keep your piece focused. Take time to write when you’re feeling inspired. And of course, take time to work through edits. Some writers I know spend upwards of six hours writing a 1,500-word blog post. No, they’re not lazy. They’re not newbies. They don’t need an emergency intervention on account of their time management skills. Their writing process takes six hours because it involves thorough research, brainstorming, execution, and editing. They don’t rush any stage of their work, and  neither should you. Need a way to track your time and make the most of it? Try using Toggl: 12. Use a Copyeditor Don’t be afraid to call a professional! Copyeditors are trained to spot errors faster and with greater accuracy than the average content writer. Unlike most grammar-checking software, they apply context to your writing and distinguish between grammatical errors and harmless quirks in your writing voice. If you can’t access a human copywriter, consider a tool like Grammarly. Its grammar robots scan for errors as you type, wherever you type- even inside the bodies of emails. 13. Throw Weak Verbs and Adjectives Out the Window Now that you’ve weeded out the unnecessary gerunds, jargon, and adverbs, turn your focus to those weak verbs and adjectives weighing down your sentences. â€Å"Weak† verbs, this case, include linking verbs or verbs that describe a state of being. In the sentence â€Å"Marketers seem to want to know if this is true,† the phrase â€Å"seem to† describes a state of being. â€Å"Marketers want to know if this is true† preserves the meaning while removing the weak phrase. â€Å"Marketers want proof† is even more direct. Weak adjectives often sneak into your writing as redundancies. Phrases like â€Å"exact same† and â€Å"current trend† apply weak adjectives to words that don’t need further clarification. If a noun tells the same story without the attached adjective, leave it on the cutting room floor. Looking for stronger words to mix up your verbiage? Steal some from this list: 14. Nix Non-Essential Words If all these cuts have you in a sweat, don’t panic- you’re almost there! It’s time to review your writing for remaining non-essential words. These words often lurk in your transitions and use two or three words when one will do. Words like â€Å"that,† â€Å"in order to† (instead of â€Å"to†), and â€Å"may possibly† (instead of â€Å"may†) clog your sentences without adding meaning. Nix ‘em! Words like â€Å"that,† â€Å"in order to† (instead of â€Å"to†), and â€Å"may possibly† (instead of...15. Embrace Your Writerly Tics Yes, you do have to standardize aspects of your writing. Obeying the rules of grammar, structure, and style makes your writing stronger. However, everything else- your voice, your point of view, your process- should come from you. Maybe you’ve got a cheeky sense of humor. Perhaps you like to kick off your content with an anecdote or a provocative claim. Maybe your quirks are more process-oriented- you work from an outline, or you always write your first drafts in a single, frenzied sitting. Embrace these habits! They’re what set your content apart. Embrace your quirks! They're what set your content apart.Personal, memorable writing attracts returning readers and builds your following. If readers enjoy and trust your voice, they’ll choose your content over an anonymous contributor the next time they need an expert opinion. Meeting your word count is only half the battle. Once you’ve got your words on the page, it’s your job to make each of those words count. Your readers don’t have time for fluff- serve them content that is worth their time, even if it means a brutal and bloody editing process before you hit â€Å"Publish.† Take it from a managing editor: These tips will make it all worth it.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

The Impact of Third Party Logistic on the Supply Chain Process in The Essay

The Impact of Third Party Logistic on the Supply Chain Process in The Case Of Tesco Plc - Essay Example There are associated different advantages with the effective third party logistics. The advantages of the third party logistics include improvements in the efficiency of labor, increase in the efficiency of the IT, improvement in the customer’s satisfaction and the effective implementation of the supply chain management systems. Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 5 DECLARATION 5 ABSTRACT 5 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 5 Outline of the Study 5 Background of the Research 5 Problem Statement 5 Research Aims 5 Research Objectives 5 Significance of the study 5 Rationale of the study 5 Research Questions 5 Electronic data base searches 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 Supply Chain Management 5 Third- Party Logistics 5 Overview of the Company 5 Tesco Plc and the Third-party Logistics 5 Pitfalls 5 Strategic objective in the Supply Chain 5 Supply Chain Management (SCM) 5 Retail Sector 5 Principles for managing the Supply Chain 5 Principle No. 1: 5 Principle No. 2: 5 Principle No. 3: 5 Princi ple No. 4: 6 Principle No. 5: 6 Principle No. 6: 6 Principle No. 7: 6 Supply Chain Decisions 6 Location Decisions 6 Production Decisions 6 Inventory Decisions 6 Transportation Decisions 6 Impact of Effective Third Party Logistics 6 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 6 Research Plan / Methodology Perspective 6 Research Design 6 Rationale for a Qualitative Study 6 Rationale for a Quantitative Study 6 Philosophical Framework or Paradigm 6 Appropriate Method 6 Selection of Methods 6 Data Collection Methods 6 Instrument for data collection 6 Data Analysis 6 Justification Method 6 Strength and weakness of the mixed research 6 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 6 Literature Search 6 Reliability/Dependability 6 Validity 6 Ethical Considerations 6 CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND... Just like other activities, the Supply Chain Management is one of the advanced methodologies to ensure a proper and sophisticated supply and distribution of the goods and services by the firms in an industry. This proposal, and the thesis based on it, discusses the concept of the Supply Chain Process and the impact of third party logistics on it. In order to elaborate on the literature review of the subject, the research has been done analytically through the case study approach. For that purpose, the case of Tesco Plc has been considered and a comprehensive view of the topic has been provided in the company’s context. In order to provide a structure to the study, the exploration has been guided through the use of research methodologies, the collection of data through secondary research and the interpretation of the results. Background of the Research For the purpose of researching upon the company, Tesco has been considered to be analyzed in terms of the supply chain process. The investigation will also be performed to judge the impact of third party logistics on the supply chain processes of the organization. According to Rayport and Sviokla (2006), Tesco plc is merchandise and the global grocery retailer based in Cheshunt, United Kingdom.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Managing Entrepreneurial Enterprises' Individual Entrepreneurship Essay

Managing Entrepreneurial Enterprises' Individual Entrepreneurship Interview - Essay Example I always like seeing things being done the right way and thus, I prefer employing myself in order to control my business my own way. In my business, I can make my own rules without consulting any person except my employees Charantimath, 2006, 23). Secondly, I like being independent with my own goals and objectives that I have set to achieve. Individuality is a characteristic that enables me to be to stand even when faced with challenges without expecting help form any person. Therefore, as an entrepreneur I can be totally independent without sharing profits or losses with anyone. How do you security in your business? I am a goal oriented person. Setting goals gives a person assurance and security at work since, when the goals are accomplished; it implies that it cannot fail at given time. An entrepreneur has to be focused at achieving his or her goals since; a business is driven by the goals (Eric, 2012, 12). Without goals, the employment security of the employer is at stake and can fail anytime. How do you manage to succeed in your business? First I am a disciplined person. I do not waste time on issues that might lead to failure of my business. I am also punctual in my work. I ensure that all my projects are completed within the speculated time. Discipline also helps me to keep deadlines and be serious with every part of the business (Bridge, 2010, 35). It is also a factor that helps me to ensure that there is no wastage of resources in the business. Therefore, as an entrepreneur, I have managed to succeed through ensuring that every line of work is well coordinated without taking any part for granted. How do you manage to keep your business running despite the stiff competition in the technology industry? The main strategy that I use is creativity and innovativeness. Entrepreneurship is all about generating of new and unique ideas in order to challenge those of competitors. For instance, in the technology industry I have to ensure that I am updated on all th e updated technology such as new brands of computers and laptops. I also have to innovate new ways of repairing different parts of the instruments. This helps me to attract new customers and provide them with quality services (Under30CEO, 2010, 65). One character trait that also helps me manage the competition is being a risk taker. As a risk taker, I can take advantage of different opportunities in life without fearing the possible losses. This way I can come up with quality features that can be used in building my business. For instance, purchasing laptops in bulk from foreign countries is extremely risky since; one is never certain if the laptops will be purchased by customers. However, as an entrepreneur, I have to take the risk since; that way I will increase my profits. This character is also supported by the fact that I am an opportunistic person. How do you ensure that, as an entrepreneur, opportunities do not pass you by? I take advantage of the different opportunities that my competitors may be ignoring. This way, my business can thrive above others since I will be equipped with unique ideas (Rex Bookstore, 2012, 45). I am also a thinker; I find my way out of the hard parts of the business that I may face. For instance, if a laptop has been repaired and it is not yet working, as an entrepreneur I have to think of the probable cause of the problem. Therefore, as an entrepreneur I cannot afford to run out of ideas at any one point in time. This has also helped to be above my competitors since; while other companies might tell

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Compare And Contrast Two Successful Global Companies Commerce Essay

Compare And Contrast Two Successful Global Companies Commerce Essay In this paper we shall evaluate, compare and contrast two successful global companies: UPS and Amazon.com. UPS is the worlds largest package delivery company and a leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services (UPS, n.d.). It continues to diversify in its product offering. UPS is the third largest employer in the US and has been operating for the last 103 years. On the other hand, Amazon.com is one of the successful survivors of the internet boom in the late 90s. By 2008 Amazon had become a global brand with other 76 million active customers accounts and had earned itself the reputation of offering earths biggest selection of books. Being a company that was founded in 1995, it is not surprising that Amazon.com is still led by its visionary founder Jeffrey Bezos. Amazon.com has a small management core that co-ordinates a virtual/boundary less organisational structure that has been necessitated by the nature of its business. UPS on the other hand is run by a highly centralized management committee that is mostly organized into functions. At the global level we find business units. Both organizations though are structurally organized to enhance efficiency along their supply chains. According to Lambert and Cooper (2000): One of the most significant paradigm shifts of modern business management is that individual businesses no longer compete as solely autonomous entities, but rather as supply chains (p.65). Further, in this emerging competitive environment, the ultimate success of the single business will depend on managements ability to integrate the companys intricate network of business relationships (Lambert Cooper, 2000). The two companies differ here in that whereas UPS owns most of its supply chain operations as epitomized by its 400,000 employees, 600 plus airplanes, more than 90,000 delivery trucks and 72,000 retail outlets Amazon.com manages its supply chain through a network of partnerships with companies such as Toys R Us and Borders in the US, and Waterstones in the UK etc. Indeed, as new technologies provide opportunities to radically change business and industry economics, the need to frame strategy and its executionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has become increasingly importantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for executives and entrepreneurs who are searching for opportunities to create and exploit game-changing innovations (Applegate, 2008, p.21). Information Technology (IT) has been central to both organizations though manifested differently in their strategies. For UPS, IT has been the potential change factor for the last decade. By building up their IT network and database capacity through such innovations as eLogistics and UPS OnLine Tools the company was able to redefine its core business through what Varian (2003) refers to as new combinations of productive means. The case for Amazon.com is different because it is an e-business where IT is a fundamental component. Nevertheless, Amazon.com has been able to develop proprietary technologies with the functionality and features that simplify and improve there customer shopping experience. It is this that made the organisation to prosper while other dot-coms failed. Amazon.com has been able to achieve awareness, customer loyalty and repeat purchases, a form of customer lock-in According to Varian (2003) this tact by Amazon.com reduces dispersion of willingness to pay, which is a form of price discrimination and increases barriers to entry. When we look at the effect of Porters five forces to these two companies we are enabled to understand their strategic intents better. In the case of UPS we see a highly competitive industry with strong brands to compete against such as FedEx, DHL and US Postal Service. The few strong brand names, high fixed costs, trade tariffs and international regulations make entry into this industry difficult thus reducing threat of new entrants. Buyer power is moderate in spite of the low switching costs for customers because individually they are too small to have an impact. Threat of substitutes is low considering that few competitors can match UPSs airfreight. The biggest threat for UPS comes in the form of strong supplier power. This is manifested through labor problems, fuel costs and capacity constraints for example UPS reported a fourth-quarter 2007 net loss of $2.58 billion mainly due to a $6.1 billion pension-related charge. For Amazon.com industry rivalry is also high especially with such competitors like eBay, Barnes Noble and Wal-Mart, high threat of substitutes from specialist e-commerce sites e.g. Apple iTunes store for music downloads and low power of suppliers such as publishers who find competition with online companies so expensive and challenging that they prefer entering into partnerships. Though the capital expenditure required to enter into e-commerce is low Amazon.com has been able to reduce threat of new entrants through demand side benefits of scale, development of proprietary technologies, brand identity and effective and efficient distribution channels. According to Porter (2008): Demand side benefits of scale arise in industries where a buyers willingness to pay a companys product increases with the number of other buyers who also patronize the company (p.4) The future performance projections for UPS for at least the next five years should be high considering that the company has been able to successfully transform itself from one oriented towards becoming the leading package delivery company into an enablers of global e-commerce. In spite of this the company has also successfully maintained its strong culture that has made it have a low rate of employee turnover throughout its history. The firms commitment to continual development of game changing business models e.g. leasing its call center capacity to a customers, supporting and managing entire back-end systems for corporations like Nike etc, and its quick embracing of new technologies are bound to keep UPS very competitive for the near future. Amazon.com though is in a less predictable industry where disruptive technologies have the ability to change the entire industry overnight. Moreover, e-commerce aspiring entrants armed with new capacity and hungry for market share could easily ratchet up the investment required for Amazon.com to stay in business (Porter, 2008) which is not the case for UPSs industry. Customers in this industry are also more fickle as their online experience evolves and could easily be drawn to substitute offerings. Nevertheless, we cannot take away Amazon.coms relentlessly focus on customer experience and customer loyalty which enabled them survive the dot-com bubble burst. With the visionary founder till at the helm we should expect Amazon.com to maintain its competitive edge.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Racial self loathing in The Bluest Eye Essay

In â€Å"The Bluest Eye†, author Toni Morrison builds a story around the concept of racial self-hatred and how it comes to exist in the mind of a young child. â€Å"The Bluest Eye† deals directly with the individual psychology of the main character, Pecola Breedlove. So intense are Pecola’s feelings of self-loathing and inferiority that she would do anything to soothe them. In her young mind, she needs a miracle; she needs the bluest eyes. All of the tragedies in this novel can be directed back to one main issue, whiteness as a standard of beauty. This belief that white sets the standards for beauty is a major factor to the racial self-loathing, which occurred in America in the past as well as today. The show of racism through white beauty, and the desires of the black society to acquire this beauty, led to the destruction of many characters in this book. ‘The Bluest Eye† provides a description of the ways in which internalized white beauty standards disfigure the lives of black girls and women. Obvious messages that whiteness is superior are everywhere, for example the white baby doll given to Claudia, the praising of Shirley Temple, the fact that the light-skinned Maureen is cuter than the other black girls, the idealization of white beauty in the movies, and Pauline Breedlove’s preference for the little white girl she works for over her daughter. Adult women, having learned to hate the blackness of their own bodies, take this hatred out on their children Mrs. Breedlove shares the conviction that Pecola is ugly. The lighter-skinned Geraldine also curses Pecola’s blackness. Claudia remains free from this worship of whiteness, but she does realize that society does, imagining Pecola’s unborn baby as beautiful in its blackness. Morrison describes Claudia’s rage against this belief, while at the same time, shows the other characters being enveloped by this nonsense. This standard of beauty can be seen throughout the novel. But the book hints that once Claudia becomes older, she too will learn to hate herself, as if racial self-loathing was a necessity to be mature. Through the dark-skinned Pecola, Morrison constructs her as hiding her true feelings form everyone in the novel. Yet although Pecola hardly meets the  physical qualifications of light skin and â€Å"good† hair, she does possess the key emotional characteristics, which is a desire for white privilege and an increasing breakup from the black community but not from her family. Ensuring that we do not miss her point Morrison introduces â€Å"a high-yellow dream child† named Maureen Peal (Morrison 52). It’s the light-skinned Maureen who reveals Pecola’s connection with the traditional self-hating black. The person who suffers most from white beauty standards is, of course, Pecola. She connects beauty with being loved and believes that if she possesses blue eyes, the cruelty in her life will be replaced by affection and respect. To Pecola, blue eyes symbolize the beauty and happiness that she associates with the white, middle-class world. They also come to sym bolize her own blindness, for she gains blue eyes only at the cost of her sanity. Beauty and ugliness form the basis of black self-loathing. In simplest terms, blackness is linked to ugliness and therefore inferiority, while beauty is seen as a characteristic found only in whites. Also, white beauty becomes parallel with purity, and Pecola’s father Cholly imagines God as â€Å"a nice old white man, with long white hair, flowing white beard, and little blue eyes† (Morrison 134). Of the few whites that appear in The Bluest Eye, none can even approach this idealized white beauty. White beauty, therefore, exists as an ideal and not a reality, a goal to which even white people can only hope. Morrison portrays this impossibility by adding the Dick and Jane passages showing what white people as well as black people should aspire to. They should live and act how the characters of â€Å"Dick and Jane† do, but it is evidential that it is impossible. The men in the story react to the racial self-hatred in different ways. Cholly believes what all blacks think of race; the whiter you are the more beautiful you are. By all rights, we should hate him, given that he rapes his daughter. But Morrison explains in her afterword that she did not want to destroy her characters, even those who destroy one another, and she succeeds in making Cholly a sympathetic figure. He has experienced much suffering, having been abandoned as a baby and having suffered humiliation at the hands of white men. He is also capable of pleasure and even joy, in  the experience of eating a watermelon or touching a girl for the first time. He is capable of violence but is also vulnerable, as when two white men violate him by forcing him to perform sexually for their amusement and when he defecates in his pants after encountering his father. Cholly represents a negative form of freedom. He is not free to love and be loved, but he is free to have sex and fight and even kill. He falls apart when this freedom becomes a complete lack of interest in life, and he reaches for his daughter to remind himself that he is alive. Soaphead Church’s family is proud of its white heritage and light skin and thinks of itself as superior to darker skinned and less educated blacks. He is a religious hypocrite light skinned Indian who hates all kind of human touch but the one of touching little girls. Being a pedophile he gives little girls money and candy for him to touch them. He believes that he is religiously higher than everyone and compared himself to god once he helps Pecola â€Å"get her blue eyes†. He is a very malignant character that will go through anything to prove to himself and others that he is better then them because of race and because of his actions. In conclusion racial self-loathing corrodes the lives of the characters from â€Å"The Bluest Eye†. Characters such as Cholly, Maureen, and Soaphead church abused Pecola. To recognize themselves in Pecola is to show their own degradation. Desperate to avoid this painful truth, blacks put as much distance between themselves and Pecola by humiliating her. Yet in the process of victimizing Pecola, they also victimize themselves and their race by contributing to the use of racial self-hatred.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

What Teachers Should Wear in The Classroom

Teachers, like most other working professionals, dont have the luxury of dressing however they would like. Outer appearances tend to make strong impressions and teachers are not immune to being judged based on their looks. Teachers work with administrators, students, families, and other teachers on a daily basis and need to make sure to put their best foot forward for all of them. Dressing the part is a great place to start. Above all else, professionalism, practicality, and comfort should control a teachers wardrobe choices. Dress codes can vary considerably by school but there are a handful of universal rules. Dress for success by adhering to these general guidelines and suggestions. Avoid Tight, Sheer, or Revealing Clothing Avoid overly-clingy tops and slacks no matter what your body type and never show up to school wearing anything see-through or excessively low cut/short—this is basically true of all professional fields. There is no shame in wanting to look and feel your best but avoid anything objectively inappropriate or that could be construed as distracting or unduly sexy. Bear in mind that your clothes do not need to be loose-fitting or otherwise unflattering to be school appropriate. Stay Age-Appropriate Cultivate a professional persona by opting for age-appropriate clothing. It is not your job to dress for parents and families but know that you will probably be at least partially judged by your clothing. Think of how you would like to be perceived and dress accordingly—this goes for makeup too. That could mean keeping up on the latest trends, sticking with the classics, or something in between. When in doubt, go for an approximation of business casual and avoid grey areas. If youre not sure of a school rule, play it safe. As long as you present yourself as the qualified professional that you are, dont wear anything that your students arent allowed to wear, and maintain authority, your clothing can be as fashionable and contemporary as you want it to be. Stock up on Wardrobe Essentials Many teachers find that a reliable collection of clothing staples makes their life easier. You may want to simplify your daily choices by selecting a few neutral go-tos and a rotation of your favorite shades to mix and match as you please. Teacher clothes can be just as fun and colorful as any others and you shouldnt feel the need to shy away from interesting patterns or hues but a handful of basic slacks, skirts, dresses, tops, and blouses could save you time and money. Choose Shoes for Comfort Avoid any shoe that will be hard on your feet after an eight or more hour workday. Teachers spend most of their days standing, weaving between desks, and even squatting and kneeling. High stiletto heels and toe-pinching loafers are not kind to your heels and arches for long periods of time. Stay away from overly casual tennis shoes and sandals except during days where you are outside a lot such as field trips or walk-a-thons. Other than that, any comfortable shoe that is sensible and easy to walk in is perfectly fine. Layer Up A school can go from frigid to balmy in the time it takes students to line up. Be prepared for inevitable fluctuations by dressing in layers during every season. Jackets, sweaters, suit coats, and cardigans are simple to put on even in the middle of a lesson. Some teachers choose to leave a few pieces of warmer clothes at school so that they are there when unexpected temperatures strike. Leave Expensive Jewelry and Accessories at Home It probably doesnt need to be said that teaching is a hands-on job. Dont chance an accident or put meaningful, expensive jewelry or watches at risk. When working with very young students, you might also want to avoid anything that can be grabbed. Accessorize as desired without wearing anything that you would miss if damaged or lost.