Global warming exists Essay Example for Free

Global warming exists Essay The debate over whether global warming is a reality has received contradictory arguments from the various fronts on the global community. Opponents of the phenomenon assert that climate changes from time to time are natural occurrences. On the other side, proponents claim that the world has been experiencing trend of increase in temperatures of the earths near surface atmosphere since early twentieth century. This has particularly been attributed with the onset and increasing industrialization in the global community. Such have the implication that activities by mankind are to be blamed for the issue of climate change in the world. Given the available evidence that the world is experiencing unpredictable climate and weather patterns, global warming is no doubt a reality in the modern society. Causes of global warming According to scientific research findings, global warming is defined as the gradual increase in the temperatures of the earth’s atmosphere near the surface (Johansen, 2002). This has been closely associated with increased emission and accumulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Revkin, 2008). These gases are responsible for trapping heat emitted from the earth’s surface and thus increasing the atmospheric temperatures. It is worth noting that greenhouse gases are commonly a byproduct of the production process by industries. As an example to emphasis this claims, mankind activities are estimated to be producing carbon dioxide (which is the major greenhouse gas) at a rate of over 25 billion metric tons annually (Revkin, 2008). In addition, deforestation, which entails cutting down of trees by man has contributed to the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, although some natural processes such as fossil decay and volcanic eruptions can lead to greenhouse gas emission, mankind kind activities remain the main cause of global warming given the huge amounts of greenhouse gases produced by industries across the globe (Kluger, 2006). Evidence supporting the existence of global warming There are numerous evidences indicating the existence of global warming in the globe. First, the world is evidently witnessing a decline in its mountain ice and glaciers reserves (Kluger, 2006). According to available research findings, the rate Arctic shrinkage is higher than any other time in the history of mankind. Still, the world is experiencing a gradual but real rise in sea levels, a factor which is threatening the submergence of some low laying islands (Johansen, 2002). Such increases are evidently blamed for the increase in the rate of melting of mountain ice and glaciers. Global warming has been blamed for the occurrence of extreme weather conditions. Such include floods, droughts as well as heat waves, which are evident in the world today (Revkin, 2008). It is also claimed that due to global warming, expansion and evaporation of sea waters are high. Just to be appreciated is the fact that such high rates of evaporation of water into the atmosphere leads to increased rate of rain formation along the coastal regions. Such are indeed, the reason behind the frequent flooding witnessed in our coastal regions (Kluger, 2006). Therefore, since no one can refute the evidence of global warming on sea water expansion and increased flooding in the coastal regions, then global warming is a real threat to the sustainable social and economic development of the global community. The world is marked with the problem of unpredictable climate changes. As by the available statistics, the globe is witnessing a changing trend in its wind patterns (Johansen, 2002). It is worth noting that the process of wind formation is dependent on earth surface temperatures which lead to expansion of air. In addition, wind is a crucial factor in influencing the rain patterns across the globe. This is because it acts to carry water vapor from its source to other regions. Based on this reasoning, since wind and rain storms are no doubt a direct result of earth surface temperatures, then global warming must be a real phenomenon. Just to be emphasized here is the fact that such unpredictable wind patterns are responsible for the eminent failure by weather forecasting scientists in giving reliable region specific weather predictions. Therefore, the global temperature swings are responsible for the increasing formation of unpredictable weather patterns across the globe. Another proof in support that global warming is a real phenomenon is the trend of increased incidences of disease outbreaks across the globe (Johansen, 2002). True to the letter, traditionally, diseases were categorized by regions. However, due to climate changes, it is not uncommon it experience traditionally tropical diseases in other regions of the world (Johansen, 2002). According to available evidence, the human community is witnessing an increase in the number of skin cancer diseases. Such have been closely attributed to an increase in the amount of ultraviolet rays reaching the earth surface. It is worth noting here that such increases are a direct result of the evident shrinking of the ozone layer, a phenomenon that is termed as global warming. Conclusion It is clearly established that the world is increasingly witnessing an ever changing trend on its climate. Such are evident from the ever increasing mountain ice and glaciers reserves which lead to expansion of sea waters. This threatens the livelihood of those settled in the low coastal regions. The phenomenon is also blamed for unpredictable wind and rain patterns as well as increased spreading of diseases across the global. Therefore, global warming is a real phenomenon threatening the sustainable existence of the human community. References Johansen, B. (2002). The Global Warming Desk Reference. New York: Greenwood Press. Kluger, J. (2006). Global Warming Heats Up. Retrieved May 17, 2010, from http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1176980,00. html Revkin, A. (2008). A Shift in the Debate over Global Warming. Retrieved May 17, 2010, from http://www. nytimes. com/2008/04/06/weekinreview/06revkin. html

Semantics And The Structure Of Sentence

Semantics And The Structure Of Sentence Semantics is the study of meaning. It typically focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for. Linguistic semantics is the study of meanings that humans use language to express. Other forms of semantics include the semantics of programming languages, formal logics, and semiotics. The word semantics itself denotes a range of ideas, from the popular to the highly technical. It is often used in ordinary language to denote a problem of understanding that comes down to word selection or connotation. This problem of understanding has been the subject of many formal inquiries, over a long period of time, most notably in the field of formal semantics. In linguistics, it is the study of interpretation of signs or symbols as used by agents or communities within particular circumstances and contexts. Within this view, sounds, facial expressions, body language, proxemics has semantic (meaningful) content, and each has several branches of study. In written language, such things as paragraph structure and punctuation have semantic content; in other forms of language, there is other semantic content. The formal study of semantics intersects with many other fields of inquiry, including lexicology, syntax, pragmatics, etymology and others, although semantics is a well-defined field in its own right, often with synthetic properties. In philosophy of language, semantics and reference are related fields. Further related fields include philology, communication, and semiotics. The formal study of semantics is therefore complex. Semantics contrasts with syntax, the study of the combinatory of units of a language (without reference to their meaning), and pragmatics, the study of the relationships between the symbols of a language, their meaning, and the users of the language. In international scientific vocabulary semantics is also called semasiology. LEXICAL CONCEPTUAL SEMANTICS This theory is an effort to explain properties of argument structure. The assumption behind this theory is that syntactic properties of phrases reflect the meanings of the words that head them. With this theory, linguists can better deal with the fact that subtle differences in word meaning correlate with other differences in the syntactic structure that the word appears in. The way this is gone about is by looking at the internal structure of words. These small parts that make up the internal structure of words are referred to as semantic primitives. LEXICAL SEMANTICS A linguistic theory that investigates word meaning. This theory understands that the meaning of a word is fully reflected by its context. Here, the meaning of a word is constituted by its contextual relations. Therefore, a distinction between degrees of participation as well as modes of participation are made. In order to accomplish this distinction any part of a sentence that bears a meaning and combines with the meanings of other constituents is labeled as a semantic constituent. Semantic constituents that can not be broken down into more elementary constituents are labeled a minimal semantic constituent. COMPUTATIONAL SEMANTICS Computational Semantics is focused on the processing of linguistic meaning. In order to do this concrete algorithms and architectures are described. Within this framework the algorithms and architectures are also analyzed in terms of decidability, time/space complexity, data structures which they require and communication protocols. Many companies use semantic technologies to create commercial value. The fundamental point is that you cannot create much value from content that you do not understand. Once you understand, then you can interrogate more effectively, create explicit relationships between content around topics and issues, inform contextual advertising and product placement, and build a standard method of sharing structured data between publishers. Halliday (1987) describes some syntactic and semantic differences between the spoken and written modes of communication. Hoey (1986), Van Valin (1984) and Winter (1977) describe the syntax and semantics of clause connection, focusing largely on several English registers According to the traditional grammar, sentences consist of words, but not every string of word constitutes a sentence as we can see in the following example: Lion cage this less in dangerous is the. A possible analysis is that if we look at this example we know the meaning of the individual words, but the sequence as a whole does not make sense, so we cannot consider this structure a sentence. Thus, we can affirm that if a sequence of words is to constitute a sentence, it must he meaningful, for instance: The lion is less dangerous in this cage. The network of relations between the words of a sentence is called its structure. There are many different aspects that influence the structure of a sentence. A very important one is word order. The different order of the words in a sentence can bring by a difference in its meaning, as in the following example: Did he say who he was?= Who did he say he was? But a difference in word order does not always imply a difference in meaning. Sometimes it simply entails a difference in emphasis: John ran away //A way ran John . In relation with the words, the structure of the sentence also depends on the individual meaning of the words or word-groups making up the sentence; in the following example the difference of structure is not due to word order but to the relationship between the words: Peter was waiting for seven friends. //Peter was waiting for seven minutes. Then this kind of Grammar deals with the concept of Ambiguous sentences and explains that the structure of sentences is not always unambiguously derivable from overt marks like word order, lexical items etc Sometimes we come across sentences to which more than one structure can he assigned, having therefore, more than one meaning. This type of sentence receives the name of Ambiguous Sentence, as in the following examples: George likes Susan more than Joan // Visiting relatives can be boring. Only through the context in which these sentences may appear can we know which of the two possible meanings is intended. According to the Transformational Grammar, it deals with the idea that a sentence has a syntactic structure, and it follows this term in order to develop its theory. The first important point deals with the idea that the evidence for claiming that sentences have a syntactic structure in language comes from the native speakers intuition about the structure of sentences in his language. These structural intuitions which native speakers have about the Syntax of their languages are two types: 1. The constituents: intuitions about how sound-sequences in sentences are structured into larger structural units. 2. Categories: intuitions about whether structural units belong to the same category or not. So, the following example is going to illustrate this fact: To analyze the concept of sentence we can do the following analysis: words are grouped into lower constituents. For example à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"incredibly modifies intelligentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ , so the sequence [incredibly intelligent] is a phrasal constituent of the sentence. Also, following the analysis, this modifies pupil, so the sequence [that pupil] forms a single structural unit, a constituent of the sentence. The same happens in the sequence [that teacher]. But furthermore also the sequence [to that teacher] is another constituent. To the transformational grammar, the phrases [incredibly intelligent] and [to that teacher] both modify seemà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ , then the whole sequence [seem incredibly intelligent to that teacher] is also a constituent. Thus, all this information can he represented as we see before in diagrammatic form, that is a tree diagram. Each point in the tree is called a node, and each node represents a constituent. But, however, since nodes are predictable, later they were suppressed in subsequent tree-diagrams. But a tree-diagram does not provide any representation of our intuitions about which constituents are constituents of the same type. The traditional way of describing the similarities and differences between constituents is to say that they belong to categories of various types. And the same happens with the phrases. Finally, to this type of grammar, the whole sequence [that pupil must seem incredibly intelligent to that teacher] is a special type of constituent traditionally termed a clause or sentence. 3. Conventions to Be used in the analysis of a sentence, the constituents aNd its levels Every sentence can he analysed at four distinct form levels: the word-level, the phrase-level, the clause-level and the sentence- level. And this is called the rank scale. Later, after the explanation of the constituents of a sentence we will see the different levels and how they can he analysed following the same example. Thus, a diagram as this provides a visual presentation of the categorial constituent structure of the sentence. It shows us how sentence is structured out of its constituent phrases, and how each of the phrases is structured out of its component words, and also it provides a visual presentation of the phrase structure of sentence. The type of labelled tree- diagram used here is referred to as a Phrase-marker (P-marker) because it marks the hierarchical grouping of words into phrases, and phrases into sentences. Another method of visual display used in the linguistic literature is to make use of labelled bracketing. Within this system, we could represent the categorial status of the words in the structure mentioned before as in the following example: [D This] [N pupil] [M must] [V seem] [Adv incredibly] [A intelligent] [P to] [D that] [N teacher] We could use this system of labelled bracketing to represent the fact that [this pupil] and [that teacher] are noun phrases, that [to that teacher] is a prepositional phrase. That [incredibly intelligent] is an adjective phrase, that [seem incredibly intelligent to that teacher] is a verb phrase, and that [this pupil must seem incredibly intelligent to that teacher] is an S = clause. As follows: [S [NP [D this] [N pupil]] [M must] [VP [V seem] [AP [ADV incredibly][A intelligent]] [PP [P to][NP [D that] [N teacher] ] ] ] ] Then the two diagrams represented here contain the same information. Many linguists prefer tree-diagrams as a form of visual representation of syntactic structure because they are easier to read, and the reason for that is that the information they contain is less condensed. Thus, diagrams like these provide a virtually complete representation of the syntactic structure of the sentence. Also we can find partial tree-diagrams or partial labeled bracketing: for instance if we take the sentence mentioned before, we can see that it contains three major constituents: CONCLUSION According to grammarians, it can be said that there is a hierarchical order. That is to say, sounds are the constituents of words, words are the constituents of the phrases and phrases are the constituents of sentences or clauses. Then as a conclusion to this point, we can say that sentences are not just unstructured sequence of sounds; rather they have a hierarchical constituent structure in which sounds are grouped together into words, words into phrases, and phrases into sentences. On the other hand, it is important to point out the main features of the different categories although they have not been explained in this assignment. That is to say, when we talk about sentences, it is absolutely necessary to know the features of the categories as constituents of the own sentence. In a nutshell, it can be said that Radfords book, Ouhalla ´s work and the linguistics dictionaries are a useful guide for the student in the sense that they make easier the comprehension of grammar. It is due to the fact that they give us (as students) clear information by using simple examples.

Vacation Gone Awry Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples

I lay asleep in the car crammed between my brother and my sister; I open my eyes just in time to see a sign with half of the lights burnt out that read "State Bridge, Resort, Saloon, Restaurant, and Lodging." By the looks of the sign, I had a feeling that this place was going to be a dump. The word "resort" led me to believe it wasn't that bad. The thought I always kept in the back of my mind was what a Hawke family "vacation" was. We would always spend the least amount of money as we could, and we would leave as soon as possible. This, to my dad, was the greatest vacation. My dad had this great last minute idea of going to his sister's house in Steamboat Springs for Christmas. My family is known for last minute planning. We started planning this the day before we wanted to leave. Things never go according to plan, and we ended up leaving that very same day because there was supposed to be a huge snowstorm the next morning. So, at six that night, we all piled into our 1982, Dodge minivan. Of course, my dad made my mom drive because he hates to drive at night or driving period. He always says to my mom "Honey, if you get tired just wake me up and I'll drive." On long trips, he always falls asleep and it is quite difficult to wake him up when he is snoring. My mom always ends up driving the entire way. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, my mom decided it was time to settle into a hotel because she was getting tired, hungry, and cranky. We saw a number of hotels but every hotel that we passed showed a "no vacancy" sign. The first actual stop we made was in Eagle. As soon as the car came to a stop, my brother and my dad awoke, and of course, the bickering began because we were all cranky. My brother had been taki... ...od?" Sarcastically my mom replied, "What do you think?" "I slept good, I didn't even wake up once," my dad answered. "You didn't hear all the trains going by last night?" my mom asked. My dad replied "Nope, I didn't hear a thing." I took my spot in the crammed back seat, and I couldn't believe what had happened in that endless night. As we drove away, I hoped that we would never return to that dreadful place again. Before the vacation was even over, the Hawke family vacation goal was a success. We managed to spend only $25, and we were to start home the next day. To my dad this was a fun filled vacation, but to the rest of us, it was the most dreadful time we had ever had. Still crammed between my brother and sister, I couldn't stop thinking of our awful experience. I could only hope that our final destination would better than the previous encounter. Vacation Gone Awry Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples I lay asleep in the car crammed between my brother and my sister; I open my eyes just in time to see a sign with half of the lights burnt out that read "State Bridge, Resort, Saloon, Restaurant, and Lodging." By the looks of the sign, I had a feeling that this place was going to be a dump. The word "resort" led me to believe it wasn't that bad. The thought I always kept in the back of my mind was what a Hawke family "vacation" was. We would always spend the least amount of money as we could, and we would leave as soon as possible. This, to my dad, was the greatest vacation. My dad had this great last minute idea of going to his sister's house in Steamboat Springs for Christmas. My family is known for last minute planning. We started planning this the day before we wanted to leave. Things never go according to plan, and we ended up leaving that very same day because there was supposed to be a huge snowstorm the next morning. So, at six that night, we all piled into our 1982, Dodge minivan. Of course, my dad made my mom drive because he hates to drive at night or driving period. He always says to my mom "Honey, if you get tired just wake me up and I'll drive." On long trips, he always falls asleep and it is quite difficult to wake him up when he is snoring. My mom always ends up driving the entire way. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, my mom decided it was time to settle into a hotel because she was getting tired, hungry, and cranky. We saw a number of hotels but every hotel that we passed showed a "no vacancy" sign. The first actual stop we made was in Eagle. As soon as the car came to a stop, my brother and my dad awoke, and of course, the bickering began because we were all cranky. My brother had been taki... ...od?" Sarcastically my mom replied, "What do you think?" "I slept good, I didn't even wake up once," my dad answered. "You didn't hear all the trains going by last night?" my mom asked. My dad replied "Nope, I didn't hear a thing." I took my spot in the crammed back seat, and I couldn't believe what had happened in that endless night. As we drove away, I hoped that we would never return to that dreadful place again. Before the vacation was even over, the Hawke family vacation goal was a success. We managed to spend only $25, and we were to start home the next day. To my dad this was a fun filled vacation, but to the rest of us, it was the most dreadful time we had ever had. Still crammed between my brother and sister, I couldn't stop thinking of our awful experience. I could only hope that our final destination would better than the previous encounter.

Rogerian Argument for Marijuana Legalization :: Cannabis Legalization Argumentative Essays

Rogerian Argument for Marijuana Legalization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cannabis plant has been the topic of much debate throughout the history of this country. Many people don't know that it was not the effect of cannabis that originally spurred its banning. It was actually originally the work of the cotton industry who put big money behind illegalization for the plant's mind altering effects. The cotton industry was afraid that hemp, a product of the cannabis plant, would soon overpower the strong hold of cotton since it was a more durable textile that required less work, less ground depletion, and could be grown almost anywhere. Since the time when cannabis first became illegal it has been grouped with other narcotics as a counterpart. The truth is cannabis has many benefits to society and other than the effects of smoke inhalation has very few negatives. Those against legalization try to put cannabis in the same light as other more potent drugs like cocaine and heroin. There are many misconceptions about the substance and it i s clear it should be looked at separately.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those opposed to the legalization of the cannabis plant in a September 11th 2003 article claim that with legalization of cannabis will come further problems. They say that legalization would lead to greater drug use especially with children as well as drug trafficking from legalized areas. They claim the tobacco and alcohol cause enough problems and there is no reason to add a new product into the mix. The claim is also made that drugs such as cannabis lead to poverty, crime, and violence. They argue that although the drug war cannot be completely successful it is worth it to slow down drug trade and that truly very few people are brought up on a simple possession charge of cannabis. Finally they make the claim that if cannabis and other drugs were legalized it would prevent court ordered addiction treatment. I understand the basis of all these claims and understand where they come from. Many arguments are made generally about the legalization of all illegal drugs including cannabis and I do agree that drugs other than cannabis should be kept illegal for all the reasons listed above. Where I find fault with the expose is the unfair grouping of cannabis into the article.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First off it is important to understand the effects of cannabis use and its history. When smoking cannabis THC is the leading stimulant released.

Lunch With God :: essays research papers

Lunch With God A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever. When the boy opened t he door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." And before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen." Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." And before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected." Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

My Life in the Light of the Rule of Benedict

We live in a time impatiently dashing towards the next. Ours is a society plagued by the need to move on without resolving issues of the here and now. We readily throw objects for the latest, and within the same breath complain that things are not the way they used to be. We so willingly burn bridges, and under the same lifetime demand for meaningful and lasting connections. Our lives are imbalanced and devoid of meaning because we are so caught up in the demands that society imposes upon us. And at the end of each day we feel so empty and restless, longing for something more. The good news is that meaning and purpose can be found for those who truly want it in their lives and are willing to do what it takes to find it and keep it. The book of St. Benedict was written some 15 centuries ago. But it finds place even in modern times. The precepts that it gives are enduring for those who want to find a semblance of spiritual peace in our chaotic and often uncertain world. The book is mainly about how man can strike a balance between his work and his spiritual life of prayer and meditation. This work of St. Benedict, which was written in the Middle Ages, became the foundations of the monastic life, where men of God were men of the world as well, doing menial jobs even as they tend to their spiritual lives. St. Benedict’s philosophy revolved around three main concepts: peace, pray and work. That in spite of the daily grind and drudgeries of our existence, we can all strive to find peace in our lives through finding time to pray and sanctify all our daily activities. He believes that the men of God should never turn their backs to the world and their responsibilities to their communities because a life of prayer without the actual good work that benefits other people is useless. Our duty as Christian is two-fold, the daily worship of God and the daily service to mankind. In every aspect of living, there is a way to find balance and address these two things at the same time. The wonderful thing about The Book of Benedict is that while it deals with profound issue of faith and grace, it also has practical advices on how to observe them in the real world. Balance and moderation is the key to a peaceful and content life. We must never be tempted to excesses and overindulgence. In food, two of a kind is sufficient so that if a person does not eat one, then there is always a second option. In my life I make it a point to enjoy my food, the key to feeling food is to savor every bite and celebrate the blessings that it represents. There are some cases when celebrating through food is well-deserved, but still, it should be taken in moderation. As St. Benedict said, â€Å"For nothing is so contrary to Christians as excess, as our Lord saith: ‘See that your hearts be not overcharged with surfeiting’ (Lk 21:34).† I have realized that food, to be truly enjoyed need not be taken in excessive amounts. The secret is in learning how to delight in and appreciate each small bite of food. In terms of clothing and other possessions, the same principle of moderation and appropriateness should apply. The clothing that we buy should be suitable to its use and to the climate of the place that we live in. Circumstances and not wants should dictate our choice of the clothes to buy. Of course every article of clothing should be tasteful in design, never ostentatious and ornamental, but tasteful and practical. And for those who have too much should give them away to the less privileged so that other people can find use for them. Looking at St. Benedict’s philosophies of moderation and appropriateness, I have realized that the tendency to hoard and acquire more material belongings is at the very heart of the loneliness that afflicts most of us. We are never happy with what we have, always wanting more in an effort to cover up the emptiness that we feel. The sad truth is that most of us look outside ourselves for answers, when all that we could ever need has been laid out in front of us. All that is needed is that we spend the time to look at all the blessings that we have and give thanks for them. My life is dictated by duties and responsibilities. But I know the value of prayers in my life. I make the time to attend to matters of my soul, even as I try to fulfill my duties to my family and my community. I have realized that I have everything I need to have a happy and full life. It is just a matter of changing how we look at our lives. If we continue to define our lives by what we do not have, then we shall never be content even while we are drowning in material possessions. The grace to have a grateful heart can only be achieved through constant prayer, and while my day is filled with things to do, I make it a point to make prayer a necessary habit. Indeed the secret to a happy life is no longer a secret. St. Benedict has long given us the power to define our own lives. Our lives may be filled with the realities of work and responsibilities, but in prayer we find a safe haven where we can find peace and the strength to carry on with what needs to be done for the day.

Multicultural Literature Essay

During this semester in Prose class, I have learned many kind of short stories by writers of various background. I also learn how to analyze the text critically, especially about structuralism and culture studies. There are 8 short stories that I have discussed with the class and written in one-page journal response. First, A Short Happy Life of Conat by Mochtar Lubis , Rising Flood by Riem Eng, First Confession by Frank O’Connor, Wings by Catriona McKenzie, Ta-Na-E-Ka by Mary Whitebird, Indian Camp by Ernest Hemingway, Bali by Putu Setia, and Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play â€Å"The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock by Sherman Alexie. Moreover I learned about what Prose is and Intrinsic element of literature, such plot, character, theme, point of view,setting, etc. Then I learn about structuralism in literature, such as binary opposition, the sequence of the event, unequal treatment of time, etc. On the other opportunities I also learn about symbolism, narration, multicultural literature and Indonesian multiculturalism. Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play â€Å"The Star-Spangled† at Woodstock is a story that does not only focus on Indian people who are marginalized but it contains how the modern Indians life is. In this story, we could find some of multiculturalism. First, from the narrator,Victor’s point of view, he shows the mix culture between traditional Native−American values from his mother and the dependence to American influences from his father. There also some multiculturalisms about the difference treatment towards Indian fathers who leave their children compare to white fathers and how Indians family live such as the difference of Victor’s friend experience about how their parents making love and Victor’s parents who are Indians . In the beginning of the story, the mixture of the culture is shown by Victor’s father. â€Å"During the sixties, my father was the perfect hippie, since all the hippies were trying to be Indians.† There is an irony here that Victor’s father does not like the perfect hippie. He wear bell-bottom, flowered shirt and holds a riffle above his head that represented American, not the hippies. He use red peace symbols splashed across his face and there is a sign â€Å"MAKE LOVE NOT WAR† in his demonstration but he seems does not stand for peace. â€Å"The caption under the photograph read DEMONSTRATION GOES TO WAR FOR PEACE. The editor capitalized on my father’s Native America identity with other headline like ONE WARRIOR AGAINST WAR and PEACEFUL GATHERING TURN INTO NATIVE UPRISING†. Then his obsession with pop music America icon, Jimi hendrix, damage his family relationship and affects the values of his Indian culture. â€Å"Only the good die young,† to his mother replied, â€Å"No, only the crazy people choke to death on their own vomit.† So Victor’s father asked â€Å"Why you talking about my hero that way?† In this case, Victor saw their parents argue just because of different perception of the death of Jimi Hendrix. So indirectly Victor’s father obsession on Jimi Hendrix make him having arguments with his wife. In addition, on page 32 â€Å"A hundred years ago, an Indian marriage was broken easily. The woman or man just packed up all their possessions and left the tipi. There were no arguments, no discussion. Now, Indians fight their way to the end, holding onto the last good thing, because our whole lives have to do with survival.† It also indicates that by â€Å"fighting† stage, an Indian family problem now becomes clear since both wife and husband spill out their feeling and thought that might become the solution of the problem. On the other hand, Victor’s mother still involved with Native−American traditions, such as her dancing. As soon as her husband does not need her when he was sick in a hospital, â€Å"she went back to the life she had created. She traveled to powwows, started to dance again.†. In this case I could see that Victor’s mother as a woman have to make hard decision. Even though she still loves him, she can not follow the lifestyle of the man. Culture will always influence the characteristic of the society. Victor’s father’s dependence on music, alcohol, and other American influence separates him from his wife and son. In addition, when his marriage get worse, Victor’s father does not follow tradition that inspires the Indians about survival or the importance of family . It bring the multicultural further that is about the difference treatment towards Indian fathers who leave their children compare to white fathers. â€Å"On a reservation, Indian men who abandon their children are treated worse than white fathers who do the same thing. It’s because white men have been doing that forever and Indian men just leraned how.† In this matter, we could see that white people who indicate as more individual people, give influence Native-American to leave the children. There is also multiculturalism about how Indians family live such as the difference of Victor’s white friend experience about how their parents making love and Victor’s parents who are Indians. â€Å"Some night I lay awake and listened to my parents’ lovemaking. I know white people keep it quite, pretend they don’t ever make love. My white friends tll me thay can’t even imagine their own parents getting it on.† I think in this occasion, it would be positif knowledge for Indian’s children that their parents still love each other although sometimes they have fight. For the conclusion, we could see that multiculturalism can be the mixture culture between one culture to another. It could give positif affect or even negatif affect. Especially when we look at Victor’s father, the influence of acceptance of white American pop culture with Jimi Hendrix ironically contributes to his family breakup. However, for Victor, an Indian boy these sound of American pop culture (not always Jimi Hendrix but also Roberst Johnson) offer the hope that maybe someday his father will return home. These sounds are an inspiration for this Indian boy to go on. â€Å"Until the sun rose so bright that I knew it was time to go back inside to my mother †. So he knew when the sun comes up and shines brightly.