Why Did He Kill Himself My Antonia Essays - Psychology,

Why Did He Kill Himself? My Antonia Why Did He Kill Himself? Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their native land and move to a strange country. Throughout history, countless millions of people have done so. People forsake their homeland and move to another country for various reasons. Some people emigrate to avoid starvation. Some seek adventure. Others wish to escape unbearable family situations. Still others desire to be reunited with loved ones. However, the main reason for immigration has long been economic opportunity--the lure of better land or a better job. Yet, some people can't conform to the American way of life. Like replanting a flower's roots, completely moving a person so attached to their homeland and customs, can prove to be fatal. In the book, My ?ntonia, the Shimerdas seemed to be very religious. For example, on Christmas evening, When the candle ends sent up their conical yellow flames, all the colored figures from Austria stood out clear and full of meaning against the green boughs. Mr. Shimerda rose, crossed himself, and quietly knelt down before the tree History shows that the Bohemian people were constantly revolting for their freedom. This was probably one of the reasons for the religious Shimerdas move to America, to get away from those many hard times. All the time she say: 'America big country; much money, much land for my boys, much husband for my girls?my mama, she want Ambrosch for be rich, with many cattle. This must have been the main factor for the move from their kawn-tree. Unfortunately, not all the Shimerdas were excited by the move. My papa sad for the old country. He not look good. He never make music anymore?He don't like this kawn-tree?My papa, he cry for leave his old friends what make music with him. These quotations were the warning signs of what happened next. Why, mam, it was simple enough; he pulled the trigger with his big toe. He layed over on his side and put the end of the barrel in his mouth, then he drew up one foot and felt for the trigger. He found it all right! Mr. Shimerda was so depressed about losing everything and anything that was familiar to him that he felt there was no use in living. Jim thought, I knew it was homesickness that had killed Mr. Shimerda, and I wondered whether his released spirit would not eventually find its way back to his own country. A person considering suicide exhibits certain warning signs. People may express a feeling of hopelessness, a loss of interest in living, or a wish to die. I suspect Mr. Shimerda felt all those things. He felt hopelessness, in that he would never feel at home in this strange country. Because of that, he lost the interest and the purpose for living. These reasons ultimately gave him the wish to die. As Jim thought, homesickness finally killed that poor depressed man. Perhaps, if Jim was right, Mr. Shimerda's soul lingers over his homeland. Perhaps a comprehensive move doesn't suit every immigrant. Why Did He Kill Himself? Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their native land and move to a strange country. Throughout history, countless millions of people have done so. People forsake their homeland and move to another country for various reasons. Some people emigrate to avoid starvation. Some seek adventure. Others wish to escape unbearable family situations. Still others desire to be reunited with loved ones. However, the main reason for immigration has long been economic opportunity--the lure of better land or a better job. Yet, some people can't conform to the American way of life. Like replanting a flower's roots, completely moving a person so attached to their homeland and customs, can prove to be fatal. In the book, My ?ntonia, the Shimerdas seemed to be very religious. For example, on Christmas evening, When the candle ends sent up their conical yellow flames, all the colored figures from Austria stood out clear and full of meaning against the green boughs. Mr. Shimerda rose, crossed himself, and quietly knelt down before the tree History shows that the Bohemian people were constantly revolting for their freedom. This was probably one

Yemen Nation Profile - Geography, Climate, and History

Yemen Nation Profile - Geography, Climate, and History The ancient nation of Yemen lies at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemen has one of the oldest civilizations on Earth, with ties to the Semitic lands to its north, and to the cultures of the Horn of Africa, just across the Red Sea. According to legend, the Biblical Queen of Sheba, consort of King Solomon, was Yemeni. Yemen has been colonized at various times by other Arabs, Ethiopians, Persians, Ottoman Turks, and most recently, the British. Through 1989, North and South Yemen were separate nations. Today, however, they are united into the Republic of Yemen - Arabias only democratic republic. Capital and Major Cities of Yemen Capital: Sanaa, population 2.4 million Major Cities: Taizz, population 600,000 Al Hudaydah, 550,000 Aden, 510,000 Ibb, 225,000 Yemeni Government Yemen is the only republic on the Arabian Peninsula; its neighbors are kingdoms or emirates. The Yemeni executive branch consists of a president, a prime minister and a cabinet. The president is directly elected; he appoints the prime minister, with legislative approval. Yemen has a two-part legislature, with a 301-seat lower house, the House of Representatives, and a 111-seat upper house  called the Shura Council. Prior to 1990, North and South Yemen had separate legal codes. The highest court is the Supreme Court in Sanaa. The current President (since 1990) is Ali Abdullah Saleh. Ali Muhammad Mujawar is Prime Minister. Population of Yemen Yemen is home to 23,833,000 people (2011 estimate). The overwhelming majority are ethnic Arabs, but 35% have some African blood as well. There are small minorities of Somalis, Ethiopians, Roma (Gypsies) and Europeans, as well as South Asians. Yemen has the highest birthrate in Arabia, at about 4.45 children per woman. This is probably attributable to early marriages (the marriageable age for girls under Yemeni law is 9), and lack of education for women. The literacy rate among women is only 30%, while 70% of men can read and write. Infant mortality is almost 60 per 1,000 live births. Languages of Yemen Yemens national language is standard Arabic, but there are several different regional dialects in common use. Southern variants of Arabic spoken in Yemen include Mehri, with about 70,000 speakers; Soqotri, spoken by 43,000 island residents; and Bathari, which has only about 200 surviving speakers in Yemen. In addition to the Arabic languages, some Yemeni tribes still speak other ancient Semitic languages closely related to the Ethiopian Amharic and Tigrinya languages. These languages are a remnant of the Sabean Empire (9th century BCE to 1st century BCE) and the Axumite Empire (4th century BCE to 1st century CE). Religion in Yemen The Constitution of Yemen states that Islam is the official state religion of the country, but it also guarantees freedom of religion. The majority by far of Yemenis are Muslim, with some 42-45% Zaydi Shias, and about 52-55% Shafi Sunnis. A tiny minority, some 3,000 people, are Ismaili Muslims. Yemen is also home to an indigenous population of Jews, now numbering only about 500. In the mid-20th century, thousands of Yemenite Jews moved to the new state of Israel. A handful each of Christians and Hindus also live in Yemen, although most are foreign ex-patriots or refugees. Geography of Yemen:Yemen has an area of 527,970 square kilometers, or 203,796 square miles, at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the east, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Eastern, central and northern Yemen are desert areas, part of the Arabian Desert and Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter). Western Yemen is rugged and mountainous. The coast is fringed with sandy lowlands. Yemen also possesses a number of islands, many of which are actively volcanic. The highest point is the Jabal an Nabi Shuayb, at 3,760 m, or 12,336 feet. The lowest point is sea level. Climate of Yemen Despite its relatively small size, Yemen includes several different climate zones due to its coastal location and variety of elevations. Yearly average rainfall ranges from essentially none in the inland desert to 20-30 inches in the southern mountains. Temperatures also range widely. Winter lows in the mountains can approach freezing, while summer in the tropical western coastal areas can see temperatures as high as 129 ° F (54 °C). To make matters worse, the coast is also humid. Yemen has little arable land; only roughly 3% is suitable for crops. Less than 0.3% is under permanent crops. Yemen's Economy Yemen is the poorest nation in Arabia. As of 2003, 45% of the population was living below the poverty line. In part, this poverty stems from gender inequality; 30% of teenage girls between 15 and 19 are married with children, and most are undereducated. Another key is unemployment, which stands at 35%. The per capita GDP is only about $600 (2006 World Bank estimate). Yemen imports food, livestock, and machinery. It exports crude oil, qat, coffee, and seafood. The current spike in oil prices may help alleviate Yemens economic distress. The currency is the Yemeni rial. The exchange rate is $1 US 199.3 rials (July 2008). History of Yemen Ancient Yemen was a prosperous place; the Romans called it Arabia Felix, Happy Arabia. Yemens wealth was based on its trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices. Many sought to control this rich land over the years. The earliest known rulers were the descendants of Qahtan (Joktan from the Bible and Koran). The Qahtanis (23rd c. to 8th c. BCE) established the crucial trade routes and built dams to control flash-flooding. The late Qahtani period also witnessed the emergence of written Arabic, and the reign of the legendary Queen Bilqis, sometimes identified as the Queen of Sheba, in the 9th c. BCE. The height of ancient Yemeni power and wealth came between the 8th c. BCE and 275 CE, when a number of small kingdoms coexisted within the countrys modern borders. These included the following: the western Kingdom of Saba, the southeastern Hadramaut Kingdom, the city-state of Awsan,  the central trading hub of Qataban, the southwestern Kingdom of Himyar, and the northwestern Kingdom of Main. All of these kingdoms grew prosperous selling spices and incense all around the Mediterranean, to Abyssinia, and as far away as India. They also regularly launched wars against one another. This squabbling left Yemen vulnerable to manipulation and occupation by a foreign power: Ethiopias Aksumite Empire. Christian Aksum ruled Yemen from 520 to 570 A.D. Aksum was then pushed out by the Sassanids from Persia. Sassanid rule of Yemen lasted from 570 to 630 CE. In 628, the Persian satrap of Yemen, Badhan, converted to Islam. The Prophet Muhammad was still living when Yemen converted and became an Islamic province. Yemen followed the Four Rightly-guided Caliphs, the Umayyads, and the Abbasids. In the 9th century, many Yemenis accepted the teachings of Zayd ibn Ali, who founded a splinter Shia group. Others became Sunni, particularly in south and west Yemen. Yemen became known in the 14th century for a new crop, coffee. Yemeni Coffee arabica was exported all over the Mediterranean world. The Ottoman Turks ruled Yemen from 1538 to 1635  and returned to North Yemen between 1872 and 1918. Meanwhile, Britain ruled South Yemen as a protectorate from 1832 on. In the modern era, North Yemen was ruled by local kings until 1962, when a coup established the Yemen Arab Republic. Britain finally pulled out of South Yemen after a bloody struggle in 1967, and the Marxist Peoples Republic of South Yemen was founded. In May of 1990, Yemen reunified after relatively little strife.

Policy Responses during the Great Recession Assignment

Policy Responses during the Great Recession - Assignment Example It is apparent that the increase in the prices of houses was the major problematic condition of the housing market. This was because the financial institutions wanted to raise funds that would enable them to remain in operation after the economic recession period (USC Price, n.p). The major policy initiatives that were implemented by HUD during the Great Recession era included increase home ownership by supporting various programs such as Fannie and Freddie, State HFA, Emergency Homeowners Loan Program and First-time homebuyer Tax Credit among others (USC Price, n.p). The purposes of supporting such initiatives were to offer financial assistance to the citizens to enable them either buy homes or settle debts. The effects were to maintain the circulation of money to avoid inflation and shortage of funds that would affect the economy. This also helped companies to continue to offer their services to homeowners and other stakeholders since they had the money to pay their suppliers (USC Price, n.p). One of the policy initiatives that were implemented during the Great Recession was the introduction of the HARP and HAMP. For instance, HAMP was designed to assist the homeowners who were suffering from extreme payment burdens. Alternatively, HARP helped in offering relief for homeowners to earn extra disposal income (USC Price, n.p). This took place through reduction of the interest rates to allow the homeowners save some cash for other purposes. One of the problematic conditions was that it only helped a few households, instead of tackling the universal problem across the country. Another problem was that the government was not running it and relied on lenders in which uninterested parties rejected it. The major interest groups were the homeowners, lenders and private sector operators (USC Price, n.p). The project did not achieve the expected results because the lenders rejected it since it took long to materialize. Another ineffectiveness is

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Let us get into all the details about them. Ramakrishna Mission is one of the biggest social institutions in the whole world. Headquarter of this institution is at Belur near Kolkata. As a believer in social works, I chanced to know some of the monks who work in this organization. I traveled to Belur in order to observe how the social institution works throughout the world. The most interesting thing which I found in Ramakrishna Mission is the fact that this organization does not only rely on the idealism and leadership, they believe in hard working and this is the main force acting behind their unparalleled success. Sharing my experiences with the monks working here was something told me their secret. Microsociology that exists among all the workers associated with Ramakrishna Mission is the main thing which has made the organization able to reach out for the macrocosmic society in the outside world. The monks have perfect rankings distributed among them. This ranking is never done following any kind of social status as all of them have left family life long ago. These ranks are offered to them for the sake of division of labor. They share all the works of the institution. Apart from this, they are also able to continue with their studies. Some of the monks are highly educated and they frequently travel to Western countries to deliver lectures on their philosophy or any other subjects as well. The organization has successfully adopted the outside world laws or the macrocosmic policies inside the institution and they have carefully left the bad elements of the society. Equality is the main theme which is well practiced in Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda the founder of the organization is considered as the leader and his philosophy is followed by the monks. Ramakrishna Mission has a well organized management system. The manager, who is also a monk, is equal to the subordinates but is very sincere in strictly

Chemistry and Computers Essay Example for Free

Chemistry and Computers Essay But often the device simply acts as the electronic equivalent of an on-off switch. When on, it completes a circuit and lets current flow; when off, it breaks the electrical path. †¢ lone transistors suck- strength in numbers †¢ Transistors are possible because the semiconductors they’re built from—elements like silicon and germanium—have one strange and very useful property: They carry electricity better than insulators, such as glass, but not as well as conductors—aluminum for example. Scientists can push a semiconductor’s conductivity one way or the other by doping—adding small amounts of impurities. (Arsenic and boron are two of the commonly used elements. ) â€Å"When you dope silicon you make it act differently,† says Shahidi. â€Å"It can act like an insulator or as a metal. † Doping specific areas of a semiconductor in different ways is what creates a transistor enables its switching action. †¢ Experts have been working for many years to understand how to work with electronic material produced on an increasingly small scale. In the emerging field of nano-science and nano-technologies it is important for scientists to be able to control the structure and bonding of molecules that are used in creating small scale electronic components for products such as computers. Scientists have succeeded in imaging and forming a unique bond between a single gold atom and a single organic molecule called a pentacene. They managed to bind the atom to the pentacene and take images of rearrangements of the electrons participating in the formation of the chemical bond.

Wal-Mart Essay -- essays research papers fc

Many retail stores are created by an owner that has a very creative idea for marketing products. Not all stores seem to stay in business partly due to the lack of interest shown in later years of the business's growth. The chains that tend to succeed are of course financially backed but the owner of the stores stays creative and innovative in their ideas to keep promoting the chain. One of the best examples of an entrepreneur succeeding in their idea for success lies in one man: Sam Walton, creator of Wal-Mart. At the heart of Wal-Mart's growth is the unique culture that "Mr. Sam" built. His business philosophy was based on the simple idea of making the customer No. 1. He believed that by serving the customer's needs first, his business would also serve its associates, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders. The goal at Walmart.com is to bring Mr. Sam's culture and philosophy from Wal-Mart stores to the Internet. Sam Walton had three basic beliefs the company was built on. Sam Walton built Wal-Mart on the revolutionary philosophies of excellence in the workplace, customer service and always having the lowest prices. They have always stayed true to the Three Basic Beliefs Mr. Sam established in 1962: 1. Respect for the Individual 2. Service to Our Customers 3. Strive for Excellence Sam Walton always knew he wanted to be in the retailing business. He started his career by running a Ben Frankling franchise store and learned about buying, pricing and passing good deals on to customers. He credits a manufacturer's agent from New York, Harry Weiner, with his first real lesson about pricing: "Harry was selling ladies' panties for $2 a dozen. We'd been buying similar panties from Ben Franklin for $2.50 a dozen and selling them at three pair for $1. Well, at Harry's price of $2, we could put them out at four for $1 and make a great promotion for our store. Here's the simple lesson we learned ... say I bought an item for 80 cents. I found that by pricing it at $1.00, I could sell three times more of it than by pricing it at $1.20. I might make only half the profit per item, but because I was selling three times as many, the overall profit was much greater. Simple enough. But this is really the essence of discounting: by cutting your price, you can boost your sales to a point where you earn far more at the cheaper retail than you would h... ...t have not agreed to pay back wages. Wal-Mart tends to hire very faithful, hard-working employees. They tend to stay in the company over their whole career. Brenda Whitlock, a Wal-Mart co-manager, stated, â€Å"There haven’t been any recent changes in our upper management or change of ownership.† She also stated that they were only hiring for cashiers at this time due to their successful upper management. She wouldn’t release the information pertaining to their computer and distribution systems due to their high regard towards their IT department. Wal-Mart has shown a steady surge in annual revenues — reaching the level of $1 billion in annual sales in 1979. Today, it often sells that much in a single day in 2001. In 2002, Wal-Mart — with its $220 billion in revenues — topped the Fortune 500 for the first time ever, overtaking Exxon Mobil and General Motors. Wal-Mart started off as an innovative idea and later became a marketing and sales success. Bibliography â€Å"1998 Year-end Earnings Fact Sheet,† Wal-Mart, February 24, 1998, pgs. 1-2. â€Å"Wal-Mart: Creation of a profitable Retail Chain,† Wal-Mart, February 8, 2001, pgs. 1-10. Whitlock, Brenda. Co-Manager of Wal-Mart, Fayetteville, Ga.

Play Review Example: To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

For the play critique assignment, I saw To Kill a Mockingbird on October seventh. The play was performed at the Second Space Theatre and was produced by the Good Company Players with The Dramatic Publishing Company. I have read the book which the play was based on, so I was exposed to the story line prior to having seen the play. Based on my knowledge of the text by Harper Lee, I was able to distinguish distinct differences between the book and the play, which I feel affected my reaction to the script. For example, the script left out when Scout and Jem Finch, and Dill were snooping around the Radley house and had to flee the yard through a break in the fence, when Nathan Radley came outside to investigate the noise they were making. This caused Jem’s pants to get caught, forcing him to take them off and return to retrieve them later that night. I feel leaving this out lessens the impact of Nathan’s character, which already has such a small part in the story. Nathan’s character is lessened because leaving this out causes his menacing demeanor to be portrayed as rude in his other scenes. Also, this adaptation of the play did not include when Miss Maudie’s house caught on fire and Boo Radley comes out for the first time to wrap a blanket around Scout and Jem, without anyone noticing. This choice places less of an impact and underlying focus on Boo’s role, which may have left some viewers confused as to why he was so mysterious throughout the play and suddenly a key character in the end. However, I did enjoy the fact that the script stayed true to the text in the lines of Older Scout, as well as the emphasis they put on the lightheartedness of Dill. Based on the stage performance I viewed on October 7, 2012, I believe most of the actors did very well. For example, Scout, played by Bailey Short, Jem, played by Colin Clark-Bracewell, and Dill, played by Marty Margolin, were excellent, especially considering their young age. All three were very professional in all aspects of their performance, as proven by the fact they stayed completely in character and didn’t skip a beat when an audience member’s phone screeched out several loud rings, during their opening lines. In the beginning of the play, when aspects of the exposition were being introduced, Scout appeared on stage, and in her first line you could tell she was a bit nervous. As the play progressed though, she became more comfortable and it was clear she was enjoying herself. Chris Carsten, who played Atticus Finch, did an amazing job on portraying the role of Scout and Jem’s father. He truly became Atticus and made it easier for the rest of the cast to play off of each other’s emotions. For example, when Walter Cunningham, played by Mark McKeon, gives Atticus a sack of food as payment for his entailment and Atticus assures him that he has paid him plenty. Walter Cunningham is a man of limited means, seeing as he is a struggling farmer, and has paid in other ways besides money; he had left food or firewood at Atticus’ door many times and Atticus reassures him, in a polite, non condescending tone, that his debt has been paid off. Immediately, this eases Mr. Cunningham’s sense of guilt and obligation, which can be seen through his facial expressions. Everyone’s southern accents were uncannily authentic. However, I did not think Alexis Powell, Mrs. Robinson, and Colby Priest, the Robinson’s son, did very well. Their performance was not realistic. Though they had very little lines, their acting seemed a bit forced and maybe even amateurish. For example, when they were supposed to be grieving the loss of Mr. Robinson their expressions did not convey the emotion of sadness. I thought the play was directed quite well. Considering the small stage the actors had to work with, they truly took advantage of every inch of it. As reflected by the performance, the director, Karan Johnson, drilled into the actors the importance of stage use. The cast definitely utilized the small area by engaging with the audience. They got up close and personal by standing very close to the first row of seats, in almost every scene. The blocking instructions from the director made the performance true to the script. It was relaxed, which fit the play considering it took place in Maycomb, Alabama. For example, the children in the play, as well as the adult men, had their hands in their pockets while speaking to each other, and any other time they were not using them. Every character walked slowly and only ever moved faster when they were running, like during the scene where Jem is dared by Dill to touch the porch of the Radley house. I particularly enjoyed whenever Scout, Jem, and Dill were up to something sneaky and they would look stage left and stage right in anticipation of being caught. The director chose the cast very well. All of the actors fed off of each other’s’ energy, which added to the entire performance. The cast genuinely appeared to be having fun and loved what they were doing. It was like they were a family. On the other hand, I do think the parts of Mrs. Robinson and the Robinson’s son could have been better cast. Compared to the other cast members, they both seemed awkward and inexperienced, but I respect the fact that they performed to the best of their ability. Because of the small stage, the sets were very limited. The sets were very small and only changed once, when they were doing the courtroom scene. Despite that restriction, they made necessary accommodations and it did not take away from the play. I found the use of lighting very efficient. For example, whenever Jean Louise Finch, the older version of Scout, was speaking in her reflective tone, there was a spotlight on her and the rest of the stage’s lights were dimmed. This added to the dramatic tone of the scene. The use of sound effects, such as when a car was approaching or when a gun was shot, made the play more realistic. All of the costumes stayed true to the time era and the makeup was coordinated with the outfit. The actor’s costumes also reflected their social class. For example, Calpurnia, the Finch’s housekeeper, was dressed in a basic dress and an apron wherever she went while Miss Maudie, the Finch’s neighbor, was attired in a more fancy dress which was always accompanied with a hat. Atticus always wore a suit which showed his professional side and the children were dressed in clothes that were suitable for playing around. During the courtroom scene, all of the white women wore their Sunday best and had a lot of makeup on to signify that it was a special occasion in Maycomb. My overall reaction to the play was a positive one. I was thoroughly entertained and was pleased with the level of performance. I never found myself bored and my thoughts never trailed off to something other than the play. The rest of the audience’s reaction was also positive, with the exception of a couple behind me who found it acceptable to continually whisper throughout the show. Besides them, people were attentive and were entertained with the drama of the play. People laughed at all of the appropriate moments and gasped during the dramatic ones, such as during the scene when Jem and Scout were attacked by Mr. Ewell. After the play, when the audience was leaving the theatre, words of praise were spoken by everyone around me and I feel the cast truly deserved all of the great things that were being said about their performance.