Prejudice - Montan 1948 & Snow Falling on Cedars Essay Example for Free

Prejudice Montan 1948 Snow Falling on Cedars Essay The conventions of the concept, ‘prejudice and hatred are never right in a just society’ are explored in Larry Watson’s 1993 fictional novel, ‘Montana 1948’ and also in the film, ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’, directed by Scott Hicks. Specifically, the two compositions delve into this notion by mainly focusing on the prejudices that are placed on those who are not of the Caucasian race. For example, in ‘Montana 1948’ the Indians are discriminated against and American-Japanese citizens are victimized in ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’. These prejudices are similarly portrayed in both texts; however there are also some contrasting features. Varying techniques such as changing from present to past text to emphasise the continuous use of memory, various panning shots and most importantly, dialogue, are all used to convey that prejudice and hatred are never right in a just society. In ‘Montana 1948’, written by Larry Watson, we are instantly introduced to David, the narrator of the story. David immediately reveals that the story will be told as a memory; he establishes this in the first sentence of the prologue, â€Å"From the summer of my twelfth year I carry a series of images more vivid and lasting than any others of my boyhood and indelible beyond all attempts the years make to erase or fade them†. This is written in past tense which instantly shows the audience that story is a memory of David’s. The sentence also creates an element of mystery as David mentions he has attempted to forget the summer of his twelfth year. After instantaneously establishing the importance of memory in this novel, Watson then begins to weave racial prejudices which are the other key feature in the composition. â€Å"A young Sioux woman lies on a bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is the second sentence of the prologue and by using the word ‘Sioux’ makes the audience aware of the underlying racial issues about to become apparent. As the story continues, we are made aware. We find that the story is set in a small community, Bedrock, which has a nearby reservation filled with Sioux Native Americans. The story is set in 1948 and is told from David’s perspective; however this constantly changes from present to past tense, which emphasises that the composition is a memory. With this fluid, constant conversion, the story is given more depth and the audience is provided with more information to truly understand every aspect of the focal story. Language used in the text; mainly colloquial within the characters’ dialogue portray the issues of prejudice. We are given the impression that David likes the Indians and thinks of them as equals; especially since David talks of his love for Marie and his fondness of Ollie. However, not everybody feels this way. **We are also made aware of the Indians status within society due to the language and dialogue used throughout the text. â€Å"My father did not like Indians†, â€Å"We want them white† and â€Å"little squaw† highlight such language conventions.

Kate Chopin and Local Color :: Expository Essays

Kate Chopin and Local Color The background setting of most of Chopin's stories is the Creole culture of southern Louisiana. Southern Louisiana was far more French than American as a large portion of the culture was Creole -- those being the descendants of French and Spanish colonists. This Creole society was united in its Catholicism, and the French language and therefore became a "cultural subgroup which had little in common with, [and] was often in conflict with, Anglo-American society" (Walker, 97). This region of Louisiana was referred to as a "Southern Babylon" (Walker, 97). And it was this backdrop of society that Chopin used in her work which earned her the label of being a local-colorist. Consequently the term local-color is generally "taken to mean that the work has only a narrow appeal as a "novelty= piece" and are "noted more for skillful regional description than for insight into human nature" (Bourn). One common characteristic of the local color movement is the intermixing of the languages of the area, being in Chopin's stories: English and French. Yet the use of dialect, also being part of the realist tradition, "reveal[s] the various ethnic groups and ... provide[s] some regional color" (The New Laurel Review). The use of language is important to Chopin's character's status in society: for example, the higher up the character's status is the less his/her accent is discernible; while the "'lowest'" character in the story, speaks an exaggerated mix of Creole dialect and black dialect" (Bourn). However the "dialect [used] does not become a central focus obscuring the more imaginative aspects of [Chopin's] stories" (The New Laurel Review). Yet Chopin surpasses the limitations set by the local color movement, such as being novelty pieces and having a narrow appeal, because the ethnic characters that she creates "are individuals first and members of a race or nationality second" (The New Laurel Review). Chopin is "not [there] just to record the lives of people in an area, but to show how people in these places encounter and deal with issues that have universal value" (Bourn). And therefore, in direct contrast to "a local color novel ... [being] one in which the identity of the setting is integral to the very unfolding of the theme, rather than simply incidental to a theme that could as well be set anywhere" (May, 216).

Ban Zhao and Lessons for Women Essay

_Nu-jie,_ translated as _Lessons for Women,_ by Ban Zhao is a famous Chinese literacy work about women, her virtues and her roles. Ban Zhao was the first known female Chinese historian and poet. She was a renowned scholar under the Han dynasty and also a major contributor to the creation of one of the best-known history book ever written called _Han Shu,_ which is translated to _Book of Han. The Han dynasty is considered the most important time in the grand history of China. Many scholars have regarded the Han dynasty’s reign as the â€Å"Golden Age of Chinese history† but not only that, the Chinese empire under the Han dynasty rose to the forefront of the world along side with the Romans, Parthians and Khushans as the four great societies in ancient time. It was a time of transitioning in China as there were constant developments in many  social and cultural departments such as literature, science, art and industry. The Han dynasty also followed the ideals of Confucianism, which were reflected through politics as the government not only appointed talented men but also already capable men who were determined to improve. Confucianism quickly became the official ideology of the great nation. The Han dynasty’s reign also marked the transformation of China’s literacy and intellectual history. Confucianism had already had a big impact on the Chinese culture and on the lives of the Chinese as well. Its’ principles also benefited the intellectuals under the Han’s reign. The ancient Chinese had invented paper and also learned to how devise the lunar calendar. Literature and philosophies also reached new heights as education was being developed which was made possible by the evolution of a common language. It was also during this time that Ban Zhao’s father, Ban Biao, started his work on the book _Han Shu_ as he was determined to record the history of this time period. Ban Zhao was born in 45 C.E. and she was a daughter in an elite family, who had connections to the imperial court, under the Han dynasty. She was educated and often tutored by her own mother. By the mere age of 14, Ban Zhao had married Cao Shou who was also from her town of birth. However, Cao Shou’s death in later years left Ban Zhao with the responsibilities of raising children on her own. She then devoted her life to literacy which led to the formation of the tradition of historical writings in China. Ban Zhao left her hometown for the capital with her mother and her brother, Ban Gu, as he became the designated historian and editor of _Han Shu_. Many scholars believe that Ban Zhao had already assisted her brother and contributed her efforts to the work of _Han Shu_ at that time. Due to the devotion in her own work and the Chinese tradition, Ban Zhao never remarried. However, that led to the significant rise in her career as a historian and a writer when her most famous work , _Lessons for Women_, symbolized her effort of applying the principles of Confucianism to the lives of women. _Lessons for Women_ was originally Ban Zhao’s teachings for her daughters on  how to be a proper women. She intended the book to serve not only as lessons but also as a guideline for her daughters. She wanted them to manage themselves accordingly and behave the way a proper woman would. Be that as it may, the book identified itself with a much larger audience as it later became the referenced instruction manual for women who were striving for the ideals of Confucianism and who were to be a wife. _Lessons for Women_ emphasized the importance of the women way of life. â€Å"Let a woman modestly yield to others; let her respect others; let her put others first, her last†¦ Let a woman retire late to bed, but rise early to duties; let her not dread tasks by day or by night†¦ Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character in order to serve her husband; let her love not gossip and silly laughter; let her cleanse and purify and arrange in order the wine and the food for the offerings to the ancestors.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). _Lessons for Women_ also talked about the qualities of a proper woman, the qualifications of becoming one and advised women on their conducts in the home of the husband or the husband’s family. According to Ban Zhao, â€Å"a woman ought to have four qualifications: 1. Womanly virtue; 2. Womanly words; 3. Womanly bearing, and 4. Womanly work.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao also emphasized the importance of the roles husband and wife in the family. She said that the way of husband and wife is â€Å"intimately connected with Yin and Yang† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) . She then explained that if either of the roles were to prove unworthy of one another, â€Å"then the proper relationship between men and women and the natural order of things are neglected and destroyed.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) Because of Ban Zhao’s strong beliefs in Confucianism and its principles, she often talked about how women must try to improve themselves, especially intellectually. Ban Zhao encouraged the principle of wanting to educate oneself as she urged that women should improve themselves through education. She indicated that literacy was important for both the wife and the husband in order to accomplish their roles in the family effectively. The book also put emphasis on the importance of women behaving as submissive which symbolized  the social roles of women in a Confucian society. Confucius himself said little about women which reflected the limited importance of women in ancient Chinese culture and society. But it was Confucianism’s principles that proved to be one of the driving forces that led to the belief that women could get educated, and eventually better themselves. As stated prevously, Ban Zhao originally intended _Lessons of Women_ as lessons for her daughters. Because of that, the book focused on how young women should behave before, during and after marriage. Ban Zhao talked about how young girls should keep her virtues, follow the customs and respect the values in order to become a proper woman. She further expanded her definition of the way women should live their lives. When Ban Zhao mentioned, â€Å"Let a woman modestly yield to others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.), she also added that if a woman was to follow all those morals, she may humble herself before others. Right after that, â€Å"Let a woman retire late to bed, but rise early to duties†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) talked about how a woman would become industrious if she follows all these practices. And finally, â€Å"Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.) explained the principles of ancestral worshiping. Ban Zhao then demanded equality in education; she said that if a relationship in marriage is to exist in harmony, the relationship between wife and husband should be proper and they should know their places so they can function effectively. In order to achieve this, Ban Zhao was asking questions about why women were not getting the same education that the men were able to, â€Å"Yet only to teach men and not teach women – is that not ignoring the essential relation between them?†¦ Only why should it not be that girls’ education as well as boys’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E. ). Ban Zhao then added further explanations about her defined women qualifications. For womanly virtue, a woman has to â€Å"guard her chastity carefully†¦ and to model each act on the best usage† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). According to Ban Zhao, a woman does not have to have brilliant and exceptional compared to others to achieve womanly virtue, it is about the ways a woman takes care herself and how she conducts her actions that symbolize her virtues. For womanly words, a woman has to â€Å"choose her words  with care; to avoid vulgar language†¦ and nor to wear others with much conversation† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao thought that a woman does not have to engage in conversations all the time, should not use vulgar language and must choose an appropriate response to represent herself. For womanly bearing, a woman has to â€Å"†¦keep clothes and ornaments fresh and clean; and to keep the person free from disgraceful filth.† (Ban Zhao, c a. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao was saying that a woman does not have to be pretty nor does not need a perfect face to present herself, it is about the ways how she keeps her clothes appropriate in terms of appearance and how she takes care herself to achieve womanly bearing. Finally, womanly work means â€Å"whole-hearted devotion†¦, to love not gossip or silly laughter; in cleanliness and order to prepare for the serving guests†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). Ban Zhao said that to achieve womanly work, a woman does not need to be skillfully better than everyone else but to learn her responsibilities and do them effectively. These four qualifications are what would make a proper woman, according to Ban Zhao. However being a woman, proper or not, did not hold a high regards in the culture of ancient China. The primary aspect of a woman’s life in ancient China was to be a wife and continue the bloodline of the husband. They were viewed as â€Å"objects† which its purpose is to produce offspring, and in such a patriarchal culture male offspring was always preferred. A woman was expected to stick by her husband and conduct her actions in manners that would be deemed as appropriate by her husband or his family. Anything else would cause disharmony and thus brought embarrassment to not only herself but also to both families as well. Ban Zhao urged women to get an education so they can serve their families, especially their husband, more efficiently and in a better manner overall. According to Ban Zhao, â€Å"Let a woman not act contrary to the wishes and the opinions of parents-in-law about right and wrong; let her not dispute with them what is straight and what is crooked. Such docility†¦called obedience.† (Ban Zhao, ca. 80-106 C.E.). _Lesson for Women_ served as a guideline for women to learn the proper ways of being a woman in order to better themselves and their status in the  social rankings. It, however, also emphasized the importance of women knowing their roles and duties in the family well and because of that, family must always be their priority which they must always give implicit obedience to. If they were to follow Ban Zhao’s idealized practices, they would not bring embarrassment nor disgrace to the families. This book presented practices that were idealized by an educated ancient Chinese woman. Despite the correct descriptions of the situation many women faced during ancient China, _Lessons for Women_ did not mention the fact that not many women had the opportunities to earn an education like Ban Zhao had and their chances in life were very limited compared to Ban Zhao. Most of the women were not born in a privileged or prestigious family like Ban Zhao’s and the Confucian culture, practiced by the Han dynasty, forced women into the little and limited roles. According to the book, Ban Zhao wanted women to educate and better themselves for both their social ranking and their family matters. However, Ban Zhao also acknowledged their culture at the time and often urged women to be submissive to both the husband and his family. She also noted that the opinions of the women and what they thought was right or wrong may differ from their husband’s but they must sacrifice their personal opinions and not cause disharmony. After analyzing the book, I have learned that there were certain ways that women could have improved themselves intellectually speaking but because of their culture, it did not improve their social rankings nor had any great influence on the society at the time. It also made me realize that women have had to come a long way to become respectable in the society. The book also emphasized the patriarchal society that ancient China and one can see the lasting impact it has had on the culture of China even to today’s day and age. China have always favored its sons more than its daughters and it has been this way since the ancient time of the Han dynasty. It was not until 2013 when the son-preferred tradition began to gradually decline as the great gender imbalance in China started to balance out. One of the reason that the younger generations have attributed to the decline in the â€Å"gender-cide† is the opportunities at higher level education. As Ban Zhao had stated in _Lessons for Women,_ education is an important, if not the most important, factor for women to improve themselves. _Lessons for Women_  served as a great guideline for women who wanted to be a proper woman and eventually improve themselves as human beings. Ban Zhao talked about what a young girl needed to do and how she should behave to be considered as a woman. However, it should also be mentioned that Ban Zhao was born in a prestigious family during the Han dynasty and whose ties were connected with high ranking officials. Her family was wealthy enough to afford her an education which was a luxury that not many Chinese could have afforded at the time, let alone the Chinese women. Be that as it may, _Lessons for Women_ served its intended purpose and more as many women initiated the first steps of i mproving their statuses in both their household and their society. References Lee, Yuen T. (n.d.). Ban Zhao: Scholar of Han Dynasty China. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/9.1/lee.html Hasall, P. (Ed.). (n.d.). Ban Zhao: Lessons for a Woman. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/banzhao.html Nancy Lee Swann, trans., Pan Chao: Foremost Women Scholar of China (New York: Century, 1932), 82-90. Strayer, R. (2013). Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources (2nd ed.). Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Larson, C. (2014, July 31). In China, More Girls Are on the Way. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-31/chinas-girl-births-ratio-improves-as-coun try-gets-more-educated

Free And The Home Of The Brave - 1394 Words

Freedom is without a doubt the core tenet of American society. It is even built into the nation’s anthem, â€Å"o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. Most countries claim to be a land of freedom but America takes the cake in terms of popular opinion. America’s particular brand of freedom is something that has been in a constant state of evolution since the days of the revolution. Freedom in North America has also evolved over the centuries of colonization beginning with Columbus. By looking at US history, beginning with Columbus’ landing and the subsequent Spanish colonization, through British colonialism to the birth of America and beyond, we can see that freedom has changed depending on who is in power over the land. This is important because each ruler has influenced the next in terms of what freedom was and who had it. Freedom, as an idea, will always be changing and evolving. It will always change in terms of who gets to experience it. It will always change in terms of how much freedom one gets to experience. America was built on the idea of freedom. What it has done with that hard won freedom is a whole other story. Americans today get to experience freedom supposedly at its best. Whether this is true or not again is a whole other story. By examining history, historians can get a clear view of what American freedom is and how it has evolved to its present state today. The old American story of how Christopher Columbus sailed with his three ships from SpainShow MoreRelatedFree And Home Of The Brave1170 Words   |  5 PagesLet Them In! America, the land of the free and home of the brave, was originally developed by European immigrants seeking refuge from intolerant leadership that took away the people’s freedoms.Then as now, many settlers come to America to start a better life for themselves and their families; unfortunately, they are met with the challenges of restrictive laws and discrimination. However, history has shown us that immigrants seeking asylum can better the nation and even the world. A famous exampleRead MoreThe Free, Home Of The Brave925 Words   |  4 Pages America. The land of the free, home of the brave. We take pride in having freedom and justice for all. Our government makes laws that we, as citizens, have to follow if we do not follow them, we get punished. Sometimes the punishment is stretched out to the severest of possibilities to prove a point to other offenders, other times the punishment is not as severe. We have this system so our country can keep the peace at home. The justi ce system is a little messed up. We punish murderers by puttingRead MoreThe Land Of The Free, And The Home Of Our Brave1884 Words   |  8 Pagesrhetoric of politicians and the media, accompanied by the vehement defamation of the governments of other nations. American citizens themselves, seem to subscribe to these sentiments, believing their beloved country to be â€Å"the land of the free, and the home of the brave†. This characterization of American society is, at best, only applicable to its recent history, given its sordid past of slavery, Jim Crow, xenophobic policies, and mass marginalization of minorities, all completely antithetical to theRead MoreThe Free And The Home Of The Brave By Robert B Elliot903 Words   |  4 Pages America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Well, at least half of that sentence is true. America, a nation-state founded by freedom, equality, and protection of individual liberties, was soon becoming a nation-state where everyone was not protected. Many groups of people were not getting the representation they were guaranteed. Many citizens rallied behind one another, calling for the government to intervene. They believed it was up to a strong unified nation-state to protect everyone’sRead MorePolice Brutality : A Nation Of Free And The Home Of The Brave1304 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica, once considered the land of the free and the home of the brave, is a nation cloaked in fear of those they pay to protect and serve. Police militarization in a post-9/11 era has led to constant tales of abuse of authority by police departments nationwide. The issue is threefold. First, police brutality is growing as a national problem. The people charged with making the street s safer for ordinary citizens are becoming the enemy of the people, the villains, who consider themselves judge, juryRead MoreA Brave New World : America Land Of The Free And Home1323 Words   |  6 Pages A brave new world America land of the free and home of the brave or at least that’s what we’re raised to think. The suppression of civil liberties has lingered amongst us since the birth of this nation. To resolve this problem, the federal government is known to introduce legislation in order to balance equality in society. Since companies are bound to the law of the land, they must comply with all rules and regulations but often, largely successful companies will go above and beyond meeting theRead MoreA Free And Home Of The Brave : The Freedom And Its Modern Day Reality1500 Words   |  6 Pagesgovernment building, and stadium holds extreme significance for many. The echoes of being the land of the free and home of the brave seem to be invisibly engraved within every star and stripe. However, the promises of freedom that are established during a country’s eager beginnings rarely come into play in the manner in which they are intended. Flags are meant to be a representation of t he ideals of a free country; however, flags are often a facade for the unsettling inequalities that exist within a nationRead MoreOur Waste Of The Free And The Home At The Brave Where We re Run By Frank Kaler979 Words   |  4 PagesOh America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we’re run by big time corporations and the individual voice isn’t listened to. Environmental problems worldwide have been an ever growing problem based on our ignorant attitudes towards hazardous waste and an increase of CO2 being released by big time corporations. There are only so many things the public can do to change the spatial limitations of environmental destruction, yet governments care less about the environment and more aboutRead MoreAmerica: â€Å"The land of the free and the home of the brave.† When I first moved to America from India800 Words   |  4 Pages America: â€Å"The land of the free and the home of the brave.† When I first moved to Amer ica from India in elementary school, I heard countless exciting stories. The most important thing I was told was that America is the land to start over, a land full of equal opportunities, and a land of happiness. While growing older however, I started to understand that not everyone is comfortable with foreigners. When I was eight years old, I learned that there will always be people who will not agree with whoRead MoreQuest for Truth Depicted in Swifts Gullivers Travels and Huxleys Brave New World1146 Words   |  5 Pageshold sacred, that make us unique. The following expression â€Å"the truth will set you free†, has swept across the nation, through movies and other types of media entertainment. With the knowledge of truth comes great power which houses both good and evil thoughts. If used for evil, it can imprison a person, while for good it can release a man from prison. In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World , both authors use their main characters, John and Gulliver, to find the