Importance of Family in the Short Story, Cakes Essay -- Salvatore La P

Confucius once said, â€Å"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.† The majority of people across the world deem family as the uttermost important aspect of their life. Family is something that often teaches us moral values, and helps shape the individuals we become later in our lives. In the short story, â€Å"Cakes† Salvatore La Puma conveys the prominence of family in Italian-American immigrant culture in the 1940’s industrial era. La Puma utilizes the first paragraph as mini-ethnography to portray the unity of the Vitale family. The introduction states, That summer he sweated from the humidity which in 1940 everyone in Brooklyn sweated from; then he sweated from the hot ovens at Carlo Amato’s pastry shop in Bensonhurst four or five nights a week; then he sweated from the hot ovens at a pastry shop Downtown every day of the week except on Sunday, when he usually slept until noon. From Downtown, Giovanni Vitale came home at the end of the workday on the BMT subway to his wife, Lisa, to their three kids Anna, Steve, and Johnny. After dinner they would all listen to the Philco. Then Giovanni and the eldest kid, Johnny, eleven, walked three long blocks and two short blocks, past the old people who fanned themselves on the stoops, to Carlo’s shop on Seventeenth Avenue (4). The first paragraph evokes the normal and typical structure of the Italian-American immigrant family in the 1940’s industrial era. In the Vitale family, everyone has their own role. The father, Giovanni Vitale has the duty of working long hours to provide for his family, the mother, Lisa has the role of a homemaker, to make dinner for the family, and the eldest child, Johnny has the dutiful role of helping his father at the pastry shop.... ...ma further underscores the importance of family in Italian American culture. In the final scene in the story, when Carlo dies, Martina comforts Johnny, â€Å"Martina seated herself beside him, put her arms around him, and before he knew what happened his eyes closed and his face went down on her breast where he was held like that.† (6). Recognizing Johnny’s naivety, Martina hugs Johnny in a way that a mother would caress her newborn. An indirect reference is made, where the scene between Martina and Johnny parallels the image where mother Mary is holding baby Jesus. Although Martina is not related to Johnny, her caring and nurturing behavior towards Johnny illustrates the deep and close relationship between Italian Americans By illustrating Martina as a mother figure, La Puma is able to show the familial bond that exists between friends in Italian American culture.

We Can Stop Global Warming Essay -- Environmental Global Climate Chang

We Can Stop Global Warming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowadays, the earth is presenting drastic changes. There are different factors that have influenced to provoke these changes. The man is one if not the main responsible. With the modern world and its speed in which life is developed everyday, the man may not sometimes think of a long-term harm that is provoking. It has been recognized that human activity is slowly increasing the atmospheric concentration of several gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the colloquial term to refer to enhanced global warming. The green house effect is what keeps the earth habitable, without the greenhouse effect the temperatures would be too cold for human live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the past 100 years, global temperatures have increased by about one degree Fahrenheit, with the 1990s to date the warmest decade on record, according to NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Scientists predict that, unless greenhouse gases emissions are reduced substantially, Earth’s average global temperature will rise by two to six degrees by the next century. Since people are causing global warming, they can also prevent it from getting worse or to stop it at all. To prevent global warming we must reduce usage of greenhouse gases emissions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a vital source to the greenhouse effect. Humans have made buildings and machines that release CO2 into the air. Large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere causes more heat to be...

Arthur Millers Comparing of Similarities in The McCarthy Era and The S

â€Å"She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it, I set myself entirely in your hands.† John Proctor says this to Danforth in the movie â€Å"The Crucible,† which is a fascinating, and disturbing story based on an important event in history. This event was the Salem Witch Trials. The author Arthur Miller wrote this story in response to the major event the McCarthy Era. The Crucible showed the similarities between the McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials. In 1956 Arthur Miller was subpoenaed by HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee) and refused to identify writers that were believed to hold communist sympathies. Due to his refusal he was convicted of contempt of congress. The next year, however, the United States Supreme Court overturned this conviction. Under the leadership of McCarthy the committee had so much power that just knowing someone who was suspected of having ties to the communist party was a danger. The lives and careers of hundreds of Americans were ruined because of being blacklisted. Prison, bankruptcy, passport revocation, unemployment were threats made against people for them to testify and â€Å"name names.† The McCarthy Era was a period of history that began in the late 1949s and ended in the mid late 1950s. This was also called the Second Red Scare in the United States. The McCarthy Era had many innocent victims and many of them were imprisoned. Several authors, actors, civil rights activists, and physicists were among the many victims that were blacklisted. Due to McCarthy’s witch-hunt many victims’ reputations were destroyed and their families ... ...I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!† Besides similarities between â€Å"The Crucible†, Salem witch Trials, and the McCarthy Era there are differences. The Crucible/ Salem witch trials had people being hung that were believed to be witches compared to people just being put in prison when they were accused of being a communist in the McCarthy era. Also, anyone was able to charge someone else in â€Å"The Crucible† where during the McCarthy Era Joseph McCarthy was the one charging people, and no one else had any say about who was charged. In conclusion Arthur Miller saw the similarities in The McCarthy Era and The Salem Witch Trials, and portrayed them in â€Å"The Crucible.† The lives of many people were destroyed during these times in history.

Laissez-Faire Racism Essay

In â€Å"Racial Attitudes and Relations at the Close of the Twentieth Century,† Lawrence Bobo discusses the concept of laissez-faire racism. Laissez-faire racism describes how racial attitudes in America have shifted from the overtly racist policies of Jim Crowe racism to more subtle forms. As opposed to during the Jim Crowe era when African-Americans faced blatant racism like segregation, they now face underlying racism educationally, socially, and politically. The four main characteristics of laissez-faire racism, as described by Bobo, are â€Å"a continued acceptance of negative racial stereotypes; a belief in a level playing field; the belief that due to this level playing field, anyone can succeed by working hard and playing by the rules; and our country’s belief in justice, so our country’s people behave consistently according to just principles. † Although there are many instances of this within the institutional policies and practices in our country, the two main examples that best illustrate the concept of laissez-faire racism are education and the criminal justice system. The most prominent example of laissez-faire racism is our country’s education system. Although clearly our country does not still have overtly racist policies such as the separate but equal doctrine, there is still a clear disparity between the education received by white Americans and African-Americans and other minorities. The fact of the matter is, African-Americans and other minorities are still living in poorer neighborhoods, in which the quality of schools simply does not compare to those in richer neighborhoods. Students are held to lower expectations at these schools. The textbooks and curriculum are outdated, and job resources are not available to these students. The drop out rates are much higher for African-Americans and minorities, SAT scores are much lower, and overall success rates simply cannot compare to those of white Americans living in richer neighborhoods with better schools. A second example of laissez-faire racism lies within our criminal justice system. There is a huge disparity in the death penalty between African-Americans and minorities as compared to whites. The chances of receiving the death penalty are much higher if an individual is African-American and convicted of murder than if that same individual was white. The facts are even more repulsive when analyzing victimology. If a white person kills a black person, the odds of them getting the death penalty are slim. If a black person kills a white person, the odds are significantly higher. The disparity lies in how we value a life, depending on the color of an individual’s skin. Bobo came to two conclusions based on data collected throughout his research. For one, the United States â€Å"has experienced a genuine and tremendous positive transformation in racial attitudes† . However, he also concluded that â€Å"racial discrimination remains a barrier to the full economic, political, and social participation of African-Americans in institutions† . The fact that discrimination continues to remain a barrier to the participation of African-Americans in society can be clearly seen by the two examples mentioned. So, the question remains: how do we fix this situation? How can these problems be addressed to achieve greater racial equality? In order to address the issue of education, our country must create a way to fund all schools equally. Although the federal government does give money to public schools across the country, schools in each district are mostly funded by the taxpayers living in that district through property taxes. This leads to a small amount of money that is dedicated to schools in poorer districts, and a larger amount of money dedicated to schools in richer districts. The results of this policy are very obvious when comparing the quality of schools in richer districts to that in poorer. There are a few ways that this policy can be crafted. The policy created by our government could direct more aid to schools in poorer districts in order to improve their infrastructure and curriculum, thereby improving quality of their students’ performance. The policy could also redirect education money from richer districts to poorer districts, which would have the same effect. Either way, a policy needs to be put into place in order to get more money to the schools in these poorer districts, which need the money the most. In order to address the issue of the death penalty, our criminal justice practices must be analyzed. There must be a solid standard for what type of crime receives the death penalty, so that minorities do not face the death penalty at higher rates than white Americans. There should be strict guidelines for who receives the death penalty, with no subjectivity. For example, if Congress passed a law that required the death penalty for all premeditated first-degree murders, the law could not be applied broadly based on the biased judgments of a jury. A white man who commits first-degree murder would be subject to the death penalty, just like an African-American man, or any other minority individual for that matter. And this is just an example. Laws must be concrete and inflexible, that is, unable to be bent by a jury in order to hold minorities to stricter standards than that of white Americans. Essentially, to white people, race is something that has been dealt with as seen by the â€Å"level playing field† that supposedly exists today. To African-Americans, race is a constant reality that they must face every day. This idea continues to be reemphasized through our laissez-faire racist policies in education and our criminal justice system. By eliminating this subtle discrimination and other policies like it, our country will be able to fully move on from our discriminatory past and achieve greater racial equity.

A White Heron

A White Heron – Alternate Ending â€Å"The tree seemed to lengthen itself out as she went up, and to reach farther and farther upward. † Her pale face glimmered in the new sunlight that appeared Just over the horizon. She sat atop the mighty tree for a lengthy amount of time, taking in the true beauty of the scenery. As Sylvia was drawn aback with the breathtaking view, a white flash caught her eyes. It was the heron. Sleek, mysterious and mind-blowing; it careened atop the treetops.She followed it attentively, being sure to know the exact location of its nest. After all, the boy back home was willing to pay a sum of none in trade for the location of the nest. Sylvia carefully made her way down the large tree, as she descended, she tired. When her bare feet reached the familiar wet ground of the forest, she knew she had a decision to make. Emotions welled up inside her, and she was overtaken by her conflicting thoughts. If she told the location of the bird, it would be killed.If she kept it to herself, however, it would remain in the world, but she would forgo the money and friendship from the hunter. Her tiny, torn up feet carried her across the forest floor as if they were not her own, as if they were automatic. A blank stare covered her face, and tears plagued her eyes. She loved all woodland beings, especially the heron. It was rare, and it was magnificent. Sylvia knew she was getting close to arriving back home to her eager grandmother, who wanted the money, and the hunter, who desperately wanted the heron.It was not a winning situation for her either way. She could not bear to see the bird destroyed, yet was so tempted to keep a friendship as well as help her grandmother. Just as she became entirely overwhelmed with the gravity of the situation, she had reached the gate and heard the ever so friendly voice call out, â€Å"Slyly! Slyly! Have you returned? † Panic stricken, she walked monotonously to the front porch. Two eager faces awa ited her arrival. One was familiar, wrinkled and warming; tender eyes looking softly at her filled with hope.On the contrary, the other was freckled and enthusiastic. The hunter looked at her keenly, wiped a crocodile tear from her face and asked, â€Å"Sylvia, did you find the location of the bird? † This was it, when her decision had to be made. Tear stricken and unable to decide, she replied with a meek mimes. † She took him into the forest to show him the location of the bird. Sylvia turned away as he raised his gun, eating one final glance at this magnificent creature. One thunderous, echoing shot later, and it was done.The pristine, white feathers were now stained with a crimson rose red blood. As the hunter gathered his kill, he could see the pain in her face. He looked down upon her with a bittersweet glance, â€Å"l am sorry to have taken this creature from your realm; rest assured I will compensate in paying your grandmother double my original offer. † He picked up the small tearful child with arms wrapped around his neck, and returned her home to her grandmother before saying his final goodbyes and being on his way. A White Heron By skies win A White Heron Sarah Orne Jewett was born in South Berwrick, Maine (actually she is a native of New England). I would say ‘A white Heron’ is one of Sarah’s best regionalism works. Sarah began to write stories at her young age. She wrote stories by her everyday life experiences and publishes at her teens. â€Å"In ‘A White Heron’ a young girl’s conflicted loyalties to her conception of herself in nature and to the world of men she will soon encounter are memorable and sensitively drawn†. This is the story of nine year old girl named Sylvia. This is the short story of Sylvia who is actually experiencing an innocent childhood life has found a new changes in herself and discover her womanhood by short period of time. We could say even this story also had the setting of Sarah’s own experienced place which is her native New England. In ‘A white Heron’ Sylvia was living with her grandmother. Sarah started this story by expressing the innocence of the 9 year old little Sylvia. Everybody said that it was a good change for a little maid who had tried to grow for eight years in a crowded manufacturing town, but, as for Sylvia herself it seemed as if she never had been alive at all before she came to live at the farm† She completely living a life which is opposite of city’s life. And Sylvia loved this peaceful and simple life with her grandmother and of course the other mother â€Å"Nature†. This story starts with Sylvia searching for her cow in one fine summer evening in the wood forest. It was her greatest pleasure to hide herself away among the high huckleberry bushes, and though she wore a loud bell she had made the discovery that if one stood perfectly still it would not ring†. It shows that Sylvia and her cow were playing hide and seek on that night while going back their home. â€Å"Suddenly this little woods girl is horror stricken to hear a clear whistle not very far away. Not a bird’s whistle, which would have a sort of friendliness, but a boy’s whistle†. During their journey Sylvia heard a boy’s whistled and met that stranger. He was hunter and he was actually lost his way and asked for Sylvia’s help and he asked her â€Å"Speak up and tell me what your name is, and whether you think I can spend the night at your house and go out gunning early in the morning†. Sylvia continued her journey with her cow and the hunter and finally they reached home. â€Å"Mrs. Tilley was standing in the doorway when the trio came into view†¦ The young man stood his gun beside the door, and dropped a lumpy game bag beside it; then he bade Mrs. Tilley good evening and repeated his warer’s story†. Grandma and the hunter were talking and Sylvia was playing outside in the moonlight. â€Å"But as the day waned, Sylvia still watched the young man with loving admiration. She had never seen anybody so charming and delightful; the woman's heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love†. Hunter was very kind to them and he looks handsome. Next day Sylvia found some changes in herself. She felt like that she drawn for the stranger. Here some sort of her womanhood can be seen instead of her childhood innocence. We can say that her childhood innocence has started to move backward and her adult feeling comes forward. The hunter was looking for very rare white heron. He came to know that Sylvia is aware of all kind of birds. And he also knew that Sylvia and her grandmother are poor. â€Å"I can’t think of anything I should like so much as to find that heron’s nest, the handsome stranger was saying, I would give ten dollars to anybody who could show it to me†. He has given a try to know about the heron by asking indirectly to Sylvia by saying he could give ten dollars for anyone who helps him to find that bird. Sylvia could possibly accept that ten dollars and help the hunter to find the white heron. â€Å"No amount of thought, that night, could decide how many wished-for treasures the ten dollars, so lightly spoken of, would buy†. She was thinking about the pine tree which can be seen at the edge of the forest. She knew that she can find the heron over there and she went to that place next day morning itself. â€Å"She had often climbed there, and knew that higher still one of the oak’s upper boughs were set close together†¦she went up and reach farther and farther upward†. She reached top of the tree. And she came across the best things in her life. We could say she is experiencing the ‘symbol of natures’. From the top view she is watching the whole forest; she could see the see in the moon view. Finally here is the time for the sun rise and ready to find the white heron. â€Å"Look, look! A white spot of him like a single floating feather comes up from the dead hemlock and grows larger, and rises, and comes at last, and goes by the landmark pine with steady sweep of wing †¦ plumes his feather for the new day† As the sun started to glow Sylvia found the rare white heron and its nest. By reaching top of the big tree it-self shows that Sylvia has reached her womanhood and put aside her childhood innocence. Sylvia now knows the secret of white heron but she is decided not to reveal this to anyone. She doesn’t want to give up the life of the bird just for ten dollars even though money is important for her. She valued the bird’s life more than the money. She would not be satisfied and feel happier even with those ten dollars more than how she feels by saving white heron’s life. Whatever treasures were lost to her, woodlands and summer-time, remember! † Sylvia has discovered her womanhood by climbing the big tree and by keeping the secret of the bird. She has found the treasures of herself and love towards nature. Sarah explains the importance of moral values of young girls towards this story. She is claimed that Sylvia has taken the right decision at right time. She did what her heart said and she valued lives and nature more than money. In life our every day to day decision would bring big changes in our future.

My Essays Essay

The following is an organizational announcement for Staples Advantage Corporate associates and  global Vice Presidents and above from   Tom Heisroth, SVP Staples Advantage Sales, and Steve Bussberg, SVP, Staples Advantage. To support Staples’ Reinvention efforts to turbocharge product-related services, we are excited to announce changes within our Staples Advantage Print business  that will increase efficiencies and reduce customer confusion around our offerings. Staples has unrivaled Print assets and we believe this reorganization will allow us to strengthen our position in the industry and become a true market leader. Jeff Crump,  VP/GM, Staples Print Solutions, will be responsible for Print operations, all aspects of Print field support, and ownership of the total Staples Advantage Print P&L. Jeff will continue to report to Steve Bussberg. Geoff Eitland, Director, Procurement and Merchandising, will assume responsibility for all Print sourcing and vendor management. In addition, our customer implementation teams will now be centralized, with  Jamie Kapanka, Senior Manager, Sales Operations,  reporting into the Staples Advantage Print operations group. The following Associates will report to Jeff Crump: * Geoff Eitland, Director, Procurement and Merchandising * Jamie Kapanka, Senior Manager, Sales Operations * Gary Swanger, Director, Finance * Gretta Staskiewicz, Manager, Marketing * Jeffrey Holton, Director, Manufacturing * Lee Ann Holley,   Project Manager, New Business Development * Richard Campbell, Director, Integration Richard Martin, Director, Logistics * Robert Anderson-Ludrick, Director, PE Deployment Leader The Print sales teams led by  Millie Tarallo  and  Ralph Torres  will come together under the leadership of  Wayne Wilkinson, Vice President, Staples Advantage Sales, who is taking on a new role overseeing the Print and Vertical sales teams. Wayne will transition into his new role over the next few months and will con tinue to oversee the Central Region until further plans are announced. Wayne will continue to report to  Tom Heisroth, Senior Vice President, Staples Advantage Sales. Reporting to Wayne will be:   * Millie Tarallo, Area Vice President, Print * Ralph Torres, Area Vice President, Print * Susan Louis, Vice President, Healthcare * Judith Smith, Vice President, Federal Government * Jeremy Landis, Director, Vertical Markets Combining the Print sales teams under single leadership will increase sales productivity and uncover new sales and margin opportunities. At the same time, unifying the Vertical sales teams under Wayne will enable us to better focus on customers’ specialized needs in these segments. As previously announced, business development for Print has been unified under the leadership of  Kevin Moss, Vice President, Business Development and  Joe McDonald, Director, Business Development. This new structure and improved support capabilities will give our sales teams more time to sell, while providing our customers the seamless experience they expect. We look forward to transforming the Print business within Staples Advantage and driving meaningful growth for the company.

Respiratory System Study Guide

Respiratory System Study guide: Answer the following, submit through the assignments link as an msword document. 1. What percent of air is oxygen? 21% of air is oxygen. 2. What is the entire process of gas exchange between atmosphere and body cells called It is called respiration. 3. What is the waste product of cells? Carbon dioxide is the waste product of cells. 4. What organs are located in the upper respiratory tract? The organs that are located in the upper respiratory tract are the nose, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and pharynx. 5.What organs are in the lower respiratory tract? The organs that are located in the lower respiratory tract are the larynx, trachea, bronchial tree, and lungs. 6. What is the function of the nasal cavity? The nasal cavity is where the internal hairs begin to filter air. The primary function is to conduct air to the pharynx, where mucous lining filters and moistens air. 7. What does mucous do? The mucous entraps dust and other small particles that e nter with air. As cilia move, it push mucous with dust towards pharynx, where it is swallowed and digested by stomach. . What is the function of the larynx? The function of larynx is to conduct air in and out of trachea, prevent foreign objects from entering trachea. Also houses the vocal cords. 9. Which lung is larger, the right or the left? The right lung is larger than the left lung. 10. What is laryngitis? Laryngitis is horseness or loss of voice, mucous membrane becomes inflames, can cause obstruction of airway. 11. What is a bronchoscopy? Bronchoscoy is produce used to directly examine the trachea and bronchial tree. 12.The paranasal sinuses are resonant chambers that affect the quality of voice and function to _________. Reduce the weight of skull and resonant chambers that affect quality of voice. 13. What is found within the trachea that prevents it from collapsing and blocking the airway? Within the trachea are 20 â€Å"C† shaped pieces of cartilage that prevent it from collapsing and blocking the airway. 14. What is inspiration? Occurs when pressure inside alveoli decreases and atmospheric pressure is greater. 15. What is tidal volume? The amount of air that enters or leaves the lung.