Perceptions of African American Women Essay Example for Free

Perceptions of African American Women Essay It was amazing to know that Dr. Mae C. Jemison who happens to be the youngest of three children born to a middle class African American family, Charlie Jemison, a maintenance worker and his wife, Dorothy, a teacher. Dr. Mae C. Jemison was the first black woman astronaut to be in space in an era filled with segregation and racism, she is a Chemical engineer, scientist, physician, teacher and astronaut, she has a wide range of experience in technology, engineering, and medical research. In addition to her extensive background in science, she is well-versed in African and African-American Studies, speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili, as well as English and is trained in dance and choreography. Dr. Mae C. Jamison was an inspiration to me, and probably to many African American women. She was full of resilience and determination especially to have reached and achieved success in an unusual field of endeavor for many African American women, I applaud her determination to make a difference among the African American women and blacks in Diaspora. After graduating from Morgan Park High School in 1973 at the age of 16, Dr. Mae Jemison earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, while also fulfilling the requirements for a BA in African-American Studies. After earning these degrees in 1977, she attended Cornell University and received a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981. During medical school she traveled to Cuba, Kenya and Thailand, providing primary medical care to people living there. This is an indication of her humanitarian efforts and eagerness to reach out to the less privileged population. Having a desire to do more with her life, she enrolled in graduate classes in engineering and applied to NASA for admission to the astronaut program. She was turned down on her first application, maybe because she is a black woman, but she persevered and in 1987 was accepted on her second application. She became one of the fifteen candidates accepted from over 2,000 applicants. When Dr. Mae Jemison successfully completed her astronaut training program in August 1988, she became the fifth black astronaut and the first black female astronaut in NASA history. In completing her first space flight, Dr. Mae Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space, making her the first African-American woman in space. She says, â€Å"I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to others’ limited imaginations. I have learned these days never to limit anyone else due to my limited imagination. † This is an inspiration to other blacks in general who normally assume a second class citizen and believe that they will never do well or will be appreciated in whatever they do. This is a wake-up call, and manifestation of the saying â€Å"Determination is the mother of invention†. In 1993, Dr. Mae Jemison resigned from NASA and founded the Jemison Group, Inc. to research, develop and implement advanced technologies suited to the social, political, cultural and economic context of the individual, especially for the developing world. Current projects include: Alpha, (TM) a satellite based telecommunication system to improve health care in West Africa; and The Earth We Share, (TM) an international science camp for students ages 12 to 16, that utilizes an experiential curriculum. Among her current projects are several that focus on improving healthcare in Africa. She is also a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College. Dr. Mae Jamison made a name for herself and name for blacks in general; Her entrepreneurial spirit put her in the limelight and acts as a boost to determined black men and women in Diaspora. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. It was quite surprising to read about Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, I know almost nothing about this â€Å"giant and queen of modern Africa† who is presently the current president of Liberia. According to what I have read so far about this â€Å"queen of Africa† she was born In Monrovia, the capital of Liberia on October 29, 1938. During this period, Liberians had no clue that the First female president of an African country had been born into their mist. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a daughter to descendents of original colonists of Liberia (ex-African slaves from America, who promptly on arrival set about enslaving the indigenous people using the social system of their old American masters as a basis for their new society). These descendents are known in Liberia as Americo-Liberians. From what I read, I noticed that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was truly an intellectual power house, a charismatic leader and destined to make a change in Liberia and contribute her quota in Africa. From 1948 to 1955 Ellen Johnson studied accounts and economics at the College of West Africa in Monrovia. After marriage at the age of 17 to James Sirleaf, she travelled to America (in 1961) and continued her studies, achieving a degree from the University of Colorado. From 1969 to 1971 she read economics at Harvard, gaining a masters degree in public administration. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf then returned to Liberia and began working in William Tolberts (True Whig Party) government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf also served as Minister of Finance from 1972 to 73, but left after a disagreement over public spending, this is an indication of her prudence and will power. As the 70s progressed, life under Liberias one-party state became more polarized to the benefit of the Americo-Liberian elite. On 12 April 1980 Master Sergeant Samuel Kayon Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group, seized power in a military coup. With the Peoples Redemption Council now in power, Samuel Doe began a purge of government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf narrowly escaped choosing exile in Kenya. From 1983 to 1985 she served as Director of Citibank in Nairobi. I will say that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had a lot of courage, because it was quite unusual for a woman to challenge a dictatorial incumbent president in Africa without being kidnapped, tortured or killed in the process, although She was later sentenced to ten years in prison. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf spent just a short time incarcerated, before being allowed to leave the country once again as an exile. During the 1980s she served as Vice President of both the African Regional Office of Citibank, in Nairobi, and of (HSCB) Equator Bank, in Washington. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf played an active role in the transitional government as the country prepared for the 2005 elections, and eventually stood for president against her rival the ex-international footballer, George Manneh Weah. Despite the elections being called fair and orderly, Weah repudiated the result, which gave a majority to Johnson-Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf eventually became Liberias first elected female president, as well as the first elected female president in the continent Africa. . In 2005 She established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission with a mandate to promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in the country and in November 2007, she received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.

Heathcliff: Made A Villain By Love Essay -- essays research papers

Love is a two way street. In order for love to work it must be given and returned. If love is left unfulfilled it can lead a person to be spiteful, vengeful, and at the extreme villainous. In Emily Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is the villain because he is frustrated about his unrequited love for Cathy. Heathcliff's villainy is apparent in how he treats the Earnshaws, degrading Hindley and Hareton just as Hindley did him. This is also shown in his actions against the Lintons. Heathcliff hates the Lintons because Cathy married Edgar. Heathcliff uses his treachery to steal away the Linton fortune and to degrade their offspring. Heathcliff's villainy is finally shown in how he treats Cathy herself. He loves her so much he hates her. He feels that Cathy betrayed her heart and married Edgar. Heathcliff as the villain is first shown in his actions against the Earnshaws. When Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights after several years, his frustration leads him to exact revenge on Hindley Earnshaw. Heathcliff blames Hindley for Cathy not returning his love and becoming married to Edgar. Hindley reduced Heathcliff to such a status that it would ruin Cathy to marry him. Heathcliff's villainy is shown when he returns the favour to Hindley, reducing him and his son Hareton to servant class. This is apparent when Heathcliff is talking to Nellie about his joy in degrading Hareton, he says, I've pleasure in him!...He has satisfied my expectations - if he were born a fool I should not enjoy it half so much - But he's no fool; and I can sympathise with all his feelings, having felt them myself - I know what he suffers now, for instance exactly - it is merely a beginning of what he shall suffer though. And he'll never be able to emerge from his bathos of coarseness, and ignorance. I've got him faster than his scoundral of a father secured me, and lower; for he takes a pride in his brutishness. (252-253) This is also shown when Heathcliff accidentally saves Hareton from certain death. This is apparent when Nellie says, "A miser who has parted with a lucky lottery ticket for five shillings, and finds next day he has lost in the bargain five t... ...thout her. His villainy is also shown when he talks to Cathy when she is sick. He condemns her for breaking both his heart and hers. This is apparent when Heathcliff says, "Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy? I have not one word of comfort - you deserve this. You have killed yourself...They'll blight you - they'll damn you. You loved me - then what right did you to leave me?...I have not broken your heart - you have broken it - and in breaking it, you have broken mine." (197) This quote shows Heathcliff's anger, and his blaming of Cathy for his becoming a villain. Heathcliff as the villain is shown through his actions towards people. In the novel, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is a villain. He is a villain because of his unrequited love for Cathy. His villainy is shown though his actions towards the Earnshaws, a famliy that degraded him, the Lintons, the people he believes stole Cathy away from him, and Cathy herself, the woman he feels betrayed her heart and his love. Heathcliff felt that he did not have Cathy's love, when all the time he truly owned her heart. Without love being returned jealousy and anger could make villains of all.

Poverty Case Essay

â€Å"The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.† ― Mother Teresa It’s frightening to think how those who live under poverty in our country would seem so powerless when in reality are just as powerful. Poverty has the power to disable people from seeing the sun on bright days, while it can enable them to think about the gloomiest ones, desperately resorting to unwanted ways to get what they need. They are equipped with a valid reason for committing crimes and immoral acts, rooting back to poverty, just exactly something we find hard to give solution to. It is hard to embrace them fully, but is harder to condemn them for feeling so hopeless about their situations. Hopelessness is what fuels these people and it’s a sad reality that the society cannot help but let them do the driving – their own dirty way. Loneliness is another type of poverty, as mentioned by Mother Teresa, and even claimed it as the most terrible of all poverties present. Sadly, such was what the three major characters in the stories Cat in the Rain, Miss Brill, and A Rose for Emily, experienced. The traits they had in common rooted back to loneliness, being the reason why they thought they had to do unique, and at a point, questionable ways to be accepted and loved in return. The story Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway focused on the character of an American woman who tries hard to get her husband’s attention by saving a kitten from the rain. As the story develops, it is noticeable that there’s a slight tension between the American couple as emphasized by the husband’s cold treatment to his wife. The wife, in return, recites her desire for things she knows she could not immediately have and will require great effort from her husband to have them. The American wife, enslaved by loneliness and insecurity, displayed selfishness as she repeatedly said, â€Å"Anyway, I want a cat. I want a cat. I want a cat now. If I can’t have long hair or any fun, I can have a cat† (Hemingway 106). Desiring for uncommon things during a vacation trip only meant that there was something wrong with the main character. It wasn’t just the conscious feeling of loneliness that kept her from enjoying the married life; the fact that she wasn’t able to directly express her feelings about how unhappy she is to her husband means that she has been denying the feeling of loneliness herself. The way she felt wasn’t questionable, neither were her feelings unique, but the way she expressed her feelings made them so because she was unconsciously, hardly pressed by her fears. Asking for a cat, and reciting all her desires, â€Å"I want to pull my hair back tight and smooth and make a big knot at the back that I can feel†¦ I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her†¦ and I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles. And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty and I want some new clothes.† all of a sudden seems unusual, and it sure is one unique way to attract attention and show her longing for acceptance and love. (Hemingway 105) In comparison to Miss Brill, the American wife is lucky to have someone than no one at all. Miss Brill is an old single woman who wants to be loved in return. Seen in the text is her deep desire to impress other people as she takes time to dress up and try to look beautiful with her favourite old fur necklet before going out to the park. It had been part of her weekly ritual to go out to the park and stroll around, secretly showing how she wants to have her existence validated by the society. Just like the American wife, Miss Brill also has the tendency to shrug off her loneliness, denying the fact that she is unhappy with the way her life is going. This is evident in the first paragraph of the story, â€Å"And when she breathed, something light and sad – no, not sad, exactly – something gentle seemed to move in her bosom† (Mansfield 48). With her shrugging all these feelings off comes the danger of not realizing how desperate her actions seem to other people. These actions, such as eavesdropping on other peoples’ conversations, wearing the old fur necklet and looking silly, acting as if she were on a play, all root from loneliness she had been experiencing. Her desire to be accepted and be united with the community stems from within though she doesn’t seem so conscious of what she exactly wants, thus acting in a weird, odd manner. Miss Brill sought attention and acceptance in a unique way, as her actions and train of thoughts (â€Å"†¦that Miss Brill discovered what it made it so exciting. They were all on stage†) (Mansfield 50) are not normally done and thought about by people who seek the same thing. This proves how much acceptance of one’s weaknesses can help him/her get through it, something that denying can never do. The same situation was what Miss Emily experienced. Her loneliness came from her lack of freedom back when her father was still alive as he was very strict with the relationships she had with others. By the time her father was gone, she had a hard time relating with the rest of the community, isolating herself inside the house. Just like the two other characters mentioned, Miss Emily also had the tendency to deny this loneliness, bluntly shown when she kept her father’s dead body in her house for three days and not accepting others’ sympathy: â€Å"The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and aid, as is our custom. Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead† (Faulkner 59) With the constant denial of this loneliness and longing for acceptance, she finds herself obsessing over Homer Barron, who happens to not be a marrying kind and refuses her love for him. Her oppressed feelings for him and her deep desire for his love and acceptance led her to doing unique and questionable actions for her to get him, with or without his consent. As the story progresses, she finds herself purchasing arsenic, a rat poison, and kills Homer Barron without pity. It was a selfish move for her to do; she didn’t even seem to bother about how wrong it was, nor did she think about the possible consequences of such action. What she did was definitely unique and questionable, considering how immoral and selfish it was to kill someone for her own benefit. Just like the American wife who had been pressed by her fears leading to such weird doings, Miss Emily also had her share of fear in losing Homer Barron. The three female characters’ pursuit of love can be so strongly driven that they find themselves doing unique and questionable ways to be loved and accepted in return. They all had fears empowering the loneliness they were feeling, making them deny this poverty in them more and thus, leading to the unique and questionable ways they did in the story. This only shows how much desires can be so powerful that it can make people do anything to get what it is that would make them happy and complete. It is then, important to be able to accept one’s own weaknesses to be able to know and understand what it is that can fully solve and patch things up, something that denying and concealing can never do. Works Cited: [1] â€Å"Mother Teresa of Calcutta quotes.† Find the famous quotes you need, ThinkExist.com Quotations.Thinkexist.com, Web. 4 Jan 2013. [2] Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"Cat in the Rain.† Lit 13 English Dept. Ateneo de Manila University. Quezon City: np., 2012. 103-106. Print. [3] Mansfield, Katherine. â€Å"Miss Brill.† Lit 13 English Dept. Ateneo de Manila University. Quezon City: np., 2012. 48-51. Print. [4] Faulkner, William. â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† Lit 13 English Dept. Ateneo de Manila University. Quezon City: np., 2012. 57-64. Print.

Essay on Robert Frosts Poetry - 2181 Words

Robert Frosts Poetry Robert Frost said that a poem should begin in delight and end in wisdom Do you think that is true of the poems of Frost and the other nature poets you have studied? Frosts statement in the title is certainly true in some of his later poems and most nature poems, but in some cases, the wisdom comes first and delight is found at the end or, there is no delight only wisdom or, just delight or just wisdom. Not all poems abide by Frosts rule! The Pasture, being one of Frosts earlier poems, possibly was written before he made the statement in the title, as I am unable to find any wisdom hidden amid the lines, only a great deal of delight. The poem is written using iambic metre, with a clear rhythm. In†¦show more content†¦He then uses terms of endearment to describe the little calf that is standing by its mother that he is going to fetch. He takes delight in how it totters when its mother licks it with her tongue, he must have watched it with its mother many times to have noticed this happening. Again, he invites us to come too as he shant be long, I believe he takes delight in this as well. In Lawrences Self-Pity, the four lines he restricts himself to, clearly shows wisdom, I am unable to find any delight. His poem is about animals and their way of life, getting on with things, not feeling sorry for themselves; a bird will drop dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself. I get the impression that he is comparing birds, which do not feel sorry for themselves, to humans that do. I believe that he is insinuating that humans should take a leaf out of natures book and get on with life, without feeling sorry for ones self. I agree that Selfsame Song, by T. Hardy, begins in delight, although its ending is verging on despair, rather than wisdom. Hardy opens this poem with his memories of a bird singing the Selfsame Song with never a fault in its flow. I get the impression he really loves the birds selfsame song and truly deems it flawless. By ending the first stanza with long years ago indicates that those lovely times have been, but now are gone. In the second stanza by including delightShow MoreRelatedAbandonment and Singularity in Robert Frosts Poetry.1463 Words   |  6 PagesSingularity in Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Census- Taker† Robert Frost’s approach to human isolation is always an interesting exploration. His poem of desertion and neglect paired with eternal hopefulness ignite the reader in his poem â€Å"The Census-Taker.† All of the elements of a Frost poem are in this particular poem. â€Å"The Census-Taker† must be from an earlier time in Frost’s career because the poem is written in an open, free verse similar to the style of his earlier 20th century poetry like â€Å"Mending Wall†Read MoreThe Presentation of Nature in Robert Frosts Poetry Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesThe Presentation of Nature in Robert Frosts Poetry Many of Robert Frosts poems contain the vital ingredient of nature. Frost uses nature as a metaphor, primarily, in his poems to express the intentions of his poems. He uses nature as a background metaphor in which he usually begins a poem with an observation of something in nature and then moves towards a connection to some human situation. He uses rural landscapes, homely farmers and the natural world to illustrateRead More Robert Frosts Use of Nature in Poetry Essay2053 Words   |  9 PagesRobert Frosts Use of Nature in Poetry Robert Frost, an American poet of the late 19th century, used nature in many of his writings. Frost was very observant of nature, he often used it to represent the emotion of his characters in his poetry. I will use West-Running Brook and Once by the Pacific to demonstrate Frosts use of nature in his writings. Robert Frost was born March 26, 1874 in San Francisco (American Writers 150). In 1885, the dying request of his father took FrostRead MoreThe injustice Within Tess of the D’Urbervilles and in Robert Frosts Poetry1422 Words   |  6 PagesThe injustice within Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1881) and Robert Frost’s poetry is unjustified and causes major suffering to those illustrated in both the novel and the poetry. Numerous variations of injustice are portrayed within these works such as; social injustice, religious injustice and moral injustice. These injustices often combine together to form an upsurge of ill-treatment within the characters’ lives. Furthermore, Frost’s poems often address heavy topic matters such as suicide, childRead MoreEssay about The Psychology of Robert Frost’s Nature Poetry3064 Words   |  13 PagesThe Psychology of Robert Frost’s Nature Poetry Robert Frost’s nature poetry occupies a significant place in the poetic arts; however, it is likely Frost’s use of nature is the most misunderstood aspect of his poetry. While nature is always present in Frost’s writing, it is primarily used in a â€Å"pastoral sense† (Lynen 1). This makes sense as Frost did consider himself to be a shepherd. Frost uses nature as an image that he wants us to see or a metaphor that he wants us to relate to on a psychologicalRead MoreGood and Evil in Robert Frosts Poetry Essay521 Words   |  3 Pagesis controlled by gods and goddess, animals, the sun, every single human on earth or nothing at all. With so many ways to interpret our existence, there are billions of ideas, ranging from the inanely simple to the thoroughly convoluted. But Robert Frost’s theory, published in the early 1900s, remains one of the most compelling. In his poem Design, Frost illustrates the contrast between evil the good in nature, and offers his own commentary as to who is truly in control. In the first stanzaRead MoreEssay about The Dark Side of Humanity Exposed in Robert Frosts Poetry991 Words   |  4 PagesHumanity Exposed in Robert Frosts Poetry Robert Frost is often referred to as a poet of nature. Words and phrases such as fire and ice, flowers in bloom, apple orchards and rolling hills, are all important elements of Frosts work. These ‘benign objects provide an alternative way to look at the world and are often used as metaphors to describe a darker view of nature and humans. In Frosts poetry, the depth is as important as the surface. The darker aspects of Frosts poetry are often portrayedRead MoreComparison of Robert Frosts and Seamus Heaney’s poetry, Essay988 Words   |  4 PagesIn Seamus Heaney’s poetry, there is a recurring theme of his talking of the past, and more predominantly about significant moments in time, where he came to realisations that brought him to adulthood. In â€Å"Death of a Naturalist† Heaney describes a moment in his childhood where he learnt that nature was not as beautiful as seem to be when he was just a naive child. Heaney does this on a deeper level in â€Å"Midt erm Break† describes his experience of his younger brothers funeral and the mixed, confusingRead MoreRobert Frost Essay1396 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Frost Robert Frost is one of the few twentieth century poets to receive critical acclaim and popular acceptance (Magill 728). His simplistic style appeals to the novice and expert poetry reader alike. Robert Frosts understated emotional appeal attracts readers of all literary levels. Frost develops subtly stated emotions and a clever use of imagery in his poetry. Influences on his poetry include his family, work, and other life experiences (Oxford 267). Frost also works to developRead MoreRobert Frost s Writing Style1589 Words   |  7 Pages Robert Frost once said, â€Å"The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion† (Robert Frost Quotes). This same kind of thinking opened the door for metaphorical poetry that helped to show the poets transparency. His love for the social outcast and the struggles of his life are exhibited greatly in his poems. Robert Frost helped