Peculiarities of Community Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Peculiarities of Community Analysis - Essay Example Recently, however, I have seen a change. I have seen the things I once read of, slowly materializing. I have seen women go from being a household commodity, to being equal to sons in our male chauvinistic culture. Now, working women are accepted rather than shunned like ten years ago. There is a lot more freedom in all aspects, be it dressing, travel, education, lifestyle- almost any aspect one chooses to describe, women are now more liberated than ever before. People now take it as a matter of pride to send their daughters to school, and most of the conservative elements are moving towards modernism and liberalism. This is the change I see around me. What remains to be seen is whether it really is happening, or whether it is just an illusion- a mirage, ‘window-dressing’ in accounting terms. Also, is it just limited to sprawling metropolises, or has the effect permeated to the as-yet-un-westernized rural areas? Another aspiring ray that has developed in females in recent times is their strength. Their robustness to stand change, their robustness to accept change, their robustness on being the change. This has taken the course of action to move to better, positive horizons. â€Å"Whether we like it or not, one of our tasks on this Earth is to work with the opposites through the different level of consciousness until body, soul, and spirit resonate together. Initiation rites, experienced at the appropriate times in our lives, burn off what is no longer relevant, opening our eyes to new possibilities of our own uniqueness.† (Miss Morian Woodman: â€Å"The Pregnant Virgin: A Process of Psychological Transformation†. Page 26 Chrysalis) Using the concept of the process of psychological pregnancy (the virgin forever a virgin, forever pregnant, forever open to possibilities), Woodman examines ways of restoring the unity of body and soul, suggesting that how and what a woman goes through in a man’s world. Drawing on her Jungian analytic practice with its analysis of hundreds of dreams, she explores the search for personal identity and relationships, including the celebration of the feminine both in women and men. She begins with the symbolism of the chrysalis, and then discusses abandonment in the creative woman, psyche-soma awareness, the ritual journey, further thoughts on addiction, and yin, yang, and Jung.

Guidelines for Writing a Lab Report Essay Example for Free

Guidelines for Writing a Lab Report Essay Writing a good lab report is an important goal of your science education, and gives you the opportunity to enhance your writing skills and to communicate your understanding of the scientific process to others. Your lab report for this semester will be a write up of your independent research project. This will follow the standard format for a lab report and should include the following sections: Title Introduction Materials and Methods Results Discussion Conclusion References For this course we are giving extra emphasis to the materials and methods section. This section should include sufficient detail to allow others to reproduce your experiments, without being overly descriptive. A guide to writing each section is as follows: TITLE Name the experiment. The title should be descriptive of what you did or what your data showed. A reader should be able to obtain some understanding of the content of your report from the title. In the research world, scientists scan the table of contents of journals to determine if there are any papers relevant to their research that they should read. Therefore the title is important for getting your work recognized. INTRODUCTION Explain why you choose this project, and what you hoped to learn from it. You will be required to research the background information for your project, and present the current state of knowledge for the topic of your research. In addition, you must explain your rationale for choosing this project, clearly state the objective or hypothesis, and predict the outcome of the experiments if the hypothesis holds true. Example: if an independent research project investigated the effect of hand sanitizers on the growth of E. coli, then the introduction should include background information on hand sanitizers (what they are, how they are used, the ingredients that kill bacteria), and background information on E. coli (what it is, why it is a problem). It would also include the experimental hypothesis, e.g. â€Å"Hand sanitizers will be more effective at killing E. coli than soap.† MATERIALS AND METHODS Describe how you conducted your experiments in sufficient detail that someone else could repeat them, WITHOUT excess detail. First and foremost, this section is NOT simply a list of materials and a step-by-step accounting of what you did. You should write your materials and methods in descriptive form, using past tense (describe what you did). Do not include reasoning in your methods – this belongs in the discussion section. You should describe what you did in enough detail that someone could repeat the experiment if he or she wanted to, but do not use excessive details. As you are doing your experiment, be sure you keep track of what you actually did in your lab notebook, especially any details which vary from the instructions in the lab manual. What you do could have important implications for the results you get, and your interpretation of those results. The Materials and Methods in your lab report should be what you actually did, and not just what the lab manual told you to do. Points to remember: * Organize this section carefully and logically, place the methods in the order in which you ran them. * Use subheadings that break the text into distinct sections (if warranted). Do not use subheadings such as â€Å"Lab 4.† Use a descriptive subheading, such as â€Å"Agarose Gel Electrophoresis† and make use of bold text to distinguish subheadings. * Provide enough information to allow others to repeat the same experiment * Use specific, informative language (quantify whenever possible) * Omit unnecessary information. You do not need to include every possible detail of the time you spent in the lab. Include only those procedures directly pertaining to the results you plan to present in the paper. * Include complete mathematical formulas if appropriate. * Do not make the common error of mixing some of the Results in this section RESULTS Present your data in such a way that someone could go directly to the results section and understand the results of your experiments. The results section will have a text portion and a portion that contains figures, tables, photographs, graphs, etc., depending on what kind of data you have. In the text of your results section, describe the trends and important points of your data. Point out what it is that you want your reader to come away with. Be sure you refer to the relevant figures and/or tables when you are writing your text. Refer to them as if you were citing them. For example: The purity of the enzyme improved with each step of the purification scheme (Table 1). For the data portion (i.e., figures and tables), there are many ways to present your results, and you should think very carefully about which is the best way. Is it a line graph, a bar graph or histogram, a pie chart, a table, a picture or diagram, or is it some combination of these? Whatever you choose, be sure it clearly shows your results. You want your reader to be able to look at your tables, charts, figures, etc. and know exactly what experiment was done for each one. You also want the reader to be able to understand what the results actually are. ALL of your data that relates to the report should be presented (even negative data). Points to remember: * Organize your data carefully and logically. If possible, present results in the same order as the methods. * Use subheadings that break the data into distinct sections (if warranted) * Summarize the data and emphasize important patterns or trends * Do not interpret your data; do not draw conclusions; do not speculate.in the results section (save these issues for the Discussion) * Graphs, drawings, and photos are considered figures. Each figure and table must have a title and be numbered sequentially as they are introduced in the text. (figure 1, figure2, table 1, table2) * Specify units on the axes of graphs and label all columns and rows of tables. * Computer programs, such as Excel, can help you draw graphs and diagrams. If the graphs are hand drawn they must be neat and accurate. * Examples of some of the ways that you can present your data are illustrated at the end of this handout. DISCUSSION Relate your results back to the introduction. Did you add to the current state of knowledge? What did you learn from your experiments? Were there any sources of error? What future experiments might you conduct? Was your hypothesis supported by your data? This section is for an interpretation of your results, e.g. what do your results mean? Why did you think that you obtained these results? What can be learned from this experiment.? Connect your results to the concepts behind the experiments and your hypothesesAre there any questions the experimental design leaves unanswered (related to your hypothesis or not)? How would you improve this experiment in the future? What other experiments would you do now to extend or confirm your results (what is the next step)? You should also indicate if there are any inherent flaws or sources of error in the experimental design. Do not use â€Å"human error† as an explanation. Only discuss experimental errors that you think actually occurred during your experiment. You should also avoid saying that taking more samples or doing more repetitions of the experiment would improve the data. That is almost always true of any experiment, and goes without saying. Points to remember: * Interpret your results; draw attention to your major findings. * Support your conclusions with evidence; convince the reader that your interpretations are sound and that your work represents a valid contribution to the field. * Recognize the importance of negative results. * Address both the advantages and limitations of your methods; What causes may be responsible for your findings? Suggest explanations if you have conflicting or unexpected results. * Go from specific to general; Start with a discussion of your specific results and end with more far-reaching conclusions or predictions; Can you make generalizations? What would the next questions be? * Be aware of phrasing used in scientific discourse, e.g. verbs like suggest, indicate, show, demonstrate; adverbs like possibly, probably, presumably, very likely; auxiliary verbs like may, might, would, could, etc. (qualifiers) CONCLUSIONS Summarize the meaning of your results in two or three sentences. REFERENCES List all of the information sources used for your introduction. Any references that you use should be cited in the text and listed in alphabetical order in a reference section at the end of your report. Use the APA citation style: For citations in the text: (Author, year) goes after the material from a particular source. For references section: Last name, First name. Year. Title of article. Journal. Volume. Page Numbers.

Auto Parts and Service Company Business Plan

Auto Parts and Service Company Business Plan ABC will be participating in a growing market. After China join in the WTO, the price of cars keep going down. Since 2005, the price of cars has declined 10%-50% in China. It has become one of the largest-growing markets in China.  A recent survey indicates that over 20% factories and customers have suffered the problems that the lack of auto repair services. If we consider the whole auto market as a giant whose left leg is new cars or used cars market and right leg is auto-parts and auto repair services market. The left leg of the giant has stepped in China. However his right leg is still out of the country. Because the auto market is increasing in such high speed, it will help the auto-parts supplies and auto repair services market grow. The Organization Gaining the unsatisfied customers is the first mission of the organization. With this in mind, ABC will be working hard and produce the impressive services that are exceeded in customers expectations. To gain and maintain those customers, to build up close and stable relationships to customers, and to expand the market, ABC is going to offer supplies to auto factories, including body shops, to offer auto repair services to individual customers through participation and .inviting 3-5 local auto supply business partners to fund a corporation by offering advanced technology from the U.S. 1.1 Mission Firstly, ABC will offer high-quality auto repair services with all kinds of auto parts. ABC will proffer its convenient and rapid service. Secondly, ABC will set up a computer system to make sure that parts are available. Lastly, ABC will build strong relationships with the local towing companies and body shops. Keys to Success Relitionships with local towing service companies, body shops and workshops. A wide range of auto parts inventory. Proffering website which answer customers questions whenever they have a problem with their cars and make them be able to order auto parts on line. Rapid delivery of major auto parts. Uperior customer service, and systematic operation More advanced technology and more technical employees The idea of fixing customers cars in their own gagrages is one of our main operational cencept. 2.0 Company Summary The Chinese economic have been growing and it had resulted in the Chinese peoples increased income, since 2000. Nowadays, many Chinese have chosen to spend their money on their automobiles in order to declare they have become the members of middle class. As a result, the need for reliable and convenient auto services will increase with the help from the booming economy and the strong ideas of having own cars. ABC is going to enter Chinese market to fill up the need of the middle and upper class market for quality auto service in Qingdao. 2.1 Company History ABC was found by several local 4S shops in Seattle 2008. Besides the ABC has combined the successful experience of marketing, sales, management and operation, ABC also has developed its technical advantage. In 2008, due to ABC had seen the blight future of the application of composite materials in auto repair market and the corporation in the technical communication between Boeing Company and the local community colleges and universities, the company hired 30 employees from University of Washington and North Seattle Community College to put this technology in use for auto repair in order to improve the companys competitive advantage. These made ABC successful and generate the net profits which have exceeded $50000 in Seattle area in this year. However, ABC realized the advanced position in the competition will not last for long. Also, considering extending its size and influence and exploring a more valuable market, ABC is going to enter Chinese market. Past Performance 2010 Sales $600000 Gross Margin $500000 Operating Expenses $50000 Balance Sheet 2010 Current Assets Cash $200000 Inventory $100000 Other Current Assets $50000 Total Current Assets $350000 Long-term Assets Long-term Assets $290000 Accumulated Depreciation $10000 Total Long-term Assets $300000 Total Assets $650000 Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $50000 Total Current Liabilities $50000 Long-term Liabilities $1300000 Total Liabilities $1350000 Paid-in Capital $500000 Retained Earnings $50000 Total Capital $550000 3.0 Services 3.1 Auto services ABC will offer superior customer services with systematic operation. 3.2 Online services ABC has a free website where our employees will answer the questions and try to help our customers online. If the customers think they can fix the problems of their cars in their own garage with the help of our employees or somebody else, these customers will be welcome to order our parts through our website. Also, ABC allows their customers make appointment online. Lastly, our customers will be able to check out the record of their automobiles online. 3.3 Door to door services, fix your cars in your own garages! ABC will have a door to door services for some VIP customers to slove some problems which are not necessary to come to our shops, such as oil change. 4.0 Market Analysis Summary ABC highly focuses on the demand of local customers. At the same time, ABC also is going to establish relationships with the major local towing companies, and body shops. 4.1 Market Segmentation and Stategy Towing companies After traffic accidents, the towing companies usually are called to take their damaged cars away. However, the companies in China dont usually give the repair service. In this way ABC can make approximate 20% revenue, if we can successfully build up the relationships with the major towing companies. The Body shops The young people like to go to body shops to race their cars for vary reasons. They are more likely focus on the look of their cars and usually require very quick services as well. After we establish and strengthen the relationships with the body shops, we can reach that target market segment so that we can offer the body shops the rapid delivery services and make it available to ship the designed auto parts for each individual since we have an online booking service. Local regular customers The local regular customer base is the largest market of ABC. Based on the fact that not too many repair issues happens daily among the local customers and some owners of new cars prefer to take their cars to the dealers if there are really serious problems with their cars, ABC will also focus on the other services of automobile, such car wash, oil change, and so on. 4.2 Competition and Buying Patterns The exsiting market in China already have had 10 major auto repair and auto parts companies in the local area, so ABC will have 10 major competitiors. Nevertheless, ABC get the advantages that they dont have or not as competitive as ours. Firstly, these companies usually are not large enough, or do not have uperior customer service and systematic operation. Secondly, none of these competitors a computerlized systerm and online service. Thirdly, none of these competitiors have the technical superiority as ours. ABCs key to win the game is gaining and remaining customers by using the technical advantage, focusing on the convenienct high level customer service, and establishing and strengtening the relationships with lacal major body shops and towing companies. 5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary ABC will be successful by offering its systematic operation by adapt the technology from the U.S. 5.1 Sales Strategy ABC will focus upper and middle class customers. To reach the target market and promote the customers, the company will employ direct sales staff. At the same time, the company will further strengthen its relationships with the towing companies, and body shops. 5.2 PromotionMarketing Strategy Direct sale employees, online helping, door to door services, coupons will be our promotion. On the ABCs free website, our employees will answer questions and try to help our customers online. On asking question section, we will put the quick link to the booking page. These researchers will be more likely to order our parts through our website so that they can make it in their own garage. ABC also can send our employees to help them. Fix your car in your own garage! will be one of our marketing strategies. Additionally, ABC will give coupons to customers for 10% off. 5.3 Sales Forecast Sales Forecast 2011 2012 2013 Sales $50000 $150000 $250000 Direct Costs $10000 $10000 $10000 6.0 Management Summary ABC will be successful by combining the 3-5 local auto supply business partners experience of sales, marketing, orperation and management. In order to keep organization stable and keep all of the partners, the ABC will keep the core of the technology. 6.1 Personnel Plan Thank to the low average salaries in China, ABC will be able to hire more employees in the technology department in the U.S. Personnel Plan (Not in including investment from partners) Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Owners $10000 $50000 $90000 Managers $5000 $15000 $25000 Mechanics $4000 $12000 $20000 Technology improment $20000 $60000 $100000 Sales Administrative $1000 $3000 $5000 Total People 25 75 125 7.0 Financial Plan ABC will be a corporation. The funding is from 3-5 local auto supply business partners by offering advanced technology from the U.S. Each partner will invest an equal amount. 7.1 Partners investment Summary ABC is looking for four local partners which meet the requrements to corporate.Each of the four partners which means to join ABC have to invest an equal amount. Table: Investment from partners (Requriements) Requirements Start-up Expenses Legal $1000 Other $5000 Total Start-up Expenses $6000 Start-up Assets Cash Assets $3000 Other Current Assets $15000 Long-term Assets $100000 Total Assets $130000 Total Requirements $130000 (ABC will be more likely to accept partners which are able to meet those requirements.) 7.3 Break-even Analysis Break-even Analysis Monthly Revenue Break-even $25000

Renaissance and Nineteenth Century Architecture Essay examples -- Arch

Renaissance and Nineteenth Century Architecture There are many different styles of architecture. All these styles depend on the time period, and the architecture. Today, many architects incorporate many styles into one building, giving it uniqueness. Introduction The dictionary defines architecture as the "art and science of designing and erecting buildings" (dictionary.com). Since the beginning of civilization, architects have been designing structures and buildings. They are sometimes conventional, and at other times, they are not. There are many different styles of architecture. All these styles depend on the time period, and the architecture. Today, many architects incorporate many styles into one building, giving it uniqueness. Two of the styles of architecture are Renaissance and Nineteenth Century: iron, steel and glass architecture. Renaissance Architecture The Renaissance period followed the Gothic period. It covered everything from painting to buildings to sculptures. Renaissance architecture is evident within many structures, even today. It began in 15th century, and lasted till the 16th century. This form was not considered practical, but it was quite artistic. Arcs and columns were taken from the Roman period, and artistically integrated into their designs. Some of the building, practically churches, had domes. All over the world, architects incorporated this form into their designs, from Italy to Spain; although the styles differed. Some famous ar...

Nike and “King Consumer”

Popular culture, indeed, has always held athletes in high esteem, dating back to the days of the ancient Greeks and the first Olympiad events, thousands of years ago.   However, in recent decades, talented athletes in sports which had in the past been relegated to the upper class, such as tennis, are now embraced by the masses of all socioeconomic levels.   A case in point is the Russian tennis phenomenon Maria Sharapova.   Admittedly, she is an excellent tennis player, but there are countless other talented tennis players who have not gotten even a fraction of the media attention as has Sharapova. Taking a closer look at this pop culture frenzy, the adoration that has been showered upon Sharapova and many other athletes comes down to how our culture has influenced advertising (USA Today); more specifically, one can clearly argue that Sharapova and others grabbed their biggest share of fame once they began to commercially promote products such as Nike brand clothing and shoes, showing the power of advertising to focus the love of the masses on someone based on an image seen in commercials, as well as the ways that culture has influenced product brands. The Rise of Consumerism As was alluded to in the introduction of this paper, the common denominator in the rise of athletes to god-like status in society, and the growth of companies like Nike into multi billion dollar marketing machines, can all be attributed to the masses, leading to academic studies of consumers in such frequency that terms like consumerism have been coined to identify the analysis of the behavior and power of the consumer to dictate how the business world ultimately operates, what it offers to the public, and how the future of consumer goods will unfold. Experts in the study of consumerism have attributed the rise of consumerism itself to the global spread of what can best be described as material desire; in other words, the economic freedom that many parts of the world have been exposed to for the first time over the last quarter century or so has bred a new generation of consumers, who have the desire to possess consumer goods and finally have the financial means to buy them (Sussman).   Especially desirable are the â€Å"brand name† goods which consumers view as a symbol of affluence; the Nike â€Å"swoosh† symbol, for instance, is something that people consider a sign of success when it appears on their shoes or clothing. This, in itself, speaks volumes about the extent of consumerism with the use of a simple, yet telling example.   Because of the availability of foreign made, inexpensive clothing and shoes, it would make sense that if one merely wanted to keep warm or protect their feet, they would buy the least expensive, yet functional merchandise they could obtain; however, more often than not, consumers will pay much more than they have to for clothing items because of the presence of a Nike symbol or any of a score of others which have universal appeal.   In fairness to Nike and others, they do make products of sufficient quality and functionality, but also in fairness, one can find goods of similar, or even superior quality at lower prices, â€Å"sans swoosh† if you will.   The difference, once again, is the power of consumerism to dictate what one should wear on their bodies to be considered worthy in society. Catering to King Consumer When looking at the role of the consumer, it can fairly be said that we are really looking at â€Å"king† or â€Å"queen†, as marketing efforts target, and effectively reach, both genders.   In the case of Nike, the understated in fact speaks volumes; for example, the previously mentioned Maria Sharapova is presented by Nike as â€Å"just a tennis player† (Nike-United States).   In this case, what is not said actually screams out to the consumer.   The implication on the part of Nike is clear- their products hold the potential to bring out greatness, or to satisfy the highest needs of the most talented athletes like Sharapova.   This speaks volumes not only about the power of advertising, but also a bit about our culture. Culture’s Influence on Advertising The all-powerful consumer also wields a great deal of influence in terms of how companies like Nike advertise their products.   Going back to an example similar to the one in the previous section, Nike, in investing multiple millions of dollars in advertising, could purchase quite literally a ton of advertising year-round, but will spend the same amount for one quick television advertisement during the Super Bowl. The reason why is that the consumer dictates that for Nike and others, Super Bowl advertising is a command performance, much like attendance at a family dinner party to maintain harmony with one’s siblings.   This is indicative of both the power of the consumer to direct marketing strategy, and the power of the media to create powerful companies quite literally overnight in some cases (Kellner).   In the words of our old friends at Nike, consumerism and culture are tied together as such: â€Å"In a commercial culture that blends celebrity, product, and image, it is only natural that the sports shoe transnational Nike – as well as many other corporations – would purchase   star power to promote its products. Accordingly, I argue that the Nike connection calls attention to the extent to which media culture is transforming sports into a spectacle that sells the values, products, celebrities, and institutions of the media and consumer society† (Kellner, p. 64) . Culture is also a powerful ingredient in the consumerism mix; when one takes a look at the styles of clothing and shoes that Nike offers, as well as their advertising, it is clear that urban culture is a strong influence, leading to farm kids in Iowa, for example, wearing Nike gear, even though the closest they may have ever come to city life is seeing graffiti on a tractor trailer rolling through their town, on the way to somewhere else.   The point to be made is that popular culture is a driving force in marketing today. Conclusion In an image-obsessed society such as ours, material goods can, and do, create legendary, larger than life individuals, who in turn sell billions of dollars in products, and the cycle continues.   As a conclusion, perhaps the old saying is the best: â€Å"consumer is king†! Works Cited Kellner, Douglas. Media Spectacle. New York: Routledge, 2003. (Nike-United States  Ã‚   2007)Nike-United States. 2007. Nike, Inc.. 5 Mar. 2007 . Sussman, Charlotte. â€Å"Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire.† The Historian 66.1 (2004): 211+. â€Å"Tennis Royalty Crowned by Prince.† USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Nov. 2005: 78+.    Nike and â€Å"King Consumer† Popular culture, indeed, has always held athletes in high esteem, dating back to the days of the ancient Greeks and the first Olympiad events, thousands of years ago.   However, in recent decades, talented athletes in sports which had in the past been relegated to the upper class, such as tennis, are now embraced by the masses of all socioeconomic levels.   A case in point is the Russian tennis phenomenon Maria Sharapova.   Admittedly, she is an excellent tennis player, but there are countless other talented tennis players who have not gotten even a fraction of the media attention as has Sharapova. Taking a closer look at this pop culture frenzy, the adoration that has been showered upon Sharapova and many other athletes comes down to how our culture has influenced advertising (USA Today); more specifically, one can clearly argue that Sharapova and others grabbed their biggest share of fame once they began to commercially promote products such as Nike brand clothing and shoes, showing the power of advertising to focus the love of the masses on someone based on an image seen in commercials, as well as the ways that culture has influenced product brands. The Rise of Consumerism As was alluded to in the introduction of this paper, the common denominator in the rise of athletes to god-like status in society, and the growth of companies like Nike into multi billion dollar marketing machines, can all be attributed to the masses, leading to academic studies of consumers in such frequency that terms like consumerism have been coined to identify the analysis of the behavior and power of the consumer to dictate how the business world ultimately operates, what it offers to the public, and how the future of consumer goods will unfold. Experts in the study of consumerism have attributed the rise of consumerism itself to the global spread of what can best be described as material desire; in other words, the economic freedom that many parts of the world have been exposed to for the first time over the last quarter century or so has bred a new generation of consumers, who have the desire to possess consumer goods and finally have the financial means to buy them (Sussman).   Especially desirable are the â€Å"brand name† goods which consumers view as a symbol of affluence; the Nike â€Å"swoosh† symbol, for instance, is something that people consider a sign of success when it appears on their shoes or clothing. This, in itself, speaks volumes about the extent of consumerism with the use of a simple, yet telling example.   Because of the availability of foreign made, inexpensive clothing and shoes, it would make sense that if one merely wanted to keep warm or protect their feet, they would buy the least expensive, yet functional merchandise they could obtain; however, more often than not, consumers will pay much more than they have to for clothing items because of the presence of a Nike symbol or any of a score of others which have universal appeal. In fairness to Nike and others, they do make products of sufficient quality and functionality, but also in fairness, one can find goods of similar, or even superior quality at lower prices, â€Å"sans swoosh† if you will.   The difference, once again, is the power of consumerism to dictate what one should wear on their bodies to be considered worthy in society. Catering to King Consumer When looking at the role of the consumer, it can fairly be said that we are really looking at â€Å"king† or â€Å"queen†, as marketing efforts target, and effectively reach, both genders.   In the case of Nike, the understated in fact speaks volumes; for example, the previously mentioned Maria Sharapova is presented by Nike as â€Å"just a tennis player† (Nike-United States).   In this case, what is not said actually screams out to the consumer.   The implication on the part of Nike is clear- their products hold the potential to bring out greatness, or to satisfy the highest needs of the most talented athletes like Sharapova.   This speaks volumes not only about the power of advertising, but also a bit about our culture. Culture’s Influence on Advertising The all-powerful consumer also wields a great deal of influence in terms of how companies like Nike advertise their products.   Going back to an example similar to the one in the previous section, Nike, in investing multiple millions of dollars in advertising, could purchase quite literally a ton of advertising year-round, but will spend the same amount for one quick television advertisement during the Super Bowl. The reason why is that the consumer dictates that for Nike and others, Super Bowl advertising is a command performance, much like attendance at a family dinner party to maintain harmony with one’s siblings.   This is indicative of both the power of the consumer to direct marketing strategy, and the power of the media to create powerful companies quite literally overnight in some cases (Kellner).   In the words of our old friends at Nike, consumerism and culture are tied together as such: â€Å"In a commercial culture that blends celebrity, product, and image, it is only natural that the sports shoe transnational Nike – as well as many other corporations – would purchase   star power to promote its products. Accordingly, I argue that the Nike connection calls attention to the extent to which media culture is transforming sports into a spectacle that sells the values, products, celebrities, and institutions of the media and consumer society† (Kellner, p. 64) . Culture is also a powerful ingredient in the consumerism mix; when one takes a look at the styles of clothing and shoes that Nike offers, as well as their advertising, it is clear that urban culture is a strong influence, leading to farm kids in Iowa, for example, wearing Nike gear, even though the closest they may have ever come to city life is seeing graffiti on a tractor trailer rolling through their town, on the way to somewhere else.   The point to be made is that popular culture is a driving force in marketing today. Conclusion In an image-obsessed society such as ours, material goods can, and do, create legendary, larger than life individuals, who in turn sell billions of dollars in products, and the cycle continues.   As a conclusion, perhaps the old saying is the best: â€Å"consumer is king†! Works Cited Kellner, Douglas. Media Spectacle. New York: Routledge, 2003. (Nike-United States  Ã‚   2007)Nike-United States. 2007. Nike, Inc.. 5 Mar. 2007 . Sussman, Charlotte. â€Å"Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire.† The Historian 66.1 (2004): 211+. â€Å"Tennis Royalty Crowned by Prince.† USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Nov. 2005: 78+.   

Biography of Louis Farrakhan, Leader of Nation of Islam

Biography of Louis Farrakhan, Leader of Nation of Islam Minister  Louis Farrakhan (born May 11, 1933) is one of the most controversial public figures in the United States. While scandal has brought down a number of leaders, Farrakhan has managed to remain an influential force in American politics, race relations, and religion. With this biography, learn more about the life of the Nation of Islam leader and how he’s remained relevant in an increasingly divided America. Fast Facts: Louis Farrakhan Known For: Civil rights activist, minister, leader of the Nation of Islam (1977–present)Born: May 11, 1933, BronxParents: Sarah Mae Manning (Mae) and Percival ClarkeEducation: Winston-Salem State University, The English High SchoolPublished Works: A Torchlight for America,  Spouse(s): KhadijahChildren: 9 Early Years Like so many notable Americans, Louis Farrakhan grew up in an immigrant family. He was born on May 11, 1933, in the Bronx, New York.  Both of his parents immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean. His mother, Sarah Mae Manning, came from the island of St. Kitts, and his father, Percival Clark, came from Jamaica. In 1996, Farrakhan said his father, who reportedly had Portuguese heritage, may have been Jewish. The scholar and historian Henry Louis Gates called Farrakhan’s claim credible since Iberians in Jamaica tend to have Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Because the Jewish community has often accused Farrakhan of being an anti-Semite, his claims about his father’s ancestry are remarkable, if true. Farrakhan’s birth name, Louis Eugene Walcott, reveals the discord in his parents’ relationship. Farrakhan said his father’s philandering had driven his mother into the arms of a man named Louis Wolcott, with whom she had a child and for whom she converted to Islam. She planned to start a new life with Wolcott, but briefly reconciled with Clark, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. Manning repeatedly tried to abort the pregnancy, according to Farrakhan, but eventually gave up on termination. When the child arrived, with light skin and curly, auburn hair, Wolcott knew the baby wasn’t his and left Manning. That didn’t stop her from naming the child â€Å"Louis† after him. But Farrakhan’s real father didn’t play an active role in his life either, he said. His mother remained a stable influence. A music lover, she exposed him to the violin. He didn’t immediately take interest in the instrument. â€Å"I [eventually] fell in love with the instrument,† he recalled, â€Å"and I was driving her crazy because now I would go in the bathroom to practice because it had a sound like you’re in a studio and so people couldn’t get in the bathroom because Louis was in the bathroom practicing.† He said that by age 12, he played well enough to perform  with the Boston civic symphony, the Boston College orchestra, and its glee club. In addition to playing the violin, Farrakhan sang well. In 1954, using the name â€Å"The Charmer,† he even recorded the hit single â€Å"Back to Back, Belly to Belly,† a cover of  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Jumbie Jamboree.† A year before the recording, Farrakhan married his wife, Khadijah.  He went on to have nine children. Nation of Islam The musically inclined Farrakhan managed to use his talents  in the service of Nation of Islam. While performing, he attended a meeting of the group, which Elijah Muhammad started in 1930 in Detroit. As a leader, Muhammad sought a separate state for African Americans and endorsed racial segregation. Prominent NOI leader Malcolm X persuaded Farrakhan to join the group. So, he did, just a year after recording his hit single. Initially, Farrakhan was known as Louis X, and he wrote the song â€Å"A White Man’s Heaven Is a Black Man’s Hell† for the Nation. Eventually, Muhammad gave Farrakhan the surname he’s world famous for today. Farrakhan rapidly rose through the ranks of the group. He assisted Malcolm X at the group’s Boston mosque and assumed his superior’s role when Malcolm left Boston to preach in Harlem. Malcolm X In 1964, ongoing tensions with Muhammad led Malcolm X to leave the Nation. After his departure, Farrakhan essentially took his place, deepening his relationship with Muhammad. In contrast, Farrakhan and Malcolm X’s relationship grew strained when the latter criticized the group and its leader. Specifically, Malcolm X told the world that Mohammad had fathered children with many of his teenage secretaries. Malcolm X considered him a hypocrite since NOI preached against extramarital sex.  But Farrakhan considered Malcolm X a traitor for divulging this news to the public. Two months before Malcolm’s assassination in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom on Feb. 21, 1965, Farrakhan said of him, â€Å"such a man is worthy of death.† When police arrested three NOI members for assassinating 39-year-old Malcolm X, many wondered if Farrakhan played a role in the murder. Farrakhan admitted that his harsh words about Malcolm X likely  Ã¢â‚¬Å"helped create the atmosphere† for the killing. â€Å"I may have been complicit in words that I spoke leading up to February 21, [1965]† Farrakhan told Malcolm X’s daughter Atallah Shabazz and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"60 Minutes† correspondent Mike Wallace in 2000. â€Å"I acknowledge that and regret that any word that I have said caused the loss of life of a human being.† A six-year-old Shabazz saw the shooting, along with her siblings and mother. She thanked Farrakhan for taking some responsibility but said she did not forgive him. â€Å"He’s never admitted this before publicly,†Ã‚  she said.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Until now, he’s never caressed my father’s children. I thank him for acknowledging his culpability and I wish him peace.† Malcolm X’s widow, the late Betty Shabazz, had accused Farrakhan of having a hand in the assassination. She seemingly made amends with him in 1994, when her daughter Qubilah faced charges, later dropped, for an alleged plot to kill him. NOI Splinter Group Eleven years after Malcolm X’s killing, Elijah Muhammad died. It was 1975, and the group’s future appeared uncertain. Muhammad had left his son Warith Deen Mohammad in charge. The younger Muhammad wanted to turn NOI into a more conventionally Muslim group called American Muslim Mission. (Malcolm X had also embraced traditional Islam after leaving the NOI. ) Warith  Deen Mohammad  also rejected his father’s separatist teachings. But Farrakhan disagreed with this vision and left the group to start a version of NOI aligned with Elijah Muhammad’s philosophy. He also started The Final Call newspaper to publicize his group’s beliefs.   Farrakhan got involved with politics as well. Previously, NOI told members to refrain from political involvement, but Farrakhan decided to endorse the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 bid for president. Both the NOI and Jackson’s civil rights group, Operation PUSH, were based on Chicago’s South Side. Fruit of Islam, part  of NOI,  even guarded Jackson during his campaign. Jesse Jackson â€Å"I believe that Rev. Jackson’s candidacy has lifted the seal forever from the thinking of black people, particularly black youth,† Farrakhan said. â€Å"Never again will our youth think that all they can be is singers and dancers, musicians and football players and sportsmen. But through Reverend Jackson, we see that we can be theoreticians, scientists, and whatnot. For that one thing he did alone, he would have my vote. Jackson, however, didn’t win his presidential bid in 1984 or in 1988. He  derailed his  first campaign when he referred to Jews as â€Å"Hymies† and New York City as â€Å"Hymietown,† both anti-Semitic terms, during an interview with a black Washington Post reporter. A wave of protests ensued. Initially, Jackson denied the remarks. Then, he changed his tune and accused Jews of trying to sink his campaign. He later admitted making the comments and asked the Jewish community to forgive him. But he refused to part ways with Farrakhan. Farrakhan tried to defend his friend by going on the radio and threatening both the Post reporter, Milton Coleman, and Jews about their treatment of Jackson. â€Å"If you harm this brother [Jackson], it will be the last one you harm,† he said. Farrakhan reportedly called Coleman a traitor and told the African American community to shun him. The NOI leader also faced accusations of threatening Coleman’s life. â€Å"One day soon we will punish you with death,† Farrakhan remarked. Afterward, he denied threatening Coleman. Million Man March Although Farrakhan has long faced accusations of anti-Semitism and has criticized black civic groups such as the NAACP, he’s managed to stay relevant in a changing America. On Oct. 16, 1995, for example, he organized the historic Million Man March on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Civil rights leaders, including Rosa Parks, Jackson, and Shabazz, gathered at the event designed for young African American men to ponder the pressing issues affecting the black community. According to some estimates, about a half-million people turned out for the march. Other estimates report a crowd as large as two million. In any case, there’s no doubt that hundreds of thousands of individuals gathered for the occasion, an impressive achievement for any organizer. The Nation of Islam’s website points out that the march challenged stereotypes of African American men. â€Å"The world did not see thieves, criminals, and savages as usually portrayed through mainstream music, movies and other forms of media; on that day, the world saw a vastly different picture of the Black man in America. The world saw Black men demonstrating the willingness to shoulder the responsibility of improving themselves and the community. There was neither one fight nor one arrest that day. There was no smoking or drinking. The Washington Mall, where the March was held, was left as clean as it was found.† Farrakhan later organized 2000’s Million Family March. And 20 years after the Million Man March, he commemorated the landmark event. Later Years Farrakhan earned praise for the Million Man March but just a year later sparked controversy again. In 1996, he visited  Libya. Then Libyan ruler, the late Muammar al-Qaddafi, made a donation  to the Nation of Islam, but the federal government didn’t let Farrakhan accept the gift. Despite such incidents and a long list of inflammatory remarks, Farrakhan has won the support of  people in and outside of the black community. They applaud  NOI  for fighting against social injustice, advocating for education and against gang violence, among other issues. The Rev. Michael L. Pfleger, a white Roman Catholic priest with a parish on Chicagos South Side is an example. He called Farrakhan his closest adviser.   â€Å"I’ve lost friends and I’ve lost support- I’ve been disinvited from places- because of my relationship with Farrakhan,† the priest told the New Yorker in 2016. But he added, I’d take a bullet for  [him and others] any day of the week.†Ã‚  Ã‚   Meanwhile, Farrakhan  continues to generate publicity for his cutting comments. Shortly after Donald Trumps inauguration,  he called the United States  the most rotten nation on Earth. On May 2, 2019, Farrakhan was banned from Facebook and Instagram for violations of Facebook’s policies against hate speech. Sources Blow, Charles M. Million Man March, 20 Years On. New York Times, Oct. 11, 2015Bromwich, Jonah Engel. Why Louis Farrakhan Is Back in the News. New York Times, March 9, 2018.  Farrakhan, Louis, and Henry Louis Gates. Farrakhan Speaks. Transition.70 (1996): 140–67. Print.Gardell, Mattias. In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1996.Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Nation of Islam.  Louis Farrakhan banned from Facebook over policies on violence, hate. Chicago Sun Times May 2, 2019.  McPhail, Mark Lawrence. Passionate Intensity: Louis Farrakhan and the Fallacies of Racial Reasoning. Quarterly Journal of Speech 84.4 (1998): 416–29. Print.

Regionalism in Canadian Literature Essays

Regionalism in Canadian Literature Essays Regionalism in Canadian Literature Paper Regionalism in Canadian Literature Paper Top of Form 1 The term regionalism is an inevitable idea when it comes to Canadian literature and the never ending search for Canadian identity. The definition of regionalism in literature is said to be â€Å"fiction and poetry that focuses on the characters, dialect, customs, topography, and other features particular to a specific region† (Campbell). Northrop Frye, a respected Canadian literary critic, discusses the development of regionalism in Canadian literature and stresses â€Å"the importance of regions to the creative imagination, arguing that an imagination conditioned by prairie stretching to the horizon would develop differently from one shaped by the huge mountains and trees of British Columbia or by the churning sea around Newfoundland† (Fiamengo). is that experiencing the variety of environments that exist in Canada would cause Canadian authors of different regions to develop and emphasize the specific aspects associated with their particular region. In their writing, regionalism speaks to the characters of the novel and manipulates their identity to match the landscape and history of the region. This displays a true connection with the region and there is â€Å"no doubt that regionalism stems from a deep personal involvement with a particular place, a lived experience that is not available to the causal observer† (Jordan, 9). In the novels As for Me and My House by Sinclair Ross and The Diviners by Margaret Laurence aspects of regionalism are very prominent. The central characters in each novel develop identities which reflect the regions in which they live. Ross’ characters, Mr. and Mrs. Bentley, develop the hollow existence and aversive attitudes that are common in small prairie towns. Laurence’s characters, Morag and Pique Gunn, develop an identity that reflects the history of the land and the happenings associated with the imagined town of Manawaka. The forms of regionalism in these two novels foster the idea that â€Å"metaphor relates man to the world in which he lives. It is a connective image which at once reveals a disparity and an affinity. The connection moves between the human individual and the perceived order of the world; it is always at once particular and indicative of identity, pointing to cultural orientation† (Adamson). Sinclair Ross’ novel, As for Me and My House deals with the tired, repetitive nature of small prairie towns in western Canada and how this nature becomes regurgitated in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Bentley. In this case, regionalism that is associated with the prairies focuses on the landscape. Historically, the first settlers of the prairies attempted to deal with the environment. They â€Å"responded by trying to force the foreign environment to conform to their familiar frames of reference, with little success† (Jordan, 93). This novel is a representation of the prairie life through and though. It is interesting how the name of any town or reference to a province is obsolete yet we get the true feelings associated with the prairies still. In his book Introduction to Sinclair Ross: As for Me and My House, Roy Daniells says, â€Å"although precise dates, places and historical events are avoided, there is no doubt that these pages present the prairies of the drought and the depression, the long succession of years between the two wars† (Daniells, ix). Regionalism is also represented in the historical happenings of the region. The specific outcomes that the depression and drought had on the prairie lands are outlined throughout the novel and add to the authenticity of the experiences. When speaking of the drought and the depression, Mrs. Bentley says, â€Å"It makes me wonder how things are going to be with us. The crop is the town’s bread and butter too; and the first place we are going to feel the pinch is the collection plate. We’re behind already with the car, and now that Steve’s here the store accounts will climb just twice as fast† (Ross, 75). When Mrs. Bentley exposes her financial worries to the readers, we truly get the feeling of her struggle to live comfortably in the prairie society. The economic struggle is a big theme in this novel and the prairies themselves. Amongst the failing of the collection plate, â€Å"the latter pages of the book are dominated by Mrs. Bentley’s attempts to recover a thousand dollars from the twenty-eight hundred owed to her husband by the towns he has served† (Davey, 34). As well, the mention of the farmers’ crops divulge more hardships that the land has brought upon it’s people. These experiences are none unlike the events experienced by the true prairie world in the past and continue to expose the regionalism with which Ross chooses to write. The vivid life that is given to the novel provokes the readers understand of the true struggle during the depression era and allows them to observe prairie life almost first-hand. The people of the prairies have to fight against the land and the elements to live a comfortable, satisfactory life. Regionalism is demonstrated here in the sense that the land of the prairie region is such a powerful force. The inhabitants have little choice but to have their identities moulded around these factors. Like the real world situation, Mr. and Mrs. Bentley, as well as the rest of the townspeople of Horizon, become shaped by factors such as these. The wind, the dust and the struggles with seasons all have a stake in making each character who they are or who they will become. It is said about this environment that â€Å"the vast emptiness envisioned by early settlers and writers has provided a ground for the dramatization of an existential conflict pitting the internal unity of human consciousness against the horrifying void of an unknowable external world† (Jordan, 94). In Canadian literature, this conflict is emphasized and the extent to which the land threatens identity becomes a reoccurring theme among Canadian fiction. As for Me and My House is an excellent example of this. The town itself seems to be depleted and hopeless. It is categorized by â€Å"broken sidewalks and rickety false fronts† (Ross, 5). Even the infrastructure seems to be suffering the external consequences. Mrs. Bentley’s diary entries capture all of these shortcomings and â€Å"the world that emerges through these entries is claustrophobic. The walls of the house stifle the inhabitants, not because they isolate those inside from the exterior world but because the world outside constantly seeps in through the doors and windows, through cracks in the walls, and through the roof only to remind the occupants of the prison that they have built for themselves† (Jordan, 95). Mrs. Bentley retreats to the outside world for relief, because no matter what, the land’s curse is inescapable. Even in her own home, comfort does not exist. Mrs. Bentley’s character suffers from this dreary lifestyle. Her use of language to describe the prairies is parallel to the words that are used to describe humanity itself. An excellent description of the harsh environment she endures is given to the reader at the beginning of the novel. She says, â€Å"It’s an immense night out there, wheeling and windy. The lights on the street and in the houses are helpless against the black wetness, little unilluminating glints that might be painted on it. The town seems huddled together, cowering on a high tiny perch, afraid to move lest it topple into the wind† (Ross, 4). In this sense, the land and its elements become a large metaphor for the people of the prairies. Words such as â€Å"helpless† and â€Å"cowering† are effective words to describe the people of Horizon. In his book Vertical Man/Horizontal World, Laurence Ricou explains Ross’ writing to be â€Å"the first in Canada to show a profound awareness of the metaphorical possibilities of the prairie landscape† (Ricou, 82). He also says that â€Å"the people of Horizon, as Mrs. Bentley describes them, mirror the physical environment’s dry and featureless visage, and yet they are not home in it† (Ricou, 82). This statement cleverly demonstrates how the aversive environment makes the townspeople, like Mrs. Finley, stern and non-personable. They are making ends meet, yet they are uncomfortable in their own lifestyle path. It is because of the environment that Mrs. Bentley seems to be passive and depressed. There is a scene that describes the Bentleys outside after a church service. She says, â€Å"mile after mile the wind poured by, and we were immersed and lost in it. I sat breathing from my throat, my muscles tense. To relax, I felt, would be to let the walls around me crumple in† (Ross, 52). Mrs. Bentley is represented as inferior to the wind and its forces. She is presented to the reader in a feeble light, almost as if her existence could vanish at any moment. In this sense she has become helpless against the life she chose. Her ability to do what she desires is quite limited by the physical environment as â€Å"the wind carries the totality of possibilities which life offers, possibilities which cannot be grasped or merely pass unnoticed† (Ricou, 85). This implies that Mrs. Bentley sees what she is missing in her life and understands her missed opportunities, but can do little about this because her whole existence has been spent moving from one little prairie town to another. She is vulnerable and stagnant in the prairie society as she practices the same routines each day and becomes engulfed in the land as sacrifice. In her diary, Mrs. Bentley seems to focus too much on weather elements and she uses â€Å"the prairie constantly as a mirror of her own fears, frustrations, and helplessness† (Kreisel, 260). It is her fixation with the wind, rain and dust that lets the reader assume that many people of that region are â€Å"possessed by the prairie,† giving up their â€Å"mind and body as it if were an extension of it† (Kreisel, 262). It is clear of the implications of the region upon its people, like Mrs. Bentley, and it’s development into regionalism. Philip also suffers from the consequences of landscape and the prairie’s harsh physical environment. It causes him to retreat into his study and allow his relationship with his wife to diminish as he â€Å"turns inward in an attempt to find a refuge from the emptiness of the prairie† (Jordan, 96). In order to escape his fate he turns to art in the forms of writing and painting. Unfortunately his attempt to break loose from the constraints of the environment seem to confine him even more. He lives a life that is devoted to expressing his feelings on the prairies though his art. Even in the solitude of his private study, the prairies invade his thoughts. This life that he turns to is â€Å"no less stifling than the world of Horizon† (Jordan, 96). His pictures very much resemble the land as it is depicted in the novel and therefore reflect not only the real setting but Philip’s identity as well. Mrs. Bentley describes one picture as â€Å"a good job, if it’s good in a picture to make you feel terror and pity and desolation† (Ross, 219). These feelings that arise in Mrs. Bentley when she studies the picture are also the feelings that Philip feels about the external prairie. Philip’s character is now seen in a dark light, one that is colored by hopelessness and â€Å"emotional and intellectual suffocation† (Ricou, 86). As well as art, religion and the puritan lifestyle of the prairies in the depression era forge the identities of the people. Philip is portrayed in the diary as a soul tormented by his religious lifestyle. He is regretfully the â€Å"embodiment of the puritan temperament, the product of his environment and much more a part of it then he would ever admit† (Kreisel, 264). He cannot shake loose from this destiny and he â€Å"pretends to be what he can never be, for the sake of a meagre existence, and yet he is heartsick with awareness of the futility of his pretense† (Ricou, 84). It is said that â€Å"prairie puritanism is one result of the conquest of the land, part of the price exacted from conquest. Like the theme of the conquest of the land, the theme of the imprisoned spirit dominates serious prairie writing, and is connected with it† (Kreisel, 265). The regionalism that is associated with this strict lifestyle is reflected by how the characters demonstrate the puritan ideal. In her novel, The Diviners, Margaret Laurence also writes with an emphasis on regionalism. Both Morag Gunn and her daughter, Pique, are adamant on establishing a sense of identity. On this search for identity, both characters are influenced by the region that they have been subjected to. Margaret Laurence’s small town of Manawaka is one of the greatest fictional towns in Canadian literature. Laurence has carried this town through in many of her novels and her geographical creation is said to be â€Å"deeply rooted in the author’s hometown of Neepawa in the Province of Manitoba† and â€Å"at the same time an amalgam of many prairie towns† (Tsutsumi, 307). In examining the nature of Manawaka and its influence on its people â€Å"the reader is required to have a fair grasp of not only the physical but also the mental, spiritual, historical and cultural peculiarities of the region† (Tsutsumi. 307). This refers to the aspects of regionalism that have the potential to be analyzed within the town of Manawaka. Laurence gives the town a vividly real landscape and a rich historical background and â€Å"after five books, the town of Manawaka can be specifically mapped. It geography is precise and consistent, and there are now many landmarks in the town. The cemetery, the garbage dump and the valley where the Tonnerres have their shacks are all on the outskirts of Manawaka† (Thomas, 180-81). Manawaka â€Å"acts as a setting for the dilemmas of its unique individuals and also exercising its own powerful dynamic on them† (Thomas, 174). The characters experience many events due to the town’s historical roots and values and ultimately, characters tend to grow apart from the sullen town. However, this growth is purely physical because Canadian towns, such as the fictional Manawaka, tend to leave a mark and a great impression on its inhabitants. The characters that are involved with the town â€Å"carry Manawaka with them, its constraints and inhibitions, but also its sense of roots, of ancestors, and of a past that is living still, both it’s achievements and its tragic errors† (Thomas, 177). In The Diviners, both Morag and Pique feel the need leave their prairie towns and therefore, the setting of Manawaka exists only in past reference. Regardless of this, it consumes their lives. It is because of this that â€Å"Manawaka as a setting constitutes only one third of the story, but the region follows the heroine wherever she goes, enriched by each of her experiences while the heroine pursues her path leading to the art of ‘divining’. The visions Laurence created with her magic rod of divining are regional in their details† (Tsutsumi, 312). All these aspects make Manawaka what it has become in the world of Canadian literature. It represents the foundation for all of Laurence’s achievements as it is embedded so deeply into her personal roots as well as her characters’ roots. â€Å"Manawaka was Laurence’s time and place, and she set herself to get it ‘exactly right’. Her success fulfills the prophecy of the closing line in one of her undergraduate poems: ‘this land will be my immortality’†(Morley, 139). A statement such as this demonstrates the extreme to which Laurence is connected to this prairie land, and also the town as a reflection of other Canadian prairie towns. Regionalism is portrayed here in it’s fullest. With regard to the region, as any true prairie town, Manawaka is complete with tales of historical trials and tribulations. The people of the town emphasize history and relish it’s significance in their lives. These tales are used to refer to historical events throughout the novel. They surround the town and demonstrate to the reader the true nature of it’s heritage. The stories told and celebrated by Christie Logan and the Tonnerre family emphasize the historical implications of the battles that were fought on the land and are manipulated just enough to give them a small town twist. By telling the stories of Piper Gunn and Rider Tonnerre, â€Å"it is made clear that the townspeople incorporate in their bones and blood a far longer span of history than the town’s, one that comes down from the time of the Highland Clearances and from before the settlement of the West, and is landmarked by battlesBatoche, Bourlon, Wood, and Dieppe† (Thomas, 187). Laurence uses these stories as a catalyst in both Morag and Pique’s search for identity and belonging. The greatest journey in this novel is the quest for identity and â€Å"Morag Gunn is trying to reconcile an inner autochthonous nature and an outer assumed persona, one which is formed and fostered by the society in which she lives. The dichotomy is between nature and civilization, and true identity can only come with a fusion of the two elements of our human experience† (Adamson). In this sense, the society in which she lives is portrayed when â€Å"history and legend merge in Morag’s pictures of herself as a small child† (Morley, 119). Morag identifies with the story of Piper Gunn and â€Å"the ancestral heritage characterized by the stern Calvinism of Scottish Presbyterian Protestantism as well as the tribal pride symbolized by tartan checks and kilts† (Tsutsumi, 310). It takes a great many years before Morag understands and associates these legends and truths with her development into an adult woman. The region that she grew up hating had one of the most significant impacts on her life. It is the stories of her land that first encourage a young Morag to jot down poems and stories in her scribbler. Laurence gives specific mention to this new hobby when she says, â€Å"Morag is working on another story as well. She does not know where it came from. It comes into your head, and when you write it down, it surprises you, because you never knew what was going to happen until you put it down† (Laurence, 100). At this instance, Morag seems to find an excitement and a novelty in writing. Christie’s stories of her ancestors and the land inspire her, and her career as a writer begins here. As well as being a springboard for Morag’s future, these stories emphasize to the reader the social class system that exists in small towns such as Manawaka. The tales are an extended metaphor for this inequality throughout the novel, as well as a metaphor for the importance of identity. In his article, Arthur Adamson says, â€Å"it is not description of prairie scenery or of the Precambrian Shield that makes a regional writer, but the ability to translate descriptive elements into metaphor, to reveal the reality of the confrontation of nature and civilization† (Adamson). The nature of the people in this region and their living patterns are the aspects that separate Morag and Jules from the rest of the town. It is said that, â€Å"The Diviners portrays class prejudice in an ostensibly democratic society. Attempts to humiliate Morag only encourage her inner toughness† (Morley, 123). This also demonstrates to the reader how the town’s ignorance to the less fortunate helps her to develop that strong exterior that allows her to contend with difficulties bigger than the small town gossip of Manawaka and other prairie towns. The town â€Å"presents a false image of respectability, first seen in the social elements of Manawaka: the residential area as opposed to the nuisance grounds and the half breed dwellings† (Adamson). It’s attitude towards the outcasts is kept socially hidden by some of the more prominent townspeople but Morag sees through this. The treatment of these people, such as the Tonnerres, resemble similar occurrences in many small prairie towns. With regard to this vicious social stratification, â€Å"Manawaka’s was a swiftly forming social system, based on thrift, hard work, pressure to conform to the patterns of respectability, and, above all, financial success† (Thomas, 184). This regionalistic factor becomes extended throughout the novel. Pique also feels the pressure of being different. There is an instance in the novel that Pique complains to her mother about the kids at school teasing her about her heritage. She struggles with her mixed race and â€Å"carries in her veins a heritage that she does not yet understand but is unwilling and unable to reject† (Morley, 119). This is due to the fact that â€Å"Laurence’s fiction accurately depicts the general contempt with which the Metis were regarded in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and the twentieth† (Morley, 143). The region’s heritage was, and will always truly be based on the native peoples. The new settlers in the land, which are spoken about in the tales of Piper and Rider, are the people who abolished these culturally rich tribes. The townspeople in this novel continue to have these narrow views on the ones they call â€Å"half-breeds† and therefore, The Diviners is an accurate depiction of the region and the prairies. Pique is the connection of two important cultures and â€Å"when Pique sings her own song at the end of the story, the two traditions are fused together and she will become an inheritor† (Tsutsumi, 311). The nature of regionalism in this novel is the historical importance of the people and the land. It encourages both Morag and Pique to discover their significant heritages and enables them to remain connected with their prairie lands regardless of their current living situations. There is no doubt that â€Å"no town in our literature has been so consistently and extensively developed as Margaret Laurence’s Manawaka. Through five works of fiction, it has grown as a vividly realized, microcosmic world† (Thomas, 174). It is quite evident that regionalism plays a major part in Canadian literature. In its many forms it brings a region to life for the author, the reader, and most importantly, the characters. A region can seem like a simple backdrop to the story-line until it is analyzed by the reader. On a second glance, a region contains many aspects, specific to it’s domain, that become one with its land and the inhabitants. In the Canadian novel, its influence on character is very prominent. The ability of the region to shape one’s identity is the central idea of regionalism. In the novels As for Me and My House by Sinclair Ross and The Diviners by Margaret Laurence, the environment plays a large role in the definition of identity. Ross’ characters, Mr. and Mrs. Bentley, find themselves lost in the void of the prairie and they become emblematic of the land in which they occupy. In this sense, their identity is a mere flicker in the emptiness of the prairie that demonstrates a hollow existence. Laurence’s characters, Morag and Pique Gunn both derive their identities from the heritage that they have inherited from their ancestors. In doing so, they come to understand the significance of the historical events of the region and appreciate the land in which they live. Each of these outcomes deal with the prairie life and, although they re quite different, they are a truly symbolic to the region. It is by using metaphor that Ross and Laurence are brilliantly able to achieve such strong regional statements. Their metaphors effectively express prairie life and the characteristics associated with it. Adamson, Arthur. Identity Through Metaphor: An Approach to the Question of Regionalism in Canadian Literature Studies in Canadian Literature. 5. 1 (1980). 11 Feb. 2010. Campbell, Donna M. Regionalism and Local Color Fiction, 1865-1895. Literary Movements. 22 May 2007. 7 Feb. 010. .Daniells, Roy. â€Å"Introduction. † As for Me and My House. Ed. Malcolm Ross. Toronto, ON: McClelland Stewart, 1957. v-x. Davey, Frank. â€Å"The Conflicting Signs of As for Me and My House. † From the Heart of the Heartland: The Fiction of Sinclair Ross. Ed. John Moss. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa Press, 1992. 25-37. Jordan, David M. â€Å"Introduction. † New World Regionalism: Literature in the Americas. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 1994. 3-10. Jordan, David M. â€Å"The Canadian Prairie: Sinclair Ross’s As for Me and My House. New World Regionalism: Literature in the Americas. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 1994. 93-97. Kreisel, Henry. â€Å"The Prairie: A State of Mind. † Contexts of Canadian Criticism. Ed. Eli Mandel. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1971. 254-266. Laurence, Margaret. The Diviners. Toronto, ON: McClelland Stewart, 2007. Morley, Patricia. Margaret Laurence. Boston : Twayne Publishers, 1981. Ricou, Laurence. â€Å"The Prairie Internalized: The Fiction of Sinclair Ross. † Vertical Man/Horizontal World. British Columbia: University of British Columbia Press, 1974. 1-94. Ross, Sinclair. As for Me and My House. Toronto, ON: McClelland Stewart, 2008. Thomas, Clara. The Manawaka World of Margaret Laurence. Toronto: McClelland Stewart, 1975. Tsutsumi, Toshiko. â€Å"Regionalism, Nationalism and Internationalism in Margaret Laurence. † Nationalism vs. Internationalism. Ed. Wolfgang Zach. Tubingen: Stauffenburg, 1996. 307-312. Fiamengo, Janice. Regionalism and urbanism. The Cambridge Companion to Canadian Literature. Ed. Eva-Marie Kroller. Cambridge Un iversity Press, 2004. Cambridge Collections Online. 16 Feb. 2010.