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Masci’s Article

Over the past few decades, the United States has developed a consumer culture where shopping and acquisition of goods are now both recreation and obsession. Workers across all industries undergo numerous challenges while trying to make ends meet. Still, the growth of the industry in America has granted people the ability to access and consume goods than before. Large corporations have been emerging, turning the United States into a consumer culture desperately in need for time-saving and other leisure commodities, where individuals can hope to get all they want in shopping malls or by mail order. It is through production and selling of goods and services does capitalism is effective. Moreover, progress and prosperity come as a result of more production and more purchases, hence, growing the economy. However, the due process has an adverse effect to the environment as they involve extraction and use of natural resources by the production companies, whose operations leads to the creation of toxic by-products.

It is fair for shoppers to buy what they want, but of course, the adverse effects of their habits are subject to everyone who is affected. Some people buy kinds of stuff recklessly and end up disposing them carelessly to the environment. The government once more spends taxpayers money to manage that garbage due to the negligence of people. Also, the financial illiteracy of some individuals may affect the economy since their spending behavior may cause the prices of commodities to rise as they can afford, and the vast majority cannot. Perhaps, the few individuals who spend extravagantly on goods and services can sustain the industry at the expense of ordinary civilians with little financial advantage.

It is not right to say that people making all these goods use the money to buy houses, education and build their churches. Arguably, some people producing these goods spend significantly on things like housing and education but not always. In my view, Regalia was biased. Most goods consumed in the United States come from China, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and Japan. Until 2007, most of the goods were imported from Canada, but the market changed and diverted to China. What makes these countries so successful at producing their goods and selling them to the United States is the fact that they can produce them with relatively low cost and at very high quality. People making these goods live differently compared to the larger population in the US. For example, fruits and vegetables come from Mexico on the basis that they can produce them at a significantly low cost, and it leaves the people who create them with very little to boost their lives.

The 2008 recession left the United States economy on its knees as the behavior relating to hyper-consumerism led to the recession. The subprime mortgages granted by the banks to individuals with bad credit records led to a recession that devastated the national economy and the labor markets. The beginning of the recession showed signs when the housing crisis started to fall—many financial institutions invested in real estate as derivative forms viewed home mortgages as sound collateral for MBS. The raising federal taxes and the subprime borrowers left the banks and other financial institutions in a mess as the investments were now worthless, and mortgages lost value. Since the recession, the Federal Reserve took over the mandate to maintain stable prices throughout the economy.

Indeed, consumerism is killing our planet as toxic materials continuous to find their way into the environment. Perhaps, the constant increasing commodity supply requires methods of production and distribution that takes care of the aesthetic environment and other living organisms. Industries should adopt the use of renewable materials and energy to do their production. Also, there should be proper way of managing waste materials that often find their way to the environment.

Literary Genre Analysis: Poetry

Laurence Perrine refers to poetry as a universal language that is almost as ancient as language itself since “primitive people have used it, and the most civilized have cultivated it” (Perrine 547). The poetry genre in literature is a complex aspect to define due to its authentic and individual nature. It can, however, be described as an imaginative awareness of different kinds of experiences in life that is expressed through a combination of meaning, sound and rhythm to evoke different emotions among the listeners. Poetry can also be described as a literary art which uses language in its evocative and aesthetic qualities to express meaning. It can be written independently or in conjunction with other forms of arts like drama, hymns, or prose in magazines, individual collections, and anthologies.

Famous poets have also given descriptions of poetry through different individual perspectives. Archibald MacLeish in his poem “Ars poetica” states that “A poem should not mean/ but be” (24). On the relevance of poetry in literature, T. S. Elliot observed that: “Poetry may make us from time to time a little more aware of the deeper, unnamed feelings which form the substratum of our being, to which we rarely penetrate; for our lives are mostly constant evasions of ourselves” (Brainyquote.com).

As a form of expression, poetry has undergone numerous reinventions over time.

In composition and expression, poetry employs various elements of literature that have been evolving over time. The most commonly used elements include theme, denotation and connotation, imagery, figurative language through metaphors, metonymy, symbols, paradox, and allegory, allusions, tone, rhythm and meter, and a variety of musical devices among many other elements.

There are famous poets who have persistently maintained a hold on this genre due to their ingenious compositions since the beginning of writing. Some of the great poets in the modern times include Emily Dickinson who wrote thousands of short ingeniously crafted poems during her lifetime, the great poet and story teller William Shakespeare whose tragedies presented as poetry still continues to be a major scholarly subject, T. S. Elliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Frost of the “Road Not Taken” fame and many more poets from the ancient times to the present. There are long poems that cover entire volumes of books like Oxford Poetry and many verses of no more than two lines like the “Mad Answer of a Madman” by Robert Hayman:

One asked a mad man if a wife he had

“A wife?” quoth he. “I never was so mad.” (Hayman 1-2).

Poetry, like other genres in literature, does contribute significantly to the development of a good number of aspects in our lives. The genre serves many positive purposes in the society. Besides the fact that poetry is a popular form of entertainment, it may provide an essential element in personal growth like development of language and reasoning skills as well as establish intellectual connections by sparking insightful opinions or innovative ideas. The use of animated imagery is also very helpful in directing the reader to achieve a perception of a simple description of an aspect of life at a higher level. This is usually achieved through symbolism and imagery which are some of the most common stylistic devices used in poetry. Simple and humorous entertainment through the use of cleverly composed pieces like the Hayman piece can be soul lifting and entertaining when perceived on a lighter note. The use of poems to amuse readers with comedies or humorous tales has been a part of human language since its inception. In its relevance to literature and life, poetry uses many forms of communication styles to reach across the world as universal transmitters of thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

In conclusion, the poetry genre in literature is one of the most effective communication methods of influencing other people’s ways of thinking. A poet does not need complicated equipments like movie producers do in order to pass a message about life to the audience. All a poet requires is a pen and a piece of paper to leave an impact in people’s lives. A poem can be a few lines long but can convey a variety of themes that can be interpreted in many ways making poetry an influential genre in literature at a higher level. Poems can express themes as diverse as love, tragedies, and expressions of emotional abuse, political opinions, and many others. Poetry documents other people’s feelings at a specific time and can be relevant through many more years to come. Shakespearean tragedies are examples of life experiences in the early times that are still used to understand the present. A poem is never simply vocal but actually a feeling. The single most important function of the poetry genre is to say what needs to be said without trying to impress and without fear. Poetry never changes with trends because it is a solid, timeless and even universal mode of communication.

Works Cited

BrainyQuote.com. T.S. Elliot Quotes. 2001. Web. 4 May 2011.<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/tseliot112078.html>.

Perrine, Lawrence, ed. Literature, Structure, Sound, and Sense. New York: Harcourt BraceJovanovich, Inc., 1978. Print.

Hayman, Robert. “A Mad Answer of a Madman.” Literature, Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed.Laurence Perrine. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1978. 708. Print.

Being Misunderstood

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Being Misunderstood

Being misunderstood happens when someone incorrectly interprets or misunderstands another person’s idea differently. Therefore, when one is misunderstood, this triggers their emotions. There might be no good relationship between the two people because both of them understood certain information from very different perspectives. Information can be misunderstood because of the difference the two partners have, for every one of them will interpret the message in another way of understanding; this may be due to the gap the two have, which makes them interpret information according to their point of view. Emotions also contribute; on the other hand, this may be because of oneself or the feeling caused by the other partner.

Misunderstanding between the two people can lead to arguments, and this makes the partners not achieve a particular objective that they have been discussing in that they may end up wasting their time arguing about an issue and end up with no resolution. For instance when the two partners choose to have a good communication this will solve their problems, and they will also avoid conflicts, therefore it is good to be open and share their views to make everything clear to avoid being misunderstood by the other person. Something else that the video discusses is how a person can make sure that they are on the right side even after a misunderstanding and how they can recover whatever was misunderstood about them. An example in the video is that a person can be misunderstood and in real sense they feel offended, however later after realizing that what was being said was true they go and ask for forgiveness and seek to work out on whatever was misunderstood about them.

Reference

Renee Edwards, Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing. (2021). Zoom Video Communications. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://lsu.zoom.us/rec/play/0k65pE0HJuaw7mG08H57f9y4wPC03EqNR7JOi-Zg88FEok5B8RGNGeH5C376VqEJ94YJ5B70AVycmtbS.7mm40U_PrlsGvStD?startTime=1632495326000&_x_zm_rtaid=ohvyU65OSluF__46AyDRTg.1634761390601.c7dfa3cafeeaff4ae9c4cbd0fda9de9b&_x_zm_rhtaid=228

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A Micmac Responds to French

This was a speech that was given by a Micmac elder, Chrestien Le Clerq, to French settlers in what is now known as Quebec in the year 1677. The speech may have been a response to Thomas Morton who thought that the Native Americans were wild Irish and needed to be enslaved. The speech was about defending their way of life as well as their cultures as the French acted unfriendly towards them. He believes that they are “infinitely happier and more powerful than French. “He tries to also woe the Indians into living and changing their way of life for example shifting from hunting and wigwams to living in houses like the European. Although he thinks that the Europeans live civilized life, he thinks that they are not happy as they are always working.

Olaudah Equiano Describes the Middle Passage, 1789

Equiano who was a slave after being kidnapped from Nigeria experienced the real horror that the slaves went through gives a vivid description in the year 1789. He explains how they were treated liked cargo and put under the decks with the aim of ensuring that they could not see how the vessel was managed. Equiano’s book is dedicated to the Lords of Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of Parliament Great Britain. He wants to capture the attention of the queen on the plight that African Americans could have. He wants the queen and the British parliament to abolish slavery that is causing too much harm to its people. The slaves including Equiano would often experience starvation, stench, diseases, sexual abuse, torture and experienced filth from the ship due to suffocation. This document was written to raise awareness to what the slaves were going through. Many slaves were not learned and they thus could not read or write and had no one or a way to express how horrible slave trade and the numerous negative impact it had.

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston in the year 1706, and was 15th born out of 17 children. The autobiography looks into how hardworking Benjamin franklin was including involving himself in new trades. They lived in a period where a law existed that banned conventicles, and it was punishable. His father could not afford college education. Children were first registered in the grammar school, then moved to writing arithmetic school under informal setting since his father could not provide college education, Children, therefore, moved from grammar school to other informal levels of training depending on the parent’s financial status. Franklin obtained employment in cutting wick for the candles, filling the dipping mold and the molds for cast candles, appearing in the shop, and attending other errands under the guidance of his father. He conducted the trade for two years until he was 12 years of age. He involved in the experiment that led to the invention in society. He also used his books to write about the Pennsylvania struggle and the governors of the colonies (66). He also contacted Dr. Wright, an English physician who helped with the experiment and enabled him gain accolades among people such as Sir Godfrey Copley. He further acted as mediator between Pennsylvania assembly and the England assembly.

Massachusetts slave petition

This was a document on a petition presented to General Court of Commonwealth in Massachusetts. The petition of Slaves to the Massachusetts legislature took place on January 13, 1777. It involved seven African- American men who went to the court with the aim of gaining freedom. As slaves, in order to b free from their masters they could run away and if caught brought back to their masters or they could create a petition and take it to the Massachusetts courts. Prince Hall was the lead of the seven men. The men were protesting unlawful act whereby black men were being kidnaped in the Boston Harbor and then later on being sent to west indies as slaves. Part of the Petition highlighted that despite the fact most of these freemen were aware of the kidnapping, they were not able to make honest living due to lack of professions that admitted African Americans. This petition was important as it resulted in creation of an act which prohibited slave trade passed on the 26 March 1788

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Bell Hooks Response

Understanding Patriarchy by Bell Hook is an article that sheds light on the system that was institutionalized in our lives that assign males and females their gender roles while emphasizing what is expected of us according to our gender. While this article foundation is from the author’s experience in the fifties these dominant roles are still existing in our society. According to the author, patriarchy is a political-social system that enforces the dominance of men who are supposedly superior to women (pg. 10). The discussion below will focus on my view about various issues discussed in the article while evaluating whether they are evident in our society today and what can be done.

To begin with, I agree with most of the ideas that the author presents in this article. Firstly, the fact that it is believed that men should be the head of the household while the women only serve as their helper (pg. 1) is a sickening issue since it has led to not only most of the violence that is experienced in the marital households but that women continue staying in those marriages since that is the order of things. In addition, the author talks of what the therapist son who loved to play with the Barbie dolls until his brother’s friend gave him a look that suggested others, (pg. 2) the gender reveal we have today reinforce this as we have already picked that a girl color to be pink and a boys’ blue. What happens when the girl tends to be more masculine than she is feminine and vice versa? The author’s childhood story of the beating she experienced by showing interest in a game that was considered to be for boys is what is happening today, we have very many teens who are going to depression and even suicide when they feel like an outcast for not conforming to the society ideals (pg. 2). These ideals have been set by this patriarchal system that tends to assign roles based on our gender. Also, the fact that the mother aligned with the father’s action and never questioned the use of violence spirals to why most children from such family setup are either prone to withstand such violence in their marriages or they believe that such violence is the way to go.

Moreover, the idea that even for families who try to raise their children with no patriarchal ideals are bound to stumble upon these ideals in other institutions and tend to either try to conform is being experienced in today’s society. Today we have various families that are supporting their children who identify themselves with LGBT community but when they are out of the home setup they are bound to encounter resistance that in some case lead to some trying to conform. The ones who even end up getting married are bound to experience scrutiny since the male figure should be the dominating one yet what should happen in a gay union? Additionally, the author talks of the assumption about the children brought up in female-headed households either in gay or single-parent situation that they tend to lack various patriarchal ideals (pg. 3). These assumptions I believe are the cause of various marital issues where one partner tends to think that their partner is lacking since he lacked this figure while growing, it is wrong and until we realize that society cannot set up the expectation for us will still remain as victims of the system.

The author goes ahead and talks of the various impacts of the patriarchy system on our lives with the dominant one being the violence not only against partners but also the children. The patriarchy system believes that men should exercise their dominance by any means necessary (pg. 3), this in most cases have resulted in violence both physical and sexual which affects the victims in the long run if not the short run. The mere notion that this dominance can only be achieved by submission and subordination enforces that this system is harmful than it is beneficial and sadly it still today in the society because we do not share on how we as individuals suffer at its hands. Evidently, women are the most treated people with mental illness than men, this is from the patriarchy notion that men are to remain emotional cripples as claimed by the author (pg. 4). The system requires that not only are men to be dominant but also that they have to not show any signs of weakness, this has led to many men’s mental illness going undiagnosed leading to them seeking comfort from substance abuse escalating the even worse situation. In addition, the need for acceptance and respect is in no way related to the need for the patriarchal system, hence it is time that men know that they can be taken seriously without showing their dominance over the others either from their background with patriarchal approving fathers.

As a daughter from a Mexican household that holds masculinity at a high level, I agree in all ways with all the author’s ideas. I am the only daughter in a household of two siblings, the other one being an older male and despite him being older he was allowed to go out while I was expected to do all the house chores if this is not the real depiction of masculinity in the 20th century am not sure what is. Unfortunately, this is an issue that goes across people of different cultures and regions where however young the male siblings are they are expected to take care of the households in the event the father is not around and the ladies they are expected that once they get married they should take care of the families while men are being the provider. While this may seem as men taking responsibility it reflects what the society expects of women; it is time we looked beyond such expectations.

Moreover, the author claims that the activists of feminist contribute to the patriarchal issues we are having today since in their movements they affirm their traits and make them believe that their domination of women is beneficial while in most cases that is not the case (pg.3)Bell also insist that the fact that patriarchal would be beneficial if the addiction and violence we see in most households was not evident, he is backed up by both Terkel and Faludi’s work but he criticizes Faludi’s work since nothing in her works does she try to challenge patriarchy.

Frankly, I could not agree more with the author’s idea that the patriarchy system is one that we should all work towards abolishing and that until we recognize and openly talk about it can we achieve it. Just as the author states that way of solving this will be the recognition that patriarchy is not only a problem for the men but also the female and that it should be seen that it is not only a threat to masculinity but a manifestation of their qualities in a better way. Additionally, the author believes that ones we make the distinction between patriarchal masculinity and masculinity will be one step closer to ending this cycle. Terrence one of the author’s supporters claims that the patriarchy affecting the society is embedded in our psyches and that it tortured both males and females. He adds that this type of patriarchy is what is between what people deem as masculine compared to what people deem as feminine and that entered the western civilization hence, destroying our notion on the various sexes. and our sexes.

In conclusion, most scholars while they continue about this system and its effects in the society it is up to us as individuals to stand up for what is right and destroy this system that while giving men what they think they deserve has led to violence, substance abuse that destroys the same system. Lastly, just like what a favorite cast from the New Amsterdam series states that if we can name it then we can treat, it is time we all openly addresses the patriarchy system by evaluating its impact to the today’s society and the ramifications in the coming years if we let it continue.

Works Sited

Hooks, Bell. Understanding patriarchy. Louisville Anarchist Federation Federation, 2010.

A Midwife Tale, A Book By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

A Midwife Tale, a book by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich revolves around the life of Martha Ballard; a midwife in the Northern New England. In this book, Laurel examines the early American republic and the ordinary life of people living there. Moreover, she reminds us of the women role in households and society. On the other hand, New York Burning by Jill Lepore, recounts and recreates the budding New York City of the late seventeenth century. She shows and explores the political and social life of people living in the region at that particular time. This essay seeks to compare the different methodologies used by Laurel Thatcher in A Midwife Tale and by Jill Lepore in New York Burning.

A Midwife Tale utilizes the qualitative research methodologies to exemplify the eighteenth and nineteenth History and Culture in the American Human societies. Significant events have been shown either by the use of written and even oral histories as acknowledged by citizens living within a given era and society. Oral histories are usually in the form of legends, songs and myths delivered orally. Written histories on the other hand, often take the form of recorded journals, diaries, written narratives and official documents retrieved from a particular period in history.

More often than not, written histories are utilized because they provide more of the physical evidence required to substantiate the events in a given story. Laurel Ulrich has utilized the written histories to analyze the lives of women in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Particularly, she has based most of her work on the Diary of Martha Ballard. Through this diary, Laurel reveals the experience and lifestyle in the eighteenth century from Ballard’s and society perspective. Ulrich puts more emphasis on Ballard’s accounts of life and their importance because she considers Ballard’s diary as monument to an extraordinary life and evidence to the fragile network that links one generation to others. Additionally, the diary also makes it possible for readers to see the image and personality of Ballard as knowledgeable and science oriented lady.

Though New York Burning utilizes the qualitative methodologies, Lepore’s work is based on a journal. By necessity, she draws most of her research work from a journal written by Justice Daniel Horsmanden; a New York Supreme Court Judge. The document was written in the year seventeen forty four and it described as the most shocking and annoying documents in the early history of the American people. By adding political and cultural context to the journal, Lepore raises questions on whether conspiracy really existed or it was the blind fear that resulted in guilty verdicts for very many American slaves. Using the journal, Lepore not only confronts us with an awful conclusion, but also provides us with some background on the origin of attitudes of the whites living in New York towards all their slaves.

All in all, this essay has focused on two books; A Midwife Tale and New York Burning which remind us of the History of the American people. They remind us on the value of humanity to human lives and the importance of women to the society therefore the need to uphold and respect them.

Literary scrapbook

Classic English Literature

Literature connection

Shakespeare’s use of irony is very clear in Othello as was in his other literary works. In this particular play, Shakespeare employs the use of three kinds of irony. These include verbal, situational and dramatic irony. Verbal irony is a situation where a character says words that are in contrast to that character’s intention. Situational irony is when a given action of a character is in contrast to the characters actual intentions. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something about the character that the character does not seem to know (Colebrook 45). Shakespeare has used too much of this to make Othello the tragedy it is.

An Instance of verbal irony is like when Lago incriminates Cassio of having an affair with Desdemona, the wife of Othello. Lago says “I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like (Shakespeare 56).” Lago is determined to make Othello jealous by making him believe that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Most of Lago’s statements are meant to have Othello believe how Cassio is evil which the exact opposite of what he is is. Lago is careful though not to mention Cassio’s name but only utters statements that Othello interprets based on his own understanding. The dramatic irony that unfolds here is that Othello is made to believe what is actually not true. The actual enemy here is Lago but Othello does not seem to see this despite Desdemona’s efforts to make him see. The main aim of Lago is to remove Cassio in his place, but instead, Cassio is promoted to a higher position sabotaging Lago’s plan (Shakespeare 78).

Modern connection

There are many instances of irony in this play, but the strongest which revolves on the main theme of jealousy is “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on (Shakespeare 67).” This is probably the phrase that really brings out the irony in this play. The main reason why Lago was telling all those lies about Cassio and Desdemona was because of jealousy. Lago is so jealous of Cassio and so bent on getting the place in the army that Cassio holds. Lago is jealous that Othello could promote a younger man to a higher level than him. He thus plans to use Rodrigo a rich man who Desdemona, the wife of Othello had turned down his hand in marriage. Othello thinks that Lago is loyal to him but in actual sense he is not. Lago tries to cause a rift in everyone’s life while pretending to be a very royal soldier. He is only bent at achieving his own end inspite of anyone. He ends up killing his wife who she believes was against his plans. This was before Lago had used his wife to betray Desdemona, who was her friend unknowingly. He had her pick Desdemona’s handkerchief which she had received from Othello as a present. Lago later uses this handkerchief to implicate Cassio convincing Othello that Desdemona was actually having an affair. He also convinces Rodrigo to kill Cassio, but he eventually kills Rodrigo himself when the attempt to kill Cassio fails. He kills Rodrigo of who they were plotting together since Cassio discovers that it was Rodrigo who had attacked him. That could have been detrimental to Lago’s plans.

Othello’s dramatic irony can be related to Forrest Gump, an American romantic comedy that has elements of drama in it. Forrest Gump, the main character is unaware of the historical significance of the various scenarios as well as the characters (Ebert 234). The audience though knows all this and is a step ahead of him. They thus watch in anticipation to see what his moves would be.

Personal connection

In relation to Shakespeare, I have learned that irony is not only inherent in the characters utterances, but also in the very actions of the characters. The plot of a work and the relation of the characters bring out the literary style of dramatic irony. Literary dramatic irony is according to me very effective in holding on to the attention of the audience. This is evident with the success of both Othello and Forrest Gump.

Works cited

Colebrook, Claire. Irony. London: Routledge, 2004. Print.

Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Four Star Reviews—1967-2007. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel

Publishing, 2008. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Othello; The RSC Shakespeare. (Ed). Jonathan bate and Eric Rasmussen.

New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Print.

Masculinity and Femininity

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The Masculinity-femininity dimension explains how the community’s dominant values usually the male is assertive to nurturing in masculine communities, maximum benefits and attention is given to men. The dimension describes how men and women in given community are expected to behave depending on community cultural values and beliefs. Issues about gender have always been a hot topic in the contemporary. This is especially as concerning the variations that exist between men or males and women (females), and the societal stereotypes about the roles and features of men and women. Femininity is an abstract term that is used to define a set of behaviors, roles and attributes that are associated with womanhood and womanliness (Chaffee, 2011). Masculinity, on the other hand, is a term that is used in describing the normative and aspirational style of living and being a natural-born man (Chaffee, 2011).

An example of community practicing Masculinity is the United States. This is the country where in the past women have been paid fewer wages compared to their counterpart males. This has created imbalances between the two genders, male and female workers. However, in the recent past, we have witnessed a balance being created between the gender differences as relating to the pay and the wages. Another case has been in the UAE where women have not been allowed to own driving licences. Walking in some places. Also, the women are expected to be accompanied by their husbands or males. this has caused biases and unfairness to the females.

References

Armitage, D (2007). The Declaration of Independence: A Global History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press

Chaffee, J, (2011). Thinking critically. New York: Cengage Learning

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Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King played a significant role in ensuring that African Americans were treated equally. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. He was the middle child of Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He had an older sister known as Willie and a younger brother called Alfred. Their father was the strictest disciplinarian while their mother had a gentler hand. The two characters, therefore, evened each other out. Every parent wants to make sure that they protect their children from any harm and evil that exists in the world and King’s parents were no different. It was, however, impossible to ignore the wave of slavery that was sweeping across the United States at the time.

Martin Luther King was an influential church minister. Among his many responsibilities as a church minister was the fact that he was the leader of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Garrow 15). In his capacity as the leader of the conference, they collaborated with many other religious organizations from across the country. One of these organizations called upon him for help concerning the grave matter of racism that had plagued their town. This led to Dr. King penning one of his most famous works, ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ when he was arrested for taking part in the protest against racism (Reddick 23).

Dr. King and his co0mpatriots were concerned at the legal segregation of African Americans. I the shops, they had different sections that were reserved for them. Even their children could not go to the amusement parks as they were reserved for the white people. This led to the young black children developing an inferiority complex quite early in life. To address this, Dr. King and those with him organized peaceful protests.

Many people criticized the peaceful march including the leaders of the church who claimed that the black people were in too much of a hurry to gain freedom. These things took time. Dr. King equated their indifference to complicity in the issue of racism. The most unfortunate part was that the segregation of African Americans was legal. This was even though the constitution claimed to advocate for the freedom and equality of all Americans. The matter of police brutality came up during the protest as well.

Dr. King’s crusade against racism bore fruit as African Americans finally got equal rights including the right to vote in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King was hover assassinated in April 1968, but his inspiration and strong belief live on in the hearts of many. His story was not just about race. It is about the courage to speak up even when others remain silent when there are more powerful forces than you at work.

Everyone should know about Dr. King’s work because he was a great believer in his convictions and stood up for them. He stood up for what he knew what the right thing and when others called to him for help, he took heed and aided them in their quest (Shamir 35). Equality does not just come about because the constitution says that it should be so. In everyday life, we must still fight for the rights especially of those who are weak, oppressed or those who cannot speak for themselves. History will remember us and judge us for either our action or inaction.

Works Cited

Garrow, David J. Bearing the cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the southern Christian leadership conference. Open Road Media, 2015.

Reddick, Lawrence Dunbar. Crusader Without Violence: A Biography of Martin Luther King, jr. NewSouth Books, 2018.

Shamir, Boas, Michael B. Arthur, and Robert J. House. “The rhetoric of charismatic leadership:A theoretical extension, a case study, and implications for research.” Leadership Now: Reflections on the Legacy of Boas Shamir. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2018. 31-49.

Marx’s Concept of History

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Marx’s Concept of HistoryMarx’s history exploration is centered on his discrepancy concerning the means of production for example land, technology as well as natural resources that are crucial for the manufacture of substantial goods. Moreover, it encompasses the social relations of manufacture that is the social interactions through which individuals arrive into as they attain besides using the available means of production and organized together they entail the method of production. According to Marx, in any specified society the method of production typically changes, and as a result, the European cultures had advanced from the outdated method of production to a capitalist way of production. Therefore, this regarded as Marx’s theory of revolution (Marx & Engels, 2002). The capitalist mode of production is adept of remarkable growth since the capitalist has the capability and the inducement to, reinvest profits in the new technologies.

Therefore, Marx regarded the capitalist class as the utmost revolutionary in history since it was able to revolutionize the means of production continually. Generally, Marx held that the means of production transforms more swiftly compared to the relations of production. Therefore according to him the mismatch amid base plus superstructure is a significant source of social conflicts besides disruptions. Individuals incline to sell their labor-power once they consent to reimbursement in return for whatsoever task or work they accomplish in a specified period. Thus after vending their labor power, they get some money for survival.

The individuals who sell their labor power for survivability are termed “proletarians,” while those who buy it are the individuals who own some land and technology for production and are referred to as capitalists. Exploitation is evident in this aspect as the capitalist took advantage of the livelihoods of the poorer, working class to work for them for hourly wages in the factories or on the land (Cohen, 2000). The wealthy in the society were the individuals who possessed factories and land, and thus they would then control all the components of the society. In his thought what Marx wanted to comprehend better was how a lot of individuals could be in abject poverty in a world where wealth was abundant, and thus his answer was straightforward: capitalism.

The members of the aristocracy, as well as the church, are the one who possessed these means of production, and in the industrial society, the aristocracy was replaced by the capitalists who were moreover recognized as the “bourgeoisie.” These individuals owned businesses with the goalmouth of making some profit, and the working class was thus supplanted by the proletariat, who are the individuals who labored for wages. Marx thought that this structure was intrinsically unfair and under capitalism, he held that the workers would become destitute and more impoverished and after that, they would experience alienation (Cohen, 2002). Consequently, isolation is evident as the workers becoming more dissociated from, or secluded from their work, and this resulted in a sensation of powerlessness. In replacing this alienation besides the thrilling social class organization, Marx supposed that capitalism had to end and after that be replaced by a socialist system that would make all individuals equal and thus have all the individuals needs to be covered.

In Marx’s work with Engels, “the Communist Manifesto,” Marx elaborated that, “the proletarians had zero to lose but their cuffs for they have a world to win” (Marx & Engels, 2002). Through his utterances, he had called for a workers’ revolution whereby the proletarians would stand up against the bourgeoisie and hence ousting capitalism. However, to his despair, such revolutions happened in various countries, for example, China and Russia but it never occurred in the more industrialized countries of that period like Germany and Britain.

References

Cohen, G. A. (2000). Karl Marx’s theory of history: a defence. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2002). The communist manifesto. Penguin.