Identity Rayona Christine

Identity Rayona Christine A Yellow Raft in Blue Water Identity is the ultimate realization of ones true self. It is the culmination of everything that has ever had an impact on a persons life. It is influenced by a persons upbringing and the gradual life experience that they gain. These two factors are both equally necessary parts of what is considered the core of a person. They come together to shape the identities of Rayona, Christine, and Ida, in the novel, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, by Michael Dorris. Rayonas identity is created through her inability to relate to her mother, Christine, her emotional turmoil concerning her father, and her struggle to escape from it all. â€Å"I read it and I read it and I read it and I see only my own picture again, clearer than ever† (103). For all of her young life, Rayona had never had a real role model. As a result, she does not understand who she is or who she wishes to be. She escapes reality by forcing herself into delusions and fantasies. Her unstable upbringing leads her to seek out a better life and the family she has always wanted. This establishes the part of Rayona that is awkward and lonely. However, she continues on, feeling out of place, but desperately needing to belong. â€Å"This time I stay where I land. I can move if I have to, but theres no place I need to be† (134). At the rodeo she does not just confront Babe, she confronts her disappointments, her uncertainty, and she confronts the society that she has always wanted to be a part, by breaking social norms. She finally accepts the fact that she is not perfect and neither is her family, because she learns that her family will always be her family. This valuable life experience creates the part of Rayona that is confident and strong. She could not have found herself without both the good and bad experiences. She could not have found her true identity without both the burdens of her childhood and the triumphs from her growth. She broke away from her need for acceptance, and instead accepted herself. Christine, however, took a lot longer to learn the same lesson. Christine lived much of her life concerned with appearances and her need to be loved. â€Å"I couldnt help thinking what my friends would say if Lee really did dodge.† (163). Unlike Rayona, Christine didnt want another family; she wanted to force her family to live up to her standards. Her upbringing included a mystery father, a distant mother, and a brother that outshone her. Throughout her childhood, she wanted attention she wanted to feel the love that always eluded her. She even sought Gods love, but was disappointed. Whenever events and circumstances arose that threatened to undermine the love and acceptance she received, she coped in negative ways. She struggled with the churchs betrayal, her guilt over her brothers death, her husbands indifference, and the sickness that was slowly killing her. So, she tried to escape the harsh reality by turning to men and alcohol. She never felt needed, so she neglected he r responsibilities. Her childhood made her irresponsible and unable to cope with lifes hardships. She never thought about living for anyone but herself, until her imminent death helped her find herself. â€Å"I didnt care anything. She was my miracle, and I knelt beside her† (283). Towards the end of her life, Christine wants to live for Rayona, and she truly becomes the mother she had wanted to be. Her life experience makes her loving, selfless, and more grateful for what she has. Her upbringing and experience come together to create her identity. The acceptance she never felt from Ida, she was able to feel from Rayona. Ida gains the same appreciation for family as Rayona and Christine, though her own upbringing shaped her into a cold and distrustful person. â€Å"I wanted to sink into the pillow at her betrayal, at her low opinion of me.† (309). Ida carries the heaviest burden in the novel; the most shattering secret. Her life was ruined because of the betrayal of her family. However, she coped but distancing herself from Christine, a constant reminder of her burden. She became cold to her children and she tries to keep a vestige of her life before Clara by not allowing Christine to call her â€Å"mom†. Her pain and bitterness regarding the way she had to live during her childhood makes her detached and harsh. She refuses to be seen as weak; she refuses to be used and betrayed again. So, when she realizes that Willard is with her out of loyalty, she does not want to end up like her mother, betrayed and married to man who stays with her out of loyalty. So, she leaves, before he can. Ho wever, Ida overcomes the hate she has for her old family in order to embrace the love she has for her new one. â€Å"You call for me †¦if you want to† (275). Ida learns to care again; her new experiences provoke this change in her. Like her daughter and granddaughter before her, she finds a new strength in herself and a greater appreciation for her family. The three generations are tied together though their struggles, their triumphs, their secrets, and their search for their identity. The way they were raised and their childhood blend together with the womens newer life experiences to create who they truly are. Each of them undergoes a profound change by overcoming adversity and becoming testaments to the strength of love in family.

Dreams and Omens in The Hobbit and Julius Caesar Essay

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien is an adventure story about Bilbo Baggins, who is a mythical creature called a hobbit. Bilbo goes on an adventure with thirteen dwarves and a wizard to capture a treasure from a dragon. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a play about Julius Caesar, a real Roman Emperor who is assassinated by political enemies that he thinks are his friends. These stories are very different, but in both dreams and omens are very important. The dreams in The Hobbit and Julius Caesar are similar because they show what happens if you do not pay attention to what is going on around you and what happens if you do not listen to warnings in dreams. In The Hobbit, when they first get to the cave in the Misty Mountains, the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandolf all look around to see if it is safe. Since they do not find anyone inside, they decide it is ok to sleep there. At first Biblo has a hard time falling asleep. Once he does, he has a bad dream. In his dream, â€Å"a crack in the wall at the back of the cave got bigger and bigger, and opened wider and wider. † After that, â€Å"he dreamed that the floor of the cave was giving way, and he was slipping—beginning to fall down. † When Bilbo wakes up, he sees that part of his dream is actually happening. Their ponies are being lead away through a crack in the cave wall, and soon the same thing happens to the dwarves and Bilbo (Tolkien, 59). Since Biblo had a hard time falling asleep, it seems like he knew something was wrong, but did not know what it was. In the dream though the problem became obvious. Later, Bilbo dreams about black bears dancing around when Beorn and other bears are outside the window having a meeting. Part if this is because J. R. R. Tolkien once said that he made hobbits â€Å"small in size because it reflects the generally small reach of their imaginations—not the small reach of their courage or latent power† (Carpenter, 180). Many of Bilbo’s dreams are not very imaginative. Except the one dream he has were he is looking for something in his house, he usually either dreams of something that is actually happening, like went he dreams of â€Å"a warrior, altogether insignificant in size but provided with a bitter sword and great courage† (215) or he dreams of food because he is very hungry (152). In the play Julius Caesar, Cassius and Brutus are plotting to kill Caesar, but Julius Caesar thinks they are his friends. When they are all standing together, the Soothsayer tells Caesar â€Å"Beware the ides of March† (I. ii. 18). It would be impossible for Caesar to know the day that Cassius and Brutus were going to kill him, but if Caesar were paying more attention, he might have noticed that they were not really his friends and were going to try to overthrow him. One difference in the role of omens and dreams in Julius Caesar and The Hobbit is how the characters react to them. In Julius Caesar people notice the bad omens and dream but ignore them. For example, when the Soothsayer tells Caesar to beware of the ides of March, Caesar tells everyone to ignore him. Also, when Calphurnia tells Caesar she has had a bad dream and he should not leave the house, Caesar first disagrees with her, and then tells her he will stay home. Then when Decius makes fun of him for listening to his wife’s dreams, and says â€Å"that for Caesar to withdraw would make him seem frightened in the eyes of the Roman plebeians, Caesar hurriedly agrees to go to the Senate† (Cahn, 15). When Caesar gets to the Senate, the men there kill him. In The Hobbit, the dreams are different. Either they are like the one Bilbo has in the cave and cannot be ignored, or they are about something that Bilbo and the dwarves can do nothing about, like hunger, and so they have to be ignored. The one time that they do have notice about an omen is when Elrond tells them how to enter the Lonely Mountain. When it is finally time, they do what he told them to do, and get into the secret entrance (209). Dreams and omens are very important in Julius Caesar and The Hobbit because they sometimes show the characters something that they did not realize. In Julius Caesar, the characters have enough notice about what is going to happen, but they ignore the meanings of the dreams and omens and Julius Caesar dies because he does everything they tell him not to do. In The Hobbit, the characters do not usually have enough time to do anything about the dreams because they have them about things that are already happening, but when they do have a chance, they listen to the omen from Elrond and are able to enter the Lonely Mountain. In both books, the omens and dreams are right, and the characters have to decide if they want to follow them. If they do not follow them bad things happen, but if they do, they can be successful. Bibliography Cahn, Victor, The plays of Shakespeare: A Thematic Guide, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press 2003. Carpenter, Humphrey, J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography, New York: Harcourt Press 2000. Shakespeare, William, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, New York: Penguin 2000. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, New York: Ballantine Books 1996.

Banning the use of cell phones Essay

TITLE: Why banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwide. 1a.General purpose: To highlight the mis-use of hand-held cell phones whilst driving. 1b.Specific purpose: To reduce road fatalities; by persuading the Government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines to implement a law banning motorists from using cell phones on all roads (major and minor roads) in non-emergencies cases. 1c.Central Idea: Using a cell phone can distract motorists, leading them to taking their eyes off the road or to lose their concentration whilst driving which involves teens. Main Points: mis-use of hand-held cell phones road fatalities mandatory intervention Summarize the Key Points of Introduction 1. Cell phones can be useful in many situations. However they are now being mis-used in non-emergencies cases such as making or receiving regular standard calls, texting and being on others social network sites whilst driving. 2. Road fatalities have increased resulting from poor driving by motorists especially teens whilst they are on their cell phones. Many motorist, pedestrians and animals have been killed or seriously injured due motorist distractions. 3. The Government should implement a law banning motorist from using cell phones on all roads (major and minor roads) throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines as a means of reducing road fatalities Conclusion Cell phones have been around for over 30years and are now accessible to a range of people; they can be a valuable communication device. However, when used inappropriately, this can lead to road collisions and fatality. References * In 2006, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group Http//:ven.wikipedia .org/wiki/texting- while-driving In 2006 article American Automobile Association International Telecommunication Union (NTSB) Why banning the use of cell phones while driving should be mandatory nationwide. I will be highlighting why banning the use of a cell phones whilst driving should be mandatory throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines. I will be focusing on situations where the cell phone is being used for non- emergencies when driving. Cellular phones were first introduced into civilian life and the market place around the mid- 1980s. Before this period it was used mainly in the military and in some businesses. Over the years, there has been dramatic growth in the use cell phones. Today cell phones are available to everyone around the world regardless of their age or status. The indiscriminate use of hand held cell phones by persons while driving has resulted in many fatal accidents in recent years and as such is a compelling reason for Parliament to enact legislated to address this precautious situation by banning the use of cell phones while driving in St.Vincent and the Grenadines. It well established that in attentive caused by some forms of distraction is the most common cause of vehicle accidents, engaging in a conversation on a cell phone while driving is a serious distraction in the sense that people lose focus being so imbibed in the conversation that they become totally loss to the surrounding activities. It may be arguable that accidents caused by cell phone use are far less than those caused by other forms of distractions but that is not important in considering whether a total ban should be placed on the use of cell phone while driving. What is of utmost importance is the safety o the general public; it is not of prime necessity to use a cell phone while driving. A driver may be better advised to pull over at the side of road, stop and use his or her cell phone whether be in to dial a number or to receive an incoming call or text messages which is becoming more popular in today technology world. According to Liberty Mutual Insurance Group 2006 conducted a survey of more than 90 teen from twenty six high schools across United States. The result showed that 37% of students considering texting to be  Ã¢â‚¬Å"very† or â€Å"extremely† distracting. A study by the America Automobile Association discovered that 46% of teens admitted to being distracted behind the wheel because of texting. This distracting is alarming The risk of crashing while texting because reading or sending a text diverts the driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds—the same as driving the length of a football field, blind, at 55 mph. The International Telecommunication Union states that â€Å"texting, making calls, and other interaction with in-vehicle information and communication systems while driving is a serious source of driver distraction and increases the risk of traffic accidents increases by 23 times. While celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey have campaigned against texting while driving, there are reports that the message has not been getting through to teenagers. Perhaps the force and might of government authority might be able to get through to them. The practice has been viewed by many people and authorities as dangerous. It has also been ruled as the cause of some motor -vehicle accidents, and in some places has been outlawed or restricted. Is there any reason why my country St. Vincent and the Grenadines cannot emulate such a restriction? Cell phones have become a valuable devise for communicating with others. However, there are situations where it can be said that they are being misused. This would include texting whilst driving, receiving or sending calls and accessing face-book/Twitter and instant messaging on whatever social networks. I will make mention of how texting, using face book and using twitter could endanger the life of the driver, animals, passengers and/or other motorist and pedestrians on the road. (Road collisions and fatality). It is so sad that one’s life have to end just like that or turn into a vegetable because of someone else careless mistake and their future dreams are scattered. The use of cell phone while driving should not be allowed to continue unabsorbed in any civilized society where human life is valued at the highest. Laws should not only be enacted but they must be enforced and the punishment shall be such as to deter would be offenders. Therefore they must not only penalties but penalties should be rather serious and fitting the  offence of using a cell phone while driving. Cell phones have been around for over approximately 30years and are now accessible to a range of people; they can be a valuable communication device. However, when used inappropriately, this can lead to road collisions and fatality.

Racial Stereotypes in Invisible Man and Huck Finn Essay

Throughout the years, racial stereotypes have played a major role in society. Even today, one combines racial stereotypes and prejudice thoughts before one even says a word to the person. Just seeing an African- American man while in a parking lot and pulling out ones phone, can be a simple example of modern-day racial stereotypes. Both novels illustrate the difficulty of overcoming racial stereotypes, while the narrator in The Invisible Man is invisible; Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is identifiable. The narrator encounters racial stereotypes throughout the novel. He first encounters Tod Clifton selling Sambo dolls on the streets. Clifton is singing a jingle trying to promote the dolls: Shake it up! Shake it up!†¦show more content†¦The bank represents the white stereotype of a good slave, a slave who treasures every little coin. This racial stereotype even follows the narrator around even when he tries to throw away the bank; a person returns it to him. It is difficult for the narrator to overcome this degrading stereotype when he can’t even get rid of the bank. Because of these degrading symbols, the narrator feels invisible. These racial stereotypes depict how the white people believe African-Americans (including himself) should behave. He tries to fight the racial stereotypes created, but it just forces him to act counterfeit. Both of these symbolize show racial stereotypes that follow the narrator throughout the book. Ultimately, the narrator realizes because of racial stereotypes, people see him for how they want to see him; he decides to be invisible. During the battle royal scene, the black men, including the narrator, transform into the racial stereotype of a violent animal, â€Å"The boys groped about like blind cautious crabs crouching to protect their mid-sections, their heads pulled in short against their shoulders†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (23). The men don’t realize they are acting like servile savages because they are wearing blindfolds; they are blinded by the truth. In addition, when the African-Americans try to collect the fake coins on the electrified ground, again theyShow MoreRelated Examining Mark Twains Work to Determine If He Was Racist Essay4909 Words   |  20 Pagesdowntrodden and oppressed. The only example of potential racism is his treatment of the Goshoot Indians in Roughing It. The main body of his work points to innovative anti-racist themes. Even if one admits that Twain fosters some derogatory stereotypes labeling his work scabrous, unassimiable, and perhaps unteachable to our own time is shortsighted and revisionist. Even if Twain was racist the process of learning is supposed to combat backwards teaching from our past through exposition and discussion