A Dirty Job Chapter 6

6 VARIABLE SPEED HEROES In the alley behind Asher's Secondhand, the Emperor of San Francisco hand-fed olive focaccia to the troops and tried to keep dog snot from fouling his breakfast. â€Å"Patience, Bummer,† the Emperor said to the Boston terrier, who was leaping at the day-old wheel of flat bread like a furry Super Ball, while Lazarus, the solemn golden retriever, stood by, waiting for his share. Bummer snorted an impatient reply (thus the dog snot). He'd worked up a furious appetite because breakfast was running late today. The Emperor had slept on a bench by the Maritime Museum, and during the night his arthritic knee had snaked out of his wool overcoat into the damp cold, making the walk to North Beach and the Italian bakery that gave them free day-old a slow and painful ordeal. The Emperor groaned and sat down on an empty milk crate. He was a great rolling bear of a man, his shoulders broad but a little broken from carrying the weight of the city. A white tangle of hair and beard wreathed his face like a storm cloud. As far as he could remember, he and the troops had patrolled the city streets forever, but upon further consideration, it might have just been since Wednesday. He wasn't entirely sure. The Emperor decided to make a proclamation to the troops about the importance of compassion in the face of the rising tide of heinous fuckery and political weaselocity in the nearby kingdom of the United States. (He found his audience was most attentive to his proclamations when the meat-laced focaccia were still nuzzled in the larder of his overcoat pockets, and presently a pepperoni and Parmesan reposed fragrant in the woolly depths, so the royal hounds were rapt.) But just as he cleared his throat to begin, a cargo van came screeching around the corner, went up on two wheels as it plowed through a row of garbage cans, and slid to a stop not fifty feet away. The driver's-side door flew open and a thin man in a suit leapt out, carrying a cane and a woman's fur coat, and made a beeline for the back door of Asher's. But before he got two steps the man fell to the concrete as if hit from behind, then rolled on his back and began flailing at the air with the cane and the coat. The Emper or, who knew most everyone, recognized Charlie Asher. Bummer erupted into a fit of yapping, but the more levelheaded Lazarus growled once and took off toward Charlie. â€Å"Lazarus!† the Emperor shouted, but the retriever charged on, followed now by his bug-eyed brother in arms. Charlie was back on his feet and swinging the cane as if he was fencing with some phantom, using the coat like a shield. Living on the street, the Emperor had seen a lot of people battling with unseen demons, but Charlie Asher was apparently scoring some hits. The cane was making a thwacking noise against what appeared to be thin air – but no, there was something there, a shadow of some sort? The Emperor climbed to his feet and limped into the fray, but before he got two steps Lazarus had leapt and appeared to be attacking Charlie, but he soared over the shopkeeper and snapped at a spot above his head – then hung there, his jaws sunk into the substantial neck of thin air. Charlie took advantage of the distraction, stepped back, and swung the cane above the levitating golden retriever. There was a smack, and Lazarus let go, but now Bummer launched himself at the invisible foe. He missed whatever was there, and ended up performing a doggy swish shot into a garbage can. Charlie made for the steel door of Asher's again, but found it locked, and as he reached for his keys, something caught him from behind. â€Å"Let go, fuckface,† the shade screeched. The fur coat Charlie was holding appeared to be swept out of his hand and was pulled straight up, over the four-story building and out of sight. Charlie turned and held the cane at ready, but whatever had been there seemed to be gone now. â€Å"Aren't you just supposed to sit above the door and nevermore and be poetic and stuff?!† he shouted at the sky. Then, for good measure, added, â€Å"You evil fuck!† Lazarus barked, then whined. A sharp and metallic yapping rose from Bummer's garbage can. â€Å"Well, you don't see that every day,† said the Emperor as he limped up to Charlie. â€Å"You could see that?† â€Å"Well, no, not really. Merely a shadow, but I could see that something was there. There was something there, wasn't there, Charlie?† Charlie nodded, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"It will be back. It followed me across the city.† He dug into his pocket for his keys. â€Å"You guys should duck into the store with me, Your Majesty.† Of course Charlie knew the Emperor. Every San Franciscan knew the Emperor. The Emperor smiled. â€Å"That's very kind of you, but we will be perfectly safe. For now I need to free my charge from his galvanized prison.† The big man tipped the garbage can and Bummer emerged snorting and tossing his head as if ready to tear the ass out of any man or beast foolhardy enough to cross him (and he would have, as long as they were knee-high or shorter). Charlie was still having trouble with the key. He knew he should have had the lock replaced, but it worked, if you finessed it a little, so he'd never made it a priority. Who the hell thought you'd ever have to get in quick to escape a giant bird? Then he heard a screech and turned to see not one, but two huge ravens coming over the roof and diving into the alley. The dogs arfed a frantic barking salvo at the avian intruders and Charlie put so much body English into wiggling the key in the lock that he felt an atrophied dancing muscle tear in his hip. â€Å"They're back. Cover me.† Charlie threw the cane to the Emperor and braced himself for the impact, but as soon as the cane touched the old man's hand the birds were gone. You could almost hear the pop of the air replacing the space they had taken up. The dogs caught themselves in mid-ruff; Bummer whimpered. â€Å"What?† the Emperor said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"They're gone.† The Emperor looked at the sky. â€Å"You're sure?† â€Å"For now.† â€Å"I saw two shadows. Really saw them this time,† the Emperor said. â€Å"Yes, there were two this time.† â€Å"What are they?† â€Å"I have no idea, but when you took the cane they – well, they disappeared. You really saw them?† â€Å"I'm sure of it. Like smoke with a purpose.† Finally the key turned in the lock and the door to Asher's back room swung open. â€Å"You should come in. Rest. I'll order something to eat.† â€Å"No, no, the men and I must be on our rounds. I've decided to make a proclamation this morning and we need to see the printer. You'll be needing this.† The Emperor presented the cane to Charlie like he was turning over a sword of the realm. Charlie started to take it, then thought better of it. â€Å"Your Majesty, I think you'd better keep that. It looks as if you might be able to use it.† Charlie nodded toward the Emperor's creaky knee. The Emperor held the cane steady. â€Å"I am not a worshiper of the material, you know?† â€Å"I understand that.† â€Å"I am a firm believer that desire is the source of most of human suffering, you're aware, and no culprit is more heinous than desire for material gain.† â€Å"I run my business based on those very principles. Still, I insist you keep the cane – as a favor to me, if you would?† Charlie found himself affecting the Emperor's formal speech patterns, as if somehow he had been transported to a royal court where a nobleman was distinguished by bread crumbs in his beard and the royal guard were not above licking their balls. â€Å"Well, as a favor, I will accept. It is a fine piece of craftsmanship.† â€Å"But more importantly, it will permit you to make your rounds in good time.† The Emperor now betrayed the desire in his heart as he let fly a wide grin and hugged the cane to his chest. â€Å"It is fine, indeed. Charlie, I must confess something to you, but I ask you to grant me the credulity due a man who has just shared witness, with a friend, of two giant, raven-shaped shades.† â€Å"Of course.† Charlie smiled, when even a moment before he would have thought his smile lost somewhere in the months past. â€Å"I hope you won't think me base, but the second I touched this, I felt as if I had been waiting for it my whole life.† Then, for no reason that he could think of, Charlie said, â€Å"I know.† A few minutes before, inside the store, Lily had been brooding. It wasn't her general brood, the reaction to a world where everyone was stupid and life was meaningless and the mere act of living was futile, especially if your mother forgot to get coffee at the store. This one was a more specific brood, that had started out when she arrived at work and Ray had pointed out that it was her turn to wear the vacuuming tiara, and insisted that if she wore the tiara, she actually vacuum the store. (In fact, she liked wearing the rhinestone tiara that Charlie, in a move of blatant bourgeois sneakiness, had designated be worn by whoever did the vacuuming and sweeping each day, and no other time. It was the vacuuming and sweeping she objected to. She felt manipulated, used, and generally taken advantage of, and not in the fun way.) But today, after she'd put the tiara and the vacuum away and had finally gotten a couple of cups of coffee in her system, the brooding had gone on, building to full -scale angst, when it began to dawn on her that she was going to have to figure out this college-career thing, because despite what The Great Big Book of Death said, she had not been chosen as a dark minion of destruction. Fuck! She stood in the back room looking at all the items that Charlie had piled there the day before: shoes, lamps, umbrellas, porcelain figures, toys, a couple of books, and an old black-and-white television and a painting of a clown on black velvet. â€Å"He said this stuff was glowing?† she asked Ray, who stood in the doorway to the store. â€Å"Yes. He made me check it all with my Geiger counter.† â€Å"Ray, why the fuck do you have a Geiger counter?† â€Å"Lily, why do you have a nose stud shaped like a bat?† Lily ignored the question and picked up the ceramic frog from the night before, which now had a note taped to it that read DO NOT SELL OR DISPLAY in Charlie's meticulous block-letter printing. â€Å"This was one of the things? This?† â€Å"That was the first one he freaked out about,† said Ray matter-of-factly. â€Å"The truant officer tried to buy it. That started it all.† Lily was shaken. She backed over to Charlie's desk and sat in the squeaky oak swivel chair. â€Å"Do you see anything glowing or pulsating, Ray? Have you ever?† Ray shook his head. â€Å"He's under a lot of stress, losing Rachel and taking care of the baby. I think maybe he needs to get some help. I know after I had to leave the force – † Ray paused. There was a commotion going on out in the alley, dogs barking and people shouting, then someone was working a key in the lock of the back door. A second later, Charlie came in, a little breathless, his clothes smudged here and there with grime, one sleeve of his jacket torn and bloodstained. â€Å"Asher,† Lily said. â€Å"You're hurt.† She quickly vacated his chair while Ray took Charlie by the shoulders and sat him down. â€Å"I'm fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"No big deal.† â€Å"I'll get the first-aid kit,† Ray said. â€Å"Get that jacket off of him, Lily.† â€Å"I'm fine,† Charlie said. â€Å"Quit talking about me like I'm not here.† â€Å"He's delirious,† Lily said, trying to pry Charlie out of his jacket. â€Å"Do you have any painkillers, Ray?† â€Å"I don't need painkillers,† Charlie said. â€Å"Shut up, Asher, they're not for you,† Lily said, automatically, then she considered the book, Ray's story, the notes on all the items in the back room, and she shuddered. It appeared that Charlie Asher might not be the hapless geek she always thought him to be. â€Å"Sorry, boss. Let us help you.† Ray came back from the front with a small plastic first-aid kit. He peeled back Charlie's sleeve and began to clean the wounds with gauze and peroxide. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Nothing,† Charlie said. â€Å"I slipped and fell in some gravel.† â€Å"The wound's pretty clean – no gravel in it. That must have been some fall.† â€Å"Long story.† Charlie sighed. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"What was all the noise in the alley?† Lily asked, needing badly to go smoke, but unable to pull herself away. She just couldn't imagine that Charlie Asher was the one. How could it be him? He was so, so, unworthy. He didn't understand the dark underbelly of life the way she did. Yet he was the one seeing the glowing objects. He was it. She was crestfallen. â€Å"Just the Emperor's dogs after a seagull in the Dumpster. No big deal. I fell off a porch in Pacific Heights.† â€Å"The estate,† Ray said. â€Å"How'd that go?† â€Å"Not well. The husband was grief-stricken and had a heart attack while I was there.† â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"No, he just sort of became overwhelmed thinking about his wife and collapsed. I gave him CPR until the EMTs came and took him off to the hospital.† â€Å"So,† Lily said, â€Å"did you get the – uh – did you get anything special?† â€Å"What?† Charlie's eyes went wide. â€Å"What do you mean, special? There was nothing special.† â€Å"Chill, boss, I just meant will we get the grandma's clothes?† He's it, Lily thought. The fucker. Charlie shook his head. â€Å"I don't know, it's so strange. The whole thing is so strange.† He shuddered when he said it. â€Å"Strange how?† Lily said. â€Å"Strange in a cool and dark way, or strange because you're Asher and you're out of it most of the time?† â€Å"Lily!† Ray snapped. â€Å"Go out front. Dust something.† â€Å"You're not the boss of me, Ray. I'm just showing my concern.† â€Å"It's okay, Ray.† Charlie looked like he was considering how, exactly, to define strange, and not coming up with anything that was working. Finally he said, â€Å"Well, for one thing, this woman's estate is way out of our league. The husband said he called me because we were the first secondhand store in the phone book, but he doesn't seem like the kind of man to do something like that.† â€Å"That's not that strange,† Lily said. Just confess, she thought. â€Å"You said that he was grief-stricken,† Ray said, dabbing antibiotic ointment on Charlie's cuts. â€Å"Maybe he's doing things differently.† â€Å"Yes, and he was angry at his wife, too, for the way she died.† â€Å"How?† Lily asked. â€Å"She ate silica gel,† Charlie said. Lily looked at Ray for an explanation, because silica gel sounded techno-geeky, which was Ray's particular field of geekdom. Ray said, â€Å"It's the antidesiccant that they pack with electronics and other things that are sensitive to humidity.† â€Å"The ‘Do Not Eat' stuff?!† Lily said. â€Å"Oh my God, that's so stupid. Everyone knows you don't eat the ‘Do Not Eat' stuff.† Charlie said, â€Å"Mr. Mainheart was pretty broken up.† â€Å"Well, I guess so,† Lily said. â€Å"He married a complete fucktard.† Charlie cringed. â€Å"Lily, that's not appropriate.† Lily shrugged and rolled her eyes. She hated it when Charlie dropped into Dad mode. â€Å"Okay, okay. I'm going outside to smoke.† â€Å"No!† Charlie jumped out of the chair and put himself between Lily and the back door. â€Å"Out front. From now on if you have to smoke you go out front.† â€Å"But you said that I look like a child hooker when I smoke out front.† â€Å"I've reassessed. You've matured.† Lily closed one eye to see if she could better glimpse into his soul and thus figure out his true agenda. She smoothed over her black vinyl skirt, which made a tortured, squeaking noise at the touch. â€Å"You're trying to say I have a big butt, aren't you?† â€Å"I absolutely am saying no such thing,† Charlie insisted. â€Å"I am simply saying that your presence in front of the store is an asset and will probably attract business from the tourists on the cable car.† â€Å"Oh. Okay.† Lily snatched her box of cloves off the desk and headed out past the counter and outside to brood, grieve really, because as much as she had hoped, she was not Death. The book was Charlie's. That evening Charlie was watching the store, wondering why he had lied to his employees, when he saw a flash of red passing by the front window. A second later, a strikingly pale redhead came through the door. She was wearing a short, black cocktail dress and black fuck-me pumps. She strode up the aisle like she was auditioning for a music video. Her hair cascaded in long curls around her shoulders and down her back like a great auburn veil. Her eyes were emerald green, and when she saw him looking, she smiled, and stopped, some ten feet away. Charlie felt an almost painful jolt that seemed to emanate from somewhere in the area of his groin, and after a second he recognized it as an autonomic lust response. He hadn't felt anything like that since Rachel had passed, and he felt vaguely ashamed. She was examining him, looking him over like you would examine a used car. He was sure he must be blushing. â€Å"Hi,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can I help you?† The redhead smiled again, just a little, and reached into a small black bag that he hadn't noticed she'd been carrying. â€Å"I found this,† she said, holding up a silver cigarette case. Something Charlie didn't see very often anymore, even in the secondhand business. It was glowing, pulsating like the objects in the back room. â€Å"I was in the neighborhood and something made me think that this belonged here.† She moved to the counter opposite Charlie and set the cigarette case down in front of him. Charlie could barely move. He stared at her, not even conscious that to avoid her eyes he was staring at her cleavage, and she appeared to be looking around his head and shoulders as if following the path of insects that were buzzing around him. â€Å"Touch me,† she said. â€Å"Huh?† He looked up, saw she was serious. She held out her hand; her nails were manicured and painted the same deep red as her lipstick. He took her hand. As soon as she touched him she pulled away. â€Å"You're warm.† â€Å"Thanks.† In that moment he realized that she wasn't. Her fingers had been ice-cold. â€Å"Then you're not one of us?† He tried to think of what â€Å"us† might be? Irish? Low blood pressure? Nymphomaniac? Why did he even think that? â€Å"Us? What do you mean, ‘us'?† She backed away a step. â€Å"No. You don't just take the weak and the sick, do you? You take anyone.† â€Å"Take? What do you mean, ‘take'?† â€Å"You don't even know, do you?† â€Å"Know what?† Charlie was getting very nervous. As a Beta Male, he found it difficult enough to function under the attention of a beautiful woman, but she was just plain spooky. â€Å"Wait. Can you see this thing glowing?† He held out the cigarette case. â€Å"No glow. It just felt like it belonged here,† she said. â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"Charlie Asher. This is Asher's.† â€Å"Well, Charlie, you seem like a nice guy, and I don't know exactly what you are, and it doesn't seem like you know. You don't, do you?† â€Å"I've been going through some changes,† Charlie said, wondering why he felt compelled to share this at all. The redhead nodded, as if confirming something to herself. â€Å"Okay. I know what it's like to, uh, to find yourself thrown into a situation where forces beyond your control are changing you into someone, something you don't have an owner's manual for. I understand what it is to not know. But someone, somewhere, does know. Someone can tell you what's going on.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† But he knew what she was talking about. What he didn't know was how she could possibly know. â€Å"You make people die, don't you, Charlie?† She said it like she had worked up the courage to tell him that he had some spinach in his teeth. More of a service to him than an accusation. â€Å"How do you – ?† How did she – â€Å"Because it's what I do. Not like you, but it's what I do. Find them, Charlie. Backtrack and find whoever was there when your world changed.† Charlie looked at her, then at the cigarette case, then at the redhead again, who was no longer smiling, but was stepping backward toward the door. Trying to stay in touch with normal, he focused on the cigarette case and said, â€Å"I suppose I can do an appraisal – â€Å" He heard the bell over the door jingle, and when he looked up she was gone. He didn't see her moving by the windows on either side of the door; she was just gone. He ran to the front of the store and out the door onto the sidewalk. The Mason Street cable car was just topping the hill up by California Street and he could hear the bell, there was a thin fog coming up from the Bay that threw colorful halos around the neon signs of the other businesses, but there was no striking redhead on the street. He went to the corner and looked down Vallejo, but again no redhead, just the Emperor, sitting against the building with his dogs. â€Å"Good evening, Charlie.† â€Å"Your Majesty, did you see a redhead go by here just now?† â€Å"Oh yes. Spoke to her. I'm not sure you have a chance there, Charlie, I believe she's spoken for. And she did warn me to stay away from you.† â€Å"Why? Did she say why?† â€Å"She said that you were Death.† â€Å"I am?† Charlie said. â€Å"Am I?† His breath caught in his throat as the day played back in his head. â€Å"What if I am?† â€Å"You know, son,† the Emperor said, â€Å"I am not an expert in dealing with the fairer sex, but you might want to save that bit of information until the third date or so, after they've gotten to know you a little.†

Сomparison and Contrasting Country Lovers and Child of the Americas

Ð ¡omparison and Contrasting Country Lovers and Child of the Americas In every literary works, the author uses his or her life experience and the immediate social, political and spiritual practices to educate or pass a specific message to the society. For instance in her intriguing epic country lovers, Nadine Gordimer focuses on the social prejudices practiced in an environment which harbors mixed races.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Ð ¡omparison and Contrasting: Country Lovers and Child of the Americas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through discussing the adventures and social attributes of the characters, Gordimer highlights the aspect of racism. On the other hand, Aurora Morales expresses her poetic skills by enlightening the reader on the aspect of ethnicity as practiced in her contemporary society. Although both Gordimer and Morales apply different forms and style of writing literature, each of them condemns social injustices less seriously. While Gordimer highlights constrained relationship arising from aspects like racism, Morales boasts of her ethnic culture as a way to call for unity. Through focusing on the social and political relationships and elusive interaction of various characters in the articles, the next discussion elaborates the theme of racism/ethnicity while highlighting their similarities and differences. Critical analysis of Gordimer and Morales’ pieces of work highlight some differences as per literature. For instance, both authors apply different forms of writing literary works to express their artistic skills. Gordimer writes a short story in form of a narrative giving it ironical title country lovers. Gordimer has organized the story in form of well-structured paragraphs accurately punctuated. Furthermore, each paragraph highlights a different idea. For instance, the first paragraph gives the picture of the environment or the setting of the story as a farm, which harbors two races blacks and whites. Moreover, the au thor enables the readers to pick out the main theme of the story from the first paragraph. The rest of the paragraphs give emphasis on the theme by applying aspects like the direct speech, which is a common element in short stories. More over, Gordimer applies the aspect of narration and vivid description, which draws the picture of her story in the readers mind. For example, she describes Thebedi’s hut, which is made of raw bricks with a chimney thus, mimicry of the white man’s house. Inside the hut there is a bed made from iron, wooden table and boxes. At the same time, she gives a description of Paulus house as a permanent structure with thick walls to prevent penetration of heat and inside the house there is a kitchen with plenty of foodstuffs and servants, dining room and with numerous bedrooms. Therefore, Gordmer’s description of the two homesteads enables her to emphasize her theme of racism (Spain, 2012, p.770). While the blacks live in abject poverty, t he white masters live in large, well build permanent structures.Advertising Looking for research paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the above analysis, Gordimer is against economic differences, which arise because of racism. Although Njabulo is a servant in a white man’s house, he is unable to build a permanent house for his family. The huts are traditional houses of the African society, which are not only unstable but also prone to distraction in strong weather conditions like storms. On the contrary, Morales express her artistic nature by writing her literary work in form of a poem. Written in four stanzas, each stanza has different number of lines highlighting a different aspect. Each stanza starts with the letter â€Å"I†, which is common in most poems. The first stanza emphasizes on the author’s title child of Americas therefore, underscoring the aspect of ethnicity in the society. There are many aspects of poetry expressed for instance repetition of the expression â€Å"I am†, which shows the author is more concerned about her ethnic identity in a foreign environment with multiple cultures (Rich, 1982, 54). The narrator has accepted her culture, race, ethnic background and identity as an American. In addition, Morales add rhythm to the poem to accentuate the element of rhyme, which is common in poetry. For example, the first two lines in stanza three produce a rhythmic fashion as shown below â€Å"I am not African.   Africa is in me, but I cannot return.† This intrigues the reader to appreciate the author’s cultural and ethnic identity. Thus, silently appreciating the social diversity found in America. The second difference evident in the two pieces of literary works is the setting of the Gordimer’s story and Morales’ poem. The short story is set in a farm, in which the owners are whites while the blacks only offer labor. The farm has many families where children play together. Unfortunately, only the white children enroll in school. The author elaborates the theme of her story by writing â€Å"the farm children only play together when they are small but once the white children go away to school, they soon dont† (Gordimer, 1988, p.3). Therefore, Gordimer underscores the racial segregation in her setting. Similarly, children know how to make toys of oxen and bracelets using beans and castor oil seeds (Gordimer, 1988, p.3). Gordimer shows that the whites are colonizers who oppress the black people and have set social rules in the environment that have culminated into injustices. There are no schools for black children, the black people are servants and neither of them freely visits each other’s house. Romantic interracial sexual relationships are illegal, an aspect, which has been socially accepted. Critical analysis of the story proves that the setting of the st ory is in Africa with the whites being immigrants who forcefully decided to rule the natives.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Ð ¡omparison and Contrasting: Country Lovers and Child of the Americas specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Contrarily, the setting of Morales story is in America. In the first stanza and from the first line, the writer confesses, â€Å"I am a child of the Americas† (Morales, n.d, stanza 1). However, although the whites dominantly inhabit America, there are other ethnic groups and races like Jews, Spanish and African among others. However, the narrator applauds other races and countries, which have contributed to the richness of the American culture. Comparison of the main themes in Gordimer and Morales literary works accentuates some differences. For example, Gordimer silently condemns racial prejudice in her contemporary society by vividly describing the social activities in th e farm and its surroundings. The first instance of racial practice Gordimer points at is the separation of the black and white children especially when the latter enrolls in boarding schools. Although in their early childhood, their parents allow them to play together; this habit dies out as the children progress into adulthood. Secondly, a romantic relationship between different racial groups is a social taboo as experienced by Thebedi and Paulus. Paulus is white while Thebedi is black; however, the two accept their childhood friendship to culminate into an illegal love affair. Gordimer condemn racism when she writes, â€Å"He told her, each time, when they would meet again† (clungston, 2010, p.11). Intuitively it was a taboo for the two lovebirds to have an open relationship. Although their relationship grew, but it seemed like a game of hide and seek. Thus, forcing them to have their sexual adventures in weird locations like the riverbank, away from the public. At this lev el, Gordimer enlightens the reader on the impact of racism on social development among children. Furthermore, after a few sexual adventures, Paulus impregnates Thebedi. Ironically, her parent marries her off to a black man to conceal any form of suspicion from the white master (Paulus father). Due to social prejudice, Paulus kills his child to escape embarrassment and further punishment from his parents. Thebedi refrains from stopping Paulus to kill her child because of her identity as a black woman. Therefore, Gordimer proves that racial segregation is a barrier to social development and can lead to social or human injustices as experienced by Thebedi. Thebedi is sure Paulus killed her child but she is unable to testify openly against him retracting her initial accusations. The author writes â€Å"Yet a year later, she retracted her testimony and in a calmer manner testified,† she had not seen what the white man did in the house† (Clugston, 2010, p. 49). Therefore, The bedi’s identity as a black woman forces her to accept oppression from the white man. Moreover, the judge not only drags the case for at least a year but he also rules in favor of the white man. According to Gordimer, racism culminates into social injustices like murder and oppression thus, social growth in a multiracial environment.Advertising Looking for research paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On contrary, in her epic masterpiece Morales focuses on ethnicity in the society more so, America which, harbors many immigrants. The main theme of her poem is to emphasize self-identity a problem experienced by most Americans especially due to ethnicity. Social diversity is an aspect that America currently experiences. Therefore, the first line of the first stanza confirms the author’s message to the reader â€Å"I am a child of the Americas†¦A child of many Diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morales, n.d, stanza 4). The native people of America are the American Indians while all the other citizens like Europeans, African Americans, blacks, Spanish and Jews among others are immigrants. All these races have enriched America’s ethnic culture. However, the ethnicity has led to oppression, disunity and lack of identity amid other social problems. Therefore, Morales poem is not only appreciating her culture but also calling upon other pe ople to embrace and use their culture for the social development of America. In the last line of the last stanza, the author writes, â€Å"I was born at the crossroads and I am whole† this statement emphasizes the rich cultural heritage America boasts posses (Morales, n.d). Although these traditions culminated from a turbulent past experience, all immigrants whether slaves, tradesmen or natives proudly belong to one country, America. Therefore, the ability of the Americans to struggle, persevere and integrate into one society proves that cultural diversity is essential for the social development. Comparatively, both Gordimer and Morales, focus on social development as an important feature in the society. Gordimer highlights racial segregation as a social barrier, which eventually, leads to oppression and other forms of prejudices in society. Similarly, Morales praises ethnicity as an aspect that should promote cultural growth especial in a multiracial environment. According t o her poem, all Jews, Spanish, African American and Europeans living in America are Americans. Thus, the different ethnic groups should unite to explore and integrate into the unique culture. Both authors express the negative impact of racism and ethnicity in the society. While Gordimer presents oppression and social injustices as the outcome of racism, Morales focuses on lack of self-identity and esteem as the eventual impact of ethnicity when traded on the wrong grounds. The second similarity evident in the two pieces of work is the application of the literary elements like metaphors and similes. Although the authors use different types of literary techniques, each of them uses these literary techniques to emphasize their themes. In her short story, Gordimer embraces similes especially when comparing the social lives of the blacks and the whites. For example, after finding out Thebedi’s baby belongs to him Paulus says, â€Å"I feel like killing myself† (clungston, 20 10, p.10). Paulus statement proves that racism is highly practiced in his society. Therefore, he relates his relationship with Thebedi to death. Analytically, Gordimer uses this element to condemn silently racism because practicing it is equally to killing a human being. Another simile, which expresses racism appears when the author says, â€Å"Already at birth there was on its head a quantity of straight, fine floss, like that which carries the seeds of certain weeds in the veld.† (Gordimer,n.d, par.6) according to this statement, Gordimer shows that Thebedi’s daughter was illegal and therefore, unwanted in her society. Thus, the author highlights inhumanity because eventually, Paulus kills the little innocent baby because of fear, racism and oppression as commonly practiced in his society. In addition, Gordimer uses metaphors to express black color as ugly thus, not beautiful to look at or admire. For instance, she describes Njabulo skin as â€Å"matt, opaque coffee -grounds† (Anderson, 1991, P.20). According to the author, although the black skin is unique, people tend to despite the victim. Therefore, she condemns segregation of the blacks especially by the white people who think their skin color is superior. Eventually, she uses the black and white skin to promote racial unity an element that constantly misses in the society. Similarly, Morales applies the art of metaphors to express her poetic skills and educate the reader on the importance of embracing ethnic unity. The first metaphors, she coins is â€Å"I am not African, Africa is in me†¦Spanish is in my flesh†¦I am not European, Europe lives in me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morales, n.d. stanza 1-4). The aforementioned group of metaphors highlights the narrator’s identity, culture and ethnic background. However, intuitive analysis of the poem reveals that the narrator accepts herself as an African, Spanish and European. When she writes,† Europe lives in me â€Å"(Mora les, n.d, stanza 1 line 5), it means that the narrator accepts Europeans as Americans who were unable to be accommodated in their original country because of oppression, economic constraints and religious conflicts among other social, political and economic problems. While the phrase â€Å"Spanish is in my flesh† (Morales, n.d, stanza 1 line 3), highlights the integration, intermingling and eventual assimilation of the Spanish people into America thus, giving them a common identity as Americans. Additionally, the metaphor â€Å"Africa is in me† mean Africans came into America as slaves, however, with the abolishment of slavery they became Americans. Surprisingly, the African culture still lingers in African Americans because of the origin and traditions that has not changed for many ages. Therefore, acceptance of all the races in America transforms America into a peaceful country with multiple cultures, racial identities and traditions among others. The fourth metaphor Morales applies is â€Å"I was born at the crossroads and I am whole† (n.d, stanza 4 line 1), her literary expression describes American people as originating from diverse background. Besides, American Indians, there is no other American person who can claim that America is his or her native land. African, Spanish, Jewish and European cultures are all form a unique American culture while at the same time retaining the individual cultural practices. According to Morales, lack of self-identity especially in relation to ethnicity has slowed down social development culture. Essentially, the different ethnic groups in America should create a rich culture that would build self-esteem of most Americans. In conclusion, Gordimer constructs her short story to educate the society on the negative impact of racism. She uses different literary techniques like narration, similes and metaphors to put emphasis on her theme. On the other hand, Morales writes a short poem to preach against the use of ethnicity in oppressing others especially in America. She calls upon all Americans to embrace ethnic unity for the social development. She uses metaphoric expression to emphasize her theme. Finally, both authors not only use similar literary techniques like metaphors but they also focus on a common goal social development in the society. References Anderson, P. (1991). Attitudes to Race in Nadine Gordimers Country Lovers and Alice  Walkers The Welcome Table’. New York. Indie Print publishers Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. California: Bridgepoint Education publishers. Gordimer.N. (n.d). Country lovers. Retrieved from https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/22/Country%20Lovers.pdf Gordimer, N. (1988). Town and Country Lovers . New York. Reclam Philipp publishing company. Morales, L. A. (n.d). Child of the Americas. In Lauraa.diaz-authors page. Web. Rich, P. (1982). Tradition and revolt in South African Fiction: The Novels of Andre Brink, Nadine Gordimer and J.M. Coetzee. Journal of Southern African Studies, 9 (1), 54-73 Spain, A. (2012). Event, Exceptionalism, and the Imperceptible: The Politics of Nadine Gordimers the Pickup. MFS: Modern Fiction Studies, 58 (4), 747-772.

Conjugation of Past or Preterite Tense Verbs in Spanish

Conjugation of Past or Preterite Tense Verbs in Spanish As one of Spanishs two simple past tenses, the preterite  has a conjugation that is essential to learn. It is the verb form used most often to tell of events that have already happened and that are seen as completed. The other simple past tense, the imperfect, is used for past actions that are not completed, meaning the past action did not have a definite beginning or a definite end. How to Conjugate the Preterite Tense In Spanish, verbs are the words that change the most often and depend on different tenses, moods, gender, and agreement in person according to what needs to be conveyed in the sentence. A verb ending can indicate when the action occurs, and also give the listener a better idea of who or what is performing the action. As is the case with standard Spanish conjugation rules, the preterite verb forms are made by removing the infinitive ending of the verb, such as -ar, -er or -ir, and replacing it with an ending that indicates who is performing the action of the verb. Verbs agree in person and number. For example, the infinitive or base form of the verb that means to speak is hablar. Its infinitive ending is -ar, and the verb stem is habl-. To say I spoke, remove the -ar, add -à © to the stem, forming hablà ©. Yo hablà © is I spoke. To say you spoke, singular you in an informal way, remove the -ar, add -aste to the stem, forming hablaste:  Tu hablaste is You spoke. Other forms exist for other personal pronouns. The endings are slightly different for verbs that end in -er and -ir, but the principle is the same. Remove the infinitive ending, then add the appropriate ending to the remaining stem. Conjugation of Regular -AR Verbs in the Preterite Tense Person -Ar Ending Infinitive: Hablar Translation: To Speak yo - habl I spoke t -aste hablaste you (informal) spoke l, ella, usted - habl he/she spoke, you (formal) spoke nosotros, nosotras -amos hablamos we spoke vosotros, vosotras -asteis hablasteis you spoke (informal) ellos, ellas, ustedes -aron hablaron they spoke, you (formal) spoke Conjugation of Regular -ER Verbs in the Preterite Tense Person -Er Ending Infinitive: Aprender Translation: To Learn yo - aprend I learned t -iste aprendiste you (informal) learned l, ella, usted -i aprendi he/she learned, you (formal) learned nosotros, nosotras -imos aprendimos we learned vosotros, vosotras -isteis aprendisteis you learned (informal) ellos, ellas, ustedes -ieron aprendieron they learned, you (formal) learned Conjugation of Regular -IR Verbs in the Preterite Tense Person -Ir Ending Infinitive: Escribir Translation: To Write yo - escrib I wrote t -iste escribiste you (informal) wrote l, ella, usted -i escribi he/she wrote, you (formal) wrote nosotros, nosotras -imos escribimos we wrote vosotros, vosotras -isteis escribisteis you wrote (informal) ellos, ellas, ustedes -ieron escribieron they wrote, you (formal) wrote In the preterite tense, regular -er and -ir verbs use the same pattern of endings. Additionally, the first-person plural, the we form of nosotros and nosotras, has the same conjugation for both the present indicative tense and the preterite past tense for -ar and -ir verbs. The word hablamos can mean either we speak or we spoke, and escribimos can mean either we write or we wrote. In most cases, the context of the sentence makes clear which tense is intended. Conjugations of Common Irregular Verbs Below are the preterite-tense for the irregular verbs you are most likely to use. Irregular forms are shown in boldface; the forms given follow the same order as in the charts above, beginning with the first-person singular and continuing to the third-person plural. dar (to give): di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieron. decir (to say, to tell): dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron. estar (to be): estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron. haber (to have as an auxiliary verb): hube, hubiste, hubo, hubimos, hubisteis, hubieron. hacer (to make, to do): hice, hiciste, hizo, hizimos, hicisteis, hicieron. ir (to be): fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. (Note that the preterite conjugations of ir and ser are identical.) llegar (to arrive): lleguà ©, llegaste, llegà ³, llegamos, llegasteis, llegaron. poder (to be able, can): pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron. poner (to put): puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, puisisteis, pusieron. querer (to be): quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron. saber (to know): supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron. ser (to be): fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. tener (to have or possess): tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron. ver (to see): vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron.

Assess the significance of Judith Butler’s work

Assess the significance of Judith Butlers work The modern meaning of the word 'gender' emerged in the 1970s. Its original purpose was to draw a line between biological sex and how particular thoughts and behaviours could be defined as either 'feminine' or 'masculine' (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004). The reason for using the word 'gender' was to raise awareness of the exaggeration of biological differences between men and women. The popularity of this meaning for the word 'gender' resulted from the efforts of second wave feminism in the 1970s. This essay examines how second wave feminism attempted to construct a 'grand narrative' of women's oppression. It then examines Judith Butler's contribution to post-modern feminist theory through her performative theory of gender and how this fits into post-modern feminist debates. A product of second wave feminism, which began around 1970, was the attempt to place women within a 'grand narrative' history of their oppression. One of the seminal writers on this narrative was Simone de Beauvoir. H er work in describing how women had become 'the other' in her book The Second Sex (de Beauvoir, 1961) laid the foundations for what was to come in the second wave of feminism (Gamble, 2002). De Beauvoir argues that the way in which men think about women is only in relation to their fantasies, that they have no substance of their own. Unfortunately, for de Beauvoir, women have come to accept men's fantasies of womanhood as constituting their own conception of themselves. For de Beauvoir, it was for women to conceive of themselves in their own terms, to take back the power themselves. A criticism of de Beauvoir's approach was that it tended to blame women for their current condition (Gamble, 2002). The second wave feminists of the 1970s, however, such as Millet (1970), pointed to patriarchy as the root cause of women's oppression. It is patriarchy, so Millet argued, that has become a political institution, and from this flows all the other forms of women's oppression. Firestone (197 0) also took a strong line against patriarchy, equating women's oppression to a caste or class system. Ideological support for patriarchy, in Firestone's view, has come from institutions such as the family, marriage along with romantic love. These ideas are referred to as constructing a 'grand narrative', a way of charting the history and development of particular ideas, in this case women's oppression (MacNay, 1997). One of the problems that much feminist thought has come up against in trying to provide a 'grand narrative' of women's oppression is that it is difficult to effectively give all women a common identity (Whelehan, 1995). If the very idea of gender flows from cultural origins, then it is only natural to conclude that gender has different meanings in different cultural contexts. How then can a common identity be posited? Other critics such as Richards (1982), examining second wave feminism from a liberal perspective, have seen it as a movement that has failed. Richards se es many of the feminist approaches as being extreme and unattractive, and not focussing, as she sees it, on rational debate. She criticises feminists for utilising 'eccentric' arguments which do not conform to the normative expectations of philosophical debate. Further, she criticises feminism for ignoring the obvious differences between men and women – such as women's ability to have children – and thereby presenting an unrealistic picture of utopian gender relations.

Sugar Cane Alley Video Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sugar Cane Alley Video - Assignment Example Indeed, formal education had thought him that nothing could be more enslaving than for his true identity to be missing. In his search for knowledge therefore, Jose was also seriously searching for his true identity and a self will that would make him accept his roots and identity as the best. After all it is said that even if the back of your teeth is sour, it remains where your tongue licks. This means that even if you shy away from your identity because of whatever negative tag it may have, it remains your roots. For Jose to have said that "tomorrow Ill return to Fort de France and Ill take my Black Shack Alley with me" therefore means that Jose had finally come to find the solution to the puzzle he had been trying to solve since the beginning of the movie. The puzzle of his identity – the puzzle of who he was! The solution was that he was Black and came from the true Black identity, which is of course Africa and for the fact that he admired and revered where he was coming from, he was ready to take his identity along with him without fear or shyness. The statement therefore means the discovery of Jose’s identity and his readiness to embrace his true and original identity without

Anti- corruption and integrity at a hospital Essay

Anti- corruption and integrity at a hospital - Essay Example Corruption is a global phenomenon, and it has percolated into every aspect of common life. â€Å"Corruption is a global phenomenon that causes poverty, obstructs development and drives away investment. It also debilitates the judicial and political systems that should be working for the public good† (UNODC 2007). Although all these sectors are experiencing corruption and fraud practices for some time now, corruption in healthcare sector only causes repercussion for the common people in a maximal manner. The life saving sector of healthcare is now turning into a corruption encouraging sector. Although, certain individuals working in a hospital may indulge in corruption and fraud practices, and for that entire hospital may not be blamed, the fact is, those individuals may be given the free hand to indulge in corruption because of certain loopholes in hospital’s functioning and processes. Thus, individuals are manipulated as much as they manipulate, and in a way individual corruption masks the structural corruption. So, this paper will focus on and diagnose the corruption and integrity profile in my organization of hospital setting, then will analyse the causes of any fraud practices and/or corruption opportunities that may be visible in my organization, then will discuss and assess the effectiveness of the institutional integrity policies adopted by my organization against corruption and finally will make recommendations for improving the anti-corruption and integrity of my organization. Background As mentioned above, although corruption and fraud activities are visible in many organizational sectors, corruption in healthcare systems is reaching startling levels, negatively impacting various stakeholders. Healthcare industry has spread out throughout the world, and there is no human habitable place in the world, without some form of health care structures or hospitals. All these healthcare structures were established to provide life saving and life caring options to people. However, this corruption is diminishing the efficiency and effectiveness of these centres, and this applicable to maximum countries in the world. That is, corruption in healthcare sector is visible in many countries, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, developed or developing. â€Å"The hospital sector represents a significant risk for corruption, in both developing and developed countries alike.†(Vian, 2005). For example, in the United States alone, corrupt and fraud activities in health care has been estimated to cost US $11.9 to 23.2 billion per year; much of this expense is attributable to hospital-based care. (Vian, 2005). On similar lines, in the African country of Ghana, there is 50% loss in the health funds due to corruption, and so half of the allocated funds do not reach clinics and hospitals in Ghana. (Lindelow, Kushnarova and Kaiser 2006). Thus, corruption in healthcare sector is not region specific and is visible in all countr ies in maximal hospitals. The reason why hospitals are ‘hotbeds’ of corrupt and fraud activities, is because of the large scale movement of money, thus

Design of a product or service prototype (BUS CATCHER) Essay

Design of a product or service prototype (BUS CATCHER) - Essay Example The paper tells that the use of public transport for commuting in the US is still very low compared to other countries. The estimated share of public transport market share (motorized travel) is less than 4% barring exceptions like New York (9.6%) and San Francisco (5.0%), being as low as less than 1% in more than half the states. Small as this may be, the total amount of fuel saved from public transportation use currently is estimated to be equal to 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline (based on 2004 figures), In terms of total barrels of crude oil, this would be the equivalent of 33.5 million barrels of crude oil. Increase of commuting is a desirable goal and has policy support. Apart from this reasons like congestion on the roads, savings in commuting time would be seen as the chief reasons for a commuter to prefer public transport over using own cars. Typically a product or a service that gives enhanced value for a customer would what make a customer to switch to a service or a produc t. There is a big opportunity here for bus operators to create this critical additional value through use of ICT to induce commuters to switch over in a big way to using public transport like buses. Bailey estimates that for an US population of 7.2 million non-drivers, 50% 0f which is people above the age of 654, public transportation is the only alternative, when they are going somewhere outside their immediate neighborhood. She also observes most U.S. residents still do not have the option of using public transportation to get places.