Chinese Cinderella Essay

The most persuasive and intriguing aspect of an author’s stylistic choices are within the schemes, tropes, diction and syntax. Adeline Yen Mah, author of Chinese Cinderella, paints an authentic picture of her childhood in twentieth-century China; Mah’s childhood, fraught with painful memories and bad luck, accentuates her strength and courage and ultimate triumph over despair. Mah’s stylistic choices and appeal to pathos aggrandizes the overall effectiveness of her book, Chinese Cinderella. A worldwide bestseller that has been translated into eighteen different languages, Chinese Cinderella has a wide, varied audience. The style and effectiveness are heavily dependent on the writer’s diction; Mah carefully chooses words that convey the quiet tragicness of her situation and the cultural aspect. One of the most predominant aspect of the Chinese culture is the names- Mah could write about her grandmother, grandmother and stepmother, but instead chose instead to write about her Ye Ye, Nai Nai and Niang. Choosing to write using the Chinese words creates a compelling, permeating story: â€Å"Besides Father and Niang, we lived without Grandfather Ye Ye, Grandmother Nai Nai and Aunt Baba in a big house in the French concession of Tianjin, a port city on the northeast coast of China† (Mah 5). Removing the names disturbs the authenticity of the piece and upsets the overall meaning; so much of the story is derived from the culture and time period. Culture is a significant element in the writing, but Adeline Yen Mah’s personal experience is the most essential aspect. Mah begins as a young Chinese girl growing up in Shanghai. Mah utilizes syntax to convey the juvenile tone; simply constructed sentences create a childish perspective while maintaining an intelligent insight: â€Å"Next day, there was a grand funeral. Nai Nai’s coffin was draped with white sheets and placed on a hearse pulled by four men. We all dressed in white robes with white headbands for the boys and white ribbons for the girls† (Mah 20). While describing scenes and occasions so simply may seem less interesting, the simple, clean sentences actually paint a clear image in one’s mind. The strong, clean sentences keep the story from seeming too pitiful- Mah does not need verbiage to write well. If excessively descriptive, long sentences are employed the effectiveness of the writing would decrease, â€Å"Later, I saw Big Sister and Niang walking toward the balcony and talking privately just before she and Samuel left for their honeymoon. Was she able to explain it all away? I hoped so. I only wished I could have helped her more† (Mah 89). Straightforward observations create an innocent perspective. Verbiage would hinder her child-like persona- if she writes to sound like the settled, distinguished writer and doctor she is, her novel, in which she is a young Chinese girl, would be considerably less qualified. Through the syntax and diction, Mah appeals to her most compelling appeal, emotion. Her story is tragic- an unloved daughter, Mah suffers cosmic misfortune after cosmic misfortune. Syntax provides the youthful insight, diction provides the cultural aspect, and Mah’s life provides the emotionally evocative story, â€Å"Though a fascinating variation on the classic Cinderella story, with a monstrously hateful villain and a smart, plucky heroine, the book is also rife with simplistic caricatures and shallow melodrama. Yet the daily contempt Yen Mah encountered as a child often touches the heart† (Cruz). Mah eloquently details the tragic events of her past, and as a result, appeals to pathos strongly throughout the entire book. Mah’s stylistic choices and appeal to pathos aggrandizes the overall effectiveness of her book, Chinese Cinderella. The appeal to pathos is the greatest weapon in Mah’s arsenal, and she uses diction and syntax as her bullets. Strong, simple sentences and poignant, culturally related diction â€Å"Verges on soap-opera theatrics, Yen Mah remains true to her sympathetic nature† (Cruz). The elegance and skill of Mah are evident in her writing.

class differences in WW2 lit essays

class differences in WW2 lit essays In nearly every culture, certain distinctions exist which elevate particular members of society above others. These distinctions may be based upon age, wisdom, ancestry, gender or profession, but more often than not, class lines seem to be drawn on the basis of wealth. While the existence of these status groups may be harmless, when prejudice prevents the movement of individuals or social groups between and within classes, valuable human resources are being put to waste. This issue was of concern during the First World War. While the class system in place in Western Europe did allow for a certain amount of social mobility, distinctions among classes were nonetheless evident and well defined. Both Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front and Evadne Prices Not So Quiet... call attention to the idea that social position should be of little or no significance in the face of wartimes human pain, suffering and death. In All Quiet, the main character, a young German named Paul Baumer, enlists in the army. Initially, in his company, two distinct classes of individuals exist. Paul and his four schoolmates are well educated and of a higher station in life. They are still teenagers, fresh from school, and have volunteered for the war. The other group consists of peasants and common laborers. In the beginning of the novel the reader is made keenly aware of the differences between the two groups as Paul introduces the characters. Paul mentions his fellow classmates first. This ordering lends the idea that Paul thinks more highly of his classmates than he does of the other less-educated soldiers. The differentiation is further heightened by the syntax used. The common soldiers are described in an entirely different paragraph from the educated boys. Standing in the mess line, Paul says that close behind us were our friends (Remarque 3). Not only are these men physically behind in the line, the...

Profile of World War II Colonel General Ludwig Beck

Profile of World War II Colonel General Ludwig Beck Early Career Born at Biebrich, Germany, Ludwig Beck received a traditional education before entering the German Army in 1898 as a cadet. Rising through the ranks, Beck was recognized as a gifted officer and was tapped for staff service. With the outbreak of World War I, he was assigned to the Western Front where he spent the conflict as a staff officer. With the German defeat in 1918, Beck was retained in the small postwar Reichswehr. Continuing to advance, he later received command of the 5th Artillery Regiment. Becks Rise to Prominence In 1930, while in this assignment, Beck came to the defense of three of his officers who were charged with distributing Nazi propaganda on post. As membership in political parties was forbidden by Reichswehr regulations, the three men faced a court-martial. Angered, Beck passionately spoke on behalf of his men arguing that the Nazis were a force for good in Germany and that officers should be able to join the party. In the course of the trials, Beck met and impressed Adolf Hitler. Over the next two years, he worked to write a new operations manual for the Reichswehr entitled Truppenfà ¼hrung. The work earned Beck a great deal of respect and he was given command of the 1st Cavalry Division in 1932 along with a promotion to lieutenant general. Eager to see German prestige and power returned to prewar levels, Beck celebrated the Nazi ascent to power in 1933 stating, I have wished for years for the political revolution, and now my wishes have come true. It is the first ray of hope since 1918. With Hitler in power, Beck was elevated to lead the Truppenamt (Troop Office) on October 1, 1933. Beck as Chief of Staff As the Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Reichswehr from having a General Staff, this office served as a shadow organization that fulfilled a similar function. In this role, Beck worked to rebuild the German military and pushed to develop new armored forces. As German rearmament moved forward, he was officially titled Chief of the General Staff in 1935. Working an average of ten hours a day, Beck was known as an intelligent officer, but one that often became obsessed by administrative details. A political player, he worked to expand his posts power and sought the ability to directly advise the Reich leadership. Though he believed that Germany should fight a major war or series of war to restore its place as a power in Europe, he felt that these should not occur until the military was fully prepared. Despite this, he strongly backed Hitlers move to reoccupy the Rhineland in 1936. As the 1930s progressed, Beck became increasingly concerned that Hitler would force a conflict before the military was ready. As a result, he initially refused to write plans for the invasion of Austria in May 1937 as he felt it would provoke a war with Britain and France. Falling Out with Hitler When the Anschluss failed to cause international protest in March 1938, he quickly developed the needed plans which were dubbed Case Otto. Though Beck foresaw a conflict to eliminate Czechoslovakia and officially advocated for action in the fall of 1937, he retained worries that Germany was not prepared for a major European war. Not believing Germany could win such a contest prior to 1940, he openly began advocating against a war with Czechoslovakia in May 1938. As the armys senior general, he challenged Hitlers belief that France and Britain would allow Germany a free hand. The relationship between Beck and Hitler rapidly began to deteriorate aided by the latters preference for the Nazi SS over the Wehrmacht. While Beck lobbied against what he believed would be a premature war, Hitler chastised him stating that he was one of the officers still imprisoned in the idea of the hundred-thousand-man army imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Through the summer Beck continued to work to prevent a conflict while also attempting to reorganize the command structure as he felt it was Hitlers advisors that were pushing for war. In an effort to increase pressure on the Nazi regime, Beck attempted to organize a mass resignation of senior Wehrmacht officers and issued instructions on July 29 that as well as preparing for foreign wars the army should be ready for for an internal conflict which need only take place in Berlin. In early August, Beck suggested that several Nazi officials should be removed from power. On the 10th, his arguments against war were relentlessly attacked by Hitler at a meeting of senior generals. Unwilling to continue, Beck, now a colonel general, resigned on August 17. Beck Bringing Down Hitler In exchange for resigning quietly, Hitler had promised Beck a field command but instead had him transferred to the retired list. Working with other anti-war and anti-Hitler officials, such as Carl Goerdeler, Beck and several others began planning to remove Hitler from power. Though they informed the British Foreign Office of their intentions, they were unable to prevent the signing of the Munich Agreement in late September. With the beginning of World War II in September 1939, Beck became a key player in various plots to remove the Nazi regime. From the fall of 1939 through 1941, Beck worked with other anti-Nazi officials such as Goerdeler, Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, and Ulrich von Hassell in planning a coup to remove Hitler and make peace with Britain and France. In these scenarios, Beck would be the leader of the new German government. As these plans evolved, Beck was involved in two aborted attempts to kill Hitler with bombs in 1943. The following year, he became a key player, along with Goerdeler and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, in what became known as the July 20 Plot. This plan called for Stauffenberg to kill Hitler with a bomb at the Wolfs Lair headquarters near Rastenburg. Once Hitler was dead, the conspirators would use the German reserve forces to take control of the country and would form a new provisional government with Beck at its head. On July 20, Stauffenberg detonated the bomb but failed to kill Hitler. With the plots failure, Beck was arrested by General Friedrich Fromm. Exposed and with no hope of escape, Beck elected to commit suicide later that day rather than face trial. Using a pistol, Beck fired but only managed to critically injure himself. As a result, a sergeant was forced to finish the job by shooting Beck in the back of the neck. Selected Sources World War II Database: Ludwig BeckJVL: Ludwig BeckGerman Resistance Memorial Center: Ludwig Beck

He implications of asymmetric information for the function of markets Essay

He implications of asymmetric information for the function of markets at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels - Essay Example The situation where the market produces more or less than the ideal or the optimal amount of a particular good, it is regarded as the market failure in terms of economics There are several factors that results in the market failure like externalities and monopoly power, and asymmetric information.Еhe implications of asymmetric information for the function of markets at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels.In an analysis of the competitive market structure it is always assumed that the buyers and the sellers have perfect knowledge about the market. But in reality this does not happens. When the available information about any product is more with someone than the others then the arisen situation is of market failure and the phenomenon is termed as â€Å"asymmetric information†. The information about the product is an important factor and if the quality of the goods could be judged about whether it being excellent or inferior then the price would have adjusted acc ording to the quality differences. Asymmetry and Market failure and the need of the government intervention A. Market failure and the used car market The situation of information asymmetry leading to market failure is best understood by the example of used cars. In a transaction of a used car, a seller would always know more than the buyer. Considering a case of a second hand Chevrolet Malibu which would cost $15,000 in an ‘average’ condition, if the condition of the car is ‘excellent’, that would cost $18,000 and if the condition of the car is ‘poor’, the car will be priced at $12,000.... without any excellent car will be ready to pay not more than $13500 that is the average price of the cars, which are either in average or poor condition. This in turn will prevent the average car owners from offering their car at such a low price. So at the end the market forces will adjust itself to equilibrium for the poor cars at the selling price of $12000. This is an example of market failure where the market for the excellent and average cars does not exist due to the asymmetry of information. This is a situation of quality uncertainties where the high quality goods are driven out by the low quality goods. (Chauhan, n. d, pp. 224-225) This is explained with the help of a diagram: PH SH P E P’ E’ DH DH’ DH† 0 Q’ Q Figure 1 (a) PL p’ e' SL p e DL’ DL 0 q q’ Figure 1(b) Source: Chauhan, n. d, pp. 224-225 In the diagram Figure 1 (a) DH represents the demand for high quality goods, SH, the supply for high quality goods. They int ersect at the point E where the quantity OQ must be demanded and it must be supplied at OP price. Due to the asymmetry of information, the same amount OQ is demanded at a lower price E†. As the buyers are uncertain about the quality of the product they treat the high quality good as the low quality good and hence the demand curve shifts downwards to DH’. At this lower price some of the seller refuses to sell the product which causes the supply to fall from OQ to OQ’. Hence the new equilibrium is at E’, where the DH’ intersects S H. The OQ amount of high quality goods is sold at a price OP’.As there exists quality uncertainty the demand curve is expected to further slide down to DH† which does not intersect with the supply curve SH at all. This shows how the market for high quality goods fails. In the figure 1(b),

Article summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article summaries - Essay Example markably, some selfish businesspersons continue to push for capitalism and disregard the society with their sole objective of making profits from the society. However, activists against capitalism have pushed forth to ensure that businesses does not only take profits from the society, but also contribute towards the wellbeing and development of the society (Levitt, n.d.). According to the author, social responsibility evolution aspect in the business world is the main aspect that will enable socially responsible business to thrive while the profit-oriented entities and self-centered executives fall (p. 464). Remarkably, the author indicates that personal social responsibility values such as self-conscious and non-profit endeavors are the key aspects of a responsible manager that will enable the business thrive in the public and reduce resistance evoked by capitalism. The article articulates that social responsibility is not a threat to the success of a businessperson, but long-term benefits from the society compared to the short-term business environment offered by the society to the selfish and profit oriented executives. Social responsibility remains the main aspect towards the survival of a business and reduced conflicts among the executive and the governments despite the function of a business to yield high level of profits. Additionally, the author recognizes the failure of business to recognize social responsibility that has led to the rise of unions and welfare programs to safeguard the community against ill-motivated economists whose sole interest is to uphold capitalism and dep rive the resources of the society, labor, agriculture, and the government. vi. Management is always faced by numerous critics, which it can only avoid by involving the society in terms of ensuring that it maintains the civil rights and restricts the free operation of profit motive. The articles has evoked a sense of exploitation by the capitalists who think that they can just

Despite the absence of god or gods, as well as a lack of concern for Essay

Despite the absence of god or gods, as well as a lack of concern for the afterworld, Theravada Buddhism and Confucianism can be considered religious traditions - Essay Example All these aim to get enlightenment and achieve nirvana, and thus be liberated from all the cycles of births and deaths and related sufferings. There are two main branches of the Buddhist religion. Theravada is the oldest surviving form of Buddhism that is still in practice mainly in Sri Lanka and in some parts of south East Asia. Mahayana form is practiced in the East Asia, while a variant of Mahayana known as the Vajrayana is often referred to as the third branch. Confucianism is a way of thinking that is more philosophical than religious, which originated in China. The founder of this form of ethical way of thinking, was Confucius (551- 478 BC), who lived around the same time as that of Lord Buddha. Confucianism deals with the ethical, moral, social, philosophical and to some extent religious aspects of life and has exerted tremendous influence in the cultural heritage of East Asia. It has become the state religion in some countries of this region. Confucianism lays stress on devel oping the moral ethics of a person so that a state can be governed by moral rules alone, and not by any enforced legal system. This article will explore and examine the various tenets of Theravada Buddhism and Confucianism and discuss whether these two form of practices with their absence of gods or any god like figures, and their utter lack of concern for the afterworld can be referred to as a religious traditions, or best be left to calling, as only philosophical thoughts. Theravada Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism translated literally means ‘teaching of the elderly,’ originated in India and is said to be the oldest form of Buddhism that is still in practice today. It is a conservative form of religious practice, and its sutras are said to be the closest to original doctrines of Lord Buddha. It has been the chief religion of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia and Burma for many centuries, and is also practiced in some parts of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia,

Determination of Glucose Concentration Using Trinder Method

Determination of Glucose Concentration Using Trinder Method The Trinder method is used to determine glucose concentration only, (Lott et al, 1975). This method was first described by Trinder in 1969 thus named after him, (Lott et al, 1975). It uses an enzyme glucose oxidase for the first reaction and peroxidase for the second reaction thus the name of the enzyme Glucose oxidase/peroxidase (GODPOD), (Meiattin, 1973). Enzymes are biological or any chemical catalysts that speed up a reaction without it being used up, (Jan, 2010). It functions to catalyse a reaction by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. Activation energy is the energy needed to initiate the reaction. It is a point of high energy and requires more energy than the substrates. An enzyme also contains an active site for the substrate to catalyse the reaction. Its efficiency depends on the concentration of the substrate and conditions like temperature or pH, (Hames et al, 2005). The Trinder method, is based on two sequential enzymatic reactions, the first one involves the oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid and H2O2, (Casabnon et al, 2005). This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme Glucose oxidase. Then, the H2O2produced is quantified by a chromogenic reaction with peroxidase (POD), as the enzyme that catalyses the reaction with the reduced dye, (Casabnon et al, 2005). The oxidised dye changes colour to pink or red according to the glucose concentration. The colour formed is stable at room temperature for at least two hours after development, (Anon, 2010). The main advantage of this method is that it is very specific. It doesnt target other sugars except glucose. It is also simple straight forward and easy to manipulate. Its results are very reliable and specific, (Bauninger, 1974). Its final products are stable as they are not reactive at room temperature. Other colorimetric methods to identify glucose include, oxidation of glucose in the presence of Cu+2 to give Cu2O, and different types of Chromatography, (Casabnon et al, 2005). Glucose can be detected with o-toledine or other amines, (Casabnon et al, 2005). The experiment had to check for the specificity of the assay thus other carbohydrates were assayed. These were galactose, fructose, maltose and ribose. Maltose is a disaccharide which is made up of two glucose molecules joined together by a glycosidic bond. Galactose is a major sugar found in milk, (Hames et al, 2005). Its structure consists of six carbons with a glycosidic bond to join the next glucose molecule, (Berg et al, 2007). Fructose is abundant in fruits. It is a monosaccharide with six carbons as its structure. Ribose is a pentose sugar molecule with 5 carbons. It is mostly abundant in the nucleotides. The aim of the experiment was to determine glucose concentration in different concentrated solutions and unknown solutions. The specificity of the assay was to be determined by application of the assay on different sugar molecules. A standard curve was to be drawn from the absorbencies acquired from the spectrophotometer at 515nm Materials 12 Test tubes 2 Long pipette tips 1ml of 0.5mM Fructose 1ml of 0.5mM Maltose 1ml of 0.5mM Galactose 1ml of Unknown Glucose 1ml of 0.5mM Ribose 5ml of 0, 5mM Glucose 5ml of Distilled water 7ml of 0.1% Phenol 20ml of GODPOD Reagent 9 pipette tips 8 Disposable Cuvettes Black Marker Stop watch P100 Pipette Automatic pipette Recoding paper and pen Spectrophotometer at 515nm Water bath at 37oC Test tubes rack Blotting paper Method The test tubes were marked T1 to T6, for those that had to be inoculated with glucose and S1 to S6, for those that had to be inoculated with different types of sugars. They were arranged in order of concentration on the rack. One row was left out for agitating the test tubes. Inoculation commenced by transferring glucose into different test tubes T1being the least concentrated. 0.5mM of Glucose was transferred using a P100 pipette and not changing the tip. 0.2cm3 was inoculated into T2, 0.4 cm3 into T3, 0.6 cm3 into T4, 0.8cm3 into T5 and 1.0 cm3into T6. Distilled water was then inoculated into the test tubes using a different tip to avoid cross contamination. One centimetre cubed was inoculated into T1, 0.8 cm3 into T2, 0.6 cm3 into T3, 0.4 cm3 into T4 and 0.2 cm3 into T5. There was no water inoculated into the last tube T6. Phenol was then inoculated into all the twelve test tubes. It was transferred using a different tip to avoid cross contamination. One centimetre cubed of different sugars were inoculated in specific S tubes. 0.5mM of Galactose was inoculated into S1, 0.5mM of Glucose was inoculated into S2, Glucose unknown was inoculated into S3, 0.5mM of Fructose was inoculated into S4, 0.5mM of Maltose was inoculated into S5 and then 0.5mM of Ribose was inoculated into S6. These transfers were done with different tips for different sugars. One and half millilitres of GODPOD reagent was then inoculated into all the test tubes using an automatic pipette and a long pipette tip. The test tubes were then agitated on the rack and incubated in the water bath for forty minutes. The temperature was constantly checked during incubation. After forty minutes, the solutions changed colour from colourless to light pink according to the concentration. These different solutions were then read on a spectrophotometer in a cuvette. The spectrophotometer was zeroed at first then absorbencies of Glucose and other sugars were read and recorded. A cuvette was wiped on the soft side to minimize absorbencies caused by contamination. These different absorbencies were recorded on a table. Discussion The reactions of glucose with the GODPOD were slow due to the fact that the enzyme was stored in ice thus it took long for the reaction to take place. The enzymes structure was disrupted because it was kept in cold thus it took time to equilibrate with the conditions. The reason why GODPOD was slow to react was because it is sensitive to its environment, (Teal et al, 1985). Enzymes are sensitive to pressure, temperature and pH. This added to the fact that the colour produced was not very dark because the enzyme was adjusting to the conditions. The enzyme also didnt denature because it was kept in ice at 4oC not in the heat above 40oC. On the graph, the points that are not on the line of best fit might have appeared because there might have been a competitive inhibitor thus the reaction didnt go on well owing to reduced absorbance. The inhibitor might have been so because of cross contamination. The same pipette might have been used to transfer the solutions thus cross contamination. The specificity of the enzymes might have caused the other solutions not to produce reliable results. Enzymes are sensitive to pH, (Jan, 2010). The pH of the test tube might have been so low or higher than the required thus some of the points are not in the line of best fit. This might have been avoided by carrying out the experiment repeatedly and then getting average values. When the enzyme was applied to the other sugars, there was no absorbance at all because the enzyme is specific to one substrate thus it didnt catalyse the reaction of other sugars and GODPOD. There might have no absorbance because these sugars might have their own wavelengths they absorb the light. This might have been avoided by scanning the various wavelengths and determine the exact wavelength. The unknown glucoses were determined by the use of the graph. The line of best fit was used to determine the glucose concentration. An equation was used also to determine the concentrations. The other points not on the line of the best fit might be there because the transitional state might have been great, thus when thirty minutes had passed, the enzyme had not gone past the transitional stage. This might have been characteristic of the colours produced according to the concentration of the different solutions. The unknown glucose solutions showed to have the same concentration as the stock solution. It might have the same compounds and properties as the stock solution. The results of the experiment were according to the literature values. This was highlighted by the absorbencies of stock solutions and different sugars. The specificity of the reaction was achieved. In conclusion, the aims of the experiment were achieved by obtain reliable data and results. The standard curve showed the absorbencies of the different solutions and unknowns.