English Literature

There has always been controversy regarding the necessity of a college degree in a persons life. In the olden days, people used to acquire good and highly paying jobs after graduating from high school. However nowadays, with the advancement in technology, changed customer demands, increased employer expectations and new ways of cutting costs, people and companies are coming to the realization that high school education may not equip people fully with the necessary skills to cope with the changing demands at their workplaces and in life generally (Covey, 2006). There is however the evidence of people who have succeeded in life without necessarily acquiring a college degree. This is a paper that agrees to the argument that college degree is a necessity to an individuals success in life.

There are many reasons as to why it is necessary to acquire a college degree. Firstly, college education equips the students with more advanced skills when compared to the high school level. In high school, the students basically take what the teacher offers without necessarily questioning it (Welsh  Foster, 1991). In college, it is different in that the students question what is offered by the teachers they experiment and even come up with better methods of doing things. In the process, it improves their critical thinking which is very necessary in the working environment. When the students complete their education irrespective of the level, they are expected to make decisions in life and at the workplace. A person who has undergone college education would be more equipped with the necessary life skills like time management skills, communications skills among others to cope with lifes challenges than a person who completed their education at high school level (Nist-Olejnik  Holschuh, 2007).

Secondly, getting a decent job in todays society is very difficult for a person who does not have a college degree. At almost all the levels of employment, a college degree is a prerequisite for recruiting people at entry levels for corporate employers. Even if by going to college an individual may not know everything, it indicates that they are capable of learning new things something that is very important to the employers. It also shows that one can apply knowledge in the different fields of life. When a student undergoes a three or four year course, it creates a certain kind of responsibility and the employers may feel that such a person can oversee a project or an activity until something is achieved out of it. Basically, college education equips the students with very many skills that enable them to be picked by employers, something that maybe could not have happened with a high school graduate (Nist-Olejnik  Holschuh, 2007).

Thirdly, college education increases the chances of getting a higher pay. Statistics show that during the working life of an adult, a high school graduate is likely to earn approximately 1.2 million dollars on average. On the other hand, a college graduate would on average earn about 2.1 million dollars (Covey, 2006). This shows that there is a very big difference in the earnings of a person who has gone to college and one who has not. This difference is in most cases clearly indicated by the living conditions of these two kinds of people. The person with a higher income is in a better position to invest more, take the children to better schools and have general better living standards than one who has not (Covey, 2006).

The fourth reason for the acquisition of a college degree is the increased social values. Studies indicate that there is a correlation between college education and economic growth, family and cultural values. It is also evident that compared to high school graduates, the people who undergo college education are in a better position to handle the societal problems better than the ones who completed their education at high school level. They are as well more equipped in the preparation of their childrens future. These people tend to be more optimistic as far as their lives in general are concerned. These people work hard on personal progress and development more than the people who do not acquire college education (Covey, 2006).

Fifthly, college education allows the students to try out things of a wide variety. By the time that students are graduating from high school, they usually do not know the exact thing that they would want to do. Making life decisions is usually a task to them since they do not have much exposure regarding life. In college however, students have much independence and they have to make decisions as far as their academics, social and spiritual lives are concerned. This lays a very good foundation in their decision making and by the time they are completing their course, they can definitely make better decisions than they could when they finished high school. Success in life has much to do with making choices and decisions. On average, a person who has gone to college would be in a position to make better decisions and this implies that they are likely to be more successful in life than a person whose education ended after completing high school (Welsh  Foster, 1991).

The sixth reason for the necessity of college education for ones success in life is the advancement in their careers and education. After getting the basic education, if one would require to get a masters degree, they cannot do so without a bachelors one (Welsh  Foster, 1991). That means that a person who finished his education at high school level has lower chances of getting a masters degree or any other degree which requires one to have a minimum of a bachelors degree. It is the same with careers in that the people with lower academic credentials are less likely to be promoted than the ones who have college education. As one continues to be promoted, they earn higher salaries and gain more experience (Covey, 2006).

There are many more reasons as to why college education is considered a necessity if one is to succeed in their lives. It is not only a personal investment but also, the whole family can benefit from it in many ways. If this extends to the society, the benefits increase since more people will have better paying jobs, there would be more tax revenue for the government and the society at large would live a better life. College education expands an individual skills and knowledge. It enables people to grasp theories and concepts which are abstract. It also helps people to understand their community and the world better. All these things are very important in life and they therefore make college education a necessity for success in life.

     In the first paragraph of the poem, the feelings of a caged bird are being described. It is as if the caged bird feels the warmth of the sun and sees its brightness as it touches the slopes of the land. The bird even though caged can feel the soft breeze of the wind and can still imagine the wind as it stirs the grass on the land. The water in the river flows smoothly and the caged bird describes its shimmers with that of glasses. The bird continues on and illustrates how the singing of the first bird combines with the blooming of the flowers. As the flowers open their buds, the bird can smell their faint fragrance. Visualizing this picture really makes the caged bird sad, as what anyone would feel if they are imprisoned.

     People often think that when a caged bird sings, it is happy, when in fact it is singing a prayer coming from its sad heart that it can fly freely again in the open land. A caged bird often beats its wings, not to show us how good it can dance, not to clap because of our presence, but to show us how much he wanted to spread its wings outside of its cage. The caged birds will to be free is so strong that even though it hurts itself as it tries to flee, it still tries to fly away.

     Truly this poem portrays how sad a caged bird feels. How it misses the sun and the wind outside. As a reader, we sympathize with how the caged bird feels for the writer helped us see the misery the caged bird is going through.

What is startling is the fact that male stereotypes have demonstrated an enduring resiliency despite evidence suggesting that these stereotypes often do not apply to the aging male population.  This is perhaps why Tuesdays with Morrie, a book by Mitch Albom about one of his dying professors, has touched such a raw nerve in both the academic community and in society more generally.  Men are in this book by Mitch Albom portrayed as vulnerable, as requiring some type of social support network, and as being at risk of depression and other ailments when they perceive themselves to be cut off from society.  Book report essay will show that, with respect to male aging, it is quite accurate to believe that fear is just as powerful for both men and women as they age and that a type of vulnerability peculiar to males demands genuine interventions to sustain a personal sense of social worth and a feeling of social inclusion.  This report will therefore discuss how the book was constructed and its main message and advice about male aging.

More than anything else, this book is the story of as relationship between a student and his old professor.  The writer was once a student of the professors at Brandeis University.  The book, however, is not about their relationship at university instead, this story takes many years later when the student is a grown man and the professor is an old man who is dying.  The title comes from the fact that the writer met his old professor on Tuesdays and learned about male aging and how it is to know that you are going to die.  Even though this might seem like a sad topic, and it is sad sometimes, the overall tone is happy and hopeful.  This is because the old professor, a man named Morrie Schwartz, has had a happy life and has had a good family.  Still, much of the book concerns Morries observations about getting older and the difficulties that men face as they age.  Morrie can still think and speak clearly, but his physical body is devastated from his disease.  The writer constantly says that these conversations with Morrie would make him reassess his life.  What is interesting is that the writer is actually a professional sportswriter and he is very much involved with male stereotypes such as physical strength, pride, and independence.  Through Morrie, who cries and openly expresses his pain and suffering at certain points, the writer realizes that these male stereotypes can do more harm than good from an emotional and psychological point of view as men age.  The writer promises to be more open with his own family, to be vulnerable and more dependent on those he loves, and to enjoy life as a feeling human being instead of as a stereotyped male.  The greatest fear, from the writers perspective, seems to be growing old without loved ones rather than an impending death itself.  In this way, the book is mostly about the process of aging as it impacts men rather than death or disease.  This ability to be vulnerable, and to express human needs openly, represents for the writer the ultimate type of human wisdom.  One example of this type of wisdom is when the writer quotes Morrie as saying that As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed as ignorant as you were at twenty- two, youd always be twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. Its growth. Its more than the negative that youre going to die, its the positive that youunderstandyoure going to die, and that you live a better life because of it. (Albom, 1997)  This is beautiful, and intelligent, because they both come to equate aging with growth rather than the type of decay caused by Morries disease.  People are never too old to learn.

This books main message, a valuable one, is that trust and personal relationships are very important as people get older.  There are, however, certain parts of the male ego that sometime make it harder for men to trust and to ask for help as they age.  The stereotype, which this book suggests is not always correct, is that men are independent and too proud to be dependent on other people as they get older.  This can make aging men lonelier and less healthy than women as they age.  Mitch Albom delivers a message suggesting that people ignore these stereotypes in meetings and interactions with older men.  At one point, for example, he writes  Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them too-even when you are in the dark. Even when youre falling. (Albom, 1997) Generally speaking, and quite clearly illustrated in Tuesdays with Morrie, gender is relevant and social inclusion is more challenging for men as they age than for women.  One researcher has stated that This lack of social embeddedness has been attributed to gender and mens acceptance of the pivotal role of women in establishing and maintaining social networks.  In support of this line of reasoning it has been further pointed out that women tend rather strongly to pursue and maintain family networks that women report a greater feeling of emotional gratification from personal relations and, that men suffer disproportionately from these gender disparities as they age.  The ways in which men suffer, and the sociological issues, demonstrate that trust and communication are critical factors.  Albom portrays a vulnerable man that defies traditional male stereotypes and which is also consistent with the academic literature regarding male aging.

In conclusion, Tuesdays with Morrie is a book that anyone interested in human wisdom or the process of aging should read and carefully consider.  It paints the aging process as one of personal growth and the acquisition of knowledge.  It is also especially valuable for men because it points out the dangers of male stereotypes and how this can lead to loneliness for men.  It is best to treat all human beings the same as they age and to  anticipate certain fears and needs.  Aging, after all, affects us all.

Dr. Bergman in his book The Discovery of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Lessons in the Practice of Political Medicine discusses and explains why it took so long for the public and the medical community to accept Sudden Infant Death Syndrome as a legitimate disease rather than as an unknown type of accident.  Historically, this type of death has had three main characteristics.  These characteristics were that the infant deaths were not expected because there were no prior health warnings, the deaths happened quickly, and there seemed to be no valid medical reasons for the deaths.  Somewhat morbidly, these types of deaths were often referred to in the past as crib deaths because they typically involved infants younger than one year of age and many actually occurred in a babys crib.  The most frightening aspect of this type of death was the fact that it constituted the second most common cause of death among infants an additional frightening aspect was the simple fact that there existed no verifiable medical explanations.  Worse, because there were no medical explanations, these numerous deaths were effectively classified and treated as accidents rather than the result of specific causes that might be identified and addressed to prevent more deaths.  This is the main topic of Dr. Bergmans book about discovering Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  More specifically, he details the lengthy academic and political battles waged by doctors and public health professionals to classify these infant deaths as a real medical condition rather than as accidents that could not be prevented.  This battle was important because it made available public and private funds for education programs and further research.  This battle to recognize crib deaths as a legitimate medical condition has yielded some positive results.  While many infants still die in unexpected and sudden ways, these types of deaths are no longer completely unexplained as was true in the past.  Instead, recent research studies have identified potential causes that might lead to prevention techniques and pre-death interventions. 

    Statistically, as Dr. Bergman notes, these deaths are truly a public health crisis worthy of further attention and public funding for research.  He states, for example, that
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), commonly known as crib death, claims between 6,000 and 7,000 babies a year in the United States. It is responsible for between 2 and 3 deaths out of every 1,000 live births. After the first week of life, where deaths associated with prematurity predominate, SIDS is the most important single cause of death of infants under 1 year of age
 
    Given these statistics, and the fact that these deaths involved the most vulnerable population among human beings, one would guess that finding the causes would have been a public health priority.  Sadly, as Dr. Bergman points out throughout the book, this was not the case.  More puzzling, both politicians and policy makers did not seem very interested in these crib death statistics.  As a consequence, and Dr. Bergman details a series of public education campaigns and government lobbying efforts, it was left to a few dedicated academics, public health professionals, and grieving parents to fight in order to get these deaths recognized as a legitimate disease and public assistance.  The author implies that these deaths were not as profitable as diseases such as cancer or AIDs and that this cynical profit orientation may have been one reason why politicians neglected these infant deaths.  Drug companies, after all, could not sell drugs for a disease for which there were no known causes and they had little economic incentive to press politicians to fund research for a disease that many deemed a series of tragic accidents.  This is the ironic nature of the books title, suggesting a discovery of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, because there was no discovery but a push for public officials to discover this disease in the form of a formal acknowledgement that would open up funding and support for public health professionals and families. 

    In many ways, in addition to explaining the scope and the nature of the problem, this book provides an interesting historical account of the lobbying efforts that eventually resulted in formal recognition and funding.  The author provides an interesting overview about how this started out as a small grassroots campaign than eventually became an important national public health issue.  He notes, referring to the grassroots origins of this campaign, that

First and foremost a research effort had to be launched. Research support had been the exclusive interest of the tiny Roe Foundation. A few small grants were awarded, but the Foundation lacked the capacity for any sort of substantial campaign. Money was not the only problem. Few scientists with potential talent even knew of the existence of crib death they had to be recruited to work in the field.     
After much effort, the biggest break came when a famous consumer rights advocate named Ralph Nader decided to help the group present its concern to state and federal lawmakers.  Naders group prepared a report together with the group advocating recognition of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and this report would eventually receive much media attention and political interest.  It was mostly through this report that the public learned about these infant deaths more thoroughly and they began asking there political representatives to increase funding for this important family health issue.  In fact, the author was so appreciative of Naders help that he writes in his book that When the list of the most important Americans of the twentieth century is compiled, Ralph Nader should surely rank high. By word and deed he has shown how citizens without money or position can alter the status quo.

This book, in addition to being about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is also about how a few concerned citizens can help to change their societies by becoming knowledgeable, involved, and persistent.  A few groups of individuals can make the world a better place.   Indeed, since the time that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was formally acknowledged as a legitimate disease, several potential causes have been identified.  Many deal with irritants which affect an infants lungs, such as chemicals and second-hand smoke.  Other studies suggest that a low birth-rate and male babies are risk factors for this type of infant death.  Without the dedication of people like Dr. Bergman and Ralph Nader, these causes might never have been found.  They are truly heroic people.

In conclusion, this book demonstrates that disease and public health are sometimes too narrowly defined.  People cannot view deaths with a pattern as accidents and therefore ignore them as if they are inevitable.  Instead, people who suffer such personal losses should exercise their rights as citizens.  They should educate themselves and become involved in the political process.  These are the books main messages and they are hopeful messages.  Anyone can change the world.

The business world has changed tremendously and it is today characterized by increasing competition, globalization and technological dynamism. I operate a communications firm which deals with installation of information technology devices including internet services, software management and programming for our customers. The communications industry commonly referred to as the information technology industry is one of the most dynamic industries today (LaRue, Childs, Larson  Ivany, 2004).

    Speed, adaptability and flexibility are some of the major strengths or factors that have enabled our organization to continue being profitable amidst the cut throat competition in the information technology industry (Brock, n. d). Changing times demand change in the operation tactics and this is only possible in an organization if it has speed, is flexible and can easily adapt to changing business environment. These three components have been our major source of strength and a contributor to the success and growth of our communications firm.

    Speed, adaptability and flexibility are the key factors that drive change in an organization. They also drive innovation and creativity, some of the essential tools in creating a sustainable competitive advantage (Thamhain, 2005). Speed is the ability to effectively and rapidly respond to changes in the market. This has enabled us to find out changing needs of the customers and develop creative ways of meeting them before our competitors do the same. Speed has enabled us to put in place the right systems to ensure that the goals of our company are met. It also gives us a decisive competitive advantage. Flexibility refers to the ability to internally do things in order to meet the demands or requests of the customers. Our business is very open to accommodate changes in order to meet the needs of our customers. We listen to our customers needs, are open to new options and technologies and are willing to try new ideas. This has made our firm different from others and helped in improving our customer relations as well as profitability. Adaptability on the other hand is the outward transformation as a result of outward changes (Patten et al, n. d). Our company adapts easily and quickly to changing business environment and this is vital in communications industry. This has had great impact on our ability to increase the customers value. Speed, adaptability and flexibility are the key to our business success today.

James Joyces Ulysses is fairly regarded as the bright example of professional talented modernism. A complex combination of various literary and non-literary elements, Ulysses as if is being written and read at the intersection of artistic and routine features of the human life. Episode 15 Circe is as unique as it is also difficult to understand. It is written as a reflection of numerous hallucinations which intersect and interact, and which, as soon as they are understood and analysed, present a completely different picture of the two characters that used to present their vision of the world through the fourteen preceding chapters. In many aspects, the hallucinations, the psychological, and modernistic insights presented in Circe create a complex picture of the human life as influenced by both inner anxieties and external circumstances and events. In Circe, Bloom and Stephen have to go through a series of hallucinations but the modernist character of Joyces writing is not in that humans can have hallucinations, but in that their hallucinations intersect and interact in ways that bring them closer together and change their perceptions about life and about each other.

James Joyce, Ulysses, and Modernism
    That Joyces Ulysses is a unique example of modernistic writing is difficult to deny, but the complex language and complex interactions between reality and illusions are not the only features of early twentieth centurys modernism that can be found in Circe. Rather, Circe, as well as Ulysses in general, is modernistic to the extent, which asks questions that are unanswerable by nature, which positions stream of consciousness as the central element of the human being, which combines and emphasises the conflict between particularity and universality in Blooms and Stephens lives, and which turns their hallucinations into a force that brings them closer to each other. Bloom and Stephen have to become closer, and it is clear from the very beginning of the novel, but these are the hallucinations in Circe that make such proximity possible, desirable, and even inevitable. The ways in which Stephens and Blooms hallucinations intersect simply leave them no chance to be further separated from each other. The Mabbot street entrance of nighttown, before which stretches an uncobbled transiding set with skeleton tracks, red and green will-o-the-wisps and danger signals (Joyce 1922, p. 351)  everything that Bloom sees on his way is so dangerous and even menacing, that he is confident he has to protect Stephen from the emerging threats. However, if traditional non-modernist writers would seek to present this quest for the unknown as the direct pathway to tragedy and death, such quest for Joyce paves the way to hallucinations as the only opportunity to answer the questions that are regularly asked by both Stephen and Bloom no matter, whether their hallucinations are caused by the so-called epilepsy or the alcoholic influence of absinthe, they offer a unique chance to understand inner urges and hidden desires and to resolve the anxieties that rule Blooms and Stephens lives.

    However, and this is another modernist feature of Joyce story, the answers Bloom and Stephen are likely to get through the hallucinations are not as important as the process of thinking and rethinking them. Neither question opens up a space for a question to expand and metamorphose into a quest. It would see that self-imposed and self-evident enigmas cannot generate and sustain purposive mental or narrative movement (DiBattista 2008). These enigmas are as self-imposed as they are also important to see the stream of consciousness as the critical element of the human being. My spines a bit limp. Go or turn And this food Eat it and get all pigsticky. Absurd I am. Waste of money. One and eightpence too much.  Strange how they take to me. Even that brute today. Better speak to him first. Like women they like rencontres. Stinks like a polecat. Chacun son gout. He might be mad. Fido (Joyce 1922, p. 365). These disrupted thoughts and associations actually reflect what is going on in readers minds when they face similar situations or experience similar conflicts between their inner perceptions and external events. Joyce modernism is unique in a sense that it positions this mixture of realism and modernism as one of the basic modernist features of his writing. Also, this modernism shows Bloom and Stephen as both general and unique, and such reconciliation of material particularity with the universal by way of chaos (Horowitz 2006) confirms Circe as one of the central representatives of high modernism.

In the context of the modernistic writing in Circe, gazing stands out as the most important means of understanding the human soul and inner anxieties. In Circe, gazing prevail over other forms of self-identification and self-investigation Bloom gazes ahead reading on the wall a scrawled chalk legend Wet Dream and a phallic design (Joyce 1922, p. 364) in the presence of Zoe, Bloom gazes in the tawny crystal of her eyes, ringed with kohol (Joyce 1922, p. 377) he gazes far away mournfully and gazes at the veiled mauve light (Joyce 1922, p. 398). In his discussion of Joyces novel, Gordon (2004) shows gazing as the basic prerequisite for making hallucinations active, productive, and useful for the analysis of Blooms anxieties (p. 158), but it is also clear that gazing resembles a test, which both Bloom and Stephen have to pass in order to confirm their predisposition to hallucinations and in order to make sure that they can use these as an instrument of self-analysis. This is a form of interaction between the material and the aesthetic, a form of physiological (gazing) justification for the psychological (hallucinations) ability to resolve personal and social anxieties, although the resolution itself does not mean anything against the process of investigating the truth (if there is any). What seems more interesting, however, is the role which these hallucinations play in bringing Bloom closer to his psychological portrait  hallucinations make it extremely easier for the reader to understand the meaning of the fetishist and masochistic urges, with which Bloom is bound to live his life.

    These masochistic signs become visible at readers facing the meaning and significance of Blooms correspondence with Martha in earlier chapters, but it is through Blooms being beaten by Bella (Bello), and his being fascinated and nervous about Bellas (Bellos) lingerie that make Blooms psychological features more understandable to the reader The door opens. Bella Cohen, a massive whoremistress enters. She is dressed in a threequarter ivory gown, fringed round the hem with tasselled selvedge, and cools herself flirting a black horn fan like Minnie Hauck in Carmen. On her left hand are wedding and keeping rings. Her eyes are deeply carboned. She has a sproutling moustache (Joyce 1922, p. 404). Since this moment, Bloom cannot turn his eyes away from her dressing and her fan  the two objects of Blooms fetishism. Here, finally, Joyce reveals his profound psychological thinking which is a part of his modernistic vision he shows Bloom as the one who has a fraught sense of masculinity and power and a man who also experiences an increasing sense of guilt of what is going on in his life (Faulkner 1977). He does realise the meaning of his fetishist desires, and that Bella ultimately turns into Bello and abuses Bloom also emphasises his own impotence and the lack of masculine power.

    As any modernist writer, Joyce could not limit his investigations and strivings to underlining the masculine impotence of Bloom rather, he had to look deeper into how individuals (in general and in particular) seek to resolve these inner conflicts. As such, Bello for Bloom is both his punishment and his reward. Coffman (2002) is correct in that the beating and abuse by Bello is a unique and convenient way to fetishise Bloom, and this fetishisation brings the masculine phallic power back into Bloom and makes him feel stronger You will be laced with cruel force into vicelike corsets of soft dove coutille with whalebone busk to the diamondtrimmed pelvis, the absolute outside edge, while your figure, plumper than when at large, will be restrained in nettight frocks, pretty two ounce petticoats and fringes and things stamped, of course, with my houseflag (Joyce 1922, p. 409). Again, it is not clear and probably it is not very important whether the phallic power which Bloom acquires through Bello will resolve his anxieties. As a modernist writer, Joyce is increasingly concentrated on the process of consciousness and analysis itself. The more important is the role these hallucinations play for both Stephen and Bloom.

    As the reflection of his modernist strivings, Joyce uses Bloom and Stephen as the two most common representatives of the Dublins crowd, and their usualness (commonness) contributes to the overall chaotic nature of his novel, but the hallucinations in which Stephen and Bloom engage in Circe also show how important they can be for their lives. On the one hand, Stephen wants to promote his own professional and intellectual independence My centre of gravity is displaced. I have forgotten the trick. Let us sit down somewhere and discuss. Stuggle for life is the law of existence but modern philirenists, probably the tsar and the king of England, have invented arbitration. But in here it is I must kill the priest and the king (Joyce 1922, p. 438). At this very time, Bloom tries to protect him from the consequences of his wording and to some extent, he exemplifies the caregiver and a true father to Stephen, whom he considers to be his lost son He said nothing. Not a word. A pure misunderstanding (Joyce 1922, p. 441). Although at the very end of the chapter Bloom is the one to support Stephen in his unconsciousness, the real modernism is in that Joyce makes it possible for the hallucinations of the two different people to intersect and even to interact in ways, which bring their real lives together and change their perceptions about each other.
   
    James Joyces Ulysses is one of the brightest examples of the modernist writing. The modernist character of Joyces novel and its fifteenth episode is in that, by taking the two casual and common people from the Dublin crowd, the writer seeks to investigate their inner worlds. His investigation and the hallucinations which he uses in Circe are nothing else but the convenient tools of knowledge and a good means to position the stream of consciousness as the basic element of the human being hallucinations are used as a literary technique and as an instrument of psychological investigation. That Stephen and Bloom are the two usual representatives of their society makes them equally particular and general, and turns modernism into a unique manner of reconciling the generality and particularity of these characters. The blurred line between reality and illusion makes Ulysses and Circe, in particular, even more modernistic. However, the real modernism in Circe is not in that individuals can experience hallucinations, but in that their hallucinations interact and intersect in ways that bring them closer to each other and change their real perceptions about their lives.

I belong to two different communities one is my current community which is in Ann Arbor where I study at the University of Michigan, and the other is the community that I left back in Shanghai, China.  My community at Ann Arbor is composed mostly of students who are also from different locations and just moved here to Ann Arbor to study at the University of Michigan.

    The fact that University of Michigan is located at Ann Arbor makes majority of the population here diverse, as students from not only around the US but also around the world like myself flock here to have good quality education. It could be said that Ann Arbor is mostly a community of students to which I belong. It is a community because it is a group of people with varying in interests, hometowns, and ethnicities that manage to live together in cooperation.

    The community functions as my second community because my original community which is in Shanghai, China is thousands of miles away. The people of the community serve as my companion in times of need. Thankfully, they have been very accommodating despite me being from a foreign country. As for others, (the non-students) this community functions as a source of income. From the faculty of the school to the establishment employees outside of the campus, the residents of Ann Arbor benefit from the money being spent by the students.

    One of the rewards of being a part of this community is that the community is able to help with my studies. The community is also able to provide security for me, for I know that my friends would help me in times of need.

    The cost of membership is free, but being enrolled in the university is another matter. Since English is of course the primary language used in the community, it is just in the tone and sometime in the manner of writing that differences can be noticed.

    People from outside the community would simply see a group of students living and studying together just because we go to the same school. It may be right, but for us students who belong to the community, we are more than just forcibly living together We have formed something more like a second family.

The stories Girl by Jamaica Kincaid and The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston share the same theme about the complexity of a woman. Both stories teaches that the more the world tries to dictate how a woman must act and react, the more the world complicates matters for her. This is because she is not a simple mechanical toy that one can simply input instructions on. A woman is human. She thinks and she feels she gets hurt and she inflicts pain. She is never predictable. As a matter of fact, a balloon of mystery embodies her soul. No one can really accurately fathom who she really is. Although she may seem complacent and dutiful trying to be in parallel with what the society requires of her she may just be putting on a faade. A womans soul is deep and her mind is so broad that mankind tries so hard to deny her strength.

    The aforementioned theme shared by the stories of Kincaid and Kingston was developed using different attacks. Kincaids Girl was a relatively short story. Its a story in the form of a monologue of a mother. The mother in the story was talking about the things that her daughter must do and the numerous things she wanted her to keep in mind. Of course, since it is a monologue, the only character in the story is the mother. The mothers characterization where fully developed by the implication of her monologue. Whereas Kingstons The Woman Warrior has a character that narrates the story, a main protagonist and of course, antagonists. Although there was not much dialogue, the effective narration gave a clear mental picture of the characters. In terms of the story setting, Kincaid was more playful with her story. Basically Girl is set in a rural area. It is safe to say that the Girl being talked to and about in the story is a typical country girl from the modern era. On the other hand, Kingston was generally typical in her setting as well as in the development of her storys plot. The Woman Warrior is set in a province in China but the narrator is in the United States.

    Kincaid was more adventurous in style but Kingstons symbolism and imagery were deeper. As a reader goes through story of The Woman Warrior, hell be able to mentally visualize the scenes envisioned by the author. Kingstons play of words was very effective and poetic. She managed to clearly imply Chinese philosophies and customs through her seemingly effortless narration of the story. Her choice of words was excellent. The story was easy to understand.

    Both stories have their own set of strengths and weaknesses. But by carefully comparing them on their efficiency in illustrating and relating the theme, The Woman Warrior reigns supreme. Kincaids Girl was fun to read. It is short and it some how tickles. It had a light approach on the theme. It is something extraordinary. Kincaid must be commended because she did an excellent job in writing such a truthful monologue that captures and delivers reality. Nevertheless, theme-wise, The Woman Warrior has the better illustration of the theme. It dealt with the theme extensively. It makes a reader stare and think about the matters being raised in the story. Its style may be typical but the development of its theme is extraordinarily good.

Environmentally and Economically

    Equally alarming than another world war is global warming. It is one of the major problems that scientists and practitioners from the different branches of science and technology are working on. Since carbon dioxide is among the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, it may be implied that vehicles (cars) are major contributors to the crisis. Consequently, environmentally friendly card models were introduced by car manufacturers. The most accessible of these designs are the hybrid vehicles. Hybrid cars use an electric motor and an internal combustion engine to achieve greater fuel efficiency (Thomas). This technology is being used by car manufacturers to lessen the vehicles dependency on oil and fuel. The electric motor of the hybrid vehicle lessens its carbon emission. So if you will compare an ordinary internal combustion engine car with a hybrid vehicle, it is evidently clear that carbon emission is lessened by using the later thus, using hybrid vehicles seem economical and most importantly, environment friendly.

    Unfortunately, a careful scrutiny on hybrid vehicles will show that it is not the best alternative for conventional vehicles in addressing the issue of global warming. Its economical and environmental advantages over the ordinary vehicles are just a faade. Meaning, in the long run, hybrid vehicles have the same level of disadvantages as the ordinary internal combustion engine. Indeed, hybrid cars have lower carbon emission. But the batteries (lithium ion and nickel) that they use have moderate to high toxic pollution potential. Consequently, the environment is still not safe even with the advent of the usage of hybrid cards. The vehicles great potential to contribute on pollution is still existent.

    Economically speaking, hybrid cars are still not wise alternatives over the conventional cars. Batteries of hybrid cars degenerate faster compared to the ordinary ones being used by conventional vehicles. Thus, a hybrid car owner will need to constantly change a several thousand dollars worth of battery every 80,000 miles or less (Thomas). It is good that the government has tax incentives for hybrid car users but in the end, after computing all the costs and expenses spent on using the supposedly alternative car is still higher than the incentive (Bradford).

    Moving further, the performance of hybrid vehicles is not as good as the feat of the ordinary conventional combustion engine cars. Hybrids do not run as fast and as smooth as the conventional vehicles. As a matter of fact, there are existing complaints against car manufacturers because the hybrid cars that they produced do not reach the stated gas mileage.

    Hence, if car buyers and concerned citizens of the world will weigh the pros and cons of having a hybrid car as an alternative to the ordinary internal combustion engine cars, the later will be favored. The creation of the hybrid vehicles is not fraud. The intention in making them is good  and that is to help stop and prevent global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. However, studies and analysis show that hybrids do not greatly differ from ordinary cars when it comes to pollution potential. Given the fact that hybrids do not really help save the users expenses on cars, it is safe to conclude that hybrid vehicles are not alternatives of conventional cars.

When you think of a vegetarian diet, you may get the misconception that the diet is lacking in proteins and therefore less healthy. This is unfounded since you can manage to balance the diet and get all the essential nutrients including proteins leading to a healthy living. There are whole benefits accrued to the practice of vegetarianism.

How is a vegetarian diet better
    A well balanced vegetarian diet goes a long way in preventing diseases such as cancer, hypertension, arthritis and obesity among others. Since a vegetarian diet excludes meat, one does not consume high levels of bad cholesterol found in meat. Instead consuming legumes, nuts, grains and vegetables provides good cholesterol that is effective in reducing the risk of developing heart related conditions (Craig, 2010, para 4).

    Of course the worry of where you can obtain proteins as a vegetarian will always reign in your mind but with a better understanding of other sources such as dry beans as well as lentils, there is no need to worry as this is the way out. You can obtain sufficient non-meat proteins from soy beans, tofu, navy beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, lima, pinto and garbanzo among other cereals (para, 5).

Soy protein is associated with inhibition of cancerous growths as well as cholesterol lowering substances that eliminate the risks of acquiring cancers and heart diseases. Vegetables form the major part of your diet as a vegetarian and these are important in reducing the risks of developing cancers and heart related conditions as they contain tepernoids necessary for lowering blood cholesterol (Craig, 2010, para 18). In particular, fruits and berries contain pigments such as anthocyanin and reddish pigments which neutralize free radicals in the body in addition to preventing oxidation of bad cholesterol.

    It is clear that by observing a vegetarian diet, your health is of much better more so when it comes to dealing with chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and arthritis. Nevertheless, non-animal proteins must be supplied to ensure that the diet remains balanced, a move that is very possible with the many plant protein supplements available.

Globalization is being talked about everywhere. It has become a common subject of discussion and debate lately. Scholars from all over the world have become occupied in learning about it as a national issue and phenomenon, and sociologists have already initiated studies that aim to find out about its effects on peoples lives. Because of this global curiosity about such a phenomenon, globalization has been tried to defined and explicated in a lot of different ways. Now, people at the least have a speck of idea about what globalization is and what it affects. However, this speck of idea may not appear sufficient since a lot about nations economy, culture, government and national identity are being affected by globalization. Considering these perceived effects, it may seem like what the world needs is a more extensive and in-depth scrutiny as to what globalization really is and how it affects one country. The effects of globalization have indeed been evident in a lot of countries today. Aside from changing traditions, cultures and outlook on some things, it has also affected peoples sense of nationalism and patriotism. One of the most apparent manifestations of this is on how people of today have been used to being patrons of foreign products instead of their own, locally-made products. However, aside from this, one very significant change which people have to notice is the domination of the English language. 

English is indeed the universal language, and that fact is known in every part of the world. It is also because of this fact that different countries strive on making their people learned and familiar with the English language since being able to speak and understand the language enables people to communicate with more people from other countries. This bridges more connection which also implies that international relations can also be strengthened if more countries will be able to become fluent English speakers. However, in some cases, English domination is not seen as positive event. In some places, a domination of a foreign language does not actually entail a major step toward globalization instead, it may seem more like an unwanted colonization which poses the possibility of the loss of a nationalistic spirit and identity. There are several nations that are actually looking at the domination of the English language this way. One of these nations is Saudi Arabia. The situation of Saudi Arabia amidst globalization has been a constant subject on headlines all over the world. The countrys way of reaching out to the world has been very uncontestable over the years however, as it appears, one part of globalization is not making that much of a positive impact on the country and this is the domination of the English language over the Arabic language. Over the years, it has been very significant to understand the effects of globalization on a countrys economy and national identity. Given this case of English domination in the Arabia, it appears significant to understand the more specific effects it posts on the countrys culture and on peoples behavior and preferences. This discussion shall then delve on the significant impacts of English domination in the attitude and preference of Arabians toward the media. Specifically, this discussion shall look into the effects and influence of English domination  apparent through the proliferation of English TV shows  on Arab children.

Globalization
A scenario which depicts a nation struggling to fight for its dying language due to the domination of English language can be very upsetting and alarming. A lot of people would easily associate and attribute this scenario to globalization. If this will be the case, such people may really have a point somewhere however, in order to understand how globalization is connected to this dilemma, it may be best to first define and explicate what globalization is and how it is connected to a nations language loss.

Globalization has becomes a common topic of discussion over the years because of its rapid growth in different countries. It has been defined and explicated by different experts, but as it appears, no concrete and solid understanding of globalization tends to linger into peoples minds. In this light, consulting experts in this subject matter would be the best idea. Ulrich Beck, is one of the many experts who have studied and are continuously exploring on the concept of globalization. Just like other experts who have explored on the concept of globalization, Beck also thinks that there have been a lot of misconceptions about what globalization really is. According to Beck, the idea of globalization centers on, scale, density, and stability of regional-global relationship networks and their self-definition through the mass media, as well as of social spaces and of image-flows at a cultural, political, economic and military level. (Beck 12)

This definition clearly implies that globalization is not directly focused on modernization as what most people think. Over the years, the mass media has related globalization to the modern development and growth of the world. Because of this association, it has been easy for people to assume that globalization is the same as modernization or development towards modernity. However, as per Becks explication, this is not the actual case. The abovementioned definition clearly entails that globalization is all about relationships or connections. Beck emphasizes that rather than being focused on infrastructures and other physical manifestations of modernity, globalization actually centers on connections that are built between nations. The author also notes that this kind of connection imposes significant effects not just on a countrys modern development but also on its economy, government, culture and even in its military defense. As it appears, globalization really delves on connection instead of modernity hence, what appears important to understand regarding Becks definition of globalization is that, the modern aspect of globalization is just an effect or consequence of the growing connections between powerful nations.

Considering this definition, it appears that a nation can be considered to be participating in the common aim for globalization if it is able to build strong and reliable relationships with other powerful countries. The United States can be used as one good example in discussing this definition. The United States has been tagged by different experts as the worlds most powerful country. It has overcome a lot of political and military feats, and although it has recently gone through a serious economic recession, its influence to other countries still remains incontestable. A lot of people may question, why is this so One factor that may have contributed to this kind of influence is the strength and dominance that the ancient Americans were able to establish. Plainly basing it one studied history, it can be seen that a lot of powerful nationalities like the English or British, Germans and Latin races have successfully made their way to become naturalized in America long before. Because of this, the minds, skills and physical prowess of America grew stronger because of this mixture. Over the years, it has also made successful colonies from several less powerful nations. These are just some possible reasons why the United States was able to acquire such a strong influence over other countries today.

The power and influence of the United States of America is important to not because this one of the best example that could be used in the discussion of globalization. Apparently, a lot of countries are now looking up to the United States of America like it is an exemplar in terms of economic and political stability. Because of this impression, the U.S. was able to make strong connections to other countries, both to third world and powerful and influential countries as well. The influence has been very consistent through the years. One strong proof of this influence is the prevalence of the English language as the worlds most understood language. However, this is just one illustration of how globalization works. The United States play as a significant example of how advantageous globalization is especially in terms of economic, political and military stability. But apart from this, there are still a lot of effects of globalization that experts were able to identify over the years. Some of these consequences include improve market mechanisms and government efficiency (Korten 98). These consequences root from the ability of globalization to empower markets because of the growing connections to more countries hence wide ranging market as well. Moreover, government efficiency was also said to be an effect of globalization since world leaders are being obligated to exert more logical and the same time stern governance in order for their nation to appear credible and exemplary before the rest of the world. However, apart from these positive effects, there are also some negative effects seen to root from this concept of globalization. One of these corrosive effects, include supraterritoriality. This process was explained to be a situation where territories are being scarce due to monopolized control and ownership of land. This was said to further cause relative deterritorialization since communities are losing their territorial homeland (Scholte 160). What is worse is that this relative deterritorialization was also said to bring forth denationalization. These are really very corrosive effects that evidently push a nation to lose its identity. Despite the positive and beneficial effects of globalization, in some ways, it apparently has the ability to actually destroy a countrys national identity. Aside from the aforementioned effects of globalization, one process which was also seen to be corrosive of a nations identity is language loss and this is another negative effect attributed to globalization.

Language Loss as a Negative Effect of Globalization
Language is one of the primary determinants of nationality. Because of this feature it also serves as a way of identification which relates to ones culture and nationality. In speaking about the concept of nationalism, language becomes a very important topic since it is one attribute which has always been tried preserved by nationalists. Countries like China, Japan, Korea and a lot of Arabian countries can be considered as strict nationalists. This is based on how strict and consistent they are in their efforts of preserving their national identity in terms of culture, traditions, and language. However, due to globalization, this national identity is being put to a great challenge as language is being risked of being dominated over by a foreign one. This was identified as the process of language loss. Language loss has been defined as, the process where speakers of local language, all over the world, are forced to give up on their native languages and adopt what we call a language of wider communication, which today is in most cases English. (Zentai and Krizsan 64)

This phenomenon is clearly very apparent in the current state of societies. It is evident that as years pass, the English language continues to rule as the worlds most understood language, and more and more countries as gearing up towards educating people more about the English language. However, language loss posts a significantly serious threat in terms of national identity. A lot of countries are already facing the risk of losing their national identity because of the domination of the English language. This domination has been apparent through the mass media, the academe and the change in peoples behavior and attitude toward being nationalistic. One country which has been observed to go through such dilemma is Saudi Arabia. How this country is currently facing such threat shall be addressed in the succeeding part of this discussion.

Globalization and the Threat of Language Loss in the Arabia
Globalization has been seen to reach a lot of countries in a fast and what it seemed an unstoppable phase. The Arabian countries are some of these nations that have been observed to embrace globalization. In most countries, the most typical effects of globalization were seen to be on capitalist development. The economic ability of a country was usually the most apparent manifestation of whether or not globalization is doing significant improvements. However in the context of Arabian countries, it appears that the entry of globalization was not that smooth. Experts observed that most countries in the Arabia such as Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Libya and Algeria are not exhibiting high levels of capitalist development. Experts attributed this to the nature of leadership in these countries. Unlike other countries with freer economies, the governments in these countries are praetorian republics that are controlled from bunkers by political military elites (Henry and Springborg 95). Furthermore, experts note that,

While capital flight and labor migration are not confined to these countries, they are its most prominent exemplars. Algerian workers, for example, have a longer history and a more substantial presence in France do than their Moroccan or Tunisian counterparts. (95-96)

This just entails that although most countries have already displayed fast adaptation to globalization, some countries like Arabian nations still remain preserved. But aside from this aspect, huge impacts were also seen on the use of the English language in Arabian countries. This has been most apparent in the mass media.

The mass media is one of the most vulnerable institutions when it comes to globalization. Any foreign content or message can be easily absorbed and broadcasted using the many forms of mass media, and this can easily sway of affect people in different ways. In talking about globalization, one of the major questions being asked is on the ideal of the so-called Englishization. Englishization was defined as the process of the global spread of English, the so-called language of globalization (Zentai and Krizsnan 64). In the mass media in most Arabian countries, englishization has already been observed. Some of the most popular TV channels that are already seen to broadcast English programs are SAT TV, Muhammad TV and Al Majd Kids TV (Ostamyy.com). Some of the programs broadcasted in these networks are news and educational programs. But what appears very significant to note are the English cartoons and children shows that are being introduced to a lot of Arabian children.

Language is one of the earliest learning children acquire as they grow up. Alongside motor and logic skills, language is also one of the most important learning which is being taught to children at a young age. The prevalence and widespread of English TV programs, that cater to children, posts a lot of issues. For one, instead of learning the native language some children might already been brought up to an environment of English speakers. Hence, as these children grow, it is likely that they learn to speak English as their primary language and their native language as secondary. Considering the fact that language plays a significant part in terms of national identity, the thought of letting Arabian children learn English - and eventually let them consider English as their primary language  can really be very threatening in the context of Arabias very strict and preserved national identity. Apart from this, some Arabs also considered their childrens behaviors and attitudes as possible areas that might get affected by the domination of English and the American culture through children programs. It is evident that the American culture holds several differences from the conservative and preserved Arabian culture. Considering this, it must have been very difficult for other Arabians to let their children be exposed to English programs since some behavior, attitude, language and messages broadcasted may appear unsuitable in some ways. Considering this, the domination of the English language through TV programming may not just post threats as to national identity, but also to the conservative and preserved disposition of Arabs.

When TV broadcasting started in Saudi Arabia in 1965, it was understandable that there are sufficient English contents since the network was initiated by the US Air Force (Sinclair, Stuart and Cunningham 113). As years pass by, English contents were gradually reduced, and the programming of most Arabian networks centered on promoting Saudi Arabia as the heart of the Islamic Civilization. The Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) is one of Saudi Arabias most powerful networks. Although most of the Arabian networks were focused on uplifting their native language, the objectives of other networks ironically direct towards the aim of globalization. Abdullah El Masry, the executive director of MBC once said, through MBC, we hope to prepare the air for reconciliation in the Mideast, to be a bridge of understanding (114). Evidently, the vision of this network, as per its directors point of view, clearly directs toward a similar objective which globalization sets  bridging and connecting nations. But although this was the case a lot of Arabs have remained to be skeptical toward the main purpose and agenda of globalization as it enters their territories through the mass media. This issue was further deepened by other issues that eventually sprung from conflicts between Arab and English media practitioners. Hana Hajjar for example is an Arabian cartoonist who has worked for English firms throughout her entire career. Hajjar has been condemned by both her countrymen and even by other people from other nationalities because of her seemingly thought-provoking and stirring cartoons. Hajjar admits that her works may really provoke some negative impressions and reactions both from her fellow Arabs and other people of different nationalities however, she emphasizes that she is just maximizing the opportunities brought to her by globalization and the knowledge of the universal language in order to remove women in an oppressive state where the men of the world have put them in generations now (Sterns). Hajja also argued that considering the opportunities globalization is now offering to women, women like herself must rather come out of their shell and show the world how talented and gifted they are. Hajja is a known, fluent  English speaker. This has been greatly associated to her provocative messages since most Arabs tend to think that her attitude has been brought by her exposure to the American culture. This issue is just another illustration of how globalization affects the societys social structure through language.

After having discussed what globalization really is, what its immediate and long-term effects are, as well as how it tends to cause language loss, in can be deduced that indeed globalization is not always advantageous. Truly, there are other important aspects aside from capitalistic, political and military developments. A nation cultural identity remains a significant consideration when talking about globalization. Basing it on the context of globalization in Arabian countries, it also shows that English programs impose serious effect on childrens language learning. Truly, if these things go on, it will not come as a surprise anymore if Arab children shall grow speaking the English language instead of their own language  which is a major threat as to Arabs much preserved national and cultural identity.

The importance of the author of any literary work should always be considered when trying to interpret or analyze the work as it would give a deeper understanding and appreciation for the said literature. In Browns article, he cites why Hansberrys role as the creator of A Raisin in the Sun is important, and this is because Hansberry has had numerous experiences with the Black movement as well as racism, making the whole theme of the play come out more. Brown also further points out that just because it was Hansberry who wrote the play, it does not mean that her personal bias seeped intro the text. Actually, this is far from being the truth as A Raisin the Sun reflects what the people at that time wanted to say but could not. Because of this, this source proves to be valuable in terms of additional information that can be given in terms of Hansberrys reason on the writing of A Raisin in the Sun. Though the source is valuable and useful, it should not be the only source used when attempting to write a critical analysis as it is gives inadequate information regarding the whole background of the aforementioned play.

Gordons article provides the difference in terms of how the play is received and absorbed by the white and black students. As Gordons experience with white students reveals, race plays an important part not only in the daily lives of people but also with the relationship of people and their interactions with them. This article is significant as it would enable readers to see a typical depiction of the influence of race and would allow a close and realistic look of differences of race.

It is known that sometimes, when a writer does a work and that work is turned into a movie or a play, it would substantially be altered to meet the desire of the audience as well as the movie company. In Ingles article, this is exactly what happens as he chronicles the various differences made from the original screenplay of Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun when it was adapted to film by the Columbia film company in the 1960s. This is significant as it presents to the readers a bigger view and perspective of the issue of racism and the power of White Americans at that time to alter so much significant racial themes contained in the original formal of the screenplay.

In this article, Hansberrys life is given a new light as to voice out the reasons for the     creation of her critically-acclaimed play, A Raisin in the Sun. Kodat narrates that     Hansberry has suffered tremendously in the hands of the white racist community at     that time, which gave birth to the inspiration behind the play. The additional     information and knowledge regarding the life of Hansberry is essential to the further     appreciation and understanding of the play since it provides the cause (racism     experienced by the playwright) to Hansberrys effect (the creation of the play, A     Raisin in the Sun).

The poem The Fly by William Blake contrasts the similarities between man and the little fly when a chance encounters on the summers day and leads the narrator to reflect on the evident position in the experiences of the world. The manifold use of repetition, rhetorical questions, rhyming as well as other poetic techniques exclusively portray the unpredictability of life, authority of death and ultimately unite the fly and man as one in the universal experience.

On the other hand, A Slumber Part in my Spirit Seal by William Wordsworth poses as a literary commentary on the dreams and realities of life as they are failed to be realized through sleep. Essentially, the dream, like state, is devoid of any common fears when human attributes to life and age are dealt with extensively. This is succinct in the death of a young woman in the poem, whom her true identity remains a mystery. In view of these two poems Blake and Wordsworth are able to integrate the literary elements in the multicultural connections between the restoration and the eighteenth century as well as the romantic period. This paper seeks to discuss the literary analysis of the two poems with emphasis on the aesthetic and technical aspects of the poems, the timeline and space, structures as well as the poetic techniques used to elicit both emotional and intellectual effects.
In the broadest sense, Blakes poem The Fly has an ironic sting in its tail a factor that samples a wide range of criticism from the intellectual world. Literary critics suggests  that a large number of images and irony used in this poem presents a merely conditional defeat in the face of human life and portends a nihilist view of life and human experiences, thereby demonstrating its effects as a heap of bodies in the end of the poem (Marshal, 200123-28). In addition, Blake was a spiritual man and the presentation of his poem The Fly had an emotional effect appealing to the feelings of many, who would compare themselves to the fly as it gets to die. The critical agreement amongst scholars is about the poems plot than there is about the significances and consequences of the events in the poem.  Kroeber (200547-53) asserts that the eventual death of the fly depicts the narrators attempt to identify with his victim in a high degree of irony.

The intellectual and emotional effect that the poem produces rests on what Vaughan (200762-69) calls affective Stylistics and which helps in the reflection of both the reading of the poem and the complicity in the drama of the poem. In the Wordsworth poem, critics have found a contentious issue in the identity of a woman who dies and eventually fails to realize her dreams and reality. As such, this has conveyed the nebulous image of the girl in a more figurative language that finally captures the lamentation of the death of young girls in very emotive patterns (Kroeber, 200576-85).
The aesthetic and technical aspects of the poems are accounted on the large amount of diction, parody, tone, the personae as well as the structure. The Fly by Blake begins with the narrator brushing off an innocent fly in a very thoughtless moment. This is beautified poetically in the reflection that follows the careless actions of the narrator and consequently leads to question of morality as the narrator ponders. The use of satire, and the diction used in the third stanza changes the viewpoint as the fly dies which provokes the reader to consider the consequences of their actions (Marshal, 2001 67-74) .In addition, Blake uses these technical structural prudence to coax the reader in learning from this and apparently, consider the feelings of others no matter how insignificant they may appear.

Wordsworth in his poem follows the rules of the ballad by maintaining a quite tone in the poem A Slumber Part in My Spirit Seal, which undermine the sense of eternity by revealing how the lady died. Ideally, with a rich use of vocabulary and a concise stanza by stanza structure, the narrator response to the womans death is empty and lacks bitterness and instead takes a consolation front from the fact that she is now beyond the lifes trials. This presents the characters used in Wordsworth poem as connected to nature and only existent between the spiritual and human spheres drawing the similarities of a mythical nymph (Vaughan, 2007112-116).The entire poem captures the transcending human fears towards immortality connecting the dead woman to nature and the narrators slumber. Wordsworth in this poem understood the relationship between being a human being and a thing intuitively captured and knitted together in a more aesthetic and technical way.

Blakes poem The Fly has a loose structure with a rhyme scheme that is not consistent. Kroeber (200597-103) outlines that the chronology of thought of the man responsible for the death of the fly runs in the poem from when he ponders the difference between the fly and himself is knitted together by a thread of irregular rhyme scheme. Ultimately, this lead to the conclusion that the two are similar, both living out their lives hoping to avoid death. With a large number of juxtaposition of the fly and the speaker, the observation of the flys situation is made concise and compared to the narrator. The events that follow aim at creating the picture that the fly is powerless and utterly disposable at first but later own compares the life of the fly to his own desires. The symbols used in the poem portend the element of those who are below in the society such as the poor the disadvantaged (Marshal 2001134-141).

Wordsworths poem is structurally identical to a lyrical ballad. Comprising of only two four line stanzas, it presents a great deal of activities in such a narrow space. For instance, the speaker realizes that the young woman is dead and goes ahead to accept that bad things can happen in the society. The beginning stanza comments on the innocence of the speaker on the devastating nature of death and progresses into harsh lessons learnt during the death of the woman in stanza two. The choice to hide death between the stanza is a striking poetic principle that is not only interesting but also seeks to imply that the speaker is unable to  verbalize the pain that goes along with sudden loss (Vaughan, 200776-83).The rhyme scheme of this ballad follows the iambic tetrameter and ends in iambic trimester.

In summary both poems use human as well as animal characters to discuss the nature of God and power. The Fly by Blake addresses the paradoxical fact that God is responsible for both life and death and the experience of human life puts us on an equal scale. The poem by Wordsworth underscores that God has absolute powers to end the life of another being. The speaker describes the young woman trapped between the surfaces of the Earth as an idea of the sudden loss in life as well as the inevitability of death. From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that the two poems works to elicit both the intellectual and emotional effects by its use of images, parody and irony thus achieving its aesthetic and technical aspects such as structure and other poetic principles.

The United States and Europe (especially Great Britain) share a very special relationship that goes beyond politics. The United States owes its diverse culture and heritage to the people of Europe whose emigrants helped populate the growing nation and imparted some of their cultural traits to create an American culture.  The immigrants saw America as the land of opportunity to escape the poverty and oppression of their native lands and begin a new life.  For them, America is the promised land and they were not disappointed.  During the two world wars, America returned the favour by sending its armies to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, thereby reaffirming ties between the old and new world (notwithstanding the postwar politics between the governments on both sides of the Atlantic) and every now and then Americans would travel to the old country to reconnect with their roots.

    These accounts are very evident in the literature. One such literature is Mary Antins The Promised Land.  Mary Antin was born in Russia to an affluent Jewish family.  She left Russia when she was barely in her teens and settled in Boston where she attended school and later moved on to New York where she embarked on a career as a writer.  She wrote The Promised Land in 1912 which serves as her autobiography for the purpose of putting her past behind which was fraught with hardships (Antin 1912 4).  The first parts of her book describe her early life in Russia where life for Jews, even the affluent ones, was very hard being greatly marginalized, discriminated and every so often, persecuted under the autocratic rule of the Tsars who made life miserable for Jews.  As she grew older, she learned that she should not blame nor resent the Russian people, whom she called Gentiles, for feeling that way but the Tsars and religious leaders who were the ones who were teaching people to hate Jews and even tried to convert them into (Orthodox) Christianity by force when necessary (Antin 1912 7-10).

    She developed a fascination for this new land called America ever since her father emigrated there ahead of his family to eventually bring them there. Through his letters, he described to her how different America was to Russia and spoke of opportunity, equality, and freedom despite struggling in the early stages which made her a lot more excited and looked forward to the day when she could go there and when they left, it was a mixture of sorrow and joy not only felt by her family but the friends and community they were leaving behind (Antim 1912 94-99, 111-112).  After 16 days at sea, the authors family finally arrived in America.  Antims first impression of her new country was bewilderingly strange, unimaginably complex, and delightfully unexplored (Antim 1912 121).  For her, America was a world that was waiting to be explored despite the madness going on at the immigration station and the eccentricities of the people there.  In the early stages of her stay in Boston, she felt awkward and oftentimes gravitating between fascination and curiosity of America.  They lived in the slum areas of Boston and yet, this did not dampen nor bring back memories of the miserable life they had in Russia though it may have been a far cry from their well-to-do life there.  It was apparent that despite the very humble new beginnings  in America, there was one thing that made them want to stay and this was something her father told her while she was in Russia   freedom (Antim 1912 123-124)

    It can be inferred in Antims book that more people were accepted in America.  One major challenge thrown to the newly arrived immigrants was they have to prove their worthiness to be called American citizens through work.  Basing it on the experience of the authors family, they started at the bottom but through patience, perseverance and hard work, they eventually became more prosperous than they had in Russia and whats better was that they had overcome prejudice and proven that they were worthy denizens of the United States.  They discovered that America was an egalitarian society that values merit.  Generally, they do not care about ones background, whether rich or poor, or even ones gender.  What matters the most is if one can be up to the challenge of finding their place in America (notwithstanding prejudices in some parts) compared to Russia.  Based on the authors experience, they did not experience any hostility from the natives having been forewarned by her father not to be a greenhorn and made every effort to blend in even to the extent of adopting American-style names (Antim 1912 123, 126). As far as women were concerned, women were treated equally as men from her childhood to adulthood, Antim hardly ever encountered gender discrimination.

    Another literature related to transatlantic connections is the one written by Frances Trollop titled, Domestic Manners of the Americans which was published in 1832.  This book is Trollops account of her visit to the United States in 1827.  In general, her overall impression of America was anything but pleasant.  She was greatly derided and reviled for her rather frank assessment of American society during its antebellum years.  Trollop came to America to escape the financial misfortunes she and her family suffered in England and settled briefly in a commune run by Fanny Wright called the Nashoba Commune before taking up residence in Cincinnati, Ohio which was then a small town.  She eventually returned to England barely four years later where she wrote her account.

    It was rather apparent that Trollope did not find the surroundings conducive.  Her return to England was evidence of that feeling.  If there was one thing about America that appalled her, it was slavery, something which was abolished in England much earlier and she grew up with that attitude against slavery and was rather surprised it existed in certain parts of the United States, particularly in New Orleans where she initially stayed.  She was also appalled by the manners of the people she traveled with on a steamboat who were very slovenly, drunk and tend to indulge in gambling a lot (Trollope 1839 6, 13).  Another trait which appeared to have turned her off was the haughtiness of the Americans.  They are so proud of their freedom to the point of arrogance or chauvinism in deriding or acting condescending to those outside America whom they regarded as inferior in quality compared to theirs (Trollope 1839 84-85).  But in fairness, she did have a fair share of seeing good-mannered people as well and it would be unfair to say that Trollope gave a sweeping statement about the United States.  Even Mark Twain, one of Americas foremost writers, defended Trollope for being very honest in her assessment of America at the time (Heineman 1969 546).

    It can be inferred here that with the kind of attitude the American people had from being haughty and practicing slavery, nobody would want to immigrate to America and would rather stay and take their chances in their homelands as evidenced (again) by her return to England.  In fairness to Trollope, she did not live long enough to see the changes America went through following the civil war (she died in 1863) and what it meant to the subsequent waves of European immigrants who would arrive a decade after her death.

    In Trollopes eyes, there was a big difference between the old world and the new world.  The new world was hardly the kind of world the early colonists saw when they established their roots there.  Trollope was hoping that the new world would enable her to start fresh following her misfortunes in England but somehow she was disappointed and found the social environment inconducive to her.  There was also an apparent clash between the two cultures (English and American) where her liberal attitude clash with what she found misplaced conservatism or the hypocritical prudency she found among the affluent members of American society and the lack of delicacy among the working class people (Heineman 1969 549, 552).  In the eyes of conservative Americans, she was a social deviant who ventured out on her own without her husband, in the company of a younger man (her art instructor Auguste Hervieu) instead of her husband and wanted to engage in political issues such as slavery (Heineman 1969 553-554).  To them, she acted in a conduct unbecoming of a proper woman of the time for not adhering to the social norms every woman at the time was supposed to follow.  Women were expected to be reserved and have good manners and it would be unwomanly for her to behave otherwise which was often reserved for women of lesser stature such as prostitutes and the like.  As a result, she has often been (it still persists to this day) ridiculed and derided in every way.  This goes on to say that Trollope was not accepted by America society for (ironically) telling the truth.

    The third literary evidence that talks about transatlantic connections is the movie A Canterbury Tale (1944).  This is NOT based on the classic story by Geoffrey Chaucer.  The setting was 1944 at the height of the Second World War (the film was produced in that year too).  In keeping with the context of the topic, the film is about the adventures of an American soldier Bob Johnson (played by John Sweet who was actually a sergeant in the US Army) and his British companions, Sergeant Peter Gibbs (played by Dennis Price) and a female  Land Guard  (an auxiliary military outfit) Alison Smith (played by Sheila Sim).  The three of them were brought together by an unfortunate incident that befell Alison and the two soldiers helped track down the culprit which turned out to be the local magistrate Thomas Colpeper (played by Eric Portman) who was the mastermind of the attack on Alison because he wanted soldiers to pay attention to his lectures and to keep women in line by not fooling around with the visiting Yanks while their husbandboyfriend-soldiers were in the front-lines.  The film was aptly titled Canterbury Tales because like the characters in Chaucer s novel, these three (including Mr. Colpeper) travelled to Canterbury and each of them received a blessing or do penance for one s sins.  By the end of the film, all s well that ended well for each of the characters as they received their respective blessings and in the case of Mr. Colpeper, penance.

    The film serves to reflect what was it like for American troops to be in a faraway land such as Britain.  In keeping with the spirit of the topic once more, this is seen in the eyes of the visitor Sergeant Bob Johnson as an American in British soil.  He was sent there in preparation for the invasion of Europe and it is also a personal pilgrimage on his part as his ancestors came from and this is his opportunity to reconnect with his roots.  He and his comrades were received ambivalently by the British as the United Kingdom was the staging area for what was to become D-Day.  A love-hate relationship developed between them and their British hosts.  The Yanks were the subject of ridicule and contempt that fathers would lock up their daughters once the Americans were stationed in their locale.  One of the most popular jokes (partly insults) about Americans was that they were overpaid, oversexed and over here, to which the Americans riposted by saying the British were underpaid, undersexed and under Eisenhower. They envied the American troops who were apparently well-paid and these men would spend their pay in having a good time which did not mean touring the sites and soaking up culture but rather to date the local women who were drawn to the GI s Americanesque charm and money and a substantial number of them became war brides and later moved to America after the war with their husbands.  Of course, this drew contempt and resentment from the British who think that American troops were sex-starved and this kind of attitude might corrupt their women (they think the Americans seem to regard every woman they meet as a prostitute or an easy lay) and make them commit infidelity to their significant others.

    From the purview of an American soldier stationed in Europe (in this case Great Britain which still continues to this day), one of the challenges they have to cope with a culture which is completely alien to them despite speaking the same language albeit in a different manner.  From their point of view, they find the British weird and the British also regard the Americans the same way.  In one scene in the film, the residents of Chillingbourne (a fictitious town) find it strange that Johnson was surprised that Chillingbourne is a town, not a village because of its small size.  They think Johnson is weird for wearing his sergeant s stripes (rank insignia) upside down instead of the British manner (which the Americans think is upside down).  Johnson was surprised that British constables (policemen) do not carry guns like American cops do and appeared to be timid when it came to catching offenders.  Like his comrades, he finds British English weird.  For instance, Johnson learned that the British called their drug stores, grocers (or chemists).  This was also something the British felt when trying to understand American English.  Of course, there is also the practice of driving on the left-side of the road which newly-arrived Americans have to learn quickly lest they suffer a head-on collision.  From here, one can see the similarities and differences between the old world (Britain) and the new world (America) as well as the clash of cultures.

    The film also has its bright sides as well, particularly one scene where Johnson and Mr. Horton, a woodworker.  Johnson s father was in the same business as Mr. Horton and despite the cultural differences, they both found common ground.  Despite the contempt some (if not all) British have towards American troops, quite a number of them still welcomed them especially the Prime Minister of the time, Winston Churchill.  When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Churchill fearlessly predicted that the Allies had won the war when the United States joined in.  American troops in Britain actually did get to soak up some culture and did try to reconnect with their roots, especially those with British ancestry.

    By way of conclusion, there is no definite answer on defining the relationship between Americans and Europeans.  In comparing the two accounts of Antim and Trollope (which are non-fictional and based on their personal experiences), both women had different impressions about America although their reasons for coming were the same.  Both wanted to escape the economic hardships and persecutions (for Antim) of their home lands and they regarded America as the ideal place to start a new life.  However once there, they had different impressions.  Trollope found the social environment in America inconducive to her owing to the apparent lack of civility of most of the people she had met ranging from their rowdiness, immorality and consenting to slavery which to her was inhumane.  From the researcher s point of view, Trollope s arrival to America came at the wrong time as compared to Antim.  Trollope came at the time the United States was still a young nation that had not fully matured yet.  Slavery was still an issue because it was left to be when the Constitution was still being drafted for the sake of unity and ratification.  Consequently, conflict was inevitable as the issue of slavery was one of the underlying causes of the civil war everyone then wanted to avoid but happened nevertheless as everything came to a head.  Everything changed after the civil war ended but unfortunately, Trollope did not live to see the changes that took place in America following the war. 

As for the manners, America was regarded the land of the free and if one were to see it from Trollope s point of view, the people at the time tend to think that the freedoms and rights they enjoyed were absolute to the point of recklessness.  Looking at it from the perspective of the Americans, their descendants developed a contempt for anything that was not democratic (such as monarchy, aristocracy and despotism) which meant the limitation or elimination of freedom and their rights and they take pride in their freedom (unfortunately) to the point of arrogance in believing their democratic way of life has made them superior to others.  Although painful to admit, Trollope was right as this kind of attitude still exists and what is weird is that the Americans are too proud to admit this shortcoming though the rest of the world can see it. This is the reason for the continued love-hate relationship between America and Europe (as well as the rest of the world).

    In Antin s case, she arrived in America by the time the civil war was over.  Like Trollope, she came from an impoverished background as well as being persecuted by a regime that strongly promoted anti-Semitism. What made her experience different from that of Trollope was her father had prepared her on what to expect in America. Trollope apparently had a culture shock upon arriving. Antin s father emigrated ahead of his family to find work and eventually prepare for their arrival.  If one were to base it on what Antin s father wrote in his letters, his description of America was a far cry from Trollope s impressions of it.  If there was one thing Antin s father said that helped buoy her spirits, it was the word free. America is a land where they can live a new life, where freedom is guaranteed to everyone who lives there. Free from poverty (so as long as one will work hard and strive) and free from oppression where their people would no longer be marginalized nor persecuted.  It is a land that may not care about one s background but offers opportunity to everybody to achieve the American Dream. Antin also had the advantage of being forewarned and oriented by her father to fit in rather than try and stick out like a proverbial sore thumb.  Like other immigrant families, discrimination was also rife especially towards the newly arrived immigrants.  For their protection, they would often live among their kind forming villages where they feel safe and secure among each other and to provide a feeling of being back home.  In the case of the Antin s they were fortunate not to have experienced this kind of problem in America as they had in Russia. Antin s family also came at the time when a large influx of Europeans, especially from eastern Europe came to America under similar circumstances as their own they went through the same ordeal and lived under similar conditions but in time, they were able to prosper and ultimately achieve that American Dream.  They were able to send their children to school and these children (and their children) would benefit from the powers bestowed upon them by education which enabled them to break away from the stereotyping usually made on a particular ethnic group as well as refusing to be typecast or pigeonholed into a specific role determined by their ethnic background. They, as well the next generation, would eventually become the main pillars of American society and some would even rise to prominence in their respective fields. In comparing Antin and Trollope, both had differing views about America though the strange part is both of them are right in their impressions though it can be inferred that the circumstances as well as the timing of their stay in America influenced their opinions about it.

    With regards to the film A Canterbury Tale (1944), this is the other way around where an American goes to Europe.  In the case of Sergeant Johnson, he went to Europe not to settle down.  He went there because of his duty as a soldier and (looking at the bigger picture) as part of the campaign to liberate Europe from an oppressive regime.  Yet, like some of his comrades, Johnson, in between his military training, took time to be a tourist and soak up some culture as well as rediscover his ancestry.  Like a lot of his comrades (and other Americans who would follow), he also experienced culture shock in Britain.  It seemed apparent that Americans had initial impressions that because they speak the same language as the British, they would easily adjust to their culture (and vice versa) but it turned out that this notion is wrong.  American and British cultures are totally different and even the use of English by the two cultures are different as well.  It should be noted that after the Americans declared independence in 1776, they also wanted to be culturally independent as well hence the creation of America English, courtesy of Noah Webster and developing their own distinct cultural traits and habits such as driving on the right side of the road, something which American GI s carried over to Britain and learned the hard way that it is not applicable here.  Their attitudes also such as their brashness, maverick (rebellious) streak ad licentiousness offended their British hosts to the point of contempt and resentment hence the rumours and jokes going around regarding the GI s which was meant to be a warning to the women to be wary of these Americans.  Both cultures consider each other as strange.  It would have bee possible that Trollope s account may have tipped off the British even before the first American soldiers have set foot on British soil thus creating these wrong impressions.

    On the other hand, the presence of American forces in Britain serves to underscore the special relationship between the two countries. This was a relationship that was forged by the two wartime leaders of these English-speaking nations, Franklin Roosevelt (US) and Winston Churchill (Britain).  This special relationship had helped put behind the animosities between the two nations ever since the Revolutionary War and ushered a new era of cooperation and friendship between the United States and Great Britain.  In the course of the war American and British military leaders worked closely together in prosecuting the war which led to one victory after the other which ultimately led to the defeat of the Axis powers, further cementing the importance of the special relationship in every aspect of Anglo-American relations.

Going back to the film, this special relationship is apparent when Sergeant Johnson worked closely with Sergeant Gibbs and Alison in tracking down Alison s assailant and with Johnson finding common ground with Mr. Horton and despite his awkwardness and naivete, Johnson made every effort to be friendly and helpful to the locals, a far cry from the ugly American image a lot of Europeans see in Americans. Despite finding the British strange sometimes, there are some things that Johnson did appreciate about them. Besides enjoying Mr. Horton s company, he marvelled at the splendour of Canterbury cathedral upon arriving there.  Johnson clearly represents the American that is anything but a boor as the Europeans fear or suspect.

All in all, these three literary sources show the relationship between Americans and Europeans.  Once again, there is no definite conclusion but if one is necessary, it goes to show that there is a love-hate relationship between the people living on both sides of the Atlantic. Yet, more and more Europeans still immigrate to America because of the opportunity and freedom they offer even though some issues still persist. America has continued honouring its commitment in helping ensure the security of Europe through NATO even though some sectors do not want America being entangled in Europe s internal affairs.  These literary sources serve to reflect these sentiments.