Things Fall Apart Essay Summary Example For Students

Things Fall Apart Essay Summary The book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a fictional look at the social and cultural life of an African tribe of the lower Niger River region. It depicts the every day life of the tribe and its members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe. The book focuses on one of the tribe members, Okonkwo. He is a well respected member of the tribe. Okonkwo is a good example of a respected member of the tribe who also has great renown. He is known as a great wrestler and warrior of the nine villages of the tribe. He is a very powerful and influential member. Throughout the story, certain unfortunate events occur, preventing Okonkwos rise to the top. Those who knew his father knew him to be lazy and unmanly. This is something that Okonkwo would spend his life trying to change. Okonkwo is depicted in the story to be a very strong and fearless man, ruling his household with a firm hand. He stifles any emotion that would make him seem weak or like a woman. He shows little affection toward his children and his wives. We will write a custom essay on Things Fall Apart Summary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now His greatest disappointment is the fact that his son is not turning out to be the man that Okonkwo wants him to be. He sees his father in his son, Nwoye, rather than himself. This is greatly displeasing to Okonkwo. This might be why Nwoyes mother is never mentioned by name, since she produced a woman for a son. He does find that Ikemefuna, a boy brought into Okonkwos home from another village, is turning out to be a better son than Nwoye. Eventually though, Okonkwo realizes that the boy must die. Though it is obvious that he is disturbed by this, he does not show it, and even slays the boy himself, lest he should be thought weak. This is one example of Okonkwos character. He is willing to put aside all feelings he has for the boy in order to do what he feels must be done to retain his sense of strength. During a burial ceremony for one of the tribesmen, Okonkwo accidentally kills the dead mans son. The prescribed punishment for this is exile for seven years. Okonkwo and his family then move to his mothers old tribe to serve his exile. This accidental death is just one of many crushing incidences Okonkwo has to deal with. He serves out his seven years as he is supposed to, with grand ideas of his return to his village. When the seven years are up Okonkwo does not necessarily return in triumph. Though his daughters are beautiful and worthy of marriage to a king, he is unable to immediately induct his sons into the group that he wishes. When Okonkwo returns to the village, he finds that the white man has moved in, bringing Christianity with him. This is a struggle that shows Okonkwos inflexibility and objection to change from tradition. Eventually, Okonkwo slays a man working for the British and ends up hanging himself as a result of his actions. Suicide is forbidden by the clan, so in the end, Okonkwo, despite his strict adherence to the rules, takes his life in violation of them. It seems throughout the book that Okonkwo just doesnt seem to have anything go in his favor. His son is not the man he should be. He beats his wife during the week of peace. He accidentally kills a man and must flee at the time he should be taking the highest total. When he returns, he is unable to cope with change and dies as a result. .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb , .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .postImageUrl , .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb , .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:hover , .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:visited , .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:active { border:0!important; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:active , .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u42954a0c981f06b303450035535dcfcb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Dont Judge A Book By It's Cover:A Twelfth Night Co EssayOkonkwo is an inflexible, strong willed, fearless man. However, it is his need to appear strong and unwillingness to accept change that is his undoing. In an article discussing the book, Melissa Culross recognizes this fact, stating, Okonkwo is unable to adopt to the changes that accompany colonialism. Okonkwo is the representation of the old way of life. It is traditional and not accepting of change. There are many noble qualities about Okonkwo, as in the old way. He cares a great deal about the customs and cultures of his tribe. He worships his gods and does his best to appease them. When the white man comes bringin g new gods and spreading the news that the old gods are either false or dead, it would be a natural reaction to rebel against these ideas. Eventually, it is necessary to concede some things to change. Nothing can remain the same forever. It is frivolous to resist it. When Okonkwo and the clan try to rebel, it is impossible, and it ends in tragedy. No matter how strong something is and how firm its foundation and structure, resistance to change will crumble even the strongest.

Complex Sentences in English Grammar

Complex Sentences in English Grammar In traditional grammar, a complex sentence is a sentence that contains an independent clause  (or main clause) and at least one dependent clause. Put another way, a complex sentence is made up of a main clause with one or more dependent clauses joined to it with an appropriate conjunction or pronoun. The complex sentence is conventionally regarded as one of the four basic sentence structures in English. The other structures are the simple sentence, the compound sentence, and the compound-complex sentence. For an alternative definition, see  Holger Diessels remarks in Examples and Observations below.   Examples and Observations [I]n the complex sentence John left when his sister arrived, the clause when his sister arrived is a dependent clause because it is preceded by the word when, which is a subordinating conjunction. Dependent clauses are not complete sentences; they cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. For example, *When his sister arrived cannot stand alone. Dependent clauses must be attached to independent clauses in order to form a complete sentence. In the complex sentence above, John left is the independent clause.- Denise E. Murray and Mary Ann Christison, What English Language Teachers Need to Know. Routledge, 2011Martina laughed when her mother dropped a pie upside down on the floor.Because he was so small, Stuart was often hard to find around the house.- E.B. White, Stuart Little, 1945I learned a valuable lesson about cheating after I changed a mark on my report card in the third grade.- Making the GradeIf a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a dif ferent drummer.- Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854 He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.- George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859[W]hen my brother got his pants leg caught on the top of a high fence and hung upside down, weeping and muttering curses because his pants were newly torn and Mother would spank him for sure, no angel was with him.- Gary Soto, A Summer Life. University Press of New England, 1990The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep.- L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1990)Although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it by being a slave himself.- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Slavery, July 1854 Relative Clauses and Adverbial Clauses A complex sentence has a main clause, and one or more subordinate clauses, which come in various kinds. One kind is a relative clause, as in the [bold] parts of Jack knew the kid who shot Kennedy. They can be piled up as in Jacks the guy who shot the kid who killed Kennedy...One more common kind of subordinate clause is an adverbial clause, often stating when, how, why, or if something happened, as in the [bold] parts of these sentences: If John comes, Im leaving, or He left because he felt ill. None of the examples just given were particularly exotic, and they could all easily have occurred in conversational speech. All were, in a technical sense, complex sentences, because they contained subordinate clauses.- James R. Hurford, The Origins of Grammar: Language in the Light of Evolution II. Oxford University Press, 2012 Positioning Clauses in Complex Sentences [D]ependent clauses cannot be sentences on their own. They depend on an independent clause to support them. The independent clause in a complex sentence carries the main meaning, but either clause may come first.- A. Robert Young and Ann O. Strauch, Nitty Gritty Grammar: Sentence Essentials for Writers. Cambridge University Press, 2006 The Need for Complex Sentences Most of the sentences we use in writing or in continuous speech are complex...There is a recurrent need to expound facts or concepts in greater elaboration than the structure of the simple sentence permits.- Walter Nash, English Usage: A Guide to First Principles. Routledge, 1986 Four Features of Complex Sentences Complex sentences are traditionally divided into two basic types: (i) sentences including coordinate clauses, and (ii) sentences including subordinate clauses. The former consist of two (or more) clauses that are functionally equivalent and symmetrical, whereas the latter consist of two (or more) clauses that constitute an asymmetrical relationship: a subordinate clause and a matrix clause do not have equal status and equal function (cf. Foley and Van Valin 1984: 239)...I suggest that prototypical subordinate clauses carry the following features: they are (i) syntactically embedded, (ii) formally marked as a dependent clause, (iii) semantically integrated in a superordinate clause, and (iv) part of the same processing and planning unit as the associated matrix clause.- Holger Diessel, The Acquisition of Complex Sentences. Cambridge University Press, 2004 Complex Sentences and Metaphors Complex sentences can offer dramatic development, extending a metaphor, as Melvilles Captain Ahab reminds us: The path to my fixed purpose is laid on iron rails, on which my soul is grooved to run.- Philip Gerard, Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life. Story Press, 1996

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example For every group of data, the points on the X-Bar usually represent its average. The range chart on the other hand displays the difference between the lowest and the highest dimension in the group (SPC 2013). Statistical control limits also known as confidence band is normally attached to the weakening line so as to reduce the unexplained error. The confidence interval in the regression is normally based on past data. Control limits are expressed in terms of positive or negative mean absolute deviation (MAD). MAD is normally simple and useful when obtaining tracking signal. It is used to denote the average error that is in the forecasts. It measures the dispersion of the observed values from the expected values. When sign is put in consideration in the computation of MAD, the control limits are obtained. MAD is calculated by obtaining the sum of absolute deviations and then dividing it with the number of data points. Control limits can also be expressed in form of standard deviations. Standard deviation relates to mean absolute deviation when the errors in the project are usually dispersed. ‘The standard deviation’ is normally a bigger measure. For instance, if the MAD of a set of points was estimated to be 60, then the measure for the standard deviation would be 75. ... It is used to indicate whether the average of the forecast is keeping pace with any upward or downward genuine changes A typical control chart has two horizontal lines that are called ‘upper control limit’ (UCL) and lower control limit (LCL). If the process happens to be in control, almost all the samples fall between them and hence no action needs to be taken. If a point plots outside of the control limit it is taken that the procedure must be out of control and hence investigation is necessary and corrective action should be taken in order to find and eradicate the possible causes for the behavior. The sample points that are on control chart are normally connected with a straight line to make it easier to visualize how the sequence of those points has been evolving over time. Even if all the points happen to plot inside of the control limits and they act in a non-random approach then this is a signal that the procedure might be out of control. These limits are calculat ed from Range and ‘SPC X-Bar’ values. They are plus/minus three standard deviations from the average calculated and represent 99.97% self-assurance factor that any of the reading that falls between the limits can is an attribute of the regular process discrepancies (Confidence intervals: how they work, 2013). Effect of Seasonal Factors Using Process Performance Data Control: Measurement will help in reduction of variation. They help reduce overruns in expenditure so as the objectives agreed on can be achieved. Management assessment: The concept for process performance involves meeting the planned established operating goals, detecting of deviations from the planned performance levels and then restoring these performances to the levels planned or even

Quantitative reasoning and analysis week 4 Essay

Quantitative reasoning and analysis week 4 - Essay Example In order to see if this hypothesis is true I held an examination using two groups and a comic strip I printed from the internet called Today’s Dogg. The strip is a single image of a dog that is staring into an empty dog-bowl saying, â€Å"Feed me†. Next to the bowl is a phone and text which read â€Å"Buy a smart phone. It does everything.† The two groups of five were taken into two different rooms and I briefed them on what they should do. Group A was the group that held the pens in their teeth and Group B is the group that held the pen in their lips. After a few minutes I received the results. Group B’s average rating was around 3.4 as Group A’s average rating was 4.2. However, I took an extra step, I called upon other friends and family members who have not taken the exam or know anything about the experiment. I had them repeat the test and the result were as follows: Group B’s Rating was 3.3 and Group A’s rating was 3.9. Group A ha d rated the strip to be funny compared to the other group which rated as average. With this I can conclude that Fritz Strack’s Hypothesis is right. This test does show that holding a pen in one’s teeth makes jokes funnier, but why? Well there could be possible reasons for this; however, the important thing about this experiment was to establish reliability. The consistency of the results could improve by conducting repeated tests on different groups.

Erasmus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Erasmus - Essay Example In order to meet his financial obligation he started working as a tutor and later in 1499 he went on a tour to Europe where he made friends who were with him throughout his life. Later he went to Italy where he obtained his doctorate in the subject of theology. After Italy, he returned to England where he was appointed as Price Charles’ adviser and started living an independent life (Nauert 1). From here on his life experienced immense controversies as he created a revised version of the New Testament and his work recognized as the Discourse of Free Will was even welcomed with heavy criticism. After his death all he works was stored in an area which was not allowed to be accessed by others. Throughout his life he developed various pieces of literature and these pieces of literature were based on different subject including philosophy of education, politics, language and cynicism. The most important works of Erasmus includes the literature pieces of The Method Of Study, The Education of Children as well as the Method of True Theology (Rummel 24). These pieces of literature exhibited his philosophy regarding education. His literature recognized as The Education of A Christian Price is work that has been dedicated to his thoughts regarding politics (Erasmus(a) VIII). Another piece of his work called the On The Abundance Of Style is a pure depiction of his thoughts regarding language (Rhetoric.byu.edu 1). Erasmus’ educational philosophy contradicted with the educational philosophy that was been followed during his era. He believed that more focus needed to be provided to subjects including history language as well as philosophy of morals and at that time the focus was more on logic. He believed that education should not simply focus on helping students develop certain necessary skills and their intellectual ability (Erasmus.vic.edu.au 1). He believed that education should even promote civility and morals. He believed that education is a way through which human

The Paradox Of The Thrift Economics Essay

The Paradox Of The Thrift Economics Essay The theory of paradox of thrift is the idea that saving instead of spending can cause or deepen a recession. According to John Maynard Keynes, consumer spending is beneficial because one persons expenditure is another persons income. Therefore, an increase in savings would mean that businesses lose out on revenue and have to lay off employees who are then unable to save. As a result, increase in individual savings would reduce the total saving rate. On the other hand, some economists argue that, savings can be beneficial to an economy. If the society decides to save in a bank, the banks would loan that money to firms and who in return will invest into capital, producing a positive multiplier effect. It just depends which phase of the economic cycle the economy is operating. During low demand market conditions like at the moment, saving is beneficial for the one who saves, but of little use to the overall economy, this is known as the fallacy of compositions. C:UsersPawanjeetDownloads20121208_165525.jpg In the Paradox of Thrift, household and producers reduce their expenditure in anticipation of a future recession. It is referred as paradox because its behavior which seems beneficial is actually detrimental to the economy. Its beneficial for the individual who decides to save, but the society as a whole experiences economics problems. Assume there was an exogenous increase in planned savings due to future expectations of the UK economy. This means that the autonomous savings will increase; hence the saving function will have parallel shift upwards. A rise in the thriftiness will lead to a reduction in national income (Y1 to Y2), consequently savings will decrease from B to A. Furthermore, due to the shift, S>I which implies that Y>AD, therefore there will excess supply of goods. The result will be paradoxical because an increase in saving will eventually translate reduction in national income.C:UsersPawanjeetDropboxPhotos20121209_172334.jpg The lower consumption will discourage firms from investing, if investment falls, the J line will shift downwards. There will be further multiplied fall in national income. Due to the negative speculation of the economy, lets assume that the marginal propensity to withdraw is now 0.75 and marginal propensity to consumption (domestic goods) is also 0.25. Consider that the initial investment falls from 100 to 50 (million) in the economy. Therefore, as firms reduce investment, workers will be made redundant. These workers will have no spending money, therefore causing other business to experience a decline in customers. When wages will be received, 0.75 would be withdrawn and only 0.25 will be spent on domestic goods. The reduction in consumption would generate further losses for firms, generating 12.5 million incomes for firms from the initial 50 million. When this is received by households in term wages, 0.75 will be withdrawn and 0.25 will be spent. There will be further decrease in n ational income by a further 3.125 million. Therefore each time we go round, national income will decrease due to the multiplier. As a result, the economy will contract and firms will experience hefty losses in revenue, resulting in several closure. According, to the consumption function, as income decreases so do savings, therefore more savings will lead to ultimately and paradoxically less savings.C:UsersPawanjeetDropboxPhotos20121208_182123.jpg C:UsersPawanjeetDropboxPhotos20121208_201542.jpg The theory behind the paradox of thrift has been widely criticised. Firstly, its a theory and subjective, therefore its not a stated fact. Secondly, given the example above, the paradoxical result may not occur if an increase in savings will lead to simultaneous increase in planned investment. Consequently, both the investment and the saving function will shift upwards; therefore national income will not be affected. Furthermore, when the multiplier becomes smaller due to higher marginal propensity to save, the IS Curve will shift from IS to IS1. This will influence aggregate demand to shift leftwards; hence there will be a reduction in prices. As price decrease, this will shift the LM curve to the right, forming a new equilibrium. Consequently, we will have lower interest rates and prices. Therefore, when interest rates fall this will influence firms to invest and when prices decrease this will trigger a rise in demand again, so the theory of the paradox of thrift is contradictory. Economist argues that saving can translate to investment, therefore in a recession, saving can be beneficial. Savings will allow these investments to be financed without problem of interest rates or inflation. Suppose an individual decides to save  £10,000 in a saving account. Consequently, the bank would lend money to a firm who would spend it to expand or to the government by purchasing treasuries. When the fund is given to firm, they will invest into capital that would boost total output. Therefore, theoretically, an increase in savings will allow a higher growth in potential GDP, especially if the investment is in new technologies. During 1950s, Americans put away more than 9% of their income. Their savings translated into stocks and bonds and formed a pool of capital investment. They experienced a golden era of productivity and growth, leading towards the 1990s boom. Although this changed, in the mid-1980s, this is because credit become easily accessible, therefore people were not saving for future consumption, because they could use to borrowing. By the late 2000s, the savings rate plunged to less than 1%. * Theoretically, using the GDP equation (closed economy) we derive that saving=investment Y=C+I+G (1) I=Y-C-G (Rearrange to make I the subject) S (private) = amount produced (Y) +transfer payment from the government (TR) consumption (C) Taxes (T) S (public) = T-G-TR Total saving in the economy will be s (public) +s (private) = T-G-TR+Y+TR-C-T=S Therefore, total saving in the economy =Y-G-C Sub into equation (1) S=C+I+G-G-C Therefore, S=I This shows that the total amount of savings in the economy is equal to investment Source: Gfk nop 2012 In the Wall Street Journal, the writer states savings would translate into more investment and faster growth. This view has been supported in the work by Fazzari (2007). On the contrary, what will happen if the firm does not invest into capital? What will happen when banks do not give loans to firms? The statement that saving=investment is contradictory. It does not necessarily mean that every pound saved will be invested. Investment does not only depend on household savings; it could be animal spirit, business confidence, aggregate demand and cooperation tax that could influence investment. Therefore its only an assumption and not a stated fact. Furthermore, higher savings would mean there would be less consumer expenditure, therefore aggregate demand for goods and services would weaken, hence investment into capital goods could occur only in the long run. Moreover, during low market demand conditions like the current one, firms may not want to invest, if there is not demand for cre dit, the banks have no place to lend the money. In the UK economy, consumer confidence decreased to -31 in March and its to further reduce to due to planned austerity. Therefore investments are unlikely, regardless of any increase in savings. Furthermore, during boom in the economy cycle, where inflation is inevitable, increased savings can help. C:UsersPawanjeetDropboxPhotos20121212_140639.jpg Consider an overheated economy; where there is little spare capacity in the economy, therefore an increase in aggregate demand will lead to subsequently only to an increase in prices. The government will try to depress aggregate demand and economic activity. In other words, the government will try to encourage savings to hamper consumption in the short run. Consequently, this will lead aggregate demand to have a parallel shifts inwards, reducing prices levels from p1 to p2. Reduced inflation provides certainty towards consumers and businesses, who will be able to make long term plans due to certainty that there would less chance of their money losing its purchasing power. On the contrary, there will be a cost of reducing inflation as it will impact upon low income earners, decline in economic growth and will result in higher unemployment. As shown from the macro perspective, an increase in saving for the economy as a whole may lower aggregate demand and initially reduces output, income and probably investment. So would savings be ever desirable? Yes, during an overheated economy, increases in savings can help reduce consumption, which would therefore reduce prices levels. Furthermore, as some argue, increases in savings may likely to influence investment levels. It just depends which phase of the economic cycle the economy is operating. During low demand market conditions like at the moment, saving are beneficial for the one who saves, but of little use to the overall economy.

A womans view Essay -- essays papers

A womans view A Women’s View There are a lot of specific cultural values that have been taught to women by society since birth. The three essays, â€Å"I Want a Wife† by Judy Syfers, â€Å"How the Superwoman Myth Puts Women Down† by Sylvia Rabiner, and â€Å"An Open Window On My Private World† by Jane Elizabeth Lemke are all written by women who share their experiences with us. The three essays explore the value of self, power, control, and life. First of all, in the essay, â€Å"I Want a Wife†, Judy Syfers exposes the meaning of â€Å"wife† presently in our society. Her argument is based on the premise that all wives are completely devoted to their husbands and are willing to tend to all their needs and satisfy them completely while working, being a good mother, and remaining gorgeous. Syfers reveals her definition of a wife in a very sarcastic and frustrated manner. Also, the style of the whole paper is very ironic. Almost as if she is screaming, she concludes her essay with, â€Å"My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?†(pg.648, 11). The cultural values portrayed in this essay are the value of control and the value of wanting to be loved. The value of control is portrayed in our society by the husband having the control and power over his wife. Because o f that control, t...