The Signifying Monkey Essay Example For Students

The Signifying Monkey Essay A Theory of African?American Literary Criticism30 April 03English 311Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in The Signifying Monkey attempts to address both the lack of literary theory directed toward African?American literature and the Anglo? literary theories that are applied to African?American literature. He speaks of the relationship between both African and African?American speech and literature. Essentially, Gates contends that the voice of the black individual that is manifested in black literature should speak for itself and that the literary theory applied to black literature should be generated from within the black tradition itself, autonomously (xx). Namely, the purpose of devising such a theory is to explicate black works through black, not European, eyes. The intent, Gates states, is to magnify, not mystify the meanings which may not be evident to those who are alien to certain meanings or inferences. We will write a custom essay on The Signifying Monkey specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now I once heard a comedian state something to effect that when slaves are portrayed in films or on television, they are made to sound ignorant and use a vernacular made popular mainly by its presentation in media. In all actuality, this comedian goes on to say, when blacks first came to this country, they spoke no English. The language that is portrayed in the media was actually English that was learned from ignorant ass slave owners. Seemingly, this can be applied to Gates when he speaks of the black tradition as being double?voiced. Novelists such as Ralph Ellison or Ishmael Reed are writing through a voice that is both black and white because, as Gates states, many black writers have learned to write from reading mainly traditional Western literature. Gates contends that his theory is not to applied only to black works because although he states that repetition and revision are fundamental to black artistic forms and that he focuses mainly on Signifyin(g) because of its fundamentalism. His implicit premise is that all works, whether motivated or unmotivated, Signify upon other works. Motivated signification, according to Gates, is manifested through such techniques as parody while unmotivated signification is manifest through such techniques as patiche. Neither, Gates asserts, is devoid of intent. Alice Walkers The Color Purple signifies Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God through its covert and overt methods of narration. Gates, himself, almost seems to signify post?structuralism, citing Saussures concept of the signifier and the signified.Essentially, Gates strives to assert that his theory is pertinent and direly needed to assess namely black literature but other literature as well because his theory has the capabilities of being applied to a plethora of works because they all, in some way or another, signify upon another text.

Murderous Redemption in Flannery OConnors Short Story A Good Man is Hard To Find essays

Murderous Redemption in Flannery OConnors Short Story A Good Man is Hard To Find essays Flannery OConnors short story entitled A Good Man is Hard to Find tells the story of a rather unpleasant typical American family who meets their demise at the hands of a so-called Misfit or outlaw figure. The Misfit is clearly interested in religion, like many renegades. Before he enacts his revenge upon society, he speculates upon the morality of Jesus and the injustice of his previous confinement. This grotesque faith is not seen as hypocritical in the context of the tale, as it might in the eyes of another author. Rather OConnor sees The Misfit as injecting spirituality into an otherwise morally bankrupt clan through the example he presents of thwarted spiritual longing and the injustice of modern, secular America. Before The Misfit turns against the family, the grandmother seems to apprehend, however reluctantly, some goodness in the heart of The Misfit. Listen, the grandmother tells him, you shouldnt call yourself The Misfit because I know youre a good man at heart. I can just look at you and tell. (OConnor, 1955, p. 15) The grandmother learns from speaking to the man who will eventually murder her that The Misfit believes he was poorly treated by society during his early life, which is why he is determined to enact his revenge upon the world. Why youre one of my babies. Youre one of my own children, says the grandmother. (OConnor, 1955, p.21) OConnor seems to suggest that, as difficult as it may be to connect with other individuals, from other walks of life, right before death some spiritual insight or connection does become possible, even between individuals as different as The Misfit and the grandmother. This is what OConnor means when The Misfit speaks the grandmothers epitaph to his less astute accomplice after he has murdered the family: She would have been a good woman...if it had been someb...

Scanning the Environment DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scanning the Environment DB - Essay Example However, people may typically not want to compromise too much on cost for food items. These socio-economic trends in population has resulted in Aldi's strategy for high quality and low cost food products. The amount of television and internet advertisements for their respective products from Amazon and Aldi's will be a part of the marketing strategy of these companies. The target customer segments, their demographics and behavioral trends will determine the mode and volume of television and internet advertisements. It can be observed that the people having obesity problems tend to live a sedentary lifestyle with more number of hours in front of televisions or computers. No such observation can be made for target customers for high quality foods. Hence, in case of Amazon the amount of television and internet advertisements will be more as compared to Aldi's. While both, Amazon and Aldi's may have their advantages and disadvantages, considering their strategies, Amazon seems to be better positioned than Aldi's. The main reason for this being focused on a particular target customer segment i.e.

Decriminalization, drug maintenance and harm reduction Essay

Decriminalization, drug maintenance and harm reduction - Essay Example Thus it is time to seek alternative approach in combating drug abuse. Among such alternatives are: decriminalization, harm reduction, and drug substitution and maintenance. Decriminalization is the process of making an action no longer a criminal act in the relevant jurisdiction. While decriminalized acts are no longer crimes, they may still be the subject of regulation; for example, the licensing and regular medical testing of prostitutes, or a monetary penalty in place of a criminal charge for the possession of a soft drug. (Decriminalization, 2006). The decriminalization of drugs is a complicated issue embracing numerous distinct moral/ethical and practical strands which can, possibly, be summarized thus: (a) Whose body is it anyway Where do I start and the government begins What gives the state the right to intervene in decisions pertaining only to my self and contravene them (Valnin, n.d.). However, most studies shoed that decriminalization could the best weapon against drug abuse. For example, in the case of marijuana, findings from dozens of government-commissioned and academic studies published over the past 25 years overwhelmingly affirm that l iberalizing marijuana penalties will not caused an increase in marijuana utilization or influence a teenager perception of drug use. Since 1973, 12 state legislatures -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Oregon -- have enacted versions of marijuana decriminalization. In each of these states, marijuana users are no longer jailed when caught possessing marijuana (Marijuana Decriminalization & Its Impact on Use, 2002). Harm reduction Another alternative would be to replace unsuccessful laws and policies with harm-reduction strategies, which center on reducing the societal costs of drug abuse and other drug use. Techniques include education to avoid overdose, needle exchange programs to reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases. Addressing drug use as part a public health issue rather than a criminal one would be beneficial in the long run (Zinberg, 1984; Drug Abuse, 2006). The central idea of harm reduction is the recognition that some people always have and always will engage in behaviors which carry risks, e.g. casual sex, illicit substance use. Harm reduction aims to lessen the potential harm linked with these behaviors without attempting to prohibit the behaviors. Therefore, no one should be denied of health care services simply due to the fact that they take risks. Furthermore, harm reduction seeks a social justice response to illegal drug use, in contrary to a criminalizing one (Harm reduction, 2006). Drug substitution and maintenanceAnother alternative to unsuccessful laws and policies is drug substitution and maintenance. These approaches have a long history however. The logic behind is that of harm reduction: if some people are unable to quit using drugs, both users and society at large benefit if these users, i.e., addicts, are able to switch from "black market" drugs of indeterminate quality, purity and potency to legal drugs, of known purity and potency, obtained from physicians, pharmacies and other legal channels (Drug substitution

The Universal Declaration of the Rights of men and Citizen 1789 and Essay

The Universal Declaration of the Rights of men and Citizen 1789 and Modern Political Thought - Essay Example Reforms were put in place but this resulted in divisions because the Assembly adopted a position that was against the church and declared war on nations that supported the French king. Anarchy ensued and in 1792, the National Assembly declared itself as a National Convention. It abolished the monarchy, established a French Republic and executed King Louis XVI the following year (Wilde, 2009). The first part of the Revolution was characterized by moral and physical violence. The States-General met in 1789 in Versailles but were paralyzed by the refusal of the Third Estate (the Commons) to meet separately as a distinct, inferior body. On June 17, the Commons took the crucial revolutionary step of declaring their assembly to be the National Assembly, thereby destroying the States-General. This first assertion of the sovereign authority of the nation soon inspired a popular rising in Paris, marked by the storming of the Bastille on July 14. Concurrently, urban and rural revolts occurred throughout France. Suspicions generated by the political crisis had aggravated the discontent aroused by the failure of the 1788 harvest and an exceptionally severe winter. The peasants pillaged and burned the chateaus of the aristocracy destroying the records of their manorial dues (Sydenham, 1997). The revolutionary government declared war against Great Britain in January of 1793. In Cody’s treatise, it was mentioned that what followed was the Reign of Terror where all potential enemies of the ruling faction, regardless of their age, sex and physical condition, were executed. In October of 1795, a new system, the Directory replaced the revolutionary government and the first bicameral legislature in the history of France was instituted. The parliament was composed of 500 representatives and 250 senators while executive power was granted to five directors. After four years,

The Presentation of Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist Essay -- English Litera

Analyse the presentation of Bill Sikes in the novel Oliver Twist. You should refer to aspects such as the author’s viewpoint, language and the social and historical contest. I am going to write a detailed and accurate piece of writing in the form of an essay to answer the statement above. I will do this by using quotes from the book, my own theories on what the author is trying to portray Bill Sikes as and also my own knowledge of the Victorian era. I will be looking at specific areas, which I feel will help me write a more concluding and correct account of the story â€Å"Oliver Twist.† I will focus on areas such as Bill Sikes behaviour towards others, how characters around Sikes react when he is there and how backgrounds and phrases reflect the character of Sikes. The author of this novel, Charles Dickens has written throughout in 3rd person, I believe he has done this to show Sikes as the character he really is, a mean thoughtless and thuggish person in society, this makes the reader believe that he was actually there witnessing the life and times of Sikes. It is therefore written in an omniscient kind of way, as you feel as though Charles Dickens was watching over Sikes as if God like. I have interpreted to be quite a good way in writing the story because Sikes is anything but an angel, as he goes around stealing and bullying people into doing things for him, like his dirty work. This gives a contrasting effect on the story. It is written in 3rd person to create a judging description on the other characters. This has made characters such as Oliver and Nancy seem good people and then characters like Fagin, Dodger and Sikes seem bad ones. By adding such things as prostitution, thieving (pick-pocket... ... murderer. Dickens may have also written about Sikes ‘accidentally’ hanging himself because if the hundreds of people who had gathered and were know after him, caught up with him, then he would of got hung by them in the town anyway. Why the chase is on to catch Sikes, hundreds of people hear of what he has done and want to see him brutally killed because they believe that it would be justice. â€Å"Each little bridge (and there were three in sight) bent beneath the weight of the crown upon it. Still the current poured on to find some nook or hole from which to vent their shouts, and only for an instant see the wretch†. This shows how much Sikes was hated in his last few moments alive. I also believe that justice was done when Sikes died, he was a bully, a woman beater, a murderer, a kidnapper and both physically and verbally cruel to everyone he met.

Internal Control System Checklist

Internal Control System Checklist ACC/544 Monday December 03, 2010 Dr. YouKnew Abstract Internal control systems are purposed to aid in managing an array of risks, while monitoring the integrity and reliability of operational and financial data. Internal control systems ensure the proactively of audits, at the same time as serving to ensure that policies and procedures are enforced to protect the company’s financial information, limiting accounting inaccuracies and fraud. The following checklist is a tool to ensure that the objectives of internal control systems are met. Internal Control System ChecklistEthical Governance and Standards Ethical standards are the groundwork for internal control systems, where integrity is the basic principle. Business ethics show characteristics of acceptable business conduct, while ethics in internal control systems ensures that these standards are communicated, executed, reinforced, and monitored. When considering the following checklist for e valuating internal controls, three phases of the control evaluation are also applied. The three phases are understanding, assessment, and testing. I. Ethics & GovernanceYESNOComments Are the ethical standards exemplified by the board of directors?Are ethical standards reviewed with new employees either in orientation or by pamphlet? Are the ethical standards woven into employee evaluations? Are handbooks provided for ongoing review of ethical standards? Is there a process in place to review and correct bad ethical calls? Are ethical standards woven into business standards? Are fraudulent attempts in reporting communicated as intolerable to employees and management? Electronic Data Processing Electronic data processing guarantees against improper human intervention with computer processing and other transactions in a given organization.Computer programs help prevent access to certain information across departments and roles. Within the phases of the control evaluation the auditor wou ld want to ensure that each user completely understands his role and to protect the privacy of information given access. Ongoing assessment should be afforded to help each department head better manage user access and testing to ensure compliance. II. Electronic Data ProcessingYESNOComments Are policies in place to include reference check, security, and termination of employee security measures?Are the duties within the data processing system adequately segregated per role? (such as technical support, software developer, ect. ) Is the Electronic Data Processing system separate and independent from the operating and accounting departments? Is the Electronic Data Processing system such that it prevents duplicate documents from being introduced to the system? Are there adequate controls preventing changes to master files? Are there adequate controls over data entry to include supervision, current instructions, key verification of important fields and self check digits?Financial Reporti ng One of the three distinct objectives of internal control is to meet the responsibility of ensuring that financial statements are reliable. The term reliable involves the preparation of financial statements that are fairly presented in conformity with applicable financial reporting framework employed by management. The system of financial control over financial reporting therefore includes the design and implementation of policies and procedures necessary by managers to provide reasonable assurance that the ompany’s statements are presented in accordance with the basis of accounting. Evaluation of financial reporting within internal control system should place emphasis on testing and assessment. The following checklist addresses some key areas of testing and assessment of internal control of financial reporting. III. Financial ReportingYESNOComments Is the statement of financial position prepared monthly and reviewed by management and the finance committee? Are the responsi bilities for the final review and approval of financial reports segregated from those for the preparation of reports?Are monthly, semi-monthly and annual reports prepared comparing income and expenses with approved budget and reviewed by the management and the finance committee? Did the company employ a char of accounts? Are the tasks for maintaining the general ledger suitably segregated from those for the custody of assets? Is there a written accounting policy and procedural manuals distributed to appropriate personnel? Checklists mainly service as a tool that both managers and auditors can use to review a specific departments internal control and for ongoing purposes also.Checklists should be both drafted and assessments completed by management who are accountable for the business processes. When completing the checklist, simple yes or no responses prove a strong or weak internal control system where additional notes for improvement are observed. Multiple questions are needed to make the proper assessment of a control system. In conclusion, internal control checklists are integrated with control evaluations to provide the best information about the functionality of a system where changes or adjustments can be made.