The Contrast of Virginia Woolf and Alice Walker Essay -- Writers Moral

The Contrast of Virginia Woolf and Alice Walker After reading the four essays assigned to this sequence, it becomes interesting to contrast two author's points of view on the same subject. Reading one professional writer's rewriting of a portion of another professional writer's essay brings out many of each of their characteristics and views. Also, the difference in writing styles could be drastic, or slight. Nevertheless, the writers display how versatile the English language can be. Alice Walker was born in 1944 as a farm girl in Georgia. Virginia Woolf was born in London in1882. They have both come to be highly recognized writers of their time, and they both have rather large portfolios of work. The scenes the might have grown up seeing and living through may have greatly influenced their views of subjects which they both seem to write about. In her essay "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens," Alice Walker speaks first about the untouchable faith of the black women of the post-Reconstruction South. She speaks highly of the faith and undying hope of these women and their families. She even comes to recognize them as saints as she describes their faith as "so intense, deep, unconscious, the they themselves were unaware of the richness they held" (Walker 694). In a passage in which she speaks about the treatment and social status of the women of the sixteenth century, Woolf explains that a woman who might have had a truly great gift in this time "would have surely gone crazy, shot herself, or ended up in some lonely cottage on the outside of town, half witch, half wizard, feared and mocked" (Woolf 749). Her use of some of these powerful nominative shows that she feels strongly about what she is writing. Also for her, life growing up and stories she may have heard may have influenced this passage greatly. In her passage she imagines what it may have been like had William Shakespeare had a sister. She notices how difficult it would be even given the same talents as Shakespeare himself, to follow throughout and utilize them in her life. It is clear after reading further into Woolf's passage that obviously she lived in a different time period, only about fifty years apart though. The way she relates and tells a very similar story with an entirely different setting shows without the reader even knowing that she wa... ... Whether this style that Virginia Woolf uses is correct or not, it is powerful and it pauses the reader and , most importantly, helps the reader think in exactly the same manner as she was when she wrote it. The pauses she experienced in her thoughts when she wrote the story about the story about the writer's sister are simulated and relived when the reader crosses them. Both writers do a fine job of stressing the morals in their writing. The reader can, in Walker's essay, put himself in the first person and imagine the South very easily because of how descriptive she is in her narration. The reader of Woolf's essay clearly can understand and come to realize the unfairness and downright cruelty of the pure neglect of hidden talent among many women throughout time. She does this through simply telling a good story. This perhaps show that Virginia Woolf may have been fond of Walker's work. Woolf chooses to clearly state and agree with the same points Walker makes and shows the ideas in a different light because indeed she is a different person with different attributes. This shows up dominantly in her rewriting of Walker's "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens."

Blade Running to Cyberpunk Essay -- Cyberpunk Fiction Literature Genre

Blade Running to Cyberpunk Labels are a product of too many ideas that describes a field. Cyberpunk fiction is a genre that has only recently received its due respect as an art form. This label is the cause of great controversy when it comes to actually defining cyberpunk. To any definition, there are arguments to its validity and consistency, but there are some generally accepted traits of Cyberpunk (CP). CP is a reflection of the pop-culture of the eighties, an extension of Science Fiction that entangles hard and soft technology, and its stories contain realism. The eighties began the era of the CP movement. CP's early works reflected raw, young ideas of people who "refused the limits offered them by mere custom and habit (Sterling p 3--"Cyberpunk in the Nineties)." Across the world, technology was interfacing with the general population. The underground of New York, Tokyo, and London (Sterling p xii--"Preface to Mirrorshades) was writhing with desire for release. CP was an answer to that. It integrated the rock videos, synthesized music, and new technology of the decade, put it in context with the current social scene and then fast-forwarded it. The writers tended to have disregard and even disrespect for traditional publishing. In the nineties, the edge of the movement has worn off with the acquisition of maturity and success. "Good" CP retains most of those qualities today, with minor adjustments in style, such as having finer narrative, superior character development, and more insightful futurism (Sterling)." The integration of technolog y and narration has always been present. Uneducated readers may see CP as the same thing as Science Fiction. Any Cyberpunk would beg to differ. Though CP is derived from Science Fic... ...berpunk was not visible to most of the literary public. Some of those fantastic components in Bladerunner are realistic in modern day. So many opinions exist about what is and isn't Cyberpunk Fiction. Three elements have been (generally) agreed upon to be traits of the genre. They include reflections of the pop-culture of the eighties, combining of hard and soft technology, and an element of realism. Cyberpunk is more than an extension of Science Fiction, it is a literary movement that is growing and maturing. Though it has lost some of its young rawness, Cyberpunk remains a saucy defiance to the mainstream. Sources and Bibliograpy Bruce Sterling. "Peface to Mirrorshades". New York: Ace Books, 1986 Tonya Browning. "Writing about Cyberpunk Packet" Fall 1995 Bruce Sterling "Cyberpunk in the Nineties" Larry McCaffery's Interview with William Gibson

My Near Death Experience Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

The term death is often used lightly. It is frequently used in jokes and idle threats, and rarely taken seriously. Few individuals really grasp the concept of death and how it can distort the lives of the people it comes in contact with. I was among the clueless until I was ten years old. I was running home from soccer practice, speeding towards the cursed intersection, not but a quartermile from my house when it happened. Luckily I am here today to reflect on that moment. My near death experience has tremendously changed the way I live and perceive life, thus defining who I am.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was a brisk fall evening, the orange sun was just setting when I foolishly misjudged how fast a car was moving. It seemed as if I had enough time to run across the street before the car passed, but apparently I was wrong. The car came screeching to a halt as the driver slammed on his brakes. The car struck my torso and threw me onto the damp grass, away from oncoming traffic. I apparently was briefly knocked unconciousious, and distinctly remember the foul smell of rubber burning as I opened my eyes to see the frantic worried look on the drivers face. At the time it seemed as if he was more relieved than I was that I was able to walk away from the scene with just a pounding headache and a few scratches. It seems as though the timely accident replays daily in my head as I make everyday decisions about life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most people say that what happened to me was not exactly a bru...

How To Overcome Shyness

Enjoy a happier life by overcoming your shyness!One of the most common (and effective) obstacles to success is shyness, or a reluctance to interact with other people. Getting ahead in life requires the ability and willingness to communicate with others, and shyness prevents many people from communicating effectively.Overcoming shyness can be done with a bit of effort and willpower. If shyness is holding you back, here are a few ways to control and even eliminate it: Tell yourself that you have nothing to fear by talking to other people. Most people are friendly and easy to talk to. This basic understanding is essential for overcoming your shyness!Make an effort to talk to everyone you meet during the day, even if it's just to say hello. And take the initiative. Don't wait for the other person to speak first.Make eye contact with everyone you speak to. Eye contact actually diminishes shyness and puts you at ease.Get involved with groups and organizations that require you to interact w ith the other members. Be an active participant and speak up when in group settings.Don't be intimidated by those in positions of authority over you, such as teachers, police officers, politicians, etc. They're human just like the rest of us, even if they have achieved great things in life.SummaryYou can overcome your shyness by taking charge of the situation. Always try to speak to everyone you encounter during your day.Even if you start out by saying just one sentence, before long your confidence will grow, you'll find yourself more at ease speaking in public, and you will be well on the road to overcoming your shyness.

Wonder of Modern Scince

apple pie and baseball. Here is more about the culture of USA. American People: The American society is a blend of native Americans as well as a large number of immigrants from various countries like Ireland, Germany, Poland, Italy, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Having gone through a phase of racial discrimination, the United States of America today recognizes four races in the country – Native American, African-American, Asian and European American. Religions in America: The majority of United States includes Protestant Christians.The percentage of Catholics is slightly less than the Protestants. In addition to this, USA being a secular state, a number of people have also adopted other religions like Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. American Arts: In the early years American art and literature took most of its ideas and influences from European artists. During the late eighteenth century and the early nineteenth centuries, American paintings primarily included landsca pes and portraits in a realistic style. The industrial revolution was responsible for new influences thereafter.American literature is also known for development of popular literary genres such as hardboiled crime fiction. As far as dance is concerned, USA has its share of dance varieties like the trademark Lindy Hop and its derivative Rock and Roll. There is also the modern square dance and the modern dance. In addition to this, there is a wide influence of several African-American dances. Languages in America: United States of America does not have an official national language as such. However the majority of American population speaks English.Owing to the large number of immigrants from Spain, Spanish is the second-most common language in America. In addition to this, some other languages that exist owing to the immigrants are German, Polish, Italian and Greek. American Clothing: In general terms, American clothing is diverse and predominantly informal. One of the most popular p ieces of clothing that originated in America was the ‘Blue jeans', which were touted as ‘work clothes' in the 1850s by an immigrant merchant called Levi Strauss.American Cuisine: Like every other cultural element, the American cuisine too has a strong European influence. The commonly used ingredients in American cooking are subject to change as you move from one region to the other. Some of the popular preparations in the American cuisine are the American pie, banana split, brownies, corn dogs, crab cakes, hamburgers, clam chowder, lobster, hotdogs, New-York style cheesecake and the Italian-influenced pizza.American Festivals: In addition to the traditional Christmas, Good Friday and New Year celebrations, Americans also celebrate various other festivals like Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Easter, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper. You can also read more about Native American Culture and American Pop Culture. Read more at Buzzle: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/different-cultures-of-the-world. html

Regrets Case Essay

I regret not doing a lot of things in life like telling that bully in the third grade that I was not afraid of him or telling a teacher that I really appreciated all she had done for me.   The one regret that I have that has really changed where I am in my life when I messed up an opportunity that I was given to be a â€Å"third key† manager at a high end retail establishment shortly after graduating from high school. I did not get the position because I failed a urine screening for drugs.   I had smoked a little pot (three puffs to be exact) a few days prior to my interview in â€Å"celebration† of this opportunity as my friends and I hung out and partied.   I had no idea at the time that a little pleasurable puff of paradise (39) from this marijuana cigarette would end the most promising career opportunity that I may ever have had.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After gradating from high school, I was on top of the world and loving life.   My life was like a box of chocolates (25), full of delicious and hidden opportunities.   I landed an interview for an amiable administrator’s (57) position and everything went well during the interview.   I was offered the job upon condition of a passed drug urine screening.   Drug urine screening?(12).   Say what?!   I had never had one of those before, probably because I had never had a job worthy enough of expelling urine for someone to analyze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not only was I highly unprepared for this condition of my employment, but I was actually surprisingly very sure that I was going to pass the screening despite the fact that I had smoked some marijuana three days earlier (58).   At the time, I was unaware of how long drug traces remained in my system, so I thought I would be good to go, but deep down, something did not feel quite right.   Another part of me told me that I was going to lose this once in a lifetime opportunity (55) due to a stupid choice that I made one night to party and get high with my friend Andy (69).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why didn’t I just say no, as all the commercials and billboards had been urging me to do for years (24)?   There is only one logical reason, and that is because I was stupid.   No, that is not a logical reason; that is a lame excuse.   I did it because I was selfish (17).   I was more worried about my image at the time than my own future (19).   Selfish†¦selfish†¦selfish (47).   And stupid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Losing the job that I had wanted so badly and that could have made a real difference in my life was highly disturbing.   I disappointed myself in the worst way.   I ended up working several mediocre jobs after that.   However, as the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade (51).   So, I made lemonade all the way to college.   Here I can advance my pool of job opportunities (20) and with the pool of knowledge that I already posses from previous mistakes, I will be able to do more than make lemonade.   I can make a better career for myself and can become a better person.

Legality of Organ Donation

Progress in medical science and technology has contributed to the growth of kidney and other organ transplantations around the world. Nevertheless, the gap between the supply and demand for transplantable organs continues to widen. Chronic shortage of human organs for transplantation is one of the most pressing health policy issues in many developed countries. In recent years, the persistent scarcity of organs for transplantation has invigorated the controversy about the determinants of organ donation rates and the magnitude of their effects. In spite of the media campaigns and other attempts to promote donation, the organs supply cannot keep up with the demand, and the number of patients on waiting lists has been growing steadily during the last decade. The Philippines is no exception to the dilemma on the shortage of transplantable human organs and there is no clear cut policy yet on how the shortage could be swiftly addressed. The Department of Health (DoH) is currently pushing for â€Å"cadaveric organ donation† and this perhaps, might lessen the gap between the supply and demand for transplantable human organs. But how can one tinker freely with the body of a deceased person? Are there laws in the country which give blanket authority to hospital institutions or to a medical practitioner in harvesting transplantable human organs from a deceased person even without a document or a health card indicating that the deceased is a willing donor? The answer is a resounding ‘None’. The Philippines has yet to come up with a law regarding ‘presumed consent’ unlike in many European countries, particularly Spain, which for so long a time has been implementing their own and unique versions of ‘presumed consent laws’. Under presumed consent legislation, a deceased individual is classified as a potential donor in absence of explicit opposition to donation before death. With the positive effect of presumed consent laws vis-a-vis organ donation rates on countries which enforced such, it is high time that the Philippines should follow suit and come up with its own version of presumed consent laws. Senator Richard Gordon took the initiative in making the battlecry for the passage of a presumed consent law as he was astounded by the staggering figures of the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI). The Institute reported that the usual Filipino kidney transplants performed thereat have gone down by 20% while the demand for kidney donation is going up by ten (10) percent annually. Global Reality. Waiting for a suitable donor organ to become available may take one week to many months. Unfortunately, the latter is more often the case. This waiting time has been described by many transplant recipients and their families as the most difficult part of the transplant process. Fear and anxiety are normal reactions during this period of uncertainty. In Europe, the average waiting time is three years and is expected to last for ten years or until 2010. With 120,000 patients on chronic dialysis and 40,000 patients waiting in line for a kidney in Western Europe alone, about 15 to 30 % of these patients will die annually because of organ shortages. Every day in the United States, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant. The number of people in the waiting list for an organ has more than tripled over the last ten years; at the same time, the number of donors has remained relatively stagnant. In the United Kingdom, the active transplant waiting list is increasing by about 8% a year, and the ageing population and increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes are likely to exacerbate the shortage of available organs. In 2006, the UK Organ Donation Task Force was established with the task of identifying barriers to donation and making recommendations for increasing organ donation and procurement within the current legal framework. In the U. S. , Great Britain and in many other countries, the gap between the demand and the supply of human organs for transplantation is on the rise, despite the efforts of governments and health agencies to promote donor registration. In 2002, 6679 patients died on the U. S. organ waiting lists before an organ became available, roughly 18 per day . In 2001, 6,439 people died while waiting for a transplant, nearly double the 3,916 candidates who died while waiting just five years earlier in 1996. In spite of media campaigns and other attempts to promote donation, the supply of organs cannot keep up with the demand, and the number of patients on waiting lists has been growing steadily during the last decade. One of the most frequently quoted explanations of the gap between the supply and demand of organs is that the number of families that refuse to grant a consent to donation is still large. Approximately 50% of the families that were approached for an organ donation in the U. S. and Great Britain refused it, compared to around 20% in Spain and around 30% in France. Notably, Spain and France are presumed consent countries. In many countries, including the U. S. , Great Britain, Germany and Australia, cadaveric organ procurement is carried out under the informed consent principle. Under an informed consent law, cadaveric organ extraction requires the explicit consent of the donor before death, which is usually re? ected on a donor registration card. In contrast, in most of continental Europe, cadaveric organ procurement is based on the principle of presumed consent. Under presumed consent legislation, a deceased individual is classi? ed as a potential donor in the absence of explicit opposition to donation before death. The severe shortage of human organs for transplantation in the U. S. has prompted numerous proposals to alleviate this problem. In addition to presumed consent legislation, proposals include ? nancial incentives for donors , xenotransplantation, educational campaigns, organ exchange mechanisms for living donors with incompatible recipients and preferential assignment of organs to registered donors. However, increasing donation consent rates from families is still viewed as the most promising route to increase organ donation. Many analysts and health professionals believe that presumed consent legislation may play an important role in shaping the decision of the families. In an international survey of transplant professionals, 75% of the respondents supported presumed consent legislation, and 39% identi? ed this type of legislation as the most effective measure to increase donation rates, the highest percentage among all measures considered in the survey, followed by improved education with 18%. Several countries, including Spain, Austria, and Belgium, have opted for a change in legislation and introduced presumed consent, whereby organs can be used for transplantation after death unless individuals have objected during their lifetime (an opt out system). Countries vary in how organ donation legislation functions in practice, and the terms â€Å"hard† and â€Å"soft† have been used to characterize how much emphasis is placed on relatives’ views in these countries. In Austria, for example, a fairly strong version of presumed consent principle is applied, although family views may be taken into account. In Spain, as in most presumed consent countries, even when organ removal can be carried-out by law without the consent of the family, organ coordinators in charge of the donation process do not authorize the extraction of organs without an explicit family approval. Another notable example is Sweden, which goes from an informed consent system to a presumed consent system in 1996. Ten years before, in 1986, Sweden had switched from presumed consent to informed consent. In the data, cadaveric donation rates decreased steadily in Sweden during the informed consent period. This downwards trend seemed to disappear after presumed consent legislation was reinstituted in 1996. National Reality. The National Kidney and Transplant Institute Renal Disease Control estimated 11, 250 Filipinos nationwide developing End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) annually. It is estimated that half of these ESRD patients are suitable kidney transplant candidates but only five percent (5%) are actually transplanted to date because of insufficient organ supply and the affordability of the operative procedure to most patient. The past years have also witnessed the development of â€Å"medical tourism† as exemplified by countries like India, Thailand and Singapore (but now world-wide) as improved hospital facilities in the less developed countries have attracted patients from developed countries where health care costs were expensive and unaffordable especially to those with no health insurance. In 1999, a TV documentary exposed more than a hundred kidney transplants done in a private hospital from living non-related donors coming from the very poor section of the metropolis, called BASECO in Tondo, Manila. The Philippines is among the world's leading providers of trafficked organs. Reuters named China, Pakistan, Egypt, Columbia and the Philippines as the five organ trafficking hotspots. Trafficked organs are either sold domestically, or exported to the US, Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and especially Israel for their transplant patients. In his privilege speech, Senator Miguel Zubiri tackled about the CNN’s feature regarding the thriving trade of human organs, amidst the poverty in the country. Although he commented in CNN’s report where Mr. Hugh Reminton made an erroneous slant on the human organ trade in the country, Zubiri admitted that there are some truth to the report. The truth is – human organ trade, particularly kidneys, is thriving in the country, specifically in the urban poor communities; that after paying-off the donor, the trader abandons them to face post-surgery risks also without medical attention. In addition to this, the organ transplant sector is rife with stories of traders earning millions of pesos after paying-off donors. This statement could be supported by an incident of kidney sale in Lumban, Laguna where Jose Rivero, 31, a tricycle driver, told the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that he had been promised by the broker that he would be paid Php 300,000. 00 for his kidney. However, he received only Php 66,000. 00 which led him to report to the NBI. Special Investigator 3, Joey Narciso, the case officer, said that the country has no law prohibiting the direct sale of organs to a donor. Nothing has been heard of being caught and punished, of conniving surgeons or clinics who knowingly transplant organs that have been sold. Zubiri even suspected that there are big syndicates that prey on the poor and helpless citizens and exploit their ignorance and vulnerability; syndicates which have a growing clientele that includes foreigners and rich Filipinos. During the same session, Senator Gordon disclosed that the NBI is investigating the alleged involvement of doctors and other medical personnel of prominent hospitals in the illegal organ trade after members of a syndicate were arrested for duping several people from Batangas, Quezon and neighboring provinces into selling their organs. Gordon recommended the adaptation of a presumed consent. Zubiri stated that the suggestion could be included in the Senate Bill No. 460 , authored by Senator Jose Jinggoy Estrada.