The Grapes of Wrath Importance of the Title

'The Grapes of Wrath Importance of the Title The Grapes of Wrath, a Pulitzer-prize winning book written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939, tells the story of   the  Joads, a poor family of  tenant farmers driven out of Depression-era Oklahoma also referred to as Oakies by drought and economic factors, who migrate to Californa in search of a better life. Steinbeck had trouble coming up with the title for the novel, a classic in American literature, and his wife actually suggested using the phrase. From Bible to Battle Hymn The title, itself, is a reference to lyrics from The Battle Hymn of the Republic, written in 1861 by  Julia Ward Howe, and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1862: Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:His truth is marching on. The words have some important resonance in American culture. For example, Martin Luther King Jr, in his  address  at the conclusion of the Selma-to-Montgomery, Alabama, civil rights march in 1965, quoted these very words  from  the hymn.  The lyrics, in turn, reference a biblical  passage in  Revelations 14:19-20, where the evil inhabitants of Earth perish:    And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine press, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. In the Book The phrase grapes of wrath does not appear almost until the end of the 465-page novel: In the souls of the people, the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. According to eNotes; The oppressed such as the Okies are ripening in their understanding of their oppression. The fruit of their anger is ready to be harvested. In other words, you can push the downtrodden so far, but eventually, there will be a  price to pay. In all of these references from the tribulations of  Joads, to the battle hymn, the biblical passage and Kings speech the key point is that in response to any oppression, there will be a reckoning, likely ordained by God, and that rightness and justice will prevail. Study Guide QuotesThe Battle Hymn of the RepublicQuestions for Study DiscussionJohn Steinbeck Biography

Prejudice essays

Prejudice essays Watkins v. United States (1957) 354 U.S. 178 Facts: Watkins was subpoenaed to testify in a congressional hearing to investigate alleged wrong doings of the Attorney General and the department of justice. Throughout the questioning the congressional committee asked questions that could result in Watkins incriminating himself because of his political beliefs. Due to this Watkins evoked his 5th Amendment right not to answer the question. By doing so the congressional committee indicted him and the Court of appeals upheld Congress's claim. Question: Does Article one of the Constitution bestow to congress the power to interrogate citizens out of a court of law? And can the 5th amendment be used in a congressional committee hearing? Decision: The decision was to reverse the judgement of the Court of Appeals and to dismiss the indictment. Reason: Congress must be able to conduct investigations especially into "surveys of defects in our social, economic, or political system," claimed Chief justice Warren, in order to allow congress to relive those issues. With that in mind Congress has no authority to expose private affairs of persons without it being pertinent to the legislation in question. The Bill of Rights was applied to the Constitution to ensure safety of individual rights from and overbearing Congress. Congress can not ask vague questions to accidentally fall onto the answer(s) they want, specific questions must be used to retrieve the needed information. Barenblatt v. United States (1959) 360 U.S. 109 Facts: Lloyd Barenblatt was a college professor called to testify before the congressional subcommittee House of Un-American Activities. When questioning began Barenblatt refused to answer regarding any past involvement with the Communist Party, firmly believing that past political beliefs are protected under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution. The Supreme Court vacated hi ...

The Decline of the Olmec Civilization

The Decline of the Olmec Civilization The Olmec culture was Mesoamericas first great civilization. It thrived along Mexicos Gulf coast from approximately 1200 - 400 B.C. and is considered the mother culture of societies that came later, such as the Maya and Aztec. Many of the intellectual accomplishments of the Olmec, such as a writing system and calendar, were eventually adapted and improved by these other cultures. Around 400 B.C. the great Olmec city of La Venta went into decline, taking the Olmec Classic era with it. Because this civilization declined two thousand years before the arrival of the first Europeans into the region, no one is absolutely certain which factors led to its downfall. What Is Known About the Ancient Olmec The Olmec civilization  was named after the Aztec word for their descendants, who inhabited Olman, or the land of rubber. It is primarily known through  the study of their architecture and stone carvings. Although the Olmec had a writing system of sorts, no Olmec books have survived to modern day. Archaeologists have discovered two great Olmec cities: San Lorenzo and La Venta, in the present-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco respectively. The Olmec were talented stonemasons, who built structures and aqueducts. They were also gifted sculptors, carving stunning colossal heads without the use of metal tools. They had their own religion, with a priest class and at least eight identifiable gods. They were great traders and had connections with contemporary cultures all over Mesoamerica. The End of the Olmec Civilization Two great Olmec cities are known: San Lorenzo and La Venta. These are not the original names the Olmec knew them by: those names have been lost to time. San Lorenzo flourished on a large island in a river from about 1200 to 900 B.C., at which time it went into decline and was replaced in influence by La Venta. Around 400 B.C. La Venta went into decline and was eventually abandoned altogether. With the fall of La Venta came the end of classic Olmec culture. Although the descendants of the Olmecs still lived in the region, the culture itself vanished. The extensive trade networks the Olmecs had used fell apart. Jades, sculptures, and pottery in the Olmec style and with distinctly Olmec motifs were no longer created. What Happened to the Ancient Olmec? Archaeologists are still collecting clues that will unravel the mystery of what caused this mighty civilization to go into decline. It likely was a combination of natural ecological changes and human actions. The Olmecs relied on a handful of crops for their basic sustenance, including maize, squash, and sweet potatoes. Although they had a healthy diet with this limited number of foods, the fact that they relied so heavily on them made them vulnerable to climate changes. For example, a volcanic eruption could coat a region in ash or change the course of a river: such a calamity would have been disastrous to the Olmec people. Less dramatic climate changes, such as a drought, could severely affect their favored crops. Human actions likely played a role as well: warfare between the La Venta Olmecs and any one of a number of local tribes could have contributed to the societys downfall. Internal strife is also a possibility. Other human actions, such as over farming or destroying forests for agriculture could well have played a role as well. Epi-Olmec Culture When the Olmec culture went into decline, it didnt disappear entirely. Rather, it evolved into what historians refer to as Epi-Olmec culture. The Epi-Olmec culture is a link of sorts between the classic Olmec and the Veracruz Culture, which would begin to thrive to the north of the Olmec lands about 500 years later. The most important Epi-Olmec city was Tres Zapotes, Veracruz. Although Tres Zapotes never reached the grandeur of San Lorenzo or La Venta, it nevertheless was the most important city of its time. The people of Tres Zaptoes did not make monumental art on the scale of the olossal heads or the great Olmec thrones, but they nevertheless were great sculptors who left behind many important works of art. They also made great strides forward in writing, astronomy, and calendrics. Sources Coe, Michael D and Rex Koontz. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008 Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004.

Theatre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theatre - Essay Example One of the ‘true masterpieces of modern drama ’as described by Robert Cohen is Tony Kushner’s ‘Angels In America.’ This thrilling panache of a play received critical acclaim right from its inception and went on to win laurels such as the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize, in 1993. It is a seven hour long play made up of two parts that captured the contemporary theatre scene in America and by the year 1995 was absorbed into the international repertoire of drama festivals across the world. Described as one of 20th century’s most humorous plays, the centrifugal point of Kushner’s AIDS crisis is no laughing matter. He deftly brings to the forefront many of the unsettled ethical issues in American culture such as religion, race, politics, gender and sexual orientation. The play revolves around a heterosexual couple who is pitted against a homosexual couple and both stories are interwoven with each other highlighting the hate and trauma of the Jewish lawyer who is a gay with AIDS, but is in great self- denial. Many critics have criticized the play for the in your face kind of ethical issues of nudity on stage, the horrifying depictions of people suffering from AIDS, satire that is savagely religious, the cursing and swearing with invectives and to top it all the gross miming of homosexual acts which goes against the conservative nature of a major part of the audience. Quite similar where an odd couple romance is concerned is Neil LaBute’s humor – studded play titled ‘Fat Pig’ which is a genuinely engaging love story of two quite different characters, Tom, the totally sympathetic character and the heart-wrenching and amply endowed Helen. Unlike the ethical issues in Angels, LaBute jogs our memory to the kind of attitude we have towards ethical issues such as plastic surgery, stomach stapling and our association of success with youthful and athletic looks. Though the idea of a sweet romance between a stout

Global Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Technology - Research Paper Example I only have to focus on what I can do as a healthcare professional in my level and try to find out how this can be scaled up to macro levels. I realized that I have to be perceptive of my work and the conditions of my patients. For instance, when working with pregnant women, I also have to examine what their problems are that deter them from getting adequate health care. Some patients have problems with having regular check-ups, because their transportation system is as bad as Bihars. And if there is a scarcity of healthcare personnel, few of them can conduct monthly check-ups in scattered communities. My suggestion is that the government should train local women to be midwives, so that the latter can provide some form of regular check-ups for pregnant women. This solution will not only improve healthcare among communities, but also address the employment needs of many impoverished women. In addition, this midwifery training framework can also be applied in similar cases, so that solutions at the micro level can be raised to global levels

Working With Couples Considering Divorce Essay Example for Free

Working With Couples Considering Divorce Essay The video documentary entitled â€Å"Working with Couples Considering Divorce† is an enlightening presentation about the rigors of divorce which individuals go through. Dr. William J. Doherty demonstrates the techniques he implored in dealing with people who are in a dilemma of resorting to divorce as a solution to marriage problems (Doherty, n. d. ). A couple visited Dr. Doherty’s therapy clinic to seek for advice and therapy regarding their situation. They are thinking of dissolving their marriage which has run for twelve years, and which has given them two children. The husband has already moved out recently and is considering divorce with his wife, who considers it as well. By listening to each of them, Doherty is able to highlight a prognosis of their situation, see its overview and finally treat is as a unit. The couple is able to resolve their ambivalence in their commitment with Dr. Doherty’s six-month therapy in which both of them will try to work on their marriage for six months before making a decision regarding their marriage. The doctor’s manner of dealing with the issue is talking to both of them as a couple, to each individually, taking turns, and then back together. Dr. Doherty is able to demonstrate the importance of communication between couples in resolving the dilemmas they encountered about their marriage – whether to keep the marriage or to discard it. Several couples in the United States encounter the same ambivalence, which often leads to deciding towards divorce since divorce is a common thing and is usually being resorted to most often as an immediate recourse. Couples wouldn’t normally sit down and talk about their differences, and would give up after a few tries. Divorce is usually the easiest way out for several couples in the midst of an assailing matrimonial problem. This is the reason why only a few marriages in the United States survive, and couples are left with facing a new life, a new perspective, and a new dimension as a divorcee, usually battling depression and emotional turmoil as an outcome. This is not to mention the financial losses that go with the divorce process, especially on the payment of alimony on the part of the ex-husband. The video documentary entitled â€Å"Working with Couples Considering Divorce† is able to demonstrate to us that there is a sure-fire way to get out of the divorce parameters, and that couples, given a chance for a paradigm shift otherwise known as a change of view about their marriage structure, would not opt to look at this devastating occurrence. Oftentimes, as couples are carried away with the social bandwagon of divorce in which several married couples ride on so easily, they look at this direction to why not ride as well and view divorce as an immediate recourse for the ultimate solution to their problems. As American society is highly oriented towards individualism, the surge towards divorce is a very likely and favorably convenient option especially if one sees his/her marriage as burdensome or makes him carry several responsibilities. The easiest way is the way out, or so several couples thought. The strong attachment to commercialism is also one factor that may contribute to the rising statistics of divorce in the United States, apart from the strong stances towards individualism as the society’s goal. This leads us into an inference that since couples are inclined towards material fulfillment, several marriages are assailed by this objective and are often lost in the enhancement of their jobs and career, with the marriage and the family left in the sidelines. The fast-paced lifestyle of most American households also holds witness to its link with divorce occurrences, as people are used to resolving issues and problems in a speedy manner and divorce is one speedy remedy for a trembling and unstable marriage. However, the video documentary is able to put forward a conclusion that divorce is not always the way out, and that it is not easy at all. Hence, couples should not view it as the easiest remedy. There are emotional, psychological, and mental investments which couples have invested in their marriage, one of them are their children and the emotional attachment already established in years of being together. Thus, foregoing the marriage out of a more convenient living is not a likely solution for letting people who used to be part of one’s life and are closed to one’s heart slip away that easy. Dr. Doherty is aware of the potential rigors that each of the couple would go though had they considered divorce. It is clear that in the video review, the couple’s problems are not that unbridled or epidemic, nor was there any element of domestic violence for example, which is a very likely rational reason to end the marriage, for both the wife’s sake and that of the children’s. Rather, the issues involved in the couple who visited Dr. Doherty for marriage counseling and therapy only include drifting away of the husband and the wife, making them feel as if they were not couples anymore or were not functioning as such. Hence, ending the marriage through divorce is one solution they both consider. As communication is important in couples in order to find the right solution to their problems, it is evident that the couples had lack of it or seemed to have gone inutile in properly dealing with it regarding their differences. As such, their visit to Dr. Doherty is both a timely and advisable one, since they are able to redirect themselves towards it again. It takes a marriage therapy for both of them to be enlightened about their marriage situation, see it as a whole unit in a positive perspective, and seek only positive remedies that are both beneficial and appropriate for it. The couples are able to undertake this successfully in their consultation therapy with Dr. Doherty. With the therapy, they are able to view the internal causes of their marriage, which slowly but surely drifts apart, see it as a personal obligation and commitment to repair, undertake a fresh way to deal with the dilemma, and finally decide to start anew, not by opting for divorce but through renewing each other’s commitment in the marriage. It is necessary that the couples be guided accordingly on viewing their situation, not merely offering them a concrete solution, but leading them towards seeing their problems individually and as a couple, creating and re-creating a solution for these problems, considering the entire scenario in the decision making, and renewing and redirecting earlier stances into more stable and ground-founded ones. This is how Dr. Doherty is able to lead the couple in dealing with their ambivalence about divorce. Certainly, a marriage therapist like Dr. Doherty always aims for the preservation of marriage, and he is able to do this successfully in the couple through their own analysis of their situation and by being redirected into a different perspective on their marriage. It is clear that Dr. Doherty used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in his dealing with the couple’s problems, which is geared towards modifying cognitions, assumptions, beliefs, and behaviors (Stuart, et al. , 2004). Dr. Doherty is able to outline potential unrealistic and unhelpful beliefs and assumptions which the couple considers, along with trying out new ways of behaving and reacting. This is illustrated in the view that â€Å"the marriage is doomed,† that â€Å"it won’t work out no matter how much we try,† that â€Å"we cannot settle our differences and we have to file a divorce and move on with our new lives. † These perspectives are the perspectives that the couple in the video documentary had upon visiting Dr. Doherty’s clinic, which was then refocused after a thorough therapy of six months. With the six-month therapy, the couple is able to see the importance of their marriage and the significance of nourishing the time of being together through a renewed perspective. Through this, the manner of behaving and reacting on their marriage is changed into a more favorable and beneficial one. The ambivalence for divorce is solved this way though Dr. Doherty’s help. References: Doherty, W. (n. d. ) Working with couples considering divorce. DVD. ISBN: 1-59147-440-X Stuart, R. B. , Broderick, C. , and Gurman, A. S. (2004) Helping couples change: A social learning approach to marital therapy. The Guilford Press.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods Essay -- Social Researc

Introduction The qualitative and quantitative research methods are typically applied in the field of social research. There has been a lot of debate on the relative advantages between the two designs among researchers almost more than on any other issue of methodology. The quantitative research design encompasses methods which focus on numbers, that is, quantities. The data collected in this design is usually in numbers which are then analyzed using statistical and mechanical methods. This design is highly associated with the field of science such as in practical done in a laboratory (Gall et al 2003). On the other hand, qualitative design normally uses words to explain wider concepts that cannot be captured mathematically such as beliefs, feelings and intentions. The data collected in this design may be in form of words, field notes and transcripts. The data in this design cannot be understood mathematically (Timmons 2005). This article is an attempt to pinpoint what may be regarded as stark dif ferences and importance of each method. Quantitative Method This research involves use of questions whose options of response have been predetermined (Bogdan & Biklen 1992). This design of research employs the use of a large number of respondents. The measurement in this design must theoretically be objective, in numbers and statistically valid. Due to the large number of respondents, the sampling method used is random. Before carrying out the research, the researcher applies a statistical method using formulas to determine the size of the sample which when studied would give findings within acceptable limits. Researchers using this method generally agree that the sample sought should yield findings with 95% confidence interval or there... ..., ‘Origins of Randomization in Experimental Design’. Journal of Special Issue on Experiment & Artifact, 79 (3), pp.427–451. Jick, T 1979, ‘Mixing Quantitative & Qualitative methods. Triangulation in action’. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 24, pp.602-611. Lather, P 1992, ‘Critical frames in Educational Research’. Theory into Practice, 31(2), pp.87–99. Schostak, J 2006. Interviewing & Representation-Qualitative Research Projects Berkshire; Open University press. Spector, P 1981. Research Designs. Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences. London; Sage Publications. Timmons, S 2005. Qualitative & Quantitative Research. Web. 21 March 2015. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nmp/sonet/rlos/ebp/qvq/3.html. Walker, W 2005, ‘The strengths & weaknesses of research designs involving quantitative measures’. Journal of Research Nursing, 10 (5), pp. 571-82