Black People and Roberta Essay Example for Free

Black People and Roberta Essay Determining the race of Twyla and Roberta from the clouded descriptions in Recitatif is a rather difficult task. The evidence in my opinion leads me to believe that Roberta is white and that Twyla is black. In this paper I will identify situations in this story that reinforce my opinion. I will also explain how minority group treatment influenced my perception of the events in this story. My early impression of Roberta was that of a spoiled country girl with little or no education that opinion was based on her inability to read and her waste of food at meal times. Finishing all your food is a strong force in many black families this waste can be construed as a connection to Roberta being white. The first verbal indication is Robertas mothers refusal to greet Twylas mother Mary. This is a strong image of prejudice in my opinion. Robertas mother said nothing. She just grabbed Roberta and stepped out of line. Robertas mothers disinterest in meeting a woman of the opposite race makes a convincing argument that she is white and in her mind better than associating with blacks. In the next scene the families were eating Lunch. Twyla made the observation that The wrong food is always with the wrong people. And the connection that Maybe thats why I got into waitress work later-to match up the right people with the right food. There is a common stereotype that black people love chicken. So the white Roberta having the black chicken could be considered a Mitch match and since Roberta is white she should not have the chicken. The next piece of evidence comes much later when the two old friends are reunited in a supermarket. They have exchanged pleasantries and discussed how well there lives are going. It is obvious to the reader that Roberta is well off financially. Roberta makes the comment I was dying to know what happened to her, how she got from Jimi Hendrix to Annandale, a neighborhood full of doctors and IBM executives. Easy, I thought. Everything is so easy for them. They think they own the world. This statement shows that Twyla is aware of how easy it is for white people to raise their economic class. It can be implied that Roberta made the large advance because she was of the proper white race to make such advancement. The final piece of evidence is When Twyla confronts Roberta on her poor behavior at their encounter in Howard Johnsons Roberta says Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black-white. You know how everything was. Roberta here identifies the strong pressure she felt from her peers to not associate with the lower black race. My first indication of Twylas race was the way her mother Mary introduced herself. She used the phrase Twyyyyyla, baby! the term baby is commonly associated with older black females. Marys reaction to Robertas mothers refusal to shake hands coupled with the loud outbursts on the way to the chapel are also part of what society has deemed as black female behavior. Mary is described wearing those ugly green slacks that made her behind stick out There is a stereotype that black women have large behinds. These examples leads me believe Robertas mother is black and so the daughter must be of the same race. Throughout the story Roberta is always depicted in a lower class than Roberta always overshadowed by Roberta. Roberta marries into a higher social standing and has an implied superiority throughout the story. The statement Everything is so easy for them. They think they own the world. Is a common opinion about the social standing of whites in the United States. There are a lot of conflicting data to for both sides of this argument. In my opinion though there is much more evidence that leads the reader to believe that Roberta is white and Twyla is black.

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre - A Romantic Ending In An Anti-Romantic No

Jane Eyre - A Romantic Ending In An Anti-Romantic Novel This paper discusses the ending of Jane Eyre, discussing whether it is a â€Å"good† ending. The paper draws on three criticisms of both the novel and Romantic literature in general to conclude that, yes, it is indeed a good ending because it both fits the prevailing realism of the main character’s worldview, and conforms to the predominant literary trends of the period. The climate in which Charlotte Bronte wrote her magnum opus was one that had almost fully recovered from the rationalist excesses of the Enlightenment. The existing climate had replaced ‘scientific’ realism with Romanticism of the Byronic sort, drawing on the ancient ideals of chivalry and the new ideals of individual freedom to craft a literature in which suffering does not end with the last romantic sunset. Ultimately, concepts such as happiness cannot be guaranteed to skeptics like Jane Eyre and â€Å"hideous† men like Rochester -- only the divine union of passion can be guaranteed. Yet, for Bronte’s characters, this is sufficient reward and an appropriate closure for a love story about such atypical characters. Below, I will use characterizations of the Romantic literary school, as well as criticism of Jane Eyre, to explain how the ending of the novel fits perfectly with the rest of the landmark novel. Jane Eyre ends only after a succession of unlikely (and frankly hideous) circumstances come to pass, transforming the lives and psyches of Jane and Rochester beyond their stoic realism. However, because Jane and Rochester are such believable characters, the events that wrack their mortal lives are taken in stride by both the characters and the reader, although the grap... ...e that she could not write a novel that ended with man and woman being absolute equals in marriage, and Charlotte producing Jane Eyre to satisfy the bargain. However, in a more realistic vein, the novel’s ending is able to adhere to some prevailing Romantic conventions (melodrama most noticeably) while providing the reader with a thoroughly realistic ending. Bibliography Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Norton, 1987. Mellor, Anne K. Romanticism and Gender. New York: Routledge, 1993. Oates, Joyce Carol, â€Å"Declaration of Independence: the biggest surprise in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is its unromantic heroine,† Salon.com Classics Book Group, accessed November 17, 2001, http://www.salon.com/sept97/oates970929.html Penner, Louise, â€Å"Domesticity and Self-Possession in The Morgensons and Jane Eyre,† Studies in American Fiction 27:2, 131-146.

Police in Society Essay

The police department and the police force in general, have the power and duty at all times of the day and night to ensure that the lives of people is protected as well as property (Bayley D, 1979, 109-143). This is done through preventing crime, detect and arrest offenders, preserve the public peace as well as enforce all laws, ordinances and provisions of the administrative code over which the police department has jurisdiction. The crime-control theory suggests that police department develops in reaction to rise in criminal activity (Bayley D, 1979, 109-143). Thus, the structure in metropolis police department should have few levels with a wide span of control. Decision-making should be the task of lower-level personnel (Greene et al, 1992. 183-207). The structure should involve a police Chief, assisted by two deputies, two patrol Lieutenants, two administrative and Investigative Lieutenant, four four-person patrol platoons with a Sergeant and Corporal in each platoon, a Sergeant of Detectives and four detectives for all investigations, and as well as two to two-man bike patrols. While police leadership has many challenges, the police chief should offer transformational leadership essential to produce cultural changes in the attitudes and beliefs of the line officers. He has to be principled in order to get extraordinary things done in this organization. He should be willing and ready to challenge any process (Kouzes & Posner, 1987. 17-94). Thus, he should take risks, challenge the system, and challenge the way things are done. He should also inspire a shared vision to his subordinates by breathing life into what are the hopes and dreams of others and enable them to see the exciting possibilities that the future holds (Kouzes & Posner, 1987. 17-94). In doing so, the police chief should enlist the support of all those who are necessary to get results, as well as those who will be affected by the results in this case the public at large. Through encouraging collaboration and teamwork makes it possible for the subordinates to do good work (Kouzes & Posner, 1987. 7-94). Envisaging that Metropolis is a diverse and dynamic as any community in the world, it requires continuity and stability in certain basic areas of life, in particular the areas of safety and security. It crucial to note that the key to offering continuous safety and security is to have police department guided by a clear and unwavering philosophy by which to guide the determination of priorities and decisions in policing. The entire Police Department, encompassing every sworn officer as well as civilian member, and all associated City officials, suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders in its mission, should focus their full on-duty attention to meeting and satisfying the safety and security needs of Metropolis urban city. To achieve this, the community requires both swift police response to crime and disorder, in addition to crime prevention and problem solving utilizing the latest technologies. In so doing both approaches should be utilized with intelligence to achieve a comprehensive networking approach that serves the community in a balanced manner. Thus, the major mission of metropolis Police Department should be to safeguard the lives and property of the people they serve, to decrease the incidence and fear of crime, and to enhance public safety at the same time as working with the diverse communities to improve their quality of life. This should be done with honor and integrity, while at all times conducting themselves with the highest ethical standards to maintain public confidence (Greene et al, 1992. 183-207). Hiring standards Most Police departments in cities face what some call a personnel crisis, with the number of recruits at record lows, an increasing number of experienced officers turn down promotions to sergeant or lieutenant, while many gifted senior officers decline offers to become police chiefs as well as police executive. Recruits pre-employment background should be ascertained before being taken in, in the department. The purpose of a pre-employment background investigation shall be to rapidly, competently as well as fairly to make out those applicants who are unfit for public service or whose prior conduct is contradictory to, or incompatible with, the law enforcement mission. No selection standard of the department shall be in conflict with, or contrary to, the spirit or letter of fair employment laws of the State. However, any applicant who has ever been convicted of any offense declared by law to be a felony in this or any other state shall not be eligible for employment with the department. Same standard shall apply to misdemeanor offenses, save that the applicant should not have been convicted within the past three years of any criminal offense declared by law to be a misdemeanor in this or any other state. The urban center being hard hit with the problem of drugs, a person who is a current user of illegal drugs shall not be eligible for employment with the department. Drugs in this case should be taken to imply the controlled substances in accordance with the state’s provisions. The first step in the selection procedure is recruitment. Having a number of applicants, we must select those that are best fitting for the department. The department must have a number of minimum standards to employ in measuring the applicants. Issues of age, height and weight, physical agility and strength, and education should be taken into account. These applicants should be subjected to background investigations, which comprises of previous drug use. They should take polygraph examination, psychological screening as well as meet medical requirements (Goldsmith 1990, 91-114). In addition to the above, the candidates will be required to take a written examination as well as an oral interview. The last step will be to train them once they have been chosen. The training should take account of programs that include the department’s mission statement in addition to ethical considerations. The training should also be based upon what the officer does in the course of a day. The actual content of the training should include subject areas such as the laws of arrest, patrol techniques, investigations, cultural diversity, and ethics. Upon completing the training, the new recruit police officer will begin his or her field training. This will comprise assignment to a field-training officer who acts as a mentor for him/her. The new officer remains in probation for a certain period before beginning his or her career path. This path may embrace advanced training to stay put with the changes in the law. The officers will be entitled to specialized training to prepare them for specific jobs in the department. Policing philosophy The philosophy of metropolis police department shall be based on the belief that the public deserves an input into policing, and indeed, has a right to it. It will also rest on the vision that in order to find solutions to community problem of growing drug in the neighborhood, the police as well as the public must move beyond a narrow focus on individual crimes or incidents, and instead consider innovative ways of addressing drug issue concerns in general. Bonds of trust between all officers and the community in all aspects need to be established through continued and creative police outreach (Freeman, 1990. 19-109). The net effect will be to build a professional, representative, responsive, and answerable institution that works in affiliation with the public (Goldsmith 1990, 91-114). In an attempt to solve the public’s problem, the department will identify the specific concerns that the Metropolis inhabitants feel are most threatening to their safety and well-being, in this particular case ‘drugs’. This area of concern then shall become priority for joint police-community interventions. The officers and a variety of building members then will outline problem-solving partnerships to develop responses that they can both use to eliminate or minimize the problem (Freeman, 1990. 19-109). Technologies The department should have police cars, upgraded to the specifications required by the force, built to police specifications in the factory. These cars should be modified to encompass adjustments for higher durability, speed, and high mileage driving in addition to long periods of idling at higher temperatures. This is accomplished by heavy-duty suspension, brakes, calibrated speedometer, tires, alternator, transmission and cooling systems. Where possible, slight modifications to the car’s stock engine should be done if not installation of a more powerful engine. These cars are to be employed in patrolling the area round the clock. The department can employ Global-positioning system to track those convicted with drug related offences so as to help deter future recidivism. In addition the police force can make broad use of radio communications equipment, carried both on the person and installed in vehicles, to co-ordinate their work, share information as well as get help quickly (Walker, 2005. 5). Presently, vehicle-installed computers have increased the ability of police communications, enabling easier dispatching of calls in addition to criminal background checks on persons of interest. Metropolis Police Department should have similar technologies in their patrol vehicles.

The Transition Between High School And College - 775 Words

All children become an adult at some point in their lives. The transition between high school and college exemplifies this transition. Yet few of these students feel prepared for the challenge that is adult life. After living with their parents for 17-18 years, the move away from home and getting saddled with a plethora of responsibilities can be jolting. William Allen has many graduation requirements, but an Independent Living class is not one of them. This needs to change. High School ought to prepare students for the everyday aspect of college and life after school, not just the academic aspect of college. The graduation requirements of the Allentown School district include 4 years of English, 3 years of math and science, and 2 years of foreign language (PROGRAM OF STUDIES 2015-2016 William Allen High School Louis E. Dieruff High School, 7). It does not include any sort of class designed to help students learn important life techniques. School is designed to prepare us for college and the difficult transition between high school and college. But the way our high school curriculum is designed it only prepares us for the academic aspect of college, and without regard to people who may choose to take a gap year or not go to college. When going to college, students may worry about the dorms. They must adjust to college lifestyle and making new friends. The additional stress of being suddenly ladled with a plethora of responsibilities on top of this stress can be daunting.Show MoreRelatedThe Transition Between High School And College Essay798 Words   |  4 Pagesat some point in their lives. The transition between high school and college exemplifies this transition. However few of these our students feel prepared for the challenge that is adult life. After living with their parents for 17-18 years, the move away from home and getting saddled with a plethora of responsibilities can be jolting. 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