Jasper Jones Essay Example for Free

Jasper Jones Essay Values have been endorsed and challenged throughout the novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey. The novel Jasper Jones was about a young, shy boy named Carlie who was confronted by an older, confident boy named Jasper Jones who needed his help. As Charlie says yes they set off into the night to where Jasper shows Charlie a young girl, Eliza Wishart, who has been beaten and hung. Throughout the novel they attempt to find out who has done this horrible act to Eliza. The values of equality and coming of age have been both endorsed and challenged. Values of equality, intelligence and acceptance of individuality have been both endorsed and challenged. The value of equality were endorsed through Jasper and Jeffery Lu who have experienced discrimination due to their differences. The values of intelligence and acceptance of individuality were both present through Charlie’s allusion and his differences. The value of equality being present within the character of Jeffery Lu was evident due to his characterisation. As he was a Japanese boy who lived in Australia during the time when there was large conflict between the Japanese and Australians. In the novel Jasper Jones you see Jeffery and the Lu family to be the recipient between of many racist acts towards them. â€Å"Jeffery’s parents are Vietnamese, so he’s ruthlessly bullied and belted about by the boys at school.† Through the characterisation of Jeffery it represents the way how Jeffery is being treated because of his differences, however he portrayed Jeffery to be a very lovable character in the novel. By doing this the readers like the character of Jeffery and reject the actions and discrimination that has been done upon him so they accept the value of equality. As Jeffery is represented to be unflappable which is portraying that all of the outcasts in the world to be strong and Silvey is depicting small Australian towns to be non-accepting of others with differences in race/ The readers are then challenging the values of the town and endorsing the values of equality. Jasper Jones has been shown by author Silvey to present the value of freedom. In the town of Corrigan Jasper is seen by the public to be a menace. All of the townspeople think that he is no good to society. With Jasper Jones you see the town’s people duality as they go around blaming everything that goes wrong in the town on him but cheer and shout his name out on the football field.

Jazz: A Permanent Fixture in American Culture Essay -- Music

The cities were where the jobs were located as well as the promise of a more exciting lifestyle. This urbanization allowed people exposure to other cultures, including their music. A large number of African Americans were included in this urban migration. They were moving from the rural south to northern cities and bringing with them a type of music that was different from anything the white northern youth had ever heard before. It was not the music of their parents and they embraced it. This music strayed away from classic forms, rejecting the chromatic scale and instead choosing discordant sounds (Samuel). The cities offered numerous opportunities to experience jazz. They were full of nightclubs and roadhouses which specialized in jazz music and stimulated artistic development, racial pride, and a sense of community (The American Republic). Advancements in technology also facilitated the spread of jazz music into mainstream society. Modern appliances allowed for people to have more free time. They filled this free time with entertainment. More disposable income also allowed for the purchase of phonograph records which brought jazz to areas where no bands performed. The radio was also important to the dissemination of jazz. Unlike many clubs, which were still segregated, radio was not. While many African American station owners struggled to survive in a white society they eventually managed to bring jazz music into the homes of both white and black households (Burns). Jazz music gave rise to several subcultures during the 1920’s. One of the most well-known being the flapper. The flapper represented the changing role of women in the post war society. Women during this time wanted greater independence. They entered the workfo... ...id, Keith. PBS: 2001, Film Carney, Courtney P. â€Å"Jazz and the Cultural Transformation of America in the 1920’s.† Diss. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 2003. Clegg, Stewart. "If People are Strange, Does Organization Make us Normal?." The Sage Handbook of New Approaches to Organization Studies. Comp. David Barry. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2008. Print. Music That Scared America: The Early Days of Jazz. Irvine, CA: Humanities out there in the Santa Ana Partnership, 2006 Nichols, Kathleen L. Jazz Age Culture. 11 Aug. 2008. Pittsburgh State University. 11 Apr. 2011 . Samuel, D. (2007). American Expatriates in the 1920s: Why Paris? Speakeasies, Flappers & Red Hot Jazz: Music of the Prohibition. n.d. Riverwalk Jazz. 11 Apr. 2011 . The Jazz Age. n.d. Trail End State Historical Site. 11 Apr. 2011 . [ return to top ]

A Comparison of Freedom: The Works of Frederick Douglass and David Walker Essay

One of the hottest and most discussed topics in American History is the issue of freedom. This is because of the fact that the young American nation, especially in the early and middle 19th century, witnessed different notions of freedom that is believed by her citizens; and most contrasting in this case is the notion of freedom by the industrial north (who favored the abolition of slavery), and the notion of freedom by the agricultural southern states (who favored slavery). It is well known that the United States is called the â€Å"home of the free and the land of the brave;† however, it is also well known that the institution of slavery and the racism against African Americans played a dominant part in the southern states of the country, dominated by cotton plantations (also known as the â€Å"deep south†). This paper would then discuss the notions of freedom according to two African Americans, one whom is slave: Frederick Douglass and David Walker. Frederick Douglass is one of the most famous former slaves in American History; he soon escaped from his masters, helped in the strengthening of the â€Å"underground railroad† (a secret route that helped slaves escape to freedom†), and joined the abolitionist movement. His personal accounts, as well as his notions of freedom, can be seen in his work My Bondage and My Freedom. Meanwhile, David Walker is also an abolitionist; but he was free unlike Douglass (his father was a slave, but his mother was free). Despite being a free man, he also witnessed the cruelties of slavery in his childhood, and advocated the abolishment of slavery, detailed in his work Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Colored Citizens of the world, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America (also known as David Walker’s appeal). This essay would try to make an analytic comparison of their ideas on freedom based on these two works. 2. Frederick Douglass on Freedom One of the most compelling accounts of freedom as narrated by Frederick Douglass can be seen in Chapter XIX of his book My Bondage and My Freedom, entitled The Runaway Plot (Douglass 271-303). In this chapter, Douglass was actually reflecting upon his thoughts on New Year’s Eve, especially upon his thoughts on gaining freedom and liberty (Douglass 272). In his thoughts, Douglass actually stated one of the most important precepts of the freedom of every individual, in which each man has the right to be free ever since being born, and regardless of color (Douglass 272). According to Douglass, â€Å"I was not through the first month of this, my second year with the kind and gentlemanly Mr. Freeland, before I was earnestly considering and advising plans for gaining that freedom, which, when I was but a mere child, I had ascertained to be the natural and inborn right of every member of the human family. The desire for this freedom had been benumbed, while I was under the brutalizing dominion of Covey; and it had been postponed, and rendered inoperative, by my truly pleasant Sunday school engagements†¦It had, however, never entirely subsided. I hated slavery, always, and the desire for freedom only needed a favorable breeze, to fan it into a blaze, at any moment. † (Douglass 273). In this case, it can clearly be seen that Douglass strongly believed that every man is created equal, wherein every man also has the right to freedom, in the sole reason that he is human; this debunks the very notion of the racial basis of inequality and slavery. Douglass adds to this point by saying that â€Å"My faculties and powers of body and soul are not my own, but are the property of a fellow mortal, in no sense superior to me, except that he has the physical power to compel me to be owned and controlled by him. By the combined physical force of the community, I am his slave — a slave for life† (Douglass 272). This is where Douglass wants to be free, for he believes that the master owing him is not, in any sense, superior to him, but is dictated by circumstances and by institutions to be slaved. In addition, the notion of freedom according to Douglass, even though it is a natural right, must be fought for whenever it is taken away, this is the freedom that comes with action (Douglass 274). According to Douglass, â€Å"The intense desires, now felt, to be free, quickened by my present favorable circumstances, brought me to the determination to act, as well as to think and speak†¦This vow only bound me to make my escape individually; but the year spent with Mr. Freeland had attached me, as with â€Å"hooks of steel,† to my brother slaves†¦ and I felt it my duty to give them an opportunity to share in my virtuous determination by frankly disclosing to them my plans and purposes† (Douglass 274). In this case, freedom is not only to be fought for individually, but also for fellow men, for â€Å"brothers† whose freedom is actually taken away. Therefore, the idea of freedom by Douglass does not only end in recognizing your own personal right to freedom, but also for fighting for the freedom of other oppressed peoples. After he escaped into freedom from slavery, he put into action his words by joining the abolitionist movement, claiming victory when Abraham Lincoln officially abolished slavery at the end of the civil war. 3. David Walker on Freedom David Walker, famous for his David Walker’s Appeal, also expressed his notion of freedom in a very expressive way, earning the contempt of both white plantation owners and white supremacists. According to Walker, â€Å"All I ask is, for a candid and careful perusal of this the third and last edition of my Appeal, where the world may see that we, the Blacks or Coloured People, are treated more cruel by the white Christians of America, than devils themselves ever treated a set of men, women and children on this earth† (Walker 4). What lead Walker to express this kind of emotion to the institution of slavery? This is because of the fact that Walker believed the institution of slavery, as well as the cruelty to slaves (who were overwhelmingly colored peoples) violated the very foundation of the American republic, being the â€Å"land of liberty† (Walker 6). In this case, Walker also believed that it is the very â€Å"evil† institutions of slavery that has violated the right of freedom of men, stating that the system of slavery in itself is cruel and inhuman, and that it is even the source of all miseries and cruelties to all nations (Walker 6). Therefore, Walker argues that slavery must not be practiced at all, given that freedom is a right and it must not be violated. In addition, Walker also states that â€Å"All persons who are acquainted with history, and particularly the Bible, who are not blinded by the God of this world, and are not actuated solely by avarice–who are able to lay aside prejudice long enough to view candidly and impartially, things as they were, are, and probably will be– who are willing to admit that God made man to serve Him alone, and that man should have no other Lord or Lords but Himself–that God Almighty is the sole proprietor or master of the whole human family† (Walker 7). In this argument, Walker seeks a biblical explanation, wherein God created all men equal, and only God is superior to man; therefore, it also follows that it is only God who has the right to become master of man, to become the proprietor of man, to which slavery is a direct violation of it. 4. Conclusion One common aspect of the notion of freedom for both Frederick Douglass and David Walker is the fact that they both believe that freedom is a natural right of man, wherein racial or class origin does not count. Douglass emphasized its natural basis, while Walker seeks a biblical explanation to it. Also, Douglass emphasized the aspect of action, fighting for freedom not only of the self but for others, while Walker emphasized the wretchedness of man in slavery (Walker 32). Works Cited: Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. New York: Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1855. Print. Walker, David. Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Colored Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America. Boston: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 2009. eBook. Outline: 1. Introduction 2. Frederick Douglass on Freedom 3. David Walker on Freedom 4. Conclusion

The Tokai Earthquake of the Future

The great Tokai Earthquake of the 21st century has not happened yet, but Japan has been getting ready for it for over 30 years. All of Japan is earthquake country, but its most dangerous part is on the Pacific coast of the main island Honshu, just southwest of Tokyo. Here the Philippine Sea plate is moving under the Eurasia plate in an extensive subduction zone. From studying centuries of earthquake records, Japanese geologists have mapped out segments of the subduction zone that seem to rupture regularly and repeatedly. The part southwest of Tokyo, underlying the coast around Suruga Bay, is called the Tokai segment. Tokai Earthquake History The Tokai segment last ruptured in 1854, and before that in 1707. Both events were great earthquakes of magnitude 8.4. The segment ruptured in comparable events in 1605 and in 1498. The pattern is pretty stark: a Tokai earthquake has happened about every 110 years, plus or minus 33 years. As of 2012, it has been 158 years and counting. These facts were put together in the 1970s by Katsuhiko Ishibashi. In 1978, the legislature adopted the Large-Scale Earthquake Countermeasures Act. In 1979, the Tokai segment was declared an area under intensified measures against earthquake disaster. Research began into the historic earthquakes and tectonic structure of the Tokai area. Widespread, persistent public education raised awareness about the expected effects of the Tokai Earthquake. Looking back and visualizing forward, we are not trying to predict the Tokai Earthquake at a specific date  but to clearly foresee it before it happens. Worse than Kobe, Worse than Kanto Professor Ishibashi is now at the University of Kobe, and perhaps that name rings a bell: Kobe was the site of a devastating quake in 1995 that the Japanese know as the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake. In Kobe alone, 4571 persons died and more than 200,000 were housed in shelters; in total, 6430 people were killed. More than 100,000 houses collapsed. Millions of homes lost water, power, or both. Some $150 billion in damage was recorded. The other benchmark Japanese quake was the Kanto earthquake of 1923. That event killed more than 120,000 people. The Hanshin-Awaji earthquake was magnitude 7.3. Kanto was 7.9. But at 8.4, the Tokai Earthquake will be substantially larger. Tracking The Tokai Segment With Science The seismic community in Japan is monitoring the Tokai segment at depth as well as watching the level of the land above it. Below, researchers map a large patch of the subduction zone where the two sides are locked; this is what will let loose to cause the quake. Above, careful measurements show that the land surface is being dragged down as the lower plate puts strain energy into the upper plate. Historical studies have capitalized on records of the tsunamis caused by past Tokai earthquakes. New methods allow us to partially reconstruct the causative event from the wave records. Preparation for the Next Tokai Earthquake The Tokai Earthquake is visualized in scenarios used by emergency planners. They need to create plans for an event that will likely cause about 5800 deaths, 19,000 serious injuries, and nearly 1 million damaged buildings in Shizuoka Prefecture alone. Large areas will be shaken at intensity 7, the highest level in the Japanese intensity scale. The Japanese Coast Guard recently produced unsettling tsunami animations for the major harbors in the epicentral region. The Hamaoka nuclear power plant sits where the hardest shaking is foreseen. The operators have begun further strengthening of the structure; based on the same information, popular opposition to the plant has increased. In the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the plants very future existence is clouded. Weaknesses of the Tokai Earthquake Warning System Most of this activity does good, but some aspects can be criticized. First is its reliance on the simple recurrence model of earthquakes, which is based on studies of the historical record. More desirable would be a physical recurrence model based on understanding the physics of the earthquake cycle, and where the region sits in that cycle, but that is still not well known. Also, the law set up an alert system that is less robust than it seems. A panel of six senior seismologists is supposed to assess the evidence and tell the authorities to make a public warning announcement when the Tokai Earthquake is imminent within hours or days. All the drills and practices that follow (for instance, freeway traffic is supposed to slow to 20 kph) assume that this process is scientifically sound, but in fact, theres no consensus on what evidence actually foreshadows earthquakes. In fact, a previous chairman of this Earthquake Assessment Committee, Kiroo Mogi, resigned his position in 1996 over this and other flaws in the system. He reported its grave issues in a 2004 paper in Earth Planets Space. Maybe a better process will be enacted someday—hopefully, ​long before the next Tokai Earthquake.