An Analysis of Culture in Things Fall Apart free essay sample

The novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† written by Chinua Achebe, is a tale based on the traditional beliefs and customs of an Ibo village during late 1800’s Africa. Through the telling of this story, we witness the remarkable depth of Igbo culture through its functions of religion, politics, judiciary and entertainment. One of Achebe’s challenges was to illustrate the Ibo’s religious system. Even though the Ibo people had little contact with the outside world, they had developed their own beliefs and practices that became essential elements in their everyday lives. The Ibo religion played a role in the way they raised their families, communicated, entertained, and governed their society. Similar to those of the early Egyptian and Greek religions, the Ibo’s believed in several gods and goddesses that have been inspired from nature and its elements. Since the Ibo culture is dependent on agriculture and farming, they believe making peace with the gods will ensure a good harvest. We will write a custom essay sample on An Analysis of Culture in Things Fall Apart or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is illustrated on page 17 when Unoka is being told that, â€Å"†¦when a man is at peace with his gods and his ancestors, his harvest will be good or bad according to the strength of his arm. This also demonstrates how the Ibo people believed their ancestors played an important role in religion, often consulting their spirits for advice and approval. It was believed that through good deeds and devotion to their gods and ancestors, that good fortune would follow. On page 27, Achebe introduces a proverb told by the Ibo, â€Å"†¦that when a person says yes, his chi says yes also,† demonstrating the Ibo belief that if one believes in their chi (another name for personal god), that they will support and ensure ones protection. But it was also believed that if one were to sin or do anything to offend the gods, that punishment might follow. A good example of this can be found on page 30 after Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace—a sacred time for the Ibo people. The priest of the earth goddess, Ezeani, tells him, â€Å"The evil you have done can ruin the whole clan. The earth goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase, and we shall all perish. † He then tells him to, â€Å"†¦bring to the shrine of Ani tomorrow one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries,† in an effort to repent to Ani, the earth goddess. As well as maintaining good morals and values, the Ibo people further connected with their gods and ancestors through the act of sacrifice. The Ibo people would sacrifice anything from fruit, small animals and in some instances, people. On page 17, Unoka explains that, â€Å"before I put any crop in the earth, I sacrifice a cock to Ani, the owner of all land. It is the law of our fathers. I also kill a cock at the shrine of Ifejioku, the god of yams. † Although some of the practices of the Ibo religion may seem harsh, its primary goal is to maintain a peaceful and just society. Just as the Ibo celebrate religion with their gods, they also celebrate with each other. Later on page 97, Tortoise explains that he has, â€Å"†¦learned that a man who makes trouble for others is also making it for himself,† which demonstrates how the Ibo people followed principles similar to that of the â€Å"golden rule† found in many other religions of the time. Achebe also illustrates the Ibo judiciary and political system throughout the entire story. Similar to those in other cultures, the Ibo people had a very structured social order. In the beginning of the story on page 18, Achebe describes Nwakibie’s status in the Ibo village by stating he, â€Å"†¦had taken the highest but one title which a man could take in the clan. † He is described as very wealthy, with â€Å"three huge large barns† and â€Å"nine wives and thirty children. † When the missionaries later arrive to the Ibo village (on page 148), they ask to speak to the king, but where told, â€Å"†¦there was no king. We have men of high title and the chief priests and the elders. † In the Ibo culture, men of high power were said to be given a high â€Å"title†. This system of hierarchy is similar to the ranks that governors and senators hold in the United States—and it appears that promiscuity is still common in both political systems (take John Edwards for example†¦). Whenever Ibo villagers needed to settle disputes, they would call upon the spirits of their ancestors (called egwugwu) to make communal decisions in court. On page 87, nine egwugwu are summoned to settle a dispute between a husband and his wife, Mgbafo. The trail is centered around what’s called the â€Å"egwugwu house† (equivalent to the home of a judge) judged by the leader of the egwugwu, named â€Å"Evil forest. On page 89, Achebe describes the beginning of the trial, â€Å"He (Evil Forest) took the first of the empty stools, and the eight other egwugwu began to sit in order of seniority after him,† which is very similar to the practices of the modern day US judiciary system when the judge is seated and members of the jury do so afterwar ds. In this case, Mgbafo has been accused of leaving her husband without returning her bride-price (money paid at the wedding) after he had beaten her. On page 92, it is states, â€Å"The law of Umuofia is that if a woman uns away from her husband her bride-price is returned,† which verifies that the Ibo people had laws just as any other culture would. Evil Forest heard the testimony and, â€Å"the nine egwugwu then went away to consult together in their house,† just as a modern-day jury would. Evil Forest soon returns and states, â€Å"We have heard both sides of the case†¦Our duty is not to blame this man or to praise that, but to settle the dispute,† and declares Mgbafo the winner, claiming she did it out of self defense. For disputes that are more political, the courts may be disregarded. For example, on page 12, a dispute arises between a neighboring clan and Umuofia after a Umuofian woman is killed. Umuofia then engages in a war against the neighboring village, and justice is served with a compromise, â€Å"at the end they decided†¦that the girl should go to Ogbuefi Udo to replace his murdered wife. † For disputes that are more spiritual, the Ibo villagers often consulted with the â€Å"Oracle of the Hills and the Caves† (a spirit that speaks the word of god) for advice and decisions. On page 16, Achebe describes how, â€Å"people came from far and near to consult it. They came when misfortune dogged their steps or when they had a dispute with their neighbors. † Earlier on page 12, Achebe writes, â€Å"†¦there were indeed occasions when the Oracle had forbidden Umuofia to wage a war,† which describes how the Oracle has also taken part in the Ibo political and judiciary system. Not only does Achebe elaborate on how the Ibo maintained a functional religious, political and judiciary system, but he also illustrates how they enjoyed daily life. The Ibo had a very efficient economic system, similar to that of a modern day society. Agriculture was very important in the Ibo society and was considered one of the best paying jobs. Farmers spent most of their days cultivating yams and selling them in local markets in exchange for their currency, named the â€Å"cowry†. But when the Ibo people weren’t on the field, they were celebrating with song and dance. Whether they spent their days enjoying a wrestling match, or preparing for the New Year’s festivities, they always found a way to entertain themselves. To mark the beginning of each New Year, the Ibo village would hold a special feast called â€Å"The Feast of the New Yam. On pages 37 and 38, Achebe describes the feast as an, â€Å"†¦occasion for giving thanks to Ani, the earth goddess and the source of all fertility. † Members of the Umuofia village enjoy â€Å"Yam foo-foo and vegetable soup† and know that in the past, â€Å"†¦there was always a large quantity of food left over†¦. † Achebe describes how Okonkwo’s wives, â€Å"scrubbed the walls and the huts with red earth until they reflect light,† and â€Å"†¦drew patterns on them in white, yellow and dark green,† in an effort to add decor. The people also decorated their bodies, â€Å"painting themselves with cam wood and drawing beautiful black patterns on their stomachs and on their backs. † The following day marks the day of the great wrestling match between Okonkwo’s village and the neighboring clan. On page 46, Achebe describes the event, â€Å"They stood round in a huge circle leaving the center of the playground free,† painting the picture of a special occasion. An image of drummers, â€Å"†¦beating them with sticks, working feverishly from one drum to another,† appears, to which Achebe describes them as being, â€Å"possessed by the spirit of the drums. Spectators watch the match as the wrestlers fight to the rhythm of the roaring crowd, until the entertainment is over. During the regular year, the Ibo villagers still find time for entertainment. At various times throughout the year, small traditional celebrations are held for the various gods. These celebrations are enjoyed with food and often kola nuts, which are offered to each member’s chi. At various points in the story, the elders of the community also tell traditional folk tales and use proverbs to spread wisdom to the community. On page 100, Ekwefi and Enzima share a story about Tortoise and Cat. She even begins with, â€Å"Once upon a time,† just as many Europeans begin their own stories. In conclusion, Achebe provides evidence throughout â€Å"Things Fall Apart† that the Ibo people had an established, moral culture before the arrival of the Europeans. Achebe has shown that Ibo were an extremely spiritual, political and hard-working society, filled with function and pursuit—the perfect ingredients to a peaceful and just society.

NATO - Member Countries and Overview

NATO - Member Countries and Overview On April 1, 2009, two countries were newly admitted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Thus, there are now 28 member states. The U.S.-led military alliance was created in 1949 as a result of the Soviet blockade of Berlin. The original twelve members of NATO in 1949 were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. In 1952, Greece and Turkey joined. West Germany was admitted in 1955 and in 1982 Spain became the sixteenth member. On March 12, 1999, three new countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland - brought the total number of NATO members to 19. On April 2, 2004, seven new countries joined the alliance. These countries are Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The two newest countries that joined as NATO members on April 1, 2009 are Albania and Croatia. To retaliate against the formation of NATO, in 1955 the Communist countries banded together to form the now-defunct Warsaw Pact, which originally consisted of the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, and Romania. The Warsaw Pact ended in 1991, with the fall of Communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Most notably, Russia remains a non-member of NATO. Interestingly enough, in the military structure of NATO, a U.S. military officer is always commander-in-chief of NATO forces so that U.S. troops never come under the  control of a foreign power. The 28 Current NATO Members AlbaniaBelgiumBulgariaCanadaCroatiaCzech RepublicDenmarkEstoniaFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryIcelandItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgNetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaSlovakiaSloveniaSpainTurkeyUnited KingdomUnited States

PwC Pays for Priority; New Recruiting Tool for College Students Gives Essay

PwC Pays for Priority; New Recruiting Tool for College Students Gives Accounting Firm Top Billing - Essay Example In this paper, we are going to look at its stretch in expanding its reach as far as accounting is concerned. Its key competitors are KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte LLP. These firms are all using the same technique to expand their activities; recruiting thousand of undergraduates and graduates as well as promoting these activities through advertisements in media such as Facebook and Twitter (PwC Pays for Priority (article), 2010). PWC has chosen 60 top colleges where it will be channeling funds by sponsoring the education. The top accounting students will get recruitments in the firm as interns for undergraduates and full-time employment for graduates. The competitors have also designed their tactics, they are all competing for new graduates regardless of the current economic crisis all over the world (PwC Pays for Priority (article), 2010). The firm plans to recruit over 5,500 graduates and undergraduates from different colleges and universities in USA. This is the combination of both new employees and interns. Records how that it is an improvement compared to the previous years where it recruited 4,600 last year and 4,800 the year before the previous recruitment. Financial accounting records shows that the firm has been improving as far as its returns are concerned and this has been proven by its $26.57 billion revenue. This was a 1.5% growth from the previous years regardless of the global crisis; Western Europe is the largest company’s source of revenue followed by Caribbean and North America (PwC Pays for Priority (article), 2010). The firm has challenged its competitors in using techniques such as media in the recruiting process and Twitter. In the career pages of the firm, it has equipped it with online chats where recruiters discuss different issues with recruits. This was designed early last year, if any student is interested, he/she will just interact with the recruitment crew and if he/she

He Nurse' Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors Essay

He Nurse' Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors - Essay Example It is estimated that, at least one in ten inpatients have faced an incident of medication error, leading to severe injuries. Nurses have a very critical responsibility in the identification, reduction, and prevention of any foreseeable medical risks in hospital settings and other environment of medical care. To counter the increasing cases of medical errors, nurses and other practitioners should view every medical error as a complex system failure rather than an individual failure. As a result, effort towards the development of defenses to eradicate errors is more likely to advance patient safety rather than blaming individual responsibility. Medication errors entail preventable events (harm or death) caused by inappropriate medication or treatment procedures. Introduction The recent medical errors not only cost individual lives and health but also have a very extraneous financial burden that ranges from 21 billion to 37 billion dollars every year. Frequent medical errors lead to a r eduction in the level of satisfaction and trust in nurses and the entire healthcare system by the society. Safety concerns among patients constitute the main cause for patients seeking alternative care. Health practitioners have the responsibility of complying with the five main rights to safe medication, right route, right patient, right drugs, and right time. As stated by Ball (2010), in 2010, there are between 78 000 to 120, 000 reported cases of deaths caused by preventable and unnecessary medical errors annually. Additionally, thousands of inpatients are affected by nonfatal medical errors. Medication errors also lead to psychological and physical errors among the affected patients. Nurses have an incredibly decisive role in reducing cases of medication errors. They have the responsibility of ensuring that other health professionals do not make unnecessary mistakes and that they too do not make obvious mistakes. Thesis Statement The main role of any health professional is to pr otect and improve patients’ health. Nurses have the key responsibility of reducing cases of medication errors in health sectors. They have the mandate of utilizing all the available resources, strategies, and mechanisms to mitigate increased deaths and harm caused by medication errors. The cooperation between all involved players in the health sector can record significant improvement in-patient health Owing to increased deaths and physical injury caused by nurses’ medication errors, nurses have come up with a variety of strategies and measures to counter the alarming death rate. At present, there are several suitable methods for reducing the impact of medication errors. For starter, drug selection is extremely crucial especially among vulnerable people in the society. Nurses should avoid ordering drugs on Beers Criteria for patients who are 65 years and above. The Beers Criteria points out the drugs that should be avoided by aged patients who have a specified medical condition. The use of trailing zero after decimal in a dosage is another core reason for medication error. For instance, it is possible for health practitioners to misinterpret 1.0g with 10 g in the situation where the decimal is not legible. According to the existing medication regulations, zero is

Hotel Industry in Malaysia Essay Example for Free

Hotel Industry in Malaysia Essay In general, the hotel industry in Malaysia experienced an encouraging growth rate in 1994. The industry recorded a significant growth of 64 percent in tourism receipts, from RM5.1 billion generated in 1993 to RM8.3 billion in 1994. Malaysia will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in 1998. In addition, the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang when completed, will cater for 25 million passengers per year and help establish Malaysia as a major centre for international air travel in the region. [Source: 1995 Annual Report of Olympia Industries Berhad] Malaysia has been regarded as one of the world famous holiday and investment destination. The country has attracted more than six million of overseas people holidaymakers and businessmen to Malaysia each year. The Government of Malaysia has been promoting Malaysia tourism agressively both locally and overseas. The country is blessed with numerous holiday sites and business centres. The colourful multi-ethnic group practising multi-culturalism in Malaysia has attracted million of foreign visitor to the country. The people, the food and the customs have impressed many foreign visitors. The country is continuously improving its basic infrastructure such as telecommunication, transportation, and public facilities in order to attract more foreign visitors. As a result of the impressive economic growth, one cannot stop being amazed by the amount of land-related development projects which are going on in Malaysia presently. More hotels, resorts and business centres have sprouted everywhere. Light Rail Transit project has been constructed and near completion. All these development attempts to set Malaysia as a centre for holidaymakers and foreign investors. Hotel industry in Malaysia has contributed tremendously to the development in the Malaysia tourism industry. As a result of the continuing tourism development, the hotel industry in Malaysia is also continuingly developed to cater for more foreign visitors and provide better services. The hotel industry in Malaysia is large. It offers accomodation ranging from lodging houses to five-star hotels, ranging from an inexpensive RM30 per day to an average of RM250 per day and can be as high as thousands. The visitors have a wider range of accomodation selection depending on their budgets. There are accomodation provider practically anywhere in all the major towns and cities.

The Black Cat Essay -- essays research papers

The Black Cat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Black Cat, by Edgar Allen Poe, is a story about a man whose love for animals is overcome by an extreme hatred toward the creatures. What goes around comes around is a saying that would most effectively convey the message of this story because Poe implies that people will inevitably suffer the consequences of their actions. Through the careful construction of plot, the ongoing use of irony, and the rapid development of character, Poe captures the reader’s undivided attention and evokes a wide variety of emotions through this short story   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This story is a confession of an atrocious sin told by an old man on his deathbed. The plot begins to unfold as the main character reflects back on his childhood. He recalls having been an animal lover all of his life. A conflict first arises between himself and Pluto, his cat. He becomes angered when the cat rejects him out of fear. However, he quickly resolves this problem by killing the cat. Throughout the story he seems to be having an 2 inner conflict as well. He realizes how horrible and atrocious his sins are but is unable to feel remorse. While he seems to be an intelligent and virtuous man, he cannot seem to control his violent fits of drunken rage. He also deals with conflict on a more spiritual level. The cat that he has killed is haunting him. He tries to shrug it off as coincidence, but every time he comes up with an explanation for an unsettling even...

Genetically Modified Foods: Helpful or Harmful? Essay

Genetically modified (GM) foods have been around for thousands of years. In the 1990s, they started being sold commercially in the United States, which was the start of this controversy: Are GM foods good or bad for us? Do the pros outweigh the cons? In my opinion, genetically modified foods are nothing to worry about. GM foods are produced from genetic engineering. Scientists take a certain gene from an organism that is desired and put it into another organism. For example, scientists might take a drought resistant gene from a plant and insert it into a crop, so that crop will not die during a period of low rainfall. There are various ways to add in these desired genes, such as crossbreeding, which has been used since the beginning of agriculture, bacterial transfer of DNA into a cell, and a newer method of shooting DNA particles into a cell with particle gun, developed by Cornell University (Freedman, 83). There are numerous advantages of genetically modified foods. Crops can become impervious to insects. According to Whitman, â€Å"Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. † Making the crops pest resistant makes more people want to buy them and is safer on the environment. Since farmers can use less pesticide, the cost of the food decreases and less people go hungry. â€Å"It has raised the output of corn, cotton and soy by 20 to 30 percent, allowing some people to survive who would not have without it (Freedman, 82). † Another advantage is adding vitamins and minerals to foods that lack them. Foods become more nutritious. For example, â€Å"Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated (Whitman). † LaPensee also agrees: â€Å"Genetic manipulation could increase agricultural yields in developing countries with the development of more sustainable crops. For example, disease- and pest-resistant fruits and vegetables with higher nutritional value (e. g. , more iron, vitamin A, and protein) could improve the health of people in developing regions where the imbalanced indigenous diet is overly dependent on grains such as rice and corn. † This can decrease hunger and sickness world-wide. On the contrary, GM foods do have some disadvantages. When you modify plants and animals genetically, biodiversity decreases. â€Å"Homogeneity may make crops more susceptible to disease. Thus, the present uncertainty about the cumulative effects in ecosystems or the food chain is making consumers wary (Hoyle and Lerner). † With a decrease in biodiversity, all crops that are genetically similar are more susceptible to die during a natural disaster. Also, scientists do not know all of the effects of these GM foods on our health. â€Å"For a variety of reasons, not all scientifically based, some people argue that transgenic food is a consumer safety issue because not all of the effects of transgenic foods have been fully explored (Transgenics). † GM foods should definitely be labeled. People have a right to know whether or not their foods have been genetically modified. Businesses argue that it would cost more for the consumer if their was a label, but â€Å"the demand for transparency is unlikely to go away so, for crying out loud, just label it (O’Brian). † Genetically engineered foods are very helpful. They can be more nutritious and better for the environment. These modifications help people all over the world, especially people dependent on certain crops. There are some criticisms, but the good outweighs the bad. GM foods should all be labelled, because people need to know what is in their food. Biblography Freedman, David H.. â€Å"Are Engineered Foods Evil?. † Scientific American 1 Sept. 2013: 80-85. Print. Hoyle, Brian, and K. Lee Lerner. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. † The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2008. 1900-1902. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 May 2014. LaPensee, Kenneth T. â€Å"Biotechnology and the Manipulation of Genes. † Scientific Thought: In Context. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 532-536. In Context Series. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 May 2014. O’Brian, Mark R.. â€Å"Don’t fear GMOs: Genetically modified food is just the latest chapter in 10,000 years of high-tech agriculture. † The Buffalo News 6 Apr. 2014: 1. Print. â€Å"Transgenics. † The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale, 2008. 4414-4416. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 11 May 2014. Whitman, Deborah B.. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?. † . N. p. , 1 Apr. 2000. Web. 11 May 2014.