Reaction to Nonfiction Essay Example for Free

Reaction to Nonfiction Essay Salvation by Langston Hughes and Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone? Are two stories from the text that capture the attention and imagination of the reader. These two are nonfiction short stories that easily relate to the reader as well. Both stories caused a personal reaction as the writer used certain strategies to detail the idea, theme, and purpose behind each of the writings. It is also important to know the difference between a fiction and nonfiction story. The author has to intrigue the reader’s imagination to make the story interesting. Reactions and Strategies Salvation Salvation was written by Langston Hughes in 1940. This is a nonfictional story based on a childhood experience of the authors. Religion was apparently prominent in Hughes childhood and his family seemed to live by God’s word. Religion was so important to his family that he had to make a hard decision on either lying to his family or letting down his Lord. The writer described the day he was to find Jesus as a time to â€Å"bring the young lambs to the fold† (Hughes, 1940. P. 351). The story was moving, intriguing, and heartfelt. The writer made the story believable by giving a detailed setting and theme. The writer also used personal feelings and emotions of others to make this story believable. Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone? This short story was written by Andrew Lam in 2003. I was also a nonfictional story based on an experience in Lam’s adult years. Lam’s family were immigrates from Vietnam and the setting is at his mother’s 70th birthday. Lam overheard his mother asking her sister who would continue the tradition of lighting the incense and praying to the ancestors for protection. She seemed to be very concerned as was her sister that this tradition would cease when they passed away. This story was an eye-opener to what one may feel when tradition has been left to the elders and now needs to be passed down to the younger generations. It shows that when one is moved out of their culture they may try to hold on and teach their young, but there is no guarantee that the young will appreciate the values. One line expressed how the writer new his mothers pain, â€Å"mortality never less weighs heavy on her soul† (Lam, 20003. P. 1077). The writer used personal feelings and an insi ght into past and future to guide the reader into a better understanding of the situation. Personal Relation and Intended Purposes Salvation brings back childhood memories of personal experiences with church and family. Memories of summer at vocation bible school camp with friends and the lessons taught by the pastors. Also, movies about African Americans and church in the early and mid 1900’s were thought of during this reading. The purpose of this short story was geared toward understanding the importance of God in the writer’s life and family. The writer also displays the emotional reaction to his decision to lie about finding Jesus. Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone?, was a reminder of a military background involved with exposure to many cultures and religious diversities. Every cultures has it’s values and norms. When several generations of a particular culture migrate to America, some of those values will be lost. Individual ambitions will take place of the family traditions and values (Lam, 2003). The mother was upset with the son many times as he grew into an American cowboy, which the Vietnamese identified as being selfish and a rebel (Lam, 2003). The writer’s intent was to inform the reader of a lost tradition with in his family’s culture. Also, to make aware the struggle within to please his mother while upholding his personal ambitions. Nonfiction and Imagination It was apparent that these two stories were nonfiction because both were based on a personal experience that had and emotional impact on their life. The stories related to struggles and decisions that weighed on the consensus. It can be assumed that writing about these events may have taken pressure off the writer. Even with nonfiction the imagination needs to be provoked. The writer must set the theme and give a detailed setting so that the reader can place themselves in the situation. Including emotions of other characters also impact the imagination. If the author is trying to get a certain point across to his readers then they must bring the reader into the scene. Conclusion Both stories were easy to identify with because they were detailed with personal emotions and experiences. The author was aiming for a reaction from the reader that was personal and that was reached. The writer’s intention was clear and understood in both stories and was easy to connect personal experiences with. The two stories were nonfiction and dealt with personal struggles. Being that the two stories were personal it was intriguing to the imagination and simple to relate to. References Barnet, S., Burto, W., Cain, W. (2011). Literature for Composition (9th ed.). : Pearson.

Great Gatsby :: essays papers

Great Gatsby 4 When F. Scott Fitzgerald first published The Great Gatsby, it was named Under the Red, White, and Blue. However, after having revised the novel many times with his many editors, publishers, and personal advisors, Fitzgerald eventually released the book under its contemporary title. Why did Fitzgerald make the change? Under the red white and blue referred to the life of people in America, or under the American flag. His novel is focused on the corruption of the American dream, and the corruption of those residing within. The great Gatsby referred to one of the principle characters in the novel, Jay Gatsby. Why was Gatsby so great that the book was named after him? Jay Gatsby was portrayed by Fitzgerald as the son of God, or of a God. Fitzgerald reminds us of this throughout the novel, and from beginning to end he fills the text with hints as he alludes to Gatsby^s divine spirit. The ^Great Gatsby^ was a great man- Fitzgerald tells the reader that Gatsby was so great he could not have been a man- that he was a heavenly figure. Fitzgerald wanted the reader to believe that the American dream had died, and to further ingrain his belief in our minds, he destroys religion and morality^ but the final and most dismal reality Fitzgerald faces us with is that no man is a great man- the only great man encountered in The Great Gatsby is the son of God- who is superior to man, and cannot be judged by the same rules. An author uses imagery to convey specific thoughts and emotions from his readers. Fitzgerald constantly reminds us that Gatsby is a heavenly figure by associating Gatsby with the moon. The moon is a heavenly body; therefore, Gatsby^s presence brings out the heavens. The first time the narrator, Nick, meets Gatsby, it is at one of Gatsby^s gaudy parties, and ^the moon had risen higher.^(Fitzgerald p.51) just before Nick met Gatsby. When Nick leaves the party, ^a wafer of a moon was shining over Gatsby^s house.^(p.60) After Myrtle had been run over by Daisy, Nick speaks to Gatsby outside Daisy^s house, and Nick ^could think of nothing except the luminosity of his pink suit under the moon.^ The imagery in this location suggests that Gatsby is innocent of the crime he is implicated in, which is the murder of Myrtle. The moon shining down on Gatsby, making his suit radiate, suggests that heaven looks with favor upon Gatsby. Gatsby is linked with the heavens occurs when he describe! d having kissed Daisy for the first time.

Age and sex discrimination Essay

The terms ageism and sexism were coined about the same time (1969 and 1970, respectively), but sexism has become more widely used than ageism (Schick, 2006:7). Almost everyone has heard of sexism. Until recently, few people had heard of ageism. Both concepts refer to prejudice or discrimination against a category of people: sexism is usually directed against women, and ageism is usually directed against the aged. However, sometimes sexism is directed against men (by some extreme feminists), and ageism is sometimes directed against younger people (â€Å"positive ageism,† Palmore, 1990: 44). Prejudice is a negative attitude toward a category of people that is inaccurate and resistant to change. Discrimination is an inappropriate treatment of a category of people, usually based on prejudice (Atchley, 2001:17). Sexism and ageism combine in all possible ways: a few areas show neither one, more areas are affected by one but not the other, but most areas are affected by both. There may be some areas with neither ageism nor sexism, although it is hard to think of any area completely free of such prejudice. In some areas there is sexism with little or no ageism. For example, it is generally believed that women of any age should not marry men younger than themselves, but it is all right for men to marry women younger than themselves. This is a main reason why there are over five times as many widows as widowers over 65. On the other hand, in some areas there is ageism but little or no sexism. For example, many people believe that most old people are feeble or senile, regardless of gender. The fact is that the majority of people over 65 are neither feeble nor senile. In most areas both ageism and sexism combine to intensify the problems of older women. For example, women of all ages tend to have lower incomes than men (sexism), but older women also tend to have even lower incomes than younger women (ageism). This situation is often called â€Å"double jeopardy† because of the combined effects (Schick, 2006: 99). Sontag (1972) coined the term â€Å"double standard of aging. † This refers to the combination of sexism and ageism that multiplies the effects of both, more than would be expected on the basis of simply adding the two effects. For example, being physically attractive is more important in most women’s lives than in men’s (sexism); and there is a common belief that older persons are generally not as attractive as young people (ageism). However, women’s grey hair, wrinkles, bulges, and stooped bodies receive harsher judgment than those of men. For many women, aging means a â€Å"humiliating process of gradual sexual disqualification† (Sontag, 1972: 30-35), while many men enjoy more romantic success later in life because they have more status, money, and power than they had earlier. As a result, being a â€Å"spinster† or â€Å"old maid† is considered a pitiful status, while being an older bachelor is not so bad. Notice that there is no male equivalent of â€Å"old maid. † It may be objected that many older women do not mind this â€Å"sexual disqualification† and adjust to it by renouncing all interest in sexual activities or by becoming lesbians. This is true, but beside the point. The point is that sexism combined with ageism tends to enforce this â€Å"sexual disqualification† whether or not the woman likes it (Levin and Levin, 2000:210). There are many sources of ageism: individual, social, and cultural (Palmore, 1990:51). The individual sources include authoritarian personalities, frustration and aggression, selective perception, rationalization, and death anxiety. The social sources include modernization, competition, obsolescence, segregation, and selffulfilling prophecies. The cultural sources include the process of blaming the victim, differing value orientations, language, humor, songs, art, literature, television, and cultural lag. There are probably just as many sources of sexism that have been documented and analyzed elsewhere (Friedan, 1963: 107). The most popular sources of sexism that seem to increase in old age are humor and language. Negative jokes about women of all ages are common. However, jokes about old women seem to be relatively more frequent and more negative than those about younger women (Palmore, 1990:53). As any student of racism or sexism knows, negative humor is one of the most common and effective ways to perpetuate negative stereotypes about a minority group. One reason negative humor about a group is so common and effective is that it is passed off as â€Å"just a joke† or â€Å"harmless humor. † In fact, negative humor is rarely harmless and is especially insidious because its viciousness is masked by its overt â€Å"funniness. † Thus the age-concealment jokes reinforce the stereotype that all older women are ashamed of their age, while older men are not. It may well be that somewhat more old women are ashamed of their age than are old men (because of the â€Å"double standard of aging†), but that is beside the point. Similarly, the status of old maid is generally considered more negative than that of old bachelor, but that too is beside the point. The point is that such negative humor reinforces prejudice against older women. One of the most subtle but pervasive influences of culture on our attitudes is our language: the words we use to identify or describe a person or group; the derivations, definitions, and connotations of the words; their synonyms and antonyms; and the context in which they are used. Our language often supports ageism in all of these ways (Palmore, 1990:57). In addition, two analyses of words for elders have found that many of them also reflect sexism. Covey (1998) found that terms for old women have a much longer history of negative connotations than those for old men, because women not only faced a long history of ageism, but also sexism and religious persecution (as in witch hunts) (Covey, 1998:291). How can this malevolent combination of sexism and ageism be combatted? In general, most of the strategies that have been successful in reducing racism and sexism in general could be used to reduce the combination of sexism and ageism. Individuals can take the following actions to reduce prejudice and discrimination against older women: 1. Inform yourself so you have the facts to combat the misconceptions and stereotypes. 2. Examine your own attitudes and actions and try to eliminate those that reflect sexism and ageism. 3. Inform your relatives, friends, and colleagues about the facts, especially when some prejudice is expressed or implied. 4. Do not tell ageist or sexist jokes and refuse to laugh when you hear one. (Try converting the joke to an age- and sex-neutral joke by not specifying age or sex. ) References Atchley R. 2001. Social forces and aging. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Covey H. 1998. â€Å"Historical terminology used to represent older people†. Gerontologist, 28. Friedan B. 1963. The feminine mystique. New York: Norton. Levin J. , & Levin W. 2000. Ageism: Prejudice and discrimination against the elderly. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Palmore E. 1990. Ageism: Negative and positive. New York: Springer. Schick F. (Ed. ) 2006. Statistical handbook on aging Americans. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. Sontag S. 1972. â€Å"The double standard of aging†. Saturday Review, 55 (39).

Profile of NASA Inventor Robert G Bryant

Chemical engineer, Doctor Robert G Bryant works for NASAs Langley Research Center and has patented numerous inventions. Highlighted below are just two of the award winning products that Bryant has helped invent while at Langley. LaRC-SI Robert Bryant headed the team that invented Soluble Imide (LaRC-SI) the self-bonding thermoplastic that received an RD 100 award for being one of the most significant new technical products of 1994. While researching resins and adhesives for advanced composites for high-speed aircraft, Robert Bryant, noticed that one of the polymers he was working with did not behave as predicted. After putting the compound through a two-stage controlled chemical reaction, expecting it to precipitate as a powder after the second stage, he was surprised to see that the compound remained soluble. According to a NasaTech report LaRC-SI proved to be a moldable, soluble, strong, crack-resistant polymer that could withstand high temperatures and pressures, unlikely to burn, and was resistant to hydrocarbons, lubricants, antifreeze, hydraulic fluid, and detergents. Applications for LaRC-SI have included use with mechanical parts, magnetic components, ceramics, adhesives, composites, flexible circuits, multilayer printed circuits, and coatings on fiber optics, wires, and metals. 2006 NASA Government Invention of the Year Robert Bryant was part of the team at NASAs Langley Research Center that created Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC) the flexible and durable material that uses ceramic fibers. By applying voltage to the MFC, the ceramic fibers change shape to expand or contract and turn the resulting force into a bending or twisting action on the material. MFC is used in industrial and research applications for vibration monitoring and dampening, for example, improved helicopter rotor blades research, and vibration monitoring of support structures near the space shuttle pads during launches. The composite material can be used for pipeline crack detection and is being tested in wind turbine blades. Some non-aerospace applications being evaluated include suppressing vibration in performance sporting equipment such as skis, force and pressure sensing for industrial equipment and sound generation and noise cancellation in commercial grade appliances. The MFC is the first of its type composite that is specifically engineered for performance, manufacturability and reliability, said Robert Bryant, Its this combination that creates a ready-to-use system capable of morphing into a variety of uses on Earth and in space. 1996 RD 100 Award Robert G Bryant received the 1996 RD 100 Award presented by RD magazine for his role in developing THUNDER technology along with fellow Langley researchers, Richard Hellbaum, Joycelyn Harrison, Robert Fox, Antony Jalink, and Wayne Rohrbach. Patents Granted #7197798, April 3, 2007, Method of fabricating a composite apparatusA method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises making a piezoelectric fiber sheet by providing a plurality of wafers of piezoelectric material, bonding the wafers together with an adhesive material to form a stack of alternating layers of piezoelectric...#7086593, August 8, 2006, Magnetic field response measurement acquisition systemMagnetic field response sensors designed as passive inductor-capacitor circuits produce magnetic field responses whose harmonic frequencies correspond to states of physical properties for which the sensors measure. Power to the sensing element is acquired using Faraday induction.#7038358, May 2, 2006, Electro-active transducer using radial electric field to produce/sense out-of-plane transducerAn electro-active transducer includes a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns. When the device is used as an actuator, the first and second electrode patterns are configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when voltage#7019621, March 28, 2006, Methods and apparatus to increase sound quality of piezoelectric devicesA piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric component, an acoustic member attached to one of the surfaces of the piezoelectric component and a dampening material of low elastic modulus attached to one or both surfaces of the piezoelectric transducer...#6919669, July 19, 2005, Electro-active device using radial electric field piezo-diaphragm for sonic applicationsAn electro-active transducer for sonic applications includes a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns to form a piezo-diaphragm coupled to a mounting frame...#6856073, February 15, 2005, Electro-active device using radial electric field piezo-diaphragm for control of fluid movementA fluid-control electro-active device includes a piezo-diaphragm made from a ferroelectr ic material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when voltage is applied thereto...#6686437, February 3, 2004, Medical implants made of wear-resistant, high-performance polyimides, process of making same andA medical implant having at least a portion thereof made of a formable, pyromellitic, dianhydride (PMDA)-free, non-halogenated, aromatic polyimide is disclosed. Further disclosed are a process of manufacturing the implant and a method of implanting the implant in a subject in need thereo...#6734603, May 11, 2004, Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensorA method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed...#6629341, October 7, 2003, Method of fabricating a piezoelectric composite apparatusA method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezoelectric material that has two sides and attaching one side upon an adhesive backing sheet...#6190589, February 20, 2001, Fabrication of molded magnetic articleA molded magnetic article and fabrication method are provided. Particles of ferromagnetic material embedded in a polymer binder are molded under heat and pressure into a geometric shape...#6060811, May 9, 2000, Advanced layered composite polylaminate electroactive actuator and sensorThe present invention relates to the mounting of pre-stressed electroactive material in such a manner that large displacement actuators or sensors result. The invention comprises mounting the pre-stressed electroactive material to a support layer...#6054210, April 25, 2000, Molded magnetic articleA molded magnetic article and fabrication method are provided. Particles of ferromagnetic material embedded in a polymer binder are molde d under heat and pressure into a geometric shape...#6048959, April 11, 2000, Tough soluble aromatic thermoplastic copolyimides#5741883, April 21, 1998, Tough, soluble, aromatic, thermoplastic copolyimides#5639850, June 17, 1997, Process for preparing a tough, soluble, aromatic, thermoplastic copolyimide#5632841, May 27, 1997, Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensorA method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed.#5599993, February 4, 1997, Phenylethynyl amine#5545711, August 13, 1996, Polyazomethines containing trifluoromethylbenzene units#5446204, August 29, 1995, Phenylethynyl reactive diluents#5426234, June 20, 1995, Phenylethynyl terminated reactive oligomer#5412066, May 2, 1995, Phenylethynyl terminated imide oligomers#5378795, January 3, 1995, Poly azomethines containing trifluoromethylbenzene units#5312994, May 17, 1994, Phenylethynyl endcapping reagents and reactive diluents#5268444, December 7, 1993, Phenylethynyl-terminated poly(arylene ethers)