Firoozeh Dumas Essay Example for Free

Firoozeh Dumas Essay To deny someone and education is not just a crime but a sin, because you are denying that person the opportunity to realize who he or she is meant to be. This quote represents Firoozeh Dumass view on learning and becoming the person that she is today. Through her hardships, struggles, good times and the bad times, she has matured and learned a great deal. In the autobiography Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, the themes or clashing cultures, new environments, and learning through experience comes into play. The story begins as Firoozeh moves with her family to the United States in 1972, as a seven-year-old. From the moment her airplane lands, she starts to see differences; not only in the geography of the land and the appearance of the people, but the look of the whole place. She is used to bustling cities in Iran, crowded with enthusiastic workers, shoppers, and people socializing. In contrast, her new neighborhood in America seemed fairly unexciting; she describes it as uniformed houses, all the lawns in perfect order, as if everything was constantly being maintained to achieve the ideal look. But little did she know that this was only the beginning of differences. Entering a new school would open a whole other orbit of biculturalism. As she enters school, she sees everyone; completely different looking from her, and all of them fluent in English. Curious classmates peered around her desk, examining her from head to toe trying to figure out who she is; what type of creature she is and where she comes from. To make things even worse, Firoozeh’s mother decides to attend school with her, to learn proper English. This leads to ultimate humiliation for Firoozeh. Not only is she an immigrant student, but an immigrant student with her mother in elementary school with her. Students constantly ask her where she comes from, as if shes an alien of some sort. She slowly learns to respond by saying You know, the country where Persian cats come from. She hopes to one day learn English properly so she can fit in and communicate with her fellow students. Her first day is completely confusing as she tries to embrace all that is happening around her. On the way home, the bus driver drops Firoozeh and her mother a few blocks away from their house. Not so familiar with the location, they get further confused and cant recognize their own home. To them, the homes all look alike, and cant distinguish their own from the rest. These incidents represent the difficulties that Firoozeh goes through in her first couple of months in America. However, after a couple of months time, she learns more and more about the American culture and believes she is on her way to Americanization. During summer vacation, the family celebrates their first year completed in America by voyaging to Disneyland. Being a child, Firoozeh is completely star-struck and amazed by the tiny world created for the sole purpose of entertaining people. All her favorite Disney characters that she had only heard the names of in Iran were now walking amongst her in real life! Firoozeh wasnt the only one who enjoyed herself. Her father Kauzem described Walt Disney as a genius, a man whose vision allowed everyone, regardless of age, to relive the wonderment of childhood. (p. 17) Their lives in America seemed to be improving, until the Iranian Revolution ten years later. Firoozeh, now a seventeen year old, was again suffering from racism everywhere she went. People were now staring at her again, questioning her and calling her a terrorist, just because of what was happening in her country. The pain of not fitting in was now something she became accustomed to, and she decided to overcome it by further educating herself. She was thankful to have the opportunity to be educated, and she wanted to take advantage of her chance. Firoozeh spent high school learning French, until she got fluent in it. She was offered an opportunity to travel to Paris for two months because of her immense skill and fluency at the language. There, she again faces racism, where she is interviewed and labeled as a seventeen-year-old spy. She begins to ignore the racism around her, and advances in her studies. From education, she learns who she really is. The strength is now ingrained in her and she knows who she is: a young Iranian woman who has succeeded through many hardships. Nothing can stop her from learning, the main factor that helped her develop her personality. The main conflict she faces over and over again throughout the story is intense racism and not being able to fit in with every other American. By end, she realizes that by using education she can overcome all her struggles. Firoozeh Dumas ends up marrying a Frenchman who she meets in college, and they both live happily together. She realizes that her own encouragement and drive to study has brought her all the way to college, and finds her a perfect partner. As she said before, education is what helps a person realize what they are meant to be. In my opinion, the character goes through many hardships; and just as things begin to turn up, she again falls into another political conflict because of the Iranian Revolution. With these multiple problems she has to face, she realizes that one key factor can help her survive through it all: education. She knew that as long as she kept studying and taking advantage of the right of education, she will succeed; and she did. I think she dealt with her hardships perfectly and came out extremely strong at the end. This book is an ideal representation of an immigrant girl coming from Iran. It shows the perfect perspective of what someone like Firoozeh might think, and the problems they will face. It gives an opportunity for the reader to advance their knowledge on a new culture, to see an Iranian immigrant’s point of view. By adding some humor in the story, it becomes even more entertaining and interesting to learn about Firoozeh’s struggles. This book has given me an increased amount of respect for people who come from a different country. Firoozeh’s education helped her go extremely far and be successful in life, and I hope the same will happen to me because Im blessed with the right of education that Firoozeh describes.

The True Tragic Hero of Creon in Sophocles Antigone Essay -- Papers S

The True Tragic Hero of Creon in Sophocles' Antigone There has always been a great debate over who is the true tragic hero in Sophocles' Antigone. Many scholars would stake claim to Antigone possessing all the necessary characteristics of a true tragic hero, but many others would argue that Creon holds many qualities as well. It is hard to discount Antigone as a tragic hero, because in fact, the play bears her name, but from careful reading, Creon meets Aristotle's criteria exactly and fits perfectly into the role. In order to determine whether or not Creon is the true tragic hero, one must answer the question: 'What is a Tragic Hero?' In Aristotle's Poetics, he discusses the basic criteria regarding a tragic hero. Aristotle states that tragic heroes must have a 'high' status or social position; characters must not be perfect, although, the character is pre-eminently good; they must have a single flaw that brings about their own demise and that of the others around them. Aristotle also mentions another quality of a tragic hero , which is that the character arouses pity in the audience usually because the punishment exceeds the crime and the hero is alive to face his suffering in order to achieve some self-recognition. After reviewing all these critera, it should be clear that Creon is the true tragic hero. First, Aristotle suggests that a tragic hero must occupy a ?high? status position, but must also possess nobility and virtue as part of the hero's character. Creon fits this description quite accurately. At the beginning of the play; in the Time and Scene section, it says that, ?Creon, is now king of Thebes.? This quote shows that he occupies a strong status position and stature of nobility. Creon also pro... ...h ruler and should be punished in the same matter that he ruled. Creon made a choice, a choice he thought was the right one. It turned out that this choice warranted an unjustly punishment. Creon?s punishment exceeds the crime; is one who has excessive pride and arrogance, like many of us, to suffer a lonely and hated life? Should we pity him? Creon fits all of Aristotle?s criteria to perfection. He is a good king with a high stature, although he is not perfect in his actions. The excessive pride sets the stage for his major flaw. This pride leads to his downfall and that of his family. Creon reaches a period of recognition for his actions. Lastly, his punishment was overly harsh compared to his crime. According to Aristotle, Creon is a striking match to fit the role of a tragic hero. Works Cited: Sophocles. Antigone. Trans. D. W. Myatt. 1994.

By Margaret Craven Essay

This book is an inspiring experience to read is somewhat of an understatement. Though a very small book in terms of novels lately, this work is complete and in depth enough that nothing is left lacking. A young vicar, Mark Brian accepts an assignment to a remote Indian village in the Pacific Northwest of British Columbia. Kingcome itself seems to become part of the landscape instead of detracting from the natural beauty. The people, the Kwakiutl tribe, are as mysterious and reserved as the land they live in. Their walnut colored faces and sad eyes speak of secrets and silent thoughts that Brian can not interpret at first. He notes to himself mentally as if they always seem to be waiting for something but he can never quite understand what. They treat him with respect and distance, a quiet reminder that he is an intruder, whether welcomed or not. He is the â€Å"white man† and therefore, far beyond being able to understand their circle of life and how they view that life. In return, Brian gives them that right to distance and struggles to be as unobtrusive a presence as he can be. He sees this as a challenge that he has been sent to accomplish in order to better their lives and thus better his as well. His vicarage and church are in ramshackle condition, a far cry from any said civilized habitat he was accustomed to but upon receiving a post dated letter from his Bishop that he would receive a new â€Å"manufactured† vicarage, he sends a response declining the offer. He is determined to live as they live or as much as he can and open himself to their ways. It is not a feat easily accomplished. His strongest ally is Jim Wallace, a native designated to aid and help the young vicar. Yet, Jim and Mark are just among a whole cast of fabulous and amazing characters from Calamity Bill, a forester, and to old Marta who is wise beyond even her extensive lifetime. Mark experiences the faith that the people hold in Christianity while the underlying teachings of their native spirituality is always present. Unknown to the vicar is the fact that he is dying and though his Bishop knew, he learns to accept all facets of life, even death, through the pragmatic and beautifully simplistic acceptance of the Kwakiutl people. As to often when one race invades another, the conquering one imposes their way of thought and practices upon the other. One of the most startling evidence of government interference was the body of a drowned child that was required to lay in wait of burial for an undeterminable length of time. Stark decomposition had set in but still the Kwakiutl were forced to wait for the arrival of the Royal Mounted Police constable before the child could be buried. Obviously an accidental death, nothing truly needing an inquest, the constable showed little regard for the tribe and their customs by delaying his visit as long as possible. Mark Brian got his first taste of governmental beau racy with that act. Even he in his regulated position of the parish’s minister could not override the law and bury the child within a respectful time. The government also imposed their restrictions of the Kwakiutl by the banning of their great potlatch dances, something that had been an important custom among the Indians for as long as memory served. The people were still allowed to have potlatch dances, but on a much smaller scale and the sole reason being that the potlatch could deprive one tribe of sufficient substance and needs in order to satisfy their chief’s need to be generous. Though the Kwakiutl spoke very little of any criticism in the government’s interference, Brian sensed the deep resentment and silent anger that his charges felt to have their way of life altered so drastically. The one issue they were the most verbal about was the requirement to send their older children to a school in Vancouver which taught them the ways of the white civilization and insisted that it was the one true way to live. All the ancient ways of Kingcome were swept away and belittled by this school. When the children came home from school, they were impatient with the time set ways of the elders of the tribe and their families could see the desire in them to leave the village for good and become part of the outside world. It was certain doom for Kingcome, both as a village and as a people. It was an assurance that life as the Kwakiutl as they had been for centuries would fade away into history and cease as a separate nation. â€Å"Here in the village my people are at home as the fish in the sea, as the eagle in the sky. When the young leave, the world takes them and damages them. They no longer listen when the elders speak. They go and soon the village will go also. † (Craven 62) In my opinion, the book was wonderfully enlightening and deeply moving. As the time was spent with the people, Mark Brian did, as his Bishop hoped, gave a finer insight into the beauty of life and the deepset roots of people who were content with their world as it was. A rare happiness that though not clearly evident on the surface, it was a thread of strength that helped him face his own demise and still retain his faith in his own beliefs. I found no reason for changing the book or looking for any detraction or addition to as a complete work. It was a wonderful reading experience! Works Cited/Reference Craven, Margaret, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, Dell Publishing, 1973

Analysis on New Drug Policies in Hong Kong - 1555 Words

Analysis on New Drug Policies: The drug policy in Hong Kong is a complete ban on drugs. While some statistics have shown lesser drug use in recent years, its probably due to more hidden use. (CSD FA1. Given the recent study showing the loss of productivity from incarceration, we shall analyze new policies towards drug use especially the proposed legislation involving legalization of Marijuana. Effects of proposed scheme of Legalization of Marijuana: Economic: Taxation of Marijuana are regulation. This would provide extra income for government. However, if the tax is too high, than given the difference between production costs and the price in the legal market, smuggling may continue, as with the situation of smuggled cigarettes in Hong Kong where one in three is illicit(Ngo Jennifer). Hong Kong on bans smoking in indoor public areas, however the tax on cigarettes is very heavy, this in turn encourage vast amounts of smuggled cigarettes in Hong Kong. If the same were to happen to Marijuana, than that would defeat the purpose of regularizing it, neither preventing the profiting of the criminal organizations, nor taking them from hands of the young. Neither would the cost of incarceration from drug related crimes diminish significantly, as illegal Marijuana must still be prosecuted. Calculation of cost to society cannot be measured simply by dollars spent on prosecution or loss of productivity from jailing. What the effects of legalization would depend on the elasticity ofShow MoreRelatedInternational Marketing: Case Study of Sony Corporation2556 Words   |  10 PagesCorporation is one of the leading global companies in the IT industry, creating products such as television sets, video games, telephones and so on. Currently, the company is assessing its position in Hong Kong in an effort to identify the success chances of its DSLR camera. 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