Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Two Kinds Essay She is a mother who got a second chance at having a family and is very controlling thinking she is doing what is best or her child. The narrator which is the daughter; she starts off as a normal child in the story, but the conflict between her and her mother causes her to be resentful and a underachiever. There is the father who does not say anything in the story but seems to agree with the mother. There is the Aunt Lindo that is really her mothers friend who seems to brag about her child Waverly; a character in the story who seems quite spoiled. And the piano teacher Mr. Chong who the daughter likes to refer to as â€Å"Old Chong†. He is a deaf piano teacher that has no idea that the daughter is not playing the right tunes. The mother who is very strict on her daughter, she did not think she was pushing the daughter to far. The mother felt the daughter was not trying hard enough, which she showed she was very disappointed. The mother went as far as insulting the daughter and blaming her or the way she looked. In the beginning of the story the was very excited to become a prodigy. She tried real hard to get it right and please her parents. The daughter tried real hard to find out what she was perfect at. That was until the daughter no longer felt like she would ever be perfect. She spent so much time believing that she was perfect and wanting to please her parents every time she could not do something right she knew how much her mother would be disappointed and she also disappointed herself as well. The daughters whole life revolved around her being a perfect little girl. The mother just new that there was something her daughter could master. The little girl started to doubt herself, but the mother tried everything she heard or seen these little prodigy kids in America do. The Mother started to get angry because she felt her daughter was not trying hard enough. The little girl started to believe that she was just an ordinary little girl, but knew that was not except-able to her mother. Her mother spent years comparing her daughter to these other children. She was trying to find her daughters hidden talent. The mother felt her daughter could do anything she put her mind to. I think the mother felt her daughter had chances that she never had in China and did not want her to ruin her opportunity. The daughter did not understand this she just wanted to be a normal little girl and have fun. The little girl was over trying to be perfect, but the mother was not ready to give up. The mother kept on trying to show her daughter how these other kids can do these things, and that she should be able to do them as well. The mother showed her disappointment time and time again, not knowing that she was making her daughter feel self-conscious and resentful towards her. The daughter new she was never going to be perfect, and being herself would never be good enough for her mother. The little girl started to feel anger towards her parents and wanted to rebel against them. The little girl feeling so much anger with her mother would purposely fail everything her mother wanted her to do. The little girl was hoping if she disappointed her mother enough she would give up on her the way the little girl gave up on herself. The mother refusing to give up felt she new her daughter would be great at something if her daughter would just put her mind to it she could do anything. So the mother just pushed harder not knowing she was pushing her daughter away from her and away from her dreams or her. The mother was so determined even know they could not afford lessons the mother made arrangements to trade work for piano lessons. I think the mother felt that at this point the daughter would see how hard she was willing to work for her and maybe appreciate it and work harder. The little girl felt differently she was angry towards her mother and felt as if her mother did not except her for who she was and she wanted to get back at her. The daughter practiced every day with Mr. Chong not even trying her mind wondering in other places. Mr. Chong was a deaf man who could only see her hand movements, so that is how he taught her. The girl caught on fast that Mr. Chong eyes could not keep up with her hands so she used it to her advantage not to learn. Mr. Chong so proud thinking she was listening to him he was very excited because she learned how to fake him out. The mother bragged about her daughter playing the piano everyday to her friend, although the mother never herd her play until the recital. The mother wanted so bad to see her child in front of the room making her proud like all of the other mothers before her, but when the little girl went up on stage the mother didnt know that she had been just wasting her time. The little girl even had her self fooled she for a second thought maybe she could play, well maybe if Mr. Chong thought she could play maybe it was true. As she played she seen the embarrassment on her parents face; the only one who seemed to enjoy her performance was Mr. Chong. The parents wanted to run out of the room, but know their pride could never allow them to do that they stayed until the end. The little girl wanted to show her mother that she was not what she wanted her to be, but was shocked and just wish her mother would say something. When they returned home the daughter taught the mother would give up on her; she thought she knew for sure that her daughter had no talent. The little girl sat down to watch TV which angered the mother. The mother did not give up she wanted her to practice. The daughter seen how angry the mother was and was scared, so the daughter not giving up the fight hit the mother where it hurt the most. The little girl told her mother she wishes she were not alive knowing how bad that ould hurt her. The little girl won the battle against her mother; the mother gave up all hope. I think the mother felt a piece of her self die that day knowing her daughter would hurt her so bad. I think the mother knew she was loosing the daughter. I think there was a lot of misscommunication between the mother and the daughter which is very realistic in real life. It makes you wounder how Amy Tan got where she is today. The mother wanted to start over and give her child the perfect life and the daughter just thought her mother just wanted her to be a perfect child. In the end it was very ironic because they both lost the battle against each other. They did not have a good relationship because they couldnt make scene of their differences. The mother pushed her child away from her and any talent she may have had. The child chose to not even finish college. I think the child forgave her mother when it was to late and the mother never found the words to say to her daughter until the end the stubborn lady still went back to the piano,and the child finally learned how to respect and listen to what her mother had to tell her about her talent. â€Å"Two Kinds† (Tan 1952, p. 524)

Reflection on Teamwork and Gender

Reflection on Teamwork and Gender Introduction As the only male in a group of four female working on a presentation, the learning experience gained reflectively looking back was invaluable. How I got on in the working process while engaged in the completion of this presentation represented a process of understanding the difference in dynamics of working within a group situation whereby my initial impressions of the progress being made differed from the manner in which each individual approached the situation. The following will offer a reflection on this situation. At first, I felt as if I was the only one actively engaged on the project, gauging that the others were being flippant in their approach. Tavris and Wade (1984, pp. 71-73) offered some insight into this as they advise that men are more aggressive than women. They point to the example that this difference is detectable as early as age three when children start playing with one another (Tavris and Wade, 1984, pp. 71-73). Their analogy stated that little boys from the start show more physical aggression, play aggressive, have fantasy aggression and utilize verbal aggression (Tavris and Wade, 1984, pp. 71-73). This, they point to is the male aspect of winning, which means getting started earlier and taking over (Tavris and Wade, 1984, pp. 71-73). Fay and Tokarczyk (1993, pp. 78-79) developed my understanding further in adding that women approach work in a different manner, as they are more social beings. Dale and Lynne Spender (1986, p. 32) dismiss the mythical talkativeness of women ind icating that in mixed sex conversations that women only talked ten to twenty percent of the time gauging their situation. They added that women, after feeling comfortable in a group setting will then set about the task at hand, however, they have privately thought about the problem and have definitive ideas and approaches to discuss when that time arrives (Spender and Spender, 1986, pp. 34-35). Lunneborg (1990, p. 21) offered the following insight to this start of the project situation that I seemingly was so preoccupied with. She states that women tend to spend time gathering and thinking more about the information aspects in singular fashion, gauging the situation against their own personal skills and formulating approaches as they consider what they either know or have gleaned from other members of the group (Lunneborg, 1990, pp. 23-28). These dynamics helped me to understand that my learning style was simply too male oriented to at first take in the significances of how women approach problems and solutions. I learned that the first thing I should have done was approach the first session as an introduction to my co-workers, asking for inputs on how to set about the presentation as a group process, instead of feeling that I was the only contributor. Novarra (1980, p. 51) advised me that women manage in a less academic fashion. They, women, are â€Å"†¦ accessible, unstuffy, informal, direct in getting to the point, spontaneous, averse to wrangling, sympathetic and not long winded or pompous†. Nickles and Ascroft (1981, pp. 206-207) referred to the foregoing style as ‘beta’. They, women, utilize power for the good of the group as opposed to the individual, and that good management represents sensitivity in the creation of a work environment that fosters growth and learning (Nickles and Ascroft. 1981, pp. 206-207). They offered additional insight in that ‘Beta’ power cares more about the quality of work life and uses flexible schedules, job sharing and the decentralization of authority (Nickles and Ascroft. 1981, pp. 206-207). Leaders are not needed at the top of the hierarchy in making decisions, as it is a shared process. Howe (1975, pp. 127-171) advised me that women are more democratic, egalitarian and cooperative. In working with men, or in this case a male, women tend to slow things down to create a pace that reflects thinking and sharing. She added that women have an alternative view of power that is based upon sisterhood, and that in a group situation the usual first steps in the process entail an informal discussion as the parties get to know one another for later interaction as opposed to the male method of the big dog taking over and letting other things fall into place. As I saw the collective approach take hold later in the process, the understanding I gained after the fact made me better understand the dynamics of working with women and how my initial impressions were male based. The difficulty I felt I had in maintaining group focus was my male approach as opposed to the reflective and group sharing approach women utilize to address working situations, which are similar in context to their approach of problems in any form. Conclusion The apprehension I experienced in working with a group of four females taught me that there are differing ways in which the approach to a working situation can be handled. As the only male member I thrust myself into thinking into feeling that I needed to take charge, even though I held back on that action. Upon reflection, that was a wise choice as the group dynamics later showed me that the work at hand was being handled, but in a different manner than I was accustomed to. The lack of individual conflicts, the overall courteousness of the group, and the process of producing the piece was an enjoyable and productive session. My feelings of getting a late start did not account for the accelerated pace of development as a team whereby ideas, solutions and contributions flowed naturally without power struggles, thus shortening the time frame to get things accomplished. In retrospect the entire experience enabled me to take away from the process a new set of techniques and understandings with respect to group dynamics that was not just applicable to women, but groups of any gender composition. My concerns regarding being the only male in the group were facets of my own imagination as the females did not and were not focused on gender differences, they were focused on meshing the group into a cohesive unit, whereby the synergy would be greater than the parts. Bibliography Fay, E., Tokarczyk, M. (1993) Working Class Women in the Academy. University of Massachusetts Press Howe, F. (1975) Women and the power to change. McGraw Hill Lunneborg, P. (1990) Women Changing Work. Bergin and Garvey Nickles, E., Ashcroft, L. (1981) The coming matriarchy. Seaview Books Novarra, V. (1980) Women’s Work, men’s work. Praeger Spender, D., Spender, L. (1986) Scribbling sisters. Camden Press Tavris, C., Wade, C. (1984) The longest war: Sex Differences in perspective. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Nike Brand Analysis

Nike Brand Analysis Nike brand has been around since the 1960s. This brand has become known as one of the top brands of sports gear. This has not happened because of an accident. A lot of work has gone into making this brand what it is today. The amount of different brands that Nike makes help them reach out to every kind of person in the world today. The competition for Nike has also helped them succeed by making them try and stay ahead of their competition. Also if you take a look at their SWOT analysis you can see the different things that make Nike one of the top brands in todays world. The idea of Nike began way back in the 1950s. A track coach by the name of Bill Bowerman was at the University of Oregon training his team. Bill was always looking for a competitive edge for his runners, like most of us today look for any advantage we can get. Bill said he tried using different shoes for his runners as well as trying other things to try and make his athletes better. Bill tried to contact the shoes manufactures in attempt to try out his ideas for running shoes. This however failed. In 1955 a track runner by the name of Phil Knight enrolled at Oregon. Phil was on the track team under Bill. Phil graduated from Oregon and acquired his MBA from Stanford University. Phil went on to write a paper that talked about how quality shoes could be made over in Japan and they would be cheaper. Phil called a company in Japan and became a distributor of Tiger shoes in the United States of America. Phil sent some pairs of shoes to his old track coach trying to get Bill to buy the shoe s. Instead of buying these shoes Bill offered Phil a partnership to create better running shoes. In 1964 Bill and Phil shook hands and formed Blue Ribbon Sports. The companies first move was to order three hundred pairs of shoes from the company in Japan. While Bill examined these shoes and tried to make them better Phil was out selling the shoes. Bill had his track team at Oregon try out his new creations. This became the foundation of Nike. Due to the fact that Bill and Phil still had a full time job, they hired Jeff Johnson as their first full time employee. Jeff soon became a invaluable utility man for the company. In 1971 Jeff created brochures, marketing materials and even shot photos for a catalogue. The very first Blue Ribbon store was opened by Jeff. Meanwhile the relationship between Blue Ribbon and the company from Japan was starting to deteriorate. Bill and Phil made the jump to manufacturing and designing their own footwear. The trade marks swoosh which was introduced a t this time. The Nike line of footwear was unveiled in 1972, during the U.S. Track and Field Trials. One pair of the shoes had a huge impression on a dozen multiple runners that wore the new shoes. These shoes incorporated a new style of soles that that had nubs on them that resembled the ridges of a waffle iron. These shoes were also a lot less heavier than most running shoes at the time. With the new image Nike started looking for athletes to wear, promote and elevate the new shoes. The first athlete they found was Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine never lost a race that was over a mile in distance in his college career between 1969 and 1973. Prefontaine challenged Bill , Phil and their new company to stretch their talents. In turn Prefontaine became an ambassador for Blur Ribbon Sports and Nike. In 1975 Prefontaine died at the age of 24, but his spirit still lives on within Nike. Prefontaine became the soul of Nike. When 1980 hit Nike entered the stock market and became a publicly t raded company. Once this happened many of the people that started the company moved on with their lives. This included Phil Knight who resigned from his president spot for over a year. In the mid-1980s Nike started to slip from top of its industry. This started to change when Michael Jordan released a new shoe through Nike. When this happened Nikes bottom line got a boost. In 1988 the slogan that we all know today Just do it was introduced as a way for Nike to build on its momentum from their Revolution campaign. The Just do it campaign included three advertisements in which a young athlete by the name of Bo Jackson was involved in. By the end of the decade Nike was at the top of their industry once again. The 90s brought a series of outreach for Nike. At this point in time Nike deepened their commitment into others sports such as soccer and golf. In 1995 Nike signed the whole World Cup wining Brazilian National Team. This also allowed Nike to create jerseys for the team. Nike also landed contracts with both the mens and womans teams for the United States. The biggest thing that Nike was criticized for was when they signed a young golfer by the name of Eldick Tiger Woods for huge deal. All of the competition said this was a dumb idea till Tiger won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes. In 2000 a new shoe was introduced. This shoe went by the name of the Nike Shox. This shoe combined more than 15 years of dedication and perseverance. Nike is still the industry leader in their markets and continues to grow more and more each year around the world. This company will have much more to offer in the future. Nikes products do not just cover one area like some companies products. Nike prides itself in having a product for most every sport out there. Also they do not just stick to shoes. They also produce everything from socks and compression shorts to sunglasses and hats. Nikes first products started with track shoes. Today they still are huge into the shoe industry but Nike also makes jerseys, shorts, baselayers etc. Nikes products never stop involving. As a person who wears a lot of Nike gear, my favorite thing about the brand is that they always find a way to make the products better. Take their basketball shoe line for example. When Nike made their first pair of basketball shoes they probably had no idea what they were doing. Today Nike has one of the best lines of basketball shoes out there with the Air Jordan line. These shoes are always light weight and they feature great support and breathable leather which are both needed in a good basketball shoe. Also Nike makes their products stand out with their brilliant use of colors and unique designs. Everyone in todays society wants to be seen in the swoosh. In 2009 Nike introduced the Nike+ products and teamed up with Apple. This allows runners to sink their shoes with their IPods and it will allow them to see how far they have run, how many calories they have burned and also keeps time for them. Nike has also done this with their basketball shoes which allow players to link up through their IPods again. However this new design helps measure a players vertical, quickness, and other aspects of their game. Nikes products keep improving with the time and there is no end in sight to what Nike can do with their products. Nike has many competitors in their industry. These companies include but are not limited to Puma, Underarmor and Addidas. These competitors drive Nike to strive for new innovations every day. Nike competes with Addidas in the basketball market. Nike owns over 80% of U.S. basketball market to as where Addidas owns only about 14%. Addidas is trying to keep up with Nike in innovation but is having a really hard time in doing so. Nike and Underarmor are major competitors in the work out clothing industry. Both of these companies make very good products that will help an athlete get better in their sports. In this industry I would have to give the advantage to Underarmour because when you go to a gym you always see people working out in Underarmor clothes. Puma and Nike compete in the shoes market. They are both big in the track shoes industry. Both of these companies make extremely comfortably light weight shoes. If you watch the Track and Field events at the Olympics you will see most r unners are wearing Nike shoes or Puma shoes. In this competitive match up I would have to say Nike has the clear edge. If you look at the past Puma use to have every track athlete in a pair of their shoes. Over the past decade that has shifted towards the shoes that are produced Nike. Nike has the overall competitive advantage in their industry. The people that buy Nike brand differ immensely. The target Market for Nike clothing and other accessories are people between 18-35 years of age. Some characterists about the people that buy the Nike brand include many things. One main thing for most of the Nike customers are that they watch or play a lot of sports. This is said because Nike uses major sports icons to promote their products. These athletes include Lebron James, Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm and many more athletes from all different sports. By using these athletes it makes people want to wear the brands that their favorite athletes wear. Some more characteristics of Nike consumers are that they are into extreme sports. Nike has come out with the 6.0 line to appeal to the younger generations thrill of extreme sports. These are just a few characteristics that Nike buyers have in common. Nike is a great company in its industry and it will be a very long time till anyone ever knocks them off of the top of their industry. However Nike has had issues with violating Human rights. Their factories are under scrutiny in countries like Mexico and Vietnam. Their factories in Vietnam have been in violation of minimum wage and overtime laws. Nike states that these violations are no longer happening. In the 1990s Nikes use of faced child labor in Cambodia and Pakistanis was being closely monitored. However Nike still has factories in places where the monitoring of child labor has bad regulations.. In 2001 BBC documentary uncovered the use of child labor by Nike. The documentary was based around 6 little girls, who worked every single day and were all working over 14 hours shifts. In July 2011 Nike admitted that 66% of their factories do not meet regulations for worker treatment. I conducted a SWOT analysis on the Nike Brand. One of Nikes key strengths is their use of popular athletes to help promote their products. The idea behind this is that most individuals will remember what a star athlete is wearing. A major weakness is that the market that Nike operates in is very price sensitive. Most of Nikes income comes retailers purchasing the products they produce. This indicates that margins tend to get squeezed as retailers try to get low price competition on Nikes products. Opportunities include things such as the constant change in technology. The ability to generate more money by having a wide range of products helps Nike a lot. Nike is not just involved in sports wear they are also in regular clothing and sunglasses. Also Nike has a huge base all over the world which allows them to have a larger global market. Finally some of the threats are that the retail sector is becoming substantially price competitive. This means that shoppers are looking around for b etter deals rather than just buying the top brands. The consumer now controls the manufacturing. If a consumer wants to find the lowest price on identical products, then they will go store to store in order to find the lowest price. In conclusion Nike has a lot going for it. It started with a track coach and a track runner. This brand has become known as one of the top brands of sports gear. This has not happened because of an accident. A lot of work has gone into making this brand what it is today. The amount of different brands that Nike makes help them reach out to every kind of person in the world today. The competition for Nike has also helped them succeed by making them try and stay ahead of their competition. Also if you take a look at their SWOT analysis you can see the different things that make Nike one of the top brands in todays world. Their number one position in the world is will continue far into the future if they stick with what they know. Work Cited About NIKE, Inc.ÂÂ  NIKE, Inc. -. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . History Heritage.ÂÂ  NIKE, Inc. -. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. . Nike, Inc.ÂÂ  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. .

Narcissism in My Last Duchess Essay -- Robert Browning, My Last Duches

Robert Browning’s poem â€Å"My last Duchess'; is spoken from the perspective of the Duke and conveys the Dukes personality through the literary form of a dramatic monologue. It involves a fictional account of the Duke addressing an envoy from the Count to talk of details for the hopeful marriage to the Count’s daughter. The subtitle of this monologue is â€Å"Ferrara,'; which suggests an historical reference to Alfonso II, the fifth Duke of Ferrara in Italy in the mid-sixteenth century. The objective of the Duke is to attempt to sway the envoy’s opinion of himself to obtain the maximum dowry possible in pursuit of this marriage. The reader is directed to imagine the Duke walking with the envoy through his art gallery and the Duke stops to show him a painting of his last Duchess that is presently covered by a curtain. â€Å"Since none puts by / the curtain I have drawn for you, but I'; (9-10). This curtain is the first reference to the Dukes selfish, jealous, and protective traits. The Duke uses the curtain as a method of controlling his wife, even after her death. Other men admiring her beauty was unacceptable, so by hiding the painting behind a curtain, he controls who is allowed to gaze upon her. â€Å"Sir, ‘twas not / her husband’s presence only, called that spot / of joy into the Duchess’ cheek'; (13-15). The Duke mentions the blush on the cheek that the duchess has in the painting and assumes that Frà   Pandolf, the painter, was attracted to the Duchess and possibly paid her a compliment. â€Å"Her mantle laps Over my lady’s wrist too much,’ or ‘Paint Must never hope to reproduce the faint Half-flush that dies along her throat.'; (16-19) The Duke assumes that Frà   Pandolf was most likely flirting with the Duchess and that she was flirting back with him. This demonstrates that the Duke was extremely jealous and could not stand to have his wife admired by other men. The Duke is not happy with the manner in which his wife portrayed herself around others. He could not accept her civility towards those of unimportance and â€Å"a heart†¦how shall I say? †¦too soon made glad, / too easily impressed'; (22-23). The Duke states that the Duchess was easily pleased by a compliment and through small favors from a servant or other insignificant people, a quality that the Duke could not tolerate. â€Å"The dropping of the daylight in the West, The bough of cherries some officious fool... ... Duke himself; known to be a controlling man. This is a hint that the Duke will control his wife just as Neptune controls the sea horse. This monologue as spoken by the Duke represents many definitive traits that the Duke encompasses in his character. The manner in which he views his deceased Duchess demonstrates his egotistical view of himself. His selfish, jealous, protective, greedy, paranoid persona is displayed by his act of killing his wife. He could not control his Duchess as he wanted so his arrogance and his shallowness got the better of him until he could no longer do anything except kill her. The painting represents a wife that he can control until the day he died. His repeated manipulative habits continued as he influences the envoy to view the circumstances of this future marriage as being solely for the purposes of companionship. This is not the case; the Dukes greed is his only concern, a wife to dominate as he wishes and sufficient dowry to amplify his wealth. The character of the Duke is established as one of a man who believes he is the center of the universe. This man does not accept anything less t han being seen as exactly that, the center of the universe.

vietnam war :: essays research papers

Choices Tim O’Brien was drafted to the Vietnam War. He didn’t want to go to the war. So he went to the northern woods in the northern Minnesota. He had to make a choice whether to go to the war or not to go to the war. After spending six days with guy Elroy he decides to go. Tim O’Brien went to the war for the wrong reasons. He didn’t even think that there should be a war. He saw no reason at all why they should be fighting. He says â€Å"I was drafted to a war I hated... [I was] politically naive, but even so the American war in Vietnam seemed to me wrong. Certain blood shed for uncertain reason. â€Å"He hated this war and had so many questions about it. he says â€Å" It was my view then, and still is that you don’t make a war without knowing why.† he didn’t believe in it and didn’t know why we were fighting so why should he go to a war. He didn’t want to go to war. He wasn’t made for war. He even says , â€Å"I was no solider. I hated dirt and tents and mosquitoes. The sight of blood made me queasy.......† Now come on he didn’t even like anything to do with outdoors what good would he even do for our country. He minds well stay home and go to school. He was too young and had too much to lose. He even got a scholarship to a good school. â€Å"... I had the world dicked - Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude and president of the student body and a full ride scholarship for grad studies at Harvard.† It must have been a mistake cause I was too young. â€Å" a month after graduating from Macalester college. I was drafted to fight a war I hated. I was twenty-one years old, young, yes.† Way too young to go to war. He was too embarrassed not to go. He was afraid to be laughed out of town. â€Å" ... and it was easy to imagine people sitting around a table down at the old Gobbler Cafe on Mainstreet, coffee cups poised, the conversation slowly zeroing in on the young O’Brien kid, how the damned sissy had taken off for Cananda.† Now think about those reasons aren’t very good for going to fight for our country.

Elements of Religious Tradition

Elements of Religious Traditions Paper Defining a religion can be a difficult task and there is no simple definition that can completely describe it. Every culture and society has some form of religion and some maybe specific to that culture and not practiced anywhere else in the world (Fontaine, 2013; Molloy, 2010). The vast diversity of religious traditions can be discerned by examining their understanding of what is sacred. For example, many religions believe in a single deity that is held sacred.Other religious traditions do not place emphasis on deities, but believe that the world itself is the sacred (2010). In spite of this diversity, all religious traditions share broad components: what does a religious tradition communicate, how is it performed, and how is it organized. When a anthropologists and sociologist choose to study various religious traditions, they can encounter a number of issues that can impact their study, such as, incomplete religious texts, and traditions that are passed on orally (2010). Components of Religious TraditionsThe first component is what does a religious tradition communicate? These are the various teachings, texts, stories, and myths. Religious teachings are the ideas and principles passed on that describe core beliefs, values, morals, etc. of a religious tradition (Molloy, 2010). These can be expressed through stories or myths. Religious teachings can be passed orally between members or written in a scared text. Religious teachings attempt to communicate an understanding of the sacred within the tradition to its members.In Christian traditions, the basic ideas revolve around the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was the embodiment of the sacred within these traditions (Woodhead, 2009). For the Igbo people of Nigeria, there main beliefs involve the Earth as being sacred and that the world is comprised of a number of different realms (Molloy, 2010). These contrasting examples show the diverse nature of religious traditions and how they share the common component of what is communicated by a particular religious tradition. The second element is how a religious tradition is performed?This is accomplished through prayer, worship, the undertaking of a pilgrimage to a holy site, or the performance of a ritual. The specific ceremonies observed for a specific religious tradition is based on the religious teachings for that particular tradition. What all of these have in common is that each ceremony is meant to bring the individual closer to the sacred within reach tradition. For example, in Islamic traditions it is a worshiper’s duty to make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Brown, 2009). In Christian traditions, worshipers pray to Jesus in a church or throughout their day (Woodhead, 2009).In many Native American religious traditions, a rite of passage is preformed through a vision quest; where the individual attempts to find spiritual guidance and meaning (Molloy, 2010). All of these traditions attem pt to move the individual closer the sacred and attempt to connect in a meaningful way. The final aspect is how is a religious tradition organized. This describes the structure of it, for example, the leadership and how members relate to one another. Once again, this is based on that religious tradition’s teachings. The organization describes how members of the tradition relate to the sacred.Specifically, does an ordain individual need to act as an intermediate between the sacred and the individual or who are the individuals that decide what is considered sacred within a religious tradition. In many religious traditions, the priest, priestess, and other high religious figures are held with the highest regard (Molloy, 2010). In Catholicism, the Pope is viewed as the absolute head of that religious tradition and his word is essentially law (Balmer & Pullella, 2013). In a number of religious traditions, a shaman is viewed as a person with vast wisdom.He or she has the powers to communicate directly with the sacred and acts as an intermediate for various individuals (Molloy, 2010). In the ancient Greek tradition, the Oracle of Delphi was an important woman, individuals from all around the Greek world would come seeking her advice and to communicate with the Gods (Legon, 2013). Ultimately, an important component of a religious tradition is how it is organized. This organization has the important role of stating the power structure and how members can communicate with the sacred. Critical Issues in Religious StudiesThere are a number of different critical issues that one needs to consider when studying religious traditions. The first is that some religious texts might be incomplete or entirely missing (Molloy, 2010). This can be extremely troublesome when a person is attempting to understand a given tradition that might be lacking important components. For example, a sacred text written on a stone tablet might be missing large sections of the text, which coul d contain important rituals or principles for that tradition. This is extremely difficult with ancient religious traditions such as the Egyptian, Roman, and Greek traditions (2010).This leads into the second critical issue is that the religious tradition might not have a sacred text or any written record, because traditions, stories, and myths might be passed orally. This is extremely trouble some for many people studying religions (Molloy, 2010). For example, there might be a limited amount of individuals that have the traditions. This is the case with many Native American religious traditions, because members passed on these important teachings orally and may people have may stopped practicing.This can cause a religious tradition to be lost (2010). Also, oral traditions can be corrupted with time and might not resemble the original story that was originally told. A storyteller might change aspects or merge it with other stories from another religious tradition. All of these are im portant issues to consider when studying religious traditions. Conclusion In spite of this diversity, all religious traditions share several broad components: what does a religious tradition communicate, how is it performed, and how is it organized.Every religious tradition shares these common principles and this allows individuals the ability to understand each religious tradition and how they compare with one another. Also, studying religious traditions can have a number of critical issues that have to be addressed in order to full appreciate the vast collection of human religion. Reference Balmer, C. , & Pullella, P. (2013, March 14). New pope urges church to return to its gospel roots. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www. reuters. com/article/2013/03/14/us-pope-idUSBRE92D05P20130314 Brown, D. (2009).A new introduction to islam. (2nd ed. ). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. Fontaine, C. R. (2013). Religion. In Public libraries. Retrieved from http://www. worldbookonline. com/pl/refere ncecenter/article? id=ar464360 Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Traditions, challenged, and change (5th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Woodhead, L. (2009). An introduction to christianity. Cambridge: University Press. Legon, R. P. (2013). Delphi. In Public Libraries. Retrieved from http://www. worldbookonline. com/pl/referencecenter/article? id=ar153420

Aeneid and Hector

* Outline * I. Aeneas and Hector show leadership through faithfulness and respect to the gods and goddesses. Faithfulness to the gods. Hector prays to the gods before fighting. Aeneas obeys the god, Apollo, in leaving Dido. Respect for the gods. Hector makes an offering to Dione’s daughter, his mother, and other gods for protection. Aeneas discharges ritual vows to the gods after the fighting. Aeneas and Hector act out of unselfishness. Aeneas acts out of unselfishness by turning away from his emotions. Aeneas leaves Dido for his people and the new Troy.Aeneas helps his people and encourages them in the burial rites for Misenus. Hector acts out of unselfishness by serving the gods and continuing on his fate. Hector dies because that is the will of the gods. Hector loves his family but continues his fate to bring glory to Troy and his family. Aeneas and Hector do not back down from any situation. Aeneas cries a lot throughout the epic. This shows his human qualities. When Palin urus dies, he takes control of the ship. He leaves Dido in search of his new homeland. Hector fights with heart. Andromache begs Hector not to leave.He has the strength to let go of his family. Hector, from the Iliad, and Aeneas, from the Aeneid, stand out as great warriors that show many traits of an epic hero. They obey the gods. They put others before themselves. Their motivation is their country and family, rather than personal glory. Hector and Aeneas remain faithful to the gods, acts out of unselfishness, and are strong in tough situations. In most epic poems, the gods and goddesses play important roles. In order for the gods to be on one’s side, one must obey them, pray to them, and offer gifts to them.Aeneas is a good leader because he performs all of these acts throughout the Aeneid. Virgil points out Aeneas giving gifts to the gods at the beginning of the Aeneid: â€Å"As I made offering to Dione’s daughter, my divine mother, and to other gods who give prote ction to a work begun [†¦]† (Virgil’s Aeneid 66). In the fighting scene later on, Aeneas calls on the gods to steady his aim before throwing the spear at his enemy. Thus, he is successful in wounding his enemy. In contrast, Mezentius relies on himself. He does not call on a god to steady his aim, meaning he thinks he can do everything on his own to be successful.Mezentius does not aim well because he does not pray to the gods. Aeneas is a good leader because â€Å"[†¦] for burial of the dead, he first in early light discharged his ritual vows as victor to the gods† (Virgil’s Aeneid 331). A good leader takes care of his fellow comrades. Throughout the Aeneid, Aeneas performs the proper funeral rites for his father and for his fellow comrades. He is a courageous warrior filled with compassion. In Book XI, Aeneas prepares funeral rites for the ones who die in battle and send his promises to the gods.Turnus contrasts with Aeneas as a bad leader becau se he does not show respect for his comrades. Turnus does not make any offerings. Aeneas proves he is a good leader by caring about his people who have died. He cares about their underworld lives. Aeneas starts the Aeneid with gifts and prayers, and he ends the Aeneid with gifts and prayers. He is constantly praying to the gods for strength; he never disobeys them. Aeneas is a good leader because he puts his faith in the gods in everything he does. Homer shows the difference between Hector’s and Achilles’ obedience to the gods in the Iliad.Hector wants to please the gods in everything he does. When he is at his moment of death he says, â€Å"[†¦] must long since have been pleasing to Zeus† (Homer’s Iliad 443). Hector says these words before Achilles kill him. He is willing to die to fulfill his purpose. The gods wish that Hector would die. Hector is committed to the gods and his men. Achilles words are different: â€Å"Die: and I will take my own de ath at whatever time Zeus and other immortals choose to accomplish it† (Homer’s Iliad 445). On the contrary, Achilles’ personal needs and concerns come before the commitment to the gods.Achilles drops out of the war when Agamemnon hurts his feelings. He is not fulfilling the gods’ purpose to stay in the war. Hektor’s fate is to die. He dies fighting and obeying the gods. Throughout the Aeneid, Virgil shows that Aeneas struggles and cries over certain situations. He is an unselfish leader filled with a compassionate heart: â€Å"Weeping, I drew away from our old country [†¦]† (Virgil’s Aeneid 65). Virgil uses these moments to point out his human characteristics. Leaders and heroes are sometimes mistaken for superheroes that are exempt from tragic situations.Aeneas is a great leader not because he is put in difficult situations; Aeneas is a great leader because he leads and does not let his emotions show through those difficult situ ations. Virgil shows Aeneas’ human qualities by giving him someone to love and then that person being taken away from him in a blink of an eye. For example, Aeneas has a hard time choosing to stay with Dido or to continue on his mission. Dido worries about herself: â€Å"Dido's struggle is between her sense of duty and the divinely inspired love, Aeneas's between his human love and his divinely appointed duty† (Daniels 172).Aeneas shuts off his feelings for Dido, like a light switch. He is not selfish with his feelings. Aeneas knows what choice he will make: â€Å"Apollo tells me I must make for: Italy; named by his oracles. There is my love; there is my country† (Virgil’s Aeneid 108). Aeneas’ love is his new homeland, not Dido. He listens to Apollo instead of Dido. Aeneas has human emotion piety, which is duty towards family, country, and gods. Aeneas always fulfills his duty to his family, his fated city, and his gods. Leaders have the ability to focus on what is important and staying on track with their goal.Aeneas realizes his future homeland is more important than his relationship with Dido. If Aeneas were selfish, he would have stayed with her. But instead, he thinks of his people and his fate of the gods. When Aeneas carries Pallas’s body, he is filled with tears. The good leader that he is, Aeneas does not mourn over it long. In the Aeneid, Virgil shows that nothing blinds his sense of duty. Aeneas is a dutiful servant. He is a strong, unselfish leader because he has the strength to place his people;s emotions above his to meet their needs.Aeneas has to leave his men to cry over the loss of eager Orantes and Amycus. He shows great devotion to his men. Aeneas mourns over Palinurus’ death: â€Å"So grieving, and in tears, he gave the ship her head before the wind, drawing toward land at the Euboian settlement of Cumae† (Virgil’s Aeneid 159). Being a leader does not mean one is strong all the time and does not cry. Being a leader means one still leads even when he wants to break down and give up. He takes control of the ship immediately after his friend dies. Even through the tough times, Aeneas puts on a strong face for his people.Aeneas is a good leader because he is not selfish with his own desires, but instead cares for the desires of his people for the new homeland. Achilles starts the epic with anger: â€Å"Sing, Goddess, Achilles rage [†¦]† (Homer’s Iliad 1). He acts out of anger throughout the entire poem. Achilles relates to a small child: when he does not get his way, he throws a temper tantrum. Achilles has one family member: his mother, Thetis. The only reason he goes to her is to cry when things get tough. Achilles recognizes it is not his fault for the war.Therefore, he proceeds in a selfish act and withdraws himself which shows lack of leadership towards his men. He does not have any care for his warriors and their opinions. Achilles wan ts his troops to suffer from him not being there. He wants their hate to go towards Agamemnon. Achilles is thinking about himself and being selfish. A leader or a hero would never back down from his task. On the other hand, Hector continues to fight even though the war is not his fault. When the war is challenging, he does not go crying to his mother and does not come out of the war. Hektor is known as the family man.He is fighting for his wife, Andromache, to free her life of slavery. Hector spends time with his wife and son and puts war to the side. He devotes his attention and love to his family while Achilles sits alone in his tent. When Andromache begs Hector not to return to war, he still continues to go and fight. Not staying with his family as he would like to shows an act of unselfishness. Achilles’ reason for fighting is personal glory and respect. Hector’s reason for fighting is for his family and Troy. Hector’s qualities and characteristics best repr esent those of an epic hero.The best leaders are those that put others before themselves. Many rulers relax and take a break from all the stress while controlling their people about everything that needs to be done. A good ruler helps his people instead of sending out orders. In Book IV of the Aeneid, Virgil shows Deiphobe informing Aeneas that Misenus needs a burial before Aeneas can enter the underworld. Many leaders act with selfishness towards their people, demanding them to do all the work that needs to be done. But, â€Å"Aeneas himself went first in labor, cheering his fellows on, with implements like theirs in hand† (Virgil’s Aeneid 166).Instead of ordering his people on what needs to be done for the funeral rights, Aeneas performs the burial for his comrade’s death. Not only does he help, he encourages his people and has a good attitude. Aeneas shows great responsibility and unselfishness for taking charge. When the Trojans reach Latium, he continues to act as a good ruler by sending gifts to Latinus and making plans for a new orderly city. A good leader always has a plan. Virgil shows in the Aeneid that Aeneas’ absence in Book IX does not affect his role as a good leader. His spirit is still with his people.Before Aeneas leaves to form allies, he instructs his people to pull back within their encampment when Turnus’s army attacks. â€Å"Aeneas, had instructed them; if any emergency arose, not to do battle, not to entrust their fortunes to the field, but safe behind their walls to hold their camp. Therefore, though shame and anger tempted them to a pitched battle, even so they barred their gates as he commanded, and compact in towers, armed, awaited their enemy. † (Virgil’s Aeneid 260) Aeneas’ unselfishness leads to the people’s unselfishness.Aeneas’ soldiers automatically have the desire to fight back, but they obey Aeneas. In most cases, people would act against their leader if he were not present. For example, if the teacher said not to talk while she left the room, some students would disobey. In this case, all the soldiers obey. If they acted out of selfishness, they would have fought back as they wished to have done. This is the most important scene to showing how great a leader Aeneas is because his people respect his orders without him being there to remind them.It shows that Aeneas has the impact to influence his people: â€Å"Aeneas then is not at all a hero of the type of Achilles, and if we come to the Aeneid with preconceived opinions of what the hero of an epic should be, we run the risk of disappointment and also of losing Virgil's interpretation of human life† (Glover 35). A person can become a good leader by observing a good leader: â€Å"It is quite in character for Andromache in Book 3 of the Aeneid and Iapyx in Book 12 to link Hector and Aeneas together as models of manly virtue for young Ascanius† (Spaeth 278).Ascanius will b ecome a good leader from watching his father’s leadership skills. While Aeneas is away is Book IV, Ascanius takes charge, taking the role of his father. He promises gifts to Nisus and Euryalus before they leave to go look for Aeneas. Ascanius promises this just as his father, Aeneas, promised gifts to the contestants at the athletic games. Ascanius is like his father because when he kills one enemy, he does not speak with pride over his victory. He does not act out of selfishness, in that he could have boasted over the death. He limits himself with a brief comment. â€Å"Only this. Ascanius called out. Ascanius will become a good leader because he takes after his father. In Book III of the Aeneid, Virgil shows Polydorus telling Aeneas that he and his people need to leave Thrace as quickly as possible. Aeneas is an unselfish leader in making his own decisions. Before making a decision, Aeneas talks to the other leaders to hear their opinions: â€Å"When faintness of dread le ft me, I brought before the leaders of the people, my fathers first, these portents of the gods and asked their judgment† (Virgil’s Aeneid 166). Good leaders listen to the opinions of others instead of quickly making a decision.The fact that Aeneas has ultimate power does not mean he abuses it. In Book V of the Aeneid, the athletic games are being held. In the foot race, Nisus trips Salius so Euryalus will win. Many of the people balk at this scene because of the unfairness. However, Aeneas proclaims Euryalus the winner. Aeneas, being the good leader he is, gives a prize to Salius and Nisus. The most remarkable moment is when Aeneas pronounces Euryalus the winner because the crowd does not protest. The fact that his crowd remains quiet shows that his people trust him and obey his ruling.A leader usually has people for him and against him. But a great leader has people for him no matter what the circumstances. Aeneas proves he is a great leader. Aeneas and Hektor are two great men that show characteristics of being a leader through their acts of faithfulness and respect to the gods, their unselfishness in their hearts, and leadership through tough situations. Aeneas has a leadership ability that enforces others to act as a leader. No one questions Aeneas in his decision making. His people are more important to him than himself. He is a dutiful servant to the gods by obeying them and serving them.Hektor shows his leadership by fulfilling the fate of the gods. His fate is to die. Even though Andromache begs him to stay, he fights knowing his death is waiting for him. He does not fight for himself; he fights for his family and Troy. Aeneas and Hektor have the heart of leadership. Works Cited * Homer. The Iliad of Homer, translated by Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1951. Print. * Virgil and Robert Fitzgerald. The Aeneid translated by Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1983. Print. * â€Å"Aeneas: Physical Characteristicsâ €  E. D. Daniels The Classical Weekly, Vol. 23, No. 22 (Apr. 4, 1930), pp. 172-173 Published by:  Classical Association of the Atlantic States Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/4389465 * â€Å"Hector's Successor in the Aeneid† John William Spaeth, Jr. The Classical Journal  , Vol. 46, No. 6 (Mar. , 1951), pp. 277-280 Published by:  The Classical Association of the Middle West and South Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/3292802 * â€Å"Virgil's Aeneas† T. R. Glover The Classical Review, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Feb. , 1903), pp. 34-42 Published by:  Cambridge University Press  on behalf of  The Classical Association Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/696316