Phoenix Jones Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

Phoenix Jones Character Analysis Essay They say with age, comes wisdom. They say a tough life will build tough people. That the world, no matter how terrible it may seem or how bad things get, is only what you make of it. This has never been shown more so by Phoenix Jackson from Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path†. Encumbered with age and poverty, Phoenix shows fortitude, cleverness, and a child-like view of the world while traveling to the city for medicine. Welty’s love of literature from her mother, and classic writing style with African American characters (Marrs) is clearly displayed in â€Å"A Warn Path†. Eudora Welty, whose life spanned most of the 20th century, represented the world of the deep American South in multiple genres. In stories, novels, and photography, the Pulitzer Prize winner was especially interested in the relationship of place to character. Her art explores the impact of place on the life of the individual depending on race, gender, and economic status, as well as the reverse influence of the individual character on environment, which is exeptionally displayed in â€Å"A Warn Path† (Marrs). In â€Å"A worn path† an elderly african-american woman, named Pheonix Jones, is up against the world on her way to town. Armed with nothing but her cane, she maneuvers through obstactle after obstacle, showing perseverence in the highest fashion through every disincentive that inhibits her journey. As such, her story depicts the Depression in the United States from the vantage point of a victim insufficiently represented in art—though a victim who, like the mythological phoenix her name evokes, resists annihilation, Phoenix transcends the abuse she experiences. This essay will explore Eudora Weltys character Phoenix Joness most exemplary traits. It will shine light on her fortitude, ingenuity, and light hearted view of the world. Provided along with Phoenixs traits is examples in which she shows each trait, with direct reference to â€Å"A worn path†. Imagine, having every bone in your body weakened with over seventy plus years of aging. You now have the bones of Phoenix Jones. Weakened, she struggles to get to town. Yet, still she keeps trecking over every obstacle thrown at her. This calls to merit her outstanding fortitude. At one point she encounters a barbed wire fence. With barbs glaring at her, hungry to put a halt to her journey, â€Å"There she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps. But she talked loudly to herself: she could not let her dress be torn now, so late in the day, and she could not pay for having her arm or her leg sawed off if she got caught fast where she was. At last she was safe throught the fence and risen up out of the clearing,† (Welty 850). This is a fine example of her phenominal perseverance and fortitude, showing she was not only going to get through, but she refused to let that fence make even a scratch on her dress. And even before that, at the start of her journey, she already had shown her tremendous amount of determination. As she starts out on her journey she exclaims with a fiery attitude â€Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals! Keep out from under theses feet, little bob whites. Keep the big wild hots out of my path. Dont let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way† (Welty 849-850). This shows that her mind is already set on getting to town and nothing is stopping her. These fine examples show the true, raw determination and fortitude within Pheonix Jones, showing that she may be frail, but she is anything but weak. There are few things that make true â€Å"good character†. Imagination is one of them. No one has better imagination than a child. A child sees the world as something different something better. Phoenix Jones clearly holds her inner-child within herself after all these years. After traveling a piece she decides to rest. â€Å"Up above her was a tree in a pearly cloud of mistletoe. She did not dare to close her eyes, and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble cake on it she spoke to him. â€Å"That would be exceptable,† she said† (Welty 850). Her imagination peeking forth, this shows even through her journey, she imagines a little boy giving her a slice of delicious cake, presenting that everything does not have to be serious. A little piece onward, she shows her enlightening imagination running wild again as she runs up on a menacing scarecrow that she gazes at from a distance. â€Å"Ghost,† she said sharply, â€Å"who you be the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by. † She found a coat inside that an emtiness, cold as ice. â€Å"You scarecrow† she said †Dance, old scare crow† she said, â€Å"while I dancing with you. † She kicked her foot over the furrow, and with mouth drawn down, shook her head once or twice in a little strutting way,† (Welty 851). Her fun loving child-like nature is highlighted through this passage, showing that she took a fear, and enlightened it when she found out it was a scarecrow, dancing with it, showing the trophy of imagination and optimism. Welty shows through Pheonix that imagination will never die, and that it is a precious tool to get over any obstacle. Further down the warn path, Phoenix is greeted by a discourteous hunter helping her up after she fell in a ditch in the wake of a nosy dog coming to investigate this strange intruder. This point is where she shows her cleverness and wit. As she is talking to the hunter, â€Å" Without warning, she had seen with her own eyes a flashing nickel fall out of the mans pocket onto the ground† (Welty 843), and she said nothing. As it continues the hunter runs off and she wittily bent over in his absence and â€Å"The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen†(Welty 843). As he later lies about having money to spare, this presents her wit, as she gained five cents from this brash traveller who has the audacity to later hold a gun to her head as a joke, which does not intimidate her, and only shows once again the fortitude previously stated in the last paragraph. As she gets to her destination, a clinic that she gets medicine from, she meets an attendant when she first walks in. She came to claim a bottle of medicine through charity for her grandson, which may just be a guise to get free medication, which in itself is a example of clever planning, the example I am using is of her interaction with the attendant. â€Å"Its Christmas time, Grandma,† said the attendant. â€Å"Could I give you a few pennies out of my purse? † â€Å"Five pennies is a nickel,† said Phoenix stiffly† â€Å"Heres a nickel,† said the attendant† (Welty 856). She persuades the attendant to give her a nickel, which in total gives her a dime, showing her witty resourcefulness. Whether she uses this ten cent for her grandson a windmill, or something else she wishes to buy, her adept skill and dexterity is presented as she uses wit and expierence to claim these precious boons. Pheonix Jones is a woman of many traits. From her perseverance to her sly inginuity, she uses all her characteristics to get through â€Å"A Warn Path†. She shows her child like perception in a way that eases the burdon of travelling. To the hills and back again seven times fold, her fortitude and will is an object of pure sovereinty over obstacles in her way and in her head. And with just a little bit of quick thinking and bamboozlement she was able to obtain a secondary reward from her journey, a skill that comes in handy throughout her life. Pheonix Jones is a pure, text book definition of strong.

Achromatopsia :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Achromatopsia When I was young, I was told that "color blindness" did not mean that the person saw the world like an old movie, but rather it meant that they could not distinguish between green and red. I thought that this understanding was very advanced and would quickly share my knowledge with any less-informed children. After looking into the matter, I have been forced to reject this generalization in favor of a broader range of diseases resulting in very different types of inabilities to perceive color in a "normal" fashion. While the typical color blindness I was told about affects 8 percent of men and less than 1 percent of women in the United States (1), there are many other types. The most common types of color blindness, effecting red and green vision, are not too serious for the sufferers, who can function normally and do not have overly impaired vision other than an inability to distinguish between certain colors. There are, however, more serious forms of "color blindness", such as blue cone monochromatopsia, partial rod monochromatopsia, and total rod monochromatopsia (3). The rod monochromats are also known as achromats, meaning they see no color at all. Only about 1/33,000 Americans has this disease, and women and men are effected roughly equally (3). This most severe variety of color blindness has many interesting symptoms which reveal a lot about rod vision. Achromats have what can be called "night vision" or rod vision. This means that the only functioning receptors in their retina are rod photoreceptors. The cones are either absent entirely or are present but the signals are not being processed for some reason. There are two types of achromatopsia, one is congenital and the other can be caused by brain damage, called cerebral achromatopsia (3). There are also varying degrees of achromatopsia, with some sufferers being able to distinguish some color and others absolutely none. I will focus on the congenital version since cerebral achromatopsia varies in its symptoms and cause quite a bit, as well as being much more rare and so fewer cases have been studied. Congenital color blindness has more regular symptoms which can be used to demonstrate how rod-vision works. One of the most noticeable things about an achromat that reveals their vision deficiency is sensitivity to light (8). Cone vision is what most people use during the day, since cones have less light sensitivity, meaning they can absorb more light without discomfort, although they too can be overloaded with light (like looking into the sun).

Rational Theory

This paper introduces Rational System Perspectives in relations to four promin ent schools of organization theory; which are Taylor’s scientific management, Fayol’s general principles of management, Weber’s theory of bureaucracy and Simon’s discussion on administrative behavior. Rational System Perspectives There are two key elements characterizing rational systems: 1) Goal Specificity Specific goals support rational behavior in organizations by providing guideli nes on structural design, which leads to specify what tasks are to be performe d and how resources are to be allocated. ) Formalization Formalization is an attempt to make behavior more predictable by standardizing and regulating. Formalization provides stable expectation, which is a precond ition to rationality. Selected schools The author related rational system perspectives to four schools of organizatio nal theories. Taylor’s Scientific Management (1911) Taylor Scientifically analyzed t asks performed by individual workers and disco vered the best procedure that would produce the maximum output with the minimu m input of resources.His attempts (to rationalize labor at level of the indiv idual worker )led to changes in the entire structure of work arrangement. Ther efore, efficiency improved. His four principles includes: 1) Develop a science for each element of an individual’s work. 2) Scientifically select and train workers. 3) Heartily cooperate with workers to ensure that each work is done as plan. 4) Divide work and responsibilities between management and workers. Taylor also proposed the use of incentive system based on performance as a mot ivation tool.Arguments: 1) Workers resisted time-study procedures that attempt to standardize every as pect of their performance. 2) Workers rejected incentive system requiring them to perform continuously at a peak level of efficiency. Fayol’s Administrative Theory (1916) Fayol emphasized management functions by proposing broad administrative principles as guidelines to achieve rationalization of organizational activiti es. Fayol’s and other supporters believed in two main types of management activi ties. ) Coordination includes any elements related to collaborations of individuals such as scalar chain, unity of command, span of control and exception princip le. 2) Specialization involves various activities distributed among positions abou t how such positions can most effectively be grouped into work units. For exam ple, departmentalization, line-staff principle. Arguments: Herbert Simon was one of the main opponents of this theory. He commenced that so-called principles are truthful, but not realistic. Thus, they are inapplica ble (details will be discussed).Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy (1922) Weber developed a theory of authority structures and describes organizational activity on the basis of authority relations. By building the structure, task responsibilities and de cision-making authorities would be clearly defined. He proposed that rational-legal authority (the authority a person possesses be cause of his/her position in an organization, not because of wealth, social st atus or individual’s admirable character) provides the value to develop the u niversal authority structure called â€Å"bureaucracy†.Weber’s ideal bureaucracy principles includes: 1) Division of labor. Jobs are broken down into simple, routine, and well-defi ned tasks. 2) Authority hierarchy. Positions are organized in a hierarchy, each lower one being controlled and supervised by a higher one. 3) Formal selection. Members are selected on the basis of technical qualificat ions (training, education of formal examination). 4) Formal rules and regulations. Managers must depend on formal rules to ensur e uniformity. 5) Impersonality. There is no personal preference of employees. ) Career orientation. Managers do not own the units they manage. They work fo r sa lary and pursue their careers. Arguments There are self-contradictions in Weber’s principles. 1) Management based on discipline: individuals obey the rules and orders becau se they regard the rules and orders as methods to fulfill organizational goals . Therefore, obedience is a mean to an end. 2) Management based on bureaucracy: individuals obey the rules because rules a re considered as commands, setting aside their judgements. Thus, obedience is an end itself.Simon’s Theory of Administrative Behavior (1958) Simon proposed a more realistic view related to rational system perspectives b y pointing out the boundaries (limits and constraints) on how rational manager s can be in making decisions. He introduced the term â€Å"bounded rationality†. Rather than pursuing all alternatives to identify the best solution that would maximize returns, managers will choose the solution that appears to solve the problem, even though they realized the chosen solution is not th e best one, d ue to time/cost constraints and other limitations.Furthermore, Simon clarified the process by which goal specificity and formali zation contribute to rational behavior in organization. Goal specificity: He introduced â€Å"means-ends chains† which establish a hierar chy of goals. According to organizational level, each level of activity is con sidered as an end relative to the levels below it and as a mean relative to th e level above it. Formalization: Simon believed formalized structure supports rational decision making in the sense that formalization simplifies a border of responsibilities among participants and provides participants with guidelines to handle them.Conceptual Framework (means) (ends) Formalization Goal Specificity Input Output Rational System Conclusion 1. Rationality in this paper can be viewed in two senses as follows: 1. 1) Technical or Functional rationality which can be attained through a serie s of actions (means) which lead to predeterm ined goals (ends) with maximum eff iciency. In short, Technical or Functional rationality emphasizes instrumental means-ends efficiency. Taylor’s and Fayol’s theories are related to rationa lity in this sense. 1. ) Formal rationality which can be derived through imposing rules an regulations to organization. Weber defined bureaucracy as rational in this sen se. 2. Level of Analysis 1. 1) Social psychological level. Taylor and Simon focus on individual participants as they perform tasks or make decision. 1. 2) Structural level. Fayol and Weber attempt to analyze the characteristics of organizational structures. Direction for my further research According to the paper above, I would like to examine which ideas of the above theories are still applicable to current information technology era.Furtherm ore, adding to my personal interest in strategic management, I would like to a nalyze how classical theories influence managers on strategic decision-making. Please see the su mmarized table in the next page. Table: Summarize and compare four organization theories. Taylor Fayol Weber Simon Year introduced 1911 1916 1922 1958 Means l Scientifically analyzed tasks performed by individual workers. l Concer ned with management at the shop levels l Generated broad administration princi ples. l Focused on activities of all managers l Described organizational activi ty on the basis of authority relations. Proposed rational-legal authority as a value to develop bureaucracy. l Proposed â€Å"bounded rationality† individuals have limits (boundaries) on how rational they can be. l Introduced means-ends chains. Ends Max. efficiency by using one best way. Max. efficiencyby using management expertise Max. efficiency by using bureaucratic structure Choose a fairly goo d solution, not optimal one. Assumptions Technical & Functional Rationality Technical & Functional Rational ity Formal Rationality Bounded rationalityLevel of Analysis Social Psychological Structura l Structural SocialPsychologic al Arguments 1) Workers resistedTime-study procedures, attempting to standardize every aspect of performance. 2) Workers rejected incentive system, requiring th em to perform continuously at a peak of efficiency. 1) So-called principles ar e truthful, but not realistic. 2) Simon: Due to limitations & constraints, the se principles are not thoroughly applicable. Self-contradictions 1) Based on d iscipline: Obedience is a mean to an end. 2) Based on bureaucracy: Obedience is an end itself.

The Importance Of Birth Control - 818 Words

How has birth control benefited us today? In the past, many women were constantly having unwanted pregnancies because they did not know how to prevent it. There are many people today that have more than 10 siblings because they’re parents didn’t have knowledge of birth control to help take care of themselves. The Comstock act of 1873 was passed in the United States which prohibited to spread any knowledge of birth control. Birth control was a controversial idea because there were people that did not agree with it because of religion, it was believed the be a crime. Margaret Sanger dedicated her life to get information out into the world to save women and children from unwanted pregnancies so they can have a better future. Women were not†¦show more content†¦Sanger believes that â€Å"to prevent repetition, to effect the salvation of the generation of the future- nay of the generation of today- our greatest need is first of all the ability to face the situation without flinching, and to cooperate in the formation of a code of sexual ethos based upon a thorough biological understanding of human nature.† Sanger says that birth control is important in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies which can lead to poverty because the baby would be born at the wrong time when the parents aren’t ready. It is important to prevent the future generation from repeating the last generation. The birth control movement wasn’t always successful. While Sanger was doing her best to change the future for women, many people did not believe in her. Sanger had opened the very first birth control in the United States in 1916. Sanger and her sister were later arrested and sent to jail for 30 days for breaking the Comstock law. The Comstock law prohibited any knowledge of birth control to be spread, it was illegal but Sanger did everything in her power to teach women how to protect themselves. Sanger published an article called â€Å"The Woman Rebel† which promoted birth control by giving information about it and teaching them what they can do to prevent pregnancies. In today’s society, birth control has become veryShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Birth Control1349 Words   |  6 PagesShould birth control be accessible to women? Should birth control be covered by insurance? There are many public debates covering the topic of birth control. Some of these debates cover which methods of contraception are the most effective ways at obtaining couple’s reproductive plans, while other debates include whether or not insurance should cover the cost of contraceptive, also the short and long term effects, how to increase use of birth control among sexually active individuals, and there areRead MoreThe Importance of Birth Control Essay1035 Words   |  5 Pagesabout birth control because they don’t want to get fat. That to me sounds ridiculous because either you gain a little weight by taking birth control or you gain a lot when you actually become pregnant. So if you don’t want to put your life on hold then I suggest you thin k of methods to avoid becoming pregnant. I’m not saying it’s bad to be pregnant but it all comes at its own time and you don’t want to be surprised one day and find out you’re going to be a young or single parent. Birth control hasRead MoreImportance Of Birth Control In The 21st Century1423 Words   |  6 PagesBirth control is a vital necessity in the 21st century for various reason. This paper is about taking a proactive stance for birth control, sex education and condoms, before conception mainly to promote a healthy society. It is needed more responsibly in the 21st century for a healthier society to thrive and grow at a rate that is not explosive. Birth control is not a new subject in matter compared to the 18th and 19th century methods which was rarely discussed but practiced and abstinence just wasRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Teen Pregnancy1242 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Center for Disease Control or the CDC website teen pregnancy and birth rates have been steadily decreasing since early 1990. In 2015 it was reported that in females between the ages of 15-17 only 22 off 1,000 births were reported (TEEN PREGNANCY LOWEST ON RECORD, 2017). Although the rates are steadily dropping, the U.S. still has a much higher rate of teen age pregnancies to those of other developed countries. Canada only reports 13 per 1,000 in teen births ranging from 15-19 years of ageRead MoreBirth Control : A Controversial Topic Since The 1960 S1718 Words   |  7 PagesBirth control has been a controversial topic since the 1960’s, when the pill arose on the scene and gained popularity. Men and women of certain religious faiths have sought to prevent other women from using birth control. However, most women want to be able to choose when the time is right for them to have a child. This is why birth control is essential, because it allows women and couples in general the freedom to choose and plan their families. In many cases the need to control women by controllingRead MoreAnalysis Of Abortion By Jennifer Davis1137 Words   |  5 PagesHailey Vadnais Women Left Behind by the Reproductive Rights Movement Two feminist readings, â€Å"Abortion† by Jennifer Saul and â€Å"Racism, Birth Control, and Reproductive Rights† by Angela Davis, both cover the important feminist topics of abortion and reproductive rights, but in different ways. Though very alike, the pieces are different in important ways, as they both bring ideas to the table that work in tandem with each other, as I will discuss below. In this paper, I will cover the differenceRead MoreEssay about The Importance of the Army in Spartan Society.785 Words   |  4 PagesThe importance of the army in Spartan society: The entire Spartan society revolved around the army, essentially making it the key aspect of Spartan life and culture. The army influenced areas such as education and social structure as well as being the most important defence of Sparta in both combat and reputation. After an embarrassing defeat at the battle of Hysiai Sparta went through great military change, these changes dramatically changed all other areas of Spartan life, turning Sparta intoRead MoreMoral Objections Of Birth Control Coverage868 Words   |  4 Pages2015 Moral Objections to Birth Control Coverage As human beings, we get involved in sexual relationships. When it comes to topics of sex a lot of people have their right and wrong reasons. Birth control is a controversial concept in which individuals in sexual relationships deal with on a daily basis. A person with more religious and moral values will say birth control is unacceptable depending on the religion. Not all religions are anti birth control. Birth control is a major controversyRead MoreMargaret Sanger Essay1428 Words   |  6 Pagesher life to acquiring the right for women to prevent pregnancies through the use of contraceptives. After years of dedication and hard work, Margaret Sanger not only accomplished what she had hoped for-making people understand the importance and necessity of birth control, but also accomplishes something greater by extending womens rights as well. In a society where it was considered inappropriate for girls to know about their anatomy and its functions, let alone talk and read about it, MargaretRead MoreA Visit At The Bakersfield College Essay843 Words   |  4 Pagesthat I would like to discuss was with my 21 years old Native American female and her newborn son in her home. The purpose of this home visit was to check how the infant was doing because he was in the NICU after birth to rule out sepsis and also to check how the mother was doing after the birth of her first child. She lives in her parent’s house with her siblings and boyfriend, and total seven people live in that house. The new mother is currently is not working, but she is taking classes at the Bakersfield