Lottery By Shirley Jackson Essays (533 words) - Dystopian Literature

Lottery By Shirley Jackson While the setting of Shirley Jackson's, The Lottery, takes place on a clear, sunny, June day, it does not take long for the skies to turn gray as she introduces the readers to the black box. The black box is the central symbol of the short story. It suggest both death and necessity of change due to a combination of the passage of time and population expansion. The reference to the black box as a symbol of death can be seen in many instance's throughout the story. For example, when the box is first introduced, "the villagers kept their distance, leaving a space between themselves and the stool ( which the box was placed on)." People are afraid and the distance they kept was not due to their fear of the box, but of what the box stood for . . . death. This point is further illustrated through the manner in which the box was stored. "The rest of the year, the box was put away, sometimes one place, sometimes another; it had spent one year in Mr. Grave's barn and another year underfoot in the post office, and sometimes it was set on a shelf in the Martin grocery and left there." Death is not something that people deal with everyday. Human beings deal with death very similar to the way that the towns people stored the black box. People place their experiences with death in different rooms and shelves of their hearts. The black box also symbolizes the need for a new tradition and the reluctance of the townspeople to accept change. The black box is a symbol of the lottery itself. The physical appearance of the box suggest that it was not only the black box that needed to be replaced but the tradition of the lottery. "The black box grew shabbier each year; by now it was no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side to show the original wood color, and in some places faded or stained." As the physical appearance of the black box deteriorated so did the appropriateness of the tradition. Takash 2 Mr. Adams revealed in his conversation with Old Man Warner that many of the towns surrounding them had already ceased the lottery tradition and many more were in the process of discussing it, thus further proving that the lottery has lost its significance. In reply to Mr. Adams remarks, Old Man Warner says, "There's always been a lottery ." and "Nothing but trouble in that, pack of young fools." Old Man Warner's response to Mr. Adams exemplifies the unwillingness of the townspeople to change the tradition and the townspeople's failure to accept the need for change. The dark clouds that came into view when the box was first introduced become a full fledged storm at the conclusion of the story. The black box became the ultimate symbol of death as it is the very vechile that delivers the unfortunate winner's prize which is death by stoning. The storm of immoral and unethical actions is further propelled by the momentum that came from the townspeople's extreme degree of self interest. The terrible tradition was carried out once again. Instead of considering the effect that the tradition had on their fellow man they were grateful that the black box had blessed them with their own lives. As far as they were concerned the sky was blue and the sun was still shining.

The Quiet American essays

The Quiet American essays In Graham Greene's The Quiet American, Greene uses the characters Thomas Fowler and Alden Pyle to represent a greater picture. In the interactions among these characters, he is simplifying the situation in Vietnam into a personal model to be viewed. Graham Greene developed the attitudes and personalities of his characters almost to be a condensed legend of the countries they represented. In their actions, and opinions formed on them by others, was a reflection of the general feeling overall in Vietnam. Alden Pyle is the title quiet American sent to Vietnam with orders. Seemingly he is quiet because he is the innocent, neutral party coming to aid by selling plastic. He has a good reputation, and is very curt and proper. Naive is best to superficially describe his demeanor; he is only trying to help. But ignorance is probably better to this character for he does not realize the destruction he is causing and does not realize that he is more meddlesome than helpful. And that is exactly what Graham Greene is trying to portray this character's representation of the United States. Pyle as an individual reflects America as a whole as they were seen as ignorantly trying to interfere in Vietnam, being neutral. But actually harming in trying to help Pyle as a character and as the symbol of his country was portrayed of promising the Vietnamese things, trying to forge for them a new life they did not need nor understand. This is seen with his relationship with Phuong as he woos her away from Thomas Fowler with promises of skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty. Phuong, can be seen as the innocent country Vietnam whose promising lands pose the stage for a war between the politics of greedier forces. Phuong and the majority of Vietnam, the peasants, know nothing but their simple existence. They farm their rice paddies; they sustain themselves- that is all they know. No matter who wins the war, how will it affect most ...

How to Conduct a Hypothesis Test in Statistics

How to Conduct a Hypothesis Test in Statistics The idea of hypothesis testing is relatively straightforward. In various studies, we observe certain events. We must ask, is the event due to chance alone, or is there some cause that we should be looking for? We need to have a way to differentiate between events that easily occur by chance and those that are highly unlikely to occur randomly. Such a method should be streamlined and well defined so that others can replicate our statistical experiments. There are a few different methods used to conduct hypothesis tests. One of these methods is known as the traditional method, and another involves what is known as a p-value. The steps of these two most common methods are identical up to a point, then diverge slightly. Both the traditional method for hypothesis testing and the p-value method are outlined below. The Traditional Method The traditional method is as follows: Begin by stating the claim or hypothesis that is being tested. Also, form a statement for the case that the hypothesis is false.Express both of the statements from the first step in mathematical symbols. These statements will use symbols such as inequalities and equals signs.Identify which of the two symbolic statements does not have equality in it. This could simply be a not equals sign, but could also be an is less than sign ( ). The statement containing inequality is called the alternative hypothesis and is denoted H1 or Ha.The statement from the first step that makes the statement that a parameter equals a particular value is called the null hypothesis, denoted H0.Choose which significance level that we want. A significance level is typically denoted by the Greek letter alpha. Here we should consider Type I errors. A Type I error occurs when we reject a null hypothesis that is actually true. If we are very concerned about this possibility occurring, then our value for alpha shoul d be small. There is a bit of a trade-off here. The smaller the alpha, the most costly the experiment. The values 0.05 and 0.01 are common values used for alpha, but any positive number between 0 and 0.50 could be used for a significance level. Determine which statistic and distribution we should use. The type of distribution is dictated by features of the data. Common distributions include z score, t score, and chi-squared.Find the test statistic and critical value for this statistic. Here we will have to consider if we are conducting a two-tailed test (typically when the alternative hypothesis contains a â€Å"is not equal to† symbol, or a one-tailed test (typically used when an inequality is involved in the statement of the alternative hypothesis).From the type of distribution, confidence level, critical value, and test statistic we sketch a graph.If the test statistic is in our critical region, then we must reject the null hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis stands. If the test statistic is not in our critical region, then we fail to reject the null hypothesis. This does not prove that the null hypothesis is true, but gives a way to quantify how likely it is to be true.We now state the results of the hypothesi s test in such a way that the original claim is addressed. The p-Value Method The p-value method is nearly identical to the traditional method. The first six steps are the same. For step seven we find the test statistic and p-value. We then reject the null hypothesis if the p-value is less than or equal to alpha. We fail to reject the null hypothesis if the p-value is greater than alpha. We then wrap up the test as before, by clearly stating the results.

Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Focus - Essay Example As a result, there was mass migration as they sought settlement to countries that they could live, achieve and participate as equal citizens. America offered such opportunities welcoming all immigrants owing to its developing industrial capabilities. There was a surge of Jewish immigrants from in mid-nineteenth century following a new era of violence and anti-Jewish sentiments in most regions of Europe. The interactions between Americans and immigrants was characterised by inclusion and assimilation where the immigrants adopted a new culture in order to fit into the new country (Klinger n.d).This was guaranteed by the American legal system, which acknowledged that all men were created equal and as such, they deserved equal opportunities in America. This is as opposed to the European version that described Jews by appearance, cultural, social and religious positions. Moreover, legal impositions in Europe by the majority Christian population were vastly strict against the Jews. However , the tranquillity that existed ceased in its roots as a court case legally established that the separation and discrimination were synonymous. This established ground for open discrimination against fellow Americans based on the colour of their skin as opposed to what they can do. In other words, the court assertion made discrimination legal thus legalising bigotry. This marks the beginning of racism and discrimination against Jew living in America (Foner, 2012). Arthur Miller’s novel is set in New York as the Second World War ends to be a direct confrontation to American anti-Semitism. The book focuses on Lawrence Newman, an American of English descent, and the personnel manager in large company who quits his job citing mistreatment. This owes to his resemblance to Jews after acquiring glasses, a sentiment shared by his mother. He shares prejudices of his neighbours who seem determined to confront a Jewish candy storeowner until he is on the receiving end of similar prejudi ces. Miller highlights discriminatory acts against Jews living in America in his time, which involves hiring procedures, residential places, political participation among others. Jews were denied employment opportunities in most establishments and applicants had to under vigorously screening to edge out Jewish candidates. The tactics used in denying such opportunities include exclusion, tokenism and quota system especially private industries with executive and management levels (Glock, 1979).As such, the Jews had difficulty in obtaining or maintaining positions in places of employment. This is echoed in Focus as Miller, describes how Newman has difficulty in landing a new job following his resemblance to Jews. Ironically, when he gets one, he is employed in a Jewish establishment that seems to embrace all. Similarly, the public generated negative sentiments towards the presence of Jewish residents within their neighbourhood. As such, extreme groups such as the Christian Front sought to engage violently their Jewish neighbours in a bid to scare them off the neighbourhood. The negative attitude towards Jews left no room for tolerance, which saw residents attached for their religious beliefs. This is no different in Miller’s book when alliances are forged against Jews ‘elements’ in the Focus neighbourhood. Jews were also not admitted in social clubs such as country clubs among other public places on a regular basis. This can be attributed to the social status of the members who were accorded respect depending on the company

Discuss Internet as a tool to International marketing Essay

Discuss Internet as a tool to International marketing research(implications, advantages & disadvantages) - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Market   research   is   a   systematic,   objective   collection   and   analysis   of   data   about   a   particular   target   market,   competition,   and/or   environment.   This   type   of   research   must   always   have   some   form   of   data   collection,   whether   it   be   secondary   research   or   primary   research,   which   is   collected   direct   from   a   respondent.   There   are   two   types   of   research:   quantitative   and   qualitative.   Quantitative   research   involves   numbers.   An   example,   a   fast   food   chain   might   ask   customers   to   rate   the   service   as   excellent,   good,   poor   or   very   poor.   Qualitative   research   tries   to   understand   how   or   why   things   are   the   way   they    are.   The   research   involves   more   Ã‚  face-to-face   contact.   An   example,   a   research   might   ask   a   consumers   why   they   have   decided   to   buy   a   certain   type   of   soft   drink.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The   Internet   has   changed   how   marketing   research   has   changed   internationally.   Why,   percentage   wise,   half   the   homes   in   the   United   States   have   computers.   This   movement   came   about   for   four   reasons:   the   prices   of   personal   computers   are   decreasing,   current   home   connections,   slow,   but   are   now   becoming   more   rapid,   companies   are   spending   large   amounts   of   money   on   small   internet- only   computers,   and   the   introduction   of   web   television.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All   these   factors   have,   and   will   continue   to   increase   the   number   of   people   with   access   to   the   internet.   What   will   also   increase   is   the   potential   to   gather   information   from   consumers,   access   secondary   data   sources,   advertise   and   sell   products.   This   is  

Comparing Escape in Madame Bovary and Fathers & Sons Essay -- comparis

Madame Bovary and Fathers & Sons Many people have a difficult time dealing with the real world. These people search desperately for one thing: release from the toils of everyday life. Basarov in Fathers & Sons and Emma Bovary in Madame Bovary are also searching for an escape - through romance. Each character follows their own misguided thoughts and emotions. And by the end of their respective novels, each will have to come to terms with their decisions in dealing with an idealistic romanticism. Basarov, through most of the novel, is the personification of abstinence. He is introduced as a nihilist, "a person who does not take any principle for granted, however much that principle may be revered"(94). He denies the existence of anything that cannot be verified by empirical methods. To him, the world in one big laboratory, with laws waiting to be defined by experimentation and reasoning according to cold hard facts. A great deal of his time is spent in such experimentation. He is a doctor, educated in the sciences at the university in Petersburg, and applies his learning regularly during his nature walks at Maryino and with Madame Odintsov. He also exhibits other, less laudable characteristics as a result of his approach to life. Basically, he has trouble getting along with people. His arrogance and aloofness, especially in dealing with the "provincial aristocrats" (Pavel and Nikolai Petrovich), cause much conflict and ill will at Maryino: "[Pavel] regarded him as an arrogant , impudent fellow, a cynic and a vulgarian. He suspected that Basarov... all but despised him.... Nikolai Petrovich was slightly apprehensive of the young 'nihilist' and was doubtful whether his influence on Arkady was desirable"(117). Basarov detache... ...ent he thought of her; he could easily have mastered his blood but something else was taking possession of him, something he had never allowed, at which he had always scoffed, at which all his pride revolted"(170). Finally, early one morning in a fit of emotion, Basarov finally declares his mad, idiotic love to Anna. She responds with, "You have misunderstood me," and the two part company in confusion (183). The matter goes unresolved until a final scene at Basarov's deathbed. Neither Emma nor Basarov realize their fault in time. Emma returns to reality just in time to see her life crumbling and can't deal with it, committing suicide as a final escape. Basarov realizes his love for Anna only as he lay dying of typhus. So it appears neither had the correct approach to life. Maybe the correct approach is one of moderation; a balance of cold reason and glowing passion.

College Essay: Loosing School Essay

â€Å"If you don’t want to take school seriously, then I guess I’ll look forward to seeing you working your shift at McDonald’s when I stop by for the fries†. This is what my mom told me when I was an eighth grader. My parents are very accomplished people; my mother is a registered nurse and my father is a lawyer. So her words cut deep and hit me where it hurt. Why was she telling me this? Because I deserved every bit of it. I was at a point in my life when I was very immature. I was a bad egg, a wannabe â€Å"cool kid†, and a class clown. I used to be a small kid, but I grew taller way before others in my own age group. So after a while, my self-esteem rose back to its normal height and I became used to being the biggest kid in my class. This followed me all through middle school. When I was an eighth grader, I took advantage of this and used the size of my body to inflict fear in other students. Not only did I utilize my height as a fear factor, but also I imposed dread with the people I hung around. I was what is described as a â€Å"tomboy†, and I was friends with guys that I would use as threats to get what I desired from others. I was a bully. My school was quite loose with the bullying policy, so every time I got in trouble, I would weasel myself out of the situation by getting my friends to bear false witness to my fabricated stories. By the middle of the school year, it seemed like I was more feared than adored by most of my fellow students. This should have sickened me, but instead it gave me a twisted sense of pride. The school district was ready to suspend me. Not only was I making my fellow classmates uncomfortable, but it was now affecting my academics. And ever since I first learned the meaning of the word â€Å"important†, my parents have hounded into my head that academics are crucial to my future; academics determine your future existence. What kind of reputation was I leaving for the Michaels family name? As soon as I would leave middle school and enter high school, my brother would be entering middle school. He didn’t deserve to cross the threshold of elementary to middle school with a bad reputation waiting for him. On the days I was in a better mood, I would let my poor friend choice control me and I would walk around with my â€Å"friends† and skip class. Even  when I did go to class, I would show up to class late. I lived fairly far from school, so I had to take the bus to school. Both of my parents worked early; by the time I had to wake up for school, they were on their way out and headed to work. This meant that if I chose not to go to school I could stay home. Even if I was late and missed the bus, I had no way to get to school. Now, not only did I have a chance of getting suspended or even expelled for bullying, but also because of my poor attendance. And because I was rarely in class, my grades were suffering, lowering my GPA and almost making it harder to graduate and move on into high school. And this was quite ironic, considering that I had always been known as a bright child before this charade began. With all the stress of strenuous work and a full schedule, my father now also had to worry about what was going on with me. And it was safe to say that I had always been what is known as a â€Å"daddy’s girl†, so this extremely discomforted him. He was constantly receiving phone calls from school teachers and counselors, constantly having to take days off of work to have parent/teacher meetings. All of this was driving my father insane, emotional-wise. He was at a breaking point. It was only after he told me that if I was going to waste his time and so much of his feelings going to school only to act insubordinate, then I should at least have the decency to tell him forthrightly. He went back to school as a middle-aged man to pursue his dream of being a lawyer because when he was younger he did not have the opportunity. My father is essentially a walking illustration of the American Dream, and I cannot believe that at that point in time I could not see that. It was these words that put me in a very doleful state of mind. After that talk from my father, I actually took the time to sit down and evaluate the things I was doing and how they were going to affect me and the family I love. It was the summer before my first year of high school that I broke down and did nothing but cried. Cried because of the position I put my parents in, the way I made them look, the way I made them feel. Cried because my parents abandoned the life they had in their native land to migrate to this beautiful country, to strive for the American dream. My dad left his family at the age of 22 and my mother at age 19 and they endured  the many turn-downs they got while trying to obtain a visa. They arrived in a place thousands of miles from home, where the language was foreign, the money was different and the people were prejudiced. He was often put down because of the color of his skin, but he was determined to start a life in the U.S. and determined to give his kids the life he never had. And here I was, throwing it all away because of my negligence and my immaturity. I could not live with myself knowing I was discounting my parents’ struggles, all of their hopes and dreams. From that point on, I made it my goal to never make my parents go through something like that ever again. To this day I can say that I have been true to my word. Everything about me has been a complete 180 degrees from the person I was in middle school. The people I call my friends, the way I think, and even the way I dress have changed. They now reflect the person I am today: all of my hopes and achievements.