Obasan Essays - Japanese Canadian Internment, Obasan, Joy Kogawa

Obasan I decided to read the novel by Joy Kogawa entitled Obasan. The novel was written in 1981 and told the details of how the Japanese were discriminated against during World War 2. The author's main purpose was to educated the reader on how hard life really was for her family and other Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia, and especially in Vancouver. Joy Kogawa tried to show how ignorant British Columbians really were, and that we still do not fully understand what really happened during the war. She also tries to teach Canadians the culture of the Japanese. The novel starts in the seventies with Naomi a teacher in Northern Alberta finding out that her uncle has died. When Naomi returns home to console her Aunt Obasan, she begins to relive the difficulties of her life. She recounts the struggle against the government and themselves while trying to stay in Vancouver. Naomi is very small at the time of the war and did not really fully understand what was happening to her race. The novel recounts the struggle of Naomi's Aunt Emily to ensure that her family would be together in whatever place they were sent to. Aunt Emily wanted to head east to Toronto, but was unable to get the documentation for the entire family which included her sister children, who she was taking care of. The novel discuses the camps that the Japanese families were sent to in Hastings Park during the war. It described the treatment the families received while there, including the lack of food and the smell of manure. Naomi during this time was being sexually molested by her next door neighbor and did not tell anybody about this. Naomi seems resentful during the novel, as she comes across as a quiet little girl, who does not seem to interact with many people. Aunt Emily finally finds a place in Slocan for the family to go live, but just before they leave finds out her and her immediate family could go to Toronto. This leaves Aunt Emily going to Toronto and everybody else moving to Toronto. In the end almost everybody ends up dying. The novel had many strengths and weaknesses. One strength that really got to me is the great detail in how the Japanese were treated, though they were Canadian citizens. Obasan also taught me a lot about the Japanese culture and background. I enjoyed learning that it was custom to take a bath with your family when you were younger. I also learned that the government took away the vehicles of the Japanese and auctioned them off, which really shocked me. Joy Kogawa also brought in a good insight about what the Japanese Canadians were really feeling and going through during these tough times. On the flip side there were also many weaknesses in the book Obasan. One major weakness was the failure to distinguish between present time and the past. There were to many times that I did not realize that Naomi had switched into a flashback or vice versa. This left me rereading many pages over. I also did not like the way that the novel would drag on. It sometimes failed to have much to do with the rest of the story, and is to wordy. I believe the story could have been told in about one hundred and eighty pages instead of the two hundred and fifty pages. I think that the novel could have also gone into a little more detail about the living conditions at Hastings Park, and also a political aspect of why this was happening to these people. All and all I would have to say this novel helped me a lot in understanding what happened during the Second World War. Before reading this novel, I would have to admit that I really did not even know this happened in Canada, which is really sad. I did know though that the Japanese in the United States were sent from the west coast, but did not realize that it reached the west coast of Canada. Obasan is a very good novel for anybody who did not know what happened during the Second World War. I would

60 Synonyms for Trip

60 Synonyms for Trip 60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip† 60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip† By Mark Nichol Going somewhere? Consider being a bit more specific about what type of experience you’re going to experience: 1. Adventure: a trip involving some risk 2. Boat trip: see cruise 3. Business trip: a trip to another location for the purpose of conducting business 4. Campaign: a trip involving stopping at more than one destination to achieve a larger goal; originally, referred to a military enterprise of this nature 5. Circuit: a trip undertaken regularly as part of an official schedule 6. Commutation: see commuting 7. Commute: a regular trip taken back and forth, especially from home to work and back 8. Crossing: a trip, generally over a large body of water or through challenging terrain 9. Cruise: a trip conducted on a vessel on one or more bodies of water 10. Drive: a trip taken in a motor vehicle, often for the purpose of enjoying scenery and/or traveling to a place for enjoyment 11. Entrada: see expedition 12. Errand: a usually short trip to conduct business for oneself or another; earlier, meant a diplomatic mission 13. Excursion: a short trip taken for pleasure; also can mean a deviation from a planned or expected course; see also expedition 14. Expedition: a trip conducted for a specific reason, such as exploration or scientific discovery or to achieve a military objective; also, a jocular way to refer to a meticulously planned personal, family, or group trip (can also refer to those undertaking the trip, and, as the noun form of expedite, means â€Å"speed†) 15. Field trip: an officially organized trip undertaken by students or a group for educational purposes 16. Flight: a trip undertaken by air 17. Foray: a trip, perhaps one taken outside expected parameters; also, an attack or invasion 18. Grand tour: an extended trip often for educational purposes; also, a traditional extended trip around Europe as part of a British gentleman’s education and personal development 19. Hajj: a required trip to Mecca undertaken by Moslems (see pilgrimage); also, generically refers to a secular trip 20. Hike: a walk, often in the wilderness or an area set aside for outdoor activities, taken for enjoyment and/or exercise 21. Hop: a short trip, especially by air 22. Jaunt: a pleasure trip; originally referred to an exhausting trip 23. Journey: a trip; originally referred to a day’s travel (ultimately from the Latin term diurnus, â€Å"day†) 24. Junket: an official trip made at someone else’s expense, often with limited justification 25. Long haul: an extended trip 26. Migration: a trip to another location, either to settle or, for animals, to avoid a period of adverse weather conditions 27. Mission: a trip undertaken for a strategic objective 28. Odyssey: a long, arduous trip involving perils and/or resulting in enlightenment 29. Outing: a short pleasure trip, especially to enjoy the outdoors; also an athletic performance or event, an appearance or performance by a writer or performing arts, or the identification by others of a public figure who had been concealing their homosexuality 30. Overnight: a trip involving participants staying at the destination until the next day 31. Passage: a trip usually by air or sea; also, accommodations during such a trip 32. Perambulation: a trip on foot 33. Peregrination: a trip, generally on foot 34. Pleasure trip: a trip taken for enjoyment rather than for a practical purpose 35. Pilgrimage: a journey to a sacred place or to a location that has significant personal meaning 36. Procession: a trip, often involving multiple travelers and complicated preparations, often of an official or ceremonial nature 37. Progress: see circuit, expedition, and procession 38. Quest: a trip with the objective of finding something or making a significant literal or figurative discovery 39. Ramble: an aimless or loosely organized trip 40. Ride: see drive; also, a similar trip on another type of vehicle or mounted on an animal 41. Road trip: a self-organized trip involving extensive travel in a motor vehicle 42. Round trip: a trip that culminates in a return to the starting point 43. Safari: from a Swahili word for â€Å"journey,† taken from Arabic; connotes a hunting trip, especially in Africa, though in many present-day safaris, the shooting is done with cameras, not guns 44. Sail: a trip on a sailboat or sailing ship 45. Shlep: an arduous trip; also means â€Å"a loser,† and as a verb means â€Å"to carry or drag† 46. Slog: see shlep 47. Spin: see drive 48. Survey: a trip undertaken to observe phenomena and/or record data 49. Tour: a trip involving stops at multiple destinations, often organized by a company or organization for paying participants; see also â€Å"grand tour† 50. Tramp: a walking trip; also used in the phrase â€Å"tramp steamer† to denote a freelance cargo ship 51. Transit: see crossing 52. Travel: generally used in plural form to describe one’s experiences going on trips 53. Traverse: see crossing 54. Trek: to take a trip or migrate, with a connotation of length and difficulty 55. Vacation: a trip taken for leisure as a respite from work or from normal life in general 56. Venture: see adventure 57. Visit: a trip undertaken to spend time with friends or family 58. Voyage: originally, any long trip, but now confined to those over a large body of water 59. Walkabout: a migratory trip in Australia 60. Weekend: a trip away from the usual environment between one workweek and the next Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? 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Linear Regression Statistics and Analysis

Linear Regression Statistics and Analysis Linear regression is a statistical technique that is used to learn more about the relationship between an independent (predictor) variable and a dependent (criterion) variable. When you have more than one independent variable in your analysis, this is referred to as multiple linear regression. In general, regression allows the researcher to ask the general question â€Å"What is the best predictor of†¦?† For example, let say we were studying the causes of obesity, measured by body mass index (BMI). In particular, we wanted to see if the following variables were significant predictors of a person’s BMI: number of fast food meals eaten per week, number of hours of television watched per week, the number of minutes spent exercising per week, and parents’ BMI. Linear regression would be a good methodology for this analysis. The Regression Equation When you are conducting a regression analysis with one independent variable, the regression equation is Y a b*X where Y is the dependent variable, X is the independent variable, a is the constant (or intercept), and b is the slope of the regression line. For example, let’s say that GPA is best predicted by the regression equation 1 0.02*IQ. If a student had an IQ of 130, then, his or her GPA would be 3.6 (1 0.02*130 3.6). When you are conducting a regression analysis in which you have more than one independent variable, the regression equation is Y a b1*X1 b2*X2 †¦ bp*Xp. For example, if we wanted to include more variables to our GPA analysis, such as measures of motivation and self-discipline, we would use this equation. R-Square R-square, also known as the coefficient of determination, is a commonly used statistic to evaluate the model fit of a regression equation. That is, how good are all of your independent variables at predicting your dependent variable? The value of R-square ranges from 0.0 to 1.0 and can be multiplied by 100 to obtain a percentage of variance explained. For example, going back to our GPA regression equation with only one independent variable (IQ)†¦Let’s say that our R-square for the equation was 0.4. We could interpret this to mean that 40% of the variance in GPA is explained by IQ. If we then add our other two variables (motivation and self-discipline) and the R-square increases to 0.6, this means that IQ, motivation, and self-discipline together explain 60% of the variance in GPA scores. Regression analyses are typically done using statistical software, such as SPSS or SAS and so the R-square is calculated for you. Interpreting the Regression Coefficients (b) The b coefficients from the equations above represent the strength and direction of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. If we look at the GPA and IQ equation, 1 0.02*130 3.6, 0.02 is the regression coefficient for the variable IQ. This tells us that the direction of the relationship is positive so that as IQ increases, GPA also increases. If the equation were 1 - 0.02*130 Y, then this would mean that the relationship between IQ and GPA was negative. Assumptions There are several assumptions about the data that must be met in order to conduct a linear regression analysis: Linearity: It is assumed that the relationship between the independent and dependent variables is linear. Though this assumption can never be fully confirmed, looking at a scatterplot of your variables can help make this determination. If a curvature in the relationship is present, you may consider transforming the variables or explicitly allowing for nonlinear components.Normality: It is assumed that the residuals of your variables are normally distributed. That is, the errors in the prediction of the value of Y (the dependent variable) are distributed in a way that approaches the normal curve. You can look at histograms or normal probability plots to inspect the distribution of your variables and their residual values.Independence: It is assumed that the errors in the prediction of the value of Y are all independent of one another (not correlated).Homoscedasticity: It is assumed that the variance around the regression line is the same for all values of the independent variables. Source StatSoft: Electronic Statistics Textbook. (2011). statsoft.com/textbook/basic-statistics/#Crosstabulationb.

Tradition and Culture in the Third World Countries Essay

Tradition and Culture in the Third World Countries - Essay Example The Islamic influence helped to boost the peoples fighting skills and the greater strength of the empire. Owing to this, the Ottoman Empire expanded through conquering their neighbors with their well-advanced fighting skills. In addition, all these successes came due to the knowledge of their culture in advance (McCarthy 56).  Third world countries do not have the capacity to create advanced technology enjoyed by the first world countries. Due to this, they have to borrow it from them and establish it to their capacity. Therefore, to have command of the technology, they need to learn the previous and present philosophies that led to their creation. This would give a guideline on how to develop other advanced technologies. Acquiring tradition directly from others may not be beneficial to all third world countries. Some kind of traditions does not fit in the lifestyle of the third world countries. Traditions were part of the motives that led to the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The emp ire had the tradition of inheriting the seat of a sultan. The struggle for the control of the empire led to its sudden decline. Therefore, the third world countries should only choose beneficial ideas leading to the growth of the respective countries (McCarthy 289).         

Rousseau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rousseau - Essay Example Rousseau was among those social philosophers who explored the paradox that radical political theorists, remain unable to raise to democratic politics, a duality of social interests and diverse conceptions for a modern man in the form of ‘democracy’ and ‘totalitarian’ context. He was such a versatile in his opinion that on one hand he held the opinion to experience democracy, while on the other he felt the urge to be totalitarian. No doubt Rousseau’s ideal of a self-sovereign people along with the conception of democratic control over social life, informed the moral and political vision of nineteenth and twentieth century democratic mass movements, as well as non-democratic variants thereof.Although Rousseau have been the first political theorist to outline the form of a democratic social contract, his obsession with social solidarity precluded his conceptualizing the content of modern democratic political life . What he believed was a modern democrati c policy within which general will involved the establishment of a democratic consensus, among divergent social interests and distinct moral conceptions of the good, on those shared constitutional practices and public goods that reach beyond one’s identity with a particular sub community.Rousseau was among the very few political philosophers and theorists who gave a touch of taste of totalitarian to a full democratic region. He comprehend that if democracy were to be a stable and viable order, a commitment to its political practices and public goods would have to be an integral part of the will of each of its citizens, regardless of their propertied status. Although Rousseau acknowledged that in a free society the existence of such a shared "general will" should not obliterate individual wills, his attitude toward the role of associational life in a democratic order was profoundly ambivalent. Perhaps because he never witnessed a functioning pluralist democracy and vigorously opposed the status and economic inequalities of a commercial, monarchical society, Rousseau could not envision a democracy in which the political interactions of divergent interests forged a commitment to a common political life 3. In his day, status-based interests were a profound barrier to the creation of an egalitarian, democratic order; thus Rousseau never witnessed free associations playing a central role in the life of a demo cratic polity. Although Rousseau is theoretically committed to the sovereign authority of the people, he could be thought of as such a political symbol that severely curtailed the arena for democratic politics by denying any role for particular interests groups or sub communities in political deliberation. He believed a democratic society to be partly constituted through popular participation in the election of government and in popular deliberation about the constitutional structure of society, the nature of the basic laws. But it is also shaped by particular interests defending their concerns in both civil society and the political arena. In a vigorous and egalitarian democratic order, a complex dialectic would persist between the activities of secondary associations and their regulation by broader democratic cultural norms and legislative practices. Although the citizens of a democracy must at times achieve a measure of reflective distance from their particular attachments in order to reason ab out shared institutions and practices, a complete distancing from particular identities will never be fully achieved 4. This mediation between particular and collective identities, and between partial interests and the common good, can only occur politically. There is no Archimedean resolution to this inherent democratic dilemma. For Rousseau the essence of both "natural freedom" and "civil freedom" was the absence of personal dependence on others. In a society characterized by a healthy civic culture, all

Hotel and Outdoor Petting Zoo Essay Example for Free

Hotel and Outdoor Petting Zoo Essay There are many steps to planning a vacation to Kalahari Resorts, Ohio. First of all, you must ask yourself how many days would you like to spend at Kalahari. Once you decide, you must figure you want to book a flight or drive. Depending on certain dates, flights can be really expensive if booked during peak vaction months. Driving on the other hand, is not for everyone. It can be very expensive with the price of gas, and very tedious depending how many hours you will spend in the car. The next step is to find pricings on the hotel with their website, Kalahariresorts.com. This website provides package deals that include: the room, access to the aracde, and also access to the pool. When choosing your room, you need to pick the perks you want, such as a full kitchen or a veiw of the outdoor petting zoo. Now that you have chosen your means of transportaion and room, you must determine how much money you would like to spend while are there. This will help set a budget and keep and keep your finances in order, but also prevent you from spending too much. Always remember to have fun at Kalahari and make it a stay youll never forget. There are many steps to planning a vacation to Kalahari Resorts, Ohio. First of all, you must ask yourself how many days would you like to spend at Kalahari. Once you decide, you must figure you want to book a flight or drive. Depending on certain dates, flights can be really expensive if booked during peak vaction months. Driving on the other hand, is not for everyone. It can be very expensive with the price of gas, and very tedious depending how many hours you will spend in the car. The next step is to find pricings on the hotel with their website, Kalahariresorts.com. This website provides package deals that include: the room, access to the aracde, and also access to the pool. When choosing your room, you need to pick the perks you want, such as a full kitchen or a veiw of the outdoor petting zoo. Now that you have chosen your means of transportaion and room, you must determine how  much money you would like to spend while are there. This will help set a budget and keep and keep your finances in order, but also prevent you from spending too much. Always remember to have fun at Kalahari and make it a stay youll never forget.

Confucius-Summary Essay -- essays research papers

Confucius-Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Master Kung, also known as Kung Fu-tzu is known to be the Confucius of the west. He is one of the most well known philosophers in Chinese history. Confucianism has evolved so much over the years that no one knows the original thoughts of the master. Master Kung established a tradition of cultural values. Confucius wanted to attain a position in government so he could influence the ruler, thus helping him make wiser decisions. He was appointed to a governmental position in Lu but it was brief. So he traveled the neighboring states hoping to attain another position, and he did but he often spoke his mind when he shouldn’t have and was forced to leave again. When he returned home he realized that through his teaching he would be able to affect the people more. Confucius taught that all human affairs were structured by five relationships: father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, ruler and official, and friend and friend. He had a major emphasis on the family be cause three of these relationships focus on the family. Confucius was more of a summarizer and rephraser of truths than an original thinker. He focused on the relation of human being to human being and the relation of governor to governed. Confucius Life Confucius is described, by Sima Qian and other sources, as having endured a poverty-stricken and humiliating youth and been forced, upon reaching manhood, to undertake such petty jobs as accounting and caring for livestock. Confucius surname Kong (which means literally an utterance of thankfulness when prayers have been answered), his tabooed given name Qiu, and his social name Zhongni, all appear connected to the miraculous circumstances of his birth. We do not know how Confucius himself was educated, but tradition has it that he studied ritual with the Daoist Master Lao Dan, music with Chang Hong, and the lute with Music-master Xiang. At the age of fifty, when Duke Ding of Lu was on the throne, Confucius' talents were recognized and he was appointed Minister of Public Works and then Minister of Crime. But Confucius apparently offended members of the Lu nobility who were with Duke Ding for power and he was subsequently forced to leave office and go into exile. In any case, by most t raditional accounts, Confucius returned to Lu in 484 BCE and spent the remainder of his life teaching,... ...e to physical force, such ‘virtue’ also enabled the ruler to maintain good order in his state without troubling himself and by relying on loyal and effective deputies. The way to maintain and cultivate such royal ‘virtue’ was through the practice and enactment of li or ‘rituals’—the ceremonies that defined and punctuated the lives of the ancient Chinese aristocracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Confucius Sayings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Confucius was a man who talked about the virtues and principles of life dealing with family, government, and work. These concepts were often reflected in his quotes. These are a few to ponder the mind: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He who merely knows right principles is not equal to him who loves them. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you enjoy what you do, you'll never work another day in your life. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.