Lifting the Veil

Striving to Live Above the Veil W. E. B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk, a collection of autobiographical and historical essays contains many themes. Themes such as souls and their attainment of consciousness and the theme of double consciousness appear in many of the compositions. However, one of the most prominent themes is that of â€Å"the veil. † The veil provides a connection between the 14 seemingly unconnected essays that make up this book. Mentioned at least once in most of the essays the veil is the stereotypes that whites bring to their interactions with blacks.African Americans are prejudged as incapable and thus not given a chance to prove themselves. This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if one is told they can't do something, they may internalize that belief and think they can't, when in fact they can. Du Bois puts it as, â€Å"this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others† (Du Bois 2). The veil is a metaphor for the separa tion and invisibility of black life and existence in America; also a way to represent the idea of blacks living in a â€Å"white world†. The veil is symbolic of the invisibility of blacks in America.Du Bois says that Blacks in America are a forgotten people, â€Å"after the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil† (Du Bois 2). The invisibility of Black existence in America is one of the reasons why Du Bois writes The Souls of Black Folk, in order to explain the â€Å"invisible† history and strivings of Black Americans, Du Bois writes in the forethought, â€Å"I have sought here to sketch, in vague, uncertain outline, the spiritual world in which ten thousand Americans live and strive† (v).Du Bois in each of the following chapters tries to build the idea of Black existence from that of the reconstruction period to the black spirituals and the stories of rural black children th at he tried to educate. Du Bois in the book is contending with trying to establish some sense of history and memory for Black Americans, Du Bois struggles in the pages of the book to prevent Black Americans from becoming unseen to the rest of the world, hidden behind a veil of prejudice.He writes in the after-thought, â€Å"Hear my Cry, O God the reader vouch safe that this my book fall not still born into the world-wilderness. Let there spring, Gentle one, from its leaves vigor of thought and thoughtful deed to reap the harvest wonderful†Ã‚  (165). Du Bois wanted this book to inspire Blacks to fight for their rights and equality, he didn’t just want this book to be read, he wanted people to react to the writing and make a change. The veil also acts as a psychological barrier separating blacks from whites.The theme of this separation of blacks and whites is a central metaphor of the book starting with the first lines where Du Bois recalls his encounters with whites who view him not as a person but as a problem, â€Å"They half approach me in a half-hesitant sort of way, eye me curiously or compassionately, and then instead of saying directly how does it feel to be a problem? They say, I know an excellent colored man in my town†(1). The veil in this case hides the humanity of blacks which has important implications to the types of relations that developed between blacks and whites.With their humanity hidden behind the veil black and white relations at the time of the writing of The Souls Of Black Folk were marked by violence: draft riots in New York during the Civil War, riots following the reconstruction period, the lynching of Blacks, and the formation of the Klu Klux Klan. The theme of separation caused by the veil is repeated throughout the book several times. For example slave religious practices were separate from white religious practices. Although many times slaves and their masters worshipped together.Religion during the slavery pe riod provided two very different things for master and slaves. For the master religion was a way to justify slavery and for slaves religion became a form of resistance; a way to resist social death and hope that they can overcome the barrier of white prejudices. Another difference is what the reconstruction period did for each race. For blacks reconstruction was a time of optimism and freedom; for whites reconstruction was a time in which the north repressed a defeated region, with ignorant former slaves, who unable to act constructively for themselves were pawns for the people of the North.These differences created immense misunderstanding and because of that neither race was able to overcome the obstacle of learning and excepting a different culture; both whites and blacks thought the worst about each other. Du Bois unlike other blacks is able to move around the veil, operate behind it, lift it, and even transcend it. In the forethought Du Bois tells the reader that in the followi ng chapters he has, â€Å"Stepped with in the veil, raising it that you may view faintly its deeper recesses, -the meaning of its religion, the passion of its human sorrow, and the struggle of its greater souls. Du Bois in the first Chapter steps outside the veil to reveal the origin and his awareness of the veil. He also rises above the veil in chapter six, when he explores the great arts, â€Å"I sit with Shakespeare and he winces not. Across the color-line I move arm in arm with Balzac and Dumas, where smiling men and welcoming women glide in gilded halls. From out the caves of evening that swing between the strong-limbed earth and the tracery of the stars, I summon Aristotle and Aurelius and what soul I will, and they will come all graciously with no scorn nor condensation. So, wed with Truth, I dwell above the veil† (67).No discrimination is to be had when he is reading great works of art because his race doesn’t affect his ability to read and interpret them. Als o it is Du Bois's awareness of the veil that allows him to step outside of it and reveal the history of the Negro. Du Bois goes on to show his white audience the history of the Black man following reconstruction, the origins of the black church. Du Bois then talks about the conditions of individuals living behind the veil from his first born son who, â€Å"With in the veil was he born, said I; and there with in shall he live, -a Negro and a Negro's son†¦.I saw the shadow of the veil as it passed over my baby, I saw the cold city towering above the blood read land† (128). In this passage Du Bois is both within and above the veil. He is a Negro living like his baby within the veil but he is also above the veil, able to see it pass over his child. After Du Bois's child dies he prays that it will, â€Å"sleep till I sleep, and waken to a baby voice and the ceaseless patter of little feet-above the veil† (131).Here Du Bois is living above the veil but in the following Chapter he once again travels behind the veil to tell the story of Alexander Crummell a black man who for, â€Å"fourscore years had he wondered in this same world of mine, within the Veil† (134). Du Bois relates to Crummell who struggled against prejudices while trying to become a priest. In the Chapter on â€Å"Sorrow Songs† Du Bois implores the reader to rise above the veil. He writes, â€Å"In his good time America shall rend the veil and the prisoner shall go free† (163). Du Bois compared the veil to a prison that traps Blacks from achieving progress and freedom.According to Du Bois the veil causes Blacks to accept the false images that whites see of Blacks. Du Bois although not directly in The Souls of Black Folk critique's Booker T. Washington for accepting the veil and accepting white's image and misconception of blacks. Booker T. Washington accepts the white idea that blacks are problem people; not a people with a problem caused by white racism. Washing ton seeks to work behind the veil by pursuing polices of accommodation. Du Bois in contrast wants blacks to transcend the veil by politically disturbing the concept of what blacks are and what they are worth and by gaining a full education.The veil is a metaphor that suggests the invisibility of black America, the separation between whites and blacks, and the obstacles that blacks face in gaining self-consciousness in a racist society. The veil is not a two dimensional cloth to Du Bois but instead it is a three dimensional prison that prevent blacks from seeing themselves as they are, but instead makes them see the negative stereotypes that whites have of them. This book was Du Bois's â€Å"letter† to the American people urging them not to live behind the veil but to live above it.

Jacques †Louis David Essay

We know that through out our Art History many artists have made themselves a name in this world. We have learned about the different periods of art history and the artist involved in those periods. Listening about all theses artists really touched me. There is so many to talk about, but I have pick one. Jacques Louis David was a great painter painting was considered his strength. He is one I really liked. Jacques Louis David was born on August 30 1748 and then he died December 29 1825. David was considered â€Å"the most celebrated French artist of his day and a principal exponent of the late 18th-century Neoclassical reaction against the Rococo style† (Britannia Encyclopedia). His father had died when he was nine and his mother left him. His uncles who were architects took care of him. He was not considered a good student. â€Å"He had a facial tumor that impeded his speech, and he was always preoccupied with drawing. He covered his notebooks with drawings† (Jacques-Louis David. org). He never paid attention to his studies just focusing on his art. He once said, ‘I was always hiding behind the instructor’s chair, drawing for the duration of the class’† (Jacques-Louis David. org). He wanted to be a painter but his uncles and mother wanted him to be an architect. He followed his heart and went to study with Francois Boucher, who was the famous artist of that time. The times were changing and so was the art. Boucher decided to send David to his good friend Joseph Marie Vien to study with him. David ended up attending the Royal Academy well he was there. David around 1770 to 1774 attempted to win a scholarship. He tried four times before he finally won. â€Å"David attempted to win the Prix de Rome, an art scholarship to the French Academy in Rome, four times between 1770 and 1774; once, he lost according to legend because he had not consulted Vien, one of the judges. Another time, he lost because a few other students had been competing for years, and Vien felt David’s education could wait for these other mediocre painters. In protest, he attempted to starve himself to death. Finally, in 1774, David won the Prix de Rome,† (Jacques-Louis David. org). David later on ended up in Italy. He was very inspired by the work. â€Å"David filled twelve sketchbooks with material that he would derive from for the rest of his life,† (Jacques-Louis David. org). In 1780, David completed the work Belisarius Asking Alms, which he also exhibited in Paris. He used a very unique approach to this piece. â€Å"In which he combined a nobly sentimental approach to antiquity with a pictorial technique reminiscent of Poussin,† (Britannia Encyclopedia). This piece you can tell is what started it all. You can see that David was very into the classical period. This is a very good piece for an artist just starting his career. To me it looks realistic, but you can still tell it was idealistic. I really liked the use of color in this piece. The focus though does not just seem to be on one person, but one all three characters portrayed in the piece. It really fits in the period. I chose this piece because it was one of David’s first pieces that kick started his career into art. It was the very first piece he exhibited. Another piece that helped his career is Oath of the Horatii. He produced this in 1784. This was one of the pieces in the Neoclassicism period. This piece had to do with a social contract. â€Å"The artist references Enlightenment values while alluding to Rousseau’s social contract,† (Wikipedia). They are showing the oath as a act of being one, they are coming together. â€Å"The Oath between the characters can be read as an act of unification of men to the binding of the state,† (Wikipedia). It also shows gender issue clearly between the women and the men. The issue of gender roles also becomes apparent in this piece, as the women in Horatii greatly contrast the group of brothers. David depicts the father with his back to the women, shutting them out of the oath making ritual; they also appear to be smaller in scale than the male figures,† (Wikipedia). This piece was really good. It really caught my eye when we studied it in class. I chose this piece because I wanted represent a piece of David’s from the Neoclassicism period. This was one of his best. It marks the middle of his time. One last piece of David’s is Mars Being Disarmed by Venus and the Three Graces. This was the very last piece of work he created before he died. It was known to be his â€Å"great last work†. He worked on this from 1822 to 1824. In 1823 he had said, â€Å"This is the last picture I want to paint, but I want to surpass myself in it. I will put the date of my seventy-five years on it and afterwards I will never again pick up my brush,† (Wikipedia). He exhibited this in Brussels, where about 10, 000 people came to view this piece. I chose this piece because I wanted show the ending of this story. This story is the story of David. He had actually stopped on his own will. This is the piece that represented he ended with a bang. He had been painting for seventy-five years now. I really liked how he showed the end of a battle. It symbolizes the end of his career. There are many great artists in our world, many from a long time ago. There has been so much artistic work that has impacted us in many ways. We can only rely on artwork to tell us about these artists that no longer exist. Jacques Louis David was a very famous painter from the many periods. He had seventy-five years of work. His impact has still remained. Artists will still remain.

Late Adulthood Essay

Reaching late adulthood is a stage in life that individuals often hope to be able to reach. Life starts from the moment of conception and goes on until we all reach the unavoidable stage of death. Individuals all deal with life in many different ways. An adult that has gone through life completing most of the tasks that he/she wanted to complete can go into the stage of late adulthood generally happy. †¨People in late adulthood often face many health problems. I have researched three sites that identify the current issues that place significance on late adulthood. Current issues consist of depression and suicide, health care issues as well as a decline in a physical manner and cognitive development. †¨Late adulthood is generally considered to begin approximately around the age of 65. Erik Erikson suggests that at this time it is important to find meaning and satisfaction in life rather than to become bitter and disillusioned. That is, to resolve the conflict of integrity ve rsus despair. It has been estimated that by the year 2030, Americans over 65 will make up 20% of the population. Despite the problems associated with longevity, studies of people in their 70s have shown that growing old is not necessarily synonymous with substantial mental or physical deterioration. Many older people are happy and engaged in a variety of activities. However, it still remains that according to the American Psychological Association depression and suicide are a significant public health issues for older adults. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders experienced by elders, but fortunately it is treatable by a variety of means. Currently older adults in the United States succumb to more minor symptoms of depression at a higher then that of younger adults. Late adults in the Baby Boomer generation seem to be displaying depressive  disorders at a significantly higher rate than previous groups; this trend displays a greater incidence of depression.†¨ †¨Depression is not only a prevalent disorder but is also a pervasive problem. Depressed older adults, like younger persons, tend to use health services at high rates, engage in poorer health behaviors, and evidence what is known as â€Å"excess disability.† Depression is also associated with suicide. Older adults have the highest rates of suicide of any a ge group, and this is particularly pronounced among men. †¨Physical changes, people typically reach the peak of their physical strength and endurance during there twenties and then gradually decline. In later adulthood, a variety of physiological changes may occur, including some degree of atrophy of the brain and a decrease in the rate of neural processes. Bone mass diminishes, especially among women, leading to bone density disorders such as osteoporosis. Muscles become weaker unless exercise programs are followed. You become less flexible and hair loss occurs in both sexes. As people live longer issues of quality of life take on greater importance. Many older Americans suffer chronic health problems that limit their ability to enjoy their later years. These conditions often lead to serious physical limitations that have a major impact on an individual’s ability to live independently.The most common chronic health problem among older adults is arthritis. Nationally, among persons aged 70 or older, 50% of men and 64% of women reported having arthritis (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2000). In Texas, the percentage is virtually the same – 51.3% of persons 65 and older report that they have some form of chronic joint symptoms (Texas Department of Health, 1999). Arthritis can be a crippling and painful disease that makes it difficult for older adults to perform even the most basic Adult Living Skills. End result is lost of mobility and disability. Adjustment is a part of life. The study of cognitive changes in the older population is complex. Response speeds have been reported to decline; some researchers believe that age†related decrease in working memory is the crucial factor underlying poorer performance by the elderly on cognitive tasks. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Intellectual changes in late adulthood , it do not always result in reduction of ability. While fluid intelligence (the ability to see and to use patterns and relationships to solve problems) does decline in later years, crystallized intelligence (the ability to use accumulated information  to solve problems and make decisions) has been shown to rise slightly over the entire life span. K. Warner Schaie and Sherry Willis reported that a decline in cognitive performance could be reversed in 40% to 60% of elderly people who were given remedial training. Dementia is usually responsible for cognitive defects seen in older people. These disorders, however, occur only in about 15% of people over 65. The leading cause of dementia in the United States is Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, eventually fatal disease that begins with confusion and memory lapses and ends with the loss of ability to care for oneself. Being able to reach old age is a blessing and a gift. Howe ver, it can come with a lot adjustment as life takes it toll. As I have explained late adults can suffer from depression and suicide, health care issues, as well as a decline in physical and cognitive development. As young adults we most try to remain physically and mentally tough to slow these effects.

Cultural Identity Journal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cultural Identity Journal - Research Paper Example Having been in the United States for nine years now, my job as a yoga instructor paved the way for me to belief in the benefits accorded by meditation. I feel yoga sets us on a journey of self discovery, where we no longer need to continue searching for happiness, we realize it is already within us. Still, I do not lose track of my purpose for living and that when I die, the life I lived would be judged and would be decided on the fate of my eternal existence. II. VALUES I value relationships more than any material blessings. I treasure the times I spent with my family in Poland, especially the bond that we shared and the happiness felt by the mere presence of family members. My primary values are sharing my talents to others so that others’ lives would be enriched by their interaction with me. This would enable me to attain a sense of worth through my personal contribution to life: by doing good in the tasks and responsibilities as an interpreter and a yoga instructor. I hone stly believe that relationships are worth dying for: that we strive hard in life for the benefit of those we love. The people we love dearly are worth protecting more than any material things, which we ultimately leave on earth when we die. III. CULTURAL PATTERNS A. Application of Hofstedes's Five Dimensions I am basically a COLLECTIVIST. Poles often form extended families - with grandparents who take care of grandchildren while parents are working. In many instances children live in the same town or neighborhood where the parents and grandparents live. Polish people, especially young, are very attached to their parents, family and home in Poland and feel unsecure on their own. As explained in Hofstede’s dimension, collectivism manifests finding â€Å"societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyaltyâ₠¬  (Itim International par. 2). B. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE Poles are basically averse of taking risks and therefore manifest high levels of UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE. Polish society is not that mobile as American or western European societies from many reasons and partly because of this cultural dimension, therefore the unemployment is high in some areas of Poland but people are not willing or cannot move somewhere else. I believe that I am more than an exception to the rule since I bravely took the risk of living away from my family and pursuing opportunities in America. C. POWER DISTANCE I also believe that there are inequalities in societies but that the roles that each person plays determine their power. Therefore in terms of the POWER DISTANCE INDEX, I believe that power and inequality are matters of perspectives. I treat people of higher authority with due respect but I do not acknowledge that they are better or more authoritative than me. I contend that it is their roles and respo nsibilities that require people to classify them to belong to higher or lower levels in an organizational hierarchy, for example; but their inner self and category as a member of the universal world is just the same as mine. D. MASCULINITY versus FEMININITY In terms of defining MASCULINITY versus FEMININITY, I still believe that although contemporary societies exhibit more equality in gender, still more societies are

Hypothesising the effect of the Internet on research Essay

Hypothesising the effect of the Internet on research - Essay Example Also there is impact on research from the researcher perspective as he/she is also a person with variability. So, the researcher has to focus on the evidence of live experience which involves the surveillance and collection of data from surroundings. The collection of data includes the interviews of persons, Focus on groups, photographs and records, where internet stands the primary source for such critical information with speed and ease of use. Primary research involves the gathering information from the world; and secondary research requires reading the books, journals, papers and articles that can be find in the library or on the Internet. Internet is acting like a medium for the data collection. Knowledge base is a fully hyperlinked text which can be used as a sourcebook for the experienced researcher to browse. In order to provide the evidence to the research hypothesis, qualitative research uses literature reviews. A proper support and broad array of literature avoids the related aspects of own, favoritism and assumptions, expectations and bias in study. Internet offers such scope to collect the large literature from the www. Levinson (1990) believe that asynchronous electronic communications capability is to provide opportunity for reflection and editing of messages before sending them adds to the production of a closer fit between ideas, intentions and their expression in writing. Responding at their convenience instead of waiting for turn-taking, as required in face-to-face interactions, potentially provides more equality of participation to more reserved participants (Hiltz and Wellman, 1997). While analyzing the case studies as part of qualitative method, internet gives the information in the form of interviews, blogs, forums where valuable information is hidden directly expressed by the persons or representatives from the case.

Question discuss and analyse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Question discuss and analyse - Essay Example More than five million deaths per year are consequences of using tobacco or intensive smoking. Smoking is the main risk factor for top three causes of deaths in Canada and those are cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular disease.Economic cost of $17 billion was bore by Canadian economy as a result of using tobacco in 2002 and in the same year $404 billion of expense for health care was paid directly by Canadian smokers. But the Canadian society is forced to carry costs such as turnover, work absenteeism and income lost due to early deaths. Over a period of time the number of fires resulted from smoking was 36,125 and it cost the Canadian denizens, in property distortion,$433 million. Likewise, the Conference Board of Canada cohered that to employ a smoker than a non-smoker cost them near to $2,565 per year, in 1997. But it is not the society only that bears the economic burden of smoking but in fact it is the smoker himself or herself who have to bear the costs associated to smoking . Smokers are supposed to pay for life insurance premiums and pay billions of dollars in the name of tobacco taxes. And if this is not enough, then there is also the cost of the cigarettes too. Only in the province of Alberta in 2005,† a smoker who smokes a pack a day spends almost $3,650 each year on cigarettes, based on an average price of $10 a pack† (Economic Cost). Additionally, according to the Conference Board of Canada (2012) lung diseases alone costs Canada $12 billion. Analysts believe that if the Canadian populace and government make no effort to combat the dilemma then it is very likely that the cost will double. The cost can be divided in direct health care as 3.4 million (drugs, hospitals, physicians) and $8.6 billion in indirect costs (such as premature death and long term disability)† (Lung Disease Imposes Major Costs on Canada’s Economy, 2012). According to the

Team Working Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Working - Essay Example In this chapter, I will reflect and narrate the experiences in working in a team. Our team had five members, so a cross-cultural diversity was present since I and another person is from Qatar while the rest are from Egypt, Seychelles, and China. Next sections provide a discussion of various issues that we faced when we had to work together and participate in an exhibition for organization change. One of the first tasks for the team was to distribute various duties and activities that each had to take up individually, and contributions from each individual would form the contents for the exhibition. Thrust (2012) speaks of the importance of having a clear structure for the team, identifying resources and tasks and the need to have a team leader. Some of the identified tasks were appointing the team leader, schedule meetings, writing down the minutes of the meeting, identifying resources needed for the exhibition, taking up research to collate the content and integrating all the result s from the individual efforts. I was elected as the team leader, and we decided on various subjects and themes needed for the exhibition. Since conducting research was the main activity, we distributed the research topics among ourselves. The team member from Seychelles was given the task of writing down the meetings while the member from Egypt was given the task of coordinating with other members. Next sections present my reflections on different issues and challenges.