Truth about Sammy in John Updikes A&P Essay -- A&P Essays

The Truth about Sammy in A & P   Ã‚   At first glance, Sammy, the first-person narrator of John Updike's "A & P," would seem to present us with a simple and plausible explanation as to why he quits his job at the grocery store mentioned in the title: he is standing up for the girls that his boss, Lengel, has insulted. He even tries to sell us on this explanation by mentioning how the girls' embarrassment at the hands of the manager makes him feel "scrunchy" inside and by referring to himself as their "unsuspected hero" after he goes through with his "gesture." Upon closer examination, though, it does not seem plausible that Sammy would have quit in defense of girls whom he quite evidently despises, despite the lustful desires they invoke, and that more likely explanations of his action lie in his boredom with his menial job and his desire to rebel against his parents.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While it's true that Sammy finds the three scantily-clad girls who enter the supermarket attractive, as would any normal nineteen-year-old male, what is most notable about his descriptions of the girls, and particularly of the "leader" of the group, is that Sammy holds them in contempt. Once we get beyond the descriptions of their bodies, we see nothing but derogatory comments directed at them, including the derisive nicknames that Sammy assigns to them. Nowhere is this more evident than in Sammy's description of the leader, "Queenie." The nickname assigned to her by Sammy points out the stereotypical snap judgment that Sammy makes about her personality and social status initially, and to which Sammy rigidly adheres despite no real evidence of its accuracy. From the description of her "prima donna" legs, to his imagining of ... ...gel's suggestion that he relent and keep his job, Sammy is actually saying "no" to his parents and their attempt to put him on the road to middle-class respectability.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the final analysis, it would seem that the most obvious explanation for why Sammy quits his job--the one that he implies--is actually the least plausible. While Sammy would like to portray himself as the fearless defender of the delicate sensibilities of innocent girls, the reality is that Sammy's motives in quitting have far more to do with his own sensibilities than with those of the three girls. Work Cited       Updike, John. "A & P." The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 2nd Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1990. 407-411. Wells, Walter. "John Updike's 'A & P'" Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 30, (1993) : Spring, pp. 127(7).   

The Happy Trail Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation

The Happy Trail    Sometimes people have a certain place to go to think about things. There are people that associate certain places with negative thoughts or feelings. I believe that people should have places to go that make them happy. Even though, there always seem to be places that make us cry and give us a feeling of great depression. Places in nature are very important to people and their ability to relax, to look at the beautiful scenery, and to have peaceful memories of the happier moments of their lives. I try to always associate nature with positive feelings and thoughts, and if it works for me I think everyone should try it. The truth is, I picture nature representing beauty, happiness, and memories.    Nature is a very beautiful thing in this world. Even at times when it seems as if nothing is beautiful. Whenever I go to the Mines of Spain Nature Preserve, in Dubuque, I think of my friend Karl. Walking on the trails reminds me of all the bugs that used to bother us as we journeyed to our special cliff. He used to jump up and down, waving his hands in the air as if his actions were going to make the bugs disappear. Of course the bugs were still there, and I had my laughs for the day! We would walk together on the trail slowly, and watch all the wilderness around us. There are so many trees and bushes, and during the fall there are the greatest colors of leaves imaginable. Occasionally we would see and hear an animal or two climbing the trees of crossing our path ahead. There are a few streams along this path. The water runs slowly and smoothly, even when in runs over the stones that are in the stream. Karl used to jump in and get both of us wet. It didn't matter how mad I got, becau se after I would l... ...ming weekend, and at times have thought of way to resolve a fight with a loved one. The scenery and quietness of the cliff would relax just about anyone. Maybe you, my reader, should find a place like this to go to, if you don't have one already.    When I climb the trail leading to my favorite place in nature, I am not only concentrating, but also I think o things such as what I will be doing the next day or week. In some cases I even think of what lies in my future. When I am angry with someone, I go there to try to become a rational thinker, and to try to see the other person's point of view. Once I am up on the cliff, I sit down and let the sun hit me. I take deep breathes and separate my thoughts from my feelings in my mind. It is still very quiet, and now I can hear my breathing in slow, soft rhythms and think about life, death, and happiness.    The Happy Trail Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation The Happy Trail    Sometimes people have a certain place to go to think about things. There are people that associate certain places with negative thoughts or feelings. I believe that people should have places to go that make them happy. Even though, there always seem to be places that make us cry and give us a feeling of great depression. Places in nature are very important to people and their ability to relax, to look at the beautiful scenery, and to have peaceful memories of the happier moments of their lives. I try to always associate nature with positive feelings and thoughts, and if it works for me I think everyone should try it. The truth is, I picture nature representing beauty, happiness, and memories.    Nature is a very beautiful thing in this world. Even at times when it seems as if nothing is beautiful. Whenever I go to the Mines of Spain Nature Preserve, in Dubuque, I think of my friend Karl. Walking on the trails reminds me of all the bugs that used to bother us as we journeyed to our special cliff. He used to jump up and down, waving his hands in the air as if his actions were going to make the bugs disappear. Of course the bugs were still there, and I had my laughs for the day! We would walk together on the trail slowly, and watch all the wilderness around us. There are so many trees and bushes, and during the fall there are the greatest colors of leaves imaginable. Occasionally we would see and hear an animal or two climbing the trees of crossing our path ahead. There are a few streams along this path. The water runs slowly and smoothly, even when in runs over the stones that are in the stream. Karl used to jump in and get both of us wet. It didn't matter how mad I got, becau se after I would l... ...ming weekend, and at times have thought of way to resolve a fight with a loved one. The scenery and quietness of the cliff would relax just about anyone. Maybe you, my reader, should find a place like this to go to, if you don't have one already.    When I climb the trail leading to my favorite place in nature, I am not only concentrating, but also I think o things such as what I will be doing the next day or week. In some cases I even think of what lies in my future. When I am angry with someone, I go there to try to become a rational thinker, and to try to see the other person's point of view. Once I am up on the cliff, I sit down and let the sun hit me. I take deep breathes and separate my thoughts from my feelings in my mind. It is still very quiet, and now I can hear my breathing in slow, soft rhythms and think about life, death, and happiness.   

Morality in Ethan Frome Essay

In The Morality of Inertia, Lionel Trilling argues that Ethan Frome’s inability to make his own ethical decisions ultimately makes his ‘smash-up’ a tragic event caused by the inactivity of morality. The nonexistence of this moral inertia is the explanation, for Trilling, for the outcome of Frome; the lack of moral responsibility in any of the main characters from the beginning of their lives paralyzes their decision making process– they simply exist and do what is their duty. Trilling’s aspect that Frome was a morally inadequate man is a valid fact affirmed by Edith Wharton’s provided background of him; the idea that he was unable to make choices and is only capable of enduring can be proven inaccurate with his Frome’s actions throughout the story. The notion that Ethan Frome is incapable of making ethical decisions based on his background can also be countered with his background and actions. Trilling uses Frome’s â€Å"duties as a husband† and son as support for his claim that â€Å"[c]hoice is incompatible with [Ethan’s existence]† (from Morality of Inertia). However, the reader is exposed to Ethan’s ability to recognize choices, and decisions not to act on them, throughout the story. Frome acknowledges his dilemma of running away with Mattie or staying with Zeena, but is inefficient in seeing past the initial consequences of each choice and exploring other possibilities of escape besides the basic. Ethan’s central decision in the book, to commit suicide with Mattie, is made with free will; although it is Mattie’s idea, Ethan agrees and takes the reins in the front of the sled. Although Ethan Frome is a broken man perpetually frozen in a bleak Starkfield, one cannot disregard his inaction when he is presented and acknowledges choices. He constantly contemplates expressing his love for Mattie, looking for â€Å"the all-expressive word,† but fails to, even when alone with her, making â€Å"free choice† a moot point (Ethan Frome; from Morality of Inertia). Morality is not caused by inertia in Ethan’s case but personal authorization– Ethan’s decision to commit suicide proves this point; the act proves that he was capable of confessing his love to Mattie, but failed to up to that moment. Although Frome can be held responsible for his moral inactivity, he can be considered a morally inadequate man in his present state. His inadequacy, however, was not a constant in life or a sudden occurrence– it snowballed from his youth and finally solidified through the ‘smash-up’. His earlier experiences in a university and the joy it brought him was quickly interrupted after a year by his sickly parents. The unfortunate circumstance forces Ethan Frome to move back to the depressing Starkfield he had just escaped. His parents’ illnesses bring along Zenobia, who would be another future, unseen oppression along with Starkfield. For years, Ethan lives in depressing conditions that decline as time goes on. The chance to finally leave them behind, however, comes in Mattie, Zenobia’s cousin and maid. Ethan’s inability to act on this chance of escape finally seals his fate when Mattie is paralyzed and he is critically injured. Although jinxed with unfortunate circumstances, Ethan Frome’s life could have been bettered if one small step or action was taken by him for himself with the intention to create personal joy or pleasure. The importance of taking steps in life betterment can be seen in Ethan Frome. Although one may lack a history of â€Å"making moral decisions,† the human instinct to do so is always there (from Morality of Inertia). Ethan Frome was able to rationalize and recognize choices inside of his head; it was his inability to act on any one until his attempted suicide that created his depressing circumstances. The irony of his only decision with Mattie being one of the most deciding ones in his life underscores the fact that if he had taken this initiative before this instance, his life might have taken a different track. This was not a forced or accidental occurrence; Ethan Frome was in fact an unfortunate individual in undesirable circumstances, but with a free will and mind developed enough to make

Case Study 8.1: His Team Gets the Best Assignments Essay

Case Summary: Jack’s team: †¢ Most creative †¢ Willing to go the extra mile †¢ Gets along well with Carly †¢ Often gets allocated extra resources †¢ Praised for a provocative ad campaign Terri’s team: †¢ Counseled out of an ad campaign †¢ Performs well for the agency †¢ Unhappy with how Carly treats the team †¢ Holds animosity toward Carly †¢ Feels Carly is unfair and favors Jack’s team Julie’s team: †¢ Notices Carly favors other teams †¢ Feels the other teams get the best writers and art directors †¢ Feels Carly doesn’t notice her team or help it with its work †¢ Feels undervalued Sarah’s team: †¢ Sarah has worked for 10 years †¢ Agrees with some of Terri’s & Julie’s observations, but it doesn’t seem to bother her †¢ Her team gets the job done †¢ Being in Carly’s ‘inner circle’ would require extra time and more headaches †¢ No interest in changing the way department works Carly Peters directs the creative department at Mills, Smith, & Peters, which has the reputation for being one of the best advertising and public relation agencies in the country. The department has four major account teams, each is led by an associate director, who report directly to Carly. These four teams are headed by Jack, Terri, Julie, and Sarah. Each of the associate directors have different relationship with Carly. Questions 1.Based on the principles of LMX theory, what observations would you make about Carly’s leadership at Mills, Smith and Peters? According to LMX theory and its research, subordinates become a part of the in-group or the  out-group based on how well they work with the leader and how well the leader works with them. Leaders should create a special relationship with all employees, similar to the in-group relationship. Leaders should also offer each employee the opportunity to take on new roles and responsibilities, and should look for ways to build trust and respect. It is clear from this case that Carly has different relationship with each associate directors. Jack’s team is the most creative and goes the extra mile. The result of these team members going the extra mile is that Carly, in turn, does more for them. Jack and Carly’s relationship is clearly in the phase three â€Å"partnership† of leadership making. Terri and Julie, claim that their teams perfo rm well for the agency and hence, it’s clearly unfair for Carly to be biased towards Jack’s team. Terri’s and Julie’s relationship with Carly appears to be in the Phase 2 â€Å"acquaintance† of the leadership making. The quality of leader member exchange matters most to employees who feel less empowered, and in this case it matters the most to Terri and Julie. It is the responsibility of the leader to make high quality exchanges will all the employees and make them feel as part of in-group to avoid negative implications and inequities. Sarah’s team gets the job done for the agency and Sarah clearly doesn’t want to be in Carly’s in-group, as it will mean more responsibilities for her and her team. Carly has low quality exchanges with Sarah, and their relationship appears to be in the phase 1 â€Å"stranger† of the leadership making. 2.Is there and in-group and an out-group, and if so, which are they? Jack’s team is clearly in the in-group and Sarah’s team is in the out-group. Julie’s and Terri’s team are also in the out-group but struggling to be a part of the in-group. 3.In what way is Carly’s relationship with the four groups productive or counterproductive to the overall goals of the agency? Leaders should have high quality exchanges and try to build effective dyads with all employees in the work unit, this would avoid inequities and negative implications of being in an out group. This in turn will also empower employees, and empowering them will have a positive implication on the job satisfaction, performance, turnover and the overall organizational goals. Carly’s  relationship with Jack’s team is clearly productive. I feel that her relationship with Sarah’s team is also somewhat productive from an organizational standpoint, as Sarah mentions that her team gets the job done and she clearly doesn’t want to be in the in-group. However, her relationship with Terri’s and Julie’s team seems to affect the team’s morale. It also has made them feel ignored and invaluable, which would certainly af fect the teams productivity in the future, and in turn would be counterproductive to the overall goals of the agency. 4.Do you think Carly should change her approach toward the associate directors? If so, what should she do differently? Definitely, organizations stand to gain much from having leaders who can create good working relationship. Carly should try to be an effective leader and build effective relationships with all her employees, the number one thing to do would be to communicate and listen to each of them about their roles and responsibilities. She should also support them in their tasks and motivate them to perform better. If she creates high quality exchanges, builds effective relationships and makes everyone feel a part of in-group, the team dynamics and attitudes will become more positive and this in turn will have positive effect on the overall goals of the organization.

Technological scholarship

The article reports on the increasing ubiquity of cell phones or mobile phones, which have begun to supplant the function of telephones, and how the unique qualities of cell phones – particularly their symbiotic relationship with other forms of telecommunications – present unique cultural ramifications for society at large. The author notes that cultural studies have generally neglected scrutinizing the telephone – essentially the fixed counterpart of the cell phone – despite the respective work done in the area of communications and technological scholarship.However, there does exist a modest amount of literature on the technology for the author to conduct a brief review of literature relevant to such an interest, but he observes that these have emerged largely in the wake of the cell phone, reasoning that studies about the increasing complexity of telecommunications technologies and the proliferation of social and cultural functions of cell phones made i t difficult to ignore the invisibility of the telephone as a social object and cultural technology.The author notes that works centered upon the cultural and social dimensions of cell phones tend towards comparative study and cross-cultural analysis simply because the rapid proliferation of cell phone use across the world beg the question of how use is related to varied national and social contexts. (Goggin, pg. 4) However, the author’s contention is that such studies do not sufficiently account for the cultural aspects of cell phones themselves.He maintains that because cell phones are not just a communication technology, but a cultural medium which borrows liberally from the cultural components of other mediums. The author notes that as a mobile cultural technology, cell phone culture finds its closest precedent in the Sony Walkman – associated with a specific set of social practices, a particular demographic of users and represented within the language of culture it self. (Goggin, pg. 7-8)However, the author also points out that the Sony Walkman and the cell phone parallel as a fusion of multiple technologies developed by a wide configuration of businesses, industries and services and in that sense are devices which emerged due to the cultural convergence of various interests. This is an important point to note, as it presages the author’s succeeding point, which is that technology and society shape each other in tandem, as posited by the actor-network theory of human-technology relationships.Essentially it: â€Å"refuses †¦ formulaic oppositions between technology and society [and] declines the lures of technological determinism [and] the countervailing reaction that society determines technology. † (Goggins, pg. 11) Furthermore, he maintains that the ‘success’ of technologies is viewed under the actor-network theory as determined by relationships rather than as a consequence of the stable and linear progression of historical conditions. Simply put, â€Å"a technology needs to be loved, nurtured and, above all, materially fashioned and supported.As such, the ‘state’ of a technology is determined by the interaction between it and society. Before concluding with an outline of the remainder of the books contents, the author finishes his introduction by noting that the future of cell phone studies and examinations of the interactions between culture and cell phone technology may draw rich inspiration from Internet studies. Like the cell phone, the Internet is a technology that has been the subject of many works of techno-cultural scholarship.Initial studies became obsolete due to directions of evolution that went unpredicted, but present important lessons in techno-cultural scholarship in revealing the extent to which such a highly personal technology resists the very determinism that actor-network theory refutes. As such, cell phone studies must recognize the intimate relationsh ip between a technology and the uses it acquires through its interaction with culture. (Goggins, pg. 13)REFERENCES Goggin, G. (2006) Cell phone culture: mobile technology in everyday life. London/New York, Routledge.

Weber's and Marx Capitalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Weber's and Marx Capitalism - Essay Example This so-called Protestant ethic was the primary impulse for an almost accidental massive social phenomenon that led to the emergence of capitalism. Weber postulates that the unique characteristics of Protestantism and Calvinism were responsible for enabling society to absorb and embrace the capitalistic economic model. In his introduction he writes, A glance at the occupational statistics of any country of mixed religious composition brings to light with remarkable frequency a situation which has several times provoked discussion in the Catholic press and literature, and in Catholic congresses in Germany, namely, the fact that business leaders and owners of capital, as well as the higher grades of skilled labor, and even more the higher technically and commercially trained personnel of modern enterprises, are overwhelmingly Protestant. This is true not only in cases where the difference in religion coincides with one of nationality, and thus of cultural development, as in Eastern Germany between Germans and Poles. The same thing is shown in the figures of religious affiliation almost wherever capitalism, at t he time of its great expansion, has had a free hand to alter the social distribution of the population in accordance with its needs, and to determine its occupational structure. The more freedom it has had, the more clearly is the effect shown. It is true that the greater relative participation of Protestants in the ownership of capital, in management, and the upper ranks of labor in great modern industrial and commercial enterprises, may in part be explained in terms of historical circumstances, which extend far back into the past, and in which religious affiliation is not a cause of the economic conditions, but to a certain extent appears to be a result of them. Participation in the above economic functions usually involves some previous ownership of capital, and generally an expensive education; often both (1). This thesis (convincingly dubbed 'The Weber Thesis'), based on observations as to the distribution of Protestants in the capitalist world, essentially submits the enterprising and comparatively risky Protestant nature (perhaps a product of the then-fresh Protestant revolution) translated from the religious to the economic world, responsible for the development of the capitalistic economic model. This analysis has met with criticism from a number of academic minds. R. H. Tawney, one distinctive and well-known critic, agreed that capitalism and Protestantism were linked; however, in Religion and the Rise of Capitalism Tawney writes that Protestantism adopted the risk-taking, profit-making model from capitalism, and not that capitalism adopted these traits from Protestantism (Tawney, 1926). Sandra Pierotti continues, "The strongest connection that Tawney saw between capitalism and Protestantism was rationality. Protestantism was a revolt against traditionalism and as such advocated rationality as an approach to life and business. Tawney proposed that the rationality inherent in capitalism became a tenet of Protestantism because rationality was diametrically opposed to the traditionalism of Catholicism. Early Protestant leaders recognized that hard work and rational organization of time were capitalist virtues which fit very nicely into the concept of living one's life in the service of God. Tawney saw the capitalist concepts of division of labor and planned accumulation as being reflected in the dogma of Protestantism which urged its followers to use one's calling on earth for the greater glory of God.