The imaginative landscape Essay Example for Free

The imaginative landscape Essay It is human nature to long to belong, to fit neatly and comfortably into a familiar niche. It allows for a foundation, on which to build upon. It often nurtures us, but sometimes, as our ever static identities develop, we surpass it. We out grow it. It is when we are sheltered and content, that the prospect of leaving or letting go is most difficult, as we must uproot ourselves. In order to keep our roots, which are so deeply buried in our foundation, we simulate our previous, traditional landscapes, in order to keep them alive. Through language, tradition and others, we can partially re-create traditional landscapes. As immigrants of the same nationally huddle together in a suburb-an island of familiarity in a sea of strangeness- in the hope that it might be something like is was before. Some wish to keep their cultures and traditions sacred and unaltered by treasuringthe recent past, simultaneously blinding themselves from being open to new traditions; as in the case of Old James. This leaves him to feel isolated, having no place to re establish his roots, stifling further growth. Old James is malcontented that Young James, disparate from his family, will not settle his roots in Ettrick Valley; go[ing] on and not remember[ing] a thing of Scotland. Young James, and those who follow him will have not emotional affiliation with Scotland, simply, knowing that it is the place of his ancestors orirgons. Like many others, tradition and culture of those gone before is lost, only to forge new ones, and a new foundation and a different sense of belonging.

Wedding Traditions Across Different Cultures Essay -- Weddings Marriag

Wedding Traditions Across Different Cultures When it comes to planning a wedding, people have to worry not only about food, flowers, and what they wear, they also have to honor many traditions, even if they don't understand their origins or meanings. However, to not follow these traditions, understood or not, might mean bad luck for the marriage or, at the very least, disgruntled wedding guests. Every culture cherishes its own marriage traditions and superstitions. Many are not understood but are still seriously followed because 'it's always been done that way'; (Kendrick). Even people not normally superstitious wouldn't think of violating these traditions. Many traditions originated from old rhymes, folktales or tribal traditions whose origins are lost in time. For example, one of the original meanings of the word 'wedding'; was to gamble or wager. This comes from the time when a bride price was required before marriage. This bride price could include land, social status, political alliances or money. Thus, the 'Anglo-Saxon word 'wedd' meant that the groom would vow to marry the woman, but it also referred to the bride price (money or barter) to be paid by the groom to the bride's father'; (Kendrick). There are equally surprising origins for such traditions as the ring finger, wedding ring, engagement ring (and its diamond), and wedding cake. For example, the finger used as the ring finger differs from culture to culture. In Greece during the third century the index finger was used. In India they used the thumb. The 'modern'; ring finger started being used in the fourth century when the Greeks originated the belief that the third finger was connected to the heart by the 'vena amoris,'; or the vein of love. (Kendrick). Use of a wedding ring can be traced back to Roman times, and even back then it was made of gold. Roman rings were often decorated with a carving of two hands to symbolize two people journeying through life together as one. Early women's rings also had keys carved in them, symbolizing that women were able to unlock the hearts of their husbands. It was 'Pope Nicholas I [in 860 AD, who first] decreed an engagement ring become a required statement of nuptial intent,'; (Kendrick). He insisted that this ring also be ma... ...untie these knots (Kendrick). The honeymoon is considered a time for the new couple to escape all of the pre- wedding stresses and just enjoy relaxing with each other before the pressures of married life set in. Karl says the 'moon'; part of the honeymoon was because customarily the bride and groom would go away for a whole month, or from full moon to full moon (132). A honey-flavored wine was frequently enjoyed on the getaway. 'Honey was the ancient symbol of life, health, and fertility,'; (Karl132). The two words eventually were combined to denote the honeymoon we know today. Wedding cakes and diamond rings, white gowns and garters, veils and ring fingers. These and other traditions of the modern wedding all have their origins in beliefs and superstitions that are centuries old. Planning a modern wedding can be a hectic, nerve wracking experience, and the chaos can often blind the young couple to the true meaning of the ceremony they are about to share. Perhaps if a modern couple took the time to understand some of the ceremony's customs and traditions their wedding day would have even greater meaning for them.

Black People Essay

Tar Baby Toni Morrison’s novel might for some be a novel of cultural awakening. One also might at their first reading and perhaps also by reading the different studies made on Tar Baby, restricted to an interpretation that sees Jadine, Morrison’s protagonist, as woman who has, consciously or unconsciously, lost her â€Å"ancient properties† (305) and internalized the values of a white culture. Jadine has totally disconnected herself from her racial identity and cultural heritage. This reading is supported by the fact that Jadine has got her education in Europe with the financial assistance of Valerian Street (her aunt’s and uncle’s employer). Paraphrasing Marylyn sanders Mobley – the characterization of the protagonist, Jadine, draws attention to a fundamental problem as one that Morrison wants to affirm the self-reliance and freedom of a black woman who makes choices for her own life on her own terms. She also seeks to point out the dangers that can happen to the totally self-reliant if there is no historical connection. While the conflict in Tar Baby is undoubtedly â€Å"between assimilation and cultural nationalism represented by the sealskin coat Ryk has given her and the pie table† (Rayson, 94), the limiting categories which Jadine is continually forced into do not come from the white characters but primarily from the black community in which she finds herself because she (Jadine) has embraced white stereotypes along with white culture. While Valerian is portrayed as the traditional master-figure in the novel, it is actually Son, Sydney and Ondine, and the folk past represented by the different women in different places that try to conquer and dominate Jadine, who retain and represent their culture in the very colour of their skin. On the other hand, one could argue that it is as a result of Jadine’s university education in Europe and her career that further draws her away from her culture and identity and therefore (paraphrasing Mobley in Toni Morrison critical perspectives past and present) contributes significantly to the emotional and spiritual uncertainty that plague her as well as the many different roles that are imposed upon her by her aunt and uncle as well as the ‘society’ that caused her to seek upward social mobility. Sydney and Ondine, Jadine’s uncle and aunt in the novel can be seen as representative of one of the tar pits for Jadine. They do not accept all black people equal in the community in which they live because they employ racial hierarchies. Ondine sees herself as the only woman in the house (209), while Sydney notes more than twice that he is a Philadelphia Negro, â€Å"the proudest people in the race† (61). They seem to have a clear vision of what they want for Jadine their niece. As the story progresses, though, it becomes clearer that it is not actually a question of what they want for Jadine but what they want of her or expect her to do. In addition to them wanting Jadine to provide them safety and credit for their race, Ondine admits by the end of the novel, â€Å"maybe I just wanted her to feel sorry for us [†¦ ] and that’s a lowdown wish if I ever had one† (282). Jadine understands that Sydney and Ondine â€Å"had gotten Valerian to pay her tuition while they sent her the rest† (49) and Ondine keeps reminding that she â€Å"would have stood on her feet all day all night to put Jadine through that school† (193). Ondine sees Jadine as her â€Å"crown† (282), and she and Sydney are continually â€Å"boasting† (49) about Jadine’s success to the point that Margaret calls Ondine â€Å"Mother Superior† (84). In return, they seem to want Jadine to offer them safety for the rest of their lives as Ondine claims that â€Å"Nothing can happen to us as long as she’s here† (102). They are not comfortable with the idea of Jadine marrying Ryk, who is â€Å"white but European which was not as bad as white and American† (48), but they are terrified of her running off with a â€Å"no-count Negro† (193) like Son. Although their views on racial hierarchies seem to alter from time to time, on the outside they seem to want what is best for Jadine. Jadine refute Ondine’s views of black womanhood when she tells her some of the things that are expected of her from society Jadine tells Ondine that: â€Å"I don’t want to learn how to be the kind of woman you’re talking about because I don’t want to be that kind of woman† (282). This, according to Rayson (1998), might be interpreted as Jadine’s â€Å"rejecting the roles of mother, daughter, and woman to stay the tar baby† (Rayson, 95), however it marks her becoming aware of what kind of woman she is by the end of the novel. Jadine‘s inclination toward upward social mobility leads to her separation from the Afro-American roots and the tar quality that Morrison advocates. This kind of flaw in Jadine effectively disqualifies her as a black woman capable of nurturing a family and by large the community. Jadine‘s perception of an ancestral relationship from which she is estranged occurs when she sees an African woman in a Parisian bakery. When she is celebrating her success as model evidenced in her appearance on the cover of Elle, Jadine becomes nervous or perhaps uncomfortable by the African woman in yellow attire. She triggers an identity crisis in Jadine at the moment when she should have felt more secure with her professional achievement assured by beauty and education. In his African woman, Jadine catches a glimpse of beauty, a womanliness, an innate elegance, a nurturer, an authenticity that she had never known before: ? That woman‘s woman – that mother/sister/she/; that unphotographable beauty? (p. 43). By calling the African woman ? that mother/sister/she,? J. Deswal (online source â€Å"Tar Baby- Shodhganga) claims that â€Å"Morrison presents a threefold definition of womanhood which can thrive within the confines of family and community only. The three eggs she balances effortlessly in her ? tar-black fingers? (p. 44) appear to Jadine as if the woman were boasting of her own easy acceptance of womanhood†. Wendy Harding and Jacky Martin in A World of Difference: An Inter-cultural Study of Toni Morrison explain the importance of the African woman‘s presence as such: â€Å"Whereas Jadine has just been rewarded for her conformity to Western ideals of feminity, the African woman suggests a more powerful version of black womanhood. Like some fertility goddess, she holds in her hand the secret of life. She is the mother of the world in whose black hands whiteness appears as something as easily crushed as cared for (71). When Jadine measures herself by the idea of black womanhood that she sees in the African woman the insecurities of her rootless condition surface in her mind. The women in yellow makes Jadine confront her female role and her sexuality†. Jadine sees ? something in her eyes so powerful? (p. 42) that she follows the woman out of the store. The writers also claim that â€Å"As a symbol of repudiation of Jadine‘s westernized lifestyle, the African woman ?looks right at Jadine? (p. 43) and spits on the pavement†. Jadine hates the woman for her spitting, but what she cannot do is escape feeling ? lonely in a way; lonely and inauthentic? as she tells the readers on page 45. When the sense of self is based on the denial of one‘s ethnic roots, one is certain to experience mental chaos and alienation. So, the woman‘s insult to Jadine had the powerful effect of challenging Jadine‘s choices: her white boyfriend, her girlfriends in New York, her parties, her picture on the cover of Elle and the way she lived her life. One can say that it is as a result of the African woman that Jadine desided to visit her aunt and uncle on the island. Jadine is confused and even questions her plans to marry Ryk, her white boyfriend: I wonder if the person he wants to marry is me or a black girl? And if it isn‘t me he wants, but any black girl who looks like me, talks and acts like me, what will happen when he finds out that I hate ear hoops, that I don‘t have to straighten my hair, that Mingus puts me to sleep, that sometimes I want to get out of my skin and be only the person inside – not American – not black – just me? (p. 45) It is through Son, however, that Morrison offers Jadine the ultimate opportunity to ‘redeem’ herself to her heritage, adapt it and revive her womanhood. Son picks up from where the African woman left off in a sense by making Jadine confront her inauthenticity. Jadine and Son enjoys their stay in New York because it is the place where Jadine feels at ease. She feels loved and safe: ? He ‘unorphaned’ her completely and gave her a brand-new childhood? (p. 231). In turn, Son is encouraged by her need and by his apparent ability to redefine Jadine culturally and emotionally. Son insists that he and Jadine goes to Eloe his hometown where Jadine will see how Son is rooted in family and cultural heritage. He attempts to rescue Jadine from her ignorance and disdain for her cultural heritage, trying in a sense to mould Jadine into the image of his black female ancestors. Son assumes that a relationship with Jadine will mean that they will have children together. He presses claims for family and community: ? He smiled at the vigour of his own heartbeat at the thought of her having his baby? (p. 220). Thus, he wants Jadine to love the nurturing aspects of home and fraternity. He is fed on dreams of his community women. The dreams of ? yellow houses with white doors? and ? fat black ladies in white dresses minding the pie table? (p. 119) are nourishment to Son. Sandra Pouchet Paquet (The ancestors as foundation in their eyes were watching god and tar baby) observes: ? In Son‘s dreams of Eloe, the African-American male ego is restored in a community of black man at the center of a black community. But however appreciative Son is of the beauty, the strength, and the toughness of black women; his vision is of male dominance; of the black women as handmaiden? (511). The image feminity that Son cherishes – of the black woman taking passive role as a nurturer of the hearth – is flagrantly opposite to Jadine‘s perception of the modern black woman. This terrifies Jadine and narrows the possibility of their forming a family. The modern, educated black woman seems to snivel at the aspects of traditional female- specific role as the nurturer of hearth and home. Decadent white values and life style thwart the black woman’s vital roles of building families and raising children. The modern black woman cannot be a complete human being, for she allows her education to keep her career separate from her nurturing role. The black woman is increasingly becoming able to define her own status and to be economically independent. She tries to seek equality in her relationship with men. Robert Staples gives an insight into the faltering dynamics of modern couples: ? What was once a viable institution because women were a subservient group has lost its value for some people in these days of women‘s liberation. The stability of marriage was contingent on the woman accepting her place in the home and not creating dissension by challenging the male‘s prerogatives? (125). The black woman‘s intrinsic quality of ? accepting her place in the home? is Morrison‘s tar quality. However, in advocating the tar quality Morrison does not admonish the educational and professional accomplishments of the black woman. In fact, the black woman is expected to achieve a balance between her roles in the domestic and professional fields. â€Å"It is the historical ability of black women to keep their families and careers together. In an era where both the black male and female seek to fulfill individual desires, relationships falter and, consequently, the prospects of the propagation of a family are not too bright. Jadine‘s tar quality is submerged by the white-like urge for freedom and self-actualization. As a result, she finds the conventions of black womanhood antithetical to her own value system†. At Eloe, Jadine is determined to resist rigid male-female role categorization. Jadine cannot ?understand (or accept) her being shunted off with Ellen and the children while the men grouped on the porch and after a greeting, ignored her? (p. 248). While at Eloe, Jadine is provided with yet another chance to attain certain qualities that is for black women. She is accustomed to living an upper-class white lifestyle so she finds the people of Eloe limited and backward. Their stifling little shacks are more foreign to her than the hotel-like splendor of Valerian‘s mansion. She stays in Aunt Rosa‘s house where she feels claustrophobically enclosed in a dark, windowless room. She feels ? she might as well have been in a cave, a grave, the dark womb of the earth, suffocating with the sound of plant life moving, but deprived of its sight? (p. 254). It is in this very room where Jadine and Son were having sex that she had a second awakening vision, which is more frightening than the one she had in Paris about the African Woman. Here, Older, black, fruitful and nurturing women – her own dead mother, her Aunt Ondine, Son‘s dead wife, the African woman in yellow and other black women of her past – become a threatening part of Jadine‘s dreams: I have breasts too,‘ she said or thought or willed, I have breasts too. ‘ But they didn‘t believe her. They just held their own higher and pushed their own farther out and looked at her,? (p. 261) and ? the night women were not merely against her†¦ not merely looking superior over their sagging breasts and folded stomachs, they seemed somehow in agreement with each other about her, and were all determined to punish her for having neglected her cultural heritage. They wanted to bind the person she had become and choke it with their breasts. The night women?accuse Jadine for trading the ? ancient properties? (p. 308) of being a daughter, mother, and a woman for her upward mobility and self-enhancement. All these women are punishing Jadine for her refusal to define herself in relation to family, historical tradition and culture. As they ‘brandish’ their breasts before her eyes, they mock and insult her with their feminity. Jadine finds these women backward and sees no self-fulfilling value in the roles that they serve. However, she is constantly haunted by dreams of the black female image that she seems to have lost throughout life. Ondine express shame and disappointment over her lack of concern for her family, the African woman, at the Parisian bakery, spits at her in disgust and the night women, in the vision at Eloe taunt her with their nurturing breasts. Having refuted her own black culture and heritage, Jadine face the consequence of a divided consciousness and a mental death. Her decision to end the love affair with Son— ? I can‘t let you hurt me again? (p. 274) is an evidence of her shunning womanhood and losing her Afro- American roots as she chooses Ryk her white boyfriend over Son who refused to become the person or image that Jadine wants him to be . Jadine is compelled to make her choice and she decides that it is in Paris, away from Son, where there are prospects of financial success and personal independence. She doesn‘t want what Son and Eloe have to offer: To settle for wifely competence when she could be a beauty queen or to settle for fertility rather than originality and nurturing instead of building? (p. 271). Jadine makes it clear to the reader that she is self-sufficient and independent of men, family and community.

Summary of Findings From the Banking Industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1447 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? 4. Summary Of Findings The study has been conducted to observe the impact of national elections on the share market, with regard to its performance in terms of volatility, which has been proved on the basis of the following findings published here: 4.1 As observed from Banking Industry: The return of PNB on the date of elections (16th May, 2014) was 7.34%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the bank shows an inclination towards a positive fluctuation, as the returns rise from 1.3% on 2nd May 2014, 0.24% on 8th May 2014, 4.86 % on 9th May 2014, and then assumes a negative trend, but with a high volatility, succeeding the date of elections, as witnessed in (1.69%) returns on 20th May 2014, (0.14%) returns on 22nd May 2014, and so on. Furthermore, this strong volatility is exhibited by a comparatively high standard deviation of 0.0367 and a strong beta value of 1.7049 The return of SBI on the date of elections (16th may, 2014) was 5.71%. When Compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the bank shows a positive volatility, as the returns rise from 0.37% on 4rd may 2014, 3.75% on 9th May 2014, on and than assumes a negative trend, but with a high volatility, succeeding the date of elections, as witnessed in (-1.64%) returns on 18th May 2014, (- 2.74%) returns on 19th May 2014, (-2.76%) returns on 27th May 2014 and so on. Furthermore, this strong volatility is exhibited by a comparatively high standard deviation of 0.0307 and a strong beta value of 1.9186. The return of Axis bank on the date of elections (16th may, 2014) was 5.30%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the bank shows a positive volatility, as the returns rise from 1.45% on 5th May 2014, 4.64% on 9th May 2014, 1.51% on 15th May 2014, on and than assumes a negative trend, but with a high volatility, succeeding the date of elections, as witnessed in (-2.23%) returns on 21st May 2014, (1.37%) return on 27th May 2014 and so on. Furthermore, this strong volatility is exhibited by a comparatively high standard deviation of 0.0204 and a strong beta value of 1.1601. 4.2 Pharmaceutical industry has shown the following fluctuations: Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Summary of Findings From the Banking Industry" essay for you Create order The return of sun pharma on the date of elections (16th may, 2014) was -1.27%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the company shows a high rate of volatility- the returns as on 5th may 2014 is -0.52%, on 6th may the return decreases to -0.08% whereas on 7th may again it became positive 0.74% whereas on 14th may the returns are 0.50% but on the day of election it again turns negative -1.27%. This shows the market is highly volatile. Furthermore this volatility is exhibited by a standard deviation of 0.0168. Lupin and Cipla, both the companies show a similar trend in their volatility rate. The returns on the date of elections (16th May 2014) were Lupin 0.56% and Cipla’s was -2.54%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of both the companies show a similar trend in volatility- the returns on 2nd May, 2014 – 2.07% and 1.16% respectively; 5th May, 2014 – (1.21%) and (2.37%), respectively. The companies follow a similar path before the date of elections. After the election date, similar high volatility is exhibited- returns on 19th May 2014 (4.63%) and (0.91%), respectively, 20th May 2014 1.7% and 1.18% respectively and returns of (0.95%) and (1.99%) respectively. This is further exhibited by a high standard deviation of 1.5 of both the companies. The return of Torrent on the date of elections (6th May 2014) was -1.70%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the company shows a high volatility trend as compared with the other companies in the industry as well. The returns are, on 5th may 2014 2.64%, on 7th may 2014 -1.28%, 13th may -1.67% and on 15th May -3.21%. The mentioned figures show a high volatility in the stock returns. Furthermore this volatility is exhibited by a standard deviation of 2.44%. 4.1.3 FMCG industry showed the following volatility: The returns of Nestle on the date of elections (16th may 2014) was -1.45%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the company show a high volatility rate, as on 2nd may the return is -0.94%, whereas on 8th may the reruns are 1.48%, 9th may shows 1.17% but on 13th may the reruns again drops to -1.94% which is a negative figure, 14th may the returns are -1.20%. The returns mentioned show a high volatility trend. Furthermore this volatility is exhibited by a standard deviation of 0.0135. ITC shows a high trend of volatility in the returns, the returns on the date of elections (16TH MAY 2014) is -3.04%. When the returns are compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the company show a high volatility rate, as on 2nd may is -0.15%, 5th may the return is 1.31%, 8th may it turns negative to -1.30%, but again on 12th may the return became positive to 3.94%, whereas on 14th the return drop down to 1.33%. Thus the mentioned figures show a high volatility. Furthermore this volatility is exhibited by a standard deviation of 0.0183 and a strong beta of 0.2513. The return of Dabur on the date of elections (16th may, 2014) was -3.38%. When compared with the previous dates stock returns, the performance of the company shows a high rate of volatility- the returns as on 2nd may the return is 0.56%, on 5th may it drops down to -0.42%, on 7th may it is -0.67%, whereas on 12th may it turns to 1.25%, on 13th it increases to 3.71%, whereas on 15th may it again drops down to a negative figure of -0.98%. Thus the figures conclude that the company has a high volatility rate. Furthermore this volatility is exhibited by a standard deviation of 0.0150 and with a strong beta value of 0.2180. 5. Conclusions India, ever since its independence 68 years ago, seems to have been struck with policy paralyses, indecisiveness, and widespread bureaucracy. Its political lineup includes – the Congress, the Bhartiya Janata Party and the newly emerged Aam Aadmi Party. In the world’s largest democracy, elections, which signify its very essence, bring activity and excitement not only on the political front, but also send our financial markets into turmoil. This study examined the impact of political uncertainty on stock exchange. To study this issue the researcher has taken two companies form two different sectors and than there returns are studied and correlated with the Sensex. The study brings to light several interesting facts. It is clear that political events stimulate a strong reaction from the stock market. Investors and Stock Market Analysts will benefit from analyzing the political situation of the country as well before investing in particular scrip. Furth er research and analysis to determine the exact extent of this influence will help analysts accurately measure future returns from scrips. Researcher studied the effect of political news i.e. election results, when the Bhartiya janta party formed a new government, on the stock market returns and volatility. Hence after the study it is proved that the political news does have a great impact on the volatility of the stock prices of different companies in different industry. For the month of May, average returns given by banking industry is more than the pharmaceuticals industry. Though the returns are more in banking industry but the returns are more consistent in pharmaceuticals industry i.e. the returns are less volatile. The comparative analysis shows that the positive relation between stock and the market is more in banking industry as compared to pharmaceuticals industry. The expected returns as compared to actual returns i.e. Alpha is counterbalanced by the samples selected i n both the industries. Hence the industries are on the same platform as regards to Alpha. The uncontrollable risk (beta) is more prominent in pharmaceuticals industry, which states that it is more affected by outside sources. This study will be beneficial for the investors, who invest in stock market as political scenario is one of the important factors for price fluctuations and this will help them to analyze and study the market properly. This study will also help the economist and companies to study the influence of political news on the share prices. 6. Implications of the study This study will be beneficial for the investors, who invest in stock market as political scenario is one of the important factors for price fluctuations and this will help them to analyze and study the market properly. This will also help the economist and companies to study the influence of political news on the share prices. 7. Limitations The study have been conducted on using only 3 sectors of the economy i.e. Banking Pharmaceuticals and FMCG. The political news, which has been taken, is for one month but not on an annual basis. The study has ignored the dividends and different interest rates, as it does not create any significant error when we forecast stock market volatility.