Black Elks Oral Narrative essays

Black Elks Oral Narrative essays John Neihardt was the one person that Black Elk would share his visions with. Black Elk wanted to pass along to future generations some of the reality of Oglala life. For this reason, Neihardt should have felt privileged and made it his main goal to make sure he interpreted everything in as much detail as possible. For Neihardt to suppress unnecessary details, alter awkward expressions, and introduce a tone of reverence and solemnity, takes away from the story that Black Elk was trying to relay. Black Elk probably wouldnt have even told his story to Neihardt had he knew the way Neihardt would write his story with so many missing details. For most general readers, the story was easier to follow without the detailed omissions. Neihardt most likely made theses omissions for the reason that it would be easier to understand. However, the detailed omissions are significant to some people such as anthropologists and people of religion. The transcript has all the specific details, but Neihardts story fails at relaying all Black Elk wanted to share with future generations. Black Elk intended for his whole oral narrative to be translated and put into his story, and Neihardt failed him. The ending does transmute the oral narrative into literature. Neihardt was trying to make the story more reader friendly, but he should have realized that this particular story should have been told the way Black Elk told the story. Neihardt ended the story as though it was him writing his own story. Neihardt should have just ended the story the way it should have been ended, and that is with the words of Black Elk. Neihardt was definitely the speaker at the end because Black Elk would not have said anything about not being sure whether that part of the story happened or not. Neihardt was basically ending the story in a way that he felt was a good way to end the story from a literature standpoint. ...

Look at Your Fish! by Samuel H. Scudder

'Look at Your Fish!' by Samuel H. Scudder Samuel H. Scudder (1837-1911) was an American entomologist who studied under the noted zoologist Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz (1807-1873) at Harvards Lawrence Scientific School. In the following narrative  essay, originally published anonymously in 1874, Scudder recalls his first encounter with Professor Agassiz, who subjected his research students to a rigorous exercise in close observation, analysis, and description  of details. Consider how the investigative process recounted here might be viewed as an aspect of critical thinking- and how that process can be just as important to writers as it is to scientists.   Look at Your Fish!* by Samuel Hubbard Scudder 1 It was more than fifteen years ago that I entered the laboratory of Professor Agassiz, and told him I had enrolled my name in the scientific school as a student of natural history. He asked me a few questions about my object in coming, my antecedents generally, the mode in which I afterward proposed to use the knowledge I might acquire, and finally, whether I wished to study any special branch. To the latter, I replied that while I wished to be well grounded in all departments of zoology, I purposed to devote myself specially to insects. 2 When do you wish to begin? he asked. 3 Now, I replied. 4 This seemed to please him, and with an energetic Very well, he reached from a shelf a huge jar of specimens in yellow alcohol. 5 Take this fish, said he, and look at it; we call it a haemulon; by and by I will ask what you have seen. 6 With that, he left me, but in a moment returned with explicit instructions as to the care of the object entrusted to me. 7 No man is fit to be a naturalist, said he, who does not know how to take care of specimens. 8 I was to keep the fish before me in a tin tray, and occasionally moisten the surface with alcohol from the jar, always taking care to replace the stopper tightly. Those were not the days of ground glass stoppers, and elegantly shaped exhibition jars; all the old students will recall the huge, neckless glass bottles with their leaky, wax-besmeared corks, half eaten by insects and begrimed with cellar dust. Entomology was a cleaner science than ichthyology, but the example of the professor, who had unhesitatingly plunged to the bottom of the jar to produce the fish, was infectious; and though this alcohol had a very ancient and fish-like smell, I really dared not show any aversion within these sacred precincts, and treated the alcohol as though it were pure water. Still, I was conscious of a passing feeling of disappointment, for gazing at a fish did not commend itself to an ardent entomologist. My friends at home, too, were annoyed, when they discovered that no eau de cologne would drown the perfume which haunted me like a shadow. 9 In ten minutes I had seen all that could be seen in that fish, and started in search of the professor, who had however left the museum; and when I returned, after lingering over some of the odd animals stored in the upper apartment, my specimen was dry all over. I dashed the fluid over the fish as if to resuscitate the beast from a fainting fit, and looked with anxiety for a return of the normal, sloppy appearance. This little excitement over, nothing was to be done but return to a steadfast gaze at my mute companion. Half an hour passed- an hour- another hour; the fish began to look loathsome. I turned it over and around; looked it in the face- ghastly; from behind, beneath, above, sideways, at a three-quarters view- just as ghastly. I was in despair; at an early hour I concluded that lunch was necessary; so, with infinite relief, the fish was carefully replaced in the jar, and for an hour I was free. 10 On my return, I learned that Professor Agassiz had been at the museum, but had gone and would not return for several hours. My fellow-students were too busy to be disturbed by continued conversation. Slowly I drew forth that hideous fish, and with a feeling of desperation again looked at it. I might not use a magnifying glass; instruments of all kinds were interdicted. My two hands, my two eyes, and the fish: it seemed a most limited field. I pushed my finger down its throat to feel how sharp the teeth were. I began to count the scales in the different rows until I was convinced that that was nonsense. At last a happy thought struck me- I would draw the fish, and now with surprise, I began to discover new features in the creature. Just then the professor returned. 11 That is right, said he; a pencil is one of the best of eyes. I am glad to notice, too, that you keep your specimen wet, and your bottle corked. 12 With these encouraging words, he added, Well, what is it like? 13 He listened attentively to my brief rehearsal of the structure of parts whose names were still unknown to me; the fringed gill-arches and movable operculum; the pores of the head, fleshy lips and lidless eyes; the lateral line, the spinous fins, and forked tail; the compressed and arched body. When I had finished, he waited as if expecting more, and then, with an air of disappointment: You have not looked very carefully; why, he continued, more earnestly, you havent even seen one of the most conspicuous features of the animal, which is as plainly before your eyes as the fish itself; look again, look again! and he left me to my misery. 14 I was piqued; I was mortified. Still more of that wretched fish! But now I set myself to my task with a will and discovered one new thing after another until I saw how just the professors criticism had been. The afternoon passed quickly, and when, towards its close, the professor inquired: 15 Do you see it yet? 16 No, I replied, I am certain I do not, but I see how little I saw before. 17 That is the next best, said he earnestly, but I wont hear you now; put away your fish and go home; perhaps you will be ready with a better answer in the morning. I will examine you before you look at the fish. 18 This was disconcerting; not only must I think of my fish all night, studying without the object before me, what this unknown but most visible feature might be; but also, without reviewing my new discoveries, I must give an exact account of them the next day. I had a bad memory; so I walked home by the Charles River in a distracted state, with my two perplexities. 19 The cordial greeting from the professor the next morning was reassuring; here was a man who seemed to be quite as anxious as I that I should see for myself what he saw. 20 Do you perhaps mean, I asked, that the fish has symmetrical sides with paired organs? 21 His thoroughly pleased Of course! of course! repaid the wakeful hours of the previous night. After he had discoursed most happily and enthusiastically- as he always did- upon the importance of this point, I ventured to ask what I should do next. 22 Oh, look at your fish! he said, and left me again to my own devices. In a little more than an hour he returned and heard my new catalog. 23 That is good, that is good! he repeated; but that is not all; go on; and so for three long days he placed that fish before my eyes; forbidding me to look at anything else, or to use any artificial aid. Look, look, look, was his repeated injunction. 24 This was the best entomological lesson I ever had- a lesson, whose influence has extended to the details of every subsequent study; a legacy the professor has left to me, as he has left it to many others, of inestimable value, which we could not buy, with which we cannot part. 25 A year afterward, some of us were amusing ourselves with chalking outlandish beasts upon the museum blackboard. We drew prancing star-fishes; frogs in mortal combat; hydra-headed worms; stately crawfishes, standing on their tails, bearing aloft umbrellas; and grotesque fishes with gaping mouths and staring eyes. The professor came in shortly after and was as amused as any at our experiments. He looked at the fishes. 26 Haemulons, every one of them, he said; Mr. - drew them. 27 True; and to this day, if I attempt a fish, I can draw nothing but haemulons. 28 The fourth day, a second fish of the same group was placed beside the first, and I was bidden to point out the resemblances and differences between the two; another and another followed, until the entire family lay before me, and a whole legion of jars covered the table and surrounding shelves; the odor had become a pleasant perfume; and even now, the sight of an old, six-inch, worm-eaten cork brings fragrant memories! 29 The whole group of haemulons was thus brought in review; and, whether engaged upon the dissection of the internal organs, the preparation and examination of the bony framework, or the description of the various parts, Agassizs training in the method of observing facts and their orderly arrangement, was ever accompanied by the urgent exhortation not to be content with them. 30 Facts are stupid things, he would say, until brought into connection with some general law. 31 At the end of eight months, it was almost with reluctance that I left these friends and turned to insects; but what I had gained by this outside experience has been of greater value than years of later investigation in my favorite groups.*This version of the essay Look at Your Fish! originally appeared in both  Every Saturday: A Journal of Choice Reading  (April 4, 1874) and the Manhattan and de la  Salle Monthly  (July 1874)  under the title In the Laboratory With Agassiz by A Former Pupil.

Integrative Customer Relationship Management Program for Royal Mail Essay

Integrative Customer Relationship Management Program for Royal Mail Group - Essay Example However, because of the challenges associated with the industry and this particular company itself. Parcel Force is in dire need of establishing a new source of competitive advantage. The pathway chosen to achieve this objective is the Customer Relationship Management Plan. (Smith, 2008) Customer Relationship Management is particularly necessary owing to the fact that the overall UK consumer has become more informed about what he or she is looking for in the postal service sector. Additionally, competition has heightened tremendously within this arena especially given the fact that postal services have become deregulated. Part of the reason for these occurrences is the advent of technology. Electronic dissemination of information has made the market and industry scene for Parcel Force to become quite competitive. On top of the latter, consumers now want faster delivery of their goods and are also looking for quality in service provision. (PA Consultant group, 2008) Given all the latter issues, there was a need to reorganize this company so as to provide excellence in service provision. Part of this reorganisation process is the creation of a three year long strategic plan that will be centred on creating a long term goal of success for this particular company. ... If the latter company sticks to the gaols of this program, then it may make it very difficult for other groups to try and imitate them. 3.0 Vision, Mission, Corporate Objectives 2.1 Vision "to create the most reputable and efficient mail service provider in the United Kingdom through focus on the consumer." 2.2 Mission "to enable all the consumers achieve their personal objectives through provision of sound and efficient solutions by Parcel force" 2.3 Corporate Objectives The corporate objectives will be covered under three major objectives; The company will focus upon expanding its current market. While the UK has a relatively positive image to the issue of postal services, it is imperative to reach those few numbers that are not using this service currently. The second objective will be providing quality services through greater innovation. In other words, technology will be a key factor in improving these matters. The last objective will reflect on the profitability of the latter company as a business enterprise - this means that the company will be one of the most profitable companies in the postal sector. (is4profit, 2008) 4.0 Situational Analysis 4.1 Macroeconomic analysis The UK mail service has been directly associated with growth in the population. This is largely because a rise in population means a larger customer base. However, the economy has embraced a lot of emailing thus diminishing the rate of growth of mails. On top of the latter issues, the UK economic situation is such that there is a direct relationship between mail growth volumes and Gross Domestic product level. Statistics have shown that the amount of mail volumes in the United Kingdom usually increase or decrease at

As Most Theories on Motivation Are Ethnocentric In Nature, They Have Essay

As Most Theories on Motivation Are Ethnocentric In Nature, They Have Little Value in A Geocentric World - Essay Example Ethnocentrism is considered as types of attitudes as well as behaviours of various individuals. Ethnocentrism behaviour involves cooperation of members within groups and absence of cooperation outside groups. An individual with ethnocentric behaviour considers one’s group as superior and outside group as inferior and disgraceful. The implication of ethnocentrism is not only present in war and conflict rather it may be available in consumer choice. It also arises from the competition between individuals. There is no precise difference between the evolutionary procedures in order to deal with own group members and members of other groups (Axelrod & Hammond, 2003). In ethnocentrism facts, the psychological aspects of individuals possess both negative and positive outcomes. It may also cause misunderstanding and intercultural-willingness-to-communicate may get decreased. When the sensitivity of intercultural communication increases, the competence level also rises, but ethnocentrism acts as ‘an obstacle to intercultural communication competence’. The sensitivity of intercultural communication as well as multiculturalism encourages cultural diversity and maintains cultural appreciation so as to motivate the people for eliminating ethnocentrism (Dong & Et. Al., n.d.). The policy of ethnocentrism may lead to â€Å"cultural myopia† and the staffing of ethnocentric brings restriction in the development of opportunities in host nations (Hill, 2008).

Hurricane Hits England and Search For My Tongue Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Hits England and Search For My Tongue Essay Compare how a persons culture is shown to be important in Hurricane Hits England and in one other poem. In both Hurricane Hits England and Search For My Tongue, the poems explore the theme of culture being important to person, both poems approach this theme in different ways. In Hurricane Hits England, the poet uses the method of flashbacks to explore the theme, whereas Search For My Tongue approaches this theme by putting us in the authors shoes. In Hurricane Hits England, the subject matter is based around the serious hurricane that hit Southern England 1987. This is a very rare life force that is unusual in this country, more frequently occurring in the Caribbean. This storm in England reminds Nichols about her culture and this life force has been able to break the frozen lake within her. This shows us, the reader her culture is important to her, by creating a fusion of human life and natural life forces; Talk to me HuracanTalk to me Shango. These gods that she is calling out to us the reader, makes us also think that she is trying to create a chant as if she sees the hurricane as both Fearful and reassuring. Although she is happy that the hurricane has come for it has been able to help her discover her culture again, she is also reminded about what damage this life force can do to a country, physically and emotionally. The poet is using this event in England to help call her back-home cousin. This is another reminder to us the reader that she wants this occasion to be a flashback of what would have happened if she was in the Caribbean. However, she knows that this is not the same as the storms in the Caribbean, as the trees are falling heavy as whales. This simile is used to represent the different types of ecosystems around the world, how different trees have different properties. If you go to the Caribbean, the types of trees are mainly palm trees, with the properties of having flexible bark. However, in England the types of trees are Oak and Pine which are quite heavy and inflexible. This makes the trees unsuitable for this type of weather, making this experience still remind the poet about her culture, but seeing this weather as a new experience. In Search For My Tongue, the way the poets shows us how culture is important to her is done in different ways, by showing us how it is to be in another country and not be able to express your mother tongue. In this poem, she describes how she is scared of loosing her mother tongue, how it would rot and she will have to spit it out. This demonstrates how her language is a very important part of her culture and heritage and during the first stanza in the poem; the use of botanical imagery shows a mood of death and decay. She explains how she could not create a hybrid tongue, the use of both languages; You could not use them both together. This botanical imagery is then used to help the re-growth of her mother tongue while she is having a dream; munay hutoo kay The way how she portrays this stanza of the poem, not only gives the impression of her doing a chant but also had a lyrical feeling towards it. This is then an awakening for her mother tongue to grow, thus rediscovering language and culture is obviously important to the poet. The final stanza is probably the most enlightening and meaningful stanza in the entire poem, for it finally concludes how culture can be extremely important to people and make them the way they are; the bud opens in my mouth. The use of botanical imagery has now been used to firstly represent death and decay, to now being represent growth and re-birth. This use of assonance in the last stanza also helps to change the mood of the entire poem, giving it a more positive feel to the poem; blossoms out of my mouth. This line not only tells us that she is happy with the culture that she has re-discovered, but it also means that she has found the item that she had lost; her tongue. We know this from the title of the poem Search For My Tongue. In conclusion, both of these poems have been able to show how a past culture can be important to a persons character and future growth. This could teach all of us a moral lesson, by telling us that culture is important to everybodys feeling of self by making it mould our characters to what we are today. In both these poems, they might have used different methods to portray these themes, with the outcome giving off the same message.

The Progression of a Hunter :: Hunting Sports Nature Papers

The Progression of a Hunter It's three o'clock in the morning. I've been sleeping since eight p.m., and now my alarm clock is telling me that it's time to wake up. Most people are sleeping at this hour of the night, but I'm just now waking up to pack up my gear and head into the forest for the morning. Last night I packed my .30-06, tree stand, a small cooler full of food and a rucksack full of hunting equipment including deer scent, camouflage paint and a flashlight. I've been planning a hunt for two weeks, and the weekend has finally come. I get up from bed, shake off the cold of the morning and get ready to leave by four. It's five a.m. when I get to the dirt road winding into Ocala National Forest. I park my car in a clearing gather my gear and head into the forest with my eyes to the trees. By five-thirty I'm set up in a tree, my rifle is loaded and I'm quietly sipping hot coffee from my plastic thermos cup. I'm well concealed by tree limbs, and I have a clear shot at the ground below within my line of sight. My camouflage pants and jacket keep me hidden from the poor eyesight of the deer below, and my height above the ground keeps the smell of a human away from the sensitive noses of animals on the ground. Six a.m. and the sky is turning a light blue. The night's shade is dissipating slowly, and I can begin to see my surroundings a little better. A shot rings out from the west, and that signals nearby hunters. I hope they drove some game my way. Within a few minutes, there is rustling in the brush below me. A young buck is coming within range. He's a big one too; I can see about eight points from where I am. He is cautious and sniffs at the air and flicks out his tongue often. His coat is a light brown color like khaki. There are white markings along his flank, and he has a stubby little white fluff of fur for a tail. I disengage the safety on my rifle. The bolt is forward on the gun, and I know there's a round in the chamber. I steady myself. I turn ever so slightly to get a better angle.

Cell Phones & Classrooms Essay

Cell phones are a relatively recent invention, but they have greatly improved our way of life. School-age children are now starting to get their own phones at earlier times, and with them obtaining their phones, they start to carry their phones everywhere; so therefore, there is a risk of the children using their phones during school. Now, one would think that this is something that should be punished, but in reality, it opens many doors for education and educators. Cell Phones should be allowed in class because of how much of an effect they would have on students, teachers, and school systems. Computers are very costly, and with the introduction of cell phones in the classroom, schools would not have to pay money for new computers. Spotsylvania County Schools are in somewhat of an economic downturn, and if no computers were bought, and students were allowed to use cell phones, then the County’s technology expenses would decrease. Cell phones cost less than computers, and no keyboards or mice need to be bought, saving even more money. Students and parents would pay for their own phones, lifting the burden off of the schools. Money is hard for most people and schools to come by in this day and age, and letting the students have their cell phones in class would allow the school system to spend more money on and fund more useful things, such as teachers and sports teams. Phones are more reasonable to have than large, bulky desktop computers. Desktops are becoming outdated and unnecessary because of how many pieces are necessary to be brought for the whole computer. Phones are just one piece small and light, making them extremely portable, unlike the colossal computers that the schools have. As a cause of this, it would make it easier for students to take their work home and do research, just because of how conveyable and convenient the phones are. With the implementation of phones in the classroom, it would render the desktop useless, saving the schools a large amount of money. Many people think that schools should ban cell phones completely, but that is just not true. What the people don’t understand is that the students can and will use their phones for educational purposes. There are now apps, such as Dropbox, that allow students to sync folders containing documents on their computers to their phones, which is an ultimately successful way to use the phone. People who oppose this also think that the phones wouldn’t be cost effective. If one compares the average price for a computer, around or above $700, and the average price for a smart phone, around $200, they can see that it is actually much more cost effective. No peripherals for the phones need to be purchased either, unlike for the computers. Some people think that cell phones are a bad thing, but when one looks at the effects it has on things, such as saving money and useful resources. Cell phones, at this time, are a very controversial topic, whether being used while driving or in the classroom. Cell phones are much more cost effective than computers. Cell phones are also infinitely more portable than desktop computers. The ability of students being able to have phones would allow them to see new things that change the way they think about life. Cell phones should be allowed in the schools because of the ultimate positive effect that they would have on the educators, students, and the overall school system.