The First Day Essay Example for Free

The First Day Essay The set-up for the beginning of the story describes the narrator’s social status. It appears that when the narrator was young, she came from a low income family, her mother states: â€Å"You gonna go there and learn about the whole world† (Jones 29). The mother says these words as if she was aiming for her child to achieve a great goal, the narrator says: â€Å"For as many Sundays as I can remember, perhaps even Sundays when I was in her womb, my mother has pointed across I street to Seaton†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jones 29). This indicates that it was her mother’s dream to initiate her daughter’s studies in what she believed was the best school. A parent of higher income would not dream to send his or her child to a high class school; the parent would just do it. Also, the narrator gives an in-depth description of the preparation that she endures as her mother attempts to perfect her appearance, wanting to make the impression that her daughter belongs at school, and does not deserve a life in poverty. Furthermore, the narrator gives another hint of her past social status when she says: â€Å"I am learning this about my mother: The higher up on the scale of respectability a person is-and teachers are rather high up in her eyes- the less she is liable to let them push her around† (Jones 29). If the narrator’s mother considers teachers to Pg. 2 be of a higher social status, then, this would mean that the narrator’s mother either did not have an education or did not complete her studies, which is relatively common among people of extreme poverty. The story continues, and it shows her mother’s determination in giving her child a better future. This is observed when the narrator’s mother doesn’t give up after she was told that because of the location where she lived she couldn’t get her child to attend Seaton Elementary School, which was the school she always wanted her child to go to. The narrator’s mother doesn’t give up and tells her daughter, â€Å"One monkey don’t stop no show† (Jones 29), showing her intensions to continue on looking for a place where her daughter can be educated. Eventually the narrator’s mother does find a school which would take her daughter, but the encouraging attitude is quickly veiled when during her admission to the new school, the narrator finds out that her mother cannot read and write. The narrator learns that this is not normal, even though she is very young, she could identify that her mother doesn’t have the ability to read or write like the rest of people. This was the beginning when the narrator, even though young, begins to understand that there was going to be a change in her life. Her mother lets her know this by cutting short a game they always use to play, she makes her understand that this was a significant situation, and even though she didnt quite understand, things were going to be different from that point forward. Based on the aforementioned passages, which serve as supporting evidence, and the puzzle I would intent to explain next, I believe is very clear that the narrator’s shame of her mother began on her first day of school. I built this argument because according to the story this particular day was the beginning of a change in the narrator’s life; she stated: â€Å"On an otherwise unremarkable September morning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jones 27), she clearly points that this was a â€Å"remarkable â€Å"day in her life, a day she cannot Pg. 3 forget. Through the book scenarios, we learned that by being able to go to school, the narrator is probably on a much higher social level than her mother ever was, and by having an education the narrator was able to grow out of poverty and despites the fact that she was ever poor. In addition, the fact that her mother was not able to read shamed her to the core, and her humiliation did began her first day of school, when she realized that she was poor and her mother was an uneducated woman; that is what the narrator was ashamed of. Thickening the plot, the story also suggests that because that her mother was no â€Å"push† over among people of higher class, it could have created several arguments as the narrator grew intellectually and socially. Perhaps, being â€Å"now† and educated woman, she rather admit to be ashamed of her mother because she had extreme arguments with her, and would blame her mother’s ignorance to her new world and social life, but the narrator would not accept that it was because her mother couldn’t read; after all, this would be too awful since deep inside she knew that it was her mother who made her into the accomplished person she is. But the shame on her mother did in-fact started when she became aware that her mother was illiterate. It is sad that a child would be ashamed of her own mother, especially after she made every effort to see her child succeed. Being an immigrant from another country, I knew the sacrifices my mother had to endure in order to provide me with a better future, but in-turn I continued my mother’s dreams through my successes in life and pride all her sacrifices. The narrator never realized that she inherited the feel of superiority and arrogance from her mother: As the narrator’s mother left the school, her footsteps signified strength, diligence, determination, and the endurance she was passing on to her daughter. The mother understood that this was going to be the start of a new life for her daughter in order to make sure that she would never be like her, but she was indeed. Pg. 4 Citations * Jones, E. P. (1992). Lost in the city, the first day.

Standing Up For Yourself :: Personal Narrative Writing

Standing Up For Yourself My first year of junior high, (in our school that was seventh grade) I was not spending all my time trying to be popular like all the other people in my grade. I was just being me how I always had been. One day at I was sitting at the lunch table with a bunch of people I would hang around with sometimes. Some of them were talking about there weekends. Then my friend Sami said, "Hey guys you wanna know what I did this weekend?" Everybody was like "yea" Sami continued on saying, "Well I went to this party with my cousin and we were drinking and they she gave me a couple of joints and from there on I don’t remember the rest of the night, but it was awesome." "I think that I am gonna do this more often you get a really awesome high of it." By this time everybody sitting around her was like that is so cool. Everybody was really into what Sami said, and as the days went by they acting almost as if she was a god and they had to follow her everymove. One day I was talking with my friend Rosie during Lunch when Sami came over. Sami interrupted us saying "Would either of you guys like to join me outside for a joint?" I said "No I have homework to do and anyways I have better things to do then kill off my brain cells." Sami just glared at me for a minute. Then said "Rosie what about you, Are you still cool or do you wanna be a dweeb like some OTHER people at this table." So Rosie left. Later that day during study hall I tried to talk to Sami. "Hey Sami" I said, "What is up over there?" "Not much" she replied. "I really need to talk to you about earlier today in the lunch room." "What about today?" Sami asked curiously "Well, about you pressuring Rosie into feeling like she couldn't do what she wanted to do, but like she had to do whatever you want her to do like you are her mother or something. What is up with that?" "Well you know she really wanted to do it." "If she did then why did you have to almost force her to go with you. I think you are taking this cool thing a little to far." Sami snapped back, "I think that you are just jealous cause everyone thinks I am cool now and I am center of attention and your NOT!"

Persian Poetry

A Brief History of Persian poetry: One of the most noble forms of literature is poetry. Over the centuries Persian and non-Persian poets have written their poems in the Persian language, Farsi, and it's variations. Even though the Farsi language has changed over time the ancient poems are still readable. Iranians highly value their poets who kept their culture and language alive even during numerous invasions. Persian poetry is as ancient as Avesta (the holy book of Zoroastrians) where first form of poetry is documented.Persian and non-Persian poets express their creativity in different forms and styles. The earliest poetry was of two types. One was the ballad and the other was the epic. The ballad later developed into different forms such as lyric, hymn, satire and panegyric. The epic poem is an enlarged ballad. Therefore, the origin of all poetry is in the ballad although no records have remained from these primitive ballads. Persian songs goes back to 3000 BC to the time of king J amshid. Xenophon wrote about songs that were sung when Cyrus the Great was still a boy.The halls of the Achaemenian palace at Persepolis echoed with the poetic singing of the tale of the romantic love of Zariadres and Odatis. The Arab conquest influenced the Persian vocabulary causing an even smoother poetic verse. Poetry, nursed for 200 years by the care of three dynasties (Tahirid, Saffarid, Samanid). Therefore, it was during ninth century when the new form of Persian poetry began which is found today. One of the early forms of poetry was qasida in royal courts. Qasida are poems of more than 100 couplets that do not rhyme. Anvari was one of the poets who used qasida.Ghazal from about 12th century is another form of lyric. Ghazal poems were a much shorter form, 10 couplets that do not rhyme and mainly used to express love, both human or mystic. Hafez and Saadi mastered this form of poetry. Rubai and dobaty are both four lines poems which are distinguished from each other by their r hythm. They may express mystical, romantic or philosophical themes. Omar Khayam is one of the pioneers in writing Rubai and his books are translated into many languages. A Review Of Persian Poetry: Classical Persian poetry is always rhymed. The principal verse forms are the Qasideh, Masnavi, Qazal and Ruba'i.The qasida or ode is a long poem in monorhyme, usually of a panegyric, didactic or religious nature; the masnavi, written in rhyming couplets, is employed for heroic, romantic, or narrative verse; the ghazal (ode or lyric) is a comparatively short poem, usually amorous or mystical and varying from four to sixteen couplets, all on one rhyme. A convention of the ghazal is the introduction, in the last couplet, of the poet's pen name (takhallus). The ruba'i is a quatrain with a particular metre, and a collection of quatrains is called â€Å"Ruba'iyyat† (the plural of ruba'i).Finally, a collection of a poet's ghazals and other verse, arranged alphabetically according to the r hymes, is known as a divan. A word may not be out of place here on the peculiar difficulties of interpreting Persian poetry to the western reader. To the pitfalls common to all translations from verse must be added, in the case of Persian poetry, such special difficulties as the very free use of Sufi imagery, the frequent literary, Koranic and other references and allusions, and the general employment of monorhyme, a form highly effective in Persian but unsuited to most other languages.But most important of all is the fact that the poetry of Persia depends to a greater degree than that of most other nations on beauty of language for its effects. This is why much of the great volume of â€Å"qasidas in praise of princes† can still be read with pleasure in the original, though It is largely unsuited to translation. In short, the greatest charm of Persian poetry lies, as Sir E. Denison Ross remarked, in its language and its music, and consequently the reader of a translation â⠂¬Å"has perforce to forego the essence of the matter†.

The Effects of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 - 946 Words

Western Civilzation The stock market crash October 29, 1929 was apart to a world wide financial crises. World War I was a boost for agriculture in the United States. While Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union was victorious in World War I, the war proved devastating economically. It brought heavy debt and much of their resources were used to pay the debt of the war. Much of Europe’s major cities were destroyed. Asia and South America provided exports during the war and continued to do so after the war ended. This extended the economic recovery in Europe even further. Germany was under the Treaty of Versailles thus in debt to the entire cost of the war that was to be paid in foreign securities. This was a significantly large problem and the United States agreed to loan money to Germany in order to help stabilize its economy. Because United States Industry was unaffected by the war they were able to turn its concentration to consumer production. The United States became a †Å"creditor nation† because of its prosperity and was able to lend money to other countries. After affects of World War I to farming and food industries, the roaring twenties and inequality of wealth, risky investments with leveraged stock purchases caused the stock market crash were causes of the great depression. During World War I Europe’s agricultural was at a dead standstill. At this time the world depended on the United States for exported produce. The governmentShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of The Stock Market Crash Of 19291552 Words   |  7 Pagesdrops precipitously as it did in 1929. Even today, there is controversy regarding the causal events leading up to the stock market crash of 1929. The question most debated is- which factor was the greatest contributor to causing the crash? Many think the answer is simple, for example, unemployment. On the contrary, the answer is quite complex because there were many interconnected causes. When answering this question , it is first crucial to analyze the causes of the crash and the causes of the depressionRead MoreEssay on Stock Market Crash as the Cause of the Great Depression1211 Words   |  5 PagesUnited States Great Depression leads many people to believe different stories about what actually caused it. The Stock Market Crash in October of 1929 is often referred to as the beginning of the Great Depression, but did it actually cause it? The answer is that it was the spark that lit the flame of the Great Depression. The Great depression was a financial decline that started in 1929 and lasted through most of the 1930s. Its pinpoint was in North America and Europe, but plagued countries aroundRead MoreEssay on The Great Crash of 1929 and The Panic of 20081323 Words   |  6 Pagessponsorship of the assembly line, the automobile industry was rising and vehicles were becoming more affordable. The end of World War I was also having a positive effect on the American economy. The events leading to the crash of ’29 were recognizable and now as economists look back some ask how did we as a nation not see this coming? The actual crash did not occur overnight, it lasted over the span of five days, days that America will never forget. America had just implemented an installment plan whichRead MoreEssay on The Great Depression, Annotated Bibliography879 Words   |  4 PagesStephen G. Understanding the Great Depression: Lessons for Current Policy . Monetary Economics (1997): 1-26. This article is about the circumstances that led to the collapse of the economy in 1929. It relates to my research proposal because I am evaluating historic events that led to the financial crisis of 1929. The article discusses how deflation played an important role in expanding the depression, and how the Gold Standard, a monetary system in which a country’s government allows its currency unitRead MoreThe Stock Market Crash of 19291289 Words   |  6 Pagesat home or in the bank into the stock market. People migrated to the prosperous cities with the hopes of finding much better life. In the 1920s, the stock market reputation did not appear to be a risky investment, until 1929.First noticeable in 1925, the stock market prices began to rise as more people invested their money. During 1925 and 1926, the stock prices vacillated but in 1927, it had an upward trend. The stock market boom had started by 1928. The stock market was no longer a long-term investmentRead MoreEssay abou t The causes and effects of the stock crashes1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe causes and effects of the stock crashes Almost 75 years and almost 20 years ago, there were huge crashes in New York. These crashes caused an uproar throughout the nation. Number of people died, billions of dollars lost and damaged lots of lives. Those crashes had been called most severe of the 20th century. Those crashes are symbolized as Black Days. Well, you might think that those crashes could be car crashes or plane crashes or train crashes. You might also think that if nationRead MorePresident Herbert Hoover : The Legacy Of The Great Depression1156 Words   |  5 PagesGreat Depression. Should Herbert Hoover be defined as the ineffective president accountable for the aftermath of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 or did he actually play an important role in alleviating the economic turmoil, but simply went unrecognized for his heroic contributions? Although he is known to be an excellent businessman, the prevention of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 was an impossible feat for even someone as educated as President Herbert Hoover. All throughout the prior decade, theRead MoreHow Money Is A Crucial Part Of The World1334 Words   |  6 PagesOctober of 1929, America’s economy crumbled and is known as the Stock Market Crash. The Stock Market Crash was an extreme downturn in the value of shares given to companies in America. These events didn’t all collapse in one day; they slowly happened over a two-week time period which highlighted the ending of what was known as the Roaring Twenties. The Crash was a long process Americans had to face before things started to return to their normal state. The process that led up to October 1929 saw equityRead MoreThe Cause and Effects of the Great Depression Essay1443 Words   |  6 Pagesthe stock market crash of 1929 was the main cause of The Great Depression. In fact, The Great D epression was caused by a series of factors, and the effects of the depression were felt for many years after the stock market crash of 1929. By looking at the stock market crash of 1929, bank failures, reduction of purchasing, American economic policy with Europe, and drought conditions, it becomes apparent that The Great Depression was caused by more than just the stock market crash. The effects wereRead MoreThe Stock Market Crash of 19291013 Words   |  5 PagesBlack Tuesday was Tuesday, October 29, 1929. This was the day the New York Stock Exchange crashed. This was the single largest crash in the country. Black Tuesday hit Wall Street as investors traded 16 million shares in one day on the New York Stock Exchange. Black Tuesday wiped out thousands of investors and billions of dollars were lost. Black Tuesday was an event leading up to the stock market crash. As a result numerous Americans lost all to a lot of their savings. Black Tuesday was also known