An Analysis of Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall apart, Okonkwo was considered a tragic hero. He used to be a great wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams in Umuofia. Shortly after Ikemefuna’s death, Okonkwo accidentally killed someone in a funeral ceremony. He and his family were sent into exile for seven years. Nevertheless, when he returned to Umuofia, he found himself unable to adapt to changing time as the white men came to live among the village. Okonkwo realized that he was no longer able to function within his changing society. Consequently, he committed suicide by hanging himself for his final tragedy. His tragic end was led by his character flaws, a betrayal of his clansmen, and the colonization. Okonkwo was impulsive; he acted before he thought without considering the consequence. Furthermore, he isolated himself by exhibiting anger through violent, irrational behavior. He was quick to anger. During the annual week of peace before planning time, tradition permitted no one to speak a hash word to other person in the village. However, one day during this week, Okonkwo beat his youngest wife, who went to a friend’s house to braid her hair and forgot to prepare Okonkwo’s meal and feed her children. Even he was reminded of the ban on violence, he didn’t stop the beating. However, his fear of weakness and failure also was his tragic flaw. Consequently, he didn’t take the advice that not to participate in the murder of Ikemefuna. Therefore, he actually killed Ikemefuna because he was afraid of being though weak. Moreover, Okonkwo was a man of action. He did things without considering the consequence. This flaw brought him a serious consequence at the end of the story. After the release from jail, Okonkwo thought about his revenge. He hoped Umuofia will wage war on the intruders. If they didn’t, he would take action on his own. In the next morning, the clansmen were lead to a meeting which was about took action against the unwanted strangers to rid themselves. During the meeting, five court messengers approached the group and said that the white man ordered the meeting stopped. Without a second thought, Okonkwo used his machete to sever the messenger’s head. However, his impulsiveness drove him to this deplorable condition. The betrayal of the clansmen contributed Okonkwo’s tragedy. As well as things had changed among the village, many people in Umuofia were not entirely unhappy with the white men’s influence on their village. However, the white men brought wealth to the village as they built a trading store for traded palm oil and palm nut kernels. The clans could gain great economic benefit from the trading store, hence the money flowed into the village. Therefore, not everyone in the village was united against the white men since they had provided a new way for the villagers to profit. With this opportunity, they were willing to accept the white man's rule because they weren't willing to sacrifice the new trading community to fight for their independence. People would rather choose peace and money instead of going to the war to against the white men. This change of the clan displeased Okonkwo. His return was not what he had hoped. Moreover, when Okonkwo killed the messenger in the meeting, no one tried to stop the other messengers from escaping. The clansmen were afraid, and someone even asked why Okonkwo killed the messenger. At that time, Okonkwo realized that the clan would never go to war and the Umuofia would surrender. He wiped his machete and walked away. Nevertheless, everything had fallen apart for Okonkwo. He failed alone. The colonization mainly contributed Okonkwo’s tragedy because they were unfamiliar with Umuofia’s culture. However, Enoch unmasked an egwugwu in the ceremony; his action was determined as a great crime and killed the ancestral spirits. Therefore, the egwugwu went to kill him, but he took refuge in the church compound. Mr. Smith, who was intolerant in fanaticism, tried to protect Enoch and asked the egwugwu to leave. Rather than hunt Enoch down and kill him, they burn the church. When the District Commissioner returned from trip and heard about the burning of the church, they asked six leaders of the village, including Okonkwo, to meet with him in his office. As one of the leaders began to tell about Enoch’s unmasking of an egwugwu, they were handcuffed and thrown in jail for several days. However, the DC said the leader would be treated well in the prison, and would be released after paying five or two hundred bags of cowries. Nevertheless, the guards repeatedly mistreated them in the prison. Okonkwo suffered insults and physical abuse there. The way the messenger mistreated him was humiliated. Therefore, he was put into fighting mood. His motivation for wanting revenge and his humiliation in jail were deeply personal. However, the DC was ignorant because he didn’t know the Umuofia’s culture; and he only listened to one side. If Okonkwo was tolerant and acted with considering the consequence, he might avoid his tragedy. Moreover, if Mr. Brown was not breaking down in health, he would still stay in Umuofia. Then, Mr. Smith would not take over his place. Consequently, the consequential outcome would not happen. Besides, if the District Commissioner could listen to both sides’ explanations or understand the Umuofia’s culture more, Okonkwo would not be put in the prison tragically. Then, he might avoid killing the court messenger. Furthermore, it might help preventing his tragedy from happening.

MSc Development Finance

Furthering my knowledge in finance and economics is one of my goals. As a native of Brunei, a developing country, I would like to contribute to my country’s progress with the use of the knowledge and skills that I acquired during my undergraduate studies. Majoring in accounting and economics has provided me extensive knowledge of various economic principles and theories and their application in the business world. Although the University of Manchester has given me sufficient knowledge in the field that I have chosen, I believe that pursuing to study under this programme would provide me a broad yet focused knowledge in development finance and its practical application in the public sector. I chose to pursue this programme because of its international focus, group work, and emphasis on learning public finance, bank and non-bank financial institutions, international finance organizations, aid agencies and other finance-related areas of study that can help in understanding how the financial theories governing our country and the world economy work. The program is also designed to teach me financial inclusion and microfinance in relation to poverty reduction. My interest in development finance first sparked during my junior years. My wish to contribute to my country’s progress was further intensified by a course about economic policies of developing countries and their role in the international market. Working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development in Brunei under the Finance Department for summer internship last summer 2007 has also provided me first-hand experience and knowledge in international trade. I am confident that this university has the capacity to provide students with knowledge beyond the conventional financial educational program. The programme of University of Manchester also includes strengthening the analytical decision-making skills of students. It also offers wider academic opportunities and school resources that will deepen my expertise and broaden my perspectives. I am especially interested and looking forward to the overseas field visit which is a crucial part of the programme. Most of the countries visited are developing countries like Brunei which face similar economic situations. The programme also allows students to conduct research in government and non-government organizations and other universities in the U.K. This can not only broaden my knowledge and hone my skills in finance, but also enhance my socializing and communication skills. With hopes and persuasion in my mind, I aim to establish a career that can contribute to the further development of the financial situation in my county. One of the careers that I have in mind is a job in Brunei Investment Agency (BIA). As mentioned earlier, my country is a developing country. Although we are an oil-producing country, I believe that in terms of investment and contribution to the world economy, there is still much room for progress. Through this programme, I know that I would be able to obtain what is necessary to achieve my goal. Thus, I see myself successful in a career on this field and making Brunei a more developed and investment-focused country. Â  

Biggest CHallenge

Biggest CHallenge Rodriguez Creative Song Assignment The Creative Song Assignment was an Interesting assignment, because I have zero experience in mixing music. It was an Interesting experience, because It did take me out of my comfort zone. When I first started, I felt lost. I had no Idea what I was doing, so I decided to do a little research to see how I can best complete this assignment. I finally settled on using a program called Audacity and the genres of hip hop and alternative rock. I chose a program called audacity, because It gives you an option of milling different songs.I am sure that there are a lot of other programs better suited for this assignment, but I found this to be pretty easy to use. I really enjoyed playing around Ninth the different settings. It took me a couple of days before I finally picked two songs to work on. I am sure that there are many more experienced people out there that can mix my songs better than me, but I think I did a good job considering my experience level. I decide to pick hip hop and alternative rock, because they are two of my favorite genres. I know that hip hop and alternative rock have been mixed before, so I felt an intrigue in trying to accomplish this myself. I knew that I wanted to use Arrowheads Karma Police as my alternative, because that is one of my favorite songs. I had a difficult time picking a rap song, because the lyrics did not match up well together. I finally decided to Just use a hip hop beat that I found on concluded. In my opinion, I felt that this was best, because you can hear the lyrics of the alternative song, but still hear the hip hop beat. The part that took me a while was trying to get the songs in sync perfectly. I really wanted to find a way to lower the alternative rock songs instrumentals, but I could not do it.I think it would have sounded better if I could mix the hip hop beat with the Karma Police vocals. I am sure it could probably be done lath professional mixing equipment. I really enjoyed this assignment, because It did what it was designed to do. It really took me out of my comfort zone. I started off being completely lost, but I slowly started gaining confidence as I practiced more with the software. I know that the finished product is not too great, but I think It was good considering that I have never done this before.

Thesis Paper for Assassinations in International Relations Essay - 1

Thesis Paper for Assassinations in International Relations - Essay Example that end, to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace† (Wachtel 2005, 677). Legal theorists claim that the most effective means to remove threats to peace and order is to eliminate those prominent people who encourage them, by taking them into custody, but otherwise, by assassinations or targeted killings. Targeted killings present numerous pragmatic benefits over established processes of far-reaching assault. The most evident and frequently mentioned advantage is saving the lives of combatants who would be exterminated in the course of an attack intended to take a leader into custody, to tear down his regime, or to seize control and authority over his nation. Similarly, all over the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous well-known thinkers struggled with the issue of targeted killings, but almost wholly in the perspective of armed conflict and pragmatic analysis. Majority agreed that assassination during time of war was acceptable, but slaying them deceitfully was not. Aside from the pragmatic argument that targeted killings will prevent the death of numerous people, the common agreement of these early thinkers was that assassination was allowable, as long as it was not deceitful. The argument against deceitful killing appears to have appeared from a widespread desire to safeguard generals and leaders from disgraceful and capricious attacks. The emergence of the ideals of modern warfare and the appearance of non-state players raised arguments against this pragmatic perspective. However, these early assumptions effectively placed deceitful killing and targeted killing in their appropriate historical and pragmatic framework. In order to strongly support the thesis, the following issues will be discussed: (1) the principle and effectiveness of ‘targeted killing’ rule; (2) the morality of state-supported or legal assassination; and (3)

Communications and the City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communications and the City - Essay Example Consider the tricorders in use in the original Star Trek television series and early films; the video wristwatches that were available to James Bond back in the 1970's, and the eerie way in which Sandra Bullock's droid character was able to see into Sylvester Stallone's memories in Demolition Man. Now that the 21st century has arrived, we are completely surrounded by communication. We carry access to the World Wide Web in our pockets; the ability to communicate digitally has actually slowed our interpersonal communication, as we spend our time with other people texting people who are not with us, or posting information about what we are doing on Facebook or other social media sites. However, communication from the media to us does not just travel through smartphones, and the newest forms of urban planning are taking this change into account. One of the challenges facing urban planners is the inclusion of robust methods of communication and media technology without ending up living in the dank, black sort of city that served as The Running Man's labyrinth. However, incorporating media into city planning does not mean that citizens have to have walls built up between themselves and others, either in the form of dark skyscrapers or suburban sprawl. The very word â€Å"media† has taken on the connotation of passive reception of entertainment, networking with people close at hand as well as on the other side of the globe (McCullough 2006, 16). McCullough (2006) applies the term â€Å"locative† to media technology that leaves the desktop and the laptop behind and works its way into the other parts of our mundane lives. The good news is that the media technology that is used in urban planning does not have to take the form of a separate world that sits behind a large desktop monitor, as Walker (1989) envisioned. This vision of larger access to media did populate the cultural imagination, as such films as I, Robot and such novels as Ready Player One saw a future in which the true controllers of the world would sit behind glass walls in offices, manipulating events through touch screens and avatars. However, the world has proven not to be so difficult to infiltrate with media. The advent of the smartphone, as well as larger-scale technologies, enable people to indulge their taste for media while out on the streets. This has taken some time to take place, though. In 2005, the Where 2.0 conference was all about the transition of online information from the computer to geospace (McCullough 2006, 16). The advent of all of the Web 2.0 tools has made the notion of â€Å"cyberspace† almost an antiquated one. While one still sees ruddy invitations to come to websites, more often than not one can find the necessary web content all about one, no matter where one is. You no longer have to unplug from your social surroundings, go upstairs, power on the computer, plug in the modem, and wait for your information. You don't even have to sit down; you can access it while on the move. In fictive environments, of course, this was predicted long ago, most frightfully by the visions of George Orwell in 1984. The purpose of the information technology in Smith's world, of course, was surveillance, as Big Brother and the Party were all about keeping tabs on the deeds, words, and even thoughts

Entry strategy of IKEA in to Brazil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Entry strategy of IKEA in to Brazil - Essay Example In the initial stages IKEA expanded its business into new markets outside of Sweden including Norway by direct entry and by acquiring other businesses. However, over the years IKEA has been focusing on expansion of its business through franchising. IKEA now operates over 325 stores which are located in 35 countries. An analysis of the Brazilian market indicates that it is a very promising environment for IKEAs products. The standard of living of working class individuals have improved and this has increased their demand for various products including home furnishings. Upper and middle class Brazilians have high disposable income and are willing to spend on high quality brand name products and so it would be good if IKEA offer goods for different segments of the market instead of focusing on just low priced products. Additionally, research indicates that 59% of Brazilians have a preference for foreign brands over home brands. However, there are certain obstacles in the political and legal environment that may negatively impact the success of IKEAs business. Furthermore, the currency of Brazil is overvalued. It is therefore important that IKEA use its resources to correct weaknesses in its operations and make use of opportunities and lessen the impact of threats in the environment. IKEA operates 325 stores in 35 countries throughout the world. The company’s first stores between 1955 and 1978 were opened in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Austria, Netherlands and Singapore. Since then the company has expended its operations to 24 additional countries. However, the company does not have a presence in Brazil. Most of IKEA stores are franchises and therefore the company does not have to provide any capital outlay. However, franchise fees are dependent on the success of its franchise operations. In

Strategic Technology Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Technology Planning - Research Paper Example This is after American Express created a custom customer service Facebook page. From the page, cardholders can conveniently ask about services offered and also make their complaints. The research analyzed online platforms used by major and minor companies in handling online marketing. The content conveyed in these platforms was also analyzed to determine whether they had any aspects of marketing or were just general information. According to Grant (2014) internet marketing is a tool that can be used to elevate a company within hours if well used. The world is actively talking online. The results indicated that the social media is the main platform used by companies to carry out online marketing. This paper research also discusses the use of Apps for smartphones, tablets, pads and other telecommunication gadgets. In as much as people are using the internet, attracting them to your platform is very essential. Marketing would only make sense if the target clientele is able to receive your message. The recommendations from this research are that companies need to diversify their online marketing and use other platforms like emails and blogs. Companies also need establish internet marketing departments and adequately fund them in order to facilitate their activities. Marketing is a very dynamic aspect in any business. Every day, new strategies are developed and implemented to ensure companies are active in the competitive market. Companies have been forced to allocate majority of their budget into marketing than any other area. Millions have been invested into marketing. This is necessary for any company that wants to make profits (FK Publications, 2013). According to (Taube, 2014) in 2013, the top 100 biggest advertisers in the US used a staggering $109Billion in marketing. Traditional modes of marketing are slowly being replaced by new and advanced modes. The main driving force behind this is the internet. With internet, one is connected to the