The Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and the Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Essay Example for Free

The Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and the Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Essay When the word â€Å"witch† comes up in people’s minds, they normally picture an old woman with green skin, warts, a pointy hat, and long fingernails who wears black clothes, flies on a broom, and casts harmful spells on others. However, this stereotype is made up by the imaginations of humanity. It all started when religion conflicts began to rise. This was the clash between Christianity and the old religion. Christian leaders began asserting that witches were devil worshippers and savages. In the year 1233, Pope Gregory IX instituted the Roman Catholic tribunal, known as the Inquisition, in an attempt to suppress heresy. At the request of Pope John XXII in 1320, the church officially declared witchcraft and the old religion of the Pagans as a heretical movement and a hostile threat to Christianity. Witches had now become heretics and the persecution against all Pagans spread like wildfire throughout Europe. Therefore, the persecutions, murders, and the torture of innocent people who are claimed as â€Å"witches† began (â€Å"How Did it Start? †). This history and the idea of witches lead to the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and Katherine Howe’s motivation to write her novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which is based on the Salem Witch Trials. Katherine Howe was born in Huston, Texas and she holds degrees in Art History and Philosophy from Columbia and in American and New England Studies from Boston University. She is a descendant of Elizabeth Proctor, who survived the Salem Witch Trials, and Elizabeth Howe, who did not. She first learned about her ancestors when her aunt was doing some family research. Due to this discovery, Howe became more interested in this specific time period and she began to wonder how life would be like living as a Puritan in the 1600’s. Her book, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, which is about the Salem Witch Trials, debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Howe moved to Marblehead from Cambridge in summer of 2005 with her husband and she was scheduled to take her Ph. D. qualifying exams that November. So, while trying to relax from her studies, Howe began to think how vastly the popular account of the witch trials differs from the historical understanding of them. As she was walking in the woods, she began to think: â€Å"What if magical were real, but not in the fairy-tale way that we now imagine it? † (Howe â€Å"Question and Answer†). So, as Howe was trying to imagine what magic would have looked like to the colonists of Salem, she was inspired to write her novel. Howe’s writing style is very attractive to readers. The vocabulary is not very difficult and she writes in a way that keeps the reader wanting to read more. As the reader explores the novel, they can feel the emotions that the characters are feeling and so they are able to relate to them. Also, she writes her flashbacks to the late seventeenth century in the diction that they would have spoken in. This catches the reader’s attention and it shows her dedication and research for this novel. In the 17th century, the church was the cornerstone of life in New England. Most people in Massachusetts were Puritans-colonists who had left England seeking religious tolerance. The Puritan lifestyle was restrained and rigid and it was against the law not to attend church. Since the Puritans were expected to live by this strict moral code, they believed that all sins-from sleeping in church to stealing food-should be punished. They believed that God would punish sinful behavior. When a neighbor would suffer misfortune, such as a sick child or a failed crop, the Puritans saw it as God’s will and did not help. In addition, the Puritans believed that that Devil was as real as God. Everyone was faced with the struggle between the powers of good and evil, but Satan would select the weakest individuals-women, children, and the insane-to carry out his work. Those who followed Satan were considered â€Å"witches†. To the Puritans, witchcraft was one of the greatest crimes a person could commit and it was punishable by death. A strong belief in the Devil, factions among Salem Village families, and rivalry with near by Salem Town combined with a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion of witchcraft (â€Å"Salem Witch Trials†). In 1692, children were expected to have under the same strict code as the adults-doing chores, attending church services, and repressing individual differences. Any show of emotion was discouraged and disobedience was severely punished. Children rarely played and so toys and games were scare. While girls had to cook and clean, the boys had to hunt and explore. The children of this time period also had to learn how to read. However, most households owned only the Bible and other religious works (â€Å"Salem Witch Trials†). This was the childhood of Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris. Their strict way of life that they had to live was probably the reason why they were interested in Tituba’s, the Parris’ slave, magical stories and fortune telling games. On January 20th, 1692, Reverend Parris’ daughter, Elizabeth, age 9, and niece Abigail Williams, 11, started having â€Å"fits†. Ann Putnam, 11, experienced similar symptoms later on. They screamed, uttered peculiar sounds and contorted themselves into strange positions. Doctor Griggs, who attended the afflicted girls, suggested that they were bewitched. In that time, a dog was believed to be a â€Å"familiar† of the Devil. So, Tituba baked a â€Å"witch cake†, which contained the urine of the afflicted girls, and fed it to the dog. This was considered an old English folk remedy (Linder, â€Å"Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692). In late February of 1692, the afflicted girls were pressured by ministers and townspeople to say who cause their odd behavior. The girls accused Tituba, Sarah Good, a homeless beggar, and Sarah Osborne, an elderly impoverished woman. Arrest warrants for the three women were issued and magistrates John Hawthorne and Jonathan Corwin examined them for â€Å"witch teats†. Osborne and Good claimed their innocence, but Tituba confessed, â€Å"the Devil came to me and bid me to serve him† (Blumberg, â€Å"A Brief History†). She described elaborate images of black dogs, red cats, yellow birds and a â€Å"black man† who wanted her to sign his book. She admitted to signing the book and said that there were several other witches looking to destroy the Puritans. All three of them were put into jail. Soon, the group of afflicted girls began to accuse many people such as Martha Cory, Rebecca Nurse, Dorcas Good, Elizabeth Proctor, Sarah Cloyce, etc. Subsequently, prisons were filled with more than one hundred fifty men and women from towns surrounding Salem. On May 27th, 1692, Governor William Phipps ordered the establishment of the Special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) to hear the cases of witchcraft. Bridget Bishop, an older woman who was known for her gossipy habits and promiscuity, was the first case. On June 10th, she was the first person to be hanged on Gallows Hill. As the trials went on, five people were sentenced and hanged in July, five more in August and eight on September. On October 29th, 1692, Governor Phipps released many accused witches and dissolved the court of Oyer and Terminer. He eventually pardoned all the people who were in prison on witchcraft charge (Blumberg, â€Å"A Brief History†). Therefore, the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was ended. Due to this event, nineteen innocent men and women were hanged for witchcraft, Giles Corey was pressed to death under heavy rocks for refusing to stand trial, and four other died in jail as they awaited trial (â€Å"Salem Witch Trials†). After the trials were over, many people, such as Ann Putnam, felt guilty and wrong for taking away the lives of over twenty innocent people. In 1697, the General Court ordered a day of fasting and soul –searching for the tragedy that happened five years ago. In 1702, the court declared that the trials were unlawful. Finally, in 1711, the colony passed a bill restoring the rights and good names of those accused during the trials and 600 pounds were granted in restitution to their heirs. It was not until 1957 that Massachusetts formally apologized for what had happened in 1692 (Blumberg, â€Å"A Brief History†). On the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials, a witchcraft memorial designed by James Culter was dedicated in Salem. However, the problem of witchcraft still remains today. On March 15th, 2012, there was a conviction of a London couple for a death of a fifteen year-old boy whom they violently abused because they believed him to be a witch. This is not the first time that this has happened in the U. K. Scotland Yard told BBC that they have investigated over eighty-eight faith based child abuse in the last decade. UNICEF reported that in 2010, twenty thousand children were accused of witchcraft were living on the streets in the capital city of Kinshasa. In addition, the Nation Crime Bureau in India states that over 2,500 women have been killed for being suspected for being suspected of practicing witchcraft (Rojas, Witchcraft-Related Violence†). Violence against people accused of being witches is a growing problem in the U.K. , India, and Africa. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane follows Connie Goodwin’s adventure in trying to unravel the truth about the past. Also in her novel, Howe also allows the reader to explore the life of Deliverance Dane, who is included in the Salem Witch Trials in the story. In the novel, Deliverance Dane, a mother who makes tinctures for the sick, is accused of being a witch. Although she posses magical powers, she does not use them for evil. During the time that she is accused, many other women and men are accused along with her. The truth is that â€Å"the people accused in Salem were just regular, everyday people† (Howe 141). No matter how they try to clear their names, the â€Å"witches† are all sent to prison. In prison, their feet are clamped with â€Å"a heavy iron cuff, attached with a short length of nautical-grade chain† (295). Deliverance Dane, Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Rebecca Nurse are some of the women that are accused and hanged on Gallows Hill in the novel. Even though this book is fiction, due to Deliverance’s magical powers, the novel contains many people who were convicted during the Salem Witch Trials and their deaths. Deliverance Dane, who was really in the Salem Witch Trials, does not have a lot of information about her, except for the fact that she had a husband named, Nathaniel, and that she survived the trials. Because no one knows Deliverance’s story during the Salem Witch Trials, Howe uses the lack of information to create a story for Dane, which is portrayed in the novel. Because people are so fixed on the idea that witches are not real, Howe shows a surprising twist in her book by giving Deliverance magical powers. Even though the colonists claimed that the accused were witches, there is no exact proof of witchcraft. But, maybe the accused did have magical powers, which could explain the weird fits that the girls wee experiencing. This makes the reader question whether magic truly exists or not. The Salem Witch Trials is not very well known by the people of our nation. So, with the help of this novel, more and more people can be informed about this tragic incident that took place in 1692. Also, this novel shows that witches are not how people in our society imagine them. This books shows to the people that witches are not harmful to the human race and that people should not be wrongly accused for such a ridiculous stereotype. As the critiques of this book are read and compared, they are very mixed reviews. Some readers love the book from the beginning to the end and some people have problems with the way Howe wrote her plot and her characters. Laura Bliss from the Library Journal wrote, â€Å"This enjoyable novel is too slow-paced to be considered a thriller, but its a solid selection that may appeal to readers who enjoyed recent novels about Salems witches. † Although Bliss thought that the book could have gone a little bit faster, overall, she recommends that the book will be a good read. Unlike the Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly states that â€Å"her [Howe] voice is pleasing, her pacing and emphasis good and her diction clear†. However, they also say in their review that â€Å"the characters are thin and the plot is predictable†. According to Publisher Weekly, Howe’s plot in her novel is too original and not exciting. So, because the plot is too easy to guess, it does not leave suspense for the reader, which causes them to get bored when reading the book. They also said that the characters are not built very convincing either. The characters in her novel seem to be missing uniqueness and they lack personality. Even though Howe has received some complains about The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, she has been praised as well for her extensive research that she had to do to write it (â€Å"Editorial Reviews†). For her first debut novel, Howe has done an extraordinary job of bringing the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 back to life. Even though Katherine Howe did not directly experience the Salem Witch Trials, the life of her ancestor, Elizabeth Howe, was taken away because of this event. This gave her the inspiration and maybe some responsibility to let the world know about this event. These trials went on with solely by accusation and without the use of actual evidence of witchcraft. The lives of many innocent people were taken away, which leaves people wondering, â€Å"Why did this ever happen? † This answer to this question will always be a mystery because there could have been many reasons why the colonists reacted like the way they did. Whatever the reason may be, the lives of the people that were taken away will always be in remembrance.

Lifestyle Changes in the 1920s US

Lifestyle Changes in the 1920s US â€Å"Cultural civil war† (Digital History), Symbolizes the era of the 1920s. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald labeled this decade the Jazz Age. In his novel, The Great Gatsby, he criticized the exterior and possessive lives of Americans after the war. The traditional lifestyles were fading away while the luxurious, party lifestyle flourished. Throughout the 1920s Americans continually tested the universal image of desired behavior. The decade was shaped by wealth, parties, moonshine, and sexually expressive dancing. The changing lifestyles developed major cultural conflicts within America. Alcohol, music, immigration, racism, and flappers of the 1920s illustrate the changing lifestyles brought about by the jazz age. During the 1920s, alcohol was the greatest contributor to the lifestyle changes and cultural conflicts. These changes eventually became noticed by the governing power, and on January 16, 1920 the 18th Amendment came into effect. The 18th Amendment, known as prohibition, was the forbidding by law of manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol. Along with 18th Amendment, congress passed the Volstead Act to enforce the new prohibition on alcohol. The mob and gangsters took advantage of the opportunity and began smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and became quite profitable. Alcohol was smuggled in from Mexico and Canada, also being shipped from abroad to the U.S. from Europe and the Caribbean. Canada was exporting roughly a million gallons of alcohol to the United States a year. Bootleggers made their own drinks with wood, alcohol and medical supplies, sometimes causing blindness, paralysis, or death. In The Great Gatsby, and in the 1920s, bootlegging was sociably acceptable. In F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, Nick comments on Gatsbys house after his huge party, telling him that his house party glowed immensely like the â€Å"worlds fair† (Fitzgerald 86). All of Gatsbys guests knew he was involved with organized crime, but yet seemed to attend all of his parties without hesitation. Because of the Prohibition law, Gangsters developed secret drinking establishments, Speakeasies; which provided an entertaining atmosphere, jazz music, food, and alcohol. The illegal bars were called speakeasies because you had to speak the password to enter. With the flood of liquor expanding, the government created the Prohibition Bureau, which always fell short of men and money. The mob, due to the amount of money they were making, were able to expand their influence on bribe public officials; many judges, law makers, police, and Prohibition Bureau members were on various crime organizations payrolls. Alphonse â€Å"Scarface† Capone was one of the famous bribers of the Jazz Age. Capone essentially owned Chicago, and in 1927 he made around $60 million by bootlegging. In the End, â€Å"The idea behind Prohibition was to reduce crime and poverty, and generally improve the quality of life in America—by making it impossible for people to get their hands on alcohol. But this so called ‘Nobel Experiment was a colossal failure† (Speakeasies, Flappers Red Hot Jazz: Music of the Prohibition). Lasting roughly thirteen years, Prohibition ended with the ratification of the 21st Amendment, on December 5, 1933, legalizing alcohol. In addition to alcohol parents, teachers, and pastors blamed the lifestyle changes on the musical changes of the Jazz age. The Harlem Renaissance was a movement where black authors, musicians, and artists show cased the talent that African Americans had to offer, marked the beginning of the musical changes. It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who called the 1920s the â€Å"Jazz Age†, but it was the African Americans who gave the era its jazz. Jazz is a musical form, native to the United States, creatively mixing different forms of music, including African American blues and rag time, and European-based popular music. As slaves African Americans learned few European cultural traditions. Becoming popular in the late 1920s, jazz was very â€Å"addictive† to people because of its unusual beat and rhythm. In The Great Gatsby, when Nick, Daisy, and Tom are walking to their car, Daisy is drawn back inside by the music, tuning all other surrounding sounds out (Fitzgerald 115). Jazz was so distinct it didnt just spread among the U.S., but around the world. Some of Jazzs most famous artists within the 1920s were Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. Jazz along with the beat and rhythm developed new dance styles, such as the Charleston, becoming so popular that it still symbols the Jazz Age. Along with Jazz, other musical forms and changes emerged, such as Blues, Hillbilly, and boogie woogie music. Of the 1920s, Bessie Smith was the best and most influential classic blues singer. Hillbilly music, also known as country music, was best represented by musician Jimmie Rodgers. Pianist Cow Cow Davenport developed the trademark tune â€Å"cow cow blues†, giving life to boogie woogie piano style. The Roaring twenties, known as the Jazz age because of Jazzs unusual beat and rhythm, became the most popular music of the era. The invention of the radio â€Å"drew the nation together by bringing news, entertainment, and advertisements to more than 10 million households by 1929† (The Formation of Modern American Mass Culture). The newly invented radio contributed to the flourishing of jazz, and gained widespread appeal during the decade, even among the whites. Another Contributor to the lifestyle changes in the 1920s was immigration. 4,107,209 immigrants immigrated into the United States from 1921 to 1930. Immigrants brought along their lifestyles and culture; thus forming a culture clash. This is exampled in The Great Gatsby when those from the Midwest Nick Carraway were fair, honest, and straight forward, while those living in the East for sometime Tom and Daisy Buchanan were unfair, corrupt, and materialistic. Many immigrated to America hoping for the American Dream, social advancement, freedom, and endless opportunities. Main issue with immigration was the competition for jobs. In 1921 a quota system for immigrants was developed by congress. A quota system is an arrangement that limited the number of immigrants who could enter the U.S. from specific countries. In 1924 the National Origins Act, states that the number of immigrants of a given nationality each year could not exceed 2% of the number of people of that nationality living in the United States in 1890. By the middle of the 1920s one out of every four people was an immigrant. The Quota Law of 1924 and 1929 act limited the number of immigrants to 150,000 to be distributed among people of various nationalities in proportion to the umber of their compatriots already in the United States in 1920. Many Americans viewed these immigrants as a threat to American religious and social values, as well as economic opportunities. Due to the number of immigrants, racism peeked during the 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan, a hate group, reached nearly 4-5 million members in the 1920s, spreading throughout the U.S. The KKK aimed at killing non-whites and other religious groups, harassed and promoted hatred towards African Americans, but also aimed at the new America forming within the cities. They targeted Jews, Catholics, and immigrants. One center of Klan strength was Indiana, where leader David Stephenson was strict and controlled few politicians. In the darkness of night the KKK burned crosses, boycotted business owned by Jewish, Catholics, and Africans, terrorizing the citizens. The Klan wore masks to conceal their identities, waved flags and preached hate. Famous leaders of the Klan during this era include Grand Dragon and Imperial Wizard. Behind the hard, hateful exterior, were just Americans fearful of change. Flappers, directly illustrate the changing lifestyles and cultural battles within the Jazz Age. Many of the young unmarried women of the twenties rebelled against the conventional patterns of behavior and became known as flappers. Flappers often cut their hair short, wore it in a bob, and wore short straight dresses that would flap around when they would dance. Flappers flaunted their independence from parents by going away to college or moving to the city. They also abandoned social taboos that said women shouldnt drink, smoke or become sexually active. Daisy and Myrtle from The Great Gatsby embody the flapper image by drinking and their party lifestyles. Both of them also cheated on their husbands, having love for more than one man. Flappers were known to hang out in speakeasies and night clubs where they danced with bear arms and legs flying. Flappers flaunted their sexuality; this marked the 1920s individuality of the modern woman. The 1920s was a decade of deep cultural conflict (The 1920s An Overview). The cultural conflicts of the twenties were between a more metropolitan culture, and a more traditional culture. Americans were no longer interested in politics, but entertainment. Because the 1920s produced a breed of artists, musicians, and writers, who were among the most ingenious and clever in American history, the 1920s developed into one of the most crucial periods in the countries cultural history (The Formation of Modern American Mass Culture). Author F. Scott Fitzgerald called the 1920s the Jazz Age and the decade was truly was Jazzs golden age. â€Å"The stock market crash of 1929 signaled the end of the party. The roaring 20s came to a close in economic chaos and the lighthearted atmosphere of the Prohibition era fizzled out with the end of the decade† (Roaring Twenties). The changing lifestyles brought about by the 1920s Jazz Age was embodied by alcohol, music, immigration, racism, and fla ppers.

Oppostition To The New Deal :: essays research papers

Why was there opposition to the New Deal? In many ways the New Deal turned out to be a success. It clearly stopped the Depression from getting worse; gave hope and confidence to the American people at the worst tome in their history; and ‘saved’ American democracy. But why did it face so much opposition and criticism. Firstly, many people believed that the New Deal went against the basic principles of the American constitution. Many people, including the Republicans, thought that the government should not interfere with the economy or help the poor, i.e. there should be policy of laissez faire. However, Roosevelt defied this by setting up social welfare systems and by setting up the National Industry Recovery Act. Later on, however, the Supreme Court decided that several of Roosevelt’s laws were unconstitutional and they were subsequently vetoed. Moreover, after Roosevelt’s victory in the 1936 election, Roosevelt grew so confident that he felt he could replace members of the Supreme Court with people chosen by himself. However, this did no go down well with the American public and as a result many people began to oppose Roosevelt and his policies. Secondly, the New Deal meant that the rich were taxed more in order to pay for the schemes to help the poor. Many business leaders also opposed Roosevelt’s support for trade unions and employee rights. Wealthy business organisations, such as the American Liberty League, opposed Roosevelt. As they did not like the way the New Deal ‘interfered’ with business. Thirdly, more serious opposition came from radicals, such as Louisiana state senator Huey Long, who believed the government and the New Deal had not done enough to stop poverty and unemployment. Long called for taxation of the rich and the total confiscation of all fortunes over $5 million. His ‘Share our Wealth’ scheme, Long claimed, would give each American family $6,000 to spend. These ideas became very popular among the poor, with over 7.5 million people joining these schemes. There was also much opposition from the States who believed that the New Deal was undermining their authority. Oppostition To The New Deal :: essays research papers Why was there opposition to the New Deal? In many ways the New Deal turned out to be a success. It clearly stopped the Depression from getting worse; gave hope and confidence to the American people at the worst tome in their history; and ‘saved’ American democracy. But why did it face so much opposition and criticism. Firstly, many people believed that the New Deal went against the basic principles of the American constitution. Many people, including the Republicans, thought that the government should not interfere with the economy or help the poor, i.e. there should be policy of laissez faire. However, Roosevelt defied this by setting up social welfare systems and by setting up the National Industry Recovery Act. Later on, however, the Supreme Court decided that several of Roosevelt’s laws were unconstitutional and they were subsequently vetoed. Moreover, after Roosevelt’s victory in the 1936 election, Roosevelt grew so confident that he felt he could replace members of the Supreme Court with people chosen by himself. However, this did no go down well with the American public and as a result many people began to oppose Roosevelt and his policies. Secondly, the New Deal meant that the rich were taxed more in order to pay for the schemes to help the poor. Many business leaders also opposed Roosevelt’s support for trade unions and employee rights. Wealthy business organisations, such as the American Liberty League, opposed Roosevelt. As they did not like the way the New Deal ‘interfered’ with business. Thirdly, more serious opposition came from radicals, such as Louisiana state senator Huey Long, who believed the government and the New Deal had not done enough to stop poverty and unemployment. Long called for taxation of the rich and the total confiscation of all fortunes over $5 million. His ‘Share our Wealth’ scheme, Long claimed, would give each American family $6,000 to spend. These ideas became very popular among the poor, with over 7.5 million people joining these schemes. There was also much opposition from the States who believed that the New Deal was undermining their authority.

A Critique of Compulsory Schooling :: Education

â€Å"The knowledge of the world is to only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet.† Thus said Lord Chesterfield, who understood the fact that locking children away is not the best way to teach them. It is a painful reality that students are not being educated, but rather simply being schooled, and most people who understand street slang know that â€Å"to be schooled† is to be beaten down. This terminology is not a coincidence. Compulsory schooling is eliminating society of its most vibrant sources of variety, and teaching children that no work is worth finishing, and that they must depend on someone else’s word in order to survive. John Taylor Gatto, NY State Teacher of the Year in 1991, describes how society is slowly becoming sterile due to a lack of variety – when children are locked away in their classroom prison cells, and senior citizens are locked away in retirement homes, there is no one from which to find an alternating viewpoint. Schools tear children away from their families when they could be using the time to learn something from their parents, or their grandparents. There is a reason why mythological wise characters are always aged, and children are tragically missing prime opportunities to spend time with these experienced individuals. God forbid they should actually learn something that might be applicable to them later in life, as opposed to the standardized material that will be forgotten as soon as the next test is turned in. Schools tear at the very source of variety – the family. If all children are herded up into a single institution, they are less likely to think critically enough to recognize oppression or hypocrisy from the higher-ups (the ones making money). For example, drivers constantly relay stories about how traffic cops have tried to take advantage of them by making up laws and assuming that the offender is not critical enough to question his authority. Tickets are given and fines are paid over false premises, and no one wonders why. People like traffic cops feed off of the ignorance that is pumped out of these schools – indeed, it is often their best source of monetary gain. The victims in these situations always feel absolutely betrayed. However, schools often play out similar scenes, and yet it is rare to find a student who understands this betrayal. They are placed under the supervision of strange adults – many of whom simply go through the motions in order to earn their paychecks – and are expected to place unbending faith in the words that these adults utter.

Most historians recognise 1917 as the year in which the Harlem :: English Literature:

Most historians recognise 1917 as the year in which the Harlem renaissance began. The Harlem Renaissance. Today most historians recognise 1917 as the year in which the Harlem renaissance began. Three events lead to this. First was the publication of two poems by Claude McKay. Second was the opening on Broadway of three plays about black life by a white writer, Ridgely Thomas. These plays were remarkable not only because they were performed by black artists but because they contained none of the usual racial stereotypes. Finally, on the 28th of July Harlem experienced its first silent parade when ten to fifteen thousand blacks marched down 5th Avenue to protest against continued racial inequities. However the rich surge in African American arts and letters that took place around the 1920’s was not limited to just Harlem, nor even to New York City. Although, the intensity of the movement was in that city, and the sheer number of black writers, musicians, and scholars who lived and worked in Harlem has ensured that it is linked with the era. To understand the Harlem Renaissance it is necessary to appreciate both the changes that occurred within the African community and the cultural shifts that took place in American society as a whole during the 1920’s. For blacks the years during and after World War one were ones of increased militancy and racial pride. Phillip Randolph was struggling to organise black workers and a national campaign was actively promoting federal antilynching legislation. Although white society did not take these political movements particularly seriously, it did give considerable recognition to the large number of black writers, musicians and scholars who were emerging simultaneously. These figures being people like, Countee Cullen, James Weldon, Zora Neale Hurston, Wallace Thurman and Jean Toomer. All lived in Harlem and Langston Hughes described the area as a â€Å"great magnet for the negro intellectual, pulling him from everywhere.† Yet Harlem was a magnet not only for blacks, but also for whites eager to experience for themselves the glamour and escapism that its night-clubs seemed to promise. In many ways Harlem became a national symbol of the Jazz Age, a complete antithesis of Main Street and everything that the artists and cultural critics of the 1920’s rejected. Many Observers, black and white, hoped that this outburst of literary and artistic talent would help to ensure greater acceptance of blacks by American Society.

Adrienne Rich’s 21 Love Poems Essay

In â€Å"Twenty-One Love Poems† by Adrienne Rich, each poem helps us understand her life. We as the readers get a â€Å"sneak peak† at the struggles she faces due to an almost ‘doomed’ love affair she has with another woman. The settings of her poems take place in Manhattan which she refers to as the â€Å"island of Manhattan† many times. There is a transitioning from beginning to end of this short collection of poems. Rich begins her collection with a jolly almost exuberant tone of passion and romance she shares with her lover. In poem IV she states â€Å"I open the mail, drinking delicious coffee, delicious music, my body still both light and heavy with you† (10-12). The speaker here is having physical contact with her lover, juxtaposed to the later poems where the lover is only a memory. The solitude she finds herself in is seen in poem XVIII: â€Å"Close between grief and anger, a space opens where I am Adrienne alone. And growing colderà ¢â‚¬  (13-14). This is the exact point where we find out her sadness and loss she has experienced. I will focus on this side of the spectrum, Adrienne Rich’s transition into solitude. Poem XVIII starts off with rain in the city, and the speaker is at a red light at Riverside. It can be interpreted that the rain is in correlation with her sadness and/or tears as to finding herself at a stop in her life, which is in correlation with the red light she is currently waiting on. This assertion can be made by the lines that follow: â€Å"the more I live, the more I think/ two people together is a miracle† (3-4). She is clearly being judgmental about relationships in general based on her experiences in love. Two people together don’t necessarily have to be viewed as a miracle like she puts it. Two women however, in her time, had to have a hidden love, completely unknown to the outside world. The end result would be that their love for each other would have to always stay hidden, as to why she writes: â€Å"The story of our lives becomes our lives† (7). She continues by telling her lover that she knows her response already, and that it most likely will sound like something some Victorian poet would say. â€Å"†¦ salt estranging sea† is what she pulls from Matthew Arnold’s â€Å"To Marguerite† which is mostly stating that we are all alone no matter the millions of people around us. Rich ends the poem by stating that she is in a state of â€Å"estrangement.† Estrangement is separation resulting from hostility, but in this case the estrangement can possibly be synonymous for a fresh start. What can be very  hard to understand about the ending of this poem is that although â€Å"a clef of light† is visible, Adrienne feels more alone than ever. Although the start of something new can be both, good and frightening for someone, th e start of this new day for Adrienne makes her feel colder than she ever has felt. Rich continues in poem XIX to show the darker side of the â€Å"island of Manhattan.† The poem starts off with a question â€Å"Can it be growing colder when I begin to touch myself again, adhesion pull away?† (1-2) The tone here is grief and an uprising anger. It is interesting to observe that although the speaker is engaging in masturbation, she still feels the coldness that overcame her in poem XVIII. It is bizarre because someone wouldn’t normally associate the act of masturbation with coldness, unless, this event brings up a memory, a memory which gives her an unhappy feeling. She continues by stating that a naked face turns from looking backwards and is now looking to the past for comfort, she is ready to take on what is in front of her: † the eye of winter, city, anger, poverty and death† (5). This new present she is currently facing maybe too much for her to digest. This is why she contemplates if her life is worth living in the following line. She shifts the poem to address her lover by asking her a question. She asks her if she is speaking in a cold manner if she says love isn’t miraculous. This is a transitioning in her state of mind, new profound wisdom enters her and she shares it with us and her lover. She realizes that a relationship consisting of two women â€Å"is a work† just like any other relationship. Thos who are able to be in a healthy relationship can view their efforts as â€Å"heroic in its ordinariness.† The poem ends by Rich telling her love to â€Å"look at the faces of those who have chosen to be in love, that although it takes a lot of hard work, they are in the end happy. Poem XX starts off very ambiguously, with the speaker stating that the conversation she and her lover were supposed to have keeps on replaying in her head. The Fact that it never happened haunts her till this day. She continues the poem by stating that she can distinguish a woman she once loved, the very woman who holds many secrets that built an immense amount of fear. She has tried to speak to this woman on many occasions but her â€Å"expressive head† is a â€Å"dragging down deeper† into a place where she is  unable to make contact with her. The woman she is trying to speak to the entire time is herself. She comes into a self realization that she misses the woman she used to be. In twenty- one love poems, Adrienne Rich gives us a peek into her changing thoughts about love and life. She uses contradictions to parallel the thinking process all of us have with love. There is a change of mind happening throughout all of the poems and this makes the poems and poet appear more â€Å"human-like.† What I mean is that in everyday life people have contradictions about many things and this is how Adrienne Rich does a great idea in humanizing thoughts. Her life is hard to live and she realizes that and so do we. I feel safe to say that she knows its tough but this is a life she has chosen. We experience her hardships in her life through her poetry and we see her transition into solitude. Works Cited Rich, Adrienne. 21 Love Poems http://www.sabrinaaiellophotography.com/files/Complete_21_Love_Poems_by_Adrienne_Rich.htm

Good Behaviour Game Essay

Managing the classroom is an important part of efficient teaching. This research study aims to introduce the Good Behavior Game in the classroom to assess its effectiveness in the promotion of positive behavior and curtailing disruptive behavior among students. The strategy is an empirically-based group behavior management technique. Many studies have shown the usefulness of the Good Behavior Game in discouraging disturbing and disruptive behavior in students in a variety of school settings. The objective of this study is not solely to reinforce ‘good behavior’, instead it aims to reinforce voluntary control over attention and reduce the susceptibility to accidental negative reinforcement from peers in the classroom. Implementation of Good Behavior Game on the Students of First Standard Introduction Class room management is one of the most important aspects of Educational psychology and is closely related to motivation, respect and discipline. This term is used by teachers and psychologists to describe the process of running a classroom without disruption despite of disruptive behavior by the students. It also implies the prevention of behaviors that are disruptive in nature. Disruptive behavior is linked with subordinate or lesser scores on high stakes tests and low academic success overall (Wentzel, 1993). Brophy elucidates the term classroom management as a teacher’s efforts to create and uphold the classroom environment as an efficient place for teaching and learning (Brophy, 1986). Maintaining the classroom environment involves teacher’s efforts to provide activities for students that are both inside and outside of the classroom setting. This might include academic instruction, management of student interactions and supervision of student behavior (Wright, 2008). A study conducted by Merret and Wheldall advocated the point that for some teachers controlling behaviors of multiple students at the same time proves to be a difficult task. The study showed that teachers were unhappy and concerned about the level of disruptive behavior in their classrooms, because they were unaware of the knowledge of behavioral classroom management theories and strategies to address behavior in order to put into practice specific behavior modification strategies (Merrett & Wheldall, 1978). The research conducted by Wesley and Vocke showed that less than half of teacher pre-professional education programs (37%) necessitate students to complete a course designed to formally address classroom management approaches, techniques, and assessment of the methods (Jones, 1996), (Wright, 2008). Disruptive behavior projected by students is seen as a major concern while providing optimal learning and teaching environment. Many strategies and interventions have been used in order to tackle this issue and provide better class environment that is well managed. Effectiveness of behavior modification has been proven through research and behavior analytic approaches have been employed in many settings (Bellack & Hersen, 1990). These approaches address various target behaviors that include verbal, motor and combination of both motor and verbal behaviors. These approaches have been implemented in classrooms by teachers as they are the ones maintaining the environment of the class. Our research study focuses on how effective such strategies can be, when used by the teachers, to manage disruptive behaviors and maintain the protocol of the class. The stress is on the teacher as he or she is the constant variable in the classroom (teachers do not change or alter their behavior everyday) and can act as an effective behavior change agent. There is a growing need for efficient interventions that effectively deal with the behaviors of multiple students at the same time. Doing so is necessary because it ensures optimal learning and teaching environment that ultimately results in a more developed and aware students with better capability to make sense of the world around them. The Good Behavior Game The Good Behavior Game is a strategy used to manage behaviors in the classrooms that employs giving rewards to children for avoiding disruptive behaviors during instructional times. The class is divided into two teams and a point is given to a team for any inappropriate behavior shown by one of its members. The team with the lowest number of points at the Game’s end each day wins a group reward. If both teams keep their points below a predetermined level, then both teams share in the reward. The program was first used by Barrish, Saunders, and Wolf in 1969. Since then several research articles have confirmed that the Good Behavior Game is an efficient means of increasing the rate of desired behaviors while decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom. The Good Behavior Game sees the classroom as a community. The teacher is essential to the Good Behavior Game, because he or she determines the rules for becoming a successful student and member of the community and also sets whether each child succeeds or fails. The Good Behavior Game improves the accuracy with which the teacher delivers and the student receives these rules, and by doing so improves the teacher-student interaction and the child’s chances for success. Initiation of Good Behavior Game in classroom settings shows that the better behaved children were observed to influence and socially integrate the children who behaved less appropriately thus promoting healthy competition inside the class among students. Rationale This research aims to introduce the Good Behavior Game in the classroom to assess its effectiveness in the promotion of positive behavior and curtailing disruptive behavior among students. The strategy is an empirically-based group behavior management technique. Many studies have shown the usefulness of the Good Behavior Game in discouraging disturbing and disruptive behavior in students in a variety of school settings. The objective of initiating the Good Behavior Game is not solely to reinforce ‘good behavior’, instead it aims to reinforce voluntary control over attention and reduce the susceptibility to accidental negative reinforcement from peers in the classroom in order to develop an atmosphere of positive peer pressure, reduced inattentiveness and prevention of disruptive, disturbing and destructive behaviors in the class. Type of Experiment The study conducted includes elements of an observational study and a quasi experiment. Initially the students were observed and the frequency of desirable and undesirable behaviors occurring in the class was noted down. After the initial assessment, once the rules of the game were employed in the classrooms, the study was continued as a quasi experiment where we gauged whether the implementation of the game has any effects on the students’ behavior. Work Plan The experiment was conducted over a one month time period. The breakdown and time schedule is given below: For the first three days the classrooms were visited and the children and the teachers were observed; how the teacher deals with disruptive behavior in general, how often the students indulge in undesirable behavior, how other students react to the misbehaving students etc. For the next three weeks, the Good Behavior Game was employed in class after initial assessment with the help of the teacher. It was essential for the success of our study that the game continued at all times. Although we were not present in the school the whole time during the three week period, we visited the classes thrice a week to check up on the implementation and to observe if the game was having the hypothesized effects. We allocated two days at the end of the study to meet with the teachers and head of the school to debrief them about the study and get feedback as to how they received it and whether they, as professionals, saw any merit to implementing the game full time in their school. Good Behavior Game: Our use of the technique on First graders The school chosen to implement the study on was The City School, Kindergarten III, Gulshan Branch. The school comprised of students of the first standard. The technique was implemented in five steps. We modified the certain aspects of the Good Behavior Game: we had four groups in a class instead of two groups, the reward was given after every two weeks instead of every day and the game was played continuously through the school time instead of certain specific periods. There were two major reasons to implement the study on the first grade: First being that the first grade is a major transition for both the students and their families, that is, the first grade is generally the first place where all the children interact and that at this level behavior problem can be easily identified. Secondly, the first-grade classroom is well-suited for interventions, like the Good Behavior Game, that focuses on inculcating the role of students in classrooms. First grade is the first setting outside the home where many children learn the social and behavioral skills they will need to succeed in school. The first grade is also a good setting in which teachers can be provided with certain techniques to manage the class efficiently. Before the steps were employed in the classes a detailed observation of three days was carried out inside the classes in order to gauge the following aspects: The level and the amount of disruptive behavior; What is considered as bad or disruptive behavior; General time duration of the class; The time wasted in dealing with the disruptive behavior; Total time spent teaching every day; Attitude of the teachers and the level of student-teacher interaction. After the observation was made, the steps to incorporate the Good Behavior Game were put into action. The steps are as follow: Step One We discussed with the class teachers of the five sections if they were comfortable with employing Good Behavior Game inside their classes. The whole purpose of the study was explained to them and they were asked to decide whether the game should be played in certain periods or at all times. We explained to them that to see the hypothesized effects it should continue at all times so they agreed to implement the game full-time in their classes. The teachers were also asked how they defined disruptive behavior and what behaviors they would want to decrease in their students. Then the views of teachers and our observation were incorporated together in order to decide what behaviors are to be labeled as bad or disruptive. The list of behavior that we decided upon is: Leaving one’s seat without permission; Talking out loud during study time; Name calling; Fits of uncontrolled laughter; Speaking without raising one’s hand; Step Two The other step was to decide upon proper rewards that would be given to the winning teams. This was time consuming because the rewards should effectively motivate students to take part in the game. Thus six students from every class were interviewed about what would motivate them or push them to study harder and to avoid bad behaviors. This was an interesting part of the study as we got to know the perception of children about what they considered a gift or a reward and that how very important is it for them to win it. There were two rewards that were finally decided with the help of the teachers, students and our observation. The rewards that were decided are: Movie day Longer recess Step Three The third step was to introduce the Good Behavior Game to the class. A day before the game was to start it was announced in the assembly that a game would be starting in every section of the school. The students were told that they would be judged on the basis of their behaviors. The rules of the game were explained to the students which was and the identified bad behaviors were asked to be curtailed in order to win the rewards. The teachers were then asked to divide the class into four groups. For the sake of building camaraderie among students they were allowed to name their groups. The students were told the rules of the Good Behavior Game which were: The teams that would engage in bad or disruptive behaviors would earn a black star; In order to win the teams had to earn as few black stars as possible; If the number of stars for all the teams stays below six then they would all share the reward with the winning team. Step Four The fourth step was to put the game into effect. During those times that the game was in effect in the classroom, the teachers were asked to continue their usual instructional practices. The only change in the routine for them was to note and publicly record any black star earned by either of the teams. Teachers were given a chart to put stars on. The teachers were also asked to praise the students when they tried to avoid bad behaviors and tried to exhibit appropriate behaviors. Step Five The final step of our study was to observe the classrooms during the course of the game. Detailed observations were again made. We visited the school five times during the two weeks in which the Good Behavior Game was in action. Observations about the following were made: The level and the amount of disruptive behavior; General time duration of the class; The time wasted in dealing with the disruptive behavior; Total time spent teaching every day; Attitude of the teachers and the level of student-teacher interaction; Level of students’ interest in the game. Observations and Findings There was a noticeable drop in the level of disruptive behavior in the classroom as many students associated bad behavior with a black star, which was undesirable. While on the other hand, many students started behaving nicely to earn a golden star. Both positive and negative reinforcement was in action. The students learnt how to function as a member of a team. Level of cooperation was observed to rise within the students. It was observed that the teachers were less stressed and their moods were more pleasant when compared to before. Few children were scolded on the basis of disruptive behavior. Better academic attainment was seen, especially because teachers used the time made available for instruction and learning. Female students had much lower rates of disturbing and disruptive behaviors when compared to male students. The reward at the end of the game was seen as a major factor motivating the students to avoid engaging in disruptive behavior. The total teaching time per day in the classes increased around a good 20-30 minutes when compared to before. This happened because the time wasted in dealing with various disruptive behaviors decreased, resulting in more time available for the teacher to teach. It was observed that the age of the teacher also played a key role in the level of disruptive behavior in the classroom. The younger the teacher, the more the level of bad or undesired behavior in the class. The protocol for the discipline set by the school management was enhanced as more students tried to avoid those behaviors that were not allowed in the school rules. It was observed that after the initiation of the Good Behavior Game the environment of the class became more cheerful and students were more excited to learn. This meant that Good Behavior Game enhances the learning environment. It ensures maximum student-teacher interaction to provide better opportunities for the students to learn more openly. Good Behavior Game is more effective when compared to punishment in order to reduce undesirable or disruptive behavior in the class. Promoted healthy competition inside the classroom. Better behaved children were seen to influence and integrate the children who engaged in disruptive or inappropriate behavior. It was noticed that such classroom management technique enhances the teacher-child relationship. A student more easily identifies with his or her teacher and is less afraid to express what they think. The level of class participation increased. Students were actively engaged in learning and receptive to what their teachers taught them. Benefits of Good Behavior Game The Good Behavior Game is easy to implement and can benefit every student in the classroom. It cuts down on classroom distraction and benefits everyone and can help to create a positive and comfortable learning environment. To base the behavioral expectations for the Good Behavior Game on the school-wide expectations may facilitate students to generalize their appropriate behaviors across other settings. The Good Behavior Game is affordable and easy to put into practice. It does not involve extra class time to play. It is ideal for use in individual classrooms, throughout the school, or even throughout entire school districts. Its implementation is so easy that it can be brought into play effectively in almost every setting in the school, and even on the bus. The Good Behavior Game engages parents and caregivers in classroom activities too, so as to make sure that the effect of the game is not limited to the classroom but also other places where the children go. The Good Behavior Game works well with children whose first language is not English, which means that it can be implemented almost everywhere and that the scope of Good Behavior Game is not limited to only those children who are fluent in English. Also, the behavioral strategies in the Good Behavior Game support group based reinforcement for self-consciousness of disruption and aggression. Not only is the scope of this game limited to troublesome children but the game also extends as an effective resource for youth with special needs. Limitations Current developments in educational and psychological fields encourage positive approaches to improve children’s behavior. The Good Behavior Game remains an important tool for teachers struggling to manage classroom behavior yet the limitations remain. The study that was carried out had several limitations. The results that came out from our current observation showed that the students could have been at a good behavior because of the presence of outside observers in the classroom instead of the Good Behavior Game. Examination of the data suggested that this effect, if present, remained at a consistent level whenever observers were present in the classroom during the examination periods. However, this effect might not be present when observers were not present in the classroom, hence this effect might not be consistent throughout the study. To rectify this, future research should be implemented in a way that observations could be conducted in a less obvious method so as to give a natural and consistent result throughout the examination period. The teacher of the class thought that the preparation and involvement in the Good Behavior Game would require extra time and ingenuity and that extra burden would be placed on her, since she had also to prepare regular lessons. Due to this, the teacher was quite reluctant in helping and assisting us in the observation. Another problem, that was perhaps not as serious, concerned teacher observation of behaviors. No signaling system was used. The teacher had to become alert and talk about the behaviors in addition to continuing to conduct regular classroom activities. Spotting the target behaviors did not appear to be difficult for the teacher except when she faced the blackboard or talked to individual students. However, it should also be noted that since the teacher knew the students for a couple of months, for her, some behaviors would be quite normal and she might not have been able to identify them in an unbiased manner. Another problem that was faced was the time constraint. The observations were only carried out for six days which are inadequate to reach proper results in Good Behavior Game. Because the Good Behavior Game is typically played during instructional time, there is a decrease in disruptive behavior during this time, that is, the class is quieter so the teacher can be heard so the results might not be the ones if the game is played in another setting. Also it can be argued that classroom environment focuses on appropriate skill development rather than reductions of troublesome behavioral excesses. Conclusion Over all the Good Behavior Game is an excellent approach towards classroom management. It enables the teacher to control the level of disruptions inside the class and to engage the students in a healthy activity. During the course of our research we analyzed that the early years in childhood education matter a lot and if proper attention at this stage is not given then these behavioral problems might become ingrained in the children and result in pathology as they grow up. GBG uses the concept of reward instead of punishment which is a more efficient approach to reinforce behavior. Through this the students not only learn to avoid disruptive behavior but in the mean time also learn appropriate manners and the art of functioning in a group. References