Rickshaw by Chinese literary great Lao She Essay Example for Free

Rickshaw by Chinese literary great Lao She Essay Through telling the story of Xiangzi, Lao Shes Rickshaw moulds a woman in Hu Niu that is the antithesis of everything that a woman should be in the traditional society of that period. In the time-honoured Chinese culture, there has long been a strong prejudice against women of power. Every unfavourable image has been linked with particularly those who have proved especially formidable. Throughout the histories that have been written by mostly men where views as traditional as Xiangzis have been prevalent, dominant women have been presented in the most unsympathetic light. In similar fashion, our look at the character Hu Niu is relentlessly coloured by Xiangzis harsh narrative. It is impossible to do a light reading of Rickshaw and hope to be presented a face for Hu Niu that is to true to her actual person. Therefore, in order to ensure that our understanding of this distinctive woman is holistic, we must consider two issues: what sort of social influences have manipulated Xiangzis point of view; and what is Xiangzis innate character that so overwhelming pre-ordains the way he thinks. Only after peeling back such layers do we see a depiction of Hu Niu that is not peppered by biases. Only by doing our own commentary on the story do we hear the point of view of who is not talking and what is not being told, and that is the narrative of Hu Niu herself. What we subsequently come to realize is that, due to his wild prejudices, Xiangzi has rejected his best chance of escaping the rickshaw-pullers misfortunes when he rejects Hu Niu. In the broader sense of the Chinese history, women who have held power have often been blamed as the cause for ruin of an entire dynasty period. Historians have, for example, always blamed the downfall of the Qing dynasty on solely Empress Cixi and her refusal to recognize the changing times around her. In a more specific sense within the context of this novel, Xiangzi presents Hu Niu as the woman who is fully to blame for causing the downfall of a man. Women who strayed away from the traits that society norms dictate are seen as abnormal. In the same way, Xiangzis descriptions are most discriminating when revealing thoughts about any strong woman in his life, and he especially vilifies Hu Niu. This is not unlike the negative ways that dominant women like Empress Cixi and Empress Wu Zetian have been  represented throughout history. Under Confucian beliefs, it has been highly regarded the notion that the best types of women were the virtuous ones who may show maternal instincts before they even marry towards their younger siblings and widower fathers. There have always been deep-seated attitudes that have limited womens access to power. Patriarchy being the norm of the culture, a womans position within her family and the social hierarchy was as a dependent, not leader, of men. The tendency has been to assign women and men different roles, and womens special reproductive functions, of course, encourage this division. Often, the sharply restricted participation of women as competitors raises questions about a females ability to command. In actuality, women are by nature no weaker than men. As a generalization, certainly, they may be physically slighter and their characters gentler, but this does not equate to them being fundamentally powerless, useless, hesitant, cowardly, or able to survive only by obeying men. Scientists and historians have devised systems to analyse the workings of the world that, coincidentally, protect their own interests while oppressing and dominating women: the theory of Yin and Yang, for example, was established to demonstrate that, inherently, the female sex (yin) is linked with softer elements of the world such as stillness, inwardness, or earth, etc., while the male (yang) is linked with much stronger elements such as motion, outwardness, sky. Commanding and opinionated women were seen to be transgressing this boundary of yin and yang. Women who yielded power and used their skills in mind games to manipulate situations to their favour are seen as masculine and unnatural. Women who used their sexuality were seen as even more improper. Regardless of their individual personalities and abilities, females have been perceived as too weak, irrational and emotional to rule. This sentiment is shown in a Chinese saying that stated: A woman ruler is like a hen crowing . As we see from the beginning of his tale, due to Xiangzis traditional views,  his dream is to someday marry a robust and honest country girl after making enough money . As a result, it is apparent to us that the foundation of Hu Nius very nature had doomed her from the onset to be the recipient of all of Xiangzi prejudices. The precise manner in which she came to catch Xiangzi in marriage ignited every one of his prejudgments against women, especially against those who yielded sexual power. Xiangzi is incredibly scared of sexual women, but he mostly piously masquerades this fear as loathing or distaste. The morning following Hu Nius seduction of him, Xiangzi is thoroughly disgusted by the thought of Hu Niu, whom he deems as ugly, old, nagging, and shameless (54). So despite the fact that the warlord soldiers has so heartlessly robbed from him the first rickshaw he had loved so passionately, in Xiangzis mind they are still nowhere near as despicable as Hu Niu is (54). The fact that all the wrongs in the world that have been done onto him did not compare to the hurt done onto him by sex-hungry women attests to his outright prejudice. After Hu Niu gains some knowledge from Xiao Fuzi about the variety of physical acts, she proceeds to use Xiangzis body to find her lost springtime (172). This enrages Xiangzi, who subsequently believes that Hu Nius cooking for him and caring for him is merely attempts to fatten him up to make him her plaything (152). Xiangzis disdain for sexual women also manifests itself in the way he sees Madam Xia, as merely a woman who could give him a little extra cash (204). Xiangzi always tries to find safety in reverting to look down on the women whom he secretly finds intimidating. He does not like Madam Xia because he finds her to be a little terrifying, the way Hu Niu had been terrifying (204). He feels that Madam Xia brought with her all the harmfulness and destructiveness of the female sex that he had already tasted before and hated. His scorn for sexually predatory women is confirmed by the fact that he feels Hu Niu and Madam Xia were the same line of goods (204), meaning both women were strong, calculating and impure. Xiangzis view had been shaped by the fact that society as a whole only accepted women who exhibited bashfulness and mildness. History tends to vilify Empress Wu Zetian, for example, and tell stories of her sexual appetites . She harboured imperial ambitions of becoming emperor and was indeed perhaps one of the most able of the Chinese emperors. In attempts to regain her youth as she aged, she kept  a number of young men as her companions , no different from the way both Emperors and ordinary men alike all kept concubines. But history has been quick to condemn the gender reversals and sexual excesses of women as abnormal and uncivilized. Xiangzis little regard for women also encompasses his prejudice against financially minded females. We as readers notice immediately how much more intelligent Hu Niu is than Xiangzi, but he only sees her as manipulative. Hu Niu recognizes that brute strength is hardly the only way to make a living. Her business sense shows clearly in her immediate idea to rent out a room to Xiao Fuzi to aid the latter in the entertainment of men, or her quick thought to rent out the rickshaw to Ting as opposed to letting it sit idle when Xiangzi caught pneumonia from the summer storm (184). She has it meticulously planned out of how much money to spend on what items. Hu Niu is astute about what actions can be taken when money begins to decrease. She suggests that they go back to Old Liu, act submissive, and make up with him for the fight she had with him; she knows that she needs to given her father face, that he needs to be flattered and cajoled. She calculates, albeit too late, that by submitting to Old Liu, she and Xiangzi would be able to get the mans money legally in the proper line of inheritance (147). We see Xiangzi subsequently admitting to himself that none of this had ever occurred to him (148). Yet, even though he admits that he had never thought Hu Niu would have a plan like that in mind, and now he had an idea of her smarts, he still refuses to agree with Hu Niu. His stubborn reasoning is that he does not want to be the wifes toy nor the father-in-laws lackey (149). But he himself has no other ideas. The absurdity is clear in the fact that his only argument is, he just does not want to loaf, and pulling a rickshaw is all he knows. Xiangzis prejudice against economically minded females is also seen in his disregard for Kao Mas advice regarding savings and investments. Kao Ma tries to teach Xiangzi how money breeds money and is herself very adept in modern financial strategies (70). Although Xiangzi thinks Kao Ma is perfectly nice and is one of the very few women whom he respects, her advice to him is very quickly dismissed by Xiangzi simply because she was merely a  woman. He trusts only himself, and when he adds up his money on his own, he promptly decides that it is much safer kept in his own hands (72). His entire mind is centred only on safekeeping the money that he has. Besides laboriously pulling a rickshaw for a seemingly infinite period of time, his mind is nothing like Kao Mas or Hu Nius regarding how to use the money one already has to earn more. Xiangzi in fact feels that his deathlike grip on his money is worthy of respect, and even though Kao Ma was a nice enough woman, he sees no advantage in following her advice (73). Even when Madam Fang, an old employer, had urged him to open a savings account, he promptly rejected the notion because, through his warped logic, he felt that the cash in his hands was much better than the numbers in a passbook (71). One can not help but think that if it were not the Madam Fangs and Kao Mas of the world giving Xiangzi these advice, if in fact a man Mr. Cao, perhaps had done so, Xiangzi would certainly have listened much more seriously. Xiangzis loathing for being under Hu Nius control is a reflection of the fact that, throughout history, there have been blatant biases against female rulers. That a female could gain power over men and an entire country thereby abandoning the path set up for her by society was not accepted to a huge degree. Cixi, likely the shrewdest woman of all of Asia during her period, has been credited with the some of the worst things to befall her era. Much has been said about her rule as being the significant contributing factor to the ruin of a nation. Be that as it may, her control stems from power she fought for and won for herself. She rose from the lowest positions of a fifth rank concubine to what was eventually considered by many at the time as the only man in China, and likely exercised more power than any woman in that time . Another illustration of the bias can also be found against Empress Wu Zetian. Likely one of the most influential and oftentimes misunderstood rulers of Tang Dynasty China, she controlled the empire during one of its more peaceful and culturally diverse periods . Some may say that she was ruthless in her desire to gain and keep power, but others may say that she merely did what she had to and acted no differently than any male emperors of the same period. The kinds of behaviour criticized in men are dramatically different than those criticized in women, especially one dominant and deviant enough to rule an empire. It should be no surprise to us, then, that Xiangzi, someone who is determined to be dependent on only his own size and strength, should find is so unbearable to be controlled by a woman like Hu Niu. Xiangzi is dogged about relying on nothing more than his own muscles, and he mistrusts a woman who uses shrewdness and mind game to get what she wants. To him, Hu Nius calculating proposals are shameful, and he hates having to be at the mercy of her dominance (149). The fact that a woman ordered him about was insufferable for someone as headstrong as Xiangzi. This loathing comes to such a height he eventually declares that he is glad that she is dead because she had always oppressed him (218). He believes anyone who is powerful or calculating to be evil and deserves to die. Despite the fact that Xiangzis hatred has been building since his meeting of Hu Niu, the severity and mercilessness of his venom here is still surprisingly startling. Xiangzi states that the only people he thought deserves to live was himself and Xiao Fuzi, who is loyal and honest (218). Such a statement reveals to the reader that if Xiangzi is ever at all capable of empathizing with anyone, it is only with the passive and the meek. Xiangzis discrimination against Hu Niu cannot be fully understood until we get a feel of his ode to Xiao Fuzi. The earliest we observe of his intolerance for women as a whole is when he purchases his first rickshaw and the only class of persons to whom he simply refuses to grant a ride are women, who are, in his opinion, an indication of bad omen (10). More appropriately, we could say Xiangzis bias is most concentrated against specifically those women who know what they want and stops at nothing to achieve it. We see that the only woman in this entire novel of whom he sings high and unfettered praises is the one woman who is different from Hu Niu in every possible way: simpleminded, thoughtless, compliant and sweet Xiao Fuzi. As we know, tradition calls for women to have no opinion, listen to the husband, be tolerant, be useful and not be afraid of hard work. Xiao Fuzi is the epitome of the perfect woman of Xiangzis dreams. Even when Hu Niu is making Xiao Fuzis life miserable and her business difficult, the latter is still capable of swallowing her tears, and humbling herself by throwing herself at Hu Nius mercy. The bearing of disgrace by kneeling  before Hu Niu is the most admirable of sacrifices (188). Xiangzi loves Xiao Fuzis mildness and it shows in his fondness for her companionship and conservations (186). With Hu Niu, he never got the last word. Xiangzi can only tolerate a traditional woman who listens to men. Therefore, in Hu Nuis devotion to Xiangzi, we see that her love could never find reciprocation or fulfilment. Furthermore, we can deduce for ourselves that if Xiao Fuzi was not someone who handed her whole life over to himsomeone who needed a man like himsomeone whom he could rescue (224), nothing about her either would have been any allure for Xiangzi. If Xiangzis opinion were the only narrative in the novel, then simply after considering his side could be the end of our story. After all, this novel is centred on Xiangzi the repetition in his buying the rickshaw, losing the rickshaw and is about how life has killed his idealistic dreams. However, merely Xiangzis account can not be depended upon. The story of Xiangzis loss of hope is told through two competing narratives. There is another narrator besides Xiangzi that every now and then gives us glimpses of the fact that the Hu Niu at the centre of all of Xiangzis lamentations is not completely real. Throughout Xiangzis struggles, the one character that we cannot get away from is Hu Niu, even though a pure account of her inner thoughts hardly ever surfaces. The importance of her role in this novel may seem somewhat belittled by the fact that every image we get of her character is through Xiangzis eyes. To work against Xiangzis bias, the reader must delve deeper under the surface n arratives through which to form ones own version of the original Hu Niu. We see very little of a non-Xiangzi-influenced, neutral narrators Hu Niu. And if we did rely on Xiangzis mind to tell us the whole story and all its underlying events, we would be cheating ourselves. For a thorough view of Hu Niu, Xiangzis version must be rounded out by our own analysis. The reason for this is that there is always a story unfolding that Xiangzi simply does not understand; there is a woman in this story that Xiangzi does not recognise. How reliable is Xiangzis explanation of the story? We should consider how reliable Xiangzis explanation is of the world at large. Xiangzis views of himself and the environment surrounding him occasionally seem ridiculously upside down. Having arrived in Beijing from the countryside at age 18, he has no education and is merely somewhat street smart. Being physically strong, and possessing characteristics like passion, honesty, righteousness , he is extremely self-righteous and self-confident. Through the narrators descriptions of Xiangzis arrogance, it helps us see that his views of himself are horribly distorted by his ego. Once he had grown into his body by his 20s, he became tall, strong, broad-shouldered and big-footed (5). He thought of himself as the best at what he did. We further see Xiangzis vanity in the fact that he goes as far as to smile at himself whenever he looks in the mirror; he is that satisfied with himself. He is so confident in his strength to be able to conquer everything that he never likes or bothers to talk with others or discuss anything with fellow rickshaw pullers. Even when he encounters something unlucky, he still believes that he would find a way out of it and would not be easily cheated or defeated because of his strength. All this narcissism we see in Xiangzi is a completely contradictory view to what we as bystanders think of him when we regard Xiangzi. We see on his face a particularly lurid scar, courtesy of a mule (5). This scar is long and large and a quite noticeable flaw on his face. Quickly, we begin to see that this scar is representative of more inherent character flaws, something more innate in Xiangzi that contributes to his eventual downfall. One of these flaws is his ego. Even though we see this gaping imperfection on his face, Xiangzis love for it remains the same as his love for his body, blind and excessive. He sees his face as also possessing tough strength just like his face (5). He essentially regards his face as another extension of one of his limbs; as long as his four limbs are strong, his face is also strong and noble. In actuality, Xiangzis scar attests to his short-sightedness. We sense that there is a feeling of mockery in the narrators detached statement that Xiangzi believes relying on only his []intelligence[] and exertions were enough to realize his ambitions (4). Another flaw is Xiangzis weakness for compliments, also a testament to his  vanity. He feels particularly important, for instance, when his impressive height requires him to duck his head when he passes through a doorway (11). Also, when no rickshaw puller is willing to risk going to Qing Hua University for fear of the warlord soldiers, all someone has to do is call Xiangzi a Big Boy and he promptly decides he would go, as though his strength could certainly prevent any danger from befalling him. This flattery of Big Boy, and the fact that the payer of the compliment was a short-of-bodybaldhead to whom Xiangzi felt significantly superior, led to the demise of Xiangzis first rickshaw. He had felt invincible. Xiangzis character flaw is also seen in his stubbornness. He is stubborn about not letting go of his money for medicine when he falls ill (9). He is stubborn about never needing a helping hand from anyone or anything. He deems himself to be so great that, depending only on his strength, he believes he would be able to escape from the evil cycle that is the life of a rickshaw-puller. This said cycle comprises the rickshaw man being forever doomed to pull a rickshaw his entire life, be frequently susceptible to injury, ultimately grow old, become chronically ill, and, unable to run any longer, one day fall down in the middle of the streets and die. Xiangzi is mulish about the fact that he could beat the system without anyones assistance if only he just stays away from distractions. This brings us to his ultimate stubbornness, which is about the disastrous distraction that is Hu Niu. As a result of seeing Xiangzis impressions of himself, we are wary of the validity of the image of Hu Niu Xiangzi projects through his narration. In knowing how traditional his views are and how biased he is against women of power, it is immediately evident how distorted his vision is of Hu Niu. As readers, we can see that his life takes a favourable turn when he meets Hu Niu. Even if we did contemplate her through Xiangzis prejudiced eyes, we can still see how useful and capable a person she is. This woman knows about life. We value her authority, and Old Master Liu values her authority and did not want to see her married and gone , but Xiangzi seems fundamentally incapable of seeing anything positive in her capabilities. In his mind, her intelligence translates into shrewdness, and her ability to manage and  organize translates into manipulation. What is more, he refuses to see that Hu Niu really cares for him. He rejects the possibility that, if only he would listen to Hu Nius advice, he could escape the rickshaw pullers horrible lifecycle. His stupidity is so blinding that he attributes his decline to the existence of Hu Niu, when in actuality his own stupidity is the very trait that causes his demise. Xiangzis closed-mindedness makes him unable to understand others motives, locking him in, and causing him to see everything from only his own point of view. Xiangzi does not have the intelligence or foresight to see the Hu Niu that readers see, or the fact that Hu Niu is his finest chance at a better life. Worse, he actually thinks Hu Niu will be the death of him. Every time she takes something into her own hands or solves a problem a problem from which Xiangzi would always run away, besides he would believe that he has suffered another wrong because he cannot stand being under her control (140-144). We consider Hu Nius economic sense to be sensible and her logic to be a good way to extract Xiangzi from his dreary existence. She has sensed that his personality could doom him to toil all his life (149). But she tells him outright that even though he may have his plans to sweat away his entire life, she has her plans to change that (149). And her plans for him consist of the hope that he will not need to pull a rickshaw anymore, not have to stink with sweat, and can get out of a dead-end occupation. Xiangzi, however, does not see that using keen business practices instead could lead quicker to a better life. All he wants is to painstakingly make money cent by cent through blood and sweat and buy his rickshaw; he does not know there could be any other ways to live. Hu Niu knows what must be done to help Xiangzi escape misfortune. She tells Xiangzi explicitly that she will take care of [him]; but all he wants to do is escape (83). To be sure, Hu Nius effort to end Xiangzis life as a rickshaw puller is partly due to the act that she does not want to be the wife of a poor rickshaw man (158). She regards herself as someone significantly more elegant than those living in the mixed courtyard. The thought that she could lose everything on Xiangzis account makes her momentarily almost regretful of marrying him (158). Nevertheless, these thoughts were only temporary  lapses in her mind, for she truly is in love with Xiangzi. She likens the happiness she feels being married to Xiangzi as feeling like her entire body was a big red flower blossoming warmly, fragrantly, beneath the rays of the sun (158). Inside, she knows that even if Xiangzi spends his whole life pulling a rickshaw, or if even he were reduced to begging, she would still never leave him; she would stay with him forever (158). Hu Niu tells Xiangzi of her love for him over and over: I think about you all the time. I love you. Ill take care of you (83), I know youre ambitious but you ought to realise that I really love you, too (156). But Xiangzi ignores it all. He is contemptuous of her behaviour and begrudges Hu Nius money (152). He does not want to think about how unmanly it is to be using his wifes money to buy a rickshaw (148). Hu Niu is scrupulous in her care for Xiangzi. She is not gentle by nature like Xiao Fuzi, so she does not know how to sweetly cajole him when speaking, especially if she is already anxious over him. When she tells Xiangzi that she still has four hundred dollars left after they marry and prods him to relax a little and enjoy life because he pull[s] a rickshaw and stink[s] of sweat all year long, it comes out sounding near to an order (148). But it is clear that her heart is not unkind and her intentions are good. Stubbornly, Xiangzi only sees the attention and concern that Hu Niu showers him as her attempts to fatten him up like a cow so as to better squeeze the milk out of him (152). We witness the fact that Hu Niu would very much like to have a quality family life with Xiangzi and hopes for Xiangzi to have a better life than that of a rickshaw pullers. She is undeniably calculating in deciding to approach her father, despite their fight, in order to get a firmer grip on Old Lius money. But this is so she would then be able to find Xiangzi a better job (157). She believes that Xiangzi has ideal traits of strength, diligence and frugality and sees in him potential for greater success if only he would let go of his death grip on the desire to only pull a rickshaw. But because Xiangzi has been a child of misfortune and knew what deep poverty was (152), he is unshakable in his belief that only hard physical labour is the solution to anything. Without much life experience (other than that of pulling a rickshaw), Xiangzi does not know any better. By ignoring the potential of Hu Nius abilities, he is  doomed to stay in the disastrous cycle. By looking beyond Xiangzis prejudiced criticisms of Hu Niu, we get a much most realistic view of this woman. Indeed, we even feel sorry for her. When she thinks of the joy of being married to Xiangzi, it is a fascination for her that she could not even speak of (158). We as readers, however, read almost in the same breath of Xiangzis hatred for her. While she wants to promenade with Xiangzi and show off the happiness of her marriage, Xiangzi, meanwhile, finds walking about with any woman in tow to be a disgraceful business, much less someone he abhorred as much as Hu Niu (146). This sort of ingrained thinking Xiangzi cannot change. Our sympathy for Hu Niu stems from the fact that her attempts to loosen his attitude and alter his mindset were ill-fated from the beginning. Xiangzis palpable narrow-mindedness permeates the entire novel. When he comes to the realization that his body wasnt as strong as it had been, he attributes it to the fact that Hu Niu, the bloodsucking monster, has sucked away his virility (205). It is never even a consideration that his age and the major bouts of illness could be the reasons for his inability to run as fast as before. Societal traditions have also embedded in him preconceptions about women like Hu Niu, whose every movewas like that of a woman who had been married for a long time (145) and chauvinism that a woman who is quick, experienced, and had an air of self-confidence is conversely not worthy of respect. Ironically, the more obsessively Xiangzi portrays to us the evil Hu Niu that he wants us to see, the more clearly we see the Hu Niu that is not shown through Xiangzis narrative. A thought that perfectly captures the irrationality and absurdity of Xiangzis mind is when Hu Niu poses to him the question, Between the two of us, who should listen to who? (149). This is a loaded question that triggers much thought. Despite the tenacity of Xiangzis incessant commentary, we do not come to side with him in formulating our answer to that question. On the contrary, we have gathered every evidence in each situation to believe that Hu Niu was the key to Xiangzis chance at breaking the cycle. Xiangzi is the only one who does not  see this and it is to his own immense detriment. His many character flaws are revealed in his enormous ego, stubbornness, shortsightedness, and staunch mistrust of others advice, especially advice from women. His prejudice against Hu Niu has been particularly hardened by societal beliefs and the traditional stigma that follows sharp and able women. Xiangzi is trapped in the blindness of his prejudice and remains perpetually unable to see and hear the Hu Niu that we ultimately comprehend. Ignoring Hu Nius help, support and advice, we watch with disappearing sympathy as Xiangzis hurtled towards the expected end of a rickshaw-pullers life cycle.

Definitions of Beauty Essay Example for Free

Definitions of Beauty Essay What makes a woman beautiful? Today our society has turned beauty into something that is unrealistic. Many are familiar with features that classify a woman as beautiful such as having a pretty face, flawless skin, skinny figure and sparkling eyes. However, each of us has our own perception of beauty. Everyone has different tastes. We have certain features that we like and dislike, which makes it difficult to define what beauty truly is. If we cannot agree on what traits define beauty, then how can a woman discover their own? The problem is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this is never more true than seen over time and between different cultures.   Over time, our concept of beauty seems to fluctuate. Sometimes favoring rather heavy individuals and at other times very skinny ones.The beauty concept on this way are often corresponding to the way looks correlate with wealth. For example, during eras when food was scarce, excess flesh was seen as a sign of wealth and therefore of beauty. However, today, with fattening food cheap and plentiful, being thin is a sign of someone who has the time to eat right and exercise, and therefore is a sign of wealth, with obesity looked upon as a sign of lower economic status. In different cultures, parts of the body may be purposefully exaggerated in the name of beauty, the effects of which might even seem strange to those of another culture. Western Eastern beauty concept†¦ In the West, we have a very fixed idea of what beauty comprises. To have a chance of being considered beautiful, women must be tan, tall, slim, and youthful, have large breasts small waists and have long hair. There is a Western influence felt today by civilizations. The entertainment and media industries in Europe and America have become experts in presenting and promoting a fixed definition of beauty to the world. For the Eastern, in many Southeast Asian countries, the fairness of skin is considered to be a definition of beauty. Unlike their European and American counterparts, who sometimes work hard to develop a tan, girls from these countries work to avoid any extra coloring. To them, dark skin suggests generations of agricultural work under a hot sun, which means a low or common status. Another mark of beauty in some areas of Asia is having large eyes. Because of this, and a desire to stand out, it is not uncommon for Asian women to undergo surgery to make their eyes appear larger and have Caucasian-looking eyelids.

Corporate Social Responsibility In Smrt Corporation Management Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility In Smrt Corporation Management Essay This report is written and compound to discuss Corporate Social Responsibility in the worldwide international company. Corporate Social Responsibility is the adoption by a business of a strategic focus for fulfilling the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities expected of it by its stakeholders (Thorne, Ferrell, Ferrell, 2008, p. 5). The key stakeholders of an organization consist of employees, customers, investors, suppliers, stockholders, governments, as well as communities. SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is one of the company that implements Corporate Social Responsibility in their company. SMRT is Singapores premier multi-modal public transport service provider which established in 1987. Corporate governance is one of the most important aspect in Corporate Social Responsibility. The Board and Management of SMRT are fully committed to continually raising the standard of corporate governance and to build a respected, trusted and transparent organisation which is essential to sustainability of the companys business and performance. Some of the sustained programme that has been made by SMRT to enhance and improve the lives and welfare of the community are corporate philanthropy, environment, community outreach, as well as safety and security. 2. Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility is the adoption by a business of a strategic focus for fulfilling the economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities expected of it by its stakeholders (Thorne, Ferrell, Ferrell, 2008, p. 5). The key stakeholders of an organization consist of employees, customers, investors, suppliers, stockholders, governments, as well as communities. Nowadays, the awareness and implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility in Singapore has been increased since the establishment of Singapore Compact in January 2005. Singapore Compact is a national society that functions as multi-stakeholder platform in recognising the role and contributions of all Corporate Social Responsibility stakeholders. SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is one of the company that implements Corporate Social Responsibility in their company. SMRT is Singapores premier multi-modal public transport service provider which established in 1987. This report is written and compound based on the company background of SMRT, corporate social responsibility by SMRT which includes corporate philanthropy, environment, community outreach, safety and security, as well as current issue in market and media. 3. Company Background SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) is Singapores premier multi-modal public transport service provider offering integrated transport services island-wide. Established in 1987, SMRT provides Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), bus services, as well as rental of taxis. In addition, SMRT leases the commercial spaces and provides advertising buying service within their network. Singapore MRT Ltd started operating the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL) of Singapores first Mass Rapid Transit System in the 1987. Singapore LRT Pte Ltd was set up in 1997 and two years later, became the first operator for Singapores pioneer Light Rapid Transit System in Bukit Panjang (BPLRT). SMRT Corporation Ltd has been listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX) since 26 July 2000. As a holding company, it wholly owns SMRT Trains Ltd (SMRT Trains), formerly known as Singapore MRT Ltd, and SMRT Light Rail Pte Ltd (SMRT Light Rail), formerly known as Singapore LRT Pte Ltd. SMRT Trains has commenced operations of Circle Line Stage 3 in May 2009 and Stages 1 and 2 in April 2010. In December 2001, SMRT Corporation Ltd acquired SMRT Road Holdings Ltd (formerly known as TIBS Holdings Ltd) for $198.6 million and became Singapores first multi-modal land transport operator, providing bus and taxi services in addition to its MRT and LRT services. SMRT Buses Ltd (SMRT Buses) and SMRT Taxis Pte Ltd (SMRT Taxis) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of SMRT Road Holdings Ltd. 4. Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the formal system of oversight, accountability, and control for organizational decisions and resources. Oversight relates to a system of checks and balances that limits employees and managers opportunities to deviate from policies and codes of conduct. Accountability relates to how well the content of workplace decisions is aligned with a firms stated strategic direction. Control involves the process of auditing and improving organizational decisions and actions (Thorne, Ferrell, Ferrell, 2008, p. 75). Corporate governance is one of the most important aspect in Corporate Social Responsibility. The Board and Management of SMRT are fully committed to continually raising the standard of corporate governance and to build a respected, trusted and transparent organisation which is essential to sustainability of the companys business and performance. For its efforts to achieve the excellent corporate governance, SMRT received some of the corporate awards such as Best Investor Relations (Silver) and Best Annual Report 2009 (Bronze) at Singapore Corporate Awards 2010, second place in Business Times Governance and Transparency Index 2010, Best Managed Board (Gold) and Best Annual Report 2008 (Bronze) at Singapore Corporate Awards 2009, Board Diversity Award (Co-Winner) at Securities Investors Association of Singapore (SIAS) Investors Choice Awards 2009, first place in Corporate Governance Award in the Mainboard category at Securities Investors Association of Singapore (SIAS) Investors Choice Awards 2008, and more. 5. Corporate Social Responsibility by SMRT Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means that a corporation should be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities, and the environment. It implies that harm to people and society should be acknowledged and corrected if at all possible. It may require a company to forgo some profits if its social impacts seriously hurt some of its stakeholders or if its funds can be used to have a positive social impact (Post, Lawrence, Weber, 2001, p. 58). SMRT believes that their success has to be channeled towards the greater good of the community. SMRT Corporate Social Responsibility programme sets out to make a positive impact on the economic, social and environmental well being of the communities that they serve. Some of the sustained programme that has been made by SMRT to enhance and improve the lives and welfare of the community are: 5.1 Corporate Philanthropy Corporate philanthropy has become important as companies are expected to do more than just give back to the community. SMRT corporate philanthropy programme is directed at voluntary welfare organisations, national events, education, sports, arts and the environment. In Financial Year 2006, SMRT made community contributions totalling S$3.18 million in cash contributions and sponsorships such as media space and corporate gifts. Some others of the philanthropic contributions that have done by SMRT are: SMRT Silver Tribute Fund The SMRT Silver Tribute Fund (Fund) is SMRTs biggest corporate social responsibility initiative to-date. SMRT Silver Tribute Fund was launched in December 2006 as a holistic corporate philanthropy and community outreach effort. All money raised by SMRT Silver Tribute Fund will go towards the six beneficiaries such as: Alzheimers Disease Association   Specialised Caregiver Support Service (Dementia), Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centers -Ang Mo Kio Yio Chu Kang Community Carers Scheme, Asian Womens Welfare Association AWWA READYCARE Centre, Geylang East Home for the Aged (GEHA), Singapore Leprosy Relief Association Home, and Tan Tock Seng Hospital Community Charity Fund   Helping Elderly Patients Programme.   Donations and media support for National Day Parade and support of the birthday celebrations in various ways including provision of a SMRT Train for Singapore Express, a community project which brought together 12,000 Primary Five students from 42 schools island-wide to design National Day decorations for public transport and bus stop shelters. Train ride for 200 disabled persons to promote community awareness of the unique needs of the disabled. Sponsorship of three SMRT buses as exhibition space for exhibits on environmental care for the Marine Parade Town Councils Clean, Green and Hygiene Carnival. Donation of a de-registered SMRT taxi to Alexandra Hospital for its Car Transfer Rehabilitation Programme. Partnership with the National Council of Social Services for the Disability Awareness Public Education Campaign. 5.2 Environment SMRT is committed to be an industry leader in environmental stewardship. SMRT prioritize and responsible to contribute to create a cleaner and greener environment. To embrace environmentally-friendly policies and practices in their business, operations and infrastructure, SMRT launched SMRT is Green in April 2008. SMRT make a conscious effort to adopt green practices in their operations in terms of energy, water, air and waste management. With all their concern and hard work to preserve the environment, SMRT received some awards for their contribution such as Most Energy Efficient Metro award at The Metros Award 2010, Top Achiever, Singapore Environmental Achievement Award 08/09 from the Singapore Environmental Council, two awards at the Land Transport Excellence Awards (LTEA) 2010 as the Most Eco-Friendly Transport Partner and the Most Creative Promotion/Campaign, and many others. 5.3 Community Outreach SMRT is active in outreach programmes that add colour and vibrancy to community while promoting the SMRT brand name. These programmes have been done to entertain, educate and inform to the public through their transport network. Some of the programmes are: SMRT Courtesy and Safety Programme This annual programme serves to remind commuters to adopt safe and well-mannered behaviour while in transit. The highlight of the programme is the SMRT Challenge. Courtesy and safety messages were also publicised via action packed road shows at our train stations, publicity posters, as well as through an art competition for children. SMRT and National Library Board (NLB) Read and Ride Programme The magic of books come alive for children of the Internet generation on MRT train. This partnership with NLB is complemented by the annual SMRT Tales on the Trains. These are story-telling sessions on board SMRT trains and are held during the school holidays. Hui Chun at SMRT MRT Stations SMRT transform one of their stations into a place of celebration to spread festive cheer among their commuters every year. SMRT are always joined by calligraphers and artists from the Life Art Society who will give out auspicious couplets and brush paintings, all of which are completed on the spot. 5.4 Safety and Security Safety and security is the top priority and the forefront of SMRT business and operations. To encourage and train the community to play a more active and effective role in enhancing safety and security in the public transport system, SMRT make a programme which is called by SMRT Community Emergency Preparedness (SCEP). The SCEP is the first integrated transport security training programme by a public transport service provider and is develop as a Public-Private-People (3P) partnership, in collaboration with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Ministry of Home Affairs Home Team departments. The registration to join the SCEP programme is free and all the participants will undergo three hours of theory and four hours of practical lessons. 5.5 Current Issue in Market and Media In order to celebrate World Environment Day, SMRT launched its third Go Green with SMRT public transport education campaign on 5 June 2010. The campaign, which runs till 30 September 2010, highlights the benefits of taking the train and bus better air quality, reduction in carbon emissions and lower carbon footprint per passenger kilometre. The campaign which promotes public transport for cleaner air and better health launched with giveaway of 300 limited edition travel passes to commuters who wear special badges and pledge to add public transport into their travel mix. The 300 limited edition travel passes are on top of the monthly draw (3-month free rides for 1 on SMRT trains and buses) and grand draw prizes (1-year free rides for 4 on SMRT trains and buses). 6. Conclusion Nowadays, majority companies implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a form of their commitment to take care of the community and environment. SMRT Corporation Ltd is one of the company which implements CSR programme. With the implementation of CSR in their company means that SMRT is the company which is responsible for the welfare of the community and environment. One of the CSR programme that has been done by SMRT is committed to a clean and green environment by using environmental friendly fuel. Other CSR programmes are including corporate philanthropy, community outreach, as well as safety and security.

Violence and the Fight Against It Essay -- Biography

During a freedom march on May 29, 1964 in Canton, Mississippi a boy by the name of McKinley Hamilton was brutally beaten by police to the point of unconsciousness. One of the witnesses of this event, and the author of the autobiography which this paper is written in response to, was Anne (Essie Mae) Moody. This event was just one of a long line of violent experiences of Moody’s life; experiences that ranged from her own physical domestic abuse to emotional and psychological damage encountered daily in a racist, divided South. In her autobiography Moody not only discusses in detail the abuses in her life, but also her responses and actions to resist them. The reader can track her progression in these strategies throughout the various stages of her life; from innocent childhood, to adolescence at which time her views from a sheltered childhood began to unravel and finally in adulthood when she took it upon herself to fight back against racial prejudice. As a child, Moody was sheltered by her parents from the racial violence that was so prominent in the southern United States. However, she was subjected to domestic abuse and physiological violence growing up. Her parents both worked as farmers, so as a result Moody and her sibling, later siblings, were often left alone during the days. During these times they were often looked after by their young uncle George Lee who, still being a child himself caused a lot of torment for Anne and her sister, leading to one of the few times where her dad physically beat her. When she started school at the age of five the threat of physical violence against her followed. Her teacher, Reverend Cason, threatened the students with violence if they misbehaved although â€Å"[h]e never did whip [Anne]. [... ...aced with tremendous abuse and violence in various forms. However as she matured, her awareness of the specific racial violence, rampant throughout the region, grew as did her method of combating and resisting it. In the end, no matter which method she used to resist this violence, whether it be through ignoring it or actively fighting against it, it always found a way to impact her. Although, similar to the sources used for our second paper, Anne’s account of events in her life has never been fully verified and the fact that she can clearly remember events and dialog from such a young age can breed a lot of skepticism. This could also be seen as a sign of just how effected she was by the various forms of violence throughout her life, long after any physical scars had healed. Works Cited Moody, A. (1968) Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York, NY: Bantam Dell

Essay --

Name of the book - India Grows at Night by Gurucharan Das I haven’t read any of the two Gurucharan’s previous books. Besides, this is the first book I will be reviewing for Developmental economics. The title of the Book only caught my attention for two reasons. First it reminded me of the famous speech by Jawaharlal Nehru â€Å"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.† His speech somewhat depicted the reality as India only started to develop at night. Second, it gave me some sort of insight of what I might come across in this book. It’s more of a statement which leads us towards the realness of our country. He begins the first chapter with the example of Haryana and Gurgaon. The unexpected rise of the neglected and underdeveloped Gurgaon in becoming a â€Å"Millennium City â€Å"and the surrender of a would-be planned city Faridabad, later even struggling to capture up with India’s first wave of modernization. It was discussed how private player s took charge in Gurgaon- which arose without an effective state whilst Faridabad with a proper functioning state, withered. Indian model was discussed – which was different than the rest of the world as India got democracy before capitalism. By the end of this chapter, das speaks about the shortcoming of the state and how to move from the private success and public failure in order to become a successful nation. In the next chapter he talks about the Anna Hazare’s movement and how a weak government was shaken to its core by a strong society. Delay in implementation of projects like POSCO – which had been caught in the web of red tape for 5 years. He also mentioned how 168 projects of Coal India had been awaiting clearance – which led to powe... .... In the last section he concludes by giving suggestions on what should be done and redefines the definition of a Strong state and mention that a state is required to grow - no matter how many inefficiencies it may have, he writes â€Å"a weak state is better than no state at all". This book is a brilliant piece by Gurucharan Das, which talks about India’s impressive economic rise despite the presence or rather the absence of a state. With its narrative approach it is easy for readers to understand. Das takes you on a journey beyond 1900 and gives a glimpse of our past and present in order to understand the lacunae that India is facing. The part I disliked is he stressed a lot more in explaining the relevance of a strong state. But this book attempts to show us a path which could help the state deal with governance shortfall effectively. Nishant Sharma Radio stream

Using Language Interpreters in Counseling Essay -- Communication, Lang

In counseling language is the main therapeutic tool used by clinicians. In order to correctly diagnose and treat a client the client needs to be able to communicate what they are feeling and what symptoms they are experiencing. Clients whose second language is English may require an interpreter because many social workers or counselors only speak English. Many of the populations that social workers or counselors work with in therapy, are either not fluent in English or do not speak English and therefore require the use of an interpreter. The use of an interpreter in counseling can be seen as either an advantage or disadvantage depending on the quality of the interpreter and which type of interpretation model is used (Freed, 1988). This paper will look at the use of an interpreter in counseling and what interpretation model is the most effective. The theoretical approach used to research the use of interpreters in counseling was a culturally grounded approach. According to Marsiglia and Kulis (2009) a culturally grounded approach embraces diversity and multiculturalism and also promotes a change that improves an individual or a group’s quality of life (p. 102-103). Farooq and Fear (2003) state that counseling is a social service that has been shown to need a culturally competent staff and the use of a culturally competent staff improves the quality of service the client receives. Social services are not always culturally competent (Marsiglia & Kulis, 2009). A culturally grounded approach in the research of the use of interpreters in counseling looks at how interpreters improve counseling service provided to clients who either speak English as a second language or do not speak English. The use of a culturally grounded a... .... (2003). Working through interpreters. Journal of Professional Development, 9(2), 104-109. doi:10.1192/apt.01.12 Freed, A. O. (1988). Interviewing through an interpreter. Social Work, 33(4), 315-319. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Marsiglia, F. F., & Kulis, S. (2009). Social work perspectives: Social context, consciousness and resiliency. In T. M. Meenaghan & I. C. Colby (Eds.), Culturally grounded social work diversity, oppression, and change (87-111). Chicago, Illinois: Lyceum Books, Inc. Westermeyer, J. (1990). Working with an interpreter in psychiatric assessment and treatment. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 178(12), (745-749). doi:10.109700005053-199012000-00003 Whitsett, M. (2008). Tips for mental health interpretation. Center for Health and Health Care in Schools [On-line]. Available: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED509813.pdf; accessed 10/02/2011.

Barrio Boy Essay

1. Author Information The author of Barrio Boy, is Ernesto Galarza. Ernesto was born in Jalcocotan, Nayarit (which is in Mexico) on August 15, 1905 and died in 1984. During Galarza’s early childhood, he lived in a small village of Jalcocotan, all while he learned respect for the things he had. Ernesto came to the United States at a young age, during the Mexian Revolution which happened in the early 1900’s. While Ernesto was growing up, he helped out his family in harvesting their crops. He worked in the harvest crops of Sacramento, California. Working in these conditions inspired his views on the way Mexicans were treated as farmworkers. He soon became concerned about the way that the Mexican agriculture workers were treated poorly, and lived in bad condtions all while being a school boy. During these hard times, a baby died, from drinking the polluted water they were given. When the Mexican people found out about this, they decided to ask Ernesto to lead the village in a protest, because Ernesto had been taught English in school. Galarza showed his student activism towards Mexian-American in the early 1929’s, which was when he vocalized his views on the way that the Mexian-American’s were being treated. He finished up high school, and after graduation he continued on with his education. He went to Stanford University, where he was the first Mexican-American to ever be admitted. Mr. Galarza earned his Ph. D. in history and political science at Columbia University. After World War II, Dr. Ernesto Galarza soon became a labor organizer because of his endorsement of the AFL-CIO, he was also named the National Farm Labor Union’s executive secretary. Galarza was deeply committed to the education of young people, and the thought that everyone should have an opportunity to  get a good education. Which might be the reason that he started to write literature for children. Ernesto Galarza was the author of numerous books which included topics on social and economic values, expecially toward the Mexican-American society. Galarza’s wife was Mae, who developed a bilingual education program, which is now a model for other programs. Along with all of Galarza’s accomplishments, he translatted the ‘Mother Goose’ stories into Spanish, and with that book, he also wrote Barrio Boy, which originated from stories that he told his daughters. And in 1976, Ernesto Galarza became the very first Mexican American to be nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. II. Setting The begining of the book took place in a quaint village in Mexico, called Jalcocotan or Jalco for short. Jalco was around the mountains of the Sierra Madre de Nayarit. The nearest city from Jalco was Tepic, from Tepic it was near impossible to get to Jalco. You would have to go down mule tracks, on either a mule or on a burro, and the whole time just hold on the best that you could. The indians that founded Jalco wanted it to be difficult to get into this village, which is why they choose the small rocky places and the gullies surrounding Jalco. They thought of Jalco as ‘some natural storm cellar’, so that they wouldn’t be hit with the hard hurricanes that sometimes occured. Jalco is where Ernesto Galarza grew up, and he considered himself and anyone growing up in the puebl ‘jalcocotecanos’. In the book he talked about how great Jalco was because it gave protection from outsiders, and it only had one street. This street was an open stretch of a mule track, but it had been widened through out the years, to be able to ‘park six automobiles hub to hub’. In Jalco, there was a line of houses, or cottages on each side. Roofs, were made only of thatched palm, and there was no windows, while the backs of the houses were called corrales, because ‘they were narrow alleys that led uphill to the edge of the forest on the upper side of the village’. Ernesto had to move to Tepic. They thought that bolas were forming, which the book gave deffinition to as: ‘any group of persons who got together to overthrow the establishment or to inglicht upon it anguish or alarm; when armed and operating in the mountains, they were more accurately called â€Å"guerillas.† ‘. and they thought that they would soon be coming to Jalco the revolution was going to move to Jalco. Gustavo had been chosen to go to Tepic, and see what was going on over there. The night that he left, there was a major comet that Don Cleofas said foretold that something very impacting was soon to happen, but specially he said this comet meant that La Revolucion was coming our way. Gustavo came back to Jalco a few days after the comet. What he saw there was guards, and men being taken to regiments, which made Ernesto’s family decided to move into Tepic where they would all get jobs and find a place to live. The revolution scared Ernesto’s family, and everytime they thought that the revoultion was gettin close, they packed up their stuff, with a lot of thought involved, and moved to the next city. The book says that the ‘city was peaceful while we lived there but in the vecindad there was the talk and the feeling of trouble. My mother lived in dread that Jose would be picked up and taken away as a draftee to fight for Don Porfirio’. After they found out that no one could enter or leave Tepic without being stopped bu the patrols, and how regiments were getting quartered around the village in Tepic, they decided to go to Acaponeta. In Acaponeta Ernesto said that the most important place was the railway station, which he stood far away from the tracks and watched the people get on and off of the train, and watch the train go off into the distance. The train stain was also the center of the revolution, because there were soliders in the boxcars, and Ernesto and his mother could see how the revolution was evolving. A letter came in from Gustavo that said for Ernesto and his mom to go to Urias, from Acaponeta. Gustavo said that he would send a money order to them both to help transport them from Acaponeta to Urias. Gustavo’s letter also said that Esther would also go to Urias to meet up with them, because they were also sending him money. A few days later they left on a train from Acaponeta, to go to Urais, where they meet up with Gustavo and Jose. They stayed in Urais for a while, but when Dona Florencia found a room for rent, they were off to Mazatlan. Mazatlan was the next city over to Urais, so it really wasn’t too big of a move for Ernesto, and in the book it said, ‘The down payment on teh rent was made and Jose went back to Casa Redonda for out things.’. The place that they lived in was only one room, and had a red tile roof, and brick floors. Then three more letters came from Gustavo, where he wanted to get all the family together, only this time in America. Gustavo and Jose wanted to have all the family together in Sacramento, California because that’s where Jose had to work on the railroad. Ernesto and his mom had to wait in Tucson, before they could continue their journey, so they could get another pass and so money could be obtained. While they were in Tucson Ernesto had a great time with the hotel and the toilet, it says in the book, ‘That night I got up many times to go to the toilet, until i was ordered to go to bed.’. When they got back on the train for the last time, they finally entered their destination of Sacramento. The book describes them entering Sacramento as, ‘A brake man opened the door at the front of the coach and called, â€Å"Sach-men-ah,† by which we knew he meant Sa-cra-men-to, for we had passed a large sign with the name in black and white at teh entrance to the corporation yard. From there, the book setting is in Sacramento, and describes the different things that Ernesto Galarza learns while in school, and while he’s out on the farm. III. Characters The main character of the book was Ernesto Galarza (big surprise). In this book, Ernesto Galarza is not very physically developed in the beginning, but towards the end of the book he was on his way to manhood. Emotionally, Ernesto Galarza is strung everywhere, depending on the time of the book. â€Å"Police and firemen swarmed around for a while. We never called the police, they just came.† is one excerpt from the book where he had to be  very emotionally strong, because he had to realize the bad neighborhood that he was in, and how his family was taking it. They were doing the best that they could possibly do, and he knew how bad that made them fell. Another time that Ernesto showed how emotionally impact he was, was when he had to move out of his home town of Jalco, and into different places with his family. Moving is hard on anyone, expecially if you have lived there you’re whole life, the hardship of having to move from city to city in Mexico was really bad for Ernesto Galarza, because this family had to ask other family members if they could stay in their houses, and they had to start from scratch. Which really shows how emotionally strong he was. Ernesto Galarza had to be mentally strong, to see how bad things really could be. To see your neighbor that’s a child dying, you have to get mentally stronger than the average person. Ernesto Galarza also had to take a place in watching the rituals for those who are really sick, and then had to participate because his family thought that that the more people involved in the ritual, the better the outcome. Ernesto Galarza was also shaped into a better mentally strong person through this story because he experienced many rascist situation in reverse. In the book, Ernesto Galarza wanted to send a letter to his mother, but he had to make it a telegram because it had to be in english. At the bottom of the telegram, Ernesto Galarza signed it ‘Little Ernie’ but the clerk made him change it to ‘Ernesto’. This made Ernesto Galarza think about everything, and develop himself better and become more strong mentally. Other than Ernesto, there were a few other main characters which include Gustavo, and his mother. Gustavo wrote his family letters, and money. Gustavo was very physically developed because he had to work very hard labor, such as the railroad tracks. While his mom wasn’t too physically developed because she was a woman, but she always did what she could to help out. Emotionally Gustavo was very strong, and expressed a lot of concern. Gustave  never really expresses a lot of his feelings because he’s pretty quiet. Ernesto’s mom was always wanting to do the best thing for her kids, no matter what. She was willing to take all of her things and move them just for the sake of her children. Gustavo mentally wanted to get all of his family in one spot, because family was very important to him. Through-out the who book Ernesto keeps getting these letters from Gustavo and Jose explaining what he had to do to find, or reunite with his family, and Gustavo and Jose took care of their family by giving them money to help them out on their journey. Galarza’s mom was very mentally strong to be able to go from place to place, with all the worries that she had on her mind, like the time she stayed up all night before they left. IV. Plot Barrio Boy, had a lot of Man Vs. Self, and Man Vs. Society. Man Vs. Self: There were so many times that there was a man vs. himself, but one time specifically was when Ernesto had to learn English. Ernesto just had to concentrate, and believe in himself that he could learn how to read and write English before he actually could. Ernesto’s mom helped him in his work, by his mom calling out the combinations she had written him on tope of the slate. Man Vs. Society: Like man vs. self, there were a lot of man vs. society too, but one time in particular was when Ernesto ventured out of the alley and down the street, and was chased home by three American boys. This shows how difference societys act towards different people, Ernesto didn’t even understand what the boys were yelling at him, he just understood that it wasn’t very nice. The book was mainly about how Ernesto had to move from Jalco and to city to city, to try and be with his family. The reason that his family was split up was because of the Mexican Revolution. During the book, Ernesto’s family  wanted to be as far away from the revolution that they could be, no matter how many times they had to move. Gustavo and Jose kept sending Ernesto and his mother money to get from to place in this book, because they wanted to get all of their family in one place. They tried a lot of villages and cities in Mexico, until they finally decided to go to the United States. They choose to migrate to Sacramento, California because Jose was working on the railroad there. The rising action in this book was all the traving Ernesto did. On each train, he was exposed to different experiences and different people. The main action of this book was when they finally arrived in Sacramento and was reunited with their family, because that’s what the story was talking about through-out. There, was also where the falling action occured, which would be that when he got there, he had to work and help support his family, and watch his little sisters. The resolution would be that he went to school, and made something of himself. V. Theme The life lesson that was taught in this book would be that don’t take anything forgranted. In Ernesto’s book, he goes through a lot of conflicts with himself and with the circumstances that he has to live in. The biggest conflict was having to move from place to place trying not to get caught up in the Mexican Revolution. Although Ernesto was in a horrible situation, he always seemed to turn it around for the better, and look towards the more positive out look. Everyone has a choice on whether or not they want to be in a good mood or not, they decide whether they want something to bother them or not. In this book, it teaches you how to take a more positive approach to everything you do which also reflects how you shouldn’t take anything forgranted. Ernesto never loses his positive approach, and keeps his head up high, which is what everyone should do. VI. Evaluation This book, along with everyother book has its ups and its downs. Barrio Boy was a very capturing story about immigration and coming to the United States. The book itself gives you the feeling that you’re hearing the stories told time and time again by your grandparents. Ernesto uses a lot of detail in this book which gives you a clear picture of what he’s talking about. As an autobiography, Ernesto Galarza did a good job. If the reader has a sense of history and knowlege of Mexican-American culture, then they’ll read with ease. The Barrio Boy book had very interesting subject matter, however the writing itself sometimes is a bore. Ernesto Galarza dwells on facts very insignificant to the purpose of the story and therefor the reader must wade through all of that to pull out the important history he’s retelling. The first 70 pages was pure talk of Ernesto’s family, and how they lived in Jalco. It included some interesting details on what they did, but it was all pretty irrelevant to the story at hand. This alone turns the reader off, and makes them want to put the book down. Another thing that turns the reader off is that you never learn about the rich history of the Mexican-American Herritage in this country. Ernesto could have also used more English terms in this book. Readers don’t like to have to flip to the back of the book, to understand what they are reading exspecially if it’s already drawn out. If you like to read about culture, especially Mexican-American culture you might find this book to be enjoyable. If you have problems reading books for anything other than pleasure you might want to pick up another book about the Mexican culture in the United States, you might want to try Rain of Gold, by Victor Villasenor.